《Record of a Demon's Cultivation》


 Chapter 1: Fighting with the Beggar

    <h4>Chapter 1: Fighting with the Beggar</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Qian Guo (Qian Country).


    Yancheng (Salt City).


    Song Wen held up two dead steamed buns he had dug out from a slop bucket, overjoyed.


    Perhaps because the buns were too dense or because there wasn''t much soup in the slop bucket, the buns hadn''t soaked through, remaining rtively clean without too many stains.


    He scraped off the two pieces of vegetable leaves stuck to the buns,pletely ignoring the foul smell emanating from the slop bucket beside him, and stuffed the buns into his mouth in big bites.


    The cold and dry buns, without any water to apany them, were extremely difficult to swallow. But Song Wen couldn''t care less; after a few mouthfuls, he managed to shove one bun down his throat.


    With the dry bun sticking in his throat, making it hard to swallow, he almost choked.


    Finally managing to swallow the bun, he felt a slight relief in his empty stomach, but he still felt far from full.


    He had crossed into this world two days ago, and this was the first meal he had eaten.


    As he regained his senses, he saw a ten-year-old beggar boy appearing before him. The beggar boy was staring pitifully at the remaining bun in Song Wen''s hand, his eyes filled with longing and hope.


    Song Wen looked at the frail beggar boy in front of him and then at the bun in his hand.


    After a brief moment of hesitation and conflict, he brought the bun to his own mouth without intending to give it to the beggar boy.


    Having crossed into this world resembling ancient times, he found that the skills and knowledge he had from modern society were useless here, and even surviving had be exceedingly difficult. He had no intention of pitying strangers he didn''t know.


    Just as the bun was about to enter Song Wen''s mouth, the beggar boy''s face suddenly turned fierce.


    The beggar boy suddenly ran a few steps forward, then leaped suddenly, jumping about two meters high, and grabbed directly for the bun in Song Wen''s hand.


    At the same time, the beggar boy opened his dirty mouth, showing his yellow teeth, and bit down on Song Wen''s forearm.


    Surprised by the beggar boy''s sudden attack, Song Wen initially showed a trace of panic in his eyes, but then he became furious.


    He had been living well in modern society, not exactly sessful, but without worries about food and drink. Now, suddenly transmigrated to this world with almost no survival skills, he was already frustrated, and now even a half-sized beggar dared to bully him!


    His anger finally found an outlet,


    Song Wen''s expression turned fierce.


    "Scram!"


    Swinging his arm, Song Wen struck toward the beggar boy.


    When Song Wen crossed into this world, his originally thirty-year-old body appeared as a fourteen or fifteen-year-old, not particrly tall but still stronger and more robust than the beggar boy who had beencking food for a long time.


    Song Wen''s forearm struck directly on the beggar boy''s face, causing him to immediately bleed from his nose.


    But Song Wen clearly underestimated the beggar boy''s fierceness. Instead of being knocked back by Song Wen''s forearm, the beggar boy seized Song Wen''s arm and bit down on it.


    During this entire confrontation, the beggar boy''s fierce expression did not change at all; his eyes remained fixed on the bun in Song Wen''s hand.


    Feeling pain, Song Wen''s face became even more fierce.


    "You little beast, how dare you bite me, I''ll kill you."


    Song Wen lifted his knee, exerting all his strength, and fiercely pushed it against the beggar boy''s chest.


    The beggar boy suffered a heavy blow, his body went limp, unable to hold onto Song Wen''s forearm anymore, and he flew backward, crashing onto the dirty ground half a zhang away.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> 1 Zhang is equivalent to 3.333meters or 10.9ft


    With his anger still raging, Song Wen had no intention of letting the beggar boy go. He walked up and kicked the beggar boy''s chest with two feet, sending him flying once again, causing him to cough up blood, clearly suffering internal injuries, before finally stopping.


    Just as Song Wen was about to turn and leave, he suddenly noticed that the beggar boy was ring at him with resentment.


    The beggar boy''s gaze sent chills down his spine, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.


    Having just arrived andcking any real power or background, it would be wise not to offend anyone, even a beggar at the lowest rung of society.


    Who knows if this beggar boy has any local underworld protection behind him?


    Staring at each other for a long time, Song Wen''s thoughts of permanently eliminating future troubles shed through his mind,


    They were in a narrow and dark alley where few people usually came. Now that there were only the two of them here, Song Wen believed that if he made up his mind to ruthlessly kill the beggar boy, no one would notice for a while.


    In thiswless and bleak parallel world''s Yancheng, countlessmon people die unjustly every day. The authorities simply ignore it, unable or unwilling to intervene.


    From the corner of his eye, Song Wen noticed arge cobblestone in the alley, smooth on the surface and hard in texture, likely harder than the beggar boy''s head.


    The hardships of the past two days surged up within him in that moment. A towering resentment erupted in his heart, clouding Song Wen''s judgment and shattering the ethical standards of the modern society he had known for over thirty years. Song Wen''s face turned grim and terrifying.


    Having witnessed much piging and plundering in the past two days, Song Wen at this moment seemed to awaken the demon hidden deep within his heart.


    While others behaved recklessly, this was a world where the strong preyed upon the weak, so why should he adhere to the moral and ethical standards of his former life?


    Song Wen turned towards the cobblestone. The beggar boy''s eyes gradually filled with fear.


    Suddenly, two servants from wealthy households appeared at the end of the alley, carrying a slop bucket, and walked in.


    Seeing outsiders, Song Wen regained his clouded judgment. The demon within his heart retreated, and his reckless thoughts were restrained.


    There were things that couldn''t be done, Song Wen was somewhat relieved and somewhat inexplicably pleased. Shaking his head, he turned and left the alley.


    Just as Song Wen stepped out of the alley, he saw arge crowd of people rushing towards the street.


    These people were shouting, "Hurry up, Tian Sha Gang is recruiting. If you''rete, there won''t be another chance."


    The reputation of Tian Sha Gang had practically entered Song Wen''s ears like a broken record in the past two days.


    In Yancheng, Tian Sha Gang was undoubtedly the top gang force, with some aspects of their power even surpassing the local authorities.


    However, Tian Sha Gang''s reputation wasn''t clean, havingmitted many evils.


    Song Wen also followed the crowd, rushing towards the street.


    Job recruitment meant wages, and wages meant being able to eat proper meals, no longer needing to fight over scraps in the slop bucket with beggars.


    He pushed through the dense crowd with all his might, finally seeing a notice posted on the wall at the street corner.


    The characters on the notice were simr to traditional characters from his previous life. Although Song Wen hadn''t learned traditional characters, he could still understand the general meaning.


    The content of the notice was that Tian Sha Gang was recruiting children aged seven to fourteen to learn martial arts and be the backbone of the gang in the future.


    It also mentioned that the families of selected children would receive generous rewards, and the children themselves would have a bright future, and so on.


    After reading the notice, Song Wen felt somewhat disappointed.


    It turned out that Tian Sha Gang was recruiting new gang members; it wasn''t just simple job recruitment.


    Moreover, Tian Sha Gang only recruited children aged seven to fourteen, which didn''t fit Song Wen''s current body''s age.


    Song Wen squeezed through the crowd and wanted to leave.


    However, amidst the noisy crowd, a loud shout suddenly rang out.


    "Hey, you there, hold on."


    Song Wen heard the shout, but he didn''t think it was directed at him. He didn''t stop his steps and continued pushing through the crowd.


    "Hey, kid, I''m talking to you. Are my words no longer valid in Yancheng?"


    The voice behind him grew increasingly annoyed.


    As a neer, Song Wen was cautious and afraid of offending anyone. He stopped, turned back, and looked behind to confirm if the person was addressing him.


    Turning his head, he saw a man with a bushy beard, dressed like a rogue. He had a menacing look in his eyes, and behind him stood two burly men, all wearing Tian Sha Gang attire.


    Song Wen immediately furrowed his brows. He didn''t understand where he had offended this "sir."


    Originally just an ordinary salesperson at Blue Star, Song Wen''s multiple sales experiences hadn''t made him rich and wealthy. However, they had taught him to adapt his speech to the listener and to recognize people''s underlying intentions.


    A servile smile immediately appeared on his face. He took a couple of quick steps forward, bowing low, and approached the "sir."


    Smiling obsequiously, he said, "Sir, you called for me. What can I do for you?"


    Although Song Wen wasn''t pleased with his actions, he knew deep down that in thiswless world, if he wanted to survive, he had to bow and bend at first.


    Offending local bigwigs as soon as he arrived was either challenging a dragon in itsir or seeking a dead end.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 2: Henchman

    <h4>Chapter 2: Henchman</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Gou Hang was quite satisfied with Song Wen''s humble attitude.


    The anger on his face dissipated instantly. After sizing up Song Wen, he asked,


    "Do you know how to read?"


    He had observed clearly that after Song Wen pushed through the crowd and carefully read the notice, he left disappointed.


    At that time, no one exined the content of the notice.


    From Song Wen''s series of reactions, it wasn''t difficult to deduce that he could read.


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen was momentarily stunned. He hadn''t expected to be noticed because of this matter.


    Countless thoughts shed through his mind in an instant, weighing the pros and cons, deciding how to respond.


    After careful consideration, Song Wen decided to answer truthfully.


    This "Sir Gou" had sharp observation skills; he wasn''t someone easily deceived.


    Once the decision was made, Song Wen bent even lower, his face disying an even more obsequious smile.


    "Replying to Sir Gou, I attended a private school for a few years when I was young and know some characters."


    Song Wen remainedposed and calm. Lies came naturally to him, and outsiders wouldn''t detect anything unusual.


    Gou Hang nodded. He was very satisfied with Song Wen''s attitude and response. The admiration in Gou Hang''s eyes was evident.


    Those schrs he had encountered before always liked to act superior. Unable to afford meals, they showed little interest in his recruitment efforts, simply because he was just a low-level leader of Tian Sha Gang.


    Today, finally encountering a schr who understood the ways of the world and treated him so well, even in such a public ce, filled Gou Hang with great satisfaction in his inner vanity.


    Gou Hang raised his head, maintaining his proud demeanor.


    "How old are you this year?"


    "Sixteen."


    To avoid being underestimated, Song Wen intentionally reported his age a bit older ording to his physical condition.


    "What is your name?"


    "Song Wen."


    Gou Hang nodded and continued to inquire,


    "How do you make a living?"


    "I write letters for people and earn a meager ie to get by." Song Wen continued to fabricate.


    Then, Gou Hang asked about Song Wen''s family situation.


    Song Wen described himself as having fallen family fortunes, deceased parents, and no other rtives.


    "In the future, follow me, Sir Gou, and with my rmendation, you can smoothly join Tian Sha Gang, earning a monthly sry of one or two silver coins."


    It had to be said that in Qian Guo, where literacy levels were extremely low, schrs were still treated fairly well.


    In today''s Qian Guo, one or two silver coins were enough for a family''s monthly expenses.


    A look of hesitation appeared on Song Wen''s face. Instinctively, he resisted the sudden kindness of a stranger.


    Gou Hang didn''t look like a good person at first nce. Could he really be as good as he imed?


    "What''s wrong? You look down on my Tian Sha Gang?" Gou Hang''s displeased voice rang out.


    A false smile appeared on Song Wen''s face, exining with a smile,


    "Sir Gou, you misunderstood. I''m just inexperienced and know few characters, afraid of causing you trouble."


    "If I, this master, am not afraid, what are you afraid of? You brat, don''t know how to appreciate kindness."


    Seeing a hint of threat in the other''s tone, Song Wen had no choice but to go along. He immediately wore a grateful smile and replied,


    "Thank you for your support, Sir Gou. I will certainly look up to you in the future and do whatever you instruct."


    Song Wen''s eyes were filled with profound gratitude, as if he had encountered his foster parents again. The heat and admiration in his eyes made Gou Hang feel rather pleased; it had been a long time since he had experienced such respect from someone.


    Gou Hang reached into the bosom of his follower behind him and pulled out half a pancake.


    "You look like you haven''t eaten properly in a while. Here''s half of the pancake I didn''t finish this morning. Take it."


    "Thank you for your reward, Sir Gou."


    Song Wen took the pancake and wolfed it down hungrily.


    The reason for this was twofold: firstly, he was indeed very hungry now, and secondly, he wanted to continue satisfying Gou Hang''s vanity.


    As he ate, he silently calcted in his mind.


    It seemed that the treatment of Tian Sha Gang members wasn''t as good as he had imagined, or else Gou Hang wouldn''t be keeping half a pancake out of reluctance to discard it.


    However, upon careful consideration, if what Gou Hang said is true, joining Tian Sha Gang wouldn''t be a loss for me.


    Tian Sha Gang is thergest underground force in Yan Cheng. Joining them as a literate schr, I don''t think they would make me engage in violence. There should be some security for my life, and at the same time, it can solve my problem of livelihood. For my current situation, it''s already the best choice.


    I owe all of this to the Sir Gou before me. Although this Sir Gou doesn''t seem very bright, he has indeed solved my most urgent survival problem.


    Gou Hang came to this street to post and announce Tian Sha Gang''s recruitment of children. He loudly announced the contents of the notice.


    Of course, he couldn''t read, but someone had informed him of the contents beforehand.


    After passing through the tight defenses of many Tian Sha Gang disciples, they entered the headquarters of Tian Sha Gang.


    Tian Sha Gang upied a vast area. Under Gou Hang''s lead, after twisting and turning, they arrived at a row of houses.


    After entering one of the houses, Gou Hang respectfully said to an old man,


    "Elder Yan, I''ve found a new recruit, a literate schr."


    Elder Yan was over fifty years old, and in these turbulent times of shortages and medical scarcity, he was already considered elderly.


    He peered at Song Wen with his cloudy eyes, then tossed a small book to him.


    In a tone that brooked no disagreement, he said,


    "Read aloud the contents of this book."


    Song Wen took the book, knowing this was his test.


    ''This is like an ancient interview for recruitment!'' Song Wen thought to himself slyly.


    He opened the small book and read aloud,


    "The universe is mysterious and yellow, the cosmos is vast. The sun and moon rise and set, the constetions fill the sky. Cold winterse and hot summers go, autumn harvests and winter storages..."


    "That''s enough, you can stop."


    Elder Yan didn''t let Song Wen finish reading. After about a hundred characters, he interrupted Song Wen.


    Elder Yan turned to Gou Hang and said, "You''re lucky. Elder Ji Yin recently recruited another batch of literate young people, and this kid is just right."


    Gou Hang rubbed his hands and awkwardly chuckled,


    "Elder Yan, I heard that Elder Ji Yin rewards schrs with money. What do you think..."


    Elder Yan smiled, "Your information is quite urate. I thought it was your good luck, but it seems you came prepared. Go to the ounting room and collect ten taels as a reward."


    "Thank you, Elder Yan." Gou Hang bowed deeply, smiling apologetically.


    Song Wen, who was watching from the side, felt somewhat bewildered.


    What''s going on? Why recruit schrs and give ten taels of silver for them?


    In Yancheng, ten taels of silver could buy two attractive young girls.


    He had a bad feeling; it seemed like he had been sold.


    Previously, he was somewhat proud, thinking he had manipted Gou Hang in circles. Turns out, he was the fool.


    Watching Gou Hang leave, Song Wen''sst glimmer of hope called out,


    "Sir Gou, aren''t you going to treat me well?"


    Gou Hang disdainfully nced at Song Wen, his eyes filled with indifference and mockery.


    Then, without a word, he turned and quickly disappeared.


    "He''s just a little thug. How could he treat you well? Go to Elder Ji Yin; no one can beg their way in there. That''s an opportunity. Don''t be ungrateful."


    Elder Yan''s icy voice sounded behind Song Wen.


    "Bring this kid to Elder Ji Yin."


    Two powerful men with martial prowess walked in from outside. Around their waists hung three-foot-long steel swords.


    *ng!*


    Half of the steel sword was drawn out, its bright de emitting a chilling light that hurt Song Wen''s eyes.


    "Kid, I advise you to behave yourself and not act rashly," one of the men said coldly.


    Song Wen was filled with anger and unwillingness. Elder Yan''s talk of opportunity was nothing but a lie.


    If this was really the coveted opportunity everyone admired, would they resort to kidnapping and forced recruitment?


    However, faced with the chilling steel sword, he could only reluctantly ept reality.


    The weak must submit to the whims of others!


    But as he followed the two strong men out, his fists clenched tightly, bones creaking.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 3: Fate

    <h4>Chapter 3: Fate</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After walking for a full quarter of an hour, the three finally arrived at a secluded corner of Tian Sha Gang.


    Here, facing the mountain, stood an independent courtyard.


    Around the courtyard were guards armed with steel swords and crossbows. These guards had cold faces and imposing figures, exuding an invisible pressure.


    Upon entering the courtyard, they saw rows of cottages.


    Behind the cottages, at the foot of the mountain, stood a two-story building.


    The surroundings of the building were developed into neatly arranged fields, where unknown herbs were nted.


    A burly man pointed at the cottages and ordered in amanding tone,


    "Pick any empty room to stay in. Meals will be delivered three times a day. Until someone calls for you, you are not allowed to leave the cottage."


    With these words, the burly man stared coldly at Song Wen, urging him to quickly choose a room.


    Song Wen casually selected an empty room and walked in.


    Inside the room, there was a set of table and chairs, a bed with bedding, and a teapot on the table. Apart from these, there was nothing else in the room.


    After inspecting the room, Song Wen turned and closed the door.


    As he closed the door, he nced outside to observe the situation.


    The two burly men had already left the courtyard. Outside the courtyard, heavy guards were stationed. They didn''t seem worried that Song Wen might do something out of line.


    After closing the door, Song Wen''s expression turned fierce and angry.


    Just now, he had suppressed the anger in his heart.


    The dominance and tyranny of Tian Sha Gang filled him with frustration and resentment.


    At this moment, Song Wen''s heart was filled with a strong desire for power.


    Yesterday, while begging for food outside the teahouse, he overheard discussions among diners mentioning martial artists capable of walking on rooftops and walls in this world.


    He now yearned to be a powerful martial artist who could annihte the entire Tian Sha Gang.


    Song Wen was confined to the room and remained there for seven days.


    During the first two days, he was filled with resentment towards Tian Sha Gang.


    Feeling like a fish on the chopping block,pletely unable to resist, was truly awful.


    However, thankfully, food was delivered punctually three times a day, and the meals were decent, with vegetables and meat.


    After getting through the first two days, Song Wen gradually calmed down.


    By thest two days, Song Wen had figured it out. Being confined to the room and forbidden to go out was probably intentional by Tian Sha Gang. It was meant to suppress their rebellious emotions and make them face reality.


    On the eighth day, Song Wen finally heard someone shouting outside the door.


    "Everyone,e out of your rooms immediately. Those who dy will be severely punished."


    Immediately after, there was a series of doors opening around.


    Song Wen also opened his door and walked out.


    Upon looking around the courtyard in front of the cottages, he saw scattered groups of about a dozen teenagers, aged around fifteen. There were also more than ten Tian Sha Gang members standing in the distance with swords.


    These teenagers gathered in small groups, clearly coerced like Song Wen. Many of them murmured quietly about their grievances.


    These teenagers were all locals of Yancheng. They knew the strength of Tian Sha Gang. Although they were filled with anger and unwillingness, they could only point and whisper grievances to the guards, daring to be angry but not to speak.


    Among them was a well-dressed chubby boy, standing out among the mostly poor and skinny teenagers.


    The chubby boy roared angrily,


    "How dare you, Tian Sha Gang, dare to kidnap me, Zhang Erhe! My father is the county magistrate of Qingyuan County. You better send me back!"


    His voice was loud, attracting the attention of everyone present.


    Song Wen''s gaze was also drawn to the chubby boy.


    Qingyuan County was a subordinate county under Yancheng, only about a hundred miles away.


    In Qian Country, the authority of a county magistrate was considerable.


    Song Wen was curious about how Tian Sha Gang would handle this chubby boy.


    Whether the chubby boy was a fool from andlord''s family who couldn''t see reality or Tian Sha Gang had mistakenly kicked an iron te.


    The guards hesitated upon hearing this but remained unmoved. Evidently, this wasn''t the first time the chubby boy had mentioned his identity to them. However, the guards also found dealing with the chubby boy somewhat tricky.


    Just then, a figure emerged from behind the guards.


    The neer appeared to be around forty years old, thin and with a triangr beard on his chins.


    Seeing the chubby boy roaring in the courtyard, the man with the triangr beard looked impatient.


    He raised his hand, holding a yellow talisman between his fingers, and lightly exhaled.


    "Go!"


    The talisman in his hand suddenly turned into ashes, forming a fireball the size of a human head out of thin air.


    The fireball emitted terrifyingly high temperatures, causing the surrounding space to distort.


    With a roaring wind, the fireball, apanied by a wild and unrestrained howl, struck in front of the chubby boy in an instant.


    The chubby boy, seeing the fireball suddenly appear before him, filled with fear. Just as he was about to think of escaping, the fireball struck his chest.


    The chubby boy''s fat body was instantly hit hard, sending him flying into the air.


    "Ah!..."


    Amidst the chubby boy''s screams of agony, the scorching mes quickly engulfed his entire body.


    Before his body could hit the ground, he turned into a human torch.


    The crackling sound of burning fat echoed, and soon, the area was filled with the foul odor of burning flesh.


    In just a dozen breaths, what was once a living person had turned into ashes, not even bones remaining.


    Everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. More than a dozen young people looked at the human torch in horror, their faces pale and silent.


    Song Wen, experiencing his second life after living as a normal person, was equally shocked by the scene before him.


    He was both terrified by the audacity of Tian Sha Gang, publicly executing the son of the county magistrate, clearly not cing the Qian Guo court and the more than a dozen young people in front of him in their eyes.


    He was also fearful of the methods of the bearded man. He summoned a fireball using a yellow talisman. This didn''t look like the methods of a martial artist at all; it resembled the abilities of immortal cultivators from legends in his past life.


    "Could this world be a world of immortal cultivation?"


    Just as Song Wen was filled with doubts and fears, one of the young men in the scene exined to him.


    "He is an immortal!"


    A in-dressed man with several patches suddenly knelt down, his expression both frightened and filled with longing.


    The young man''s exmation instantly awakened everyone. More and more young people knelt down, bowing to the "immortal".


    The mysterious and ruthless methods of the "immortal" instantly dispelled the rebellious thoughts in the hearts of most young people.


    Following the reactions of the majority, Song Wen also knelt down.


    His heart surged with turbulent waves.


    This was true power, stronger than those wandering martial heroes who just roamed around.


    "Someday, I will definitely possess this kind of power."


    Having suffered injustice for days, Song Wen''s eyes were filled with determination.


    This kind of immortal power would surely make him one of the strongest in this world, no longer manipted and bullied.


    Not only were the young people shocked by the immortal technique of bearded man, but even the guards of Tian Sha Gang showed deep fear in their eyes.


    Seeing this scene, the bearded man curled a satisfied smile on his lips.


    The effect of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys had achieved his expectations.


    His gaze swept over the kneeling young people, with a dominating aura of being in control of everything.


    "I am a cultivator of immortal Dao, known as Ji Yin. I practice orthodox Daoist methods. You have no need to fear."


    "Gathering you all here is to bestow upon you a great opportunity, a chance to seek longevity and be immortal."


    "For the next month, I will personally impart to you the cultivation technique ''Longevity Technique''. Anyone who sessfully ''draws in qi'' within this month will be my direct disciple."


    "I hope you will cherish this opportunity for cultivation. Even if you cannot achieve longevity, you will gain immense power, wealth, and glory easily essible."


    As Ji Yin''s words fell, it sparked a fervent response from the young people. Everyone looked at Ji Yin with hot eyes, full of expectation and longing.


    Song Wen was also quite excited. He hadn''t expected to gain such an opportunity for cultivation so easily.


    However, at the same time, he harbored a sense of caution.


    Ji Yin''s methods of seducing people''s hearts were indeed formidable. First, he intimidated everyone with thunderous means, and then he offered them an opportunity for immortal cultivation.


    This was a ssic strategy of stick and carrot. Thus, in the process of cultivating the ''Longevity Technique'', the young people present would undoubtedly spare no effort and do their best.


    "Things are probably not as simple as Ji Yin said. How could someone give away an opportunity for immortal cultivation without any ulterior motives? Ji Yin must have some kind of n! This opportunity for cultivation is probably not that easy to obtain."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 4: Sensing the Heaven and Earth Qi

    <h4>Chapter 4: Sensing the Heaven and Earth Qi</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Sit upright, calm your mind. Rx naturally. Close your lips lightly, breathe evenly through your nose. Clench your hands, eyes straight ahead. Concentrate your spiritual radiance, reaching towards the heart of heaven."


    Ji Yin began exining the firstyer of the cultivation technique "Longevity Technique", focusing on the practice of gathering qi.


    Ji Yin taught with extreme care, almost exining word by word. He interspersed many personal insights and experiences into his teachings.


    The young people listened attentively. They all believed this was their chance to leap through the dragon gate and were determined to seize it.


    These young people were all literate, belonging to the minority in Qian Guo who were ''enlightened''. Under Ji Yin''s exnations, they could mostlyprehend the essence of the technique.


    Some impatient individuals had already seated themselves cross-legged, their minds turned towards the heavens, eyes tightly shut. They listened to Ji Yin''s exnations while attempting to sense the presence of the spiritual qi.


    Song Wen, however, didn''t rush to attempt sensing the spiritual qi. He was earnestly listening to Ji Yin''s exnations.


    Grinding an axe doesn''t waste time for the woodcutter; he still understood.


    Moreover, he was certain in his heart that sensing the spiritual qi and sessfully drawing in qi would be a time-consuming task, not achievable in a short period.


    Soon, two hours passed in the morning.


    Ji Yin stood up and proimed loudly, "Today''s teaching on the technique ends here. You need to memorize andprehend. I look forward to someone quickly sensing the presence of the spiritual qi and sessfully drawing in qi."


    "For the next month, I will allocate an hour every day to teach you the technique."


    "During this month, you are forbidden from leaving this mansion, but you may move freely within it. Your daily meals will be delivered, and your task is to diligently cultivate the ''Longevity Technique''. Don''t let down my expectations with you."


    With that, Ji Yin left the wing area.


    At this moment, Tian Sha Gang''s guards approached, distributing a small booklet to each person. It recorded the firstyer of the cultivation technique "Longevity Technique", focusing on qi cultivation.


    The apprentices were all unsatisfied; some immediately returned to their respective rooms, eager to begin cultivation.


    Some gathered in small groups to discuss their understandings of the technique.


    However, Song Wen didn''t join in the discussions or cultivation. He felt Ji Yin was too solicitous.


    No kindness is without ulterior motives!


    He always felt that behind thisy some undisclosed secrets. Ji Yin must have some hidden agenda.


    After Ji Yin left, the guards also departed from the mansion. Song Wen took the opportunity to observe the entirepound.


    The mansion upied an extremelyrge area, built against the mountain. The wing area where he was located was only a small part of the entirepound.


    Behind the wing area was arge open space with scattered vegetation and ponds.


    Further back, at the foot of the mountain, was a two-story building. Song Wen guessed that it was where Ji Yin resided, and indeed, Ji Yin had just walked towards that building.


    Around the building were plots ofnd, many of which were nted with medicinal herbs.


    After spending a quarter of an hour gaining a rough understanding of theyout of the courtyard, Song Wen returned to his room.


    On the table in the room, lunch had already been set out.


    Three white steamed buns and a te of stir-fried vegetables, with a small amount of meat mixed in. This was considered a sumptuous meal in Qian Guo; ordinary households wouldn''t be able to afford steamed buns or meat every meal.


    The better the treatment, the more uneasy Song Wen felt. He always sensed a huge conspiracy looming over himself and the other young people.


    After finishing lunch, Song Wen took out the booklet.


    The content of the firstyer of cultivation technique "Longevity Technique" was concise, consisting of just over a hundred words.


    However, the content was extremely obscure and difficult to understand. If it weren''t for Ji Yin''s exnations, Song Wen felt that understanding the meaning by himself would likely take a long time.


    It took Song Wen nearly half an hour to barely memorize the more than hundred words ofplex and convoluted text.


    Afterwards, he began cross-legged meditation, focusing his mind towards heaven, silently reciting the technique''s content while attempting to sense the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.


    The time spent cultivating passed quickly; in the blink of an eye, two to three hours had passed, yet Song Wen hadpletely failed to sense the presence of the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.


    "Could it be that Ick talent for cultivation? Or is my talent extremely poor?"


    The afternoon''s cultivation yielded no progress at all, leading Song Wen to doubt himself.


    During Ji Yin''s exnation of the technique, he mentioned that not everyone possessed the innate talent for cultivation. Those with such talent were exceedingly rare, and even among those with potential, the level of talent varied greatly.


    It seemed Ji Yin''s understanding of cultivation talent was extremely limited; he vaguely touched upon the topic but didn''t delve deeply into it.


    Feeling somewhat disheartened, Song Wen opened the door to his room. It was nowte afternoon.


    The setting sun cast a golden hue across the sky, creating a beautiful and enchanting scene.


    Due to the crisis, he felt he was in, Song Wen had no interest in admiring the beauty of the sunset. He stepped out of his room and saw many young people gathered in the courtyard, discussing their progress in cultivation.


    Curious, he approached to eavesdrop and circled around. From what he gathered, not a single person among the hundred or so had sensed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth.


    Instantly, his hanging heart found a bit of stability.


    "It seems that cultivating immortality isn''t as easy as imagined!"


    After dinner, Song Wen resumed his cultivation, continuing untilte into the night with no progress. Disappointed, he reluctantlyy down to sleep.


    The next day, early morning.


    Ji Yin appeared promptly outside the wing.


    "Did anyone sense the existence of spiritual qi yesterday?"


    After a moment, seeing no response from the young people, Ji Yin didn''t show disappointment. He continued tirelessly to exin the key points of the ''Longevity Technique''.


    Time passed quickly, and it was already the third day of cultivation.


    That evening, while cultivating the ''Longevity Technique'', Song Wen finally sensed the presence of spiritual qi of heaven and earth.


    Countless shining lights flickered around his body, drifting aimlessly.


    As the night deepened, feeling somewhat tired, Song Wen suddenly felt a surge of energy and excitement.


    He had finallypleted the first step of cultivation. This meant he possessed the talent for cultivation and had the opportunity to be an enviable ''immortal''.


    Having calmed his thoughts, Song Wen quickly regainedposure. He continued to cultivate the ''Longevity Technique'', hoping to gather qi into his body in one fell swoop.


    However, no matter how hard he tried, those drifting lights remained beyond his control, refusing to enter his body.


    After attempting for about a quarter of an hour, he suddenly realized.


    "No, I can''t draw qi into my body too quickly, at least not first. Until I understand why Ji Yin wants to impart this immortal technique, I cannot expose the fact that I possess the talent for cultivation."


    The next day, at the hour of the dragon (around 7-9 AM), Song Wen gathered outside the wing with the other young people.


    Ji Yin systematically inquired,


    "Did anyone seed in sensing the existence of spiritual qi yesterday?"


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 5: Gathering Qi into the Body

    <h4>Chapter 5: Gathering Qi into the Body</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Did anyone seed in sensing the existence of spiritual qi yesterday?"


    After a moment, Ji Yin disappointedly withdrew his gaze.


    "It''s been three days, and still not a single person has sessfully sensed the presence of spiritual qi."


    Seeing that no one reacted, Song Wen didn''t actively reveal his own perception of the spiritual qi.


    "It seems my cultivation talent is pretty good, at least stronger than these hundred or so people before me!"


    Song Wen thought to himself silently.


    That evening, Song Wen sessfully drew the first strand of spiritual qi of heaven and earth into his body.


    He sensed the bright spots in the air surging into his body. In an instant, a faint warmth appeared in his meridians, following the route of the ''Longevity Method'' within his body.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened. Just as he was about to redouble his efforts, an unsettling thought crossed his mind.


    "What if Ji Yin can sense others'' progress? If he finds out that I''ve sessfully drawn qi into my body and deliberately conceal it, it might be disastrous for me."


    With this consideration, Song Wen immediately ceased his cultivation.


    As soon as he stopped cultivating, the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, which had been attracted and flowing towards him, immediately lost its target and began to drift aimlessly in the air again.


    The strand of spiritual qi that had just entered his body, not having been refined in time, failed to truly merge with Song Wen''s own spiritual power. After losing the guidance of the ''Longevity Method'', it slowly dissipated into the air.


    "That was close. It looks like I''ll have to pause cultivation for the next few days. I just need to put on a show in front of others."


    With his mind made up, Song Weny down and went to sleep.


    In the blink of an eye, four days passed, reaching the seventh day of cultivation.


    This morning.


    As soon as Song Wen stepped out of his room, he heard someone loudly discussing.


    A man with dark skin, slender yet strong, and somewhat taciturn, was surrounded by a group of young people with envy in their eyes.


    "Er Niu, did you really manage to gather qi into your body?"


    "Er Niu, please guide us and share your experience of gathering qi into the body!"


    Er Niu''s dark face flushed with embarrassment. Coming from a rural background and not used to social interactions, this was the first time he felt like the center of attention, which excited him but also left him unsure how to respond.


    Blushing, he didn''t know how to react for a moment.


    "What are you all doing!"


    A rough and severe voice suddenly interrupted the discussion.


    Ji Yin stepped into the wing area with an angry expression on his face.


    "Early in the morning, instead of cultivating properly, why are you making so much noise?"


    Confronted with Ji Yin''s reprimand, everyone instantly fell silent, lowering their heads in fear.


    As Er Niu stood at the center of everyone, Ji Yin''s gaze naturally fell upon him.


    Er Niu suddenly felt apprehensive. Ji Yin''s stern gaze made him extremely ufortable, reminiscent of being targeted by wolves and tigers while hunting back in his hometown.


    Er Niu dared not move, only daring to exin in a low voice.


    "Report to Master, I sessfully gathered qi into my bodyst night, so..."


    "What? You''ve already gathered qi into your body!"


    Ji Yin''s expression of rage instantly turned into delight. Stepping forward, he grasped Er Niu''s wrist, carefully sensing it, and praised him repeatedly.


    "Er Niu, you''ve done well. From today onwards, you are my personal disciple. After today''s lessons, you will move into my small building, where I will personally instruct you."


    Feeling Ji Yin''s appreciation, Er Niu''s heart surged with excitement and gratitude. He seemed to see a bright future ahead and even stumbled over his words.


    "Th-thank you, Master Ji Yin."


    "Why still call me ''Master''? From now on, address me as ''Master Zun''!" Ji Yin said warmly.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> The first use of the word ''Master'' is like when a servant refers to his ''Master'' while the second one is for ''a teacher or mentor''


    After encouraging Er Niu for a while longer, Ji Yin turned to the others.


    "You all should strive as well. As long as you can sessfully gather qi into your body, you can also be my disciples and Er Niu''s younger brothers."


    "Come, Er Niu, sit beside me. Let''s begin today''s lecture."


    Listening to Ji Yin''s uninterrupted teachings ahead, Song Wen''s mind was dissecting a series of recent events.


    Firstly, judging from Ji Yin''s ecstatic reaction upon learning of Er Niu''s sess in gathering qi, Ji Yin clearly didn''t know which individuals possessed cultivation talent. Ji Yin''s method of gathering over a hundred young people to spread his teachings seemed more like casting a wide to strike lucky.


    Secondly, Ji Yin couldn''t remotely sense others'' cultivation levels; physical contact was necessary.


    Thirdly, Ji Yin had just dered Er Niu as his ''Personal disciple''. From the conversations and reactions of Elder Yan and Gou Hang, it was evident that this group of young people wasn''t Ji Yin''s first batch of disciples. Were there none among the previous groups who sessfully gathered qi into their bodies? If so, where did those people go? And where did those who failed go?


    Without rifying these questions, Song Wen couldn''t find peace of mind, feeling as though a sword was hanging over his head, threatening his life at any moment.


    However, after confirming that Ji Yin couldn''t remotely probe others'' cultivation levels, Song Wen could confidently resume his cultivation.


    In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed, and another young man named Zhang Cheng sessfully gathered qi into his body.


    This greatly excited Ji Yin. To have two out of over a hundred people show cultivation talent was a stroke of great fortune, far exceeding his expectations.


    During this period, Song Wen had been quietly cultivating. The heat flow within him had grown stronger, and with each advancement in cultivation, his physical fitness, strength, and mental state had greatly improved.


    In terms of physical fitness and strength, he couldn''t test them conveniently, but now he could clearly feel his spirit bing more vigorous, even feeling his mind bing sharper and more intelligent.


    He had also been observing Er Niu''s progress. Er Niu''s improvement was visible to the naked eye. A person of simple mind, Er Niu had no intention of hiding his cultivation and often demonstrated his strength in front of others.


    Yesterday, Song Wen witnessed Er Niu lifting a stone weighing over fifty catties, eliciting admiration and envy from onlookers.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> 1 catty is equivalent to 1.32lb or 0.6kg


    In his heart, Song Wen assessed that his own strength should surpass Er Niu''s. That meant the force he could exert now definitely exceeded fifty catties.


    Moreover, the concerns he had been harboring��that Ji Yin might do something unfavorable to those capable of cultivating��had not materialized.


    In the evening, after dinner, Song Wen strolled along the courtyard walls, a daily ritual now taken for granted by others. No one paid him special attention.


    However, instead of digesting his meal, Song Wen was carefully observing theyout of the courtyard, preparing for any possible escape in the future.


    The courtyard''s walls were over a zhang high, making direct climbing over them difficult. Guards were stationed inside and out, so the chance of escaping over the wall without being noticed was very low.


    TL: A zhang is equal to 3.3 meters or about 10 feet


    After nearly a month of observation, Song Wen hadn''te up empty-handed.


    He found a dog hole about ten zhang away from the living rooms. The size of the dog hole wasrge enough for a person to crawl out. Low shrubs and plenty of tall grass grew around it, making the dog hole extremely concealed. Without his careful examination over several days, he might never have discovered it.


    However, guards were posted near the dog hole. Even if he exited through the dog hole, he would still be within the territory of the Tian Sha Gang. To escape through this dog hole, he would need the right timing.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 6: Becoming Ji Yin’s Disciple

    <h4>Chapter 6: Bing Ji Yin''s Disciple</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Outside the wing rooms in the open space.


    Dozens of young people were surrounding Zhang Cheng and Er Niu, incessantly asking for the secrets of how they managed to gather qi into their bodies.


    With only three days left until the deadline, these people were bing anxious. They truly didn''t want to miss the opportunity to be cultivators and soar to new heights.


    However, despite Er Niu and Zhang Cheng generously sharing their experiences, it seemed they couldn''t really help these people.


    Watching the discussions and debates outside the wing rooms, two guards near the wall not far away were mocking the group.


    "These fools, they''re nearing their end and still don''t realize it," one guard said mockingly.


    "Sigh! They are a pitiful bunch, only fourteen or fifteen years old, inexperienced and ignorant of the world''s treachery. There''s no such thing as a free lunch in this world."


    Their voices were not loud, but Song Wen, hidden behind arge tree that blocked their view, heard every word clearly.


    His hairs stood on end. From their conversation, it was clear that regardless of whether these young people seeded in gathering qi into their bodies or not, their ultimate fate seemed to be a dead end.


    Originally, Song Wen was only worried that Ji Yin might have ulterior motives towards those with cultivation potential. Now, it appeared that those without such potential were not safe either.


    Upon careful consideration, this reasoning made sense.


    All these young people had practiced the ''Longevity Technique''. Although they hadn''t seeded, they knew the principles and techniques of cultivation. Releasing these young people would inevitably lead to the leakage of the ''Longevity Technique''.


    Then, there would eventually be someone sessful in cultivating qi and bing an immortal.


    Naturally, Ji Yin would not want to see such a situation arise. This wasn''t just about creating unnecessarypetitors for himself; an influx of cultivators in Yancheng could threaten Ji Yin and Tian Sha Gang''s position and power in this area.


    Carefully hidden behind the tree, after listening for a while without gaining more information, Song Wen quietly retreated, not wanting to disturb the two guards who were still idly chatting away.


    Back in his room, Song Wen had to make a decision. Tomorrow, he would have to inform Ji Yin about his sess in gathering qi into his body.


    The next day, in the morning.


    Song Wen stood with a group of young people outside the wing rooms, waiting for Ji Yin''s arrival.


    Unexpectedly, Ji Yin waste by half an hour, a rare urrence. Alongside him were Er Niu and Zhang Cheng.


    Er Niu''s condition that day was somewhat strange. He walked with a floating step, his spirit wasnguid, and even his skin seemed a bit loose, as if he had aged thirty years overnight. The energetic youth had turned into a middle-aged man showing signs of decline.


    His face also exhibited an abnormal flush, resembling a patient who had just recovered from a serious illness and had taken excessive tonic medicine, leading to ineffective replenishment.


    "Why would this problem suddenly appear? Could it be that there was a mistake in cultivation, an injury causing depletion of blood and energy?" Song Wen couldn''t understand the sudden changes happening to him. He could only follow the nned strategy and reveal his sess in gathering qi to Ji Yin.


    With only three days left until the deadline, if he couldn''t sessfully gather qi into his body, his life might be in danger.


    However, judging from the current situation, those who sessfully gathered qi into their bodies didn''t seem to face immediate danger.


    Song Wen took a deep breath and walked towards Ji Yin, bowing respectfully.


    "Master Ji Yin, I sessfully gathered qi into my bodyst night."


    A gleam of light burst from Ji Yin''s eyes as he grasped Song Wen''s wrist.


    Song Wen immediately felt a rush of heat flowing through his wrist into his body. This heat flow was connected to the spiritual power he had refined within his body, but it was much more powerful and majestic.


    Feeling somewhat uneasy, he had been cultivating secretly for over twenty days, so his internal spiritual power was definitely much stronger than those who had just sessfully gathered qi into their bodies.


    He was worried that Ji Yin might sense something amiss and investigate his concealment.


    However, fortunately, Ji Yin didn''t probe too deeply into Song Wen''s internal spiritual strength. He merely sensed the presence of spiritual energy within him and promptly withdrew.


    Song Wen had just sessfully gathered qi into his body, so the spiritual energy within him was extremely weak. Ji Yin was also concerned that if he poured in too much spiritual power, it might crush that weak spiritual energy, causing irreparable damage.


    Ji Yin showed appreciation, "You''re quite good. What''s your name?"


    "Song Wen!"


    "Starting from today, you are my third disciple. Come, sit beside your eldest martial brother and second martial brother."


    "Thank you, Master."


    Song Wen sat down next to Zhang Cheng.


    At this moment, both Zhang Cheng and Er Niu cast friendly nces towards him.


    Both of them were born in small ces, still quite young, and their minds hadn''t been tainted by the darker thoughts of society. They disyed great kindness towards the new junior disciple.


    Half an hourter, Ji Yin briefly finished exining the day''s teachings.


    With the deadline approaching, Ji Yin became increasingly perfunctory in his daily teachings. It was a rarity that today, with Song Wen sessfully achieving qi condensation, he spoke for half an hour. In previous days, he had only spoken for about fifteen minutes. He had gradually lost hope for the remaining disciples.


    "Song Wen,e with me."


    Ji Yin turned and walked towards a small building at the foot of the mountain, with Song Wen, Zhang Cheng, and Er Niu quickly following. Behind them, a group of young people cast admiring nces.


    "Eldest martial brother, second martial brother, please take care of me in the future."


    Following Ji Yin, Song Wen greeted Zhang Cheng and Er Niu quietly.


    A momentter, the four of them arrived outside the small building.


    "Song Wen, you will live in the vacant room on the first floor. Cultivate diligently, and if you have any questions, you can ask me at any time."


    "Er Niu,e upstairs with me."


    The first floor was where disciples resided, while the second floor was Ji Yin''s cultivation ce. Without his permission, disciples were forbidden from going upstairs.


    "Yes, Master."


    The three disciples bowed and replied.


    Er Niu followed Ji Yin upstairs.


    "Junior brother, let me show you to your room," Zhang Cheng said.


    "Thank you, Second martial brother."


    There were only three rooms on the first floor. After Er Niu and Zhang Cheng upied two of them, only the vacant room near the stairs was left.


    After entering the room, Song Wen had many questions. If he wanted to survive and escape sessfully, he needed to understand Ji Yin''s habits, daily routines, and more. However, now was not the right time to inquire. The wooden structure of this small building had poor soundproofing. Speaking even slightly louder could be heard by Ji Yin upstairs.


    Moreover, Ji Yin was a cultivator, his senses far more sensitive than ordinary people.


    Furthermore, if he directly asked Zhang Cheng, it might raise suspicion. If Zhang Cheng reported this, Song Wen''s attempt would be futile.


    To learn about Ji Yin''s situation, he would have to approach it indirectly.


    Zhang Cheng wasn''t the best person to ask. Er Niu was reticent by nature and had followed Ji Yin the longest. Considering his abnormal condition the previous day, these factorsbined made Er Niu the best candidate to inquire from.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 7: Blood Qi Pill

    <h4>Chapter 7: Blood Qi Pill</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen couldn''t inquire about Ji Yin''s situation directly, but he could ask about the surrounding environment of the small building.


    "Second Senior Brother, what is nted in the fields outside the small building?"


    "Those are spiritual herbs nted by Master. It is said that with proper utilization, they can enhance the cultivation of us cultivators."


    "When I arrived just now, I saw a cave at the foot of the mountain, with a stone door in front of it."


    "That cave is no ordinary cave; it is Master''s alchemy cave."


    Zhang Cheng exined one by one to Song Wen, and he also reminded him earnestly.


    "The medicinal fields outside, the alchemy cave, and even the second floor, these ces are all off-limits to us. Without Master''s permission, you must not trespass."


    "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."


    To leave a good impression on his senior brother and possibly convey information to Ji Yin who might be listening upstairs, Song Wen did not ask further questions.


    After seeing Zhang Cheng off, Song Wen immediately began to focus on cultivating.


    Life in the small building was isted from the outside world, and Ji Yin did not require Song Wen and the other two to do any chores. Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed, marking the end of the first month.


    On this morning, Song Wen got up and was preparing to go to the wing area to start the daily morning exercises.


    However, Senior Brother Er Niu informed him.


    "Third Junior Brother, Master asked me to tell you and Second Senior Brother that starting from today, there''s no need to attend the morning exercises in the wing area anymore."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance at the wing area.


    The wing area, which was usually bustling with people, was now empty.


    Er Niu noticed Song Wen''s reaction and exined proactively.


    "Master has dismissed them. Theyck immortal fate and cannotplete the process of guiding qi into their bodies. Staying here has lost its meaning."


    A chill ran through Song Wen''s heart, a cold sensation that pierced through his entire being, causing him to shiver uncontrobly.


    These young people were probably not just dismissed; they were most likelypletely erased, forever disappearing from this world.


    Song Wen forced a smile on his face.


    "Thank you for letting me know, Senior Brother. Otherwise, I might have made a pointless trip."


    Although Song Wen concealed it well, the thought of more than ten young people dying like this made him feel nauseous and fearful.


    He couldn''t stay in the small building for another moment. Right now, he wanted to stay as far away from Ji Yin as possible and seek a moment of peace in his heart.


    "The morning air is nice. I''ll walk in the courtyard."


    "I''ll apany you. I''ve been cultivating these days, and I also find it a bit boring."


    Er Niu said so, as he had spent most of his time on the second floor these days, and Song Wen had no idea what he and Ji Yin were doing.


    Song Wen nodded, and the two walked towards the courtyard together.


    As they walked, Song Wen inquired about Er Niu''s family background.


    Er Niu didn''t suspect anything and quickly revealed his family situation.


    Er Niu was born in a remote vige, with five siblings in his family, making a total of seven mouths to feed. They relied on two mu of thin fields and hunting for a living, leading a very impoverished life.


    As the eldest in the family, he had been following his parents to hunt in the mountains and work in the fields since he was eight years old.


    Family poverty meant he originally had no opportunity to learn to read. However, the vige private school teacher, seeing his family''s hardship, took pity and allowed Er Niu to audit sses for free, thus giving Er Niu the chance to learn to read.


    When the two were sufficiently far from the small building, Song Wen changed the subject and asked about cultivation.


    "Senior Brother, you''ve been cultivating the longest among us three, so your cultivation should be the highest. How is your cultivation now?"


    Er Niu hesitated briefly, but after a moment, he spoke up.


    "I have reached thete stage of Qi Refining, First Layer."


    Song Wen was instantly stunned, looking at Er Niu in disbelief.


    He was sure that his talent was definitely stronger than Er Niu''s, but currently, he was still some distance away from reaching the mid-stage of the First Layer. Yet Er Niu had already reached thete stage of the First Layer. This simply didn''t make sense.


    "How did you progress so quickly?"


    Er Niu''s expression became somewhat awkward. After looking around cautiously, he whispered.


    "Master forbade me from telling you, but Master refined a pill called ''Blood Qi Pill.'' After taking this pill, my cultivation improved rapidly by arge margin. I only took one, and I advanced from the early stage to thete stage of the First Layer."


    "Blood Qi Pill?" Song Wen murmured almost inaudibly.


    He instantly recalled Er Niu''s abnormal condition three days ago. He asked softly.


    "After taking the ''Blood Qi Pill,'' did you experience any side effects?"


    "The depletion of blood qi was severe. On the day I took it, I felt like I aged several decades in an instant."


    Er Niu replied truthfully. After pausing for a moment, he continued.


    "However, Master gave me a lot of tonic medicine these days, and now I feel that my body has recovered."


    "Master''s methods are really powerful, actually capable of rapidly advancing our cultivation. Master said that as long as I can reach the Second Layer of Qi Refining, he will appoint me as the hall master of the Tian Sha Gang, and I will receive a monthly sry of several hundred taels of silver, enough to improve my family''s living conditions."


    As Er Niu spoke, his face was full of respect for Ji Yin and longing for the future.


    However, Song Wen felt a chill in his heart. He kept scrutinizing Er Niu.


    Externally, there was indeed no sign of the illness from three days ago. But Song Wen was not a doctor and couldn''t discern any internal problems in Er Niu.


    However, because Song Wen had been wary of Ji Yin all along, he felt things were probably not so simple.


    If the ''Blood Qi Pill'' had no other side effects, why would Ji Yin generously provide it to others instead of using it himself?


    A sudden thought shed through Song Wen''s mind. He instantly understood why Ji Yin went to such lengths to recruit disciples.


    "Ji Yin is most likely using us as guinea pigs for testing medicines!"


    "Perhaps all those disciples he previously recruited died from excessive testing of medicines, or their value was eliminated by Ji Yin!"


    This could exin why Ji Yin constantly recruited disciples and why all his previous disciples disappeared without a trace, as well as the fear of the Tian Sha Gang members toward Ji Yin recruiting disciples.


    A sense of crisis arose in Song Wen''s heart. Er Niu started experimenting twenty days after sessfully guiding qi into his body. Looking at it this way, Song Wen didn''t have much time left.


    He could only hope that Er Niu and Zhang Cheng ahead could hold on for a while longer, giving him a chance to escape.


    After returning to the small building, Song Wen decided not to wait any longer. He had to take the initiative. He needed to figure out Ji Yin''s daily schedule and prepare to escape.


    After observing for these three days, Ji Yin spent almost all his time on the second floor. Song Wen had no idea what exactly he was doing.


    Whether Ji Yin needed to sleep during the day and when he slept.


    Song Wen stood at the staircase leading to the second floor, steadied his mind, and took a step forward.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 8: Spirit Herb Cultivation

    <h4>Chapter 8: Spirit Herb Cultivation</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Master, are you inside? Disciple has some cultivation doubts and would like to seek guidance."


    As Song Wen spoke, he used the higher elevation of the second floor to observe his surroundings.


    The small building was built against the mountain, with a sheer cliff several zhang high to the west,pletely bare without any vegetation, making it extremely difficult to climb.


    Above the cliff was a mountain towering over ten zhang high, densely covered with vegetation, its terrain steep and difficult to traverse.


    TL Note: A zhang is 10 feet and 3.3 meters high.


    On the other three sides, there were walls over a zhang high, guarded by sentries. Even beyond these walls was still within the territory of the Tian Sha Gang, with many disciples of the ganging and going. Trying to escape through the other three sides was far from easy.


    Currently, the only escape route was to climb over the mountain and flee from the Tian Sha Gang.


    Ji Yin''s deep voice suddenly came, interrupting Song Wen''s observation. "Come in."


    Song Wen pushed open the door and saw Ji Yin sitting cross-legged on a mat, holding a book and flipping through its pages.


    Song Wen dared not look around casually. He walked straight to the opposite side of Ji Yin and bowed, "Disciple pays respects to Master."


    Ji Yin nodded, "Hmm, please sit."


    After Song Wen sat cross-legged, Ji Yin continued, "What problems do you have in cultivation? Just ask."


    "Master, recently I''ve noticed that my cultivation progress has been slow. I would like to ask Master for any solutions."


    "Where do you encounter difficulties in your cultivation practice?"


    "After the spiritual energy enters the meridians and returns to the dantian, only a small part can be sessfully refined, while most of it cannot be retained."


    This problem was not something Song Wen made up; it was his genuine feeling during cultivation.


    Instead of giving a direct answer, Ji Yin asked, "How do you understand ''entering the muddy pellet and descending to the acupoint''?"


    "Disciple thinks..."


    After a quarter of an hour under Ji Yin''s exnation, Song Wen realized his misconceptions in cultivation.


    As he was about to bid farewell and stood up, his eyes began to size up the book in Ji Yin''s hands.


    Since he was sitting opposite Ji Yin, he just managed to see the name of the book,


    "Comprehensive Guide to Low-Level Spirit Herb Cultivation"!


    The book seemed somewhat iplete, with only a few dozen pages.


    Ji Yin also noticed Song Wen''s gaze. He said, "Interested in this book?"


    Song Wen was suddenly rmed, afraid that Ji Yin would suspect he was intentionally prying.


    However, Ji Yin didn''t think in that direction at all. He casually said, "If you want to read it, I''ll let you take a look."


    As he spoke, Ji Yin handed the book over.


    Song Wen took the book and saw that the first thing he saw was an introduction and cultivation points for a spirit herb called "Yi Blood Vine," (red blood vine) along with a drawing of the Red Blood Vine.


    Red Blood Vine is a vine nt, preferring warm temperatures, light, drought-resistant, averse to water, and cold...


    A momentter, Ji Yin asked, "What do you think about nting Red Blood Vine?"


    Song Wen had previously worked in a traditional Chinese medicinepany and had some understanding of Chinese medicine cultivation. Combining his past knowledge, he replied:


    "Disciple believes that for nting Red Blood Vine, it should be done on a sunny slope, away from water sources. The soil should be loose, preferably sandy, and good drainage is necessary, especially after rain. In our Yan Cheng, the winters are cold, so during winter, it needs instion..."


    Song Wen deliberately made his answer seem valuable. If he could demonstrate some special value, perhaps Ji Yin wouldn''t subject him to drug testing.


    Upon hearing Song Wen''s reply, Ji Yin''s eyes shed with satisfaction, nodding slightly.


    "I didn''t expect your cultivation aptitude to be average, but you show some talent in spirit herb cultivation."


    Ji Yin was also pondering. He had been stuck at the thirdyer of Qi refinement for several years, unable to break through.


    The first threeyers of Qi refinement were considered early stage, where cultivators didn''t differ much from ordinary people. It was only from the fourthyer onwards that the difference between immortals and mortals began to manifest.


    Ji Yin possessed two techniques that required cultivation to at least the mid-stage of Qi refinement. Moreover, what was most important was...


    Based on Ji Yin''s information, "Longevity Technique" cultivated spiritual power, although itcked elemental attributes and was not suited forbat. However, many cultivators, especially those with poor aptitude and wandering cultivators, practiced it.


    One reason was the widespread dissemination of the "Longevity Technique," making it easily essible. Secondly, the "Longevity Technique" had an enticing feature��extending lifespan.


    It was said that a wandering cultivator who practiced the "Longevity Technique" reached the ninthyer of Qi refinement and lived to be 180 years old.


    Considering that the lifespan of an ordinary person did not exceed 100 years, and during the Qi refining stage, the physical body had not yet transcended the realm of mortals, the general maximum lifespan would not exceed 120 years.


    This person lived to be 180 years old, extending his lifespan by a third, just a decade less than Foundation Building stage cultivators.


    This made many cultivators who felt hopeless about Foundation Building aspire to it.


    ording to past experiences, the first threeyers of the "Longevity Technique" did not have the function of extending lifespan. From the fourthyer onwards, its longevity function gradually manifested.


    This made Ji Yin even more eager to break through the bottleneck of early Qi refinement. He believed that once he broke through to the fourthyer of Qi refinement, he should be able to advance to the sixthyer within his lifetime. At that time, even aspiring to thete stage of Qi refinement would not be impossible.


    The Blood Qi Pill was a type of medicine that stimted human potential and helped cultivators break through bottlenecks. It wasmonly used by Qi refining stage wandering cultivators with poor aptitude.


    After spending two years, Ji Yin finally managed to barely refine the Blood Qi Pill by his own trial and error.


    However, he dared not take it lightly. As a mere small pharmacist, he once went up the mountain to collect herbs and identally discovered the cave of a deceased wandering cultivator. There, he obtained inheritances such as cultivation techniques, basic talisman crafting, the form for Blood Qi Pill, spirit herb cultivation, etc., and inadvertently began his cultivation career.


    Throughout his entire cultivation journey, he had never encountered other cultivators and relied solely on his own exploration.


    The Blood Qi Pill he refined looked quite different from the description in the form, so Ji Yin was cautious and did not dare to take it himself.


    Therefore, he thought of finding someone to test it.


    As expected, after a year of testing, he inadvertently killed seven disciples. All these young people had severe Qi and blood deficiencies after taking the Blood Qi Pill, and various organs in their bodies aged to different extents, leading to their deaths within a few days.


    Under his continuous improvements, Er Niu was the first person to take the Blood Qi Pill without adverse effects.


    This gave him hope of sess.


    In the past, cultivating spirit herbs and refining pills had always been done by Ji Yin alone, leading to his daily chores being quite busy.


    Just now, Song Wen''s performance made him think about training Song Wen specifically in the cultivation of spirit herbs.


    With the sess of Er Niu, Ji Yin felt that the sessful refinement of the Blood Qi Pill was within reach. At this critical time, Ji Yin did not want to expend too much energy on cultivating spirit herbs.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 9: Opportunity to Escape

    <h4>Chapter 9: Opportunity to Escape</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After a brief contemtion, Ji Yin pulled out a small booklet from his robe and tossed it to Song Wen.


    "This is a summary of my own experience in cultivating spiritual herbs. Take it back and read it carefully. Starting today, you''ll be in charge of the eastern spiritual field. If you can manage it well, in half a month, the entire field will be entrusted to you, and at that time, I will grant you a great opportunity."


    In the western spiritual field, Red Arrow and Yuanjuan were nted, auxiliary herbs for refining Qi and Blood Pills, easily found in the deep mountains of Yancheng, not considered rare.


    Handing over the trial to Song Wen, Ji Yin was also relieved.


    As for the promised opportunity by Ji Yin, it was just a form of persuasion. In his view, allowing Song Wen to live two more years was already a great favor.


    "Thank you, Master. Disciple will do his utmost to cultivate and not disappoint Master''s expectations."


    Song Wen respectfully replied, epting the booklet.


    Leaving the second floor with two books, he took charge of the spiritual herb cultivation. For a moment, he couldn''t decide if it was an opportunity or not.


    "Let''s work hard to cultivate the spiritual herbs. Perhaps this will dy the time for my own trials."


    Song Wen silently resolved in his heart.


    Back in his room, Song Wen first read Ji Yin''s notes on nting experiences. Ji Yin had only cultivated eight types of spiritual herbs, all needed for refining Qi and Blood Pills.


    Then, he flipped through "Detailed Exnation of Low-Level Spiritual Herb Cultivation," identified all eight types of herbs Ji Yin had nted, and silently pondered the methods of cultivating spiritual herbs.


    With a certain theoretical foundation in mind, Song Wen went to the eastern medicinal field.


    This field wasn''trge, about half an acre.


    Ji Yin had taken good care of the spiritual field, with neat rows and sparsely nted thirty nts each of Red Arrow and Yuanjuan.


    Song Wen carefully inspected the field, pulling out some weeds along the way.


    He examined each spiritual herb, numbered them, recorded their growth and watering conditions in detail.


    Ten dayster, Ji Yin, who had been observing all this, entrusted the entire medicinal field to Song Wen.


    Ji Yin himself went into seclusion once again to refine Qi and Blood Pills.


    After repeatedly instructing Song Wen to take care of the Red Blood Vine, Ji Yin entered the pill refining cave and closed the stone door.


    Red Blood Vine was the main ingredient for refining Qi and Blood Pills and the hardest to find spiritual herb. Initially, he had used the power of the Tian Sha Gang to search through most of Qian Country, just to find this ten-year-old Red Blood Vine. Each time he refined medicine, he dared only take a few branches, fearing it would affect the growth of the Red Blood Vine.


    From Er Niu''s mouth, Song Wen learned that every time Ji Yin went into seclusion for pill refining, it took more than ten days. Song Wen''s heart became excited, feeling that the opportunity to escape was imminent.


    Calmly, Song Wen walked into a small wooden house in the medicinal field. Here were the tools needed for nting spiritual herbs.


    Song Wen searched through the wooden house, looking for some tools that could help him escape. After searching around, besides the usual tools, Song Wen found nothing useful.


    However, he did find a twenty-centimeter-long dagger.


    The dagger had a leather scabbard. Removing the scabbard, the dagger appeared jet ck, the de emitting a sharp cold light, intimidating.


    "A sharp de!"


    Song Wen silently eximed. He gripped the hilt tightly and shed at a piece of wood in the house.


    Instantly, the thick stick snapped.


    Song Wen''s eyes gleamed brightly. This dagger was definitely a high-quality weapon, a perfect self-defense tool for escaping danger.


    Song Wen sheathed the dagger, cing it in his boot.


    After another quick search through the wooden house, finding nothing else, Song Wen walked out with a hoe.


    While working in the spiritual field, Song Wen asionally nced at the alchemy cave and the cliffs to the west.


    The lowest point of the cliff was five zhang tall, with some areas exceeding ten zhang. It was bare, devoid of any trees or weeds, but moist moss grew in abundance.


    However, the excessive moss made climbing difficult.


    Song Wen considered using tools to climb the mountain, but he couldn''t find any suitable ropes in the entire courtyard. If he were to chop wood and build adder, it would be challenging to avoid the attention of guards and Er Niu''s group.


    "Should I cooperate with Er Niu and Zhang Cheng? But I''m not sure what they''re thinking. Given their respect for Ji Yin, I''m afraid it''ll be difficult to persuade them. It might even expose myself."


    After waiting so long for Ji Yin to go into seclusion, finally having the chance to escape, Song Wen was now trapped by the terrain, unable to flee. His inner turmoil grew impatient.


    The hoe in his hand slipped, failing to dig out the weeds and nearly damaging a spiritual herb.


    Song Wen woke up, realizing his actions today were a bit reckless.


    Those who aplish great things must have enough patience.


    After calming his mind, Song Wen began to seriously tend to the spiritual field.


    That night.


    Song Wen tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.


    He got up quietly, opened the door, and stepped outside.


    The moon and stars were sparse, with silence all around.


    Song Wen stared at the cliffs in contemtion. Unexpectedly, this five zhang high cliff had be his barrier to escape.


    In a daze, Song Wen saw flickering lights on the mountaintop.


    "Are there people on the mountain?"


    Song Wen was suspicious, squinting to see that indeed, there were intermittent lights on the mountaintop.


    "Could there be Tian Sha Gang guards stationed on the mountaintop?"


    Song Wen seemed to have discovered another piece of unfavorable information.


    Upon closer thought, there should logically be Tian Sha Gang guards on the mountaintop.


    Tian Sha Gang had fortified the entire area, even constructing a rudimentary version of city walls around the perimeter and stationed heavy guards. There was no reason for them not to be vignt over this mountain.


    Setting up a lookout post on the mountaintop also facilitated monitoring of movements in Yancheng. In case arge army besieged Tian Sha Gang, it would provide timely information and serve as an escape route for Tian Sha Gang.


    Thinking of this, Song Wenpletely dismissed his n to escape from the rear mountain. With his current strength just slightly above normal, it was absolutely impossible for him to break through the blockade of the well-trained gang members of Tian Sha Gang, not to mention the many martial arts experts among them.


    Feeling somewhat disheartened, Song Wen returned to his room. He no longer tried to sleep but began to cultivate.


    Only by umting enough strength would he have a chance to escape from Tian Sha Gang.


    In the blink of an eye, another ten days passed.


    With Song Wen''s relentless efforts day and night, his cultivation quietly reached the middle stage of the firstyer of Qi cultivation.


    On this day, while Song Wen wasboring in the medicinal field, he suddenly saw the stone door of the alchemy cave open, and Ji Yin walked out triumphantly.


    Song Wen''s face changed slightly, filled with unease.


    "It seems a new round of testing is about to begin. I just don''t know who will be selected this time, or if I will be summoned for the pill testing."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 10: Death

    <h4>Chapter 10: Death</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Upon emerging from seclusion, Ji Yin first came to inspect the spiritual field. He was quite satisfied with the growth of the spiritual herbs.


    "Not bad, keep up the good work."


    After hypocritically encouraging Song Wen with a couple of sentences, he left the spiritual field.


    He had more important matters to attend to now. This time, his alchemy process went extremely smoothly, breaking new ground by refining two pills in one furnace. This meant that his alchemy skills had greatly improved.


    With this sess, he was full of confidence in his production of the Blood Qi Pill this time. He felt certain that this time he had truly refined the Blood Qi Pill.


    "Er Niu, Zhang Cheng, both of youe up to the second floor with me. I have prepared something good for you."


    Ji Yin shouted loudly, and without waiting for Er Niu and Zhang Cheng''s reaction, he went upstairs on his own.


    Zhang Cheng eagerly opened the door and hurried up to the second floor.


    Master had been in closed-door alchemy for so long, and summoning him immediately upon emerging must mean he wanted him to take the pill to enhance his strength.


    Master had promised that as long as he advanced to the second stage of Qi cultivation, he would grant him leave to visit his family.


    By then, not only could he walk outside with the status of a core member of Tian Sha Gang, but he would also receive a considerable amount of silver each month.


    Thinking of this, Zhang Cheng''s steps quickened involuntarily, rushing eagerly towards the second floor.


    With a slightly slower movement, Er Niu, after opening the door, hesitated.


    The memories of his struggle after taking the pillst time were still fresh in his mind. Although his strength had greatly improved after taking the pill, it had almost cost him his life.


    If Master hadn''t provided him with arge amount of replenishing medicine, Er Niu even doubted whether he could survive for three days.


    He had never imagined that less than a monthter, he would have to take the Blood Qi Pill again. He really didn''t want to eat it again.


    Although aware of the side effects of the Blood Qi Pill, Er Niu, being honest, did not think too much. In his simple heart, he never imagined that Master, whom he regarded as a second parent, would do anything to harm his life.


    In the end, Er Niu still stepped up to the second floor.


    "Come, these are the pills I refined for you. After taking them, your cultivation will greatly advance. Take the pills in my room, and after swallowing them, immediately start circting and refining the medicinal power. I will be on the side to protect you."


    "Thank you, Master."


    Excited, Zhang Cheng expressed gratitude and immediately swallowed the pill.


    After hesitating for a moment, Er Niu, ultimatelycking the courage to question Ji Yin, also swallowed the pill.


    A momentter, after taking the pill, both of them began to emit wisps of mist from their heads, their faces showing painful expressions.


    "Hold on, continue circting and refining. Interrupting now will waste all your efforts. Not only will it fail to enhance your strength, but it might also cause your cultivation to regress."


    Ji Yin sternly admonished from the side.


    Upon hearing this, both gritted their teeth and persisted.


    The body temperature of both began to rise sharply, and their skin gradually turned red, resembling boiled river shrimp.


    Seeing their reactions, Ji Yin suddenly felt uneasy.


    "Ah!"


    Er Niu suddenly let out a piercing scream of agony, then copsed backward, his body convulsing uncontrobly.


    As if triggering a chain reaction, Zhang Cheng followed suit, falling unconscious.


    "How could this happen!"


    Ji Yin''s face showed panic and unwillingness.


    He could feel the surging spiritual energy and rapidly depleting blood qi from the two.


    Indeed, their cultivation had greatly improved, but just like with previous medicines, it still involved rapidly consuming their blood qi, and now the speed of blood qi consumption was even more severe.


    Although Er Niu and Zhang Cheng had copsed unconscious, the effects of the medicine were still active.


    Their life essence continued to be rapidly consumed, transforming into spiritual energy. However, since they were not circting it, this spiritual energy began to escape uncontrobly into the surroundings, gradually increasing the concentration of spiritual energy in the room.


    With the continuous depletion of their essence and blood, the visible weakening of their bodies became evident. Their skin gradually loosened, covered with wrinkles.


    Er Niu, who was trying the medicine for the second time, even developed age spots on his body.


    Their breaths also weakened gradually, visibly nearing the end of their lives.


    Ji Yin''s expression became extremely ugly. He had failed once again, losing two test subjects at once.


    "I should have only had one person try the medicine just now."


    Ji Yin regretted inwardly.


    After a moment, Ji Yin gathered his thoughts, his eyes bing fierce.


    "It seems next time I can only let that kid outside try the medicine. I nned to let him live a bit longer, but fate did notply with my wishes. Selecting a new test subject must now be prioritized. If another shortage of test subjects dys me likest time, it will be troublesome."


    Ji Yin opened the door and walked out, not bothering to look back at the two still faintly struggling on the ground.


    Meanwhile, on the first floor, Song Wen was observing the situation. His eyes coincidentally met Ji Yin''s as he stepped out of the room.


    Song Wen suddenly felt like he was being stared down by a fierce beast, as if he could be devoured at any moment.


    With a heart full of fear, Song Wen''s face remained indifferent as he turned away from Ji Yin, no longer paying attention to him, and focused earnestly on working in the spiritual field.


    Throughout the day, Song Wen kept an eye on the movements on the second floor.


    He hoped to see Er Niu and Zhang Cheng safely descend from upstairs.


    However, he waited for a long time, but there was no movement upstairs.


    As evening approached, two Tian Sha Gang members ascended to the second floor, each carrying arge bup sack, then left the courtyard.


    Song Wen was already certain in his heart that Er Niu and Zhang Cheng were no longer alive, and the next test subject would likely be himself.


    That night, Song Wen suffered from insomnia once again, unable to remember how many times this had happened.


    The next day, Ji Yin found Song Wen and informed him that he would once again enter seclusion, instructing Song Wen to take good care of the spiritual field.


    After respectfully seeing Ji Yin off, Song Wen''s heart was both excited and nervous. He understood that the next ten days, during Ji Yin''s alchemy, would be his final chance to escape.


    He absolutely could not afford to sit idly and wait for death.


    Determined to escape from the back mountain tonight, Song Wen immediately stopped thinking about tending to the spiritual field.


    He found a sturdy hoe in the tool shed and identified four small trees in a spot far from the perimeter wall.


    His n was to fell these four trees after nightfall, tie them together with ropes, and construct adder to climb the cliff.


    With only himself in the courtyard and guards stationed on the periphery, as long as he was cautious while chopping wood, it should not attract the guards'' attention.


    Moreover, with his current cultivation at the mid-stage of the firstyer, both his strength and agility had greatly improved.


    There was still a considerable chance of escaping.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 11: Testing the Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 11: Testing the Medicine</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Just as Song Wen thought everything was ready and was waiting for nightfall to take action, four members of the Tian Sha Gang entered the courtyard and settled into the small building. Two of them even stood guard right outside his door.


    This left Song Wen dumbfounded!


    "Did Ji Yin sense my intention to escape?"


    "Impossible, I disguised myself so well, I shouldn''t have been exposed."


    Seeing his chance of escape slip away, Song Wen paced back and forth in his room, agitated and uneasy.


    No matter how hard he thought, he couldn''t figure out how Ji Yin had discovered his n.


    In reality, Ji Yin hadn''t discovered Song Wen''s intention to escape. Ji Yin was just habitually cautious and worried that if Song Wen was left alone, he might sneak into the small building and steal his secrets and cultivation techniques.


    It was this coincidence that thwarted Song Wen''s escape n.


    In the following days, Song Wen spent his time in constant anxiety. Every time he thought of risking everything to try climbing down the cliff and escaping, the sight of the four strong guards with their steel knives brought him back to reality.


    Song Wen noticed that the once quiet wing area had be lively again.


    Young people were constantly being brought into the wing and then detained, waiting for Ji Yin toe out and teach them cultivation techniques.


    Ten dayster, Ji Yin finally emerged.


    Ji Yin was still full of energy, confident in the pills he had refined this time.


    "Song Wen, follow me to the small building."


    Looking at Ji Yin who suddenly appeared in front of him, Song Wen''s face turned extremely grim. He didn''t know how to resist.


    It seemed that since encountering Guo Hang, he had be like meat on a chopping board, with no ability to resist.


    After hesitating for a while, Song Wen still followed Ji Yin to the small building.


    "Take this pill, it will greatly enhance your cultivation. As long as you break through to the seventh level, you can be a core member of the Tian Sha Gang and freelye and go."


    Ji Yin tempted him with benefits.


    At this moment, the situation had already threatened Song Wen''s life, and he could no longer maintain the disguise on his face.


    He stared at Ji Yin with hatred, wanting to punch him in the smiling face, but he knew he was no match for Ji Yin. If he angered Ji Yin, he might end up like the chubby boy from before, gifted a yellow talisman by Ji Yin and turned into a Hiroshima-Nagasaki, reduced to a pile of ashes.


    Weakness is a sin!


    At this moment, Song Wen understood this phrase with utmost rity.


    A cold smile suddenly appeared on Ji Yin''s face.


    "I didn''t expect that among my disciples, there would be someone smart. It seems you''ve already guessed part of the truth.


    But I advise you, don''t try to resist, obediently take the pill. As long as you survive, I will truly give you freedom."


    "ng!"


    A token the size of a baby''s palm was thrown to the ground.


    Ji Yin continued.


    "This is my token. With it, you can freely go anywhere within the Tian Sha Gang."


    Song Wen looked at the token on the ground, then at the pill in Ji Yin''s hand. After some hesitation and contemtion, he took the pill from Ji Yin''s hand and picked up the token from the ground.


    "Hopefully, Master will keep his word!"


    If one''s strength is insufficient, one can only rely on luck.


    When Er Niu tried the medicine for the first time, he didn''t die either.


    "Don''t worry, I always keep my word. You''ve seen it already, there are new peopleing. If you survive this time, I won''t need you to test the medicine again. You just need to take care of the herb fields for me."


    "I''m just afraid that if there are no more test subjects in the future, you''ll make me test the medicine again," Song Wen thought to himself.


    If he could survive this crisis, he would still have to find a way to leave.


    Song Wen sat cross-legged, tilted his head back, and swallowed the pill. He immediately began to circte his energy to absorb the medicinal power.


    As soon as the pill entered his stomach, it turned into waves of heat, rapidly raising Song Wen''s body temperature.


    The heat flowed through his meridians, coursing through his limbs and bones, spreading throughout his entire body.


    At the same time, his vital energy and blood were rapidly consumed. His face gradually lost its color, bing extremely pale.


    Song Wen could clearly feel the heat in his meridians being gradually refined by the "Longevity Technique," ultimately converging in his dantian and bing part of his spiritual cultivation.


    However, the massive consumption of vital energy and blood made Song Wen feel weak, as if he had been repeatedly ravaged by dozens of women.


    He felt that even sitting cross-legged on the ground was strenuous, and he had a strong urge to lie down and rest.


    "You can''t lie down. If you stop circting your energy, the unrefined medicinal power will quickly devour your vital energy and blood, making you die even faster."


    Ji Yin''s voice sounded in his ears, leaving Song Wen with no choice but to trust him.


    After all, Ji Yin didn''t want Song Wen to fail either.


    Song Wen gritted his teeth and continued to persist.


    When Song Wen felt that his vital energy and blood were almostpletely depleted, and he could no longer hold on, a mysterious energy suddenly appeared in his body. This energy came out of nowhere, without any warning.


    It was as if under the extreme pressure on his body, some special constitution within him had been activated.


    At this moment, Song Wen had no time to think about anything else. He used this energy to quickly refine the medicinal power.


    Observing Song Wen''s reaction to the medicine, Ji Yin''s face turned from surprise to delight.


    Although Song Wen experienced severe depletion of vital energy and blood, his body did not show signs of aging, and he was almost done refining the medicinal power.


    From the current situation, Song Wen was definitely not in danger of dying.


    Ji Yin''s eyes lit up, feeling that sess was near.


    Half an hourter, Song Wen finished circting his energy and meditating, havingpletely refined the medicinal power.


    He opened his eyes wearily, and the first thing he saw was Ji Yin''s outstretched hand, holding a ck pill.


    Before Song Wen could react, Ji Yin had already ced the pill in his mouth.


    "Don''t worry too much. This pill is the Tian Sha Gang''s ''Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill.'' As long as you take the antidote every seven days, this pill won''t affect you at all."


    As Ji Yin exined, Song Wen, who was extremely weak, had no strength to resist, and the pill was already in his stomach.


    The deed was done, resistance was futile. Song Wen could only ept the fact that he had ingested the poison and was now under Ji Yin''s control.


    Half an hourter, having barely regained some strength, Song Wen stood up, leaned against the wall, went downstairs, and returned to his room.


    Throughout the entire process, Song Wen realized his body was extremely weak. Even walking took all his effort, and his legs wouldn''t stop trembling, like he had been pampered by several noblewomen.


    Lying on the bed, Song Wen began to recall the mysterious energy that had appeared at the critical moment.


    If it weren''t for this mysterious energy, Song Wen felt he would have likely followed in the footsteps of Er Niu and Zhang Cheng.


    At this moment, Song Wen carefully sensed his entire body but couldn''t find any trace of the mysterious energy, as if it had beenpletely consumed.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 12: Searching for Antidote

    <h4>Chapter 12: Searching for Antidote</h4>


    Over the next two days, Song Wen noticed a significant improvement in his diet.


    Every meal included precious medicinal herbs such as ginseng, dangshen, astragalus, and others. In addition, there were numerous nourishing soups and tonics to replenish his qi and blood.


    By the early morning of the third day, Song Wen felt his body hadrgely recovered, though his lower back still felt a bit weak.


    "I must have wasted my youth not cherishing my vitality and indulging in reckless behavior. This body is only in its teens, yet it''s already feeling weak. Truly unworthy," Song Wen muttered to himself in frustration, rising early.


    He nned to go out today. Ji Yin had given him a token, allowing him to move freely without restriction. He had been confined within this courtyard for two months, and it was time to explore.


    Stepping out of his room, Song Wen saw dozens of young boys and girls gathered in the courtyard area.


    "Ah, how did I end up in a world where human rights are nonexistent," Song Wenmented as he passed through the courtyard area toward the main gate.


    Suddenly, a voice from behind stopped him in his tracks.


    "Song Wen, where are you going?"


    It was Ji Yin''s voice. He was about to instruct new disciples on how to cultivate the "Longevity Technique."


    Song Wen was speechless. How did he encounter Ji Yin so early in the morning? But with his life in Ji Yin''s hands, Song Wen had no choice but toply. He walked over to Ji Yin and respectfully answered, "Reporting to Master, I n to go outside for a stroll."


    Ji Yin nodded approvingly and kindly replied, "It''s good to go out for a walk."


    Turning to face the young people gathered, Ji Yin loudly announced, "This is Song Wen, my senior disciple. He has been following me in cultivation for two months. As long as you diligently practice, you too can be my direct disciple like Song Wen. With the immortal techniques I will teach you, sess and prosperity wille naturally."


    Ji Yin''s impassioned speech stirred up the emotions of the young people present.


    Song Wen was speechless. How did he be the tool of Ji Yin''s maniptive rhetoric?


    "Come, say a few words to your future junior brothers and sisters," Ji Yin instructed Song Wen.


    Despite his reluctance, Song Wen forced a warm smile on his face. "Fellow junior brothers and sisters, I hope you can earnestly follow Master''s teachings. Once you master the Qi-Refining Stage, you''ll be like carp leaping over the Dragon Gate. Following Master''s guidance is the culmination of your good fortune across lifetimes and the best opportunity to change your destiny in this life. I hope you cherish it and don''t miss this great opportunity."


    At the same time, Song Wen silently thought, ''I''m sorry, everyone. It''s survival of the fittest. The sooner you advance in your cultivation, the less chance I have of being sacrificed in some experimental concoction.''


    "Hmm!" Ji Yin nodded in satisfaction. "Well said! Take this token I gave you. You can withdraw five hundred taels of silver from the treasury each month."


    "Thank you, Master. I''ll go now," Song Wen bowed and headed towards the courtyard gate.


    With Ji Yin''s token in hand, Song Wen encountered no obstacles along the way, and most people showed him great respect.


    After asking for directions several times, Song Wen arrived smoothly at the Tian Sha Gang''s treasury.


    Without any hesitation about saving money for the gang, Song Wen withdrew the maximum amount.


    Four hundred taels in one-hundred-liang notes, nine ten-liang notes, plus ten liang in small change.


    Five hundred taels of silver was a considerable sum in the current times, enough to support an average family of three for a month.


    Carrying this fortune, Song Wen left Tian Sha Gang headquarters with a light step.


    The streets of Yancheng were bustling with peopleing and going, lively and crowded.


    Song Wen wandered through the city, asionally stopping to buy some street food. Since starting his Qi cultivation, Song Wen found himself with a muchrger appetite.


    There were many street performers on the roadside, something Song Wen had never seen before in his original world. Intrigued, he stopped to watch and even tipped some small change when particrly entertained, encouraging the performers to put on an even livelier show.


    The entire morning passed as Song Wen roamed through Yancheng, covering almost half the city.


    After a simple lunch at a roadside stall, Song Wen entered a medical clinic.


    Though seemingly idle, Song Wen had been covertly noting down the locations of severalrge medical clinics throughout the morning. He intended to inquire about the "Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill" at these establishments.


    He was wary of being followed by Ji Yin''s people and didn''t dare enter any clinic rashly.


    After observing for the entire morning, he was fairly certain that he wasn''t being tailed, so he confidently entered a clinic. However, this realization also cast a shadow over him; Ji Yin was bold enough to let him out, indicating that the poison of the Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill was likely very difficult to neutralize.


    Upon entering a clinic named "Xinglin Tang," Song Wen approached an elderly man with colorful hair and exined his situation.


    ording to Song Wen''s inquiries, this man was named Xue Tao, a well-known divine doctor in Yancheng renowned for treating difficult and obscure illnesses. His clinic was always crowded with patients seeking his expertise, but he was notoriously greedy and charged exorbitant fees. Ordinary people rarely sought his services.


    To consult with him, Song Wen had already paid ten taels of silver. Regardless of whether Xue Tao could cure him or not, this money was non-refundable.


    "Doctor Xue, I''ve been poisoned and need your help to detoxify me," Song Wen exined.


    Doctor Xue nodded and instructed, "Extend your left hand for me to examine your pulse."


    Without hesitation, Song Wenplied.


    After a moment of pulse diagnosis, Doctor Xue furrowed his brows.


    "Switch to your right hand."


    After examining both of Song Wen''s pulses and observing his tongue coating, eye conditions, and other symptoms, Doctor Xue said, "From what I see, you''ve recently suffered extensive loss of essence and blood, leading to severe depletion of qi and blood. However, I detect no traces of poisoning whatsoever."


    Disappointed, Song Wen couldn''t help but say, "Doctor Xue, please examine me again. I''m absolutely certain that I''ve been poisoned."


    Doctor Xue replied, "I''ve practiced medicine for decades and treated countless poisoned patients. I don''t see any signs of poisoning in you. If you truly are poisoned, I fear I''m not capable of treating it, and you''ll have to find another renowned doctor."


    Song Wen sighed inwardly. As expected, the Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill wasn''t so easily remedied.


    He visited five more clinics afterward, and all the physicians reached the same conclusion: there were no signs of poisoning in him.


    This left Song Wen feeling somewhat disappointed.


    "It seems I''ll have to find the antidote from within Tian Sha Gang."


    Song Wen recalled that Ji Yin had inadvertently mentioned that the poison originated from Tian Sha Gang.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 13: Killing and Bloodthirst

    <h4>Chapter 13: Killing and Bloodthirst</h4>


    As the sun set in the west, the remaining sunlight looked like blood.


    Song Wen was walking through the streets with a somewhat despondent mood.


    As he walked, suddenly two young women, dressed provocatively, stopped him in his tracks.


    "Hey Little brother,e inside and have some fun."


    The two women each took one of Song Wen''s arms, their flirtatious chests rubbing against his arms.


    This made Song Wen feel aroused. Looking up, he saw a three-story building ahead. On the balcony were more than a dozen lightly dressed young women, flirting with passersby, attracting curious nces from onlookers.


    Song Wen realized he had unconsciously wandered into a brothel.


    He felt a sudden urge, thinking he needed to vent his pent-up emotions. The brothel seemed like a suitable ce.


    Just as he was about to follow the two women inside to experience the ancient brothel atmosphere, he felt a sharp pain in his waist.


    He woke up abruptly, realizing he was extremely weak. Even if he entered the brothel, he would likely be powerless. He could only sigh in frustration.


    Song Wen exerted himself, breaking free from the women''s grip, hurriedly exining,


    "Next time, next time."


    Watching Song Wen fleeing, one of the women coldly snorted.


    "Hmph, good-looking but useless. He''s so weak at such a young age, it''s a waste of a handsome appearance."


    Leaving the brothel, Song Wen noticed the setting sun. He realized it was time to return.


    Since the city''s medical center couldn''t cure his poisoning, his only hopey with the Tian Sha Gang.


    He worried that after dark, Yancheng''s criminal elements would emerge, and wandering the city might be dangerous.


    Currently in the northern part of Yancheng and the Tian Sha Gang in the south, returning meant crossing the entire city.


    Since sessfully cultivating his inner energy, Song Wen''s mental faculties had greatly improved. He quickly calcted theyout of Yancheng and today''s route in his mind, identifying the shortest path back.


    By the time it got dark, Song Wen had passed through numerous alleys to return near the Tian Sha Gang''s base. Once he navigated the current alley and ascended the next slope, he would soon reach the Tian Sha Gang.


    The alley was deserted, with foul-smelling gutters along its sides.


    Halfway through, Song Wen suddenly saw two figures ahead��one tall and one short.


    "Probably a father and son," he thought.


    The light was poor, and he couldn''t make out their faces clearly. Without much thought, Song Wen continued forward.


    Since taking the blood-rejuvenating pill, his cultivation had advanced to theter stage of the first realm. Though he had never practiced any martial arts, relying solely on his spiritual power, ordinary people were no match for him.


    As they approached within 10 meters, Song Wen gradually distinguished the rough appearances of the two people��a muscr man and a child around ten years old.


    The man''s muscles were extremely developed, stretching his robe tightly.


    "Could he be the martial artist known for external cultivation?" Having been in this world for over two months, Song Wen had gained a preliminary understanding of its martial prowess.


    He had seen experts from the Tian Sha Gang effortlessly lift hundreds of kilograms of boulders and smash them with a single punch.


    The small child, however, made Song Wen cautious.


    He recognized the child as the beggar boy who had fought with him over a bun and whom he had injured with a kick.


    Now, the beggar boy also recognized Song Wen. He suddenly grabbed the muscr middle-aged man and said with hatred in his voice,


    "Big Brother Biao, this is the guy who injured mest time, leaving me bedridden for over a month."


    Big Brother Biao instantly flew into a rage. He had control over twelve beggars, who provided him with their daily earnings.


    And this boy beggar by his side was his most adept beggar, also his assistant in managing the other little beggars, and precisely because of this, the boy could maintain his healthy limbs.


    To arouse sympathy from others and beg for more copper coins, the other little beggars were all made disabled by Big Brother Biao.


    During the time the boy rested, Big Brother Biao''s ie sharply declined, leading to him not having enough money recently to buy Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill pills.


    <strong>Note: </strong>It is used to treat yin deficiency, It can lead to various problems such as erectile dysfuction.


    He had hooked up with his own sister-inw, and not meeting her for a long time, made her suspicious that he had a new mistress outside, causing her to ignore him.


    In recent days, Big Brother Biao even found out that his sister-inw was often exchanging flirtatious nces with the neighbor, Lao Wang.


    Big Brother Biao felt that both he and his elder brother were being cuckolded. If he hooked up with his sister-inw, that was the family''s private affair; if the meat was rotten, it was their own pot to eat from.


    After all, his elder brother was often away from home, so it was only natural for him to take care of his sister-inw.


    Even if his sister-inw became pregnant with his child, that would still be their own seed.


    But if his sister-inwmitted adultery with Lao Wang, it would be like their own crops being eaten by someone else''s pig. If his sister-inw became pregnant with Lao Wang''s child, his elder brother would truly be a great wronged man raising someone else''s child.


    Enough is enough.


    All of this stemmed from the boy before him.


    Big Brother Biao''s anger surged instantly. With a cold, stern gaze, he looked at Song Wen.


    "Kid, you dare to touch someone under my protection. It seems you''re tired of living."


    Before he finished speaking, Big Brother Biao tightened his fist the size of a cooking pot and smashed it down.


    Facing Big Brother Biao''s sudden attack, Song Wen was initially startled, but he quickly realized that while Big Brother Biao appeared formidable, he actuallycked any real threat. His punches were unstructured, relying solely on brute strength.


    However, Big Brother Biao''s immense physical strength was terrifying. If that punchnded solidly, Song Wen would undoubtedly suffer a serious injury or worse.


    Song Wen ducked his body agilely, evading Big Brother Biao''s fist.


    At the same time, he reached into his boot with his right hand, retrieving the dagger he had obtained from the medicine garden.


    With a push off his toes, Song Wen leaped forward two steps, crashing directly into Big Brother Biao''s embrace.


    With a smooth motion, he thrust the dagger forward, piercing Big Brother Biao''s chest with precision.


    Song Wen''s entire sequence of actions was fluid and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. By the time the dagger pierced his heart, Big Brother Biao hadn''t even reacted.


    Hot blood flowed along the dagger, carrying away Big Brother Biao''s strength and courage.


    Big Brother Biao widened his eyes in disbelief. In the dim light, he couldn''t even see how Song Wen had moved.


    "You..."


    Big Brother Biao tried to say something, but found himself unable to utter a single word.


    In stark contrast to Big Brother Biao''s fear of impending death, Song Wen''s eyes gleamed with a fervor akin to a psychopath''s satisfaction whenmitting murder��distorted inner satisfaction.


    Of course, Song Wen wasn''t a psychopath.


    The moment he stabbed the dagger into Big Brother Biao''s body, he felt a surge of heat flowing into his own body through the dagger.


    Having taken the blood-rejuvenating pill, his depleted energy and blood were quickly replenished. His previously weak body instantly became full of vigor.


    Every cell in Song Wen''s body seemed to cheer in jubnce. Even his mind was unusually excited.


    This feeling was exquisite, intoxicatingly pleasurable, and made him forget everything.


    In contrast, Big Brother Biao''s strong body rapidly shriveled and dried up.


    Within a few breaths, the 60-70% of water content in the human body quickly evaporated.


    In an instant, Big Brother Biao''s flesh became a dry corpse.


    His robe hung loosely on his shrunken body, barely fitting on his corpse.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 14: Method of Dealing with Ji Yin!

    <h4>Chapter 14: Method of Dealing with Ji Yin!</h4>


    "Big Brother Biao, quickly teach this kid a harsh lesson, kill him!"


    The little beggar was behind Big Brother Biao, in dim light, and hadn''t noticed anything unusual about Big Brother Biao yet, still shouting fiercely.


    Song Wen felt that there was nothing left to devour on Big Brother Biao''s shrunken body. With a push of his left hand, the dried corpse floated lightly and flew out.


    Only then did the little beggar see clearly the tragic state of Big Brother Biao.


    Completely shriveled and dehydrated, his skin turned yellow and wrinkled, resembling a thousand-year-old corpse.


    "Ah... a ghost... a blood-sucking demon."


    The little beggar was terrified, his legs went weak, and he sat down. Then, in a panic, he scrambled backwards.


    The little beggar''s panicked cry awakened Song Wen from his trance. He himself was shocked by Big Brother Biao''s gruesome state. After a brief moment of hesitation, he looked coldly at the fleeing little beggar.


    He must not let the little beggar escape.


    He could kill and devour the essence of blood. He absolutely couldn''t let others find out.


    Thinking back to the inexplicable energy that saved his life when he took the Blood-Rejuvenating Pill, Song Wen was certain that his body seemed to harbor a great secret, one that could cause panic. It must not be exposed.


    With all his strength, Song Wen kicked off, leaping more than ten feet, and grabbed the back of the little beggar''s neck.


    "No... please, spare me." The little beggar pleaded loudly.


    Song Wen, however, remained indifferent, his heart as cold as a stone, unmoved by the little beggar''s youth.


    There was no innocence or childlike purity about this little beggar. All that existed was ruthlessness and ferocity. Allowing him to escape would undoubtedly sow enormous seeds of danger for himself.


    The dagger mercilessly pierced the little beggar''s heart, ending his brief life.


    The essence of blood in the little beggar''s body was once again consumed, leaving behind a dry corpse.


    And Song Wen once again experienced that exquisite and wonderful sensation of extremefort.


    Having absorbed the essence of blood from a middle-aged man and a lively child in session, Song Wen felt somewhat overwhelmed.


    It was akin to the feeling of extreme hunger after binge-eating and drinking.


    Song Wen felt every muscle and cell in his body pulsating, his body trembling uncontrobly.


    His mind was also hazy, as if drunk, feeling that the ground beneath his feet was soft and fluffy, almost like stepping on clouds, an incredibly unreal sensation.


    Even the spiritual energy in his elixir field was boiling and surging like he had taken a stimnt.


    Struggling to calm his thoughts, Song Wen looked at the two corpses on the ground and pondered how to dispose of them. If he left them here, it could potentially cause panic and draw attention from the authorities. If someone traced it back to him, it would be troublesome.


    He estimated that being seen as a demon descending to earth could lead to public execution.


    "I must destroy the corpses and leave no trace."


    Enduring physical and mental difort, Song Wen looked around and found no one nearby, no one had noticed yet.


    He tried to channel his spiritual energy and delivered a full-force punch to the corpse of the little beggar.


    After consuming the essence of blood, the corpse''s resilience deteriorated significantly. Song Wen''s punch directly shattered the little beggar''s head.


    The shattered head turned into a pile of grey-white rotten flesh, devoid of any trace of blood.


    Song Wen''s eyes lit up. After being shattered, it was almost impossible to recognize the head as human.


    Song Wen picked up all the fragments of the little beggar''s skull and scattered them into the filthy drain.


    Afterpleting all this, Song Wen quickly left the alley.


    When Song Wenpleted the absorption of the essence of blood, he suddenly realized that both his physical agitation and mental instability had intensified.


    Just now, while dealing with the dry corpses, the intense nervousness had diluted the difort, but it hadn''t disappeared, only umted, and now it erupted suddenly.


    Song Wen felt that he was losing control of his body, and even standing straight became somewhat difficult.


    Struggling to endure, Song Wen stumbled and finally arrived at the Tian Sha Gang.


    Finally reaching his room with great difficulty, Song Wen immediately wanted to practice to alleviate the difort in his body.


    However, he found that whether it was the surging blood within his body or the fluctuating state of his mind, he couldn''t calm down enough to meditate.


    With no other choice, he could only lie on the bed and wait for his body to naturally recover. Unexpectedly, as hey down, he gradually fell asleep until he woke up the next morning.


    The difort in his body and mind had gradually diminished by the next morning.


    However, his whole body was still full of vitality, as if it could automatically dissipate. Even the little brother was standing tall.


    At this moment, someone suddenly knocked on the door.


    "Young Master Song, breakfast is ready."


    It was Chen Yi, the servant, delivering the meal.


    As if his body had also expended a lot of energy while absorbing and digesting the essence of bloodst night, Song Wen felt incredibly hungry at this moment, as if he could eat an entire cow.


    Song Wen immediately got out of bed and opened the door.


    He saw an elderly woman holding a food box, waiting outside.


    She lowered her eyes, which happened to fall on Song Wen''s waist and abdomen, and her gaze seemed a bit distracted.


    Taking the food box, Song Wen said, "Thank you, Aunt Chen. I''m quite hungry today. Could you please bring two more... no, five more breakfasts?"


    Aunt Chen was somewhat surprised and didn''t respond immediately. It wasn''t until Song Wen closed the door that she reacted.


    Her face inexplicably flushed, murmuring to herself.


    "Young and not frugal, quite generous indeed. Big appetite too, but being light is good."


    Since Song Wen started cultivating Qi, his senses had be more sensitive. He heard every word of Chen Yi muttering outside clearly.


    He nced down and realized that he seemed to have spent quite a bit.


    After finishing all six breakfasts that Aunt Chen brought over, Song Wen finally felt full in his stomach.


    He opened the door, stepped out, and entered the medicine garden to take care of the spiritual herbs, aiding digestion.


    At the same time, he pondered to himself. Last night, he devoured the essence of blood from two people to an excessive extent.


    Upon introspection, he found that his previously severely deficient blood and Qi had beenpletely replenished. As for the excess blood and Qi fromst night, he couldn''t feel them anymore.


    He also felt that his physical body had undergone a slight enhancement, although the enhancement effect was minimal and not very noticeable, he could clearly feel it.


    Furthermore, his spiritual state seemed to have undergone a certain degree of improvement, and his understanding of cultivation techniques had be much clearer.


    "Why is it that my consumption not only includes their essence of blood, but also something else?"


    "Where does my body''s devouring ability reallye from? Could this be the long-awaited blessing for traversers through worlds, a golden finger?"


    With sharp thoughts, Song Wen quickly realized that his devouring ability seemed to help him resolve the current dilemma.


    As long as he operated it well, he had a good chance of eliminating Extreme Yin.


    Thinking of this, Song Wen''s mind became active.


    From start to finish, he didn''t feel ufortable at all because of killing. Instead, there was always a faint expectation deep down for killing and devouring blood once again.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 15: Encountering Guo Hang Again

    <h4>Chapter 15: Encountering Guo Hang Again</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "On the second floor of a small building.


    Ji Yin walked out of his room, prepared to summon the young man from the steward''s room for morning lessons, and noticed Song Wen busy in the medicine field.


    He also clearly observed Song Wen''s robust state of qi and blood.


    Ji Yin''s spirit lifted.


    "It seems that thest refinement of the elixir was very sessful. This kid''s body recovered so quickly. I need to quickly start a new batch of elixirs for refining."


    As Ji Yin silently contemted this, in high spirits, he couldn''t help but speak up.


    "Song Wen, it appears your body has recovered quite well. Your teacher is very pleased. When you have time, take a walk outside; it will greatly benefit your recovery."


    After saying this, Ji Yin didn''t wait for Song Wen''s response and briskly walked away.


    Song Wen watched Ji Yin walk away in the distance, feeling somewhat strange in his heart, wondering what had gotten into this old Yin today to make him so excited.


    After finishing the busy work in the medicine field, the sun was already nearing its peak. Song Wen felt a bit hungry again in his stomach. After washing up, he left Tian Sha Gang.


    Song Wen''s eyes glimmered with hope, he felt good and decided to reward himself.


    Tian Sha Gang wielded immense power in Yancheng, with myriad connections to the livelihoods of the people in Yancheng, including clothing, food, shelter, and other industries.


    Especially the shops near Tian Sha Gang, most of therger ones belonged to Tian Sha Gang.


    Song Wen didn''t want to eat at Tian Sha Gang''s territory, so he went straight to a street-side stall.


    The stall was very small, just a makeshift table by the street with three tables.


    There were some cooked meats on the stall, looking quite appetizing. The stall wasn''t busy; all three tables were empty. Song Wen casually found a seat and sat down.


    The stall''s owner was a young couple, the husband handling ingredients while the wife cleaned the tables.


    Seeing a customer arrive, the young woman hastened her movements and asked.


    "Customer, what would you like to eat?"


    "Bring more meat, stir-fry two side dishes, and arge bowl of noodles," Song Wen said.


    "Sure, please wait a moment, customer."


    Upon hearing this, the young woman''s face lit up with joy.


    Their family of five, with parents and a three-year-old child, relied on this small stall for a living. However, business at the stall was not good, and they lived a rather frugal life.


    From Song Wen''s attire, it was clear he wasn''t short of money.


    Moreover, judging by how Song Wen ordered, he seemed generous; they should be able to earn quite a bit from him.


    The husband and wife began to busy themselves, the young woman braising meat while the husband fired up the stove to prepare the stir-fry.


    In no time, the young woman brought over two tes of braised meat.


    "Please enjoy, customer. The rest will be ready shortly."


    The braised meat tasted good, and Song Wen quickly finished the two tes in front of him.


    At this moment, the young woman came over with a tray holding noodles and stir-fry.


    "Two more tes of braised meat."


    "Sure, customer," the young woman said, setting down the noodles and stir-fry before leaving with a smile.


    Just as Song Wen was enjoying his meal, three men arrived at the stall and sat at the adjacent empty table.


    Since Song Wen had his back to the three men, he didn''t see their faces. He didn''t pay much attention to them, thinking they were just ordinary passersby.


    The three men also ordered some braised meat and rice dishes. Soon, the young woman served them.


    The three men ate quickly, finishing their meals in no time.


    "Burp!"


    One of them burped, stood up, and said, "Let''s go."


    The other two also got up and headed outside.


    Seeing the three men finish eating and leave, the young woman hurriedly wiped her hands on her apron and approached them with a smile on her face.


    "Customers, the meales to a total of one hundred and forty-two copper coins."


    The lead man showed no intention of paying, looking at the young woman with disdain, his eyes roaming over her, especially focusing on her ample chest, before settling on her pretty face.


    "Hey! Littledy, you''re quite attractive."


    The other two menughed lightly upon hearing his words.


    "Boss Guo has a good eye, indeed a bit charming."


    "Youngdy,e with Boss Guo from now on. I guarantee you a life of luxury. No more exposure to the elements or doing these lowly jobs."


    "Hahaha..."


    Song Wen, who had been focused on eating, turned his head upon hearing ''Boss Guo'' and saw that the three men were Guo Hang and his two subordinates.


    A surge of anger rose within Song Wen.


    If it hadn''t been for Boss Guo''s deception, he wouldn''t have joined Tian Sha Gang, wouldn''t have fallen into Ji Yin''s hands, and wouldn''t have been poisoned with ''Seven Days Heartbreaking Powder.''


    Guo Hang noticed Song Wen''s gaze, turned to look, but didn''t immediately recognize Song Wen. He felt Song Wen was familiar, but couldn''t remember where he had seen him.


    After Song Wen became Ji Yin''s personal disciple, his attire had greatly improved, no longer the shabby appearance of before.


    At this moment, amidst the frivolous banter of Guo Hang and his men, the young woman looked flustered and quickly retreated behind her husband, who rushed over to help.


    The stall owner shielded his wife behind him, wearing a smile of submission on his face. "Gentlemen, you''re just joking. Our daughter-inw is in and unremarkable. How could she attract your gaze?"


    Guo Hang was drawn to the stall owner''s words, no longer paying attention to Song Wen. He suppressed the smirk on his face, his expression turning fierce as he said,


    "Listen carefully, I''m from Tian Sha Gang. It''s already a favor to you that we''re eating at your roadside stall. Do you dare ask me for money?"


    The stall owner wore a pained expression; one hundred and forty-two copper coins was a considerable sum for their impoverished family, enough to sustain them for several days.


    But circumstances forced him to yield.


    The stall owner bowed deeply, wearing a pleading expression. "I dare not, I dare not. Customers, please go slowly!"


    Guo Hang sneered at the stall owner and eyed him disdainfully. "You know your ce."


    With that, he turned and left with his two subordinates.


    Song Wen stared at their departing figures, his eyes cold.


    Apart from Ji Yin, Guo Hang was the person he hated the most.


    Now that Song Wen had Ji Yin as his backer, although Ji Yin was only using him as a test subject for medicines, he would never allow Song Wen to get into trouble easily.


    He could totally exploit Ji Yin''s reputation to do some outrageous things.


    Even if he killed Guo Hang and his men on the spot, Tian Sha Gang wouldn''t dare to trouble Song Wen.


    Thinking of this, a sinister thought arose in Song Wen''s mind.


    His right hand reached into his boot and touched the dagger hidden there.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 16: Acting Young Master

    <h4>Chapter 16: Acting Young Master</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    At the next moment, Song Wen loosened his dagger.


    He suddenly realized that he couldn''t kill Guo Hang and the others, at least not in front of everyone''s eyes.


    His body had the ability to involuntarily devour others'' essence and blood. He wasn''t sure if he could control the process of devouring others'' blood.


    If he killed Guo Hang and the others, in front of everyone and his body uncontrobly absorbed their essence, he would have no defense and would surely be branded a demon, burned alive in public to appease public anger.


    Song Wen stood up and spoke loudly.


    "Sir Guo, please wait."


    Guo Hang heard the words and turned around, staring at Song Wen.


    "Who are you?"


    The more Guo Hang looked at Song Wen, the more familiar he felt, but he couldn''t recall where he had seen him.


    Song Wen smiled, "Sir Guo has a good memory. Thanks to you back then, I was rmended to the Tian Sha Gang. It was because of that I could be the direct disciple of Master Ji Yin. I have to thank Sir Guo for your guidance."


    A flicker of recognition shed in Guo Hang''s eyes, "You''re that schr... called Song Wen!"


    Song Wen said, "Sir Guo has a great memory indeed."


    There was a trace of apprehension on Guo Hang''s face.


    Before, the young people sent to Ji Yin were all sent to see Yama.


    Song Wen was the first one who managed to walk out of Ji Yin''s courtyard alive.


    Back then, he had deceived Song Wen and sold him for ten taels of silver, which could be said to have offended him deeply.


    Logically speaking, Song Wen should hate him, but looking at Song Wen''s face, he couldn''t see any hatred, only a deep sense of gratitude.


    Guo Hang asked cautiously, "If Master Song wants to stop me, what''s the matter?"


    Song Wen had an expression that suggested it was only right and proper, "I came to express my thanks. I must thank Sir Guo for rmending me to the Tian Sha Gang. Sir Guo, you are my benefactor."


    He took out a silver ingot and threw it on the wooden table, saying to the stall owner,


    "This is the meal money for me and Sir Guo. Sir Guo is an elite of the Tian Sha Gang. How can we be short of this little money? It''s just that I hurried out today and Sir Guo forgot to bring money."


    Guo Hang looked at the silver ingot on the table, feeling a bit jealous. It was a full ten taels of silver, enough for him to live freely for two days.


    He looked at Song Wen again but couldn''t discern any falsehood. Instead, Song Wen seemed to be fervently maintaining his own image.


    Guo Hang couldn''t help but wonder.


    Was this Song Wen really that foolish? Did he not realize that he had sold him out back then?


    While Guo Hang was still pondering, the stall owner was having difficulty deciding.


    He looked at Song Wen and stuttered, "Sir, I can''t make change."


    Song Wen said, "No need to make change. Consider the rest as your tip."


    The stall owner hesitated. Guo Hang had given him a bad impression just now, and he was afraid of trouble, so he didn''t dare to easily ept the silver ingot. But when the silver that was within reach was about to slip away from his hand, he couldn''t bear it.


    While the stall owner was hesitating, Song Wen continued, "You can just keep it."


    After saying that, Song Wen said to Guo Hang again, "Sir Guo, where is your residence? I n to visit when I have some free time."


    "At No. 15, Tong Luo Lane." Guo Hang blurted out.


    As soon as he said it, he regretted it. He always felt that Song Wen was acting strangely.


    He shouldn''t have revealed his true residence so easily.


    A sense of unease rose in his heart, and Guo Hang decided to stay away from Song Wen for now.


    "Master Song, I still have gang affairs today, so I won''t apany you. Another day, I''ll treat you to meat and wine."


    Song Wen sneered, "Sir Guo seems busy."


    Guo Hang, apanied by his two subordinates, turned and left.


    Staring at the backs of the three men, Song Wen''s eyes were cold, a smirk ying at the corners of his mouth.


    No. 25 Tong Luo Lane!


    Just wait, I''lle find you soon.


    After walking a long distance, Guo Hang suddenly turned around and looked towards the position of the small stall, but Song Wen''s figure was nowhere to be seen.


    The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.


    He felt that Song Wen was acting too unusually. How could there be such a foolish person in this world? Did he really not realize that he had sold him out?


    Now that Song Wen was a disciple of Ji Yin, Guo Hang felt powerless to harm him.


    Just then, on the street ahead, a group of people appeared.


    More than ten elite members of the Tian Sha Gang surrounded a bullock cart and slowly approached.


    A sturdy green ox pulled a cart frame without a canopy. On the wooden boards of the framey the body of a giant white tiger, about twelve feet long.


    The robust body of the white tiger, its sharp ws, and its pointed fangs all indicated its former fierceness, attracting many passersby to stop and watch.


    The members of the Tian Sha Gang praised incessantly, surrounding a young man in his twenties.


    "Acting Leader, you''re truly remarkable. At such a young age, you managed to hunt down this kind of fierce beast alone."


    "Tsk tsk, look at the fangs of this beast. They must be at least four inches long! And those sharp ws and thick tail... It''s incredible that the Acting Leader could kill it."


    "In the future, under the leadership of our Acting Leader, the Tian Sha Gang will surely be even stronger."


    Listening to the praise of the crowd and the admiring gazes of onlookers, Tang Liang felt proud and satisfied. Even the leg where a piece of flesh had been torn off by the white tiger didn''t seem painful anymore.


    His eyes suddenly caught sight of Guo Hang ahead. He waved at Guo Hang and shouted loudly.


    "Guo Hang,e here. Come see how this Acting Leader ughtered this white tiger!"


    Upon hearing Tang Liang''s call, Guo Hang couldn''t help but feel surprised.


    As the son of the gang leader, Tang Liang was appointed as the Acting Leader by the gang leader, Tang Yinan.


    Usually, Tang Liang looked down on him as a small gangster and ignored him.


    Today, unexpectedly, he took the initiative to greet him.


    Guo Hang suddenly had a n in mind. If he couldn''t deal with Song Wen, maybe Tang Liang could.


    Guo Hang hurried over to Tang Liang and bowed respectfully.


    "Acting Leader, did you call me?"


    Pointing at the white tiger with hanging eyes, Tang Liang said, "What do you think of this white tiger?"


    Guo Hang showed a look of admiration, "Acting Leader is mighty. Facing such a fierce beast alone and being able to kill it, only a hero like the Acting Leader has the courage."


    Tang Liang nodded in satisfaction.


    Guo Hang suddenly changed the topic, "It''s a pity..."


    "A pity about what?" Tang Liang''s expression turned sour, displeased.


    "It''s a pity that we martial artists, no matter how powerful, are just ordinary martial men. Our mortal strength is limited. Unlike people like Ji Yin, who can effortlessly unleash powerful spells with just a gesture."


    The satisfaction on Tang Liang''s face gradually faded, reced by resentment.


    He had begged Ji Yin many times, even had his father plead on his behalf, to learn immortal techniques. But Ji Yinpletely disregarded their dignity, bluntly stating, "Neither of you have the fate for immortality," and tly refused them.


    Without even giving them a chance, how could Ji Yin know that they didn''t have the fate for immortality?


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 17: Taking the Antidote

    <h4>Chapter 17: Taking the Antidote</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The rtionship between Ji Yin and the Tian Sha Gang was delicate.


    On the one hand, both sides were wary of each other, fearing treachery.


    On the other hand, both sides needed each other''s strengths.


    Ji Yin needed the Tian Sha Gang to procure various spiritual herbs and capture young people who were literate.


    The Tian Sha Gang, in turn, used Ji Yin''s reputation as an immortal to intimidate powerful martial artists and officials of the Qian Kingdom, preventing them from easily attacking the Tian Sha Gang.


    Tang Liang, in pursuit of immortality, had once eavesdropped on Ji Yin''s morning lectures, but all he got were bits and pieces without understanding the essence.


    The young people who failed to sessfully cultivate were all executed under Ji Yin''s surveince. Tang Liang''s idea of obtaining cultivation techniques from these young people ended in disappointment.


    Tang Liang''s expression was grim, his eyes full of unwillingness.


    "Who among mortals doesn''t want to be an immortal? But the fate of immortality is not easily obtained."


    Guo Hang sighed, "Even heroes like the Young Acting Master cannote into contact with the fate of immortality. Someone like me, a mere gang member, has even less hope. However, even a roadside beggar can obtain the fate of immortality, while the Young Acting Master cannot. This fate of immortality is truly unfathomable."


    Tang Liang furrowed his brow, "What beggar?"


    Guo Hang replied, "Young Acting Master, don''t you know? Elder Ji Yin took on a personal disciple who used to be a beggar."


    At these words, Tang Liang looked disdainful, "I thought maybe some beggar had good luck and stumbled upon immortal techniques. Elder Ji Yin''s personal disciples are more than one, and the final oue... heh."


    Guo Hang continued, "But this time it''s different. Elder Ji Yin should have truly taken in a disciple. This person can freely enter and leave the Tian Sha Gang. Elder Ji Yin''s previous disciples couldn''t even leave his courtyard."


    Tang Liang raised an eyebrow, "Is this true?"


    Guo Hang affirmed, "I wouldn''t dare deceive the Young Acting Master. That person is called Song Wen, and he''s also associated with the Tian Sha Gang. The Young Acting Master will find out with a simple investigation. I just met him."


    "Let''s go! Lead me to find that person."


    Tang Liang was intrigued. He didn''t dare confront Ji Yin directly, but surely he could handle a young man in his teens?


    Guo Hang''s expression froze for a moment, then he quickly grabbed Tang Liang, who had already taken a few steps.


    "Young Acting Master, what are you nning?"


    "Of course, to find that person and obtain the cultivation techniques," Tang Liang said as a matter of course.


    "Young Acting Master, this must not be rash. What if Song Wen doesn''t cooperate and refuses to hand over the techniques?"


    Guo Hang''s objective was not to let Tang Liang obtain cultivation techniques but topletely eliminate Song Wen as a threat.


    If Song Wen did hand over the cultivation techniques to Tang Liang, Guo Hang''s efforts would have been in vain.


    Tang Liang''s eyes narrowed, "He dares not to give them!"


    Guo Hang continued, "Even if he hands over the cultivation techniques, after returning to the gang, he will report it to Elder Ji Yin. How will the Young Acting Master deal with that?"


    Tang Liang pondered for a moment, "You make some sense. I didn''t see it before. You, Guo Hang, do have some brains. So, what should we do?"


    Guo Hang lowered his voice and said softly, "Naturally, we should secretly arrest him, extract the cultivation techniques, and then quietly dispose of him. This way, no one will know, and there won''t be any suspicion. Before taking action, we need to assess Song Wen''s strength."


    After a moment of contemtion, Tang Liang nodded, "If this n seeds, you''ll stay by my side in the future. Your brain is quite useful."


    "Thank you for the Young Acting Master''s appreciation."


    Guo Hang''s eyes were shining with excitement. It was truly killing two birds with one stone��dealing with the threat of Song Wen and gaining the Young Acting Master''s favor.


    ...


    Unaware of all this, after leaving the small stall, Song Wen returned to Ji Yin''s small courtyard.


    Upon returning to his residence, Song Wen began to meditate and cultivate.


    Now that he had a way to deal with Ji Yin, he naturally needed to intensify his cultivation. The stronger he became, the better he could handle risks.


    Four days passed in a sh.


    During these days, besides daily cultivation and tending to spiritual herbs, Song Wen didn''t go out.


    Calcting the time, Song Wen knew that today was the day he should take the antidote.


    Early in the morning, he came to the second floor. After knocking lightly on the door a few times, Ji Yin''s voice came from inside before he could speak.


    "Wait outside."


    Song Wen could only wait quietly at the door. After a quarter of an hour, Ji Yin finally opened the door.


    ncing at Song Wen as if knowing his purpose, Ji Yin handed over a porcin bottle.


    "This is the antidote for this time."


    Finishing his words, Ji Yin went downstairs.


    "Thank you, Master, for the medicine." Song Wen looked respectfully at Ji Yin''s departing figure.


    He had a feeling that Ji Yin''s mood today was somewhat off, as if he had encountered some unpleasant situation.


    What Song Wen didn''t know was that, until today, none of the new disciples had sessfully drawn Qi.


    Song Wen took the porcin bottle back to his room.


    He uncorked the bottle, revealing a dark red pill inside. After a brief moment of contemtion, Song Wen tilted his head back and swallowed the pill.


    Originally, he had nned to take the antidoteter to test whether it could resist the toxicity and enhance his blood and mystical energy.


    However, upon careful consideration, he decided against it. There was no need to risk his life for an experiment.


    If the toxicity were to suddenly erupt violently, it could take his life instantly, and regret woulde toote.


    After taking the antidote, he felt nothing unusual, just like swallowing an ordinary pill.


    Nevertheless, Song Wen felt a slight sense of relief. At least for the next seven days, he didn''t need to worry about the "Seven Days Heartbreaking Pill."


    At the hour of You (5-7 PM),


    After several days of hard cultivation, Song Wen decided to take a stroll outside and have dinner along the way.


    "Song Wen, where are you going?"


    As soon as he stepped out of the door, he heard Ji Yin''s voiceing from the first floor.


    Song Wen looked up and saw Ji Yin standing in the corridor on the first floor.


    "Reporting to Master, I''m going out for a walk."


    Ji Yin nodded, "Return early. The night in Yancheng is not peaceful. You''ve just begun your cultivation, your spiritual power is weak, and you don''t know any spells. You won''t be a match for slightly stronger martial artists."


    "Thank you for your concern, Master."


    With that, Song Wen walked out.


    Regarding Ji Yin''s sudden concern, Song Wen understood clearly that it was merely out of concern for the loss of a promising medicine ve, not genuine concern for his life.


    However, Ji Yin''s words made sense. The danger in Yancheng at night indeed increased exponentially.


    Song Wen found a decent restaurant not far from the Tian Sha Gang.


    After a short while sitting down, the waiter brought out excellent food.


    After eating and drinking his fill, as Song Wen stepped out of the restaurant, he saw Guo Hang approaching him.


    "Songzi, didn''t expect to meet you here again today."


    <strong>Note:</strong> ''zi'' with names is used as an honorific for schrs.


    Seeing Guo Hanging towards him, Song Wen looked at him with some doubt.


    Last time they met, Guo Hang was clearly avoiding him. Why was he so enthusiastic today?


    Moreover, Guo Hang''s appearance seemed a bit too coincidental.


    Without changing his expression, Song Wen smiled and said, "Guo Ye, it''s indeed a coincidence. Have you had dinner? If not, let me treat you."


    Guo Hang replied, "How can I let Songzi pay? Come, I invite Songzi to listen to the music in the Pavilion."


    Song Wen intended to find a secluded ce and dispose of Guo Hang, but Guo Hang unexpectedly came to him. Song Wen felt suspicious.


    Initially, when they first met, Song Wen was betrayed by Guo Hang. He dared not underestimate Guo Hang, who seemed like just a small local thug.


    He always felt that Guo Hang was up to something today. Upon further reflection, Song Wen realized.


    Today, Guo Hang came alone. Previously, he was always apanied by two big men, but they were nowhere to be seen today.


    "Why didn''t I see your two men today?"


    Guo Hang''s face showed a trace of panic, "They... they had something to do today and didn''te with me."


    He came today alone to lure and capture Song Wen. Knowing that fewer people involved would be better for this, he naturally wouldn''t bring his two useless subordinates.


    Seeing Guo Hang''s unnatural expression, Song Wen immediately made a decision.


    "Thank you for the invitation, Guo Ye, but Master instructed me to return before dark when going out. I must disappoint your kindness."


    Song Wen bowed slightly to Guo Hang, walked out of the restaurant gate, and headed towards the Tian Sha Gang.


    Watching Song Wen''s departing figure, Guo Hang''s expression first showed some disappointment, then turned sinister.


    Although it wasn''tpletely dark yet, the sun had already set early, and the sky was dim. There were few people on the road, only scattered individuals.


    Forcing action was still feasible.


    He raised his right hand, making a throat-slitting gesture.


    Song Wen walked along the main road, heading several dozen zhang ahead. In front of him on the right, there was a fork leading into a dim narrow alley.


    Without any hesitation, Song Wen continued forward.


    As he approached the fork, suddenly three figures in ck rushed out from the alley.


    The three figures were dressed in ck armor with their heads covered and only their eyes exposed.


    The closest one to Song Wen raised his hand and grabbed towards him. When Song Wen realized there were thugs nearby, and they were only two feet away.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 18: Ambush

    <h4>Chapter 18: Ambush</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Just as he was about to be captured, Song Wen stepped back half a step, narrowly avoiding the grab from the ck-clothed person.


    Seeing the surprise attack fail, the three ck-clothed individuals no longer held back, moving extremely fast, with one blocking in front of Song Wen, another behind him, and the closest one directly pouncing towards Song Wen.


    With little experience inbat, Song Wen instinctively activated his spiritual power and threw a punch towards the person pouncing at him.


    The person didn''t regard Song Wen''s attack seriously.


    They had already investigated the guards outside Ji Yin''s courtyard in secret. Just a few days ago, Song Wen had only just seeded in drawing qi into his body. Even if the methods of cultivating immortality were miraculous, it was impossible to gain significant power within such a short period.


    The person did not dodge and continued to pounce towards Song Wen.


    "Bang!"


    The punchnded solidly on the chest of the ck-clothed person.


    "Crack!"


    The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed.


    The person was sent flying several zhang away by the punch, crashing heavily to the ground. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, instantly soaking the ck cloth covering his face.


    "Young Master Shao!"


    The other two ck-clothed individuals eximed in panic.


    "Capture him, don''t let him escape."


    Knocked down by Song Wen''s punch was Tang Liang, the acting leader of the Tian Sha Gang.


    He struggled to get up, but Song Wen''s punch had shattered several of his ribs, with some bone fragments piercing his lungs, making it difficult for him to move.


    Beforeing, he had already investigated Song Wen and considered himself a second-rate martial artist. With two subordinates of mediocre strength, they thought it would be easy to capture Song Wen, who had only been cultivating for ten days.


    A second-rate martial artist would also be well-known in the martial arts world.


    However, underestimating Song Wen, he had failed to withstand Song Wen''s punch.


    Tang Liang had also considered seeking help from the top experts in the gang, but there were only a few top experts in the Tian Sha Gang, and their rtionships were not close. There was a risk of leaking information.


    The other two ck-clothed individuals, seeing that Song Wen was not easy to deal with, each reached for their waists and drew gleaming short swords, then attacked Song Wen.


    Knowing he wasn''t a match for the two, Song Wen rolled on the spot, rolled past Tang Liang, and pulled out a dagger from his boot, pressing it against Tang Liang''s throat.


    "Back off, or I''ll kill him!"


    Song Wen shouted sharply.


    The two ck-clothed individuals froze in ce, unsure of what to do.


    "Songzi, stop. We just want the method of immortality, we don''t want to be enemies with you," one of the ck-clothed individuals said in a low voice.


    The incident here had already attracted the attention of passersby. In the chaos, the habit of avoiding danger had already taken root in everyone, and they all stayed far away.


    The ck-clothed individuals spoke directly about their intentions, unafraid of being overheard.


    Song Wen sneered, "If you want the method, go find Ji Yin. Whye kidnap me? If you can''t deal with Ji Yin, you''re picking on me, a soft target."


    Lying on the ground, Tang Liang finally recovered his breath and shouted, "I am the acting leader of the Tian Sha Gang. Dare to touch me, and you won''t escape. Hand over the method of immortality obediently, and we''ll guarantee your safety."


    Just now, one of the ck-clothed individuals had already revealed his identity, so there was no need for him to conceal it any longer. He openly admitted his identity.


    Song Wen wasn''t about to believe his nonsense. If Tang Liang, as the acting leader of the Tian Sha Gang, couldn''t obtain the method of immortality, it only meant that Ji Yin valued the method as a treasure and wasn''t willing to easily impart it to others.


    If he revealed the method himself, and Ji Yin found out, he probably wouldn''t care about the loyalty he owed to his ve, and would kill him to vent his anger.


    "Even if I die, I''ll die with you. You can try me."


    Song Wen''s expression was fierce. He tore off the ck cloth covering Tang Liang''s face, memorized Tang Liang''s appearance, and pped Tang Liang''s face hard.


    "Puff!"


    Another mouthful of blood spurted out of Tang Liang''s mouth, along with two teeth.


    "Move aside!"


    Song Wen shouted loudly.


    The two ck-clothed individuals looked at each other and slowly backed away.


    Quickly, the two of them retreated several zhang away.


    "Keep going, faster. Back off fifty zhang."


    Song Wen shouted loudly.


    When the two ck-clothed individuals retreated forty-something zhang away, Song Wen suddenly ran without warning, sprinting towards the Tian Sha Gang.


    As for Tang Liang, Song Wen didn''t kill him.


    If he really killed Tang Liang, Song Wen worried that the leader of the Tian Sha Gang would go crazy, and Ji Yin wouldn''t be able to protect him in the future.


    The two ck-clothed individuals wanted to chase after Song Wen, but they were too far away. They wanted to do so butcked the strength to, and could only leave with Tang Liang.


    Song Wen ran all the way, stopping only when he reached Ji Yin''s courtyard.


    Gasping for breath, he slowly walked towards the small building.


    "Tian Sha Gang, Tang Liang, wait for me!"


    In Song Wen''s resentful thoughts,


    At the same time, he decided in his heart that he couldn''t easily leave this courtyard anymore.


    At least within this courtyard, he was temporarily safe.


    As Song Wen walked under the small building, Ji Yin''s figure suddenly appeared in the corridor on the second floor.


    "Song Wen, what''s wrong with you? You''re gasping for breath."


    "Uh... Master, nothing''s wrong. Just went for a run, stretching my legs."


    Song Wen hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose not to reveal the truth.


    Tang Liang hade for the method of cultivation. If Song Wen informed Ji Yin about this, it would keep Ji Yin focused on Tang Liang. But whether Tang Liang, as the acting leader, would be killed was uncertain. After all, Ji Yin still had uses for the Tian Sha Gang.


    Tang Liang might not die, but Ji Yin would surely suspect whether Song Wen had leaked the method.


    At that time, forget about freely entering and leaving the courtyard; he might not even be able to leave this small building and could face severe torture from Ji Yin.


    Ji Yin didn''t suspect anything and turned back into his room.


    ...


    Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Song Wen had taken the antidote four times.


    It meant that the batch of young people who had arrived had been here for a month.


    During this time, Song Wen noticed that Ji Yin''s temper became increasingly irritable because none of the new arrivals had sessfully drawn qi into their bodies. This made Ji Yin impatient after investing so much time.


    "Song Wen, here''s an antidote pill. I''m going to seclude myself for a while. Take good care of the medicine garden."


    Ji Yin spared Song Wen''s life this time and stopped using him as a guinea pig for testing medicines. Song Wen managed the medicine garden quite well, saving Ji Yin a lot of time.


    Now, all the students had failed to draw qi into their bodies, causing Ji Yin to gradually lose patience.


    He was preparing to restart the furnace for refining pills. As for Song Wen''s fate, he could only leave it to fate.


    If Song Wen died from testing medicines, then it could only be med on his bad luck.


    Watching Ji Yin''s figure gradually disappear behind the stone door of the refining room, Song Wen muttered to himself.


    "It looks like I''ll have to kill a few people and consume some qi and blood."


    Song Wen couldn''t help but feel excited. This would be the best opportunity to break free from Ji Yin''s control.


    The essence blood he absorbed from killing Little Beggar and Biao Ge had gradually been absorbed by his body. He wasn''t sure where this essence blood had gone, but he was certain that his physical body had been significantly strengthened.


    The next day.


    Since the ambush by Tang Liangst time, Song Wen had not stepped out of the courtyard again. Today, he once again stepped out through the gate of the Tian Sha Gang.


    In the bustling streets, after half an hour of walking and finding no one following him, he headed towards No. 15 of Tong Luo Lane.


    Tong Luo Lane was obviously ane wheremon people lived, with most houses being rtively old and low.


    Entering the alley, Song Wen noticed there were no house numbers.


    He had to stop a passing olddy to ask for directions.


    "Madam, could you please tell me how to get to No. 15 Tong Luo Lane?"


    The olddy nced at Song Wen with some disdain.


    "I don''t know!"


    Seeing her expression, Song Wen knew that she definitely knew where No. 15 Tong Luo Lane was and who Guo Hang lived there. She just had some resentment towards Guo Hang and, incidentally, extended that resentment to anyone who inquired about Guo Hang''s residence, hence her unwillingness to provide directions.


    "Madam, I''m not a bad person. I just have some business with Guo Hang."


    The olddy looked disdainful. "Look at you, all clean and spotless. You don''t look like a good person from a good family. What good young man looks so clean like you?"


    Song Wen''s mouth twitched. He didn''t consider himself particrly clean. It was just that this olddy lived at the bottom of society and knew only the impoverished who were exposed to the sun and rain. She thought Song Wen looked clean, mistaking him for someone engaged in certain special activities.


    The olddy was obstinate, so Song Wen had to resort to a special tactic.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver coin, handing it to the olddy.


    "Tell me where No. 15 is, and this silver coin is yours."


    The olddy''s eyes lit up, swiftly took the silver coin, inspected it carefully to make sure it was genuine, and then a warm smile appeared on her face.


    "Young man, with such clear eyebrows and eyes, you must be a good person."


    She pointed to a nearby house. "That''s No. 15."


    Then, she lowered her voice and said, "That scoundrel isn''t living here anymore."


    Song Wen frowned slightly. "Scoundrel, are you talking about Guo Hang? When did he move out?"


    Mentioning Guo Hang, the olddy''s face showed disgust. "Who else but him? A despicable creature. He moved out more than ten days ago."


    "Do you know where he moved to?"


    The olddy shook her head. "I have no idea."


    She hurriedly tucked the silver coin into her pocket, afraid that Song Wen might want it back.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 19: Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 19: Revenge</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Bidding farewell to the Auntie, Song Wen arrived outside house number 15.


    The house appeared somewhat dpidated; it seemed no one had lived there for a while.


    Song Wen turned and left Tong Luo Lane.


    Auntie said Gou Hang had moved out more than twenty days ago, which was around the time he was attacked by Tang Liang.


    It was clear that Gou Hang was an extremely cautious person, anticipating that Song Wen mighte looking for trouble and had moved out ahead of time.


    Song Wen returned to the main road. When passing by a ready-made clothing store, he pondered for a moment and went in.


    A momentter, he changed into a set of sturdy clothes, donned a bamboo hat with a thin veil covering his face, giving him the aura of a wandering swordsman.


    Song Wen made his way to a restaurant not far from the entrance of the Tian Sha Gang. He sat on the second floor by the window.


    This position had an excellent view, perfectly overlooking the entrance of the Tian Sha Gang.


    He waited there for almost half a day. It wasn''t until afternoon that he saw Gou Hang, apanied by two of his men, leaving the Tian Sha Gang.


    Song Wen did not disturb the three, but instead followed them from a distance.


    From early afternoon until nightfall, he witnessed firsthand what real thugs were like.


    Extorting small vendors, dining and dashing, harassing roadside women, oppressing beggars...


    If he hadn''t seen it with his own eyes, Song Wen wouldn''t have believed that someone could do so many bad things in just one afternoon.


    Finally, the three entered a cheap brothel. Just when Song Wen thought he would have to wait outside the brothel for a long time, they came out in less than a quarter of an hour.


    "Darn, did tigers change their stripes? That was fast!"


    Unable to help himself, Song Wen muttered. Under the cover of night, he followed the three to a residential house.


    The house was low and consisted of three rooms. Only the middle room had arge door leading in and out. The other two side rooms had no doors to the outside, only windows.


    Gou Hang and his two men were living alone. During this period, the three of them stayed in this residential house.


    ncing at the sky, Song Wen realized it was past midnight, the time for moonless nights and killing.


    Song Wen adjusted his sleeves, concealed a bag of powder in his hand, and stepped forward, approaching the door with determination.


    "Who''s there? It''s the middle of the night."


    A burly man grumbled as he opened the door.


    "Song...?"


    The burly man''s face showed surprise when he saw Song Wen. He couldn''t understand why Song Wen would appear at his doorstep sote at night.


    Before he could finish his sentence,


    "Bang!"


    Song Wen kicked him into the room, knocking over a table behind him.


    Themotion quickly attracted the attention of the two men in the side rooms. Gou Hang and another big man rushed out from the side rooms.


    Seeing Song Wen suddenly appear, Gou Hang turned pale with shock.


    "Song Wen, how did you find this ce?"


    With a wave of his left hand, a cloud of powder billowed out, engulfing Gou Hang and the others, instantly filling the entire main room with white powder.


    This white powder was a mixture of lime and alkali.


    Caught off guard, all three of them were instantly affected.


    "Ah... my eyes..."


    They all frantically covered their eyes, crying out in pain. One of the big men even had blooding out of his eyes.


    "Song Wen, you despicable scoundrel! What are you trying to do?" In the chaos, Gou Hang shouted angrily as he retreated.


    Gou Hang still harbored a glimmer of hope. He hadn''t directly shed with Song Wen, attempting instead to deceive and escape unnoticed.


    "What do you want? Of course, it''s to repay Lord Gou''s favor of nurturing and to settle the score��you colluded with Tang Liang to attack me," said Song Wen, his voice chilling.


    "Tang Liang attacked you, so go find Tang Liang. What''s it to do with me?"


    "Don''t worry, soon enough, he''ll meet you in hell."


    "Song Wen, you, a dignified cultivator, resorting to such lowly tactics like sprinkling lime, do you not feel ashamed?"


    As he spoke, Gou Hang had already felt his way into the side room. Both front and back of the side room had windows; if he escaped through the rear window, there might still be hope of survival.


    "Enough talk, it''s pointless. You''ve already yed your sinister tricks. Go to hell."


    The reason Song Wen hadn''t acted earlier was because the powder hadn''tpletely settled yet; he didn''t want to inadvertently harm himself and end up blind like the three.


    By now, the powder had settled.


    With a dagger in hand, Song Wen leaped forward like an eagle spreading its wings, pouncing on the nearest person.


    "Splut!"


    The incredibly sharp dagger directly pierced the person''s skull.


    With a forceful twist, Song Wen didn''t care if the person was dead or alive. He pulled out the dagger, took two steps forward, and stabbed the second person in the chest.


    Then, dagger in hand, he dashed towards Gou Hang at the rear.


    Thinking he had the upper hand, Song Wen suddenly saw Gou Hang raise his right hand. Through his sleeve, one could see a set of sleeve arrows strapped to his wrist.


    Seeing the sleeve arrows so close, Song Wen''s heart skipped a beat, quickly lowering his stature.


    Shoo!


    The sleeve arrow grazed Song Wen''s scalp and shot past.


    Just narrowly avoiding the sleeve arrow, Song Wen plunged the dagger into Gou Hang''s chest.


    Watching Gou Hang gradually lose his breath, Song Wen felt a wave of lingering fear.


    Luckily, he had poisoned the three beforehand; otherwise, he might have fallen victim to Gou Hang''s sleeve arrows.


    Gou Hang was also a patient man; he had only revealed the sleeve arrows at thest moment.


    Afterwards, Song Wen began to absorb the blood essence of the three. During this bloodsucking, Song Wen intentionally experimented.


    He found that he had to touch the wound area of others to rapidly consume their blood essence. Once his hand left the wound, the bloodthirst slowed considerably, almost imperceptibly absorbing the dispersed blood essence in the air.


    Moreover, the bloodsucking process was controble.


    As long as Song Wen willed it, he could stop or start absorbing blood.


    A momentter, the three had be dry corpses.


    After consuming the blood essence of the three strong men, Song Wen''s body surged with vitality, every cell trembling.


    From the tion of consuming the first person, his spirit gradually became excessively energetic, causing slight dizziness.


    Perhaps due to his experience in consuming blood for the first time, both his body and spirit gradually adapted to the sudden surge without losing control this time, just feeling ufortable.


    Having nned this murder, Song Wen naturally didn''t handle the bodies unprepared like the first time.


    He threw all three dry corpses onto the bed and then piled upbustible items like clothes and bedding.


    Song Wen took out a water bag from his pocket, containing naphtha, somewhat simr to gasoline from previous centuries, highly mmable.


    Pouring the naphtha over the dry corpses, he tossed a match onto them and left without looking back.


    Instantly, the room erupted in fierce mes. As the house was wooden, it didn''t take long for the entire structure to catch fire.


    Neighboring residents quickly woke to the ze, watching the roaring fire. Due to their grievances with Gou Hang, not a single person dared to attempt to put out the fire.


    The nearest house to Gou Hang was about thirty feet away. These neighbors were not afraid the fire would spread to their homes.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 20: Ji Yin comes out of seclusion

    <h4>Chapter 20: Ji Yines out of seclusion</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The next day, in the main hall of the Tian Sha Gang.


    The head enforcer of the gang, Wang Yi, addressed the gang leader Tang Yiyu.


    "Leader,st night the houses of three of our subordinates from Tian Sha Gang caught fire, and all three were burned to ashes."


    Tang Yiyu was burly with a scarred face, giving him a fierce and intimidating appearance.


    "Oh, someone dared to provoke our Tian Sha Gang in Yancheng."


    Sitting high and mighty in the gang leader''s seat, Tang Yiyu showed no signs of anger but rather seemed amused.


    Having recently broken through to the realm of Grandmaster, his martial arts prowess before the breakthrough was already considered top-tier in the martial world, enough to dominate Yancheng.


    <strong>Author''s Note:</strong> He is still a mortal not a cultivator.


    Now that he had reached this new realm, he was among the very top in the martial world.


    In the martial world of Qian Kingdom, there were hardly more than a few individuals stronger than him.


    Immediately, his ambitions began to swell. He was no longer satisfied with just dominating Yancheng; he believed he had the qualifications to establish a sect and be a legend in the martial world.


    Furthermore, within the gang was an elusive immortal practitioner known as Ji Yin, which only fueled Tang Yiyu''s ambitions further.


    However, Ji Yin had always been indifferent to secr power, focusing solely on cultivation, making it difficult for Tang Yiyu to discern his intentions.


    The rtionship between Ji Yin and Tian Sha Gang, and Tang Yiyu in particr, was subtle. There was no camaraderie between them; they relied on each other out of mutual interest.


    Ji Yin used Tian Sha Gang to procure rare spiritual herbs and to train his medicine ves. In turn, Tian Sha Gang utilized Ji Yin''s reputation to deter some formidable martial artists.


    "Have you found out who is responsible?" Tang Yiyu asked.


    Wang Yi replied, "ording to our investigation, there are intricate connections to one of Ji Yin''s disciples."


    Tang Yiyu was taken aback. "One of Ji Yin''s disciples! This matter needs to be handled cautiously. You may leave; I will personally handle this within the gang."


    After Wang Yi left, Tang Yiyu muttered to himself.


    "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen Elder Ji Yin. Perhaps it''s time to find a suitable opportunity to visit him."


    ...


    Over the next few days, Song Wen hardly left the courtyard, focusing entirely on refining the qi and blood within his body.


    In his calctions, Ji Yin should be emerging from seclusion soon. Song Wen couldn''t let Ji Yin notice anything abnormal with his qi and blood; otherwise, all his previous efforts would be wasted.


    Four dayster, Ji Yin emerged in good spirits from the alchemy room.


    Before opening the furnace this time, he felt that his alchemy skills had improved. So, he increased the amount of raw materials used. As expected, from this furnace, he sessfully produced four pills.


    The quality of the pills was also good, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance.


    "Song Wen,e up to the second floor quickly."


    Immediately after emerging from seclusion, Ji Yin eagerly summoned Song Wen to test the pills.


    Song Wen''s face was filled with fear as he bent his knees and knelt before Ji Yin, pleading.


    "Master, could you please consider my hard work in taking care of the medicinal field? Please don''t make me test the pills again."


    Ji Yin remained unmoved, calmly saying,


    "Don''t worry, this time the pill refining was highly sessful. There shouldn''t be any major side effects. In fact, you might even benefit by breaking through to the second level of Qi Cultivation. You should know that I am only at the peak of the third level of Qi Cultivation."


    Song Wen''s pupils contracted, realizing another crucial piece of information. Ji Yin was only at the peak of the third level of Qi Cultivation, but still significantly higher than him.


    Kneeling on the ground, Song Wen continued to plead, shifting closer to Ji Yin and grasping his robes.


    "Master, can we recruit a new batch of disciples again? Once one of them sessfully cultivates their Qi, we can use them to test the pills."


    With a cold snort, Ji Yin waved his hand, pushing Song Wen back half a pace.


    "Hmph! Recruiting new disciples to test pills would take at least a month. I don''t have that much time to wait."


    "For the pills refined today, whether you like it or not, you have to take them. If you refuse, I''ll kill you right now."


    "Master, I..." Song Wen raised his head, looking at Ji Yin with pleading eyes, as if begging for a way out.


    Ji Yin''s gaze darkened as he took out a porcin bottle and poured out a Qi and Blood Pill into his hand.


    Then, he walked three or two steps towards Song Wen. "Take it."


    Seemingly intimidated by Ji Yin''s powerful aura, Song Wen cautiously took the pill into his hand.


    However, Song Wen didn''t immediately swallow it. His fearful gaze lingered on the pill in his hand, hesitating between taking it or not.


    Based on past experience, Ji Yin knew that to verify the efficacy of the pill, he needed Song Wen''s cooperation.


    If Song Wen was determined to die and didn''t cultivate his Qi and blood while taking the pill, the pill would certainly continue to consume his Qi and blood, possibly harming him.


    Ji Yin needed Song Wen to have a will to survive, to actively cultivate his Qi and blood, and quickly dissipate the pill''s potency, to determine if the pill truly had breakthrough effects.


    Thus, Ji Yin softened his tone.


    "Don''t worry, I promise you this will be thest time you test pills for me. Whether sessful or not, I won''t use you for testing pills anymore. Moreover, I will give you the true antidote to the ''Seven Days Heartbreak Pill''. When the timees, you will gain true freedom, deciding for yourself whether to stay in Tian Sha Gang."


    Song Wen''s expression softened slightly, seemingly moved by Ji Yin''s words. He looked up at Ji Yin and said,


    "Okay, I hope Master will keep your promise."


    In truth, Song Wen didn''t believe a word of what Ji Yin said.


    How could Ji Yin let him go so easily? Didn''t he see how the young people who failed to cultivate their Qi were all ruthlessly killed by Ji Yin to prevent the secrets of his techniques from leaking out?


    What Song Wen was doing now was just an act, just to deceive Ji Yin. He was worried that his straightforward eptance of testing the pills would make Ji Yin suspicious.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Small Chapter :(


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 21: Ji Yin Takes the Blood Qi Pill

    <h4>Chapter 21: Ji Yin Takes the Blood Qi Pill</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Seated cross-legged, Song Wen adjusted his breathing. After a moment, he swallowed the pill.


    As the pill entered his abdomen, it dissolved into a warm current, spreading throughout his body, just like thest time.


    The spiritual energy in his meridians surged rapidly, swiftly flowing through his limbs and gathering in his dantian.


    Simrly, his qi and blood began to be rapidly consumed, as if the pill was converting them into spiritual energy.


    He had always wanted to figure out the mystery of his own physical body, so from the beginning, he concentrated on observing the changes in his body.


    This time, he finally noticed the source of this mysterious power.


    It actually came from deep within the bones all over his body, released from the essence and blood stored in the bones.


    "Could it be that the blood essence I absorbed from killing people has been absorbed and transformed into my own blood essence, hidden within my body?"


    "Blood essence is the essence of a person''s life, closely rted to one''s health and longevity. I wonder if these blood essences can prolong life."


    Perhaps because Song Wen had absorbed the blood essence of five people, the blood energy emerging this time was much greater than before.


    This kept Song Wen''s qi and blood in a bnced state, without any obvious signs of weakness.


    This greatly excited Ji Yin who was nearby, seeing the dawn of sess after years of attempts.


    While Song Wen quietly refined the pill''s power, he wasn''t as optimistic as Ji Yin.


    "Damn, howe this pill''s power is more than twice as strong asst time? How did Ji Yin refine this pill with such unstable properties?"


    "Luckily, I absorbed the blood essence of Gou Hang and the others. Otherwise, I might not be able to withstand it."


    While silently refining the pill''s power, Song Wen cursed in his heart.


    The stronger the pill''s power, the more qi and blood it consumed, meaning it also transformed more spiritual energy for Song Wen.


    Unknowingly, Song Wen''s cultivation base suddenly surged, directly breaking through to the Qi Refinement Second Layer.


    "I did it!"


    Ji Yin was so excited that he couldn''t contain himself, his eyes widening as he whispered to himself.


    Trembling with excitement, he wanted to immediately try consuming the pill himself to break through the bottleneck that had troubled him for many years.


    However, Ji Yin eventually suppressed this impulse. As a precaution, he decided to wait until Song Wen hadpletely refined the pill''s power before making a decision.


    Half an hourter, Song Wen fully refined the pill''s power, and his cultivation base stabilized at the Qi Refinement Second Layer.


    Excited gleams flickered in Song Wen''s eyes, as if relieved after a catastrophe, and joyful at the breakthrough in his strength.


    "Master, there''s no problem with the pill. I''ve also broken through," Song Wen said.


    Ji Yin nodded, grasped Song Wen''s wrist, and probed his body with his spiritual energy.


    From his perception, Song Wen''s body was fine, and his cultivation base had indeed reached the Qi Refinement Second Layer.


    All this meant that Ji Yin sessfully refined the Blood Qi Pill, capable of helping people break through bottlenecks.


    "Excellent!" Ji Yin smiled. "Song Wen, you may rest now. I''m going to seclude myself for a breakthrough. You''ll be in charge of everything in the courtyard, and you must protect the premises. No one is allowed upstairs."


    Song Wen hesitated for a moment, his voice tinged with anticipation. "Master, can you give me the antidote for the ''Seven Days Heartbreak Pill'' first?"


    A hint of killing intent shed in Ji Yin''s eyes, but he quickly concealed it.


    "After I break through seclusion, I will give you the true antidote for the ''Seven Days Heartbreak Pill.''"


    Song Wen gratefully bowed, "Thank you, Master. I will protect you and ensure that no one disturbs your breakthrough."


    After saying this, Song Wen turned and descended to the second floor, standing quietly outside the wooden building without moving.


    Ji Yin stood up and nced at Song Wen downstairs, a cold smile curling his lips.


    "When I break through to the Qi Refinement Middle Stage, you won''t stand a chance."


    Ji Yin closed the door, began meditating to adjust his breath, and didn''t rush to take the pill. He wanted to adjust his spiritual energy to the best condition possible before consuming it, increasing the chance of a sessful breakthrough.


    It took Ji Yin several hours to adjust his spiritual energy to the optimal state. By then, it was deep into the night.


    From his perception, Song Wen continued to diligently guard downstairs without leaving. During this time, Chen Yi came twice to deliver meals but was turned away by Song Wen.


    "What a foolish and diligent person. If I end up killing you, I might feel a bit guilty."


    Ji Yin no longer paid attention to anything else, opened his mouth, and swallowed a Blood Qi Pill.


    The violent medicinal power instantly triggered in his abdomen, converting into scorching hot streams that quickly rushed into his meridians.


    At the same time, majestic spiritual energy emerged out of thin air, appearing in his meridians.


    Ji Yin hurriedly circted his technique, trying to refine all this spiritual energy to help him break through the bottleneck.


    "How could this be?"


    Suddenly, Ji Yin sensed something was wrong.


    He realized that the medicinal power was rapidly depleting his own qi and blood.


    "How is this possible? Song Wen didn''t consume any qi and blood when he took the pill."


    Ji Yin couldn''t understand the reason, feeling like a boat at the end of its tether, everything was beyond his control.


    He could only grit his teeth and continue refining the pill, hoping to exhaust the medicinal power before his qi and blood werepletely depleted.


    Realizing that his breakthrough to the Qi Refinement Fourth Layer was now beyond hope, he just wanted to survive.


    As the medicinal power was digested, his qi and blood depletion became more severe. With insufficient qi and blood supply, his body quickly weakened.


    At this moment, he experienced the pain and fear of those who had been used as guinea pigs for his pills in the past.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 22: Ji Yin’s Death

    <h4>Chapter 22: Ji Yin��s Death</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Aaarghh!"


    Ji Yin could no longer hold on, letting out a piercing scream before copsing to the ground in convulsions.


    His qi and blood were severely depleted, and his skin gradually began to sag and age.


    Downstairs, Song Wen appeared to be guarding the small building for Ji Yin, but in reality, all his attention was focused on the situation upstairs.


    In anticipation and anxiety, Song Wen finally weed a moment of intense excitement.


    As the sound of Ji Yin falling upstairs echoed, an ecstatic expression couldn''t help but show on Song Wen''s face.


    Finally, this day hade.


    He slowly ascended to the second floor, listening carefully outside the door. His keen senses allowed him to clearly hear Ji Yin''s heavy gasps and painful groans.


    Song Wen asked urgently and cautiously, "Master, what''s wrong with you?"


    Inside the room, besides Ji Yin''s low, painful sounds, there was no other noise.


    Gripping the dagger reverse-gripped in his hand and concealing it with his sleeve, Song Wen gently pushed open the door.


    Inside, Ji Yiny copsed on the ground, his body twitching continuously, asionally murmuring iprehensible sounds.


    Approaching cautiously step by step, Song Wen asked, "Master, are you conscious?"


    Enduring immense pain, Ji Yin finally noticed Song Wen approaching.


    His eyes filled with expectation, he looked at Song Wen and said, "Save... save me."


    Up until now, Ji Yin still couldn''t understand why Song Wen, who took the pill without any issues, not only had no signs of depletion but also broke through to the Qi Refinement Second Layer. Yet, he himself was severely depleted in qi and blood, suffering immense pain.


    At this moment, Song Wen was his only lifeline.


    He looked towards a wooden box on a nearby table, "Ginseng... get it for me."


    This was a ginseng he had collected before, a top-grade spiritual medicine for nourishing qi and blood. However, with his current fragile body, whether he could withstand the medicinal power of this top-grade ginseng was another question.


    But now, Ji Yin didn''t have the luxury to think about all that. He felt that if he didn''t replenish his qi and blood quickly, he would soon perish due to depletion.


    ncing at the wooden box containing the ginseng, Song Wen said, "Master, wait a moment, I''ll fetch it."


    Song Wen walked slowly towards the wooden table, but in reality, his gaze was always fixed on Ji Yin.


    He wanted to make sure that Ji Yin hadpletely lost his ability to resist.


    The scene of Ji Yin using a yellow talisman to kill the fatty was still vivid in his mind.


    Dealing with someone as cunning as Ji Yin, he couldn''t be too careful. If Ji Yin still had the ability to use yellow talismans, Song Wen might end up dead before him.


    "Hurry... hurry..." Seeing Song Wen dawdling, Ji Yin couldn''t help but urge.


    "I''ming, Master."


    Song Wen took out the ginseng from the wooden box and turned to Ji Yin.


    Crouching down, he intended to hand the ginseng to Ji Yin, but realizing Ji Yin couldn''t move at all, he directly pushed the ginseng into Ji Yin''s mouth.


    But Ji Yin couldn''t even bite down and swallow the ginseng. He was about to remind Song Wen to tear the ginseng into pieces and feed it to him.


    Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his head. A dagger hadpletely prated his skull.


    Then, in a sh, Song Wen''s figure disappeared before him.


    Ji Yin''s eyes were filled with disbelief. He had never expected that Song Wen would strike him fatally at this moment.


    His attention had been focused on the ginseng near his mouth, and he didn''t even know how the dagger had pierced his skull.


    "Why..." Ji Yin''s eyes showed various emotions��resentment, regret, frustration, disbelief��but mostly, there was confusion.


    He was unwilling to die without breaking through to the Qi Refinement Middle Stage. He felt aggrieved to die at the hands of Song Wen, the disciple. He couldn''t believe that Song Wen dared to attack him. He regretted not killing Song Wen earlier.


    He, a lofty immortal, looking down on the world, had many aspirations left unfulfilled. Yet, in the end, he died silently in this small attic.


    He had neglected sleep and food, never daring to cken in his cultivation, only hoping to break through to the Qi Refinement Middle Stage, truly setting himself apart from mortals. He never expected it all to end in vain.


    He died without understanding why, in the morning, Song Wen took the pill without any issues, yet after he took the pill, it depleted his essence and blood.


    Song Wen stood behind Ji Yin for a full minute. Only after confirming that Ji Yin had long since passed away did he slowly approach.


    "Why!? Go ask Er Niu and Zhang Cheng why," Song Wen said, inserting his hand into the wound on Ji Yin''s head and beginning to consume his essence and blood.


    Although Ji Yin''s essence and blood had been mostly depleted by the pill, as a cultivator of the Qi Refinement Third Layer, he still had more remaining than an ordinary young person.


    While absorbing Ji Yin''s essence and blood, Song Wen noticed something different.


    With Ji Yin, he not only absorbed his essence and blood, but also his soul?


    "Previously, I absorbed them immediately after killing them. Ji Yin, however, was absorbed a minute after death, allowing some of his soul''s power to be absorbed?"


    Song Wen didn''t dwell too much on his spection. After draining Ji Yin''s corpse dry, he began searching the body.


    However, despite searching Ji Yin''s entire room and almost stripping Ji Yin of his clothes, he found nothing of value.


    "It''s impossible. Where did Ji Yin hide his techniques, pills, and talismans? I always saw him carry them with him."


    "Could it be the rumored storage item?"


    Song Wen examined Ji Yin''s fingers, wrists, and other ces, but found nothing.


    "I don''t believe it."


    Song Wen searched Ji Yin''s clothes thoroughly, and finally, in the sleeve, he found a palm-sized cloth bag.


    He tried to probe with his still-weak spiritual power, and sure enough, it was just as he expected.


    This cloth bag was a storage bag!


    The inside was about 3 meters square wide and everything Song Wen was looking for was inside.


    Among them were several books, some small porcin bottles, yellow talismans, a small furnace, and so on.


    Song Wen didn''t rush to inventory the items in the storage bag. He took the bedding from the bed, wrapped Ji Yin''s dry corpse in it, and then threw it into the storage bag.


    He fetched a piece of fur and wiped away the blood sttered on the floor. Then, he also threw the fur into the storage bag.


    After a quick nce around to ensure nothing was missed, Song Wen descended the stairs and returned to his room.


    It wasn''t until now that Song Wen felt a surge of excitement. With Ji Yin dead, the greatest risk hanging over his head was finally resolved.


    Now, the only thing that could threaten his life was the ''Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill.''


    "Right, I wonder if Ji Yin had the real antidote to the ''Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill.''"


    Immediately, Song Wen took out everything from Ji Yin''s storage bag and began to examine each item.


    Anxious to detoxify himself, Song Wen first checked the small porcin bottles.


    There were a total of three bottles, each with a note attached.


    One wasbeled ''Blood Qi Pill,'' containing two pills inside.


    Another wasbeled ''Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill,'' containing only one pill, which Song Wen poured out and inspected��it was indeed the poison pill that had poisoned him.


    With hopeful anticipation, Song Wen opened thest bottle, which wasbeled ''Antidote to Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill.''


    There were three pills in the bottle, two of which were the dark red pills he had taken before, temporary antidotes taken every seven days.


    The other was a deep red pill.


    Song Wen gazed at the deep red pill for a long time before swallowing it directly.


    After breaking through to the Qi Refinement Second Layer, Song Wen''s perception had greatly strengthened, allowing him to see inside his own body.


    Within his perception, he could sense a cold energy lingering in his stomach, posing a constant danger of erupting.


    After swallowing the antidote, this cold energy gradually began to dissipate until it disappearedpletely.


    Song Wen immediately felt relieved. The toxicity of the ''Seven-Day Heartbreak Pill'' had finally beenpletely eliminated.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 23: Cultivation World!

    <h4>Chapter 23: Cultivation World!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen picked up the stack of yellow talismans and curiously examined them.


    He found that out of these yellow talismans, only twelve werepleted drawings; the rest were nk talisman papers. Even thepleted talismans were not all exactly alike. After Song Wen''s assessment, these talismans totaled four different types.


    Song Wen also discovered that the paper of these talismans was not ordinary rice paper but made from the skin of some kind of animal, exceptionally soft.


    The ink used on them was not ordinary either; it was specially made, and Song Wen could faintly see a crimson hue on the talisman papers.


    With a spark of interest, Song Wen picked up a brush.


    "This brush should be specifically used for drawing talisman scripts."


    He then picked up an inkwell, inside of which the ink was crimson and extremely viscous, clearly meant for drawing talismans.


    Song Wen''s interest in the yellow talismans was immense, and he spent quite a long time studying them. He vividly remembered the terrifying deterrent power Ji Yin disyed when using the yellow talismans to summon fireballs.


    Now that these yellow talismans were in his possession, he just didn''t yet understand how to use them.


    Song Wen shifted his gaze to the books beside him, believing he could find the answers he sought in them.


    The first book was a cultivation method called "Longevity Art," containing aplete set of cultivation techniques from Qi Refinement First Layer to Qi Refinement Ninth Layer.


    The second and third books were the ones Song Wen had seen before: "Comprehensive Guide to Low-Level Spirit Herb Cultivation" and Ji Yin''s own writings on his experiences with spirit herb cultivation.


    None of these three books were what Song Wen wanted to read now. After briefly flipping through them, he set them aside.


    "Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Script Drawing!"


    When Song Wen picked up this book, he couldn''t help but feel a surge of excitement. This was exactly what he most wanted to see now.


    After finishing this book, Song Wen learned that these yellow talismans were called talisman scripts, all of which were First-Rank talisman scripts.


    He also learned the methods of using talisman scripts, which were quite simple: they only needed to be infused with spiritual power to activate.


    Among the twelve talisman scripts he currently possessed, there were two Fireball Talismans, three Gale Talismans, two Shield Talismans, and one Levitation Talisman.


    The first three were all First-Rank Low-Grade talisman scripts, while the Levitation Talisman was a First-Rank Medium-Grade talisman script.


    This Levitation Talisman was noticeably more worn outpared to the other talisman scripts.


    The Levitation Talisman allowed one to float in the air like levitation, but it could only lift thirty zhang above the ground and could only maintain flight for a quarter of an hour, not truly allowing one to soar freely in the sky.


    Nevertheless, even so, Song Wen was extremely excited.


    Flying was the dream of all humans. Who hadn''t fantasized about soaring freely in the sky like a bird?


    The "Comprehensive Guide to Basic Talisman Script Drawing" recorded a total of twenty-four types of First-Rank talisman scripts, along with methods for drawing talisman papers and making ink.


    The production of talisman papers and ink was extremelyplex. For instance, the First-Rank Low-Grade talisman papers in Song Wen''s hands were made from animal skins, undergoing over ten processes such as soaking, degreasing, tanning, dyeing, and drying.


    As for First-Rank Medium-Grade talisman papers, ordinary animal skins couldn''t withstand the powerful spiritual energy they contained, so they had to be made from the skins of demonic beasts.


    The remaining two unnamed books, Song Wen learned from their contents, were diaries of cultivation written by Ji Yin and a person named Huang Shang.


    After reading these two books, Song Wen gained a rough understanding of cultivation and the cultivation world.


    For example, the realms of cultivators were divided into Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul...


    The Qi Refinement stage consists of nineyers: the first threeyers are Early Qi Refinement, the middle threeyers are Mid Qi Refinement, and thest threeyers are Late Qi Refinement.


    Huang Shang was originally a nobody in the lower levels of the cultivation world, a wandering cultivator. At his peak, he reached the sixthyer of Foundation Establishment. As he grew older and felt hopeless about building his Core, and tired of the deceitful and perilous life in the cultivation world, he left and returned to the mundane world. There, he lived a carefree and wealthy life for a period, but eventually passed away childless and alone in a mountain cave.


    Yearster, by a stroke of luck, Ji Yin entered the mountain to gather herbs and identally stumbled upon Huang Shang''s cave mansion, where he began his cultivation journey.


    Perhaps influenced by Huang Shang''s diary, Ji Yin, after sessfully cultivating, did not immediately seek out others in the cultivation world, but chose to live in the mundane world.


    Cultivation requires individuals with spiritual roots to progress. Since Huang Shang did not leave behind a method or spell to test spiritual roots, Ji Yin had no way to identify others'' aptitudes and could only discover potential disciples by repeatedly testing them in cultivation.


    The Levitation Talisman was a relic left by Huang Shang and something Ji Yin could not yet refine at Early Qi Refinement stage.


    The remaining talisman scripts and talisman papers were created by Ji Yin based on his interpretation of Huang Shang''s diary. It must be said, Ji Yin showed considerable talent in cultivation.


    Additionally, Song Wen saw several prescriptions and cultivation methods in Huang Shang''s diary.


    Among the prescriptions was one Ji Yin used to refine his Qi and Blood.


    He finally understood why there were issues with refining Qi and Blood. The prescriptions recorded in Huang Shang''s diary were not entirelyplete; two auxiliary herbs had uncertain dosages.


    Ji Yin could only determine their usage through repeated trials.


    During the initial refining of Qi and Blood, Ji Yin even experienced a furnace explosion that nearly cost him his life. However, he persevered and eventually figured out the approximate dosages.


    The diary of Huang Shang also recorded several spells that could be cultivated. Ji Yin learned the Shield Spell and Fireball Spell, the only two spells that could be cultivated at the Early Qi Refinement stage ording to the diary.


    What excited Song Wen the most were the Flight Spell and Wind de Spell. Once cultivated, the former would allow him to fly through the sky, while thetter could kill without a trace. Mastering these in the mortal world would establish him as unbeatable, unafraid of any confrontation.


    However, both spells required reaching the fourthyer of Qi Refinement, which was why Ji Yin was eager to make a breakthrough.


    Setting down the books, Song Wen produced a cauldron over a foot tall and a jade box two feet long.


    The jade box was empty, bought at great expense by Ji Yin to store spiritual medicines, maximizing their potency and preventing their effects from dissipating.


    The cauldron was used by Ji Yin for refining, one of Huang Shang''s relics.


    After inspecting all his belongings, the sky was already lightening.


    "Now that Tian Sha Sect can no longer confine me, should I live like Huang Shang and Ji Yin, enjoying life in the mortal world, or should I try my luck at the Tian Xing Market and strive for the elusive opportunity of longevity?"


    The Tian Xing Market was the most recent gathering of cultivators recorded in Huang Shang''s diary, but it was tens of thousands of miles away from Qian Kingdom.


    There, the spiritual energy was denser, there were more spirit herbs, and deeper cultivation methods. It housed medicines that could enhance cultivation and was a gathering ce for countless cultivators.


    Going to the Tian Xing Market undoubtedly promised more opportunities.


    However, as recorded in Huang Shang''s diary, it also carried greater risks; at any time, one could fall victim to robbery or be the stepping stone for someone else''s fortune.


    "But for now, I can''t leave Tian Sha Sect. At least until Tang Liang is dealt with."


    Tang Liang''s attack on him was a vendetta that needed to be settled. Now that he was a cultivator, he needed to follow his heart''s desires.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 24: Spell Training

    <h4>Chapter 24: Spell Training</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Who in the world of mortal cultivation can be more cunning than me, Ji Yin!"


    Song Wen took out the cultivation methods for the Fireball Technique and the Shield Technique. He nned to practice these two techniques first to greatly enhance hisbat and survival abilities.


    He began with the Fireball Technique. For mortals, the Fireball Technique was incredibly powerful and had a strong deterrent effect.


    Following the energy cirction path described for the Fireball Technique, Song Wen tried to gather spiritual energy within his body to form a fireball, but he failed several times in a row.


    As he was about to try again, a noise suddenly came from outside.


    Song Wen listened closely. It was Aunt Chening to deliver breakfast.


    He quickly stopped his practice and intercepted her.


    "Aunt Chen, Master is still in seclusion and cannot be disturbed. Just give me the meal boxes."


    Aunt Chen nced at the second floor, seeing no movement, and nodded. She handed both meal boxes to Song Wen, muttering as she did so.


    "Immortals are amazing, not eating for a whole day and night without feeling hungry."


    After sending Aunt Chen away, Song Wen didn''t return to his room. He quickly finished his breakfast and resumed practicing the Fireball Technique on the spot.


    He trained for an entire day.


    It was unclear whether Song Wen had exceptional talent for spells or if the Fireball Technique and Shield Technique were easy to master as entry-level spells.


    In just one day, Song Wen managed to grasp both techniques.


    However, the fireballs Song Wen produced were only the size of his fist, much smaller than the head-sized ones described in the cultivation manual. Song Wen was not in a hurry; he knew that with more practice, he could gradually increase the power of the Fireball Technique.


    The fireballs Song Wen cast could hit targets urately within a range of seven zhang (approximately 23 feet) and were extremely fast. Beyond seven zhang, the uracy dropped significantly, and it became easier for opponents to dodge.


    The Shield Technique created an invisible protective barrier around his body, simr to the protective forcefields seen in old movies. Song Wen tested it with a dagger, stabbing with all his strength, but he couldn''t prate the barrier.


    The Shield Technique was a sustained spell. As long as his spiritual energy remained sufficient and the barrier wasn''t forcibly broken, it could persist indefinitely.


    After mastering these two spells, Song Wen finally felt a sense of security. He now had some means to deal with the dangers that might arise at any moment.


    Blocking Aunt Chen once again as she brought breakfast, Song Wen returned to his room and slept until noon.


    He walked to the gate of the courtyard and spoke to the captain of the guards.


    "Master haspleted his seclusion. This time, his cultivation has made significant progress. He is still consolidating his greatly increased powers. You must guard the gate and prevent anyone from entering to avoid disturbing his stabilization."


    With that, Song Wen started to leave.


    The captain called after him, "Young Master Song, where are you going?"


    "On Master''s orders, I am going to purchase some top-quality medicinal herbs," Song Wen replied without turning around.


    After taking a few steps, he seemed to remember something and stopped. Turning back, he said.


    "Master wants Assistant Chief Tang Liang toe to the small building at Xu hour(7-9PM) tonight. Master intends to teach him the true cultivation method. Ry this message to the Assistant Chief for me."


    "I will make sure he receives it," the captain replied respectfully.


    After leaving Tian Sha Gang, Song Wen wandered the streets for a while. His keen senses made him feel that someone was following him.


    He pretended to enter arge pharmacy, buying precious medicinal herbs like ginseng and deer antler.


    Then he walked into a restaurant and exited through the back door, sessfully shaking off his tail.


    Tian Sha Gang''s main hall.


    A subordinate was reporting to Tang Yi.


    "Gang leader, Elder Ji Yin has emerged from seclusion, but outsiders are still prohibited from entering. Elder Ji Yin also said that Assistant Chief Tang Liang shoulde before Xu hour(7-9PM) to receive instructions in cultivating immortality."


    Tang Yi''s eyes narrowed slightly as he nced at his son beside him.


    Sensing his father''s scrutinizing gaze, Tang Liang looked puzzled and said, "What''s going on with Elder Ji Yin? He used to always evade when asked to teach immortal cultivation. Now, he''s the one proposing to teach me."


    Tang Yi nodded. "Indeed, this matter seems suspicious."


    He looked at his subordinates and continued, "Did Elder Ji Yin personally say this?"


    The subordinate shook his head and replied, "No, this message was conveyed by Elder Ji Yin''s disciple, Song Wen."


    "It''s been two days since Elder Ji Yin emerged from his alchemy cave, he entered the small building and none of our people have seen him since."


    "Each time Aunt Chen delivers meals, she only goes up to the downstairs area and is stopped by Song Wen. The guards around the courtyard haven''t seen Elder Ji Yin leave either."


    Upon hearing this, Tang Yi furrowed his brow in silence for a while.


    Meanwhile, Tang Liang''s eyes shed with a hint of coldness. Since the failed attack on Song Wen, he had been uneasy, fearing that Ji Yin might cause trouble for him. However, more than ten days had passed quietly, which eased his mind slightly.


    He hadn''t dared to tell his father about the attack on Song Wen. If Tang Yi knew that he had targeted Ji Yin''s disciple and failed, he would surely be greatly disappointed. Tang Liang''s position in the gang might not be secure anymore. Tang Yi had no shortage of sons.


    After a moment, Tang Yi asked in confusion, "What is Ji Yin up to?"


    "What has Elder Ji Yin''s disciple been doing recently?" Tang Yi continued to inquire.


    "After Elder Ji Yin emerged from seclusion, he had Song Wen wait in the building for over an hour. After Song Wen came down, he has been guarding Elder Ji Yin ever since."


    "However, starting from yesterday, Song Wen suddenly started practicing spells. ording to the guards, he cast fireballs the size of fists."


    Tang Yi''s eyes showed astonishment. For Song Wen to learn spells so quickly was far beyond their expectations.


    The spells cast by cultivators were quite terrifying, especially in terms of attack power, which could surpass innate martial artists, and they were long-range attacks.


    For a talented martial artist to reach the innate realm, they needed at least thirty years of relentless cultivation, during which they would consume countless wealth and rare materials.


    In contrast, in just two to three months, a cultivator could achieve heights that most martial artists could not reach in their entire lives, which was truly enviable and also a cause for jealousy.


    Of course, it didn''t mean that a fledgling cultivator like Song Wen couldpletely dominate innate martial artists. His weaknesses were apparent: limited techniques andck of practicalbat experience. In contrast, innate martial artists had undergone numerous life-and-death battles, achieving breakthroughs on the brink of life and death.


    The oue between the two sides depended on factors such as the location of the battle, timing of the attacks, and psychological state.


    The subordinate continued, "At noon today, Song Wen left Tian Sha Gang alone. He seemed to notice our people were following him and managed to shake them off. Now, we''ve lost track of him."


    Tang Yi was somewhat angry. "Humph, bunch of useless people. Can''t even handle a novice kid."


    The subordinate immediately became fearful, dropping to his knees. "I have failed in my duty. Please punish me, gang leader."


    Tang Yi red, "What punishment do you deserve? Send out more people to find him. I want to see what these master and disciple are up to."


    After issuing the order to his subordinate, Tang Liang asked, "Father, should I still go to Elder Ji Yin tonight?"


    Tang Yi nodded. "Yes, you must go. We must respect Elder Ji Yin''s face. For safety, I will apany you tonight. But before we go, we need to make some preparations."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 25: Fierce Fight

    <h4>Chapter 25: Fierce Fight</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    At evening,


    As the sun set, the sky gradually darkened.


    Tang Yi and his son appeared in the courtyard on time.


    They had just approached the small building when they vaguely saw Song Wen emerging from the medicinal field.


    A smile spread across Tang Yi''s face. "I''ve only heard before that Elder Ji Yin took in a talented young disciple. Today, seeing him, he truly has an imposing aura, like a dragon among men."


    Song Wen didn''t recognize Tang Yi. He looked puzzled and asked, "Who are you?"


    While Tang Yi was warmly enthusiastic, Tang Liang''s expression turned somewhat cold.


    He already harbored grievances with Song Wen, and now that Song Wen had learned the Immortal Fireball technique, Tang Liang felt indignant.


    A rustic young man who popped out of nowhere had achieved something he had dreamed of in less than three months. This couldn''t help but fill Tang Liang with jealousy.


    He stared at Song Wen with a hint of mockery.


    "As a disciple of Tian Sha Gang, you don''t even recognize the gang leader."


    Song Wen was surprised to hear this, Tang Yi''s appearance was unexpected. ording to rumors, Tang Yi was a rare expert in the martial world.


    Would today''s n go smoothly?


    However, thinking of his own arrangements, Song Wen eased his mind.


    Although Song Wen''s thoughts wereplicated, he remained calm on the surface. He even smiled humbly, sping his hands.


    "Junior Song Wen, I greet the gang leader."


    "You overpraise me, I am not worthy of your praise."


    "The Master is waiting inside. Pleasee in, both of you."


    Tang Yi nodded. "Whenever you have time, nephew Song, please visit my residence more often."


    After saying that, he took Tang Liang and headed towards the small building.


    Once they were a distance away, Tang Yi whispered to his son, "Do you have a grudge against him?"


    Tang Liang sighed. "There was a bit of an unpleasant incident before."


    Tang Yi advised, "It''s best to reconcile. From what I see, this young man is quite deep and now that he''s learned immortal techniques, he''s not an ordinary person."


    Unaware that they were already mortal enemies...


    ---


    Song Wen watched their figures depart, a trace of a bloodthirsty smile on his lips.


    He had prepared everything for tonight''s assassination of Tang Liang.


    Earlier, he had appeared in the medicinal field to secretly uproot the Red Blood Vine under cover of night, packing it into a jade box and storing it in his bag.


    With all preparations in ce, now it was time for the final act.


    Seeing the two men enter the second floor, Song Wen silently began channeling his spiritual energy, readying himself to unleash the Fireball technique.


    On the second floor, Tang Yi cleared his throat and spoke.


    "Elder Ji Yin, I''ve brought my son. Please open the door for a chat."


    He awaited Ji Yin''s response eagerly.


    But there was no response from the room.


    "What''s going on?" Tang Yi murmured softly, looking at Tang Liang with some confusion. Tang Liang was equally perplexed.


    Tang Yi noticed that the door wasn''t fully closed but slightly ajar.


    He gently pushed the door. With a creak, it swung open.


    In the dim light, Tang Yi saw a figure seated in the middle of the room, but there was no sign of breathing.


    Tang Yi was taken aback. He eximed, "Elder Ji Yin! What''s happened to you?"


    Without hesitation, he rushed in.


    Tang Liang followed closely behind.


    Seeing this scene, Song Wen''s eyes suddenly gleamed with intense vigor.


    Now was the perfect moment to strike!


    He raised his hand, and a fist-sized fireball shot out, heading straight for the room on the first floor.


    The fireball shattered the door and crashed onto arge ten-pound y jar inside the room.


    Boom!


    The y jar shattered, and arge amount of thick, ck viscous liquid sttered in all directions �� this was Furious Oil.


    Furious Oil ignites instantly upon contact with fire.


    Not far away, ten identical y jars stood.


    These jars were sshed with some Furious Oil, which promptly ignited.


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...


    Consecutive explosions resounded through the sky, causing the ground nearby to tremble, leaving thousands of Tian Sha Gang members bewildered and frightened. Who dared to cause such chaos in the Tian Sha Gang?


    The shockwaves from the explosions instantly shredded the entire small building.


    Countless steel needles also scattered in all directions, resembling a barrage of stray bullets.


    Song Wen watched all this with great satisfaction.


    He had purchased Furious Oil outside and deliberately added numerous steel needles into the y jars.


    He couldn''t help but marvel at the methods of cultivators; he had surreptitiously brought in over a hundred pounds of Furious Oil using his storage bag.


    Furthermore, he had ced the dried corpse of Ji Yin inside the room to attract the attention of Tang Yi and his son.


    Song Wen''s n proceeded wlessly, but he underestimated Tang Yi''s strength as a Primordial Martial Artist.


    A Primordial Martial Artist could emit true qi externally, forming a protective shield around their body. The raging mes and steel needles couldn''t harm him.


    However, Tang Liang wasn''t so fortunate.


    He was burned all over, his body charred ck, with several steel needles embedded in his abdomen.


    Tang Yi carried his son with one hand, circting true qi, and burst out like a giant Peng spreading its wings.


    Seeing Tang Yi suddenly emerge from the sea of fire, Song Wen immediately triggered the prepared talisman seal.


    A head-sized fireball surged with formidable momentum directly towards Tang Yi.


    Tang Yi''s expression turned horrified. The power and high temperature of this Immortal Technique Fireball made his heart tremble; he felt that even a slight touch would leave him either dead or severely injured.


    In a moment of urgency, Tang Yi had no other choice. He could only throw Tang Liang towards the fireball in his hand.


    "No!"


    Tang Liang shouted in despair!


    He collided directly with the swiftly moving fireball.


    Bang!


    Tang Liang''s body exploded into pieces, scattering all over.


    Tang Yi''s eyes widened in fury. He stared fixedly at Song Wen, bursting with intense hatred, as if he wanted to tear Song Wen apart.


    "Song Wen, you wretch! I will tear you limb from limb!"


    He heightened his body technique to the extreme, swiftly maneuvering out of the sea of fire.


    His figure flickered rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he closed in on Song Wen.


    "Young man, prepare to die."


    Tang Yi specialized in body refinement, with all his martial arts prowess concentrated in his fists.


    His fists carried the power to shatter rocks, resembling a massive steel hammer, directly aimed at Song Wen''s chest.


    ng!


    The fist stopped a foot away from Song Wen''s chest.


    It was Song Wen''s Shielding Technique in action.


    Song Wen''s body felt like it had been hit by a high-speed car, soaring backward into the air.


    Song Wen was rmed; Tang Yi, as a Martial Artist, unleashed a terrifying attack.


    However, it wasn''t enough to break through his Shielding Technique.


    As he was thrown backward, Song Wen took the opportunity to once again activate another fireball talisman.


    At such close range, the fireball suddenly appeared with astonishing speed, leaving Tang Yi with nowhere to dodge.


    The fireball surged forward and crashed directly into Tang Yi''s chest.


    His proud body was instantly shattered, and thrown back several meters. His chest was bloody, flesh torn, and ribs broken countless times.


    Tang Yi fell to the ground, but he wasn''t dead yet. He struggled desperately to get up.


    Just moments ago, while in the air, he had a clear view: despite the heavy blow he dealt to Song Wen, the young man wasrgely unharmed, and Tang Yi was at risk of being counterattacked by Song Wen at any moment.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 26: The Importance of Aerial Superiority

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Importance of Aerial Superiority</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen was preparing to cast the Fireball Technique again to deal with Tang Yi once and for all.


    Suddenly, he heard countless sharp breaking sounds behind him and turned his head to look.


    Countless arrows were shooting towards him.


    Earlier in the afternoon, Tang Yi and his son sensed something suspicious about Ji Yin''s words. They called upon several elites, all d in iron armor, wielding spears, bows, and arrows, andy in ambush outside the courtyard.


    Seeing the sudden explosion at the small building, these elites rushed into the courtyard andunched an attack on Song Wen.


    At this moment, Tang Yi also noticed the arrows flying towards him.


    He burst into a crazedughter, "You scoundrel! I don''t care how you killed Ji Yin; that''s none of my concern. But since you''ve killed my son, I will make sure you apany him in death."


    With madughter, Tang Yi seemed to have already seen Song Wen buried under a sky full of arrows.


    All these elites were martial artists who cultivated inner energy. They used iron-bodied bows, incredibly powerful; each arrow had the ability to tear through flesh.


    The spells Song Wen used were clearly single-target attacks. There was no way Song Wen could withstand the siege of these elites and escape unscathed.


    Song Wen looked at the sky filled with arrows without panic. Suddenly, a fierce wind talisman appeared in his hand.


    Activating the talisman, a raging wind arose out of nowhere.


    The wind howled, carrying sand and stones.


    Under the violent wind that made it difficult for anyone to stand steady, those arrows were blown off course, instantly losing their uracy.


    Only a few stray arrows managed tond on Song Wen, but their power was greatly diminished, posing no real threat to Song Wen who had activated his Shielding Technique.


    At the same time, the raging fire was fanned by the wind, its mes spreading.


    Wind fuels the fire!


    Trees in the entire courtyard caught fire, even the medicinal fields couldn''t escape. Many of the spiritual herbs painstakingly collected by Ji Yin were destroyed. The dense forests behind the small building also caught fire.


    The entire courtyard was engulfed in mes.


    While the arrows failed to pose a threat to Song Wen, they provided Tang Yi with an opportunity to escape.


    Seizing the chance to create distance between him and Song Wen, Tang Yi fled in a sorry state towards his elite followers.


    As he ran into the midst of his elites, finding safety, thoughts of revenge surged in his heart once more.


    "Song Wen, you cannot escape from me today, no matter what. Today, I will ughter immortals."


    "Bring up the Octonary Crossbows for me."


    Ten enormous crossbow carts were brought up, each equipped with ten pure steel spears, as thick as a man''s arm and ten feet long, their tips gleaming dangerously.


    Some burly men pulled the crossbow strings, aiming the spears upwards, ready to unleash their power. The Octonary Crossbows emitted a chilling and piercing sound.


    "Fire!"


    Hum, hum...


    At that moment, all ten crossbows fired simultaneously, the sharp steel spears producing a terrifying and piercing breaking sound.


    These spears were more powerful than the previous arrows by far.


    The Octonary Crossbows were siege weapons used by the Qian Dynasty''s military, each possessing the power to attack and conquer fortresses. Tang Yi somehow managed to acquire so many Octonary Crossbows.


    "Where do you think you can run, Young Master of this gang!"


    Facing these ten-foot-long pure steel spears, Song Wen didn''t dare to be careless. He couldn''t be sure if the wind talisman could scatter the spears. He dared not use his Shielding Technique to directly confront these terrifying spears.


    The Flight talisman was activated directly.


    Song Wen felt his body lighten, soaring straight up into the air, escaping the spear''s attack range in an instant.


    The Flight talisman was Song Wen''s trump card, the fundamental reason he dared to assassinate Tang Liang within the Tian Sha Gang. With the Flight talisman, Song Wen could leave the battle at any time,ing and going as he pleased.


    Without the Flight talisman, Song Wen would never have chosen to assassinate Tang Liang within the Tian Sha Gang. Instead, he would have opted for a more cautious approach, seeking revenge opportunistically outside the Tian Sha Gang.


    "Those whoe must pay the price. Let me show you the power of my talismans."


    Song Wen didn''t hesitate, immediately releasing two Fireball talismans and one Windstorm talisman.


    The activation of talismans was much faster than casting spells manually.


    "He can actually fly!"


    Below, Tang Yi and his Tian Sha Gang members looked astonished. Song Wen could fly,pletely surpassing their expectations. Song Wen, positioned in the sky, was almost invincible.


    "Quick, quickly adjust the Octonary Crossbows, shoot him down for me!" Tang Yi shouted loudly.


    Before they could adjust the Octonary Crossbows, two fireballs descended from the sky.


    Boom, boom.


    The two fireballsnded directly on two of the Octonary Crossbows, instantly shattering them into pieces.


    The fireballs exploded violently, mes spreading wildly everywhere. More than ten gang members nearby were caught in the st, their bodies engulfed in mes.


    Before the Tian Sha Gang members could catch their breath, a fierce wind started howling. It made it difficult for the Tian Sha Gang members to aim the Octonary Crossbows and attack Song Wen in the sky.


    "Song Wen, you despicable person. As a dignified immortal, are you so afraid of facing me head-on that you only dare to hide and seek with the power of talismans? I will see how many talismans you have. Once your talismans are exhausted, I will surely turn you into minced meat!"


    Tang Yi saw that even with several people attacking Song Wen, they seemed to have no way to deal with him. Instead, they suffered continuous losses and casualties, which infuriated him.


    Song Wen in the air smiled faintly. The Flight talisman had an effective time of fifteen minutes. He had plenty of time to y with his opponents.


    "To face the enemy head-on? Do you think I''m stupid? Eat my Fireball!"


    While the number of talismans was limited, Song Wen had plenty stored in his storage bag, all packed in ceramic jars, quite a number of them.


    High in the sky, Song Wen had absolute air superiority.


    The ceramic jars fell like bombs from the sky, targeting crowded areas and the remaining eight Octonary Crossbows.


    There were already mes burning on the ground, and now, the ceramic jars fell, amplifying the effects of the fierce wind talisman.


    The fire in the courtyard became even more intense, leaving almost no ce to stand.


    Countless gang members struggled and screamed, their shouts and cries echoing incessantly.


    Except for a few peripheral gang members who managed to escape, most of those who entered the courtyard were screaming in the sea of fire.


    Tang Yi, heavily wounded, didn''t manage to escape at first, but he had many loyal followers by his side.


    More than ten people surrounded him, shielding him from the sshing mes, temporarily saving Tang Yi.


    As time passed, his followers were gradually consumed by the spreading mes, bing fewer and fewer.


    In mid-air, Song Wen kept a close watch on Tang Yi. Seizing the opportunity, he manipted his mana and released a Fireball spell.


    Just as the fist-sized Fireball was about to hit Tang Yi, it was intercepted by a steel spear, about ten feet long, which Song Wen somehow obtained.


    With a thrust, the spear directly struck the Fireball.


    Bang!


    The Fireball exploded, scattering countless sparks.


    The spear was also hit by the Fireball and shattered into numerous fragments.


    At that moment, a ceramic jar directly collided with the broken spear tip.


    Boom!


    The oil sshed everywhere, mes soaring.


    The drifting oilnded on Tang Yi , instantly engulfing him in mes.


    "Ah... Ah..."


    Tang Yi turned into a human torch, emitting continuous screams of agony.


    Song Wen silently calcted the time in the air. Most of the Flight talisman''s effective time had passed.


    It was time to leave!


    Controlling his position, Song Wen headed towards the back mountain. As long as he leaped over the mountains ahead, he could leave the Tian Sha Gang''s territory.


    Before leaving, he didn''t forget to throw all the ceramic jars of oil from his storage bag down below, especially focusing on Tang Yi .


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 27: Corpse Demon Sect

    <h4>Chapter 27: Corpse Demon Sect</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Thousands of zhang high in the sky, the Tian Sha Gang.


    In the pitch-ck night sky, a ship several zhang long silently floated in mid-air.


    A man with a thin and gaunt figure, emitting a faint corpse aura, nced at the raging fire beneath his feet, then looked at Song Wen fleeing in the low sky, his eyes showing an interesting expression.


    "This kid isn''t bad. As a cultivator, he doesn''t hesitate to ughter mortals wantonly. He truly shows some style of our demonic sect."


    "Let''s first see how talented you are."


    The man flicked his fingers, a white light shed and directly fell on Song Wen below.


    "Perfect bones andprehensive aptitude, medium-grade spiritual roots. This is truly an unexpected harvest." The man''s eyes gleamed continuously as he spoke.


    Spiritual roots are categorized ording to the attributes of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Some people have singr spiritual roots, while others haveprehensive spiritual roots.


    However, the quantity of spiritual roots does not determine the level of cultivation talent; rather, it is the quality of the spiritual roots themselves.


    Spiritual roots are graded from one to nine, based on their quality.


    Grade one is the lowest, and nine is the highest.


    Grade one to three are inferior spiritual roots with extremely poor aptitude, unlikely to achieve anything in their lifetime and almost impossible to sessfully establish the foundation. Among them, grade one spiritual roots have a very low chance of even advancing to the mid-level of Qi refining.


    Grade four to six are medium-grade spiritual roots. Most disciples in the cultivation world have medium-grade spiritual roots. Some with good opportunities and excellent temperament can sessfully establish the foundation, bing pirs of the cultivation world.


    Song Wen possesses a medium-grade spiritual root, possibly even with a trace of potential for forming a foundation.


    Grade seven to nine are rare superior spiritual roots. Although there is only one grade difference between grade six and grade seven spiritual roots, the gap is immense.


    A grade seven spiritual root can be a core disciple in any sect and be nurtured as a future pir of the sect, provided they do not fall halfway. A grade seven spiritual root can be a powerful Golden Core expert and is almost assured of sess.


    Grade eight spiritual roots are extremely rare in the current cultivation world. People like this can often cultivate to the Nascent Soul realm without hindrance, bing revered ancestors in the cultivation world.


    Grade nine spiritual roots belong to the legendary category, extremely rare and hardly seen in millennia, representing the pinnacle of spiritual root quality.


    ...


    Mid-flight, Song Wen suddenly felt an irresistible and vast power descend upon him.


    It was as if he had been targeted by an ancient and mysterious fierce beast. In an instant, he was frozen in ce, unable to move, only able to await his fate.


    Suddenly, he saw a figure appear abruptly in front of him, standing on a flying sword.


    Cold sweat broke out all over Song Wen''s body. From Huang Chang''s diary, he knew that this person had at least reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Only cultivators at Foundation Establishment stage or above could control a flying sword.


    Compared to him relying on wind-based flight techniques, this person''s strength was vastly superior.


    "I pay respects to Senior."


    Song Wen''s voice trembled slightly as he spoke.


    In his heart, he cursed inwardly. His luck was incredibly bad. He actually encountered a Foundation Establishment stage expert among themon folk. This probability was lower than winning the lottery in his previous life.


    The neer spoke calmly, "You are indeed a ruthless and ambitious young man. You disy some style of our demonic sect. Would you be willing to join our Corpse Demon Sect and be a disciple?"


    Although the neer''s tone seemed gentle and inviting, Song Wen knew better than to believe that the other party was easy to deal with. In the demonic path, it was always about doing as one pleased, following one''s thoughts. If one could not follow those thoughts, what kind of a demon would they be?


    If Song Wen dared to disagree and caused the other party''s thoughts to be obstructed, he feared that he would meet an immediate end, with no burial ce.


    Song Wen immediately pretended to be pleasantly surprised, as if being able to join the Corpse Demon Sect was like smoke from ancestral tombs, an event that could bring glory to eight generations of ancestors.


    "I am willing, thank you, Senior."


    In truth, Song Wen wanted to kneel and bow, but he was suspended in mid-air, his body not under his control.


    As for dignity and face, the concept of a man''s knee bending beneath gold did not factor into Song Wen''s considerations at all.


    Understanding the situation is crucial for a capable man.


    In his previous life, when he first entered society and worked in sales to collect debts, he understood that to have power and authority, one must be worthy of discussing dignity with others.


    Weakness is an original sin, and the weak are not worthy of dignity.


    Moreover, just from the name Corpse Demon Sect, one could tell it wasn''t a soft-hearted sect; it was a demonic sect that acted without restraint.


    Song Wen couldn''t assume that as a low-level wandering cultivator who had just reached the second stage of Qi Refining, he had the qualifications to discuss human rights with a Foundation Establishment cultivator from a demonic sect.


    The neer seemed satisfied with Song Wen''s response.


    "I am Shi Shou of the Corpse Demon Sect. You may call me Elder Shi. Junior, what is your name?"


    Song Wen respectfully replied, "Reporting to Elder Shi, I... I am known as Ji Yin."


    "Ji Yin! Although you are quite young, your name is quite arrogant, which fits the bold style of our Corpse Demon Sect. You were destined to be a disciple of our demonic sect. Hahaha..."


    After Shi Shou finished speaking, he turned and headed towards the high sky.


    Song Wen felt himself enveloped by an invisible force, pulling him upwards as well.


    After a few breaths, Song Wen was lifted by Shi Shou''s spiritual power and arrived on the ship thousands of zhang high in the sky.


    Shi Shou ced Song Wen on the deck and said, "Find a ce to stay quietly. Don''t wander around. If you identally fall off, this Elder won''t stop the ship to save you."


    "Disciple obeys."


    After experiencing initial shock, Song Wen quickly calmed down inside.


    Since he was here, he might as well settle down. He quickly assumed the role of a disciple.


    Looking around the deck, there were several other youths.


    Among them, four were cowering in a corner, their eyes full of fear. They showed no signs of spiritual power fluctuations; they were probably ordinary people who hadn''t cultivated.


    One of the remaining two nced back and forth at Song Wen, his face showing a hint of superiority, as if he looked down upon Song Wen and the other four neers who had just boarded.


    Thest person stood expressionlessly beside the superior-looking man, like a wooden stake, unmoving and without expression, resembling a guard protecting the superior man.


    Song Wen also smelled a rot-like odor from this person, and there was no perceptible breathing from him, like a corpse.


    Song Wen found a quiet corner on the deck and sat down, closing his eyes to meditate.


    Shi Shou stood at the bow of the ship and suddenly formed several hand seals.


    The airship suddenly elerated, as swift as an arrow leaving the bow, swiftly cutting through the night sky.


    However, those on the deck felt no strong wind blowing; there was a protective shield on the airship that blocked the external wind, which was quite mysterious.


    Song Wen felt like he was flying an airne in his previous life, but with much better visibility.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Yancheng (Salt City)


    Curious, he looked down below. Due to the limited visibility at night, besides the flickering lights of Yancheng below and the still-burning fires of the Tian Sha Gang, everything else was shadowy and indistinct, difficult to discern.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 28: Outer Disciples

    <h4>Chapter 28: Outer Disciples</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The airship flew for several days, covering how many thousands of miles before gradually slowing down.


    Song Wen had stored some food in his storage bag earlier, so he wasn''t starving.


    But those four ordinary people were miserable. Shi Shou didn''t provide them with any food, so they had been starving for days and were on the verge of fainting.


    The superior-looking man had only eaten one pellet and seemed energetic andpletely unaffected.


    "Could that be a Famine-Relief Pill?" Song Wen spected silently as he didn''t kindly give any food to the four youths.


    Shi Shou neither fed the four nor ordered Song Wen to do so. Song Wen wouldn''t act rashly until he understood the identities of the four and Shi Shou''s attitude.


    Shi Shou looked down at the towering mountains and peaks below. Among them, a mountain several thousand zhang high stood out prominently. Pces and pavilions adorned its slopes. This mountain was the main peak of the Corpse Demon Sect, Corpse Demon Mountain. Most disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect cultivated within this mountain.


    asionally, figures leaped between the mountains, and some rode flying swords or celestial beasts through the void.


    If not for the human skull decorations on the buildings and the strong Corpse Demon aura permeating the mountains, it could have resembled a scene from the immortal realms.


    "Finally arrived."


    Shi Shou looked at Song Wen and said, "Ji Yin, take some food and water from your storage bag and give it to them."


    Song Wen silently took out dry rations and water and handed them to the four youths.


    Watching them devour the food, Shi Shou continued, "From now on, you six are all disciples of our Corpse Demon Sect. Our Corpse Demon Sect has a fearsome reputation in the demonic path. I hope you will abide by our rules, diligently cultivate, and not waste this great opportunity, lest you tarnish the reputation of our Corpse Demon Sect."


    Song Wen narrowed his eyes. Six people? Aren''t there seven people on this deck besides Shi Shou?


    Could it be that zombie-like man isn''t actually alive, but a real corpse?


    Shi Shou lowered the bow of the ship, controlling it tond on a za at the foot of a mountain.


    As soon as they disembarked, someone came to greet them.


    "Elder Shi Shou, have you recruited new disciples? Did everything go smoothly?"


    Shi Shou nodded and said, "It went smoothly. I recruited six disciples with intermediate spiritual roots."


    He pointed at the superior-looking man, saying, "This one is named Wu Xiu. He already has the cultivation of the thirdyer of Qi Refining and practices the outer sect technique of our Corpse Demon Sect, Corpse Fiend Technique. Although his seniority is not high, he has made contributions to the sect before. Take care of him a bit to prevent those righteous people from gossiping endlessly about our demonic sect being heartless and unfeeling."


    Du Qiu thought to himself, "You must have received quite a benefit from epting him. Our demonic sect prioritizes profits, and there''s no friendship even among fellow sect members. Do we really need to worry about gossip from righteous people?"


    He respectfully replied, "Elder Shi Shou, rest assured, I will take care of Junior Brother Wu Xiu."


    Shi Shou then gestured towards Song Wen, moving his lips but making no sound.


    Du Qiu nced curiously at Song Wen, but the curiosity quickly subsided.


    "I''ll leave these new disciples to you. I''m off!"


    Shi Shou soared into the sky and flew away.


    Du Qiu looked at the six people in front of him and spoke loudly, "All of your talents are quite good, all possessing intermediate spiritual roots. From today onwards, you are all outer disciples of our Corpse Demon Sect. If within six years you can break through to theter stage of Qi Refining, like me, you can be inner disciples. As for bing direct disciples, it will depend on your individual opportunities."


    As he spoke, Du Qiu waved his hand.


    Six storage bags appeared in front of the other six people.


    "These storage bags contain techniques, attire, spirit stones, healing pills, and sect regtions. I hope you will read the sect regtions carefully so as not to inadvertently vite them."


    "Follow me. I will take you to the ce where the outer disciples reside."


    Under Du Qiu''s guidance, they quickly arrived at a row of cave dwellings at the foot of the mountain.


    "Inside your storage bags, there are cave ques. Take your own que, and you can enter your respective cave dwelling."


    "I am your senior brother Du Qiu from the inner sect. I oversee your cultivation for the next month. I reside in cave number thirty-six halfway up the mountain. If you have any questions about cultivation, you cane find me."


    Du Qiu pointed not far from the foot of the mountain, where there were rows of wooden houses.


    "That is where the menial disciples reside. There''s a cafeteria there, where you can solve your dining issues."


    "We at Corpse Demon Sect do not support idlers. After a month, you will be assigned to various halls. I hope you make good use of this month to familiarize yourselves with the techniques provided, otherwise you may end up being turned into living corpses for others tomand."


    After saying this, Du Qiu performed a flying technique, flying towards the mountainside.


    After flying a few zhang, he suddenly descended again, looking at the four neers who hadn''t cultivated before.


    "I forgot that you four haven''t cultivated yet and can''t open the storage bags."


    He consecutively performed four spells, and beams of light fell onto the storage bags held by the four neers.


    Crash!


    Immediately, the storage bags melted and all the items spilled out. Among them were medicinal bottles, five sparkling spirit stones, and two books.


    With keen eyes, Song Wen noticed that all four of them received the technique "Corpse Fiend Technique," the same one Wu Xiu practiced, as mentioned by Shi Shou.


    After doing all this, Du Qiu once again performed his flying technique, soaring into the sky, drifting and floating, no different from when Song Wen used the flying charm. Compared to Shi Shou''s aerial maniption, there was a world of difference in speed and agility.


    The four neers scrambled to pick up the cultivation materials on the ground. These items were crucial to their livelihoods. If they couldn''t cultivate within a month, they might be living corpses.


    Watching Du Qiu''s figure disappear, Song Wen couldn''t help butin inwardly.


    The inner disciple''s cave dwelling was halfway up the mountain, with a vertical distance of thousands of zhang from the mountain foot.


    As someone who had never cultivated flying techniques, he would have to take the winding mountain path. Without half a day''s time, he was afraid he couldn''t ascend.


    And for those four neers, it would be even more difficult to ascend. They might even be in danger of their lives. A moment''s carelessness could lead to slipping and falling to the foot of the mountain.


    Du Qiu simply didn''t want to be disturbed by the six of them, leaving them to cultivate on their own.


    Song Wen invaded the storage bag with his divine sense, and a palm-sized cave que appeared in his hand.


    Cave twelve!


    Following the number on the que, he started searching through the caves in front of him, quickly finding his own cave dwelling.


    The location was good, situated in the center of many caves.


    The spiritual energy density was also rtively abundant, making it a ce of rich spiritual energy among the outer disciple''s cave dwellings.


    Just as Song Wen was about to enter his own cave dwelling, a voice behind him suddenly called out.


    "Hey! Ji Yin, let''s switch cave dwellings."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 29: Seizing Opportunity

    <h4>Chapter 29: Seizing Opportunity</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Xiu looked at Song Wen arrogantly, a hint of disdain on his face, as if he had already figured Song Wen out.


    He was currently at the thirdyer of Qi Refining, and with his family background, his techniques and methods were far superior to a wandering cultivator like Song Wen.


    However, these weren''t his greatest assets.


    His greatest asset was the iron corpse behind him. This iron corpse was an heirloom from his father, capable of unleashing mid-level Qi Refining strength. Its body was as tough as iron, infused with a potent and toxic corpse aura. Even ordinary mid-level Qi Refining cultivators were not its match.


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen felt a mix of frustration and annoyance.


    He hadn''t expected that upon joining Corpse Demon Sect, he would immediately encounter bullying from fellow disciples.


    Are all cultivators in the world this brainless? Making enemies so easily!


    But upon careful consideration, it made sense. Wu Xiu was only seventeen years old, the age of youthful arrogance. Among his peers, his strength was indeed the strongest. It was somewhat understandable for him to be bold and reckless.


    Feeling the unmasked strong corpse aura emanating from the iron corpse, Song Wen couldn''t help but shudder.


    He knew he was no match for this iron corpse right now!


    Song Wen made a quick decision. Holding the que in his hands, he bowed and said,


    "Senior Brother Wu, it''s my honor if you''ve taken a liking to my cave dwelling. If you wish to reside here, please take it."


    Wu Xiu nodded smugly, took the que from Song Wen''s hand, and handed his own cave dwelling que to Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, you''re quite sensible. Follow me from now on. I have some connections within Corpse Demon Sect."


    "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."


    "Hmm." Wu Xiu replied nonchntly, then turned and headed towards cave number twelve, disying a grand demeanor.


    Song Wen watched Wu Xiu''s departing figure and quietly recorded this person in his mental notebook.


    Revenge is a dish best served cold.


    Once he had enough strength, he would reim his dignity from today''s humiliation.


    If he wasn''t strong enough... well, among fellow disciples, they should help each other.


    Song Wen looked at the que in his hand, number ny-seven.


    He nced around and finally found his cave dwelling on the edge of a slope.


    At this moment, he suddenly understood why Wu Xiu wanted to upy his cave dwelling.


    This cave dwelling was located on the outermost edge of the outer disciple''s area, where the spiritual energy was much thinnerpared to cave number twelve. Naturally, cultivation speed here would be slower.


    Song Wen''s resentment towards Wu Xiu deepened.


    With the que in hand, he easily entered the cave dwelling.


    The cave dwelling was quite spacious, covering several dozen square meters. Inside were various daily necessities.


    In the center of the cave dwelling was a deep well that seemed bottomless, emitting a strong corpse aura that made people feel ufortable all over.


    This was the "Corpse Refining Corpse Aura Formation" arranged by senior disciples of Corpse Demon Sect in the depths of the mountain to assist disciples in cultivation. It condensed countless corpses of mortals, cultivators, and spirit beasts to emit corpse aura through the vertical well into the disciples'' cave dwellings.


    Song Wen began to check the items in his storage bag: outer disciple''s attire, five low-grade spirit stones, and two bottles of pills.


    One bottle contained Grain-Separation Pills, totaling three pills, each capable of sustaining someone without food for ten days.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Grain-Separation Pill might be the same as Famine-Relief Pill mentioned in Ch28


    The other bottle contained Corpse Blood Pills, also three pills, which assisted cultivators in condensing and refining corpse aura.


    Song Wen noticed something peculiar. While others had books on "Corpse Fiend Technique" in their storage bags, he had no such martial arts books. Instead, he found an extra jade slip.


    Although Song Wen was still a novice in cultivation, he knew that this jade slip was an advanced form of recordingpared to books. By affixing it to his forehead, one could directly perceive its contents with spiritual energy.


    "Why is my martial arts different from others''?"


    Song Wen felt uneasy. He recalled the private conversation between Shi Shou and Du Qiu before they left.


    The problem probably arose then.


    In other words, this jade slip containing a transmission method was given to himself by Shi Shou.


    Why would he specifically give himself this martial art? Could it be that there''s something special about my aptitude that made Shi Shou treat me differently?


    Affixing the jade slip to his forehead, Song Wen began to examine the contents of the martial art.


    Instantly, Song Wen''s mind was flooded with arge amount of information.


    "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique"!


    That was the name of the martial art recorded in the jade slip.


    This was a rare body refining technique in the cultivation world.


    The jade slip recorded the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" from the firstyer of Qi Refining all the way to the ninthyer of Qi Refining.


    Based on the information he received, Song Wen learned that to practice the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," one needed to have all five attributes of spiritual roots, which was a prerequisite.


    "So, this is why Shi Shou taught me this martial art?"


    ording to the outline, the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" was an exceptional body refining technique. By cultivating it to the highest level, one could achieve the physique of a king among zombies, transcending beyond the three realms.


    Bing immortal, indestructible, and eternal.


    However, this was just the summary of the martial art. As someone who only knew the contents of Qi Refining stage martial arts, Song Wen couldn''t discern its authenticity.


    Although Song Wen suspected whether Shi Shou had some hidden agenda, he had no choice but to cultivate this martial art. His original "Longevity Technique" was definitely no longer viable��at least, it couldn''t be cultivated for now.


    Now that he was in the Corpse Demon Sect, the entire sect was filled with dense corpse qi and eerie ghost qi.


    If Song Wen stubbornly practiced his upright "Longevity Technique" among a group of demonic cultivators, it would be no different from seeking death.


    Demonic cultivators loved to use the souls of righteous cultivators to refine treasures, the flesh to create corpse puppets, and even the blood to refine secret techniques. In the eyes of demonic cultivators, everything on a righteous cultivator''s body could be used to enhance their own strength.


    Currently, Song Wen''s cultivation level was low, which was fortunate. If his cultivation level rose, wandering among a group of demonic cultivators with his strong upright qi would be akin to a monk walking into a nest of demons.


    After roughly understanding the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," Song Wen put it aside. There was no rush to cultivate it.


    He took out the sect rules of the Corpse Demon Sect, intending to thoroughly study them. To survive well in the Corpse Demon Sect, familiarity with the sect rules was essential.


    Half an hourter, Song Wen closed the sect rules book in his hand.


    This book not only exined the rules of the Corpse Demon Sect but also provided a general overview of the sect, giving Song Wen a better understanding of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    What slightly reassured Song Wen was that although the Corpse Demon Sect was a demonic sect, it still prohibited private fights among disciples. With this rule in ce, at least the safety within the sect had some guarantee.


    Why did I say "some guarantee"?


    Because while the Corpse Demon Sect prohibited private fights among fellow disciples, it didn''t entirely forbid them.


    For physically attacking fellow disciples, the penalty was a fine of 200 low-grade spirit stones.


    For killing a misceneous disciple, the penalty was a fine of 500 low-grade spirit stones.


    For killing an outer disciple, the penalty was a fine of 3,000 low-grade spirit stones.


    For killing an inner disciple, the penalty was a fine of 10,000 low-grade spirit stones.


    For killing a direct disciple, the penalty was a fine of 100,000 low-grade spirit stones.


    As long as you could afford the fine, viting the sect rules wouldn''t incur any punishment. In fact, if you killed enough, the sect might evenmend you, considering it a contribution to the sect''s finances.


    If you couldn''t afford the fine, however, I''m sorry to say that you would face extremely inhumane punishment.


    You would be drained of your essence and blood, your soul refined and seized, transformed into a vengeful ghost, and then sealed inside your original corpse to create a zombie. You would be forever enved, never transcending life and death.


    It had to be admitted, the sect rules of the Corpse Demon Sect were quite demonic.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 30: Corpse King Blood Refining Technique

    <h4>Chapter 30: Corpse King Blood Refining Technique</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    From the sect rules, Song Wen also learned about the treatment and responsibilities of disciples in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    As an outer disciple like Song Wen, he could receive 5 low-grade spirit stones per month.


    Of course, these resources were generally insufficient for a Qi Refining stage disciple, even for those in the early stages.


    To obtain more resources and elerate their cultivation progress, disciples had to contribute to the sect in exchange.


    As Du Qiu put it, the Corpse Demon Sect doesn''t amodate idlers!


    For rookies like Song Wen, after one month of dedicated cultivation, they would start performing sect missions.


    However, beginners like them wouldn''t be assigned dangerous tasks; they mostly handled logistics.


    After reading the sect rules, Song Wen began cultivating the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique."


    Cultivation, whether righteous or demonic, involved absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to gradually improve and strengthen oneself, eventually surpassing human limits.


    However, while the righteous path absorbed pure spiritual energy and emphasized gradual progress, the demonic path was more extreme. In their pursuit of power, they didn''t hesitate to absorb even the impure energies of heaven and earth into their bodies.


    This made it easier for demonic cultivators to progress in the early stages, but increasingly difficult as they advanced, often leading to demonic possession, mental instability, and a loss of control.


    The Corpse Qi cultivated by the main cultivation method of the Corpse Demon Sect was a form of impure energy from heaven and earth. Absorbing Corpse Qi not only elerated early-stage cultivation but also allowed cultivators to gradually condense Corpse Qi throughout their bodies, greatly enhancing theirbat abilities and defenses.


    Song Wen''s cultivation of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" simrly required Corpse Qi to assist in practice.


    The Qi Refining stage techniques of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" were divided into threeyers corresponding to early, middle, andte stages of Qi Refining.


    After bing familiar with the techniques of the firstyer, Song Wen began his cultivation.


    The firstyer was rtively simple and didn''t require rare materials; it only needed to absorb Corpse Qi into the body, refine it within, maintain the vitality of the flesh, and develop certain characteristics of a zombie.


    The "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" indeed lived up to its reputation as a demonic technique, progressing swiftly. With the assistance of a cave mansion''s Corpse Qi well, Song Wen spent just three hours refining the first strand of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Compared to cultivating the "Longevity Technique" for several days, this was significantly less time-consuming.


    Suddenly feeling hungry during his cultivation, although Du Qiu mentioned a cafeteria not far from the mountain base, Song Wen decided against going.


    The sect specifically provided three self-sufficiency pills for neers, enough for a month, hoping they wouldn''t waste time on daily necessities.


    Song Wen took out one self-sufficiency pill and swallowed it, instantly recing hunger with a sense of fullness, but without any increase in spiritual energy.


    "So this is like apressed biscuit in the cultivation world��fills you up but provides no nutritional value whatsoever. Still, just one tiny pill can keep you full for ten days; it truly is something of the cultivation world."


    With one hand holding a spirit stone, Song Wen swallowed a Corpse Blood Pill with the other hand. He spared no expense in using spirit stones and pills, as only by quickly enhancing his strength could he better survive in this dangerous world.


    Saving spirit stones and pills not only slowed down his progress but also risked attracting attention from others.


    This one month of seclusion for cultivation allowed Song Wen to advance the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" to thete stage of the firstyer of Qi Refining, achieved through the consumption of five low-grade spirit stones, three self-sufficiency pills, and three Corpse Blood Pills.


    He only now realized the value of the Blood Qi Pill. Although it consumed arge amount of essence blood, it could indeed stimte the body''s potential and rapidly improve one''s magical cultivation.


    If it hadn''t been for taking two Blood Qi Pills at the time, he would have needed at least a year or two of hard cultivation to break through to the secondyer of Qi Refining in his "Longevity Technique."


    It should be noted that the spiritual energy concentration in the Corpse Demon Sect was tens of times richer than that in the mundane Tian Sha Sect. Moreover, demonic cultivation techniques progressed rapidly in the early stages, aided by the Corpse Qi Well. This allowed Song Wen to advance to thete stage of the firstyer within a month.


    On the seventh day, the array outside the cave mansion had lit up with a warning signal, indicating someone was looking for Song Wen.


    The visitor was Zhang Xiaofan, one of the four members of the Qi Refining Initial Entry group, who came from a poor background and was mature in mind, serving as their leader.


    All four were first-time cultivators who didn''t quite understand the Corpse Demon Sect''s "Corpse Qi Technique" distributed to them. After several days of self-study and mutual discussion, they ended up clueless and none had made any progress.


    He came to find Song Wen with the aim of inviting him to seek answers from Du Qiu.


    Knowing that Song Wen had already seeded, and recalling Du Qiu''s previous attitude, which clearly indicated he didn''t want to be disturbed, Song Wen straightforwardly refused Zhang Xiaofan.


    During this month of cultivation, Song Wen discovered that the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" would deplete his essence blood. The Corpse Blood Pills not only provided him with Corpse Qi but also replenished his essence blood.


    However, three Corpse Blood Pills a month were barely enough for his needs. The shortage of Corpse Blood Pills somewhat limited his cultivation progress.


    At the end of the month, due to the depletion of essence blood and the influence of Corpse Qi, Song Wen''s body had turned iron-gray, and his once plump flesh had be somewhat shriveled. He now exuded a bit of the aura of a necromancer.


    Song Wen looked at his own physical appearance with some disdain.


    "I wonder if it can be restored."


    This half-human, half-ghost appearance was quite difficult for the newly entered demonic path Song Wen to ept. However, he didn''t have to worry anymore. Since he had practiced the "Longevity Technique," there had always been a righteous aura on him. Walking inside the Corpse Demon Sect would easily attract attention.


    Song Wen immediately stopped the operation of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique." Soon, a slight amount of essence blood surged from the marrow throughout his body, as if these essence blood had been oppressed by the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and had never been able to emerge. Once the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" ceased operation, it spontaneously emerged to make up for the serious deficiency of his qi and blood.


    Song Wen''s flesh and blood gradually became full, and his iron-gray skin also gradually recovered its original flesh color. The faint Corpse Qi on his body disappeared, as if he had never practiced the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique."


    Only the vigorous righteousness of the "Longevity Technique" emanated from him.


    Song Wen''s face suddenly became pleasantly surprised.


    "How did this happen?"


    "I didn''t expect my physical body to still conceal such a secret. Wouldn''t that mean I can disguise my cultivation level at will in the future?"


    "Let''s try releasing only part of the cultivation breath."


    Song Wen controlled the operation of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," and his body began to emit a faint Corpse Qi. His skin also began to turn grayish, and finally, the breath on his body stayed at the middle stage of the firstyer.


    "Sess!"


    "In this way, from now on, I can only reveal part of my cultivation level in front of others, leaving some cards for myself. Maybe it can save my life at some point."


    Just then, the warning array in the cave mansion suddenly lit up, and a voice came from outside the door.


    "Ji Yin, the month is over. Hurry out," it was Du Qiu''s voice.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 31: Beginner’s Task

    <h4>Chapter 31: Beginner��s Task</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen walked out of his cave and saw Du Qiu waiting impatiently at the door.


    Behind him were five others who had entered the sect at the same time.


    Wu Xiu, with his Iron Corpse in tow, looked smug and provocatively stared at Song Wen.


    A month ago, taking advantage of Song Wen''s unfamiliarity with the rules of the Corpse Demon Sect upon his arrival, he forcibly upied Song Wen''s cave. With the dense spiritual energy and corpse qi in the cave, in just a month, his ''Corpse Fiend Technique'' had advanced from the mid-stage of Qi Refining Stage Three to thete stage, which filled him with great satisfaction.


    Now he was eager to see how Song Wen felt after learning about the sect''s prohibition against private fights.


    However, Song Wen''s reaction disappointed him. Song Wen simply nced at him indifferently, showing no further concern, as if the incident of upying the cave had never happened.


    Zhang Xiaofan and the other four had also started practicing the ''Corpse Fiend Technique'', but they were only at the introductory stage, with barely visible corpse qi on them.


    After a nce at Song Wen, Du Qiu saw that Song Wen had alreadypleted practicing the ''Corpse King Blood Refining Technique'' and no longer paid attention to him.


    As long as this person couldplete his cultivation to the introductory stage within a month, his mission would be considered aplished.


    Du Qiu said, "The month''s time is up. You need to go to the Outer Hall to receive the sect mission. Follow me."


    With that, Du Qiu led the way, heading towards the mountainside along the rugged mountain path.


    Song Wen followed suit.


    During the journey, Wu Xiu continued to provoke Song Wen with his eyes from time to time, but Song Wenpletely ignored him as if he hadn''t seen anything, leaving Wu Xiu''s provocations in vain.


    ''This person must be a fool! I don''t know where he gets the confidence. He''s so fearless in a strange ce just after arriving. Isn''t he afraid of getting knocked out one day?'' thought Wu Xiu.


    On the other hand, Zhang Xiaofan, who had briefly interacted with Song Wen, cast a friendly nce at him.


    Song Wen responded with a smile. Even in the demonic sect, interpersonal rtionships were necessary, especially among peers who entered the sect at the same time, fostering a sense of closeness.


    It was always good to have friendly fellow disciples, even if only superficially.


    After walking for half an hour, they arrived at the Outer Hall halfway up the western peak of the mountain.


    Du Qiu said, ''This is the Outer Hall. Before parting ways, let me remind you onest time: be careful when choosing the novice missions. It directly affects your future five years and may even have a significant impact on your entire cultivation career.''


    "That''s all I have to say. Farewell."


    With that, Du Qiu left gracefully.


    After Du Qiu had gone far, Wu Xiu nced at the five of them with an inexplicable sense of superiority in his eyes.


    He had already chosen a sect mission before joining the sect, feeling much stronger than these five rookies who knew nothing.


    He took the lead into the Outer Hall and approached an elder inside.


    "Respectfully greeting the elder, I am Wu Xiu, a new disciple sincest month, here to receive the novice mission."


    The elder lifted his cloudy eyes, devoid of any emotion, nced at Wu Xiu, then at the five behind him, and urged, "The five of you behind, hurry up. This old man doesn''t want to waste time introducing the novice missions twice for you neers."


    The five behind hurriedly quickened their pace.


    As they approached, the elder continued speaking.


    "Currently, there are specific needs for neers. The Spirit nt Hall requires six Spirit nters, the Blood Refining Hall needs two Corpse Dissectors, the Soul Refining Hall needs three Soul Collectors, and the Corpse Pit requires two Corpse Bearers..."


    The elder proceeded to introduce each position that urgently required fresh recruits.


    "These are the current opportunities avable. You may choose any one of them, but once chosen, you cannot change your assignment for five years."


    Wu Xiu, who had already made up his mind, spoke first.


    "Elder, I wish to be a Corpse Dissector at the Yin Demon Hall."


    In the practice of the Corpse Demon Sect, demonic cultivators required a significant amount of essence blood and corpses from righteous cultivators and ordinary people. Corpse Dissectors were specifically tasked with capturing and ughtering these individuals.


    Of course, the corpses needed by the Corpse Demon Sect were not ordinary; they often required specific conditions, such as being born in an inauspicious year, month, or time, or remaining incorruptible for a hundred years in a corpse nurturing ground.


    When ughtering righteous cultivators, the Corpse Demon Sect typically avoided members of major righteous sects, targeting instead wandering cultivators and disciples of smaller sects, as they were less likely to provoke retaliation.


    The elder''s expression turned stern as he harshly rebuked, "You, a newly arrived novice, why do you think you can be a Corpse Dissector at the Yin Demon Hall!"


    The reason for the elder''s anger was that among his previous introductions, bing a Corpse Dissector had not been an option.


    To qualify as a Corpse Dissector at the Yin Demon Hall, one needed at least the cultivation level of mid-stage Qi Refining. This was merely the minimum requirement; due to the high risk involved inbatting wandering cultivators, most elite Corpse Dissectors were in thete stage of Qi Refining.


    However, despite the high risk, the rewards were substantial. Each month, the Corpse Demon Sect provided substantial resources to Corpse Dissectors, and their status within the sect was top-notch. Moreover, after killing wandering cultivators, they often gained valuable resources from their corpses.


    Facing the elder''s rebuke, Wu Xiu showed no fear. He sped his hands together and respectfully replied, "Please calm down, Elder. My deceased father was once a Corpse Dissector. He taught me the ''Corpse Fiend Technique'' from a young age. Now, I''ve reached the peak of Qi Refining Stage Three, just a step away from mid-stage Qi Refining. I also possess an Iron Corpseparable to the cultivation of someone in the sixth stage of Qi Refining. Elder, please consider my family''s contributions to the sect and show some flexibility."


    As he spoke, Wu Xiu reached into his robe and pulled out a cloth bag containing fifty spirit stones, which his father had prepared for him before his death.


    He handed the bag directly to the elder.


    The elder took the bag, smiled slightly, and although the spirit stones were not many, he was quite satisfied.


    Nodding, the elder said, "Considering your family''s contributions, I will allow you to be a Corpse Dissector at the Yin Demon Hall."


    Reaching into his storage pouch, the elder pulled out a triangr ck token with the words ''Corpse Dissector'' inscribed on it.


    He tossed the token to Wu Xiu.


    Taking the token, Wu Xiu appeared delighted and respectfully bowed, "Thank you, Elder."


    The reason why Wu Xiu wanted to be a Corpse Dissector, despite its extreme danger, was mainly because he had only a fourth-grade spiritual root. While this was considered a decent quality, providing a chance to build a foundation, it required arge amount of resources to support cultivation. The inheritance left by his deceased father, who was only at the eighth stage of Qi Refining, was evidently insufficient to sustain him to the foundation-building stage.


    He didn''t want to end up like his father, who failed to build a foundation and sadly left the sect decadester, cing his hopes for immortality on future generations.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 32: Corpse Dissector

    <h4>Chapter 32: Corpse Dissector</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Generally speaking, after the age of sixty, a cultivator''s qi and blood gradually weaken. Foundation Building requires a cultivator to elevate their essence, energy, and spirit to the peak state of human strength, then break through the body''s limits, thereby undergoing transformation and fundamentallypleting the evolution of life to gain greater power and longevity.


    In other words, after sixty years of age, the possibility of Foundation Building bes extremely low and continues to decline with increasing age.


    Although Wu Xiu was only sixteen years old at this time, in order to Foundation Build and attain longer life, he had to exert all his efforts now at this young age to umte more cultivation resources for himself.


    Wu Xiu, though proud, had clear goals and ns for his cultivation.


    Of course, much of this was taught to him by his deceased father and was one of the greatest inheritances left to him by his father.


    After receiving the token of the Corpse Dissector, Wu Xiu respectfully stepped aside.


    This scene fell into the eyes of the five behind him, especially in the eyes of Song Wen, who had lived a second life, causing a great shock.


    It seemed that the cultivation world was not just about fighting; like the mundane world, it was still full of human affairs. Even the demonic path, known for its brutality and ughter, was still like this.


    Next, the four neers each chose their new tasks.


    Perhaps having previously discussed it, the four of them all unexpectedly chose to be Spirit nters at the Spirit Medicine Hall.


    For cultivators of the Corpse Demon Sect, arge quantity of pills was required for cultivation. These pills required various spirit herbs and toxic nts, most of which were cultivated by the Spirit Medicine Hall of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    The job of a Spirit nter was to cultivate these spirit herbs and toxic nts at the Spirit Medicine Hall. It was a rtively safe job within the Corpse Demon Sect, aside from asional encounters with poisonous insects within the medicine gardens, they rarely faced any other dangers.


    Naturally, the treatment of Spirit nters was rtively inferior. For these four individuals, whose temperaments were still immature and who knew almost nothing about cultivating immortality and the demonic path, bing a Spirit nter was undoubtedly a good choice.


    Finally, it was Song Wen''s turn to choose.


    "I choose to be a Corpse Dissector at the Blood Refining Hall."


    In the process of cultivation within the Corpse Demon Sect, arge quantity of human blood was needed to refine various pills and magical artifacts, most of which were provided by the Blood Refining Hall.


    Human blood was stored in various parts of the human body. In order to maximize the extraction of human blood, the Corpse Demon Sect had the position of Corpse Dissector. In essence, this was simr to a butcher selling meat in the mundane world; Corpse Dissectors needed to separate bones, flesh, and organs from corpses to provide the Blood Refining Hall with refined blood.


    Upon hearing this, the elder looked at Song Wen strangely, with some astonishment in his questioning tone.


    "Are you sure you want to be a Corpse Dissector?"


    Corpse Dissectors were highly regarded because the Corpse Dissection Cave was located deep underground in the Corpse Demon Mountain. Due to frequent dissections, the cave was filled with strong blood qi, mixed with a trace of corpse qi and resentment.


    The mingling of these turbid energies within the cave made the environment highly unsuitable for prolonged human habitation. Even Corpse Demon Sect cultivators specializing in corpse techniques who spent too much time in the cave were highly prone to contamination of their spiritual energy and even demonic possession.


    The Corpse Dissection Cave was generally a ce of exile for disciples who had made mistakes or were at thete Qi Refining Stage and sought extreme environmental stimtion to advance.


    It had been quite some time since new disciples volunteered to go to the Corpse Dissection Cave, which was why the elder was somewhat surprised.


    Wu Xiu and the four new recruits also looked at Song Wen with surprise; they had all learned about the sect''s rules and had some understanding of the terrifying nature of the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    Song Wen, however, remained calm and said lightly, "Yes, I want to be a Corpse Dissector at the Corpse Dissection Cave."


    As soon as he heard that there was a shortage of people at the Corpse Dissection Cave, he immediately chose this ce.


    Corpse Dissectors needed to personally dissect numerous corpses, which conveniently allowed his "golden finger" to devour blood essence. With countless corpses in the Corpse Dissection Cavecking some blood, it shouldn''t attract much attention.


    Having witnessed the mighty Foundation Establishment cultivator, Song Wen, and filled with a strong desire for power, in this world where the strong prey on the weak, only with sufficient personal strength can one truly control their own destiny.


    After Song Wen''s resolute answer, the elder did not say much.


    If someone wanted to seek death in the Corpse Dissection Cave, he would not dissuade them.


    Perhaps next month, in the pills they consumed, there would be contributions of blood essence from this individual. The Corpse Demon Sect scoured the world for cultivators'' blood essence and corpses, naturally not letting go of the corpses of fellow disciples who died in vain.


    The elder threw a token engraved with the characters ''Corpse Dissector'' to Song Wen.


    The six of them took the tokens and left the Outer Affairs Hall.


    Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth towards Song Wen, but in the end, he didn''t say anything, just deeply sighed.


    In his eyes, Song Wen, this wandering cultivator, like those of them who had been forcibly brought here without having practiced before, were allpelled to be disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    He had wanted to advise Song Wen to choose a safe task like theirs, survive quietly within the Corpse Demon Sect, and perhaps one day find an opportunity to escape from the sect and return to a free life.


    But Song Wen chose to be a Corpse Dissector, a position of extreme danger, which Zhang Xiaofan found difficult to understand.


    Originally mocking Song Wen several times, Wu Xiu couldn''t help but sympathize with him inwardly. Both were striving for the slim chance of longevity.


    After the group separated, Song Wen, holding the Corpse Dissector token, headed towards the foot of the mountain.


    The entrance to the Corpse Dissection Cave was at the foot of the mountain.


    Northwest of the Corpse Demon Peak.


    A ten-meter-high giant cave entrance appeared before Song Wen''s eyes.


    Inside the cave was pitch ck, without a trace of light, like a ferocious beast lying on the ground, its blood-red mouth wide open, as if ready to swallow everything nearby.


    asionally, gusts of cold wind blew out from the cave, chilling to the bone.


    Above the cave ceiling were threerge characters: Corpse Dissection Cave.


    Song Wen calmed his mind, holding the Corpse Dissector token, and stepped into the entrance.


    As he crossed the entrance, he keenly sensed passing through a formation. This was the defensive formation of the Corpse Dissection Cave. Without the Corpse Dissector token, anyone who rashly entered would not only be unable to enter the cave but would also be attacked by the formation, likely attracting Corpse Demon Sect cultivators.


    The path inside the cave sloped downward, and it wasn''t as pitch ck as it appeared from the outside. Faint glows asionally dotted the cave walls, resembling ghostly lights flickering in a graveyard at night.


    As Song Wen descended deeper and deeper, after covering a distance of about a kilometer, the scene before him finally became clear.


    A massive underground cave, about a kilometer in diameter, appeared before his eyes, emitting an extremely foul and nauseating stench that assaulted him.


    Around the cave''s perimeter burned dismal white mes, making this already dense with gloom and corpse qi even more eerie and terrifying.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 33: Corpse Dissector 2

    <h4>Chapter 33: Corpse Dissector 2</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Who are you? How did you break into the Corpse Dissection Cave?"


    Just as Song Wen was surveying the cave from all sides, a sudden voice interrupted his observations.


    A man covered in a strong stench of blood and filth appeared before Song Wen, his eyes showing a hint of caution. However, noticing Song Wen''s weak cultivation, the man did not react aggressively.


    Song Wen sped his fists in greeting, "Reporting to senior, I am a newly recruited outer disciple, here to work as a Corpse Dissector."


    As he spoke, Song Wen also showed the ''Corpse Dissector'' token in his hand.


    The man carefully examined the token and quickly confirmed its authenticity, but he still looked somewhat suspicious.


    "With your low cultivation, why were you assigned to the Corpse Dissection Cave? Did you perhaps offend a Foundation Establishment elder''s lover?"


    A bitter smile appeared on Song Wen''s face, "Senior, please don''t jest. Junior is just..."


    Song Wen was about to exin further when the man interrupted him.


    "Enough, once you''ve arrived at the Corpse Dissection Cave, you''re already a fallen person. There''s no need to exin the specific reasons. You also don''t need to call me senior; I''m just an outer disciple in thete Foundation Establishment stage. My name is Yuan Cheng, you can call me Senior Yuan."


    "I am Ji Yin, nice to meet you, Senior Yuan."


    Yuan Cheng nodded, "Follow me."


    Under Yuan Cheng''s guidance, Song Wen arrived at a small cave entrance to the left of the main entrance of the underground cavern.


    Yuan Cheng entered the cave and searched on a stone table inside, then pulled out a bone-cleansing knife and tossed it to Song Wen.


    "This is the exclusive tool provided by the sect for Corpse Dissectors, a lower-grade spiritual weapon."


    "Today''s allocation of bodies to be dissected has already beenpleted. You won''t be dissecting any corpses today. Instead, you should wander around inside the Corpse Dissection Cave, observe and learn the essentials of dissecting corpses."


    "Between the hour of Chen and Si tomorrow,e back here to receive the bodies and officially begin dissecting the corpses."


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> The time between the hour of Chen (��) and the hour of Si (��) would be from <strong>7 AM to 11 AM</strong>.


    Song Wen suddenly realized that although Yuan Cheng didn''t explicitly say it, from the information revealed in his words, it was clear that he managed the operations of the Corpse Dissection Cave on a daily basis.


    Yuan Cheng would be his direct supervisor for the next five years.


    "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Yuan. I will definitely follow your teachings carefully. Please take care of me in the future."


    Yuan Cheng waved his hand, indicating that Song Wen could leave.


    Song Wen bowed again respectfully before turning to leave.


    As he walked away, he examined the bone-cleansing knife in his hand.


    He hadn''t expected the sect to issue spiritual weapons to Corpse Dissectors. Although it was only a lower-grade spiritual weapon, it suited Song Wen''s current cultivation level well.


    Contrary to Song Wen''s initial expectations, obtaining a spiritual weapon was not easy. Even Ji Yin, who possessed the legacy of Huang Shang, only had one alchemy furnace, which was also a lower-grade spiritual weapon.


    Huang Shang, who had wandered the cultivation world for decades as a wandering cultivator, had only managed to umte one lower-grade spiritual weapon, the alchemy furnace, which spoke volumes about the rarity and value of spiritual weapons.


    In Song Wen''s estimation, the danger in the Corpse Dissection Cave mainly came from the dense blood energy and slight corpse and resentment energies. His physical body could absorb blood energy, and his techniques could refine corpse and evil energies, giving him strong immunity to the chaotic earthly impurities in the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    As expected, from the moment he stepped into the Corpse Dissection Cave, he sensed his body slowly absorbing the cave''s blood energy, replenishing the qi and blood deficiency caused by a month of practicing the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique.


    This discovery caused Song Wen''s heart to tremble involuntarily. From the current situation, it seemed that his choice to be a Corpse Dissector was correct.


    Just as Song Wen was pondering this in his heart, he walked near another Corpse Dissector.


    He saw that Corpse Dissector wielding a bone-cleansing knife, swiftly dissecting the corpse of an adult woman.


    Under the Corpse Dissector''s control technique, the adult woman''s corpse was dismembered into pieces in just a few minutes.


    Like a skilled butcher.


    The entire process was smooth and uninterrupted, as if he had dissected countless human bodies before and knew the human anatomy inside out.


    The corpse waspletely separated into bones and flesh. There was hardly any blood or flesh left on the bones of the female corpse; it was cleaned very thoroughly.


    The blood from the female corpse flowed into arge blood pool not far away through the blood trough on the dissecting table.


    The Corpse Dissector packed the flesh, bones, and organs of the female corpse separately into storage bags.


    Watching the Corpse Dissector''s smooth actions made Song Wen feel somewhat nauseous.


    The dismemberment of corpses had a profound impact on him. Although he had mentally prepared himself beforehand, witnessing this scene firsthand still made it unbearable to watch.


    However, Song Wen forcibly suppressed his difort and forced himself to stare without turning away.


    He couldn''t afford to show any weakness. Since he had joined the Corpse Demon Sect, delved into the demonic path, and entered the Corpse Dissection Cave, he had to be as tough as nails; otherwise, he wouldn''t survive long in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Weakness was the mark of the weak, and the weak deserved to be bullied.


    After the Corpse Dissector finished with the female corpse, he took out a male corpse, preparing to start a new round of dissection.


    The bone-cleansing knife''s sharp edge sliced down from the neck of the male corpse all the way to its ankles.


    Instantly, the clothes on the male corpse were all shed open, yet not a single bit of skin was harmed. This scene left Song Wen stunned; the Corpse Dissector''s skill was truly extraordinary.


    After removing the clothing from the male corpse, the Corpse Dissector began dissecting step by step from the head.


    Half an hourter, after dissecting all the corpses scheduled for today, the Corpse Dissector briefly cleaned up the dissection table and headed towards Yuan Cheng''s cave.


    Song Wen watched as the Corpse Dissector approached from his direction and hurriedly greeted him respectfully.


    "Respects to Senior, I am a new outer disciple. Please take care of me in the future."


    Song Wen hoped to establish a familiar rtionship for future consultation when encountering things he didn''t understand during dissections.


    However, the Corpse Dissector replied coldly, "Move aside!"


    The Corpse Dissector''s icy tone snapped Song Wen out of his thoughts. Where he currently stood was the infamous Corpse Dissection Cave within the Corpse Demon Sect; not every Corpse Dissector was as easy to talk to as Yuan Cheng.


    Song Wen quickly stepped back to make way, watching as the Corpse Dissector walked past him towards Yuan Cheng''s cave, carrying three storage bags filled with flesh, bones, and organs respectively.


    There were over a hundred dissecting tables in the Corpse Dissection Cave. When Song Wen first entered, there were only forty-three people dissecting corpses; the other tables were empty.


    As Song Wen observed the Corpse Dissector''s recent dissection, several others finished their tasks for the day and left the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    At this moment, there were only about a dozen Corpse Dissectors still dissecting corpses in the cave.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 34: The First Corpse Dissection

    <h4>Chapter 34: The First Corpse Dissection</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen once again observed another Corpse Dissector. He stayed in the Corpse Dissection Cave until thest Corpse Dissector left, before finally departing himself.


    ording to his observations, each Corpse Dissector dissected approximately between 100 to 150 corpses, taking about two to three hours each time.


    After leaving the Corpse Dissection Cave, Song Wen returned to his cave, designated as No. 97.


    After receiving their tasks, Wu Xiu, Zhang Xiaofan, and others had already moved out of their outer disciple caves near the foot of the mountain to better caves allocated by the Yin Sha Hall and the Spirit nt Hall.


    Since the Corpse Dissection Cave was not suitable for habitation, and no new caves were provided for the Corpse Dissectors, Song Wen could only continue living in his original cave.


    Upon returning to his cave, Song Wen immediately took out his bone-cleansing knife and began refining it.


    Although the bone-cleansing knife was only a lower-grade magical device, Song Wen''s spiritual power was extremely weak. It took him several hours just to initially refine it.


    Song Wen had intended to test the power of the bone-cleansing knife, but refining it had drained all his spiritual power. Now, he could not muster even a trace of spiritual power and had to abandon the attempt.


    Feeling his empty stomach, Song Wen stood up and headed towards the disciples'' canteen.


    The cultivation pills given to him upon entry had already been consumed, and his monthly stipend from the Corpse Dissection Cave would only be distributed at the end of the month. During this period, Song Wen could only rely on the nearest disciples'' canteen for meals.


    There were arge number of misceneous disciples, and at any given time, there were over a thousand people present in the canteen.


    Most misceneous disciples had inferior spiritual roots, limited resources, and shallow cultivation techniques. Throughout their lives, most could only cultivate to the middle stage of Qi Refining, with few managing to break through to theter stage of Qi Refining.


    Once a misceneous disciple broke through to theter stage of Qi Refining, they would automatically be promoted to outer disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    This was the striving goal of most misceneous disciples.


    When Song Wen, dressed in the blue outer disciple attire, arrived at the canteen, many misceneous disciples looked at him with envy.


    After all, the Corpse Demon Sect was a sect for cultivating immortality. Although misceneous disciples were not highly regarded, the food was still decent.


    After eating threerge bowls of rice and a te of meat, Song Wen left the canteen satisfied.


    It wasn''t until now that Song Wen realized his appetite had grown significantly since he started practicing the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique." It was almost equivalent to several grown men.


    After the meal, Song Wen returned to his cave to recuperate and restore his spiritual power cultivation.


    The next day, in the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    Having cultivated all night, Song Wen arrived early at the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    When he arrived, only one Corpse Dissector had already arrived. Yuan Cheng was distributing corpses to this Corpse Dissector.


    Seeing Song Wen arrive, Yuan Cheng said, "Today is your first day of dissection. I''m assigning you fifty corpses to practice with. Tomorrow, it will be a hundred, and thereafter, it will be the same as the other Corpse Dissectors. Do you have any objections?"


    Song Wen sped his fists and said, "Thank you, Senior Yuan, for your guidance. I have no objections."


    Yuan Cheng nodded and handed Song Wen four storage bags.


    From yesterday''s observations, Song Wen knew that one of these four bags contained corpses, while the other three contained bones, flesh, and organs after dissection.


    "Go to Dissection Table No. 73. It''s currently vacant."


    Song Wen thanked Yuan Cheng again, took the storage bags, and walked to Dissection Table No. 73.


    He ced all four bags on the table and took out the first corpse from one of the bags.


    It was the corpse of a young man under twenty, likely a corpse of a wandering cultivator.


    Song Wen stared at the male corpse on the dissection table, silently contemting.


    "I''m sorry, but me the cannibalistic world of cultivation for not letting your corpse rest in peace. I hope in your next life, you''ll be born into a world without cultivators."


    However, Song Wen couldn''t be sure if he had a next life, but there was a great possibility that his soul had already been seized by the demonic cultivator who killed him.


    Song Wen steadied his mind, pushing aside any feelings of reluctance or pity. He repeatedly warned himself that to survive, he must be ruthless and merciless enough.


    Following the dissection procedure he observed yesterday, Song Wen first removed the clothing from the corpse.


    However, he overestimated his control over the bone-cleansing knife.


    Although he had already refined the bone-cleansing knife, significantly improving his control over it, his skill in using it was far from the level of the experienced old Corpse Dissectors.


    Either too heavy-handed or too light, every move either tore or barely scratched the corpse''s flesh in some ces, leaving some areas of the body''s skin pierced and others untouched by the de.


    Struggling to remove the clothing, Song Wen started peeling away the skin and flesh from the head.


    After an extremely unskilled operation, it took him nearly two hours to barelyplete the dissection of the corpse.


    However, after his dissection, the corpse was far from beingpletely separated like those dissected by other Corpse Dissectors.


    There were still traces of flesh and blood on the bones, and many organs were damaged. Even the bones were identally cut off in a few ces due to his distracted mind.


    Despite many shorings during the dissection process, he persisted and finally finished dissecting the body.


    Several times during the process, he almost couldn''t bear it and wanted to give up, feeling nauseous enough to vomit, but he forced himself to suppress these urges.


    There were even moments when his body began to devour the essence and blood of the corpse, which he forcefully interrupted.


    He knew he could control his body''s consumption of others'' essence and blood. He had already tried when devouring the essence and blood of Guo Hang and two others'' corpses. Otherwise, he wouldn''t dare to apply for being a Corpse Dissector.


    If all the corpses in his hands turned into dried corpses, it would certainly attract the attention of the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect, and he would likely be subjected to intense scrutiny.


    Without any rest, Song Wen immediately took out the second corpse.


    This was the corpse of a young woman.


    Undressing, peeling, and removing flesh...


    With the experience of the first corpse, the dissection of this corpse was much faster. In just over an hour, Song Wenpleted the dissection of this corpse.


    It took Song Wen more than six hours to dissect all fifty corpses.


    By the time he finished dissecting these corpses, his spiritual power had long been exhausted, and he relied entirely on physical strength to dissect the corpses. At this point, his hands and feet were also sore.


    His greatest fatigue was not physical but mental.


    Corpse dissection consumed a great deal of mental energy, and he had to forcefully suppress feelings of difort, which rapidly depleted his mental strength.


    Song Wen felt his thoughts bing sluggish at this moment.


    He picked up the four bags containing dissected corpses and slowly walked to the entrance of the cave.


    "Senior Yuan, I''vee to submit today''s corpses," Song Wen said wearily.


    Yuan Cheng took the storage bags, probed them with his spiritual awareness, and nodded.


    "Good job, Ji Yin. You''re naturally suited to be a demonic cultivator. Rest up and tomorrow, the dissection quota will double."


    By this time, all the Corpse Dissectors in the Corpse Dissection Cave had already left, so Song Wen didn''t linger. He bowed and took his leave.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 35: Blood Sacrifice Technique and Blood Escape Technique

    <h4>Chapter 35: Blood Sacrifice Technique and Blood Escape Technique</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Urgh..."


    Just as Song Wen returned to his cave, he couldn''t hold back any longer. Without eating all day, something unknown had umted in his stomach, causing a violent upheaval.


    Song Wen vomited continuously for half an hour, feeling bile rise in his throat, and his nauseous stomach finally began to settle.


    Exhausted and wanting to copse into sleep, he felt covered in the smell of blood and corpse stench, making him nauseous again.


    He had to go outside and fetch two buckets of water to wash himself clean, then cleaned up the vomit in his cave before finally lying down to sleep.


    The next day, Song Wen woke up early.


    He first went to the cafeteria for menial disciples to have breakfast, then hurried to the Corpse Dissection Cave before the third hour of the day. If he didn''t arrive early enough today, after dissecting 100 corpses, he might not make it back to his cave to rest, and instead, immediately start the next day''s dissection.


    Fortunately, the Corpse Dissection Cave was not far from where he lived.


    He was the first to arrive at the Corpse Dissection Cave that day.


    After receiving the corpses from Yuan Cheng, Song Wen couldn''t wait to begin dissecting.


    By the time hepleted dissecting about one corpse, it was almost half a quarter hour. When he finished dissecting 100 corpses, it had been more than six hours.


    He was still thest Corpse Dissector to leave. When he walked out of the Corpse Dissection Cave, just like the day before, it was already dark.


    Back at his cave, after a quick wash, he went to the cafeteria.


    At this time, there were only a few scattered menial disciples eating in the cafeteria.


    Suppressing his nausea, Song Wen forced himself to eat arge amount of food.


    He knew that under such high pressure, if his body couldn''tpensate with enough energy, both his mind and body could develop problems and copse.


    However, as a practitioner of demonic cultivation, his physical strength and endurance were not something ordinary people couldpare to, and his body did not encounter any problems.


    After dinner, when Song Wen returned to his cave, he inspected his body internally.


    He found that although he hadn''t absorbed the essence and blood from the corpses he dissected in the past two days, the dense blood qi in the Corpse Dissection Cave and asional unintentional ingestion of essence and blood had replenished his qi and blood that were previously depleted.


    By now, he had once again be a vigorous young man with abundant qi and blood.


    That night, Song Wen chose not to cultivate but to sleep.


    Sleeping could best alleviate his mental fatigue and difort.


    Although the work of dissecting corpses was unpleasant, itcked the conflicts andplex interpersonal rtionships, which made time pass quickly. Before he knew it, a month had passed.


    Song Wen had gradually adapted to corpse dissection and be a qualified Corpse Dissector.


    He only needed to spend four hours each day in the Corpse Dissection Cave, still being thest one to leave.


    Song Wen had already resumed his daily cultivation. With the blood qi plundered from the Corpse Dissection Cave, his cultivation in the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" had made rapid progress, silently advancing his cultivation to the third stage of Qi Refining.


    However, just as he finished his meditation and cultivation, Song Wen encountered an awkward problem.


    Because his cultivation speed was too fast, he found that the corpse qi provided by the Corpse Well in his cave was no longer sufficient for his cultivation needs.


    While he could plunder and devour enough qi and blood while dissecting corpses, the corpse qi in the Corpse Well was not endless but limited.


    At present, the situation of insufficient corpse qi only urred in Song Wen''s cave. It was impossible for other disciples in the early stages of Qi Refining to encounter a shortage of corpse qi in their caves.


    "What should I do? Where can I get enough corpse qi?"


    Song Wen immediately ended his meditation. By now, the sky outside was beginning to brighten, marking another sleepless night of cultivation.


    Today was payday. Song Wen nned to take his monthly wages and visit a nearby market at the foot of the mountain to see if he could buy some corpse qi.


    Afterpleting his corpse dissecting work for the day, Song Wen received his monthly wages: 120 low-grade spirit stones, ten corpse blood pills, but no more spirit-nourishing pills.


    With plenty of time left in the day, Song Wen hurried back to his cave. He was too heavily imbued with the smell of blood to easily visit the market, which did not fit his habit of shrinking from attention.


    After washing up, Song Wen did not immediately go to the market. Instead, he went to the sect''s Transmission Hall. His cultivation in the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" had reached the second stage of Qi Refining, and it was time to enhance hisbat capabilities.


    With Song Wen pushing himself to the limit, it took nearly half an hour to reach the Transmission Hall halfway up the mountain.


    After presenting his disciple token, Song Wen smoothly entered the Transmission Hall. However, he was informed that as a disciple in the early stage of Qi Refining, he could only ess the first floor of the Transmission Hall.


    There were many books in the Transmission Hall, covering a wide range of topics and neatly categorized, including cultivation techniques,bat spells, corpse puppet refining techniques, spiritual herb cultivation, and spiritual material appraisal...


    However, on the first floor of the Transmission Hall, there were only basic techniques and low-grade spiritual herb and material books.


    Song Wen quickly browsed through the spell section. There weren''t many suitable techniques for early Qi Refining disciples, totaling just over thirty.


    After a brief nce, conventional spells like Fireball and Shield Spells didn''t hold much attraction for him.


    However, some exclusive demonic techniques caught his attention.


    One of them was a technique called "Blood Sacrifice Technique." Once activated, this technique could temporarily significantly enhance a cultivator''s mana, but at the cost of burning the cultivator''s own essence and blood.


    Others who used this technique lightly risked depletion of their blood and immediate death, usually only used as ast resort.


    However, Song Wen had no such concerns. Over the past month, he had repeatedly devoured the essence and blood of others, gradually uncovering some secrets of his own body''s ability to devour essence and blood.


    Perhaps due to his strengthened physique or his body gradually adapting to devouring the essence and blood of others, he no longer felt ufortable or overwhelmed with blood qi when devouring essence and blood.


    Regardless of how much essence and blood he devoured, his body could quickly absorb and digest it.


    At the moment, it was also possible that Song Wen had recently been more restrained, and the strength of his body had not reached the limit of devouring essence and blood.


    In any case, Song Wen now stored more than ten times the essence and blood of others in his body. Using the "Blood Sacrifice Technique" was effortless for him, with no concerns about blood and essence consumption in his eyes.


    Even if his essence and blood were depleted, he could quickly replenish them by devouring essence and blood.


    Just as Song Wen was excited, he noticed the price of the "Blood Sacrifice Technique," which he could only reluctantly put down.


    The "Blood Sacrifice Technique" was priced at one hundred low-grade spirit stones, which he couldn''t afford at the moment.


    With his current ie, it would take him five months just to save up for one spirit stone.


    Song Wen then noticed another technique called "Blood Escape Technique," a method to burn one''s own essence and blood to increase speed, priced at eighty spirit stones, which Song Wen also couldn''t afford.


    Putting aside the "Blood Escape Technique," Song Wen then moved to the area of corpse puppet refining techniques.


    As a major faction in producing corpse puppets, the Corpse Demon Sect had over a dozen corpse puppet techniques that early Qi Refining cultivators could practice.


    Perhaps to promote corpse puppet techniques or because low-level techniques weremon near the Corpse Demon Sect, most corpse puppet refining techniques were quite affordable, ranging from several to over twenty low-grade spirit stones.


    There were also many types of corpse puppets, including high-level techniques thatbined souls and corpses for refining, as well as low-level techniques that only refined corpses.


    Corpse puppets with souls, also known as living corpses, were more agile and powerful to manipte. With suitable Yin attribute spiritual materials, their levels could continue to improve.


    Corpse puppets without souls, known as stiff corpses, were very awkward to manipte and had no growth potential. Due to their low production costs, they were generally used as disposable cannon fodder.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 36: Market

    <h4>Chapter 36: Market</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen, with a meager pouch, ultimately didn''t purchase any technique or skill at the Transmission Hall.


    After finally selecting a desired corpse puppet refining technique, but it required twenty-five spirit stones.


    Exiting the Transmission Hall, Song Wen headed towards the market at the foot of the mountain.


    The market at the foot of the mountain was established by the Corpse Demon Sect. Here, not only were there shops from the sect, but also from external forces, as well as stalls set up by disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect and rogue cultivators.


    The items sold at the sect''s shops were generally more expensive but guaranteed in quality.


    Goods at the stalls were generally cheaper but often of lower quality, such as pills that might have slightly poorer quality or techniques with ws that hindered cultivation.


    When Song Wen arrived at the market, the sun was already setting in the west, yet it was bustling with people. This was the busiest time for the market, where most Corpse Demon Sect disciples, after a hard day''s work, had the time to leisurely browse and shop.


    Song Wen''s purpose ining to the market was twofold: to purchase auxiliary corpse qi for cultivation and to broaden his horizons.


    As Song Wen strolled and observed, he finally spotted the coveted corpse qi at a stall after about half an hour.


    Three ck jade bottles were disyed on the stall, each intricately engraved withplex arrays to prevent the leakage of the corpse qi inside.


    "Senior brother, how much for this corpse qi?" Song Wen inquired about the price.


    The stall owner, dressed in the outer disciple''s attire of the Corpse Demon Sect, nced coldly at Song Wen and replied indifferently, "Eighty low-grade spirit stones."


    "So expensive!" Song Wen was taken aback by the price.


    "This corpse qi was meticulously extracted from the depths of the Ten Thousand Corpse Valley, where I spent several days refining and collecting the purest corpse qi avable. It can sustain someone like you, an early Qi Refining disciple, for up to three months without diminishing in efficacy. Naturally, it won''te cheap."


    The Ten Thousand Corpse Valley was a deste area not far from the Corpse Demon Sect, often enveloped in corpse qi, and was a frequent destination for nearby demonic cultivators to gather corpse qi.


    As for the owner''s im of extracting from the heart of the Ten Thousand Corpse Valley, it was likely an exaggerated boast to attract customers.


    Even though Song Wen had only been in the Corpse Demon Sect for two months, he knew that the central area of the Ten Thousand Corpse Valley was not a ce a Qi Refining cultivator could venture deep into.


    "Could you make it cheaper? Twenty spirit stones," Song Wen attempted to negotiate.


    The stall owner immediately grew irritated. "Get lost! If you''re not buying, don''t disrupt my business. Just this jade bottle alone is worth more than ten low-grade spirit stones."


    Dismissed, Song Wen left the stall feeling disgruntled.


    Next, Song Wen came across several other stalls selling corpse qi. From his observations, the price for a bottle of pure corpse qi generally hovered around sixty spirit stones.


    If the buyer provided an empty jade bottle, they could get a discount of ten spirit stones.


    In other words, the price of a specially crafted jade bottle for storing corpse qi was around ten spirit stones.


    Despite not having enough spirit stones, Song Wen didn''t give up. He still had items he could sell.


    The alchemy furnace obtained from Ji Yin!


    Although it was only a low-grade furnace, it was a rtively rare item and not cheap.


    Song Wen proceeded to enter a shop that specialized in selling furnaces.


    A young attendant approached him. Judging from his cultivation, he seemed to be at the third level of Qi Refining.


    "Customer, what would you like to buy?" the attendant asked warmly.


    "I''m not here to buy. Do you buy furnaces here?" Song Wen inquired.


    "Of course we do," the attendant replied warmly, not treating Song Wen differently just because he was here to sell something. "May I ask what kind of furnace you''re selling, sir?"


    Song Wen flipped his palm, and the refining furnace appeared in his hand.


    "It''s this refining furnace," Song Wen said as he handed it over to the attendant.


    After carefully examining it, the attendant said, "Sir, this refining furnace is of low-grade artifact level, and it shows signs of long-term use with some wear on the upper array patterns. Our shop can offer 50 spirit stones to purchase it."


    Song Wen was slightly stunned by this. "The price is so low!"


    ording to Song Wen''s knowledge, low-grade offensive artifacts generally sold for at least 100 spirit stones in the market. Defensive artifacts might fetch a bit more, but usually not more than 120 spirit stones.


    A refining furnace like this, a specialty artifact, waspletely different from ordinary ones.


    The price of a low-grade refining furnace typically ranged around 500 spirit stones, which exined why cultivating a refining master was rumored to be extremely resource-intensive.


    Just this single low-grade refining furnace was beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.


    While Song Wen''s furnace was second-hand, he estimated its value to be between 120 and 150 spirit stones.


    Although shops aimed to profit by buying low and selling high, the price of 50 spirit stones was far lower than Song Wen had expected.


    "Your offer is too low. Can you increase it?" Song Wen asked.


    The attendant smiled, "Sir, you may not know, but our shop buys items regardless of their origin. Once it enters our shop, any potential troubles associated with this refining furnace can be resolved. Hence, the price naturally reflects this."


    Song Wen couldn''t help feeling dumbfounded. Clearly, the attendant mistook him for someone selling off someone else''s goods.


    It wasn''t surprising, though. Song Wen''s cultivation was only at thete stage of Qi Refining, indicating he was a neer. This refining furnace couldn''t possibly belong to him.


    "A mistake on your part. There''s absolutely no problem with the origin of this refining furnace," Song Wen asserted.


    Taking back the refining furnace, Song Wen turned and walked towards the exit of the shop. If this shop couldn''t sell it, there were others.


    Seeing Song Wen leave decisively, the attendant grew anxious and quickly called out, "80 spirit stones?"


    Seeing Song Wen nearing the shop''s door without any sign of turning back, the attendant felt a bit uneasy. Could he have misjudged the origin of this furnace?


    "120 spirit stones."


    Song Wen continued walking without looking back. He had already stepped out of the shop and onto the outer street, scanning around for another suitable shop to sell to.


    "180 spirit stones."


    The attendant hurriedly followed outside the shop and said to Song Wen, "This is the highest price I can offer. Even if there are no issues with the origin of this furnace, you won''t find a higher price elsewhere."


    Song Wen smiled faintly and turned to the attendant, saying, "Alright, deal."


    Song Wen handed over the furnace to the attendant.


    He knew that if he were to set up a stall in the market to sell the furnace himself, he might fetch a higher price. However, setting up a stall required a daily fee of five spirit stones, and a refining furnace like this wasn''t something ordinary people bought. Only those aspiring to be refining masters would consider buying it.


    If Song Wen were to sell it himself, who knows how long it would take to find a buyer.


    The attendant''s offer of 180 spirit stones had exceeded Song Wen''s initial expectations.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 37: Forbidden Divine Art

    <h4>Chapter 37: Forbidden Divine Art</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Carrying the newly acquired 180 spirit stones, Song Wen walked out of the shop.


    He returned to the stall where he had inquired about the price of Corpse Qi.


    Before he could speak, the stall owner recognized Song Wen and frowned unhappily.


    "It''s you again! Back to cause trouble?"


    Song Wen smiled.


    "Senior brother, don''t be upset. I''m genuinely here to buy Corpse Qi. How about 10 spirit stones per bottle?"


    The stall owner frowned, "As long as you can pay, I''ll sell."


    He had three bottles of Corpse Qi on disy, none of which had been sold so far.


    Song Wen offered 60 spirit stones to the stall owner and put one bottle of Corpse Qi into his storage bag.


    As Song Wen turned to leave, he suddenly noticed a martial art manual titled "Forbidden Divine Art" disyed in a corner of the stall.


    Song Wen asked, "How much is this martial art manual?"


    Afterpleting a quick transaction, the stall owner''s attitude became much warmer, his face showing enthusiasm.


    "1000 pieces of spirit stones."


    The stall owner quoted a sky-high price.


    However, Song Wen wasn''t startled by this price. After wandering around the market for so long, he had realized that these vendors often quoted exorbitant prices for rare items with unclear origins. The actual transaction price was often much lower.


    "Can I take a closer look at it?"


    "Of course."


    Song Wen picked up "Forbidden Divine Art" and began to read.


    As he flipped open the cover, he couldn''t help feeling disappointed.


    The martial art manual only had one page of content, and the paper of this page was different from the cover.


    The martial art was recorded on a very ancient monster skin, and it was clear that the cover had been addedter.


    This page of martial art was also partially covered with paper, so Song Wen could only see the first hundred or so words. This meant that the martial art probably only consisted of three to four hundred words in total.


    Song Wen quickly nced at the first hundred words of the martial art content and roughly judged that it was an extremely rare spiritual cultivation martial art.


    It involved forcibly enhancing one''s soul strength by consuming fragments of others'' souls.


    This made Song Wen extremely interested in the martial art, but he could tell that this manual was iplete.


    Itcked the general outline at the beginning and the subsequent content. The page he held was probably only the firstyer of the martial art.


    "How much are you selling this martial art for?" Song Wen asked.


    When Song Wen picked up "Forbidden Divine Art" to examine it, the stall owner didn''t pay much attention.


    In his experience, Song Wen would likely be like previous customers��initially attracted by the fame of "Forbidden Divine Art," only to leave disappointed upon discovering that it consisted of only one page.


    He had possessed this well-known "Forbidden Divine Art" for over ten years. He had tried to cultivate it himself and had even asked friends and rtives to try, but they found it impossible to cultivate.


    Afterward, he ced it on his stall for sale. It had been purchased at a high price by several disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect, all of whom ultimately returned it. They not only returned the manual but also spread rumors that it was fake and impossible to cultivate, ruining his n to earn some spirit stones with "Forbidden Divine Art."


    Those disciples had strong abilities and powerful backing, far beyond his reach. He could only swallow his anger and ept his misfortune.


    In the past two years, "Forbidden Divine Art" had been sitting in a corner of his stall without any interest. If Song Wen hadn''t picked it up today, he might have forgotten he even had such a product.


    Seeing Song Wen''s interest in "Forbidden Divine Art" and knowing that Song Wen was a neer with weak strength, once Song Wen bought the martial art, there was no possibility of a return.


    He immediately began to promote it.


    "Junior brother has a discerning eye indeed. This ''Forbidden Divine Art'' is an esoteric skill of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect, absolutely the top martial art for cultivating the soul. This technique is fated with junior brother. For just 1000 spirit stones, junior brother can take it away."


    The Ten Thousand Souls Sect was an extremely powerful ghost cultivation sect that had dominated the Tun Mountain Range, where the Corpse Demon Sect resided, for nearly ten thousand years, truly a dominant force in the cultivation world.


    However, hundreds of years ago, it was jointly exterminated by several major righteous sects.


    With the extinction of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect, its heritage was also lost.


    Song Wen wouldn''t be swayed by the stall owner''s words and think his journey would lead him to stumble upon world-defying martial arts.


    He shook his head and said, "The technique is too severely iplete,cking both the beginning and the end. It''s almost certain that it can''t be cultivated. It''s not worth 1000 spirit stones."


    As he spoke, Song Wen returned "Forbidden Divine Art" to the stall.


    "Don''t rush to leave, junior brother. As they say in business, ''Shout high prices, return on the spot.'' Why not offer a price?"


    Looking at the stall owner, Song Wen slowly said, "I''m afraid if I offer a price, you''ll hit me."


    "How could that be? Would I dare toy hands on my own junior brother in the market? Feel free to make an offer."


    "Really?"


    Seeing the stall owner''s affirmative expression, Song Wen extended a hand and said, "5 inferior spirit stones."


    The stall owner, upon hearing Song Wen''s offer, immediately replied, showing a bit of fear that Song Wen might walk away, "Deal!"


    Song Wen was somewhat incredulous and hesitated.


    "I meant 5 inferior spirit stones?"


    "Of course, they are inferior spirit stones."


    With one hand, the stall owner handed "Forbidden Divine Art" to Song Wen, while with the other, he opened it, demanding the spirit stones from Song Wen.


    Song Wen was somewhat dumbfounded. It seemed he had offered too much.


    This "Forbidden Divine Art" was highly likely to be too iplete to be of any use. Forget about five spirit stones; it wasn''t worth even one.


    Seeing Song Wen hesitate, the stall owner''s joy gradually faded, and his expression turned unfriendly.


    "What? Are you having second thoughts?"


    Feeling the stall owner''s increasingly sharp edge, Song Wen chuckled.


    "Of course not."


    Song Wen took out five spirit stones and handed them over to the stall owner.


    Taking the spirit stones, the stall owner''s face once again turned kind.


    The speed at which his demeanor changed was not slower than the face-changing in Sichuan opera that Song Wen had seen in his previous life.


    "Junior brother, take another look to see if there''s anything else you need?"


    Song Wen quickly shook his head, "No need, I''ve bought everything I need. Goodbye."


    Song Wen was afraid to stay longer, lest the spirit stones on him be squeezed dry by the stall owner.


    "Safe travels, junior brother. Wee to visit my stall more often in the future."


    The stall owner called out loudly to Song Wen''s receding figure.


    Hearing the voice behind him, Song Wen quickened his pace.


    Instead of returning directly to his cave, Song Wen took advantage of the Transmission Hall still being closed and returned to it once again. He purchased "Blood Escape Technique" and a cultivation method called "Ghost Corpse Technique."


    The "Ghost Corpse Technique" was priced at 25 spirit stones and was a widely practiced method for refining corpse puppets in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Song Wen''s main reason for choosing the "Ghost Corpse Technique" was that it included methods for both manipting dead bodies and creating zombies.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 38: Stealing Essence and Blood

    <h4>Chapter 38: Stealing Essence and Blood</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The harvest was quite abundant for Song Wen, and his spirits were high as he returned to his own cave.


    Before he could even countst night''s harvest, Song Wen found himself embarrassingly short on funds. There were less than thirty spirit stones left in his pouch.


    On his way back, he spent another 2 spirit stones to purchase nk talisman papers used for drawing first-level inferior talismans.


    Song Wen''s talent in drawing talismans was clearly inferior to his talent in spells. Despite obtaining all the talisman papers from Extreme Yin, he failed to sessfully draw a single fireball talisman.


    However, he was not about to give up. Sessfully drawing talismans could not only enhance hisbat abilities but also be sold for a substantial profit.


    He learned in the market that even low-level inferior talismans like fireball talismans had a market demand, selling for 1 spirit stone per two talismans. Yet, he had spent 2 spirit stones and acquired 50 nk talisman papers.


    The spirit stones from selling the furnace cauldron had not been saved, leaving him nearly broke. With only ten corpse blood pills in hand, at his current cultivation speed, they would barely suffice for ten days of cultivation. To expedite his cultivation progress, he needed to continue purchasing corpse blood pills or other auxiliary elixirs.


    "Sigh! I need to figure out a way to get more spirit stones."


    Song Wen thought to himself as he reviewedst night''s harvest.


    The first item he took out was something he was unsure about being able to cultivate��''Forbidden Divine Art''.


    When he first read the initial part of the cultivation method, he felt that this technique might assist him in refining and devouring souls.


    Ever since Song Wen started devouring souls, he could only slowly absorb them. From killing beggars to now, Song Wen realized that his spiritual power had increased somewhat, surpassing others at the same level.


    However, the increase in spiritual power was very limited. After he devoured most souls, they did notpletely disappear; most of them slowly dissipated and were wasted.


    Moreover, there were many residual soul fragments in the Demonic Cave. After absorbing arge number of these fragments, his spiritual sea remained saturated for a long time, greatly affecting his ability to devour more soul fragments.


    If this technique could help him solve this problem, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance Song Wen''s soul strength and maximize his potential.


    Uncovering the parchment of the hidden technique, as expected, the firstyer of the Forbidden Divine Art consisted of just over three hundred characters.


    The ancient and heavy parchment recording the technique suggested its authenticity, unlike something randomly fabricated. It was highly likely that this technique was left behind after the destruction of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect.


    Song Wen quickly finished reading the content.


    Afterwards, he began to try and cultivate it, using the Forbidden Divine Art to refine the soul fragments he had devoured into his spiritual sea.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, cultivating the Forbidden Divine Art was unusually easy. It was as easy as drinking water or eating food, and he learned it in no time.


    His spiritual sea was rapidly consuming the soul fragments, and his soul strength and spiritual power were quickly increasing.


    Song Wen spected that theck of detailed content in the outline of the Forbidden Divine Art should be rted to how to devour other people''s souls and store them as soul fragments in the spiritual sea.


    Song Wen''s guess seemed to make sense, but the true content of the Forbidden Divine Art was far from this.


    He greatly underestimated the effectiveness of devouring other people''s souls with his own body. ording to the real records of the Forbidden Divine Art, to dpose and devour other people''s souls required a lot of resources and the construction of arrays to slowly absorb the soul fragments into the spiritual sea. Moreover, devouring soul fragments was extremely slow.


    After all, the spiritual sea was the most mysterious part of the human body. Even in the world of cultivation, no one could peek into the secrets of the soul and spiritual sea.


    The human spiritual sea was mysterious, powerful, and fragile. A slight mistake could lead to a fragmented soul or even the loss of one''s soul.


    Therefore, for techniques like the Forbidden Divine Art that directly involved the spiritual sea, extreme caution was necessary.


    In the original Ten Thousand Souls Sect, only a few with naturally stable spiritual seas and strong souls could possibly seed in cultivating it. Every year in the Ten Thousand Souls Sect, many self-proimed geniuses, eager to cultivate the Forbidden Divine Art, ended up with damaged spiritual seas, fragmented souls, and even losing their sanity."


    Having cultivated "Forbidden Divine Art" throughout the night, Song Wen consumed nearly half of the soul fragments stored in his sea of consciousness. This advancement greatly boosted his spiritual power.


    Even though Song Wen had been cultivating all night without sleep, he still felt refreshed and not the least bit tired.


    After breakfast at the dining hall, Song Wen promptly arrived at the Corpse Dissecting Cave.


    While Dissecting corpses, he consciously absorbed the residual soul fragments from the corpses and increased his consumption of the corpses'' essence and blood.


    Throughout the day, Song Wen remained tense, fearing someone might discover his act of stealing the corpses'' essence and blood.


    Fortunately, after Dissecting the corpses, he only needed to turn in the skin, bones, and organs, while the blood from the corpses flowed into therge blood pool in the Corpse Dissecting Cave through the drainage channels of the corpse Dissecting tform.


    Song Wen''s covert consumption of some of the essence and blood went unnoticed.


    When Song Wen finished his day''s work and prepared to turn in the body parts to Yuan Cheng, he suddenly realized he had consumed an excessive amount of blood essence that day. His body surged with blood energy, and he found it difficult to control the overwhelming blood energy within him.


    To avoid raising suspicions from Yuan Cheng, Song Wen had to fully operate the "Corpse King''s Blood Refining Technique" to calm down the surging blood energy as much as possible.


    After a quarter of an hour, Song Wen''s blood energy was mostly stabilized. Just like before, he was thest to leave Yuan Cheng''s cave.


    Yuan Cheng took the four storage bags handed over by Song Wen and subconsciously asked, "What happened just now? I saw you standing by the corpse Dissecting tform for a full quarter of an hour."


    Song Wen hadn''t expected Yuan Cheng to notice his efforts to calm his blood energy by the corpse Dissecting tform. Although he felt a bit nervous, his face showed no panic. Instead, he said with a somewhat depressed expression, "I don''t know what happened either. I just felt my qi and blood surging uncontrobly, and it took a lot of effort to stabilize my spiritual power."


    The symptoms Song Wen described were often experienced by many corpse dissectors in the early stages of being contaminated by the impure qi in the corpse Dissecting cave.


    Experiencing these symptoms meant that the person was not far from being possessed.


    Yuan Cheng nced at Song Wen with pity and said nothing more, waving his hand to indicate that Song Wen could leave.


    While Song Wen made his way back to his cave, carefully controlling the excessive blood energy within him, he immediately sat down cross-legged upon returning. At the same time, he reversed his blood energy and forced out the excess blood energy from his body.


    Gradually, Song Wen''s entire body was enveloped in a crimson mist of blood energy. Slowly, the entire cave was filled with a thick, rich blood energy.


    A drop of bean-sized crimson essence began to condense on Song Wen''s forehead, then dripped down into a jade bottle prepared in advance.


    One drop, two drops, three drops...


    Drop after drop of pure essence blood fell into the jade bottle.


    After more than a hundred drops of essence blood had filled the bottle halfway, Song Wen stopped forcing out the essence blood.


    If an outsider were to witness this scene, they would surely be astonished and disbelieving. The amount of essence blood Song Wen forced out was equivalent to the total blood essence of ate-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.


    With Song Wen''s cultivation at the second level of Qi Refinement, it would be impossible for him to condense so much essence blood even in ten lifetimes.


    However, even after forcing out over a hundred drops of essence blood, Song Wen''s body remained full of qi and blood, showing no signs of weakness from excessive blood energy consumption.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 39: The Mysterious Female Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 39: The Mysterious Female Corpse</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Holding the jade bottle, Song Wen sensed the pure and wless essence blood within.


    Song Wen was very satisfied.


    This was currently the only method he could think of to quickly earn spiritual stones.


    Yesterday, at the market, Song Wen noticed the high price of refined essence blood.


    The essence blood he forced out was pure, singr, without any impurities or blemishes. Anyone who inspected it would think it had beenpletely refined from the blood essence of ate-stage Qi Refinement righteous cultivator.


    Song Wen estimated that if he set up a stall at the market, this half-bottle of essence blood could fetch at least 80 to 100 spiritual stones.


    After storing away the jade bottle, Song Wen took out the Corpse Qi obtained yesterday and concurrently consumed a Corpse Blood Pill, beginning to cultivate the "Corpse King''s Blood Refining Technique."


    As for the "Forbidden Divine Art," he nned to wait until the soul fragments in his sea of consciousness approached saturation before cultivating it again.


    In the blink of an eye, over ten days passed. With abundant qi and blood, Corpse Qi, and the assistance of Corpse Blood Pills, Song Wen''s cultivation progressed extremely rapidly. His current cultivation had already stepped into the mid-stage of the secondyer of Qi Refinement.


    Such cultivation speed would be considered remarkable even in the fast-progressing demonic path.


    During these ten-plus days, Song Wen had been continuously stealing essence blood from the Corpse Dissecting Cave. However, unlike the first day, he dared not devour blood as recklessly. He daily controlled his qi and blood within a range he could freely manipte.


    Even so, he had already condensed three full bottles of essence blood.


    After finishing dissecting corpses for the day, Song Wen nned to go to the market and discreetly dispose of these three bottles of essence blood.


    At the hour of the third watch, Song Wenpleted his daily corpse dissecting and took the resolved essence to Yuan Cheng''s cave.


    After handing over the storage bags, he was about to leave but was stopped by Yuan Cheng.


    "Ji Yin, please wait a moment."


    "Brother Yuan, what instructions do you have?"


    Song Wen had to stop his steps, put on a respectful smile, and said.


    "I have a corpse here that needs to be processed quickly. Ji Yin, please first resolve this corpse."


    As he spoke, Yuan Cheng handed over a storage bag.


    Although reluctant in his heart, Song Wen dared not show it.


    When under someone else''s roof, one has to lower one''s head!


    He nodded and said with a smile, "No problem, Brother Yuan."


    Song Wen took the storage bag and headed towards the corpse dissecting tform.


    "Ji Yin, please be careful when dissecting this corpse."


    Yuan Cheng''s voice sounded behind Song Wen. Suddenly, Song Wen felt he had agreed too quickly just now, as if he had overlooked something important.


    For an ordinary corpse, Yuan Cheng wouldn''t hurry someone to resolve it on the same day; they could easily wait until the next day.


    The fact that it had to be resolved today meant that if this corpse were left until tomorrow, something unexpected might happen.


    But what unexpected event could happen with just one corpse?


    Could it be a false corpse?


    Even if it were a false corpse, within the Necromancer Sect, a newly transformed corpse wouldn''t cause much trouble.


    Song Wen couldn''t figure out the reason behind this and could only turn around, looking at Yuan Cheng in confusion.


    However, Yuan Cheng said nothing more, already closing his eyes and meditating in his own cave, as if the warning he had just given was not from him,pletely ignoring Song Wen''s movements.


    Seeing that he didn''t want to speak further, Song Wen could only continue with trepidation towards the corpse dissecting tform. However, in his heart, he became wary of this particr corpse.


    At this thought, he felt somewhat annoyed. If he hadn''t been thest one to finish dissecting corpses, Yuan Cheng wouldn''t have singled him out to dissect this corpse.


    Song Wen didn''t immediately open the storage bag but instead took out a pair of leather gloves and a leather apron from his own storage bag.


    This was an experience he had observed during nearly two months of working in the Corpse Dissecting Cave.


    Some other experienced corpse dissectors would wear gloves and aprons for protection when dissecting certain specific corpses. Some even wore gloves and protective gear of the Fa Yan level.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> "Fa" (��) often refers tow, principles, or dharma in Chinese, while "Yan" (��) means development, evolution, or extension.


    The Fa Yan level gloves and protective gear were not affordable for Song Wen, so he could only use leather substitutes.


    Even if Song Wen sold those three bottles of essence blood now, he wouldn''t dare to buy even the lowest-grade Fa Yan gloves and gear. Otherwise, it would definitely attract attention from others.


    As a lone neer who had barely been in the sect for less than three months, where would he get the spiritual stones to purchase Fa Yan equipment?


    Keep wealth concealed, words unspoken!


    This was the first rule Song Wen had set for himself in this dangerous world.


    Seeing the corpse appearing on the corpse dissecting tform, Song Wen didn''t immediately start dissecting it but carefully observed it.


    The owner of this corpse seemed to be an old woman, appearing very aged with a somewhat hunched figure. The wrinkles on her skin were very pronounced, resembling the body of an ordinary elderly person who had died of natural causes.


    There were many water stains on the corpse, melted from ice crystals. Additionally, there were sporadic unmelted ice crystals on the body.


    The fatal injury to the corpse was at the back of the head, where there was a bowl-sized hole, as if someone had smashed her skull with a w.


    Inside the hole at the back of the head, there were still many ice crystals that had notpletely melted.


    It was apparent that she had been killed and then frozen using ice-based techniques.


    Since she had already been killed, why would someone waste energy freezing her like this?


    This doubt surfaced in Song Wen''s mind.


    If the old woman had been frozen with ice spells before she died, the ice crystals would only appear on the surface of her body, not in the hole at the back of her head.


    Song Wen took out a bone-picking knife and began carefully cutting open the old woman''s clothes.


    The thinyer of ice crystals on the corpse was unexpectedly tough, posing a significant challenge for Song Wen.


    Following the frozen areas, Song Wen struggled to cut through the clothing and then peeled it off.


    "I wonder if these ice crystals were left by a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator?" Song Wen thought, shocked.


    A skeletal, bloodless, emaciated corpse appeared before his eyes, resembling the body of someone who had suffered from long-term malnutrition and starvation.


    Of course, Song Wen did not believe that someone killed by a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator would suffer from malnutrition.


    The old woman''s body seemed more like it had been depleted of qi and blood due to something continuously sucking away its vitality.


    There weren''t many ice crystals on the corpse, and they weren''t connected in a continuousyer. Song Wen could still find gaps between the ice crystals to dissect the body.


    However, due to the low temperature affecting the corpse and the high cultivation level of the old woman, estimated to be a Foundation Establishment stage powerhouse, the body''s natural strength was extremely high, making the dissection very difficult.


    In theory, this corpse should have been an excellent material for refining corpse puppets. However, for some reason, it had been sent to the Corpse Dissecting Cave to be dissected for obtaining essence blood.


    This puzzled Song Wen greatly.


    "If only I could refine this corpse into a corpse puppet."


    Since obtaining the "Ghost Corpse Technique," he hadn''t found a suitable body to refine into a corpse puppet. Now, he had to dissect such an exceptional corpse. He couldn''t help but feel a bit regretful.


    However, with only a cultivation level of the secondyer of Qi Refinement, Song Wen was very clear that he couldn''t guess the decisions of the higher-ups in the Corpse Demon Sect. He only needed to follow orders and dissect the corpse.


    Due to the various abnormalities on the corpse, Song Wen didn''t dare to devour its essence blood. He began the dissection cautiously, hoping nothing unexpected would ur.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 40: Blood Gu Technique

    <h4>Chapter 40: Blood Gu Technique</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    When the bone-picking knife sliced through the withered old woman''s inner thigh, its sharp edge suddenly met with resistance.


    Song Wen initially thought he had hit hard ice again, but upon closer inspection, he discovered something foreign inside the wrinkled inner thigh.


    It was this foreign object that had blocked the knife''s edge.


    Upon closer examination, there was a somewhat inconspicuous scar on the thigh that Song Wen hadn''t noticed earlier due to the excessively wrinkled skin of the corpse.


    Song Wen slowly cut along the edge of the foreign object, finally revealing it before his eyes.


    "Blood Gu Technique!"


    A technique the size of two palms, made from the hide of a demonic beast, appeared before Song Wen.


    Song Wen stretched his limbs and moved his head slightly, as if rxing his limbs during the corpse-resolving process.


    However, he took the opportunity to nce around.


    He was sure there was no one around; Yuan Cheng was still inside his cave and had note out.


    In other words, no one knew about the existence of the "Blood Gu Technique."


    Song Wen calmly put the "Blood Gu Technique" into his own storage bag.


    After obtaining the "Blood Gu Technique," Song Wen couldn''t help but feel excited and pleased. This technique should have been the old woman''s main cultivation method.


    Moreover, Song Wen spected that this old woman was probably a Foundation Establishment stage expert, who needed to carefully hide such a technique. It definitely wasn''t somethingmon; there must be something precious about it.


    After calming his emotions a bit, Song Wen continued to dissect the corpse.


    Fortunately, during the process of resolving the corpse, Song Wen''s worries about abnormalities did not materialize. The dissection went smoothly, except for the surprisingly low amount of blood in the old woman''s body. There were no other anomalies or dangers until he cut open the old woman''s chest.


    The internal organs appeared before Song Wen''s eyes, showing signs of countless tiny insect-like bites. Additionally, there were still unmelted ice crystals in the old woman''s body, indicating that her organs had been consumed in this manner while she was still alive.


    Song Wen couldn''t imagine the pain the old woman must have endured in her lifetime.


    "Could it be because of practicing the Gu Technique?"


    Song Wen felt a chill in his heart. The tiny holes in the internal organs made him feel extremely ufortable and horrified.


    After resting for a while, Song Wen overcame his difort and continued dissecting the corpse.


    When he removed the damaged heart, three rice-sized insect eggs slipped out through the holes in the heart.


    The insect eggs were milky white, with an extremely thin and transparent outeryer covering a whiterva inside.


    "These should be the eggs of Gu worms!"


    Once he confirmed again that there was no one around, Song Wen absent-mindedly took out a jade bottle and collected the three insect eggs.


    Afterward, he dissected the heart further and found five more simr insect eggs. He collected all these eggs into the jade bottle and then ced it inside his chest garment.


    Witnessing the miserable state of the old woman''s internal organs, Song Wen felt unusually horrified. However, deep down, he subconsciously believed that if he could cultivate these Gu worms, it would add another means of dealing with enemies, increasing his chances of survival in this dangerous world.


    Nearly half an hourter, Song Wen finallypletely dissected the old woman''s body.


    Throughout the entire process, there were no dangers encountered, nor were any more insect eggs found.


    When Song Wen handed over the storage bag, Yuan Cheng asked,


    "Was the corpse resolving smooth? No incidents urred, right?"


    Song Wen understood in his heart that Yuan Cheng probably knew the identity of the old woman as a Gu Master, yet he did not remind him to beware of Gu worms that might appear on the corpse during dissection.


    It is well known that Gu Masters hide Gu worms all over their bodies. Even after killing a Gu Master in battle, one cannot let down their guard. Many cultivators who are unaware of the prowess of Gu Masters have lost their lives carelessly while touching the corpse, as they were injured by Gu worms on the Gu Master''s body.


    During the process of dissecting the corpse, Song Wen roughly understood the various abnormalities on the old woman''s body.


    The old woman should have been a Foundation Establishment stage Gu Master who lost in battle and was killed by someone.


    The person who killed her feared that there were Gu worms hidden on her body, so they froze her using ice spells. As time passed, the ice gradually began to melt.


    Yuan Cheng was worried that with the melting of the ice, the Gu worms might revive. Therefore, he made Song Wen work overtime to dissect the body.


    Moreover, now there were only Song Wen and Yuan Cheng in the entire dissecting chamber. In case of any unexpected reversal, the Gu worms would certainly prioritize attacking Song Wen. Although Yuan Cheng''s cave had the protection of formations and was sufficiently far from the dissecting tform, Yuan Cheng would have enough time to activate the formations.


    In other words, even if Gu worms revived, they would only kill Song Wen alone, thus greatly reducing the damage to the person dissecting.


    Speaking without revealing his intentions!


    Although he felt unwilling in his heart, Song Wen''s face showed a bewildered look as he said, "There was no danger at all, just that the ice crystals on the body were too solid, making it difficult to dissect the corpse, which took a bit more time."


    Yuan Cheng nodded, took the storage bag, and handed Song Wen ten pieces of spirit stones.


    Seeing Song Wen''s puzzled expression, Yuan Cheng exined, "This female corpse is extra; these ten spirit stones are considered your hard-earned fee."


    Song Wen nodded in acknowledgment and epted the spirit stones.


    He understood that these ten spirit stones were payment for his discretion.


    If another corpse dissector had received these ten spirit stones, they would surely be grateful, but Song Wen did not want to earn these additional spirit stones.


    Although there were no idents during this corpse dissection, and he even obtained a Gu technique, he truly did not want to take such risks. He could quietly steal the essence blood from the dissecting chamber and earn spirit stones without risking his life.


    Reluctantly, but at least Yuan Cheng did not withhold the spirit stones that he deserved. Song Wen respectfully expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan Cheng."


    Yuan Cheng replied, "You may go. Remember, there''s no need to mention this matter to others."


    ...


    Back in his cave residence, Song Wen immediately took out the "Blood Gu Technique."


    He needed to understand exactly what kind of Gu worms the eight insect eggs he collected were.


    He must find the correct method to breed and control them; otherwise, if allowed to hatch and grow freely, they could possibly turn against him.


    The "Blood Gu Technique" recorded methods for breeding and nurturing dozens of types of Gu worms. Between the lines, there were scattered notes that were likely insights from the old woman''s own experience in raising Gu worms.


    From there, Song Wen also traced the origins of the insect eggs.


    This Gu was named the Beetle Gu, a rtivelymon type of Gu worm. This Gu''sbat power is not high, and its temperament is rather gentle, which is quite different from the malicious and fierce image of Gu wormsmonly perceived by ordinary people. However, this Gu also has its advantages.


    This Gu is extremely small in size, with the adult being only the size of a small rice grain. It flies silently and is extremely difficult to detect, often used for scouting and reconnaissance purposes.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 41: Acquaintance

    <h4>Chapter 41: Acquaintance</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The old woman raised arge number of Beetle Gu, totaling over a hundred.


    She kept so many Beetle Gu because, firstly, theirbat strength was weak and they were easily killed, making them consumables that needed to be kept in surplus.


    Secondly, the old woman hoped to induce a higher-level Sacred Beetle Gu through mutual consumption and mutation of the Beetle Gu.


    The Sacred Beetle Gu retained the advantage of being hard to detect like the Beetle Gu, but its attack power was greatly enhanced. It became fierce and vicious, and had the miraculous effect of breaking through protective spiritual powers, making it an extremely rare second-level Gu worm.


    Even Foundation Establishment cultivators with protective spiritual powers could be in danger if bitten by it due to carelessness.


    However, the old woman never seeded in breeding the Sacred Beetle Gu.


    ording to the methods recorded in the "Blood Gu Technique," Song Wen conducted vitality tests on the eight insect eggs and found that except for one with poor vitality, the other seven eggs showed good vitality. It seemed quite feasible to sessfully hatch them.


    Song Wen also learned from the "Blood Gu Technique" that Gu raising could generally be divided into two methods.


    One was to cultivate Gu worms in a Gu Cauldron, feeding them various natural treasures and one''s own essence blood.


    The other method was body cultivation, using one''s own flesh as the Gu Cauldron primarily fed with essence blood and supplemented with natural treasures to refine the Gu.


    Thebat power of Gu worms raised by both methods was almost the same. However, Gu worms raised by the former method might rebel and turn against the Gu Master if their strength far exceeded that of the Gu Master.


    Gu worms raised by thetter method were absolutely loyal to the Gu Master and would not betray them. However, if the Gu Master provided insufficient essence blood and spiritual treasures to support the Gu worms'' growth and survival, there was a risk of the Gu worms devouring the Gu Master''s flesh.


    The old woman practiced body cultivation for Gu raising, resulting in too many Gu worms and insufficient essence blood, which led to her internal organs being bitten and damaged.


    Song Wen pondered for a long time, still undecided on which method of Gu raising to choose.


    It was clear to Song Wen that raising Gu was a necessity.


    Setting down the jade bottle containing the insect eggs, Song Wen left the cave with three bottles of essence blood.


    ording to the previous arrangement, he intended to first go to the market, dispose of the three bottles of essence blood, and exchange them for cultivation materials.


    ...


    Song Wen went directly to the shop where he had previously sold the pill furnace. The servant boy there had mentioned before that their shop dared to ept any unidentified items, which was convenient for handling these essence blood.


    As soon as he entered the shop, the servant boy recognized Song Wen at a nce and greeted him.


    "Customer, what can I assist you with this time?"


    "I want to sell some essence blood."


    As Song Wen spoke, he took out a bottle of essence blood and handed it to the servant boy.


    The servant boy took the jade bottle with a smile, uncorked it, and after inspecting it with his spiritual sense, his expression turned pleasantly surprised.


    "Customer, the purity of this essence blood is extremely high, as pure as if it were obtained from refining a peak Qi-refining cultivator. It contains no impurities at all. Could it be obtained from refining a genuine cultivator?"


    Song Wen remained expressionless and calmly replied, "Friend, you seem to be asking too much. Are you going to ept it or not? If yes, please quote me a price directly."


    The servant boy chuckled apologetically, "I''m sorry, I spoke too much."


    At this moment, the servant boy in his heart had already confirmed his initial spection about Song Wen.


    Song Wen must be someone from some power who specializes in selling stolen goods, otherwise, with his cultivation alone, how could he possibly produce such a bottle of high-purity essence blood.


    Even if it was to give Song Wen a peak Qi refining body, Song Wen did not have the strength to fully refine the blood gas in the corpse.


    The servant immediately looked forpensation, "I bid 120 spirit stones, can I collect this bottle of blood?"


    "120?"


    Song Wen was somewhat silent upon hearing this. He expected the value of this bottle of blood to be around 200 spirit stones, but that would require him to set up his own stall to sell it, greatly increasing his exposure to risk.


    However, the other party only bid 120, which he felt was a bit low.


    Seeing Song Wen hesitate but not immediately leave, the servant understood that the other party was dissatisfied with his offer but was not far from his psychological price.


    The servant said, "How about 130?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen hesitated, instead taking out two more bottles of essence blood.


    "I have two more here. If your offer is suitable, I''ll sell them to you together."


    The servant''s eyes lit up. "140, no higher..."


    Before the servant could finish his sentence, Song Wen interrupted, "Done."


    The servant hurriedly took the essence blood from Song Wen''s hand and quickly counted out 420 spirit stones to give to Song Wen, as if afraid that Song Wen might change his mind.


    The purity of the essence blood brought by Song Wen was too high. The servant believed that it could easily be sold. Between this buy and sell, the shop could easily earn around 200 spirit stones, and he himself would earn a substantialmission.


    Watching Song Wen leave, the servant shouted loudly, "Customer, take care! Next time you have such high-quality essence blood to sell, pleasee to our store. I will definitely offer you a high price."


    Hearing the servant''s voice, Song Wen left without looking back. At the same time, he silently thought to himself,


    "It seems that in the future, when selling essence blood, I must disguise myself and not be easily recognized. I can''te to this shop anymore."


    With arge amount of spirit stones in hand, Song Wen went straight to a shop selling pills.


    He did not buy the corpse blood pills he used to take, but instead bought Qi-gathering pills popr among righteous path cultivators.


    Qi-gathering pills provide arge amount of spiritual energy to cultivators, promoting their cultivation. However, they do not contain the blood energy and corpse aura necessary for Corpse Demon Sect cultivators.


    However, Song Wen already had enough blood energy and even purchased corpse qi, so he no longer needed to take corpse blood pills. Qi-gathering pills were more suitable for his current situation.


    To avoid revealing his wealth, Song Wen spent 50 spirit stones to buy 20 Qi-gathering pills, enough to fully cultivate for about ten days.


    After leaving the pill shop, Song Wen bought a second-hand Gu cauldron at a roadside stall.


    This Gu cauldron was not a refined product and did not even reach the level of a lower-grade artifact. Moreover, it was second-hand, so Song Wen only spent a dozen or so spirit stones on it.


    Song Wen nned to use this cauldron to hatch the beetle eggs first.


    As for how to cultivate the beetles in the future, Song Wen hadn''t figured that out yet.


    Since this cauldron was not a refined product, it did not have much effect on the growth of the beetles. However, for Song Wen, who only wanted to hatch the beetles first, it was enough.


    As Song Wen walked through the market, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.


    "Hey, isn''t this Junior Sister Chen?"


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 42: Purchasing Spiritual Herbs

    <h4>Chapter 42: Purchasing Spiritual Herbs</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    At the stall, a fair-faced, inly dressed woman looked up, her expression uncertain.


    "Are you... Senior Ji Yin?"


    This woman''s name was Chen Yi, the only female among the four mortals who entered the sect at the same time as Song Wen.


    Initially, she and three other men chose to be Spirit nters, which posed less risk.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, in just over two months, Chen Yi was already setting up a stall in the market.


    It was worth noting that setting up a stall here required paying five spirit stones daily. In other words, one needed to earn at least five spirit stones a day to avoid operating at a loss.


    The monthly sry for a Spirit nter was only ten spirit stones. Chen Yi''s courage to set up a stall in the market impressed Song Wen to some extent.


    As Song Wen focused on her stall, he noticed that she was selling various spirit herbs.


    He had little knowledge of spirit herbs and couldn''t recognize their names or effects. However, he figured these spirit herbs shouldn''t be too valuable; otherwise, they wouldn''t be openly disyed at a roadside stall.


    Although Song Wen and Chen Yi hadn''tmunicated before, they entered the sect together, which naturally created a certain closenesspared to other fellow disciples.


    Moreover, during their initial interactions, Song Wen appeared somewhat aloof but not as overbearing as Wu Xiu, who looked down on others.


    A smile appeared on Chen Yi''s face.


    "It really is you, Senior Ji Yin. I didn''t expect to meet again so soon."


    "Senior Ji Yin, has everything been going smoothly for you at the Corpse Dissecting Cave?"


    After a brief exchange, both had a certain understanding of each other''s recent situations.


    Of course, Song Wen couldn''t reveal everything, nor would Chen Yi disclose every detail.


    From Chen Yi, Song Wen learned that after they entered the Spirit nting Garden together, Zhang Xiaofan quickly disyed extraordinary talent in alchemy. He was fortunate to be taken as a personal disciple by an elder in the Golden Core stage.


    Originally an average disciple, Zhang Xiaofan transformed and became the direct disciple of an elder in the Corpse Demon Sect''s alchemy hall, dramatically altering his status.


    One person''s sess uplifted all around him!


    The threepanions who entered with Zhang Xiaofan had a good rtionship in private, thus reaping significant benefits.


    Zhang Xiaofan, being generous by nature, allocated thirty percent of the profits from his spiritual field to them as their hard-earned share.


    The spiritual herbs that Chen Yi sold daily were the first batch of spiritual herbs produced from the spiritual field. These herbs were mostly low-level spirit herbsmonly used by lower-level disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect for healing, refining, or creating corpse puppets, among other uses.


    The proceeds from selling spiritual herbs were not solely Chen Yi''s; they were shared ording to a predetermined ratio among the other three.


    "Sister Chen, do you have any ''Green Spirit Grass''?"


    Green Spirit Grass was amonly used auxiliary herb in refining low-level pills and a staple material for crafting corpse puppets.


    "Naturally, I have Green Spirit Grass. There are exactly two on my stall. I''ll give them to Senior Ji Yin."


    She picked up two nts of Green Spirit Grass from her stall and handed them to Song Wen.


    The quality of these two Green Spirit Grass nts was excellent, vividly green as if they could still continue to grow if nted again.


    She assumed Song Wen needed the Green Spirit Grass for crafting corpse puppets, which only required one or two nts of Green Spirit Grass. Since the price of Green Spirit Grass was extremely low, she intended to give them to him directly.


    Facing Chen Yi''s kindness, Song Wen did not ept.


    Firstly, just two nts of Green Spirit Grass arepletely insufficient. The appetite of the beetlervae is enormous, especially during their growth period. They require arge amount of food to grow, and the spiritual energy in a single nt of Green Spirit Grass is not concentrated enough, leading to a significantly increased demand.


    Secondly, Song Wen does not like owing favors, especially just for two cheap Green Spirit Grass nts.


    "Thank you for your offer, Senior Sister Chen, but I need arger quantity. I''ll buy them for 120 spirit stones," said Song Wen.


    "Oh? Senior Brother Ji Yin wants to buy how much Green Spirit Grass?" Chen Yi became interested upon hearing Song Wen''s words. She had quite a few Green Spirit Grass nts on hand but wasn''t eager to sell them.


    "Start with a hundred nts," Song Wen replied.


    ording to the records in the "Blood Gu Technique," a young beetlerva can eat about one Green Spirit Grass nt per day. If he could sessfully hatch all thervae in his possession, a hundred Green Spirit Grass nts would onlyst them a little over ten days.


    Chen Yi''s eyes brightened. "Senior Brother Ji Yin, do you really need so much Green Spirit Grass? Please wait a moment; let me see how many nts I have."


    As she spoke, Chen Yi used her spiritual power to probe into her storage bag.


    Soon after, she looked somewhat regretful and said, "Senior Brother Ji Yin, I only have eighty-eight Green Spirit Grass nts left. Will that be enough for you?"


    Chen Yi spoke with a hint of disappointment, fearing she might lose Song Wen''srge order.


    "Eighty-eight nts? That''ll do," nodded Song Wen.


    Chen Yi quickly took out arge jade box from her storage bag, where she had stored all her Green Spirit Grass.


    "It''s a total of 11 spirit stones. Senior Brother Ji Yin, just give me 10 spirit stones," Chen Yi said.


    The usual price for Green Spirit Grass was eight nts for one spirit stone. Chen Yi''s Green Spirit Grass was of excellent quality, and she was selling it at this price, which was considered quite favorable.


    Song Wen took the jade box and handed over ten spirit stones to Chen Yi.


    "Senior Brother Ji Yin, why do you need so much Green Spirit Grass?" Chen Yi asked curiously. Seeing Song Wen''s puzzled look, she hurriedly added, "Senior Brother Ji Yin, please don''t misunderstand. I''m not prying into your privacy. If Senior Brother has a long-term need for Green Spirit Grass, I can supply you."


    "I''m not entirely sure myself," Song Wen replied. "If I need more in the future, I''ll definitelye to Senior Sister Chen first. Please give me amunication jade slip."


    Chen Yi smiled and said, "Sure."


    Afterward, they exchangedmunication jade slips.


    Song Wen wanted Chen Yi''smunication jade slip not just to buy Green Spirit Grass. Chen Yi usually worked in the spiritual medicine garden and had ess to various herbs. Moreover, she had a direct disciple of the Alchemy Hall behind her.


    Rather than just making a purchase, it provided another channel for seeking rare spiritual and medicinal herbs in the future.


    After bidding farewell to Chen Yi, Song Wen went straight back to his cave residence.


    He took out the Gu cauldron and ced all eight beetle eggs inside, then took out a spirit stone, crushed it, and sprinkled the powder inside.


    The spiritual energy slowly released from the powdered spirit stone would enhance the concentration of spiritual energy in the cauldron, aiding in the hatching of the beetle eggs.


    Afterward, Song Wen began cultivating with the purchased Qi-gathering pills.


    To his surprise,bining the Qi-gathering pills with the corpse aura and the inexhaustible essence blood in his body allowed him to cultivate much faster than when he used to consume corpse blood pills.


    The price of these Qi-gathering pills was quite high. If Song Wen hadn''t been able to exchange blood for spirit stones stolen from the corpse cave, relying solely on his monthly sry, he would never have been able to afford them.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 43: Beetle Gu

    <h4>Chapter 43: Beetle Gu</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Two dayster.


    The first insect egg sessfully hatched.


    The beetle Gurvae resembled tiny maggots, milky white, wriggling in the Gu cauldron.


    Song Wen threw in a stalk of Qingling grass, and thervae, as if smelling the food, crawled onto the leaves of the Qingling grass and began to nibble on it.


    Three dayster, all seven of the active insect eggs hatched, except for the one inactive egg, which remained unchanged.


    Song Wen considered abandoning it, but as its activity gradually increased, he decided to observe it for a few more days.


    Theservae clung to the Qingling grass daily, continuously feeding as if they could never get enough.


    Oddly, despite their constant eating, thervae did not grow in size, and it was unclear where the consumed Qingling grass went.


    Another two days passed.


    On this day, Song Wen returned from the Demonic Cave and discovered that thest insect egg had also hatched.


    The newly hatchedrva differed slightly from the others. It had a small ck spot on its milky white back, making it particrly noticeable.


    "What''s with thisrva? Could it be a mutation?"


    Song Wen observed it for a long time but couldn''t discern any special characteristics. There weren''t many records aboutrvae in the "Blood Gu Technique," so Song Wen ultimately couldn''t figure it out.


    However, after prolonged observation, Song Wen noticed that although thisrva had just hatched, its feeding speed was not slower than the otherrvae that had hatched days earlier.


    Eachrva consumed a Qingling grass daily, meaning eightrvae required eight Qingling grasses per day, costing a spirit stone. This amount could buy 2.5 Qi-gathering Pills, enough for a day''s cultivation for Song Wen.


    If not for the "Blood Gu Technique" recording that thervae stage of beetle Gu onlysted about twenty days, and that the beetle Gu''s food consumption decreased upon maturing, Song Wen would have doubted the value of raising these Gu insects with low offensive capabilities.


    Half a monthter.


    Thervae began to spin silk and cocoon themselves, indicating their transition to adult beetles.


    Song Wen dripped essence blood onto each cocoon and, ording to the "Blood Gu Technique," cast spells onto the cocoons.


    As the spells were cast, the originally milky white cocoons gradually developed pitch-ck patterns, appearing mysterious and somewhat eerie.


    This was the optimal time to refine the beetle Gu. At the moment they emerged from the cocoon, the Gu insects woulde under Song Wen''s control.


    In contrast, Gu insects raised within one''s body, fromrvae to cocooning and emerging, didn''t require these steps, as they innately recognized their host as the mother Gu, obeying itsmands.


    However, therva with the ck spot showed no signs of cocooning.


    Its aura was already ten times stronger than the other Gu insects, and its food consumption had increased, nearly requiring three Qingling grasses daily. This prompted Song Wen to make another trip to purchase more Qingling grass.


    This made Song Wen hold special expectations for this uniquerva.


    Perhaps he had a chance to raise the sacred beetle Gu that the old woman never managed to cultivate.


    Another seven days passed.


    The cocoons began to hatch, and one by one, gray beetles emerged, each smaller than half a grain of rice.


    The beetle Gu flew out of the Gu cauldron, circling around Song Wen''s body.


    Song Wen could feel a sense of goodwill and closeness emanating from them.


    Looking at these flying beetles, Song Wen found it hard to believe that these tiny insects, easily overlooked by anyone, were actually Gu worms that struck fear into people''s hearts.


    All of these beetles had the strength of the first level of Qi Refining. ording to the old woman''s notes, most beetle Gu could reach the second level of Qi Refining, with a very few exceptional ones reaching the third level.


    Song Wen pinched one of the beetles between his fingers and gradually applied force.


    He found that with just his current physical strength, he couldn''t crush the beetle Gu.


    Though these creatures didn''t have strong attack power, their defense was quite impressive.


    Song Wen now possessed the strength of the second level of Qi Refining, and he practiced demonic body cultivation methods.


    To test the limits of the beetle Gu, Song Wen began to fully activate the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique."


    As he activated the technique, his body gradually emitted a thick corpse aura, and his skin turned an iron-blue ck.


    His skin and flesh became emaciated, resembling a partially desated mummy.


    The tips of his fingers became tough, glowing with a cold, eerie light, giving off a chilling sense of foreboding.


    The beetle Gu suddenly started to struggle violently, even beginning to bite Song Wen''s fingers.


    This was a sign of Gu worm bacsh!


    Since he was using a Gu cauldron to raise the Gu, he couldn''t fully refine the Gu worms, and they could bacsh against their master when facing mortal danger.


    Song Wen had to release the worm from his grip. After all, he couldn''t just kill the Gu worm he had painstakingly nurtured.


    As the mortal threat receded, the beetle Gu''s hostility towards Song Wen, its master, gradually subsided.


    Song Wen estimated that the beetle Gu could barely withstand the attacks of a second-level Qi Refining cultivator, as the attack power of typical Qi Refining cultivators was generally weaker than that of body cultivation practitioners.


    The beetle Gu''s attack power was equivalent to that of a first-level Qi Refining cultivator.


    At this point, Song Wen understood why it was said that the beetle Gu''sbat power was not strong.


    The beetle Gu needed to reach a certain quantity to form effectivebat power. Otherwise, they could hardly be considered a threat, unless they coincidentally entered the enemy''s body through the nose and mouth, potentially causing significant harm.


    In all sects, including individual cultivators, those at the first or second level of Qi Refining were the lowest tier, usually living cautiously and avoiding danger. They rarely ventured out.


    Given the beetle Gu''s limitedbat power, they had little use.


    However, if their numbers increased to several hundred or thousand, evente-stage Qi Refining cultivators would have to flee in panic.


    Next, Song Wen tested the beetle Gu''s scouting abilities, which was its primary use, at least ording to the old woman''s notes.


    Following the old woman''s instructions, Song Wen attached his spiritual power to the beetle Gu and sent it flying far away.


    He found that with the beetle Gu, he could scout up to a distance of about 40 meters. Beyond this range, his spiritual power couldn''t keep up.


    Without the beetle Gu, with his current spiritual power, he could only scout up to about 15 meters.


    This was due to his practice of the "Divine Forbidden Technique." Generally, early-stage Qi Refining cultivators could only scout up to 10 meters with their spiritual power.


    The beetle Gu greatly extended Song Wen''s sensing range.


    While flying, the beetle Gu made minimal noise, making it difficult to detect, making it an excellent tool for reconnaissance and pathfinding.


    This raised Song Wen''s expectations for the ck-spottedrva even higher, wondering what surprises it might bring him.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 44: Counterattack of the Gu Worm

    <h4>Chapter 44: Counterattack of the Gu Worm</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Ten dayster, the ck dotrvae finally began to spin silk and form a cocoon.


    The growth period of thisrvasted for a whole month, ten days longer than otherrvae, and its aura was dozens of times stronger than the otherrvae when they cocooned.


    After half a month, it finally broke out of the cocoon and grew into a real beetle Gu.


    This beetle Gu did not directly grow into a Sacred Beetle Gu as Song Wen expected.


    ording to the "Blood Gu Technique" records, the beetle Gu''s body is gray, while the Sacred Beetle Gu is jet ck.


    However, this beetle Gu only had a ck abdomen, and its back shell and head were still gray.


    "What is going on?"


    Song Wen frowned. Hecked experience in raising Gu worms and did not have fellow practitioners tomunicate with. He had been nurturing them ording to the "Blood Gu Technique" and the old woman''s insights, so he wasn''t sure if this situation with the beetle Gu was good or bad.


    Just at that moment, a sudden change urred.


    The originally calm beetle Gu on Song Wen''s palm suddenly became violent.


    A strong aura emanated from the Gu worm, indicating it had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining, around the fourth level, far beyond what Song Wen, who was only at thete stage of the second level of Qi Refining, could resist.


    Song Wen''s face changed drastically, a bad premonition rising in his heart.


    "Is this the Gu worm''s counterattack on its master?"


    Having been focused on nurturing the Gu worm, Song Wen suddenly remembered that using a Gu cauldron to raise Gu worms could lead to the Gu worm rebelling if its strength surpassed the master''s significantly.


    "Ah!"


    A sharp pain hit Song Wen''s sea of consciousness, as if countless steel needles were being continuously stabbed into his brain. The unprepared Song Wen couldn''t help but cry out, clutching his head and starting to wail in pain.


    The speed of the Gu worm''s counterattack was so fast that Song Wen had almost no time to think or respond.


    In this critical moment, Song Wen did not lose hisposure.


    ording to the "Blood Gu Technique," he had only two ways to handle the situation.


    One was to forcibly break the mental control over the Gu worm, allowing it to gain freedom.


    The other was for Song Wen to use his own body as the Gu cauldron, refining the Gu worm with ample blood essence, making it fully obedient.


    Without much thought, Song Wen directly chose the second option.


    The first option had a huge hidden danger. A freed Gu worm, no longer under Song Wen''s control, could turn around and attack him. It would no longer be a counterattack on its master but an attack on a stranger.


    Choosing the second option, if sessful, Song Wen would gain a powerfulbat force, making him almost unbeatable against early-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    Having practiced the "Divine Restriction Technique," Song Wen''s mental power was already stronger than most early-stage Qi Refining cultivators,parable to the peak of the third level of Qi Refining.


    Relying on his strong mental power, Song Wen suppressed the intense pain in his brain and opened his mouth to swallow the Gu worm.


    The beetle Gu, now in his stomach, did not stay quiet; it directly burrowed into Song Wen''s internal organs.


    Fortunately, Song Wen still had some control over the beetle Gu. While restricting its movements, he began the refining process ording to the "Blood Gu Technique."


    Under Song Wen''s control, arge amount of blood essence gathered around the beetle Gu, surrounding it.


    The blood essence, containing the essence of the human body, was exactly what the Gu worm needed for growth. The beetle Gu began to devour the blood essence.


    As the beetle Gu devoured more blood essence, Song Wen''s refining speed increased.


    When the beetle Gu had consumed about twice the amount of Song Wen''s blood essence, he finallypleted its refinement.


    The beetle Gu quieted down, attaching itself inside Song Wen''s abdomen, motionless.


    Due to suddenly devouring arge amount of blood essence, the beetle Gu had some difficulty digesting it and needed time to process this energy.


    Song Wen let out a long sigh of relief. The process of refining the beetle Gu had been extremely dangerous; if his mind had wavered slightly, the beetle Gu could havepletely escaped his control. If the beetle Gu went berserk inside his body, his only fate would be death and the end of his path.


    "It seems that even while cultivating, I must be extremely careful. The path of cultivating immortality is indeed filled with dangers everywhere; a slight misstep can bring one close to peril."


    Looking at the seven ordinary beetle Gu in the Gu cauldron, Song Wen made a decisive decision and decided to refine them all into his body as well.


    At the same time, a bold idea emerged in his mind.


    He wanted to cultivate arge number of ck-bellied beetle Gu!


    The ck-bellied beetle Gu would significantly enhance hisbat power for a long time toe.


    Once beetle Gu reach adulthood, they can begin to mate and reproduce.


    Typically, Gu masters would restrict the indiscriminate breeding of Gu worms. Breeding consumes a lot of the Gu worm''s energy, and if not replenished in time, the Gu worm could die or significantly weaken.


    To replenish the Gu worm''s energy, arge amount of the Gu master''s blood essence and resources is needed.


    Additionally, nurturing the next generation of Gu worms also requires a significant amount of the Gu master''s blood essence and resources.


    These factors constrain the number of Gu worms a master can cultivate.


    However, Song Wen was notcking in blood essence; he could always steal more blood essence from the Corpse Cave to feed the Gu worms.


    The resources needed to cultivate the Gu worms, however, were somewhat troublesome.


    From hisst sale of blood essence, Song Wen had earned over four hundred spirit stones. After ounting for his daily cultivation expenses, he had about 230 spirit stones left.


    He also had five more bottles of blood essence ready for sale.


    Selling blood essence had to be done cautiously; if he was targeted or recognized by fellow disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect, he would have difficulty exining the source of the blood essence.


    Despite the risks, he had to sell the blood essence as it was the fastest way for him to obtain spirit stones and resources.


    The ck-bellied beetle Gu was a male Gu worm, while among the remaining seven Gu worms, four were females.


    To breed stronger next-generation Gu worms, Song Wen restricted the mating rights of the three ordinary male worms, allowing the ck-bellied beetle Gu to mate with the four female worms exclusively.


    In reality, even without Song Wen''s restriction, the three ordinary male beetle Gu would likely not have had the chance to mate, given the significant strength difference between them and the ck-bellied beetle Gu.


    A monthter.


    The four female worms beganying eggs, producing a total of 12 eggs, with each femaleying three eggs.


    It is worth noting that with sufficient resources, Song Wen''s cultivation level had smoothly advanced to the third level of Qi Refining.


    At this time, Song Wen had been in the Corpse Demon Sect for six months. To avoid arousing suspicion, he masked his cultivation aura to appear at the second level of Qi Refining.


    This aligned with the cultivation progress of someone with a mid-tier sixth-grade spiritual root.


    Seven dayster, the eggs began to hatch inside Song Wen''s body.


    Perhaps due to using his flesh as the cauldron, the incubation speed of the Gu worms was astonishingly fast. In just one day, nine of the 12 eggs hatched intorvae, all of which were ordinaryrvae.


    The remaining three eggs, however, showed no signs of hatching.


    This made Song Wen feel somewhat hopeful; perhaps these three eggs would develop in the way he expected.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 45: Black-Bellied Beetle Gu

    <h4>Chapter 45: ck-Bellied Beetle Gu</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Two dayster.


    Cave Dwelling No. 97.


    Eight small beetle Gu were flying around in the cave, having been released by Song Wen for some fresh air.


    In the Gu cauldron, nine milky whitervae were lying on the leaves of Green Spirit Grass, feeding.


    Although Song Wen kept the Gu worms inside his body, it didn''t mean they had to stay there all the time.


    For things like feeding thervae and adult Gu, it could still be done outside the body with the help of the Gu cauldron.


    Suddenly.


    Song Wen''s mind stirred.


    He sensed that two of the remaining three eggs in his body were also starting to hatch.


    Tworvae with ck spots on their backs broke through the eggs and crawled out.


    Song Wen was delighted; the experiment was sessful. Breedingrvae from the ck-bellied beetle Gu had a higher chance of producing ck-spottedrvae.


    To avoid the situation of the Gu worms counterattacking again, Song Wen hadpleted the refining process on the Gu worms while they were still in the egg stage, ording to the "Blood Gu Technique."


    The remaining egg, for some reason, did not sessfully hatch and turned out to be a dead egg.


    Song Wen drew the dead egg and the two ck-spottedrvae out of his body and threw them into the Gu cauldron.


    The dead egg became food for the otherrvae.


    Additionally, he killed the nine ordinaryrvae and fed them to the ck-spottedrvae.


    Since the ck-spottedrvae had sessfully hatched, there was no need to cultivate more ordinary beetle Gu.


    Looking at the newly hatched ck-spottedrvae in the Gu cauldron, Song Wen realized it was time to go out and buy more Green Spirit Grass.


    Before leaving, Song Wen disguised himself.


    First, he concealed his aura to the first level of Qi Refining, then used the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" to make his face look ashen, as if something had gone wrong with his cultivation, with corpse aura uncontrobly seeping out and dispersing everywhere.


    He then donned a ck cloak that covered his entire body.


    At this moment, Song Wen looked like a novice who had just entered the sect and, out of ignorance, forcibly absorbed too much corpse aura during cultivation, leading to an excess of corpse aura and insufficient vitality, appearing as if he could die at any moment.


    In short, he looked like someone in dire straits, seemingly on the brink of madness and ready tosh out in revenge against the world.


    After leaving his dwelling, Song Wen headed straight to the marketce.


    First, he sold the eight bottles of blood essence he had umted in four different shops, earning 1,100 spirit stones.


    Such arge amount of spirit stones was undoubtedly a huge fortune for someone at Song Wen''s current cultivation level.


    Next, he bought the spiritual herbs needed for the beetle Gu and the resources for his own cultivation.


    He did not choose to buy Green Spirit Grass from Chen Yi again. Buyingrge quantities of Green Spirit Grass from the same person might arouse suspicion.


    Even if Chen Yi had no ill intentions toward Song Wen, he dared not be careless.


    In the perilous world of immortal cultivation, Song Wen now only trusted himself.


    One must always be vignt!


    He found arge spiritual herb shop and purchased a batch of Green Spirit Grass and Purple Moon Orchid.


    Purple Moon Orchid is the food for adult Gu, and prolonged consumption inrge quantities helps to enhance the strength of beetle Gu.


    Due to the different types of Gu worms, their preferences for food vary:


    Some Gu worms rely on devouring various minerals to enhance their strength, some consume human corpses, others prefer the corpses of demonic beasts, and some like various impure energies.


    Among Gu worms, the consumption of spiritual herbs like Purple Moon Orchid is rtively rare for beetle Gu. Compared to the disgusting and nauseating foods of other Gu worms, beetle Gu''s diet can be considered a breath of fresh air in the Gu worm world.


    Purple Moon Orchid is a second-grade medium-quality spiritual herb, not very expensive, worth about one spirit stone for two or three flowers.


    After feeding on Purple Moon Orchid for over a month, Song Wen discovered that the strength of the seven ordinary beetle Gu had somewhat increased, while the cultivation of the ck-bellied beetle Gu remained stagnant.


    Moreover, each ordinary beetle Gu could sustain itself for a day with just one Purple Moon Orchid, highlighting its cost-effectiveness.


    In contrast, the ck-bellied beetle Gu needed to consume at least four Purple Moon Orchids daily. It almost consumed two spirit stones per day, surpassing the resources Song Wen used for cultivation.


    Yet, despite the consumption, the cultivation of the ck-bellied beetle Gu showed no signs of improvement, causing Song Wen to suspect that Purple Moon Orchid might not be the most suitable food for them.


    ording to the "Blood Gu Technique," Purple Moon Orchid is only the food for ordinary beetle Gu adults, and there is no mention of the best food for the intermediate ck-bellied beetle Gu between beetle Gu and sacred beetle Gu.


    The best food for sacred beetle Gu is a type of ore called Bright Silver Stone, a second-grade ore.


    Song Wen learned that a thumb-sized piece of Bright Silver Stone cost about 50 spirit stones, making it extremely expensive. After all, sacred beetle Gu are second-grade Gu insectsparable to the Foundation Establishment stage, so their food requirements are naturally higher.


    Originally, Song Wen wanted to save some resources and test the effect of Purple Moon Orchid on the ck-bellied beetle Gu. Now, it seemed he had no choice but to purchase Bright Silver Stone.


    After purchasing Bright Silver Stone, Corpse Qi, as well as Qi Gathering Pills and Fasting Pills, Song Wen entered a cultivator''s gambling establishment.


    To prevent cultivators from cheating with powerful mental energy, the gambling establishment had various restrictions on spiritual energy, even arrays that targeted the spiritual consciousness of Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.


    Passing through the hall of the gambling establishment, Song Wen went straight to the backyardtrine.


    If a Qi Refining stage cultivator did not continuously consume Fasting Pills, they still needed to eat. Therefore, the existence oftrines in the cultivation world was not surprising.


    Inside thetrine, Song Wen changed his appearance. First, he removed his disguise, then based on a "Disguise Art" he had picked up from a stall, he quickly disguised himself as a burly man with a beard before leaving the gambling establishment.


    In the cultivation world, identifying someone relied not only on appearance and physique but also on the aura emitted by cultivators.


    Appearance and physique could be moderately altered by controlling spiritual power. However, aura could not be changed. Themon "Concealment Art" in the cultivation world could only alter the strength of one''s aura but not its characteristics.


    This meant that secretive arts like Disguise Art were not popr in the cultivation world.


    But for Song Wen, changing the strength of his aura was the easiest.


    After wandering around the establishment for a few rounds, Song Wen made sure he wasn''t being followed before heading back to his dwelling.


    His strength was weak, yet he possessed arge amount of spirit stones, forcing Song Wen to be extremely cautious.


    ...


    With the Bright Silver Stone, the growth of the ck-bellied beetle Gu improved significantly. However, Bright Silver Stone seemed slightly higher-tier for the ck-bellied beetle Gu, making it somewhat difficult to digest.


    Each time, the ck-bellied beetle Gu consumed one-twentieth of a piece of Bright Silver Stone. It took two to three days to digest after consumption before it could eat again, during which it would eat some Purple Moon Orchid as supplementary food.


    After more than thirty days, nearly half of the Bright Silver Stone was gone, and the aura of the ck-bellied beetle Gu had noticeably strengthened.


    At this point, two ck-spottedrvae sessfully transformed into adults, both females. This greatly excited Song Wen, prompting him to begin his new round of breeding ns.


    He allowed three ck-bellied beetle Gu to mate and reproduce, increasing the chances of producing ck-spottedrvae and possibly even stronger beetle Gu, perhaps even true sacred beetle Gu.


    Meanwhile, Song Wen continued his routine of harvesting corpses and cultivation.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 46: Yin Demon Hall Transmission

    <h4>Chapter 46: Yin Demon Hall Transmission</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    On this day.


    Song Wen, as usual, arrived at the corpse dissecting cave.


    He had just entered Yuan Cheng''s cave when Yuan Cheng spoke first.


    "Ji Yin, there''s a batch of special corpses that need your attention. Tomorrow, use Dissecting Table No. 8 to handle this batch."


    The dissecting tables used by dissectors are usually fixed.


    For instance, Song Wen always used Dissecting Table No. 73.


    All dissecting tables have drainage channels that lead the blood from the corpses to therge blood pool in the central area of the dissecting cave.


    However, Dissecting Tables No. 1 to 9 have independent blood pools where blood from the corpses is collected separately.


    Upon hearing Yuan Cheng''s words, Song Wen was taken aback.


    "Could it be another batch of special corpses like the old hag''s?"


    Although nothing unexpected happened during the dissection of the old hag''s corpsest time, upon reflection, Song Wen felt somewhat uneasy.


    The old hag was clearly a powerful Gu master who cultivated Gu with her own body. Her corpse may have hidden various strange and powerful Gu worms. Every time Song Wen recalled the process of dissecting her corpse, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of dread and relief.


    Perhaps sensing Song Wen''s hesitation, Yuan Cheng continued before Song Wen could speak.


    "Don''t worry, Junior Brother. It''s just a batch of mortal children''s corpses, no danger involved. However, these corpses are somewhat special. When you dissect them, be sure to do it with utmost care and perfection."


    Song Wen nced at Yuan Cheng, relieved of most of his worries, and replied respectfully, "Understood, Senior Brother."


    This time, Yuan Cheng directly handed over four storage bags and a jade bottle.


    One storage bag contained the corpses, while the other three were for storing the dissected flesh, organs, and bones.


    The jade bottle was used to collect blood.


    Song Wen stood in front of Dissecting Table No. 8, probing with his spiritual power into the storage bag. As Yuan Cheng had said, there were indeed a hundred mortal corpses inside, all of them children under the age of five, with some even newborn infants.


    Looking at these children''s corpses, even Song Wen, ustomed to dissecting, couldn''t help but feel nauseous.


    The cruelty of demonic cultivators truly surpassed ordinary imagination.


    Song Wen knew that these hundred children''s corpses were likely born with special astrological signs, imbued with innate special powers. Demonic cultivators often used them for cultivation, corpse refining, or creating ghostly entities.


    However, Song Wen understood that none of this had anything to do with him; he just needed to dissect the corpses.


    Only with cold indifference could one survive in the Corpse Demon Sect, in this cruel world of cultivation.


    Song Wen randomly took out a corpse and ced it on the dissecting table.


    It was the corpse of a girl, about four years old. After calming his mind, Song Wen began dissecting.


    Since all the bodies were children''s, Song Wen dissected them quickly. With only a hundred bodies to process, it took him just over two hours to finish dissecting them all.


    This was the first time in six months of being in the dissecting cave that Song Wen wasn''t thest toplete his task.


    With four storage bags and a jade bottle in hand, Song Wen returned to Yuan Cheng''s cave.


    Before stepping into the cave, he saw a young man dressed in splendid clothes, with a gloomy expression, sitting on the only chair in the cave.


    This chair clearly belonged to Yuan Cheng, but at this moment, Yuan Cheng stood respectfully beside the young man, looking like a loyal subordinate.


    Seeing Song Wen enter, Yuan Cheng hurriedly spoke.


    "Ji Yin, have you finished dissecting all the corpses?"


    Although Song Wen didn''t know the identity of the young man in splendid attire, he realized the person must have a remarkable background. He first bowed respectfully to the young man, then saluted Yuan Cheng.


    "I havepleted dissecting the corpses, Senior Brother Yuan," Song Wen reported.


    As he spoke, Song Wen casually waved his hand, using his mana to levitate the storage bags and jade bottle towards Yuan Cheng.


    Yuan Cheng made no move to receive the four storage bags and the jade bottle; instead, the young man in splendid attire preemptively took them.


    He first checked the blood in the jade bottle, then inspected each of the storage bags in turn. A brief moment of satisfaction shed across his gloomy face.


    The young man nodded and addressed Song Wen, "Considering your cultivation level isn''t strong, your dissection of these corpses was decent."


    Song Wen didn''t know the young man''s identity or how to address him, so he could only bow respectfully and reply, "Thank you for your generous praise, Senior."


    At this point, Yuan Cheng intervened to introduce Song Wen, "Ji Yin, this is Senior Disciple Wu Sui from the Yin Demon Hall. Senior Disciple Wu Sui''s master is Elder Wu Ren, the Lord of Yin Demon Hall."


    Senior Disciple of Yin Demon Hall!


    Wu Sui!


    And the Lord of Yin Demon Hall is named Wu Ren!


    This guy must be a second-generation cultivator?


    As Song Wen thought this, his expression became somewhat anxious yet also filled with a hint of relief, as if knowing Wu Sui was a great honor.


    Song Wen bowed even lower, his voice slightly excited as he said, "Junior Outer Sect Disciple Ji Yin pays respects to Senior Disciple Wu Sui."


    Pleased with Song Wen''s reaction, Wu Sui nodded and said, "You''re quite discerning for a young fellow. If you advance to the Foundation Establishment stage within the next few years,e find me at Yin Demon Hall."


    With that, Wu Sui''s figure dissolved into faint traces, disappearing into the depths of the cave.


    Watching Wu Sui depart, Yuan Cheng cast an envious nce at Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, I didn''t expect that merely meeting Senior Disciple Wu Sui once would earn his appreciation. Truly a stroke of good fortune."


    Song Wen feigned a bted realization and asked in confusion, "May I ask, Senior Brother Yuan Cheng, does Senior Disciple Wu Sui have any other mysterious identities besides being a Senior Disciple?"


    In the world of cultivation, the status of a Senior Disciple is noble, but in demonic sects, it''s another matter entirely.


    Masters may use disciples for blood sacrifices, cultivation, corpse refining, or even as furnaces for yin gathering and yang replenishment, or vice versa. There are even cases of disciples being used as vessels for soul possession.


    In short, in demonic sects, being a Senior Disciple doesn''t necessarily imply good fortune.


    Ultimately, in the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme. No matter how prestigious a Senior Disciple is, they are merely Qi refining cultivators and not considered masters.


    Regr disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect automatically rise to the rank of elders upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, while Senior Disciples are referred to as disciples of magic or witches.


    Yuan Cheng''s expression carried a mix of emotions as he said, somewhatplicatedly, "Senior Disciple Wu Sui is actually the grandson of Elder Wu Ren, the Lord of Yin Demon Hall. Moreover, his aptitude is exceptional; it''s said he possesses a seventh-grade superior spiritual root. Senior Disciple Wu Sui is only ten years old now and has already attained the seventh level of Qi refining. In a few years, he may sessfully establish his Foundation."


    Yuan Cheng''s expression became somewhat conflicted.


    Foundation Establishment is his greatest expectation. Due tock of backing, despite spending several years at the seventh level of Qi refining, just one step away from the peak of Qi refining, he had toe to this ghastly ce of the dissecting cave for duty, hoping to one day receive a precious Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect.


    Seeing his age increasing year by year, with barely any years left before reaching sixty, this made Yuan Cheng''s heart grow anxious.


    In fact, outside the major sects, Foundation Establishment Pills are avable, appearing every few years in the major cultivator markets.


    However, these pills are generally extremely expensive. Yuan Cheng, whose aptitude isn''t considered good, almost never has enough resources to purchase a Foundation Establishment Pill, let alone afford one.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 47: Outer Affair Hall, Mission Assignment

    <h4>Chapter 47: Outer Affair Hall, Mission Assignment</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen calmly exited the dissecting cave. What had just transpired in the cave was, for Song Wen, merely another act for survival.


    As for Wu Sui''s suggestion for Song Wen to choose the Yin Sha Hall when he became an inner sect disciple, Song Wen had already pushed that to the back of his mind.


    Of course, if that day ever came, Song Wen wouldn''t oppose going to the Yin Sha Hall. Wherever he went, as long as he could live well, that ce would be good enough for him.


    Moreover, Song Wen remembered that Wu Xiu, who had once insulted him, was in the Yin Sha Hall. If given the chance, he would still seek revenge.


    ...


    Dissecting corpses, though it posed significant risks to others, such as the danger of contaminating one''s mind and mana, waspletely safe for Song Wen. The blood mists and residual souls in the dissecting cave had be his resources for cultivation.


    Originally, the other corpse dissectors and Yuan Cheng believed that with Song Wen''s cultivation at the early Qi Refining stage, it would take at most one or two months, or at most a few months, for Song Wen to be corrupted by the tainted qi and turn into a demon.


    They were greatly surprised to find that Song Wen was doing just fine, his cultivation steadily increasing, and unknowingly, he had already broken through to the thirdyer of Qi Refining.


    Today marked exactly eleven months since Song Wen entered the dissecting cave, also marking the end of his one-year term with the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Having just received his monthly stipend, Song Wen collected the message from the Outer Affairs Hall.


    Outer sect disciples mustplete an external mission every year.


    The message from the Outer Affairs Hall stated that today was the final day, and Song Wen had to go to the Outer Affairs Hall to take on a mission, or face severe punishment from the sect.


    Song Wen hurriedly left the dissecting cave and headed straight to the Outer Affairs Hall.


    There were not many people in the Outer Affairs Hall, only a few outer sect disciples there to receive their missions.


    Song Wen handed his disciple''s token to an old man and said, "Junior Disciple Ji Yin greets the steward. I am here to receive my annual external mission."


    The old man''s cultivation was not very strong, probably around the seventh or eighthyer of Qi Refining, but he had significant backing within the sect. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have secured the lucrative position of steward in the Outer Affairs Hall.


    The old man slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze cold as he nced at Song Wen.


    He looked down on Song Wen, who had no connections or resources in the sect. With no backing and no resources, there was nothing to squeeze out of him.


    But that was good; those dangerous sect missions were perfect for people like him.


    If everyone had connections, those life-threatening sect missions would never get done.


    The old man started flipping through the mission record book in front of him, looking for a task for Song Wen.


    Song Wen, who was well aware of human nature, immediately noticed the disdain and contempt in the old man''s eyes. He instantly had an idea and realized he should do something.


    With a flick of his hand, Song Wen subtly slipped the ten spirit stones he had just received as his monthly stipend into the old man''s hand, still warm.


    "Junior Disciple has just entered the sect for a year, with low strength. I kindly ask the steward to find a low-risk mission for me."


    Song Wen spoke in a very low voice.


    As for why he only gave ten spirit stones, it wasn''t that Song Wen was unwilling to bribe the old man with more spirit stones. It was because considering his monthly stipend, managing to give ten spirit stones was already difficult. Giving too many spirit stones might only cause unnecessary trouble.


    The old man touched the spirit stones in the cloth bag, a faint smile appearing on his indifferent face.


    This young disciple in front of him seemed quite sensible.


    "The alchemy hall has a spirit herb inventory task that just suits you. The mission location is over two thousand li northwest of the sect, in the Poison Miasma Swamp..."


    After the old man''s introduction, Song Wen roughly understood the contents of the mission.


    The Poison Miasma Swamp is filled with poisonous miasma that lingers year-round, extremely toxic and inherently dangerous, a ce rarely visited by people.


    However, within the Poison Miasma Swamp grows a precious spirit herb known as the Rainbow Herb. Despite its inherent toxicity, it is a crucial ingredient for refining Profound Qi Pills and Foundation Building Pills, making it incredibly valuable.


    Under the jurisdiction of the Corpse Demon Sect, the Poison Miasma Swamp has been developed as a spiritual field for the sect''s benefit. The Yan family, an affiliated n of the sect, is stationed there.


    To prevent the Yan family from embezzling the Rainbow Herb, every three years, disciples are sent by the Corpse Demon Sect to inventory the Rainbow Herb''s yearly yield and corresponding quantities.


    Usually, two disciples are assigned, often led by one in thete Qi Refining stage and apanied by one in the early to mid Qi Refining stage.


    Due to the Corpse Demon Sect''s powerful influence and ruthless methods, the Yan family has never dared to embezzle sect resources, and the biennial inventory of spirit herbs has be a mere formality.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> biennial - taking ce every other year.


    This mission can indeed be considered almostpletely devoid of any danger.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> The <strong>Hour of the Rat</strong> (��ʱ, Z�� sh��) �C 11PM to 1AM


    "Three days from now, at the hour of the rat, go to the alchemy hall and find Elder Shen. He will provide you with detailed information about the mission. At that time, you will also meet your senior brother who will apany you on the mission. Remember to be punctual and not bete."


    The old man added.


    Song Wen sped his fists, "Thank you, steward. I will be there on time."


    With the mission token in hand, Song Wen left the Outer Affairs Hall.


    The mission was set to begin in three days, and he intended to use this time to prepare some life-saving measures.


    Although the mission posed extremely low risks, in the dangerous world of cultivation, there was hardly any ce that could be considered absolutely safe.


    Half a month ago, he had broken through a bottleneck that had hindered him for two full months, advancing to the fourthyer of Qi Refining. This was the first time since Song Wen began cultivating that he had felt the existence of such a bottleneck.


    His rapid advancement to the mid Qi Refining stage within just one year was likely due to several factors, as Song Wen spected:


    Firstly, his sixth-grade spiritual root talent and abundant cultivation resources.


    Secondly, the demonic cultivation technique he practiced was known for itspatibility with early-stage cultivation and fast progress.


    Thirdly, his cultivation of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," although a demonic technique, focused on body refinement. Despite being a demonic technique, body refinement techniques all aimed to enhance a cultivator''s physical body through absorbing and refining celestial materials, spiritual beasts, or human qi and blood power. He could directly absorb others'' qi and blood to condense his own, elerating his cultivation significantly.


    This was the true reason behind Song Wen''s rapid advancement in cultivation.


    Otherwise, he would not have broken through the bottleneck so easily and reached the mid Qi Refining stage. Back then, he had been stuck at the peak of the thirdyer of Qi Refining for several years without any breakthrough opportunities.


    Currently, Song Wen concealed his aura with extraordinary ability. Up to now, he had not encountered any cultivator who could detect his hidden cultivation level.


    However, Song Wen was uncertain if higher-level cultivators could discern his concealed cultivation level.


    On his way back to his cave mansion, Song Wen pondered his current offensive techniques and considered areas where he needed to improve.


    After long efforts, Song Wen had sessfully drawn fireball talismans and shield talismans. Due to his abundant cultivation resources, he had umted more than fifty fireball talismans and more than twenty shield talismans, all of which were still in his possession and had never been used.


    Although these two types of talismans were only first-grade inferior talismans, quantity could lead to quality.


    Song Wen believed that dozens of fireball talismans thrown together could even force ate-stage Qi Refining cultivator to retreat.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 48: Beauty Trap

    <h4>Chapter 48: Beauty Trap</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen already had twenty-one ck Abdomen Beetle Gu. Among them, the initial five that were cultivated earlier had already reached close to the strength of the fifthyer of Qi Refining.


    In fact, if Song Wen were to devote all his efforts, he could breed even more ck Abdomen Beetle Gu. However, due to the heavy resource consumption involved, Song Wen had to limit their numbers.


    Just these twenty-one ck Abdomen Beetle Gu alone consumed nearly twenty spirit stones from Song Wen daily, totaling six hundred spirit stones per month. The amount of spirit stones consumed was quite a burden for Song Wen.


    As for ordinary beetle Gu, they no longer held any meaning for Song Wen and had already been dealt with.


    Song Wen also found that controlling multiple beetle Gu simultaneously would drain his mental power.


    Thanks to his cultivation of the "Forbidden Art," Song Wen''s current mental strength was roughly on par with that of a seventhyer Qi Refining cultivator. Otherwise, Song Wen would not be able to control so many ck-Bellied Beetle Gu simultaneously.


    The advantage of strong mental power did not stop there. With increased mental strength, Song Wen gained a deeper understanding of techniques, making his cultivation smoother.


    Without anyone to teach him, he cultivated the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" through trial and error. Previously, many aspects had been unclear, and he could only clumsily imitate others'' methods. Now, he had a much better understanding of the technique, making cultivation much easier.


    With stronger mental power, both his spell cultivation and talisman drawing had greatly benefited.


    A normal fourthyer Qi Refining cultivator would take about one breath to cast a Fireball Spell, while Song Wen only needed half a breath. The same applied to Shield Spells, where normal cultivators needed two breaths, but Song Wen only needed one.


    Song Wen contemted areas where he needed to strengthen himself.


    Firstly, his closebat ability wascking. Relying on the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," he had forged a strong physical body and wielded a lower-grade artifact level Bone-Cleansing Knife adeptly by dissecting corpses every day.


    The only drawback was that hecked real swordsmanship against enemies. However, mastering swordsmanship was not something that could be achieved overnight and could only be temporarily put on hold.


    Secondly, he relied on talismans and ck-Bellied Beetle Gu for long-rangebat.


    Thirdly, he had "Flying Escape Art" and "Blood Escape Art" for fleeing, and "Blood Sacrifice Art" for desperate situations.


    "Blood Escape Art" and "Blood Sacrifice Art" were techniques he had mastered early in the Qi Refining stage. As for "Flying Escape Art," which could only be cultivated in the mid Qi Refining stage, Song Wen once again demonstrated his high talent in techniques, grasping the basics in just two days. However, he still needed some time to be able to use "Flying Escape Art" freely, which could be fatal in desperate situations.


    He alsocked defensive artifacts. Both Shield Spells and shield talismans were somewhat weak when faced with a life-or-death struggle.


    Upon entering his cave mansion, Song Wen''s eyes fell on arge red coffin.


    Inside the coffiny a refined corpse puppet that had just beenpleted.


    Two months ago, Song Wen had paid a hefty price to purchase thisplete body of ate Qi Refining stage corpse.


    When he first bought the corpse, Song Wen was only at the thirdyer of Qi Refining, too weak to support the smooth refinement of a corpse puppet. If he had forcefully refined it, he would likely have created an ordinary puppet with littlebat ability.


    Only after breaking through to the fourthyer of Qi Refining did Song Wen begin refining the corpse puppet.


    The runes and formations on the corpse puppet had already been inscribed, and all that remained was the nurturing with Yin and Corpse Qi.


    Thisrge red coffin was no ordinary coffin; it contained several Yin-attributed spiritual materials mixed with human blood, used to draw nourishing runes for the puppet.


    Song Wen estimated that in another two or three days, this puppet would be sessfully refined and ready to emerge from the coffin.


    By then, the puppet would possess at least the strength of the fourthyer of Qi Refining and could further enhance its strength with theter-stage refinement of Yin-attributed treasures.


    For this uing mission outside the sect, Song Wen nned to openly disy the corpse puppet. After all, demonstrating his thirdyer Qi Refining strength might cause others to underestimate him.


    Having been in the Corpse Demon Sect for a year, having a fourthyer Qi Refining puppet could be consideredmendable, as everyone had their chances.


    After making a simple disguise for himself and changing his aura, Song Wen left his cave mansion in a cloak.


    His cave mansion was remote, seldom visited by others, so he didn''t worry about encountering acquaintances when he went out.


    Arriving at the market, Song Wen headed directly toward arge-scale artifact shop.


    "Senior, what would you like to buy?"


    As soon as Song Wen entered, he saw a charming woman with a tall figure and revealing attire approaching him with a coquettish smile on her face.


    The woman''s cultivation was very weak, just at the entry level of Qi Refining, but she exuded a strange allure all over her body.


    Her face carried a hint of youthfulness, yet her demeanor was full of mature charm, creating a sensory contrast that was not abrupt but rather added to her allure.


    Her clothing was scanty, with arge area of snowy white exposed at the chest and a silk skirt split high enough to almost reveal the roots of her thighs.


    As she walked, the skirt swayed with the wind, asionally revealing her long and fair thighs, even the thin undergarment exposed to the air from time to time.


    When the woman approached within a meter of Song Wen, she slightly bent forward in a bow.


    Instantly, tworge white rabbits twitched slightly.


    Song Wen withdrew his gaze, which had nearly been swallowed by the ravine, feeling somewhat amazed. He hadn''t expected that even in the cultivation world, the tactic of using a beautiful woman was still in use.


    But he was only here to buy artifacts; was it necessary to fall for such a ploy?


    Song Wen steadied his mind and calmly asked, "Do you have any defensive artifacts?"


    "Yes, we do. Senior, please follow me," the woman replied with a sway of her waist, leading the way.


    Song Wen followed closely behind, greeted by a fragrant aroma emanating from the woman. This fragrance seemed to possess a kind of enchanting magic that made it difficult to remain clear-headed.


    The woman led Song Wen to a showcase. Pointing at it, she said, "Senior, please have a look. This small shield is a fine product among lower-grade artifacts. Despite its palm-sized appearance, it can expand to the size of a person once infused with spiritual power, capable of withstanding attacks from a fourthyer Qi Refining cultivator."


    "Also, take a look at this lower-grade robe. It can automatically adjust to fit the wearer''s size."


    "And this ghost g, ssified as a lower-grade artifact, can..."


    The woman''s voice was like a subus''s murmur, yet also like sweet nothings exchanged between lovers, irresistibly drawing one into a state of indulgence.


    Thanks to his strong mental power, Song Wen was not swayed by the woman''s charm. However, he did discern some ws in her words.


    He had disyed the cultivation of a thirdyer Qi Refining, while she had just reached the entry level. How did she discern his disyed cultivation?


    Did she rmend lower-grade artifacts without even asking because she believed his disyed cultivation was only suitable for such items?


    This woman was concealing her cultivation!


    Song Wen''s wariness grew.


    He was certain he had never seen this woman before, and there should be no connection between them in the cultivation world. He also had no enemies here.


    Therefore, her concealment of cultivation had nothing to do with him.


    Feeling somewhat reassured, Song Wen decided to leave the shop as soon as possible.


    "Do you have any middle-grade defensive artifacts?" Song Wen stared straight ahead at the counter, speaking.


    Now, he was reasonably sure the woman''s cultivation was quite high, at least in thete stage of Qi Refining. With his mental power, he should be able to discern her true cultivation.


    At the same time, hepletely withdrew his mental power to avoid the woman noticing his scrutiny, which could lead to unnecessary trouble.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 49: Cheap Ghost Head Shield

    <h4>Chapter 49: Cheap Ghost Head Shield</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Oh! You''re looking for a middle-grade artifact?"


    The woman cast a flirtatious nce over Song Wen, evaluating him. He appeared ordinary, a nondescript disciple from some obscure sect, apart from his cautious demeanor, nothing remarkable about him.


    Yet, it was this ordinary outer sect disciple who managed to resist her charm, which was truly surprising.


    The woman became slightly curious about Song Wen.


    Pointing to a nearby counter, she said, "Here are the middle-grade artifacts. Let me introduce each one to you..."


    "How much for this small shield?" After the woman''s brief introduction, Song Wen pointed to a one-inch-sized shield.


    The shield was entirely ck, with a vividly carved ghost head on its front. The carving was lifelike, almost as if a terrifying ghost creaturey poised to burst out and devour its target.


    The woman smiled enchantingly, full of allure.


    "Senior has a sharp eye. This Ghost Head Shield is crafted from Yin Spring Stonebined with over a dozen precious materials, indestructible. It also contains a seal of a fifthyer Qi Refining ghost creature inside, capable ofbatting ghosts,bining offense and defense. It''s priced at 200 spirit stones."


    Facing the woman''s quoted price, Song Wen was somewhat surprised. Instead of being expensive, he found it surprisingly affordable.


    Generally, middle-grade artifacts like this would sell for two to three hundred spirit stones. Defensive artifacts usuallymanded higher prices, typically above 300 spirit stones for a middle-grade defensive artifact.


    This small shield also contained a sealed ghost creature inside, which should increase its value.


    Though surprised at the seemingly low price of the Ghost Head Shield, Song Wen did not voice his doubts. Right now, he just wanted toplete the transaction quickly without disturbing the woman further and leave this shop.


    "150 spirit stones." Despite the low price, bargaining was still necessary.


    "Senior, our store operates on thin margins. We don''t negotiate prices," the woman replied.


    "160 spirit stones," Song Wen continued bargaining.


    After a brief negotiation, Song Wen eventually paid 180 spirit stones to purchase the Ghost Head Shield.


    After securing the shield, Song Wen wasted no time and left the shop directly, disappearing into the bustling crowd in an instant.


    "Ho,e out, Xiao He."


    The woman''s face instantly turned serious, shouting sternly towards the backyard of the shop.


    A momentter, a young girl in her twenties came out.


    "Miss, did you call for me?"


    The Miss spoke coldly, "Didn''t I tell you? When I''m practicing charm techniques on customers in the store, don''t disturb me. Why did you keep messaging me just now?"


    Xiao He was about to exin, but before she could speak, the Miss continued.


    "Today is really unlucky. I didn''t expect even a thirdyer Qi Refining cultivator could resist my charm."


    The Miss''s tone contained a deep sense of resentment, as if Song Wen had behaved like a scoundrel who toyed with her feelings.


    Knowing her Miss''s temperament well, Xiao He quickly agreed, "Just now, that man is probably impotent, or maybe he''s celibate. Otherwise, how could he resist Miss''s charm?"


    The Miss gave Xiao He a disdainful look and said, "Don''t speak nonsense. That man either possesses a rare artifact that resists mental attacks, or he has cultivated techniques that strengthen his soul or stabilize his sea of consciousness."


    Upon hearing this, Xiao He''s eyes lit up.


    An artifact that resists mental attacks! Or techniques that strengthen the soul!


    Both of these things were rare and precious in the cultivation world.


    Xiao He made a throat-slitting gesture, lowering her voice, "Miss, should we..."


    Song Wen only disyed the cultivation of the thirdyer of Qi Refining. It would be effortless to intercept the other party.


    However, the Miss shook her head and said, "Violence is prohibited within the district. Moreover, he exudes a strong corpse aura; he should be a disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect. Once he leaves the district, he''ll likely be escorted back to his sect. We won''t have a chance to act against him."


    After a brief silence, the Miss seemed to recall something and said to Xiao He, "By the way, you haven''t exined why you kept messaging me multiple times just now?"


    While Song Wen was in the shop, Xiao He had tried to message her several times, but each time, the Miss had forcefully interrupted her.


    Xiao He exined, "Miss, I was trying to tell you that you sold the Ghost Head Shield too cheaply. Its cost is 200 spirit stones, and its market price is 400 spirit stones."


    "Oh! Why didn''t you say so earlier!"


    The Miss hurriedly ran out of the shop to look for Song Wen''s figure.


    However, she couldn''t find Song Wen anywhere; he had already disappeared without a trace.


    "Damn it, this deal is a loss again." The Miss muttered to herself in frustration.


    "Miss, shall we find another ce to practice charm techniques? If this continues, we''ll soon exhaust our funds."


    It turned out that both of them were employees in this shop, responsible for selling artifacts.


    Initially, they thought that with the Miss''s charm techniques, they could make male cultivators infatuated and willing to pay high prices for artifacts. It seemed like a win-win situation.


    However, it turned out that the Miss seemed to have a poor memory and kept mispricing the artifacts, always selling them at low prices.


    In just three days, they had already lost several hundred spirit stones.


    "Where else can I practice charm techniques?" the Miss asked.


    "The red-light district!"


    The Miss frowned slightly, seemingly pondering. "The red-light district? But I''m not ready yet."


    "Ah! Miss, women are bound to be suppressed by men sooner orter. What''s the difference between being suppressed by one person or by thousands?"


    ...


    Song Wen entered a cultivator''s restaurant and removed his disguise in the back hall. After drinking two cups of spirit wine inside the restaurant, making sure no one was following him, he then left the restaurant.


    Next, Song Wen strolled around various stalls.


    Although most items on the street stalls were rtively inferior, asionally, some peculiar items could be found.


    Since he was out on a mission from his sect, he needed to be prepared with some means.


    After a round, Song Wen realized he was overthinking.


    While there were indeed rare items on the street stalls, the probability of him coincidentally encountering what he needed was too low.


    "Senior Brother Xu, do you have something extremely powerful here?"


    Since he didn''t find what he wanted at various stalls, Song Wen decided to ask directly when he saw a familiar stall owner.


    This Senior Brother Xu was an outer sect disciple at thete stage of Qi Refining. He often mingled with wandering cultivators and had broad knowledge, far beyond what a disciple like Song Wen, who usually stayed within the sect, couldpare to.


    Song Wen had bought corpse qi from him several times before, and gradually, they had developed a nodding acquaintance.


    Senior Brother Xu nced up at Song Wen, a hint of a smile on his face.


    "Oh, it''s Junior Brother Ji Yin. When you say ''extremely powerful,'' are you referring to something that threatens cultivators at least up to thete stage of Qi Refining, or even the peak of Qi Refining?"


    "I''m looking for something that can threaten cultivators at least up to thete stage of Qi Refining, or even the peak of Qi Refining," Song Wen replied.


    "I do have something that meets your requirements, Junior Brother, but..."


    Senior Brother Xu''s words were somewhat ambiguous. After a moment of contemtion, he continued, "Why don''t you take a look for yourself?"


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 50: Venom: Fire Burns the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 50: Venom: Fire Burns the Sky</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    When Senior Brother Xu took out two yellow talismans, Song Wen''s heart couldn''t help but skip a few beats.


    The talisman characters depicted on these two talismans were unfamiliar to Song Wen.


    Yet he could sense that these talismans carried a majestic aura, as if they could suppress any evil under heaven.


    After seeing these two talismans, Song Wen felt a slight difort in the flow of corpse aura within him, and he instinctively wanted to move away.


    "What kind of talismans are these?" Song Wen asked in astonishment.


    Senior Brother Xu only revealed the two yellow talismans for a moment before putting them back into his storage bag, looking cautious as if these talismans shouldn''t be seen within the Corpse Demon Sect''s territory.


    "These are Thunder Talismans! First-tier superior grade."


    Song Wen instantly paled, wondering why the other party was so cautious.


    Thunder Talismans carried the majestic will of the heavens and had tremendous lethality against evil beings, equally effective against cultivators of demonic and evil paths.


    Among the orthodox cultivators, only a few could sessfully cultivate Thunder Dao techniques, making them the most detested targets of demonic cultivators.


    Simrly, Thunder Talismans were highly effective against demonic cultivators.


    Song Wen was intrigued. If he used these two first-tier superior talismans well, they could definitely threatente Qi Refining stage cultivators.


    Seeing Song Wen''s interest, Senior Brother Xu continued.


    "I obtained these two talismans years ago after killing an orthodox cultivator. While Thunder Talismans have great power and are effective against demonic cultivators, they have a fatal w."


    "What w?"


    "They can only be activated using Heavenly Qi. In other words, we demonic cultivators can''t use them because our cultivation methods inherently contain impure Qi that prevents us from activating Thunder Talismans."


    Senior Brother Xu sighed and continued, "That''s why these two talismans have been in my possession for so long, unsold and unused."


    Song Wen was a regr customer, and Senior Brother Xu had no intention of tricking him.


    After all, once Song Wen bought the talismans, he could test them himself.


    "Doesn''t the Thunder Talisman require Heavenly Qi to activate? The ''Longevity Technique'' is an orthodox Daoist method, and the spiritual power cultivated through it inherently contains Heavenly Qi."


    Since joining the Corpse Demon Sect and practicing the ''Corpse King Blood Refining Technique,'' Song Wen hadn''t tried to cultivate the ''Longevity Technique.''


    Logically, a person can only cultivate one major cultivation method unless their cultivation level rises significantly to allow switching to another method.


    Song Wen was exceptional in this regard, practicing both a demonic body refining technique and an orthodox Qi refining technique simultaneously.


    Song Wen himself didn''t understand the reason behind this anomaly; he could only attribute it to his mysterious and unusual physical body.


    Although he hadn''t practiced the ''Longevity Technique'' in the past year, thanks to the abundant spiritual energy within the Corpse Demon Sect and his frequent use of spirit stones for cultivation, the power of the ''Longevity Technique'' had been slowly increasing, nearing the third level of Qi Refining. It should be enough to activate the Thunder Talisman.


    "Senior Brother Xu, how much for these two talismans?" Song Wen asked.


    Seeing that Song Wen intended to buy the Thunder Talismans that were of little use to demonic cultivators, Senior Brother Xu became more interested.


    "How about 100 spirit stones for the two talismans?"


    "Too expensive," Song Wen shook his head, "after all, they can only be activated with Heavenly Qi, not very effective in the hands of us demonic cultivators."


    "What about 80 spirit stones? They are first-tier superior grade talismans after all."


    Song Wen said, "Still too expensive. I can offer at most 40 spirit stones. Besides, if they remain with Senior Brother, they are just two sheets of waste paper. It''s better to sell them cheaply to me and get some spirit stones."


    After bargaining, Song Wen bought the two talismans for 50 spirit stones.


    After the transaction waspleted, Senior Brother Xu asked softly,


    "Junior Brother, are you going out to perform sect missions?"


    Song Wen''s eyes narrowed, staring coldly at the other party.


    He didn''t understand why the other party knew that he was about to go out on a mission.


    Perhaps noticing Song Wen''s unfriendly expression, Senior Brother Xu exined, "Junior Brother, there''s no need to be nervous. The annual sect mission is something all disciples mustplete. For someone like you, who usually stays within the sect and suddenly buys life-saving items, it must be for an external sect mission."


    Song Wen''s expression softened slightly, but he still didn''t understand why the topic of sect missions was brought up and what was being implied.


    "Regarding sect missions, does Senior Brother Xu have some advice?" Song Wen asked.


    Senior Brother Xu waved his hand and said, "Not really. Each person''s sect mission is different. How could I advise Junior Brother when I don''t even know what your mission is? However, I have something here that you might be interested in."


    Senior Brother Xu had also noticed that Song Wen was extremely cautious about his life and rarely ventured outside the sect.


    Therefore, he intended to take this opportunity to sell something to Song Wen.


    "What is it? Show me."


    "Venom! Fire Burns the Sky, fatal to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Even cultivators at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining would suffer greatly if poisoned, their strength greatly diminished. Even if a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining were poisoned, it would be as if they were being roasted in a zing fire, making it extremely difficult to remove the toxin for a while."


    Song Wen suddenly became interested, "Senior Brother actually has such a thing! Are you willing to sell it to me?"


    Senior Brother Xu replied, "As long as Junior Brother can afford it, why wouldn''t I sell it? Besides, not long ago, I advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refining, so this poison doesn''t affect me much anymore."


    Song Wen said, "Congrattions on advancing your cultivation. Foundation Building is within reach."


    Facing Song Wen''s praise, Senior Brother Xu was visibly pleased.


    "Thank you for your kind words, Junior Brother. Do you still want Fire Burns the Sky?"


    "I sure do, but I''m afraid I can''t afford it."


    "I have ten drops of Fire Burns the Sky here. If Junior Brother can''t afford all of them, buying one or two drops is also possible."


    "How do you want to sell it, Senior Brother Xu?"


    "One drop of Fire Burns the Sky for twenty spirit stones."


    "Too expensive. Although this poison is strong, it only affects cultivators if it touches their skin. Twenty spirit stones are enough to buy a first-tier superior grade talisman." Song Wen bargained.


    After some negotiation, Song Wen finally paid 120 spirit stones and bought all the Fire Burns the Sky.


    This made Senior Brother Xu look at Song Wen with some admiration. He hadn''t expected that this seemingly ordinary Junior Brother actually had quite a bit of wealth.


    However, this Junior Brother was truly afraid of death.


    To spend such arge amount of money on a poison that he might never use in the future.


    After receiving the jade bottle containing Fire Burns the Sky and bidding farewell to Senior Brother Xu, Song Wen left.


    He circled around the booth area again but didn''t find Chen Yi. So, he bought five flight talismans, six haste talismans, and ten Thunder Burst pellets, which posed no significant threat to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, then returned to his cave.


    Haste talismans were first-tier superior grade talismansmonly used by Qi Refining cultivators to chase or flee, greatly increasing a cultivator''s speed.


    After buying these items, Song Wen had nearly spent most of his saved spirit stones in recent days.


    Song Wen was somewhat satisfied with his gains in the market area today, but there was one thing he hadn''t aplished: finding Chen Yi.


    His purpose in seeking Chen Yi was to obtain some information about Rainbow Grass from her.


    For this sect mission, besides knowing the quantity and growth status of Rainbow Grass, he knew almost nothing about the mission.


    And since Chen Yi was in the Spirit Grass Garden, it should be rtively easy to obtain information about Rainbow Grass from her.


    Although Elder Shen would probably provide some information about Rainbow Grass in three days, it was always good to be prepared in advance.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 51: Transaction

    <h4>Chapter 51: Transaction</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    He couldn''t find Chen Yi in the market, but fortunately Song Wen still had her messaging jade slip.


    He picked up the jade slip and sent a message.


    Song Wen: "Junior Sister Chen, do you have detailed information on the Rainbow Grass?"


    Song Wen waited for a while but received no response. He put down the jade slip and attended to other matters, expecting Chen Yi to reply once she saw the message.


    His first task was to refine the Ghost Head Shield.


    Song Wen sat cross-legged, his mind focused. He took out the Ghost Head Shield and ced it in front of him.


    Then, reversing his blood and qi flow, the abundant qi and blood inside him began to surge. A drop of essence blood started to trickle down from his brow, falling onto the Ghost Head Shield.


    Drop after drop of essence blood spread over the Ghost Head Shield, dyeing its eerie patterns a sinister crimson.


    Flickers of bloodlight began to glow on the Ghost Head Shield, gradually intensifying.


    Suddenly, a ck mist burst forth from the shield, transforming into a fierce ghost nearly ten feet tall in mid-air.


    The fierce ghost was pitch ck, baring its fangs and roaring ferociously at Song Wen.


    However, Song Wen seemed indifferent to this phenomenon, continuing to drip essence blood.


    After dozens of drops of essence blood, the fierce ghost seemed sated, gradually calming down and shrinking back into the shield.


    Song Wen ceased dripping blood and instead repeatedly infused spiritual power into the Ghost Head Shield.


    About two hourster, a faint smile appeared on Song Wen''s face as he finallypletely refined the Ghost Head Shield.


    Only Song Wen dared to use such a method of refining at the cost of his own essence blood. For other cultivators at the Fourth Stage of Qi Refinement, it would take at least ten days to half a month to refine this Ghost Head Shield. After all, not all cultivators possessed the spiritual power far beyond their cultivation realm like Song Wen, nor did they have nearly inexhaustible essence blood.


    At this moment, the messaging jade slip received a response.


    Chen Yi: "Senior Ji Yin, the Rainbow Grass is a spiritual herb unique to the Poisonous Miasma Swamp. Our sect''s herb garden does not cultivate it, so I have no information on the Rainbow Grass."


    Song Wen: "Junior Sister Chen, can you find a way to obtain information on the Rainbow Grass? I can offer a certain amount of spirit stones aspensation."


    Perhaps tempted by Song Wen''s offer, after a moment, Chen Yi responded:


    "Senior Ji Yin, why suddenly interested in the Rainbow Grass? If you truly desire it, I can consult Senior Zhang Xiaofan for a solution."


    Zhang Xiaofan was a direct disciple, making it easier to gather information about the Rainbow Grass from his master, a Golden Core stage alchemist in the Pill Hall.


    Song Wen: "If there''s information on the Yan family in the Poisonous Miasma Swamp, that would be even better. I can pay 30 spirit stones aspensation. However, all information must be provided to me within three days; it will be void afterward."


    If more than three days pass, Song Wen would leave the sect. Moreover, the messaging jade slip had distance limitations, makingmunication impossible once they were too far apart.


    As a spirit nt husbandry disciple, Chen Yi only received ten spirit stones as monthly allowance; 30 spirit stones were already a considerable fortune for her.


    Chen Yi promptly replied, "Senior Ji Yin, I will contact Senior Zhang as soon as possible."


    Two dayster, in the evening, Song Wen opened therge red coffin in his cave.


    A corpse puppet over two meters tall, with fangs over five centimeters long and emitting a strong corpse aura, jumped out of the coffin.


    "Roar!"


    As if celebrating its revival, the corpse puppet roared loudly as soon as it burst out of the coffin.


    Song Wen circled the corpse puppet a few times. Its skin was dark brown, and its withered muscles resembled the sturdy roots of an ancient tree, robust and powerful.


    "It''s indeed a decent flesh shield."


    Song Wen nodded in satisfaction.


    At this moment, Song Wen finally received Chen Yi''s reply.


    "Senior Ji Yin, I''m waiting for you at the misceneous disciple''s cafeteria."


    Song Wen was delighted. He hadn''t expected Chen Yi to actually obtain information on the Rainbow Grass and the Yan family in the Poisonous Miasma Swamp.


    "He had the corpse puppet return to the coffin, then wasted no time and left the cave."


    ...


    "At this time, it was mealtime, and there were many misceneous disciplesing and going in the cafeteria."


    To avoid drawing too much attention, Song Wen and Chen Yi each took a serving of food, found a secluded table, and began eating and chatting.


    The other misceneous disciples, seeing that both were wearing outer disciple attire, were tactful enough to keep their distance and not disturb them.


    Chen Yi handed a jade slip to Song Wen and said, "Senior Ji Yin, both the information on the Rainbow Grass and the Yan family are in here."


    "Thank you, Junior Sister."


    Song Wen took the jade slip and simultaneously passed a small cloth bag over, containing the thirty spirit stones agreed upon earlier.


    Taking the bag, Chen Yi used her spiritual power to probe it briefly, a smile appearing on her face.


    She exined, "Senior, have you epted the mission outside the sect from the Yan family?"


    Song Wen nodded.


    "Yes."


    After pondering for a moment, Song Wen continued, "Junior Sister Chen, if I may ask, where did you obtain the information on the Rainbow Grass and the Yan family?"


    Song Wen asked this question to ensure the uracy of the information.


    If Chen Yi had collected the information haphazardly on her own, its reliability would be questionable.


    "I obtained the information from Senior Zhang Xiaofan, through his master," Chen Yi replied.


    For Chen Yi to secure thirty spirit stones, she clearly went through some trouble. While she didn''t explicitly state it, asking Senior Zhang Xiaofan and his master for information wouldn''t have been without cost. If she hadn''t offered something in return, Zhang Xiaofan might not have been willing to help.


    As for what Chen Yi paid for this, it was no longer Song Wen''s concern.


    Song Wen was satisfied with this answer. Since the information came from a Golden Core cultivator, he believed its reliability should be assured.


    He didn''t want to dwell on this issue further and changed the subject.


    "Junior Sister Chen, have youpleted your mission outside the sect?"


    Chen Yi narrowed her eyes and smiled proudly.


    "Not yet, but I''m about to. I have to thank you, Senior."


    "Oh? How so?"


    "My mission was to deliver five Fire Spirit Grasses to the sect," Chen Yi exined.


    Fire Spirit Grass was a first-tier spiritual herb of the fire attribute, not particrly rare. However, it thrived in intensely hot environments, which couldn''t be found within the Corpse Demon Sect due to its dense corpse and Yin qi. The nearest ce to find Fire Spirit Grass was at Longyan Mountain, near an active volcano.


    But Longyan Mountain was thousands of miles away from the sect, fraught with powerful monsters, strange poisonous insects, and asional rogue cultivators. For someone like Chen Yi, who was only at the Second Stage of Qi Refinement, retrieving Fire Spirit Grass from there was almost suicidal.


    However, Fire Spirit Grass was still just a first-tier spiritual herb. Chen Yi managed to find a cultivator at the Ninth Stage of Qi Refinement who had exactly five Fire Spirit Grasses.


    However, the price demanded by this cultivator was high, and Chen Yi couldn''t gather enough spirit stones on her own, falling short by over twenty spirit stones.


    It was at this opportune moment that Song Wen approached her.


    Upon hearing Chen Yi''s exnation, Song Wen couldn''t help feeling a bit envious. He had thought his own mission was rtively safe, butpared to Chen Yi''s, hers was truly risk-free, costing only a few spirit stones.


    "Well then, congrattions, Junior Sister Chen."


    After chatting for a while longer, the two parted ways.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 52: Elder Shen’s Advice

    <h4>Chapter 52: Elder Shen��s Advice</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen''s Cave Mansion.


    Seated cross-legged, Song Wen took out the jade slip given by Chen Yi and carefully examined it.


    The content of the jade slip was divided into two parts. The first part introduced the Rainbow Grass, while thetter part contained information about the Yan family.


    The Rainbow Grass matures within a span of one hundred years. Initially, it appears no different from ordinary weeds, with the whole nt being green and emitting faint spiritual energy.


    When it reaches ten years of maturity, an orange ring appears on the leaves.


    Every subsequent decade, another color appears on the leaves, until at seventy years, it exhibits all seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple.


    Upon reaching one hundred years, ck patterns form along the edges of the Rainbow Grass leaves, a crucial indicator of its maturity.


    A fully matured Rainbow Grass can be used to refine Profound Qi Pills, which enhance spiritual energy forte-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. Simr to Song Wen''s current Qi-gathering Pills, but with much richer spiritual energy.


    The jade slip contained these details about the Rainbow Grass, followed by information about the Yan family.


    Located in the Poison miasma swamp, the Yan family is a foundational family affiliated with the Corpse Demon Sect. They often station themselves in the poison miasma swamp, which is perpetually shrouded in poisonous mist. Due to their long-term management, ordinary cultivators find it difficult to enter, essentially making the rtively small Poison miasma swamp the Yan family''s private domain.


    The patriarch of the Yan family is a powerful foundational cultivator and currently the only one in the family. However, he is advanced in age and nearing the end of his life, rarely seen in recent years.


    In the past few decades, no outsider has seen him, leading to rumors outside that the patriarch of the Yan family has passed away. However, to maintain their position and protect their interests, the Yan family has not made any public announcements.


    The Yan family boasts thirteen cultivators in thete-stage of Qi Refinement, among whom Yan Zhengping is at the peak of Qi Refinement. However, being over sixty, it''s unlikely he will seed in foundational cultivation.


    Additionally, Yan Zhengping''s third brother, Yan Gao, is a cultivator at the Ninth Stage of Qi Refinement.


    Among them, one person caught Song Wen''s attention.


    Yan Yiwen!


    At just eighteen years old, she has already broken through to thete-stage of Qi Refinement. Such talent is extremely rare, even within the Corpse Demon Sect.


    ...


    The next day.


    Morning.


    The Alchemy Hall is located at the northwest foot of the Corpse Demon Peak. It is said to have chosen this location due to natural underground fires that aid in alchemy.


    As a crucial location of the Corpse Demon Sect, it is heavily guarded, with numerous disciples on duty everywhere.


    Song Wen arrived at the Alchemy Hall gates two quarters early.


    However, the Alchemy Hall wouldn''t open until morning, so Song Wen could only wait outside the gates.


    He waited until the doors of the Alchemy Hall finally opened, and Song Wen entered with his mission token.


    The Alchemy Hall covered an extensive area, a massive courtyard spanning over a hundred acres.


    Guided by the guards, Song Wen arrived outside Elder Shen''s small courtyard.


    However, Elder Shen didn''t immediately allow Song Wen in, leaving him waiting outside. The guard escorted Song Wen to the designated area and then departed.


    Song Wen could only wait alone.


    A few minutester, a handsome man arrived outside the courtyard under the guard''s escort.


    This man gave Song Wen a sense of straightforwardness, which was quite unusual here in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Typically, disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect exuded either gloominess or arrogance and ferocity, influenced by their techniques and the aura of corpses.


    Even Song Wen at this moment was no exception, surrounded by corpse aura and a chilling Yin energy, appearing far from being benign.


    However, the man''s demeanor, coupled with his handsome appearance, gave a favorable first impression, especially among the female disciples who easily took a liking to him.


    "Junior brother, are you here for the mission outside the Poison miasma swamp?" the man spoke first, asking Song Wen.


    Song Wen nodded respectfully and replied, "Yes, Senior brother. May I ask how I should address you?"


    The man exuded a strong auraparable to someone at the Seventh Stage of Qi Refinement, indicating his strength.


    It wasn''t difficult for Song Wen to analyze that this man was the fellow cultivator assigned to the mission with him.


    For the foreseeable future, they would be spending a lot of time together, and given the man''s obvious superiority in strength, maintaining a good rtionship was natural.


    "So, you''re Junior brother Ji Yin. I''m Guo Tao," Guo Tao smiled.


    Song Wen sped his hands and said, "Greetings, Senior brother Guo. My strength is still weak. I hope Senior brother will take care of me on this journey."


    Guo Tao seemed pleased with Song Wen''s respectful attitude and nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a voice suddenly came from inside the courtyard.


    "Are you two Guo Tao and Ji Yin, tasked with assessing the Rainbow Grass at the Yan family this year?"


    Before the words finished, a middle-aged man with a cold expression appeared abruptly before them.


    It was Elder Shen from the Alchemy Hall.


    Seeing him, both Song Wen and Guo Tao immediately turned and respectfully bowed.


    "Disciple Guo Tao/Ji Yin pays respects to Elder Shen."


    "Hand over your mission tokens and disciple tokens for my inspection," Elder Shen said.


    Song Wen and Guo Tao handed over their tokens to Elder Shen, who verified their identities and mission tokens without issue. He then took out two jade slips and handed one to each of them.


    "This is the main content of your mission this time. I must remind you once again, when assessing the Rainbow Grass, you must be meticulous and not the slightest bit negligent."


    "Under no circumstances should you collude with the Yan family, upying sect spiritual herbs. If any discrepancies are found after the assessment, what awaits you will be excruciating punishment, both physically and spiritually."


    Facing Elder Shen''s warning, Song Wen and Guo Tao immediately assured him.


    "We will do our utmost with full dedication."


    Elder Shen nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.


    "Set off as soon as possible."


    With that said, Elder Shen soared into the courtyard.


    Seeing Elder Shen depart, Song Wen and Guo Tao exchanged a nce and were about to leave.


    Suddenly, Song Wen heard Elder Shen''s voice echoing in his mind.


    "Young man, remember, your task is to monitor Guo Tao. If he oversteps in any way, you must report to me promptly after the mission. Don''t think this mission is just a formality. If there are any mishaps, I can ensure your life will be worse than death."


    Faced with Elder Shen''s sudden warning, Song Wen''s expression changed slightly. However, he immediately pretended as if he hadn''t heard anything.


    Elder Shen had clearly used a telepathic technique, specifically speaking to him alone.


    Feeling somewhat stunned, he realized he had only revealed his cultivation level of the Third Stage of Qi Refinement. How could he possibly monitor Guo Tao, who was at thete stage of Qi Refinement?


    If he did discover any wrongdoing by Guo Tao, thetter could easily kill him in retaliation. Did Elder Shen really think he will allow him to survive to report back to the sect?


    However, just moments ago, it seemed even Elder Shen hadn''t detected his hidden strength, which was somewhat reassuring.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 53: Flying Boat

    <h4>Chapter 53: Flying Boat</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen and Guo Tao quickly left the vicinity of the Alchemy Hall.


    As they walked, Song Wen silently pondered how to cross the Poison Miasma Swamp.


    Although the swamp was only over two thousand miles from the Corpse Demon Sect, this distance was as the crow flies. Between themy towering mountains, cliffs, and steep peaks.


    Before the Foundation Building stage, flying was not possible. Crossing these extensive mountain ranges spanning over two thousand miles was not easy, especially with potential dangers along the way.


    Initially, Song Wen thought the sect would provide special mounts to help them traverse the swamp, but Elder Shen hadn''t mentioned anything about traveling.


    As Song Wen pondered, Guo Tao lightly patted his waist storage pouch.


    A palm-sized wooden boat flew out, swelling in the wind, instantly expanding to about two meters in length, hovering in the air.


    Song Wen looked dumbfounded at the flying boat before him, involuntarily recalling the scene when Shi Shou had brought him to the Corpse Demon Sect on a much more impressive flying ship than the single wooden boat before him.


    Even so, Song Wen was still surprised. As an inner disciple, Guo Tao actually owned a flying boat. It seemed that the strength behind Guo Tao''s family couldn''t be underestimated. Otherwise, how could Guo Tao, with only the cultivation strength of the Seventh Stage of Qi Refinement, afford a flying boat worth thousands of spiritual stones?


    Flying boats were not only expensive but also consumed spiritual stones due to the flying arrays onboard. Therefore, traveling on a flying boat was an extremely costly endeavor.


    "Junior brother Ji Yin, what are you staring at? Come aboard," Guo Tao said lightly, leaping onto the flying boat.


    "Senior brother Guo, you actually have your own flying boat," Song Wen''s tone carried envy, like a university graduate worried about finding a decent job, suddenly discovering his ssmates were sitting on a gold mine at home.


    Guo Tao replied smugly, "A flying boat is just a trifle."


    Song Wen jumped onto the flying boat and ran his hands over the array patterns on it. His eyes gleamed as if he were handling a rare treasure he had never seen before.


    Guo Tao grinned broadly, clearly pleased with himself.


    "Junior brother, take your seat. We''re setting off."


    The flying boat soared into the sky, speeding towards the distant vast mountains and forests.


    "With Senior brother Guo''s flying boat, we''ll probably reach the Poison Miasma Swamp in just a few hours," Song Wen continued to praise.


    "My strength is weak, and I''ve only been in the sect for a year, so my understanding of the cultivation world is limited. I''ll have to rely on Senior brother Guo a lot for this mission."


    Guo Tao seemed genuinely ttered by Song Wen''s praise, patting his chest proudly.


    "Junior brother, rest assured. This mission is extremely simple, just a formality. When the timees, leave everything to me, and you can treat it as a sightseeing trip. Besides, who knows, maybe we''ll even get some benefits from the Yan family."


    "Benefits?" Song Wen looked somewhat na?ve, surprised.


    "The Yan family will give us benefits?"


    Guo Tao said confidently, "That''s natural. We represent the sect. If the Yan family wants a smooth inventory, they will naturally treat us well with good food and drink. When we leave, they may also give us some rewards."


    "After we finish at the Yan family, leave everything to me, Junior brother. Just wait for the benefits."


    Song Wen sped his hands, "I''ll leave it to Senior brother. I will definitely look up to Senior brother."


    Although Song Wen said this, he felt something was off.


    Guo Tao''s eagerness seemed a bit exaggerated, like an older brother looking after a junior who had just entered the sect.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but feel that the other party wouldn''t be so kind without reason.


    Within the Corpse Demon Sect, disciples were typically cold and ruthless, full of deception and treachery. Warm-hearted senior brothers among fellow disciples simply did not exist unless there was something they coveted about you.


    Amidst Song Wen''s ttery, their rtionship quickly grew closer.


    The flying boat soared through the air, directly crossing over mountains, much faster than traveling on the ground. Before the sun set, they arrived at the Poison Miasma Swamp.


    Looking from above, the swamp waters weren''t deep, about the depth of a person. It was dotted with deep pools and small inds.


    Even in the evening, a grim green mist hung over the swamp, likely the source of its name, the toxic miasma that lingered year-round.


    Guo Tao didn''t rush into the miasma but circled around the edge of the swamp for dozens of miles before finally stopping above a small ind.


    As soon as theynded, four Qi Refinement Stage cultivators rushed out from the woods.


    "Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Yan Family''s territory!"


    Facing the aggressive approach of the four, Guo Tao smiled and stepped forward.


    "We greet the senior brothers of the Yan Family. We are disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect here to carry out sect missions."


    As he spoke, Guo Tao presented his disciple identity token.


    The leader carefully examined the token and, after confirming its authenticity, spoke up.


    "So you are disciples from the Corpse Demon Sect. Please follow me."


    Led by this person, Song Wen and Guo Tao quickly crossed the small ind and arrived at a wooden-built pier.


    The pier was long and winding, stretching endlessly out of sight.


    Once on the pier, Song Wen soon noticed that there was no toxic miasma around it, as if it had been sealed off by an array.


    The three walked along the pier for over twenty miles until they finally saw a vast ind.


    The ind was dotted with numerous buildings, especially the centralplex, which appeared grand and imposing, likely the core area of the Yan Family''s residence.


    Upon reaching the ind, the three quickly entered arge hall.


    Seated at the head of the hall was a man with slightly graying hair, the patriarch of the Yan Family, Yan Zhengping.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Guo Tao directly stated their purpose.


    Yan Zhengping spoke loudly.


    "Young friends, it''s alreadyte today. Please rest at my Yan Family''s ce tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to take you to the Spirit Field to inventory the Rainbow Grass. How about it?"


    ncing at the sky, where the sun had alreadypletely set, leaving only a faint glow illuminating the earth, Guo Tao nodded.


    "We will follow the arrangements of the Yan Family."


    Yan Zhengping nodded. "I have already prepared excellent guest rooms. Let someone take you there to rest."


    Guo Tao and Song Wen stood up, preparing to follow the servant to their rooms.


    "Grandpa."


    A clear female voice suddenly rang out in the hall, and a youthful and beautiful figure appeared at the door.


    The neer had bright eyes and brows, red lips, dressed in a light blue long dress, exuding a lively charm unique to young girls.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 54: Yan Yiwen

    <h4>Chapter 54: Yan Yiwen</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Facing the sudden appearance of the girl, Yan Zhengping''s face showed both indulgence and helplessness.


    "Yiwen, didn''t I ask you to focus on your cultivation? Why did youe out again?"


    "Cultivation is too boring. I''ve been cultivating all day today. It''s too dull," the girl replied nonchntly to Yan Zhengping''s questioning.


    Yan Zhengping shook his head helplessly. Although his granddaughter had excellent aptitude, her temperament was a bitcking, too independent.


    He sighed and didn''t pursue her stubbornness further, instead changing the subject.


    "You''vee at the right time. These two are outstanding disciples of the sect. You are all young people, you can chat and exchange ideas, broaden your horizons, which will benefit your future cultivation."


    After speaking, Yan Zhengping briefly introduced the three.


    Although Yan Zhengping''s introduction of the girl was vague, Song Wen recognized her from the intelligence reports as the genius of the Yan Family.


    Curious, Song Wen looked at her more closely.


    Even though he had seen all sorts of beauties in both real life and on the inte in his past life, Song Wen had to admit that this girl was exceptionally beautiful, rare in the world. The only w was a hint of arrogance, perhaps a wmon among geniuses.


    While Song Wen was observing the girl, she was also observing him.


    Normally, Guo Tao''s handsome appearance would attract more attention from women. However, for some reason, Yan Yiwen''s eyes skipped over Guo Tao directly andnded on Song Wen, who seemed average in the background.


    After carefully observing Song Wen for a while, Yan Yiwen suddenly chuckled, with a hint of disdain in her expression.


    "Grandpa, he''s only at the third stage of Qi Refinement. What kind of outstanding disciple is he? He''s just an ordinary outer sect disciple."


    Even though Song Wen could remain calm in the face of praise or ridicule, at this moment, he felt a bit annoyed and embarrassed. This genius of the Yan Family was indeed quite rude to openly mock his low cultivation level.


    "Cough, cough..."


    Feeling awkward, not just Song Wen, but Yan Zhengping was also extremely embarrassed at this moment.


    He never expected that his granddaughter would speak so disrespectfully in public.


    Although strength was respected in the cultivation world, social niceties were also important.


    Normally, Yan Zhengping wouldn''t pay attention to an outer sect disciple like Song Wen who had such low strength. However, at this moment, Song Wen represented the sect and hade to inventory spiritual herbs for the Yan Family.


    Yan Zhengping looked at Yan Yiwen with an annoyed expression. "Yiwen, mind your words. Quickly apologize to Young Friend Ji Yin."


    Seeing her grandfather angry, Yan Yiwen felt indignant. She defended herself with an unhappy expression.


    "Why should I apologize? I didn''t say anything wrong. He is indeed just an ordinary outer sect disciple with extremely mediocre potential. What''s there to chat about between us?"


    After saying this, Yan Yiwen quickly walked out of the hall.


    Seeing his granddaughter leave, Yan Zhengping apologized to Song Wen with a regretful expression.


    "Young Friend Ji Yin, I apologize. My granddaughter has been spoiled and speaks without restraint. She has offended you just now. I hope you won''t take it to heart."


    Song Wen remainedposed, as if the insult hadn''t affected him.


    "Elder Yan, there''s no need for apologies. Miss Yiwen simply stated the truth and did not offend me."


    Yan Zhengping flipped his hand, revealing a jade bottle.


    "In this jade bottle are ten Qi Gathering Pills, as apensation from my granddaughter to you."


    Yan Zhengping pushed his spiritual energy, and the jade bottle floated towards Song Wen.


    Song Wen was somewhat surprised. Ten Qi Gathering Pills were worth twenty-five spiritual stones. For a Qi Refinement Stage 3 cultivator, this was quite generous.


    A look of pleasantly surprised gratitude appeared on Song Wen''s face as he tightly grasped the jade bottle and said, "Thank you for your generous gift, Elder Yan."


    After bidding farewell to Yan Zhengping, Song Wen and Guo Tao followed the servant to their rooms.


    After instructing Song Wen not to wander around at night, Guo Tao entered his own room first.


    Later, Song Wen stepped into his own room and closed the door behind him.


    With a calm mind, Song Wen began to reflect on the events of the day.


    Overall, the day had been smooth, except for Yan Yiwen''s sudden rudeness.


    However, Song Wen couldn''t shake the feeling that Yan Yiwen''s appearance and her disrespectful words seemed rather abrupt, almost as if they were deliberately arranged.


    Song Wen couldn''t understand why a Qi Refinement Stage 7 cultivator would act so recklessly.


    Unable to make sense of it all, Song Wen shook his head, pushing aside his jumbled thoughts. He took out the jade slip given to him by Elder Shen and ced it on his forehead to examine it.


    The contents about the Rainbow Grass recorded in the jade slip werergely consistent with what Chen Yi had provided, except it detailed the quantity of Rainbow Grass cultivated by the Yan Family.


    There were 113 nts of Rainbow Grass in the Hundred Portions category,


    931 nts of Rainbow Grass in the Seventy Portions or more category.


    The count for the Sixty Portions category of Rainbow Grass...


    The jade slip clearly stipted that the main task of this inventory was to carefully count the quantities of Rainbow Grass in the Hundred Portions and Seventy Portions categories, ensuring the counts were urate.


    As for the other categories of spiritual herbs, minor discrepancies in quantities were eptable.


    The jade slip didn''t provide any information about the Yan Family''s strength, which made Song Wen feel that the 30 spiritual stones he spent on buying information from Chen Yi were still worthwhile.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    "Who''s there!"


    In this unfamiliar environment, Song Wen remained alert. The unexpected knocking made him instantly vignt, his hand already at his waist, ready to summon the Corpse Puppet at any moment.


    "Senior Ji Yin, I''m a servant from the Yan Mansion here to deliver your dinner," a female voice sounded from outside the door.


    Using his mental power to sense, Song Wen discovered there was only a young woman outside the door, without any cultivation.


    However, he remained cautious and approached to open the door.


    A young maidservant stood elegantly outside the door, holding a tray.


    "Pleasee in." After a quick scan revealed nothing unusual, Song Wen spoke softly.


    The maidservant entered and ced the tray on the table before taking her leave.


    Song Wen looked at the food on the table: spiritual rice, demon beast meat, all skillfully prepared with excellent taste and aroma.


    Muttering to himself, "The Yan Family really spares no expense."


    ...


    Meanwhile, in a secluded room of the Yan Mansion.


    Five people were gathered, discussing in hushed tones.


    If Song Wen were present, he would surely be shocked.


    Among the five people in the room, there was someone he would never have expected.


    That person was Guo Tao, who was tasked with this mission alongside him.


    Yan Zhengping''s expression was serious as he asked, "Xiao Tao, what is your assessment of Ji Yin?"


    Guo Tao replied, "Reporting to the patriarch, Ji Yin has only recently joined the sect and is weak in strength. Hees from a humble background with no significant connections. Overall, he is just a young and inexperienced kid. There''s no need to worry about him.


    In my opinion, he''s quite easy to deceive. As long as we prepare a little, he won''t notice anything abnormal.


    Moreover, on the way here, I''ve repeatedly instructed him not to take the mission seriously. He just needs to follow behind me,plete the task smoothly, and he''ll even gain some benefits."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 55: Miasma Tide

    <h4>Chapter 55: Miasma Tide</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After Guo Tao paused for a moment, he continued, "Today, Yiwen deliberately provoked and publicly humiliated him. Ji Yin dared not speak out. After receiving the Gathering Qi Pill, he even felt grateful. It shows that this person is timid and spineless, unworthy of further concern."


    Yan Zhengming heard this and gradually rxed his furrowed brow, nodding in agreement. "You make some valid points, but we mustn''t becent. Despite Ji Yin''s calm demeanor in the face of Yiwen''s humiliation, his Qi cultivation is still decent. Most other cultivators at the age of fifteen or sixteen would react with anger, if not outright rage."


    At this moment, a burly man in the room spoke with a booming voice. "Brother, you''re overthinking it. Given our Yan family''s foundation, would a Qi Refinement Stage 3 junior dare to rage? If you''re truly concerned, why not take decisive action and eliminate the kid directly? That way, there''d be no risk of exposing the secret of the Rainbow Grass."


    Yan Zhengming red unkindly at his third brother, displeased with his strong but muscle-headed demeanor. "Foolish! Ji Yin is still young and weak in strength, easy to deceive. Killing him might attract attention from the Corpse Demon Sect and increase the risk of exposing the secret of the Rainbow Grass."


    After reprimanding his third brother, Yan Zhengming turned his gaze to Guo Tao and said, "Xiao Tao, for the sake of the family''s development, you''ve endured a lot over the years."


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Xiao Tao �C Guo Tao''s nickname Xiao is a prefix meaning little or small, often used as a term of endearment by the older generation for youngsters.


    "A few years ago, you concealed your identity and infiltrated the Corpse Demon Sect alone. Without any help from the family, relying solely on your talent and relentless effort, you became an inner disciple, which was no easy feat. At this critical juncture, you''ve even secured the task of inventorying for the family, a significant contribution indeed."


    "If the family''s n seeds this time, your hard work will be remembered. In the future, there will definitely be a Foundation Establishment Pill for you."


    Guo Tao''s expression became slightly emotional upon hearing this, saying, "I am Yan Family''s man, dedicated to the Yan Family, willing to give my all, even unto death."


    Yan Zhengming continued, "Although Xiao Tao is in charge of this inventory mission, necessary arrangements are still needed. After all, Ji Yin is also involved. If he hasn''t even inspected the Spirit Field, it would be unreasonable."


    "We cannot rx our vignce towards Ji Yin. Xiao Tao, you must keep a close eye on him. If you sense any suspicion from him, report it promptly. If absolutely necessary, you can even execute him on the spot."


    "Yes," Guo Tao replied.


    Yan Zhengming then asked the others in the room, "How many days will it take to set up the Spirit Field?"


    "Approximately seven days," someone answered.


    "Move swiftly with the arrangements."


    "Yes," responded the others in the room.


    ...


    The next morning, at dawn.


    Song Wen opened his door, intending to explore the nearby area and observe the surroundings while stretching his body.


    "Creak."


    At that moment, Guo Tao''s neighboring door also opened.


    "Junior Ji Yin, up so early. Where are you off to?" asked Guo Tao.


    "Senior Guo, just exploring the new surroundings. It''s unfamiliar, so I thought I''d take a look around," replied Song Wen.


    Guo Tao''s expression turned slightly serious as he said, "I just received word from Master Yan that there''s been a sudden outbreak of miasma tides in the Poisonous Miasma Swamp. The miasma outside the Yan family''s residence has surged, bing more toxic. The entire swamp is now unsuitable for human activity, even for ate Qi Refinement cultivator like me."


    "The inventory mission will be postponed for a few days. During this time, the two of us should stay in our rooms and not wander around. We''re unfamiliar with this ce. If we identally enter a miasma-infested area, we might lose our lives."


    A look of fear appeared on Song Wen''s youthful face. "Just as I stepped out, there''s an outbreak of miasma tides! That''s truly terrifying. I''ll stay in my room for safety. I''m going back."


    With that, Song Wen turned and walked back into his room.


    Watching Song Wen''s door close once more, Guo Tao''s lips curled into a faint smile.


    "A rookie like him is really easy to deceive."


    Back in his room, Song Wen''s mind was filled with suspicion.


    Guo Tao''s behavior seemed odd. He had just stepped out, and Guo Tao immediately opened his door, which seemed too coincidental, as if Guo Tao had intentionally waited for him.


    Moreover, Guo Tao mentioned the miasma tide, which was also mentioned in the jade slip provided by Chen Yi. The appearance of miasma tides had no regr pattern; they urred roughly every two to three years, apanied by colorful auroras in the sky.


    Regarding the phenomena during miasma tides, some had spected that there might be hidden treasures in the Poisonous Miasma Swamp. However, after generations of cultivators searching, there had been no findings. Gradually, no one mentioned it anymore.


    When Song Wen observed outside the door just now, he noticed that the sky beyond therge array barrier was normal, as usual, murky gray. There were absolutely no signs of the miasma tide phenomenon mentioned in the intel.


    Furthermore, since entering the Yan family, Guo Tao had repeatedly warned him not to wander, seemingly concerned for his safety but more like intentionally or unintentionally confining Song Wen.


    Also, Guo Tao''s words just now had inconsistencies. It was absolutely not foolish for Song Wen to wander near the boundary of the Yan family array.


    Song Wen couldn''t believe that miasma could infiltrate the array. If that were the case, the lower-level disciples and ordinary people in the Yan family would have long since perished.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but harbor some suspicion towards Guo Tao. He suddenly realized that Elder Shen''s message before his departure was not without purpose.


    However, Song Wen did not directly express any doubts to Guo Tao.


    If Guo Tao was indeed in league with the Yan family, then Song Wen was alone in this. For now, he could only let the other party manipte him to ensure his survival. The sect mission would have to be put on hold for the time being.


    Over the next few days, Song Wen''s door remained closed, only asionally opening it to get some fresh air by the doorway before returning to his room.


    Song Wen knew that there must have been some problem with the Spirit Field, and the Yan family was using this time to make certain preparations. In collusion with Guo Tao, the Yan family only needed to deceive him, a seemingly Qi Refinement Stage 3 cultivator on the surface, to smoothly pass this sect inventory.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 56: Clear Heaven Floating on the Water

    <h4>Chapter 56: Clear Heaven Floating on the Water</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Clear Heaven (Tranted from Lingtian) is the water-field where Rainbow herb is nted.


    On this day,


    Guo Tao suddenly knocked on Song Wen''s door.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, the tide of miasma is receding, and we will inventory the Rainbow Grass in Clear Heaven tomorrow."


    Hearing this, Song Wen knew that the disguise of Clear Heaven should have been prepared long ago.


    He couldn''t help feeling a bit at a loss. He didn''t know how to handle the uing inventory.


    If he continued to let the Yan family manipte him, although he could survive and leave the Yan family for the time being, he would temporarily save his own life.


    But if the problem in Clear Heaven couldn''t be discovered, once the problem was exposed, he would definitely be implicated, and the sect would certainly investigate his negligence. Facing the punishment of the sect, he might end up in a dilemma.


    Just thinking about the terrifying punishments of the Corpse Demon Sect, Song Wen felt a chill.


    "Should I defect from the sect?"


    Before the problem with Clear Heaven was discovered by the Corpse Demon Sect, fleeing from the sect might be the only option Song Wen could think of, with a slim chance of sess.


    But could he really escape the endless pursuit of the Corpse Demon Sect?


    As Song Wen was lost in thought, he arrived at the door and opened it.


    Seeing the smiling Guo Tao, when he noticed Song Wen''s uneasy expression, he pretended to show concern.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, what''s wrong? Why do you look so worried?"


    Song Wen suddenly realized that he seemed to be overthinking things, and his poorly managed expression had been noticed by Guo Tao.


    With mountains and rivers blocking one''s way, another vige appears after darkness lifts from the flowers.


    No matter how bad the situation is, there will always be a way out. Song Wen reminded himself in his heart.


    After figuring this out, a smile appeared on Song Wen''s face. This time it wasn''t fake; he believed that step by careful step, he would find a breakthrough.


    "It''s nothing. Lately, my cultivation progress hasn''t been smooth, so I''m a bit worried."


    Song Wen made up a nonsense excuse.


    "On the path of cultivation, obstacles are many and patience is key," Guo Tao said.


    "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Guo. I understand," Song Wen said.


    Guo Tao continued, "Tomorrow, after weplete the inventory of the Rainbow Grass, we can return to the sect."


    "Everything will be arranged by Senior Brother Guo."


    ...


    To Song Wen''s surprise, Yan Zhengping, as the head of the Yan family, actually participated personally in this inventory.


    Under Yan Zhengping''s leadership, three Qi Refining stageter cultivators from the Yan family, thirteen mid Qi Refining stage cultivators, along with Song Wen and Guo Tao, a total of neen people, boarded arge ship.


    This ship seemed to be specially made, and who knows what kind of array was inscribed on it. The ship had a very shallow draft, floating lightly on the water''s surface like a weightless leaf, capable of navigating through the swamp.


    The poisonous swamp wasn''t very deep; in shallow areas, it was only about half a meter deep. Only such a specially made ship could navigate through the swamp. Ordinary ships would risk running aground as soon as they entered the water.


    Yan Zhengping flipped his hand, revealing a jade bottle.


    "Come, everyone take the Miasma Detoxifying Pill first."


    This Miasma Detoxifying Pill was made by the Yan family specifically to resist the toxicity of the miasma, each pill capable of protecting against miasma for about four hours.


    "Song Wen took the medicine without hesitation.


    In the current situation, the Yan family had no reason to kill him.


    Moreover, even if the Yan family wanted to kill him, they wouldn''t resort to poison.


    He also noticed that among the group of neen people, including Yan Zhengping, there were four Qi Refining stageter cultivators who hadn''t taken the medicine.


    This was because the Yan family practiced a poisonous technique where they would refine various toxins into their bodies during cultivation, giving them much higher resistance to poisons than ordinary people.


    These Qi Refining stageter Yan family cultivators clearly had profound cultivation and, due to long-term cultivation in the miasma, could already resist the toxicity of the swamp miasma with just their physical bodies.


    Therge boat meandered through the swampy forest, and after about half an hour, the boat finally stopped.


    Throughout the journey, Song Wen silently recorded the ship''s route in his mind.


    Fortunately, Chen Yi had provided him with a rough map of the entire swamp in the jade slip, which allowed Song Wen to roughly judge his position.


    He initially thought that Clear Heaven should be in the central area of the swamp, but upon his calctions, Clear Heaven was not in the central area but rather about two and a half miles away from the edge.


    This area was rich in miasma and spiritual energy, making it extremely suitable for the cultivation of Rainbow Grass.


    However, there was no solidnd around Clear Heaven, only water, which was unsuitable for human habitation. This was probably why the Yan family didn''t establish a residence nearby.


    "Dear young friends, ahead is the Rainbow Grass cultivation field in Clear Heaven," Yan Zhengping said to Guo Tao and Song Wen.


    Looking ahead, they saw dense trees everywhere, almost obscuring the sky, suddenly opening up.


    A dozen miles wide water area unexpectedly had no trees, which was very strange.


    Of course, there might have been some trees that were cleared away by the Yan family.


    In the central area of the open water area, there were thick grass patches floating on the surface of the water. From afar, it looked like a thick green carpetid out on the water''s surface.


    This was a kind of grass called Ghost Spirit Grass that formed these grass patches. Ghost Spirit Grass had extremely long roots that could prate up to one meter into the mud below the water surface, while the stem and leaf parts floated on the water surface, forming thick grass patches.


    The patches of grass were trimmed by the Yan family into one zhang wide and several zhang long grass patches, with each patch of water grass being one zhang high. Between each patch of water grass, there was a distance of about one zhang.


    Looking around, rows of neatly arranged grass patches floated on the water surface, extending as far as the eye could see, quite spectacr.


    On the water grass patches, every one to two meters, there was a colorful Rainbow Grass about two chi tall. This was the Rainbow Grass.


    Rainbow Grass was like a parasitic spiritual nt that relied on absorbing spiritual energy from Ghost Spirit Grass to survive, quite mystical.


    Rainbow Grass of various ages was distributed on the water grass patches, ranging from single-color ones less than ten years old to those with all seven colors and over seventy years old.


    In the central area of Clear Heaven, Song Wen also noticed many Rainbow Grass nts with ck stripes on the edges of their leaves, which were probably over a hundred years old spiritual medicines.


    Yan Zhengping pointed to the grass patches ahead and said proudly, "Guo Tao, Ji Yin, please look. This is the water-based Rainbow Grass cultivation field painstakingly built by countless predecessors of my Yan family, after enduring countless hardships and sacrifices of many predecessors."


    "On the left side are these fifty patches of grass, mainly cultivating low-aged spiritual medicines. Although the value of individual spiritual medicines is not high, the advantage lies in their quantity, bringing considerable annual ie."


    "On the right side are these forty patches of grass, mainly cultivating seventy-year-old spiritual medicines, which can be used to refine profound qi pills."


    "The thirty patches of grass in the middle are mainly used to cultivate spiritual medicines over a hundred years old, but cultivating spiritual medicines over a hundred years old is very difficult. Many Rainbow Grass nts wither halfway, resulting in significant losses."


    "In addition, the sect regrly harvests some hundred-year-old spiritual medicines each year, so currently there are only 113 hundred-year-old spiritual medicine nts in Clear Heaven."


    "The main task for you two in this inventory mission is to inventory the seventy-year-old and hundred-year-old spiritual medicines. As for the spiritual medicines below seventy years old, their quantity is toorge to be easily inventoried one by one."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 57: Anomaly of Spiritual Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 57: Anomaly of Spiritual Medicine</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Because thisrge boat is too big and the spacing between the grass patches is too small, it''s not enough for the big boat to pass through. Therefore, we need to switch to a smaller boat to enter the Clear Heaven," Yan Zhengping said to Song Wen and Guo Tao.


    "Men, lower the small boat."


    Two mid-level Qi Refining Yan family cultivators dragged a small boat out of the ship''s cabin.


    The small boat was about six meters long and one meter wide.


    The small boat was quickly ced into the water.


    Yan Zhengping said, "Board the small boat."


    As soon as he finished speaking, the fourter stage Qi Refining Yan family cultivators all flew onto the small boat together.


    The small boat, which already had limited buoyancy, immediately sank more than a foot. The distance from the water surface to the boat''s gunwale was now less than a foot, as if a small wave could flood into the boat.


    Yan Zhengping continued, "This small boat can only amodate up to five people. Guo Tao, Ji Yin, you two decide who will board, and the rest of us will go to inventory the spirit grass. As for the other person, they can only stay on the big boat."


    Song Wen was somewhat stunned as he watched Yan Zhengping''s performance. He had pondered countless times before how the Yan family would cover up the issues in Clear Heaven.


    Now, he finally understood. The Yan family had no intention of letting him enter the Clear Heaven area at all; they only wanted him to watch from afar.


    Although Yan Zhengping said that either he or Guo Tao could enter Clear Heaven, it was clear that Guo Tao, with higher cultivation, would go in. Moreover, Guo Tao was the one in charge of this inventory mission, while he was just a follower with lower cultivation.


    Guo Tao nced at the somewhat stunned Song Wen and said, "Junior Ji Yin, you stay on the big boat. I will apany Master Yan into Clear Heaven."


    Song Wen''s expression was somewhat odd. There were too many loopholes in Yan Zhengping and Guo Tao''s words.


    If one small boat could only carry five people, why couldn''t the Yan family just take one less person so that Song Wen could also board?


    If the four Yan family cultivators in theter stage of Qi Refining had to all go, why didn''t they prepare an extra small boat? This was clearly treating him like a fool.


    After a moment of contemtion, Song Wen said, "Master Yan, Senior Guo, I also have received a mission from the sect to personally inventory the quantity of Rainbow Grass. Now that I can''t even enter Clear Heaven, it will reflect poorly on the sect."


    Originally, Song Wen had mentally prepared himself that during this period with the Yan family, his actions would be manipted by them and Guo Tao.


    However, this was too tant, treating himpletely like a fool. If he didn''t even raise any questions, that wouldn''t be normal.


    Yan Zhengpingughed loudly and said, "My apologies, I didn''t exin clearly to Junior Ji Yin."


    "The water in this swamp is often shrouded in poisonous mist and miasma, making it highly toxic and corrosive. Ordinary wooden boats would be corroded and sunk in no time."


    "The small boat under my feet is made of Ling material, Baqing Wood, which can resist the corrosiveness of the swamp water. Due to the rarity and expense of Baqing Wood, it''s extremely difficult to collect enough to make a boat."


    "Therefore, even for my Yan family, it''s extremely rare to have boats that can navigate in the swamp. For this inventory, we can only mobilize one small boat."


    "This is why we can only allow one person to enter Clear Heaven. I hope Junior Ji Yin can understand."


    Although Yan Zhengping''s exnation was full of holes, Song Wen knew that he couldn''t continue questioning further.


    ''If I continue like this, it''s very likely to embarrass the other party and invite a thunderous strike.''


    Song Wen bowed his fist to Yan Zhengping.


    "Thank you, Master Yan, for rifying."


    He then turned to Guo Tao and said,


    "Senior Guo, please take care."


    Guo Tao nodded and swiftly boarded the small boat.


    At this moment, Yan Zhengping continued,


    "Ji Yin, you need not worry. Although you cannot personally board the small boat to enter Clear Heaven, I have here a magical tool that will allow you to see a glimpse of Clear Heaven."


    Yan Zhengping suddenly produced a bronze mirror about the size of a basin in his hand, and in the other hand, he held a fist-sized stone.


    "This mirror is called the Retaining Image Mirror, a middle-grade magical tool. Itplements this Shadow Stone in my hand. As long as one person holds the Shadow Stone and activates it with spiritual energy, and another holds the Retaining Image Mirror within a hundred feet, they can see an image near the Shadow Stone."


    Having said that, Yan Zhengping gave the bronze mirror to Song Wen and the Shadow Stone to Guo Tao.


    "Later, I will trouble Friend Guo to activate the Shadow Stone. This way, Ji Yin can see a glimpse of your surroundings."


    Guo Tao, with a face full of astonishment, eximed, "I didn''t expect Master Yan to have such a miraculous treasure. With this, Junior Ji Yin can experience a glimpse of Clear Heaven as if he were there."


    As the small boat gradually drifted away, Yan family cultivators also set up a prepared wooden frame for Song Wen to ce the bronze mirror on.


    On Guo Tao''s end, he activated the Shadow Stone, and suddenly the scene ahead of Guo Tao appeared in the bronze mirror.


    As the small boat entered the Clear Heaven area, Song Wen also saw a glimpse of Clear Heaven on his end.


    The first area the small boat entered was the century-old Clear Heaven range. Due to the immense spiritual energy required for the growth of century-old spiritual medicines, Rainbow Grass was sparsely distributed, with tens of meters between each nt.


    The image in the bronze mirror was clear, showing the leaves and patterns of the Rainbow Grass vividly.


    Song Wen stared at the image, not missing any details.


    Each leaf of these century-old Rainbow Grass nts had colorful distributions, with clear ck patterns along the edges of the leaves, perfectly matching the description in the ancient records about century-old Rainbow Grass.


    However, perhaps because the image was transmitted by the magical tool, Song Wen couldn''t examine it up close with his own eyes or perceive it with his spiritual power, giving him a somewhat unreal feeling about these images.


    It was like watching a movie in a theater in his past life. No matter how realistic the special effects were, there was always a sense of falseness deep inside.


    After watching for a while, Song Wen confirmed in his heart that there seemed to be no problem with the appearance of these century-old Rainbow Grass.


    But he thought to himself, if only he could examine them up close.


    ncing around, there were more than ten Yan family cultivators on the boat. Initially, they were all curious about the bronze mirror, but now they had dispersed, chatting or meditating, and no one was paying attention to Song Wen anymore.


    After standing in front of the bronze mirror for a while, feeling somewhat bored, Song Wen began to look around. Then, he started to gaze into the distance towards the Clear Heaven.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 58: Ambush!

    <h4>Chapter 58: Ambush!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen''s every move appeared casual, but it attracted special attention from the Yan family cultivators on the ship.


    None of the Yan family cultivators on the ship noticed that a small gray bug followed Song Wen''s hand on the ship''s side and crawled down along the hull.


    This was an ordinary Gu Worm.


    After months of nurturing Gu Worms, Song Wen had also summarized some experiences.


    Although thebat power of the ck-bellied Gu Worm was stronger and its emitted aura more powerful, it was easier to be detected by people. In contrast, ordinary Gu Worms were weaker in strength and emitted a faint aura, simr to ordinary insects, making them difficult to detect.


    With Song Wen''s current fifthyer of Qi training, his spiritual power could sense within a radius of over a hundred meters, which was still insufficient to perceive the spiritual field.


    However, when he attached his spiritual power to the Gu Worm, he could extend his perception range to over four hundred meters, enough to sense the range of the spiritual field.


    Controlling the Gu Worm, Song Wennded the Gu Worm on the nearest clump of Rainbow Grass.


    Instantly, with the help of the Gu Worm, Song Wen''s spiritual power enveloped this clump of Rainbow Grass, perceiving everything about it.


    Firstly, the spiritual energy was sparse.


    The aura of this Rainbow Grass felt unusually sparse to Song Wen, not at all like a hundred-year spiritual herb, more like a herb barely reaching ten year.


    Song Wen felt strange and began to carefully examine this Rainbow Grass.


    After a moment, Song Wen could confirm that this Rainbow Grass was indeed a ten-year herb.


    The rainbow colors on its leaves and the ck patterns on the edges of its leaves had been dyed with dyes, making it look like a hundred-year spiritual herb from a distance.


    ''I didn''t expect that even in the cultivation world, one could encounter fraudulent merchants.''


    Song Wen sighed inwardly. It seemed that even the most peripheral spiritual herbs in the spiritual field had been swapped by the Yan family''s scheming. It was feared that all the hundred-year spiritual herbs in the spiritual field had disappeared, and even those seventy-year spiritual herbs were likely taken away by the Yan family.


    Later, the Yan family would disguise low-year spiritual herbs as high-year ones, deceive the Corpse Demon Sect, andplete the inventory of the sect.


    However, Song Wen was somewhat puzzled. Who gave the Yan family such audacity to steal from the Corpse Demon Sect, monitoring and stealing their personal possessions?


    Song Wen also couldn''t understand why the Yan family, having already transferred the high-year spiritual herbs, continued to linger in the poisonous marshes, seemingly unafraid of being discovered by the Corpse Demon Sect and having the entire Yan family wiped out.


    Could it be that the Yan family had no choice but to temporarily stay in the poisonous marshes?


    "Perhaps there are still some high-year spiritual herbs left, and the production volume is low, so the Yan family has to take risks and stay in the poisonous marshes to cultivate Rainbow Grass."


    Song Wen spected as he looked at the distant spiritual field.


    A hundred-year spiritual herb did not necessarily mean that the herb had grown for a hundred years.


    Various factors such as the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, climate conditions, and soil spiritual power would affect the growth of spiritual herbs.


    For example, in mundane ces with thin spiritual energy, the probability of wild spiritual herbs appearing was very low, and herbs above a hundred year were almost impossible to appear.


    In some rich spiritual environments, there would often exist extremely rare high-year spiritual herbs.


    This was the result of the influence of the environment on the growth of spiritual herbs.


    The Yan family had cultivated Rainbow Grass for many years and had also developed a set of optimal nting methods most suitable for Rainbow Grass.


    By using the best nting methods and the suitable environment of the poisonous marshes, they greatly elerated the growth rate of Rainbow Grass.


    Therefore, Song Wen spected that the Yan family was very likely cultivating a batch of high-year Rainbow Grass, and when they matured this batch, they would probably flee as a whole.


    Thinking silently in his heart, Song Wen paced back to the bronze mirror, pretending to watch the images inside.


    "He had already discovered the Yan family''s embezzlement of the Rainbow Grass secrets, effectivelypleting the sect''s inventory mission. Now, his priority was to return to the sect alive and report the matter to the sect leaders.


    Meanwhile, Yan Zhengping, apanied by his people and Guo Tao, spent nearly two hours casually inspecting the high-yield spiritual field area, then returned to therge ship.


    As soon as they boarded, Guo Tao, with a smile on his face, loudly addressed Song Wen.


    "Junior Ji Yin, there are no issues with the spiritual herbs. I have just meticulously counted the high-yield spiritual herbs in the field, and there are no discrepancies in quantity. I believe Brother Ji has also inspected the field through the bronze mirror and seen everything."


    Song Wen nodded and said, "Brother Guo''s words are urate. Our mission this time has been sessfullypleted. When shall we depart for the sect?"


    Upon hearing this, Guo Tao and the senior Yan family cultivators all showed a hint of joy in their eyes.


    Yan Zhengping said to Song Wen, "Young Ji Yin, why the rush? After returning to our Yan family residence, let us host and entertain both of you properly. There''s no rush for you to leave. Otherwise, if our sect colleagues find out, they might criticize our Yan family for being impetuous and neglectful."


    Song Wen hesitated and looked at Guo Tao, waiting for his decision.


    He knew he couldn''t appear too eager; if the Yan family detected any suspicions, it wouldn''t be good.


    Seeing Song Wen''s gaze, Guo Tao, as the ostensible leader of this expedition, gave Song Wen a reassuring smile and then turned to Yan Zhengping, saying, "Thank you, Master Yan, for your hospitality. However, we still have sect missions toplete, so we can''t stay long."


    Yan Zhengping replied, "Then let''s have a banquet tonight, and tomorrow morning, you can depart."


    Guo Tao added, "It''s all up to Master Yan''s arrangements."


    Standing aside, Song Wen silently observed their performance. He had to admit that their performance was very professional. If he hadn''t already known something was amiss, Song Wen would have definitely seen Yan Zhengping as a warmly hospitable elder and Guo Tao as a responsible fellow sect member.


    Therge ship slowly started and headed towards the Yan family residence.


    At that moment, suddenly, a crisis emerged.


    Over a dozen figures d in ck armor leaped out from the depths of the swamp forest.


    Upon emerging, they immediatelyunched a variety of long-prepared spells and techniques towards therge ship.


    There were zing fireballs, invisible wind des, eerie specters exuding gloomy aura, and des shrouded in malevolent qi...


    Seeing the ambush, everyone on therge ship''s expression changed drastically.


    "Not good, it''s an ambush! Activate the defense barrier!"


    Yan Zhengping''s face turned cold as he shouted loudly.


    As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible barrier appeared out of thin air,pletely enveloping the entire ship.


    Countless attacksnded on the barrier, apanied by deafening explosions. The barrier ruptured in several ces due to the impact, causing the ship to sway violently as if it could capsize at any moment.


    Fiery red mes, eerie ghostly aura, poisonous green miasma...


    Various energies erupted around the ship, obscuring the sky. Combined with the sshes of water everywhere from the explosions, Song Wen felt as if he were in a world on the brink of apocalypse.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 59: Yan Zhengping’s Killing Intent

    <h4>Chapter 59: Yan Zhengping''s Killing Intent</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Feeling the terrifying energy outside the protective barrier, Song Wen sensed himself like a small boat in the midst of towering waves in the deep sea, constantly on the verge of being engulfed and swallowed by immense waves, drawn into an endless abyss.


    The strength of these ck-clothed individuals was extraordinary; each attack was beyond what Song Wen could withstand.


    "All these people are at the Late Qi Refinement stage, even at the eighth and ninthyers," Song Wen''s heart trembled.


    But thinking about it, it made sense; without sufficient strength, who would dare venture into the poisonous miasma swamps to trouble the Yan family?


    On the ship, everyone from the Yan family, including Guo Tao, under Yan Zhengping''smand, was dispersed across various corners of the ship, preparing their respective spells.


    Some summoned defensive artifacts, others activated runes, and some prepared offensive spells...


    Only Song Wen seemed forgotten by everyone,pletely ignored.


    Observing this scene, Song Wen quietly moved towards the stern of the ship.


    Song Wen understood that there was no one to protect him at this moment. Perhaps the Yan family even wished for his demise, diverting the attention of the Corpse Demon Sect away from inventorying the Rainbow Grass, focusing instead on chasing these ck-clothed individuals.


    Summoning his Corpse Puppet, Song Wen positioned it in front of him.


    His right hand gripped the Ghost Head Shield, ready to activate it at any moment.


    His left hand held a flight talisman, poised and ready.


    By now, therge ship had sailed to the edge of the dense forest, surrounded byrge trees. With his physical strength, Song Wen could leap tens of meters to nearby trees with effort. Later, aided by the flight talisman, he could quickly disappear into the depths of the forest.


    The Shield Art was also activated by Song Wen. As his spiritual power grew stronger, the defensive capability of the shield art was no longerparable to its previous state. However, against the attacks of these Late Qi Refinement cultivators, it was still somewhat inadequate, but better than nothing, providing Song Wen with some defense.


    At this moment, among the group of ck-clothed individuals, a middle-aged cultivator about forty to fifty years old flew out. He was the leader of these ck-clothed individuals, Ghost Three.


    Floating in mid-air, Ghost Three had a fully red Demonic Suppression Staff in front of him, carved with fierce ghostly figures, emitting rolling malevolent aura from the mouth of the ghost.


    Ghost Three shouted loudly, "I didn''t expect this ship''s barrier to be so tough, like a turtle shell. It can actually withstand the attacks of over a dozen Late Qi Refinement cultivators. Yan Zhengping, afraid that you''ve used all the spiritual stones umted by the Yan family over the years to build these turtle shells."


    Seeing Ghost Three appear, Yan Zhengping''s face filled with immense anger.


    "Ghost Three, you were chased to a miserable escape by my Yan family years ago. Instead of living properly, today you dare to collude with a group of criminals and challenge the dignity of my Yan family again."


    "Yan Zhengping, your Yan family massacred my entire n back then. Today, I will take it all back," Ghost Three hoarsely roared.


    Yan Zhengping nced around. The protective barrier of therge ship was now somewhat precarious under the attacks of the ck-clothed cultivators. His face turned even colder, and he said coldly,


    "Hmph! A group of petty characters dare to speak of invading my Yan family. Truly ignorant of the heights of heaven and earth. My Yan family has a Foundation Establishment Ancestor presiding, and behind us is the protection of the Corpse Demon Sect."


    Yan Zhengping''s voice was full of disdain for the ck-clothed individuals, but the words spoken carried a hint of threat, almost as ifcking confidence.


    Anyone with discerning eyes could see that the strength of the ck-clothed individuals on the field far exceeded that of Yan Zhengping''s side.


    Currently, there were already more than ten ck-clothed individuals present, all at the Late Qi Refinement stage, with four of them even at the ninthyer.


    Looking at the Yan family''s side, there are only four Late Qi Refinement cultivators and only two cultivators at the ninthyer.


    Moreover, these ck-clothed individuals should be constantly on the edge of life and death, ruthless and decisive in their actions. They exude an intense murderous intent. Even through the defensive barrier, Song Wen could feel the terrifying aura emanating from them.


    However, as the local power, the Yan family has managed the Poisonous Miasma Swamp for more than a century. It''s hard to believe they would be so easily defeated without any contingency ns. Song Wen absolutely didn''t believe it.


    "Foundation Establishment Ancestor! Corpse Demon Sect! Hahaha..."


    Upon hearing this, Ghost Three seemed to hear an incredibly funny joke andughed insanely.


    "Do you think that we, along with these fellow Daoists, would dare attack your Yan family without any preparation?"


    "Over the years, I, Ghost Three, have secretly investigated information about the Yan family."


    "Your Yan family''s ancestor has long been aged and out of sight for over a decade. Even if not dead, he is probably withered and unable to exert muchbat power."


    "Your Yan family has been colluding with the Nine Pce Sect for the past two years, secretly selling Rainbow Grass behind the Corpse Demon Sect''s back. You thought you hid it well, deceiving everyone, but you couldn''t hide it from my eyes."


    "Do you still dare to boast about the protection of the Corpse Demon Sect? If they find out, they will probably refine your entire Yan family into soulless corpses, neither dead nor alive."


    "Hahaha..."


    In the midst of Ghost Three''sughter, the Demonic Suppression Staff in front of him suddenly erupted with a terrifying momentum.


    It turned out that when he was talking with Yan Zhengping, Ghost Three had secretly primed the Demonic Suppression Staff, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow to the ship''s defensive formation.


    Ghost Three''s explosive revtion caused various reactions among the people on the ship.


    The thirteen Mid Qi Refinement cultivators of the Yan family all looked bewildered and incredulous, their eyes full of suspicion as they looked towards their family head.


    The Yan family had actually betrayed the Corpse Demon Sect and sided with the Nine Pce Sect!


    These mid-level cultivators of the Yan family had no idea beforehand.


    Although the Nine Pce Sect primarily practiced orthodox cultivation methods, their conduct was somewhat unrestrained, with a taste of both righteousness and evil.


    Unlike the Corpse Demon Sect, which indulged in demonic practices and ruthlessly ughtered ordinary people and cultivators for resources, the Nine Pce Sect did not proim lofty ideals of righteousness and morality like those of renowned orthodox sects.


    However, the Nine Pce Sect was still a sect that cultivated orthodox methods, definitely not favoring Yan family cultivators who specialized in poisonous techniques.


    After all, no one liked to befriend practitioners who were filled with toxins and could potentially poison you at any moment.


    From a certain perspective, poison cultivators were even more unwee than demonic cultivators.


    Including Guo Tao and the other five Late Qi Refinement cultivators among them, all showed traces of panic on their faces. Clearly, they had never imagined their association with the Nine Pce Sect would be exposed so easily, and by Ghost Three at that.


    As Ghost Three disclosed this to everyone, the Yan family had no retreat and could only fight to the death, killing all non-Yan family members present, dying the leak of information, and then relocating their entire n to the Nine Pce Sect, in order to have a chance at survival.


    This was a n they had already discussed with the Nine Pce Sect long ago, but now they had to elerate the process.


    Yan Zhengping''s eyes were cold, filled with murderous intent, as he looked towards the stern where Song Wen stood.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 60: Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 60: Fierce Battle</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Yan Zhengping didn''t hide his killing intent at all, sending chills down Song Wen''s spine.


    He didn''t dare to arrogantly think that he could withstand the attacks of Yan Zhengping, who was at the ninthyer of Qi Refinement.


    Song Wen couldn''t help butin inwardly that this Ghost Three was insane.


    "You have a deadly feud with the Yan family. Since you''ve already caught them in apromising position, why not just expose them to the Corpse Demon Sect? They would handle the Yan family, so why risk your life to seek revenge?"


    This made Song Wen suspect that Ghost Three''s gathering of so many wandering cultivators and desperados was probably more about seizing the Yan family''s assets than revenge.


    The absence of the Foundation Establishment Ancestor of the Yan family for many years, coupled with the Yan family''s betrayal of the Corpse Demon Sect, made Ghost Three believe that he, along with these cultivators, had the upper hand against the Yan family.


    At that moment, Ghost Three finally struck with full force. The Demonic Suppression Staff pierced through the air, swiftly and without dy, hitting the defensive barrier.


    Under the siege of many cultivators, the defensive barrier was already precarious. With Ghost Three''s full force strike, it instantly shattered into countless points of light, dissipating into the air.


    After breaking the barrier, although the power of the Demonic Suppression Staff had weakened slightly, it still carried a terrifying momentum, apanied by a piercing whistle, continuing to thrust towards Yan Zhengping.


    Yan Zhengping''s eyes turned cold. The Demonic Suppression Staff exuded a formidable aura, filled with eerie ghostly energy. He couldn''t afford to take it lightly and had to respond with full force.


    Green mist emanated from Yan Zhengping''s body, soon enveloping himpletely. This was a manifestation of poison refinement reaching a certain level, disying its unusual characteristics.


    Ten half-arm-length steel needles appeared in Yan Zhengping''s hands. The needles were dark with a faint green glow, indicating their strong toxicity.


    Yan Zhengping waved his hands, and the ten needles flew straight towards the Demonic Suppression Staff.


    "ng! ng! ng..."


    A series of crisp and ear-piercing sounds of metal shing echoed.


    The needles kept striking the Demonic Suppression Staff.


    The needles were continuously knocked away, gradually diminishing the momentum of the Demonic Suppression Staff.


    Yan Zhengping and Ghost Three were evenly matched in their fierce struggle, but it was a challenge for everyone else on the ship.


    Thebined attack of two cultivators at the ninthyer of Qi Refinement emitted residual power that could not be underestimated.


    The mid Qi Refinement cultivators of the Yan family had the assistance of Yan family cultivators at theter stage of Qi Refinement to resist the residual power.


    As for Song Wen, when the Demonic Suppression Staff pierced the barrier, he activated the flying talisman in his left hand. At the same time, he exerted force with his feet and leaped towards arge tree diagonally behind him.


    The corpse puppet firmly stuck to Song Wen''s back, helping to defend against possible attacks from behind.


    When the residual power erupted, Song Wen was less than ten meters away from the nearestrge tree.


    The shockwave hit the corpse puppet, instantly smashing its tough muscle-like flesh, revealing the decayed interior and eerie white bones.


    Song Wen had spent a lot of resources refining the corpse puppet. It was his first time revealing it to outsiders, and it was almost bisected.


    The shockwave''s impact didn''t end there; it pierced through the corpse puppet and struck Song Wen.


    In mid-air, Song Wen had already fully activated the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Art".


    His whole body was surrounded by corpse qi, and his blood surged.


    His entire skin turned dark and iron-blue, gradually shriveling as if dehydrated, with robust muscle fibers emerging, nearly bursting through the skin.


    The nails on his hands and feet turned pitch-ck and sharp, emitting a deep chilling glow.


    This was the transformation brought by Song Wen advancing through the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Art''. This greatly enhanced his physical strength, allowing him to withstand the spells of cultivators at the same level.


    The force transmitted through the corpse puppet was insufficient to threaten Song Wen. Instead, he used this momentum to elerate towards therge tree.


    Song Wen climbed therge tree with hands and feet, not daring to linger. Using all limbs to propel himself, his figure leaped agilely towards the depths of the dense forest, like a nimble ape.


    With the help of the flying talisman, Song Wen disregarded the distance between the trees, seeking the shortest route to quickly leave the battlefield.


    Behind him, various spells and magic techniques collided, creating thunderous booms and sshing water everywhere, shattering one towering tree after another.


    Song Wen had no time to spare for what was behind him, only focusing on getting as far away as possible, where he might have a chance.


    The strength of the wandering cultivators clearly surpassed that of the Yan family cultivators. At this moment, the Yan family struggled to defend themselves, making it impossible to spare anyone to chase after Song Wen.


    As for the wandering cultivators, seeing Song Wen''s strength at only the thirdyer of Qi Refinement, they didn''t consider him a threat, mistaking him for a low-level Yan family cultivator. They let Song Wen escape without interference.


    With no one to hinder him, within a few breaths, Song Wen''s figure disappeared into the depths of the forest, leaving no trace.


    Yan family cultivators gathered by Yan Zhengping, joining forces to resist the siege of the wandering cultivators. Due to the clearck of top-tierbatants, the defense of the Yan family began to show signs of strain.


    Yan Zhengping, usuallyposed, now appeared somewhat anxious.


    He kept looking around in hope, as if waiting for reinforcements to appear.


    Yan Zhengping''s hope was not in vain. From the distant swamp waters, a group of cultivators dressed in Yan family attire were riding on something akin to surfboards, swiftly approaching on the water''s surface.


    The Rainbow Grass Spirit Field was the most important industry of the Yan family. Naturally, it was guarded at all times. These Yan family cultivators were the guardians of the Spirit Field.


    Usually, they hid in the dense forests around the Spirit Field, guarding against demonic beasts in the swamp and wandering cultivators stealing spirit medicines.


    Seeing the arrival of reinforcements, the spirits of the Yan family cultivators soared.


    Yan Zhengping shouted loudly, "Ghost Three, today is your day to die."


    Ghost Three nced at the dozen or so Yan family cultivators approaching, the highest cultivation among them being at the eighthyer of Qi Refinement, with only a few cultivators at theter stage of Qi Refinement. The rest were all at the mid Qi Refinement stage.


    Ghost Three''s expression became somewhat serious, yet he showed no signs of panic. Everything that was happening was within his expectations.


    "Everyone, we have an irreconcble enmity with the Yan family. Today, we can only exterminate the Yan family, using all the trump cards we have hidden away. Let''s avoid prolonged battles."


    "The Yan family has upied the Poisonous Marsh for over a hundred years, and their treasure trove must be filled with riches. As long as we take down the Yan family, the treasures we obtain from this battle will surely be tenfold or a hundredfold."


    The many wandering cultivators nced at each other. Greed was evident in their eyes.


    Their aptitude was not considered exceptional, surviving in the cruel world of cultivation until today and reaching theter stages of Qi Refinement. They relied on being ruthless and unscrupulous.


    The attacks of the wandering cultivators instantly became fierce, using various strange methods like talismans, fierce ghosts, and vengeful spirits.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 61: Yan Family Patriarch

    <h4>Chapter 61: Yan Family Patriarch</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Among the besieged Yan family cultivators, injuries immediately appeared.


    A Yan family cultivator at the sixthyer of Qi Refinement was bisected by a fierce corpse at the waist...


    Seeing one n member after another die, Yan Zhengping''s eyes turned red with raging fury.


    Although infuriated, he was helpless. As the highest-rankingbatant of the Yan family present, he was entangled by Ghost Three and couldn''t spare a hand to rescue his kin.


    In just over a quarter of an hour, nearly twenty Yan family cultivators had perished. Most were at the mid Qi Refinement stage, with threete Qi Refinement cultivators also falling.


    The remaining Yan family cultivators were mostly injured, with severe depletion of spiritual power.


    Even Yan Zhengping, the leader, had his leg shed from behind during his duel with Ghost Three.


    The Yan family cultivators seemed on the brink of copse, feeling they could be overrun by the wandering cultivators at any moment.


    "Everyone, give it your all. Let''s first take care of these fewte Qi Refinement stage cultivators together; the rest are insignificant."


    Seeing victory within reach, Ghost Three spoke confidently.


    At that moment, from the distant horizon of the swamp, a figure appeared riding the wind on a flying sword.


    This was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!


    The old man''s face looked weathered, as if he could pass away at any moment.


    However, at this moment, an intimidating aura enveloped him, apanied by a fierce anger directed towards the group of wandering cultivators below.


    This old man was Yan Tian Gong, the patriarch of the Yan family.


    Without a word, twelve ck poison spikes, each a foot long, shot forth like silent snakes hidden in the grass, aimed at their prey.


    Cunning and swift.


    The twelve poison spikes attacked separately, targeting twelve wandering cultivators.


    When Yan Tian Gong appeared above the battlefield, everyone present felt his powerful aura.


    The wandering cultivators were immediately filled with dread. They dared to attack the Yan family only because they believed Ghost Three''s ims that Yan Tian Gong, the Yan family patriarch, was weak or already deceased.


    Otherwise, they would never have dared to entertain hostile thoughts towards the Yan family.


    At this moment, Yan Tian Gong did not look like the dying man described by Ghost Three. Instead, he appeared robust and vigorous, with a flushedplexion.


    The wandering cultivators hesitated, ceasing their attacks and defensively preparing for the impending onught.


    The poison spikes were too fast. By the time they noticed them, the spikes were only a few yards away.


    Perhaps Yan Tian Gong had indeed aged significantly, causing a severe decline in his abilities. Yet, attacking twelvete Qi Refinement cultivators simultaneously proved challenging even for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him.


    His furious strike only managed to kill three wandering cultivators and severely wound four others.


    The remaining cultivators either sustained minor injuries or emerged unscathed from his assault.


    Especially the four cultivators at the ninthyer of Qi Refinement, who were only thrown back a few yards and seemedrgely unharmed, at least on the surface.


    However, one mid-stage Qi Refinement female cultivator, after taking the poison spike attack, flushed red with internal injuries.


    Summoning a shield before her, the shield had earlier blocked the poison spikes.


    She swiftly disappeared into the dense forest, attempting to flee.


    Other surviving wandering cultivators scattered like birds and beasts, none daring to confront Yan Tian Gong, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in battle.


    The four severely wounded wandering cultivators were slower in their movements and were immediately killed by the Yan family cultivators who seized the opportunity.


    The twelve poison spikes circled in the air, reorganized, and attacked once more.


    "Splish, splish, splish..."


    The speed of Qi Refinement cultivators was ultimately no match for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Several consecutive sounds of flesh being pierced echoed, including three wandering cultivators, including the female cultivator, who perished.


    Ghost Three exerted all his strength and managed to block one of the poison spikes aimed directly at him.


    But another poison spike came from behind, aiming for his heart.


    When Ghost Three noticed the poison spike behind him, it was toote for him to defend. He could only twist his waist in an attempt to dodge the poison spike.


    However, he was ultimately a bit slow. Though he managed to avoid a fatal blow, preserving his life, the poison spike swiftly passed through, severing a portion of his forearm.


    "Aahh!"


    Ghost Three winced in pain. He looked down at the severed arm where blood gushed out, but it wasn''t normal crimson; instead, it was ck.


    It was evident he had been poisoned; the poison spikes were highly toxic. The flesh around his severed arm turned ck, and the discoloration was spreading towards his shoulder.


    With resolute decisiveness, Ghost Three swiftly chopped at his shoulder where the severed arm was, instantly causing it to fall off. Fresh blood spurted out, but this time, it was bright red.


    Ghost Three dared not linger and swiftly flew towards the depths of the forest.


    Anotherte Qi Refinement wandering cultivator was also struck by a poison spike, which pierced through his abdomen.


    The toxin swiftly spread through his body, and in moments, ck lines covered half of his body.


    The wandering cultivator took out a pellet and swallowed it. It was unclear what type of pellet it was, but after ingesting it, the spread of the ck lines halted, and there were even signs of them receding.


    This wandering cultivator also quickly rushed into the depths of the forest.


    Watching the two who had already fled into the forest, Yan Zhengping''s eyes were filled with murderous intent, tinged with urgency.


    "Elder, why not pursue them? Will you just let them go like this?" Yan Zhengping eximed anxiously.


    Yan Tian Gong shook his head, slowly controlling his descent andnding on the wreckage of the dismantled ship.


    Hisplexion suddenly turned pale, and his entire aura plummeted drastically.


    "Elder, what''s wrong with you?" Yan Zhengping asked in a panicked tone.


    Ignoring Yan Zhengping''s panic, Yan Tian Gong was currently too weak to respond.


    Witnessing this scene, Yan Zhengping''s face was filled with concern. He flew to Yan Tian Gong''s side and took out several pellets from his body, stuffing them into Yan Tian Gong''s mouth. At the same time, he mobilized the remaining spiritual power in his body, injecting it into Yan Tian Gong''s body to help him refine the pellets.


    Meanwhile, Yan Zhengping addressed the n members.


    "The Elder is advanced in years, and his reckless use of spiritual power has made it difficult for his aged body to endure. With the strong enemy just retreating, everyone must remain vignt."


    Yan Zhengping looked towards his third brother, Yan Gao, and said, "Take a team to pursue Ghost Three."


    Then, he turned to a Yan family cultivator at the eighthyer of Qi Refinement and said, "Yan Wu, take severalte Qi Refinement stage n members and pursue the other one."


    "Be sure to kill these two individuals. They know our Yan family''s secrets. If they disclose these secrets, there will likely be no Yan family left in this world."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 62: Little Fairy

    <h4>Chapter 62: Little Fairy</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Yan Gao and Yan Wu led their nsmen in pursuit of the wandering cultivators.


    Yan Zhengping, on the other hand, led his nsmen to set up defenses and guarded closely around Elder Yan Tiangong.


    Initially, Yan Zhengping wanted to personally pursue Ghost Three. However, due to his recently injured leg and Elder Yan''s severe condition requiring protection, he decided against chasing Ghost Three.


    At this moment, Guo Tao limped over. He too was heavily wounded from the recent battle but had managed to save his life.


    He said, "Master, it seems like Ji Yin has managed to escape."


    Yan Zhengping suddenly lifted his head, realizing he still needed to deal with Ji Yin.


    Feeling somewhat annoyed, he knew the best option for the Yan family now was to swiftly relocate to the territory of the Nine Pces Sect. However, such a mass migration would undoubtedly attract the attention of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    For now, they could only try to conceal the Yan family''s betrayal from the Corpse Demon Sect, buy time, and dy as much as possible for the Yan family''s relocation.


    As for waiting for the final batch of high-grade Rainbow Grass to mature and gain greater benefits, Yan Zhengping dared not hope for such extravagance anymore. His priority now was to save as many n members as possible.


    Yan Zhengping scanned Guo Tao''s condition with his spiritual power. Guo Tao was severely injured and no longer suitable for pursuing Song Wen.


    His gaze then swept over the remaining n members who still had fighting capability on the wreckage.


    Finally, his gaze fell on a young man with a seventhyer of Qi Refinement.


    "Yan Feng,e here," Yan Zhengping said.


    Yan Feng had been on the ship earlier during the inventory of the Rainbow Grass. He was familiar with Song Wen and had decent strength, making him suitable for chasing after Song Wen, who was only at the thirdyer of Qi Refinement.


    Moreover, most of the Yan family''ste Qi Refinement stage cultivators had already left with Yan Gao and Yan Wu. Currently, only Yan Feng remained capable of pursuing Song Wen.


    After Yan Feng approached, Yan Zhengping instructed him, "Yan Feng, go and pursue Ji Yin. You must kill him before he escapes the swamp."


    Yan Feng replied, "Yes, Master. But the swamp is vast. Which direction should I pursue?"


    Yan Zhengping was momentarily uncertain; he hadn''t paid attention to the direction Ji Yin fled.


    Beside him, Guo Tao spoke up, "During the battle, I happened to pay close attention to Ji Yin. He should have gone southwest."


    Yan Zhengping was surprised. "Southwest!"


    The southwest direction was the closest exit from the swamp, only about two hundred miles away.


    "It seems we have underestimated Ji Yin," Yan Zhengping said regretfully.


    It had been over a quarter of an hour since Song Wen escaped. If Song Wen had used flight talismans continuously, he might have already fled a hundred miles away from here.


    "Yan Feng, take several nsmen and pursue him immediately."


    ...


    Meanwhile, on Song Wen''s side.


    After escaping the battlefield, he had been heading southwest.


    With the aid of flight talismans, his speed was fast. Almost every time he climbed trees and leaped, he could cover over a hundred meters. If he exceeded this distance, his speed would noticeably decrease, slowing down his overall escape.


    An hourter, the flight talisman expired.


    Without hesitation, Song Wen activated another flight talisman. Without flight talismans in these swampy forests, his speed would drop by more than half.


    Half an hourter, Song Wen had used up four flight talismans and finally managed to exit the swamp.


    Upon stepping out of the swamp, Song Wen unexpectedly encountered someone.


    Yan Yiwen!


    Seeing Yan Yiwen appear ahead, Song Wen couldn''t help but feel nervous.


    This woman had the strength of Qi Refinement seventhyer. In a direct confrontation, he was definitely no match for her.


    However, what was fortunate was that when Ghost Three exposed the Yan family''s collusion with the Nine Pces Sect, Yan Yiwen was not present. There was a good chance she did not know that Song Wen was already aware of the Yan family''s betrayal of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Song Wen even spected that Yan Yiwen might not even know about the Yan family''s betrayal of the Corpse Demon Sect at all. After all, she was still young and immature in character. It was very likely that the senior members of the Yan family had not informed her of such a secret.


    Thinking this, Song Wen forced himself to remain calm, staring firmly at her, not daring to make any rash moves.


    As Song Wen noticed Yan Yiwen, Yan Yiwen also saw the bedraggled fleeing figure of Song Wen.


    Her eyes were full of disdain.


    Just as Song Wen had guessed, she was unaware of the Yan family''s betrayal of the Corpse Demon Sect, nor did she know that the Yan family''s members were currently pursuing Song Wen.


    While practicing cultivation within the n today, she received a transmission from the Elder about criminals attacking the Yan family.


    At that time, Yan Tiangong received an urgent message through a secret technique from Yan Zhengping, knowing that Ghost Three had gathered a group of quite capable wandering cultivators. Feeling old and severely weakened, Yan Tiangong was not confident in repelling them.


    To preserve the Yan family''s heritage, he informed the n''s most talented member, Yan Yiwen, and let her leave alone.


    In case the Yan family was destroyed, it was also considered preserving a trace of bloodline for the Yan family, leaving a chance for aeback.


    Although Yan Yiwen was reluctant and intended to stay with the Yan family, intimidated by the majesty of Yan Tiangong within the n, she ultimately had to yield and chose to flee alone.


    After she left the swamp area, she found a dense forest to hide in. Unexpectedly, she ran into the fleeing Song Wen.


    Yan Yiwen didn''t think much about Song Wen''s panicked appearance. She presumed that he was probably frightened by Ghost Three and his group, which led him to flee hastily to the edge of the swamp area.


    Yan Yiwen nced disdainfully at Song Wen a few times, then turned away and stopped paying attention to him. She held him in contempt.


    Weak in strength and cowardly, truly a small and weak person.


    However, she soon noticed that Song Wen''s gaze was constantly fixed on her.


    Yan Yiwen was ustomed to the attention of the opposite sex. Not only was she outstanding in talent, but her appearance and figure were also exceptionally outstanding.


    In daily life, whether within the n or when going out, she was always the focus of the opposite sex''s attention.


    She didn''t feel disgusted by the attention of the opposite sex. On the contrary, she was somewhatcent. This was the best proof of her own charm.


    However, today, she was worried about the safety of her n members. Regarding Song Wen''s attention, she did not feel pleased. Instead, she felt annoyed.


    She furrowed her brows, coldly rebuking him.


    "Ji Yin, if you dare to look again, I will gouge out your eyes. Don''t think just because you''re on a mission for the sect, I wouldn''t dare to do anything to you."


    Facing Yan Yiwen''s loud reprimand, Song Wen was initially stunned, but then secretly rejoiced. It seemed this foolish woman really knew nothing at all.


    However, how did she manage to exude such dislike and inexplicable superiority?


    Did she think he was interested in her?


    Was this the so-called little fairy in the cultivation world?


    Song Wen''s thoughts were in turmoil, but his face showed no expression. He immediately appeared cautious and afraid.


    "I dare not, I dare not. I''ll leave right away."


    Song Wen circumvented Yan Yiwen and rushed towards a distant mountain, quickly disappearing into the dense forest.


    It was only after Song Wen had left for a while that Yan Yiwen suddenly reacted.


    "Oh dear, I should have asked about the battle situation."


    "But this person is weak in strength. Able to escape alive, he probably fled as soon as the battle started. He probably doesn''t know the situation either, so asking would be pointless."


    Yan Yiwen muttered to herself.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 63: Relentless Pursuit

    <h4>Chapter 63: Relentless Pursuit</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After confirming that Yan Yiwen did not pursue him, Song Wen''s tense heart rxed somewhat.


    The rapid jumping between trees had ced a great burden on his body, and now he felt somewhat weary.


    However, he knew now was not the time to rest; he had to get as far away from the swamp as possible and return to the sect as quickly as possible.


    He took out a Haste Talisman, pped it on himself, and elerated towards the direction of the sect.


    He chose not to use the Flying Talisman again.


    Firstly, outside the swamp, the trees in the mountains were no longer towering like before; there were many low bushes where flying too high would expose his trail.


    Secondly, he didn''t have many Flying Talismans left and needed to conserve them.


    As amon talisman for Qi Refinement cultivators rushing on the road, the Haste Talisman provided a decent speed boost, almost doubling Song Wen''s speed.


    Moreover, the Haste Talismansted for a long time; one talisman could speed him up for about an hour.


    Its only drawback was that, unlike the Flying Talisman, it couldn''t allow cultivators to leap over valleys and rivers directly.


    Song Wen hurried through the forest for about an hour, running over two hundred li of mountainous terrain.


    Just as the Haste Talisman''s effectiveness was about to expire, he was preparing to stop and find a hidden cave to rest.


    His spiritual sense spread out, sensing several auras rapidly approaching from behind. One of the auras was very familiar, likely one of the Yan family members who had traveled with him on therge boat earlier in the morning.


    "It looks like the Yan family defeated Ghost Three and the others. Now they''reing to hunt me down."


    Song Wen thought anxiously.


    Immediately, he took out another Haste Talisman and pped it on himself. At the same time, he began to burn his essence blood, using the Blood Escape Technique. His running speed suddenly increased several times, quickly pulling away from the pursuers behind him.


    The pursuers behind were led by Yan Feng and consisted of Yan family members.


    They also used Haste Talismans, and their speed was faster than Song Wen''s, so they caught up with him who had not dared to stop for a moment.


    Seeing Song Wen''s figure in the distance, Yan Feng couldn''t help but feel pleased, saying,


    "My fellow n brothers and sisters, Ji Yin is just ahead. As long as we catch up and kill him, our family will surely reward us."


    Hearing this, the others also became spirited, and their speed increased further.


    However, they suddenly saw bursts of blood mist emanating from Song Wen''s body, and then his speed increased dramatically, quickly widening the distance between them.


    Seeing this scene, they couldn''t help but feel dumbfounded. Why did Song Wen''s speed suddenly increase?


    Is this the speed that a Qi Refinement thirdyer cultivator can have?


    Or perhaps Yan Feng, who had seen more, immediately recognized that Song Wen was using the Blood Escape Technique of the Corpse Demon Sect. It consumed essence blood at a rapid rate, and Song Wen couldn''t maintain this speed for long.


    He said, "Don''t worry, everyone. This kid is using the Corpse Demon Sect''s Blood Escape Technique, which rapidly burns his essence blood. It''s not a concern."


    Even so, as they watched Song Wen''s figure getting farther and farther away and soon disappearing from sight, Yan Feng began to feel anxious.


    They absolutely could not let Song Wen escape from their hands. If he really managed to escape, the Yan family would suffer cruel ughter from the Corpse Demon Sect.


    He added,


    "I''ll go chase after him first. You follow in that direction."


    After saying this, Yan Feng''s speed increased significantly, and he chased after Song Wen alone in the direction he had fled.


    Yan Feng''s cultivation was only oneyer higher than the other five, but for some reason, his speed was much faster, almostparable to a Qi Refinement eighthyer cultivator.


    "Alright, we''lle after you," said a Yan family cultivator.


    Yan Feng pursued at full speed, not slower than Song Wen''s speed, barely keeping up with him.


    "Ji Yin, give up! You can''t escape from our Yan family''s hands. Surrender, and I''ll make it quick for you," Yan Feng shouted loudly.


    Song Wen paid no attention to this, still focused on rushing forward.


    In the blink of an eye, over a quarter of an hour passed, and the five Qi Refinement fifthyer Yan family cultivators were left far behind,pletely out of sight.


    Watching Song Wen''s figure intermittently appear and disappear ahead, Yan Feng gritted his teeth with frustration, muttering,


    "Damn it, let''s see how much essence blood you have left to burn."


    His Haste Talisman had already expired, so he reluctantly took out another one and pped it on himself.


    Another quarter of an hour passed, and Song Wen''s speed showed no signs of slowing down. Blood energy still swirled around him as if he had an endless supply of essence blood.


    Behind him, Yan Feng couldn''t help but feel incredulous. How could a Qi Refinement thirdyer cultivator have so much essence blood to burn? It defied all logic.


    Even for a body refining cultivator with abundant essence blood, they should have exhausted their essence blood long ago, leading to depletion and death.


    As they continued the chase, Yan Feng became increasingly astonished. It seemed like Song Wen truly had an inexhaustible supply of essence blood, maintaining his speed without any decline.


    In this manner, the two of them pursued each other for nearly another hour. The five Yan family cultivators behind them had long since disappeared without a trace.


    Seeing that he couldn''t shake off Yan Feng after such a long time, Song Wen began to feel anxious. Long periods of rushing had greatly depleted his spiritual power, leaving him with less than two li remaining.


    "If this goes on, I''ll eventually be caught by Yan Feng due to insufficient spiritual power."


    Song Wen, at Qi Refinement fifthyer in spiritual power cultivation, was stronger than Yan Feng. At this moment, he could clearly sense Yan Feng''s situation.


    After experiencing a major battle earlier and now a prolonged pursuit, Yan Feng''s condition was not good either, with at most three li of spiritual power left.


    "Maybe I have a chance to kill him," Song Wen thought to himself.


    Immediately, a seal appeared silently in his right palm, while he held a ck sphere in his left hand.


    Then, he began to retract the blood energy around him, pretending to be in a state of low essence blood.


    Seeing this scene from behind, Yan Feng couldn''t help but feel pleased.


    Initially, he had pursued Song Wen solely for the sake of his family, wanting to eliminate this huge threat to the family. However, upon witnessing the unusually abundant essence blood on Song Wen''s body, he began to have ulterior motives. He wanted to intercept Song Wen, preferably capturing him alive, to obtain the secrets on Song Wen''s body.


    "Ji Yin, surrender ande back to the Yan family with me. Perhaps the patriarch will spare your life," Yan Feng tempted.


    He feared that if Song Wen fought to the death, he wouldn''t be able to stop him. If that happened, the secrets on Song Wen''s body would likely disappear with his death.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 64: The Descent of the Silver Serpent

    <h4>Chapter 64: The Descent of the Silver Serpent</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Ahead, Song Wen did not respond. Instead, his aura began to sharply decline, and the corpse energy swirling around him gradually weakened.


    "Is his spiritual power giving out?" Yan Feng felt a surge of joy in his heart.


    The more severe Ji Yin''s strength declined, the greater the possibility of capturing him alive.


    Before he could celebrate, he sensed that something strange was happening to Ji Yin''s aura.


    The originally dense corpse energy disappeared in an instant, reced by a vigorous righteous aura.


    This feeling was extremely bizarre.


    It was as if the originally fierce butcher had suddenly transformed into apassionate and merciful high monk.


    Yan Feng was not surprised but rather pleased.


    There must be a great secret on Ji Yin''s body. As long as he captured Ji Yin, these secrets would belong to him.


    Just then, a brilliant divine might emanated from Ji Yin''s body, filling the area with a cleansing power that dispelled all impurities.


    "What is this thing!"


    Yan Feng finally turned somber, and a chill rose from the depths of his heart.


    He hurriedly activated his poison technique. Waves of green mist steamed around him, gradually condensing into a green bronze bell that enveloped him.


    The green bronze bell gradually thickened, resembling a genuine ancient bronze bell.


    Before the green bronze bell couldplete its transformation, a dazzling silver-white lightning suddenly appeared in the sky out of nowhere. Immediately following was a deafening thunderp, as the silver serpent streaked through the sky and struck Yan Feng directly.


    "Boom!"


    The silver serpent collided with the green bronze bell, creating a thunderous roar that was ear-shattering.


    The trees around Yan Feng violently swayed as if in an earthquake.


    Yan Feng, standing at the center of the attack, was instantly dyed silver-white, making it impossible to open his eyes.


    The lightning came and went in an instant.


    Within a ten-meter radius around Yan Feng, all the trees were sted into powder andpletely destroyed.


    The ground where Yan Feng stood was even stripped of ayer.


    The green bronze bell had vanished without a trace, and so had Yan Feng''s entire left arm.


    Although severely injured, Yan Feng managed to survive.


    His face twisted with a fierce and somewhat insane expression.


    "Good, very good! I never thought you could activate it. Only true cultivators can use Thunder Talismans. I must capture you, extract your soul, and slowly torture and refine you. I want to obtain all the secrets on your body."


    Song Wen paid no attention to Yan Feng''s threatening words.


    Antagonists always talk too much.


    In Song Wen''s heart, he wasn''t entirely satisfied with the Thunder Talisman severely injuring Yan Feng in battle. This was a top-grade talisman, extremely rare in the Thunder category, capable of severely injuring or even killing ate Qi Refinement cultivator. Yet, it only managed to severely injure Yan Feng, who was only in the Qi Refinement middleyer.


    Could it be that Senior Xu sold me a defective talisman? But judging from that thunder just now, it doesn''t seem like a defective product.


    In fact, he was also deeply impressed by the violent power of that thunder just now��the rapid speed and violent force, which were the true powers that cultivators should wield.


    He somewhat hoped that one day he could master the power of thunder and lightning himself.


    Controlling thunder in one hand andmanding corpses in the other.


    The thought of both righteousness and evil cultivation was stimting.


    Various chaotic thoughts shed through Song Wen''s mind, but his actions were not slow at all.


    Before Yan Feng could finish his words, a ck sphere in Song Wen''s left hand was thrown out.


    "Boom!"


    The ck sphere exploded half a meter in front of Yan Feng, suddenly bursting open.


    The sudden explosion made Yan Feng''s heart skip a beat. He thought Song Wen had activated another powerful thunder technique.


    In the end, it was all bark and no bite.


    He felt several small iron pieces embedding themselves into his body, but these iron pieces had minimal power, barely scratching his skin, and causing no real harm.


    This was only because he had just been struck by a thunder talisman; otherwise, these iron pieces wouldn''t have even scratched his defenses.


    "So it''s just thunder pellets. They actually think they can use mortal weapons to attack a Qi Refinement 7thyer cultivator."


    Yan Feng sneered disdainfully.


    In his view, Song Wen was already at his wit''s end.


    Yan Feng''s eyes shed like lightning, firmly locking onto Song Wen as he prepared to unleash a thunderous strike to take him down.


    However, at this moment, he suddenly felt a burning sensation emanating from those iron pieces, and this burning sensation continued to spread.


    In just a few breaths, his whole body turned bright red, as if he had been boiled like a shrimp.


    "Ah..."


    Yan Feng let out a series of agonizing screams.


    He could no longer stand and fell to the ground, curling up, his whole body trembling uncontrobly.


    "Ah..., Ji Yin, you despicable scoundrel, you dare to use poison?"


    As a cultivator skilled in toxic techniques, Yan Feng knew very well that he had been poisoned with an extremely vicious and rare poison, one that ordinary toxins couldn''t affect.


    As a cultivator of toxic techniques, his resistance to poisons was much stronger than that of ordinary cultivators.


    Seeing Yan Feng''s unbearable pain, with blood starting to seep from his seven orifices, Song Wen finally rxed a bit.


    He knew that in a direct confrontation, he was definitely not Yan Feng''s match, so he had prepared to use thunder talismans and poison to kill Yan Feng from the start.


    However, the thunder talisman''s power was weaker than he had expected.


    He had thought the thunder talisman could kill the opponent outright, but it turned out to only seriously injure Yan Feng.


    Fortunately, he had prepared a follow-up n. He had applied the Fire Burns the Sky to the thunder pellet.


    The unexpected effectiveness of the toxic Fire Burns the Sky was somewhat beyond his expectations, and even Yan Feng, who practiced toxic techniques, struggled to resist it. Of course, this was also heavily influenced by Yan Feng already being seriously injured when poisoned.


    Knowing time was pressing, Song Wen didn''t have time to waste on Yan Feng.


    He flipped his hands, and a fireball talisman appeared in each hand.


    "Go!"


    Two fireballs, each the size of a human head, flew out simultaneously and crashed into Yan Feng''s head.


    Half of Yan Feng''s head was blown away instantly, and he immediately ceased breathing.


    Song Wen flew forward, one hand rummaging through Yan Feng''s waist pouch, while the other pierced his chest.


    Having just used the Blood Escape technique had depleted some of his blood essence, so this was a timely replenishment.


    Just as Song Wen grabbed the waist pouch, his spiritual sense sensed someone approaching.


    It was several Qi Refinement 5thyer cultivators from Yan Feng''s n.


    "So fast, these ghosts are persistent."


    Song Wen had no choice but to abandon devouring Yan Feng''s blood essence, turn around, and leave. However, as he turned, more than twenty grayish pellets silently fell around Yan Feng''s corpse.


    Soon, Song Wen''s figure disappeared into the dense forest.


    The five who arrivedte heard themotion from the previous battle between the two.


    Initially, they thought Yan Feng had won, but upon arriving at the scene, they only found Yan Feng''s broken corpse.


    "How is this possible!"


    "Yan Feng is a Qi Refinement 7thyer cultivator. How could he lose to someone only at Qi Refinement 3rdyer, Ji Yin?"


    The five surrounded Yan Feng''s corpse, their voices filled with disbelief.


    "What should we do now? Ji Yin could kill Yan Feng. Even if the five of us join forces, we might not be able to handle him," one of them said.


    The five stood around Yan Feng''s corpse, momentarily silent.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 65: The Elusive Gu Insects

    <h4>Chapter 65: The Elusive Gu Insects</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    All five could sense that Yan Feng still retained the power of thunder on his body, while Ji Yin was obviously a practitioner of demonic arts.


    It''s widely known that practitioners of demonic arts cannot wield the power of heavenly thunder. In other words, Ji Yin killing Yan Feng wasn''t through his own strength but with the aid of something external.


    Ji Yin''s ability to defeat Yan Feng with thunder suggests he used some special treasure.


    Such special treasures are usually limited in use and can''t be used indefinitely, otherwise Ji Yin wouldn''t have fled for so long from them.


    Therefore, if the five of them were to besiege Ji Yin regardless of the cost, there was a good chance they could kill him, but it was certain someone would die in the process.


    They had initially thought chasing Ji Yin would be easy, but now it might lead to death, making them hesitant to proceed.


    "Ji Yin must die. If he lives, he''ll bring back news of our betrayal of the Yan family to the Corpse Demon Sect, leaving no one in the Yan family alive."


    After a brief silence, one person spoke up.


    The other four also snapped out of their daze.


    Yes, Ji Yin must die. If he doesn''t, the entire Yan family will perish.


    "Let''s take Yan Feng''s body and continue pursuing Ji Yin. After killing Yan Feng, Ji Yin must have paid a price and likely won''t get far."


    "Alright..."


    A man in gray crouched down, his hand touching Yan Feng''s body, preparing to put it into a storage pouch.


    Suddenly!


    Several gray insects flew up from Yan Feng''s body and pounced on his face.


    They were too close, and the insects were lightning-fast.


    The man in gray had no mental defenses and didn''t expect any danger lurking on Yan Feng''s body. Before he could react, the insects had already pounced on his face.


    Then these insects burrowed into his nostrils and straight into his brain.


    In shock, the man in gray instinctively jumped up, shouting, "Not good, it''s an ambush!"


    Things happened too quickly, and the other four hadn''t figured out what was going on, asking in confusion.


    "Number Five, what''s wrong?"


    "Something''s burrowed into my brain." The man in gray replied fearfully.


    He could sense that there were five insects crawling through the cavities in his brain towards his marrow, but he didn''t know what to do next.


    How could he force these bugs out without damaging his brain?


    "What exactly is it?" one person asked with concern.


    "Insects."


    "Insects?" Someone eximed anxiously, "Since they''re just insects, can''t you use spiritual power to force them out?"


    "I can''t force them out."


    The man in gray shook his head. Obviously, he had already tried.


    These insects were powerful. He had used all his spiritual power to press them, only slowing their progress but unable topletely detain them, let alone force them out of his body.


    "Ah..."


    The man in gray suddenly clutched his head in agony, screaming in pain and despair.


    Hearing the man in gray''s miserable cries, the other four shivered in fear.


    Someone was about to step forward to check on the man in gray when another person eximed in terror,


    "It''s likely Gu insects!"


    Upon hearing this, the person who wanted to help immediately stepped back, and all four retreated two steps.


    "Gu insects!"


    The four of them looked at the gray-clothed man writhing on the ground in disbelief, unable to believe what they were hearing. How could an outer disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect at the third level of Qi cultivation breed Gu insects?


    Could it be the disciple of some powerful figure?


    Just as the four were unsure how to handle the situation,


    Suddenly, one person felt a sharp pain in the vulnerable part of his thigh, as if someone had fiercely stabbed a steel nail into his egg.


    He instinctively wanted to p it, but hesitated when he realized how fragile that area was.


    Then he felt a stabbing pain at his Shenque point, as a Gu insect crawled in through his navel and into his abdomen.


    The same happened to the other three. They were all attacked at their vulnerable points by the elusive Gu insects.


    For a moment, cries of agony filled the air.


    Although the ck-Bellied Gu insects were small, their cultivation was solid at the fourth level of Qi cultivation.


    Having prated the bodies of the cultivators, their attacks were too much for the physical bodies of cultivators at the fifth level of Qi cultivation to withstand.


    Wherever the ck-Bellied Gu insects attacked, flesh and blood turned into a mess. Even the hardest human bones shattered at their touch.


    After a moment, the cries of agony stopped.


    All five of them fell silent.


    At this moment, Song Wen''s figure slowly emerged from the dense forest.


    In fact, he hadn''t gone far at all, hiding in the dense forest all along, using his keen spiritual power to observe the movements of the five and controlling the ck-Bellied Gu insects to attack them.


    His spiritual power was considerably stronger than that of the five, covering a much wider area. This allowed him to monitor the five from the dense forest without them noticing him.


    Once he spotted the five, Song Wen prepared to ambush them using the Gu insects.


    He had hidden the ck-Bellied Gu insects in the soil around Yan Feng''s body, masking their presence with the residual thunderous power. Coupled with their natural ability to conceal their aura, the five hadpletely failed to detect the ck-Bellied Gu insects, leading to a sessful surprise attack.


    After using the Blood Escape Technique, Song Wen''s speed was much faster than that of the five, ensuring his invincible position. This was his greatest confidence in ambushing the five.


    As he approached the five, the more than twenty ck-Bellied Gu insects continued to crawl in and out of their bodies, devouring them.


    At this point, the essence, blood, marrow, and spiritual energy in the bodies of the five were nearly depleted.


    It was unclear how such small insects managed to swallow these things.


    With a shake of his head, Song Wen had originally nned to absorb the essence and blood of these five, but now it seemed their bodies were no longer worth consuming.


    However, since the five had just died and their souls hadn''t yet left, this was a prime material for cultivating the Forbidden Soul Technique, which couldn''t be wasted.


    After spending dozens of breaths, Song Wen devoured the souls of the five, along with the essence and blood from Yan Feng''s body, then stored the six bodies in his storage pouch.


    Turning around, Song Wen flew towards the direction of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Before long, arge river blocked Song Wen''s path.


    The river''s surface was extremely wide, several miles across. Looking ahead, its edges were indiscernible, with only the rolling yellow river water visible.


    Seeing this river, Song Wen knew he was on the right path back to his sect, as crossing this river was necessary.


    Looking up at the sky, the sun had already set, and the surroundings were bing dim. The nearby forests were faintly discernible.


    Song Wen took out a flying talisman, activated it, and soared across to the other side of the river.


    As he flew towards the center of the river, he dropped the six bodies into the water. Soon, the bodies were swept away by the waves and disappeared beneath the riverbed.


    Just before the flying talisman lost its effect, Song Wen found a crevice in a cliff and hid himself within.


    He didn''t intend to travel at night. Besides reduced visibility, traveling through this unfamiliar dense forest at night could lead to unforeseen risks.


    Furthermore, having just escaped, his spiritual power was running low and needed time to recuperate through meditation.


    (End of this Chapter)

 Chapter 66: Ghost Three Descends from the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 66: Ghost Three Descends from the Sky</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The night passed without incident.


    This night, Song Wen refined three Qi-replenishing pills, replenishing his spiritual power substantially.


    As dawn broke, Song Wen emerged from the crevice in the cliff. After climbing to the mountaintop, he hurried towards the direction of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    The dense forest was filled with trees and dense undergrowth, intertwined with countless vines. Without using any talismans, relying solely on his physical strength to traverse the path, Song Wen''s speed was not particrly fast. He had been on the road for over two hours, covering more than three hundred li of mountainous terrain.


    While running, Song Wen suddenly sensed a figure appearing overhead. He swept out with his spiritual power and was surprised to find that the person was someone he knew��it was Ghost Three.


    Ghost Three was in a very bad state. When Song Wen noticed him, Ghost Three plummeted directly from high altitude, crashing down about ten meters in front of Song Wen.


    Ghost Three broke severalrge trees and rolled over ten meters on the ground before being stopped by a tree trunk.


    Blood gushed continuously from his mouth, mixed with many fragments of internal organs.


    Ghost Three also noticed Song Wen, but he didn''t recognize Song Wen''s identity. Song Wen''s strength was too weak; during yesterday''s battle with the Yan family, Ghost Three had never paid attention to him.


    "Fellow Daoist, save me! I will give you ample rewards."


    Ghost Three seemed to muster hisst bit of strength to say these words, then fainted, motionless on the ground.


    The sudden turn of events startled Song Wen. He immediately swept the surroundings with his spiritual power but found no one else, which eased his mind slightly.


    However, he did not let his guard down nor approach Ghost Three rashly.


    He activated a swift talisman, then used the Blood Escape Technique. His entire body surged with blood energy, and his speed increased several times. shing through the dense forest, he disappeared without a trace.


    As for the benefits promised by Ghost Three, it was out of the question.


    Song Wen felt that if he really went to rescue Ghost Three, once Ghost Three recovered from his injuries, Song Wen would probably be the first one he would kill.


    Ghost Three, as a robber cultivator, relied on plundering and piging other cultivators for cultivation resources.


    Wanting to show kindness to Ghost Three and gain benefits was probably wishful thinking.


    As for killing Ghost Three and plundering the resources on his body, for a moment, Song Wen also had such thoughts.


    But he quickly dismissed them. Ghost Three, a cultivator who often walked the line between life and death, even though he looked on the verge of death now, like amb waiting to be ughtered, who knew if he had any tricks up his sleeve? What if he was pretending to be unconscious? If Song Wen approached him, it was very likely that he would end up dead himself.


    Seeing Song Wen decisively turn and leave, Ghost Three, lying on the ground, twitched his mouth slightly.


    He had been chased and intercepted by experts from the Yan family. Finally escaping, he was heavily injured. Moreover, the Yan family''s techniques were venomous, and he was deeply poisoned. The medicinal herbs for healing and detoxification were also exhausted.


    He originally thought he was doomed this time. But when he exhausted thest trace of spiritual power in his body and was flying his boat through the mortal forest, he suddenly saw a cultivator rushing by.


    He pinned his hopes of survival on this cultivator.


    So, he put away his flying boat and tried tond.


    But at this moment, the toxins he had been suppressing suddenly erupted. This caused him to lose control of his body and fall directly from mid-air.


    Initially, he had wanted to y a trick on that early Qi-cultivating cultivator, but unexpectedly, the cultivator fled immediately.


    "You really are cautious. Don''t you want any opportunities? A heavily injured and dying cultivator falls before you, yet you''re unmoved."


    Ghost Three thought bitterly, then loosened the grip on his talisman.


    His consciousness became increasingly blurred, and then hepletely fainted away.


    Two hourster.


    After searching everywhere for the trace of Ghost Three, the Yan family''s cultivators finally found this ce.


    Yan Gao''s figurended first, seeing Ghost Three who was already on the brink of death, a cruel smile crept onto Yan Gao''s lips.


    "You dared to oppose my Yan family, how could I let you die so easily."


    "Someone, administer the detoxification medicine to him, then pierce the soul field and bring him back to the n."


    "I want to extract his soul and refine a soulmp, so that his soul will endure the burning mes for eternity. This is the fate for those who dare to offend the Yan family."


    Following behind Yan Gao were three other cultivators, who began to carry out the orders.


    At this moment, Yan Gao was in a good mood. Another escaping robber cultivator had already been killed by another team from the Yan family.


    Now that Ghost Three was also in his hands, it meant that all the robber cultivators who had attacked the Yan family this time had beenpletely wiped out.


    However, it was heard that the disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect, Ji Yin, who was supposed to be here to take stock, was nowhere to be found, which was a major hidden danger.


    But, a Qi-refining thirdyer minor cultivator shouldn''t stir up much trouble. Sooner orter, the Yan family''s people would find him, and there was absolutely no chance he would return to the Corpse Demon Sect alive.


    A Yan family woman who was currently binding Ghost Three nced around the trees and grasses and said to Yan Gao.


    "Third Uncle, there seem to be traces of other people''s activities around here!"


    Yan Gao, muscr and not very observant, looked puzzled and asked.


    "Xiao Qiu, what do you mean?"


    The woman called Xiao Qiu was named Yan Qiu, known in the Yan family for her meticulous thinking. She pointed in several directions.


    Although Ghost Three had crashed from mid-air, causing a mess around the grass and trees, with a little careful observation, it was not difficult to find traces of someone else''s activity here.


    "Third Uncle, look at these ces. There are traces of someone''s activity here. The grass has been trampled."


    Yan Gao followed Yan Qiu''s finger and looked for a while without understanding. However, he knew his own situation well��his body refining talent was good, but his brain wasn''t particrly sharp.


    Since Yan Qiu said there were traces of someone''s activity, it shouldn''t be aimless.


    "What''s going on? Could it be Ghost Three''s aplice?" Yan Gao asked.


    Yan Qiu shook her head and said, "I don''t know about that, but if it really is Ghost Three''s aplice, there''s no reason to leave Ghost Three unattended here. Even if they couldn''t take Ghost Three away, they should have given Ghost Three a clean end."


    Just then, a figure hurriedly descended from mid-air.


    "I''ve seen Third Uncle," the neer sped his fists and greeted Yan Gao.


    "With such haste, what''s the matter?" Yan Gao asked.


    "Yan Feng and the other five were ordered to chase Ji Yin, but they haven''t returned. Recently, a n member found traces of a battle. After careful investigation, the n believes that Yan Feng and the others have been killed, and Ji Yin might have escaped."


    "Ji Yin escaped!" Yan Gao was somewhat incredulous.


    "And he killed Yan Feng and the others. How did Ji Yin manage to do that?"


    Yan Qiu also wore a look of disbelief. After a brief shock, she said,


    "Third Uncle, could these traces be left by Ji Yin? This ce is exactly on the way to the Corpse Demon Sect."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 67: City of Three Corpses

    <h4>Chapter 67: City of Three Corpses</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "It''s impossible. This ce is over a thousand miles away from the Poison Miasma Swamp. Ji Yin is only at the Qi Refining Third Layer. How could he cross such a distance in just one day?"


    Yan Gao immediately denied.


    Yan Qiu also found it somewhat unbelievable. However, upon further thought, with Yan Feng and his men, who were chasing Ji Yin, all dead, Ji Yin must have hidden his true cultivation level.


    If Ji Yin had the cultivation level of the Mid Qi Refining Stage and used speeding talismans, it would be reasonable to travel a thousand miles in a day.


    Yan Qiu voiced her spection.


    After hearing this, Yan Gao said, "What you say is not impossible. So, what should we do?"


    Yan Qiu replied, "As for the n, you and I will continue to pursue Ji Yin. The others will take Ghost Three back to the n and bring news of Ji Yin''s escape. In case we fail to catch Ji Yin, the n needs a contingency n."


    Yan Gao, robust but simple-minded, couldn''t offer a better suggestion. He nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, let''s do that."


    He waved his hand and took out a flying boat, saying, "Xiao Qiu,e aboard. We will chase Ji Yin on this flying boat."


    The two of them boarded the flying boat and headed towards the direction of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Meanwhile, the others escorted Ghost Three, also on a flying boat, returning to the Yan family''s headquarters.


    ...


    After distancing himself from Ghost Three, Song Yi didn''t dare to ck off and maintained full speed on his journey.


    He knew that since he had identally encountered Ghost Three, the Yan family could catch up with him at any time. Now was not the time to rx.


    So, he pushed his speed to the limit, using the speed talisman and his Blood Escape Technique to travel at full speed.


    As the sun gradually set, a small city appeared ahead of Song Yi.


    This city was named City of Three Corpses, under the jurisdiction of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    The City of Three Corpses was rich in Mysterious Iron ore, and almost all the ordinary people in the city were ves of the Corpse Demon Sect, generations enved to mine Mysterious Iron ore, with no hope of ever escaping.


    To ensure the perpetual servitude of these mining ves, the Corpse Demon Sect even bred a specific type of people: tall men were selected naturally, while female ves were subjected to vition, forced to bear offspring.


    For these mining ves, suffering was endless, whether in life or in death.


    After their deaths, their bodies would also be fully utilized.


    Although they endured endless suffering and could barely produce any essence blood, they could be used in the Great Corpse Refinement Formation to refine Corpse Qi, aiding the cultivation of the disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    In other words, Song Yi himself was tainted by the fruits of these mining ves. For his cultivation of the Blood Refining Art of the Corpse King, the need for Corpse Qi was far greater than that of ordinary disciples. Much of this Corpse Qi came from the vertical wells in the caves.


    Their souls would also be drawn out and refined into various sinister artifacts.


    Song Yi nned to stay overnight in the City of Three Corpses. The reason he didn''t travel at night was that he knew the Yan family would mobilize all their forces to find him that night. Traveling at night would increase the risk of exposure, with few cultivators on the road.


    The City of Three Corpses was only two hundred miles away from the Corpse Demon Sect, with arge number of Corpse Demon Sect disciples and wandering cultivators traveling between the two ces.


    Therefore, there wererge flying ships traveling between the two ces.


    Song Yi nned to return to the Corpse Demon Sect by flying ship tomorrow.


    With only one Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator in the Yan family, their influence was not enough to affect thergemercial ships belonging to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    From afar, Song Wen could see the gates of the City of Three Corpses. There were not only city guards but also several Yan family cultivators.


    His eyebrows jumped involuntarily, suspecting that his whereabouts might have been exposed.


    He then nced at his chest, where he carried six storage bags taken from Yan Feng and hispanions.


    In the cultivation world, cultivators can fragment their spiritual power and attach it to disciples or items, forming spiritual imprints.


    Cultivators can perceive the approximate location of disciples through these spiritual imprints.


    However, Song Wen dared to carry six storage bags with him, indicating he hade prepared.


    The spiritual power of Qi Refining cultivators, and even Foundation Establishment cultivators, is a manifestation of soul strength.


    Any form of soul strength would be devoured by Song Wen''s physical body and be nourishment for his spiritual sea.


    When Song Wen first heard about spiritual imprints, he had this suspicion.


    To confirm his suspicion, he tested it with Chen Yi and Senior Brother Xu.


    Without exception, he easily devoured the spiritual imprints left on the items by them. When Song Wen grasped items with their spiritual imprints, he could clearly perceive that their spiritual power had been swallowed by him.


    Later, he also confirmed with the two that they indeed lost their sensitivity to the items.


    He tested with Chen Yi because they were familiar and easy to approach.


    He tested with Senior Brother Xu because his strength surpassed his own.


    These two tests, one strong and one weak, fully proved that his spection was correct.


    After calming his mind and trusting in the Golden Finger, Song Wen dismissed his chaotic thoughts.


    "The Yan family cultivators appearing at the City of Three Corpses probably discovered traces of Yan Feng and hispanions'' deaths, roughly deducing my speed, which led them to thoroughly investigate the City of Three Corpses."


    Before entering the city, Song Wen controlled his breath through his physical body. He fully disyed only cultivation level of Qi Refining Fourth Layer and concealed all traces of Corpse Qi.


    Then, using the mortal realm''s Disguise Technique, he changed his appearance to that of a middle-aged cultivator.


    In this way, not only did Song Wen change his appearance, but his aura waspletely concealed. Even Guo Tao, who had been with him for many days, would find it difficult to recognize him.


    Song Wen did not show his Outer Sect disciple token of the Corpse Demon Sect to enter the city. It was apparent that the upper echelons of the City of Three Corpses had been infiltrated by the Yan family. Showing the token would only expose his identity.


    Identifying himself as a wandering cultivator, Song Wen paid a spirit stone and smoothly entered the City of Three Corpses.


    There were many peopleing and going in the City of Three Corpses, with quite a few cultivators and ordinary people among them.


    Most of these ordinary people were nearly naked, emaciated, and looked like mining ves oppressed by the Corpse Demon Sect for generations.


    However, not all ordinary people were poor. Among them were also those well-dressed, healthy-looking individuals.


    In any era, there are always those among humans who betray their own kind to gain personal benefits.


    These well-dressed ordinary people belonged to this category.


    They assisted in tyranny, helping the Corpse Demon Sect oppress ordinary people, bowing and obeying cultivators, and treating mining ves as mere pigs and dogs.


    Song Wen watched all this impassively, neither angry nor pitying.


    He walked directly into a cultivator''s inn. Paying a moderate fee of one spirit stone, he requested a higher-priced room and settled in.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 68: Meeting Guo Tao Again!

    <h4>Chapter 68: Meeting Guo Tao Again!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    A night passed quietly.


    The next day.


    Leaving the inn, Song Wen headed straight for where the airships were docked.


    Last night, he had already asked the inn''s servant and confirmed that the airship bound for the Corpse Demon Sect would depart at the third quarter of the morning hour.


    Walking within the City of Three Corpses, Song Wen noticed many Yan family disciples using their spiritual power to repeatedly scan passing cultivators.


    In the cultivation world, casually scanning others with spiritual power was seen as provocative and a highly disrespectful act.


    After all, which cultivator didn''t have a few secrets they didn''t want others to pry into?


    The brazen behavior of the Yan family disciples provoked considerable anger among many cultivators. However, seeing the guards of the City of Three Corpses standing beside these Yan family disciples, these cultivators dared not voice their anger.


    Song Wen remained calm and continued towards the direction of the airships, paying no attention to the spiritual scans cast by Yan family disciples.


    These were already the sixth wave of Yan family members he had encountered since this morning.


    He had absolute confidence in his ability to control his body''s aura. These Yan family disciples could not possibly recognize him solely based on spiritual scans, especially since his aura had already beenpletely concealed.


    To find Song Wen, someone who had previous contact with him would need toe forward and expose his disguise, which was highly unlikely. There were too many cultivatorsing and going in the city, and Yan family disciples couldn''t possibly search them all.


    Moreover, such actions would only provoke greater resentment among the cultivators. It might even lead to a riot among the city guards, making trouble for the City Lord of Three Corpses.


    Song Wen smoothly arrived at the location where he would board the airship.


    The airship was ten meters long with three levels of construction.


    Since the Corpse Demon Sect wasn''t far from the City of Three Corpses, most of the cultivators boarding the airship were at the Qi Refining Initial Stage, with asionally a few at the Qi Refining Intermediate Stage. After all, cultivators with slightly stronger abilities preferred to travel to the Corpse Demon Sect on their own.


    On the road about a hundred meters from the airship, several Yan family disciples were stationed, including Yan Gao and Yan Qiu.


    Their eyes and spiritual power scanned the low-level cultivators boarding the airship repeatedly. When they found suspicious individuals, they immediately searched them, acting desperate and extremely aggressive.


    At this moment, Song Wen''s aura and appearance changed once again.


    Since leaving the inn, he had disguised himself as a young wandering cultivator who had just entered the Qi Refining Stage.


    Due to the deaths of Yan Feng and the others, the Yan family suspected anyone at the Qi Refining Intermediate Stage. Therefore, they paid little attention to Song Wen, this young cultivator who had just reached the Qi Refining First Stage.


    After paying five spirit stones, Song Wen smoothly boarded the airship and secured an independent small room on the lower deck.


    The airship departed punctually at the third quarter of the morning hour. The speed of therge airship wasn''t fast, and after an hour, it arrived at the Corpse Demon Mountain Market, the same market Song Wen frequented. This ce was already within the jurisdiction of the Corpse Demon Sect, and Yan family''s strength was insufficient to extend their hands here.


    After disembarking from the airship, Song Wen didn''t spot any Yan family members in the market, which reassured him.


    He headed straight for the pill refining hall.


    Elder Shen of the pill refining hall was a Foundation Establishment Late Stage alchemist known for his status, strength, and wealth within the Corpse Demon Sect. It was highly unlikely that he could be bribed by the Yan family.


    Yan Family has betrayed the Corpse Demon Sect, colluding with the Nine Pce Sect, stealing the Rainbow Grass. Reporting this matter to Elder Shen, the next step will be to wait for the Yan Family''s downfall. Only when the Yan Family ispletely destroyed can the threat from them be truly eliminated.


    Song Wen wasted no time. He ran all the way and soon arrived at the northwest foot of the mountain, where the pill refining hall was located.


    The pill refining hall was still heavily patrolled by disciples to prevent unruly elements from infiltrating.


    As the gate of the pill refining hall came into view, Song Wen removed his disguise and his aura changed to a familiar appearance to everyone.


    To enter the pill refining hall, he needed both the disciple token and the mission token, both of which retained his aura. If he disyed an aura inconsistent with the tokens, he would not be allowed entry and might even be mistaken for a spy.


    As Song Wen walked through the gate of the pill refining hall, someone unexpected appeared before him.


    Guo Tao!


    Guo Tao stood quietly at the gate, neither entering nor leaving.


    Song Wen knew that Guo Tao was waiting for him.


    Instantly, Song Wen tensed up. He reminded himself to be extremely careful. He had traversed over two thousand li of escape routes and couldn''t afford to stumble at this final step.


    He remembered clearly that ording to the sect rules, killing an outer disciple required onlypensation of 3000 spirit stones.


    At this critical moment, if someone told Guo Tao that only 3000 spirit stones were needed to eliminate Song Wen, this significant threat, Song Wen believed Guo Tao would certainly not hesitate to pay up.


    The Ghost Head Shield was gripped in his right hand, ready to strike.


    Thest Flying Escape Talisman was affixed to his chest, ready to activate at any moment to create distance from Guo Tao.


    Both Blood Sacrifice Art and Blood Escape Art were also prepared for immediate activation. Song Wen believed that by simultaneously using these two blood-burning secret techniques, his speed should beparable to that of a cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining like Guo Tao.


    <strong>TL Note</strong>: I have no idea what is going on with these Cultivation Realms, please bear with it and I will try my best to keep them consistentter on.


    Unfortunately, the Haste Talisman had already been used up; otherwise, his chances of escape would be even greater.


    The Thunder Talisman wasn''t quite suitable for use within the Corpse Demon Sect. Otherwise, he would have a hard time exining why a disciple of the demonic sect could cultivate the righteous qi of heaven and earth. If used recklessly, it could likely expose his secret. By then, he might be subjected to soul extraction and research by the Corpse Demon Sect''s elders.


    At the same time, Song Wen had prepared himself. If Guo Tao dared to make a move, he would publicly shout out the Yan Family''s secrets, breaking the when the fish is desperate.


    With so many guards outside the pill refining hall, as long as he could withstand one or two moves from Guo Tao, he should be able to be rescued by the guards.


    Looking at the extremely tense Song Wen, Guo Tao did not choose to act. Instead, he smiled slightly, making an effort to appear friendly.


    At this moment, although Guo Tao could kill Song Wen, the elders of the Corpse Demon Sect were not fools.


    Both Guo Tao and Song Wen were sent out to carry out sect missions, and they returned separately. Before reporting on the mission, if Guo Tao killed Song Wen, even a fool would know something was amiss.


    The high-level members of the Corpse Demon Sect would definitely thoroughly investigate the Yan Family. By then, the Yan Family''s betrayal and secrets would definitely be exposed.


    Guo Tao and the high-level Yan Family members had long discussed countermeasures. If Song Wen really returned alive to the sect, Guo Tao would have to find a way to bribe him to buy enough time for the Yan Family.


    At that time, the Yan Family wouldn''t bet everything on buying off Song Wen. They had already secretly transferred the most talented disciples within the n, ensuring the preservation of the Yan Family''s bloodline.


    This included Yan Yiwen, the most talented member of the Yan Family in this generation.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 69: Collusion

    <h4>Chapter 69: Collusion</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Watching Song Wen, who was tense and ready to erupt at any moment, the many guards outside the pill refining hall were somewhat bewildered.


    What''s happening today? A Qi Refining Stage 3 outer disciple dares to act so presumptuously outside the hall?


    Are all the new disciples this courageous now?


    Do they really think the elite guards of our hall are nonexistent?


    However, seeing Song Wen''s vignt gaze fixed on Guo Tao, stepping back slowly, the guards quickly realized that this outer disciple was on guard against Guo Tao.


    Since it''s not directed at the hall, it has nothing to do with them �C the guards.


    Immediately, the guards adopted a look of anticipation, their eyes shifting back and forth between Guo Tao and Song Wen. Their expressions seemed to say, "Why hasn''t someone made a move yet?"


    Guo Tao also noticed Song Wen''s tension and the guards'' amusement. He smiled awkwardly and spoke in as gentle a tone as possible.


    "Senior Brother Ji Yin, don''t be nervous. I mean no harm. Rest assured, I won''ty a hand on you."


    Song Wen, sensing the goodwill from Guo Tao, rxed slightly but continued to step back cautiously.


    "The main hall is protected by formation restrictions. Shall we talk somewhere else?" Guo Tao continued.


    Song Wen was aware of the formation restrictions in the main hall. Within the hall, cultivators below the Golden Core stage would be significantly weakened, unable to mobilize their internal energy, use any spells, talismans, or artifacts, and their physical strength would barely exceed that of a slightly healthier mortal.


    Song Wen pondered for a moment before speaking.


    "Alright, I''ll go along with Senior Brother Guo''s suggestion. But you''ll have to enter the hall first before I do."


    "Alright, Junior Brother, please follow me."


    After Guo Tao finished speaking, he showed his disciple token and mission token to the guards, smoothly entering the territory of the pill refining hall.


    The area of the pill refining hall was vast. Song Wen stood at the gate, and only after seeing Guo Tao truly enter the main hall did he show his own mission token and disciple token to the guards.


    He said to the guards, "Senior Brother, I am Outer Disciple Ji Yin. Previously, under the orders of Elder Shen, I went to the Posion Miasma Swamp of the Yan Family to inventory the Rainbow Grass. Please inform him that Ji Yin haspleted the mission and hase to report."


    After speaking, Song Wen also headed towards the main hall.


    There were quite a few people in the main hall, including disciples of the pill refining hall and those who came to purchase pills.


    Guo Tao stood alone in a corner, anxiously awaiting Song Wen. When he saw Song Wen step into the hall, Guo Tao''s anxious expression finally rxed somewhat.


    He knew that now all his hopes were pinned on Song Wen, undoubtedly a huge gamble.


    But the current situation was such that the entire Yan Family was like a fish on the chopping block, ready to be ughtered, with no other options left.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, what Ghost Three said is all nonsense. You must not believe Ghost Three''s lies. The Yan Family is loyal to the sect and would never betray it."


    Guo Tao''s voice was low, audible only to the two of them.


    Song Wen raised an eyebrow, a smile ying on his lips.


    "Oh! Is that so? It doesn''t seem like it to me. I think what Ghost Three said is the truth."


    Once inside the main hall, Song Wen immediately felt a thick pressure descend upon him, causing the flow of his internal energy to stagnate. He tried to activate the "Blood Refinement of the Corpse King" technique, only to find no response.


    He was certain now that within this hall, he couldn''t use any cultivation techniques. Thus, he no longer needed to fear Guo Tao.


    Seeing Song Wen''s calm expression, Guo Tao felt somewhat disappointed, realizing that the other party couldn''t be easily deceived. He had to change his approach.


    "Junior Brother, you should think this through. Offending the Yan Family won''t benefit you in any way."


    Song Wen smiled faintly, showing no sign of being threatened by Guo Tao.


    "Indeed, there are no benefits. On my way back to report to the sect, I was hunted down by six Yan Family cultivators."


    Guo Tao''s heart skipped a beat, realizing the situation was dire. Yan Feng and the others had indeed died at Song Wen''s hands. These six were truly useless; six Qi Refining Stage mid-level cultivators couldn''t even kill one Ji Yin.


    Guo Tao panicked, "Misunderstanding! It''s all a misunderstanding. They must have mistaken Junior Brother for an aplice of Ghost Three. Besides, Junior Brother is unharmed now, isn''t he? Please forgive the Yan Family this time."


    Song Wen chuckled, "Forgive the Yan Family! I dare not. If it weren''t for a life-saving treasure on me, I might not have survived multiple attempts on my life."


    Guo Tao hesitated, "Compensation, I canpensate on behalf of the Yan Family for Junior Brother."


    "How about one thousand spirit stones?"


    "Junior Brother isn''t satisfied? Then three thousand spirit stones!"


    "What about five thousand spirit stones?"


    Seeing Song Wen remain silent, Guo Tao continued to raise the offer himself.


    Song Wen neither agreed nor disagreed but instead looked at Guo Tao with interest and said, "I''m curious, Senior Brother Guo, what''s your rtionship with the Yan Family? Why are you so eager to do their bidding?"


    Guo Tao smirked, "How could I possibly have a rtionship with the Yan Family? I''m just mediating. Junior Brother and the Yan Family''s rtionship is ambiguous. We all belong to the Corpse Demon Sect; there''s no need to turn against each other."


    He added, "Five thousand spirit stones. Junior Brother, are you still not satisfied? With this amount, I believe it''s enough for Junior Brother to reach the pinnacle of Qi Refining."


    Seeing the urgency to offer money, attempting to settle everything, Song Wen casually remarked, "If the sect finds out, it''s a capital offense. A mere five thousand spirit stones..."


    Song Wen''s implication was clear �C more money!


    "Ten thousand spirit stones. No more, no less," Guo Tao decisively stated.


    "Good, it''s a deal. When will you give me the spirit stones?" Song Wen confirmed.


    Guo Tao took out a storage pouch and handed it to Song Wen, "Here are one thousand spirit stones. The rest will be supplied to Junior Brotherter."


    Song Wen probed into the storage pouch with his spiritual sense. One thousand spirit stones, neither more nor less. He calmly tucked the pouch into his embrace.


    "Just one thousand spirit stones, Senior Brother Guo? Are you going back on your word?"


    Guo Tao assured, "Junior Brother, rest assured, I won''t."


    "You can''t be sure. We demon cultivators, we have no credit to speak of."


    Guo Tao pulled out another storage pouch from himself, "I still have one thousand spirit stones here. Junior Brother, please take it. I truly have no more spirit stones on me. Any additional ones will have to be given to Junior Brotherter."


    Song Wen epted the pouch again, his face now showing greed. His gaze scrutinized Guo Tao.


    Seeing Song Wen''s greedy expression, Guo Tao cursed inwardly but had no other choice. He gritted his teeth and conjured a small boat the size of a palm, which was his flying vessel.


    "I''ll gift this flying vessel to Junior Brother. I''ve already erased the residual spiritual energy on it. Junior Brother can rest assured to refine it."


    "In that case, I''ll ept it with gratitude," Song Wen said, looking satisfied as he stowed the flying vessel into his storage pouch.


    Seeing Song Wen finally showing satisfaction, Guo Tao eagerly asked, "Junior Brother, about the matter with the Yan Family?"


    Song Wen replied, "This inventory mission of the Rainbow Grass was originally guided by Senior Brother Guo. Naturally, I''ll defer to Senior Brother Guo''s judgment in all matters."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 70: Prison Hall

    <h4>Chapter 70: Prison Hall</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "So be it, so be it."


    Guo Tao finally rxed his tense heart a bit, but he was still worried that Song Wen might change his mind at thest moment. He said to Song Wen,


    "Junior Brother, rest assured, I will make sure to reimburse you with the rest of the spirit stones afterwards."


    "You say so, but can I really trust Senior Brother Guo? In the future, I''ll need Senior Brother Guo to take care of me more. After all, as a junior entering the sect with low strength and no background, the path of cultivation is exceptionally difficult. It''s exactly when Senior Brother Guo''s broad experience and guidance are needed."


    "Junior Brother, rest assured, from now on you are my own younger brother. Whenever you encounter any difficulties, you cane to me."


    "Then I''ll thank Senior Brother Guo first."


    "Why still ''Senior Brother''? If Junior Brother doesn''t mind, just call me ''Big Brother''. From the moment I first saw Junior Brother, I had a feeling of meeting a long-lost kin."


    "Big Brother Guo!"


    "Younger Brother!"


    The two harboring sinister motives, mutually suspicious of each other, seemed like long-lost brothers reunited, almost bringing tears to their eyes.


    "Guo Tao, Ji Yin, afterpleting the sect''s mission, why didn''t you report back to my small courtyard but instead came to the Dan Hall?"


    Elder Shen''s voice suddenly echoed in the Dan Hall.


    Elder Shen, a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, although suppressed by the prohibitions in the Dan Hall, was still more imposing than Song Wen and Guo Tao. He exuded the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Seeing Elder Shen finally appear, before Guo Tao could speak, Song Wen immediately bowed and said,


    "Disciple Ji Yin pays respects to Elder Shen."


    "Reporting to Elder Shen, the Yan Family betrayed the sect, colluded with the Nine Pces Sect, and stole the Rainbow Grass. Guo Tao colluded with the Yan Family, providing cover for them and attempting to deceive me and deceive the sect."


    "Ji Yin, you..." Guo Tao was shocked and incredulous.


    He pointed at Song Wen''s hand, trembling and unable to speak.


    Was this the same Ji Yin who had just called him brother and almost sworn a blood oath with him?


    This Ji Yin was young and hadn''t even matured yet, but his thoughts were unexpectedly deep. He had just taken advantage of his trust, and in an instant, he had betrayed him.


    He, Guo Tao, was also skilled in social interactions, adept at adapting to situations, and had smoothly integrated into these circles of the Corpse Demon Sect. He had thought he could maneuver easily.


    Unexpectedly, he was yed in circles by a young man who hadn''t even matured yet.


    However, the root of all thisy with the handle Yan Family held over him. The other party was free toe and go, but he had no way out and could only trust the other party.


    With no way out, Guo Tao could only choose to gamble, gambling on the extremely slim chance that Song Wen was a greedy person.


    However, Song Wen''s willingness to abandon the eight thousand spirit stones without hesitation was still unexpected to Guo Tao. This amount was enough to tempt a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    "Ji Yin, are your words true?"


    Elder Shen''s momentum suddenly changed, bing sharp and murderous.


    The pressure from Elder Shen made Song Wen somewhat ufortable, as if there were millions of invisible eyes staring at him, ready to tear him apart at any moment.


    "Disciple''s words are absolutely true. Elder can personally verify it. The Yan Family embezzled and colluded with the Nine Pces Sect, stole the Rainbow Grass. Guo Tao colluded with the Yan Family, helping them cover up the truth."


    "After discovering the betrayal of the Yan Family, they sent cultivators to chase me down. After experiencing great dangers, I was fortunate to escape and finally return to the sect."


    Elder Shen''s gaze sharpened, corpse energy surged around him, and his robes fluttered without wind, rustling.


    "Guo Tao, what do you have to say about this?"


    Even under the prohibitive pressure of the Dan Hall, his aura was still something a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn''t withstand.


    The chilling aura pressed down on Guo Tao, making him feel like a mountain was bearing down on him. Breathing became difficult, his legs went weak, and he copsed to the ground.


    Facing Elder Shen''s terrifying presence, Guo Tao trembled in fear, stuttering in his speech.


    "Elder Shen, please do not easily believe the usations of Ji Yin alone. He speaks without evidence, falsely using me and the Yan Family."


    Elder Shen said coldly, "Ji Yin, are you ndering?"


    Song Wen replied, "What disciple said is entirely true. Once Elder investigates, you will know. However, since the Yan Family has learned of their betrayal being exposed, they might attempt to flee secretly. Please hurry, Elder Shen."


    With a cold grunt, Elder Shen said, "Hmph! I don''t need you to tell me how to do my job."


    In truth, Elder Shen already believed Song Wen''s words almostpletely.


    Song Wen was just a low-ranking outer disciple, falsely using a Foundation Establishment family and inner sect senior brother without any benefit.


    Moreover, throughout the ordeal, Song Wen had disyed unwavering confidence. In contrast, Guo Tao was panicked and fearful.


    Comparing the two, it was clear who was lying.


    "Guards, take Guo Tao to the Prison Hall."


    The Prison Hall was located underground at the foot of the Corpse Demon Mountain, a ce where the sect detained traitors, enemies, and serious offenders.


    Once inside the Prison Hall, there was no possibility of leaving alive again. Endless inhuman torture awaited him. If lucky after enduring countless tortures, one might beg for reincarnation. If unlucky, one would have their soul extracted and never transcend life.


    As soon as Elder Shen''s words fell, several guards stepped forward, forcibly broke Guo Tao''s dantian, and took him away.


    "No! Elder Shen, I beg you not to send me to the Prison Hall."


    "Ji Yin, your words are untrustworthy. You are not to leave until this matter is cleared."


    Guo Tao''s voice grew fainter and finally disappeared.


    After Guo Tao was taken away, Elder Shen said,


    "Take Ji Yin back to his cave dwelling. He is not to take a single step out until the investigation isplete."


    Having said that, Elder Shen quickly left the Dan Hall and headed for the main hall of the sect.


    Recently, the Yan Family was the only family bold enough to betray the Corpse Demon Sect. Elder Shen felt it necessary to make an example and give a warning to the families subordinate to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Song Wen was taken back to his cave dwelling by someone. He did not feel averse to being confined; on the contrary, he felt it was not bad at all. After all, the Yan Family had not yet been destroyed, and there was still danger. What if there were spies from the Yan Family lurking within the Corpse Demon Sect? It was like someone was providing him with free bodyguard services.


    Back in his cave dwelling, Song Wen took stock of his gains and losses this time.


    Most of his talismans were depleted, but he had received 2000 spirit stones from Guo Tao. He would soon be able to replenish his talismans with these spirit stones.


    The Corpse Puppets, which were not easy to refine, did not fare well in their first battle and were severely damaged. However, with some expenditure of spirit stones to buy materials, he would soon be able to repair them.


    The flying boat was an unexpected surprise that needed to be refined quickly for convenient travel in the future.


    In the storage bags of Yan Feng and others, there were over 2000 spirit stones in total, nearly a hundredmonly used talismans such as haste talismans, flying talismans, and fireball talismans, although the majority were cheap fireball talismans.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 71: Ten Thousand Poison Body

    <h4>Chapter 71: Ten Thousand Poison Body</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    There were quite a few pills, a total of twelve bottles. Perhaps because the Yan Family cultivators lived in the poisonous marshes for a long time, where there were many poisonous insects and beasts, half of these pills were various detoxifying and healing pills.


    Among them, there were two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills, totaling twenty pills. There was also one bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills, ten pills.


    From one of the storage bags, Song Wen found a bottle of a special pill called Poison Forging Pill, a type of pill Song Wen had never heard of before, and he didn''t know its purpose.


    Song Wen also acquired two sets of cultivation techniques. One was called "Profound Poison Scripture," the main poison cultivation technique of the Yan Family, a Qi refining technique, but it only contained content up to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Song Wen had no intention of cultivating the "Profound Poison Scripture." Although the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" given by Shi Shou might have certain hidden dangers, Song Wen had no ns to switch to other techniques.


    His physical body could devour essence and blood; body refining techniques were the most suitable for him.


    As for the hidden dangers left by Shi Shou, Song Wen still couldn''t guess what they were, but some things couldn''t be avoided.


    Whether he cultivated the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" or not, Shi Shou would definitelye for him. It was better to seize all the time to cultivate. Only with strong strength could he face unknown dangers.


    This "Profound Poison Scripture" containedplete Qi refining techniques. Song Wen looked down on it, but if he put it on the market, it would attract the attention of wandering cultivators. Song Wen nned to sell it in the market for some spirit stones.


    The other technique was called "Ten Thousand Poison Body," not a Qi refining technique but a secret technique for body forging. It was a method that utilized various deadly toxins to refine the body.


    The "Ten Thousand Poison Body" intrigued Song Wen somewhat. ording to the outline of the technique, not only could it greatly enhance the cultivator''s physical body, but it could also make the cultivator immune to most toxins. When cultivated to a high realm, it could even achieve the legendary state of being impervious to ten thousand poisons.


    However, Song Wen felt that the technique might be exaggerating. There were countless toxins in the cultivation world, and iming to be impervious to ten thousand poisons seemed overly exaggerated.


    What truly attracted Song Wen to the technique was its ability to immunize against toxins. Once cultivated to a certain realm, it could immunize against most toxins, which already made Song Wen intrigued.


    The Poison Forging Pill he found was a unique poison pill refined by the Yan Family, used for cultivating the "Ten Thousand Poison Body." However, cultivating the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" did not necessarily require consuming the Poison Forging Pill; other toxic substances could also be used as substitutes.


    The "Ten Thousand Poison Body" and the Poison Forging Pill were discovered together from the same storage bag, which also contained a jade slip recording cultivation insights of the "Ten Thousand Poison Body."


    At this moment, Song Wen finally understood why Yan Feng''s speed was significantly faster than ordinary cultivators and how he could withstand a direct hit from a Heavenly Thunder Talisman without dying.


    Yan Feng''s cultivation talent was average, but his cultivation of the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" was unusually smooth, which greatly strengthened his physical body beyond that of ordinary cultivators. Because of this, his speed and defense were much stronger than ordinary cultivators.


    In addition, nine magic tools were found in the six storage bags. However, these magic tools needed to be used in conjunction with poison techniques to exert their maximum effect.


    Among them, Song Wen picked out a set of medium-grade magic tools, a pair of Mother and Child Poison Needles. There were six Mother Needles in total, each about half a foot long.


    Each Mother Needle concealed ten fine Child Needles as thin as hair strands. When facing enemies, Song Wen could control the Mother Needle with his spiritual power to erupt the Child Needles at any time. When the distance was close enough, suddenlyunching the Child Needles made it nearly impossible to defend against��a highly sinister weapon.


    Since Song Wen did not cultivate poison techniques, to maximize the lethal potential of the Mother and Child Poison Needles, he needed to apply highly toxic substances to them.


    The Yan Family colluded with the Nine Pces Sect, betraying the Corpse Demon Sect. The entire n of 83,272 people, from wailing infants to elderly, was annihted by the Corpse Demon Sect. This included not only ordinary people without spiritual roots unable to cultivate, but also the Yan Family''s Foundation Establishment ancestors and Yan Zheng, who had achieved Qi Refinement perfection.


    The news of the Yan Family''s annihtion shocked all major powers and countless cultivators throughout the Tuocang Mountain Range.


    What was truly shocking wasn''t the destruction of a small Foundation Establishment family, but rather that the Nine Pces Sect dared to intervene in the Corpse Demon Sect''s territory.


    The Nine Pces Sect is a righteous sect whose influence extends beyond the Tuocang Mountain Range.


    The Tuocang Mountain Range is a gathering ce for demonic forces and rogue cultivators. For the Nine Pces Sect to intervene in the affairs of the Corpse Demon Sect, could this lead to a showdown between righteousness and evil?


    The Corpse Demon Sect is located around Corpse Demon Peak on the outskirts of the Tuocang Mountain Range, closer to various righteous sects. During every sh between righteousness and evil, this area bes the frontline battleground.


    Rumors of the uing sh between righteousness and evil within the Corpse Demon Sect did not cause muchmotion internally, but the fervor among wandering cultivators continued to intensify.


    Most wandering cultivators are not very powerful and belong to the bottomyer of the cultivation world. They are lone wolves who prefer to fight on their own, making it difficult to form a strong force.


    After news of the Yan Family''s annihtion spread, Song Wen''s house arrest was lifted. His first action was to seek an audience with Elder Shen in the pill room.


    From Elder Shen, Song Wen learned that nearly the entire Yan Family had been massacred. After all, cutting off the root of the grass is a principle well understood by the demonic path.


    However, there were some who escaped. Yan Yiwen, the most talented of the Yan Family''s generation, managed to flee. By now, she had likely joined the Nine Pces Sect and be an inner disciple.


    Upon hearing this news, Song Wen felt terrible.


    Yan Yiwen''s survival meant she posed a significant threat to him. If she were to achieve cultivation sess one day and seek revenge for her family, the Corpse Demon Sect would be her first target, and Song Wen would likely be her second.


    However, these were all future concerns. For now, Yan Yiwen posed no immediate threat to Song Wen.


    Not all the news from Elder Shen was bad, though.


    A Golden Core elder of the Corpse Demon Sect used Yan Tiangong''s essence and blood to perform a blood dao secret technique, identifying and eliminating all those within the sect who possessed Yan Family bloodline. This ensured there were no remnants of the Yan Family within the Corpse Demon Sect, which was undoubtedly good news for Song Wen. At least within the sect, he no longer had to worry about Yan Family remnants plotting against him.


    From Elder Shen, Song Wen also learned why the Yan Family risked annihtion by colluding with the Nine Pces Sect.


    Yan Tiangong was aging, and the Yan Family had yet to produce a strong Foundation Establishment cultivator. This forced them to take risks, using the Rainbow Grass as leverage to exchange for cultivation resources and Foundation Establishment pills from the Nine Pces Sect.


    Once the Yan Family''s patriarch passed away without a strong Foundation Establishment cultivator, they would inevitably lose control of the Poison Swamp''s assets to other Foundation Establishment families under the Corpse Demon Sect''s jurisdiction.


    Furthermore, previous grudges and the resentment of cultivators who had been mistreated woulde back to haunt them.


    By then, the annihtion of the Yan Family would be a foregone conclusion.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 72: Body Refinement

    <h4>Chapter 72: Body Refinement</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Before leaving, Elder Shen rewarded Song Wen with 500 spirit stones as a reward for his contributions to the sect.


    After leaving Elder Shen''s ce, before it got dark, Song Wen headed towards the market square.


    He sold the unused scrolls, the "Profound Poison Scripture," and eight unused storage bags to shops, totaling 1650 spirit stones.


    The eight scrolls sold for 850 spirit stones, eight storage bags for 200 spirit stones, and the "Profound Poison Scripture" for 600 spirit stones.


    Song Wen also signed a soul contract with the shop that purchased the cultivation techniques. Besides personal cultivation or teaching close rtives, Song Wen couldn''t pass on the "Profound Poison Scripture."


    Although the shop''s prices were low, it saved Song Wen a lot of trouble.


    At this point, Song Wen had over 6,000 spirit stones on him, undoubtedly a huge sum for a Qi Refinement cultivator.


    With such arge amount of spirit stones, Song Wen naturally nned to purchase some cultivation resources.


    After browsing the market square, Song Wen bought Qi Gathering Pills and Corpse Qi Elixirs necessary for cultivation.


    He also purchased items like Bright Silver Stones, Purple Moon Orchid, and Green Spirit Grass for nurturing Gu, which had greatly contributed during his recent outing. This further strengthened Song Wen''s determination to cultivate Gu, hoping one day to breed the Sacred Gu that even Foundation Establishment cultivators coveted.


    Additionally, he bought some poisonous spirit herbs.


    From Yan Feng''s storage bag, he learned that "Ten Thousand Poison Body" could roughly be divided into four stages: Entry, Proficiency, Minor Completion, and Major Completion.


    Yan Feng had cultivated this technique to the Proficiency stage, allowing him to ingest and refine poisons.


    As a neer who had yet to start, the best way for Song Wen to cultivate "Ten Thousand Poison Body" was through poison baths.


    He also bought a ck Iron Coffin to use for the poison bath. Originally, he wanted to buy a tub or a bronze furnace, but either the materials didn''t meet his requirements or the price was too high. In the end, he settled for the mostmon coffin in the market square, suitable for use as a tub.


    After all, the Corpse Demon Sect was a sect of corpse cultivation, and coffins were the mostmon tool, used for cultivating and training corpses.


    Song Wen had initially wanted to buy some emergency life-saving items but ended up empty-handed. Even the Thunder Talisman he boughtst time was a stroke of luck. Emergency life-saving items were things that every cultivator kept hidden and rarely brought out for trade.


    Lastly, Song Wen purchased materials for cultivating corpses before returning to his cave dwelling.


    These materials cost him over 600 spirit stones in total, enough for him to cultivate for a period.


    The Corpse Puppet was heavily damaged and needed to be remade. Its current strength was somewhat inadequate for him. With sufficient spirit stones, Song Wen nned to enhance its power.


    Back at his cave dwelling, Song Wen ced the Corpse Puppet into arge red coffin used for nurturing corpses.


    He then added Yin Yellow Soil, Yin Ming Grass, Corpse Qi Elixirs, and other refining materials, along with the blood essence stolen from the Corpse Dissecting Cave. Song Wen began to perform the corpse refining technique, forging and refining the Corpse Puppet.


    In just a moment, therge red coffin emitted a ck corpse qi, gradually bing denser and enveloping the Corpse Puppetpletely.


    Although the Corpse Puppet''s physical body was now repaired after an hour, its aura had not fully recovered to its strongest state. Simr to cultivation, refining the Corpse Puppet couldn''t be achieved in one go; it required long-term nurturing and repeated refining.


    Song Wen closed the lid of therge red coffin, letting the Corpse Puppet rest inside.


    He then took out the ck Iron Coffin, filled it with clear water, and ording to Yan Feng''s instructions in the jade slip, added various poisonous spirit herbs. Song Wen dug a hole beneath the ck Coffin, ced wood inside, lit a fire, and began brewing the poison bath.


    After three quarters of an hour, the liquid in the ck coffin boiled vigorously, bubbles bursting one after another, and a faint toxic gas evaporated, permeating the cave dwelling.


    At this point, the medicine is considered to be preliminarily brewed.


    "Extinguish the fire!"


    Song Wen took off his clothes and jumped into the ck coffin.


    "Hiss!"


    The scalding hot liquid made Song Wen involuntarily gasp for cool air. His originally pale skin instantly turned red, as if being boiled alive.


    Gritting his teeth, Song Wen took a deep breath and fully submerged himself into the coffin, where the faint green liquid gradually engulfed him.


    With the high temperature, the toxins in the liquid began to corrode his flesh. Tiny bloodstains appeared all over his body, and the toxins seeped into his internal organs through these wounds.


    Enduring immense pain, Song Wen struggled to maintain his consciousness. Following the techniques of the "Ten Thousand Poison Body," he circted his mana, guiding the toxins inside his body along the prescribed routes, gradually strengthening his physical body.


    "Ah!"


    Several minutester, the unbearable pain almost made Song Wen lose his grip. He surfaced, emitting a painful roar.


    Without giving up, Song Wen took another breath and submerged himself again in the liquid.


    Half an hourter,


    The faint green liquid in the ck iron coffin became clear, and its temperature cooled down.


    Song Wen climbed out of the coffin, countless long wounds covering his entire body, making him look as if he had just undergone severe torture, a terrifying sight.


    He nced at the residual liquid in the coffin that had lost its medicinal properties, feeling lingering fear.


    No wonder there are so few body-refining cultivators in the cultivation world; this refining process is too painful, almost self-destructive.


    Previously, when he cultivated the "Blood Refinement Art of the Corpse King," he had thought it was painful enough, butpared to the "Ten Thousand Poison Body," the pain of cultivating the former seemed insufficient.


    The most painful aspect of body refining for cultivators is swallowing precious materials or foreign blood essence, absorbing their essence, and refining their own internal organs and bone marrow to enhance their vitality.


    Although Song Wen absorbed the essence of others'' blood directly to increase his vitality, it was still much less painful than the extreme agony he had just experienced.


    Having just experienced extreme pain, Song Wen knew he couldn''t continue cultivating the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" today.


    In martial arts, one must alternate between exertion and rest.


    If he disregarded his physical limits and continued cultivating the "Ten Thousand Poison Body," there might be a risk of physical copse.


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but feel a bit regretful; it wasn''t something everyone could afford to cultivate. The spiritual herbs consumed in the recent bath alone were worth eight spirit stones, which couldpare to the monthly sry of some outer disciples.


    After taking a healing pill, Song Wen began to adjust his state using the "Blood Refinement Art of the Corpse King," partly to heal his wounds and partly to recuperate.


    A night passed quickly in cultivation.


    The next morning, Song Wen arrived at the Corpse Dissecting Cave on time.


    Havingpleted the sect mission and now free from confinement, he needed to continue his daily work of dissecting corpses.


    Seeing Song Wen, who had been absent for many days, suddenly appear, Yuan Cheng didn''t ask much and directly handed him over a hundred corpses, then ignored him.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 73: The Cost of Cultivating ’Corpse King Blood Refining Technique’

    <h4>Chapter 73: The Cost of Cultivating ''Corpse King Blood Refining Technique''</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Cultivation knows no years, and in the blink of an eye, a year and a half had passed.


    Although Song Wen was not the slowest corpse dissector in the profession anymore, he still habitually arrived early at the Corpse Dissection Cave.


    Today, the first corpse he dissected was a young female wanderer in the Foundation Building stage.


    As he peeled away the woman''s clothes and exposed her slender and fair body, a sudden impulse surged within him��a bloodthirsty impulse.


    He wanted to tear and shred this beautiful corpse apart, just like a wild beast tearing into its prey.


    His skin gradually turned ash-gray, resembling iron-gray in ces. His fingers and nails became sharp and elongated, and two fangs gradually protruded from the corners of his mouth.


    A thick and intense corpse aura billowed in his breath.


    In the blink of an eye, Song Wen transformed into the appearance of an aged zombie.


    His eyes also began to roll back, devoid of human rationality, filled only with primal madness.


    Suddenly, Song Wen bent down and took a bite out of the female corpse.


    Song Wen''s abnormal behavior attracted the attention of the surrounding corpse dissectors, who turned their heads one after another��some indifferent, some pitying, and some watching with interest.


    Perhaps sensing the gazes of many dissectors, the irrational Song Wen felt something unusual and raised his head to the sky, roaring.


    "Roar!"


    Song Wen''s actions resembled those of a wild beast protecting its food.


    Among the dissectors, there was a corpulent and ugly female dissector, her face full of horizontal flesh, looking extremely ugly. Her eyes shone brightly, filled with a clear and radiant water-like light.


    She murmured softly, "I never thought that the usually submissive Ji Yin would have such a bold and irritable side. It''s irresistible to me!"


    The female dissector, as ugly as a pig��no, as ugly as an old sow��suddenly blushed, her expression unusually excited. She opened her mouth wide, revealing yellowedrge teeth, and excitedly shouted,


    "Ji Yin, continue, I... hmm..."


    The woman''s roar was like a thunderp in Song Wen''s ears, causing his eardrums to ache.


    Like an enraged beast, Song Wen''s panting suddenly became deeper and heavier, as if he could erupt at any moment.


    Just as many dissectors thought Song Wen was about to act recklessly, preparing to watch a good show.


    Song Wen''s eyes suddenly cleared, his consciousness instantly restored, and his corpse transformation began to fade away.


    This left many dissectors disappointed, shaking their heads. There was no more spectacle to behold.


    Dissecting corpses was tedious and depressing work, and it was a rare entertainment for them when a dissector lost their sanity.


    But this kid probably won''t live much longer. If he falls into such madness again next time, he may not be able toe back to his senses.


    Song Wen looked at the disappointed dissectors around him and saw a different figure among them.


    That corpulent and bold female dissector.


    The female dissector threw him what she thought was a charming nce, but it actually made him shudder deeply.


    He turned his head away, no longer looking at the female dissector, and bowed his head to continue dissecting corpses.


    Although Song Wen''s dissection was not slow, his mind was no longer on dissecting corpses. He was pondering the problem of his own body''s corpse transformation.


    Including Yuan Cheng within, everyone in the Corpse Dissection Cave thought he, like other mad dissectors, had been confused due to the murky qi of heaven and earth and the residual souls within the cave.


    However, Song Wen knew it was not like this at all. His confusion stemmed from the effects of cultivating the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique, not from problems within the cave itself.


    Just now, it was due to the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique that his consciousness was polluted, not a simple contamination.


    It was due to the long-term excessive refinement of corpse aura during cultivation, enhancing his physical body while causing excessive corpse transformation. This is the price of cultivating demonic dao techniques.


    This was not the first time he had experienced excessive corpse transformation, but in previous instances where corpse transformation clouded his mind, he had relied on his formidable spiritual powerparable to an eighthyer Foundation Building cultivator to forcibly regain rity.


    However, this time, perhaps influenced by the female corpse, it triggered a bloodthirsty ability, causing his mind topletely lose control.


    Demonic dao techniques inherentlye with various side effects; one of their characteristics is that while cultivation progresses rapidly, various strange symptoms often appear.


    However, the consequences of cultivating the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique erupted prematurely. Facing corpse transformation before breaking through to theter stages of Foundation Building, who would dare to cultivate it?


    Moreover, above this technique, there seems to be no record of how to resolve the issue of corpse transformation, which is the most fatal w.


    Ultimately, demonic dao techniques are still immortal cultivation techniques created for the sake of prolonging life. However, it now seems that the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique is more like a short-lived technique.


    "When Shi Shou entrusted me alone with this Corpse King Blood Refining Technique, he must have had ulterior motives," murmured Song Wen in his heart.


    Song Wen harbored many grievances, but he knew he had no other choice and thus harbored no regrets. Whether he cultivated the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique or not, he couldn''t avoid Shi Shou''s targeting.


    As a temporary measure, he needed to find a solution to the corpse transformation problem as quickly as possible.


    Shi Shou must have omitted parts of the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique, including methods to deal with corpse transformation.


    Since the first manifestation of corpse transformation, Song had been pondering how to resolve the issue.


    The root cause was the excessive refinement of corpse aura during cultivation of the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique, leading to corpse transformation.


    To solve the problem of corpse transformation, efforts must be made to harmonize the internal corpse aura.


    After inquiring from various sources and spending a considerable amount of spirit stones, he finally learned from Chen Yi, through Master Zhang Xiaofan in the Golden Core stage, that a spiritual medicine named Hollow Cicada Wood could effectively harmonize corpse aura.


    However, while Hollow Cicada Wood could harmonize corpse aura, it was ultimately only a symptomatic treatment, not a fundamental solution. Topletely resolve the issue of corpse transformation, one had to start with the technique itself.


    With Song Wen''s current strength, it was unrealistic to demand theplete Corpse King Blood Refining Technique from Shi Shou.


    Therefore, he decided to first find Hollow Cicada Wood to address the current issue. As for theplete version of the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique, he would slowly pursue it in the future.


    Hollow Cicada Wood is a rtively rare spiritual material, growing one inch every hundred years.


    Given Song Wen''s current state of corpse transformation, he needed a Hollow Cicada Wood that was at least three hundred years old topletely harmonize the corpse aura.


    Song Wen searched the entire market district but couldn''t find Hollow Cicada Wood.


    Four months ago, at arge spiritual medicine shop controlled by the Corpse Demon Sect, during an annual auction, he had seen this item.


    That Hollow Cicada Wood was already four hundred years old, meeting Song Wen''s requirements.


    However, it was ultimately taken by a Foundation Building Elder of the Corpse Demon Sect for 2300 spirit stones.


    After much consideration, Song Wen ultimately didn''t have the courage topete for the treasure with the Foundation Building expert.


    He knew that even if he seeded in bidding, he wouldn''t be able to keep that Hollow Cicada Wood.


    Once outside the auction house, even though violence was prohibited in the market district, Foundation Building experts could easily kill him without anyone noticing.


    Three hourster, Song Wen finally finished dissecting the corpse. After his recent confusion, he dared to continue dissecting because he knew that the recent corpse transformation had consumed some of the corpse aura within him.


    For his body to regain control over corpse transformation, he needed to wait for the corpse aura to recover. If he didn''t actively refine and cultivate corpse aura, this process would take about half a month.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 74: Ancient Battlefield of Righteousness and Evil

    <h4>Chapter 74: Ancient Battlefield of Righteousness and Evil</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Today happened to be the day for his monthly stipend. After delivering the dissected corpse to Yuan Cheng, Song Wen received his monthly stipend of thirty spirit stones.


    Over the past year and a half, Song Wen had not dared to ck in his cultivation. Two months ago, he advanced to the sixthyer of Qi Refining. Since then, his condition of corpse transformation had gradually worsened.


    After advancing to the sixthyer of Qi Refining, Song Wen also managed to conceal his aura to the fourthyer of Qi Refining.


    In nearly two and a half years, he had reached the middle stage of Qi Refining. Among the outer disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect, this was considered above average. With good fortune, there was a chance he could advance to theter stage of Qi Refining within six years and be an inner disciple.


    After breaking through to the middle stage of Qi Refining, his treatment improved, earning an additional ten spirit stones per month.


    When Song Wen left the Corpse Dissection Cave, he informed Yuan Cheng that he would take a month off to deal with his corpse transformation issue.


    Yuan Cheng readily agreed, privately believing that Song Wen would probably not return alive after a month, most likely never to return.


    In the past, those mad dissectors in the Corpse Dissection Cave, when facing mental copse, mostly chose to venture outside in search of opportunities. However, among those who truly returned alive and resolved their mental issues, only one in ten survived.


    They either died in various crises while seeking opportunities or, when their mindspletely copsed, became walking corpses, or worse, were ughtered by their loved ones or fellow disciples, bing opportunities for others.


    Returning to his cave residence, after disguising himself, Song Wen packed up some belongings and headed towards the market.


    On the way to the market, Song Wen found a secluded corner with no one around, withdrew the concealment of his aura against his cultivation base, and fully revealed his sixthyer of Qi Refining cultivation.


    At this point, he had transformed into the appearance of a pale-faced, young wandering cultivator.


    After examining himself, Song Wen felt it wasn''t secure enough. He took out a cloak to cover his entire body, put on a ghostly mask with raised eyebrows and fangs, and nodded in satisfaction.


    Arriving at the market, Song Wen entered an inn, crossed the main hall, and arrived at a thatched house in the inn''s backyard.


    After showing a wooden token to the guard in front of the thatched house, he was allowed entry.


    Entering the thatched house, he saw a narrow staircase leading underground. Descending the stairs for tens of meters, the view suddenly opened up.


    An underground hall of about several acres appeared before him, surrounded by several small caves.


    There were many cultivatorsing and going in the hall, both wandering cultivators and disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect. Most of them concealed their appearances. Even though Song Wen wore a cloak and a ghostly mask, he didn''t look out of ce here.


    This was an underground ghost market established by a Nascent Soul ancestor of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Here, cultivators could trade for the cultivation resources they wanted and also buy some information.


    In such a ghost market for cultivators, the authenticity of goods and information couldn''t be guaranteed; it was up to cultivators to judge for themselves.


    In the center of the hall, there was a circr counter where several old men sat. They were the managers of this ghost market, mainly responsible for facilitating trades between cultivators and exchanging information, somewhat like brokers in the mortal world.


    Song Wen approached one of the old men again and presented the wooden token.


    After the old man nced at the number engraved on the wooden token, he stepped out from behind the counter and led Song Wen to one of the caves at the edge of the hall.


    Over a month ago, Song Wen had entered this underground ghost market through the introduction of Senior Xu, the stall owner.


    He had spent twelve spirit stones to purchase information about Hollow Cicada Wood from the old man.


    ording to the information, a cultivator had seen traces of Hollow Cicada Wood in a cave in the Ancient Battlefield of Righteousness and Evil. However, the Hollow Cicada Wood was guarded by a powerful grudge ghost, and no one had seeded in retrieving it.


    It was rumored that tens of thousands of years ago, there was a great battle between the righteous and evil factions in the Ancient Battlefield. Unable to defeat the evil cultivators, the righteous cultivators resorted to sacrificing countless mortal lives, using their flesh and souls to set up a Blood God Array, ughtering arge number of righteous cultivators.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Such Righteousness...


    Tens of thousands of yearster, the true cause of that battle was no longer traceable.


    The numerous bones buried in the Ancient Battlefield, the wandering spirits drifting everywhere, the numerous walking corpses, and the perennial corpse aura and Yin aura everywhere all testified to the ferocity of that ancient battle.


    Although the ancient battlefield is dangerous, it hides many rare treasures and secrets.


    From time to time, cultivators find fragments of powerful magic artifacts left over from the great battle, and some have even discovered techniques. In the caves of the ancient battlefield, unique spiritual herbs have also been found.


    This attracts many cultivators to seek opportunities, but most of them are at the Qi Refining stage.


    The ancient battlefield has long been searched by predecessors countless times. The truly powerful magic artifacts and techniques have already been taken by them. What remains are mostly things others have overlooked.


    Song Wen''s goal on this trip was to join a team venturing into the caves to obtain the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    This is why Song Wen exposed his full cultivation level. His cultivation was already not very high, and if he concealed it, he would easily be looked down upon by these desperate fighters, which would bring unnecessary trouble.


    The old man led Song Wen to the cave entrance and then turned to leave.


    Song Wen entered the cave alone.


    Inside the cave, there were already three men and one woman.


    Seeing Song Wen enter, a middle-aged man exuding a strong ghostly aura spoke up.


    "Are you the one with the flying boat?"


    Song Wen nodded without speaking.


    Getting a positive answer, the middle-aged man said again.


    "Alright, everyone is here. Let''s introduce ourselves."


    At this moment, a burly man beside them stared at Song Wen and spoke harshly.


    "Wait, I, Niu Ding, never travel with people who hide their faces. They love to stab people in the back."


    Hearing this, the corner of Song Wen''s mouth twitched, thinking: This Niu Ding is quite perceptive.


    Immediately, Song Wen removed his mask and cloak, revealing the pale face of a young cultivator.


    Seeing Song Wen so cooperative, the displeasure on Niu Ding''s face disappeared. He said,


    "I am Niu Ding, seventhyer of Qi Refining."


    The middle-aged man said, "Xuan Ye, seventhyer of Qi Refining."


    Song Wen said, "Guo Tao, sixthyer of Qi Refining."


    Without hesitation, Song Wen gave the false name ''Guo Tao.'' Actually, the others might not be using their real names either; among demonic cultivators, few reveal their true names.


    At this moment, only one man and one woman had not introduced themselves.


    Unlike the others who intentionally kept their distance from each other, these two stood very close, clearly familiar with and trusting each other.


    The man had an ordinary appearance, the kind that would be unnoticeable in a crowd.


    The woman, however, had a graceful figure and outstanding looks, exuding a mature charm of a young woman, but her expression was cold, keeping people at a distance.


    The man nced at the woman, seeing she had no intention of speaking, and said,


    "I am Lao Chun, sixthyer of Qi Refining."


    He pointed to the young woman and said, "This is my senior sister, Zi Yi, seventhyer of Qi Refining."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 75: The Purple Scaled Armor

    <h4>Chapter 75: The Purple Scaled Armor</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After everyone introduced themselves, Xuan Ye spoke.


    "This trip to the ancient battlefield is fraught with dangers. Before we set off, I hope everyone can be honest and share what they are seeking. If our goals do not conflict, that would be best. If they do, we might have to reconsider our team."


    Xuan Ye meant that if there were no conflicts of interest among the group, they could cooperate. However, if they sought the same treasures, especially if the quantity was limited, conflicts would inevitably arise.


    Xuan Ye, clearly experienced in team adventures, was cautious and aimed to avoid conflicts as much as possible.


    He continued, "To show my sincerity, I will start. My goal in the ancient battlefield''s underground cave is the Snake Scale Fruit."


    The Snake Scale Fruit is a spiritual fruit with a skin resembling snake scales. When consumed for the first time, it helps Qi Refining stage cultivators break through their bottlenecks. However, it has no effect if taken again.


    For Xuan Ye to venture deep into the ancient battlefield for the Snake Scale Fruit, it was evident that he had encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation, likely being stuck there for a long time.


    Xuan Ye added, "There are quite a few Snake Scale Fruits in the underground cave. If any fellow Daoist is interested, we can work together to obtain them and split the fruits."


    The underground cave in the ancient battlefield has numerous branches and paths.


    Their team was temporary and didn''t necessarily have to risk their lives for others'' goals. After reaching the underground cave, if their targets differed, they could part ways at any time.


    This was why Song Wen wanted to find people to team up with. The underground cave had too many branches, and it was dark without any reference points. Without someone familiar with the terrain to guide them, relying only on a simple map from the ck market, it would be easy to get lost in theplex cave system.


    The area where the Snake Scale Fruit grows must be guarded by many snake-type demonic beasts, making it difficult to pick the fruit.


    Therefore, Xuan Ye hoped that after reaching the underground cave, someone would join him in collecting the Snake Scale Fruits and share the risks.


    Niu Ding, with a deep voice, said, "I am only here to retrieve my big brother''s body. ording to the survivor who was with him, my big brother died not far from the snake cave. Xuan Ye, we can go together then."


    Xuan Ye''s eyes lit up upon hearing this and he said, "Alright."


    Song Wen nced at Niu Ding curiously. If what he said was true, he seemed like someone worth befriending.


    To risk his life to retrieve his brother''s body suggested he wasn''t a person of great evil.


    However, Song Wen wondered how much truth was in his words. Was he really there for his brother''s body, or for some treasure on it?


    "I am here for the Hollow Cicada Wood."


    Song Wen didn''t conceal his goal. The information about the Hollow Cicada Wood in the underground cave of the ancient battlefield was already known to many.


    Xuan Ye responded, "The Hollow Cicada Wood is deep in the cave, and it''s quite dangerous. It won''t be easy to obtain."


    Song Wen nodded, "Thank you for the warning, Daoist."


    At this moment, Lao Chun spoke.


    "My senior sister and I are here to obtain a Forsythia. Our master, who is also her father, has been poisoned by a Bronze Corpse, and Forsythia is needed to detoxify him."


    Bronze Corpses are zombiesparable to Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.


    Hearing this, Xuan Ye hesitated, "The ce where Forsythia grows is even deeper than the Hollow Cicada Wood and extremely dangerous. Even if we all go together, it might be hard to reach safely."


    Xuan Ye''s words were clearly a way to decline. He implied that the ce where Forsythia grows was too dangerous, and the senior sister and brother duo would have to go alone without expecting help from others.


    Zi Yi, who had not spoken until now, said in a cold voice, "If any Daoist is willing to help, regardless of the oue, I am willing to pay each person 500 spirit stones as a reward. If sessful, I will add another 500 spirit stones."


    Her words drew the attention of the others.


    There were three people besides Lao Chun. If they all agreed to go, Zi Yi would have to pay 1500 spirit stones. If they sessfully obtained the Forsythia, the total payment would be 3000 spirit stones.


    3000 spirit stones would be enough to purchase a Forsythia nt.


    Perhaps noticing the others'' doubts, Zi Yi exined.


    "My father is severely poisoned and urgently needs Forsythia. Unfortunately, there is none for sale in the market at the moment, so my senior brother and I have no choice but to venture out."


    After hearing this, the three nodded in agreement.


    Especially Song Wen, who was in a simr situation.


    He didn''tck the spirit stones to buy the Hollow Cicada Wood. If he had enough time, he could have posted a high-priced mission in the ck market to purchase it.


    Generous rewards always attract brave men.


    However, time was pressing, so he had no choice but to take the risk and go himself.


    But with Zi Yi revealing that she had a lot of spirit stones, wasn''t she afraid that someone might harbor ill intentions and kill her for her wealth? Or perhaps she had some reliance and wasn''t afraid of the other three? Or maybe she didn''t have enough spirit stones and was just luring them into taking risks for her.


    "Since our goals don''t conflict, let''s make the most of our time and set off immediately."


    Zi Yi fixed her gaze on Song Wen, urging him to depart quickly.


    Among the group, only Song Wen had a flying boat. To depart, they needed his consent.


    Song Wen''s cultivation level was the lowest among them. They agreed to let him join the team because of his flying boat.


    With a flying boat, they could greatly reduce travel time and the risk of crossing the ancient battlefield.


    Prepared for this outing for many days, Song Wen nodded.


    "I can depart at any time."


    Song Wen knew that this trip to the ancient battlefield was extremely risky. Not only was the battlefield itself full of dangers, but there were also many robbers who killed for treasures, including members of the team who might turn against each other at any time.


    For this reason, he spent spirit stones like water, buying various life-saving items.


    After all, the greatest tragedy for a person is dying before spending all their spirit stones.


    He wore a top-grade soft armor, an item he spent 1800 spirit stones on. This price was enough to buy two or three simr-grade offensive items.


    Song Wen, with his current low level of magical power, couldn''t sustain the soft armor for long. But in a crisis, he could still activate it for a short time.


    Moreover, the soft armor, named "Purple Scale Armor," was different from the Ghost Head Shield. The shield required spiritual power to activate its defense, whereas the Purple Scale Armor provided a certain level of defense even without activation.


    Additionally, he purchased five top-grade first-level defensive talismans called "Vajra Talismans."


    He had also reached the "proficient" stage in his cultivation of the "Ten Thousand Poison Body Technique" and developed a powerful physical body with the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique." He was confident that he could withstand a full-force attack from a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.


    For offense, he bought a medium-grade magical weapon, the Soul-Breaking Awl.


    He also coated his Mother-Son Poison Needles with the potent poison "Heavenly Fire."


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Heavenly Fire, previously tranted as Fire Burns the Sky �C a venom Song Wen purchased in Chapter 50.


    Over the past two months, the poption of his ck-Bellied Beetle Gu had grown to over a dozen. To sustain such arge number, he consumed nearly ten spirit stones daily.


    To his disappointment, there had been no new mutations among the beetles in the past year, and none had evolved into a stronger form.


    However, nine of the beetles had grown to the strength of fifth-level Qi Refining over the year.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 76: Arriving at the Ancient Battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 76: Arriving at the Ancient Battlefield</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The corpse puppet had also fully recovered, now possessing thebat strength of the sixth level of Qi Refining.


    To deal with the pervasive vengeful spirits and walking corpses in the ancient battlefield, Song Wen also purchased ten each of the Ghost-ying Talismans and Corpse-Suppressing Talismans, both of which were mid-grade first-level talismans.


    He had one Thunder Talisman left and had wanted to buy more, but after searching the entire market, he couldn''t find another.


    Against vengeful spirits and walking corpses, thunder-type spells had the greatest deterrent effect.


    Additionally, Song Wen prepared manymonly used talismans and pills.


    He had talismans like the Haste Talisman, Fireball Talisman, and Flight Talisman, and pills such as Healing Pills, Qi-Replenishing Pills, and Detoxification Pills.


    Seeing Song Wen nod, Xuan Ye and Niu Ding had no objections, so the group decided to set off immediately.


    Outside the market, Song Wen took out his flying boat.


    In an instant, the flying boat expanded to two meters long, hovering in front of the group. With all five of them aboard, it felt a bit crowded.


    As the owner and controller of the flying boat, Song Wen chose the safest spot at the stern.


    In front of him sat Xuan Ye, followed by Niu Ding and Lao Chun, while Zi Yi, who preferred to keep some distance from the others, sat at the bow.


    With five people on board, the boat was somewhat overloaded, and its speed was affected. However, it was still much faster than traveling on foot.


    After three hours of flight, night had fallen.


    Song Wen found an open space andnded the boat, allowing everyone to rest for the night.


    Zi Yi had suggested traveling through the night, noting that the ancient battlefield was over a thousand miles from the Corpse Demon Sect. Even with the flying boat, it would take three days to reach.


    Anxious to save her father, she wanted to reach the battlefield as quickly as possible.


    However, Song Wen tly refused. Piloting the flying boat consumed a significant amount of his spiritual and mental energy. For his own safety, he would not agree to Zi Yi''s request. He didn''t want to face the numerous dangers of the ancient battlefield in an exhausted state.


    At the end of the third day.


    They finally arrived over the ancient battlefield.


    Visiting the ancient battlefield for the first time, Song Wen was deeply shocked by the scene before him.


    For thousands of miles, thend was a bright red, as if stained by blood from millennia ago that had never faded.


    There was no greenery, only decayed bones scattered everywhere, a few rotten trees sporadically sticking out from the ground, and the remnants of broken human structures.


    Destion, decay, and rot, mixed with a thick atmosphere of ghostly and corpse-like aura, permeated the entirend.


    This ce didn''t seem like part of the human world but more like the legendary scenes of hell.


    After a brief moment of shock, Song Wen turned to Xuan Ye.


    "Xuan Ye, what should we do now?"


    Over the past few days, Song Wen had learned that Xuan Ye had been to the ancient battlefield three times, Niu Ding once, and Lao Chun and Zi Yi, like him, were visiting for the first time.


    In an unfamiliar and dangerous ce, it was natural to follow the arrangements of those who were familiar with it.


    Xuan Ye pointed to a spot in the ancient battlefield and said, "We need to go to a cave in the southwest, about four hundred miles from here. It will take about an hour by flying boat."


    "Now the sun is already to the west, and by the time we reach the cave, it will likely be evening."


    "And at night, the ghosts and walking corpses in the ancient battlefield be more active and the danger increases greatly. Therefore, I suggest we rest here and set out early tomorrow morning."


    Everyone exchanged nces and nodded in agreement.


    Only Zi Yi was a bit unhappy. She looked at Song Wen with a faint resentment in her eyes. She felt that if Song Wen had been willing to fly a bit longer each day over the past few days, they could have entered the cave this morning and wouldn''t have wasted a whole day.


    The night passed without incident.


    At dawn the next day, everyone boarded the flying boat and set off.


    Flying over the deste ancient battlefield, even with the sun shining brightly, they could still see the asional wandering corpses and ghostly figures below. Although they disliked the righteousness in the sunlight, the early morning rays seemed to have little effect on them. They still roamed this ancient and vastnd, like ravenous beasts searching for food.


    Fortunately, the flying boat flew at a considerable height, avoiding the notice of the creatures below. While the wandering corpses couldn''t fly and thus couldn''t attack the airborne boat, ghostly beings could float. If they were surrounded by arge number of ghosts, Song Wen and hispanions would likely face many difficulties.


    After flying for over an hour, the boat arrived above the cave.


    Below was a massive, bottomless ck cavern, with gusts of chilling wind constantly blowing out of the entrance.


    The cave resembled a giant beast lying on the ground, its maw open wide as if ready to devour any living being that dared to enter, evoking a sense of fear.


    "Let''s go."


    Xuan Ye took the lead, jumping off the flying boat, followed by the other four.


    As soon as Song Wennded, he felt the eerie atmosphere of the ancient battlefield.


    The dense corpse energy seemed to have a life of its own, continuously drilling into his body, making him, already threatened by corpse energy, extremely ufortable.


    Moreover, the battlefield was filled with numerous lingering spirits. Although their density didn''t match that of the Corpse Dissolving Cave, their overall number far exceeded it.


    In just a short time, several remnants of spirits had been absorbed by Song Wen''s body, entering his sea of consciousness.


    For Song Wen, this was somewhat good news; under such conditions, his mental energy recovery rate far exceeded that of ordinary people.


    Xuan Ye activated his flying technique and leapt into the cave, gradually descending into its depths.


    The remaining four followed suit, entering the cave after Xuan Ye.


    After descending over a hundred meters, they finally reached the bottom.


    The cave was pitch ck, with no light at all.


    All five were cultivators and could use their spiritual senses to observe their surroundings. The darkness didn''t affect them much; the inability to see was more of a sensory difort.


    Suddenly, a fist-sized sphere appeared in Xuan Ye''s hand, emitting a faint white glow. The sphere floated up, stopping about a meter above Xuan Ye''s head, illuminating an area of several dozen meters around them.


    This was a luminous stonemonly used by cultivators for lighting. It required only a small amount of spiritual power to glow for a long time.


    "Let''s go. For this first part, we need to proceed on foot. Later, as our goals differ, we might part ways, but for now, we''re all in this together. I hope we can support each other and face the dangers ahead together."


    With that, Xuan Ye led the way deeper into the cave.


    Song Wen followed closely behind.


    Xuan Ye had been trying hard to unite this makeshift team, which gave Song Wen a good impression of him. Moreover, Xuan Ye was familiar with the terrain, making him a good guide to follow.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 77: Xuan Ye’s Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 77: Xuan Ye��s Invitation</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The cave was winding and rugged, with jagged rocks all around. Constant vignce was required to avoid dangers lurking in the darkness, thus the group did not move quickly.


    While advancing, Song Wen suddenly felt a throb in his heart, his brows furrowed slightly.


    But in an instant, his brows rxed, and he continued forward without a hint of emotion, not attracting anyone''s attention.


    Just now, he had released his beetle gu, which discovered traces of zombies about a hundred meters ahead.


    Fortunately, ording to the information from the beetle gu, there were only a dozen zombies ahead.


    Moreover, their strength was not formidable,parable to cultivators who had just entered the middle stage of Qi Refining. The corpse poison on them was troublesome, but for a corpse-path cultivator like Song Wen, it posed no threat.


    Upon entering the underground cave, Song Wen noticed that the beetle gu thrived unusually well here.


    The beetle gu, adept at concealment, became even more undetectable in this dark cave filled with corpse and ghostly auras. The dense corpse and ghostly auras perfectly masked the beetle gu''s presence.


    Here, the beetle gu was like a dragon returning to the sea or a tiger to the mountain, perfectly at ease.


    The group advanced another four hundred meters when Xuan Ye, at the front, finally noticed the presence of zombies.


    "Be careful, there are zombies," Xuan Ye warned.


    Actually, even without his warning, Niu Ding and Zi Yi, both at the seventh level of Qi Refining, had already detected the zombies.


    "Everyone, deal with them quickly. Avoid usingrge-scale spells to prevent attracting more zombies and ghosts," Xuan Ye instructed.


    After speaking, without any visible movement, a fierce ghostparable to a cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining appeared before him.


    The fierce ghost, over two meters tall with a burly build, wore tattered armor and wielded a long knife, resembling a seasoned battlefield veteran.


    Lao Chun and Zi Yi each held a broken de, clearly intending to engage in closebat.


    Niu Ding exhaled two breaths of turbid air, his muscles visibly bulging as he continued forward empty-handed. It was clear that Niu Ding, like Song Wen, was a rare body cultivator.


    Song Wen pulled his corpse puppet closer, hidingpletely behind it. For safety, he had released the corpse puppet upon entering the cave.


    The fierce ghost charged into the group of zombies first.


    The long knife in its hand seemed solid, slicing a zombie in half, ck liquid spilling everywhere.


    Niu Ding followed violently, quickly approaching a zombie and pping its head, causing it to explode with ck liquid sttering, and the body copsed lifelessly.


    Lao Chun and Zi Yi, obviously from the same lineage, disyed agile movements, directly engaging the zombies. Like agile leopards, they swiftly killed the zombies, their daggers striking like hunting vipers, hitting the zombies'' weakest points with precision.


    By the time Song Wen, hiding behind the corpse puppet, approached, the zombies were almost all killed.


    To avoid appearing idle to the other four, Song Wen controlled his corpse puppet to attack one of the few remaining zombies.


    The zombie, with stiff limbs, was no match for the corpse puppet, which was stronger and more agile.


    The corpse puppet easily dodged the zombie''s attacks and then thrust its left hand, piercing through the zombie''s chest.


    The zombie, with its chest pierced, did not lose its mobility, and its hands clung to the corpse puppet''s shoulders, attempting to bite its face.


    Unyielding, the corpse puppet bit the zombie''s neck in return.


    This scene left Song Wen dumbfounded.


    "Though born from the same root, why torment each other so eagerly"


    Everyone here is a corpse, strictly speaking, all considered a type of zombie. So why should corpses trouble other corpses?


    Song Wen''s gaze remained vignt, constantly watching the surrounding zombies to prevent any ambush.


    The others were much quicker at killing the zombies. Song Wen hadn''t even dealt with his first one yet, and there were already no standing zombies left on the field.


    Just as Song Wen thought they had easily dealt with this group of zombies, he suddenly felt the ground under his feet loosen, as if something was about to burst out from the soil.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, a zombie broke through the ground and jumped up.


    Song Wen had noticed this corpse earlier, thinking it was just an ordinary body since half of it was buried in the soil. The dense corpse and ghostly auras in the cave made it hard to distinguish whether it was a corpse or a zombie.


    The other four, having dealt with the remaining zombies, also noticed the disturbance on Song Wen''s side.


    Their reactions varied.


    Xuan Ye remained indifferent, standing in ce with an aloof expression.


    Niu Ding, eager to help, seemed a bit slow in his movements.


    Lao Chun wanted to throw his dagger to kill the zombie, but Zi Yi stopped him with a cold re.


    Song Wen, facing the suddenly attacking zombie, remainedposed.


    He bent his legs and lowered his body, dodging the zombie''s sharp ws.


    Then, with a swift uppercut, he punched the zombie''s chin.


    The zombie''s head exploded like a fragile watermelon, sttering everywhere.


    Except for Zi Yi, who pursed his lips in displeasure, the others showed little reaction to Song Wen''s easy dispatching of the zombie.


    "Let''s continue on our way."


    Afterward, they encountered two more waves of zombies and a group of ghosts. Fortunately, the zombies and ghosts they encountered were not strong, and there were not many of them, so they were easily dealt with.


    It''s worth mentioning that the cave had many forks. If not for Xuan Ye leading the way, Song Wen felt that even with the simple map he got from the underground ghost market, he could easily get lost.


    Leading the way, Xuan Ye suddenly came to Song Wen''s side and said,


    "Brother Guo Tao, there''s a fork ahead. Niu Ding and I will take the left path to the Snake Cave. Hollow Cicada Wood and Forsythia are on the right path."


    Song Wen looked at Xuan Ye without speaking.


    Xuan Ye continued,


    "I would like to invite Brother Guo Tao to join Niu Ding and me in retrieving the Snake Scale Fruit first, and then I will apany you to get the Hollow Cicada Wood."


    "Why me?" Song Wen asked, puzzled. With only the strength of a sixth-level Qi Refining cultivator, Xuan Ye should logically seek help from Zi Yi.


    "If I''m not mistaken, Brother Guo Tao should be a body cultivator, right? I have already nned for retrieving the Snake Scale Fruit and need a body cultivator''s assistance. With Brother Niu Ding, I have a sixty percent chance of sess. If you join us, the chance increases to eighty percent."


    Seeing Song Wen neither agree nor refuse immediately, Xuan Ye suddenly switched to a voice transmission.


    "Brother Guo Tao, consider this carefully. If you insist on retrieving the Hollow Cicada Wood, you will have to go with Zi Yi alone."


    As he spoke, Xuan Ye intentionally nced at Zi Yi a few times.


    He implied that there was a conflict between Song Wen and Zi Yi. Song Wen had the lowest cultivation among the five. Without the deterrence of Niu Ding and Xuan Ye, there was no guarantee that Zi Yi would not take the opportunity to attack Song Wen.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 78: Parting Ways

    <h4>Chapter 78: Parting Ways</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen appeared deep in thought.


    He didn''t take Zi Yi''s faint hostility too seriously. He was confident that even if he couldn''t defeat Lao Chun and Zi Yi together, he could still escape unscathed.


    Just using the "Blood Escape Technique" would make it impossible for Zi Yi and Lao Chun to catch up.


    He was contemting whether it would be safer to retrieve the Hollow Cicada Wood alone or to have Xuan Ye, who was familiar with the terrain, apany him.


    After pondering for a while, Song Wen said,


    "Fine, I''ll go with you to get the Snake Scale Fruit first. But you must promise to apany me to get the Hollow Cicada Wood afterward."


    Xuan Ye''s face lit up with joy, and he said, "Don''t worry, as long as we get the Snake Scale Fruit, I will definitely apany you."


    Song Wen nodded, epting the promise. As for whether Xuan Ye would keep his word, Song Wen wasn''t too concerned.


    If Xuan Ye reneged, Song Wen had ways to ensure he fulfilled his promise.


    Soon, the five of them reached the fork Xuan Ye had mentioned.


    Learning that Xuan Ye, Niu Ding, and Song Wen were all going left towards the Snake Cave, Zi Yi decisively bade them farewell. Her father''s poisoning was severe, and she couldn''t afford to waste time, so she hurried towards the direction of Forsythia.


    After Zi Yi and Lao Chun left, Xuan Ye led Song Wen and Niu Ding down the left path.


    As they walked, Xuan Ye asked,


    "Niu Ding, can you now tell us where your brother''s body is?"


    Niu Ding had not revealed the exact location of his brother''s body earlier.


    "ording to the survivors who were with my brother, they came to the cave to get the Snake Scale Fruit. Before they reached the Snake Cave, they were attacked by a group of ghosts. Among the ghosts were vengeful spirits with powerparable tote-stage Qi Refining cultivators. My brother was surrounded by the vengeful spirits and couldn''t escape."


    "If he was attacked by vengeful spirits, there''s a chance we could find his body. If it were zombies, finding his body would be nearly impossible."


    Xuan Ye sighed.


    Ghosts feed on souls and the essence of cultivators, while zombies feed on corpses and flesh. A vengeful spirit might leave a whole body, but a zombie would leave no remains.


    "How long has it been since your brother''s ident?" Xuan Ye asked.


    "A month!"


    "Has it been a whole month?" Xuan Ye muttered.


    Xuan Ye wasn''t too concerned about finding Niu Ding''s brother''s body. As long as he apanied Niu Ding, he fulfilled his promise. The final result was beyond his control.


    What Xuan Ye was more interested in was the information revealed in Niu Ding''s words.


    During the previous journey, Xuan Ye learned that Niu Ding''s brother was at the eighth level of Qi Refining. If someone of that strength was killed by vengeful spirits, their group could be in serious danger if they encountered the same spirits.


    Hopefully, those roaming vengeful spirits had left after a month.


    The three of them walked for over an hour in the winding passage.


    The previously five-meter-wide passage suddenly opened up into a spacious, irregr cave about a hundred meters wide.


    On the walls of the cave were hundreds of various-sized nests.


    Pointing to a spot about a hundred meters ahead, Niu Ding said, "This should be where my brother had his ident."


    Niu Ding''s words made Song Wen and Xuan Ye tense up, bing extremely cautious. Their footsteps involuntarily slowed down.


    The cave was very quiet, so quiet that Song Wen could hear his own heartbeat and breathing.


    "Everyone, don''t speak. Communicate using the Voice Transmission Technique," Xuan Ye''s voice echoed in Song Wen and Niu Ding''s minds.


    "Niu Ding, hurry and find your brother''s body, but be careful not to make too much noise. Those nests give me a dangerous feeling."


    For a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining, the range of their spiritual power generally covers about a hundred meters. Of course, due to different talents, there may be slight differences, but generally not by much. Only those who have specifically trained their spiritual power can significantly exceed this range.


    They were now about two hundred meters away from the cave, well beyond the spiritual sensing range of Niu Ding and Xuan Ye.


    They could only vaguely see the nests on the distant cave walls with the help of the glowing stones.


    As Niu Ding was about to slowly enter the cave to search for his brother''s body, he heard Song Wen''s voice transmission.


    "No need to search. There''s only one body in the eighth nest from the bottom left. There are no other human bodies in the nests."


    Hearing Song Wen''s transmission, Niu Ding and Xuan Ye were full of disbelief.


    The nests were two hundred meters away, and Song Wen was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining.


    Could Song Wen be hiding his true cultivation level?


    Maybe he was a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining!


    "Don''t overthink it. I just have stronger spiritual power than most," Song Wen exined via voice transmission to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    Hearing Song Wen''s exnation, the two didn''t dwell on it. Niu Ding asked via voice transmission.


    "Brother Guo Tao, are you sure?"


    Song Wen nodded and replied, "I''m sure. The body is ten meters inside the nest entrance. It''s a male body, tall, about seven feet, but it has dehydrated and be a dried corpse."


    Niu Ding''s face lit up with joy, and he replied via voice transmission.


    "It should be right; that''s my brother''s body."


    Seeing that Niu Ding was about to rush towards the nest, Song Wen reminded him via voice transmission.


    "Daoist Niu, you''d better be cautious. The nests are interconnected and very deep. Although I haven''t sensed any ghosts, I still feel very uneasy. Your brother''s body might not be easy to retrieve."


    After entering the cave, Song Wen had been using beetle gu insects to scout ahead.


    The beetle gu had initially scouted the periphery of the nests and found no ghosts, but Song Wen hadn''t let them venture deeper into the nests. He was worried that powerful ghosts in the nests might discover and destroy the beetles, which would be a significant loss.


    After all, it was Niu Ding who was taking the risk, not Song Wen. Finding Niu Ding''s brother''s body was already going above and beyond.


    Seeing that both Song Wen and Xuan Ye had warned of the dangers, Niu Ding, who had been eager, stopped and asked for advice via voice transmission.


    "Daoist Xuan Ye, do you have any ideas?"


    Xuan Ye replied via voice transmission.


    "We don''t know what''s inside the nests. Acting rashly is too dangerous. We need to find out if there are any ghosts, how many there are, and how strong they are."


    Niu Ding said, "ording to my brother''spanions, they encountered over a hundred ghosts here, including at least twenty powerful vengeful spirits."


    "Over twenty powerful vengeful spiritsparable tote-stage Qi Refining!"


    Song Wen''s eyes widened upon hearing this. The presence of over twenty vengeful spirits made him want to flee immediately.


    Such arge number of vengeful spirits, plus nearly a hundred weaker ghosts, was something Qi Refining cultivators could hardly withstand.


    What kind of treasure did Niu Ding''s brother have that made Niu Ding willing to take such a huge risk to retrieve his body?


    Song Wen nowpletely disbelieved that Niu Ding was only here for a body.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 79: Wealth Moves Hearts

    <h4>Chapter 79: Wealth Moves Hearts</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Xuan Ye nced at Song Wen, who was clearly considering retreating, and transmitted a message.


    "Daoist Niu, you dare toe here to retrieve your brother''s body; you must have some preparations. Tell us about them. If the risks aren''t too great, Guo Tao and I might help you. If it''s too dangerous, you can''t me us for leaving."


    Niu Ding pondered for a moment before speaking.


    "I have some preparations, but I''m not entirely confident."


    "I know Daoist Xuan Ye practices ghost cultivation. I hope you can use your fierce ghosts to draw out the spirits and vengeful ghosts from the nests, making it easier for me to retrieve my brother''s body."


    Xuan Ye immediately refused.


    "That''s impossible. I can''t handle over twenty vengeful ghosts."


    Xuan Ye was only at the seventh level of Qi Refining. Even with many techniques, he couldn''t possibly defeat over twentyte-stage Qi Refining vengeful ghosts. He and Niu Ding had only met by chance; he wouldn''t risk his life for him.


    Perhaps realizing that Xuan Ye wouldn''t agree without some incentive, Niu Ding patted his storage pouch, producing a stack of talismans.


    "I have ten Ghost-ying Talismans and four Evil-Exorcising Talismans. I can share these with you. With these talismans and your skills, we should be able to escape unharmed."


    Evil-Exorcising Talismans are top-grade first-level talismans, simr to Ghost-ying Talismans, specifically designed to kill ghosts.


    As Song Wen understood, Evil-Exorcising Talismans were quite valuable, much more than ordinary top-grade first-level talismans. The four talismans Niu Ding offered were probably worth around four hundred spirit stones.


    However, since Niu Ding only had four Evil-Exorcising Talismans, if he had twenty, Song Wen might consider taking the risk.


    After all, using one on each vengeful ghost, even if they didn''t kill them, would at least buy some time, and Song Wen was confident he could escape.


    Seeing no response from Song Wen and Xuan Ye, Niu Ding continued.


    "I don''t need you two to fight to the death for me. Just draw out most of the vengeful ghosts. After that, whether you fight or flee is up to you."


    "Additionally, I have one thousand spirit stones as payment for your help."


    Xuan Ye frowned slightly, feeling tempted, and transmitted a message.


    "Think carefully. If you get trapped in the nest, you''ll surely die."


    ording to Niu Ding, if they only needed to draw out the vengeful ghosts, the risk wasn''t too high.


    Among the fierce ghosts Xuan Ye raised, one was a goat-headed ghost with some intelligence and could act independently. If things went wrong, he could let the fierce ghost act alone while he stayed far away. Losing one fierce ghost was a small price to pay.


    The value of the talismans and spirit stones Niu Ding offered far exceeded the value of the goat-headed ghost.


    Niu Ding said, "You two needn''t worry. Life and death are fated. Whatever the oue, I''ll bear it myself."


    Xuan Ye nodded, taking the talismans and spirit stones Niu Ding handed over.


    He took out five Ghost-ying Talismans and one Evil-Exorcising Talisman, handing them to Song Wen.


    Song Wen shook his head and refused. "My cultivation techniques and artifacts aren''t effective against ghosts. I won''t be of much help in this battle. These talismans should stay with you, Daoist Xuan Ye."


    Song Wen meant that he wouldn''t take the benefits, so he wouldn''t take the risk.


    Five Ghost-ying Talismans and one Evil-Exorcising Talisman were worth about two hundred spirit stones. He wouldn''t risk his life for such a small amount.


    Xuan Ye didn''t intend to give Song Wen many spirit stones and talismans anyway.


    Without saying more, Xuan Ye put away the talismans and spirit stones.


    A momentter, Xuan Ye summoned a tall, goat-headed, humanoid fierce ghost. Under his control, the goat-headed ghost charged towards the nests on the cave wall.


    "Roar!"


    The goat-headed ghost ran to the base of the cave wall and suddenly let out a roar.


    It seemed as if the surrounding air began to boil and churn from the roar of the goat-headed ghost.


    Immediately, the entire cave, about a hundred square meters in size, was filled with fierce winds and echoing sounds.


    The enormous roar pierced through the air, reaching deep into the nests within the cave.


    It was as if sleeping demons had been awakened, and the previously calm nests were now filled with surging yin energy and eerie ghostly aura.


    One after another, ghosts emerged continuously from the various nests on the cave wall, many of them being powerful vengeful ghosts.


    Seeing this scene, Xuan Ye''s heart skipped a beat.


    Even though he had been mentally prepared, the sight of so many ghosts emerging made him tremble with fear.


    Not daring to stay for even a moment, he turned and ran, with the goat-headed ghost following closely behind.


    Xuan Ye did not choose to run back the way he came but headed towards the direction of the serpent-scaled creature.


    The ghosts, seeing Xuan Ye, had eerie green lights shing in their eyes and swarmed towards him.


    In an instant, Xuan Ye and most of the ghosts disappeared into the cave.


    At this moment, a burly figure quickly darted in, rushing into the cave and heading straight for the nests on the wall.


    Niu Ding quickly climbed up the cave wall and entered the nest Song Wen had mentioned. Within ten meters, he saw the long-awaited body of his elder brother.


    Niu Ding''s face immediately showed an expression of wild joy, with no trace of sorrow at seeing his kin''s corpse.


    Niu Ding pounced on the corpse, tearing off the storage pouch from its waist and inspecting it with his spiritual sense, only to reveal a look of disappointment.


    Then, he frantically searched the corpse with his hands.


    Momentster, finding nothing, Niu Ding became somewhat agitated. He stood up and began searching the ground around the corpse.


    At this moment, Niu Ding''s expression suddenly became flustered. He hurriedly took out a gray cloak from his storage pouch.


    He draped the cloak over himself and pressed his body tightly against the stone wall.


    Immediately, all of Niu Ding''s aura disappeared, and his body seemed to merge with the surrounding stone wall. Without physically touching him, it would be extremely difficult to detect that a person was hiding there.


    A vengeful ghost at the eighth level of Qi Refining appeared in the nest. It floated above the corpse, ncing around and sniffing the remaining scent in the air.


    It seemed puzzled. It clearly smelled a human scent but couldn''t see any trace of a person.


    Could it be the lingering scent from the dead body?


    The vengeful ghost, not being very intelligent, couldn''t figure it out and turned to leave the nest.


    Everything that happened in the ghost nest was seen by Song Wen through his beetle Gu.


    Not intending to get involved in this mess, Song Wen had returned to the cave passage they had previously walked through before the two had acted. He found a crack in the wall and hid in it.


    Using his physical body''s ability to regte his aura, Song Wenpletely concealed his presence, with an effect even stronger than Niu Ding''s cloak.


    Seeing everything that happened in the ghost nest, Song Wen thought to himself: Niu Ding risked entering the ancient battlefield''s cave not for his brother''s corpse but for some treasure on the body.


    That cloak must be an extremely rare treasure that can conceal one''s aura and hide one''s presence.


    This was the true confidence behind Niu Ding''s daring venture into the ghost nest.


    In this world of cultivation, one must not easily trust others. No one would reveal their true trump card.


    However, it was unknown what grade of treasure this cloak was.


    But since it could deceive a ghost at the eighth level of Qi Refining, it should at least be a high-level magical artifact.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 80: Ghost Infant

    <h4>Chapter 80: Ghost Infant</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Seeing the vengeful ghost leave, Niu Ding lifted the cloak off himself and once again approached the dried corpse on the ground.


    Having been startled by the vengeful ghost, Niu Ding instead became calm, carefully searching the corpse inch by inch with his hands.


    When he touched the stomach area, Niu Ding''s expression changed.


    Applying a bit more pressure with his fingers, he pierced the dried corpse''s abdomen, revealing a blood-red stone about the size of a chicken egg.


    Niu Ding grabbed the blood stone immediately, his face filled with joy.


    Before Niu Ding could put away the blood stone, the abdomen of the dried corpse suddenly exploded, and a ghost the size of arge bowl burst out, rushing towards Niu Ding''s face.


    Niu Ding had no time to react before the ghostnded on his face.


    At this moment, Niu Ding could clearly see the ghost''s appearance.


    It was a ghost infant, its body seemingly solid, as if it were the corpse of an infant turned into a ghost. The ghost infant waspletely naked and entirely red.


    With a crazed grin on its face, the ghost infant''s mouth split wide open to its ears, filled with countless sharp, tiny teeth.


    The ghost infant opened its mouth wide, almost splitting in two, and swallowed Niu Ding''s entire head in one bite.


    Being ate-stage Qi Refining body cultivator with an exceptionally strong physique, Niu Ding''s head couldn''t be crushed in one bite by the ghost infant.


    Niu Ding felt countless sharp teeth gnawing frantically at his head, and a long, barbed tongue scraping his face. In an instant, most of the flesh on his face was scraped away, exposing his white skull.


    "Ah!"


    Enduring the excruciating pain, Niu Ding pped a Evil-Exorcising Talisman onto the ghost infant.


    The Evil-Exorcising Talisman suddenly burst out with a blinding light, releasing terrifying spiritual power.


    "Ji ji ji..."


    Unprepared, the ghost infant bore the full brunt of the talisman''s power, emitting a piercing scream. The ghost infant''s body melted quickly like butter in boiling water.


    In an instant, most of the ghost infant''s body disappeared, leaving it looking tattered like a rag doll.


    The ghost infant fell from Niu Ding''s head, hopping away on one leg with its remaining half-body towards the depths of the nest.


    Niu Ding, having escaped death, panted heavily.


    In just that brief moment, the ghost infant had devoured most of the flesh on his head. Niu Ding now looked incredibly ghastly.


    Half of his face''s flesh and an eye had been eaten by the ghost infant, leaving only a stark white skull. The other half of his face was a bloody mess with no intact skin.


    In his current state, he looked more terrifying than a ghost.


    Without catching his breath, Niu Ding rushed towards the nest''s exit.


    Just as he reached the entrance of the nest, the ghost infant returned, followed by six vengeful ghosts and dozens of ordinary ghosts.


    Niu Ding was terrified, his one remaining eye widening in horror as the premonition of death descended.


    He quickened his pace, attempting to leap out of the nest.


    Just as Niu Ding was in mid-air, dozens of ghosts grabbed hold of him, dragging him back into the nest despite his desperate struggle.


    Several bursts of spiritual power from the Evil-Exorcising Talismans injured many vengeful ghosts and destroyed several ordinary ghosts.


    But ultimately, Niu Ding''s figure did not make it out of the nest''s entrance.


    Momentster, the nest fell silent.


    Only the sound of the ghost infant gnawing on the corpse remained. With only half its head left, the ghost infant chewed slowly, taking two full quarters of an hour to finish devouring Niu Ding''s remains.


    At this moment, the wraiths and vengeful ghosts that had been chasing Xuan Ye all returned to the cave.


    It was unclear if they had killed Xuan Ye. If Xuan Ye was dead, without him to lead the way, finding the Hollow Cicada Wood would be much more difficult.


    Silently observing everything happening in the ghost nest, Song Wen pondered.


    When he saw the ghost infant finish eating Niu Ding''s corpse and drag its broken body into the depths of the nest, while the other ghosts had long since disappeared, and the entire nest became quiet again.


    Song Wen''s heart was stirred as he looked at the two storage bags, the concealment cloak, and the blood stone on the ground.


    The beetle Gu burrowed through the soil and emerged from the ground.


    It first crawled to the side of the concealment cloak,paring their sizes, then decisively left.


    It wasn''t that the beetle Gu couldn''t move the concealment cloak. Although it was just an ordinary beetle Gu with only first-level Qi Refining cultivation, it could still drag a cloak magic tool.


    However, moving the cloak would create a lot of noise. Having just witnessed the power of the ghosts, Song Wen didn''t dare risk alerting the ghosts in the depths of the nest.


    The beetle Gu then approached the blood stone. Niu Ding had fought to the death for this treasure, but Song Wen couldn''t see anything unusual about it.


    However, the origin of this blood stone was undoubtedly extraordinary.


    The beetle Gu pushed the blood stone with its back, using all six legs to forcefully roll it towards the nest entrance, like a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung.


    Soon, the blood stone was pushed to the edge of the nest entrance.


    With a final push, the blood stone fell to the ground below with a dull thud.


    The beetle Gu didn''t move immediately, lying on the ground for a long time. Seeing no reaction from the depths of the nest, it finally spread its wings and flew down.


    Landing on the blood stone, the beetle Gu grasped it firmly with its six legs and then took off.


    The weight of the blood stone exceeded Song Wen''s expectations. The beetle Gu struggled to fly but managed to move the blood stone.


    The beetle Gu flew close to the ground, dragging the blood stone. Instead of flying directly towards Song Wen, it headed in the opposite direction, towards where Xuan Ye had gone.


    After flying a distance of more than a mile, it found a crevice and dropped the blood stone inside.


    Song Wen waited in ce for a short while longer. Seeing no further movement from the ghost nest, he emerged from his hiding ce and headed in Xuan Ye''s direction.


    Carefully passing the cave where the ghosts nested, Song Wen used the Blood Escape Technique to advance at full speed.


    After retrieving the blood stone, he traveled another dozen miles before finally finding Xuan Ye hiding in a small cave.


    Xuan Ye seemed in good condition; Song Wen couldn''t see any signs of a tough battle.


    It seemed Xuan Ye had easily escaped from the vengeful ghosts, no wonder he dared to implement Niu Ding''s n.


    "Brother Guo Tao, it''s great to see you again. Did you see Niu Ding?" Xuan Ye asked.


    Song Wen shook his head, "I didn''t see Niu Dinge out of the ghost nest. I''m afraid the worst has happened."


    Xuan Ye sighed softly, "What a pity. I had hoped Niu Ding could help us obtain the Snake Scale Fruit, but now..."


    Song Wen said, "What should we do now?"


    Xuan Ye looked down, calcted the time, and said.


    "It''ste now, it should be night outside. Although the underground cave is deep and dark, for some reason, the ghosts and zombies here prefer to rest during the day and are more active at night. We should wait until morning to act."


    Song Wen nodded, "Alright, let''s do as you say and move in the morning."


    Xuan Ye spent the night in his hiding ce, while Song Wen found another small cave dozens of meters away to rest.


    There wasn''t much trust between them, so separating gave them both a sense of security.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 81: The Black Viper

    <h4>Chapter 81: The ck Viper</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The next day, at dawn.


    The underground cave in the ancient battlefield was pitch ck.


    Having calcted the time, Song Wen and Xuan Ye were ready to go.


    As usual, Xuan Ye led the way. The tunnel they were traversing had many branches, and only Xuan Ye knew which path to take.


    After walking for about two hours.


    Song Wen suddenly stopped and asked Xuan Ye.


    "Daoist Xuan Ye, is the snake pit not far ahead?"


    Xuan Ye asked in confusion.


    "Brother Guo Tao, why do you ask? Have you been here before and know the way to the snake pit? It is indeed not far ahead, only a few hundred meters."


    Song Wen shook his head and said.


    "I have never been to the ancient battlefield, but about three hundred meters ahead, there is a group of snakes dragging six zombies, crawling forward."


    Previously, Song Wen had already demonstrated his superior spiritual power. Xuan Ye did not doubt the truth of Song Wen''s words about being able to perceive scenes three hundred meters away.


    He continued to ask, "What do the snakes look like?"


    "They arepletely ck and vary in size. The smallest are as thick as a thumb, and thergest are as thick as an arm," Song Wen replied.


    Xuan Ye nodded, "That should be correct; those are the ck vipers from the snake pit. They are hunting."


    "Hunting!" Song Wen was somewhat surprised.


    It was the first time Song Wen had heard of such peculiar creatures that fed on zombies.


    Xuan Ye nodded and said, "Food is scarce in the cave. It is not unusual for beasts and zombies to hunt each other."


    "So, what should we do now?" Song Wen asked.


    "We should not disturb the ck vipers hunting ahead. Let them carry their prey back to the snake pit."


    Xuan Ye paused and then continued.


    "For the next step in harvesting the snake scale fruit, we will need to rely on Brother Guo Tao."


    Song Wen nodded and said, "No problem, this is what we agreed upon earlier. Shouldn''t you exin the n for harvesting the snake scale fruit now?"


    Xuan Ye had mentioned before that his n required the help of a body cultivator, which was why he invited Song Wen and Niu Ding to join him, but he had not disclosed the detailed n.


    Xuan Ye said, "The ck vipers have been living in the underground of the ancient battlefield for a long time and feed on zombies, making them naturally fond of darkness and yin energy; they fear fire and the yang energy of heaven and earth."


    "To sessfully acquire the snake scale fruit, I have prepared for a long time. I spent arge amount of money tomission a set of the ''Raging Inferno Array.'' This array consists of eight array gs. As long as the eight gs are ced in the correct positions and I activate the array disc, the area within the array will turn into a sea of fire."


    "The temperature within this array is extremely high and contains a trace of the yang energy of heaven and earth. If this array is set up on the ground of the snake pit, the ck vipers, due to their nature, will be forced deep into the snake hole."


    "Then, it will be much easier for us to retrieve the snake scale fruit."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen frowned deeply.


    Xuan Ye''s n sounded feasible, but its implementation would definitely not be as smooth as he described.


    For example, how to sessfully ce the eight array gs was a significant problem.


    The ck vipers would not just stand by and watch a human cultivator move around their territory without reacting.


    However, Song Wen did not immediately voice any doubts but instead nodded in agreement.


    "Let''s first take a look at the situation in the snake pit and then decide how to proceed."


    Xuan Ye nodded, "That sounds good."


    The two of them waited while the ck vipers ahead slowly dragged the zombies. It took them a full two quarters of an hour to cover a distance of several miles.


    Xuan Ye and Song Wen hid in the shadows at a bend in the cave, about three hundred meters from the snake pit.


    To avoid alerting the ck vipers, Xuan Ye had already put away the luminous stone he used for light, leaving the surroundings in darkness.


    Through his beetle Gu, Song Wen observed the general situation of the snake pit.


    The cave housing the snake pit was several tens of meters high, with a sloping rock ledge extending from the ground all the way to the ceiling.


    The rock slope was dotted with numerous small holes, some asrge as two inches in diameter, others as small as a thumb.


    Hundreds of ck vipers slithered and crawled over the rock slope, with many more lying half-hidden in the snake holes, their tails sticking out.


    These ck vipers varied greatly in size, some as thick as a bowl, others as slender as chopsticks.


    Midway up the slope, a solitary small tree, about two meters high, grew there.


    Perhaps due to never having been exposed to sunlight, the tree was entirely grayish-white, including its leaves.


    At the top of the small tree hung three fist-sized, fiery red fruits, brimming with spiritual energy and emitting a pleasant fragrance.


    Many small snakes slithered around the base of the tree, their eyes fixed greedily on the three snake scale fruits, but none dared to climb the tree and bite into the fruits.


    Looking around at the pitch-ck surroundings, Song Wen asked.


    "Daoist Xuan Ye, what do we do next?"


    Xuan Ye replied, "When we make our move, I will send a fierce ghost to draw the attention of the snakes and simultaneously cast a fireball spell."


    "Brother Guo Tao, your task is to use the firelight to quickly throw the eight array gs into their corresponding positions."


    As he spoke, Xuan Ye produced an array g.


    The array g was about two feet long, with a fiery red banner and a ck pole. The tip of the pole was very sharp, evidently designed to be easily driven into the rock. Mysterious cloud patterns were drawn on both the banner and the pole, with mes seeming to flow among the patterns, making it look extraordinary.


    Xuan Ye said, "This array g weighs about a hundred pounds. You will need to use your brute strength to urately throw it to the array positions. Can you do that?"


    With his seventh-level Qi refining strength, Xuan Ye''s spiritual power could only cover a range of just over a hundred meters. Beyond this range, his control over magical tools would be lost, leaving the tools to move only by inertia, making precise control impossible. Naturally, he couldn''t urately ce the array gs into the array positions.


    Therefore, Xuan Ye had to seek another method.


    He thought of finding a body cultivator to assist in retrieving the snake scale fruits.


    Body cultivators possess great physical strength, enabling them to throw the array gs urately into position from a distance.


    Song Wen took the array g, hefted it, and said, "That should be no problem, but relying on brute strength to throw each g one by one is too cumbersome and time-consuming. It''s easy to be detected by the ck vipers, causing the array setup to fail."


    Xuan Ye raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Do you have a better method?"


    Song Wen replied, "My spiritual power can barely cover the area of the snake pit. If I can initially refine the array gs, I can use my spiritual power to control all eight gs simultaneously and ce them into their positions."


    After more than two months of nurturing, Song Wen had slowly discovered new uses for his beetle Gu. Besides extending his spiritual power, the beetle Gu could also simply control magical tools within this extended range.


    Although he couldn''t use the magical tools to attack enemies within this range, he could still manage to control eight array gs and ce them into the array positions.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 82: The Raging Inferno Array

    <h4>Chapter 82: The Raging Inferno Array</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Xuan Ye''s face showed a hint of astonishment as he nced at Song Wen with admiration and said softly, "Brother Guo Tao''s innate talent is indeed extraordinary, possessing such powerful spiritual strength."


    Ignoring Xuan Ye''s envious words, Song Wen continued, "But since this task requires me to refine the array gs, I wonder if it will affect your operation of the array."


    Xuan Ye shook his head and produced an array te about the size of a washbasin, saying, "That''s not a problem. You only need to preliminarily refine the array gs. Once the gs are inserted into their positions, the true control of the array is handled by this array te. As long as you don''t move the gs with your spiritual power or interfere with my operation, it won''t affect the array''s function."


    Song Wen nodded, "That sounds good."


    Xuan Ye said, "Brother Guo Tao, please follow me. I will teach you the diagram of the Raging Inferno Array so you can arrange it."


    Song Wen agreed, "Alright, let''s proceed as you say."


    The next day, the two, havingpleted their preparations, began their operation.


    The headless ghost suddenly appeared at the edge of the snake pit, its head thrown back as it let out a piercing scream.


    The scream was sharp and ear-piercing, like some kind of demonic sound.


    The sudden disturbance caused the ck vipers, ustomed to the dark and quiet environment, to be agitated.


    Smaller ck vipers began to dart around, while the more intelligent ones slithered into the snake holes nearby.


    Larger ck vipers opened their mouths wide, revealing their long, sharp fangs. Their crimson tongues flicked in the air, restless and agitated.


    Therge vipers coiled their tails and then shot towards the headless ghost like arrows, determined to annihte this intruding spirit.


    Morerge snakes crawled out of the snake holes.


    At this moment, eight array gs fell from the sky. The ck vipers were all drawn to the headless ghost''s distraction, and before they could react, the gs had already been inserted into various corners of the snake pit.


    "Array, activate!"


    Xuan Ye''s face turned serious as he repeatedly formed hand seals. The array te floated in front of him, its surface glowing with dazzling light.


    Eight spirit stones, each the size of an infant''s fist, emitted dense spiritual energy, continuously feeding into the array te, causing its brilliance to intensify.


    Song Wen, standing beside him, looked on with surprise.


    Eight medium-grade spirit stones!


    Xuan Ye had indeed invested heavily for this task. Not only did he employ someone to craft the expensive array, but he also used eight medium-grade spirit stones to power it, equivalent to eight hundred low-grade spirit stones.


    Song Wen realized that everyone who came with him to the ancient battlefield''s underground cave seemed to be of notable background, with each person possessing an excessive amount of spirit stones.


    However, like him, these individuals also had reasons to venture into dangerous depths.


    It seemed that, like him, they had exhausted their resources and were taking desperate measures.


    ...


    Above the snake pit, ayer of fire-red transparent shield suddenly enveloped the area.


    Countless mes erupted from the ground, and the temperature within the array began to rise rapidly.


    The ck vipers fled in all directions, with some of the weaker ones burned to cinders.


    The Raging Inferno Array trapped the ck vipers that were originally on the ground within the array, while those underground sensed the terrifyingly high temperature of the array and, due to their innate fear of fire and light, fled deeper into the cave.


    Only a fewrge snakes, thick as bowls, could barely withstand the intense heat, though their scales were scorched and falling off.


    Theserge snakes battered against the edge of the array with all their might.


    Each impact caused the shield to sway and flicker, as if it might shatter at any moment.


    Each collision worsened the injuries of the ck vipers, with the areas directly striking the shield bing charred ck.


    In addition to the ck vipers, the fire of the array also scorched the snake scale tree and the headless ghost.


    The headless ghost, originally solid, now appeared somewhat ethereal.


    It had been sprayed with venom by the ck vipers, dispersing much of its dark aura. However, since the array was activated in time, it avoided a disaster.


    As soon as the array was activated, the headless ghost advanced rather than retreating, charging directly towards the snake scale fruit tree at the center of the snake pit.


    The temperature in the array was so high that it could potentially damage the medicinal properties of the snake scale fruit if left for too long.


    When the headless ghost reached the fruit tree, the leaves of the tree had already turned yellow and those closer to the ground were beginning to burn.


    However, the three snake scale fruits at the top of the tree were still rtively unaffected.


    The headless ghost struck the fruit tree in half with a palm, then used its ghostly aura to carry the severed tree into the air.


    Seeing the precious snake scale fruit tree destroyed, the surviving ck vipers went into a frenzy. They ignored their injuries and leaped from the ground towards the flying headless ghost.


    As the headless ghost reached the top of the array, a gap suddenly opened in the shield, allowing the ghost to escape through it.


    The gap then quickly closed, blocking the ck vipers that followed.


    Xuan Ye, who controlled the shield to provide an escape route for the headless ghost, appeared unaffected, but his face suddenly turned pale, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, showing signs of excessive spiritual exhaustion.


    Song Wen, on the other hand, was busy as well.


    A ck viper, asrge as a bowl and with strengthparable to a seventh-level Qi Cultivator, had escaped the array and was charging towards the two of them.


    Song Wen nced at Xuan Ye, who was fully focused on controlling the array te, and suppressed the urge to flee for now.


    He still needed Xuan Ye to lead the way.


    Song Wen tapped his waist pouch, releasing a corpse puppet.


    The corpse puppet strode forward, heading straight for therge snake.


    Seeing the corpse puppet attack with ws and fangs, the ck viper had to slow down, coiling its tail and then snapping it forward.


    The corpse puppet was immediately sent flying, but its tough hide meant it wasn''t badly hurt.


    Just as the corpse puppet was being thrown, a long iron spike shot towards the ck viper''s left eye.


    The ck viper''s head jerked to avoid the vulnerable eye, then its head mmed into the iron spike.


    "ng!"


    The Soul-Breaking Awl and the snake head shed, producing a metallic sound.


    The Soul-Breaking Awl was deflected.


    A portion of the scales on the ck viper''s head shattered, revealing the bloodied flesh underneath.


    At this moment, the corpse puppet wrapped itself around therge snake again, grabbing its tail and tensing its muscles, trying to throw the snake.


    Therge snake, unwilling to be thrown, coiled its body around the corpse puppet''s waist.


    It opened its gaping maw and spat out a stream of venom.


    The venom sshed onto the corpse puppet''s head, hissing as it corroded. The already hideous face of the puppet became even more distorted and terrifying.


    The corpse puppet went berserk, sinking its teeth into the snake''s most vulnerable belly.


    Blood sttered everywhere.


    The sharp fangs pierced the snake''s skin, causing therge snake to thrash wildly in pain. Its body began to il.


    After a difficult struggle, the snake finally managed to throw off the corpse puppet, but arge piece of flesh was bitten off from its belly.


    The corpse puppet swallowed the snake meat and was about to attack again when it suddenly halted and turned to flee.


    It turned out that the headless ghost had already retrieved the snake scale fruit.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 83: Traces of the Hollow Cicada Wood!

    <h4>Chapter 83: Traces of the Hollow Cicada Wood!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Xuan Ye said, "Daoist Guo, I am going to deactivate the array."


    As he spoke, Xuan Ye made several hand seals toward the array te, and the crimson protective shield above the snake pit suddenly dissipated.


    Song Wen casually waved, and the eight array gs rose from the ground and flew towards him.


    Song Wen pped a Haste Talisman onto himself and turned to flee.


    With his spiritual energy exhausted and his strength weakened, Xuan Ye tapped one of his ghost storage pouches at his waist.


    Five small ghosts with snow-white skin and colorful clothing leaped out.


    The five ghosts lifted Xuan Ye and followed closely behind Song Wen, swirling with gusts of cold wind.


    The five ghosts moved at incredible speed and quickly overtook Song Wen.


    Seeing more and more ck vipers closing in behind him, Song Wen was engulfed in a haze of blood mist, his speed increasing dramatically, and he quickly passed Xuan Ye.


    ...


    An hourter, having shaken off the ck vipers, Song Wen and Xuan Ye found a small cave to rest.


    "Daoist Guo, there are a total of three snake scale fruits here. How would you like to divide them?"


    At some point, Xuan Ye had stopped calling Song Wen "Brother Guo Tao" and instead referred to him as "Daoist Guo."


    Snake scale fruits are precious spiritual herbs that can help Qi Cultivators break through to higher realms. They are rare and typically not sold openly. When avable, they are usually traded for other rare spiritual materials.


    For Song Wen, the snake scale fruit wasn''t urgently needed. His breakthroughs had been smooth so far, with no long-term difficulties in oveing bottlenecks.


    However, since the fruits were now in hand, Song Wen could not afford to give them up.


    "Just give me one."


    The snake scale fruit is only effective when taken for the first time. Moreover, Xuan Ye had contributed more to this expedition and deserved to receive more of the fruits.


    Xuan Ye nodded and ced one of the snake scale fruits into a prepared jade box, handing it to Song Wen.


    "Thanks to Daoist Guo for your help on this trip. Xuan Ye is deeply grateful."


    Song Wen replied, "We are merely cooperating for mutual benefit. No need for thanks. But do not forget, you promised to apany me to retrieve the Hollow Cicada Wood."


    "Of course. Let me rest a bit, and we will set out tomorrow."


    The next day.


    Song Wen and Xuan Ye returned to the cave where they had parted ways with the two people in purple. They continued along the cave passages.


    After traveling several dozen miles, Song Wen was astonished to find that numerous nts had appeared in the cave.


    Most of these nts grew in damp corners, with some emitting a faint glow, which was quite magical.


    If it weren''t for theck of spiritual energy in these nts, Song Wen might have suspected they were some special spiritual herbs.


    Song Wen marveled again at the wonders of the cultivation world.


    Perhaps this is one of the meanings of cultivating immortality, always encountering extraordinary things beyond ordinary imagination.


    As Song Wen was moving forward, he suddenly stopped and said, "In a nearby side passage, there is a small cave hiding two people!"


    Having already grown ustomed to Song Wen''s extraordinary spiritual perception, Xuan Ye was no longer surprised. He asked, "What kind of people?"


    Song Wen''s expression was somewhat peculiar as he replied, "A man and a woman, both with low cultivation. One is at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, and the other at the third level. The man is also injured."


    A Qi Cultivator at the fourth level and another at the third level dare to venture into the ancient battlefield''s underground caverns. This was indeed somewhat unexpected for Song Wen.


    Xuan Ye, however, looked unsurprised and said, "They are likely brought here as scouts."


    Even Qi Cultivators at thete stage have a limited spiritual perception range of about a hundred meters. In these dark,plex underground caves, this range is often insufficient.


    Thus, some cultivators resort to using living people as scouts.


    By marking the living individuals and controlling their lives and deaths, these unfortunate people have no chance of resisting.


    Xuan Ye continued, "Let''s go take a look."


    Encountering living people in the caverns, especially those with low cultivation, made Xuan Ye consider gathering information from them.


    Song Wen and Xuan Ye soon arrived at the small cave where the man and woman were hiding.


    Seeing the sudden appearance of Song Wen and Xuan Ye, the man looked panicked and shielded the woman behind him.


    The man was in his forties, dressed like a wandering cultivator. He hadrge sections of flesh torn from his waist, indicating that his injury had been sustained for some time. His wounds had been bandaged, and the bleeding had stopped.


    The woman was about ten years younger and had an ordinary appearance.


    "What are you doing here? How did you end up in this underground cave?"


    Without acknowledging the panic of the pair, Xuan Ye asked coldly.


    As if afraid of displeasing Xuan Ye and Song Wen by answering too slowly, the middle-aged man hurriedly responded.


    "We are a father and daughter from Tianyuan Market, a small gathering ce of wandering cultivators. We were captured by threete-stage Qi Cultivators. They used my daughter''s life as leverage, forcing me to explore the caverns for them."


    Tianyuan Market was a small market established by wandering cultivators, not far from the ancient battlefield.


    "How did you escape?" Xuan Ye continued.


    "While scouting in the cave, I suddenly saw a pile of bones dozens of meters high. At the top of the bone pile were two spiritual trees with a jade-like appearance, one of which was over three feet tall."


    "I was just about to ry the information to the three behind me when two vengeful spirits burst out from the bone pile. The spirits were extremely powerful, and the cold wind they stirred easily threw me against the cave wall, injuring me severely. After that, I lost consciousness."


    "About half a quarter of an hourter, I slowly regained consciousness, but the vengeful spirits were gone."


    "Concerned for my daughter''s safety, I hurried back. However, my daughter and the three cultivators, who should have been only about two hundred meters away, had vanished. All that was left were signs of a struggle."


    "I couldn''t find my daughter''s body, so I held onto a slim hope and continued searching. Eventually, I found her in this small cave. It turns out she had managed to escape while the three were fighting the vengeful spirits and survived by luck."


    What the middle-aged man did not notice was that when he mentioned the ''bone pile'' and the ''jade-like spiritual trees,'' Song Wen and Xuan Ye exchanged nces.


    The jade-like spiritual trees were the exact purpose of Song Wen''s journey��the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    From the man''s ount, Song Wen also inferred that the three cultivators who encountered the vengeful spirits had likely been defeated.


    If they had won, they would have taken the Hollow Cicada Wood with them.


    Song Wen observed the father and daughter closely but found nothing particrly remarkable about them.


    Their luck seemed extraordinarily excessive; they had survived against powerful vengeful spirits for no apparent reason.


    At that moment, one of the scouting beetles suddenly transmitted another message.


    Song Wen asked, "Someone else ising?"


    He had not encountered anyone since entering the underground cave, so he was surprised to encounter another group so soon.


    "Who are they?"


    "A group of three. Two of them are dressed in purple, and they are followed by a male cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Cultivation. The condition of this male cultivator seems quite unusual."


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 84: Dwarf Ghost and Green faced female zombie

    <h4>Chapter 84: Dwarf Ghost and Green faced female zombie</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Blood was still dripping from the seven orifices of the male cultivator, and his limbs twitched intermittently, as if he was enduring immense pain during his escape.


    Lao Chun had a speed-boosting talisman attached to him and was wrapped in a red silk ribbon, the other end of which was held by Zi Yi.


    Zi Yi was carrying Lao Chun as they ran.


    However, due to the poor condition of the male cultivator behind them, his speed was slightly slower than the two in front, and he could not catch up.


    As soon as Song Wen finished speaking, he continued, "They are fleeing."


    "They are being pursued by two vengeful spirits."


    "Not good, they''re turning towards us."


    "Run!"


    After finishing his words, Song Wen turned and ran deeper into the cave, with Xuan Ye following closely behind.


    The vengeful spirits pursuing the three were evidently very powerful; otherwise, the three wouldn''t have been fleeing in such a disarray.


    As soon as Song Wen and Xuan Ye left, the Liu father and daughter became terrified. They didn''t even stop to verify if what Song Wen said was true and followed them out of the cave.


    The cave they were hiding in was only a few meters deep. If the vengeful spirits noticed them, they could easily be exterminated, leaving them no ce to hide.


    Themotion caused by the fleeing group immediately caught the attention of the three escaping cultivators behind.


    "Fellow cultivators ahead, could you please stop and help us fend off the vengeful spirits? Running away is not a solution," the Qi Cultivator at the eighth level suddenly called out.


    Xuan Ye and Song Wen remained unmoved; only a fool would help them fend off the enemies.


    It''s likely that as soon as they engaged with the vengeful spirits, the others would escape on their own, leaving them to fight the spirits alone.


    Unfortunately for the Liu father and daughter, their abilities were too weak. Especially Liu Mu, at only the third level of Qi Cultivation, even with a speed-boosting talisman, she severely slowed down her father''s escape.


    In just a few breaths, the two were caught up by the three cultivators from behind.


    Zi Yi and Lao Chun overtook the Liu father and daughter directly.


    The Qi Cultivator at the eighth level looked at the Liu father and daughter with disdain.


    "Damn it, what bad luck. We finally encountered two living people, thinking we could use them as cannon fodder to block the vengeful spirits. But who would have thought it would be you two? With your strength, you can''t even block the spirits for a moment."


    This male cultivator was one of the three who had previously captured the Liu family.


    After moving forward for several dozen meters, the male cultivator noticed that Xuan Ye and Song Wen, who were at the very front, had suddenly stopped.


    "Stop running, ahead is a dead end."


    Song Wen shouted loudly to everyone in the cave.


    Ahead, a hundred meters or so away, the passageway came to a halt, blocked by thick rock.


    Reluctantly, Song Wen searched around with the beetle''s ability, confirming that there were indeed no exits.


    Song Wen felt frustrated; they had followed the map to this point, and only entered this side path after encountering the Liu family. Unexpectedly, they were trapped here.


    "If you don''t want to die, everyone prepare to fight."


    Zi Yi and Lao Chun arrived in front of Song Wen and nodded slightly, acknowledging each other.


    Meanwhile, the Qi Cultivator at the eighth level let out an eerieugh.


    "Haha... Heaven is not unkind to me, Yan Gu. At this critical moment, I''ve encountered four fellow cultivators. It seems my life isn''t destined to end today."


    It turned out that Zi Yi and Lao Chun had also encountered Yan Gu while escaping.


    After parting ways with Song Wen and the others, Zi Yi and Lao Chun, without the guidance of the familiar Xuan Ye and relying only on a simple map, quickly got lost in theplex underground cave system.


    They spent a lot of time finding the right direction again and had barely made any progress before running into Yan Gu.


    Yan Gu, who had thought he was doomed, suddenly saw Zi Yi and Lao Chun and decided to lead them into disaster, dragging Zi Yi and Lao Chun into the mess.


    "Everyone, don''t worry too much. The two vengeful spirits have had a lot of their yin energy drained by me and two other fellow cultivators. Their strength is less than fifty percent of their peak. If we join forces, we still have a chance to kill them."


    No one paid attention to Yan Gu; everyone was busy preparing their means of defense.


    The Soul-Breaking Awl floated in front of Song Wen, its murderous aura swirling. As the name suggested, the Soul-Breaking Awl was an artifact specifically for dealing with ghosts, perfect for confronting these two vengeful spirits.


    Xuan Ye summoned both the Sheep-headed Ghost and the General Ghost, which floated beside him, one on each side.


    Zi Yi and Lao Chun each released a corpse puppet, revealing that they, like Song Wen, were also corpse cultivators.


    Yan Gu''s artifact was the most unusual. He wore a ne of eighteen human skulls around his neck and held a wooden fish made of human skulls in his hand.


    Yan Gu turned out to be an extremely rare Evil Buddha Path cultivator.


    The Liu father and daughter, who had arrivedst, hid in a corner of the rocky wall. They had no courage to participate in the battle and were ignored by everyone.


    At this moment, the two vengeful spirits drew closer, and everyone could see their appearances clearly.


    The two vengeful spirits were of different sizes.


    Therger one was over ten feet tall, a slender green-faced female ghost with the cultivation of the seventh level of Qi.


    The smaller one was less than a meter tall, with short limbs and resembling a dwarf. It was a white-faced male ghost with the cultivation of the eighth level of Qi.


    The green-faced female ghost moved rapidly on all fours, her limbs brushing against the ground as she advanced quickly.


    The dwarf ghost rode on the back of the green-faced female ghost, maintaining a bizarre smile on his snow-white face and asionally making murmuring sounds.


    "Attack."


    Song Wen was the first tounch an attack, sending the Soul-Breaking Awl like an arrow toward the dwarf ghost''s head.


    The dwarf ghost''s eerie smile remained unchanged. It used its short arms to deflect the Soul-Breaking Awl, which was knocked away even before it coulde within half a meter of it.


    Xuan Ye''s two ghosts, as well as Lao Chun and Zi Yi''s two corpse puppets, alsounched their attacks.


    The General Ghost swung a long knife at the green-faced female ghost lying on the ground, while the Sheep-headed Ghost wed at the dwarf ghost.


    The two corpse puppets attacked the dwarf ghost from both sides.


    Suddenly, the dwarf ghost howled towards the sky, and a fierce yin wind blew through the cave, sending sand and stones flying.


    The attacks of the two ghosts and the two corpse puppets were all blocked by the howling yin wind, and all four were blown away by the powerful wind.


    This violent yin wind seemed to consume a lot of energy, and the dwarf ghost did not continue to release it. It quickly stopped its attack.


    At this moment, Yan Gu''s attack began.


    He threw the wooden fish into the air, took the human skull ne from his neck, and began to spin it continuously.


    The two items were actually a set of artifacts.


    At the same time, he rapidly chantedplex scriptures.


    The wooden fish floated in the air, emitting bursts of white light that enveloped the two vengeful spirits below.


    The white light seemed to have a restraining effect on the vengeful spirits. The yin energy on the two vengeful spirits rapidly dissipated, and in just a few breaths, their bodies seemed to have partially dissolved.


    However, Yan Gu''s condition was very poor. The white light from the wooden fish was unstable, fluctuating in intensity.


    It was clear that Yan Gu''s sea of consciousness had been severely injured.


    The dwarf ghost looked up with a resentful gaze at the wooden fish in the air, seemingly having suffered greatly from it before.


    The dwarf ghost suddenly leaped from the back of the green-faced female ghost, charging towards the wooden fish through the white light, seemingly intent on destroying it despite the pain.


    (End of the Chapter)

 Chapter 85: Ghosts Also Have Feeling

    <h4>Chapter 85: Ghosts Also Have Feeling</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    As the dwarf ghost leaped, a beam of ck light pierced down toward the green-faced female ghost below.


    The green-faced female ghost, clearly weaker, was suffering greatly from the beam. She was preparing to use the yin wind to escape when the Soul-Breaking Awl, having been deflected earlier, came back and struck her from behind.


    The powerful murderous aura from the Soul-Breaking Awl erupted, stabbing into the green-faced female ghost''s body.


    "Ugh!" The green-faced female ghost emitted a shrill and unclear scream.


    At that moment, a talisman in Xuan Ye''s hand turned into powder.


    A giant sword, formed from spiritual energy, appeared out of nowhere above the female ghost and swung down towards her head.


    This was a high-grade talisman, the Evil Exorcism Talisman!


    In this critical moment, the green-faced female ghost gathered all her ghostly energy to form a shield above her head.


    "Boom."


    The giant sword struck the shield. The shield, hastily formed, was weaker than expected and shattered after a brief moment of resistance.


    The giant sword then cleaved into the green-faced female ghost''s head, its immense spiritual energy prating through her.


    The ghostly energy on the green-faced female ghost was dispersed by the spiritual power of the giant sword, and her body began to be transparent and ethereal, as if it might dissipate at any moment.


    In mid-air, the dwarf ghost, who had been preparing to grab the wooden fish, saw the green-faced female ghost injured and stopped its actions, its eyes zing with anger.


    The dwarf ghost''s body suddenly erupted with five phantoms that charged toward Song Wen and the others.


    The dwarf ghost itself flew toward the green-faced female ghost, its ghostly energy wildly surging into her body.


    The dwarf ghost was trying to save the female ghost!


    The five phantoms quickly turned into five transparent des as they left the dwarf ghost''s body and reached the five people in an instant.


    Song Wen didn''t sense any spiritual, ghostly, or yin energy fluctuations from the des, but they gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.


    What kind of attack is this?


    Song Wen �C who was horrified and unable to understand the situation �C had no choice but to use his strongest defensive measures.


    He activated the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" while simultaneously channeling the Purple Scale Armor with all his might.


    A purple-gold shield enveloped Song Wen''s entire body.


    Outside the purple-gold shield was arge green vessel.


    However...


    The anticipated violent impact never came.


    The vessel and the purple-gold shield did not block the transparent des at all and were prated, yet they remained undamaged.


    This was a mental attack!


    This ghost was using the extremely rare mental attack technique in the cultivation world!


    How did such a mere ghost learn this?


    Just as Song Wen was struck by this thought, the transparent de pierced his forehead.


    Instantly, excruciating pain surged through Song Wen''s sea of consciousness, as the de appeared inside his mind, its intense killing intent threatening to upheave his entire consciousness.


    The sea of consciousness is the most vulnerable and crucial part of a cultivator, and Song Wen naturally couldn''t afford any mistakes.


    All he could do was to fully mobilize his mental energy to form a mental barrier to block the de. With his mental powerparable to the eighth level of Qi, he should be able to handle the de. After all, the dwarf ghost was splitting its mental power to attack all five people simultaneously.


    At this moment, an unexpected situation urred.


    A ck hole appeared out of nowhere within Song Wen''s sea of consciousness, and the extremely sharp transparent de was instantly swallowed and disappeared.


    Song Wen was astonished as he sensed the events unfolding in his sea of consciousness.


    The ck hole in the sea of consciousness appeared quickly and disappeared just as swiftly. After devouring the transparent de, it vanished.


    "What is this ck hole? Could it be that I can devour others'' souls because of this ck hole in my sea of consciousness?" Song Wen wondered, his mind racing with confused thoughts.


    To the outside observer, Song Wen appeared unharmed by the mental attack.


    Simrly unscathed was Lao Chun.


    Lao Chun did not have any mental defense talismans to fully withstand the Dwarf Ghost''s mental attack; his survival was due to abination of luck and ruthlessness.


    The position he was standing in was fortunately close to Liu Qiao and Liu Mu.


    Unlike Song Wen, who was deeply immersed in self-cultivation without guidance and had a poor understanding of cultivators'' techniques,


    Lao Chun and the others recognized the transparent de as a mental attack as soon as it appeared.


    He directly used Liu Qiao to shield himself and then let the transparent de pierce Liu Qiao''s forehead.


    In an instant, Liu Qiao''s seven orifices bled profusely, and he lost his breath immediately. His soul was shattered by the mental de.


    At this moment, Liu Mu was holding her father''s corpse and crying out loud.


    They were originally ordinary scattered cultivators from outside the Tianyuan Valley. Although their cultivation resources were scarce and their progress slow, with their cultivator''s strength, they still lived without worry, far better than thosemon people struggling for their daily meals.


    Father and daughter were well aware of the dangers of the cultivation world, so they didn''t pursue profound cultivation or immense power, just hoping for a peaceful life together.


    Liu Mu was content with such a life, asionally witnessing strange and powerful spells.


    The sudden appearance of Yan Gu and the others shattered their peaceful life, forcibly abducting them into this dangerous cave.


    Perhaps this was the cruelty of the cultivation world: whether you struggle or not, once you step in, you have no quiet life anymore, and you might face cmities at any time.


    Lao Chun nced at the grieving Liu Mu and casually unleashed a surge of malevolent energy.


    Liu Mu fell to the ground, twitching uncontrobly, her eyes bulging. Intense pain swept over her entire body, and she made incoherent ''ha-ha'' sounds.


    After a few breaths, she joined her father in death.


    Xuan Ye and Zi Yi barely managed to withstand the mental de, but their sea of consciousness suffered significant shock. Blood flowed from their seven orifices, their mental state became somewhat weakened, and their heads throbbed with pain.


    Yan Gu fared the worst. His sea of consciousness was already severely injured by the Dwarf Ghost. The subsequent attack from the Dwarf Ghost only worsened his condition, leading to a critical injury and causing him to faint on the ground.


    Song Wen, having confirmed that his sea of consciousness was intact, focused on defending against any further attacks from the Dwarf Ghost.


    Unexpectedly, the Dwarf Ghost, heavily injured and with the Green Faced Female Ghost in a dying state, chose to leave, likely seeking a way to save the female ghost.


    Song Wen surveyed his surroundings.


    Zi Yi and Xuan Ye were busy healing and recovering.


    Lao Chun asionally nced at the motionless Yan Gu on the ground and then at the beautiful senior sister, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Xuan Ye, I''m going to leave," Song Wen said to Xuan Ye.


    With the Green Faced Female Ghost severely injured and the Dwarf Ghost''s energy significantly depleted, it was the best time to seize the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    He still had a Heavenly Thunder Talisman, which could provide immunity against the Dwarf Ghost''s mental attacks. He was confident he could seize the Hollow Cicada Wood under these circumstances.


    The pile of white bones where the Hollow Cicada Wood was located was not far off, and without Xuan Ye''s guidance, Song Wen could still find it.


    "I''ll apany you," Xuan Ye suddenly stood up.


    "Why?" Song Wen asked.


    "This ce is not safe. The two ghosts share a deep bond. Having injured the Green Faced Female Ghost, the Dwarf Ghost won''t easily let us go. Whether the female ghost''s injuries stabilize or she dissipates, the Dwarf Ghost will seek revenge on us."


    "Being with you gives me more peace of mind."


    Xuan Ye nced at Song Wen. Seeing that Song Wen had emerged unscathed after the Dwarf Ghost''s mental attack and considering Song Wen''s seemingly unreasonable mental detection range, Xuan Ye decided to stay with him.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 86: Siblings Affection

    <h4>Chapter 86: Siblings Affection</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen lowered his head and did not immediately answer Xuan Ye.


    The cooperation between them had been rtively smooth before, but it was based on mutual use. Xuan Ye needed Song Wen''s help to obtain snake scales, and Song Wen needed Xuan Ye to guide him.


    Now that both parties had lost their value to each other, continuing to stay together was not a good choice. Song Wen was cautious about Xuan Ye''s suggestion to seize the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    Before Song Wen could respond, Zi Yi spoke up first. She stood up and said,


    "Junior Brother, we should leave. This ce is too dangerous."


    "Senior Sister, but what about your injuries?" Lao Chun asked with concern.


    "It''s nothing serious. My father''s condition can''t wait. We must hurry. And as Xuan Ye said, this ce is unsafe," Zi Yi replied.


    "Then what about him?" Lao Chun pointed at the unconscious Yan Gu.


    When he looked at Yan Gu, his eyes showed a trace of killing intent. Yan Gu''s earlier distraction had caused much trouble for him and his sister.


    Xuan Ye nced at Yan Gu and said, "His soul has been severely injured. Without a soul-repairing elixir, it''s difficult for him to regain consciousness."


    "Then we should end his suffering. It''s a mercy," Lao Chun said as he leaped forward and smashed Yan Gu''s head with a palm strike.


    He then took Yan Gu''s magic tools and storage bag. Lao Chun said to Xuan Ye, "Friend, since you saw it, how should we distribute the loot?"


    Song Wen had no intention of wasting time with them. Before Lao Chun could act, he activated the Blood Escape Technique and quickly left, using the opportunity to distance himself from Xuan Ye.


    Xuan Ye looked at the departing Song Wen, then at Lao Chun''s storage bag and magic tools. Ultimately, he chose to stay. After all, Yan Gu was a cultivator at the Qi Refining Stage, and he had many resources. It was worth taking.


    After a moment, they divided the spoils and moved out.


    Not long after, they saw Song Wen returning with a grim expression.


    "Friend Guo, what''s wrong?" Xuan Ye asked.


    Song Wen said, "The exit is blocked by hundreds of bone worms, and they areing this way."


    "Bone worms!" The four of them were startled by the name.


    "How did they just happen to appear in this passage?" Xuan Ye frowned.


    "They were likely dispatched by the Dwarf Ghost. When we were being chased by the Dwarf Ghost, a group of bone worms followed us. These bone worms were probably bred by the Dwarf Ghost. They were just weaker and fell behind," Song Wen exined.


    "Damn it!" Xuan Ye cursed, then asked Song Wen, "Friend, what is the strength of those bone worms?"


    "At the lowest, they are at the Qi Refining First Stage, and at most, they are at the Qi Refining Fourth Stage. At least half of them are in the mid Qi Refining Stage," Song Wen replied.


    Hearing this, everyone frowned and fell silent.


    The sheer number of bone worms made it seem like a challenge to break through. It would not be easy to escape.


    Song Wen said, "Everyone, we must act quickly and work together to fight our way out. The Dwarf Ghost has not returned yet. If he does, it will be even harder to escape."


    The others understood the gravity of the situation and did not voice any objections.


    Zi Yi even took out a corpse bag from her waist, summoning a corpse puppetparable to a Qi Refining Ninth Stage cultivator.


    As soon as the corpse puppet appeared, it startled Song Wen and Xuan Ye, causing them to step back and increase their distance from Zi Yi.


    Feeling the overwhelming corpse aura emanating from the corpse puppet, Song Wen couldn''t help but click his tongue inwardly. This must be the true reason why Zi Yi and herpanions dared to venture deep into the cave in search of the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    "Let''s go!" Zi Yi took the lead, rushing towards the exit.


    "Senior Sister, wait a moment. I have something to say to you."


    Lao Chun mustered all his courage and stopped Zi Yi, his eyes filled with affection.


    "Senior Sister, I''m afraid if I don''t speak now, I may never have the chance again."


    "My feelings for you have never changed in twenty years. When I first saw you at fifteen, I fell in love with you. But you liked Senior Brother, which made me too afraid to express my feelings."


    "Later, you and Senior Brother became a couple and had a daughter. I could only watch from afar and silently bless you. A few years ago, when Senior Brother passed away, I finally dared to show my feelings, but you remained distant with me."


    "This time, with our master gravely poisoned and the other five senior brothers too scared toe into the cave, I came despite the danger, just to tell you that my feelings for you have never changed."


    Faced with Lao Chun''s sudden confession, Zi Yi was first stunned, then her cold demeanor softened immediately.


    Perhaps it was her father''s critical condition, or perhaps she was moved by her junior brother''s long-standingpanionship and deep feelings. Zi Yi said, "Junior Brother, if we both survive this, I promise to marry you."


    Lao Chun was overjoyed, his eyes seemingly brimming with excited tears. "Really, Senior Sister?"


    Zi Yi nodded.


    The sudden depth of feeling between the senior and junior siblings left Song Wen and Xuan Ye a bit dazed.


    Song Wen nced at Lao Chun, thinking to himself that he hadn''t expected this person to be a deeply devoted admirer. Just worried that in the end, he might end up with nothing.


    ...


    The four of them used their various skills to fight their way into the bone worm swarm.


    The bone worms varied in size from the size of a fist to that of a millstone. They had eight legs and looked somewhat like spiders. Their bodies were gray and covered with a thick, hardyer of bone armor, significantly increasing their defensive capabilities.


    Song Wen positioned the corpse puppet in front of him and wielded a Bone Cleansing knife, continuously hacking at the bone worms that sprang from all directions.


    From time to time, Song Wen also activated a Fireball Talisman.


    The abundance of bone worms allowed the Fireball Talisman to reach its full potential. Weaker bone worms were shattered by the explosions, and even the stronger ones were mostly driven back.


    The corpse puppet controlled by Zi Yi, at Qi Refining Ninth Stage, demonstrated terrifying killing power.


    The bone worms it faced showed almost no resistance. With a single strike, they were either killed or severely injured.


    This was still because Zi Yi, at Qi Refining Seventh Stage, was somewhat strained in controlling the Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet and could not fully unleash its strength.


    Originally, the four nned to work together to break through.


    But the sheer number of bone worms, and perhaps the discord among them, gradually separated them.


    Zi Yi and Lao Chun, with the help of the Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet, pushed ahead to the forefront.


    Xuan Ye controlled two fierce ghosts and five lesser ghosts. He followed safely, not far behind Zi Yi and Lao Chun.


    Song Wen was left behind. His corpse puppet was only at Qi Refining Fifth Stage, making its ability to harm the bone worms limited. The Bone Cleansing knife was merely a low-grade magic tool, and besides being reasonably hard and sharp, it had no other special effects, making it difficult to cause widespread damage to the bone worms.


    However, the pressure on Song Wen was also the smallest.


    Song Wen looked at the others ahead. The nearest to him, Xuan Ye, was already over twenty meters away, and Zi Yi''s group was about to break out of the bone worm encirclement. They faced the most bone worms and endured the greatest pressure.


    "It''s time to show some real skills. If they manage to escape first, it will only be due to hidden strength that ends up trapping me in the cave."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 87: A fierce battle with White Bone Worms

    <h4>Chapter 87: A fierce battle with White Bone Worms</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen opened his mouth, and a terrifying scene unfolded.


    A swarm of gray insects, pping their wings, flew out of Song Wen''s mouth in a dense cloud, creating a chilling sight.


    The appearance of over sixty ck-bellied Beetle Worms instantly relieved Song Wen''s pressure, as the number of bone worms around him began to rapidly decrease.


    Although the bone worms were not particrlyrge, they were much biggerpared to the beetle Gu.


    The beetle Gu had a significant advantage against the bone worms, which relied solely on physical attacks and had no magical abilities.


    The beetle Gu, being small and agile in flight, were hard for the bone worms to hit.


    Although the beetle Gucked magical abilities, their small size allowed them to easily target the weak spots on the bone worms'' abdomens andunch attacks.


    To avoid excessive mental exhaustion, Song Wen gave attack orders to the ck-bellied Beetle Gu and then ignored them.


    He began focusing on dealing with the more powerful bone worms. The ck-bellied Beetle Gu were still somewhat weak and struggled to kill the bone worms at Qi Refining Sixth Stage.


    A blood mist rose around Song Wen.


    Secret Blood Art: Blood Sacrifice!


    This was the first time he used the Blood Sacrifice Technique inbat.


    His aura surged instantly, soon breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Stage, with a hint of approaching Qi Refining Eighth Stage.


    With the blood-red mist surrounding his bone-picking knife, Song Wen cleaved through a Qi Refining Sixth Stage bone worm.


    "Bang!"


    The bone worm was sent flying backward, a crack appearing in its hard bone shell. The powerful force prated through the crack and crushed its internal organs.


    The bone-picking knife also suffered a significant chink, causing Song Wen some heartache.


    This knife had been with him for over two years, and he was still quite adept with it during dissection. He hadn''t expected it to be damaged today.


    Song Wen stowed the bone-picking knife into his storage bag, intending to see if he could find a way to repair itter.


    At this moment, he noticed that his corpse puppet had already been incapacitated, its body severely damaged by the bone worms, looking like it could fall apart at any moment. He could only retrieve it into the corpse storage bag.


    The burst of blood energy from Song Wen attracted the surrounding bone worms.


    Relying on the strong cultivation from the Blood Sacrifice Technique, his formidable physical strength from the Corpse King Blood Refining Technique and the Ten Thousand Poison Body, and using his sharp fingernails as weapons, Song Wen engaged in closebat with the bone worms.


    After about fifteen minutes, Song Wen had cleared most of the bone worms around him.


    The remaining bone worms surrounding him could no longer limit his movements, allowing him the opportunity to escape.


    During the battle, he also noticed a peculiar phenomenon: after killing the bone worms, the ck-bellied Beetle Worms would burrow into the carcasses of the bone worms and consume a tiny transparent crystal inside.


    Seeing the beetle Gu actively consuming these crystals, Song Wen spected that they might be something beneficial for their advancement. He also collected several bone worm corpses for future cultivation of beetle Gu.


    Although Song Wen did not know what these transparent crystals were, he was certain they were not monster cores.


    A Qi Refining beetle worm could not possibly have a core from a third-tier monster.


    After the intense battle, not a single ck-bellied Beetle Worm was left unharmed. Over a dozen had fallen victim to the bone worms'' attacks.


    Suddenly!


    Two Qi Refining Sixth Stage bone worms leaped high and lunged at Song Wen with their bites.


    Song Wen''s ws extended, channeling all his strength, to grab at the two bone worms.


    Two bone worms had five holes punctured in their bodies and died on the spot.


    Song Wen''s hands trembled slightly, his fingers ached severely as the immense force from the two bone worms caused him to stagger backward.


    At that moment, another Qi Refining Sixth Stage bone worm leaped out and charged towards Song Wen''s chest.


    With no time to retract his hands to defend himself, Song Wen could only activate the Ghost Head Shield to block the bone worm.


    Although the Ghost Head Shield managed to block the bone worm''s attack, the immense force transmitted through the shield sent Song Wen flying out of the encirclement.


    The collision with the bone worm did not injure Song Wen but allowed him to use the opportunity to jump out of the bone worms'' encirclement.


    His blood aura surged once again.


    Secret Blood Art: Blood Escape!


    If other disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect knew that someone was simultaneously practicing both the Blood Sacrifice Technique and the Blood Escape Technique, and using them together, they would certainly call him a ''fool'' or a ''madman.''


    This is reckless, burning through your blood essence like this. After a few breaths, you might exhaust yourself to death.


    Song Wen himself felt his blood essence running low. The speed at which his blood essence was consumed during the full-scale battle with the Blood Sacrifice Technique exceeded his expectations.


    He took out a jade vial from his storage bag and poured its contents directly into his mouth.


    The vial contained the blood essence he had stolen from the corpse cave. For this trip, he had prepared ten vials of blood essence for himself.


    After consuming three vials in quick session, his blood essence was once again replenished.


    Song Wen ordered the beetle Gu to block the bone worms with all their might while he found a gap to use the Blood Escape Technique, slipping through the encircling swarm of insects. At the same time, he recalled the beetle Gu.


    Beyond the swarm of insects, only a few scattered bone worms remained.


    At this time, Song Wen continued to use the Blood Sacrifice Technique, with his cultivation close to the peak of Qi Refining Seventh Stage, making the Blood Escape Technique move at more than double the speedpared to using it alone.


    To maximize his speed, he also applied a Haste Talisman to himself.


    Using his rapid movement, Song Wen avoided attacks from scattered beetle Gu and did not engage them inbat.


    Soon, he saw Xuan Ye ahead, as well as Zi Yi and Lao Chun, who were approaching the cave''s fork.


    Both Xuan Ye and Zi Yi and Lao Chun still had many bone worms surrounding them.


    Song Wen pressed against the cave wall, moving at full speed, and with a terrifying speedparable to Qi Refining Ninth Stage, he rushed past them.


    asionally, scattered bone worms attacked Song Wen, but he ignored them, relying on his robust physique and the protective Purple Scale Armor to withstand the blows.


    Seeing that Song Wen had exited the fork and was heading towards the direction of the Hollow Cicada Tree, Zi Yi became anxious. With one person escaping, there would be fewer people to share the pressure from the bone worms, leading to an increase in their numbers.


    "We must escape as soon as possible, at least catch up with Xuan Ye and escape first," Zi Yi said urgently, controlling the corpse puppet to its maximum capacity.


    With her cultivation, controlling a Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet drained her spiritual energy rapidly. Her internal spiritual energy had already fallen below one-third.


    "Senior Sister, why don''t you escape alone? I''ll stay behind to hold off the bone worms," Lao Chun suddenly suggested.


    Zi Yi shook her head firmly and said, "No, we came together, we must leave together!"


    Feeling the concern from his senior sister, Lao Chun was invigorated and suddenly full of fighting spirit.


    "Alright, Senior Sister, let''s break out together."


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Aww... How cute...


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 88: Together in Life & Death

    <h4>Chapter 88: Together in Life & Death</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    With the Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet, Zi Yi and Lao Chun finally carved a bloody path and broke through the encirclement.


    The two of them fled with all their might and eventually burst out of the fork in the tunnel, heading in the direction Song Wen had escaped.


    The position they were searching for, the Forsythia, was in the same direction as the Hollow Cicada Wood, but located deeper within the cave.


    Afterpletely shaking off the pursuit of the bone worms, Zi Yi suddenly stopped and said, "Junior Brother, let''s find a secluded ce to rest for a while."


    Zi Yi was in a terrible state. She had been injured by the mental attack of the dwarf ghost, and after controlling a Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet, she had been fighting for a long time.


    At this moment, not only was her spiritual energy nearly depleted, but her mental energy was also severely exhausted.


    "Alright, Senior Sister."


    Just as Zi Yi heard Lao Chun''s voice from behind, a sharp pain struck her chest.


    She looked down and saw the bloody tip of a sharp sword.


    A cold, gleaming longsword had pierced through her back, with the bloody tip emerging from her body.


    Blood flowed down the sword, quickly soaking her clothes.


    Zi Yi could feel her strength rapidly fading and her life force swiftly draining away.


    She knew she was dying, but why would her junior brother betray her?


    Just a short while ago, he had expressed his feelings to her, saying he was willing to give everything, including his life, for her.


    She turned her head with great difficulty, her expression filled with pain and disbelief. "Why?"


    Lao Chun, looking at the beautiful and soon-to-die senior sister he had sessfully ambushed, seemed somewhat deranged. He roared, "Why! You ask why!"


    "I''ve admired you for twenty years, but you''ve never given me a second nce, ignoring everything I''ve done for you."


    "You chose to be with the Senior Brother, I had nothing to say about it. But you shameless woman, even while being with Senior Brother, you secretly got involved with Second Senior Brother."


    "After Senior Brother''s death, you became even more brazen, getting involved with Third Senior Brother, Fourth Senior Brother, Fifth Senior Brother, and Seventh Junior Brother."


    "Among the seven of us, you slept with them all, yet you still pretended to be aloof and pure in front of me, acting like a goddess."


    After a moment of furious shouting, Lao Chun seemed to calm down, though his calmness was twisted.


    "Senior Sister, don''t worry. With this Qi Refining Ninth Stage corpse puppet, I will control the sect from now on. I will take good care of your and Senior Brother''s daughter."


    "I will also take your corpse back and refine it properly, ensuring it doesn''t rot. I will make sure your beauty is preserved forever. After I die, I will bury our bodies together."


    "You..." Zi Yi''s eyes were filled with despair as she fell to the ground, her life extinguished.


    Lao Chun looked at the corpse of the senior sister he had admired for twenty years, his twisted expression suddenly turning sorrowful.


    "Senior Sister, don''t me me. It''s you who forced me. Why did you have to be so ruthless to me? If you weren''t so harsh, I wouldn''t have had to resort to such measures..."


    Two hundred meters away, in a crevice of the rock, Song Wen, who was replenishing his energy, watched the scene with shock.


    He had previously thought Lao Chun was just a sycophant, but it turned out he was a scheming and ruthless person.


    The master was poisoned and in critical condition, urgently needing a spiritual remedy. Lao Chun had used the pretext of apanying the senior sister to collect herbs to stay by her side, taking the opportunity to kill her when she was weakened and seize the strongestbat force in the sect, thereby bing the actual controller of the sect.


    After twenty years of unrequited love, Lao Chun''s twisted and pathological nature had turned to coveting the senior sister''s daughter. Moreover, it seemed he also had no intention of letting the senior sister''s corpse go, even nning to bury them together in the future.


    Such perverted emotions born from love and hatred were indeed difficult to understand and terrifying.


    It must be said, this person''s ns were far-reaching, step-by-step, and ruthless.


    However, ns always fail to keep up with changes, as evidenced by the present situation.


    Song Wen felt it was time to replenish some blood essence.


    As he bent down to retrieve the storage bag and corpse-raising bag from Senior Sister''s waist, Lao Chun suddenly heard the sound of running from a distance.


    Looking up, he saw a blood-red figure charging toward him.


    It was Guo Tao!


    Song Wen''s speed was too fast for Lao Chun to react much.


    He pped his waist with both hands, releasing a Qi Refining Fifth Stage corpse puppet, and simultaneously activated a Fireball Talisman.


    Facing the iing fireball, Song Wen did not dodge. He raised his hand and struck it.


    "Boom!"


    The fireball shattered into pieces, exploding and scattering mes everywhere.


    Then, Song Wen threw a punch to block the attack of the corpse puppet.


    With the corpse puppet''s obstruction, Song Wen''s speed suddenly decreased, giving Lao Chun precious time. Lao Chun pulled out a bell and was about to activate the magical artifact when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.


    In his perception, two tiny insects had appeared at the back of his head, crushing his skull and drilling into his brain.


    Lao Chun looked down at the corpse of the senior sister, then fell directly on top of Zi Yi''s body, closing his eyes with a faint smile.


    In life and death, together!


    Although his n ultimately failed, at least he died alongside the senior sister.


    ...


    Song Wen arrived at the two corpses, scavenged their belongings, and then devoured their blood essence and souls.


    A Qi Refining Seventh Stage and a Qi Refining Fifth Stage fresh corpse made Song Wen''s blood essence, which was already quite full, somewhat oversaturated.


    Just as Song Wen finished dealing with the two corpses, he saw the rather disheveled Xuan Ye rushing toward him.


    "Guo Tao, it''s really great to see you."


    Xuan Ye, looking exhausted from consuming a lot of magical energy, said with a face full of relief.


    Song Wen was somewhat surprised. Xuan Ye was indeed like a persistent gue, hard to shake off.


    "Congrattions on escaping, Xuan Ye. Thanks for leading the way earlier. We''ll part ways here."


    Xuan Ye was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that Song Wen was wary of him and did not want him to follow.


    Xuan Ye nodded and said, "Then I wish you a smooth journey. We''ll meet again."


    Song Wen cupped his hands in acknowledgment and then turned to leave, quickly disappearing into the dark cave.


    After traveling for two more miles, Song Wen stopped and released the beetle puppet, waiting for a moment to ensure Xuan Ye did not follow before continuing on his way.


    Two quarters of an hourter, Song Wen finally arrived at the pile of bones with the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    The bone pile was in a massive cave, covering an area of about two or three acres. The cave floor was covered in white bones, with the pile in the center reaching several meters high.


    At the very top of the bone pile, there were two jade-like spiritual trees, one about a foot tall and the other over three feet.


    This was the Hollow Cicada Wood he was looking for.


    Song Wen did not advance recklessly. Instead, he released the beetle puppet to search the cave, but found no abnormalities.


    No abnormalities were the biggest anomaly!


    As their of the dwarf ghost and the blue-faced female ghost, there could not be no danger at all.


    After searching around and still finding no trace of the dwarf ghost, Song Wen no longer waited. He released a somewhat damaged corpse puppet and directly rushed toward the three-foot-tall Hollow Cicada Wood.


    Song Wen had already activated both the Blood Escape Technique and the Blood Sacrifice Technique, ready to deal with any potential danger.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 89: What is Love?

    <h4>Chapter 89: What is Love?</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    As the corpse puppet approached the Hollow Cicada Wood, the bone pile in the distance suddenly began to churn and move.


    Something was emerging from beneath the white bones!


    The object was moving extremely quickly, and in an instant, it had reached the feet of the corpse puppet, then burst out from the pile of bones, sending countless bones flying.


    It was the dwarf ghost.


    It charged directly into the corpse puppet, sending it soaring through the air.


    Taking advantage of this, the dwarf ghost attacked the lower half of the corpse puppet with its ws, which were swirling with ghostly energy.


    The sturdy left leg of the corpse puppet was instantly severed at the root.


    The Qi Refining Sixth Stage corpse puppet was no match for the dwarf ghost.


    The dwarf ghost was preparing to thoroughly destroy the corpse puppet but suddenly stopped.


    It turned out that emerging from the bone pile had exposed its hiding cave.


    Inside the cave where the dwarf ghost was hiding, therge green-faced female ghost was lying there in extreme weakness. It was unclear what method the dwarf ghost had used to save the nearly dissipated soul of the female ghost.


    A dozen beetle Gu were buzzing around the female ghost, their ws outstretched, as if they were about to shred her soulpletely.


    "Human, if you dare to harm her in any way, I will ensure your soul is scattered."


    The dwarf ghost, as if it had been stepped on its tail, suddenly became furious. The ghostly energy on its body began to churn violently, making the entire cave eerie and suffused with ghostly energy.


    The dwarf ghost''s voice was unpleasant, like an old windbox, making a howling noise.


    Seeing the dwarf ghost''s reaction, Song Wen revealed a faint smile.


    He hadn''t expected it to actually work!


    Earlier in the cave, the dwarf ghost had chosen to abandon the attack on them to save the critically injured female ghost.


    Song Wen had guessed at the time that the female ghost was very important to the dwarf ghost, or that they had a deep emotional bond.


    So, upon discovering the green-faced female ghost, Song Wen decided to use the weakened female ghost to threaten the dwarf ghost.


    "Give me that three-hundred-year-old Hollow Cicada Wood, and I will leave without harming her in any way," Song Wen said.


    "That''s impossible!" the dwarf ghost roared.


    "Oh? Is that so?" Song Wen said with a sinister smile.


    The sixteen ck-bellied beetle puppets surrounding the female ghost suddenly surged with spiritual energy. The already extremely weak female ghost, surrounded by so many beetle puppets, was disturbed by the gusts of spiritual energy from their pping wings, making her soul sway as if it were about to shatter at any moment.


    "Stop! You must stop!" the dwarf ghost shouted in panic.


    "I will give you the Hollow Cicada Wood."


    The dwarf ghost floated toward the Hollow Cicada Wood, reaching out to uproot it.


    "Tian Ge, don''t. These two Hollow Cicada Woods are what you have painstakingly searched for and transnted. They are the key to your breakthrough to a higher-level ghost," the weakened female ghost suddenly spoke.


    Her voice was piercing and harsh, like two pieces of iron scraping against each other.


    The dwarf ghost stopped its hand from uprooting the Hollow Cicada Wood and looked at the female ghost with aplicated expression.


    "But if I don''t give him the Hollow Cicada Wood, he will kill you!"


    "The Hollow Cicada Wood can be found again, but if your soul dissipates, you won''t even have the chance to be reincarnated."


    The dwarf ghost''s voice, which was already unpleasant to hear, now had a few sobs in it.


    Seeing that the Hollow Cicada Wood was almost in his grasp, but the female ghost''s words causedplications, Song Wen became anxious and urged, "Hurry, give me the Hollow Cicada Wood, or I''ll make my move."


    The dwarf ghost''s face changed drastically. It shouted urgently, "Don''t kill her, I''ll give it to you."


    With that, it pulled up the Hollow Cicada Wood by its roots and threw it toward Song Wen.


    Song Wen looked at the Hollow Cicada Wood approaching him from mid-air, his face showing joy, but then he became rmed again.


    It turned out that the green-faced female ghost, after uttering "Tian Ge, goodbye," had her soul copse and scatter.


    "No!" The dwarf ghost''s voice was filled with anguish, sorrow, and despair, as if it had suddenly lost the meaning of life.


    Ghostly energy surged around it, rising like a roaring flood.


    As the dwarf ghost rushed into the cave, ghostly energy surged wildly towards the torn soul of the female ghost, attempting to keep the green-faced female ghost in the mortal realm.


    However, it was ultimately in vain.


    The female ghost''s fragmented soul, like a cloud of dissipating smoke, was scattered even faster by the ghostly energy.


    "No!"


    Another roar mixed with sorrow and anger erupted.


    The murderous intent was overwhelming, and the atmosphere was tumultuous.


    The boundless ghostly energy swept wildly in all directions.


    The sixteen ck-bellied beetle puppets that hadn''t managed to escape were engulfed by the ghostly energy, losing their vitality instantly, and were swept away by the ghostly energy, drifting aimlessly.


    Song Wen, who had finally secured the Hollow Cicada Wood, was activating the Blood Escape Technique to flee when he sensed the death of the ck-bellied beetle Gu.


    He had already lost fifteen beetle Gu during the battle with the White Bone Worm, and now with the loss of sixteen more, he had lost a total of thirty-one.


    However, Song Wen was too preupied with his escape to think about these losses.


    He just wanted to get as far away as possible.


    The enraged dwarf ghost was terrifyingly formidable.


    Song Wen felt like things had gotten out of control.


    He hadn''t expected the emotional bond between these two ghosts to be so deep.


    The dwarf ghost had given up its chance for advancement for the female ghost.


    The female ghost, in turn, was willing to disintegrate her soul for the dwarf ghost.


    Such a moving, steadfast, and selfless love!


    To think it happened between two ghosts was almost unbelievable.


    Willing to give everything, even life, for the other��that might be the most beautiful form of love.


    In contrast, the entanglement between Lao Chun and the purple-d figure was filled with madness, pathology, and schemes...


    Sometimes, human emotions could be less pure and sincere than those of ghosts.


    ...


    The ghostly energy from the dwarf ghost enveloped the entire cave, causing countless bones from the bone pile to rise and float toward the dwarf ghost.


    The dwarf ghost''s momentum rapidly increased, quickly reaching the Qi Refining Ninth Stage.


    In an instant, a massive ghostly figure over two yards tall, covered in bones as if wearing a bone armor, appeared.


    "Human, die!"


    The roar of the Bone Dwarf Ghost reverberated through the cave, causing countless rocks to fall.


    The Bone Dwarf Ghost chased after Song Wen, crashing through the cave and smashing countless stones.


    By now, Song Wen had already covered two or three miles. Despite using the Blood Burning Technique, the blood scent he left behind,bined with the surrounding corpse energy and Yin energy, was quite conspicuous, allowing the dwarf ghost to track him easily.


    The speed of the Bone Dwarf Ghost was faster than the exhausted Song Wen, and the distance between them was gradually closing.


    "Boom!" Song Wen collided with a corpse, which wasparable to a Qi Refining Third Stage corpse. The impact shattered the corpse into pieces, sending rotting flesh flying.


    Several wandering corpses attracted by Song Wen''s strong blood scent, hurried towards him.


    Before they could get close, Song Wen''s figure disappeared without a trace.


    Following closely, the two-yard-tall Bone Dwarf Ghost charged in. The ghostly energy swept through the corpses, knocking them to the ground, and stripping offyers of rotting flesh, revealing their stark white bones.


    The Bone Dwarf Ghost, unable to catch up with the human in front, was burning with fury.


    A transparent de appeared in front of it, then swiftly crossed the distance of several dozen meters and stabbed towards the back of Song Wen''s head.


    Song Wen swayed slightly but did not slow down, continuing his escape.


    The Bone Dwarf Ghost was momentarily stunned. It hadn''t expected its invincible spiritual attack to miss.


    Not only had it failed to injure the damned human, but it had also slowed its own speed, increasing the distance between them even further.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 90: Good Man Xuan Ye

    <h4>Chapter 90: Good Man Xuan Ye</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Xuan Ye was quite pleased with the traps he had set.


    He had hidden the eight gs of the zing Fire Array in the crevices of the rocks. They were difficult to detect without a thorough mental scan.


    Song Wen had shown an extraordinarily strong mental ability, surpassing the detection range of the perfected Qi Refining Stage, and could ignore the mental attacks of the dwarf ghost.


    Xuan Ye suspected that Song Wen might possess a powerful mental artifact.


    This thought made Xuan Ye greedy. He decided to take a risk and set an ambush on Song Wen''s likely path.


    As long as Song Wen stepped into the array, no matter how strong he was, Xuan Ye could slowly grind him down.


    However, Xuan Ye was troubled by how to lure Song Wen into the trap without him being cautious. After observing for several days, Xuan Ye saw that Song Wen was extremely cautious.


    Suddenly, Xuan Ye''s face brightened with joy.


    "He''sing!"


    "Hm? Something''s not right. Guo Tao seems to be fleeing."


    Xuan Ye thought to himself.


    He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to stop Song Wen. He worried that the ghost creatures chasing Song Wen might be too strong and might cause trouble for him.


    Seeing Song Wen about to enter the array''s range, Xuan Ye steeled himself.


    Fortune favors the bold!


    He immediately activated the array te, and a red light shield appeared out of nowhere, trapping Song Wen within the array.


    Instantly, fierce mes roared within the array, and the temperature rose sharply.


    When Xuan Ye noticed Song Wen, Song Wen had also spotted him.


    Like Xuan Ye, Song Wen had a look of delight.


    He was struggling with how to shake off the dwarf skeleton ghost, and unexpectedly, Xuan Ye came right to him.


    Song Wen had anticipated Xuan Ye''s intentions.


    There were likely ambushes ahead!


    Better to face a lesser threat than the dwarf skeleton ghost!


    Compared to the dwarf skeleton ghost, Xuan Ye was like a soft target.


    "Ha ha, Guo Tao, I want to see where you can run now. Hand over your mental artifact, and I''ll make it quick for you," Xuan Ye said with a smug tone as Song Wen plunged into the array.


    A golden shield first appeared around Song Wen, followed by a green bronze bell, both protecting him.


    With the double protection of the Vajra Talisman and Ten Thousand Poison Body, Song Wen could still withstand the high temperatures within the array.


    He looked gratefully at Xuan Ye, who was proudly showing off, and thought to himself.


    "Humans! Helping others in times of crisis."


    A silver talisman appeared in Song Wen''s hand, and a majestic divine power surged from it, but it remained undirected.


    "Boom boom boom..."


    The dwarf skeleton ghost stomped heavily into view.


    Each step it took resonated throughout the cave.


    Xuan Ye''s expression froze as he looked at the suddenly appearing dwarf skeleton ghost.


    "What kind of monster is that?"


    The powerful aura of the dwarf skeleton ghost made Xuan Ye feel a chill.


    "Damn, the creature chasing Guo Tao isparable to a Qi Refining Ninth Stage monster!"


    The dwarf skeleton ghost also noticed Xuan Ye and the zing Fire Array. It mistakenly thought Xuan Ye and Song Wen were in cahoots. After assessing Xuan Ye''s strength and the power of the array, it charged straight into the array''s shield.


    "Rumble!"


    A thunderous sound shook the ground.


    The cave trembled!


    Countless rocks above the cave were shattered and fell down.


    The shield of the zing Fire Array shattered under the dwarf skeleton ghost''s violent impact.


    The array was forcefully breached, and the array te in Xuan Ye''s hand instantly cracked into pieces. Xuan Ye was struck as if by lightning, blood pouring from his mouth, and his aura instantly became weak.


    The dwarf skeleton ghost also suffered. It was knocked back a few steps, and the intense heat and the celestial Yang energy from the array burned many of its bones ck.


    Song Wen''s eyes lit up.


    "Here''s my chance!"


    "Crack!"


    A thunderous sound echoed throughout the cave.


    A silver lightning bolt appeared out of nowhere.


    Twisting and writhing like a strange serpent, it surged unpredictably.


    "Boom!"


    The silver serpent struck the dwarf skeleton ghost, enveloping it in ayer of silver.


    The immense divine power purified all impurities within!


    The ghostly energy on the dwarf skeleton ghost melted away like spring snow.


    Its numerous bones quickly turned into piles of dust, swept away by the fierce wind, dispersing in all directions.


    When the silver serpent retreated, the dwarf skeleton ghost was left with no bones at all, and its aura plummeted to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer.


    At this point, the dwarf ghost was severely injured, and even its soul body became unstable.


    Indeed, a divine thunder spell, with its immense heavenly might, could show its greatest destructive power against evil spirits and demons.


    Song Wen, unaware of the dwarf skeleton ghost''s injuries, had already fled as soon as the lightning struck.


    At this moment, he was already two or three miles away.


    The severely wounded dwarf skeleton ghost realized it could no longer catch that damned human. Even if it did catch up, it was doubtful it could kill him in its current state.


    Its immediate priority was to quickly heal its wounds, or it would be at risk of falling in this perilous cave, where numerous corpses and vengeful spirits were not to be trifled with.


    It turned its gaze to Xuan Ye, who was heavily injured and had not managed to escape, lying beside the destroyed array.


    A momentter.


    The dwarf skeleton ghost, having devoured Xuan Ye''s soul and life force, looked at the direction Song Wen had fled, filled with murderous intent, but also with sorrow and helplessness.


    It knew it would probably never have another chance to encounter this person again.


    There might never be another opportunity to avenge this blood feud!


    ...


    Unaware of the situation behind him, Song Wen did not dare to stop for a moment. He continuously used Blood Escape and Blood Sacrifice as he dashed through the cave.


    When his blood energy ran low, he drank a vial of essence blood.


    When he drank thest vial of essence blood, he stopped using Blood Sacrifice and only continued with Blood Escape.


    In just three hours, he had covered the journey that had taken him two days to travel in.


    The cave''s exit was now in sight.


    Looking at the faint light at the exit, Song Wen felt it was so bright and weing.


    He released his flying boat and used his remaining spiritual power to propel it towards the sky.


    ...


    After leaving the underground caves.


    More than an hourter, Song Wen sessfully exited the ancient battlefield.


    On a cliff several dozen miles away from the ancient battlefield, he found a cave and hid inside.


    After prolonged battles and escapes, his spiritual power was nearly depleted, and he urgently needed to recover his strength to guard against any unforeseen events.


    However, things did not go as hoped.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    Three figures appeared on the cliff top: one man and two women. The man was at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer; one of the women was at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and the other was at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.


    "Just now, someone clearly used a flying boat and came this way. Why can''t we detect the person''s aura now?" asked the woman at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.


    The man replied, "They must have used a technique or artifact to conceal their aura and hide."


    "Big Brother, what should we do?"


    "Second Sister, you and I will use flying talismans to go down and check. Third Sister, you stay on the cliff top, keep watch, and be ready to assist," the man instructed.


    The three of them were siblings, scavengers roaming the outskirts of the ancient battlefield.


    They generally did not attack those entering the ancient battlefield but waited until they emerged.


    Most cultivators who had just exited the ancient battlefield were either injured or had exhausted their spiritual power, making them rtively easy targets.


    Moreover, they only targeted those who were alone or had lower cultivation levels.


    This cautious strategy had allowed them to ambush dozens of cultivators with few failures.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 91: Surveillance

    <h4>Chapter 91: Surveince</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Before the three bandit cultivators reached the cliff top, the scattered silver beetles had already informed Song Wen of their presence.


    Song Wen was agitated. He just wanted to quietly recover his spiritual power here, but now he faced these three audacious cultivators trying to rob him.


    It was as if the world was constantly filled with malice��just like the little beggar who tried to steal his buns, or the poisonous test given by Ji Yin, or Shi Shou making him practice wed techniques.


    It felt like the entire world was against him.


    Perhaps this is what it means to be "in the world of martial arts, with no control over one''s fate."


    Song Wen could choose to escape. With his speed, even the Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator would be unable to catch him.


    However, he didn''t intend to flee without giving them a piece of his mind... or de��he wanted them to pay a bloody price!


    He also needed to replenish some essence blood.


    "Big Brother, there''s a cave here," said the Qi Refining Fifth Layer Second Sister.


    The male cultivator stopped the Second Sister who was about to charge in and said, "Second Sister, don''t be reckless. If that person is hiding in this cave, they are sure to have set up traps."


    The Second Sister nodded, and a fireball appeared in front of her.


    "Go!"


    The fireball flew into the cave, which was shallow, only a few meters deep, and soon crashed into the cave wall.


    The firelight flickered in the cave, revealing that it was empty and there were no signs of any formations. It didn''t seem like a ce where someone could hide.


    "They should not be in this cave," the male cultivator said.


    Suddenly, a sound of breaking air came from above.


    Looking up, it was the younger sister.


    At this moment, the younger sister had be a corpse, with all her essence blood, organs, and brain matter missing, leaving only an empty skin.


    The skin was intact, as if something had entered her body and hollowed out her flesh from within.


    This was naturally the result of the ck-Bellied Beetle''s work.


    "Little Sister..." The male cultivator''s eyes turned bloodshot, filled with sorrow and hatred.


    He flew up and caught the younger sister''s corpse.


    "Little Sister..." The Second Sister also cried out in sorrow.


    "Who did this?" The male cultivator suppressed his grief and asked angrily.


    They hadn''t heard any unusual sounds from below the cliff, neither fighting nor the release of spiritual power.


    Everything suggested that the younger sister had been ambushed and killed instantly, almost without a chance to resist.


    "Let''s go up and take a look!" The male cultivator stored the younger sister''s body and said to the Second Sister.


    In a cave a hundred meters away, Song Wen peered out and watched the two figures moving away, his gaze dark.


    ...


    The two searched the bushes at the top of the cliff. Besides a few drops of blood on the grass, there were no other findings, not even a footprint.


    It was as if the murderer had flown in, killed the younger sister, and then flown away.


    Who could have silently killed the younger sister?


    Could it be a Foundation Establishment cultivator?


    But why would a Foundation Establishment cultivator choose to ambush when targeting three Qi Refining cultivators?


    The male cultivator looked around with no results and then said to the Second Sister.


    "I''ll check from above; be careful."


    With that, the male cultivator used flying technique and soared into the sky.


    As he flew, he shouted, "You shameless scoundrels hiding in the dark, daring to kill my sister. I will find you and tear you to pieces."


    Before he finished speaking, the male cultivator suddenly flew off in the distance, going further and further away.


    Seeing the elder brother flying off, the Second Sister suddenly realized something. Her face changed dramatically, and she also took to the air, trying to leave.


    Just a few meters off the ground, she saw several half-foot-long needles flying out from the nearby trees.


    The needles were thin and fast, chasing the wind and lightning!


    The Second Sister did not dare to be careless. She summoned a one-zhang red ribbon, which spun and coiled in the air, just as the needles were about to be entangled.


    The front of the needle suddenly opened, and dozens of fine needles, as thin as a hair and glowing with a faint blue light, indicating potent poison, were shot out.


    The sudden change left the Second Sister flustered.


    She hurriedly cast a shield spell, and ayer of spiritual power shield appeared around her.


    Fearing that the shield spell alone might not block dozens of fine needles, the Second Sister produced a talisman from her hand and activated it.


    A fierce wind suddenly appeared in front of the Second Sister, conjured out of thin air.


    The powerful gust of wind swept up the needles, causing them to lose their uracy.


    Just as the Second Sister thought she could rx, she suddenly sensed with her spiritual perception that two beetles were attacking from behind.


    She turned around and waved the red ribbon in her hand towards the beetles.


    Suddenly, beetles attacked from all directions.


    It was like fighting with two fists against four hands!


    The ck-Bellied Beetles quickly closed in and breached the spiritual power shield.


    Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her back, and her body fell from mid-air, lifeless.


    Song Wen emerged from the dense forest, nced up at the male cultivator who was almost disappearing into the sky, and put away the Vajra Talisman he was holding, feeling a bit speechless.


    When it came to fear and timidity, this person took the cake.


    At the first sign of danger, he turned and ran, even tricking the Second Sister into being a sacrificial pawn.


    Song Wen approached the Second Sister''s body, absorbed her essence blood, took her storage bag, and used a fireball to turn the corpse to ashes before descending the cliff.


    He now understood that there were likely many bandit cultivators in the area. Using the flying boat to escape would easily expose him, so it was safer to remain hidden in the forest.


    The cliff was already exposed and could not be stayed at any longer.


    Song Wen traveled dozens of miles, finding a wild beast''s den on a slope to hide in.


    The next day, after his spiritual power hadrgely recovered, Song Wen used his flying boat to head towards the sect.


    He hade with five people but was returning alone. With no one else to guard against, he flew straight towards the sect at full speed.


    In just one day and night, he sessfully returned to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    As he approached the entrance of his cave residence, he saw an unexpected visitor.


    Du Qiu!


    He was the inner sect disciple who had initially guided Song Wen and the other five into the Corpse Demon Sect.


    "Ji Yin greets Brother Du. Are you here for something? Is there anything I can assist you with?"


    Song Wen''s initial surprise gave way to a ttering demeanor.


    Du Qiu replied, "Ah, it''s Junior Brother Ji Yin. I''m just passing through. Farewell, Junior Brother."


    With that, Du Qiu turned and left.


    Song Wen looked at the cliff not far from his cave residence and twitched his lips.


    Passing through? Why the hell are you hanging around the cliff then?


    Is he contemting suicide?


    That doesn''t fit either; the cliff next to his cave wasn''t even ten meters high. Du Qiu, at Qi Refining Seventh Layer, wouldn''t die from such a fall.


    Just now, Song Wen sensed that Du Qiu''s cultivation was only at Qi Refining Seventh Layer.


    When he joined the sect, Du Qiu was already an inner sect disciple, meaning he was at Qi Refining Seventh Layer then. After two and a half years, he remained at Qi Refining Seventh Layer.


    Song Wen smirked. What a waste!


    However, it seemed like this waste was spying on him!


    Was he sent by Shi Shou?


    A surge of hatred and urgency arose in Song Wen''s heart.


    He suspected that once he revealed his cultivation level as Qi Refining Sixth Layer, Shi Shou would likely take action against him.


    This suspicion was based on the fact that the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" was safe only before reaching Qi Refining Sixth Layer. After reaching Qi Refining Sixth Layer, uncontroble corpse transformation issues would arise.


    Shi Shou might be waiting for this exact moment.


    However, this also meant that he was temporarily safe and still had time to improve his strength.


    For a moment, Song Wen considered fleeing the Corpse Demon Sect, but thinking of the lingering soul aura left in the sect and the sect''s brutal methods against deserters, he dismissed the idea.


    The sect retains the soul aura of all its disciples, not only to confirm if they are alive or dead but also to hunt down deserters.


    With a cultivator''s soul aura, no matter how well one hides their cultivation aura or where they conceal themselves, the Corpse Demon Sect can find them through secret methods, unless one can change their own soul.


    Once in the Corpse Demon Sect, one is a part of it for life, in both life and death.


    While alive, disciples must contribute to the sect, and in death, their remains will not be wasted.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 92: Refining a Substitute Puppet

    <h4>Chapter 92: Refining a Substitute Puppet</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Corpse Demon Peak.


    In a cave residence on the shadowy side of the mountain.


    Du Qiu was kneeling with his legs crossed, showing a respectful demeanor.


    "Elder Shi, Ji Yin has returned alive. It seems he must have found some kind of spiritual herb that can clear the mind."


    Shi Shou was surrounded by corpse energy, the dark and dense corpse qi swirling around his mouth and nose, breathing in and out.


    His face was ashen, with long fangs exposed, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke.


    "Returned alive, is it? Very good! It seems he''s quite resourceful. Even after being contaminated by the miasma of the Corpse Cave, he managed to resolve it himself."


    After a brief pause, Shi Shou continued.


    "What is his current cultivation level?"


    "Qi Refining Fourth Layer."


    "Still only at Qi Refining Fourth Layer?"


    Shi Shou murmured softly.


    "That''s true. He''s only been in the sect for two and a half years, so reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer is not too slow."


    "Dismissed. Keep a close watch on Ji Yin. When his cultivation breaks through to Qi Refining Sixth Layer, make sure to inform me immediately."


    "Understood, Elder Shi." Du Qiu replied.


    ...


    Back in his cave residence, Song Wen began to sort through the spoils from his recent outing.


    First, the primary objective of risking his life to enter the cave: the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    This Hollow Cicada Wood was approximately 350 years old, which was sufficient for Song Wen to use in bncing the corpse qi within his body.


    Additionally, he obtained four storage bags, from Lao Chun, Zi Yi, the Second Sister of the bandits, and the Little Sister.


    He also acquired three corpse-raising bags, two from Zi Yi and one from Lao Chun.


    The corpse-raising bags contained three corpse puppets: two at Qi Refining Sixth Layer and one at Qi Refining Ninth Layer.


    The items in the storage bags were quite varied: spirit stones, talismans, elixirs, magical tools, and more.


    The spirit stones in the four storage bags totaled nearly four thousand.


    In the cave, Lao Chun, Zi Yi, and Xuan Ye had divided Yan Gu''s storage bag, so it was likely that they obtained a significant number of spirit stones from it.


    As for the two female bandits, they had probably killed other cultivators, so their storage bags also contained a substantial amount of spirit stones.


    However, Yan Gu''s set of Evil Buddha magical tools was not among them, so it must have been acquired by Xuan Ye.


    Finally, there was the bloodstone that Niu Ding had risked his life to obtain.


    Song Wen initially thought the bloodstone was a magical tool or a treasure to enhance cultivation, but after examining it with his spiritual power, he discovered it was actually a legacy item, recording a secret technique.


    Puppet Substitute Technique!


    This is a secret technique that involves refining a substitute puppet, which, in times of crisis, activates the technique to have the puppet take the cultivator''s ce and endure fatal damage. At the same time, the cultivator is relocated to another position, determined temporarily by the caster, and can only be within the range covered by the caster''s spiritual power.


    This is an incredibly miraculous escape technique.


    No wonder Niu Ding risked life and death to obtain it.


    Song Wen immediately began to study the details of the Puppet Substitute Technique''s method.


    Refining a substitute puppet can be broadly divided into three steps.


    First, create a puppet, which can be of any shape or material, but must be able to carry the cultivator''s soul imprint.


    Step Five is the most crucial and dangerous.


    Soul Severing! This involves separating the soul imprint from the cultivator''s soul. It requires the cultivator''s spiritual power or soul to be strong enough; otherwise, forcibly severing the soul can damage it. The lighter consequence is that the soul bes iplete, leading to mental impairment, while the more severe result is the soul scattering, leaving no ce for the body.


    The Third Step is to transfer the soul imprint onto the substitute puppet, merging the soul imprint with the puppet.


    This way, the substitute puppet will carry the cultivator''s soul aura and can take the cultivator''s ce in times of danger, enduring fatal damage on their behalf.


    While the Puppet Substitute Technique is remarkable, it does have drawbacks.


    Repeatedly refining substitute puppets will gradually thin out the cultivator''s soul, potentially affecting their mental state and future cultivation.


    However, for Song Wen, this is not an issue.


    He can devour others'' souls to enhance his own soul and spiritual power. Severing a portion of the soul imprint poses no significant risk to him.


    The problem lies in the first step, refining the substitute puppet.


    The puppet must be able to bear the soul imprint, and the imprint must not dissipate, which makes Song Wen feel a bit at a loss.


    Firstly, items capable of bearing a soul imprint are generally not cheap.


    Secondly, he has no knowledge of crafting techniques. Learning the entire process of refining substitute puppets from scratch would require a significant amount of time.


    What Song Wen needs most right now is time, especially with the threat of Shi Shou looming.


    "Right, if refining puppets is too difficult, I can try using corpse puppets instead. Corpse puppets are essentially intact corpses refined to bear the soul imprint without dispersing, so it should work."


    With this thought, he decided to give it a try. He currently had three corpse puppets at hand.


    The Qi Refining Ninth Layer corpse puppet was clearly not suitable; it would be too wasteful to use it for refining a substitute puppet.


    Song Wen took out a Qi Refining Sixth Layer corpse puppet. This was a male corpse, well-preserved and as solid as rock, making it capable of bearing the soul imprint.


    Next, came the most critical step: severing the soul imprint.


    Song Wen began attempting the soul severing method recorded in the Puppet Substitute Technique.


    The process of severing the soul imprint was even more painful and difficult than Song Wen had anticipated.


    Each time he tried to forcibly separate the soul imprint, a voice in his subconscious warned that the soul was the most important part of the body and should not be tampered with. This made Song Wen hesitant and cautious about severing the soul imprint.


    Moreover, the process was extremely agonizing, as if someone was using a knife to cut deep within his sea of consciousness. The pain was so intense that it almost made him stop the spell involuntarily.


    After several attempts, Song Wen finally steeled his resolve, cleared his mind of all distractions and reluctance, and forcefully performed the technique. He managed to sessfully sever the soul imprint.


    At this point, his clothes werepletely soaked, and the ground where he sat was covered in water, making him look as if he had just been pulled out of ake.


    Then, Song Wen endured the excruciating pain in his sea of consciousness and transferred the soul imprint to the corpse puppet.


    This process wasn''tplex but was extremely time-consuming.


    Two dayster, Song Wen slowly opened his eyes.


    The substitute puppet had finally been sessfully refined!


    The intense pain in his sea of consciousness had gradually eased, and he could clearly sense his soul starting to recover.


    If he could devour a few more cultivators'' souls, his soul would recover quickly.


    Perhaps finding cultivators'' souls elsewhere might be difficult, but in the Corpse Demon Sect, they were readily avable for purchase.


    There were many freshly obtained cultivators'' souls waiting to be sold.


    Among them, there were mostly righteous cultivators'' souls, as righteous techniques are profound and mysterious. These make the cultivators'' souls more gentle and pure, unlike those of evil cultivators, whose souls are often tainted and filthy due to miasma.


    Coincidentally, Song Wen also needed to visit the market to deal with some unusable items and exchange them for cultivation resources, preparing to refine and absorb the Hollow Cicada Wood and bnce the corpse energy in his body.


    Song Wen first went to various shops, selling off unusable magical tools, elixirs, talismans, spirit herbs, etc., and earned 1,800 spirit stones.


    He then spent several hundred spirit stones to purchase a batch of cultivation resources and three cultivators'' souls.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 93: Senior Xu’s Request

    <h4>Chapter 93: Senior Xu��s Request</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen walked through the bustling market area, preparing to return to his cave residence.


    Suddenly, he heard Senior Xu''s voice.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, wait a moment!"


    Song Wen stopped and smiled slightly. Senior Xu was the one who had introduced him to the underground ghost market. In that sense, his sessful acquisition of the Hollow Cicada Wood was partly due to Xu''s favor.


    "Senior Xu, is there something up?"


    Senior Xu said, "Aren''t you buying any corpse energy today? I have two bottles of excellent quality here. Aren''t you interested?"


    Song Wen shook his head. He hadn''t resolved his corpse energy issue yet, so he didn''t need the corpse energy for now.


    "Senior Xu, I must take my leave."


    Song Wen turned to leave, but to his surprise, Senior Xu walked directly out of his stall and stuffed the two bottles of corpse energy into Song Wen''s hands.


    Song Wen looked at him in confusion and asked, "Senior Xu, what is this for?"


    "These two bottles of corpse energy are a gift for you," Senior Xu said.


    "Unwarranted gifts are not epted!" Saying this, Song Wen tried to return the two jade bottles to the stall.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, wait a moment. I have a small favor to ask of you," Senior Xu quickly said.


    Song Wen hesitated for a moment but eventually put the jade bottles back on the stall and asked, "What is the favor? Since Senior Xu previously introduced me to the ghost market, I owe you a favor. If it''s not too troublesome or dangerous, I''m happy to help."


    Song Wen''s words implied that, given Senior Xu''s previous help, he was willing to assist with a minor favor, but if it was too troublesome or dangerous, he would prefer to decline.


    Seeing Song Wen''s response, Senior Xu smiled.


    "Rest assured, it''s not a difficult task. I just need you to make a trip to the mundane world for me. Also, there''s no rush. You can go whenever you have free time or happen to be passing by."


    Song Wen asked in confusion, "What does Senior Xu need me to do in the mundane world?"


    Senior Xu''s expression suddenly became serious. He stopped speaking and insteadmunicated via spiritual transmission.


    "No matter what, I hope you will keep what I say next confidential."


    "I want you to visit my hometown, check on how my elderly mother is doing, and see how my younger sister, whom I left behind when I was young, is faring now."


    Song Wen was even more puzzled and responded via spiritual transmission, "Since it''s a visit to your hometown, why don''t you go yourself, Senior Xu?"


    Senior Xu''s eyes showed a hint of mncholy, and he continued via spiritual transmission.


    "Once you be a cultivator and enter the Demon Realm, you must sever ties with the mortal world for the benefit of both them and yourself. Letting you make this trip is merely to alleviate their years of concern."


    Senior Xu''s demeanor suddenly changed from mncholy to resolute and determined.


    "Moreover, I have more pressing matters. This trip might very well be a final farewell."


    Song Wen''s expression became serious as he recalled that Senior Xu had previously mentioned being at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. This visit was likely rted to foundation establishment.


    Thus, before his imminent departure, Senior Xu entrusted Song Wen��who had no personal stakes or grievances with him, and whom he owed a favor��to visit his hometown.


    Given that Senior Xu''s family were ordinary mortals with nothing significant, he was not worried about Song Wen causing trouble for them from a thousand miles away.


    After receiving the two bottles of corpse energy, Song Wen left the market.


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit mncholic. Cultivators, especially those of the demonic path, indeed had to be heartless and unfeeling.


    Once one enters the path of immortality, they bid a permanent farewell to the mortal world.


    Even close family must be forsaken; if one cannot sever these ties, family members may be obstacles on the path of cultivation and could even bring disaster upon the cultivator.


    Senior Xu''s request for Song Wen to make this trip was merely to let his family know through Song Wen that he was still alive and well, easing their long-standing concerns.


    This also revealed theck ofpassion among demonic cultivators. Despite having practiced in the Corpse Demon Sect for twenty or thirty years, knowing hundreds or thousands of sect disciples, Senior Xu chose Song Wen��a person with no significant connection to him��to carry out this task.


    Back in his cave residence, Song Wen prepared to refine the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    After sitting in meditation to calm his mind and adjust his spirit for an hour, Song Wen took out the Hollow Cicada Wood.


    He held the Hollow Cicada Wood in his hands and closed his eyes to channel his technique.


    Under the influence of his spiritual power, the unique void-mingling energy of the Hollow Cicada Wood entered Song Wen''s body, flowing through his limbs, bones, and meridians, finally reaching his dantian and sea of qi.


    ording to Zhang Xiaofan''s Master, the energy from the Hollow Cicada Wood could harmonize the filth of the world, extracting the essence while discarding the dross. This would heal Song Wen''s corpse transformation symptoms without affecting his cultivation.


    The process of refining took seven days.


    When he opened his eyes again, he felt refreshed, with the corpse energy in his body harmonized, and the crisis of corpse transformation naturally resolved.


    The Hollow Cicada Wood in his hands had changed from its original jade-like appearance to a grayish color. With a slight squeeze, it turned into small fragments scattered on the ground.


    As Song Wen was about to stand up and stretch his limbs, he felt a disturbance within his body.


    It was the beetle Gu.


    Song Wen had forgotten to release them before refining the corpse energy. These little creatures had been confined within him for several days and were bing restless, crawling around in his abdomen.


    Song Wen opened his mouth and released all the beetle Gu.


    The thirty-four beetle Gu instantly fluttered around the cave residence.


    Song Wen suddenly remembered something. Inside the cave, the beetles had consumed the small crystals from the bone worms.


    He had initially thought that those crystals would help improve the beetles'' cultivation. However, it now seemed that their aura had not noticeably strengthened.


    "Could it be that I was mistaken? The crystals from the bone worms might not actually enhance the beetles'' abilities; perhaps they were merely food."


    "Impossible. I''ve nevercked spiritual materials or essence blood for the beetles. Their active consumption of the crystals must have some reason."


    "Could it be that they ate too little? It''s not enough to enhance their strength."


    Song Wen''s gaze shifted to the storage bag at his waist.


    He had collected quite a few bone worm corpses in the cave, totaling no fewer than a hundred.


    Song Wen took out a crystal from the bone worm corpses and examined it closely.


    The crystal''s aura was veryplex, containing spiritual energy, demonic energy, corpse energy, and ghost energy��a sort of amalgamation of worldly impurities.


    Unable to understand it clearly, Song Wen decided to experiment with one of the beetles.


    He selected the strongest beetle among them.


    He fed the crystal to the ck-bellied beetle.


    The ck-bellied beetle, upon seeing the crystal, became eager and impatient to devour it.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 94: Chen Yi’s Wish

    <h4>Chapter 94: Chen Yi��s Wish</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The beetle Gu were only the size of a grain of rice, but the bone worm crystals were about the size of a corn kernel. The beetles gulped them down in just a few bites.


    After eating the crystals, the beetles were still unsatisfied. They flew around Song Wen, circling him as if they were children asking for snacks.


    Song Wen took out another crystal and fed it to the beetles.


    Soon, the beetles had consumed over seventy crystals. Concerned they might overeat, Song Wen finally stopped feeding them.


    Full, the beetlesy down on Song Wen''s hand. Their tails began to emit fine threads, which automatically wrapped around them, encasing them in a cocoon.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened. The beetles were spinning their cocoons.


    The only previous time the beetles had spun a cocoon was when they had metamorphosed fromrvae into adult beetles. Now that this beetle was spinning a cocoon again, it meant it was about to undergo another metamorphosis.


    Song Wen''s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the beetle spin its cocoon, fearing any issues might prevent a sessful transformation.


    Half an hourter, the beetle waspletely wrapped in ayer of silk.


    Seeing the process go smoothly, Song Wen was quite pleased. If the beetle underwent another transformation, it would be an even stronger ally.


    However, he was troubled by the remaining forty bone worm corpses in his storage bag.


    The remaining crystals were insufficient to induce another metamorphosis in a beetle. To speed up the reproduction of the metamorphosed beetles, ideally, there should be both male and female beetles.


    "Maybe I should try purchasing bone worm crystals at the market."


    Many disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect and nearby rogue cultivators went to ancient battlefields seeking opportunities, so it was likely that someone had brought back bone worm corpses.


    Deciding to act on this idea, he took a month off from Yuan Cheng, with ten days remaining. During this time, he could focus on his own cultivation.


    After walking around the market and confirming that there were no shops or stalls selling bone worm crystals, Song Wen decided to set up his own stall to purchase the crystals.


    While searching for a suitable spot to set up his stall, he noticed that the ce where Senior Xu used to set up had been vacated, and he was nowhere to be found.


    However, he spotted another familiar figure��Chen Yi.


    "Junior Sister Chen!" Song Wen approached Chen Yi with a smile.


    Chen Yi was the only person Song Wen knew well in the Corpse Demon Sect, or rather, in this world.


    Although their rtionship wasn''t particrly deep or their trust exceptionally high, they were among the few in the sect with whom he could speak honestly.


    "Ah! Senior Brother Ji Yin, you''re back. Did you find the Hollow Cicada Wood you were looking for?" Chen Yi asked.


    Song Wen nodded and said earnestly, "I found it. I owe you thanks, Junior Sister Chen."


    "I hope you can keep this matter confidential and not speak of it to others!"


    Chen Yi nodded solemnly. "Don''t worry, Senior Brother. I understand the importance."


    Song Wen didn''t borate on how he obtained the Hollow Cicada Wood, and Chen Yi didn''t ask further. They had an unspoken understanding to respect each other''s privacy.


    "Are you here to buy some spirit herbs today? I can take care of your needs," Chen Yi offered.


    Her stall disyed more than ten types of spirit herbs.


    Song Wen shook his head. "I''m not buying herbs today. I just happened to pass by and saw you here, so I came over to say hello."


    It was afternoon, and there weren''t many cultivators in the market. Chen Yi''s stall was rtively empty, so Song Wen stood by and chatted with her.


    Chen Yi was a fourth-grade spirit root cultivator. Although her sry as a spirit herb cultivator wasn''t high, she could asionally rely on the spirit field''s produce from Zhang Xiaofan to obtain some spirit stones, barely supporting her cultivation needs.


    Her current cultivation level was only at the third level of Qi Refining, which had basically cut off any possibility of bing an inner sect disciple.


    Without being an inner disciple, it was nearly impossible to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills from the sect. To achieve Foundation Establishment, one had to find a way on their own, much like Senior Xu.


    Chen Yi clearlycked the resourcefulness and means of Senior Xu and had little chance of obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills by herself.


    In other words, Chen Yi''s path to Foundation Establishment was almost entirely closed off.


    For Chen Yi, who had no interest in fighting or seeking great power and immortality, her only wish was to live a stable and peaceful life.


    Thus, she chose to be a spirit herb cultivator.


    With the care of Zhang Xiaofan, a personal disciple of the alchemy hall, no one bothered her, and her life had been rtively calm in the Corpse Demon Sect for the past two and a half years.


    From Chen Yi''s words, Song Wen could vaguely sense that she was weary of the precarious life of cultivation in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Zhang Xiaofan seemed no longer the simple viger he once was. While Chen Yi benefited from Zhang Xiaofan''s support, she had paid some morally questionable price in return.


    Her only current wish was to one day leave the Corpse Demon Sect and live as a free person, returning to a ce where she could spend her final years in peace.


    ...


    Gradually, the market became busier.


    Song Wen said his goodbyes to Chen Yi and left the market.


    After taking a turn outside the market, he returned, but this time his aura and appearance hadpletely changed, and his clothes had been reced with those of a rogue cultivator.


    Song Wen set up a stall in the vacant space next to Chen Yi''s. He put up a sign that read:


    "High prices paid for bone worm crystals from ancient battlefields."


    As soon as Song Wen set up his stall, a market overseer came over to collect the stall fee. After paying five spirit stones, Song Wen received a sign and the overseer left.


    Chen Yi, busy with her own stall, paid little attention to the new stall nearby and assumed it was just another ordinary stall run by a rogue cultivator.


    She did not realize that the person she had just spoken to was actually Song Wen.


    Chen Yi began to attend to customers, as cultivators frequently visited her stall to inquire about prices.


    In contrast to the busy scene at Chen Yi''s stall, Song Wen''s stall remained deserted.


    However, he was not in a hurry. Since he was only purchasing bone worm crystals, it was natural that no one woulde unless they had something to sell.


    When the hour of the Dog approached and the sky darkened, Song Wen''s stall finally saw its first visitor.


    "Do you buy bone worm crystals?"


    Song Wen''s expression brightened; someone had finallye.


    The visitor was dressed in the outer sect robes of the Corpse Demon Sect, at the sixth level of Qi Refining, with a square face and appearing to be in his thirties.


    Song Wen smiled and said, "Yes, I am indeed buying bone worm crystals."


    The square-faced man replied, "I have some bone worm corpses on me, but the crystals haven''t been extracted yet. I can give them to you, but you need to tell me, what are these bone worm crystals used for?"


    Song Wen was somewhat taken aback. From the man''s tone, it seemed that no one had yet discovered the use of the bone worm crystals, at least not this person.


    This implied that, in the eyes of most cultivators, the bone worm crystals were still considered useless.


    Realizing that openly purchasing bone worm crystals might be a bit reckless, Song Wen''s mind raced, and he decided to respond after a brief moment.


    "I''m not sure of their exact use. I am merely following the orders of Elder Shi Shou from the sect to purchase these bone worm crystals."


    "Elder Shi Shou?" The square-faced man murmured, his eyes scanning Song Wen''s face, searching for any signs of deceit.


    However, he saw no discernible clues of dishonesty on Song Wen''s face and felt a bit disappointed.


    "Since the crystals are needed by Elder Shi Shou, I will not overstep. I have ten bone worm corpses here; consider this a token of apology for my impertinence."


    Song Wen epted the bone worm corpses without hesitation and said, "Elder Shi Shou is pressing for these, and I''m quite worried about meeting his demands. Thank you, Senior Brother. With these ten bone worm crystals, I should be able to report back to Elder Shi."


    After saying this, Song Wen began to pack up his stall, giving the impression that he had acquired enough bone worm crystals and was about to leave the market.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 95: The Black Beetle

    <h4>Chapter 95: The ck Beetle</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen packed up his stall and turned to the square-faced man who had not yet left.


    "Senior Brother, I''m taking my leave."


    With that, he turned and walked towards the edge of the market.


    The square-faced man watched Song Wen''s departing figure for a while, his expression dark and contemtive.


    After a moment, he started following Song Wen from a distance.


    He trailed Song Wen closely but maintained a distance of two to three hundred meters, waiting to see where Song Wen would go. The location was too close to the sect for him to take action.


    Suddenly, Song Wen increased his speed significantly, moving much faster than what would be expected from someone at the fourth level of Qi Refining.


    The square-faced man''s eyes lit up with realization.


    "Using the Blood Escape Technique! You think you''re the only one who has practiced this escape art? I happen to have practiced it as well. Let''s see whose technique is more refined and whose blood is more potent."


    The more urgently Song Wen tried to escape, the more convinced the square-faced man became that Song Wen was hiding something important.


    After a little over a quarter-hour, the two arrived at ake several dozen miles from the sect.


    To the square-faced man''s shock, Song Wen''s speed suddenly surged and he disappeared into the darkness.


    The square-faced man rushed to the spot where Song Wen had vanished, his brow furrowed in deep thought.


    "How did he suddenly disappear?"


    The square-faced man paced back and forth, meticulously searching the surrounding area for any clues.


    Suddenly, a ck iron spike, about a foot long and exuding a strong aura of death, shot towards him.


    "Hmph! A petty trick."


    Though the ck iron spike was a mid-grade magical weapon, the attacker''s strength was evidently insufficient to fully utilize its power.


    The square-faced man was certain that the attacker was the same Qi Refining fourth-level cultivator who had just disappeared.


    He waved his left hand, releasing a Qi Refining fifth-level corpse puppet.


    The corpse puppet charged directly at the Soul-Breaking Awl.


    The square-faced man''s gaze was fixed on a clump of bushes about fifty meters ahead. The iron spike hade from there, and the cultivator was likely hiding among those bushes.


    He conjured a ck short de in front of him and shot it toward the bushes with lightning speed.


    Just as the square-faced man smiled, anticipating the sight of his foe lying severely wounded, several grayish insects silently crawled up his pants.


    "Ah!"


    The square-faced man suddenly felt excruciating pain in his lower body, his face contorted in agony.


    At this moment, he found that a few insects had crawled onto his body at some point.


    The insects had burrowed into his body and were frenziedly tearing at his insides.


    After a few breaths, the square-faced man fell to the ground, lifeless.


    Song Wen emerged from the bushes, holding the square-faced man''s short de.


    Without its master''s spiritual power to activate it, the short de''s effectiveness was greatly diminished and posed no threat to Song Wen. The corpse puppet stood still, frozen in ce.


    Song Wen approached the square-faced man''s corpse and inserted his right hand into the chest of the still-breathing corpse.


    Although most of the square-faced man''s flesh had been devoured by the beetle, Song Wen could still consume the man''s soul to prevent any potential use of necromantic magic that might summon his residual soul. He wanted to see what the square-faced man had witnessed before his death.


    Song Wen removed the storage bag and corpse-raising bag from the body, and a me erupted from his hand, flying towards the now-dried corpse of the square-faced man. After a moment, it turned into a pile of ashes.


    He then used the Wind de Technique to scatter the ashes.


    He opened the square-faced man''s storage bag, collected the over four hundred spirit stones inside, and cursed silently, "Pauper."


    There were also more than fifty bone beetle corpses in the storage bag, which Song Wen collected as well.


    He returned the short de to the storage bag and did not touch the other items inside. Using the corpse-raising bag, he collected the corpse puppet.


    After checking around to ensure nothing was left behind, Song Wen used the Blood Escape Technique to quickly leave the area.


    After traveling for more than ten miles, he found a spot and buried the storage bag and corpse-raising bag.


    Every cultivator''s corpse puppet and magical items have unique personal traits, and he worried about being recognized when selling them. To be safe, he buried them.


    Although corpse puppets can be reprocessed to alter their aura and appearance, the Qi Refining fifth-level corpse puppet was of little use to Song Wen now. It was better to bury it than to keep it.


    Havingpleted this task, Song Wen headed back to the sect.


    ...


    For the next ten days, Song Wen remained in his cave dwelling, focusing on cultivation and not leaving.


    Whether the sudden death of the square-faced man had attracted the sect''s attention or if the Law Enforcement Hall was investigating his death, Song Wen did not inquire, acting as if the death had nothing to do with him.


    During these ten days, Song Wen diligently cultivated to improve his strength and attempted to refine the Qi Refining ninth-level corpse puppet.


    The refinement process was not smooth because the corpse puppet''s strength was far superior to his own, so it had to be refined slowly.


    The ck-bellied beetle that had been in its cocoon for some time showed no signs of movement, so Song Wen temporarily ceased feeding it the bone worm crystals, waiting to see the changes in the cocoon before making further decisions.


    Ten days passed quickly, and Song Wen''s routine returned to dissecting corpses, cultivating, and raising Gu.


    When he reappeared at the dissecting cave a monthter, he surprised Yuan Cheng and many other dissecting practitioners.


    Song Wen was one of the rare dissecting practitioners who had returned alive after suffering from mental confusion.


    Yuan Cheng and the others did not ask about how Song Wen had resolved his mental confusion.


    Only the stout female dissecting practitioner approached Song Wen, eyeing him up and down with interest before speaking in a low voice.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, my cave dwelling is No. 74 in District B. You''re always wee to visit."


    After speaking, the two-meter-tall female practitioner, whose physique was several times stronger than Song Wen''s, swayed her massive body and turned to leave.


    Suddenly, she turned back, shing a smile.


    "Junior Brother, remember, Cave No. 74 in District B, I''ll be waiting for you."


    Song Wen watched her retreating figure, deeply doubting himself. With his slender arms and legs, would he even have the strength to crawl out of her cave dwelling?


    ...


    On the fifteenth day after the beetle''s cocooning, it emerged.


    The newly evolved beetle had no significant changes in size but had gained terrifying strength, reaching Qi Refining eighth level. This was a pleasant surprise for Song Wen, though he felt a tinge of disappointment. He had hoped the beetle might advance to a Sacred Gu.


    The new beetle was ck except for its head, which remained gray.


    "Maybe when its head turns ck too, it will be a true Sacred Beetle," Song Wen thought to himself.


    To distinguish it from other beetles, Song Wen named the new beetle ''ck Beetle.''


    As soon as the ck Beetle emerged from its cocoon, it signaled its hunger to Song Wen.


    Song Wen immediately took out a shiny silver stone for it and squeezed out a few drops of his own blood.


    After consuming half of the silver stone and eight drops of blood, the ck Beetle was finally full.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but click his tongue in dismay. Just for one feeding, it consumed half a silver stone, equivalent to fifteen spirit stones, and eight drops of blood. How could he afford this?


    He could only hope that the ck Beetle''s high consumption was due to its first feeding after emerging from the cocoon.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 96: Blood Pool Mutation

    <h4>Chapter 96: Blood Pool Mutation</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Next, Song Wen began attempting to evolve a second ck Beetle.


    Since the first ck Beetle was male, Song Wen found a female beetle among the Qi Refining fifth-level ck-bellied beetles and fed it bone beetle crystals.


    After consuming over seventy crystals, the female beetle also spun a cocoon.


    Looking at the thirty-odd ck-bellied beetles flying around in his cave, Song Wen felt troubled. With the ck Beetle now present, these ck-bellied beetles no longer had much use.


    Although they had contributed significantly in the past, maintaining them consumed a lot of spirit stones daily.


    "After the rabbit dies, the dog is cooked; when the millstone is removed, the donkey is killed!"


    Thus, Song Wen killed all the ck-bellied beetles except for one male and one female Qi Refining fifth-level beetle, kept as a precaution.


    The corpses of the ck-bellied beetles were not wasted and were fed to the ck Beetle.


    This left Song Wen with only the ck Beetle, two ck-bellied beetles, two ordinary beetles, and one cocooned beetle.


    Half a monthter, the cocooned beetle emerged, and Song Wen obtained a female ck Beetle.


    Another month passed, and the female ck Beetle beganying eggs, producing two insect eggs in total.


    After being nurtured in the insect cauldron for a month, the eggs began to hatch. Two tinyrvae, covered in ck spots, emerged.


    Twenty dayster, thervae began to spin their cocoons.


    Another half monthter, they emerged from their cocoons, and two new ck Beetles were born.


    The newly born ck Beetles, like those evolved from the ck-bellied beetles, had the strength of Qi Refining eighth level.


    Through this period of observing the ck Beetles, Song Wen concluded that only when ck Beetles first emerge from their cocoons do they have arge appetite, requiring a significant amount of spirit materials. After that, their appetite decreases, but each ck Beetle still needs spirit materials worth a few spirit stones daily and must consume one drop of blood daily.


    Not everyone can afford to raise them.


    Looking at the four ck Beetles before him, Song Wen was troubled.


    He debated whether to continue raising more ck Beetles or focus on improving their strength. If their strength could quickly advance to Qi Refining ninth level, he would be essentially worry-free when facing Qi Refining cultivators.


    After careful consideration, Song Wen decided to increase the number of ck Beetles to eight and then focus on improving their strength.


    Maintaining eight ck Beetles required over a thousand spirit stones per month, equivalent to the value of nine bottles of blood. Song Wen could sustain them with the spirit stones he obtained from selling blood in the dissecting cave.


    During the cultivation of the beetles, Song Wen did not neglect his own cultivation.


    While practicing the Forbidden Divine Art, he discovered something unusual. In his recent visits to the ancient battlefield, he had absorbed theplete souls of four cultivators, andter, he purchased three more cultivator souls.


    After absorbing theseplete souls, his practice speed for the Forbidden Divine Art greatly increased. His mental strength was now approaching the level of Qi Refining ninth level.


    This discovery excited Song Wen. To quickly raise his mental strength to Qi Refining ninth level, he purchased several more cultivator souls, adding to his already substantial expenses.


    On this trip to the ancient battlefield, Song Wen found himself with a powerful body but without suitablebat techniques to match. Therefore, he chose a meleebat technique from the transmission hall, called "Ghostly w."


    This technique, based on a strong physique and intense killing aura, used w strikes and was perfectly suited for Song Wen''s cultivation.


    Practicing the Ghostly w required a spirit material called Gengjin Stone, which absorbed its golden essence and was used to temper the hands, making them incredibly sharp and indestructible.


    Once the Ghostly w technique was cultivated to a certain level, it could produce w attacks simr to sword Qi, with unparalleled sharpness.


    This increased Song Wen''s demand for spirit stones even more.


    One day, as Song Wen entered the dissecting cave as usual, he found several disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall present, in addition to the usual staff.


    One of them, dressed in distinctive attire, resembled a rare formation master within the sect.


    The disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall were scattered throughout the dissecting cave, inspecting various areas as if searching for something.


    Song Wen walked into Yuan Cheng''s cave, collected the corpses, and casually asked, "Senior Brother Yuan, why has the Law Enforcement teame to the dissecting cave?"


    Yuan Cheng nced at the Law Enforcement members in the dissecting cave with a somber expression and said, "Recently, the quality of blood collected in the blood pool has declined. The refined blood produced is about half less than usual."


    "The sect is worried that there might be a problem with the Blood Gathering Formation in the dissecting cave, causing a loss of blood energy, so they came to check it."


    As the manager of the dissecting cave, Yuan Cheng would also be held responsible if there were problems, so he looked quite worried today.


    Song Wen was momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn''t considered that his recent frenzied absorption of blood energy might have affected the quality of the blood in the pool, drawing the sect''s attention.


    In recent days, in order to exchange for enough spirit stones to support his cultivation, he had not only been extracting blood from the corpses he dissected but had also been vigorously absorbing the blood energy dispersed in the air.


    "Could it be that absorbing the blood energy from the air has elerated the loss of blood energy in the blood pool, leading to the decline in blood quality?"


    Song Wen pondered this thought.


    But then he realized it didn''t seem quite right.


    He had been extracting blood from the dissected corpses for quite some time, and there had been no issues with the blood pool before. Why would the problem arise now?


    Could it be that others were also extracting blood from the blood pool?


    Song Wen looked around at the busy dissection workers.


    Among these dissection workers, there were probably few good ones.


    As for how they were extracting blood, who knows what opportunities or secrets they might have!


    Song Wen silently considered whether he had left any clues when selling the blood recently.


    After repeatedly confirming that every time he sold blood, he had done so under disguise and could not be recognized, Song Wen finally felt a bit more at ease.


    However, he was still troubled by the fact that he had twenty bottles of blood, worth nearly 2,800 spirit stones, hidden in his cave.


    Given the current situation, he certainly couldn''t continue selling blood in bulk at the market.


    If the Law Enforcement Hall couldn''t find any issues in the dissecting cave, they might investigate the market.


    "Do I have to sell one bottle of blood per day at the market? That''s too much trouble. I''d better save up for now and wait until things calm down."


    After inspecting the formation for half a day without finding any problems, the Law Enforcement team shifted their focus to the dissecting workers and Yuan Cheng.


    With the Law Enforcement team monitoring, Song Wen didn''t dare to extract blood in front of them. Although they were unlikely to discover anything, there was always a risk.


    After finishing the dissection, Song Wen returned to his cave.


    Unfortunately for Yuan Cheng, he was taken away by the Law Enforcement team.


    The next day, a new manager named Feng Deng, a Qi Refining eighth-level male cultivator, was appointed to the dissecting cave.


    As for Yuan Cheng, Song Wen never saw him again.


    Yuan Cheng, a Qi Refining ninth-level cultivator, willingly worked as a manager in the dirty dissecting cave to earn spirit stones to buy Foundation Establishment Pills.


    He handled the corpses daily, collecting bones and blood, with plenty of opportunities to benefit from it. After all, who would notice if a few bones or pieces of flesh were missing?


    Bones and flesh could be sold for a good price, especially those from righteous path cultivators.


    Righteous path cultivators prefer to consume demon beast meat to aid their cultivation, and so do demonic path cultivators, but they eat more than just demon beast meat.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 97: Withered Blood Secret Realm

    <h4>Chapter 97: Withered Blood Secret Realm</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The Law Enforcement Hall investigated the dissecting cave for three days without finding anything and then withdrew from the dissecting cave.


    As for whether someone was investigating secretly, Song Wen did not know.


    In the past few days, he had been casually wandering around the market every day and had not noticed any investigation by the Law Enforcement team there.


    However, he still did not sell blood inrge quantities, only selling it in small amounts, one or two bottles at a time.


    A monthter, having confirmed that no one was investigating the matter, Song Wen resumed his previous activities.


    He now took extra precautions every time he sold blood, running to several different shops, changing his scent, and using various disguises to alter his appearance.


    Time passed, and it was now the sixth year since Song Wen came to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    During these years, Song Wen had not left the sect''s territory.


    Every year, he took on sect missions that could be resolved with spirit stones.


    Last year, he had a chance to change his job, but he chose to continue staying in the dissecting cave.


    This day, Song Wen left his cave early in the morning, but instead of going to the dissecting cave, he went to the za outside the main hall of the sect located at the top of Corpse Demon Mountain.


    This was Song Wen''s first timeing to the main hall of the sect.


    The main hall was the face of the Corpse Demon Sect, grand and majestic. As an outer disciple, Song Wen usually did not have the privilege to go to the top of the mountain.


    Today, he came to the za outside the main hall because the withered blood secret realm located in the southwest of the Tuocang Mountains was about to open.


    The withered blood secret realm was jointly controlled by the Corpse Demon Sect, the Profound Yin Sect, and the Red Blood Sect, opening once every thirty years.


    The secret realm only allowed Qi Refining cultivators to enter. Most of the spiritual herbs growing there were first-grade herbs needed by Qi Refining cultivators, but there were also a small number of extremely rare second-grade herbs.


    For instance, the two of the three herbs required for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and the Jade Essence Grass, grew in the withered blood secret realm.


    Because of the existence of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and the Jade Essence Grass, every time the withered blood secret realm opened, the three major sects paid great attention to it, as Foundation Establishment cultivators were the cornerstone of each sect.


    The secret realm did not limit the number of cultivators entering, but to ensure the sustainable use of spiritual herbs and to prevent overharvesting, the three sects agreed that each sect could only send one person to enter each time it opened.


    Song Wen wanted to enter the withered blood secret realm to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    To prepare for the danger from Shi Shou, Song Wen had been crazily extracting blood from the dissecting cave in recent years to exchange for arge amount of cultivation resources to enhance his own cultivation.


    Half a year ago, after devouring arge number of wandering residual souls from the dissecting cave and asionally purchasing cultivator souls from the market to practice the Divine Forbidden Technique, Song Wen was unexpectedly able to break through, oveing the Qi Refining phase''s bottleneck that had troubled him for a year and achieving the spiritual awareness of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    His cultivation also advanced rapidly due to abundant spirit stones, pills, corpse evil energy, and his own ample blood energy.


    Eight months ago, after consuming the Snake Scale Fruit obtained from the ancient battlefield''s underground cave, Song Wen''s cultivation broke through to the ninth level of Qi Refining. After eight months of honing, his cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Refining ninth level, known as Qi Refining Great Perfection, just one step away from Foundation Establishment.


    But this step was a chasm, not easily crossed.


    To survive under the threat of Shi Shou, Song Wen needed to establish his foundation as soon as possible.


    With the spiritual awareness of a Foundation Establishment cultivator but cultivation not yet breakthrough, Song Wen was essentially a half Foundation Establishment cultivator and clearly not a match for Shi Shou.


    The simplest way to quickly establish his foundation was naturally to take Foundation Establishment Pills.


    Generally, for someone like Song Wen, who was only twenty years old and in peak physical condition, taking Foundation Establishment Pills would have a high probability of sess, at least reaching a high sess rate.


    As age increases, physical condition gradually deteriorates, and especially after forty, the decline bes more noticeable, decreasing the likelihood of sess in Foundation Establishment.


    The consensus in the cultivation world is that after sixty, there is almost no possibility of establishing a foundation.


    This is why major sects seek out talented disciples, as the younger one reaches Qi Refining Great Perfection, the greater the chance of sessful Foundation Establishment.


    Over a year ago, Song Wen began to inquire about the whereabouts of Foundation Establishment Pills.


    As an outer disciple with only the cultivation level of the eighthyer of Qi Refining, it was impossible for him to obtain Foundation Establishment Pills from the sect.


    After his inquiries, he learned that the only ce nearby selling Foundation Establishment Pills was the Zhao Mountain Market, thousands of miles away.


    There, argemercial association called the "Kundi Business Alliance" heldrge auctions from time to time, where Foundation Establishment Pills were sold.


    However, only two or three pills were auctioned each time. With more demand than supply, the auctions attracted many cultivators, including some smaller family sects.


    The final price of Foundation Establishment Pills was usually above thirty thousand spirit stones.


    Not to mention the enormous amount of spirit stones, which would be difficult for Song Wen to gather, even if he managed to collect them, it would be very dangerous to survive and return with the pills.


    He, being weak, would clearly be no match for those powerful family sects.


    Therefore, Song Wen decided to seek other methods to attain Foundation Establishment.


    After all, Song Wen was different from ordinary cultivators; his spiritual power had already transformed into spiritual awareness. It was not necessarily required to rely on Foundation Establishment Pills toplete Foundation Establishment.


    The Foundation Establishment process involves two steps.


    The first step is topress the spiritual power vortex in the dantian into liquid spiritual power.


    The second step is to temper the spiritual power into spiritual awareness.


    Currently, Song Wen had directlypleted the second step and was onlycking in the first step.


    Song Wen spected that even without Foundation Establishment Pills, by following the cultivation process step by step, he could eventually achieve Foundation Establishment.


    However, this process might take a long time, perhaps several years, or even a decade or more.


    Since Song Wen did not have the luxury of time to slowly refine his cultivation, he needed to rely on external resources.


    He learned from an underground alchemist that the main ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills, the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, was used to help in the transformation of spiritual energy into liquid form.


    Thus, his focus shifted from Foundation Establishment Pills to the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    As the main ingredient of Foundation Establishment Pills, the Heavenly Spirit Fruit was extremely rare in the cultivation world, mostly controlled by major sects for pill refining and rarely avable for sale on the market.


    This led Song Wen to consider entering the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    Every time the Withered Blood Secret Realm opened, disciples of the three major sects fought desperately for more benefits, resulting in heavy casualties, with only a small fraction surviving.


    Such a low survival rate made many disciples avoid it like a gue.


    Thus, those who entered the secret realm were either highly confident in their own strength or had no choice but to do so due to various reasons.


    The Corpse Demon Sect had also forced powerful disciples to enter, but these unwilling entrants mostly hid in safe corners until the secret realm closed to ensure their survival.


    Although these individuals survived, their gains were minimal. For the Corpse Demon Sect, the low-level spiritual herbs they asionally obtained, such as withered wood and dry roots, were of little use.


    After that, the Corpse Demon Sect rxed the requirements for disciples entering the secret realm. As long as a disciple''s cultivation reached the mid-Qi Refining stage, they were allowed to enter the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    Since the number of powerfulte-Qi Refining disciples was not enough to reach a hundred, it was better to send more people in, hoping that someone with good luck might bring out some rare spiritual herbs.


    To encourage disciples to take risks in the Withered Blood Secret Realm, the sect would award them twenty percent of the harvest from the secret realm.


    Song Wen was not after the twenty percent reward. He wanted to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and the more, the better. If the effectiveness of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit was not as good as expected, having more would increase his chances.


    Even if disciples obtained Heavenly Spirit Fruits, the sect would not award them as prizes but would exchange them for an equivalent amount of spirit stones.


    To avoid the sect''s investigation and secretly take out the Heavenly Spirit Fruits, Song Wen had already devised a n.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 98: An Old Acquaintance

    <h4>Chapter 98: An Old Acquaintance</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen had custom-made two jade boxes for storing spiritual herbs.


    These jade boxes were each one inch in length and width, with enough space to hold a Heavenly Spirit Fruit, which was about the size of a walnut.


    Song Wen''s n was to:


    Swallow the two jade boxes and use the ck Insect Talisman to guide them into the left and right atria of his heart.


    The blood in his heart would then cover the jade boxes, masking their presence and that of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit. By controlling the aura with his body, he wouldpletely obscure the aura of the blood and the jade boxes.


    This way, it would be very difficult for the inspecting elders to detect the presence of the jade boxes.


    Although this n sounded simple, implementing it was extremely difficult.


    The heart is one of the most crucial organs in the human body, second only to the brain. Any disruption to the heart could mean death.


    Fortunately, with the help of the ck Gu, Song Wen could seal any cracks in his heart.


    Moreover, Song Wen had arge amount of blood stored in his body. The blood loss from the heart wouldn''t threaten his life.


    To test the feasibility of the n, Song Wen had already tried cing the two jade boxes inside the atria.


    This experiment had been very painful for Song Wen. At the moment the heart was pierced, it felt as if his heart had been squeezed and exploded, causing excruciating pain that overwhelmed his entire body, leaving him unable to summon any spiritual energy or strength.


    Fortunately, the ck Gu helped him seal the heart quickly.


    After gradually adapting to the pain in his heart, Song Wen had used his spiritual awareness to confirm that it was difficult to detect the jade boxes inside his heart.


    ...


    The square soon gathered a crowd of several dozen people.


    Among them, only a small portion were willing to enter the Withered Blood Secret Realm. Most were there to watch the excitement. If they discovered that their enemies were entering the secret realm, they could return and celebrate. With a survival rate of barely ten percent, entering the secret realm was almost as good as dying.


    The square quickly became noisy with discussions.


    "Silence!"


    Ten elders of Foundation Establishment descended from the sky, standing in mid-air on various magical tools.


    A burly man with thick brows and a beard spoke loudly.


    "I am Elder Jiao Du from the Law Enforcement Hall, overseeing this secret realm expedition. Those who voluntarily participate, step forward."


    "Those who are here to watch, step back."


    Instantly, the noisy crowd quieted down, and people began to move.


    After a moment, the crowd on the square was divided into two groups, with only a few dozen people in the front group.


    Jiao Du nced at the crowd below. There were only seventy-eight volunteers to enter the secret realm.


    He looked at an old, stooped man behind him. Seeing the old man''sck of reaction, he continued.


    "Bring the airship closer!"


    In the distance, a giant airship, a hundred meters long, flew toward them.


    On the airship, shadows of people could be seen moving.


    Soon, the airship hovered above the square.


    "Board the ship!" Jiao Dumanded loudly.


    The seventy-eight disciples performed their flying techniques and boarded the airship.


    Among them, Song Wen spotted several familiar faces.


    The first was Wu Xiu, who had a grudge against him.


    Wu Xiu''s cultivation was at the sixthyer of Qi Refining, and with only four months left before the deadline for their entry, Wu Xiu needed to advance to the seventhyer of Qi Refining within these four months to have any hope of Foundation Establishment. Therefore, he took the risk of entering the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    Wu Xiu also noticed Song Wen, but merely nced at him before turning away.


    In these few years, his experiences in the Corpse Demon Sect had matured him significantly. He was no longer the reckless young man he once was and wouldn''t easily make enemies.


    Another person was Wu Sui, who had crossed paths with Song Wen in the Corpse Cave. He was the grandson of the Yin Demon Hall Master and a direct disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    There was also someone Song Wen hadn''t expected to see.


    It was the strikingly dressed woman he had met when purchasing the Ghost Head Shield at the market.


    Initially, Song Wen''s biggest impression of her was her seductive yet inexperienced demeanor.


    In just a few years, her youthful aura hadpletely vanished, reced by maturity, sensuality, and charm, with a hint of worldly allure.


    Her transformation was dramatic, and he could only wonder what experiences she had gone through.


    She was dressed in a low-cut pce dress, with her chest revealing a deep cleavage. The slit in her skirt reached nearly to her waist, and the delicate, short undergarments were asionally visible as a light breeze blew, captivating all who saw.


    At this moment, the alluring woman was standing in the center of therge ship, chatting andughing with Wu Sui.


    Every movement, every frown, and every smile from the woman was captivating and soul-stirring.


    Her enchantingughter, along with the seductive smile like a blooming lotus, made her the center of attention on the airship with her ample and voluptuous chest and her elegantly exposed long, slender legs.


    Even some Foundation Establishment elders were secretly observing her.


    However, no one dared to approach and disturb her and Wu Sui''s conversation.


    The reason was simple: it was due to their identities.


    Like Wu Sui, the woman was also dressed in the attire of a direct disciple, which meant they both had a powerful figure backing them.


    While seeing the charming woman and Wu Sui wasn''t the most surprising thing to Song Wen, what shocked him most was the woman standing right in front of him.


    She was a stout, heavily built woman, nearly two and a half meters tall, who specialized in corpse dissection.


    At that moment, she was staring intently at Song Wen.


    "Ji Yin Junior Brother, you''re also going to the Withered Blood Secret Realm? It''s very dangerous there, not something a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator like you should venture into."


    The woman''s tone was concerned.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but feel a shiver. He had never interacted with this woman before, so there was no personal connection between them.


    He didn''t even know her name.


    Why was she suddenly showing such concern for his safety?


    Song Wen twitched his lips and awkwardly said, "Senior Sister, may I ask your name?"


    The woman replied with a hearty tone, "Junior Brother, don''t be so formal. My name is Qiu Li; just call me Senior Sister Qiu."


    After introducing herself, Qiu Li continued.


    "Junior Brother, you''re being foolish. You''re young and strong, and you''re quite handsome. Why would you wade into this murky water of the secret realm?"


    "I''ve given you several hints, but you haven''t responded to any. If you had agreed to me, you wouldn''t be in this predicament."


    "But once you''re on the airship, there''s no turning back; otherwise, you''ll face severe punishment from the sect."


    "Don''t worry too much. After entering the secret realm, find a safe ce to hide. Generally, areas without spiritual herbs won''t attract anyone."


    Seeing Song Wen remain silent, Qiu Li thought he was just shy. She wore a mysterious smile and continued.


    "Ji Yin Junior Brother, if we both survive this time, agree to be with me. I promise you won''t have to worry about resources anymore, just focus on your cultivation."


    Her plump face was filled with a provocative smile, and her gaze was aggressively prating, as if she wanted to strip Song Wen bare.


    Song Wen felt a wave of nausea.


    If it weren''t for the many onlookers, Song Wen swore he would have killed her on the spot.


    Although he was inwardly furious, Song Wen maintained a calm demeanor and showed no sign of dissatisfaction.


    He simply said, "Senior Sister Qiu, please have some self-respect."


    "Ha!" Qiu Li sneered coldly.


    Song Wen''s tant rejection made her extremely displeased.


    A Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator was like a pig or a dog in front of her. It was a privilege for him to be noticed by her, and he should be begging for her favor and licking her toes.


    How dare he refuse her? Was he seeking death?


    "Ridiculous. A Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator, and you dare talk about self-respect with me?"


    "You won''t escape from my grasp."


    After saying that, Qiu Li nced at Song Wen''s waist and lower abdomen for a while with a peculiar smile before turning and leaving.


    Song Wen watched Qiu Li''s departing figure, shocked by her cultivation level��she was actually at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.


    Moreover, her entire body exuded a vigorous aura, like a dragon or tiger, suggesting that she was practicing a body-refining technique.


    "Perhaps her obesity is rted to the technique she practices," Song Wen thought.


    Once he had shaken off Qiu Li, Song Wen''s gaze wandered around the ship.


    He noticed that there were not just the seventy-eight of them on the airship. Before they boarded, there had already been a group of around ten people on the ship.


    These people were all dressed in the outer sect disciple attire of the Corpse Demon Sect, but they emitted different auras��some practiced ghost cultivation, some corpse cultivation, and some practiced poison arts.


    "These people must be from the subordinate families of the Corpse Demon Sect," Song Wen deduced in his mind.


    Therge ship gradually elerated and sped toward the distance, soon disappearing into the horizon.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 99: Wind Spirit Flower

    <h4>Chapter 99: Wind Spirit Flower</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Three hourster, two airships quietly floated into view on the distant horizon.


    "Hahaha, Jiao Du, is your Corpse Demon Sect really out of people? You''ve only sent e-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to oversee this secret realm exploration?"


    Suddenly, a sinister voice exploded in everyone''s ears.


    The voice seemed faint but reached the ears of everyone on the airship.


    "Hmph!"


    A cold snort sounded, and the hunchbacked old man who had been standing behind Jiao Du flew out of the airship alone.


    "Xiu Yun, are you mocking my Corpse Demon Sect for having no one else?"


    The sinister voice rang out again.


    "I wondered who it was. It turns out to be you, Old Zombie Xiang Qi."


    At this moment, on the other airship, a plump female cultivator with a mature and seductive aura flew into the air.


    The female cultivator said, "Xiu Yun, Senior Brothers Xiang Qi and Xiu Yun, since everyone has arrived, let''s break the seal and open the secret realm."


    The origin of the Withered Blood Secret Realm is untraceable. Its entrance opens every thirty years. To prevent outsiders from barging in, the three major sects added a seal outside the entrance of the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    Xiu Yun said, "Fairy Huan Yu is right. Let''s get down to business."


    The three of them each produced a palm-sized ck token.


    They threw the tokens into the air and began to channel their spiritual power.


    Three tokens glowed with a blood-red light, which grew brighter and bathed the surrounding sky in a blood-red hue.


    ck runes appeared within the blood-red light and, after a moment, transformed into aplex and profound array with a hundred-zhang formation.


    The formation fell sharply into a mountain hollow below.


    With a deafening "boom," rocks shook, and trees shattered.


    The formationnded in a hollow among the mountains.


    As the blood-red light from the formation faded, an entrance that emitted a faint glow appeared in the hollow. It seemed as though there was nothing inside, as if even the air had disappeared.


    A voice suddenly sounded in everyone''s ears.


    "The entrance below is the entrance to the secret realm. Once you pass through it, you will enter the secret realm."


    "Remember, the secret realm will only be open for seven days. If you cannot return within seven days, you will be trapped inside until the secret realm reopens in thirty years."


    "Depart!"


    With themand, the Qi Refining disciples from the threerge ships jumped off and descended to the entrance of the secret realm.


    After entering the entrance, Song Wen felt a momentary disorientation, as if the world was spinning, and a sense of loss enveloped him.


    After a moment, the sensation of solid ground returned.


    He looked up and found himself on a deste, barren wastnd.


    Looking around, he saw only rocks of various sizes and a few stunted trees growing amidst the rubble, struggling to survive.


    Song Wen surveyed his surroundings and saw no one else. The entrance to the secret realm was a random teleportation, so each person''s location was different.


    Once he confirmed that he was temporarily safe, he took out a jade slip and pressed it to his forehead.


    This jade slip contained the map of the secret realm, distributed by the sect while they were on the airship.


    The jade slip recorded the terrain, distribution of monsters, and distribution of spiritual herbs within the explored areas of the secret realm.


    Of course, the information in the jade slip may not be entirely urate, as it was drawn up thirty years ago. While the terrain and distribution of spiritual herbs might not have changed much, the monsters, being various creatures, could have migrated.


    There were fiverge red dots on the map, which were very conspicuous.


    These five locations were ces with powerful monsters and extremely precious spiritual herbs.


    Byparing the map to the terrain of the wastnd, Song Wen roughly determined his location.


    He looked towards the southeast. ording to the map, about five hundred miles to the southeast was arge mountain where Heavenly Spirit Fruits were said to grow.


    This location with Heavenly Spirit Fruits was one of three such ces within the secret realm and was the closest one to Song Wen. He decided to go check it out first.


    Song Wen did not use a flying boat but chose to run on the ground. Given his current strength, running on his own legs was already very fast. Using a flying boat in the sky would make him arge target and attract attention.


    After running for a little over half an hour, he left the wastnd and arrived at a lush forest.


    Ahead of him was ake with an ind in the center.


    ording to the map, this ind grew Wind Spirit Flowers, which are auxiliary herbs used in refining Foundation Establishment Pills. They can neutralize the fierce medicinal properties of Heavenly Spirit Fruits, so encountering them meant they should be collected for use with the Heavenly Spirit Fruits.


    Song Wen used his flying technique to soar into the air and headed towards the ind.


    At the same time, he released two of his ck Gu, both of which had reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. These were the only two among the eight ck Gu that had advanced to the ninth level.


    The two ck Gu flew close to the water surface beneath Song Wen.


    Although the jade slip indicated that there were no powerful monsters in theke, caution was always wise. After all, if any monster decided to migrate here due to the beautiful scenery, it would be troublesome.


    Song Wen''s concerns did note to pass. Hended smoothly on the ind in theke.


    Suddenly, a message came from the scouting ck Gu. By a bottomless pond on the ind, seven spiritual grasses with rich spiritual energy and blue flowers were growing.


    It was indeed Wind Spirit Flowers!


    As Song Wen was about to head to the pond, he heard a sound of breaking air above him.


    Looking up, he saw that cultivators had arrived.


    Wu Xiu!


    Song Wen couldn''t help but sigh at the irony of encountering his enemy.


    Wu Xiu did not notice Song Wen on the ground. He passed overhead andnded by the pond about a thousand meters away from Song Wen.


    After Song Wen''s spiritual sense advanced to spiritual awareness, its range reached five hundred meters, far surpassing the two hundred meters of a perfected Qi Refining cultivator. With the ck Gu, Song Wen could detect a range of about two thousand meters.


    Through the ck Gu, Song Wen saw Wu Xiumanding his undead servant to collect the Wind Spirit Flowers, only to be suddenly ambushed by two giant pythons emerging from the pond''s bottom. Song Wen abandoned his n to kill Wu Xiu with the ck Gu.


    The two giant pythons were very powerful, and Wu Xiu was no match for them. He quickly fell into defeat.


    His undead servant was bitten in half by the pythons and dragged into the pond, bing their meal.


    Wu Xiu barely escaped with his life. Losing his undead servant, he was quite agitated and wanted to leave but was still reluctant.


    While Wu Xiu hesitated, two more cultivators flew in from the sky. These two, a man and a woman, were dressed in the attire of the Profound Yin Sect andnded near the pond.


    On the ground, Wu Xiu saw the two approaching from a distance and hurriedly concealed his presence, hiding in the trees a hundred meters away from the pond.


    The man and woman, with cultivation levels of Qi Refining Seventh Layer and Eighth Layer respectively, faced the same predicament as Wu Xiu. They were preparing to gather herbs when they were ambushed by the two giant pythons.


    However, their strength was greater, and they fought the giant pythons with considerable back-and-forth.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 100: The Cold Moon Blade

    <h4>Chapter 100: The Cold Moon de</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After a moment, the two giant pythons were eventually defeated, their blood staining the pond red.


    However, the two Profound Yin Sect cultivators had expended a lot of their spiritual energy. The female cultivator, who was slightly weaker, had been struck by a water column from one of the pythons, causing her chest to dete and her ribs to be shattered.


    The female cultivator took a healing pill and began to meditate on the spot.


    The male cultivator started to clean up the battlefield, collecting the Wind Spirit Flowers and the corpses of the pythons.


    "Who''s there!"


    The male cultivator suddenly roared towards the bushes where Wu Xiu was hiding.


    He raised his hand, and a fierce ghost rushed towards the bushes.


    Wu Xiu was quite frustrated. Despite his careful hiding and trying to conceal his presence, a falling dead bird had hit him on the head, revealing his position.


    Seeing the fierce ghost charging at him, Wu Xiu had no choice but to face it.


    He activated a talisman, and a long, pitch-ck de materialized out of thin air. The de was surging with murderous aura as it shed down at the fierce ghost.


    This was a mid-grade talisman, the Ghost-ying Talisman.


    The fierce ghost pped its hands, and intense ghostly energy surged from its hands.


    The long de shattered, and the fierce ghost''s hands were injured by the de, scattering its yin energy.


    Taking advantage of the moment when the Ghost-ying Talisman held off the fierce ghost, Wu Xiu tried to flee.


    However, the Profound Yin Sect male cultivator approached, wielding a steel spear aimed at Wu Xiu''s back.


    Wu Xiu had to abandon his escape and turn to fight.


    After a few breaths, Wu Xiu, weakened by the pythons'' attack and with his strength greatly diminished, was defeated. Just as the steel spear was about to pierce his chest, the male cultivator fell dead without warning.


    A broken de was embedded in the back of his head.


    The broken de was something Song Wen had bought from a street stall half a year ago.


    At that time, with his spiritual sense developed, he could immediately recognize the de''s exceptional quality.


    The de, one inch wide and one foot long, had been a spirit tool, only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could activate it.


    Though broken, the de could still be activated after Song Wen refined it, and its material and grade were superior to high-grade magical tools.


    After Song Wen''s refining, the once gray broken de now shone like a mirror, radiating cold light.


    With his spiritual sense, Song Wen controlled the de effortlessly, directing it precisely and with ease.


    This was far superior to how typical Qi Refining cultivators used mental power to control magical tools. His control was detailed and precise.


    He named the de Cold Moon de!


    This was his first time using the Cold Moon de to kill an enemy, and it worked quite well.


    Wu Xiu was initially pleased to see the Profound Yin Sect male cultivator suddenly dead, but his face changed to one of horror as he saw Song Wen emerge from the bushes.


    Given his injuries, Wu Xiu knew he was no match for Song Wen, even though Song Wen was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining.


    Moreover, Song Wen appeared right after the Profound Yin Sect male cultivator died.


    It was hard not to suspect that Song Wen had killed the male cultivator. Although it was surprising that a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator could kill a seventh-level one, the evidence was clear.


    "It''s you, Ji Yin!" Wu Xiu said, panic-stricken.


    Song Wen did not reply but moved with a mentalmand, sending a sh of cold light that decapitated the escaping female Profound Yin Sect cultivator.


    Immediately, Song Wen''s figure became a blur as he reached out for Wu Xiu''s head.


    "Ji Yin, spare me! It was my mistake, I was reckless and ignorant..."


    Before Wu Xiu could finish his plea, his head exploded!


    Song Wen shook the blood from his hands, feeling satisfied to have eliminated another enemy personally.


    After devouring the souls and blood of the three corpses, Song Wen also consumed the blood and souls of the two giant pythons.


    This wasn''t Song Wen''s first time devouring the blood and souls of beasts. Out of curiosity, he had once bought beast corpses and souls for this purpose.


    He found that although beasts were oftenrge, the condensed blood he obtained from them was significantly inferior to that of cultivators of the same level, amounting to only about thirty to forty percent.


    The same applied to beast souls. They were far less effective at enhancing spiritual powerpared to souls of cultivators at the same level.


    This had always left him less interested in beast corpses; he found cultivator corpses to be more valuable.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, Song Wen recalled the foolish ck Gu still hunting birds and left the ind in theke.


    ...


    Before a small hill.


    A young female cultivator, with disheveled breath, blood at her mouth, and looking grievously injured and pitiful, was copsed on the ground.


    Wu Sui watched this scene from a distance, a wicked smile on his face.


    "The Red Blood Sect disciples are truly foolish, resorting to such old-fashioned beauty traps."


    Knowing it was a trap, Wu Sui still did not retreat but walked straight towards the young female cultivator.


    "Miss, it seems you''re seriously injured. Do you need me to help heal you?"


    As he spoke, Wu Sui''s gaze lingered on the woman''s alluring figure, his desire evident in his eyes.


    "Thank you, Senior Brother from the Corpse Demon Sect. May I ask your esteemed name? Cough, cough..."


    The woman''s delicate voice was tinged with weakness. As she spoke, she couldn''t help but cough several times, more blood spilling from her mouth as if she might faint at any moment.


    "My name is Wu Sui. I can save you, but first, I need to deal with those two little mice."


    Wu Sui''s demeanor suddenly changed from flirtatious to cold and murderous, his aura brimming with killing intent.


    A ck chain extended from Wu Sui''s hand, rapidly elongating like a giant snake, writhing and coiling in the air.


    The chainshed out towards a dense tree crown several dozen meters away.


    After a few screams and cries, the chain began to retract.


    At the end of the chain were the bodies of two Red Blood Sect male cultivators, pierced through their chests. The chain dragged the corpses and threw them before the young woman.


    The young woman was horrified, her voice now filled with panic and fear.


    "You... you actually killed Brother Zhang and Brother Chen."


    "The two little mice were insignificant," Wu Sui said, returning to his earlier flirtatious demeanor, his smile bright as he looked at the young woman.


    "Miss, I wonder where you''re injured and how you''d like me to treat you?"


    Wu Sui''s gaze was fixed on the woman''s ample bosom.


    Feeling Wu Sui''s intense gaze, the young woman''s panic gradually subsided as she saw a glimmer of hope for survival.


    Realizing she had angered a dangerous person, she gritted her teeth, tore off her outer garment, and exposed her white chest.


    "Senior Brother can treat me however you wish."


    Wu Sui''s face showed a yful smile.


    "Oh, is that so? However, I''m not skilled at healing; I''m better at killing!"


    In the young woman''s disbelieving gaze, the ck chain suddenly moved, piercing through her chest.


    Arge coffin appeared on the ground in front of Wu Sui.


    He ced the three corpses from the chain into the coffin and then stored the coffin into his storage bag.


    These were high-quality cultivation materials and could not be wasted.


    Through the ck Gu, Song Wen, who had been observing from a distance, quickly made up his mind after seeing the scene.


    He altered his aura to match his usual appearance and then ran towards Wu Sui.


    When Wu Sui saw Song Wen suddenly appear, his eyes shed with killing intent at first. However, noticing Song Wen''s attire as a Corpse Demon Sect disciple, he did not immediately attack.


    At that moment, Song Wen called out in surprise.


    "Senior Brother Wu Sui, it''s so great to see you!"


    Wu Sui, with a cold gaze, looked at Song Wen without easing his guard.


    "Who are you? How do you know me?"


    Song Wen''s face was full of ttering smiles. "Senior Brother Wu Sui, I''m Ji Yin. Don''t you remember? I had the honor of meeting you in the Corpse Dissection Cave."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 101: The Giant Ape

    <h4>Chapter 101: The Giant Ape</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Sui furrowed his brows in thought for a moment before recalling who Song Wen was. His expression rxed, and he said,


    "So you''re Ji Yin from the Corpse Dissection Cave. With your level of cultivation, how did you manage to enter the secret realm?"


    Song Wen sighed and replied, "I originally thought the secret realm would be filled with spiritual herbs, so I intended to gather some herbs to exchange for cultivation resources. But it turns out this secret realm is fraught with dangers, and wherever there are herbs, there are often beasts guarding them."


    "Fortunately, I met Senior Brother Wu Sui. I thought I could be of service to you and get some protection in return."


    Wu Sui raised an eyebrow and said,


    "Oh? You want my protection? But with your mere Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, why would I need to work with you?"


    Song Wen shamelessly responded, "Although my cultivation is weak, my attention to detail can still be of help to you. Moreover, as a solo cultivator, you''re bound to encounter some dirty and tiring tasks, which I can assist with."


    "You say you''re detail-oriented. Then tell me, which direction should I head in now?" Wu Sui asked.


    "Given your strength and perspective, you''re not interested in ordinary treasures. Only the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and the Jade Crystal Mushroom would catch your interest," Song Wen said.


    "In my opinion, you should first head to the southeast to the great mountain to obtain the Heavenly Spirit Fruit."


    Wu Sui shook his head and said, "Although Heavenly Spirit Fruit is valuable, it''s still inferior to Jade Essence Grass. I''m not nning to go southeast but directly to the center of the secret realm to the Falling Hawk Gorge to obtain the Jade Essence Grass."


    While both Heavenly Spirit Fruit and Jade Essence Grass are ingredients for Foundation Establishment Pills, the Heavenly Spirit Fruit is produced by a spiritual tree and is rare, though it can be cultivated by major sects. The Jade Crystal Mushroom, however, grows on cliffs and cannot be artificially cultivated.


    Rare items are more valuable!


    The price of Jade Essence Grass is naturally higher than that of Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    Song Wen replied, "Senior Brother, you''re mistaken. Although Jade Essence Grass are more precious, the Falling Hawk Gorge is teeming with beasts and corpses. The mushrooms won''t be easy to obtain, and experts from the three major sects will definitely be after them. There will likely be a fierce battle."


    "Like the mantis stalking the cicada while the yellow sparrow waits behind. It would be better for you to first get the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and wait until other experts have dealt with the beasts in Falling Hawk Gorge, or even until they''ve fought amongst themselves. Wouldn''t that be a better opportunity?"


    Wu Sui was silent for a moment before speaking.


    "What you say does have some merit. But how do we ensure the timing? Jade Essence Grass are already rare. If I arrive toote and they''re all taken, what then?"


    Song Wen suggested, "Then we should block the exit of the secret realm. Whoever obtains the Jade Essence Grass will have to leave, and since there''s only one exit, with your strength, you should have a good chance of defeating any survivors who made it through tough battles."


    Wu Sui''s eyes lit up, "That''s a good idea. Alright, you can apany me."


    Song Wen hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed, "Thank you, Senior Brother."


    Wu Sui waved his hand, and a flying boat appeared in front of them.


    He jumped onto the flying boat and said, "Ji Yin, get on."


    The two weren''t far from the mountain where the Heavenly Spirit Fruit grew. After flying for more than half an hour, they arrived.


    The mountain wasn''t very high, only a bit over a thousand meters.


    The entire mountain was covered in lush vegetation, verdant and dense.


    From a distance, they could see that the spiritual energy on the mountain was chaotic, with asional roaring sounds.


    A fierce battle was erupting on the mountain.


    Wu Sui said, "It seems someone has gotten here first. However, we''re not toote; the Heavenly Spirit Fruit should still be here."


    The flying boat headed straight for the fighting area on the mountain.


    They saw a group of giant apes surrounding several human cultivators.


    Not far from the battle, there was a two-meter-tall spiritual tree with ten walnut-sized spiritual fruits. Most of them were green, with only two being yellowish-green. Only these two yellowish-green Heavenly Spirit Fruit were ripe.


    Heavenly Spirit Fruit Must Be Mature Before It Can Be Used for Pill Refining��Unripe Fruit Has Strong Toxicity


    There were many giant apes, numbering over forty. Most of them were over three meters tall, with the strongest one approaching seven meters. This one was clearly the leader of the apes.


    The Ape King exuded a thick and violent aura, almost reaching the level of a Second-Stage Beast.


    Its muscr, elongated arms could create terrifying gusts of wind with each swing.


    The surrounded human cultivators were from the Profound Yin Sect, totaling seven individuals. The leader had a cultivation of Qi Refining Ninth Layer, two were at Qi Refining Eighth Layer, and the rest were at Qi Refining Seventh Layer.


    The Profound Yin Sect members also noticed the sudden appearance of Song Wen and Wu Sui.


    The leader''s expression grew serious. They were already being besieged by the apes, and if Wu Sui, with his Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivation, were to attack them as well, many of them might not make it out of the mountain today.


    As for Song Wen, he was disregarded entirely. A Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator was easily disposable.


    The leader chanted spells while looking up and shouting loudly.


    "Friends from the Corpse Demon Sect, I am Chen Xiuming of the Profound Yin Sect. Can you assist us in repelling the apes? In return, we will share the Heavenly Spirit Fruit with you."


    Wu Sui coldly watched the battle below, unmoved.


    There were only two ripe Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and the idea of sharing was delusional.


    Seeing that Wu Sui did not respond and appeared prepared to let both sides suffer before taking advantage, Chen Xiuming gritted his teeth and shouted, "Brothers, retreat!"


    He wielded a ghost banner over ten feet tall, and with a sweep, arge amount of ghostly energy erupted, summoning a ten-foot-tall ghostly figure.


    The ghostly energy surged into the group of giant apes. This ghostly energy was quite unusual; it did not harm the apes but drastically reduced their speed, with only the Ape King remaining rtively unaffected.


    The Ape King swung its nearly three-meter-long thick arm towards Chen Xiuming.


    The ten-foot-tall ghostly figure barely managed to block the Ape King''s attack.


    Chen Xiuming and the other Profound Yin Sect disciples, seizing the opportunity while the apes were restrained, hurriedly used their movement techniques to either leap into the air or retreat.


    However, suddenly, a ck chain shot out from the flying boat above.


    The chain was enveloped in a malevolent aura, its imposing presence akin to an enraged ck dragon, swirling and roaring in mid-air.


    The chain''s sudden appearance and terrifying aura caught the Profound Yin Sect disciples off guard. They had no time to prepare countermeasures and chose to temporarily avoid the attack, including Chen Xiuming, who was at Qi Refining Ninth Layer.


    With the chain blocking their path, the Profound Yin Sect members'' speed plummeted.


    At this moment, the apes, freed from the ck mist, quickly pursued the Profound Yin Sect disciples using all four limbs.


    The Ape King also killed the ten-foot-tall ghostly figure and picked up a massive piece of timber, hurling it at Chen Xiuming.


    Chen Xiuming nced at the flying boat above, his eyes zing with anger.


    "Damn it!"


    He waved the ghost banner again, unleashing arge amount of ck energy that shattered the approaching timber into splinters.


    Just then, a sharp whistling sound came from above. Looking up, Chen Xiuming saw the Ape King leaping high, with its fists raised like hammers. Its entire body was bulging with muscle, and it came crashing down with a force that seemed capable of shattering anything.


    If the Ape King''s fists hit Chen Xiuming directly, he, who had not trained in physical cultivation methods, would likely be crushed into pulp.


    Chen Xiuming waved the ghost banner once more, and another fierce ghost sprang out. This ghost resembled a bull-headed demon standing on two legs, with two sharp bull horns extending half a meter from its head.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 102: The Blue Ring

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Blue Ring</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The bull-headed demon charged at the Ape King in mid-air with its horns.


    Chen Xiuming did not concern himself with the battle between the bull-headed demon and the Ape King. Instead, he quickly scanned the entire battlefield with his spiritual sense.


    He found that all of his subordinates were embroiled in desperate battles.


    Originally, when the seven of them were together, they could barely fend off the ape swarm. Now, divided by the apes, they faced the threat of being defeated one by one.


    With powerful apes in front and disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect eyeing them from above, Chen Xiuming''s eyes shed with unwillingness and resolve. The ghost banner once again emitted ck mist, enveloping him.


    His figure elerated rapidly, quickly retreating from the battlefield toward the distance.


    Without Chen Xiuming, the Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, to hold the line, the remaining disciples of the Profound Yin Sect quickly showed signs of copse.


    Especially the giant, immensely strong Ape King, who was nearly invincible.


    The Ape King crushed a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator with a single punch and suddenly became frenzied, its eyes burning with what seemed like zing fire as it looked at the Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree.


    "Roar!"


    The Ape King let out a furious roar, and the turbulent air from its mouth and nose blew away nearby wood shavings.


    Taking advantage of the fierce battle below, the ck chain, like a lurking snake, struck at the Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree.


    Seeing the chain about to wrap around the two ripe Heavenly Spirit Fruit, the Ape King exerted force on its legs and leaped up, reaching for the chain in mid-air.


    Wu Sui pped the bag on his waist, summoning a Qi Refining Ninth Layer corpse puppet, which immediately appeared in mid-air and smashed down towards the Ape King.


    "Boom!"


    The two powerful monsters collided in mid-air.


    The corpse puppet was sent flying, and the Ape King, obstructed by the corpse puppet, had its upward momentum drastically reduced. It could only watch as the chain wrapped around the two Heavenly Spirit Fruit and pulled them down.


    The Ape King''s eyes zed with fury as it picked up arge stone the size of a millstone from the ground. With a powerful effort, it hurled the stone like a cannonball towards the flying boat above.


    Wu Sui flicked the chain in his hand, sending the two Heavenly Spirit Fruit towards the flying boat.


    The chain spiraled in mid-air and then plunged into the oing giant rock.


    "Boom!"


    The giant rock was shattered into fragments by the chain, which sent debris flying everywhere.


    At this point, all the Profound Yin Sect disciples had been killed by the apes. The apes, enraged at losing the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, grabbedrge pieces of timber and stones and hurled them at the flying boat.


    Having already obtained the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, Wu Sui had no reason to stay. He piloted the flying boat to escape, taking the chain-wrapped corpse puppet with him.


    The apes, naturally unwilling to give up, pursued fiercely but soon lost sight of the flying boat as they could not fly.


    Song Wen watched Wu Sui recall the corpse puppet into his bag, noting that Wu Sui had another bag hanging at his waist. This indicated that Wu Sui had at least two corpse puppets.


    Moreover, there was a significant power gap between the two corpse puppets; otherwise, he wouldn''t have separated them into different bags.


    If two corpse puppets with arge power disparity were kept in the same bag, the stronger one would absorb the weaker one''s necromantic energy, causing the weaker one''s strength to diminish.


    Obtaining two Heavenly Spirit Fruit so smoothly made Wu Sui quite pleased. He smiled and said,


    "Ji Yin Disciple, this is a reward for you. When we return to the sect, I will reward you well."


    Song Wen bowed and said, "Brother, you overpraise me. I did not contribute much and do not dare to covet."


    Wu Sui said, "What is yours will be yours. Your cultivation may not be high, but your mind is quite sharp."


    As Song Wen responded to Wu Sui, he couldn''t help but marvel at the chain in Wu Sui''s hand. It was indeed magical, able to attack and defend, and could adjust in length.


    Wu Sui''s smooth acquisition of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit was due in part to the magical chain and in part to the fact that he had coincidentally encountered the Profound Yin Sect members engaged in a fierce battle with the ape swarm.


    If Song Wen hade to collect the Heavenly Spirit Fruit himself, he might not have seeded; the strength of the ape swarm was indeed formidable.


    Especially the Ape King, with its tough skin and immense strength, making it nearly impossible to breach its defenses with normal attacks.


    If confronted head-on, Song Wen would not have been confident in defeating the entire ape swarm.


    The n to deceive Wu Sui and obtain the Heavenly Spirit Fruit had been well-executed.


    Now, he just needed to kill Wu Sui to im the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    But Wu Sui was powerful and had a Golden Core cultivator behind him, so he must have many life-saving measures. Underestimating him would be dangerous; one strike must be fatal to prevent any chance of counterattack or escape.


    Song Wen activated the Cold Moon de within him, preparing for the strongest strike. He had also released two Qi Refining Ninth Layer Corpse Puppets. If he couldn''t kill Wu Sui with one blow and Wu Sui managed to escape, the outer corpse puppets could intercept him.


    Just as Song Wen was about to make his move, the flying boat suddenly veered sharply to the left, heading towards the ground.


    Song Wen was startled. Looking closely, he saw a stunningly beautiful woman standing on the ground a few hundred meters to the left. It was the alluring woman with revealing clothing.


    Previously, he had focused entirely on Wu Sui and had not noticed her presence.


    He inwardly cursed himself for being so careless. If this woman had seen him, and if he had killed Wu Sui, he might have been captured by the sect as soon as he left the secret realm, facing torment worse than death.


    "Junior Sister Ying Ni, I didn''t expect to encounter you here."


    Wu Sui jumped down from the bow of the boat andnded in front of the woman.


    Ying Ni always seemed to have an enchanting smile on her face as she looked at Wu Sui with affection and said,


    "Senior Brother Wu Sui, I didn''t expect to see you here. This secret realm is so dangerous; only by being around a powerful cultivator like you can I feel safe."


    Wu Sui seemedpletely captivated by her beauty. He patted his chest and said, "Junior Sister, don''t worry. With me, Wu Sui, around, I won''t let you get hurt."


    Ying Ni''s eyes were full of admiration and infatuation. "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother."


    Wu Sui said, "Come aboard my flying boat. I''ll take you away."


    Ying Ni nced at the flying boat, and her eyes showed surprise. "Oh! Senior Brother, there are others on your boat?"


    Wu Sui said, "He''s called Ji Yin. His cultivation is quite weak, but he''s quite clever. I think he still has some use, so I brought him along."


    "Does Junior Sister dislike traveling with him? If so, I can have him leave."


    Ying Ni quickly stopped Wu Sui and said, "There''s no need for that. Since he''s a fellow sect member, helping each other is only proper."


    On the flying boat, Song Wen, who had overheard their conversation, felt somewhat frustrated.


    Wu Sui''s luck was indeed extraordinary. If it weren''t for Ying Ni''s sudden appearance, Song Wen''s n might have already resulted in Wu Sui being dead by now.


    But with Ying Ni, another Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivator, present, Song Wen decided against taking action.


    Both of them were direct disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect, and their methods were notparable to ordinary Qi Refining Ninth Layer cultivators.


    Killing both of them simultaneously was something Song Wen was not confident about.


    He had never fought against direct disciples ofrge sects and was unfamiliar with their methods and resources, which made him hesitant to act.


    At this moment, Wu Sui seemedpletely mesmerized by Ying Ni. However, judging by his previous actions, he didn''t appear to be someone easily swayed by female charm.


    Song Wen observed Ying Ni with infatuation while contemting.


    Song Wen was no longer a novice in the world of cultivation. He knew that Ying Ni must have practiced charm techniques. It would be abnormal for a Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator like him not to be influenced by her.


    Additionally, Song Wen noticed that Ying Ni was wearing a blue ring on the index finger of her left hand.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 103: Second Grade Bronze Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 103: Second Grade Bronze Corpse</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Sui and Ying Ni boarded the flying boat. Ying Ni asked,


    "Senior Brother Wu Sui, where are we headed now?"


    "To Falling Hawk Gorge!" Wu Sui replied.


    Falling Hawk Gorge was very far from here, about four to five thousand kilometers away. Even with a flying boat, it would take quite some time.


    Soon, night fell, but Wu Sui had no intention of stopping. He continued to travel through the night.


    At some point, Ying Ni had moved to sit on Wu Sui''sp, and Wu Sui''s hands were inappropriately exploring her body, causing Ying Ni to blush and emit soft moans and gasps.


    Ying Ni''s already scantily d outfit became even more disheveled, revealing more of her white skin.


    Song Wen watched their intimate actions with frustration. At one moment, he felt an urge to kill both of them on the spot, but he noticed the ck chains emerging from Wu Sui''s sleeves like hidden venomous snakes, which made him abandon the idea of a surprise attack.


    Wu Sui was indeed not as simple as he appeared; he was highly vignt.


    As dawn approached, the three finally arrived at Falling Hawk Gorge.


    Falling Hawk Gorge was located between tworge mountains, with a massive, bottomless rift spanning several dozen kilometers across thend.


    "Caw!"


    From a distance of several kilometers away from Falling Hawk Gorge, they heard a piercing eagle cry.


    A giant eagle with a wingspan of over ten meters soared from the gorge. Its feathers had a faint metallic sheen, like sharp, heavy metal feathers.


    The giant eagle ascended from the gorge with its feathers scattered and a deep wound, from which fresh red blood was continuously dripping.


    It was clear that the giant eagle had just gone through a fierce battle and had suffered significant injury.


    Instead of leaving, the giant eagle continued to circle high in the sky.


    Its sharp gaze was fixed on the dark rift of Falling Hawk Gorge, as if something inside was irresistibly drawing it, even though it was injured.


    "A peak Qi Refining Iron-Winged Eagle��who can hurt it?"


    Ying Ni gazed at the giant eagle in shock and murmured.


    "It''s likely the zombies in Falling Hawk Gorge. Only they could pose a threat to the Iron-Winged Eagle," Wu Sui said with a serious expression, despite his usual arrogance.


    It seemed that obtaining the Jade Essence Grass was not as easy as anticipated.


    At that moment, another sound came from Falling Hawk Gorge.


    A figure shrouded in dense dark energy surged out of the gorge.


    This person moved extremely fast, almost surpassing the limits of Qi Refining cultivators,parable to some Foundation Establishment cultivators who were not skilled in escaping.


    The figure quickly disappeared into the dense forest.


    "That''s the Profound Yin Sect''s ''Ghostly Escape,'' this person is one of the Profound Yin Sect''s Ghost Patrollers," Ying Ni said.


    Ying Ni could determine the person''s identity just from a single escape technique. It seemed that the ''Ghostly Escape'' was either very difficult to practice or not easily taught, as ordinary Profound Yin Sect disciples would not have had the chance to learn it.


    "Roar!"


    Next, a hulking figure burst out of Falling Hawk Gorge. This figure was enveloped in an overwhelming corpse energy, with a gaunt, naked body that had a faint bronze hue.


    "Second-Grade Bronze Corpse!"


    Wu Sui''s gaze was filled with disbelief.


    "How is this possible? How could somethingparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator be born in the Withered Blood Secret Realm?"


    "No, wait!"


    "It''s not a true second-grade bronze corpse! Although it has the characteristics of a bronze corpse, the corpse energy it possesses is far from reaching the level of a second-grade bronze corpse."


    This was a corpse that had advanced to the second grade in terms of physical form but seemed restricted by some rule, with its corpse energy forcibly limited to the first-grade zombie level.


    This pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse was somewhat simr to Song Wen''s situation, as both were semi-Foundation Establishment level beings.


    However, this bronze corpse was physically on par with a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and since zombies typically excel in physical strength, it was nearly invincible in the Withered Blood Secret Realm, where only Qi Refining cultivators could enter. It was almost impossible for anyone to break through its physical defenses.


    The bronze corpse was not skilled in escape techniques; it relied on its powerful physique, crashing through everything in its path like a human bulldozer.


    If the fleeing Ghost Patroller was like a swift wind, the pursuing bronze corpse was like a wolfish beast charging through.


    The trees blocking its way were all smashed aside, creating a path of destruction.


    As the bronze corpse moved further away, dozens of figures emerged from Falling Hawk Gorge. They were disciples from the three major sects, who had been hiding and observing from the shadows.


    These individuals followed closely behind the bronze corpse, rushing after it.


    Wu Sui, who was confused by the situation, maneuvered the flying boat closer to the foremost figure among these dozens.


    This person was a burly and stout figure.


    "Qiu Li, what''s happening in Falling Hawk Gorge?" Wu Sui asked.


    Qiu Li nced up at Wu Sui without slowing her pace. Her entire body was surging with blood energy as she performed the Blood Escape Technique.


    With her dense blood energy, using the Blood Escape Technique did not affect her too much.


    Seeing that Qiu Li did not respond, Wu Sui continued,


    "Do you really think that you alone can handle that pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse?"


    Wu Sui pointed at Ying Ni and said, "If the three of us join forces, we can share the benefits."


    As for Song Wen, Wu Suipletely ignored him, as Song Wen was not qualified to obtain the Jade Essence Grass.


    Seemingly persuaded by Wu Sui, Qiu Li finally spoke,


    "The Ghost Patroller used its extremely fast escape technique to steal all three Jade Essence Grass from Falling Hawk Gorge while the Iron-Winged Eagle and the bronze corpse were fighting."


    "What! The Ghost Patroller has three Jade Essence Grass?" Wu Sui eximed in surprise.


    "We must find a way to intercept him. If he escapes, with his escape technique, it will be difficult to track him down."


    Wu Sui quickly cast several spells, and the flying boat elerated dramatically, moving more than twice as fast as before, even surpassing Qiu Li, who was using the Blood Escape Technique.


    Wu Sui controlled the flying boat, heading towards the direction where the trees had been knocked down by the bronze corpse.


    Song Wen, standing at the back of the flying boat, was astonished by its speed.


    Wu Sui''s flying boat was significantly faster than his own.


    With a Golden Core cultivator backing him, the boat''s foundation was indeed deep.


    At that moment, the Iron-Winged Eagle, which had been following from above, suddenly dived down. As the king of the skies, no one present could match its speed.


    Neither the Ghost Patroller, the pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse, nor Wu Sui''s flying boat could match the speed of the Iron-Winged Eagle.


    The Iron-Winged Eagle, like a golden w, seized the Ghost Patroller''s head.


    Facing this life-threatening situation, the Ghost Patroller had to slow down and use his skills to respond.


    He tapped his waist, releasing a ck-faced ghost at the Qi Refining ninth level from his ghost-rearing pouch.


    The ghost, with swirling dark energy and wing wildly, lunged at the Iron-Winged Eagle.


    Taking advantage of this, the bronze corpse had caught up with him.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 104: Chaotic Battle

    <h4>Chapter 104: Chaotic Battle</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The bronze corpse opened its gaping mouth, revealing two-inch-long fangs, and with a ferocious expression, lunged toward the Ghost Patroller.


    The bronze corpse was too powerful; the Ghost Patroller had no courage to resist.


    He looked up and saw Wu Sui''s flying boat approaching from above.


    With a flick of his hand, he threw a spirit nt the size of a human head toward the flying boat.


    It was the Jade Essence Grass!


    The bronze corpse, upon seeing the Jade Essence Grass appear in mid-air, was instantly captivated by it, halting its attack on the Ghost Patroller.


    With a sudden burst of power, it leaped into the air, reaching for the Jade Essence Grass.


    Wu Sui, who was surprised to see a Jade Essence Grass suddenly appear in the air, didn''t have time to rejoice before seeing the bronze corpse soar upward, its corpse aura surging, and its malevolent energy roiling, as it chased after the Jade Essence Grass and pounced on the flying boat.


    Faced with this sudden turn of events, Wu Sui remained calm.


    He fully activated his chains, which coiled in the air, forming a sharp, conical shape, and thrust directly at the bronze corpse.


    The chain''s cone struck the bronze corpse''s chest with a muffled "thud."


    The chains instantly fell powerless to the ground as if they had been shaken apart.


    The bronze corpse, however, remained unharmed, its upward speed only slightly slowed, and it continued reaching for the Jade Essence Grass.


    "Go!" Wu Sui decisively ordered.


    Song Wen suddenly felt a void beneath his feet as Wu Sui retracted the flying boat.


    Wu Sui and Ying Ni were falling towards the ground, moving away from the bronze corpse.


    Song Wen, on the other hand, felt a force push him from behind towards the direction of the bronze corpse.


    He nced sideways at Wu Sui, realizing that Wu Sui had just used spiritual energy to push him.


    Wu Sui was essentially sending him to the bronze corpse''s maw to dy the bronze corpse''s speed, making it easier for Wu Sui and Ying Ni to escape.


    Damn it! The demonic sect is indeed full of despicable people!


    Song Wen cursed inwardly.


    At this moment, the bronze corpse had grabbed the Jade Essence Grass in its hand and was raising its left hand, preparing to eliminate Song Wen, who was merely a small fry.


    Seeing the fearsome, menacing face of the bronze corpse getting closer, Song Wen remained unflinching.


    Suddenly, a burst of blood light shed around Song Wen, and his falling speed increased several times, narrowly avoiding the bronze corpse''s fatal strike.


    As for the corpse aura from the bronze corpse, once it entered Song Wen''s body, it dissipated without causing any effect.


    "Bang!"


    Song Wen crashed into the ground, creating a one-meter-deep pit.


    With no time to waste, he used the Blood Escape Technique, finding a secluded spot to escape.


    Two hundred meters away.


    Ying Ni and Wu Suinded not far from the Ghost Patroller.


    Wu Sui looked up at the still airborne bronze corpse and noticed that Song Wen had disappeared, looking somewhat surprised,


    "Hmm? Where''s Ji Yin?"


    Ying Ni also noticed this and asked,


    "How did he escape the bronze corpse''s attack?"


    "Not sure. Maybe he had good fortune or some sort of life-saving trump card."


    As they discussed, the two hurriedly rushed toward the Ghost Patroller.


    The Ghost Patroller had used a ninthyer Qi Refining ghost to temporarily block the Iron-Winged Eagle''s attack and had lured the bronze corpse away with a Jade Essence Grass.


    He was preparing to escape when a chain suddenly descended from the sky, blocking his path.


    "Ghost Patroller, I am Wu Sui of the Corpse Demon Sect. Give me half of the Jade Essence Grass, and I''ll help you fend off the bronze corpse."


    The Ghost Patroller didn''t even nce at Wu Sui. He wouldn''t believe Wu Sui''s words; if he gave Wu Sui the Jade Essence Grass, Wu Sui would undoubtedly escape faster than anyone else.


    Seeing that the Ghost Patroller was unmoved, Wu Sui''s chains twisted in the air and directly stabbed toward the Ghost Patroller''s chest.


    "Damn it! Taking advantage of the chaos!"


    The Ghost Patroller cursed inwardly and quickly moved his hands. A ghost g, simr to the one Chen Xiuming had, appeared in his grasp.


    As the ghost g waved, a surge of Yin energy erupted, making the area within ten meters be filled with ghostly winds.


    A ninthyer Qi Refining ghost emerged from within the Yin wind.


    The chains pierced into the Yin wind, and the ghost, dragging its long ck ghostly aura like a giant python, coiled around the chains.


    Wu Sui suddenly found his chains uncontrobly dragged by the ghost.


    He didn''t release his grip on the chains and started a struggle with the ghost.


    The Ghost Patroller watched the chains being dragged by the ghost and smiled. He had heard of Wu Sui''s reputation. Wu Sui''s most famous attack method was his ck chains, and now that the chains were restrained, Wu Sui''s threat was significantly reduced.


    Just as the Ghost Patroller was about to use the "Ghostly Escape" technique to flee, he suddenly heard a seductive voice whispering in his ear.


    "Ghost Patroller, darling, this littledy has a gift for you. Do you think I''m beautiful?"


    The extremely alluring voice seemed to carry a tantalizing fragrance, soothing and enchanting. The voice was so soft it felt like it could make one''s bones turn to mush.


    Hearing the voice, the Ghost Patroller''s spellcasting was momentarily interrupted.


    Immediately, he looked at Ying Ni in horror.


    This woman''s seductive technique was terrifying; just a single sentence had forcefully interrupted his spellcasting.


    The Ghost Patroller focused, clearing his mind, and prepared to activate the "Ghostly Escape" again.


    But the moment was fleeting; the Iron-Winged Eagle had already killed the ghost and was diving toward him. The bronze corpse also changed direction and attacked him.


    Surrounded on three sides, the Ghost Patroller had no way to escape!


    The Ghost Patroller looked at Wu Sui and Ying Ni with a mix of hatred and anger.


    "What I can''t have, no one else should!"


    Immediately, the remaining two Jade Essence Grass appeared in his hand. After infusing them with a burst of Yin energy, he threw them.


    The Jade Essence Grass were hurled into the air above Wu Sui and Ying Ni.


    Wu Sui, seeing the two Jade Essence Grass suddenly thrown over, did not suspect anything and assumed it was the Ghost Patroller''s desperate attempt to survive.


    Wu Sui''s face brightened with joy as he leaped high into the air, reaching for the two Jade Essence Grass.


    Ying Ni also jumped high, determined to obtain the Jade Essence Grass.


    At this moment, their cooperation fell apart.


    "Roar!"


    "Caw!"


    Two massive roars suddenly erupted.


    Both the bronze corpse and the Iron-Winged Eagle were attracted to the Jade Essence Grass, changing direction and heading for the mushrooms in the air.


    "Ying, I''ll take care of the Jade Essence Grass for now. We can split them once we escape," Wu Sui said.


    "Senior Wu, I''ll handle the Jade Essence Grass," Ying Ni countered.


    A hint of ruthlessness shed in Wu Sui''s eyes. The corpse energy swirled around his hand as he struck toward Ying Ni.


    Ying Ni wasn''t easy to deal with either. Her hand was also surrounded by corpse energy as she wed at Wu Sui.


    Their hands shed!


    Ying Ni, who specialized in seductive techniques, was slightly weaker in speed and strength.


    She was struck from mid-air by Wu Sui''s blow and fell toward the Iron-Winged Eagle.


    Wu Sui seized the opportunity to grab the two Jade Essence Grass.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 105: Ghost Patroller, I will tear you to shreds!

    <h4>Chapter 105: Ghost Patroller, I will tear you to shreds!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The Iron-Winged Eagle''s sharp ws tore through Ying Ni''s side.


    A vivid spray of blood blossomed in mid-air!


    The Iron-Winged Eagle''s ws gouged out arge chunk of flesh from Ying Ni''s waist. Fortunately, she had activated a Vajra Talisman in her moment of desperation, or else the ws would have severed her torso.


    Ying Ni fell to the ground, casting a reluctant nce at Wu Sui in mid-air. At this moment, Wu Sui had already gathered the two Jade Essence Grass into his arms.


    After a moment of hesitation, Ying Ni turned and fled.


    With her injuries and the rupture in her alliance with Wu Sui, and with the Iron-Winged Eagle and the bronze corpse closing in, staying any longer would be pointless. It could even cost her life.


    Ying Ni chose a direction opposite to the Ghost Patroller''s and vanished into the dense forest.


    The Ghost Patroller stored the ghostly spirit in his ghost g and turned to escape.


    As he fled, the Ghost Patroller nced back at Wu Sui, who was surrounded by the bronze corpse and the Iron-Winged Eagle, and sneered coldly.


    Fight on! Fight to the death! Only to find the Jade Essence Grass had already withered and lost their spiritual essence.


    The thought of the eventual victor among the three discovering that the Jade Essence Grass had withered, and the furious scene that would ensue, eased the Ghost Patroller''s resentment over his stolen treasure a bit.


    While escaping, the Ghost Patroller suddenly felt a sharp chill, sensing a life-threatening crisis.


    Before he could react, a cold sh passed through his vision, piercing through his skull from behind.


    The Ghost Patroller''s eyes widened in shock as he fell dead to the ground.


    Song Wen, emerging from the forest with a faint smile on his face, appeared satisfied with his ambush.


    Indeed, ambushing from the shadows was the strongest attack.


    Song Wen removed the Ghost Patroller''s ghost bag and storage bag, then inserted his hand into the corpse''s chest to devour its essence and soul. A burst of fire ignited, burning the Ghost Patroller''s body into ashes.


    The entire process was smooth and swift, taking just a few breaths to turn the Ghost Patroller''s body into ashes.


    Song Wen used his escape technique and turned to leave.


    As he fled, he made sure to probe into the Ghost Patroller''s storage bag with his spiritual sense. He found a jade box inside, which contained three walnut-sized yellow-green spirit fruits.


    It was indeed the Heavenly Spirit Fruit!


    Song Wen thought to himself, as expected.


    Having witnessed the Ghost Patroller''s escape technique, Song Wen had guessed that the Ghost Patroller''s speed was extraordinary and that he likely relied on his speed to obtain various spirit herbs.


    Song Wen''s guess proved urate; the Ghost Patroller''s storage bag indeed contained three Heavenly Spirit Fruits.


    ---


    After Wu Sui had struck Ying Ni away and seized the Jade Essence Grass, he saw the bronze corpse closing in within less than ten feet.


    For the bronze corpse, a distance of ten feet was already within its attack range.


    Wu Sui could almost feel the terrifyingly intense corpse energy emanating from the bronze corpse.


    In a desperate moment, Wu Sui pped the corpse bag at his waist that he had not used before.


    A seven-foot-tall, immensely malevolent corpse puppet was released.


    This was a corpse puppet made from the body of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and it could even possibly be the body of a Body Refining cultivator.


    Though the puppet''s aura was only at the peak of Qi Refining, it exhibited an astonishing presence, far surpassing an ordinary Qi Refining peak cultivator.


    Like the bronze corpse, this was a pseudo-Ninth Stage corpse puppet. It had a formidable corpse body butcked the true Ninth Stage corpse energy and malevolent aura.


    "Roar!"


    As soon as the corpse puppet appeared, it opened its blood-red mouth, revealing sharp, elongated fangs, and let out a skyward roar.


    "Bang!"


    The corpse puppet collided with the bronze corpse.


    The impact was like two ancient beasts crashing into each other, producing a deep, thunderous sound.


    Two Powerful Monsters Entangled, Falling Towards the Ground.


    The two powerful, flesh-and-blood monsters grappled with each other, falling towards the ground.


    Wu Sui had just dealt with the threat of the bronze corpse when the Iron-Winged Eagle''s ws arrived.


    Wu Sui hurriedly manipted his chains, which nged loudly in the air, quickly forming a protective shell around him.


    He intended to use the chains to block the Iron-Winged Eagle''s attack.


    At that moment, a powerful figure leaped into the air.


    It was Qiu Li arriving on the scene.


    Her body was surging with blood energy, and behind her, a ten-meter-tall boar phantom had formed. This was an apparition that appeared after reaching a certain level in body refinement techniques.


    Qiu Li charged like a gigantic, ravenous wild boar descending from the mountain, unstoppable.


    Muscles bulged beneath Qiu Li''s skin as immense power concentrated in her hand.


    With a clenched fist, she threw a punch.


    "Boom!"


    The punchnded squarely on the Iron-Winged Eagle''s w.


    The force of the punch and the w shed with explosive power.


    The immense recoil from the impact sent Qiu Li plummeting from the air.


    Her fingers burst open, and blood sttered everywhere.


    The Iron-Winged Eagle was also halted abruptly by the mountain-crushing punch, its iron-like ws trembling slightly, clearly wounded.


    Qiu Li crashed to the ground, creating a two-meter-wide pit, with dirt flying everywhere.


    Yet, she seemed unaffected, quickly climbing out of the pit and walking to where Wu Sui had justnded.


    "Give me one of the Jade Essence Grass!"


    Qiu Li''s eyes were sharp andmanding, leaving no room for argument.


    She had seen clearly that Wu Sui had taken both Jade Essence Grass into his possession.


    For Wu Sui, who had acquired the treasures, it was not so easy to hand them over, even though he had previously agreed to share the Jade Essence Grass.


    Wu Sui said, "Sister Qiu, we are facing a major threat right now. Shouldn''t we deal with the enemies first and then divide the treasures?"


    Qiu Li remained unmoved, sneering, "Don''t think that I didn''t see you attacking Ying Ni just now. I am not a fool like Ying Ni, who has nothing but a chest and no brains."


    "Give me one Jade Essence Grass now, and I will hold off the Iron-Winged Eagle while you handle the bronze corpse. If you don''t agree..."


    Qiu Li''s aura grew more overwhelming, her blood energy surging wildly, with her threat unmistakable.


    A trace of barely perceptible killing intent shed in Wu Sui''s eyes, but the situation was pressing, and despite his unwillingness, he had no choice but topromise.


    Having already provoked both the bronze corpse and the Iron-Winged Eagle, facing Qiu Li as well left him with little chance of survival.


    "Alright!"


    With that, he pulled a Jade Essence Grass from his belongings, ready to hand it to Qiu Li.


    However, the next moment, Wu Sui was shocked by the Jade Essence Grass in his hand.


    The Jade Essence Grass, which should have been blood-red, now had ck veins spreading throughout it, and these veins were continuing to spread. The potent medicinal properties had been almost entirely destroyed by the Yin energy injected by the Ghost Patroller.


    "What''s going on!"


    Wu Sui''s face turned extremely grim, filled with disbelief.


    He quickly examined the other Jade Essence Grass, finding the same situation.


    Realizing what had happened, Wu Sui''s expression twisted with rage.


    "Ghost Patroller, I will tear you to shreds!" Wu Sui gritted his teeth and said.


    The Jade Essence Grass he had painstakingly obtained were now worthless, fueling Wu Sui''s frustration even more.


    Qiu Li, seeing the two Jade Essence Grass in Wu Sui''s hand had lost their potency, showed a brief moment of shock and disappointment before turning away.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 106: Shocked Qiu Li

    <h4>Chapter 106: Shocked Qiu Li</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Qiu Li wanted to leave, but someone wasn''t letting her!


    The Iron-Winged Eagle, having suffered at Qiu Li''s hands, circled in the air and then dived down again.


    With its massive size and lightning-fast speed, it was like a high-speed diving fighter jet.


    Its razor-sharp beak, like a keen de, aimed directly at Qiu Li''s head.


    The boar phantom behind Qiu Li became increasingly solid, as if it mighte to life at any moment.


    Countless veins bulged, writhing beneath her skin like worms.


    "Die!"


    Qiu Li roared, throwing a powerful punch.


    The fist collided with the eagle''s beak.


    A tremendous gust of wind exploded between them, shattering the surrounding trees and reducing everything within a ten-meter radius to dust.


    The Iron-Winged Eagle was pummeled, its head battered and bleeding, and it hastily climbed into the sky, gradually disappearing from sight.


    Qiu Li''s clothes were almost entirely shredded, exposing her hefty, pig-bristle-covered body.


    Her left hand hung limply, the recent punch causing multiple fractures in her arm.


    Qiu Li frowned, enduring the intense pain in her arm, and used the Blood Escape Technique to flee.


    With Qiu Li fleeing, Wu Sui naturally wouldn''t stay behind either.


    More and more cultivators had arrived, but they were intimidated by the power of the bronze corpse and the corpse puppet, and no one dared to step forward.


    Many observed from a distance, noting that the two Jade Essence Grass Wu Sui had obtained were now rotting and turned away. However, a small number of cultivators didn''t notice this and remained on the periphery, eager to act.


    The battle between the bronze corpse and the corpse puppet was brutal, a pure physical contest with relentless blows.


    The corpse puppet, though strong, was gradually falling behind due to its weaker physical strength.


    "Boom!"


    The two zombies exchanged punches.


    The bronze corpse staggered back several steps with each step creating arge pit in the ground.


    The corpse puppet was sent flying backward, its chest torn open, and dark liquid spilling out.


    At this moment, a chain shot out from the air, wrapping around the corpse puppet and pulling it away.


    Wu Sui had apparently released his flying boat and was now in mid-air. He couldn''t afford to have his strongest asset, the corpse puppet made from a foundation-building expert''s body, damaged easily.


    "Roar!"


    Seeing the enemy suddenly fleeing, the bronze corpse let out an enraged roar.


    It used its knees to m into the ground, creating arge pit, and then shot towards the flying boat like an arrow.


    The chain jerked, flinging the corpse puppet onto the flying boat.


    Then, like a striking venomous snake, itunched forward.


    The bronze corpse saw the chain shooting towards its chest and punched it with both hands.


    The invulnerable chain, which had served Wu Sui well multiple times, snapped with a loud crack.


    With the magic weapon destroyed, Wu Sui on the flying boat suffered a bacsh, blood spilling from his mouth, his body shaking violently, almost causing him to fall off the boat.


    Wu Sui gritted his teeth, regaining control and maneuvering the flying boat to flee further.


    With the chain blocked, the bronze corpse''s speed slowed, and unable to fly, it could onlynd on the ground.


    As soon as itnded, it saw two Jade Essence Grass falling from the sky,nding hundreds of meters behind it.


    Not the sharpest tool, the bronze corpse did not chase after Wu Sui but turned to pursue the Jade Essence Grass.


    When it discovered that the mushrooms had decayed and lost their potency, it roared in anger once more. Its overwhelming corpse energy surged, resembling a demon descending upon the world.


    However, this dy allowed the cunning human to vanish into the distance.


    Unable to vent its fury, the bronze corpse could only destroy everything around it.


    Trees and rocks toppled, and deafening crashes filled the air.


    Cultivators hiding on the outskirts, witnessing this scene, were as frightened as quails, tucking their necks and quickly fleeing.


    ...


    As Qiu Li was fleeing, her brow was tightly furrowed. Her left arm was broken, which had a significant impact on her as a closebat practitioner.


    Right now, she needed to find a safe hiding spot as quickly as possible to treat her left arm. She didn''t expect an immediate cure but at least wanted to preserve her arm.


    If her left arm were to be permanently disabled, her future cultivation path would be incredibly difficult.


    Suddenly.


    Her spiritual sense detected a cold gleam shing behind her head, moving with lightning speed.


    In this critical moment, Qiu Li remained highly calm. She quickly turned around, and the massive boar phantom reappeared behind her. Her right hand clenched into a fist and she struck out with full force.


    "Puff!"


    The sound of a de cutting through flesh.


    The Cold Moon de was ultimately lodged in Qiu Li''s hardened fist bones, but the de continuously emitted a chilling, sharp aura that almost pulverized her hand''s flesh and blood.


    The hand was a mess, and the bones were exposed.


    "Who! Who dares to sneak attack me? Only cowards hide in the dark and attack from the shadows. Dare to show yourself and fight me!"


    Qiu Li''s eyes were fierce, vigntly scanning her surroundings.


    Song Wen''s figure emerged slowly from the trees, the Cold Moon de already recalled, now jumping around in Song Wen''s palm.


    Song Wen wore a cold, indifferent smile.


    "Senior Sister Qiu, you seem to be in quite a predicament after two days."


    Qiu Li''s eyes were filled with shock and hatred. After a brief moment of astonishment, she gritted her teeth and said, "Jin Yin, it''s you! I didn''t expect you to hide so deeply, being a full-fledged Qi Refining expert."


    "You and I have no grievances between us. Let''s pretend the events of the other day never happened. We''ll go our separate ways, and I won''t bother you again."


    Facing Qiu Li''s proposal, Song Wen shook his head. "That''s not possible. Now that you know my secret, you must die."


    As soon as the words were spoken, the Cold Moon de flew out again, as fast as the wind.


    Qiu Li''s expression didn''t change. The pressure from the Cold Moon de was too great for her to be confident she could continuously fend off its attacks.


    "Jin Yin, you''ve forced me!"


    Qiu Li''s blood energy surged, and the ck boar phantom behind her was instantly bathed in blood-red.


    She was using the Blood Escape Technique from the Corpse Demon Sect, the Blood Sacrifice Art!


    Her previously bloated, pig-like body quickly transformed into a surge of blood energy.


    Her form also rapidly slimmed down.


    In an instant, her bulky, stout body changed into a lean and slender one.


    However, her skin still resembled a thick, loose boar hide, hanging loosely as if she were wearing an oversized boar-skin outfit.


    Feeling the rapid consumption of blood energy within her body, which brought a surge of spiritual power, Qiu Li''s eyes were filled with killing intent.


    She clenched her right fist tightly and threw a punch in the direction of the Cold Moon de.


    At that moment, she suddenly sensed two small Gu''s racing towards her temples from either side.


    Although small, the Gus possessed the terrifying strength of a ninthyer Qi Refining cultivator.


    Poisonous Gu''s!


    Qiu Li''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Jin Yin''s concealment was too deep.


    With her left hand injured and her right hand engaged in blocking the Cold Moon de''s attack, Qiu Li had no time to defend against the poison Gus'' attack, nor to summon a defensive magical artifact from her storage bag.


    A spiritual energy shield activated around her, and she could only use the shield to block the poison Gus'' assault.


    Then, to Qiu Li''s astonished gaze, the Cold Moon de, which was about to cut through her fist, suddenly changed course, avoiding her punch.


    A stunned thought shed through her mind.


    How is this possible! How can a Qi Refining cultivator control a magical artifact with spiritual energy to change its attack path on a whim? Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator with spiritual awareness could achieve such a feat.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 107: Chasing Wu Sui

    <h4>Chapter 107: Chasing Wu Sui</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    A missed powerful punch left Qiu Li in great difort. The spiritual energy she had gathered in her fist had nowhere to go, flowing wildly through her meridians and causing her energy shield to copse.


    Her internal blood and energy surged, and she spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Her body staggered, nearly causing her to fall.


    At that moment.


    The poison Gu struck!


    The two small Gu hit Qiu Li''s vulnerable temples directly.


    Two tiny blood spots appeared.


    The Gu pierced through her skull and drilled into her brain.


    With the poison Gu achieving their goal, Song Wen didn''t hold back.


    The Cold Moon de, having circled around, stabbed into the back of Qiu Li''s head.


    The fierce de aura instantly turned her brain matter into a mess.


    Qiu Li immediately lost consciousness and fell to the ground, dead.


    The two poison Gu crawled reluctantly from the broken temple points.


    The blood-rich Qiu Li was tempting to them, and they desired to devour her organs and essence.


    However, Song Wen also wanted to absorb Qiu Li''s essence, so he drove the poison Gu away.


    Momentster, after cleaning up Qiu Li''s corpse, Song Wen revealed a smile.


    In Qiu Li''s storage bag, he found two Heavenly Spirit Fruits!


    Moreover, the thrill of taking advantage of someone''s weakness and killing to seize their treasures was quite satisfying.


    The Heavenly Spirit Fruits were easily obtained, avoiding the need to battle with the guardian beasts of the fruits.


    Now, only Wu Sui remained!


    Song Wen''s gaze shifted to the location where Wu Sui''s flying boat had disappeared.


    Activating the Blood Escape Technique, he lifted his leg and gave chase.


    ...


    Wu Sui, seeing that the copper corpse didn''t follow, gradually slowed the flying boat''s speed.


    With the chain artifact destroyed, he had sustained some damage to his consciousness, which was quite ufortable.


    Suddenly, he noticed unusual movements on the ground several miles behind him from the corner of his eye.


    Someone was following!


    Wu Sui''s eyes sharpened. Although injured, he was not someone to be easily dealt with.


    A talisman appeared in his hand, faintly glowing with a sharp sword aura.


    It was a high-grade first-tier talisman, the Spirit Sword Talisman.


    Among first-tier talismans, this was one of the most lethal.


    Using the Spirit Sword Talisman to kill a sneak attacker should be more than enough.


    Wu Sui controlled the flying boat to fly slowly, as if he hadn''t noticed the pursuer.


    When the pursuer was only a few hundred meters away from the flying boat, Wu Sui suddenly activated his spiritual energy, igniting the Spirit Sword Talisman.


    A three-foot-long, one-inch-wide sword of spiritual energy appeared in mid-air.


    The sword was shimmering with sword aura, resembling a true, peerless treasure sword.


    "Go!"


    The sword light shot forth like a dazzling rainbow, cutting through the air in a sh.


    Song Wen, looking at the sword light shooting towards him from the air, was somewhat astonished. He had been detected.


    But thinking it over, it wasn''t surprising to be detected.


    Although Song Wen had tried his best to control his breath and the force of hisnding, the wind he generated while running definitely disturbed the vegetation.


    Wu Sui, positioned high in the air, was not surprised to see the unusual movement of the vegetation below from his elevated vantage point.


    Faced with the sharp sword energy of the Spirit Sword Talisman, Song Wen remained calm. A green bronze light suddenly enveloped him, and in an instant, a tangible bronze bell covered his entire body.


    "Dong!"


    The sword struck the bronze bell with a crisp ng, as if someone was actually striking the bell.


    The Spirit Sword was shattered and dispersed into spiritual energy in the air.


    The green light on the bell intensified, then faded back to normal after a few shes.


    The first-tier high-grade Spirit Sword Talisman posed no threat to the bronze bell refined from the Ten Thousand Poison Body.


    Over the past two years, despite consuming countless toxic substances, Song Wen''s Ten Thousand Poison Body remained at the proficient level.


    However, the bronze bell refined from Ten Thousand Poison Body had be more solid.


    He had a premonition that soon, he would be able to advance Ten Thousand Poison Body to a small achievement stage.


    Through years of training, Song Wen also realized that his physical body showed exceptional talent in practicing various body-refining techniques.


    This was true for Corpse King Blood Refining Technique and also for Ten Thousand Poison Body.


    Though the progress in demonic methods slowed significantly in theter stages of Qi refining, Song Wen''s progress did not notably decline. His advancement in Corpse King Blood Refining Technique continued rapidly.


    In just three years, he had advanced from the sixth level of Qi Refining to the fullpletion stage.


    Of course, this involved the use of various pills, spirit stones, and materials.


    Seeing that his crucial strike was easily neutralized, Wu Sui began to take the pursuer seriously.


    Forget it, with the damage to his consciousness, it''s better to temporarily avoid the fight!


    After a brief thought, Wu Sui elerated the flying boat, swiftly heading towards the horizon.


    From start to finish, Wu Sui did not recognize the person below as his acquaintance, Ji Yin. After all, in his perception, Ji Yin only had the cultivation of the fifth level of Qi Refining, while the person below had disyed the cultivation of the ninth level in just an instant. The difference was too great. Additionally, Song Wen had changed his own aura. It was normal for Wu Sui not to recognize Song Wen.


    Song Wen removed the bronze bell and watched the flying boat speeding away with a smile.


    "Fleeing? A pipe dream!"


    Song Wen did not immediately use escape techniques to pursue. Wu Sui was apanied by a corpse puppet refined from a foundation-building cultivator. To kill him head-on would require considerable effort.


    Moreover, as the grandson of a Golden Core ancestor, Wu Sui was unlikely to be without life-saving treasures.


    It was better to wait until the opponent rxed their guard and thenunch a surprise attack.


    As for whether the distance would be too far to follow Wu Sui, Song Wen was not worried at all.


    While on Wu Sui''s flying boat, Song Wen had secretly left a spiritual mark. As long as the distance was not too far, Song Wen could sense the position of the flying boat and thus follow Wu Sui.


    With Wu Sui only at the fullpletion of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and his spiritual power not yet evolved into spiritual sense, it was impossible for him to detect the spiritual mark Song Wen left on the flying boat.


    ...


    That night.


    Outside a cave in the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    Song Wen looked at the cave ahead with a peculiar expression.


    The cave was quite unusual; the entrance was narrow, but after advancing for several dozen meters, it opened up to a spacious area, about an acre in size.


    Inside the cave, at that moment, two unclothed bodies were entwined together.


    These two were Wu Sui and Ying Ni.


    They had somehow ended up together and were engaged in intimate activities.


    Song Wen, with a yful smile, adjusted his aura to his usual appearance and stepped into the cave.


    Wu Sui sensed Song Wen''s arrival first. His body stiffened momentarily, then continued.


    "Someone?"


    Ying Ni also sensed a familiar aura approaching.


    "Don''t worry, it''s Ji Yin."


    Wu Sui sealed Ying Ni''s red lips with a kiss, not giving her a moment to catch her breath.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> WTF, first they wanted to kill each other, now they are back together again?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 108: Hidden Schemes

    <h4>Chapter 108: Hidden Schemes</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen entered the cave''s main hall. In the hall, the two people were still immersed in their passionate activity, showing no sign of stopping.


    Ying Ni sat on Wu Sui''sp, embracing him with a flushed face.


    Ying Ni was facing Song Wen directly as he entered. She threw him a seductive nce with her charming eyes.


    A mesmerizing sight!


    Heart-stirring!


    Seeing that the two were not nning to stop, Song Wen wasn''t in a hurry to act. He just stood there watching.


    Suddenly, Wu Sui ceased his movements, and his body started to tremble uncontrobly.


    At this moment, Ying Ni''s eyes, which had been half-closed, abruptly snapped open with a fierce look. The redness on her face quickly faded, reced by a fierce and twisted expression.


    A short sword appeared in her hand, and she stabbed it toward Wu Sui''s back of the head.


    Just as the sword tip was about to pierce Wu Sui''s skull, a green light shield suddenly emerged from him, blocking the de.


    Ying Ni''s face showed panic and confusion. Wu Sui waspletely naked, so he shouldn''t have any magical artifacts.


    After all, magical artifacts can''t be stored inside the body like spiritual weapons.


    Where did the green shielde from?


    Having been exposed, Ying Ni could no longer care much. Reluctantly, she stabbed several more times, but all were blocked by the green shield.


    Wu Sui slowly lifted his head with a mocking expression.


    "Junior Sister Ying, did you really think I waspletely unprepared for you?"


    Before his words were finished, a ck light emerged from Wu Sui''s hand. His previously smooth and slender fingers transformed into the dark, withered ws of a zombie, which grabbed at Ying Ni''s lower dantian.


    The ws pierced through her snow-white, delicate skin, gouging out a piece of fresh, red flesh, leaving arge bloody hole in her dantian.


    With her dantian destroyed, her cultivation was ruined. Ying Ni''s aura rapidly declined, soon bing only slightly stronger than an ordinary person.


    Ying Ni spat out a mouthful of blood, copsing to the ground, her eyes filled with unwillingness and fear.


    "You... you clearly don''t have a storage bag. Where did that green shielde from?"


    Wu Sui slowly stood up, looking down at Ying Ni with a mocking expression.


    "That''s a bit of my grandfather''s power, sealed within my body at the cost of his own cultivation. It''s the power of a Golden Core cultivator, my true life-saving trump card, something you lowly cultivators could never ess."


    "As long as I will it, the power transforms into a spiritual shield, protecting me thoroughly."


    "Hahaha..."


    Feeling pleased, Wu Sui suddenly threw his head back andughed.


    "Do you think that you, a lowly courtesan, can deceive me with a bit of seduction!"


    "Did you really think I didn''t notice the storage ring on your hand!"


    "How could I be unprepared for you?"


    Wu Sui squatted down, bringing his head close to Ying Ni''s beautiful face, and whispered.


    "This body of yours is truly tempting. It''s hard to destroy it."


    Hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Ying Ni''s otherwise despairing eyes.


    She struggled to rise, pressing her voluptuous chest against Wu Sui''s calf, pleading.


    "Senior Brother Wu Sui, I was just momentarily bewitched. Please spare my life, and I will serve you well from now on."


    Wu Sui kicked Ying Ni away.


    "There''s no need for such trouble. Who knows when you might have ill intentions again? I will seal your soul within your body and turn you into a living corpse, making you serve me forever."


    Ying Ni''s face turned bitter, as if she could already envision herself bing a living corpse.


    Suddenly, the green shield on Wu Sui''s body lit up again.


    A cold beam of light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, mmed hard into the green shield.


    The green shield kept Wu Sui unharmed from the surprise attack of the Cold Moon de, but the immense force of the de still sent him flying several meters away.


    Caught off guard by the sudden assault, Wu Sui looked up, his gaze dark and menacing, towards Song Wen standing at the hall''s entrance.


    "Ji Yin, it''s you!"


    Before Wu Sui could finish speaking, another cold beam struck, sending him flying once more before he could regain his bnce.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The continuous impacts made Wu Sui feel like a turtle retreating into its shell, being tossed around by the immense force of the Cold Moon de, yet he remained unharmed. Despite this, the repeated collisions were extremely ufortable, making him feel like his organs were being twisted.


    "Stop! Ji Yin, stop attacking."


    Wu Sui, struggling to endure the difort, shouted.


    "If you promise not to attack me again, I can swear an oath by Heaven that I will not seek revenge for today''s events, nor will I tell anyone about this."


    "Ji Yin, what do you say?"


    After activating the Cold Moon de several times, Song Wen had consumed quite a bit of spiritual energy. He had not anticipated that the green shield would be so formidable. He had expected to break through it easily with his half-damaged spirit weapon but found himself mistaken. It was indeed the power of a Golden Core cultivator, left as a safeguard by Wu Sui''s grandfather.


    Even though this power was without a source, it was still beyond the reach of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like Song Wen to easily ovee.


    Song Wen ceased his attacks, took two energy recovery pills, and began refining them right in front of Wu Sui. While he couldn''t currently break through the green shield, he could still trap Wu Sui in the cave.


    He was in no rush and nned to wear him down gradually.


    As he refined the pills, Song Wen said, "Wu Sui''s suggestion is reasonable. However, I must take those two Heavenly Spirit Fruits from you."


    Seeing that Song Wen was swayed by his proposal and had indeed stopped attacking, Wu Sui''s expression brightened.


    "So, you want the Heavenly Spirit Fruits. If you had said so earlier, I would have given them to you willingly. There''s no need for us to fight and harm our rtions."


    "To show my sincerity, I''ll hand over the Heavenly Spirit Fruits to you first." Wu Sui said with a generous demeanor.


    Then he pointed to a pile of clothes not far from Ying Ni. "However, the Heavenly Spirit Fruits are in the storage ring. May I go over and retrieve them?"


    Wu Sui had been knocked away by the Cold Moon de several times and was now several dozen meters from the spot where Ying Ni had fallen.


    Song Wen kept his gaze steady on Wu Sui, his eyes deep and unreadable, without saying a word.


    Suddenly, Ying Ni, whoy on the ground, her aura fading, spoke up.


    "Ji Yin, don''t trust Wu Sui''s deceitful words. If he opens the storage ring, he''s likely just trying to retrieve more items to attack you. Cough... cough..."


    Ying Ni spoke quickly and loudly, which exacerbated her injuries, and she couldn''t help but cough up blood.


    Wu Sui red fiercely at the half-dead Ying Ni, wishing he could kill her with his gaze alone.


    She had always liked to meddle even before Ji Yin arrived. And now, even with her life hanging by a thread, she continued to interfere.


    "I don''t quite believe Sister Ying Ni''s words. Given Wu Sui''s esteemed status as the Golden Core Ancestor''s direct descendant, he wouldn''t be someone who breaks his word," Song Wen suddenly spoke in defense of Wu Sui.


    "Since Wu Sui is willing to show his sincerity by first handing over the Heavenly Spirit Fruits, I should also make a gesture."


    With that, Song Wen opened his storage ring, ced the Cold Moon de inside, and threw the ring ten meters ahead on the ground.


    It''s well-known that Qi Refining cultivators need to physically touch a storage ring to open it. Only Foundation Establishment cultivators with spiritual consciousness can open storage rings from a distance.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 109: The Furious Golden Core Elder

    <h4>Chapter 109: The Furious Golden Core Elder</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Good!"


    Wu Sui''s spirits lifted, and he eximed loudly.


    "Ji Yin, you truly are a generous and trustworthy person. I will give the Heavenly Spirit Fruits to you right away."


    As he spoke, Wu Sui quickly moved towards the pile of clothes.


    Ying Ni, enduring intense pain, shouted with a mixture of anger and frustration.


    "Ji Yin, how could you be so foolish as to believe Wu Sui''s lies so easily? How did someone as naive as you manage to advance to the ninth level of Qi Refining in the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    Song Wen seemed to snap out of his daze from Ying Ni''s words. As Wu Sui was still about twenty meters from where the storage ring was thrown, he suddenly shouted.


    "Senior Brother Wu Sui, stop!"


    Song Wen''s sudden shout made Wu Sui halt in his tracks.


    He looked eagerly at the storage ring not far ahead but forced himself to maintain a smile, addressing Song Wen.


    "Ji Yin, what is it?"


    Song Wen said, "Sister Ying Ni has a point. Since I''ve thrown away the storage ring, shouldn''t Senior Brother show some goodwill and temporarily deactivate your spiritual shield?"


    Wu Sui nced at Song Wen and then back at the storage ring.


    Next to the storage ring was a corpse storage bag containing a corpse puppet made from the body of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Wu Sui''s gaze darted between Song Wen, the storage ring, and the corpse storage bag.


    After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind.


    "Alright, I agree to your terms!"


    He was fifty meters away from Song Wen. At such a distance, even if Song Wen had a hidden card, there was enough time for Wu Sui to use his remaining power to form another spiritual shield.


    With that, the green shield around Wu Sui disappeared.


    Wu Sui''s eyes remained fixed on Song Wen, wary of any sudden attack.


    To his surprise and delight, Song Wen did not use the opportunity to strike. Instead, he watched as Wu Sui approached the pile of clothes step by step.


    Closer!


    Ten meters!


    Eight meters!


    Five meters!


    Wu Sui''s excitement grew; the corpse storage bag was right in front of him.


    When he was within three meters, Wu Sui suddenly leaped and grabbed the corpse storage bag on the ground.


    "Roar!"


    The pseudo-second-level corpse puppet, made from the body of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, suddenly appeared.


    The corpse puppet moved with lightning speed, filled with murderous intent, and charged straight at Song Wen.


    At this moment, Wu Sui''s face was filled with derision and malice.


    "Ji Yin, die!"


    Ying Ni''s eyes turned dead and hopeless again. She had hoped that if Song Wen won, she might have a slim chance of survival.


    However, the favorable situation was ruined by this fool, Ji Yin, who had effectively sealed their fate.


    How could someone from the demonic sect be so gullible!


    Facing the corpse puppet brimming with death aura and murderous intent, Song Wen looked panicked, his face full of fear and anxiety.


    Seeing the corpse puppet closing in, Song Wen quickly took out a corpse puppet from his waist storage bag.


    A ninth-level Qi Refining corpse puppet leaped out and positioned itself in front of Song Wen.


    Song Wen himself turned and fled towards the cave entrance!


    "Run? Ji Yin, do you think you can escape?"


    "Hahaha..."


    "Don''t be foolish enough to think that an ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining corpse puppet can stop my corpse puppet. You won''t escape my grasp!"


    Wu Sui''s triumphantughter echoed throughout the cave.


    As if to prove Wu Sui''s words right, as soon as the two corpse puppets shed, the ninth-level Qi Refining corpse puppet had no chance to resist. It was seized by the pseudo-second-level corpse puppet, which grabbed its neck and waist, lifting it effortlessly.


    The pseudo-second-level corpse puppet suddenly exerted force, tearing the ninth-level Qi Refining corpse puppet apart.


    The pseudo-second-level corpse puppet casually threw the remains aside, then took a few steps to catch up with Song Wen.


    With a single palm strike, it aimed at the back of Song Wen''s head.


    "Bang!"


    Song Wen''s head exploded like a watermelon falling from a great height, scattering bits everywhere.


    Wu Sui''s face was full of arrogant delight.


    A mere Ji Yin, an outer sect disciple, dared to oppose him��he was simply asking for death.


    "Pfft!"


    The sound of a sharp weapon piercing through flesh and bone came from behind Wu Sui.


    A dry, dark w, gleaming with cold light, pierced through his back and out of his chest.


    On the w, the deathly aura of the corpse was like countless sharp des, ravaging his insides and turning his organs into a pulp.


    Turning around, Wu Sui saw that it was Ji Yin, who should have been dead!


    Wasn''t Ji Yin supposed to be dead?


    Hadn''t his head been smashed by a corpse puppet?


    Why was he suddenly appearing behind him?


    With endless doubts, Wu Sui''s breath faded.


    The blood and soul essence inside Wu Sui quickly gathered toward Song Wen, along with a trace of divine consciousness.


    "You little brat, daring to kill my direct descendant, I will make you suffer beyond death!"


    ---


    At the same time.


    In a cave near the summit of Corpse Demon Mountain.


    An old man suddenly opened his eyes, which seemed to contain a seething sea of corpses and blood.


    Two beams of intense light shot from his eyes, seemingly able to cross thousands of miles, aimed at the Withered Blood Secret Realm miles away.


    "Su''er is dead!"


    "No matter who the murderer is, I will tear you to pieces!"


    The voice, filled with deep hatred, echoed through the cave.


    Momentster, Wu Ren''s expression changed slightly, disbelief written all over his face.


    "The soul fragment I left in Su''er��how could it suddenly disappear!"


    "Su''er should be in the Withered Blood Secret Realm with the power and pseudo-second-level corpse puppet I gave him. Who could possibly kill him?"


    After a moment''s thought, Wu Ren stood up and flew toward the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    ---


    Song Wen sensed the divine consciousness he had absorbed and sighed in his heart.


    People like Wu Sui, with such a deep background, truly had too many trump cards.


    Even after death, they could still pose a deadly threat.


    However, having encountered him, Wu Sui still met his end.


    That divine consciousness had been absorbed into his sea of consciousness, bing nourishment for it.


    Previously, the head smashed by the pseudo-second-level corpse puppet was a decoy.


    To make it more convincing, Song Wen had given the decoy a simple disguise to make it look somewhat like him.


    Thispletely fooled Wu Sui, who believed the decoy killed by the pseudo-second-level corpse puppet was Song Wen''s real body.


    Song Wen absorbed Wu Sui''s blood and soul essence, then walked over to Ying Ni.


    Ying Ni was gravely injured and had not received timely treatment; her condition was critical, nearing the point of death.


    Seeing Song Wen arrive, Ying Ni''s eyes sparkled with a desire to live.


    She used her remaining strength to prop herself up, pleading.


    "Junior Brother Ji Yin, save me, and I will swear an oath to serve you as my master, obeying all yourmands."


    Song Wen''s gaze swept over her, taking in her stunning face, her tall and graceful figure, and therge gaping wound on her side.


    Ying Ni knew too many of his secrets; for her own safety, she had to die.


    Moreover, Ying Ni was already a cripple. Even if she genuinely wanted to be his servant, what use would a cripple be?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 110: Spoils

    <h4>Chapter 110: Spoils</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen stripped everything from Ying Ni and Wu Sui, consumed their essence blood, and burned their bodies to ashes.


    After finishing, Song Wen left the cave.


    He chose a random direction and traveled for over a hundred miles before stopping in a valley with sparse spiritual energy.


    Song Wen released the eight ck beetles, confirmed that there were no powerful demon beasts or cultivators within a few miles, and then sat down against a rocky mountain wall to begin sorting through his spoils.


    First was the green ring from Ying Ni.


    At first nce, Song Wen suspected it was a storage ring.


    A quick probe confirmed that it was indeed a storage ring.


    Unlike storage bags, which aremon in the cultivation world, storage rings are much rarer and generally only possessed by cultivators of Foundation Establishment or above.


    Even Wu Sui only used a storage bag.


    Although the space in Ying Ni''s storage ring was not veryrge, only about ten cubic meters, it was still significantlyrger than that of a typical storage bag, which usually ranges from one to ten cubic meters.


    Song Wen''s current storage bag, obtained from Zi Yi, had a volume of seven cubic meters.


    Although Ying Ni''s storage ring was among the lowest quality, Song Wen was still quite pleased.


    Previously, he had considered using a storage ring to secretly bring the Heavenly Spirit Fruits out of the secret realm without detection by his sect.


    However, refining and operating a storage ring requires spiritual sense or extremely powerful mental energy. This means that most Qi Refining cultivators cannot use a storage ring.


    Over time, storage rings became exclusive to cultivators of Foundation Establishment and above, with very few Qi Refining cultivators using them.


    Ying Ni''s possession of a storage ring was likely due to her cultivation of seduction techniques, which often grant cultivators stronger mental energy than their peers.


    This made Song Wen''s n to acquire a storage ring particrly challenging.


    In a shop run by the Corpse Demon Sect in a market, storage rings were indeed avable for sale, but they were only disyed on the floors essible to Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the cheapest priced at ten thousand spirit stones. Song Wen didn''t even qualify to ess those floors, let alone make a purchase.


    He had also considered buying a storage ring through other channels, but after inquiries, he found that Foundation Establishment cultivators looked down on dealings with unfamiliar Qi Refining cultivators.


    As the saying goes, "Not all meat is of the same quality, and not all people are equal."


    Song Wen dared not openly seek a storage ring and, in the end, had no choice but to use his heart to hide the jade box to smuggle the Heavenly Spirit Fruits.


    His n was to bring only two Heavenly Spirit Fruits out of the secret realm, while abandoning other spoils that could reveal his strength or raise suspicions.


    Since he noticed Ying Ni''s green ring, he coveted it.


    Like Wu Sui, Song Wen also left a spiritual sense mark on Ying Ni.


    Unexpectedly, the intertwining circumstances of Ying Ni and Wu Sui saved Song Wen a lot of time.


    With the storage ring now in hand, things became much easier.


    The spoils could be stored in the ring and carried out of the secret realm in his heart.


    The storage ring from Ying Ni contained many items: spirit stones, pills, talismans, and even some women''s clothing, including a set of seduction technique cultivation methods.


    Song Wen had little interest in these items. After a cursory nce, he took out Wu Sui''s storage bag.


    Wu Sui''s storage bag contained a vast amount of items, including nearly a thousand spirit stones and a rich assortment of pills and talismans.


    Song Wen also found a broken chain artifact, which was unfortunate because it was a rare and valuable item that could be freely manipted.


    Then there was Wu Sui''s corpse cultivation bag. Song Wen was interested in the pseudo-second-tier corpse puppet inside. After careful examination, he was sure that this corpse could be refined into a genuine second-tier corpse puppet.


    However, the cultivation of this puppet was done to be controble by Wu Sui, intentionally making it a pseudo-second-tier puppet. Therefore, Wu Sui''s corpse cultivation bag was no longer useful.


    Coincidentally, Song Wen found a ck coffin in Wu Sui''s storage bag, a mid-grade corpse nurturing coffin. He nned to ce the corpse puppet inside it and then into the storage ring, intending to find an opportunity to re-refine itter. By changing its appearance and aura, no one would recognize it as Wu Sui''s.


    Next was Qiu Li''s storage bag. Inside, Song Wen found a very interesting technique called "Demon Saint Magic Art." This is a body refining technique, including methods for both Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. It involves condensing the illusion of a demon beast and, as cultivation progresses, allows the cultivator to transform into a demon beast in battle, greatly enhancing their power and defense.


    Song Wen skimmed through the "Demon Saint Magic Art" and set it aside since he already had his primary cultivation technique and was not going to switch to another.


    Finally, Song Wen examined Gui Xun''s storage bag, which contained two jade slips. One recorded a secret technique called "Ghostly Nether Escape," which requires a significant amount of yin and ghost energy. Excessive refinement of ghostly and yin energy poses risks, simr to Song Wen''s own corpse transformation.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Gui Xun: Ghost Patroller


    The other jade slip contained a technique for controlling ghosts and a method for refining a ghost banner, known as the "Yin Soul Banner."


    Both Gui Xun and Chen Xiuming used Yin Soul Banners, which they had refined themselves. The Yin Soul Banner is a continuously refinable item that can be strengthened with sufficient materials, souls, and yin and ghost energy. Many cultivators even refine it into a personal magic treasure. It can be used for offense, defense, and assisting in escape, making it an extremely versatile and powerful tool.


    After sorting through all the storage bags, Song Wen put the seven Heavenly Spirit Fruits into a jade box and stored it in the storage ring.


    He checked every item in the storage bags, including every artifact, pill, and spirit stone, ensuring none had spiritual sense marks before cing them all into the storage ring.


    He then piled up the personal items from the storage bags and prepared to burn them.


    Just as he was about to act, he remembered the spiritual sense mark that appeared on Wu Sui at the moment of his death. Song Wen retrieved Wu Sui''s empty storage bag and put back Wu Sui''s personal items, the broken chain artifact, and some spirit stones and items from Wu Sui''s storage bag.


    Song Wen stored Wu Sui''s storage bag.


    He dealt with other personal items and storage bags by either burning or burying them.


    Song Wen selected a fewmonly found spirit herbs from the Withered Blood Secret Realm and put them into his storage bag to report back to his sect.


    Although there were still five days before the secret realm closed, Song Wen had already achieved his goal for this trip, and obtaining the Heavenly Spirit Fruits exceeded his expectations. He did not intend to take more risks.


    To adapt early, Song Wen decided to ce the storage ring in his heart. The intense pain from carrying the ring constantly made him decide to insert it into his heart today.


    When the ck beetle broke open his heart, arge amount of blood flowed out, and excruciating pain surged through his entire body, making him feel as if he had lost his source of energy, rendering him weak.


    The vast amount of essence blood hidden in his bones began to flow out to replenish the lost blood from his heart.


    One of the ck beetles dragged the storage ring and forcibly inserted it into his heart.


    This swift and brutal action nearly caused Song Wen to faint from the pain. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his face contorted in agony.


    The remaining seven prepared ck beetles quickly used their mandibles to close the wound on his heart as soon as the storage ring was inserted.


    Enduring the agonizing pain, Song Wen relied on his strong will to swallow a healing pill and began to circte his energy to heal.


    Although body-refining cultivators have greater physical strength and recovery speed than ordinary cultivators, it still took Song Wen over an hour to barely close the wound in his heart.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 111: Realm Exit is Blocked

    <h4>Chapter 111: Realm Exit is Blocked</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Four dayster, after finishing his meditation, Song Wen stood up.


    Suddenly standing up caused the storage ring in his heart to shift, bringing a sharp pain that made him wince.


    Summoning the two ck beetles and two ck-bellied armored beetles stationed as guards, Song Wen summoned his flying boat, adjusted its flying height, and flew close to the treetops towards the exit of the secret realm.


    Given Song Wen''s cautious nature, he was reluctant to use the flying boat, but since the storage ring hidden in his heart caused him intense pain with every step, it was impossible for him to traverse mountains and rivers on foot to reach the exit two thousand miles away.


    With Song Wen''s current cultivation level, even flying close to the treetops at the speed of the flying boat was still faster than most Qi Refiningte-stage cultivators'' escape techniques. He wasn''t worried about missing the exit before it closed.


    After flying for several hours, as dusk approached, Song Wen, who was only a few hundred miles from the exit, encountered the problem he feared.


    Robbers!


    With Song Wen''s cultivation and methods, he naturally had no fear of the robbers.


    However, with the time until the exit closure getting closer, and with cultivators from various sects rushing towards this direction, Song Wen was worried that while dealing with these robbers, he might be spotted by other cultivators, revealing his hidden strength.


    Fortunately, the two robbers he encountered had rtively low cultivation levels, both being Qi Refining seventhyer cultivators.


    TL Note: Blood Red Sect �� Blood Fiend Sect


    The two wore the attire of the Blood Fiend Sect. Seeing Song Wen''s flying boat from afar and noticing his Qi Refining mid-stage aura, one of them controlled a ghost while the other held a sword and advanced aggressively towards Song Wen.


    To avoid drawing attention, Song Wen pressed down the boat and descended into the dense forest.


    The two robbers, assuming Song Wen was fleeing in fear, let their guard down.


    When the two were still about three to four hundred meters away from Song Wen, the eight ck-armored beetles suddenly emerged.


    The two were immediately thrown into disarray and were silently killed by the beetles before they could even resist.


    A quarter of an hourter, Song Wen dealt with the corpses of the two robbers and continued on his way with the boat.


    Within half an hour, the exit of the secret realm was already in sight.


    The exit was located atop a several hundred-meter-high mountain peak.


    A dark entrance stood in mid-air at the summit of the mountain.


    However, entering this entrance was not so simple. Seven cultivators from the Profound Yin Sect stood on the mountain peak, blocking the exit.


    Among these seven, there was one Qi Refining ninthyer cultivator, whom Song Wen recognized as Chen Xiuming, three Qi Refining eighthyer cultivators, and three Qi Refining seventhyer cultivators.


    "These seven dare to block the exit!" Song Wen thought, somewhat astonished. He released all the ck-armored beetles to search the mountain.


    As expected, there were nine more Profound Yin Sect disciples hidden in the mountain: four Qi Refining ninthyer cultivators and five Qi Refining eighthyer cultivators.


    "Is the Profound Yin Sect nning to take down all the other sects?"


    Earlier, at the Falling Hawk Gorge, Song Wen had noticed that the Profound Yin Sect''s experts were surprisingly few, suggesting that this group had long been plotting.


    Song Wen looked up at the sky and estimated that there was still about an hour and a half until noon when the exit would close, giving him ample time.


    He descended andnded on the canopy of arge, lush tree.


    Afterwards, he released the ck-armored beetles to monitor the movements of the Profound Yin Sect disciples and to prevent other cultivators from approaching unexpectedly.


    Half an hourter, a group of eight cultivators arrived, stopping several hundred meters from the mountain.


    Among these eight, there were both disciples from the Corpse Demon Sect and the Blood Fiend Sect.


    Clearly, they were aware of the Profound Yin Sect''s blockade of the exit, which is why they gathered in such numbers before daring to approach the exit.


    "What are you Profound Yin Sect trying to do? Are you nning to surround and kill all the disciples entering the secret realm? Don''t you fear igniting a war among the three sects?" asked an inner disciple from the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Chen Xiuming replied in a clear voice, "Everyone, don''t misunderstand. We don''t want to harm anyone''s life. As long as you all hand over half of what you''ve obtained from the secret realm, we will let you leave safely."


    "Preposterous!" a disciple from the Blood Fiend Sect scolded sharply. "The spiritual herbs we acquired at great risk, and you think you can just take half with a few words? Do you think the Blood Fiend Sect and Corpse Demon Sect are so weak?"


    Chen Xiuming said, "Whether we are weak or not will be revealed after a fight."


    As he spoke, the ghostly aura around Chen Xiuming surged, his clothes fluttered despite no wind, creating a sound of pping, giving him a heroic presence as if he could stand against thousands of troops alone.


    The eight cultivators from the Blood Fiend Sect and Corpse Demon Sect exchanged nces, all showing hesitation.


    They were a temporary team with no trust among them, even among members of the same sect. Theycked confidence in coordinating their efforts against the seven Profound Yin Sect disciples.


    It was unclear who first took a step back.


    This simple retreat seemed to trigger a chain reaction, with all eight of them retreating together, quickly pulling back several miles.


    The eight understood that if they couldn''t ensure victory against the Profound Yin Sect''s seven disciples, they should wait until their numbers were sufficient, hoping the Profound Yin Sect would retreat in fear.


    At a distance they deemed safe, they found an open area and began to sit and meditate.


    What they didn''t know was that nine hidden Profound Yin Sect cultivators were already moving in the shadows.


    Just as Song Wen was preparing to observe the impending battle and perhaps take advantage of the situation from the shadows, a figure appeared in the night sky from a distance.


    The person, dressed in the inner disciple robes of the Corpse Demon Sect, had the cultivation of Qi Refining ninthyer, but his aura was chaotic and his expression panicked as he rushed towards the exit.


    The sudden appearance of this person drew the attention of the Corpse Demon Sect and Blood Fiend Sect disciples and disrupted the Profound Yin Sect''s ambush n. They could only continue hiding in the darkness and wait for the right moment.


    "Brother Chai Bin, why are you so flustered?"


    A disciple from the Corpse Demon Sect recognized the neer and called out from a distance of about two miles.


    Chai Bin heard the call, looked over, saw the eight cultivators on the ground, and his face lit up with joy. However, he did notnd but instead made a slight turn and leaped over the eight cultivators.


    Chai Bin''s unusual behavior immediately alerted the eight cultivators.


    They quickly scanned the surroundings with their spiritual sense and, finding nothing, one of them ascended into the air to check in Chai Bin''s direction.


    In the darkness, the trees in that area were violently swaying, as if something was rampaging on the ground, causing the trees to shake, with some even being knocked down.


    Gradually, the sound of falling trees reached them.


    The cultivator in the air''s expression changed slightly and said, "No good, something is chasing Chai Bin and heading this way."


    With that, the cultivator flew off in a diagonal direction.


    He understood that regardless of what was chasing Chai Bin, as long as they put some distance between themselves and Chai Bin, they would be safe.


    The other seven also quickly took to the air, preparing to escape.


    "Roar!"


    A massive figure, exuding a strong aura of corpse energy, appeared in their line of sight.


    It was none other than the pseudo-second-tier bronze corpse.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 112: Shameful Waste

    <h4>Chapter 112: Shameful Waste</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    At this moment, the blood aura on the pseudo-second-tier bronze corpse was extremely dense, and even its decaying flesh was stained with ayer of blood red, making it appear even more resilient.


    It was clear that it had killed many cultivators in a short period and had consumed their blood.


    Unlike Song Wen, whose flesh could directly transform consumed blood into refined blood, the bronze corpse hadn''t fully refined the blood it had absorbed. Therefore, there was still arge amount of fresh blood stored within it, causing its whole body to be in a state of turbulent blood energy, making it look mottled and somewhat simr to a cultivator who had gone berserk.


    The bronze corpse was clearly chasing Chai Bin to consume his refined blood.


    After noticing the group of Corpse Demon Sect and Blood Fiend Sect disciples, it shifted its focus to these eight people, abandoning Chai Bin, and charged towards them.


    The ground beneath the bronze corpse suddenly exploded as it shot out, its sharp ws gleaming with a cold light in the pitch-ck night sky.


    Its speed was as fast as lightning, and it grabbed the calf of a female cultivator who wasgging behind.


    In an instant.


    Blood gushed forth.


    The female cultivator''s calf was severed as if cut by a sharp de.


    "Ah... Brother Wang, save me..."


    In her pain and panic, the female cultivator''s body was thrown to the ground by the immense force of the bronze corpse''s ws.


    Before she could even hit the ground, the bronze corpse''s ws had mped around her neck.


    The bronze corpse''s blood-red eyes shed with excitement.


    Its mouth opened wide, emitting a foul odor mixed with the stench of rotting flesh, as its yellowed fangs bit into the female cultivator''s pale neck.


    Amidst her pleas, suffering, and unwillingness, the blood from the female cultivator rapidly drained away, and she gradually lost her breath, her body bing withered.


    The bronze corpse gripped the female cultivator''s head and pulled hard.


    Her body was instantly torn into two halves, and the parts of her body were discarded on the ground by the bronze corpse.


    The bronze corpse twisted the female cultivator''s head, still attached to her entire spine, with flesh and blood connected.


    It removed the skullcap and poured the yellowish-white substance inside into its mouth.


    After consuming the contents, the bronze corpse casually discarded the female cultivator''s head.


    Song Wen, observing through the ck beetles, saw the horrifying state of the female cultivator.


    He shook his head.


    This bronze corpse was so unprofessional!


    At least half of the refined blood on this corpse was wasted.


    Moreover, the female cultivator''s soul was not devoured, which was truly a waste.


    Such wastefulness is shameful.


    One ck beetle silentlynded on the dismembered corpse of the female cultivator, dragging away the storage bag from her waist and quickly disappearing into the darkness.


    At the same time, another ck beetle tossed the storage bag of the female cultivator into a rtively conspicuous position.


    ---


    The bronze corpse did not continue to pursue the remaining seven cultivators but headed towards the dense forest on the left.


    In its perception, there were three cultivators there, who were currently the closest to it.


    These three were members of the Profound Yin Sect hiding in the darkness, preparing to ambush the Corpse Demon Sect and Blood Fiend Sect disciples.


    Among these three, two were at the eighthyer of Qi Refining, and one was at the ninthyer.


    The one at the ninthyer was a young man in his teens with a pale face. Despite his youth, he gave off a sinister feeling.


    Surprisingly, the pale-faced youth did not immediately flee. Instead, he stood in front of his two fellow disciples.


    In front of him, a three-foot-long ghostly de floated in the air.


    "Destruction sh!"


    The pale-faced youth lightly chanted, and the ghostly de on his weapon surged with ghostly energy like a raging torrent.


    With a speed as fast as lightning, it swiftly shed towards the bronze corpse.


    "ng!"


    The ghostly de struck the bronze corpse''s bare chest like striking refined iron, producing a harsh and crisp sound.


    The bronze corpse was unharmed, only slightly stepping back.


    It seemed to be thoroughly enraged by this attack, its entire body reverberating with corpse energy, and the sparse white hair on its head fluttering in the absence of wind.


    "Howl!"


    The bronze corpse opened its mouth wide, letting out an angry roar with a fierce and terrifying expression, its green face and fangs once again lunging forward.


    Seeing that his full-force attack had achieved no effect, the pale-faced youth was shocked, and after a brief moment of distraction, a wave of ghostly energy erupted from his body, entangling a fellow disciple who was preparing to retreat.


    "Senior Brother Chen, what are you doing!"


    The ghostly energy, like a thick rope, tightly bound the Profound Yin Sect disciple. Amidst his terrified screams, the youth violently threw him towards the bronze corpse.


    Taking advantage of this, the pale-faced youth fled towards the exit.


    Facing the iing food, the bronze corpse had no reason to refuse.


    The bronze corpse grabbed the Profound Yin Sect disciple by the head and, amidst his terrified screams, bit through his skull.


    While consuming the refined blood, the bronze corpse also tore off the disciple''s arms, using them as weapons and throwing them at the fleeing pale-faced youth.


    Hearing the sound of something breaking through the air behind him, the pale-faced youth didn''t look back and continued to run frantically.


    Arge amount of Yin energy surged from his body, forming a ck shield behind him.


    "Bang, bang!"


    The two arms smashed into the Yin shield, instantly causing two bursts of blood mist.


    The pale-faced youth was also thrown off bnce by the immense impact, staggering and almost falling, spitting out a mouthful of blood.


    Injured, the pale-faced youth dared not linger and continued towards the exit.


    Below the exit of the secret realm, Chen Xiuming and others had alsoe to understand the terror of the bronze corpse.


    The seven of them exchanged nces and, with a mutual understanding, flew towards the exit overhead. In a sh of white light, they vanished from the secret realm, with no one suggesting offering help to the pale-faced youth.


    The other Profound Yin Sect disciples hidden in the dark also disappeared without a trace, not revealing themselves.


    In the end, the pale-faced youth did not escape the bronze corpse''s pursuit. Less than a hundred meters from the secret realm exit, he was torn apart and had his blood and marrow consumed by the bronze corpse.


    The bronze corpse lifted its horrifying, blood-soaked, and yellowish-white face, gazing at the pitch-ck exit of the secret realm. Its pupil-less eyes glowed with an eerie red light.


    After a while, as if realizing that the ck hole was the exit of the secret realm, the bronze corpse stood still below the exit, waiting for prey.


    Song Wen took the three storage bags brought back by the ck beetles and tucked them into his own.


    Looking at the bronze corpse standing atop the mountain, imprable and formidable, he shook his head.


    A corpse is just a corpse. No matter how strong its power, it''s difficult to be truly effective without enough intelligence.


    Although the bronze corpse appeared to be the strongest entity in the secret realm, with all cultivators finding it hard to inflict effective damage in a one-on-one scenario.


    Once the many cultivators in the secret realm are driven to desperation and forced to unite, even a pseudo-second-tier bronze corpse, no matter how strong, will be overwhelmed by thebined effort of many and will ultimately be defeated.


    Throughout the night, the area around the secret realm''s exit remained eerily quiet, as silent as the ughter at the beginning of the night.


    The bronze corpse stood alone at the mountain top, a sentinel, unmoving as ages passed!


    As dawn approached, with less than three hours remaining before the secret realm''s exit closed, the scattered cultivators searching for opportunities began to gather, and those hiding in the dark began to reveal themselves.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 113: A Motley Crew

    <h4>Chapter 113: A Motley Crew</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The more than eighty surviving cultivators gathered in a valley ten miles away from the exit.


    Among them were experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining and cautious mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    In previous secret realm explorations, this would have been the most intense and dangerous time, with the fiercest battles between cultivators. However, in this exploration, facing a fake second-tier bronze corpse, everyone was forced to cooperate.


    "Everyone, there are less than three hours left before the exit closes. If you don''t want to be trapped in the secret realm for the next thirty years, we must fight together now!"


    "Use all your trump cards. Summon all your puppets and vengeful spirits. Engage the bronze corpse in closebat. Those at thete stage of Qi Refining should use magical tools, and those at the mid-stage should use talismans for support. In short, everyone must give their all."


    A disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect stood in the center of the valley and shouted loudly.


    A sinister voice replied, "Xue Yao, you make it sound so easy. We eighty-odd cultivators could indeed deal with a fake second-tier bronze corpse, but who can guarantee that no one will use underhanded tactics? I fear that just as we defeat the bronze corpse, someone might sneak attack us from behind, and all our hard work would be for nothing, with our lives at risk."


    This remark received agreement from many present, especially from the lower-level mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    Their strength was weak, and surviving seven days in the secret realm was a result of their extreme caution. For them, staying away from powerful and unknown cultivators was the highest priority for survival.


    Now, they had to fight alongside these powerful cultivators, which gave them little sense of security.


    No one could guarantee that no one would act maliciously behind their backs.


    Amidst this suspicion, the already difficult gathering of cultivators began to show signs of breaking apart.


    Xue Yao shouted, "Do you all want to be trapped in this small secret realm for thirty years? And during these thirty years, will you be able to avoid the bronze corpse and the many beasts hunting you?"


    "If we cannot exit the secret realm today, everyone is doomed."


    "I, Xue Yao, promise that anyone who fights with me against the enemy, regardless of their strength, will be my ally. As long as we are in this secret realm, I will not attack my allies and will not allow others to attack them without cause."


    His words drew many skeptical nces.


    Xue Yao was a direct disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect and had attained the perfect Qi Refining realm. His firm promise made many cultivators tempted.


    Immediately, more than a dozen Blood Fiend Sect disciples gathered behind Xue Yao, including four experts at the ninth level of Qi Refining.


    Seeing this, lower-level disciples from the other two factions also began to move, joining Xue Yao''s group.


    In the end, half of the cultivators did not join Xue Yao''s group. The more than forty who did not join were mostly at thete stage of Qi Refining.


    In other words, most of the cultivators who joined Xue Yao''s group were weaker and needed tobine their strength to have a chance to break through the bronze corpse''s blockade.


    Xue Yao looked at the forty cultivators who had joined his group and smiled. He turned to the cultivators who did not want to join the team and said, "I don''t care what your ns are, but if anyone dares to act maliciously while we are fighting the bronze corpse, even if I have to remain trapped in this Blood Secret Realm, I will ensure they are eliminated."


    With that, Xue Yao led his forty-strong group towards the exit.


    Watching the backs of the forty cultivators leaving, the remaining forty or so quickly dispersed, like loose sand, and vanished into the dense forest.


    "Senior Brother Xue Yao, are we really going to risk everything against the bronze corpse, allowing those who are hiding to pick up the spoils?"


    A disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect walking beside Xue Yao transmitted a message.


    Xue Yao remained expressionless and responded via sound transmission.


    "It''s not that simple. Who said we have to fight the bronze corpse head-on?"


    "But if we don''t repel the bronze corpse, how can we escape this secret realm?"


    "Isn''t there this group of cannon fodder? Their only value is to dy the bronze corpse and buy us time to escape."


    Xue Yao''s gaze swept over the forty people around him with a cold look and continued transmitting, "Send messages to a few familiar senior brothers and sisters, telling them to stay close to me. Once the bronze corpse is distracted, we will charge into the secret realm''s exit immediately."


    The forty-person team made a grand approach towards the exit of the secret realm, quickly drawing the bronze corpse''s attention.


    Seeing therge group of cultivators suddenly appear, the bronze corpse at the mountaintop seemed like a hungry wolf spotting a flock of sheep. It charged down the mountain like a fierce tiger.


    Xue Yao''s expression was calm, and he shouted loudly, "Everyone, prepare. Release the puppets and vengeful spirits to dy the bronze corpse."


    In an instant, dozens of puppets and vengeful spirits appeared out of thin air.


    The puppets were surrounded by murderous aura, and the vengeful spirits were swirling with ghostly energy, creating a scene of chaos.


    Although there were many of these puppets and vengeful spirits, most of them were not very strong.


    Firstly, the cultivators who joined Xue Yao''s group were not particrly powerful. Secondly, these cultivators had their own agendas, and the puppets and vengeful spirits they released were not their strongest.


    Seeing this, Xue Yao said nothing more, instead, a sneer of contempt appeared on his face.


    He cursed inwardly, "A motley crew."


    These people were not very strong and were full of schemes; they deserved to be cannon fodder!


    The bronze corpse charged into the midst of the puppets and vengeful spirits.


    In the face of the powerful bronze corpse, these puppets and vengeful spirits were like mantises trying to stop a chariot.


    Almost every time the bronze corpse charged, a puppet would be torn apart, and every swipe of its ws would dissipate a vengeful spirit.


    A blood-red long sword appeared in front of Xue Yao, with blood-red light flowing along its de, looking extremely eerie.


    "sh!"


    As Xue Yao cast his spell, the blood-red light on the sword red brightly, and the de shed through the puppets.


    Along with Xue Yao''s sword, four other Qi Refining ninth-level cultivators'' magical tools attacked as well.


    Faced with thebined assault of five Qi Refining ninth-level cultivators, the bronze corpse did not engage directly. Instead, it grabbed two puppets and threw them aside.


    It then leaped high to the left, evading the magical tool attacks.


    The two puppets blocked two magical tools.


    The bronze corpse dodged left again, avoiding another two magical tools.


    Only Xue Yao''s long sword managed to sh the bronze corpse''s left shoulder.


    The bronze corpse staggered but withstood the attack. The long sword cut through its rotting flesh, revealing a glimpse of copper-yellow bone beneath.


    Before the bronze corpse could catch its breath, various spells from the cultivators swarmed in.


    Fire-based mes, wind-based gales, water-based ice arrows, earth-based boulders, metal-based des...


    The bronze corpse knew these spells were formidable. Its body became a blur of shadows, jumping left and right to dodge the attacks while rapidly closing in on the cultivators.


    Some clever individuals in the crowd had already realized something was wrong and quietly moved towards the edges of the group.


    "Roar!"


    After withstanding numerous spell attacks and having its flesh torn apart in many ces, the bronze corpse, enraged and losing its rationality like a frenzied beast, endured the attacks and charged into the crowd of cultivators.


    A single swipe of its hand caused the body of a disciple from the Corpse Demon Sect to explode, with blood and flesh flying everywhere.


    Xue Yao suddenly let out a loud shout, "Retreat!"


    The nearby cultivators from the Blood Fiend Sect quickly scattered, avoiding the rampaging bronze corpse and heading towards the exit.


    More cultivators, seeing the situation deteriorate and realizing it was futile, scattered like birds and beasts.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 114: Heaven’s Gift Rejected, Must Face Its Wrath!

    <h4>Chapter 114: Heaven''s Gift Rejected, Must Face Its Wrath!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    While the ughter continued with the bronze corpse, another group of cultivators saw a glimmer of escape.


    The other forty or so cultivators, who had been hiding in the shadows, also revealed themselves and rushed toward the exit.


    Xue Yao and his fivepanions were the first to reach the exit. Looking back at the cultivators rushing from all directions, Xue Yao grinned wickedly.


    "Create some trouble for these opportunists."


    The other four''s eyes lit up upon hearing this.


    Each of them took out a jade vial, opened it, and a thick, blood-red mist poured out.


    This blood-red mist was highly poisonous. If it touched a tree branch, the tree would quickly wither, its green leaves turning ck and falling to the ground.


    The blood-red mist quickly covered a radius of one hundred meters in front of the exit, and with the breeze, it drifted further away.


    "That''s poison mist! Everyone be careful; even a Qi Refinement ninth-level cultivator will have trouble if they get contaminated!" someone recognized the toxic mist and shouted.


    The cultivators rushing towards the exit gritted their teeth in anger upon seeing this.


    At this moment, the bronze corpse had torn apart eleven people and was left with no one around it. All the other cultivators had fled. The bronze corpse was now leaping from the ground towards the exit.


    There was little time left for everyone, and just at this moment, Xue Yao and his fivepanions, who had arrived at the exit first, were blocking the path with poison.


    The poison released by Xue Yao and his group caused many people to miss the best chance to escape.


    Only six people, using some unknown method, managed to endure the poison and charge into the exit.


    The rest were all blocked by the bronze corpse that had arrived at the exit before the poison mist dissipated.


    Among them were many who had fought against the bronze corpse alongside Xue Yao, and they were now cursing him loudly.


    In the distance, Song Wen, who had obtained eleven storage bags from the corpses, shook his head as he watched the situation unfold.


    These demonic cultivators truly demonstrated humanity''s worst traits.


    With hearts ununified, selfish desires, and mutual distrust.


    Out of over eighty Qi Refinement cultivators, including more than ten ninth-level cultivators, and with more than half beingte-stage Qi Refinement, they could not even defeat a pseudo-second-tier bronze corpse.


    If they had worked together, not only could they have dealt with a pseudo-second-tier bronze corpse, but even a true second-tier bronze corpse would have been forced to retreat.


    The most detestable was Xue Yao, who was untrustworthy and detrimental to others while benefiting himself, causing many cultivators to miss their chance to escape.


    However, none of this mattered to Song Wen. He was content to follow behind the bronze corpse and reap the rewards without effort.


    The eleven people recently killed by the bronze corpse not only had their storage bags intact, but the bronze corpse had also not consumed their blood.


    The storage bags and bodies were collected by the Corpse Puppet. Although most of the bodies were severely damaged and lost a lot of blood, they were still cultivator corpses with strong vitality, and their souls had not yet dissipated. This allowed Song Wen to gather a considerable amount of loot.


    Song Wen looked at the exit from a distance, feeling somewhat disappointed.


    "Keep at it!"


    After the recent battle, the bronze corpse seemed a bit tired. It stood quietly below the exit and did not attack the cultivators.


    "Why don''t you keep fighting? If you don''t repel the bronze corpse soon, the exit will close. If you don''t die, where will I find my loot?"


    Just as Song Wen had been evaluating the cultivators'' ws, he did not realize that his own thoughts were no longer just ws but rather evil desires.


    Time passed.


    Slowly, less than an hour remained before the exit would close.


    At the exit of the secret realm, over a dozen cultivators were still lingering.


    Several Qi Refinement ninth-level cultivators, who had previously seemed calm, were now beginning to show signs of restlessness.


    They started tomunicate with each other, nning to gather the high-levelbat forces within the secret realm to repel the bronze corpse. As for the weaker cultivators, whether they could survive the secret realm was no longer their concern.


    They weren''t as malicious as Xue Yao, who had kicked someone when they were down, which was alreadymendable.


    After a count, among the cultivators present, there were eight at the Qi Refinement ninth level. Including those who had brought close rtives with them, there were a total of seventeen people intending to jointly fight the bronze corpse.


    These seventeen were allte-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, and their group was one of the strongestbat teams in the entire Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    "Fight!"


    The seventeen charged towards the bronze corpse with impressive momentum and killing intent.


    Perhaps startled by the imposing aura of these seventeen or exhausted from the recent battle, the bronze corpse surprisingly showed signs of fear. It retreated from the mountaintop, allowing these seventeen to pass through the exit and return to the cultivation world.


    Including Song Wen, the remaining cultivators who had been expecting a grand battle to see if they could sneak through the exit were now dumbfounded.


    It seemed the bronze corpse wasn''t as stubborn as they had imagined!


    Song Wen was also stunned. The anticipated benefits were no longer achievable. Now, those still in the secret realm were mostly weak. Out of the forty-odd people, over twenty were at the mid-Qi Refinement stage, and among the remaining seventeente-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, most were at the seventh level, with only a few at the eighth level.


    With such a disunited and cowardly group, it was unlikely they could defeat the bronze corpse.


    "It seems I''ll have to rely on myself to get out of this secret realm."


    Song Wen''s gaze swept over the surrounding dense forest, where forty-three cultivators were hiding.


    To the bronze corpse, these cultivators were a disorganized mob, and to Song Wen, they were no different.


    Most of these people fought individually and none were Qi Refinement ninth-level cultivators. It was time to reap a wave of benefits.


    It was time to unleash a ughter!


    Such opportunities were not easily encountered.


    Heaven''s gift rejected will surely face its wrath!


    Two ck Gu scouted ahead, followed closely by eight Gu insects, spreading carnage. Song Wen followed behind, replenishing his strength, devouring blood and souls, and collecting storage bags.


    These cultivators were suspicious of each other and guarded, scattered throughout the dense forest. Even when a few close friends gathered, it was only two or three people at a time, giving Song Wen the perfect opportunity to eliminate them one by one.


    Song Wen encountered no significant resistance and didn''t even attract much attention from others.


    In just a quarter-hour, Song Wen had silently killed thirty-five people.


    At this point, including Song Wen, only eight people remained alive in the entire secret realm.


    Song Wen did not kill all eight out of concern that being the sole survivor might raise suspicion among the outside cultivators.


    Song Wen''s gaze was fixed on the bronze corpse atop the mountain.


    Now, only it remained.


    However, before dealing with the bronze corpse, he needed to sort through the many storage bags.


    Enduring intense pain, Song Wen had the Corpse Puppet insects tear open his still-healing heart.


    He retrieved the storage ring and transferred all the valuable items such as spirit stones, spirit herbs, and elixirs from the fifty or so storage bags into the storage ring.


    Then he sealed the storage ring back into his heart.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 115: Let Me Search These People

    <h4>Chapter 115: Let Me Search These People</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    In the secret realm, the remaining seven cultivators were growing increasingly anxious. With less than two quarters of an hour before the exit closed, they faced a dire situation.


    If they were trapped inside, given their strength, it would be very difficult for them to survive until the next opening of the secret realm.


    Just as they were feeling desperate, they suddenly saw the bronze corpse at the mountaintop be enraged and start chasing after something behind it.


    The seven were overjoyed and no longer cared about anything else. They quickly used their flying techniques to head towards the exit in mid-air at the mountaintop.


    To their delight, they sessfully reached the exit.


    After confirming that there were no other people around, Song Wen also flew to the mountaintop.


    Under hismand, two Qi Condensation ninth-level Gu Insects led the bronze corpse towards the secret realm exit.


    The bronze corpse followed closely behind, pursuing them relentlessly.


    A glint of cold light shed.


    It struck the exposed bone of the bronze corpse''s chest.


    The bronze-colored, hard bone shattered into several pieces from the powerful force of the Cold Moon de, but it did not breakpletely. The speed of the bronze corpse was greatly reduced, however.


    Enraged, the bronze corpse exerted force and charged forward again.


    The cold light shed once more, striking the bronze corpse''s ankle.


    The Cold Moon de only cut through the rotten flesh of the bronze corpse''s ankle, but the immense force made the bronze corpse stumble and fall to the ground.


    The bronze corpse, known for its high speed while running, lost its bnce suddenly and rolled across the ground like a tumbling gourd, crashing into countless trees.


    Retracting the Gu Insects and the Cold Moon de, Song Wen watched as the bronze corpse, now standing up and roaring angrily, turned and stepped into the exit.


    The dark exit of the secret realm shed with a white light, and Song Wen''s figure vanished without a trace.


    As the bronze corpse reached the entrance, its eyes fixed on the dark exit, it seemed to understand that passing through this opening was extremely dangerous for it.


    It eventually turned around and headed towards the Falling Hawk Gorge.


    ...


    After a brief sensation of weightlessness, Song Wen quickly regained the feeling of solid ground.


    Looking up, he saw the seven cultivators who had exited before him. Four of them were floating in mid-air above him.


    Among them were three Golden Core cultivators he had seen before: Xiu Yun, Xiang Qi, and the Fairy Huan Yu.


    The other was a lean old man whom Song Wen had not seen before.


    This man was Wu Ren, who had sensed the death of the Corpse Puppet and had arrived at the Withered Blood Secret Realm entrance.


    Wu Ren''s spiritual sense swept across the eight people, scanning them thoroughly without any restraint.


    The eight, including Song Wen, felt a powerful and unmatched spiritual sense enveloping them, as if they werepletely exposed. No secret or concealment could hide from this spiritual sense; both their internal and external aspects werepletely visible.


    Along with this, there was a tremendous pressure that made them unable to move.


    Among the eight, Song Wen was undoubtedly the most nervous, as he had numerous secrets on him.


    The storage ring in his heart, the hidden Gu Insects throughout his body, his concealed cultivation level, and the righteous aura from practicing the "Longevity Technique"��any of these secrets being exposed would make it very difficult for him to leave safely today.


    Although Song Wen had previously used his spiritual sense to investigate and found neither the storage ring in the heart nor the presence of the Gu Insects, this old man was a Golden Core cultivator.


    The strength of a Golden Core cultivator''s spiritual sense was many times greater than his own newly-formed spiritual sense.


    Song Wen was not entirely confident.


    This was his first time facing a Golden Core cultivator directly.


    Fortunately, after repeatedly scanning the eight people, Wu Ren did not detect anything unusual and seemed somewhat disappointed, looking instead at the three flying ships in the sky.


    On the three flying ships were the group of cultivators who had exited the secret realm earlier. Those who exited first were stronger and more powerful, and were the most likely suspects in killing the Corpse Puppet.


    The eight newly exited cultivators had a maximum cultivation level of Qi Condensation seventhyer. Even if they banded together, they would not be a match for Wu Sui.


    Profound Yin Sect''s Golden Core ancestor Xiu Yun, seeing that Wu Ren had found nothing after searching for a long time, asked, "Wu Ren, have you thoroughly checked each disciple who exited the secret realm? What exactly are you looking for?"


    Wu Ren''s face was grim. After a moment of silence, he said, "My grandson, Wu Sui, was killed in the secret realm. I had left a trace of divine consciousness on him, and I would have sensed his death."


    "This divine consciousness was supposed to attach to the killer, but for some reason, it dissipated, and I can''t sense who the killer is."


    "Now, the only way to find the killer of my grandson is to check the storage bags and corpse bags of these people. If any of them have my grandson''s artifacts or corpse puppets, they are surely the culprits."


    Upon hearing that Wu Ren''s grandson had been killed, the three Golden Core experts were initially stunned, but then a trace of amusement appeared on their faces, including Xiang Qi from the Corpse Demon Sect.


    It seemed that seeing a Golden Core cultivator at a disadvantage was quite a pleasure.


    However, when they heard that Wu Ren wanted to inspect the storage bags of all the surviving disciples from the secret realm, the three of them became serious again.


    The Fairy Huan Yu from the Blood Fiend Sect was the first to object, "Wu Ren, your grandson was killed; you can only me hisck of strength. If you want to inspect the storage bags of our Blood Fiend Sect''s disciples, that is absolutely impossible."


    "Moreover, the secret realm was full of dangers, and his death might not have been caused by a cultivator but could have been the work of a beast."


    "Don''t forget that a pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse was born in the secret realm. Wu Sui''s death might be rted to that bronze corpse."


    Wu Ren snorted, "Hmph! I left many trump cards for Wu Sui. A mere pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse has a strong body but no brains, and it couldn''t have killed him. Even if he couldn''t defeat it, escaping would have been no problem."


    Xiu Yun said, "Wu Ren, there were more deaths in this secret realm than just your grandson. Our Profound Yin Sect''s Ghost Patrol also died. Should I also inspect the storage bags of every disciple to find the killer and avenge them?"


    "Every time the secret realm is explored, only one in ten survives. This ismon. Since you entered the secret realm, be prepared for death. Life and death are matters of fate. If you fear death, don''t enter the secret realm."


    Xiu Yun''s tone was severe, showing no consideration for Wu Ren, a Golden Core cultivator.


    Xiang Qi, another member of the Corpse Demon Sect, also chimed in, "Wu Ren, demanding to inspect every disciple''s storage bag does seem to break the rules."


    Seeing his own sect members opposing him, Wu Ren''s face turned ashen.


    The atmosphere on site became tense, as if a storm was about to break.


    At that moment, the entrance to the secret realm in the valley suddenly closed.


    This meant that the exploration of the Withered Blood Secret Realm hade to an end, and no more cultivators would emerge alive from the realm.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 116: The Trouble is Not Scarcity but Inequality

    <h4>Chapter 116: The Trouble is Not Scarcity but Inequality</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Ren''s gloomy eyes scanned over the cultivators who had survived the secret realm, one by one.


    The disciples immediately fell silent, as if they were being targeted by an ancient beast.


    Xiu Yun, angry, said, "Wu Ren, you''d better rein it in."


    Wu Ren''s expression was stern, his eyes filled with a murderous intent. His voice was as cold as ice, "Among these survivors, there is definitely the killer of my grandson. If you don''t allow me to check their storage bags and prevent me from finding the culprit, I will have no choice but to kill them all."


    "Better to wrongfully kill a thousand than to let the murderer of my grandson go free!"


    Hearing this, the Fairy Huan Yu sneered.


    "Wu Ren, you can certainly try. Do you really think that being a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator makes you invincible?"


    The atmosphere on the scene grew increasingly tense and frosty, with killing intent pervading the surroundings, as if a great battle was about to erupt at any moment.


    However, Wu Ren suddenly chose to back down. "As long as I am allowed to inspect every survivor''s storage bag, I can offerpensation," he said.


    Xiang Qi, the Fairy Huan Yu, and Xiu Yun''s eyes brightened upon hearing this.


    Immediately, the four began to discuss thepensation in low voices. The previous insistence that Wu Ren should not inspect every disciple''s storage bag was no longer mentioned; it was as if it had never been said.


    After a moment, the four agreed on a price. Wu Ren, with some reluctance, took out some spiritual materials from his storage ring and distributed them to the three.


    Xiang Qi, the Fairy Huan Yu, and Xiu Yun then began to arrange for their sect''s disciples to gather in an open area.


    "The spoils from this secret realm exploration will be counted by the Corpse Demon Sect''s Golden Core cultivator Wu Ren. You all must cooperate."


    The disciples of the three sects reacted differently to their respective Golden Core ancestors'' orders.


    The Corpse Demon Sect''s disciples had no objections.


    After all, once they exited the secret realm, their sect would inspect each disciple''s storage bag anyway. It was usually the Foundation Establishment elders who did the inspection; this time, it was the Golden Core ancestor.


    The disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect and Profound Yin Sect had more reservations. Having their storage bags inspected by an external sect ancestor was somewhat embarrassing for their sects.


    However, under the intimidation of the four Golden Core cultivators present, no one dared to show any signs of dissatisfaction.


    Wu Ren first inspected the disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect. There were nine survivors from the Corpse Demon Sect: three at the mid-stage Qi Condensation and six at thete-stage Qi Condensation.


    A Corpse Demon Sect disciple handed over his storage bag to Wu Ren. Wu Ren checked the spiritual herbs obtained from the secret realm, and then used his spiritual sense to scan the disciple multiple times to ensure there were no other storage bags. Only then did he let the disciple go.


    Song Wen saw this and remained unmoved.


    Wu Ren''s spiritual sense had already thoroughly checked his body, finding nothing unusual. This boosted Song Wen''s confidence in the secrecy of his own body''s aura. Moreover, his storage bag contained onlymonly used elixirs, talismans, and a few spiritual herbs from the secret realm. Wu Ren was unlikely to find anything amiss.


    As Song Wen had expected, he quickly passed Wu Ren''s inspection. The few spiritual herbs he produced for the sect were neither particrly valuable nor poor, perfectly aligning with his revealed cultivation level of Qi Condensation.


    Finding no clues among the nine disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect, Wu Ren was somewhat disappointed.


    But the most displeased was Xiang Qi.


    He discovered that none of the disciples had obtained the most precious spiritual herbs from the Withered Blood Secret Realm: the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and the Jade Essence Grass.


    Xiang Qi''s expression was extremely dark, as if water could drip from it.


    "Haha, Xiang Qi, it seems your Corpse Demon Sect didn''t gain much," Xiu Yun said with a mocking tone.


    "Hmph!" Xiang Qi snorted coldly and turned to the nine disciples who had survived the secret realm, his expression icy as he muttered, "A bunch of useless fools!"


    Next were the Blood Fiend Sect disciples. Fewer of them survivedpared to the Corpse Demon Sect, with only seven left: two at the mid-stage Qi Condensation and five at thete-stage Qi Condensation.


    Wu Ren''s inspection yielded nothing once again.


    The Fairy Huan Yu''s face also turned extremely grim. None of the Blood Fiend Sect disciples had obtained the Heavenly Spirit Fruit or the Jade Essence Grass.


    Xiu Yun, seeing this, became even more pleased.


    "It seems that our Profound Yin Sect alone has emerged victorious from this Withered Blood Secret Realm expedition."


    Among the thirteen surviving disciples of the Profound Yin Sect, the ones at the ninth level of Qi Condensation were the strongest among the survivors from the three sects. Logically, they should have the most significant gains.


    The thirteen Profound Yin Sect disciples were lined up, and Wu Ren inspected each one meticulously. To avenge his grandson, he checked thoroughly, leaving no detail overlooked.


    As the inspection continued, the expression of Profound Yin Sect''s Golden Core ancestor Xiu Yun also grew increasingly somber.


    Wu Ren had inspected twelve Profound Yin Sect disciples, and none of them had obtained the Heavenly Spirit Fruit or the Jade Essence Grass.


    In contrast, the Fairy Huan Yu and Xiang Qi looked significantly more relieved than before.


    The issue is not scarcity but inequality!


    To refine a Foundation Establishment Pill, three main herbs are needed: the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, the Jade Essence Grass, and the Rainbow Grass, along with over twenty auxiliary spiritual herbs. A skilled alchemist can produce three to five Foundation Establishment Pills from one furnace.


    This means that as long as the three main herbs are gathered, there is a possibility of producing up to five new Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    It is not frightening that their sect did not obtain the precious Heavenly Spirit Fruit and Jade Essence Grass; what is terrifying is if the opponents get too many.


    If that were the case, the strength between the sides would widen, which would be extremely disadvantageous for the sect''s long-term development.


    Now that no one has obtained the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and Jade Essence Grass, the existing bnce is maintained.


    At this moment, only one Profound Yin Sect disciple remained uninspected. This person was an ordinary-looking female cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Condensation.


    The female cultivator took out all four of her storage bags, three of which were obtained from the secret realm, in addition to her own.


    Seeing that the female cultivator had four storage bags, there was no significant reaction from the crowd. It wasmon for cultivators in the secret realm to have multiple storage bags, as fighting and killing among cultivators was a regr urrence.


    There were other cultivators with multiple storage bags. Among those previously inspected, some had several storage bags, with one having as many as ten.


    The most important thing was that in past secret realm explorations, it had happened before that juniors were killed, and seniors came out for revenge.


    This made the battles between disciples of the three sects during secret realm explorations ruthless, with life and death dependent entirely on individual skill. Many did not consider the need to conceal their actions.


    Wu Ren''s eyes shed sharply as he recognized one of the storage bags as belonging to his grandson, Wu Sui.


    Without any visible action, the storage bag flew into Wu Ren''s hand.


    Wu Ren used his spiritual sense to probe the bag and discovered the broken chain artifact inside.


    His gaze turned cold and sharp, like a de, stabbing directly at the female cultivator.


    The female cultivator, who had previously maintained a calm expression, was now filled with extreme fear. The murderous intent emanating from Wu Ren made her feel like she was falling into an abyss.


    "Speak, how did this storage bag end up in your possession?" Wu Ren demanded sternly.


    The female cultivator''s legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground.


    "Senior, I found the storage bag near the exit of the secret realm. I don''t know whose it is."


    "Hmph! Nonsense."


    Wu Ren''s formidable aura erupted, as if a massive mountain was pressing down on the female cultivator.


    The female cultivator''s expression turned painfully contorted, her bones creaking as if Wu Ren''s terrifying pressure might crush her into a puddle of mud at any moment.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 117: The Spirit Isolating and Qi Concealing Formation

    <h4>Chapter 117: The Spirit Isting and Qi Concealing Formation</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Poof!"


    The female cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood, her energy fading rapidly.


    "Senior, what I said is the truth, there is absolutely no deceit..."


    Before the female cultivator could finish her sentence, she could no longer support herself and copsed to the ground, continuously coughing up blood mixed with unknown internal fragments.


    Seeing that the female cultivator''s life was in danger, Xiu Yun suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking Wu Ren''s terrifying pressure.


    "Wu Ren, enough! This is a disciple of my Profound Yin Sect. You do not have the right to decide her life or death."


    Wu Ren roared angrily, "My grandson''s storage bag is in her possession. My grandson''s death is likely rted to her. Hand her over to me; I must investigate my grandson''s cause of death."


    Xiu Yun shook his head, "She is a disciple of my Profound Yin Sect. You cannot have her."


    The female cultivator''s face, filled with pain and terror, briefly showed a hint of relief. At this critical moment, her sect would not allow her to be bullied by outsiders.


    However, her relief was short-lived.


    A mysterious object suddenly flew out of Wu Ren''s hand, heading straight for Xiu Yun.


    Xiu Yun caught the object, a fleeting look of joy crossing his eyes before he nonchntly ced it into his storage ring.


    Seeing that Xiu Yun epted the item, Wu Ren knew that the other party was unwilling to let him handle the female cultivator. He cast a spell to bind her and then flew into the sky with her, vanishing in an instant.


    The other ten disciples of the Profound Yin Sect looked at the female cultivator being taken away, their eyes filled with sorrow for their fallenrade.


    They had risked their lives in the secret realm, each with their own goals, but their significant gains were to benefit the sect.


    Unexpectedly, the female cultivator did not die in the battles within the secret realm but was instead sold to an outsider by the sect''s Golden Core ancestor, like a piece of merchandise.


    This might be one of the costs of joining the demonic path, where there are no trustworthy allies, and low-level cultivators like them are seen merely as goods to be traded by the sect''s elders.


    As long as the price is right, they can be discarded likemodities at any time.


    Song Wen looked at the ce where Wu Ren and the female cultivator had disappeared, thinking about the abuse the female cultivator would face next. For a moment, his emotions were stirred but quickly returned to calm.


    If you dare to pick up something that''s left on the ground, you''re just asking to be framed.


    After Wu Ren left, Xiu Yun, Xiang Qi, and the Fairy Huan Yu looked somewhat suspicious.


    None of the disciples from the three major sects had obtained the Heavenly Spirit Fruit or the Jade Essence Grass?


    This was highly unusual!


    With such suspicions, they questioned their sect''s disciples, especially the eight who came outst, including Song Wen.


    ording to the earlier reports, there was a pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse guarding the exit. Logically, Song Wen and the others, who were weaker, should not have been able to break through the copper corpse''s blockade.


    Moreover, there should have been more than forty cultivators hiding near the exit of the secret realm. Why did only these eight emerge, and where were the others?


    However, these eight knew nothing about this; they only knew that the copper corpse had mysteriously led them out, and they had escaped while the others did not.


    Seeing that they could not find out anything significant, Xiu Yun, Xiang Qi, and the Fairy Huan Yu personally inspected their sect''s disciples'' storage bags. After confirming that they did not carry anything, they hastily concluded the secret realm exploration.


    In the Withered Blood Secret Realm, there were three ces where the Heavenly Spirit Fruit grew. These were all obtained by Gui Xun, Qiu Li, and Wu Sui. Ultimately, all three of their Heavenly Spirit Fruits were acquired by Song Wen.


    As for the Jade Essence Grass in the Falling Hawk Gorge, there were three in total. One was eaten by the copper corpse, and the remaining two were destroyed by Gui Xun.


    Naturally, the three major sects ultimately gained nothing.


    In the evening of that day, Song Wen boarded a flying ship and returned to the main hall of the Corpse Demon Sect at the top of the mountain.


    Outside the main hall of the sect, the square was crowded with disciples, just like the day of departure.


    Among these people, some were there to greet their loved ones, while many others were there to confirm whether their enemies had perished in the secret realm.


    Upon disembarking from the flying ship, Song Wen keenly noticed a familiar figure in the crowd.


    Du Qiu!


    As Song Wen had been with the Corpse Demon Sect longer, Du Qiu''s surveince had be increasingly close. Recently, Song Wen had noticed Du Qiu following him multiple times.


    Ignoring Du Qiu, Song Wen headed straight down the mountain. He did not return to his cave dwelling but went directly to the market.


    Du Qiu followed closely behind and entered the market with Song Wen.


    Song Wen navigated through the market streets, making several turns before entering an inn.


    Du Qiu, following behind Song Wen, frowned in contemtion.


    "Ji Yin has just returned from the secret realm alive and hasn''t gone back to his cave to recover. What is he doing in this ck market?"


    Unable to figure it out, Du Qiu waited outside the inn for a moment. Estimating that Song Wen had already entered the underground ck market, he stepped into the inn, passed through the lobby, and arrived at the thatched hut at the ck market entrance.


    After passing the ck market guards and checking his token, Du Qiu entered the underground ck market and soon realized that he had lost track of Song Wen.


    Du Qiu did not think much of it and assumed that Song Wen had used some kind of aura-concealing technique, making it hard to detect him, especially with therge number of people in the ck market.


    Du Qiu waited not far from the ck market entrance for more than two quarters of an hour before finally seeing Song Wen''s figure again.


    Song Wen was wearing a ck cloak that covered his entire figure, heading towards the exit. If it weren''t for Du Qiu''s familiarity with Song Wen''s aura, he might not have recognized him.


    As Song Wen exited the inn and nced back at Du Qiu, a faint smile appeared on his lips.


    He had deliberately released his aura to attract Du Qiu''s attention.


    He hade to the ck market to purchase a set of formation arrays, specifically a second-grade formation array priced at ten thousand spirit stones.


    The formation was called the "Aura Concealment Formation," and its sole function was to iste the aura and prevent spiritual power leakage.


    This formation could neither be used inbat nor assist in cultivation, making it quite useless to most cultivators.


    ording to the formation master selling it, this formation was very effective at hiding one''s aura and could even deceive the detection of Golden Core cultivators.


    Before entering the Withered Blood Secret Realm, Song Wen had made arrangements through the ck market to connect with the formation master and negotiate the price. At that time, he was financially strained and could not provide enough spirit stones, so he scheduled the purchase for after the exploration of the secret realm.


    He had obtained over fifty storage bags in the secret realm, with more than fifteen thousand spirit stones alone. Purchasing the formation was naturally within his means.


    As Song Wen left the market, the sky had already darkened.


    He did not return to his cave dwelling but left the sect, heading northwest.


    Watching Song Wen''s figure gradually disappear into the darkness, Du Qiu''s gaze flickered, as if he was hesitating whether to continue the pursuit.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 118: Du Qiu Captured

    <h4>Chapter 118: Du Qiu Captured</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Tracking someone at night is very troublesome; a moment of inattention can expose oneself. With poor visibility at night, if you want to avoid losing the target, you must stay close, but getting too close can also reveal your presence.


    Although Song Wen was only a Qi Refining Stage cultivator at the fifth level, much weaker than Du Qiu, every cultivator has some life-preserving methods.


    The fact that Song Wen survived the dangerous Withered Blood Secret Realm meant he was no ordinary person.


    Deadly poisons, sinister magical tools, concealed weapons, and so on...


    If he identally fell victim to Song Wen''s underhanded tricks, he could even lose his life.


    Thinking about it, Du Qiu recalled the scene a few days ago when Shi Shou had been enraged upon learning that Song Wen had suddenly entered the Withered Blood Secret Realm. Du Qiu shuddered with fear.


    At that time, he even suspected that if Song Wen did not survive the secret realm, Shi Shou might direct his anger at him, leaving him with no ce to bury his remains.


    Song Wen had just emerged from the perilous Withered Blood Secret Realm and immediately left the sect without a moment''s rest. Clearly, he had something extremely important to do.


    If Du Qiu could not uncover the reason for Song Wen''s departure from the sect and report it to Shi Shou, he feared severe punishment.


    Weighing the pros and cons, Du Qiu decided to follow him.


    This made Song Wen, who was closely watching Du Qiu''s movements, pleased. He had been worried that Du Qiu might not follow him.


    To prevent Du Qiu from losing track, Song Wen chose to travel on well-trodden paths rather than remote areas.


    The Corpse Demon Sect had many Qi Refining Stage disciples, most of whom traveled on foot. Over time, the main routes out of the sect had been gradually paved into roads suitable for carriages.


    After traveling for over an hour and covering nearly a hundred miles, Song Wen released a ck Gu to confirm that there was no one within several miles.


    Song Wen stopped and called out.


    "Du Qiu, you''ve been following me for so long. Come out."


    Du Qiu was startled. Since Song Wen was on a main road, he wasn''t worried about losing him and had kept a few hundred meters behind Song Wen.


    Logically, with such a distance, it should have been difficult for Song Wen, who was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, to detect him.


    However, now that he had been exposed, there was no point in continuing to hide.


    He quickly stepped forward and stopped several dozen meters away from Song Wen.


    "Ji Yin, you''ve juste out of the secret realm and are in a hurry to go somewhere. Where are you headed?"


    Song Wen smiled faintly. "There''s no need for Du Qiu to worry about that. But why is Du Qiu following me in the middle of the night? What''s your purpose?"


    Du Qiu said, "Ji Yin, although your cultivation is low, you''re quite bold. It''s the middle of the night in the wilderness with no one around. Aren''t you afraid that I might kill you? After all, you''ve juste out of the secret realm; you must have a lot of spirit herbs on you, right?"


    Song Wen sneered, "Kill me? You probably don''t have the courage. If you killed me, Elder Shi Shou wouldn''t spare you, would he?"


    Du Qiu''s expression suddenly turned astonished, and he eximed.


    "How did you know that Elder Shi Shou sent me to track you?"


    Before Du Qiu could hear Song Wen''s response, he saw Song Wen suddenly charge at him from not far away, moving at an incredibly fast speed. In the darkness, Du Qiu could barely see a blurry shadow.


    Without time to think, Du Qiu instinctively reached for the corpse-rearing bag at his waist, intending to summon a corpse puppet to defend himself.


    A cold light sliced through the night.


    "Ah!" Du Qiu cried out in rm.


    The cold light severed his hand that was reaching for the storage bag, cutting through his wrist and causing a torrent of blood to gush out.


    Before Du Qiu could react further, he felt a hand like an iron w gripping his neck.


    Song Wen''s grip was very strong, and Du Qiu felt as if his throat might be crushed at any moment.


    "Be obedient, or I''ll crush your neck," Song Wen said coldly.


    "Good... breathe... breathe," with his neck being held, Du Qiu''s face turned red from theck of air. He wanted to speak, but only managed to produce gasping sounds.


    Song Wen waved his other hand and collected the severed hand that had fallen to the ground, putting it away.


    He then used a burst of spiritual energy to shatter the bloodstains on the ground, covering the traces of blood.


    Summoning a flying boat, Song Wen picked up Du Qiu and flew towards the depths of the darkness.


    ...


    Song Wen injected a stream of spiritual energy into Du Qiu''s body.


    "Pfft!"


    Du Qiu spurted out a mouthful of blood. The spiritual energy Song Wen had used not only disrupted his meridians and spiritual power, making it difficult for him to mobilize his energy in a short time, but also inflicted significant internal injuries.


    Injured and unable to use his spiritual power temporarily, Du Qiu was thrown onto the flying boat by Song Wen.


    "Du Qiu, tell me, why did Shi Shou want you to monitor me?"


    At this point, Du Qiu finally realized that Song Wen, despite only being a Qi Refining Stage cultivator, had strength far beyond his own. He looked at Song Wen with fear and bitterness, and said, "Do you think Elder Shi Shou would tell me the reason for monitoring you? I''m just a lowly minion who follows his orders."


    Song Wen''s eyes grew cold. "In that case, there''s no use keeping you alive."


    With that, the cold light appeared again!


    Du Qiu''s left leg was severed at the root.


    "Ah!"


    Du Qiu cried out in pain.


    "Ji Yin, I really don''t know anything. Please give me a quick end."


    "Do you really not know anything?"


    Song Wen was somewhat suspicious and thought for a moment. Then, two ordinary Beetle Gus flew out from his mouth.


    The Beetle Gus fluttered their wings and flew in front of Du Qiu''s eyes.


    "This insect is called a Beetle Gu. It feeds on human blood and internal organs. The two Gu before you have only the strength of a first-level Qi Refining cultivator, so they are weak and eat slowly. They will gradually gnaw at your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and then your brain."


    "Don''t worry, I will try my best to keep you alive and conscious during this process, so you can slowly experience the torment of having your organs and brain eaten."


    Du Qiu''s eyes were filled with terror. The two small insects flying in front of him looked like demons crawling out of hell, giving him chills.


    "I''ll talk. I only ask that Ji Yin give me a quick end."


    "The cultivation method you practice, the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' was given to you by Shi Shou through me."


    "Shi Shou had me monitor your movements and progress. As long as you don''t switch to other methods and don''t seek death intentionally, Shi Shou has allowed me not to interfere with your cultivation."


    "A few months ago, when your cultivation broke through to the Qi Refining Fifth Level, Shi Shou ordered me to strengthen the surveince on you. If you break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Level, I must report immediately."


    "Your sudden entry into the Withered Blood Secret Realm made Shi Shou very angry."


    "That''s all I know."


    After saying this, Du Qiu closed his eyes and waited for death.


    But then he heard Song Wen ask, "Do you know if the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique'' has any special features? Is there anyone else cultivating this technique?"


    Du Qiu replied, "I don''t know. The ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique'' is not a sect inheritance technique but something Shi Shou obtained from outside. I have seen Shi Shou practice it before, and it seems somewhat simr to your own corpse cultivation."


    "I suppose Shi Shou is also cultivating this technique. As for whether anyone else in the sect is cultivating this technique, I don''t know."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 119: The Foundation-Establishment Site

    <h4>Chapter 119: The Foundation-Establishment Site</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Do you know what kind of cultivation Shi Shou has?" Song Wen continued to ask.


    Due to excessive blood loss, Du Qiu had be somewhat weak. After catching his breath, he slowly responded, "I''m not sure about Shi Shou''s specific cultivation level, but Shi Shou has been at the Foundation Establishment stage for twenty years."


    Song Wen furrowed his brow.


    Twenty years is neither long nor short for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. For some exceptionally talented individuals, twenty years is enough to reach thete stages or even the peak of Foundation Establishment. For those with lesser talent, they might still be struggling in the early stages.


    Song Wen couldn''t immediately determine Shi Shou''s exact cultivation level.


    Suddenly, Song Wen''s left hand transformed into a zombie w and reached for Du Qiu''s head.


    "Pfft!"


    Song Wen''s fingers effortlessly pierced through Du Qiu''s skull.


    Before Du Qiu hadpletely died, he could clearly feel his blood and energy being rapidly drained by Song Wen. Then, his soul was sucked into a ck void, and his consciousness faded away.


    After handling Du Qiu''s corpse, Song Wen pondered for a long time.


    From Du Qiu, Song Wen obtained two significant pieces of information.


    First, Shi Shou was also cultivating the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique."


    Second, as previously guessed, Shi Shou would take action when Song Wen''s cultivation broke through to the Qi Refining Sixth Level.


    Song Wen continued to control the flying boat and flew towards the northwest.


    He needed to find a suitable ce toy his foundation.


    His cultivation had already reached the peak of Qi Refining, and with the Heavenly Spirit Fruit in hand, it was time to establish his foundation.


    The ce Song Wen chose forying his foundation was a cliff he had visited before, located between the Poison Miasma Swamp and the Three Corpse City.


    It was a remote area with few people, and spiritual herbs and demonic beasts were extremely rare, so cultivators generally didn''t go there.


    However, the drawback of this location for foundationying was evident: thin spiritual energy!


    Fortunately, Song Wen had enough spiritual stones on him. Before entering the Withered Blood Secret Realm, he had also prepared a set of first-grade superior-level spiritual gathering arrays topensate for the thin spiritual energy.


    Song Wen had also consideredying his foundation in the sect''s cave dwelling. In the cave, the spiritual energy was more concentrated, and the safety was higher, reducing the risk of other cultivators intruding during the breakthrough.


    But considering the many secrets he carried and Shi Shou''s watchful eye, even though he had the "Aura Concealment Formation," the effectiveness of the array and whether it could truly evade the detection of Golden Core cultivators remained to be verified.


    Moreover, within the sect, besides a few Golden Core ancestors, there were rumors of a Nascent Soul Elder.


    The Nascent Soul Elder would likely not concern himself with a Qi Refining cultivatorying a foundation, but Song Wen was still wary of any unexpected encounters!


    Therefore, Song Wen decided to find an uninhabited ce toy his foundation.


    After two hours, Song Wen arrived at the edge of the cliff.


    The height of this cliff was about three hundred meters, with a valley at the bottom.


    Song Wen flew around the cliff and finally found a crack in the lower part of the cliff.


    The crack was over ten meters long and about twenty meters deep. The entrance was about a person''s height, and it narrowed as it went deeper.


    Song Wen stepped into the crack, holding a hatchet.


    This hatchet was a medium-grade magic weapon, which he had found in a storage bag obtained from the secret realm.


    Infusing spiritual energy into the hatchet, it immediately radiated a cold light, making it hard to look at.


    Song Wen wielded the hatchet with all his strength, striking the rocks above his head.


    The hard rock was easily split apart, as if it were tofu.


    After several dozen strikes, Song Wen carved out a narrow, deep cave dwelling of twenty meters in depth.


    After spending two quarters of an hour, Song Wen set up the "Aura Concealment Formation" around the cave and arranged the spiritual gathering array inside it.


    Holding the array te for the spiritual gathering array, Song Wen ced a thousand spiritual stones at various points of the array and performed several hand seals.


    In an instant, the spiritual energy from the stones was forcibly extracted by the array, causing the spiritual energy within the cave to surge several levels.


    Song Wen controlled both arrays, ensuring they were functioning properly.


    After confirming that the "Aura Concealment Formation" could indeed block all spiritual energy fluctuations and auras from within, he returned to the cave.


    Song Wen did not immediately attempt toy the foundation. The process of foundationying was extremely dangerous; even a slight mistake could result in spiritual energy losing control, causing severe injuries or death.


    To ensure the entire foundationying process went undisturbed, Song Wen decided to first find a powerful guardian.


    He took out the pseudo-second-level corpse puppet he had obtained from Wu Sui and began refining it.


    This corpse puppet belonged to Wu Sui, and if Wu Ren saw it, he would immediately recognize it. To be safe, Song Wen needed to reforge it, altering its appearance and aura.


    Six bottles of corpse evil aura and several Yin Attribute spiritual materials were thrown into the ck coffin containing the corpse puppet.


    With Song Wen''s hand seals imprinted into the corpse puppet, its aura and form gradually began to change.


    After two days, the corpse puppet was fully refined.


    At this point, the corpse puppet had undergone significant changes.


    Its aura hadpletely transformed, and its form had also shrunk somewhat.


    ...


    Song Wen set up eight ck Beetle Gu around the perimeter to monitor for any abnormalities within several miles, and positioned the corpse puppet at the cave entrance as a precaution.


    With eight ck Beetle Gu and the pseudo-second-level corpse puppet, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be dyed momentarily.


    With everything prepared, Song Wen began to prepare for foundationying.


    Another thousand spiritual stones were ced into the spiritual gathering array to provide ample spiritual energy for the uing foundationying.


    Afterwards, Song Wen calmed his mind and sat cross-legged to adjust his state of mind to its best condition.


    Five dayster, Song Wen, in high spirits with rich energy and abundant spiritual power, took out the jade box containing the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, along with five other pre-prepared spiritual herbs like Wind Spirit Grass and Yin Condensing Grass, which were used to harmonize the potent medicinal effects of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    Song Wen took out one Heavenly Spirit Fruit and swallowed it.


    Once the Heavenly Spirit Fruit entered his stomach, it was like dropping cold water into a hot oil pan. The powerful spiritual energy within the fruit erupted explosively in an instant, causing the spiritual energy in his body to surge wildly, and the violent energy raged through his body.


    Song Wen then swallowed half a stalk of Wind Spirit Grass, two Yin Condensing Grass, and other auxiliary herbs.


    The ratio of the auxiliary herbs was roughly based on the recipes for foundationying pills circting in the market. Although most of these recipes were likely incorrect, Song Wen was not refining pills but merely using the herbs to adjust the Heavenly Spirit Fruit''s powerful medicinal properties.


    As long as he could slightly moderate the surging spiritual energy within his body, he would have achieved his goal.


    However, things did not go as smoothly as Song Wen had hoped.


    The medicinal effects of the five herbs mixed together were impure and chaotic, and the erupting spiritual energy was disordered and uncontroble. It was somewhat unrealistic to expect them to calm the Heavenly Spirit Fruit''s violent medicinal power.


    "It seems I was too optimistic. At this rate, the spiritual energy in my sea of qi might be vtile, leading to a disaster and demonic transformation."


    Without a moment''s hesitation, Song Wen decisively raised his right hand and pped his abdomen.


    The powerful palm force prated his flesh and struck his stomach.


    "Ugh!"


    Song Wen opened his mouth and vomited all the remaining medicinal herbs from his stomach.


    The medicinal effects of the five herbs were still about eighty to ny percent intact, while the Heavenly Spirit Fruit''s medicinal power had been mostly consumed.


    The Heavenly Spirit Fruit had be damaged, as if it had been bitten by insects. The remaining spiritual energy was rapidly dissipating into the air.


    Song Wen had no time to care about the Heavenly Spirit Fruit and auxiliary herbs. He focused entirely on operating the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique," guiding the chaotic external spiritual energy out of his body.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 120: Successful Foundation Establishment

    <h4>Chapter 120: Sessful Foundation Establishment</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Two dayster, Song Wen finally managed to stabilize the chaotic spiritual energy within his body. He opened his eyes and, without hesitation, took another Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    Taking a deep breath, Song Wen swallowed the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    As soon as the Heavenly Spirit Fruit entered his stomach, its violent spiritual energy erupted explosively.


    The surging spiritual energy ran wildly through Song Wen''s limbs, body, and meridians like a runaway wild horse.


    The violent energy began to cause cracks in Song Wen''s meridians, with intense pain sweeping through his entire body.


    Small fissures appeared on Song Wen''s skin, and dark red blood began to seep out from these cracks, quickly turning him into a bloodied figure.


    This time, Song Wen did not take any auxiliary spiritual herbs. Gritting his teeth and enduring the excruciating pain, he focused on operating the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique."


    The loss of blood and whether it might lead to insufficient essence and blood was not a concern for Song Wen.


    After expending substantial resources and suffering through the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique" and "Thousand Poisons Body," their advantages finally manifested at this moment.


    These two body refinement techniques enhanced his skin, muscles, meridians, organs, and bones, making his body''s resilience and strength far superior to an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator''s.


    This strength prevented his meridians and flesh from being shattered by the Heavenly Spirit Fruit''s violent power.


    Under the guidance of the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique," the raging spiritual power was gradually guided and started to flow through his meridians, eventually settling in the sea of qi.


    The spiritual power in the sea of qi gradually increased, but it was still far from filling the sea of qi or transforming into liquid spiritual power.


    Song Wen sensed that the Heavenly Spirit Fruit''s spiritual energy was gradually depleting and resolutely swallowed another Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    "Argh!"


    Another wave of intense pain swept through his body, causing Song Wen to utter a low cry.


    The violent energy once again rampaged through his meridians.


    With previous experience, Song Wen managed this much more skillfully, operating the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique" to slowly guide the surging spiritual power within his body.


    The surging spiritual power flowed through his meridians like a rushing river and then converged in the sea of qi.


    The spiritual energy in the sea of qi gradually filled up until it could hold no more.


    However, there was still arge amount of spiritual power in the meridians that had not been fully refined. Under the guidance of the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique," this spiritual power continued to pour into the sea of qi.


    The excessive spiritual power filling the sea of qi was like it was about to burst the sea of qi.


    Yet, Song Wen continued to guide the spiritual power into the sea of qi. When the spiritual energy in the sea of qi reached a certain threshold, it began topress itself.


    A drop of liquid spiritual power appeared at the center of the sea of qi.


    Liquid spiritual power!


    This was the mark of advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    But the foundation had not yet been fully established, as there was still a significant amount of spiritual power in the sea of qi that had not yet transformed into liquid.


    Song Wen continued to operate the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique," refining the residual spiritual energy of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, and simultaneously, his body was rapidly absorbing the ambient spiritual energy from the surroundings.


    With a flick of his finger, a thousand spiritual stones flew out from his storage ring and fell into the spiritual gathering array.


    The spiritual energy in the cave surged abruptly, with extremely dense spiritual energy being continuously absorbed by Song Wen.


    One drop, two drops, three drops...


    The sea of qi continuously gathered liquid spiritual power.


    ...


    Half a monthter, Song Wen opened his eyes, and the joy in his gaze was unmistakable.


    The foundationying was sessful!


    He was now a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    No longer the lowest existence in the cultivation world.


    Song Wen did not stop cultivating immediately. After several hours of adjusting his breathing and calming the surging aura within his body, he stopped meditating and stood up.


    He had been in seclusion here for nearly twenty days, and it was time to return to the sect.


    Taking out the array te, he cast a few spells to dismantle the "Spirit Gathering Array" and "Aura Concealment Formation." Song Wen then stepped out of the temporary cave residence.


    Outside the cave, the second-tier undead puppet stood like a statue, remaining motionless and vignt.


    After retrieving the undead puppet and recalling the eight ck Beetle Gu, Song Wen boarded his flying vessel and set off toward the sect.


    After a briefmunication with the ck Beetle Gu, Song Wen learned that during this time, apart from two Qi Refining cultivators passing by, no other cultivators hade through this ce.


    The two cultivators had not discovered the cave on the cliff.


    This made Song Wen very satisfied with the effectiveness of the "Aura Concealment Array."


    During the foundationying process, Song Wen had consumed three Heavenly Spirit Fruits and a thousand spiritual stones, leaving him with four Heavenly Spirit Fruits.


    A few dozen miles from the sect, Song Wen stowed away the flying vessel and walked the rest of the way toward the sect.


    Passing through the market at the foot of the Corpse Demon Peak, he saw numerous disciples and loose cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect. The majority were Qi Refining cultivators, which filled Song Wen with a sense of pride.


    He was no longer a Qi Refining cultivator struggling at the bottom of the cultivation world.


    However, he was still burdened by the threat of Shi Shou, which immediately dampened his mood.


    The path of cultivation was long and arduous; he had only just left the base of the mountain. He needed to continue striving forward to have a chance at seeing the view from the mountain''s peak.


    Song Wen noticed that there seemed to be more loose cultivators in the market. After just a brief walk through the market, he saw several Foundation Establishment loose cultivators.


    It was rare to see Foundation Establishment experts casually strolling around the market.


    ...


    Crossing the streets, Song Wen arrived at the vendor area and immediately spotted Chen Yi at her stall.


    In a good mood, Song Wen took the initiative to greet her.


    "Junior Sister Chen, long time no see. How have you been recently?"


    Seeing Song Wen suddenly appear, Chen Yi''s face lit up with a bright smile.


    "Senior Brother Ji Yin, where have you been these days? I haven''t seen you for a long time. I sent you messages, but you didn''t reply."


    Song Wen replied, "I''ve been out recently and didn''t receive any messages. Did you send me a message about something important?"


    "It''s nothing crucial. I''ve just been feeling a bit downtely and wanted to talk to someone."


    "Oh? I''m free at the moment. If you have anything on your mind, you can share it. Don''t keep it bottled up; it''s not good for your cultivation if it lingers too long."


    Chen Yi opened her mouth but hesitated to speak, looking as if she was about to say something but held back.


    After some hesitation, she finally shook her head and sighed.


    "It''s nothing major, just some trivial matters. It''s already past, and I''ve gotten over it. There''s no need to bring it up again."


    Seeing that she was unwilling to talk, Song Wen did not press her. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Junior Sister, how''s the business with the spiritual herbs going? I noticed there are quite a few new faces among the loose cultivators in the market. I suppose your business must be doing well?"


    Chen Yi gave a wry smile.


    "There are indeed more cultivators in the market recently, but the business has declined a bit."


    "I don''t know why, but these new loose cultivators never buy spiritual herbs. Instead, they are very interested in talismans and runes."


    "Recently, talismans and runes in the market have been selling quite well."


    "That''s quite unusual."


    After chatting with Chen Yi for a while, Song Wen bade her farewell and headed toward the cave residence.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 121: Dissecting Corpses and Cultivating the Heart

    <h4>Chapter 121: Dissecting Corpses and Cultivating the Heart</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Early the next morning.


    Song Wen arrived at the corpse dissection cave early in the day.


    When he left before, he had taken a one-month leave from the steward Feng Deng. Even though he returned two days early, he still needed to report to Feng Deng.


    Feng Deng, seeing Song Wen who had disappeared for nearly a month, said nothing more. He understood the importance of keeping a low profile better than Yuan Cheng. Aside from arranging the corpse dissection matters, he rarely spoke to the corpse dissection personnel.


    "Ji Yin, since you took a one-month leave, ording to the rules, you need to make up for the number of corpses you missed during this month over the next three months."


    "Recently, you''ll be assigned two hundred corpses per day. Do you have any objections?"


    Feng Deng acted ording to the rules, and Song Wen had no objections.


    "All decisions are up to Steward Feng. I have no objections."


    Feng Deng nodded, handed Song Wen four storage bags, and then closed his eyes, saying no more.


    Song Wen went to Dissection Station No. 73 and began to dissect the corpses at a slow and steady pace.


    After nearly six hours of dissection, Song Wen had gone from initial disgust and resistance to eventual adaptation and numbness.


    Now, Song Wen had even started to enjoy the dissection process.


    It was simr to how Taoists recite scriptures daily to cultivate their hearts and natures, or how monks strike the wooden fish and recite Buddhist scriptures to purify their thoughts and eliminate karma.


    During corpse dissection, Song Wen could achieve a simr effect.


    His mind was as calm as still water, serene and peaceful!


    Dissecting corpses helped Song Wen clear his mind, cultivate himself, and enhance his state of mind.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> WTF


    Song Wen no longer merely pursued speed in dissection but aimed for a state of mastery akin to carving meat like a skilled butcher.


    With each corpse he dissected, he sought thepleteness of the tendons, bones, blood vessels, and muscles.


    To him, the dissected limbs and organs were like artworks to an artist or verses to a poet.


    They were the artistic creations of his hard work.


    It took Song Wen over four hours to dissect two hundred corpses. When he exited the dissection cave, it was already approaching evening.


    After leaving the dissection cave, he did not head to his cave residence but instead went to the Transmission Hall on the mountain.


    The "Corpse King Blood Refining Art" he cultivated was only a Qi Refining period technique. If he wanted to continue advancing his cultivation, he either needed to find the subsequent techniques for the "Corpse King Blood Refining Art" or switch to other Foundation Establishment techniques.


    Moreover, now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he also needed to improve his techniques and skills, and learn some techniques suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    The Corpse Demon Sect''s Transmission Hall consisted of three ancient buildings, each corresponding to the techniques and secrets for Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Gold Core cultivators.


    Without a Foundation Establishment Elder token, Song Wen could not enter the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building.


    He stood several hundred meters away from the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building. In front of the building sat a middle-aged woman with an enduring charm. She had her eyes closed, sitting cross-legged as if in meditation.


    This woman was the elder in charge of the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building.


    Unlike the bustling Qi Refining Transmission Building, the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building was deserted, rarely visited.


    The Corpse Demon Sect had publicly announced that there were over two hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators. Most of them woulde to the Transmission Hall once after their Foundation Establishment, and rarely visit afterward.


    In Song Wen''s perception, the middle-aged woman had at least mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation. It was clearly impossible to sneak past her into the Transmission Building.


    Furthermore, he was unsure if there were other hidden guards in the Transmission Building.


    Sneaking in recklessly would be akin to seeking death.


    Holding the Elder token and entering the Transmission Hall openly was the best strategy.


    The disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect and the elders both use their respective tokens to match the aura of the token with the cultivator''s own aura to verify identity.


    Song Wen''s physical control over his aura allows him to mimic someone else''s aura.


    This means that as long as he has an elder''s token, he can smoothly enter the Transmission Hall.


    Of course, the elder he mimics must not be someone too familiar to the staff, or even the best imitation would reveal ws in his behavior and mannerisms.


    Standing outside the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building for a while, Song Wen pretended to sigh lightly and then turned to walk towards the Qi Refining Transmission Building. He acted like a low-level disciple longing for Foundation Establishment, imagining the day he would step into the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building after reaching that stage.


    As a Qi Refining Stage cultivator, Song Wen had lingered outside the Foundation Establishment Transmission Building for a long time. If he didn''t make some deceptive moves, it would inevitably arouse suspicion.


    At the Qi Refining Transmission Building, he casually picked a secret technique and then descended the mountain towards the market.


    Entering the market, Song Wen headed straight for the underground ck market.


    In the ck market, he could try to obtain some information about the Corpse Demon Sect''s Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As soon as he entered the underground ck market, Song Wen noticed something unusual.


    There were noticeably more Foundation Establishment cultivators among the crowds in the ck market than usual, and most of these were scattered cultivators.


    "Where did so many Foundation Establishment scattered cultivatorse from?"


    "I haven''t heard of any major auctions in the market recently, and there are no rumors of secret realms or relics around the Corpse Demon Sect. What are these scattered cultivators gathering here for?"


    Song Wen sensed an unusual atmosphere among these Foundation Establishment scattered cultivators.


    But after some thought, he felt it was irrelevant to him.


    Anyway, he was focused on hiding in his cave for cultivation, dissecting corpses, and extracting a bit of essence blood to exchange for cultivation resources. He was quite satisfied with the current situation.


    It would be even better if he could eliminate the threat posed by Shi Shou.


    Unless one day, the essence blood obtained from dissecting corpses could no longer meet his cultivation needs, he might consider leaving.


    Song Wen walked straight to the central counter of the underground ck market hall and addressed an old man behind the counter.


    "I want information on the Corpse Demon Sect''s recent Foundation Establishment cultivators. How many spirit stones will it cost?"


    The old man lifted his murky eyes, staring at Song Wen, and spoke in a hoarse, gravelly voice.


    "Recently, many people have been buying information about Corpse Demon Sect''s Foundation Establishment cultivators. I didn''t expect a Qi Refining Seventh Layer kid like you to join in the fun."


    Song Wen''s appearance was that of a Qi Refining Seventh Layer young scattered cultivator.


    "In the past few years, there have been seven people who achieved Foundation Establishment in the Corpse Demon Sect. To get information on these seven, it will cost two thousand spirit stones."


    Song Wen''s expression changed slightly. "So expensive?"


    The old man smiled sarcastically, "With so many people buying Foundation Establishment cultivator information recently, prices have naturally gone up. Some things are not meant for a Qi Refining little cultivator like you."


    The old man''s words seemed to hint at something more.


    Song Wen didn''t think much of it, believing these matters were not significant to him and chose not to dwell on them.


    He took out two thousand spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the old man.


    The old man looked at Song Wen with an odd expression, seemingly surprised that a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator would casually produce two thousand spirit stones.


    The old man tossed a jade slip to Song Wen and then lowered his head, saying nothing more.


    Song Wen took the jade slip and turned to leave the ck market.


    He had a vague sense that something was off about the atmosphere in the ck market and decided it would be better to avoid this ce in the future.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 122: The Immortal Dao Ancestor with a Broken Sleeve

    <h4>Chapter 122: The Immortal Dao Ancestor with a Broken Sleeve</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Upon returning to his cave residence, Song Wen began examining the contents of the jade slip.


    In the past five years, the Corpse Demon Sect had produced a total of seven Foundation Establishment cultivators, among whom four were direct disciples. Song Wen ruled out these four immediately.


    Direct disciples, once they advance to the Foundation Establishment stage, automatically be Devil Sons or Devil Daughters, who are key targets for the Sect''s cultivation. They are likely to have the opportunity to advance to the Golden Core stage, making them high-risk targets.


    Among the remaining three, there were two women and one man, all of whom achieved Foundation Establishment as inner sect disciples.


    Of these three, the man''s experience in Foundation Establishment was the most unusual.


    This man was named Chen Feihe. The jade slip contained his likeness��a very handsome man with a somewhat feminine appearance in his attire and demeanor.


    Chen Feihe was actually the favored concubine of a Golden Core ancestor of the Corpse Demon Sect. Thanks to the ancestor''s favor, he received a continuous supply of resources and precious Foundation Establishment pills, allowing him to achieve Foundation Establishment at the age of twenty-seven.


    Relying on his rtionship with the Golden Core ancestor for his Foundation Establishment was not unusual in the cultivation world, but the key point was...


    The Golden Core ancestor named Ban Yu was a robust man with a full beard.


    The other two female cultivators had more straightforward experiences. They relied on their own hard work to break through to the peak of Qi Refining, repeatedly teetering on the edge of life and death, making great contributions to the sect, and were rewarded with Foundation Establishment pills to achieve Foundation Establishment.


    These two female cultivators had fought their way up from the very bottom, disying exceptional skills and resilience.


    In contrast, Chen Feihe was just a soft target.


    However, with a Golden Core ancestor as his backing, he was not someone to be underestimated.


    After careful consideration, Song Wen decided to focus on Chen Feihe.


    The two female cultivators were either deeply immersed in their own cultivation or performing sect tasks, making it difficult to contact them.


    Chen Feihe, on the other hand, was rtively easy to approach. Because his cultivation was entirely dependent on the pills given by the Golden Core ancestor and he didn''t need to perform sect tasks, he had plenty of time to wander around every day.


    To maintain the Golden Core ancestor''s favor, Chen Feihe often strolled through the market, buying cosmetics, clothing, and other things to ensure he remained fresh in the ancestor''s eyes.


    asionally, he would also visit the brothels in the market to learn some flirtatious gestures from the women there, hoping to please the Golden Core ancestor.


    ---


    Five dayster, in the evening.


    A graceful figure strolled through the market, wearing a green robe and holding a folding fan, moving lightly and elegantly, surrounded by a fragrant aura, exhaling like orchids.


    With a seductive charm and graceful demeanor, he outshone many women in the market.


    Song Wen looked at the enchanting Chen Feihe and couldn''t help but marvel. It was clear that someone who could captivate a Golden Core ancestor had his exceptional qualities.


    Despite being a man, Chen Feihe carried a feminine allure, causing many people in the market to look at him with sideways nces.


    Chen Feihe, indifferent to these looks of disdain, disgust, or contempt, walked withposure, swaying his waist as he browsed one women''s clothing and cosmetic shop after another.


    Regardless of how others viewed him, he had truly be a Foundation Establishment cultivator whom many lower-level cultivators looked up to.


    He could fly with his sword, soaring freely between heaven and earth, feeling the freedom of the wind.


    With a lifespan of over two hundred and fifty years, those who scorned him would eventually turn to dust, while he would still be enjoying the scenery.


    He smiled lightly at others'' nders and ridicule.


    The path of cultivation is vast and varied; regardless of the methods used, as long as one can survive in the cultivation world and gain a longer lifespan, it is the correct path.


    Chen Feihe wore a proud expression, watching the passersby who clearly looked down on him but dared not show it, instead putting on a respectful front. This made him feel very pleased.


    As he exited a cosmetics shop, he encountered a Foundation Establishment cultivator approaching him.


    The neer cupped his hands in greeting, his expression carrying a hint of respect, and spoke.


    "Zhang Cheng greets Elder Chen of the Corpse Demon Sect."


    Chen Feihe looked at the man before him.


    This middle-aged male cultivator had only recently entered the Foundation Establishment stage and was a neer among Foundation Establishment cultivators. He was certainly much stronger than Chen Feihe, who had achieved Foundation Establishment solely through the aid of pills and had never experienced real danger.


    Chen Feihe felt no particr wariness toward this self-rmending middle-aged cultivator.


    After all, in the territory of the Corpse Demon Sect, who didn''t know that Chen Feihe was close to a Golden Core ancestor? He had been with the sect for over ten years, and since aligning himself with the Golden Core ancestor, no one had dared to provoke him.


    On the contrary, Chen Feihe felt a faint sense of familiarity with the man iming to be Zhang Cheng.


    This was because Zhang Cheng also wore light makeup and carried a touch of a feminine aura.


    "Who are you, and why are you blocking my way?" Chen Feihe asked with a calm expression.


    Song Wen said, "I''m a newly arrived rogue cultivator here. I''ve heard that Elder Chen has a fondness for cosmetics, and since I share this interest, I hoped to make your acquaintance."


    Chen Feihe was intrigued. It was the first time he had met someone with a simr interest.


    He raised his eyebrows, examining Song Wen with a seductive gaze.


    "Oh? You also have an interest in cosmetics!"


    Song Wen felt somewhat ufortable under Chen Feihe''s alluring gaze and quickly responded.


    "This ce is too crowded and noisy for conversation. Elder Chen, would you be willing to discuss this further at the Spring Breeze Pavilion ahead?"


    The Spring Breeze Pavilion was thergest brothel in the market, known for its seductive female cultivators and strong, robust male cultivators.


    Upon receiving Song Wen''s sudden invitation, Chen Feihe''s brows slightly furrowed, and he felt a twinge of caution.


    However, thinking about the power behind the Spring Breeze Pavilion and the strong Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed there, he rxed his guard.


    "Since Fellow Daoist Zhang is so warmly inviting me, let''s go to the Spring Breeze Pavilion."


    "However, it must be in the main hall."


    One must always be cautious!


    Chen Feihe, after agreeing to Song Wen''s invitation, added this precaution.


    Song Wen smiled, stepped aside, and gestured, "Elder Chen, please!"


    The two then went to the main hall of the Spring Breeze Pavilion.


    Song Wen, in a generous manner, ordered two pots of high-quality spirit tea.


    Chen Feihe took a sip of the spirit tea, his movements elegant, like a refineddy.


    "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you''ve gone through the trouble of inviting me to the Spring Breeze Pavilion and offering me this fine spirit tea. What is the purpose of this meeting? Please speak inly."


    Song Wen''s gaze sharpened. It was clear that Chen Feihe, who could captivate a Golden Core ancestor, was not just relying on his appearance but was also quite astute.


    He smiled and said, "Elder Chen, you are overthinking it. I genuinely wish to befriend you. I have a set of items to enhance romantic activities. I''d appreciate it if you could evaluate them."


    Saying this, Song Wen presented a storage bag.


    Chen Feihe looked somewhat suspicious but took the storage bag and used his spiritual sense to probe inside.


    Immediately, a look of surprise appeared on his face, his eyes gleaming with amazement, and his mouth slightly open as he eximed.


    "These intimate garments are so exquisite and novel. Where did you acquire them?"


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 123: Longevity Stone Appears

    <h4>Chapter 123: Longevity Stone Appears</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen smiled lightly, "These intimate garments are all designed by me personally, and made by a skilled seamstress. Do they meet Elder Chen''s approval?"


    The storage bag contained over a dozen sets of intimate clothing. Song Wen had drawn the designs based on memories from his past life and had them sewn.


    The lingerie from the previous life, though not overly extravagant, was unique in style and thus stood out.


    This was a collision between two different worlds, a merging of cultures.


    "They''re so beautiful and novel," Chen Feihe said with glowing eyes, repeatedly eximing in amazement.


    He withdrew his attention from the storage bag and once again focused on Song Wen.


    His wariness of Song Wen had vanished, reced entirely by admiration. It was akin to a novice encountering a master in the industry.


    Chen Feihe no longer had any doubts about Song Wen''s preferences. If it weren''t for an extreme fondness for cosmetics, how could a mane up with such innovative lingerie designs?


    "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you''re exceptionally talented to have conceived such novel styles. Chen is truly impressed."


    "I''m d Elder Chen likes them. Consider these little trinkets as a gift from me to you."


    "Fellow Daoist Zhang is willing to give these to me?" Chen Feihe said, delighted.


    Song Wen replied, "Of course. It''s rare to meet someone like Elder Chen with simr interests. I wouldn''t be stingy. If these items can bring a bit of joy to you and your partner, it''s worth it."


    "Then I won''t refuse. Thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhang."


    Chen Feihe happily tucked the storage bag into his bosom.


    The two then continued discussing cosmetics.


    In recent days, Song Wen had sought advice from women in brothels and brushed up on makeup skills,bining this with some knowledge from his previous life. He was able to manage well enough to avoid arousing Chen Feihe''s suspicion.


    During their conversation, Chen Feihe seemed somewhat distracted.


    He suddenly shifted the topic, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, how about we book a room and try out those intimate garments you designed?"


    Song Wen felt a shiver of disgust at the suggestion and his heart chilled!


    No wonder Chen Feihe''s interest seemed low during their earlier conversation��he had been fixated on those dozen or so sets of lingerie.


    The thought of two men in a room trying on women''s lingerie filled Song Wen with a sense of revulsion.


    Song Wen showed a troubled expression and said, "Let''s skip that. It would be better for Elder Chen to take the garments home and enjoy them with your partner."


    Chen Feihe didn''t think much of it, assuming that since this was their first meeting and they were not yet familiar, Song Wen was hesitant.


    "My apologies for my rashness. I''ll take my leave now. We''ll talk more next time," Chen Feihe said, somewhat impatiently.


    Song Wen stood up, smiling, "Then let''s part ways today. We''ll talk again another day. By the way, could Elder Chen give me amunication jade slip for easier contact?"


    Chen Feihe pped his forehead in realization, "How could I forget to exchangemunication jade slips with Fellow Daoist Zhang? Please forgive me."


    After exchanging jade slips, Chen Feihe quickly headed back to the Corpse Demon Peak.


    Watching Chen Feihe''s urgent departure, Song Wen couldn''t help but think.


    "Let''s hope he doesn''t suffer too much during his visits to the restroom in the next few days..."


    ---


    Four Days Later.


    Song Wen received a message from Chen Feihe and they arranged to meet again at the Spring Breeze Pavilion.


    When Song Wen saw Chen Feihe, his face was flushed, but he walked with a bit of a limp.


    Song Wen sighed inwardly, realizing that the Golden Core ancestor was indeed formidable, as even a Foundation Establishment cultivator''s robust body couldn''t withstand it.


    Upon meeting, Chen Feihe sincerely thanked Song Wen.


    "Fellow Daoist Zhang, the intimate garments you designed are truly wonderful. I haven''t left my residence for the past few days."


    Song Wen responded somewhat awkwardly, "I''m d Elder Chen and your partner like them. Is there something specific you need?"


    Chen Feihe''s expression suddenly grew a bit uneasy as he spoke softly.


    "Today, I came to ask if Fellow Daoist Zhang has any other novel designs."


    Song Wen''s face showed a hint of difficulty, "There are indeed some, but can Elder Chen''s body handle them?"


    Chen Feihe''s elegant face smiled, showing a hint of shyness. Shifting to ease his pain, he was only half-sitting on the edge of the chair.


    "Fellow Daoist, don''t worry, it''s nothing. I have healing elixirs."


    Song Wen couldn''t help but admire Chen Feihe a little.


    Indeed, every cultivation path has its difficulties. Even being close to a Golden Core ancestor came with its share of hardship.


    Chen Feihe took the storage bag from Song Wen, checked its contents with his divine sense, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    Once again, it was a novel and unusual design he had never seen before!


    After chatting for a while and expressing repeated thanks, Chen Feihe joyfully took the storage bag and left.


    Song Wen also turned and went back to his cave residence.


    The storage bag he gave Chen Feihe contained various role-y costumes, including maid outfits, bunny girl outfits, fox girl outfits...


    Now, Chen Feihe had mostly set aside his wariness of Song Wen. If they interacted a few more times, Song Wen could find a way to obtain the Elder Token from him.


    However, the world is always full of surprises.


    Upon returning to his cave, Song Wen saw an unexpected visitor.


    It was Shi Shou!


    The Foundation Establishment cultivator who had brought him into the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Song Wen had always considered him the greatest threat.


    Shi Shou looked at thepletely darkened sky with a cold smile.


    "Ji Yin, you''ve kept me waiting."


    Song Wen''s heart raced with caution. His eyes fixed on Shi Shou as he quickly thought of a response.


    Whether to fight or flee would expose his real strength. A Foundation Establishment cultivator pretending to be a Qi Refining Fifth Layer outer sect disciple would surely cause the Corpse Demon Sect''s higher-ups to specte extensively. At that point, he might not even be able to leave the sect''s territory.


    If he didn''t flee, how likely was it that he could survive against Shi Shou?


    After much consideration, Song Wen decided to feign weakness and look for an opportune moment to act.


    From Song Wen''s perception, Shi Shou was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Though stronger than himself at the start of Foundation Establishment, Shi Shou''s strength was still limited, and Song Wen still had a fighting chance.


    Moreover, whether Shi Shou was nning or merely coincidental, there was a significant opportunity to defeat him.


    Resolving his thoughts, Song Wen''s face showed a surprised expression.


    "Disciple Ji Yin greets Elder Shi. It''s been years since west met, and Elder Shi''s demeanor remains as impressive as ever."


    Shi Shou was unmoved by Song Wen''s ttery, his face remaining cold with a sneer.


    "Ji Yin, you''ve hidden quite well."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen was startled.


    Could Shi Shou have already discovered his true strength?


    This was impossible! Even Golden Core cultivators couldn''t see through his hidden strength; how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator do so?


    While Song Wen was still in doubt, Shi Shou continued.


    "The soul aura of Du Qiu, who remained in the sect, has dissipated. This matter must be rted to you, right?"


    Hearing Shi Shou''s words, Song Wen felt slightly relieved, realizing that Shi Shou hadn''t discovered his secret but only knew about Du Qiu''s death and was probing him.


    Song Wen had dealt with Du Qiu''s death very cleanly, confident that no one could have discovered it.


    If it had been discovered, the oneing for him wouldn''t be Shi Shou but the Corpse Demon Sect''s Law Enforcement Hall.


    Song Wen feigned surprise, "What! Senior Brother Du Qiu is dead? He was always kind to me, often visiting and guiding my cultivation."


    "Senior Brother Du Qiu was so young. How could he die? It''s truly a case of heaven envying talent!"


    As he spoke of his sorrow, Song Wen''s face was filled with grief and sadness.


    Shi Shou remained cold, seemingly seeing through Song Wen''s feigned performance.


    After a moment, seeing that Shi Shou did not respond, Song Wen continued.


    "Elder Shi, please understand, I am only at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer. How could I be a match for Senior Brother Du Qiu? He was an inner sect disciple with at least Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 124: Mentor/Starving Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 124: Mentor/Starving Wolf</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "So, how do you exin where you went during the twenty or so days you were missing after leaving the secret realm?"


    Song Wen was immediately rendered speechless. He hadn''t expected that after killing Du Qiu, his whereabouts would still be known to Shi Shou.


    However, Song Wen didn''t dwell on it, as his departure from the sect for over twenty days wasmon knowledge among everyone in the Corpse Demon Cave and couldn''t be hidden.


    Shi Shou''s face was filled with a teasing smile. Without waiting for Song Wen to exin, he waved his left hand.


    A surge of immense spiritual power descended upon Song Wen.


    Song Wen instinctively tried to use his spiritual power to block it.


    But then, he suddenly realized and gave up resisting.


    This spiritual power was not meant to kill him, but to imprison him.


    Seeing that Song Wen was restrained, unable to move or speak, Shi Shou summoned a flying sword, lightly jumped onto it, and used spiritual power to pull Song Wen along as he flew towards the sect''s exit.


    Song Wen sensed that the power restraining him was not too strong, and a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator could break free from it.


    In other words, Shi Shou hadn''t discovered his true strength and only saw him as a minor Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivator.


    Song Wen was unsure where Shi Shou intended to take him, but since they were heading outside the Corpse Demon Sect, it was just as he hoped.


    Inside the Corpse Demon Sect, he couldn''t make a big move, but once outside, whether to fight or flee, Song Wen could act freely.


    Song Wen understood that Shi Shou was likely impatient for him to reach Qi Refining Sixth Layer and was probably nning to deal with him soon.


    But what was Shi Shou''s ultimate goal?


    Why did he want him to practice the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Manual"?


    And why head outside the sect?


    With countless questions in mind, under the high-speed flight of the flying sword, they quickly reached a location several hundred miles from the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Just as Song Wen felt they were far enough from the sect and prepared to act.


    Shi Shou suddenly directed the sword light down towards a valley below.


    Song Wen, with sharp senses, noticed a cave within a small mountain beside the valley, which had a few acres in size and contained the presence of eight living people.


    These eight were all cultivators, not very high in cultivation��seven at Qi Refining Sixth Layer and one at Qi Refining Seventh Layer.


    Moreover, the aura of these eight individuals was extremely familiar to Song Wen; they all practiced the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Manual" like him.


    This made Song Wen even more curious about Shi Shou''s purpose for bringing him here.


    Song Wen abandoned the idea of acting immediately. He had a premonition that he could find a better opportunity to act.


    Shi Shou dragged Song Wen into the cave.


    In the center of the cave, there was an array engraved on the ground, surrounded by nine stone pirs. The eight cultivators were all bound to the stone pirs with chains.


    Among the eight, seven were men and one was a woman. The woman was the only one who had reached Qi Refining Seventh Layer.


    The woman, over forty years old, still had fair skin and retained her charm. It was easy to see from her face that she had been a stunning beauty in her youth.


    Seeing Shi Shou arrive, the woman''s expression was filled with sorrow, and she asked in a mournful voice.


    "Husband, why have you imprisoned me and these people in this cave? What exactly do you intend to do?"


    Nearby, another young man bound to a stone pir shouted angrily.


    "Master, how could you be so foolish? We are all people with evil spiritual roots, and we practice the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique'' passed down by Shi Shou. Clearly, he has long harbored ill intentions towards us. We are nothing but materials for him to improve his own cultivation."


    The young man''s voice was filled with hatred. From a humble background, he had viewed Shi Shou, who taught him the cultivation technique and guided him, as a fatherly figure, with deep respect and gratitude from the bottom of his heart.


    Yet, he never expected it all to be a deception.


    Seven years ago, when he was still young, he fell into a trap meticulously designed by Shi Shou the moment he encountered him.


    The woman''s face was filled with sorrow and disbelief, tears as big as soybeans streaming down her face like rain, staining her sorrowful expression.


    Holding onto a glimmer of hope, the woman asked.


    "Shi Shou, is what Shi Meng said true?"


    Shi Meng was the young man who had just spoken, and his name was given by Shi Shou.


    At that time, Shi Meng was just thirteen years old, begging by the roadside. He was beaten to a bloody pulp in a fight with other beggars and was on the brink of death.


    At hisst moments, Shi Shou appeared like a Buddhaing to save all the suffering in the world.


    Not only did he heal Shi Meng''s injuries, but he also killed the beggars who had beaten him.


    "From today, you will be my disciple. If you want to avoid being bullied, you must cultivate diligently. In the future, when you encounter enemies, you must rely on your own hands to defeat them."


    Shi Shou''s teachings, Shi Meng remembered vividly. He had always adhered to his master''s instructions, showing no mercy to enemies and being ruthless, eliminating all threats.


    But he never expected that his master was the real hungry wolf.


    Facing his partner''s questions, Shi Shou''s expression remained unchanged.


    A chain flew out of his storage ring and wrapped around Song Wen, then the chain levitated and pulled Song Wen, binding him to the remaining stone pir.


    Song Wen did not resist at all, allowing the chain to bind him tightly.


    He noticed that the chain was just an ordinary magical item. With his current strength and powerful physique, he could easily break it.


    After binding Song Wen, Shi Shou addressed the woman.


    "Wan Rou, we were once partners in cultivation. I''ll make sure you understand everything."


    "Back then, we were rootless and wandering cultivators. Although wecked cultivation resources and had low strength, we lived a rtively free and easy life."


    "But I was unwilling to live a mundane life."


    "More than thirty years ago, I identally stumbled upon an ancient cave and found the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique'' inside."


    "After switching to the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' my cultivation advanced rapidly, quickly breaking through to theter stage of Qi Refining."


    "When I reached theter stage of Qi Refining, the cultivation speed dropped drastically. At that time, I was already thirty years old. If I couldn''t quickly advance my cultivation, there would be no chance of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. To speed up cultivation with the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' there is a shortcut: consuming the blood essence of cultivators, which contains spiritual energy to enhance one''s own cultivation."


    "So, I joined the Corpse Demon Sect, but due to my age, I could only be an outer disciple."


    "I worked as a corpse dissector for the Yin Demon Hall and began to hunt and kill cultivators everywhere, using their blood essence to support my cultivation."


    "Finally, more than ten years ago, after experiencing countless life-and-death crises, I achieved great merit for the sect and received a Foundation Establishment Pill, sessfully establishing my foundation."


    "But after establishing my foundation, I found that having consumed too much cultivator blood essence had caused my blood and qi to be impure, hindering my cultivation."


    "For more than ten years, I''ve practiced day and night, yet I still can''t break through the early stage of Foundation Establishment."


    "Yet heaven does notpletely close all doors! I found a solution in the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique.'' That is to devour the spiritual energy and blood essence of those who also practice the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique.''"


    "By using spiritual energy and blood essence of the same origin, I can ovee the bottleneck in my cultivation and refine the blood essence to increase its purity."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 125: Years of Schemes, A Day’s Ruin

    <h4>Chapter 125: Years of Schemes, A Day��s Ruin</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Ten years ago, I began searching for people with five-element spiritual roots and good root quality, to whom I could impart the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique.''"


    "To ensure the purity of the cultivators'' blood essence, I removed the method of devouring others'' blood essence to enhance spiritual power from the publicly taught technique. To prevent leakage of the technique, I also removed the content rted to refining corpse aura."


    "This formation beneath us is called the ''Nine Curves Devouring Spirit Formation.'' It''s a formation recorded in the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' used to extract spiritual power and refine blood essence. It took me three years toprehend and set up this formation."


    "I taught thirty-two people, but some died halfway, some had poor opportunities andprehension, and their progress was extremely slow, so I dealt with them. In the end, only you nine are left."


    "Among you nine, one is my wife, one is my disciple, three are affiliated family cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect, two are wandering cultivators, and two are outer disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect."


    "All nine of you are at the sixth level of Qi Refining."


    "However, one of you is only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. Originally, my n had to be dyed."


    At this point, Shi Shou paused and walked to his wife''s side, speaking gently.


    "I didn''t expect that Wan Rou, you would suddenly break through to the seventh level of Qi Refining half a month ago, perfectlypensating for the deficiency in the other person''s cultivation. This allowed me to advance my n."


    "I must thank you, my dear wife."


    After hearing Shi Shou''s exnation, Wan Rou did not show anger or hatred, but only sadness and concern.


    "Husband, stop this. You''ve already gone astray. You''re not practicing a technique, but are controlled by it, bing a puppet that only knows how to cultivate."


    "Even if your cultivation reaches great heights, what''s the point if you sacrifice your wife and disciples? You''ve lost your humanity entirely. No matter how long you live, you will just be a living corpse."


    "Don''t you remember the carefree and happy days when we were wandering cultivators? Stop this, let''s leave the Corpse Demon Sect together and find a ce in the mortal world to live as a mortal couple."


    Shi Shou smiled bitterly and said, "There''s no turning back. Since the day I found the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' everything has been set in stone."


    "For the sake of immortality and stronger cultivation, I''m willing to pay any price."


    As he spoke thest few words, Shi Shou''s expression grew somewhat frenzied, as if using this madness to mask the remaining traces of conscience and guilt within him.


    He continued to address Wan Rou.


    "I originally didn''t want to involve you, but twenty years ago, after I established my foundation, you were afraid of aging before me and being left alone in this world. You voluntarily dispersed your cultivation, switched to the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' hoping to establish a foundation like me."


    "But you didn''t know the cost I paid for practicing the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique,'' how many people I killed."


    "And you just happened to have five-element spiritual roots, perfect for practicing the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique.''"


    "Don''t me me. Perhaps it''s fate. To be a strong cultivator, especially a demonic one, it''s destined to be heartless and ruthless."


    "Alright, Wan Rou. Now you understand the situation and consequences. You can be clear about everything."


    With that, Shi Shou walked to the center of the formation and sat down cross-legged.


    Seeing the impending disaster, the bound people began to curse loudly.


    Only Wan Rou cried out in pain and tears.


    "Husband, stop this. I am carrying your child. The child is just beginning to form. You might not sense it with your spiritual sense, but I can clearly feel a small life growing inside me."


    In front of Shi Shou, a formation disk was floating, and he was making hand seals to prepare for the formation.


    Hearing his wife''s words, he suddenly froze.


    His wife was pregnant!


    This was something he had never expected.


    They had been married for over thirty years and had never had a child. He had always thought they would never have descendants in this lifetime, yet now, at this critical moment, his wife suddenly told him she was pregnant with his child.


    Shi Shou looked up at his bound wife with aplex and unreadable expression��sometimes harsh, sometimes tender, sometimes pained, and sometimes guilty.


    After many changes in expression, Shi Shou''s eyes eventually turned cold and devoid of emotion.


    Looking at his wife of thirty years as if she were a stranger.


    Shi Shou used his spiritual power to block his hearing, afraid that his wife''s desperate pleas might sway his heart.


    If it''s for immortality, both familial bonds and personal emotions can be discarded, and must be discarded.


    Sever all emotions! Only then can one seek the supreme path.


    From now on, Shi Shou''s heart would hold only the pursuit of immortality.


    Shi Shou performed several hand seals on the formation disk, which emitted a green light.


    The formation patterns on the ground began to light up one by one, shining with green brilliance.


    Thirty-six mid-grade spirit stones flew out from Shi Shou''s storage ring and fell into the grooves at the edge of the formation.


    In an instant!


    The green light within the formation surged greatly, illuminating the entire cave with a bright green glow.


    The nine people on the stone pirs gradually felt a tremendous force enveloping them, as if it were going to crush them into pieces and drain all their blood, leaving not a trace behind.


    Shi Shou was focused and intent, his eyes fixed on the formation disk as he executed one hand seal after another, with beads of sweat beginning to appear on his forehead.


    Clearly, controlling the ''Nine Curves Devouring Spirit Formation'' was not an easy task for Shi Shou; it consumed arge amount of his mental energy.


    Except for Song Wen, the others bound to the stone pirs showed expressions of intense pain under the enormous pressure, their skin starting to seep blood, staining the eight of them as blood-soaked figures.


    Among the eight, only Wan Rou, who had the highest cultivation, was in slightly better condition.


    For Song Wen, the pressure from the formation was not enough to harm his physical body.


    "It''s time to act!"


    Song Wen''s gaze was sharp, his muscles swelling as he forcefully struggled with his arms.


    "Crack!"


    The sound of breaking chains echoed.


    The chains binding Song Wen snapped into several pieces, falling to the ground.


    At the same time, a cold gleam shed, reaching Shi Shou in an instant.


    After breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, Song Wen had refined the Cold Moon de, which was now able to fully exert its power as a spiritual weapon.


    Song Wen was confident that, if he encountered the pseudo-Daoist-level copper corpse in the Blood Secret Realm again, he could kill it solely with the Cold Moon de.


    Caught off guard by the sudden change, Shi Shou had no way to block the extremely sharp Cold Moon de in his hurried state.


    Forced into a corner, he could only raise the formation disk in front of him to block the Cold Moon de.


    "ng!"


    The Cold Moon de struck the formation disk.


    The formation disk immediately shattered into pieces, turning into fragments.


    The Cold Moon de was also blocked, its power greatly diminished, no longer a threat to Shi Shou.


    With the formation disk shattered, the formation''s operation stopped immediately, and the green light vanished without a trace.


    Shi Shou was also affected by the bacsh from the broken formation disk, with a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.


    His eyes were fierce, like burning mes, and he gritted his teeth, saying:


    "Ji Yin, it''s you! You''ve actually reached Foundation Establishment!"


    As he spoke, a Daoist-level corpse puppet was summoned by Shi Shou.


    "Poof!"


    The Cold Moon de, which came swirling back, was blocked by the corpse puppet''s resilient hand, leaving only a deep scar.


    Shi Shou looked around the cave with increasing fury. With the formation broken, apart from Song Wen, seven of the remaining eight had died, leaving only his wife Wan Rou still breathing.


    This meant that the ten years of nning he had prepared were all in vain.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 126: Trading Death for Injury

    <h4>Chapter 126: Trading Death for Injury</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "I want you dead!"


    A dense, malevolent aura surged around Shi Shou. His figure gradually became emaciated, his skin turning grayish and dry, and two long fangs extended from his mouth.


    His appearance was not much different from when Song Wen had turned into a corpse, except that the malevolent aura around him was even denser.


    Shi Shou suddenly exerted force with his feet, causing the rocks beneath him to explode. He shot forward like an arrow towards Song Wen.


    Even before he reached him, Shi Shou''s hands had transformed into ws, with dark, glossy nails like sharp iron des.


    Facing the oing Shi Shou, Song Wen''s expression remained calm andposed, showing no signs of panic.


    The recent surprise attack with the Cold Moon de had failed, which was somewhat disappointing, but just disappointing, nothing more.


    Song Wen patted the corpse bag at his waist, and a pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse puppet was summoned.


    This corpse puppet had a chance to be refined into a genuine bronze-grade corpse puppet, but Song Wen had only recently reached Foundation Establishment and had not yet collected enough spiritual materials.


    The pseudo-second-grade bronze corpse puppet charged at Shi Shou''s corpse puppet. Song Wen didn''t expect it to block Shi Shou''s attack, but hoped it could buy him some time.


    As Shi Shou''s ws were about to reach Song Wen, a greenrge shield suddenly appeared around Song Wen,pletely enclosing him.


    At that moment, the Cold Moon de struck from behind, piercing Shi Shou''s back.


    Song Wen had also transformed into a zombie, with dark ws emitting a chilling gleam, reaching for Shi Shou''s head.


    Song Wen''s tactic was to trade injuries for injuries.


    Shi Shou''s lips curled into a disdainful smile. How dare a newly established Foundation Establishment cultivator like you challenge him, a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator of twenty years, with such a tactic.


    Although both were at the early Foundation Establishment stage, there was still a significant difference in their strength.


    At this moment, Shi Shou''s anger towards Song Wen for disrupting the formation had faded. He suddenly realized that with Song Wen, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he no longer needed to extract blood essence from the nine Qi Refinement cultivators.


    Just Song Wen alone was worth more than all of thembined!


    His only thought now was to capture Song Wen, devour his blood essence, and refine the spiritual energy within him to break through to the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    Shi Shou''s ws struck the bronze bell, causing sparks to fly and an extremely ufortable, piercing sound to ring out.


    The bell bore four long w marks but did not shatter.


    After Song Wen''s breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, the power of the ''Ten Thousand Poisons Body'' had also risen dramatically, sessfully blocking Shi Shou''s full-force attack.


    At the same time, Song Wen''s hands were covered in corpse poison and metal essence, reaching Shi Shou''s left face.


    Ghostly w!


    Shi Shou''s head jerked to the left, colliding with Song Wen''s hand.


    "Bang!"


    Song Wen''s fingers trembled slightly, and a wave of pain surged from his fingertips.


    This w strike didn''t manage to shatter Shi Shou''s hard skull; it only tore off arge piece of flesh from his face.


    The flesh was tough, like old tree bark, and showed no blood.


    Shi Shou''s left face was stripped of flesh, revealing a somewhat ckened skull, with no blood at the wound, looking extremely terrifying and eerie.


    At this moment, the Cold Moon de''s attack also arrived.


    A small shield appeared behind Shi Shou, perfectly blocking the Cold Moon de.


    While Song Wen was attacking, Shi Shou was not idle.


    He struck the bell with two more ws.


    The green light of the bronze bell flickered and then dispersed into tiny green particles.


    The bronze bell was shattered!


    Shi Shou''s face revealed a ferocious smile, and with his horrifying appearance, he looked like a demon emerging from hell.


    "Die!"


    Shi Shou''s wed hand grasped Song Wen''s throat.


    Song Wen neither dodged nor avoided; he wed at Shi Shou''s left eye.


    Shi Shou''s face showed a moment of delight as his w pierced the fragile throat of his opponent, using his spiritual power to directly crush half of Song Wen''s neck.


    With no support, Song Wen''s head slumped to one side, hanging on by a thin strip of flesh.


    The joy on Shi Shou''s face was short-lived. His eyes soon filled with disbelief as he realized that the throat he had torn open wasn''t Song Wen but just an ordinary corpse puppet.


    Shi Shou''s heart sank in shock.


    Where was Ji Yin? Where did he go?


    Why was he killing a mere corpse puppet?


    Could it be the rumored substitute corpse technique?


    As these thoughts shed through Shi Shou''s mind, he suddenly felt something crawling in his left eye.


    It turned out that when Shi Shou had grabbed Song Wen''s throat, Song Wen''s hand had also wed at his left eye.


    At that moment, Shi Shou had tilted his head back to avoid the sharpest nails, but his eye was still scratched by Song Wen''s hand.


    Before Shi Shou could figure out what was wrong with his left eye, he suddenly sensed a figure appearing behind him.


    It was Ji Yin!


    Ji Yin''s left hand wielded a de, and his right hand was a w, thrusting towards Shi Shou''s sides.


    Shi Shou''s face changed drastically. He hurriedly activated the small shield behind him while simultaneously turning to strike the figure behind him with a palm.


    "Puff!"


    The small shield blocked the w strike from the right but failed to stop the Cold Moon de in the left hand!


    The Cold Moon de pierced Shi Shou''s left waist, with spiritual power like a raging torrent, flooding into Shi Shou''s body through the de.


    Shi Shou''s left waist instantly erupted with arge hole, exposing his internal organs.


    Immediately, Shi Shou''s left kidney was shredded by the spiritual power, and his vital energy rapidly drained away.


    "Bang!"


    Shi Shou''s palm strike hit, and the head of the figure behind him exploded into pieces.


    What made Shi Shou even more furious and helpless was that...


    It was still a corpse puppet, a Qi Refinement Fourth Layer corpse puppet!


    The figure flickered, and Song Wen''s form appeared unscathed a hundred meters away.


    Shi Shou red angrily at Song Wen from afar, one hand supporting his injured left waist and the other taking out two healing pills, swallowing them.


    "Ji Yin, I underestimated you."


    "In just a few years, not only have you seeded in Foundation Establishment, but you''ve also refined such a bizarre corpse substitute technique."


    "I''m curious, where did you learn this substitute corpse technique, and how did you manage to refine two of them?"


    Song Wen exhaled deeply. Although the battle had onlysted a few breaths, it had drained a significant amount of his spiritual power and mental energy.


    Knowing that his opponent was buying time to heal, Song Wen wasn''t in a hurry to act. He had a smile on his face.


    He had more than just two substitute corpses. The most challenging part of refining substitute corpses was the soul extraction process. Repeatedly stripping the soul tether could cause irreversible damage to the soul.


    However, for Song Wen, this was not an issue. Through repeated attempts, he was certain that each stripping of the soul tether required devouring the souls of two to three cultivators of the same level to repair the soul.


    Thus, he was able to refine arge number of substitute corpses.


    Given his cautious nature, he would never just refine one or two substitute corpses. Over the years, he had refined more than a dozen.


    "Elder Shi, while you''re still trying to buy time to heal, haven''t you noticed something in your head?"


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 127: Soul Search

    <h4>Chapter 127: Soul Search</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Shi Shou''s face was filled with rm. Just now, he had felt something crawling in his left eye, but the sudden attack from Song Wen had left him no time to react.


    With this reminder from Song Wen, Shi Shou suddenly realized that two small insects had crawled into his skull through the eye socket and were now making their way towards his brain!


    Gu Insects!


    Two Qi Refinement Ninth Layer Gu Insects.


    Shi Shou''s eyes widened in terror.


    He quickly mobilized all his spiritual power, gathering it in his head, trying to exterminate the insects before they could cause significant damage.


    Suddenly.


    A sharp, stabbing pain pierced his chest!


    A scan of his spiritual sense revealed that there were four Gu Insects in his heart as well. At the moment he was focusing spiritual power on his head, the insects had taken the opportunity to break through his blood vessels and burrow into his heart.


    At this moment, there was a whooshing sound from his left side.


    A cold glint shot straight towards his throat!


    Surrounded by enemies on three sides, Shi Shou''sposure shattered, and he was no longer as calm and confident as before.


    Instinctively, he activated the small shield to block the Cold Moon de.


    Suddenly, an excruciating pain surged through his brain, causing his internal spiritual power to stagnate.


    The Cold Moon de skimmed past the edge of the small shield that had been a moment toote, cutting through Shi Shou''s throat.


    His head flew high into the air!


    Song Wen''s figure moved like lightning. Before the head could even hit the ground, he caught Shi Shou''s head in one hand and his falling body in the other.


    At this moment, Shi Shou''s soul had not yet departed his body; it was still within his head''s sea of consciousness.


    Song Wen did not consume Shi Shou''s soul but instead performed a spell to seal Shi Shou''s soul within his head.


    Soul Binding Technique!


    This was a spell that a Qi Refinement mid-stage cultivator could practice.


    It was the mostmonly used spell by demonic cultivators to bind souls.


    However, Song Wen had underestimated the strength of Shi Shou''s soul.


    Unlike the souls he had previously devoured, a mortal''s soul would be muddled and easy to consume after death.


    Although the souls of Qi Refinement cultivators could retain their rity, they had no resistance.


    Shi Shou, being a Foundation Establishment cultivator with spiritual consciousness, had a stronger soul. After death, his soul remained active and managed to avoid Song Wen''s Soul Binding Technique.


    Shi Shou''s soul did not attempt to escape but insteadunched an attack on Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    During this time, he even transmitted a message to Song Wen.


    "Ji Yin, you attempt to bind my soul. You must be a newly established Foundation cultivator, unaware that a Foundation cultivator with spiritual consciousness can seize another''s body."


    "Hahaha... Now this body is mine."


    "Strong, with pure blood and a deep foundation. With two cultivation methods, heaven has not abandoned me. To think that in such a dire situation, I could seize such a perfect body."


    Song Wen was momentarily startled by the sudden turn of events but quickly calmed down.


    His sea of consciousness could devour even the fragmentary souls of Golden Core cultivators, so Shi Shou''s Foundation Establishment soul could not stir up much trouble.


    As Shi Shou''s soul rushed into Song Wen''s sea of consciousness, ready to use all its power to assault it, a massive ck hole appeared before him.


    The ck hole seemed boundless, as if it upied Song Wen''s entire sea of consciousness.


    A powerful, irresistible suction force emanated from the ck hole.


    Shi Shou felt as insignificant as an ant before the ck hole, and at that moment, he even doubted that Song Wen might be an ancient powerful being reincarnated. How else could such a terrifying ck hole, seemingly capable of devouring everything, exist within his sea of consciousness?


    Just as Shi Shou felt his soul was about to be swallowed and his consciousness scattered, a thought shed through his mind:


    "I wonder how Wan Rou, who is still bound to the stone pir, is doing? I wonder if Ji Yin will spare her and the child in her womb."


    In this desperate situation, a surge of attachment towards his wife and the unborn child filled Shi Shou''s heart.


    At this crucial moment, the suction power of the ck hole suddenly vanished.


    However, the ck hole did not disappear. It remained like a mountain pressing down on Shi Shou, rendering his soul immobile.


    Outside the sea of consciousness, Song Wen had a smile on his face.


    This was the first time he attempted to control the ck hole in the sea of consciousness, and he was pleasantly surprised that it worked.


    Shi Shou''s soul could not dissipate for the time being and was still useful.


    Song Wen used the power of the soul from his sea of consciousness to weave a gigantic, binding and sealing Shi Shou''s soul within the sea of consciousness.


    As the soul was sealed, Shi Shou''s awareness gradually blurred.


    Afterpleting this, the ck hole in the sea of consciousness slowly disappeared and vanished without a trace.


    ...


    When Song Wen devoured Shi Shou''s blood essence, he was surprised to find that Shi Shou''s body contained a spiritual power that also flowed into his own.


    This spiritual power was absorbed by Song Wen''s body, giving him the sensation of consuming a powerful elixir, gradually enhancing his physical strength.


    Unfamiliar with this situation, Song Wen was somewhat puzzled.


    After repeatedly checking his body and confirming there were no abnormalities, he rxed a bit.


    Unable to find the reason for this phenomenon, Song Wen decided not to dwell on it.


    He then turned his attention to the eight people bound to the stone pirs. Except for Wan Rou, the other seven had already lost their breath.


    Song Wen devoured the blood essence and souls of the seven deceased individuals one by one before finally approaching Wan Rou.


    Wan Rou''s injuries were severe. Due to the immense pressure from the formation, her skin was torn in multiple ces, with blood oozing out. Her spine was misaligned in several ces, and her leg bones were fractured.


    Her body was no longer recognizable, and she could only barely maintain a standing posture due to the iron chains binding her to the stone pir.


    Seeing Song Wen approach, Wan Rou did not immediately act. A glimmer of hope appeared on her face as she clung to the hope of survival.


    She still did not want to die; she was carrying a child and wanted her baby toe into this world and see its wonders.


    "Please don''t kill me. I have..."


    Before she could finish, a powerful hand like a Vajra grabbed her by the top of her head.


    A powerful spiritual force surged from her head into her sea of consciousness.


    This spiritual force was overwhelmingpared to her own, instantly submerging her awareness.


    Soul Search Technique!


    This was a secret technique that only Foundation Establishment cultivators could practice, capable of searching another''s soul and extracting their memories. As for whether the memories obtained would be useful, it depended on luck.


    Song Wen had purchased this Soul Search Technique from a shop in the marketce after his Foundation Establishment.


    In the demonic path, this technique was quitemon, with many Foundation Establishment cultivators practicing it. As Song Wen disguised himself as an external Foundation Establishment cultivator, it was easy for him to obtain.


    Wan Rou''s soul power was much weakerpared to Song Wen''s and, being injured, offered little resistance. Song Wen easily essed all her memories.


    Her memories mostly consisted of her time spent in the cave dwelling, rarely interacting with others, and never engaging in conflicts. With Shi Shou providing cultivation resources, she did not need to venture out. She was a woman who avoided disputes.


    Although she was a demonic cultivator, her personality was very gentle and unviolent, just as her name suggested.


    Perhaps because of this, when Shi Shou intended to use her for cultivation, she harbored no hatred but rather begged and advised him.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 128: Divine Blood Gate

    <h4>Chapter 128: Divine Blood Gate</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen''s soul search on Wan Rou was aimed at understanding Shi Shou''s daily behavior, his connections with the sect''s cultivators, and, most importantly, whether Shi Shou was acquainted with the female cultivator stationed at the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall.


    Song Wen had gone to great lengths to get close to Chen Feihe, primarily to obtain an Elder''s Token from him. Now that Shi Shou was dead, he naturally acquired the Elder''s Token.


    This was also why Song Wen did not devour Shi Shou''s soul. If Shi Shou''s soul dissipated, the residual soul aura left in the Corpse Demon Sect would also disappear.


    Once the Corpse Demon Sect learned of Shi Shou''s death, the Elder''s Token would be useless.


    In fact, searching Shi Shou''s soul would have been ideal, but Shi Shou had jumped into Song Wen''s sea of consciousness of his own ord before Song Wen could even use the Soul Binding Technique.


    Moreover, Song Wen''s soul power was not much stronger than Shi Shou''s. Although Shi Shou''s soul was trapped in the sea of consciousness and unconscious, forcibly searching his soul would certainly awaken him.


    If Shi Shou regained consciousness, although he could not escape the sea of consciousness, he could disintegrate his soul, which would be a loss for Song Wen.


    Wan Rou, on the other hand, was different. Her soul power was weak, and Song Wen could freely search her soul.


    Through Wan Rou''s memories, Song Wen learned that Shi Shou was a very indifferent and reclusive person, rarely interacting with other cultivators except for his partner, Wan Rou.


    This was not surprising, as there were few demonic cultivators who were not indifferent or reclusive.


    After all, among demonic cultivators, there were many who betrayed their masters or killed their disciples and friends. How many demonic cultivators would dare to genuinely connect with others?


    This information gave Song Wen the possibility of disguising himself as Shi Shou to enter the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall.


    After forcibly searching Wan Rou''s soul, her soul was injured and her spirit dissipated, leaving her in a dazed state.


    Song Wen looked at the woman before him with some pity.


    She was the only person who could be considered kind that Song Wen had encountered in his cultivation journey, yet she had been betrayed by her closest partner.


    Song Wen shook his head, dismissing the somewhat ridiculous thought in his mind.


    Although Shi Shou was cold and unfeeling, Song Wen himself was not much better. The only difference might be that he had no close rtives in this world, so betrayal was not a concern.


    "Perhaps, from the moment I crossed into this world, it was destined that I would lead a lonely life."


    Song Wen felt a twinge of sorrow.


    However, he did not hesitate in his actions. With a sudden force, Wan Rou''s head exploded, and she lost her breath instantly.


    Song Wen wanted to let the poor woman''s soul reincarnate.


    But he quickly realized that demonic cultivators could not afford such leniency.


    He realized that, since the moment he killed Shi Shou, his mindset had subtly changed.


    Previously, with Shi Shou as a threat, he waspelled to practice tirelessly without pause, unwavering in his determination to be stronger.


    The moment Shi Shou died, the sense of urgency in his heart dissipated, lowering his vignce.


    "I must never let my guard down. Since I have embarked on this path of cultivation and demonic ways, there will be no peaceful days. There will only be deceit and hidden dangers!"


    "To survive in this cultivation world, one must always tread carefully and be vignt."


    Song Wen''s gaze became resolute and cold as he swiftly devoured Wan Rou''s soul.


    He began handling the corpses of the nine individuals. Among them, only Shi Shou had a storage ring; the others had no storage bags, likely seized by Shi Shou.


    Song Wen put Shi Shou''s storage ring into his own possession and piled up the nine corpses, burning them to ashes with a fierce fire.


    He then used a Windstorm Technique to scatter the ashes.


    Next, he activated the Cold Moon de to destroy the formation patterns on the ground. After stripping away ayer of the ground''s rock, Song Wen was finally satisfied.


    Turning his attention to the two corpses beside him, his own fake second-tier corpse had already lost its human form.


    Half of the head was sted away, one arm was torn off, a leg was broken, and the chest cavity was empty. The damage was not too severe, slightly better than Song Wen had expected. With some new refinement, it could be restored.


    Shi Shou''s second-tier corpse puppet, however, remainedpletely unharmed, standing there intact.


    ...


    When Song Wen was captured by Shi Shou, it was just at nightfall. By the time he returned to his cave, the sky was already beginning to lighten.


    Entering the cave, Song Wen approached the Corpse Fiend Well, where streams of corpse fiend aura flowed out.


    At this point, the corpse fiend aura in the well could no longer meet Song Wen''s cultivation needs. He had to purchase the corpse fiend aura he used for cultivation.


    Song Wen climbed down the well, and after descending several meters, he pushed against the stone wall, shifting a two-inch square stone.


    A small niche appeared in front of Song Wen. Inside the niche was a blue ring, the storage ring that belonged to Ying Ni.


    This niche had been used by Song Wen to hide his blood essence in the past. It also contained magical artifacts, pills, and cultivation techniques from the secret realm that had not yet been used, as well as most of his spirit stones. These were temporarily stored here.


    Storage rings and bags do not emit any spiritual fluctuations when not in use. Coupled with the concealment provided by the corpse fiend aura in the well, it was difficult to detect the niche unless someone went down the well and inspected it carefully.


    On the way back, Song Wen had already examined Shi Shou''s storage ring.


    He found the true version of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," recorded on a blood-colored que the size of a palm.


    The "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" on the blood-colored que included theplete method for cultivating from Qi Refining to Golden Core stage. This meant that Song Wen wouldn''t need to worry about the technique before reaching the Nascent Soul stage.


    Apart from that, there were no other techniques.


    The secret methods and spells Shi Shou practiced were all obtained from the Corpse Demon Sect''s Transmission Hall. To prevent the leakage of techniques, the Transmission Hall used one-time transmission jade slips.


    Song Wen was somewhat surprised and disappointed to find that Shi Shou did not have any offensive magical artifacts. The only magical artifact was the small shield used during his battle with Song Wen.


    Even the flying sword Shi Shou used for sword control was just a high-quality magical artifact.


    The flying ship that Song Wen had once boarded when coerced into the Corpse Demon Sect was also missing. It was unclear whether Shi Shou had sold it over the years due to financial difficulties or if the ship had never been his to begin with.


    Perhaps he borrowed it from the sect for the mission and returned it afterward.


    The small shield was named the Turtle Snake Shield. It was unknown where Shi Shou obtained it, but its quality was very high, making it a mid-grade magical artifact.


    With Song Wen''s current cultivation, he could not fully activate the Turtle Snake Shield. He estimated that he would need at least to be at the mid Foundation Establishment stage to fully utilize the shield''s power.


    This might be why, during Song Wen''s battle with Shi Shou, the Turtle Snake Shield could only provide basic defense without exhibiting any extraordinary effects.


    Apart from these items, the storage ring contained only ordinary items��pills, spirit stones, and cultivation resources.


    Song Wen took out the useful pills and corpse fiend aura resources for himself, leaving the rest in the storage ring.


    cing the storage ring back into the niche, Song Wen returned to the upper part of the cave.


    He picked up the blood-colored que recording the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and began to carefully review the technique''s contents.


    From beginning to end, he examined every word and sentence.


    He was concerned that Shi Shou might have tampered with the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" he had previously cultivated, so he could not afford to be careless.


    After finishing the Qi Refining section, Song Wen was relieved.


    The "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" he had practiced previously was intact, but itcked content on truly refining corpse fiend aura.


    Upon reflection, Shi Shou''s intention in having Song Wen practice the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" was to absorb Song Wen''s spiritual energy and blood essence to improve his own realm, so he naturally would not have altered the technique.


    ording to the preface of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," Song Wen learned that it was inherited from an ancient sect named the ''Divine Blood Gate.''


    This was a sect Song Wen had heard of in passing, which seemed to have disappeared into the annals of history long ago.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 129: Entering the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall

    <h4>Chapter 129: Entering the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    With the continuation of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," Song Wen could resume his cultivation.


    He obtained three bottles of Yin Fiend Dew from Shi Shou''s storage ring. This was a Yin-attribute treasure, condensed from high-purity corpse fiend aura, perfectly suited for Song Wen''s current cultivation needs.


    Suppressing his urge to start cultivating immediately, Song Wen headed to the Corpse Dissection Cave. It was almost dawn, which was the time he visited the cave every day.


    Today, Song Wen slightly increased the speed of corpse disposal and finished by the afternoon''s fifth hour.


    After leaving the Corpse Dissection Cave, Song Wen returned to his cave, performed the Water Mirror Technique, and began disguising himself.


    <strong>TL Note: </strong>Previously called "Mortal Realm''s Disguise Technique" in Chapter 67.


    Unlike his casual disguises in the past, today he had a specific target: he needed to make himself look like Shi Shou.


    After several attempts, Song Wen had perfected this disguise technique to a high degree.


    In just fifteen minutes, his appearance and physique closely resembled Shi Shou''s. He adjusted his body shape using control over his muscles and bones.


    Next, Song Wen began to adjust his aura. Since both he and Shi Shou practiced the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," mimicking Shi Shou''s aura was not too difficult. Once his aura was matched to Shi Shou''s as closely as possible, he was satisfied and donned a ck cloak.


    Ensuring no one was outside the cave, Song Wen exited, used his flight technique, and soared towards the Transmission Hall.


    In fact, the best way to imitate Shi Shou would be to use sword control for flying.


    However, Song Wen did not know sword control, and Shi Shou''s storage ring did not contain any sword control techniques. Therefore, Song Wen had to use his flight technique.


    After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the flight technique''s effectiveness had greatly increased, making him several times faster, and quite graceful, resembling wind-walking.


    Momentster, Song Wennded outside the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall. After calming his nerves, he held Shi Shou''s elder token and walked towards the female cultivator at the hall entrance.


    The female cultivator nced at Song Wen''s cloaked figure and scanned the elder token and Song Wen with her spiritual sense before tersely stating a few words.


    "Do you know the rules?"


    Song Wen''s heart skipped a beat.


    Rules?!


    What rules?


    Were they simr to those of the Qi Refining Transmission Hall, or were there additional rules for the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall?


    The rules for the Qi Refining Transmission Hall were simple: no destruction of any items in the hall; no taking away the true copies of techniques; hand over the selected transmission jade slip to the steward, who would make a one-time jade slip copy for the disciple; a soul oath was required, and techniques were not to be shared with anyone.


    Fearing exposure, Song Wen did not dare to speak recklessly and simply nodded, remaining silent.


    Seeing Song Wen nod, the female cultivator assumed he understood the rules, returned the elder token to him, and said.


    "Go in."


    With a bit of anxiety about what the so-called ''rules'' might entail, Song Wen entered the Transmission Hall.


    Since he was here, he should make the best of it!


    Song Wen calmed himself and began to examine the Transmission Hall.


    The hall was empty, with hundreds of stone tforms neatly arranged inside. Each tform had a different technique ced upon it.


    These techniques ranged from books, jade slips, to unknown desated bones, all peculiar and diverse.


    Unlike the Qi Refining Transmission Hall, where techniques could be freely handled, each technique in the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall was covered by a miniature formation, allowing for observation but not direct handling.


    On the edges of each stone tform, there was a small booklet.


    Song Wen picked up one of the booklets at random. It contained a brief introduction and outline of the technique, along with its price.


    The technique he held was a corpse path cultivation method priced at five thousand spirit stones. This price was quite low for aplete Foundation Establishment technique.


    If this technique were outside, its price would be at least doubled.


    After setting the booklet down, Song Wen picked up and reviewed each booklet on the stone tforms.


    Out of the over a hundred techniques in the hall, more than half were cultivation techniques, with fewer than half being spells and secret methods.


    Song Wen could not cultivate all the techniques due to his limited cultivation level, so he chose only three techniques: the advanced techniques of "Blood Sacrifice Art" and "Ghostly ws," as well as a flying sword technique.


    He Most Wanted to Cultivate the Advanced "Blood Escape Technique," but Could Not Find It.


    Song Wen couldn''t find the advanced technique for the "Blood Escape Technique," which was what he wanted to cultivate the most. It was unclear whether the advanced technique didn''t exist or if the Corpse Demon Sect simply didn''t include it here.


    Feeling a bit dissatisfied with only selecting these three techniques despite the significant risk of entering the Transmission Hall, Song Wen also picked up a secret technique for refining corpse puppets called "True Exnation of Corpse Puppets."


    The corpse puppet refining technique he had previously practiced was a basic one, but this "True Exnation of Corpse Puppets" was far more profound.


    It even included a method called "Corpse Explosion Technique," which could trigger the self-destruction of a corpse puppet.


    With the techniques chosen, Song Wen now needed to find the middle-aged female cultivator to make copies of the techniques. He was somewhat unsettled as he still did not fully understand what the so-called rules were.


    Holding the four booklets, Song Wen approached the hall''s exterior and spoke in a hoarse voice.


    "I have made my selection. These four."


    The female cultivator nced at Song Wen but did not speak, taking the four booklets from him.


    She flipped through the booklets and then extended her hand.


    Seeing her outstretched hand, Song Wen felt a pang of anxiety. He was unsure what she was asking for.


    Could it be spirit stones?


    The thought crossed his mind, and he quickly retrieved a storage bag containing ten thousand spirit stones, which was the price for the four techniques.


    The female cultivator took the storage bag and used her spiritual sense to check the number of spirit stones inside. After confirming everything was correct, she extended her hand again.


    Seeing her hand extended once more, Song Wen grew increasingly nervous and impatient. He genuinely didn''t know what else to give!


    However, Song Wen maintained a calm expression, appearing indifferent as usual.


    Fortunately, the female cultivator, noticing that Song Wen hadn''t moved, spoke up with a hint of annoyance.


    "Give me your identity token."


    Song Wen, without showing any emotion, handed over the elder token. He was now even more puzzled about what the token was needed for.


    The female cultivator took the elder token and ced it into a round disk about the size of a bowl, which had a slot perfectly matching the size of the token.


    She inserted the elder token into the slot.


    Immediately, the disk emitted a burst of white light.


    After a moment, the white light faded.


    The female cultivator looked up at Song Wen and said,


    "Your sect contribution is insufficient. You only have nine hundred and ten contributions, but these four techniques require one thousand contributions, so you are short by ny."


    Song Wen''s mind raced.


    Sect contribution?


    What is that?


    He had heard about it before!


    Could it be a specific requirement for Foundation Establishment elders?


    Fortunately, it was only a shortfall of ny!


    Moreover, the middle-aged female cultivator hadn''t recognized his disguised identity and only mentioned the contribution shortage, which was actually good news for Song Wen.


    A smile appeared on his face as he continued with his hoarse voice,


    "It was my oversight. Could the steward make an exception?"


    Saying this, Song Wen took out another storage bag containing ny spirit stones and handed it over.


    The female cultivator looked at Song Wen with a half-smile, making him feel uneasy. He couldn''t help but wonder if he was expected to bribe her.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 130: Leaving the Corpse Demon Sect Quickly

    <h4>Chapter 130: Leaving the Corpse Demon Sect Quickly</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    While Song Wen was deep in thought, the female cultivator suddenly reached out to take the spirit stones from Song Wen. After inspecting them with her spiritual sense and being satisfied, she ced them into her storage.


    "I''ve stayed in the Transmission Hall for so long and this is the first time I''ve encountered someone as interesting as Elder Shi. I''ve made up the contribution you were missing."


    Song Wen sped his hands in gratitude, "Thank you, steward."


    The female cultivator nodded, stood up from her seated position on the meditation mat, and turned to walk into the Transmission Hall.


    Before entering, she reminded him,


    "Wait here for a moment while I make the copies of the techniques."


    As Song Wen watched her figure disappear into the hall, he felt a lingering unease.


    He had made two mistakes: first, he didn''t realize the elder token contained information about contributions, and second, his chosen techniques exceeded his avable contribution points.


    Fortunately, it hadn''t drawn the female cultivator''s attention.


    After waiting for a short while, Song Wen grew more anxious, but the female cultivator finally came out.


    She handed Song Wen the four jade slips and said,


    "These are the techniques you requested."


    "Thank you!"


    Song Wen took the techniques, not daring to stay a moment longer, and turned to head down the mountain.


    The female cultivator watched Song Wen leave, a cryptic smile appearing on her lips.


    "This Elder Shi has a great secret. If I''m not mistaken, twenty years ago, when he first established his foundation, he was already practicing the Sword Flight Technique."


    "I hope the secrets you carry won''t disappoint me!"


    Song Wen would never have guessed that what he considered mistakes had actually exposed him due to the techniques he selected.


    A quarter of an hourter, as the female cultivator was meditating, a look of surprise crossed her face.


    "How did the spiritual mark I left on the jade slips disappear? Logically, someone at the Foundation Establishment stage should never have been able to detect a mark left by ater-stage cultivator, and even if they did, they shouldn''t have been able to erase it so quickly."


    However, the astonishment on her face soon turned to greed and eagerness.


    The more mysterious Shi Shou was, the greater the secrets he might have, and the more she would gain.


    "You can''t escape the temple if you''ve fled the monk. Shi Shou, I don''t believe you won''t return to your cave!"


    Momentster, the middle-aged female cultivator received a sect transmission,


    "The soul aura of Foundation Establishment Elder Shi Shou has dissipated within the sect."


    "Shi Shou is dead! How is that possible? He left less than two quarters of an hour ago."


    "Who could kill a Foundation Establishment elder of the Corpse Demon Sect near Corpse Demon Mountain without attracting the attention of Golden Core cultivators within the sect?"


    A sudden thought shed through the female cultivator''s mind, and her eyes widened momentarily.


    "Could it be that the person who just received the techniques wasn''t Shi Shou but someone else in disguise?"


    The more she considered this possibility, the more anxious she became. Everything about the situation seemed suspicious, and she did not want to get involved.


    She took out a jade slip that recorded the daily ounts of the techniques copied in the Transmission Hall.


    She altered the records of Shi Shou''s technique copies on the jade slip, changing it to her own name.


    After all, the ounts, spirit stones, and sect contributions would all match up. Even if the sect audited, nothing unusual would be found��perhaps they would only wonder why ater-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was practicing these four rtively basic techniques.


    ...


    Song Wen wandered through the market, making several rounds.


    During this period, Song Wen had changed his aura no less than ten times and had quietly devoured the spiritual mark left on the jade slips and Shi Shou''s soul.


    After confirming that no one was following him, Song Wen finally returned to his cave abode with peace of mind.


    Except for the Sword Flight Technique, he ced the other three jade slips into the stone alcove in the Corpse Fiend Well.


    As for the Sword Flight Technique, he chose to practice it immediately.


    Being cautious, he did not use Shi Shou''s high-grade flying sword. Instead, he had just bought a low-grade spiritual flying sword from a talisman shop in the market as a Foundation Establishment loose cultivator, spending 4,000 spirit stones on it.


    This flying sword wasn''t the best; it was a standard item produced by the Corpse Demon Sect''s Talisman Refining Hall.


    But it was still a spiritual item, and its flying speed was far superior to Shi Shou''s top-grade flying sword.


    For a life-preserving item like this, Song Wen was never stingy.


    In the days that followed, Song Wen continued his routine of dissecting corpses and practicing, while also stealing blood essence from the corpse-dissection cave.


    After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, the amount of blood essence his body could hold increased more than tenfold. Song Wen estimated that when his blood essence was full, it could even rival that of some Golden Core cultivators.


    Each time his blood essence was full, he could condense more than twenty bottles of blood essence. With each bottle priced at 140 spirit stones, he could steal over 3,000 spirit stones from the corpse-dissection cave each time.


    After killing Shi Shou and obtaining arge sum of spirit stones, plus what he got from the Withered Blood Secret Realm, and after spending for Foundation Establishment and purchasing techniques, he still had 43,000 spirit stones left.


    The resources consumed for his daily cultivation had not reduced his spirit stones but rather increased them.


    Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.


    During this time, he asionally sold blood essence in the market and bought cultivation resources. Sometimes he ran into Chen Yi and chatted a few words.


    Since Song Wen seeded in establishing his foundation, he noticed that Chen Yi''s mood had remained low and mncholic.


    However, Chen Yi never mentioned the specific reasons.


    During this period, Song Wen had also seen Chen Feihe several times.


    Initially, Song Wen approached Chen Feihe to obtain an elder token, but now that he had already entered the Foundation Establishment Transmission Hall, he no longer needed it from Chen Feihe.


    Even though he no longer needed anything from Chen Feihe, Song Wen did not sever ties with him.


    Having a connection with someone who had a Golden Core ancestor behind him was always beneficial.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, despite Chen Feihe''s problematic inclinations, he was still a decent person.


    After several interactions, Song Wen realized that Chen Feihe was not the kind of sinister or scheming person he had expected, which made him another friend he could talk to in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    However, each time they met, Song Wen had to pretend to be a "����" (a euphemism for someone with homosexual inclinations), which made him ufortable.


    One day, Song Wen suddenly received a message from Chen Feihe.


    The message contained only a few words but instantly made Song Wen''s heart race.


    [There may be a major change soon. Stay away from the Corpse Demon Sect!]


    Song Wen looked at the message, his expression shifting.


    What kind of crisis required him to stay away from the Corpse Demon Sect?


    Could the crisis be happening within the sect?


    [Elder Chen, could there be a major event happening in the Corpse Demon Sect?] Song Wen, puzzled, inquired through the message.


    [I can''t say exactly what''s happening. As a loose cultivator, you still have the chance to leave the Corpse Demon Sect. Leave as soon as possible.]


    Looking at Chen Feihe''s reply, a hint of unease shed in Song Wen''s eyes.


    Loose cultivators still have a chance to leave!


    Does this mean that sect disciples have no chance to leave?


    Will they inevitably be caught up in the crisis?


    Estimating the time, Song Wen figured that the Outer Affairs Hall should still be open. He hurriedly left his cave and headed toward the Outer Affairs Hall.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 131: The Traitor

    <h4>Chapter 131: The Traitor</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    With Shi Shou''s death, the threat hanging over Song Wen was lifted, and he now revealed his cultivation at the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer.


    At the Qi Refinement Sixth Layer, using the flying technique, it took Song Wen a quarter of an hour to reach the Outer Affairs Hall.


    Seeing that the Outer Affairs Hall''srge doors were still open, Song Wen''s face brightened, and he hurried inside.


    Inside the hall, there was still a steward, who was tidying up the desk, apparently preparing to leave his post.


    This steward was an older male cultivator with a cultivation at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer.


    "Steward, I am a disciple of the Outer Sect, Ji Yin. Here is my disciple token. I''vee to receive this year''s sect missions for going outside."


    Song Wen respectfully handed the disciple token to the old man.


    The old man did not take the disciple token from Song Wen, nor did he even raise his eyes. It seemed that having someonee to handle affairs at the end of his shift annoyed him, and his tone was somewhat impatient.


    "Go away. All the sect''s external missions have been canceled. There are no external missions this year."


    "All external missions canceled! How is that possible?"


    Song Wen gasped in surprise, seemingly unable to believe the old man''s words.


    Then, his face showed a hint of joy as he continued,


    "In that case, doesn''t this mean that those of us who haven''tpleted our external missions for this year get a big benefit?"


    The old man finally finished tidying up the desk, looked up at Song Wen, and a smile appeared on his face as well.


    "Not having to undertake sect external missions is indeed a blessing. I didn''t have any missions to do this year either. Every time I carried out an external mission, it was fraught with danger. Staying in the sect is much safer."


    Seeing that the old man was engaging in conversation, Song Wen took the opportunity to ask,


    "Senior brother, do you know why the sect suddenly canceled all external missions?"


    The old man shook his head and replied with a sneer, "How would I know? Such major sect matters are only within the knowledge of Foundation Establishment elders at least."


    After chatting a bit, Song Wen took his leave.


    He could now be certain that something significant was about to happen in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    The cancetion of external missions corroborated Chen Feihe''s warning.


    Song Wen descended the mountain and headed straight for the market.


    Since the regr channels to leave the sect were blocked, Song Wen nned to see if he could leave privately.


    Since Chen Feihe said that loose cultivators still had a chance to leave the Corpse Demon Sect''s territory, mingling among loose cultivators might allow him to exit the sect.


    Upon entering the market, Song Wen noticed that the patrols had increased several times, and there were even Foundation Establishment cultivators among the guards.


    The market still had many loose cultivatorsing and going, and these loose cultivators were not obstructed from leaving the market.


    Song Wen stood not far from the market exit, his expression fluctuating.


    He was uncertain whether to leave the sect at this moment.


    While he was hesitating, he suddenly received a sect message.


    "From now on, all disciples are forbidden from leaving the sect. Disciples outside must return to the sect immediately. Those who do notply will be treated as traitors and dealt with as such."


    Seeing the sect''s message, Song Wen immediately gave up on the idea of leaving the sect.


    Leaving the sect would be considered treason; he wasn''t going to challenge the sect''s authority at this time.


    With chaos impending, the Corpse Demon Sect needed to establish its authority, and he did not want to be the sacrificial example.


    As soon as Song Wen received this sect message, other disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect also received it at the same time.


    Immediately, disciples in the market began to discuss in small groups.


    Most of them had worried expressions on their faces.


    Some perceptive individuals had already started heading to various shops for talismans, elixirs, and magical tools.


    Song Wen immediately went into a store that sold cultivation resources.


    "Friend, how much is the Yin Fiend Dew?"


    "Esteemed Senior, it''s nine hundred spirit stones per bottle!"


    The storekeeper was a middle-aged cultivator with a well-maintained appearance, at the Qi Refinement Eighth Layer. Hearing Song Wen''s inquiry, he responded.


    Although Song Wen was currently disguising his cultivation as Qi Refinement Seventh Layer, which was lower than the storekeeper''s level, the storekeeper judged that Song Wen was likely a Foundation Establishment cultivator hiding his aura because he was asking about Yin Fiend Dew, a resource used by Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Even if Song Wen hadn''t hidden his aura, using the term "Senior" would still be beneficial, as long as the deal could be made.


    "So expensive? I bought it for eight hundred spirit stones just yesterday," Song Wenined.


    "Hehe!"


    The storekeeper gave a dry smile and replied,


    "Senior, don''t think it''s too expensive. Within an hour, the price is going to go up."


    Song Wen cursed inwardly, "Scam!"


    Clearly, the storekeeper was aware of the Corpse Demon Sect''s restriction on disciples leaving and the recall of all external disciples.


    With major events about to unfold in the Corpse Demon Sect, the storekeeper was taking advantage of the situation to hike prices and make a profit.


    "I''ll take three bottles!"


    Hearing this, the storekeeper''s face revealed a knowing smile, which made Song Wen want to punch him.


    "I also need some Geng Gold Stones and Silver Bright Stones. Give me ten of each."


    "We have both. Please wait a moment, Senior."


    The storekeeper, smiling with delight, turned to the back of the shop to get the materials for Song Wen.


    After leaving the shop, Song Wen entered another store and sold ten bottles of blood essence.


    Next, he went to a pharmacy to purchase the upper-grade medicinal pills for Foundation Establishment cultivators and other pills for healing and replenishing spirit energy.


    Then, he visited a talisman shop...


    Song Wen spent a full quarter of an hour, wandering through over twenty shops, buying various cultivation medicines and materials, and selling ten more bottles of blood essence.


    Selling the blood essence earned him nearly seven thousand spirit stones, while buying various materials and medicines cost him over twenty thousand spirit stones. This used up all the spirit stones he had on hand.


    Spending such arge amount of spirit stones to buy materials ensured that he would not run out of cultivation resources for theing year.


    Song Wen also noticed that the talisman shops were very busy. Remembering the various magical tools he had acquired in the secret realm, he decided that it was the perfect time to sell them amid the chaos.


    Upon returning to his cave residence, Song Wen took out two storage rings from the Corpse Demon Well''s stonepartments.


    Inside the two storage rings were thirty thousand spirit stones, one hundred and twenty bottles of blood essence, various Qi Refinement cultivation medicines, magical tools, talismans, and countless spiritual herbs.


    Song Wen decided not to sell the blood essence for the time being, as he had already sold a considerable amount recently. He was concerned that an influx of blood essence in the market might attract unwanted attention.


    He sorted and stored the items he didn''t need into six different storage bags.


    With the storage bags in hand, Song Wen returned to the market.


    In the market, many cultivators were buying supplies, and just as many were selling. After all, most cultivators lived tightly within their means and had to sell resources to afford what they needed.


    Song Wen blended in with these people, moving between various shops, and began to sell off his various treasures.


    He changed his appearance nearly ten times and visited no fewer than thirty shops before finally converting all his resources into spirit stones.


    He ended up with an amount of spirit stones far exceeding his expectations, nearly a hundred thousand.


    To put it in perspective, this was after the shops had desperately lowered their prices. If he had bought these items at full price, it would have cost him at least two hundred thousand spirit stones.


    With therge sum of money, Song Wen returned to his cave residence.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 132: The Battle is About to Begin

    <h4>Chapter 132: The Battle is About to Begin</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    In the following days, Song Wen nned to focus intensely on cultivation.


    Since he couldn''t leave the sect, his only option was to work hard to improve his cultivation level. No matter what crisis came, only strong power would give him a chance to survive.


    Just as he was about to start cultivating, Song Wen suddenly thought of something.


    He took out Chen Yi''smunication jade slip and sent her a message.


    "Junior Sister Chen, something big might happen soon. Be careful."


    Before long, Song Wen received a reply from Chen Yi.


    "Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother Ji Yin. You be careful too."


    ...


    The next morning, as usual, Song Wen arrived early at the Dissection Cave.


    He went to find Feng Deng to receive corpses, but only got eighty-two, a significant decrease that felt strange to Song Wen.


    "Why are there so few corpses today?" Song Wen asked in surprise.


    Feng Deng replied, "With the sect prohibiting disciples from going out, where would fresh corpsese from? These are leftover ones, and there will likely be even fewer in theing days."


    Song Wen nodded and turned to the dissection tform without saying more.


    "It seems I need to steal as much blood essence as possible while I can. If there are no more corpses to dissect, the Dissection Cave will close, making it difficult to obtain blood essence. If this slows down my cultivation speed, it will be a huge loss."


    Song Wen thought to himself.


    He opened up his body, trying to absorb as much of the blood energy dissipating into the air as possible.


    He dared not consume too much of the blood essence from the corpses he personally dissected, for fear of arousing suspicion, but absorbing the blood energy in the air was less likely to be noticed.


    As long as he wasn''t too tant, making the blood energy visibly converge toward him, no one would discover it.


    Even though Song Wen had slowed down his dissection speed, he finished dissecting the eighty-odd corpses within two hours, leaving him with a sense of unfinished business.


    Leaving the Dissection Cave, Song Wen returned to his cave residence and focused on cultivation.


    "Boom!"


    A blood-colored coffin suddenly appeared, smashing onto the cave floor.


    This blood coffin, obtained from Shi Shou, contained a second-level corpse puppet with the strength equivalent to early Foundation Establishment.


    Song Wen had reforged this corpse puppet using secret techniques from the "True Exnation of Corpse Puppets," altering its appearance and aura. He released it to nourish it with some yin-attributed materials to steadily increase its strength.


    Half an hourter.


    Another pitch-ck coffin appeared in the cave.


    Inside the ck coffin was Wu Sui''s pseudo-second-level corpse puppet, which had been damaged during the battle with Shi Shou but had since been repaired.


    Reforged by Song Wen using secret techniques, it had be a true second-level corpse puppet.


    He then threw in some yin-attributed materials into the ck coffin and cast several spells.


    Soon, the ck coffin was enveloped in a ck mist, filled with corpse energy and malice. The corpse energy flowed in and out of the corpse puppet''s nose and mouth, continuously tempering its body.


    After dealing with the two corpse puppets, Song Wen released eight ck Armor Gu worms.


    Two of the ck Armor Gu worms had advanced to the ninth level of Qi Refinement after this period of nurturing. However, Song Wen still hadn''t found a way to advance them to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    After feeding them some Silver Bright Stones and Purple Moon Orchids, Song Wen left them to roam freely in the cave.


    Song Wen took out a colorful pill and swallowed it.


    This colorful pill, called ''Gou Wen,'' had a beautiful name and appearance but was extremely poisonous. For ordinary people, even a sniff could cause their intestines to rot.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> ���� (Gou Wen) means Venomous gue, I don''t know how that is a beautiful name.


    As the pill entered his mouth, a faint sweet taste spread, followed by a stench.


    The pill slid down his throat and into his stomach.


    The poison began to spread in his abdomen, the stench growing stronger, making him want to vomit.


    Waves of severe pain followed, and Song Wen could clearly feel the poison corroding his internal organs, which began to decay.


    The poison infiltrated his heart, spreading through his bloodstream throughout his body.


    Song Wen''s entire body turned a dark purple-ck.


    A stench of rotten flesh filled the entire cave.


    At this moment, Song Wen resembled a corpse that had been dead for many days, beginning to turn ck and rot.


    Drops of sweat the size of beans dripped down Song Wen''s cheeks.


    Enduring inhuman pain, Song Wen fully activated the "Ten Thousand Poisons Body" technique.


    ...


    Seven dayster.


    The number of corpses in the Dissection Cave had decreased even more, and Song Wen only spent an hour to finish dissecting them.


    Leaving the Dissection Cave, he headed to the marketce.


    After not visiting the marketce for a few days, Song Wen was surprised to find it quite deserted. There were hardly any cultivators on the streets, and some shops were even closed. Even the underground ck market was shut down.


    Strangely, none of the usual itinerant cultivators who sold spiritual materials in the marketce were present.


    "It seems these itinerant cultivators have sensed something bad ising and have all gone into hiding," Song Wen spected to himself.


    However, Song Wen did not realize that his guess was far from the truth.


    After buying some spiritual materials, Song Wen returned to his cave.


    Back in his cave, thinking about the deste scene at the marketce, he felt increasingly uneasy.


    "What major event is about to happen in the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    Song Wen suddenly realized that by focusing on his cultivation all the time, he had avoided a lot of trouble but had also be cut off from news. At such a crucial moment, it was difficult to find channels to get information.


    After thinking it over, Song Wen took out themunication jade slip of Chen Feihe.


    Currently, Chen Feihe was the only well-informed person Song Wen could think of.


    "Elder Chen, do you know if anything major is about to happen in the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    It took a full hour before Chen Feihe replied.


    "Zhang Daoyou, why haven''t you left the Corpse Demon Sect yet! Are you out of your mind, staying here as an itinerant cultivator! Have you also been secretly captured by the Corpse Demon Sect! Forgive me, I can''t help you, I can''t save you."


    Themunication jade slip had a limited range. Since Chen Feihe could receive Song Wen''s message, it meant they were not too far apart.


    Because of this, Chen Feihe deduced from receiving Song Wen''s message that Song Wen hadn''t left the Corpse Demon Sect''s territory.


    Reading the message on the jade slip, Song Wen was shocked.


    Itinerant cultivators had been secretly captured by the Corpse Demon Sect!


    Song Wen felt fortunate that he hadn''t chosen to leave the sect disguised as an itinerant cultivator.


    But why was the Corpse Demon Sect capturing these itinerant cultivators?


    Could it be, as he had guessed earlier, that war was imminent?


    Was the Corpse Demon Sect going to use the itinerant cultivators as cannon fodder? Or use them to create arge army of corpse puppets during the war?


    But, where was the waring from?


    Was it from a righteous sect or another demonic faction?


    Was the Corpse Demon Sect nning to attack other factions, or were other factions nning to attack the Corpse Demon Sect?


    Countless thoughts shed through Song Wen''s mind, but with too little information, he couldn''t make a judgment.


    So, he sent another message to Chen Feihe.


    "Elder Chen, don''t worry, I am safe for now. Where does the threat to the Corpse Demon Secte from?"


    Under Song Wen''s repeated questioning, Chen Feihe finally relented this time.


    "It''s from several righteous sects in the northeastern region of Tianyuan Continent, joining forces to attack the Corpse Demon Sect."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 133: Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 133: Reunion</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The Corpse Demon Sect, the Blood Fiend Sect, and the Profound Yin Sect are the three major demonic sects in the southwestern extension of the Tuocang Mountain Range.


    Thend southwest of the Tuocang Mountain Range is known as Tianyuan Continent, inhabited by many mortals and home to numerous cultivation sects, primarily righteous ones.


    Bordering the southwestern extension of the Tuocang Mountain Range is the northeastern region of Tianyuan Continent, where many righteous sects are located.


    Due to their proximity, conflicts frequently arise between the three major demonic sects and the numerous righteous sects over cultivation resources. Large-scale wars erupt almost every few decades.


    In most cases, the righteous sects emerge victorious.


    The territory of the three major demonic sects has been gradually encroached upon, forcing them to retreat to the remote extensions of the Tuocang Mountain Range.


    In the depths of the Tuocang Mountain Range, there are also areas rich in spiritual energy, but these are upied by powerful demon beasts. The three major demonic sects do not have the strength to intervene in the depths of the Tuocang Mountain Range.


    The southwestern extensions of the Tuocang Mountain Range are mostly rugged mountains, but there are a few rtively t areas suitable for mortal habitation.


    Many years ago, a small number of mortals lived in this region, but over time, they were massacred and used as cultivation materials by demonic cultivators. Mortals gradually disappeared from the area.


    However, the cultivation practices of the three major demonic sects still require arge amount of human blood, leading them to raid the Tianyuan Continent to capture mortals or cultivators.


    This is a major reason for the mutual hatred between the demonic sects and the righteous sects.


    [This time, the righteous sects intend to annihte the Corpse Demon Sect. It is said that the righteous sects have been nning this for several years. More than half a year ago, the righteous sects began recruiting itinerant cultivators to infiltrate the Corpse Demon Sect and gather intelligence.]


    Receiving this new message from Chen Feihe, Song Wen suddenly recalled the scene when he went to the underground ck market to buy information on Corpse Demon Sect''s Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    At that time, the old man had hinted at something.


    "It seems that the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect have long been aware of the righteous sects'' ns to invade, but they haven''t made it public."


    Moreover, considering that the underground ck market was set up by a Golden Core patriarch of the Corpse Demon Sect, selling information about the sect''s Foundation Establishment cultivators��wasn''t this aiding the enemy?


    Thinking about this, Song Wen felt a chill down his spine.


    He had little hope that the Corpse Demon Sect could win this war.


    Even the Golden Core patriarch of the Corpse Demon Sect was so shortsighted, only caring about personal gain��how could they possibly win?


    "Demonic sects truly live up to their name. For the sake of earning spirit stones and cultivation resources, they will do anything, caring only for their own interests and not the greater good."


    But then, Song Wen thought of something else.


    The Corpse Demon Sect earned arge amount of spirit stones, spiritual medicines, and various heavenly materials and earthly treasures every year, and the higher-ups took the lion''s share.


    If the Corpse Demon Sect were truly destroyed, the ones to lose the most would be these higher-ups.


    Moreover, the Blood Fiend Sect and the Profound Yin Sect would not just sit and watch as the righteous sects annihte the Corpse Demon Sect and upy their territory.


    If that happened, it would be like the righteous sects nting a thorn in the southwestern extension of the Tuocang Mountain Range, making it impossible for the other two demonic sects to rest easy.


    The principle of "sharing a bed but not sleeping" is something the two other sects cannot ignore.


    "Could it be that the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect are confident that they won''t lose this war? Where does their confidencee from?"


    After pondering for a long time, Song Wen still couldn''t figure out what the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect were nning.


    Song Wen also recalled the collusion between the Yan family and the Nine Pces Sect some years ago. Looking back, it was probably then that the righteous sects began eyeing the Corpse Demon Sect.


    The next morning...


    Song Wen walked out of the cave dwelling and went to the corpse dissection cave, only to be told there were no corpses to process today, leaving him somewhat disheartened.


    Determined to find out more about the current state of the Corpse Demon Sect, Song Wen wandered around the sect and noticed the increasingly tense atmosphere. There were more disciples around, likely because most of those who had been away were now being recalled.


    Many disciples were hurriedlying and going, especially around the pill room, the equipment hall, and the talisman hall, which were all bustling with activity.


    Whether it''s a war among mortals or cultivators, arge amount of supplies is required. To win a war, sufficient resources are essential.


    Around noon, as Song Wen, who hadn''t eaten in a long time, was having a meal in the servant disciples'' dining hall, he suddenly received a message from the sect, instructing him to go to a location two miles north of the sect within two hours to help build defensive fortifications.


    Seeing the sect in such a state of impending storm, Song Wen felt deeply uneasy.


    After eliminating the threat of Shi Shou, he had thought that with his Foundation Establishment strength and his ability to devour the blood and souls of others, he could thrive in the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Now, he realized he had been short-sighted.


    Even as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was still at the mercy of others and could hardly make any waves in such a major sect war.


    After receiving the message, Song Wen returned to his cave dwelling.


    He retrieved two storage rings from the Corpse Demon Well, carried them with him, and packed everything in the cave that could be taken into the storage rings.


    He had no intention of sharing the Corpse Demon Sect''s fate. If the situation allowed, he nned to flee the sect.


    As for potential repercussions from the Corpse Demon Sect for thister, those were concerns for another time��surviving the immediate crisis was his priority.


    If necessary, he would hide his cultivation and presence and seek refuge in the territory of a righteous sect as a rogue cultivator. He didn''t believe the Corpse Demon Sect would go to great lengths to hunt down a mere Qi Condensation stage disciple deep within righteous sect territory.


    However, hiding in righteous sect territory would prevent him from freely devouring cultivators'' blood and souls, posing a significant challenge to his future cultivation.


    ...


    When Song Wen arrived at the location two miles north of the sect, he found that over two thousand outer sect disciples and nearly a thousand servant disciples had already gathered.


    Most of the outer sect disciples were at the mid-Qi Condensation stage, while the servant disciples were mostly at the early Qi Condensation stage.


    The site was the top of arge mountain, the highest in the vicinity. Standing at the summit provided an excellent view of the surrounding area for dozens of miles.


    A woman of unremarkable appearance was standing in mid-air on a sword.


    "I am Elder Dan Ying, fully in charge of the defense work here. Build these fortifications with all your effort, and you will be rewarded. If anyone cks off and causes dys, don''t me me for being ruthless and not showing any camaraderie."


    Immediately, under Dan Ying''s direction, ten disciples with the highest cultivation levels were selected from the outer sect to act as team leaders, directing the efforts of over a thousand cultivators in building the fortifications.


    While teams were being formed, Song Wen suddenly noticed a familiar figure and walked over.


    "Junior Sister Chen."


    "Eh! Senior Brother Ji Yin, you''re here too."


    Chen Yi''s surprised face showed a hint of joy upon seeing Song Wen.


    "That''s great, we can be in the same team and look out for each other."


    Standing beside Chen Yi were two men, Wang Dang and Li Yuan, who had also joined the sect with Song Wen and Chen Yi.


    "Junior Brother Wang, Junior Brother Li," Song Wen greeted politely.


    Song Wen''s disyed cultivation level was at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, while these two were only at the third level. It was only natural for Song Wen to address them as junior brothers.


    The two responded with friendly smiles.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 134: Zhang Xiaofan Gets Married

    <h4>Chapter 134: Zhang Xiaofan Gets Married</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The Corpse Demon Sect aimed to build a fortress at the base of this mountain.


    First, the entire mountain top had to be leveled to construct a fortress covering twenty acres, with walls ten meters high. The walls would be coated with molten iron and copper and inscribed with restriction and formation patterns.


    ording to the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect, this fortress must bepleted within ten days.


    Song Wen and three others were assigned to a team responsible for quarrying long rectangr stones at the mountain''s base for building the walls.


    "It''s been six years since we joined the sect, and I haven''t seen Senior Brother Zhang Xiaofan. How has he been recently?" Song Wen suddenly asked while cutting rocks with arge de.


    Wang Dang snorted coldly, responding with resentment.


    "As a direct disciple and son-inw of a Golden Core Patriarch, he must be living very well."


    Hearing this, Song Wen nced strangely at Wang Dang.


    He found it odd. When the four of them joined the sect, they were very close. Why had they fallen out now?


    As Song Wen was puzzled, Li Yuan exined the reason.


    "Seven months ago, Zhang Xiaofan married the daughter of his master, Patriarch Lu Cang. Since then, he has distanced himself from us."


    "Five months ago, he even reimed his spiritual field, and we''ve had no contact since."


    Li Yuan''s tone was calm, unlike Wang Dang''s resentment.


    Song Wen turned to look at Chen Yi, who was standing nearby, feeling a bit downcast.


    He thought to himself: No wonder I haven''t seen her selling spiritual herbs in the market these past few months.


    Perhaps Zhang Xiaofan''s marriage was the reason for her recent unhappiness.


    Song Wen knew that Zhang Xiaofan had used some unscrupulous means to win over Chen Yi back then.


    Because of his status as a direct disciple, Chen Yi either feltpelled or sought a backer in the perilous Corpse Demon Sect, or perhaps both, and eventually ended up with Zhang Xiaofan.


    However, just as Chen Yi sought a backer, so did Zhang Xiaofan. In the end, he got involved with his master''s daughter, turning his master into his father-inw, further solidifying his position.


    Naturally, Chen Yi was abandoned.


    Knowing this was a sensitive topic that not only embarrassed Chen Yi but also involved the private affairs of a Golden Core Patriarch, Song Wen quickly changed the subject.


    ...


    With over a thousand cultivators participating in the construction, the work progressed rapidly. Various weapons were repurposed into construction tools.


    Thick trees were felled with a single sword stroke.


    Large rectangr stones were split with a few axe strikes.


    With cultivators'' immense strength, trees and huge stones were carried with ease, and storage bags were used to transport materials.


    In just three days, the fortress began to take shape.


    Next came the pouring of molten iron and copper. Large blocks of iron and copper were melted with fireball spells and poured onto the wall base.


    It took only two days toplete the pouring.


    Next was the intricate work of inscribing formation patterns, handled by specialists, not requiring the involvement of outer sect and servant disciples.


    However, Elder Dan Ying did not dismiss theboring disciples. Everyone was kept on-site, seemingly to stay and guard the fortress.


    Construction proceeded smoothly until the eighth night.


    At this time, dozens of inner sect disciples were still inscribing patterns on the outer walls. ording to the schedule, the inscriptions would bepleted by the next morning.


    Then, the sect''s formation masters would activate the formation, enveloping the fortress in a defensive array, making it impregnable.


    Just then, an unexpected change urred.


    Thirty miles away, a beam of white light shot into the sky, exceptionally noticeable in the pitch-ck night.


    The white light gradually formed into a massive hundred-meter-tall skeleton in the sky.


    This was the Corpse Demon Sect''s unique emergency signal, indicating a powerful enemy attack.


    Standing on the high wall, supervising the inner sect disciples inscribing the formation patterns, Dan Ying saw the enormous skeleton in the sky and her face changed dramatically. On the first day, she had dispatched dozens ofte-stage Qi Refining cultivators as scouts to patrol within a hundred miles ahead.


    For cultivators, especially those above the Foundation Establishment stage, thirty miles was a distance they could cover in moments.


    The fact that the enemy had stealthily gotten this close before being detected and the scouts raising the rm indicated the attackers were extremely formidable.


    "Enemy attack! Everyone to the walls, prepare to defend!"


    Dan Ying circted her spiritual power, her voice booming like a bell.


    With the formation patterns yet to bepleted, it meant the fortress was still just a facade. For cultivators, walls without formation protection were merely for show, no matter how tall or sturdy they were.


    Dan Ying knew this, and so did all the disciples in the fortress.


    Therefore, her n to have everyone join forces to defend fell through. Many early-stage Qi Refining and servant disciples, upon seeing the warning skeleton in the sky and hearing Dan Ying''s order, did not go to the walls to defend but instead fled towards the rear, retreating without a fight.


    Watching the fleeing disciples in their panic and disarray, Dan Ying''s eyes burned with seething anger.


    These servant disciples had weak cultivation and had learned the demonic cultivators'' trait of being greedy and fearful of death very well. They were utterly useless.


    Two fireballs the size of millstones appeared in her hands.


    "Those who flee in the face of battle, die!"


    The fireballs fell like meteors, wrapped in scorching heat, whistling sharply, crashing into the fleeing crowd.


    "Boom! Boom!"


    Two violent explosions resounded, with rolling waves of air sweeping the surroundings.


    Over thirty servant disciples were blown to pieces by the fireballs, and dozens more were flung away by the st waves.


    Dan Ying''s ruthlessness and decisiveness caused the fleeing disciples to halt in terror, trembling with fear.


    Just as Dan Ying was about to order everyone to the walls to defend again, a figure suddenly appeared before her.


    "Junior Sister Dan, why be so angry? They are justborers raised by the sect. Did you really expect a group of servant disciples to hold the fortress?"


    Startled by the sudden appearance of the figure, Dan Ying was momentarily taken aback. But when she saw who it was, she bowed respectfully.


    "Greetings, Patriarch Wu Ren."


    Wu Ren nodded, his gaze scanning the dense forest in the dark night ahead.


    After a moment, Wu Ren spoke.


    "Take the outer sect disciples and retreat. As for the servant disciples, let them fend for themselves. The fortress is not yetpleted and has no value now."


    Dan Ying opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but finally, she just said one word.


    "Yes!"


    She then turned to the many disciples and said,


    "All outer sect disciples, follow this elder."


    Without further exnation, she flew towards the sect on her sword.


    Seeing this, the outer sect disciples guessed they were retreating and quickly used their flight techniques to follow her.


    This left the servant disciples in a dire situation. Most of them were at the early stages of Qi Refining and couldn''t fly. Except for a few who had some wealth and possessed flight talismans and followed Dan Ying, the majority had to rely on their legs to escape.


    Watching the servant disciples scatter in all directions like a disorganized mess, Wu Ren showed a bloodthirsty smile.


    The sect had too many useless members. It was time for a purge!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 135: The Profound Heaven Sword Sect

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Profound Heaven Sword Sect</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen was flying slowly behind the other outer sect cultivators. As a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, his flying technique wasn''t very fast.


    At this moment, they had flown six or seven miles, while the servant disciples behind them had all descended to the foot of the mountain and were running frantically in the direction of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    As they left the city, Song Wen released his ck Armored Gu and suddenly noticed that many of the servant disciples behind them were falling one after another.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> ck Armored Gu is not to be confused with the ck-Bellied Armored Gu. ck Armored Gu was previously simply tranted as ck Gu, mutated and advanced form of ck-Bellied Gu.


    When Song Wen broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his spiritual sense also surged,parable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    At this moment, his spiritual sense could cover a range of two miles, and with the help of the ck Armored Gu, it could extend up to about eight miles.


    The ones killing the servant disciples were none other than the dozens of inner sect disciples who were previously inscribing the formation patterns in the fortress.


    All the servant disciples were being killed by the excessive invasion of corpse poison into their hearts and lungs, preserving the maximum amount of their blood essence.


    Each time an inner sect disciple killed someone, they would cast a soul-binding spell to trap the victim''s soul in their body, then ce the corpse in a coffin.


    Watching the ughter of fellow disciples behind him, Song Wen became increasingly confused about what the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect were trying to do.


    However, he now understood why Wu Ren had stopped Dan Ying from killing the fleeing disciples earlier.


    The disciples killed by Dan Ying had their souls dispersed and their bodies blown to pieces, rendering them almost entirely useless to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Fortunately, outer sect disciples like Song Wen still held some value in the eyes of the Corpse Demon Sect higher-ups, sparing them from ughter.


    This allowed Song Wen to temporarily hide among the outer sect disciples, but he knew that he could not stay in the Corpse Demon Sect and had to find a way to leave as soon as possible.


    ...


    Flying at the front, Dan Ying suddenly saw a streak of silver light cutting through the sky, aiming straight for her face.


    Dan Ying''s reaction was incredibly fast.


    Massive amounts of ck corpse poison surged out from her body like a flood.


    In an instant, she was enveloped by the ck poisonous energy, which gradually condensed into a ck shell around her.


    At the same time, a two-inch-long vajra pestle appeared in front of her.


    The vajra pestle was blood-red and brimming with poison, shooting towards the silver light ahead.


    "Ding!"


    The vajra pestle struck the silver light, significantly reducing the speed of both.


    The silver light was actually a three-foot-long sword, its de shimmering with sword light and emitting a sharp aura.


    In just a few breaths, the flying sword and the vajra pestle shed dozens of times, neither gaining the upper hand, evenly matched.


    "Who dares hide in the shadows? Show yourself!"


    Seeing that the assant''s strength was not particrly strong, Dan Ying felt reassured and shouted sharply.


    To her surprise, three figures slowly rose from the dense forest a few hundred meters ahead.


    One of them was continuously forming sword seals with both hands, engaging Dan Ying in battle. The other two remained still.


    Seeing the three, a trace of panic shed in Dan Ying''s eyes, but she quickly calmed down and shouted angrily.


    "So, it''s the cowards from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. Take this!"


    As she spoke, Dan Ying''s aura surged, thick ck poison swirling around her, making her look like a demon from hell, ready for a life-and-death battle with the three from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    "Go!"


    Dan Ying shouted softly.


    The vajra pestle''s power increased dramatically, its speed suddenly surging, dodging the entangling flying sword and shooting towards the three figures.


    One of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect members snorted coldly, "Trivial tricks!"


    He chanted incantations, waved his left hand, and a golden barrier appeared in front of the vajra pestle.


    "Boom!"


    The poison-covered vajra pestle hit the golden barrier, erupting in blinding light.


    The golden barrier wavered violently but did not shatter.


    The three from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect were about to employ their techniques to capture Dan Ying.


    Suddenly, Dan Ying turned and fled towards the fortress, where Wu Ren, a Golden Core cultivator, was stationed. Handling these three Foundation Establishment cultivators would be a piece of cake for him.


    Dan Ying''s sudden and unexpected retreat left the three stunned, but they quickly realized they had been tricked and were furious.


    "You can''t escape!"


    Two of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect cultivators chased after Dan Ying.


    The third cultivator from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, the weakest of the three, was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. He had a hooked nose and a sinister look between his brows.


    Like a tiger among sheep, he controlled his flying sword to kill the numerous outer sect disciples of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Unfortunately, the flying sword was heading straight for where Song Wen was.


    "Be careful, Senior Brother Ji Yin!" Chen Yi eximed.


    Li Yuan and Wang Dang, on the other hand, turned and fled into the dense forest below.


    A sh of blood light appeared on Song Wen''s body, and his speed suddenly increased, allowing him to barely dodge the iing flying sword. He then moved to Chen Yi''s side, grabbed her hand, and threw her forcefully toward the west.


    At the same time, Song Wen transmitted a message.


    "Go west! Do not return to the sect."


    The Corpse Demon Sect was to the south.


    Since there were righteous cultivators ambushing here, the path back to the sect was no longer safe. It would be better to take this opportunity to escape from the Corpse Demon Sect.


    With the help of the ck Armored Gu, Song Wen knew that there were no cultivators within a few miles to the west, making it a rtively safe area.


    Chen Yi felt a great force acting on her body, and then she was thrown nearly two miles away without any resistance, essentially escaping the hooked nose''s attack range. She looked back at Song Wen in shock.


    The strength Song Wen had just disyed was definitely not something a sixthyer Qi Refining cultivator could possess.


    Chen Yi didn''t dare linger and turned to dive into the forest below, sticking a Haste talisman on herself and running west.


    The hooked nose''s flying sword missed Song Wen but killed several outer sect disciples behind him.


    "Huh?" The hooked nose was surprised that Song Wen had managed to dodge his flying sword.


    A mere sixthyer Qi Refining demonic cultivator had evaded his flying sword. The hooked nose felt that his Foundation Establishment cultivator''s dignity had been insulted.


    With a thought, he chased after Song Wen.


    The flying sword circled around him, continuously harvesting the lives of outer sect disciples. These mid-stage Qi Refining disciples couldn''t withstand a single strike, falling like cut grass, their heads rolling.


    Naturally, Song Wen wouldn''t stay there waiting to be killed by the hooked nose. After throwing Chen Yi, he flew towards the east.


    The hooked nose had clearly targeted him. Keeping Chen Yi by his side would only be a burden, so he had sent her away.


    Helping her escape repaid the friendship they had shared and her assistance with information about the Yan family and the Hollow Cicada Wood, which had helped him through two crises. Rescuing Chen Yi was a way to return the favor.


    Momentster.


    In the sky, apart from the hooked nose, there was no one else.


    Most of the outer sect disciples had died under his sword, while a few had escaped into the dense forest, their whereabouts unknown.


    The hooked nose watched the increasingly distant blood-colored figure in the forest with astonishment.


    Such speed!


    Faster than his own sword-flying speed as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. Was this a speed a Qi Refining cultivator could possess?


    This person had hidden their cultivation level!


    After careful consideration, the hooked nose decided not to pursue Song Wen.


    "This person has hidden their cultivation in a demonic sect for years. He must be meticulous and deeply scheming. It''s better not to provoke him alone."


    The hooked nose turned his gaze towards the fortress, where his sect members had gone. He nned to join them.


    Just then, he saw a stream of light rushing towards him.


    The stream of light was so fast that his eyes could barely follow it.


    The stream of light crashed directly into him.


    His mind shed with a final thought.


    A Golden Core cultivator!


    "Boom!"


    The hooked nose exploded into a cloud of blood mist, like a blood-colored firework blooming in the night sky, brilliant and dazzling but short-lived, like a fleeting blossom.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 136: The Astonishing Sword Immortal

    <h4>Chapter 136: The Astonishing Sword Immortal</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Ren smashed through the hooked nose without slowing down and continued flying toward the Corpse Demon Sect.


    "Wu Ren, you miserable rat, daring to kill our sect members, I will grind your bones to dust!"


    A cold female voice called out from behind.


    A stunningly beautiful female cultivator wielding a sword was chasing after him.


    Her flowing dress and red outfit fluttered in the wind, her eyes gleaming with spirit. The red dress was like fire, the long sword like snow.


    She stood alone, a figure and sword in the vast world.


    "Snow Condensing Sword! sh!"


    A blinding sword light shot up to the sky, surging like a dragon!


    The snowy white long sword cut through the night sky, shing coldly.


    Facing the world-shattering strike from the woman in red, Wu Ren didn''t even turn his head.


    Arge amount of pitch-ck corpse fiendish energy surged out of him.


    The corpse fiendish energy coiled like a ck flood dragon in the night sky, making the darkness even more profound.


    The fiendish energy rushed to the sky, meeting the Snow Condensing Sword.


    The ck dragon of fiendish energy was torn apart by the soaring sword light, and the sword''s power quickly diminished, unable to pursue Wu Ren any further.


    Before Wu Ren could catch his breath!


    Suddenly, the sky was covered with dark clouds, heavenly might gathering above, with small silver lightning bolts weaving through the clouds.


    A tremendous silver snake, like a giant sword, pierced the night sky, heading straight for Wu Ren below!


    Wu Ren''s face changed dramatically while fleeing, his eyes full of horror.


    Yushu Heavenly Thunder!


    Just as the silver snake was about to strike Wu Ren, his body suddenly exploded, turning into a mist of blood.


    The silver snake pierced through the blood mist, striking the ground below.


    "Boom!"


    The ground shook, sand and rocks flew, and trees within a hundred meters turned to dust under the silver light.


    An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face appeared next to the dissipating blood mist, gritting his teeth and muttering.


    "Blood escape technique! Damn it! He managed to escape."


    The woman in red flew to the old man.


    "Senior Brother Lei Jun, did Wu Ren escape?"


    Lei Jun nodded, somewhat regretfully.


    "He used the blood escape technique. With his mid-Golden Core thick blood essence, he must have escaped at least a hundred miles. Finding him now will be difficult."


    "However, he won''t be in good shape either. He didn''tpletely avoid the Yushu Heavenly Thunder and should be severely injured."


    The woman in red surveyed the area. The dense forest under the dark night sky seemed mysterious and indistinct.


    Finding someone hiding with intent within a hundred miles, even for a Golden Core cultivator, wouldn''t be easy.


    After a moment, Lei Jun turned to look in the direction of the Corpse Demon Sect and said.


    "Sister Yan Yuyan, I''m heading to the Corpse Demon Sect to assist our fellow sect members. Will you join me?"


    The woman in red, named Yan Yuyan, shook her head.


    "I''ll search for Wu Ren''s trail first. I can''t rest easy until this demon is killed."


    Lei Jun nodded.


    "Be careful. Although Wu Ren is injured, demonic cultivators are cunning and tricky. Don''t let your guard down."


    ...


    After shaking off the hooked nose, Song Wen used the blood escape technique, fleeing eastward.


    While fleeing, Song Wen suddenly saw a brilliant sword light rising behind him, followed by a world-shaking thunderbolt. Even from dozens of miles away, it made his heart tremble with fear.


    "So, this is the power of a Golden Core cultivator?"


    Upon advancing to the Golden Core stage, a cultivator''s spiritual power transforms into magical power, increasing its might tenfold or more.


    Swallowing a single Golden Core, one realizes their fate is no longer in the hands of heaven!


    Golden Core cultivators can live for five hundred years!


    As Song Wen fled frantically, he suddenly saw a blood mist appear ahead without warning, and a figure tumbled out of it.


    This strange scene shook Song Wen, who had just been overwhelmed by the power of a Golden Core cultivator.


    Without hesitation, he changed direction and darted to the left.


    Song Wen had just run two miles when he felt a powerful spiritual sense sweep over him, and a voice echoed in his ears.


    "Young one,e here!"


    Song Wen froze, not daring to move. The oppressive force from the spiritual sense was terrifying, far beyond what he could resist.


    But that person was clearly injured, and Song Wen dared not easily approach a powerful, wounded demonic cultivator. Who knew if he had a secret technique to heal by devouring blood?


    Perhaps seeing through Song Wen''s concerns, the voice continued.


    "Young one, don''t worry. I am Wu Ren, a Golden Core cultivator of the Corpse Demon Sect. I am seriously injured and need your help to return to the sect."


    "Judging by the strong corpse aura and fiendish energy around you, and the fact that you used the first level of the ''Blood Escape Technique,'' you must also be a disciple of the Corpse Demon Sect."


    "However, I recognize most of the two dozen or so Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Corpse Demon Sect, yet I have never seen you before."


    Hearing this, Song Wen became even more afraid to move.


    The person behind him was actually Wu Ren!


    Back at the exit of the Withered Blood Secret Realm, Wu Ren had seen Song Wen''s true face, and he hadn''t disguised himself now.


    Thinking of this, Song Wen felt like a frightened bird, anxious and uneasy.


    The more he feared something, the more likely it seemed to happen.


    Momentster, Wu Ren''s voice rang out again.


    "I recognize your face. A few months ago, you entered the Withered Blood Secret Realm. At that time, you were only at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and now, in just a few months, you''ve already reached Foundation Establishment. You were hiding your true cultivation back then!"


    Wu Ren''s voice grew more excited and angry.


    "Young one, was Wu Sui''s death rted to you!?"


    Song Wen suddenly felt a terrifying pressure descend on him, like Mount Tai pressing down.


    At that moment, Song Wen felt as small as an ant.


    Wu Ren''s figure suddenly appeared in Song Wen''s sight.


    "Young one, prepare to die!"


    Wu Ren struck Song Wen''s head with a palm.


    "Boom!"


    Song Wen''s body exploded into countless small pieces.


    Wu Ren was about to capture his soul, but found no soul nearby.


    Looking closely, he realized that the exploded body was not that of a living person, but a puppet made from a corpse.


    "A substitute technique!"


    Wu Ren''s eyes shone with a fierce light, a mix of anger and greedy heat.


    His spiritual sense swept around and found Song Wen seven or eight miles away.


    ...


    After using the puppet to block Wu Ren''s attack, Song Wen used the ck Armored Gu to extend his spiritual sense and relocate himself to the furthest possible distance.


    As soon as hended, he sensed Wu Ren''s spiritual sweep again.


    Fear and helplessness filled his heart!


    Golden Core cultivators were truly too strong. Even though Wu Ren was heavily injured, he was still so powerful that Song Wen had no room to resist.


    But Song Wen was unwilling to sit and wait for death. He desperately tried to calm himself, looking for a way to survive.


    Thoughts raced through his mind!


    One after another, ideas shed through his brain.


    Suddenly!


    Song Wen remembered the earlier sky-piercing sword light and the descending thunderbolt.


    He felt like he had grasped a lifeline.


    Song Wen gathered his spiritual power, took a deep breath, and with all his spiritual power and strength, shouted to the sky.


    "Wu Ren is here! Wu Ren is here! Wu Ren is here..."


    After shouting five times, a corpse fiendish energy rolled in like a dragon.


    Song Wen''s body was once again smashed into pieces.


    "Another substitute puppet?"


    Wu Ren stared at the exploded corpse puppet, his eyes burning.


    Suddenly, a figure shed behind him.


    Song Wen, holding a three-foot-long low-grade spiritual sword, stabbed towards his back.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 137: Using Fingers as Swords

    <h4>Chapter 137: Using Fingers as Swords</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The flying sword sessfully pierced behind Wu Ren but was stopped just half an inch in. Wu Ren swiftly mobilized his internal energy to block the strike.


    "Die!"


    A surge of corpse fiendish energy erupted from Wu Ren''s back, forming a ck sword that aimed straight at Song Wen''s heart.


    Song Wen''s body exploded again, scattering into four pieces.


    Eight miles away, Song Wen appeared abruptly, still shaken.


    Golden Core cultivators were indeed too powerful, not even giving him a chance tounch a surprise attack.


    He flew into the air and shouted loudly once more.


    "Wu Ren is here! Wu Ren is here! Wu Ren is here..."


    A streak of red appeared in the sky, flying rapidly toward him.


    Song Wen''s face brightened with hope.


    Finally, salvation...


    A startling sh of light cut through the air, and Song Wen was split into two halves!


    Yan Yuyan, undeterred, nced with some disdain at the two halves of Song Wen.


    A Foundation Establishment cultivator daring to scream in front of her was simply seeking death!


    However, the information he provided was indeed true.


    Wu Ren was just a few miles ahead!


    Snow-white sword light surged out again, heading straight for Wu Ren.


    At that moment, Yan Yuyan suddenly sensed something was amiss.


    The person she had just cleaved into two was not a living person but a puppet made from a corpse.


    The real cultivator should have been on a broad river several miles away.


    In that instant, Yan Yuyan hesitated, but quickly refocused, continuing to channel the Snow Condensing Sword toward Wu Ren.


    Today, Wu Ren must die!


    Wu Ren, watching the flying sword of light approaching at high speed, was furious.


    Not only had he failed to kill the murderer of his grandson, but the person had also summoned Yan Yuyan.


    Facing the rapidly approaching Yan Yuyan, Wu Ren roared.


    "Lei Jun is not here, do you think you alone can kill me?"


    "Roar!"


    A silver corpse puppet appeared in front of Lei Jun.


    This was a third-tier corpse puppet,parable to a Golden Core cultivator!


    The third-tier corpse puppet took to the air, bypassing the flying sword, and directly attacked Yan Yuyan from behind.


    Wu Ren''s internal fiendish energy manifested as a dragon, wrapping around the Snow Condensing Sword.


    The fiendish dragon seemed almost real, opening its ck mouth and biting down on the sword''s de.


    The Snow Condensing Sword''s sword aura surged, suddenly erupting into a dazzling beam of light extending several dozen meters.


    The sword light pierced through the fiendish dragon, but did notpletely destroy it, only making it somewhat more illusory.


    The fiendish dragon managed to entangle the Snow Condensing Sword.


    The silver corpse lunged at Yan Yuyan, raising its ck ws to strike her on the head.


    A red silk ribbon flew out from Yan Yuyan''s body. The ribbon glowed fiercely, blocking the silver corpse''s ws.


    Despite the surging fiendish energy, the seemingly delicate red ribbon had no trouble holding back the silver corpse''s ws.


    The red ribbon coiled around the silver corpse''s arm, then its head, body, and legs.


    In an instant, the silver corpse was tightly bound.


    Seeing this, Wu Ren, who was about to form a seal, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned even paler.


    His injuries were more severe than he had anticipated.


    Grinding his teeth, Wu Ren''s eyes gleamed with fierce determination as he shouted in a desperate roar.


    "Explode!"


    The silver corpse''s body was enveloped in a brilliant silver light, its aura bing wild and violent. A destructive force radiated from it.


    Yan Yuyan''s cold face instantly turned to shock and fear, and she turned to flee from the silver corpse.


    "Boom!"


    A deafening explosion followed.


    A ferocious gale swept in all directions.


    The wind roared and clouds surged!


    The red ribbon shattered into countless fragments, swept up by the gale and blown away.


    Before Yan Yuyan could escape, her figure was abruptly blown apart and fell toward the distant ground.


    "Boom!"


    Yan Yuyan''s graceful body, akin to a high-speed falling meteor, smashed through countless trees and carved out a dirt trench several dozen meters long before finallying to a stop.


    At this moment, Yan Yuyan no longer resembled the cold and proud sword fairy she once was. Her appearance was utterly miserable.


    The intense explosion,bined with the violent impact, had torn her red robe to shreds. Her once snow-white skin was mostly shattered, with blood and flesh in a mess, bleeding profusely.


    She struggled to stand up from the dirt, only to see Wu Ren cackling maniacally as he approached.


    "A talented sword cultivator from the righteous path, and this is all you amount to."


    "You made me lose a silver corpse, and now I will refine you into a new silver corpse."


    "Hehehe..."


    "It''s such a pity to turn such a beautiful body into a silver corpse."


    Yan Yuyan lifted her face, which was scratched and bloody from the ground, appearing quite terrifying. In her resolute eyes, there seemed to be a glimmer of sword light.


    "Hmph! If you want to kill me, let''s see if you have the capability."


    "Snow Condensing Sword!"


    The all-white Snow Condensing Sword shot from a distance, carrying overwhelming sword aura, slicing toward Wu Ren.


    Wu Ren sneered.


    "You sword cultivators are so boring, always using just one flying sword."


    As he spoke, a pale funeral banner flew out from Wu Ren''s body, expanding rapidly into a size of ten feet.


    The funeral banner emitted a vast amount of ghostly energy, covering the flying sword.


    Yan Yuyan, severely injured, saw her sword''s power greatly diminished. For a moment, she couldn''t break through the ghostly energy from the funeral banner.


    Wu Ren moved in close, attacking Yan Yuyan.


    Yan Yuyan''s eyes shed sharply; instead of retreating, she advanced.


    Her right hand made a sword gesture, with sword aura crisscrossing at her slender fingertips, breaking through mountains and rivers.


    The sword point struck Wu Ren''s chest.


    Wu Ren''s face showed shock; he hadn''t expected that even without her long sword and despite her severe injuries, Yan Yuyan could still unleash such a formidable and terrifying sword aura with just her fingertips.


    In a panic, Wu Ren summoned arge amount of corpse fiendish energy in front of him.


    The fiendish energy gradually solidified, forming a shield.


    However, before the shield could fully materialize, Yan Yuyan''s sword point arrived.


    The sword point struck the fiendish shield, causing it to instantly dissipate, but this bought Wu Ren a brief moment of time.


    He slightly shifted his body, avoiding a fatal blow to the heart.


    The extremely sharp sword aura pierced through Wu Ren''s right chest, emerging from his back and carrying away half of his rear.


    Wu Ren had a wound the size of two fingers on his right chest, and arge hole as big as half a face on his back.


    Moreover, there were remnants of sword aura still wreaking havoc within his organs.


    At the moment Yan Yuyan''s sword point hit Wu Ren''s chest, Wu Ren also struck down with his palm.


    The strike was initially aimed at Yan Yuyan''s head but, as she dodged sideways, itnded on her left shoulder.


    Her entire left arm was severed at the root, the shoulder bonepletely shattered, as if half of her body had been destroyed.


    Both of them were thrown backward, falling to the ground several dozen meters away.


    ---


    In the River


    Using the ability of the death substitute puppet, Song Wen avoided Yan Yuyan''s killing blow and appeared on the surface of arge river several miles away.


    He quickly dove into the riverbed, concealing his presence, and turned himself into an object with no aura, swept along by the rushing river.


    Once a cultivator reaches Foundation Establishment, they transcend the mortal realm and can survive for long periods without food or air as long as they have sufficient spiritual energy.


    Suddenly.


    He felt a pain in his brow!


    It was the ck Armored Bug he had left on the shore, which was identally killed by the final sword aura activated by Yan Yuyan.


    However, he had just witnessed the scene of bothbatants being severely injured.


    A fierce look shed in Song Wen''s eyes. Wu Ren knew he was the one who killed Wu Su, and leaving him alive would be a disaster.


    Now was the perfect time to eliminate him.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Damn, I was thinking the same thing... I don''t know if that is a good thing.


    Song Wen stabilized his body, which was being washed by the river water, and tapped the storage bag at his waist.


    Two second-tier corpse puppets emerged from the water.


    Guided by the ck Armored Bug, the two puppets rushed out of the river and headed toward the battlefield.


    Song Wen found a cave at the riverbed, retracted his aura, and hid inside.


    Feeling it was still not secure enough, he set up the "Breath Concealment and Spirit Istion Array" in the cave.


    The array master had imed that this formation could deceive the spiritual sense of Golden Core cultivators; hopefully, it would be as he said.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 138: The Yellow Sparrow

    <h4>Chapter 138: The Yellow Sparrow</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Wu Ren nced at Yan Yuyan, who was several dozen meters away and severely injured. He wanted to take the opportunity to eliminate her, but he found himself too weak to rise.


    The sword aura lingering within him was violently tearing at his internal organs. Without the protection of magical energy, his five organs would have been turned into mush.


    Additionally, therge wound on his chest caused severe blood loss. He swallowed two healing pills, sitting cross-legged to suppress the rampant sword aura inside him while controlling the wound on his chest to reduce blood loss.


    Suddenly, two copper corpses rushed in.


    Previously, Wu Ren could have easily destroyed these second-tier corpses with a wave of his hand, but now he found himselfcking the strength.


    The appearance of the two copper corpses also drew Yan Yuyan''s attention. She struggled to get up.


    Sudden, excruciating pain overwhelmed her, causing her to fall to the ground again, helplessly watching as the two corpses approached.


    Fortunately, the corpses were heading straight for Wu Ren.


    Wu Ren could only use his remaining magical energy to strike down the copper corpse that had pounced on him.


    "Boom!"


    The strike hit the corpse''s head, but Wu Ren''s injuries were too severe. The copper corpse''s head was only partially crushed and didn''t lose its mobility, grabbing Wu Ren''s hand and biting down with its half-mouth.


    Wu Ren, in pain, prepared to strike again, but the other copper corpse had already lunged at him.


    Opening itsrge mouth and revealing its fangs, it bit towards Wu Ren''s neck.


    Wu Ren was greatly rmed, channeling his magical energy to strike the second copper corpse.


    Before he could hit the corpse, Wu Ren''s expression changed suddenly, filled with fear.


    He had repeatedly tried to use his remaining magical energy but couldn''t suppress the rampaging sword aura inside him. The sword aura was like a beast released from its cage, wreaking havoc inside his body.


    In an instant, his organs were shredded into a pool of red paste by the numerous sword auras.


    ---


    Seeing Wu Renpletely lifeless, the undamaged corpse puppet climbed off Wu Ren''s body, its mouth still covered in blood and flesh. It turned its gaze toward Yan Yuyan, who was now struggling to stand with the Snow Condensing Sword as her only support.


    Her face, bloodied and mangled, showed a resolute and unyielding expression.


    "Roar!"


    The corpse puppet stepped forward and charged at Yan Yuyan.


    Before it reached her, it raised its ck, sharp ws and wed at Yan Yuyan''s injured left arm.


    A streak of light, like a cold sh, cut through the night sky!


    The corpse puppet was cleanly split in half, its rotting organs and ck liquid sttering everywhere.


    Yan Yuyan, having lost the support of her long sword, fell to the ground again.


    The corpse puppet with only half a head looked at Yan Yuyan on the ground. Its face still showed determination, and its eyes were fixed on the corpse puppet several dozen meters away.


    It seemed intimidated by Yan Yuyan''s aura and the chilling gleam of the Snow Condensing Sword, as it dragged Wu Ren''s body away.


    ---


    Momentster, Song Wen retrieved Wu Ren''s body from the corpse puppet and casually removed the storage ring from his finger.


    He reached into the gaping hole in the corpse''s chest, and the vast amount of Wu Ren''s blood surged into Song Wen''s body. Already saturated with qi and blood, Song Wen felt quite ufortable.


    Wu Ren''s soul, not yet detached from the body, also emerged.


    "Youngster, I didn''t expect it to be you again, killing my direct descendants and daring to destroy my body."


    "Without reaching the Golden Core, you are nothing but ants. The soul of a Golden Core cultivator is something you ants can''t even imagine."


    "I will not only seize your body but also imprison your soul to refine into a soulmp, making you endure eternal suffering in the mes."


    Wu Ren''s soul, wrapped in powerful spiritual energy, surged toward Song Wen''s sea of consciousness like a raging storm.


    Song Wen sneered at Wu Ren''s self-imposed predicament.


    "Such useless chatter!"


    "How dare you underestimate me..."


    Before Wu Ren could finish his threats, he felt a terrifying suction force from Song Wen, causing his soul to elerate toward Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    "What kind of trick is this?"


    Feeling the overwhelming and irresistible suction, Wu Ren''s voice showed a hint of panic.


    In an instant, his soul was drawn into Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    An endless ck void, like the depths of hell, appeared before his soul.


    Wu Ren''s soul became filled with fear, "What is this terrifying thing? How can there be such a horrible existence in your sea of consciousness?"


    At that moment, Wu Ren''s pride and dignity as a Golden Core expert werepletely shattered.


    "No! Please spare my soul. I don''t want to be dispersed, never to be resurrected."


    "This is not up to you." Song Wen''s mocking voice echoed in the sea of consciousness.


    Amid Wu Ren''s terrified pleas, his soul was swallowed by the ck void andpletely disappeared from this world.


    ---


    Song Wen put away the "Breath Concealment and Spirit Istion Array," summoned all the surrounding ck Armored Bugs for surveince, and then retracted his aura, letting the rushing current carry him downstream.


    This ce was no longer safe!


    Yan Yuyan, who had temporarily controlled her injuries, had already left with her severed arm.


    If she called for righteous cultivators, even if he hid at the river bottom with the "Breath Concealment and Spirit Istion Array," it would not be safe. There was no guarantee that those righteous cultivators wouldn''t search through the river thoroughly.


    Song Wen soaked in the river for three days and nights, and the continuous washing and tumbling of the river water made him a bit dizzy. But the water flow was not fast, and he estimated that he had drifted over a thousand miles downstream.


    He carefully released the ck Armored Bug, and after devouring Wu Ren''s soul, his spiritual sense advanced to thete Foundation Establishment stage, expanding his spiritual sense range to three miles.


    With the ck Armored Bug''s help, he could detect all movements within a radius of ten miles, a rangeparable to some Golden Core cultivators.


    After confirming that there were no dangers around, Song Wen emerged from the river.


    He climbed out, feeling the difort of his wet clothes sticking to him. Using his spiritual energy, he made the moisture evaporate, and within moments, his clothes were dry.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Neat.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 139: Walking with the Righteous Path

    <h4>Chapter 139: Walking with the Righteous Path</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    With the ck Armored Bugs on alert more than ten miles away, Song Wen traveled along the river. In case of encountering insurmountable danger, he could immediately hide at the river''s bottom, using the muddy current to conceal himself.


    Since the demonic region was beyond the Tuo Cang Mountains with a higher terrain, following the river downstream would lead him out of the demonic domain and into the mundane realm controlled by righteous cultivators.


    Less than half an hourter, Song Wen saw a small flying ship approaching from the sky, about several dozen miles away.


    The ship was notrge, measuring only about thirty-seven meters in length, and he could vaguely see figures moving on board.


    Song Wen immediately retracted his aura and hid at the bottom of the river.


    When the flying ship entered his spiritual sense range, Song Wen discovered that the highest cultivation level aboard was a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator, with more than a dozen others being Qi Refiningte-stage cultivators.


    These cultivators exuded pure spiritual energy and an overwhelming righteous aura.


    They were a group of righteous cultivators moving away from the area controlled by the Corpse Demon Sect.


    A glint of calction shed in Song Wen''s eyes as a n formed in his mind.


    He suppressed his demonic aura, stopped the flow of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," and began circting the "Longevity Technique"!


    Instantly!


    The demonic aura dissipated from Song Wen''s body, and the corpse energy vanished, reced by a righteous aura of heaven and earth.


    Under the ample supply of spiritual energy over the years, his "Longevity Technique" had unintentionally advanced to the fourthyer of Qi Refining.


    He also adjusted his aura to appear somewhat disheveled, as if he had been injured.


    Changing into a set of casual cultivator''s clothes, Song Wen slowly emerged from the water and disguised himself as a young casual cultivator in his teens. He theny on the riverbank, still wet.


    The area was only about a thousand miles from the Corpse Demon Sect. A Foundation Establishment early-stage righteous cultivator, apanied by a dozen or so Qi Refining stage cultivators, dared to appear openly.


    This suggested only one thing.


    The situation at the Corpse Demon Sect was extremely dire, and it was likely surrounded by the righteous sects.


    The safest way to get away from this ce now was to disguise himself as a righteous casual cultivator and board the righteous flying ship to leave.


    ---


    On the flying ship.


    A young female cultivator, around seventeen or eighteen years old and with a beautiful appearance, suddenly let out a gasp.


    "Look, there''s a person lying on the riverbank!"


    The others on the ship followed the direction pointed out by the girl. The riverbank was quite open, and they could easily see a young casual cultivator lying on the riverbank.


    Immediately, people began to discuss among themselves.


    "What''s going on? Why themotion?"


    A stern voice of reprimand rang out, and the ship fell silent.


    A middle-aged male cultivator emerged from the cabin, ring discontentedly at the crowd.


    It was clear that this male cultivator held significant authority among them, and everyone fell silent.


    After a moment, the girl who had first spotted Song Wen mustered the courage to speak.


    "Reporting to Elder Wu, on the riverbank several miles ahead, there lies a cultivator. We don''t know if they are dead or alive."


    Elder Wu''s expression remained cold as he stepped forward, approaching the ship''s railing and peering into the distance. Indeed, he saw a figure lying motionless on the riverbank several miles away.


    He said sternly,


    "This area is within the demonic domain. Although our righteous sects have eradicated the various demonic forces within thousands of miles, except for the Corpse Demon Sect, there may still be some stragglers. We must not be careless."


    After reprimanding his junior disciples, Elder Wu ordered the ship to slowly approach the riverbank.


    When they were about a mile away from Song Wen, Elder Wu finally used his spiritual sense to check Song Wen''s condition.


    A Qi Refining fourthyer cultivator!


    Song Wen had also suffered serious internal injuries, and the flow of spiritual energy within his body was sluggish and obstructed.


    Why would a Qi Refining stage righteous cultivator be alone so close to the Corpse Demon Sect?


    "Send two people down to bring him aboard the ship! Be careful," Elder Wumanded.


    "Yes!"


    Twote-stage Qi Refining male cultivators leaped from the ship andnded on the riverbank.


    Soon, they carried the unconscious Song Wen onto the deck of the ship.


    "Give him a healing elixir," Elder Wu instructed.


    An elixir was administered to Song Wen, and a stream of spiritual energy was injected to help refine the medicine.


    After about fifteen minutes, Song Wen figured the elixir should have taken effect and slowly opened his eyes.


    After adjusting to the direct sunlight and his weakened condition, Song Wen gradually spoke.


    "Where am I?"


    The male cultivator who had given him the elixir replied, "We are cultivators from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. You fainted on the riverbank, and we were fortunate enough to rescue you."


    Profound Heaven Sword Sect!


    Song Wen suddenly remembered that the red-d woman Yan Yuyan was from this sect.


    Struggling to get up from the deck, Song Wen''s expression became somewhat excited. He cupped his fists and said, "Thank you so much for saving my life, seniors. I Chen Feihe, am deeply grateful. The Profound Heaven Sword Sect truly lives up to its reputation as a great righteous sect. Time and again, you havee to the aid of a mere casual cultivator like myself. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and will certainly repay this great kindness."


    Elder Wu remained unmoved by Song Wen''s praise, his expression still cold as he fixed his gaze on Song Wen.


    "Oh? You mean to say that you have been rescued by others from our Profound Heaven Sword Sect before?"


    Song Wen nodded, looking up as if reminiscing, his face filled with reverence and gratitude.


    "Half a month ago, I was captured by the Corpse Demon Sect''s demons, who intended to take me back to their sect to extract my blood and refine my soul into a living corpse. I thought I would be turned into an undead puppet, eternally enved and used."


    "But unexpectedly, we encountered a sword immortal from your esteemed sect on the way."


    At this point, Song Wen''s face was full of admiration and longing.


    "That sword immortal appeared like a celestial maiden, dressed in red. With an elegant bearing and holding a snow-white long sword, with just a single strike, she slew several demonic cultivators and saved us ten or so casual cultivators."


    "That sword strike was like a startled swan, graceful as a swimming dragon, swift as lightning, and powerful as a copsing sky. Truly an extraordinary sword move."


    Elder Wu''s expression remained skeptical as he asked solemnly, "You mean to say that you received assistance from our Profound Heaven Sword Sect''s Elder Yan Yuyan? When did this happen?"


    Song Wen cupped his fists and responded, "It should have been three or four days ago."


    He then murmured to himself, "So that sword immortal senior is named Yan Yuyan."


    Elder Wu nodded, the timing matching.


    Elder Yan had been severely injured three days ago and had indeed been active in this area a couple of days before that, casually rescuing a few casual cultivators, so it was reasonable.


    "You said there were more than ten casual cultivators in your group. What about the others?"


    Song Wen shook his head helplessly, his face growing increasingly sorrowful.


    "After Elder Yan rescued us, she left. We intended to return to the righteous territory quickly, but we were ambushed by several demonic cultivators on the way. We were overwhelmed and could only scatter. In the chaos, I was gravely injured and fell into the river, losing consciousness."


    "I did not expect to be saved again by your esteemed sect. The rumors are true; the Profound Heaven Sword Sect is indeed a righteous sect that eradicates demons, supports the weak, and upholds justice."


    Under Song Wen''s ttery and convenient lies, Elder Wu''s suspicion gradually decreased. The Qi Refining cultivators on the ship, with less experience, fully believed Song Wen''s words.


    After all, the righteous aura emanating from Song Wen was unmistakably genuine.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> If I could be half as shameless, I would be going ces...


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 140: Meeting Chen Yi Again

    <h4>Chapter 140: Meeting Chen Yi Again</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Elder Wu asked Song Wen, "Where did you practice your cultivation?"


    Song Wen replied, "Senior, before I was captured, I practiced in the Tianxing Market."


    Elder Wu frowned slightly, "Tianxing Market? I have never heard of this ce."


    The name Tianxing Market was found by Song Wen in the storage bag of the Ji Yin after killing him. It was written on a yellowed manuscript and was the closest casual cultivator market to the Qianguo Kingdom.


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> Qianguo Kingdom: Mentioned in the first Chapter.


    Before Song Wen could speak, a Qi Refining cultivator beside him took the initiative to exin.


    "It''s a small market not far from the Qianguo Kingdom. Due to the sparse spiritual energy, there are no sects established there, only some low-level casual cultivators active in the area."


    Elder Wu nodded and said, "Our journey will take us back to the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, which is about a hundred thousand miles from the Qianguo Kingdom. You can travel with us until we are out of the righteous sect''s territory, which will provide you some safety. After that, you can return to the Tianxing Market."


    Song Wen was deeply grateful and said, "Thank you, senior."


    Song Wen found a corner on the deck to sit and began to adjust his breathing, pretending to heal his injuries.


    The speed of the flying ship was not fast; it covered a distance of about five thousand miles in one day.


    Song Wen noticed that the route taken by the ship seemed to be a specific path.


    During the journey, they encountered no fewer than ten groups of people.


    There were flying boats, cultivators flying on swords in groups, and even solitary Golden Core experts.


    Seeing these righteous cultivators flying across the demonic territory without fear, Song Wen grew increasingly pessimistic about the situation of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    In the middle of the night.


    Suddenly, a message came from the hidden ck-armored insect near the ship.


    It reported that Chen Yi''s whereabouts were discovered in a cave ten miles from the ship.


    Chen Yi was fleeing west, and the southwestern direction of the Tianyuan Continent happened to be the southwest of the Tuo Cang Mountain Range. It was a great coincidence that they encountered each other again.


    At this moment, Chen Yi was in a terrible state, injured and lying on the ground, her face and clothes covered in blood.


    Around her were four people: three men and one woman.


    One of the men was Zhang Xiaofan, who had a deep entanglement with her.


    The only woman among them was quite beautiful, with prominent cheekbones and thin lips, giving an impression of arrogance and bitterness.


    The other two men were Qi Refining stage cultivators.


    These four people had some kind of concealment treasure that masked their demonic aura, making them look like righteous cultivators.


    Seeing Chen Yi on the ground, barely alive, the woman''s face was full of mockery.


    "You, a lowly woman born in the mortal world, dare topete with me for a man, and even secretly formed a blood bond. You truly don''t know when to quit."


    As she spoke, she pped Chen Yi''s face, causing it to swell and distort immediately.


    She was Lu Chan, the daughter of the Golden Core ancestor Lu Cang of the Corpse Demon Sect, and Zhang Xiaofan''s partner.


    "Do you think your pretty face is worth much?"


    Lu Chan raised her right hand, showing her sharp, ckened nails like those of a century-old corpse, and began to scratch Chen Yi''s forehead, slowly peeling it away.


    Amid Chen Yi''s painful cries, five gaping blood wounds appeared on her face.


    Her eyeballs were also gouged out by Lu Chan, leaving only two bloody, empty eye sockets.


    After being tortured mercilessly, Chen Yi''s consciousness became increasingly blurred. Near the brink of death, she made weak, indistinct sounds.


    "Want to die? It''s not that easy."


    Lu Chan took out two pills, pried open Chen Yi''s jaw, and forced the pills into her mouth. She also injected a stream of spiritual energy into Chen Yi''s body to help refine the pills for better absorption.


    The pills had an immediate effect, and Chen Yi, who was on the verge of death, revived as if returning to life.


    Chen Yi''s voice was filled with intense hatred as she said, "Kill me, kill me, kill me..."


    "Just killing you would be too easy. We have methods in the Corpse Demon Sect for refining the soul and body. I want to test them all on you."


    Lu Chan''s face was twisted with madness and pride.


    "You like men, don''t you? I''ll turn you into a living corpse and throw you into the Hell Hall, where tortured prisoners will torment you day and night..."


    "I want you to live in endless torment forever, suffering unimaginable abuse, never to be reborn."


    Facing Lu Chan''s frenzied and perverted methods of torture, Chen Yi seemed to foresee her tragic future.


    She pleaded, "Zhang Xiaofan, please, kill me, give me a quick death."


    "p!"


    A harsh p struck Chen Yi''s face.


    Lu Chan pulled her hair roughly, tearing offrge chunks of scalp along with it, exposing her skeletal skull.


    "Trash is trash. Now you want to tempt my partner."


    Tortured beyond recognition, Chen Yi had lost the strength to cry out in pain andy helplessly on the ground, only hoping for death toe quickly.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 141: Chen Yi’s Death

    <h4>Chapter 141: Chen Yi��s Death</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Enough!"


    Zhang Xiaofan suddenly roared, interrupting Lu Chan''s brutal torture.


    Lu Chan turned to Zhang Xiaofan, her eyes filled with mockery.


    "What''s wrong? Feeling reluctant? Are you heartbroken?"


    "Perhaps I should heal her for you."


    Zhang Xiaofan, seemingly under pressure, had his rage dissipate instantly, his resolve weakening.


    "I''ve said it many times. My past with her is long over. Why do you keep dwelling on it?"


    Lu Chan snorted, "Hmph! Long over, you say? It''s easy to say that. Who knows if you two might rekindle old feelings someday?"


    "You..."


    Facing Lu Chan''s unreasonable attitude, Zhang Xiaofan''s suppressed anger red up again but was quickly controlled.


    He struggled to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to make a regrettable move. Lu Chan was someone he had put a lot of effort into winning over and couldn''t afford to lose easily. He spoke softly.


    "Chan''er, there are righteous sect cultivators everywhere around here. It''s not safe for us to stay. Although we have treasures to conceal our presence, Chen Yi has none. If she attracts righteous cultivators, we''ll be in trouble."


    Lu Chan disdainfully stared at Zhang Xiaofan and said, "Don''t think that mentioning righteous cultivators will change my mind."


    She pointed at Chen Yi on the ground and continued, "So, how do you want to deal with her?"


    Zhang Xiaofan looked at Chen Yi''s mutted body and, for a moment, a trace of guilt and reluctance shed across his face.


    But it was quickly reced by a stern resolve.


    He raised his left hand, and a fierce stream of energy sliced through Chen Yi''s chest.


    "Pfft!"


    The energy sliced into Chen Yi''s chest.


    Her left chest was instantly cut open, exposing her internal organs, with her heart severed in two.


    Finally freed from her suffering, Chen Yi''s life gradually faded away.


    Seeing Zhang Xiaofan suddenly kill Chen Yi, Lu Chan was very displeased. She roared, "You killed her so easily, and you still say you have no lingering feelings for her!"


    Before she could finish, she turned around to see Zhang Xiaofan walking away towards the cave entrance without looking back.


    Lu Chan watched Zhang Xiaofan''s receding figure and then nced at Chen Yi''s corpse.


    She was unwilling to let Chen Yi die so cheaply. She wanted to extract Chen Yi''s soul and subject it to unimaginable torment.


    She turned to the two Qi Refining stage cultivators, who were her senior and junior brothers.


    "Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, I haven''t practiced soul extraction techniques. Please help me extract her soul."


    "I want to refine her soul into a soulmp. I want her to never find peace even in death."


    As she spoke, Lu Chan''s voice was filled with endless resentment and hatred.


    It was unclear whether she was dissatisfied with how easily Chen Yi died or with Zhang Xiaofan''s abrupt departure.


    The two Qi Refining cultivators were Lu Cang''s eldest and second disciples.


    They had watched Lu Chan grow up and were very supportive of her, almost always fulfilling her requests.


    The eldest brother nced at Chen Yi''s body and then turned to Lu Chan, saying, "Forget it, Junior Sister. Zhang Junior Brother is right. This ce is upied by righteous sect cultivators. Using demonic techniques here might attract their attention."


    Lu Chan was about to say something more when the second senior brother suddenly pointed at Zhang Xiaofan, who was now at the cave entrance, and said, "It''s not worth affecting your rtionship with Zhang Junior Brother over a dead person."


    Lu Chan red at Chen Yi''s corpse with anger, as if she still had much resentment to vent.


    She flicked her hand, sending several streams of spiritual energy to destroy Chen Yi''s body, reducing it to a nearly unrecognizable mess. Only then did she turn and leave the cave.


    What she didn''t notice was Zhang Xiaofan''s face, full of anger and brutality, as he stood at the cave entrance with his back to her.


    Zhang Xiaofan''s facial muscles twitched uncontrobly, his heart burning with rage that he couldn''t express and dared not unleash.


    ---


    On the flying ship, Song Wen, who had witnessed everything through the ck-armored insect, felt a pang of sympathy for Chen Yi''s tragic fate.


    Losing her life due to her entanglement with Zhang Xiaofan seemed truly unjust. Moreover, the rtionship had initially been forced upon her by Zhang Xiaofan.


    In his previous life, Song Wen had endured considerable suffering due to matters of the heart, and after his transmigration, he had no intention of seeking a partner.


    To him, finding a partner was akin to inviting someone to dictate his life, which seemed like self-inflicted trouble.


    In the world of immortal cultivation, finding a partner was even more dangerous. Wan Rou had been so, and now Chen Yi was simrly afflicted, both having been harmed by their respective partners.


    Recalling their past acquaintance, Song Wen had considered intervening to rescue Chen Yi but quickly abandoned the thought.


    He knew that rescuing Chen Yi was unrealistic.


    First, given his current situation, it would be difficult to find a usible excuse to leave the ship.


    Attempting to leave forcibly would likely arouse the suspicion of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect cultivators.


    Although he was confident he could defeat everyone on the ship without any escaping, the asional appearance of righteous experts made him hesitant to act.


    If he attracted a Golden Core expert, escaping would be nearly impossible.


    Second, he wasn''t certain he could handle Zhang Xiaofan and his threepanions, making it challenging to rescue Chen Yi alive.


    Song Wen could only watch as the ship flew farther away, witnessing Chen Yi die in endless torment.


    However, Chen Yi''s rtively swift death could be seen as a form of relief.


    ---


    After flying a few hundred miles, there was suddenly a violent fluctuation of spiritual energy and sounds ofbat ahead.


    "Everyone, be on high alert. There is something unusual ahead."


    Elder Wu, the first to notice the battle, shouted loudly.


    The ship gradually approached and stopped two miles from the battle.


    Elder Wu saw that more than ten demonic cultivators were attacking several righteous sect cultivators, both sides being Qi Refining stage practitioners.


    "All disciples, follow me off the ship. We must eradicate these remnants of the demonic path and ensure none escape."


    "Understood!"


    Immediately, the more than twenty people on the ship flew into the air and rushed towards the battlefield below.


    The righteous sect cultivators below noticed the arrival of reinforcements. Their previously despondent spirits were immediately uplifted, and their attacks became fierce.


    The demonic cultivators, on the other hand, fell into chaos and began fleeing in all directions like scattered sand.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 142: The Beastmaster Sect’s East Huafang Market

    <h4>Chapter 142: The Beastmaster Sect��s East Huafang Market</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen watched as everyone left the ship to confront the Demonic cultivators. He quietly made his way to the rear of the ship, leaped off, and used the cover of night to conceal his form as he fell from a height of a thousand meters.


    As he neared the ground, a burst of spiritual energy briefly emerged to counteract the powerful force of his descent, allowing him tond silently.


    Once on the ground, Song Wen refrained from using spiritual energy and instead relied solely on his powerful physique to navigate through the dense forest.


    After traveling for several dozen miles, Song Wen confirmed that no righteous sect cultivators were following him. He remained on high alert but was able to rx a bit.


    He had never intended to take the ship to the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    There were Golden Core experts and even Nascent Soul old monsters within the Profound Heaven Sword Sect who might see through his lies. If he had to take the ship to the sect, he would not have used Yan Yuyan''s name from the beginning. Confronting Yan Yuyan would only expose his deception.


    Encountering the demonic cultivators along the way had provided him with an opportunity to escape.


    After some hesitation, Song Wen sighed deeply and headed towards the cave where Chen Yi had died. He felt he owed it to Chen Yi to deal with the two crises rted to the Yan family and the Corpse Transformation, as he had received their assistance.


    Chen Yi was his only friend in this world. If he couldn''t save her, the least he could do was to help with her remains.


    Not daring to use spiritual energy, Song Wen relied solely on his physical strength and took nearly half an hour to reach the cave.


    Looking at Chen Yi''s corpse on the ground, Song Wen sighed again.


    Chen Yi had always been deeply disillusioned with the deceitful world of immortal cultivation. She believed her talent and opportunities were average, and rather than exhaust herself in the pursuit of illusory immortality, she preferred to live a simple mortal life.


    Her only wish was to return to her mundane hometown and live out her life in peace.


    Some people expend great effort seeking immortal opportunities only to find none, while others try every means to escape the cultivation world.


    Yet, fate does not always align with desires!


    Song Wen took out a coffin and ced Chen Yi''s mangled remains inside.


    While collecting the remains, he noticed that Lu Chan and the others had likely dismissed Chen Yi''s meager spiritual stones and had not taken her storage bag. Song Wen took the opportunity to collect it.


    After securing the body, he left the cave and, after determining his direction, navigated through the darkness.


    As dawn approached, Song Wen arrived at arge river.


    He had initially nned to burn Chen Yi''s body to ashes and scatter them in the river. However, after examining Chen Yi''s storage bag, he changed his mind.


    The storage bag contained only a small amount of spiritual stones, some high-grade herbs, and two books.


    One of the books was a cultivation method, "Corpse Fiend Art," but it was iplete, containing only the Qi Refining stages one through six.


    The other was Chen Yi''s personal journal, which recorded various important daily matters.


    Most of the journal was about records of spiritual herb cultivation, detailing the frequency and timing of watering with spiritual water and applying spiritual fertilizers.


    The journal also included details about her emotional entanglement with Zhang Xiaofan.


    It turned out that she had once been pregnant with Zhang Xiaofan''s child. During that time, as she felt the life growing inside her, Chen Yi was both happy and fearful.


    Her fears were about how the fragile new life would face the perilous world of immortal cultivation.


    Her joy was that, although she had been coerced into a rtionship with Zhang Xiaofan, she gradually epted him after bing pregnant. Zhang Xiaofan had treated her very well, almost with meticulous care.


    During that period, she had been the happiest she had ever been within the Corpse Demon Sect. It made her view the world of immortal cultivation more positively, and she began to think that having apanion might make the path of cultivation less arduous than she had previously imagined.


    But she had underestimated theplexity of human nature and overestimated Zhang Xiaofan''s fidelity to love!


    Good times didn''tst long, and soon Zhang Xiaofan became involved with Lu Chan.


    Zhang Xiaofan, having climbed to a higher branch, didn''t expect his affair with Chen Yi to be exposed and discovered by the narrow-minded Lu Chan. She forcibly induced Chen Yi to miscarry.


    Thinking that their emotional entanglement would be covered up, Chen Yi did not expect Lu Chan to learn about itter.


    Lu Chan was narrow-minded and vengeful.


    During her escape, Chen Yi had the misfortune of encountering Lu Chan and her group.


    Thus, the scene in the cave came to be.


    Song Wen also found Chen Yi''s hometown address in the journal.


    Zhaoguo, Guancheng Wangjia Vige.


    "Zhaoguo?" Song Wen murmured softly.


    The Beastmaster Sect''s East Huafang Market, which is quite famous in the cultivation world, seems to be not far from Zhaoguo.


    Perhaps he could go to the Beastmaster Sect and see if there is a method to advance the ck Armored Gu to the Sacred Gu.


    Although the ck Armored Gu is a type of insect, and the Beastmaster Sect deals with spirit beasts and spirit insects, different paths can lead to the same goal. It might be possible to find a method for cultivating insects from the Beastmaster Sect''s techniques.


    Moreover, if he remembered correctly, Brother Xu''s family was also in Zhaoguo.


    "Then let''s go. It''s a good opportunity to visit Brother Xu''s family as well. After all, I promised Brother Xu and took two bottles of Corpse Qi from him."


    Given the current situation with the war between righteous and demonic forces, staying in the demonic territory was clearly unwise. It''s better to stay as far away as possible and take this opportunity to visit the righteous sect''s territory.


    After two more days of travel, Song Wen finally left the range of the Tuo Cang Mountains. The peaks in front of him gradually became lower, and the terrain was no longer dominated by towering mountains.


    This was no longer demonic territory, so he no longer needed to be as cautious as before.


    Song Wen took out a flying boat, activated the "Eternal Life Art," and propelled the boat into the sky. It soon vanished into the horizon.


    .........


    Wangjia Vige, Back Mountain.


    The vigers, busy all day to make a living, did not notice the addition of a small grave mound.


    The grave had no monument or offerings of incense and paper money.


    Not far from the mountain was a dpidated farmhouse, where an elderly couple lived with their son, daughter-inw, and two young grandsons.


    Whenever traveling merchants passed through the vige, the elderly couple would ask them if they had seen their daughter who had been missing for years.


    Years ago, Chen Yi had been forcibly abducted by Shi Shou while she was alone at home. Her parents had no idea where she had gone and had been desperately searching for her with a glimmer of hope ever since.


    ..........


    After burying Chen Yi, Song Wen headed to Brother Xu''s home.


    Brother Xu''s family was quite well-off. His father was a wealthyndowner who had grown old, over seventy years of age. In this world where medical knowledge was limited, seventy was considered a long life, approaching the end.


    As for Brother Xu''s mother, she had passed away many years ago.


    When the elderly man heard that Song Wen hade specifically to deliver news about Brother Xu, he alternated between smiling and wiping away tears.


    "How is Xu Liang doing?"


    It was at this moment that Song Wen learned Brother Xu''s real name was Xu Liang.


    "Brother Xu is doing quite well," Song Wen said.


    "Then why didn''t hee himself?" the elderly man asked.


    Song Wen was momentarily at a loss, not knowing how to respond.


    After Brother Xu left, Song Wen had not seen him again. Whether he had seeded in foundation building or not, he should have returned to the Corpse Demon Sect.


    Brother Xu not returning to the Corpse Demon Sect could only mean one thing...


    Brother Xu had most likely fallen.


    After pondering for a long time, Song Wen, unsure how tofort the old man, finally said something half-true, half-false.


    "Brother Xu is cultivating the Dao. He has be like an immortal in the eyes of mortals. Immortals and mortals are separate, and not seeing each other again is beneficial for both of you."


    After using pure, righteous energy to help the old man, Song Wen left gracefully.


    ......


    Next stop, East Huafang Market!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 143: The True “Blood Escape Technique”

    <h4>Chapter 143: The True ��Blood Escape Technique��</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    East Huafang Market is located in the northeastern part of the Tianyuan Continent.


    To the east of East Huafang Market, about eight or more miles away, lies a mountain rich in spiritual energy, known as the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain. It is the location of the Beastmaster Sect, one of the five major sects in the northeast of the Tianyuan Continent.


    East Huafang Market is thergest market established by the Beastmaster Sect.


    Furthermore, more than two thousand miles southwest of East Huafang Market is the famous Lei family, known for their thunder techniques in the cultivation world.


    Song Wen had been in East Huafang Market for nearly two months.


    He had disguised himself as a mid-thirties, low-level talisman master at the Qi Refining Stage.


    Song Wen''s talent in talisman crafting was far inferior to his talent in magical techniques.


    After thoroughly absorbing and refining the ck Armored Gu''s soul, his spiritual consciousness wasparable to ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, his sess rate in crafting first-tier intermediate-grade flying talismans was only five percent, which was quite dismal.


    Some exceptionally talented talisman masters in the market, even those at the mid-Qi Refining Stage, could achieve a sess rate of seventy percent in crafting flying talismans.


    For example, the elderly man sitting in front of him, despite being in his sixties with mediocre cultivation talent, had only reached the Qi Refining Fifth Layer and would likely never break through to theter stage of Qi Refining in his lifetime. Yet, with his skill in talisman crafting, he thrived in East Huafang Market.


    "Brother Zhang, aren''t you going to visit the brothel? There have been some new arrivals recently��such figures, such looks, such skills..."


    "Tsk tsk tsk... Simply marvelous."


    Seeing the look of yearning on the old man''s face, Song Wen couldn''t help but suspect that the reason the old man was stuck at the mid-Qi Refining bottleneck for so long might be due to being drained by the seductive women in the brothel.


    The old man, named Ai Kun, was indeed aptly named.


    Shaking his head with a bitter smile, Song Wen said, "Thank you, Senior Ai, for your suggestion. My ambitions do not lie in this direction, so I will pass."


    Ai Kun stroked his slightly graying beard and said, "You''re already over thirty, with only the Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation. It''s unlikely that you''ll break through to theter stage of Qi Refining in this lifetime. You might as well enjoy life while you can."


    "You''re single and have no Dao partner, so why stay in an empty house?"


    Song Wen didn''t respond, finding the old man to be quite nice, though a bit talkative.


    Seeing that Song Wen didn''t engage in conversation, Ai Kun, feeling a bit bored, took a few sips from his tea and continued.


    "I''ve obtained some of thetest intelligence about the righteous and demonic conflict from a familiar disciple of the Beastmaster Sect. Would you like to know?"


    Song Wen''s interest was instantly piqued. He straightened his back in his chair and urged, "Senior Ai, please tell me quickly."


    Ai Kun got straight to the point. "It''s said that the conflict has reached a stalemate. Initially, the five major righteous sectsbined forces to encircle and attack the Corpse Demon Sect, thinking it would be a simple task. However, they didn''t expect the Corpse Demon Sect to have a highly formidable protective mountain formation, which has withstood the siege for a long time. It''s reported that two nascent soul elders from the righteous path personally visited the Corpse Demon Sect but still couldn''t break through the formation and had to return empty-handed."


    "Moreover, with the Blood Fiend Sect and the Profound Yin Sect holding back from the sidelines, the five major sects are now in a difficult position. Despite several months of preparation and enormous expenditure of manpower and resources, they haven''t gained any significant advantage."


    "ording to reports, the Corpse Demon Sect, within a radius of several thousand miles,pletely wiped out all the smaller demonic forces in the area before the righteous sects could invade. They carried out a thorough plundering, leaving the major sects empty-handed and allowing the Corpse Demon Sect to make a huge profit."


    Ai Kun, while recounting this, seemed quite gloating, as if the misfortunes of the righteous sects were a cause for joy.


    The prolonged stalemate in the siege of the Corpse Demon Sect was not good news for Song Wen.


    After all, he had defected from the sect, and his soul''s aura still lingered within the Corpse Demon Sect. If the sect ever managed to recover and sought to ount for defectors, Song Wen would be one of those targeted.


    After chatting for a while, Ai Kun got up and left.


    They had been talking in a small courtyard rented by Song Wen in the market, costing ten spirit stones per month.


    In East Huafang Market, Song Wen''s small courtyard was not the most expensive but also not the cheapest.


    The cheapest option was in the shanty area to the west of the market, where one could rent a grass hut for only two spirit stones per month. However, the environment,fort, and most importantly, safety were significantly worse.


    Over the past two months, Song Wen discovered that the exploitation of loose cultivators by the righteous sects was no less than that by the demonic sects.


    In East Huafang Market, setting up a stall was quite cheap, costing only one spirit stone per day. However, the prices of goods controlled by the sects were noticeably higherpared to the prices in the Corpse Demon Sect''s market.


    Take the Qi Gathering Pills, which were mostmonly used by Qi Refining cultivators. In the Corpse Demon Sect''s market, the price was usually two and a half spirit stones, whereas in East Huafang Market, it was around four spirit stones. Other cultivation resources, such as spells, magical artifacts, talismans, and spirit herbs, were generally 30 to 70 percent more expensivepared to the Corpse Demon Sect''s market.


    Under the operation of the Beastmaster Sect, East Huafang Market had gathered arge number of loose cultivators. These cultivators worked tirelessly, collecting various treasures scattered in perilous ces and bringing them to East Huafang Market, where the Beastmaster Sect acquired them at low prices. Then, the loose cultivators would buy various cultivation resources at high prices from the stores established by the Beastmaster Sect.


    Moreover, the righteous sects were not as devoted to the welfare of the world as they imed, nor were they as dedicated to eradicating demons and evildoers as they portrayed themselves to be.


    Although they did not engage in the mass ughter of mortals and loose cultivators like the demonic sects, they were not genuinely concerned about the lives of ordinary people.


    The tales in the mortal realm of righteous cultivators killing demons were mostly due to the presence of some rare spiritual materials coveted by the cultivators, rather than any genuine concern for the lives of mortals.


    After sending Ai Kun off, Song Wen went to the gate of the courtyard, nced across at the opposite courtyard, and, seeing no unusual activity, closed the door and returned inside.


    The opposite courtyard had been rented by Song Wen using spirit stones under a disguise.


    He had dug an underground chamber beneath the opposite courtyard.


    He then set up a "Aura Concealment Formation" in the chamber and bought aplete beast corpse to turn into a corpse beast using secret techniques, which he kept in the underground chamber for nurturing.


    Song Wen''s purpose for this was not to create a useless corpse beast but to test the effectiveness of the "Aura Concealment Formation" and see if it could truly deceive the probing of Golden Core cultivators.


    East Huafang Market, as thergest and most profitable market run by the Beastmaster Sect, had a Golden Core cultivator stationed there.


    However, this Golden Core expert spent most of his time in a spiritual cave ten miles outside the market, rarely making an appearance.


    Before testing the effectiveness of the "Aura Concealment Formation," Song Wen would not enter the chamber.


    In the storage ring from Wu Ren, Song Wen had obtained several valuable items, particrly two advanced techniques.


    One of them was the advanced technique of the "Blood Escape Technique," or rather, the true "Blood Escape Technique."


    When facing imminent death, this technique allows one to burn all their blood essence and transform into a cloud of blood mist. Not only can it evade fatal attacks, but depending on the amount of blood essence burned, it can instantly escape distances of tens or even hundreds of miles, somewhat simr to the legendary divine ability of "Shrinking the Earth into Inches."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 144: Life at the East Huafang Market

    <h4>Chapter 144: Life at the East Huafang Market</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The advancement of cultivation techniques requires Golden Core level to practice. This is because only cultivators above the Golden Core stage have enough blood essence to perform the ''Blood Escape Technique.''


    Foundation Establishment cultivators are strong but can only die from exhaustion of their vital energy.


    For Song Wen, this issue does not exist as his blood essence isparable to some Golden Core cultivators.


    Beforeing to East Huafang Market, Song Wen found a remote and sparsely popted area, where no cultivators would go, and secluded himself for a month to practice the ''Blood Escape Technique.''


    His maximum escape distance was approximately eighty miles.


    However, after using the ''Blood Escape Technique'' once, his blood essence would bepletely depleted, and he would need to replenish it to use the technique again.


    Another technique, called ''Devil ying Ghost Book,'' allows him to gather and form various shapes of corpse and demonic energy within his body, which can be used for offense or defense. Currently, the amount of corpse and demonic energy in his body is insufficient to practice this technique.


    In the storage ring from Wu Ren, there is also a pale-white funeral banner, which is a magical artifact containing a massive amount of ghostly energy. It is quite powerful but still in the form of a Golden Core artifact, which Song Wen has not yet cultivated the ability to refine and use.


    Additionally, there is Wu Ren''s corpse.


    Wu Ren was a mid-Golden Core cultivator. If properly refined, it could be made into a Third-Stage Silver Corpseparable to a Golden Core expert.


    To refine a Silver Corpse, arge number of various spiritual treasures are needed, and with Song Wen''s current Foundation Establishment cultivation, he cannot control a Third-Stage Silver Corpse.


    As apromise, Song Wen ns to follow Wu Sui''s approach and refine Wu Ren''s corpse into a pseudo-Third-Stage corpse puppet. This way, the puppet would have the strength to suppress Foundation Establishment cultivators and can be controlled by Song Wen with his current cultivation level.


    When Song Wen learned that the righteous sects were about to besiege the Corpse Demon Sect, he spent a fortune on various spiritual treasures.


    However, he did not expect that he would need to start attempting to refine a Silver Corpse so soon. To achieve this, he is missing a crucial dark attribute spiritual treasure, the Third-Stage spiritual material, Xuan Yin Stone.


    Now, Song Wen is only at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining with his ''Longevity Technique'' cultivation. Being in the righteous sect''s territory, he could only disy his Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation, making it difficult to find Third-Stage spiritual materials.


    Thus, the n to refine a pseudo-Third-Stage corpse puppet was put on hold.


    Since entering East Huafang Market, Song Wen has avoided practicing techniques rted to demonic cultivation and has focused solely on the ''Longevity Technique.''


    The ''Longevity Technique,'' as the most widely spread righteous technique, has many practitioners, mostly loose cultivators.


    Its greatest advantage is extending lifespan, which is what most cultivators aim for��to live longer. However, the technique''s drawback is that the spiritual power cultivated does not carry any attributes, making it very disadvantageous inbat.


    Generally, when using techniques and artifacts that correspond to the attributes of the cultivation method, their effectiveness is greatly enhanced. For example, when practicing fire attribute techniques, the effectiveness of fire-based spells and artifacts is significantly increased.


    The ''Longevity Technique'' also progresses very slowly.


    This makes many people, especially proud disciples of major sects, regard it as a worthless technique and discard it.


    But Song Wen does not see it this way. What could be more important than living longer?


    If he cannot defeat his enemies, ousting them and dancing on their graves is also a form of revenge.


    However, when he truly began cultivating the ''Longevity Technique,'' he realized how slow its progress was.


    In East Huafang Market, where the spiritual energy is abundant, and with ample spirit stones and pills, Song Wen had practiced for a full two months, but the spiritual energy growth from the ''Longevity Technique'' was still extremely slow.


    Song Wen estimated that breaking through to Foundation Establishment with the ''Longevity Technique'' would take at least three years, which is still under the condition that he has a Sixth-Rank Spiritual Root. It is no wonder that most loose cultivators with poor qualifications rarely reachte-stage Qi Refining.


    Song Wen also discovered that the ''Longevity Technique'' produces pure righteous energy stored in the dantian, while the ''Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique'' produces turbid energy, which are distinct and do not interfere with each other.


    It''s like the old Eight Trigrams: one ck, one white; one righteous, one demonic.


    Another crucial point for choosing the ''Longevity Technique'' is that it is the only technique avable in the East Huafang Market that includesplete content from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.


    In East Huafang Market, apart from the ''Longevity Technique,'' no other Foundation Establishment techniques are for sale. Song Wen spectes that this is a deliberate strategy by the righteous sects to attract loose cultivators to join the sect.


    Once loose cultivators reach Foundation Establishment, they must join a sect to obtain Foundation Establishment techniques and serve the sect, or their cultivation will stall due tock of techniques.


    Due to the slow progress of the ''Longevity Technique,'' Song Wen has shifted his focus to Blood Qi Pills, deciding to use them for cultivation.


    Previously, using extremely dark refined Blood Qi Pills had significantly boosted Song Wen''s cultivation. Although they required a lot of blood essence, Song Wen had an ample supply of it."


    "In his storage ring, he still had one hundred sixty vials of blood essence. Aside from the daily needs for the ck Armored Gu, it could support his cultivation for a long time.


    ...


    The house rented by Song Wen had three main rooms and a kitchen.


    Among the three main rooms, the middle one served as the living room, the right side as the bedroom, and the left side as the talisman room.


    Song Wen walked into the talisman room, picked up ten talismans from the table��nine Fireball Talismans and one Flight Talisman��and left the courtyard.


    Perhaps due to the righteous and demonic battle, many disciples of the Beast Control Sect had gone to the front lines, and many loose cultivators were also recruited by the sect, making the market streets appear somewhat deste.


    Song Wen entered a talisman shop and sold the ten talismans.


    The nine Fireball Talismans were sold for four spirit stones, and the Flight Talisman for six spirit stones, totaling nine spirit stones.


    Leaving the talisman shop, Song Wen went to a pill shop.


    Upon seeing Song Wen enter, the somewhat drowsy shopkeeper, due to the shop''s dim business, immediately perked up and ran to Song Wen.


    "Fellow cultivator, what would you like to buy?"


    "Do you have Blood Qi Pills?"


    "Of course, we have Blood Qi Pills. How many do you need?"


    "Can I take a look at the pills first?" Song Wen asked.


    "Certainly," the shopkeeper replied with a smile.


    The shopkeeper reached into his waist storage bag and took out a jade bottle.


    "Please take a look, the pills inside this jade bottle are Blood Qi Pills."


    Song Wen took the jade bottle, opened the cap, and used his spiritual sense to examine it, sensing one pill inside.


    The pill was blood-red and looked very simr to the Blood Qi Pills refined by Ji Yin, but Song Wen felt that this pill''s potency was considerably weaker than that of the Ji Yin''s Pills.


    Song Wen frowned slightly. Why did the orthodox Blood Qi Pills in the cultivation world seem inferiorpared to those he had refined with the Ji Yin Technique?


    Perhaps noticing Song Wen''s dissatisfaction, the shopkeeper asked, "Fellow cultivator, do you find the pills unsatisfactory? These are made by Master Ma Quan himself and are definitely high-quality Blood Qi Pills."


    Song Wen ignored the shopkeeper''s self-praise. Master Ma Quan was just ate-stage Qi Refining cultivator who could only make first-grade pills and was far from deserving the title of a pill master.


    "How much are these Blood Qi Pills?" Song Wen asked.


    "Ten spirit stones each."


    "So expensive?" Song Wen was somewhat surprised.


    The shopkeeper exined, "Blood Qi Pills have a very small chance of helping cultivators break through the bottleneck of early Qi Refining, so they are naturally not cheap. However, they cannot be taken inrge quantities, as there is a risk of depleting one''s blood essence."


    Song Wen nodded. The Blood Qi Pills in the cultivation world also consume blood essence, but their potency was not as strong as those refined by Ji Yin, which would significantly reduce their effectiveness in increasing spiritual power.


    However, the Blood Qi Pills refined by Ji Yin were likely too dangerous for ordinary cultivators to use; they were not supplementary pills but rather could be considered deadly poison.


    "I''ll take two."


    Song Wen handed over twenty spirit stones.


    The shopkeeper took the spirit stones, filled two Blood Qi Pills into the jade bottle, and handed them to Song Wen.


    "Fellow cultivator, wee toe again next time."


    As Song Wen left the shop, hemented how expensive the pills were in East Huafang Market.


    He knew the form for Blood Qi Pills, and the spiritual herbs were not particrly precious. The cost of gathering a batch of herbs would not exceed two spirit stones. Normally, a batch of pills would produce about ten pills, making the profit margin over twenty times.


    This reveals the exploitation of loose cultivators by the righteous sects."


    (End of the Chapter)


    <strong>TL:</strong> Everyone! Please some reviews for this work. It only takes a few minutes, but your help will help spread the word to other readers. So, please take some time to leave a review.


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 Chapter 145: Spirit Beast Azure Bull

    <h4>Chapter 145: Spirit Beast Azure Bull</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    It''s a pity that Song Wen''s identity as a talisman master is just a cover. If he truly relied on drawing talismans for a living, his cultivation would likely stagnate indefinitely.


    As Song Wen was passing by the Du Dan Brothel building, he happened to run into Ai Kuning out of the building.


    Looking at Ai Kun, whose steps seemed somewhat unsteady, Song Wen remarked, "Senior Ai, you don''t seem as impressive as you bragged. We''ve only been apart for a quarter of an hour, and the journey took two quarters. Those three spirit stones you spent don''t seem worth it."


    Ai Kun''s face turned red, and he retorted, "What do you know? At my age, being able to gallivant through the flowers is already rare. Today''s condition was not ideal, so I had to wrap things up quickly. On a usual day, I would have charged for at least half an hour and made them lose their armor and helmet."


    In Ai Kun''s boasting, the two headed towards their residences.


    Ai Kun lived on the same street as Song Wen, making him a sort of neighbor.


    Suddenly, a man and a woman appeared in the sky, attracting their attention.


    The man had a refined appearance, a straight nose, and a body like a jade tree, looking extremely handsome with an air of elegance. Especially his bright eyes, which seemed to sh with lightning, were captivating.


    The woman had bright eyes and white teeth, willow-like eyebrows, skin as smooth as cream, and a body as pure and beautiful as an immortal from the heavens. She was stunningly attractive, like a gentle cloud covering the moon or drifting snow in the breeze.


    The man was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, riding a sword and looking extremely graceful.


    The woman, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, was riding on a strange beast in the air.


    The beast resembled a bull, was entirely snow-white, butcked horns. Its four hooves seemed to be stepping on a cloud, which appeared to have electric sparks within it, looking extremely mystical.


    The two flying in the air quickly drew the amazed gazes of most people in the market.


    A peerless beauty!


    Seeing that Song Wen''s attention was captured by the two figures in the sky, Ai Kun, who liked to brag about his knowledge, boasted, "Do you know who these two are?"


    Seeing Song Wen shake his head, he continued, "The man is Lei Tianyu, the current direct descendant of the Lei family. At less than fifteen years old, he has already reached Foundation Establishment, and his thunder-based techniques are exceptionally refined. He is the most gifted person among the younger generation of the Lei family."


    "The woman is Kou Chang, a direct disciple of the Beastmaster Sect. At the tender age of twenty, she has already reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. Moreover, her contracted spirit beast, the Azure Bull, is said to have a trace of the ancient divine beast Kui Niu''s bloodline. The Azure Bull advanced to a fifth-level spirit beast two years ago,parable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator."


    Song Wen didn''t pay much attention to Ai Kun''s words. What truly caught his eye was the faint trace of demonic energy on Lei Tianyu.


    Lei Tianyu must have recently devoured a considerable amount of others'' blood essence.


    Maybe others couldn''t detect it, but Song Wen, who frequently consumed others'' blood essence, was especially sensitive to this aura and could identify it immediately. It''s also possible that cultivators with profound cultivation levels noticed the demonic aura on Lei Tianyu but, finding it irrelevant to themselves, chose not to make a fuss about it.


    Moreover, Lei Tianyu was from the Lei family, meaning he possessed the Lei family''s thunder-based secret techniques. After witnessing the power of the Thunder Talisman, Song Wen had been obsessively thinking about thunder techniques.


    Turning to Ai Kun, Song Wen asked, "Senior Ai, how much do you know about thunder techniques? Why is it that some people can cultivate them, while others find it almost impossible to even get started?"


    Ai Kun looked at Song Wen with a teasing gaze and replied, "What? Are you interested in thunder techniques?"


    "The power of thunder techniques is great, but they are difficult to cultivate. For instance, the most widely circted technique, Palm Thunder, has been attempted by many cultivators, but few have truly mastered it."


    "It is said that those who seed in cultivating thunder techniques generally possess a fire-type spiritual root, but not every cultivator with a fire-type spiritual root can master thunder techniques."


    "Some specte that the key to cultivating thunder techniques is a mutation in the fire-type spiritual root, producing a thunder attribute spiritual root. However, this type of mutated spiritual root cannot be tested and can only be confirmed through attempts at cultivating thunder techniques."


    Watching Lei Tianyu and Kou Changnd, their figures blocked by buildings, a thought shed through Song Wen''s mind.


    ''Perhaps trying to cultivate Palm Thunder will determine whether I can practice thunder techniques.''


    After parting ways with Ai Kun, Song Wen returned home.


    Sitting cross-legged, after calming his mind, he took a Blood Qi Pill.


    The effect of the Blood Qi Pill was somewhat disappointing to Song Wen.


    As expected, the purchased Blood Qi Pills consumed very little blood essence. If Song Wen hadn''t been constantly monitoring his internal blood essence, he would hardly have noticed the slight depletion.


    The minimal consumption of blood essence resulted in a correspondingly small increase in spiritual power.


    Holding the remaining pill, Song Wen''s eyes were filled with disdain.


    "Do I need to refine the pills myself?"


    After killing Ji Yin, Song Wen obtained Ji Yin''s notes, which detailed the form and method for refining Blood Qi Pills.


    Deciding to act on his thoughts, Song Wen disguised himself as a young male cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining. After confirming that there was no one outside the courtyard, he slipped out.


    He wandered around the market, spending fifty spirit stones at several stalls to gather the spiritual herbs needed for ten batches of Blood Qi Pills.


    Then, he entered a magical artifact shop, spending eight hundred spirit stones to purchase a mid-grade pill furnace.


    After leaving the magical artifact shop, Song Wen once again encountered Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang.


    The two were in a spirit beast shop.


    Lei Tianyu was handing arge bag of spirit stones to the shopkeeper, who then handed a jade bottle directly to Kou Chang.


    Kou Chang, receiving what she wanted, showed Lei Tianyu a sweet smile.


    With a charming smile and beautiful eyes!


    Lei Tianyu seemed entranced by Kou Chang''s crescent-like eyes, gazing dreamily at her stunning face.


    <strong>Author''s Note:</strong> Chapters 140-142 have been revised, mainly altering Chen Yi''s ending. Interested readers can check it out, but it doesn''t significantly affect the subsequent plot."


    <strong>TL Note:</strong> The original death of Chen Yi was much more gruesome and horrible. At least ording toments and people were not happy. So, author modified it to be a bit less intense.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 146: Thunder Palm

    <h4>Chapter 146: Thunder Palm</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Lei Tianyu gazed gently at Kou Chang.


    "Junior Sister Kou, do you need anything else?" Lei Tianyu asked softly, as if afraid that raising his voice slightly might leave an unfavorable impression on Kou Chang.


    Kou Chang replied in a sweet, delicate voice, "Thank you, Brother Lei, but no more for now. You''ve already spent over a thousand spirit stones on me today. I feel quite bad about it. When I have spirit stones, I will definitely repay you, along with the thirteen thousand two hundred and eleven spirit stones I owe you from before."


    Lei Tianyu repeatedly waved his hand and said anxiously, "Junior Sister Kou, don''t say that. With our rtionship, those mere ten thousand spirit stones are nothing."


    After chatting a bit more, Kou Chang mounted the Azure Bull and was about to leave.


    Suddenly, Lei Tianyu called out loudly, "Junior Sister Kou, in half an hour, at the auction in the market, there will be three Foundation Establishment Pills. I will definitely bid for one for you, to help you establish your foundation sooner."


    The Azure Bull had already lifted a few meters off the ground. Hearing Lei Tianyu''s words, Kou Chang abruptly stopped the Azure Bull from ascending further, turned her head, and smiled like a blooming flower.


    Her smile was enchanting!


    "Really? Thank you, Brother Lei. Your kindness makes me feel so grateful."


    As if suddenly realizing something, Kou Chang''s face turned shyly red.


    She lightly bit her red lips, her voice as soft as a whisper, her head lowered in embarrassment, as if trying to bury her beautiful face in her full chest.


    "If Brother Lei really manages to get the Foundation Establishment Pill, I will promise you anything."


    With that, Kou Chang, like an immortal fairy, soared up on the Azure Bull and quickly disappeared into the blue sky.


    Watching Kou Chang disappear into the horizon, Lei Tianyu reluctantly withdrew his gaze.


    Then he took to his sword and flew away, not knowing where to.


    ---


    Song Wen walked deeper into the market, found a quiet corner, and after changing his appearance, entered a spell store.


    The store had arge sign hanging above the door with the words "Lei Family Treasure Spell Pavilion" written in big characters.


    The store covered more than an acre ofnd and had a dozen or so attractive maidservants waiting for customers. These maidservants were not highly skilled, all at the early stage of Qi Refining.


    "Senior, what would you like to buy?" One of the maidservants approached with a practiced smile.


    At this moment, Song Wen''s disguised appearance was that of a Qi Refining Stage Four loose cultivator, as the Thunder Palm technique required a cultivator at least at the fourth stage of Qi Refining to practice.


    "Do you have Thunder Palm?"


    The maidservant smiled, "The Lei family is known for its thunder techniques. Naturally, we have Thunder Palm for sale in our store."


    "How much for it?"


    "Fifty low-grade spirit stones."


    Song Wen looked at the maidservant with some disbelief.


    Thunder Palm being sold so cheaply!


    Due to the rarity of those who can cultivate thunder techniques and the low prevalence of various thunder techniquespared to moremon ones like flying techniques or fireballs, the Lei family''s pricing of Thunder Palm was far below Song Wen''s expectations.


    Confirming that the maidservant was not mistaken, Song Wen handed over fifty spirit stones and said, "I''d like one."


    "Certainly, Senior. Please wait a moment." The maidservant took the spirit stones, gave a charming smile, and then turned and walked toward the counter in the middle of the store.


    Momentster, the maidservant returned with a jade slip and a soul contract.


    "Senior, this is the soul contract. Please take a look. If there are no issues, sign the soul contract, and the transaction will bepleted."


    Song Wen carefully examined the soul contract and confirmed that it was a standard type used by spell shops. After also checking the jade slip and verifying that the technique was indeed correct, he signed the soul contract with the maidservant''s polite assistance and left the store.


    As he walked away, his expression gradually darkened.


    The jade slip he had just bought contained a foundation establishment period cultivator''s spiritual mark. This made Song Wen''s impression of the Lei family and their so-called righteous cultivator shops even worse. To think that even something worth only fifty spirit stones had been tampered with��how brazen could the Lei family be?


    Was the Lei family nning to mark every cultivator who bought techniques from their store?


    Song Wen spent nearly an hour wandering around the market, making sure no one was following him before quietly erasing the spiritual mark on the jade slip.


    Finding a secluded spot, he removed his disguise and reverted to his appearance in his thirties before heading home.


    As he reached the gate of his courtyard and was about to push the door open, a burly figure appeared in the corner of his eye.


    "Master Zhang, would you like to buy some fresh beast meat?" the burly man asked.


    This burly man was Sun Daxiong, Song Wen''s neighbor.


    True to his name, Sun Daxiong was tall and strong, with powerful limbs. He was a Qi Refining Stage Seven cultivator who lived by hunting beasts.


    Sun Daxiong also had a daughter, who, unlike her father''s imposing figure and rugged appearance, was delicate and beautiful. At just seventeen, she was strikingly attractive and well-known on the street for her beauty.


    "What kind of beast meat?" Song Wen asked.


    Song Wen had little interest in beast meat. He asionally bought some from Sun Daxiong merely to avoid suspicion, as he was not keen on consuming beast blood. The blood of beasts was usually very potent, often surpassing cultivators of the same stage, but after Song Wen consumed it, the blood transformed into something less effective than that of cultivators of the same stage, which made him lose interest in beast meat.


    Seeing that Song Wen was disinterested but did not outright refuse, Sun Daxiong quickly continued.


    "It''s spirit fox meat,parable to a mid-Qi Refining spirit fox. One pound of meat only costs one spirit stone. Master Zhang, you won''t find mid-Qi Refining beast meat cheaper anywhere else."


    Song Wen couldn''t help but think, as expected, every time Sun Daxiong actively promotes beast meat, it''s always subpar.


    Good quality beast meat is sold at high prices in market restaurants. The spirit fox''s valuable part is its skin; its meat is foul and sour, extremely unpleasant. Only those who can''t afford better or need a lot of beast meat for some reason, such as body refining cultivators, would buy it.


    "I''m not buying. I''m low on spirit stonestely and can barely pay my rent."


    Song Wen firmly refused and then pushed open the door, walking inside and closing the courtyard gate without giving Sun Daxiong any face.


    He didn''tck spirit stones and didn''t want to easily make enemies, but Sun Daxiong had tried to sell him garbage beast meat several times, treating him like a fool.


    Unperturbed by Song Wen''s rejection, Sun Daxiong turned and knocked on the door of another neighbor.


    A spirit fox has over twenty pounds of meat, and since his daughter couldn''t stand the smell of spirit fox meat and he himself was tired of it, and since no one was buying it in the market, he had to try to sell it to neighbors. Even if he sold a pound for half a spirit stone, it would still bring in a few spirit stones, enough to cover a month''s rent with some left over.


    His daughter''s cultivation talent was good. She had just broken through to Qi Refining Stage Four two months ago and needed more cultivation resources.


    A few days ago, she mentioned wanting to try cultivating thunder techniques, but Sun Daxiong had been short of spirit stones at the time and couldn''t afford Thunder Palm for her.


    However, he had recently hunted a spirit fox with pure white fur, and its skin was intact. He had finally gathered enough spirit stones to buy Thunder Palm for his daughter.


    Behind Sun Daxiong, the courtyard door suddenly opened, and a young and beautiful face peered out.


    Seeing her father''s repeated attempts to sell spirit fox meat to the neighbors, Sun Ru shook her head in helplessness.


    Spirit fox meat was notoriously bad and not cheap. Who would want to buy it?


    Only Master Zhang from next door, who was new to the area and had been tricked a couple of times by her father.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 147: The Talismans Master Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Talismans Master Gathering</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen returned to his room and took out the jade slip for Thunder Palm, cing it on his forehead.


    In an instant, arge amount of information surged into Song Wen''s mind.


    Momentster, the jade slip disintegrated into powder, and all the content of Thunder Palm''s technique was imprinted in Song Wen''s brain.


    With his eyes closed, Song Wen began to carefully contemte the essence of Thunder Palm.


    Several hourster, Song Wen opened his eyes and started to try casting Thunder Palm.


    He softly recited the incantation and made several hand seals, but there was no response.


    Looking at the empty palm of his hand, Song Wen sighed inwardly: Could it be that hecked talent for lightning techniques?


    Undeterred, Song Wen tried again.


    After hundreds of attempts, he finally saw a tiny silver light flicker in his palm.


    Momentster, the silver light suddenly vanished.


    Song Wen''s eyes lit up. Although he still hadn''t sessfully cast Thunder Palm, he had managed to gather a trace of lightning power, which indicated that he did have the talent for practicing lightning techniques.


    However, his talent seemed limited. Despite having spiritual awareness at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, which should make learning this mid-grade technique rtively easy, it took hundreds of attempts to produce a faint trace of lightning.


    Knowing that he had some talent for lightning techniques, Song Wen was not in a hurry to master Thunder Palm. With his current strength, it was inconsequential whether he learned it or not. Moreover, mastering a technique is not something that happens overnight.


    Song Wen took out the notes of Ji Yin and began to study them carefully. This was his first attempt at alchemy, and with no one to guide him, he had to gather as much information as possible from the notes.


    Time passed, and after two hours, Song Wen set aside the notes.


    It was now the fifth day, and the sky was already bright.


    After reviewing Ji Yin''s notes, Song Wen realized he was missing something for the alchemy process: wood for the alchemy furnace.


    Song Wen got up and headed to the market. Ji Yin''s alchemy process used a type of wood called water ash, so he nned to buy some water ash to use as fuel for the furnace.


    He also intended to buy a set of "Aura Concealment Formations" to conceal the fluctuations and anomalies during the alchemy process.


    Failures in alchemy often result in idents such as furnace explosions or fires. Song Wen did not want everyone to know he was practicing alchemy. Although the Aura Concealment Formations were only a first-tier formation, they could shield most cultivators in the market from detecting his activities.


    As for Foundation Establishment cultivators and above, they might notice his alchemy, but Song Wen was not concerned. Alchemy was not demonic cultivation; even if Foundation Establishment cultivators noticed, they wouldn''t pay much attention.


    Half an hourter, Song Wen returned home.


    He cleared the table and chairs from the living room, set up the Aura Concealment Formation, and ced the alchemy furnace in the center of the room, preparing to start the alchemy process.


    After cing the water ash wood under the furnace and igniting it, Song Wen began to add the herbs to the furnace.


    Half an hourter, the furnace suddenly shook violently, and arge amount of ck smoke billowed out, leaving Song Wen a bit covered in soot.


    The first attempt at alchemy ended in failure.


    In fact, Song Wen had only added half of the herbs.


    Song Wen took out a jade bottle, lightly waved his fingers in the air, and a breeze appeared out of nowhere.


    The smoke was carried away by the breeze and poured into the jade bottle.


    The smoke that had filled the room quickly vanished.


    Just as Song Wen was preparing to try alchemy again, there was a sudden, urgent knock at the door.


    A voice called out.


    "Friend Zhang Cheng, open the door quickly. Today I''m taking you to meet a talisman master."


    Song Wen put away the herbs he was about to add to the furnace, extinguished the fire, and packed up the alchemy furnace before opening the door and heading outside.


    With Ai Kun''s interruption, there was no hope of refining the pill today.


    However, pill refinement shouldn''t be rushed. It was the perfect opportunity to take a break and adjust his state of mind.


    It was also a good chance to meet the expert in talisman crafting that Ai Kun had mentioned. Since he was disguising himself as a talisman crafter, refusing an opportunity to connect with such a master might easily raise suspicion among those with keen interests.


    Opening the courtyard door, Song Wen had not yet spoken when Ai Kun hurriedly urged him.


    "Come quickly! Fang Ning from the Beastmaster Sect''s Talisman Peak is going to share his talisman-making experience with the frence talisman makers in the market. You should go listen in; it will greatly benefit your future talisman crafting."


    Very soon, the two arrived at a private courtyard inside a cultivator''s inn.


    Entering the courtyard, they saw more than a dozen frence cultivators seated on the ground. At the head of the group sat a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect, around twenty-eight years old.


    This person was none other than Fang Ning, as mentioned by Ai Kun. He had a cultivation base of the eighth level of Qi Refinement and could craft almost all first-rank talismans, showing considerable talent in talisman making.


    The group of more than ten people were quietly discussing their respective experiences in crafting talismans. Some appeared to have solved long-standing problems and were grinning with joy; others, whose ideas conflicted, were arguing without end.


    When they saw Song Wen and Ai Kun enter, several people nodded amicably at Ai Kun.


    As for Song Wen, who followed behind Ai Kun, he waspletely ignored by the group. It was obvious they regarded him as someone tagging along to eavesdrop on the lessons, so naturally, no one gave him a warm reception.


    Ai Kun took a seat on the ground and began exchanging ideas with the others, while Song Wen sat behind him, listening to everyone''s shared experiences.


    Gradually, Song Wen realized that although these people might not be revealing their most closely guarded secrets, they were still sharing plenty of genuine talisman-making knowledge, which was quite helpful for him.


    Fang Ning, being greatly respected by these frence cultivators, had a steady stream of people surrounding him, asking for guidance.


    Fang Ning generously provided answers, resolving each person''s questions one by one.


    Time flew by quickly, and two hours passed. The hour was nearing noon, and during this time, more frence cultivators had arrived, bringing the total number of attendees close to twenty.


    Fang Ning nced at the sky and suddenly said, "Everyone, the hour growste, so let''s end this discussion here."


    "But there''s one more thing I''d like to discuss with you all."


    "The war between the righteous and the demonic factions is in a stalemate, and the demand for talismans on the front lines has sharply increased. I hope that all of you will keep righteousness in your hearts and contribute to eliminating evil."


    As soon as these words left his mouth, the previously cordial and friendly atmosphere turned cold.


    The talisman makers all showed bitter expressions, looking at each other but saying nothing. Not a single person responded.


    It turned out there was no such thing as a free lunch��Fang Ning wasn''t sharing his talisman-making knowledge for no reason.


    Seeing this, Fang Ning did not get angry and continued, "Rest assured, we won''t ask you to work for free. We, the Beastmaster Sect, will purchase each talisman at seventy percent of the market price. Although your profit margin will be reduced, therge demand makes up for it, especially for talismans such as Flight Talismans, Haste Talismans, Ghost-ying Talismans, Evil-Exorcising Talismans, and Spirit Sword Talismans. There is no upper limit to how many we will buy."


    The frence cultivators'' expressions rxed a little, but only slightly.


    Ever since the start of the war between the righteous and demonic factions, the prices of various spiritual materials and medicines had gradually risen, and the cost of the materials needed for crafting talismans had also increased considerably.


    Selling talismans to the Beastmaster Sect at seventy percent of the market price would leave talisman makers with almost no profit.


    Moreover, in recent times, talismans had been selling extremely well, so they were not inclined to sell at a reduced price to the Beastmaster Sect.


    However, strength speaks louder than words. For a long time, the Beastmaster Sect had instilled fear in the hearts of frence cultivators, leaving them with no choice but to nod in agreement.


    Seeing that, though unwilling, everyone had nodded in agreement, Fang Ning felt reassured.


    When Fang Ning had been given this task by the elder of the Talisman Peak, the set price had been eighty percent of the market rate. The ten percent difference would allow him to make an enormous fortune. Although he would have to share some of the profits to grease the wheels of the sect, he could still pocket an unimaginablyrge amount of spirit stones.


    At this moment, all he wished for was that the war between the righteous and demonic factions would drag on endlessly.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 148: Bullying the Weak

    <h4>Chapter 148: Bullying the Weak</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Fang Ning was secretly pleased, but his face remained impassive as he continued to speak.


    "I, Fang Ning, thank you all for your strong support. With all of us righteous cultivators working together, I believe it won''t be long before the evil forces of the Corpse Demon Sect are eradicated."


    After some polite words, his tone turned sharper.


    "I hope everyone will work hard to draw talismans. Each person needs to submit a hundred talismans every ten days."


    Upon hearing this, the faces of the talisman masters grew even more sullen.


    A hundred talismans every ten days meant ten talismans a day. Toplete the task from the Beastmaster Sect, they would need to spend two to three hours each day, not counting the time needed to recover their spiritual and physical energy expended in drawing talismans.


    Fang Ning then began distributing a token to each person. Those who received the token were required to submit their talismans to the Beastmaster Sect''s base in the market every ten days.


    Due to Song Wen''s low strength and poor talisman-drawing skills, Fang Ning did not give him a token.


    At that moment, a figure and a cow appeared in the sky, flying towards the courtyard.


    It was the beautiful Kou Chang, riding her azure ox.


    The azure ox quicklynded in the courtyard, and Kou Chang, with her graceful and alluring figure, walked towards Fang Ning, carrying a pleasant fragrance.


    A trace of barely noticeable disgust shed in Fang Ning''s eyes but quickly disappeared.


    He took two steps forward and bowed.


    "Fang Ning greets Senior Sister Kou Chang. May I ask what brings you here?"


    "I heard that Junior Brother Fang Ning has two hundred-year-old dragon-striped herbs. I happen to urgently need dragon-striped herbs recently. Could I borrow them from you, Junior Brother?"


    Dragon-striped herbs are second-tier spiritual medicines that can enhance the bloodline of spiritual beasts.


    Fang Ning''s lips twitched slightly, as if trying to conceal his displeasure.


    This Senior Sister Kou Chang, who looked like a celestial being, was not an easy person to deal with.


    Using her celestial-like appearance, Kou Chang had garnered many admirers in the Beastmaster Sect.


    She neither epted nor rejected their advances, but she epted all the treasures given to her by her admirers.


    Over time, many disciples who had gone bankrupt pursuing Kou Chang gradually saw her true nature. However, due to her status as a direct disciple, her cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the strength of her second-tier spiritual beast, the azure ox, they could only endure in silence.


    Fang Ning, good at controlling his emotions, forced a smile despite his reluctance.


    "If Senior Sister needs the dragon-striped herbs, they are yours. It is my honor to help you."


    Saying this, Fang Ning felt as though his heart was bleeding.


    Kou Chang often borrowed things from her fellow disciples but never returned them.


    However, since Kou Chang had publicly mentioned the dragon-striped herbs, she hade prepared. She didn''t intend to give Fang Ning a chance to refuse. If he dared to embarrass her in public, her admirers would make his life difficult in the Beastmaster Sect.


    Fang Ning was unaware that the forced smile on his face mirrored the expressions of the scattered talisman masters who had reluctantly agreed to serve the Beastmaster Sect earlier.


    Fang Ning reached into his storage pouch and took out a two-foot-long jade box, holding it respectfully with both hands and handing it to Kou Chang.


    Kou Chang smiled sweetly and epted the jade box.


    "Thank you, Junior Brother, for your generous help. I will return it to you as soon as possible."


    Fang Ning felt as if his heart was being cut with a knife, but he had to maintain a smiling face and exchange a few more polite words with Kou Chang.


    Kou Chang''s appearance attracted the attention of many talisman masters, especially old perverts like Ai Kun, who stared unblinkingly. Opportunities to get so close to Fairy Kou Chang were rare.


    Song Wen, however, focused his gaze on the azure ox that was continuously pawing the ground.


    This azure ox, with a trace of the divine beast Kui Ox''s bloodline, even whennded, had white clouds wrapped around its four hooves, as if it were always treading on clouds rather than solid ground.


    Amidst the white clouds, arcs of electricity flickered, and silver lights asionally coursed over its skin, adding to its mysterious and strange appearance.


    After a moment, Kou Chang rode the azure ox away, leaving behind a courtyard filled with her fragrance.


    The talisman masters also left the restaurant and went their separate ways.


    Song Wen was about to return to his ce with Ai Kun.


    He hadn''t lost anything this trip and had learned some insights about making talismans, so he was in a good mood.


    Song Wen thought Ai Kun might be feeling down, but as soon as they left the restaurant, the old man eagerly headed towards the brothel.


    As he walked, Ai Kun said to Song Wen, "You go back on your own. I''m in a hurry. If I''mte, the image of the fairy in my mind won''t be as clear."


    Seeing Ai Kun''s eager and lecherous expression, Song Wen shook his head.


    This old man was a good person, always helpful and caring towards him, but he was utterly obsessed with women. Song Wen feared he might end up dying in a woman''s arms someday.


    When Song Wen first arrived at East Huafang Market and rented his small courtyard, Ai Kun was the first neighbor to greet him.


    Upon learning that Song Wen was also a talisman master, Ai Kun became even more enthusiastic, introducing Song Wen to shops and itinerant cultivators in the market that sold talisman materials. He also informed Song Wen of the prices for buying talismans, saving him a lot of time.


    Used to the cold and ruthless demeanor of demonic cultivators, Song Wen initially found it hard to ept Ai Kun''s warm-heartedness.


    Over time, Song Wen realized the old man had no ill intentions, and he gradually let his guard down.


    ...


    As Song Wen approached his home''s entrance, he noticed a crowd gathered in front of the courtyard to his right. From the crowd, he heard the crying and pleading of a woman.


    Song Wen lived next to Sun Daxiong''s family on the left and a widow and her son on the right. Her husband had been an outer disciple of the Beastmaster Sect and had fallen in the great battle between good and evil three months prior.


    As Song Wen reached his courtyard door, he saw a pretty figure standing on the stone steps, looking towards the crowd.


    "What''s going on?" Song Wen asked quietly.


    Without turning her head, Sun Ru, still watching the crowd, replied, "Aunt Zhu can''t pay the rent, and Zhao Dapeng is trying to evict her and her son," Sun Ru said angrily.


    It was no wonder Sun Ru was upset on behalf of the widow. After Zhu Mei''s husband died, the Beastmaster Sect had promised that she and her son could live in the small courtyard until the boy came of age.


    But now, only three monthster, Zhao Dapeng, who managed the street, was using unpaid rent as an excuse to forcibly evict them.


    "Zhu Mei, if you can''t pay the rent by noon tomorrow and refuse to leave, don''t me me for being heartless and throwing you and your son out," Zhao Dapeng shouted angrily.


    "You can''t evict us. When the death notice was delivered, Senior Xu Feng said that ording to the Beastmaster Sect''s regtions, since my husband died for the sect, we can stay here until my sones of age. My son is only ten. We should be allowed to stay for eight more years," Zhu Mei pleaded.


    "Who told you that? Go find them," Zhao Dapeng replied, unmoved and unreasonable.


    Finding Xu Feng would be difficult. Zhu Mei was only a third-level Qi Refining rogue cultivator. Just finding Xu Feng in the Beastmaster Sect would be incredibly challenging.


    She probably couldn''t even get into the sect''s mountain gate.


    If they were forcibly evicted, where could a low-strength widow and her young, yet-to-begin-cultivating son go?


    Her husband had died, and thepensation was only fifty spirit stones, enough to rent a shack on the west side of the market for two years without spending a penny more.


    Could they leave East Huafang Market and survive in the mundane world?


    But could they even make it there alive?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 149: A Complete Change in Temperament

    <h4>Chapter 149: A Complete Change in Temperament</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Thinking of her deep sorrow, Zhu Mei hugged her son and started to cry out loud.


    Three days ago, her son had just turned ten. Relying on her husband''s legacy, she took her son to the enforcement team in the market to test his spiritual roots.


    Full of hope, she went, but returned in despair.


    Her son''s spiritual roots were extremely poor, barely qualifying as first-grade. Such low-quality spiritual roots meant he didn''t even have the qualifications to be a servant disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, essentially cutting off his path to immortality.


    The thought of being forced to leave the home where she had lived for more than ten years, and taking her weak young son on a perilous journey, living among ordinary people, filled Zhu Mei with sorrow, and she cried even more bitterly.


    "You better be sensible and move out on your own. If you''re still here by noon tomorrow, don''t me me for getting rough," Zhao Dapeng said before striding away.


    The reason he dared toe and evict Zhu Mei''s family today was that he knew the result of Zhu Mei''s son''s spiritual root test.


    A nearly forty-year-old woman at the third level of Qi Refining, and a child with first-grade spiritual roots, had no future prospects. Even among rogue cultivators, they were among the weakest, destined to be bullied and oppressed.


    After Zhao Dapeng left, some kind-hearted neighbors immediately came forward to help Zhu Mei and her son back into their home.


    "Hmph! Zhao Dapeng is really heartless," Sun Ru muttered angrily as she walked back to her courtyard.


    Seeing there was no more drama to watch, the crowd also dispersed, muttering curses at Zhao Dapeng and expressing sympathy for Zhu Mei and her son. But these words were only said behind Zhao Dapeng''s back; no one stood up for Zhu Mei and her son when Zhao Dapeng was present.


    Even the young Sun Ru didn''t dare confront Zhao Dapeng.


    People naturally seek to avoid harm and protect their own interests.


    Everyone tends to their own business.


    ...


    Song Wen returned to his room and attempted alchemy again.


    After several hours, having wasted the remaining nine portions of spiritual materials, Song Wen felt deeply depressed. He sighed heavily, tidied up the fire-filled room, and stepped into the courtyard.


    His progress in the "Longevity Art" was slow, and he couldn''t sessfully refine the Blood Qi Pills, making him miss his days in the Corpse Demon Sect, where his cultivation advanced rapidly, and his strength continually increased.


    No wonder so many righteous cultivators couldn''t endure the loneliness of daily cultivation or the slow progress in their realms and fell into the demonic path.


    It was alreadyte at night.


    The night sky was as quiet as an ink painting, everything seemed so peaceful.


    Suddenly,


    A wave of spiritual power from Sun Daxiong''s house next door broke the midnight silence.


    A silver light surrounded by electric arcs flew out from Sun Daxiong''s courtyard, shooting into the sky, eventually dissipating after several hundred meters.


    Song Wen narrowed his eyes; it was the Thunder Palm technique!


    A sweep of his spiritual sense revealed that Sun Ru had sessfully cultivated the Thunder Palm.


    At that moment, she was jumping happily in the courtyard, as innocent as a child, waving her arms and legs but not daring to shout loudly, afraid of disturbing the neighbors'' sleep and cultivation.


    Song Wen retracted his spiritual sense; he had no habit of spying on his neighbors.


    He turned and went back inside to continue cultivating. If a teenage girl could work so hard, what excuse did he have to ck off?


    Even if his progress was slow, he had plenty of time now.


    The next day.


    While cultivating, Song Wen was once again disturbed by Ai Kun''s knocking.


    Opening the courtyard gate, Song Wen said irritably,


    "Senior Ai, why don''t you stay at home and draw talismans properly? The Beast Taming Sect requires you to submit hundred talismans every ten days."


    Ai Kun, without any hesitation, walked straight into the courtyard and sat down on a chair before speaking.


    "I came to ask for your help. I need to draw ten talismans daily for the Beast Taming Sect, and they must all be of medium grade or higher. How can my old arms and legs handle that?"


    Song Wen replied, "I can''t help you. You know I can only draw one type of medium-grade talisman, the Thunder Talisman, and my sess rate is only a pathetic 50%. With my Qi Refining level four spiritual power and mental strength, I''m doing well if I can produce four talismans a day. I still need to earn some spirit stones for my daily needs."


    "You just need to work a little harder each day, spend an extra hour drawing talismans, and help me make two Thunder Talismans. Consider it pitying an old man."


    "No way, that would cut into my cultivation time. Besides, you''re not that old. Every time you go to the brothels, you''re more energetic than the young men."


    As the two haggled in the courtyard, suddenly there was a loud knock on the widow''s door next door.


    "Zhu Mei, are you going to pay the rent or not? If not, then get out. Don''t think hiding in the courtyard will stop me."


    It was Zhao Dapeng again, trying to evict the widow and her orphaned son.


    Behind Zhao Dapeng was a sneaky-looking man with a foolish demeanor. The man seemed timid and scared, hiding behind Zhao Dapeng but peeking through the door crack into the courtyard.


    He was Zhao Dapeng''s brother. Last night, his brother had promised him that today they would find him a woman, one who could sleep with him.


    His brother said that although the woman was a bit older, she still had some looks and even owned a courtyard.


    It was a win-win situation.


    The courtyard door creaked open from the inside.


    Zhu Mei stood there, her expression cold, her eyes sternly focused on the two men outside. She was apletely different person from the weeping, helpless woman she had been yesterday.


    Who knows what kind of mental journey she had gone through in one night to undergo such a drastic change, as if she had been reborn.


    Seeing Zhu Mei emerge, the ferocity on Zhao Dapeng''s face grew even more intense.


    "Zhu Mei, have you thought it over? Pay the rent or get out."


    "If you can''t pay the rent and don''t want to move out, there is another option: marry my brother. Then we''ll be family, and as long as I''m alive, you''ll never have to pay rent again."


    As he spoke, Zhao Dapeng pulled his sneaky-looking brother to the front and pushed him toward Zhu Mei.


    This was his real purpose all along.


    The two brothers had lost their parents when they were young and had depended on each other to survive. Later, they both embarked on the path of cultivation, supporting each other along the way.


    But two years ago, during a fight, his brother was severely injured while protecting him. Not only did he lose his cultivation, but his mind also became impaired.


    Feeling guilty, Zhao Dapeng had intended to take care of his brother until hisst breath, fulfilling their brotherly bond.


    Although his brother was not very smart, he still had the normal desires of a man. Especially after his mental impairment, he lost control over his desires.


    Sometimes, when he saw pretty female cultivators on the street, he would try to touch them, nearly getting beaten to death several times.


    Knowing Zhu Mei was a widow with no one to rely on, Zhao Dapeng got an idea.


    Since his brother had needs, he thought of finding a woman for him. This led to Zhao Dapeng''s scheme of forcing Zhu Mei to pay rent.


    Zhao Dapeng knew that Zhu Mei, with a ten-year-old child, could never leave the market town.


    The dangerous mountains and forests outside the town, the monsters that could appear at any time on the road, and the brutal robbers hiding in the dark��all these known dangers trapped the widow and her child in the town, making even the idea of living among ordinary people seem like a luxury.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 150: Blood Qi Pill, Refinement Successful!

    <h4>Chapter 150: Blood Qi Pill, Refinement Sessful!</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Looking at the sneaky man, Zhu Mei''s icy face was full of disdain.


    She scolded sternly,


    "Zhao Dapeng, you schemed endlessly, disregarding the sect''s rules, and in the end, you want to force me to marry this fool. You''d better abandon that idea early. Don''t entertain such foolish thoughts."


    "Even though my son and I are weak, we would rather starve to death than live with your foolish brother."


    Zhu Mei threw out a cloth bag, her voice cold as she continued,


    "Here are ten spirit stones. Don''t disturb us again."


    After speaking, Zhu Mei directly closed the courtyard gate.


    Zhu Mei''s sudden huge transformation left Zhao Dapeng momentarily at a loss for how to respond, staring nkly as her figure was blocked by the gate.


    Why was this widow suddenly willing to pay the rent?


    The sneaky man was also dumbfounded. This waspletely different from what they had discussedst night.


    "Big brother, what should we do? You said you would find me a wife."


    Zhao Dapeng''s face turned extremely ugly, changing colors rapidly. After a few breaths, he said,


    "Let''s go back! Her husband died outside, and all his possessions were lost. With only the ten spirit stones ofpensation, I want to see how long she can hold on!"


    "But my wife..."


    "I''ll find you a mortal woman."


    ...


    In the small courtyard next door, Ai Kun, who had overheard most of the conversation, shook his head and sighed.


    "Zhu Mei''s husband was named Lu Hong. He was an ambitious man. We were on good terms when he was alive, which counts as friendship in this deceitful world of cultivation."


    "Who would have thought that I, an old man who likes to stay in the market town, would still be alive, while he, who aspired to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, would fall so early?"


    "Heaven is unpredictable, and misfortunes befall humans."


    "Stopmenting here. You didn''t even go help that widow and orphan," Song Wen said impatiently.


    "I''m just an old man who can barely take care of himself. How could I help them..."


    After chatting for a while, the topic returned to talismans. In the end, unable to refuse Ai Kun''s pleading, Song Wen agreed to draw two Thunder Talismans for him every day.


    Song Wen imed he couldn''t produce many Thunder Talismans each day, but that wasn''t true. His spiritual sense was as strong as that of ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The mental energy needed for drawing Thunder Talismans didn''t affect him at all.


    Even using only the pure spiritual power cultivated from the "Longevity Technique," drawing ten Thunder Talismans in one go was a piece of cake for Song Wen.


    ...


    Ten days passed quickly in cultivation, talisman drawing, and alchemy practice.


    After countless cost-ignoring attempts, Song Wen finally grasped some alchemy techniques.


    In his most recent attempt, he was just a step away from sess.


    Although he failed in the end, Song Wen was confident that after a few more tries, he would sessfully produce the Blood Qi Pill.


    Just as he was about to disguise himself and go out, Ai Kun appeared at the courtyard gate.


    "Zhang Cheng, have you finished the twenty Thunder Talismans, you promised me?"


    "They''re ready."


    As Song Wen spoke, he touched the storage pouch at his waist and handed twenty talismans to Ai Kun.


    After verifying the talismans were fine, Ai Kun''s old face lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum.


    "Thank you."


    He handed Song Wen a cloth bag.


    Song Wen took the bag and probed it with his spiritual sense, finding eighty spirit stones inside.


    The market price for twenty Flying Thunder Talismans sold in shops was a hundred spirit stones. ording to Fang Ning''s seventy percent purchase price, it should have been seventy spirit stones.


    "The number of spirit stones is incorrect. Why are there ten extra?" Song Wen asked.


    Ai Kunughed as he said, "I know you have a low sess rate with talismans and rely on them to get by. Since I''m asking for your help, I can''t let you take a loss. Those ten spirit stones are mypensation to you."


    "Won''t you be losing ten spirit stones then?" Song Wen asked.


    Ai Kun replied with a bitter smile, "There''s no other way. We''re stuck under the control of the Beastmaster Sect, so we just have to ept being exploited."


    What he didn''t say was that having Song Wen draw twenty talismans for him saved him a lot of time and mental energy, allowing him to create rare talismans that he could sell in the market for high profits. Themon Flying Thunder Talismans could be handed over to the Beastmaster Sect.


    Song Wen didn''t ask further and casually put the spirit stones into his storage pouch.


    Ai Kun suddenly kept ncing towards the widow''s courtyard, looking extremely lecherous and suspicious.


    "You''re not thinking of making a move on Widow Zhu, are you?" Song Wen asked, ring at Ai Kun with disdain.


    Ai Kun''s eyes widened. "What nonsense are you talking about!"


    He then lowered his voice and whispered, "Do you know why Zhu Mei so readily paid the rent?"


    Song Wen shook his head. "How would I know?"


    Ai Kun leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "She went to the brothel to work."


    "Brothel?" Song Wen was incredulous.


    Just days ago, Zhu Mei had fiercely rejected Zhao Dapeng and his foolish brother. Song Wen had admired her strength. How could she have ended up in a brothel so quickly?


    Ai Kun sighed, "She''s had a hard life. She probably refused Zhao Dapeng''s brother to avoid her child suffering. After all, that fool doesn''t know how to be gentle."


    Thinking of Zhu Mei''s crow''s feet and slightly worn face, Song Wen asked, "Can she attract customers at the brothel?"


    Song Wen worried that with Zhu Mei''s looks, she might not earn enough even to pay the rent.


    Ai Kun, who had been somewhat somber before, suddenly perked up at this topic.


    "You don''t understand. A married woman, a widow, a dignified aunt, a mature woman; any one of these roles can attract a lot of customers, let alone someone who embodies all four."


    Seeing Ai Kun''s excited expression, Song Wen teased, "Seems like you''ve been there?"


    Ai Kun''s face immediately turned serious. "Of course not. I told you before, her husband and I were friends. A friend''s wife is off-limits. She''s in trouble now, and I can''t help her much, but I certainly won''t take advantage."


    "How is it taking advantage? It''s called ''generous assistance''!"


    Ai Kun looked thoughtful, "You might have a point there. I''ll think about it."


    Saying this, Ai Kun walked towards the gate. Just as he reached it, he turned back.


    "By the way, I forgot to tell you, don''t wander around too much recently, especially at night."


    "Why? Is the market town unsafe?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.


    Ai Kun nodded, "Recently, there have been consecutive disappearances of rogue cultivators. Some disappeared in the wilderness, and some within the town. In any case, be careful."


    With that, Ai Kun disappeared around the corner.


    ...


    Several dayster.


    Song Wen finally seeded in refining his first batch of Blood Qi Pills, producing two pills, identical to the ones he first took from Ji Yin.


    Staring at the Blood Qi Pills for a long time, ensuring they were fine, Song Wen calmed his excitement and swallowed one.


    The familiar rush of blood and the surge of spiritual power hit him once again.


    However, this time, the small amount of blood consumed didn''t affect him at all.


    Song Wen quickly activated the "Longevity Technique" to refine the pill''s spiritual power. After half an hour, he had absorbed all the spiritual power from the Blood Qi Pill.


    He then opened his mouth and took the second pill...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 151: Mysterious Altar

    <h4>Chapter 151: Mysterious Altar</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After refining two Blood Qi Pills, Song Wen could clearly feel his "Longevity Technique" cultivation had grown significantly. He was now very close to reaching the fifthyer of Qi Refining.


    Feeling ted, Song Wen had finally found a method to quickly enhance his cultivation.


    However, the potency of the pills was still somewhatcking, and it took three days to sessfully refine a batch of two pills each time, resulting in poor yields.


    Song Wen recalled that the first time he took Blood Qi Pills from Ji Yin, the raw material input was increased, yielding four pills per batch, with the potency more than doubled.


    "Perhaps I should also try increasing the raw material input."


    With this thought, Song Wen felt excited and immediately went out to purchase spirit herbs to attempt a new form.


    Half a monthter, Song Wen finally seeded in refining an enhanced version of the Blood Qi Pills.


    Swallowing one pill, his cultivation grew rapidly.


    That night, while refining the medicinal power of the Blood Qi Pill, Song Wen suddenly sensed an external presence approaching his small courtyard.


    However, the presence did not enter Song Wen''s courtyard but went next door to Sun Daxiong''s house.


    The presence belonged to someone Song Wen had seen before��the genius of the Lei family, Lei Tianyu!


    Lei Tianyu had concealed his aura well. If it weren''t for the vignt ck Armored Gu outside who happened to spot him, even Song Wen, with his spiritual senseparable to ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, would not have noticed him.


    "What is the esteemed heir of the Lei family doing sneaking into the Sun residence in the middle of the night? Could it be that Sun Daxiong has something valuable that Lei Tianyu covets?"


    Curious, Song Wen cautiously extended his spiritual sense to observe Lei Tianyu''s actions.


    Lei Tianyu silentlynded in Sun Daxiong''s courtyard. Confirming that only the leftmost room had someone in it, his face lit up with joy.


    As expected from the intel!


    Sun Daxiong had gone out hunting demonic beasts yesterday and had not returned.


    Only Sun Ru was at home.


    Lei Tianyu approached the front of the living room door.


    He injected a strand of spiritual power into the door seam, quietly unlocking it from the inside.


    Entering the living room, he headed towards the left room.


    Just as he was about to repeat his trick to open the room door, he sensed the room was enveloped by an invisible force.


    A defensive array!


    Faced with an unexpected situation, Lei Tianyu remained calm.


    It was just a basic defensive array called the "Guard Armor Array," which had both defensive and alert functions.


    If someone tried to force their way in, the barrier would emit a bright red light and a piercing buzzing sound to repel intruders and alert the surrounding people.


    The Beast Taming Sect, having collected rent, was responsible for the safety of the rogue cultivators. Upon seeing an alert array activated, the enforcement team would quickly arrive; additionally, neighbors with a sense of justice might alsoe to help.


    Lei Tianyu scoffed at such low-level arrays, but for rogue cultivators like Sun Daxiong, this was already a powerful array. Sun Daxiong had spent a considerable amount to buy it to protect his daughter while he was away.


    Lei Tianyu produced a ck iron token and carefully ced it against the array barrier after injecting spiritual power into it.


    Upon contact, the transparent barrier began to melt like ice meeting fire.


    "Pop!"


    A faint sound was heard.


    As the barrier partially dissolved, it suddenly shatteredpletely.


    The array broken, Sun Ru, who was meditating inside, was startled awake.


    "Who..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, a dark figure lunged at her.


    Suddenly, a sharp pain struck the back of Sun Ru''s head, causing her to lose consciousness and pass out.


    Lei Tianyu took out a ck cloth bag, put Sun Ru inside, hoisted it over his shoulder, and turned to leave the courtyard.


    Seeing this, Song Wen''s mind quickly raced through the information rted to the Lei family.


    The Lei Family Treasure Pavilion, the low-priced "Thunder Palm," the spiritual imprint on the spell jade slip, and the blood aura surrounding Lei Tianyu.


    Additionally...


    Recently, Sun Ru had been practicing the "Thunder Palm" spell!


    Connecting all these pieces of information, a bold hypothesis formed in Song Wen''s mind.


    Before Lei Tianyu could leave the courtyard, Song Wen quietly ced a spiritual imprint on Sun Ru.


    He didn''t ce the imprint on Lei Tianyu, fearing that he might sense it.


    He then sent a ck Armored Gu to silently follow Lei Tianyu.


    Lei Tianyu weaved through the marketce, and under the cover of night, he left the market area.


    Once outside, Lei Tianyu didn''t choose to fly but instead moved through the dense forest to remain unnoticed.


    Song Wen didn''t dare to use demonic spiritual power and only relied on his physical abilities to follow through the forest, which wasn''t very fast.


    But Lei Tianyu, carrying a living person and trying to conceal his aura and tracks, wasn''t very fast either. With the guidance of the ck Armored Gu and the spiritual imprint, Song Wen wasn''t worried about losing track and kept a distance of ten miles behind.


    After traveling two to three hundred miles, Lei Tianyu arrived at argeke that stretched beyond the horizon.


    He looked around, ensuring no one was nearby, then carried the cloth bag containing Sun Ru and jumped into theke.


    The ck Armored Gu also silently slipped into the water, while Song Wen, seven or eight miles away, hurried his pace.


    Theke was very deep at the point where Lei Tianyu submerged, and after diving nearly ten meters, he still hadn''t reached the bottom.


    He didn''t dive further but entered one of the many stone caves on theke''s rocky wall.


    Inside was a narrow passageway, nting downward, filled withke water.


    Lei Tianyu followed the passage for several hundred meters until he reached a stone wall.


    The stone wall seemed unremarkable, no different from other underwater rocks.


    Lei Tianyu took out a ck round te the size of a bowl, and after casting several spells on it, the te emitted a faint golden light.


    Holding the te, he carefully pressed it against a small depression on the stone wall, resembling a spot worn by water erosion.


    Instantly, the stone wall emitted waves of ck light.


    In an instant, a section of the heavy, solid stone wall magically vanished, revealing a doorway about a zhang wide.


    Inside the doorway was arge natural underground cave, filled with strange rocks but no water.


    The entrance seemed to be shielded by an invisible force, keeping theke water out.


    In one corner of the cave, there was a half-mu-sized t area that had been artificially excavated.


    The t surface was densely covered with formation patterns, and at its center stood a half-person-tall square altar.


    Dried ckened blood stains were clearly visible on the altar.


    The walls and surface of the altar were engraved with mysterious lightning patterns, dyed ck by the bloodstains. These patterns seemed to contain the power of ghosts and gods, constantly exuding a strange and inexplicable pressure.


    Next to the t area was a natural pit filled with scattered bones.


    The loweryer of bones had decayed into powder, indicating they had been there for a long time.


    The upperyer of bones was rtively fresh, with flesh notpletely dposed, asionally emitting a foul stench.


    Even more bizarre, the bones in the pit were not just human. There were bones of various demonic beasts, some resembling snakes, some with four hooves, and some with wings.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 152: Stealing the Thunder Technique?

    <h4>Chapter 152: Stealing the Thunder Technique?</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Lei Tianyu stepped into the cave, arriving at the altar and cing Sun Ru on it.


    He then performed several more incantations on the circr disk, causing the cave entrance to revert to a stone wall.


    Unnoticed by him, before the entrance disappeared, a tiny bug slowly crawled into the cave.


    Arrivingte, Song Wen, who had just reached thekeside, stared at the darkke surface for a while before retreating to a dense thicket, concealing his aura and hiding there.


    ...


    Lei Tianyu untied the ck cloth bag and released the unconscious Sun Ru.


    He quickly stripped her naked and left her lying on the cold altar.


    Perhaps due to the shock of the cold and hard altar, Sun Ru slowly regained consciousness, finding herselfpletely naked in a pitch-ck, unfamiliar environment, with a man cloaked in ck standing beside her.


    At only seventeen years old, a girl who had always been under her father''s protection, she had never encountered such a situation.


    "Ah..."


    Sun Ru let out a terrified scream and tried to get up in a panic.


    Lei Tianyu cast a spell, and a powerful force restrained her. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn''t move, only able to twist and turn on the altar covered in dried blood.


    After a moment, Sun Ru realized her predicament and was overwhelmed with fear and despair.


    "Where is this?"


    "Who are you?"


    "Why have you kidnapped me?"


    "What do you want to do?"


    Her voice was filled with terror and anxiety as she shouted loudly.


    Lei Tianyu ignored her pleas and ced nine mid-grade spirit stones into the nine grooves around the altar''s array.


    Next, he cut open his left wrist with his hand, and arge stream of blood flowed from it, dripping onto the array on the ground.


    Lei Tianyu walked slowly around the altar, letting the blood drip continuously from his wrist.


    After all the array patterns around the altar were stained red with blood, he stopped.


    At this point, due to excessive blood loss, Lei Tianyu''s face turned extremely pale, but his eyes were filled with intense excitement.


    The array patterns on the ground began to glow, emitting a faint blood-colored light. The thunder patterns on the altar were also activated, slowly emitting a blood-colored radiance.


    In an instant, it seemed as if some indescribable divine power was awakened. A profound, unfathomable force, not belonging to the current cultivation world, descended into the cave, and a mysterious pressure appeared, weighing heavily on Sun Ru and Lei Tianyu.


    Lei Tianyu used spirit power to seal his wound, faced the altar, and sat cross-legged, pressing his hands firmly into two grooves on the altar''s stone wall.


    Silver lightning flickered from his hands. The lightning initially only flowed over his hands but gradually spread to the entire altar.


    Countless small, bright lightning bolts jumped and moved across the altar.


    Sun Ru, lying on the altar and unable to move, was not harmed by the lightning, but she was filled with an inexplicable terror. She screamed and cried out.


    "Please let me go..."


    "Who are you? What are you trying to do..."


    Suddenly, she felt a powerful suction forceing from the altar beneath her, relentlessly pulling at her back.


    In the blink of an eye, all the flesh in contact with the altar was violently torn apart.


    "Ah... Father, where are you? Come save your daughter. It hurts, it really hurts..."


    As Sun Ru''s heart-wrenching cries echoed, her blood spread across the entire altar, then flowed down the stone walls of the altar.


    Sun Ru gradually felt her soul being torn apart, forcibly extracted from her body by the altar. Her consciousness became increasingly blurry, and she knew she was about to die, her soul about to be scattered.


    But she was filled with unwillingness and resentment. She couldn''t understand why someone who had never done evil would suffer such a cmity.


    What exactly is that man in ck scheming, and what is this altar?


    In the midst of unimaginable agony, Sun Ru felt her soul being torn into fragments,pletely losing consciousness.


    Along with the soul, a certain inexplicable talent was also being pulled away.


    As the blood flowed down, Lei Tianyu''s hands pressed against the stone wall became gradually covered in fresh blood.


    The blood that flowed around seemed to be suddenly drawn by some force, gathering into several red blood snakes that surged towards Lei Tianyu''s hands.


    The blood snakes crawled up his arms and onto his face.


    Then, like frightened snakes returning to their nest, they frantically wriggled into his mouth and nose.


    As the blood snakes entered, Lei Tianyu''s face suddenly contorted in pain.


    "Ah, ah, ah..."


    Lei Tianyu raised his head and let out heart-wrenching, agonized howls.


    With his mouth wide open, the blood snakes flowed into his body more swiftly.


    Soon, the cries turned into even more intense, hysterical howls of pain.


    After a quarter of an hour, Lei Tianyu curled up on the ground, panting heavily, drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through.


    Gradually recovering from the excruciating pain, Lei Tianyu slowly sat up and began to meditate.


    Two hourster, Lei Tianyu opened his eyes.


    With a thought, a surge of lightning appeared in the palm of his open right hand. Observing the lightning in his hand, now more powerful than ever, his bloodshot eyes reflected intense excitement from the recent agony.


    He clenched his right hand, causing the lightning to dissipate.


    Standing up, he casually discarded Sun Ru''s shriveled corpse, which had lost most of its blood, into a pile of rubble.


    After cleaning up the remaining flesh on the altar, Lei Tianyu opened the cave entrance and left.


    ...


    Looking at the horizon, Lei Tianyu mounted his sword and flew off. Once he confirmed that there was no one within several miles, Song Wen dove into theke.


    Lei Tianyu emerged from the underwater cave, but the ck-armored insect that had followed him was still in the cave. Using his connection with the insect, Song Wen easily located the stone wall that led into the cave.


    Although it was daytime, the underwater cave remained pitch-ck.


    Song Wen used his spiritual sense to scan for a while and then took out a glowing stone to illuminate the stone wall, but he still couldn''t distinguish any difference between the stone wall and ordinary underwater rocks.


    Whether through sight, spiritual sense, or direct touch, the stone wall felt like an ordinary stone wall.


    After searching the vicinity, Song Wen concluded that without the circr disk Lei Tianyu had, it would be impossible to open the stone wall and enter the cave.


    Unable to find a way in from the outside, he had to ce his hopes on the ck-armored insect still inside the cave, attempting to find an exit from within.


    The underwater cave was naturally formed rather than man-made, and there was a possibility of other passages.


    Under Song Wen''s guidance, the ck-armored insect searched various parts of the cave.


    First, it explored the stone walls around the cave but found no exits. However, it discovered that the cave was veryrge, with the longest distance exceeding ten miles.


    The cave was extremely irregr, resembling a gourd shape,posed of two somewhat irregr circr caverns with a clearly narrowed section in between.


    The altar was located in therger of the two caverns.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 153: Entering the Cave

    <h4>Chapter 153: Entering the Cave</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Unable to find an opening in the surrounding rock walls, the ck-armored insect searched towards the top of the cave.


    Effort yields results!


    After nearly an hour, it finally found a small hole in a depression at the top of the smaller cavern in the gourd-shaped cave.


    The ck-armored insect crawled up the hole for more than ten meters, and the hole gradually widened. After climbing a few more meters, the hole became a vertical passagerge enough for a person to pass through.


    The vertical passage was twisted and meandering as it ascended.


    After flying up nearly a hundred meters, the ck-armored insect emerged into a cave.


    The cave was filled with stctites and stgmites, with cracks and crevices everywhere, and asional drops of water fell from the ceiling.


    Song Wen emerged from theke bottom, guided by his connection with the ck-armored insect, and headed towards the cave.


    This cave was located inside a small mountain. With the ck-armored insect''s guidance, Song Wen followed the vertical passage.


    Leaping down, he descended the vertical passage for about a hundred meters before it suddenly narrowed to the point where it was no longer passable.


    Song Wen took out a mid-grade magical artifact flying sword, which he had purchased in the Eastern Huafang Market for the purpose of remaining inconspicuous.


    Holding the flying sword, Song Wen began to cut through the rock, cing the cut debris into a spare storage ring.


    This storage ring had originally belonged to Wu Ren and was thergest storage ring Song Wen possessed, with a capacity of two hundred cubic meters, enough to hold all the excavated stones from the twenty-meter vertical passage.


    After spending more than half an hour, he finally cleared the vertical passage and entered the underwater cave.


    In the rugged cave, after walking for some distance, he finally saw the mysterious altar.


    Song Wen circled around the altar and noticed that it, along with the array on the ground, exuded an ancient and mysterious aura that did not match the style of the current cultivation world.


    It was clear that Lei Tianyu had used this array to devour Sun Ru''s thunder technique talent.


    Seeing an array capable of devouring others'' talents for the first time, Song Wen felt both amazed and horrified.


    If it can even plunder talents, then this array and altar are truly world-shaking.


    "Since the thunder technique talent can be devoured, I wonder if the spiritual root can be devoured as well."


    If it could even devour spiritual root talents, it might create the legendary Nine-Rank Spiritual Roots!


    Song Wen vaguely felt that this altar probably couldn''t plunder others'' spiritual root talents. Otherwise, Lei Tianyu could have directly transformed himself into a Nine-Rank Spiritual Root, significantly advancing his cultivation without needing to devour thunder technique talents to enhance its power.


    In the face of absolute cultivation power, even the most powerful techniques be insignificant.


    "But ording to Ai Kun, the mainstream theory in the cultivation world about cultivating thunder techniques is that fire attribute spiritual roots have undergone a mutation, acquiring thunder attribute spiritual roots."


    "How can this array devour a person''s thunder spiritual root?"


    "Could it be that the cultivation world''s theories about thunder spiritual roots are wrong?"


    After pondering for a while with no clear answers, Song Wen decided to stop thinking about it.


    He turned his attention to the rubble-filled pit.


    Sun Ru''s corpse stilly there, face up. Due to the immense pain she suffered before death, her eyes were bulging wide open, staring unblinkingly.


    Beside her corpse was the skeleton of an unknown beast with four hooves, already decayed into a rotted skeleton.


    Seeing this beast''s remains, an image of Kou Chang flying on a green ox shed through Song Wen''s mind.


    A smile crept across Song Wen''s face as he murmured softly, "Interesting!"


    Song Wen took another look around the cave. Apart from the altar and array, there was nothing else in the cave.


    He descended to the bottom of the vertical passage, then flew upwards towards the upper cave.


    While excavating the vertical passage, he had intentionally made it narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, so he could block it with stones.


    He took out suitablerge stones from his storage ring and blocked up the vertical passage.


    After blocking about ten meters, therge stones were used up, and the remaining small stones were no longer suitable for sealing the vertical passage.


    Song Wen flew up to the cave and found arge boulder inside.


    He carried the boulder to the entrance of the vertical passage and used it to seal the entrance.


    After sealing the passage, Song Wen left the cave and headed towards the Eastern Huafang District. On the way, he casually discarded the stones from his storage ring into some inconspicuous corners.


    By the time he returned to the district, it was already afternoon.


    Arriving at the gate of his small courtyard, Song Wen nced over at the neighboring Sun Daxiong''s house. The gate was still tightly closed, and the yard was very quiet. Sun Daxiong had not yet returned from hunting magical beasts.


    Sun Ru''s death had not yet been discovered.


    Song Wen pushed open his own courtyard gate and walked in.


    ---


    Two dayster, in the morning.


    Sun Daxiong, injured but in high spirits, appeared at his doorstep, clearly pleased with his recent hunting sess.


    He pushed open the courtyard gate and, seeing no sign of his daughter, shouted out loudly.


    "Xiao Ru, I''m back! Come out! I managed to hunt a green wolf this time. The mid-grade flying sword you wantedst time, I''ve brought it back for you."


    After waiting for a moment, he noticed that his daughter did note running out of the house with her usual excitement.


    Sun Daxiong''s smile faded, and he murmured with some confusion.


    "Where could that girl have gone? Did she go out to the district for a stroll?"


    Talking to himself, Sun Daxiong stepped into the house. When he reached the door to Sun Ru''s room, his expression changed drastically.


    The door to Sun Ru''s room was wide open, and the room was empty.


    What truly frightened him was that the six-armored array he had bought to protect his daughter was forcefully breached. The array te was on the bed, the array gs were still there, and there were still spirit stones in the array''s base, though their spiritual energy had not yet been depleted.


    But the array had stopped functioning.


    The array had been forcibly broken from the outside!


    A sense of foreboding immediately overwhelmed Sun Daxiong.


    He turned and ran anxiously out of the courtyard, shouting loudly as he ran.


    "Xiao Ru! Xiao Ru! Where are you?"


    Receiving no response, Sun Daxiong ran desperately out of the courtyard towards the district enforcement team''s location.


    Two quarters of an hourter, a team of sevente-stage Qi Cultivators from the Beastmaster Sect arrived outside Sun Daxiong''s courtyard.


    After investigating the scene and questioning the neighbors, they found no useful information.


    There were no signs of Sun Ru leaving voluntarily, nor any residual traces of an intrusion.


    All the neighbors, including Song Wen, reported that they had not seen Sun Ru in the past two days and had not noticed any unusual activity.


    With no information to go on, the enforcement team concluded that Sun Ru was missing and left without further action.


    In the Eastern Huafang District, with many loose cultivatorsing and going each year, the disappearance of one person like Sun Ru caused no significant stir.


    Only Sun Daxiong remained in a state of despair, kneeling in front of his courtyard.


    This tall and robust man, who had never uttered a sound even when severely injured by magical beasts, now appeared stunned and vacant. He stared nkly at the empty courtyard and house, pping his face repeatedly.


    His face was swollen from the ps, blood seeping from his mouth, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain.


    It was as if he was ming himself for not taking better care of his daughter, feeling guilty towards his deceased wife.


    And perhaps also ming himself for not returning earlier...


    Despite knowing that the district had been restless recently, with over twenty loose cultivators mysteriously disappearing in the past few months, he still went out to hunt magical beasts.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 154: The Vendor and the Rogue Cultivator

    <h4>Chapter 154: The Vendor and the Rogue Cultivator</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen left his small courtyard and closed the gate, ncing at Sun Daxiong, who was sitting and kneeling at the gate of the neighboring courtyard.


    The sudden disappearance of his daughter hadpletely devastated this man, who was usually spirited and full of energy.


    With a detached expression, Song Wen walked past Sun Daxiong and headed towards the district.


    Two quarters of an hourter, Song Wen, in disguise, entered a spirit beast shop.


    The shop not only sold spirit beasts and spirit insects but also provided the pills and spiritual herbs needed to care for them.


    Since arriving in Eastern Huafang District, Song Wen had visited several spirit beast shops and had bought beginner''s manuals for raising spirit insects, but they had not been of much help in nurturing his own insects.


    Though spirit insects and Gu insects differ by only one character in Chinese, their cultivation methods are worlds apart.


    Cultivating spirit insects is simr to raising spirit beasts, involving the signing of a soul contract to establish a spiritual connection between the cultivator and the creature. This creates a mutually beneficial and equal rtionship.


    Cultivators usually focus on fostering emotional bonds with their spirit beasts and insects to enhance their synergy.


    Gu insects, however, are different. They are forcefully refined by cultivators, leading to spiritual envement, which is why Gu insects sometimes rebel against their masters.


    The cultivation of Gu insects is also more brutal. Gu masters often make the insects devour each other to produce stronger individuals.


    Song Wen came to the spirit beast shop to buy spirit beast pills.


    Spirit beast pills help enhance the bloodline of spirit beasts and increase their strength.


    He nned to use these pills to improve the bloodline of his ck Armored Gu.


    Previously, Song Wen had purchased two bottles of first-grade superior spirit beast pills. After using them on the strongest of his ck Armored Gu for an extended period, the insect''s aura had be somewhat stronger, but there were no signs of advancement yet.


    Having used up the previous pills, Song Wen intended to buy two more bottles.


    "Do you have any second-grade spirit beast pills for sale?" Song Wen asked a shop assistant.


    The effects of first-grade superior spirit beast pills were minimal, so Song Wen wanted to go for something stronger.


    The assistant replied with a smile, "Sorry, senior, but second-grade and above spirit beast pills are only avable from the Beastmaster Sect. None of the shops in the district carry them."


    Song Wen nodded, understanding that this was another way forrge sects to suppress loose cultivators.


    "Then give me two bottles of first-grade superior spirit beast pills."


    After paying one hundred spirit stones, Song Wen received two bottles of spirit beast pills, totaling twenty pills.


    Exiting the shop, Song Wen headed towards the vendor district to buy some spiritual herbs needed for refining blood qi pills.


    As he scanned the various stalls, looking for the herbs he needed, something caught his eye.


    Suddenly, his gaze sharpened.


    A short-statured vendor discreetly handed three jade bottles, each inscribed with sealing runes, to a schrly-looking rogue cultivator.


    The vendor then received a bag of spirit stones from the cultivator and slipped the jade bottles into his waist pouch.


    The entire exchange happened in a sh, but Song Wen caught it out of the corner of his eye.


    Song Wen immediately recognized that the sealing runes on the jade bottles were meant to store blood essence.


    The two individuals had just exchanged blood essence, specifically human blood essence. If it were beast blood, such caution would not be necessary.


    Song Wen detected no traces of demonic cultivator energy from either person, suggesting that the blood essence in the jade bottles was not refined by the vendor himself, and the buyer had not consumed it but was merely running an errand for someone else.


    After receiving the blood essence, the schrly cultivator turned and left, brushing past Song Wen and quickly disappearing around a corner.


    The vendor watched the schrly cultivator vanish with a hint of greed in his eyes.


    This was not the first time the schrly cultivator had bought blood essence from him, but it was the first time he had purchased three bottles at once, worth a total of over a hundred spirit stones. The cultivator had paid without batting an eye, indicating he was quite wealthy.


    The vendor took out amunication jade slip and sent a message.


    ---


    In the evening.


    The dark clouds in the distant sky swallowed thest bit of twilight.


    As the sky grew darker, the short vendor began to pack up his stall, deciding it was best to leave the district early since it wasn''t very safe after dark.


    Moreover, he often provided information to the rogue cultivators he worked with, so it was likely that they had already seeded in their mission. He needed to go and collect his share of the spoils.


    He quickly packed up his stall and hurried out of the market.


    After leaving the market and traveling several miles along a forest path, he used the dim light to check his surroundings. Once he confirmed he was not being followed, he used a flight technique to soar into the air and speed towards the distance.


    A quarter of an hourter, the flight technique expired, and he had traveled over thirty miles.


    The vendor did not continue flying but descended and moved through the increasingly dark forest.


    Suddenly, a figure cloaked entirely in ck blocked his path.


    The vendor''s face changed dramatically. Despite his caution, he had still been followed.


    Fixing his gaze on the dark figure ahead, he suppressed his panic and said in a deep voice:


    "Fellow cultivator, if you''ve stopped me, what is it that you need?"


    The shadowy figure spoke in a harsh, gravelly voice:


    "If you dare move your hand towards your waist pouch, I will sever it."


    Seeing his small movement detected, the vendor''s face grew even uglier. He stopped his hand from moving towards his waist pouch and slowly raised both hands.


    "Fellow cultivator, please calm down. Whatever you need, just say so. I will certainlyply."


    Song Wen asked, "Where did you obtain the human blood essence you have?"


    The vendor immediately replied, "I bought it in the Ghost Market."


    "Ghost Market?" Song Wen murmured.


    He had tracked the vendor because he recognized him as someone who frequented the gray areas and hoped to learn about the underground ck market in Eastern Huafang District through him.


    Based on previous experiences in the Corpse Demon Sect''s market, many items that could not be sold in the market were avable in the ck market.


    "Where is the Ghost Market?" Song Wen asked coldly.


    "It''s four hundred miles east of Eastern Huafang District, in a mist-covered ravine."


    "Are there any requirements to enter the Ghost Market?"


    "There are no special requirements. Just pay two spirit stones to gain entry."


    Song Wen nodded, slowly backing away until he waspletely hidden in the darkness, disappearing from sight.


    Seeing that the figure hadpletely vanished, the vendor sighed in relief, his previously tense heart finally settling.


    The vendor had not sensed any energy fluctuations from the cloaked figure, indicating that the figure''s strength far surpassed his own.


    Just as the vendor prepared to use his movement technique to leave, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.


    It was as if something had crushed his skull and pulverized his brain.


    His consciousness began to fade as his body fell straight down.


    In the darkness, a figure swiftly emerged, grabbing the vendor''s shattered head.


    It was Song Wen, who had returned.


    Soul Searching Technique!


    Song Wen was fortunate. The iplete memories obtained through the soul search provided some information about the Ghost Market.


    The vendor had not lied about the location and entry requirements of the Ghost Market.


    What the short vendor did not mention was that the Ghost Market was only open at night. Moreover, the mist surrounding the Ghost Market interfered with cultivators'' spiritual and sensory detection, making it easy for those unfamiliar with the area to get lost in the fog.


    The vendor''s memories also included details about colluding with rogue cultivators to rob customers. Since these details were irrelevant to Song Wen, he did not examine them closely.


    After devouring the vendor''s soul and blood and disposing of the body, Song Wen applied a Haste Talisman and set off towards the Ghost Market.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 155: The Ghost Dao Family

    <h4>Chapter 155: The Ghost Dao Family</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Half an hourter, Song Wen arrived at the outskirts of the misty Ghost Market.


    He found himself at the entrance of a valley, entirely shrouded in thick mist. The deeper he went into the valley, the denser the mist became, making it hard to see clearly.


    ording to the vendor''s memory, following a small path in the valley for more than ten miles would lead him to the entrance of the Ghost Market, situated between tworge mountains.


    Song Wen extended his spiritual sense and found that it could only probe up to one mile. The mist indeed interfered with spiritual detection.


    Song Wen did not rush into the valley but instead released all his ck-armored Gu. Fortunately, the mist did not greatly affect them. With their help, Song Wen could detect everything within a radius of several miles, which eased his mind.


    He stepped onto the path and proceeded deeper into the valley.


    The path wound and twisted, stretching onward.


    As he ventured further into the valley, the mist grew denser, reducing visibility to only two or three meters. The range of his spiritual sense continued to shrink. Gradually, it could only probe up to a few meters, and even with the help of the ck-armored insects, the detection range was limited to a mile.


    Fortunately, nothing unusual happened along the way. Even when encountering cultivators dressed in peculiar attire, they mutually avoided conflict without any incidents.


    After a quarter of an hour, a ravine about fifty meters wide appeared within Song Wen''s perception. The walls of the ravine were high, the exact height unknown as it exceeded what Song Wen could sense.


    At the ravine''s entrance, two cultivators in ck robes and ghostly masks stood guard. ording to the short vendor''s memory, these two were the guards of the Ghost Market.


    As Song Wen approached the guards, he handed over two spirit stones.


    One of the guards took the stones and said in a gruff voice:


    "The Ghost Market closes at the hour of the Ghost, so you must leave before then."


    Song Wen nodded and entered the ravine.


    After walking another ten meters into the ravine, the scene before him opened up.


    On either side of the ravine, about every ten meters, there was a dark redntern. Thenterns emitted a crimson glow that dispersed the thick mist.


    On both sides of the ravine, ancient houses extended into the distance.


    In the center was a wide street crowded with cultivators.


    The ancient houses were bathed in the crimson light, with lingering thin mist still present. Combined with the various strange and frightening masks worn by the cultivators, the Ghost Market indeed resembled a ce from the underworld.


    Song Wen followed the street for over twenty meters and entered an inconspicuous narrow shop.


    The shop had no signboard, and there were no goods on disy. Only a thin, middle-aged cultivator sat at the counter, ying with a ck stone ball.


    As soon as he entered the shop, Song Wen felt a spiritual scan. He became suddenly alert; the thin cultivator was surprisingly a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    The spiritual scan quickly passed and was soon withdrawn by the thin cultivator.


    Song Wen was wary of him, and the cultivator harbored some suspicion towards Song Wen, as his scan detected no spiritual fluctuations from him.


    This situation could mean one of three things: either Song Wen''s cultivation was significantly higher; or he was using some secret technique or artifact topletely conceal his spiritual presence; or he truly had no cultivation.


    Given that someone could reach the misty Ghost Market, it was unlikely they were an ordinary person with no cultivation.


    The thin cultivator leaned towards the possibility that Song Wen was using some secret technique or artifact to conceal his presence. After all, topletely hide any spiritual fluctuations, one would need to be at least a Golden Core cultivator. Even ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator should still have detectable spiritual fluctuations. A Golden Core cultivator would not need to be so cautious aboutpletely concealing their presence.


    The thin cultivator stood up and said to Song Wen, "Fellow cultivator, wee to my humble shop. How can I assist you?"


    "Do you have any Xuan Yin Stones?" Song Wen asked, his voiceing from beneath a bullhead mask.


    The vendor''s human vital blood was purchased from this shop. Not knowing much about the Ghost Market, Song Wen decided to start here and try his luck.


    "Xuan Yin Stones?" The thin cultivator''s voice showed surprise.


    They were a type of third-grade spiritual material, and even more so, they were a Yin-attributed spiritual material!


    Could this person really be a Golden Core cultivator?


    Even if he wasn''t a Golden Core cultivator, he should at least be ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; otherwise, he wouldn''t be inquiring about a third-grade spiritual material like the Xuan Yin Stone.


    Despite his astonishment, the thin cultivator maintained a calm expression and shook his head.


    "Fellow cultivator, I''m sorry, but I don''t have any Xuan Yin Stones here."


    "Pardon the intrusion!" Without the item he needed, Song Wen turned and walked toward the shop''s exit without hesitation.


    Just as Song Wen was about to step out the door, the thin cultivator suddenly spoke up.


    "Fellow cultivator, please wait."


    Song Wen stopped, turned around, and asked with a hint of suspicion.


    "Fellow cultivator, what can I do for you?"


    "I know a ce where Xuan Yin Stones can be found."


    Song Wen''s interest was piqued. "Oh? Are you offering information about the Xuan Yin Stones for sale?"


    The thin cultivator shook his head. "I do know where to find them, but I don''t intend to sell the information."


    Song Wen''s demeanor suddenly grew cold, and a faint hint of murderous intent began to emanate.


    Before entering the Ghost Market, Song Wen hadpletely concealed his cultivation aura to give the impression of being unfathomable.


    Since he was disguising himself as a master, he needed to project the aura of a master.


    "Fellow cultivator, are you toying with me?"


    Seeing the misunderstanding, the thin cultivator quickly rified.


    "Please don''t be hasty. Let me exin."


    "The Xuan Yin Stones I mentioned belong to a Foundation Establishment family, and I hold a deep grudge against them."


    "This family massacres cultivators and ordinary people, extracting their souls to refine sinister ghostly techniques. Unfortunately, my hometown was ughtered by this family."


    "My entire family was brutally murdered, their souls torn from their bodies, unable to rest in peace, eternally tormented. Their souls are likely trapped in some ghostly artifacts, turned into mindless wraiths, suffering endlessly."


    The thin cultivator''s tone grew more agitated and furious.


    He continued.


    "My daily cultivation is solely for the purpose of seeking revenge."


    "This family is so inhuman that their crimes are beyond measure. I have already contacted thirteen cultivators with a blood feud against this family, and we will soon attack them."


    "I am telling you all this to seek your assistance."


    "Firstly, to eliminate this evil family and bring peace to the world; secondly, you may also obtain the Xuan Yin Stones."


    Song Wen listened silently, his expression unchanged.


    After a moment of contemtion, he finally spoke.


    "Your story is indeed tragic, but to ask me to risk my life to attack a Foundation Establishment family based solely on your word seems rather fanciful."


    "Even if what you say is true, facing an unknown cultivation family, I''m afraid Ick the courage to confront them."


    While Song Wen''s words seemed like a refusal, he was actually testing the waters. He wanted to see if he could gather more detailed information about the cultivation family from the thin cultivator.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 156: The Tianhe Li Family

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Tianhe Li Family</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The thin cultivator smiled slightly upon hearing Song Wen''s response.


    "Fellow cultivator, there''s no need to provoke me. I''m not going to easily reveal the name of that Foundation Establishment family."


    "If you''re truly interested, you cane to the Ghost Market''s eastern outskirts, ten miles away from the Three Rivers Confluence after the hour of Shen."


    "We, the thirteen cultivators, will gather there to discuss attacking the Foundation Establishment family."


    "At that time, I will share all the information about the Foundation Establishment family with you."


    Song Wen furrowed his brows and asked, "Fellow cultivator, can you tell me what level of cultivation the thirteen cultivators have?"


    The thin cultivator replied, "I can disclose that. Among us thirteen, there are two Foundation Establishment cultivators, three early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the remaining eight are all at the ninth level of Qi Refining."


    "The family we n to attack has six Foundation Establishment cultivators and nearly a hundredte-stage Qi Refining cultivators."


    Song Wen nodded and said, "Thank you for the information. I will consider it. Farewell."


    After speaking, Song Wen left without hesitation.


    Once outside the thin cultivator''s shop, Song Wen casually explored the entire Ghost Market.


    The Ghost Market wasn''t veryrge, only about a few hundred meters in size.


    The front part was filled with shops, while the back part had stalls.


    Many of the spiritual items for sale here were considered forbidden in East Huafang Market.


    Song Wen felt as though he was in a small magical artifact market.


    Human blood, cultivator souls, ghostly and demonic qi, corpse qi, ghostly methods, corpse techniques, blood magic...


    All these items could be found in the Ghost Market.


    After spending a few months in East Huafang Market, Song Wen had gradually learned about the righteous sects'' situations.


    In the righteous sect''s territory, it was rare for cultivators to practice demonic techniques, as their bodies would be tainted by the world''s filth, making their demonic nature obvious to others.


    However, many righteous cultivators secretly practiced some demonic techniques that were less likely to taint their aura or refined demonic artifacts.


    For instance, the Foundation Establishment family mentioned by the thin cultivator secretly refined ghostly artifacts. As long as they didn''t openly use these artifacts, their demonic practices wouldn''t be easily detected.


    The righteous sects turned a blind eye to such secret practices, as long as these cultivators didn''t tantlymit acts that would anger the heavens or themon people. Generally, the righteous sects wouldn''t actively seek to eliminate them.


    The Ghost Market clearly existed with the tacit approval of the Beastmaster Sect and the Lei Family, or even involved direct benefits for the two major powers.


    Otherwise, the Ghost Market would have been wiped out long ago by the Beastmaster Sect and the Lei Family.


    After a round of exploration, though there were many demonic items in the Ghost Market, Song Wen didn''t find what he urgently needed.


    The Tier 3 spirit beast elixir he wanted wasn''t avable in the Ghost Market either.


    It seemed that the Beastmaster Sect had very strict control over Tier 3 spirit beast elixirs.


    In the future.


    At the Three Rivers Confluence!


    Thirteen cultivators gathered there, with the thin cultivator among them.


    The number of Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators matched exactly what the thin cultivator had described.


    None of the thirteen cultivators concealed their aura or appearance; they all showed their true selves, indicating that they trusted each otherpletely.


    "Fellow cultivators, we all have deep enmity with the Li Family. For the sake of revenge, we are all willing to risk our lives."


    "After nning for so many years, everyone is now ready. Tonight at the hour of Zi, it is the time for us to seek revenge and settle old scores."


    An older cultivator in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, who was somewhat overweight, spoke.


    A female cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment stepped forward. What made her most striking was her face.


    She had a long scar running from her left forehead to her right jaw, resembling a long centipede crawling across her face.


    Her left eye was also lost due to the scar; it had sunk inward, making her appearance quite terrifying.


    The female cultivator''s face was filled with hatred, as if it were suppressing a raging inferno.


    "Finally, the day hase. I, Nie Qian, and the Tianhe Li Family will not rest until one side is annihted!"


    "My family of thirty-two people, and this scar on my face, are all the work of the Li Family. Over the years, I have never repaired this scar, as a constant reminder of my deep hatred with the Li Family."


    As she spoke, the scar on her face twitched and moved as if it were alive, writhing like a centipede.


    Under Nie Qian''s influence, most of the cultivators had eyes filled with overwhelming hatred, united in theirmon cause.


    Only the thin cultivator was looking around, as if searching for someone.


    "Wang Yi, what''s the matter?"


    The mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder noticed the thin cultivator''s actions and asked.


    Wang Yi, somewhat disappointed at not finding the expected figure, replied, "Elder Li, a few days ago, a mysterious cultivator with undetectable cultivation came to my shop. He was looking for Xuan Yin Stones, and I wanted to recruit him to join us in attacking the Li Family."


    "I invited him toe here today, but his presence is missing."


    "I suspect he might be ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. It''s a pity; if he hade, it would have been more assured to deal with the old bastard Li Jiangu."


    Elder Li''s heart sank with a sense of alert. He spoke sternly, "Wang Yi, you didn''t reveal our n to attack the Li Family to that mysterious cultivator, did you? If he is in league with the Li Family and reveals our n to them, all our years of nning will be in vain."


    Wang Yi replied, "Elder Li, rest assured. I wouldn''t be so foolish. I didn''t disclose the name of the Li Family or our action n to him. He knows nothing."


    Elder Li sighed in relief and said, "That''s good. However, if what you said is true and ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator joins us, it would indeed increase our chances of sess."


    "Ah! It''s my own fault. I''m stuck at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and have been for decades. Seeing my lifespan dwindling, I still can''t break through. Otherwise, my n could have been postponed for a few more years to umte even stronger forces."


    Wang Yi said, "Elder Li, don''t be too hard on yourself. If it weren''t for the countless hours and effort you''ve put into gathering us, we might never have had the chance to seek revenge."


    Wang Yi then continued to ask, "Elder Li, based on your understanding, is it true that the old bastard Li Jiangu has obtained several Xuan Yin Stones?"


    Elder Li replied, "It''s mostly true. The old bastard Li Jiangu is only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, but he has two ghost generalsparable tote-stage Foundation Establishment. Without Xuan Yin Stones, it would be difficult for him to refine such ghostly creatures."


    Ten miles away, in a small cave, Song Wen, who had been observing everything through the ck-armored insects, felt a bit surprised.


    It seemed that the thin cultivator, Wang Yi, was indeed telling the truth about what he had said.


    The Tianhe Li Family was about three thousand miles away from here, located on the famous Tianhe River in the Tianyuan Continent, and had be wealthy by raising Qingjia spirit fish.


    ording to what Song Wen knew, there were indeed rumors that the Tianhe Li Family was involved in refining ghostly artifacts.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 157: The Five Elements Rotating Formation

    <h4>Chapter 157: The Five Elements Rotating Formation</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    On this night, at the hour of Zi, the Tianhe River surged with mighty force, roaring like thunder and churning waves.


    On a certain concave bank of the Tianhe, there was argeplex of buildings built against the mountains, with several courtyards arranged in an orderly manner.


    Between the courtyards were dozens of artificialkes, whererge fish with iron-like scales, known as Qingjia Spirit Fish, could be vaguely seen swimming back and forth.


    This was the residence of the Tianhe Li Family. The Qingjia Spirit Fish were famous in the cultivation world for their ability to enhance cultivation and strengthen the body when consumed.


    At the outermost artificialke, two mortal warrior servants, each carrying a dimntern and arge wooden barrel, struggled to walk to the edge of theke.


    The barrels were filled with fresh blood and meat.


    The two mortal warriors picked up pieces of meat the size of a human head and threw them into theke.


    Immediately, the blood seeped out, turning a portion of theke water a faint red.


    A green fish, over two meters long, suddenly leapt from the bottom of the water, creating arge ssh, and swallowed the meat chunk in one bite, tearing at it with its finely serrated teeth.


    As more pieces of meat were thrown into the water, Qingjia Spirit Fish continuously leaped from below,peting fiercely for the meat.


    Suddenly, one of the servants'' heads exploded, and his body fell toward theke surface.


    The other servant, sttered with blood, had a sudden thought, "An enemy attack!"


    "But aren''t there cultivators from the Li Family stationed outside? Who could have infiltrated this ce silently?"


    Before he could call for help, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down, he saw a gaping blood hole the size of a bowl.


    His body fell into theke as well.


    The two fresh human corpses fell into theke, and the Qingjia Spirit Fish went into a frenzy. The fish swarmed around the corpses, tearing them apart and creating tumultuous waves.


    More than a dozen figures shed by theke''s edge, heading towards the depths of the Li Family''s estate.


    These thirteen cultivators, seeking revenge, were ruthless in their actions. Wherever they went, no matter whether they were mortals or cultivators, and regardless of whether they were members of the Li Family or not, no one survived.


    They ughtered their way toward the core of the Li Family''s residence, swiftly raiding several miles and killing over a thousand people.


    Finally, a Li Family cultivator, on the brink of death, managed to send out a warning.


    A fireball struck the building, causing a massive explosion and a fire that quickly illuminated the dark, silent night, attracting the attention of the Li Family members.


    The Li Family was immediately thrown into chaos, with fleeing servants, panickingmoners, and dying low-level cultivators scrambling everywhere.


    "Enemy attack! Enemy attack..."


    The terrified screams and the chaotic crowd filled Elder Li and the others with a sense of vengeful satisfaction. In the past, when their family and fellow vigers were ughtered by the Li Family, they had been just as terrified and panicked.


    No mercy, nopassion!


    Everywhere they went became a battlefield, and everyone they saw was an enemy.


    Today, they would eradicate the Li Family to root out their deep-seated hatred.


    Suddenly, a stern voice came from afar.


    "Who dares to be so insolent in my Li Family!"


    A figure flew in on a sword from a distance.


    As a Foundation Establishment powerhouse of the Li Family appeared, the Li Family cultivators seemed to regain their morale and began gathering from all directions.


    A great battle was about to erupt.


    Among the thirteen vengeful cultivators, those in the Foundation Establishment stage were the main force, each wielding a spirit weapon, ready to ughter their way through.


    The eight cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Refinement moved around the periphery of the battlefield, easing the pressure on the five Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As the number of Li Family cultivators increased, the battle soon reached a stalemate.


    Suddenly, a gaunt old man with a ghostly aura appeared.


    The old man resembled a desated corpse, as if only ayer of skin and flesh were wrapped around his bones.


    Any experienced cultivator would immediately recognize that the old man was afflicted with excessive ghostly energy, which he had failed to properly refine. The ghostly energy had corroded his flesh, turning it into something akin to decaying meat.


    If a solution wasn''t found quickly, the old man would not have much time left to live.


    This old man was none other than Li Jiangu, the greatest enemy of Elder Li and the others.


    Li Jiangu''s hollow eyes, like those of a skeleton, stared coldly as he spoke.


    "A bunch of vermin trying to cling to life, thinking that by joining forces, you can shake the Li Family?"


    After speaking, Li Jiangu ordered the younger Li Family members beside him.


    "Step aside and deal with those Qi Refinement nuisances. Surround these five and prevent their escape. Tonight, I will personally root out these pests."


    "Yes, Ancestor!"


    The five Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li Family disengaged from the battle, leaving the battlefield to Li Jiangu as they went to deal with the Qi Refinement cultivators.


    At this moment, only seven Qi Refinement cultivators seeking revenge remained, most of them injured. They were no match for the five Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Li Family, and within a few breaths, they were all ughtered.


    While the Li Family cultivators were chasing down the seven remaining enemies, Li Jiangu and Wang Yi''s group had already shed.


    Li Jiangu tapped the two ghost-raising bags at his waist, and two ghostly beings appeared in the air. One had a green face and sharp fangs, while the other had a red face with disheveled hair. These two ghosts were high-level ghost generals,parable in strength to Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As soon as the two ghost generals appeared, a chilling wind swept across the Li Family''s estate.


    Elder Li and hispanions were not surprised but rather pleased.


    Elder Li shouted, "Everyone, after years of nning, sess or failure hinges on this moment. If we do not kill that old scoundrel Li Jiangu, we swear we will not be human."


    "Formation, activate!"


    The other four cultivators immediately sat cross-legged, surrounding Elder Li in the center.


    Each of them produced an array te from their hands, which glowed with a bright green light.


    Suddenly, nine array gs around them lit up with a greenish glow.


    Unbeknownst to Li Jiangu, the eight Qi Refinement cultivators patrolling the perimeter had been secretly cing the nine array gs.


    Li Jiangu had unwittingly fallen into the trap carefully set by Wang Yi and his group, bing trapped in the formation alone.


    Elder Li also held an array te, though his was slightlyrger than those of the other four.


    "Five Elements Rotating Formation, activate!"


    A formation barrier glowing with five colors rose abruptly, enveloping an area of several miles and trapping Li Jiangu and the two ghost generals within it.


    Holding the array te, Elder Li shouted loudly.


    "Geng Metal!"


    The five cultivators responded by casting their spells onto their respective array tes.


    Instantly, streams of sharp Geng Metal energy surged within the formation.


    The Geng Metal energy quickly coalesced into numerous sharp, transparent des.


    These des, like a torrent of razor-sharp streams, surged towards the two high-level ghost generals.


    Li Jiangu''s expression tightened as he was suddenly trapped within the Five Elements Rotating Formation, which was somewhat unexpected.


    However, his ghost generals were not to be underestimated.


    The two ghost generals emittedrge amounts of ghostly energy, which quickly formed into substantial ck armor, covering their entire bodies.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 158: Formation Breach

    <h4>Chapter 158: Formation Breach</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    At this moment, the torrent of Geng Metal des was unleashed.


    The des rushed forth like a surging river, continuously pounding against the two ghost generals.


    The numerous small des relentlessly struck the ck armor, creating massive impacts that caused the two ghosts to continually retreat, unable to approach Elder Li and the others.


    The ck armor made of ghostly energy began to disintegrate under the torrent''s assault.


    Seeing the effects, Elder Li''s eyes lit up with surprise, and he shouted:


    "Ding Fire!"


    Before the Geng Metal des hadpletely dissipated, a fire dragon several dozen meters long slowly took shape.


    The fire dragon roared and breathed fire, its might impressive.


    Li Jiangu''s eyes flickered with a hint of panic.


    Ding Fire was a form of celestial Yang fire with a touch of sr power. This type of pure Yang power was second only to lightning in its ability to harm ghosts.


    Li Jiangu panicked, and the Li Family cultivators outside the formation also fell into chaos.


    As soon as the formation barrier was erected, many Li Family cultivatorsunched a full-scale attack on the barrier, trying to break it and rescue their ancestor.


    However, even with the five Foundation Establishment cultivators and a hundred Qi Refinement cultivators at thete stage, they could not forcibly break through the formation.


    "Stop attacking!"


    A female Li Family cultivator suddenly shouted.


    "This formation is the Five Elements Rotating Formation. It has the power to convert the energies of the five elements. If attacks of mixed elemental energies hit the formation, they will be absorbed and countered by the formation."


    "To forcibly break the formation, you must use attacks of a single element. Once the formation absorbs an excess of a single element''s energy, it will disrupt the bnce of the Five Elements, causing the formation to copse."


    Hearing this, the Li Family cultivators stopped attacking and looked at the female cultivator, clearly waiting for her instructions on which elemental energy to use.


    The female cultivator shouted:


    "Our Li Family is founded on water-based techniques. Use water-based spells to attack the formation barrier."


    Upon hermand, the cultivators began casting water-based spells and invoking water-type techniques.


    Water columns fell from the sky, roaring water dragons, ice crystal arrows, freezing cold winds...


    Various water-based techniques gradually formed and surged towards the formation barrier.


    Countless attacks struck the formation barrier, causing continuous deafening roars.


    The formation barrier flickered violently, as if it were on the verge of shattering.


    Elder Li, who was controlling the fire dragon, suddenly staggered as if struck heavily. He felt a sharp pain in his chest and spurted blood, staining his front with red.


    "Elder Li!"


    Wang Yi eximed, his eyes filled with concern.


    Elder Li''s gaze remained sharp, his eyes fixed on the two ghost generals as he controlled the fire dragon in the air, roaring and charging forward.


    "I''m fine. Focus on maintaining the formation."


    ...


    Two miles away, Song Wen, who was focusing on devouring the bodies found by the ck beetles, saw this scene and noticed the Li Family cultivators attacking the formation. His eyes flickered with killing intent.


    "I can''t let you ruin my ns. I''m counting on Wang Yi and the others to deal with Li Jiangu while I take the opportunity to grab the Xuan Yin Stones."


    The seven ck beetles scattered in various locations suddenly flew towards the Li Family cultivators on the edge of the battlefield.


    The female Foundation Establishment cultivator attacking the formation barrier suddenly noticed several of her subordinates copse without warning from a distance.


    Before she could react, more of her subordinates fell.


    Scanning with her spiritual sense, she discovered several tiny bugs as small as grains of rice.


    The female cultivator quickly shouted.


    "Everyone be careful! The enemy has hidden traps with tiny bugs as small as grains of rice controlling the attack."


    Upon hearing the warning, the Li Family cultivators immediately became alert, expanding their spiritual senses to guard against the bugs. As they were distracted, their spellcasting slowed down, and their attacks weakened, reducing the pressure on the rotating formation.


    Seeing that only a few people had been killed by the ck beetles before being discovered, Song Wen, somewhat disappointed, recalled the beetles.


    The ck beetles were only at the Qi Refinement stage and could be easily killed if they got close to Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Within the formation, the fire dragon descended before the two ghost generals, opening its massive jaws to bite the green-faced ghost general and whipping its tail towards the red-haired ghost general.


    The two high-level ghost generals,parable to Foundation Establishmentte-stage cultivators, seemed tiny before the giant fire dragon, yet they fought back fiercely.


    Although it appeared to be a stalemate, the sr energy from the fire dragon was rapidly depleting the ghosts'' ghostly energy.


    After about thirty breaths, the sr energy was exhausted, and the fire dragon dwindled to mere sparks, dissipating.


    Seeing this, Li Jiangu sighed with relief, knowing that if the fire dragon hadsted longer, the two ghost generals might have been gradually worn down.


    Even with just thirty breaths, the two ghost generals had suffered severe depletion of their ghostly energy, and their ghostly armor had nearly vanished.


    Before Li Jiangu could enjoy his respite, another fire dragon slowly took shape.


    Li Jiangu''s heart sank, and he quickly shouted towards the formation''s outer edge.


    "Hurry up and break the formation! I can''t hold out much longer."


    A dragon''s roar echoed through the heavens and the earth.


    The fire dragon attacked again.


    Li Jiangu, unable to withstand the fire dragon with his mortal body, could only order the two ghost generals to block the fire dragon once more.


    The severely weakened ghost generals were encircled by the fire dragon''s massive form, suffering as if trapped in a fiery hell.


    Their ghostly energy rapidly diminished, and their ethereal forms began to be transparent.


    Seeing this, Li Jiangu''s face turned frantic. If the fire dragon continued, the two ghost generals would be obliterated, their souls scattered.


    He waved his hand, and the two ghost generals transformed into two gusts of Yin wind, drilling into the ghost-rearing bags at his waist.


    Without the ghost generals blocking them, the fire dragon roared towards Li Jiangu.


    A fist-sized transparent water droplet suddenly appeared in front of Li Jiangu. This droplet, extracted from countless rivers andkes, was a rare water-elemental spirit treasure known as Kui Yin heavy water.


    The water droplet formed a thin water curtain, creating a water shield in front of him.


    "Boom!"


    The fire dragon crashed into the water curtain, spewing intense mes and scorching heat.


    It was as if half the formation was swallowed by a sea of fire.


    However, the thin water curtain formed by Kui Yin heavy water blocked the raging mes.


    Despite this, the powerful impact of the fire dragon pushed Li Jiangu rapidly towards the formation barrier.


    "Bang!"


    Li Jiangu collided heavily with the formation barrier, spewing a mouthful of blood and sustaining significant internal injuries.


    Outside the formation, the Li Family cultivators grew increasingly anxious, using all their strength to cast water-based spells to attack the formation barrier.


    Suddenly!


    The flowing azure light on the formation barrier dimmed abruptly. The brilliant, multi-colored barrier instantly turned grayish-brown.


    Like bubbles bursting on sharp objects, the formation barrier suddenly exploded into countless sparks, dissipating into the void.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 159: The Xuan Yin Stone is Acquired

    <h4>Chapter 159: The Xuan Yin Stone is Acquired</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    As the formation was breached, Elder Li spurted a mouthful of blood onto the formation disc, and his aura rapidly waned.


    Wang Yi eximed "Elder Li!" and was about to move forward to help.


    Elder Li urgently stopped him, saying, "Don''t worry about me. Go after Li Jiangu. His two ghost generals are incapacitated and he''s injured. This is the best time to kill him. If we miss this chance, we may never have another opportunity for revenge."


    Wang Yi nodded slightly and pursued Li Jiangu.


    However, Nie Qian, whose face was twisted in a hideous sneer, did not hesitate for a moment and immediately chased after Li Jiangu as soon as the formation was breached.


    ...


    Li Jiangu had initially thought he would be trapped within the formation, but unexpectedly, the formation was suddenly broken.


    Overjoyed, he took to the air and flew towards the nearest Foundation Establishment cultivator of his n.


    "Stop them!"


    Li Jiangumanded the Li Family Foundation Establishment cultivators, while he continued to fly towards the depths of the Li Family''s base, where a thousand-meter high mountain stood.


    He moved swiftly, crossing several miles in the blink of an eye and reaching the foot of the mountain.


    He nced back and saw that Elder Li and the five others were all being intercepted by Li Family cultivators.


    Elder Li, heavily injured, and the four Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Wang Yi, found themselves struggling against five early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and severalte-stage Qi Refinement cultivators from the Li Family.


    Hatred flickered in Li Jiangu''s eyes.


    "Because of you, I am gravely injured, and my two ghost generals are severely weakened. Once the ghost generals absorb the Yin soul energy and recover, I will make sure to tear you to pieces, refine your souls, and use you as tools of vengeance."


    He flew into a cave at the mountain''s base, which was pitch dark and gave off a terrifying, eerie feeling.


    After delving about ten meters in, a vast underground hall appeared before him.


    On the left side of the hall was a dissecting table that Song Wen was very familiar with. Next to the dissecting table was a blood pool, which was only a thinyer of blood remaining.


    Beside the dissecting table were thousands of human skeletons, piled up like a small mountain.


    On the right side of the hall, the floor was engraved with a ghostly soul refining formation. Eight ghost gs, ten feet high, were inserted into the formation''s array points.


    Within the formation, ghostly energy was dense, and numerous Yin souls constantly swirled around, asionally merging into the ghost gs, disappearing from sight, and then emerging from them, drifting within the formation.


    This underground hall was evidently a ce where corpse refining, blood refining, and ghost soul refining were integrated.


    Li Jiangu approached the soul refining formation, summoned the two ghost generals, and took out a formation disc. After inputting several magic forms, the weakened ghost generals rushed into the soul refining formation like hungry wolves into a sheep pen, voraciously devouring the Yin souls within.


    The Yin souls, with theirst remnants of animal instincts, tried to escape in a desperate attempt to survive. But how could they escape the constraints of the soul refining formation? Amidst their mournful howls, they were quickly consumed by the ghost generals, providing pure ghostly energy.


    Suddenly!


    A cold sh swept past the cave entrance, swiftly attacking Li Jiangu.


    The sudden killing intent left Li Jiangu no time to think. Instinctively, he summoned the Kui Yin heavy water, forming a shield to block the attack.


    "Puff!"


    The Cold Moon de struck the Kui Yin water shield, as if piercing through the hide of a tough beast.


    A noticeable dent appeared on the shield, but it wasn''t pierced through by the attack.


    Not deterred, the Cold Moon de turned in mid-air and reoriented, aiming for Li Jiangu''s head from above.


    The Kui Yin water shield quickly repositioned to block the Cold Moon de again.


    In just a few breaths, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.


    During the battle between the Cold Moon de and the Kui Yin water shield, a figure rushed into the underground hall��it was Song Wen, who had secretly followed Li Jiangu.


    Song Wen, wearing a bronze helmet, moved swiftly and closed in on Li Jiangu.


    At this moment, it was Li Jiangu''s time of weakness, and it was the perfect chance to strike!


    There was no time for him to catch his breath.


    Song Wen''s hands, like eagle talons, wed towards Li Jiangu with incredible speed, aiming for a fatal strike.


    The cold light from the ws radiated with a sinister ck glow and the sharpness of metal.


    Ghostly w!


    Li Jiangu''s face filled with terror. Faced with the dual assault of the Cold Moon de and Song Wen, the Kui Yin Water Shield could only block one attack.


    In a life-or-death situation, Li Jiangu quickly made a decision.


    The Kui Yin Water Shield moved to cover his back, blocking the Cold Moon de.


    A massive amount of ghostly energy surged from his hands, forming solid ck gloves to protect his hands and block Song Wen''s attack.


    "Bang!"


    In his haste, Li Jiangu''s ghostly energy gloves, though solid, could not withstand the full force of Song Wen''s Ghostly w, which had been refined with countless spiritual materials.


    His hands were instantly shredded, leaving him armless. The powerful impact sent his body flying backward.


    Before he couldnd, a cold sh struck from above, piercing through his abdomen and turning his flesh into a mess from within.


    His lifeless body fell to the ground, devoid of any breath.


    Although it seems long-winded, from the moment Li Jiangu entered the underground hall to Song Wen''s killing him, only a few tens of breaths had passed.


    Song Wen grabbed the shattered head of Li Jiangu with one hand.


    Soul Search!


    Song Wen staggered suddenly, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    The soul search had failed.


    Li Jiangu was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, and Song Wen''s spiritual sense wasparable to ate-Foundation Establishment cultivator. The strength of his soul was far superior to Li Jiangu''s, so the soul search had a high chance of sess. However, he had unfortunately encountered a rare failure.


    Unable to perform the soul search, Song Wen decisively devoured his soul and essence blood. However, Li Jiangu, already in a weakened state, had very little essence blood to offer.


    With Li Jiangu''s hands destroyed and his body having been weakened by prolonged exposure to ghostly energy, there was little value in refining him into a corpse puppet. Song Wen simply incinerated the remains with a fireball.


    Holding Li Jiangu''s storage ring, Song Wen''s spiritual sense entered it and quickly found a box made of Yin wood, which contained two Xuan Yin Stones.


    With the Xuan Yin Stones in hand, Song Wen''s mood lifted greatly as he casually put the storage ring into his pocket.


    With a thought, a ck coffin appeared on the ground.


    "Roar!"


    A second-tier corpse puppet leapt out of the coffin and rushed towards the cave entrance; after which, it stood like a statue at the entrance, remaining motionless.


    Seven more of the ck armor insects flew to the perimeter of the cave entrance to prevent any sudden approaches by other cultivators.


    Song Wen took a few steps to the blood pool, jumped in, and began to devour the essence blood.


    The blood in the pool was not plentiful, only enough to submerge up to Song Wen''s ankles.


    Arge amount of blood energy surged into Song Wen''s body, quickly converting into essence blood.


    The quality of the blood was not very high, mostly from ordinary humans.


    This was the first time Song Wen had consumed such arge amount of blood at once. The excess essence blood made him feel like his body was about to burst.


    However, after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, his body had be much stronger and could amodate more essence blood, allowing him to barely consume all the blood in the pool.


    In the end, only a thinyer of light red liquid remained in the blood pool, just a small fraction of the original amount.


    Song Wen leaped out of the pool, estimating that it took him less than half a stick of incense (about two minutes) to consume the blood.


    Outside, the sounds of battle continued to roar incessantly, and no one hade towards this area yet. Song Wen turned his attention back to the eight ghost gs.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 160: The Yin Soul Banner

    <h4>Chapter 160: The Yin Soul Banner</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Seeing the eight ghost banners, Song Wen recalled the method for refining the ''Yin Soul Banner'' that he had obtained from the Ghost Patroller in the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    <strong>TL:</strong> Yin Soul Banner Mentioned in Chapter 110.


    The Yin Soul Banner is a versatile magical artifact thatbines battle, defense, and evasion. It can be continuously refined with ghostly energy and spiritual materials to enhance its power. In fact, some powerful cultivators refine it into their life-bound magical treasure.


    The eight ghost banners before him contained arge amount of Yin souls and had long been corrupted by ghostly energy, making them excellent materials for refining Yin Soul Banners.


    Song Wen observed the two ghost generals in the Soul Refining Array, still devouring Yin souls, and found himself in a difficult situation.


    He couldn''t figure out how to collect the ghost banners and the two ghost generals, as he had never practiced ghostly techniques and was not proficient in controlling ghosts.


    His earlier attempt at soul searching Li Jiangu was meant to probe the method for collecting the banners and controlling ghosts, but it had failed.


    Song Wen took out Li Jiangu''s storage ring and quickly searched it with his spiritual sense.


    After a few breaths, he found an array te and a jade slip in his hand.


    The array te was for the Soul Refining Array, and the jade slip recorded the operation method of the array.


    cing the jade slip against his forehead, Song Wen skimmed through its contents rapidly, finding the method to collect the array.


    After half a stick of incense (about two minutes), Song Wen put away the jade slip.


    Time was of the essence, and Song Wen had no time to fully refine the array te. He needed to leave his spiritual sense and spiritual energy on the array te to be able to collect the array.


    With Li Jiangu dead, the spiritual sense imprinted on the two ghost generals had dissipated automatically.


    The array te had be an unowned item.


    Song Wen''s spiritual sense easily invaded the array te.


    He performed several techniques on the array te.


    The array te began to emit a grim green light.


    The Soul Refining Array also started to operate, and the Yin souls drifting in the array were drawn into the ghost banners.


    Only the two ghost generals remained in the array, still roaring.


    With Li Jiangu''s death, the spiritual imprint he had left on the two ghost generals dissipated, and the two ghost generals, having long been enved, were unwilling to be controlled again. They continued to m against the array, trying to escape.


    Song Wen was determined not to let them go. He continuously performed techniques.


    The green light on the array te intensified, and the power of the Soul Refining Array grew stronger. In the end, the two severely weakened ghost generals could not resist the might of the array and were forcibly collected into the ghost banners.


    Seeing this, Song Wen''s expression brightened. He flew up, collected the eight ghost banners into his storage ring, and then rushed out of the cave, taking the corpse puppet with him as he left.


    Outside the cave, Song Wen found that the battle was still ongoing.


    Wang Yi and others, having prepared for years for revenge, had managed to ughter most of the Li family members.


    The Li family now had only two early Foundation Establishment cultivators and over ten Qi Refining stage members left, struggling to hold on. They still hoped that Li Jiangu could quickly restore the strength of the two ghost generals and return to rescue them.


    Wang Yi and his group had also paid a heavy price. Except for Wang Yi and Nie Qian, the other three members had all been killed in battle.


    The objective of this mission had been achieved, and Song Wen did not intend to get involved in the ongoing battle. He was about to withdraw from the rear of the mountain.


    Suddenly, he saw two corpses of Li family Foundation Establishment cultivators not far from the battlefield. They seemed to have died recently, and their souls had not yet dissipated.


    Song Wen immediately changed his mind and flew towards the two corpses.


    When he fled from the Corpse Demon Sect, he had lost four substitute puppets to Wu Ren and Yan Yuyan andcked cultivator souls to devour, so he had not replenished his soul reserves.


    Song Wen shed past the edge of the battlefield, grabbing two corpses in each hand. After devouring the souls of the two corpses, he conveniently stored their bodies in his storage ring.


    His appearance drew the attention of both sides in the battle. The ghostly aura emanating from him made it clear that he was not an orthodox cultivator.


    Nie Qian, wary, continued attacking the Li family cultivators while shouting, "Who are you?"


    Wang Yi also noticed Song Wen. Seeing him shrouded in a ck cloak reminded him of the mysterious cultivator who had inquired about the Xuan Yin Stones in his store that day.


    He quickly told Nie Qian, "Don''t provoke this person; he shouldn''t be our enemy."


    The Li family cultivators grew increasingly panicked. They could clearly see that Song Wen hade from the direction of Li Jiangu''s secluded cave, which made them uneasy: Li Jiangu might have been killed by this person.


    Seeing that neither side seemed inclined to engage him, Song Wen continued to collect a few more corpses whose souls had not yet dissipated.


    He then proceeded forward, heading directly towards the Tianhe River.


    This ce was no longer safe.


    The battle had been raging for more than a quarter of an hour, with intense spiritual fluctuations and noise, which could easily attract other cultivators. It was wise to leave as soon as possible.


    "Ssh!"


    Song Wen jumped into the Tianhe River, concealing his presence and letting the surging waters carry him downstream.


    After two hours, Song Wen emerged from the river, took out his flying boat, and soared into the sky.


    Another half-dayter, Song Wennded on a small mountain more than three thousand miles away.


    The area was devoid of spiritual energy, and cultivators generally did note here. He nned to use this ce to refine Wu Ren''s corpse into a corpse puppet.


    The "Concealment Array" was still in the workshop, and Song Wen did not bring it with him this time.


    However, he found a set of formations called the "Nine Pces Yin Array" in Li Jiangu''s storage ring. This was a genuine third-grade formation that had the effect of concealing and hiding the impurities of the heavens and earth.


    The Li family''s base deep in the mountains used this array to keep their killings and soul refining activities hidden from outsiders.


    From a training manual in Li Jiangu''s storage ring, Song Wen had a general understanding of this person''s background.


    The Li family was originally a weak cultivation family with only Qi Refining cultivators. Li Jiangu, with exceptional talent and strong family support, eventually achieved Foundation Establishment.


    After entering the Foundation Establishment stage, Li Jiangu''s progress slowed significantly due to the limited resources provided by the family.


    Unsatisfied with being stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage, Li Jiangu turned to the path of demonic cultivation. Only with powerful strength could he plunder more cultivation resources.


    In the orthodox realm, obtainingplete demonic cultivation methods was not easy.


    Li Jiangu scraped together various demonic cultivation methods, including corpse, ghost, and blood techniques.


    With these techniques, he naturally needed to collect cultivation materials, starting with essence blood and souls.


    He began to raid remote areas, ughtering ordinary people and intercepting solitary rogue cultivators.


    After refining powerful ghost generals, he also created vengeful ghosts for his family, enhancing the overall strength of the Li family.


    With nearly thirty years of umtion, the Li family''s strength surged, and the resources they plundered increased, leading to more talented family members achieving Foundation Establishment.


    It was uncertain whether the ghostly cultivation methods Li Jiangu used were wed or iplete, but long-term cultivation in the ghostly path led to excessive ghostly energy entering his body, causing his flesh to gradually wither and appear as if he were an old corpse.


    Thus, he began to refine corpse techniques, attempting to devour others'' essence blood to replenish his lost vitality.


    The corpse dissection tform and blood pool in the cave were used to provide essence blood for him.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 161: Refining a Pseudo-Silver Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 161: Refining a Pseudo-Silver Corpse</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen found a ten-meter-high cliff covered by thick vines in a dense forest at the foot of the mountain.


    He cleared the vines and created a small cave several meters in size on the cliff.


    After releasing all the ck Armored to stand guard, Song Wen took out the "Nine Pces Yin Array" and prepared to start refining.


    The "Nine Pces Yin Array" consisted of nine formation gs and a formation te. It took Song Wen two days to refine the formation te and gs.


    After setting up the "Nine Pces Yin Array," Song Wen released the corpse puppets.


    The corpse puppets were filled with a sinister aura, and soon the entire cave was filled with a thick, ghostly miasma.


    Leaving the corpse puppets inside the formation, Song Wen quickly exited the array.


    He stood ten meters away from the formation for half an hour to ensure no ghostly miasma leaked out. Once satisfied, he entered the cave again and covered the entrance with vines.


    He stored the corpse puppets in the coffin artifact and ced it back into the storage ring.


    Next, he took out a blood-red empty coffin, which was a rare high-grade spiritual tool he had obtained from Wu Ren. This coffin was used by Wu Ren to cultivate silver corpses.


    Using it to refine a pseudo-third-grade silver corpse was quite appropriate.


    He ced Wu Ren''s corpse into the corpse-rearing coffin.


    Song Wen then added four bottles of ghostly miasma, eight bottles of essence blood, five thousand spirit stones, yin yellow soil, Yin Ming grass, and other yin attribute corpse-rearing materials, as well as the crucial Xuan Yin Stone into the blood coffin.


    Immediately, Song Wen began to rapidly cast a series of spell seals towards the blood coffin.


    The blood coffin gradually emitted ck ghostly miasma, which increased in volume and soon filled the entire coffin.


    Looking inside, all he could see was the ck ghostly miasma swirling within the coffin,pletely covering Wu Ren''s corpse.


    As the refining process continued, Wu Ren''s corpse gradually began to undergo corpse transformation. Fangs grew from its mouth, its nails became sharp and ck, and its flesh, subjected to the various spiritual materials, became increasingly tough. Therge hole in its chest also slowly began to heal.


    The corpse refining processsted a full seventeen days, slightly longer than Song Wen had anticipated.


    By now, Wu Ren''s corpse had a faint silver-white hue in its bones.


    The pseudo-third-grade corpse puppet had been initially refined sessfully! Next, it needed to be ced in the corpse-rearing coffin to be nurtured.


    Song Wen sealed the blood coffin and set it aside.


    He took out the jade slip detailing the refining methods for the Yin Soul Banner and ced it on his forehead to begin studying it carefully.


    For refining the Yin Soul Banner, the most important materials were sufficient yin souls and ghostly miasma, as well as a banner capable of carrying both.


    The eight-sided ghost banner in Song Wen''s possession just happened to meet all three of these requirements.


    In other words, if Song Wen wanted, he could refine eight Yin Soul Banners.


    However, refining eight Yin Soul Banners would result in a product of rtively low quality, at most a high-grade magical tool. Given Song Wen''s current cultivation level, high-grade magical tools were already inadequate.


    After careful consideration, Song Wen made a bold decision: he would refine these eight ghost banners into a single Yin Soul Banner. This should allow him to produce a Yin Soul Banner of spiritual tool level.


    He started trying immediately.


    Following the refining method detailed in the jade slip, Song Wen spent three days thoroughly refining the eight ghost banners.


    After the refining process, the ghost banners operated as if they were extensions of Song Wen''s limbs, rising into the air and spinning continuously.


    With a thought, the eight ghost banners mmed together.


    Song Wen channeled his immense spiritual power into the eight ghost banners.


    Instantly, the banners seemed to be subjected to intense heat, with their brownish banner poles gradually turning red.


    The yin souls within the ghost banners, as if subjected to severe punishment, struggled to escape but were restrained by the banners, manifesting one horrifying, howling ghostly face after another.


    The two ghost generals were significantly stronger; half of their bodies had already emerged from the ghost banners, and they roared and howled fiercely, while the remaining half was still trapped inside the ghost banners, unable to escape.


    Song Wen ignored this and remained focused on refining the Yin Soul Banner.


    During his first attempt to refine the Yin Soul Banner, Song Wen was not very skilled, and it took him nearly a month toplete the process.


    The eight ghost banners werebined into one, refining it into a low-grade spiritual tool level Yin Soul Banner.


    This Yin Soul Banner was somewhat unique in that it had eight banner gs on its staff.


    This was intentional on Song Wen''s part. ording to the refining method for the Yin Soul Banner, each banner g could refine a powerful ghostly entity andmand numerous yin souls.


    With eight banner gs, this Yin Soul Banner could amodate eight times the ghostly energy and refine eight powerful ghostly entities.


    At this moment, the two ghost generals had bepletely obedient, each staying in its respective banner g.


    cing the banner gs aside, Song Wen took out several corpses of the Li family''s cultivators that he had taken when he fled from the Li family.


    He had consumed many souls during this trip and had suitable corpses on hand, so it was a perfect opportunity to refine several substitute puppets.


    The requirements for substitute puppets were not high; a mid-stage Qi Refining corpse puppet would suffice.


    After another half month, Song Wen sessfully refined three substitute puppets.


    By now, he had been in this cave for two months.


    The cave walls had been tainted by ghostly energy, corpse energy, and yin energy for a long time, giving off a slight demonic aura.


    Song Wen tidied up everything in the cave and used a massive burst of spiritual power to copse it.


    After collecting the ck Armored Gu, Song Wen turned and left.


    ...


    "You''ve been gone for over two months. I thought you had vanished like Sun Ru next door!"


    As soon as Song Wen arrived at the small courtyard in Huafang Square, and before he could even settle down, Ai Kun rushed into the courtyard.


    Song Wen looked up at Ai Kun with concern and reproach, effortlessly fabricating a lie.


    "I went back to my secr hometown."


    "You should have at least informed me! If I hadn''t kept an eye on it, Zhao Dapeng would have taken over this courtyard."


    Song Wen feigned surprise, "How could that be? Before I left, I paid half a year''s rent in advance. It''s still within the rental period. How could he dare to take the courtyard?"


    Ai Kun sneered, "Hmph! There''s nothing Zhao Dapeng wouldn''t do for the sake of spirit stones. He''d do anything crazy as long as it earns him spirit stones."


    Song Wen didn''t follow up on Ai Kun''sment but asked another question.


    "How did you know I wasing?"


    It was no wonder Song Wen was suspicious. As soon as he entered, Ai Kun arrived immediately, as if someone were monitoring him.


    Despite having a generally positive impression of Ai Kun over the past few months, one should always be cautious in the cultivation world and never rx their guard.


    "It was Xiao Luzi who told me. I had him watch for your arrival and inform me."


    "Xiao Luzi?" Song Wen was puzzled; he hadn''t heard that name before.


    "Zhu Mei''s son. His father''s surname is Lu, and his nickname is Xiao Luzi."


    Song Wen''s doubts were instantly dispelled. He had indeed seen the child from the neighbor Zhu Mei''s family when he arrived.


    Watching Ai Kun closely, Song Wen teased, "It seems that during my absence, you''ve been getting quite close with Zhu Mei next door."


    Ai Kun''s face reddened with embarrassment as he exined, "It''s nothing serious. I just saw Zhu Mei working hard, and Xiao Luzi is often alone at home, which is quite pitiful. I just offered some help."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 162: The Joy of Hehuan Sect Opening a Brothel

    <h4>Chapter 162: The Joy of Hehuan Sect Opening a Brothel</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "By the way, there''s the monthly auctioning up next month. Do you want to go?" Ai Kun asked.


    Song Wen eyed Ai Kun skeptically and asked, "Can you get an invitation to the auction?"


    The auction Ai Kun mentioned was arge-scale event held monthly by the Beastmaster Sect in conjunction with the Lei family and several nearby Golden Core families. It was one of the most prominent events in East Huafang Market.


    Such a grand auction was not open to just anyone. Attendees either needed to be powerful, have strong connections, or possess ample spirit stones.


    To reflect the benevolence of the righteous sects, a certain number of invitations were usually sent out to casual cultivators. However, these invitations were often snatched up by disciples of sects or families, leaving very few for independent cultivators.


    In short, an independent cultivator like Ai Kun, who was in the Qi Refining Stage, would not typically be able to attend.


    Ai Kun grinned proudly, "I''ve been around East Huafang Market for decades and have some reputation. I can manage to get two spots for the auction."


    "Are you going or not?"


    Song Wen nodded, "Thank you, Senior Ai. Please get me a spot."


    In truth, Song Wen was not particrly interested in the auction. With only a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivation, he would be unable to bid on anything of interest and risk exposure. However, since Ai Kun had extended such a generous offer, not epting would seem inconsistent with his assumed identity. Moreover, daily rigorous cultivation was quite monotonous, so it would be good to experience something new.


    ...


    In the following days, Song Wen maintained a regr routine: alchemy, cultivation, and asionally drawing talismans to obscure his true activities.


    After more than half a month, with the aid of the enhanced Blood Qi Pill, his cultivation in the "Longevity Technique" progressed smoothly to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, which pleased Song Wen greatly.


    His cultivation speed was remarkably fastpared to other righteous sect cultivators, and even surpassed that of the early-stage demonic cultivators known for their rapid advancement.


    asionally, Ai Kun would visit his courtyard and chat leisurely.


    Over time, Song Wen noticed that Ai Kun frequently visited the neighboring Zhu Mei''s home under the pretense of teaching Xiao Luzi talisman drawing.


    Song Wen even suspected that Ai Kun might be nning to form a rtionship with Zhu Mei, taking on the responsibility of caring for the neighbor''s orphaned family.


    One day, Ai Kun suddenly arrived at the small courtyard, beaming with excitement.


    "Have you heard?"


    "Hehuan Sect has bought a building in the center of the square and is going to open a brothel in East Huafang Market."


    Song Wen found it hard to believe what he had heard, his face filled with shock as he asked, "Hehuan Sect?"


    "The same Hehuan Sect that is one of the major righteous sects?"


    "The one with all female disciples?"


    "Is opening a brothel in the square?"


    Seeing Song Wen''s astonished expression, Ai Kun sneered.


    "Look at you, acting so surprised as if you''ve never seen such things. Hehuan Sect opening a brothel is nothing new. They used to only set up brothels in their own sect''s territory. This is the first time Hehuan Sect is opening one in another faction''s domain."


    Song Wen still found it hard to believe that a prominent righteous sect would be associated with such establishments.


    In his view, even if a brothel had connections to a righteous sect, it would likely be a covert operation, as righteous sects maintained a facade of honor and propriety. The dirty business behind closed doors was another matter.


    Ai Kun''s face was filled with longing and anticipation.


    "Finally, I can discuss dual cultivation secrets with the fairies of Hehuan Sect."


    "What? The women in Hehuan Sect''s brothel are their own disciples?"


    Song Wen''s eyes widened, his mouth agape, and his expression turned somewhat dazed.


    This Completely Exceeds His Imagination!


    Ai Kun wore an expression of self-evidence.


    "This is only natural. The Hehuan Sect''s purpose in opening a brothel is to allow their disciples to quickly practice dual cultivation techniques and enhance their cultivation."


    A brothel to facilitate dual cultivation for disciples!


    Song Wen could hardly believe that such a thing would be done by a righteous sect.


    Even in the demonic path, he hadn''t seen any sect act so openly and shamelessly.


    He couldn''t help but imagine what it would be like when thousands of disciples in the Hehuan Sect''s mountain gate simultaneously practiced their techniques.


    After a moment, struggling to digest the shocking news, Song Wen steered the conversation towards Zhu Mei.


    "You''re so preupied with Hehuan Sect''s female disciples, what about Zhu Mei?"


    Ai Kun''s face grew serious. "What does this have to do with Zhu Mei? Our rtionship is purely a matter of spirit stones."


    Song Wen looked at Ai Kun with disdain.


    He hadn''t expected this old man to be such a scumbag, denying any responsibility once the pants were pulled up.


    A ''purely spirit stone rtionship''!


    A few days ago, did you not sneak into her bedroom in the middle of the night and pay with spirit stones?


    A ''spirit stone rtionship'' should only ur in a brothel, shouldn''t it?


    ...


    Time flew by, and the annual auction in East Huafang Market, eagerly anticipated by countless cultivators, finally began.


    On this day, early in the morning.


    Song Wen and Ai Kun arrived early at the auction entrance.


    The auction was set to start at noon, but by now, a long line had already formed at the entrance.


    Seeing the line stretching hundreds of meters with several hundred people, Song Wen asked,


    "Senior Ai, didn''t you say you could get us entrance tickets? Why are we standing in line here? Can''t we just use the casual cultivator invitations to go straight in?"


    Ai Kun replied, "This year is different from previous years. Previously, casual cultivator invitations were distributed in advance. The Beastmaster Sect felt that casual cultivator invitations were not falling into the hands of casual cultivators, so they did away with the purpose of these invitations. This year, they''ve changed the rules. Invitations will be distributed on-site. The earlier you arrive, the better your chances of getting one."


    "Luckily, I got wind of this in advance and arrived early. We should definitely be able to get our invitations."


    Song Wen was surprised at Ai Kun''s thick skin, thinking he had some sort of internal connection to obtain the invitations. He hadn''t expected they were just here to stand in line and collect casual cultivator invitations.


    After nearly two hours of waiting, Song Wen and Ai Kun finally received their invitations and entered the venue.


    However, as casual cultivators, they had to verify their spirit stones before participating in the auction to prevent random bidding.


    Song Wen was somewhat surprised to see Ai Kun carrying over a thousand spirit stones. He wondered how the old man had umted such arge amount.


    Upon entering the auction venue, Song Wen and Ai Kun found two empty seats on the first floor.


    The first floor of the auction venue was reserved for casual cultivator invitations, with several floors above offering small private rooms that shielded spiritual senses, essible only to those with higher status.


    At noon, the auction officially began.


    A graceful, attractive female cultivator, exuding a mature charm, appeared on the high tform in the center of the auction venue to kick off the event.


    As various magical artifacts, elixirs, and rare materials appeared on the auction stage and were being bid on, Song Wen''s interest began to wane.


    There were many items of interest to him, but he couldn''t ce any bids.


    His interest was suddenly piqued when an item called "Thunder Pattern Stone" appeared, and he recognized the voice calling out "Eight Thousand Spirit Stones" as that of Lei Tianyu.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 163: The Scheming Woman and the Lovesick Man?

    <h4>Chapter 163: The Scheming Woman and the Lovesick Man?</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    In a private room on the second floor.


    Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang were seated inside.


    "Junior Sister Kou, your Azure Bull has been at the peak of the 4th-level spirit beast for nearly three years. During this time, it has consumed arge amount of rare materials, and its strength has reached the peak of the 4th level. With this Thunder Pattern Stone, it should be able to advance to the mid-4th level, right?"


    Kou Chang''s stunning face was filled with joy.


    "Senior Lei, did you buy this Thunder Pattern Stone for me?"


    Lei Tianyu nodded and said seriously, "Naturally. Thunder-type spirit beasts can only maximize the effect of the Thunder Pattern Stone by consuming it. Although we humans can refine Thunder Pattern Stones, the effect on Thunder Techniques is not as significant."


    Kou Chang''s lips curved upward, her eyes turning into crescents as she smiled, radiating beauty and youthful vitality like a blooming spring flower.


    "Thank you, Senior Lei, you are so kind to me."


    In the end, Lei Tianyu bought the Thunder Pattern Stone for a high price of nine thousand spirit stones.


    The auction continued.


    The next item was the highly anticipated Foundation Establishment Pills!


    There were three Foundation Establishment Pills, with a starting bid of thirty thousand spirit stones. This was significantly higher than the price Song Wen had heard at the Corpse Demon Sect''s auction. In demonic path auctions, the final price for Foundation Establishment Pills was typically around thirty thousand spirit stones.


    Kou Chang''s eyes were fixed on the jade box containing the Foundation Establishment Pills.


    After a moment, she turned to Lei Tianyu with a gaze full of affection, her voice as gentle as water.


    "Brother Tianyu, look, it''s the Foundation Establishment Pills!"


    Her address for Lei Tianyu suddenly changed from "Senior Lei" to "Brother Tianyu."


    She was reminding Lei Tianyu of his promise a few months ago to buy her a Foundation Establishment Pill to help her establish her foundation.


    Lei Tianyu smiled slightly, patting his chest confidently. "Junior Sister Kou, don''t worry. I will definitely get a Foundation Establishment Pill for you today."


    Kou Chang''s face lit up with joy as she hugged Lei Tianyu''s arm, her full, soft chest rubbing against his firm arm.


    "Thank you, Brother Tianyu, you are truly wonderful."


    Feeling the softness on his arm, Lei Tianyu couldn''t help but nce down at the fullness being pressed and shaped by his arm, his eyes showing a trace of obsession and greed.


    As if his reason was clouded by beauty, Lei Tianyu casually embraced Kou Chang''s slender waist and said aloud, "Junior Sister, don''t worry. Acquiring a single Foundation Establishment Pill is a piece of cake."


    But Kou Chang was not the only one interested in the Foundation Establishment Pills. The price for the first Foundation Establishment Pill rapidly soared, soon reaching the exorbitant price of forty thousand spirit stones.


    And the bidding continued; this was not yet the final price.


    At this moment, Lei Tianyu''s expression suddenly became awkward. He looked embarrassed and somewhat flustered as he said, "Junior Sister Kou, I only have thirty-eight thousand spirit stones on me and can''t continue bidding."


    "I had originally prepared enough spirit stones, but I impulsively bought the Thunder Pattern Stone just now. I didn''t expect the Foundation Establishment Pills to reach forty thousand spirit stones this year."


    As Lei Tianyu''s bid was halted, Kou Chang, who had been daydreaming about sessfully taking the Foundation Establishment Pill, saw her smile vanish instantly, her face bing stiff.


    She turned to look at Lei Tianyu, her eyes revealing unmasked disappointment, with a few glistening tears starting to form.


    Seeing Kou Chang''s watery, clear eyes, Lei Tianyu felt a pang of heartache. "Junior Sister Kou, don''t be upset. There are still two more Foundation Establishment Pills; perhaps the prices for the remaining ones will be lower."


    Kou Chang nodded and turned back to watch the auction stage.


    Soon, the first Foundation Establishment Pill was sold for forty-three thousand spirit stones.


    Next up was the second Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Contrary to Lei Tianyu''s im, the price did not decrease; instead, it slightly increased and was sold for forty-five thousand spirit stones.


    Then came the third Foundation Establishment Pill.


    The price quickly rose again to forty thousand spirit stones.


    Lei Tianyu hung his head, looking like a child who had done something wrong, with a face full of guilt as he said, "Junior Sister Kou, I''m sorry. It''s my fault for not being able to buy the Foundation Establishment Pill for you."


    Kou Chang, however, didn''t seem to care about Lei Tianyu''s words. Instead, she stared intently at the jade box held by the charming maid on the stage.


    Clenching her teeth, Kou Chang turned to Lei Tianyu and said, "Senior Lei, I have an extra ten thousand spirit stones here. I''ll give them to you. You continue bidding!"


    Lei Tianyu''s face lit up with surprise. "Really?"


    Kou Chang wrapped her arm around Lei Tianyu''s, speaking sweetly, "Of course. Brother Tianyu, if you''re short on spirit stones, as your junior sister, I should naturally help you."


    Lei Tianyu looked down at Kou Chang''s eyes and said gently, "Junior Sister, you are truly wonderful."


    Kou Chang''s face flushed, and she shyly lowered her head.


    ...


    The auction continued, and the price of thest Foundation Establishment Pill quickly rose to forty-seven thousand spirit stones.


    Lei Tianyu, filled with anxiety, shouted the highest price he could offer. "Forty-eight thousand spirit stones."


    Kou Chang, nervously gripping Lei Tianyu''s arm, started to squeeze tighter unconsciously.


    Two months ago, she had just reached the perfection of Qi Refining. Now, she desperately needed a Foundation Establishment Pill to help her advance as soon as possible.


    Among her master Che Wanying''s four disciples, all were female. Kou Chang was ranked fourth, and the other three senior sisters had already established their foundations. Kou Chang was still struggling in the Qi Refining stage.


    "Forty-nine thousand spirit stones."


    A new bid emerged, sending Kou Chang into despair.


    Missing this auction, she didn''t know when she would have another chance to get a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    A flicker of regret crossed her mind: Maybe she should have offered her spirit stones earlier, and she could have bought the second Foundation Establishment Pill.


    At the same time, her resentment toward Lei Tianyu grew.


    What a useless fool. The noble son of the Lei family, the future sessor, can''t even secure a single Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Indeed, no man can be relied upon.


    Kou Chang''s face darkened as she pulled away from Lei Tianyu, moving to the window and clenching her fists tightly.


    The final bid was from someone she recognized well, her second senior sister, Gan Yue, who often liked to oppose her.


    "Gan Yue, you''ve been at Foundation Establishment for years. Why do you still have to ruin my chance?"


    Kou Chang muttered through gritted teeth.


    Seeing her disappointment and anger, Lei Tianyu approached from behind and spoke softly, "Junior Sister Kou, it''s my fault for making you miss out on the Foundation Establishment Pill."


    Kou Chang turned around, her eyescking their previous gentleness, and coldly said, "Senior Lei, you''ve already tried your best. I don''t me you."


    Even though she said she didn''t me Lei Tianyu, her gaze was icy, and her face was like a frozen winter''s day.


    Her address changed back from "Brother Tianyu" to "Senior Lei."


    Anyone could see that she was dissatisfied with Lei Tianyu.


    Sensing the reproach in Kou Chang''s words, as if fearing a rift with his heart''s goddess, Lei Tianyu appeared extremely flustered. He was very restless, pacing back and forth.


    After a moment, Lei Tianyu suddenly brightened up, as if he had thought of an excellent solution. "Recently, our n has refined two Foundation Establishment Pills. I can ask my uncle to grant one and give it to Junior Sister Kou."


    <strong>TL:</strong> What a simp.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 164: The Azure Bull Breakthrough

    <h4>Chapter 164: The Azure Bull Breakthrough</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Kou Chang, whose mood was extremely gloomy, instantly brightened up with a beaming smile when she heard this.


    "Brother Tianyu, is what you said true?"


    Lei Tianyu responded with confidence. "Junior Sister Kou, don''t worry. This time, I won''t disappoint you. I will definitely get a Foundation Establishment Pill from my uncle for you."


    Kou Chang''s delicate brows furrowed with worry. "But Master Jun is leading the righteous army to besiege the Corpse Demon Sect. The position of the family head is temporarily managed by your uncle. Your uncle isn''t Master Jun. Will he agree to give such a precious Foundation Establishment Pill to an outsider like me?"


    Lei Tianyu spoke with assurance. "My uncle treats me very well and sees me as his own. Although the Foundation Establishment Pill is valuable, if I personally ask my uncle, I have a good chance of getting it."


    "Moreover, although my uncle is only at thete stage of Foundation Establishment, he is very capable in managing the family affairs and handles the Lei family very well."


    "He has always ced great importance on the good rtionship between the Lei family and the Beastmaster Sect."


    "If Junior Sister doesn''t mind, after you establish your foundation, we could be Daopanions. It would strengthen the bond between the Beastmaster Sect and the Lei family."


    "I believe my uncle would be pleased."


    A trace of hesitation shed in Kou Chang''s eyes. Lei Tianyu had gone around in circles just to say one thing: marriage!


    She wanted to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill from Lei Tianyu, and she might even be willing to offer her own blood for it.


    But bing Daopanions with Lei Tianyu was something she needed to think carefully about.


    Although Lei Tianyu was the heir of the Lei family and the future family head, no one could predict the future. What if he failed to advance to Core Formation and couldn''t be the family head?


    Kou Chang''s thoughts churned, and after a few moments of contemtion, she made a decision.


    First, she would find a way to get the Foundation Establishment Pill, and as for bing Daopanions with Lei Tianyu, she would deal with that when the time came.


    Kou Chang''s delicate face turned crimson. With a voice as soft as a whisper, she said shyly, "Brother Tianyu, are you proposing to me?"


    Lei Tianyu''s face lit up with anticipation. "Junior Sister Kou, do you agree?"


    Kou Chang lowered her head, her slender fingers nervously ying with the hem of her clothes, and said softly, "I need to ask my master about this."


    Lei Tianyu''s expression was one of barely contained excitement. "You''re right, Junior Sister. You should ask Master."


    Kou Chang, with a pure and innocent look in her eyes, asked, "Senior Lei, when will you be able to give me the Foundation Establishment Pill?"


    Lei Tianyu seemed impatient to be Daopanions with Kou Chang. He said, "Junior Sister,e with me to the Lei family tomorrow. You can meet my uncle and ask him for the Foundation Establishment Pill. It''s also a good opportunity for you to meet my family."


    Kou Chang''s face stiffened; she didn''t want to go to the Lei family. "Is it really necessary to meet the family so soon?"


    Lei Tianyu said, "Junior Sister, with your beauty and grace, my uncle will definitely approve of our union. It will also make it easier to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill."


    Kou Chang hesitated for a moment but, unable to resist the temptation of the Foundation Establishment Pill, agreed softly, "Alright, I''ll go along with what Brother Tianyu said."


    Lei Tianyu''s face brightened with joy. He took out a fist-sized round stone that was entirely ck, with intricate patterns and silver light flowing through the designs.


    "This Thunder Pattern Stone will be the token for our engagement. I''ll give it to you first."


    Kou Chang took the Thunder Pattern Stone and said with a delicate voice, "Thank you, Brother Tianyu."


    "I''ve never seen a spirit beast advance before. How about we feed the Thunder Pattern Stone to Azure Bull now so I can witness the breakthrough process?" Lei Tianyu suddenly suggested.


    Kou Chang showed a reluctant expression and hesitated. "When a spirit beast is advancing, it goes through a brief period of dormancy, during which it falls into a deep sleep. I''m notfortable with letting Azure Bull advance outside."


    "Besides, without Azure Bull, I haven''t established my foundation yet, so I can''t fly. How will we get to the Lei family?"


    Lei Tianyu reassured her, "Don''t worry, Junior Sister. A few days ago, my uncle gifted me a small flying ship. Although it''s not big, it''s enough to carry the two of us and Azure Bull."


    Kou Chang pondered deeply and didn''t respond immediately.


    Lei Tianyu continued, "I paid a high price for the Thunder Pattern Stone just to see the breakthrough process of Azure Bull. Please grant me this wish."


    Holding the Thunder Pattern Stone in her hand, Kou Chang finally relented. "Alright."


    Kou Chang tapped the spirit beast pill at her waist.


    "Moo!"


    The robust Azure Bull appeared in the room, making the already small space seem even more cramped.


    Azure Bull rubbed its head against Kou Chang''s waist, clearly very affectionate toward her.


    Kou Chang stroked Azure Bull''s head with one hand while holding the Thunder Pattern Stone near its mouth with the other.


    Seeing the Thunder Pattern Stone, Azure Bull eagerly swallowed it.


    Momentster, the silver light flowing under Azure Bull''s skin began to shine brightly, and the speed of the light flow increased.


    "Whoosh!"


    Azure Bull exhaled a puff of turbid air, which manifested as an electric current. The current struck a wooden chair in the room, instantly turning it into splinters.


    Seeing the unconscious destruction caused by Azure Bull, Kou Chang felt a bit helpless.


    "This really isn''t a good ce for Azure Bull to advance," Kou Chang thought to herself.


    "It was too reckless to feed the Thunder Pattern Stone to Azure Bull outside the sect."


    Lei Tianyu, however, had a gleam of excitement and greed in his eyes.


    "Don''t worry, Junior Sister Kou. The auction is about to end, and it''s no longer meaningful to stay here. Let''s leave now."


    Kou Chang nodded. "Alright!"


    The two of them, along with Azure Bull, left the room. Outside the room was a long corridor.


    After a few steps, they encountered a female cultivator with an ordinary appearance walking out from a nearby room.


    The female cultivator''s gaze swept over Kou Chang''s stunning beauty and graceful figure, and a sh of jealousy crossed her face.


    She stood at the door for a moment, and when Kou Chang and Lei Tianyu approached, she spoke.


    "Little Sister, I didn''t expect you toe to the auction as well."


    Kou Chang looked at the female cultivator with unabashed hatred. This cultivator was Gan Yue, the one who had just bought thest Foundation Establishment Pill, and her fifth senior sister.


    "Gan Yue, you''ve already established your foundation for some time. Why did you still have topete with me for thest Foundation Establishment Pill?"


    Kou Chang and Gan Yue''s discord was well-known within the Beastmaster Sect. She didn''t bother to be polite and directly questioned her.


    Gan Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled smugly. "I was just wondering who the wretched person was whopeted with me for thest Foundation Establishment Pill and drove up the price. Turns out it was you, Little Sister."


    With a flip of her hand, Gan Yue produced an exquisite jade bottle and continued, "This Foundation Establishment Pill is for my family. People like me, born into a cultivating family, have been supported by the family since childhood. Now that I''ve made some progress in my cultivation, it''s only natural to give back to the family."


    "Unlike you, whoe from a mundane background, with no attachments, acting heartlessly and selfishly."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 165: Unveiling the Dagger

    <h4>Chapter 165: Unveiling the Dagger</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Faced with Gan Yue''s mocking sarcasm, Kou Chang''s expression changed slightly, her anger ring up. But then she nced at Lei Tianyu beside her, and her fury instantly dissipated.


    She took Lei Tianyu''s hand, lifted her head, and exposed her graceful, long neck, like a proud celestial crane.


    "Let me introduce you. This is Lei Tianyu, the heir to the Lei family and the future head of the Lei family, who has already proposed to me."


    After saying that, she ignored the astonished and envious Gan Yue, turning her attention back to Lei Tianyu.


    "Brother Tianyu, we still need to meet with your family''s elders. Don''t let certain unrted individuals waste our time."


    She pulled Lei Tianyu out of the room.


    Gan Yue watched their departing figures, her jealousy growing even stronger.


    The Lei family heir, future head of the Lei family!


    It seemed that all the good fortune was monopolized by that b*tch Kou Chang.


    "Meet the Lei family''s elders? I''m curious to see if you really intend to join the Lei family," Gan Yue murmured to herself.


    ...


    In a somewhat gloomy mood, Song Wen followed Ai Kun out of the venue.


    Throughout the auction, he hadn''t bid on anything, which left him with a sense of having wasted a trip.


    On the other hand, Ai Kun had spent hundreds of spirit stones to acquire a decent talisman brush.


    Just after exiting the venue, Song Wen saw Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang boarding a flying ship, preparing to leave.


    At the tail of the ship, Azure Bull, who had swallowed the Thunder Pattern Stone,y motionless on the deck, having entered the dormant phase of its advancement.


    Song Wen suddenly recalled the unidentified four-hoofed beast carcasses in the altar cave.


    He released a beetle familiar to follow them discreetly.


    "Zhang Cheng, you go ahead; I won''t join you," Ai Kun''s voice suddenly reached his ears. Song Wen turned to see that the old man had headed towards the brothel.


    Song Wen shook his head, thinking the old man would end up dead in the brothel sooner orter.


    After a moment of hesitation on the ground, he turned and walked out of the bazaar. The beetle familiar had just reported that Lei Tianyu and his group were heading towards the altar cave.


    Song Wen had a premonition that Lei Tianyu was nning something against Azure Bull, and perhaps there was a chance to improve his own poor lightning cultivation.


    His Tunder Palm had been intermittently cultivated for several months, yet he could still only summon lightning the size of chopsticks, far from the fist-sized lightning ball recorded in the manual.


    Lei Tianyu piloted the flying ship, chatting andughing along the way. It took half an hour to reach thekeside. Meanwhile, Song Wen had been lying in wait in the cave for a while.


    Seeing the flying ship suddenly slow down and stop by thekeside, Kou Chang, puzzled, asked.


    "Brother Tianyu, why have we stopped here? Aren''t we going to the Lei family to meet your uncle?"


    "My uncle is right here."


    At this time, it was already dusk, and the sky had darkened.


    Kou Chang looked around, seeing only the surrounding darkness.


    "How could your esteemed uncle, the head of the Lei family, be in such a deste ce?"


    Kou Chang thought he was joking, but when she looked at Lei Tianyu, she noticed his smile seemed somewhat strange.


    Coupled with their location in this pitch-ck wilderness, Lei Tianyu''s smile appeared eerie and unsettling.


    A sense of unease slowly rose within Kou Chang.


    She nced at the tail of the ship where Azure Bull was in deep sleep, and her anxiety intensified.


    She suddenly realized that she had always relied on her beauty, thinking she could manipte Lei Tianyu as if he were a docile dog.


    However, with Azure Bull, a powerful ally, gone, if Lei Tianyu harbored ill intentions, she would be no match for him.


    She forced a smile and said, "Brother Tianyu, stop joking. We should leave here quickly."


    Lei Tianyu''s smile remained unchanged. "I''m not joking. My uncle, Lei Hong, is truly here."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and shouted loudly into the dark forest below.


    "Uncle,e out quickly. Don''t keep Fairy Kou waiting."


    A figure emerged from the dense forest below, flying up on a sword and stopping beside the flying ship.


    The neer had a square face and an upright demeanor, giving off a sense of grandeur and righteousness. He was Lei Hong, the current head of the Lei family.


    Lei Hong ignored the celestial beauty Kou Chang and focused his attention on Azure Bull, who was sleeping at the tail of the ship, as if Azure Bull were the real beauty.


    "Tsk tsk tsk... Tianyu, your methods with women are impressive. You''ve really managed to bring Azure Bull here and put it into a dormant state, saving us a lot of trouble."


    After a year of scheming and sacrificing his own dignity to curry favor, the time for harvest had finally arrived.


    Lei Tianyu''s face beamed with uncontainable pride.


    "Uncle, you''re too kind. It''s just a gold-digging b*tch."


    Kou Chang''s face suddenly turned pale, her fear overwhelming her, making it hard for her to breathe or speak clearly.


    "What... what are you nning to do?"


    "I am a direct disciple of the Beast Cultivation Sect. If you dare to plot anything, the Beast Cultivation Sect will not spare you."


    Lei Tianyu''s eyes were full of hot, aggressive intent as he appraised Kou Chang''s impressive figure, a mocking smile on his face.


    "I dare to act against you because I''ve already made preparations. By tonight, the soul aura I left in the family will dissipate on its own, and outsiders will only think I''m dead. Naturally, no one will suspect me."


    "After a few years, I''ll change my appearance and continue to be the Lei family''s heir."


    Kou Chang''s face turned ashen.


    Suddenly!


    A terrifying pressure erupted from Lei Hong.


    The pressure was so immense that Kou Chang, who was only at the Qi Refining stage, felt as though she was carrying a weight of ten thousand pounds. She couldn''t withstand the force, stumbled, and fell to her knees on the deck.


    Lei Tianyu, at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, was able to endure the pressure with some effort and asked, "Uncle, what''s going on?"


    Lei Hong''s eyes were like lightning as he scanned the dark forest below and said, "Tianyu, your actions have been too reckless. You''ve actually been followed here without realizing it."


    "What! Someone followed us? How is that possible?" Lei Tianyu eximed in shock.


    Far away in the cave several miles away, Song Wen''s heart tightened with disbelief: Could it be that Lei Hong discovered the beetle familiar hidden in the tree crevices under the flying ship?


    Suddenly, Lei Hong made hand seals and shouted loudly.


    "Grand Lightning!"


    A bolt of lightning split the sky like a dazzling crack in the night.


    "Crack!"


    The lightning struck a dense forest three miles away.


    It split the trees, tore the earth, and released an unstoppable, massive energy.


    A figure was blown away by the violent wind generated by the lightning.


    It was Gan Yue.


    She had followed Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang to thekeside.


    When the lightning struck, she summoned a mid-level second-tier spirit beast, a flood dragon, sacrificing its life to save her own.


    Using the powerful shockwave from the lightning, Gan Yue fled on her sword, quickly disappearing into the horizon.


    "Trying to escape! It won''t be that easy."


    Lei Hong pursued on his sword.


    He could not allow Gan Yue to escape alive; otherwise, the Lei family''s secrets about consuming other''s lightning essence might be exposed.


    At that time, the Lei family would faceplete destruction.


    It wasn''t that the Beast Cultivation Sect would act to destroy the Lei family; it was the desire to seize the altar for themselves, that would lead to the Lei family''s downfall.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 166: You Had Good Opportunity, But Now It’s Mine

    <h4>Chapter 166: You Had Good Opportunity, But Now It��s Mine</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Lei Tianyu watched his uncle''s distant figure with growing anxiety. He knew he was in deep trouble.


    He could only hope that his uncle would handle it well!


    But for now, there was nothing he could do to help.


    He decided to first deal with the Azure Bull he had painstakingly obtained after a year of scheming and nning, and devour its lightning essence.


    A murderous aura enveloped him, his gaze turning fierce as he fixed his eyes on Kou Chang.


    It was as if he wanted to vent all the anger caused by Gan Yue''s tracking on Kou Chang.


    Kou Chang felt as if she had fallen into an icy abyss, a cold dread piercing through her soul. She hurriedly pleaded.


    "Tianyu, don''t kill me. You just said you wanted to marry me."


    Lei Tianyu''s lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you right now. After a year of losing my dignity to please you, I won''t let you die easily. I want you to experience the feeling of being toyed with and treated like a dog."


    As he spoke, Lei Tianyu acted decisively, like a tiger descending a mountain. Before Kou Chang could react, he struck her dantian with a palm.


    A vast amount of spiritual power surged into her dantian, crushing the spiritual energy circting within her dantian and throughout her body. Her internal spiritual energy dissipated and became chaotic in an instant, rendering her unable to use any spiritual power for a short time.


    Kou Chang''s breath weakened immediately, and she copsed on the deck. The immense force had injured her internal organs, nearly paralyzing her.


    Her face was filled with despair. She was now at the mercy of others.


    She turned her gaze toward the Azure Bull at the ship''s tail, hoping it wouldplete its advancement and awaken soon, giving her a slim chance of escape.


    Lei Tianyu controlled the flying ship, holding Kou Chang in one hand and using spiritual power to drag Azure Bull with the other, jumping into theke.


    Momentster, they entered an underwater cave.


    He threw Kou Chang aside and ced Azure Bull on the altar.


    He then took out a silver chain from his storage ring and tightly bound Azure Bull to the altar.


    Last time, when he devoured Sun Ru, his strength was too weak to subdue easily, but Azure Bull was a genuine second-tier spirit beast with a trace of divine beast Kui Niu''s bloodline. It could not be taken lightly.


    At the same time, he spoke to Kou Chang.


    "I should thank you, you greedy and foolish woman, for putting Azure Bull into the advancement dormancy state. Otherwise, I would have had to put in a lot of effort to subdue it."


    Lei Tianyu had worried about any unforeseen incidents and had specially asked his uncle Lei Hong to help subdue Azure Bull.


    But he didn''t expect that Azure Bull wouldn''t need subduing but would instead lead to the discovery of Gan Yue as a follower.


    "Lei Tianyu, what exactly are you nning to do?" Kou Chang asked in despair.


    "nning to do?"


    Lei Tianyu, while preparing to devour Azure Bull''s lightning essence, said:


    "Do you think that our Lei family, with a legacy of thousands of years, really produces extraordinary talents in lightning methods in every generation as the rumors say?"


    "Lightning talent is inherently rare. Exceptional lightning talent is even rarer. How could our Lei family have such talents in every generation?"


    "Our family relies on this altar in front of you. This altar is mysterious and unfathomable, with the power to steal the lightning essence from both humans and beasts for us to devour."


    "As long as one has lightning talent, regardless of its strength, they can use this altar to continuously devour the lightning essence of others and be a lightning genius."


    "For this past year, I''ve gone to great lengths to please you. Do you really think I was enchanted by your beauty? I was merely coveting the lightning essence and Kui Niu''s bloodline in Azure Bull."


    "Divine beast bloodline spirit beasts are already rare, and those with lightning divine beast bloodlines are even more so. To have encountered one is truly a blessing from heaven!"


    "Do you know how excited I was when I first saw Azure Bull?"


    "Once I devour Azure Bull''s lightning essence, I will be able to cultivate the strongest lightning methods in the cultivation world."


    Knowing the gravity of the situation, Kou Chang''s face turned even more ashen.


    With such significant secrets exposed, it was clear that Lei Tianyu had no intention of letting her leave alive.


    Only dead people, whose souls are scattered, can keep such secrets better.


    At this moment, Kou Chang was filled with immense regret, regretting her greed for spirit stones and various spirit items, her desire for the false fame of the Beast Cultivation Sect''s most beautiful woman, and the ttering words of others.


    If she had followed her master''s teachings, cleared her mind, and focused on cultivation, she wouldn''t have attracted such trouble or given Lei Tianyu, with his wolfish ambitions, an opportunity.


    But Now It''s Too Late.


    At this moment, Kou Chang''s heart was as cold as ashes.


    ...


    Lei Tianyu used mid-grade spirit stones and his own blood to activate the formation.


    Though he looked pale from blood loss, his heart was filled with excitement.


    After a year of plotting, the day had finallye to reap the rewards.


    Suddenly, he sensed that themunication jade slip from his uncle in his storage ring had moved.


    Upon checking the jade slip, Lei Tianyu learned that his uncle had arrived outside the cave.


    He took out the disk to open the cave and cast a spell. The cave entrance suddenly appeared.


    Lei Hong walked in, carrying Gan Yue''s corpse.


    Lei Tianyu''s face brightened. "Uncle, you''ve killed this woman!"


    Lei Hong casually tossed Gan Yue''s corpse into a pile of rubble and nodded.


    "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could she escape from me?"


    "Uncle, you came just in time. Help me guard the formation so that Azure Bull doesn''t suddenly awaken and resist while I''m devouring its lightning essence."


    Lei Hong''s usually indifferent face suddenly broke into an inexplicable smile.


    "Nephew Tianyu, you''ve done very well, truly well."


    "Your determination and methods are top-notch."


    "And the opportunity is also excellent, but it now belongs to me."


    As he spoke thest sentence, Lei Hong''s figure abruptly surged forward, his killing intent overwhelming, heading straight for the somewhat weakened Lei Tianyu.


    Lei Tianyu''s face changed dramatically, full of terror and disbelief.


    He hurriedly mobilized his spiritual power to resist, but with only Foundation Establishment cultivation and Lei Hong''s surprise attack, he was no match for Lei Hong, who was at thete Foundation Establishment stage.


    Before he could cast any spells, Lei Hong''s fist mmed into his dantian.


    Lei Hong''s fist was glowing with lightning, and the dazzling lightning tore through Lei Tianyu''s dantian, instantly shattering it. The thick spiritual energy within the dantian surged out like a breached dam.


    In just a few breaths, Lei Tianyu lost all his cultivation and suffered severe internal injuries.


    Lei Hong picked up the severely wounded Lei Tianyu with a look of smug satisfaction.


    "Nephew Tianyu, your uncle has taught you many truths about the cultivation world. Today, I''ll teach you the final and most important lesson."


    "Never trust anyone, not even close family like parents or spouses. As long as the benefits are substantial enough, anyone can betray you."


    "In the next life... Oh no! You won''t have a next life. You''re about to have your soul scattered. Hahaha..."


    Amidst the triumphant and crazedughter, Lei Hong casually threw Lei Tianyu beside Kou Chang and walked towards the altar.


    Kou Chang, looking at the barely alive Lei Tianyu next to her, suddenly burst into wildughter, her voice filled with madness and satisfaction.


    "Hahaha... Lei Tianyu, you plotted so much, only to end up being a pawn for others and betrayed by your own kin. You truly deserve this, even more pitiable and pathetic than I am."


    "Hahaha... Ah!"


    Kou Chang''sughter was abruptly cut off as a blood hole the size of a fist appeared in her chest.


    Lei Hong uttered a lightmand.


    "Enough noise!"


    With a casual wave, a burst of spiritual power swept Kou Chang, who was on herst breath, into the pile of rubble,nding right next to Gan Yue''s corpse.


    Sensing the loss of opportunity and the approach of death, Kou Chang''s eyes widened in shock.


    With onest nce at the corpse of her second senior sister, Kou Chang closed her eyes forever.


    The two, who had once been rivals, now rested together in eternal sleep.


    <strong>TL:</strong> Damn!


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 167: In a Narrow Escape, the Brave Will Win

    <h4>Chapter 167: In a Narrow Escape, the Brave Will Win</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Lei Tianyu struggled to prop himself up, breathing heavily as he spoke.


    "Lei Hong, you''re attacking a member of your own family, targeting me, the direct descendant of the family head. Do you think this is right? Aren''t you afraid of the family and my father seeking revenge?"


    Lei Hong, sitting cross-legged in front of the altar, ced his hands on the altar''s depressions and sneered disdainfully.


    "Heh, the family!"


    "I''ve devoted myself to the family for so long, diligently managing family affairs, collecting countless spirit stones and treasures for the family. In the end, what did I get?"


    "Just because my cultivation aptitude is slightly inferior to your father Lei Jun''s, all the top-grade spirit materials were given to him, and I only received a few of the leftovers."


    "Your father is over twenty years younger than me. Now he is at the mid-Golden Core stage, while I, at two hundred years old, am still stuck at thete Foundation Establishment stage. If I don''t take a risk, I''ll never have a chance to break through to the Golden Core stage. In a few decades, I''ll be a pile of dust."


    "As long as I devour the lightning essence from Azure Beast, I might be able to break through the bottleneck that has gued me for so long, reaching the peak of thete Foundation Establishment stage and gaining a chance to challenge the Golden Core."


    "Don''t worry, I will also devour the spiritual essence in you."


    After saying this, Lei Hong ignored Lei Tianyu and began to activate his lightning techniques, preparing to consume Azure Beast''s essence.


    At that moment, another unexpected event urred!


    From the depths of the cave, a silver-gray figure sped towards them. This figure was emitting a thick, corpse-like aura and murderous intent��it was Song Wen''s pseudo-Third Stage silver corpse.


    Lei Hong''s eyes narrowed, his heart filled with rm.


    The existence of this cave was known only to a few core members of the Lei family. Where did this corpse puppete from?


    Could there be other cultivators who discovered the cave and the altar?


    His mind was racing with thoughts, but his actions remained swift.


    A pseudo-Third Stage corpse puppet had an overwhelming advantage against otherte Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    But against Lei Hong, ate Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Lei family, the pseudo-Third Stage corpse puppet was merely a slightly stronger evil being.


    Before the supreme lightning techniques of the Lei family, all evil beings would be purged.


    "Great Cave Thunder!"


    A bolt of lightning, twisted like a tree branch, appeared out of thin air, illuminating the entire cave.


    "Boom!"


    The lightning struck the corpse puppet, enveloping it in silver.


    "Roar... Roar..."


    The silver corpse emitted mournful howls as its rock-like flesh was instantly prated by the lightning. The flesh flew apart, revealing a silver gleaming skeleton.


    The silver corpse was sted backward by the immense force of the thunder.


    Before Lei Hong could catch his breath, another figure charged forward.


    This figure was wrapped in dense blood and yin energy, holding a ghost g about ten feet long, adorned with eight gs.


    Using the firstyer of the Blood Escape Technique, Song Wen, aided by the Ghost g''s escape, moved with extreme speed, pressing against thete Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Taking advantage of the silver corpse''s distraction, Song Wen sessfully approached Lei Hong.


    With a wave of the Ghost g, two high-level ghost generalsparable to thete Foundation Establishment appeared, surrounded by boundless yin wind and ghostly energy.


    The Lei techniques were too effective against ghostly entities, and Song Wen did not summon the countless ghosts in the Ghost g. In the face of Lei techniques, these ghosts were insufficient.


    "Hmph! Mere ghosts, what can they do to me!"


    Lei Hong roared angrily and was about to cast another lightning spell.


    Suddenly, a sh of cold light shot towards him, aiming for his face.


    "Trivial techniques!"


    A ball of lightning formed in front of him, slowly bing a small shield that blocked the Cold Moon de.


    "Great Cave Thunder! Fall!"


    Thunder reappeared, rushing towards the blue-faced ghost general.


    The lightning charged forward, dispersingyers of yin energy, and struck the blue-faced ghost general.


    The ghost general melted away like frost under the scorching sun, quickly turning to dust and vanishing into wisps of blue smoke.


    At this moment, Song Wen and the other ghost general had arrived right in front of Lei Hong. Song Wen''s withered, corpse-like ws reached out to grab him.


    The small lightning shield in front of Lei Hong suddenly dispersed, turning into countless tiny sparks that wrapped around Song Wen''s ghostly ws.


    Song Wen''s body instantly glowed with arge bronze shield.


    The lightning struck the bronze shield, producing a powerful burst of energy.


    The bronze shield shattered, and the lightning dissipatedpletely. Song Wen was enveloped by the intense energy and was thrown backward.


    Although Song Wen was repelled, there were still the Red-Haired Ghost General and the Cold Moon de attacking.


    The Red-Haired Ghost General wed at Lei Hong''s waist from the side.


    The Cold Moon de aimed directly at his head.


    Lightning flickered in Lei Hong''s hand as he gathered the thunder but did not release it. He swung a palm at the Red-Haired Ghost General.


    He spat out a green sword, which flew upwards towards the Cold Moon de.


    "ng!"


    The sword tip shed with the de.


    The Cold Moon de was defeated and flew away, disappearing out of sight.


    The Red-Haired Ghost General''s w struck Lei Hong''s side, tearing away arge chunk of flesh and exposing his red internal organs.


    Lei Hong smacked the Red-Haired Ghost General''s face with a palm, activating the thunder within his palm to send the ghost general flying. The ghostly energy dispersed, and its soul became somewhat transparent.


    Song Wen, astonished by Lei Hong''s power, realized that despite using all his techniques, he could not ovee him.


    But now was not the time for hesitation; having started, there was no turning back.


    Song Wen activated the bronze shield again and advanced, apanied by the silver corpse, which had lost much of its flesh, revealing its skeletal frame.


    At this moment, Lei Hong was also in a difficult situation. The Red-Haired Ghost General''s w had not only torn away a significant portion of his flesh but also injected arge amount of ghostly energy into his body, rapidly eroding his internal organs.


    He had to continuously use his spiritual power to dispel the ghostly energy inside while fending off Song Wen''s relentless attacks.


    "Great Cave Thunder!"


    The thunder reformed, but just as it was about to strike, it suddenly scattered.


    Lei Hong covered his left chest with one hand, his face showing extreme pain.


    Just then, as he was channeling his thunder technique, he felt a sudden sharp pain in his heart, which interrupted his casting.


    Upon inspecting with his spiritual sense, he discovered that two tiny insect-like creatures were clinging to his heart, their jaws tearing at it, trying to burrow into his heart.


    Lei Hong''s face turned rmed, and he hurriedly used his spiritual power to crush the two insects.


    However, Song Wen would not let him easily escape and miss this excellent opportunity.


    The Cold Moon de became a streak of light and stabbed towards the back of Lei Hong''s head.


    Song Wen, holding the spiritual flying sword, aimed directly at Lei Hong''s face.


    The silver corpse swung its remaining bony hands and pounced at Lei Hong''s left side.


    The wounded Red-Haired Ghost General charged from the right.


    Surrounded on all sides.


    In this perilous situation, Lei Hong''s eyes shed with a fierce resolve. He gritted his teeth.


    "Thunder Burst!"


    A massive amount of lightning surged from Lei Hong''s body, enveloping him like a deity descending from the heavens surrounded by lightning.


    First to be struck were the two ck-scaled insects inside him, instantly crushed by the power of the lightning.


    Seeing the situation, the Red-Haired Ghost General immediately turned to flee.


    The silver corpse also stopped its advance, turning to retreat. However, it was not as agile as a ghost, and its movements were a step too slow.


    The countless lightning bolts erupting from Lei Hong struck the silver corpse''s back, sting it away.


    The Cold Moon de was also hit by the raging lightning power, its momentum broken and swept away by the residual force.


    Only Song Wen advanced further without retreating!


    In a narrow escape, the brave would win!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 168: Devouring the Spirit of the Azure Bull

    <h4>Chapter 168: Devouring the Spirit of the Azure Bull</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Boom!"


    Lightning roared as it struck the bronze shield, causing the shield to glow intensely green. Momentster, it exploded, scattering bits of green light.


    This gave Song Wen a brief moment to prepare his sword attack.


    Despite the continuous surges of lightning, he thrust his sword towards Lei Hong''s throat.


    Having just used all his spiritual energy to perform the Thunder Burst technique, Lei Hong was now exhausted, and his new power had yet to replenish.


    His eyes widened as he stared at the approaching three-foot-long sword. With a thought, a flying sword appeared out of nowhere and aimed directly at Song Wen''s chest.


    "Rescue Zhao by besieging Wei."


    If Song Wen was determined to pierce his throat, then his long sword would also pierce Song Wen''s heart.


    He did not believe Song Wen would be willing to exchange lives with him.


    However, contrary to his disbelief, Song Wen did not dodge or avoid the flying sword and allowed it to stab into his chest.


    At the same time, Song Wen''s long sword pierced Lei Hong''s throat, and the violent spiritual energy exploded, shredding his neck into pieces.


    Lei Hong''s head fell onto the rocky ground, rolling around as his eyes widened in disbelief, unable to close them even in death.


    Song Wen also got pierced through by Lei Hong''s long sword, with half of his chest shattered by the sharp sword energy.


    With a sh of movement, Song Wen reappeared three meters away, unharmed.


    Song Wen took Lei Hong''s head into his hand and grasped Lei Hong''s body, devouring his blood and soul.


    He casually removed the storage ring from Lei Hong''s hand and found another storage ring from Lei Hong''s corpse, which originally belonged to Gan Yue.


    A fireball descended and consumed Lei Hong''s corpse.


    The bodies of the Lei family members could not be left behind, and Song Wen dared not keep them.


    Song Wen turned and approached the altar.


    The recent battle had shattered numerous rocks and causedrge stones to fall from the cave''s ceiling, but the altar and the ground formation remainedpletely intact, which was quite extraordinary.


    The Azure Bull showed signs of awakening, possibly due to either nearing thepletion of its advancement or the impact of the recent battle. Its body began to slowly move. However, it was still bound by chains Lei Tianyu had used, so the Azure Bull could not break free yet, but Song Wen did not have much time left.


    He seated himself in the position previously upied by Lei Hong, cross-legged, and ced his hands on the depressions in the altar''s stone wall.


    Moments passed, but the altar showed no reaction.


    Song Wen''s heart sank. He had paid a great price to kill Lei Hong.


    The Green-Faced Ghost General was dead, the Red-Haired Ghost General and the Silver Corpse were severely injured, and he had lost a substitute puppet. If he could not devour the Azure Bull''s thunderous spirit, it would be a huge loss.


    At this moment, Lei Tianyu, lying on the ground, suddenlyughed loudly.


    "Good kill. Lei Hong, this ungrateful wretch, deserved to die. But if you want to plunder my Lei family''s altar, that''s impossible. Only Lei family members can activate this altar."


    "Let me go, take me to the Lei family. As a member of the Lei family, I promise you, we will grant you endless cultivation resources."


    Song Wen stood up and walked to Lei Tianyu, coldly saying.


    "A waste with a destroyed dantian, still daring to im to be from the Lei family."


    Song Wen''s hand transformed into a w, moving swiftly like the wind, and grabbed at Lei Tianyu''s head.


    "Don''t! My Lei family has treasures that can repair the dantian..."


    Before Lei Tianyu could finish his words, he felt a powerful soul force invade his brain, making his mind instantly chaotic and his consciousness blur.


    Momentster, Song Wen released his grip, turned, and walked towards the altar.


    Instead of killing Lei Tianyu, Song Wen used a soul-searching technique.


    From the memories obtained, Song Wen learned that activating the altar also required infusing it with thunderous power.


    Song Wen seated himself before the altar again, pressing his hands onto the altar, and began to perform the Thunder Palm technique.


    A lightning bolt the size of a chopstick surged from his palm and was poured into the altar.


    The altar gradually began to shine with a silver light, with countless tiny silver snakes appearing intermittently on the altar.


    However, Song Wen''s Thunder Palm was rather weak. After repeatedly activating it over ten times, the altar finally emitted a brilliant silver light.


    The Azure Bull seemed to sense a deadly threat and suddenly awakened from its advancement sleep.


    The Azure Bull''s eyes were wide open, and its hooves pressed against the altar, trying to stand up.


    The chains wrapped around its body suddenly tightened, preventing it from rising.


    The Azure Bull became increasingly enraged, lightning flickering from its mouth and nostrils. Its aura grew more intense, and a terrifying pressure enveloped the entire cave.


    Suddenly, the Azure Bull felt a terrifying suction forceing from the stone tform beneath it, firmly binding it to the tform and interrupting its imminent thunderous attack.


    The suction force grew stronger, as if it intended to tear apart its flesh and shatter its body.


    "Moo... Moo... Moo..."


    The Azure Bull emitted a series of mournful roars.


    The tough hide on its belly began to be split open, with small, bloody cracks appearing, and crimson blood flowing from the fissures.


    The wounds gradually expanded, and the hide attached to the altar was violently torn apart, exposing its blood-soaked flesh.


    The suction force from the altar continued to intensify, stripping the Azure Bull''s fleshyer byyer.


    The Azure Bull gradually ceased its roars. Despair filled its eyes as tears streamed down.


    The altar was stained red with blood, and the blood gathered into a blood serpent that crawled up Song Wen''s arm and then entered his mouth.


    Song Wen did not experience the excruciating pain that Lei Tianyu had when he swallowed the blood serpent.


    As soon as the blood serpent entered Song Wen''s body, it was rapidly devoured, transforming into pure, refined blood.


    An indescribable, intangible spiritual essence was also absorbed by Song Wen.


    After a quarter of an hour, Song Wen stood up, looking at the Azure Bull''s mangled body with a smile on his lips.


    He could clearly sense that his understanding of thunderws had suddenly be clearer.


    Previously, using Thunder Palm was like groping inyers of fog, but now he had a clearprehension of it, as if the fog had lifted.


    With a thought, a lightning bolt the size of a bowl appeared in his palm.


    The Thunder Palm in his hand was several timesrger than the fist-sized Thunder Palm described in the jade slips.


    Song Wen smiled in satisfaction. The spiritual beast with the bloodline of the divine beast Kui Niu indeed allowed him to be a rare genius in thunderws by devouring the Azure Bull''s thunderous essence.


    No wonder Lei Tianyu went to such lengths and Lei Hong betrayed his n to obtain the Azure Bull''s thunder essence.


    Song Wen approached the unconscious Lei Tianyu, waved his hand, and a surge of spiritual power drew him onto the altar.


    Lei Tianyu had absorbed a lot of thunder essence from others, so he had a substantial amount of thunder essence within him, making him a thunder genius, and Song Wen could not afford to waste it.


    Lei Hong''s n to spare Lei Tianyu was also based on this idea.


    Following Lei Tianyu''s memories, Song Wen activated the formation and the altar again.


    After being forcibly soul-searched, most people''s souls would be damaged and be foolish.


    However, Lei Tianyu was fortunate in that his soul was rare and undamaged.


    But he was very unlucky as well. After the altar was activated, he woke up.


    Seeing himself lying on the altar and the lightning shing on it, Lei Tianyu was filled with fear.


    This scene was all too familiar to him.


    In the past, othersy on the altar while he sat beside it, devouring their essence.


    This time, it was reversed. He was lying on the altar, providing his essence for others to devour.


    "Don''t, please spare me. My father is the renowned Thunderstorm Master Lei Jun. If you spare me, he will surely reward you with a great amount of spirit stones and treasures."


    Song Wen remained unmoved.


    Feeling the increasing suction force from the altar, with his back being torn apart, Lei Tianyu screamed in agony.


    "You can''t kill me. My Lei family''s ancestor is a Nascent Soul powerhouse. The ancestor is very fond of me, and I have a fragment of his divine soul. If you kill me, you won''t escape the ancestor''s pursuit."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 169: The Arrival of the Nascent Soul Cultivator

    <h4>Chapter 169: The Arrival of the Nascent Soul Cultivator</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    "Please... don''t kill me... Ah... Ah..."


    The excruciating pain of being torn apart, with flesh being strippedyer byyer, made Lei Tianyu lose all pride as the scion of the Lei family. He repeatedly begged for mercy.


    His cries were like the mournful roars of those cultivators he had previously consumed, akin to Sun Ru''s desperate pleas before death.


    His screams grew more desperate and hysterical.


    Momentster, the thunder essence within Lei Tianyu was consumed by Song Wen, along with his soul and a powerful divine consciousness.


    A powerful divine consciousness sent a tremor through Song Wen.


    "You wretched creature! How dare you kill the Lei family''s direct bloodline. I will make you pay!"


    The divine consciousness transformed into a surging torrent, rushing towards Song Wen''s sea of consciousness, as if it intended to drag Song Wen''s mind into an endless abyss.


    An immense, boundless ck hole suddenly appeared in Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    "What is this thing?!" The divine consciousness emitted a fearful voice.


    Soon after, the divine consciousness, in the form of a mental flood, waspletely swallowed by the ck hole.


    Song Wen felt a sharp pain in his mind, nearly causing him to fall.


    Although the divine consciousness was devoured by the ck hole, the powerful mental flood it had created still caused Song Wen''s sea of consciousness to tremble, causing excruciating headaches.


    ---


    Two thousand miles away.


    In the depths of the Lei family''s stronghold, within a several-thousand-meter-high mountain, there was an old wooden house.


    Inside the wooden house, an elderly man with a vigorous spirit opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, looking northeast.


    "Tianyu is dead! The divine consciousness left on him has also dissipated."


    "Who killed him? I sense that the person''s cultivation is not strong. How could they extinguish my divine consciousness?"


    "The divine consciousnessst saw that ck hole. What is that about?"


    "This is bad! The stone b at the altar entrance is still on Tianyu. This item must not be lost."


    At this moment, he was unaware that Lei Tianyu had died in the altar''s cave, and the altar had already been exposed.


    The old man''s thoughts moved, and he vanished from the wooden house.


    ---


    The sudden appearance of the divine consciousness made Song Wen''s heart race, and a strong sense of unease rose, his heart pounding.


    But Song Wen did not lose hisposure.


    He quickly removed Lei Tianyu''s storage ring and grabbed the body, tossing it next to the corpses of Kou Chang and Gan Yue in the debris pit.


    With a casual wave, the storage bag from Kou Chang flew into the air andnded near Song Wen.


    At the same time, Song Wen produced a stone disc.


    As soon as the disc was in his hand, Song Wen noticed that it had a spiritual imprint. The aura of this imprint was the same as the divine consciousness from Lei Tianyu, indicating it came from the same person.


    After devouring the spiritual imprint on the disc, Song Wen performed several incantations on it.


    The method to activate the disc was derived from Lei Tianyu''s memories.


    A hole, one zhang wide, appeared in the nearby rock wall.


    Song Wen leaped towards the hole, while also throwing three fireballs into the debris pit to ignite the bodies of Lei Tianyu, Kou Chang, and Gan Yue. Within a few breaths, the three corpses were reduced to ashes.


    After exiting the hole, Song Wen used several incantations on the disc, and the entrance behind him disappeared, reverting to a rock wall.


    He put away the disc and rushed through the underwater cave towards theke.


    While hurrying, he took out Lei Tianyu and Lei Hong''s storage rings, used his spiritual sense to check that there were no residual spiritual imprints in the items, and then securely stored them.


    After checking the storage rings, Song Wen exited the cave and arrived at the edge of thergeke.


    Without slowing down, he continued to dart towards the deeper parts of theke.


    After traveling more than thirty miles underwater, Song Wen suddenly sensed a turtle-like demon beast, the size of a grinding stone, in the silt. The turtle demon was very weak, at the Qi Refining Stage.


    Song Wen moved directly towards the turtle demon and, upon getting closer, used a burst of spiritual power to knock it unconscious.


    He submerged into the silt, cing the turtle demon above him. Song Wen controlled his body, suppressing his aura, and became as still as a stone.


    Momentster, Song Wen sensed a powerful and vast spiritual consciousness sweep over him, making him feel rmed and uneasy.


    The owner of the divine consciousness had indeed arrived.


    The spiritual consciousness swept back and forth around thekebed several times, finding nothing. Perhaps the owner of the consciousness thought thekebed had been thoroughly searched and that the culprit was not there, so the consciousness vanished.


    Song Wen remained hidden under therge rock, not rxing or moving even a bit despite the disappearance of the spiritual consciousness.


    After a quarter of an hour, the spiritual consciousness returned, searching thekebed again several times before disappearing.


    Lei Yue hovered in the air, frowning. He had scanned the area within a hundred miles multiple times and found no trace of any living beings.


    Below him, arge pit remained, with residual thunder power from Lei Hong''s pursuit of Gan Yue.


    The lingering aura around the pit indicated that Lei Hong had also been here recently.


    With Lei Tianyu dead here and Lei Hong having been here too, Lei Yue had a vague feeling that Lei Hong had likely encountered some mishap.


    After pondering for a moment with no results, Lei Yue teleported back to the waterlogged stone wall at the altar''s cave entrance.


    The deaths of Lei Tianyu and Lei Hong were not crucial for the Lei family, but if the altar was exposed, it would be a devastating blow to the family.


    Lei Yue looked at the intact rock wall in front of him and hesitated.


    Without the stone disc, breaking into the cave would require forceful destruction of the rock wall.


    If the rock wall were broken, the ancient formation on it would be disrupted, allowingke water to flood into the cave, which would not be in the Lei family''s interest.


    Moreover, he was not confident he could break through the rock wall.


    Lei Yue teleported again, rising to the surface of theke.


    He stared at the ground near theke for a while, calcting the approximate location of the altar cave, and then flew towards thend.


    After flying a few miles, Lei Yue stopped, and a long sword appeared in front of him.


    Without any visible movement, the sword began to emit sword light and sword energy.


    The long sword, as fast as lightning, plunged into the earth.


    The thick and solid ground was easily pierced by the long sword, reaching deep into the earth.


    The sword prated the over hundred-meter-thick rockyer and directly entered the altar cave.


    The long sword moved back and forth in the rockyer several times, gradually creating a straight vertical tunnelrge enough for passage.


    Lei Yue jumped into the vertical tunnel and entered the altar cave.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 170: The Nine Great Thunder Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 170: The Nine Great Thunder Secrets</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The altar in this cave has a mysterious origin, and it is impossible to determine who built it. However, judging by its array patterns and the altar''s design, it is clear that the altar has existed for an extraordinarily long time.


    Approximately two thousand years ago.


    At that time, there was only a Qi Refining loose cultivator from the Lei family who identally entered the cave by reaching a stone wall and found a stone disc that could open the wall. By chance, he entered the cave and discovered the altar.


    On the altar, he obtained a jade slip of a cultivation method, which contained a thunder technique known as the Thunder Sutra. The jade slip not only included various thunder-based spells in the cultivation world but also nine legendary Thunder Secrets.


    These nine Thunder Secrets correspond to the nine great realms of cultivation. Each time a realm is advanced, one could cultivate a specific thunder technique.


    The Lei family ancestor, who obtained the Thunder Sutra, began to cultivate the first Thunder Secret, known as the Pr God Thunder.


    The Lei family''s ancestor had considerable talent for thunder techniques, and it wasn''t long before he perfected the Pr God Thunder.


    With the power of the Pr God Thunder, the Lei family ancestor rapidly rose to prominence. Within a few years, he reached foundation establishment, but he was not satisfied and began to study the altar''s purpose.


    After extensive research, he found nothing.


    It wasn''t until he brought a dying enemy into the cave and identally activated the altar, consuming the enemy''s thunder essence, that he discovered the altar''s function.


    Afterward, the Lei family ancestor began to kidnap cultivators with thunder talent and bring them to the cave to devour their thunder essence.


    As more and more cultivators were consumed, the Lei family''s thunder techniques grew stronger, and the family began to emerge prominently in the cultivation world, establishing a cultivating family.


    Due to theck of spiritual energy near the altar cave, it was not suitable as a family residence. Thus, the Lei family ancestor established their residence on a high mountain with abundant spiritual energy, a hundred miles away.


    The altar was mysterious; even when activated and devouring others'' thunder essence, it did not emit any spiritual fluctuations. Even Nascent Soul cultivators could not detect it, so the Lei family was not afraid of the altar being discovered by outsiders.


    As the Lei family grew stronger, the initial family residence gradually could not meet the spiritual needs of many cultivators, and the family moved their residence to a more spiritually rich location.


    After several hundred years, the first ancestor of the Lei family passed away due to old age. A descendant had the sudden idea of using thunder-beast demons instead of cultivators with thunder talent.


    The Lei family discovered that the thunder essence in demon beasts could also be devoured. Like humans, only living demon beasts could have their thunder essence consumed.


    However, thunder-beast demons were rare, and those with outstanding thunder talent were even rarer. Most thunder-talented demon beasts were powerful and hard to capture.


    With the aid of the altar, each generation of the Lei family produced at least one person with extraordinary thunder talent, further strengthening the family.


    There were once righteous sects that attempted to obtain the Nine Great Thunder Secrets from the Lei family. These sects found that the power of the first two Thunder Secrets, which they had difficulty acquiring, was not as great as imagined, and significantly weakerpared to the Lei family members.


    Over time, rumors spread in the cultivation world that the Nine Great Thunder Secrets could only unleash their true power when cultivated by the Lei family bloodline. As the Lei family grew stronger and produced Nascent Soul experts, no one dared to seek the Nine Great Thunder Secrets anymore.


    ---


    Lei Yue carefully examined the area around the altar, discovering the ashes left by Lei Hong and the remnants in the debris pit.


    From the residual aura in the air, he deduced that recently, there were four people and one beast in this ce, including Lei Hong and Lei Tianyu.


    The air still carried a strong aura of demonic corpse cultivators. It was highly likely that Lei Hong and Lei Tianyu were killed by these corpse cultivators.


    The other two among the four people were probably righteous cultivators, and since they were female cultivators, they were likely also dead.


    The reason for this judgment was that he could sense residual soul fragments that had not yet dissipated, belonging to the two female cultivators.


    As for Lei Hong and Lei Tianyu, no soul fragments remained.


    Lei Yue raised his right hand and slowly traced a path in the air. A gentle spiritual force began to circte through the cave.


    Momentster, several weak light spots converged from all directions into his hand.


    Lei Yue muttered incantations, repeatedly forming hand seals towards the light spots.


    After several breaths, Lei Yue''splexion grew somewhat pale, and his aura weakened considerably.


    "This cursed ''Soul-Chain Technique'' is truly too consuming of mana. Just a few fragments of souls have drained nearly half of my energy."


    From the fragments of the souls, Lei Yue learned some simple information about what the two people saw before their deaths.


    He discovered that the two individuals were killed by Lei Hong and that Lei Hong had attacked Lei Tianyu. However, the information he most wanted to know, which was about the corpse cultivator, was not present.


    "Could it be that these two female cultivators did not see the corpse cultivator before their deaths?"


    Lei Yue continued to search carefully around the altar but found no additional clues. He then flew deeper into the cave to search slowly within.


    After a quarter of an hour, he discovered a vertical tunnel dug by Song Wen. Passing through the tunnel, he arrived at a cave within the mountain.


    In the cave, he searched around but found nothing.


    He used stones from the cave to block the vertical tunnel and then left the cave.


    Lei Yue hovered in the air and used his powerful spiritual sense to sweep the surrounding area. To his disappointment, he still did not find any traces left by the corpse cultivator.


    After standing in mid-air for a long time, Lei Yue shook his head in disappointment.


    He flew to arge mountain, shed with a sword, and cut a hundred-meter-long stone block.


    Lei Yue dragged the stone block to block the vertical tunnel he had opened, then used his hand to disturb the nearby soil, making it impossible for anyone to detect any anomalies.


    After covering up everything, Lei Yue flew back to the Lei family''s residence.


    Tracking down the corpse cultivator would be left to the Lei family''s younger generation.


    The location was too close to Donghua City, where loose cultivators were gathered. Finding a corpse cultivator who intended to hide among them, even if they were a Nascent Soul cultivator, would not be easy.


    Currently, the most likely ces the corpse cultivator would go are either Donghua City or the Ghost Canyon.


    <strong>TL:</strong> Donghua City is where East Huafang Market is located. Ghost Canyon is where the Ghost Market(ch154) is located.


    Donghua City is thergest city nearby, a distribution center for spiritual stones, elixirs, and other treasures. The corpse cultivator might have gone there to sell the loot from his killings. Investigating Donghua City might yield some clues.


    Ghost Canyon is a mixed ce with demons and asional demonic cultivators. It is also possible to find traces of the corpse cultivator there.


    Of course, Lei Yue did not need to do these things personally. The Lei family had properties in both Donghua City and Ghost Canyon, and he instructed his subordinates. Many younger members of the Lei family would go investigate.


    Song Wen had been hiding at the bottom of theke for two full days. When he saw that the aura of Hao Ran had not appeared again, he released a ck Armored Worm.


    The ck Armored Worm slowly surfaced and, after confirming that there was no one around, crawled up theke shore. It crawled around a few miles, but found no further clues.


    It then flew into the sky, using its vision to scan the surrounding area for several dozen miles, but saw no one.


    Song Wen breathed a slight sigh of relief.


    After crawling out of the riverbed, Song Wen did not use spiritual energy but relied on his strong physique to slowly advance from the bottom of theke.


    The underwater resistance was great, and Song Wen could only cover a few miles in an hour.


    After walking at the bottom of theke for two days and covering nearly two hundred miles, he finally crawled up theke shore.


    After drying the water off his body, Song Wen oriented himself and, avoiding the direction of the altar cave, proceeded calmly towards Donghua City.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 171: The Abandoned Disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect

    <h4>Chapter 171: The Abandoned Disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The next day.


    Upon returning to Donghua City, Song Wen was just about to push open the gate to his small courtyard when he was suddenly struck with a look of surprise, which quickly turned into a somewhat displeased expression.


    He discovered that a female cultivator was practicing swordy in the small courtyard across from his.


    The female cultivator, at the 7th level of Qi Refining, was repeatedly wielding a three-foot-long blue sword, diligently practicing her sword techniques.


    What irritated Song Wen was that the courtyard across from him was rented by him, paid for in full, and had a Qi Condensation Barrier Formation and a first-level corpse beast.


    Song Wen quickly realized the reason behind this situation.


    This must be Zhao Dapeng''s doing.


    He was in charge of the rentals for the more than a hundred courtyards in this alley.


    The female cultivator''s bold appearance and her practicing swordy in the courtyard across from him clearly indicated that she had rented the ce from Zhao Dapeng.


    After Song Wen had rented the courtyard across, he had only entered it a couple of times initially, and then never again.


    This must have led Zhao Dapeng to mistakenly believe that the tenant had met with some misfortune, which gave him the courage to rent out the courtyard again.


    After a moment of hesitation, Song Wen turned around and knocked on the door of the courtyard across.


    "Creeeak!"


    The female cultivator opened the door and, seeing an unfamiliar face, asked, "Who are you?"


    Song Wen smiled and said, "Greetings, senior. I am Zhang Cheng, your neighbor across the street. Seeing that we have a new neighbor, I came to say hello."


    While speaking, Song Wen''s gaze assessed the female cultivator.


    The female cultivator had a delicate appearance and was not particrly outstanding among the many beautiful cultivators.


    However, her physique was quite notable. She was over five feet tall, not much shorter than Song Wen. Perhaps due to her long-term sword practice, her figure was exceptionally well-proportioned and tall, giving off an impression of grace and vigor.


    The female cultivator''s expression was cold, and she did not greet Song Wen with a smile despite him being the first neighbor toe and be friendly.


    "I am Ji Ruxue. I just moved in yesterday."


    Her tone was indifferent, giving off a sense of distance.


    Song Wen, seemingly oblivious to the coldness in her tone, continued with a warm expression, "Since we are neighbors from now on, please take care of me, Senior Ji."


    Ji Ruxue replied, "If you have no other business, please leave. I still need to practice my sword."


    Without waiting for Song Wen''s response, she pulled the door shut.


    Despite Ji Ruxue''s cold attitude, Song Wen didn''t mind. During their conversation, he had taken the opportunity to observe the condition of the courtyard and house, finding everything intact.


    Moreover, through the array te in his storage ring, he could sense that the Qi Condensation Barrier Formation was still functioning normally.


    This indicated that Ji Ruxue had likely not discovered the presence of the Barrier Formation.


    Song Wen turned and was about to return to his own courtyard.


    As he turned, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Ai Kun''s figure appeared at the corner of the alley, apanied by a woman in her thirties, lightly made up. They were chatting andughing together.


    Song Wen had seen this woman before; she was probably one of Ai Kun''s old acquaintances.


    Ignoring Ai Kun''s business, Song Wen pushed open his courtyard gate and entered.


    Not long after sitting down, Ai Kun knocked on the door from outside.


    Song Wen opened the door, and Ai Kun, in high spirits, entered the courtyard and took a seat on a chair.


    Ai Kun pointed to the courtyard across and asked in a low voice, "You wouldn''t be interested in that female cultivator, would you?"


    It was clear that Ai Kun had seen Song Wen talking to Ji Ruxue.


    Song Wen shook his head and denied, "How could that be?"


    "Then why did you go over to say hello? I''ve never seen you make an effort to greet other neighbors. I advise you, you''d better not provoke that one across."


    "Why? Is there something special about her?" Song Wen asked.


    Ai Kun whispered, "It is said that she is a discarded disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. Those who are expelled from a major sect carry too much karma. It is best not to get involved."


    Song Wen nodded, acknowledging the warning.


    Ai Kun spoke with a tone of someone who had been through such matters, earnestly advising Song Wen.


    "Some women are okay to approach, but some you must avoid at all costs; otherwise, the consequences will be dire."


    Seeing Ai Kun''s contemtive expression, Song Wen replied,


    "Why don''t you take care of yourself? It''s obvious to even a fool that you were unting yourself when you just came in. And that woman at the end of the alley, is she another of your old mes?"


    Ai Kun, looking somewhat lecherous, said, "I dare not say too much. I don''t have any special rtionship with her. However, in the past, I took care of her business a few times when she was working at a brothel. Now, it seems she has turned over a new leaf, found a decent spirit herb farmer, and got married."


    Song Wen''s face showed a wry smile: It seems that in every world, it''s always the honest ones who end up dealing with things.


    "So, she''s married now. Why are you still looking so pleased?"


    Ai Kun raised his eyebrows and his smile turned somewhat lecherous. "The Hehuan Sect''s brothel is about to open soon."


    ...


    After Ai Kun left, Song Wen disguised himself and went to Zhao Dapeng''s residence.


    He had two purposes for this visit:


    To rent a courtyard. To investigate Zhao Dapeng. As ate-stage Qi Refining cultivator who had provoked a Foundation Establishment cultivator like himself, Zhao Dapeng would have to pay the price.


    Song Wen didn''t n to deal with Zhao Dapeng within the city. Zhao Dapeng had the Beastmaster Sect backing him. Killing Zhao Dapeng in the city would attract severe scrutiny from the Beastmaster Sect, and then, the tenants of the alley would inevitably be the focus of investigation.


    There was no need to create trouble for himself!


    If he wanted to deal with Zhao Dapeng, it would be better to do so outside the city.


    "Knock, knock, knock!"


    After knocking a few times on the courtyard door, Song Wen waited quietly outside.


    After a moment, Zhao Dapeng, looking impatient, opened the door. Seeing Song Wen was a stranger with only the cultivation of the 5th level of Qi Refining, he asked bluntly.


    "What do you want? Speak quickly."


    Seeing Zhao Dapeng''s unpleasant demeanor, Song Wen didn''t bother with pleasantries and said coldly,


    "Renting a house."


    Zhao Dapeng reached into his waist pouch and took out a map, which showed the many courtyards in the entire alley.


    He handed the map to Song Wen and said,


    "Take a look. Courtyards without names on the map are unupied."


    Song Wen nced at the map and noticed that the courtyard next to Sun Daxiong''s was marked as vacant.


    After Sun Ru went missing, Sun Daxiong seemed to have lost his will, and it was unclear where he had gone.


    Pointing to Sun Daxiong''s courtyard, Song Wen said, "Courtyard No. 36, I want this one."


    Zhao Dapeng replied, "The rent is ten spirit stones per month and must be paid on time, or you will be evicted."


    Song Wen nodded and handed over thirty spirit stones. "I''ll pay for three months in advance."


    "What''s your name?" Zhao Dapeng asked.


    "Guo Tao!"


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Dapeng infused the map with a bit of spiritual energy.


    The map immediately changed, showing the name Guo Tao over Courtyard No. 36.


    At that moment, a voice suddenly came from the courtyard.


    "Ah... Brother, it hurts so much! It hurts!"


    The sudden voice immediately drew the attention of both people at the door.


    Song Wen instinctively looked toward the sound.


    He saw Zhao Dapeng''s foolish younger brother in the courtyard, gritting his teeth and looking pained.


    A trace of panic shed across Zhao Dapeng''s face as he hurriedly pulled the door shut, blocking Song Wen''s view.


    "Go to Courtyard No. 36 yourself. If you can''t find it, ask someone. Just inquire about the courtyard formerly upied by Sun Daxiong. I have something urgent, so I won''t apany you."


    With that, Zhao Dapeng didn''t wait for Song Wen''s response and quickly closed the door.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 172: Living Corpses

    <h4>Chapter 172: Living Corpses</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Song Wen turned and left, a hint of an imperceptible gleam in his eyes.


    Just now, he had sensed a trace of corpse energy from the mouse-eyed man.


    <strong>TL:</strong> mouse-eyed man probably refers to Zhao Dapeng''s brother...


    Corpse cultivators, corpse puppets, or dead bodies all emit corpse energy.


    The mouse-eyed man''s breathing was normal, and his heart was beating strongly��he was definitely not a dead body.


    Moreover, the mouse-eyed man''s dantian was destroyed, and without rare treasures to restore it, it was impossible for him to cultivate again. So, there was only one possibility...


    A living corpse?


    The corpse energy on the mouse-eyed man wasn''t actively absorbed or refined; it had been forcibly infused into his body.


    Song Wen''s lips curled into a cold smile. The righteous world was far more interesting than he had imagined.


    Although Zhao Dapeng was just a steward of the Beastmaster Sect''s outer gate, managing a street in the city, there was still a lot of profit to be made.


    With backing and spirit stones, living a risky life in the city, and practicing demonic arts��what exactly was Zhao Dapeng''s goal?


    ...


    Song Wen pushed open the door to Courtyard No. 36. The courtyard was somewhat messy, as Sun Daxiong had left behind many daily items when he departed, strewn haphazardly around the small yard.


    After tidying up the courtyard a bit to make it somewhat presentable, Song Wen didn''t bother with it further, as he wouldn''t be living here anyway.


    Entering the kitchen, he moved the water tank to reveal a long green stone b beneath.


    With a few quick moves, Song Wen pried open the long stone b, exposing the brown soil underneath.


    Song Wen took out an iron shovel and began digging. All the soil he excavated was stored in his storage ring.


    He had previously dug an underground chamber in the opposite courtyard, so this was a task he was quite familiar with.


    In less than an hour, Song Wen had excavated a chamber 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, about a meter deep.


    Before returning to the city, Song Wen originally nned to set up the Nine Pces Yin Array and the Spirit Concealment Formation in the underground chamber of the opposite courtyard. With these two formations, he should be able to hide from the spiritual sense of Golden Core cultivators.


    Song Wen nned to practice some techniques that were not easily shown to others in the underground chamber.


    As for demonic techniques, Song Wen wouldn''t be practicing them for now. The Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique required arge amount of corpse energy or yin essence, which was hard to obtain in Donghua City. Only a small amount could be bought in the mountain stream ghost market, but it was barely enough for Song Wen.


    Before leaving the Corpse Demon Sect, Song Wen had stocked up on a lot of corpse energy and yin essence. He had also obtained some yin essence from killing Wu Ren, but that was used up little by little. Song Wen had no intention of using it for now, keeping it in reserve for emergencies.


    What he didn''t expect was that the opposite courtyard had been re-rented by Zhao Dapeng.


    The Spirit Concealment Formation had to be retrieved; he couldn''t let Ji Ruxue discover the corpse beast within the formation.


    For the next few days, Song Wen stayed in the house, refining pills and practicing the Longevity Technique.


    At the same time, he sent out a ck Armor Gu to monitor Ji Ruxue''s movements. As soon as she left the courtyard, he nned to retrieve the Spirit Concealment Formation.


    This waitingsted for four days.


    That night, Ji Ruxue, dressed in ck tight-fitting clothing and covering her face, left the courtyard.


    Worried that Ji Ruxue might suddenly return, Song Wen sent a ck Armor Gu to follow her from a distance.


    He himself slipped into the opposite courtyard.


    Song Wen released his spiritual sense and walked slowly toward the kitchen. The entrance to the chamber was also under the water tank in the kitchen.


    Just as he reached the kitchen door and was about to push it open, Song Wen''s spiritual sense detected a thin transparent wire tied to the door.


    The transparent fine thread was extremely tough and sharp. If an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator hade and not noticed the fine thread, they might have been sliced in half by it.


    "It seems Ji Ruxue is not someone to be trifled with," Song Wen mused.


    Although Song Wen couldn''t identify the transparent fine thread as any specific magical item, he was certain it was no ordinary thing.


    Carefully avoiding the fine thread, Song Wen entered the kitchen.


    The kitchen was very neat, with only a thinyer of dust on the stove, giving the impression that it hadn''t been used for a long time.


    There were no cooking necessities like firewood, rice, oil, salt, or even bowls and tes in the kitchen.


    In other words, no one had cooked in this kitchen for a long time, and Ji Ruxue had no intention of cooking.


    Ji Ruxue was only at the Qi Condensation stage, and her reluctance to cook was somewhat strange.


    Song Wen moved the water tank and pried up the green stone b to reveal the entrance to the secret chamber.


    Entering the chamber, he saw that the Spirit Concealment Formation had already been activated. A wolf demon corpse beasty within the formation, looking listless.


    The wolf demon corpse beast had been in the formation for several months, and its corpse energy had not been replenished, nearly running out.


    Song Wen used the formation te to control the formation, opening one corner of it and quickly slipping inside.


    He took out a low-grade magic item, a corpse-raising coffin, and stored the wolf demon corpse beast inside, then retracted the Spirit Concealment Formation.


    Returning to the entrance of the chamber, Song Wen took out a storage ring from his robe. With a thought, the storage ring spewed out arge amount of soil, rapidly filling the chamber.


    Restoring the kitchen to its original state, Song Wen swiftly exited the courtyard and headed towards Courtyard No. 36.


    At this moment, the ck Armor Gu monitoring Ji Ruxue sent back news.


    Ji Ruxue had suddenly elerated, breaking through the speed limits of a Qi Condensation cultivator and vanished from sight.


    The ck Armor Gu, with only the strength of a Qi Condensation ninthyer, couldn''t keep up with Ji Ruxue''s speed, which wasparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator''s.


    Song Wen was astonished. Ji Ruxue had concealed her cultivation level and was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Even his spiritual sense,parable to ate-stage Foundation Establishment, couldn''t detect her hidden cultivation. Either her cultivation was abovete-stage Foundation Establishment, or she possessed an item that could alter her aura, blocking his spiritual sense.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but feel relieved that he hadn''t chosen to forcibly break into the opposite courtyard during his initial visit. Otherwise, his identity as a corpse cultivator might have been exposed. After all, without using corpse techniques, it would be challenging to defeat a Foundation Establishment sword cultivator.


    Upon entering the underground chamber of Courtyard No. 36, Song Wen set up the Spirit Concealment Formation and thenid out the Nine Pces Yin Array around it. With these two formations, at least Golden Core cultivators wouldn''t be able to detect any anomalies in the chamber.


    Song Wen took out three storage rings and one storage bag, beginning to inspect the items belonging to Lei Hong and the others.


    First was Lei Hong''s storage ring.


    As the acting head of the Lei family, Lei Hong''s storage ring contained a significant amount of spirit stones��over 80,000. When Song Wen killed Wu Ren, he had only obtained seven high-grade spirit stones, over a hundred mid-grade spirit stones, and several thousand low-grade spirit stones from Wu Ren''s storage ring, totaling just over 80,000 low-grade spirit stones.


    Of course, the value of the other items in Wu Ren''s storage ring was far greater than Lei Hong''s. Just the treasure-grade mourning g alone was worth at least several hundred thousand spirit stones.


    Other items included various medicines, spirit herbs, a few jade slips, and a flying sword.


    The flying sword was a high-grade spiritual weapon, which Song Wen, with his current early Foundation Establishment cultivation, couldn''t use yet. He would need to reach at leastte Foundation Establishment to fully utilize its power.


    Among the jade slips, one of them greatly delighted Song Wen.


    The jade slip was named Thunder Canon, recording various lightning techniques, including Thunder Palm, Five Thunders Technique, Thunder Spear Technique, Thunder Shield Technique, and others, totaling twelve lightning techniques.


    It also included the first two divine thunder techniques from the Lei family''s nine great heavenly thunder secrets: the Pr God Thunder and the Great Cave God Thunder.


    Although the Thunder Canon Song Wen obtained was evidently not aplete version, he was very satisfied with it.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 173: The Advancement of the Black Armor Gu

    <h4>Chapter 173: The Advancement of the ck Armor Gu</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    Next was Lei Tianyu''s storage ring.


    The spirit stones in his storage ring were also quite numerous, totaling 38,000. Song Wen couldn''t help but be impressed; indeed, the wealth of the direct descendants of prominent families was substantial.


    In Lei Tianyu''s storage ring, Song Wen found a short spear, about two feet long, which was a low-grade spiritual weapon. It was just right for Song Wen''s use.


    Wielding the short spear felt quitefortable, but since it belonged to Lei Tianyu and the Lei family was actively searching for him as the culprit, it would be best not to reveal it easily.


    Next was Gan Yue''s storage ring. It contained only a little over 3,000 spirit stones but had a Foundation Establishment pill.


    Song Wen also found a jade slip named "True Understanding of Spirit Beasts" in the storage ring.


    "True Understanding of Spirit Beasts" recorded the methods for raising hundreds of first and second-tier spirit beasts and insects, and also included records of dozens of spirit herbs and pills used to cultivate spirit beasts.


    ording to the "True Understanding of Spirit Beasts," there was a spirit herb called Silver Horn Grass that could help a first-tier spirit beast break through to second-tier. It was somewhat simr to the Foundation Establishment pill used by cultivators. However, Silver Horn Grass required at least ten nts to have a chance of allowing a perfected first-tier spirit beast to breakthrough.


    Seeing the introduction to Silver Horn Grass, Song Wen searched through the storage ring and after a while, finally found six nts of Silver Horn Grass in a green wooden box.


    In the pills found in the storage ring, there was a bottle of "Beast Refining Pill," containing twelve pills. This pill was for second-tier spirit beasts and helped improve their bloodline and enhance their cultivation.


    Setting aside Gan Yue''s storage ring, Song Wen took out Kou Chang''s storage bag.


    After a moment, Song Wen showed a pleased expression.


    In Kou Chang''s storage bag, he found two green wooden boxes. Opening them, he discovered a total of ten more Silver Horn Grass nts.


    Adding the six he had found earlier, Song Wen now had sixteen nts of Silver Horn Grass, which he could use to attempt to advance a ck Armor Gu to a Sacred Gu.


    After storing the Silver Horn Grass, Song Wen continued to inspect the storage bag.


    The spirit stones and treasures in Kou Chang''s storage bag were far more abundant than those in Gan Yue''s storage ring.


    There were 10,000 spirit stones and four bottles of Beast Refining Pills, totaling forty-eight pills.


    Other misceneous spirit herbs and pills were too numerous to count, and Song Wen estimated their value to be at least over 50,000 spirit stones.


    Song Wen stored all the spirit stones in a special storage ring meant for spirit stones.


    When he left the Corpse Demon Sect, he had nearly 150,000 spirit stones. After acquiring arge number from Wu Ren, Lei Hong, and others, he now had close to 400,000 spirit stones.


    Although it sounded like a lot, for a Golden Core cultivator, it was only the value of one magical treasure.


    Song Wen didn''t n to use the other items from the four individuals for now. He stored them in a storage ring.


    The Lei family and the Beastmaster Sect would definitely investigate the cause of the four''s deaths, so these items couldn''t be used for the time being.


    Song Wen summoned the most powerful ck Armor Gu and fed it one of the Silver Horn Grass nts.


    He then summoned another ck Armor Gu at the Qi Condensation ninthyer and gave it one of the Beast Refining Pills.


    He watched the two ck Armor Gus as they consumed their respective items.


    The ck Armor Gu eating the Silver Horn Grass kept gnawing away, and the leaves of the Silver Horn Grass visibly reduced.


    The ck Armor Gu eating the Beast Refining Pill stopped after consuming four pills, unable to handle the full effects of the entire pill.


    With most of the Beast Refining Pill''s spiritual power quickly dissipating, Song Wen had no choice but to summon the remaining ck Armor Gus to consume the remaining pills.


    In the blink of an eye, a small amount of time passed.


    The four ck Armor Gus that consumed the pills burrowed into Song Wen''s body, dispersing the pill''s effects.


    The ck Armor Gu that ate the Silver Horn Grass had finished all the nts and looked full, lying motionless in the insect cauldron.


    Ignoring the five insects, Song Wen began to practice lightning techniques.


    Song Wen performed the hand gesture for the Thunder Palm technique. Within moments, a thunderball the size of a human head appeared in his hand.


    Feeling the domineering and violent energy within the thunderball, Song Wen''s face lit up with joy. This was the true power of lightning, far superior to the earlier, chopstick-sized lightning. It was many times stronger.


    This single Thunder Palm could severely injure ate-stage Qi Condensation ghostly creature.


    Song Wen took out the jade slip of "Thunder Canon," which contained only two kinds of Heavenly Thunder Secret Techniques. After examining them, Song Wen realized that neither of the Heavenly Thunders could be cultivated.


    Cultivating the Pr God Thunder requiredte-stage Qi Condensation cultivation, while the Great Cave Thunder required Foundation Establishment level. His "Longecity Technique" was only at Qi Condensation fifthyer, and the demonic cultivation method couldn''t activate lightning techniques.


    Song Wen then checked the other lightning techniques in the "Thunder Canon" and found that only the Thunder Shield Technique was cultivatable.


    The Thunder Shield Technique could condense a shield made of lightning for defense.


    After spending half a day, Song Wen mastered the Thunder Shield Technique.


    At this time, the sky outside was bright. Song Wen left the secret room and headed to the market.


    He bought some spirit herbs for refining Blood Qi Pills, restored his appearance to its usual self, and returned to his own small courtyard.


    When he pushed open the courtyard gate, he noticed that, at some point, Ji Ruxue had arrived and was tirelessly swinging her longsword in the opposite courtyard.


    He also wondered where she had been that night.


    Returning to his room, Song Wen began refining the Blood Qi Pills.


    ...


    In the peaceful cultivation, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by.


    During this time, Song Wen had been feeding the ck Armor Gus with Silver Horn Grass and Beast Refining Pills.


    The ck Armor Gu that ate Silver Horn Grass had consumed a total of twelve nts.


    Today, after eating the thirteenth nt, the ck Armor Gu suddenly began to slow down, and its internal spiritual power surged rapidly.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened; there was finally a change.


    He just didn''t know if it would advance directly to the second-tier insect, the "Sacred Gu," as he hoped!


    After a moment, the changes in the ck Armor Gu gave Song Wen his answer.


    The ck Armor Gu suddenly began to absorb the surrounding heavenly and earthly spiritual energy. The spiritual energy in the small secret room was quickly consumed.


    Song Wen immediately took out several spirit stones. With a firm grip, the stones cracked open, and pure spiritual energy quickly filled the room.


    However, just a few spirit stones were insufficient for the ck Armor Gu''s absorption.


    To not affect the ck Armor Gu''s advancement, Song Wen had to keep shattering spirit stones.


    Fifty stones!


    A hundred stones!


    Two hundred stones!


    After consuming two thousand spirit stones, the ck Armor Gu finally stopped absorbing the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy.


    The insect''s tail began to emit silk, slowly wrapping itself in a cocoon.


    As for the other four ck Armor Gus, after consuming ten Beast Refining Pills each, their strength increased rapidly.


    Three of the originally Qi Condensation eighthyer ck Armor Gus had advanced to the ninthyer. The other, which was already at the ninthyer, had reached the peak of Qi Condensation.


    Song Wen collected the cocooned ck Armor Gu and the other four ck Armor Gus into his body and left the secret room. Taking advantage of the night, he returned to his own courtyard.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 174: The Sacred Gu

    <h4>Chapter 174: The Sacred Gu</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The next day, early in the morning.


    Song Wen disguised himself and went to the market. He had finished refining the Blood Qi Pills and needed to buy some materials.


    After collecting the required spirit herbs for the Blood Qi Pills from several stalls, Song Wen went to a secluded spot, removed his disguise, and returned to his courtyard.


    While walking along the busiest main street of the market, Song Wen suddenly noticed a ten-story building ahead, adorned with dragon and phoenix carvings, with flying pavilions and a dazzling, golden brilliance.


    Arge sign hung over the building, with a single prominent character:


    Heavenly Spring Courtyard!


    The area in front of the building was bustling with people, all male cultivators.


    In front of the gate stood several tall and beautiful young women in elegant and uniform attire, with smiling faces, weing and sending off the guests.


    Ai Kun, whose temples were already graying, was supported by two young girls, about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in revealing clothes. They helped him out of the building, which seemed to be making him tremble.


    After sending Ai Kun to the street outside the gate, the two girls turned back.


    As they walked away, one of them spoke with clear disdain.


    "An old man who has seriously depleted his essence actually wants us two sisters to serve him together. He must really want to live long."


    Seeing Ai Kun''s shaky figure, Song Wen nced up at the Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    This ce was not a ce for leisure and rxation; it was practically a den for replenishing vitality through shady practices.


    Song Wen quickly stepped forward and supported Ai Kun''s right hand.


    "Is this the Heavenly Spring Courtyard you''ve been longing for?"


    Startled by the sudden assistance, Ai Kun looked up and, upon seeing Song Wen, his expression turned awkward. His current state was far from the grandiose "sweeping the courtyard" he usually boasted about.


    Ai Kun looked back at the Heavenly Spring Courtyard with a wistful look and nodded.


    "To havee here once is worth it in this lifetime. Not in vain for practicing immortality."


    "You should take it easy. If youe here too often, you might have to crawl back."


    "Under the peony flower, death is still charming. The pleasure, you don''t understand. It''s truly delicious, a feast of bone and marrow."


    "Better save yourself a coffin."


    Ai Kun chuckled and held up a finger.


    "One spirit stone!"


    Song Wen was surprised. Ordinary brothels charged three spirit stones, but the Heavenly Spring Courtyard only required one spirit stone.


    "So cheap?"


    Ai Kun exined, "It is a bit cheap. My essence is severely depleted, so I only need one spirit stone."


    Song Wen looked puzzled, as if he didn''t understand Ai Kun''s meaning.


    Noticing Song Wen''s confusion, Ai Kun continued.


    "One time! Customers pay one spirit stone."


    A refund!


    Song Wen''s eyes widened, and he looked back at the Heavenly Spring Courtyard with newfound respect.


    The Heavenly Spring Sect truly lived up to its reputation as a righteous sect, offering a refund after letting people rx.


    Could this bepensation for depleted essence?


    The demonic sects also have methods for replenishing vitality, but they never refund money. Demonic sects are all about squeezing out every bit of value.


    ...


    After more than ten days.


    The cocooned ck Armor Gu emerged from its cocoon.


    A tiny insect, the size of a sesame seed,pletely ck, and matching the description in "Blood Insect Art," appeared before Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s face showed joy as he held the Sacred Gu in his palm and observed it closely.


    The Sacred Gu''s aura was very subtle; even with histe-stage Foundation Establishment spiritual sense, Song Wen could barely perceive its presence.


    However, through the faint spiritual connection with the Sacred Gu, Song Wen could clearly sense its location and strength.


    The Sacred Gu was a first-stage tier-2 insect, with strengthparable to that of a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator.


    The Sacred Gu, resting on Song Wen''s palm, suddenly began to bare its fangs and grow agitated.


    Song Wen smiled faintly, understanding that this was due to the insect''s recent advancement and its currentck of spiritual energy.


    He took out a Beast Refining Pill and ced it in front of the Sacred Gu.


    In an instant, a blurred shadow shed by!


    The size of the Beast Refining Pill, which was about the size of a finger, disappeared without a trace.


    Song Wen immediately suspected he had seen incorrectly; he had just watched the Sacred Gu suddenly grow to the size of an egg and devour the pill in one bite.


    The Sacred Gu could change its size!


    This was something not mentioned in the "Blood Gu Art."


    Song Wen tried tomunicate mentally with the Sacred Gu, asking it to erge again.


    However, the only response he received from the insect was a simple, "Hungry, eat essence blood."


    Feeling somewhat helpless, Song Wen took out a jade bottle, tilted it, and let a drop of essence blood fall.


    Once again, a shadow shed by.


    This time, Song Wen saw clearly.


    Only the Sacred Gu''s tiny head had erged, while its body remained unchanged.


    As the essence blood continued to drip, after consuming more than forty drops, nearly half a bottle, the Sacred Gu finally seemed satisfied. It pped its wings, flew into Song Wen''s mouth, and went into his stomach to refine the pill and essence blood.


    Since the Sacred Gu had just advanced, its realm was not yet stable and required time to solidify.


    Seven dayster, the Sacred Gu''s aura stabilized, and it crawled out of Song Wen''s body, conveying its "hunger" message.


    Song Wen took out a shiny silver stone and ced it in front of it. The Bright Silver Stone was recorded in the "Blood Gu Art" as the best food for the Sacred Gu.


    However, the Sacred Gu seemed a bit displeased. It preferred the Beast Refining Pills it had consumed previously.


    Song Wen raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the Beast Refining Pills were more effective for the Sacred Gu''s advancement than the silver stone.


    Unfortunately, Song Wen didn''t have many Beast Refining Pills left, only about forty. It would not be enough for long-term feeding.


    Moreover, the Beastmaster Sect controlled the sale of tier-2 and above spirit beasts'' food, making it difficult for Song Wen to obtain Beast Refining Pills.


    After feeding the Sacred Gu one of the Beast Refining Pills, Song Wen started preparing to breed the Sacred Gu with the ck Armor Gu to see if he could directly cultivate more Sacred Gus.


    Another half-month passed. After numerous attempts, Song Wen discovered:


    There seemed to be a reproductive istion between the Sacred Gu and the ck Armor Gu. Not only was breeding the next generation of insects impossible, but even mating was unfeasible.


    This made Song Wen realize that to cultivate more Sacred Gus, he would at least need to evolve a female Sacred Gu to mate with the current male Sacred Gu.


    But he only had two Silver Horn Grasses left, which were insufficient for the ck Armor Gu''s evolution.


    "I need to get more Silver Horn Grasses."


    Song Wen stood up, left the secret chamber, and headed to the market.


    After spending most of the day and visiting almost all spirit herb shops and stalls in the market, he found no Silver Horn Grass for sale.


    This greatly surprised Song Wen.


    While he could understand the Beastmaster Sect controlling tier-2 and above materials, given that they were produced by them, it was unexpected that they could control a single herb as well.


    Even if the Beastmaster Sect controlled their own nted Silver Horn Grass, preventing it from being sold in the market, wild-grown Silver Horn Grass should be avable for purchase.


    Unwilling to give up, Song Wen made another trip to the mountain stream ghost market, but still found no Silver Horn Grass.


    However, he learned from a shopkeeper in the ghost market that only the Beastmaster Sect had Silver Horn Grass.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 175: Plotting for Silver Horn Grass

    <h4>Chapter 175: Plotting for Silver Horn Grass</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    In the central part of the Tianyuan Continent lies an endless expanse of desert known as the Endless Desert.


    This desert divides the Tianyuan Continent into two regions: the northeastern and southwestern territories.


    Within the Endless Desert, spiritual energy is nonexistent, and for thousands of miles, it is a ce where survival is nearly impossible.


    Yet, there is always a glimmer of hope under the heavens!


    Among the barren desert, there are sporadically scattered oases.


    These oases not only have clean water sources but also some contain abundant spiritual energy.


    Silver Horn Grass is a type of spirit herb that grows in the oases of the Endless Desert. It was discovered by a senior of the Beastmaster Sect for its ability to aid tier-1 beasts in their advancement, and thus, it was introduced for cultivation.


    As a result, only the Beastmaster Sect has Silver Horn Grass in the northeastern region of the Tianyuan Continent.


    For other sects, it is of little use. Those who need Silver Horn Grass must purchase it from the Beastmaster Sect, as they do not cultivate it themselves. After all, Silver Horn Grass grows in the desert, and simting the appropriate growing conditions is extremely costly.


    One day, Song Wen entered a spirit herb shop operated by the Beastmaster Sect.


    A pretty maid greeted him.


    "Senior, may I ask what you wish to purchase?"


    "Could you please have your managere out? I have some matters to discuss with him."


    The maid''s gaze quickly scanned Song Wen.


    Dressed like a wandering cultivator, though his cultivation level was higher than hers, she thought his aura was not very strong,parable to a mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator.


    A shabby wandering cultivator wanting to meet the manager!


    The maid thought disdainfully but maintained a polite smile.


    "Senior, if you have any requests, you can tell me directly."


    Song Wen nced at the maid and said no more, turning to leave the shop.


    This oue was within his expectations.


    "It seems that meeting the manager of the Beastmaster Sect and plotting for the Silver Horn Grass will require another approach."


    At this moment, a middle-aged male cultivator walked into the shop with an imposing stride.


    As soon as the man entered, several maids surrounded him respectfully and greeted him.


    "Greetings, Steward Qin."


    Steward Qin had an arrogant demeanor and ignored the maids'' salutes, heading straight to the shop''s backyard. While walking, he loudly said, "Where is Manager Wang? Have hime to receive the spirit herbs. As a steward, I am very busy and need to return to the sect after this."


    ...


    About fifteen minutester, Steward Qin exited the spirit herb shop.


    At this point, he had changed into the attire of a wandering cultivator. After weaving through the market for a while, he entered the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    Half an hourter, Steward Qin walked out of the Pavilion, his legs somewhat unsteady.


    After traversing much of the market, he arrived at the residential area in the eastern part of the market. The rent here for a small courtyard was twenty spirit stones per month. Such high rent could only be afforded by powerful wandering cultivators or some family members of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Steward Qin entered a small courtyard.


    A woman in her forties, heavily made up and dressed extravagantly, greeted Steward Qin with a joyful smile.


    "Husband, you came down the mountain today. Why didn''t you inform me in advance so I could prepare a feast?"


    Despite the woman''s warm reception, Steward Qin remained indifferent.


    "Where is Qin Ge? Where has he gone?"


    The woman, Qin Shi, guided Steward Qin to a chair in the courtyard, poured tea, and handed it to him before responding.


    "Qin Ge went to collect debts from Hu Yun."


    Steward Qin frowned, his tone tinged with displeasure.


    "Has the debt from Hu Yun not been recovered?"


    "Hu Yun is a notorious gambler. He owes a considerable amount of spirit stones and even lost his wife to gambling. His debts are not easily collected. But don''t worry, husband, he has a daughter, of marriageable age, who is very beautiful."


    "Recently, my son has established a connection and managed to sell that little girl to the Beastmaster Sect. Some of the old ancestors and elders in the sect are quite fond of such young girls."


    Steward Qin''s face showed a hint of anger. "The ancestors and elders of the sect hold such esteemed positions. How dare you, a mere woman, judge them? Be careful, or you might bring disaster upon yourself."


    Qin Shi''s face turned pale with fear, and she lightly pped herself.


    "I spoke out of turn!"


    Steward Qin said, "Bring out the ount book and spirit stones for this month. I need to take them back to the sect; it''s time to distribute the bonuses to the elders."


    Qin Shi handed Steward Qin a storage bag.


    "This month''s total ie is three thousand two hundred spirit stones. We kept five hundred spirit stones in reserve, and the rest is here."


    Steward Qin frowned upon hearing this.


    "How is it so little? We operate three gambling houses and two brothels. With so few spirit stones, how can I exin this to the elders?"


    Qin Shi''s face showed signs of distress.


    "Since the brothel of the Hehuan Sect opened, all the brothels in the market have suffered a significant decline in business."


    "The shameless seductresses of the Hehuan Sect not only sleep with people but also offer money, which is simply disgraceful."


    "Back in my prime, I also worked in a brothel for a while, but that was out of necessity. I''ve never heard of such disgraceful behavior..."


    Qin Shi suddenly realized she had spoken out of turn and stopped abruptly.


    "Hmph!"


    Steward Qin snorted coldly and ignored the woman.


    After a short while, a young man with a sinister and fierce look entered the courtyard.


    The man saw Steward Qin and called out, "Father, you''re here."


    This man was Qin Ge, the son of Steward Qin.


    Steward Qin nodded, his previously stern face now showing a hint of a smile.


    "Come, sit. Your mother said you went to collect Hu Yun''s gambling debt. How did it go?"


    Qin Ge took a sip from a cup of tea on the table and said, "Last month, Hu Yun borrowed seven spirit stones from the gambling house. After a month, he managed to pay back fifteen spirit stones, but with interest, he still owes ny-eight spirit stones. Fifteen spirit stones are not enough."


    <strong>TL:</strong> What''s up with that interest rate...


    "I had to capture his daughter and send her to Elder Huang of the Beastmaster Sect."


    Steward Qin frowned slightly and asked, "What about Hu Yun? You didn''t let him off, did you?"


    Qin Ge smiled faintly. "I took care of it, don''t worry, Father. To eradicate the roots, as you''ve taught me since I was young, how could I forget?"


    He pointed to a spirit beast pill at his waist. "I broke Hu Yun''s limbs and fed him to a spirit beast, the Blue Wolf."


    "That''s good." Steward Qin praised him.


    "While moving around the market, one must be cautious. Even though I''ve handled matters within the sect to block the Beastmaster Sect''s surveince, there are still some skilled individuals among the wandering cultivators."


    "Thank you for the advice, Father. I understand."


    At this moment, Qin Shi brought out a sumptuous meal, indicating she had put a lot of effort into preparing it.


    "Husband, Ge''er, it''s time to eat."


    After the meal.


    Steward Qin washed up, looked at the dimming sky, and said, "It''s gettingte. I need to return to the sect."


    Qin Shi pulled Steward Qin''s arm, her eyes full of affection, with a gaze like autumn water and alluring charm.


    "Husband, don''t leave tonight. You haven''t stayed home in a long time."


    Steward Qin''s face stiffened. He touched his slightly trembling old waist and, with a stern expression, said, "Foolish. I still need to deliver spirit stones to the elders. How can I dy?"


    With that, he summoned his flying boat, soared into the sky, and quickly vanished from sight.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 176: Forced Purchase

    <h4>Chapter 176: Forced Purchase</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    As the flying vessel left the market for over three hundred miles, night hadpletely fallen.


    Suddenly!


    A sharp pain struck the back of Steward Qin''s head. His vision blurred, and he fell from mid-air.


    It was unclear how much time had passed, but Steward Qin slowly regained consciousness.


    He found himself in a dark, small cave with some bruises on his body. The back of his head throbbed from a severe impact, but it wasn''t life-threatening.


    In front of him stood a figure cloaked in darkness.


    As soon as he woke, he heard the figure speak.


    "Steward Qin, please don''t be offended. There''s no malice in this. I have a business matter to discuss with you."


    Steward Qin gradually stood up. He knew that if the person wanted to kill him, it would be easy, so the fact that he was still alive meant he was not in immediate danger.


    "Since you''ve captured me, let''s hear what you want."


    "Steward Qin, you''re straightforward. I admire that. So, I''ll get to the point. I need silver-horned grass and beast refining pills, as many as you can provide."


    Steward Qin furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment.


    "You must have already checked my storage bag. It doesn''t contain those two items."


    "To be honest, silver-horned grass and beast refining pills are quite precious within the Beastmaster Sect, and their prices are very high."


    "One silver-horned grass costs fifty spirit stones, and each beast refining pill costs forty spirit stones."


    "Moreover, the sect has strict control over these items. It''s not easy to purchase them."


    A faint killing intent emerged from Song Wen, and he said with a sinister smile.


    "Hehehe... I believe that Steward Qin will certainly have a way."


    Steward Qin''s heart tightened, and he forced a smile.


    "Don''t worry. I am well-acquainted with several elders in the sect. I can manage to obtain a few silver-horned grasses and beast refining pills."


    "I need at least fifteen silver-horned grasses and as many beast refining pills as possible, no less than ten. I''ll pay twenty percent more than your quoted price."


    Steward Qin''s face brightened with joy. "Are you serious?"


    "Of course!" Song Wen said. "If the transaction goes smoothly, I will continue to buy beast refining pills in the future."


    Steward Qin said, "Good! We''ll do as you say. Give me seven days, and I will bring the items you need."


    Song Wen replied, "We''ll meet here at midnight on the seventh day. At that time, we''ll exchange spirit stones for the goods."


    Steward Qin said, "You''re straightforward. It''s a deal then."


    Steward Qin nced at the cave entrance behind him and said, "I''ll take my leave now."


    Song Wen nodded and did not say more.


    Seeing that Song Wen agreed to let him leave, Steward Qin felt a surge of relief. He turned and walked toward the cave entrance. Just as he reached it, he heard the voice behind him.


    "Steward Qin, don''t forget our agreement in seven days."


    "There are many wandering cultivators who deeply hate the two people residing at East District 109. They wish they could skin them alive and eat their marrow. If someone strong were to storm their residence, it would be quite satisfying."


    As Steward Qin was about to ascend in his flying vessel, his body suddenly shook.


    East District 109 was the residence of his wife and child.


    Steward Qin was startled and felt a surge of fear and a hint of anger. This figure not only held him captive but also investigated his family.


    Suppressing his unease, he said, "Don''t worry. I will arrive on time. You should prepare the spirit stones."


    "That''s best."


    ---


    Back in the market, Song Wen released the Sacred Gu to monitor Steward Qin''s wife and child.


    He then returned to his own courtyard to continue his cultivation.


    With the support of the enhanced Blood Qi Pills, the "Longevity Technique" was now close to breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining.


    However, he was gradually bing dissatisfied with the enhanced Blood Qi Pills.


    Within the realm of righteousness, demonic methods should not be easily demonstrated, which makes the techniques he can show in front of others somewhat insufficient.


    He must quickly improve his cultivation!


    Song Wen began experimenting with the creation of a more potent Blood Qi Pill.


    Referring to the experience of creating an enhanced version of the Blood Qi Pill, the more spiritual herbs added at once, the stronger the potency of the pill.


    Song Wen decided to try this approach.


    When he added several times the amount of herbs into the pill furnace, extracting the essence from the spiritual medicine, and prepared to fuse the extracted essence,


    "Bang!"


    The pill furnace exploded, shattered into pieces.


    Fortunately, the room was set up with a "Spirit Locking Formation," which preserved the house; otherwise, half of it would have copsed.


    Having learned from the first explosion, Song Wen was much more cautious in his next attempt at refining the new pill.


    He first bought a high-grade spiritual tool-level pill furnace, which should be more durable.


    This time, he dared not immediately add several times the amount of herbs. He started with twice the amount.


    However, unsurprisingly, it failed.


    Exploring apletely new pill form was not as easy as expected.


    Next came the third and fourth attempts.


    After dozens of failures, Song Wen had gained some insight into pill refining, but the development of the new Blood Qi Pill made no progress.


    That night, while Song Wen was refining pills, the ck-armored gu monitoring the surroundings outside the house ryed a message.


    The mysterious woman Ji Ruxue had gone out again at night.


    Song Wen had been monitoring; this mysterious woman had gone out several times in the middle of the night.


    On one asion, Song Wen had the Sacred Gu track her and discovered she had sneaked outside the Lei family''s Treasure Pavilion, but the pavilion was protected by a formation at night, and she could not enter.


    After circling around the Treasure Pavilion, she went to the Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    The Heavenly Spring Courtyard was still brightly lit at night, with peopleing and going, but all the visitors were male cultivators, with not a single woman in sight.


    Ji Ruxue, being a woman, looked somewhat out of ce entering the Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    She entered through the back door of the Heavenly Spring Courtyard and then into a room isted by a formation. What happened inside the room, Song Wen did not know.


    The seventh day.


    Noon.


    Qin Ge, as usual, returned home for lunch.


    At the small courtyard''s entrance, he looked around cautiously, confirmed that no one was following him, and then pushed open the door to enter.


    His mother, Qin Shi, had prepared the meal and ced it on the table in the courtyard. Seeing her son return, she said,


    "Ge''er has returned;e and eat."


    Qin Ge looked at his mother, nced inside the house, and signaled her toe in.


    Seeing her son''s cautious demeanor, Qin Shi knew something significant had happened. She did not make a fuss and went straight into the house.


    The two entered the house and closed the door.


    Qin Ge took out a letter and handed it to his mother.


    The letter had been discreetly given to him by an acquaintance of Steward Qin while he was strolling on the street.


    He was very puzzled after receiving the letter and wanted to ask the acquaintance for details, but the acquaintance turned and left without saying a word.


    Seeing the acquaintance''s cautiousness, Qin Ge did not dare to be careless. He returned to his own gambling house before opening the letter.


    The letter, written personally by Steward Qin, described a situation where someone was forcefully buying spiritual medicine.


    Steward Qin advised the mother and son to secretly leave the market and avoid the trouble until he dealt with the unknown ck-d person, after which they could return to the market.


    Qin Shi was filled with shock after reading the contents of the letter. She opened her mouth to ask loudly, but was stopped in time by Qin Ge.


    Qin Ge pointed to the window, indicating that there might be eavesdroppers on the other side of the wall.


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 177: Strong Woman, Weak Man

    <h4>Chapter 177: Strong Woman, Weak Man</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    As Qin Shi gradually calmed down, Qin Ge spoke softly.


    "After we finish lunch as usual, I''ll leave first. Mother, you rest at home for a while, then go out. I''ll wait for you at the northern part of the market. We''ll go to Qinglian Mountain together."


    <strong>TL Note</strong>: Qinglian means Blue Lotus or Green Lotus...


    A few miles north of the market was arge mountain called Qinglian Mountain.


    Qinglian Mountain had the safest and most spiritually rich cultivator''s caves avable for rent. These caves were protected by formations that could block the exploration and attacks of Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Correspondingly, the cost of renting these caves was high, with a daily rent of seventy spirit stones.


    Qin Shi nodded and agreed to her son''s n.


    Qin Ge stood up, opened the door, and was about to step out when he suddenly felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and fell unconscious.


    Soon after, Qin Shi also fainted.


    "ng!"


    The door suddenly closed with a strange noise.


    A small Gu crawled out from the gap in the door.


    In his own courtyard, Song Wen smirked.


    "It seems that Steward Qin is not very honest."


    That night, at midnight.


    Outside the small cave, Steward Qin arrived as scheduled.


    Seeing the cave was empty, and the ck-d person had not yet arrived!


    Steward Qin felt an inexplicable sense of unease. Could it be that the ck-d person discovered something and dared note?


    After waiting for a while, a ck figure abruptly appeared near the edge of the forest not far away.


    Seeing the elusive ck-d person, Steward Qin was initially startled, then forced a smile onto his face.


    "Friend, you are quitete."


    While speaking, Steward Qin''s eyes kept darting towards the western forest, as if he was expecting someone''s arrival.


    Song Wen coldly said, "Steward Qin, there''s no need to look. The person you''re looking for will never appear in this world again."


    Casually tossing an object, Song Wen threw it at Steward Qin''s feet.


    Upon closer inspection, Steward Qin''s expression turned to one of terror.


    The round object was actually a human head, the eyes wide open in a deathly stare.


    It was Elder Huang, whom Steward Qin had hired with all his assets for assistance.


    Elder Huang was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet had died inexplicably in this deste wilderness.


    Just now, Steward Qin hadn''t heard anymotion. How could such a prominent Foundation Establishment cultivator, an elder of the Beastmaster Sect, be so easily killed?


    How high must the opponent''s cultivation be?


    Steward Qin gasped in shock, a chill running through him, causing his body to tremble uncontrobly.


    Before arriving, the opponent had ambushed him, a Qi Refining eighthyer cultivator, and attempted to purchase Silver Horn Grass and Beast Refining Pill.


    He had guessed that the opponent''s cultivation should be at the peak of Qi Refining or just entered Foundation Establishment.


    After all, Silver Horn Grass was only useful for the advancement of first-tier spirit beasts, and a powerful cultivator would unlikely spend so much effort to cultivate a first-tier spirit beast.


    That''s why he had hired Elder Huang, a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator, for assistance.


    First, his assets andwork could only afford someone like Elder Huang.


    Second, even if the opponent was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, an elder of the Beastmaster Sect should have easily handled a rogue cultivator of the same realm.


    However, the oue was far beyond his expectations.


    What he did not know was that before he arrived, Song Wen had sent Gu spies to search the surrounding area for dozens of miles.


    Knowing that Qin Shi and her son had escaped, how could Song Wen, who was usually cautious, not be on guard?


    Along with Steward Qin, there were three people in total: besides Elder Huang, there were two Qi Refining ninthyer cultivators. However, all were killed by Song Wen, and their bodies were in Song Wen''s storage ring.


    The four of them had discussed strategies for ambushing Song Wen and chosen the ambush location, all under Song Wen''s surveince.


    Originally, Song Wen thought that dealing with Elder Huang and the others would require some effort, but unexpectedly, Elder Huang was caught off guard and killed instantly by the Sacred Gu that had been lurking underground.


    With Elder Huang dead, dealing with the remaining two Qi Refining cultivators was easy.


    Steward Qin''s expression changed several times, finally forcing himself to remain calm as he kicked Elder Huang''s head on the ground.


    The head was kicked far away.


    Steward Qin said seriously, "Friend, don''t joke. I don''t know this person."


    Hearing this, Song Wen was momentarily speechless. The extent of the other''s falsehood exceeded his expectations.


    With a mocking smile, Song Wen said,


    "I originally thought this person was hired by Steward Qin to kill me. It seems I misunderstood Steward Qin."


    Steward Qin quickly nodded and replied, "Yes, yes, you misunderstood."


    "Then, about the Silver Horn Grass and Beast Refining Pill we agreed upon, did you bring them?" Song Wen asked with a smile.


    "This..."


    Steward Qin hesitated, stammering.


    "It seems Steward Qin did not bring them." Song Wen''s voice was cold, carrying a trace of murderous intent.


    "Friend, please wait, let me exin..."


    Before Steward Qin could finish, he felt a jolt, and the ck-d figure was already in front of him.


    As he prepared to use his spiritual power to resist, he felt an iron palm press down on his head, and a vast amount of soul power, like a roaring wave, surged into his sea of consciousness, instantly drowning his awareness.


    Momentster.


    The soul search wasplete.


    Song Wen casually ended Steward Qin''s life and devoured his soul and blood.


    From Steward Qin''s memories, Song Wen learned that Steward Qin was just a minor outer sect steward under the Beastmaster Sect''s Pill Peak, who had no ess to the Silver Horn Grass and Beast Refining Pill, and with his limited assets, it was impossible for him to acquire these two spirit items inrge quantities.


    Previously, Song Wen had also performed a soul search on Elder Huang, and the information was essentially the same.


    However, from Steward Qin''s memories, Song Wen discovered an interesting situation.


    In the Beastmaster Sect''s Pill Peak''s spiritual medicine garden, there was an inner sect elder named Heng Cheng.


    He managed the spiritual fields where Silver Horn Grass was grown.


    Heng Cheng was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, and his partner was a pill master in the Pill Hall with ate Foundation Establishment cultivation.


    In terms of both strength and status within the Beastmaster Sect, Heng Cheng was a rank lower than his partner.


    A strong woman and a weak man! Coupled with the woman''s dominant personality.


    Over time, various issues inevitably arose.


    The dominance of his partner, and the external perception of him as a man living off his partner, gradually put pressure on Heng Cheng, hurting his self-esteem and leaving him frustrated.


    To relieve his pent-up feelings, he secretly kept a beautiful mistress in the market.


    This mistress, named Jing Yu, was beautiful, sweet-talking, considerate, and gentle, allowing Heng Cheng to experience the dignity a man should have.


    He was especially fond of this mistress named Jing Yu.


    What surprised him further was that Jing Yu had recently given birth to a son, bringing him familial joy.


    Heng Cheng and his partner had been married for over thirty years. His partner was wholly devoted to cultivation and pill refining, unwilling to bear children for Heng Cheng, which was also a major reason for Heng Cheng''s dissatisfaction with his partner.


    Jing Yu lived in the small courtyard number eighty-seven in the eastern district of the market.


    Song Wen put away Steward Qin''s storage bag, threw the bodies of the four into the cave, burned them to ashes, and then used a wind spell to disperse the ashes.


    <strong>TL:</strong> Clean...


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 178: Apricot Emerges from the Red Wall

    <h4>Chapter 178: Apricot Emerges from the Red Wall</h4>


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After dealing with the bodies, Song Wen turned and left the cave. After walking a few dozen miles, he confirmed that there was no one around. He took out the spirit beast bag he had obtained from Elder Huang and released the spirit beast inside.


    It was a deer-like spirit beast with the strength of a Qi Refining ninthyer cultivator.


    As soon as the spirit deer emerged from the spirit beast bag, it sensed its master was dead and attempted to attack Song Wen.


    Song Wen pped its head with one hand. The powerful force crushed the spirit deer''s brain into a pulp, and it immediately lost its breath.


    Just as Song Wen was about to dispose of the spirit deer''s body, the Sacred Gu suddenly appeared and sent him a message: it wanted to eat the spirit deer.


    Song Wen looked at the sesame-sized Sacred Gu and then at the spirit deer the size of a small calf, shaking his head in refusal.


    It would take who knows how long for the Sacred Gu to finish eating the spirit deer. This ce wasn''t safe, so it was better to leave as soon as possible.


    Unexpectedly, the Sacred Gu became anxious.


    It suddenly rushed toward the spirit deer''s corpse, its head the size of an egg, biting through the spirit deer''s skin and burrowing in.


    Soon, a lump the size of an egg appeared under the skin of the spirit deer, moving quickly. The spirit deer''s body rapidly copsed at a visible speed.


    After about twenty breaths, only a thinyer of skin and flesh remained of the spirit deer, with all its blood, flesh, bones, and internal organs having vanished.


    The Sacred Gu, now back to its normal size, crawled out from the skin.


    Song Wen looked at the sesame-sized Sacred Gu, somewhat dazed.


    Previously, when the Gu was not yet at the second level, it could eat a lot but never to this extent. He wondered where all the spirit deer''s blood and flesh had gone.


    Song Wen took out another spirit beast bag, which he had obtained from a Qi Refining ninthyer Beastmaster Sect cultivator. Steward Qin and another person didn''t have spirit beasts; not all cultivators in the Beastmaster Sect raised spirit beasts.


    Opening the spirit beast bag, a gray wolf of Qi Refining eighthyer appeared.


    As soon as the gray wolf appeared, the Sacred Gu eagerly rushed forward, burrowing into the gray wolf''s open mouth and killing it instantly.


    After another twenty breaths, only a gray wolf pelt was left on the ground.


    After consuming two spirit beasts in a row, the Sacred Gu seemed a bit full and retreated into Song Wen''s body, disappearing.


    Song Wen flicked his fingers, shooting out a me to ignite the two beast pelts. Then, his figure turned into a blur as he headed toward the market.


    On the way, he casually threw the two spirit beast bags into a beast den.


    ...


    The next day.


    Neighbors discovered that Qin Shi and her son had been brutally murdered in their home, dismembered and thrown all over the ce.


    Their fresh blood was used to write ten bloody characters on the wall.


    "For the sake of my friend Hu Yun and his daughter, for revenge and justice!"


    The massacre in the eastern district of the market, which was filled with various influential families, immediately drew the attention of the market''sw enforcement team.


    After contacting the sect, they intended to inform Steward Qin about the death of Qin Shi and her son. However, they learned that Steward Qin''s soul presence in the sect had also dissipated.


    The Qin family of three had beenpletely wiped out.


    The Beastmaster Sect''s Law Enforcement Hall, upon investigation, learned that:


    Steward Qin, before his death, had invited Elder Huang and two Qi Refining ninthyer cultivators to go out. The exact location was unknown to others, but all four had died.


    The Law Enforcement Hall''s head, Luo Lianggong, was somewhat flustered.


    A few days ago, two direct disciples of Golden Core cultivator Che Wanying had died mysteriously.


    Luo Lianggong suspected that this might be closely rted to Lei Tianyu of the Lei family.


    At the auction, someone had seen Lei Tianyu and Kou Chang leaving together.


    But there was no substantial evidence to implicate the Lei family.


    Later, Luo Lianggong managed to bribe members of the Lei family, only to find out that Lei Tianyu had also been killed.


    This situation led to aplex investigation.


    Lei Tianyu had initially nned to fake his death to escape, making it impossible for the Beastmaster Sect to find him. However, the fake death turned into a real one.


    The simultaneous deaths of two direct disciples and the continued inability to find the culprit had already caused Che Wanying to make several disturbances in the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Now, with the death of Steward Qin and his family, it added to the chaos.


    Although the Beastmaster Sect had cases of disciples mysteriously disappearing or dying every year, it was rare to have three Qi Refiningte-stage disciples and a Foundation Establishment elder all die at once.


    ...


    Outside the Qin family''s residence, arge crowd of scattered cultivators had gathered.


    Most of these people had expressions of delight, and many hurried to spread the news, sharing this heartening update with friends and family.


    Within less than half an hour, the news of Qin Shi and her son''s tragic death had spread throughout the entire market.


    Song Wen also joined the crowd, standing at the edge, observing the Qin family''s residence. His gaze, however, was intentionally or unintentionally directed toward the small courtyard at No. 87 at the other end of the alley.


    Soon, a woman with an enchanting figure, beautiful as a flower, and with skin as white as jade, appeared, holding a little boy with a tiger-like face.


    This woman was Jing Yu, the concubine that Heng Cheng kept outside.


    Jing Yu nced at the crowd outside the Qin family''s residence and then turned to walk toward the other end of the alley.


    She moved like those shopping women, browsing various beauty and clothing shops, looking at everything with interest.


    After visiting nearly a dozen shops, she entered a guesthouse.


    The guesthouse wasrge, with several small courtyards scattered throughout.


    Without needing a guide, she navigated through the maze of small paths inside the guesthouse with ease.


    Soon, she arrived outside a small courtyard and gently knocked on the door.


    After a moment, a young man with a handsome face and a slightly slender build opened the door.


    The young man, seeing Jing Yu standing outside, disyed a look of joy.


    "Yumei, you''re here. Come in quickly."


    Jing Yu, holding the child, entered the small courtyard.


    The young man closed the door and reached out to touch Jing Yu''s slim waist.


    Before his hand couldnd, Jing Yu deftly avoided him, saying with a hint of reproach, "The child is still here."


    The young man cast a dark nce at the boy and then bent down, putting on a false smile.


    "Baby, do you want to y with some toys?"


    The three-year-old boy, not understanding much, looked up with excitement and said, "y! y!"


    The young man took the boy to arge tree in the courtyard, where there was a big wooden box filled with various small toys.


    The boy''s eyes immediately lit up as he began to y with the toys.


    The young man turned and walked to Jing Yu''s side, reaching out to touch her perky buttocks.


    Jing Yu, blushing, gave him a reproachful look.


    "What if someone sees us outside?"


    Despite her words of refusal, her body was leaning into the young man''s embrace.


    They quickly moved into the house, closing the door behind them. The sounds of their passion soon filled the room,sting for more than a quarter of an hour.


    With a satisfied flush on her face, Jing Yuy in the young man''s arms, caressing his not-so-strong chest, and said with a delicate voice, "Zheng Ge, take me far away! I don''t want to serve Heng Cheng anymore. Every time he touches me, I feel dirty and guilty to you."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 179 Childhood Sweethearts

    179 Childhood Sweethearts


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    The handsome young man, Xu Zheng, was Jing Yu''s childhood friend. They had grown up together and shared a deep affection.


    However, this beautiful love story did not receive the approval of Jing Yu''s father, who saw through Xu Zheng''s unscrupulous nature.


    Xu Zheng had neither good character nor outstanding talent and always harbored grand ambitions of joining a major sect, establishing his foundation, and bing a revered figure.


    Xu Zheng looked down upon his elders, who had struggled at the bottom of the cultivation world all their lives, living as resource-strapped scattered cultivators. Despite their efforts, it was difficult to break through to thete stage of Qi Refining.


    After Jing Yu''s father clearly stated that he would not marry his daughter to Xu Zheng, Xu Zheng, in a fit of anger and embarrassment, deceived the naive Jing Yu with sweet words. The two privately pledged their lives to each other and left to seek a better future.


    They left their small scattered cultivator market where they had grown up and headed for the Beastmaster Sect, hoping to join it.


    After enduring numerous hardships and dangers, they finally arrived at the Beastmaster Sect.


    But reality dealt Xu Zheng a heavy blow.


    His aptitude was poor, and even after joining the Beastmaster Sect, he could only be the lowest-ranking servant disciple.


    Prideful Xu Zheng could not ept being a servant, even if it was in the Beastmaster Sect. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    He brought Jing Yu, who had even worse aptitude than him, to the East Huafang Market.


    Confident in his own intelligence, Xu Zheng believed that as a scattered cultivator in East Huafang Market, he would eventually stand out.


    However, reality was even harsher than he imagined. The two young and inexperienced individuals almost died in East Huafang Market and ended up destitute, wandering the streets.


    At this time, Heng Cheng appeared and took a fancy to the beautiful Jing Yu.


    Immersed in the fantasy of love, Jing Yu could not possibly agree to be Heng Cheng''s concubine.


    But after being repeatedly beaten by reality, Xu Zheng realized that if things continued as they were, both he and Jing Yu would truly perish in East Huafang Market.


    Under his constant persuasion, Jing Yu eventually became Heng Cheng''s concubine.


    Heng Cheng, however, was unaware of Xu Zheng''s existence and thought that Jing Yu was a scattered cultivator who had ended up in East Huafang Market on her own.


    He would only visit East Huafang Market once every ten days or so, which allowed Jing Yu and Xu Zheng to secretly maintain their rtionship and use the spirit stones Heng Cheng provided to rekindle their bond.


    ...


    Facing Jing Yu''s request to leave East Huafang Market, Xu Zheng''s eyes showed hesitation.


    These days, he relied entirely on Jing Yu to support him. If they left East Huafang Market, they would be low-level scattered cultivators with no support.


    Perhaps sensing Xu Zheng''s worries, Jing Yu said, "In the past few days, I''ve saved up a sum of spirit stones, more than a thousand in total. It''s enough for us to cultivate for a long time. If it really doesn''t work out, we can still live as ordinary mortals."


    Jing Yu did not notice the brief sh of sharpness in Xu Zheng''s eyes when she mentioned having a thousand spirit stones.


    Xu Zheng looked troubled. "But the journey to the mortal world is long and fraught with dangers. With our cultivation at only the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, how can we reach the mortal world safely?"


    Xu Zheng''s cultivation was at the third level of Qi Refining, while Jing Yu, with the rare elixirs provided by Heng Cheng, had advanced to the fourth level.


    Jing Yu said with a touch of mncholy, "If we had a flying boat, it would be fine."


    Even the cheapest flying boat cost four to five thousand spirit stones, far beyond what the two could afford.


    After a moment of silence, Xu Zheng sat up with a determined look and said, "Otherwise, we should find a way to get some spirit stones from Heng Cheng."


    Jing Yu''s eyes lit up with interest, and she asked, "Do you have a n?"


    Xu Zheng''s gaze turned toward the window, where the innocent young boy was ying with toys.


    His eyes were as cold and bloodthirsty as a beast hunting in the dead of night.


    "The little bastard is Heng Cheng''s only child, and Heng Cheng adores him. Only by threatening him can we force Heng Cheng toply."


    Jing Yu''s eyes were filled with hesitation. She said, "Although I don''t like this child, he is still my flesh and blood. I can''t bring myself to harm him."


    Xu Zheng reassured her, "Don''t worry. We won''t harm him, just use him to threaten Heng Cheng."


    After much hesitation, Jing Yu finally sumbed to Xu Zheng''s intense gaze and tender persuasion.


    "Fine! But how should we proceed? Heng Cheng is a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; he could kill us as easily as ughtering chickens or dogs."


    "With the child in our hands, does Heng Cheng dare to act against us?" Xu Zheng sneered.


    TL: How the fk did this idiot survive in the cultivation world, for as long a he has?


    The two then began to discuss their ns in low voices.


    The innocent child yed happily in the courtyard,pletely unaware that his own mother and her lover were plotting a scheme around him.


    Song Wen, who had seen all this through his dark-gold bug, turned and left. Before he departed, he ced three spirit sense marks on the three individuals: the two adults and the child.


    Song Wen was also preparing to use the two people to lure out Heng Cheng and to acquire the silver horned grass and Beast Refining Pills. Seeing this scene, he came up with a new idea.


    Three dayster, in the afternoon.


    A refined middle-aged man appeared outside the gate of the 87th courtyard in the eastern district of the market.


    He was Heng Cheng.


    Having not seen his son for many days, Heng Cheng missed him greatly.


    That morning, he learned from his partner Rong Jingyun that Rong Jingyun was going to refine Beast Refining Pills. After Rong Jingyun left the cave, Heng Cheng also left his cave and headed for the market.


    It takes at least two days to refine a batch of Beast Refining Pills, which was enough time for him to spend with his child and concubine.


    However, upon arrival, he found that Jing Yu was not at home. The gate was locked with arge padlock, and Jing Yu''s whereabouts were unknown.


    Heng Cheng leaped over the courtyard wall and entered the small courtyard.


    Everything in the courtyard and inside the house seemed normal, but he deduced from the leftovers in the kitchen and the dust that no one had entered the kitchen for at least two days.


    Heng Cheng''s brow furrowed, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.


    Jing Yu, with her weak strength, living alone with the child in this expensive eastern district, wouldn''t have been targeted by a thief or harmed by a cultivator, would she?


    The more he thought, the more worried he became. Heng Cheng carefully searched every corner of the house for any clues.


    Finally, he found a letter on the back of the door.


    From the handwriting, it was clear that the letter was written by a man. The letter stated that Jing Yu and her child had been kidnapped by a group of men and that Heng Cheng was to meet them alone at a cultivator''s tavern.


    Heng Cheng''s face turned extremely ugly, and his concern for Jing Yu and the child transformed into towering rage.


    The letter in his hand suddenly turned into a pile of shredded paper, fluttering around in a gust of wind.


    Heng Cheng soared into the air and headed toward the cultivator''s tavern mentioned in the letter.


    The tavern was small, with only five or six tables in the main hall.


    It was past mealtime, and there was only a young man sitting at a table in the corner, sipping tea.


    The young man was Xu Zheng.


    Heng Cheng quickly approached Xu Zheng and, with anger, said, "You''re the one who kidnapped Jing Yu and her child!"


    Feeling Heng Cheng''s fierce aura and overwhelming anger, Xu Zheng was momentarily tempted to kneel and beg for mercy. However, suppressing his fear, Xu Zheng replied, "Indeed, the child and Jing Yu are in our hands."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 180 Furious to the Sky

    180 Furious to the Sky


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    ---


    After receiving a definite answer, Heng Cheng could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. The tables and chairs in front of him exploded with a loud bang, turning into countless tiny wooden splinters that scattered around.


    Xu Zheng was also thrown back by the powerful aura from Heng Cheng and crashed into the wall behind him, only stopping after hitting it.


    "Elder Heng, don''t be impulsive. If you kill me, Jing Yu''s child will nevere back. If I don''t return, my people will not hesitate to kill her child," Xu Zheng shouted urgently, afraid that he would be killed by Heng Cheng if he was toote.


    Heng Cheng''s killing intent was palpable, his eyes fixed on Xu Zheng, who was lying on the ground. After a moment of hesitation, he finally dispersed his aura.


    "Ten thousand spirit stones! Give me ten thousand spirit stones, and Jing Yu''s child cane back alive."


    Seeing the murderous intent in the tavern dissipate, Xu Zheng, filled with fear and anxiety, felt a sense of relief. Heng Cheng still cared about Jing Yu''s child''s life.


    Heng Cheng did not hesitate to respond, "Alright, no problem."


    He then prepared to take spirit stones from his storage ring.


    "Wait, I don''t want the spirit stones to go through your hands. You will definitely leave a spiritual mark on them."


    Heng Cheng froze. He had intended to do just that. He replied in a deep voice, "Then what do you want?"


    Xu Zheng said, "The pharmacy next door is the Lei family''s. I want you to exchange ten thousand spirit stones there. The spirit stones should be handed directly to me and not go through your hands."


    Heng Cheng fell silent, his eyes like a wild beast on the hunt, staring at Xu Zheng for a long time.


    Xu Zheng felt nervous under his gaze, his heart racing and his back drenched in cold sweat.


    Heng Cheng''s voice was as cold as ice, "Fine!"


    With that, he turned and walked out of the store.


    Xu Zheng hurriedly got up and followed.


    Watching the two leave the store one after the other, the shopkeeper who had been hiding behind the counter breathed a sigh of relief.


    Just now, the murderous aura from Heng Cheng had shattered most of the tables and chairs in the shop. He thought his life was in danger and was surprised Heng Cheng had not attacked.


    Seeing the two leave the store, the shopkeeper quickly went to the door and closed it, hoping the two troublemakers wouldn''t return.


    Heng Cheng entered the neighboring pharmacy, heading to the counter at the back, and spoke to a maid.


    "I want to exchange some low-grade spirit stones here."


    The maid smiled habitually, "Our store offers the service of exchanging spirit stones. However, one middle-grade spirit stone can only be exchanged for one hundred low-grade spirit stones. May I ask how many spirit stones you wish to exchange?"


    One middle-grade spirit stone generally contains as much spiritual energy as about one hundred low-grade spirit stones.


    However, during the exchange, one middle-grade spirit stone often equates to about one hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones.


    After all, the spiritual energy in middle-grade spirit stones is denser, making cultivation fasterpared to low-grade spirit stones. Additionally, many formation arrays require middle-grade spirit stones.


    "Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones!" Heng Cheng said, handing over one hundred middle-grade spirit stones. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The maid took the spirit stones and ced them in a cloth bag, smiling as she said, "Please wait a moment."


    She turned and went to the back of the store.


    After a while, the maid returned with a storage bag.


    She handed the storage bag to Heng Cheng, saying, "Please check if the number of spirit stones is correct."


    To the maid''s surprise, Heng Cheng did not take the storage bag but turned to Xu Zheng, who was behind him.


    "Your turn."


    Xu Zheng approached the counter, took the storage bag, and used his spiritual sense to check inside.


    His eyes lit up at the sight of so many spirit stones, an enormous amount he had never seen before.


    Suppressing his excitement, Xu Zheng put the storage bag into his own, nodding at Heng Cheng.


    Heng Cheng said, "Now, you should tell me where Jing Yu''s child is."


    Xu Zheng walked out of the store, and as he did, he said,


    "Senior, when you return home, you will naturally be able to see Madam."


    Heng Cheng blocked Xu Zheng''s path, "What about the child?"


    Xu Zheng said, "The child cannot be handed over yet. You need to wait until I safely bring the spirit stones back before the child can be returned."


    "You��"


    Heng Cheng''s eyes seemed to ze with anger, as if he were about to turn Xu Zheng into minced meat.


    Xu Zheng felt fear but maintained a calm expression.


    "Don''t worry, senior. My brothers and I only seek wealth and never harm people''s lives."


    "Don''t think about leaving a spiritual mark on me for tracking. Our leader is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If you leave a mark, he will detect it immediately, and the child''s life will be in danger."


    With that, Xu Zheng turned and walked away, seemingly certain that Heng Cheng would not dare to kill him.


    Heng Cheng watched Xu Zheng''s retreating figure, his fists clenched tightly.


    Being threatened by a mere thirdyer Qi Refinement cultivator was a first for him in his cultivation career.


    He kept his spiritual sense locked on Xu Zheng until Xu Zheng had traveled two or three miles, beyond the range of his spiritual detection. Only then did he unclench his fists and rush towards Jing Yu''s residence.


    Xu Zheng wound his way through the marketce, eventually entering a small alley and going into a shop without a sign.


    In the shop''s counter area sat an old man with his eyes closed.


    Xu Zheng approached the old man respectfully and said, "Senior, I need your help to check if there is a spiritual mark on me. The person is a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator."


    The old man did not open his eyes and replied calmly, "Five hundred spirit stones."


    Xu Zheng seemed prepared and ced a bag of spirit stones on the counter.


    "Please assist me, senior."


    The old man opened his slightly murky eyes, nced at the bag of spirit stones on the counter, and forced a smile.


    "Once the spirit stones are given, you are my guest. I will certainly help you."


    The old man''s spiritual sense scanned Xu Zheng, and after a few moments, he spoke.


    "There are no spiritual marks on you, at least none left by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If the mark is from a higher level, I cannot detect it."


    "And this storage bag?" Xu Zheng took out the bag he obtained from the Lei family''s pharmacy.


    The old man examined it and shook his head. "This one has none either."


    Xu Zheng cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, senior."


    With that, he turned and left the shop.


    Heng Cheng indeed did not leave a spiritual mark on him, which was somewhat unexpected.


    It seems Heng Cheng truly cared deeply for that child, even enduring extortion from a mere Qi Refinement cultivator.


    ---


    Heng Cheng returned to the courtyard and saw Jing Yu there. He felt a heavy weight lift off his chest but then grew worried again when he saw the child had not returned.


    "Jing Yu, did they do anything to you?"


    In a sh, Heng Cheng was in front of Jing Yu.


    Jing Yu''s eyes were red and swollen, her face pale, and she looked exhausted and terrified, clearly having endured great fear.


    Seeing Heng Cheng, she immediately rushed into his arms, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling uncontrobly as she sobbed.


    "Darling, you finally came. Please, save our child. He is still in the hands of those bandits."


    Heng Cheng, though worried about the child, calmly reassured her.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll handle everything."


    Once Jing Yu''s trembling subsided and her emotions seemed to calm slightly, Heng Cheng continued.


    "Tell me in detail about the kidnapping and where the bandits are hiding."


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 181: Misunderstanding the Robber Cultivator

    Chapter 181: Misunderstanding the Robber Cultivator


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Two days ago, I was nning to take our son out when suddenly four or five bandits burst in. Before I could even call for help, I was knocked unconscious."


    "When I woke up, I was in a dimly lit underground chamber, with only my son and me."


    "They kept us locked up for two days. Apart from bringing us food and water, no one else entered the chamber."


    "The bandits were cloaked in ck robes, so their faces were obscured, and they never spoke a word."


    Jing Yu continued to cry and recount the events, while Heng Cheng analyzed the situation in his mind.


    The bandits did not interrogate Jing Yu for any information after capturing her and the child. This suggests they had nned everything in advance.


    The bandits knew about the rtionship between Jing Yu and Heng Cheng, as well as Heng Cheng''s status as an elder of the Beastmaster Sect.


    The kidnapping of Jing Yu''s child was clearly aimed at him.


    This filled Heng Cheng with guilt towards Jing Yu and the child.


    "So, how were you released?"


    Jing Yu replied, "I''m not entirely sure of the details."


    "I only remember that a bandit in ck clothes entered the chamber, knocked me out, and when I woke up again, I was back in the courtyard."


    "The child is still in their hands. Husband, please think of a way to rescue him."


    Heng Cheng mentally assessed the situation: from the time he handed over the spirit stones to Xu Zheng until he returned home, it was only a little over a quarter of an hour.


    With a live person in their possession, the bandits should not have gone too far. This means the underground chamber is likely not very far away, probably still within the marketce.


    However, finding an underground chamber in the marketce would not be an easy task.


    Heng Cheng said, "A little over a quarter of an hour ago, I saw a bandit, but he was just a lowly thug with only thirdyer Qi Refinement cultivation. He demanded ten thousand spirit stones from me before they released you."


    Jing Yu suddenly became agitated, stopping her tears, and grasped Heng Cheng''s hand.


    "Didn''t you leave any marks or traces on this bandit, like a spiritual mark? We could have followed the mark to find the bandits."


    Heng Cheng shook his head, "I didn''t leave any marks. They threatened to kill your child if I did. I really didn''t dare to take that risk."


    Jing Yu felt a surge of excitement upon hearing this.


    She and Xu Zheng had already seeded in arge part of their n. Now, she only needed to dy Heng Cheng and buy time for Xu Zheng to get away from the marketce.


    Then she could find a chance to leave.


    Jing Yu cried again, her sobs full of despair.


    "What about our son? He''s only three years old. Will those bandits mistreat him? What will he feel without seeing me?"


    Jing Yu cried pitifully, portraying a concerned mother''s anguish vividly.


    While Heng Chengforted Jing Yu and helped her back to her room to rest, he contemted how to rescue their child.


    When heid Jing Yu down on the bed and walked out of the room to seek help from a familiar acquaintance in the marketce, he was unaware of what was happening inside the room.


    Under the covers, Jing Yu was holding amunication jade slip.


    As Heng Cheng stepped out of the courtyard, he noticed a letter lying on the stone steps by the gate.


    The letter read: The writer identified themselves as not one of the bandits but someone who knew the full details of the situation. If Heng Cheng wanted to save the child, he should bring fifteen Silver Horn Grass and ten bottles of Beast Refining Pills to a ck rock mountain three hundred miles west of the marketce at midnight. They would then provide full information about the kidnapping.


    The letter also hinted that the whole affair was orchestrated by someone Heng Cheng knew.


    Shattering the letter into pieces, Heng Cheng hesitated.


    He initially nned to seek help from the marketce enforcement team, where a Foundation Establishment elder had some connections with him. He intended to ask this elder to help investigate the underground chambers in the marketce.


    However, seeing the letter''s im that this was done by someone he knew made him uncertain.


    His affair with his secret lover was not something he could boast about, and keeping it secret was crucial. Thus, few people were aware of it.


    Among those who knew about this situation, there was the Foundation Establishment elder from the marketce enforcement team. Heng Cheng had once encountered this elder named Wang while he was out with Jing Yu and their child.


    After some thought, Heng Cheng decided to proceed with his original n.


    It seemed unbelievable that ate-stage Foundation Establishment elder would be tempted


    by a mere ten thousand spirit stones to kidnap a weak mother and child.


    However, Heng Cheng had clearly overestimated his rtionship with Elder Wang.


    When Heng Cheng met Elder Wang and expressed his intentions, he was told that investigating all the underground chambers in the marketce was nearly impossible.


    The marketce covered several dozen miles, with countless courtyards and buildings. Many scattered cultivators had dug underground chambers to protect their secrets, making it nearly impossible to search them all.


    Moreover, deploying arge number of people to search the underground chambers would easily alert the bandits, who would likely move the child.


    Elder Wang advised Heng Cheng to investigate from other angles.


    Elder Wang''s reasoning was somewhat valid, but Heng Cheng couldn''t think of another


    solution at the moment. He shamelessly asked for some help to focus on investigating the underground chambers in the eastern district, but Elder Wang coldly refused, citing the need to avoid acting rashly.


    Seeing Elder Wang''s reluctance, Heng Cheng had no choice but to give up on that approach.


    With no other options, Heng Cheng had to ce his hopes on the letter he had found.


    He was skeptical of the letter''s content, believing it was another ploy by the bandits to extract


    more spirit items.


    After careful consideration, he decided to meet with the letter''s writer.


    That night, Heng Cheng arrived at the ck rock mountain as described in the letter.


    The mountain was not high, only a few hundred meters, and it was bald and easy to identify.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As soon as Heng Cheng arrived, he saw a figure cloaked in ck emerging from the base of the mountain-it was Song Wen in disguise.


    The ck-armored Gu, which had been monitoring the surroundings to ensure no other


    cultivators were hiding within a ten-mile radius, confirmed the area was clear before appearing to meet Heng Cheng.


    Seeing Song Wen''s attire, Heng Cheng immediately shouted, "Hiding your head and revealing your tail, it seems you and the bandits are in cahoots."


    It was understandable why Heng Cheng jumped to this conclusion. Song Wen''s outfit matched


    the description of the bandits Jing Yu had fabricated.


    Song Wen was taken aback, wondering how he had be a bandit.


    He quickly said, "Friend, don''t misunderstand. I am not a bandit, and your child''s kidnapping


    has nothing to do with bandits."


    "Stop your deceit. You must be the Foundation Establishment bandit leader that the person


    who contacted me mentioned."


    As soon as the words left Heng Cheng''s mouth, he pped his waist pouch, and arge toad-


    like spirit beast emerged.


    The toad was over seven feet long, with its limbs on the ground. Its back was covered in


    dozens of fist-sized growths, from which yellow poisonous smoke was continuously emerging.


    "Friend, you should think carefully. Once you take action, you won''t be able to find out the


    child''s whereabouts."


    "You..."


    Seeing Song Wen using the child as leverage, Heng Cheng stopped his movements.


    "If what you said is true and you''re not working with the bandits, how can you prove it?"


    "Why should I prove anything? This matter has nothing to do with me. What I can tell you


    now is that it wasn''t done by bandits at all. It was orchestrated by your little concubine and


    her aplices."


    As he spoke, Song Wen''s face showed a hint of mocking smile.


    "Nonsense!"


    Perhaps Song Wen''s sarcastic tone pricked Heng Cheng''s pride as a man, or perhaps his love


    for Jing Yu wouldn''t allow anyone to defame her.


    Heng Cheng''s anger red up suddenly.


    "Capture him. I don''t believe you won''t reveal the child''s whereabouts."


    Heng Cheng''s n was to capture Song Wen and use his life as leverage to find out where the


    child was.


    As soon as the toad appeared, it stuck out arge, flesh-red tongue covered with numerous


    barbs, resembling a huge wolf''s fang.


    The tongue seemed capable of extending indefinitely, shooting toward Song Wen like an


    arrow released from a bow.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 182: Deep Feelings

    Chapter 182: Deep Feelings


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen cursed inwardly, feeling unlucky. He had only intended to take the opportunity to acquire some silver horn grass and Beast Refining Pills but did not expect to end up in a life- and-death struggle with a Foundation Establishment elder from the Beastmaster Sect so close to the marketce.


    However, since the opponent had already made a move, he couldn''t just sit and wait for death.


    A ball of water the size of a fist suddenly appeared in front of Song Wen. It was the Kui Yin Heavy Water he had obtained from Li Jiangu.


    In an instant, the Kui Yin Heavy Water transformed into a transparent water shield, blocking the frog''s tongue attack.


    The frog''s tongue collided with the water shield with a tremendous impact, sending Song Wen and the shield flying.


    "Demon cultivator!"


    Heng Cheng''s eyes narrowed. As Song Wen activated the water shield, Heng Cheng keenly detected a demonic aura emanating from him.


    Confirming that Song Wen was indeed a demon cultivator, Heng Cheng became even angrier. It was infuriating that a demon cultivator, suppressed by the righteous powers and hiding in dark corners, would dare to appear so close to the Beastmaster Sect and even attack the child of a respected elder. It was essentially seeking death.


    With a thought, a flying sword appeared in front of Heng Cheng.


    He quickly performed several sword seals, causing the flying sword to shine with a cold light, ready to strike at Song Wen.


    At that moment, a sharp sound of something breaking through the air came from the left.


    Heng Cheng hurriedly adjusted the flying sword to block the attack from the left, intercepting a cold gleam, which was the Cold Moon de.


    Just after blocking the Cold Moon de, Heng Cheng sensed a small Gu quickly approaching from behind. The Gu surprisingly had the strength of a second-tier early-stage demon beast.


    Heng Cheng summoned a yellow g, which expanded in the wind to a size of about ten feet, protecting his back.


    While he was distracted by defending against the Sacred Gu, he suddenly saw a sh of blood in front of him. The figure in ck suddenly enveloped itself in blood mist, increasing its speed drastically to dodge the frog''s tongue and quickly approached with a flying sword.


    "Trying to fight at close quarters, seeking death!"


    The frog below suddenly opened its poison sacs, spraying arge amount of yellow toxic gas, covering an area of a hundred meters around it. Song Wen, who was flying towards Heng Cheng, was also enveloped in the toxic cloud.


    Although this frog spirit beast raised by Heng Cheng only had the strength of a second-tier early stage, its toxic smoke was enough to deter even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Just a slight inhtion of the toxic smoke would cause unbearable pain as if the internal organs were being cut and chopped. For weaker cultivators, it could turn them into a puddle of yellow water, while stronger ones would suffer severe damage from the pain.


    To Heng Cheng''s surprise, Song Wen seemed unaffected by the toxic smoke, showing no signs of difort.


    Song Wen had practiced the "Ten Thousand Poisons Body" and had ingested arge amount of highly toxic substances. The frog''s toxic smoke could not harm him in a short time.


    Song Wen closed in on Heng Cheng, his hands glowing with a cold light, like eagle ws, ready to strike.


    Heng Cheng''s flying sword cut through the night sky, aiming at Song Wen''s ws.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Even though Song Wen had trained his "Ghostly ws" to perfection, he did not dare to barehandedly block the flying sword of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    The water shield blocked the ws before they could make contact, stopping the flying sword.


    At that moment, the Cold Moon de shot in from the right.


    Heng Cheng had no effective countermeasures.


    The ten-foot-long yellow g was still entangled with the Foundation Establishment Gu behind him.


    The frog''s extended tongue had several feet of distance left but could not intercept the Cold Moon de, which was already heading towards his right side.


    "Pff!"


    The Cold Moon de pierced through Heng Cheng''s right side and exited through the left, leaving a fist-sized blood hole across his waist.


    It also shredded most of Heng Cheng''s intestines and stomach, and the de''s sharp energy severed several of his vital meridians.


    Heng Cheng''s breath immediately became weak, and his body fell from mid-air.


    The frog spirit beast, showing its loyalty, wrapped its tongue around the severely injured Heng Cheng, preventing further injury from the fall.


    Just as Song Wen was about to finish off Heng Cheng, a graceful figure flew in from the sky,


    shouting loudly.


    "Friend, please show mercy."


    The neer was a woman in her thirties, exuding a mature demeanor. She was Rong Jingyun, Heng Cheng''s original wife, an elder in the Beastmaster Sect''s alchemy room, and ate Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Several months earlier, Rong Jingyun had discovered that Heng Cheng was keeping a concubine. She had initially chosen not to expose him, thinking that it was just a fleeting affair and that Heng Cheng would eventually return to her.


    However, as time went on, Heng Cheng continued to visit the brothel regrly, staying away


    for two or three days at a time. Feeling betrayed, Rong Jingyun decided to catch him in the act. She pretended to be busy with alchemy to create opportunities for Heng Cheng to meet his concubine, while secretly tracking his movements.


    When Rong Jingyun arrived, she saw the attack on Heng Cheng and immediately intervened. Her arrival made Song Wen cautious and wary.


    Rong Jingyun exined loudly, "Heng Cheng is my husband. I only wish to save him and do not want to be your enemy."


    She continued, "However, if you insist on killing my husband, I will fight you to the end."


    As she spoke, Rong Jingyun approached Heng Cheng, who was on the brink of death.


    Song Wen''s thoughts shifted, and he summoned a silver corpse puppet that had a faint silver


    glow. The puppet''s aura was contained to avoid drawing the attention of powerful Beastmaster Sect cultivators stationed nearby.


    Seeing the silver corpse, Rong Jingyun grew even more anxious but remainedposed. "Friend, do not act rashly. With your fake third-tier silver corpse, I am no match for you."


    She then raised her right hand, holding a white jade slip. "This jade slip is a summons from


    the Beastmaster Sect. It was awarded to me when I developed a new beast pill. If I activate it, all Beastmaster Sect disciples within a few hundred miles will receive an urgent summons and bepelled to assist. Failure toply would result in being branded as a traitor."


    Song Wen observed the white jade slip and could not immediately verify its authenticity. However, he had no desire for a deadly confrontation; his goal was only to obtain the silver horn grass and Beast Refining Pills.


    He slowly retreated and said, "I had no intention of fighting your husband. It was he who


    sought his own demise. I can let you save him and allow you both to leave, but I require the silver horn grass and Beast Refining Pills, along with some additionalpensation. Also, you must swear not to reveal my presence."


    Rong Jingyun immediately agreed, "I willply with your terms, but may I first attend to


    my husband? He is in critical condition."


    At this point, Song Wen had already retreated to a distance of a hundred meters and nodded,


    "You may."


    Rong Jingyun, feeling grateful, did not fear an ambush and rushed to Heng Cheng. Heng


    Cheng was severely injured, losing a lot of blood and with extensive internal damage, nearly


    at the point of death.


    Seeing his wifee to his aid despite the danger, Heng Cheng felt deep remorse.


    Rong Jingyunnded in front of Heng Cheng, cing her left hand over the blood wound on


    his waist, channeling spiritual power to seal the wound and prevent further blood loss.


    She took out a golden pill and ced it in Heng Cheng''s mouth, allowing it to dissolve with her spiritual energy. The pill seemed to be a miraculous medicine, and Heng Cheng''s condition visibly improved as soon as he swallowed it.


    In less than the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the pill pulled Heng Cheng back


    from the brink of death. Although still weak, his life was no longer in immediate danger.


    TL: What a shitshow...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 183: Transaction

    Chapter 183: Transaction


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Friend, please wait."


    Looking at Heng Cheng''s gradually stabilizing condition, Rong Jingyun sighed in relief, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at her husband. She spoke softly, "Husband, how are you feeling?"


    Heng Cheng responded in a somewhat halting manner, "I... I''m fine. Thank you, Jingyun."


    Rong Jingyun smiled gently, "We are husband and wife; there is no need for thanks."


    Heng Cheng lowered his head in guilt, "But I''m sorry for what I did outside..."


    Rong Jingyun interrupted him, "We will discuss thister. For now, let''s resolve the current issue."


    She stood up and cupped her fists in gratitude towards Song Wen, "Thank you, friend, for allowing me to treat my husband."


    Song Wen replied with a peculiarugh, "Hehe... I dare not ept your thanks. It was your husband whom I injured."


    "You should not waste time. Please fulfill your promise quickly."


    "Understood!"


    Rong Jingyun''s thoughts moved, and two wooden boxes and a jade bottle appeared in front of her.


    "Here are ten silver horn grasses and sixty Beast Refining Pills."


    With a wave of her hand, the wooden boxes and jade bottle flew towards Song Wen.


    Song Wen inspected the wooden boxes and jade bottle with his spiritual sense, confirmed their authenticity, and then stored them in his storage ring.


    "This is not enough. Our agreement was for ten silver horn grasses and a hundred Beast Refining Pills in exchange for the child''s whereabouts."


    Rong Jingyun turned to look at Heng Cheng lying on the toad''s back. He nodded and looked at his storage ring.


    However, Heng Cheng was too weak to open his storage ring.


    Rong Jingyun moved closer to Heng Cheng, infused her spiritual power into him to help him open the storage ring.


    A wooden box and two jade bottles appeared on the ground.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rong Jingyun used her spiritual power to push the wooden box and jade bottles towards Song Wen.


    "Between us, this is all the silver horn grass and Beast Refining Pills we have."


    Song Wen took the wooden box and jade bottles, scanned them with his spiritual sense, and found that the ten silver horn grasses were sufficient. However, there were only seventy Beast Refining Pills in the two jade bottles.


    Song Wen was not greedy; eighty Beast Refining Pills were already enough for a long time.


    He put away the herbs and pills and said, "It''s time for you to make the soul oath."


    As per Song Wen''s request, Rong Jingyun and Heng Cheng each made a soul oath: if they revealed Song Wen''s existence, their souls would be shattered, and they would never be able to transcend.


    Song Wen nodded and turned to leave.


    "Wait a moment."


    Rong Jingyun suddenly spoke, stopping Song Wen.


    "Friend, you have taken the benefits, and we have made the soul oath. But you have not told us where the child is."


    Heng Cheng looked at his wife in surprise, not expecting her to ask about the child''s whereabouts, which deepened his guilt.


    Song Wen stopped and turned to Rong Jingyun.


    "But the quantity of the pills you provided is insufficient. What you have given can only be considered as your husband''s ransom. The child''s whereabouts require a different price."


    Rong Jingyun said, "We can offer spirit stones aspensation."


    Song Wen shook his head, "I don''t need spirit stones."


    "Then what does the friend want? I am an elder in the Beastmaster Sect''s alchemy room, and I have some resources. If you tell me what you want, I will do my best to satisfy your request, as long as it is within my capability."


    Song Wen stared at Rong Jingyun, his mind racing, and did not immediately respond.


    Making a grand demand for all of her assets would be unrealistic; he could only ask for what The urgently needed.


    Heng Cheng gazed at his wife, feeling that he had wronged her far too much. He should not


    have kept a concubine outside.


    After a moment, Song Wen finally spoke.


    "I want your alchemical insights. Is that possible?"


    Rong Jingyun smiled faintly, "I didn''t expect you to be a fellow practitioner. If you want my alchemical insights, you can have them."


    As she spoke, Rong Jingyun threw a jade slip to Song Wen.


    Song Wen took the jade slip and probed it with his spiritual sense. It recorded no less than a hundred alchemical forms and insights.


    He could not immediately determine the uracy of these forms and insights but nced over the blood medicine forms and insights. At first nce, he found no apparent issues.


    Satisfied, Song Wen stored the jade slip. Its value outside would be at least a hundred thousand spirit stones.


    At this moment, he couldn''t help but admire this woman. To casually give away such a valuable jade slip was impressive.


    For the sake of saving her husband and the child of the concubine, Rong Jingyun could be so generous. It was truly worthy of respect.


    However, for Rong Jingyun, giving out this jade slip did not incur much loss.


    If there was any loss, it would be to the Beastmaster Sect, as half of the forms in the jade


    slip were unique to them.


    After putting away the jade slip, Song Wen kept his word and revealed the location of Jingyu


    and Xu Zheng.


    Heng Cheng became agitated upon hearing this, shouting, "This is impossible; you must be


    making it up."


    Song Wen mocked with a smile, "I have no grudge against you, so why would I lie?"


    "If you don''t believe me, go to the cliff located one hundred and thirty miles west of the Huafang Market. There is a cave at the bottom of the cliff, and the child is in that cave."


    "Xu Zheng only has the cultivation of Qi Refining Third Level and cannot use flight techniques. The child was personally bound and thrown into the cave by his mother."


    "That poor child has not had a drop of water for two days. If you don''t hurry, he might die of starvation in the cave."


    After speaking, Song Wen ignored their reactions and vanished into the darkness, leaving no


    trace.


    After confirming with his spiritual sense that Song Wen had truly left, Rong Jingyun let out a


    sigh of relief.


    She waved her right hand, and a small flying ship, about seven to eight meters long, appeared


    in mid-air.


    "Let''s go. We need to save that child."


    Rong Jingyun used her spiritual power to lift Heng Cheng onto the flying ship, and they


    ascended into the air.


    Heng Cheng took some healing pills and sat cross-legged, while Rong Jingyun, standing behind him, used her spiritual power to assist in refining the medicine.


    "Jingyun, I am sorry for what I did. I shouldn''t have kept a concubine," Heng Cheng said,


    filled with guilt.


    Rong Jingyun replied, "Husband, let the past be the past. We should support and rely on each other in the future, and cherish each other."


    "On this long path of cultivation, it is only between us that we can truly open our hearts. If we


    are to doubt and deceive each other, this path of cultivation will be too lonely. If that''s the case, immortality is not worth pursuing."


    Heng Cheng nodded heavily and said, "Jingyun, after this, I will be devoted to you, and we


    will stay together."


    "But what about the child? The child is innocent."


    Rong Jingyun was silent for a long time before finally sighing deeply.


    "Let''s bring the child back to the sect. I will treat him as my own. He is still young and doesn''t


    understand the situation. When he grows up, he will probably forget this incident and see me


    as his real mother."


    As she spoke, Rong Jingyun''s tone was not entirely certain, carrying a hint of hesitation.


    Heng Cheng, upon hearing this, appeared somewhat excited, "Thank you, Jingyun."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 184: Monarch and Ministers

    Chapter 184: Monarch and Ministers


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Heng Cheng and Rong Jingyun found the little boy in the cave as described by Song Wen.


    The boy, suffering from hunger and severe dehydration and bound by ropes, had already fainted. If no one came to rescue him, he might not survive until the next day.


    Seeing the critically ill boy, Heng Cheng''s eyes were filled with fury and murderous intent. Even Rong Jingyun had a face full of anger.


    Cultivators generally have a detached attitude towards life, and they often disregard the lives of unrted people. However, they usually do not torture ordinary people without cause. Even demonic cultivators who kill ordinary people for practice generally do so quickly to spare them pain. Some ghostly cultivators might torture ordinary people to extract resentment, but that''s another story.


    To see the boy tied up and abandoned by his own biological mother was even more infuriating.


    "I will make that despicable Jingyu''s corpse be torn into a thousand pieces," Heng Cheng said through gritted teeth.


    Upon seeing the condition of his son, Heng Cheng fully believed Song Wen''s words.


    Rong Jingyun took out a pill and put it into an empty jade bottle, then added some clean water to dissolve it. She fed the boy a couple of sips, and hisplexion visibly improved.


    "Let''s go. We need to find those two scoundrels in the Huafang Market."


    As she finished speaking, the flying ship shot up into the sky.


    When they arrived at Courtyard 87, it was already empty, and Jingyu had long since disappeared.


    "Running? Can she escape?"


    Rong Jingyun directed the flying ship to the Huafang Market''sw enforcement team and once again found Elder Wang.


    "Sorry, you two, thew enforcement team is established to maintain the peace of East Huafang Market, not for private matters of individuals. We cannot use it for your personal affairs."


    Elder Wang directly refused them.


    "You..." Heng Cheng red angrily.


    Elder Wang, disregarding the camaraderie, remained indifferent, which made Heng Cheng even more furious.


    Rong Jingyun, however, maintained a calm demeanor. She took out the summons jade slip and presented it to Elder Wang.


    "May I ask if this summons jade slip can mobilize thew enforcement team?"


    Elder Wang''s face changed as he looked at the jade slip. The situation had turned against him rapidly.


    He sped his hands and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Town Hall Elder."


    The rank of elders is hierarchical. Elder Wang was just a regr elder within the Beastmaster Sect, while Rong Jingyun held the highest rank as the Town Hall Elder with the summons jade slip.


    "I will mobilize thew enforcement team immediately and fully cooperate with you."


    East Huafang Market often had cases of murder. Although most were unresolved, there were still some tracking experts within thew enforcement team.


    With Jingyu''s portrait, they quickly traced it to the inn where Xu Zheng was staying. Although Xu Zheng had already left, they obtained his portrait from the innkeeper.


    With the portraits of the two, they mobilized the various factions in the market. In less than half an hour, they located their whereabouts.


    By evening, Jingyu and Xu Zheng had purchased a flying boat from a magical artifact shop and left the market''s northern side.


    Thew enforcement team deployed several disciples and, after several hours of pursuit, captured the two, who had fled several dozen miles away, by dawn.


    However, only Xu Zheng was brought back alive; Jingyu had already turned into a cold corpse.


    Her eyes were bulging as if she had experienced something unbelievable before her death, still unable to rest in peace.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Seeing Jingyu''s soul already dissipated, Heng Cheng felt it was too lenient for her to die like this. He was deeply unsatisfied.


    Heng Cheng''s rage seemed almost palpable, causing Xu Zheng, who was kneeling nearby, to tremble in fear.


    He suddenly realized: perhaps by killing Jingyu midway, he had actually helped her. Now, he would face Heng Cheng''s endless wrath alone, unable to plead for mercy or die, and would suffer unimaginable torment.


    At the ugly hour [1], Song Wen arrived at the market and, under the cover of night, sneaked into Courtyard 36 next door.


    In the underground secret chamber:


    Song Wen summoned a female ck Armored Gu and began feeding it silver-horned grass.


    He started studying Rong Jingyun''s alchemy notes.


    Song Wen only knew how to make Blood Qi Pills; other pills were bought from elsewhere, so his understanding of alchemy was quite limited.


    With Rong Jingyun''s alchemy insights, he could greatly enhance his understanding of pill- making, facilitating his development of new Blood Qi Pills.


    Upon seeing the method for making Beast Refining Pills, he had new thoughts.


    Although he had acquired quite a few Beast Refining Pills recently, they would eventually run out. If he could make them himself, it would ensure the future growth of his Sacred Gu.


    However, with Song Wen''s current alchemy skills, making a fifth-grade Beast Refining Pill was beyond his capability.


    After carefully studying the alchemy notes several times, Song Wen understood that the ingredients in each pill recipe could generally be ssified into four categories:


    - Monarch Medicine (): The main ingredient, essential and irreceable in the recipe.


    - Minister Medicine (): Supplements the Monarch Medicine, enhancing the efficacy of the


    pill.


    - Assistant Medicine (��): Assists in harmonizing the properties of the various ingredients and aids in pill refinement.


    - Envoy Medicine (): Activates the pill, promoting the full manifestation of its properties.


    Song Wen pondered over the Blood Qi Pill recipe, categorizing each ingredient into these four sses to help him refine the form and produce a more potent Blood Qi Pill.


    Based on his previous experimental experiences, Song Wen prepared different control groups, refining pills while recording the results. Hepared the final oues to identify the


    optimal form.


    His idea for improving the form was to increase the dosage of the Monarch Medicine, Red Blood Essence, to enhance the pill''s efficacy, while experimenting with different ratios of the other ingredients to achieve the best result.


    After more than ten days of tireless experimentation, Song Wen finally seeded in


    producing three new Blood Qi Pills.


    These three pills were still blood-red but significantlyrger.


    Common pills are typically the size of a pinky, but these three were asrge as a thumb, at


    least three to four times bigger in volume.


    Looking at the pills in his hand, Song Wen hesitated.


    From their appearance and smell, there seemed to be no apparent issues. However, recalling


    the tragic oues of Ji Yin and others who consumed the Blood Qi Pills, Song Wen was reluctant to use them without further testing.


    "Perhaps I should follow Ji Yin''s example and find someone to test the pills."


    Song Wen put the pills away and left the courtyard.


    Without wasting time in the market, he headed outside.


    Once outside, he found an uninhabited area and traveled further east into the mountains.


    The area was full of demonic beasts, amon hunting ground for wandering cultivators.


    Song Wen nned to test the pills on a demonic beast.


    After walking a short distance into the mountains, he spotted a small fox-like demonic beast.


    The fox was crimson, with the strength of a seventhyer Qi Refining stage cultivator, and was currently devouring a wild boar demonic beast it had just captured.


    Song Wen''s sudden appearance startled the fox. It did not flee or attack immediately but


    snarled fiercely, ring at Song Wen with a menacing expression.


    TL Note:


    [1] The "ugly hour" typically refers to the time during the early morning, usually between 3


    a.m. and 4 a.m., when many people experience heightened feelings of anxiety, sadness, or restlessness. It''s often characterized by a sense of loneliness and introspection, leading to a lot of negative thoughts or worries. This phenomenon can happen when the world is quiet,


    and people find themselves awake, reflecting on their lives or problems.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 185: Testing the Pills on Humans

    Chapter 185: Testing the Pills on Humans


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the demonic fox''s perception, Song Wen, who only revealed the aura of "Longevity Technique," didn''t seem very powerful.


    However, the fox didn''t attack Song Wen recklessly. Instead, it dragged the wild boar beast''s corpse and slowly retreated into the surrounding shrubs.


    The mountain was frequently visited by humans, and the fox, possessing high intelligence, knew that these humans were not to be trifled with. They had various strange treasures and methods, and one could easily fall into a cunning human''s trap.


    With a sh of movement, Song Wen did not use his spiritual power but relied solely on his physical strength to grab the fox demon by the neck with one hand.


    The fox struggled vigorously in Song Wen''s grip, but his strength was too great for it to escape.


    Song Wen took out a newly refined Blood Qi Pill, forcibly opened the fox''s mouth, and shoved the pill inside.


    After confirming that the fox had swallowed the pill, Song Wen released it.


    As soon as the foxnded, it bolted into the grass and quickly fled.


    After running a few dozen meters, the fox suddenly copsed, its limbs convulsing uncontrobly, its body rapidly withering as if something was devouring its internal organs and flesh.


    Soon, the fox''s body shrank by nearly half, bing gaunt and skeletal, with bones clearly visible beneath its fur.


    At this moment, the fox''s body suddenly began to swell, as if someone was forcefully inting it.


    "Bang!"


    A muffled explosion.


    After reaching its swelling limit, the fox''s body exploded, scattering into countless pieces of flesh.


    Looking at the blood and meat scattered on the ground, Song Wen''s lips twitched. He was unsure whether the problemy with the pill or if human pills were simply unsuitable for demonic beasts.


    "It seems I''ll need to test the pill on a human."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sometimes, events ur with uncanny timing.


    Two rogue cultivators, both with fierce expressions, were approaching his location, now less than two yards away from Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s lips curled into a cold smile as he stood still, waiting for the prey toe to him.


    Momentster, two bandits, one from each side, suddenly leaped out from the trees.


    One of them formed a spell gesture, conjuring three seven-foot-long water spears that shot toward Song Wen''s face with lightning speed.


    Water-based spell, Water Spear Thrust.


    The other raised a hand, summoning a mid-grade flying sword that flew from behind, aiming straight for Song Wen''s back.


    The two bandits, without saying a word, struck mercilessly.


    Song Wen''s lips curled into a strange smile. It was as if his drowsiness had been met with a pillow-these were truly kind people who brought him exactly what he needed.


    The previously fierce expressions of the two bandits instantly turned to terror.


    Song Wen''s figure transformed into a blur, abruptly disappearing from their view.


    "Bang, bang."


    Two muffled thuds.


    The two bandits were knocked to the ground, unable to rise.


    Seeing Song Wen''s smiling face and looking down from above, the bandits realized they had encountered a formidable senior.


    Yet Song Wen did not kill them directly, giving them a glimmer of hope for survival.


    "Senior, we were blind and offended you. Please forgive us this time."


    "Senior, we are also being oppressed by the Beastmaster Sect and have no choice but to resort


    to these desperate measures. Please consider this our first offense and forgive us."


    Seeing the two bandits repeatedly bowing and pleading, Song Wen spoke.


    "I can consider sparing you. I have two pills here, one for each of you."


    "Take the pills, and you may leave. I will pretend that what happened just now never urred."


    As he spoke, two pills floated in front of the bandits.


    Looking at the obviously unusual Blood Qi Pills, the bandits couldn''t help but feel


    apprehensive.


    This pill clearly wasn''t an ordinary medicine.


    They were unsure of the consequences of taking it.


    As the bandits hesitated, Song Wen''s cold voice rang out.


    "Don''t worry. This is a cultivation-enhancing elixir I refined myself. Although it''s my first


    time making it, there shouldn''t be any major issues."


    "Take this pill, and you might have a slim chance of survival. If you refuse, I can only send you


    on your way now."


    "I''ll take it!"


    The bandit on the left kneeled, grabbed the pill, and swallowed it.


    Seeing hispanion take the pill, the other bandit also took one.


    As soon as the pill entered their stomachs, both felt intense abdominal pain and rapid depletion of their vital energy.


    They couldn''t help but curse inwardly-this wasn''t a cultivation-enhancing pill at all, but clearly a poison meant to kill.


    Soon, they felt an immense spiritual power emerging from their abdomens, this power crashing through their meridians as if it intended to break them.


    "Hold your breath, focus, and sit cross-legged to refine the spiritual power. You still have a


    slim chance of survival."


    Song Wen''s voice echoed in their ears.


    Without much hesitation, the bandits followed his instructions.


    However, the pill consumed their vital energy too quickly, causing their qi and blood to


    rapidly weaken.


    "Bang!"


    One of them could no longer hold on and copsed, lifeless.


    The vitality of this person was nearly depleted, leaving him as dried out as a corpse drained of


    blood by Song Wen.


    Seeing hispanion die, the other bandit''s eyes filled with despair.


    With his remaining vital energy dwindling and the severe pain in his abdomen and meridians,


    he had no hope of survival.


    "Hang on!"


    Song Wen suddenly shouted, trying to pull him out of his despair.


    But it was in vain. The bandit only managed to hold on for a few more breaths than his


    companion before copsing as well.


    Looking at the two corpses, Song Wen coldly said, "Useless!"


    He devoured their souls, took their storage bags, burned their bodies, and then returned to


    the market.


    The two bandits had both been at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation. After taking the pill, they


    had died within less than the time it took to burn an incense stick.


    Their deaths were due to severe depletion of their vital energy.


    This indicated that ordinary Qi Cultivation practitioners had a hard time withstanding the


    potency of such pills.


    However, Song Wen did gain some useful information.


    The two did not show any signs of poisoning, so the pill was not toxic.


    "Perhaps next time, I can test it myself."


    Song Wen returned home and continued refining pills.


    With the experience from before, this batch yielded five pills.


    After examining the pills in his hand for a long while, Song Wen finally took one.


    The immense medicinal power erupted within him, rapidly consuming his blood qi and producing a massive amount of spiritual power.


    While the previous two bandits had experienced severe abdominal pain, Song Wen felt


    nothing of the sort. The amount of vital energy consumed by the pill was negligible for him.


    Song Wen focused his mind, operating the "Longevity Technique" to absorb and refine the


    spiritual power triggered by the pill.


    "Pop!"


    It felt like something inside him had suddenly burst open, making a faint sound.


    This was the "Longevity Technique" breaking through the fifth level of Qi Cultivation,


    advancing to the sixth level.


    With the medicinal power of the pill still not depleted, Song Wen continued to sit in


    meditation and refinement.


    After an hour, Song Wen concluded his practice with a pleased expression.


    The enhanced Blood Qi Pill had been sessfully refined, and its potency was more than ten


    times stronger than the previous version.


    Song Wen did not stop, continuing to consume pills and refine them.


    As he finished refining all five pills, a knocking sound came from outside the door.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 186: Alchemy and the Hardship of Raising Gu

    Chapter 186: Alchemy and the Hardship of Raising Gu


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Opening the courtyard door, Song Wen saw that it was the old man Ai Kun who hade to visit.


    It had been a while since Song Wen had seen Ai Kun, and today, he noticed that Ai Kun looked much more haggard, as if he had aged ten years in a short time.


    "It''s only been a month since west met. How have you aged so much?"


    Ai Kun walked into the courtyard and sighed deeply.


    "Recently, I''ve been frequenting the Hehuan sect''s Heavenly Spring Courtyard a bit too often."


    "Please take it easy, Elder."


    "This old man has only this little hobby. If even this is taken away, what''s the difference between living and dying?"


    Ai Kun''s gaze suddenly fell on Song Wen, and he looked surprised.


    "Have you broken through to the sixth level of Qi Cultivation?"


    Hearing this, Song Wen realized he had forgotten to conceal his cultivation level after his recent breakthrough.


    Noticing that Ai Kun had seen through it, Song Wen did not hide it anymore and nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Yes, I just broke through recently."


    "I remember when you first came to the market, you were only at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation. It hasn''t been long, yet you''ve already reached the sixth level. Why is your cultivation progressing so quickly?"


    Song Wen exined, "When I first came to the market, I was already at the peak of the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, so it''s just a matter of moving up a level and a bit more."


    Ai Kun''s tone was envious.


    "Could it be that you''re just umting a lot of energy and making rapid progress? Perhaps


    I should cut back on my visits to the brothels; maybe I''d have a chance to break through to thete stage of Qi Cultivation."


    After chatting for a while, Ai Kun left.


    Shortly after Ai Kun''s departure, Song Wen also went out of the courtyard. He strolled around the market, then in a secluded area, he disguised himself as he did when he rented the adjacent small courtyard, and entered Courtyard No. 36.


    Once inside the courtyard, Song Wen went directly to the underground secret room.


    During the chat with Ai Kun, he had sensed a change in the Gu parasites inside him.


    The fifth Sacred Gu, which he had been feeding with silver-horned grass, had spun a cocoon a dozen days ago. At this moment, there were signs of it breaking out of the cocoon.


    He took out the cocoon and ced it in the Gu cauldron.


    After an hour, a new Gu emerged, having broken through the cocoon.


    With the experience from the previous Sacred Gu, Song Wen took out a Beast Refining Pill and fed it to the new Gu.


    Song Wen then took out a bottle of essence blood and slowly fed it to the Sacred Gu.


    After another half-month, the newly emerged Sacred Gu had stabilized its cultivation level.


    Song Wen began preparations to let the two Sacred Gu mate and breed the next generation.


    However, things did not go as smoothly as Song Wen had hoped. Although the two Sacred Gu mated sessfully, the female Gu showed no signs of fertilization or eggying.


    Song Wen did not give up easily. After three months of attempts, the female Sacred Gu finally started to produce eggs.


    A monthter, the eggs were sessfullyid, but there was only one egg.


    Another half-monthter, the egg sessfully hatched.


    A new Sacred Gu was born!


    Thus, after two months, Song Wen had sessfully raised six Sacred Gu.


    All other first-tier Gu, except for the two normal beetle Gu, had be unnecessary and were fed to the Sacred Gu.


    TL: I''m not sure if the author meant Sacred Gu or ck Armored Gu, I think it should be Sacred Gu, so I changed it from ck-armored Gu to Sacred Gu...


    The two first-tier beetle Gu were kept mainly because their strength was weak and their aura was minimal. They were less likely to be noticed as ordinary Gu and were kept for emergencies.


    Raising the two first-tier Gurvae required a minimal amount of spirit stones, which was negligible for Song Wen.


    During these two months, Song Wen continuously took the new Blood Qi Pills. His cultivation in the "Longevity Technique" had made remarkable progress, reaching the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, and he was not far from reaching full Qi Cultivation.


    He had one Foundation Establishment Pill and four Heavenly Spirit Fruits. Once he reached full Qi Cultivation, he could advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and cultivate the "Longevity Technique" to that level.


    Song Wen stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff body, and decided to go out for a walk.


    After days of hard cultivation, he felt a bit bored and decided to get some fresh air.


    He headed directly to Zhao Dapeng''s small courtyard. Song Wen''s courtyard should have been rented out.


    Knocking on the courtyard door, Song Wen waited outside for a moment before Zhao Dapeng


    opened it.


    Song Wen handed over thirty spirit stones and said, "This is the rent for three months."


    Zhao Dapeng nodded, did not say anything, and turned to close the door.


    Since discovering that Zhao Dapeng had used his own younger brother to refine a corpse, Song Wen had suppressed his desire for revenge, wanting to see what Zhao Dapeng was up to.


    As a result, he had waited for over two months.


    The man with the rat-like eyes had been tortured by the corpse energy to the point of barely resembling a human, but he still miraculously had not died.


    A mortal being subjected to corpse energy for over two months neither died nor turned into a


    zombie.


    This was quite miraculous to Song Wen, a practitioner of corpse techniques.


    A zombie that had not been thoroughly turned into a corpse was barely of anybat power


    in the cultivation world.


    This only increased Song Wen''s curiosity about what Zhao Dapeng was really doing.


    Another thing that puzzled Song Wen was that Zhao Dapeng''s practice of raising corpses was


    a severe taboo among righteous sects. How had he managed to avoid detection for two


    months?


    It was quite baffling!


    Or had someone already discovered it but chose not to reveal it?


    Or perhaps Zhao Dapeng''s actions had the tacit approval of the Beastmaster Sect?


    Driven by strong curiosity, Song Wen had considered killing and searching the soul, but he


    had suppressed the idea.


    Zhao Dapeng rarely left the market, so killing a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect in the market


    would not be wise.


    Moreover, Song Wen wanted to see what kind of zombie Zhao Dapeng would eventually make


    out of his younger brother.


    After leaving Zhao Dapeng''s house, Song Wen wandered around the market and bought some medicinal herbs for alchemy.


    The Beast Refining Pills he had obtained from the Heng couple had been used up a month and


    a half ago.


    Before that, Song Wen had started preparing to make Beast Refining Pills himself. With his Foundation Establishment stage spiritual awareness, he met the requirements for refining seventh-tier pills.


    To make pills, he first needed to prepare the required medicinal herbs.


    Most of the herbs for refining Beast Refining Pills were rtivelymon, but two of the


    seventh-tier herbs were hard to find.


    These two seventh-tier herbs were not sold in the market''s herb stores.


    However, asionally, a few nts were avable at the scattered cultivators'' stalls, though


    not enough to meet Song Wen''s needs.


    Later, Song Wen solved this problem by going to the Ghost Market.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Refining Beast Refining Pills was moreplex than refining Blood Qi Pills. Since Song Wen


    did not dare to use demonic energy, using "Longevity Technique" spiritual energy made the process a bit weaker. He could only refine one batch at a time, which would deplete his spiritual energy, requiring him to meditate and recover.


    As a result, it took him seven or eight months to refine the first batch of Beast Refining Pills.


    With the Beast Refining Pills, he could quickly enhance the strength of the Sacred Gu.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 187: Foundation Establishment of the "Longevity Technique"

    Chapter 187: Foundation Establishment of the "Longevity Technique"


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After purchasing the necessary items in the market, Song Wen walked into the small alley where his own courtyard was located and saw Ai Kun standing outside his courtyard door.


    Hurrying over, Song Wen quickly reached Ai Kun and asked, "Senior Ai, are you waiting for me?"


    In the past two years, Ai Kun had been indulging without restraint, which had left him increasingly frail. He no longer had the vitality expected of a cultivator and looked more like amon elderly person, worn out and sagging, with a stooped posture.


    Song Wen opened the courtyard door and led Ai Kun into the courtyard, where they sat down.


    Ai Kun said, "I''m leaving the market. I came to say goodbye."


    Song Wen was surprised and asked, "Why the sudden decision to leave the market?"


    Ai Kun sighed, expressing regret.


    "My health has deteriorated even further these past two years. I find drawing talismans increasingly difficult, and I''m no longer suited to stay in the market. It''s time for me to find a ce to retire."


    "It''s also my own fault. I couldn''t resist the temptation of the concubines of the Hehuan Sect, which severely depleted my energy."


    "You are still young and have a chance to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Don''t follow my path, getting lost in desires and wasting your time."


    "Looking back, I was once full of ambition and held a ce among the scattered cultivator talismans in the market."


    "I don''t know when it started, but I fell into indulgence and couldn''t extricate myself. My cultivation stagnated."


    "Reflecting on the past, it really ismentable."


    Watching Ai Kun''s deep emotions, Song Wen did not interrupt and quietly listened. This was the only thing he could do for the old man at the moment.


    However, he couldn''t help but think:


    When strong and powerful, it was the Hehuan Sect''s fairy.


    When weak and frail, it became the Hehuan Sect''s seductress.


    People are indeed very changeable.


    After Ai Kun finished his reflections, Song Wen finally spoke.


    "Senior Ai, where do you n to retire?"


    Ai Kun said, "When I was young, I had a close friend from the Su family of Qingping Mountain. He had invited me several times to join the Su family as a talisman maker. But considering that the Su family''s ancestor is a Golden Core expert, as a mid-stage Qi Cultivation talisman maker, I would not be valued in the Su family, so I declined."


    "Recently, he invited me again to go to the Su family to teach their younger generation how to draw talismans. Given my current situation, it would be fortunate to retire in the Su family, so I agreed to my friend''s invitation."


    Song Wen said, "Then congrattions, Senior Ai."


    Ai Kun waved his hand, "You don''t need to call me Senior Ai anymore. Your cultivation is no lower than mine; you''re about to break through to the seventh level of Qi Cultivation, right?"


    Song Wen shook his head, "It''s not that easy to break through to thete stage of Qi Cultivation."


    "I remember you are cultivating the ''Longevity Technique,'' right?" Ai Kun suddenly asked.


    Song Wen nodded. He had previously inquired with Ai Kun about the cultivation techniques sold in the market and knew that the market had the Foundation Establishment technique for the "Longevity Technique," which he learned from Ai Kun.


    After learning that there was a Foundation Establishment technique for the "Longevity Technique" avable, Song Wen had immediately disguised himself and purchased a copy.


    "The ''Longevity Technique'' has longevity benefits. It seems you will live longer than this old man."


    Song Wen did not want to discuss techniques and cultivation levels further. He shifted the topic.


    "When is Senior Ai leaving the market? I''ll see you off."


    "No need. As cultivators, we shouldn''t be bound by mundane customs."


    Ai Kun stood up and left the small courtyard.


    Two dayster, Ai Kun, all alone, left East Huafang Market where he had struggled for decades.


    ...


    Song Wen continued to immerse himself in rigorous cultivation. When he wasn''t refining pills, he was concocting elixirs. In just these past two years, he had spent over 80,000 spirit stones like flowing water.


    Feeding his two Sacred Gu alone consumed a hundred spirit stones daily. This was with him refining the pills himself. If he had to buy the pills for cultivation, the cost would at least double or triple.


    Three more months passed in a sh, and Song Wen''s "Longevity Technique" had reached the peak of Qi Refining, signaling that it was time for Foundation Establishment.


    Song Wen dismantled the "Spirit Concealment Formation" and the "Nine Pces Yin Array"


    in the underground secret room of the neighboring courtyard. He then left the market and traveled several thousand miles south, finding a remote valley devoid of spiritual energy. There, he dug a cave and began his seclusion.


    Seven dayster, having adjusted his mind, energy, and spirit to their peak state, Song Wen held the Foundation Establishment Pill in one hand and the Heavenly Spirit Fruit in the other. After a moment''s hesitation, he put away the Foundation Establishment Pill and consumed the Heavenly Spirit Fruit.


    Having used the Heavenly Spirit Fruit for Foundation Establishment once before, Song Wen decided to use it again, relying on his previous experience.


    A little over a monthter, Song Wen emerged from his temporary cave dwelling.


    This Foundation Establishment process had gone so smoothly that Song Wen found it hard to believe. With just one Heavenly Spirit Fruit, he sessfully established his foundation.


    Song Wen did not immediately leave the valley. After stretching and moving around a bit, he returned to the temporary cave.


    Before leaving the market, he had prepared a substantial amount of elixirs and spirit herbs for


    pill refining. He had sufficient Blood Qi Pills for his cultivation and Beast Refining Pills for his Sacred Gu. He nned to cultivate in this valley for a while, only returning to the market when he ran out of elixirs and spirit herbs.


    He stayed in the valley for three months, primarily cultivating various thunder techniques.


    He mastered the Pr God Thunder and Great Cave God Thunder from the Nine Great Heavenly Thunders.


    Lei Tianyu''s short spear had also been refined by him. This short spear was unique in that it could channel thunder techniques, giving it the sharpness of a spiritual weapon along with the power of thunder. It seemed to be a spiritual weapon custom-made by the Lei family for


    him.


    In addition to the thunder techniques, Song Wen practiced Thunder Escape and Thunder Spear


    spells.


    Thunder Escape allowed the user to integrate thunder into their body, moving as quickly as lightning, useful both for short-range maneuvering inbat and long-distance travel. However, it consumed a significant amount of spiritual power, making it unsuitable for prolonged use and best reserved for critical situations.


    The Thunder Spear spell summoned five long thunder spears to be thrown at the opponent.


    During these three months, Song Wen realized that the Blood Qi Pills were no longer as effective in advancing his cultivation as they had been during the Qi Refining stage.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    For his recent pill refining attempts, he had used five-hundred-year-old Red Blood Vine, the highest-grade ingredient avable in the market, but the resulting pills still failed to meet his expectations in enhancing his cultivation.


    Song Wen spected that this was because Blood Qi Pills were first-grade pills, made from


    first-grade spiritual herbs. No matter how much they were improved, they could not significantly boost the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    "It seems I need to develop a second-grade pill simr to the Blood Qi Pill," Song Wen thought to himself as he took out Rong Jingyun''s alchemy notes for a closer look.


    In the jade slip of notes, Song Wen found a second-grade pill called the ''Explosive Blood Pill.''


    This pill was used to unleash potential, temporarily granting the user great strength. Consuming one pill could significantly enhance the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment cultivator for a short period.


    However, the pill had notable side effects, inducing a period of weakness after consumption


    and depleting vital energy. Repeated use could even harm the cultivation base.


    While the Explosive Blood Pill differed from the Blood Qi Pill, which permanently enhanced


    cultivation, both consumed significant vital energy and posed long-term risks to the user''s foundation.


    After brief contemtion, Song Wen decided to obtain an Explosive Blood Pill to test its


    effects.


    Author''s Note:


    PS: Exnation of the second Foundation Establishment of the "Longevity Technique."


    Many readers have been asking about this, so here''s a detailed exnation.


    As mentioned in a previous chapter (Chapter 144), the power of the demonic techniques and


    the "Longevity Technique" in the dantian are independent of each other, coexisting like the yin and yang of a Taiji diagram without interfering with each other.


    In this story''s setting, Foundation Establishment involves condensing spiritual energy into liquid. A second Foundation Establishment is essentially the process of transforming the


    spiritual energy of the "Longevity Technique" into liquid form within the dantian.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 188: Unexpected Calamity

    Chapter 188: Unexpected Cmity


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen recalled the Sacred Gus that were guarding the perimeter, put away the formations, copsed the temporary cave dwelling, and flew towards the market on his boat.


    Before his Foundation Establishment, when he left the market, he had found Zhao Dapeng, paid half a year''s rent, and informed him that he would be away for a while but wanted to keep the courtyard reserved.


    Perhaps because of Song Wen''s prior notice, the courtyard had not been rented out when he returned.


    Walking into the courtyard, he used wind spells to clean up the dust and fallen leaves. Then, Song Wen sat down on a chair in the courtyard to rest.


    Suddenly, a rapid knocking on the door startled Song Wen.


    His eyes turned cold. Earlier, he had detected three unfamiliar individuals outside in the alley. He thought they were just passing by and paid them no mind. He didn''t expect they were here to find him.


    Before Song Wen could get up, the person outside impatiently kicked the courtyard door, causing the wooden door to splinter and crack.


    The leader of the three outside was a tall, muscr cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining.


    The burly cultivator stepped into the small courtyard. Seeing Song Wen sitting leisurely on the chair, he red fiercely and shouted, "Are you Zhang Cheng?"


    Song Wen frowned slightly. He did not know this person and had no grievances with him.


    The man''s arrogance andmanding tone irritated Song Wen.


    Song Wen replied coldly, "Who are you, and why are you barging into my courtyard?"


    The burly cultivator took two steps forward, staring at Song Wen who was still sitting on the chair.


    "A loose cultivator at the sixth level of Qi Refining shouldn''t ask so many questions. Just answer if you are Zhang Cheng."


    Song Wen stood up from the chair, brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes, and looked calm.


    "It seems you are here to cause trouble. This is Huafang Market, under the jurisdiction of the Beastmaster Sect. You should think carefully, as the market''s enforcement team is not far from here."


    The burly cultivator snorted disdainfully, his face full of contempt.


    "Using the enforcement team to pressure me? What a joke! Our Su family from Qingping Mountain taking away a loose cultivator at the Qi Refining stage from the market-do you think the Beastmaster Sect would care?"


    Song Wen frowned deeply.


    The Su family of Qingping Mountain!


    He had never had any dealings with this cultivation family. Why were they looking for him?


    Wait a minute!


    Ai Kun had mentioned the Su family. Could this be rted to him?


    While Song Wen was pondering, the burly cultivator was also scrutinizing him. With a puzzled expression, the cultivator whispered, just loud enough for only Song Wen and himself to hear, "Didn''t they say you practice the ''Longevity Technique''? Why don''t I sense any of its aura from you?"


    "Do you have a way to conceal your aura? Then your actual cultivation should be more than the sixth level of Qi Refining, right!"


    At thisst sentence, a trace of imperceptible delight shed across the burly cultivator''s face.


    He waved to the two people behind him, "Capture him alive. If he resists, cripple him."


    With that, the two cultivators at the eighth level of Qi Refining lunged at Song Wen.


    Song Wen watched the two attackers calmly.


    In his dantian, the Cold Moon de trembled slightly, ready to strike!


    Since these so-called Su family members were courting death, Song Wen would oblige them.


    However, the burly cultivator''s kick that damaged the courtyard door had already attracted the attention of many neighbors who were now standing outside in the alley, watching.


    "It seems that the identity of ''Talisman Master Zhang Cheng'' can no longer be used," Song Wen thought to himself.


    Killing these three would certainly expose his identity.


    Suddenly, he noticed two figures among the onlookers outside who stood out-they were members of the market''s enforcement team.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Su family had the tacit approval of the enforcement team to capture him!


    Killing the three Su family members would be easy, and so would killing the two enforcement team members.


    But the enforcement team had emergencymunication methods. Killing the Su family members would mean bing an enemy of the enforcement team, leading to being surrounded by them. The enforcement team had many Foundation Establishment cultivators and a Golden Core elder stationed in the market.


    Suppressing his urge to kill, Song Wen stood still, letting the two Su family cultivators approach him.


    "Can you tell me where you are taking me?" he asked.


    Seeing Song Wen not resisting, the burly cultivator said, "You are quite sensible."


    He nced at the watching loose cultivators behind him. Perhaps not wanting to tarnish the Su family''s reputation, he raised his voice and exined loudly, "Don''t worry. Our Su family has no ill intentions towards you. We just noticed your talent in talisman making and want to invite you to join our family as a talisman master."


    "Our Su family is eager to recruit talented individuals. This time, we have invited many loose cultivators. To show our respect, we have dispatched arge airship to transport you all. The airship is parked just over ten miles east of the market."


    Song Wen''s mouth twitched. He didn''t believe a word of what the other party said.


    Who invites someone with such arrogance?


    He was just a talisman master who could only draw flying talismans and beginner-level


    talismans. Was he worth all this trouble from the Su family?


    However, after hearing what the other party said, Song Wen had a n in mind.


    Since the airship was outside the market, he would make his move once they were out of the market, making it easier to escape.


    Seeing that Song Wen did not resist, the Su family members did not forcibly take him.


    The burly cultivator summoned a flying boat, lightly jumped onto it, and called out, "Bring


    him!"


    The other two took Song Wen onto the flying boat.


    The flying boat ascended, quickly reaching a height of several hundred meters.


    At this moment, a chain appeared in the burly cultivator''s hand. The chain moved like a snake and swiftly bound Song Wen.


    "What are you doing?" Song Wen struggled with all his might, but the chain did not budge.


    Song Wen''s face was full of anger, and he red at the burly cultivator with eyes full of rage,


    looking just like someone who had been deceived but was powerless.


    The burly cultivator sneered at Song Wen with contempt. "Idiot!"


    After saying that, he no longer paid attention to Song Wen, focusing instead on piloting the


    flying boat towards the outskirts of the market.


    Momentster, the flying boat left the market.


    From a distance, Song Wen saw arge ship over fifty meters long hovering in mid-air, more


    than ten miles away from the market. A ck g with gold and silver embroidery, bearing a


    large ''Su'' character, hung from the ship''s mast.


    As the flying boat drew closer, Song Wen pondered to himself.


    He couldn''t board the ship. Such arge vessel would surely have many strong cultivators


    aboard.


    Being so close to the market, he dared not use corpse control techniques. Once aboard, it would be difficult to escape.


    After leaving the market by several miles, Song Wen suddenly mustered all his strength and


    gave a mighty struggle.


    The magical chain instantly shattered into pieces.


    The sound of the chain breaking alerted the three Su family members.


    Before they could react, a cold light shed and disappeared.


    The three felt a sudden dizziness. When they looked at their decapitated bodies, they


    realized:


    They had been beheaded!


    Zhang Cheng was not just a loose cultivator at the Qi Refining stage; he was a formidable


    Foundation Establishment cultivator!


    Then, everything went ck as their consciousness faded.


    A sh of lightning surged from Song Wen''s body, transforming into a humanoid bolt of


    lightning that shot directly into the dense forest below.


    The sudden change immediately caught the attention of those on therge ship.


    A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Su family flew out on their swords, pursuing Song Wen.


    Rushing through the dense forest, Song Wen continued to use the Thunder Escape Technique,


    moving swiftly through the woods, avoiding the ship''s location, and heading away from the market.


    The speed of the Thunder Escape Technique was rapid, and the three pursuers soon fell


    behind.


    Seeing that they couldn''t catch up, the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from


    the Su family took out a sword-shaped jade slip and crushed it with all his might.


    A giant spiritual sword, dozens of meters long, appeared in mid-air.


    The Su family cultivator shouted, "sh!"


    The giant sword, like a dragon, sliced through the sky and clouds, descending rapidly towards


    Song Wen.


    Seeing the formidable giant sword above, Song Wen dared not take it head-on. The spiritual giant sword''s power was equivalent to a full-strength attack from ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Electricity crackled around Song Wen as he changed direction, darting out diagonally.


    "Boom!"


    The giant sword struck the ground, causing the earth to tremble and rocks to fly, making a


    deafening noise.


    A wave of violent aftershocks spread in all directions.


    Barely dodging the giant sword, Song Wen was enveloped in a green glow that protected him


    from the aftershocks, though the force propelled him forward.


    Themotion caused by the giant sword''s strike was so loud that it could be heard clearly


    several miles away in the market.


    Several miles away, in a cave mansion atop a small mountain, a beautiful Taoist nun in her


    forties opened her eyes.


    Her eyes were bright and profound, like a deep, unfathomableke.


    She was the Golden Core cultivator sent by the Beastmaster Sect to guard Huafang Market.


    TL: Finally something is happening again, it''s been quite tedious the past few chapters...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 189: Pursued by Golden Core Cultivators

    Chapter 189: Pursued by Golden Core Cultivators


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    A sh of a figure, and the beautiful Taoist nun appeared in mid-air, immediately spotting the Su family''srge ship and the three Foundation Establishment cultivators.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The Taoist nun flew forward, stopping in front of the three Su family cultivators, and asked sternly.


    "Why are you using such powerful spells near the market area? Don''t you know you might identally kill innocent cultivators?"


    The three Su family cultivators felt a terrifying pressure descend upon them, their expressions turning panicked and speechless. However, after recognizing the beautiful Taoist nun, they visibly rxed.


    The mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator leading the group cupped his hands and bowed.


    "I am Su Xingyuan from Qingping Mountain. Greetings, Immortal Qingyan. We are chasing a viin who killed our Su family members."


    "Even if you are chasing a murderer, you cannot recklessly use powerful spells outside the market."


    "Please forgive us, Immortal. The situation is urgent. This person was meant to be a live sacrifice for Ancestor Su Qian. We didn''t expect him to be hiding his cultivation and escape."


    Hearing this, Immortal Qingyan''s fierce aura dissipated, and a spiritual soundproof barrier suddenly appeared, enclosing her and Su Xingyuan.


    "Has Su Qian alreadyprehended the item brought back from the Ancient Secret Realm Longevity Hall?"


    Su Xingyuan replied, "I am not sure. After returning from exploring the secret realm with you and other Golden Core seniors over ten years ago, Ancestor has been in seclusion. He only emerged from seclusion three months ago. Since then, he spent two and a half months setting up a grand formation called the ''Devouring Soul Array.""


    "The Ancestor ordered our Su family to search for cultivators practicing the ''Longevity Technique,'' specifically targeting young and robust cultivators, with higher cultivation levels being better."


    "Based on the information we gathered, the person who just escaped practices the ''Longevity Technique'' and is likely ate-stage Qi Refining cultivator. We didn''t expect him to hide his cultivation and actually be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which allowed him to escape."


    Su Xingyuan quickly exined the whole story without any reservations, showing his considerable trust in Immortal Qingyan.


    He nced anxiously in the direction Song Wen had fled.


    "Immortal, cultivators practicing the ''Longevity Technique'' and achieving Foundation Establishment are extremely rare. This person is crucial for Ancestor Su Qian. Could you help


    us?"


    Immortal Qingyan''s voice was cold and stern. "Don''t worry, he won''t escape."


    As she spoke, her brows furrowed, deep in thought.


    Before her words faded, her figure had disappeared from the spot.


    Following Song Wen''s lingering aura, she pursued him.


    TL: Ah, such righteousness... For those wondering, don''t worry, each debt shall be paid in full...


    ...


    Seeing that the Su family cultivators were not pursuing him, Song Wen did not rx his vignce and continued fleeing at full speed.


    Suddenly, a powerful pressure came from behind, like a mountain copsing and the sea roaring. Song Wen stumbled, almost falling.


    Barely stabilizing himself, Song Wen''s face changed dramatically.


    A Golden Core cultivator!


    He had been trying to avoid the Beastmaster Sect''s Golden Core cultivator since arriving at Huafang Market. He didn''t expect to encounter one today.


    The Golden Core cultivator behind him was in peak condition, far stronger than the severely injured Wu Ren he had faced before.


    "Boy, surrender now, and I might spare your life."


    Immortal Qingyan''s voice, spanning more than ten miles, exploded in Song Wen''s ears.


    Song Wen naturally couldn''t surrender just because of the opponent''s strength.


    While using the Thunder Escape Technique, he discerned his direction.


    In this life-and-death crisis, he couldn''t afford to panic. As long as he found the right terrain, Song Wen was confident he could escape.


    One pursuing, one fleeing, the distance between them rapidly closed.


    When the distance was less than eight miles, Immortal Qingyan''s spiritual sense locked onto Song Wen, and she shouted.


    "Take this!"


    A long rope flew from her hand, shooting towards Song Wen like a viper.


    Seeing this long rope, it was clear it was a treasure designed to trap enemies. Song Wen dared


    not let it entangle him.


    With a thought, the Kui Yin Shield appeared behind him, followed by a bronze bell enveloping


    his entire body.


    "Boom!"


    The rope head struck the Kui Yin Shield, which quickly deformed like clothing prodded by a stick. The water screen transformed by the Kui Yin Shield was carried by the rope head,


    colliding with the bronze bell.


    The bronze bell shattered instantly.


    Song Wen immediately felt a strong force hitting his back. Blood filled his mouth, and he spat


    out a mouthful of fresh blood. At high speed, he was knocked flying.


    A hint of surprise shed in Immortal Qingyan''s eyes. For a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator to evade the binding of the ''Spirit-Binding Rope'' was unexpected.


    But it didn''t matter; she could try again.


    With a thought, the Spirit-Binding Rope shed the heavy water of Kui Yin enveloping it and


    once again flew towards Song Wen.


    The next moment, her previously confident expression turned into astonishment.


    Song Wen raised his left hand, shing with lightning, and struck his own head heavily.


    "Boom!"


    His head exploded, and his body fell to the ground.


    What''s going on?


    Did he justmit suicide?


    Immortal Qingyan was full of disbelief.


    But she quickly noticed something unusual.


    The fallen body was just a corpse that had been dead for some time, not a freshly deceased


    body.


    A substitute corpse technique!


    Immortal Qingyan''s eyes filled with excitement. Originally, she was just doing Su Qian a favor


    by capturing a live sacrifice. Unexpectedly, there was an added surprise.


    If she could obtain the substitute corpse technique from this person, it would be an additional


    life-saving card.


    Her spiritual sense quickly swept the surroundings, but to her surprise, she couldn''t find the person with her early Golden Core stage spiritual sense.


    That person had used the substitute corpse technique to escape her spiritual sense''s range.


    How is that possible!


    Immortal Qingyan couldn''t believe it. Although she had never practiced the substitute corpse technique herself, she had heard of this miraculous escape method.


    The substitute corpse technique''s range of escape should only be within the coverage of her


    spiritual sense.


    How could a mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator have a spiritual sense stronger


    than her Golden Core stage spiritual sense?


    After a while, not finding any trace of Song Wen, Immortal Qingyan summoned the heavy


    water of Kui Yin left by Song Wen into her hand.


    The heavy water of Kui Yin had been refined by Song Wen, and it carried his spiritual aura.


    Following this aura to find Song Wen would not be difficult, though it would take some time.


    ...


    Ten miles away, on the back of a small hill, Song Wen''s figure suddenly appeared.


    Wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth, Song Wen looked up, his eyes coldly staring at the graceful figure in the air.


    He had used the substitute corpse technique many times before, but it was always under the


    threat of fatal attacks.


    This was the first time he had chosen to use it by striking himself fatally when driven to the


    brink of despair.


    The feeling of delivering a fatal blow to himself was extremely unpleasant. He still had


    lingering fear.


    "No matter who you are! One day, I will make you pay," Song Wen vowed silently in his heart.


    Seeing that the opponent couldn''t find him for the time being, Song Wen felt slightly at ease.


    Using the Sacred Gu, Song Wen''s spiritual sense could probe up to fifteen miles, while an early Golden Core stage cultivator''s sensing distance was only eight miles.


    Taking out a healing pill, he swallowed it.


    This ce was not safe for long. Not daring to stay, Song Wen carefully determined the


    direction and then sprinted towards the nearby forest.


    His movement immediately startled the birds and beasts in the forest.


    From high in the sky, Immortal Qingyan saw this scene and slightly moved her lips: "Found


    you!"


    Her figure turned into an afterimage, swiftly heading towards Song Wen.


    Once Song Wen entered her sensing range, she used the same trick again, sending out the


    Spirit-Binding Rope.


    Feeling the Spirit-Binding Rope getting closer, Song Wen''s face grew anxious. He frantically


    urged the Thunder Escape Technique, his figure constantly darting through the forest.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 190: Escaping Alive

    Chapter 190: Escaping Alive


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    When the Spirit-Binding Rope was less than ten meters away from Song Wen, instead of being afraid, he smiled.


    The distance was sufficient!


    His figure suddenly turned into a cloud of blood mist.


    Under Immortal Qingyan''s astonished gaze, the Spirit-Binding Rope passed through the blood mist and wrapped around arge tree ahead.


    "Blood Escape Technique!"


    "The Corpse Demon Sect''s Blood Escape Technique, where did he learn this?"


    Immortal Qingyan was full of disbelief.


    A mere early Foundation Establishment cultivator had mastered the Thunder Escape Technique, the Blood Escape Technique, and the Substitute Corpse Technique.


    Moreover, how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator activate the Blood Escape Technique, which was a life-saving secret technique for Golden Core cultivators?


    Her face was full of greed and excitement. This person had too many secrets. Capturing him would yield great benefits.


    She took out the heavy water of Kui Yin, preparing to use a secret method to locate Song Wen.


    But the next moment, her expression turned ugly.


    The spiritual aura on the heavy water of Kui Yin had dissipated, turning it into an ownerless item.


    Song Wen had actively severed his connection with the heavy water of Kui Yin.


    Eighty miles away, at the bottom of the Tianhe River.


    Song Wen''s sea of consciousness throbbed with intense pain. Severing his connection with the heavy water of Kui Yin was not pleasant.


    He felt fortunate that he had always paid close attention to the terrain around the market, memorizing thendscape within a thousand miles, allowing him to urately judge his approximate location at all times.


    Just now, he used the Blood Escape Technique to directly reach the banks of the Tianhe River, then plunged into its flowing waters.


    He only had enough vital blood for one use of the Blood Escape Technique, so he had to seize this opportunity topletely escape from Immortal Qingyan.


    Feeling the severe depletion of his vital blood, Song Wen took out a jade bottle filled with vital blood and poured bottle after bottle into his mouth. After consuming ten bottles, his vital blood was replenished.


    shes of therge "Su" character on the airship and Immortal Qingyan''s beautiful face appeared in his mind, making him clench his teeth.


    One day, I will make you pay.


    He concealed all his aura, letting the river currents carry him downstream.


    ...


    Su Xingyuan flew to Immortal Qingyan''s side and asked cautiously, "Immortal, that viin..."


    Immortal Qingyan had already scouted the area within a few dozen miles but still found no trace of Song Wen. Her mood was foul, and she responded irritably, "He escaped."


    The secret techniques on Song Wen greatly tempted her. She had been so close to capturing a great opportunity, only to lose it. She was very unwilling and showed no kindness to Su Xingyuan.


    Seeing Immortal Qingyan''s displeasure, Su Xingyuan did not dare to ask further, creating a tense silence.


    After a moment, Immortal Qingyan coldly asked, "How many people know about your patriarch''sprehension of the Devouring Soul Array?"


    Su Xingyuan replied, "Immortal, only the patriarch and a few core members of our Su family know. No one else is aware."


    "Informing you about this was by the patriarch''s prior instructions."


    "The patriarch said that you and he are close friends who trust each other, and the activation


    of the Devouring Soul Array depends on you. He instructed us to inform you when we met


    you."


    Immortal Qingyan nodded and replied, "This matter must not be disclosed, or your Su family could face disaster."


    "As for the person who escaped, let it be. Many rogue cultivators practice the Longevity Technique. Choose some strong ones as sacrifices; the results should be simr."


    Su Xingyuan bowed, "Understood."


    But he couldn''t help but secretlyin in his heart: It''s easy for you to say.


    While there are many rogue cultivators practicing the Longevity Technique, most of them are


    in the early to middle stages of Qi Refinement. Few reach thete stages, and those who do usually get there through long periods of cultivation. These cultivators are generally older and no longer suitable as live sacrifices.


    Otherwise, they wouldn''t have gone through such trouble to capture Song Wen, who is suspected to be a robust rogue cultivator at thete stage of Qi Refinement.


    ...


    Song Wen spent an entire day at the bottom of the river, drifting two to three hundred miles downstream. Only then did he find a concealed cave at the river bottom, where he spent several days treating his internal injuries and recovering his spiritual energy before emerging


    from the water.


    After drying off, Song Wen disguised himself as a middle-aged cultivator in his forties and rode a boat towards the ghost market in the mountain valley.


    That night, around the second watch.


    Song Wen entered a small shop within the ghost market.


    Behind the counter sat an old man who seemed half-asleep.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The old man perked up upon seeing Song Wen and greeted him loudly.


    "Customer, what kind of information are you looking for?"


    This shop specialized in selling information within the ghost market.


    "Do you have any information on the Su family of Qingping Mountain? The more detailed, the


    better."


    The old man''s wrinkled face broke into a smile; he knew a big customer had arrived.


    "Information on the Su family is naturally avable, but the price..."


    Seeing the old man''s hesitant expression, Song Wen realized he was trying to extort a higher


    price and cut straight to the point.


    "How many spirit stones, just tell me directly."


    "Ten thousand spirit stones, including detailed information on allte-stage Qi Refinement


    and Foundation Establishment members of the Su family."


    "Agreed, but can you provide a portion of the information for me to verify first?"


    The old man''s eyes lit up at Song Wen''sck of bargaining. "Of course."


    With that, he produced a jade slip and handed it to Song Wen.


    Song Wen took the jade slip and examined it with his spiritual sense.


    The jade slip contained detailed information on dozens of the Su family''ste-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, including their names, cultivation levels, and family members.


    Satisfied with the information, Song Wen produced a storage pouch and handed it over.


    The old man checked the contents to ensure there were no issues with the spirit stones, then handed Song Wen another jade slip.


    This jade slip contained even more detailed information, including key members of the Su family and the distribution of their properties.


    After obtaining the information, Song Wen turned and left.


    ording to the jade slip, the Su family had an early Golden Core patriarch named Su Qian,


    but he was very old, nearing the end of his life span, and hadn''t appeared in public for many


    years.


    The Su family had a total of forty-eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, including two


    at the peak of Foundation Establishment: the family head Su Anqing and the great elder Su


    Wenshi.


    There were sevente-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, more than ten mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and twenty-three early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    A nearly deceased early Golden Core patriarch and forty-something Foundation Establishment cultivators-this Qingping Mountain Su family didn''t seem too formidable.


    As long as he wasn''t trapped by formations or some special magic treasures, Song Wen was confident that he could escape even if surrounded by the Su family.


    With a flicker of killing intent in his eyes, Song Wen left the ghost market and headed


    northwest on his boat.


    A thousand miles to the northwest, amidst a vast mountain range.


    A small market spanning several milesy within.


    This was the Northern Market, under the jurisdiction of the Su family. Fifty miles east of the


    markety the Su family''s residence at Qingping Mountain.


    Disguised as an elderly cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refinement, Song Wen had been in


    this area for several days.


    During this time, he stayed at a random inn for cultivators at night and scouted the market


    and surrounding areas during the day, bing thoroughly familiar with the terrain.


    That day, after having breakfast at the inn, he was strolling through the market when he encountered an unexpected person.


    Ai Kun!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 191: Ai Kun’s Death

    Chapter 191: Ai Kun��s Death


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Ai Kun seemed to be living well at the Su family; in just a few months, hisplexion had improved significantly.


    He was walking with an old woman in her fifties. The two of them wereughing as they walked, asionally making physical contact, appearing very close.


    This must be the friend he mentioned, but judging by their behavior, they didn''t seem like just ordinary friends.


    Song Wen followed them from a distance, watching the two leisurely stroll through the market.


    He was the only one who knew that Ai Kun was cultivating the "Longevity Art." Since Ai Kun had joined the Su family, Song Wen couldn''t help but suspect that the Su family''s attempt to capture him was connected to Ai Kun.


    The two bought some materials for drawing talismans and then left the market, heading towards Qingping Mountain.


    They didn''t use a flying boat; instead, they flew using a flight technique.


    At the market''s edge, there were still many people around, making it unsuitable for Song Wen to take action.


    When they were about twenty miles away from the market, in a secluded area with dense forests and no one else around for miles, Song Wen saw his opportunity.


    The two people flying a hundred meters in the air suddenly showed panic.


    A sh of cold light shot through, instantly piercing their abdomens.


    To avoid immediately killing them, the Cold Moon de only punctured their abdomens, leaving a bloody hole without causing more significant damage.


    But their flight techniques instantly failed, and they plummeted to the ground, crashing heavily.


    After breaking a dozen tree branches, they hit the ground hard, almost dying.


    Both suffered from varying degrees of broken bones and severe abrasions.


    Ai Kun''s face was covered in blood. He struggled to get up, but the sharp pain in his abdomen made him fall back to the ground.


    He could feel that at least half of his ribs were broken.


    Raising his head, Ai Kun looked at the old woman with him and, enduring the pain, asked, "Ah Xiu, how are you?"


    Su Xiu, with only fiveyers of Qi training, was more seriously injured than Ai Kun. Her left thigh was bloody and mangled, with the broken thigh bone protruding through the flesh, exposed to the air.


    "Help me, my leg is broken, and my internal organs are shattered... pfft..."


    She suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with unknown pieces of internal organs.


    Ai Kun took out an elixir, swallowed it, and without time to refine it, tried to crawl toward Su Xiu.


    Suddenly.


    A mocking voice sounded.


    "Hehe... such a loving couple."


    "Senior Ai, you''ve only been at the Su family for a few months, and you''ve already turned from a brothel frequenter into a devoted lover."


    Song Wen''s figure slowly emerged from the dense forest, a yful smile on his face. At this moment, he had already resumed his appearance as Zhang Cheng.


    "Zhang Cheng, it''s you!"


    Seeing Song Wen, Ai Kun''s eyes shed with panic, quickly reced by hatred and confusion.


    "I thought I treated you well before. Why are you doing this to me?"


    "And you hid so deeply, even being a Foundation Establishment cultivator."


    Song Wen''s cold smile remained, his eyes sharp, his voice icy.


    "No need to act in front of me. Without some confidence, I wouldn''t have attacked you


    rashly."


    "Why did you betray me? And why did the Su family capture me?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Ai Kun replied, "I don''t understand what you''re talking about."


    Song Wen said, "Senior Ai, you''re forcing me to torture you. Wouldn''t it be better if I gave you


    a quick death?"


    After a moment of silence, Ai Kun pointed to Su Xiu and said, "Fine, I''ll tell you everything, but you must spare her. She has nothing to do with this and is innocent."


    As if hearing something extremely funny, Song Wen suddenly burst intoughter.


    "Hahaha... Unrted to this matter? Innocent people?"


    "I''m peacefully staying at home, but the Su family suddenly barges in to capture me. Am I not


    innocent?"


    "The Su family sent out Golden Core cultivators to hunt me, almost causing my death. Am I


    not innocent?"


    Ai Kun said, "But she is from the Su family. If you kill her, it will set the Su family against you, and they won''t let you go."


    Song Wen coldly replied, "Do you think I came to the Su family''s territory just for you? You don''t think I''m here only to seek revenge, do you?"


    Ai Kun looked incredulous and said in shock, "Do you intend to make a move against the Su family? Their ancestral elder is a Golden Core cultivator."


    Song Wen sneered, "Hmph, just an old, decrepit figure. I only need to lurk in the dark for a few years, and he''ll naturally return to the underworld."


    Ai Kun wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Song Wen.


    "Alright, Senior Ai, tell me everything you know. I''ll give you a quick death."


    After a moment of contemtion, Ai Kun said, "Fine, I''ll tell you everything I know. I''ve wronged you, so consider it my apology. Just give us both a quick end."


    "Aftering to the Su family, I learned that they have a unique elixir that can replenish vitality. As you know, my vitality is severely depleted, and without replenishment, I might not survive much longer."


    "Later, I learned that the Su family was searching for cultivators of the ''Longevity Art.'' I informed them of your whereabouts in exchange for two elixirs to restore my vitality."


    "Why does the Su family want to capture cultivators of the ''Longevity Art''?" Song Wen asked.


    Ai Kun shook his head, "I don''t know. I''m just an outsider, so the Su family wouldn''t reveal that to me."


    Song Wen stared at Ai Kun. Seeing that he didn''t seem to be lying, he continued to ask.


    "How many cultivators of the ''Longevity Art'' has the Su family captured?"


    Ai Kun said, "I don''t know, but they only want young cultivators with high cultivation levels."


    "I''ve told you everything I know. Do it!"


    With that, Ai Kun closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.


    "Do you have anyst words?" Song Wen asked.


    "No, just do it."


    Song Wen''s figure shed, and his left hand, like an iron w, grasped the top of Ai Kun''s


    head.


    A torrent of soul power instantly overwhelmed Ai Kun''s consciousness.


    Momentster, Song Wen withdrew his hand.


    From the fragmented memories obtained through soul searching, Song Wen could roughly


    determine that Ai Kun was not lying and that what he said was the truth.


    Song Wen''s gaze turned to Su Xiu.


    Su Xiu looked devastated. She had heard the entire conversation between Song Wen and Ai


    Kun and knew that she was doomed.


    Facing imminent death, she was filled with intense fear.


    "Please, spare me. I..."


    Su Xiu''s voice was cut off.


    Song Wen performed a soul search on her.


    From Su Xiu''s memories, Song Wen learned that the information about the Su family


    capturing cultivators of the ''Longevity Art'' was given to Ai Kun by her.


    Ai Kun did not want to betray Song Wen initially, but Su Xiu persuaded him multiple times.


    Su Xiu had told Ai Kun that if he obtained the elixir to restore his vitality, he could regain his strength, and they could live as a married couple.


    From Su Xiu''s memories, Song Wen did not gain any additional information. She was merely a low-level cultivator in the Su family and could not have been informed of any core secrets.


    After a while, Song Wen looked at the now lifeless Ai Kun with a sense of mncholy.


    He had been very cautious, always concealing his aura, and had only revealed minimal true information to Ai Kun. Yet, it still led to trouble.


    In the end, Ai Kun, who once bowed to him, had also died at his hands.


    Perhaps this is the cruelty of the cultivation world; you can never predict why those around


    you might betray you.


    TL: Damn...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 192: Infiltrating the Su Family

    Chapter 192: Infiltrating the Su Family


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Half a monthter, Song Wen arrived at the foot of Qingping Mountain.


    Before him stood a grand mountain gate, with fiverge characters inscribed on it:


    "Su Family of Qingping Mountain."


    In front of the gate stood a dozen guards, some in the mid-stage of Qi Refining and some in thete stage.


    Song Wen''s current appearance was that of an elderly man in his fifties, at the fifth level of Qi Refining.


    From the old woman''s memories, he learned that the Su family was recruiting alchemists. Thus, he spent half a month learning how to refine Qi Gathering Pills from the alchemy insights of Rong Jingyun.


    Qi Gathering Pills are the mostmon cultivation enhancement pills for early-stage Qi Refining cultivators. The Su family, with its thousands of Qi Refining practitioners, had a significant demand for them.


    "Stop! Who are you? What is your business with the Su family?"


    As Song Wen approached the foot of the mountain, the guards stopped him.


    He smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Young sir, I heard from the marketce that the Su family is recruiting alchemists, so I came here to try my luck."


    Upon hearing this, the guards'' stern expressions softened immediately.


    "You are an alchemist?"


    Song Wen nodded. "I feel ashamed to admit , but I''ve been immersed in emy thirty years. Currently, I only know how to refine Qi Gathering Pills and Blood Qi Pills. I''m not sure if I can join the Su family."


    When the guard heard that Song Wen could refine Qi Gathering Pills, a hint of a friendly smile appeared on his face.


    "Fellow daoist has been refining only two types of pills for thirty years. It seems you must be quite proficient with these pills. Please follow me; I''ll take you to the alchemy room."


    "As for whether you can enter the alchemy room, it will be decided by the room''s supervisor."


    The guard from the Su family was surprisingly courteous, which made Song Wen take a closer look at him. He appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, at the sixth level of Qi Refining.


    Song Wen cupped his hands again and asked, "Thank you, young sir. May I ask your name?"


    "I''m Su Shan."


    Song Wen followed Su Shan up a broad staircase leading up the mountain.


    As they walked, Su Shan introduced him.


    "On and off the mountain, you can only use the stairs. Any ce without stairs is guarded by various hidden formations, whether for alerting, trapping, or killing. It is very dangerous to rashly intrude."


    Soon, they arrived outside arge hall located halfway up the mountain.


    The hall was built close to the cliff, ancient and imposing, covering several acres. A que hanging on the hall read "Alchemy Room."


    Standing outside the alchemy room, one could feel the faint heat emanating from inside.


    Under Su Shan''s guidance, they easily passed the guards'' inspection and entered the alchemy


    room.


    Inside the alchemy room were various engraved alchemy furnaces, as well as many types of disyed pills, with numerous peopleing and going.


    Su Shan walked directly to a female cultivator around forty years old and spoke respectfully.


    "Reporting to the supervisor, there is an elderly man who self-rmended himself to be an alchemist for our Su family."


    The female cultivator looked up at Song Wen behind Su Shan and asked,


    "What pills can you refine?"


    "Qi Gathering Pills and Blood Qi Pills."


    The female cultivator frowned. "Just these two?"


    Song Wen nodded. "I am of limited talent and have been refining pills for over thirty years, only having refined these two types. If I am fortunate enough to join the Su family, I will certainly dedicate myself to serving the family."


    The female cultivator stood up, waved her hand indicating that Su Shan could leave, and then


    said to Song Wen,


    "What is your name?"


    "Yuan Cheng!"


    "Alchemist Yuan, please follow me. Words alone are not enough; I need to test your alchemy


    skills."


    The female cultivator led Song Wen deep into the hall.


    As they went deeper into the hall, Song Wen discovered another world within.


    In the depths of the hall, there was a corridor carved into the mountain, leading deep into its interior.


    Walking along the corridor for several dozen meters, alchemy rooms carved out of the mountain appeared before him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The female cultivator took out a ck triangr token and ced it into a triangr recess on the stone door of an alchemy room. The stone door immediately opened.


    The alchemy room was small, with a diameter of less than three zhang (approximately ten


    meters). Inside, there was an alchemy furnace with a small hole beneath it, through which a steady stream of scorching heat emerged.


    This small hole should be connected to the underground, using formations to draw the underground fire here for alchemy.


    The female cultivator took out three jade boxes and handed them to Song Wen, saying,


    "Here are three sets of materials for refining Qi Gathering Pills. As long as Alchemist Yuan seeds in refining one batch, you will pass the assessment and be an alchemist of the Su family."


    Next, the female cultivator demonstrated how to guide the underground fire, then exited the


    alchemy room.


    Alchemists are very sensitive while refining pills; even the smallest disturbance from an outsider can cause distraction and lead to failure.


    Seeing the stone door close, Song Wen focused and began guiding the underground fire for


    alchemy.


    Underground fire has much greater intensity than wood fire, significantly speeding up the refining process.


    This was his first time using underground fire for alchemy, so he was somewhat unfamiliar with controlling the fire''s intensity, resulting in the failure of the first batch of pills.


    Fortunately, the second batch was sessfully refined.


    Song Wen pressed a mechanism on the stone door, and it slowly opened.


    Following the corridor, he returned to the main hall and approached the female cultivator.


    Handing over a jade bottle, Song Wen said,


    "I have fulfilled my duty. The second batch has been sessfully refined."


    The female cultivator took the jade bottle, opened it, and five pills the size of a fingertip


    appeared.


    The pills were round and abundant in spiritual energy, standard in quality-neither particrly good nor bad. They still had a faint fire aura, indicating they were freshly refined.


    A smile appeared on the female cultivator''s face.


    "Alchemist Yuan, wee to the Su family. I am Su Huayue, the steward of the alchemy


    room."


    Song Wen cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Steward Su. I look forward to your guidance


    in the future."


    Su Huayue nodded in response, "Our Su family alchemists are divided into seven ranks. From


    the first to the third rank is a first-grade alchemist. Blood Qi Pills are first-grade lower- quality pills, and Qi Gathering Pills are first-grade middle-quality pills. You are a second- grade alchemist, with a monthly sry of thirty spiritual stones."


    "The Su family provides thirty sets of materials needed for Qi Gathering Pills each month. You


    only need to refine eighty pills toplete the task. Any excess pills will be purchased by the alchemy room at two spiritual stones per pill."


    "Is Alchemist Yuan satisfied with this arrangement?"


    With thirty sets of materials, refining all of them could yield up to one hundred and fifty Qi


    Gathering Pills. The Su family''s requirement of eighty pills only demands a sess rate of


    over fifty percent.


    This requirement is not too harsh.


    In the Northern markets, Qi Gathering Pills sell for around three spiritual stones each.


    The Su family''s purchase price of two spiritual stones per pill is also quite fair.


    Song Wen showed a delighted expression, "Thank you, Steward. I am satisfied with this arrangement."


    Su Huayue said, "Then Alchemist Yuan can take a rest for now. You will officially start refining


    pills the day after tomorrow."


    She then called a maid with no cultivation and instructed her to take Song Wen to his


    residence.


    Under the maid''s guidance, Song Wen arrived at argepound at the foot of the


    mountain, which was divided into independent buildings, each with three rooms.


    The maid, being from the Su family with no spiritual roots and thus unable to cultivate, was


    very familiar with Qingping Mountain. She gave Song Wen a brief introduction to the generalyout of the mountain.


    Above the mountain''s waist, most of the Su family''s direct lineage resided. Those with decent


    spiritual roots and talent lived there.


    Below the mountain''s waist were various cultivation areas, such as alchemy, refining, and


    talisman crafting.


    They were currently in a location that, strictly speaking, was no longer part of Qingping Mountain. The area was inhabited entirely by outsiders like Song Wen.


    On the other side of the mountain foot, there was a small town with several tens of thousands


    of Su family members.


    Most people in the town were like the maid, without spiritual roots, while a smaller portion


    had lower-quality spiritual roots.


    Their primary responsibilities were to serve Su family members with spiritual roots and to help the Su family expand by producing descendants with excellent spiritual roots.


    To the west of Qingping Mountain, there was a piece of spiritualnd of several dozen acres where most of the Su family''s spiritual herbs were grown.


    To the east, there was a valley that was a restricted area for the Su family. It was said to be the


    secluded ce of the Su family''s ancestor, and outsiders were prohibited from approaching.


    Outsiders like Song Wen were not allowed to roam freely on Qingping Mountain without permission and could only move about their assigned areas. They could, however, move


    freely within thepound at the mountain''s foot and the town.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 193: Breakthrough Pill

    Chapter 193: Breakthrough Pill


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The maid led Song Wen to a vacant house and then left.


    Song Wen pushed open the door, finding the house well-equipped with daily necessities.


    After resting for a while, it was around the fifth watch of the evening, which was mealtime.


    He got up and went outside, heading towards the dining hall as instructed by the maid earlier.


    Currently, Song Wen''s revealed cultivation level was only Qi Refining Fifth Layer. To better conceal his true identity, he needed to frequently appear in the dining hall.


    Soon, he arrived at the dining hall located in the center of thepound.


    The dining hall was quiterge, and there were many people dining inside, at least over a hundred.


    Song Wen found a random spot to sit, and a servant promptly brought him his meal.


    Just as he was about to start eating, he heard someone speaking nearby.


    "Fellow Daoist, are you a new alchemist?"


    Song Wen turned to look in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged cultivator around forty years old.


    Seeing Song Wen''s puzzled expression, the man continued,


    "I saw you in the alchemy room this morning. Since you''re a new face, I assume you must be a new addition to the Su family''s alchemists."


    "I am also an alchemist of the Su family. My name is Duan Jie. Seeing that you are dining alone, I would like to invite you to join us. We are all outsiders here, and it would be good to get to know each other and look out for one another."


    As Duan Jie spoke, he pointed to arge table at the edge of the dining hall, where six cultivators at the Qi Refining Mid Stage were having their meal.


    Song Wen smiled and said,


    "I am an old man named Yuan Cheng. It is an honor to be invited by Fellow Daoist Duan, and I wouldn''t think of declining."


    Song Wen stood up and followed Duan Jie to therge table.


    Upon reaching the table, Duan Jie warmly introduced Song Wen to everyone. Song Wen also greeted each person with a smile.


    As Song Wen was a neer, everyone showed interest in him, as neers might bring new pill forms.


    These low-level alchemists, being outsiders in the Su family, were not highly valued. They could only improve their alchemy skills through self-study and mutual exchange.


    After they were seated, someone asked Song Wen what type of pills he was skilled at refining.


    When they heard that Song Wen only knew how to refine Blood Qi Pills and Qi Gathering Pills, their interest quickly waned.


    Blood Qi Pills were not very valuable, and Qi Gathering Pills were something everyone could refine. Since Song Wen didn''t offer any new pill forms, they lost interest.


    At this moment, a man named Qi Xiong, who was about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, spoke up.


    "Today, I finally refined my first batch of Profound Qi Pills."


    He spoke with an unmistakable air of pride on his face.


    Profound Qi Pills were first-grade top-quality pills, used by cultivators at the Qi Refining Late Stage to enhance their spiritual energy, containing several times more spiritual energy than Qi Gathering Pills.


    His ability to refine first-grade top-quality pills with his Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivation was a testament to his impressive talent in alchemy.


    "Congrattions, Alchemist Qi!"


    "Congrattions!"


    "In the future, Alchemist Qi will be a third-grade alchemist of the Su family."


    Facing the congrattions from everyone, Qi Xiong''s face showed unrestrained pride, which slowly turned into arrogance.


    He let slip a hidden secret.


    "I am already at the peak of Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Steward Su Huayue has promised to grant


    me a Breakthrough Pill in three months to help me break through."


    "Wow!"


    Someone couldn''t help but exim in surprise.


    The Breakthrough Pill was an extremely rare first-grade pill, simr in effect to the Snake Scale Fruit that Song Wen had used.


    The main ingredient for this pill is extremely difficult to find, and the technique required to refine it is very advanced. It is rare for a first-tier alchemist to be able to sessfully refine it.


    In the market, a single Breakthrough Pill is worth at least a thousand spirit stones, and it''s still hard toe by even at that price.


    Hearing this, several people cast envious nces at Qi Xiong.


    "May I ask if Fellow Daoist is cultivating the ''Longevity Technique''?" Suddenly, Song Wen, who hadn''t spoken much, inquired.


    Qi Xiong nodded, puzzled, and replied, "Indeed, I am cultivating the ''Longevity Technique.'' Why do you ask, Fellow Daoist?"


    Song Wen''s face showed a smile, his eyes filled with envy.


    "I''m just curious. The ''Longevity Technique'' has life-extending effects. Since Fellow Daoist


    Qi has broken through to the seventhyer of Qi Refinement, you should enjoy a lifespan of about a hundred and ten years. Truly enviable."


    "Alchemist Qi is young and has already broken through to thete stage of Qi Refinement. Moreover, he is a third-tier alchemist with great potential for the future. He might even have a chance to build his foundation someday."


    Qi Xiong was slightly ttered by Song Wen''s praise, and soon forgot about Song Wen''s inquiry about his technique.


    "Fellow Daoist praises me too much," Qi Xiong replied, trying to suppress his pride.


    While conversing with the group, Song Wen was secretly astonished.


    To gain ate-stage Qi Refinement cultivator of the ''Longevity Technique,'' they actually bestowed the Breakthrough Pill upon an outsider. It seems the Su family has a significant ambition.


    This made Song Wen even more curious about why the Su family was capturing cultivators of


    the ''Longevity Technique.''


    The group continued to eat and chat, and soon the topic shifted back to alchemy.


    "Today, Elder Wan came looking for me again," Duan Jie suddenly said.


    "Elder Wan wants you to sell him the leftover pills outside of your tasks again?" Qi Xiong


    asked.


    Duan Jie nodded.


    Another person nearby interjected, "Steward Su Huayue manages the pill room well, but Elder


    Wan keeps meddling, trying to buy our leftover pills with threats and higher prices, creating


    chaos in the pill room."


    "Shh! Keep your voice down. The infighting among the Su family''s higher-ups has nothing to do with us outsiders. We are just here to make a living under their protection."


    Hearing this, Song Wen curiously asked, "What exactly is going on? Can you tell me so I can be


    prepared?"


    Duan Jie, sitting beside Song Wen, leaned over and whispered.


    "Su Anqing, the patriarch, and Su Wenshi, the great elder, have always been at odds, vying for


    power."


    "It didn''t matter much to us low-tier alchemists before since they didn''t care about our


    minor contributions. Recently, however, their conflict has escted, and they even want the excess pills we have beyond our n tasks."


    "The pill room is managed by Steward Su Huayue, who is aligned with the great elder Su Wenshi. The extra pills usually ended up with the great elder."


    "Elder Wan is on the patriarch Su Anqing''s side and has recently started interfering in pill


    room affairs."


    "You need not worry too much. After the end-of-month settlement, just sell your extra pills


    to whoeveres to you first."


    Song Wen nodded, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Duan, for the advice."


    ...


    The next day, Song Wen went to the pill room early, collected medicinal materials from Su


    Huayue, and began refining pills.


    By the time evening came, Song Wen had used three sets of materials and refined two


    furnaces of Qi Gathering Pills.


    Alchemy, like talisman-making, requires strong mental strength. With Song Wen''ste Foundation Establishment spiritual awareness, refining first-tier mid-grade pills was an easy task for him.


    Had he been more familiar with the Earth Fire, he might have seeded in all three attempts.


    After three consecutive days of alchemy, Song Wen didn''t go to the pill room on the fourth


    day.


    He came to the Su family not to refine pills and enhance their strength but for his own


    purpose.


    Today, he nned to explore the surroundings.


    Since unauthorized entry into Qingping Mountain was prohibited, he could only wander at the


    foot of the mountain.


    When he reached the shady side of Qingping Mountain, a small town came into view.


    This was the town the maid had mentioned, where those in the Su family without spiritual


    roots or with poor aptitude lived.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 194: The Su Family Head’s Son

    Chapter 194: The Su Family Head��s Son


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the small town, the streets were bustling with people, mostly ordinary folks without any cultivation.


    It resembled a mundane marketce, with crowds swarming through the streets, and the sounds of vendors calling out, conversations, and haggling merging together.


    On the street corners, small vendors had zing fires, and the aromas of various mundane foods filled the air.


    There were people dressed in fine clothes, others in tattered garments, some traveling in pnquins without touching the ground, and others carrying farming tools, covered in mud.


    If it weren''t known in advance, it would be hard to imagine this was a ce belonging to a Golden Core cultivation family.


    Most of themon people here did not live well; they still struggled for their daily meals. However,pared to ordinary civilians, they lived somewhat better, as there was no war or harsh taxes like those in more turbulent regions.


    Song Wen toured the town and discovered that not only were mundane goods for sale, but there were also many shops selling spiritual items mixed in.


    Suddenly, Song Wen spotted a familiar figure-Su Shan, the guard he had seen at the Su family''s mountain gate.


    Song Wen walked over to Su Shan and said,


    "Su Shan, I didn''t expect to see you again."


    Su Shan turned around at the sound and saw Song Wen, a smile appearing on his face.


    "Senior, it''s you. Have you sessfully joined the alchemy room?"


    Song Wen nodded in response, "I must thank you for guiding me that day."


    As he spoke, Song Wen flipped his hand, and a jade bottle appeared in his grasp.


    "Here are ten Qi Gathering Pills, as a token of gratitude for your help."


    Su Shan waved his hand to decline, "I can''t ept your gift, Senior. Guiding you is part of my duties, and your sess in joining the alchemy room is due to your own alchemy skills."


    After several rounds of refusal, Song Wen managed to press the jade bottle into Su Shan''s hands.


    When someone epts a gift, they are bound by courtesy.


    After receiving the Qi Gathering Pills, Su Shan''s demeanor became much warmer.


    Previously, he had been polite to Song Wen, but it was more out of habit than genuine familiarity.


    The ten Qi Gathering Pills were worth thirty spiritual stones, equivalent to Su Shan''s monthly sry.


    Su Shan asked, "By the way, I still don''t know how to address you, Senior."


    "Call me Yuan Cheng."


    "Pleased to meet you, Alchemist Yuan."


    "Does Su Shan live in this town?"


    "Yes, I grew up here."


    "Then could you show me around?"


    "Please, Alchemist Yuan, follow me."


    Under Su Shan''s guidance and exnation, Song Wen quickly gained a general understanding of the town.


    In the town, ordinary people and cultivators lived together, and since everyone was part of the Su family, there was a certain degree of kinship, making their interactions rtively harmonious.


    As they continued walking, they arrived at a small courtyard.


    "Alchemist Yuan, this is my humble abode. Would you like toe in and sit?"


    "Su Shan''s invitation is too kind. I''d be honored to ept."


    As they entered the courtyard, they saw woman with a rounded belly, who was cleaning the


    yard.


    Upon seeing Su Shan and Song Wen, the pregnant woman greeted them with a smile.


    "Husband, you''re back. Who is this?"


    "Dear, let me introduce you. This is the new alchemist in the alchemy room, Alchemist Yuan."


    "Alchemist Yuan, this is my humble wife, Chen Hong."


    Chen Hong was an ordinary person without any cultivation.


    "Pleased to meet you, Alchemist Yuan," Chen Hong said with a gentle bow.


    "Greetings, Mrs. Su!" Song Wen said respectfully.


    Perhaps unwilling to show herself in front of outsiders, Chen Hong, after greeting, retreated


    back into the house.


    Su Shan brewed some tea and sat down with Song Wen in the courtyard.


    "Your wife seems to be a virtuous and capable person, keeping the courtyard clean and tidy.


    You must be quite fortunate," Song Wen remarked.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Su Shan sighed and shook his head, saying, "My wife is indeed a good person, but unfortunately, she is just an ordinary person."


    "What''s wrong with being an ordinary person? Although we are cultivators, the lifespan of a


    Qi Refining cultivator is only a bit more than a hundred years, which is not much different from ordinary people," Song Wen asked in confusion.


    Su Shan patiently exined.


    "Alchemist Yuan may not be aware, but in our Su family, to make a name for oneself, one


    either needs to have excellent spiritual roots or have descendants with outstanding spiritual


    roots."


    "I only have third-grade spiritual roots, so the highest I can achieve in this life iste-stage Qi Refining, with no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment."


    "Therefore, I can only ce my hopes on future generations, but unfortunately, my wife is an ordinary person, and the probability of producing a child with mid-grade spiritual roots is extremely low."


    In the Su family, status is determined by spiritual root quality rather than by bloodline, which


    ismon in cultivation families. This practice ensures the continuation and prosperity of the family to some extent.


    The quality of the descendants'' spiritual roots is rted to the spiritual roots of their parents and may even be influenced by several generations of ancestors.


    In simple terms, the better the spiritual roots of both partners, the higher the chance of producing descendants with high-quality spiritual roots.


    For a pair of ordinary people whose ancestors were not cultivators, the chance of having descendants with spiritual roots is almost negligible, let alone those with excellent quality.


    This also exins why, in a town like Su''s where ordinary people and cultivators live together, young men and women with spiritual roots are highly sought after when looking for


    partners.


    This is also why Su Shan could only marry an ordinary woman-his spiritual roots are too poor, and his strength is too weak to find a suitable female cultivator as a partner.


    "By the way, I haven''t seen your father and mother. Where do they live?" Song Wen changed


    the topic.


    Su Shan forced a bitter smile, "My father is Su Anqing, the head of the Su family. It''s impossible for him to live with me."


    "Your father is the head of the Su family! How could this be?" Song Wen said, incredulously.


    Su Shan remained calm and was not surprised by Song Wen''s astonishment.


    "Su Anqing has more than a hundred wives and concubines and hundreds of offspring. My


    mother was just a beautiful ordinary woman. After he took her as a concubine, he only favored


    her once."


    "After that, my mother never saw him again before her death. After I left, I only saw him a few times from afar when he passed by the mountain gate. He probably doesn''t even know he has


    a son like me."


    "In the Su family, without powerful cultivation, outstanding spiritual roots, or special talents


    in alchemy or talismans, how could one possibly meet the revered head of the family, who is


    at the peak of Foundation Establishment?"


    As Su Shan spoke, his face showed deep frustration and dissatisfaction with his current


    strength and cultivation.


    The atmosphere became a bit oppressive. After a moment of silence, Song Wen said,


    "Indeed, with poor spiritual roots, it''s difficult to improve one''s strength. Take me, for example-I''m over fifty and only at the Qi Refining seventhyer."


    After expressing his feelings, Song Wen suddenly lowered his voice and changed the topic.


    "In my youth, I heard in the Huafang market that some cultivators, eager to quickly increase


    their strength, resorted to risky methods and fell into demonic paths, practicing demonic secret techniques. Their strength could advance rapidly in a short time."


    "''The higher the level of the cultivator, the higher the level of the demon.'' It''s said that demonic cultivation methods are unpredictable, and there are even demonic cultivators who can fight above their level and defeat righteous cultivators far stronger than themselves."


    Su Shan''s eyebrows lifted, a gleam of interest shing in his eyes.


    "Is demonic cultivation really that powerful?"


    Song Wen shook his head, "I haven''t seen it with my own eyes; it''s just hearsay. However,


    demonic cultivation involves controlling corpses and ghosts, and if one canmand a few powerful corpses and ghosts, their strength should increase rapidly."


    "But practicing demonic cultivation is not tolerated by righteous factions."


    "You have limited knowledge. Not far from the Huafang market, there is a mountain stream


    ghost market where various demonic cultivation methods and demonic spiritual treasures are openly sold. If it weren''t for the approval of righteous sects like the Beastmaster Sect and the Lei family, this small ghost market would have been eradicated long ago."


    "The Huafang market is tens of thousands of miles away; it''s too far," Su Shan muttered to


    himself.


    Then, he leaned closer to Song Wen and asked quietly,


    "Alchemist Yuan, you''ve seen and heard much. Do you know where nearby I can find demonic


    cultivation methods for sale?"


    Song Wen repeatedly shook his head, "I don''t know about that. I''m almost sixty, so why


    would I be looking into such things?"


    The two continued their conversation until noon, after which Song Wen stood up and took his


    leave.


    After Song Wen left, Su Shan sat alone in the courtyard for a long time, not even hearing his


    wife calling him for lunch.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 195: The Blood Crystal

    Chapter 195: The Blood Crystal


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After leaving Su Shan''s courtyard, Song Wen did not return directly to his residence but instead headed east.


    To the east of Qingping Mountain lies a valley, which is where the Su family''s ancestor is in seclusion.


    As for the matter of tempting Su Shan to practice demonic techniques, it was merely a momentary whim of Song Wen''s. He was not concerned about the consequences or any potential impact on the Su family.


    Song Wen traveled for several dozen miles and finally circled around to the eastern side of Qingping Mountain.


    The valley where Su Qian, the Su family''s ancestor, resided was just ten miles ahead.


    ording to the detection of the Sacred Gu, there were numerous visible and hidden sentries within the ten-mile range ahead. Several dozen Su family cultivators were detected by the Sacred Gu.


    The valley was notrge, covering about a ten-mile area.


    The entire valley was enveloped by a huge array.


    Infiltrating the valley seemed almost impossible.


    At the same time, Song Wen was somewhat surprised.


    Such arge array, if maintained for a long time, would be extremely resource-consuming.


    What could be the reason for needing such a powerful array for constant protection?


    Was there a significant secret hidden within the valley that they feared being discovered by outsiders?


    Or was it that the Su family''s ancestor was indeed on hisst legs, barely hanging on, and needed the array to block vengeful enemies?


    Song Wen casually found a hidden cave to hide in, instructing the Sacred Gu to circle the valley and see if it could find any weak spots to infiltrate.


    The valley was toorge, and Song Wen could not get too close; his spiritual sense could not cover the entire valley. He could only order the Sacred Gu to survey the valley and bring back the results.


    The Sacred Gu flew around the valley but found nothing.


    There were Su family cultivators guarding all around the valley, and no one had activated the array.


    Just as Song Wen was about to return to his residence as the sun was setting, arge flying ship appeared from the sky.


    Song Wen immediately recognized it as the Su family''s flying ship, which had been parked outside Huafang Market on that day.


    The flying ship hovered directly above the center of the valley.


    The array barrier covering the entire valley slowly opened a gap at the top.


    A person on the flying ship used a sword to fly out, holding a chain in his hand.


    One end of the chain was gripped by this person, while the other end was still attached to the flying ship, with an unknown object bound to it.


    This person flew through the gap in the barrier and into the valley, dragging the chain from the ship.


    Gradually, a loose cultivator bound by the chain was dragged out of the flying ship.


    As the person flying with the sword descended lower and lower, the chain pulled out more and more, and one loose cultivator after another, bound by chains, was dragged out of the ship, until the end of the chain appeared in view.


    Song Wen noticed that there were over seventy cultivators being bound. It was not hard to guess that these cultivators were likely practicing the "Longevity Technique."


    It seemed that the Su family had captured those practicing the "Longevity Technique" and brought them to this valley in the end.


    But why had the Su family brought these people to the valley?


    What was the connection with the Su family''s nearly-departed ancestor?


    ...


    Over the next two days, Song Wen diligently refined pills in the pill room. On the third day, he went out again under the pretense of a day off.


    Early in the morning, Song Wen disguised himself as a young cultivator at the eighthyer of


    Qi Refining and left the Qingping Mountain region.


    Traveling westward, he flew for over a hundred miles.


    Several miles ahead of Song Wen appeared a low mountain range. The mountains were bare, without any vegetation.


    In these low mountains were numerousrge mines, and tatteredmoners could be seen entering and exiting these mines.


    This was the Su family''s most lucrative industry and also their most important one. The Blood Crystal is a crucial spiritual ore for refining various spiritual treasures.


    The Blood Crystal''s apanying Blood Essence is a third-tier spiritual material for crafting magical artifacts, worth a fortune.


    Song Wen released the Sacred Gu to survey the entire mining area and found that the defenses were not very stringent.


    Only the central area of the mining district had arge courtyard surrounded by protectiven/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    arrays.


    It made sense that the Blood Crystal couldn''t be detected by spiritual sense and had to be slowly mined out of the hard rock by hand.


    The Su family was not worried about someone sneaking into the mines to steal Blood Crystals. Even if a cultivator stole from the mines for a month, they would only get a few Blood Crystals and might be discovered by patrolling Su family cultivators, risking their lives.


    The central courtyard was likely where the Su family members practiced cultivation and temporarily stored the Blood Crystals, hence the need for array protection.


    The Sacred Gu also brought back an unexpected discovery.


    On the other side of the mining area, on a high mountain, six people were hiding and secretly


    observing the mining area.


    These six people were all at the Foundation Establishment stage: five were early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one was at thete-stage Foundation


    Establishment.


    The presence of these six Foundation Establishment cultivators near the Su family''s spiritual


    ore was clearly not a good sign.


    However, the six were too far from Song Wen, and even with the help of the Sacred Gu, his spiritual sense couldn''t cover that area.


    This information was brought back by the Sacred Gu after receiving Song Wen''s orders to survey the entire mining area and its surroundings.


    The Sacred Gu''s spiritual intelligence was not very high and could not understand humannguage, so Song Wen was unaware of what the six people were plotting.


    Song Wen circled around the mining area and stealthily approached the location of the six.


    At this time, the six should havepleted their reconnaissance and were retreating.


    The six clearly had intentions regarding the Blood Crystal mine. Song Wen was unwilling to obtain no information about them and followed them.


    Just a few miles into the chase, Song Wen''s peripheral vision caught sight of a bowl-sized


    mouse suddenly darting out from the nearby forest.


    The mouse moved extremely quickly, like a sh of lightning, leaving only a blurry


    afterimage as it dashed through the forest toward the six people.


    Song Wen''s heart sank.


    Earlier, his spiritual sense had detected this mouse hiding in a tree hole, but since it emitted


    no spiritual fluctuations, Song Wen had considered it an ordinary mountain mouse.


    Unexpectedly, the mouse had the speed of an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and was very agile in the dense forest.


    Clearly, this mouse was a spiritual beast raised by a cultivator.


    Song Wen realized that he had been exposed.


    Since he was already exposed, he decided to stop hiding and chose to reveal himself to meet


    the six.


    ...


    To avoid alerting the Su family cultivators in the mining area, the six in front had not used full


    speed to flee but moved cautiously through the forest.


    One of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared as a weak schr.


    The mouse, swift as the wind, darted directly into the schr''s bosom.


    The schr''s face changed slightly as he stopped and whispered, "Not good, we''ve been


    discovered."


    The other five looked over.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "The Shadowless Mouse has detected that someone is following us."


    The five immediately changed expressions, instinctively assuming that the follower was from


    the Su family.


    The five were about to activate their movement techniques to escape immediately.


    "Don''t panic. There is only one person, and they are only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment."


    Upon hearing this, the five felt slightly relieved.


    "What should we do?" asked one of the in-looking but with bright, agile eyes female


    cultivators.


    The schr replied, "We''ll adapt as needed. The person is already here."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 196: The Shadow of the Robber Cultivators

    Chapter 196: The Shadow of the Robber Cultivators


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After confirming that Song Wen was only an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the schr rxed considerably. No matter how powerful Song Wen was, he was no match for the six of them.


    When Song Wen approached and showed no intention of attacking, the schr signaled the other five to remain on guard.


    Since they were so close to the Blood Crystal mine, it was best not to take any action. If they engaged inbat, it would definitely attract the attention of the Su family, which would be unfavorable for the six of them.


    The schr sternly questioned Song Wen, "Friend, what is your intention in following us?"


    Song Wen replied, "Everyone, please don''t misunderstand. I identally discovered that you were monitoring the Su family''s mine. Since I have some grievances with the Su family, I thought to join forces with you against them."


    The six exchanged nces. Song Wen''s response was clearly unexpected.


    "Friend, we don''t know each other. How can we trust you? What if you''re a spy for the Su family?" the schr asked.


    "If I were a spy for the Su family, I wouldn''t have revealed myself but would have secretly informed them to capture you all," Song Wen countered.


    "Perhaps you intend to lure us into a trap and lead us to yourpanions hiding behind us," the girl with therge eyes suddenly interjected.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened at this.


    There were others behind these six!


    Given the strength of the six in front, they really posed no threat to the Blood Crystal mine. If they did have a more powerful force behind them, that could indeed pose a threat.


    ording to the information Song Wen had obtained from the Ghost Market, the Su family had ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed at the Blood Crystal mine.


    "It seems that you find it difficult to believe me. In that case, I will take my leave. Let''s pretend we''ve never met."


    After saying this, Song Wen turned to leave.


    "Thinking you cane and go as you please, it''s not that easy," the girl with therge eyes rebuked.


    Song Wen smiled faintly, "Friend, there''s no need to make a show of strength. If you were going to act, you would have done so already. It''s too close to the mine to act recklessly. If you do, the Su family will definitely be alert. By then, it will be extremely difficult for you to do anything to the Blood Crystal mine."


    The girl with therge eyes wanted to scold him further but was stopped by the schr.


    The schr said, "In my opinion, this friend is not from the Su family. Following us secretly, he probably does not have ill intentions. He is merely trying to gather information and take advantage when we act to rob the mine."


    Having been exposed, Song Wen did not hide it and readily admitted, "Friend, you are very perceptive. Since there is no possibility of cooperation between us, I will take my leave. Let''s act as if we''ve never met."


    "Friend, wait a moment."


    The schr suddenly called out to stop Song Wen.


    "To join forces against the Su family is not impossible. If you have the courage, you can meet us here at noon in three days to discuss how to attack the Su family''s Blood Crystal mine."


    Song Wen nced at the schr and cupped his fists in thanks, "Thank you for your trust."


    With that, Song Wen transformed into a shadow and quickly vanished into the depths of the dense forest.


    The girl with therge eyes looked at the schr with doubt and asked, "This person''s origins are unclear. How can you trust him so easily?"


    The schr shook his head and sneered, "Of course, I don''t trust him. However, he does not seem to be from the Su family. I was merely misleading him, making him believe we would act in three days."


    "In three days, the Su family''s Blood Crystal mine will already be emptied by us. Let''s go!"


    The six figures soon disappeared from the spot.


    Song Wen, several miles away, extended his spiritual sense through the Sacred Gu and observed the scene with a smile.


    The earlier pretense was not in vain; he finally obtained some useful information.


    The opponents'' actions were likely to ur within the next two or three days.


    After stealthily moving away from the Blood Crystal mine in the dense forest, Song Wen flew back to Qingping Mountain.


    Upon arriving at Qingping Mountain, Song Wen went straight to the mountain vi.


    "Su Zhi, I have an old friend visiting and would like to take a three-day leave."


    Su Huayue, who was organizing the ounts in the vi, was immediately displeased upon


    hearing this.


    The neer Yuan Cheng had only been at the Su family for a few days but had already taken leave multiple times, which irritated her.


    Her voice became stern as she spoke, "Master Yuan, if you cannot submit the required medicine by the end of the month, your monthly sry will be deducted."


    Song Wen''s expression turned conflicted and hesitant. After some deep consideration, he replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Supervisor Su. However, an old friend I haven''t seen in years has arrived. If I don''t spend a few days with him, it would indeed be impolite. I hope Su Supervisor can understand."


    Su Huayue raised her eyes and looked at Song Wen with obvious impatience. "Go ahead, go ahead! It''s not like the deduction affects my sry. But remember, outsiders are not allowed to stay here casually."


    Song Wen''s face brightened, and he quickly bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Supervisor Su. Rest assured, I won''t bring my friend to the Su family. I will have him stay in the Northern Market."


    ...


    After leaving the vi, Song Wen returned to his residence, pretended to pack up a few things,


    and then headed towards the Northern Market.


    After making several rounds in the market and changing his appearance, he then proceeded towards the Blood Crystal mine.


    Ten miles from the mine, Song Wen released six Sacred Gus to monitor the surroundings and movements in the mine area.


    He found a cave, set up the "Spirit Concealment Formation" and the "Nine Pces Yin Array," and took out the alchemy furnace to begin refining medicine.


    Before arriving at the Su family, Song Wen had purchased a lot of blood essence and beast refining medicine from the Ghost Market.


    With the supplies of these two medicines running low, it was the perfect time to use the


    waiting period to refine some.


    Song Wen was unsure when the group of schrs mightunch a raid on the Su family''s spiritual mine. To avoid wasting spiritual herbs due to interrupted refining, he chose to refine


    the less time-consuming Blood Qi Pills.


    The beast refining pills could be reced with silver stones once used up.


    Time passed quickly, and after several hours, Song Wen refined the first batch of Blood Qi


    Pills.


    After a short rest, as he was preparing to refine the second batch, the Sacred Gus outside sent a


    report.


    To the north of the mine area, a group of rogue cultivators appeared, numbering more than


    ten, all at the Foundation Establishment stage. Among them were the six cultivators Song


    Wen had seen earlier.


    At this time, it was past the midnight hour, and the dense forest was pitch ck.


    The group of rogue cultivators had a clear target and headed straight for the center of the


    mine. Apart from eliminating a few of the Su family''s sentries, they did not engage in widespread killing.


    The leader of the rogue cultivators was an elderly man with a crane-like hair and pine-like demeanor, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    As the elder rushed forward, just before reaching the courtyard, he pped his waist, and a second-levelte-stage ghost general suddenly appeared.


    The ghost general transformed into a ghostly shadow, raising its chilling ws to directly


    attack therge formation above the courtyard.


    The formation''s barrier was struck, suddenly erupting with a blinding golden light.


    The golden light fell upon the ghost general, causing it considerable difort, and it quickly retreated.


    The suddenmotion naturally alerted the Su family members inside the formation.


    Several dozen Su family members appeared in the open space at the center of the courtyard, looking up at the more than ten rogue cultivators in mid-air.


    Among them, a middle-aged Su family cultivator at thete Foundation Establishment stage,


    seeing the ghostly elder, was filled with anger.


    "Jing Lu, it''s you again, this evil demon. You have repeatedly opposed my Su family. Do you really think we have no one to deal with you?"


    Jing Lu responded coldly, "I was never involved with your Su family. Everyone follows theirn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    own path and cultivates their own immortality. But your Su family, under the pretense of subduing demons and eliminating evil, has exterminated my sect and killed my disciples. Naturally, there will be a price to pay."


    He then waved to the group of rogue cultivators behind him, "Break this turtle shell."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 197: Deception

    Chapter 197: Deception


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The barrier of the formation covering the courtyard had be increasingly weakened under the relentless bombardment of the rogue cultivators. Su Jingshu''s eyes shed with a trace of


    concern.


    He shouted in a stern and urgent tone, "Jing Lu, cease your arrogance. With your ragtag group, you think you can take down my Su family''s Blood Crystal Mine? You''re simply dreaming."


    "I''ve already used a secret method to notify our Su family ancestor. Ancestor Su Qian will arrive shortly. You won''t escape this time."


    Facing Su Jingshu''s threat, Jing Lu remained unfazed. "Heh heh heh... Su Jingshu, stop trying to scare us with empty words. Do you really think a few threats can intimidate us?"


    "Everyone knows that old Su Qian''s lifespan is nearly exhausted. Right now, he''s likely hiding somewhere, barely clinging to life. How could he be concerned about the Blood Crystal Mine?"


    Seeing that threats were ineffective, Su Jingshu''s face grew even more grim. "Third Elder, what should we do now?" A mid-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator from the Su family asked.


    Su Jingshu turned to the female cultivator, took off a storage ring from his hand, and handed it to her. "This storage ring contains ten thousand Blood Crystals. It was meant to be sent back to the n in the next two days. Jing Lu chose to attack now because he must have already discovered this, and he''s targeting these Blood Crystals."


    "Keep the storage ring safe. When the formation is broken, I will create an opportunity for you to escape directly to Qingping Mountain."


    "Su Yi, you must remember, regardless of what happens, do not get distracted. You must survive and bring the storage ring back to the n."


    "Recently, our n is in turmoil. These ten thousand Blood Crystals are worth no less than fifty thousand spiritual stones and are crucial to our family. There must be no mistakes."


    Su Yi took the storage ring and nodded seriously. "Rest assured, Third Elder, I will definitely bring the Blood Crystals back to the n."


    Su Jingshu looked relieved, patting Su Yi''s shoulder a few times with a look of self-sacrifice.


    Momentster, under the watch of more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators, the formation barrier finally could not withstand the assault and shattered with a loud crash.


    "Kill!"


    Jing Lu led the ghost general directly towards Su Jingshu.


    The rogue cultivators also used their various techniques to attack other Su family members.


    The two sides quickly shed.


    Although the Su family had many cultivators, only eight were at the Foundation Establishment stage, while the rogues had fourteen, creating a nearly two-to-one situation.


    From the start, the Su family cultivators were showing signs of defeat.


    However, due to the Su family''s deep foundation, each Foundation Establishment cultivator had powerful spiritual weapons, allowing them to hold on for a while.


    But the Su family''s Qi Refining stage members had no one to protect them and were ughtered within moments.


    Su Jingshu wielded a top-grade spiritual flying sword, which, with the help of the sword''s power, managed to suppress Jing Lu and the ghost general for a while.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After pushing back Jing Lu and the ghost general with the sword like a streak of light, Su Jingshu suddenly moved to stand in front of Su Yi, blocking attacks from two rogue cultivators.


    "Go!" Su Jingshu shouted loudly.


    Su Yi did not hesitate, using the flying sword to turn and escape, heading straight for Qingping Mountain.


    Seeing Su Yi trying to escape, Jing Lu and Shuo Nan, who had been circling the battlefield, would definitely not allow it.


    The two immediately used their methods to pursue Su Yi.


    Shuo Nan''s weapon was a low-grade spiritual weapon called the Soul Devouring Spike. The Soul Devouring Spike was about two inches long, crimson throughout, and was a sinister ghostly spiritual weapon that emitted eerie howls, as if thousands of vengeful spirits were crying, and had the effect of disturbing one''s mind.


    The Soul Devouring Spike flew through the air, directly targeting Su Yi from behind.


    Jing Lu''s ghost general created multiple ghostly shadows and chased Su Yi at incredible speed.


    Feeling the immense pressure from behind, Su Yi''s heart trembled. She quickly summoned a small blue shield to protect herself.


    At the same time, she controlled the flying sword to strike at the ghost general.


    "Keep going, we''ll hold them back here!"


    Su Jingshu''s voice suddenly rang out.


    His top-grade spiritual flying sword arrived before the Soul Devouring Spike, directly knocking it away, then turned to strike at the ghost general.


    Su Yi''s crisis was immediately averted, and she hastened to escape at full speed.


    Su Yi was temporarily safe, but the other Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Su family were in imminent danger.


    Facing nearly double the number of enemies, the Su family''s defenders were already struggling. With Su Yi gone, their situation was even more precarious.


    In just a few breaths, two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Su family were in


    by the rogue cultivators.


    The morale of the rogue cultivators soared instantly.


    In contrast, the Su family cultivators were filled with fear and were looking for an opportunity


    to escape.


    At this time, Su Yi had already flown several miles and was nearing the cave where Song Wen


    was hiding.


    Suddenly, Su Jingshu, who had been blocking Shuo Nan and Jing Lu, shouted loudly.


    "Su Yi, you must return to the n alive and bring back the ten thousand Blood Crystals and


    the hundred Blood Crystal Marrows. This is crucial to the prosperity of our Su family, and you


    must not fail."


    Su Jingshu''s voice was loud and echoed across the entire mine area.


    Not only did Su Yi, several miles away, hear it, but the rogue cultivators in the midst of battle


    also heard it.


    Su Yi, who was escaping on her sword, staggered and nearly fell from the sky.


    She nced back at Su Jingshu, her eyes filled with shock.


    Su Jingshu was trying to put her in a deadly situation!


    All the rogue cultivators'' eyes lit up upon hearing this.


    A hundred Blood Crystal Marrows!


    Was the Su family''s Blood Crystal Mine that rich?


    Previously, Jing Lu I told them that the Su family delivered Blood Crystals from the mine once a month, usually around ten thousand, worth about fifty thousand spiritual stones.


    Jing Lu had promised to share these Blood Crystals equally among them, which meant each


    person could get over thirty thousand spiritual stones.


    Unexpectedly, there was also the news of a hundred Blood Crystal Marrows!


    That was worth several million low-grade spiritual stones!


    Was Jing Lu hiding the truth, trying to keep the Blood Crystal Marrows for himself? Or had the


    Su family suddenly discovered a vein rich in Blood Crystal Marrows?


    The rogue cultivators hesitated momentarily, turning their greedy eyes towards Su Yi, who


    was several miles away.


    The closest ones were undoubtedly Shuo Nan and Jing Lu.


    Both were puzzled by the information. ording to their intelligence, Blood Crystal Marrows


    were extremely rare, sometimes not even found in a whole month.


    Could the Su family have truly found a rich vein of Blood Crystal Marrows recently?


    Or was Su Jingshu deliberately setting a trap?


    Shuo Nan was very skeptical about Su Jingshu''s im, but his greed kept his focus on Su Yi.


    The temptation of several million spiritual stones was too great!


    After a moment of hesitation, greed ultimately prevailed. Shuo Nan was the first to leave the


    battlefield, heading straight for Su Yi.


    His departure led the already restless rogue cultivators to follow suit, all chasing after Su Yi.


    The Blood Crystal Marrows worth several million spiritual stones were too enticing. Even if


    the fourteen of them had to split it, each would still receive tens of thousands of spiritual


    stones.


    No one wanted to let one person take advantage of it alone.


    Jing Lu watched as one rogue cultivator after another rushed past him and felt frustrated.


    He knew that Su Jingshu''s words could not possibly be true.


    It was impossible to extract such arge quantity of Blood Crystal Marrows in a short time!


    If so much Blood Crystal Marrow had been found, the Su family would have already sent arge number of Foundation Establishment cultivators for protection.


    However, with the rogue cultivators'' greed now fully stirred, Jing Lu did not dare to speak out


    to stop them from pursuing Su Yi.


    If he did, they would only suspect that he wanted to monopolize the Blood Crystal Marrows.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 198: The Mysterious Soul Disappearance

    Chapter 198: The Mysterious Soul Disappearance


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Seeing that many of the rogue cultivators had gone after Su Yi, Jing Lu was filled with resentment and helplessness. He turned to Su Jingshu, gritting his teeth.


    "Retreat!"


    "But this only solves the immediate crisis. The Su family can no longer protect this Blood Crystal Mine."


    Su Jingshu nced at Jing Lu but did not refute him. He turned to the remaining four Su family cultivators.


    "Let''s go!"


    With that, he mounted his sword and flew away in the direction opposite the rogue cultivators.


    The four others also mounted their swords and followed.


    Jing Lu knew he was not a match for them and did not dare to stop them. He could only watch as Su Jingshu and his group escaped.


    With Su Jingshu gone, the entire Blood Crystal Mine area became unprotected.


    Jing Lu vented his anger on the mine ves within the mine.


    To the south of the courtyard, there was a valley where thousands of low huts were clustered together.


    The huts were cramped and disorderly, with sewage flowing everywhere, garbage strewn about, and a stench filling the air, resembling a massive garbage dump.


    At this time, it was deep night, and the mine ves were all in their huts sleeping.


    But the recent battle had long since awakened them.


    They emerged from their huts, and seeing the chaos caused by the battle, some mine ves fled in panic; others, however, appeared numb and dazed, like soulless shells, neither fleeing nor avoiding, as if death was a form of release for them.


    These mine ves were ordinary people enved by the Su family, and they had no ability to resist Jing Lu''s attacks.


    The Ghost General rushed into the huts where the mine ves lived, starting a brutal ughter.


    The ghostly aura spread like fierce, roaring dragons, sweeping in all directions. Where it passed, the mine ves fell inrge numbers as if sliced by a scythe.


    When ordinary people died, their souls would automatically leave their bodies.


    The Ghost General used his power to capture the souls, stuffing them into his mouth as if they were a delicious feast.


    There were tens of thousands of mine ves in the entire mine area. Although the Ghost General found it easy to kill, he had only consumed a few thousand souls.


    Under normal circumstances, after death, souls would naturally dissipate into the world and travel to an unknown ce.


    But as a ghost cultivator, Jing Lu would not let the souls he had captured go to waste.


    He floated in mid-air, controlling a pitch-ck Soul Capturing Banner. The banner, trailing behind the Ghost General, swept over the corpses of the mine ves, forcibly capturing the souls.


    "What is going on?"


    Jing Lu''s expression suddenly turned to one of confusion and suspicion.


    The ck Soul Capturing Banner was a soul-capturing artifact, and although it was only a high-grade magic item, capturing the souls of these ordinary people should have been effortless.


    Yet, inexplicably, arge number of the souls had disappeared without a trace.


    ...


    At this moment, the rogue cultivators who had been chasing Su Yi had seeded.


    Su Yi had no means of resisting under the pursuit of more than ten cultivators of the same realm.


    The rogue cultivators found that the storage ring on Su Yi''s hand contained only ten thousand Blood Crystals and none of the Blood Crystal Marrows.


    They were somewhat annoyed and turned Su Yi''s corpse into a pile of minced meat, with her soul scattered by Shuo Nan''s Soul-Devouring Spike.


    Although they did not get the unexpected wealth, they sessfully obtained the ten thousand Blood Crystals nned in their scheme.


    The rogue cultivators, holding the storage ring, began to return to the mine area.


    Song Wen, who was hiding in the cave, had observed everything clearly.


    The attack on the Su family''s Blood Crystal Mine resulted in significant losses and the deaths


    of three Foundation Establishment cultivators, which was excellent news for Song Wen.


    As long as it weakens the Su family''s strength, Song Wen is happy to see it.


    But throughout the entire process, Song Wen did not participate, feeling as if he had made a fruitless trip.


    ...


    Twenty miles away from the Blood Crystal Mine.


    At the foot of a tall mountain.


    Su Jingshu and the five members of the Su family were hiding here, concealing their presence.


    "Third Elder, are we just going to let those evil cultivators plunder the mine and destroy our Su family''s property? That''s our most important asset!"


    "Shouldn''t we seek help from the family and eliminate these notorious robbers?"


    Su Jingshu shook his head.


    "Our ancestor cannot act right now, and the only cultivators the family can send are Foundation Establishment cultivators. By the time they arrive, those robbers will have long


    since fled."


    "Are we just going to let those evil cultivators go?" one of the Su family cultivators asked


    unwillingly.


    A cruel smile appeared on Su Jingshu''s face.


    "Not so easily! Those who provoke the Su family will have to pay a painful price."


    "Before leaving, I released the seal on the underground Ghost King in the mine."


    The other four''s faces changed dramatically.


    "Third Elder, that Ghost King was sealed by our ancestor with great effort thirty years ago."


    "If the Ghost King is released, the entire mine area will be ruined."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "After the rogue cultivators have plundered, they will leave immediately. We just need to


    capture the mine ves again, and the mine area can be rebuilt."


    "If the mine is destroyed, the difficulty of rebuilding will increase several times."


    Su Jingshu remained calm.


    "Do you know why our ancestor expended so much effort sealing the Ghost King instead of


    killing it?"


    "Isn''t it as the outside world says, that our ancestor''s strength was insufficient to kill the


    Ghost King, so he sealed it instead?" a Su family member asked, puzzled.


    Su Jingshu sneered.


    "Not at all. If he could capture and seal the Ghost King, why couldn''t he kill it? A mere Ghost


    King is not an immortal being."


    "Our ancestor fought a great battle with the Ghost King back then. The Ghost King was


    defeated, causing severe damage to its soul and even breaking its soul core. The Ghost King''s cultivation was reduced to almost nothing."


    "Our ancestor captured it and sealed it deep underground in the Blood Crystal Mine, setting up a Ghost Dao Grand Formation. The purpose was to let it absorb the resentment constantly emanating from the mine ves and devour the souls of those dead mine ves to help the Ghost King restore its soul and rebuild its soul core."


    "Once the Ghost King''s strength is restored and it is subdued, our Su family will gain an


    additional third-tierbat force."


    "But for some reason, maybe the Ghost King''s foundation was injured back then or our


    ancestor was not proficient in ghost control, even after thirty years, the Ghost King has only


    restored its soul. The broken soul core remains unrepaired. It can only be considered a pseudo-third-tier Ghost King."


    The so-called soul core is simr to the golden core of human cultivators, the demon core of


    demon races, or the corpse core of zombies, and can only be refined by a true third-tier Ghost


    King.


    The four Su family cultivators were shocked by this revtion, which was quite different from


    what they had heard before.


    "Even a pseudo-third-tier Ghost King is enough to turn the mine area upside down," one of


    them said with concern.


    Su Jingshu confidently said, "Rest assured, our ancestor''s ns were meticulous. He had


    already devised a strategy thirty years ago."


    As he spoke, Su Jingshu took out a small ck g.


    "This g is the core of the sealing formation and also a Ghost Controlling Banner. As long as


    we lure the Ghost King into the formation and you all cooperate with me to activate it, we can


    capture it with the Ghost Controlling Banner."


    "This Ghost King, sealed underground for many years and absorbing resentment for a long


    time, will be full of resentment when the seal is first broken. We''ll use these robbers to dispel


    its resentment."


    "Once the resentment on the Ghost King dissipates, we can reap the benefits."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 199: The Ghost King Breaks Free

    Chapter 199: The Ghost King Breaks Free


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Seeing the returning group of rogue cultivators, Jing Lu''s eyes were filled with anger and frustration at their ipetence.


    A bunch of foolish and greedy ignoramuses were easily manipted by Su Jingshu''s small scheme, making them turn in circles.


    This led to the failure of his ns and allowed Su Jingshu and the others to escape. Jing Lu had nned to capture all the Su family members in the mines to avenge the destruction of his sect.


    Although he didn''t like these rogue cultivators, he still needed them for now and couldn''t afford to fall out with them yet.


    Jing Lu took the storage ring handed to him by the bookkeeper and divided the ten thousand Blood Crystals among all the robbers present.


    "I have fulfilled my promise to you all. The rest of the spoils in the mine area and caves will depend on your own efforts to find. Whoever gets them first will keep them."


    "Remember, anything you cannot take with you, destroy it all, even blowing up the caves if necessary."


    The rogue cultivators'' eyes lit up at his words, and they flew down toward the mine''s courtyard on their swords.


    Jing Lu stood in the air, watching the robbers rush into the courtyard.


    Earlier, many of the mine ves'' souls had inexplicably vanished, which made him uneasy. He did not follow the robbers into the courtyard but instead retreated a short distance.


    Just as the robbers entered the courtyard, an abnormal event urred.


    The central area of the courtyard suddenly copsed.


    A massive circr pit with a diameter of over ten yards and an unfathomable depth appeared.


    A vast amount of resentment mixed with chilling ghostly energy, like a ck vortex, rapidly rose from the pit and shot into the sky.


    Suddenly, the wind howled and a sharp, piercing ghostly roar sounded.


    A towering ghostly figure, about ten feet tall, burst out from the pit.


    The figure was covered in ck armor, with eerie red light shining through the slits of its helmet.


    It held a nearly two-meter-long giant sword, which was pitch ck and swirling with ghostly energy.


    It resembled a fierce general from a hellish battlefield, emerging after endless ughter.


    As soon as the ck-armored ghost appeared, the entire courtyard was engulfed in howling winds and rising resentment.


    The rogue cultivators were terrified, feeling a powerful pressure that rivaled Golden Core cultivators, which made them unable to muster any will to fight back. They fled in all directions on their swords.


    The ck-armored Ghost King was like a wild beast released from its cage, its eyes blood-red with boundless murderous intent.


    It needed to kill to vent the endless resentment umted during its thirty-year imprisonment.


    The ck-armored Ghost King grabbed the nearest rogue cultivator, a cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and tore him in half with a single w.


    The Ghost King casually reached in, pulled out the internal organs, and then threw them into its mouth.


    The ghostly entity chewed briefly and swallowed the organs, its eyes shing with a dazzling red light, as if it had tasted some exquisite delicacy.


    With a flicker, it became a blur of motion, its speed so extreme it seemed like teleportation, and in an instant, it was beside another rogue cultivator.


    In the terrified gaze of this cultivator, the towering ghost opened its gaping maw and devoured the upper half of the cultivator''s body in one bite.


    Endless ghostly and resentful energy poured into the cultivator''s body, instantly freezing him and making his limbs rigid. He couldn''t even use his spiritual energy to resist.


    The Ghost King then bit the cultivator in half, swallowing the upper half of the body and its soul together.


    ...


    Jing Lu watched the carnage below, feeling a bone-chilling coldness in his heart. He turned and fled to a distance.


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit of relief for discovering the abnormality here first and not rashly entering the courtyard. Otherwise, his fate would not have been any better than the other rogue cultivators.


    Su Jingshu tossed the ck g into the air.


    In an instant, the small g transformed into a towering ghost banner, and its fabric stretched and elongated like a retractable silk ribbon, wrapping around the ck-armored Ghost King.


    The once invincible ck-armored Ghost King was now encircled by the banner, struggling to


    break free.


    "Hurry! You four, set up the formation around the array and assist me in powering it. My cultivation cannot sustain this ghost banner for long," Su Jingshu shouted.


    The four Su family Foundation Establishment cultivators followed his instructions and flew


    to the four corners of the courtyard on their swords.


    Several miles away, Jing Lu watched the scene with surprise and a hint of eagerness in his


    eyes.


    "Top-grade Ghost Banner!"


    The ck-armored Ghost King had been sealed underground for over thirty years. Now, just


    as it broke free, it was ensnared by the ghost banner, and its fury was unstoppable, its blood- red eyes radiating murderous intent.


    The ghostly energy surrounding it surged like monstrous waves in the deep sea, continuously battering the surrounding banners.


    The banners were like small boats in the vast sea, quickly overwhelmed and submerged by the relentless ghostly waves.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    This, however, bought precious time for Su Jingshu and his group, who had already taken


    their positions.


    Su Jingshu hovered above the center of the courtyard, while the other four had reached the


    corners.


    The ghost banner transformed back into a small ck g andnded beside Su Jingshu.


    TL: Small chapter...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 200: Capturing the Ghost King

    Chapter 200: Capturing the Ghost King


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The Ghost King broke free from the banner and roared as it charged towards Su Jingshu in mid-air.


    Su Jingshu''s expression grew stern, not daring to dy for a moment. He quickly activated the ck g again.


    The small g transformed into a towering figure and descended towards the deep pit in the center of the courtyard.


    At the same time, Su Jingshu quickly descended to avoid the Ghost King''s attacks.


    He continued to make hand seals with his hands.


    The other four Su family members also performed their hand seals, directing them into the array''s formation points.


    Suddenly, the entire courtyard was bathed in a blood-red light.


    The blood-red light grew more intense, dyeing the pitch-ck night sky crimson.


    The Ghost King, which had been charging at Su Jingshu, suddenly felt an overwhelming force press down on it, as if a mountain was crushing it.


    The Ghost King''s speed drastically slowed, and its movements became sluggish.


    The blood-red eyes revealed through the helmet''s gaps erupted with endless hatred.


    This feeling was all too familiar; it was the same power that had kept it trapped in the pitch- ck underground for thirty years.


    Unwilling to be captured without a fight, the Ghost King swung its massive sword.


    In an instant, the wind howled, as if turbulent waves were trying to counteract the array''s power.


    However, this formation was not something it could resist with its pseudo-third-tier strength. No matter how much it exerted its ghostly energy, it couldn''t break free from the array''s control and was gradually pulled into the deep pit, descending towards the depths below.


    Su Jingshu''s expression brightened, and he rapidly changed his hand seals.


    He shouted, "Seal!"


    At the bottom of the pit, there was a small tform with the towering ghost banner inserted in its center.


    Immediately, a blood-red transparent barrier appeared on the tform, enveloping it entirely and sealing the Ghost King within.


    Su Jingshu sighed with relief and approached the edge of the pit, looking down.


    The Ghost King was continuously smashing against the blood-red barrier but could not shake


    it.


    The other four Su family members also breathed a sigh of relief, ready to move towards the deep pit, but were stopped by Su Jingshu.


    "To avoidplications, let''s finish this quickly and capture the ghost in the banner."


    "Continue to maintain the array and assist me."


    The group sat cross-legged, continuing to perform hand seals.


    In the deep pit.


    The ghost banner''s blood-red light intensified, and a terrifying suction force emerged from the banner, pulling the Ghost King towards it.


    The Ghost King continued to swing its ghost sword, with ck sword energy forming in the shape of a rainbow, cutting through the blood light like a storm, attempting to shatter the barrier and sever the banner.


    In an instant, the small tform was engulfed in a battle between the blood light and the ck ghostly energy, making the struggle intense andplex.


    As time passed, the Ghost King''s resistance gradually weakened.


    The Su family members also looked pale, their spiritual energy severely depleted.


    In the end, the Ghost King could not withstand and was absorbed into the ghost banner.


    "Whew!"


    With the task aplished, Su Jingshu, who had been holding his breath, finally rxed.


    His spiritual energy was nearly exhausted from the continuous hand seals, leaving him with a sensation as if his fingers were about to cramp.


    But it was all worth it!


    With the Ghost King captured in the banner, as long as he spent some time refining it, he would be able tomand this pseudo-third-tier Ghost King like an extension of his own


    arm.


    With the patriarch''s life nearing its end and the Su family in turmoil, with internal power struggles between the patriarch Su Anqing and the great elder Su Wenshi, as a third elder whose cultivation and status were notparable to theirs, he naturally had little qualification topete with them.


    But now, the situation was different.


    With the assistance of this pseudo-third-tier Ghost King, he would be the strongestbat force in the Su family, aside from the ancestor, and be qualified to vie for power with


    the other two.


    His decades of guarding the Blood Spirit Crystal Mine were not in vain.


    This was also why he had never sought help from the Su family-he wanted to monopolize


    the pseudo-third-tier Ghost King.


    Su Jingshu''s face showed joy, as if he could already see the Su family flourishing under his


    control.


    In an instant, his expression stiffened.


    A chilling wind swept in from behind.


    Turning around, he saw that it was Jing Lu''s second-tierte-stage Ghost General, now less


    than a hundred meters away from him.


    Jing Lu, riding on a flying sword, followed closely behind the Ghost General and flew toward


    him.


    Su Jingshu was greatly rmed. Jing Lu was still alive and had not retreated; he had been hiding in the shadows all along.


    He now had less than ten percent of his spiritual power remaining, and the other four Su


    family members were in even worse shape, with almost no spiritual power left. The pseudo- third-tier Ghost King they had just captured had not yet been refined and could not be used temporarily.


    It felt like being trapped in a desperate situation.


    Su Jingshu gritted his teeth and used the remaining spiritual power in his body. The high- grade spiritual weapon flying sword flickered with a ghostly light, shooting like a meteor through the night sky towards the Ghost General.


    He himself stood on a flying sword and immediately fled.


    The other four Su family members scattered like birds and beasts.


    They understood that Jing Lu was targeting Su Jingshu. As long as they stayed away from Su


    Jingshu, Jing Lu would not be distracted to deal with them.


    The four of them did not use flying swords; they directly used their movement techniques to


    hide in the surrounding darkness.


    "Su Jingshu, you can''t escape. Hand over the high-grade spiritual weapon Ghost Banner and


    the pseudo-third-tier Ghost King, or I''ll make sure you die like a dog!" Jing Lu shouted with


    satisfaction.


    Due to Su Jingshu''s insufficient spiritual power, he could not fully unleash the power of the high-grade spiritual weapon flying sword, which was easily blocked by Jing Lu''s Ghost


    General.


    To Jing Lu, Su Jingshu seemed like a trapped beast, and the high-grade spiritual weapon Ghost Banner and the pseudo-third-tier Ghost King were his for the taking.


    Su Jingshu nced back at the increasingly distant Jing Lu, his eyes shing with


    determination.


    "Want to kill me? It won''t be that easy!"


    "Over these decades, my time in the Blood Crystal Mine was not spent in vain. The numerous


    dead miners and the ghostly energy umted before the Ghost King was sealed were not


    wasted."


    As he spoke, a white, bone-like skull suddenly appeared in his hand.


    The skull emanated an overwhelming ghostly aura, with an oppressive and unstable presence,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    as if it might burst forth at any moment, turning the surroundings into a ghostly wastnd.


    Su Jingshu hurled the skull with force.


    The skull swiftly flew toward a spot not far in front of Jing Lu.


    "Boom!"


    A tremendous explosion erupted.


    The skull exploded, releasing boundless ghostly energy and countless souls, sweeping out


    like a ck hurricane towards Jing Lu and his Ghost General.


    Jing Lu''s face changed dramatically. He had not anticipated that Su Jingshu would use the souls and resentments of countless miners to create such a vicious one-time treasure.


    He hurriedlymanded the Ghost General to charge into the ghostly hurricane while he


    turned and fled on his sword.


    The ck hurricane roared past, and the Ghost General was instantly engulfed. Jing Lu was


    also caught in it.


    The hurricane, like a storm, rapidly tore apart Jing Lu''s protective spiritual power and then


    shredded his flesh.


    "Pfft!"


    Jing Lu spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Then, he was swept away by the hurricane, flying towards the distance.


    The ck hurricane came quickly and dissipated just as fast. In a moment, it scattered, leaving behind countless resentments that filled the sky for miles around, obscuring the moon and stars.


    It was as if the souls of the miners who had met tragic ends were filling the world with their sorrowful tales.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 201: The Beauty from the Du Family

    Chapter 201: The Beauty from the Du Family


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In a low, narrow mine tunnel, Song Wen received the bodies of the four Su family members from the Sacred Gu.


    These four corpses had only an egg-sized blood hole in their heads, with the rest of their bodies intact.


    The bodies of other robbers had been torn apart by the armored ghost, their blood mostly drained, and their souls either devoured by the armored ghost or dissipated. To Song Wen, they were of little value, but their storage rings had been collected by the Sacred Gu.


    After devouring the corpses'' souls and blood, Song Wen stored them away.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    These four corpses were excellent materials for refining substitute corpses.


    After finishing this, Song Wen looked up at the sky in the east.


    There, Jing Lu, who had narrowly escaped, was regrouping and continuing to chase Su Jingshu.


    At the moment of rampant resentment, Jing Lu had used his Ghost General to block the attack, sacrificing the Ghost General''s soul to withstand the impact of the resentment.


    Although Jing Lu was also seriously injured and his spiritual power was nearly depleted, he was in a better condition than Su Jingshu.


    "Su Jingshu, die!" Jing Lu spat out a flying sword, aiming it at Su Jingshu''s back.


    Su Jingshu hurriedly activated his flying sword to block it.


    "ng!"


    A metallic ng rang out.


    Su Jingshu''s flying sword was easily knocked away.


    Jing Lu''s flying sword continued to strike at Su Jingshu.


    In this critical moment, Su Jingshu could only use his sword to intercept the attack, while using his flight technique to escape into the dense forest below.


    Su Jingshu''s second flying sword was again easily knocked away.


    Jing Lu''s flying sword continued to sh.


    Su Jingshu''s face changed dramatically.


    Between life and death, his expression suddenly twisted into madness.


    "Want to kill me? I''ll make sure you die with me."


    The ck g appeared in his hand, and as the g caught the wind, it transformed into a tall ghostly banner.


    On the banner, the armored ghost king could be seen struggling and roaring in anger.


    He intended to release the armored ghost to perish together with Jing Lu.


    Jing Lu''s eyes widened in shock and fear. He could not allow Su Jingshu to release the Ghost King; it was toote to escape. He could only use all his strength to urge his flying sword to strike at Su Jingshu.


    Before the flying sword reached Su Jingshu, a single sh was made.


    Su Jingshu did not manage to release the armored Ghost King as intended, but he used the banner pole to block the flying sword.


    The immense force of the flying sword struck through the banner pole.


    The ghostly banner was instantly thrown out, and Su Jingshu was struck by the enormous force, crashing into the ground below.


    "Bang, bang, bang..."


    Su Jingshu broke severalrge trees and finally created arge crater in the ground beforeing to a stop.


    Most of his ribs were shattered, some piercing into his heart and lungs, and blood quickly soaked his clothes.


    Jing Lu descended on his sword, picked up the fallen ghostly banner from the ground, and approached Su Jingshu.


    "Su Jingshu, didn''t expect this day toe for you."


    "Truly heaven''s help for me. With this high-grade spiritual weapon ghostly banner and the pseudo-third-tier Ghost King, the day that old man from the Su family dies will be the day of the Su family''s downfall."


    "I will definitely ughter everyst one of the Su family''s tens of thousands of people to avenge the destruction of my sect!"


    At this moment, the sky suddenly changed.


    Thick ck clouds rapidly gathered in the high sky, and countless small lightning bolts flickered within the clouds.


    A drifting voice came from afar.


    "Great Cave God Thunder, descend!"


    A dazzling lightning bolt, apanied by overwhelming celestial might, descended from


    the sky.


    Jing Lu''s face suddenly turned pale with fear.


    Mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.


    Without much time to think, Jing Lu hurriedly activated his flying sword, charging upward against the lightning.


    The lightning struck the flying sword, which was easily knocked away like a child''s toy.


    Jing Lu was already severely injured and his strength greatly diminished. The hurriedly activated flying sword was no match for the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secrets of the Thunder n from ancient times!


    The thunder shattered a portion of the flying sword, but it still streaked towards Jing Lu with incredible speed.


    "Boom!"


    Jing Lu was instantly enveloped in the lightning.


    When the lightning faded, his body was charred ck, with only his rising and falling chest


    showing that he was still alive.


    A blood shadow rushed from the distance.


    A cold light suddenly appeared!


    Jing Lu and Su Jingshu both met their end.


    Two Soul Binding Techniques were cast, imprisoning their souls within their bodies.


    Without dy, Song Wen grabbed the two corpses and quickly fled into the distance.


    ...


    Two and a half hourster.


    Two groups of people arrived at the sky above the Blood Crystal Mine, one after the other.


    The first to arrive were the Su family members. Su Wenshi, the Su family''s Grand Elder, was apanied by ate Foundation Establishment cultivator, two mid Foundation Establishment cultivators, and four early Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Seeing the devastated courtyard, the scattered corpses, and the countless copsed mines, Su


    Wenshi was enraged.


    "Search! See if there are any survivors."


    "Collect all the bodies of our n members and bring them back for a proper burial."


    The seven Su family cultivators turned into seven shadows and began to search the mine area.


    Before the Su family could finish their search of the mine, a flying ship appeared in the sky.


    The ship was notrge, about ten meters long, and it was clear that there were a dozen figures moving about on it.


    As the ship approached, it became apparent that there were a total of sixteen people aboard: seven in the Foundation Establishment stage, and the rest at Qi Refining stage.


    Leading them was a young woman dressed as a cultivator, at the peak of Foundation Establishment.


    The woman was stunningly beautiful, with a seductive figure that was like a ripe peach,


    making it hard to look away.


    Seeing the appearance of these eight people, Su Wenshi''s eyes showed unmistakable killing


    intent.


    "Du Ruoyun, what is your Du family doing at my su family''s mine?"


    Du Ruoyun covered her mouth and smiled, her ample chest rising and falling, swaying with


    every movement.


    "I happened to pass by here and sensed the overwhelming resentment and ghostly aura from


    afar. I thought there must be demons appearing, so I came to offer assistance to the Su family


    in exorcising them."


    As she spoke, her gaze swept over the ruined mine below.


    "Tsk tsk tsk... How tragic. It seems there are no survivors. The Su family must have lost a lot of


    people!"


    Looking at Du Ruoyun''s gloating expression, Su Wenshi gritted his teeth in hatred, his eyes


    zing with anger.


    "Our Su family''s affairs do not require the Du family''s meddling. Please leave immediately."


    Du Ruoyun raised an eyebrow and threw a flirtatious nce, lightlyughing.


    "Why so angry? I came here with genuine intentions to help you Su family."


    "This Blood Crystal Mine is your Su family''s most important asset. It can''t afford any losses."


    A flying sword suddenly appeared in front of Su Wenshi, shimmering with a cold light, with


    countless sword energies crisscrossing its de, clearly ready to strike.


    "If you don''t leave, I''ll use this sword to take your head."


    Su Wenshi''s voice was as cold as the sword energy on the flying sword.


    Facing Su Wenshi''s threat, Du Ruoyun showed no displeasure. She gently waved her hand and


    spoke to her own people.


    "Since the host here does not wee us, then we shall leave!"


    The flying ship slowly moved away, heading towards the back.


    Suddenly, she loudly shouted to Su Wenshi.


    "Grand Elder Su, make sure to guard the Blood Crystal Mine. Who knows, it might be snatched


    away one day, hahaha..."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 202: The Nine Hells Ghost Sutra

    Chapter 202: The Nine Hells Ghost Sutra


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In a cave more than four hundred miles from the Blood Crystal Mine.


    Song Wen''s expression was somewhat gloomy. He had just performed soul searches on Su Jingshu and Jing Lu, but the results were less than satisfactory.


    The soul search on Su Jingshu had failed.


    Song Wen had hoped to learn about the Su family''s scheme to capture the "Longevity Technique Cultivator" from Su Jingshu''s memories. The failure of the soul search left Song Wen in a bad mood.


    The soul search on Jing Lu was more sessful, and Song Wen obtained some useful information. The most interesting piece was:


    In the Ghost Market, there was a private trading meeting for scattered cultivators, all of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage. The meeting took ce on the night of the full moon each month and served to facilitate exchanges among scattered Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    A jade slip suddenly appeared in Song Wen''s hand, recording a secret ghost control technique called the "Nine Hells Ghost Sutra."


    The Nine Hells Ghost Sutra was obtained by Jing Lu from an ancient cultivator''s cave and was a profound ghost control method that allowed a cultivator tomand ghostly beings slightly stronger than themselves, even crossing small levels of cultivation.


    However, this was Jing Lu''s own assessment. Song Wen did not find the Nine Hells Ghost Sutra particrly exceptional.


    After all, the Soul Banner he refined could achieve simr effects.


    The method of refining the Soul Banner came from the three major demonic sects'' Profound Yin Sect, which was somewhat more profound and mysteriouspared to ordinary ghostly techniques, which was to be expected.


    But that did not mean the Nine Hells Ghost Sutra was useless to Song Wen. The methods of capturing and refining ghosts in it were still worth learning from. For now, it could help Song Wen to more quickly refine the Ghost King.


    Two hourster, after carefully studying the ghost refinement methods in the Nine Hells Ghost Sutra multiple times, Song Wen decided to begin attempting to refine the Ghost King.


    The Ghost King had expended a significant amount of ghostly energy during its fight with Su Jingshu, making it the best time to refine it.


    Once the Ghost King''s strength was restored, even with the Ghost g sealing it, it would be nearly impossible for Song Wen to refine it.


    However, before refining the Ghost King, he needed to first refine the Ghost g.


    Song Wen focused his mind and sat cross-legged, holding the Ghost g. His thick spiritual energy surged like a raging tide, continuously washing over the dark g.


    Su Jingshu was dead, and the Ghost g had be a masterless item. But this g was a top-grade spirit artifact for ghost control.


    Song Wen, being only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, found it difficult to truly refine this ghost control banner.


    After two days of relentless refining and consuming over ten spirit replenishing pills to maintain the depleting spiritual energy, he finally seeded in refining the Ghost g.


    The quality of the Ghost g was too high for Song Wen to use directly. He nned to lure the Ghost King into the Top-grade Ghost Banner and, using its power, slowly and thoroughly refine the Ghost King.


    Song Wen activated the Ghost g, releasing the Ghost King.


    The Ghost King''s ghostly energy was severely depleted, and since the Ghost g had no stored souls to help restore the Ghost King''s strength, it appeared somewhat weak.


    As soon as the Ghost King appeared, it opened its enormous mouth and lunged aggressively at Song Wen.


    The Ghost g suddenly emitted a faint blood light. The Ghost King was immediately frozen in ce, unable to move.


    Following the method of the Nine Hells Ghost Sutra, Song Wen continuously performed hand seals, directing streams of spiritual energy like raindrops onto the Ghost King.


    At the same time, Song Wen multitasked. The Top-grade Ghost Banner suddenly appeared.


    Arge amount of ghostly energy surged from the Top-grade Ghost Banner, washing over the Ghost King''s soul body.


    Countless souls then emerged and surged toward the Ghost King.


    Seeing these souls, the Ghost King devoured them like a hungry ghost, greedily absorbing them.


    Suddenly, the Top-grade Ghost Banner spun around the Ghost King, and countless banner shadows surrounded it.


    Realizing something was amiss, the Ghost King stopped feeding and became agitated, trying to break through the encirclement of banner shadows.


    The Ghost g once again glowed with a faint blood light, causing the Ghost King to freeze in ce once more.


    Countless banner shadows abruptly contracted toward the center, crashing into the Ghost


    King.


    When all the banner shadows disappeared, the Top-grade Ghost Banner reappeared at the position where the Ghost King had stood.


    The Ghost King had vanished, captured within the Top-grade Ghost Banner.


    With a slightly pale face, Song Wen let out a long breath.


    The continuous activation of the Ghost g, although only triggering its superficial power, had drained most of his spiritual energy.


    With his current cultivation level, forcibly activating a top-grade spirit artifact was still too


    strenuous.


    The Top-grade Ghost Banner was crafted by Song Wen himself, and he could control it with ease. The Ghost King was captured within it and would be slowly refined. Within a month, it would bepletely refined and fully under Song Wen''smand.


    With a thought, twenty storage rings appeared before Song Wen.


    He began to inspect the items as his spiritual sense entered each ring.


    Among the twenty storage rings, there were a total of 170,000 spirit stones, most of which


    came from the storage rings of Su family cultivators.


    The storage rings of those scattered cultivators mostly contained only three to five thousand


    spirit stones.


    It seemed that these scattered Foundation Establishment cultivators did not live well. They likely spent any spirit stones they plundered quickly.


    After all, Foundation Establishment cultivators consumed arge amount of spirit stones


    daily for their cultivation.


    Each storage ring also contained some fist-sized blood-colored transparent crystals, which were the Blood Crsytals. There were a little over ten thousand in total.


    These Blood Crsytals were worth about 500,000 spirit stones, a substantial sum of wealth.


    Song Wen categorized all the spirit stones, Blood Crsytals, elixirs, spirit artifacts, and techniques, and stored them in different sections of the storage rings.


    At this moment, he was holding a jade vial with two blood-colored pills inside.


    From the pills'' scent and the fluctuations of spiritual energy they emitted, Song Wen could determine that these were likely "Explosive Blood Pills."


    Song Wen casually put the Explosive Blood Pills into a storage ring. It was not the right time


    to study the pills.


    With a thought, six corpses appeared on the ground.


    Song Wen intended to refine them into substitute puppets, but since he had only asked Su


    Huayue for three days off, and time was running out, he had to abandon the n.


    He took out arge high-grade corpse-raising coffin and ced all six corpses inside.


    After setting up two formations to conceal their presence, Song Wen stepped out of the cave and boarded his flying boat, heading north to the city market.


    Not far from the market, Song Wen put away the flying boat and changed his appearance to


    that of "Yuan Cheng," before entering the city market.


    Three days ago, Master Yuan had left the Su family, and naturally, Master Yuan would return


    to the Su family three dayster.


    As soon as he entered the market, Song Wen noticed that some scattered cultivators


    frequently mentioned the "Blood Crystal Mine."


    At first, Song Wen thought the news about the Blood Crystal Mine being plundered by scattered cultivators had reached the market.


    After expanding his senses and carefully listening to their conversations, he learned


    unexpected information.


    The Su family had upied the Blood Crystal Mine for nearly a year, and during this period, several forces had tried to take over the mine.


    Some were like Jing Lu, scattered cultivators who plundered and then fled immediately,


    regardless of their gains.


    Others were Golden Core forces who aimed to upy the mine and extract it permanently.


    Over the past year, the Blood Crystal Mine had been captured several times but was quickly reimed by the Su family.


    However, this time was different.


    Two days ago, Su Wenshi led a team into the mine area with the intention to rebuild the mine. However, on that day, they were attacked by the Du family.


    The Du family dispatched more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, almost all


    of their Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    The battle ended with the Su family''s defeat.


    Two Su family Foundation Establishment cultivators were killed in action, several others


    were injured, and Su Wenshi was slightly injured and fled in a sorry state.


    Everyone thought that the Su family had only suffered a temporary setback. After ounting


    for their losses, they would surely retaliate strongly and drive the Du family away, reiming


    the Blood Crystal Mine.


    After all, the Du family was a newly emerged Golden Core family.


    The Du family''s Golden Core cultivator had only recently broken through to Golden Core more


    than ten years ago, leading to their insufficient foundation. Their Foundation Establishment cultivators were significantly fewerpared to other Golden Core forces.


    Compared to an old Golden Core family like the Su family, which had nearly twice as many Foundation Establishment cultivators as the Du family, the disparity was evident.


    Without Golden Core cultivators involved, the Du family could not possibly be a match for the


    Su family.


    Even if both sides deployed their Golden Core cultivators, the newly advanced Golden Core


    cultivator of the Du family would likely not be a match for the Su family''s long-standing Golden Core ancestor.


    However, the development of the situation was far beyond everyone''s expectations.


    Two whole days had passed, and the Su family had not made any move.


    It was as if they were willing to hand over the Blood Crystal Mine willingly.


    At this point, people realized that the Su family''s old ancestor was already in his final years, approaching the limit of a Golden Core cultivator, with only a short time left before he might pass away due to old age.


    The Su family''s silence was like the calm before a storm, oppressive and unsettling, causing scattered cultivators to feel a sense of foreboding.


    The Su and Du families were likely to face a great battle.


    This caused widespread anxiety among the scattered cultivators in the market, and many


    began packing up and preparing to leave.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 203: Falling into Demonic Paths

    Chapter 203: Falling into Demonic Paths


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen used his flying technique to leisurely head towards Qingping Mountain.


    The fact that the Du family had taken over the Blood Crystal Mine was significant news for Song Wen.


    The Su family seemed to be on the verge of decline.


    A prestigious old Golden Core family like the Su family was now being overshadowed and suppressed by the newly emerged Golden Core family of the Du family, and they could only swallow their pride.


    When he arrived at the mountain gate of Qingping Mountain, it was already noon.


    The number of guards at the gate was evidently several times greater than usual, and there was even a Foundation Establishment cultivator among them.


    Among the guards, Song Wen spotted a familiar face-Su Shan!


    Song Wen approached Su Shan and handed over his identity token.


    Seeing it was Song Wen, Su Shan did not take the token but waved his hand, saying, "Master Yuan, please proceed up the mountain. There is no need for verification."


    Song Wen smiled and replied, "Thank you, Brother Su Shan."


    Putting away the token, Song Wen headed up the mountain. As he passed by the guards, he couldn''t help but let out a cold smile.


    When he had approached Su Shan, he had noticed a faint smell of rotting corpsesing from him. This odor was very subtle, but Song Wen, ustomed to dealing with corpses and demonic cultivations, was very familiar with this scent.


    It seemed Su Shan had sumbed to temptation and started trying to cultivate demonic arts.


    However, from the looks of it, he was probably still a novice.


    As Song Wen continued up the mountain, he arrived at the alchemy chamber and saw Su Huayue sitting coldly in a chair.


    Su Huayue''s face was frosty, and upon seeing Song Wen enter, her tone was quite unfriendly.


    "Master Yuan, you asked for a three-day leave, and you were supposed toe to the alchemy chamber by the morning of today. Yet it''s already noon."


    Song Wen cursed his bad luck inwardly.


    When he entered the alchemy chamber, he had noticed this woman''s displeasure and that her mood was evidently poor, which was just adding to his bad luck.


    Forcing a smile, Song Wen said, "I was engaged in a pleasant conversation with an old friend and missed the return time. I hope Supervisor Su can understand."


    Su Huayue coldly responded, "Recently, the family urgently needs various healing and energy-replenishing elixirs. Since you do not know how to make these elixirs, other alchemists have to be employed.


    You need to take over the task of making Qi Gathering Pills, and this month''s quota for Qi Gathering Pills has increased by fifty percent."


    Song Wen''s smile gradually faded.


    "Supervisor Su, this is not what we agreed upon initially."


    "Bang!"


    Su Huayue mmed her palm heavily onto the stone table beside her, causing it to crumble into a pile of dust.


    She nced at the alchemistsing and going in the chamber and said loudly, "The Su family has provided you with generous benefits. Now, when the Su family encounters some trouble, you all are reluctant to contribute. Do you think the Su family is weak and easy to bully?"


    Immediately, the entire alchemy chamber fell silent, the sound of a pin drop could be heard.


    All the alchemists present stared nkly at Su Huayue.


    Seeing Su Huayue''s angry demeanor, Song Wen thought to himself: It seems the Du family has really cornered the Su family. They are elerating the production of healing and energy- replenishing elixirs, most likely in preparation for a major battle with the Du family.


    Song Wen maintained his smile.


    "Supervisor Su, don''t be angry. As a newly appointed alchemist of the Su family, I am naturally a member of the Su family and will do my utmost to serve the Su family. Even if it means working day and night, I willplete the alchemy tasks."


    Su Huayue nced at Song Wen, her anger slightly abated.


    Yesterday, the Grand Elder Su Wenshi had ordered that within a month, arge number of healing and energy-replenishing elixirs must be produced, and other elixirs must not be reduced.


    The task was assigned to Su Huayue, requiring the alchemy chamber''s alchemists to produce additional elixirs this month.


    Upon learning that additional elixirs needed to be produced withoutpensation in spirit stones, most of the external alchemists showed strong resistance.


    This greatly affected Su Huayue''s mood.


    She originally intended to use Song Wen as an example to warn the other alchemists, but she


    hadn''t expected Song Wen to immediatelyply.


    Having alchemists who obey is always a good thing.


    These external alchemists were like a loose sand; as long as a few of them were pacified and epted the additional alchemy tasks, the others would follow suit.


    Su Huayue handed a cloth bag to Song Wen and said, "Here are the materials for three Qi Gathering Pills. You must produce three Qi Gathering Pills before you can leave the alchemy


    chamber."


    "Understood!"


    Song Wen took the bag and went to the back alchemy room.


    He thought to himself that this woman was quite ruthless.


    Although making a batch of Qi Gathering Pills typically took two to three hours, a mid-stage


    Qi Condensation cultivator would not be able to produce three batches in less than two days


    without resting.


    Alchemy is extremely draining on spiritual power and mental focus. A mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivator would need time to meditate and recover their spiritual and mental energy after making each batch of Qi Gathering Pills.


    For someone at Song Wen''s Foundation Establishment level, this was not an issue.


    He took only six hours to produce all three batches of elixirs, and still had two sets of


    materials left.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    However, Song Wen did not immediately leave the alchemy room, as doing so would certainly


    raise suspicion.


    Alchemists often faced unexpected situations such as explosions in the furnace. To prevent


    such idents from disturbing the work of other alchemists, every alchemy room in the Su family was equipped with protective and istion formations.


    This was a perfect opportunity for Song Wen to study the ''Explosive Blood Pill'' in the alchemy


    room.


    Song Wen sat cross-legged and swallowed an Explosive Blood Pill.


    As soon as the Explosive Blood Pill entered his stomach, the blood within Song Wen surged intensely, giving him a sensation of boiling blood and a surge of inexplicablebativeness.


    A powerful spiritual energy was generated within him, and under the guidance of the existing


    spiritual energy, this newly generated energy smoothly flowed into his meridians and then into his dantian.


    His cultivation level rapidly increased in a short period of time. Although he did not breakthrough to mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he was very close.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened.


    The effect of the Explosive Blood Pill was unexpectedly good, no wonder it was regarded as a


    vital pill in desperate situations.


    After about half a stick of incense, Song Wen noticed that the spiritual energy within him began to rapidly weaken. Perhaps due to Song Wen not engaging in battle, after a few breaths,


    the spiritual energy returned to its normal state and did not continue to weaken.


    At the same time, his vital blood was also significantly depleted.


    This was the side effect of taking the Explosive Blood Pill.


    However, the depletion of vital blood did not make Song Wen feel any difort.


    Song Wen rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.


    The spiritual energy boosted by the Explosive Blood Pill onlysted for half a stick of incense,


    and this energy could not be refined.


    This was quite different from the Blood Qi Pill, whose enhanced energy could be refined and


    permanently increase cultivation.


    The main ingredient of the Explosive Blood Pill was not a spiritual herb but the blood of a Tier


    3 demonic beast. Its ability to temporarily boost a cultivator''s cultivation was due to transferring the power contained in the beast''s blood to the cultivator.


    Once the power in the beast''s blood was depleted, the enhanced cultivation would naturally


    fade.


    To permanently increase cultivation, one would need to find a way to refine and absorb this


    energy, truly storing it in the dantian.


    To make an Explosive Blood Pill that could permanently enhance cultivation, it was necessary


    to find a spiritual herb to rece the demonic beast''s blood.


    The first herb that came to Song Wen''s mind was the Red Blood Vine.


    As the main ingredient in the Blood Qi Pill, the Red Blood Vine could deplete vital blood and


    produce spiritual energy.


    However, the Red Blood Vine was only a Tier 1 spiritual herb. Using it to rece the demonic


    beast''s blood might result in an elixir with weaker potency, even if it could ultimately be sessfully refined.


    Suddenly, a gleam of excitement shed in Song Wen''s eyes, and a smile appeared on his face.


    "Perhaps I can find a Tier 2 spiritual herb simr to the Red Blood Vine to use as the main ingredient."


    TL: Red Blood Vine, first mentioned in chapter 8.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 204: Resignation

    Chapter 204: Resignation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Perhaps I can find a Tier 2 spiritual herb simr to the Red Blood Vine to use as the main ingredient."


    With this idea in mind, Song Wen began to consider which Tier 2 spiritual herbs would be suitable.


    He took out the alchemy notes from Rong Jingyun, which recorded over a hundred forms and covered many spiritual herbs, with detailed descriptions of their properties.


    After reviewing the entire alchemy notes, Song Wen identified three Tier 2 spiritual herbs that might be suitable as the main ingredient:


    Fire Pomegranate Fruit Sky Blue Thorn Yellow Essence Mushroom


    Among these, the easiest to obtain was the Yellow Essence Mushroom, followed by Sky Blue Thorn, and the Fire Pomegranate Fruit was the most difficult.


    After identifying these three herbs, Song Wen immediately ruled out the Fire Pomegranate Fruit.


    The Fire Pomegranate Fruit was a rare herb that assisted cultivators in training their eye techniques and was more expensive than many Tier 3 spiritual herbs.


    Even if Song Wen were to develop a new Explosive Blood Pill using the Fire Pomegranate Fruit, it would be impossible to produce it inrge quantities because the herb was too rare, and even with enough spirit stones, it might not be avable for purchase.


    With a method for improving the Explosive Blood Pill in mind, Song Wen was eager to try it out. However, he currently had no ready spiritual herbs and needed to gather the required materials first.


    Song Wen estimated the time; he had been in the alchemy room for less than a day. Leaving now would certainly attract suspicion.


    He decided to use the remaining Qi Gathering Pill materials to continue making pills. Since he couldn''t leave, he might as well make a few more pills to prepare for future demands from Su Huayue.


    He had a total of six sets of Qi Gathering Pill materials, with two sets left from this time and four sets from before.


    Another day passed.


    Song Wen, looking somewhat weary, walked out of the alchemy room and handed a jade bottle containing fifteen Qi Gathering Pills to Su Huayue.


    "Deacon Su, I have sessfully produced three batches of Qi Gathering Pills as requested."


    Su Huayue took the jade bottle, examined it, and nodded in satisfaction.


    "Thank you for your hard work, Master Yuan. You can go back and rest. Remember to report to the alchemy room on the appointed day and time."


    After bidding farewell, Song Wen turned and left.


    Back at his residence, Song Wen immediately became energetic again; the previous fatigue was just an act.


    He extended his spiritual sense into his storage ring and carefully searched through it.


    He had quite a few storage rings, each containing various spiritual herbs, but he wasn''t entirely sure which herbs he had.


    Following the form for the Explosive Blood Pill, Song Wen selected the required herbs.


    Although the Explosive Blood Pill was a Tier 2 elixir, not all the herbs required for its refinement were Tier 2; some were Tier 1 herbs. These Tier 1 herbs weremon auxiliary herbs, and Song Wen had many of them in his storage ring.


    After checking his storage ring, Song Wen discovered that only two herbs were missing for refining the Explosive Blood Pill.


    One was the Tier 2 spiritual herb called Ghost Needle Grass, which was an auxiliary herb for making the Explosive Blood Pill. Ghost Needle Grass was not particrly rare, but it wasn''t avable in the storage rings he had.


    The other herb was the main ingredient.


    Song Wen decided to first try the Yellow Essence Mushroom, as it was the cheapest and easiest


    to obtain among the three potential main ingredients.


    After tidying up a bit, Song Wen went out to the dining hall.


    It was noon, the time for lunch.


    From the external alchemists like Duan Jie, one could asionally get some useful information. Thus, Song Wen would often go to the dining hall during his free time to chat with Duan Jie and others.


    Entering the dining hall, Song Wen noticed that Duan Jie was not present, but Qi Xiong and several other alchemists were there.


    Without needing any formal introduction, Song Wen approached Qi Xiong and the others'' table, found an empty seat, and sat down, greeting everyone at the table warmly.


    After a while, a servant brought the dishes and served them.


    Seeing that the people at the table were somewhat silent, Song Wen swallowed a bite of food


    and took the opportunity to start a conversation.


    "Deacon Su Huayue is forcing an increase of 50% in tasks, and there''s nopensation in spirit stones. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn''t have joined the Su family."


    A female alchemist in her thirties picked up the conversation, lowering her voice and speaking


    softly.


    "With this month''s sry, I''m nning to leave the Su family."


    The others at the table paused their actions and turned to look at the female alchemist.


    "Gao Yan, have you really decided to leave the Su family?" one person asked.


    Gao Yan nodded. "The Su family and the Du family will inevitably sh sooner orter. It''s


    better for us outsiders not to get involved."


    "That makes sense," someone agreed.


    After a moment, a male cultivator said, "Then I will leave with you."


    Gao Yan replied, "Yes, it''s not safe around the Su family recently. Havingpanions to


    travel with will make things safer."


    "Then I''ll go too."


    "I''ll go as well."


    Immediately, two more people expressed their intention to leave the Su family.


    Qi Xiong, who had not spoken, looked worried and said, "The Su family''s sry is still quite good. Are you all really going to leave? It''s hard to find another family that offers simr


    treatment."


    "High sry doesn''t mean much if you don''t have the life to enjoy it. Not to mention the increased task load, it will drain all our energy, leaving no time for cultivation," Gao Yan said.


    The others nodded in agreement.


    "But I..."


    Qi Xiong seemed hesitant.


    He knew that Gao Yan''s choice was correct.


    Qi Xiong was aware that Su Huayue had promised him a Breakthrough Pill. Since he not


    yet received it, he was reluctant to leave.


    "Qi Xiong,e with us. We''ve been together for years and trust each other. Starting anew somewhere else, with our alchemy skills, we should be able to do well anywhere."


    Qi Xiong looked troubled. "But Deacon Su promised me the Breakthrough Pill in a month. I


    want to get the pill before making a decision."


    A male cultivator who had decided to leave sneered.


    "Do you think you can easily leave after taking the Su family''s benefits? That''s pure wishful


    thinking!"


    The atmosphere then became somewhat oppressive. The group finished their meal in silence and left the dining hall in small groups.


    Qi Xiong seemed deliberately isted, leaving alone.


    Watching Qi Xiong''s departing figure, Song Wen''s mind shed with the scene of dozens of


    cultivators bound by chains, dragged into the mountain valley formation in the Su family''s forbidden area.


    It seemed the Su family had elerated the matter due to pressure from the Du family.


    Originally, Su Huayue had promised to give Qi Xiong the Breakthrough Pill after three months, but now it was moved up to one month.


    However, so far, Song Wen still didn''t know why the Su family was capturing cultivators of


    the "Longevity Technique."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "If there''s an opportunity to soul-search a core member of the Su family, it would solve many


    mysteries."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 205: The Mustached Shopkeeper

    Chapter 205: The Mustached Shopkeeper


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After leaving the dining hall, Song Wen disguised himself and arrived at a small town where the mundane members of the Su family lived.


    There were a few scattered shops run by cultivators in the town. Song Wen nned to try his luck and see if he could buy ghost needle grass and yellow essence mushroom.


    The town had both mortals and cultivators living together, and the shops were arranged chaotically, with no apparent order.


    Song Wen spent almost an hour going through all the herb shops in the town, but the results weren''t ideal. He only found ghost needle grass but couldn''t find yellow essence mushroom.


    Although ghost needle grass is a second-tier spiritual herb, it has limited uses and is of low value.


    Yellow essence mushroom, being amonly used second-tier spiritual herb, seemed to be intentionally withheld, as no store was selling it.


    As Song Wen walked through the alleys of the town, he suddenly realized that he was passing by Su Shan''s residence.


    Scanning the area with his spiritual sense, he discovered that Su Shan was at home.


    Curious about what kind of demonic cultivation Su Shan was practicing, Song Wen dropped his disguise and changed into the appearance of "Master Yuan," then approached and gently knocked on the door.


    Creak!


    A momentter, Su Shan''s wife, Chen Hong, opened the door.


    Seeing that it was Song Wen, Chen Hong stepped aside and said, "Master Yuan, pleasee in."


    After leading Song Wen into the courtyard, she called loudly into the house, "Husband, Master Yuan is here."


    With that, just like their first meeting, she returned inside the house.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    From their two encounters, Song Wen could roughly judge that this woman was a frugal and conservative woman, who preferred not to show herself in front of strangers.


    A momentter, Su Shan emerged from the side room.


    The moment he appeared, Song Wen could clearly smell a strong stench of rotting corpses emanating from him.


    He had just been in contact with a rotting corpse!


    This meant that there were rotting corpses hidden in Su Shan''s courtyard, and there were likely more than one.


    Song Wen gave Su Shan, who was walking toward him with a smile, a meaningful look.


    He was raising corpses in his own courtyard. Wasn''t he worried that the unborn child might be tainted by corpse qi?


    "Master Yuan, what brings you here today?" Su Shan asked.


    "Ah! Don''t ask. The alchemy room suddenly increased the workload. I''ve been refining pills for days, leaving me physically and mentally exhausted. I came out to rx and stretch my bones. I happened to pass by your house, so I thought I''d knock, and it turns out you''re home," Song Wen lied smoothly.


    His tone was casual, as if Su Shan was an old friend, sharing his hardships as though Su Shan were no stranger.


    Perhaps affected by Song Wen''s words or feeling the closeness in his tone, Su Shan lowered his guard and began to vent.


    "Who wouldn''t agree! Five days ago, the family suddenly tightened security. I''ve been guarding the mountain gate for three days and nights, and only got a break yesterday."


    Song Wen nced at the inner room and softly asked, "I noticed that your wife''s belly has gotten quiterge. Is she due soon?"


    Su Shan nodded, "Yes, probably within half a month."


    Song Wen smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Then let me congratte you, Brother Su, on your uing son."


    Su Shan''s expression subtly changed, appearing a little unnatural, but he quickly covered it


    up.


    "Thank you..."


    After some casual conversation, Song Wen got up to leave.


    As he left the courtyard, Song Wen nced at the side room.


    Beneath the side room was a secret chamber, and within it were three rotting corpses, which were already showing signs of decay, making them the lowest level of walking corpses.


    It seemed that Su Shan didn''t quite know what he was doing, as the corpses were in such poor condition that they resembled bodies about to rotpletely.


    After walking a distance away, Song Wen looked back at the courtyard, where the gate had been closed once again. He muttered to himself, "Since you''re determined to refine corpses, I''ll give you a hand."


    That night, Su Shan discovered that a wooden nk on the wall of his side room had unknowingly been eaten through by insects, leaving a crack.


    Through the crack, he saw an extremely old cloth bag hidden inside the wall.


    Su Shan pried open the wooden panel on the wall and took out the cloth bag.


    It seemed that the bag had been stored for too long, as a gentle touch caused a corner to break apart, revealing the edge of an ancient book.


    With a few quick motions, he opened the cloth bag, and an old book made of beast hide appeared before him.


    Su Shan couldn''t help but feel excited, believing he had discovered something extraordinary.


    He opened the book and began to carefully read it. To his surprise and delight, the book detailed exactly what he needed: a corpse-refining technique.


    This corpse-refining method was something Song Wen had once found in a storage bag within the Withered Blood Secret Realm.


    In the demonic path regions, this corpse-refining technique was not considered profound, though it had its merits. However, in the orthodox realm, where demonic cultivation techniques were scarce, it was already considered a decent corpse-refining method.


    The most remarkable aspect of this corpse-refining technique was that it focused on strength


    in numbers.


    There was a specific method mentioned for controlling arge number of corpses, allowing the practitioner tomand dozens to hundreds of walking corpses at once. However, refining many corpses meant that resources would be spread thin, which was the main reason Song Wen had abandoned this technique.


    After leaving Su Shan''s courtyard, Song Wen did not return directly to his residence. Instead,


    he disguised himself and headed to the North Market to search for yellow essence mushroom.


    He first visited severalrge herb shops, which were operated by the Su family, the Beast Controlling Sect, and other neighboring cultivation forces, but none of them sold yellow essence mushroom.


    Next, he went to the stalls run by rogue cultivators and some smaller herb shops.


    Finally, in a small, obscure shop in a corner, he found a lead on the yellow essence mushroom.


    The shopkeeper was a man in his thirties, with a cultivation level of the seventhyer of the Qi Refining stage. He had a sharp chin, thin lips, and a rat-like appearance, with a thin mustache, giving him a shifty look.


    When the shopkeeper heard that Song Wen wanted to buy yellow essence mushroom, his eyes lit up. He lowered his voice and said, "Fellow Daoist, yellow essence mushroom is a widely used second-tier spiritual herb, and it''s practically monopolized by the major cultivation forces. It''s very hard to find it outside."


    "However, you''vee to the right ce. I have yellow essence mushroom here and can supply it regrly, but the price..."


    Song Wen knew the man was trying to raise the price, but since he urgently needed yellow essence mushroom, as long as the price wasn''t too outrageous, he was willing to ept it.


    "Just give me the price. If it''s reasonable, I''ll buy some. If it''s too high, I''ll have to walk away."


    "How many years old do you need?" asked the shopkeeper.


    "Over fifty years," Song Wen replied.


    The shopkeeper raised two fingers. "Two thousand spirit stones per stalk!"


    Song Wen frowned, his expression bing cold.


    "Isn''t that a bit excessive?"


    ording to Rong Jingyun''s jade slip on medicinal knowledge, yellow essence mushroom


    was widely used and cultivated by manyrger sects, and it asionally grew in the wild. It wasn''t worth two thousand spirit stones-two hundred would be more reasonable.


    The shopkeeper smirked and said, "Two thousand spirit stones, no bargaining. Also, I don''t


    have any in stock. You''ll have to pay a deposit of fifty spirit stones first, and you can pick it up tomorrow!"


    Song Wen''s frown deepened. In the cultivation world, it was always cash for goods-no one


    paid deposits first.


    Seeing Song Wen not respond, the shopkeeper pointed to the shop''s entrance and said, "If


    you think it''s too expensive, feel free to leave. But in this North Market, I''m the only one selling yellow essence mushroom."


    "You can try your luck with the rogue cultivator stalls. Maybe you''ll get lucky and find one or


    two stalks."


    The shopkeeper looked as if he was certain Song Wen wouldply.


    No one else in the entire North Market was likely to sell yellow essence mushroom.


    Even if a rogue cultivator found yellow essence mushroom in the wild, they would either


    trade it privately with someone they knew or sell it to therger powers for a low price. No one dared to openly sell it in the market, as that would be asking for trouble.


    The orthodox forces'' monopoly on important second-tier spiritual herbs was no joke.


    A sh of killing intent briefly crossed Song Wen''s eyes.


    He reached to his waist, took off his storage bag, and poured out fifty spirit stones.


    "I''ll reserve one stalk."


    The shopkeeper beamed with joy and quickly gathered up the spirit stones.


    "Fellow Daoist, you can pick up your yellow essence mushroom tomorrow morning."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 206: Stealing Fragrance

    Chapter 206: Stealing Fragrance


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    As dusk approached, the mustached man closed his shop and left.


    He first went to a cultivator''s tavern, ordered some premium demon beast meat with a pot of spirit wine, and after eating and drinking his fill, he got up and headed toward the residential area in the eastern district of the market.


    By this time, night had already fallen.


    The mustached man turned into a dark alley and arrived at the entrance of a small courtyard.


    After ncing around to make sure no one was nearby, he gently knocked on the courtyard door.


    A dozen breathster, a woman''s voice came from inside.


    "Who is it?"


    "Sister-inw, it''s me, Old Six."


    Creak!


    The courtyard door was opened by a woman in her forties, her figure slightly out of shape, but still retaining a hint of charm.


    After checking the alley to ensure no one was around, the woman softly asked, "Old Six, why are you here?"


    Without any hesitation, the mustached man squeezed past the woman as he entered the courtyard.


    "Sister-inw, don''t worry, there''s no one outside."


    After he entered, the woman quickly closed the courtyard door.


    The mustached man wore a lewd smile as he pulled the woman into his arms. "I''ve been missing you, of course."


    As he spoke, his hands began to roam freely over the woman''s chest.


    "Ugh!" The woman made a coquettish sound, her eyes full of allure.


    "Every time your second brother leaves, you get so unruly."


    The two of them embraced and went inside.


    Momentster, sounds of heavy breathing began to emerge from inside the house as the mustached man got busy with both his hands and mouth.


    Watching all this unfold through his spiritual sense, Song Wen felt somewhat frustrated. After the mustached man closed the shop, Song Wen had sent his Sacred Gu into the shop, only to discover there was nothing of value inside, nor did he find any trace of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Song Wen guessed that the mustached man probably didn''t have the Yellow Essence Mushroom in his possession. The deposit he had requested was likely to be used to purchase the mushroom, which he would then sell to Song Wen at a higher price.


    Thus, Song Wen decided to tail the mustached man in hopes of discovering where he would buy the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Unexpectedly, the mustached man didn''t head for a ce to purchase the mushroom but instead snuck into his own sister-inw''s bedroom.


    An hourter, his second sister-inwy copsed on the bed, panting, her face flushed.


    The mustached man got dressed and left the small courtyard.


    Just when Song Wen thought the man was finally going to buy the Yellow Essence Mushroom,


    he turned into another alley, swallowed a pill, and knocked on another courtyard door.


    This time, a young woman in her twenties, looking as if she were made of water, answered the door.


    Upon seeing the mustached man, a hint of joy shed in her eyes, and she quickly pulled him into the courtyard, her voice carrying a trace ofint.


    "You scoundrel, why are you sote?"


    "Your third brother and the others returned to the Su family this afternoon. You should''vee earlier."


    "I''ve been waiting for you in unbearable loneliness..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ...


    Song Wen grew even more irritated, wondering whether he should capture the mustached man and perform a soul search on him. However, soul searches only reveal fragmented memories and don''t always provide the exact information one seeks.


    Or, should he visit a brothel first ande back to tail the mustached manter?


    But then, after another hour of tossing around with his third sister-inw, the mustached man left her house, swallowed two more pills, and knocked on the door of yet another sister- inw''s house...


    By the early morning of the next day, around the hour of the tiger (3-5 AM), the mustached man, exhausted from a night of activity, rubbed his sore lower back and made his way to the other side of the market.


    After walking through more than half of the market, he arrived outside a spirit herb shop run


    by the Su family.


    He skillfully approached the side of the shop and knocked on a narrow side door.


    Momentster, the door opened. He greeted the two guards standing by the door and then proceeded deeper into the inner courtyard.


    The inner courtyard of the spirit herb shop was quiterge, spanning dozens of acres, and guards were stationed in various corners.


    The mustached man reached a three-story building, exined his purpose to the guards outside, and after they conveyed the message, he was allowed to enter.


    He went straight to the third floor and entered one of the rooms.


    Inside was a male cultivator in his forties, at thete Foundation Establishment stage, sitting cross-legged on a mat, eyes tightly closed in meditation.


    Seeing that the man appeared to be cultivating, the mustached man stood nervously at the door, not daring to breathe too loudly, unsure whether to go in or retreat.


    "Come in!" the male cultivator suddenly said.


    Hearing this, the mustached man visibly rxed and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Fifth Elder!"


    The Fifth Elder still kept his eyes closed and asked, "Old Six, what brings you here?"


    The mustached man replied, "Reporting to the Fifth Elder, yesterday afternoon, a rogue cultivator came by looking to purchase some Yellow Essence Mushroom."


    "I suspect he might be a second-tier alchemist or is working for one. That''s why I''vee to


    report this."


    The Fifth Elder opened his eyes and stared sharply at the mustached man.


    "Are you sure he''s a rogue cultivator?"


    The mustached man said, "He''s someone I''ve never seen before, likely a neer to the


    market."


    "Moreover, he knew nothing about the rules of the northern market. Any alchemist associated with a major faction would know that Yellow Essence Mushroom, amonly used second- tier spirit herb, is banned from public trade. The fact that he was openly asking about it shows


    that he''s probably a novice."


    The Fifth Elder nodded in approval.


    "What you''re saying makes sense. Did you leave a tracking mark on him?"


    The mustached man replied, "I was afraid he or his second-tier alchemistpanion might


    notice, so I didn''t dare to leave a mark."


    "However, he did leave a deposit of 50 spirit stones and agreed to pick up the Yellow Essence Mushroom tomorrow morning."


    The Fifth Elder praised him, "Good! You''ve shown some intelligence and caution."


    "Over the next two days, I will have Su Wei and Su Gu follow you. If we can sessfully recruit


    this second-tier alchemist into the Su family, you''ll be credited with this achievement. Afterward, you''ll work directly under me."


    The mustached man was overjoyed and bowed deeply.


    "Thank you, Fifth Elder, for your guidance. I will serve with absolute loyalty and dedication,


    without the slightest disloyalty."


    Su Wei and Su Gu were two early Foundation Establishment stage cultivators who worked


    under the Fifth Elder. With their help, the mustached man was confident that he could bring


    the second-tier alchemist into the Su family.


    ...


    Song Wen, however, had no idea what was happening inside the building.


    A protective formation surrounded the building. Although it wasn''t an advanced formation, it


    was enough to block his Sacred Gu from entering. All Song Wen could do was have the Sacred


    Gu keep watch outside.


    The moment the mustached man entered the Su family''s spirit herb shop, Song Wen realized


    that he wasn''t just a simple shop owner in the market, but rather an informant for the Su


    family.


    About a quarter of an hourter, the mustached man exited the building.


    Not long after he left the herb shop, two early Foundation Establishment cultivators also


    exited and followed behind him.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 207: The Cautious Fifth Elder

    Chapter 207: The Cautious Fifth Elder


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After leaving the spirit herb shop, the mustached man went straight back to his home.


    Thinking about how he could now work under the Fifth Elder, his heart was filled with excitement.


    "From now on, let''s see if Old Second, Old Third, and Old Fifth dare to look down on me. Every time there''s a family mission, they leave me behind, splitting the benefits between the three of them, without leaving even a scrap for me."


    Tossing and turning with excitement, the mustached man couldn''t sleep.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Meanwhile, in his courtyard, Su Wei and Su Gu had concealed their auras and hid in secret corners on the left and right of the courtyard.


    After following them for nearly an entire night, Song Wen watched as a faint glow appeared on the eastern horizon.


    It was almost dawn. It was time to act!


    The Cold Moon de cut through the night sky like a shooting star, with a sh of light, it shot straight toward Su Wei on the left side of the courtyard.


    Both Su Wei and Su Gu instantly sensed the danger.


    Su Wei quickly formed a hand seal, and a flying sword, radiating with cold light, suddenly appeared, shing toward the Cold Moon de.


    Meanwhile, Su Gu extended his spiritual sense, trying to pinpoint the location of the enemy.


    Suddenly, his spiritual sense detected a tiny insect, about the size of a sesame seed, but exuding the aura of a second-tier creature, rushing toward him.


    "A second-tier Gu insect!"


    Su Gu''s eyes shed with shock. Since when did a powerful second-tier Gu master appear near the northern market?


    Despite his shock, his movements were not slow.


    With a single thought, his flying sword gleamed, slicing toward the Gu insect.


    The Sacred Gu didn''t dare to take the flying sword head-on, so it quickly changed direction, barely dodging the sh, but was forced back by the sword.


    Just as Su Gu breathed a sigh of relief, he was stunned to find that five simr Gu insects were closing in from five different directions, moving so fast that they left no time for him to react.


    These five Gu insects were now less than one zhang (about 3.3 meters) away!


    The first insect had only been a distraction.


    Panic shed across Su Gu''s face as he hurriedly summoned a small spirit shield the size of a palm. The shield instantly expanded to the height of a person and began rotating around his body, trying to envelop him in protection.


    But he was still a step toote. Before the shield could start spinning fully, two Gu insects had already reached him from unprotected angles. In an instant, they broke through his protective spiritual energy and burrowed into his body.


    In mere moments, Su Gu was lifeless.


    Su Wei''s fight had also ended.


    After he deflected the Cold Moon de, a sudden gust of sinister wind struck him from behind. It was thete second-tier ghost general with a red face and fiery hair.


    Thete second-tier ghost general, facing Su Wei who was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, and with the element of surprise, had an overwhelming advantage. Su Wei had no chance to resist and was torn to pieces by the ghost general, his blood sttering everywhere.


    Song Wen''s figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the courtyard. He nced at Su Wei''s dismembered body, which had been tossed all over by the red-haired ghost general, and Su Gu''s corpse, which had been half-devoured by the Sacred Gu, leaving only a thinyer of skin on the upper body.


    Shaking his head, Song Wen thought, What a hassle!


    He summoned his spiritual power, gathering the scattered body parts in front of him, and then used his sword to fly away with the remains suspended in his spiritual energy.


    As he flew, he collected the storage rings from the two corpses.


    Then, he grabbed each of their heads and began soul-searching them.


    As for the mustached man, he had already been knocked unconscious by the red-haired ghost general and was wrapped in ghostly energy, following behind Song Wen.


    Though the events seemed lengthy, from the Cold Moon de''s first strike to Song Wen''s departure, only about ten breaths of time had passed.


    About twenty breaths after Song Wen left, the Fifth Elder arrived at the courtyard.


    Seeing the blood scattered on the ground, the lingering traces of spiritual energy, and the dense aura of yin energy in the air, the Fifth Elder''s face turned as dark as water.


    A few days ago, the Su family''s Crimson Blood Spirit Crystal Mine was ambushed by rogue cultivators. The Su family lost eight Foundation Establishment cultivators, including the Third Elder, Su Jingshu, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The Su family was severely weakened.


    Subsequently, the Du family seized the opportunity to attack the Crimson Blood Spirit Crystal Mine, and the Su family lost two more Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Now, once again, they had mysteriously lost two more early-stage Foundation Establishment family members.


    It could be said that disaster was striking the Su family one after another.


    Following the lingering yin energy in the air, the Fifth Elder looked in the direction where Song Wen had fled but did not recklessly pursue.


    Su Wei and Su Gu, two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, had been killed


    without any chance to resist. The Fifth Elder knew even he would have difficulty achieving such a feat, meaning that the person responsible must be extremely powerful. Pursuing them blindly could very well lead him into a deadly trap.


    Momentster, several more figures descended on their swords andnded beside the Fifth


    Elder.


    "Fifth Elder, what happened?" asked a mid-stage Foundation Establishment member of the


    Su family.


    The Fifth Elder clenched his fists, his face filled with hatred.


    "About an hour ago, Su Liu came to see me, saying he had discovered traces of a second-tier alchemist. So, I sent Su Wei and Su Gu to assist him, intending to recruit the alchemist into the Su family to serve us."


    "But I underestimated the cruelty and methods of that mysterious alchemist. Su Wei and Su Gu were killed, and Su Liu''s whereabouts are unknown-he was probably captured."


    "Fifth Elder, our family members have been killed. How can we not pursue the culprit?" someone asked indignantly.


    The Fifth Elder turned his head, ring at the person with a hostile expression.


    "If you want to chase, go ahead! Do you think the culprit would dare to kill in the market without some kind of backing? To be able to kill two Foundation Establishment cultivators in such a short time-they are no ordinary person."


    After this angry outburst, the Fifth Elder seemed to calm down slightly, as though venting his frustration had soothed him a bit.


    "They''ve killed members of our Su family, and they will pay for it. But we can''t blindly pursue them. We must act together to avoid being picked off one by one."


    "I''ve already sent word to the family, and they''ll be sending reinforcements to track down the culprit."


    ...


    After flying for several dozen miles, Song Wen found a dense forest, concealed his aura, and


    hid within it.


    After waiting for the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, he finally saw a seven-to- eight-meter-long airship slowly approaching.


    On the airship, there were quite a few people. A quick nce showed at least six figures.


    This made Song Wen feel a bit troubled.


    Just before fleeing, he had soul-searched Su Gu and Su Wei.


    Unfortunately, either due to bad luck or because neither of them were core members of the Su


    family, he didn''t retrieve any memories rted to the Su family''s capture of cultivators who practiced the "Longevity Technique," nor did they have ess to the Su family''s core secrets.


    From the memories he had obtained, there was little useful information.


    The only useful piece of intelligence was that, so far, the Su family had captured hundreds of


    cultivators practicing the "Longevity Technique," most of whom werete-stage Qi Condensation rogue cultivators.


    He didn''t find any Yellow Essence Mushrooms in their storage rings either.


    The only useful information was that the Fifth Elder of the Su family had long been stationed


    at the northern market. This elder was a core member of the Su family and knew most of the


    family''s secrets.


    This airship was clearlying from the direction of the market, and the Fifth Elder was


    likely on board.


    However, there were too many people on the airship, and it would be difficult to kill them all quickly. Moreover, the location was too close to Qingping Mountain-less than a hundred miles away. If the fight dragged on, the Su family reinforcements would arrive.


    Just as Song Wen hesitated, another airship appeared, flying in from the direction of Qingping


    Mountain.


    This instantly made Song Wen abandon any thoughts of attacking.


    His gaze shifted to a small hill several dozen miles away, where there was a crack in the rocks


    at the foot of the hill.


    The unconscious mustached man was lying in that crack.


    Song Wen had originally nned to use the mustached man as bait to lure the Su family''s


    Fifth Elder, but it seemed that n was no longer useful.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 208: Spiritual Sense Advancement

    Chapter 208: Spiritual Sense Advancement


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    While flying on his sword, Song Wen had already conducted a body search and interrogation of the mustached man.


    In the mustached man''s storage pouch, Song Wen found three Yellow Essence Mushrooms.


    These three Yellow Essence Mushrooms were given to the mustached man by the Su family''s Fifth Elder to lure Song Wen, who was suspected to be a second-tier alchemist, into the Su family''s service.


    When Su family''s Fifth Elder was mentioned, Song Wen recalled the information he had purchased from the ck Market about the Su family.


    ording to the intelligence, the Fifth Elder''s name was Su Xiuyong, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who had lived for nearly two hundred years.


    Although Su Xiuyong was not a skilled fighter, he was meticulous and carefully managed all the Su family''s important external business dealings.


    Song Wen then interrogated the mustached man about the Fifth Elder.


    The mustached man''s answers were generally consistent with the intelligence Song Wen had obtained.


    When asked about the Su family''s capture of cultivators who practiced the "Longevity Technique," the mustached man knew almost nothing.


    After finding nothing more useful from the interrogation, Song Wen performed a soul search on the mustached man, but even this didn''t yield any more valuable information.


    ...


    At this point, the mustached man was no longer useful to Song Wen. On the contrary, keeping him alive could expose Song Wen''s location.


    Three Sacred Gus were hidden around the crack in the rocks where the mustached man was being held.


    Song Wen had originally nned to use the Sacred Gus to ambush Su Xiuyong and the others, but that was no longer possible.


    One of the Sacred Gus crawled into the mustached man''s nostril and bit through his heart meridian.


    Song Wen bypassed the two airships above and headed toward Qingping Mountain.


    Momentster, the Su family arrivedte, with their patriarch, Su Anqing, among them.


    Su Anqing was a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose spiritual sense had the widest range. He was the first to discover the mustached man''s body in the rock crevice.


    "Search thoroughly! Don''t overlook any clue," Su Anqing ordered coldly.


    The Su family''s consecutive losses of Foundation Establishment experts had made him, as patriarch, furious.


    The Su family members carefully searched the area,bing through several dozen miles ofnd, but found nothing. Frustrated, they left empty-handed.


    ...


    Back in his hidden residence, Song Wen changed into a new set of clothes and, feigning a sleepy look, stepped outside again.


    He entered the gate of Qingping Mountain and went to the alchemy room.


    At this time, it was still early.


    Su Huayue was already on duty in the alchemy room.


    After collecting the ingredients for the Spirit Condensing Pill from her, Song Wen headed straight to the alchemy chamber.


    When Song Wen returned to Qingping Mountain on his sword, he had already felt intense fluctuations in his sea of consciousness. This was a sign of his spiritual sense advancing.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thest time his spiritual sense advanced was after he devoured Wu Ren''s soul. Since then, Song Wen had devoured many more cultivators'' souls, including several from Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    This allowed his spiritual sense to grow stronger, and he was finally on the verge of advancing again.


    Releasing two Sacred Gus to stand guard, and setting up the "Spirit Concealment Formation" inside the alchemy room, Song Wen sat down cross-legged, focused his mind, and began cultivating the "Forbidden Divine Art."


    TL: Forbidden Divine Art, first mentioned in Chapter 37.


    The souls of Su Wei and Su Gu that he had just devoured broke down into soul fragments, nourishing the expansion of his sea of consciousness.


    As he cultivated, time slowly passed.


    Three dayster, Song Wen opened his eyes, and a sharp light shed in them, briefly unsettling. This was due to his spiritual sense having grown so much in strength that he wasn''t yet fully ustomed to it.


    Song Wen''s spiritual sense had advanced to the point where it was nowparable to a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    His spiritual detection range expanded to four miles. With the help of the Sacred Gus, he could now sense up to sixteen miles, equivalent to ate-stage Core Formation cultivator.


    Through the two Sacred Gus that were standing guard outside, Song Wen learned that an hour earlier, Su Huayue hade to knock on the stone door of the alchemy room, having noticed that Song Wen hadn''t left the room for three days.


    Seeing that there was no response from Song Wen inside, she hadn''t forced her way in and had simply left.


    When alchemists encounter unexpected situations during refining, it''smon for them to exhaust their spiritual and mental energy, even getting injured. It''s not unusual for alchemists to stay in the alchemy chamber for several days to recuperate.


    Knowing that Su Huayue hade by, Song Wen felt a bit nervous. Fortunately, she hadn''t


    forced her way in. Otherwise, his spiritual sense advancement might have failed, and his secret identity might have been exposed.


    It wasn''t that Song Wen was careless-his spiritual sense advancements in the past had always beenpleted within a day. It had never taken this long before.


    Song Wen took out ten Spirit Condensing Pills and ced them in the alchemy furnace, then


    left them alone.


    He continued to sit in meditation, adjusting to his newly strengthened spiritual sense.


    Two hourster, Song Wen finished his meditation.


    By then, he had fully adapted to his enhanced spiritual sense, able to control it freely.


    Song Wen retrieved the pills from the alchemy furnace.


    Though he hadn''t used Earth Fire, the heat radiating from the furnace had slightly infused the pills with fire energy, making them no different from freshly refined pills.


    After dismantling the Qi Concealing and Spirit Isting Array, Song Wen opened the stone


    door and walked out of the alchemy chamber, heading to the main hall of the alchemy room.


    He handed the jade bottle containing the Spirit Condensing Pills to Su Huayue.


    "Officer Su, here are ten Spirit Condensing Pills."


    Su Huayue took the jade bottle, checked the contents, and nodded after confirming everything


    was in order.


    "Why did this batch of pills take three whole days to refine?" she asked.


    Song Wen put on a tired expression, as if barely holding himself together from mental


    exhaustion.


    "There was a slight mishap during the final batch. I suffered a minor injury to my sea of consciousness and had to meditate and heal inside the alchemy room, which took some time."


    Su Huayue nodded, this was about what she had expected.


    "Rest tomorrow, Alchemist Yuan. Take the day to fully recover your sea of consciousness."


    "The sea of consciousness is vital to us cultivators. You mustn''t take it lightly. If it doesn''t heal properly, it could leave lingering problems and hinder your future cultivation."


    Song Wen''s lips twitched. Su Huayue''s concern seemed a bit excessive.


    A damaged sea of consciousness isn''t something that can be fully healed in just one day!


    She was likely more concerned about Song Wen''s sea of consciousness being too weak to perform alchemy the next day, which is why she gave him a day off.


    As for whether Song Wen''s sea of consciousness would have any lingering issues, she couldn''t


    care less. The fate of an outsider like him was of no interest to her.


    If it weren''t for the fact that the Grand Elder had been pushing for more pills recently, she


    wouldn''t even have asked about Song Wen''s condition.


    Song Wen forced a grateful expression and sped his hands in thanks.


    "Thank you, Officer Su, for your concern. Yuan Cheng will remember this."


    After bidding farewell to Su Huayue, Song Wen returned to his residence.


    After two hours of peaceful meditation, dusk arrived.


    Ending his meditation, Song Wen headed to the dining hall as usual. asionally, useful


    information could be gathered there.


    However, today he didn''t obtain any valuable information.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 209: Cultivating Medicine Using the Living

    Chapter 209: Cultivating Medicine Using the Living


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After dinner, the sun had already set, leaving only the afterglow to illuminate the earth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Song Wen did not return to his quarters. Instead, he pretended to take a stroll for digestion, heading towards the west side of Qingping Mountain.


    On the west side of Qingping Mountain, there was a spirit field spanning several hundred acres. Most of the Su family''s spiritual herbs were grown there.


    Song Wen had been with the Su family for over half a month now but had yet to visit the spirit field.


    Perhaps for safety reasons, the spirit field was located at the foot of Qingping Mountain.


    In the midst of the surrounding rugged mountains, there was a t area of nearly a thousand acres, making the presence of the spirit field somewhat abrupt.


    Around the edges of the spirit field stood stone towers. Shadows moved atop the towers-Su family guards stationed to protect the field.


    Standing by a small pond a few miles from the spirit field, Song Wen gazed at the sunset, pretending to admire the view. In reality, he had already sent out six Sacred Gu.


    With the help of the Gu, Song Wen surveyed the entire spirit field.


    The spirit field, though said to span several hundred acres, was less than two miles across in diameter.


    Even from several miles away, the entire spirit field was within Song Wen''s spiritual sense range.


    At the center of the field stood a row of low, wooden houses, old and shabby in appearance, much like the rustic huts farmers use for temporary rest in the fields.


    There were ten such houses, four of which had a Foundation Establishment cultivator inside, each meditating in a cross-legged position.


    One of them was at thete stage of Foundation Establishment, two at the mid-stage, and one at the early stage.


    These four cultivators were the real force guarding the spirit field. The guards in the stone towers outside served mostly as lookouts.


    The row of old wooden houses was meant to deceive intruders, giving the impression that there was no danger within, lulling them into a false sense of security. In reality, the true dangery within those houses.


    Though the spirit field was close to Qingping Mountain, the Su family still assigned four Foundation Establishment cultivators for long-term duty, which showed how much importance they ced on the field.


    The Sacred Gu also discovered a hundred-meter-high cliff, carved into the side of Qingping Mountain near the spirit field.


    On this cliff were a dozen cave entrances, neatly arranged, each about ten feet high.


    Each cave entrance was protected by an array, preventing anyone from sensing whaty within.


    Though Song Wen''s spiritual sense couldn''t prate the caves, he keenly detected faint traces of corpse energy lingering around the entrances.


    The fact that corpse energy remained despite the array''s istion meant that the array was frequently activated, allowing the energy to escape.


    Leaving two Sacred Gu clinging to the stone walls near the cave entrances to keep watch, Song Wen turned and headed back to his quarters.


    There was an old saying, "Avoid suspicion." Though he was still several miles away from the spirit field, staying too long in the area could easily arouse suspicion.


    Around midnight, one of the Sacred Gu returned to Song Wen''s quarters.


    The Gu informed Song Wen that the barrier protecting the cave entrances had disappeared.


    Since the distance between the spirit field and his quarters was about seventy miles, beyond the range of his spiritual sense, the Sacred Gu had toe all the way back to deliver the message, while the other Gu took the opportunity to enter the caves.


    Receiving this news, Song Wen slipped out of his quarters under cover of darkness, heading toward the spirit field.


    When he was just a few miles from the field, he suddenly stopped at the edge of a dense forest.


    He recalled that Su Shan had once mentioned that there were many traps and killing arrays hidden in the forests on Qingping Mountain. If one were to fall into them, even if they weren''t killed by the arrays, they would still expose their whereabouts, drawing the attention of Su family cultivators.


    Since there were traps in the forests of Qingping Mountain, it was highly likely that there were simr arrays in the forests surrounding the spirit field.


    Flying over the forest directly would definitely not escape the notice of the guards stationed


    in the stone towers around the spirit field.


    The forest, then, was not an option.


    The only option was to find a ce to hide and use the Sacred Gu to investigate everything inside the cave.


    Song Wen looked around and his gaze fell on the small pond he had visited earlier that evening.


    The pond wasn''t deep, only about three meters, but it was enough to hide his body.


    Song Wen did not enter the pond but used the Sacred Gu to sense everything happening inside


    the cave.


    At that moment, the barrier at the cave entrance had not been reactivated, and the entrance remained wide open.


    After walking a hundred meters into the cave, a massive chamber, over ten acres wide,


    appeared in front of him.


    On the ground of the chamber, faint, glowing light emanated.


    Upon closer inspection, the glow came from palm-sized lingzhi mushrooms.


    These lingzhi mushrooms were not growing on the ground, but on human skulls.


    Each lingzhi was attached to aplete human corpse, specifically growing from the left eye


    socket of the skull.


    These lingzhi were exactly the "Yellow Essence Mushroom" that Song Wen had been desperately searching for.


    The corpse energy Song Wen had detected at the cave entrance hade from these bodies, along with the stench of decaying flesh.


    The degree of decay on the corpses varied-some still had decayed, ckened flesh, while others were nothing more than white bones.


    Inside the abdominal cavity of some of these skeletons was a bowl-sized, underdeveloped


    infant skeleton.


    It turned out that these corpses used to cultivate Yellow Essence Mushroom were all women


    who had been pregnant!


    The Yellow Essence Mushroom mushrooms parasitizing these corpses varied in age.


    The age of the Yellow Essence Mushroom was not determined by their size but by their color.


    When newly sprouted, the Yellow Essence Mushroom was pale yellow. As it matured, the color darkened, turning from yellow to brownish-yellow. At this point, it had reached around ten years of maturity and could already be used as a spiritual herb for refining pills.


    As it aged further, the brownish-yellow turned to dark brown, then to dark red, and finally to


    jet ck. This color signified that the Yellow Essence Mushroom was over a thousand years


    old.


    In the cave, there were more than a thousand Yellow Essence Mushroom mushrooms, but most were rtively young, aged between ten to forty years.


    Considering that these mushrooms were carefully cultivated by the Su family, their actual age


    might be longer than their natural growth period, indicating that the Su family had likely started cultivating them within thest decade or so.


    Moreover, Song Wen noticed that these Yellow Essence Mushroom were not identical to the three he had obtained from the man with the mustache.


    These mushrooms carried a peculiar trace of vitality, something ordinary Yellow Essence


    Mushroom did not possess.


    This vitality was like the energy of a rising sun, brimming with life. It was also reminiscent of


    the first sprout breaking through the frozen ground in early spring, full of vitality.


    In the cave, twote-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Su family were performing a Wind-Clearing Technique in various corners of the chamber.


    Gentle breezes swept through the cave, driving away the corpse energy and foul stench, and drawing in fresh, clean air from outside into the chamber.


    Seeing this, Song Wen understood the purpose of the dozen or so cave openings on the cliff-


    they were designed to ventte the chamber.


    Though the Yellow Essence Mushroom grew on human corpses, they couldn''t endure long-


    term exposure to corpse energy, or they would rot and wither.


    After about fifteen minutes, the foul and rotten air in the cave was entirely reced by clean


    air, and the two cultivators stopped casting their spells.


    They then began inspecting the growth of the Yellow Essence Mushroom one by one.


    One of them used spiritual power to lift a skeleton that had already weathered. His


    movements were slow and gentle, as if he was afraid of identally breaking the fragile bones.


    Of course, he wasn''t concerned about damaging the bones but about harming the Yellow Essence Mushroom parasitizing the skeleton.


    The Yellow Essence Mushroom on this particr skeleton had an estimated medicinal age of


    around seventy years.


    The base of the Yellow Essence Mushroom was connected to many white fungal fments.


    These fments, like the root systems of vine nts, were exceptionally developed, intricately entangled, and tightly wrapped around the entire skeleton, as if to extract the very


    last bit of nutrients from the bones.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 210: Devouring Yuan for Longevity

    Chapter 210: Devouring Yuan for Longevity


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In one corner of the cave, there were more than a dozen unconscious women.


    All of these women were around twenty years old, with swollen bellies, clearly nearing full- term pregnancy and close to giving birth.


    One of the Su family cultivators ced the skeleton, along with the Yellow Essence Mushroom growing on it, onto one of the women.


    The fungal fments entangled around the skeleton seemed toe to life, wriggling like worms. They started to detach from the weathered bones and slowly crawled toward the woman below.


    The fmentsnded on the woman''s skin, then gradually pierced through her flesh, extending into her body.


    The woman, feeling the pain, suddenly woke up, her eyes wide open.


    Fear, panic, terror...


    She wanted to scream and struggle with all her might.


    But how could the Su family cultivator stand by and let that happen? He cast a spell.


    The woman was immediately rendered speechless and immobile.


    Only her trembling body silently conveyed the boundless fear and pain in her heart.


    As the fments fully transferred to her body, the skeleton on top of her suddenly shattered into countless tiny bone fragments.


    Without the skeleton''s support, the Yellow Essence Mushroom suddenly fell,nding precisely in her left eye socket.


    At that moment, the woman''s eyes widened to an extreme, as if her eyeballs were about to pop out, her fear reaching its peak.


    The root of the Yellow Essence Mushroom quickly grew many fine fments, which pierced through her eyeball and burrowed into her brain.


    Amidst the woman''s endless agony and terror, her life slowly faded away.


    The Su family cultivator didn''t stop. He continued casting spells on the woman''s corpse.


    He sealed the corpse with spiritual power, slowing the natural decay, or else, within a month, the body would rot away, leaving only bones.


    Even Song Wen, a corpse expert from the Corpse Demon Sect, felt a trace of difort seeing the entire process of cultivating the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    The Su family was using living people, specifically pregnant women, to cultivate the spiritual herb. The hosts were killed by the parasitic fungal fments of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    The cruelty of it was no less than the practices of demonic sects-perhaps even worse.


    At the same time, Song Wen was puzzled.


    ording to the alchemical knowledge left by Rong Jingyun, the Yellow Essence Mushroom cultivated by the Beast Master Sect was grown from the corpses of demonic beasts.


    The spiritual energy contained in demonic beast corpses was far stronger than that of ordinary pregnant women. In theory, demonic beast corpses should be better for the growth of Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Why, then, did the Su family use living, ordinary pregnant women as hosts?


    Apart from being slightly more "alive" than demonic beast corpses, Song Wen couldn''t think of anything particrly special about them.


    ...


    Inside the cave, six members of the Su family were methodically handling the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    After they had finished transnting the mushrooms onto the dozen or so women, they brought out arge quantity of spiritual stone powder and scattered it over the corpses, allowing the fments to absorb it.


    Suddenly.


    One of them copsed to the ground without any warning. Under the skin of his chest, a bulge the size of an egg appeared, moving rapidly through his body. His body began to shrink at a visible rate.


    The sudden change caught the attention of the other five. Before they could react, they too suffered the same fate.


    Within the span of twenty breaths, the six Sacred Gu had devoured the six cultivators'' bodies entirely, leaving only their clothing behind.


    One of the Sacred Gu crawled out from beneath the clothing, lightly vibrating its wings. In an instant, it flew toward one of the cave exits.


    It picked up a blue ring from the ground and returned to the cave.


    The other five Sacred Gu flew around the cave, uprooting one Yellow Essence Mushroom after another and bringing them to the ring.


    The ring shed with blue light, drawing the Yellow Essence Mushroom into it.


    In just a few dozen breaths, more than a thousand Yellow Essence Mushroom in the cave were harvested, with only a few dozen nts under ten years of age remaining.


    After collecting the clothing left by the six people, one Sacred Gu grabbed a storage ring, while the other five took the six storage bags and rushed out of the cave.


    Ensuring that there were no other people around, Song Wen surfaced from the pool, retrieved the storage ring and the Sacred Gu, and headed back to his residence.


    While the six in the cave were ventting it, Song Wen had the five Sacred Gu take a storage


    ring and slowly fly into the cave.


    Then, he suddenlyunched a sneak attack, killing all six.


    After establishing their foundation, cultivators can manipte storage rings from a distance within the range of their spiritual sense.


    About a quarter of an hour after Song Wen left, a su family male cultivator with thick brows and a square face arrived at the cave entrance on his sword.


    Every day at midnight, the Su family members would activate the cave''s formation to rece the polluted air inside and tend to the Yellow Essence Mushroom, which usually took about


    fifteen minutes.


    Today, it had been a quarter and a half since the six family members entered the cave, and they still hadn''t returned, causing him to feel suspicious, so he decided to check it himself.


    Upon reaching the cliff''s edge, he noticed that the more than ten openings in the cliff were still open, and there was no sign of any living presence in the cave. A bad premonition rose in his heart.


    He quickly entered the cave and, upon seeing the mess inside, found that nearly all the Yellow Essence Mushroom had disappeared, along with the six family members.


    The square-faced cultivator''s expression turned extremely ugly. He hurriedly exited the cave, took out a jade slip, and crushed it.


    A beam of white light shone above the spirit field, illuminating the entire area as bright as


    day.


    The sudden appearance of this phenomenon caught the attention of all the Su family cultivators in the spirit field, including those on Qingping Mountain.


    After a few breaths, more than a dozen figures appeared beside the square-faced cultivator.


    "Su Yuan, what happened that warrants you activating the family''s emergency


    communication symbol?"


    A tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged cultivator with thick brows andrge eyes asked.


    This person was Su Anqing, head of the Su family.


    The square-faced cultivator, referred to as Su Yuan, looked at Su Anqing without caring for etiquette and directly stated, "The Yellow Essence Mushroom has been stolen!"


    He then briefly exined the situation in just a few sentences.


    Su Anqing''s expression turned ashen, a suppressed fury seeming to boil within him. His voice


    was low and filled with murderous intent.


    "Find them for me! Mobilize all forces of the Su family. Search the area thoroughly and bring


    back the Yellow Essence Mushroom!"


    Immediately, the more than ten su family cultivators took their orders and began mobilizing


    the entire Su family to search the surroundings.


    An elderly man, frail and with darkened skin, who appeared rather sinister and seemed to


    have very little flesh on him, did not leave.


    He coldly red at Su Anqing, clearly displeased with him.


    Su Anqing nced at the sinister elder and coldly said, "What? Does the Grand Elder have any


    objections to my orders?"


    The Grand Elder, Su Wenshi, snorted coldly.


    "Su Anqing, the Yellow Essence Mushroom is crucial for the ancestor''s longevity. Now that


    the Yellow Essence Mushroom is missing, your Su family cannot evade responsibility. If this dys the ancestor''s longevity, I''ll be curious to see how you exin it to the ancestor and to


    the Su family''s predecessors."


    After speaking, Su Wenshi turned and left.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 211: Search

    Chapter 211: Search


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen returned to his residence.


    He set up the "Qi-Locking Array" in the room.


    A pile of jade boxes suddenly appeared on the bed. Song Wen took out the yellow spiritual mushrooms from his storage ring and arranged them in order of age, sealing each one in a jade box.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Since arriving at the Su family, he had acquired many storage rings, some of which contained empty jade boxes. He retrieved all of these boxes.


    However, the amount of yellow spiritual mushrooms he had gathered was overwhelming- more than a thousand stalks-and there weren''t enough jade boxes, leaving over a hundred stalks with nowhere to be stored.


    Jade boxes can slow the dispersal of the medicinal power of the yellow mushrooms to the maximum extent. If left in a storage ring for too long, the mushrooms'' medicinal properties would gradually weaken.


    As Song Wen was troubled by the excess yellow mushrooms, the Sacred Gu that was guarding outside sent a message: arge group of Su family members were heading towards the courtyard where foreign cultivators resided.


    "They''reing so quickly!" Song Wen muttered to himself.


    With a thought, a blood-red coffin appeared in the room.


    He opened the coffin, revealing a third-grade pseudo-silver corpse inside.


    Song Wen ced all the remaining yellow mushrooms into the corpse-raising coffin.


    ording to the " True Exnation of Corpse Puppets," the yellow spiritual mushroom is a parasitic spiritual nt on corpses and has the effect of nourishing them. Since he had no better way to store the excess mushrooms, it was better to feed them to the silver corpse than to let their medicinal properties dissipate in the storage ring.


    After putting away the coffin, he collected all the jade boxes into the storage ring.


    Song Wen dismantled the "Qi-Locking Array" and swallowed the storage ring into his stomach.


    The Su family only had one early-stage Golden Core cultivator, who was old and near the end of his life. It was unlikely that he would personally descend to the courtyard of foreign cultivators just to investigate the missing yellow mushrooms.


    As for the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Su family, Song Wen was confident he could avoid detection.


    For the other empty storage rings, Song Wenmanded the Sacred Gu to drill a hole, less than an inch deep, in the open ground behind the house, where he buried them deep underground.


    After finishing all this, Song Wen sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and began meditating.


    Suddenly!


    A giant ball of light appeared in the pitch-ck sky over the courtyard.


    The light ball, over ten feet in diameter, emitted a blinding light, illuminating the hundreds of houses in the courtyard as bright as day.


    All the cultivators in the courtyard were disturbed by the light and got up to investigate.


    Ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Su family hovered in the air, shouting loudly.


    "Everyone inside, listen up! I am Su Junhao, the Great Elder of the Su family. No matter who you are, you have ten breaths toe out of your rooms. If you don''t, you will be considered enemies of the Su family and imprisoned!"


    "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."


    As the countdown began, the foreign cultivators in each house realized that something serious had happened. The Su family wouldn''t act this drastically otherwise. No one dared dy and quickly exited their rooms.


    "...One."


    When the countdown ended, almost all of the foreign cultivators were standing in the open area outside their houses.


    Only about a dozen foreign cultivators, for some unknown reason, had note out on time.


    Su Junhao''s eyes shed coldly as he looked at the still-closed rooms. He shouted down to the nearly one hundred Su family Qi Refining disciples standing below him.


    "Drag them out! If they resist, kill them on the spot."


    The Su family disciples, trained like a disciplined army, divided into several squads and swiftly rushed towards the closed doors.


    Before they could reach the house, one door suddenly opened.


    A foreign cultivator inside rushed out and shouted, "I''ming out! Don''t capture me!"


    The Su family members paid no heed to his exnation. Several of them surrounded him, knocked him to the ground, and tightly bound him with chains.


    The situation was the same in the remaining dozen houses. Whether the upants


    voluntarily opened the door or the Su family broke in, all of them were captured.


    Seeing this unfold, the group of foreign cultivators standing in the open space began to stir uneasily.


    Though they worked for the Su family, they had not sold themselves to the family. Their rtionship with the Su family was one of equals, not that of master and servant. Moreover, they were respected in the cultivation world as alchemists, talisman makers, weapon refiners, and formation masters.


    The Su family had captured people without any exnation or reason, naturally causing


    discontent among them.


    As the crowd below became noisier, Su Junhao suddenly roared.


    "Those who don''t want to die, be silent!"


    As the second elder of the Su family, Su Junhao was in charge of all the spiritual fields, and the


    loss of the yellow spiritual mushrooms was his responsibility.


    He was desperate to recover the mushrooms to lessen his me.


    The Su family had sent nearly all their members to search for suspicious individuals around Qingping Mountain, and they were also conducting an internal investigation within the


    family.


    Foreign cultivators like Song Wen were naturally their prime suspects.


    Of the many foreign cultivators, only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators lived in the


    caves higher up on Qingping Mountain. The rest resided in this courtyard at the foot of the


    mountain.


    Su Junhao released the full extent of histe-stage Foundation Establishment pressure, enveloping the entire courtyard with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, like the calm before a


    storm.


    The foreign cultivators below, feeling the weight of his pressure, fell silent. The courtyard became so quiet that even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.


    Seeing that the situation was now under control, Su Junhao looked at the dozen foreign


    cultivators who had been captured and shouted loudly.


    "Take them to the prison for interrogation under torture."


    In truth, Su Junhao didn''t expect to get any useful information from these cultivators.


    Most of them were only at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and the possibility of their involvement in the yellow mushroom theft was slim.


    When he noticed that these people were slow toe out, Su Junhao had immediately


    focused his spiritual sense on them. He saw clearly that they had dyed leaving their rooms because they didn''t want certain personal secrets to be exposed.


    Among them was a pair of illicit lovers, too afraid to reveal their affair in front of everyone, who had hidden in their room, not daring toe out.


    But now, Su Junhao needed to establish his authority. Whether these dozen people were involved or not, they were doomed to be imprisoned.


    After a squad of Su family cultivators took the dozen foreign loose cultivators away, Su


    Junhao shouted loudly.


    "Search!"


    Dozens of Su family members rushed into the various houses and began searching.


    They were thorough in their search, checking every corner inside and outside the houses, including door cracks, wall gaps, and floor crevices, leaving nothing unexamined.


    After their search, the houses looked as if a hurricane had swept through them, with furniture


    turned upside down. In some suspicious areas, they directly dismantled parts of the house. Doors, walls, and even floor tiles were torn apart.


    What was once a neat courtyard had now turned into a scene of utter devastation.


    They found many hidden items in the houses, which were all handed over to Su Junhao for inspection, but none were rted to the stolen yellow spiritual mushrooms.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 212: The Su Family Ancestor

    Chapter 212: The Su Family Ancestor


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Many of the foreign cultivators wore expressions of discontent as they watched their hidden treasures being uncovered. However, due to Su Junhao''s oppressive presence, they could only simmer in silent anger.


    After searching through all the houses and finding no clues, Su Junhao''s gaze shifted towards the many foreign cultivators below.


    He knew he couldn''t afford topletely offend these foreign cultivators just yet.


    First, the Su family would still need them in the future.


    Second, if these foreign loose cultivators were pushed too far and there was a riot, the thief among them could very well use the chaos to escape.


    Su Junhao spoke loudly, "Everyone, rest assured that all your treasures will be returned. The Su family is a righteous n and will not stoop to robbery and steal your belongings."


    "Calling everyone here in the middle of the night was done for good reason, and I ask for your understanding. Tonight, a bandit infiltrated our spiritual fields and stole some medicinal herbs. Although the herbs aren''t of high value, the Su family is a respected family of Golden Core cultivators, and we won''t tolerate such audacity. We are determined to catch the thief."


    "Now, I ask that everyone hand over your storage pouches for our Foundation Establishment cultivators to inspect. If nothing suspicious is found, not only will you clear your names, but you will also get your treasures back."


    Song Wen nced at Su Junhao in the sky, his expression full of doubt.


    Why was the Su family so unwilling to openly mention the stolen Yellow Essence mushrooms?


    Was it to protect their reputation?


    Or was it because these yellow mushrooms, which were cultivated with live human bodies, had some special purpose that couldn''t be revealed easily?


    Watching the Su family mobilize such a massive force, Song Wen felt a sense of satisfaction.


    The more anxious the Su family was, the more important the yellow mushrooms clearly were to them.


    Isn''t the whole point of revenge to make your enemy suffer?


    Consider this payback for what happened outside East Huafang Market, where the Su family tried to forcibly take him away.


    The foreign cultivators, upon hearing Su Junhao''s words, were mostly indignant.


    The Su family was actually suspecting them of being thieves!


    How could they, as mere Qi Refining cultivators, have the ability to sneak into the heavily guarded spiritual fields and steal the herbs?


    Moreover, the Su family had mobilized such arge force; how could the stolen goods be ordinary items?


    Did the Su family think they were fools?


    Though they felt wronged, the cultivators had no choice but toply due to the overwhelming power disparity.


    Most of the foreign loose cultivators removed their storage pouches, waiting for the Su family cultivators to search them.


    In the sky, Su Junhao frowned deeper and deeper as he watched this unfold.


    He had already scanned these foreign cultivators with his spiritual sense no less than ten times, but found nothing.


    This made him doubt whether the thief was even among these foreign loose cultivators. If the thief wasn''t here, tonight''s massive effort would have been aplete waste.


    Not only had they offended many foreign cultivators, but they had also expended considerable manpower and time here, possibly allowing the real thief to escape.


    Now, his only hope was that the body searches would reveal some clues.


    The Su family had dispatched ten male and ten female family members to conduct a thorough search of the foreign cultivators.


    Storage pouches, outer clothing, undergarments, shoes, socks-everything was carefully inspected.


    ...


    Half an hourter, Su Junhao''s face was as dark as a stormy sky.


    After searching every foreign cultivator, they found nothing except a few personal secrets.


    After a long silence, Su Junhao finally spoke.


    "Everyone, return to your rooms. Without the Su family''s permission, no one is allowed to take even one step outside."


    Then, he turned to the Su family members and said, "Guard this ce well. Do not let a single person leave. If there is any movement, crush the family''s emergency jade tokenN?v(el)B\\jnn


    immediately."


    Before he even finished speaking, Su Junhao''s figure vanished from the sky, destination


    unknown.


    Seeing Su Junhao leave, the crowd returned to their respective houses as ordered.


    However, with doors and windows broken, and walls copsed, it didn''t seem like any of these houses could still be lived in.


    The crowd consisted of cultivators, and neither the harsh elements nor sleepless nights had any effect on them.


    ...


    At the peak of Qingping Mountain.


    Inside the Su Family''s deliberation hall.


    At this moment, there were four people present in the hall.


    The Su Family Patriarch, Su Anqing, the First Elder Su Wenshi, the Second Elder Su Junhao,


    and a middle-aged man dressed in a grey long robe, exuding a schrly air.


    Thetter was the Fourth Elder of the Su Family, Su Yuanzheng.


    Also, there was the Fifth Elder, Su Xiuyong, who was stationed at the northern market and had


    not yet returned. These five were the true power holders of the Su Family.


    There used to be a Third Elder, Su Jingshu, but he had died in the Blood Spirit Crystal Mine.


    Su Anqing turned his gaze towards the Second and Fourth Elders and asked.


    "Have you found any clues about the bandits?"


    The two looked dejected and shook their heads.


    "We have thoroughly searched all of Qingping Mountain, including the areas where outside cultivators reside, the Su Family''s town, and even the surrounding hundred-mile radius, but


    we found no clues."


    Upon hearing this, the four fell into silence.


    The matter of the Yellow Essence Mushroom herb was critical to the Ancestor''s life extension.


    If all the highly valuable Yellow Essence Mushroom herbs were lost, it would inevitably affect the preparations for the "Devouring Soul Array."


    The Ancestor, Su Qian, was nearing the end of his lifespan, and since the Su Family had not yet produced a new Golden Core cultivator, any misstep in the life-extension process could mean


    a thorny future for the Su Family.


    Suddenly, First Elder Su Wenshi spoke.


    "ording to Fifth Elder Su Xiuyong, four days ago, a second-rank alchemist appeared at the


    northern market, seeking to buy Yellow Essence Mushroom herbs everywhere. This person also killed Su Wei and Su Gu."


    "Additionally, some of our family members reported that four days ago, a stranger appeared


    in the Su Family''s town, inquiring everywhere about Ghost Needle Grass and Yellow Essence Mushroom."


    "The person who appeared in the Su Family''s town, the northern market, and stole the Yellow Essence Mushroom herb that night is likely the same individual."


    A sh of killing intent appeared in Su Anqing''s eyes.


    "An alchemist!"


    "Then thoroughly investigate all non-Su Family alchemists, whether they are first-rank or second-rank. It is better to kill the wrong person than let the culprit escape."


    "There are various arrays hidden around the spiritual fields. For someone to infiltrate the


    spiritual fields unnoticed and urately locate the Yellow Essence Mushroom, it is impossible that they know nothing about the Su Family. Moreover, since they appeared both at the market and in the town, the thief is likely hiding within the Su Family."


    The Second Elder Su Junhao and the Fourth Elder Su Yuanzheng exchanged nces and


    replied.


    "Understood!"


    With that, the two turned and left the deliberation hall.


    After the two departed, First Elder Su Wenshi said.


    "The chances of retrieving the Yellow Essence Mushroom herb are slim. We should report the


    theft to the Ancestor immediately and prepare a backup n. There can be no room for error


    in the Ancestor''s life extension."


    Su Anqing nodded.


    The two then flew on their swords, heading toward the valley where Patriarch Su Qian was in


    seclusion.


    ...


    On the eastern side of Qingping Mountain.


    In a bamboo grove, a finely crafted wooden house stood nestled among the trees.


    In front of the house, a crystal-clear stream flowed, and the sound of the babbling water added to the serene and peaceful atmosphere of the bamboo forest.


    Su Anqing and Su Wenshi descended in front of the wooden house, bowed, and saluted.


    "Patriarch, we have an important matter to report."


    Creak!


    The wooden door opened without a breeze.


    An elderly man with white hair and a kind, immortal-like appearance floated out of the


    house, his feet not touching the ground.


    "You two havee together today. Has something significant happened within the family?"


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 213: Everyone Has Their Own Fate

    Chapter 213: Everyone Has Their Own Fate


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Faced with Su Qian''s question, a trace of fear shed in Su Anqing''s eyes. He steadied his mind before answering.


    "Ancestor, the Yellow Essence Mushroom has been stolen. A thief infiltrated the spiritual field and stole all the mushrooms that were over ten years old."


    Su Qian, who had just moments ago appeared calm and graceful like an immortal, immediately darkened. His expression became as stormy as a sky overcast with dark clouds, and his eyes burned with fury.


    "Useless fools! What good are you?"


    Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from Su Qian, his powerful presence crashing over Su Anqing and Su Wenshi like a violent tidal wave.


    Neither dared resist, allowing the overwhelming force to sweep them up. They were flung dozens of meters away,nding straight in the stream outside the wooden house.


    Their bodies were soaked by the water, looking utterly wretched.


    After a moment, Su Qian seemed to suppress his anger temporarily. He frowned in thought for a while before speaking again.


    "How many of the cultivators practicing the Longevity Technique have you captured?"


    Su Anqing bowed his head low. "Ancestor, we''ve captured over 900, and they are all young adult cultivators in theter stages of Qi Refining."


    "Work quickly. You must gather a thousand within half a month."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Understood!"


    Seeing that the ancestor had no more instructions, Su Wenshi, the elder who had remained silent, finally spoke.


    "Ancestor, without the Yellow Essence Mushroom, will the effects of the Devouring Soul Array be impacted?"


    Su Qian replied, "The Yellow Essence Mushroom is used to activate the Devouring Soul Array, but there is another method that is even more effective. Not only can it extend life, but it can also allow me to advance my cultivation further, breaking through the mid-stage of the Golden Core. However, the difficulty and risk are greatly increased. I have been hesitant about using this method, but perhaps the theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom is a sign from the heavens."


    Upon hearing this, Su Anqing let out a sigh of relief. Since there was a better alternative, the loss of the Yellow Essence Mushroom seemed less critical. The ancestor likely wouldn''t punish them.


    However, a glint of light shed in Su Wenshi''s eyes.


    Especially when he heard the phrase "advance cultivation further," his heart couldn''t help but skip a beat.


    Su Wenshi asked, "May I ask, Ancestor, what preparations are needed to activate the Devouring Soul Array using this alternative method?"


    Su Qian replied, "There''s nothing you need to do. Just focus on gathering a thousand sacrifices alive as soon as possible."


    As soon as the words fell, Su Qian seemed to remember something and gave further instructions.


    "Send a message to Lady Qingyan of the Beastmaster Sect, inviting her toe to the Su family ten days from now to assist me."


    "Ten days from now!" Su Anqing looked up, surprised, and asked Su Qian, "Ancestor, isn''t that a bit rushed?"


    Su Qian replied, "Time waits for no one. My health is deteriorating quickly; I can''t afford to wait."


    ...


    Song Wen watched as Elder Su Junhao returned once again, looking somewhat surprised. The Su family was still not giving up-they were continuing to investigate the foreign cultivators.


    Why was the Su family so certain that the thief was hiding within their ranks? Could it be that they had discovered something?


    "All alchemists, step forward and cooperate with the Su family''s investigation."


    Su Junhao, floating in mid-air, shouted loudly.


    Eighty-some alchemists, including Song Wen, stepped out of their houses again.


    This time, the Su family''s investigation was far more thorough. Not only did they conduct body searches, but they also dug up the houses where the alchemists were living, down to three feet below the ground.


    Every alchemist''s residence waspletely torn down, with the areas in front and behind the houses dug several meters deep.


    Furthermore, they meticulously traced every alchemist''s movements over the past few days.


    Fortunately, Song Wen''s recent activities could withstand scrutiny. Su Huayue, who shared an alchemy room with him, could testify that for the past seven days, Song Wen had been continuously refining pills.


    Although Song Wen was not in the alchemy room on the night Su Wei and Su Gu were killed,


    he covered it up by saying he was at his residence, meditating and recovering his spiritual and mental energy. It was well-known that alchemy consumed a lot of mental and spiritual power, and the only way to recover was through meditation or rest.


    That night, Song Wen wasn''t the only alchemist resting in his room. More than half of the alchemists were resting, and the Su family couldn''t possibly detain all of them.


    Song Wen originally thought that the Su family would carry out a prolonged and thorough investigation into the theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    But by dawn, the Su family suddenly ceased their efforts, abruptly halting the investigation.


    At least on the surface, there were no further inquiries. This made the grand investigation from the previous night seem like nothing more than a farce.


    The dozen or so foreign rogue cultivators who had been detained in prison were released as well. Apart from some minor injuries, they werergely unharmed.


    The Su family issued a notice: Everything fromst night was now concluded, and the Su family wouldpensate for all damages caused during the investigation. The Su family sincerely requested that the foreign cultivators put aside any grievances and continue to work diligently for them.


    This left many of the foreign cultivators confused, unsure of what the Su family was up to.


    However, Song Wen vaguely sensed that something was about to happen in the Su family, and they were using this method to cate the foreign cultivators, ensuring the Su family could weather the storm smoothly.


    And sure enough, Song Wen''s suspicions soon proved correct.


    Today, as arranged by Su Huayue, Song Wen had a day off. He spent the entire day meditating


    and cultivating in his newly arranged quarters.


    It wasn''t until dusk that Song Wen left his room and headed to the dining hall.


    In the dining hall, he once again encountered Duan Jie and Qi Xiong, along with others.


    "Today, I told Steward Su Huayue that I wanted to leave the Su family," said a female cultivator named Gao Yan.


    "I also submitted my resignation," said Duan Jie.


    There were seven people at the table, and five of them said they had gone to resign today.


    Only Song Wen and Qi Xiong hadn''t.


    Not wanting to stand out, Song Wen chimed in.


    "You all went to resign today? Last night scared this old man half to death. I want to resign


    too, but I had the day off today and haven''t had the chance. Did Steward Su ept your


    resignations?"


    Gao Yan shook her head and replied, "Not yet. Steward Su assured us thatst night''s incident won''t happen again and even raised our monthly sries to persuade us to stay."


    "The more they try to calm us, the less secure I feel. I can''t shake the feeling that something


    big is about to happen in the Su family. In two days, it''ll be the end of the month. Once I collect my sry, I''ll leave, whether the Su family agrees or not."


    Gao Yan spoke with clear concern, and her words were met with agreement from the others.


    They all expressed their intention to leave with her after collecting their pay in two days.


    "Qi Xiong, aren''t you going to leave with us?" Duan Jie asked.


    Qi Xiong looked hesitant and stammered, "I... I''m not leaving. Today, Steward Su gifted me a Breakthrough Pill, and I promised her that I''d stay with the Su family for the next five years


    and continue to serve."


    Hearing this, the group stopped trying to convince him.


    Everyone has their own choices to make, and no matter how things turn out-whether good


    or bad-they must face the consequences themselves.


    "Then we wish you sess in breaking through your bottleneck, Qi Xiong, and hope you


    be ate-stage Qi Refining cultivator soon."


    The group congratted Qi Xiong, which firmed his resolve.


    Although they had been friends for several months, and could be considered close


    companions, everyone has their own path and their own opportunities.


    Qi Xiong''s opportunityy with the Su family, and he knew he had to seize it. There was no


    need to get tangled up with Duan Jie and the others.


    Perhaps in a few years, when they meet again, Qi Xiong will have be a second-tier alchemy master, while Duan Jie and the others are still stuck in the Qi Refining stage.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 214: Explosive Blood Pill

    Chapter 214: Explosive Blood Pill


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The next day.


    Song Wen arrived early at the alchemy room.


    After receiving a batch of Qi Gathering herbs from Su Huayue, he entered the alchemy chamber.


    He spent several hours refining three batches of Qi Gathering Pills to meet Su Huayue''s demands.


    Then, he set up the "Qi Concealing and Spirit Isting Array" and began attempting to improve the "Explosive Blood Pill."


    Taking out his own alchemy furnace, he followed the refining method for the Explosive Blood Pill recorded in Rong Jingyun''s jade slip, carefully adding various spiritual herbs one by one.


    The Yellow Essence Mushroom, which he used as the main herb for refining the Explosive Blood Pill, was obtained from Su Liu, a man with a handlebar mustache, and was over a hundred years old.


    Song Wen had acquired many Yellow Essence Mushroom from the Su family''s spiritual fields, but he always felt that their vitality was somewhat strange, so he didn''t use them recklessly.


    When he added the main herb, Yellow Essence Mushroom, and refined it into an herbal liquid, an explosion suddenly urred when he tried to fuse it with the auxiliary herbs.


    A puff of ck smoke rose from the furnace, filling the alchemy chamber.


    Song Wen took out a jade bottle and collected the ck smoke before taking out the jade slip again and carefully reviewing it.


    He understood that the explosion was caused by a conflict between the medicinal properties of Yellow Essence Mushroom and the auxiliary herbs.


    To solve this problem, he needed to find the right auxiliary herb to harmonize the properties of Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Yellow Essence Mushroom was amon second-tier spiritual herb, and the jade slip contained several pill recipes that all used it.


    Onemon feature of these recipes was the use of an auxiliary herb called Earth Mushroom Flower, which was evidently meant to bnce Yellow Essence Mushroom''s properties.


    Fortunately, Song Wen happened to have some Earth Mushroom Flower on hand.


    He set up the furnace again and tried once more.


    Following the recipe in the jade slip, he selected what he believed to be the right ratio and added Yellow Essence Mushroom and Earth Mushroom Flower.


    After fusing the Earth Mushroom Flower liquid with the Yellow Essence Mushroom liquid, and then merging it with the other spiritual herbs, this time the furnace did not explode.


    The refining process went smoothly, so smoothly that Song Wen found it hard to believe.


    However, when he began to condense the pill, the medicinal liquid inside the furnace suddenly spiraled out of control, the medicinal power rapidly dissipating. In the blink of an eye, all that was left in the furnace was a sticky ck substance, with almost no spiritual energy remaining.


    The pill condensation had failed, but Song Wen wasn''t discouraged. Instead, he grew more excited.


    The failure had been due to an improper ratio of Yellow Essence Mushroom to the other auxiliary herbs. As long as he could find the right ratio, the pill could be sessfully condensed.


    He didn''t attempt another refinement right away, as two days had already passed. Staying in the alchemy chamber too long might attract unwanted attention.


    After packing up the furnace and the Qi Concealing and Spirit Isting Array, Song Wen left the chamber.


    When he returned to the main hall to hand over the Qi Gathering Pills to Su Huayue, he noticed that many alchemists had gathered there.


    Today was thest day of the month, the day for distributing monthly sries.


    These alchemists hade to receive their pay.


    Song Wen also took the opportunity to collect his sry.


    He had been at the Su family for half a month.


    Before receiving his sry, a tally had to be taken of how many Qi Gathering Pills he had submitted over the half month.


    Song Wen had submitted 70 Qi Gathering Pills in total. The monthly task required 80, so he had fulfilled his task. However, Su Huayue hadter increased the task to 100, meaning he was


    now short.


    Perhaps influenced by the fact that many alchemists were preparing to leave the Su family, Su Huayue did not withhold Song Wen''s sry and gave him 15 spirit stones.


    After receiving his sry, Song Wen left the alchemy hall.


    When he returned to his residence, he noticed that more than half of the visiting alchemists, cksmiths, talisman makers, and formation masters were leaving the Su family in groups of three or five after collecting their pay.


    The Su family took no drastic action to stop them, allowing them to leave as they wished.


    This struck Song Wen as suspicious once again; the Su family''s behavior was unusually


    strange.


    That day, around noon.


    When Song Wen arrived at the dining hall, he ran into Qi Xiong.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Over the past two days, Qi Xiong had likely taken the Breakthrough Pill and had been in


    seclusion, attempting to break through his cultivation bottleneck.


    At this moment, he had already reached the seventhyer of Qi Refining.


    Qi Xiong was surprised to see Song Wen.


    "Master Yuan, you didn''t leave with the others?"


    "Supervisor Su raised my monthly sry by five spirit stones, so I decided to stay at the Su


    family for now. I''m nearly at the end of my lifespan, and being able to find shelter here is already a blessing. I dare not ask for too much," Song Wen replied with a mouthful of lies.


    In fact, he hadn''t even gone to Su Huayue to request his resignation.


    As for the sry increase, it was true that Su Huayue had promised all alchemists who stayed


    an additional five spirit stones in their monthly pay.


    Qi Xiong nodded in agreement.


    "The Su family is an old Golden Core family that dominates this region, with great strength


    and deep foundations. Aside from those orthodox sects, who would dare provoke them? Duan Jie and the others are just worrying about nothing, their vision is too narrow."


    "By choosing to stay with the Su family, we made the right decision. Duan Jie and the others


    will regret it sooner orter."


    Qi Xiong''s words, rather than being directed at Song Wen, seemed more like he was trying to convince himself that staying with the Su family was the right choice.


    "You make a good point," Song Wen agreed.


    After parting with Qi Xiong, Song Wen realized that the Su family was preparing to take


    action.


    However, up until now, Song Wen still had no idea why the Su family was capturing cultivators of the "Longevity Technique."


    "I must find a way to get more information about this matter!" Song Wen pondered to


    himself.


    Whatever the Su family was plotting, it was clearly of great importance to them. If he could sabotage it, it would deal a significant blow to the Su family.


    Based on his current understanding of the Su family, he was certain that the elders in charge


    knew the reason behind this scheme. Some of the Su family''s core mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators might also be aware, but Song Wen had no way of identifying exactly who those people were, so he couldn''t target them specifically.


    Last time, he had tried to soul-search the Su family''s third elder, Su Jingshu, but due to the insufficiency of his spiritual sense at the time, the attempt had failed.


    Now, his spiritual sense was as strong as that of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator,


    greatly increasing his chances of sessfully using the soul-searching technique on ate- stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    In his mind, Song Wenpared the remaining five core elders of the Su family and concluded that the fifth elder, Su Xiuyong, who guarded the Northern Market, was the easiest


    to target.


    However, Su Xiuyong was extremely cautious.


    Last time, Song Wen had tried to use Su Liu as bait to ambush Su Xiuyong, but the n had


    failed.


    The Northern Market was only a little over fifty miles from Qingping Mountain, and most of


    the time, Su Xiuyong stayed in the Su family''s spiritual herb store, protected by an array


    formation.


    Using force to storm the herb store and kill Su Xiuyong wasn''t the best approach.


    The Northern Market was too close to Qingping Mountain, and the Su family reinforcements


    could arrive at any moment.


    He needed to find a way to lure Su Xiuyong out of the herb store, away from the array-


    protected building, or even out of the market altogether, where he would be easier to deal


    with.


    Song Wen began to recall the information he had about Su Xiuyong.


    Su Xiuyong, 153 years old, once had a Daoist partner, but she failed to establish her


    Foundation and died thirty years ago after exhausting her lifespan.


    His parents had long passed away, and his partner had not borne him any children.


    He was extremely cautious in his actions, had no close blood rtives, and spent most of his


    time in the herb store, cultivating.


    At first nce, Su Xiuyong seemed to have no weaknesses, leaving Song Wen momentarily


    unsure where to strike.


    "Perhaps this time, I''ll have to take a risk," Song Wen murmured softly to himself.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 215: Foolish Rogue Cultivators

    Chapter 215: Foolish Rogue Cultivators


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    As the sun set in the west, the lingering sunlight resembled blood.


    A loose cultivator in his thirties, with only the secondyer of Qi Refining, walked into the Su family''s spiritual herb store.


    Seeing a customer enter, a young attendant greeted him with enthusiasm.


    However, when he caught sight of the loose cultivator''s shabby attire, the enthusiasm on the attendant''s face suddenly vanished.


    This was a pitiful loose cultivator who didn''t even have a storage bag!


    "Sir, what do you wish to buy?" The attendant''s tone was somewhat perfunctory.


    The loose cultivator nced around furtively, as if he possessed some precious treasure that he couldn''t show easily.


    Once he confirmed there were no other customers around, the loose cultivator leaned closer to the attendant and whispered, "Do you buy spiritual herbs here?"


    The attendant was puzzled by the question; was it necessary to be so secretive when selling a spiritual herb?


    "Of course we do. What kind of spiritual herb do you wish to sell?"


    The attendant''s voice was a bit loud, enough for half the store to hear.


    The loose cultivator became anxious and hurriedly said, "Lower your voice! I don''t want anyone else to know."


    Noticing the loose cultivator''s strange behavior, the attendant became more serious and quietly asked, "What kind of spiritual item are you selling?"


    "I don''t know exactly what it is, but I can be certain it''s a second-tier spiritual herb."


    Second-tier spiritual herb?


    How could a down-and-out loose cultivator with only the secondyer of Qi Refining possibly have a second-tier spiritual herb?


    Could it be that he stumbled upon some rare first-tier herb and mistook it for a second-tier one due to hisck of experience?


    The attendant felt quite disdainful inside.


    Perhaps seeing that the attendant didn''t believe him, the loose cultivator cautiously looked around again and reached into his robe, pulling out a jade box.


    He opened a crack in the box and held it up to the attendant''s eyes.


    "Take a good look; tell me if this isn''t a second-tier spiritual herb."


    The attendant''s eyes suddenly lit up, a mix of shock and joy appearing on his face.


    Although only a corner of the spiritual herb was visible, he could confirm that it was a Yellow Essence Mushroom with an age of about thirty years.


    As a member of the Su family, he was aware of the recent theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    A couple of days ago, the Northern Market had been thoroughly searched by the Su family to find any clues about the stolen Yellow Essence Mushroom, but they had found nothing.


    The entire strength of the Su family had failed to find any leads, yet it suddenly appeared before him now.


    The attendant felt as if he had been struck by a stroke of fortune.


    In his mind, he envisioned reporting this matter, and the Su family tracing the lead back to the stolen Yellow Essence Mushroom, imagining the scene where he received a generous reward for his discovery.


    Instantly, the attendant''s face turned slightly flushed, and his breathing became rapid.


    However, he didn''t let his excitement cloud his judgment; he forced himself to control his emotions and asked, "Where did you get this spiritual herb?"


    The loose cultivator quickly tucked the jade box back into his robe, watching the attendant with a wary expression.


    "Will you buy it or not? Just give me a straightforward answer."


    "Of course we will buy it, but this spiritual herb is precious, so I cannot decide the price. The manager needs toe and discuss it personally."


    After his initial excitement, the attendant gradually managed to control his emotions and exined patiently.


    The loose cultivator nodded with some impatience, "Fine, hurry up."


    "Please wait a moment; I''ll go notify the manager right away."


    Saying this, the attendant hurried to the back, worried that the loose cultivator might leave.


    He also signaled the other two attendants in the store to keep an eye on him.


    As the attendant''s figure disappeared down the corridor, the loose cultivator curiously looked around the store. Seeing the dazzling array of spiritual herbs, his face was filled with excitement, akin to a beggar encountering a room full of gold.


    Momentster, a sturdy man from the Su family, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, strode out from the back. The earlier attendant was running to keep up behind him.


    As guided by the attendant, the burly cultivator''s gaze was firmly locked onto the loose cultivator.


    His spiritual sense quickly swept over the loose cultivator, and the burly cultivator''s brow furrowed tightly.


    Under his powerful spiritual sense, everything about the loose cultivator wasid bare.


    With a low cultivation level of only the secondyer of Qi Refinement, how could such a weak loose cultivator possibly be involved in the theft of the Yellow Essence Mushroom?


    A person with such a low cultivation level wouldn''t even qualify to run errands for others.


    With doubts in his heart, the burly cultivator quickly approached the loose cultivator.


    "Do you have Yellow Essence Mushroom for sale?"


    The loose cultivator looked puzzled. "Yellow Essence Mushroom! What Yellow Essence Mushroom?"


    The burly cultivator appeared somewhat astonished. He quickly realized that this loose cultivator didn''t recognize Yellow Essence Mushroom; he only knew it was a second-tier spiritual herb.


    "It''s the spiritual herb you are trying to sell."


    The loose cultivator suddenly understood and took the jade box out of his pocket again.


    "Oh, you mean this?"


    Without further ado, the burly cultivator snatched the jade box and opened it, revealing a Yellow Essence Mushroom with over a hundred years of medicinal age.


    This Yellow Essence Mushroom was slightly different from ordinary ones; it bore a faint trace


    of human vitality, characteristic of the special Yellow Essence Mushroom from the Su family.


    "Why are you taking my stuff?!"


    The loose cultivator became unhappy and reached out to retrieve the jade box.


    The burly cultivator''s eyes turned cold, and a chilling killing intent surged forth, like the


    biting winds and snow of a harsh winter.


    The loose cultivator froze on the spot, his expression turning extremely fearful; he felt as if


    he had been targeted by a bloodthirsty beast.


    "What do you want! I don''t want the spiritual herb anymore; take it, just let me go!"


    "Speak! Where did you get this?" the burly cultivator coldlymanded, ignoring the loose


    cultivator''s pleas.


    "I... I found it." The loose cultivator stammered, clearly terrified.


    "Where did you find it?"


    "On the west side of the market..."


    The loose cultivator seemed to suddenly realize something and stopped speaking, biting his


    teeth and mustering what little courage he had.


    "I won''t tell you; if I do, you''ll kill me."


    Seeing that the small loose cultivator dared to defy him, the burly cultivator immediately


    released his full pressure.


    In an instant, a wave of force appeared out of nowhere, crashing toward the loose cultivator


    like a mountainndslide or tsunami.


    The loose cultivator was like a kite with a broken string, instantly sent flying by the wave of


    force, crashing against the wall several meters behind him before barelying to a stop.


    However, he didn''t fall from the wall; instead, he was pinned against it by a powerful force.


    "Pfft!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A mouthful of bright red blood sprayed from the loose cultivator''s mouth.


    The previously timid loose cultivator suddenly became fierce at this moment.


    He red at the burly cultivator with a venomous gaze.


    "Kill me, and you''ll never find the location of the spiritual herb; there are over a thousand of


    them there!"


    The burly cultivator''s expression remained icy as he coldly replied.


    "Hmph! You''re asking for death."


    As he spoke, his spiritual power surged, seemingly ready to put the loose cultivator to death


    at any moment.


    The loose cultivator suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, a shadow of death


    enveloping him, and just when he thought he was doomed...


    A voice suddenly rang out.


    "Stop!"


    Unbeknownst to when he had arrived, a male cultivator in his forties, at thete Foundation


    Establishment stage, appeared in the store.


    The neer was none other than Su Xiuyong, an elder of the Su family.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 216: Su Xiuyong Captured

    Chapter 216: Su Xiuyong Captured


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Su Xiuyong raised his hand and waved, sending a wave of spiritual energy into the loose cultivator''s body, helping to disperse the chaotic energy within him.


    The loose cultivator slowly descended to the ground, hisplexion noticeably improving.


    He leaned against the wall and sat down, ring at the burly cultivator, his eyes filled with resentment.


    Su Xiuyong said, "My friend, my n member was reckless just now and has offended you. Please forgive us."


    The loose cultivator widened his eyes, seemingly unsure of what to say.


    "Stop pretending; you''re all cut from the same cloth."


    Su Xiuyong remained calm and continued in a friendly tone.


    "I am Su Xiuyong, the fifth elder of the Su family, responsible for all matters in the North District Market. I assure you, in the name of the Su family, that this kind of incident will not happen again. Just tell me where the Yellow Essence Mushroom is, and I can offer you five thousand spirit stones."


    Upon hearing this, the loose cultivator''s eyes gleamed with excitement, clearly tempted.


    Five thousand spirit stones were undoubtedly a significant fortune for a loose cultivator at the seventhyer of Qi Refinement.


    "Is what you say true?"


    "Of course! Does the Su family''s reputation not warrant five thousand spirit stones?"


    The loose cultivator''s eyes flickered, and after a moment, he climbed to his feet.


    "No, five thousand spirit stones are too little; that''s for over a thousand seventh-tier spiritual herbs."


    "Eight thousand..."


    "No! Ten thousand..."


    "You give me ten thousand spirit stones, and I''ll take you to get the Yellow Essence Mushroom."


    The loose cultivator realized that those seventh-tier spiritual herbs should be quite valuable and boldly asked for a high price.


    Su Xiuyong smiled, "Alright."


    Upon hearing this, the loose cultivator was overjoyed and continued to push his conditions.


    "You have to give me the spirit stones first."


    "Sure!"


    Su Xiuyong turned to the attendant beside him. "Get a bag with ten thousand spirit stones."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A momentter, the attendant walked over with a storage bag.


    Su Xiuyong gestured for the attendant to hand the storage bag to the loose cultivator.


    The loose cultivator took the storage bag and probed it with his spiritual sense, immediately breaking into a wide smile.


    After tucking the storage bag into his clothes and arranging them so that it couldn''t be seen, The lifted his head and said to Su Xiuyong.


    "Let''s go; I''ll take you to get the Yellow Essence Mushroom."


    Su Xiuyong didn''t respond to the loose cultivator but looked toward the burly cultivator next


    to him.


    "Su You, go with him."


    The burly cultivator named Su You was about to step outside when the loose cultivator


    shouted.


    "No, he can''t go."


    Then, the loose cultivator pointed at Su Xiuyong, saying, "Youe with me. I''m afraid he will take revenge on me."


    Su Xiuyong fixed his gaze firmly on the loose cultivator, remaining silent as an overwhelming pressure surged forth.


    "No way, that will raise his suspicions," the loose cultivator thought to himself, realizing he couldn''t do that.


    This loose cultivator was actually Song Wen in disguise; he originally wanted to lure Su Xiuyong out of the market and then take action.


    However, this person was too cautious, insisting that a n member apany him to get the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Since the other party harbored suspicions, he could only take action.


    With a thought, two green-faced, fanged zombies suddenly appeared.


    They were a false third-tier silver corpse and a long-unused early-stage copper corpse.


    As soon as the two corpses appeared, the entire store filled up with a surge of corpse energy, and a malevolent aura howled.


    The copper corpse lunged at the burly cultivator Su You, while the silver corpse shot toward


    Su Xiuyong like lightning.


    A flicker of panic shed in Su Xiuyong''s eyes as a red silken ribbon flew out from him, curling and twisting like a sea dragon, wrapping around the silver corpse.


    Su Xiuyong remained vignt against this suddenly appearing loose cultivator at the secondyer of Qi Refinement.


    He had anticipated that the opponent was concealing their cultivation, but to find that they possessed a false third-tier silver corpse was far beyond his expectations.


    Fortunately, he was well-prepared.


    Four foundation-building cultivators were positioned in the courtyard behind the shop, using hand seals as four flying swords soared like shooting stars, slicing toward Song Wen,


    who was just a wall away.


    The first to suffer was the shop.


    The walls, specially reinforced by the Su family, were easily prated by the four flying


    swords, causing the wall to copse instantly, followed by the roof.


    A tall Top-grade Ghost Banner appeared abruptly in front of Song Wen.


    A red-faced ghost general sprang out from the ghost g; it was thete-stage ghost general.


    The ghost general summoned a howling wind as it charged toward the four flying swords.


    Blood mist erupted from Song Wen''s body as his figure suddenly vanished, darting toward Su Xiuyong like a ghost.


    Knowing that the red silken ribbon wouldn''t hold off the silver corpse for long, Su Xiuyong hurriedly made his way toward the building in the courtyard.


    The building had protective formations; as long as he could hold out for a moment,


    reinforcements from Qingping Mountain would arrive.


    "Great Cave God Thunder, fall!"


    As Song Wen flew, he suddenly uttered a lightmand.


    Clouds swirled in the sky,yers of dark clouds umting, and a brilliant silver light


    pierced through, rushing toward Su Xiuyong.


    A flying sword appeared above Su Xiuyong''s head, its sword light flickering as it shed


    toward the descending thunder.


    "Boom!"


    The thunder struck the flying sword.


    The flying sword was sent flying, plunging into the ground below.


    Song Wen''s cultivation was indeed somewhatcking; the power of the Great Cave God


    Thunder was not very strong. After striking the flying sword, the lightning energy was nearly exhausted.


    Su Xiuyong, still focusing on rushing toward the building''s entrance, suddenly stumbled as


    he was about to reach the door, spitting out a mouthful of blood, causing his speed to


    plummet.


    Behind him, a sound of something breaking through the air rushed in: it was the third-tier


    silver corpse!


    The mid-grade spiritual silk ribbon only held up for a breath or two in the hands of the silver


    corpse before being forcefully torn to shreds. With the spiritual silk destroyed, Su Xiuyong


    suffered severe internal injuries.


    The silver corpse, faster than Song Wen, caught up to Su Xiuyong.


    Su Xiuyong''s heart raced with fear as he shouted, "Help me!"


    In front of him, five shadowy figures were dashing forward, showing no intention of stopping


    to help, and directly rushed into the building.


    Immediately, a transparent barrier rose up, enveloping the entire building.


    It turned out that the four foundation-building cultivators, seeing the situation turn dire, temporarily repelled the ghost general with their flying swords before turning and racing into


    the building.


    Su You was in a simr situation; the early-stage copper corpse was no match for him. After


    fending off the copper corpse, he saw the fierce silver corpse and disregarded any n ties,


    turning to flee into the building.


    Su Xiuyong was plunged into despair.


    A chilling light pierced through before the silver corpse, piercing into Su Xiuyong''s chest.


    Startled by the silver corpse, Su Xiuyong didn''t even notice the sneak attack from the Cold


    Moon de until it struck.


    The powerful force of the Cold Moon de sent him flying several meters,nding just


    outside the building''s entrance.


    Su Xiuyong looked up at the five n members behind the formation barrier, his eyes filled


    with reluctance.


    A figure enveloped in lightning shed past; Song Wen seized Su Xiuyong, recalled the two


    corpses and the Top-grade Ghost Banner, and used his sword to escape outside the market.


    Having already scattered his Sacred Gu throughout the market, he received news that reinforcements from the Su family were on their way.


    As Song Wen flew into the air, he noticed a figure racing toward him from over ten miles away,


    moving faster than even Song Wen using his Thunder Escape technique.


    The approaching figure was the head of the Su family, Su Anqing.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 217: Seeking One’s Own Death

    Chapter 217: Seeking One��s Own Death


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Su Anqing quickly caught up to the spirit medicine shop. Upon noticing the five foundation- building cultivators of the Su family hiding within the formation, he felt a surge of anger.


    "Why are you all just watching as the Elder is captured, while you cower in fear and hide in the formation?"


    At the moment of Su Xiuyong''s capture, he was still alive; hence, Su Anqing expressed that Su Xiuyong had been captured.


    As he spoke, his speed did not decrease; he continued to pursue Song Wen, the distance between them rapidly closing.


    However, a single remark from Su You quickly slowed him down.


    "Be careful, Family Head! That rogue cultivator has a false third-tier silver corpse; his strength is not to be underestimated."


    Su Anqing paused momentarily, slowly stopping as he looked at Song Wen''s retreating figure, finding it hard to believe.


    "A false third-tier silver corpse! Are you sure you didn''t see it wrong?"


    Su You nodded solemnly. "We five witnessed it with our own eyes. Otherwise, how could we have lost in a six-on-one situation? Moreover, this person has ate-stage second-tier ghost general and can even use lightning techniques. His methods are endless."


    "Raising corpses andmanding ghosts, and can even cast lightning techniques!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Su Anqing''s face was filled with shock!


    When did the Su family provoke such an enigmatic rogue cultivator?


    Just the false silver corpse in his hands alone would make it so that, without the intervention of their ancestor, no one from the Su family could contend with him in a fair fight.


    At this moment, Su Anqing was filled with worry.


    Their ancestor was aging, and enemies that had once only dared to lurk in the shadows were now starting to emerge, hoping to take a piece of flesh from the Su family''s massive stature.


    The Du family, a newly ascendant golden family, had suddenly struck against the Su family, seizing the Blood Crystal Mine.


    Now, with the addition of this mysterious rogue cultivator...


    First, he stole the Yellow Essence Mushroom that the Su family had cultivated for many years, and now he had captured the fifth elder.


    Su Anqing felt a sense of urgency, as if a storm was approaching. The only thing that could save the Su family now was their ancestor, who needed to consume the Yuan to prolong his life.


    TL: In Chinese philosophy and traditional beliefs, "Yuan" (1) often refers to origin, source, or a primordial state.


    At that time, all the crises facing the Su family would naturally be resolved.


    ...


    Seeing that the pursuers behind him did not follow, Song Wen felt slightly disheartened.


    There was only one opponent; as long as they didn''t gang up on him, he had confidence in being able to keep the opponent at bay.


    After flying for a while, Song Wen lowered the sword light andnded at the foot of a tall mountain.


    At this moment, although Su Xiuyong had lost his breath, Song Wen had cast the Soul Binding Technique on him, imprisoning his soul within his body. Therefore, he need not worry about his soul dissipating on its own.


    Song Wen focused intently, grasping Su Xiuyong''s head with his left hand and exerting all his strength to cast the Soul Searching Technique.


    His spiritual sense was slightly stronger than Su Xiuyong''s, and since he had just killed him, he could not afford to fail in the soul search.


    Powerful soul energy fused into Su Xiuyong''s soul as fragments of memory were forcibly snatched away by Song Wen.


    After a moment, Song Wen began to devour his soul and essence blood.


    From Su Xiuyong''s memories, Song Wen finally learned of the Su family ancestor''s ns to prolong his life.


    "Seventeen days from now?"


    Song Wen murmured to himself, various schemes shing through his mind.


    He had to find a way to disrupt the ancestor''s lifespan extension.


    As long as Su Qian was dead, the destruction of the Su family would only be a matter of time.


    "Perhaps, I can drive the wolf away using the tiger!"


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened, a n forming in his mind.


    ncing at the gradually darkening sky, Song Wen flew toward Qingping Mountain.


    The n to disrupt Su Qian''s lifespan extension could be approached gradually, but for now,


    he still needed to continue lurking within the Su family.


    Upon returning to his residence, Song Wen set up the Concealment Spirit Formation in his room and took out the Top-grade Ghost Banner.


    The Ghost King, which had not yet beenpletely refined, struggled and roared within the Ghost Banner, attempting to break free from its confinement.


    Powerful spiritual energy poured into the Ghost Banner, repeatedly washing over the Ghost


    King, slowly refining it.


    With little time left before the day of Su Qian''s lifespan extension, Song Wen needed to quickly enhance his own strength.


    Time Passed.


    For a while, Song Wen traveled back and forth between the alchemy room and his residence,


    not venturing outside.


    Whenever he had free time, he made the most of it, fully refining the Ghost King.


    In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.


    This day, in the early morning.


    He walked out of his residence and headed towards the alchemy room.


    Song Wen intentionally passed by Qi Xiong''s residence, discovering that Qi Xiong was not inside. He then went to the dining hall but still did not see any sign of Qi Xiong.


    He continued on to the alchemy room, and after receiving the gathered Qi Pills and spiritual


    herbs from Su Huayue, Song Wen asked, "Superior Su, have you seen Master Alchemist Qi Xiong today?"


    A flicker of vignce passed through Su Huayue''s eyes as she countered, "What do you need Qi


    Xiong for?"


    Song Wen replied, "Since I arrived at the Su family, Master Alchemist Qi has taken good care


    of me, and we have a good personal rtionship. Last night, we clearly returned to our residence together, but this morning, when I wanted to call him to the alchemy room, I couldn''t find him. I''m a bit worried about his safety."


    Su Huayue said, "I arranged for Master Alchemist Qi to refine three batches of Profound Qi


    Pills. He came to the alchemy room very early today, and right now, he should be in the alchemy chamber. Refining Profound Qi Pills takes considerable time; he should be there for the next few days, so you need not worry."


    Song Wen cupped his fists, "Thank you for the information, Su Zhiwei."


    After speaking, Song Wen turned and walked toward the alchemy room.


    Su Huayue stared at Song Wen''s departing figure, a cold glint flickering in her eyes.


    "An old man nearing his sixties is quite meddlesome."


    ...


    Three hours passed, and while Song Wen was refining the second batch of gathering Qi pills,


    the stone door of the alchemy room suddenly opened.


    Su Huayue shed into the alchemy room and pressed a mechanism beside the stone door.


    "Bang!"


    The stone door closed again.


    Su Huayue had a fierce expression, and a sharp sword appeared in her hand, stabbing toward


    Song Wen, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace.


    Suddenly, a cloud of ck smoke erupted from the alchemy furnace in front of Song Wen, the


    alchemy process interrupted and the furnace exploded.


    Seeing Su Huayue appear suddenly, Song Wen felt a sense of helplessness.


    Why seek death unnecessarily?


    Song Wen raised one hand, empty-handed against the de, and pinched the sword''s body


    tightly with two fingers.


    Su Huayue was instantly shocked; she was an eighthyer Qi Refining cultivator, and to


    ambush a mere seventhyer Qi Refining old man and fail was astonishing.


    Yuan Cheng had concealed his cultivation!


    This thought shed through her mind as she reached for the storage bag at her waist, where


    an emergencymunication jade slip was kept.


    As an important area of the Su family, if an emergency urred in the alchemy room, the emergencymunication jade slip could be activated, alerting nearby members of the Su


    family toe for immediate support.


    A cold light shed.


    Su Huayue''s arm was severed at the shoulder!


    "Ah..."


    Wounded severely, Su Huayue screamed in pain.


    "Why do you want to kill me? Is it because I was inquiring about Qi Xiong''s whereabouts?"


    Song Wen stood up slowly, asking in a stern voice.


    Before Su Huayue entered the alchemy room, through the Sacred Gu guarding oustside, Song


    Wen had already sensed her approach.


    Su Huayue did not want to alert other alchemists about her intention to kill Song Wen, to


    avoid causing panic among the outer family alchemists.


    Thus, she dared to enter Song Wen''s alchemy room only when she was sure there was no one


    else around.


    This meant that, for a short time, no one would know what was happening inside this alchemy


    room.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 218: A Prisoner Under the Stairs

    Chapter 218: A Prisoner Under the Stairs


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Su Huayue''s expression was filled with panic as she attempted to retreat and escape the alchemy room, but a sharp de hovered threateningly at her brow, preventing her from making any move.


    "I''m worried that you might be spreading information about Qi Xiong''s whereabouts, causing unnecessary trouble," Su Huayue said.


    "Where has Qi Xiong been taken?" he inquired.


    "I don''t know," she replied. "I''m just following orders, iming I would teach him a new method, and asked him toe to the alchemy room early. He was taken away by an elder from the family who is at the Foundation Establishment stage."


    "Why did youe alone to kill me?" Song Wen asked.


    "Your cultivation level only appears to be at the seventhyer of Qi Refining," she said. "I thought I could easily deal with you on my own, so I didn''t inform anyone else."


    Su Huayue''s face turned pale; she truly hadn''t expected that the usually docile Yuan Cheng was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator, hiding his true strength far too well.


    "Please don''t kill me! I can swear an oath, promising not to reveal a word about your infiltration in the Su family," she pleaded.


    "No need for that. Dead people can keep secrets better," he replied coldly.


    With a light shake of the cold moon de, a dazzling beam of light surged forth, instantly piercing through Su Huayue''s brow.


    In a moment, she lost her breath and copsed to the ground.


    Song Wen shed over to her side and began to search her soul.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After a brief moment, the soul search concluded.


    Song Wen discovered that, just as Su Huayue had said, she didn''t know much. He couldn''t extract any additional information.


    He devoured her soul and blood, turning Su Huayue''s corpse into ashes, which he then tossed into the deep pit beneath the furnace.


    Afterpleting all this, Song Wen opened the stone door of the alchemy room and casually walked out.


    He could no longer stay in this alchemy room, nor could he remain in the Su family.


    Su Huayue''s death would soon be discovered, and since it happened in a heavily guarded ce, it would certainly trigger a strict investigation by the Su family.


    Song Wen strolled out of the alchemy room, where people wereing and going in the great hall, yet not a single person paid him any attention.


    As he made his way to the foot of the mountain and approached the mountain gate, he noticed


    a group escorting Su Shan toward the small town of the Su family.


    He couldn''t help but feel puzzled; just two days ago when he came down the mountain, he had greeted Su Shan, who was on guard at the mountain gate.


    How could it be that just two dayster, Su Shan had be a prisoner?


    Song Wen nced back toward the middle of Qingping Mountain but saw nothing out of the ordinary, indicating that Su Huayue''s death had not yet been discovered.


    Stepping forward, Song Wen quickly approached the escorting group.


    He cupped his fists and said to the leader, "May I ask, what crime has Su Shanmitted? Where is he being taken?"


    The leader, a middle-aged male cultivator at thete stage of Qi Refining, nced at the alchemist robes on Song Wen and replied somewhat impatiently.


    "He practiced evil techniques to refine corpses, turning his own wife, his unborn child, and thirty helpless neighbors into walking corpses."


    "Su Shan''s crimes are heinous, devoid of humanity! He''s being taken to the entrance of the small town for public beheading, to uphold the family''s rules!"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen couldn''t help but nce at Su Shan, who was being escorted.


    So ruthless and cruel!


    Indeed, he was a promising candidate for practicing demonic arts.


    Song Wen had to admit that he had previously underestimated Su Shan.


    He had never expected that the seemingly affable Su Shan would resort to such actions against


    his own wife and child.


    However, his methods werecking! He had just begun practicing demonic techniques and had already been discovered, about to be executed for all to see.


    With a flip of his hand, two jade vials appeared in Song Wen''s grasp, containing ten gathering Qi pills.


    He discreetly ced the two vials into the hands of the leading man and lowered his voice to speak.


    "I have some connections with Su Shan. Could you allow me to see him off for thest time?"


    The leader''s spiritual sense swept over the jade vials in his hand, and he put them away in his storage bag, a smile appearing on his face.


    "Considering my ties to Su Shan, I''ll allow you both to speak privately. It would be quite pitiful if no one sent him off for his final journey."


    The leader gestured to several escorting personnel behind him, and they spread out, giving


    Song Wen and Su Shan space to talk.


    Su Shan had been bound with chains, unable to use spiritual energy, making escape


    impossible.


    His face was ashen, and his gaze was vacant. The imminent execution and theing death


    plunged his heart into deep fear.


    Seeing Song Wen approach, a flicker of emotion crossed Su Shan''s eyes.


    "Yuan Cheng, I never expected to see you again before my death."


    "s!" Song Wen let out a deep sigh.


    "Su Shan, what were you thinking? How did you fall into the path of practicing demonic


    arts?"


    A bitter smile appeared on Su Shan''s ashen face.


    "I had poor talent, and my mother was just a mortal. Neither of us received any attention from


    the family. After my mother gave birth to me, she fell ill and was unable to work, leaving us to struggle with hunger."


    "When I was five, my mother fell into deep despair, and I had to beg for food from neighbors, suffering humiliation and disdain."


    "But I believed that through hard work, I could ovee my inherent disadvantages. Ever since I turned ten and could start cultivating, I have trained day and night, but the result after years of effort was only reaching the fifthyer of Qi Refining."


    "Only then did Ie to realize the harsh reality: with such poor talent and no resources for cultivation, how could I possibly achieve powerful cultivation?"


    "I was unwilling to live such a mediocre life, so I turned to the path of practicing demonic


    arts. Last time you mentioned the mysteries of demonic arts in my home, itpletely solidified my resolve."


    Su Shan seemed to be recounting his final moments, revealing all the secrets buried deep in


    his heart.


    "Then why did you kill your wife and child?" Song Wen asked.


    Su Shan suddenly became agitated and shouted loudly.


    "I didn''t kill them! I did not kill them! No matter how mad I be, I could never harm my


    own wife and children!"


    "They suddenly disappeared, and I searched everywhere but could not find them."


    "I reported it to the family, but they didn''t believe me. They found the walking corpses of our


    neighbors in my yard and assumed I had turned my wife and child into walking corpses, but I


    really didn''t!"


    When it came to his wife and child, Su Shan was filled with deep concern.


    "Then why did you refine your neighbors, who are just mortals, into walking corpses?" Song


    Wen pressed.


    A deep-seated hatred emerged on Su Shan''s darkened face.


    "I''ve suffered bullying from them since I was little. My mother passed away in her twenties,


    and they were involved in that."


    "It was precisely because my mother was a concubine of the family that Su Anqing never cared


    for us, leading us to live in a poverty that was even worse than ordinary nsmen. Anyone coulde and bully us, a widow and her orphan."


    "My mother was beautiful and endured much harassment from rough men. There were even instances where someone barged into our home at night and assaulted her."


    "I only hate my own weakness, unable to take revenge on all my enemies, unable to y that


    beast Su Anqing andfort my mother''s spirit in the afterlife."


    As he said thosest two sentences, Su Shan almost growled through gritted teeth.


    His voice was loud enough to attract the attention of several escorting personnel.


    The leader hurried over, pushing Song Wen aside, and pped Su Shan across the face.


    Su Shan immediately fell to the ground, spitting out blood along with a few teeth.


    The leader yanked Su Shan up from the ground, ring fiercely.


    "If you want to die, don''t drag us down with you."


    Openly speaking against the family is a grave crime, practically asking for death; they didn''t


    want to get involved in such matters.


    TL: Honestly, I am confused as to why MC led Su Shan down this path? Does he have a purpose


    in mind or was it just a side quest?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 219: Driving Wolves and Chasing Tigers

    Chapter 219: Driving Wolves and Chasing Tigers


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Watching as Su Shan was taken away by several people, Song Wen couldn''t help but smile.


    What an unexpected delight!


    For the Su family, Su Shan had such deep grievances and hatred; he couldn''t let him die so easily.


    Six tiny insect-like creatures crawled out from Song Wen''s mouth, silently following along.


    The mountain gate was quite close to the Su family''s town, less than twenty miles away, just circling a small part around the foot of Qingping Mountain.


    When Su Shan and the others reached a grove of trees, several escorting personnel suddenly copsed.


    The chains binding Su Shan snapped unexpectedly.


    This sudden turn of events left Su Shan momentarily bewildered, but he quickly realized that he was being aided and had been rescued.


    Su Shan hurriedly ran toward the dense forest nearby.


    Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.


    "Flee to the west."


    Su Shan abruptly stopped; he was heading south.


    In an instant, he felt his body rx, and the restraints within him were lifted.


    Before his eyes, a gray object fell from the sky andnded at his feet-it was a storage bag.


    "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"


    The voice did not answer, only urged him on.


    "If you don''t leave soon, the pursuers will arrive. There are things you need in the storage bag. If you want to uncover the truth about your wife and child''s death, go to the cliff on the side of the Mushroom Field near Qingping Mountain; there is a massive cave there, and you might find traces of your wife and child."


    Upon hearing this, Su Shan''s expression turned sorrowful.


    He had already prepared himself for the unfortunate fate of his wife and child.


    He called out loudly, "Senior, do you know anything about my wife and child''s death?"


    "I don''t know your wife and child. What I just said was merely my spection. Hurry and leave; if you don''t, it will be toote."


    Su Shan looked around but saw no one.


    He picked up


    storage bag, gritted his teeth, turned, and: westward.


    After he left, Song Wen''s figure suddenly appeared, recalling the six sacred insects, collecting several bodies, and disappearing without a trace.


    ...


    On the west side of Qingping Mountain, over a hundred miles away,y the Blood Crystal Mine!


    Du Ruoyun looked at the newly constructed courtyard and felt quite proud and pleased.


    The Du family had upied this vein for half a month.


    She had thought that the Su family wouldunch a major attack to reim the mine.


    Unexpectedly, in the past half month, the Su family had shown no signs of movement, seemingly nning to give up the Blood Crystal Mine.


    Initially, when she proposed to seize the Blood Crystal vein, many foundation-building elders in the n opposed it, believing that the Su family was an established Golden Core family and should not be provoked lightly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In her capacity as the family head, she insisted on attacking the Blood Crystal vein, which allowed the Du family to take ownership and gain their own second-tier mine, significantly enhancing their cultivation resources.


    They just needed to wait for the mundane ships sent by the Du family to return with the mine ves, and the mining could officiallymence.


    Suddenly,


    A ck figure dashed toward them from a distance, instantly alerting Du Ruoyun.


    She leaped into the air and stood suspended in midair.


    At the same time, below in the courtyard, seventeen or eighteen figures appeared.


    These individuals were all foundation-building cultivators.


    Apart from a few foundation-building cultivators stationed in the n, nearly all the foundation-building cultivators of the Du family were present here.


    She wouldn''t repeat the mistakes of the Su family; since they had upied the mine, they must do everything to fortify their defenses.


    Not only did she mobilize the majority of the Du family''s foundation-building cultivators to guard this location, but she also spent a considerable sum to set up a third-tier defensive formation around the courtyard.


    Even if a Golden Core cultivator came, the formation could hold for a while.


    That would be enough to allow the ancestral elders of the Du family to arrive for rescue.


    As the ck figure drew within several miles of the mine, it stopped advancing.


    The ck figure waved a hand, and a letter flew out, swiftlynding in front of Du Ruoyun.


    Du Ruoyun''s expression became serious as she realized she couldn''t see through the other party''s cultivation.


    She didn''t reach out to take the letter that floated toward her; instead, she used her spiritual power to keep it hovering several dozen meters away.


    "Friend, you''ve traveled a long way; why say nothing? What is the purpose of delivering this letter?" Du Ruoyun asked.


    The ck figure was, of course, Song Wen. He hade to inform the Du family and to


    facilitate their destruction of Su Qian''s longevity ns.


    Song Wen did not speak butmunicated through thought.


    "Madam Du, I mean no harm. I havee to assist the Du family in seizing the opportunity to eliminate the great enemy that is the Su family."


    Du Ruoyun replied, "Friend, you have no connection to my Du family, yet you speak of


    assisting us in destroying the Su family; this is indeed hard to believe. Moreover, Su Qian is nearing the end of his lifespan; the Du family only needs to wait a few months, and the Su family will naturally no longer pose a threat to us."


    Song Wen said, "I have enmity with the Su family. Helping the Du family to eliminate the Su


    family is also helping myself."


    Du Ruoyun smiled slightly, seeming to initially ept what Song Wen said. She gently brushed aside her hair, exuding a mature woman''s charm.


    "Friend, do tell what clever n you have to destroy the Su family."


    Song Wen said, "If the Du family wishes to wait for Su Qian to exhaust his lifespan and perish,


    that is rather naive. As I know, Su Qian is currently preparing a longevity technique; once


    completed, it could extend his life by a full cycle of years."


    Du Ruoyun''s pretty face showed disdain.


    In the cultivation world, although various bizarre longevity methods were rumored, they


    were generally baseless tales, unworthy of belief.


    There were indeed legends of ancient cultivators who could extend their lives, but the time


    was too distant, and no one knew the truth.


    Du Ruoyun responded, "Your words are quite absurd. The talk of longevity is nothing but


    hearsay."


    Seeing her disbelief, Song Wen patiently exined, "I believe you should know that the Su family has been capturing rogue cultivators practicing the ''Longevity Technique.""


    Du Ruoyun frowned slightly, "I know about the Su family''s capture of rogue cultivators, but whether those rogues are all practicing the ''Longevity Technique,'' I am unclear."


    Song Wen replied, "All those rogue cultivators are indeed practicing the ''Longevity Technique,'' and their cultivation levels are mostly in thete stages of Qi Refinement, all of them in their prime. The Du family only needs to send someone to investigate to find out if


    this is true."


    Seeing the seriousness with which Song Wen spoke, Du Ruoyun changed her earlier skepticism and asked seriously, "What does capturing the rogue cultivators practicing the ''Longevity Technique'' have to do with extending life?"


    Song Wen said, "I''m not entirely sure how the longevity technique works. I only know that Su


    Qian hasid down a formation called the ''Devouring Soul Formation''; this formation can siphon the lifeforce of others and restore a decaying body."


    "The Su family has already gathered the thousand cultivators practicing the ''Longevity Technique'' needed for Su Qian''s longevity; they will soon activate the method."


    "The letter contains detailed information regarding this matter. Whether to take action


    against Su Qian''s longevity n is entirely up to the Du family''s discretion. I have said all that I needed to; I take my leave."


    With that, Song Wen mounted his sword and turned to leave.


    Only after Song Wen''s figure vanished on the horizon did Du Ruoyun slowly withdraw her


    gaze.


    She probed the letter with her spiritual sense several times to ensure there were no issues before finally taking the letter into her hands.


    She descended,nding in the courtyard, and said to a Du family cultivator, "Send someone to


    investigate whether the rogue cultivators recently captured by the Su family are all practitioners of the ''Longevity Technique.""


    Just now, her conversation with Song Wen had been entirely through thought


    communication; no one else knew the contents of their dialogue.


    After instructing her nsmen to strengthen the defenses of the Blood Crystal Mine, she flew


    back to the Du family''s base.


    This matter involved Golden Core cultivators, so whether the Du family would participate had


    to be decided by the Golden Core ancestors of the Du family.


    Moreover, if this matter were true, it would not only pertain to the struggle for cultivation resources; who wouldn''t want to obtain a method for extending life?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 220: Enemies Appear

    Chapter 220: Enemies Appear


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen changed his appearance to that of a young cultivator and arrived once again at the foot of the Su family''s small town at Qingping Mountain.


    He had thought that the death of Su Huayue and the escape of Su Xiaoshan would trigger a severe investigation by the Su family, but the reality was different. At least in the Su family''s small town, Song Wen did not notice any unusual activity.


    It seemed that the entire Su family was too preupied to pay attention to such trivial


    matters.


    After wandering around the town and finding no valuable information, Song Wen left the town and headed toward the valley where Su Qian was in seclusion.


    Ten miles outside the valley, Song Wen hid in a cave and released a Sacred Gu to fly toward the valley.


    After surveying the area and confirming that everything in the valley was normal, Song Wen set up the "Concealing Spirit Formation" and the "Nine Pces Yin Array," took out the Top- grade Ghost Banner, and began to refine the Ghost King.


    For the next few days, Song Wen remained hidden in the cave, fully focused on refining the Ghost King.


    On this day, the towering Ghost King suddenly broke through the Ghost Banner and appeared in the cave.


    In an instant, a fierce wind swept through the cave, and ghostly energy surged.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Song Wen performed hand seals, and the Ghost King floated and drifted ording to his thoughts within the small cave.


    A look of surprise appeared on his face; the Ghost King had beenpletely refined.


    After storing the Ghost King in the Ghost Banner, Song Wen silently calcted the time.


    His brow suddenly furrowed. In hisplete focus on refining the Ghost King, eight days had passed without him realizing it-days that had surpassed Su Xiu''s memory of when Su Qian would activate the longevity technique.


    Why was there still no movement in the valley?


    The Du family hadn''t shown up either.


    Could it be that the Du family was simply watching as Su Qian extended his life without taking any action?


    Song Wen emerged from the cave and gazed toward the valley.


    It was deep night; the cave was dark and foreboding, resembling a giant beast lying in wait, ready to pounce at any moment.


    Everything around the valley seemed normal, and the formations within it remained active, firmly enveloping the entire valley. The protective formation of the valley could block spiritual senses and sight, leaving Song Wen clueless about what was happening inside.


    "Could it be that Su Qian has sessfully extended his life?" Song Wen pondered inwardly.


    If Su Qian really had seeded in extending his life, his revenge against the Su family would have to be postponed, and he wouldn''t dare to hide brazenly near Qingping Mountain anymore.


    If Su Qian gained another cycle of life, he certainly wouldn''t continue secluding himself in the valley and would surely emerge. If Song Wen remained near the Su family, the danger would increase exponentially.


    Two dayster, at noon.


    A stunning figure appeared above the valley.


    Through the Sacred Gu, Song Wen recognized the person''s face, and a flicker of hatred shed in his eyes.


    The person hovering over the valley was none other than the Golden Core female cultivator from the Beast Control Sect who had chased him outside Donghua City.


    "Brother Su Qian, my little sister hase at your invitation," said the voice of the Clear- faced Daoist, echoing throughout the valley.


    At this moment, the Clear-faced Daoist looked vastly different from her previous sinister image while chasing Song Wen outside Donghua Square. She now appeared straightforward, unrestrained, andcking in guile.


    Suddenly, the top of the formation opened, and two figures descended into the valley, soaring upward.


    The leading figure was the ancestral elder of the Su family, Su Qian.


    He was followed by the Su family''s Grand Elder, Su Wenshi.


    A cheerful smile appeared on Su Qian''s aged face, as if he were meeting an old friend he hadn''t seen in a long time, and his mood was greatly lifted.


    "Qingyan, you''ve traveled thousands of miles to assist me; I am truly grateful. I apologize for not weing you in time; that is a failure on the part of the Su family."


    The Clear-faced Daoist smiled and said, "Brother Su, we are old friends; let''s skip the formalities."


    Su Qian stepped aside and gestured toward the valley, "Qingyan, please!"


    In no time, the three entered the valley.


    In a small bamboo house within the valley.


    Su Qian and the Clear-faced Daoist sat facing each other.


    "Brother Su, how are the preparations for extending your lifeing along?" she asked.


    "All preparations areplete; I''m just waiting for your assistance to activate the ''Devouring Soul Formation.'' Initiating the ''Devouring Soul Formation'' is a tremendous drain on both mind and spirit; relying solely on myself, I wouldn''t have the confidence to control it."


    "Moreover, with my life nearing its end, excessive spirit consumption could lead to my remaining life force draining away rapidly. That''s why I specially invited you to lend me your


    strength."


    The Su family used a woman with a baby to cultivate yellow essence mushrooms, infusing


    them with a trace of life energy to ensure that Su Qian could consume them during the activation of the ''Devouring Soul Formation'' to replenish his depleting life force.


    The Clear-faced Daoist looked at Su Qian, her eyes reflecting a sense of nostalgia.


    "Brother Su, when we five first explored the ancient secret realm of the Longevity Pce, we


    thought that with thebined strength of five Golden Core cultivators, we could uncover its secrets. But we didn''t expect the Longevity Pce to be fraught with danger. Before we even entered the main hall, we suffered severe injuries-three of our Golden Core cultivators died, and you and I barely escaped with our lives."


    "Having paid such a painful price, our rewards were minimal; the only valuable item we obtained was that ''Longevity Token.""


    "I replicated the contents of the ''Longevity Token'' and studied it for nearly ten years, but I gained almost nothing. Yet you, Brother Su, haveprehended the ''Longevity Token'' and spiritged to set up the ''Devouring Soul Formation''; your talent is truly exceptional."


    Su Qian shook his head, a bitter smile crossing his face.


    "It''s merely that my life is nearing its end; I had no choice but to pursue this path. If I were truly extraordinarily gifted, I wouldn''t have been stuck at the initial stage of Golden Core for over two hundred years, exhausting my lifespan without making any progress."


    The Clear-faced Daoist responded, "With over two hundred years of hard training, once you seed in extending your life, you will certainly make great strides in your cultivation."


    "Thank you for your kind words, Daoist," Su Qian said, cupping his hands in gratitude.


    The Clear-faced Daoist changed the subject.


    "Brother Su, could you first let me see the ''Devouring Soul Formation''? I''m very curious


    about this ancient formation that can extend life."


    "Of course, if you are to help me control the ''Devouring Soul Formation,'' you must


    understand how it operates."


    The two figures then disappeared from the wooden house and arrived above a t area in the


    center of the valley.


    The t area was about three miles wide, paved with azure stone from a spirit mine.


    On the surface, intricate and profound formation patterns were engraved.


    From a high vantage point, the formation patterns resembled long serpents intertwining with


    each other. Even though the formation had not yet been activated, an eerie and sinister aura


    emanated from it.


    The formation was divided into eastern and western parts; the eastern patterns were white,


    while the western patterns were ck.


    At the center of the formation, there was a circr tform about ten feet wide, with the


    formation patterns on it in crimson red.


    Suddenly, arge and a small array te appeared in Su Qian''s hands.


    "The ''Devouring Soul Formation'' consists of a main and a secondary array te; therger


    one is the main, and the smaller one is the auxiliary."


    "I will hold the main array te and sit on the central tform of the formation. You will


    hold the auxiliary array te and sit in the eastern section of the formation, while the living sacrifice will be ced in the western section."


    "Once the formation is activated, the life force within the living sacrifice will be absorbed by


    the ''Devouring Soul Formation'' and funneled into my body."


    Next, Su Qian taught the Clear-faced Daoist the control methods for the auxiliary array te,


    but only the basic control techniques; he did not reveal a word about the operational principles of the ''Devouring Soul Formation.''


    "Qingyan, I''ll need you to go into seclusion for two days toprehend the control method


    for the auxiliary array te. After two days, the life extension will officially begin."


    The Clear-faced Daoist replied, "Brother Su, rest assured; I will make sure to study it


    thoroughly and won''t let any mistakes ur."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 221: Devouring Soul Formation Activate

    Chapter 221: Devouring Soul Formation Activate


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Upon seeing the Clear-faced Daoist appear, Song Wen realized that the life extension ritual was about to begin.


    However, the appearance of the Clear-faced Daoist was unexpected for him; he hadn''t received any information about her presence from the memories of Elder Su Xiuyong.


    With an additional Golden Core cultivator aiding the Su family, he thought it unlikely that he could strike a decisive blow against them and hoped to overwhelm them.


    A sense of disappointment welled up in Song Wen.


    Two days passed swiftly.


    During these two days, the valley remained quiet, with only one person entering on the previous day. No one else hade or gone.


    Unaware of what was happening inside the valley, Song Wen grew increasingly anxious.


    The dy in the Du family''s appearance made him worry; could they have learned about the Clear-faced Daoist''s presence? Did they realize they weren''t a match for thebined forces of the Clear-faced Daoist and Su Qian and dare not attack the Su family?


    In the valley, within a bamboo house.


    The Clear-faced Daoist, who had been in seclusion toprehend the ''Devouring Soul Formation,'' had now emerged.


    Learning that she had mastered the control method for the auxiliary array te of the ''Devouring Soul Formation,'' Su Qian instructed Su Wenshi who stood guard, outside the wooden house.


    "Make the arrangements; at midnight tonight, we will activate the ''Devouring Soul Formation.""


    Su Wenshi quickly left the bamboo grove and arrived at a ck stone building on the other side of the valley. This structure had only onerge entrance and no other windows, resembling a prison from the mundane world.


    Two Foundation Establishment cultivators stood guard at the entrance. Upon seeing Su Wenshi, they greeted him.


    "Greetings, Great Elder."


    Su Wenshi asked, "Everything has been normal with the scattered cultivators in confinement?"


    "Reporting to the Great Elder, everything is fine. We give them Profound Qi Pills daily, and the prison is equipped with a Spirit Gathering Formation, providing ample spiritual energy. Their cultivation levels have not only remained stable but have also slightly increased."


    Su Wenshi nodded. "Well done. Bring them all out and take them to the ''Devouring Soul Formation.""n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two guards turned and walked into the prison.


    Meanwhile, at the summit of Qingping Mountain in the discussion hall.


    Su Anqing, seated within the hall, also received the news.


    "Notify everyone immediately."


    "From now on, Qingping Mountain is closed; no one is allowed to enter or exit."


    "Inform all n members, whether in seclusion or refining pills, to stop everything and gather at the summit za within half an hour."


    "Enhance the vignce on Qingping Mountain. If any unusual movements are detected, report immediately."


    As orders were issued one after another, the cultivators throughout Qingping Mountain began to mobilize.


    Su Anqing walked to the entrance of the hall, watching the n members moving back and forth in the air. The orders he had issued were being carried out methodically, and a look of excitement crossed his face.


    The day he had been waiting for had finallye!


    Once the ancestor sessfully extends his life, all the suffering and humiliation the Su family had endured over these days could be repaid in full.


    Du family! Just wait, the enmity between the Su and Du families will soon be settled.


    That night.


    A thousand scattered cultivators at thete stage of Qi Refining, practicing the ''Longevity


    Technique,'' were divided into ten groups. Each group was shackled with a long chain, resembling pigs tied together with a rope, dragged toward the center of the valley''s ''Devouring Soul Formation.''


    The oldest among them was no more than thirty years old, and each had been restrained, unable to use their internal spiritual power, offering no resistance whatsoever.


    When the thousand scattered cultivators arrived, Su Qian and the Clear-faced Daoist were already waiting within the formation.


    The scattered cultivators were brought into the western section of the formation, with the ends of the ten chains fastened to iron pirs that had been pre-reserved.


    Su Qian exchanged nces with the Clear-faced Daoist and said, "Qingyan, prepare to activate the formation."


    The Clear-faced Daoist nodded. "Let''s begin."


    Immediately, they each took out their respective array tes and cast their spells toward


    them.


    Faint green light began to emanate from both array tes.


    From the edge of the formation, Su Wenshi observed the scene, soaring into the air and


    hovering above the formation.


    With a wave of his hand, eighty-one fist-sized transparent crystal stones appeared and fell into the grooves along the edges of the formation below.


    These thirty-six transparent crystals were all top-grade spirit stones, worth a total of thirty- six thousand low-grade spirit stones.


    As the top-grade spirit stones settled into the grooves of the formation, the patterns along the edges gradually glowed with faint light.


    The glow spread toward the center of the formation, and in less than ten minutes, the entire formation was enveloped in green light.


    The glow intensified, gradually shrouding the entire ''Devouring Soul Formation'' in an eerie green light, giving it a terrifying appearance.


    Under the illumination of the green light, Su Qian''s face, lined with deep wrinkles, looked ghastly green, making it particrly chilling.


    He wore a bloodthirsty smile, and the reflections of the green light in his eyes resembled vengeful spirits wing their way out of hell.


    Su Qian continuously cast spells into the main array te. He was the primary controller of the ''Devouring Soul Formation,'' while the Clear-faced Daoist served merely as an assistant. His spiritual sense and mana consumption increased rapidly, yet he appeared invigorated,


    showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.


    Years of preparation had led to this moment.


    Outside the valley.


    Hiding in a cave, Song Wen felt restless.


    Although he couldn''t detect the movements within the valley through his spiritual sense, he


    could clearly feel that tonight was different.


    Even with the protective formation isting the valley, he could sense that the fluctuations


    of spiritual energy within were much stronger than usual.


    Something significant must be happening in the valley.


    He looked up at the sky, hoping for the arrival of the Du family, yet they still had not


    appeared.


    After waiting for half an hour, the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the valley intensified,


    reaching him from afar.


    Even without knowing about the life extension ritual being conducted by Su Qian, he could


    guess that something big was urring within the valley.


    Suddenly.


    In the distant sky, a dozen figures sped swiftly toward Qingping Mountain.


    The guards surrounding the Su family first noticed the anomaly and crushed an emergency


    jade slip, sending a beam of white light soaring into the sky.


    All the Su family members on Qingping Mountain were instantly drawn to the white light,


    their expressions solemn as an overwhelming sense of murderous intent permeated the entire


    mountain.


    Some flew on swords, while others employed flying techniques. Under Su Anqing''s leadership, over a hundred Su family members soared into the air, each at least at the seventh


    layer of Qi Refining.


    All the Su family members began to activate their spells, preparing to strike a lethal blow as


    soon as the intruders approached.


    To their surprise, the intruders halted a distance of eight hundred feet away.


    One of them sent a flying sword out in front, which was dark red all over, transforming into a


    ghostly light and speeding toward the Su family.


    Su Anqing''s expression changed drastically.


    Among the intruders, there was actually a Golden Core cultivator.


    Only a Golden Core cultivator could extend their spiritual sense to cover an area of eight


    hundred feet.


    It was the Du family!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 222: Kill Without Hesitation

    Chapter 222: Kill Without Hesitation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Activate the formation!"


    Su Anqing shouted anxiously.


    At this moment, the ancestor could not take action, and there were no Golden Core cultivators stationed in the Su family. Without the protection of the formation, the old ancestor of the Du family, Du Tianhua, could easily ughter all the Su family cultivators on Qingping Mountain.


    The coverage range of a Golden Core cultivator''s spiritual sense is eight miles, meaning within this range, they can attack at will.


    In contrast, the farthest range of a Foundation Establishment cultivator''s spiritual sense is only four miles. Beyond this distance, their attack precision significantly decreases, and they cannot control their spiritual energy as freely. Even if they attempt an attack, it can be easily dodged.


    Although the Su family had many members, as long as Du Tianhua did not approach within four miles of the Su family cultivators, the Su family''s attacks would not pose a threat to him.


    On the za below, nine prepared Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Su family stood at various corners, each holding a small yellow g.


    As Su Anqing issued hismand, the nine inserted their small gs into the ground and formed several hand seals.


    In an instant, arge formation barrier emanating a yellowish light materialized, enveloping the entire za and the more than fifty Su family cultivators in the air.


    The dark red flying sword struck the barrier!


    The flying sword instantly erupted with a blood-red sword light, its sword energy cutting through the air.


    The yellowish light of therge formation barrier brightened, illuminating the sky above Qingping Mountain.


    The yellowish light on the formation barrier gradually converged, and the flying sword was repelled. Du Tianhua''s strike was blocked by the Su family''s protective formation.


    Du Tianhua flew forward and stopped before the barrier, a cold smile on his face.


    "The Su family truly deserves to be a long-standing Golden Core family, possessing a three- tiered earth attribute formation as their protective formation."


    Inside the formation, Su Anqing looked at Du Tianhua, furious.


    "Du family ancestor, you dare to lead your people to openly attack my su family''s Qingping Mountain. This vites a major taboo in the cultivation world! Are you not afraid of provoking other cultivation forces to unite against you?"


    Du Tianhua scoffed, "The Su family keeps a woman with a heavenly armor who nurtures spirit medicines, and that old guy Su Qian, who seeks to extend his life-it''s you Su family that should be afraid of breaking the rules of the cultivation world!"


    Su Anqing was stunned and panicked.


    "How do you know?"


    "Heh." Du Tianhua''s mocking voice echoed.


    "Not only do I know, but after tonight, the entire cultivation world will know. There will no longer be a ce for the Su family in the entire cultivation world. Countless cultivators unwilling to die will swarm here to tten Qingping Mountain, hahaha..."


    Du Tianhua''s arrogantughter resonated through the skies.


    As a legitimate force, the Du family needed a pretext to attack the Su family.


    Regardless of their true intentions, legitimate forces always seek a justified cause.


    TL: Hypocrites...


    Thus, he arranged for many Qi Refinement stage nsmen to announce the Su family''s wrongdoings to the entire cultivation world at dawn.


    No matter the oue tonight, the Su family''s reputation would certainly be ruined, making them the target of public outrage.


    Du Tianhuamunicated with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Su family behind him.


    "Search the entire Qingping Mountain for all the spiritual items we can take away."


    The protective formation could only shield the za at the mountain peak, making it impossible to cover the entire Qingping Mountain, which spanned dozens of miles. Doing so would consume too many spiritual stones.


    Without the formation''s protection, the Du family was free to plunder.


    Leading by the family head Du Ruoyun, a dozen members of the Du family charged into various important ces of the Su family: the living quarters, the alchemy room, the talisman hall, and the herb garden... like locusts swarming, various treasures were snatched away.


    Especially in the Su family''s spiritual fields, where various spirit medicines were worth a fortune, all were packed away regardless of age, with Du family''s cultivators even wishing they could take the soil from the spiritual fields too.


    The only disappointment for Du Tianhua was that the Su family''s inheritance grounds were protected by the three-tiered earth attribute formation, which contained various techniques and secrets umted by the Su family over the years.


    With a mocking glint in his eyes, Du Tianhua nced at Su Anqing inside the formation before turning to fly towards the eastern valley.


    He alone could not break through the three-tiered earth attribute formation in a short time; he had more important matters to attend to and could not waste time on Qingping Mountain.


    Du Tianyu arrived at the valley and immediately formed hand seals.


    The dark red flying sword suddenly burst forth with a bright blood-red light, resembling a fallen star from the sky, and struck the formation barrier of the valley with all its might.


    The formation that Su Qian set up in this valley was also a three-tiered formation named the "Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation," which offered various capabilities such as defense, concealing aura and spiritual fluctuations, and obstructing vision. While it had many functions, in terms of pure defense, it was not as strong as the three-tiered earth attribute formation on Qingping Mountain.


    "Boom!"


    The dark red flying sword struck the barrier, producing an earth-shattering sound, and a


    violent gust of wind swept out in all directions.


    The formation barrier began to shake violently, rippling with waves.


    Su Qian looked up at the vibrating barrier in midair, a flicker of anger shing in his eyes.


    While controlling the "Devouring Formation," he distractedly spoke to Daoist Qingyan.


    "Qingyan, the ''Devouring Formation'' has been sessfully activated. For now, I can control the formation alone, but I need you to deal with Du Tianhua."


    When the members of the Du family first appeared, Su Qian had already received a message from Su Anqing, but he was too busy activating the "Devouring Formation" to pay attention.


    Now that the "Devouring Formation" was activated, Su Qian alone could control it for a short time without needing Daoist Qingyan''s assistance.


    Within the array symbols of the "Devouring Formation," a thick blood snake coalesced fromn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    blood sma. The blood snake was about a foot long and slowly moved within the array symbols, swimming toward the scattered cultivators in the west section of the formation.


    The first scattered cultivator in the front row watched in terror as the strange blood snake climbed onto his foot and then along his leg, moving upward.


    Unfortunately, he was under a restriction, unable to move or speak, and could only watch helplessly as the blood snake crawled up to his face and then burrowed into his mouth and nose, heading toward his abdomen.


    In an instant, the scattered cultivator became excruciatingly pained, his face contorted in agony as his entire body trembled uncontrobly.


    Momentster, his body suddenly went limp and copsed, as if the bones and flesh inside him had melted in an instant, unable to support his skin, which crumpled in on itself.


    The blood snake emerged from his flesh and, following the array symbols, swam toward the


    next scattered cultivator.


    After devouring one scattered cultivator''s flesh, the blood snake''s length increased slightly,


    and its speed quickened a bit.


    Daoist Qingyan nced at the blood snake in the western section of the "Devouring Formation," gradually ceasing her hand seals. She ced the auxiliary formation te on the ground, stood up, and spoke to Su Qian.


    "There''s no need for courtesy, Brother Su. I''ll be back soon."


    With that, her figure lifted off the ground and soared into the air.


    The reason she ced the auxiliary formation te within the formation was that once the "Devouring Formation" was activated, both the main and auxiliary formation tes could


    not leave the range of therge formation. Otherwise, the operation of the formation would


    be forcibly interrupted.


    "Qingyan, don''t be careless," Su Qian advised, splitting his attention.


    "I''m a Golden Core cultivator from the Beast Controlling Sect; dealing with a minor family cultivator who has just formed his core for ten years is nothing to worry about."


    Daoist Qingyan appeared nonchnt, showing no regard for Du Tianhua.


    Before she could finish her words, she reached the edge of the protective formation barrier at


    the top of the valley.


    At that moment, Su Wenshi, positioned outside the "Devouring Formation," was holding a formation te in his hand and forming hand seals.


    A hole suddenly appeared at the top of the "Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation" barrier.


    Daoist Qingyan flew out through the hole, which immediately sealed up behind her.


    Su Qian watched the spot where Daoist Qingyan had disappeared. Since the "Yin Yang Four


    Symbols Formation" barrier was not transparent, he could not see the scene outside the


    formation.


    A chill crept across his face.


    "Qingyan, you are still as impulsive and straightforward as you were when you were young. I


    have always regarded you as a sister and didn''t want to harm you, but for the sake of breaking through to the mid Golden Core stage, I can only act ruthlessly."


    Outside the "Devouring Formation," Su Wenshi nced at his own ancestor at the center of


    the formation before lowering his head, lost in thought.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 223: The Battle of Golden Cores

    Chapter 223: The Battle of Golden Cores


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    As soon as Du Tianhua saw Daoist Qingyan suddenly fly out from the formation, his eyes trembled slightly.


    The intelligence sent to the Du family by Song Wen did not mention Daoist Qingyan.


    Du Tianhua had always believed that the only enemy he had to face was Su Qian alone.


    Seeing Daoist Qingyan appear forced him to reassess the situation. He quickly retreated, trying to create distance between himself and Daoist Qingyan.


    Although he did not know Daoist Qingyan, he could sense the thick aura of profound magical power emanating from her; she was certainly not someone to be trifled with.


    "Fellow Daoist, may I ask who you are? Why are you here at the Su family''s location?" Du Tianhua''s tone was filled with caution.


    Seeing Du Tianhua retreat, thinking he was trying to escape, Daoist Qingyan smiled widely.


    "Trying to run away? It''s toote!"


    Before her words fell, a knife with a mirror-like de, radiating cold light, appeared in front of Daoist Qingyan.


    With her slender fingers, Daoist Qingyan lightly pointed at the long knife.


    In an instant, the de surged with a fierce killing aura.


    The long knife unleashed a few meters of knife light, cleaving toward Du Tianhua as if it could slice through mountains and rivers.


    Facing this thunderous strike, Du Tianhua showed no hesitation and immediately activated the dark red ving sword.


    The sword body circled with sharp sword qi, rushing toward the long knife like a swift spirit snake.


    Even though he knew he was no match for Daoist Qingyan, in this life-and-death moment, he had no choice but to go all out.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "ng!"


    The knife and sword collided!


    The flying sword was no match and flew back.


    The long knife also lost much of its power, failing to pose a threat to Du Tianhua.


    Daoist Qingyan formed hand seals again, causing the long knife''s de to darken and surge


    once more.


    Du Tianhua threw out a silver small shield and turned to flee.


    The silver small shield expanded to the size of a door and crashed against the long knife.


    "Bang!"


    The shield was directly split in half by the long knife.


    Daoist Qingyan controlled the long knife and struck again toward the fleeing Du Tianhua.


    Feeling the terrifying knife qi behind him, Du Tianhua silently cursed "crazy woman."


    Just moments ago, his shield had been shattered; it was a medium-grade spiritual weapon, the strongest defensive artifact he possessed, yet it hadn''t been able to withstand a single strike from her.


    A sh of determination crossed his eyes as a chicken egg-sized white orb appeared in his hand.


    He squeezed it tightly, and the orb immediately cracked open, releasing countless misty tendrils that quickly enveloped the surrounding area within a mile, turning it into a vast white expanse.


    This mist was extraordinarily strange; once it covered the area, it stopped expanding.


    Even the gentle breeze struggled to stir the mist.


    When the long knife sliced into the white mist, a tremendous force surged, causing the mist to writhe wildly, but it did not spread outward.


    Daoist Qingyan''s eyes shed with surprise as she realized she could no longer sense Du


    Tianhua.


    "Spirit Concealing Mist!"


    The Spirit Concealing Mist is a fog that can iste spiritual perception. Within the mist''s range, a cultivator''s spiritual sense would be severely interfered with, making it impossible to detect anything inside.


    With Du Tianhua''s figure cloaked by the Spirit Concealing Mist, it meant Daoist Qingyan could no longer pinpoint his exact location, preventing her from using her knife to attack him.


    Daoist Qingyan stared at the mist, pondering for a moment, but couldn''t think of a good solution.


    She formed hand seals once more, and the long knife''s de reappeared, striking into the mist with incredible speed.


    Inside the mist, the long knife quickly disappeared, only to burst forth from the other side momentster.


    The long knife turned around and struck into the mist again.


    After slicing out dozens of strikes like this, Daoist Qingyan realized that aside from the knife''s aura causing the mist to slightly disperse, she had made no significant progress.


    To truly disperse the mist, she would need to cut through thousands of times.


    Raising her hand, she called the long knife back into her grasp.


    Those with great skills have bold hearts.


    Daoist Qingyan stepped into the Spirit Concealing Mist, holding her long knife.


    The battle between Daoist Qingyan and Du Tianhua attracted the attention of both sides on


    Qingping Mountain.


    Du Ruoyun''s face turned somewhat grim as she shouted loudly.


    "All Du family cultivators, immediately distance yourselves from Qingping Mountain!"


    The Du family cultivators scattered across Qingping Mountain, hearing hermand, wasted


    no time and quickly avoided Daoist Qingyan''s position, fleeing into the distance.


    Meanwhile, the Su family, who had been hiding inside the protective mountain array and


    dared not show their heads, all looked pleased.


    Su Anqing hurriedly shouted, "Open the array!"


    A momentter, the earthen protective array closed.


    Su Anqing led over a dozen foundation-building cultivators from the Su family toward Du


    Ruoyun.


    To capture the thief, first capture the king.


    Du Ruoyun was the foremost foundation-building cultivator of the Du family and also the family head; capturing her would maximize the blow to the Du family.


    Du Ruoyun was not alone; besides the four Su family cultivators who had chosen to flee in different directions, the other ten Du family cultivators gathered around her.


    With her nsmen, she quickly escaped.


    Two Du family cultivators, who were slower to escape, were caught up by Su Anqing, the


    fastest among the Su family''s escape techniques, and were killed on the spot.


    Du Ruoyun wished to save them, but with the Su family being numerous and powerful, she


    was helpless, only able to watch as two of her nsmen were in.


    After pursuing for several dozen meters, worried that more changes might ur on Qingping Mountain, Su Anqing had to abandon the chase and return to Qingping Mountain.


    ...


    After Daoist Qingyan entered the Spirit Concealing Mist, the surroundings were vast and


    unclear, and her spiritual sense was severely suppressed, allowing her to only detect movements within a radius of ten meters.


    Suddenly, the mist in front surged violently, and Daoist Qingyan swung her knife, cutting


    through the roiling mist.


    A ten-foot-long de aura surged forth, slicing into the swirling mist.


    However, the de aura did not hit anything.


    Abruptly, the mist behind her began to swirl again.


    Daoist Qingyan turned around and unleashed another ten-foot-long de aura, but


    simrly, it struck nothing.


    The mist swirled from below, above, and on the left... all directions stirred with activity.


    After continuously unleashing dozens of de auras, Daoist Qingyan gradually sensed something was amiss.


    The opponent clearly had a way to ascertain her position within the Spirit Concealing Mist, while she, on the other hand, could not locate Du Tianhua''s whereabouts.


    Staying in the Spirit Concealing Mist was extremely disadvantageous for her.


    She activated her body technique and flew straight ahead, wanting to escape the mist as


    quickly as possible.


    Just then, the mist to her left surged violently once more.


    Daoist Qingyan did not pay much attention, casually unleashing a de aura, but her speed


    remained steady as she continued flying forward.


    However, this time, it was not just a bluff.


    A dark red flying sword cut through the mist, grazing Daoist Qingyan''s de aura and slicing


    toward her left shoulder.


    Daoist Qingyan''s eyes widened in shock, realizing that it was not good!


    She hurriedly turned to the side, swinging her long knife to intercept the flying sword.


    In her haste, Daoist Qingyan, slightly careless, did not exert much power.


    "ng!"


    The sword and knife collided!


    Daoist Qingyan was forced back repeatedly, nearly losing her grip on her long knife.


    The sword aura that erupted from the sword struck her right hand, instantly turning it into a


    bloody mess.


    Daoist Qingyan quickly activated the magical power within her body to dissipate the


    remaining sword qi raging through her right hand.


    Seeing the wound on her right forearm, where the bone was visible, Daoist Qingyan felt fear


    rising within her. Not daring to stay any longer, she hurriedly channeled all her power and


    flew rapidly toward the outside of the mist.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 224: Daoist Qingyan Trapped

    Chapter 224: Daoist Qingyan Trapped


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Just as Daoist Qingyan was about to fly out of the mist, the fog from all directions surged violently.


    Daoist Qingyan could no longer afford to be careless. She quickly formed hand seals, and the de aura on her Longevity surged, rapidly spinning around her, shooting countless de energies in all directions.


    At the same time, she did not stop her escape light and continued to fly toward the outside of the mist.


    The dark red flying sword shot out from deep within the mist, shing toward Daoist Qingyan''s back.


    The flying sword did not hit Daoist Qingyan; instead, it was blocked by the Longevity spinning rapidly around her.


    Daoist Qingyan used the de energy to protect her body, dispersing some of the power of the Longevity.


    However, the Longevity could notpletely block the flying sword''s attack, and a strand of sword qi shed into Daoist Qingyan''s back.


    "Pfft!"


    The sound of a de piercing flesh echoed.


    A terrifying wound, two inches long, appeared on Daoist Qingyan''s back, with her ribs clearly visible.


    At the same time, the impact of the sword qi caused Daoist Qingyan to lurch forward, which inadvertently helped her escape the Concealing Spirit Mist.


    At this moment, Su Anqing and the others, who had been pursuing the Du family cultivators, had returned.


    Seeing Daoist Qingyan injured and in trouble, they all felt a shudder of concern, praying that no furtherplications would arise.


    After distancing herself from the mist by several hundred meters, Daoist Qingyan shouted toward Su Anqing and the others.


    "All Su family members, attack the mist and disperse it! Today, I will ensure that Du Tianhua is turned to dust!"


    As soon as she finished speaking, the foundation-building cultivators from the Su family, several miles away, activated various spells, and even some Qi Refining stage Su family members began to cast spells.


    The area covered by the mist exceeded their spiritual sense range and was not within their effective attack scope.


    However, the mist had a considerable radius and did not move; as long as their attacksnded within its range, it would suffice.


    The Su family cultivators mostly chose fire and wind spells, as these were the most effective in dispersing the Spirit Concealing Mist.


    A raging inferno erupted within the mist, and violent winds howled toward it.


    Daoist Qingyan stood by, urging her Longevity, gathering momentum, waiting for Du Tianhua to appear so she could greet him with a thunderous strike.


    As the Spirit Concealing Mist gradually dispersed, Du Tianhua began to feel anxious; if this continued, his figure would soon be exposed.


    Estimating Daoist Qingyan''s position, Du Tianhua fled in the opposite direction, escaping the mist.


    Seeing Du Tianhua appear, a murderous intent shed in Daoist Qingyan''s eyes.


    The Longevity sliced through the air, making a sound like tearing silk.


    Du Tianhua had been prepared; the dark red sword light rushed forward to meet the Longevity.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "ng!"


    The knife and sword shed.


    Just as Du Tianhua thought that even if the flying sword was defeated, it would greatly weaken the Longevity''s power, a ten-foot-long de aura shot out from the Longevity, directly shing toward his back.


    "Shh!"


    The de aura cut into flesh.


    Du Tianhua''s left arm was severed at the shoulder, and the immense force from the de aura sent him flying, crashing into the forest below.


    If he hadn''t slightly shifted his body at thest moment, the de would have split him in


    two.


    "Bang!"


    Du Tianhua crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up dust and creating a pit several meters deep. Blood erupted from his mouth like a spring, continuously gushing forth.


    Daoist Qingyan''s expression brightened. She urged her Longevity, intending topletely y Du Tianhua. However, just as the Longevity was about to fall, a thick fog rose up among


    the trees.


    Du Tianhua had released the Spirit Concealing Mist again.


    In Daoist Qingyan''s spiritual sense, Du Tianhua''s trace vanished once again.


    "Destroy this dense forest!" she shouted to the Su family members behind her.


    The Su family members obeyed the order, unleashing countless spells.


    Suddenly, the mountains shook and the earth split, with stones flying everywhere.


    Once the Concealing Spirit Mist was dispersed, there was no sign of Du Tianhua anywhere.


    He had managed to evade Daoist Qingyan and the others'' spiritual sense detection by using the forest to obscure his presence and some unknown method to conceal his aura, escaping


    without a trace.


    "Damn it!"


    Daoist Qingyan cursed, swallowing two healing elixirs as she flew toward the valley.


    Her injuries were severe, and her magical energy had also been significantly depleted, necessitating some time to meditate and heal.


    Seeing Daoist Qingyane back injured, a fleeting joy shed in Su Qian''s eyes, though his face was filled with concern.


    "Qingyan, how badly are you hurt?"


    "It''s nothing serious, just a minor injury. Give me a quarter of an hour to refine these healing elixirs, and I will be fine," Daoist Qingyan replied nonchntly.


    "Then you focus on healing. While I extract all the blood essence from the living sacrifices, I


    will need your help to control the Soul Devouring Formation during the process," Su Qian


    instructed.


    Daoist Qingyan nodded and settled in the eastern area of the Soul Devouring Formation, sitting cross-legged to refine the elixirs.


    At this moment, in the western area of the Soul Devouring Formation, more than half of the loose cultivators had had their blood essence extracted. The blood serpent had grown over ten feet long and was moving much faster, resembling a long snake hunting, swiftly navigating through the formation and continuously swallowing loose cultivators one by one.


    After a little over a quarter of an hour, all the blood essence from the thousand living sacrifice loose cultivators had been extracted by the Soul Devouring Formation.


    The blood serpent now measured two zhang (6.6m) in length, coiling and writhing through


    the formation.


    "Qingyan, lend me your strength!"


    At this point, Daoist Qingyan had not yet fully refined the elixirs, and her injuries were not


    completely stabilized.


    Hearing Su Qian''s plea for help, she could not continue refining the elixirs and instead used


    her magical energy to levitate the auxiliary formation te before her.


    She formed hand seals and continuously struck the auxiliary formation te.


    In the center of the formation, Su Qian was also casting hand seals toward the suspended


    auxiliary formation te.


    The glowing patterns of the Soul Devouring Formation gradually intensified, and the blood


    serpent sped up, moving toward the center of the formation.


    Su Qian shot a cold nce at Daoist Qingyan, his hand seals suddenly changing.


    A powerful pressure surged forth, like a mountain crashing down upon Daoist Qingyan.


    Her expression changed drastically, panic shing across her face.


    "Big Brother Su, what''s going on?"


    She instinctively cried out in rm, and at the same time, she stopped her hand seals,


    urgently channeling her inner spiritual power to try to break free from the formation.


    However, the pressure bearing down on her was too immense, making it difficult for her to move.


    "Qingyan, don''t me me for being ruthless. My spiritual root talent is not outstanding; merely achieving the Golden Core stage is a great fortune. Even if the Soul Devouring Formation extends my life for another sixty years, it will still be hard for me to break through to the early Golden Core stage. If I want to go further in my cultivation, I must resort to


    extreme measures."


    "The Soul Devouring Formation can not only help extend life but can also plunder others'' cultivation, aiding cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks. Each cultivator can only use the Soul Devouring Formation once; to seize this unique opportunity, I must not only plunder


    the blood essence of loose cultivators but also steal your cultivation to help me break through the bottleneck of the early Golden Core stage."


    Seeing Daoist Qingyan trapped in the formation, Su Qian, believing victory was assured, finally dropped his facade and revealed his true intentions,ying bare his scheme.


    ording to Su Qian''s understanding from the Longevity Token,'' to plunder another''s blood


    essence to extend life, the target must be a cultivator practicing the Longevity Technique.


    However, there were no restrictions when it came to plundering others'' cultivation; any cultivator, regardless of the technique they practiced, could be targeted.


    Yet, plundering others'' cultivation wasn''t without risks.


    If a Qi Refining stage cultivator were to utilize the Soul Devouring Formation to plunder the


    cultivation of a Golden Core stage cultivator, the only oue would be their body exploding from the overwhelming spiritual power within the Golden Core cultivator.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 225: Qingyan’s Scheme

    Chapter 225: Qingyan��s Scheme


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Unable to bear the immense pressure, Daoist Qingyan had already knelt on the ground, gritting her teeth in anger.


    "Su Qian, you despicable scoundrel! I came all this way to lend you a helping hand, and you actually disregard our years of friendship and scheme against me."


    Su Qianughed smugly.


    "The world of cultivation is all about deceit and false pretenses. You''re too focused on past rtionships and too trusting of others-that''s your own folly. I let you enter the eastern area of the Soul Devouring Formation to control the auxiliary formation te, and you didn''t suspect anything at all."


    "Hahaha..."


    Su Qianughed arrogantly, not forgetting to maintain control over the formation.


    Under hismand, the blood serpent slithered toward Daoist Qingyan.


    Just as the blood serpent was about to make contact with Daoist Qingyan, a huge ck figure suddenly emerged not far from outside the Soul Devouring Formation, breaking through the ground.


    It turned out to be a giant turtle over two zhang in size!


    The giant turtle had a thick and solid shell, impervious to damage; its limbs were adorned with sharp ws; its gaping mouth was filled with sharp fangs; and its massive tail, covered in barbs, resembled arge spiked club.


    The giant turtle shook off the dirt from its body, and all four limbs exerted force as it lunged toward the center of the formation, like a cannonball fired at high speed, crashing into Su Qian.


    The sudden appearance of the giant turtle threw Su Qian into a panic, making it hard for him to believe what he was seeing.


    He had witnessed the power of this giant turtle before; it was called the Ironback Turtle and had been raised by Daoist Qingyan for many years. Thest time he saw it, it was at the peak of the second stage, and he did not know when it had formed its demon core and grown into a third-stage spiritual beast.


    Su Qian hurriedly took to the air, evading the Ironback Turtle''s charge. At the same time, he did not stop controlling the formation; the blood serpent continued to slither along the formation''s patterns toward Daoist Qingyan.


    As long as Daoist Qingyan died, the Ironback Turtle would be a wild spiritual beast, losing its threat.


    The Ironback Turtle did not continue to attack Su Qian; speed was not its strong suit. Instead, it positioned itself beside Daoist Qingyan.


    Its thick shell protected Daoist Qingyan, and the immense pressure that had enveloped her dissipated, transferring to the Ironback Turtle.


    The Ironback Turtle''s sturdy limbs trembled slightly but did not copse, as its thick feet firmly anchored themselves to the ground, as if trying to shatter the ground beneath them.


    "Roar!"


    Seeing the blood serpent about to touch its forelimb, the Ironback Turtle let out a thunderous


    roar.


    Its forelimbs quickly retreated half a step, but it did not attempt to crush the blood serpent.


    With the pressure on her diminished, Daoist Qingyan stood up, grasping the edge of the turtle shell, andmanded, "Let''s go!"


    The Ironback Turtle took heavy steps, slowly backing away until it soon exited the range of the Soul Devouring Formation.


    In mid-air, Su Qian could only watch as the Ironback Turtle carried Daoist Qingyan out of the formation step by step.


    He was worried that if he attacked Daoist Qingyan, it would cause irreparable damage to the Soul Devouring Formation, undoing over a decade of his careful nning.


    "Qingyan, I underestimated you. I always thought you were a straightforward person with no cunning, but it turns out you were hiding it so well," Su Qian said through gritted teeth.


    Daoist Qingyan had clearly plotted to conceal herself underground near the formation, using the Ironback Turtle''s powerful breathing technique to remain hidden.


    Finally stepping out of the formation, Daoist Qingyan let out a long sigh of relief.


    She was already seriously injured, and the pressure from the formation only exacerbated her


    injuries.


    However, everything was worth it.


    As Su Qian had said, she hade for the Soul Devouring Formation from the very beginning.


    After she and Su Qian emerged alive from the Ancient Secret Realm''s Hall of Longevity, she replicated the contents of the ''Longevity Token''.


    Her earlier im to Su Qian that she had notprehended even the skin of the jade tablet was a lie.


    Although she could not fully grasp the Soul Devouring Formation like Su Qian or set it up, she did glean some of its secrets from the jade tablet.


    She understood that the Soul Devouring Formation could extend life and also help one enhance their cultivation.


    Over a month ago, when she encountered three of the Su family cultivators trying to capture Song Wen outside Donghua Square, she learned from them that Su Qian had set up the Soul Devouring Formation. This piqued Qingyan''s interest, and she was intent on seizing the opportunity to use the Soul Devouring Formation to enhance her cultivation.


    Thus, when she received the message from the Su family asking her to assist Su Qian in extending life with the Soul Devouring Formation, she agreed without hesitation.


    Two days prior, upon arriving at the Su family and seeing the Soul Devouring Formation, when Su Qian exined its control techniques and asked her to enter the eastern area of the formation to assist him, she knew that Su Qian had ulterior motives.


    Regarding the control techniques of the Soul Devouring Formation, she believed she was not as proficient as Su Qian. To ensure the formation activated smoothly and to seize the vitality of the scattered cultivators, she pretended not to know anything and cooperated with Su Qian


    in their little act.


    In the shadows, she had secretly concealed her spiritual beast, the Ironback Turtle, underground near the Soul Devouring Formation, relying on the Ironback Turtle''s natural ability to hide its presence to sessfully avoid Su Qian''s detection.


    "Su Qian, if you surrender and enter the formation, allowing me to absorb your cultivation, I can guarantee the Su family''s stability for a hundred years. Otherwise, when I capture you and seize your cultivation, it will be the end of your Su family."


    "Delusional! Who will win or lose is yet to be determined!" Su Qian shot back angrily.


    As soon as he finished speaking, a flying sword erupted from Su Qian''s mouth, its momentum fierce as it shed down toward Daoist Qingyan.


    Although Daoist Qingyan had the assistance of a third-stage spiritual beast, she was heavily injured, and Su Qian believed he still had the strength to fight.


    Seeing the swift approach of the flying sword, Daoist Qingyan ducked beneath the Ironback


    Turtle.


    "ng!"


    The flying sword struck the turtle''s back, leaving a faint mark on the thick shell. However, the sword emitted a cry of distress as it seemed unable to withstand the recoil from the turtle''s


    shell.


    Su Qian''s face turned grim; the Ironback Turtle''s defense exceeded his expectations and was


    not something he, as a cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core, could easily breakn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    through.


    Since brute force was futile, he would have to resort to strategy.


    Su Qian''s gaze shifted, and after a moment, it seemed he hade up with a n.


    He cast a few spells at the main formation te, temporarily sealing the Soul Devouring Formation to prevent the life force contained within the blood serpent from leaking away. He then ced the formation te into the formation and turned to fly out above it.


    He did this because he feared the ensuing battle might damage the Soul Devouring


    Formation.


    Controlling the flying sword, he aimed it at the Ironback Turtle''s exposed limbs.


    At the same time, he transmitted a message to Su Xunshi, who was not far away.


    "Control the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation and trap this beast for me."


    The Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation, set up in the valley, could be activated to resist external attacks, preventing enemies from invading; conversely, it could be reversed to contract the formation''s range, effectively trapping and killing internal foes.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 226: Resisting the Formation

    Chapter 226: Resisting the Formation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The Ironback Turtle opened its mouth wide, unleashing a column of water that shot into the sky.


    The water column was instantly shattered by Su Qian''s flying sword, dispersing into countless droplets that fell like rain.


    However, the flying sword was also hit by the water column, causing its speed to plummet and its power to diminish significantly.


    Su Qian, unwilling to expend his magic power, once again urged the flying sword.


    Daoist Qingyan watched as Su Qian repeatedly struck at the Ironback Turtle with the flying sword, a smirk creeping onto her lips.


    It was futile!


    An ordinary cultivator in the early stage of the Golden Core could not break through the Ironback Turtle''s defense; they would only exhaust their magic power in vain.


    Given Su Qian''s situation, it was impossible for him to maintain a prolonged attack; his aging body couldn''t withstand it for long.


    On the other hand, Daoist Qingyan, despite her injuries, had already consumed healing pills and magic-restoring pills, and as long as she refined those pills, her condition would gradually recover.


    With this ebb and flow of strengths, and with the Ironback Turtle''s assistance, she would soon be able to capture Su Qian easily.


    Suddenly, Daoist Qingyan noticed that the formation barrier enveloping the valley was rapidly shrinking, converging on her position.


    An ominous premonition crept into her heart.


    She quickly halted her efforts to refine the pills and urged the Ironback Turtle to leave.


    However, she was already within the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation. As long as the formation remained unbroken, no matter which direction she attempted to escape, she would always be within its bounds.


    Daoist Qingyan realized this point.


    Su Qian intended to trap her within the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation, using its power to drain her and the Ironback Turtle before ultimately capturing them.


    Realizing this, Daoist Qingyan naturally refused to wait idly for her demise.


    At this time, the area covered by the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation was only about two miles, and the Devouring Soul Formation was also within its range.


    Daoist Qingyan instructed the Ironback Turtle to charge toward the western area of the Devouring Soul Formation.


    The Devouring Soul Formation was crucial for Su Qian''s longevity; he would be cautious about including it within the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation. Otherwise, activating the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation to attack Daoist Qingyan would undoubtedly cause irreparable damage to the Devouring Soul Formation.


    The western area of the Devouring Soul Formation was designed to consume the vitality of scattered cultivators and wouldn''t exert the same intense pressure as the eastern area, allowing her to move freely within it.


    In an instant, Su Qian discerned Daoist Qingyan''s intent. He gathered all his magic power and fully urged the flying sword, unleashing his strongest attack.


    In an instant, the flying sword shone with silver light, its sword energy soaring like a falling meteor as it swiftly shed at the Ironback Turtle.


    The Ironback Turtle sensed the terrifying power of the flying sword and felt a surge of retreating instinct.


    The might of this strike was overwhelming; its exposed limbs, head, and tail could not withstand the blow.


    Just as the flying sword was about to strike the Ironback Turtle''s head, it felt the threat to its life and pulled all its limbs back into its shell.


    "Boom!"


    The flying sword struck the turtle shell.


    A clearly visible transparent shield lit up on the turtle''s shell, making it difficult for the sword energy to prate inside.


    The massive power unleashed by the flying sword caused the Ironback Turtle to be knocked backward, along with Daoist Qingyan, who was hiding beneath it, both tumbling back several


    dozen meters.


    "Damn it!"


    Daoist Qingyan cursed.


    Seizing this opportunity, Su Wenshi rapidly contracted the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation


    to a radius of one hundred meters.


    At the same time, both Su Qian and Su Wenshi had exited the formation''s range, leaving only Daoist Qingyan and the Ironback Turtle trapped inside.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Outside the formation, Su Qianughed loudly.


    "Su Wenshi, well done! Activate the formation and attack Qingyan and the giant turtle to drain their magic power."


    "Yes!"


    Su Wenshi continuously formed hand seals in front of the formation te.


    The Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation suddenly stirred up powerful winds, like countless sharp des, relentlessly swirling toward Daoist Qingyan and the Ironback Turtle.


    The winds swept in from all directions. The Ironback Turtle retracted its limbs and hid inside


    its shell, which pressed down on Daoist Qingyan, providing her with solid protection.


    After about half an incense stick of time, the winds began to gradually weaken.


    Su Qian looked coldly at Su Wenshi and said, "Why has the formation''s power weakened?"


    Su Wenshi appeared fearful and replied, "Reporting to Ancestor, the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation is at the third level, and my cultivation is insufficient to maintain it for a long time."


    Hearing this, Su Qian''s face turned furious. "The Su family has nurtured you for over two hundred years, and this is all you can do! Give me the formation te."


    Due to exerting himself fully with the flying sword earlier, Su Qian''s aged body was somewhat overburdened, causing his internal magic power to surge and a strange flush to appear on his


    face.


    Su Qian did not want to expend any magic power.


    However, with Su Wenshi''s spirit power depleted, he had no choice but to personally activate


    the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation.


    Under Su Qian''s scolding, a flicker of killing intent shed in Su Wenshi''s eyes. Yet, his expression did not change at all. He gently tossed the formation te toward Su Qian.


    Su Qian raised his hand to catch the te thrown by Su Wenshi and began to activate the formation.


    Within the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation, the powerful winds surged once more, far stronger than before.


    A thin shield of light illuminated the Ironback Turtle''s shell, blocking the winds entirely.


    As the winds continuously battered against it, the shield began to tremble, as if it would shatter at any moment.


    Relying solely on the Ironback Turtle''s power was ultimately insufficient to withstand the


    might of the formation.


    The shield eventually shattered.


    Winds swept in through the cracks of the turtle''s shell, slicing at the Ironback Turtle''s flesh


    like countless small knives.


    The Ironback Turtle felt the pain and became agitated.


    Daoist Qingyan sensed the Ironback Turtle''s unrest and pointed at the Yin Yang Four Symbols


    Formation barrier about ten meters away, shouting, "Charge at the barrier with all your


    might!"


    The Ironback Turtle knew it could no longer sit idly by.


    It stretched out its limbs, enduring the slicing winds that tore at its flesh, blood and muscle


    instantly turning to mush. Strongly resisting the intense pain, it exerted all its strength to


    leap, using its solid shell to collide with the formation barrier.


    "Boom!"


    The formation barrier shook violently, and the Ironback Turtle was sent stumbling backward


    by the recoil.


    Outside the formation, Su Qian''s face turned pale, blood surging within him.


    The Ironback Turtle''s power was immense, and its crash against the formation barrier nearly


    breached it. Su Qian had to mobilize all his magic power to stabilize the formation, which


    further strained his already burdened body, bringing him to the brink of copse.


    Inside the formation.


    Before Daoist Qingyan floated a small green g, emitting waves of green light that


    enveloped her.


    The fierce winds that swept into the area of green light significantly diminished in power.


    However, this green light could notpletely negate the winds, and Daoist Qingyan had to


    raise a magical shield to support herself. This, in turn, rapidly depleted her internal magic


    power.


    The reason Daoist Qingyan allowed the Ironback Turtle to counterattack was that she knew Su Qian could not maintain the Yin Yang Four Symbols Formation for long. She nned to retaliate when his physical limits were nearly reached.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    The Ironback Turtle continually mmed against the formation barrier, which shook violently, while its own injuries grew heavier, its breathing gradually weakening.


    The winds flowed in through the cracks in its shell, leaving the Ironback Turtle''s insides a bloody mess. Its limbs had lost most of their flesh, revealing stark, white bones beneath.


    The Ironback Turtle was on the verge of death.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 227: Su Qian and Qingyan Captured

    Chapter 227: Su Qian and Qingyan Captured


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Daoist Qingyan, who had not made a move until now, suddenly summoned her Longevity and fiercely attacked.


    The sword light was like frost, tearing through the gusts of wind, emitting sharp sounds of breaking air as it shed at the barrier of the "Four Symbols Array."


    The barrier suddenly shattered! It transformed into countless points of light, dissipating into the air.


    "Puff!"


    With the array broken, Su Qian spat out a mouthful of fresh, crimson blood, staining the array disk before him. His internal power surged wildly like a flood breaking through a dam.


    Su Qian''s figure fell from mid-air, crashing to the ground, his breath bing weak and feeble, as if he were on the verge of death.


    Daoist Qingyan''s face was pale, her power depleted, but she felt ted as she stepped toward the Ironback Turtle.


    The Ironback Turtle had been exposed to the gusts for too long, suffering severe injuries, and was now gasping for breath.


    Daoist Qingyan stored the Ironback Turtle in her spirit beast pouch, allowing it to recover slowly.


    "Hahaha... Su Qian, you''re too old, so old that even fully exerting your power can cause your body to copse."


    Daoist Qingyanughed triumphantly as she flew toward Su Qian, preparing to capture him.


    Suddenly!


    Two flying swords, one in front and one behind, shed toward her.


    Su Qian had been defeated, but there were still others from the Su family.


    These two flying swords came from the family head Su Anqing and the elder Su Wenshi.


    Daoist Qingyan, wielding her Longevity, shed down at the flying swords in front of her.


    The flying sword ahead was cleaved away and sent flying far.


    At the same time, a magical shield lit up behind her, blocking the flying sword that came from behind.


    The shield blocked the flying sword, but the injury she sustained was too severe, and her remaining power was limited; she stumbled slightly, nearly toppled by the flying sword.


    Having suffered a loss at the hands of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Daoist Qingyan felt humiliated and furious.


    "Just two mere Foundation Establishment cultivators dare to attack me!"


    As she prepared tomand her Longevity to y the two, she saw over twenty flying swordsing at her in formation from mid-air.


    Daoist Qingyan''s heart trembled; under normal circumstances, thebined attack of over twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn''t harm her in the slightest. However, given her current state, it was somewhat difficult to withstand.


    The Longevity in her hand danced in a flurry.


    "ng ng ng ng..." The resonant sounds of sword shes echoed continuously.


    Some flying swords were cleaved in one strike by the Longevity; others were knocked far away.


    "Thinking of killing me? It''s not that easy."


    After repelling all the flying swords, Daoist Qingyan felt a surge of determination in her heart. She activated the little remaining power she had, and the Longevity soared into the air like an azure dragon in the sea, the killing intent soaring.


    In just a few breaths, aside from a few Su family Foundation Establishment cultivators who fled at the first sign of danger, all fifteen remaining Su family cultivators were in.


    As Daoist Qingyan killed those from the Su family, Su Anqing and Su Wenshi naturally would not remain indifferent.


    Their flying swords continuously shed at Daoist Qingyan.


    She used her magical shield to withstand their attacks, but she severely underestimated her injuries.


    Although the two flying swords did not break through the magical shield, the immense impact further injured her already severely wounded body.


    The Longevity returned to her hand, and she shed down at the flying swording from behind.


    Due to her severe injuries, her magical power was not flowing smoothly, and at that moment, the magical shield suddenly shattered.


    Another flying sword descended,nding on her right hand that held the sword, severing her forearm with a snap.


    Without giving Daoist Qingyan any chance to breathe, the flying swords changed direction and aimed for her heart.


    The flying sword pierced in just an inch but could advance no further.


    Daoist Qingyan''s left hand firmly gripped the sword''s body. The fierce sword aura from the flying sword instantly shredded her palm, leaving it bloodied and mangled.


    But to survive, she could only hold on tightly, not daring to loosen her grip even a little.


    The previously knocked-back flying sword came charging back, aiming at her head.


    Just as it seemed Daoist Qingyan was about to perish, a voice suddenly rang out.


    "Stop!"


    Su Anqing turned his head to look in the direction of the voice, puzzled as he asked, "Elder,


    why don''t you let me kill this woman?"


    "First, sever her limbs. Then we will discuss further."


    "Alright!"


    Although he didn''t know what Su Wenshi was nning, Su Anqing still obeyed,manding


    the flying sword to cut off all of Daoist Qingyan''s limbs, turning her into a human pig.


    The flying sword pierced through Daoist Qingyan''s abdomen multiple times, leaving her barely clinging to life.


    Only then did Su Anqing fly closer, using spiritual power to seal her wounds to prevent her


    from dying from her severe injuries.


    Su Anqing looked at Su Wenshi and said, "Can we talk now?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Su Wenshi replied, "Killing her would be a waste of her cultivation."


    Su Anqing nced at the nearly unconscious ancestor, Su Qian, his tone filled with destion.


    "The ancestor is in such poor condition that he might find it difficult to activate the ''Devouring Origin Array''; the n to extend his life has failed."


    Su Wenshi said, "You''re foolish! Why must it only be Su Qian who devours the origin to extend


    his life? Why can''t you and I break through our bottlenecks and condense our Golden Core? Su Qian extending his life can only add another sixty years; he can only protect the Su family for that long. If you and I can condense our Golden Core, we can at least protect the Su family for


    over two hundred years."


    Hearing this, Su Anqing''s eyes sparkled with excitement.


    "But we don''t understand the controlling techniques of the ''Devouring Origin Array.""


    Su Wenshi said, "You underestimate me too much. I have been beside Su Qian, serving him for many years; did I truly gain nothing?"


    "There was one time when Su Qian was careless and left the ''Longevity Token'' in the wooden hut when he went out; I took the opportunity to recreate a copy."


    "Although I haven''t fullyprehended the mysteries of the ''Devouring Origin Array,'' the


    devouring process is already more than halfway done; we just need toplete the final step. I believe I can still finish thatst step."


    Su Anqing looked deeply at Su Wenshi, feeling somewhat shocked by his scheming.


    He actually dared to plot against his own Golden Core ancestor!


    Su Wenshi was indeed ready to go to any lengths to condense his Golden Core.


    "It seems you''ve been nning this for many years!"


    Su Wenshi said, "To those loose cultivators, we, the Golden Core families, seem to have boundless glory, but we are well aware of the hardships within."


    "The restrictions imposed by the major orthodox sects on cultivation families are no less than


    those on loose cultivators. Among all Golden Core families, there are generally no more than three strong Golden Core cultivators, and most are only in the early to mid stages of Golden


    Core."


    "You and I have cultivated to the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years but have yet to have the opportunity to condense our Golden Core. Isn''t it because the rich spiritual energy in blessednds, the numerous treasures in ancient secret realms, the rare and


    precious various mines, and profound cultivation techniques are all firmly held by the major


    sects?"


    "Our cultivation families can only fight for resources that they look down upon. If you and I want to condense our Golden Core, we must seize every opportunity."


    "I''m already over two hundred years old, and it''s impossible to rely solely on my own


    cultivation to condense my Golden Core. If I want to prolong my life, I must adopt some extraordinary means. Su Anqing, the opportunity to condense the Golden Core is right in front of us; will you cooperate with me or not? Give me a straightforward answer."


    Su Anqing pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, I agree. What should we do?"


    Su Wenshi''s gaze swept over Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan. "First, throw these two into the eastern area of the ''Devouring Origin Array.'' You and I will each hold the main and auxiliary array disks, sitting at the center of the array. Then, I will tell you how to activate the array


    disk."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 228: One Should Not Be Too Greedy

    Chapter 228: One Should Not Be Too Greedy


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Daoist Qingyan was picked up by Su Anqing and thrown into the eastern area of the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    Su Wenshi flew to Su Qian''s side, using spiritual power to lift Su Qian into the air and carry him toward the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    "Su Wenshi, what are you doing?"


    Su Qian was filled with shock and anger; his body had crumbled, leaving him powerless to resist.


    As Su Wenshi flew toward the "Devouring Soul Formation," he spoke, "Ancestor, your body is too decayed and has already crumbled; death is not far off. Use your body and cultivation to help me and the family head break through to the Golden Core stage, as your final contribution to the family."


    "No! As long as you help meplete thest step of the devouring origin for longevity, my body can still recover," Su Qian pleaded desperately.


    "Ancestor, you have enjoyed power in the Su family for over two hundred years; you should be satisfied. One should not be too greedy!"


    After Su Wenshi finished speaking, he threw Su Qian into the eastern area of the "Devouring Soul Formation" and descended to the center of the array.


    Su Anqing and Su Wenshi each held a piece of the array disk, sitting at the center of the formation.


    Under Su Wenshi''s guidance and Su Anqing''s cooperation, the temporarily sealed "Devouring Soul Formation" began to operate once again.


    The blood serpent within the array was activated and swam toward Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan, with the blood serpent being the first to climb onto Su Qian''s body.


    "No! Su Anqing, Su Wenshi, you two ungrateful brats, how dare you betray your master and destroy your ancestors! I am your grand ancestor..."


    Daoist Qingyan, turned into a human pig, was still conscious. Seeing this scene, a feeling of sorrow filled her heart, reminiscent of the plight of a dead rabbit mourning a fox.


    She and Su Qian had plotted against each other, never expecting that in the end, they would both fall into the hands of two Foundation Establishment juniors. It was trulyughable and sad.


    At that moment, a strange change urred.


    In the high sky, dark clouds gathered densely,pletely obscuring the stars in the night sky.


    A vast and magnificent celestial might brewed within the dark clouds.


    "Crack!"


    A thunderous roar erupted, like andslide and earthquake!


    Lightning, like a giant sword, pierced the pitch-ck night sky, heading straight for the center of the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    ...


    After Su Qian ordered Su Wenshi to control the "Yin Yang Four Symbol Formation" to shrink and trap Daoist Qingyan, the "Devouring Soul Formation," located in the center of the valley, was revealed.


    When Song Wen first saw the blood serpent in the "Devouring Soul Formation," an overwhelming desire surged within him.


    He could clearly sense that if he could devour this blood serpent, he would gain immeasurable benefits.


    This temptation deeply rooted itself in his subconscious, as if a charming voice was whispering in his ear, constantly calling him to devour the blood serpent.


    At that moment, Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan were engaged in a fierce battle, and Song Wen did not dare to act recklessly.


    After a twist in the situation, with both Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan severely injured, Song Wen finally retracted the "Concealing Spirit Formation" and "Nine Pces Yin Array," emerging from the cave.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As soon as he stepped out, he saw Su Anqing and Su Wenshi once again activating the "Devouring Soul Formation" to plunder the cultivation of Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan.


    Song Wen''s first instinct was that he could not allow the blood serpent to plunder Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan''s flesh and cultivation, as that would pollute the blood serpent, making it impure.


    From the previous conversations, Song Wen knew that the "Devouring Soul Formation" could plunder others'' cultivation to enhance one''s own, but he did not n to forcibly elevate his own cultivation through the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    The main reason was that he did not know how to manipte the "Devouring Soul Formation," and given the current situation, he certainly did not have enough time to slowlyprehend it.


    Thus, he chose to attack Su Anqing and Su Wenshi immediately to stop the "Devouring Soul Formation" from continuing to operate.


    Unleashing the Great Cave God Thunder, he startled the two of them, then swiftly moved like


    a ghost toward the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    Seeing the sudden lightning, Su Anqing and Su Wenshi both froze.


    Su Wenshi shouted to Su Anqing, "You block the lightning technique; I''ll continue to control


    the array."


    "Okay!"


    Su Anqing rose to his feet. He did not understand the maniption techniques of the "Devouring Soul Formation," and had just barely activated the auxiliary array disk under Su Wenshi''smand to help him restart the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    At this moment, with an external enemy approaching, it fell to him to defend against it.


    With a thought, a flying sword appeared out of nowhere, swiftly shing down toward the descending lightning.


    The flying sword surged upward, shattering the descending lightning into countless tiny sparks that danced in the air.


    "Hmph! A mere trick."


    Seeing the lightning easily dispelled, Su Anqing felt reassured. Although the lightning seemed powerful, the practitioner casting it had low cultivation and could not unleash its true


    might.


    Just as Su Anqing rxed, a figure filled with a terrifying corpse aura rushed toward them


    from the distance.


    Su Anqing''s eyes widened in shock, and his expression grew serious.


    A pseudo-Third Stage Silver Corpse!


    The Silver Corpse moved swiftly, barreling toward the "Devouring Soul Formation" in the


    blink of an eye.


    Su Wenshi, who was controlling the array, also noticed the suddenly appearing Silver Corpse.


    He watched as the blood serpent climbed up onto Su Qian''s chest, about to burrow into his mouth, his eyes filled with urgency.


    "Stop it! No matter what, you must stop it. If it destroys the ''Devouring Soul Formation,'' we may never have the chance to condense a Golden Core in this lifetime."


    Su Anqing nced back at the blood serpent in the array, gritted his teeth, and formed a hand


    seal, directing the flying sword toward the Silver Corpse.


    "Bang!"


    The flying sword struck the Silver Corpse''s chest, producing an extremely muffled sound.


    A foot-long gash appeared on the rotten flesh of the Silver Corpse''s chest, revealing its silver ribcage. The Silver Corpse was forced to halt its advance, stumbling backward a step.


    Since Song Wen had thrown over a hundred yellow ginseng nts into the corpse nurturing coffin over twenty days ago, the Silver Corpse hadpletely absorbed the ginseng, undergoing an unexpected transformation.


    A corpse puppet is ultimately just a dead body; it is a mere puppet. No matter how refined or


    powerful, it will have no vitality.


    After absorbing the yellow ginseng cultivated by the Su family, Song Wen discovered that


    traces of blood color had appeared in the Silver Corpse''s rotten flesh.


    The transformation of the Silver Corpse was almost unheard of.


    In the Corpse Demon Sect, everyone refines and nurtures corpses, but no one had ever heard of


    anyone cultivating a corpse puppet to develop even a trace of vitality. Although there might be some secretive practitioners in the Corpse Demon Sect who have nurtured distinct corpse


    puppets, it has not been made public.


    "Roar!"


    The Silver Corpse was enraged, its ash-gray eyes shimmering with a ghostly light.


    Raising its hand, it struck down onto the flying sword.


    The immense force knocked the flying sword out of control, mming it into the ground.


    With a powerful push of its legs, the Silver Corpse suddenly elerated, charging toward Su Anqing.


    Song Wen appeared behind the Silver Corpse, lightning crackling around him as he surged toward the blood serpent.


    Seeing the rapidly approaching Silver Corpse and the swiftly moving Song Wen, Su Anqing


    hesitated for a moment.


    The Silver Corpse''s strength exceeded his expectations. His all-out strike had only managed


    to breach the Silver Corpse''s flesh.


    It would be difficult for him alone to contend with the Silver Corpse.


    "What are you waiting for? Stop them! Don''t you want to condense a Golden Core?" Su


    Wenshi urged while manipting the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    Hearing this, Su Anqing once again urged the flying sword to sh at the Silver Corpse.


    At the same time, he tossed out a sword-shaped jade talisman.


    The jade slip shattered in mid-air!


    Transforming into a giant spiritual power sword several dozen meters long, it descended


    toward Song Wen.


    Song Wen anxiously watched the giant spiritual sword falling toward him, filled with urgency.


    The blood serpent had already climbed to Su Qian''s mouth, ready to burrow into his abdomen


    at any moment.


    Once the blood serpent entered Su Qian''s abdomen and devoured his flesh and cultivation, it


    would no longer be pure.


    TL: For those who are wondering, MC wants to absorb all the blood essence of the serpent,


    but since it can also devour cultivation of others, he is trying to stop it from mixing the


    cultivation and blood essence together.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 229: The Golden Core Cultivator Lurking in the Shadows

    Chapter 229: The Golden Core Cultivator Lurking in the Shadows


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    At this critical moment, Su Qian, who had copsed on the ground and was unable to move, was suddenly dragged away by something, quickly retreating backward, as the blood serpent that had been climbing up his body fell back into the array pattern.


    Beside him, Daoist Qingyan was in a simr situation, being dragged away by something into the distance.


    Su Wenshi, who was controlling the "Devouring Soul Formation," was stunned, his expression changing dramatically.


    What was going on?


    He carefully scanned Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan''s bodies with his spiritual sense and discovered something.


    Underneath their bodies, three tiny insects were pulling them away rapidly.


    Earlier, both he and Su Anqing had been focused on Song Wen and the Silver Corpse, and they had not noticed when these six Gu insects had appeared.


    Soon, Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan were dragged out of the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    Su Wenshi''s face turned ashen, his eyes filled with rage.


    He formed a hand seal, and a flying sword appeared out of thin air, charging towards Song Wen.


    If Song Wen wasn''t killed, the "Devouring Soul Formation" could not continue to operate.


    Meanwhile, on Song Wen''s side.


    After the Sacred Gu dragged Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan away, he let out a long breath.


    At this moment, the giant spiritual sword urged by Su Anqing was descending upon him.


    A thunderbolt shield materialized around Song Wen, and outside the shield, arge green bell rose up.


    In an instant, Song Wen changed direction, swiftly dashing sideways to avoid the attack range of the giant spiritual sword.


    "Boom!"


    The giant sword brushed past the green bell.


    The bell shattered instantly.


    The giant spiritual sword struck the ground with a resounding explosion, sending violent spiritual power sweeping through the area.


    The thunderbolt shield held for only a breath before dissipating into tiny sparks.


    Song Wen was engulfed by the violent spiritual power, being swept away into the distance.


    At this time, Su Wenshi''s flying sword approached fiercely, closing in on Song Wen to within less than a yard.


    Before the sword struck, the swirling sword aura made Song Wen feel intense pain.


    In this life-and-death moment, Song Wen no longer held back.


    A towering ghostly figure appeared before him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was the towering Ghost King.


    As soon as the Ghost King appeared, a vast amount of ghostly energy surged from his body, forming a pitch-ck hand that reached for the flying sword.


    The flying sword struck the ck hand, and the sharp sword aura quickly weakened the ghostly energy, but it did not shatter it.


    The ghostly hand gripped tightly, managing to seize the flying sword firmly in its grasp.


    Su Wenshi was immediately rmed and frantically formed several hand seals, but he found that the flying sword could not break free from the grip of the ck hand.


    The Ghost King advanced, attacking Su Wenshi.


    With both a ghost and a corpse being pseudo-Third Stage in strength, Su Anqing and Su Wenshi felt fear, contemting retreat.


    The first to react was Su Anqing.


    His fifth strike toward the Silver Corpse was easily blocked by its sharp ws, causing him to quietly retreat several paces, cing himself behind Su Wenshi.


    When the Ghost King appeared, he did not hesitate for a moment, turning and quickly fleeing over a hundred meters.


    At this time, Su Wenshi realized he was no match for the Ghost King. Reluctantly ncing at the blood serpent in the "Devouring Soul Formation," he turned his sword and fled.


    Just as Su Wenshi formed his sword light, he felt a wave of spiritual power rushing toward


    him.


    It was the spiritual power that Su Anqing had unleashed first.


    This spiritual power was not strong, but it greatly interfered with Su Wenshi''s escape.


    Seeing Su Anqing''s figure grow farther away, Su Wenshi gritted his teeth in hatred. The other party was willing to attack him, a member of the same n, just to survive.


    "Boom!"


    Su Wenshi was caught off guard as the Silver Corpse, having caught up, pped him on the


    head.


    Half of his skull exploded, and Su Wenshi instantly lost all breath; his body was sent flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.


    After killing Su Wenshi, the Silver Corpse''s speed decreased sharply, allowing Su Anqing to escape even further.


    Su Anqing felt a surge of joy. No matter how strong the Silver Corpse and Ghost King were, they were ultimately not true Third Stage experts, and their perception range was limited. He had already fled a considerable distance, surpassing the range of their perception. As long as he found a hidden ce to hide, he could safely escape.


    Just as he was searching for a suitable hiding spot, a dark red sword light burst forth from the nearby forest. Before Su Anqing could react, he was struck in the chest by the sword, and his body exploded into fragments.


    After killing Su Anqing, the dark red sword light continued on without pause, heading straight for the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    At this time, Song Wen was reaching into the "Devouring Soul Formation," trying to grasp


    the blood serpent.


    Suddenly, he saw the dark red flying sword slicing toward him from the distance. rmed, he quickly retreated, bringing the Silver Corpse and Ghost King to his side.


    The Ghost King summoned a vast amount of ghostly energy, forming a shield.


    "Bang!"


    The flying sword struck the shield, shattering it with a loud crash, and it transformed back


    into ghostly energy, scattering in the air.


    The flying sword continued to descend!


    The Silver Corpse brandished its sharp ws, reaching for the flying sword.


    The flying sword struck the ws, shredding the shriveled ck flesh on the Silver Corpse''s ws and revealing a pair of silver-gray bones.


    The dark red flying sword''s might diminished significantly, losing its threat to the Silver Corpse, and it changed direction, flying back from where it came.


    A one-armed figure appeared in the distance, it was the heavily injured Du Tianhua. It was


    unclear when he had secretly returned.


    Du Tianhua caught the dark red flying sword with his only right hand.


    "Young one, everything here is beyond your reach. Considering your difficulty in cultivating,


    leave quickly, and I may spare your life."


    Song Wen was not deterred by Du Tianhua''s few words.


    Just moments ago, Du Tianhua''s strike had been intercepted by the Silver Corpse and Ghost


    King. It was evident that he was gravely injured and could not exert much power.


    His urging for Song Wen to leave was merely a bluff. If Du Tianhua had been confident in


    defeating him, he would have attacked long ago instead of wasting time urging him to leave.


    Seeing that Song Wen refused to leave, Du Tianhua''s killing intent surged.


    "Since you''re seeking death, I shall fulfill your wish."


    The dark red flying sword surged forth once more.


    The Ghost King grasped at the air with one hand, and a nearly two-meter-long dark ghost


    sword appeared in his grip.


    With the ghost sword in hand, he transformed into a blur, rushing toward the dark red flying


    sword.


    The Silver Corpse, meanwhile, powered its legs, soaring into the air, lunging toward Du


    Tianhua.


    "Hmph! Overestimating yourself."


    Du Tianhua sneered.


    A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dared to attack him, showing apleteck of


    awareness.


    He had not been able to defeat the Golden Core stage Daoist Qingyan, didn''t mean he couldn''t


    handle a Foundation Establishment cultivator!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 230: Battling the Golden Core Expert

    Chapter 230: Battling the Golden Core Expert


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The dark red flying sword violently unleashed a bright crimson sword light, resembling a meteor falling from the sky, trailing a dark red, fiery tail that cut through the night sky.


    The Ghost King was surrounded by a dense aura of ghostly energy, and the dark ck ghost sword in his hand seemed to contain boundless sinister power.


    Gathering all the ghostly energy into his hands, he swung the sword, and the ck sword light shimmered coldly under the moonlight, like a dark angry dragon tearing through the air, lunging forward.


    "Boom!"


    A loud explosion rang out.


    The Ghost King''s ghost sword shattered, and countless dark red sword energies surged into the Ghost King''s body. In an instant, the Ghost King''s spiritual body became somewhat illusory, seriously injured, but he still managed to block Du Tianhua''s attack.


    ...


    On the other side.


    The silver corpse had already closed in on Du Tianhua.


    The silver corpse raised its sharp ws and lunged forward to grab him.


    Du Tianhua''s body emitted ayer of magical shield, and in his only remaining hand, arge de appeared.


    Thisrge de was about three feet long, shining like a mirror. It was the weapon he used before he formed his Golden Core, a top-grade spirit weapon, which he had seldom used after obtaining the dark red flying sword.


    Du Tianhua wielded therge de and shed down.


    This strike was like the force of thunder, apanied by the sound of breaking air, instantly cutting towards the silver corpse.


    The silver corpse ignored the iing de, not dodging at all, and its sharp ws struck the magical shield, producing a sharp, ear-piercing sound, like two pieces of iron grinding against each other.


    The de struck the silver corpse''s left shoulder,pletely embedding itself into its flesh.


    To Du Tianhua''s surprise, after the de prated the silver corpse''s shoulder, it could not go any deeper, getting stuck on the silver corpse''s hardest silver bones.


    The silver corpse seemedpletely unconcerned about its own injury; its ws danced like a whirlwind, continuously wing at the magical shield. Each impact stirred invisible ripples that sent waves of chilling energy.


    The shield swayed, and under the relentless assault of the silver corpse, it shattered.


    As the silver corpse once again swung its ws, about to strike Du Tianhua''s face.


    Du Tianhua''s mind stirred; he still had therge de stuck in the silver corpse''s shoulder. The de''s light surged and instantly blew arge hole in the silver corpse''s left shoulder. The tremendous force caused the silver corpse to plummet towards the ground.


    Just at that moment, a blinding bolt of lightning fell from the sky.


    In a hurry, Du Tianhua urged therge de in his hand, heading straight for the descending lightning.


    The lightning struck therge de hovering two zhang above Du Tianhua''s head, causing a tremendous explosion.


    Suddenly, a figure lunged at him from the front-it was Song Wen, who had only the cultivation of the early Foundation Establishment stage.


    Song Wen held a short spear, its body crackling with lightning, resembling serpents of electricity. The short spear was a low-grade spirit weapon obtained from Lei Tianyu.


    The injured Ghost King and silver corpse surged upward from below, charging towards Du Tianhua.


    "Seeking death!"


    Du Tianhua''s gaze turned cold, and he executed a sword form.


    The dark red flying sword shed towards the back of Song Wen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Du Tianhua was well aware that Song Wen, as an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, dared to confront him, a Golden Core cultivator, only because of the support from the silver corpse and Ghost King.


    If Song Wen hid behind the silver corpse and Ghost King and injured him, he would truly have little way to deal with Song Wen.


    But if Song Wen took the initiative to attack him, he was simply seeking death.


    As long as he killed Song Wen, the threats from the silver corpse and Ghost King would dissipate, and he might even gain two powerful allies.


    When Song Wen was less than ten zhang away from Du Tianhua, the dark red flying sword arrived, stabbing through Song Wen''s back.


    The magical power of the dark red flying sword surged, instantly exploding Song Wen''s body


    into pieces.


    Before Du Tianhua could feel pleased, a figure suddenly appeared behind him.


    Song Wen thrust the short spear forward, piercing Du Tianhua''s heart from the back.


    Du Tianhua''s expression changed drastically as he hurriedly mobilized his internal magical power to stop the short spear from going deeper.


    Gripping the top-grade spirit weaponrge de tightly, he agilely turned his body, swinging therge de down with the force of thunder.


    Song Wen was decapitated by therge de.


    Du Tianhua suddenly stiffened; countless arcs of electricity surged through his body, rapidly charring his flesh, and he could faintly smell the scent of burning.


    It turned out that Song Wen, through the short spear, had injected a massive amount of thunderous power into him, which erupted at that moment.


    The lightning ravaged Du Tianhua''s internal organs, momentarily disrupting his magical power, leaving his body incredibly stiff.


    Du Tianhua hurriedly mobilized his magical power to expel the thunder from within.


    Song Wen had sacrificed two substitute puppets to gain this hard-earned advantage, and he certainly would not let it slip away.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the silver corpse and Ghost King had already charged in


    fiercely.


    The silver corpse swung its sharp ws, aiming to grab Du Tianhua''s left leg.


    The Ghost King, with his newly reformed ghost sword in hand, executed a powerful downward strike directly at Du Tianhua''s face.


    Due to the rampant lightning within him, Du Tianhua found it difficult to form a magical shield in time, so he could only raise his hand to stab the Ghost King with therge de.


    At the same time, he fully urged the dark red flying sword to sh at the silver corpse.


    Therge de sessfully repelled the Ghost King.


    However, the dark red flying sword was slightly slower, and just as it was about to strike the


    silver corpse, the silver corpse''s sharp ws had quietly grabbed hold of Du Tianhua''s left


    leg.


    In an instant, blood gushed forth.


    The silver corpse''s ws shimmered with ghostly light, and its five fingers acted like sharp


    des, instantly severing Du Tianhua''s left thigh.


    At that moment, the dark red flying sword struck the back of the silver corpse.


    Several ribs were severed from the silver corpse''s back, exposing its rotting insides.


    Both Du Tianhua and the silver corpse were hurled backward.


    Before Du Tianhua could stabilize himself, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky.


    Gritting his teeth, Du Tianhua raised his hand and swung the de upward to sh at the descending lightning.


    This time, he failed topletely obliterate the lightning; the weakened bolt struck him, sending both him and his de crashing to the ground.


    "Friend, let''s stop here; everything here will be yours," Du Tianhua shouted as he rapidly fell.


    Song Wen ignored him, thinking it was toote to seek peace now!


    With a flicker of his mind, a beam of cold light shot out, heading straight for Du Tianhua.


    At the same time, the Ghost King whipped up a gust of cold wind and lunged at Du Tianhua.


    Seeing that Song Wen showed no intention of stopping, just as Du Tianhua was about tond,


    he crushed a purple orb the size of a chicken egg in his hand.


    "Boom!"


    As Du Tianhua crashed to the ground, mist began to rise, rapidly enveloping the area within a


    mile in a purple haze.


    The cold moon de plunged into the purple mist.


    Song Wen was taken aback to find that the connection between him and the cold moon de


    was rapidly weakening; he gradually lost control over the cold moon de.


    The mist had the effect of obscuring spiritual perception!


    Once the cold moon de ventured too far into the mist, he could no longer sense it with his


    spiritual perception, naturally leading to a loss of control. The cold moon de could only move within the mist based on its own inertia.


    Earlier, Song Wen had observed the battle between Du Tianhua and the Daoist Qingyan using


    the Sacred Gu.


    Now, Song Wen finally understood why the Pure Face Taoist had wielded a long knife when


    entering the spiritual concealment mist. Only by holding a magical treasure could one fully exert their power within the mist.


    Looking at the mist before him, Song Wen found himself in a dilemma.


    The spiritual concealment mist could limit his spiritual perception, which meant his


    strongest life-saving trump card, the substitute puppets, could not be used.


    When using the substitute technique, the location of his real body must be within the


    coverage of his spiritual perception.


    If he ventured deep into the spiritual concealment mist, his perception would be limited, and


    he could only appear near his original position. The substitute technique would lose its


    significance, merely allowing him to be killed a few more times.


    But to let Du Tianhua go just like that, Song Wen felt a sense of unwillingness in his heart.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 231: Qingyan’s Death

    Chapter 231: Qingyan��s Death


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After a moment of contemtion, Song Wen decided to send the Sacred Gu in first to scout.


    The six Sacred Gu entered the dense spiritual mist from different directions.


    As soon as the Sacred Gu went a few meters into the mist, Song Wen lost contact with them and could no longer sense their existence.


    A few breathster, the six Sacred Gu emerged from the mist in the opposite directions they entered, without finding any trace of Du Tianhua.


    Seeing this, Song Wen immediately decided not to waste time on Du Tianhua; devouring the Blood Snake was more urgent.


    He instructed the six Sacred Gu to guard the mist from different directions, then turned and darted toward the "Devouring Soul Formation."


    No one was activating the "Devouring Soul Formation," nor was it temporarily sealed, and the blood snake inside showed signs of slowly dissipating.


    Song Wen approached the Blood Snake and plunged his hands into its body.


    Massive amounts of vital blood and a surge of spiritual energy flowed into Song Wen''s body.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The "Longevity Technique" automatically began circting within him, madly absorbing this external spiritual energy.


    The spiritual energy was exceptionally pure and identical to the spiritual energy of Song Wen''s "Longevity Technique," making it extremely easy to refine-so easy that refining wasn''t even necessary.


    The spiritual energy flowed through Song Wen''s meridians and naturally merged with his existing "Longevity Technique" energy, circting throughout his body before finally settling in his dantian.


    Song Wen''s cultivation level began to rise at a visible speed.


    Song Wen''s eyes brightened��he hadn''t expected that devouring the Blood Snake would bring such a pleasant surprise.


    Perhaps this was why, when he first saw the Blood Snake, he had felt an overwhelming urge to devour it.


    Song Wen immediately sat cross-legged and fully activated the "Longevity Technique," refining the spiritual energy from the Blood Snake.


    At the same time, he summoned the Silver Corpse and ck Armor Ghost King to guard him as protectors.


    His vital blood and cultivation rapidly increased, a scene that felt somewhat familiar to Song Wen.


    Upon recalling, Song Wen realized that when he had killed Shi Shou devoured his vital blood, there had also been a surge of spiritual energy absorbed into his body.


    Afterward, Song Wen spected that it might have been because both he and Shi Shou had cultivated the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," allowing him to absorb some of the spiritual energy from Shi Shou''s body.


    At the time, Song Wen had also devoured the vital blood of eight other Qi Refining cultivators of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," but did not absorb any spiritual energy from them, likely because their cultivation levels were too low.


    Of course, this was only Song Wen''s spection, and he wasn''t sure if it was right or wrong. Since then, he hadn''t encountered anyone else cultivating the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," leaving him unable to verify it.


    The "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and the "Longevity Technique" were twopletely different cultivation methods-one was an evil demonic technique, while the other was a proper Daoist method.


    Yet, when Song Wen devoured vital blood, he was able to absorb some spiritual energy from it in both cases, which was indeed strange and bizarre.


    As Song Wen''s thoughts wandered, he suddenly realized that the spiritual energy of the "Longevity Technique" had grown to the peak of the Foundation Establishment early stage.


    At this point, the Blood Snake, originally more than two meters long, had only one meter left.


    Realizing that he was about to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, Song Wen felt a surge of joy and continued to refine the spiritual energy, devouring more from the Blood Snake.


    In his dantian, the spiritual energy of the "Longevity Technique" condensed into a vortex of white spiritual liquid, suddenly expanding several times in size. Song Wen''s cultivation


    surged explosively.


    Everything fell into ce naturally.


    Song Wen smoothly broke through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    However, with over half a meter of the Blood Snake remaining, Song Wen''s cultivation continued to grow rapidly.


    At the same time, he felt a sense of swelling and pain in his body-a result of absorbing too much vital blood.


    Enduring the difort in his body, Song Wen continued to devour the Blood Snake.


    After a little over a quarter of an hour, the Blood Snake waspletely consumed. Song Wen opened his eyes, unable to hide the joy within them.


    The "Longevity Technique" had just barely reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but to his surprise, it advanced to the mid-stage before the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," and was now not far from thete stage of Foundation Establishment.


    The swelling pain in his body grew stronger, giving him a feeling as if he might explode.


    This was not the ce to reverse his blood energy and expel the excess, so Song Wen endured the difort, using his spiritual sense to connect with the Sacred Gu. He found out that there was still no sign of Du Tianhua.


    The area covered by the concealing spiritual mist was rtively t and open. Unless Du Tianhua had the ability to tunnel underground, there was no way he could escape the six insects'' surveince.


    Du Tianhua was still hiding in the mist.


    Song Wen instructed the Sacred Gu to continue monitoring the mist, then turned to look at Su Qian, Daoist Qingyan, and Su Wenshi''s corpse.


    Because Su Wenshi had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, his soul remained


    intact and had not yet dissipated.


    Daoist Qingyan, who had been mutted into a human swine, was in increasingly worse condition, her breath faint and on the verge of death.


    Su Qian, having secretly taken healing pills during Song Wen''s battle with Du Tianhua, had improved significantly. He was no longer on the brink of death, though he still had little to no fighting strength left.


    Song Wen approached Su Wenshi''s corpse, thrusting his hand into Su Wenshi''s shattered skull. Time was short, so Song Wen skipped soul-searching and directly devoured his soul.


    Afterward, he used a corpse-sealing technique to preserve Su Wenshi''s body, preventing it from rotting or his vital blood from leaking out. At this point, Song Wen did not dare to continue devouring any more blood.


    With his short spear in hand, Song Wen coldly approached Su Qian.


    Su Qian''s expression turned terrified. "Fellow Daoist, you and I are strangers, with no grudges


    between us. Spare me, please. In this valley, I''ve hidden arge stash of spirit stones and spiritual herbs. If you let me live, all the treasures I''ve collected over the years will be yours."


    Song Wen acted as if he hadn''t heard, thrusting his short spear directly into Su Qian''s head.


    "I know the secret of the ancient Longevity Pce..."


    The short spear pierced Su Qian''s skull, and a surge of lightning exploded, instantly


    shattering his head into pieces.


    Song Wen pressed his hand over the wound where Su Qian''s head had burst, preparing to


    devour his soul.


    What he didn''t expect was for Su Qian''s soul to voluntarily rush out of his body, attempting to


    invade Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    "You little brat, you dare destroy my body! I will take over your soul and possess your body.


    Though your cultivation is low, your physical body is quite light."


    Song Wen smirked. "Not this again."


    In his sea of consciousness, a ck hole shed briefly, pulling Su Qian''s soul into it.


    Having dealt with Su Qian, Song Wen walked over to Daoist Qingyan.


    Seeing Song Wen appear in her field of vision, a glimmer of hope shed in Daoist Qingyan''s


    eyes.


    "Save... save me! I am a Golden Core cultivator of the Beastmaster Sect, named Qingyan. If you


    save me, I''ll reward you with many spirit stones and treasures."


    Song Wen''s lips curled into a sinister smile.


    "You''re the one I came to kill."


    With a hand as hard as iron ws, he pierced Daoist Qingyan''s chest.


    "Why..." Daoist Qingyan''s face was filled with disbelief. She couldn''t understand why this


    stranger was determined to wipe her out.


    Song Wen responded coldly, "Do you remember the Foundation Establishment cultivator you chased outside East Huafang Market, the one who cultivated the ''Longevity Technique''?"


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 232: The Death of Ancestor Du Tianhua

    Chapter 232: The Death of Ancestor Du Tianhua


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "It''s you..." Daoist Qingyan was filled with regret.


    Her final thought before herst breath was that perhaps she should never have gotten involved in Su Qian''s life-extension n from the start. If she hadn''t, she wouldn''t have ended up in this situation today.


    A suction force emerged from Song Wen''s hand, pulling the soul of Daoist Qingyan into his sea of consciousness.


    A ck hole appeared in the sea of consciousness, devouring her soul.


    Using the secret art of the Corpse Path, Song Wen sealed the bodies of Su Qian and Daoist Qingyan. He took out the Corpse Nurturing Coffin and ced all three corpses, including Su Wenshi''s, inside it.


    He also collected Daoist Qingyan''s severed limbs, one by one.


    These three bodies were excellent materials for refining corpse puppets; they couldn''t be wasted. Even if Song Wen had no use for them, selling them on the ck market would fetch a good price.


    Song Wen then went to the ce where Su Anqing had been killed. Su Anqing had been cut into pieces by Du Tianhua''s sword, his body shattered beyond repair, making it worthless for corpse refining.


    However, his soul still remained inside his head, which Song Wen devoured.


    After searching around, Song Wen didn''t find Su Anqing''s storage ring. It must have been taken by Du Tianhua.


    After collecting all the benefits he could, Song Wen approached the concealing mist.


    The six Sacred Gu still hadn''t seen any sign of Du Tianhua emerging.


    "Could it be that he''s injured too badly and is hiding in the mist to heal?" Song Wen spected.


    The longer he stayed here, the greater the variables, which would only put Song Wen at a disadvantage.


    Song Wen decided to enter the mist again and search. If he couldn''t find Du Tianhua, he would have to give up.


    Du Tianhua was severely injured and was likely hiding somewhere, healing in secret.


    The area covered by the concealing mist was t and open, so the most likely ce for Du Tianhua to hide was underground.


    He might have dug out a secret underground cave and concealed himself inside. As long as he camouged the entrance well enough, hiding the traces of digging, the mist would block spiritual senses, making it difficult to discover him.


    This time, it was the Ghost King who entered the mist to search.


    The six Sacred Gu, the silver corpse, and Song Wen were positioned at various points outside the mist, monitoring the situation.


    The Ghost King entered the mist, wielding a ghost sword. He shed continuously at the ground, sending sword energy, formed from ghostly qi, several meters deep into the soft earth, easily cutting ten meters underground and scattering the soil.


    The Ghost King circled the edges of the mist, moving toward the center as it spiraled inward.


    It moved quickly, and within a few dozen breaths, most of the area covered by the mist had been overturned, leaving only a small patch at the center untouched.


    In the center of the mist, a patch of turf moved, and Du Tianhua''s head emerged from it.


    He cast a fierce gaze toward the Ghost King, who was making too much noise with its digging; there was no way not to notice.


    The Ghost King would soon find him; hiding underground was no longer an option.


    Du Tianhua crawled out of the ground and extended his spiritual senses to identify his surroundings.


    He wasn''t affected by the concealing mist and could easily sense the positions of the silver corpse and Song Wen outside of it. He avoided the areas they were guarding and silently made his way to the edge of the mist. Then, summoning his flying sword, he shot out of the mist at


    high speed.


    Du Tianhua''s sudden appearance immediately caught Song Wen''s attention, but he realized he couldn''t catch up.


    Desperate to escape, Du Tianhua disregarded the injuries in his body, channeling all his power and exploding with his maximum speed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The two Sacred Gu closest to him couldn''t even react in time as he sped past them.


    Song Wen''s eyes narrowed. He couldn''t let Du Tianhua escape so easily.


    A surge of blood qi erupted from within his body, and Song Wen''s figure instantly disappeared into the blood mist.


    When he reappeared, he was already a hundred meters in front of Du Tianhua.


    This time, using the Blood Escape Technique didn''t cause any difort for Song Wen. On the contrary, after expending some blood qi, his body felt significantly lighter.


    Song Wen tossed the short spear in his hand forward. With a thought, the short spear was instantly enveloped in lightning, carrying immense thunderous power as it shot straight for Du Tianhua''s face.


    Seeing Song Wen suddenly appear in front of him, Du Tianhua''s expression changed drastically.


    His internal injuries were severe, and his brief healing within the concealing mist had merely suppressed his wounds, preventing them from worsening. At this moment, flying at full speed, he was pushing his body to its limits. If he continued to fight, with one arm and one leg missing, coupled with his internal injuries, his body might copse under the strain.


    As the short spear approached, Du Tianhua had no choice but to make a desperate move.


    Though Song Wen only had mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, without the aid


    of his silver corpse and ghost king, Du Tianhua still had a chance to fight. If he could force Song Wen back, he could continue his escape.


    Du Tianhua didn''t slow down, forcefully channeling his remaining spiritual power. A sh of dark red sword light shed toward the short spear.


    "ng!"


    A piercing sound rang out.


    Both the dark red flying sword and the short spear were thrown aside.


    Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shed from the sky, heading straight for Du Tianhua below.


    At this point, there wasn''t enough time for Du Tianhua to recall the dark red flying sword to


    block the divine thunder. He had no choice but to channel his spiritual power, wielding his broadsword and striking upward.


    The lightning was shattered by the strike.


    "Pfft!"


    Due to forcefully using his spiritual power, Du Tianhua aggravated his internal injuries,


    causing him to vomit arge mouthful of blood.


    Even more deadly was the fact that his speed had significantly slowed, allowing the silver


    corpse to catch up.


    The silver corpse, like a predator pouncing on its prey, opened its gaping maw, revealing sharp fangs, and bit down on Du Tianhua''s right shoulder.


    "Ahh!"


    Amid Du Tianhua''s painful screams, the silver corpse yanked hard, tearing his entire right


    arm off.


    Immediately after, the silver corpse''s sharp ws pierced straight through Du Tianhua''s


    chest.


    The Golden Core Ancestor of the Du family was dead!


    After devouring Du Tianhua''s soul, Song Wen sealed his body and ced it in the Corpse


    Nurturing Coffin.


    Song Wen then flew to the summit of Qingping Mountain and released all his Sacred Gu.


    Momentster, with the help of the Sacred Gu, Song Wen scanned everything within a radius


    of sixteen miles.


    Not a single living person could be seen on Qingping Mountain.


    The remaining Su family cultivators who had survived by luck had already fled to an unknown


    location.


    The entire Su family estate on Qingping Mountain had been reduced to rubble and piged by


    the Du family cultivators.


    Even the ancestral tower at the mountain''s peak had been emptied. However, this likely wasn''t the work of the Du family but of the surviving members of the Su family.


    Some of the external cultivators had been killed by the Du family, while others had fled to


    unknown ces.


    The Su family''s spirit fields on the western side of the mountain were in ruins.


    Most of the spiritual herbs had beenpletely harvested, leaving only a fewmon, low-


    grade herbs. This was likely the work of the Du family as well.


    However, the mortals in Su family''s town had not been heavily affected.


    The Du family hadn''t had time to plunder the town before Daoist Qingyan had driven them


    off. Most of the townspeople had fled, leaving only the elderly and infirm behind.


    Song Wen shook his head. There was nothing left on Qingping Mountain worth taking.


    However, the Sacred Gu had found seventeen Foundation Establishment corpses. These were the Su family cultivators who had been killed by Daoist Qingyan.


    The corpses were heavily damaged and of little value, but he did manage to collect seventeen


    storage rings.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 233: Breaking the Darkness Technique

    Chapter 233: Breaking the Darkness Technique


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Two hourster, deep inside a cave located a thousand miles away from Qingping Mountain, Song Wen reversed his qi and blood, forcing out the residual essence blood within his body. He then absorbed the essence blood of the corpses of Su Qian, Daoist Qingyan, Su Wenshi, and Du Tianhua.


    Afterward, he began to inventory the items within their storage rings.


    First was Su Qian''s storage ring. To Song Wen''s surprise and delight, there were quite a few spirit stones inside: 23 top-grade spirit stones, several hundred mid-grade spirit stones, and several thousand low-grade spirit stones. Altogether, their value exceeded 300,000 low- grade spirit stones.


    Additionally, there were some medicinal pills and cultivation techniques.


    Suddenly, a gleam of light shed in Song Wen''s eyes. His mind stirred, and he took out a token from within the storage ring.


    The token was palm-sized, entirely blood-red in color, with the character "Life" engraved on one side.


    Song Wen then reached into his own storage ring and retrieved another blood-red token of the same size.


    The two tokens were almost identical, except for the characters engraved on them. The second token bore the character "Corpse," which Song Wen had obtained after killing Shi Shou. That token recorded the cultivation technique Corpse King Blood Refining Method.


    It was clear that both tokens originated from the same force.


    Curious, Song Wen extended his spiritual sense into the "Life" token.


    The token contained records of the Devouring Soul Formation, including itsyout and control method.


    However, Song Wen knew little about formations and found the Devouring Soul Formation to be extremely profound and difficult toprehend.


    At the end of the token''s contents, it was mentioned that this formation came from a sect known as the "Longevity Pce."


    Song Wen recalled that Su Qian had mentioned the words "ancient secret realm Longevity Pce" before his death.


    It seemed that the Longevity Pce was a sect that had long vanished from history, much like the "Divine Blood Gate" mentioned in the "Corpse" token.


    In Su Qian''s storage ring, Song Wen also found a jade slip, which contained Su Qian''s insights on the Devouring Soul Formation and some information about the Longevity Pce.


    After briefly skimming through it, Song Wen found it uninteresting.


    He then put away Su Qian''s storage ring and took out Daoist Qingyan''s.


    Compared to Su Qian, Daoist Qingyan had fewer spirit stones-only 170,000-but her storage ring was filled with various pills and spiritual herbs.


    Among them were 20 bottles of Beast Refining Pills, containing 240 pills in total.


    This solved Song Wen''s problem of having insufficient Beast Refining Pills. Lately, he hadn''t had time to refine more, and his Sacred Gu had been consuming Bright Silver Stones for a while now.


    There were also two bottles of a pill called "Dragon Power Pill," with a total of 20 pills. These were used to feed spirit beasts, specifically third-tier beasts, as it was a third-tier beast pill.


    Song Wen recognized the Dragon Power Pill and knew its effects thanks to a jade slip left by Rong Jingyun, who had mentioned the pill in her notes while attempting to refine it, though she had not yet seeded.


    Aside from the pills and spiritual herbs, many of the items in Daoist Qingyan''s storage ring were unfamiliar to Song Wen.


    Next, he moved on to Du Tianhua''s storage ring.


    Du Tianhua had even fewer spirit stones than Daoist Qingyan-less than 120,000. His spiritual herbs and medicinal pills were also limited, giving the ring a somewhat meager


    appearance.


    However, Song Wen did find some items in Du Tianhua''s ring that piqued his interest.


    The first item was two egg-sized white orbs, which contained Spirit Concealing Mist.


    The second was a jade slip that recorded a secret technique called Breaking the Darkness Technique.


    This technique wasn''t particrly advanced-Foundation Establishment stage cultivators could practice it. However, it was extremely valuable because it was a rare technique rted to spiritual sense.


    This was the second time since entering the cultivation world that Song Wen had encountered a spiritual sense technique.


    The first time was on the ancient battlefield, where a pygmy ghost had used a mental attack.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Breaking the Darkness Technique was a technique used to probe with spiritual sense, though it had no offensive capabilities. ording to its description, once mastered, it could condense the circr, radiating spiritual sense into a line, giving it more prating power, useful for investigating ces that would normally block spiritual sense, like the Spirit Concealing Mist.


    Du Tianhua had used this technique to move freely within the mist.


    The third item was another jade slip, this one recording a breath-hiding technique. This technique was quite advanced, but for Song Wen, who could already control his aura through physical means, it wasn''t particrly useful.


    Du Tianhua had used this breath-hiding technique to evade Daoist Qingyan''s pursuit in the Spirit Concealing Mist andter to sneak back into the valley, where he was ultimately killed


    by Song Wen.


    The storage rings of Su Wenshi and Su Anqing were rtively meager. Despite being managers of the Su family, the two had abined total of less than 100,000 spirit stones. Their spiritual weapons weren''t exceptional either-their flying swords were only top-grade


    spiritual weapons.


    Song Wen noticed that neither Su Qian nor Du Tianhua possessed any magical treasures; their weapons were only top-grade spiritual weapons. Only Daoist Qingyan''s longsword was a true magical treasure.


    After sorting through the other 17 storage rings, Song Wen categorized all the valuables into his own storage ring. He realized that he now had over a million spirit stones, an enormous fortune for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    He also had items such as Blood Crystals, various medicinal pills, and herbs, all valued at over


    a million spirit stones. This wealth was enough to sustain his cultivation for a long time, without needing to worry about resources.


    Of course, this was only true if all the resources he needed could be bought with spirit stones.


    After checking the storage rings, Song Wen turned his attention to Daoist Qingyan''s spirit beast pouch.


    Since Daoist Qingyan was dead, her imprint on the spirit beast pouch had disappeared. The Ironback Turtle, which had been nurtured inside the pouch, was now free to enter and exit as it pleased, but it remained inside the pouch without reacting.


    This could only mean one thing: it was too severely injured and could only stay in the pouch to


    heal.


    Song Wen had two options for dealing with the Ironback Turtle.


    The first was to quickly find a suitable buyer and sell the turtle for arge number of spirit


    stones. Though Song Wen wasn''t familiar with the price of spirit beasts, a living third-tier spirit beast would undoubtedly fetch an astronomical price.


    The second option was to kill it, eliminating any potential threats.


    As for contracting the Ironback Turtle himself, Song Wen wasn''t interested.


    He and the turtle were separated by an entire cultivation stage. Even if he forced a soul


    contract while the turtle was injured, it could break free once it recovered, turning against


    him.


    Unless a spirit beast was raised by a cultivator over a long period, with emotional bonds forming between them, spirit beasts usually wouldn''t exceed a cultivator''s level by more than


    one major stage.


    After some thought, Song Wen decided to kill the Ironback Turtle.


    In the short term, he wouldn''t be able to find the right person to sell it to.


    Furthermore, as Daoist Qingyan''s spirit beast, many cultivators near the Beast-Taming Sect


    would likely recognize the Ironback Turtle.


    Selling it openly might bring unnecessary trouble.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 234: The Herb-Picking Father and Daughter

    Chapter 234: The Herb-Picking Father and Daughter


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen walked out of the cave and arrived at a deste, empty area where no one was around.


    He ced the spirit beast pouch on the ground and had the Ghost King and the Silver Corpse guard it, ready to attack at any moment. He also deployed two Sacred Gu around the perimeter, on alert for any movement.


    As for himself, he retreated to a distance of about twenty feet away, so that if something unexpected happened, he could quickly use the Blood Escape Technique to flee.


    With a sh of spiritual power, the two-zhang (about 6.6 meters) long giant turtle suddenly appeared from the spirit beast pouch, covered in scars.


    The Ironback Turtle had been gravely injured, and after being ced into the spirit beast pouch by Daoist Qingyan, it had fallen into a deep slumber, using a unique secret technique of its species to reduce its physical consumption and draw in all avable spiritual energy to heal its body.


    Now, suddenly released from the pouch, its secret technique was broken, and the Ironback Turtle immediately woke up. It quickly realized that its master was already dead.


    At that moment, it noticed a ghost and a corpse attacking the gaps in its shell, clearly intending to kill it.


    In the sky, about twenty feet away, a figure stood, staring at it intently.


    "Don''t kill me, I can serve you as my master.''


    A voice suddenly echoed in Song Wen''s mind, sounding old and weak, clearly transmitted by the Ironback Turtle.


    For a moment, hesitation shed through Song Wen''s mind.


    Being offered servitude by a third-tier spirit beast was a highly tempting offer.


    But in the next instant, he discarded the thought.


    The Ironback Turtle was far too recognizable, and anyone would immediately know that it had belonged to Daoist Qingyan. Even the spirit beast pouch it resided in had the distinct markings of the Beast-Taming Sect.


    More importantly, the gap in strength between Song Wen and the turtle was toorge, and the two had a blood feud. At any moment, the turtle, with its far superior cultivation, could break the soul contract and retaliate, seeking revenge for its former master, Daoist Qingyan.


    Song Wen couldn''t afford to keep such a dangerous threat by his side.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Ironback Turtle was extremely weakened, and the long sword in the Ghost King''s hand pierced its body without resistance, releasing a torrent of ghostly energy that ravaged the turtle''s insides.


    On the other side, the Corpse King also struck, tearing through the turtle''s flesh with its hands and forcibly ripping off its left front limb.


    Under thebined assault of the ghost and the corpse, the Ironback Turtle soon lost its life.


    What Song Wen didn''t notice was that the moment the severely injured Ironback Turtle appeared, the two Sacred Gu began to stir.


    As soon as the turtle died, the two Sacred Gu swarmed over like cats drawn to the smell of fish, drilling into the Ironback Turtle''s body and heading straight for its demon core.


    The pigeon-egg-sized demon core of the Ironback Turtle quickly had arge portion gnawed away by the two Sacred Gu.


    After feasting, the two Sacred Gu wobbled back into Song Wen''s body, as if they were bloated from overindulgence.


    Seeing the Ironback Turtle''s demon core rapidly losing its spiritual energy, Song Wen hurriedly performed a corpse-refining secret technique to seal the turtle''s body and slow the loss of spiritual energy.


    Since the Sacred Gu were interested in the Ironback Turtle''s corpse, he decided to keep it as their food.


    With the Ironback Turtle dealt with, Song Wen returned to the cave.


    He set up the Spirit Concealment Formation and the Nine Pces Yin Array, then began his cultivation.


    Both the Ghost King and the Silver Corpse were severely injured and needed to be properly nurtured to recover.


    The materials the Ghost King required for healing were mainly yin souls and various ghost path spiritual items. Song Wen had obtained quite a few of these from loose cultivators like Jing Lu, making them perfect for the Ghost King''s recovery.


    TL: Jing Lu mentioned in Ch196.


    As for the materials needed for the Silver Corpse, Song Wen also had no shortage of corpse


    path items.


    After refining both with the appropriate materials, the Ghost King settled in the Eight Banners Ghost Soul g, while the Silver Corpse rested in the Corpse-Nurturing Coffin to


    recover slowly.


    Song Wen then calmed his mind and began meditating for cultivation.


    The Longevity Technique had only been at the Foundation Establishment stage for six months, and just as Song Wen had barely stabilized his cultivation, he made another rapid breakthrough, advancing to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.


    However, advancing too quickly in cultivation could lead to an unstable foundation.


    Song Wen needed prolonged meditation and cultivation to solidify his progress.


    Six monthster.


    A man and a young woman appeared by a rugged, rocky cliff.


    The man looked to be in his forties, with the cultivation level of the thirdyer of Qi Refinement. His figure was somewhat thin.


    The young woman, around sixteen or seventeen years old, had a cultivation level of the


    secondyer of Qi Refinement. She was petite and charming.


    "Father, look! It''s Wind Spirit Grass!"


    TL: Previously tranted as "Wind Spirit Flower" in Ch99.


    The young woman eximed in delight, excitedly pointing towards the edge of the cliff while


    waving her hands.


    The middle-aged man followed her gaze.


    About twenty zhang (approximately 66 feet) down the cliff, two stalks of spirit grass, about


    an inch tall, swayed gently in the wind, growing from a crack in the rock.


    Judging by their appearance, these two stalks of spirit grass were at least fifty years old.


    Wind Spirit Grass was a mid-grade first-tier spirit herb, and these two nts were worth at least twenty spirit stones, which was a considerable sum for low-level rogue cultivators like them.


    The man took out a rope and tied one end to arge boulder on the cliff''s edge, securing the other end around his waist.


    Having spent many years gathering herbs, the man was well aware that this seemingly calm


    cliff could hide unknown dangers.


    Strong winds could arise at any time, and venomous snakes or insects lurking in the cracks


    could deliver a fatal bite. With the rope tied securely, at least he wouldn''t have to worry about panicking and falling to his death if something went wrong.


    "Qingqing, wait here for me. Don''t move around. I''ll go down and pick the Wind Spirit Grass."


    "Mm-hmm!" The girl, named Qingqing, nodded eagerly.


    The middle-aged man moved deftly, like an agile monkey, climbing down the steep cliff face.


    Qingqing paced anxiously at the top, feeling a mixture of joy and worry, concerned for her


    father''s safety.


    She would asionally lean over the edge to check on his progress.


    Before long, the middle-aged man reached the crack where the Wind Spirit Grass grew and


    easily picked it. Just as he was about to store the herbs in a jade box, he heard his daughter let out a sudden, heart-wrenching scream from above.


    Looking up, he could no longer see his daughter, but her cries for help echoed down to him.


    The man''s expression changed drastically. Without a second thought, he produced a yellow talisman, activated it with spiritual power, and soared upward.


    It was a flight talisman, the only mid-grade first-tier talisman he had, kept for life-


    threatening situations.


    When the middle-aged man reached the top of the cliff, he saw that the spot where they had


    been standing had copsed, leaving a hole about a zhang (3.3 meters) wide.


    The hole was pitch ck inside, making it impossible to see anything clearly.


    "Qingqing, Qingqing..."


    The man called out loudly while flying down into the hole, disregarding any potential danger


    that might be lurking inside.


    The hole wasn''t a straight drop; it twisted and turned. At some of the bends, he could see


    fresh scuff marks, clearly left behind when his daughter had fallen.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 235: Evil Fire

    Chapter 235: Evil Fire


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen looked at the unconscious, delicate young girl who had fallen from above, and a wave of restlessness surged within him.


    The girl had fallen into aa, with a few scrapes on her body but no serious injuries.


    Due to the friction from the fall, parts of her clothes had torn, exposing patches of her skin, marked with faint bloodstains.


    Song Wen''s heart felt as if a gentle hand was stirring his emotions. A trace of desire silently crept into his mind, causing his thoughts to be unsettled and his blood to surge.


    Since devouring the Blood Serpent at the Su family estate, Song Wen had noticed that his vitality had be overwhelmingly vigorous, likely due to the immense life force contained within the Blood Serpent.


    Often, during meditation, his abundant energy would cause his blood to surge, and his body would respond inappropriately, forcing him to halt his cultivation.


    Song Wen hadn''t thought much of it at first-seven emotions and six desires were part of human nature, and even cultivators didn''t need to suppress their emotionspletely.


    He figured that over time, as his body gradually absorbed and refined the life force, these desires would naturally fade.


    Usually, when he was alone in the cave, he would either practice a secret technique or refine a substitute puppet to distract himself, and the desire would temporarily dissipate.


    But today, at the peak of his vital energy, the appearance of a scantily-d, unconscious young girl in front of him made it difficult for him to control himself, as evil fire zed within him.


    Meanwhile, the middle-aged male cultivator descended along the cave, dropping about twenty zhang (approximately 66 feet), and finallynded in a spacious underground cave. On the ground, he found his daughter, confirming she had only passed out. His heart settled with relief.


    However, he soon noticed an invisible barrier near his unconscious daughter.


    It seemed that when she fell, she had struck the barrier beforending on the ground, which exined why she hadn''t been seriously hurt.


    A sense of unease immediately rose within the middle-aged cultivator. This barrier was clearly part of a defensive formation. It seemed he and his daughter had identally stumbled upon a secluded retreat belonging to a powerful cultivator.


    But why would a powerful figure choose such a deste, spiritless ce to go into seclusion?


    The only exnation he could think of was that this was the hiding spot of some demonic cultivator, someone practicing forbidden arts, who had secluded themselves here in secret.


    The middle-aged man was instantly on high alert.


    If he were here alone, he wouldn''t mind dying. However, with his young daughter also present, he couldn''t allow her to fall into the hands of a demonic cultivator. Otherwise, she would undoubtedly suffer inhuman torment.


    He could only pray that their presence had not disturbed the secluded cultivator, and that they still had a chance to quietly escape.


    Without hesitation, he grabbed his unconscious daughter and attempted to flee toward the cave''s exit.


    Suddenly, the barrier dissolved, and a figure cloaked in ck mist emerged slowly from the darkness.


    The sudden appearance of this strange figure made the middle-aged cultivator freeze in ce, unable to move. His body stiffened as terror engulfed him, and cold sweat drenched his back.


    The figure raised their hand, and with a wave, the formation barrier vanished, transforming into streams of light that fell into the figure''s hand. Then, without a word, the figure disappearedpletely.


    From start to finish, the figure hadn''t even nced at him or his daughter.


    The middle-aged man''s legs gave way, and he copsed to the ground.


    Even though the figure hadn''t spoken or shown any hostility, a profound sense of oppression and fear lingered in the cultivator''s heart.


    After a few moments, the middle-aged man regained hisposure, picked up his daughter, and fled toward the cave''s entrance as quickly as he could.


    He had no intention of staying in that cave any longer than necessary.


    Song Wen left the cave and flew toward East Huafang Market.


    Since he could no longer suppress his desires, he decided to follow his heart.


    During his seclusion in the cave, he had set up six Sacred Gu to guard the area. It seemed that the father and daughter duo, due to their low cultivation levels, were deemed no threat to Song Wen by the bugs, which was why they hadn''t been expelled or warned.


    Half a dayter, Song Wen disguised himself as a robust man in his thirties and appeared in the alley where he had previously resided.


    He made his way directly to Zhao Dapeng''s yard and knocked on the gate.


    Song Wen intended to rent a yard.


    On his way to Zhao Dapeng''s yard, he passed by the ce where he had previously lived. That


    yard had already been rented out due to the expiration of the lease.


    Even if that yard were still vacant, Song Wen had no intention of continuing to live there.


    Before long, Zhao Dapeng opened the gate.


    "Who are you looking for?" Zhao Dapeng''s tone was somewhat impatient.


    "Hello, Manager Zhao, I''m a new wandering cultivator and would like to rent a yard in this alley," Song Wen replied.


    As he spoke, Song Wen took the opportunity to nce inside the courtyard and felt a tinge of disappointment upon not seeing the figure of the mouse-eyed man, Zhao Dapeng''s brother.


    Where did the mouse-eyed man go?


    Could it be that he failed in his attempts to raise corpses and had to destroy the evidence?


    With such questions in mind, Song Wen extended his spiritual sense and instantly surveyed Zhao Dapeng''s courtyard.


    Within Zhao Dapeng''s yard, there was a secret underground chamber where the mouse-eyed


    man was imprisoned.


    "To Song Wen''s surprise, the mouse-eyed man was still alive.


    However, he had been tortured by the miasma of death to the point that he no longer resembled a human; he looked utterly horrifying.


    His body was emaciated, with skin stretched tight over his bones like a transparent film, and


    his limbs twisted out like those of a spider, barely supporting his weight. He asionally emitted unintelligible whimpers.


    It was unclear what method Zhao Dapeng had used, but the mouse-eyed man''s flesh had beenpletely eroded by the miasma, yet a trace of life force remained within him, refusing to dissipate.


    This left the mouse-eyed man as a grotesque entity that was neither human nor corpse.


    Song Wen cast a deep nce at Zhao Dapeng, filled with astonishment.


    How had Zhao Dapeng managed to allow a non-cultivator to simultaneously possess both miasma and vitality for an extended period without the body copsing?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Even as a corpse cultivation practitioner in the Foundation Establishment stage, he believed


    it would be difficult for him to achieve such a feat.


    Zhao Dapeng nced at Song Wen and said, "Recently, many wandering cultivators have


    come to the market, among which are several who are unidentified rogue cultivators. They have seriously disrupted the order of the market. If there''s no one who can vouch for you, this alley is not a ce for just anyone to stay. What''s your name, what level of cultivation do you have, and can anyone vouch for you?"


    Song Wen smiled, "Manager Zhao, please don''t be offended; I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yan Feng, and I''m at the eighthyer of Qi Refinement. I''m an alchemist."


    As he spoke, Song Wen handed a jade vial to Zhao Dapeng, which contained five Essence Pills


    valued at about fifty spirit stones.


    Zhao Dapeng understood and epted the jade vial, a knowing smile spreading across his


    face.


    "Since you''re an alchemist, it seems unlikely that you''re a rogue cultivatormitting crimes. You don''t need anyone to vouch for you. There''s only one vacant yard left in this alley,


    and it''s the one across from us. The monthly rent is ten spirit stones."


    Song Wen flipped his hand and produced thirty spirit stones, handing them to Zhao Dapeng.


    "From now on, we''ll be neighbors. I hope Manager Zhao will look after me."


    With the benefits received from Song Wen, Zhao Dapeng was in a good mood.


    "Of course."


    Author''s Note: A brief spoiler: In the following two chapters, there will be a particrly


    explosive plot that some readers might find hard to ept.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 236: Progress of the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle

    Chapter 236: Progress of the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After bidding farewell to Zhao Dapeng, Song Wen arrived at the rented courtyard.


    The previous tenant of the courtyard must have left not long ago, as it was still quite clean.


    After tidying up the courtyard briefly, Song Wen stepped out the door. He needed to buy some daily necessities to make the small courtyard feel more lively.


    Although he likely wouldn''t need these daily items, he still needed to maintain his disguise, lest someone with ulterior motives discover his true identity. After all, he was posing as a Qi Refining stage cultivator, who needed to eat.


    As Song Wen wandered through the market, he noticed, just as Zhao Dapeng had said, that there were significantly more cultivators around.


    Whether they were rogue cultivators or members of Beastmaster sects, there were three or four times as many as before.


    Finding a secluded spot, Song Wen changed his appearance, transforming himself into a light-footed cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining. After turning a few corners, he arrived at the Hehuan Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    The outside of Hehuan Heavenly Spring Courtyard was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds ofughter and conversation.


    As Song Wen stepped inside, a lightly dressed young woman immediately approached him.


    She appeared to be around twenty, with an attractive appearance, ample bosom, and a curvy figure, possessing the cultivation level of six levels of Qi Refining.


    She hooked her arm around Song Wen''s, pressing her ample chest against his right arm.


    Her eyes sparkled like autumn waters, glimmering with emotion as she gazed at Song Wen.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Young master, I see you''re unfamiliar here. Is this your first time?"


    Her voice was soft and delicate, like a babbling brook, stirring something in Song Wen''s heart.


    In that moment, in that ce, Song Wen suddenly understood Ai Kun a bit more.


    Nodding, he replied, "It''s my first time."


    The woman''s eyes brightened, as if the first-time visitor to Hehuan Heavenly Spring Courtyard was some extraordinary treasure.


    "Please follow me, honored guest."


    The woman seemed to assert her im, leaning half her body against Song Wen as she led him to the third floor.


    "My name is A Yao. How shall I address you, young master?"


    "Chen Feihe!"


    "Such a resounding name, young master."


    Upon reaching the third floor, the two entered a fragrant room, where A Yao seated Song Wen at a table and poured him some drinks.


    "Honored guest, A Yao offers a toast to you."


    As she spoke, A Yao sat directly on Song Wen''sp.


    He opened his mouth to drink, and as the alcohol flowed down, it was caught by the Saint Armor Bug in his abdomen and swallowed.


    Feeling the suppressed desire rise within him, Song Wen''s hands instinctively moved to explore A Yao''s delicate form beneath her thin garment.


    Sensing the heat beneath him, A Yao covered her mouth and giggled lightly.


    "Young master, you''re quite eager."


    Although Song Wen felt a bit ufortable from the buildup of desire, he wasn''t mentally affected. Suddenly, he thought that among theings and goings of the establishment, it was an easy ce to gather information, so he asked, "Do you know why there are suddenly so many rogue cultivators in the market?"


    A Yao''s expression turned slightly surprised.


    "Young master, you really don''t know?"


    Song Wen felt somewhat dumbfounded, as her reaction suggested something significant had happened that everyone knew about.


    "I''ve been in closed-door training for a while and just emerged today."


    A Yao gently twisted her slender waist, pushing against the remaining heat as she spoke.


    "That makes sense; I thought so. How could anyone not know about such a major event as the end of the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle?"


    "The Righteous vs. Demonic Battle has ended!" Song Wen''s voice suddenly rose a few


    notches.


    This news was truly shocking to him.


    Grabbing A Yao''s wrist with his right hand, he urgently asked, "What was the oue? Which side won, the Righteous or the Demonic?"


    A Yao''s expression suddenly turned aggrieved, her eyes glistening with tears, looking pitiful.


    "Young master, you''re hurting me."


    Song Wen quickly released her hand. "Hurry and tell me, what was the result?"


    A Yao rubbed her slightly reddened wrist before slowly replying.


    "Actually, it can''t be said that the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle has ended; it''s just that both


    sides have temporarily ceased hostilities."


    "A little over a month ago, the five major sects allied with the Lei family, deploying nine Nascent Soul cultivators, and sessfully broke through the protective array of the Corpse Demon Sect, which had held for four years."


    "The Corpse Demon Sect has been destroyed!" Song Wen eximed, a hint of surprise in his


    tone.


    If the Corpse Demon Sect was destroyed, he wouldn''t have to worry about retribution from


    them anymore.


    "Not exactly!" A Yao shook her head and continued.


    "When the righteous cultivators entered the Corpse Demon Sect, they found that the entire Corpse Demon Mountain was already deserted."


    "Everything of value that could be taken had been removed. It''s said that even some ancient halls had been dismantled and taken away by the Corpse Demon Sect."


    "All the core forces of the Corpse Demon Sect-the Nascent Soul elders, Golden Core experts, and direct disciples were all missing, leaving only some weak outer disciples and misceneous servants, who were mostly ughtered by the righteous cultivators to vent


    their anger."


    "While the righteous cultivators were looting Corpse Demon Mountain, suddenly, a formation activated without warning, trapping all the righteous cultivators who had


    entered."


    "The nine Nascent Soul cultivators from the righteous sidebined their efforts, exhausting great amounts of mana to break the formation, only to discover that high-level cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect, Profound Yin Sect, and Blood Fiend Sect hadunched a surprise attack, catching them off guard."


    "Originally, with nine Nas Soul cultivators, full counterattack of the Demonic three sects."


    righteous side could have withstood the


    "But no one expected that the Nine Pces Sect would suddenly betray them andunch a


    surprise attack from behind, injuring two Nascent Soul masters from the Mixed Sect and an ancestor from the Lei family."


    "With the Nine Pces Sect''s involvement, the strength of the Demonic side surged, and


    under this shift in power, the righteous side was quickly overwhelmed and soon retreated


    from the Demonic faction''s territory."


    Listening to A Yao''s ount, Song Wen felt a deep bitterness in his heart.


    When the Corpse Demon Sect retreated, they even took away the ancient pces, leaving no


    trace of the soulmps that contained soul remnants.


    He still hadn''t been able topletely escape the Corpse Demon Sect and might face


    retribution from them at any time.


    Previously, he had held a sliver of hope, thinking that the Corpse Demon Sect wouldn''t go to


    great lengths to pursue a mere outer disciple like him.


    However, as Song Wen learned more about the cultivation world, he began to understand it


    more clearly.


    For someone like him, who fled in a time of crisis and betrayed the sect, both Righteous and Demonic factions would see him as utterly contemptible.


    If they couldn''t execute a few as a warning, how could they expect future disciples to risk their


    lives for the sect? If they faced danger, they would abandon the sect and flee.


    ording to A Yao, the core forces of the Corpse Demon Sect had been preserved, and their


    strength hadn''t been significantly weakened.


    Song Wen suddenly recalled the time he had escaped the Corpse Demon Sect, coincidentally encountering Lu Chan, Zhang Xiaofan, and others, who had brutally killed Chen Yi.


    At that time, Song Wen had been puzzled as to why Zhang Xiaofan and his direct disciples were staying away from the Corpse Demon Sect during the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle.


    Now it seemed that the Corpse Demon Sect had long been making secret preparations.


    They had quietly sent out some lower-strength direct disciples to protect them. Although


    these disciples weren''t strong at the moment, several years down the line, some of them would grow to be the backbone of the Corpse Demon Sect.


    What was even more surprising was that the Nine Pces Sect had actually betrayed the righteous side and colluded with the Demonic side.


    The Nine Pces Sect''s actions had always straddled the line between Righteous and Demonic, but the mainstream practices within the Nine Pces Sect were still considered righteous. Many disciples secretly trained in the Demonic sect''s secret techniques, but for hundreds of years, the Nine Pces Sect had imed to be righteous.


    What could have prompted the Nine Pces Sect to switch sides and join the Demonic


    factions?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 237: Senior Sister?

    Chapter 237: Senior Sister?


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen''s thoughts were in disarray, but he felt a strange sensation in his heart.


    When A Yao was recounting the events of the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle, there was no sign of indignation or anger on her face; instead, there seemed to be a hint of schadenfreude.


    It was important to note that the Hehuan Sect was a major righteous sect. If the righteous side suffered defeat, the losses for the Hehuan Sect should have been considerable.


    However, as A Yao continued her story, she quickly rified Song Wen''s confusion.


    The sect that suffered the most during this battle was the Mixed Yuan Temple, followed by the Lei family.


    The Mixed Yuan Temple''s territory was adjacent to that of the Nine Pces Sect.


    Two of their Nascent Soul elders were severely injured, leading to the loss of their original territory, which was taken advantage of by the evil factions and Nine Pces Sect, who seized tworge spirit stone mines and over ten various smaller mines.


    Although the Lei family was situated in the heart of the righteous territory and was not plundered by the evil factions, they only had one Nascent Soul cultivator. The injuries suffered during this battle had a significant impact on them.


    As for the other three major righteous sects-Hehuan Sect, Beastmaster Sect, and Profound Heaven Sword Sect-their losses were minimal, with only a few low-level disciples affected.


    Now, both sides had returned to a situation of rtive restraint.


    The Corpse Demon Sect had also returned to Corpse Demon Mountain, which had already been rebuilt. However, due to excessive losses among low-level disciples, they were actively recruiting scattered cultivators and those with spiritual roots who had not yet begun their training to replenish their ranks.


    At the same time, the Corpse Demon Sect issued a promation to the cultivation world, stating that anyone who had left their sect for any reason during the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle could return to the Corpse Demon Sect, and all past grievances would be forgiven.


    Upon hearing this news, Song Wen''s heart skipped a beat.


    At the beginning of the Righteous vs. Demonic Battle, the Sect had mercilessly ughtered the misceneous disciples. Ordinary disciples were regarded by the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect as less than pigs or dogs, equivalent to domesticated livestock.


    Returning to the Corpse Demon Sect after betraying the sect was akin to walking into the tiger''s den.


    Noticing that Song Wen seemed a bit lost in thought, even A Yao, who had been wandering about aimlessly, stopped. With a sorrowful expression, she pressed her ample chest against Song Wen''s face, yfully scolding him.


    "Let''s not talk about such dreary matters; we have precious time together to seize."


    Saying this, she began to undress, and shortly afterward, soft gasps filled the air.


    After a while.


    A Yao, feeling somewhat drained, scrambled off the bed.


    Song Wen, still in a spirited mood, looked quite displeased.


    "Where are you going?"


    A Yao hastily grabbed a piece of clothing to throw on and mutteredints.


    "What kind of monster are you? I''ve used all my strength, and you still remain unyielding. I can''t take it anymore; I''m going to find two sisters to serve you."


    With that, she hurriedly tied her waist belt without caring that she was exposing quite a bit and rushed out the door.


    Just a short distance outside the door, she spotted a woman approaching gracefully.


    The woman had skin like jade, eyebrows like willows, and eyes like water.


    Her attire was dignified and ethereal, setting her apart from the other women in the Hehuan Spring Night Tower, who were more alluring and seductive.


    A Yao, in a rush, stopped upon seeing the woman, her face shing with awe.


    "Greetings, Ancestor... Senior Sister."


    The mature woman nced at A Yao''s disheveled attire, which hinted at some indecent thoughts, and remarked, "Why are you in such a hurry? What a disgrace."


    A Yao, clearly intimidated by the mature woman, hurriedly exined, "The person inside is


    too strong for me to handle alone; I wanted to find two sisters to help."


    The mature woman nced at the room A Yao had exited, as if some emotion had been


    stirred.


    "Oh? Is he really as formidable as you say?"


    A Yao replied, "The disciple wouldn''t dare speak recklessly."


    The mature woman continued, "You go on ahead. I''ll go take a look myself."


    A Yao looked at the mature woman in shock.


    "You''re... going personally?"


    The mature woman''s expression darkened. "What? Do you think I''m too old to be suitable?"


    A Yao''s expression turned fearful as she hurriedly responded.


    "The disciple wouldn''t dare; it''s just that the person inside only has Qi Refinement cultivation, which is beneath your status."


    "Move aside!"


    The mature woman swept past A Yao and headed straight for the room where Song Wen was.


    Song Wen was in high spirits, but A Yao''s sudden retreat left him feeling somewhat


    disconcerted.


    As he anxiously waited, he suddenly saw a graceful woman push open the door and enter.


    The woman was stunningly beautiful, more captivating than fish sinking or geese falling, but


    what was even more striking was her extraordinary aura.


    She moved like a startled swan and flowed like a graceful dragon.


    Song Wen could hardly believe that such a woman could appear in the Hehuan Tower.


    He immediately became alert. "Who are you?"


    The mature woman nced at Song Wen''s lower body. In her bright eyes, a hint of springtime


    affection surfaced, and an allure began to emanate from her.


    In an instant, an ethereal fairy transformed into a bewitching enchantress.


    "A Yao is unwell; let me keep the young masterpany."


    Her attire swirled as she stepped forward. In one motion, she pushed Song Wen down and


    leaned over him.


    Several hourster, the mature woman, having absorbed ample energy, gracefully floated


    down from the bed,nding at its edge. The scattered clothing on the floor fluttered without wind, automatically rising to adorn her.


    With lingering sweetness on her face and flirtatious eyes, she gazed at the semi-dreaming


    Song Wen.


    Her physical body felt light, full of vitality, with rich energy and robust essence.


    Unfortunately, her cultivation level was a bit low, making it of little benefit to her practice.


    However, she was somewhat enchanted by the vibrant aura radiating from him, feeling as though she had be lighter as a result.


    Deep inside, the woman felt a lingering desire and expectation.


    After decades of seclusion, to encounter such a youthful beauty immediately upon leaving


    was truly worth her time in Donghua Square.


    A gray small cloth bag suddenly appeared andnded on the bed, and the woman gracefully


    exited the room.


    Outside the room, A Yao was waiting by the door.


    "Do not disturb him; let him rest here properly."


    "Yes!"


    As soon as the mature woman left, Song Wen sat up from the bed.


    His expression was quiteplex, filled with both desire and trepidation.


    The earlier woman was incredibly skilled, providing him with an unprecedented experience.


    In his previous life, although he had never married, he had dated several girlfriends and was


    well aware of matters between men and women.


    The experience he just had offered him a brand-new understanding.


    It was truly transcendent, leaving one craving more.


    Initially, everything was delightful, but just after the conclusion, a mark quietly settled onto


    Song Wen''s body, sending a chill down his spine.


    This mark was extremely subtle; normally, with Song Wen''s level of spiritual awareness, he


    wouldn''t have detected it.


    Only when the consciousness of his spirit sea''s ck hole activated and attempted to devour


    the mark did he realize its existence.


    He immediately controlled the ck hole to disperse, knowing that devouring the mark


    within the Hehuan Tower would surely alert the mature woman.


    The mature woman disyed cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, yet the mark she


    left was hidden and difficult to detect, clearly not something a mere Qi Refinement cultivatorn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    could possess.


    The mature woman''s cultivation was incredibly high!


    Song Wen''s spiritual awareness had already reached the peak level of Foundation Establishment, yet this woman could directly ce a mark on him without him noticing. Even


    an ordinary Golden Core cultivator would find it challenging to do so.


    Song Wen picked up the gray small cloth bag beside him. It was a storage bag, and probing


    with his spiritual awareness, he found it contained hundreds of transparent crystal stones,


    each the size of a fist.


    Medium-grade spirit stones!


    Valued at tens of thousands of low-grade spirit stones!


    Song Wen tucked the storage bag away, got dressed, and exited the room, spotting A Yao still


    guarding outside the door, causing another wave of nervousness in his heart.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 238: Purchasing Yellow Essence Mushroom

    Chapter 238: Purchasing Yellow Essence Mushroom


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Master Chen, it''s gettingte, and the market has been rather unsettledtely. Why not rest at the Hehuan Tower tonight and leave early tomorrow?" A Yao suggested.


    It was now deep into the night, and outside, it was pitch ck.


    "Thank you for your kindness, A Yao, but I still have matters to attend to, so I won''t trouble you further."


    Song Wen stepped down the stairs and quickly left the Hehuan Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    He did not return to his residence but headed outside the market, walking for several miles until he found a foothill, where he activated his escape light.


    With one hand gripping the storage bag and the other touching his somewhat weak waist, the image of the mature woman shed through his mind. Song Wen secretly thought:


    "Women truly are like red powder and dry bones; the more beautiful they are, the more dangerous they be."


    From now on, he should keep his distance from women and the Hehuan Sect; they were too frightening.


    After confirming there were no issues with the spirit stones in the storage bag, he transferred them to his storage ring, casually tossing the bag into a crevice between the rocks.


    Then, he activated the ck hole of his spiritual awareness to devour the mark.


    After doing all this, Song Wen activated the "Blood Escape Technique" and disappeared without a trace.


    In the back courtyard of the Hehuan Heavenly Spring Courtyard.


    A Yao was bowing respectfully, while facing her was the mature woman.


    "Master, that Master Chen has left."


    At this moment, the mature woman had returned to her ethereal fairy appearance and inquired.


    "Is his surname Chen?"


    "That young master said his name is Chen Feihe, but whether it''s his real name, I don''t know."


    The mature woman nodded nomittally.


    Suddenly, her expression changed to one of surprise.


    The mark had vanished!


    Was he perhaps a disciple of some major sect? Did he have a Nascent Soul elder behind him to help him eliminate the mark?


    ...


    The next day, in the early morning.


    Disguised as Yan Feng, Song Wen entered the East Huafang Market, where he purchased some spiritual herbs needed for refining Profound Qi Pills, along with items required for daily living, before returning to his residence.


    He arranged the daily living supplies in their expected ces, pretending to be someone who often cooked and brewed tea.


    In the underground of his room, Song Wen silently dug out a hidden chamber.


    He set up the "Spirit Concealment Formation" and "Nine Pces Yin Array," and began trying to refine the Profound Qi Pills.


    Now that he had disguised himself as ate-stage Qi Refinement alchemist, he was only familiar with Blood Qi pills and Qi Gathering pills, which made it somewhat difficult for others to trust him.


    Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.


    After continuously failing more than ten times to refine the Profound Qi Pills, Song Wen shook his head in frustration.


    He had exhausted all the medicinal materials for the Profound Qi Pills.


    Refining the Profound Qi Pills was more difficult than he had imagined.


    After a moment of closed-eye meditation, Song Wen took out the spiritual herbs needed for refining the "Explosive Blood Pill."


    His cultivation had soared, but his foundation was somewhat unstable, so it wasn''t advisable


    to take pills to increase his cultivation temporarily.


    However, improving the "Explosive Blood Pill" wouldn''t seed in a short time.


    It was better to prepare in advance and be ready for any situation.


    Once his cultivation stabilized, he could research the improvements to the Explosive Blood


    Pill rather than waiting until thest minute.


    In his hand was a regr Yellow Essence Mushroom, while the rest had been obtained from the Su family''s spirit field, carrying a unique and mysterious aura.


    He first tried to refine the regr Yellow Essence Mushroom, melting the spiritual herbs and extracting the medicinal liquid, sessfullybining various medicinal liquids.


    However, just as he was about to start condensing the pill, the medicinal liquid suddenly went out of control, and its potency rapidly dissipated.


    "Ah! Not again."


    Song Wen sighed lightly.


    He took out a Yellow Essence Mushroom obtained from the Su family and continued to try


    again.


    When he refined the Yellow Essence Mushroom and extracted the medicinal liquid, a trace of energy was also extracted.


    However, when he attempted to fuse the Yellow Essence Mushroom medicinal liquid with other auxiliary medicinal liquids, there was a loud "bang," and the furnace exploded.


    Song Wen was stunned; it waspletely unexpected for the fusion step to cause an explosion.


    Not understanding the reason behind this, he took out another Yellow Essence Mushroom and continued trying.


    Again, when he fused the medicinal liquids, the furnace exploded once more.


    Song Wen furrowed his brow: the Yellow Essence Mushroom cultivated by the Su family


    contained a trace of morning dew energy, which seemed unsuitable for alchemy.


    "It looks like I need to buy some regr Yellow Essence Mushroom," he thought.


    Two hourster.


    Song Wen searched through most of the spirit medicine shops and scattered cultivator stalls


    in the market but couldn''t find a single Yellow Essence Mushroom. Instead, he spent over a thousand spirit stones to buy materials for the Profound Qi Pills.


    Stepping out of the market, Song Wen headed toward the ghost market in the mountain


    stream.


    At the witching hour (12-3AM), Song Wen entered thergest spirit medicine shop in the


    ghost market.


    "Friend, what kind of spirit medicine are you looking to buy?" asked a middle-aged male cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    "Do you have Yellow Essence Mushroom for sale?" Song Wen asked.


    The middle-aged male cultivator nced around, ensuring there was no one else in the shop,


    then lowered his voice to reply.


    "You''vee to the right ce; I''m the only one in the entire ghost market who supplies


    Yellow Essence Mushroom regrly. How many do you need with what age of medicinal


    properties?"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Song Wen did not doubt the other''s words.


    He had just visited other spirit medicine shops in the ghost market, none of which had Yellow Essence Mushroom for sale. However, he had bought a thirty-year-old Yellow Essence Mushroom for a hundred spirit stones from a scattered cultivator.


    That Yellow Essence Mushroom was a chance find for the scattered cultivator in the wild and couldn''t be supplied regrly, which wouldn''t satisfy Song Wen''s needs.


    "Any that are above twenty years old will do," he replied, adding, "The more, the better."


    The male cultivator said, "I happen to have several Yellow Essence Mushroom here, all forty


    years old."


    "How many spirit stones for each?" Song Wen asked.


    "Three hundred spirit stones per stock," the male cultivator quoted.


    Song Wen frowned slightly. "Friend, this price seems a bit steep."


    He thought a more reasonable price should be around two hundred spirit stones.


    Upon hearing this, the male cultivator didn''t speak but insteadmunicated via sound transmission.


    "Friend, to be honest, the Yellow Essence Mushroom here is bought at a high price from the


    Beastmaster Sect, and there are only ten stocks avable each month, so the price cannot be low."


    Song Wen said, "Can I take a look at the Yellow Essence Mushroom? If there''s no problem, I''ll


    take them all."


    The male cultivator''s eyes brightened, and he produced a jade box over two feet long, opening a small gap to present it to Song Wen.


    Song Wen looked up and saw that the jade box neatly contained several Yellow Essence


    Mushroom.


    After confirming there were no issues with the Yellow Essence Mushroom, Song Wen raised


    his hand, and a pile of spirit stones floated into the air.


    The number of spirit stones was exactly one thousand and one.


    The male cultivator quickly used his spiritual power to catch the spirit stones and stored them


    in his waist pouch.


    After putting away the jade box, Song Wen asked, "Friend, when will the next batch of Yellow


    Essence Mushroom arrive? I''ll take them all at this price."


    The male cultivator showed a troubled expression. "Friend, that might not be possible.


    There''s a regr customer who pre-ordered six of them. The most I can offer you each month is four. One of the ones I just sold to you was also leftover fromst month."


    Song Wen inquired, "When will the Yellow Essence Mushroom arrive? I''lle to pick them up then."


    The male cultivator replied, "At the beginning of each month, during the night."


    Song Wen nodded and turned to leave the spirit medicine shop.


    Four Yellow Essence Mushroom each month was not enough for him.


    He was exploring the form for the Explosive Blood Pill and had a great demand for Yellow


    Essence Mushroom. Even if he refined pills every two days, he would need at least ten Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    However, without being able to buy more Yellow Essence Mushroom, Song Wen had no other


    options.


    He also bought some materials for the Beast Refining Pill, sold a batch of Blood Spirit Crystals, and exchanged them for ten thousand spirit stones. Then, he changed his appearance


    and headed to a shop that sold information.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 239: The Ding No. 97 Black Coffin

    Chapter 239: The Ding No. 97 ck Coffin


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the ghost market, information shop.


    The old man at the counter, whom Song Wen had met once before, sat behind the counter.


    Seeing Song Wen enter the shop, the old man did not stand up and asked indifferently, "Friend, what information do you need?"


    "Thetest information on the war between Righteous and Demonic."


    "One hundred spirit stones."


    Song Wen felt a slight disappointment in his heart.


    This price is too cheap!


    Such a low price can only mean one thing.


    The old man''s information about the war between Righteous and Demonic was basically the same as what was circting in the cultivation world, and it wasn''t worth much.


    Song Wen handed over one hundred spirit stones and received a jade slip in return.


    He probed his spiritual sense into the jade slip and quickly scanned through it.


    Sure enough, as Song Wen had expected, the information in the jade slip was essentially consistent with what A Yao had said, with not much valuable content.


    "Is there any recent information about the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    "Five hundred spirit stones," the old man quoted again.


    After paying five hundred spirit stones, Song Wen received another jade slip.


    ording to the information in the jade slip, the Corpse Demon Sect had been rebuilt, reiming all of its original territory, and had joined forces with the Nine Pce Sect to upy arge spirit mine in the Mixed Yuan Temple.


    After the war between Righteous and Demonic, the Corpse Demon Sect only lost two Golden Core elders and forty-one Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    As for the Qi Refinement disciples, the casualties were quite severe.


    The information estimated that the Corpse Demon Sect lost over ten thousand Qi Refinement disciples, with the servant disciples almost entirely dead or injured.


    Besides the significant loss of low-level disciples, the high-rankingbat power of the Corpse Demon Sect suffered very little damage. Overall, their strength had not been significantly weakened. Due to the joint upation of arge spirit mine with the Nine Pce Sect, their strength had subtly increased.


    The siege of the Corpse Demon Sect by several righteous sects had resulted in such a situation, which was truly unexpected for everyone in the cultivation world.


    After the war between Righteous and Demonic, the high-levelbat power of the Corpse Demon Sect had hardly suffered any losses.


    In contrast, the same was true for the righteous sects, with very few Golden Core cultivators dead.


    It was as if both sides were in tacit agreement; without sufficient benefits, Golden Core experts would not risk their lives in battle.


    After all, everyone cultivates for longevity, not for the sake of proving their bravery.


    The information also mentioned that the Corpse Demon Sect had issued a promation, promising not to pursue past grievances and recalling all lost disciples.


    However, Song Wen did not dare to bet that the Corpse Demon Sect would keep its word.


    Currently, the Corpse Demon Sect was severelycking in low-level disciples.


    Mining, refining corpses, farming, alchemy, corpse resolution, blood cultivation... all these matters required arge number of low-level disciples.


    In order for the sect to operate normally, the Corpse Demon Sect was willing to recruit scattered cultivators.


    At present, they were short on people, so it was indeed possible that the Corpse Demon Sect would not pursue the responsibilities of those who fled during the battle. But after three to five years, when the situation might ease, it was hard to guarantee that the Corpse Demon Sect wouldn''t settle scorester.


    After all, servant disciples could all be viewed as training materials and could be ughtered inrge numbers.


    Putting away the jade slip, Song Wen asked, "Is there any information about the Longevity Technique for the Golden Core stage?"


    The Longevity Technique he had only included methods for the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages. After advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage, Song Wen had begun to inquire about the Golden Core stage methods of the Longevity


    Technique.


    But so far, he had not obtained any useful information.


    If he couldn''t find the follow-up methods of the Longevity Technique, after forming the Golden Core, he would have to switch to other righteous sect techniques to rece it.


    However, switching to other righteous sect techniques required first converting the spiritual power cultivated from the Longevity Technique to bepatible with the new methods. This process was extremely time-consuming and required arge amount of spirit stones.


    Moreover, switching to other techniques didn''t mean he could choose any righteous sect technique.


    The spiritual power attributes of the new technique had to match the spiritual power attributes of the original technique.


    For example, someone cultivating a water attribute technique must switch to a technique of the water attribute. A practitioner of the five elemental techniques can choose from any of the five attributes for their subsequent techniques.


    If Song Wen could continue cultivating the Longevity Technique, he didn''t want to switch to other techniques.


    Any Golden Core technique is not something easily obtained.


    The old man said, "Consider this information a free gift to you, friend. As far as I know, in the


    cultivation world, there are three ces that possess the Golden Core methods of the Longevity Technique: the Beastmaster Sect, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, and the


    Hehuan Sect."


    Song Wen sped his fists. "Thank you."


    These three major sects are all righteous sects and are indeed the most likely to possess the


    Golden Core methods of the Longevity Technique.


    Since the Hehuan Sect does not ept male disciples, if Song Wen wanted to obtain the subsequent techniques of the Longevity Technique, he could only seek them from the Beastmaster Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    At the first watch of the day.


    The moon was bright, and the stars were few.


    Using the moonlight as a guide, Song Wen returned to the rented courtyard.


    He entered the underground secret chamber and began to refine pills.


    The first pill he refined was the Beast Refining Pill.


    Due to ack of spiritual herbs, Song Wen had not refined the Beast Refining Pill for some


    time.


    The Sacred Gu had gotten used to eating the Beast Refining Pill, and recently it had been fed


    Bright Silver Stones, which made it quite displeased, often conveying itsints to Song


    Wen.


    The iron-back turtle''s monster body and flesh had been eaten up by the Sacred Gu three


    times, resulting in the Sacred Gu''s strength growing rapidly, not far from breaking through to the mid-second stage.


    After refining for nine days, Song Wen produced three batches of Beast Refining Pills, yielding


    a total of twenty-four pills.


    Refining pills consumed a lot of mental energy, so Song Wen closed his eyes and sat in


    meditation, adjusting his breathing.


    At that moment, the Sacred Gu, which was on guard outside, suddenly transmitted a message.


    Three cultivators from the Beastmaster Sect had entered the courtyard of Zhao Dapeng across


    the way. The leader was a mid-stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator.


    Zhao Dapeng had a face full of eager ttery, leading the three into the small courtyard.


    "Elder Xia, two inner disciples, please have a seat!" Zhao Dapeng said, pointing to the chairs


    in the courtyard.


    Elder Xia had a calm demeanor and did not take a seat.


    "Elder Xia is busy and doesn''t have time to dy here. Take us to see the living corpse!"


    Zhao Dapeng nodded repeatedly. "Elder Xia, please follow me."


    Under Zhao Dapeng''s guidance, the three entered the secret chamber located beneath the side


    room.


    The rat-eyed man, who was neither human nor corpse, showed his teeth and red when he


    saw the four enter the secret chamber, appearing like a furious beast whose territory had been


    invaded.


    In the depths of his eyes, there was no trace of human rationality, only the instincts of an


    animal.


    The rat-eyed man crouched down, moving quickly, like a spider ready to pounce, rushing towards Zhao Dapeng, who was closest.


    Zhao Dapeng raised his hand and sent out a wave of spiritual energy, easily repelling the rat-


    eyed man, but it only pushed him back without injuring him at all.


    Seeing the rat-eyed man''s terrifying appearance, Elder Xia''s eyes sparkled with excitement.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "I didn''t expect that after the ruin of the body, losing all cultivation, just relying on a body


    nourished by spiritual energy, he could withstand the corruption of corpse energy to such an extent. The corpse energy has begun to merge with the vitality."


    Elder Xia waved his hand, and a ck coffin flew out.


    On the coffin lid were the words "Ding No. 97."


    Elder Xia unleashed a wave of spiritual energy, sealing the struggling and roaring rat-eyed


    man inside the ck coffin.


    Throwing a storage bag to Zhao Dapeng, Elder Xia said, "You did well; this is a reward for you."


    "For the next step, you can find some strong-bodied mortals or martial artists to continue the experimentation. If there are results, Elder Xia will not be stingy with rewards."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 240: Two Years

    Chapter 240: Two Years


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zhao Dapeng had a joyful expression; the storage bag contained two thousand spirit stones and a hundred Profound Qi Pills. This was enough for him, a Qi Refining eighthyer practitioner, to cultivate for quite some time.


    "Thank you, Elder Xia, for the reward. I will do my utmost to fulfill the elder''s instructions."


    Elder Xia nodded slightly, not putting the ck coffin into her storage ring, but dragging it with one hand as she walked out.


    Once outside the chamber, she summoned a flying boat and took off.


    After sending Elder Xia away, Zhao Dapeng hurriedly left the small courtyard. He needed to find the merchants in the marketce to arrange for a few strong mortal men or martial artists toe over.


    Song Wen observed this scene and understood.


    Zhao Dapeng was cultivating living corpses under the direction of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Previously, he had seen Zhao Dapeng oppress the orphans next door just to find a partner for his younger brother.


    At that time, Song Wen thought Zhao Dapeng treated his brother rtively well.


    Perhaps it was driven by profit; or maybe over the years, Zhao Dapeng had grown weary of caring for his foolish brother, leading him to choose cruel methods to turn his brother into a half-human, half-monster living corpse.


    During the three years of cultivating living corpses, his foolish brother had undoubtedly suffered tremendous torment, a cruelty that was horrific. If it had been a normal-minded person, they likely would have long been unable to endure the suffering and chosen to end their own life.


    But why was the Beastmaster Sect going to such great lengths to cultivate living corpses?


    Also, what was the essence of that living corpse, which fused both corpse energy and vitality?


    After resting for a moment, Song Wen continued to refine pills.


    He first tried to refine Explosive Blood Pills.


    Taking out the Yellow Essence Mushroom he had purchased, just as he was about to begin refining, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.


    He still had over a thousand stalks of special Yellow Essence Mushroom containing vitality in his storage ring.


    These Yellow Essence Mushroom stalks were different from ordinary ones and seemed unsuitable for pill refining.


    Recalling the scene from before, when the silver corpse refined over a hundred stalks of special Yellow Essence Mushroom and showed signs of blood veins, Song Wen made a decision in his heart.


    He decided to use all of these Yellow Essence Mushroom stalks to nurture the silver corpse; perhaps it would yield unexpected surprises.


    A monthter.


    Song Wen walked into the Flowing Clouds Pharmacy.


    This was thergest pharmacy opened by the Beastmaster Sect in the East Huafang marketce.


    Seeing Song Wen enter, a beautiful maid approached him.


    "Senior, may I ask what kind of pill you wish to buy?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Song Wen replied, "I''m not here to buy pills; I''vee to sell pills."


    "May I ask, Senior, what pills you wish to sell?"


    "Profound Qi Pills."


    The maid said, "Please wait a moment. The Profound Qi Pill is a top-grade first-level pill, and


    I do not have the authority to decide on the purchase myself. I will go and request the manager toe."


    A momentter, guided by the maid, a white-bearded old man approached Song Wen.


    "Friend, I''ve heard you have Profound Qi Pills for sale?"


    Song Wen nodded, reaching to his waist and retrieving a jade bottle.


    The old man smiled warmly.


    "Friend, don''t be in a rush; let''s go to my study to discuss this in detail."


    With the old man leading the way, the two quickly arrived at an elegant study.


    After sitting down, the old man said, "Friend, please take out the Profound Qi Pills. Before we trade, I need to verify the quality of the pills."


    It wasmon knowledge in the cultivation world that the store would check the quality of pills before purchasing them.


    Song Wen had no objections and handed the jade bottle to the old man.


    The old man took the jade bottle and poured out a pill.


    The pill had a pure color, ample spiritual energy, and emitted a refreshing fragrance.


    The old man''s face lit up with a smile.


    "Friend, the quality of the pills you refined is quite good. If all the Profound Qi Pills in your possession are of this quality, our Flowing Clouds Pharmacy will take them all."


    Song Wen waved his hand again, and two more jade bottlesnded on the low table in front of him. Together with the one he had previously handed to the old man, there were three jade bottles, each containing thirty Profound Qi Pills.


    The white-bearded old man examined the other two bottles of pills, then spoke.


    "Each Profound Qi Pill is worth five spirit stones. I wonder if you are satisfied with this price?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen frowned slightly.


    On the market, the selling price for Profound Qi Pills is around ten spirit stones each.


    If the pharmacy buys at five spirit stones, they can make a 100% profit on each sale.


    The cost of the spirit herbs needed to refine a batch of Profound Qi Pills is about twelve spirit


    stones.


    For an average first-level alchemist, the sess rate for refining Profound Qi Pills is roughly fifty percent, resulting in six pills per batch.


    Calcting this, the cost to produce a single Profound Qi Pill is about four spirit stones.


    The alchemist, working hard to refine, would only earn one spirit stone in profit per pill, far


    less than the profits the pharmacy makes selling the pills.


    Song Wen shook his head. "If you can only offer five spirit stones, I''ll have to find other


    buyers."


    As he spoke, Song Wen pretended to put away the three jade bottles.


    "Wait a moment, friend."


    The white-bearded old man hurriedly stopped him.


    "If you''re not satisfied with the purchase price, we can negotiate. How about six spirit


    stones?"


    Song Wen continued to shake his head.


    "Seven spirit stones. I can''t go higher; that''s the best price I can offer. Even the alchemists we


    regrly work with can only get this price."


    Song Wen sat down again and took out the three jade bottles.


    "Fine then!"


    The identity of an alchemist was just a cover for Song Wen; he didn''t rely on it for a living.


    Since the old man offered a reasonable price, he decided not to linger on the negotiation.


    Moreover, Song Wen simply didn''t have the time to set up a stall and sell Profound Qi Pills.


    "Thank you for being so straightforward."


    The white-bearded old man put away the three jade bottles and took out two hundred and ten


    spirit stones to give to Song Wen.


    "My name is Ning Feng; may I ask how to address you, friend?" After the transac the old


    man asked with a friendly expression.


    "I''m Yan Feng; it''s a pleasure to meet you, brother Ning."


    "In this marketce, I know all the alchemists who can refine Profound Qi Pills. You look unfamiliar, so you must be new to the East Huafang marketce?"


    "I arrived at the East Huafang marketce just a month ago, and I hope to count on your


    guidance in the future, Ning friend."


    Ning Feng stroked his silver beard and smiled warmly.


    "Don''t worry, Master Yan; I have some influence in this marketce. If you encounter any


    difficulties, feel free toe to me. I will definitely help in any way I can."


    Song Wen cupped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, friend."


    "Five days from now, in the back yard of the Flowing Clouds Pharmacy, there will be a


    gathering for alchemists. Would you like to attend, Master Yan?"


    "Thank you for the invitation, Ning friend. I will definitely be there on time."


    Time passed.


    In the next two years, Song Wen focused on cultivating in the marketce.


    Hecked for nothing in spirit stones and didn''t need to venture out to search for resources required for his cultivation. Moreover, he avoided trouble; even if some conflicts arose, he managed to evade them. Life during these two years was quite peaceful.


    During these two years, he attended several gatherings hosted by Ning Feng for alchemists,


    getting to know some scattered alchemists and mastering three new first-level pill refining techniques. His alchemical skills became increasingly refined, and his understanding of


    alchemy deepened.


    After more than two years of consolidation, the issues with the spiritual energy of Longevity


    Technique being unstable andcking a solid foundation were mostly resolved.


    However, he still hadn''t seeded in the research for the Explosive Blood Pill.


    With only four stalks of Yellow Essence Mushroom avable each month, his progress on developing the Explosive Blood Pill was severely limited.


    In two years, he had only made about a hundred attempts.


    It''s worth mentioning that a year and a half ago, Song Wen had purchased suitable strong


    poisons from a scattered cultivator in the ck market.


    After arriving at the East Huafang marketce, he had been busy refining Blood Qi Pills and


    improving his cultivation of Longevity Technique, leading to the neglect of Ten Thousand Poisons Body.


    Now that he had acquired suitable poisons, he could finally start refining Ten Thousand


    Poisons Body again.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 241: Black Market Trading Fair

    Chapter 241: ck Market Trading Fair


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    On this day.


    In the early morning.


    As usual, Song Wen entered the Flowing Clouds Pharmacy and began trading for pills.


    Afterpleting the transaction, Ning Feng said, "Master Yan, the sect is currently recruiting alchemists. Are you interested in trying?"


    Ning Feng was a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect, and the "sect" he referred to naturally meant the Beastmaster Sect.


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen''s expression showed some confusion. "The esteemed Beastmaster Sect would recruit alchemists from scattered cultivators?"


    For a major sect like the Beastmaster Sect, alchemists are generally trained internally, and only true alchemical geniuses might join midway.


    Alchemists hold many exclusive pill forms, and if someone not raised by the sect were to join, it would be easy for them to leak these forms, causing significant losses to the sect.


    "Of course, not just anyone can join the Beastmaster Sect. There''s a preliminary assessment, and the minimum requirement is to be a first-grade upper-level alchemist. You happen to meet the requirements, so why not give it a try?"


    Song Wen pondered for a moment and replied, "Thank you for the information, Ning friend. I will consider it carefully."


    After saying this, Song Wen turned to leave.


    "Master Yan, please think it over. Joining the Beastmaster Sect would bring many benefits."


    "If you''re serious about joining the sect, remember toe to the pharmacy within three days to find me, and I''ll rmend you for the sect''s assessment."


    "Of course, if you sessfully join the sect, I will also receive a reward from the sect."


    Ning Feng''s voice came from behind.


    That night.


    A round moon, like a jade te, hung high in the night sky.


    In a dense forest not far from the entrance of the Ghost Market in the mountain stream.


    The mist swirled through the forest, and with the darkness of night, it was pitch ck, yet over thirty foundation-building cultivators gathered there.


    This was a small trading fair organized privately by a group of foundation-building scattered cultivators.


    At this fair, many of the items traded were unsightly.


    For example, techniques, spirit herbs, and magical tools obtained from robbing small cultivation factions; or ghostly and corpse-rted materials needed for demonic practices.


    The existence of this small trading fair was something Song Wen learned from the memories of the soul-searching technique he had obtained; it was held on the night of the full moon every month.


    Song Wen had attended this trading fair several times and had purchased some ghostly and corpse-rted materials each time, used for nurturing the Ghost King and the Silver Corpse.


    At this moment, Song Wen sat cross-legged, wearing a ghostly mask.


    In front of himy a ck cloth, on which rested a low-grade spirit tool flying sword; a jade box containing a Heavenly Spirit Fruit; and a jade slip recording a secret technique for corpse refining.


    On the ck cloth was also a wooden board, on which was written: "Buying Yellow Essence Mushroom, information on Longevity Technique Golden Core-level methods, andtest intelligence from the Corpse Demon Sect."


    Most of the other cultivators at the trading fair were simr to Song Wen, disying various treasures and waiting for others to choose while also writing their own needs on wooden boards.


    As everyone awaited customers, they would also use their spiritual sense to explore the stalls


    of others, searching for items they needed.


    Suddenly, a voice sounded in Song Wen''s mind.


    "Friend, how much do you want for your Heavenly Spirit Fruit?"


    Song Wen used his spiritual sense to locate the source of the voice; it was a male cultivator wearing a bull-headed mask, about thirty meters away from him.


    "Not for sale, only for exchange," Song Wen replied.


    "But I don''t have what you need," the bull-headed cultivator responded.


    Song Wen pondered for a moment and sent a voice transmission.


    "If you have the alchemical insights of a seventh-grade alchemist, I can exchange them."


    He had been struggling to develop the Explosive Blood Pill, which he believed was due to hisck of alchemical experience. Most of his knowledge about alchemy came from the jade slip containing Rong Jingyun''s insights.


    During his participation in the alchemist exchange meeting, he realized that to advance further in alchemy, one must learn from many sources and draw upon the experiences and wisdom of others.


    Staying isted would only lead to stagnation, making it impossible to break through one''s limitations.


    Soon, the sound of footsteps approached, and the bull-headed cultivator arrived in front of


    Song Wen.


    "Friend, a single Heavenly Spirit Fruit is not worth the alchemical insights of a seventh-grade alchemist."


    Song Wen became intrigued, standing up to respond.


    "If you have the alchemical insights of a seventh-grade alchemist, one Heavenly Spirit Fruit


    is not enough; I can add another. While the jade slip of a seventh-grade alchemist''s insights is indeed precious, you can easily replicate it, making it essentially a no-cost transaction for


    you."


    The bull-headed cultivator pondered for a moment, "Fine, I''ll exchange with you. But I want


    to see the Heavenly Spirit Fruits first."


    "Fair enough. I want to verify the authenticity of your alchemical insights too."


    Song Wen flipped his hand, revealing a jade box. He opened a small gap in the box and presented it to the bull-headed cultivator.


    The bull-headed cultivator used his spiritual sense to scan the jade box, nodding in


    satisfaction.


    He produced a jade slip and handed it to Song Wen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "This is my replicated jade slip, which contains some of the alchemical insights."


    Song Wen put away the jade box and epted the jade slip, using his spiritual sense to explore


    its contents.


    Indeed, this jade slip contained the alchemical insights of a seventh-grade alchemist. However, this alchemist was likely a scattered cultivator and a demonic practitioner, with a


    rougher alchemical techniquepared to Rong Jingyun.


    The insights recorded in the jade slip were not without merit.


    Perhaps because this demonic alchemist had never received proper guidance from a


    legitimate alchemist, many of his ideas were quite oundish.


    In particr, the jade slip documented an improved version of Explosive Blood Pill.


    The Explosive Blood Pill is amonly used pill for body-refining cultivators.


    Due to long-term consumption of demonic beast essence blood for body refinement, some


    essence blood that cannot be refined will umte in the cultivator''s body, leading to stagnation in their vitality over time.


    The Explosive Blood Pill helps body-refining cultivators dissolve this umted demonic beast essence blood and expel it from their bodies.


    For some unknown reason, this demonic alchemist had a sudden idea.


    He sought to improve the Explosive Blood Pill to create a new pill to solve the problem of


    impure essence blood within demonic practitioners who had consumedrge amounts of others'' essence blood.


    To enhance the Explosive Blood Pill, this demonic practitioner enved many body-refining cultivators to serve as medicinal ves.


    He also ughtered numerous mortals to provide blood food for the ves.


    As for whether the final improved Explosive Blood Pill was sessful, the jade slip in Song


    Wen''s hand did not record that; it only documented a general process.


    After carefully examining the content of the jade slip, Song Wen responded, "Friend, the


    insights in the jade slip seem genuine. I agree to this trade."


    The bull-headed cultivator hurriedly pulled out a jade slip and handed it to Song Wen, which


    containedplete alchemical insights.


    Song Wen also traded the two Heavenly Spirit Fruits to the other party.


    After receiving the jade slip, Song Wen briefly checked its contents before putting it away.


    He had already scanned the contents of the jade slip earlier, and everything seemed fine.


    The demonic practitioner ultimately failed to develop the desired Explosive Blood Pill.


    However, his improved version was indeed worth Song Wen''s consideration.


    Additionally, the jade slip contained more than a dozen forms exclusively for demonic cultivators, which were absent in Rong Jingyun''s insights, making it quite valuable.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 242: Joining the Beastmaster Sect

    Chapter 242: Joining the Beastmaster Sect


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    As soon as the bull-headed cultivator left, Song Wen received another voice transmission.


    "Friend, I have some information regarding the Corpse Demon Sect. I would like to trade it for your low-grade spiritual flying sword. Is that possible?"


    "That depends on whether your information is worth a low-grade spiritual item," Song Wen replied.


    A few breathster, another cultivator approached Song Wen, this one wearing a sheep- headed mask.


    The sheep-headed cultivator transmitted a message, "This is about the Corpse Demon Sect pursuing traitors of the sect."


    Beneath the ghost mask, Song Wen''s expression grew serious. He waved his hand, and the low-grade spiritual flying sword flew into the air, heading directly toward the sheep-headed cultivator.


    Song Wen could not remember where he had obtained this low-grade flying sword.


    The flying sword was simr to one he had purchased in the Corpse Demon Sect''s marketce. It was a standard type of flying sword and was among the least valuable spiritual items, with a market price of around four thousand spirit stones.


    In terms of value, it was far inferior to the short spear he had obtained from Lei Tianyu.


    Of course, the price of such a flying sword with an unknown origin would drop significantly in the ghost market.


    The sheep-headed cultivator was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Song Wen to agree to the trade without hesitation.


    After receiving the flying sword, the sheep-headed cultivator transmitted again.


    "Several foundation-building cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect have appeared in the territory of the Nine Pces Sect, searching for traitors. Once found, they will be killed on the spot. It''s rumored that over ten individuals suspected of being traitors have already been in."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen''s brows furrowed deeply.


    He had anticipated that the Corpse Demon Sect would clean up their traitors, but he hadn''t expected them to act so quickly.


    However, it was not surprising that foundation-building cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect appeared in the territory of the Nine Pces Sect, which had allied itself with demonic forces.


    If the Corpse Demon Sect wanted to venture into the territory of the righteous path to hunt down traitors, it wouldn''t be that easy.


    Still, it was better to prepare early. If the Corpse Demon Sect found him, it would spell trouble.


    Song Wen waved his hand to gather the ck cloth and its treasures, then turned to leave the trading fair.


    With the Corpse Demon Sect starting to eliminate traitors, it indicated that they had regained their strength after the great war between righteous and evil factions, and it was only a matter of time before they sent people into the righteous territory to root out hidden traitors.


    Hiding in East Huafang Marketce was no longer safe.


    He needed to find a ce where cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect couldn''t easily infiltrate.


    "Beastmaster Sect!"


    As Song Wen was flying through the air on his sword, the thought of joining the Beastmaster Sect suddenly shed through his mind.


    The Beastmaster Sect had the subsequent cultivation methods of the Eternal Life Technique, various pills for raising spirit beasts and insects, and demonic practitioners wouldn''t dare to venture there...


    Moreover, he could use his identity as an alchemist to join the Beastmaster Sect, learning various alchemical techniques, which would assist him in developing the Explosive Blood Pill.


    With all these reasonsbined, it seemed that joining the Beastmaster Sect was the best option for Song Wen at the moment.


    However, joining such arge sect would mean that they would leave a trace of his soul''s aura within the sect, primarily to monitor the life and death of disciples and to prevent them from defecting.


    Having learned from the lesson of the Corpse Demon Sect, Song Wen was reluctant to leave his soul aura so easily.


    A bright idea suddenly struck him.


    He turned his sword''s light around and returned to the ghost market.


    Fortunately, the small trading fair had not yet concluded. Song Wen managed to exchange a mid-grade flying sword for the souls of two early foundation-building cultivators from another seller.


    Leaving the ghost market, Song Wen traveled a thousand miles and found a secluded mountainside to begin soul searching.


    The two souls he held came from a medium-sized cultivation sect called "Eastern Soup Valley" and the other was from a scattered cultivator.


    After devouring the soul of the Eastern Soup Valley cultivator, Song Wen forcefully


    suppressed the soul of the scattered cultivator using the ck hole in his sea of consciousness, sealing it within.


    Once this was done, Song Wen stood up and rode the sword light toward East Huafang Marketce.


    When he was several dozen miles away from the marketce, he withdrew the sword light and switched to flying on a spirit boat.


    As he flew into the marketce, when he passed above the alley where he lived, he caught a glimpse of a tall, beautiful figure shing through the dark alley.


    It was Ji Ruxue!


    The woman was still residing in the same courtyard as before, often appearing at night with mysterious movements.


    Not wanting to attract trouble, Song Wen pretended not to notice Ji Ruxue, acting like a passerby as he flew over the alley. After she left, he turned the spirit boat around andnded


    in his own courtyard.


    The night passed without incident.


    The next morning.


    Song Wen disguised himself, transforming his appearance to that of a man in his thirties, though his face bore a hint of weariness that shouldn''t belong to someone his age, and his cultivation was adjusted to early foundation-building.


    He headed to arge hall in the central area of the marketce.


    This hall was the base for thew enforcement team of East Huafang Marketce and also


    served as a residence for the Beastmaster Sect in the marketce.


    As Song Wen approached the hall, he was stopped by a guard ten zhang away.


    "Stop! This is the residence of the Beastmaster Sect. Unauthorized personnel keep your


    distance."


    The person speaking was a young cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refinement.


    Although Song Wen disyed a higher level of cultivation than him, the guard still did not


    offer any polite demeanor and spoke with a very stern tone.


    Song Wen remained unperturbed, cupping his hands in salute. "I am an alchemist. I heard thatn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    the Beastmaster Sect is recruiting alchemists, so I came to give it a try."


    The young cultivator''s cold expression softened slightly at these words, his tone carrying a


    hint of surprise.


    "Senior, you are an alchemist! An intermediate-level alchemist?"


    Song Wen shook his head, disying a hint of bitterness on his face.


    "To be honest, I''ve been in the foundation-building stage for several years, but I have yet to refine any intermediate-level pills. I have produced quite a few low-level pills, however."


    Hearing this, the young cultivator showed no signs of disappointment; instead, he became even more enthusiastic.


    "Please follow me, senior. I will take you to see Elder Wang."


    Even for arge sect like the Beastmaster Sect, they were eager to recruit foundation-building


    scattered cultivators. As long as they weren''t ruthless killers, they would wee them into


    the sect.


    Moreover, with Song Wen''s status as an alchemist, he was even more desirable.


    Under the guidance of the young cultivator, Song Wen smoothly entered the hall, and soon


    they arrived at arge chamber.


    After waiting for a moment, a male cultivator in thete foundation-building stage appeared; he was the "Elder Wang" the young cultivator had mentioned.


    After some pleasantries and introductions, Elder Wang, with a cheerful smile, turned the


    conversation to the main topic.


    "Friend Wu, I''ve heard from the sect''s disciples that you are an alchemist who wishes to join


    the Beastmaster Sect?"


    During the earlier exchange, Song Wen had introduced himself as "Wu Sheng."


    Song Wen wore a bitter expression.


    "I have been a scattered cultivator for decades and know how difficult it is. Although I have


    been in the foundation-building stage for several years, I have yet to obtain a single intermediate-level recipe. Hearing that the Beastmaster Sect is recruiting alchemists, I came


    to give it a try."


    Elder Wang said, "With your cultivation and status as an alchemist, it''s certainly no problem


    for you to join the Beastmaster Sect. However, the sect conducts thorough checks on individuals with unknown backgrounds. May I ask where you have practiced before? Do you have any connections with any cultivation families or forces that can vouch for you?"


    Song Wen replied, "When I was young, I devoted myself to cultivation, spending my time


    either in closed-door training or refining pills to obtain resources. During this time, due to various reasons, I moved through several marketces. At this moment, it may be difficult for me to find someone to vouch for me."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 243: The Pill Peak of the Beastmaster Sect

    Chapter 243: The Pill Peak of the Beastmaster Sect


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "May I ask if Elder Wang could offer some assistance?"


    As he spoke, Song Wen produced a storage bag from his hand and offered it to Elder Wang.


    However, Elder Wang did not reach out to take the storage bag; he waved his hand.


    "Friend Wu has misunderstood my intention. I can indeed vouch for you, but it''s not out of greed for your spirit stones. I merely wish to form a good connection with you, hoping that in the future, if I have requests, you would be willing to assist."


    Seeing that the other party did not take the storage bag, Song Wen thought he had encountered a person with integrity, rarer than high-grade spiritual roots.


    However, after hearing the other''s words, Song Wen understood:


    This person was fishing for big gains in the long run, seeking future favors in return.


    Using kindness to seek repayment!


    Yet, Elder Wang had clearly miscalcted.


    A hint of embarrassment crept onto Song Wen''s face as he put the storage bag away and spoke apologetically.


    "It seems I was overthinking, and I hope Elder Wang will forgive me."


    Elder Wang replied, "Friend Wu need not me yourself. It''s normal to have


    misunderstandings during our first meeting. I see you are also a straightforward person, quite in line with my temperament. I hope we can interact more in the future."


    Song Wen appeared ttered.


    "You tter me, Elder Wang. I hope you will look after me more in the future. If you need my help, please feel free to ask; I will not decline any matter I can handle."


    "Hahaha... I indeed did not mistake you, Friend Wu, you are truly straightforward."


    After some social pleasantries, Elder Wang summoned a small flying ship about seven or eight meters long and took Song Wen to the Beastmaster Sect.


    Nestled among the mountains, dozens of towering peaks soared into the clouds, shrouded in mist, resembling an ethereal paradise.


    Iron rope bridges connected each peak.


    Countless disciples of the Beastmaster Sect flew back and forth, some riding swords while others rode spirit beasts, painting a picturesque scene of a celestial realm.


    Deep within the Beastmaster Sect, there was a majestic peak, steep and perilous, as if it had been carved by axe and chisel.


    At the summit of this peak, there was a dark and imposing pce.


    Elder Wang''s flying ship smoothlynded in the square outside the pce.


    "Friend Wu, this is the sect''s Law Enforcement Hall. Since you are a scattered cultivator who joined the sect halfway, ording to the rules, you must first undergo an identity examination here to prevent any demonic cultivators from infiltrating the sect. With your righteous aura, there is no way you could be a demon cultivator; the review will merely be a formality for you."


    Song Wen nodded.


    Beforehand, he had roughly understood the procedures for joining the Beastmaster Sect.


    Every scattered cultivator who joined the Beastmaster Sect halfway had to go through a verification process at the Law Enforcement Hall.


    With Elder Wang leading the way, Song Wen smoothly entered the depths of the Law Enforcement Hall and arrived at a room constructed from ck stone blocks.


    Inside the room, an old man sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.


    This old man was a formidable Golden Core cultivator.


    Even as Song Wen and Elder Wang entered, the old man did not open his eyes to look at them.


    "Disciple Wang Ming greets Deputy Hall Master Feng," Elder Wang bowed respectfully to the old man.


    Song Wen followed suit, saying, "I am Wu Sheng, greetings, senior."


    The old man nodded slightly, not speaking.


    Elder Wang pointed at Song Wen and exined their purpose.


    Deputy Hall Master Feng raised his eyes, his gaze as deep as a bottomless pool, sweeping over Song Wen while a powerful spiritual sense brushed over his entire body.


    Deputy Hall Master Feng thought to himself,


    "He practices authentic Taoist methods, and there is no excessive killing or demonic energy on him. He truly seems like a person who has been diligently closed off in seclusion for years."


    Without making any movements, a ckmp suddenly appeared in front of Deputy Hall Master Feng. He addressed Song Wen.


    "You carry no evil or demonic energy, having passed my inspection. Leave a trace of your soul aura on this soulmp, and you will officially be a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect."


    "Before that, I must remind you, once you enter the Beastmaster Sect, you will be a disciple for life. You must strictly follow the sect''s rules; if you vite them, there will be punishments ording to thew. It is not like before, when you were a scattered cultivator, free and unrestrained."


    Song Wen replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Deputy Hall Master. I sincerely wish to join the Beastmaster Sect and will certainly remember the sect''s rules, not daring to overstep in


    the slightest."


    Deputy Hall Master Feng nodded, quite satisfied with Song Wen''s response.


    "As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, you wouldn''t need me to help you extract your


    soul aura, would you?"


    "There''s no need for you to act, Deputy Hall Master; I''ll do it myself."


    Song Wen quickly adopted the role and began to see himself as a disciple of the Beastmaster


    Sect.


    He held his breath and focused, channeling his soul power to draw out the prepared trace of soul aura from his sea of consciousness and inserting it into the soulmp.


    Themp immediately emitted a faint glow, radiating an almost imperceptible soul aura.


    Deputy Hall Master Feng took the soulmp and performed a hand gesture.


    A ghostly light surged out from themp,nding directly on Song Wen.


    This was a test to see if the soul aura within themp truly originated from Song Wen.


    Seeing that the test result was satisfactory, Deputy Hall Master Feng waved his hand, and the


    soulmp flew out of the room, drifting toward the ce where the soulmps of


    Beastmaster Sect disciples were stored.


    He took out a message jade slip and sent a message.


    Then, he retrieved a token, using a spell to extract a trace of aura from Song Wen and sealing


    it into the token before handing it to Song Wen.


    "Wu Sheng, from now on, you are a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect. I have already sent a


    message to the Pill Peak''s peak master; someone will receive you when you arrive at the Pill


    Peak."


    "Thank you, Deputy Hall Master. I will take my leave."


    Song Wen and Wang Ming exited the Law Enforcement Hall.


    After leading Song Wen to the Pill Peak, Wang Ming also took his leave.


    The Pill Peak was a tall mountain rich in spiritual energy, lush with flourishing trees.


    As soon as Song Wennded on the Pill Peak, a male cultivator of the seventhyer of Qi


    Refining flew over.


    "May I ask if you are the newly joined Wu Sheng, Elder Wu?"


    The ranks of elders in the Beastmaster Sect are divided into four levels:


    Honorary Elders, Servicing Elders, Venerable Elders, and Hall Masters.


    The so-called Honorary Elder holds the title of elder but has no actual power; all disciples of


    the Beastmaster Sect automatically be Honorary Elders after advancing to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Servicing Elders are part of the group with real authority, responsible for managing specif/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    affairs within the sect.


    For instance, Wang Ming, who rmended Song Wen to join the Beastmaster Sect, is a


    Servicing Elder.


    Venerable Elders are a more distinguished group among Foundation Establishment elders, often having made significant contributions to the sect.


    Hall Masters hold the highest rank, second only to Golden Core cultivators in the Beastmaster


    Sect''s hierarchy.


    This is why the Qi Refining disciple addressed Song Wen as ''Elder.''


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 244: Fellow Disciples

    Chapter 244: Fellow Disciples


    ?


    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen nodded in response, "I am Wu Sheng. May I ask who you are?"


    The Qi Refining disciple replied, "My name is Luo Zhuo. I''ve been ordered to lead Elder Wu to the Xuan Pill Room."


    "Thank you," Song Wen replied.


    The two took to the air, heading toward the foot of the Pill Peak.


    At the same time, Luo Zhuo briefly introduced the situation regarding the Pill Peak to Song Wen.


    At the foot of the Pill Peak, there were four pill rooms, corresponding to the four characters: Tian, Di, Xuan, and Huang.


    The four pill rooms were named in ordance with the four levels, from the highest to the lowest: Tian (Heaven), Di (Earth), Xuan (Mysterious), and Huang (Yellow).


    Among them, the Huang Pill Room had the most alchemists, as the Qi Refining disciples were the most numerous; the Xuan Pill Room was second; the Di Pill Room was next; and the Tian Pill Room had the least.


    In the entire Beastmaster Sect, there were fewer than a handful of people who could refine fourth-level pills.


    As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Song Wen could refine second-level pills, so he naturally went to the Xuan Pill Room.


    The two quickly arrived at a grand hall located on the shady side of the mountain.


    The Beastmaster Sect''s pill room was somewhat simr to that of the Su family.


    It was built against the mountain.


    Outside the mountain body, there was arge hall formunication among the alchemists.


    The alchemy rooms were situated within the mountain itself, carved out of the mountain''s interior.


    ording to Luo Zhuo, deep underground in the Pill Peak, there was a sealed spirit me known as the Earth Core Refining me.


    The alchemy rooms were set up at the foot of the Pill Peak to easily draw the heat emitted by the Earth Core Refining me for alchemy.


    After bringing Song Wen to the entrance of a stone chamber within the mountain, Luo Zhuo took his leave.


    As Song Wen entered the stone chamber, he saw four people sitting cross-legged inside-two men and two women.


    The person in the main position was a middle-aged male cultivator at the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    In front of him, there was a pill furnace, and beneath it was a bottomless pit.


    The pit was only palm-sized, but it emitted a scorching aura.


    This pit connected directly to the Earth Core Refining me sealed deep underground.


    The other three were all young, appearing to have just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Song Wen sped his fists in greeting, "Greetings, fellow brothers and sisters. I am Wu Sheng, newly entered into the Beastmaster Sect, and I hope you all can look after me."


    He positioned himself humbly, lowering his status and presenting himself as a junior disciple.


    The middle-aged male cultivator raised his hand, pointing to a mat on the ground, and said kindly,


    "Wu Sheng, please sit there."


    "You''re new here, so let me introduce you."


    "My name is Wei Ding, and I am a Servicing Elder of the Beastmaster Sect. These three are new Foundation Establishment cultivators who joined the sect in the past three years."


    He pointed to the closest female cultivator.


    This woman was beautiful, with a graceful figure, and she always wore a hint of a smile, inexplicably giving a sense of warmth and approachability.


    "Her name is Zuo Shuiyun, and she is an outstanding disciple who has emerged from the many outer disciples of the Pill Peak."


    Zuo Shuiyun took over the conversation, smiling at Wei Ding and saying, "Elder Wei, you tter me."


    After saying this, she turned to Song Wen and said, "Greetings, Junior Brother Wu."


    Wei Ding then pointed to one of the young male cultivators and said,


    "This is Huo Ding, a genius in alchemy, who has already been epted as a disciple by the peakmaster of the Pill Peak. The peak master has been busy in seclusion recently and has entrusted me to temporarily teach him how to refine second-level pills."


    Huo Ding exuded the pride typical of a genius.


    He nced at Song Wen, acknowledging him with a nod.


    Wei Ding pointed to thest female cultivator and said,


    "Her name is Zhou Siyi, the daughter of the vice master of the Spirit Beast Peak, and also a cultivation genius. At only twenty years old, she has sessfully established her foundation. Junior Sister Zhou has loved alchemy since childhood, and after sessfully establishing her foundation, she gained her father''s approval and entered the Pill Peak."


    Zhou Siyi was very beautiful, radiating a youthful innocence.


    Especially with her lively, expressive eyes, she easily drew attention.


    She stared at Song Wen with wide eyes, curiously sizing him up.


    Song Wen bowed slightly and sped his fists.


    "Greetings to Elder Wei, Senior Sister Zuo, Senior Brother Huo, and Senior Sister Zhou."


    Wei Ding said, "Now that the four of you are here, I will outline the arrangements for you at the Pill Peak. For the next ten years, you will follow my lead in studying alchemy. If you have any doubts about your cultivation, you can also consult me."


    "In this pill room, you will often encounter experienced alchemists. You can also seek their advice on refining and cultivation problems. There will frequently be exchanges organized by the sect, and you can participate during your free time."


    "Today, I will first teach you how to refine the Cultivation Pill. The Cultivation Pill is the mostmonly used pill for Foundation Establishment cultivators to enhance their strength."


    As he spoke, Wei Ding began to refine pills, demonstrating the method for creating the Cultivation Pill.


    It was clear that Wei Ding was very experienced in refining the Cultivation Pill, executing the


    process with great skill.


    This batch of Cultivation Pills took a full day to refine, resulting in seven pills.


    After collecting the seven pills, Wei Ding exined,


    "A single batch of Cultivation Pills can yield up to eight pills, but that requires a third-level


    alchemist to achieve. The limit for a second-level alchemist is usually seven pills. The reason for this difference is that the spiritual perception of a second-level alchemist is insufficient, to condense eight pills during the refining stage."


    making it


    Wei Ding''s teaching was meticulous, exining the entire refining process of the Cultivation


    Pill in detail.


    "For the next month, you should focus on mastering the method for refining the Cultivation


    Pill. Each of you can receive ten portions of spiritual herbs. If you use up all ten and still cannot sessfully refine the Cultivation Pill but wish to continue practicing, you will need to go to the Herb Peak to purchase more spiritual herbs."


    "As honorary elders of the Beastmaster Sect, you will each receive one hundred spiritual stones per month. However, this amount is far from sufficient for your cultivation needs. If you want to earn more spiritual stones, you must learn to refine second-level pills as quickly as possible,plete the sect''s pill-refining tasks, and naturally earn the task rewards."


    "In two months, I have to deliver a batch of Cultivation Pills to Elder Shen of the Weapon


    Peak. I hope you can learn the refining method for the Cultivation Pill quickly to assist me in producing this batch."


    Zhou Siyi blinked herrge eyes and looked at Wei Ding with a pure and innocent expression.


    "Elder Wei, since Elder Shen of the Weapon Peak needs Cultivation Pills, can''t he directly purchase them from the Pill Peak? Why is there a need for private transactions with you?"


    Hearing this, Wei Ding''s expression shifted between anger and concern.


    It seemed he wanted to explode with rage but hesitated due to her identity.


    Finally, with a grim expression, Wei Ding flicked his sleeve and walked out.


    At this moment, Zuo Shuiyun stood up and hurriedly said,


    "Elder Wei, don''t worry. We will learn how to refine the Cultivation Pill as quickly as possible


    and do our part to ensure timely delivery."


    However, Wei Ding didn''t even look back and left straight away.


    Once he was far away, Zhou Siyi looked at Zuo Shuiyun and snorted.


    "Senior Sister Zuo, if you want to curry favor with Elder Wei, do it yourself. Don''t drag the


    three of us into it. I came to the Pill Peak to study alchemy, not to do freebor for someone else."


    Zuo Shuiyun lowered her head, pondering for a moment before replying,


    "Junior Sister Zhou, I understand your noble status and exceptional talent, which makes you


    disdainful of ttery; but I can''t afford that luxury. I was born ordinary, with average talent,


    and I must lower my gaze and curry favor with the sect''s elders to obtain enough cultivation


    resources."


    "If I acted as freely as you do, I might still be struggling in the outer sect, and it would be hard to even establish my foundation, let alone break through to thete Qi Refinement stage."


    "Perhaps you think I''m unscrupulous and look down on me; truthfully, I don''t want to be like this either, but I have no other choice."


    After saying this, she turned and left for the adjacent alchemy room to begin trying to refine


    the Cultivation Pill.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 245: Bullying Newcomers

    Chapter 245: Bullying Neers


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Wei Ding clearly had secretly epted a batch of Cultivation Pills to refine and wanted Song Wen and the others to help him, yet he did not mention anything aboutpensation.


    Zhou Siyi disapproved of Wei Ding''s selfish behavior, which prompted her to speak out sarcastically.


    Zuo Shuiyun, being a skilled negotiator, was eager to establish herself in the Alchemy Peak and was therefore keen to please Wei Ding, willing to do the hard work.


    After being lectured by Zuo Shuiyun, Zhou Siyi pouted, looking aggrieved.


    "Clearly, she''s trying to curry favor with Wei Ding and wants to help him refine pills. Why drag us into it? Don''t you think so, brothers?"


    Huo Ding stood up and shook his head.


    "I''m not interested in these matters."


    With that, he headed to the nearby alchemy room.


    Zhou Siyi opened herrge eyes and looked at Song Wen.


    "What do you say, Junior Brother Wu?"


    Song Wen replied, "Junior Sister Zhou, you act ording to your nature, and thus you are free and easy. Senior Sister Zuo, on the other hand, is ttering out of necessity; it''s not a choice for her."


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Siyi smiled, blossoming like flowers in spring, dazzling and bright.


    "You''re quite slick, offending no one. You''re clearly older than me, with cultivation equal to mine, so why tter me as ''Senior Sister''?"


    Song Wen shrugged, thinking, Who wants to tter you, little girl? This is simply a matter of circumstance!


    "How old are you this year?" Zhou Siyi asked.


    "I''ve long surpassed the age of confusion."


    "You''re over forty years old!"


    Zhou Siyi widened her eyes, filled with surprise and curiosity.


    "I''ve heard that you were once a loose cultivator. Tell me about the world of loose cultivators; is it particrly exciting?"


    "Junior Sister Zhou, I just arrived at the Beastmaster Sect and haven''t even been to my cave dwelling. I''ll excuse myself to check it out."


    Song Wen wanted to avoid entangling with Zhou Siyi and changed the subject.


    The identity token also served as the key to open the cave dwelling, and it contained information about the dwelling.


    "You just arrived at the Beastmaster Sect, so you surely don''t know where the cave is. Let me take you to find it."


    Zhou Siyi appeared unwilling to let Song Wen off easily, following him closely.


    "Thank you for your kind offer, Junior Sister Zhou, but I''ll find it myself."


    "Since you''ve called me Senior Sister, how can I stand by? Stop being wishy-washy; let''s go."


    The cave dwellings on the Pill Peak were divided into three levels: Qian, Dui, and Li, corresponding to the Golden Core, Foundation Establishment, and Qi Refinement realms.


    This meant that there were no strong cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage residing long-term on the Pill Peak.


    There were not many Foundation Establishment cultivators on the Pill Peak; although Song Wen, as an outsider, was rankedst among them, he was still assigned to Cave Dwelling No. 11 of the Dui rank.


    With Zhou Siyi''s guidance, Song Wen quickly found his cave dwelling.


    It was situated on the shady side of the mountain on the Pill Peak.


    Outside the cave was a steep cliff.


    Surrounded by several meters of space, there were no other cave dwellings nearby, providing decent privacy, which satisfied Song Wen.


    After leading Song Wen to the cave''s entrance, Zhou Siyi left.


    Although she appeared innocent, she still understood the differences between men andN?v(el)B\\jnn


    women and did not rashly enter Song Wen''s cave dwelling.


    The cave was quite spacious, covering about an acre ofnd.


    It contained a stove for cooking, a stone bed for meditation and rest, and a palm-sized deep hole leading to the underground depths, which allowed the heat from the molten rock to emanate, suitable for alchemy.


    Even closer to the cave entrance, there was a small plot of spiritual field, which contained a few medicinal herbs aged over ten years. However, they were all first-tier herbs, presumably left by the previous owner of the cave.


    The cave was equipped with aura-concealing and defensive formations, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to enter or glean any information about the cave''s interior.


    Being cautious, Song Wen set up the Spirit Concealment Formation and the Nine Pce Yin


    Array as soon as he entered the cave.


    In the blink of an eye, a month passed.


    Wei Ding gathered Song Wen and the other three again, teaching them the method to refine the second-tier Fire Cloud Pill.


    The Fire Cloud Pill was a life-saving pill that, when consumed at the brink of death from severe injuries, could temporarily hold onto life.


    The refinement of this pill was extremely difficult; Wei Ding spent five days sessfully -condensing two Fire Cloud Pills.


    "Refining the Fire Cloud Pill is not easy. Don''t be in a hurry to achieve results; take your time


    toprehend what I just refined. If you can sessfully produce Fire Cloud Pills within half


    a year, it will indicate extraordinary talent in alchemy."


    After saying this, Wei Ding turned and left.


    Once Wei Ding was gone, Zuo Shuiyun spoke up.


    "Everyone, in a month, Elder Wei will need to produce arge quantity of Cultivation Pills, which he cannot aplish by himself. I promised to help him refine a hundred Cultivation Pills. How should we divide this task among the four of us?"


    Zuo Shuiyun had just learned to refine Cultivation Pills, with each furnace only able to


    produce four to five pills.


    Each furnace took at least a day to refine, and Zuo Shuiyun''s sess rate was not very high.


    Thus, even if she worked day and night for a month, it would be difficult for her to sessfully refine a hundred Cultivation Pills.


    The aloof Huo Ding was the first to stand up and rebut her, showing no regard for Zuo


    Shuiyun''s feelings.


    "I won''t waste my time on something as easy as refining Cultivation Pills."


    With that, he left for the side alchemy room to attempt refining the Fire Cloud Pill instead.


    "I''ve already said it before: if you want to please Wei Ding, that''s your business. Don''t drag


    me into it."


    Seeing Zuo Shuiyun looking at him, Zhou Siyi unhesitatingly refused.


    Zuo Shuiyun then turned to Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, you will take on the task of refining fifty Cultivation Pills."


    Zuo Shuiyun''s tone was firm, leaving no room for debate.


    Huo Ding was the disciple of the Pill Peak''s master, and Zhou Siyi was the daughter of the


    deputy master of the Spirit Beast Peak; she could not afford to offend either of them.


    She had to pick a soft target!


    So, she forced the task of refining Cultivation Pills onto Song Wen.


    Song Wen was just an outsider with no roots in the Beastmaster Sect, making it easy for them


    to bully him without concern for retaliation.


    Song Wen hesitated, about to speak when he heard Zuo Shuiyun''s earnest tone.


    "Junior Brother Wu, as a former loose cultivator, you have spent time diligently studying


    alchemy alone. Although you have made some gains in certain areas, you have yet to grasp the


    orthodox techniques of alchemy."


    "Refining first-tier pills might be manageable, but when ites to refining second-tier


    pills, it may be challenging. This opportunity to refine Cultivation Pills is a great chance


    to hone orthodox alchemical methods, which will greatly benefit you."


    Song Wen disyed a grateful demeanor, yet he also carried a hint of embarrassment.


    After hesitating for a long while, he finally stammered, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior


    Sister, but... I still don''t know how to refine Cultivation Pills."


    Zuo Shuiyun looked at him in disbelief.


    "What! After a whole month, you still haven''t sessfully learned how to refine Cultivation


    Pills?"


    Song Wen nodded in shame.


    "I''m dull-witted; I''ve embarrassed you, Senior Sister."


    Zuo Shuiyun shot Song Wen a fierce re, seemingly filled with furious resentment that had


    nowhere to vent, causing her face to flush red. Finally, without saying a word, she turned and


    left.


    TL:


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 246: Green Jade Snake

    Chapter 246: Green Jade Snake


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Pfft!"


    As soon as Zuo Shuiyun left, Zhou Siyi couldn''t hold back herughter.


    "You''re the slickest of the bunch. You might have fooled Zuo Shuiyun, but you can''t fool me. Tell me honestly, have you already refined the Cultivation Pill?"


    Song Wen shook his head. "Senior Sister Zhou, I truly can''t. Elder Wei only provided ten portions of the medicinal herbs for the Cultivation Pill. With my talent in alchemy, how could I learn to refine a second-tier pill with just those ten portions of herbs, even if it''s the simplest second-tier pill?"


    "Ten portions of herbs isn''t enough; can''t you just buy some from the Spiritual Herb Peak?"


    "It''s too expensive. One portion of the herbs for the Cultivation Pill costs two spirit stones."


    Song Wen appeared greedy and stingy.


    In fact, he wasn''t lying; he genuinely couldn''t refine the Cultivation Pill.


    After receiving the ten portions of medicinal herbs for the Cultivation Pill, he had gone to the Spiritual Herb Peak, and not just once, but he didn''t buy the herbs for the Cultivation Pill. Instead, he purchased a few Yellow Essence Mushrooms.


    Within the Beastmaster Sect, Yellow Essence Mushrooms were very cheap; a fifty-year-old herb only cost two spirit stones.


    For most of the past month, he had been holed up in the cave, working on the formtion of the Explosive Blood Pill.


    The jade slip from the evil cultivator contained insights on improving the Explosive Blood Pill, which had greatly inspired Song Wen.


    He had a feeling he would soon be able to sessfully develop a new version of the Explosive Blood Pill.


    In this situation, he had no mind to refine the Cultivation Pill.


    Zhou Siyi stared at him with wide eyes, leaning in closer to Song Wen.


    "You really can''t refine the Cultivation Pill?"


    "Absolutely no exaggeration!"


    "Do youck spirit stones, Junior Brother Wu? I can lend you some."


    "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou, but I still have some savings. If I run out of spirit stones one day, I will definitelye to you for help."


    ...


    In the Beastmaster Sect, a year passed peacefully in the cultivation journey.


    During this time, Wei Ding taught Song Wen and the other three the refining methods for six types of second-tier pills.


    Zuo Shuiyun grew closer to Wei Ding, often getting some private alchemical orders from him.


    Of course, these orders were ones Wei Ding didn''t care for, but they still allowed Zuo Shuiyun to earn quite a few spirit stones, as evidenced by the new robe she purchased.


    Zhou Siyi always had a curious and innocent demeanor; apart from alchemy, she would run around the alchemy room, and leveraging her identity as the daughter of the deputy master of the Spirit Beast Peak, she became familiar with all the second-tier alchemists in the Pill Peak.


    Huo Ding, on the other hand, focused on researching alchemical methods every day and was indifferent to other matters.


    Song Wen was firmly established as the one with the worst talent for alchemy among the four.


    This past year, he devoted himself to improving the Explosive Blood Pill, not paying much attention to Wei Ding''s teachings. He only managed to learn to refine the Cultivation Pill and a second-tier pill called the Beast Essence Pill.


    As the name suggests, the Beast Essence Pill stimtes the essence of spiritual beasts, having an aphrodisiac effect. Any second-tier or lower monster or spirit bug that consumes the Beast Essence Pill will be in heat within a short time.


    The Beastmaster Sect primarily produces this pill to promote the reproduction of spiritual beasts.


    Wei Ding often received some private orders, most of which were assisted by Zuo Shuiyun.


    Of course, Song Wen, being an outsider with no background, was also exploited twice to refine several Cultivation Pills for him.


    After the sect established its orders, they would assign various alchemical tasks every three months. Completing these tasks would earn a certain reward from the sect.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As someone who could only refine the Cultivation Pill and Beast Essence Pill, Song Wen did


    not receive many tasks and, correspondingly, his rewards were few.


    One day, Wei Ding gathered Song Wen and the other three together.


    "The sect has an external mission that requires two people to go together. Which two of you are willing to go?"


    Song Wen kept his eyes on the ground, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.


    The primary reason he came to the Beastmaster Sect was to avoid the reckoning from the


    Corpse Demon Sect. Additionally, the improvement of the Explosive Blood Pill was at a critical juncture; unless there was a matter of life and death, he wouldn''t leave the sect easily.


    Zuo Shuiyun hesitated a bit, wanting to take on the task, but she was concerned about the risks involved.


    Wei Ding didn''t borate on the specifics of the external mission, worrying that it might have significant risks.


    Huo Ding and Zhou Siyi''s attitudes were also rather indifferent, appearing detached from the situation and uninterested in the mission.


    Zhou Siyi''s big eyes were filled with confusion, lookingpletely lost.


    "But Elder Wei, ording to the sect''s rules, disciples can only take on external missions after three years of foundation building. Both Huo Ding and I haven''t reached three years of foundation yet, and Junior Brother Wu is an outsider. His three years should be counted from


    the day he joined the sect."


    "How could the sect assign us an external mission?"


    This external mission was actually a personal task for Wei Ding.


    He didn''t want to travel a long way to a mundane ce with scarce spiritual energy, so he


    wanted Song Wen and the others to take on the work; however, he was worried that if only one person went and messed up the task, the sect would me him, which is why he required two people to go.


    Being exposed in public made Wei Ding''s face awkward; he felt somewhat embarrassed.


    However, Wei Ding''sposure was still excellent, and he quickly regained his usual expression as if he hadn''t heard Zhou Siyi''s question at all.


    "You needn''t worry about safety; this mission is very safe and carries no risks. If you can sessfullyplete the task, there is a reward of three thousand spirit stones."


    "In the territory of the mundane Dayan Kingdom, the sect has a Spirit Breeding Workshop


    that raises Green Jade Snakes. Recently, there have been some issues with the breeding of the Green Jade Snakes. It is preliminarily suspected that the Beast Essence Pill is unsuitable for them and fails to stimte their desire."


    The Green Jade Snake is a type of water snake, belonging to a first-tier monster and not particrly powerful.


    However, the Green Jade Snake possesses extremely tenacious vitality; even if it is cut in half,


    it won''t easily die. Instead, it will gradually grow a new tail and internal organs.


    Seeing that the mission posed little risk, Zuo Shuiyun was about to speak up and ept the


    task when Zhou Siyi jumped in first and said, "Elder Wei, count me in."


    As soon as she said this, the other four looked at her with surprise.


    Zhou Siyi had previously refused to take any tasks, as she didn''tck spirit stones and had no


    need to toil for them.


    Just a moment ago, she had expressed dissatisfaction with Wei Ding assigning the mission to


    the four of them.


    But now, she was eager to take on this mission.


    Her contradictory behavior was a bit confusing.


    Seeing that Zhou Siyi wanted to take on the mission, Zuo Shuiyun abandoned her thought of


    epting it; she didn''t get along with Zhou Siyi and didn''t want to be on the same team.


    Wei Ding nodded, agreeing to Zhou Siyi''s request.


    His gaze turned to the three remaining individuals, and after noticing that Zuo Shuiyun was unwilling to participate, it finallynded on Song Wen.


    He spoke with an unquestionable tone: "This time, Wu Sheng and Zhou Siyi will go together."


    Song Wen''s mouth moved slightly, but he ultimately remained silent.


    However, this small movement did not escape Wei Ding''s notice. He stared coldly at Song


    Wen and asked, "Wu Sheng, do you have any objections to my arrangement?"


    You can''t provoke Zhou Siyi and Huo Ding, but you think you can handle me, Wu Sheng?


    Song Wen hurriedly replied, "I wouldn''t dare; I will follow Elder Wei''s decision."


    TL: Song Wen should write down his name somewhere...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 247: Spirit Breeding Workshop

    Chapter 247: Spirit Breeding Workshop


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The next day, early morning.


    Pill Peak.


    Song Wen stood on a small tform at the edge of a cliff, waiting for Zhou Siyi, as they had arranged to meet there.


    After more than a quarter of an hour, Zhou Siyi finally arrived.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I made a trip home to see my father, which made me a bitte. Sorry to keep you waiting."


    "It''s no trouble; I just arrived as well. Senior Sister Zhou, let''s set off right away."


    As he spoke, a flying boat appeared in front of Song Wen.


    Before he could board, Zhou Siyi interjected, "Junior Brother Wu, the journey to Dayan Kingdom is quite far, over tens of thousands of miles. This flying boat is slow, and it will take too much time. Use my ship instead."


    She waved her hand, and a small flying ship, about ten meters long, appeared in mid-air.


    Song Wen didn''t hesitate, stowing away his flying boat and leaping onto her ship.


    The journey was smooth and uneventful.


    Three dayster, at noon, the two arrived in Dayan Kingdom.


    The Spirit Breeding Workshop of the Beastmaster Sect was located by a remotergeke.


    Theke was vast, with thick fog shrouding its surface, creating a mysterious atmosphere.


    A faint spiritual energy flowed from the water, suggesting the presence of a small spiritual vein somewhere beneath theke.


    It was precisely because of this spiritual vein that the Beastmaster Sect established the Spirit Breeding Workshop here.


    The workshop wasn''trge, upying about thirty acres; half of it was onnd, and half was on the water. Giant trees stood underwater as pirs, upon which houses and lofts were built.


    The flying ship approached from afar, catching the attention of the Beastmaster Sect''s disciples at the Spirit Breeding Workshop.


    Since the flying ship bore the sect''s g, there was no unnecessary misunderstanding.


    When Zhou Siyi hovered the ship above the workshop, a male cultivator at the ninthyer of Qi Refinement rose into the air.


    "Excuse me, are you two elders from the Beastmaster Sect''s Pill Peak?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "My surname is Zhou; you can call me Elder Zhou. This is Elder Wu."


    As she said this, she pointed to Song Wen.


    "I am He Su, the steward of this Spirit Breeding Workshop. Greetings, Elder Zhou, Elder Wu. Please follow me."


    Zhou Siyi stowed the ship and, along with Song Wen, used flying techniques to follow He Su.


    After a moment, the three arrived at a building situated on the water''s surface.


    This building appeared to be specifically for receiving esteemed guests; it had ten floors, nearly reaching thirty meters* in height.


    TL: It said 30 feet, but 30 feet is very short for a 10-story building. So I changed it to 30m (100 feet) tall.


    The three stood at the top floor, where they could overlook the entire Spirit Breeding Workshop.


    Once seated, He Su began brewing tea for Song Wen and Zhou Siyi.


    "This tea is sourced from a high mountain by theke. Although its spiritual energy isn''tparable to that of the sect''s spiritual tea, it has been nourished by the mist from theke for many years, giving it a unique vor. Please give it a try, elders."


    Zhou Siyi interrupted him, saying, "No need for that; just take us to see the Green Jade Snakes so we canplete the mission and return to the sect sooner."


    He Su put down the tea set and smiled. "Elder Zhou is indeed efficient; please follow me."


    Suddenly, a flicker of unusual expression shed in Song Wen''s eyes.


    He had just sensed a very subtle spiritual consciousness sweep over him and Zhou Siyi. If it weren''t for his spiritual consciousness beingparable to the peak of foundation building, he would have never noticed it.


    In this Spirit Breeding Workshop in Dayan Kingdom, the Green Jade Snakes raised here were only first-tier spirit beasts, and the highest cultivation level of the Beastmaster Sect disciples stationed here was merely the ninthyer of Qi Refinement.


    Where did this sudden spiritual consciousnesse from?


    Song Wen casually nced toward the surface of theke.


    That fleeting spiritual consciousness had emerged from beneath the water.


    Beneath the surface of theke, a Foundation Establishment cultivator was hiding.


    Why would a Foundation Establishment cultivator be concealed within the Spirit Breeding


    Workshop?


    Did He Su know or not?


    Regarding thetter question, Song Wen quickly found an answer.


    Just as He Su was about to leap down from the loft towards the area where the Green Jade Snakes were kept, his body suddenly froze for an inexplicable moment but returned to normal


    in an instant.


    Song Wen keenly noticed that He Su had just received a message, which was evidently from the Foundation Establishment cultivator underwater.


    This meant that He Su was aware of the hidden Foundation Establishment cultivator beneath


    the water.


    To avoid disturbing the other party and exposing himself, Song Wen refrained from forcibly reading the message''s content.


    Many questions arose in Song Wen''s mind.


    Which faction did the person underwater belong to? Why were they hiding within the Spirit


    Breeding Workshop?


    Was He Su colluding with outsiders to scheme for the spiritual beasts of the breeding


    workshop?


    Or was the person underwater actually a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect, executing a secret mission, which was why their presence was not disclosed?


    ...


    Green Jade Snakes enjoyed water and were kept in it.


    On theke''s surface, there were several snake pens constructed of ck boulders, each covering an area of about a hundred square meters. The boulders had many small holes,


    allowing theke water to flow.


    Under He Su''s guidance, the three quickly arrived at one of the snake pens.


    Inside the pen were seven Green Jade Snakes, thergest about the size of a bowl, and the smallest as thick as an arm, with their strength at most at the seventhyer of Qi Refinement.


    The Green Jade Snakes were quietly floating on the water''s surface. Upon seeing someone


    enter the pen, they suddenly became aggressive, opening their mouths to reveal lethal fangs and flicking their long tongues.


    Like arrows, the Green Jade Snakes shot out of the water towards Song Wen and the others.


    Suddenly, a transparent barrier appeared in mid-air, blocking the Green Jade Snakes-the barrier in the snake pen had been activated.


    "Turn off the barrier and give them some Beast Essence Pills to see how they react," Song


    Wen instructed.


    There was no doubt that the Spirit Breeding Workshop hid certain secrets.


    However, Song Wen had no intention of probing further.


    He just wanted toplete the mission quickly and return to the sect.


    He was not interested in matters unrted to the mission and did not n to inquire furthern/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    to avoid unnecessary trouble.


    He Su appeared somewhat hesitant upon hearing this.


    "Why haven''t you activated the barrier? With me and Elder Wu here, can we not handle a few


    first-tier Green Jade Snakes?"


    Under Zhou Siyi''s urging, He Su finally took out a small g and cast a spell on it.


    After a moment, the barrier dissipated.


    The Green Jade Snakes sprang out of the water, aiming to bite at the three.


    "Back off!"


    Song Wen called out lightly, and a powerful aura instantly spread, enveloping the entire snake


    pen under this oppressive force.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Under Song Wen''s overwhelming might, the attacking Green Jade Snakes abruptly halted,


    falling back into the water and sshing everywhere.


    Song Wen raised his hand and summoned thergest and strongest Green Jade Snake with an


    invisible force, lifting it towards himself.


    The Green Jade Snake, measuring several meters long, twisted and struggled but could not


    break free.


    With a flick of his finger, he shot a Beast Essence Pill into the Green Jade Snake''s mouth.


    The spiritual power constraining the Green Jade Snake suddenly dissipated, and it plummeted


    back into the water.


    "Activate the barrier again," Song Wen instructed He Su.


    Once the barrier was reactivated, the three stood in ce, quietly waiting.


    After about a quarter of an hour, the Green Jade Snake that had consumed the Beast Essence


    Pill became restless, swimming like a snake searching for a mate.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 248: Strange Creatures

    Chapter 248: Strange Creatures


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen turned to He Su, frowning, his voice somewhat cold.


    "Steward He, the current situation is quite different from what you reported to the sect."


    He Su seemed flustered, stammering, "This... this..."


    Song Wen turned and walked outside the snake pen. "Let''s try a different snake pen and choose a few more Green Jade Snakes to test."


    "Elder Wu, don''t bother. He hasn''t been truthful with us," Zhou Siyi suddenly spoke up.


    She fixed her gaze on He Su and continued, "Just tell us what you''ve been hiding. There''s no need to conceal it any longer. I already know that the Beast Essence Pills are absolutely effective for Green Jade Snakes."


    Faced with Zhou Siyi''s questioning, He Su appeared somewhat flustered, stammering for a long time without uttering a word.


    Song Wen cast a peculiar nce at Zhou Siyi.


    Recalling her contradictory behavior during the mission briefing, Song Wen was sure that she knew something.


    Song Wen said, "Sister Zhou, since Steward He is unwilling to speak, let''s return to the sect and report everything here honestly. Then we can consider our missionplete."


    As he spoke, Song Wen''s figure floated into the air, and a flying sword appeared beneath his feet, ready for him to depart.


    There was undoubtedly some secret hidden in the Spirit Breeding Workshop.


    Moreover, Zhou Siyi seemed to know some of those secrets.


    But Song Wen had no interest in the workshop''s mysteries; he just wanted to return to the sect as soon as possible.


    As Song Wen tried to leave, Zhou Siyi disagreed.


    "Elder Wu, wait a moment. It seems someone has deliberately reported the mission falsely, deceiving the sect. Since we are already here, we must rify everything in the Spirit Breeding Workshop before returning to report to the sect."


    He Su appeared at a loss, unsure of how to respond, as if caught in the middle and feeling pressured.


    At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded.


    "As elders of the Pill Peak, why trouble a Qi Refinement disciple?"


    Before the words had even finished, a figure flew out of the water andnded beside He Su.


    The neer was a male cultivator appearing to be in his forties, with somewhat pale skin, likely due to prolonged exposure to darkness.


    A hint of mncholy was visible between his brows, as if he had long been troubled by some issue.


    "My name is Liu Jiang, an elder in charge of the Pill Peak at the Beastmaster Sect. Given your appearances, you should be the honorary elders of the Foundation Building stage."


    "I am Wu Xian, honored to meet Elder Liu. This is Sister Zhou beside me, and we are indeed honorary elders of the Foundation Building Stage," Song Wen replied, cupping his hands in respect.


    Unlike Song Wen''s polite demeanor, Zhou Siyi directly questioned, "Since you are an elder in charge of the Pill Peak, you must be well-versed in alchemy. Why then did you seek assistance from the sect, asking us both toe?"


    "The message I sent back to the sect requested the dispatch of a steward elder, not two honorary elders of the Foundation Building Stage," Liu Jiang replied.


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen began to understand the sequence of events.


    It appeared that Liu Jiang had encountered a dilemma and sought help from the Beastmaster Sect, requesting that a steward elder be sent to address it.


    For some reason, however, the Pill Peak had not disclosed the true nature of the task when issuing the mission, instead iming that there was an issue with the reproduction of the Green Jade Snakes.


    In the end, the task fell onto Wei Ding''s shoulders, but he was unwilling toe and forced it upon Song Wen and Zhou Siyi.


    After Song Wen and the others arrived at the Spirit Breeding Workshop, Liu Jiang dismissed them, thinking little of their presence.


    Zhou Siyi, aware of certain insider secrets of the workshop, refused to leave, which was why Liu Jiang had revealed himself.


    Zhou Siyi said, "Elder Liu, since we''vee, please tell us the real mission. What if we can resolve it?"


    Liu Jiang was silent for a moment before slowly replying.


    "Alright, follow me. But what you will see next involves the sect''s secrets, and you must not


    reveal a word outside."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Liu Jiang raised his protective spiritual power and leaped into theke.


    Zhou Siyi followed closely behind.


    Song Wen hesitated for a moment but ultimately jumped into theke as well.


    Diving down over ten meters, an entrance located at the bottom of the water came into view for the three of them.


    At the entrance, there was an invisible barrier keeping theke water out, but Song Wen and


    the others easily passed through the entrance and entered the cave.


    Inside, the passage was very smooth, clearly man-made.


    After walking for several dozen meters along the passage, they came into arge underground


    hall covering several acres.


    At the top of the underground hall, a glowing sphere illuminated the entire space.


    On the floor of the hall, there was a water pool about thirty feet square.


    Liu Jiang pointed to one of the pools, "The creature that truly needs help with reproduction is


    in that pool."


    Upon hearing Liu Jiang''s words, Zhou Siyi seemed unable to contain her excitement and


    quickly approached the pool.


    The sight before her made her eyes widen in shock.


    Curious, Song Wen hurriedly followed her, and soon, disbelief showed on his face as well.


    In the pool floated a strange creature with a human upper body and a snake tail.


    The creature''s entire body was covered in scales, with the upper half resembling a woman and


    the lower half a snake tail.


    The human-snake hybrid was about ten feet long, with the human portion taking up only


    three feet, the rest being snake tail.


    Its eyes were vertical pupils, and upon seeing Song Wen and the others standing at the edge of


    the pool, it opened its mouth and extended a blood-red tongue.


    When Song Wen saw it for the first time, he thought he was witnessing a legendary creature


    from ancient tales.


    But he quickly realized that this could not be an ancient creature.


    Its power was far too weak, appearing to be only at the first level of Qi Refinement.


    Moreover, its condition was not good, giving off a very weak impression.


    "What the hell is this thing?" Song Wen murmured softly to himself.


    He looked up and discovered simr creatures in other pools, both male and female, each varying in size-some resembling children, others resembling adults.


    Zhou Siyi, on the other hand, had her eyes shining brightly, looking quite excited as if she had


    seen something incredible.


    She turned to Liu Jiang and asked, "Elder Liu, what are these?"


    "They are hybrids of humans and Green Jade Snakes," Liu Jiang exined.


    "Humans and snakes can hybridize?" Song Wen asked in surprise.


    Liu Jiang, who had appeared gloomy before, suddenly became animated when discussing this topic, even revealing an expression of pride bordering on madness.


    "Humans and snakes are two different species; under normal circumstances, they cannot


    combine. I extracted the unformed human embryos and fused them with the embryos of


    Green Jade Snakes. After tens of thousands of attempts, I finally seeded in creating a human-snake hybrid."


    "To think that humans and snakes can merge into one, transforming into a new kind of creature-the mysteries of life are truly full of endless possibilities."


    Song Wen was taken aback upon hearing this.


    Liu Jiang''s methods were simply unfathomable.


    To create the human-snake hybrids before him, countless pregnant women must have fallen


    victim to his cruel experiments.


    As Song Wen''s understanding of the cultivation world deepened, he slowly realized that there


    was no real distinction between righteous and demonic paths. One side may be truly evil, while the other pretends to be virtuous.


    However, what was the purpose of the Beastmaster Sect in cultivating these human-snake


    hybrids?


    These hybrids were weak, and Song Wen couldn''t see any other special qualities about them.


    Were they really just for exploring the mysteries of life, as Liu Jiang imed?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 249: Second Level Human Snake

    Chapter 249: Second Level Human Snake


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "These snake-human hybrids seem tock a strong life force, like a flickering candle me swaying in the cold wind, as if they might extinguish at any moment," Zhou Siyi expressed her doubts.


    Liu Jiang returned to his previous gloomy demeanor and exined, "After all, these are two different spiritual beingsbining, so their physical forms are somewhat unstable."


    "That''s exactly why I want them to mate and give birth to the next generation of human- snakes. Naturally, this should solve the problem of their physical instability."


    "However, these hybrids have no desire to mate. Even when given beast essence, there''s no reaction."


    Zhou Siyi stared at the snake-humans in the pool, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and a sense of exploration.


    Then, her body began to tremble slightly, filled with unusual excitement and enthusiasm.


    At this moment, her demeanor was vastly different from her usual innocent and naive self.


    "Have you tried any aphrodisiac like ''Hehuan Powder''?" Zhou Siyi asked.


    "I have tried, but it had no effect," Liu Jiang replied.


    "Have you tried mating them with the Green Jade Snakes?" Zhou Siyi inquired.


    "I''ve tried that too, but there''s a species barrier, making it impossible to naturally conceive a new generation of human-snakes," Liu Jiang said.


    Listening to their conversation, Song Wen felt a strange thought rise in his mind.


    The two before him seemedpletely unconcerned about morality.


    Liu Jiang appeared to be a mad scientist, obsessively exploring the mysteries of life by creating an unnatural creature, showing a kind of delusional insanity.


    Perhaps due to their upbringing and environment, Zhou Siyi disyed an extreme indifference to human ethics.


    In their eyes, perhaps, mere mortals without cultivation were not of the same species as them.


    It was like how humans viewed ants-why would a human care about the lives of ants?


    Reflecting on the various experiences since he began cultivating, Song Wen realized that it wasn''t just these two; many in the cultivation world likely shared this mindset.


    Moreover, the higher one''s cultivation, the more indifferent one became to the lives of ordinary people.


    It had nothing to do with righteousness or evil; it was merely about cultivation levels.


    "This is a bit tricky! To develop a new kind of aphrodisiac specifically for human-snakes is no easy task," Zhou Siyi muttered to herself.


    After pondering for some time and failing toe up with a solution, she turned to Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, do you have any insights on this?"


    Song Wen shook his head. "I''m neither skilled in alchemy nor familiar with the habits of human-snakes, so I really can''t think of any countermeasures. However, since the human- snakes are not naturally conceived beings, perhaps they simply can''t reproduce. Their unstable physical forms are evidence of that."


    Liu Jiang interjected, "That''s not entirely urate. I once cultivated a particrly unique human-snake that not only had a stable body but also possessed intelligenceparable to humans."


    "That creature was so intelligent that it even understood the concept of hiding its strength, concealing its abilities, and could restrain its aura. It secretly advanced to a second-level beast without my noticing."


    "One day, taking advantage of my carelessness, it escaped from this underwater snake enclosure and disappeared into the vastke."


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyi were both shocked upon hearing this.


    "A second-level human-snake!"


    Liu Jiang nodded, a proud expression crossing his face.


    Zhou Siyi turned to Liu Jiang, admiration shing in her eyes.


    "Elder Liu, may I see your notes on cultivating human-snakes?"


    Liu Jiang frowned. "That may not be convenient. Showing you the existence of human-snakes is already an exception. Normally, only those with the status of Law Enforcement Elders at the peak of the sect are qualified to know about human-snakes. The notes are even more of a sect secret and cannot be easily shared."


    Zhou Siyi didn''t press the matter further but instead sent a message through spiritual power.


    Upon hearing it, Liu Jiang''s eyes brightened.


    He said to Song Wen, "Elder Wu, you should go rest in the guest room. I have some matters to discuss with Elder Zhou."


    Song Wen, sensing the situation, nodded slightly.


    There were only three of them here, yet Zhou Siyi had used spiritual energy tomunicate, clearly wary of Song Wen.


    As Song Wen walked toward the cave entrance, he paused suddenly after taking a few steps and turned to ask.


    "Elder Liu, I have a question in my mind. If it''s convenient, could you help rify it for me?"


    "Given the weak abilities of the human-snakes, why bother investing so much time and effort


    in cultivating them?"


    Liu Jiang replied, "This is a secret of the sect, and I do not know the reasons behind it."


    "Thank you."


    Song Wen bowed and bid farewell, turning to leave the underwater snake enclosure.


    Song Wen initially thought Zhou Siyi and Liu Jiang woulde out soon, but unexpectedly,


    The waited for a full half month in the guest room arranged by He Su.


    Fifteen dayster, Zhou Siyi finally emerged from the underwater snake enclosure.


    She looked exhausted, clearly having used up a lot of mental energy, yet her eyes sparkled


    with vitality.


    It seemed that during this half month, she and Liu Jiang had been diligently studying the notes and had gained some insights.


    "Sister Zhou, are you alright?" Song Wen asked.


    "Elder Wu, I''m fine, just a bit mentally drained. A couple of days of rest will have me back to


    normal," Zhou Siyi replied.


    "How did the mission go? When can we leave?" Song Wen was anxious to return to the Beastmaster Sect to work on the Explosive Blood Pill.


    Zhou Siyi said, "The problem hasn''t been resolved yet. I''m afraid we can''t leave just yet."


    With that, Zhou Siyi entered an empty guest room to recuperate.


    Song Wen frowned slightly; he didn''t want to stay in the Spirit Breeding Workshop any longer.


    Since he was already there, he might as well make himselffortable.


    Since they couldn''t leave for the time being, Song Wen settled into the guest room to


    meditate and cultivate.


    Time passed quickly, and two days went by.


    One day at noon, a medium-sized flying ship, over thirty meters long, descended over the


    Spirit Breeding Workshop.


    More than ten disciples from the Beastmaster Sect, at the Qi Refinement stage, disembarked from the ship, each carrying a fainted young woman.


    After delivering these women to a separate pavilion, they returned to the ship and brought


    down another young woman.


    These back-and-forth continued multiple times, ultimately delivering over two hundred


    women to the pavilion.


    These young women shared amon characteristic; each had a vigorous life force emanating from their lower abdomens, indicating they were all pregnant.


    At that moment, Zhou Siyi walked out of the guest room and knocked on Song Wen''s door.


    "Elder Wu, are you there?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After a moment, Song Wen opened the door. "Sister Zhou, what''s the matter?"


    "I and Elder Liu will be in seclusion in the underwater secret chamber for a while. During this


    period, we cannot be disturbed by outsiders. I ask you, Elder Wu, to watch over the safety of the Spirit Breeding Workshop and remember not to let anyone intrude into the underwater snake enclosure."


    Song Wen nodded helplessly in agreement.


    For the next half a month, Zhou Siyi and Liu Jiang remained in the underwater secret chamber,


    rarely showing themselves.


    Every day, quite a number of women were sent into the underwater chamber, ranging from a


    few to twenty or thirty.


    After the women were consumed, the disciples from the Beastmaster Sect went out to capture


    more.


    That night.


    While Song Wen was meditating and cultivating, he suddenly opened his eyes.


    His spiritual sense detected a dark aura rapidly approaching the underwater snake enclosure


    from theke bottom.


    This dark aura was extremely obscure; if not for its rapid movement causing ripples in the


    water, it would have been nearly imperceptible.


    In an instant, Song Wen vanished from the room and appeared on the surface of the water.


    He quickly formed a sword form with his hands, and a low-grade flying sword shot into


    the water, racing toward the mysterious aura.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 250: The Man in Black

    Chapter 250: The Man in ck


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder TrantionsN?v(el)B\\jnn


    As Song Wen executed the sword form, he was already prepared to retreat at any moment.


    At this point, he still couldn''t gauge the strength of the mysterious person in the water.


    The reason he acted against the mysterious aura underwater was out of necessity; as an elder of the Beast Master Sect, he had to put on a show in the face of an external threat.


    A cold light shed in the water, and the flying sword moved like a spirit snake, swiftly approaching the target.


    When the flying sword was still several zhang away from that person, the water in front suddenly surged violently, rolling like the tides, crashing towards the flying sword and significantly diminishing its power.


    The spiritual fluctuations generated by the battle quickly attracted the disciples of the Beast Master Sect in the Spirit Feeding Workshop.


    He Su approached with over ten Qi Refinementte-stage cultivators.


    "Elder Wu, what happened?"


    They hadn''t yet transformed their mental power into spiritual sense, so they couldn''t detect the mysterious person underwater.


    "There''s someone in the water trying to get close to the underwater snake enclosure."


    As he spoke, Song Wen didn''t stop his movements and continued to control the flying sword to sh at the mysterious person.


    Theke water churned, and a water column as thick as a water vat erupted from the surface, soaring toward Song Wen.


    "Retreat!"


    Song Wen shouted loudly and quickly retreated.


    He Su and the others maintained a safe distance from Song Wen. Although their speed couldn''t match his, they weren''t affected by the water column.


    The water roiled, and a massive figure emerged from the surface.


    It was a human-snake over two zhang long.


    Its upper body was that of a burly man, with vertically-slit pupils gleaming with a chilling light as he red at Song Wen, clearly furious at Song Wen''s attempts to stop him from approaching the underwater snake enclosure.


    The human-snake''s strength seemed to be in the mid-stage of the seventh level.


    With a wave of its hands, countless gallons ofke water floated upward, transforming into numerous sharp water arrows that shot towards Song Wen and the others.


    "Fall back!" Song Wen shouted.


    The flying sword turned into a fan-shaped beam of sword light, shattering the countless water arrows.


    He Su and the others seized the opportunity to escape.


    Under the onught of countless water arrows, the sword light on the flying sword quickly weakened.


    In the end, the flying sword failed to withstand the impact of the water arrows, bing dim and plummeting towards the ground.


    Several water arrows shattered Song Wen''s protective spiritual energy and pierced his body.


    "Poof!"


    Song Wen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his aura quickly diminishing, appearing seriously injured.


    He timed his injury perfectly.


    Just at that moment, this wave of water arrows had just exhausted their power.


    Seizing the opportunity, Song Wen rapidly retreated to the side of He Su and the others, several zhang away.


    "Elder Wu, are you alright?" He Su asked with concern.


    Song Wen waved his hand, his face full of worry as he replied, "I''m not severely injured. But this beast has the advantage of terrain; here by theke, I''m no match for it. I''m afraid I can''t stop it from entering the underwater snake enclosure."


    Song Wen''s injury and inability to fight back were, of course, pretenses.


    As a Foundation Establishment initial-stage cultivator, and a newly joined loose cultivator of


    the Beast Master Sect, it was only natural that he couldn''tpete with a mid-stage water- type demon beast underwater.


    He Su''s face was filled with worry.


    "What should we do? Elder Liu and Elder Zhou are conducting an important experiment and can''t be disturbed. Elder Wu, you must think of a solution quickly."


    As he spoke, he looked at Song Wen with hope, clearly wishing for him to step in and stop the human-snake.


    Song Wen shot a cold nce at He Su. He had just saved him, and now He Su expected him to confront the human-snake.


    Indeed, human greed knows no bounds.


    The human-snake''s vertically-slit pupils stared at the crowd in the distance, sending chills through the Qi Refinement cultivators.


    After a moment, it turned and submerged into the water, swimming toward the underwater snake enclosure.


    Just as the human-snake was a few zhang away from the entrance to the underwater secret chamber, a secret suddenly shot out from the entrance.


    The speed of this was astonishing, and it quickly expanded in a short time, turning into a massive over a hundred zhang wide in an instant.


    Seeing the giant approaching, the human-snake''s cold, vertically-slit pupils shed with human-like fear and panic.


    With a fierce flick of its tail, the human-snake dove deep into theke, trying to escape the


    net''s reach.


    However, the giant seemed to have a mind of its own, swiftly moving through the water


    and descending like lightning.


    With no way to escape, the human-snake was ensnared by the giant.


    "Hahaha..."


    A wildugh echoed.


    "Beast, you''ve truly fallen for it." It was Liu Jiang''s voice.


    Liu Jiang and Zhou Siyi soared out from the underwater snake enclosure, hovering in mid-air.


    Liu Jiang continuously made hand seals, causing the giant to rapidly contract, tightly wrapping around the human-snake.


    The human-snake thrashed wildly, attempting to break free from the constraints of the giant


    net, churning theke water violently, but it was all in vain. The only tightened further,pletely trapping the human-snake and rendering it unable to move.


    "Elder Zhou, hurry! This is of high-quality spiritual silk, and I won''t be able to maintain it


    for long," Liu Jiang urged.


    Zhou Siyi raised her hand, and four array gs flew out,nding around the human-snake.


    She took out an array te and began to execute hand seals.


    Each of the four gs shot out a green beam of light, transforming into thick, vigorous vines


    that quickly stretched and climbed up the human-snake, binding it tightly along with the


    spiritual.


    Seeing that the human-snake was thoroughly trapped by the formation, Zhou Siyi and Liu Jiang exchanged nces, their faces unable to hide their joy and pride.


    "Elder Zhou is indeed clever, using a small trick to lure this beast out. This beast has an


    exceptional ability to hide its aura, and with it dwelling in the depths of theke, it was truly difficult to find its whereabouts. Even the Peak Master of the Pill Peak couldn''t locate it in the


    lake," Liu Jiang remarked.


    Zhou Siyi replied, "Elder Liu, you tter me; I merely..."


    Before she could finish, a series of clear, melodious bell sounds rang out.


    Zhou Siyi suddenly felt the space in front of her begin to distort, as if everything was being


    twisted by a powerful force. The world spun, and a strong sense of dizziness struck her.


    Liu Jiang also heard the bell sound but felt no difort, clearly indicating that the sound


    was targeting Zhou Siyi.


    Sound wave attack!


    Liu Jiang''s gaze turned icy as he looked in the direction of the bell.


    He saw two tall figures standing quietly on the treetops two li away, cloaked in ck robes


    that obscured their faces. However, from their figures, it was evident that both were female


    cultivators.


    One of them was shaking a small, exquisite bell in her hand. The bell was only the size of a palm, yet its sound traveled far and wide.


    "Seeking death!" Liu Jiang gritted his teeth in anger.


    Just as he was about to sessfully capture the human-snake, two ck-d figures


    suddenly appeared to disrupt the n, igniting Liu Jiang''s fury.


    With a thought, a flying sword shimmering with cold light abruptly appeared and rushed


    toward the two figures in ck.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 251: The Human-Snake Escapes

    Chapter 251: The Human-Snake Escapes


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In front of one of the figures in ck, apletely snow-white flying sword appeared.


    The sword body resembled jade, and the de gleamed like frost.


    The white flying sword sliced through the darkness, striking toward Liu Jiang''s flying sword.


    Both were wielding flying swords, but the snow-white one was clearly superior. Whether it was the brilliance of the sword body or the sharpness of the sword qi, it far surpassed Liu Jiang''s sword.


    The two flying swords collided mid-air, producing a deafening sound.


    Liu Jiang''s flying sword was knocked away.


    As Liu Jiang struggled, Zhou Siyi''s situation grew increasingly precarious.


    The ringing of the bell became more urgent, and Zhou Siyi''s dizziness intensified, making it nearly impossible for her to maintain her bnce, as if she might copse at any moment.


    She gritted her teeth and raised her hand to p a ck pouch at her waist.


    "Caw!"


    A sharp, piercing cry sliced through the air as arge eagle suddenly appeared.


    The eagle''s feathers were as ck as night, and its beak was as hard as iron, gleaming with a cold light.


    The eagle spread its massive wings, spanning over a zhang, and shot through the sky like a bolt of ck lightning. With a fierce rush of wind, it swooped toward the two figures in ck.


    The snow-white flying sword, like a blinding white light, sliced through the darkness, heading straight for the eagle.


    The eagle pped its wings, showing no intent to evade the sharp white sword. It charged directly at the sword as if it were a mountain crashing down.


    The eagle''s sharp beak lunged toward the white flying sword like a razor-sharp de.


    "ng!"


    A sound of metal shing echoed.


    The snow-white flying sword was sent flying back.


    The eagle suffered no serious injury; it was merely dazed by the impact of the sword and slowed down.


    Shaking its head to clear its dizziness, the eagle pped its wings again, continuing its assault on the two figures in ck.


    "This t-billed beast is ate-stage second-tier spirit beast, extremely formidable; I can''t hold it off for long," the figure wielding the sword remarked.


    "Just wait; the beast in the water will be free shortly," said the figure holding the bell.


    As she spoke, thetter increased the speed of the bell''s ringing.


    "Ah!"


    Zhou Siyi suddenly let out a sharp, mournful scream, her body abruptly falling from mid-air and crashing into theke below.


    At the same time, without Zhou Siyi''s control, the formation''s power diminished significantly.


    The human-snake writhed a few times, snapping the four vines one by one.


    Though it had broken free from the vines, the spiritual still bound the human-snake, preventing its escape for the moment.


    Seeing that Zhou Siyi had temporarily lost herbat ability and the human-snake had escaped the formation, Liu Jiang''s expression turned anxious. He hurriedly urged the spiritual to tighten around the human-snake.


    The human-snake knew this was itsst chance to flee and struggled desperately.


    The, made from an unknown material, was extraordinarily resilient. Under Liu Jiang''smand, the tightened further, and as the human-snake thrashed about, the cut into its tough scales, causing bright red blood to seep out and instantly dye the surrounding water crimson.


    Suddenly, Liu Jiang''s body shook violently; the bell''s sound waves were attacking him.


    The intense dizziness significantly reduced his control over the, and as the human-snake struggled fiercely, the began to loosen.


    Seizing the opportunity, the human-snake broke free from the and escaped.


    It nced back at Zhou Siyi, who had fallen into the water, and with a flick of its tail, it swam


    upward.


    At the same time, theke churned violently, and an undercurrent surged from beneath, sweeping toward Zhou Siyi with unstoppable force.


    As Zhou Siyi plunged into the icyke water, the piercing cold jolted her, causing the intense dizziness to recede somewhat.


    Just as she regained her senses, she saw the swirling dark current rushing toward her.


    In a hurry, she could only muster her spiritual power, forming a spiritual shield that enveloped her body. Then, she propelled herself upward toward theke''s surface.


    Just as she was about to be swept into the dark surge, a flying sword suddenly sliced into theke, charging directly into the turbulent water.


    The rushing dark current was cleaved in two by the sword, granting Zhou Siyi a brief chance to escape and allowing her to break through the water''s surface.


    Before she could celebrate her escape, a thick serpent tail shot out of the water, like a long whip, lunging violently toward her.


    The flying sword that had just saved Zhou Siyi once again attacked, slicing at the serpent tail.


    "ng!"


    The flying sword, unable to withstand the force, let out a mournful cry as it was flung into the air by the serpent''s tail.


    Though the serpent tail took the blow, it was not unscathed; a deep wound exposing bone was visible. However, despite the severe injury, the serpent tail''s momentum did not wane as it swiftly struck toward Zhou Siyi.


    "Bang!"


    Zhou Siyi was heavily struck by the serpent tail and sent soaring into the sky from the force of


    the blow.


    Bright red blood sprayed from her mouth, clearly indicating she was gravely injured.


    The human-snake surged out of the water, its long tail curling toward Zhou Siyi, aiming to


    finish her off.


    "Caw!"


    At a critical moment, a massive shadow suddenly swooped in, charging at the human-snake.


    It was the ck eagle, decisively abandoning its attack on the two figures in ck to return


    and save its master.


    The eagle''s talons were sharp as des, reaching for the serpent''s tail.


    Upon seeing the eagle, the human-snake reacted as if it had encountered a natural enemy,


    experiencing a primal fear.


    It quickly changed direction, plunging toward the water''s surface. Nevertheless, the eagle''s ws left deep, long gashes on the serpent tail.


    The human-snake sank into theke, its tail thrashing as it rapidly dove deep into theke''s


    depths, vanishing from sight.


    In the distance, the two figures in ck, seeing the human-snake escape, retracted their spiritual weapons and turned to flee into the dense forest behind them.


    With the departure of the ck-d figures, the bell''s sonic attacks also ceased, allowing Liu


    Jiang to gradually recover from his dizziness.


    He realized the human-snake had vanished without a trace, and his anger surged within him.


    The eagle circled in the air and caught the severely injured Zhou Siyi.


    Just moments ago, facing the full force of the human-snake''s attack, if she hadn''t beenN?v(el)B\\jnn


    wearing mid-grade spiritual armor, she would not have survived. Even so, she was gravely


    wounded.


    Meanwhile, Song Wen observed the water''s surface where the human-snake had disappeared,


    his eyes glinting with sharp focus.


    Just moments ago, the two strikes that had attacked the human-snake and saved Zhou Siyi


    had been his doing.


    Now, as a foundational elder of the Beastmaster Sect and with Zhou Siyi being the peak master''s daughter, he could not stand idly by and watch her perish.


    Song Wen noticed something peculiar about the human-snake.


    Though it had sustained superficial injuries from the spiritual, after breaking free and


    escaping, those numerous small wounds, which had been torn open by the, had bizarrely stopped bleeding and begun to heal within mere breaths.


    The recovery ability of this human-snake was astonishing, far beyond what a second-tier


    beast should possess.


    Connecting this to the green jade snake''s innate ability to regenerate its body, it could


    somewhat exin the situation.


    However, the recovery ability of this human-snake seemed even more powerful than that of


    the green jade snake.


    Additionally, one of the figures in ck who had just escaped looked somewhat familiar to


    Song Wen, but he couldn''t immediately recall where he had seen them before.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 252: The Female Human-Snake

    Chapter 252: The Female Human-Snake


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The eagle gently descended to the ground, carrying Zhou Siyi.


    Zhou Siyi was gravely injured; not only had her internal organs sustained serious damage, but many of her bones were also broken.


    After taking a healing elixir, Zhou Siyi returned to her guest room to recuperate.


    Aside from Zhou Siyi, no one else in the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop was injured, although several buildings had copsed from the aftermath of the battle.


    The two figures in ck had not attacked any of the qi-cultivating disciples in the workshop from start to finish.


    It seemed their purpose ining here was to deliberately create chaos, preventing Liu Jiang from sessfully capturing the human-snake.


    Three dayster, Zhou Siyi, with her injuries mostly under control, stepped out of her room.


    Liu Jiang, Zhou Siyi, and Song Wen gathered at the top floor of the tallest building.


    "Elder Liu, is there any trace of the human-snake?" Zhou Siyi asked.


    Originally, the human-snake had been trapped by the formation, a sure catch, but the interference of the two unidentified figures in ck had left Zhou Siyi feeling unwilling to ept the oue.


    Liu Jiang looked at the vastke that stretched to the horizon, his expression somewhat dejected.


    "The human-snake is skilled at concealing its aura. Once it escapes into this vastke, finding its trace again won''t be easy."


    "And the two figures in ck? Is there any clue about them? I can''t quell my resentment without tearing them to shreds," Zhou Siyi said.


    "There are no leads on those two either."


    "Why would the figures in ck help the human-snake escape? Could there be some connection between them and the human-snake?" Zhou Siyi inquired.


    Liu Jiang''s expression darkened, his anger ring.


    "The human-snake is one I personally cultivated. How could it possibly be rted to them? Those two are purely here to cause trouble, harming others without benefiting themselves. Two years ago, those two figures in ck came once before and secretly opened the serpent enclosure, releasing arge number of green jade snakes."


    "What was their purpose in doing this?" Zhou Siyi asked, puzzled.


    "Who knows? Perhaps they have a grudge against the sect, or maybe against me personally, or maybe they just enjoy causing chaos. After this incident, we might never have the chance to capture the human-snake again," Liu Jiang replied.


    At this moment, Song Wen, who had been silent, interjected.


    "Elder Liu, since you have a method to lure the human-snake out, surely you can entice it to appear again, right?"


    Liu Jiang shook his head. "That creature has a very high level of intelligence and won''t be easily tricked again."


    "I''m curious about what method you used to lure the human-snake out," Song Wen asked.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Liu Jiang looked at Zhou Siyi, admiration evident on his face.


    "This is thanks to Elder Zhou. I didn''t expect her to be so young yet extremely skilled in the breeding and cultivation of beasts."


    "After she reviewed my notes, she discerned the reasons I was able to sessfully cultivate a second-grade human-snake. Over the past six months, we have conducted no fewer than a thousand attempts and finally seeded in cultivating a stable-bodied human-snake again. What''s even more valuable is that it is a female human-snake."


    "In this world, there are only two genuine human-snakes. Elder Zhou spected that the male human-snake would surelye once it catches a whiff of the female human-snake''s scent. Reproduction is an instinct of all living beings."


    "So, each day we drain the water from the female human-snake''s pool into the vastke. This water carries the unique scent of the human-snake, serving as bait to attract the male human-snake."


    Song Wen''s expression was one of surprise.


    "You have cultivated another second-grade human-snake?"


    "The female human-snake was just born not long ago and hasn''t even reached the second- grade yet," Zhou Siyi replied, unable to hide her pride.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but nce sideways.


    He had always thought that Zhou Siyi was naive and uplicated, but he never expected her


    to handle such inhumane experiments involving thebination of human embryos and beast embryos with such ease.


    Although this did not indicate that she had particrly deep scheming, it certainly suggested that she was not simply a kind-hearted person.


    Recalling the first time he met Zhou Siyi, Wei Ding had introduced her as the daughter of the deputy peak master of the Spirit Beast Peak. Due to her interest in the Dao of Alchemy, she had joined the Alchemy Peak after establishing her foundation.


    Now it seemed that her talent in alchemy was quite extraordinary, and her aptitude and skills in beast cultivation were extremely high.


    Given this, her departure from the Spirit Beast Peak to join the Alchemy Peak became intriguing.


    "By the way, I must also thank Junior Brother Wu for helping me three days ago during the


    crisis."


    Zhou Siyi stood up and cupped her hands in gratitude towards Song Wen.


    Song Wen replied, "Sister Zhou, there''s no need for formalities. We are all of the same sect, and you have taken care of me greatly. Helping you is my duty."


    "A life-saving grace cannot be taken lightly. You have not yet acquired a spirit beast; when you return to the sect, I will definitely help you find a suitable one," Zhou Siyi promised.


    "Thank you for your kindness, but I''m afraid my finances are too tight to support a spirit beast," Song Wen directly refused Zhou Siyi''s offer.


    For Song Wen, ordinary spirit beasts would hardly enhance his strength and would instead waste resources and time in their care.


    Shifting the topic, Song Wen asked, "Sister Zhou, since we have sessfully cultivated the human-snake, when shall we return to the sect?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "We have been out for half a year; it''s indeed time to return. We should set


    out tomorrow."


    "Are you two nning to return to the sect already?" Liu Jiang asked.


    Seeing Zhou Siyi nod, he continued, "You two came and resolved a problem that has troubled


    me for a long time. I have nothing to offer you, but I will certainly report your contributions


    urately to the sect. I believe they will reward you generously."


    Three dayster.


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyi returned to the Alchemy Peak.


    TL: Previously Pill Peak.


    The two first went to meet Wei Ding to report the mission''spletion.


    Wei Ding waspletely unaware of the situation at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in


    the Great Yan Kingdom. The mission he received only mentioned that the breeding of the green jade snakes was not proceeding smoothly.


    TL: Previously tranted as Dayan Kingdom, "Da" means "Big/Great" in Chinese.


    Upon seeing Song Wen and Zhou Siyi report that they hadpleted the task, he didn''t take it


    too seriously.


    "You two should rest in your caves for a week. After I report the mission to the sect, your spirit


    stone rewards will be issued soon," he said.


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyi each returned to their caves.


    The next day, in the evening.


    Song Wen arrived at the foot of the Medicine Peak, in a secluded bamboo forest. By the time


    he arrived, someone was already waiting there.


    The person was named Hao Quan, an outer disciple of the Medicine Peak, twenty-seven years


    old, with an eighthyer of Qi Cultivation.


    Song Wen was concerned that his long-term,rge purchases of Yellow Essence Mushroom at


    the Medicine Peak would attract unwanted attention.


    Therefore, he sought out Hao Quan, who was well-regarded among the Qi Cultivation disciples at the Medicine Peak, and offered him a premium of thirty spirit stones per stalk of Yellow Essence Mushroom to purchase it on his behalf.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 253: Rewards

    Chapter 253: Rewards


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Upon seeing Song Wen arrive, Hao Quan bowed and greeted him.


    "Greetings, Senior."


    Each time Song Wen traded with Hao Quan, he used a cloak to conceal his face, so Hao Quan knew almost nothing about him.


    The trading locations were also chosen on the fly by Song Wen, who would then send a message to Hao Quan with the details.


    To be cautious, Song Wen would let a Sacred Gu lurk at Hao Quan''s residence for a day before each transaction to monitor his activities. If anything suspicious was detected, Song Wen would not show up as agreed.


    What pleased Song Wen was that, so far, their transactions had gone very smoothly.


    Hao Quan was equally satisfied with this deal.


    He could buy ten to twenty stalks of Yellow Essence Mushroom from the Medicine Peak each month, and after reselling them, he could earn several hundred spirit stones.


    For ate-stage Qi Cultivator, this was already a considerable profit without any risk, as the other party always paid willingly.


    "Senior, when you contacted mest time, you said you were going out. I didn''t expect you to be gone for half a month. During this time, I''ve spent all my savings on Yellow Essence Mushroom, and with you being dyed in returning, I''ve really been struggling," Hao Quanmented.


    Song Wen showed no reaction to Hao Quan''sints and coldly asked, "How many stalks of Yellow Essence Mushroom do you have this time?"


    "Reporting to Senior, there are thirty-four stalks," Hao Quan replied.


    "Oh! So many this time? Well done," Song Wen said, his tone revealing a hint of satisfaction.


    With a wave of his hand, Song Wen threw a storage bag to Hao Quan.


    "Here are eight thousand spirit stones; consider the extra as a reward."


    "Thank you, Senior," Hao Quan said, a bit excited. After receiving the storage bag, he tossed another storage bag back to Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s spiritual sense entered the storage bag, confirming that the Yellow Essence Mushroom inside was fine before he vanished into thin air.


    For the next few days, Song Wen remained in his cave, researching a blood-enhancing potion.


    He always felt that he was just one step away from sessfully formting the potion, but that final step always eluded him.


    Each attempt ended in failure.


    On the eighth day, he received a message from Zhou Siyi, urging him toe to the alchemy room quickly, saying there was good news waiting for him.


    After tidying up his cave hastily, Song Wen hurried to the alchemy room.


    Before he reached the alchemy room, he saw Zhou Siyi gracefully suspended in mid-air, seemingly waiting for someone.


    "Sister Zhou, who are you waiting for?" Song Wen asked as he flew beside her on his sword.


    "I''m waiting for you, Junior Brother Wu," she replied.


    She raised her right hand and tossed a storage bag to Song Wen.


    Instinctively, he caught the storage bag, only to discover it contained a full twenty thousand spirit stones.


    "Sister Zhou, what is this?" Song Wen asked, astonished.


    "The other day, you saved me, and I promised to find you a spirit beast as a reward. Since you refused the spirit beast, I could only express my gratitude with spirit stones," Zhou Siyi


    exined.


    Song Wen put on a hesitant expression, as if he was internally struggling over whether to ept the twenty thousand spirit stones.


    He looked very conflicted. On one hand, he wanted the substantial amount of spirit stones; on the other, he felt epting such a generous gift would be embarrassing.


    TL: I am guessing they are mid-grade stones, because low-grade spirit stones aren''t worth much to a foundation establishment cultivator...


    "It''s just a small effort on my part; it doesn''t warrant such a precious reward. I can''t ept these spirit stones. Sister Zhou, please take them back," he insisted.


    Zhou Siyi smiled faintly, believing she had seen through Song Wen''s thoughts.


    "Junior Brother Wu, just ept them. This mission was sessfullypleted, and the reward I received from the sect far exceeds these twenty thousand spirit stones."


    With a face full of indecision, Song Wen awkwardly tucked the storage bag into his clothes.


    "Thank you, Sister."


    For Song Wen, these twenty thousand spirit stone were indeed an unexpected windfall.


    Although Zhou Siyi viewed human life as worthless, she was very clear about her debts of gratitude and enmities.


    She gave Song Wen twenty thousand spirit stones, clearly because he often showed signs of being financially strained.


    "Junior Brother Wu, let''s go. The sect has rewards for us!" Zhou Siyi cheerfully beckoned Song


    Wen.


    The two quickly arrived at the main hall of the Xuan Alchemy Room, where, under Zhou Siyi''s direction, they waited in the hall.


    Song Wen was puzzled and asked Zhou Siyi why she chose to wait in the main hall.


    However, Zhou Siyi merely smiled faintly and did not answer.


    Sighing, Song Wen decided to apany her in waiting.


    After about half an hour, Wei Ding, Zuo Shuiyun, and Huo Ding entered the main hall.


    Momentster, a male cultivator in his forties walked in. He had a deep andposed face, exuding an aura of authority-this was Fang Pengyi, the Peak Master of the Alchemy Peak.


    "Greetings, Peak Master," Song Wen, Wei Ding, and Zuo Shuiyun all sped their fists in respect.


    "Greetings, Master," Huo Ding bowed.


    Fang Pengyi nodded and dered, "In light of Zhou Siyi''s contributions at the Spirit Beast


    Breeding Workshop in the Great Yan Kingdom, she is promoted to an Elder of the Alchemy Peak and awarded one hundred thousand spirit stones, along with a mid-grade spirit weapon alchemy furnace, to recognize her achievements."


    "Junior Wu assisted Zhou Siyi significantly; he will receive ten thousand spirit stones and a low-grade spirit weapon alchemy furnace."


    With these words, Zhou Siyi''s face naturally brightened with joy.


    Song Wen also put on a fa?ade of great delight.


    However, Zuo Shuiyun and Huo Ding looked astonished, ncing at Song Wen and Zhou Siyi.


    Since returning from the Great Yan Kingdom, Song Wen and Zhou Siyi had not mentioned anything about the events there. Zuo Shuiyun and Huo Ding, therefore, knew nothing about the happenings at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop.


    Only Wei Ding felt a sense of unease rising within him.


    Zhou Siyi went from being a nominal elder to directly being promoted to an elder of honor,


    skipping over the position of Servicing Elder. This must mean she had aplished something significant.


    Originally, the mission at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop should have been Wei Ding''s,


    but he had unwisely pushed it off to Zhou Siyi and Song Wen.


    Now, both Song Wen and Zhou Siyi had been rewarded; surely, his act of transferring the task


    would be exposed.


    Indeed, Fang Pengyi''s gaze was as sharp as a knife, fixating on Wei Ding.


    Wei Ding suddenly felt as if he were bearing a thousand-pound weight on his heart, making it


    hard to breathe.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Trembling, Wei Ding looked panicked. "Peak Master, I..."


    Before he could finish, Fang Pengyi interrupted him.


    "Wei Ding, you transferred the task without permission, viting sect rules. Your position as


    Servicing Elder is revoked, and you are demoted to a nominal elder. Do you ept this


    punishment?"


    This punishment was neither too harsh nor too lenient for Wei Ding.


    Being demoted to a honorary elder was a significant loss for him, especially in terms of spirit


    stones.


    First, his monthly sry would sharply decrease.


    Second, as a Servicing Elder, his daily responsibilities included teaching Song Wen and the


    others alchemy. The work was light, and he could exploit them for alchemy to earn spirit stones. Now, as a honorary elder, it would be unlikely for him to exploit Song Wen and the


    others again.


    Wei Ding quickly said, "Thank you, Peak Master, for your leniency."


    Despite his dissatisfaction, he did not dare show any sign of it.


    After dealing with Wei Ding, Fang Pengyi turned his gaze to his disciple, Huo Ding.


    "In recent years, I have had to seclude myself and haven''t had time to personally guide you.


    You should stay in the Xuan Alchemy Room and learn alchemy techniques from the elders


    there."


    "Yes, Master."


    Fang Pengyi''s gaze swept over Song Wen and the others before finallynding on Zhou Siyi.


    "Elder Zhou, although you are an elder of honor, you know little about alchemy. I will arrange


    for another Servicing Elder to teach you all alchemy techniques."


    "Thank you, Peak Master."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 254: Meeting Rong Jingyun Again

    Chapter 254: Meeting Rong Jingyun Again


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After Fang Pengyi announced the rewards and punishments for everyone, he left the alchemy


    room.


    As soon as he departed, Zuo Shuiyun approached Zhou Siyi.


    "Congrattions, Senior Sister Zhou, on your promotion!"


    Zhou Siyi''s lips curled into a slight smile, but she did not respond.


    Previously, Zuo Shuiyun had called her "Junior Sister Zhou," but upon seeing her promoted to Elder of Alchemy Peak, she immediately switched to addressing her as "Senior Sister Zhou."


    What a schemer.


    Zhou Siyi felt disdain in her heart and chose to ignore Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Congrattions, Junior Sister Zhou," Huo Ding also chimed in at the right moment.


    Zhou Siyi treated Huo Ding with courtesy and nodded with a smile.


    Huo Ding asked, "Junior Sister Zhou, can you tell us what happened at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in the Great Yan Kingdom that allowed you to suddenly be promoted to Elder of Alchemy Peak, and even Wu received a considerable benefit?"


    His question quickly piqued the curiosity of Zuo Shuiyun and Wei Ding; they too wanted to know what had transpired at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop.


    Especially Wei Ding, who had been demoted without knowing the reason behind it.


    What was so unusual about the mission at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop that the sect valued it so highly?


    Zhou Siyi shook her head, "Senior Brother Huo, the sect has regtions; matters concerning the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop are prohibited from being disclosed."


    Huo Ding then looked at Song Wen, hoping to gather some information from him.


    However, Song Wen simrly shook his head, indicating he could not disclose anything.


    Not wanting to discuss the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop further, Zhou Siyi shifted the topic.


    "I wonder which elder will be sent to teach us alchemy techniques?"


    Huo Ding replied, "It might be Elder Cai Jinglue. Long ago, my master mentioned that once I advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage, I should follow Elder Cai to learn alchemy. At that time, when I sessfully established my foundation, Elder Cai happened to be out on a mission, so it was put on hold. Now that Elder Cai has returned to the sect, it is likely that he will be the one to teach us."


    "Elder Cai Jinglue? I''ve heard he is proficient in the refinement of dozens of second-grade elixirs and is quite upright as well."


    Zuo Shuiyun echoed from the side, her face showing some anticipation, clearly holding Elder Cai in high regard.


    "Elder Cai Jinglue? I have also heard of his name," Zhou Siyi responded.


    The four of them quietly discussed this, while Wei Ding was left out and ignored.


    Wei Ding cleared his throat a few times, but no one paid him any attention. Growing somewhat displeased, he raised his voice and said, "Zuo Shuiyun,e help me with alchemy. Elder Shen from the Peak asked me to refine a batch of Yuan Cultivating Pills. Assist me, and I will teach you the method for refining the Soul-Destruction Pill."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zuo Shuiyun turned to look at Wei Ding.


    "Elder Wei, thank you for your kindness, but I''ve been feeling unwelltely, so I won''t be helping you with alchemy."


    "You..."


    Wei Ding''s face turned an unpleasant shade of red and white, looking extremely grim.


    He had not expected that, right after being demoted by the Peak Master, Zuo Shuiyun-who usually fawned over him-would immediately turn her back on him.


    Wei Ding red resentfully at the four of them. He couldn''t afford to offend Zhou Siyi and Huo Ding, but Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun had little standing in the sect.


    Especially Song Wen, who, afterpleting the mission, had said nothing about the events at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop, leaving himpletely unprepared and resulting in his demotion.


    "Don''t let me catch you off guard; otherwise, I will definitely make you regret it."


    Wei Ding thought viciously to himself.


    "Hmph!"


    With a cold grunt, Wei Ding turned and walked toward the alchemy room at the back.


    His departure did not draw the attention of Song Wen and the others.


    "Today, Elder Rong Jingyun will be teaching alchemy techniques to the Qi Refinement stage disciples in the Huang Alchemy Room. Do you want to go listen?" Zuo Shuiyun asked.


    TL: Huang = Yellow (Lowest level)


    Huo Ding said, "Although Elder Rong Jingyun is skilled in alchemy, what she teaches the Qi Refinement disciples are the basics of alchemy. I won''t be going."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen''s eyes lit up.


    He hadn''t expected to have another chance to meet Rong Jingyun.


    He often studied the jade slip containing her insights on alchemy and held her refining skills


    in high esteem.


    "Ie from a loose cultivator background, and the alchemy techniques I''ve learned are not orthodox. I have only a partial understanding of the basics of alchemy, so I would like to go


    and listen."


    "Then I will go too," Zhou Siyi said.


    Hearing that Zhou Siyi was going, Zuo Shuiyun''s eyes brightened. "Great! Let''s go together,


    the three of us."


    ...


    A momentter, the three of them arrived at the entrance of the Huang Alchemy Room, flying


    on their swords.


    The Huang Alchemy Room had many alchemists, numbering in the hundreds. All of them were at the Qi Refinement stage and were responsible for refining pills for the thousands of Qi Refinement disciples of the Beastmaster Sect.


    At this time, a crowd of two to three hundred had gathered in the square outside the Huang Alchemy Room, all there to hear Rong Jingyun teach alchemy.


    Rong Jingyun had not yet arrived.


    When Song Wen and the others showed up, they quickly caught the attention of the other Qi Refinement disciples, who conscientiously made space for the three of them to sit closer.


    After waiting for about half an hour, Rong Jingyun arrived, flying in on her sword.


    Afternding, she nced at Song Wen and the others, said nothing, and began exining alchemy.


    As Huo Ding had mentioned, in order to amodate the disciples who were just starting to learn alchemy, Rong Jingyun primarily covered the fundamentals.


    This made it quite dull for Zuo Shuiyun, Zhou Siyi, and some Qi Refinement alchemists who


    had been immersed in alchemy for many years.


    However, Song Wen found it incredibly enlightening and listened intently.


    The content Rong Jingyun taught inspired him greatly.


    After two hours, as the sky began to darken, Rong Jingyun concluded her lecture on alchemy.


    She stood up and prepared to leave, but Song Wen called out to her.


    "Elder Rong, please wait! I am Wu Sheng and have some doubts I''d like to consult you about. I


    hope you can kindly share your wisdom.''


    Rong Jingyun raised her eyes slightly to look at Song Wen, feeling quite favorable toward this earnest Foundation Establishment cultivator who listened attentively.


    "Please, Elder Wu, go ahead."


    "Before I established my foundation, I had a friend who obtained a fragment of an ancient


    alchemical recipe. My friend researched it for many years but was never able to sessfully refine the pill. Each time at the final step of condensing the pill, it would automatically break


    apart. I would like to ask Elder Rong how to resolve this issue."


    "May I see that ancient recipe?"


    Hearing about the ancient recipe piqued Rong Jingyun''s interest.


    Song Wen shook his head in refusal.


    "That would be inconvenient; the recipe is not in my possession. Although I remember the


    contents of the recipe, I cannot disclose it without my friend''s permission. However, I can tell you that it records a type of mid-tier first-grade pill, which has effects simr to the Blood Qi


    Pill."


    Seeing that Song Wen was unwilling to disclose the recipe and that it was merely a first-grade pill, Rong Jingyun''s interest diminished significantly.


    "Without the recipe, I can''t give you precise advice, but I can offer some general analysis."


    "Since the effects of the pill are simr to the Blood Qi Pill, its purpose is likely to forcibly enhance spiritual energy cultivation at the cost of consuming blood qi, in an attempt to break through a bottleneck. Your friend probably wanted to use this pill to advance to thete Qi


    Refinement stage."


    "There could be several reasons for the failure to condense the pill."


    "Firstly, the method of condensing the pill might be incorrect. Some special pills require


    specific techniques to condense properly."


    "Secondly, there might be issues with controlling the heat."


    "Thirdly, the timing for condensing the pill might not be right."


    ...


    Rong Jingyun spoke at length, providing eight possible reasons for the failure to condense the


    pill.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 255: Successfully Condensing the Pill

    Chapter 255: Sessfully Condensing the Pill


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Rong Jingyun''s insights into the failures of pill condensing greatly benefited Song Wen.


    Perhaps this is what is meant by "the stones from other mountains can serve to polish jade."


    Song Wen had been deeply engrossed in the research and development of the new Explosive Blood Pill for a long time, lost in various details, making it difficult to see the bigger picture.


    However, a few words of experience from Rong Jingyun opened his eyes.


    After returning to his cave dwelling, Song Wen immediately resumed work on the Explosive Blood Pill.


    Three dayster, he received a message from Elder Cai Jinglue, summoning him and three others to impart alchemy techniques.


    Cai Jinglue was not like Wei Ding; he did not pressure Song Wen and the others. After teaching them the techniques, he simply left.


    Even Zuo Shuiyun wanted to forge a connection with him but couldn''t find the right opportunity.


    After returning from Cai Jinglue''s, Song Wen immersed himself once again in the development of the Explosive Blood Pill.


    In the blink of an eye, over four months had passed.


    In Cave 11 of the Dui District, Song Wen stood before the alchemy furnace, forming several hand seals. He had lost count of how many times he had attempted to condense the pill and was preparing himself for yet another potential failure.


    As hepleted thest hand seal for condensing the pill, the furnace trembled slightly.


    A blood-red pill, about the size of a finger, appeared at the bottom of the furnace.


    Song Wen''s face lit up with ecstatic joy as he reached out to catch the pill in his hand, carefully inspecting it.


    The pill was round, infused with abundant spiritual energy, and emitted a faint aroma.


    A smile crept onto Song Wen''s lips, and his eyes sparkled. After nearly four years and spending over a hundred thousand spirit stones, he had finally developed a new Explosive Blood Pill.


    "Since this is apletely new pill, perhaps I should give it a name. Since it consumes blood essence to enhance spiritual power, let''s call it the ''Blood Spirit Pill.""


    "I just wonder how effective this Blood Spirit Pill will be and whether it can meet my expectations."


    Though excited, Song Wen didn''t hastily consume the pill; he wanted to ensure it was not toxic before taking it.


    Currently, he only had one Blood Spirit Pill, which was insufficient to test its toxicity. He decided to refine a few more.


    He probed his spiritual sense into his storage ring, wanting to take out some Yellow Essence Mushroom, only to find that he had run out.


    Opening the cave, Song Wen flew on his sword toward Medicine Peak.


    At the midsection of Medicine Peak, there was a grand hall named the ''Spirit Medicine Workshop,'' where various spirit medicines were sold.


    On the way to the Spirit Medicine Workshop, Song Wen intentionally flew over the residence of Hao Quan.


    The outer sect disciples of Medicine Peak lived in independent small courtyards.


    Hao Quan had mixed well within the outer sect, and his courtyard was situated in a ce rich in spiritual energy and a serene environment.


    Song Wen scanned Hao Quan''s residence with his spiritual sense and found him cultivating inside.


    What surprised Song Wen was that, in just over a month, Hao Quan had advanced to the ninthyer of Qi Refinement.


    Song Wen didn''t pay much attention to Hao Quan''s cultivation. He released a Sacred Gu and quietly infiltrated the small courtyard, then flew away on his sword. Throughout the process, Song Wen maintained his speed, resembling a passerby.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Arriving at the Spirit Medicine Workshop, Song Wen spent six hundred spirit stones to buy three Yellow Essence Mushroom and then returned to his cave.


    asionally, Song Wen would personally purchase two or three Yellow Essence Mushroom. Such a small quantity was unlikely to attract unwanted attention.


    After returning to his cave, Song Wen took out the jade slip to contact Hao Quan, informing him of tomorrow''s transaction for the Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    Putting away the jade slip, Song Wen didn''t rush to ignite the furnace to refine the pills.


    After days of pill refining, his mental energy had been significantly drained; it took nearly two days to refine the Blood Spirit Pill, and he wouldn''t have time to open the furnace for pill refining tomorrow.


    The next day, in the evening.


    At the bottom of a cliff on the shady side of Medicine Peak, Song Wen arrived as scheduled.


    After waiting for a moment, Hao Quan arrived using his flying technique.


    The transaction went smoothly, and Song Wen paid three thousand spirit stones to receive ten


    Yellow Essence Mushroom.


    "Senior, I have a small request."


    As Song Wen was about to leave, Hao Quan suddenly called out to him.


    "What is it?"


    Song Wen halted his sword light, and if what the other party requested was a simple matter,


    he didn''t mind helping a bit.


    Seeing that Song Wen didn''t directly refuse, Hao Quan became a bit excited.


    "Senior, you must have noticed that my cultivation has reached the ninthyer of Qi Refinement, which isrgely thanks to the spirit stones you provided."


    "In two days, the sect will hold its eleventh internalpetition, and the top three disciples from both the inner and outer sects will have a chance to receive a Foundation Establishment Pill. With my ninthyer cultivation, if I have a powerful spirit beast to assist me, I have a great chance to secure one of the top three spots."


    "There is a peak firstyer fire lizard in a volcano southeast of the sect. My main cultivation path is fire-type techniques, and this fire lizard''s attributes perfectly match my skills."


    "I humbly request, Senior, to help me subdue this fire lizard."


    "After the matter is aplished, I can offer three thousand spirit stones as a reward for your


    assistance."


    "If I manage to ce in the top three and obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, sessfully establish my foundation, I will definitely repay your great kindness."


    Song Wen listened quietly to what he had to say and, after a moment of silence, spoke slowly.


    "From now on, you will no longer buy Yellow Essence Mushroom. Our transactions end here."


    With that, Song Wen''s figure transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distant


    sky.


    Hao Quan''s desires began to swell, which filled Song Wen with an ominous premonition.


    Today, he had the audacity to invite Song Wen to help him; in the future, he might betray Song Wen for even greater benefits.


    To Hao Quan, Song Wen was just a gopher; their rtionship was purely one of mutual


    benefit. Song Wen would never risk traveling thousands of miles away to face unknown dangers for him.


    There were many disciples on Medicine Peak, and plenty of people suitable for running errands; it would be easy to find someone to rece Hao Quan.


    "Senior..."


    Watching Song Wen resolutely leave, Hao Quan panicked and shouted.


    It wasn''t until Song Wen''s figurepletely disappeared that a wave of deep regret surged in


    his heart.


    TL: Man, I''m d he rejected that, any other novel and MC would have gone on an


    unnecessary side quest...


    After circling back for a while, Song Wen returned to his cave.


    After a brief period of rest, he summoned the earth fire and opened the furnace to refine the


    pills.


    The first batch of pills exploded due to a slight mistake in technique during the condensing


    process, resulting in failure.


    The second batch went smoothly, and Song Wen produced three pills in total.


    He stored the three freshly refined Blood Spirit Pills in a jade bottle.


    Now, he had four Blood Spirit Pills in hand, enough to conduct a toxicity test.


    Arriving at the cliff edge in front of his cave, Song Wen leaped down into the dense forest at


    the base of the cliff.


    Extending his spiritual sense, a momentter, six wild rabbits were trapped by his spiritual


    power.


    Song Wen returned to the cave, took out three Blood Spirit Pills, crushed one of them, selected a small amount of powder, and fed it to two of the wild rabbits.


    The other two Blood Spirit Pills were simrly fed to the remaining four wild rabbits.


    As soon as the Blood Spirit Pill was crushed, its spiritual energy rapidly dissipated, leaving


    only a trace of medicinal power in the powder. Even so, this residual power was unbearable for ordinary wild rabbits.


    Within a few breaths, the six wild rabbits turned into stiff corpses, their blood essence nearly


    drained.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 256: Blood Demon

    Chapter 256: Blood Demon


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen gathered the wild rabbit corpses into his hands and, using his spiritual sense, carefully inspected them to confirm that there were no toxins present.


    From the previous experience testing the new Blood Spirit Pill, Song Wen knew that this type of pill required a significant amount of blood essence, which ordinary cultivators could not bear. Testing it on ordinary people was pointless.


    Unless he could find a Golden Core cultivator to test the pill, he would not be able to ascertain the true effects of the Blood Spirit Pill.


    Once he confirmed that the Blood Spirit Pill was non-toxic, Song Wen took a moment to adjust his breath and swallowed the remaining pill.


    The overwhelming medicinal power instantly erupted within him; he could clearly sense that his blood essence was being rapidly consumed, and at the same time, a pure spiritual energy surged forth from within.


    Apanying this was a violent cramping pain.


    Song Wen gritted his teeth through the difort and focused all his energy on refining the spiritual power.


    After six hours, the cramping sensation gradually dissipated, and the pure spiritual energy waspletely refined, leading to a substantial increase in his cultivation.


    Song Wen''s face brightened; the Blood Spirit Pill could be considered a sess.


    However, this pill caused considerable damage to the user''s blood essence and was apanied by intense cramping pain when consumed, as if a sharp de were constantly stirring up his internal organs, truly making it unbearable.


    The pain from consuming the Blood Spirit Pill was even more intense than when he practiced the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" technique.


    Song Wen recalled that since joining the Beastmaster Sect, he had been too busy refining the Blood Spirit Pill to continue practicing the "Ten Thousand Poison Body" technique.


    Many sixth-grade spirit herbs on Medicine Peak were toxic. As a former loose cultivator, obtaining these sixth-grade herbs was not easy, but now he could purchase them quite easily.


    After sessfully developing the Blood Spirit Pill, Song Wen could focus on enhancing his cultivation. The time he spent in the alchemy room had noticeably increasedpared to before.


    Regrlymunicating with other alchemists in the room, Song Wen''s alchemy skills gradually became more refined.


    After a period of practice, he became increasingly proficient in refining the Blood Spirit Pill, sessfully producing up to five pills in a single batch.


    Due to the significant physical toll the Blood Spirit Pill took on the body, it was not suitable for frequent consumption. Song Wen usually took one pill every three days.


    This meant he only needed to sessfully refine two batches of Blood Spirit Pills each month to meet his cultivation needs.


    This greatly reduced his demand for Yellow Essence Mushroom, alleviating his worries about attracting attention from others due to bulk purchases.


    In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed since Song Wen arrived at the Beastmaster Sect.


    For a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a month and a half was not a long time. When facing a bottleneck in cultivation, a single closed-door session couldst longer.


    It is worth mentioning that during this month and a half, the "Ten Thousand Poisons Body" technique finally broke through to the ''Minor Sess'' realm, condensing a bronze bell that resembled a solid object, almost indistinguishable from a real bronze bell.


    As a result, Song Wen''s physical body had be considerably stronger, and his resistance to poisons had further increased.


    One day, while in the Xuan alchemy room, Song Wen was attempting to refine the Fire Cloud Pill.


    "TL: Huang, Xuan, Di, Tian from lowest to highest.


    Hispanions who entered the alchemy peak with him-Zhou Siyi-had already seeded in refining the Fire Cloud Pill.


    At first, Song Wen had beenpletely focused on studying the Blood Spirit Pill, but after sessfully refining it, he slowly began to make up for the deficiencies in his previous training. Only in the past few days had he started to practice refining the Fire Cloud Pill.


    After yet another failed attempt to refine the Fire Cloud Pill, Song Wen took out his identity token.


    The identity token was not only proof of his identity; the sect could also use it to sendmands to the disciples.


    During his previous pill refinement, the identity token had received a message from the sect.


    The message was from the task hall on the alchemy peak, requesting that Song Wen go to the task hall as soon as possible.


    The hall master, Elder Lu Weicai, needed to see him.


    ording to the rules of the alchemy peak, after bing an honorary elder for three months, one was required to asionally undertake external tasks.


    Song Wen understood that Elder Lu Weicai''s summons were definitely rted to an external task.


    After hastily tidying up the alchemy room, Song Wen left the Xuan alchemy room and headed towards the task hall at the mountain''s summit.


    The Beastmaster Sect had a task hall, and each peak also had its own task hall. The alchemy peak''s task hall only issued tasks to its disciples.


    Upon entering the task hall, Song Wen was guided by a disciple to meet Elder Lu Weicai


    without any trouble.


    This was a spacious stone chamber. When Song Wen entered, he saw not only Elder Lu Weicai but also another person, Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Greetings, Elder Lu, greetings, Senior Sister Zuo," Song Wen politely greeted them.


    Ever since Wei Ding was demoted and Cai Jinglue began guiding Song Wen and others in alchemy, Zuo Shuiyun had shifted her focus and started to ingratiate herself with Cai Jinglue.


    After Wei Ding lost his position, Zuo Shuiyun catered to him, assisting in the refinement of


    elixirs.


    Cai Jinglue was different from Wei Ding; he conducted himself with integrity and had never shown any desires.


    It was unclear what methods Zuo Shuiyun used, but she quickly became close to Cai Jinglue


    and gained his favor.


    "Elder Wu, please take a seat!" Lu Weicai gestured to a mat on the floor.


    Once Song Wen was seated, Lu Weicai continued.


    "I have called you both here today because there is a task that requires your execution."


    "Recently, a second-grade demon beast has been repeatedly attacking the Cheng family in


    the West Mountain. The Cheng family has suffered greatly and is in dire straits. The family head has requested the sect''s assistance in eliminating the beast."


    The Cheng family of the West Mountain was a Foundation Establishment family under the jurisdiction of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Zuo Shuiyun frowned slightly.


    "Elder Lu, since this is a task to eliminate a demon, shouldn''t it be assigned to the Law Enforcement Hall or the Spirit Beast Peak? Why let us from the Alchemy Peak carry out this extermination?"


    Disciples of the Beastmaster Sect''s Law Enforcement Hall specialize inbat techniques.


    Every disciple of the Spirit Beast Peak raises spirit beasts and possesses formidablebat abilities.


    The Spirit Beast Peak and the Law Enforcement Hall were the two strongestbat peaks in the sect.


    Typically, extermination tasks like this were carried out by disciples from these two peaks.


    The Alchemy Peak''s external missions mostly rted to alchemy.


    Lu Weicai replied, "The Cheng family head, Cheng Ruida, specifically requested the Alchemy


    Peak to execute this task."


    "ording to the message Cheng Ruida sent to the sect, the demon beast attacking the Cheng family is a mid-second-grade Blood Demon."


    "Although the Cheng family has only one Foundation Establishment cultivator, Cheng Ruida is at the mid-foundation stage, and with the assistance of numerous Qi Refining cultivators from the Cheng family, they should have the capability to deal with a mid-second-grade


    demon beast."


    "However, this Blood Demon is skilled in stealth and evasion techniques; it appears and disappears without a trace, making it extremely difficult to track."


    "Cheng Ruida wants the Alchemy Peak to send a second-grade alchemist to concoct a Demon


    Luring Powder to draw out the Blood Demon."


    The Demon Luring Powder emits a special scent that is highly attractive to demon beasts, making it the preferred bait for cultivators hunting demons.


    However, the downside of the Demon Luring Powder is that once it is sessfully refined, no


    matter how well it is sealed, its unique scent will gradually dissipate. Within just one day, then/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    scent will almostpletely vanish.


    Therefore, the Demon Luring Powder must be refined and used immediately.


    Only a second-grade alchemist can create a Demon Luring Powder that can attract second-


    grade demon beasts.


    Lu Weicai continued, "Originally, the Cheng family requested the sect to send a second-grade alchemist. However, considering that both of you are neers who have just established


    your foundations, I thought it would be prudent for you both to go together this time, so you


    can look out for each other."


    "Do you have any questions about this task?"


    Song Wen sped his fists and asked, "Elder Lu, did the Cheng family''s request mention why


    the Blood Demon has been attacking them repeatedly?"


    Given that the Cheng family is stronger than the Blood Demon, it would be natural for the


    demon to avoid them due to its instinct for self-preservation.


    Lu Weicai shook his head. "It didn''t mention anything. Perhaps the Cheng family possesses


    something the Blood Demon desires, or it has a grudge against them."


    "Any other questions?"


    Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun exchanged nces and shook their heads.


    "Then, you two should prepare quickly. You must arrive at the Cheng family within seven


    days."


    "Understood!"


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 257: Beautiful Autumn Dew

    Chapter 257: Beautiful Autumn Dew


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After leaving the mission hall, Song Wen asked Zuo Shuiyun, "Senior Sister Zuo, when shall we set out?"


    Zuo Shuiyun nced at Song Wen, her eyes filled with a hint of disdain.


    She was reluctant to carry out the external mission with Song Wen.


    Due to Song Wen''s poor aptitude for alchemy and hisck of demonstratedbat abilities, Zuo Shuiyun subconsciously regarded him as a burden.


    "At noon tomorrow," she replied curtly.


    Having said that, Zuo Shuiyun left without looking back.


    The next day, at noon, the two set out promptly, flying on their swords toward the Cheng family in the West Mountain.


    The Cheng family was located over thirty thousand miles south of the Beast Control Sect, close to the mortal realm.


    The Cheng family thrived on cultivating spirit herbs, specifically the Sun Spirit Herb, which was one of the key ingredients in refining Beast Essence Pills.


    The two were not in a hurry and took two days to arrive at the Cheng family.


    The Cheng family was situated amidst mountains and rivers, with a clear stream winding through the front and a towering peak named West Mountain behind it, thus earning the name West Mountain Cheng Family.


    Between the Cheng family and West Mountain, there was a misty valley filled with abundant spirit herbs.


    These spirit herbs stood about two to three feet tall, with dark brown stems and nine emerald green leaves, and were known as Sun Spirit Herb.


    With their identity tokens, Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun smoothly entered the Cheng family.


    In the main hall of the Cheng family, they met the family head, Cheng Ruida.


    Cheng Ruida was tall, about six feet, with a warm and refined demeanor, exuding an air of elegance.


    "You two have finally arrived," Cheng Ruida said with a joyful expression upon seeing Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Greetings, Family Head Cheng. I am Wu Sheng, and this is Elder Zuo Shuiyun," Song Wen introduced them.


    "Elder Wu, Elder Zuo, thank you both foring all this way to aid our Cheng family," Cheng Ruida said gratefully.


    Song Wen asked, "Family Head Cheng, I noticed that there are fewer than ten thousand people in your family. Why is that?"


    Upon entering the Cheng family''s territory, Song Wen observed that the estate was vast, yet there were rtively few people around.


    Using his spiritual sense to scan the entire Cheng family, he discovered there were only about eight thousand members, which was quite pitiful for a Foundation Establishment family.


    Cheng Ruida sighed deeply, his face filled with resentment.


    "s! My Cheng family used to be prosperous, with over ten thousand members. However, ever since that Blood Demon appeared two years ago, it has rampantly hunted my family members, resulting in a drastic decline in our numbers, especially among the non-cultivating mortals, who suffered the most."


    Hearing this, Song Wen''s eyes shed with shock.


    From over ten thousand people, only eight thousand remained?


    In just two years, the poption had dwindled to a little over ten percent.


    The Cheng family had lost the majority of its n members to the Blood Demon, and only now were they seeking help from the Beast Control Sect?


    Song Wen gave Cheng Ruida a deep look but chose not to press further.


    Zuo Shuiyun suddenly interjected, "Enough of this. We shouldn''t waste time. The sooner we eliminate the Blood Demon, the sooner we can repay the Cheng family. Family Head Cheng, please take me to your alchemy room. I need to refine a second-grade Demon Luring Powder."


    Zuo Shuiyun was not overly concerned about this mission; with three Foundation Establishment cultivators present, killing a mid-second-grade Blood Demon should be a piece of cake.


    Cheng Ruida responded, "Thank you, Elder Zuo. Refining a second-grade Demon Luring Powder takes several days and is quite difficult. I humbly request both elders to cooperate and expedite the refinement process. Please follow me; I''ll take you to the alchemy room right


    now."


    After saying this, he stood up and gestured toward the main door, indicating for Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun to follow him.


    Zuo Shuiyun stood up and walked toward the door.


    Song Wen also got to his feet.


    Zuo Shuiyun nced at Song Wen, her tone dripping with disdain as she said, "Junior Brother


    Wu, you need note along. I can manage alone. You probably can''t even refine a second- grade Demon Luring Powder. If you enter the alchemy room, you won''t help me but may instead distract me."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen awkwardly sat back down.


    He was already capable of refining second-grade Demon Luring Powder.


    Zuo Shuiyun wanting to refine the Demon Luring Powder alone was clearly to gain more credit


    for this mission.


    Since she wanted to handle it herself, he would let her do so and enjoy some leisure timen/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    instead.


    Anyway, the reward for the mission was inconsequential to him.


    Moreover, Song Wen felt that something was off about both the Cheng family and Cheng Ruida. While Zuo Shuiyun was busy refining pills, he could take the opportunity to investigate


    the Cheng family.


    Better to be prepared than sorry!


    Cheng Ruida nced back and forth between Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun but said nothing as


    The led Zuo Shuiyun to the alchemy room.


    After they left, a maid approached.


    "I am Qiu Lu, honored to meet Elder Wu. Please follow me; I''ll take you to a guest room to


    rest," she said.


    Qiu Lu was beautiful, but she had no cultivation and was an ordinary person without spiritual


    roots.


    The two passed through the Cheng family''s courtyard, heading deeper into the estate.


    "Qiu Lu, can you tell me about theyout of your Cheng family?" Song Wen asked.


    "Of course!" Qiu Lu replied respectfully as she led the way. "The Cheng family is divided into


    three areas: the front courtyard near the small river is inhabited by ordinary people like myself without any cultivation. The middle courtyard is where the family conducts alchemy and forging. The back courtyard, near the spiritual fields, is rich in spiritual energy and is home to n members with spiritual roots. The guest room where you''ll be staying is also in the back courtyard, right next to the Sun Spirit Herb spiritual fields."


    "When did the Blood Demon first appear?" Song Wen asked.


    "About two and a half years ago," Qiu Lu replied.


    "When did the n members start going missing or dying?"


    "It started after the Blood Demon appeared."


    Qiu Lu''s eyes suddenly turned red, tears welling up.


    "Elder, I know you are here to help our Cheng family get rid of the demon. Please be sure to


    y the Blood Demon. My whole family was killed by it��my parents and my younger siblings


    were all devoured by the demon. It''s a monster that eats human flesh and drinks human


    blood."


    As she spoke, her voice grew choked with emotion.


    "If you can help the Cheng family and y this demon, Qiu Lu is willing to give everything to


    repay your great kindness."


    Qiu Lu stopped and looked back at Song Wen, her expression both delicate and resolute.


    Her tragically sorrowful appearance stirred sympathy in others.


    Feeling moved by her tragic story, as well as a sense of justice rising within him, or perhaps


    wanting to show his own gantry, Song Wen patted his chest and said, "Do not worry, Miss


    Qiu Lu. I will take care of ying the Blood Demon."


    TL: Feeling moved my foot!


    With tears like pear blossoms on her face, Qiu Lu revealed a knowing smile, her eyes crescent-


    shaped and filled with admiration as she gazed at Song Wen.


    "Elder, I believe you will definitely be able to y the Blood Demon and avenge my family."


    Then she noticed that Song Wen''s gaze was fixed on her ample bosom, and a blush shed


    across her face.


    Qiu Lu lowered her head, a rosy hue spreading across her cheeks.


    She pointed to a two-story building not far ahead.


    "Elder, we''ve arrived at the guest room. I''ll take my leave now."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 258: The Strange Cheng Family

    Chapter 258: The Strange Cheng Family


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen watched Qiu Lu''s shy departure with a hint of amusement in his eyes.


    A beauty trap!


    Cheng Ruida''s strategy was quite clever.


    Using a powerless girl to divert his attention.


    For someone like Qiu Lu, a weak woman without any cultivation, she was seen as a ything that foundation-building cultivators could control at will.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The weaker one was, the easier it was to be overlooked.


    This would lead to a sense of rxation and a decrease in vignce against her.


    However, danger often does note from powerful enemies but rather from those seemingly harmless and weak beings.


    With a smile at the corner of his mouth, Song Wen stepped into the guest room.


    At the innermost part of the room, he pushed open the window.


    An orderly view of the spiritual fields filled his sight.


    A gentle breeze swept through the Sun Spirit Herb, thin mist drifting like ribbons across the fields, resembling a picturesque paradise.


    Unfortunately, behind this beautiful sceneryy a terrifying killing intent that could chill one''s bones.


    Six Sacred Gu flew out of Song Wen''s mouth, silently darting to various corners of the Cheng family.


    To avoid rming the enemy, Song Wen did not directly use his spiritual sense to probe the Cheng family but instead utilized the Sacred Gu to search the premises.


    Soon, Song Wen received feedback from the Sacred Gu.


    Three meters directly in front of the small building where he resided was a man-madeke, featuring a steep and towering artificial mountain, within whichy a hidden world.


    This artificial mountain, measuring over ten meters in length and width, was hollow inside, equipped with formations that concealed the life force within, indicating that someone was monitoring Song Wen.


    Within the Cheng family''s courtyard, there were ten alchemy rooms. In one of the alchemy rooms, spiritual energy and warmth were emanating, suggesting that Zuo Shuiyun was inside refining the Demon Luring Powder.


    Cheng Ruida had returned to the main hall of the Cheng family, where he was sitting cross- legged with his eyes closed.


    Not long after, Qiu Lu walked in.


    The Sacred Gu wanted to continue spying, but Cheng Ruida was particrly cautious.


    He waved his hand, and a barrier formation rose up, enveloping him and Qiu Lu within.


    The Sacred Gu outside the barrier instantly lost their perception of the two and could only leave in frustration.


    "Reporting to you, my lord, Elder Wu has already settled into the guest room. Cheng Wu and Cheng Qi are keeping watch on him."


    "Does he suspect anything?" Cheng Ruida asked.


    "He shouldn''t. He asked about the time of the Blood Demon''s appearance and when n members began to die, but he did not inquire further," Qiu Lu paused for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts, then continued, "This person seems to have quite a sense of justice. My daughter seduced him with her beauty, deceiving him into believing that her family had all died at the hands of the Blood Demon. He immediately expressed his intention to y the demon for the Cheng family."


    TL: Her daughter? Isn''t Qiu Lu the girl''s name? I think the author made a mistake here.


    Cheng Ruida nodded. "Well done. Make sure Cheng Wu and Cheng Qi keep a close watch on him. We cannot allow him to discover anything he shouldn''t."


    "Yes, my lord."


    ...


    The Sacred Gu, having found little of use in the Cheng family courtyard, all retreated to the


    back courtyard.


    The back courtyard was home to all cultivators.


    After thoroughly investigating the entire back courtyard, Song Wen noticed a problem.


    There were very few Qi Refinement stage cultivators in the Cheng family, regardless of age or gender. Altogether, there were only a little over a dozen cultivators from the first to the ninthyer of Qi Refinement.


    What was even more puzzling was that cultivators in the mid tote stages of Qi Refinement ounted for over half of the total, while those in the early stages, who should have been the majority, numbered only around fifty.


    This situation seemed somewhat odd.


    Of course, it could be attributed to the rampant Blood Demon that had ughtered a significant number of lower-tier cultivators.


    The Cheng family cultivators were mostly holed up at home, with some even hiding in the basements beneath their houses, making it hard to see any cultivators casually wandering


    outside.


    Clearly, the rampant Blood Demon had instilled great panic among the Qi Refinement stage cultivators of the Cheng family.


    After investigating the back courtyard, the Sacred Gu flew to the front courtyard of the Cheng family.


    The front courtyard was inhabited entirely by ordinary people, who, unlike the cultivators, did not have the luxury of being served three meals a day or the option to hide in their homes.


    Many of them were busy outside.


    On both sides of the small river, vast fields had been cultivated, filled with various grains,


    with some fields nted with spiritual rice.


    Most of the ordinary people appeared hurried and somewhat uneasy.


    Song Wen couldn''t help but wonder.


    With the Blood Demon wreaking havoc and the poption sharply declining, why didn''t


    these ordinary people leave the Cheng family to live amongmon folk?


    Though life outside might be a bit harsher without the protection of the Cheng family cultivators, it would surely be better than living in constant fear and danger.


    What could be holding them back?


    As the Sacred Gu weaved between the houses of these ordinary people, they soon discovered


    something interesting.


    In a house with three tiled rooms, a seven or eight-year-old boy was lying on the ground,


    convulsing.


    He was frantically scratching at his body, even drawing blood, showing no sign of stopping.


    "Itchy, so itchy!"


    The boy shouted loudly.


    His voice startled his mother, a farmer in her thirties, who rushed in.


    Seeing her son''s condition, the mother was visibly panicked.


    However, instead of calming her child immediately, she ran to another room, rummaging


    through boxes and cabs.


    Soon, she found a porcin bottle.


    Holding the porcin bottle, she hurried back to her son.


    In a fluster, she poured out a ck pill and stuffed it into the boy''s mouth.


    Seeing him swallow the pill, her frantic demeanor calmed down a bit.


    Shey on the ground, holding the boy tightly, preventing him from hurting himself further.


    The boy struggled desperately, but his strength was too weak to break free from his mother''s


    grasp.


    "Mom, let me go! I''m so itchy; I feel terrible!"


    Watching her son suffer, tears welled in the mother''s eyes, her voice trembling as she spoke.


    "Be good, little one. It will stop itching soon!"


    About the length of an incense stickter, the boy''s struggles slowly weakened.


    Eventually, it seemed as if he had been tormented to the point of exhaustion, and he gradually fell asleep.


    The mother carried her son to the bed, looking at his body covered in wounds, her eyes filled


    with heartache and confusion.


    When would this life of fear and paine to an end?


    What the mother didn''t notice was a small bug crawling into the porcin bottle she had


    carelessly set aside.


    After noting the scent of the pills in the bottle, the Sacred Gu pped their wings and flew out


    of the farmer''s home.


    Soon, all six Sacred Gu began searching various ordinary people''s homes.


    After more than a moment, Song Wen reached a conclusion.


    Almost every ordinary household had such a porcin bottle, each containing a few to several


    dozen pills.


    This meant that these pills were some sort of antidote, and all the Cheng family''s ordinary


    people, regardless of age or gender, were poisoned.


    They had to take this antidote to survive.


    This might very well be the true reason they couldn''t escape from the Cheng family.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 259: The Formation of the Demon Luring Powder

    Chapter 259: The Formation of the Demon Luring Powder


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Two dayster, at the seventh watch of the Tiger hour (about 4:40 AM).


    At this moment, it was the darkest time just before dawn.


    The night was deep and silent.


    On the sheer cliffs of the western mountains behind the Cheng family''s spiritual fields, a crimson figure slowly crawled out from a crevice in the rocks.


    This figure was covered in blood-red, resembling a humanoid shape, somewhat like a monkey, yet also reminiscent of a bat standing upright.


    It had humanoid limbs and a head, but between its hands and torso were membranes akin to wings.


    Its limbs were on the ground, sharp ws gleaming with a chilling light.


    Staring down at the Cheng family courtyard, its eyes sparkled with a bloodthirsty red glow.


    It opened its mouth wide, revealing sharp fangs and a long tongue covered in barbs, stained with blood.


    It was the Blood Demon.


    Without using any spiritual power, the Blood Demon merely exerted a slight force with its limbs and gracefully leaped down the cliff, like a small spiritual bird gliding through the night sky, silentlynding in the center of the spiritual fields.


    The Blood Demon intended to pass through the spiritual fields and infiltrate the Cheng family.


    However, once itnded in the fields, the enticing fragrance of the spiritual herbs wafted into the Blood Demon''s heart and lungs.


    It pulled up a hundred-year-old Sun Spirit herb and, after a moment of hesitation, stuffed it into its mouth.


    As it chewed carefully, a rich aroma arose between its teeth.


    Swallowing the spiritual herb, a surge of pure medicinal power instantly flowed into its body.


    Its blood energy began to boil and surge, and its body gradually grew warm.


    The Blood Demon''s eyes brightened; for the first time since its birth, an emotion it had never experienced arose deep within.


    It waved its hands and continuously pulled up Sun Spirit herbs, stuffing them into its mouth and swallowing them inrge bites.


    After consuming dozens of Sun Spirit herbs, it nced down at itself, and an ominous smile surfaced on its hideous face.


    It seemed to have found a better way to take revenge on the Cheng family- a method that would instill fear in them beyond mere ughter.


    The next day.


    After dawn.


    Cheng Ruida received a report from his subordinates that over a dozen ordinary nsmen had gone missing the previous night.


    After counting and checking, it was found that all the missing nsmen were women, mostly young girls.


    A gleam of light shed in Cheng Ruida''s eyes.


    The Blood Demon had finally entered its mature phase.


    It must be captured as soon as possible.


    Once the Blood Demon matured, its intelligence would rapidly grow, and the blood seal remaining within it might no longer contain it.


    If the Blood Demon resisted the urge to devour the Cheng family''s bloodline from the blood seal, it could anytime choose to leave the Cheng family for a rtively safer ce.


    If that happened, all the ns he had made, which had cost many n members'' lives, would be for naught.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    While Song Wen was meditating in the guest room, he was disturbed by Cheng Ruida''s voice.


    "Elder Wu, I have something to discuss with you. Please open the door for a chat."


    Creak.


    The door opened automatically.


    Song Wen''s voice came from within, "Cheng family head, pleasee in."


    Cheng Ruida stepped inside and, upon seeing Song Wen, revealed a deep sense of worry on his face.


    "Elder Wu,st night over ten n members from the Cheng family went missing."


    "As the n leader, I truly feel powerless. I couldn''t protect them, and I feel ashamed of the trust ced in me by the Cheng family."


    "I often think, why wasn''t it me who was taken by the Blood Demon? If it were, I could bear the pain and fear for my n."


    "I wish I could rush in front of the Blood Demon right now and y it to avenge the tens of thousands of my n members."


    "Unfortunately, the Blood Demon moves stealthily, making it hard to trace. I possess the strength to y dragons, yet I can''t find the Blood Demon or know how to strike."


    Cheng Ruida looked helpless and despondent, nearly on the verge of tears.


    Song Wen appeared astonished and indignant, eximing loudly, "What! The Blood Demon appeared against night! But how did I not notice it at all? There wasn''t a hint of spiritual energy fluctuation!"


    "The Blood Demon is adept at concealing its presence. Discovering its whereabouts is indeed difficult," Cheng Ruida sighed and continued, "The only way to quickly resolve the Blood Demon issue now is the Demon Luring Powder. I don''t know if Elder Zuo has seeded in


    refining it."


    Song Wen replied, "Elder Zuo has practiced alchemy since childhood; it shouldn''t be a problem for her to refine the Demon Luring Powder. We just need to wait a few more days, and she should be able toplete it."


    Cheng Ruida said, "I''m still a bit uneasy with Elder Zuo refining it alone. If the first batch fails, and she has to start over, who knows how long it will take. I wonder if Elder Wu could lend a hand to assist Elder Zuo in refining the Demon Luring Powder?"


    Song Wen responded, "I must humbly say that I am truly powerless. I have never refined a


    second-tier Demon Luring Powder before. If I rashly enter the alchemy room, it might instead lead to mistakes for Elder Zuo."


    Hearing this, Cheng Ruida felt somewhat disappointed. "I was being too presumptuous."


    Cheng Ruida turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing without a trace.


    Song Wen waved his hand to close the door and then a cold smile appeared at the corner of his


    mouth.


    Last night, while the Blood Demon sneaked into the spiritual fields, the Sacred Gu, which was monitoring the situation, had discovered it. The Blood Demon''s entire activities fromst night were under the watch of the Sacred Gu.


    Song Wen also noticed that all the cultivators of the Cheng family had gathered in the back


    courtyard.


    In the front courtyard, where ordinary n members lived, there was not a single cultivator stationed, as if it were unguarded.


    The Cheng family''s behavior didn''t seem to match Cheng Ruida''s earlier disy of deep concern for the safety of his n.


    Song Wen spected that Cheng Ruida came only to test him, to ascertain whether he had discovered any abnormalities and to worry about the exposure of the Cheng family''s secrets.


    Soon, five days passed.


    On this day, Qiu Lu knocked on Song Wen''s door.


    "Elder Wu, Elder Zuo hase out of seclusion. The family head has sent me to invite you


    -over."


    Since Song Wen moved into the guest room, Qiu Lu woulde by every day.


    Under the guise of showing concern for Song Wen''s daily life, she would inquire about his


    well-being, but in reality, she was monitoring him.


    Song Wen hadn''t left his room for the past few days, so Qiu Lu and Cheng Ruida had gradually


    rxed their vignce over him.


    Song Wen opened the door.


    "Elder Zuo hase out? Then I will go over right away. With the Demon Luring Powder


    ready and with me and Elder Zuo working together, we can surely y the Blood Demon and


    avenge your family and the Cheng n members, restoring peace to the Cheng family."


    "Thank you, senior."


    Quickly, Song Wen arrived at the main hall of the Cheng family, where he saw Zuo Shuiyun,n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    who had juste out of the alchemy room.


    After days of alchemy, Zuo Shuiyun looked somewhat fatigued.


    "Thank you, Elder Zuo, for your tireless efforts in refining the Demon Luring Powder for my


    Cheng family. I worry that time may be of the essence, so I n to use the Demon Luring Powder tonight to draw out the Blood Demon. Capturing the Blood Demon will require the efforts of both of you; I wonder how you both feel about that?"


    Zuo Shuiyun, feeling somewhat proud of her aplishment in refining the Demon Luring Powder, responded, "What the Cheng family head says is correct. Once the Demon Luring Powder leaves the cauldron, its medicinal power will gradually dissipate, so it must be used quickly."


    Song Wen added, "Whatever you decide, I will do my utmost to assist."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 260: The Blood Demon is Captured

    Chapter 260: The Blood Demon is Captured


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Since both of you have no objections, let''s act tonight. I hope you can assist my family inpletely eliminating this hidden threat of the Blood Demon," Cheng Ruida said with an invigorated expression.


    "Both of you should return to your guest rooms to rest. I still need to coordinate with the n members and set up the formation to trap and kill the Blood Demon."


    After Cheng Ruida left, Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun headed towards the guest rooms in the back courtyard of the Cheng family.


    "Elder Wu, once we y the Blood Demon tonight, the mission for the Cheng family will beplete. You''ve had it easy on this mission," Zuo Shuiyun said teasingly.


    Song Wen thought for a moment and understood her implication.


    "Rest assured, Elder Sister. Once we return to the sect, I will report the mission process to the Mission Hall truthfully and won''t take more credit than deserved. I believe Elder Lu of the Mission Hall will distribute the rewards ordingly."


    Zuo Shuiyun nced at Song Wen dismissively. "You understand that well."


    After saying this, she flew into the air towards her own guest house.


    The guest rooms of the Cheng family were separate small buildings, and Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun lived in different ones.


    That night.


    Beside the small river in front of the Cheng family, in a rice field.


    It was the season when the spiritual rice was maturing, and the field was golden, with the heavy rice ears drooping low.


    A strange aroma wafted through the center of the rice field.


    This scent held no allure for humans but was a deadly temptation for demon beasts.


    A tiger demon, over ten feet long, suddenly emerged from somewhere and ran towards the center of the rice field.


    Its massive body trampled arge area of spiritual rice, leaving the field in disarray.


    When the tiger demon was still a hundred meters away from the center of the rice field, its body suddenly split in two, severed at the waist, and its entrails and blood spilled everywhere.


    The Blood Demon emerged from the spiritual rice, grasped the tiger demon''s heart, brought it to its mouth, took a bite, and chewed as it headed toward the center of the rice field.


    The Blood Demon was quite intelligent. It had been lurking in the rice field for a while.


    Noticing no Cheng family cultivators nearby, it dared to show itself and ughtered the tiger demon, which it intended to consume.


    At this moment, the Blood Demon stood proudly.


    Since the night it abducted over ten females from the Cheng family, this beast had experienced the pleasures of masculinity. In recent days, it frequently sneaked into the spiritual fields, devouring a considerable amount of spiritual sheep.


    Due to its mating season, the Blood Demon had be more restless and lost its previous restraint.


    In the center of the rice field, not only was there that strange aroma, but also a temptation arising from the depths of its bloodline.


    It was this temptation from its bloodline that had continually guided it, leading it to kill the members of the Cheng family and devour their flesh and essence.


    It seemed that there were many members of the Cheng family''s essence in the center of the rice field, waiting for it to consume.


    Before long, the Blood Demon reached the center of the spiritual field.


    There was a pile of yellow powder, and the enticing aroma emanated from this powder.


    Next to the yellow powder was a porcin basin containing the essence of the Cheng family members.


    As the Blood Demon leaned closer to the essence, preparing to drink deeply, it suddenly sensed something. Its figure turned into an afterimage, darting towards the edge of the rice


    field.


    Beasts will always be beasts; the moment it was drawn in by the Demon Luring Powder, it was destined to fall into the trap meticulously prepared by the Cheng family.


    A half-spherical translucent formation barrier suddenly rose, trapping the Blood Demon within.


    The Blood Demon crashed into the formation barrier, which flickered with golden light, sending the demon flying back and crashing down inside the formation.


    Cheng Ruida flew in the air holding a formation disk, hovering above the formation.


    "Beast, you can''t escape today; surrender obediently, hahahaha..." Cheng Ruidaughed triumphantly.


    The Blood Demon looked up, its eyes gleaming with hatred and killing intent, as if Cheng Ruida were its mortal enemy.


    With a surge of power, the Blood Demon suddenly leaped, attempting to pounce on Cheng Ruida in the air.


    The formation barrier shimmered with golden light. Before the Blood Demon could even touch the barrier, the golden light made it feel ufortable, causing it to bare its teeth in


    pain.


    Cheng Ruida made several hand seals towards the formation disk.


    Immediately, the golden light within the formation intensified.


    "Squeal, squeal..."


    The Blood Demon emitted a series of mournful cries, unable to withstand the illumination of


    the golden light, and fell heavily back to the ground.


    Cheng Ruida had no intention of letting the Blood Demon off easily and continued to controln/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    the formation, the golden light bing even more powerful.


    The Blood Demon''s face twisted as it roared loudly.


    Its crimson skin could no longer bear the shine of the golden light, and it began to rot


    gradually.


    About half a stick of incenseter, the Blood Demon''s roars and struggles weakened, its


    breath faltering significantly.


    Cheng Ruida stopped energizing the formation.


    "Why stop, n Head Cheng? Why not just use the formation to annihte this demon?" Zuo


    Shuiyun asked, somewhat puzzled, upon witnessing this scene.


    She flew up and approached Cheng Ruida, inquiring.


    "The Blood Demon has killed tens of thousands of my n members, bing a nightmare


    in the hearts of many. To y this demon, it must be done publicly before our n members to eliminate their fears," Cheng Ruida exined.


    Zuo Shuiyun nodded and nced at the basin of blood in the center of the formation, not


    asking further.


    Since the Blood Demon had been captured, the mission was consideredplete.


    At this moment, she also realized that Cheng Ruida was not as simple as he appeared.


    It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble; whatever Cheng Ruida intended to do was the Cheng family''s business and had nothing to do with her as an elder sent to execute the mission.


    Cheng Ruida gazed at the trapped Blood Demon, his eyes revealing unhidden eagerness.


    Like someone admiring a peerless beauty, he stared for a long time before averting his gaze.


    "Elder Zuo, you have great kindness towards my Cheng family. I ask that you stay with us for a


    few more days. After we publicly y the Blood Demon, I will lead the entire n to thank you properly," he said.


    Observing everything from a distance, Song Wen suddenly flew over and said, "n Head


    Cheng, there''s no need to be so polite. Now that this matter is settled, Elder Zuo and I will return to the sect tonight to report."


    Cheng Ruida insisted, "Elder Wu, although my Cheng family is a small foundation-building


    family, the two of you have saved us from peril. If my Cheng family does not express our gratitude, it will only be aughingstock in the cultivation world."


    "You both should stay a few more days with my Cheng family. After dealing with the Blood Demon, I will certainly prepare a significant reward to thank you both."


    Song Wen smiled slightly, "Thank you for your kindness, n Head Cheng. I have important matters to attend to, so I cannot stay long. I will leave tonight. Elder Zuo, what about you?"


    Zuo Shuiyun looked at Song Wen with a strange expression.


    Usually, Song Wen gave her the impression of being very submissive and rather moderate.


    Today, however, he insisted on leaving the Cheng family as soon as possible, even with Cheng Ruida promising considerable rewards, which couldn''t keep the rather cash-strapped Song Wen behind.


    Thinking about the basin of essence in the center of the formation, Zuo Shuiyun suddenly realized: during the time Song Wen was with her refining pills, he might have discovered something.


    "n Head Cheng, Elder Wu is right. The matter concerning the Cheng family has been resolved; it is meaningless for us to remain. We should return to the sect tonight," she said.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 261: Cheng Ruida’s Scheme

    Chapter 261: Cheng Ruida��s Scheme


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Three days ago.


    At a ce more than ten miles away from the Cheng family, the Sacred Gu discovered arge underground cave, which contained a blood pool several meters in size.


    The blood pool was already dry.


    In one corner of the cave, arge number of corpses were piled up.


    Worms crawled over many of the bodies.


    Clearly, the time of death was not long ago, likely within the past month.


    The Blood Demon did not kill people just to bleed them; it had constructed a blood pool to collect blood and refine essence.


    Evidently, the sharp decrease in the Cheng family''s poption was not solely caused by the Blood Demon; many had fallen victim to the treachery of their own kin.


    Cheng Ruida''s ughter of his family members certainly had ulterior motives.


    Song Wen did not wish to get involved in the affairs of the Cheng family, which was why he wanted to leave.


    Cheng Ruida nced at Song Wen and then at Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Are you both really not nning to stay a few more days in the Cheng family?"


    "No, thank you for your kindness," Song Wen declined.


    Cheng Ruida''s originally friendly expression turned somewhat sinister.


    "It seems you''ve discovered something. I had wanted to discuss this with you two, but now it seems I must resort to a bit of force."


    "Cheng Han, why don''t you reveal yourself?"


    Cheng Ruida shouted violently!


    Suddenly, in the courtyard of the Cheng family, a figure shot into the sky, swiftly flying towards them on a sword.


    Zuo Shuiyun''s face changed, looking somewhat grim.


    "Cheng Ruida, what do you mean by this?"


    Song Wen also appeared surprised; the Cheng family actually had a hidden foundation- building cultivator.


    Having stayed at the Cheng family for a few days, he hadn''t noticed a thing, which meant that the other party was hiding within a formation that could conceal their presence.


    However, the neer was only an initial-stage foundation-building cultivator, not enough to threaten Song Wen.


    Cheng Ruida and Cheng Han surrounded Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun from the front and back.


    "Elder Zuo, Elder Wu, don''t be rmed. I mean you no harm; I just wish to ask for your help in refining a type of elixir," Cheng Ruida said.


    Cheng Ruida was a mid-stage foundation-building cultivator, and with Cheng Han''s assistance, he was confident he could keep the initial-stage Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun here.


    "Cheng Ruida, think carefully. Elder Wu and I are both elders of the Beastmaster Sect. If you dare toy hands on us, the sect will not spare you or the Cheng family," Zuo Shuiyun said with a fierce tone but a hint of trepidation.


    Cheng Ruida smiled faintly, clearly not taking Zuo Shuiyun''s threats to heart.


    "Elder Zuo has misunderstood. I truly have no ill intentions. As long as you assist me in refining the elixir and swear a soul oath not to disclose the matters of the Cheng family, once the task ispleted, not only will I let you both leave safely, but I will also present each of you with three thousand spirit stones as a reward."


    "If you insist on opposing me, then I will have no choice but to be ruthless. Even if the Beastmaster Sect holds the Cheng family ountable afterward, what does that have to do with you? You will already have returned to the underworld."


    Cheng Ruida brandished a whip in one hand and a sugar stick in the other, pressuring Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun toply.


    "Refining elixirs?" Zuo Shuiyun said, somewhat skeptical.


    She looked at Song Wen, waiting for him to make a decision.


    She realized that she had somewhat underestimated this low-key Elder Wu in the past.


    Since Song Wen could uncover Cheng family''s scheme, perhaps he could make a more urate choice.


    Song Wen replied, "Elder Zuo, since the Cheng family has sincerely invited us, let''s lend them


    a helping hand."


    Zuo Shuiyun looked at Song Wen in surprise; she hadn''t expected him to agree so readily.


    A glimmer of killing intent shed in Song Wen''s eyes.


    He was quite satisfied with his days in the Beastmaster Sect and did not want to stir up


    trouble.


    He had originally wanted to avoid the affairs of the Cheng family.


    However, since Cheng Ruida wanted to seek death, he could only y along and satisfy his


    own curiosity.


    What exactly was Cheng Ruida plotting by ruthlessly ughtering his own kin?


    Cheng Ruidaughed heartily, "Good! Those who know how to adapt are true heroes. Elder


    Wu is indeed wise to assess the situation. Please wait a moment; once I subdue the Blood Demon, I will discuss the elixir with you in detail."


    After saying this, he gave Cheng Han a nce, signaling him to keep an eye on Song Wen and


    Zuo Shuiyun.


    Then, Cheng Ruida raised his hand, and seven sealing nails flew out.


    The barrier of the formation trapping the Blood Demon suddenly cracked open a small


    opening at the top.


    The sealing nails shot through the opening like meteors.


    Like the fangs of a poisonous snake, they swiftly and mercilessly pierced into the Blood


    Demon''s body.


    The Blood Demon had its meridians sealed by the nails, unable to summon its internal spiritual power, and its breath instantly became weak as it fell to the ground helplessly.


    In its crimson eyes, despair and helplessness shone through.


    Cheng Ruida retracted the formation and threw out a chain.


    The chain twisted and changed shape like a spirit snake, tightly binding the Blood Demon.


    Cheng Ruida grabbed one end of the chain, pulling the Blood Demon to his side.


    Looking at the Blood Demon, its body a bloody mess yet still baring its teeth at him, Cheng


    Ruida spoke contemptuously.


    "You beast, you will never escape my grasp."


    Dragging the Blood Demon, Cheng Ruida approached Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Please, esteemed elders."


    After saying this, he dragged the Blood Demon deeper into the Cheng family''s premises.


    It was as if he werepletely unconcerned that Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun would take the opportunity to escape.


    Song Wen followed suit, flying into the Cheng family''s grounds.


    Zuo Shuiyun nced back at the direction they came from, then at the figures of Song Wen


    and Cheng Ruida, hesitating for a moment before ultimately deciding not to escape alone.


    Soon, the four arrived at the Cheng family''s alchemy room.


    The alchemy room was constructed fromrge stones,prising over ten rooms for


    alchemy.


    Cheng Ruida held a square token and inserted it into the stone wall of one of the alchemy


    rooms.


    The stone door of the alchemy room opened.


    Once inside the alchemy room, Cheng Ruida inserted another token into the wall.


    A hole suddenly appeared on the floor of the alchemy room.


    "Please follow me."


    Cheng Ruida jumped into the hole first.


    Song Wen, who followed closely, did not act recklessly.


    As he approached the edge of the hole, a Sacred Gu slipped from the bottom of his shoe and


    fell into the hole.


    After the Sacred Gu confirmed that there was no danger ahead, Song Wen jumped into the


    hole.


    After falling for about several dozen meters, a vast underground cave came into view.


    The cave was adorned with a qi-concealing formation, somewhat simr to Song Wen''s "Qi Concealment Formation." It was also a second-grade formation, primarily designed to conceal one''s presence, making it difficult for outsiders to notice anything within the cave.


    Having spent several days at the Cheng family, Song Wen realized he had not detected Cheng


    Han''s presence; he could very well be hiding within this cave.


    At the center of the cave stood a tall alchemy furnace.


    Three cushions surrounded the furnace.


    Once all four entered the cave, Cheng Ruida spoke.


    "I invited you here to assist me in refining a certain elixir. This alchemy process is extremely


    complicated and time-consuming. I find it difficult to sustain it alone."


    Then, he tossed two jade slips, which flew towards Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun.


    "The slips contain the form and the techniques for refining this elixir. I originally nned


    to invite a senior alchemist and Cheng Han to assist me in the refining process."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "But I didn''t expect that the sect would send two peak elders here, which is even better. Cheng


    Han won''t be needed; he''s not skilled in alchemy."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 262: Zuo Shuiyun Becomes Furious

    Chapter 262: Zuo Shuiyun Bes Furious


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zuo Shuiyun took the flying jade slip and probed it with her spiritual sense.


    The contents of the jade slip were likely recorded by Cheng Ruida, concealing parts of the original form, even the name of the elixir had been omitted.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After briefly scanning the contents of the jade slip, Zuo Shuiyun nced at Cheng Ruida with some trepidation.


    The unnamed form recorded in the slip was extremelyplex, involving nearly a hundred types of spiritual herbs.


    It was aplicated second-tier form.


    Cheng Ruida was confident he could lead the refinement of the unnamed elixir, which indicated he was indeed a second-tier alchemist with considerable skill.


    Given his alchemical skills, it was impossible that he couldn''t produce a second-tier Demonic Allurement Powder during the years the Blood Demon ravaged the Cheng family.


    Cheng Ruida sought help from the Beastmaster Sect, inviting an alchemist toe to the Cheng family''s aid. From the very beginning, this task was entirely part of Cheng Ruida''s scheme.


    It was likely that the appearance of the Blood Demon was closely rted to Cheng Ruida himself.


    Zuo Shuiyun looked at Song Wen again, noticing that he remained calm and was carefully examining the contents of the jade slip.


    She found it increasingly difficult to see through Song Wen.


    Previously, she had looked down on this casual cultivator who joined the Alchemy Peak midway.


    But now, in the face of Cheng Ruida''s threats, Song Wen appeared overlyposed, as if he weren''t the least bit worried that Cheng Ruida mightter turn on him.


    Shaking off herplicated thoughts, Zuo Shuiyun once again delved into the jade slip, beginning to examine it closely.


    This elixir was evidently some kind of sinister concoction, containing numerous blood- rted materials, including a significant amount of human blood.


    Cheng Ruida gave Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun a full day toprehend the form.


    One dayter.


    Cheng Ruida, Song Wen, and Zuo Shuiyun sat on three cushions surrounding the alchemy furnace.


    "This time, in refining the elixir, I hope both of you can give it your all. If there''s even the slightest mistake, don''t me me for being ruthless," he said.


    Afterward, he turned to Cheng Han, who was standing guard nearby.


    "Cheng Han, you are responsible for protecting and monitoring them. If you notice any unusual behavior from them, kill them on the spot."


    In the face of Cheng Ruida''s threat, Song Wen showed no signs of fear and proactively urged,


    "Cheng family head, let''s start the refining. We wouldn''t want things to drag on. If the sect sees that Zuo Shuiyun and I are slow to return, they might send someone to check on the Cheng family, and you''ll be the one regretting it."


    Cheng Ruida looked at Song Wen with an unfriendly expression but didn''t say anything more.


    Under Cheng Ruida''s direction, the three began the alchemy process.


    Throughout the entire process, Cheng Ruida tookplete control-the timing of when to add herbs, the intensity of the mes, and the condensation of the liquid were all led by him.


    Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun primarily served asborers for the alchemy.


    Half a monthter, a faint crisp sound emerged from the furnace.


    Having expended a great deal of mental energy and spiritual power from the long hours of alchemy, Cheng Ruida''s expression turned ecstatic.


    That was the sound of sessful elixir condensation, the elixir dropping to the bottom of the furnace.


    Cheng Ruida raised his hand, opening the lid, and a pill the size of an egg fell into his palm.


    The pill emitted a faint bloody aura.


    Cheng Ruida held the crimson pill as if it were a rare treasure.


    "Hahaha... Heaven is helping me! I never thought that on my very first attempt, I would sessfully refine the ''Blood Puppet Spirit Pill''."


    In his moment of triumph, Cheng Ruida directly revealed the name of the elixir.


    Zuo Shuiyun and Song Wen also looked exhausted.


    Upon hearing the name of the elixir, a glimmer of insight shed in Song Wen''s eyes.


    With the name "Blood Puppet Spirit Pill," along with the spiritual materials involved in the form, he could roughly guess its effects.


    However, Zuo Shuiyun didn''t think too much about it. She said,


    "Cheng family head, since the elixir has been sessfully refined, we can leave now, right?"


    Cheng Ruida took out a jade box, cing the Blood Puppet Spirit Pill inside, his mood ted.


    He turned to look at the Blood Demon.


    The Blood Demon was sealed of its spiritual power and bound by chains, lying on the ground


    like a wrapped zongzi (sticky rice dumpling).


    However, its lower body stood eerily upright.


    "This beast has entered maturity, having consumed too much of the Sun Spirit Herb''s


    essence, causing its blood to surge and boil. Now is not the best time to let it consume the Blood Puppet Spirit Pill. I must find a way to quickly release its vitality. The longer the Blood Demon stays in its mature state, the higher its intelligence, and the harder it will be to


    subdue."


    Cheng Ruida thought to himself.


    His gaze shifted to Zuo Shuiyun.


    This woman was not bad looking, her figure graceful, and she was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, able to endure the Blood Demon''s antics. She would make a


    suitable candidate.


    Cheng Ruida''s thoughts turned, and he had an idea.


    He waved his hand, and two piles of spirit stones flew out from his storage bag, heading


    toward Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun.


    "This is the three thousand spirit stones I promised you both. I hope you''ll ept them. I apologize for any previous offenses; please bear with me."


    Seeing the flying spirit stones, Zuo Shuiyun was somewhat surprised.


    She hadn''t expected Cheng Ruida to actually produce the promised spirit stones.


    Immediately, her wariness rxed a bit: it seemed that leaving the Cheng family safely today was no longer an issue.


    "Then thank you, Cheng family head. My junior brother Wu and I will now swear an oath to never reveal anything we''ve heard or seen at the Cheng family after we leave."


    After speaking, she shot a nce at Song Wen, indicating that he should quickly swear the


    oath so they could leave the Cheng family.


    "Wait."


    Cheng Ruida suddenly called out to Zuo Shuiyun.


    "Elder Zuo, I have another request that requires your assistance."


    Zuo Shuiyun froze for a moment, her heart, which had just begun to settle, tensed again.


    "What is it?"


    "This matter should not be known by a third party, so I ask Elder Wu to leave with Cheng Han


    first, and then I will discuss it in detail with you, Elder Zuo."


    A wave of unease surged in Zuo Shuiyun''s heart, and she resolutely refused.


    "No, Junior Brother Wu must stay here."


    Cheng Ruida replied, "Elder Zuo, don''t worry; I mean no harm. It''s just that the matter I''m


    requesting can only be known to you. If I had malicious intent, why would I let Junior Brother


    Wu leave?"


    After speaking, he turned to Cheng Han.


    "Cheng Han, take Junior Brother Wu to the guest room to rest."


    "Yes!" Cheng Han replied.


    Cheng Han turned to Song Wen and said, "Junior Brother Wu, please follow me."


    Song Wen said to Zuo Shuiyun, "Shijie, I''ll wait for you outside."


    TL: Shijie Senior Sister.


    Zuo Shuiyun watched the departing figures of Song Wen and Cheng Han, feeling utterly


    powerless.


    With strength inferior to others, she could only be at their mercy.


    After Song Wen and the others left the underground cave, she said, "Cheng family head, you


    can tell me now. What exactly is it?"


    Cheng Ruida''s lips moved, but no sound came out; instead, he sent a voice transmission.


    After hearing it, Zuo Shuiyun''s anger immediately red.


    "This is impossible! What do you think I am, Zuo Shuiyun?"


    Cheng Ruida hurriedly tried to soothe her. "Elder Zuo, don''t be angry. Just listen to my terms


    first."


    Zuo Shuiyun showed no signs ofpromise, ring at him with rage.


    "No matter what the terms are, I will never agree."


    Cheng Ruida extended five fingers.


    "Five thousand spirit stones."


    "Once the matter is aplished, I am willing to pay five thousand spirit stones as a


    reward."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 263: The Chaste and Fiery Woman

    Chapter 263: The Chaste and Fiery Woman


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zuo Shuiyun remained unmoved, still seething with anger.


    "Cheng family head, you are insulting me, insulting the Alchemy Peak, and insulting the entire Beastmaster Sect."


    "Five thousand spirit stones. If Elder Zuo finds that insufficient, how about ten thousand?" Cheng Ruida said.


    "Although I, Zuo Shuiyun, am not a paragon of virtue, I am not someone who can be bought so easily."


    Cheng Ruida held up two fingers, continuing to raise the offer.


    "Twenty thousand spirit stones."


    "I possess a dual cultivation technique that can only be practiced by Foundation Establishment cultivators. With this technique, in just a day or two, Elder Zuo could earn back these twenty thousand spirit stones."


    A flicker of hesitation passed through Zuo Shuiyun''s eyes.


    One or two days!


    Twenty thousand spirit stones.


    She turned to look at the Blood Demon.


    The Blood Demon was neither human nor beast, its skin reddish, face resembling a nightmarish creature, sharp teeth and fangs, and its ugly form...


    A wave of disgust surged within Zuo Shuiyun.


    She shook her head in refusal.


    "Absolutely impossible."


    "Thirty thousand spirit stones. This is the highest price I can offer. If Elder Zuo still refuses, I can simply capture more mortals. Although it''s more troublesome and time-consuming, it can still resolve this matter."


    Zuo Shuiyun did not immediately respond.


    She stared at the Blood Demon, lost in thought.


    She didn''t know what kind of scene was ying out in her mind.


    "Thirty thousand spirit stones could buy seven low-grade offensive spirit weapons, three mid-grade offensive spirit weapons, and a thousand cultivation pills."


    "Elder Zuo only needs to lie down on the ground to earn thirty thousand spirit stones. Such an opportunity does note often."


    Cheng Ruida''s words were like the seductive notes of a dark night flute, enticing Zuo Shuiyun to cross the line of reason and step into the abyss of depravity.


    "I... this..."


    Zuo Shuiyun hesitated, finding it hard to make a decision.


    Cheng Ruida smiled deviously.


    "I''ll give Elder Zuo one hour to think it over. Don''t forget your current situation. Your and Elder Wu''s lives are still in my hands."


    After saying this, he walked toward the cave exit.


    At that moment, an unexpected change urred.


    The Blood Demon suddenly stood upright, its hind legs exerting force as it leaped toward Cheng Ruida with all its might.


    Its ws glimmered with a chilling light, slicing through the air like a sword, aiming straight for Cheng Ruida''s chest.


    A flicker of panic shed in Cheng Ruida''s eyes.


    He realized, to his shock, that the Blood Demon had somehow broken free from the sealing nails and chains, escaping its confinement.


    He had beenpletely oblivious to it all!


    Instinctively, Cheng Ruida retreated backward.


    At the same time, a flying sword appeared before him, shing toward the Blood Demon like lightning.


    Beside him, Zuo Shuiyun, seeing the Blood Demon suddenly break free and attack Cheng Ruida, quickly reacted after a momentary daze, summoning her sword light and flying toward the cave exit.


    Just as she was about to rush out, she noticed a flying swording from outside, slicing down into the underground cave.


    Zuo Shuiyun''s heart tightened.


    She thought this flying sword was driven by Cheng Han, aiming to kill her.


    Just as she was about to activate her defensive spirit weapon, she saw the flying sword sweep past her, aimed at Cheng Ruida behind her.


    ...


    Song Wen followed behind Cheng Han, emerging from the underground cave.


    The two flew on their swords and soon reached the guest room.


    "Elder Wu, please rest in the guest room. The family head and Elder Zuo should finish their


    discussion soon," Cheng Han said.


    "Thank you, Brother Cheng," Song Wen replied.


    At the same time, Song Wen estimated the distance from the guest room to the underground


    cave.


    About four hundred meters.


    It exceeded the perception range of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.


    Song Wen spoke, "Brother Cheng, I wish to return to the sect immediately. May I?"


    Cheng Han stared at Song Wen, a puzzled expression on his face.


    "Elder Wu, aren''t you waiting for Elder Zuo?"


    Song Wen replied, "I imagine the Cheng family head has a request that requires Elder Zuo''s assistance. It may take a while to sort out, so I''ll return to the sect and wait for Elder Zuo."


    Cheng Han said, "Elder Wu, if you wish to leave, I certainly won''t stop you. I will inform the family head toe and see you off."


    Song Wen chuckled awkwardly. "There''s no need to trouble the Cheng family head."


    With a flip of his hand, Song Wen produced a cloth bag.


    The bag was about the size of a basin, bulging and heavy.


    "Brother Cheng, please ept this. Here are one hundred mid-grade spirit stones as a token


    of my appreciation. I hope you can graciously ept them."


    Song Wen tossed the bag to Cheng Han, who instinctively caught it but furrowed his brow


    slightly.


    He never expected that Song Wen would offer one hundred mid-grade spirit stones as a bribe


    to leave the Cheng family so quickly.


    After all, Cheng Ruida had no intention of killing Song Wen or Zuo Shuiyun.


    There was no need for Song Wen to go to such lengths.


    Cheng Ruida''s reluctance to let Song Wen leave at this moment was merely to wait until


    matters settled before allowing him and Zuo Shuiyun to depart together.


    After all, Song Wen was leaving for the Beastmaster Sect first.


    If the Beastmaster Sect saw that Zuo Shuiyun had not returned, they might send someone to


    investigate.


    Capturing the Blood Demon would take an unknown amount of time, and if the Beastmaster Sect arrived before it was fully subdued, it could lead to unnecessaryplications.


    Cheng Han said, "Elder Wu, you truly misunderstand. The family head and I have no..."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Song Wen suddenly sprang up, summoning a flying sword


    that shed toward him.


    Cheng Han''s expression turned cold.


    Hmph! Just a trivial skill.


    Cheng Han''s thoughts raced as he gripped a long sword in his hand.


    He was about to raise his sword to block Song Wen''s flying sword when suddenly, he felt a


    sharp pain in his left hand holding the bag.


    Two ck bugs bit through his flesh, burrowing into his palm and crawling up his veins


    toward his heart.


    Cheng Han immediately fell into a state of panic.


    In an instant, he made a decision.


    He swung his right hand, shing at his left arm with the sword.


    At the same time, he formed a protective shield of spiritual energy in front of him to block


    Song Wen''s flying sword.


    The sword light passed, severing his left arm at the shoulder.


    Simultaneously, Song Wen''s flying sword struck the spiritual shield.


    "Bang!"


    Cheng Han was greatly startled as the spiritual shield didn''t even hold for a moment before


    shattering.


    How could this be possible?!


    The opponent was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment and a mere


    alchemist; why was his flying sword so formidable?


    Before Cheng Han could finish this thought, Song Wen''s flying sword had already pierced his


    chest.


    At the same time, the two Sacred Beetles flew out from his severed left arm and burrowed into Cheng Han''s body through the wound, instantly consuming his internal organs.


    Cheng Han didn''t even have time to let out a cry before he lost his breath.


    Song Wen darted to Cheng Han''s side, grabbing his head and starting to perform a soul-


    searching technique.


    From Cheng Han''s memories, Song Wen learned the general situation.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    About eight days ago, Cheng Ruida had returned heavily injured from exploring ancient ruins.


    At that time, Cheng Ruida was still the only Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Cheng


    family.


    His injuries caused great rm among the Cheng family, and they temporarily sealed off the


    family, cutting off all contact with the outside world.


    Cheng Ruida entered seclusion to heal his injuries and only emerged after some time.


    After a period of recovery, Cheng Ruida''s injuries had fully healed.


    With the pir of the Cheng family recovered, everyone rejoiced.


    However, no one expected that Cheng Ruida''s return marked the beginning of the Cheng


    family''s nightmare.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 264: Blood Curse Technique

    Chapter 264: Blood Curse Technique


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Not long after Cheng Ruida exited seclusion, some mortals in the Cheng family fell ill with a strange disease, resulting in nearly a thousand deaths in just a few hours.


    Cheng Ruida informed the n members that this was a highly contagious gue. The bodies


    of the deceased n members had to be taken far away from the family''s location to be burned and buried, to prevent the gue from spreading further.


    Although there were many unreasonable aspects to Cheng Ruida''s ims, no one dared to question or refute him, intimidated by his authority within the n.


    All the bodies of the deceased were collected by Cheng Ruida using his storage ring.


    As for how the bodies were disposed of, no one knew.


    After the bodies were taken away, the strange illness suddenly ceased.


    Half a monthter, just as the Cheng family members began to recover from their sorrow, the illness red up once more, resulting in mass deaths among the n.


    This time, over three thousand people died, including several dozen early-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    A huge panic erupted throughout the Cheng family.


    Various rumors spread.


    Some said the family had been cursed, while others imed enemies hade to seek revenge...


    Many mortals in the Cheng family wished to move out to live elsewhere.


    Under the suppression led by Cheng Ruida and a group of cultivators, such voices quickly vanished.


    In the following two or three days, the Cheng family did not experience any morerge-scale deaths. However, the family was still far from peaceful, with n members frequently going missing for no apparent reason.


    About four days ago, Cheng Han, who had already reached thepletion stage of Qi Refining but struggled to break through to Foundation Establishment, received a precious Foundation Establishment pill from Cheng Ruida.


    Cheng Ruida granted this Foundation Establishment pill to Cheng Han with one condition.


    Cheng Han had to willingly open his consciousness and allow Cheng Ruida to nt a Soul Lock Curse; from then on, his life would be controlled by Cheng Ruida.


    Although reluctant, for the sake of breaking through to Foundation Establishment, gaining greater power, and a longer lifespan, Cheng Han chose to submit.


    After Cheng Han sessfully established his Foundation, Cheng Ruida revealed to him the truth behind the deaths and disappearances in the Cheng family.


    It turned out that Cheng Ruida had obtained a secret technique in an ancient ruin, known as the "Blood Curse Technique."


    This was a vicious blood technique generally used against enemies with deep-seated grudges.


    When the caster used the Blood Curse Technique on an enemy, the cursed person would lose their sanity, ughter their own kin, and devour their flesh and blood.


    The more family members the cursed individual consumed, the stronger they would be.


    To cast the Blood Curse Technique, one required the essence blood of the enemy''s rtives as a medium.


    As the head of a family under the Beastmaster Sect, Cheng Ruida had some knowledge of the beast-taming arts.


    Upon acquiring the Blood Curse Technique, he thought of another use for it.


    He decided to use the Blood Curse Technique to rapidly cultivate a powerful spirit beast.


    Thus, he captured a Qi Refining stage nine spirit monkey and, using the essence blood of his own n members as a medium, cast the Blood Curse Technique on the spirit monkey.


    Cheng Ruida attempted the technique three times in total.


    In the first attempt, he captured five ordinary n members, killing them to extract their blood.


    However, the amount of essence blood was too little, leading to the failure of the Blood Curse Technique.


    Cheng Ruida spected that the differences between beasts and humans might ount for


    the varying requirements of essence blood for casting the technique.


    He then proceeded to the second attempt.


    This time, he killed over a thousand ordinary n members.


    As he expected, with an ample supply of essence blood, the Blood Curse Technique seeded.


    However, not long after, the spirit monkey died inexplicably.


    It was as if the beast''s body had rejected the Blood Curse Technique, causing the technique to forcibly destroy the spirit monkey''s body.


    Unwilling to give up, Cheng Ruida decided to make one final attempt.


    In the third attempt to cast the Blood Curse Technique, he killed over three thousand n


    members.


    This time, the spell was exceptionally sessful.


    Even the physical structure of the spirit monkey waspletely transformed by the Blood Curse Technique, turning it into the current form-a blood demon that was a hybrid of a monkey and a bat.


    The newly born blood demon wasn''t particrly strong, possessing only the strength of a Qi Refining stage nine.


    To prevent the blood demon from being hunted down by unaware members of the Cheng family, Cheng Ruida fed the blood demon for two days.


    During this time, Cheng Ruida would feed it spirit stones, medicinal pills, and the blood of


    Cheng family members.


    After two days, the blood demon advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage.


    The blood demon began to hunt on its own.


    From then on, the difficulties faced by the Cheng family intensified.


    The blood demon rampaged, ughtering Cheng family members, causing their numbers to


    dwindle rapidly.


    Once the blood demon advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, showing signs of maturity, Cheng Ruida knew he could no longer ignore it.


    He reported to the Beastmaster Sect that there were demons causing chaos within the Cheng family and requested that they send an alchemist to assist in exterminating the demon.


    Most of the remaining cultivators in the Cheng family were aware of Cheng Ruida''s actions in raising the blood demon, but the ordinary n members were kept in the dark.


    Moreover, during the time the blood demon was wreaking havoc, many ordinary members of


    the Cheng family wanted to escape, but they were poisoned and controlled by Cheng Ruida.


    Those poisoned had to take an antidote every five days; otherwise, they would endure unbearable itching, ultimately scratching themselves to death.


    ned from Cheng Han''s memories


    Cheng Ruida had once promised Cheng


    Song Wen Han that when the Cheng family had recuperated and their poption recovered, he would help Cheng Han cultivate a blood demon as well.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Cheng Han had also studied the "Blood Curse Technique," which was noted to originate from


    the Divine Blood Gate.


    After devouring Cheng Han''s essence blood and soul, Song Wen stored his body in his storage


    ring.


    At this moment, three Sacred Gu arrived, bringing along three individuals-two dead and one


    alive.


    These three had just witnessed the process of Song Wen ying Cheng Han.


    The two who died were Cheng Wu and Cheng Qi, who had been monitoring Song Wen.


    The one captured alive was Qiu Lu.


    "Senior Wu, please don''t kill me," Qiu Lu said tremblingly.


    Song Wen wore a cold smirk.


    "Miss Qiu Lu, the esteemed daughter of the Cheng family, actually disguising herself as a


    servant-what a shame."


    Song Wen learned about Qiu Lu''s identity from Cheng Han''s memories.


    Qiu Lu had no spiritual root, rendering her incapable of cultivation, and her status in the


    Cheng family should have been very low.


    However,ing from a family of cultivators and being the daughter of the family head, she


    was dissatisfied with the mundane life of a mortal and yearned for powerful abilities and a


    higher status.


    Unable to cultivate herself, she had to rely on powerful cultivators.


    Thus, Qiu Lu used her beauty as leverage, mingling among the cultivators of the Cheng family


    and employing her clever mind to quickly secure a ce for herself.


    She also became another means through which Cheng Ruida controlled the cultivators of the


    Cheng family.


    Upon having her identity exposed by Song Wen, Qiu Lu looked terrified.


    "Senior Wu, I can be your servant, I��"


    Song Wen was toozy to listen to her nonsense, using his spiritual power to wrap her up and


    fly toward the underground cave.


    In the ruins Cheng Ruida visited, there were clues rted to the Divine Blood Gate.


    Song Wen was determined to obtain this segment of memory from Cheng Ruida.


    On the way to the underground cave, Song Wen effortlessly devoured the essence blood and


    souls of Qiu Lu and the two others, also storing their bodies away.


    TL: I frickin'' love this MC


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 265: Each Has Their Own Demands

    Chapter 265: Each Has Their Own Demands


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the Cheng family''s alchemy chamber, underground cave.


    As Zuo Shuiyun had just escaped from the cave''s exit, she saw a flying sword sh toward Cheng Ruida behind her.


    Immediately after, Song Wen''s figure also appeared at the entrance of the underground cave.


    "Junior Brother Wu, what are you doing?" Zuo Shuiyun eximed.


    "Cheng Ruida raises blood demons using his own kin, extinguishing their humanity; such actions are intolerable. He has taken a sect elder hostage to assist in refining evil pills, and his crimes deserve punishment. Now is the perfect time to kill him," Song Wen dered, appearing righteous and filled with a sense of justice.


    The blood demon''s escape was facilitated by the Sacred Gu lurking in the underground cave, which had secretly pulled out the demon-sealing nails that restrained the blood demon.


    Zuo Shuiyun looked shocked.


    It wasn''t that she was surprised Cheng Ruida had raised blood demons from his own kin-she had suspected this all along. Rather, she was astonished that Song Wen dared to act against Cheng Ruida.


    "Where is Cheng Han?" Zuo Shuiyun asked urgently.


    While controlling the flying sword to assist the blood demon in attacking Cheng Ruida, Song Wen replied, "Cheng Han has been ambushed and killed by me. Cheng Ruida''s actions of raising blood demons were mentioned directly by Cheng Han before his death."


    "Senior Sister Zuo, don''t hesitate any longer; this is the best opportunity to eliminate Cheng Ruida. Otherwise, if he defeats the blood demon and frees his hands, it will be difficult for both of us to escape death," Song Wen urged.


    Zuo Shuiyun turned to look at Cheng Ruida.


    The blood demon moved agilely, its form twisting and turning, appearing ghost-like and elusive.


    Although the blood demon was injured, its nimble movements, coupled with Song Wen''s flying sword beside it, allowed it to harass Cheng Ruida and barely hold him off.


    Cheng Ruida had just directed the refining of a blood puppet spirit pill, which had consumed a significant amount of his spiritual power and mental energy, so he wasn''t in peak condition at the moment.


    Moreover, due to the limited space of the underground cave, he couldn''t create distance between himself and the blood demon and was forced to engage in close-quartersbat. This allowed the blood demon''s strengths in closebat to shine.


    With gritted teeth, Zuo Shuiyun summoned her flying sword and charged at Cheng Ruida.


    With two flying swords providing support, the blood demon felt like a fish in water, increasing its offensive capabilities.


    Cheng Ruida, however, found himself in a difficult position, forced to defend.


    He knew he could not continue like this; otherwise, he would be exhausted of spiritual power and lose.


    Holding his sword in his right hand, he cleaved at Zuo Shuiyun''s flying sword.


    At the same time, he slightly shifted his body, skillfully avoiding the blood demon''s sharp ws.


    However, the blood energy unleashed from the ws still struck his left shoulder, leaving three deep wounds visible to the bone.


    Suddenly, a short dagger appeared in Cheng Ruida''s left hand, and as the blood demon brushed past him, he drove the dagger into the blood demon''s waist.


    The dagger pierced into its body, and the fierce de energy wreaked havoc within the blood demon.


    Its movements became erratic, its body losing control, and after a few yards, it crashed heavily to the ground.


    Cheng Ruida paid the price of his injury to temporarily incapacitate the blood demon.


    Just then, Song Wen''s flying sword struck.


    The flying sword shot forward like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, piercing toward Cheng Ruida''s back when he was unprepared.


    Cheng Ruida was taken aback; time was too short to activate a defensive spiritual barrier, so he could only channel his spiritual power to form a spiritual shield.


    Before the spiritual shield could fully coalesce, the flying sword suddenly elerated.


    Not good! This person has concealed his true strength!


    This thought shed through Cheng Ruida''s mind.


    Then he felt a sharp pain in his back.


    The flying sword pierced through his body and flew out in front of him.


    Carried by the force of the flying sword, Cheng Ruida was thrown forward.


    Before he could hit the ground, Zuo Shuiyun''s flying sword struck again.


    The sword light shed and vanished in an instant.


    Cheng Ruida was decapitated by a single stroke.


    Song Wen leaped forward,nding beside Cheng Ruida.


    At the same time, Zuo Shuiyun''s figure transformed into a remnant shadow and approached.


    However, she stopped beside the blood demon.


    Cheng Ruida''s short dagger waspletely embedded in the blood demon''s body, inflicting significant wounds, and it was already on the brink of death.


    Seeing Cheng Ruida beheaded, the blood demon''s crimson eyes revealed a gleam of vengeful satisfaction, akin to human emotions.


    It had been subjected to a blood curse by Cheng Ruida, transforming it into a blood demon, and it had endured unimaginable suffering during the process.


    In the early days of bing a blood demon, it was confused, and its actions were controlled


    by the blood curse, making it act almost like a puppet, unable to resist.


    It chased after Cheng''s family members, devouring their corpses, all under the influence of


    the blood curse, like apulsive instinct.


    As it matured, its intelligence began to grow rapidly, gradually realizing that Cheng Ruida


    was its greatest enemy.


    This was why, after escaping, it attacked Cheng Ruida without hesitation.


    Zuo Shuiyun sent a surge of spiritual power into the blood demon, helping it force out the


    short dagger and the residual de energy inside.


    Then, she took out two healing pills for spirit beasts and fed them to the blood demon,


    temporarily saving its life.


    She also collected the demon-sealing nails that had fallen on the ground and pierced them back into the blood demon''s body, re-imprisoning it.


    While Zuo Shuiyun was capturing the blood demon, Song Wen had already inspected Cheng


    Ruida''s storage ring.


    He found a blood-colored token among its contents.


    This token was somewhat simr to the token for the "Blood King''s Corpse Refining


    Method," but it appeared rougher and bore no inscriptions.


    Silently, Song Wen ced the blood token into his own storage ring.


    Zuo Shuiyun turned around just in time to see Song Wen holding Cheng Ruida''s storage ring.


    "Junior Brother Wu, it seems we have a share," she said.


    Song Wen looked up, meeting Zuo Shuiyun''s gaze.


    "What does Senior Sister Zuo think is the best way to distribute it?"


    "Naturally, we split it evenly."


    Song Wen''s eyes scanned the blood demon.


    Zuo Shuiyun had immediately tended to the blood demon; he could see through her


    intentions clearly.


    Cheng Ruida had meticulously nurtured the blood demon at the cost of sacrificing tens of thousands of his kin, aiming to subdue it as his spirit beast.


    Now that Cheng Ruida was dead and the blood demon heavily injured and captured, Zuo


    Shuiyun would not miss this great opportunity.


    After all, she had no spirit beasts of her own.


    "How should we allocate the blood demon?" Song Wen asked.


    Zuo Shuiyun''s expression showed she was reluctant to part with anything.


    "The blood demon and the blood puppet refining method belong to me; everything else belongs to you," she stated.


    Song Wen smiled lightly. "Then it shall be as Senior Sister says."


    He took the blood puppet refining method from his storage ring and tossed it to Zuo Shuiyun.


    Then, he stored away Cheng Ruida''s corpse and turned to leave towards the exit.


    Once outside the cave, Song Wen noticed that Zuo Shuiyun hadn''t followed but was collecting


    the concealment formation ced in the cave.


    Seizing the opportunity, he activated the Soul Binding Technique to trap Cheng Ruida''s soul


    within his head.


    A momentter, Zuo Shuiyun, carrying the blood demon, approached Song Wen.


    The two mounted their swords and left the Cheng family.


    Half an hourter.


    They arrived at a high mountain several hundred miles away from the Cheng family.


    On a cliff, they temporarily opened two caves separated by several hundred meters, eachn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    entering their respective cave.


    On the surface, it appeared that they were staying here to recuperate, restoring their spiritual


    power and mental energy.


    In reality, each had their own agenda.


    Song Wen sought to interrogate Cheng Ruida''s soul.


    Zuo Shuiyun aimed to subdue the blood demon.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 266: The Ancient Great Hall

    Chapter 266: The Ancient Great Hall


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    One hourter.


    Zuo Shuiyun arrived outside Song Wen''s cave.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I need to disturb you for a moment; I have something to discuss."


    Song Wen removed the formation and stepped out of the cave, asking, "Is Senior Sister Zuo preparing to set off back to the sect?"


    Zuo Shuiyun shook her head.


    "I have gained some insights and have decided to enter seclusion here for a while. I came to inform you that if you''re in a hurry to return to the sect, you can go back alone."


    Zuo Shuiyun had just attempted to establish a spirit beast soul contract with the blood demon, but it had not gone smoothly. Even though the blood demon was severely injured, the soul contract still failed.


    This made her realize that subduing the blood demon was not so easy.


    Cheng Ruida had gone to great lengths to refine the blood puppet spirit pill for a reason.


    She needed to weaken the blood demon''s intelligence first by having it consume the blood puppet spirit pill to have any chance of sessfully signing the soul contract.


    This task was not suitable forpletion within the Beastmaster Sect.


    Thus, she decided to subdue the blood demon before returning to the Beastmaster Sect.


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen furrowed his brow in thought.


    He had just conducted a soul search on Cheng Ruida.


    He learned that eight years ago, Cheng Ruida discovered the location of an ancient site rted to the Blood Curse Technique.


    The ancient site was not far from here, just about a thousand miles away.


    The site contained clues about the Divine Blood Gate, which was linked to the "Corpse King


    Blood Refining Technique," and Song Wen was interested in exploring it.


    "I have some personal matters to attend to and do not n to return to the sect immediately," Song Wen replied.


    Zuo Shuiyun''s eyes lit up. "How long do you need to handle your personal matters, Junior Brother Wu?"


    "Shortest would be half a month, longest a month," Song Wen said casually.


    "Then how about we meet here a monthter and return to the sect together?" Zuo Shuiyun suggested, estimating that she would have enough time to subdue the blood demon in a month.


    Song Wen nodded, "Alright, a monthter, I wille here to find you, Senior Sister."


    After saying that, Song Wen mounted his flying sword and soared into the air, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    Zuo Shuiyun watched his departing figure until itpletely vanished into the horizon, then slowly withdrew her gaze.


    Her brows furrowed tightly as she pondered for a long time.


    Gradually, her expression became resolute.


    Zuo Shuiyun shed into the cave.


    One dayter.


    In a valley surrounded by mountains.


    The spiritual energy here was thin and deste, with neither cultivators nor ordinary people passing through; not even a slightly powerful beast could be found.


    ording to Cheng Ruida''s memories, the entrance to the ancient site was located within this


    valley.


    With a sh of sword light, Song Wen descended to the valley floor.


    A deep cave, washed out by rainwater, appeared before him.


    The cave entrance was notrge, about three feet wide, extending vertically downward, enveloped in darkness.


    Although Cheng Ruida''s memories indicated that there were no dangers inside the cave, Song Wen did not recklessly enter.


    He sent his spiritual sense into the deep cave.


    The cave was deep, extending over a thousand meters downward, leading to a spacious underground chamber.


    The chamber covered more than a hundred acres, crossed by a dark underground river.


    The river flowed rapidly, resembling a giant python slithering underground.


    The water churned, carrying mud and stones, asionally swirling into vortices, with


    currents surging.


    Two Sacred Gu fluttered their wings and flew into the deep cave. After confirming once again that the underground cave was safe, Song Wen jumped in.


    Entering the underground cave, Song Wen flew up to the top of a stone wall that rose a hundred meters high, severely eroded and uneven.


    On the stone wall, there was a stone cavity about ten feet square.


    Back then, Cheng Ruida and a friend discovered a skeletal remains in this stone cavity.


    The remains belonged to an unknown creature that had died countless years ago, yet the bones had not decayed or eroded.


    Cheng Ruida concluded that the creature''s original body must have been incredibly strong, allowing its bones to withstand the ravages of time and remain intact after so many years.


    On the right-hand index finger of the skeleton was an ancient storage ring.


    Upon seeing the storage ring for the first time, Cheng Ruida was certain it contained ancient treasures, which led him to harbor malicious intentions and ambush his friend.


    However, he was gravely injured by his friend''s desperate final strike before death.


    To Cheng Ruida''s disappointment, the storage ring he obtained at the cost of his injuries contained no magical treasures or spiritual artifacts, only a number of pills and spirit stones that had decayed into a pile of lifeless powder over the long passage of time.


    The only thing he could salvage was a token that recorded the Blood Curse Technique.


    After thoroughly investigating the cave and the stone wall, Song Wen found nothing of value.


    There were no exits like stone doors, nor did he find any hidden passages. Had it not been for


    the rainwater that eroded the cave entrance, this ce would have been apletely enclosed space.


    This left him somewhat disappointed. Having traveled thousands of miles to this location, he


    had hoped to find clues about the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," only to end up


    empty-handed.


    The only area left that he had not explored was the dark river.


    Just as Song Wen was considering whether to stay or leave, the ground of the cave, piled high


    with countless fragments of stone, suddenly lit up with a blue glow.


    Song Wen was taken aback and had no time to summon his flying sword before feeling a


    sudden vertigo.


    Then, the blue light vanished, and Song Wen disappeared from the underground cave.


    ...


    In a ce deep underground, there was a massive underground cavity.


    At the center of this cavity stood an ancient great hall.


    The great hall was constructed from countless giant stones, each filled with the marks of


    time.


    On the stone doors and walls of the hall were carved some ancient and bizarre patterns, whichn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    emitted a faint glow in the dim cave.


    In front of the great hall, there was a za.


    Surrounding the za were thirteen towering statues.


    These sculptures were humanoid, but they had wings growing from their backs, fangs in their


    mouths, and twisted, ferocious faces.


    Opposite the great hall, a waterfall cascaded from the ceiling of the cave, with roaring water


    creating a thunderous sound.


    Below the waterfall was a bottomless pool, the depths unknown, which swallowed all the


    water flowing down from above.


    On the za.


    Three groups of people were tense and in a standoff.


    Thergest group had eight members, all dressed in matching blue garments, clearly from


    some cultivation family.


    The smallest group had only four members, donned in cassocks with shiny, shaved heads, indicating they were Buddhist cultivators.


    Another group consisted of several individuals with mixed clothing, identified as loose


    cultivators.


    Everyone present revealed their cultivation levels to be in the Foundation Establishment


    stage.


    On the ground, there were two corpses that had recently died, bright red blood flowing from


    the bodies and staining the stone floor crimson.


    The atmosphere on the za was heavy, yet none of the factions acted rashly.


    It was as if they feared disturbing the thirteen statues guarding the ancient great hall.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 267: Blood Cloud Cave

    Chapter 267: Blood Cloud Cave


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Miaofa, you bald donkey, how dare you follow us secretly into the Blood Cloud Cave!"


    The speaker was a tall member of a cultivation family.


    The person referred to as Miaofa was a short and stout monk.


    With his palms pressed together, the monk wore apassionate expression of pity on his face.


    "Tang Fu, this Blood Cloud Cave is a no-man''snd. How can you say that we monks have sneaked in?"


    Tang Fu shouted angrily.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I went through great trouble with Alliance Leader Zhong to reach this ce. You bald donkeys are just tailing behind us, reaping the benefits for free!"


    Facing Tang Fu''s scolding, Miaofa remained calm andposed.


    "Since ancient times, treasures have a virtue to reside with them. I have calcted that this ce has a connection to our Buddha and should rightfully belong to the Buddhist family."


    "Pah! Even a fool knows that this Blood Cloud Cave is a stronghold of demonic forces, which has nothing to do with your Buddhism! Not only did you sneak in, but you also ambushed and killed two of Alliance Leader Zhong''s subordinates, which activated the prohibitions here."


    "Now, this Blood Cloud Cave can only be entered, not exited. The thirteen stone statues also show signs of being activated, all because of you bald donkeys who speak ofpassion but have wicked hearts."


    Tang Fu looked like he wanted to tear the other party to shreds, but due to the prohibitions in this area and the thirteen stone statues in the za, he dared not act.


    If another person were to die in this za, it could likely trigger the activation of the statues.


    Miaofa gazed at the two corpses on the ground, disying a face full of sorrow.


    "After leaving the temple, I will certainly chant the Rebirth Mantra a thousand times for these two wronged individuals to help them reach paradise quickly."


    Tang Fu''s eyes zed with fury, like a roaring fire ready to burn Miaofa to ashes.


    "Everyone, let''s stop arguing. Right now, we can only cooperate and cannot turn on each other," spoke a loose cultivator.


    He was the leader of the loose cultivators mentioned by Tang Fu, Zhong Liang.


    A smile appeared on Miaofa''s face.


    "Zhong, you are absolutely right."


    However, Tang Fu was somewhat unwilling to cooperate with Miaofa and the others.


    "Hmph! Who knows if these bald donkeys will stab us in the back again?"


    Miaofa said, "Tang, please rest assured. Just now, it was my oversight, and I did not know that killing would trigger the prohibitions here. Now that I know, how could I dare tomit murder again?"


    "Moreover, in exploring ancient ruins, there is no guarantee that no one will die. Why must you dwell on it so much?"


    "This ce has been abandoned for many years, yet the prohibitions still function normally, which is indeed unexpected. We should discuss how to enter this grand hall before us."


    Before Miaofa could finish speaking, a blue light suddenly illuminated the za, causing everyone to squint their eyes.


    The crowd was a bit startled, but aside from the blue light, no other danger appeared.


    After a moment, the blue light dissipated, and a figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of


    the great hall.


    "A teleportation array!"


    Everyone in the za became vignt, their gazes fixed on the figure at the entrance of the great hall.


    "Who are you? Why have youe here?"


    Tang Fu questioned sternly.


    The person was Song Wen, who had been mysteriously teleported here.


    After a brief moment of shock, Song Wen quickly regained hisposure.


    He looked at Tang Fu with fear on his face and stammered,


    "Senior, I am a loose cultivator. By chance, I discovered an ancient cave, and while exploring


    it, I don''t know why the teleportation array in the cave suddenly activated, transporting me to


    this ce."


    Tang Fu, Alliance Leader Zhong, and Miaofa exchanged nces, all showing an understanding expression.


    It seemed they had inadvertently triggered the prohibitions, which activated the teleportation array in Song Wen''s cave and brought him here.


    Song Wen was merely an unsuspecting loose cultivator who had been caught up in this ce.


    "Rumble!"


    Inside the great hall, a loud noise suddenly erupted as the stone doors slowly opened.


    Zhong Liang, Miaofa, and Tang Fu exchanged wary nces.


    They had put in great effort toe to this ce, and their sole purpose was the treasures within the great hall. Now that they were trapped here, the only potential escape route was likely within this grand hall.


    Just a moment ago, the three parties were discussing cooperation, but now signs of imminent copse began to appear.


    "You, get out of the way! Don''t block the entrance!"


    Tang Fu, with his gaze fixed on the gradually opening stone doors, shouted loudly at Song


    Wen.


    "Understood, senior!"


    Song Wen looked terrified and dared not dy for a moment, retreating to the edge of the


    za.


    As Song Wen moved toward the edge of the za, a sudden pressure arose.


    The closer he got to the za''s edge, the stronger the pressure became. He hadn''t even reached the edge before the weight nearly made it impossible for him to stand.


    "Gravitational prohibition!"


    Song Wen was rmed.


    The gravitational prohibition was extremely strong, and with Song Wen''s current cultivation level and physical strength, he absolutely couldn''t leave the confines of the za.


    When the stone doors of the great hall fully opened, each of the three factions sent a


    representative inside.


    A momentter, voices from the great hall indicated that it was safe and signaled for


    everyone to enter.


    Before long, only Song Wen remained in the za.


    Although there might be treasures inside the great hall, Song Wen wasn''t in a hurry to enter.


    He wanted to first survey the surroundings and confirm his current situation before deciding


    on his next move.


    He instinctively released his Sacred Gu but found that it fell to the ground.


    "Spatial prohibition!" Song Wen was taken aback.


    He attempted to use his flying technique and sword control technique, only to discover that


    he couldn''t fly off the ground.


    He extended his spiritual sense, only to find that it too was restricted; his spiritual sense


    could only explore within the za and could not extend beyond its boundaries.


    With a gravitational prohibition preventing him from leaving the za, a spatial prohibition hindering flight, and limited spiritual sense, he feltpletely trapped.


    "I really am stuck here. Even the Substitute Corpse Technique can''t help me escape. I wonder


    if the Blood Escape Technique will work."


    Song Wen thought to himself.


    Since his spiritual sense couldn''t reach beyond the za, he had to rely on his eyes.


    He conjured a fireball in each hand and tossed them upward. As soon as the two fireballs left


    his hands, they plummeted straight to the ground, exploding in front of him.


    Feeling quite helpless, Song Wen had hoped to observe his surroundings with the light of the


    fire.


    Even his spells were affected by the gravitational prohibition.


    He took out a glowstone the size of a washbasin, raised it above his head, and infused it with


    spiritual energy.


    Instantly, the glowstone emitted a brilliant light.


    With the light from the glowstone, Song Wen managed to see the entirety of the Blood Cloud


    Cave.


    Directly in front of the grand hall, about fifty paces away, was a deep cave entrance, from


    which Tang Fu and the others must have entered.


    Not far from the cave entrance was a waterfall cascading down.


    An idea sparked in Song Wen''s mind as he recalled a dark river he had seen earlier; he


    spected that this might be the river''s lower reaches.


    If he could swim upstream, perhaps he could find a way out.


    The thirteen stone statues in the za glimmered with an eerie red glow in their eyes, as if


    they might spring to life at any moment.


    The two corpses on the ground had already turned into mummies; their blood had long since disappeared, leaving only a dried stain on the ground.


    After thoroughly surveying the entire za, Song Wen turned and headed into the grand hall.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 268: The Thunder Law Displays Its Might

    Chapter 268: The Thunder Law Disys Its Might


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The great hall was divided into the main hall, left and right side halls, and a back hall, with numerous rooms inside.


    The cultivators from the Tang family and the scattered cultivators led by Zhong Liang searched each of the rooms.


    Tang Fu and Zhong Liang remained standing in the main hall without moving.


    Miaofa, apanied by three monks, stood not far from Tang Fu, not participating in the search.


    After entering the great hall, he had used his spiritual sense to investigate. The entire hall was empty except for the walls and pirs, and there were no treasures to be found.


    Miaofa knew nothing about the Blood Cloud Cave; he had followed Tang Fu and Zhong Liang to gain entry.


    As for what treasures Tang Fu and the others were searching for deep inside the Blood Cloud Cave, he was unaware.


    Fortunately, he simply decided to wait and see, staying close to Tang Fu and Zhong Liang.


    A momentter, a cultivator approached Tang Fu.


    "Tang Si, have you found anything?"


    Tang Si replied, "Reporting to Elder, there are no discoveries."


    Tang Fu''s expression darkened as he said, "Continue searching."


    Another cultivator approached Zhong Liang to report. After hearing the report, Zhong Liang''s expression was cold.


    He turned to Tang Fu, and they exchanged nces, both shaking their heads.


    Neither side had made any discoveries.


    Seeing this, Miaofa smiled slightly.


    "Gentlemen, it seems you have not found the treasures you seek. Why not be honest and share what you''re looking for? Perhaps we can find something together."


    Tang Fu turned and red at Miaofa.


    "Miaofa, don''t think you can take advantage of us. If it weren''t for the prohibition against killing here, I would have long since wiped out you bald donkeys."


    A momentter, Song Wen stepped into the great hall.


    He observed the Tang family cultivators and scattered cultivators searching around like headless flies, seemingly finding nothing.


    At this moment, Song Wen did not wish to sh with them, so he simply found a corner to stand in, appearing to close his eyes and rest, while in reality, his spiritual sense remained vignt of his surroundings.


    Half an hourter.


    The Tang family cultivators and the scattered cultivators had searched the entire great hall multiple times, ultimately finding nothing useful, and finally gave up in frustration.


    They gathered in the main hall around Tang Fu and Zhong Liang.


    Tang Fu and Zhong Liang weremunicating silently, discussing something unknown.


    Taking the opportunity, Song Wen entered the left side hall.


    The left hall contained numerous rooms-over a hundred-but all were empty; not even a single meditation mat could be found.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Song Wen climbed up a pir to observe his surroundings from above but found nothing.


    Returning to the ground, Song Wen moved into the back hall and then to the right hall, again finding nothing.


    From the traces on the stone floor, it was clear that a long time ago, someone had emptied the entire great hall.


    When Song Wen returned to the main hall, it was already empty.


    Tang Fu and the others had moved outside to the za.


    Song Wen also exited the great hall and found a spot near it, distancing himself from Tang Fu and the others, and sat down on the ground.


    Now, he was trapped here along with Tang Fu and the others.


    He could only hope that Tang Fu and the others, who had a better understanding of this ce, could unlock the restrictions here so they could leave.


    After several hours, Tang Fu and the others could neither find the treasures they sought nor think of a way to escape. Ultimately, their gaze fell upon the thirteen stone statues in the


    za.


    Within the entire Blood Cloud Cave, only these thirteen stone statues remained enigmatic.


    The red glow emanating from the eyes of the statues consistently gave the impression that they were alive.


    Such oddities in the statues caused everyone to instinctively keep their distance.


    Since they were trapped here, they could only ce their hopes on the stone statues.


    Tang Fu nced at Song Wen and signaled to one of his subordinates.


    This subordinate, a tall and strong man in the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, got up


    and walked toward Song Wen.


    "Kid, get up, and prepare to attack the stone statue."


    The man approached Song Wen, about ten feet away, and ordered him in amanding tone.


    This person was a body refinement cultivator, over seven feet tall, and his imposing figure created an overwhelming sense of pressure.


    Due to the anti-flying restrictions in the za, spiritual energy could not be used for flight. At


    this moment, only a body refinement cultivator could exert their full strength.


    This was why Tang Fu chose him to force Song Wen into submission.


    As Song Wen stood up, he transformed from his earlier timid demeanor into one of icy


    resolve.


    "Get lost!"


    "You brat, are you seeking death!"


    The strong man''s face showed anger as he clenched his iron fist and swung it down toward


    Song Wen.


    Feeling the chill, Song Wen''s eyes shed with killing intent.


    In his left hand, a small shield appeared, which expanded to the size of a basin in the wind.


    A phantom of arge snake surged from the shield, its mouth wide open, ready to bite the strong man.


    This shield, named the Turtle-Snake Shield, was a mid-grade defensive artifact obtained


    from Shi Shou.


    When Song Wen first received the Turtle-Snake Shield, he was only at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment and couldn''t unleash its true power. Since he had many life-saving methods, he had never used this treasure.


    After advancing to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment with the Long-Haired Skill, his


    spiritual energy was sufficient to control the Turtle-Snake Shield, so he refined it for


    emergencies.


    The iron fist smashed into the phantom of therge snake.


    As the snake phantom was ethereal, the strong man''s attack was greatly diminished, its


    momentum rapidly declining.


    Seizing the opportunity, Song Wen charged forward with his short spear.


    When the spear was less than an inch from the strong man''s abdomen, it was suddenly


    grasped tightly by arge iron hand the size of a palm fan.


    "Hmph, trying to use underhanded tactics," the strong man said disdainfully in a cold voice.


    He swung his head andunched a headbutt with the force of a mountain crashing into Song


    Wen''s face.


    At that moment, arge amount of thunder surged from the short spear.


    The thunder rushed like a torrent, wildly crashing into the strong man.


    The strong man''s body was instantly struck by the electric current, causing his body to stiffen.


    Taking advantage of this, the short spear broke free from the strong man''s grasp and plunged


    into his abdomen.


    "The strong man''s eyes widened in terror and disbelief.


    "Stop!"


    Tang Fu, watching from the side, shouted loudly.


    The development had urred too quickly, and without the ability to summon his flying


    sword to defend, he couldn''t save the situation in time.


    "You can''t kill..."


    But how could Song Wen heed his words? The moment he decided to take action, he had no


    intention of letting the strong man survive.


    The thunder coursed through the short spear, invading the strong man''s body and instantly


    shattering his internal organs.


    Following that, the strong man''s body suddenly exploded into pieces, scattering everywhere.


    Thunder-type techniques are renowned for their rapid attacks and their ability to restrain dark and evil entities.


    Previously, when Song Wen used thunder-type techniques against opponents whose


    cultivation levels far surpassed his own, it seemed the thunderw was not particrly strong.


    However, when facing a cultivator of equal cultivation level, Song Wen had absorbed the thunder essence from within the Azure Bull, and the thunder techniques he refined finally disyed their true power.


    Moreover, taking him by surprise, the strong man had little chance to resist and was easily


    killed.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 269: The Ancient Corpse Coffin

    Chapter 269: The Ancient Corpse Coffin


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen coldly looked at Tang Fu and the others.


    There were a total of seventeen people on the opposing side, among which Tang Fu, Zhong Liang, and Miao Fa were all at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Additionally, Miao Fa and his threepanions were Buddhist cultivators, and their Buddhist techniques had a certain restraining effect on the silver corpses and ghost kings.


    Facing so many Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would be difficult for Song Wen to fight and win, but he certainly had no problem defending himself.


    Tang Fu''s expression was ferocious, and his demeanor was filled with vignce. His spiritual sense continuously scanned the thirteen stone statues, fearing any sudden changes.


    "How dare you kill him? How dare you kill someone in this za?"


    Not only was Tang Fu panicked, but most of the others were as well.


    This made Song Wen feel somewhat puzzled, but he quickly realized the reason.


    Killing was not allowed here!


    No wonder Tang Fu and the others did not attack him upon seeing a stranger abruptly intruding into the Blood Cloud Cave.


    With a serious expression, Song Wen focused on the stone statues surrounding him.


    "Crack!"


    A slight sound of stone breaking echoed.


    Instantly, everyone''s nerves were on edge.


    They saw a stone statue''s finger twitch slightly, causing a piece of debris to fall from its joint.


    "Crack, crack, crack..."


    The sound of stones cracking continued to ring out.


    The eyes of the thirteen stone statues glowed with a bloody light.


    "Boom!"


    One stone statue slowly raised its left foot and took a step forward.


    "Boom, boom, boom..."


    Soon, all the stone statues came to life.


    Initially, these statues moved slowly, like people who had been sitting for a long time and were stiff all over. But as time passed, they gradually became more agile.


    The stone statues lightly shook their wings behind them. Due to the anti-flying restrictions, they could not take off from the ground, yet they suddenly lunged forward, attacking the nearby cultivators.


    "Bang!"


    A cultivator holding a longsword shed at the giant hand of a stone statue.


    The cultivator was knocked back several steps.


    In contrast, the stone statue only lost a few fragments from its palm and did not pause for a moment, continuing to pounce toward the cultivator.


    Tang Fu''s expression shifted from shock to joy.


    However, as all the stone statues left their original positions, one of the statues revealed a deep, bottomless entrance where it had been standing.


    This was the entrance to the treasure cave he had been searching for all along.


    "Dodge the stone statues and enter the cave!" Tang Fu shouted, leading the way toward the entrance.


    Although the stone statues were powerful and had robust bodies, at that moment, they had just awakened and were slightly sluggish.


    Tang Fu maneuvered around two stone statues and was the first to leap into the deep cave.


    Following closely was Miao Fa, who jumped in with three monks.


    Next came Zhong Liang.


    Afterward, other cultivators from the Tang family and scattered cultivators followed suit, entering the deep cave one after another.


    Among them, Song Wen was the farthest from the deep cave.


    He unleashed a massive amount of lightning, his figure moving like a bolt of lightning as he swiftly rushed toward the cave.


    In front of the cave entrance, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Tang family was preparing to jump in.


    Suddenly, a bolt of thunder struck from behind him. His expression changed, and he quickly activated his spiritual energy shield.


    The lightning hit the shield.


    The shield swayed but did not shatter.


    However, the immense impact caused his body to lose control, sending him flying forward


    just as he collided with the giant hand of a stone statue.


    "Bang!"


    The person was sent flying by a giant palm, crashing heavily to the ground not far away.


    This strike left him seriously injured, his body mangled and bloodied.


    Before he could get up, a massive foot came down.


    "Boom!"


    It stomped down, turning him into a bloody mess.


    Meanwhile, Song Wen seized the opportunity and rushed into the deep cave.


    The cave descended sharply, seemingly endless.


    As soon as he entered the deep cave, Song Wen realized that the anti-flying and gravity


    restrictions had disappeared.


    He did not rush down immediately, instead heading downward cautiously.


    He released his spiritual sense and found that the depth of the cave exceeded the range of his


    perception.


    Within his sensing range, there were no traces of any cultivators; those who had entered the deep cave before him had already vanished.


    Song Wen unleashed the Sacred Gu, which began probing downwards.


    He guarded a few meters below the cave entrance, three long lightning spears hovering


    before him, ready to strike.


    After a few breaths, a figure of a Tang family cultivator appeared above the cave entrance.


    The three lightning spears shot forth like arrows released from a bow, aiming at the cave entrance.


    The Tang family cultivator''s expression shifted as he hurriedly tried to dodge to the side.


    But the distance between them was too close, and in his urgency, he failed to evadepletely. Two of the spears pierced through him from below, and his flesh was instantly shredded into pieces.


    At this time, four people remained on the za. Witnessing the death of the Tang family


    cultivator, they dared not rush into the deep cave, and with nowhere to escape from the thirteen stone statues, they ultimately met their end at the hands of the statues.


    The stone statues did not chase into the deep pit; once there were no living people left in the za, they stopped in ce, remaining motionless.


    Following the pit down several dozen meters, Song Wen finally reached the ground.


    This was an underground river, with the water flowing rapidly.


    Using the Sacred Gu, which hade down earlier to scout, Song Wen learned that Tang Fu


    and the others were moving downstream along the dark river.


    He concealed his aura and followed behind.


    After traveling forward for over ten meters, a massive undergroundke appeared before him.


    In the center of theke stood a bare rocky ind, on which an ancient stone hall towered.


    The stone hall was grand and majestic, nearly upying the entire small ind.


    The ten individuals who had arrived here before Song Wen had already entered the stone hall


    at the center of theke.


    Inside the stone hall, intense waves of spiritual energy and sounds of battle could be heard.


    Song Wen concealed his aura and hid among the scattered rocks beside theke, not rushing


    into theke''s center.


    At that moment, a Sacred Gu quietly infiltrated the stone hall at theke''s center.


    Inside the stone hall.


    Dozens of withered corpses, skeletal and emaciated, were attacking Tang Fu and the others.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    These corpses appeared fragile, yet their bodies were indestructible. Their strength wasparable to mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, which left Tang Fu and the others struggling to cope.


    Even Tang Fu, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, could only repel them, unable to


    destroy the corpses'' physical forms.


    However, Miao Fa and the other three monks disyed considerable destructive power.


    Buddhist techniques had a strong restraining effect on the corpses.


    Miao Fa wielded a golden bowl that radiated golden light, illuminating the corpses.


    The corpses immediately seemed struck by lightning, the dense stench of decay rapidly evaporating from their bodies, and they let out mournful wails.


    In the center of the stone hall, there was a high tform with a ten-foot-long bronze corpse


    coffin ced upon it.


    The coffin was covered in patches of green patina, as if it had been sealed for many years


    without being opened. Its presence filled the entire stone hall with an ancient and deste aura, evoking a sense of reverence.


    Four even more powerful corpses stood motionless beside the coffin, showing no sign of moving even with the intrusion of Tang Fu and the others.


    After more than a moment, Tang Fu and the others joined forces to clear out the ordinary


    corpses. Of the more than ten corpses, over half were dispatched by the four monks.


    "Miao Fa, Zhong Liang, what do you n to do next?" Tang Fu asked, looking at the four corpses on the high tform.


    These four corpses wererger and more robust, their strength clearly far exceeding that of


    the previous corpses.


    "Could you tell this poor monk what you are seeking?" Miao Fa inquired.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 270: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole

    Chapter 270: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zhong Liang looked at Tang Fu, his eyes filled with questions.


    Considering that they needed to rely on Miao Fa and the others'' Buddhist teachings to deal with the zombies, Tang Fu thought for a moment and nodded, indicating to Zhong Liang that he could exin their reason foring here.


    Zhong Liang swallowed a recovery elixir, refining it as he spoke.


    The Loose Cultivator Alliance was a very loose organization, primarily aimed at helping scattered cultivatorsmunicate and exchange cultivation experiences.


    Those who joined the Loose Cultivator Alliance were mostly weak cultivators without significant backgrounds or supporters.


    In the Loose Cultivator Alliance, there were no cultivators above the Golden Core stage. Zhong Liang was the leader of the alliance and also its highest-ranking cultivator.


    About a decade ago, a Qi Refining early-stage cultivator from the alliance found an ancient jade slip in a small river.


    The jade slip recorded information about a force known as Blood Cloud Cave, detailing its past strength and glory, as well as the process of its destruction, apanied by a map to enter Blood Cloud Cave.


    After finding the jade slip, the loose cultivator believed that entering such an ancient secret realm as Blood Cloud Cave was beyond the reach of a mere Qi Refining early-stage cultivator.


    Thus, he handed the jade slip over to the leader, Zhong Liang, in exchange for a reward.


    Zhong Liang, who had been stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years without finding the opportunity to break through, became greedy after obtaining the jade slip. He wanted to find the chance to break through to the next stage from Blood Cloud Cave.


    So he began to study the jade slip carefully, trying to determine the location of Blood Cloud


    Cave.


    However, possibly due to the age of the jade slip, the recorded ce names were vastly different from those in the current cultivation world.


    With just his and the Loose Cultivator Alliance''s power, it was difficult to find the Blood Cloud Cave in the vast cultivation world.


    Thus, he sought help from his friend Tang Fu.


    The Tang family was a declining cultivation family. Decades ago, after thest Golden Core elder of the family passed away, although there were many Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Tang family, they had never produced a new Golden Core powerhouse.


    Tang Fu, as the eldest elder of the Tang family, was the most powerful person in the family, also stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years.


    The two quickly teamed up to begin examining ancient texts in search of the Blood Cloud Cave''s location.


    Although the Tang family had declined, as a once-prominent Golden Core cultivation family, its foundation was deep and far beyond that of a loose cultivator like Zhong Liang.


    Among the ancient books collected by the Tang family, they found records about Blood Cloud Cave.


    Blood Cloud Cave was a demonic force from tens of thousands of years ago, seemingly a subordinate force of the demonic leader at that time. For unknown reasons, it waster destroyed by the demonic leader.


    Even though they found the records of Blood Cloud Cave, tens of thousands of years had passed, and the world had changed drastically; locating the exact position of Blood Cloud Cave was not easy.


    After several more days of searching, Tang Fu and Zhong Liang finally found the location of Blood Cloud Cave.


    After hearing Zhong Liang''s ount, Miao Fa asked with some surprise, "So you don''t know what treasures are actually here?"


    Tang Fu replied, "Blood Cloud Cave has been destroyed for tens of thousands of years. Even if there are some remaining spiritual herbs, they have probably long since lost their spiritual energy and turned to dust. Even ordinary spiritual artifacts can hardly withstand the erosion of tens of thousands of years; I''m afraid only some powerful ancient treasures can remain."


    "We are not here for the powerful treasures but because the jade slip records that there is a powerful cultivation method in Blood Cloud Cave that can help people break through cultivation bottlenecks. We want to seek this method to find the opportunity for


    advancement."


    "The cultivation method is not inferior to other treasures; the three of us can fully cooperate, and after obtaining the method, we can share it among ourselves."


    Miao Fa asked, "Blood Cloud Cave is a demonic force; how can you be sure that a demonic cultivation method can help us break through?"


    Tang Fu replied, "Opportunities are often elusive; there are no certain rules."


    Miao Fa fell silent for a moment before saying, "Alright, let''s go with your n."


    Tang Fu turned to Zhong Liang, "Alliance Leader Zhong, what do you think?"


    "With the assistance of the four esteemed monks, dealing with those four bronze corpses will certainly be much easier," Zhong Liang replied enthusiastically, indicating his agreement for Miao Fa and the others to join.


    Zhong Liang had not mentioned a word about Miao Fa killing his two subordinates earlier in the square, as if it had never happened.


    Zhong Liang frowned and looked toward the entrance of the stone hall, puzzled. "We''ve been here for more than a quarter of an hour; why haven''t the others and that unexpectedly involved loose cultivator arrived yet?"


    Miao Fa replied, "They''ve probably all died at the hands of those thirteen stone statues. The strength of the statues is already close to that of Golden Core cultivators. If they hadn''t just revived and were moving slowly, and if we hadn''t escaped quickly, we might not have made it


    out either."


    Tang Fu looked at the tform and frowned, asking, "Those four bronze corpses should be at the peak of Foundation Establishment,parable to the three of us, and their physical bodies are extraordinarily strong; they might be difficult to deal with. Why have they been staying on the tform, not attacking while we dealt with the other dry corpses?"


    Miao Fa responded, "There should be some kind of restriction keeping them from leaving the


    tform."


    Tang Fu''s eyes brightened. "If that''s the case, then haven''t they be live targets for us to wear down? We should be able to kill them eventually."


    Miao Fa shook his head. "It probably won''t be that simple."


    "We''ll only know by trying," Tang Fu said, and as soon as he finished speaking, he threw out a


    long whip.


    The whip was made of sections of ck metal connected together. As Tang Fu channeled his spiritual power, the whip rapidly elongated, quickly reaching a length of one hundred meters, and began to wrap around one of the bronze corpses.


    "Tang family''s ultimate spiritual whip, the me Extreme Whip!" Zhong Liang eximed in


    surprise.


    When the me Extreme Whip was just three feet away from the bronze corpse, arge amount of ck corpse energy suddenly erupted from the four bronze corpses.


    The ck corpse energy gathered in the air, forming a ck light curtain that enveloped the


    entire tform.


    "Bang!"


    The tail of the whip, sharp and diamond-shaped like the head of a venomous snake, mmed


    against the light curtain with a tremendous noise.


    The light curtain remainedpletely unscathed.


    The me Extreme Whip was unable to retract.


    Miao Fa narrowed his eyes and said solemnly, "It seems these four bronze corpses have


    formed some kind of battle formation, making it difficult to break through."


    Tang Fu asked, "What should we do then? If we engage in closebat, Master Miao Fa, do


    you have confidence in defeating them?"


    Miao Fa replied, "If it were just one bronze corpse, we four monks could gather our strength


    to handle it, but if we face all four at the same time, it would be difficult for us to withstand."


    Zhong Liang said, "If we can find a way to lure them down from the tform one by one, the battle formation will break, and we can then attack."


    Tang Fu expressed concern, "If the battle formation breaks, they probably won''t continue to guard the tform. Facing four bronze corpses at once, we might suffer significant casualties."


    A hint of ruthlessness shed in Zhong Liang''s eyes. "Then we have no choice but to take a


    gamble."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "But how can we lure the bronze corpses down from the tform?" Tang Fu asked.


    "Leave that to me."


    To Tang Fu and Miao Fa''s surprise, Zhong Liang actively took on this most dangerous task.


    Zhong Liang said to Miao Fa, "Once I lure the bronze corpses off the tform, they will


    definitely pursue me relentlessly. At that time, I''ll ask the four esteemed monks to help me intercept them."


    Miao Fa replied, "Of course; you can rest assured, Alliance Leader Zhong."


    Tang Fu chimed in from the side, "Alliance Leader Zhong, don''t worry. As long as you can lure


    out the bronze corpses, my Tang family will help you hold them back alongside the four


    masters."


    Zhong Liang sped his fists, "Then I will leave my safety in your hands."


    TL: Yeah, right...


    With that, he walked alone toward the tform.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 271: The Strange Wooden Statue

    Chapter 271: The Strange Wooden Statue


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The four sides of the tform were lined with eighty-one stone steps, connecting the steps to the floor of the stone hall.


    As Zhong Liang stepped onto the first stone step, the four bronze corpses on the tform simultaneously turned around, their four gray-ck eyes fixed intently on Zhong Liang, generating a suffocating sense of pressure.


    A hint of panic shed in Zhong Liang''s eyes, but after steadying his mind, he continued to ascend.


    As he drew closer to the tform, the malevolent aura emanating from the bronze corpses grew stronger, as if they would tear him apart the moment he dared to step onto the tform.


    In the distance, Tang Fu, Miao Fa, and the others watched the movements of the bronze corpses with grave expressions, fearful that they would suddenly spring into action. At the same time, they were extremely curious about how Zhong Liang nned to lure the bronze corpses off the tform.


    After Zhong Liang reached thest step, he did not rush to take the next step but instead stood still on the final stone step.


    At that moment, there was not a trace of tension on his face; instead, he wore a calm expression, even disying a strange smile.


    "Just as recorded in the jade slip, as long as I don''t step onto the tform, these bronze corpses won''t attack on their own."


    "Since that''s the case, the method to lure the corpses recorded in the jade slip should also be effective."


    Zhong Liang thought to himself.


    He then formed several hand seals with his hands and directed them at the four bronze corpses.


    Next, he threw four blood-colored chunks of flesh, about the size of a basin, whichnded not far from the four corners of the tform.


    Immediately, the bronze corpses'' eyes began to turn red, and low, guttural roars escaped their mouths.


    They exerted force with their legs, leaping high into the air and pouncing toward the four pieces of flesh below the tform.


    Like starving wild beasts, they snatched up the flesh and brought it to their mouths.


    The basin-sized pieces of flesh were quickly torn apart and swallowed whole under their bites.


    However, the chunks of flesh clearly did not satisfy them; instead, they sparked a deeper craving for blood and flesh within them.


    They raised their bloody eyes, exposing their sharp fangs still smeared with flesh, and gazed toward Tang Fu and the others.


    Seeing this, Tang Fu and Miao Fa''s expressions changed dramatically.


    "Why aren''t the bronze corpses attacking Zhong Liang?" Miao Fa eximed, panic-stricken, as he questioned Tang Fu beside him.


    "Damn it! The jade slip Zhong Liang showed me must be iplete; he''s deliberately concealed critical information from us."


    Tang Fu red at Zhong Liang, who was walking step by step toward the bronze coffin on the tform, filled with resentment.


    At this moment, he finally understood that from the very beginning, Zhong Liang had been using him.


    Before he could finish his thought, everyone turned to flee outside the stone hall.


    "Boom!"


    Just then, therge door of the stone hall closed eerily on its own.


    The group found themselves trapped inside the stone hall.


    Miao Fa, at the forefront, summoned a staff and raised it high to strike the stone door.


    "Bang!"


    Miao Fa stumbled back two steps.


    The stone door trembled a few times but returned to its original state.


    Miao Fa''s expression darkened considerably.


    Not being able to break through the stone door meant they had be fish in a barrel, the meat on the tter for the four bronze corpses.


    He turned to see the four bronze corpses rushing toward them and shouted loudly, "Don''t run! We can only fight to the death; if we don''t kill these bronze corpses, we''ll never get out


    alive."


    A golden bowl appeared in front of him, radiating brilliant golden light toward one of the bronze corpses.


    The bronze corpse illuminated by the golden light seemed to be pressed down by an invisible force, its speed drastically reduced, and its movements became sluggish.


    The corpse energy on the bronze corpse began to dissolve slowly, as if it had encountered its nemesis.


    Seeing this, the other cultivators realized they could no longer escape and quickly unleashed their techniques to attack the bronze corpses and prevent them from closing in.


    Tang Fu activated the me Extreme Whip, wrapping it around one of the bronze corpses.


    Just as the long whip was about to ensnare the bronze corpse, it raised a hand and pped down at the whip.


    Unexpectedly, the whip cleverly dodged to the side, skillfully avoiding the bronze corpse''s


    palm.


    Then, like a nimble serpent, the whip swiftly wrapped around the bronze corpse''s left leg and extended upward, tightly constricting its body.


    Having seeded with his technique, Tang Fu''s eyes suddenly became sharp, and the whip


    ignited with searing mes.


    mes surged along the long whip, engulfing the bronze corpse.


    Cold corpse energy emitted from the bronze corpse, intertwining with the fierce mes,


    creating a violent energy that swept around them.


    The mes and corpse energy held each other at a standstill, with neither side able to gain the


    upper hand.


    "Tang Si, help me kill this corpse first!" Tang Fu shouted loudly.


    Aside from Miao Fa, the other three monks managed to work together to barely hold off one


    bronze corpse.


    The three Tang family cultivators and three loose cultivatorsbined their strength to barely fend off a single bronze corpse.


    Hearing Tang Fu''smand, Tang Si redirected his flying sword to sh at the bronze corpse


    trapped by the me Extreme Whip.


    "ng, ng, ng..."


    The flying sword struck the bronze corpse as if it were striking metal, producing a series of sparks, while the bronze corpse''s body remained almost unscathed.


    Seeing this, Miao Fa called out, "These bronze corpses are incredibly resilient; ordinary spirit


    weapons can hardly inflict damage on them."


    "What should we do then?" Tang Fu asked.


    "You all hold off the three bronze corpses for a moment; don''t let them get close. Once I use


    my Buddhist techniques to kill the bronze corpse I''ve trapped, I''lle to assist you," Miao


    Fa replied.


    Tang Fu nodded, "Alright!"


    As Miao Fa controlled the golden bowl, he simultaneously called forth his staff.


    The staff radiated golden light, striking the bronze corpse ensnared by the golden bowl.


    The staff hit the bronze corpse''s head, and surprisingly, the seemingly indestructible skull caved in.


    Seeing that the staff could injure the bronze corpse, Miao Fa''s expression brightened, and he continued to wield the staff, striking continuously.


    After several powerful blows, the bronze corpse''s head was crushed, yet it did not fall;


    instead, its corpse energy weakened significantly.


    Miao Fa struck down dozens more times, smashing the bronze corpse''s body into pieces, and


    only then did the corpse energy dissipate, leaving it motionless.


    Seeing this, everyone''s expressions brightened.


    "The master''s Buddhist techniques are truly profound; he can kill a bronze corpse all on his


    own. Master,e help us y these three bronze corpses, and then we can go find Zhong


    Liang to settle ounts!" Tang Fu shouted.


    However, Miao Fa did not move.


    Although it seemed effortless for him to y the bronze corpse just now, it had actually


    consumed a significant amount of his spiritual power.


    He could barely manage to kill one more bronze corpse before exhausting his spiritual energy


    completely.


    Naturally, Miao Fa would not deplete his power to save Tang Fu and the others, putting


    himself in a dangerous position with no energy left to use.


    Miao Fa turned his gaze to the tform.


    On the tform, Zhong Liang had already opened the enormous bronze coffin.


    Inside the coffin, there was no corpse or skeleton; instead, there was a humanoid sculpture


    made of green wood.


    The statue depicted a young woman, elegantly posed.


    The wooden statue was intricately carved, lifelike, as if it were a real woman lost in deep


    sleep.


    The statue was covered inplex and mysterious runes, giving it an eerie and enigmatic


    aura.


    The moment Zhong Liang saw the statue, his eyes widened, shining with disbelief.


    "Soul-nourishing wood! I can''t believe such a massive piece of soul-nourishing wood exists in the world, carved into a human form-it''s simply wasteful."


    Soul-nourishing wood is an exceedingly rare third-tier ghostly treasure, highly coveted by all


    spirits. A piece the size of a palm can prevent the souls of the dead from dispersing for a


    thousand years.


    Once a cultivator forms their Golden Core, their soul bes stable and is not easily


    dispersed.


    Some cultivators, unwilling to let their souls return to the underworld after death, seek out soul-nourishing wood to house their souls within, allowing them to transform into ghost- like beings.


    However, this soul-nourishing wooden statue gave off a sense of imminent decay.


    It was as if time had passed too long, and the spirit within the soul-nourishing wood was nearly exhausted.


    Zhong Liang suppressed his greed for the soul-nourishing wood.


    This statue was indeed too strange; he did not dare to touch it lightly.


    But aside from the statue, there was nothing else in the bronze coffin.


    This left Zhong Liang feeling greatly disappointed and unwilling.


    After spending many years and enduring countless hardships to reach this ce, was he really going to return empty-handed?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 272: The Overturned Corpse Coffin

    Chapter 272: The Overturned Corpse Coffin


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Just as Zhong Liang was at a loss for what to do, he suddenly heard a sound of something breaking through the air from behind.


    Turning around, he was surprised to see Miao Fa''s staff.


    Zhong Liang quickly summoned a flying sword to strike at the staff.


    At the same time, he hurriedly flipped over, crossing over the bronze corpse coffin, and hid himself beside it.


    He knew that the flying sword he summoned in a hurry couldn''t possibly block Miao Fa''s full- force strike.


    Just as he anticipated, the flying sword was easily knocked away by the staff, which then continued its momentum and struck the coffin.


    "ng!"


    A sharp, prolonged ringing echoed.


    The bronze coffin was suddenly knocked over, and the wooden statue inside slid out, rolling down to Zhong Liang''s feet.


    It was as if a long-slumbering ghost was awakened, and a chilling aura emanated from the statue.


    Simultaneously, due to the overturning of the bronze coffin, two blood-red jade slips that had been hidden at the bottom of the coffin were revealed.


    Zhong Liang''s expression brightened with joy as he quickly stowed away the two blood-red jade slips.


    Then, he swiftly descended from the tform, distancing himself from the wooden statue.


    At the moment the statue hit the ground, the three copper corpses suddenly became extremely violent. They abandoned the cultivators entangled with them and turned to attack Miao Fa.


    Even the copper corpse trapped by the me Extreme Whip disregarded the intense heat and charged directly at Miao Fa.


    Seeing this, Tang Fu hurriedly released the copper corpse and swung the me Extreme Whip toward Zhong Liang.


    "Elder Tang, stop! We already have the techniques; once we''re out, I''ll make a copy for you," Zhong Liang said anxiously.


    "How could I possibly trust you again?" Tang Fu retorted angrily.


    "In this ce fraught with danger, do you want to die here with me?" Zhong Liang replied.


    Clearly, prior to this, Zhong Liang hadn''t known what treasuresy within the bronze corpse coffin.


    He initially thought of iming the treasures for himself, but aside from the statue and the two jade slips, there was nothing else.


    Zhong Liang dared not recklessly touch the strange statue; the blood-red jade slips should contain the techniques that could help break through bottlenecks, and making a copy for Tang Fu wouldn''t result in any loss for him.


    Tang Fu nced at Miao Fa and the three copper corpses surrounding him.


    "Fine, I''ll trust you once more. However, I want both blood-red jade slips; you can take the copy you make."


    "Agreed," Zhong Liang nodded.


    "Hopefully, you''ll keep your word this time; otherwise, I''ll let you experience the taste of the me Extreme Whip burning your body," Tang Fu coldly threatened Zhong Liang before turning to Tang Si beside him.


    "Tang Si, lead the others to attack the stone door; let''s escape first."


    The Tang family and the loose cultivators, a total of eight people, worked together to control their spirit weapons and attacked the stone door.


    On the other side.


    Miao Fa and the other three monks were surrounded by the three copper corpses from different directions.


    "Tang Fu, Zhong Liang, you two are untrustworthy; you will not have a good end!"


    He cursed while manipting the golden bowl to control one copper corpse.


    At the same time, he also wielded his staff to strike at another copper corpse.


    The remaining three monksbined their efforts to hold off the third copper corpse.


    Alone, Miao Fa could not withstand two copper corpses.


    After one copper corpse knocked the staff away, it charged at the three monks.


    Seeing this, the three monks fell into a panic.


    In their haste, one of them mistakenly performed the wrong hand sign for their spell.


    The copper corpse that had been blocked by the three monks immediately broke free and attacked them.


    Under the siege of the two copper corpses, within just a few breaths, the three monks were overwhelmed.


    The two copper corpses turned around and charged at Miao Fa.


    Miao Fa was greatly rmed; he raised his hand and tossed a bead the size of a pigeon egg.


    The bead was translucent and radiated a profound Buddhist aura.


    As the bead flew above Miao Fa''s head, a brilliant light burst forth.


    The three copper corpses, illuminated by the light, instantly froze in ce, unable to move.


    Zhong Liang and Tang Fu, who were attacking the stone door, both disyed expressions of


    shock at this scene.


    "Relic seed!"


    The relic seed is a sacred object of Buddhist cultivation, preserved using secret Buddhist techniques after the practitioner passes away. It is typically enshrined in Buddhist temples and has the effect of enlightening future generations in Buddhist nature.


    Within the relic seed lies the essence of a practitioner''s lifetime of Buddhist cultivation, making it a holy object that restrains evil entities like ghosts and zombies.


    Under the illumination of the Buddhist light, the corpse qi of the three copper corpses rapidly diminished, and even their physical forms showed signs of burns.


    Seeing this, Miao Fa did not attack the copper corpses; instead, he activated his staff and


    swung it toward Tang Fu.


    "Smack!"


    Tang Fu cracked the me Extreme Whip against the staff, sessfully blocking the strike.


    "Miao Fa, are you seeking death?"


    Miao Fa retorted, "You treacherous viin! You''ve caused the deaths of my three disciples; I


    will crush your body into a thousand pieces!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I see you, Miao Fa, being hypocritical. If you had taken out the relic seed earlier, your three disciples wouldn''t have died," Tang Fu shot back.


    "Hmph!"


    As Miao Fa was about to activate the staff again, the relic seed above his head suddenly made


    a cracking sound, revealing a fine crack.


    "Oh no, this relic seed has been enshrined for too long, and its essence has nearly depleted; it won''tst much longer," Miao Fa thought anxiously.


    Though the corpse qi of the three copper corpses had been weakened to some extent, they


    were still far from being defeated.


    Miao Fa red furiously at Tang Fu.


    Then, between avenging his disciples and saving his own life, he chose thetter.


    Miao Fa turned the staff around and struck the stone door.


    Seeing that Miao Fa was no longer attacking him, Tang Fu breathed a sigh of relief.


    Under thebined efforts of everyone''s relentless assaults, the stone door suddenly emitted a crisp sound and opened a small crack.


    Everyone rejoiced, and after another round of attacks, the stone door finally broke open


    enough for two people to pass through.


    A Tang family cultivator rushed out first.


    However, what awaited him was not an escape route, but a terrifying corpse puppet.


    The silver corpse pounced down with a w.


    The Tang family cultivator immediately had his head severed and fell to the ground.


    The silver corpse stood before the stone door, emanating an overwhelming and formidable


    aura.


    It had the imposing presence of a single man standing against a thousand.


    The over a thousand Yellow Essence Mushrooms obtained from the Su family, which


    contained vibrant life energy, had all been refined and absorbed by the silver corpse.


    At this moment, the silver corpse was no longer the decayed figure it once was.


    Its flesh and internal organs had regained some vitality; if it weren''t for theck of a heartbeat and breathing, it could even be mistaken for a gaunt corpse cultivator.


    Song Wen stood behind the silver corpse and shouted loudly.


    "Hand over the two blood-red jade slips obtained in the stone hall, and I will let you leave;


    otherwise, you will all be fodder for the copper corpses in the stone hall."


    With the Sacred Gu hidden inside the hall, Song Wen was fully aware of everything happening


    inside.


    Zhong Liang shouted angrily, "You''re delusional! Get lost!"


    Before he finished speaking, a flying sword sliced out in rage.


    The silver corpse swiped its w, glowing with a ghostly light, and struck out.


    "ng!"


    The flying sword was knocked away with a swipe.


    The silver corpse merely swayed its upper body slightly, absorbing the impact of the flying


    sword without retreating an inch.


    Just at that moment.


    The relic seed controlling the three copper corpses suddenly shattered into powder,


    scattering everywhere.


    The copper corpses regained their freedom and charged toward the stone door.


    Everyone inside the stone hall was immediately thrown into panic.


    In front stood the blocking silver corpse, and behind them were the deadly copper corpses.


    "Attack together! I don''t believe he can stop all of us," Zhong Liang shouted loudly.


    Hearing this, everyone understood the urgency of the situation and had no other choice.


    They began to activate their spirit weapons and attack the silver corpse outside the door.


    Song Wen sneered, "You''re seeking your own death."


    With a thought, the Ghost King suddenly appeared, wielding a ghostly sword that he shed


    toward the stone door.


    The silver corpse swung its ws, unleashing three w lights formed from corpse qi toward


    the hall.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 273: The Corpse King’s Rebirth Technique

    Chapter 273: The Corpse King��s Rebirth Technique


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The attacks from both sides collided at the entrance of the hall.


    It was like two surging torrents crashing together, causing a violent burst of energy to sweep in all directions.


    The air was torn apart, and a howling wind echoed.


    The already damaged stone door waspletely shattered into rubble.


    The silver corpse and the Ghost King were swept back several feet by the residual force.


    The cultivators inside the hall were also swept back by the wave, some of them seriously injured and coughing up blood.


    This dy allowed the three bronze corpses to catch up and rush towards Tang Fu and the others.


    Song Wen''s gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield andnded on Zhong Liang.


    "Hand over the two jade slips, and I will let you leave."


    Zhong Liang looked at one of his subordinates being devoured by a bronze corpse, then nced outside at the silver corpse and the Ghost King.


    He gritted his teeth, filled with unwillingness.


    "Fine, take them!"


    Two blood-red objects were thrown forcefully towards Song Wen.


    At the same time, he followed closely behind and darted out of the stone hall.


    As the two blood-red objects came within several feet of Song Wen, they suddenly exploded into a massive cloud of blood mist, engulfing him.


    In an instant.


    Song Wen, along with the silver corpse and the Ghost King, was shrouded in the blood mist.


    Seeing this, Zhong Liang''s face lit up with joy.


    He dashed through the stone door, avoiding the blood mist, eager to escape.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Song Wen, protected by a bronze bell, rushed out of the blood mist with the Ghost King and the silver corpse following closely.


    The blood mist had a strong corrosive nature, continuously eating away at the bronze bell.


    Small holes appeared in the bell but were quickly repaired.


    Inside the bronze bell, Song Wen remained unscathed.


    With the Ten Thousand Poisons Body cultivated to the ''Minor Aplishment'' level, his resistance to poisons was far superior to before.


    The blood mist caused limited harm to the ghostly beings, and the Ghost King also suffered no injuries.


    However, the silver corpse''s flesh was corroded with small wounds, though it was nothing serious.


    The faster Ghost King charged ahead, wielding a ghost sword, and struck toward Zhong Liang.


    Seeing that Song Wen waspletely unaffected by the blood mist, Zhong Liang was greatly rmed.


    That blood mist was famously known as the Blood Shadow Poison, which would severely injure or even kill foundation-building cultivators.


    Song Wen had beenpletely defenseless, yet he emerged from the blood shadow poison unharmed.


    Zhong Liang had no time to think further as the Ghost King''s long sword was already upon him.


    He hurriedly urged his flying sword to block the attack.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But in a one-on-one confrontation, Zhong Liang was no match for the Ghost King. Within just a few exchanges, he was beheaded.


    Song Wen took Zhong Liang''s body into his possession, removed the storage ring, confirmed that the two blood-red jade slips were inside, and then tucked the storage ring into his robe.


    Next, Song Wen sealed Zhong Liang''s soul within his head.


    Just as he was preparing to put away the corpse and leave this troublesome ce, a series of crisp, bell-likeughter echoed throughout the stone hall.


    "Giggle... since you''vee, why rush to leave? You want to leave, that''s fine, but to take the Corpse King''s Rebirth Technique and that person''s soul with you? Isn''t that a bit too greedy?"


    A shadow flickered.


    A figure appeared in mid-air outside the stone hall, blocking Song Wen and intercepting Tang Fu and the others who had just escaped.


    Only three people had managed to escape alive from the stone hall amidst the three bronze corpses: Tang Fu, Miao Fa, and a cultivator named Tang Si.


    "None of you can leave. I have slept for endless years, and it is you who awakened me. In


    return, I have decided to devour all your souls to solidify my spirit body."


    "You foundation-building ants, being part of my spirit body is your fortune."


    "Giggle..."


    At this moment, everyone finally saw the appearance of the person blocking their escape.


    This was no living being.


    It was that wooden statue.


    Originally lying in the bronze coffin, the wooden statue suddenly erupted with three


    phantoms.


    The phantoms, like soaring dragons, bared their fangs and ws, lunging towards the


    strongest among them: Song Wen, Tang Fu, and Miao Fa.


    Mental attack!


    Song Wen, Tang Fu, and Miao Fa all changed their expressions.


    Miao Fa let out a low growl.


    "Buddha''s Wrath Golden Body."


    A phantom emerged from him, towering over three meters tall-a majestic golden Buddha.


    The dragon lunged at the Buddha, and the two collided.


    Golden light erupted, and waves of energy surged.


    The Buddha''s phantom could only hold for a few breaths before copsing.


    The dragon''s front w dug into Miao Fa''s body, but his physical form remained unharmed.


    However, his soul was forcibly pulled away, trapped in the dragon''s w, struggling desperately.


    Tang Fu swung the me Extreme Whip, igniting it in fierce ck mes, striking harshly at


    the dragon''s phantom.


    In an instant, Tang Fu turned to flee.


    As a treasured spirit weapon of the Tang family, the me Extreme Whip was not only a top-


    tier spirit tool but also capable of breaking mental attacks, making it a rare spirit weapon of the mental category.


    The whip struck the phantom''s body, and the ck mes quickly spread, transforming the dragon into a fire dragon that soon dissipated into nothingness.


    "Giggle... what a nice spirit weapon. Let''s see how many attacks you can block."


    The statue let out a strangeugh as another dragon phantom surged out from within.


    This new dragon phantom was clearly more solid than the previous three.


    Tang Fu turned pale; he hurriedly urged the me Extreme Whip again, but instead of


    striking the dragon behind him, he aimed it forward.


    Not far in front of him was his nsman, Tang Si.


    Since The statue did not prioritize Tang Si as a target, this allowed the weakest and slowest in


    evasion, Tang Si, to escape to the front.


    Tang Si was ensnared by the me Extreme Whip and was then thrown backward.


    "Elder, how could you..."


    Tang Si''s voice trembled with disbelief, anger, and fear.


    Before he could finish, the dragon phantom passed through him, ripping away his soul.


    However, the dragon phantom did not stop there, continuing its pursuit of Tang Fu.


    Tang Si''s death bought Tang Fu only a moment; soon he was caught by the dragon and had his


    soul taken.


    Meanwhile, on Song Wen''s side.


    The dragon phantom did not inflict any harm on him, as it was easily devoured by the ck


    hole in Song Wen''s sea of consciousness.


    Immediately, a vast amount of blood mist erupted from Song Wen, gradually enveloping his


    form.


    Seeing this scene, The statue chuckled softly.


    "Giggle... what an interesting little fellow. The mental attack is ineffective against you; you


    must have some kind of mental defense treasure on you. But before me, using Blood Escape Technique? How naive!"


    The statue waved a hand, infusing a stream of soul power into the blood mist.


    Suddenly, Song Wen felt a weight on his body; the blood mist swiftly dispersed, revealing his


    figure at the original spot.


    The Blood Escape Technique was forcefully interrupted.


    Song Wen''s expression hardened.


    It was the first time he had encountered an interruption while using the Blood Escape


    Technique.


    Since he couldn''t flee, he would have to fight back.


    While using the Blood Escape Technique, the silver corpse and Ghost King had already been


    retracted and were now summoned once more by Song Wen.


    Both were filled with killing intent as they charged towards The statue.


    At that moment, a magnificent celestial might enveloped the air above the stone hall, and a


    bolt of lightning materialized overhead.


    Divine Thunder!


    To Song Wen''s astonishment,


    The statue disyed a look of delight upon seeing the descending thunder.


    Skillfully dodging the attacks from the silver corpse and Ghost King, she surged towards the


    iing lightning.


    "Boom!"


    The divine thunder struck the wooden statue, enveloping it like a silver waterfall, constantly


    washing over its body.


    Under the wash of the divine thunder, the mysterious runes on the wooden statue began to


    glow with a blue light and then gradually faded away.


    When the lightning dispersed, more than half of the runes on the wooden statue had been


    extinguished.


    The originally blue Soul Nourishing Wood had turned ck in many ces.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 274: The Silver Corpse Betrays Its Master

    Chapter 274: The Silver Corpse Betrays Its Master


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    TL: The author has decided to call the statue as Blood Brows out of the blue... It is probably the soul residing within the statue...


    As the wooden statue was damaged, Blood Brows reacted with delight rather than anger.


    "Good, good, good! I didn''t expect you to possess the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Techniques."


    "I, Blood Brows, am truly fortunate. My soul has been sealed for tens of thousands of years, and just after being released from the corpse coffin, I encounter someone who can help me break the ''soul shackles.""


    Blood Browsughed triumphantly.


    The remaining runes on the wooden statue gradually dimmed, finally transforming into ordinary patterns devoid of any spiritual energy fluctuations.


    The wooden statue decayed at a visible speed, crumbling into fragments that scattered in all directions.


    A translucent, beautiful female cultivator''s figure appeared in mid-air.


    "How should I thank you, little one? How about I swallow your soul as well? Giggle..."


    Looking at the phantom of Blood Brows in the air, Song Wen instead felt calm.


    What could a mere incorporeal soul do to him?


    "Let''s see how many divine thunders your soul can withstand."


    Song Wen raised a hand.


    The Great Cave Divine Thunder reappeared!


    Just as the divine thunder was about to strike Blood Brows'' soul, she suddenly vanished from sight.


    She reappeared right in front of Song Wen.


    "Nothing to worry about! The power of lightning cannot harm a soul body; it''s futile if it doesn''t hit. Your cultivation is too low, and the lightning technique you released is too slow."


    As she spoke, several tendrils emerged from Blood Brows'' abdomen, rapidly extending toward Song Wen.


    Just when she thought she could pull Song Wen''s soul out from his body,


    The smile on Blood Brows'' face suddenly vanished.


    Her expression turned to one of immense terror, as if she had encountered something extremely frightening.


    A powerful suction force emanated from within Song Wen''s body.


    Through the tendrils, Blood Brows'' soul was being dragged, trying to pull her into Song Wen''s body.


    "Ah!"


    Blood Brows'' soul suddenly let out a piercing shriek.


    The tendrils from her abdomen snapped all at once.


    Then she quickly retreated.


    Seeing that the other party could sever her own limbs to escape, Song Wen was also taken aback; he had thought he couldpletely devour Blood Brows'' soul.


    The speed of her soul body was too fast, even evading the Great Cave Divine Thunder, and Song Wen found himself at a loss.


    "What kind of ghostly thing do you have inside you? Why can it devour my soul?"


    After flying over a hundred feet, Blood Brows finally managed to stop and turned around, looking at Song Wen with lingering fear.


    The severed tendrils were part of her soul body.


    At this moment, her soul was iplete, and if she didn''t find a way to restore it in time, it would gradually dissipate.


    "I must quickly find a suitable vessel to parasitize my soul and then figure out how to restore my body," Blood Brows thought to herself.


    Her gaze swept around, finallynding on the silver corpse.


    The silver corpse was beginning to show some vitality, and since itcked a soul, it was an excellent vessel for her soul.


    With a thought, Blood Brows directed a stream of soul power toward the stone hall.


    A sh of green light illuminated the entire stone hall, then vanished in an instant.


    It was as if some restriction had been lifted; the originally grand and majestic stone hall suddenly appeared weathered and ancient, carrying a sense of decay from years of erosion.


    After everyone fled the stone hall, three bronze corpses stood motionless in ce.


    Once the restrictions of the stone hall were lifted, the three bronze oses revived again.


    They charged out of the stone hall, rushing toward Song Wen, the only living person.


    Song Wenmanded the silver corpse and Ghost King to meet them.


    Just as the two sides were embroiled in battle, Blood Brows took the opportunity to rush toward the silver corpse, her soul directly merging into its body.


    The incident happened so quickly that Song Wen barely had time to react.


    By the time he realized Blood Brows'' soul had merged into the silver corpse, the silver corpse


    was no longer under his control.


    The silver corpse''s movements appeared somewhat stiff as it exerted its legs and leaped, charging straight toward the distantkeshore.


    Song Wen hurriedly formed several corpse control seals.


    The silver corpse in mid-air suddenly stiffened, plummeting into theke, then leaped out of


    the water, fleeing toward thekeshore.


    The silver corpse was one of the strongest forces under Song Wen''smand, and he was naturally unwilling to let it slip away. He and Ghost King chased after the silver corpse.


    At the same time, a bolt of lightning struck down, crashing into the silver corpse.


    "Boom!"


    The lightning hit the silver corpse''s back, sending it flying.


    The silver corpse rolled over and raced upstream along the underground river.


    As Blood Brows'' soul merged into the silver corpse for a longer time, her control over it became increasingly adept, and its speed picked up, gradually widening the distance between her and Song Wen until she disappeared from the range of his spiritual perception.


    Song Wen halted, gazing with great reluctance in the direction where the silver corpse had


    vanished.


    Momentster, he returned to the small ind at the center of the undergroundke.


    At this time, the three bronze corpses were still wreaking havoc on the ind.


    Tang Fu and the others'' bodies had already beenpletely devoured by them.


    These bronze corpses were incredibly strong, far surpassing ordinary peak second-tier bronze


    corpses.


    Having just lost a pseudo third-tier silver corpse, these three bronze corpses were perfectly suited to make up for that loss.


    He waved his hand, and a long rope flew out, wrapping around one of the bronze corpses.


    At the same time, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, crashing into the bronze corpse.


    Ghost King moved in to entangle the other two bronze corpses.


    The long rope was a relic of the Daoist Qingyan, the same ''Spirit Binding Rope'' that she used


    to capture Song Wen outside East Huafang.


    The Spirit Binding Rope was a high-grade spiritual artifact primarily used to bind enemies.


    Now, it was perfect for capturing the bronze corpses.


    A quarter of an hourter.


    After a fierce battle, Song Wen had trapped all three bronze


    corpse techniques, cing them into a corpse nurturing coffin.


    and sealed them using the


    He collected the twelve storage rings that had been left scattered inside and outside the stone


    hall, and also stored the bronze corpse that Blood Brows had possessed.


    The bodies of the twelve fallen cultivators had been shredded to pieces by the bronze corpses,


    rendering thempletely worthless, and their souls had been entirely devoured by Blood


    Brows.


    As for that bronze corpse coffin, Song Wen couldn''t discern any mysteries from it for now.


    However, since it could withstand tens of thousands of years of erosion without decaying, it undoubtedly had its extraordinary aspects.


    Afterpleting these tasks, Song Wen turned to leave the stone hall.


    He did not retrace his steps but instead followed the underground river downstream.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Blood Brows had fled upstream, where the Blood Cloud Cave was located.


    Within the Blood Cloud Cave, there were thirteen powerful stone statues; if Blood Brows


    could control those statues, returning to the Blood Cloud Cave would be akin to walking into a


    trap for Song Wen.


    After traveling several dozen miles forward, the banks of the underground river became impassable, with only a dark hole allowing the water to flow through.


    He had no choice but to dive into the water and follow the current downstream.


    After advancing for over ten more miles, the underground dark hole revealed a fork.


    The underground river split into three, flowing in three different directions.


    Song Wen chose the slightlyrger dark hole and continued onward.


    After advancing thirty more miles, more forks appeared continuously, and the dark holes became increasingly narrow, making passage difficult.


    Song Wen could only take out his flying sword, clearing a path as he went forward.


    Two dayster.


    In a cave more than half a person''s height.


    Song Wen bent down, wading through waist-deep water.


    Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.


    Song Wen''s expression brightened as he quickened his pace, and momentster, he finally


    emerged from the underground river.


    He found himself at the foot of a mountain on its shady side.


    Surrounded by lush trees, the area was thick with shade.


    After sending the Sacred Gu to scout the surroundings and confirming that there were no


    dangers within a radius of more than ten miles,


    He rose on his sword and headed toward the cave where Zuo Shuiyun had secluded herself.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 275: The Reason for Cultivating Both Righteous and Evil Paths

    Chapter 275: The Reason for Cultivating Both Righteous and Evil Paths


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    One dayter.


    Several dozen miles outside of the ce where Zuo Shuiyun was in seclusion.


    Song Wen had opened a temporary cave dwelling at the foot of arge mountain.


    With still over ten days remaining until the one-month period agreed upon with Zuo Shuiyun, Song Wen decided to enter seclusion for a while.


    He released the Sacred Gu to guard the surroundings of the temporary cave.


    After setting up the "Qi Concealment Formation" and the "Nine Pces Yin Array," he waved his hand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Thud, thud, thud."


    With the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground, three corpse nurturing coffins appeared inside the cave.


    Song Wen began to use the corpse refining secret techniques from the "True Exnation of Corpse Puppets" to refine the three bronze corpses.


    In an instant, the entire cave was surrounded by corpse energy, malevolent aura filled the space, and a nauseating stench of rotting corpses permeated the area.


    Fifteen dayster.


    Song Wen sessfully refined the three bronze corpses.


    He ced two of the bronze corpses into the nurturing coffins, leaving behind the strongest


    one.


    Previously, he had obtained two Xuan Yin stones from the Tianhe Li family, losing one while refining the first silver corpse. Now, he had one left.


    He nned to refine the bronze corpse before him into a pseudo third-tier silver corpse.


    Song Wen added the Xuan Yin stone, along with essence blood, spirit stones, and Yin Fiend Dew, into the corpse coffin, then formed seals to execute the corpse refining technique.


    In the blink of an eye, another seven days passed.


    The silver corpse was still notpletely refined, but only two days remained until the time agreed upon with Zuo Shuiyun, and there wasn''t enough time to finish refining the silver corpse.


    Song Wen halted the refinement of the silver corpse and used corpse path secret methods to temporarily seal it.


    After putting away the nurturing coffin, Song Wen took out two blood-colored jade slips and began to examine them.


    The first slip recorded a cultivation method called "Corpse King Rebirth Technique."


    The "Corpse King Rebirth Technique," like the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," originated from the Divine Blood Gate.


    ording to the outline of the method, it was a dual cultivation technique for bothw and body.


    The technique was divided into nine levels, corresponding to the nine major realms of cultivators, and uponpletion, one could directly reach the realm of immortals.


    However, the jade slip in Song Wen''s hand only contained the content for the first three levels, meaning it only included the techniques for Qi Refining and Golden Core stages.


    What surprised Song Wen greatly was that although the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique" was a demonic path cultivation method, it could refine corpse energy into vitality. The spiritual power cultivated through this method contained both the impure energies of the corpse path and the pure vitality.


    This technique was essentially abination of the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and the "Longevity Technique."


    Or perhaps, both the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and the "Longevity Technique" were merely parts of this technique.


    It was as if someone had deliberately divided the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique" into pieces and disseminated them widely in the cultivation world.


    Especially the "Longevity Technique," which was the most widely circted method in the cultivation world, could actually be used to siphon off vitality, helping people extend their lifespan.


    A thousand cultivators practicing the Qi Refining stage "Longevity Technique" could extend someone''s life by a whole cycle of a decade.


    If it were a thousand foundation-building cultivators, or even ten thousand...


    The effectiveness of extending life would likely increase tenfold or even more.


    If there were no conspiracies involved, it was truly hard to believe.


    But regardless of any schemes behind the scenes, all of this was unrted to Song Wen.


    The "Longevity Technique" had circted in the cultivation world for countless years; those who once plotted conspiracies had long since disappeared into the river of time, perhaps turned to dust, or maybe ascended, leaving this realm behind.


    Looking at the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique" in his hand, Song Wen fell into deep


    thought.


    He had always believed that it was his special constitution that allowed him to cultivate both righteous and evil paths, practicing the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" and the


    "Longevity Technique" at the same time.


    Now it seemed that it might not be the case.


    These two techniques, at their core, stemmed from the same source.


    "Perhaps the techniques themselves have no distinction between righteous and evil. Whether it''s pure spiritual energy or impure energy, they are merely different forms of the energies of heaven and earth, a natural part of the universe," Song Wen mused internally.


    At this moment, he had a vague feeling that he could transfer to the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique," and the two spiritual liquid vortices in his dantian would merge into one as a


    result.


    After careful consideration, Song Wen temporarily set aside the idea of transferring to the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique."


    Firstly, switching to another technique meant he would have to disperse the cultivation power he had built in the foundation-building stage.


    Having already cultivated the "Longevity Technique" to the peak of the foundation-building mid-stage, he was just a step away from breaking through to thete foundation-building


    stage.


    At this time, dispersing his power would leave Song Wen feeling somewhat reluctant.


    Secondly, cultivating the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique" required arge amount of corpse-rted spiritual materials.


    Given his current situation, it was quite difficult to gather these materials. The Ghost Market


    in the mountain stream could provide some, but it was hard to maintain a stable supply over


    time.


    Thirdly, since he was hiding in the Beastmaster Sect to evade the pursuit of the Corpse Demon Sect, it was truly inconvenient to cultivate the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique."


    Putting away the jade slip, Song Wen began to explore the second jade slip.


    The contents of this slip turned out to be the self-narration of Xue Mei.


    TL: Changed Blood Brows to Xue Mei, sounds better...


    From what was recorded, Song Wen roughly understood the sequence of events.


    The Blood Cloud Cave was a branch of the Divine Blood Sect.


    Xue Mei was the supreme elder of the Blood Cloud Cave and had once been a mid-stage


    Nascent Soul cultivator.


    After advancing to the mid-stage Nascent Soul, her cultivation stagnated.


    In order to break through to thete Nascent Soul stage and even the God Transformation


    stage, Xue Mei set her sights on the sect''s ultimate technique, the "Corpse King Rebirth


    Technique."


    Xue Mei held the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique" in high regard, believing it to be the finest existence in the Tianyuan Realm.


    The Tianyuan Realm is the name of the realm where Song Wen resides, named after the


    Tianyuan Continent.


    To obtain the "Corpse King Rebirth Technique," Xue Mei schemed against a genius of the


    Divine Blood Sect.


    However, she did not expect that the technique she had painstakingly acquired contained only


    the first three levels.


    What left her in despair was that the incident of plotting against the Divine Blood Sect''s


    genius was exposed.


    The Divine Blood Sect sought to eradicate the entire Blood Cloud Cave.


    However, the actions of the Divine Blood Sect were leaked.


    As a result, before the Divine Blood Sect could strike the Blood Cloud Cave, the disciples of the


    Blood Cloud Cave began to flee from their sect in droves.


    While other disciples could escape from the Blood Cloud Cave to seek a glimmer of hope, Xue


    Mei, the mastermind behind it all, could not escape her doom.


    Under the siege of the Divine Blood Sect''s powerful members, her physical body was


    destroyed, and her Nascent Soul was captured.


    To set an example and intimidate other subordinate forces, the Divine Blood Sect extracted


    her soul and sealed it in a "soul shackle" made of soul-nurturing wood, imprisoning her on a small ind in an undergroundke, where she was tortured endlessly.


    Amid the endless torment, Xue Mei''s soul repeatedly teetered on the brink of copse but was


    nourished back to strength by the soul-nurturing wood.


    And thus, countless years passed without her knowing.


    One day, the members of the Divine Blood Sect who had tormented her never appeared again, leaving behind the twenty-four indestructible bronze corpses to guard the stone hall.


    From that point on, Xue Mei''s soul, nourished by the soul-nurturing wood, grew increasingly


    powerful.


    Gradually, she discovered that her soul had be strong enough to break through the restrictions of the "soul shackle," extending some of her spiritual energy beyond the "soul shackle" and the bronze corpse coffin.


    Just when Xue Mei thought she could escape, she found that her soul power was enough to


    move the "soul shackle," but she could not leave the bronze corpse coffin.


    As soon as the coffin moved slightly, the twenty-four bronze corpses guarding the stone hall


    would converge and seal the coffin tightly.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 276: Advancing to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage

    Chapter 276: Advancing to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Xue Mei realized that it was difficult to escape the stone hall on her own, so she decided to seek external help.


    Using her soul power, she discovered some leftover jade slips at the bottom of theke.


    She erased the content on the jade slips and attached maps of the Blood Cloud Cave and the small ind in the undergroundke.


    With her soul power, Xue Mei cast the jade slips into the underground dark river, where they were carried downstream by the current.


    She hoped that the jade slips would be washed out to the outside world, discovered by cultivators, and bring them to search for treasure-ultimately rescuing her.


    It was uncertain how much time had passed while she waited.


    The spiritual essence of the Soul-Nurturing Wood, used to create the "Soul Shackle," was nearly exhausted.


    Once its essence was depleted, the runes on the Soul Shackle would directly act on Xue Mei''s soul, causing it to scatter and perish.


    This was the contingency n left by the Divine Blood Sect.


    In the end, Xue Mei''s scheme seeded.


    Zhong Liang obtained one of the jade slips and, along with Tang Fu and others, found the stone hall in the undergroundke, overturning the bronze corpse coffin and releasing the Soul Shackle.


    Later, by a stroke of luck, Song Wen used the Great Cave Thunder, one of the nine great secret techniques of heavenly thunder, to break the seal on the Soul Shackle, helping Xue Mei to escape.


    The two blood-colored jade slips in Song Wen''s possession were also left by Xue Mei.


    She had done this to lure treasure hunters to help her unlock the seal on the Soul Shackle.


    After all, Xue Mei was a Nascent Soul-stage expert from tens of thousands of years ago and was bound to know and have cultivated many ancient secret techniques.


    After learning Xue Mei''s identity, some powerful cultivators could not help but be greedy, hoping to free Xue Mei from the Soul Shackle in exchange for her ancient cultivation techniques.


    Song Wen destroyed Xue Mei''s self-recorded jade slip and stored away the jade slip containing the "Corpse King Rebirth Art." He then took out the bronze corpse coffin.


    This bronze coffin was over a zhang in length, covered in ancient carvings.


    However, it showed no signs of spiritual power, appearing to be an ordinary coffin.


    Song Wen infused spiritual energy into it, trying to refine it.


    But the bronze corpse coffin showed no reaction.


    After several failed attempts, Song Wen casually stored the coffin in his storage ring.


    Song Wen left his temporary cave residence and flew with his sword to the cliff where Zuo Shuiyun was in seclusion.


    Zuo Shuiyun had not emerged yet, and Song Wen, not wanting to disturb her, began meditating and regting his breathing in a nearby cave.


    A few dayster.


    At the fourth hour of the mao period (around sunrise).


    As the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon.


    Song Wen was standing in mid-air, watching the first light of dawn.


    Suddenly, he noticed Zuo Shuiyun''s cave opening.


    Zuo Shuiyun emerged from her temporary cave residence, her expression tired and her steps unsteady.


    When she noticed Song Wen hovering in mid-air, a trace of panic shed across her eyes, though she quickly concealed it.


    "Junior Brother Wu, have you taken care of your matters? When did you return?"


    "Senior Sister Zuo, I returned a few days ago," Song Wen responded, turning to face her.


    Song Wen found it odd. He hadn''t deliberately hidden his aura when he returned, yet Zuo Shuiyun hadn''t noticed?


    In this unfamiliar ce, had her focus during her seclusion been too intense?


    Song Wen''s gaze quickly noticed something new at Zuo Shuiyun''s waist-a spirit beast pouch.


    When Zuo Shuiyun saw that Song Wen''s eyes hadnded on the pouch, she became visibly flustered.


    She adjusted her sleeve to cover the spirit beast pouch, clearly trying to hide it.


    In an attempt to divert attention, Zuo Shuiyun hurriedly changed the subject.


    "Junior Brother Wu, how do you n to report the matter of the Cheng family to the sect?"


    Song Wen had naturally noticed Zuo Shuiyun''s subtle actions.


    He was well aware that Zuo Shuiyun didn''t want too many people to know that she had subdued the blood fiend from the Cheng family.


    "Of course, I''ll report the truth," Song Wen replied, pretending to look confused.


    Zuo Shuiyun was momentarily taken aback, then nodded.


    "Yes, it should be reported truthfully. Cheng Ruida was utterly despicable, using his own family to feed the fiend. In the end, the blood fiend turned on him, and they both perished together. That''s how it all happened, right, Junior Brother?"


    Song Wen looked puzzled. "Senior Sister, what are you trying to say...?"


    "Junior Brother Wu, you don''t need to pretend. You''re a smart person; you should understand


    what I mean."


    Song Wen smiled faintly.


    "You''re right, Senior Sister. The blood fiend did indeed perish along with Cheng Ruida.


    However, during the battle with the blood fiend, I was seriously injured. I''m afraid I''ll need a


    large amount of elixirs and spiritual herbs to recover."


    Zuo Shuiyun coldly stared at Song Wen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She knew very well that during the battle with the Cheng family, Song Wen hadn''t been


    injured at all.


    What he was doing now was merely trying to take advantage of the situation and demand


    more benefits.


    "Junior Brother Wu, you''ve already taken Cheng Ruida''s and Cheng Han''s storage rings, isn''t that enough?" Zuo Shuiyun asked.


    Song Wen replied, "Their storage rings didn''t contain enough healing elixirs."


    Zuo Shuiyun was silent for a moment before raising her hand and tossing a storage bag to


    Song Wen.


    "There are ten thousand spirit stones here. That should be enough for you to fully recover,"


    she said.


    Song Wen took the storage bag without hesitation and pocketed it.


    "Thank you, Senior Sister, for your generosity."


    Two dayster, Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun returned to the Beastmaster Sect''s Alchemy Peak.


    The two went straight to the mission hall, where they met Lu Weicai.


    After hearing Zuo Shuiyun''s report, Lu Weicai''s expression was one of astonishment.


    His gaze carried a hint of doubt as he scrutinized both Song Wen and Zuo Shuiyun.


    It wasn''t that he doubted the truth of Cheng Ruida using his n members to feed a blood


    fiend.


    Compared to a second-tier spirit beast, the lives of a few mortal or Qi Refining stage cultivators were insignificant.


    What he found hard to believe was that Cheng Ruida would perish alongside the blood fiend.


    However, he didn''t voice his skepticism directly, merely saying in a neutral tone, "I will


    report the matter as you''ve stated. The sect will send people to verify it, and arrangements will be made for other cultivator families to take over the Cheng family''s assets."


    "Since the blood fiend is dead, your mission is consideredplete. Each of you will receive three thousand spirit stones and one hundred contribution points as a reward."


    During the three years that Song Wen and the others had been in the Beastmaster Sect, they


    had learned how to refine twentymon second-tier elixirs.


    Once the three-year training period ended, if they wished to learn new elixir recipes, they


    would need to exchange contribution points for them.


    The rarity of each recipe determined how many contribution points were required.


    For instance, the Golden Core Elixir, which all Foundation Establishment cultivators dreamed


    of obtaining, required a staggering one hundred thousand contribution points to exchange for both the recipe and the refining method.


    The Cheng family mission had only earned them two hundred contribution points in total.


    After leaving the mission hall, Song Wen made a brief visit to the Xuan Alchemy Chamber to request a leave of absence from Cai Jinglue.


    Song Wen had reached the bottleneck of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage with his "Longevity Technique" and needed to enter seclusion to attempt a breakthrough to thete Foundation Establishment stage.


    As soon as he returned to his cave residence, Song Wen received a message.


    The message was from Elder Wang Ming, the steward of the Eastern Hua Workshop''sw


    enforcement team-the one who had rmended Song Wen to join the Beastmaster Sect in the first ce.


    About a year earlier, Wang Ming had approached Song Wen, requesting him to refine a batch


    of elixirs.


    After some consideration, Song Wen had agreed.


    Firstly, it was an opportunity to practice and improve his alchemy skills.


    Secondly, it allowed him to earn some spirit stones.


    In daily life, Song Wen always pretended to be short of money, so refusing spirit stones that


    came his way wouldn''t make sense.


    Although refiningrge quantities of elixirs for others outside the sect was explicitly prohibited by the sect''s rules, nearly every alchemist in the Xuan Alchemy Chamber, except


    for Zhou Siyi, had likely taken on private work at some point.


    Wang Ming''s message was asking Song Wen to refine a batch of Essence Nurturing Elixirs for


    him.


    This was the third time Wang Ming had asked Song Wen for elixirs.


    At the moment, however, Song Wen had no time to refine elixirs for him, so he immediately


    refused.


    For the next several months, Song Wen devoted himself to cultivation in his cave residence.


    Apart from asionally going to the Spirit Medicine Peak to buy Huangjing Zhi (Yellow Essence Ganoderma), he never left his cave.


    He spent his time refining elixirs, taking medicinal herbs, and absorbing spiritual power.


    Eight months passed quietly in this intense cultivation.


    During this time, Song Wen took a brief break from the sect, leaving for about half a month.


    He found a secluded ce where hepleted the refinement of a pseudo-third-tier silver corpse.


    On this particr day, Song Wen emerged from his cave, radiating energy-his "Longevity Technique" had sessfully advanced to thete Foundation Establishment stage.


    He went to the Xuan Alchemy Chamber, first reporting to Cai Jinglue, and then entered an


    alchemy room to practice refining pills.


    As his cultivation level increased, Song Wen became more and more aware of the importance


    of alchemy.


    This realization made him even more diligent in practicing his alchemy skills.


    For the time being, Song Wen split his time between the alchemy chamber and his cave residence.


    With many alchemists gathered on Alchemy Peak, whenever Song Wen encountered difficulties in refining pills, it was easy to find someone to consult. His alchemy skills improved rapidly as a result.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 277: Meeting Ding Number 97 Black Coffin Again

    Chapter 277: Meeting Ding Number 97 ck Coffin Again


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the blink of an eye, several months had passed.


    On this particr day, as Song Wen was just leaving the alchemy room, he ran into Zhou Siyiing towards him.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I''ve secured a good job for you," Zhou Siyi said with a self-satisfied expression.


    Ever since their mission at the Spirit Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom, Zhou Siyi had warmed up to Song Wen considerably, treating him as a true junior brother from the same sect.


    Recently, Zhou Siyi had rarelye to the alchemy room, except asionally to practice new elixir recipes.


    "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou. May I ask what kind of job it is?" Song Wen asked with a smile, cupping his hands respectfully.


    Zhou Siyi nced around at the other alchemists in the hall and waved dismissively.


    "It''s not convenient to talk here. Come with me. Anyway, it''s a job where you can earn spirit stones and contribution points."


    Without waiting for Song Wen to respond, she quickly exited the hall and flew off on her sword.


    Song Wen shook his head helplessly and followed her on his sword.


    The two of them flew deeper into the Beastmaster Sect.


    After a short while, they arrived in the skies above a valley surrounded by mountains on all sides.


    The valley was shrouded in mist, obscuring the scene within.


    This was because the valley was protected by an array, blocking both vision and spiritual


    senses.


    This ce was located deep within the Beastmaster Sect, and the array here was clearly set up to prevent outsiders from peeking.


    It was obvious that there were sect secrets hidden within, and this valley was one of the sect''s restricted areas.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, why did you bring me here? This is a restricted area of the sect. Shouldn''t we leave as soon as possible?" Song Wen asked.


    Zhou Siyi smiled slightly. "With me here, what are you afraid of? Come on, follow me."


    With that, she lowered her sword light and descended to the edge of the valley.


    Without any noticeable movement on her part, the mist in front of her began to churn.


    A momentter, a narrow stone path suddenly appeared.


    "Junior Brother Wu, hurry up!" Zhou Siyi urged, seeing that Song Wen was still hovering mid- air.


    Song Wen didn''t move but asked, "Senior Sister Zhou, can you at least tell me what this ce is? If it''s really a sect''s restricted area, I don''t dare to enter recklessly."


    Zhou Siyi rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Look at how cautious you are. It''s not like I''d harm


    you."


    Just as she finished speaking, a figure appeared from the distant sky and arrived at Song Wen''s side within a few breaths.


    It was Liu Jiang.


    "Elder Wu, it''s been years. How have you been?" Liu Jiang greeted Song Wen warmly before nodding at Zhou Siyi, indicating their familiarity.


    "Greetings, Elder Liu," Song Wen said, cupping his hands. "When did you return to the sect?"


    Liu Jiang replied, "It''s been about three years since I returned to the sect."


    Song Wen mentally calcted.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It had been just over three years since he and Zhou Siyi hadpleted their mission at the Spirit Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom.


    In other words, shortly after they left the workshop, Liu Jiang was transferred back to the sect.


    "Elder Liu is now the guardian elder of the sect''s library pavilion," Zhou Siyi suddenly


    interjected.


    Song Wen stared at Liu Jiang, shocked.


    "Really? Congrattions, Elder Liu."


    Liu Jiang smiled. "I owe it all to Elder Zhou, who helped me sessfully cultivate the human-


    serpent hybrid."


    Song Wen nced at Zhou Siyi upon hearing this.


    Cultivating the human-serpent hybrid had earned Liu Jiang the position of guardian elder, and Zhou Siyi had be a revered elder of the sect. It seemed that the human-serpent hybrid was of great importance to the Beastmaster Sect.


    "Why are the two of you just standing at the entrance to the valley? Why don''t you go inside?" Liu Jiang asked.


    Zhou Siyi said, "Elder Rong has been short on manpowertely, so I thought of having Junior


    Brother Wu give it a try. If he can earn Elder Rong''s favor, he could make a lot of spirit stones. But instead, he''s overthinking it, worried that this ce is a sect''s restricted area and doesn''t dare enter."


    Liu Jiangughed, "Rest assured, Elder Wu. With me and Elder Zhou here, you''ll be perfectly


    safe."


    Seeing that the two of them had urged him repeatedly, Song Wen had no choice but to follow


    them into the valley.


    Sometimes, being overly cautious only arouses suspicion.


    The three of them followed the narrow stone path for over a hundred meters.


    Soon, a smallke, several miles in size, appeared before them.


    Half of theke had been constructed into a series of water serpent enclosures, just like the


    ones at the Spirit Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom.


    "How is there ake here?" Song Wen asked in surprise.


    There were no rivers within the Beastmaster Sect, so logically, there shouldn''t be ake.


    Liu Jiang exined, "Thiske wasn''t naturally formed; it was created by channeling


    underground rivers."


    Soon, the three of them arrived at the entrance of an underground cave.


    The entrance was about ten meters wide, with a que hanging above it, inscribed with the


    words "Serpent Cave."


    As they approached the cave entrance, Song Wen suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    A continuous flow of corpse energy was emanating from the Serpent Cave.


    For a righteous sect like the Beastmaster Sect, why would there be such a ce filled with


    such malevolent energy?


    "Junior Brother Wu, what''s wrong now?"


    Seeing Song Wen had stopped walking, Zhou Siyi turned back and asked.


    "Why is there corpse energy here?" Song Wen asked, feeling uneasy.


    Though his expression of unease was feigned, he truly did not want to enter the Serpent Cave.


    There were clearly some deep secrets of the Beastmaster Sect involved in this ce.


    Following the principle of "the less you know, the safer you are," Song Wen wanted no part in


    these secrets.


    With a sour face, Zhou Siyi said, "Junior Brother Wu, you''re being way too suspicious. We''re already here; does it really matter whether you enter the Serpent Cave or not?"


    "Hurry up! Elder Rong is waiting," Zhou Siyi urged.


    Song Wen remained silent for a moment but eventually followed Zhou Siyi into the Serpent


    Cave.


    There were no defensive formations inside the Serpent Cave, or perhaps they weren''t


    activated.


    Without a formation to obscure things, cultivators could probe everything inside the cave


    with their spiritual senses, even without entering.


    As Zhou Siyi had said, by the time they reached the entrance of the Serpent Cave, whether he


    entered or not, Song Wen had already been exposed to the secret.


    After walking several dozen meters, a vast underground hall appeared before them.


    The hall was clearly man-made, with carefully polished floors and walls, giving it an orderly


    appearance.


    The hall was divided into two sections: north and south.


    The southern section was slightly smaller, with numerous pools scattered across the floor.


    In these pools, serpents in human form were constantly swimming. These were all fully developed human-serpent hybrids, numbering over a hundred.


    However, most of them were newly born first-tier human-serpents, and there were few


    second-tier ones.


    In the northern section of the hall, there were neatly arranged coffins, numbering over a


    thousand.


    Each coffin was marked with a number.


    Among the many coffins, Song Wen found the coffinbeled "Number 97."


    Using his spiritual sense, he detected that it contained the body of Zhao Dapeng''s younger brother, the man with rat-like eyes.


    At this point, he had already stopped breathing.


    However, some kind of spell had been cast on him, sealing both his soul and body. The corpse


    remained in the state just after death, with the soul trapped inside.


    Rong Jingyun stood among the coffins, her brow furrowed and her face full of worry.


    She held a thick book in her hands, which recorded information about the bodies in each


    coffin.


    Zhou Siyi and Liu Jiang approached Rong Jingyun.


    "Elder Rong, still no progress?"


    Rong Jingyun, looking anxious, shook her head without saying a word.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 278: The Mystic Corpse and Mystic Qi

    Chapter 278: The Mystic Corpse and Mystic Qi


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Elder Rong, didn''t you say you wanted to try this with several Foundation Establishment elders? This is Wu Sheng from Alchemy Peak, let him give it a try as well," Zhou Siyi pointed at Song Wen and said to Rong Jingyun.


    Song Wen had consulted Elder Rong before on formation techniques, so Rong Jingyun still had an impression of him.


    Rong Jingyun looked at Song Wen and nodded slightly.


    "Since Elder Wu is here, let''s have him try."


    Song Wen was still confused and asked, "May I ask, Elder Rong, what exactly do you need me to do?"


    Rong Jingyun did not answer directly but pointed to the coffins in front of them and asked, "What do you think is different about these bodiespared to normal corpses?"


    After thinking for a moment, Song Wen replied, "These bodies were refined before death using corpse qi and materials with yin attributes, turning them into neither human nor corpse. Their bodies were corroded by corpse qi, causing them to die in prolonged agony."


    Rong Jingyun was not surprised that Song Wen could tell this much. Any cultivator in thete Qi Refining stage could discern how these bodies had died.


    Rong Jingyun said, "These bodies were eroded by corpse qi for an extended period before death, leaving them in a strange half-human, half-corpse state, which we call ''Mystic Corpses.'' The corpse qi and vital qi in their bodies show signs of merging, but only signs."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What we seek is for the corpse qi and vital qi to fully fuse, creating a new form of special heaven-and-earth qi, one that possesses both life and death attributes."


    "This new type of qi is called ''Mystic Qi.""


    "The more than a thousand bodies before you were all from mortals or low-level Qi Refining cultivators. Their bodies were weak, making them more susceptible to corpse qi. However, they could not withstand the prolonged erosion of corpse qi, and their bodies copsed before the qi could fully merge."


    "Late-stage Qi Refining or Foundation Establishment cultivators, with their stronger spiritual energy and tougher bodies, can resist corpse qi and refine it into demonic energy. But too much corpse qi will kill them."


    "Thus, it seems that using human cultivators to cultivate ''Mystic Qi'' is a dead end."


    "So we thought of using a different species with stronger vitality-spirit creatures. Coincidentally, Elder Liu has been breeding human-serpent hybrids, creatures with incredibly strong vitality and the ability to regenerate even severed limbs."


    "Human-serpents are the best vessels for cultivating ''Mystic Qi.""


    "However, their vitality is so strong that when corpse qi enters their bodies, it is quickly expelled by their life force, making it extremely difficult to refine them into Mystic Corpses. So far, over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators and three Golden Core experts in the sect have attempted this, but none have seeded."


    Rong Jingyun spoke slowly, her tone and expression more like she was thinking aloud to organize her thoughts than exining to Song Wen.


    After a moment of silence, Rong Jingyun asked, "Elder Wu, in your opinion, is there any solution to this?"


    After thinking for a while, Song Wen replied, "In corpse refining, demonic techniques are most effective. Why not enlist some demonic cultivators to help with refining the Mystic Corpses?"


    Rong Jingyun responded, "We''ve tried that as well. We captured two corpse-refining demonic cultivators and had them try, but the results were not ideal. Ordinary demonic corpse refiners cannot solve this problem."


    With a sigh, Rong Jingyun continued, "Since you are here, Elder Wu, you should give it a try. If you seed, the sect will reward you handsomely. But remember, everything you see in the Serpent Cave must not be disclosed. Viting this will result in severe punishment for revealing sect secrets."


    With a serious expression, Song Wen bowed and said, "Rest assured, Elder Rong. I understand the gravity of the situation."


    In one corner of the northern side of the hall, there were twenty small caves, each about ten meters wide and long, carved into the stone wall.


    Led by Zhou Siyi, Song Wen arrived at the entrance of Cave No. 10.


    "Junior Brother Wu, this corpse cave is currently unused. You can refine your corpse here."


    She raised her hand and tossed a token engraved with the words "No. 10" and a storage bag to Song Wen.


    "The token is the control token for Cave No. 10. The storage bag contains Yin materials needed for corpse refinement, such as Yin Fiend Dew and Yin yellow earth. I''m in Cave No. 2, so if you need anything, feel free toe to me."


    "You''ll need to go to Elder Liu Jiang to get a human-serpent for the half-corpse refinement. He is responsible for providing the human-serpents."


    "Thank you, Senior Sister Zhou," Song Wen said, cupping his hands in thanks.


    After Zhou Siyi left, Song Wen used his spiritual sense to probe the storage bag.


    Inside, everything needed for corpse refinement was provided. There was a high-grade nurturing coffin, a jade slip with corpse refinement techniques, and various corpse refining materials. The quantity of these materials, including a bottle of Yin Fiend dew, was impressive, valued at no less than a thousand spirit stones.


    Seeing the materials in the storage bag, Song Wen felt a bit tempted.


    Yin Fiend dew is condensed from pure corpse energy and ismonly used by corpse- refining cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage. It was particrly valuable for Song Wen, whose cultivation technique, Corpse King Blood Refinement Method, required


    arge amount of it.


    The fact that the Beastmaster Sect provided so many corpse refining materials just for an initial attempt showed how important refining the human-serpent mystic corpses was to


    them.


    Putting the storage bag away, Song Wen headed to the serpent pit area.


    "Elder Liu, I''m here to receive a human-serpent."


    Song Wen respectfully greeted Liu Jiang.


    Liu Jiang was observing the growth of the human-serpents in the serpent pit when he saw


    Song Wen approaching and kindly responded, "Elder Wu, what strength of human-serpent


    would you like?"


    Song Wen was a bit puzzled, "Does the cultivation level of the human-serpent make a difference in refining the mystic corpse?"


    Liu Jiang exined, "The higher the cultivation level of the human-serpent, the stronger its


    life force, and naturally, the more difficult the refinement process bes. However, it can also endure more corpse qi, increasing the chances of sessfully creating a mystic corpse and cultivating mystic qi."


    "Since this is your first attempt at corpse refinement, I would suggest starting with a first- tier human-serpent."


    Liu Jiang seemed to be giving helpful advice, but in reality, he was reluctant to hand over a second-tier human-serpent to Song Wen for practice. He didn''t believe that Song Wen would be able to refine a mystic corpse.


    Second-tier human-serpents were not easy to cultivate, and Liu Jiang didn''t want to see one wasted by Song Wen.


    Song Wen smiled and said, "Thank you for your advice, Elder Liu. I''ll follow your suggestion and start with a first-tier human-serpent."


    Seeing that Song Wen agreed, Liu Jiang''s face showed a hint of satisfaction. Several people


    who hade before, thinking highly of themselves, had demanded a second-tier human-


    serpent right away, only to end up wasting one for nothing.


    "Come, I''ll take you to choose a human-serpent."


    Passing through a few serpent pits, Liu Jiang pointed to one of them.


    "Elder Wu, how about this human-serpent?"


    The human-serpent was about as thick as a bowl, at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and its


    human form was still that of a child, indicating that it had just been born not long ago.


    Song Wen looked troubled, "Elder Liu, this human-serpent is too immature. Let''s choose


    another one."


    After thinking for a moment, Liu Jiang said, "Fine. Considering you helped me out at the Spirit Beast Market in Yan Kingdom, I''ll let you choose one from among the first-tier human-


    serpents yourself."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 279: Extraordinary Talent in Corpse Refinement

    Chapter 279: Extraordinary Talent in Corpse Refinement


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the end, Song Wen selected a male human-serpent at the ninth level of Qi Refining.


    The human-serpent was about the size of a rice bowl, with the appearance of a young boy.


    It had been restricted, unable to use its spiritual power, and Song Wen lifted it with his spiritual energy, heading toward Corpse Cave No. 10.


    Upon entering the cave, Song Wen used the token to seal the cave.


    Each corpse cave was equipped with a concealment formation. First, to prevent interruptions during corpse refinement, and second, to prevent others from spying.


    Before entering the cave, Song Wen had tested it with his spiritual sense.


    The concealment formation of the cave could block the spiritual senses of Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    At that moment, there were only Foundation Establishment cultivators in the human-serpent pit.


    In other words, everything Song Wen did within the corpse cave would go unnoticed by outsiders.


    To be extra cautious, Song Wen hid a Sacred Gu in a crack at the entrance to the human- serpent pit. If a cultivator of the Golden Core stage entered, the Gu would alert him immediately.


    Song Wen took out the storage bag given to him by Zhou Siyi and carefully examined the jade slip inside.


    The jade slip recorded an advanced corpse refinement method, along with some notes on refining mystic corpses.


    The corpse refinement method was of little use to Song Wen, but the notes contained valuable insights worth studying.


    After half an hour of carefully reading the notes, Song Wen put the jade slip away.


    With a wave of his hand, he summoned the corpse-nurturing coffin in front of him.


    The coffin was over a meter long, pure ck, and engraved with the words "Ding 130."


    The human-serpent he had chosen was over ten feet long, toorge for an ordinary coffin.


    Song Wen used his spiritual energy to lift the human-serpent into the air and ced it inside the coffin.


    The human-serpent twisted its body frantically, its forked tongue flicking in and out, and its vertical pupils red at Song Wen with hatred.


    Song Wen remained indifferent to the serpent''s hostility.


    He opened the Yin Fiend dew, flicked his finger, and a drop of concentrated corpse energy floated in the air, drifting toward the human-serpent''s mouth.


    Panic shed in the serpent''s eyes, and it quickly withdrew its tongue and mped its mouth shut.


    With a thought, Song Wen used his spiritual power to force the serpent''s mouth open.


    The drop of Yin Fiend dew fell into the human-serpent''s mouth.


    Song Wen then began to use the secret corpse refinement technique, forcibly integrating the Yin Fiend dew into the human-serpent''s body.


    An hourter, a piece of Yin yellow earth was stuffed into the serpent''s mouth.


    One dayter.


    Song Wen hadpleted the first stage of refining the human-serpent. About half of the corpse refining materials in his storage bag had been consumed.


    At this moment, the human-serpent, having absorbed too much Yin Fiend dew, was lying weakly in the coffin, its body brimming with corpse energy, but listless and barely moving.


    The serpent''s body trembled continuously, clearly in extreme pain.


    Song Wen ced the coffin aside and stopped paying attention to the human-serpent.


    The serpent was too weak at the moment to continue the refinement process, or else it might turn into a beast corpse puppet.


    The corpse cave was filled with an overwhelming amount of corpse energy, and Song Wen couldn''t resist taking a deep breath.


    The feeling of openly absorbing corpse energy was truly nostalgic.


    After meditating and cultivating in the cave for two days, Song Wen finally emerged.


    As a novice attempting corpse refinement for the first time,pleting the initial stage in just three days was no small feat.


    Had Song Wen emerged from the cave two days earlier, it would have surely aroused suspicion.


    "Junior Brother Wu, have youpleted the first refinement of the human-serpent? How did


    it go?"


    As soon as Song Wen exited the cave, he ran into Zhou Siyi, who asked with curiosity.


    After interacting with Zhou Siyi for several years, Song Wen had gradually figured out her


    habits.


    She was intensely curious about the unknown and always eager to learn.


    Take alchemy, for example. When practicing a new pill form, she would bepletely


    focused.


    But once she seeded, regardless of the low sess rate, her interest would immediately


    fade.


    Her deep concern about the sess of Song Wen''s refining of the human-serpent could only


    indicate one thing:


    Zhou Siyi was having trouble refining her own human-serpent.


    Song Wen pointed to the corpse-nurturing coffin still ced in the corpse cave and said,


    "Thankfully, I didn''t fail; it went fairly smoothly."


    Zhou Siyi''s eyes lit up.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Really? You seeded on your first attempt at corpse refinement?"


    "Senior Sister, you''ll know once you take a look."


    Zhou Siyi rushed into the corpse cave and approached the coffin.


    Inside the coffin, ck corpse energy swirled, and the human-serpenty weak and lifeless.


    After observing for a while, Zhou Siyi raised her head and looked at Song Wen with a look of


    amazement.


    "Junior Brother Wu, your talent in cultivation is average, and in alchemy, it''s just so-so. But I didn''t expect that in the art of corpse refinement, you have extraordinary talent."


    "You shouldn''t have joined the Beast-Taming Sect. You should have joined the Corpse Demon Sect."


    "Who''s talking about joining the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    Rong Jingyun''s voice suddenly rang out.


    Zhou Siyi turned around, a delighted expression on her face, and spoke to Rong Jingyun.


    "Come quickly, Elder Rong! Wu Sheng has justpleted his first refinement of the human- serpent corpse, and it went incredibly smoothly."


    Hearing this, Rong Jingyun''s expression brightened, and she quickly stepped into the Corpse


    Cave.


    When she saw the state of the human-serpent inside the coffin, she too looked at Song Wen


    with amazement.


    "Elder Wu, have you practiced the art of corpse refinement before?"


    Song Wen''s face filled with rm.


    "Elder Rong, although I was once a rogue cultivator, I''ve always known the strict divide


    between the righteous and the evil paths. I''ve never dared to practice any corpse-refinement techniques. When I joined the sect, Vice Hall Master of the Enforcement Hall personally inspected me. There''s no trace of demonic aura on me."


    Rong Jingyun smiled gently.


    "Elder Wu, don''t be ned. I''m not


    by your talent in corpse refinement."


    to question or suspect you. I''m merely astonished


    "Would Elder Wu be willing to demonstrate the process of corpse refinement for me?"


    "Elder Rong, it would be my honor," Song Wen replied.


    Song Wen remained calm in the face of Rong Jingyun''s request.


    When he had put all his effort into refining the half-corpse human-serpent, he had


    anticipated this kind of situation.


    The reason Song Wen was so determined to refine corpses was, of course, for ess to corpse-refining materials.


    As long as he showcased exceptional talent in corpse refinement, he would surely earn Rong


    Jingyun''s recognition, allowing him to continuously acquire corpse-refining materials from


    her.


    Rong Jingyun said, "I will select another human-serpent for you. After you''ve rested and recovered, you can begin refining. How does that sound, Elder Wu?"


    Song Wen replied, "I will follow Elder Rong''s arrangements."


    Rong Jingyun asked, "For this next refinement, do you prefer a first-tier human-serpent or a


    second-tier one?"


    Song Wen''s expression became excited.


    "If there''s a second-tier human-serpent avable, that would be best. First-tier human-


    serpents are still too weak and can''t handle much corpse energy."


    Rong Jingyun nodded and left.


    Song Wen remained in the corpse cave, pretending to meditate and recover.


    Two hourster.


    A second-tier female human-serpent, its spiritual power sealed, appeared before Song Wen.


    At this moment, aside from Song Wen, there were five others in the fifteenth corpse cave.


    They were Rong Jingyun, Zhou Siyi, and Liu Jiang, along with two male mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    These two men, Zhang Bing and Li Shi, were elders of the Beast Peak. Their primary task was


    to assist Rong Jingyun in managing the human-serpent cave and refining human-serpent corpses.


    Under the watchful eyes of the five, Song Wen began refining the second-tier human-serpent.


    To avoid arousing suspicion, he did not use the corpse-refinement techniques of the Corpse


    Demon Sect but instead used the method recorded in the jade slip that Zhou Siyi had given


    him.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 280: The Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array

    Chapter 280: The Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Due to Song Wen''s intentional dys, this corpse refinement processsted a full four days.


    During this time, Song Wen deliberately pretended to be unfamiliar with the refining techniques, almost causing the process to fail several times.


    However, it was a false rm each time. Other than wasting some corpse-refining materials, no significant damage was done.


    In the end, despite some setbacks, the first refinement of the second-tier human-snake waspleted.


    The second-tier human-snake consumed significantly more Yin Fiend Dew than the first-tier one, especially since Song Wen intentionally wasted some.


    An entire bottle of Yin Fiend Dew was nearly depleted.


    Song Wen wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead, exhaled a long breath of relief, and wore an exhausted expression.


    "Elder Rong, I havepleted the task sessfully."


    Rong Jingyun looked at the second-tier human-snake inside the Ding No. 136 corpse coffin, unable to hide her delight.


    "Elder Wu, you won''t need to take up any more duties in the alchemy hall. Just focus on refining the human-snake corpses in the serpent cave."


    Song Wen''s expression stiffened.


    He wanted to receive corpse-refining materials from Rong Jingyun, but he also desired to practice alchemy.


    "Elder Rong, though my talent in alchemy is average, I am still passionate about it. I''m willing to refine corpses in the serpent cave, but I hope you will allow me to continue practicing alchemy in the alchemy hall."


    Rong Jingyun smiled faintly and waved her hand, saying,


    "Elder Wu, you''ve misunderstood me. I''m not forbidding you from practicing alchemy in the alchemy hall, but I don''t want you wasting too much time on the tasks there."


    "Once you begin working in the serpent cave, you''ll receive a monthly sry of two thousand spirit stones, along with four contribution points from the sect. In your free time, you can still go to the alchemy hall to practice. If you encounter any difficulties in alchemy, you can ask me for guidance. I do have some insights into the art of alchemy."


    Song Wen seemed overwhelmed by this sudden stroke of good fortune and stood in a slight daze for a moment.


    His face then lit up with joy, and he sped his hands in thanks. "Thank you, Elder Rong, for your kindness."


    Rong Jingyun, satisfied with Song Wen''s reaction, nodded approvingly.


    She then used her spiritual sense tomunicate privately with Song Wen, saying,


    "Elder Wu, the task of refining human-snake corpses was personally assigned by the Supreme Elder. If you seed, the sect will reward you generously. I hope you can seize this opportunity."


    Rong Jingyun''s use of spiritual sense tomunicate was clearly intended to keep others from hearing this.


    After hearing her words, Song Wen didn''t say anything further. He merely nodded towards her, indicating his understanding.


    Having discovered Song Wen''s exceptional talent for corpse refinement, Rong Jingyun was in a good mood. She said to the others,


    "Everyone, you may leave. If you have any questions about corpse refinement in the future, feel free to consult Elder Wu."


    The others slowly dispersed, and Song Wen also rose, nning to return to his cave dwelling.


    "Junior Brother Wu, where are you going?" Zhou Siyin asked when she saw Song Wen leave the fifteenth corpse cave.


    "I''m heading back to my cave dwelling to cultivate," Song Wen replied, puzzled.


    "If you return to your cave dwelling, who will take care of these two human-snakes?" Zhou Siyin pointed to the two human-snakes in the fifteenth corpse cave.


    "Just put them in the serpent pit and let them recover slowly, won''t that be fine?" Song Wen replied, as if it were the most obvious thing.


    "That won''t do! Elder Wu, you must keep a close eye on the condition of the two human- snakes."


    Rong Jingyun suddenly interrupted. After a brief pause, she continued,


    "Here''s what we''ll do. Elder Wu, take these two human-snakes back to your cave dwelling with you."


    "Take them to my cave dwelling?" Song Wen looked surprised. "But how can I bring them there?"


    The existence of human-snakes was a secret and could not be exposed.


    Moreover, human-snakes were living creatures and were not Song Wen''s spirit beasts, so they


    couldn''t be stored in his storage ring or kept in a spirit beast pouch. It would be nearly impossible to transport them to his cave dwelling without being noticed by others.


    "That''s easy."


    Rong Jingyun waved her hand, and a thin veil several meters long appeared.


    "This veil is woven from the web of a third-tier demonic beast, the Scarlet Blood Demon Spider. It can block spiritual sense detection. If you cover the corpse-nurturing coffin with it, even a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator will find it difficult to detect the presence of the human-snakes."


    Song Wen sped his hands and said, "Thank you, Elder Rong, for your assistance."


    Rong Jingyun replied, "Remember to return it after you''re done."


    As she spoke, she raised her hand and tossed Song Wen a small bronze mirror, the size of a


    palm.


    "This is the Haoqi Mirror. After a simple refinement, you''ll be able to use it. It can conceal the corpse-qi on your body. Cultivators below the Golden Core stage will have no chance of


    detecting anything unusual."


    "Also, go to Elder Liu to obtain a guide for raising human-snakes and their feed."


    Half an hourter.


    Song Wen returned to his cave with two corpse coffins.


    In one corner of the cave, he dug two snake pits, each about three meters wide, and ced the


    two human-snakes in them.


    He then took out two sets of formation gs and inserted them around the pits.


    Each set of gs was for a seventh-grade formation called the Six-Hexagram Demon-


    Locking Array.


    This formation was the mostmonly used by the Beastmaster Sect to imprison seventh- grade spirit beasts that hadn''t formed a contract yet.


    With the Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array, the sealing curse on the human-snakes could be temporarily lifted, allowing them to recover their spiritual power. This spiritual power


    would resist the corpse-qi within them, speeding up their recovery and preparing them for the next round of corpse refinement.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With a wave of his hand, a red, blood-soaked meatball the size of a basin appeared in Song


    Wen''s hand.


    The meatball emitted a strong bloody smell and was specially made by the Spirit Beast Peak


    as food for the human-snakes.


    It contained the flesh and blood of unknown demonic beasts and spirit herbs, said to rapidly increase the cultivation of human-snakes.


    Song Wen tossed the meatball into the snake pit of the seventh-grade female serpent.


    The human-snake, having had its sealing curse lifted, angrily struck the stone walls of the pit


    with its tail.


    The stone walls emitted a green light, blocking the attacks of the human-snake without


    harming it at all.


    Seeing that it couldn''t break through the barrier of the Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array, the human-snake hissed, raised its body, and pressed its face against the formation barrier. Its vertical pupils red at Song Wen with intense killing intent and hatred.


    Song Wen ignored the hostility of the seventh-grade female human-snake.


    He then pulled out another meatball, cut off a small portion, and threw it into the snake pit of


    the first-tier human-snake.


    With the strength of a first-tier human-snake, it couldn''t consume an entire meatball in one


    go.


    Afterward, Song Wen set up the Spirit-Concealing Formation and the Nine-Pce Yin Array, though it''s worth noting that these two formations did not cover the snake pits.


    He then threw the remainingrge portion of the meatball to his pair of Sacred Gu.


    The strength of the Sacred Gu had already reached the peak of the early seventh-grade, but


    they had long been stuck without a way to break through. Their power had not improved for


    some time.


    As soon as the Sacred Gu smelled the meatball''s foul scent, they buzzed their wings and flew


    over.


    Their heads swelled to the size of eggs, and they began devouring the meatball.


    In just two breaths, the meatball disappeared without a trace.


    After finishing the meatball, the Sacred Gu circled around Song Wen, conveying a strong sense


    of dissatisfaction.


    The meatballs had been obtained from Liu Jiang, and Song Wen had received a total of


    seventy.


    The human-snakes ate every two days, and these meatballs were their rations for seventy


    days.


    Once broken, the meatballs couldn''t be stored for long.


    Thus, even if the first-tier male serpent couldn''t eat an entire meatball in one go, its ration


    every two days still had to be a whole meatball.


    In the Serpent Cave, where there were many first-tier human-snakes, several would share a


    meatball, so there was no worry of waste.


    However, at Song Wen''s ce, there was extra meat, which became the Sacred Gu''s food.


    Song Wen summoned the two Sacred Gu, leaving only one behind.


    He took out a meatball and ced it in front of the remaining bug.


    Like a whirlwind, the Sacred Gu devoured the meatball in just ten breaths.


    Yet, the bug was still not satisfied and continued to beg for food from Song Wen.


    Song Wen tossed it another meatball.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 281: A Happy Family of Three

    Chapter 281: A Happy Family of Three


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After consuming three meatballs, the Sacred Gu felt so stuffed that it wobbled a bit as it crawled back into Song Wen''s body.


    Song Wen took out the corpse refining materials that Rong Jingyun had given him when he left.


    There were nine bottles of Yin Fiend Dew and a good number of other refining materials.


    Rong Jingyun estimated that these materials were enough to refine the two human-snakes six times.


    ording to Song Wen''s calctions, with his corpse refining skills, he could save at least fifty percent of the materials, meaning these materials would end up in his hands.


    In the following days, everything continued as usual for Song Wen.


    Most of the time, he stayed in the cave, refining Blood Spirit Pills and consuming the elixirs.


    asionally, he would visit the alchemy room to exchange alchemical techniques with other alchemists.


    What set him apart from the other alchemists in the room was that he possessed a jade slip containing Rong Jingyun''s insights into alchemy, which included dozens of seventh-grade recipes, so he didn''t need to spend contribution points to exchange for any recipes.


    Every two days, he would take out a meatball for the two human-snakes to eat, and by now, he had saved up twenty meatballs, all of which went into the stomach of one Sacred Gu, causing it to show signs of breaking through to the early seventh grade.


    Thirteen days passed in the blink of an eye.


    The human-snakes gradually adapted to the pain brought by the corpse-qi within their bodies and their condition was slowly recovering.


    Song Wen did not immediately perform the seventh round of corpse refinement on them.


    Instead, he waited another four days before refining the two human-snakes.


    He was concerned that the time it took for the human-snakes to recover was fixed. His corpse refining time was obviously shorter than a typical human''s refining time. To avoid drawing suspicion from others regarding the timeline, he could only dy the refining time for the human-snakes.


    After spending two days, the seventh round of corpse refinement waspleted, and the corpse-qi on their bodies grew denser.


    The invasion of the corpse-qi caused them to fall into immense pain once again, and their bodies started trembling uncontrobly.


    After cing the two human-snakes back in their snake pits, Song Wen went to the Serpent Cave.


    First, he found Liu Jiang to collect seventy meatballs.


    Song Wen wanted to ask for more, but Liu Jiang refused him.


    "Elder Wu, it''s not that I''m stingy and unwilling to give you more meatballs; it''s just that the quantity is limited."


    "The meatballs are provided by the Beast Peak, and they only provide enough for ten days at a time. I have to budget carefully, fearing that there won''t be enough meatballs to affect the cultivation of the human-snakes."


    Liu Jiang''s words were filled withints and dissatisfaction toward the Beast Peak.


    "Why do the people of Beast Peak do this?" Song Wen asked.


    Refining the human-snakes'' corpses was a direct order from the Sect''s Nascent Soul Elder.


    Logically, to please the Nascent Soul Elder, each peak should do its best to cooperate.


    It was somewhat unusual for the Beast Peak to throw obstacles in the way.


    "Our alchemy peak has cultivated human-snakes with astonishing vitality and recovery ability, making them the best vessel for nurturing ''Mystic Qi''. This has embarrassed those ipetent people from the Beast Peak; they are jealous of our alchemy peak."


    Liu Jiang said this with a hint of pride on his face.


    After all, the human-snakes had been cultivated under his guidance.


    Song Wen was not interested in the grievances between the alchemy peak and the Beast Peak.


    As Liu Jiang brought it up, he didn''t want to offend him, so he could only respond with a few perfunctory remarks.


    After bidding farewell to Liu Jiang, Song Wen found Rong Jingyun and returned the borrowed Haoqi Mirror.


    Rong Jingyun received the mirror and asked, "Elder Wu, how have the human-snakes been doingtely?"


    "Reporting to Elder Rong, I have already performed the seventh round of corpse refinement, and everything went smoothly."


    Upon hearing this, Rong Jingyun''s eyes lit up.


    "You finished the seventh round of corpse refinement so quickly! May I visit your cave to take


    a look?"


    "If Elder Rong is willing to visit my humble abode, it would be my honor."


    Just as Song Wen finished speaking, Zhou Siyi unexpectedly jumped out from somewhere.


    "I want to go too."


    "If Sister Zhou wishes to go, she is most wee," Song Wen replied.


    The three of them took to the skies on their swords and left the Serpent Cave.


    Just as they approached the nearby peak, they saw a cultured young man riding a sword, apanied by a thirteen-year-old boy.


    The cultured young man was Heng Cheng, Rong Jingyun''s partner.


    The boy next to him was his son from an external partner.


    Heng Cheng noticed Song Wen and the others and flew over on his sword.


    "Jingyun, where are you headed? Who are these two?"


    Seeing her husband and child, Rong Jingyun''s face broke into a smile.


    "Let me introduce you."


    "These two are Elders from the peak, Wu Sheng and Zhou Siyi."


    "This is my husband, Heng Cheng, an elder from the Medicine Peak."


    "This is our child, Heng Junxia."


    The boy crushed a flying talisman, left Heng Cheng''s flying sword, and came to Rong


    Jingyun''s side.


    "Mom, you haven''t been home for almost a month."


    Heng Junxia held onto Rong Jingyun''s hand, looking extremely reliant and longing.


    Rong Jingyun''s face showed a hint of indulgence as she ruffled his hair.


    "Mom has been busy with sect taskstely. Once these tasks are finished, I''lle back and


    spend some quality time with you."


    "You must listen to your father at home and not bezy. You need to practice diligently,


    understood?"


    "Understood, Mom," Heng Junxia replied.


    Rong Jingyun turned to Heng Cheng.


    "Husband, you''ve been busytely; please take good care of Junxia."


    Heng Cheng replied, "Jingyun, you can rest assured."


    After parting from Heng Cheng, the three of them continued towards Song Wen''s cave.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Elder Rong, I truly envy your family; you all seem so harmonious. Unlike my family, sigh!"


    Zhou Siyi said with a deep sigh.


    Her parents divorced shortly after she was born, for reasons unknown.


    Her mother was ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Law Enforcement


    Hall, who, after separating from her father, requested a transfer to a small market under the


    Beast Control Sect, where she guarded the market.


    Zhou Siyi was raised solely by her father.


    "With someone as dedicated as Elder Rong as your mother, your child is truly lucky."


    Upon hearing this, a flicker of something unusual shed in Rong Jingyun''s eyes but disappeared in an instant.


    A hint of indulgence appeared on her face.


    "Junxia has a pure heart and is a good child. It''s just a pity that his cultivation talent is a bit


    lacking; he only has a third-grade spiritual root, so it may be difficult for him to make


    significant progress in cultivation."


    Song Wen gave Rong Jingyun a strange look.


    A pure heart!


    In the perilous world of cultivation, that''s not necessarily a good thing and isn''t considered a


    compliment.


    In the cultivation world, if one said a young cultivator had a "pure heart," it often implied


    that they were foolish, with little difference from an insult.


    The three soon arrived at Song Wen''s cave.


    After observing the condition of the human-snakes, Rong Jingyun was very pleased. She said,


    "Elder Wu, I will report your contributions to the peak master and apply for the position of an elder deacon for you. I believe the peak master will be pleased."


    "Thank you, Elder Rong," Song Wen said, somewhat excited.


    "Junior Brother Wu, could you teach me about corpse refining?" Zhou Siyi pleaded.


    "Sister Zhou, I am merely following the jade slip you gave me, feeling my way through. I can''t


    say I can ''teach you.'' If Sister trusts me, I can observe next time you refine a corpse and offer


    some suggestions if you make any mistakes," Song Wen replied.


    Zhou Siyi smiled and said, "That would be great."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 282: A Debt as Heavy as a Mountain

    Chapter 282: A Debt as Heavy as a Mountain


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Seven dayster.


    Song Wen''s appointment as an elder deacon was officially announced.


    At that time, Song Wen was refining pills in the Xuan Alchemy Room.


    News of his promotion spread quickly.


    Soon, all the alchemists in the room learned of this news.


    Regardless of their familiarity with Song Wen, they all congratted him.


    Even Huo Ding, who hadn''t met him in a long time, specially left the alchemy room to offer his congrattions.


    It was quite rare for someone like Song Wen, who had just joined the Beastmaster Sect for only four months, to be promoted to elder deacon so quickly.


    In the world of cultivation, interpersonal rtionships were equally important. Regardless of whether the other party could help you in the future, leaving a good impression was always beneficial.


    Among the many figures, one stood out.


    Zuo Shuiyun stood at a distance, watching Song Wen with a hint of jealousy in her eyes.


    Since bing the honorary elder of the Xuan Alchemy Room, she had been plotting and ttering others, even sacrificing her appearance, and diligently practicing alchemy, all to be an elder deacon and secure her ce in the Alchemy Peak.


    What she hadn''t anticipated was that the three who became honorary elders alongside her were quite different.


    Huo Ding, with outstanding talent in alchemy, was a disciple of the peak master, and didn''t need to vie for power; as long as he practiced diligently, fame and fortune woulde eventually.


    Zhou Siyi, this generation''s seventh disciple, didn''t seem too concerned about alchemy; afterpleting a single mission, she inexplicably advanced to the position of elder deacon.


    Zuo Shuiyun always believed that Zhou Siyi''s rapid promotion was entirely due to the favor of her vice-peak master father.


    Now, even "Wu Sheng," a casual cultivator who had joined the sect midway, had be an elder deacon.


    This made Zuo Shuiyun feel extremely dissatisfied.


    Sheng''s talent in alchemy was mediocre, and he hadn''t practiced as diligently as she had. How could he advance so quickly and be an elder deacon before her?


    Song Wen, unaware of Zuo Shuiyun''s resentment, chatted briefly with the congrattors before returning to his cave.


    The Sacred Gu he had been feeding with meat balls had consumed a total of fifteen meat balls over the past ten days, showing signs of breaking through its early-stage bottleneck.


    Song Wen took out four meat balls and ced them in front of the Sacred Gu. This was thergest amount he could spare at the moment.


    The Sacred Gu gobbled them up, quickly consuming three and a half meat balls.


    Stuffed, the Sacred Guy down on the spot, not moving at all.


    After about an hour, the Sacred Gu suddenly began to absorb the spiritual energy from its surroundings.


    Seeing this, Song Wen''s eyes brightened; he knew this was a sign of the Sacred Gu advancing.


    He quickly took out dozens of spirit stones and forcibly crushed them.


    The rich and pure spiritual energy immediately filled the cave and was quickly absorbed by the Sacred Gu.


    Two dayster.


    Song Wen had crushed more than four thousand three hundred spirit stones, and the Sacred Gu finally stopped absorbing external spiritual energy and fell into a deep sleep.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Ten dayster.


    The human-snake''s condition had stabilized, and they could begin refining corpses again.


    With each refinement, the recovery time for the human-snake''s physical body gradually increased.


    The first time took thirteen days; this time it took seventy days.


    Song Wen left his cave and went to the human-snake cave to collect seventy meat balls.


    Returning to his cave, Song Wen began refining corpses on the human-snake.


    Two dayster, the corpse refinement waspleted.


    Song Wen didn''t rush out of the cave; instead, he started the furnace to refine Blood Spirit Pills, nning to take the pills to improve his cultivation.


    Four dayster, Song Wen finally left the cave.


    With that, he had closed himself off in the cave for six days, which was precisely the time required for a novice to refine a corpse.


    Song Wen arrived at the square in front of the Xuan Alchemy Room.


    After waiting for a moment in a corner of the square, Wang Ming arrived flying through the


    air.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Song Wen handed a storage bag to Wang Ming.


    Wang Ming used his spiritual sense to probe into the storage bag. After checking it, he tucked


    it into his robes.


    Then, he took out a bag of spirit stones and handed it to Song Wen.


    "Elder Wu, the delivery time for this batch of pills is a full two monthster than we originally


    agreed," Wang Ming said, his expression slightly dissatisfied.


    "Lately, I''ve been very busy; I truly haven''t had time to refine pills," Song Wen replied


    calmly.


    Wang Ming handed over a note. "Elder Wu, on this note are the pills I need. I hope you can gather all of them within three months."


    Song Wen did not reach for the note; he shook his head and said, "Elder Wang, let''s end our transaction here."


    The pills Wang Ming needed were primarily the Essence Nurturing Pill, Fire Cloud Pill, and Beast Essence Pill.


    Song Wen had refined these three types of pills many times; he didn''t want to waste too much


    time on familiar pills.


    Wang Ming''s expression suddenly darkened.


    "Elder Wu, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to turn against me now? Don''t forget


    that I vouched for you so you could smoothly join the Beastmaster Sect."


    "You just became an elder deacon, and you''re already turning your back on me!"


    Song Wen replied, "Elder Wang''s kindness, I naturally remember, but the sect has assigned


    me a new task, and I truly cannot spare the time to refine pills."


    Wang Ming said coldly, "Elder Wu, you should think carefully. Are you really going to refuse


    me?"


    "Elder Wang, talking more is pointless; you should seek help elsewhere."


    With that, Song Wen turned to leave.


    "Elder Wu, regarding the matter you asked me to investigate, I already have news. Don''t you


    want to hear it?" Wang Ming said.


    Hearing this, Song Wen stopped in his tracks.


    Although he had joined the Beastmaster Sect, he didn''t feelpletely safe; the threat from


    the Corpse Demon Sect had not disappeared.


    Song Wen couldn''t frequently go out, so to keep track of thetest movements regarding the


    Corpse Demon Sect''s purge of traitors, he devised a n to have Wang Ming help him gather information.


    To gain Wang Ming''s trust, Song Wen fabricated a story:


    His master, who had raised him since childhood, was harmed by a demonic corpse cultivator.


    He had been pursuing the murderer of his master for a long time.


    But alone, his power was limited, and after several inquiries, he had obtained nothing.


    Thus, he asked Wang Ming to help keep an eye on the area near East Huafang Market for information about demonic corpse cultivators.


    Prior to this, Wang Ming had also provided some information about corpse cultivators to Song Wen, but those were merely about rogue cultivators and had no real value.


    "What news do you have? Is it just more information about low-level corpse cultivators? My


    master is a ninthyer Qi Refining cultivator; those low-level rogue corpse cultivators can''t harm him at all," Song Wen asked.


    "This time is different; this news is rted to the Corpse Demon Sect."


    Song Wen''s brows furrowed slightly, and his expression became serious.


    "Elder Wang, can you exin it in detail?"


    A yful expression appeared on Wang Ming''s face as he raised the note in his hand.


    "What about the alchemy matter?"


    Song Wen replied decisively, "Elder Wang has shown me great kindness; I will certainly do my


    utmost to assist you."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 283: Conspiracies and Schemes

    Chapter 283: Conspiracies and Schemes


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Recently, near East Huafang Market, there have been sightings of corpse cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage, and there are no fewer than three. The sudden appearance of multiple corpse cultivators can only mean they are from the Corpse Demon Sect."


    "We suspect that these individuals have been sent by the Corpse Demon Sect to hunt down traitors within their ranks."


    "Your master''s death was likely caused by a traitor from the Corpse Demon Sect," Wang Ming transmitted to Song Wen.


    Then, he handed a note to Song Wen and continued speaking.


    "I''ve given you the information. As for the alchemy matter, I believe Elder Wu won''t refuse, right?"


    Song Wen took the note, nced at it, and couldn''t help but show an expression of shock.


    Wang Ming needed three types of items: the Fire Cloud Pill, the Beast Essence Pill, and Silver Horn Grass.


    The first two were manageable; Song Wen could refine them with some time.


    However, Silver Horn Grass was not so easily obtained.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Elder Wang, Silver Horn Grass is a regted item by the sect. As a first-tier elder deacon, how could I possibly acquire it so easily? If it were only three to five stalks, I might find a way. But you need a whole batch, and even a first-tier sect elder might not be able to obtain it."


    Wang Ming replied, "I believe Elder Wu will find a way."


    Song Wen''s voice turned cold.


    "Elder Wang, you''re putting me in a difficult position. Considering the information you''ve provided, I can help you refine the Fire Cloud Pill and the Beast Essence Pill, but as for Silver Horn Grass, I cannot get that at all."


    Wang Ming''s expression gradually grew sinister.


    "Elder Wu, you should think carefully before answering me."


    "Youe from a rogue cultivator background and go to great lengths to gather information


    on demonic corpse cultivators; it raises questions about your true identity."


    "Actually, I''m a member of the Law Enforcement Hall, responsible for investigating whether there are demonic spies lurking in the sect."


    "I wonder, Elder Wu, if your past can withstand scrutiny."


    Faced with Wang Ming''s threat, a surge of murderous intent rose within Song Wen.


    His thoughts raced, and soon an idea for using a knife to kill came to mind.


    Having made up his mind, Song Wen began to lead Wang Ming on.


    It was as if Wang Ming''s words had unearthed the secrets buried deep within Song Wen''s heart, causing a flicker of panic to sh in his eyes.


    Suddenly, a trace of faint, almost imperceptible corpse aura appeared around Song Wen, but it vanished in an instant.


    Song Wen''s expression turned somewhat flustered; gripping the note, he quickly turned to leave, not even saying goodbye to Wang Ming.


    Watching Song Wen''s panicked demeanor, a cold smile appeared at the corners of Wang Ming''s mouth.


    He believed he had grasped the greatest leverage over Song Wen, enough to make himply.


    "Elder Wu, three months from now, I want to see everything listed on this note. If even one item is missing, certain secrets of yours will reach the Law Enforcement Hall."


    Wang Ming sneered, speaking to Song Wen''s retreating figure.


    Just as Song Wen was about to rise on his sword, he froze slightly upon hearing those words.


    Then, his flying sword suddenly sped away and disappeared.


    The next day.


    While cultivating in his cave, Song Wen received news from the Sacred Gu.


    Outside the cave, at a crevice in the cliff about ten meters high, a gray mouse had appeared.


    The gray mouse was very small, less than half a foot long; its strength was also weak, only at thete stage of the first level, but it was extremely good at concealing its presence.


    If it weren''t for the conflict with Wang Ming, and if Song Wen hadn''t released the Sacred Gu to keep constant watch outside the cave, he probably wouldn''t have noticed the gray mouse''s


    presence.


    "This gray mouse is most likely Wang Ming''s spirit beast, used to monitor me."


    "Wang Ming probably suspects that I am a corpse cultivator. He is worried that I might act out


    of desperation, choose to betray the Beastmaster Sect, and escape in secret."


    "Just right, I can use this to my advantage."


    Thinking of this, Song Wen''s eyes brightened.


    He opened the array and stepped out of the cave.


    Outside the cave, he stretched his limbs.


    At the moment he exited the cave, a faint aura of corpse energy drifted out.


    The corpse energy was caught by the wind at the edge of the cliff and quickly dispersed into


    nothingness.


    After a moment, Song Wen, having stretched his body, returned to the cave.


    Above, in the crevice of the cliff, the gray mouse that had been feigning sleep suddenly opened its eyes, shook its limbs, and crawled out of the crack.


    Then, it swiftly climbed up the steep cliff, quickly disappearing without a trace.


    Twenty Days Later!


    Song Wen once again began refining corpses from two human-snake hybrids.


    This was already the fourth time refining these two human-snake corpses.


    After the refining process ended, the two human-snake bodies were surrounded by swirling


    corpse energy and rolling death energy.


    Their originally vibrant and lively flesh had withered significantly.


    The once smooth, mirror-like scales of the snakes were now covered with cracks, as if they


    might shatter at any moment.


    The current condition of the human-snake hybrids was somewhat simr to when Song Wen practiced the "Corpse King Blood Refinement Technique," where his body excessively absorbed corpse energy without truly refining it, leading to a state of corpseification.


    Afterpleting the refining of the human-snake corpses, Song Wen opened the cave''s restrictions, exposing the cave.


    After a few breaths, he closed the cave''s restrictions again.


    The whole process seemed as though he had identally opened the cave''s restrictions without realizing it, exposing the cave and the existence of the two human-snake hybrids.


    ...


    Time flew by.


    In the blink of an eye, the three-month period agreed upon with Wang Ming had passed.


    At this point, the two human-snake hybrids had undergone the refining process multiple


    times.


    Now, their vigorous life force and strong physical recovery began to show.


    If it were a mortal or cultivator, having undergone the refining process multiple times in just


    five months, their bodies would have already been transformed into true zombies due to the absorption ofrge amounts of corpse energy and corpse-path spiritual materials.


    But the life fire within the human-snake hybrids remained strong.


    Corpse energy and life energy coexisted in their bodies, showing initial signs of fusion.


    Initially, Zhao Dapeng had taken several years to achieve the fusion of corpse energy and life energy in his brother.


    However, in the case of the human-snake hybrids, Song Wen had achieved this in just five


    months.


    This was due to two reasons: Song Wen''s corpse-refining skills and understanding of corpse techniques far surpassed those of Zhao Dapeng, and the powerful recovery and life force of the human-snake hybrids allowed them to endure more corpse energy and quickly adapt and recover after each refining session.


    As soon as Song Wen ced the human-snake hybrids back into the snake pit, the Sacred Gu


    outside the cave transmitted a message.


    Wang Ming had arrived.


    "Elder Wu, three months have passed. I wonder if you have prepared the elixirs and spiritual


    herbs I need."


    Wang Ming shouted loudly outside Song Wen''s cave.


    After waiting for a moment and seeing no movement from inside the cave, he continued,


    "Elder Wu, don''t hide; I know you''re in there. Come out to see me quickly. Otherwise, don''t me me for forcefully breaking through the array. If that happens and other sect memberse, your secrets will be exposed, and you can''t me me for that."


    As soon as his voice fell, Song Wen opened the cave''s restrictions and stepped out.


    "Elder Wang, what do you mean by this? What secrets could I possibly have that shouldn''t be


    known to others?"


    While speaking, Song Wen''s demeanor was evasive, appearingcking in confidence.


    TL: Song Wen could be a genius actor if he wasn''t a cultivator...


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 284: Trapped in Confusion

    Chapter 284: Trapped in Confusion


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Believing he had thoroughly investigated Song Wen''s background, Wang Ming''s lips curled into a cold smile.


    "Elder Wu, don''t try to bluff in front of me. My spirit beast, the Spirit-Needle Mouse, has been monitoring you for a full three months. I already know everything inside your cave like the back of my hand."


    Song Wen''s expression changed to one of utter terror.


    "Wang Ming, you actually... you actually monitored me."


    Wang Ming replied, "Rest assured, as long as you cooperate, I won''t leak your secrets. But if you don''t cooperate, then I can''t be held responsible."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen initially felt anger but soon felt deted, like a defeated rooster.


    "What do you want me to do?"


    Seeing Song Wen''s reaction, Wang Ming revealed a triumphant smile and said arrogantly, "I just need you to help me refine pills and secretly collect some rare spiritual herbs. By the way, how have you prepared the elixirs and Silver Horn Grass from three months ago?"


    Song Wen, somewhat intimidated, replied, "I haven''t prepared everything yet."


    "Which things haven''t you prepared? The elixirs or the Silver Horn Grass?"


    "Neither... I haven''t managed to get any. I''ve been busy cultivating these past three months and didn''t refine any pills. As for the Silver Horn Grass, I didn''t manage to obtain a single stalk."


    "What!" Wang Ming suddenly became furious.


    "Three months have passed, and you haven''t prepared anything?"


    "Useless!"


    Wang Ming roared, advancing towards Song Wen.


    A tremendous wave of spiritual power surged forth, crashing into Song Wen like a stormy sea.


    Wang Ming was ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while Song Wen only showed early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In an instant, Song Wen was sent flying by the overwhelming spiritual power, crashing against the stone wall behind him.


    "Pff!"


    A mouthful of fresh blood spewed out.


    Song Wen''s aura became chaotic, sliding down the stone wall and copsing to the ground, appearing gravely injured.


    At that moment, an identity token slipped from Song Wen''s chest.


    Wang Ming raised his hand and swept it, taking the token into his hand. He infused it with a wave of spiritual energy, and the cave was suddenly opened.


    He grabbed Song Wen and threw him into the cave.


    Then, he stepped into the cave as well, activating the token to close the cave behind him.


    Wang Ming''s gaze swept around, eventuallynding on the two snake pits in the corner of the


    cave.


    He walked over to the snake pits.


    Although he had learned about the existence of the human-snake hybrids through the Spirit- Needle Mouse, seeing them in person still left him deeply shocked.


    The sight of the human-snake hybrids, half human and half snake, was indeed astonishing.


    "What kind of demon beast is this? Why haven''t I heard of it before?" Wang Ming muttered to himself.


    Song Wen struggled to stand up, stumbling toward the snake pit.


    "Wang Ming, please leave my cave; this creature is extremely precious and not something you can touch."


    Wang Ming didn''t have much interest in the human-snake hybrids at first, but upon hearing this, a desire to im them for himself arose in his heart.


    Living second-tier demon beasts were worth at least tens of thousands of spirit stones.


    And the two human-snake hybrids before him were clearly some kind of rare beings, their value undoubtedly even higher.


    However, the two hybrids had been refined by the corpse-path secret technique of ''Wu Sheng'', and their bodies were tainted with corpse energy, requiring some effort to remove it.


    Once his greed ignited, it became uncontroble.


    Next to the snake pits were two massive corpse-raising coffins, and within themy two


    formation tes.


    Wang Ming took one of the formation tes into his hand and prepared to disable the "Six- Hexagram Demon-Locking Array" on the snake pit.


    Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps and Song Wen''s voice from behind.


    "You can''t touch them..."


    Before Song Wen could finish speaking, Wang Ming unleashed another wave of immense spiritual power, sending Song Wen flying several meters away.


    Song Wen copsed to the ground, continuously spewing blood, and several times attempted


    to rise but failed to do so.


    The "Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array" was the mostmonly used formation by the Beastmaster Sect to imprison demon beasts.


    Wang Ming was quite familiar with the controlling method of this formation.


    He skillfully performed several hand seals towards the formation te, causing the


    formation barrier above one of the snake pits to vanish.


    Then, Wang Ming used his technique to activate the restrictions within the human-snake hybrids, imprisoning their spiritual power.


    The human-snake hybrids were likembs awaiting ughter, showing no resistance as Wang Ming dragged them in with his spiritual power and ced them into the corpse-raising


    coffins.


    He proceeded in the same manner.


    The other human-snake hybrid was also stored in a coffin.


    Using his spiritual power to drag the two coffins, Wang Ming approached the severely injured


    Song Wen.


    "What are you going to do?"


    Song Wen was terrified, fearing that Wang Ming would kill him.


    Wang Ming looked down at Song Wen, whoy on the ground.


    "I won''t kill you; that would vite the sect rules. However, these two human-snake hybrids


    now belong to me."


    "You''re forcibly taking someone else''s belongings! Aren''t you afraid I''ll report you to the


    sect?"


    Wang Ming scoffed, "You can try. Once the sect finds out that you are refining corpses using


    demonic techniques, let''s see whose fate will be worse."


    "You..."


    Song Wen red at him, appearing speechless.


    Wang Ming''s expression turned arrogant and fierce.


    "This is the consequence of not recognizing the danger. If you had cooperated with me


    obediently, we wouldn''t be in this situation."


    Saying this, Wang Ming stacked the two coffins on top of each other, raised his hand, and waved arge piece of unknown beast hide over the coffins.


    Immediately, the corpse energy emanating from the coffins was covered.


    Once he confirmed that there were no outsiders outside the cave, he shed out of the cave.


    Then, along the cliff, he quickly descended.


    In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the dense forest below the cliff.


    Hiding in the forest, Wang Ming was preparing to recall the Spirit-Needle Mouse from the


    crevices of the cliff.


    Suddenly, his expression changed.


    Five individuals were flying through the air, heading toward Song Wen''s cave.


    The leader among them was someone he recognized: the elder steward of the Law Enforcement Hall, Leng Tianlu.


    People from the Law Enforcement Hall!


    What were they looking for regarding this ''Wu Sheng''?


    Had ''Wu Sheng''s'' corpse refining activities been exposed?


    Or had ''Wu Sheng''mitted some other offense?


    Or had my act of robbing ''Wu Sheng'' been discovered?


    Wang Ming''s mind raced, unsure how to respond.


    ...


    Leng Tianlu, apanied by four disciples in the Qi Refining stage, arrived outside Song


    Wen''s cave. To his surprise, the cave was wide open.


    He scanned the cave with his spiritual sense.


    He found Song Wen severely injured and lying on the ground.


    At the same time, he noticed the thick remnants of corpse energy lingering within the cave.


    Leng Tianlu flew into the cave and approached Song Wen.


    "You are Wu Sheng from the Alchemy Peak?"


    Leng Tianlu''s appearance waspletely unexpected for Song Wen.


    After Wang Ming had taken the human-snake hybrids, Song Wen had nned to notify Rong


    Jingyun using a jade slip, but unexpectedly, Leng Tianlu and the other four had burst into the


    cave.


    With events unfolding outside of his n, Song Wen could only continue to y along.


    "Cough!"


    Song Wen coughed up a mouthful of blood and feebly replied, "Yes, I am Wu Sheng."


    Leng Tianlu asked, "Wu Sheng, who intruded into your cave and injured you?"


    Song Wen shook his head, "No one did; I had an ident while practicing."


    Leng Tianlu said coldly, "Since you''re unwilling to reveal who harmed you, I won''t press the


    matter further."


    "But someone reported you for avoiding the regtions and privately refining elixirs. While


    this is not a major issue, it still vites sect rules."


    "Come now, this will only result in a fine of spirit stones or perhaps a few years of being


    stationed in a remote area with thin spiritual energy."


    "To my surprise, there is actually arge amount of residual corpse energy in this cave. Cultivating demonic techniques is a grave offense. This time, you may find it hard to escape the consequences."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 285: Soul Cleaving Blade

    Chapter 285: Soul Cleaving de


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Wu Sheng, you are cultivating the corpse-raising secret technique, and the evidence is conclusive. Do you have anything else to say?" Leng Tianlu asked.


    Song Wen replied, "I have nothing to say, but may I use amunication jade slip to inform a friend?"


    Leng Tianlu scoffed.


    "What? Want to find someone to plead for you? I advise you not to waste your effort; it won''t help no matter who you call. The prohibition against cultivating demonic techniques is a rule set by our founding ancestor. No one in the sect is allowed to vite it."


    Leng Tianlu looked like an iron-faced judge, with a fair and stern demeanor.


    Song Wen took out themunication jade slip for Rong Jingyun.


    He conveyed the signs of corpse energy and life energy merging from the human-snake hybrids, as well as the news of the hybrids being robbed.


    "Take Wu Sheng back to the Law Enforcement Hall."


    Twote-stage Qi Refining cultivators approached Song Wen, one on each side, preparing to capture him.


    "No need; I can walk myself."


    Song Wen''s face was filled with pain, as if he was enduring tremendous physical suffering, struggling to stand up from the ground.


    Leng Tianlu nced at Song Wen coldly and said, "Move!"


    Upon reaching the cave''s entrance, Song Wen found that he could no longer fly using his sword. He crushed a flying talisman and followed Leng Tianlu slowly toward the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Before long, Song Wen was taken deep into the Law Enforcement Hall and locked in arge cell for prisoners. He was also bound with a chain by Leng Tianlu, making it difficult to move.


    "Wu Sheng, I just retrieved your file. You were originally a loose cultivator who joined the Beastmaster Sect four years ago. The corpse-raising secret technique you are cultivating must have been acquired before you joined the sect, right?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Tell me! Why did you go to such lengths to join the sect? Are you a spy sent by the demonic sect?"


    Leng Tianlu''s expression was cold as he interrogated fiercely.


    Although Song Wen was bound, he showed no sign of fear and appeared unconcerned.


    "Elder Leng, regarding the corpse-raising secret techniques, you have no authority to question it in your position. I am curious to know who reported me for privately refining and selling corpses."


    Seeing that Song Wen, facing death, still dared to look down on him, Leng Tianlu became furious.


    "Wu Sheng, you are forcing me to resort to torture."


    He raised his hand, and dozens of cold, glimmering instruments of torture appeared before him.


    Among them, Leng Tianlu pulled out a curved de about a foot long.


    "This knife is called the Soul-Cleaving de, the most precious one among these instruments. It is a top-quality spiritual weapon, containing a strand of Soul-Eating True Fire. This fire has the ability to harm the soul."


    "One sh, and the pain to the flesh is secondary; the most despairing part is that the Soul- Eating True Fire will prate into the soul, burning it and causing unbearable suffering."


    As he spoke, Leng Tianlu stabbed the Soul-Cleaving de into Song Wen''s shoulder de.


    Song Wen''s face contorted in agony, veins bulging on his forehead like squirming earthworms.


    "Ah!"


    Song Wen gritted his teeth, letting out a low, suppressed roar.


    The burning sensation in his soul caused him immense pain.


    Yet, it was still within his tolerance.


    He had undergone soul cleaving multiple times to create death substitutes.


    His endurance for soul pain was much higher than that of ordinary people.


    "It seems you can endure quite well; you can withstand the pain of the spiritual fire burning your soul. Those Foundation Establishment cultivators who were injured by the Soul- Cleaving de in the past were in unbearable pain, crying out for mercy."


    Leng Tianlu pulled out the Soul-Cleaving de, a bloodthirsty smile appearing on his face.


    He lightly ran his fingers along the de, collecting the crimson blood and bringing it to his mouth.


    Leng Tianlu licked the blood from his fingers, his expression bing somewhat twisted and frenzied.


    "I like hard-headed people like you; it lets me torture you a little longer..."


    Before Leng Tianlu could finish his sentence, his expression suddenly changed.


    He felt a strong stabbing pain on his tongue, as if countless steel needles were piercing it.


    "How could your blood be so toxic?!"


    "Pah! Pah! Pah..."


    Leng Tianlu spat several times, trying to expel the remaining toxic blood from his mouth.


    At the same time, he hurriedly circted his spiritual power to push the toxins out of his


    body.


    The amount of poison he had swallowed wasn''t much; after all, he was ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and this level of toxin couldn''t harm him.


    Before long, he expelled the toxins, but his tongue still felt like it was on fire, burning


    painfully.


    Leng Tianlu''s face darkened, and he gripped the knife, preparing to stab the Soul-Cleaving


    de into Song Wen once more.


    "You will regret this," Song Wen said coldly.


    "Hmph, a prisoner beneath my feet dares to threaten me," Leng Tianlu mocked.


    As he spoke, he once again thrust the Soul-Cleaving de toward Song Wen.


    "Stop!"


    Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.


    Rong Jingyun appeared in the prison cell.


    She was followed by Zhou Siyi and two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Law


    Enforcement Hall.


    Upon hearing the shout, Leng Tianlu turned to Rong Jingyun.


    "Elder Rong, as an elder of the Alchemy Peak, why have you forcibly invaded my Law


    Enforcement Hall''s prison?"


    Rong Jingyun nced at Song Wen, confirming that he was unharmed, before replying.


    "Wu Sheng is an elder of my Alchemy Peak. You in the Law Enforcement Hall must have a reason for arresting him, right?"


    Leng Tianlu retorted, "Hmph! Do we in the Law Enforcement Hall need to report to you, Rong


    Jingyun?"


    With that, he cast a stern look at the two cultivators from the Law Enforcement Hall beside


    Rong Jingyun.


    "What are you doing? Why did you allow outsiders to enter the prison?"


    Faced with Leng Tianlu''s questioning, the two Law Enforcement Hall cultivators shrank back


    a bit, and one of them said, "Elder Leng, Elder Rong has a summons jade slip. She is an elder of the Hall, and we didn''t dare to stop her."


    The elder of the Hall held a high position in the Beastmaster Sect, second only to the Golden Core stronghold. Apart from some forbidden areas of the sect, the elder of the Hall could


    enter and exit freely.


    "An elder of the Hall!"


    Leng Tianlu looked at Rong Jingyun with a hint of trepidation.


    "Even if you are an elder of the Hall, you have no authority to interfere in the matters of the


    Law Enforcement Hall."


    He pointed at Song Wen and continued, "Moreover, this person is a spy of the demonic path.


    Even if I were to execute him on the spot, you have no right to question it."


    Upon hearing this, Rong Jingyun''s gaze toward Song Wen turned somewhat doubtful.


    Song Wen''s disy of corpse-raising talent indeed seemed a bit unfathomable.


    "Does the Law Enforcement Hall have evidence of Wu Sheng colluding with the demonic


    path?"


    This thought shed through Rong Jingyun''s mind.


    Standing behind Rong Jingyun, Zhou Siyi didn''t think as deeply as she did. After hearing Leng


    Tianlu''s words, she felt indignant and retorted loudly.


    "This is a crime of false usation! What evidence do you have to prove that Brother Wu is a


    demonic spy?"


    Leng Tianluughed.


    "Evidence? He has arge amount of corpse energy remaining in his cave dwelling. He only


    joined the sect four years ago-if he''s not a demonic spy, then what is he?!"


    Zhou Siyi''s face was filled with anger.


    "Just because there is corpse energy in Brother Wu''s cave, you im he is a spy!"


    "Then I also have corpse energy on me; does that mean I am also a demonic spy?"


    As she spoke, she withdrew her spiritual power that was controlling the Haoqi Mirror.


    In an instant, a dense aura of corpse energy surrounded her.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 286: Compensation

    Chapter 286: Compensation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Seeing the corpse energy emanating from Zhou Siyi, Leng Tianlu was greatly shocked.


    Zhou Siyi was the daughter of the vice master of the Beast Peak, known for her outstanding cultivation talent. She was a well-known prodigy in the Beastmaster Peak, and Leng Tianlu recognized her naturally.


    He never expected that Zhou Siyi, who had grown up in the Beastmaster Peak, would have such a rich aura of corpse energy.


    Recalling Song Wen''s calm demeanor from the moment he was captured to his imprisonment in the great prison, a bad premonition rose in Leng Tianlu''s heart.


    "Could it be that Wu Sheng isn''t secretly cultivating demonic techniques but has received instructions from certain people to secretly develop a new kind of pill that requires corpse energy?"


    Since Song Wen was from the Alchemy Peak, Leng Tianlu subconsciously thought of the Alchemy Peak developing some new elixir.


    Rong Jingyun''s face turned dark, her eyes filled with a ferocious anger, her tone as cold as ice.


    Grinding her teeth, she slowly spoke each word, "Elder Leng, just because there is corpse energy in Elder Wu''s cave dwelling, you conclude that he is a spy and even torture him? You in the Law Enforcement Hall are truly so arbitrary that it amounts to harming fellow disciples."


    Rong Jingyun had initially thought that Leng Tianlu held some important evidence, but it turned out that it was just due to the corpse energy in Song Wen''s cave.


    This infuriated her.


    She had received a message from Song Wen about the snake-human he had refined, which showed signs of corpse energy merging with living energy but was then abducted.


    When she arrived at Song Wen''s cave, it waspletely empty.


    Following the residual aura in the cave, she traced it all the way to the Law Enforcement Hall.


    She had assumed the snake-human was also in the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Now it seemed that Leng Tianlu and the others had not seen the snake-human at all; it had been abducted by someone else.


    The longer this dysted, the lower the chances of finding the snake-human.


    Moreover, the existence of the snake-human vited human ethics and could not be made known to the outside world.


    If those who abducted the snake-human took it out of the Beastmaster Peak, it would severely damage the sect''s reputation.


    "You will definitely pay the price for your actions."


    Rong Jingyun said angrily to Leng Tianlu.


    After saying this, she no longer paid attention to Leng Tianlu and turned to Song Wen.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Elder Wu, who raided your cave dwelling?"


    Song Wen replied, "Wang Ming, from the Law Enforcement Team in East Huafang Square."


    Rong Jingyun turned to Zhou Siyi.


    "Elder Zhou, guard Elder Wu here. I will go capture Wang Ming."


    With that, she turned and dashed toward the outside of the prison.


    Suddenly, a voice rang out in everyone''s ears.


    "Elder Rong, I heard everything you said. You''re going to send someone to catch Wang Ming, soe to the main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall."


    Upon hearing this, Rong Jingyun''s expression brightened, and she quickly halted her escape.


    The speaker was Fang Pengyi, the master of the Alchemy Peak.


    On her way to the Law Enforcement Hall, Rong Jingyun had reported the abduction of the snake-human to Fang Pengyi using amunication jade slip.


    However, she didn''t expect Fang Pengyi to arrive so quickly.


    Zhou Siyi stared wide-eyed at Leng Tianlu, her expression somewhat smug.


    "Brother Wu is a hero of our Alchemy Peak. You falsely use Brother Wu, and now our Alchemy Peak master hase personally to trouble you."


    After saying this, she turned and rushed toward Song Wen, helping him break the chains that bound him and took out two healing pills to feed him.


    "Brother Wu, we''re here for you."


    Leng Tianlu''s face turned pale, his hands clenched tightly, his eyes filled with hatred.


    "This time, that damn woman has caused me great trouble," he thought to himself.


    After One Stick of Incense.


    Song Wen and the other three arrived at the main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Two people were seated inside the hall.


    Sitting in the principal seat was Feng Xinghai, the vice hall master of the Law Enforcement Hall, who had been the one to monitor Song Wen for any traces of demonic aura when he first joined the Beastmaster Peak.


    Seated to the left was Fang Pengyi, the master of the Alchemy Peak.


    With two powerful Golden Core cultivators present, Song Wen and the others naturally had no


    right to sit. They could only stand in the center of the hall.


    Before Song Wen and the others arrived, Feng Xinghai and Fang Pengyi had already


    communicated briefly.


    Feng Xinghai was now fully aware of the situation.


    He was the first to speak.


    "Elder Wu, this matter arose due to Leng Tianlu''s reckless actions, wrongfully using you


    and causing you unnecessary suffering."


    "Although Leng Tianlu was at fault, I too am responsible for not managing my subordinates strictly. I personally apologize to you."


    Although Song Wen felt indignant, a Golden Core powerhouse personally apologizing was no


    small matter. Even if he was unwilling, he had no choice but to endure it.


    A faint smile appeared on his face as he sped his hands in respect.


    "Vice Hall Master Feng, your words humble me. I am unworthy."


    Seeing Song Wen''s reaction, Feng Xinghai was satisfied.


    He''s a man who knows when to yield, Feng Xinghai thought, pleased that Song Wen did not


    make a scene despite the injustice he suffered. As long as Song Wen didn''t pursue the matter,


    the incident would be closed.


    However, Fang Pengyi''s next words made Feng Xinghai''s face darken.


    "Vice Hall Master Feng, do you really think a simple apology is enough to settle this matter?


    Isn''t that a bit too naive?"


    "I have already apologized in person. What more do you want, Peak Master Fang?" Feng


    Xinghai asked.


    Fang Pengyi responded slowly.


    "The matter of refining the snake-human corpse was personally overseen by the First Supreme Elder. Elder Wu is the most skilled in corpse refinement among the disciples, and his work on the snake-human had already shown signs of Mystic Energy.""


    "When Elder Wu''s cave was raided, the snake-human was stolen, and Elder Wu was severely


    injured. Worse, the perpetrator was a member of your Law Enforcement Hall. Instead of apprehending Wang Ming immediately, you falsely used Elder Wu of being a spy and subjected him to severe torture."


    "If the First Supreme Elder learns of this, the Law Enforcement Hall will find it difficult to


    escape responsibility."


    Feng Xinghai''s face grew increasingly grim.


    "Peak Master Fang, this is a small matter. There''s no need to rm the First Supreme Elder."


    "That depends on how sincere Deputy Hall Master Feng is," Fang Pengyi said, smiling faintly.


    "What do you want?" Feng Xinghai asked.


    Fang Pengyi sent a message through voice transmission.


    After hearing it, Feng Xinghai''s expression shifted between light and dark. After a moment,


    he spoke.


    "Fine, I''ll give you what you want."


    Fang Pengyi smiled. "Thank you, Hall Master Feng."


    His mood improved so much that he changed his address for Feng Xinghai from "Deputy Hall


    Master Feng" to "Hall Master Feng."


    He then turned to Song Wen.


    "Elder Wu, you''ve been wronged significantly in this matter. Even under torture, you didn''t


    reveal anything about the snake-human. You did well and deserve somepensation. If there''s anything you want, feel free to ask. I''m sure Hall Master Feng will not refuse."


    Fang Pengyi then turned to look at Feng Xinghai.


    "Isn''t that right, Hall Master Feng?"


    Feng Xinghai remained silent for a moment before nodding.


    Since Song Wen was working for the First Supreme Elder, they had to treat him with respect. If


    he ever caught the First Supreme Elder''s eye, even a Golden Core cultivator like Feng Xinghai


    would have to tread carefully around him.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 287: Wang Ming is Captured

    Chapter 287: Wang Ming is Captured


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Elder Wu, feel free to say what kind ofpensation you want," Feng Xinghai said.


    "Anything is possible?" Song Wen''s tone was a bit uncertain.


    Feng Xinghai replied, "This matter is due to Leng Tianlu''s fault, so it should bepensated by him. Anything he can offer will do."


    Song Wen raised his hand and pointed at Leng Tianlu, saying, "I want the Soul-Cleaving de in his hand."


    With the enhancement of Song Wen''s cultivation, the Cold Moon de had be somewhat limiting for him and could not fully exert his power.


    He had long desired to rece the Cold Moon de but had not found a suitable spiritual weapon.


    The Soul-Cleaving de made Song Wen quite tempted; it was imbued with a trace of Devouring Soul True Fire that could injure a person''s soul, making it an exceptionally precious item among spiritual weapons.


    Upon hearing this, Feng Xinghai furrowed his brows and did not reply immediately.


    Leng Tianlu, anxious on the side, interjected, "Hall Master, the Soul-Cleaving de is an instrument of the Law Enforcement Hall, not my personal property. It cannot be used as a means ofpensation."


    Bang!


    Fang Pengyi mmed his palm on the armrest of the chair, producing a thunderous sound.


    He red at Leng Tianlu, saying angrily, "This is not a ce for you to speak! We didn''t pursue the crime of you falsely using a fellow sect member because of our friendship and have dealt lightly with you."


    Leng Tianlu immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.


    Feng Xinghai looked at Song Wen and said, "Since Elder Wu wants the Soul-Cleaving de, you can have it, but this matter ends here. No one is allowed to mention it again, especially not in front of the First Supreme Elder."


    Song Wen bowed and sped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Hall Master Feng."


    Feng Xinghai then addressed Leng Tianlu. "Elder Leng, this matter arose because of you. The Soul-Cleaving de belongs to the Law Enforcement Hall, and you willpensate for the losses incurred by the hall."


    Upon hearing this, Leng Tianlu suddenly stiffened, his face as pale as a ghost.


    His lips moved several times, wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.


    The value of an ordinary top-grade spiritual weapon is generally around 60,000 to 70,000 spirit stones.


    TL: I know people are going to ask are they inferior or medium-grade spirit stones. Honestly IDK... Author didn''t mention it so I am not doing it either, you may specte whatever you fancy...


    In contrast, the Soul-Cleaving de, which can injure a person''s soul, is extremely rare and is worth at least over 100,000 spirit stones.


    This amount of spirit stones would almost drain all of Leng Tianlu''s savings.


    "Bring out the Soul-Cleaving de!" Feng Xinghai said in a deep voice.


    "Yes," Leng Tianlu said.


    He took out the Soul-Cleaving de and handed it to Song Wen.


    Song Wen epted the Soul-Cleaving de, satisfied, and stored it in his storage ring.


    He thought about asking who reported him for secretly refining and selling items, but with Feng Xinghai present, this was an internal matter of the Alchemy Peak, which wouldn''t bring him glory. He feared it might provoke Fang Pengyi''s dissatisfaction, so he refrained from asking.


    In fact, Song Wen already had a guess in his heart about who might have reported him.


    At this moment, Fang Pengyi suddenly perked up.


    "They''re here."


    Momentster, four figures appeared outside the Law Enforcement Hall.


    Three Foundation Establishment cultivators entered, dragging the severely injured Wang Ming along with them.


    Wang Ming was bound by chains that pierced through his abdomen and shoulders, bloodied


    and weak, nearly being dragged forward.


    Behind the four, arge square object wrapped in beast skin floated in the air.


    It was indeed two corpse coffins containing snake-humans.


    "Reporting to Hall Master Feng, we have sessfully captured Wang Ming, and the stolen items have also been recovered," said a middle-aged male cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment, bowing and sping his hands.


    Feng Xinghai looked at the middle-aged cultivator with approval, nodding his head.


    "Well done."


    Fang Pengyi floated down andnded beside the corpse coffins, removing the beast skin to


    expose the two coffins.


    He opened the top coffin.


    A second-tier snake-human, shrouded in a corpse aura, appeared before him.


    The snake-human was restrained with seals, curled up inside the coffin, unable to move.


    What pleased him even more was that the snake-human showed signs of merging corpse energy with life energy.


    Bang.


    He closed the coffin lid and looked at the middle-aged cultivator, saying, "Hall Master Feng,


    this is your esteemed son, right? It''s been a while since I''ve seen him. I didn''t expect him to have advanced to the peak of Foundation Establishment; the Golden Core stage is just around the corner. Perhaps one day, his cultivation will surpass that of us old fellows."


    Mentioning his son made Feng Xinghai quite proud; he nodded and said, "Indeed, he is my


    son. His talent is average, but he has a good disposition. At such a young age, he has reached the peak of Foundation Establishment. However, to say he''s ready for the Golden Core stage is still a bit early."


    "We are both Golden Core cultivators, well aware of the hardships and risks of advancing to


    that stage."


    The middle-aged cultivator sped his hands toward Fang Pengyi. "I am Feng Qi, pleased to


    meet you, Master Fang."


    Fang Pengyi nodded slightly and asked, "Where did you capture Wang Ming?"


    Feng Qi replied, "Aftermitting the crime, Wang Ming was afraid of being exposed and


    fled towards East Huafang. He was intercepted by me on the way. I used a little strategy to capture him alive."


    Earlier, Wang Ming was in a meeting, and Leng Tianlu had brought people to Song Wen''s cave dwelling.


    He was anxious about the potential exposure of his actions.


    Thus, he did not return immediately to his cave dwelling at the Law Enforcement Peak but headed towards East Huafang instead, wanting to safely hand over the snake-human.


    Unexpectedly, halfway there, he was caught up by Feng Qi.


    Feng Qi did not reveal his true intentions but instead fabricated a story.


    He imed he was going to catch a second-tierte-stage water-type demon beast, which


    was hiding in argeke and needed someone to help set up a formation-specifically, he needed Wang Ming''s assistance.


    Feng Qi''s cultivation and status were higher than Wang Ming''s, and as the son of a deputy peak master, Wang Ming had long been eager to curry favor with him.


    However, dragging two corpse coffins made it inconvenient, so he could only politely refuse


    Feng Qi''s request.


    In response to the refusal, Feng Qi feigned anger, cursing Wang Ming for being ungrateful


    and disrupting his state of mind.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Wang Ming was momentarily flustered and repeatedly apologized.


    Feng Qi then seized the opportunity to get closer and suddenlyunched a surprise attack.


    Wang Ming''s strength was already inferior to Feng Qi''s, and in his flustered state, he was caught off guard and sessfully ambushed by Feng Qi, bing his captive.


    Fang Pengyi turned to Feng Xinghai. "Hall Master Feng, how do you n to deal with this


    criminal, Wang Ming?"


    Feng Xinghai replied, "As a deacon elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Wang Ming engaged in


    robbery and vited thew, so he naturally deserves the death penalty to serve as a warning to others. Furthermore, he nearly disrupted a significant matter for the First Supreme Elder. If we don''t kill him, it will be difficult to give the First Supreme Elder an exnation."


    Fang Pengyi looked at Feng Xinghai in surprise.


    Feng Xinghai''s decisive stance on executing Wang Ming was somewhat unexpected for Fang


    Pengyi.


    If Wang Ming had robbed an ordinary Foundation Establishment elder, it would certainly not


    be a crime deserving of death.


    After all, he was ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and even in a major sect


    like the Beast Control Sect,te-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators are still valuable


    assets.


    Typically, such cultivators would not be executed lightly.


    Feng Xinghai asked, "Master Fang, are you satisfied with my handling of this matter?"


    Fang Pengyi replied, "Hall Master Feng''s actions are quite appropriate; I have no objections."


    After all, it was not an elder from the Alchemy Peak who was dying, so how could Fang Pengyi possibly object?


    Wang Ming had kidnapped the snake-human and nearly spoiled his ns, so it was best if he


    died.


    Fang Pengyi was looking forward to the day when Song Wen would cultivate Mystic Qi.''


    At that time, he would naturally have a share of the credit.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 288: Changing Allegiances

    Chapter 288: Changing Allegiances


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Wang Ming''s face turned pale as he heard he was to be executed, his expression filled with terror and disbelief.


    He had robbed Song Wen, and although he had broken the sect rules, his crime did not warrant death.


    In the past, Foundation Establishment cultivators who had robbed within the sect were usually only subjected to hefty fines of spirit stones, followed by being assigned to execute some dangerous and challenging missions.


    Though perilous, most of the time they could preserve their lives.


    Why was he being implicated with the First Supreme Elder for merely robbing a person who had joined the sect halfway?


    Could it be those two peculiar snake-humans?


    As he thought about this, Wang Ming stared at Song Wen in disbelief.


    Suddenly, he realized that he had fallen into Song Wen''s trap.


    Three months ago, thetter had deliberately leaked a hint of corpse energy to lure him in.


    Using the Spirit-Piercing Rat, he had investigated everything, all of which had been intentionally orchestrated by Song Wen, who had long known about the rat''s existence.


    With this understanding, many of the unreasonable things he had encountered in Song Wen''s cave today became clear.


    He had deliberately revealed his identity token and intentionally ced the corpse coffin and formation te together, as if he were waiting for him to rob him.


    Wang Ming''s eyes fixed on Song Wen, resentment and anger twisting his face into a grimace.


    "Wu Sheng, this is all your scheme; you set me up!"


    "Hmph! Annoying!"


    Fang Pengyi snorted coldly, an overwhelming aura surged forth like a torrent, sweeping over Wang Ming like crashing waves.


    Wang Ming found his entire spirit power sealed,pletely powerless against this terrifying pressure.


    Puff!


    Blood mixed with internal organs sprayed out.


    Wang Ming immediately fainted and copsed to the ground.


    Feng Xinghai looked at the unconscious Wang Ming, his voice stern.


    "Take him down. Clear out his cave at the Law Enforcement Peak and his residence in East Huafang, and execute him on a chosen day."


    Soon, Wang Ming was dragged away.


    ...


    Fang Pengyi took his leave from Feng Xinghai, returning to the Alchemy Peak with Song Wen


    and the others.


    Inside Song Wen''s cave.


    Fang Pengyi lifted the seals from the two snake-humans and returned them to their pit.


    As soon as the seals on the two snake-humans dissipated, they attempted to attack Fang Pengyi, who was the closest.


    Seeing this, Fang Pengyi was not angry but rather pleased.


    The snake-humans could stillunch an attack, indicating that their vitality was still strong.


    He raised his hand and waved, using his magical power to suppress the snake-humans, then activated two "Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array" to trap them.


    "Elder Wu, your snake-human corpse refinement is excellent, but the snakes could be raised a bit better; these two look somewhat undernourished."


    Song Wen chuckled awkwardly but did not reply.


    Fang Pengyi then addressed Rong Jingyun.


    "Elder Rong, after this incident, we must strengthen the security of the Alchemy Peak. It is a disgrace for a respected elder of the Alchemy Peak to be robbed in his own cave without anyone noticing."


    Rong Jingyun nodded. "Yes, Peak Master. I will summon all the elders of the Alchemy Peak to arrange this matter as soon as possible."


    After encouraging Song Wen a few more times, Fang Pengyi took his leave.


    "Thank you, Elder Rong, and Sister Zhou, for your timely assistance today."


    Rong Jingyun said, "Elder Wu, no need for formalities. As long as you are safe, I will take my


    leave now."


    After speaking, she turned to leave.


    Zhou Siyi noticed that only she and Song Wen remained in the cave.


    Her big eyes sparkled with curiosity as she leaned closer to Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, honestly, do you have a grudge against Wang Ming?"


    Song Wen looked puzzled. "Sister Zhou, why do you ask that?"


    "Wang Ming''sst words about you framing him-what did he mean?"


    Song Wen replied, "It''s nothing more than his wild talk born out of fear after being sentenced


    to death."


    Zhou Siyi smiled with satisfaction, as if she could see through everything.


    "Hmph! You''ve always been so dishonest."


    After saying that, she turned to leave.


    Song Wen watched Zhou Siyi''s departing figure, shaking his head.


    The n had gone rtively smoothly; the threat of Wang Ming had been eliminated.


    However, there seemed to be some lingering dangers. Even Zhou Siyi could see the oddities, so it was impossible that old monsters like Fang Pengyi and Feng Xinghai had not noticed


    anything amiss.


    But since the snake-human corpses were involved with the First Supreme Elder of the Beastmaster Sect, even if they did pick up on something, they would not investigate deeply.


    Song Wen closed the cave and set up the "Concealing Spirit Array" and "Nine Pce Yin Array," then took out the Soul Cleaving de to begin refining it.


    The Next Day.


    As Song Wen was refining the Soul Cleaving de, he heard Zhou Siyi''s voice outside the cave.


    "Junior Brother Wu, are you home?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen felt somewhat awkward.


    In the past, whenever Zhou Siyi came to find him, she would always shout from outside the


    cave, urging him to "open the door quickly."


    When did Zhou Siyi be so gentle and polite?


    This was a stark contrast to her usual boisterous demeanor.


    Song Wen stood up, focused his thoughts, and opened the cave''s restrictions.


    "Sister Zhou, pleasee in."


    Zhou Siyi floated into the cave, followed by two corpse coffins shrouded in a thin veil that


    concealed their aura.


    When Song Wen saw Zhou Siyi''s attire, his awkwardness intensified.


    Zhou Siyi, who usually wore form-fitting clothes, had unexpectedly donned a beautiful


    pce gown today, with exquisite makeup on her face and a delicate hairpin in her hair.


    Zhou Siyi was already quite stunning, and with this appearance, she was even more dazzling


    and captivating.


    Noticing Song Wen''s gaze on her, a hint of shyness shed across Zhou Siyi''s face.


    She raised her hand, cing the two corpse coffins before Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, the Peak Master informed Elder Rong this morning that your corpse


    refinement talent is exceptional. Since you''ve only refined two snake-human corpses, it''s somewhat of a waste of talent. He wants you to refine two more."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Here are two initial-stage second-level snake-humans that Elder Rong asked me to bring to you."


    Then she handed Song Wen a storage bag.


    "This contains the rations for the snake-humans and the necessary materials for corpse


    refinement."


    Hearing that he was to refine two more snake-human corpses, Song Wen was not displeased;


    in fact, he was quite pleased.


    The more snake-humans he had, the more flesh and materials he could collect.


    Song Wen epted the storage bag and said, "Thank you, Sister, for personally making the


    trip. I won''t trouble you like this again; just send me a message next time, and I''ll go get it


    myself."


    Zhou Siyi replied, "I actually came to talk to you about something else today."


    Song Wen asked, "What is it, Sister?"


    Zhou Siyi said, "What do you think of the Spirit Beast Peak?"


    Song Wen answered, "The Spirit Beast Peak is the most important and powerful peak of the


    Beastmaster Sect. It is indeed a ce where talented individuals gather, a holynd for countless cultivators."


    Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope appeared in Zhou Siyi''s bright eyes.


    "If there''s an opportunity for Junior Brother Wu to join the Spirit Beast Peak, would you agree?"


    Song Wen was momentarily stunned.


    His earlierments about the Spirit Beast Peak had been merely superficial pleasantries.


    He truly did not expect Zhou Siyi to offer him a chance to join the Spirit Beast Peak.


    Song Wen was quite satisfied with his situation in the Alchemy Peak and had no desire to switch to another peak.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 289: The Birth of Mystic Qi

    Chapter 289: The Birth of Mystic Qi


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen couldn''t help but mutter to himself.


    Zhou Siyi, the daughter of the vice peak master of the Spirit Beast Peak, had suddenly invited him to join the Spirit Beast Peak, likely on her father''s orders.


    TL: Beast Peak �� Spirit Beast Peak


    But why would the Spirit Beast Peak invite him?


    Was it because of the snake-human corpses?


    "Sister Zhou, both the Spirit Beast Peak and the Alchemy Peak belong to the Beastmaster Sect. Since they are of the same sect, it doesn''t matter where I cultivate. Moreover, I prefer the Pill Path, so it''s most suitable for me to stay at the Alchemy Peak," Song Wen firmly declined.


    Zhou Siyi didn''t seem angry.


    She gently brushed her hair away from her forehead, her expression unexpectedly bing somewhat shy, and a hint of pink appeared on her face.


    In a voice as soft as a mosquito''s buzz, she asked, "Junior Brother Wu, what do you think of me?"


    Song Wen''s heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition arose within him.


    This routine was too familiar.


    She had just used it a moment ago.


    Song Wen was at a loss for how to respond.


    Seeing Song Wen remain silent for a long time, Zhou Siyi raised her big eyes and stared at him, waiting for his answer.


    Unable to evade the situation, Song Wen finally spoke up.


    "Sister Zhou, you are breathtakingly beautiful, with a figure that is rare in the world."


    "And what about my character?" Zhou Siyi continued to ask.


    "Lively and cheerful, with the qualities of an elegant woman."


    "In these past few years, how have I treated you?"


    "You have treated me very well, offering guidance and care."


    Song Wen''s evaluation was not insincere.


    Zhou Siyi''s appearance was impable.


    As for her character, aside from being somewhat indifferent to mortal lives and human rtionships, he had never seen her act with malicious intent towards anyone.


    Since the two of them hadpleted the task at the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom together, Zhou Siyi had indeed taken good care of Song Wen.


    Hearing Song Wen''s evaluation, Zhou Siyi suddenly fell into silence.


    For a moment, the atmosphere in the cave became somewhat subtle.


    Zhou Siyi bit her lower lip, her brow furrowed, her expression conflicted, as if she were making an important decision.


    After a moment, as if she finally made up her mind, she raised her head, her gaze firm as she looked at Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, how about we be Daopanions?"


    Song Wen''s face stiffened, and he looked at Zhou Siyi in surprise.


    "Sister Zhou, you are the daughter of the peak master and have exceptional cultivation talent. I am merely a wandering cultivator who joined the sect halfway; how could I dare to climb so


    high?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "Junior Brother Wu, do you have any concerns? You can rest assured that I have always maintained my purity and have not been involved with anyone; I am still intact."


    Song Wen shook his head. "Sister, our statuses are too different; it''s not suitable for us to be Daopanions."


    Zhou Siyi did not seem angry at Song Wen''s firm rejection; instead, she appeared relieved.


    It was as if a heavy stone had dropped from her heart, and she seemed much lighter overall.


    Zhou Siyi said, "Junior Brother Wu, please don''t let today''s matter spread."


    "Rest assured, this will not be known to anyone else."


    Zhou Siyi nodded slightly and, after saying one more thing, floated out of the cave.


    Song Wen raised his hand to close the cave entrance.


    He felt that Zhou Siyi''s behavior today was a bit strange.


    Her proposal to be Daopanions didn''t seem toe from her true intentions.


    Song Wen shook his head, casting aside these chaotic thoughts.


    In the cave, he dug out two more snake pits.


    He ced the two snake-humans Zhou Siyi had brought into them.


    Song Wen had a total of four snake-humans in his hands. To avoid confusion, he numbered


    both the snake-humans and the snake pits.


    Each snake-human was fixed in a separate snake pit.


    Number one was the snake-human at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.


    Number two was the fifth-level female snake-human, which was a result of corpse refining.


    Numbers three and four were newly acquired snake-humans.


    From Zhou Siyi''s storage bag, there were many items, all of which Song Wen took out and transferred to his own storage ring.


    Summoning a Sacred Gu, Song Wen took out a meat ball and fed it to the bug.


    So far, one Sacred Gu hadpleted its advancement, reaching the mid-stage of the fifth


    level.


    Another Sacred Gu was still in the process of advancing.


    With the addition of two snake-humans, the quantity of meat balls had also doubled.


    Song Wen estimated that it would take at most half a day for both Sacred Gus to advance to the mid-stage of the fifth level.


    These meat balls provided by the Spirit Beast Peak were indeed extraordinary; their ability to enhance the strength of the Sacred Gus was even greater than that of beast-essence pills. He wondered what kind of spiritual materials they were made from.


    After feeding the Sacred Gus, Song Wen began the process of refining the snake-humans''


    corpses.


    Four monthster.


    Song Wenpleted the tenth round of corpse refining for both number one and number two


    snake-humans.


    Over the next two days.


    The corpse qi and vitality within the number one and number two snake-humans began to


    sh continuously.


    The two opposing types of celestial qi began to bizarrely merge within the snake-humans.


    A kind of celestial qi that Song Wen had never seen before fused together at this moment.


    Although the newly formed celestial qi was still weak, as if it could dissipate at any time, it indeed existed.


    Song Wen''s gaze sharpened, and he fixed his eyes on the two snake-humans.


    He knew in his heart that the unknown celestial qi born from the snake-humans was likely the "Mystic Qi" that people like Rong Jingyun had been desperately seeking and that the


    Beastmaster Sect''s first supreme wanted to obtain.


    Mystic Qi gave off a sense of mysteriousness.


    It had the rhythm of life and thement of death.


    Song Wen felt an indescribable sensation.


    After perceiving the ''Mystic Qi'' with his spiritual sense for a long time, he still could not


    discern its true nature.


    He wondered why the first supreme of the Beastmaster Sect was so intent on obtaining Mystic


    Qi.


    What was the extraordinary use of Mystic Qi?


    At that moment, Song Wen felt as if he held a treasure but did not know how to use it.


    An hourter.


    After failing to discover any clues, Song Wen picked up Rong Jingyun''smunication jade


    slip to inform him of the birth of the Mystic Qi.


    However, after waiting nearly two hours, Rong Jingyun neither appeared in Song Wen''s cave


    nor responded to themunication jade slip.


    Song Wen had no choice but to take out Zhou Siyi''smunication jade slip.


    Ever since Zhou Siyi proposed bing Daopanions, both of them had been


    intentionally avoiding each other, trying to use time to alleviate the awkwardness between


    them.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Zhou Siyi


    and Fang Pengyi arrived at his cave one after the other.


    It seemed that Zhou Siyi had immediately notified Fang Pengyi after receiving Song Wen''s


    message.


    When they saw the condition of the two snake-humans, both were greatly astonished.


    "Junior Brother Wu, you really allowed the snake-humans to merge and produce Mystic Qi. This is truly astounding," Zhou Siyi eximed in surprise.


    "Good, good, good! Wu Sheng, you did very well," Fang Pengyi said, his eyes filled with


    amazement.


    He observed the two snake-humans closely for a long time before speaking.


    "The body of the fifth-level snake-human is still stable; it can continue to be refined."


    "The first-level snake-human has slightly weaker vitality and body recovery. It seems to have reached its limit; it''s bing difficult for it to endure more corpse qi."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After pondering for a moment, Fang Pengyi continued, "Elder Wu, you keep the fifth-level


    snake-human here and continue refining it. I will take the first-level snake-human back to the snake-human cave and give it to Liu Jiang for careful raising, observing the effect of Mystic Qi on the snake-human. What do you think?"


    Song Wen replied, "I will follow the arrangements of the peak master."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 290: Elder of the Town Pavilion

    Chapter 290: Elder of the Town Pavilion


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Fang Pengyi nodded in satisfaction.


    "Elder Wu, you have contributed by refining the corpse of the snake-human. Our Alchemy Peak has always rewarded merits. From today onward, you are promoted to Elder of the Town Pavilion, fully in charge of the snake-human cave''s affairs."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen''s expression first showed joy.


    Being in charge of the snake-human cave meant ess to more corpse-rearing spiritual materials.


    However, as if he thought of something, his expression stiffened.


    "But the Snake Peak has always been led by Elder Rong. If I take charge of the snake-human cave, what about Elder Rong...?"


    Fang Pengyi replied, "A few days ago, Elder Rong had a sudden insight during his cultivation and has gone into closed-door training to seek a breakthrough in thete Foundation Establishment stage. The higher the cultivation level, the harder it is to break through the bottleneck; without two or three years, Elder Rong will not be able toe out."


    "In the meantime, Elder Wu, you will lead the snake-human cave. Let''s go; follow me to the snake-human cave so I can announce your appointment."


    The three, along with the first-level snake-human, quickly arrived at the valley where the snake-human cave was located.


    As they reached the sky above the valley, they saw a tall and handsome man standing at the entrance.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The man was in his thirties, with an extraordinary presence and a demeanor that exuded calmness andposure.


    At first sight of the man, Fang Pengyi''s eyes turned cold.


    He looked at Zhou Siyi, who was following behind him, with an unhappy expression that he didn''t bother to hide.


    Noticing Fang Pengyi''s gaze, Zhou Siyi''s expression turned guilty and nervous; she instinctively shrank back, half-concealing herself behind Song Wen.


    "Peak Master Fang, it''s been several years since west met; your cultivation has advanced even further," the man at the valley entrance said with a warm smile.


    Fang Pengyinded next to the man, wearing a sullen face, and said coldly, "Zhou Xuelin, why are you here in my Alchemy Peak''s territory when you should be at your Spirit Beast Peak?"


    Regarding Fang Pengyi''s attitude, Zhou Xuelin didn''t seem to mind.


    "The Alchemy Peak and the Spirit Beast Peak are both parts of the Beastmaster Sect. Why should we draw lines between you and me?"


    "Hmph! No distinction between you and me? I haven''t seen your Spirit Beast Peak willingly share any spirit beasts with the other peaks," Fang Pengyi said with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.


    After saying this, he ignored Zhou Xuelin.


    With a wave of his hand, the mist that enveloped the valley parted automatically, revealing a narrow path.


    Using his spiritual power to drag the coffin containing the snake-human corpses, Fang Pengyi walked into the valley on his own.


    Song Wen hurriedly followed.


    As Song Wen passed by Zhou Xuelin, Zhou Xuelin showed a friendly smile.


    Song Wen quickly bent slightly and cupped his fists in salute.


    Then, he hurried up the narrow path.


    At the end, Zhou Siyi hesitated and called out timidly, "Dad!"


    Zhou Xuelin nodded and then entered the valley with Zhou Siyi.


    ...


    In the Snake-Human Cave.


    Fang Pengyi ced the first-level snake-human into one of the snake pits and summoned Liu Jiang, instructing him to take care of it and meticulously record the changes in the snake- human each day.


    Seeing the Mystic Qi circting around the snake-human, Liu Jiang was greatly shocked and praised Song Wen without end.


    Song Wen humbly responded to thepliments.


    At this time, Zhou Xuelin with his daughter also entered the snake-human cave.


    Upon seeing the Mystic Qi on the snake-human, Zhou Xuelin''s eyes brightened, and he quickly approached the edge of the snake pit to examine the snake-human closely.


    "Peak Master Zhou, the snake-human cave is a restricted area of my Alchemy Peak. You''re intruding without permission; isn''t that a bit inappropriate?" Fang Pengyi said.


    Zhou Xuelin replied, "Peak Master Fang, I''m just taking a look. You won''t lose anything."


    Fang Pengyi scoffed dismissively.


    "Just taking a look? Then exin to me why the snake-human, which our Alchemy Peak painstakingly researched and is uniquely ours, also exists in your Spirit Beast Peak?"


    Faced with the usation, Zhou Xuelin maintained his usual calm demeanor.


    "Is it impossible for your Alchemy Peak to cultivate the snake-human while our Spirit Beast Peak cannot? The Spirit Beast Peak''s ability to cultivate spirit beasts is unmatched throughout the entire cultivation world."


    Fang Pengyi retorted, "You''re saying that the snake-humans you cultivated are yours? Do you really believe that? A group of shameless thieves daring to im they''re unmatched in the


    cultivation world."


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression gradually turned cold.


    "Fang Pengyi, you''re going a bit too far with your words, aren''t you?"


    "That''s exactly the case. Your Spirit Beast Peak is envious of our Alchemy Peak''s cultivation of


    the snake-human, and you''ve sent people to steal them, even sending your own daughter to


    do it," Fang Pengyi said angrily.


    "The sessful cultivation of the snake-human does have a share of credit for Siyi. If it weren''t for her, could your Alchemy Peak have so quickly cultivated them in bulk?" Zhou


    Xuelin countered.


    "Zhou Siyi has been rewarded by me for her contributions. But that doesn''t justify her leaking the cultivation methods to the Spirit Beast Peak. If it weren''t for her partial contributions, I would have already expelled her from Alchemy Peak," Fang Pengyi argued logically.


    Zhou Xuelin was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to refute this.


    Fang Pengyi suddenly smiled triumphantly.


    "Even if your Spirit Beast Peak has cultivated the snake-human, it''s useless. We have already


    fused it with Mystic Qi, and the credit for that, as established by the First Supreme, is firmly


    ours in the Alchemy Peak."


    Zhou Xuelin''s gaze shifted to Song Wen.


    "I believe this is Elder Wu, right? Truly a rising talent."


    At this time, Song Wen appeared to be approaching forty years old.


    Zhou Xuelin''sment about him being a "rising talent" felt somewhat odd.


    "Peak Master Zhou, you tter me," Song Wen said.


    "Elder Wu, would you considering to my Spirit Beast Peak? The position of Elder of the


    Town Pavilion is waiting for you," Zhou Xuelin proposed.


    "Heh."


    Before Song Wen could respond, Fang Pengyi''s mockingughter rang out.


    "Zhou Xuelin, you''rete. Elder Wu has already be the Elder of the Town Pavilion of our


    Alchemy Peak."


    Zhou Xuelin looked at Song Wen, his tone sincere.


    "Although both are Elder positions, there''s a distinction between being an Elder of the Spirit


    Beast Peak and an Elder of the Alchemy Peak. The Spirit Beast Peak is the foremost peak of the Beastmaster Sect, with tens of thousands of disciples. An Elder canmand thousands or even tens of thousands of disciples."


    Song Wen cupped his hands in respect.


    "Thank you for your kind words, Peak Master Zhou. I have loved alchemy since I was young


    and do not wish to transfer to another peak. I hope you won''t take offense at my refusal."


    Zhou Xuelin responded, "If Elder Wu wishes to cultivate in the Alchemy Peak, how could I


    force you? However, what do you think of my daughter Siyi? Would you be willing to be her partner?"


    Song Wen''s lips twitched, feeling somewhat troubled.


    Not long ago, Zhou Siyi had just inquired about this matter.


    Unexpectedly, today, Zhou Xuelin brought it up again in front of everyone.


    If he were to publicly refuse, it would surely embarrass Zhou Siyi.


    However, Song Wen could notpromise his own feelings for Zhou Siyi''s face.


    He replied, "Respectfully, Peak Master Zhou, Senior Sister Zhou is exceptionally beautiful, gifted, and possesses outstanding character. She is the best choice for a partner in the hearts of all male cultivators. However, I am ustomed to living alone and have no thoughts of


    marriage."


    Faced with Song Wen''s continuous refusals, no matter how good Zhou Xuelin''s self-control was, his expression gradually darkened.


    "Elder Wu is indeed loyal to Alchemy Peak; I can only hope Alchemy Peak is worthy of such


    loyalty."


    After saying this, he turned and walked toward the exit of the snake-human cave, his


    expression gloomy.


    Zhou Siyi, as the person involved, stood before everyone, and despite being rejected by Song


    Wen, showed no signs of disappointment. Instead, she appeared very awkward and uneasy.


    She had no romantic feelings for Song Wen and did not wish to be his partner.


    She was merely a pawn in this situation.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 291: Guardian Beast of the Sect

    Chapter 291: Guardian Beast of the Sect


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Peak Master Zhou, safe travels, no need to see you off," Fang Pengyi said with a hint of pride.


    He was very satisfied with Song Wen''s earlier response.


    "Dad!"


    Zhou Siyi saw her father walking coldly toward the exit of the snake-human cave and appeared somewhat anxious.


    Even the way she called out "Dad" was filled with fear and trepidation.


    Zhou Xuelin nced at Zhou Siyi, his eyes full of indifference.


    It was as if he wasn''t looking at his own daughter but rather an insignificant object.


    Even as Zhou Xuelin walked out of the snake-human cave, Zhou Siyi''s unease did not dissipate.


    She lowered her head, and tears of grievance welled up in her bright eyes.


    After a long silence, she hurried after Zhou Xuelin.


    Seeing this scene, Fang Pengyi sneered.


    "Just a petty person who only knows how to vie for power and profit; for the sake of authority, he can even use his own daughter as a pawn."


    After mocking Zhou Xuelin several times, he turned to Song Wen.


    "Elder Wu, it''s best to keep your distance from a petty man like Zhou Xuelin."


    Song Wen replied, "This subordinate will remember the Peak Master''s teachings."


    Fang Pengyi''s words seemed to be a reminder to Song Wen, but in reality, they were a warning.


    He was cautioning Song Wen not to get too close to Zhou Xuelin.


    Zhou Xuelin was a petty man, but Fang Pengyi was by no means a benevolent person.


    He knew very well that Zhou Siyi was a spy sent by Zhou Xuelin.


    Yet he still kept Zhou Siyi within Alchemy Peak because of her knowledge in cultivating spirit beasts.


    A momentter.


    Fang Pengyi announced Song Wen''s appointment to take over the snake-human cave to Liu Jiang, Zhang Bing, and Li Shi.


    After exchangingmunication jade slips with Song Wen, Fang Pengyi handed him a storage ring containing the spiritual materials needed for corpse refining, as well as information and ounts rted to the snake-human cave.


    After seeing Fang Pengyi off, Song Wen entered the first corpse-refining cave in the snake- human cave.


    The first corpse-refining cave was originally managed by Rong Jingyun, handling the daily affairs of the snake-human cave, and now naturally belonged to Song Wen.


    Taking out the storage ring given by Fang Pengyi, Song Wen''s spiritual sense probed inside.


    Immediately, Song Wen''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    The corpse-refining spiritual materials inside were almost exaggerated in quantity.


    There were hundreds of bottles of Yin Fiend Dew, along with other corpse-refining spiritual materials. The total value of the spiritual materials in this storage ring exceeded five hundred thousand spirit stones.


    Song Wen suddenly felt an urge to run away with the storage ring.


    The corpse-refining spiritual materials inside were enough for him to practice the "Blood Refining of the Corpse King" and reach the Golden Core realm, with possibly some leftovers.


    Suppressing his greed, Song Wen noticed that a mark had been nted on this storage ring.


    Perhaps it was precisely because of this mark that Fang Pengyi dared to entrust Song Wen with it so boldly and without worry.


    The affairs of the snake-human cave were rather peaceful.


    The matters rted to cultivating the snake-human were fully managed by Liu Jiang.


    Song Wen''s main tasks were to refine the snake-human corpses and instruct Zhang Bing and


    Li Shi in corpse refining.


    Half a monthter.


    Zhou Siyi, who had disappeared for many days, reappeared in the snake-human cave.


    She had returned to her usual lively and carefree self.


    It was as if the person who had cried in grievance in the snake-human cave that day was not


    her at all.


    "Junior Brother Wu, from now on, you''ll be my superior. You must take good care of your


    senior sister," she said.


    Looking at Zhou Siyi''s big, sparkling eyes, Song Wen understood.


    It turned out that her liveliness was merely a disguise.


    She did not have an easy life.


    She was just a chess piece in her father''s hands, one that could be manipted at will.


    A smile appeared on Song Wen''s face.


    "Senior sister tters me. I only know a bit about corpse refining; in other areas, I''m still as clueless as a blind person touching an elephant. I hope senior sister won''t hesitate to teach me in the future."


    "Sure! If there''s anything you don''t understand in the future, feel free to ask me."


    Zhou Siyi confidently said.


    Suddenly, the ground shook violently.


    Throughout the entire snake-human cave, over a thousand coffins toppled all at once.


    "Ugh..."


    A distant, piercing buzzing sound reverberated through half of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Dozens of snake-humans within the cave suddenly became frenzied, continuously crashing against the array barrier that trapped them.


    Even with their heads bloodied, the snake-humans showed no signs of stopping.


    "What is happening? Where is that sounding from?" Song Wen asked in shock.


    Zhou Siyi appeared quite calm.


    She turned and looked toward a certain direction deep within the Beastmaster Sect,


    whispering softly.


    "The guardian beast of the sect has awakened. Every twenty years, it wakes up from hunger.


    After it feeds, it will fall back into a deep sleep."


    The guardian beast of the sect!


    Song Wen looked surprised.


    The so-called guardian beast of the sect is not truly a divine beast.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Divine beasts are legendary powerful creatures; for countless years, there have been no


    sightings of them in the entire cultivation world.


    The guardian beast of the Beastmaster Sect should only be a powerful spirit beast.


    What kind of spirit beast requires feeding every twenty years?


    Shouldn''t such a powerful spirit beast survive on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?


    Could it be that it consumes rare materials or spirit stones?


    During his years in East Huafang Market, Song Wen had often heard people mention that the


    Beastmaster Sect had a powerful guardian beast, which was the foundation of the sect.


    However, outsiders had never known what kind of spirit beast the guardian beast of the


    Beastmaster Sect truly was.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, have you ever seen the guardian beast?" Song Wen asked.


    Zhou Siyi replied, "I have never seen it. Thest time the divine beast awakened, I was still


    just a small child and had not yet begun cultivating, so I was unable to witness the true form


    of the divine beast."


    She gazed at the direction from which the beast''s call came, lost in thought for a moment.


    "Junior Brother Wu, do you want to go see the guardian beast?"


    "I do want to, but the guardian beast isn''t something you can just go and see, right?"


    "Perhaps there will be an opportunity?"


    ...


    Three dayster, at noon.


    Liu Jiang appeared outside the first corpse-refining cave, looking anxious.


    "Elder Wu,e out quickly; something big has happened."


    Song Wen opened the barrier to the corpse cave and asked, "Elder Liu, what happened?"


    "The Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom was attacked by viins. Dozens


    of disciples in the workshop were ughtered, and over a thousand Green Jade Snakes are


    either dead or fled-none survived."


    Liu Jiang''s tone was filled with anger.


    Having spent many years in The Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop, he was familiar with most of


    the disciples there, and with all the disciples being killed, he couldn''t help but feel indignant.


    Cultivating snake-humans requires Green Jade Snake eggs.


    Moreover, the sess rate of cultivating snake-humans is quite low, leading to an enormous


    demand for Green Jade Snake eggs.


    Most of these eggs were provided by The Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop.


    If the workshop is destroyed, the cultivation of snake-humans will be greatly affected.


    "Who dares to take such ruthless action against the Beastmaster Sect''s Spirit Feeding Workshop?"


    Song Wen was shocked upon hearing this.


    Liu Jiang said, "There''s a great possibility that it was those two ck-d people you saw


    last time."


    "Again them! Why are they targeting The Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop?"


    "I don''t know, but this time, they won''t be able to escape."


    Liu Jiang''s eyes were fierce, filled with killing intent.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 292: Meeting Ji Ruxue Again

    Chapter 292: Meeting Ji Ruxue Again


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Elder Liu, have you left any backup ns?" Song Wen asked.


    Liu Jiang replied, "Those two ck-d individuals have repeatedly invaded the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop; how could I be unprepared? All the buildings in the workshop have been smeared with the urine of the Snow Shadow Leopard."


    The Snow Shadow Leopard is Liu Jiang''s spirit beast, at the mid-second tier.


    The urine of the Snow Shadow Leopard is colorless and odorless, resembling in water, making it difficult for cultivators to detect its scent.


    However, due to its innate ability, the Snow Shadow Leopard can sense the smell of its urine from several miles away.


    Once the scent of the urine is contaminated, it lingers for a long time and is hard to disperse. This makes the Snow Shadow Leopard exceptionally skilled at tracking prey.


    "One of the criminals has been tainted by the urine''s scent. The Snow Shadow Leopard sensed that this criminal is hiding within East Huafang Market."


    "Since there''s a lead on the perpetrator, why not report it to the Enforcement Hall and have them capture the criminal?"


    Song Wen asked, somewhat confused.


    It is one of the responsibilities of the Enforcement Hall to capture the true murderer who killed fellow disciples.


    Liu Jiang said, "I have already reported this to the Enforcement Hall, and they agreed to send someone to apprehend the criminal. But since the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom is the property of our sect, we cannot stand by idly while they capture the perpetrator. Otherwise, people in the sect will undoubtedly spread rumors, iming that our sect has no onepetent."


    Song Wen inquired, "So, Elder Liu, the reason you came to find me is for what purpose?"


    "Naturally, I want Elder Wu to apany me to East Huafang Market to capture the criminal."


    "With you here, and with the strength of the Enforcement Hall, I think I''ll pass," Song Wen said, showing hesitation.


    If it weren''t absolutely necessary, he truly didn''t want to leave the Beastmaster Sect.


    ording to the intel he received from Wang Ming, the Corpse Demon Sect had already dispatched Foundation Establishment cultivators to hunt down the traitors everywhere.


    If he were to run into someone from the Corpse Demon Sect, it could expose Song Wen''s identity.


    "Elder Wu, you manage the snake-human cave, and the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop in Great Yan Kingdom belongs to the snake-human cave. Now that the criminal is at our doorstep, if you don''t go, it will be difficult to avoid gossip and will damage our sect''s reputation," Liu Jiang said earnestly.


    Song Wen looked at Liu Jiang with some helplessness.


    From Liu Jiang''s daily behavior, it was clear that he had a strong sense of belonging to the


    sect.


    Liu Jiang was determined to take this trip.


    "Elder Liu, are you certain the criminal is in East Huafang Market?" Song Wen asked.


    trip."


    "I can guarantee the criminal is in East Huafang Market. I won''t let Elder Wu make a wasted


    Liu Jiang mistakenly thought that Song Wen was worried the criminal wasn''t in East Huafang Market, thus wasting time.


    "Do you know who the Enforcement Hall is sending to apprehend the criminal?" Song Wen asked.


    Liu Jiang replied, "It should be Feng Qi."


    "Alright, I''ll apany Elder Liu on this trip. When do we depart?" Song Wen said.


    Feng Qi is a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, so dealing with a Foundation Establishment criminal should be easy.


    Even if there are people from the Corpse Demon Sect hiding in East Huafang Market, with Feng Qi present, and the fact that there are Gold Core cultivators from the Beastmaster Sect stationed outside the square, they should not dare to act rashly even if they discover Song Wen''s whereabouts.


    "In half an hour, Feng Qi will arrive at the sect to meet us," Liu Jiang said.


    "Then I''ll go back to my cave and prepare."


    ...


    Half an hourter.


    A three-zhang long flying ship hovered in the za outside the Xuan Alchemy Hall.


    Feng Qi stood at the bow of the ship, and behind him stood a person-Leng Tianlu, with whom Song Wen had a grudge.


    Song Wen and Liu Jiang took to the skies on their swords and boarded the flying ship.


    "Since ourst parting, it has only been a few months. I hear that Elder Wu has been promoted


    to the position of Elder of the Zhen Pavilion-truly a cause for celebration," Feng Qi said to


    Song Wen.


    "Thank you, Elder Feng. It was merely a matter of chance, and I achieved a minor aplishment," Song Wen replied.


    "Elder Wu, you are being too modest. Now that everyone is present, shall we set off?" Feng Qi


    proposed.


    "Elder Feng is leading the hunt for the criminal; I will, of course, follow your arrangements,"


    Song Wen agreed.


    Feng Qi nodded and activated the flying ship with his spiritual power.


    The ship suddenly elerated and shot up into the sky.


    Feng Qi was quite sociable and engaged in lively conversation with Song Wen and Liu Jiang


    throughout the journey.


    Leng Tianlu stood silently to the side, asionally casting cold, frosty nces at Song Wen.


    In just a quarter of an hour, the flying ship arrived over East Huafang Market.


    "Elder Liu, please release the Snow Shadow Leopard to find the exact location of the


    criminal," Feng Qi instructed.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Jiang summoned the Snow Shadow Leopard.


    Despite having the word "leopard" in its name, the Snow Shadow Leopard resembled a cat


    more than anything.


    Its body was small, just over a foot long, with a tail the same length, making its total length


    less than three feet.


    The Snow Shadow Leopard had snow-white fur, interspersed with a few golden spots.


    Under Liu Jiang''s direction, the Snow Shadow Leopard leaped off the ship andnded on the roof of a building in the square.


    It darted swiftly between the rooftops, its figure lithe and agile, appearing only as a blurred


    shadow.


    Suddenly, the Snow Shadow Leopard jumped down from the roof,nded in the street, and darted into an alleyway.


    The four of them stood on the flying ship, closely watching the movements of the Snow


    Shadow Leopard.


    Song Wen noticed that the alley the Snow Shadow Leopard entered was the same one he had


    lived in before.


    The Snow Shadow Leopard quickly traversed the entire alley, but when it passed in front of


    one of the courtyards, it shook its body and released a few drops of urine.


    Song Wen''s eyes suddenly sharpened.


    This courtyard was familiar to him; it was directly opposite the small courtyard he had


    previously rented.


    The tenant of that small courtyard was Ji Ruxue, a discarded disciple of the Profound Heaven


    Sword Sect.


    Feng Qi nced at Ji Ruxue''s courtyard.


    Inside the courtyard, Ji Ruxue was relentlessly thrusting her sword, again and again, as if she


    would never tire.


    She had noticed the Snow Shadow Leopard passing by the gate and the flying ship overhead.


    However, she feigned indifference and continued her sword practice.


    Feng Qi did not act hastily; instead, he took out a jade slip and transmitted a message.


    Momentster, Zhao Dapeng flew in and arrived on the flying ship.


    "Greetings, Elders! I wonder why you have summoned me here?" he asked.


    Feng Qi nced at the sign of Ji Ruxue''s courtyard and asked, "Zhao Guan, who lives in Courtyard No. 43? Provide me with all her information, urately."


    "Reporting to the Elder, this woman''s name is Ji Ruxue, and she is at the eighthyer of Qi


    Refinement. It is rumored that she is a discarded disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect."


    "A discarded disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect? I find that hard to believe; how


    could a discarded disciple openly practice the sword techniques of their former sect?" Feng Qi


    commented.


    "Elder Feng, how did you deduce that this woman is practicing the sword techniques of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect?" Liu Jiang asked.


    He genuinely could not discern any sword technique in the repetitive thrusting movements of


    Ji Ruxue.


    "She is likely practicing the ''Thrusting Sword Technique'' of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect,


    which is a very basic sword technique. However, since she is not using spiritual power to enhance it, it is difficult to perceive the intricacies of the swordy," Feng Qi exined.


    "Elder Feng indeed has a wealth of knowledge," Liu Jiang remarked sincerely.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 293: Feng Qi’s Embarrassment

    Chapter 293: Feng Qi��s Embarrassment


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Elder Leng, go and capture her. Remember, don''t underestimate her; try to catch her alive," Feng Qi instructed.


    "Yes."


    Leng Tianlu received the order and leaped down from the flying ship.


    Ji Ruxue revealed her cultivation level-only at the eighthyer of Qi Refinement.


    However, with the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop destroyed and dozens of cultivators ughtered without a single escape, the murderer must have at least Foundation Establishment-level cultivation.


    Given this, Leng Tianlu did not dare to let his guard down.


    He summoned a long sword from within, gripped it with both hands, and raised it above his head, using the force of his rapid descent to unleash a move called "Power Splitting Mount Hua."


    With a force that seemed capable of splitting mountains, he aimed directly at Ji Ruxue.


    Ji Ruxue looked up at the charging Leng Tianlu, her expression serious.


    Earlier, she had held onto a sliver of hope, expecting that the Snow Shadow Leopard and the flying ship were merely passing by.


    In this moment, she realized her position had been exposed.


    Suddenly, a vast surge of spiritual power erupted from Ji Ruxue.


    An unstoppable momentum surged forth.


    Ji Ruxue swung her sword-wielding hand and thrust it towards Leng Tianlu, who was descending from the sky,unching a thrust from afar.


    A brilliant beam of sword light shot out from her sword.


    "sh!"


    Leng Tianlu roared.


    A phantom of a sword aura, over ten feet long, appeared on his sword.


    The sword aura shed with the sword light.


    The fierce sword energy and the dominating sword radiance swept through the surroundings.


    In an instant, over a dozen nearby courtyards were shattered to pieces.


    More than twenty loose cultivators living nearby suffered from the unforeseen disaster, with two dying under the residual force of the attack.


    Leng Tianlu''s speed of descent suddenly slowed, and his expression turned somewhat ugly.


    He had put forth all his strength against Ji Ruxue, who had already revealed her cultivation level, now clearly exposed as being at the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    Yet, Leng Tianlu was at thete Foundation Establishment stage.


    That he could draw to a stalemate with his opponent left Leng Tianlu feeling somewhat embarrassed.


    Especially since Song Wen and the other two were still watching from above.


    Leng Tianlu had a grudge against Song Wen, so he certainly did not want to appear weak in front of him.


    ring furiously, he once again activated his long sword.


    The sword radiance dazzled and drew a brilliant line in the air, slicing down towards Ji Ruxue.


    After blocking Leng Tianlu''s first strike, Ji Ruxue intended to withdraw and escape.


    However, the second strike from Leng Tianlu came too quickly, leaving her no opportunity to flee.


    She had no choice but to meet him head-on with her sword.


    The flying sword shot up like an arrow released from its bow.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "ng!"


    The swords shed.


    A deafening sound erupted.


    The flying sword was knocked away by Leng Tianlu''s strike.


    Then, a fierce and unmatched sword aura erupted from Leng Tianlu, pressing down like a torrential storm, aimed at Ji Ruxue below.


    With her sword knocked away, Ji Ruxue had no time to call it back.


    She could only summon another long sword, but this one was clearly of lesser quality than the


    previous.


    In that moment, a spiritual power shield lit up around her.


    She swung the long sword and stabbed at the descending sword aura.


    The sword aura cleaved towards the tip of her sword.


    Ji Ruxue was deeply aware that this was the territory of the Beastmaster Sect, and it was


    natural for her to feel somewhat unsettled. Furthermore, her cultivation was at a


    disadvantage.


    In contrast, Leng Tianlu had Feng Qi backing him up, so he had no worries from behind and


    could fully focus on the fight.


    In terms of cultivation and mindset, Ji Ruxue was at a disadvantage.


    The difference was clear.


    "Pu!"


    Ji Ruxue spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.


    Her entire body was sent flying away.


    Though the injury wasn''t severe, she used the momentum to escape towards the distance.


    Leng Tianlu would not let her escape easily; he activated his movement technique and was about to pursue her.


    "Don''t chase her; let her go! In this East Huafang market, I want to see where she can run to,"


    Feng Qi''s voice suddenly echoed in Leng Tianlu''s mind.


    Feng Qi intended to use Ji Ruxue to draw out her aplices.


    Upon hearing this, Leng Tianlu halted his movements and ceased pursuing Ji Ruxue.


    Noticing that Leng Tianlu had not followed, Ji Ruxue nced back at the flying ship high in the sky, then continued to flee.


    After weaving through several streets, she darted into the Hehuan Sect''s "Heavenly Spring


    Pavilion."


    High above, on the flying ship, Liu Jiang and Feng Qi were surprised to see Ji Ruxue entering the territory of the Hehuan Sect.


    They had initially thought Ji Ruxue would seek help from a force affiliated with the Profound


    Heaven Sword Sect.


    Song Wen, however, was not surprised.


    Years ago, he had discovered that Ji Ruxue often sneaked into the Heavenly Spring Pavilion at


    night.


    Clearly, Ji Ruxue had established some connections with the Hehuan Sect long ago.


    In fact, one of the two assants from the Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop might very well be


    a member of the Hehuan Sect.


    Feng Qi maneuvered the flying ship to the entrance of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    The ten-meter-long ship blocked the entrance to the pavilion.


    Immediately, all the guests hurriedly fled from the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    At the entrance of the pavilion, the servant girls weing and seeing off guests all turned


    pale with fright and rushed inside.


    In an instant, the originally bustling entrance of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion became


    deserted.


    "Young Master Feng, why are you making such a grand disy? Are you here to attack our


    Spring Pavilion?"


    A soft, alluring voice echoed from within the pavilion.


    The speaker was a woman in her twenties, wearing a light pink gauzy dress that was sheer and


    transparent.


    She approached gracefully, the skirt swaying with her movements, revealing an enchanting


    figure that sparked the imagination.


    "Ah, it''s Mu Yunxin, the manager of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion."


    Feng Qi cupped his hands towards the woman and continued, "There''s a murderous fiend who


    has ughtered the disciples of the Beastmaster Sect and fled into the Spring Pavilion. I


    kindly ask Miss Mu to assist us in handing over the culprit."


    A look of grievance suddenly appeared on Mu Yunxin''s face, her eyes sparkling with tears that


    shone like autumn waters.


    "Young Master Feng, how could you be so heartless? Just yesterday, you affectionately called


    me ''Little Yun Yun.'' After a day apart, you suddenly address me as ''Miss Mu.'' It seems all men forget their promises so easily."


    As Mu Yunxin finished speaking, Song Wen, Liu Jiang, and Leng Tianlu all turned to look at


    Feng Qi.


    It seemed this Mu girl was an old me of Feng Qi.


    With Mu Yunxin publicly exposing their rtionship, even if Feng Qi had a great demeanor,


    he couldn''t help but feel a bit awkward.


    His face reddened, and he forced a shy smile at Song Wen and the others.


    The three responded with understanding nces that said, "As men, we all understand."


    "Ahem!"


    Liu Jiang cleared his throat a few times to cover his own embarrassment.


    "Miss Mu, we''re here only to capture the culprit; I hope you''ll cooperate."


    Mu Yunxin''s tongue flicked over her full, fiery red lips.


    She lightly parted her red lips.


    "Young Master Feng is also a regr at the Spring Pavilion; you know all our sisters well. If


    you believe any sister is the murderer, feel free to take her away."


    Feng Qi''s face turned even redder.


    "Miss Mu, please don''t joke around. When did I be familiar with all the fairies in the


    Spring Pavilion?"


    After speaking, he turned to Song Wen and the others, ready to exin something.


    But he found Liu Jiang giving him a thumbs up with an expression of great admiration.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 294: Meeting Yan Yu Again

    Chapter 294: Meeting Yan Yu Again


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Feng Qi felt utterly wronged and had no words to defend himself.


    What merits did he have topare with all the women in the Heavenly Spring Pavilion?


    Was he really risking his life?


    Then he realized something.


    He seemed to have been led astray by Mu Yunxin''s nonsense.


    He hade to pursue a murderer, not to flirt.


    His expression turned cold, and his voice carried a hint of murderous intent.


    "Miss Mu, we saw with our own eyes that the murderer escaped into the Heavenly Spring Pavilion. No matter how you argue, you won''t be able to shield the culprit. If you refuse to see reason, we''ll have no choice but to forcibly enter the Heavenly Spring Pavilion."


    "However, there are many fairies in the Heavenly Spring Pavilion. If we happen to injure any of them, please don''t me us."


    As Feng Qi''s threat hung in the air, Mu Yunxin''s expression gradually cooled.


    "Young Master Feng, although the Heavenly Spring Pavilion is filled with women, we are not people who can be easily bullied."


    The atmosphere in front of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion became tense, a sense of hostility spreading through the air.


    "Since Miss Mu insists on protecting the murderer, then I will have no choice but to force my way in," Feng Qi replied coldly.


    "Are you nning to fight me in the market, Young Master Feng? With our strengths, if we were to engage, the entire market would likely be destroyed before we could determine the victor."


    Mu Yunxin and Feng Qi were of equivalent cultivation, both at the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Mu Yunxin was concerned that their battle would spill over into the Heavenly Spring Pavilion, resulting in too many casualties.


    Feng Qi also worried about the destruction it would cause to the market.


    "Then I will wait for you on the small mountain ten miles to the east."


    After speaking, Feng Qi turned to Song Wen and the others, addressing Leng Tianlu.


    "I ask the three elders to keep a close watch on the Heavenly Spring Pavilion; no one is allowed to enter or exit. I will meet with Miss Mu."


    As soon as he finished, he flew towards the eastern part of the market.


    Following closely, Mu Yunxin also flew eastward.


    Soon, strong fluctuations of spiritual power resonated in the sky to the east.


    "Elder Wu, who do you think is stronger between them?" Liu Jiang asked.


    Song Wen shook his head. "It''s hard to say. Elder Feng serves in the Law Enforcement Hall and specializes in killing techniques, making him a difficult opponent within the Foundation Establishment stage."


    "Mu Yunxin is likely not an ordinary individual, either, as she manages the Heavenly Spring Pavilion. Furthermore, the charm techniques of the Hehuan Sect are unparalleled in the cultivation world. A slight misstep could lead to disaster."


    Upon hearing Song Wen''s analysis, Liu Jiang nodded in agreement.


    However, Leng Tianlu seemed a bit displeased.


    He looked at Song Wen with disdain, his tone mocking.


    "Hmph! A frog at the bottom of a well dares to evaluate Elder Feng. Elder Feng is a renowned genius in our Law Enforcement Hall, having mastered fire-based techniques to perfection. During the battle between justice and evil, he single-handedly yed a peak Foundation Establishment demon cultivator when he was only at thete Foundation Establishment stage."


    Song Wen and Liu Jiang exchanged astonished nces at Leng Tianlu''s words.


    ying a peak Foundation Establishment demon cultivator at thete Foundation Establishment stage was indeed an impressive feat.


    Seeing their reaction, Leng Tianlu felt satisfied and raised his head proudly, looking towards


    the eastern sky.


    It was as if he were the one who had in the peak Foundation Establishment demon


    cultivator.


    Song Wen and Liu Jiang also looked eastward.


    A zing fire illuminated half the sky to the east.


    Countless fireballs rained down from above, igniting vast stretches of dense forest below,


    creating roaring mes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The results of the battle were just as Leng Tianlu had described.


    About the length of an incense stickter.


    Feng Qi returned unscathed, flying his sword back to the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    Mu Yunxin, blood at the corner of her mouth and her hair disheveled, appeared quite disheveled as she followed behind Feng Qi back to the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    "Miss Mu, the oue is clear. I don''t want to massacre in the Heavenly Spring Pavilion, so please bring out the people," Feng Qi said imperiously.


    Mu Yunxin was heavily injured and could barely stand, relying on the doorframe of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion for support.


    She gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain from her injuries and said nothing.


    Two women rushed out from the Heavenly Spring Pavilion to help support Mu Yunxin.


    One of the women was Ji Ruxue.


    The other woman had a small bell hanging at her waist.


    Song Wen and Liu Jiang exchanged nces.


    This bell was almost identical to the one held by the attackers during the assault on the Spirit


    Beast Breeding Workshop.


    "Senior Sister Mu, are you okay?"


    The woman with the small bell asked with concern.


    "I''m fine, Xiao Gu. He wouldn''t dare to kill me," Mu Yunxin replied.


    Xiao Gu raised her head, her eyes filled with anger as she red at Feng Qi.


    "I''m Xi Xiaogu, and she''s Ji Ruxue. We are the ones who attacked your Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop, soe at us if you dare."


    Feng Qi said, "Since both of you admit that you killed the dozens of Beast Cultivation sect members, then you muste with us."


    Xi Xiaogu replied coldly, "With just you, do you really think you can capture us? You''re not qualified."


    Feng Qi raised an eyebrow andughed.


    "Oh? Are you two mid Foundation Establishment cultivators really stronger than Miss Mu,


    who is at the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment?"


    Ji Ruxue suddenly interjected, "We may not be your match, but there are those who can easily


    defeat you."


    As her words fell, a figure in red flew swiftly from the horizon.


    The speed of the neer exceeded the limits of Foundation Establishment cultivators, and


    in an instant, she appeared before the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    Her flowing red dress billowed in the wind, exuding a heroic demeanor.


    Her eyes sparkled with intensity, as if imbued with the light of a sword.


    When Song Wen recognized the neer, his eyes widened in shock.


    It was Yan Yuyan, a Golden Core cultivator from the Xuantian Sword Sect, with whom he had


    crossed paths before.


    Her severed arm had already been reattached.


    Moreover, Song Wen could clearly sense that


    Yan Yuyan''s cultivation had significantly improved since theirst meeting.


    Just by standing there, she exuded a powerful aura, as if a towering mountain loomed before


    them, evoking awe and fear.


    Yan Yuyan''s expression was indifferent, her icy gaze sweeping over Song Wen and the others,


    finallynding on Leng Tianlu.


    "It''s you who injured my disciple!"


    As her voice fell, a sharp sword light suddenly appeared in Leng Tianlu''s horrified gaze,


    striking him with lightning speed.


    Leng Tianlu didn''t even have time to react before the sword light pierced through his chest.


    Blood burst forth.


    A terrifying and gruesome wound stretched from Leng Tianlu''s right shoulder through to his


    lower left abdomen.


    He was sent flying like a kite with a severed string, blood spraying through the air.


    After being thrown hundreds of meters away, he crashed heavily into a courtyard.


    With a roll of his eyes, he fainted.


    The sudden turn of events left Song Wen and the others in stunned silence, not daring to move


    an inch.


    Although this was the territory of the Beast Cultivation Sect, if Yan Yuyan disregarded the consequences and went on a killing spree, they could only ept their fate.


    After injuring Leng Tianlu, Yan Yuyan turned her gaze to Feng Qi.


    "It was you who injured Mu''s nephew!"


    Feng Qi''s face turned pale, a wave of intense fear washing over him.


    The gruesome scene of Leng Tianlu shed vividly in his mind.


    "Senior, please see clearly. I was just sparring with Miss Mu, and I didn''t use lethal force."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 295: Reunion with the Mature Woman

    Chapter 295: Reunion with the Mature Woman


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Spar? Don''t worry, I''m just sparring with you too," Yan Yuyan said.


    Feng Qi''s expression turned to one of terror, feeling a chill down his spine.


    He knew very well that facing Yan Yuyan would be tantamount to seeking death.


    "Yan Yuyan, as a renowned Golden Core Sword Immortal, youe to my Beastmaster Sect''s territory to bully the younger disciples. Do you think my Beastmaster Sect has no one to stand against you?"


    A furious voice echoed throughout the East Huafang Market.


    The speaker was also a woman.


    However, unlike Yan Yuyan, Mu Yunxin, and others, this woman was hunchbacked, with an aged face, and wrinkled skin that resembled old tree bark.


    Herplexion was extremely gloomy, giving off an ominous feeling.


    Upon seeing her, Yan Yuyan was not surprised; it was clear she had expected this.


    "Tu Lian, you finally came out. It''s not in vain that I wasted so much breath here," Yan Yuyan remarked.


    Tu Lian''s gaze swept over Yan Yuyan''s stunning beauty and tall, graceful figure, a sh of jealousy quickly passing through her eyes.


    Her aged features grew even darker.


    "Are you deliberately luring me out? What is your purpose?" Tu Lian asked.


    "Naturally, I want to fight you," Yan Yuyan replied, her eyes sparkling with intensity.


    A snow-white long sword suddenly appeared in front of her.


    As soon as the long sword emerged, a murderous aura began to permeate the air.


    Piercing sword energy stirred around them.


    Tu Lian''s murky gaze abruptly turned fierce.


    "If you want to fight, then I''ll oblige you."


    With that, Tu Lian shot into the sky, flying dozens of miles away from the market, waiting for Yan Yuyan.


    Holding the snow-white long sword, Yan Yuyan transformed into a flickering shadow, rushing towards Tu Lian.


    The distance between them was still ten miles.


    Yan Yuyan''s momentum suddenly surged.


    "Yan Ning Sword! sh!"


    The snow-white long sword gleamed with cold light as it soared into the sky like a roaming dragon!


    Tu Lian''s expression slightly changed.


    "So, you''ve already broken through to thete Golden Core stage. No wonder you dare to challenge me."


    "This Yan Ning Sword of yours won''t be able to harm me."


    "Blood Kui Armor, appear!"


    Tu Lian''s hunchbacked form suddenly straightened.


    A bloodthirsty madness surged forth from her.


    A two-meter-tall, egg-shaped, fleshy sphere appeared before her.


    The flesh-colored sphere was blood-red and emitted a strong scent of blood.


    It wasposed of tightly wrapped meat petals.


    The petals quickly opened like blossoming flowers.


    A long, slender tentacle gradually revealed itself.


    The tentacle extended, entering Tu Lian''s mouth.


    Tu Lian''s expression suddenly turned agonizing.


    The opened flesh sphere abruptly bounced, turning upside down, wrapping Tu Lian


    completely within.


    "Ah, ah, ah..."


    Tu Lian''s heart-wrenching screams echoed from within the flesh sphere.


    After a moment,


    The cries of pain subsided.


    A towering humanoid monster suddenly appeared.


    It was entirely blood-red, covered with a thickyer of hard bone armor.


    Its head had a sharp, single horn, and its back was lined with sharp bone spikes, trailing a thick tail over two meters long, radiating explosive power.


    Although it took a long time to exin, but in fact, from start to finish, it only took a single breath for Tu Lian toplete her transformation.


    At this moment, the Yan Ning Sword had already closed in on Tu Lian.


    Tu Lian raised her broad right hand, using it like a knife to sh at the flying sword.


    "ng!"


    The flying sword struck her palm, producing a sound like metal colliding.


    Sparks flew!


    The Yan Ning Sword was knocked away by the strike.


    Tu Lian shook her right hand, seemingly feeling some pain.


    "What is this?"


    From a distance, Song Wen''s face was filled with shock.


    Beside him, Feng Qi stared intently at the monster, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.


    "This is the Blood Kui Beast, a unique spirit beast of the Beastmaster Sect. It can parasitize on


    a human body, transforming into an indestructible Blood Kui Armor."


    "Blood Kui Beast!"


    This was the first time he had heard this name.


    The Blood Kui Beast and the Blood Armor looked too terrifying; it was hard to see them as


    anything good.


    The battle between Tu Lian and Yan Yuyan continued.


    The Yan Ning Sword was unstoppable.


    The Blood Armor was as solid as a fortress.


    Yan Yuyan and Tu Lian fought evenly, and it was difficult to determine a winner.


    At the beginning, both sides were somewhat restrained, but gradually, it seemed they were fighting with all their might.


    The aftermath of the battle swept around like a hurricane, devastating everything in its path.


    The battlefield was in disarray.


    The ground shook, and rocks shattered.


    Scattered sword energy shredded stone and wood.


    The swirling winds kicked up endless dust.


    This caused countless loose cultivators in the market to feel terrified and watch from a


    distance.


    Just as everyone was captivated by the battle between Yan Yuyan and Tu Lian,


    A figure suddenly appeared in front of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    The figure appeared like a ghost, without any warning, as if conjured from thin air.


    In fact, his appearance did not draw anyone else''s attention.


    Only the four on the flying ship in front of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion-Song Wen and the


    others, along with Ji Ruxue and herpanions-noticed this figure.


    The injured Leng Tianlu had already been rescued by Feng Qi, who had given him a healing


    elixir, temporarily stabilizing his injuries.


    All of them were filled with fear.


    The neer seemed to be enveloped in ayer of mist, making it hard to see clearly; they could only make out a blurry silhouette standing outside the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    As soon as the strange figure appeared, an ethereal, transcendent woman strolled out from


    the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    Song Wen was once again shocked.


    This woman was the Mature woman he had a fleeting connection with.


    She had been hidden inside the Heavenly Spring Pavilion all along and hadn''t left.


    Perhaps she was the reason Ji Ruxue, Mu Yunxin, and Yan Yuyan dared to confront the Beastmaster Sect in East Huafang Market.


    "Yang Yu, you finally showed up. It''s truly not easy to meet you," the Mature Woman said.


    Ji Ruxue''s massacre of the spirit beasts of the Great Yan Kingdom, and Mu Yunxin and Yan Yuyan causing a stir in East Huafang Market, were all to draw out Yang Yu.


    "Lan Chen, it seems your Hehuan Sect and Profound Heaven Sword Sect have formed an alliance to jointly deal with my Beastmaster Sect?" the shadowy figure spoke.


    The Mature Woman called Lan Chen waved her hand, and an invisible barrier enveloped her


    and Yang Yu.


    Instantly, onlookers could only see two silhouettes standing in front of the Heavenly Spring Pavilion, unable to hear any sounds from within the barrier.


    "We have no choice but to ally; we had no other options."


    "The five righteous sects have been preparing for years to initiate a righteous-evil war, solely


    to obtain the method to advance to the Deity Transformation stage from the Corpse Demon


    Sect."


    "Unexpectedly, your Beastmaster Sect secretly contacted the Corpse Demon Sect early on, not only leaking the righteous path''s ns that had been years in the making. During the siege of


    the Corpse Demon Sect, the Beastmaster Sect acted merely for show and did not put in any real effort."


    "The Nine Pces Sect even directly defected from the righteous path and colluded with the demonic path, catching the righteous path off guard, leading to severe injuries for three cultivators from the Lei family and the Mixed Yuan Temple, greatly diminishing the strength of both factions."


    "In this battle, both the Beastmaster Sect and the Nine Pces Sect gained a lot. Meanwhile, our Hehuan Sect and Profound Heaven Sword Sect sacrificed many disciples in vain and gained nothing, so we had no choice but to form an alliance and plot methods for transformation


    into Deity."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 296: Nascent Soul’s Summons

    Chapter 296: Nascent Soul��s Summons


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Yang Yu said, "Don''t portray the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect as innocent."


    "When you two sects encircled the Corpse Demon Sect, weren''t you also being perfunctory?"


    "This ultimately led to the Lei family and the Mixed Yuan Temple, who had the deepest grievances with the demonic path, suffering heavy losses."


    Lan Chen said, "Regardless, in the righteous-evil war, our Hehuan Sect and Profound Heaven Sword Sect participated, and in the end, only your Beastmaster Sect and the Nine Pces Sect benefited. We, the two sects, do not agree with this."


    "Hand over the method of transformation into Deity, otherwise, the Beastmaster Sect will face a joint siege from the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect."


    Yang Yu replied, "You might be disappointed. I did not obtain aplete method of transformation into Deity from the Corpse Demon Sect. Or rather, the Corpse Demon Sect itself does not possess aplete method."


    "That''s impossible!"


    Lan Chen said, somewhat agitated.


    "The previous Supreme Elder of the Corpse Demon Sect broke through to the Deity Transformation realm and ascended to the upper realms two decades ago. Before this, there had been thousands of years in the Tianyuan Continent without anyone sessfully ascending."


    "The spiritual energy in the Tianyuan Continent is increasingly thin. Practicing methodically, with the lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator being a thousand years, it is almost impossible to break through to Deity Transformation."


    "If the Corpse Demon Sect does not have the method of Deity Transformation, how could it be that for thousands of years, only he alone was able to ascend?"


    Yang Yu sighed, "There are always some exceptionally talented individuals who can achieve what others cannot."


    Lan Chen smirked coldly.


    "Yang Yu, do you think I would be easily convinced by your mere words? Hand over the method of transformation into Deity, otherwise, the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect will join forces, and we''ll fight the Beastmaster Sect to the death. What you''re saying is merely an attempt to monopolize the method of transformation."


    Faced with Lan Chen''s aggressive demeanor, Yang Yu showed a hint of bitterness.


    "I''ve already said it; I do not possess aplete method of transformation into Deity, only fragments of it. If you want the method, you should seek it from the Corpse Demon Sect."


    Lan Chen replied coldly.


    "Even the major sects joining forces couldn''t take down the Corpse Demon Sect. I won''t be arrogant enough to think that the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect alone can defeat the Corpse Demon Sect. However, if we were to deal with your Beastmaster Sect, the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect working together would still have a great chance of sess."


    Yang Yu pondered for a moment and spoke.


    "I reiterate, I do not have theplete method of transformation into Deity. As for the portions I do have, I can share them with you and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, but the three parties must agree to a vow: if anyone among us discovers theplete method of transformation into Deity, it must be shared with the other two parties."


    Lan Chen furrowed her brows tightly.


    "Do you really not have theplete method of transformation into Deity?"


    Yang Yu shook his head.


    "I''ve said it before, not only do I not have it, but I even suspect that the Supreme Elder of the Corpse Demon Sect, Gou Jun, does not possess theplete method either."


    "Gou Jun has been at the peak of Nascent Soul for several decades. If he had the method, he probably would have broken through to the Deity Transformation realm and ascended from this world long ago."


    Lan Chen appeared deep in thought.


    "However, there have always been rumors in the cultivation world that the Corpse Demon Sect possesses theplete method of transformation into Deity."


    Yang Yu sneered, "There are many rumors in the cultivation world, but how many of them are true?"


    Lan Chen said, "Then I''ll tentatively believe you. Hand over the method of transformation into Deity that you have."


    "I only know that the method of transformation into Deity is rted to ''Mystic Qi.""


    "Mystic Qi? What is that?"


    "It is a type of celestial energy born from the fusion of corpse energy and life energy."


    When Lan Chen heard this, her brow furrowed deeply, and there was a hint of skepticism in her tone.


    "Can corpse energy and life energy really fuse? Yang Yu, you might not want to hand over the method of transformation into Deity, so you''re fabricating this to deceive me."


    After being questioned repeatedly by Lan Chen, Yang Yu became somewhat angry.


    "Lan Chen, I have already shown enough sincerity. If you continue to doubt me, then our


    previous agreement is null and void. At worst, we can fight; do you really think my Beastmaster Sect fears the Hehuan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect?"


    Lan Chen suddenly smiled slightly, her smile as bright as a flower.


    "Senior Brother Yang Yu, please calm down. It''s just that what you said earlier is truly hard to believe, making it difficult for people to ept."


    "If this sister was disrespectful earlier, I apologize here."


    "Senior Brother Yang Yu, please continue. After obtaining the Mystic Qi, how do we utilize it


    to advance to Deity Transformation?"


    Yang Yu shook his head. "I only know this much. As for how to use the Mystic Qi, I do not know. Perhaps it involves refining it or maybe it has other uses."


    After pondering for a moment, Lan Chen spected.


    "The corpse energy and life energy can actually fuse to form a new type of celestial energy! Perhaps the Mystic Qi itself has some kind of mystery that can help a person break through to the Deity Transformation realm."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Yang Yu said, "This matter isn''t as simple as you think. Our Beastmaster Sect has already fused the Mystic Qi. Although the Mystic Qi is indeed mysterious, from what I''ve seen, it does not assist in breaking through to the Deity Transformation realm."


    Lan Chen''s face showed shock.


    "You''ve already fused the Mystic Qi! Is that true?"


    Yang Yu nodded. "Absolutely true, but it is only a very weak trace. The Mystic Qi possesses the characteristics of both corpse energy and life energy, which is quite miraculous."


    "Can you let me see it with my own eyes?" Lan Chen asked.


    "If Miss Lan wants to see it, there''s no problem. But the Mystic Qi is nurtured by a human-


    snake hybrid corpse and isn''t convenient to carry. I wonder if Miss Lan has the courage to


    venture deep into the Beastmaster Sect?"


    Yang Yu had a half-smiling expression, his tone teasing.


    Lan Chen pouted, her expression somewhat gloomy.


    Venture deep into the Beastmaster Sect?


    That was absolutely impossible.


    Despite how amiable their conversation seemed, if Lan Chen dared to enter the Beastmaster


    Sect, what awaited her would not be a human-snake hybrid corpse, but rather an array meant


    to trap and kill enemies.


    Entering the enemy''sir was no different from walking into a trap.


    Yang Yu said, "I cannot show Miss Lan the Mystic Qi, but I can let her meet the one who fused


    it."


    Lan Chen looked quite interested.


    "Oh? I''m a bit curious to see it."


    ...


    After Lan Chen and Yang Yu appeared, Song Wen and the other three remained as still as


    startled quails on the flying ship, too scared to move.


    It was clear that both Yang Yu and Lan Chen were Nascent Soul strong cultivators.


    For a Nascent Soul cultivator to kill the four of them would be no more difficult than


    squashing four ants.


    Just as the four were anxiously waiting, a voice suddenly rang in their ears.


    "I am the First Supreme Elder of the Beastmaster Sect; you need not be afraid. Wu Sheng,


    come here. Miss Lan Chen wishes to see you."


    Song Wen''s heart immediately surged with tumultuous waves.


    Why would such a dignified woman want to see him?


    Could it be that she has some special secret method and recognized him?


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 297: Plotting Against the Lei Family

    Chapter 297: Plotting Against the Lei Family


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After hearing that the blurred figure was the First Supreme Elder of the Beastmaster Sect, Feng Qi and the other two turned to face Yang Yu, lowering their heads in respect.


    At the same time, they were puzzled about what Lan Chen wanted with "Wu Sheng."


    Although Song Wen was terrified, he still put on an excited expression and stepped into the barrier.


    He stepped into the barrier without any obstruction.


    Afterward, he bent his legs and knelt on the ground.


    His expression was one of overwhelming excitement.


    "Disciple Wu Sheng pays respects to the Supreme Elder. I have heard legends of you since I was young. Today, I am fortunate to see your true face; it is indeed a great honor."


    Facing Song Wen''s ttery, Yang Yu''s reaction was quite indifferent; he showed neither displeasure nor satisfaction.


    "Get up; kneeling is not customary in our cultivation world."


    Song Wen respectfullyplied.


    "Yes!"


    He stood up from the ground.


    "This person before you is Lan Chen from the Hehuan Sect. She has some questions to ask you."


    Song Wen bowed and sped his fists, addressing Lan Chen.


    "Junior greets Senior Lan Chen. May I ask why you summoned me?"


    Lan Chen''s gaze fell on Song Wen, scrutinizing him, and a look of confusion gradually appeared on her face.


    "Have we met somewhere? Why do I have an inexplicable sense of familiarity with you?"


    Song Wen''s heart leaped to his throat, but he forced himself to remain calm.


    "Reporting to Senior, it may be because I have amon face, which gives you this illusion."


    "Amon face?" Lan Chen said, half-smiling.


    What relieved Song Wen was that Lan Chen did not dwell on this matter and instead shifted to the main topic.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Yang Yu said you have fused the Mystic Qi. Is that true?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen was momentarily taken aback, unsure whether to speak the truth or remain silent.


    Fang Pengyi and Rong Jingyun had repeatedly emphasized that the Mystic Qi was a sect secret and could not be disclosed.


    Quickly, Song Wen reacted.


    Since Yang Yu hadn''t opposed it, it was clear he agreed to inform Lan Chen about the Mystic


    Qi.


    "Reporting to Senior, it is indeed true. However, it is not solely my achievement; it was aplished under the leadership of countless fellow disciples and the Supreme Elder."


    "How was the Mystic Qi fused?"


    "It involved repeatedly refining the human-snake hybrids, allowing the corpse energy and life energy to coexist. Over time, the Mystic Qi emerged."


    "The human-snake? Is that the unusual spirit with a human body and snake tail that your Beastmaster Sect cultivates?"


    "Exactly. The vitality of the human-snake is exceptionally strong..."


    Through a question-and-answer exchange, Song Wen thoroughly exined the process of producing the Mystic Qi.


    "How is the human-snake created?" Lan Chen asked.


    "Regarding that, I do not have knowledge; it is fully handled by Elder Liu Jiang," Song Wen replied.


    After pondering for a moment, Lan Chen continued to ask.


    "In your view, besides the human-snake, what other spirits could potentially fuse the Mystic


    Qi?"


    Song Wen said, "Forgive me for my limited knowledge; I can''t think of other suitable spirits at the moment. However, based on my humble opinion, we could select spirits with strong vitality and exceptional physical recovery abilities for experimentation. Perhaps we can find a suitable spirit to nurture the Mystic Qi."


    Lan Chen nodded and turned to look at Yang Yu.


    "This disciple of yours is quite good; how about letting him join our Hehuan Sect?"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen was suddenly rmed.


    He did not know Lan Chen''s true intentions.


    Did she recognize him, or did she simply want his help to refine a hybrid corpse?


    While Song Wen was filled with doubts, Yang Yu chuckled lightly.


    "The males in the Hehuan Sect are either servants or concubines. Since when did you start


    epting male disciples?"


    Lan Chen covered her mouth andughed.


    "There''s always a first time for everything."


    "Wu Sheng is extremely loyal to our Beastmaster Sect; it''s better for him to stay here."


    Yang Yu directly refused Lan Chen.


    Then he turned to Song Wen.


    "Wu Sheng, you can go now. Remember, focus all your efforts on refining the hybrid corpse


    and strengthening the Mystic Qi as much as possible."


    "This is mymunication jade slip; keep it safe. If you encounter any problems you can''t


    resolve, use it to contact me."


    Song Wen epted the jade slip that appeared out of thin air in front of him.


    Bowing, he said, "Disciple will follow your orders."


    After saying that, Song Wen hurriedly turned and walked out of the barrier.


    Once Song Wen left, Yang Yu spoke.


    "Lan Chen, I have been honest with you; shouldn''t you also show some sincerity?"


    "What do you want me to do?" Lan Chen replied.


    "Although Gou Jun doesn''t possess aplete method for transformation into the God Realm, he surely knows some things that we don''t. After all, this transformation method did not appear out of nowhere; it must originate from an ancient secret realm."


    "The location of the secret realm is known only to Gou Jun. The Nascent Soul cultivators from our three sects can coborate to force Gou Jun to reveal information about the secret realm."


    Lan Chen remarked, "I was wondering why you so readily disclosed the secret of the Mystic Qi; it turns out you had this in mind."


    "Our three sectsbined have eight Nascent Soul cultivators. If we want to mobilize them


    all, it''s a major undertaking, and we need to negotiate among the three sects and consider it carefully..."


    A momentter, Lan Chen removed the barrier and returned to the Heavenly Spring Pavilion.


    Yang Yu nced at the still fierce battle between Yan Yuyan and Tu Lian.


    He spoke up.


    "Tu Lian, cease your attack; this fight is over."


    Although Yang Yu''s voice was not loud, Tu Lian and Yan Yuyan, who were tens of miles away,


    heard him clearly.


    Instantly, both of them halted their attacks.


    They exchanged dissatisfied nces before turning to leave.


    Yang Yu''s figure suddenly vanished from the spot, leaving no trace.


    After returning to the flying ship, Song Wen felt a significant release of pressure in his heart.


    The other three on the ship also felt a weight lifted off their shoulders.


    The pressure brought by the Nascent Soul cultivators was truly unbearable.


    Without needing any prompting, Feng Qi immediately activated the flying ship to distance


    themselves from the Hehuan Heavenly Spring Pavilion. He warned himself in his heart that he could never step into that building again, especially knowing that a Nascent Soul cultivator


    was hiding inside-it was truly terrifying.


    As for Song Wen, he still felt apprehensive.


    He had the nagging feeling that Lan Chen had recognized him.


    Not to mention the Hehuan Heavenly Spring Pavilion, he had no intention of setting foot in


    East Huafang Market until he could be certain that Lan Chen had left.


    After Song Wen and the others left, Ji Ruxue flew outside the square to find her master, Yan


    Yuyan.


    "Greetings, Master."


    Yan Yuyan nodded. "You have been undercover in East Huafang Market for ten years; it has


    been hard on you."


    "Doing things for my master, I never feel it''s arduous or unfair."


    Yan Yuyan asked, "How is the investigation into the Lei family going?"


    "Reporting to Master, after the Lei family''s Nascent Soul ancestor was heavily injured, they


    have been much more low-key. Apart from normal business dealings, they rarely make any other moves; there isn''t much I can investigate."


    "However, I found out that after the battle between good and evil concluded, Lei Jun returned


    to the Lei family and has been seen multiple times in East Huafang Market. It seems he is


    investigating the death of his son, Lei Tianyu."


    "Lei Jun''s son died?" Yan Yuyan asked.


    "Yes, Lei Tianyu had decent cultivation talent and excellent lightningw talent. His death


    has certainly enraged Lei Jun."


    "Recently, there have been rumors of Corpse Demon Sect cultivators appearing near East


    Huafang Market. The Lei family has been inquiring about the information on Corpse Demon Sect cultivators, and Lei Jun''s visits to East Huafang Market have noticeably increased."


    "I suspect that Lei Tianyu''s death is rted to the corpse path demon cultivators."


    After listening to Ji Ruxue''s ount, Yan Yuyan pondered.


    "Perhaps we can use this matter to draw out Lei Jun."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 298: Divine Beast?

    Chapter 298: Divine Beast?


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    As soon as Song Wen and Liu Jiang arrived at the Serpent Cave, they encountered Zhou Siyi.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I heard you went to catch the culprit. Did you catch them? Why didn''t you invite me to join such an interesting event?"


    Zhou Siyi''s face showed a hint of disappointment and resentment, as if she had missed a tremendous opportunity.


    Song Wen and Liu Jiang exchanged nces, both still showing signs of lingering fear.


    "What''s wrong with you two? Why aren''t you speaking? Tell me how it went. Did you manage to detain the real culprit in the Law Enforcement Hall?"


    "Senior Sister Zhou, it''s better if you don''t ask. There was an unexpected incident, and it''s inconvenient to disclose. The incident regarding the ughter of the disciples from Spirit Beast Breeding Workshop will not be pursued further."


    Zhou Siyi stared with wide eyes, clearly puzzled.


    "Are we just going to let it go without catching the real culprit? Isn''t that damaging to the sect''s prestige? Moreover, the loss to the Jade Green Snake is serious; it will definitely affect future cultivation of the human-snake hybrid."


    Liu Jiang interjected.


    "Elder Zhou, let''s put this matter to rest. Don''t bring it up again. As for the loss of the Jade Green Snake, I n to request from the Peak Master a batch from Spirit Beast Peak; I''ll also select some clever outer disciples from Pill Peak to cultivate Jade Green Snakes in this valley. I believe it won''t be long before we can restore their numbers."


    Seeing that Song Wen and Liu Jiang were unwilling to discuss the process of capturing the culprit, Zhou Siyi tactfully chose not to pursue the matter further.


    After Liu Jiang left, Zhou Siyi spoke to Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu,st time you mentioned wanting to see the sect''s divine beast; I''ve already arranged it. Tomorrow at noon, you can apany me to sui Mountain."


    Sui Mountain is a forbidden area within the Beast Cultivation Sect, located deep within the sect. Surrounding it for ten miles, there are no other peaks, as if it had been forcibly uprooted by some great power.


    Sui Mountain is shrouded in a thick mist year-round, withyers of formations blocking ess, obscuring the view of what lies atop the mountain.


    ...


    The next day.


    Under Zhou Siyi''s guidance, Song Wen boarded arge flying ship.


    This flying ship belongs to Spirit Beast Peak and is nearly fifty meters long.


    There weren''t many cultivators on the ship, only a dozen or so. Apart from one Foundation Establishment cultivator, the others were allte-stage Qi Refining cultivators.


    As soon as they boarded the ship, Song Wen keenly noticed that there were over a thousand mortals imprisoned in the cabin.


    Surrounding this ship, there were a total of ten simr vessels.


    "Junior Sister, you''ve arrived."


    A tall, handsome man approached.


    "Senior Brother Liu."


    Zhou Siyi appeared to be very familiar with this ''Senior Brother Liu.''


    Her face lit up with joy as she called out in a cheerful voice.


    Senior Brother Liu nodded, looking at Zhou Siyi with a hint of affection in his eyes.


    He then turned to look at Song Wen, who was behind Zhou Siyi.


    "This must be Elder Wu, right?"


    Song Wen sped his hands and said, "Elder Wu greets Senior Brother Liu."


    On the way here, Zhou Siyi had introduced this Senior Brother Liu to Song Wen.


    Senior Brother Liu''s full name is Liu Leyi, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and the only disciple of Zhou Xuelin.


    He is over a decade older than Zhou Siyi and has practically watched her grow up alongside Zhou Xuelin.


    This makes their rtionship extremely close, almost like siblings.


    After some pleasantries, Liu Leyi led Song Wen and Zhou Siyi to a corner of the deck and spoke softly.


    "I''m in charge of this ship. While it''s fine for you to observe the sect''s divine beast, you must follow my arrangements. You two cannot leave the ship; you can only observe from aboard. No matter what you see, you mustn''t shout or intervene."


    "Remember, once you enter the formation range of Sui Mountain, retract your spiritual senses. You absolutely cannot use your spiritual senses to perceive the divine beast; otherwise, it may cause a disturbance."


    Zhou Siyi said, "Senior Brother Liu, don''t worry. We won''t cause you any trouble."


    Song Wen also nodded, indicating that he would follow the arrangements.


    The flying ship continued on its course, and soon a thick mist appeared ahead.


    The ten ships formed a long line, driving straight into the mist.


    As they passed through the fog, a towering mountain thousands of meters high came into


    view.


    The mountain was bare, with dark brown and ck rocks exposed to the elements.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At the peak of the mountain, there was a massive deep hole leading to the ground, with an


    opening over ten zhang wide, pitch ck inside as if any light that entered would be swallowed up.


    Surrounding the mountain were eighteen caves, each about three zhang in size, all equally


    dark inside.


    The flying ship that Song Wen was on was positioned at the end of the line of ten ships,


    quietly hovering in mid-air.


    In front, on the first ship, ate-stage Qi Refining female cultivator pulled on a chain and flew


    out of the ship.


    The chain was tied to a group of young men and women from the mundane world.


    All these people wore expressions of panic and fear; some cried loudly, some cursed loudly, while many were so frightened that their eyes zed over, resembling soulless corpses.


    The female cultivator had a number of people bound to her chain.


    She rose to hover above Sui Mountain, then threw the chain, along with the people, into the


    deep hole at the peak.


    Suddenly, the entire Sui Mountain began to tremble violently, and countless stones rolled


    down the mountainside.


    It was as if some huge monster, lying dormant at the mountain''s base, had been awakened.


    A massive flesh pir, ten zhang thick, rose from the deep hole.


    At the top of the flesh pir, a slit opened.


    The people, along with the chain, fell into the opening.


    "Glorp!"


    A sound of swallowing echoed.


    "Quick, hurry up and send the blood food to the divine beast!"


    On the first ship, someone shouted loudly.


    Cultivators began to rise one after another, each holding a chain that bound a mortal.


    Over a thousand mortals were quickly tossed into the opening of the flesh pir.


    Then, the cultivators on the second ship began to act, continuing to throw down blood food.


    Watching this scene, Song Wen was filled with disbelief.


    He had originally thought that the protective divine beast of the Beast Cultivation Sect would


    be some majestic spirit beast or perhaps a powerful demon beast.


    In any case, it would be something that inspired fear and awe.


    But what he was witnessing now was merely a flesh pir, and there were signs of rot and


    decay on it.


    This thing didn''t remotely uphold the title of ''protective divine beast.''


    It resembled some low-level spirit without intelligence, acting purely on instinct.


    Zhou Siyi also looked at the flesh pir that was feeding with disappointment.


    In her eyes, there was even a hint of disdain.


    Clearly, this was far from the protective divine beast she had envisioned.


    Perhaps noticing the confusion in Song Wen and Zhou Siyi''s eyes, Liu Leyi quietly exined.


    "The protective divine beast is called Blood Sui; this flesh pir is merely its feeding organ.


    Its true body is hidden beneath Sui Mountain. Perhaps only the three elders in the sect know


    what it truly looks like."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 299: Blood Sui Attacks!

    Chapter 299: Blood Sui Attacks!


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Those people, what are they doing?"


    Song Wen noticed that at the foot of Sui Mountain, there was arge pit several tens of zhang in size.


    In the pit, numerous chunks of ckened meat were scattered around.


    The pieces varied in size, some asrge as several meters, while others were as small as a bowl.


    The chunks emitted a strong stench of blood and rotting flesh.


    There were sixte-stage Qi Refining disciples of the Beast Cultivation Sect, each with a jade box about a zhang tall in front of them.


    They were using knives to cut the rotten meat chunks and then cing them into the jade boxes.


    Perhaps fearing to disturb Blood Sui, the six did not dare to use any spiritual power and instead relied solely on their physical strength to work.


    Liu Leyi nced in the direction of the meat pit and exined, "Those meat chunks are the rotting flesh expelled from Blood Sui. They contain a hint of Blood Sui''s spirit and are excellent food for spirit beasts. The meat balls you mentioned for raising the human-snake hybrids are made from this rotting flesh mixed with some spiritual herbs."


    Hearing this, Song Wen''s eyes lit up.


    He suddenly felt a strong craving within himing from the Sacred Gu.


    The Sacred Gu was intensely interested in the rotting flesh expelled by Blood Sui.


    In front of everyone, Song Wen didn''t dare to release the Sacred Gu; he calmed it down and continued watching the flesh pir feed.


    Soon it was time for Liu Leyi''s ship to feed.


    The tente-stage Qi Refining cultivators under him dragged over a thousand mortals bound by chains and flew toward the peak of Sui Mountain.


    Amid the terrified pleas of the mortals, they were thrown into the flesh pir at the center of the mountain.


    In this way, all the tens of thousands of mortals from the ten ships had been fed to Blood Sui.


    When thest group of mortal blood food was swallowed by Blood Sui, the tente-stage Qi Refining cultivators preparing to return to their ships suddenly felt a powerful pressure erupting from Sui Mountain.


    This pressure was violent and vast, like the weight of Mount Tai pressing down on them.


    The first affected were the tente-stage Qi Refining cultivators who had been feeding Blood Sui.


    "Pfft..."


    The ten cultivators all spat out blood on the spot.


    Their flight techniques were instantly disrupted, and they plummeted rapidly from the sky.


    The entire Sui Mountain began to tremble violently.


    The eighteen caves on the mountain began to blow out strong winds as if something was rapidly drilling in from within, forcibly expelling the air in the caves.


    In an instant.


    Eighteen tentacles, each nearly four zhang thick, shot out from these caves.


    The tentacles extended and grew longer, wrapping around the tente-stage Qi Refining cultivators, then lightly tossing them toward the flesh pir at the mountain''s peak.


    Next in line to be fed upon were the six Qi Refining cultivators collecting the rotting flesh at the foot of the mountain.


    Then the tentacles turned toward the ships.


    On the ships, defensive formations began to light up.


    The three-tier defensive formations that could block the attacks of Golden Core cultivators were instantly shredded like paper before the tentacles.


    Even therge ship was crushed along with it, and the cultivators on board rushed to escape.


    However, aside from one Foundation Establishment cultivator on each ship, who managed to fly away on a sword, all the other cultivators could only watch helplessly as they plummeted toward the ground.


    Before they could reach the ground, most were captured by the tentacles and thrown into Blood Sui''s mouth.


    The ship that Song Wen was on was at the end of the line; the tentacles first attacked the ships ahead, giving them a brief moment to escape.


    "Follow me!" Liu Leyi shouted sternly.


    As he spoke, he flew up on his sword, charging back toward the mist.


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyu followed closely behind, also taking to the air on their swords.


    As Song Wen stepped onto his flying sword, his body suddenly swayed.


    The oppressive force from Blood Sui was truly overwhelming; even at a distance, and although it wasn''t directed at Song Wen, it significantly reduced his speed.


    Moreover, he had to expend ten times the usual amount of spiritual power just to maintain his


    flight.


    Zhou Siyu, with only initial-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation and having never experienced a life-or-death crisis, felt her mind in disarray facing Blood Sui''s pressure, making it nearly impossible for her to fly on her sword.


    However, she had a spirit beast to assist her.


    She summoned ate-stage second-tier eagle and rode on its back.


    Just as Song Wen and the others left the ship, a tentacle reached out, gently wrapping around


    the ship and tearing it apart.


    On the ship, severalte-stage Qi Refining cultivators who didn''t manage to escape were snatched up one by one by the tentacle and thrown into Blood Sui''s mouth.


    The deaths of these Qi Refining cultivators bought precious time for Song Wen and hispanions to escape, and they quickly arrived at the edge of the mist.


    Along with them escaping the pursuit of the tentacles were several Foundation Establishment


    cultivators.


    The eight of them all disappeared into the mist.


    As soon as they entered the mist, Song Wen felt a lightness in his body.


    The oppressive force of Blood Sui vanished.


    Racing on his sword, Song Wen turned back to nce.


    The gigantic tentacles of Blood Sui gradually became obscured by the mist, slowly turning


    more and more blurry.


    The tentacles did not reach into the mist.


    Looking around, he saw the other seven were hurriedly fleeing.


    Song Wen slowed down his escape light, quietly dropping to the back, and two Sacred Gus fell


    from the nape of his neck.


    This mist was created by an array formation, which had the effect of obscuring vision and


    shielding spiritual senses, and since the Sacred Gus excelled at hiding their presence, no one noticed Song Wen''s small movements amid their panic to escape.


    Soon, the eight of them prated the mist and came outside the array formation


    surrounding Sui Mountain.


    The group stopped their flight ten zhang outside the array, still feeling lingering fear as they


    looked back toward Sui Mountain.


    "What just happened? Why did Blood Sui suddenly go berserk and actively hunt?" Zhou Siyu


    asked with a somewhat pale face.


    Liu Leyi shook his head; he didn''t know either.


    At that moment, an elderly-looking cultivator took the initiative to exin.


    "It should be that Blood Sui is about to give birth to a Blood Kui Beast."


    "Blood Sui awakens every twenty years and continues to feed for thirty days before fallingn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    back into a deep sleep."


    "However, roughly every hundred years, Blood Sui will breed a Blood Kui Beast. During these times, Blood Sui''s appetite greatly increases."


    "This time, Blood Sui has been awake for four days, and it has been fed the usual amount each


    day; it must have been insufficient blood food, making Blood Sui feel hungry, which led to it


    attacking."


    Everyone''s expression turned astonished upon hearing this.


    "The Blood Kui Beast is a descendant of Blood Sui?"


    The old cultivator replied, "It can''t exactly be called a descendant. It would be more urate


    to say that the Blood Kui Beast is a type of spirit residing within Blood Sui. The Blood Kui


    Beast helps Blood Sui cleanse the rotten flesh within its body, while the rotting flesh can help


    the Blood Kui Beast increase its strength."


    "Why does the flesh of Blood Sui naturally rot?" Zhou Siyu curiously asked.


    The old cultivator shook his head.


    "That no one knows. ording to legends, over a thousand years ago, there was an Elder who


    was nearing the end of his lifespan. Perhaps in search of a breakthrough or to satisfy his curiosity, he willingly allowed himself to be devoured by Blood Sui and entered its body."


    "After being trapped inside Blood Sui for an entire day, the next day, when Blood Sui was feeding, he followed the esophagus and managed to escape from Blood Sui''s body."


    "However, he was gravely injured and passed away not long after."


    "ording to this Elder, within Blood Sui''s body, there were numerous Blood Kui Beasts that


    could survive for a long time by feeding on Blood Sui''s rotting flesh."


    "It was after that incident that the sect became aware of the existence of the Blood Kui Beasts


    and sought ways to lure them out from Blood Sui''s body to capture them."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 300: Luring the Blood Kui Beast

    Chapter 300: Luring the Blood Kui Beast


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "The Blood Kui Beast can survive within Blood Sui''s body, so can someone wearing the Blood Kui Armor also move freely inside Blood Sui?"


    Liu Leyi raised a question that everyone was curious about.


    "To my knowledge, that''s not possible. There was once a Golden Core elder who wore the Blood Kui Armor and entered Blood Sui''s body but never came out again," the old cultivator replied.


    Liu Leyi cupped his hands in respect, admiration evident on his face.


    "Brother Wang, your information is trulyprehensive, even about such secretive matters."


    The elder known as Brother Wang smiled wryly in response.


    "I''ve just lived a little longer than you and experienced more, that''s all. I know these things because, a hundred years ago, I also visited Sui Mountain and fed Blood Sui."


    "At that time, I had just advanced to Foundation Establishment and managed to escape with my life from the ravenous Blood Sui."


    Just then, two figures flew in from within the Beastmaster Sect.


    They moved at high speed and quickly reached the group.


    The neers were Zhou Xuelin and an elderly man with white hair.


    "Greetings, Peak Master Teng."


    "Greetings, Vice Peak Master Zhou."


    Everyone bowed in unison.


    Song Wen also followed the others in greeting.


    At that moment, he realized the identity of the white-haired elder.


    The peak master of the Spirit Beast Peak, Teng Jingshan.


    Seeing Zhou Siyu and Song Wen here, Zhou Xuelin nced at the two but didn''t say anything to them.


    He turned to Liu Leyi.


    "Leyi, how is the situation with Blood Sui?"


    Liu Leyi stood respectfully and recounted how Blood Sui had gone mad, destroyed ten flying ships, and devoured disciples of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuelin and Teng Jingshan exchanged nces and nodded before flying toward Sui Mountain.


    Once the two entered the array''s mist, Song Wen quietly asked, "What are the two peak masters nning to do?"


    Brother Wang replied, "They''re likely going to lure the Blood Kui Beast. Golden Core cultivators can control the Blood Kui Beast and sign a soul contract with it, significantly enhancing their power. As long as Blood Sui no longer has the Blood Kui Beast, the rotten flesh generated in its body will be forcefully expelled, providing excellent spirit material to feed spirit beasts."


    "Luring the Blood Kui Beast! Aren''t they afraid of Blood Sui?" Song Wen asked in surprise.


    "The two peak masters are certainly well prepared. As long as they feed Blood Sui until it''s satisfied, it won''t attack anymore," Brother Wang exined.


    "I have another question, please enlighten me, Brother Wang. Why does feeding Blood Sui require living humans as blood food? Can''t demon beasts or corpses work?" Song Wen asked.


    "I don''t know the reason for that either. But every time Blood Sui awakens, it only consumes living people. It''s said that Blood Sui doesn''t eat demon beasts, nor does it consume precious herbs or treasures; it only feeds on fresh humans," Brother Wang replied.


    "But the two peak masters entered the formation empty-handed without bringing any living humans," Song Wen pointed out.


    "The amount of blood food needed for Blood Sui to breed the Blood Kui Beast is enormous. Feeding it one living person at a time would be too troublesome; the two peak masters must have other preparations in mind," Brother Wang spected.


    ...


    Inside the Sui Mountain formation.


    As Teng Jingshan and Zhou Xuelin stepped into the formation, they raised their hands and


    waved.


    A massive quantity of chopped-up meat pieces and jade bottles filled with essence blood appeared in mid-air.


    The sheer amount was enough to blot out the sky.


    The entire area above Sui Mountain was covered in meat pieces and jade bottles.


    These blood offerings continuously fell into the mouth of Blood Sui at the center of Sui Mountain.


    With ample blood food, the tentacles of Blood Sui gradually calmed down.


    Watching Blood Sui devour, Zhou Xuelin said, "The flesh and essence blood obtained from


    the Corpse Demon Sect is quite good, although it costs more spirit stones. It would be cheaper to use ordinary people; as long as there''s a flying ship, a Qi Refinement disciple can easily capture arge number of them."


    Teng Jingshan replied, "There''s really no other way. Although using ordinary people is indeed cheaper, the demand is extremely high. The sect has difficulty dispatching enough flying ships, and flying ships also consume spirit stones."


    Zhou Xuelin continued, "Only the essence blood refined by the Corpse Demon Sect can satisfy


    Blood Sui. I wonder what the difference is between the essence blood produced by the Corpse Demon Sect and that made by other cultivators. Even we Golden Core cultivators, including the three Supreme Elders, can''t tell the difference."


    As all the blood food in the air was swallowed by Blood Sui, its tentacles slowly retracted, returning to a state of calm.


    "Let''s go; it''s time to prepare to capture the Blood Kui Beast."


    The two descended andnded at the edge of the rotten flesh pit at the foot of Sui Mountain.


    They each took out a massive jade box about several meters long and, just like the previous Qi Refinement cultivator, relied on their physical strength to pick up chunks of rotten meat and ce them into the jade boxes.


    About a quarter of an hourter, all the rotten meat in the pit was collected by the two.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A deep pit about one meter wide appeared in the center of the meat pit.


    This deep pit connected to Blood Sui''s channel and was a ce of great sensitivity for Blood


    Sui; even the slightest mistake could provoke it.


    This was why they were so cautious when collecting the rotten meat, not daring to use any


    spirit power.


    Teng Jingshan produced seven meatballs, each about one meter in size, exuding a rich aroma.


    He ced one meatball beside the deep pit while the others were arranged three miles away.


    Using the central meatball, he set up a demon trapping formation.


    Afterward, he and Zhou Xuelin retreated several miles to the edge of the formation, found a


    small mound to hide behind, and waited quietly.


    The meatballs were sprinkled with a third-level Demon Luring Powder.


    The Blood Kui Beast would smell the Demon Luring Powder ande out from Blood Sui''s


    channel to consume the meatballs.


    Just then, Teng Jingshan frowned and quietly asked, "Did something just fall into the


    channel?"


    Fearing to disturb the Blood Kui Beast and prevent it from daring toe out of Blood Sui, Teng Jingshan and Zhou Xuelin had withdrawn their spirit sense after setting up the trapping formation and were observing their surroundings solely with their eyes.


    With their Golden Core cultivation, their senses far exceeded that of ordinary people. Even ten miles away, they could see the movements around the channel clearly.


    Just a moment ago, Teng Jingshan had noticed two tiny ck dots fall into the deep pit of the


    channel.


    "It looks like two small insects," Zhou Xuelin replied uncertainly.


    "How could there possibly be insects here?"


    The area of Sui Mountain''s formation was usually shrouded in the oppressive aura of Blood


    Sui. Not to mention insects, even ordinary demon beasts found it difficult to survive here for


    long.


    After Song Wen exited therge formation, he lost contact with the two Sacred Gu left inside


    the formation, making it impossible for him to know their condition.


    He and the other seven waited outside the formation for a moment. When they saw that Zhou


    Xuelin and Teng Jingshan hadn''te out, they parted ways and returned to their respective


    peaks.


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyi returned to the Serpent Cave together.


    Since taking charge of the Serpent Cave, Song Wen had made it a point to inspect the ce


    every day whenever he had free time.


    After confirming that everything was normal in the Serpent Cave, Song Wen returned to his


    own cave dwelling.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 301: Zhou Siyi’s Request

    Chapter 301: Zhou Siyi��s Request


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In order to obtain more corpse path spiritual materials, Song Wen captured four more second-tier human snakes.


    At this point, he had a total of seven second-tier human snakes in his possession.


    Most of the second-tier human snakes in the Serpent Cave were now under his control.


    To distinguish them conveniently, he assigned numbers to the human snakes.


    The first human snake was the one that had already merged its essence energy.


    A few days ago, Song Wen performed another corpse refining on it.


    The first human snake had undergone corpse refining eleven times.


    The other human snakes had undergone corpse refining one to two times each.


    To outsiders, each corpse refining session took about three to four days.


    Additionally, after each corpse refining, the recovery time for the human snakes was roughly between twenty days to a month.


    This led outsiders to mistakenly believe that Song Wen was almost refining the human snake corpses non-stop.


    In reality, the time Song Wen needed for each corpse refining session was about one day.


    Most of his time was still spent following his cultivation habits, refining and consuming blood spirit pills to enhance his cultivation.


    At the same time, he didn''t neglect his practice of alchemy.


    Whenever he had free time, he would also try to refine new second-tier pills.


    Seven dayster.


    Song Wen encountered Zhou Siyi in the Serpent Cave.


    "Junior Brother Wu, something has happened at Sui Mountain."


    "What could happen at Sui Mountain? That ce is located deep within the sect. Could Blood Sui have undergone a mutation?" Song Wen asked curiously.


    His two Sacred Gu were still in the Sui Mountain formation, and hearing Zhou Siyi mention


    Sui Mountain, Song Wen was eager to know the situation there.


    "My father and Teng Jingshan tried to capture the Blood Kui Beast, but they failed."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "How could they fail? Haven''t they sessfully captured over a dozen Blood Kui Beasts in the past thousand years? How could this time be a failure?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "My father said they didn''t even see the Blood Kui Beast''s face."


    "They used arge amount of blood food to feed Blood Sui, after which Blood Sui fell into a deep sleep. They thought this was a sign of Blood Sui nurturing the Blood Kui Beast."


    "However, what they didn''t anticipate was that they waited in the formation for a full five days. By then, Blood Sui had awakened again but still showed no sign of the Blood Kui Beast."


    "The Blood Kui Beast is extremely important to the sect; failing to capture it has left my father and Teng Jingshan very frustrated."


    Song Wen said, "Isn''t it true that the sect has captured over a dozen Blood Kui Beasts before? Losing one shouldn''t have a significant impact, right?"


    Zhou Siyi responded, "These dozens or so Blood Kui Beasts were captured over the past thousand years. The Blood Kui Beast can die; currently, there are only three surviving in the


    sect."


    "I see." Song Wen acknowledged.


    After a moment of silence, he continued to ask, "Since Blood Sui has awakened again, does it still need to continue feeding?"


    "Of course, it does. Moreover, because it is nurturing the Blood Kui Beast, Blood Sui''s appetite has increased."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen nodded and ceased further questioning.


    Since Blood Sui needed to be fed continuously, there would be arge number of flying shipsing and going every day, providing the Sacred Gu with an opportunity to escape the formation.


    ---


    Two dayster.


    As Song Wen had anticipated, the two Sacred Gu crawled into his cave dwelling.


    The state of the Sacred Gu was quite strange; their strength had slightly increased, and they appeared to be stuffed, even struggling to fly.


    The two bugs crawled all the way to the cave.


    They also emitted a peculiar aura; this aura was very faint, containing a sense of ethereal grandeur as well as a chaotic and corrupted evil sensation.


    "What exactly did the Sacred Gu consume inside Blood Sui that endowed them with this strange aura?"


    "What kind of being is Blood Sui? Why does it have this peculiar aura, and why must it consume the blood and flesh of living people to survive?"


    Song Wen had many questions in his heart, but as long as the Sacred Gu returned alive, it was ultimately a good thing.


    He stored the Sacred Gu away and continued his closed-door cultivation.


    ...


    "Junior Brother Wu, are you there?"


    A few dayster, while Song Wen was cultivating, he suddenly heard Zhou Siyi''s voice outside


    the cave.


    Song Wen ended his practice, stood up, and opened the cave''s restrictions.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, is there something you need from me?"


    Zhou Siyi looked disheartened, her face filled with anger.


    "I failed again at refining the human snake corpse. I had sessfully done it five times before, and if I seeded this time, it should have shown initial signs of the fusion of corpse


    energy and life energy. But unexpectedly... sigh."


    After a long sigh, she continued.


    "What''s more frustrating is that the human snake was eroded by corpse energy and died. All


    my previous efforts went to waste, a total loss."


    "I chose a human snake corpse at the eighth level of Qi Refinement, which should have been


    easier to refine than a second-tier human snake. It seems I really have no talent for corpse


    refining."


    Seeing Zhou Siyi wallowing in self-pity, Song Wen could only speak up tofort her with a


    few kind words.


    After a moment, Song Wen shifted the topic and asked.


    "Senior Sister, have youe to see me for something else in the past few days?"


    Zhou Siyi reined in her emotions and spoke.


    "Based on my analysis, the reason I have been failing in corpse refining repeatedly is


    primarily due to myck of understanding of the corpse refining techniques. I have only seen the set of corpse refining secret techniques in the Serpent Cave."


    "Perhaps if I observe a few more corpse refining techniques and learn from various sources, I


    could quickly improve my skills in corpse refining."


    "I''ve heard that not far from East Huafang Market, there''s a ghost market that sells various


    magical secret techniques. I want to go take a look."


    Song Wen asked, "Are you referring to the ''Mountain Stream Ghost Market''?"


    TL: Previously simply tranted as Ghost Market in chapter 154.


    "Yeah, that''s it! Have you been there?" Zhou Siyi''s face suddenly brightened with surprise.


    "Junior Brother Wu, could you take me there? I''m worried I won''t be able to enter without a guide."


    Song Wen shook his head.


    "I''ve never been there; I''ve just heard people mention it. It is said that the Mountain Stream


    Ghost Market is a chaotic ce where snakes and dragons mix. Senior Sister, it''s better not to


    venture there lightly."


    Hearing that Song Wen hadn''t been there either, Zhou Siyi looked a bit disappointed.


    Then, with wide eyes full of anticipation, she looked at Song Wen.


    "Junior Brother Wu, can you apany me? I''m a bit scared to go alone."


    Having recently encountered Lan Chen in East Huafang Market, Song Wen was reluctant to easily leave the Beastmaster Sect.


    After pondering for a moment, he found a suitable reason to refuse.


    "Sorry, Senior Sister. I need to manage the Serpent Cave and have seven human-snakes to


    refine; I really can''t spare the time. You should find someone else to go with you."


    Zhou Siyi''s face fell.


    "But within the sect, the only friends I trust are you and Senior Brother Liu. Senior Brother Liu


    is out capturing living blood food for Blood Sui. I can only seek your help."


    Looking at Zhou Siyi''s pitiful expression, Song Wen sighed deeply.


    "Senior Sister, thank you for your trust, but it''s truly inconvenient for me to go out."


    "If you just want to buy some corpse techniques in the ck market, you don''t necessarily


    have to go in person."


    "There are bound to be Foundation Establishment cultivators within the sect who have


    dealings with people from the ck market."


    "You could ask around at the Alchemy Peak and Spirit Beast Peak to have them purchase the


    secret techniques for you."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 302: Kind Father

    Chapter 302: Kind Father


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Hearing that Song Wen was unwilling to go to the ck market, Zhou Siyi was extremely disappointed.


    "Since Junior Brother Wu can''t conveniently go to the ck market, I won''t disturb you. I will consider your suggestions," she said.


    After finishing her words, Zhou Siyi flew away on her sword.


    Song Wen turned and returned to the cave, continuing his cultivation.


    He didn''t think much about what had just happened.


    Unbeknownst to him, as Zhou Siyi flew on her sword, her expression gradually became extremelyplicated.


    Filled with worry, it was mixed with tension and fear.


    Momentster, she arrived at a cave located at the top of Spirit Beast Peak.


    She took out a token, circted her spiritual energy to activate it, and easily passed through the cave''s entrance restrictions, entering the cave.


    The cave was vast, nearly ten acres in size.


    Inside the cave, it was adorned luxuriously.


    The ground was paved with square pieces of first-tier spiritual material, jade stone.


    The four walls were decorated with dragons and phoenixes, carved with various rare and exotic beasts.


    On the ceiling, eighty-one glowing pearls were embedded.


    Each pearl was the size of a human head, made of second-tier spiritual material, Night Radiance Stone.


    Other items in the cave, such as beds, couches, low tables, and chairs, were also made from various spiritual ores or spiritual wood.


    In the center of the cave, Zhou Xuelin was sitting with closed eyes, cultivating.


    When Zhou Siyi entered the cave, Zhou Xuelin showed no reaction, not even lifting his eyelids.


    As she approached her father, there was no joy on Zhou Siyi''s face at seeing him; instead, the fear deepened.


    "Father, I failed in my task and couldn''t persuade Wu Sheng to leave the sect."


    Zhou Xuelin''s eyes suddenly opened wide, a cold gleam shing in them, his voice as frigid as frost.


    "Useless trash! I''ve raised you for over twenty years, and you can''t even handle this small matter."


    Zhou Siyi trembled as she spoke.


    "I don''t know why, but Wu Sheng adamantly refused to leave the sect. I tried everything to persuade him, but he wouldn''t step out of the sect."


    "Hmph!"


    Zhou Xuelin snorted coldly.


    "Being ipetent means you''re ipetent; don''t dare to make excuses."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his right hand and struck out with a palm.


    A gust of energy materialized out of thin air.


    "p!"


    The energy struck Zhou Siyi''s face hard.


    She was sent flying.


    Her left cheek immediately swelled up, a bright red palm print appearing.


    Zhou Siyi fell to the ground, a trickle of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.


    Feeling the fiery pain on her face, a wave of grievance surged in her heart, and tears filled her


    eyes in an instant.


    Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground.


    Seeing his daughter crying, Zhou Xuelin''s anger grew even more.


    He stood up, his face filled with fury, his eyes zing with rage.


    "A couple of days ago, didn''t you say you had gained Wu Sheng''s trust? You wanted him to apany you to the ghost market, and he wouldn''t even agree to that. Is this what you call


    trust?"


    "Crying! Besides crying, what else can you do, you useless thing?"


    "Just like your bitch of a mother-good for nothing, always causing trouble. You can''t even


    handle a small matter."


    "What use do you have?"


    "After your mother betrayed me, I should have fed you to the monsters."


    Zhou Xuelin roared in fury.


    In a fit of rage, he raised his hand again and pped Zhou Siyi.


    This time, itnded on her right cheek.


    Instantly, the formerly beautiful young girl''s cheeks were swollen and her face was


    disfigured.


    Zhou Siyi fell to the ground, curling up, her body trembling uncontrobly.


    She not onlycked the courage to resist but even the courage to cry out.


    She could only silently shed tears, quietly enduring.


    From childhood to now, she had suffered this kind of beating countless times.


    However, Zhou Xuelin showed no signs of stopping.


    His face was filled with violent rage, as if he had endless pent-up frustrations that needed to


    be released.


    Recently, Zhou Xuelin felt that everything was going wrong.


    First, the Alchemy sessfully fused the Mystic Qi, but on Spirit Beast Peak, there was no


    progress at all.


    Then, the once-in-a-century operation to capture the Blood Kui Beast also failed.


    He had prepared everything, and after sessfully capturing it, the Blood Kui Beast would


    belong to him.


    What he had thought was a sure thing turned out to be a wasted effort.


    Zhou Xuelin walked up to Zhou Siyi, lifted his foot, and kicked towards her lying on the


    ground.


    Just then, a voice came from outside the door-it was Teng Jingshan, the master of Spirit


    Beast Peak.


    "Vice Peak Master Zhou, I have urgent matters to discuss with you."


    Hearing this, Zhou Xuelin''s foot, which was about to kick Zhou Siyi''s chest, abruptly stopped.


    He stared at Zhou Siyi, who was curled up on the ground, with an indifferent expression.


    "Can''t you get up? You need to heal the wounds on your face and put on a pitiful look for whom?"


    After saying this, Zhou Xuelin turned and walked towards the cave entrance, his face breaking


    into a warm smile.


    Zhou Siyi, who had expected another beating, sat up, looked at her father walking toward the


    cave door, then lowered her head, took out a pill, and swallowed it.


    She circted her spiritual energy to refine the pill.


    In an instant, her swollen face returned to normal.


    The sorrowful expression on her face also faded away, making it impossible to see any signs


    of distress.


    The entire process was seamless, as if she had done it countless times before.


    "Peak Master Teng, it''s rare for you to visit my cave today. Pleasee in."


    Zhou Xuelin opened the cave''s restrictions and warmly invited Teng Jingshan inside.


    Teng Jingshan entered the cave as instructed.


    As he saw Zhou Siyi in the cave, he eximed, "Oh! My niece Siyi is also here. Didn''t you go to


    the Alchemy peak''s Serpent Cave today?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "I haven''t seen my father for many days and miss him a lot, so I came to see


    him."


    Teng Jingshan looked at Zhou Siyi, who appeared obedient, then turned to Zhou Xuelin with


    an envious expression.


    "Master Zhou, you have such a well-behaved and understanding daughter; it''s truly


    enviable."


    Zhou Xuelin waved his hand, feigning modesty. "Peak Master Teng, you tter me. This child has been spoiled by me,cking proper etiquette, so please don''t hold it against her."


    Then, he assumed the posture of a stern father and said to Zhou Siyi, "Why aren''t you quickly


    making tea for Peak Master Teng? It''s not often that hees to my cave; we can''t neglect him."


    Under Zhou Xuelin''s guidance, Teng Jingshan took a seat.


    As he watched Zhou Siyi busy making tea, Teng Jingshan remarked with some sentiment,


    "Back then, after you and your partner separated, leaving behind such a young daughter, you raised her alone. In the blink of an eye, over twenty years have passed, and my niece has


    grown into a youngdy."


    "Our personalities didn''t match. After giving birth to her, her mother left," Zhou Xuelin said


    with a sigh.


    Then, he changed the subject and asked, "Peak Master Teng, what is the urgent matter that


    brought you here today?"


    At that moment, Zhou Siyi had just finished preparing the spiritual tea and brought it over.


    She set down the tea set and retreated to the side.


    Teng Jingshan picked up the tea and took a sip. "Good tea."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    After setting down the cup, he continued, "I came today to discuss an important matter."


    Zhou Xuelin understood and waved his hand, forming a spiritual barrier that enveloped the


    two of them.


    Outside the barrier, Zhou Siyi could no longer hear any of their conversation.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 303: The Position of the Sect Master

    Chapter 303: The Position of the Sect Master


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zhou Siyi looked at the two people inside the barrier, talking animatedly, and a wave of sorrow rose in her heart.


    Just now, their conversation had mentioned her mother.


    It made her unable to stop her thoughts from wandering.


    Perhaps, if her mother had taken her away back then, she would be like other girls, innocent and carefree.


    Instead, she now lived a hellish life while having to pretend to be happy and naive every day.


    Zhou Siyi thought to herself.


    Unconsciously, her mind began to imagine what her mother looked like.


    About a cup of teater, Teng Jingshan took his leave and left.


    As soon as Teng Jingshan departed, Zhou Xuelin''s expression became cold again.


    He flipped his palm, and a ck box, about the size of a palm, appeared in his hand.


    "This is the Blood Plunder Feather. When activated with spiritual power, it canunch thirteen razor-sharp des. Each de is coated with a potent poison; even a Foundation Establishment cultivator will die upon contact."


    "You will take the Blood Plunder Feather to Wu Sheng''s cave and eliminate him, along with anyone else in his cave."


    "Since you have a close rtionship with him, he won''t be on guard against you, so it should be easy to seed."


    Zhou Siyi''s face turned pale with terror upon hearing this.


    "With Wu Sheng''s current importance to the sect, if I enter his cave and kill him, I will definitely be exposed. The sect won''t let me off."


    Zhou Xuelin said, "Once you kill him, escape immediately. I''ll find a way to hold off the pursuers."


    Zhou Siyi bent her legs and knelt on the ground, pleading, "Father, I don''t want to die. Please don''t make me kill Wu Sheng. Once he''s dead, the First Supreme will definitely be furious. How can I possibly escape the pursuit of a Nascent Soul cultivator?"


    Zhou Xuelin squatted down, staring directly into his daughter''s eyes.


    "As long as you kill him, I will lift the restrictions I ced on your soul since childhood, and from then on, you will gain the freedom you have always dreamed of."


    A glimmer of hope lit up Zhou Siyi''s eyes, but it was quickly overshadowed by a deep fear.


    "Father, please let me go. I really don''t want to die."


    Zhou Siyi''s eyes turned red, and tears fell like raindrops.


    Zhou Xuelin''s gaze turned fierce as he tightly grasped his daughter''s smooth chin.


    "You will go, whether you want to or not. Just now, Teng Jingshan came to convey a message that the First Supreme has already made a promise. The peak that first captures the human- snake corpse and refines it to the level ofplete spiritual energy will have the next sect master chosen from there."


    "Teng Jingshan doesn''t have much time left; he cannot be the sect master. As long as Spirit Beast Peak can be the first to achieveplete spiritual energy, the next sect master will be me."


    "Now, the only obstacle is Wu Sheng. Once he''s dead, it will be difficult for the others on his peak to achieve the fusion of spiritual energy in a short time. Spirit Beast Peak has many people and resources; we will definitely be able to fulfill the First Supreme''s requirements before they can."


    The term plete spiritual energy" refers to the energy filling the entire physical body.


    Zhou Siyi cried and shook her head. "Father, we can think of a more hidden way to kill Wu Sheng."


    Zhou Xuelin replied coldly, "Wu Sheng is too cautious; he rarely even leaves the sect. The only convenient ce to act is in his cave. Since you have a close rtionship with him, you are the easiest to enter his cave."


    "But..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhou Siyi wanted to say something else, but Zhou Xuelin interrupted her.


    "If you keep resisting, I will activate the Soul Lock curse in your soul, making you wish for death."


    The words "Soul Lock curse" seemed to awaken Zhou Siyi''s deep-seated fear, causing her expression to turn pale with terror.


    "I... I will go... but you must keep your promise. Once Wu Sheng is dead, you must lift the Soul Lock curse."


    Seeing that Zhou Siyi finally agreed to assassinate Wu Sheng, Zhou Xuelin smiled slightly.


    "As long as Wu Sheng dies, the Soul Lock curse will naturally dissipate."


    Zhou Siyi stood up and looked at her father.


    "I hope you keep your word."


    After speaking, she nced around the cave.


    This was the ce where she had grown up.


    But she had no attachment to this ce at all.


    This cave had brought her no happiness, only endless pain.


    This should be thest time she came here in her life.


    No matter the oue, whether life or death, she would never step foot in this cave again.


    Zhou Siyi left the cave without looking back.


    Watching his daughter''s retreating figure, Zhou Xuelin reminded her, "First, return to your own cave, calm your mind, and devise a thorough n. Do not act impulsively."


    Once Zhou Siyi''s figure disappeared into the cave, Zhou Xuelin''s expression turned extremely


    cold.


    "The Soul Lock curse will definitely dissipate, and along with it will go your soul."


    "I''ve raised you for over twenty years, and in the end, you''re just like that bitch of a mother,


    always wanting to leave me. Why does everyone have to betray me?"


    Zhou Xuelin raged like a madman.


    His curses echoed endlessly within the vast cave.


    Two dayster.


    Song Wen was in his cave, refining the human-snake corpse.


    Suddenly, Zhou Siyi''s voice rang out from outside the cave.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I have something to discuss with you. Could you open the cave for a


    moment?"


    Halfway through refining the corpse, Song Wen didn''t want to be disturbed.


    So, he took out amunication jade slip.


    [Senior Sister Zhou, I am in the middle of refining a corpse and can''t go out. If you have urgent


    matters, please send a message through the jade slip.]


    Soon, he received a reply from Zhou Siyi.


    [Junior Brother Wu, I have no urgent matters. You can continue refining the corpse at ease.]


    Song Wen put away themunication jade slip and continued with his work.


    Half a dayter, once he had finished refining the corpse, Song Wen ced the human-snake


    into the serpent pit.


    Through the Sacred Gu he had monitoring the cave, Song Wen learned that Zhou Siyi hadn''t


    left but had been waiting outside the cave.


    Keeping Zhou Siyi waiting outside wasn''t a good idea, so Song Wen had no choice but to open


    the cave''s restrictions and step outside.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, you''ve been waiting here?"


    Song Wen feigned ignorance, acting very surprised.


    "Junior Brother Wu, you finally came out," Zhou Siyi said with a joyful expression.


    "What important matter do you have for me?" Song Wen asked.


    "It''s nothing too important; my corpse-refining skills haven''t improved much, so I thought I


    could observe you while you refine corpses. I wonder if Junior Brother Wu would agree?"


    Song Wen, without suspicion, readily agreed.


    "If Senior Sister Zhou wants to observe the corpse refining, that''s no problem. Just so happens


    that I have a human-snake that needs to undergo the third refinement. I''ll bring the human-


    snake to the human-snake cave, and with Zhang Bing and Li Shi present, I can demonstrate the refining process for you."


    Zhang Bing and Li Shi were the elder stewards of the human-snake cave, and their corpse-


    refining skills were quite rudimentary.


    They had mentioned to Song Wen several times that they wanted to observe his corpse-


    refining process.


    Zhou Siyi was momentarily taken aback.


    Going to the human-snake cave to refine corpses! And with two other elders present!


    This was not what she wanted.


    What she wanted was a chance to be alone with Song Wen.


    Moreover, it was supposed to be in Song Wen''s cave.


    TL: Man I love this guy, no homo...


    (End of the Chapter)


    ---


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 Chapter 304: Invitation

    Chapter 304: Invitation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Not getting the response she wanted, Zhou Siyi frowned deeply.


    "Junior Brother Wu, could you demonstrate the corpse refinement in your cave? It''s quite troublesome to bring the human-snake back and forth."


    Song Wen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.


    "Alright, then I will notify Zhang Bing and Li Shi toe over as soon as possible."


    As soon as he finished speaking, Song Wen took hold of twomunication jade slips.


    "Junior Brother Wu, wait a moment."


    Zhou Siyi hurriedly stopped him from sending the message.


    Song Wen looked up at her, puzzled.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, is there something else?"


    "Could you demonstrate the corpse refinement for me alone?" Zhou Siyi requested.


    "Why?"


    Song Wen narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing her.


    He felt that Zhou Siyi was acting a bit strangely today, giving off an unsettling vibe.


    "I..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhou Siyi opened her mouth several times but hesitated, not saying a word.


    "This isn''t the ce for conversation. Can we talk in your cave?"


    Song Wen''s expression gradually became serious.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, what are you really..."


    Before Song Wen could finish his sentence, he noticed Zhou Siyi signaling him with her eyes, indicating that he should not continue.


    At the same time, Song Wen sensed that Zhou Siyi''smunication jade slip in her storage ring had vibrated.


    They stood facing each other.


    Zhou Siyi neither spoke nor used spiritual sound transmission; instead, shemunicated with a more discreet jade slip.


    She could only ask one question.


    She was worried that someone might be eavesdropping on them, fearing that their conversation could be overheard.


    Song Wen''s mind raced, and he discreetly took out themunication jade slip.


    [Someone wants to take your life.]


    Song Wen''s thoughts turned sharply as he quickly ran through the names of those who might hold a grudge against him in his mind.


    He realized that in the Beastmaster Sect, the only person he had a deep enmity with was Leng Tianlu.


    Since Leng Tianlu was aware of his corpse-refining activities, which were rted to the First Supreme Elder, he probably wouldn''t dare to take action against him.


    Who else could it be besides Leng Tianlu?


    Why did Zhou Siyi know that someone wanted to kill him?


    Could it be that the murderer had some connection to Zhou Siyi?


    Song Wen nced at Zhou Siyi and gestured for her to enter.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, pleasee in."


    Once inside the cave, Song Wen deliberately kept a certain distance from Zhou Siyi.


    First, he activated the "Concealing Spirit Formation" and "Nine Pces Yin Array" before


    speaking.


    "Senior Sister Zhou, who wants to kill me?"


    Seeing Song Wen''s cautious and guarded demeanor, Zhou Siyi let out bitter smile.


    Zhou Xuelin had sent her to kill "Wu Sheng," which was simply a fanciful idea.


    With "Wu Sheng''s" cautious nature, how could he possibly be easily ambushed?


    She organized her thoughts and slowly replied.


    "It''s Zhou Xuelin who sent me to kill you."


    "Zhou Xuelin! Sent you to kill me!"


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen suddenly radiated a powerful killing intent.


    This killing intent was like the cold winds and snow of winter, chilling to the bone.


    Zhou Siyi couldn''t help but shiver deeply, staring at Song Wen in shock.


    At that moment, Song Wen resembled a god of ughter emerging from a battlefield,


    exuding an overwhelming aura of death.


    This was a stark contrast to his usual timid and cautious demeanor.


    Zhou Siyi realized that everyone at the Alchemy Peak, including Zhou Xuelin, had likely underestimated the situation.


    "Wu Sheng" is definitely not an easy opponent.


    "Is it because I integrated the Mystic Qi and refused to join the Spirit Beast Peak that Zhou


    Xuelin wants to kill me?"


    Song Wen questioned sharply.


    Zhou Siyi nodded.


    "Yes, the Mystic Qi is rted to the selection of the next sect master. If you achieve full integration of the Mystic Qi first, the position of sect master will fall to the Golden Core cultivator of the Alchemy Peak."


    "Zhou Xuelin is obsessed with power and naturally doesn''t want to see that scene. Therefore,


    he wants to eliminate you to slow down the progress of Alchemy Peak''s integration of Mystic


    Qi."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen suddenly recalled.


    Two days ago.


    The peak master of Alchemy Peak, Fang Pengyi, had suddenlye to him and increased his


    monthly sry.


    The monthly sry for the elders of the Xuan Hall was one thousand spirit stones, plus two hundred sect contribution points.


    As the person in charge of the human-snake cave, Song Wen received an additional one thousand spirit stones and two hundred contribution points as a reward.


    Fang Pengyi had doubled Song Wen''s sry on top of what he was already receiving.


    Now, Song Wen could receive four thousand spirit stones and eight hundred contributions


    every month.


    For a foundation-building cultivator, this was undoubtedly a huge ie.


    The matter of refining the Mystic Qi involved the selection of the next sect master, which


    exined Fang Pengyi''s actions.


    Fang Pengyi was being so generous just to allow Song Wen to focus on corpse refinement and


    achieve full integration of Mystic Qi as soon as possible.


    He wanted topete for the position of sect master himself.


    Song Wen looked at Zhou Siyi with a puzzled expression.


    "Then why didn''t you make a move against me? Instead, you chose to betray your kin and


    inform me of this matter."


    Zhou Siyi did not answer. Instead, she loosened the belt around her waist and took off her


    upper garment.


    What he saw was that her skin was as smooth as jade, but her body was covered in countless


    hideous scars, like disgusting worms crawling all over her.


    Perhaps it was her first time revealing her body in front of others.


    Zhou Siyi''s face flushed slightly, and she hurriedly put her clothes back on.


    "These scars were left on me by Zhou Xuelin over the past twenty years."


    "They are evidence of Zhou Xuelin''s inhuman abuse and a testament to my suffering. I keep them, hoping that one day I can return them all to Zhou Xuelin."


    Zhou Siyi said through gritted teeth, filled with hatred.


    However, to Zhou Siyi''s disappointment, when Song Wen looked at her bare upper body, he


    felt no pity for her horrifying scars and harbored no improper thoughts. His expression remained cautious and guarded.


    "Since you have suffered such inhumane treatment from Zhou Xuelin, why don''t you escape


    from the Beastmaster Sect?"


    Zhou Siyi''s face was filled with despair as she forced a bitter smile.


    "Escape? Since childhood, my soul has been cursed with a Soul Locking Spell by Zhou Xuelin.


    Where can I possibly escape to?"


    Song Wen said, "Then why are you telling me all this?"


    Zhou Siyi replied, "Zhou Xuelin wants your life, and simrly, he doesn''t n to spare me.


    Right now, he is an enemy to both of us. Naturally, I want to invite you to deal with Zhou


    Xuelin together."


    Song Wen''s brow furrowed deeply.


    If what Zhou Siyi said was true, then she really had no way out.


    She clearly understood that if she killed him, she would certainly be doomed as well.


    If she didn''t kill him, she would surely suffer even more abuse from Zhou Xuelin.


    It seemed that Song Wen was also under the threat of death, but his situation was much better


    than Zhou Siyi''s.


    He still had options.


    Song Wen could seek help from Fang Pengyi or hide in the human-snake cave, where he would


    be safe for the time being.


    But neither of these was a long-term solution.


    Currently, Song Wen had immense value to Fang Pengyi, and naturally, Fang Pengyi would


    find a way to protect him.


    However, when Fang Pengyi no longer needed Song Wen for corpse refinement, Song Wen


    didn''t believe that Fang Pengyi would risk everything to confront Zhou Xuelin for his sake.


    Of course, Song Wen could also choose to leave the Beastmaster Sect entirely, but he wasn''t at


    a dead end yet.


    Moreover, within the Beastmaster Sect, there were things that Song Wen wanted.


    The follow-up techniques for the "Longevity Technique."


    The methods for forming golden cores and refining them.


    The insights from the predecessors of the Beastmaster Sect regarding core formation.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 305: Conspiracy

    Chapter 305: Conspiracy


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "You''vee to find me for a frank discussion, so you must have a n to deal with Zhou Xuelin?" Song Wen asked.


    Zhou Siyi nodded in response.


    "Zhou Xuelin gave me a set of secret weapons called ''Blood Plunder Feather,'' which isced with deadly poison. Foundation-building cultivators will die upon contact."


    "My n is to remove the deadly poison from the Blood Plunder Feather and rece it with amon poison. Then, I will use the Blood Plunder Feather to injure you, causing you to get hurt but not mortally."


    "After that, I will pretend to be captured by you, and you will take me to Fang Pengyi. I will then use Zhou Xuelin of being the mastermind behind the scenes, intending to sabotage the integration of the Mystic Qi."


    "Fang Pengyi wants to take the sect master position, and since he wants to eliminate Zhou Xuelin, he will definitely report this matter to the First Elder."


    "At that time, the First Elder will surely take action against Zhou Xuelin, and I can also ask the Elder to help me lift the Soul Lock Curse."


    After hearing this, Song Wen shook his head.


    "If we act ording to your n, Zhou Xuelin will be imprisoned for a while at most. The sect won''t execute a Golden Core cultivator over such a trivial matter."


    "Unless you and I defect from the Beastmaster Sect, otherwise, once Zhou Xuelin regains his freedom, we will face his immense wrath."


    Seeing that Song Wen disagreed with her n, Zhou Siyi''s heart suddenly felt flustered.


    She knew very well that Song Wen had


    options and didn''t necessarily have to cooperate


    with her to deal with Zhou Xuelin.


    Zhou Siyi asked, "Junior Brother Wu, do you have a better strategy?"


    Song Wen replied, "If we are going to strike Zhou Xuelin, we must do so with a single lethal blow."


    Zhou Siyi''s eyes brightened.


    ...


    That night, deep into the night.


    Zhou Siyi looked pale and disheveled, appearing severely injured as she walked out of Song Wen''s cave and flew toward Spirit Beast Peak.


    Beneath her pained expressiony a heart filled with unease.


    If Song Wen''s n could seed, it could indeed ce Zhou Xuelin in a position of no return.


    However, this n required her to take a huge risk, while Song Wen wouldn''t need to take any risks at all.


    In order to eliminate Zhou Xuelin, Zhou Siyi had no choice but to choose to take the risk.


    A momentter, she arrived outside Zhou Xuelin''s cave.


    Passing through the restrictions outside the cave, she entered.


    Suddenly, her figure stumbled, falling to the ground as arge amount of fresh blood gushed


    from her mouth.


    Inside the cave, shadows flickered.


    Zhou Xuelin appeared in front of Zhou Siyi, looking down at her coldly.


    "How did you get so badly injured?"


    With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Zhou Xuelin clearly perceived that Zhou Siyi''s internal organs were severely damaged and that there was a surge of lightning power rampaging within her.


    It could be said that her life was in danger.


    Zhou Siyi struggled to raise her hand and grabbed Zhou Xuelin''s ankle.


    "Father, please... save me... cough cough..."


    As she spoke, she spat out more blood.


    Since Zhou Siyi still had some value, Zhou Xuelin was unwilling to let her die like this.


    Zhou Xuelin unleashed a surge of spiritual power, dissipating the lightning inside her.


    After Zhou Siyi spat out a few more mouthfuls of blood, her breath gradually stabilized.


    "Who injured you?" Zhou Xuelin asked again.


    "Wu Sheng," Zhou Siyi replied.


    "You went to assassinate him? What was the result?" Zhou Xuelin asked urgently.


    Lying on the ground, Zhou Siyi slowly said, "Wu Sheng is not as simple as he appears. He was caught off guard by my surprise attack and was injured by the Blood Plunder Feather, but he didn''t die on the spot. Instead, he countered with lightning techniques and severely injured


    me."


    "After that, he activated a seventh-level formation to protect himself, and then he fainted."


    "I was too severely injured to break through that formation, so I could only return to report."


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression darkened, and a murderous aura erupted from his eyes.


    "So, you mean to say that not only did you fail to kill Wu Sheng, but you also fled to my cave?


    Do you want to drag me into sharing the me for the assassination of Wu Sheng?"


    Zhou Siyi was filled with panic.


    "No, it''s not like that. I came because I have very important information to report to you."


    "In Wu Sheng''s cave, there are seven second-tier human snakes. One of the female human snakes is about to reach the state of abundant Mystic Qi."


    Zhou Siyi spoke quickly, as if afraid that if she slowed down even a little, Zhou Xuelin would


    kill her.


    "What! Wu Sheng has managed to cultivate the human snakes to the state of abundant Mystic Qi? How is that possible?"


    Just over three months ago, Wu Sheng had only managed to fuse the human snakes to produce


    a trace of weak Mystic Qi.


    To achieve the state of abundant Mystic Qi in such a short time? Was the first trace of Mystic


    Qi the hardest to produce?


    Once the first trace of Mystic Qi appeared, would it rapidly grow stronger?


    Zhou Xuelin''s mind was in turmoil, filled with anxiety.


    His rationality told him that the human snake corpses couldn''t have reached the state of


    abundant Mystic Qi so quickly.


    But since this was Zhou Xuelin''s first encounter with ''Mystic Qi,'' he waspletely unaware


    of how quickly it could grow.


    Zhou Xuelin became extremely anxious and restless.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    If what Zhou Siyi said was true, then the position of sect master would fall into Fang Pengyi''s


    hands.


    A strong sense of unwillingness surged within him.


    Zhou Xuelin''s gaze turned cold and ruthless.


    "I cannot allow Fang Pengyi to take the sect master position; the next sect master can only be


    me."


    Suddenly.


    Zhou Siyi raised her hand and handed a token to Zhou Xuelin.


    "This is Wu Sheng''s identity token. He was carrying it with him, and it fell out after I


    ambushed him."


    "The fact that Wu Sheng has been poisoned and injured hasn''t been discovered by anyone yet. There is still a chance to kill Wu Sheng and steal that second-tier human snake."


    Zhou Xuelin infused his spiritual power into the identity token and drew it into his hand.


    He sensed it briefly and confirmed that it was indeed Wu Sheng''s identity token.


    Afterward, he hesitated a bit.


    He wanted Song''


    dead but didn''t want to do it himself.


    Killing Song Wen would definitely provoke the First Elder''s wrath.


    However, Zhou Siyi''s earlier words had given him a reminder.


    If he could control the human snake that was about to reach the state of ''abundant Mystic Qi''


    in Song Wen''s cave, it should help dissipate the First Elder''s anger.


    For the First Elder, what mattered was the human snake with ''abundant Mystic Qi,'' not a fully


    realized ''abundant Mystic Qi'' person.


    After pondering for a moment, Zhou Xuelin''s gaze turned cold as he stared at Zhou Siyi.


    "What you''re saying isn''t a lie, is it?"


    Zhou Siyi hurriedly replied, "My life is in your hands; how could I dare to deceive you? I only


    hope you can keep your promise and lift the ''Soul Lock Curse'' on me."


    Zhou Xuelin''s gaze was icy as he silently stared into Zhou Siyi''s eyes, not saying a word.


    Zhou Siyi felt a chill run down her spine.


    Zhou Xuelin''s gaze filled her with inexplicable fear, yet she dared not show any sign of weakness and could only force herself to meet his gaze.


    After about ten breaths, Zhou Xuelin took out a healing pill and gave it to Zhou Siyi to


    swallow, using his spiritual power to refine it and temporarily stabilize her internal injuries.


    Zhou Siyi could not die yet; he needed her as a scapegoat.


    Zhou Xuelin concealed his aura and, with Zhou Siyi, moved under the cover of night to outside


    Song Wen''s cave.


    After confirming that no one was around, he activated Song Wen''s identity token to unlock


    the cave''s restrictions.


    He used his spiritual sense to probe inside the cave, and indeed, there was a second-tier


    formation within.


    The formation covered most of the cave, including the snake pit.


    While the defensive power of this formation was not particrly strong, it had a very


    effective concealment capability.


    Even as a Golden Core cultivator, Zhou Xuelin could not perceive any movements within the


    formation.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 306: Infamous

    Chapter 306: Infamous


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zhou Xuelin casually threw Zhou Siyi into Song Wen''s cave.


    After confirming there were no abnormalities, he flew into the cave.


    Then, he activated Song Wen''s identity token to seal the cave''s restrictions.


    Next, he needed to forcibly break through the fifth-tier formation, which would definitely cause some noise; sealing the cave''s restrictions would make it hard for outsiders to notice.


    Zhou Xuelin approached the formation barrier, holding a three-foot green de.


    He circted his spiritual power.


    The long sword suddenly stabbed toward the formation barrier.


    The formation barrier shattered like ripples spreading across the surface of ake when a stone is thrown into it.


    However, the next scene caused a sudden surge of ominous premonition in Zhou Xuelin''s heart.


    After the formation barrier broke, a vast expanse of white mist surged out.


    In an instant, Zhou Xuelin and Zhou Siyi were engulfed, filling the entire cave.


    Spirit Concealing Mist!


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression changed slightly.


    Arge amount of Spirit Concealing Mist filled the narrow cave.


    The density of the Spirit Concealing Mist far exceeded that used by Du Tianhua outdoors.


    Before him was a white haze, and nothing was visible.


    The suppression of spiritual awareness was also much stronger.


    His spiritual sense could barely detect movements within half a meter around him.


    This made Zhou Xuelin nearly blind.


    At the same time, he lost all sense of Zhou Siyi.


    Suddenly.


    The mist ahead began to surge violently.


    Apanying this were piercing sounds of something slicing through the air.


    It was as if a massive iron rod was smashing toward him.


    Zhou Xuelin assumed it was Song Wenunching a surprise attack, and a look of disdain crossed his face.


    Even with the Spirit Concealing Mist disrupting his perception, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could hardly injure him.


    He urged the long sword in his hand, and a cold gleam shed.


    A sword energy shed through the mist.


    "Puff!"


    The sound of the sword energy striking something echoed.


    Before Zhou Xuelin could check what had been hit, the mist around him began to stir violently.


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression turned serious as he urged the long sword, unleashing countless sharp sword energies in all directions.


    "Puff, puff, puff..."


    The sounds of sword energy striking targets rang out one after another.


    Followed by the muffled thud of heavy objects hitting the ground.


    "Thud, thud, thud..."


    Zhou Xuelin realized something was off.


    What he struck was not Song Wen, nor some spirit tool, but several tall living beings.


    They were the human snakes imprisoned in Song Wen''s cave!


    From his two recent strikes, he must have hit seven human snakes.


    It matched the number of human snakes in Song Wen''s cave.


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression slightly changed as he caught a whiff of a conspiracy.


    Relying on his memory, he quickly headed toward the cave''s entrance.


    Outside the cave.


    Fang Pengyi and Song Wen stood suspended in midair.


    "Fang Fengyi, you must save me! Zhou Feng from the Spirit Beast Peak wants to kill me!"


    Song Wen said in a terrified and trembling voice.


    Fang Pengyi could hardly conceal the smug smile on his face, feeling extremely pleased.


    He had been worried that the Spirit Beast Peak, being numerous and resourceful, would outpace the Alchemy Peak in the matter of refining human snake corpses and achieve the state of abundant mysterious energy first.


    This could lead to the position of sect master falling into Zhou Xuelin''s hands.


    Unexpectedly, Zhou Xuelin had be disordered and attacked Song Wen, who had managed


    to escape.


    What a self-inflicted predicament.


    "Don''t worry, Elder Wu; I will ensure your safety. Zhou Xuelin can''t dominate the


    Beastmaster Sect yet."


    Just then.


    The cave''s restrictions suddenly opened.


    Zhou Xuelin''s figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.


    When he saw Song Wen and Fang Pengyi, an icy chill suddenly rose in his heart.


    ''Elder Wu'' is actually not in the cave.


    This is a trap!


    ''Elder Wu'' colluded with Zhou Siyi, intentionally luring him here, and then used the Spirit Concealing Mist to disrupt his perception, causing him to ughter all the human snakes.


    "Zhou Siyi, that wretched girl! She betrayed me."


    Zhou Xuelin''s eyes widened with fury, thinking maliciously.


    "Zhou Xuelin, as a deputy peak master, how can you secretly attack your fellow sect''s


    Foundation Establishment elders? This is a disgrace to the reputation of the Beastmaster


    Sect!"


    Fang Pengyi scolded loudly, his voice booming like a bell.


    He intended to attract the attention of more sect members to the incident, exposing Zhou


    Xuelin''s heinous deeds and tarnishing his reputation.


    "Fang Pengyi, get out of the way."


    Zhou Xuelin red at Fang Pengyi, wanting to withdraw as quickly as possible.


    However, Fang Pengyi was not about to let go of this opportunity to bring Zhou Xuelin down;


    he wouldn''t allow him to leave easily.


    In the night sky, dozens of figures were rushing toward them.


    Fang Pengyi had already notified the entire peak with a jade slip, summoning all Foundation


    Establishment cultivators and some Qi Refinement disciples.


    These people quickly surrounded the cave''s entrance, leaving no escape route.


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression was as dark as water.


    "Fang Pengyi, what do you want?"


    Fang Pengyi raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile curling at the corners of his mouth.


    "What do I want to do? Of course, I want the whole sect to see your hypocritical face."


    "You..."


    Zhou Xuelin red at him, shouting angrily.


    "Tell your peak members to move aside; otherwise, I will take action!"


    "Ha ha..." Fang Pengyi chuckled lightly.


    "Peak Master Zhou, with all eyes on you, you actually think to act against more than ten Foundation Establishment elders and dozens of Qi Refinement disciples from my peak."


    At that moment.


    Zhou Siyi stumbled out of Song Wen''s cave.


    She bent her legs and knelt before Zhou Xuelin.


    "Father, please spare your daughter; I really don''t want to die."


    Zhou Siyi''s pleas were like adding fuel to the fire.


    Secretly assassinating fellow sect elders and viting sect prohibitions was a grave sin.


    To want to put his own daughter to death was an even greater evil, a loss of all humanity.


    The crowd watching this scene was suddenly in an uproar.


    Zhou Siyi was exceptionally beautiful, with outstanding talent, and many cultivators in the


    peak held her in high regard.


    It was astonishing that Zhou Xuelin would want to harm such a perfect daughter.


    Instantly, people began pointing and whispering among themselves.


    Zhou Xuelin stared at his pleading daughter, burning with rage, his hands trembling


    uncontrobly.


    "I have toiled and endured to raise you for over ten years, and you repay my kindness with


    malice."


    "Father, I just want to live," Zhou Siyi cried, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful.


    "I will kill you, unfilial daughter!"


    Zhou Xuelin''s anger surged, his killing intent overwhelming.


    A tremendous amount of spiritual power gathered between his hands.


    Though he desperately wished to tear Zhou Siyi apart, he didn''t dare to kill her in front of


    everyone.


    Otherwise, he would be branded with the stigma of harming his own daughter.


    "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Peak Master Zhou, you truly are universally despised," Fang Pengyi said


    gleefully, fanning the mes.


    At this moment, several figures rushed in from the distant sky.


    It was the people from the Law Enforcement Hall whom Fang Pengyi had notified.


    The neers included the head of the Law Enforcement Hall, Luo Liang, the deputy hall


    master, Feng Xinghai, and several Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    TL: Luo Liang was previously Luo Lianggong...


    Zhou Xuelin''s face grew increasingly ugly.


    With both the head and deputy hall master of the Law Enforcement Hall present, today''s


    events would not end well.


    It was likely that soon, the entire Beastmaster Sect would know:


    Zhou Xuelin, a dignified Golden Core cultivator and deputy master of the Spirit Beast Peak,


    had secretly assassinated a sect''s Foundation Establishment elder.


    Moreover, he had failed!


    His reputation within the Beastmaster Sect would plummet.


    He hadpletely lost the qualification to vie for the position of sect master.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Though the righteous path values strength, it also emphasizes righteousness and fairness; at


    least, that''s how it appears on the surface.


    The sect master of the Beastmaster Sect could not possibly be someone unprincipled and


    infamous.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 307: The Supreme Elder Appears

    Chapter 307: The Supreme Elder Appears


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Lord Luo, Deputy Lord Feng, you''vee at just the right time."


    "Zhou Xuelin has assassinated an elder of my Alchemy Peak, viting the sect''s rules. I trouble you to take him down."


    Fang Pengyi spoke like thunder.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zhou Xuelin roared, "Fang Pengyi, you are ndering me! I have no grudge against Elder Wu, so why would I kill him?"


    Fang Pengyi sneered, "Peak Master Zhou, don''t try to wriggle out of this. If you weren''t trying to assassinate Elder Wu, why would you sneak into his cave in the middle of the night?"


    "I was looking for Elder Wu to discuss something. He just so happened not to be in his cave, and the cave''s defenses were wide open. I was worried about Elder Wu''s safety, so I just came in to take a look."


    After a brief moment of panic, Zhou Xuelin gradually rified his thoughts and concocted a seemingly reasonable excuse.


    Fang Pengyi said, "Zhou Xuelin, no matter how eloquently you speak, you cannot change the facts. Zhou Siyi is right here; she witnessed the entire process of your crime."


    Zhou Xuelin knew that Zhou Siyi was the key figure. Her testimony would be decisive.


    If Zhou Siyi sided with him, there might still be a way out of this.


    He had gone to discuss matters with ''Elder Wu,'' bringing his daughter and arriving in the middle of the night, only to find the cave''s defenses wide open, with concealment mist billowing inside.


    Concerned for ''Elder Wu''s'' safety, he charged into the mist.


    As for the dead human snakes, they were not his doing but rather the work of someone else.


    Just now, when he activated the sword light, he deliberately held back and did not use his own spiritual power.


    Instead, he used his physical strength to activate the sword''s inherent power, triggering the sword light.


    Thus, those human snakes did not have any residue of his spiritual energy on them.


    As long as he bit them to death, he had notid a hand on them, and others would not find any evidence.


    This was Zhou Xuelin''s n to extricate himself.


    The only thing missing now was Zhou Siyi''s corroboration.


    So, Zhou Xuelin sent a voice transmission to Zhou Siyi.


    ''Siyi, I know you harbor resentment against me, but considering our twenty-plus years of father-daughter bond and my nurturing of you, I hope you can help me through this difficult time. Once this matter settles, I will definitely lift the Soul Lock Curse and return your freedom to you. From now on, the sky is high, and the birds can fly wherever they wish. I will never interfere.''


    Zhou Xuelin tried to move her emotionally and lure her with benefits.


    Fang Pengyi, Luo Liang, and Feng Xinghai sensed that Zhou Xuelin was secretly transmitting a message.


    However, the cultivation levels of the three were not higher than Zhou Xuelin''ste Golden Core stage, and they could not forcibly intercept the content of the transmission.


    "Peak Master Zhou, conspiring secretly with voice transmissions is not the act of a gentleman. What is it that you cannot say openly?"


    Worried that Zhou Siyi and Zhou Xuelin were secretly plotting, Fang Pengyi mocked.


    However, Fang Pengyi was overly cautious.


    Zhou Siyi, who had long been mistreated by Zhou Xuelin, would hardly believe his lies.


    Zhou Siyi said indignantly, "Zhou Xuelin is worried that Elder Wu has gotten ahead of him, refining the human snake corpses to the point of gaining the Qi of the Profound, thus attaining a position in the sect. Hence, he has murderous intentions, intending to kill Elder Wu."


    Zhou Xuelin clenched his hands tightly, his eyes wide open, his chest heaving violently, filled with an extreme rage.


    "How dare you nder your own father! This is simply outrageous! I will cleanse my family by killing you, this unfilial daughter!"


    With that, Zhou Xuelin was about to erupt in violence.


    Suddenly, a thunderous shout rang out.


    "Enough!"


    Apanying the shout was a tremendous pressure.


    Yang Yu appeared at the entrance of Song Wen''s cave.


    "Greetings, First Supreme Elder."


    Fang Pengyi, Luo Liang, Feng Xinghai, and Zhou Xuelin were the first to react, hurriedly


    bowing in respect.


    The other disciples, seeing this, also followed suit.


    When they saw the First Supreme Elder appear in person, everyone was unexpectedly shocked.


    An elder from the Foundation Establishment stage being ambushed could actually attract the First Supreme Elder!


    Zhou Xuelin was filled with dread; with the First Supreme Elder personally present, today''s events would likely not end well!


    Yang Yu paid no attention to the crowd; his spiritual sense probed into Song Wen''s cave.


    While concealment mist could greatly disrupt the spiritual senses of Golden Core cultivators,


    its effect on Nascent Soul cultivators was not significant.


    Yang Yu easily perceived everything inside the cave.


    Seven human snakesy dead, six of them lifeless.


    The six human snakes had been sliced into several pieces by the sword qi.


    One other had been cut in two, barely clinging to life due to the powerful vitality of the human


    snake.


    What angered Yang Yu the most was that one of the six in human snakes had already begun


    to manifest the Mystic Qi.


    "Who killed these human snakes?"


    Yang Yu''s voice was calm as water, yet it carried an overwhelming sense of murderous intent.


    Instantly, everyone present fell silent, not daring to make a sound.


    "Reporting to the Supreme Elder, it was done by Zhou Xuelin, the Peak Master Zhou."


    Fang Pengyi spoke with a serious expression.


    In his heart, he was overjoyed, secretly delighted.


    Yang Yu''s appearance was beyond his expectations.


    Seeing Yang Yu''s attitude, Zhou Xuelin would likely never have a chance to turn things


    around.


    Yang Yu hade because he received a message from Song Wen.


    To put Zhou Xuelin to death, only the First Supreme Elder could make it happen.


    Yang Yu''s icy gaze fell on Zhou Xuelin.


    "Why did you kill the human snakes? Don''t you know they are what I need?"


    Zhou Xuelin immediately turned pale with fear.


    "Supreme Elder, I..."


    Zhou Xuelin wanted to plead for mercy, but he found himself at a loss for words.


    He could argue and weave excuses with Fang Pengyi and the others, but in front of Yang Yu,


    he did not dare to speak recklessly.


    "Reporting to the Supreme Elder, Zhou Xuelin is jealous of Elder Wu. He has fused with the Mystic Qi, and harboring malicious intent, not only did he ruthlessly strike down the human


    snakes, but he also sought to assassinate Elder Wu."


    Zhou Siyi, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly interjected.


    Yang Yu''s eyes sharpened as he looked at Zhou Siyi.


    "Who are you?"


    "I am Zhou Xuelin''s daughter, named Zhou Siyi."


    "Bang, bang, bang..."


    Zhou Siyi suddenly started banging her head on the ground forcefully, creating loud thuds.


    In an instant, her forehead was covered in blood, flowing freely.


    "Please, Supreme Elder, uphold justice for me! Since I was young, I have suffered horrendous


    abuse at the hands of Zhou Xuelin. He even ced the Soul Lock Curse on my soul. This person


    is utterly insane, unworthy of being human! I implore the Supreme Elder to seek justice for


    me."


    Zhou Siyi''s words instantly stirredmotion among the crowd.


    Cultivators being cruel wasmon.


    But to be so vicious to one''s own daughter was quite rare.


    All eyes turned to Zhou Xuelin, making him feel like a thorn was in his back.


    Yang Yu unleashed his spiritual sense, forcibly entering Zhou Siyi''s sea of consciousness, and


    found that her soul was indeed bound by a ck thorn.


    "Zhou Xuelin, what else do you have to say?" Yang Yu said coldly.


    A surge of killing intent rushed toward Zhou Xuelin.


    In an instant, Zhou Xuelin turned ashen.


    "Please, Supreme Elder, show mercy and spare my life! I was momentarily blinded by


    desire..."


    Before Zhou Xuelin could finish his sentence, he was interrupted sharply by Yang Yu.


    "I see, it''s been a long time since we old folks have shown ourselves, making you think that


    the Beastmaster Sect is your world, allowing you to act recklessly."


    "I dare not..."


    Before Zhou Xuelin could finish speaking, he felt a powerful force of spiritual power surging


    toward him.


    This force was as overwhelming as the waves, leaving him without the ability to resist.


    A sense of impending death filled his heart in an instant.


    Fear, unwillingness, anger...


    Various emotions intertwined.


    He red fiercely at Zhou Siyi.


    "If I''m to die, I''ll take you down with me, you despicable woman. You''ve brought my


    downfall;e and die alongside me."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 308: Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda

    Chapter 308: Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Zhou Xuelin''s resentful gaze instantly sent Zhou Siyi into a deep abyss, making her shiver all


    over.


    "Ah..."


    Suddenly, a soul-tearing pain surged from her sea of consciousness, causing Zhou Siyi unbearable agony.


    The ck thorns entwined around her soul began to violently contract, tearing at her soul, trying to make her soul scatter.


    Yang Yu''s expression turned icy.


    In front of him, Zhou Xuelin still dared tomit evil; he truly did not take this Supreme Elder seriously.


    If this were earlier, Zhou Xuelin would have killed his own daughter without even causing Yang Yu to blink.


    But at this moment, under the watchful eyes of many disciples and in front of this First Supreme Elder, Zhou Xuelin still dared to act; that was a provocation.


    "How dare you harm others in my presence! Die!"


    Zhou Xuelin''s expression turned fearful at these words.


    He turned to look at Yang Yu, wanting to say something.


    However, before his gaze could settle on Yang Yu, he felt a sharp pain at his neck.


    In the next moment, a bright light pierced his soul, and the pain of his soul being torn apart surged through him.


    His consciousness blurred, turning into chaos.


    To put it simply, Zhou Xuelin''s death urred in an instant.


    Others only saw a sh of cold light.


    Zhou Xuelin''s head flew high into the air.


    Then, he scattered into oblivion.


    While killing Zhou Xuelin, Yang Yu also cast a spell to protect Zhou Siyi''s soul.


    At the moment Zhou Xuelin died, the Soul Lock Curse in Zhou Siyi''s sea of consciousness automatically dissipated.


    Zhou Siyi knelt on the ground, gasping for breath.


    A sense of relief washed over her.


    With Zhou Xuelin''s death, she truly gained her freedom and would no longer be coerced.


    Yang Yu looked around at the stunned crowd and spoke.


    "In the future, if anyone dares to openly oppose me and ruin my ns, Zhou Xuelin will be your fate."


    Yang Yu''s killing of Zhou Xuelin carried a warning.


    The disciples of the Beastmaster Sect were engaged in their intrigues, but Yang Yu, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, did not care and was toozy to inquire.


    But when it came to things he needed, if anyone dared to interfere, it would be seeking their


    own death.


    Zhou Xuelin''s death exceeded most people''s expectations.


    After all, he was ate-stage Golden Core cultivator, yet he was so easily in.


    "Fang Pengyi." Yang Yu called out.


    "Disciple is here."


    Seeing Yang Yu suddenly call for him, Fang Pengyi''s heart tightened, unsure of the reason.


    "The human snake corpse has been destroyed and needs to be remade. You must fully assist in gathering the materials needed for Elder Wu''s corpse refining. If there are any obstacles from other peaks, you may report to me."


    "Understood."


    Fang Pengyi secretly rejoiced in his heart.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Yang Yu was giving him the authority to allocate some of the sect''s resources.


    "Elder Wu," Yang Yu said again.


    "Disciple is here." Song Wen bowed respectfully.


    "Prepare to refine the corpse well. If there are any difficulties, you can contact me."


    "Understood."


    Yang Yu nodded and vanished without a trace.


    Once the Supreme Elder left, everyone felt a heavy weight lifted off their shoulders.


    The pressure from a Nascent Soul cultivator was truly immense.


    Fang Pengyi nced at Zhou Xuelin''s corpse on the stone tform at the cave entrance and


    spoke loudly.


    "This matter is settled; everyone may disperse."


    Upon hearing this, everyone hurriedly took to the skies and left.


    In an instant, only Song Wen, Zhou Siyi, Fang Pengyi, Feng Xinghai, and Luo Liang were left


    in the hall.


    "Thank you, the two pce masters, foring to uphold justice. Now that Zhou Xuelin is dead, you may both return," Fang Pengyi said, cupping his hands in a polite manner, though


    his words were a clear dismissal.


    Feng Xinghai sneered.


    "Pce Master Fang, what you''re doing seems a bit inappropriate. When we needed you and Pce Master Luo, you urged us toe quickly. Now that there''s nothing left, you want to send us away immediately."


    With Feng Xinghai exposing his thoughts, Fang Pengyi no longer concealed his intentions and stated bluntly, "Elder Zhou Siyi is Zhou Xuelin''s daughter, so Zhou Xuelin''s possessions naturally belong to her."


    "Heh." Feng Xinghai scoffed dismissively. "Do you think we''re three-year-olds that can be easily fooled? Siyi''s cultivation is only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment; how can she defend Zhou Xuelin''s entire fortune as ate-stage Golden Core cultivator?"


    "What do you want?" Fang Pengyi asked.


    "Of course, everyone should get their share," Feng Xinghai replied.


    Fang Pengyi responded, "There are still so many people here. How are we to divide it?"


    Feng Xinghai looked around and said, "Elder Wu was secretly assassinated by Zhou Xuelin; although he escaped, he was still quite frightened and should receive appropriatepensation. As Zhou Xuelin''s daughter, Siyi should also get her share. We can split it equally among us; how does that sound?"


    After pondering for a moment, Fang Pengyi said, "Alright."


    Luo Liang, who had been silent, also nodded in agreement, "Okay."


    The three of them were willing to share Zhou Xuelin''s possessions with Song Wen, primarily because Yang Yu valued Song Wen, making it impossible for them to ignore him.


    Giving something to Zhou Siyi was also to silence the rumors among the Beastmaster Sect.


    If Zhou Xuelin''s belongings went entirely to Zhou Siyi, it would surely lead to criticism.


    Zhou Xuelin, as the deputy peak master of the Spirit Beast Peak, had a significant fortune,


    especially with that spirit beast in his spirit beast pouch, which had mid-third-tier strength and was worth over a hundred thousand spirit stones.


    His storage ring also contained numerous spirit materials and pills, most of which were


    needed by Golden Core cultivators.


    Neither Song Wen nor Zhou Siyi could utilize these items for the time being.


    In the end, most of the treasures ended up in the hands of the three Golden Core cultivators.


    They then converted the value to spirit stones topensate Song Wen and Zhou Siyi.


    Song Wen and Zhou Siyi each received over two hundred thousand spirit stones and a couple


    of spiritual artifacts.


    From Luo Liang, Song Wen obtained a top-tier defensive spiritual artifact.


    It was a Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda, about a foot tall. Once activated with spiritual


    energy, it could release a yellowish spiritual light to envelop the cultivator''s entire body, resisting enemy attacks.


    It could also expand to a size of ten feet to forcibly trap enemies, making it a good defensive


    spiritual artifact.


    Zhou Xuelin''s corpse was handed over to Zhou Siyi for handling.


    After all, she was Zhou Xuelin''s daughter.


    As for how Zhou Siyi would deal with the corpse-whether to mistreat it in anger or give it a


    proper burial-was no longer of concern to Song Wen and the others.


    "Junior Brother Wu, I will always remember your kindness; I will never forget it in this


    lifetime," Zhou Siyi said gratefully after Fang Pengyi and the others left.


    Song Wen shook his head. "Sister Zhou, I was just saving myself. There''s no need to mention


    the so-called life-saving grace again."


    Zhou Siyi looked at Song Wen with intense eyes.


    "Junior Brother Wu, what you saved is not just my life, but also my vision for the rest of my


    days."


    After saying this, Zhou Siyi flew away on her sword.


    After flying a distance, she suddenly halted, turning back to nce at Song Wen''s cave.


    She stared for a long time, not leaving.


    ...


    When Song Wen returned to the cave, he saw the remnants of the human snake corpses


    scattered everywhere and felt a stir in his heart.


    The corpse of the human snake that had merged into the Mystic Qi still had residual Mystic Qi


    gradually dissipating.


    At this moment, there was still a faint trace of Mystic Qi left on the body.


    This made Song Wen consider the idea of devouring the corpse''s essence blood.


    He wanted to try absorbing the Mystic Qi from the human snake by consuming its essence


    blood.


    However, he ultimately suppressed this thought.


    These human snake corpses still needed to be handed over to Liu Jiang for disposal; if he


    consumed the essence blood and turned the corpse into a dry corpse, it would be hard to


    exin the reasons behind it.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 309: The Canglan Secret Realm

    Chapter 309: The Cann Secret Realm


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The next day.


    Song Wen arrived early at the human snake cave.


    He handed over the corpses of the dead human snakes and the injured ones that had been severed into two pieces to Liu Jiang.


    Seeing Song Wen pull out the severed limbs of the human snakes and pile them up on the ground, Liu Jiang''s face turned ashen.


    The Alchemy Peak had a total of eleven second-tier human snakes, with Song Wen having seven, Zhang Bing and Li Shi each having one, and two kept in the human snake cave.


    These human snakes were all cultivated with great effort by Liu Jiang, and now they were all dead.


    This meant he needed to quickly cultivate a few new human snakes topensate for the losses.


    To avoid dying Song Wen and the others in refining the Mystic Qi, Liu Jiang had been working day and night to cultivate the human snakes.


    Now that he suddenly lost so many human snakes, it was inevitable that Liu Jiang felt displeased.


    "Who did this?" Liu Jiang gritted his teeth.


    "Didn''t Elder Liu hear about the incident at Alchemy Peakst night?"


    Liu Jiang shook his head. "What major event happened at Alchemy Peak? I''ve been in the human snake cave for the past few days and haven''t left my cave."


    Song Wen briefly recounted the events fromst night.


    As for the conspiracy between him and Zhou Siyi, that was something he certainly could not disclose.


    "Zhou Xuelin is dead!"


    Liu Jiang looked incredulous.


    Song Wen didn''t want to dwell on this matter too much and changed the subject.


    "Elder Liu, all the human snakes in my cave have been lost. Can you provide me with a few second-tier human snakes?"


    "A few? Not even one," Liu Jiang''s eyes widened.


    "I only have two second-tier human snakes here. I n to cultivate them for the long term to help them advance to thete stage of the second tier."


    So far, the highest cultivation level of the human snakes he had cultivated was only at the mid-second tier.


    Once the human snakes reached the mid-second tier, it seemed they entered a bottleneck, and their strength growth slowed significantly.


    Song Wen smiled and said, "Elder Liu, if I don''t have even one second-tier human snake, the Grand Elder will surely me me."


    Liu Jiang frowned in thought for a while before finally letting out a resigned sigh.


    "Alright, I''ll give you one for now. In the future, when I cultivate new second-tier human snakes, I will provide them to you first."


    "Thank you, Elder Liu." Song Wen cupped his hands in gratitude.


    Then, Song Wen pointed to the human snake that had been severed in two and asked, "How long will it take for this human snake to recover?"


    Liu Jiang replied, "It was injured by a Golden Core cultivator''s sword energy. Although it managed to survive, it will likely take a considerable amount of time to reconnect its severed limbs."


    "Then I will trouble you, Elder Liu."


    ...


    With only one human snake in hand, Song Wen felt a sudden sense of rxation.


    This allowed him more time to focus on cultivation and practicing alchemy.


    The refinement of the Blood Spirit Pill became increasingly proficient, and he did not neglect the practice of the "Ten Thousand Poisons Body" technique.


    Zhou Siyi disappeared for a while and only reappeared in the human snake cave after a month.


    She came to resign from her position.


    Zhou Siyi had no interest in refining the human snake Mystic Qi. Before, she had been forced to stay in the human snake cave by Zhou Xuelin.


    However, she did not leave the Alchemy Peak; instead, she began working in the Xuan Pill Room as an alchemist.


    Without Zhou Xuelin''s constraints, Zhou Siyi became much more carefree.


    She no longer deliberately pretended to be someone detached; instead, she became more


    stable and patient in her alchemy and cultivation.


    Song Wen also frequently visited the Xuan Pill Room to practice alchemy, often encountering


    Zhou Siyi.


    Every time she saw Song Wen, Zhou Siyi seemed very happy.


    She would often seek out Song Wen to share insights on alchemy and discuss the challenges


    she encountered in her refining and cultivation.


    Time flies...


    In the blink of an eye, a year has passed.


    Now, Song Wen has four second-tier human snakes in his possession.


    The one that has undergone the most refinements has reached ten times, and the human


    snake has once again fused with Mystic Qi.


    One day, Song Wen entered the human snake cave and was surprised to see an unexpected


    figure.


    "Elder Rong, you''vee out of seclusion?"


    Originally, Rong Jingyun had closed herself off to break through the bottleneck of thete Foundation Establishment stage, and Fang Peng had predicted that she would need at least two to three years.


    It has only been a little over a year, and she is already out.


    "This breakthrough was very smooth. After advancing to the peak of the Foundation


    Establishment stage, I immediately came out," Rong Jingyun said.


    With her cultivation progressing, Rong Jingyun was in a good mood.


    "Then congrattions, Elder Rong, you''ve taken another step closer to forming your Golden -Core."


    Rong Jingyun smiled and said, "I''ve just broken through to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. My cultivation is still not stable enough, so it''s too early to talk about forming a Golden Core."


    "Since your cultivation is still not stable, why is Elder Rong in such a hurry toe out?"


    Song Wen asked.


    "In two years, the Cann Secret Realm will open, and I need to seize the time to prepare. As


    for stabilizing my cultivation, both can be done simultaneously without any dy," Rong Jingyun exined.


    "The Cann Secret Realm?" Song Wen frowned and asked.


    "Does Elder Wu not know about the Cann Secret Realm?"


    "I''ve heard of it before."


    Rong Jingyun seemed somewhat surprised but quickly smiled in relief.


    "It''s not surprising that you haven''t heard of the Cann Secret Realm since you used to be a


    loose cultivator."


    Next, with Rong Jingyun''s exnation, Song Wen gained a general understanding of the


    Cann Secret Realm.


    It is a secret realm jointly controlled by the five major orthodox sects.


    Now that the Nine Pces Sect has rebelled against the orthodox sect, they have been


    stripped of the qualification to enter the secret realm.


    Inside the Cann Secret Realm, there are two renowned treasures: the Ten Thousand-Year


    Spiritual Liquid and the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    The Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch is a primary ingredient for refining Golden Cores.


    The Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid is formed by the gathering of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, somewhat simr to spirit stones, but it can quickly provide arge amount


    of spiritual energy for cultivators and is much easier to absorb than spirit stones, as it can be


    consumed directly.


    "Elder Rong, are you preparing for forming your Golden Core?" Song Wen asked.


    "The Cann Secret Realm only opens once every fifty years. Now that I''ve just advanced to


    the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, I want to go in and take a look," Rong Jingyun said.


    "Is there a cultivation level restriction for entering the Cann Secret Realm?" Song Wen


    asked.


    "As long as one''s cultivation is below the Golden Core stage, they can enter. Our sect only allows Foundation Establishment cultivators to enter," Rong Jingyun replied.


    "Is there a limit on the number of people who can enter the Cann Secret Realm each time?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Song Wen asked.


    "Not really. The Cann Secret Realm is fraught with dangers, and there aren''t many people


    who enter each time. In previous openings, generally only a few dozen people would enter,"


    Rong Jingyun exined.


    Then, Rong Jingyun asked in return.


    "Elder Wu, why are you inquiring about this so thoroughly? Are you nning to enter the


    Cann Secret Realm?"


    Song Wen smiled sheepishly.


    "The Cann Secret Realm has the spirit herbs needed for forming a Golden Core, which is something I long for. However, with my current cultivation, entering the Cann Secret Realm might be dangerous. Asking a few more questions is merely to satisfy my curiosity."


    Rong Jingyun replied, "The path of cultivation is long and difficult; there are no shortcuts.


    Elder Wu is still young and doesn''t need to rush. Be patient in your training, and your cultivation will naturally improve."


    "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Rong." Song Wen sped his hands in gratitude.


    Author''s Note


    Zhou Siyi''s ending does not align with the outline; within the established context, she is a


    tragic character (there was foreshadowing earlier).


    She was framed and died because of it, and her death serves to highlight the viiny of the one who plotted against her and the cruelty of the cultivation world. I''ve discovered while writing that if I follow the original n, the plot will appear unreasonable and make Zhou Siyi seem foolish. So, starting from the previous few chapters, the content slightly deviated from the outline.


    (Her ending was influenced somewhat by readers; after all, some have indicated they


    wouldn''t support me if I didn''t give her a better fate.)


    I''m quite anxious about this, so I ask everyone for their continued support. Thank you!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 310: Human-Snake Refinement Failure

    Chapter 310: Human-Snake Refinement Failure


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    After bidding farewell to Rong Jingyun, Song Wen developed a strong interest in the Cann Secret Realm.


    He flew to the Scripture Depository located at the main peak of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Inside the Scripture Depository, there were vast amounts of books like an ocean, most of which did not involve spells or secret techniques, but rather recorded somemon knowledge or rumors from the cultivation world.


    Song Wen found a book detailing the Cann Secret Realm in the Scripture Depository.


    The Cann Secret Realm is located in a subspace, originating from arge force that vanished long ago in the river of time.


    Every fifty years, the entrance to the Cann Secret Realm automatically opens once,sting for a month.


    This is the only opportunity for people from the Tianyuan Realm to enter and exit the Cann Secret Realm.


    The Cann Secret Realm is vast, and most of the spiritual herbs and treasures are concentrated within a towering peak.


    This peak covers an area of a thousand mu and stands at over ten thousand feet tall.


    There are no human beings living and reproducing inside the secret realm, but arge number of monster beasts reside there.


    Only cultivators below the Golden Core stage are allowed to enter the Cann Secret Realm.


    However, this does not mean that only Foundation Establishment experts can enter.


    ording to the cultivators who entered the secret realmst time, there are two Golden Core stage monster beasts lurking inside.


    One is a white tiger with wings that upies the summit of the peak.


    The other is a several-zhang-long crocodile dragon lurking in theke at the foot of the mountain.


    These two monsters are not entities that can be easily provoked.


    Inside the mountain, there are pces left by an ancient force, where the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid is born in one of the pces.


    The Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch grows alongside the underground dark river, with an uncertain number and location, requiring luck to find.


    There are many other spiritual herbs growing on the mountain''s belly and body.


    These spiritual herbs are also objects that cultivatorspete for.


    ...


    Eight monthster.


    Song Wen was in his cave dwelling, refining the human snake''s Mystic Qi.


    This human snake is the one that has undergone the most refinements, having been refined sixteen times, and Song Wen was conducting the seventeenth refinement.


    Suddenly, Song Wen''s expression changed slightly; after a brief moment of astonishment, the hand gestures he used for the spell changed abruptly, forcibly retracting the corpse energy he had attempted to forcefully refine into the human snake''s body.


    Earlier, Song Wen noticed that the life force of the human snake had sharply declined, which forced him to halt the refinement.


    This was Song Wen''s first encounter with the failure of refining the human snake''s Mystic Qi.


    After numerous refinements, the corpse energy on the human snake had be increasingly dense, seemingly approaching a critical point, making the refinement process more difficult.


    This made Song Wen extremely cautious during the refinement, fearing that a moment of carelessness would result in the human snake''s death, rendering all previous efforts wasted.


    Within the chest of the human snake, there is a special energy cavity, simr to a human''s dantian, which is a ce for storing spiritual power.


    This energy cavity is also the source of the Mystic Qi; once generated, the Mystic Qi gradually spreads to other parts of the human snake''s body.


    The Mystic Qi in this human snake has filled most of its body, with only a small portion of its tail not yet covered.


    It is not far from the point where the Mystic Qi fully envelops the body.


    Given the human snake''s weak life force, it definitely cannot continue to be refined.


    Song Wen left the cave dwelling and went to the human snake cave, where he found Liu Jiang.


    "Elder Liu, I have a request for assistance. The human snake''s body has been overwhelmed by too much corpse energy, leading to its weak vitality. Is there a way to enhance the human snake''s life force without weakening the corpse energy?"


    Liu Jiang frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "This request is somewhat difficult. Corpse energy and life force are fundamentally ipatible. If the physical body is fused with too much corpse energy, it will inevitably lead to a loss of vitality."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Song Wen said, "Is there really no way to solve this? That human snake only has two-thirds of


    its tail left, yet it can already reach the point of full Mystic Qi. If the human snake dies now, it would be a total loss, wasting all previous efforts."


    Liu Jiang shook his head.


    "I can''t think of any effective methods, but we can ask Elder Rong and Sect Leader Fang. They might have some elixirs that can stimte the human snake''s life force."


    Song Wen nodded, taking out themunication jade slips for Fang Pengyi and Rong


    Jingyun, and sent out requests for help.


    Momentster, Rong Jingyun and Fang Pengyi arrived at the human snake cave.


    After Song Wen briefly exined the situation, the four of them headed to Song Wen''s cave dwelling together.


    Upon inspecting the human snake''s condition, Rong Jingyun said, "Elder Wu, you truly have extraordinary talent in corpse refinement. In just a short time, the human snake has integrated such a dense Mystic Qi."


    Song Wen replied, "Elder Rong, you tter me. My corpse refinement skills are stillcking; otherwise, the human snake wouldn''t be in such a weakened state."


    Fang Pengyi chimed in.


    "This matter has nothing to do with your refinement skills. This human snake is only at the


    mid-level of the fifth stage. Even if the life force of the snake is strong, it can only bear a limited amount of corpse energy. If you had a stronger human snake, perhaps you could sessfully reach the full Mystic Qi."


    The cultivation of the human snake was entirely Liu Jiang''s responsibility. He said, "Reporting to the Sect Leader, once the human snake''s strength progresses to the mid-level of the fifth stage, its growth bes very slow. To cultivate a stronger human snake would


    likely take a considerable amount of time."


    Hearing this, Fang Pengyi frowned deeply.


    The matter of Mystic Qi was crucial to his ambition of ascending to the position of Sect


    Leader.


    Naturally, he hoped to allow the human snake''s Mystic Qi to reach the point of full Mystic Qi


    as soon as possible.


    He examined the human snake again, murmuring, "Currently, the corpse energy in this


    human snake has reached its limit. To continue refining it with corpse energy, we must find a way to forcefully stimte the human snake''s life force."


    Liu Jiang asked, "Sect Leader, is it possible to give the human snake a Lifesaving Elixir to hold


    on to itsst bit of vitality and forcefullyplete the refinement?"


    Fang Pengyi shook his head.


    "The effect of the Lifesaving Elixirsts only half an hour, and it cannot be taken repeatedly in


    a short time. It would be impossible toplete the refinement in such a short period."


    "The Sect Leader, perhaps we could try using the Ziyun Mushroom," Rong Jingyun suddenly


    suggested.


    The Ziyun Mushroom is a rare and precious third-tier healing herb known for its remarkable ability to stimte a cultivator''s life force.


    However, Ziyun Mushrooms are scarce and expensive, making them difficult to obtain.


    Fang Pengyi''s eyes lit up upon hearing this.


    "The Ziyun Mushroom! It might really be able to save the human snake''s life. You three stay


    here for a while; I will go get it."


    With that, Fang Pengyi disappeared into the cave.


    In less than a quarter of an hour, Fang Pengyi returned to Song Wen''s cave, bringing with him


    a jade box.


    "Elder Wu, I just went to the Medicine Peak and exchanged for a Ziyun Mushroom. After giving it to the human snake, you should immediately start the corpse refinement. The three


    of us will stand by to assist. If any idents happen, we will act promptly to help."


    Seeing Song Wen nod in agreement, Fang Pengyi opened the Six-Hexagram Demon-Locking Array, drawing the human snake out from its pit.


    Then, he fed the Ziyun Mushroom to the human snake.


    He also channeled his spiritual energy to help the human snake refine the Ziyun Mushroom.


    In an instant, the life force of the human snake rapidly increased. Even the withered scales


    regained some luster.


    "Elder Wu, hurry!" Fang Pengyi urged.


    Song Wen immediately sat cross-legged, channeling his spiritual power to draw the human


    snake into the corpse-raising coffin and began the refinement.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 311: Success and Rewards

    Chapter 311: Sess and Rewards


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    During this corpse refinement, Song Wen was very careful and cautious. Moreover, with Fang Pengyi and the others watching nearby, he intentionally slowed down the pace of the refinement.


    It took a full four days toplete this corpse refinement.


    Arge amount of corpse energy was injected, and after taking the Ziyun Mushroom to restore vitality, it was once again dispersed by the corpse energy.


    The human snake''s body trembled violently, clearly enduring immense pain.


    The luster on its scales gradually faded, reced by a dead, dull gray.


    In the human snake''s vertical pupils, there was a mixture of pain and hatred, as if it were using the heavens of injustice.


    The four people beside it, however, had expressions of joy.


    Completing another corpse refinement meant they were one step closer to achieving full Mystic Qi.


    "It seems that after one or two more refinements, the Mystic Qi will fill the entire snake body," Fang Pengyi said, his face unable to hide his excitement.


    He then asked Song Wen, "Elder Wu, when do you think the next refinement would be appropriate?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Song Wen replied, "The human snake''s life force is increasingly fragile, and its body is taking longer to adapt to the corpse energy. The next refinement will likely need to wait two months."


    Fang Pengyi murmured, "Two months? That''s quite a while. For the sake of caution, let''s go with what you said. Remember to notify the three of us in advance for the next refinement. We will protect you."


    Five monthster.


    Under the watchful eyes of Fang Pengyi and the others, Song Wen conducted the neenth corpse refinement on the human snake.


    The refinement process was quite perilous, as the human snake''s life force fluctuated at times.


    If Fang Pengyi and the others had not been present, as soon as the human snake''s life signs began to weaken, they would immediately give it the Ziyun Mushroom to forcefully keep it alive. Otherwise, the human snake would likely have already turned into a cold corpse.


    "Ha!"


    After several days of continuous corpse refinement, Song Wen let out a long sigh of relief.


    This refinement took even more focus and energy than making a fake third-tier silver corpse, leaving Song Wen feeling exhausted with a tired expression.


    However, despite the arduous process, the oue was gratifying.


    The human snake''s physical body had less than three inches of its tail remaining that was not covered by Mystic Qi.


    Song Wen estimated that he just needed to wait a few days for the corpse energy and life force in the human snake to slowly merge, allowing its body to naturally achieve full Mystic Qi.


    Ten dayster.


    As Song Wen had expected, the human snake''s entire body was filled with Mystic Qi.


    After receiving the message from Song Wen through themunication jade slip, Fang Pengyi''s face was filled with wild joy.


    He could not wait to take out a jade slip and send out a message.


    A few momentster.


    Yang Yu''s figure appeared in Song Wen''s cave.


    Upon seeing the condition of the human snake, even though Yang Yu was a Nascent Soul strongman, a hint of excitement shed in his eyes.


    "I didn''t expect that you from the Alchemy Peak really seeded. Full Mystic Qi, excellent."


    Fang Pengyi slightly bowed, his respectful demeanor unable to conceal his surprise.


    "Reporting to the Supreme Elder, this is all thanks to Elder Wu. Not only is he gifted in corpse refinement, but he has also tirelessly guarded and cared for the human snake''s mysterious corpse, not daring to rx for a moment. After years of effort, he finally seeded in allowing the human snake to achieve full Mystic Qi."


    Song Wen also put on an excited expression, bowing with cupped fists and saying, "Reporting to the Supreme Elder, the human snake''s mysterious corpse achieving full Mystic Qi is mainly due to Sect Leader Fang''s strategies. He has assisted the disciples in refining corpses many


    times."


    "There are also Elders Liu Jiang and Rong Jingyun, who contributed significantly. I have only done a small part, not worthy of Sect Leader Fang''s praise."


    Fang Pengyi turned his head, gratefully looking at Song Wen.


    He was very pleased with Song Wen''s words.


    Unlike some who only understood hard work and were clueless about human emotions and rtionships, Song Wen was quite articte.


    Yang Yu nodded slightly upon hearing this.


    "Rest assured, your contributions will not go unrecognized."


    "Fang Pengyi, I once promised that I would select the next sect leader from the first peak to


    achieve full Mystic Qi."


    "After ten years, Zhu Feichen will step down as sect leader, and you will be the next sect


    leader."


    Fang Pengyi was extremely excited and bowed deeply with cupped fists.


    "Thank you, Supreme Elder."


    Yang Yu then turned to Song Wen.


    "Elder Wu, the refinement of the human snake''s mysterious corpse and the integration of Mystic Qi arergely due to your efforts. Given your current low cultivation level, I bestow upon you some spiritual stones and treasures, hoping they will assist you in condensing your


    Golden Core."


    As he spoke, Yang Yu handed Song Wen a storage ring.


    "Thank you for the treasures, Supreme Elder."


    Yang Yu continued, "Currently, there is only one human snake that has achieved full Mystic


    Qi, which is still insufficient."


    "Elder Wu, you need to continue refining corpses. The more human snakes with full Mystic Qi,


    the better."


    "Fang Pengyi, you are responsible for gathering the necessary spiritual materials for the


    corpse refinement."


    "There''s no rush on this; you can take your time with the refinement."


    Song Wen and Fang Pengyi bowed in response.


    "Disciples obey."


    Yang Yu nodded.


    Then, he took the human snake with full Mystic Qi and disappeared into the cave.


    After Yang Yu left, Song Wen and Fang Pengyi exchangedpliments for a while.


    During this time, Song Wen got distracted and probed his spiritual sense into the storage ring.


    Inside the storage ring, there were only two items.


    One was spiritual stones-thirty high-grade spiritual stones.


    Theoretically, they were worth thirty thousand low-grade spiritual stones.


    However, in reality, very few people would exchange high-grade spiritual stones for medium


    or low-grade ones.


    High-grade spiritual stones contain more pure and concentrated spiritual energy and are often used to arrange formations of third tier or higher, or during breakthroughs.


    The second item was a silver token, engraved with the character ''Merit.''


    Unsure of the token''s purpose, Song Wen held it in his hand, looking confused as he asked,


    "Sect Leader Fang, what is the use of this token?"


    Fang Pengyi, who was immersed in thoughts of soon bing the sect leader, nced at the


    token in Song Wen''s hand, slightly startled.


    "This is the sect''s merit token. There are three types of merit tokens: bronze, silver, and gold, corresponding to the Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core stages, respectively."


    "The silver merit token allows you to ess all techniques, secret arts, texts, insights, and


    methods rted to the Foundation Establishment stage in the sect without spending contribution points."


    "In other words, with this token, you won''t need contribution points anymore."


    Song Wen''s eyes lit up.


    With this silver merit token, he could exchange for Foundation Establishment techniques,


    insights from the sect''s predecessors about beast taming, and all second-tier techniques.


    Suddenly, Song Wen thought of something and asked, "Can I exchange for the Golden Core technique of ''Longevity Technique''?"


    Fang Pengyi replied, "Unfortunately not. The Golden Core technique of ''Longevity Technique'' is a third-tier technique and is not included in the exchanges for the silver merit


    token."


    He then asked in return, "Is Elder Wu cultivating ''Longevity Technique''?"


    Seeing Song Wen nod, Fang Pengyi continued, "This was included as a little token of


    appreciation for your help in helping me ascend to the position of sect leader."


    "Thank you, Sect Leader." Song Wen''s expression was filled with excitement as he cupped his


    fists in gratitude.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 312: Heading to the Secret Realm

    Chapter 312: Heading to the Secret Realm


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen cupped his fists and spoke to Fang Pengyi.


    "Peak Master, recently, I have had a sudden insight that my cultivation is about to break through the early stage of Foundation Establishment. I would like to take a leave of absence for a while to enter seclusion and cultivate."


    Fang Pengyi replied, "A breakthrough in cultivation is a good thing. You can rest assured and go into seclusion."


    Song Wen expressed some concerns, saying, "I''m just worried that this will dy the refinement of the human snake''s Mystic Qi."


    Fang Pengyi said, "The refinement of the human snake''s Mystic Qi is not something that can be rushed. The Supreme Elder has also instructed that there is no need to hurry. The First Supreme Elder will not me you for such a small matter. Moreover, with your cultivation improving, refining the human snake''s Mystic Qi will also be more effective."


    Yang Yu made it clear that there is no urgency regarding the refinement of the human snake''s Mystic Qi.


    This indicated that for the time being, Song Wen would not need the ''Xuan Qi'' from the human snake''s corpse.


    Therefore, the urgency of Song Wen''s request significantly diminished.


    While Song Wen was indeed skilled in corpse refining, it did not mean that others could not learn the methods of corpse refining.


    As long as they are given enough time toprehend some secret techniques of corpse refining and diligently cultivate, many cultivators can achieve decent skills in corpse refining.


    The next day.


    Fang Pengyi delivered the Golden Core technique of "Longevity Technique."


    Meanwhile, Song Wen was busy makingrge purchases on the Medicine Peak to prepare for his so-called "seclusion."


    The reason he imed to be entering seclusion was to increase his visible cultivation level to the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    This was to prepare for entering the Cann Secret Realm.


    After all, entering the Cann Secret Realm with the early Foundation Establishment cultivation level was too low and would attract unwanted attention.


    Having a mid Foundation Establishment cultivation level, while still rtively low among many cultivators entering the Cann Secret Realm, would at least not seem too conspicuous.


    Each time the secret realm opens, there are always cultivators whose cultivation has long been stuck at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, unable to break through, who take the risk to enter the Cann Secret Realm seeking opportunities for a breakthrough.


    Song Wen was entering the Cann Secret Realm primarily to obtain the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch and Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid.


    He had acquired the method to refine the Golden Core and insights into the process using the silver merit token.


    The Golden Core can increase the probability of forming a Golden Core by 30%, which greatly excited Song Wen, and he nned to try refining a Golden Core himself.


    To refine a Golden Core, he needed to gather the required spiritual herbs for the refinement.


    The Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, as a key ingredient for forming the Golden Core, is extremely rare and is not nted in the Beastmaster Sect''s herb fields.


    In addition,


    With the silver merit token, Song Wen also obtained insights left by the predecessors of the Beastmaster Sect regarding forming a Golden Core.


    The process of a cultivator forming a Golden Core can be roughly divided into three stages.


    First, the spiritual energy stored in the core field needs to be converted into mana.


    This process requires arge amount of spiritual energy and typically uses high-grade spiritual stones or spiritual herbs that contain abundant spiritual energy for provision.


    The Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid is undoubtedly the best choice.


    Next, the mana is condensed into a Golden Core.


    The Golden Core is ingested during this process.


    Finally, in thest stage of condensing the Golden Core, the vast majority of cultivators will experience a heart tribtion.


    The so-called heart tribtion is a trial of the cultivator''s heart and nature.


    Oveing the heart tribtion leads to a significant increase in spiritual consciousness and advancing to the Golden Core stage.


    If one cannot sessfully ovee the heart tribtion, the lighter ones will suffer injuries, and their cultivation will regress; the more severe cases will be burned by fire and fall into demonic paths, resulting in death.


    The urrence of heart tribtion is not absolute.


    Some individuals with strong wills or those who have nevermitted acts of ughter and


    are purely benevolent may not experience a heart tribtion.


    Overall, the number of people who form a Golden Core without experiencing heart tribtion


    is exceedingly rare.


    After ten months, Song Wen emerged from seclusion.


    He revealed his cultivation aura, now at the mid Foundation Establishment stage.


    During these ten months, Song Wen continuously refined and consumed Blood Spiritual Pills, which further advanced his cultivation.


    However, there was still a considerable gap to thete Foundation Establishment stage bottleneck.


    As soon as Song Wen left seclusion, he went straight to the human snake cave to see Liu Jiang.


    During Song Wen''s time in seclusion, Liu Jiang had temporarily taken charge of the human snake cave.


    Seeing that Song Wen had sessfully emerged from seclusion, Liu Jiang intended to report


    to Fang Pengyi and return the management of the human snake cave back to Song Wen.


    Liu Jiang was skilled in nurturing human snakes, but he knew very little about the process of corpse refining.


    He found managing the refinement of the human snake''s Mystic Qi to be quite challenging.


    However, Liu Jiang''s request was halted by Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s reason was that he had just made a breakthrough and still needed some time to


    solidify his cultivation.


    The real reason is that in three months, the Cann Secret Realm will open, and Song Wen has temporarily lost interest in managing the Human-Snake Cave.


    After leaving the Human-Snake Cave, Song Wen arrived at the Xuan Alchemy Room.


    Although he had obtained the form for the Foundation Establishment Pill and insights on alchemy, what he learned from books felt insufficient.


    While the alchemists in the Xuan Alchemy Room had never refined the Foundation Establishment Pill, many of them had used the various spiritual herbs involved in its


    refinement.


    He nned to ask them for advice on the extraction and fusion methods of these herbs.


    As soon as he arrived at the Xuan Alchemy Room, he encountered Zhou Siyi.


    "Junior Brother Wu, you''vee out of seclusion?" Zhou Siyi eximed with surprise.


    After noticing Song Wen''s cultivation aura, she continued, "You''ve broken through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage! That''s great!"


    Song Wen smiled and replied, "I just broke through, and my cultivation is not yet fully


    stable."


    After chatting for a few moments with Zhou Siyi, Song Wen took his leave, though he seemed


    a bit reluctant.


    Three monthster.


    On the main peak of the Beastmaster Sect.


    In a small square, fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators had gathered.


    These individuals were volunteers from various peaks of the Beastmaster Sect who wished to


    enter the Cann Secret Realm.


    As soon as Song Wennded in the square, two people approached him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Elder Wu, are you also going to enter the Cann Secret Realm?"


    Rong Jingyun looked quite surprised.


    Beside her was herpanion, Heng Cheng.


    Entering the Cann Secret Realm was entirely voluntary, and the sect did not force anyone


    to participate.


    Anything obtained within the secret realm, apart from the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch,


    would belong to the individual.


    Before this, Song Wen had not expressed to anyone his intention to enter the secret realm.


    Thus, Rong Jingyun was so surprised to see him wanting to enter.


    Song Wen sped his fists and replied, "Greetings, Elder Rong and Elder Heng. I was just a


    loose cultivator before and never had the opportunity to enter any secret realm. This time, since the Cann Secret Realm is opening, I''m curious and want to see it for myself."


    "The secret realm is filled with powerful beasts and numerous dangers. You must also remain


    vignt against threats from other cultivators. Elder Wu, please consider this carefully," Rong Jingyun advised.


    Song Wen replied, "I''m merely curious about the existence of the secret realm. If I encounter


    any beasts or cultivators, I''ll avoid them from a distance. I don''t think it will cause any


    trouble."


    Song Wen feigned ignorance of the harsh realities of the cultivation world.


    Rong Jingyun shook her head and did not continue to persuade him.


    Due to their past interactions in the Human-Snake Cave and the benefits Song Wen''s corpse


    refining technique had brought her, she had spoken out of concern. Since he didn''t seem to appreciate her advice, she chose not to press further.


    Heng Cheng was not well acquainted with Song Wen; he merely nodded in goodwill as a form


    of greeting.


    Song Wen noticed that there were other familiar faces in the square.


    Feng Qi and Leng Tianlu.


    Behind the two, there was also a person wearing an iron mask.


    The mask concealed the person''s aura and blocked spiritual perception, making it difficult to


    sense their cultivation level or appearance.


    However, Song Wen felt a hint of familiarity in the person''s figure.


    Moreover, the way the masked individual looked at him was filled with malice.


    This left Song Wen feeling somewhat puzzled.


    He didn''t seem to have any deep-seated enmity within the Beastmaster Sect.


    About half a quarter of an hourter, the time reached noon.


    A hunched figure appeared in the air above the square.


    It was Tu Lian.


    Looking at the fourteen people in the square, Tu Lian said, "The agreed departure time has


    arrived. You all follow me aboard the ship."


    As soon as she finished speaking, a flying ship over thirty meters long suddenly appeared


    before her.


    Everyone flew up and boarded the ship.


    The ship sped westward.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 313: Tensions Rising!

    Chapter 313: Tensions Rising!


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The flying ship moved at great speed.


    In just two days, it crossed tens of thousands of miles.


    They arrived above argeke.


    As the flying ship approached, three other ships hovered over theke''s surface.


    Looking at the gs hanging from the ships, it was easy to see that these belonged to the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, He Huan Sect, and the Mixed Yuan temple.


    Upon seeing the flying ship of the Beastmaster Sect arrive, a figure emerged from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect''s ship.


    Dressed in fiery red, the figure fluttered like mes.


    It was Yan Yuyan.


    "Tu Lian, I didn''t expect us to meet again here; it really is a narrow path for enemies."


    Tu Lian''s aged face appeared extremely sinister.


    "Yan Yuyan, it''s you again. Ourst battle ended without a victor; today we shall fight again and determine who is superior."


    "Are you afraid?"


    Yan Yuyan''s eyes flickered with a sword-like gleam.


    "Fellow Taoists, please do not get angry. We are all righteous sects; let''s not act recklessly," said a monk who stepped out from the Mixed Yuan temple''s ship.


    The monk''s demeanor was peaceful, with apassionate expression.


    Tu Lian''s expression was icy as she nced at the monk, a strange smile curling at the corner of her mouth.


    "Old bald donkey Huiming, this is a matter between our Beastmaster Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. There''s no need for your Mixed Yuan temple to meddle."


    "Now, Mixed Yuan temple is a y bodhisattva crossing the river; how can you still have the energy toe here to interfere with the Cann Secret Realm?"


    Two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Mixed Yuan temple were severely injured during the battle between good and evil and had not healed, which severely weakened the temple''s power.


    Moreover, the Mixed Yuan temple bordered the Nine Pces Sect.


    The territory controlled by the Mixed Yuan temple was often disturbed by the Nine Pces Sect and some demonic cultivators.


    Numerous spirit fields and mines under the Mixed Yuan temple had been frequently plundered.


    When Tu Lian said "Mixed Yuan temple can hardly protect itself," she referred to these matters.


    Facing Tu Lian''s mockery, Huiming maintained his calm demeanor.


    "Tu Lian, I advise you not to speak ill."


    Tu Lian sneered coldly.


    "Advise? You bald donkeys are the most hypocritical; you say one thing to our face and another behind our backs. I wouldn''t dare trust your ''advice.""


    Seeing Tu Lian and Huiming in a dispute, Yan Yuyan simply withdrew her aura and stood to the side, leisurely watching the show.


    At this moment, another flying ship appeared in the distance, rushing toward thergeke.


    On the ship, arge ck g flew, emzoned with a silver character for "Thunder."


    Upon seeing the Lei family''s ship appear, Yan Yuyan''s body tensed slightly, and her expression grew serious.


    Before the Lei family''s ship even arrived, a white-haired figure shot out from the vessel, stopping not far from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect''s ship.


    "Yan Yuyan, I didn''t expect us to meet again so soon," the neer said.


    The person was Lei Jun, the head of the Lei family.


    He had previously teamed up with Yan Yuyan to besiege Wu Ren at the Corpse Demon Sect.


    TL: Refer to Chapter 138


    When Lei Jun looked at Yan Yuyan, the killing intent in his eyes was unmistakable.


    At some point, a deep enmity had formed between the two.


    Yan Yuyan gazed at Lei Jun, her expression a mix of amusement and mockery.


    "Head Lei, your family''s only Nascent Soul cultivator has yet to recover. Do you still want to provoke the Profound Heaven Sword Sect?"


    Lei Jun retorted angrily, "This is our personal grudge, unrted to the Lei family or the Profound Heaven Sword Sect."


    "Personal grudge! Do you really think I would be afraid of you?" Yan Yuyan said.


    Tu Lian and Huiming continued their heated argument.


    The tension between Lei Jun and Yan Yuyan was like water and fire.


    Tu Lian and Yan Yuyan also had old grievances.


    Before the exploration of the secret realm even began, the powerful leaders of various sects,


    who were hosting the event, were already at loggerheads.


    This created an invisible pressure among the foundation-building cultivators who hade


    to explore the secret realm.


    At that moment, a graceful figure stepped out from the He Huan Sect''s ship.


    "Everyone, the Cann Secret Realm is about to open. Is it really necessary for the four of you


    to fight each other before allowing the foundation-building cultivators from each sect to enter the secret realm for exploration?"


    This woman was dressed in a pce gown, her chest wrapped low, and her ample curves were


    quite apparent.


    Her hair flowed like a waterfall, and her enchanting eyes sparkled with charm.


    Huiming turned to look at the graceful woman without shifting his gaze.


    "Fairy Shu Qing makes a valid point."


    Tu Lian nced at Shu Qing''s voluptuous figure, then at her own shriveled and corpse-like


    body, a hint of jealousy shing in her eyes, which was hard to conceal.


    She coldly said, "Huiming, you bald donkey, not only are you hypocritical, but you also vite the precepts of lust."


    "Desire is human nature; it is fundamental to the survival and reproduction of humankind. Our Buddhist teachings also have the Joyful Dharma, which aligns perfectly with the dual cultivation practices of the He Huan Sect. How can there be talk of ''viting the precepts''?"


    Huiming didn''t try to deny it and openly admitted his lustful thoughts.


    Shu Qing covered her mouth andughed, her expression blooming like a flower, charming


    and coy.


    "Oh? Master actually understands the Joyful Dharma! Once this matter is settled, would you


    be willing to exchange cultivation insights with me?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Huiming, with apassionate face, ced one hand on his chest and formed a Buddhist


    seal.


    "I have that intention. Thank you, fair maiden, for your kindness."


    Tu Lian curled her lip in disgust.


    "Hmph! Shameless."


    After saying this, she turned and flew toward the Beastmaster Sect''s ship, no longer paying


    attention to Huiming and Shu Qing.


    On the other side, Yan Yuyan and Lei Jun remained in a standoff, showing no signs of easing


    up despite Shu Qing''s appearance.


    "Is it really necessary for you two to fight before the secret realm opens?"


    Yan Yuyan said, "I have no such intention, but since Head Lei is being so arrogant, I have no


    choice but to ept the challenge."


    Lei Jun replied, "Yan Yuyan, after this secret realm expedition is over, I will not let you off


    easily. You won''t have the chance to escape this time."


    After speaking, he red fiercely at Yan Yuyan twice before turning back to his ship.


    Shu Qing flew next to Yan Yuyan andmunicated with her through sound.


    "Sister Yu Yan, when did you offend that old coot from the Lei family? He looks like he wants


    to swallow you whole."


    Yan Yuyan replied, "It was just two years ago when I borrowed a technique from him."


    "What technique did you steal from the Lei family?" Shu Qing asked.


    "The Lei family''s Thunder techniques, but only the first four Thunder methods," Yan Yuyan


    responded.


    Shu Qing gave a thumbs up. "You dared to steal from the Lei family''s Nine Great Thunder techniques! Aren''t you afraid that their old Nascent Soul cultivator will heal ande after


    you?"


    "Well, that has to wait until he recovers. By then, at worst, I can hide within the sect and note out. I don''t believe that the Lei family would dare forcefully demand someone from the


    Profound Heaven Sword Sect."


    "Why did you steal the Thunder techniques? I remember your talent for Thunder techniques


    is just average."


    Suddenly, a brilliant light shed in Yan Yuyan''s eyes, and a surge of strong confidence


    erupted from her.


    "A sword formation, a sword formation that can wield Thunder techniques."


    Upon hearing this, Shu Qing couldn''t help but nce sideways.


    Integrating Thunder techniques into a sword formation?


    She had never heard of such a unique sword formation.


    In the cultivation world, there were some sword formations that contained Thunder


    techniques, but those were based on the fact that the swords used to set up the formation contained lightning themselves.


    The difference between the two was still quite significant.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 314: The Pathfinding Rat

    Chapter 314: The Pathfinding Rat


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    On the Beastmaster Sect''s airship.


    Tu Lian stood coldly, observing.


    Before her, fourteen Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Beastmaster Sect bowed respectfully.


    "The Cann Secret Realm will only remain open for one month. This means you must exit the secret realm within that time, or you''ll be trapped inside until the next opportunity to leave arrives-fifty years from now. Of course, with your cultivation levels, I doubt you would survive fifty years in the secret realm."


    "All treasures obtained within the secret realm, except for the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, are yours to keep."


    "As for the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, it must be handed over to the sect, where it will be used by a third-grade alchemist to refine a Golden Core Pill. You will receive forty percent of the resulting pills."


    One must admit, the Beastmaster Sect treated its Foundation Establishment cultivators quite well.


    Refining a Golden Core Pill required a significant amount of rare medicinal ingredients, but the sect provided all the auxiliary herbs and was responsible for the pill refinement, while still distributing forty percent of the pills to the cultivators. It was an exceptionally generous offer.


    A single batch of Golden Core Pills typically produced two to three pills.


    In other words, of the fourteen people on the airship, whoever managed to obtain a Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch was guaranteed at least one Golden Core Pill, assuming the pill refinement seeded.


    This prospect excited the fourteen cultivators, and their spirits were lifted.


    Seeing this, a trace of cold amusement flickered in Tu Lian''s eyes.


    While the Foundation Establishment disciples might profit from this, the sect would never lose out.


    As long as someone brought back a Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, the sect would gain a Golden Core Pill.


    No sooner had Tu Lian finished speaking than a change urred below theke''s surface.


    The previously calm water began to ripple, the ripples growing into waves.


    The surging waves flooded theke, as if someone had stirred the water with a giant stick.


    A torrential flood ensued!


    Gradually, a massive whirlpool formed in the center of theke.


    "The entrance to the secret realm is open! If you don''t go in now, when will you?"


    A loud voice echoed in the sky.


    The Foundation Establishment cultivators from the five major forces disembarked from the airship and descended toward the whirlpool.


    After a dizzying sensation of spinning, Song Wen found himself alone in a dense forest.


    The towering trees blotted out the sky, casting the forest in dim light.


    Instinctively, upon arriving in this unfamiliar ce, Song Wen extended his spiritual sense.


    However, he quickly realized that his spiritual sense could only reach a hundred meters before it was blocked.


    It should be noted that Song Wen''s spiritual sense was already at the peak for Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    This meant that everyone in this secret realm would be limited to detecting things within a hundred-meter radius.


    Cultivators could only control their magical weapons at a distance by attaching their spiritual sense to them.


    In this situation, Song Wen could only control his magical weapons freely within a hundred- meter range.


    Beyond that, his weapons would merely follow inertia and attack in a set direction.


    Song Wen released his Sacred Gu insect.


    With the insect''s help, Song Wen could barely extend his awareness to around four hundred meters.


    This range was still limited, so he let the Sacred Gu roam freely, tasked with returning to report if it encountered anything unusual.


    After the Sacred Gu confirmed there were no immediate threats, Song Wen ascended into the


    air, reaching the top of the dense forest.


    What he saw was an endless sea of trees.


    The forest was t, resembling a massive woond in.


    To his right, he could vaguely make out the shadow of a towering mountain.


    This mountain was the only one within the Cann Secret Realm a was known to be a gathering ce for spiritual herbs.


    That wasn''t to say the t forestcked any spiritual herbs, but most of them were low-grade herbs, not worth the attention of Foundation Establishment cultivators.


    Moreover, these low-grade herbs were scattered far and wide, making them difficult to find


    with spiritual sense restricted.


    Song Wen stepped onto his flying sword and soared toward the mountain.


    But despite two hours of sword flight, covering several thousand li, he could still only see the


    faint outline of the mountain in the distance.


    At this moment, the sky began to darken.


    Mist started to rise gradually within the dense forest.


    Moreover, the mist was growing thicker and thicker.


    From the information he had gathered beforehand, Song Wen knew this signaled the


    approaching night in the Cann Secret Realm.


    Like the outside world, the secret realm had a day-night cycle, and at night, dense fog would


    shroud the entire realm.


    Traveling at night in the secret realm was not advisable.


    With bad luck, one could easily encounter predatory beasts or other cultivators.


    Song Wen descended from his sword,nding in the thick crown of a tree.


    He suppressed his aura and began meditating to recover his energy.


    Darkness gradually fell.


    The dense fog and night enveloped the entire forest, obscuring itpletely.


    Looking around, there was nothing but endless darkness and mist, and even things just a few


    meters away were barely visible.


    Fortunately, the mist did not interfere with his spiritual sense, which could still detect


    everything within a hundred meters.


    Suddenly.


    A violent surge of spiritual energy came from ahead.


    asionally, there were also loud booming sounds.


    Someone was fighting up ahead!


    And they weren''t far away, no more than twenty or thirty li from him.


    Song Wen sent his Sacred Gu insect ahead to scout the area while he quietly followed behind,


    heading toward the source of the battle.


    He had just traveled a few li.


    Suddenly, one of his scouting Sacred Gu insects flew back to him.


    It was dragging along a rat-like demonic beast.


    The rat beast was quite small, about half a foot in length, and was already dead.


    The rat beast''s body still had traces of strong human aura, clearly showing that it had been


    raised by a cultivator and released to scout ahead.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Unfortunately, it had run into the Sacred Gu and was killed.


    This confirmed that other cultivators had been drawn to the battle up ahead.


    The rat beast''s corpse ultimately became food for the Sacred Gu.


    Song Wen called back the other scouting Sacred Gu insects and had them remain vignt


    within the range of his spiritual sense. Then, he slowly advanced toward the battle.


    After traveling a few more li.


    The Sacred Gu discovered another rat beast.


    This rat beast was hiding inside a tree hollow.


    To avoid alerting the enemy, Song Wen decided not to kill it.


    The rat beast''s cultivation was low, only at the first level of Qi Refining.


    "It seems this person has raised quite a few of these rat beasts. Could they be from the


    Beastmaster Sect?" Song Wen wondered to himself.


    Given the rat beast''s low cultivation, it offered no help inbat and was likely only used for


    scouting.


    It was no secret that spiritual sense was limited within the Cann Secret Realm.


    Most cultivators would find ways to improve their detection methods.


    Thus, it was impossible to determine the owner''s sect solely based on the use of spiritual


    beasts.


    Song Wen stopped, choosing not to move forward.


    The rat beast''s owner likely had many of these scouting spirit beasts.


    Advancing recklessly might reveal his presence to the enemy.


    Although Song Wen was confident in his strength, unafraid of facing any individual in the secret realm in a one-on-one fight, the world of cultivation was full of unexpected dangers-


    traps, forbidden formations, poisons, and secret treasures, just to name a few.


    A single misstep could easily lead him into a carefullyid trap.


    Song Wen concealed his aura and climbed up arge tree, hiding within its crown.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 315: Ambush

    Chapter 315: Ambush


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Not far from where Song Wen was hiding, a few li away, three figures stood atop the treetop of arge tree.


    They were Feng Qi, Leng Tianlu, and a man wearing an iron mask.


    All three were staring intently toward the spot ten li away where intense spiritual energy fluctuations could be seen.


    Feng Qi said, "The fight over there is a bit strange. It''s been going on for a quarter of an hour, yet there''s still no victor."


    The masked man said, "My scouting rats detected at least two people entering the battle zone, but none havee out."


    Leng Tianlu remarked, "Only going in and noting out? Could there be some kind of plot?"


    Feng Qi responded, "Whatever their plot is, it has nothing to do with us. Have the scouting rats stay alert for any movement nearby. We''ll leave once daylight breaks."


    Suddenly, the masked man''s expression tightened.


    "Not good, one of my scouting rats just died."


    "Do you know what killed it?" Feng Qi asked.


    The masked man shook his head.


    "The distance is too far to sense. It was probably another cultivator drawn by the noise of the battle."


    Meanwhile, in an open clearing about ten li away from the trio.


    A beautiful female cultivatory on the ground.


    Her clothes were disheveled, exposing glimpses of her skin.


    A burly man stood several dozen meters away.


    He wore a monk''s robe, his bald head gleaming, with six burn scars visible on his scalp.


    Every few breaths, the man activated his spiritual energy and cast a fireball spell.


    A fireball the size of a basin shot out,nding near the female cultivator, sending dirt flying in all directions with a deafening boom.


    Hiding in the dense forest surrounding the clearing were five other cultivators.


    All five of them were concealing their auras, hidden among the tree crowns.


    "Other than those


    fools the start, we''ve been lying i


    for nearly a quarter of


    an hour. It seems unlikely anyone else will take the bait," the woman lying on the ground


    said.


    The burly man remained silent for a moment before speaking.


    "We should indeed leave this ce now. If we stay too long, someone might notice something''s off."


    The woman flipped herself off the ground, dusted the dirt off her clothes, and disappeared into the forest.


    The burly man removed his monk''s robe and changed into a set of tight-fitting clothes.


    He wiped his head, and the burn scars on his scalp fell off instantly.


    In the blink of an eye, he had transformed from a monk into a robust body-refining cultivator.


    He then followed the woman into the dense forest, vanishing.


    The five cultivators hidden in the treetops also disappeared without a trace.


    ...


    The night passed in silence.


    The next morning, as the sun began to rise, it illuminated the entire secret realm.


    At the same time, it dispelled the thick fog, making the view much clearer.


    Song Wen, with a few branches stuck in his hair, stood atop the tree crown, not moving immediately.


    After about a quarter of an hour, seven cultivators flew by, riding their swords toward the direction of a distant mountain.


    After waiting for another half-hour or so, three more figures flew past a few li away, heading in the same direction toward the mountain.


    Song Wen watched as Feng Qi and the others disappeared into the distance, staring for a long time.


    Even after their figures hadpletely vanished from his sight, Song Wen still did not leave. He waited for nearly half an hour longer, but saw no other figures appear.


    Only then did Song Wen release the Sacred Gu to scout ahead. After that, he quickly slipped into the dense forest, flying through the trees on his sword.


    He flew through the dense forest for two days before finally arriving near the mountain.


    This mountain was the highest andrgest peak Song Wen had ever seen.


    Even the Corpse Demon Peak, with its hundred thousand disciples, was not as towering as this


    mountain.


    It stood majestically, piercing the clouds, resembling a giant that loomed between heaven


    and earth.


    The mountain was covered with countless forests and streams, intricately intertwined.


    Most of the mountain peak was shrouded in clouds and mist, sometimes revealing a jagged corner and at other timespletely disappearing into the vast sea of clouds.


    When the winds rose and clouds surged, the peak appeared even more imposing, as if it were a ferocious beast about to awaken, instilling fear in those who looked upon it.


    Surrounding the foot of the mountain were severalkes of varying sizes.


    In one of thekes, several dozen li across, two gigantic beasts were locked in fiercebat.


    One was a tiger over ten feet long, sporting wings on its back.


    The other was a crocodile dragon several feet in length.


    The crocodile dragon was covered in thick, shiny scales that emitted a cold gleam.


    Its tail and limbs were powerful; each swing could stir up towering waves.


    The crocodile dragon swung its thick tail, attempting to sweep the tiger into the water.


    The tiger was agile and quick, its wings shimmering with a bluish light.


    With a gentle p of its wings, it traced a graceful arc in the air, skillfully avoiding the


    crocodile''s attacks.


    It leapt high at times and dove down at others, its ws like des, fiercely striking at the


    giant crocodile.


    The two beasts wrestled in theke, neither gaining the upper hand.


    The crocodile dragon, relying on its strong defense and striking power, continuously pressured the tiger, while the tiger cleverly dodged and counterattacked with its speed and


    agility.


    Ultimately, the crocodile dragon, leveraging its advantage in the water, sessfully drove


    the tiger back.


    The tiger let out an unwilling roar, spilling a great deal of blood as it pped its wings and


    flew high into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.


    The crocodile dragon fixed its gaze on the direction the tiger had vanished, slowly


    submerging its body into theke.


    The battle between the two third-grade demon beasts attracted the attention of many


    external cultivators.


    At least twenty or thirty people, including Song Wen, were aware of the two beasts'' fight.


    These people regarded theke and the misty mountain peak as forbidden areas.


    The territory of third-grade demon beasts was not something these foundational cultivators could intrude upon.


    Once the two beasts finished fighting, the hidden cultivators began to reveal themselves.


    At the foot of the high mountain, there were huge entrances located to the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest.


    These entrances were ten zhang high (33.33m or 109.35ft), all leading into the mountain''s


    interior.


    Cultivators either flew high above or sneaked through the dense forest, almost all heading toward these four entrances.


    After waiting for an hour without seeing any cultivators nearby, Song Wen dashed toward the


    nearest entrance.


    The entrance was built with grandeur and regtion, but countless years had passed, leaving


    it in ruins.


    The once smooth ground had be severely cracked and broken.


    Stepping into the entrance, the surroundings abruptly turned pitch ck.


    Moreover, with his spiritual sense restricted, Song Wen could only release the Sacred Gu to


    guard his front and back.


    The passage was winding and inclined downward.


    After walking a short distance, Song Wen suddenly felt a sensation of being spied upon.


    Looking up, he noticed two bats hidden in the crevices of the passage''s ceiling, without any spiritual energy aura.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    These ordinary bats were kept by a cultivator for reconnaissance.


    Since they emitted no spiritual energy, Song Wen had subconsciously overlooked them.


    Being spied upon by ordinary birds and beasts was indeed quite unexpected.


    At that moment.


    From the dark passage ahead, dozens of ck needles, thin as hairs, silently shot toward Song


    Wen like the wind.


    If it hadn''t been for the Sacred Gu extending Song Wen''s spiritual sense range to four hundred


    meters, he might not have even had time to summon a defensive barrier upon realizing the


    threat.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 316: True Monk and False Monk

    Chapter 316: True Monk and False Monk


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The ambush wasunched from several hundred meters away, suddenly initiating a surprise attack.


    This distance exceeded the perception range of the ambush, and the ambusher was unable to control the numerous needles as if they were extensions of their own limbs.


    Some needles, during their flight, embedded themselves into the tunnel''s rock walls.


    However, the vast majority of the needles urately shot toward Song Wen.


    With a thought, Song Wen summoned the Turtle-Snake Shield.


    As the Turtle-Snake Shield transformed into a sizerge enough to protect Song Wen, the needles were already upon him.


    At the moment the needles made contact with the shield, they emitted a series of crisp ringing sounds, akin to plucking the strings of a zither.


    All the needles were blocked by the shield and fell to the ground.


    Song Wen raised his hand and waved out several streams of spiritual energy.


    The spiritual energy swept up the ck needles, which flew like arrows released from a bow, heading into the dark tunnel behind Song Wen.


    These ck needles were evidently a spiritual tool of a certain cultivator, but at this moment, they were beyond the perception range of the ambusher, rendering them unable to control the needles.


    To be cautious and avoid the possibility of the needles being recalled by the opponent, Song Wen simply threw them far away.


    At that moment, Song Wen sensed a bald man entering his perception range.


    This man wore a cassock, had a scar on his head, and was dressed like a monk.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Following closely behind him were four men and two women, a total of six people who also entered his perception range.


    These seven individuals moved quickly, rapidly swooping toward Song Wen.


    The bald man wore an expression of surprise.


    "Eh! My Dragon Whisker Needles have all missed!"


    Song Wen''s expression turned cold.


    How unlucky! Before he could find any spirit herbs, he encountered a group of robbers.


    Just after entering the secret realm, these seven had begun ambushing other cultivators.


    It was clear that they had premeditated their actions before entering the secret realm.


    Their purpose for entering the secret realm was not to seek spirit herbs but to rob other cultivators.


    There were a total of seven of them, all at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Without using the Silver Corpse and Ghost King, it would be difficult for Song Wen to deal with all seven.


    This ce was too close to the entrance of the tunnel, and other cultivators could pass by at any time, making it unsuitable to use the Silver Corpse and Ghost King, as there was a risk of exposure.


    Leaving behind four Sacred Gus hidden in the crevices of the tunnel, Song Wen transformed into an afterimage and retreated.


    After retreating for several dozen meters, the two Sacred Gus responsible for monitoring movements behind him sent back news.


    There were also peopleing from behind.


    Three monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple approached with fierce strides, their expressions quite unfriendly.


    One of the monks had several tiny holes punctured in his face.


    His entire face had turned ck, clearly indicating he was poisoned.


    However, the holes weren''t deep, and the toxins hadn''t entered his body; he had forced them


    out using his spiritual power.


    "Which idiot threw poison needles!"


    The poisoned monk gritted his teeth and shouted angrily.


    The poison needles had been carelessly thrown by someone and were flying wildly


    everywhere.


    After turning a corner in the tunnel, he had inadvertently been struck by a few poison needles.


    All three monks were at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.


    Song Wen nced at the seven robbers in front and then at the three monks behind, his


    expression slightly astonished.


    He found himself caught between the two groups.


    After pondering for a moment, Song Wen took out a poisonous herb from his storage ring and


    swallowed it.


    In an instant, his skin turned pitch ck, as if he were deeply poisoned.


    He staggered toward the three monks.


    "Be careful, fellow cultivators! There are robbers ahead, quickly escape!"


    Song Wen appeared as a chivalrous figure, expressing concern for the safety of others as he


    loudly warned them.


    When the distance between the two sides was less than ten meters, they had already entered each other''s perception range.


    Song Wen''s attitude suddenly changed, and he shouted angrily.


    "So you are all in cahoots with the robbers! You Mixed Yuan Temple scoundrels, pretending to


    be pious and virtuous while hiding your vile deeds, burning, killing, and plundering without


    remorse."


    Song Wen''s curses left the three monks bewildered.


    After entering the secret realm, they had been acting cautiously and hadn''tmitted any evil deeds. How did they earn the reputation of being "guilty of every crime"?


    However, as the three monks saw Song Wen getting closer, they became increasingly vignt.


    A short monk raised his hand and waved, causing a cassock to fly out and hover above the three of them.


    The cassock spun continuously, releasing streams of golden light that enveloped the three


    monks.


    Golden scriptures flowed ceaselessly above the golden light.


    This cassock was evidently a defensive spiritual tool and was of very high grade.


    Noticing that Song Wen was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, the three monks'' guard rxed considerably.


    "Benefactor, this is our first meeting. Why are you cursing my Mixed Yuan Temple?" a monk


    questioned sternly.


    With only about twenty meters separating them, Song Wen came to a stop.


    The Turtle-Snake Shield spun around him continuously.


    "Humph! There are seven robbers behind me, led by a monk. Aside from you from the Mixed


    Yuan Temple, is it possible there are other monks in this secret realm..."


    Before he could finish speaking, Song Wen suddenly copsed onto the ground.


    He gasped for breath, his face contorting in extreme pain.


    It was as if he was too deeply poisoned to support himself.


    The three monks exchanged nces, each seeing the confusion in the other''s eyes.


    Could it be that there were indeed monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple colluding with other cultivators to ambush others?


    At that moment, the seven robbers from behind also closed in, entering the perception range


    of the three monks within a hundred meters.


    Upon seeing the bald-headed robber leading them, the three monks became furious.


    "Hey, you little thief! How dare you disguise yourself as a monk from my Mixed Yuan Temple, burning, killing, and plundering, tarnishing our temple''s reputation! Your crimes are unforgivable!"


    The monk who had been struck by the poison needles formed several Buddha seals in front of


    him.


    "Arhat Golden Body!"


    In an instant, golden light erupted from his body.


    His physique visibly expanded at an rming rate.


    In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a giant man over ten feet tall, with bulging


    muscles.


    The giant took stable yet swift steps, charging toward the seven robbers.


    The remaining two monks exchanged nces, a hint of helplessness on their faces as they


    watched theirrade act so recklessly.


    Although the three of them were peak Foundation Establishment cultivators and had no


    reason to fear the seven, they recognized that there was no benefit to fighting over such a trivial matter, and it wasn''t wise to escte things.


    However, since theirpanion had already acted, they couldn''t just stand by and watch.


    The short monk raised his hand.


    The cassock above them suddenly flew out and hovered above the giant monk.


    This enhanced the already dazzling golden light surrounding the giant, making him appear


    like a true Arhat descended to the mortal realm.


    At the same time, the short monk wielded a demon-suppressing staff, following closely


    behind the giant monk as they charged at the seven robbers.


    The final monk held a string of prayer beads, chanting softly as he stepped forward at a


    measured pace.


    Although his movements were slow, with each step he crossed two or three yards, appearing


    almost ghostly and very eerie.


    After copsing, Song Wen leaned against the rock wall of the tunnel.


    He looked up as the giant monk and the short monk passed by him in session.


    Following them was thest monk, who approached with a calm demeanor and apassionate expression, as if he were a revered monk.


    As he walked past Song Wen, he suddenly turned his head.


    His gaze turned sinister.


    A bloodthirsty smile lingered at the corner of his mouth.


    Apassionate high monk instantly transformed into a frenzied evil spirit.


    He gently manipted the prayer beads in his hand.


    From the beads emerged a ghostly skull.


    The skull wielded a long sword, which was rusty and worn, with a de that appeared to have


    endured countless battles and was steeped in the passage of time.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 317: Fire Lin Wood

    Chapter 317: Fire Lin Wood


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Seeing the skeletal phantom charging at him with a raised knife, Song Wen felt a bit startled.


    He had anticipated that the people from the Mixed Yuan Temple would not help others without reason.


    He feigned a deeply poisoned appearance, making himself look like a piece of meat on the chopping block, ready to be ughtered. The other party clearly wanted to take the opportunity to ambush him and reap some benefits.


    However, the fact that the opponent could summon a skeletal ghost was somewhat unexpected for Song Wen.


    The monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple were openly practicing evil Buddhist secret methods, without even pretending to maintain a facade of righteousness!


    A thought crossed Song Wen''s mind, and the phantom of a python flew out from the Turtle- Snake Shield, opening its bloody maw and revealing sharp fangs as it lunged at the skeletal ghost.


    At that moment, Song Wen suddenly exerted force with his legs and dashed sideways, racing toward the passageway at high speed.


    The monk was taken aback.


    He had thought that a skeletal ghost would be enough to deal with a heavily injured mid- stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, but he didn''t expect the opponent to evade the attack.


    Then he realized.


    Their side had clearly been deceived; the other party wasn''t poisoned or injured at all.


    They were being used as pawns in a game of wolf-driving the tiger away.


    The monk''s anger surged at this realization.


    He hurriedly manipted the prayer beads, and three more skeletal ghosts appeared, wielding long knives as they chased after Song Wen.


    Song Wen remained indifferent.


    He formed several thunder techniques with his hands.


    Thunder Spear Technique!


    Three ten-foot-long thunder spears rapidly coalesced.


    Silver lightning flickered across them, targeting the three skeletal ghosts.


    Ordinary ghostly beings were most afraid of thunder techniques.


    However, these three skeletal ghosts, refined by the monks of the Mixed Yuan Temple, were slightly different.


    A pale white glow surged around them.


    This pale glow embodied both the radiant brilliance of Buddhism and the sinister, mysterious aura of the ghostly path.


    The three ghosts raised their long knives and struck forcefully at the thunder spears.


    In an instant, a deafening explosion erupted.


    Silver lightning surged toward the three ghostly beings.


    The three skeletal ghosts froze in ce, countless tiny electric sparks swirling around their bodies.


    The pale glow around them rapidly dimmed.


    Before long, it faded entirely, exposing the souls of the ghosts.


    However, at that moment, the power of the thunder spears diminished significantly, dissipating without a trace after consuming some of the ghostly energy from the skeletal


    beings.


    "Thunder technique!"


    The monk looked at Song Wen''s receding figure, somewhat astonished.


    Before long, Song Wen had slipped out of his perception range, and the monk turned, feeling quite displeased, to assist his twopanions.


    "Rodents! How dare you disguise yourselves as monks from my Mixed Yuan Temple and act violently! You shall die!"


    The giant monk swung his golden fist at the bald-headed robber.


    The bald-headed robber''s face changed dramatically.


    They were indeed fake monks, but now they had encountered a real one.


    The five male robbers among the group immediately summoned flying swords, slicing toward


    the giant monk.


    The two female robbers each pulled out a pink jade ruyi.


    TL: A ruyi () is a traditional Chinese ceremonial scepter. Ruyi typically have a curved or "S"-shaped handle with an ornamental head, which can resemble a cloud, a fungus (such as lingzhi, a symbol of immortality), or a lotus. They are often made from precious materials such as jade, gold, or ivory, and aremonly used in art and religious symbolism.


    Holding the jade ruyi, they slowly waved it through the air.


    A mist of pink energy flowed out, mixed with vibrant flower petals.


    Suddenly, the cassock above the giant monk began to spin rapidly, and the golden light intensified.


    The five flying swords could not strike the giant monk and were instead blocked by the golden


    light.


    They made five crisp sounds of metal shing.


    Although the flying swords failed to injure the giant monk, the immense impact greatly


    reduced his speed.


    At that moment, the pink mist, mixed with flower petals, floated over.


    Surprisingly, the mist passed directly through the golden light and surged into the giant


    monk''s body.


    The giant monk''s figure suddenly wavered, bing unsteady.


    A hint of confusion appeared in his eyes.


    Seizing this opportunity, the seven robbers quickly retreated backward.


    "Where do you think you''re running?"


    The short monk suddenlyunched a lightning strike, the Demon-Suppressing Pestle shooting out like a hunting viper, aiming straight for the bald-headed robber among them.


    The bald-headed robber''s soul nearly fled his body.


    He redirected his flying sword, swinging it toward the Demon-Suppressing Pestle.


    "Everyone, help me!"


    At the same time, he did not forget to call for assistance from the other six robbers.


    However, the response he received was:


    No response at all!


    The other six robbers did not look back and continued to flee deeper into the passageway.


    The bald-headed robber, weaker than his opponent, was forced to act in a panic and could not


    unleash his true strength.


    How could he possibly match the monk?


    The flying sword was easily knocked away by the Demon-Suppressing Pestle.


    With relentless momentum, the Demon-Suppressing Pestle continued to strike toward the


    bald-headed robber.


    The bald-headed robber could only urge his spiritual power, forming a protective shield.


    "ng!"


    The Demon-Suppressing Pestle collided with the spiritual shield.


    The shield shattered in response.


    The Demon-Suppressing Pestle plunged directly into the bald-headed robber''s chest.


    In an instant, he exploded into pieces, blood sttering everywhere.


    The other six robbers seized the opportunity to escape a hundred meters away, out of the


    monk''s perception range.


    In this secret realm, the spiritual senses of the cultivators were suppressed, making it difficult


    for them to execute many techniques, but it also significantly increased their chances of


    escaping.


    As long as they got a hundred meters away, they could avoid their opponent''s perception,


    making it much easier to flee.


    The giant monk shook his head vigorously, the confusion in his eyes gradually fading as he


    regained rity.


    Just a moment ago, he had identally fallen for a trick, which had infuriated him.


    "It was those scoundrels from the He Huan Sect who colluded with the scum from the


    Profound Heaven Sword Sect. How dare they harm this monk? Today, none of you will escape!"


    As he spoke, he stepped forward, preparing to chase after them.


    The monk at the back suddenly shouted.


    "Jie Wu, don''t be reckless! The He Huan Sect is skilled in spiritual attacks that specifically


    harm the soul. Although your physical strength is unmatched, you don''t cultivate your soul,


    making it easy for them to take advantage of you."


    The giant man named Jie Wu turned his head.


    "Jie Hui, are we just going to let them go?"


    Jie Wu''s face showed unwillingness, but he stopped, adhering to Jie Hui''s words.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "They''re just a few robbers. What benefit do we gain from killing them? We should hurry to


    where the ''Fire Lin Wood'' is located. If someone else gets there first, it would be a loss." Jie Hui said.


    At this moment, the short monk interjected.


    "Jie Wu, your head is filled with nothing but muscle; you have no brain left. Just listen to Jie


    Hui''s arrangements."


    Jie Wu lowered his head, looking down at the short monk in front of him.


    "Jie Se, you only have women on your mind and are not qualified to judge me."


    Jie Se was short, barely reaching Jie Wu''s knees. He looked up and chuckled wickedly.


    "Jie Wu, who did you learn from? Being so refined and even calling yourself ''I''? It seems you


    still have some sense left."


    "Jie Se, you''re seeking death!"


    Jie Wu roared, raising his giant palm, ready to strike down.


    "Enough."


    Jie Hui shouted sharply.


    "Don''t you see where we are? You dare to argue like this in the temple?"


    Jie Wu awkwardly retracted his hand, looking a bit aggrieved as he grumbled.


    "It was Jie Se who provoked me first."


    Jie Hui turned to Jie Se, his gaze sharp.


    "Jie Se, do not provoke Jie Wu. This secret realm is fraught with dangers; there are many


    experts from various sects, and their methods are treacherous. Caution is the priority."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 318: The Molten Flame Fish

    Chapter 318: The Molten me Fish


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Upon hearing this, Jie Se was somewhat unconcerned.


    "The three of us are together in this secret realm; not to say we''re invincible, but self- preservation shouldn''t be a problem. Jie Hui, you''re just being too cautious."


    Jie Hui retorted, "Too cautious? That Beastmaster Sect cultivator we just encountered only had mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet he slipped away right under our noses. We had sevente-stage Foundation Establishment robbers in front and the three of us at peak Foundation Establishment behind, yet we couldn''t capture him. Don''t underestimate the thoughts and methods of others."


    After giving a lecture, Jie Hui continued, "Let''s go; we need to set off quickly. The directions for the Fire Lin Wood and the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid are the same. Once we obtain the Fire Lin Wood, we can also collect the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid."


    The three of them quickly disappeared into the vast passageway.


    A momentter, Song Wen''s figure appeared.


    Earlier, he had hidden four Sacred Gu in the stone crevices at the top of the passage. Through these insects, he overheard the conversation among the three.


    The three monks'' targets were the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid and the Fire Lin Wood.


    Coincidentally, Song Wen was also interested in the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    Thus, he quietly followed them.


    The two major treasures in the Cann Secret Realm: the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid and the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    The Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch grows along the banks of underground dark rivers and its location is not


    The underground dark rivers areplex, with a developed water system crisscrossing like a giant, covering a vast underground expanse. Cultivators need to delve deeply into it to search slowly.


    However, the location of the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid is fixed.


    Every time the secret realm opens, ten portions of ten-thousand-year spirit liquid will condense in the Hall of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid.


    After following the three for several hundred meters, the passage began to branch out.


    As they went deeper, the passage gradually narrowed and shrank, with more and more branches, resembling arge underground maze.


    Moreover, with the spiritual sense restricted, even with a map to guide them, one could easily choose the wrong path if they weren''t careful.


    In Song Wen''s hands was a map of the secret realm obtained from the Beastmaster Sect''s scripture depository, but the uracy of the map remains to be verified.


    Although anyone could ess the books in the scripture depository; the truly valuable items could not be casually browsed.


    With the Sacred Gu monitoring the movements of the three monks, Song Wen was not afraid of losing them.


    As he continued deeper into the passage, Song Wen noticed something unusual.


    The air around began to grow hot and dry.


    After walking for more than half a quarter of an hour in the intricate passage, since most of the path inclined downward, Song Wen estimated he had descended over a hundred miles underground.


    After making a turn in the passageway, a faint red light suddenly appeared in the pitch-ck underground corridor.


    At the same time, a wave of heat rushed toward him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "This must be undergroundva!"


    Song Wen thought to himself.


    It wasn''t surprising for there to be undergroundva in the Cann Secret Realm; he had learned about this from the information obtained from the Beastmaster Sect.


    Song Wen stopped in ce, allowing the Sacred Gu ahead to continue scouting.


    Soon, a vastva cavern appeared before the Sacred Gu.


    The cavern stretched over ten miles in length and width, with theva flowing slowly inside, asionally emitting deep rumbling sounds.


    Theva was bright red, resembling flowing molten iron.


    Surrounding the cavern were scorching, smooth stone walls that glowed with a faint red light.


    These ordinary rocks seemed to have be extraordinary after countless years of being scorched by theva.


    Inside the cavern, several stone tforms stood firmly in theva.


    On one of the stone tforms in the center of the cavern, a cluster of small trees grew.


    There were more than a dozen small trees, varying in height; the tallest was about five feet, while the shortest was roughly one foot.


    However, only two of the small trees reached the height of five feet.


    The small trees were dark red, with trunks and leaves that were translucent like jade.


    On the trunks, ovepping scales-like patterns were densely stacked together.


    In theva cavern, there were three groups of people.


    Among the groups, one was a lone cultivator dressed like a member of the Lei family, at the


    peak of Foundation Establishment.


    The second group consisted of three people: Feng Qi, Leng Tianlu, and a masked man.


    Thest group was just arriving: Jie Hui and hispanions.


    Upon seeing Jie Hui and hispanions arrive, both Feng Qi and the Lei family cultivator''s


    faces darkened significantly.


    Feng Qi and the Lei family cultivator had already fought a round without determining a victor, and Jie Hui''s arrival forced both of them to stop.


    The Lei family cultivator nced at the three monks and then turned to Feng Qi, suddenly


    grinning.


    "Feng Qi, I suggested earlier that we split the two mature Fire Lin Woods, but you disagreed. Now, with three high monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple arriving, we won''t have enough


    Fire Lin Wood to go around."


    Feng Qi''s expression was extremely grim.


    Earlier, there had only been one outsider, the Lei family cultivator, facing him, and he had a significant advantage with his threepanions.


    But now, with the arrival of Jie Hui and her twopanions, who were also at the peak of Foundation Establishment, the advantage shifted to the three from Mixed Yuan Temple.


    He cupped his hands towards Jie Hui and hispanions.


    "Three esteemed monks, how about we split the two mature Fire Lin Woods?"


    Jie Wu, having released his ''Arhat Golden Body'' and returned to his normal height, took a step forward with a domineering expression.


    "Beastmaster Sect trash, hurry up and get lost; there''s no share for you in the Fire Lin Wood."


    Upon hearing this, Feng Qi''s face darkened to an extreme, his eyes fixed on Jie Wu, but he remained silent.


    Suddenly, the Lei family cultivator''s body erupted with crackling lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from his original position, darting toward the center of theva cavern.


    "Thinking you can fish in troubled waters? Not that easy!"


    Jie Wu shouted.


    He raised his hand and unleashed a surge of spiritual power.


    This surge of spiritual power, when applied with the "Thunder Escape Technique," was easily


    evaded by the Lei family cultivator.


    The spiritual powernded before the Lei family cultivator, in theva a hundred meters


    away.


    "Boom!"


    After a muffled sound, the surroundingva exploded, blocking the Lei family cultivator''s


    path.


    He halted his escape andnded on a stone tform less than half a meter high.


    The spiritual power that fell into theva seemed to disturb the stillness of the area.


    Theva began to ripple, as if some life form was moving within it.


    Suddenly, a fish-like demon beast over three feet long broke through theva, leaping into


    the air.


    The fish beast was bright red all over, its scalesyered like armor, forming an unyielding


    exoskeleton.


    It opened its mouth, revealing sharp, densely packed teeth.


    Continuously pping its tail, it darted toward the Lei family cultivator at high speed.


    The Lei family cultivator slightly shifted his body to evade the beast''s charge.


    The fish beast arced through the air and returned to theva below, sshing up waves of


    molten rock.


    The appearance of this fish beast seemed to stir up a swarm of others lurking beneath theva.


    Hundreds, even thousands, of fish beasts surged out from below, charging toward the Lei family cultivator, bringing a torrent ofva with them.


    The Lei family cultivator''s expression tightened. He raised his hand to unleash two palm


    lightning strikes against the nearest fish beast.


    At the same time, a surge of lightning burst from his body, transforming him into a humanoid


    sh of lightning, darting to another stone tform a hundred meters away.


    As the two palm lightning strikes approached the fish beast, they suddenly exploded, forming


    a massive of electricity that descended upon the creature.


    Lightning surged among the many fish beasts, striking down at least dozens of them.


    ck smoke rose from the struck beasts, their bright red scales turning charred, but they were


    not killed or even injured.


    They merely fell back into theva.


    The injured fish beasts did not retreat; instead, they swam near the surface of theva,


    seemingly searching for the right moment to attack.


    The Lei family cultivator stood on a small stone tform, observing the fish beasts


    swimming around the stone pir in theva below, a smile ying at the corners of his


    mouth.


    "Tsk tsk, is the master finding it too easy to collect the Fire Lin Wood? Deliberately provoking the Molten me Fish."


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 319: Fickle Like Courtesans

    Chapter 319: Fickle Like Courtesans


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Jie Wu looked at the Molten me Fish swimming in theva, his eyes filled with disdain.


    "Just a bunch of mid tote-stage first-tier demon beasts."


    Jie Se looked at his senior brother with contempt.


    "Jie Wu, I told you not to act recklessly and to follow Jie Hui''s orders."


    "Although the Molten me Fish is only a first-tier demon beast, they have lived inva for many years, and their bodies have been tempered by the high temperatures, making them exceptionally tough and hard to kill. Furthermore, the Molten me Fish is numerous and often travels in schools; they hold grudges, and once angered, they won''t easily let it go."


    Upon hearing this, Jie Wu looked confused, a pleading expression in his eyes as he looked at Jie Hui, seemingly asking if what Jie Se said was true.


    Jie Hui shook his head helplessly, seemingly disappointed by Jie Wu''s recklessness.


    He cupped his hands toward the Lei family cultivator and asked, "May I ask your name, benefactor?"


    "Lei Yuhua."


    "Benefactor Lei, did you just use the ''Thunder Escape Technique''?"


    Lei Yuhua nodded and replied, "Indeed."


    Jie Hui continued, "The ''Thunder Escape Technique'' is incredibly swift and excels at maneuvering in small spaces, making it perfect for the current situation. If we work together, the three of us will attract the Molten me Fish while you take the opportunity to harvest two Fire Lin Woods. Afterward, we can split the Fire Lin Woods equally; what do you think?"


    Hearing this, Lei Yuhua did not respond but appeared to be deep in thought.


    Beside him, Feng Qi was getting anxious; if Lei Yuhua allied with Jie Hui and the others, he would have no chance at all.


    He specialized in fire-rted techniques, and the Fire Lin Woods were especially important to him as excellent materials for refining spirit tools and even magical treasures.


    "Brother Lei, don''t be too trusting of the bald donkey''s words; they are skilled in sophistry. Once you obtain the Fire Lin Woods, they''ll turn on you in an instant."


    A yful smile appeared on Lei Yuhua''s face.


    "Brother Feng seems to be concerned for my safety."


    The three from Mixed Yuan Temple heard Feng Qi''s words.


    Jie Wu, filled with anger, was about to strike Feng Qi as a lesson.


    Suddenly, he recalled how his impulsive actions had spoiled things earlier.


    Thus, he stopped and refrained from attacking Feng Qi and hispanions.


    Seeing this, Jie Hui shook his head.


    He suddenly felt exhausted.


    Jie Wu wouldn''t strike when it was appropriate, and would act recklessly when it wasn''t.


    He stepped forward, his aura rising sharply, and a formidable oppressive force instantly enveloped half the cavern.


    "Three benefactors from the Beastmaster Sect, the Fire Lin Wood is connected to our Buddha. It would be best for you three to leave, to avoid harming each other''s feelings."


    Feng Qi''s expression was as dark as water; he was utterly unwilling to easily give up the Fire Lin Wood.


    He exchanged nces with Leng Tianlu and the masked man beside him, signaling them to retreat first.


    "You think just a few words can scare me away? You''re underestimating me, Feng Qi."


    As soon as his voice fell, he raised both hands and made a gesture toward the empty space on either side.


    Two ten-meter-long fire dragons slowly took shape.


    If it were anywhere else, encountering Jie Hui and the others, Feng Qi would not have considered himself a match and would have had to flee.


    But in thisva cavern, his fire techniques were enhanced, and he believed he still had the strength to fight.


    In an instant, two long dragons formed from the zing mes appeared on either side of Feng Qi.


    With the emergence of the fire dragons, theva below seemed to be drawn by some force, rising on its own and merging into the bodies of the dragons.


    The originally bright red dragons gradually deepened in color, turning dark and ckened.


    Intense heat radiated from the dragons.


    It felt as though even space couldn''t withstand such terrifying heat, beginning to twist and distort.


    Seeing that Feng Qi had actually taken the first move, Jie Wu could no longer contain himself.


    "Such a trivial fire technique, what can it do to me?"


    "Arhat Golden Body!"


    Jie Wu suddenly transformed into a golden giant over ten feet tall.


    He took a step forward and charged toward Feng Qi.


    Along the way, Jie Se, who had never gotten along well with Jie Wu, surprisingly took the


    initiative to help Jie Wu in this situation.


    He summoned his kasaya, releasing golden light that shielded Jie Wu''s head.


    "Roar! Roar!"


    Two deafening dragon roars erupted from the mouths of the two giant dragons.


    The two dragons surged like torrents of me, sweeping toward Jie Wu.


    The two sides collided with a tremendous crash.


    The cavern shook!


    mes soared into the sky!


    Countless fiery droplets sttered everywhere.


    The residual force of the battle, apanied by terrifying heat, swept in all directions.


    The kasaya, serving as Jie Wu''s first line of defense, took the brunt of the impact.


    It was struck by the tremendous force and high temperature of the two fire dragons.


    The golden light on it instantly dimmed.


    Then came Jie Wu.


    He seemed to be struck by two moving volcanoes.


    His Arhat Golden Body was immediately shattered.


    His form returned to its original size.


    His entire body became charred ck, and he was swept toward theva by the residual force.


    Jie Se reacted quickly, unleashing a burst of spiritual power, pulling Jie Wu back just before he


    fell into theva.


    Jie Wunded safely.


    Though his body waspletely ckened, he was not severely injured.


    Despite Feng Qi''s powerful fire techniques, after breaking through the kasaya and shatteringn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    the Arhat Golden Body, the remaining force was limited and couldn''t deal fatal damage to Jie Wu.


    However, it was quite remarkable that Feng Qi could maintain the upper hand against two cultivators of the same realm.


    A trace of worry flickered across Jie Hui''s face.


    The environment of theva cavern amplified Feng Qi''s fire techniques to an absurd degree.


    The Dao of the Evil Buddha, which he specialized in, would face certain restrictions in this


    scorching ce.


    Even if the three of them teamed up to repel Feng Qi, it would take considerable effort.


    On the side, Lei Yuhua was also eyeing the situation closely.


    If Jie Hui and hispanions engaged in a life-and-death struggle with Feng Qi, there was


    no guarantee that Lei Yuhua wouldn''t swoop in and take advantage.


    Jie Hui''s desire for the Fire Lin Wood was not as strong as Feng Qi''s. He was reluctant to waste


    a significant amount of time and spiritual power fighting over it.


    Seeing that Feng Qi was about to summon the fire dragons again, Jie Hui quickly spoke to stop


    him.


    "Benefactor, we have no grievances between us; why must we fight to the death? Instead, let


    us cooperate to obtain those two Fire Lin Woods."


    Feng Qi, upon hearing this, disyed a mocking expression and did not immediately agree to


    Jie Hui''s proposal.


    Although cultivators are typically self-serving, those who are as hypocritical as Jie Hui are


    rare.


    Feng Qi truly did not dare to trust the other''s words lightly.


    When the three monks had just entered theva cavern, they had acted very aggressively,


    trying to monopolize the Fire Lin Wood.


    After witnessing Lei Yuhua''s escape technique, they immediately expressed a desire to ally


    with him.


    Now, after seeing the might of the fire dragons, they wanted to form an alliance with Feng Qi.


    They were opportunistic and fickle!


    Simply put, they were like courtesans seeking profit without regard for their dignity.


    With a full purse, you are a master, an emperor, a Buddha.


    They will tter you, bending over backwards to please.


    If your pockets are empty, you are a beggar, a stray dog, a maggot.


    Even a nce is deemed too dirty for their eyes.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 320: Red Fire Lizard

    Chapter 320: Red Fire Lizard


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Lei Yuhua had originally been watching the show from the sidelines, hoping that Feng Qi and Jie Hui would engage in a battle where both would be equally hurt.


    However, unexpectedly, Jie Hui, who had just proposed an alliance with him, was now considering an alliance with Feng Qi.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Unable to hold back, he mocked, "There are rumors in the cultivation world that Buddhist cultivators are the most hypocritical, with their sweet words and deceitful ways. Today, I finally get to witness it."


    Facing Lei Yuhua''s sarcasm, Jie Hui remainedposed, still wearing apassionate expression as if pitying the world.


    "Gentlemen, in the Cann Secret Realm, there are many spiritual treasures. It is unwise for the three of us to fight over a mere Fire Lin Wood."


    Feng Qi sneered, "If the master thinks that the Fire Lin Wood is not worth the trouble, you can simply withdraw. My friend Lei and I will not obstruct you."


    Lei Yuhua chimed in, "What Friend Feng says is absolutely right."


    Jie Hui continued, "Gentlemen, the three of us are indeed the strongest faction here. The treasures are right before us, yet you suggest that we let them go? That seems a bit inappropriate, doesn''t it?"


    "Why not have Lei take back the two Fire Lin Woods, and we, the three brothers, each take one. The remaining one can be split between the two of you. How about that?"


    Lei Yuhuaughed, "You bald donkey, you''re ying a clever game. I would go alone to retrieve the Fire Lin Wood, bearing all the risks, while you sit back and enjoy the rewards. You want a whole piece of Fire Lin Wood, and I only get half? Do you think I''m a fool, easily deceived?"


    Feng Qi''s expression grew serious as he spoke in a low voice, "I don''t care how you divide it. I at least want one piece of Fire Lin Wood; otherwise, none of you will have a chance to take it."


    His tone was resolute, disying an unwavering determination.


    Jie Hui''s tone turned cold, carrying a hint of murderous intent. "It seems that talking peacefully is perceived by you two as thinking the poor monk is weak and easy to bully. Since that''s the case, the three of us will take all the Fire Lin Woods."


    Upon hearing this, Feng Qi''s face turned serious.


    Two fire dragons formed on either side of him, fully charged and ready to strike.


    Meanwhile, Lei Yuhua activated his Thunder Escape Technique, continuing deeper into the


    cavern.


    In this area, spiritual perception was limited, and the controble attack range was restricted to about a hundred meters. Beyond that range, the precision of attacks would drastically decrease.


    Taking advantage of the flexibility offered by the Thunder Escape Technique and the unique terrain, he believed he didn''t need to engage in a direct conflict with the other two.


    Thus, he decided to keep his distance and wait for the two sides to fight to the death.


    Suddenly.


    As Lei Yuhua hovered in mid-air, he sensed intense fluctuations of spiritual power behind him.


    Turning to look, he found that two me dragons were roaring and charging toward him.


    On the other side, Jie Wu had transformed again into a towering golden giant, standing atop a golden lotus tform, charging toward him.


    Behind the giant, Jie Se was hiding, ready to join the attack.


    The three monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple and Feng Qi had apparently reached an agreement at some point and were now joining forces against him.


    Feng Qi and Lei Yuhua were about two hundred meters apart, which was far beyond the range


    of spiritual perception.


    Lei Yuhua easily evaded the attack from the fire dragons.


    The two fire dragons dove into theva.


    Lava sshed everywhere!


    mes flew wildly!


    The previously calm Molten me Fish became even more agitated.


    Thousands of molten me fish surged from theva.


    They rushed toward the nearest Lei Yuhua.


    No matter how exquisite the Thunder Escape Technique was, being surrounded by thousands


    of molten me fish made it nearly impossible for Lei Yuhua to dodge every single one.


    With no choice, he summoned a long sword and wielded it, cutting down the molten me fish that blocked his path one by one.


    He wasn''t aiming to kill the molten me fish but simply to push them back.


    Even so, his speed was still greatly affected.


    The Molten me Fish had tough skin and immense strength. After a series of shes, his


    arm quickly grew numb.


    Moreover, Molten me Fish continued to surge up from below, charging toward him.


    He found himself surrounded by a multitude of Molten me Fish.


    Furthermore, Jie Wu and Jie Se were drawing closer.


    Lei Yuhua realized that if this continued, it might lead to a life-threatening situation.


    He decisively made the decision to abandon thepetition for the Fire Lin Wood.


    Lei Yuhua changed direction and swept toward the edge of theva cavern.


    Theva cavern had two entrances and exits.


    In addition to the one where Jie Se and the others had entered, there was another entrance on


    the opposite side.


    Suddenly.


    A surge of electricity erupted from Lei Yuhua.


    Thunderstorm Technique!


    Lightning surged wildly, instantly enveloping an area of several dozen meters.


    In that moment, hundreds of Molten me Fish were cleared away.


    Molten me Fish struck by the lightning fell continuously.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lei Yuhua darted toward the exit.


    He moved at an extremely fast speed, eager to escape, while Jie Wu and Jie Se couldn''t catch


    up at all.


    Instead, as Lei Yuhua fled, the Molten me Fish, unable to catch him, turned their attention


    to Jie Wu and Jie Se.


    Molten me Fish over three feet long charged toward the two.


    Jie Se activated his robe(kasaya), enveloped in a golden light that protected him and Jie Wu.


    Jie Wu swung his fists, smashing down on the Molten me Fish, sending them back into theva one after another.


    Jie Se wielded a demon-ying staff, darting back and forth, blocking the charging Molten


    me Fish.


    Seizing the moment, Jie Hui and Feng Qi leapt into the air, flying toward the center of theva


    cavern.


    There, a stone tform with Fire Lin Wood, approximately thirty feet in diameter, resembled


    a miniature


    ind.


    Due to years of exposure to high temperatures, the surface of the ind was as smooth as


    ss.


    Aside from the towering Fire Lin Wood, there was nothing else on it.


    Jie Hui and Feng Qi approached the ind from opposite sides.


    Suddenly.


    Theva beneath the ind surged violently.


    A massive fish 1 suddenly broke through tva, swinging toward Jie Hui, sending a


    shower ofva sshing everywhere.


    Facing this sudden turn of events, Jie Hui remainedpletely calm, as if he had anticipated


    it.


    He manipted the beads in his hand, summoning five skeletal ghostly figures.


    The skeletal ghosts, holding long sabers, shed toward the fish tail.


    Before the saber even reached, countlessva droplets fell onto the ghostly figures.


    The droplets caused the ghosts to emit faint dark energy, scattering into the air.


    Theva was extremely hot, carrying a trace of natural Yang energy, which had a certain restraining effect on the ghostly figures.


    However, this weak damage was not enough to inflict a fatal injury on the skeletal ghosts.


    The five skeletal ghosts swung their sabers at the fish tail.


    The beast beneath theva seemed to realize that the ghostly figures were not easy to


    provoke, and it retracted its tail.


    Then, it raised its upper body out of theva.


    At this moment, everyone finally got a clear look at the beast.


    The beast had four limbs, resembling a crocodile, with a long and t body and wide,


    humanoid eyes.


    It was the guardian beast of the Fire Lin Wood, the Red Fire Lizard.


    The Red Fire Lizard opened its mouth and spewed arge amount ofva.


    The five ghostly figures were hit squarely by the eruption.


    Lava flowed through the ghostly figures without leaving any visible wounds.


    However, it consumed arge amount of ghostly energy.


    The ghostly figures'' souls became somewhat ethereal.


    Jie Hui felt quite helpless.


    The Red Fire Lizard, hiding within theva, was nearly invulnerable against the ghostly


    figures.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 321: The Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid Hall

    Chapter 321: The Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid Hall


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Jie Hui raised his hand and recalled the lone skeletal ghost.


    He then took out a hand drum.


    The drum body was pale white, made from a skull, and the drum skin was thin and ck, made from human skin.


    He held the drum in one hand and lightly tapped it with the other.


    "Boom..."


    A deep, distant drum sound echoed.


    Just as the Red Fire Lizard was about to sprayva again, it suddenly froze in ce.


    Afterward, it seemed to have seen something terrifying, its eyes revealing a human-like fear.


    It hurriedly iled its limbs and swished its tail, diving deep into theva.


    Seeing this, Jie Hui sneered.


    "Against such a low-intelligence beast, mental attacks are indeed effective immediately."


    While Jie Hui was entangled with the Red Fire Lizard, Feng Qi took the opportunity to gather the Fire Lin Wood.


    In each of his hands, he shot out a fire chain.


    The fire chains quickly extended and wrapped around two mature Fire Lin Wood trees.


    Like a spirit snake capturing its prey, the fire chains tightly coiled around the Fire Lin Wood.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    mes burned fiercely on the chains, yet they did not harm the Fire Lin Wood in the slightest.


    Feng Qi exerted all his strength, pulling hard on the fire chains.


    The two Fire Lin Wood trees were uprooted.


    Dragged by the fire chains, theynded in Feng Qi''s hands.


    At that moment.


    Jie Hui had just forced back the Red Fire Lizard.


    He happened to see Feng Qi holding the two Fire Lin Wood trees.


    "Feng benefactor, we had just agreed to work together to obtain the Fire Lin Wood, each getting one afterward. You wouldn''t go back on your word, would you?"


    As he spoke, an ominous aura emerged from Jie Hui, who had apassionate expression.


    The beads in his hand were constantly being manipted, and a thick ghostly energy was emanating from them.


    Intense killing intent and sinister energy surged toward Feng Qi.


    Jie Se and Jie Wu, exuding a strong Buddhist aura, gradually approached while fending off the surrounding Molten me Fish.


    Feng Qi frowned, his expression shifting. In the end, he raised his hand and threw one of the Fire Lin Wood trees to Jie Hui.


    After weighing it carefully and confirming that the other party was stronger, Feng Qi suppressed his greed and honored their agreement.


    Feng Qi waved to the distant Leng Tianlu and the masked man.


    Then, he transformed into a red blur, turning to flee through the tunnel where Lei Yuhua had left.


    Seeing this, Leng Tianlu and the masked man also soared into the air, chasing after Feng Qi.


    Jie Hui received the tossed Fire Lin Wood and watched as Feng Qi and the others left,


    preparing to stop them.


    At this moment, Jie Se and Jie Wu approached.


    "Jie Hui, are we just going to let him easily take away a Fire Lin Wood?"


    Jie Se said, somewhat unwilling.


    Jie Hui replied, "This person''s fire-based techniques are superb. In thisva cavern, his fire- based techniques have received a significant boost. It''s not wise to sh with him here."


    "Moreover..."


    Jie Hui shifted his tone and continued.


    "Our acquisition of the Fire Lin Wood is entrusted to us by Master Hui Ming. Now that we have obtained one, we''vepleted the task. There''s no need to cause unnecessary trouble over something that is of no use to us. We should hurry to the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid Hall and seize the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid."


    TL: Hui Ming, previously tranted as Monk Huimin in chapter 313.


    After speaking, he beckoned Jie Wu and Jie se to follow Feng Qi and the others, disappearing into theva cavern.


    Having hidden in the shadows for a while without gaining anything, Song Wen left theva


    cavern.


    He gazed at the twenty or so still-maturing Fire Lin Wood trees on the small ind in the center of the cavern for a long time.


    In the end, Song Wen did not gather them.


    Once the Fire Lin Wood leaves this ce, it bes extremely difficult to nt it and keep it


    alive.


    Of course, there are no absolutes.


    However, the effort and spirit stones required to transnt Fire Lin Wood far exceed its


    intrinsic value.


    This is also why Feng Qi and the others only took the mature Fire Lin Wood and ignored those


    that were still maturing.


    This can be considered a customary agreement among major righteous sects.


    The still-maturing Fire Lin Wood has little use; depleting resources for oneself is not beneficial, and it''s better to leave it for future generations.


    Song Wen used the Thunder Escape Technique to traverse theva cavern, continuing to follow behind Jie Hui and the others toward the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid Hall.


    The passage wasplex and twisted, yet Jie Hui showed no hesitation at every fork, appearingpletely familiar with the underground tunnels.


    Following Jie Hui and the others saved Song Wen a considerable amount of time.


    Before long, a vast underground cavern appeared before Song Wen.


    The cavern was several dozen meters wide, with cliffs surrounding its edges that descended


    into darkness.


    In the center of the cavern stood a tall stone mountain, rising dramatically, standing alone in


    the cavern.


    On top of the stone mountain was an imposing grand hall.


    The stone doors of the hall were wide open, revealing bright mes within.


    Through the firelight, one could vaguely see shadows moving inside the pce.


    Song Wen leaped into the air, arriving outside the stone hall.


    Standing outside the door, Song Wen felt an ancient, weathered aura rush toward him, mixed


    with an extremely pure spiritual energy.


    Song Wen stepped into the grand hall.


    Inside the grand hall, aside from the pirs supporting the ceiling, there were no furnishings.


    On the walls surrounding the hall, several oilmps were ced.


    These oilmps burned brightly, illuminating the hall with their light.


    Surrounding the edges of the hall''s floor were ten stone mats, forming a perfect circle.


    The mats were spaced about a meter apart.


    In front of each mat sat a stone bowl.


    Both the stone mats and the stone bowls were firmly connected to the ground, making them


    difficult to move.


    Within the hall, there were nearly ten cultivators.


    They either upied a mat alone or cooperated to share one.


    Among them, many were individuals that Song Wen recognized.


    Rong Jingyun sat on one mat, with herpanion Heng Cheng quietly standing behind her.


    Jie Hui and hispanions upied another mat.


    Lei Yuhua was also present, simrly upying one mat.


    Mu Yunxin, whom Song Wen had seen before at the He Huan Spring Night Tower, also


    appeared here, upying a mat by herself.


    The six cultivators who had previously robbed Song Wen shared one mat.


    To Song Wen''s surprise, Ji Ruxue was also here, sitting alone on a mat next to Mu Yunxin.


    Thest time Song Wen saw her, she was a mid-foundation cultivator; now, she had advanced


    tote foundation.


    Additionally, fourte-foundation cultivators from the Lei family shared a mat on the right


    side of Lei Yuhua.


    There was also a bearded man upying a mat, whose attire indicated he was a disciple of the


    Profound Heaven Sword Sect; he was a peak foundation cultivator.


    All ten mats were upied, leaving two vacant.


    Among the neen people in the hall, the lowest cultivation level waste foundation.


    Moreover, except for Ji Ruxue, only peak foundation cultivators upied a mat alone.


    Late foundation cultivators shared a mat.


    Even if a mat was empty, they still took the liberty of upying it.


    As Song Wen entered the grand hall, he instantly attracted everyone''s attention.


    This was due to one reason.


    Song Wen''s disyed cultivation level was only at mid-foundation.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 322: Weakness can be bullied

    Chapter 322: Weakness can be bullied


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Song Wen stepped forward and walked toward an empty mat.


    Seeing this, some people''s faces showed mockery, as if they wereughing at Song Wen''s overestimation of himself.


    Others wore pensive expressions, their spiritual sense constantly scanning Song Wen, seemingly trying to deduce if he was hiding his true strength and wanting to uncover his real cultivation level.


    A few were indifferent, ncing at Song Wen a couple of times before losing interest.


    Rong Jingyun looked surprised, as if taken aback that ''Wu Sheng,'' a mere mid-foundation cultivator, dared to covet the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid.


    She stared at Song Wen, her lips slightly parted, as if she wanted to say something but ultimately fell silent.


    Rong Jingyun shook her head, turned away, and ceased to pay attention to Song Wen.


    The Cann Secret Realm opened once every fifty years, and each time it opened, it would produce a batch of Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid.


    This grand hall was the ce where the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid was gathered.


    On the fifth day after the secret realm opened, Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid would condense in the stone bowls at noon.


    upying a stone mat essentially announced that the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid condensing in the stone bowl before that mat belonged to the person upying it.


    The secret realm had already been open for more than forty hours, and there was just over a day until the appearance of the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid.


    Cultivators with ambitions for the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid had basically alle to the grand hall.


    However, in the remaining day, more cultivators were bound to arrive.


    This is whyte foundation cultivators would rather share a stone mat with someone else than upy an empty one.


    They knew that even if they upied it now, they wouldn''t be able to hold it; it wasn''t worth the trouble.


    For this reason, when these people saw Song Wen, a mid-foundation cultivator, dare to upy a stone mat alone, they showed expressions of mockery.


    In most people''s eyes, this was almost akin to seeking death.


    They were all waiting to see what would happen to Song Wen.


    What these onlookers didn''t expect was that as more than ten hours passed, with less than three hours remaining until the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid materialized, no other cultivators appeared.


    This made many unable to suppress their greed, eager to upy the vacant stone mat and seize Song Wen''s mat.


    At that moment, three figures rushed in, covered in dust.


    It was Feng Qi and hispanions.


    Feng Qi noticed that there was still one mat avable, and without a second thought, he dashed over and imed it.


    His stone mat was directly adjacent to Song Wen''s, just a short distance away.


    Feng Qi observed that the person on the neighboring stone mat was Song Wen, who was alone, and he couldn''t help but feel a bit surprised.


    However, he didn''t say anything further, merely casting a casual nce at Song Wen.


    Behind him, Leng Tianlu and the masked man noticed that Song Wen upied a stone mat alone, and both showed unfriendly expressions.


    Leng Tianlu red at Song Wen fiercely but didn''t make any extreme moves; instead, he moved to stand behind Feng Qi.


    The masked man''s hatred was even more intense than Leng Tianlu''s, and he headed straight toward Song Wen.


    "A mere mid-foundation cultivator, who gave you the courage to upy a mat all by yourself?" the masked man said to Song Wen.


    Themotion quickly drew the attention of everyone in the grand hall.


    The masked man asked a question that most cultivators inside wanted to know.


    Song Wen''s face changed in surprise, appearing fearful.


    He hurriedly leaped off the stone mat and distanced himself, as if trying to avoid a cmity.


    "I just saw this mat was empty, so I upied it. If you want it, take it," he said.


    Song Wen''s reaction left everyone in the hall stunned.


    Many among them had thought that Song Wen had some hidden trump card that could match


    a peak foundation cultivator or perhaps had a powerful backing.


    They didn''t expect him to be merely looking for a chance to pick up a bargain.


    Moreover, Song Wen''s performance was too cowardly, almost humiliating for a cultivator.


    The masked man merely asked a question, hadn''t even taken any action, and yet Song Wen was already willing to hand over the stone mat-he had lost all dignity.


    Everyone''s gaze toward Song Wen was filled with obvious contempt.


    The masked man looked at the now-empty mat and was momentarily taken aback.


    However, he did not immediately upy the stone mat; instead, he fixed his gaze on Song Wen with an unwavering intent to kill.


    His eyes red like des, as if wishing to cut Song Wen into a thousand pieces.


    Suddenly, he felt a powerful gust of wind sweeping toward him.


    The strong wind posed no threat and did not harm him in the slightest.


    The masked man turned his head and discovered that the strong wind came from Feng Qi.


    Feng Qi slightly shook his head at the masked man.


    It was a signal for him not to act recklessly.


    Reluctantly, the masked man retracted his killing intent.


    Then, with a swift movement, he sat down on a mat.


    The other cultivators in the grand hall shifted their attention from Song Wen to the masked


    man.


    Only he and Ji Ruxue, bothte foundation cultivators, upied a stone mat alone.


    Choose the soft targets!


    In the grand hall, cultivators eager topete for more Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid


    naturally set their sights on Ji Ruxue and the masked man.


    Many began to stir with anticipation.


    Especially the four members of the Lei family who were sharing a mat and the six bandit


    cultivators.


    The six banditsprised four men and two women.


    The two women were from the He Huan Sect.


    The four male cultivators were from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. Perhaps out of consideration for Ji Ruxue being from the same sect or for other reasons, they didn''t show any


    ill intentions toward her, instead eyeing the masked man with malice.


    Strangely enough, many were interested, but no one took real action.


    When Song Wen first upied the mat, it was still early, so their choice to observe was


    reasonable.


    At this moment, with less than three hours remaining until the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid would condense, still no one acted impulsively against the masked man.


    The reason was that, up to now, no battles had broken out in the grand hall.


    Everyone was unwilling to stick their necks out.


    Time flowed slowly in the oppressive and tense atmosphere.


    Before long, with less than half an hour remaining until the appearance of the Ten-


    Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid, no one else had entered the grand hall during that time.


    This meant that cultivators with ambitions for the Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid were essentially those already inside the grand hall.


    Other cultivators who had entered the secret realm either had little interest in the Ten-


    Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid or knew they were not strong enough and didn''t want to wade into the murky waters.


    Inside the grand hall, those wanting to obtain more Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Liquid


    nced back and forth at Ji Ruxue and the masked man, their murderous intent growing


    stronger.


    One of the six bandits could no longer hold hisposure.


    This person had dark skin and a stocky build; he looked less like a cultivator and more like a


    rural farmer.


    He was a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and a sword cultivator.


    The farmer summoned a flying sword, and the sword was infused with a chilling sword intent.


    A sinister killing intent suddenly filled the entire grand hall.


    This killing intent rushed straight toward the masked man.


    "Hand over the stone mat, or die!" the farmer shouted harshly.


    The sudden turn of events immediately drew everyone''s attention.


    Once again, the masked man became the focus of everyone''s gaze.


    However, earlier, he had been the one threatening others.


    Now, he was being threatened.


    The masked man''s expression darkened.


    All of them werete foundation cultivators; where did this person find the confidence to act


    so arrogantly?


    The masked man stood up and patted his spirit beast pouch at his waist.


    "Awoo!"


    A giant wolf, over ten feet long, suddenly appeared before him.


    The giant wolf was muscr and robust, its limbs thick and powerful, as if forged from iron.


    Its sharp fangs resembled deadly short des.


    Its ws were razor-sharp, as if crafted from fine steel.


    This was clearly ate-stage second-tier spirit beast.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 323: Escalating Situation

    Chapter 323: Escting Situation


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Looking at the imposing giant wolf, the male cultivator resembling a farmer disyed a look of disdain.


    "A mere beast dares to show off," he scoffed.


    He made a hand gesture for his sword technique. The flying sword pierced the air.


    Light as the wind, the sword energy surged like a rainbow.


    "Aw!"


    The giant wolf suddenly leaped, its ws like knives.


    "ng!"


    The ws collided with the long sword.


    A shower of sparks erupted.


    The long sword lost control and flew far away.


    The giant wolf rolled through the air andnded clumsily on the ground.


    Its paws were scarred by the sword energy, deep enough to see bone, instantly staining the wolf''s fur red.


    The farmer''s lips curled into a smile.


    With a flick of his fingers, he called back the flying sword, bringing it under his control again.


    The silver light shed as he shed at the giant wolf once more.


    The previous strike was merely a test.


    This strike was a full-force attack.


    The flying sword''s momentum surged, cutting through the air like a rainbow.


    The masked man''s expression tightened.


    The power of the flying sword was beyond what the giant wolf could withstand alone.


    He raised his hand and waved; a shield flew out to aid the giant wolf.


    However, the flying sword suddenly elerated, reaching the giant wolf before the shield could arrive, shing toward it.


    A hint of fear appeared in the giant wolf''s eyes, seeming somewhat intimidated.


    But the flying sword had already arrived, leaving it no choice but to confront it.


    The giant wolf stood up and continually struck out with its front paws.


    One fierce w attack after another shot out like a tempest, rushing toward the flying sword.


    "ng, ng, ng..."


    The w strikes were unending, yet each one was shattered by the flying sword.


    The sword moved like a lone warrior cutting through an army, carving a bloody path through the throng.


    Finally, it shed down onto one of the giant wolf''s paws.


    "Woo..."


    A heart-wrenching howl escaped.


    Half of the giant wolf''s left front paw was severed.


    The sword light cut into its abdomen, creating a wound over two feet long.


    It nearly disemboweled the creature.


    The giant wolf was sent flying by the immense force of the flying sword.


    The masked man watched his spirit beast with anguish and quickly fed the giant wolf several pills before putting it back into the spirit beast pouch.


    He also collected the severed half of the wolf''s paw.


    To prevent a sneak attack from the flying sword, he kept the shield firmly protecting him as he


    did all this.


    However, the iing flying sword did not strike the shield but was instead blocked by a


    short dagger.


    It was Leng Tianlu who had intervened.


    Seeing this, the farmer chuckled lightly.


    "You Beast Tamers can''t win, so you just bring more people? But it seems you Beast Tamers don''t have as many as we do."


    As if to confirm his words, just as he finished speaking, a man and a woman emerged from


    among the six bandits.


    The man also summoned a flying sword.


    A cold gleam shed as it rushed directly toward the masked man.


    The woman produced a jade Ruyi, slowly sweeping through the air.


    Vibrant flower petals appeared out of thin air, apanied by pink mist, surging toward the masked man.


    These two nned to first kill the masked man before turning their attention to Leng Tianlu.


    The masked man''s expression grew serious as he fully activated the shield in front of him.


    Phantom shield images surged forth from the shield, continuously meeting the flying sword, attempting to weaken its power.


    The flying sword pierced through theyers of illusions and struck the shield.


    The masked man, along with the shield, was sent flying backward.


    "Pfft!"


    A mouthful of blood sprayed out, sttering into the air.


    The masked mannded clumsily, just managing to regain his footing.


    At that moment, the pink mist arrived just in time.


    As the petals merged with his body, the masked man suddenly stiffened, his expression


    bing somewhat dazed.


    Facing the iing flying sword once again, he seemed unaware of how to dodge or defend.


    When the sword light was almost about to slice through his forehead, perhaps driven by the instinct for survival, he abruptly regained his senses.


    He lowered his body sharply, and the shield flew up, blocking the flying sword.


    The flying sword struck the edge of the shield.


    Sword energy poured out, sweeping past the masked man''s head, taking awayrge chunks of


    flesh and hair.


    The masked man''s scalp and flesh were all torn away by the sword energy, revealing his bare


    skull.


    He looked like a terrifying demon.


    However, he had at least saved his life.


    Simultaneously, he and his shield were knocked to the ground by the tremendous force of the


    flying sword.


    Seeing the opponent''s flying sword preparing to strike again, the masked man''s face showed terror as he turned to look at Feng Qi, his eyes filled with pleading.


    Feng Qi sat calmly on the stone mat, raising his hand to unleash a fire dragon that blocked the


    flying sword aimed at the masked man.


    He cleared his throat and spoke loudly.


    "Forgive others when you can, my friends from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and the He


    Huan Sect, could you spare this one face of mine and let him live? Take the stone mat if you


    wish."


    "Ha ha."


    A voice of disdain echoed through the great hall.


    "You, Feng Qi, are so full of yourself."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Since he dares topete for the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid, he should be prepared to die."


    The piercing sound of mockery rang out.


    The speaker was none other than Ji Ruxue, a merete-stage Foundation Establishment


    cultivator.


    Feng Qi''s expression darkened upon hearing her words.


    It would be one thing for others to ridicule him, but how could a merete-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator have the gall to provoke him?


    "If I remember correctly, your name is Ji Ruxue, right? Back in East Huafang Market Square,


    you were chased to the point of embarrassment by my subordinates. Without your master''s help, you would have long been dead without a grave. You dare to bark here now?"


    Ji Ruxue responded indifferently.


    "Feng Qi, your subordinates bully their own kind, seizing the stone mat. If you can''t even


    stand against my Profound Heaven Sword Sect disciples, then dying is simply self-inflicted.


    Let this be our Profound heaven Sword Sect cleaning house for your Beastmaster Sect."


    Feng Qi coldly replied, "Ji Ruxue, it seems you are determined to be my enemy."


    Ji Ruxue raised her eyebrows.


    "Do you think I would be afraid of you?"


    "If you want to die, then I''ll make it happen," Feng Qi said.


    He raised his hand and summoned two enormous fire dragons.


    The temperature in the entire great hall suddenly soared.


    A strong killing intent spread through the air.


    "Feng Qi, if you bully my Profound Heaven Sword Sect, there will be no one to stop you!"


    A rugged voice rang out.


    It was the burly man from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect with a thick beard.


    He fixed a cold stare at Feng Qi, eyes filled with fury.


    It seemed that if Feng Qi dared to attack Ji Ruxue, he would face a thunderous counterstrike.


    Feng Qi turned to look at the bearded man, his expression icy.


    "I''d like to ask you to teach me about the sword techniques of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect."


    Suddenly, another charmingly seductive voice sounded.


    "Feng Qi, it seems you''ve forgotten my existence. I wonder, can you defeat me, Senior


    Brother Xue Gu, and Junior Sister Ji all by yourself?"


    The speaker was Mu Yunxin.


    The bearded man, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Profound Heaven Sword


    Sect, was the ''Senior Brother Xue Gu'' that Mu Yunxin mentioned.


    Feng Qi had once been a guest in Mu Yunxin''s quarters.


    However,st time when Feng Qi captured Ji Ruxue, he severely injured Mu Yunxin.


    From then on, the two became enemies and cut off all ties.


    Since then, Feng Qi was just a stranger to her.


    Her jade arms now rested on someone else''s pillow.


    A half a red lip was tasted by another.


    Every night, she still sang the songs of the backyard flowers.


    TL: []


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 324: Sword Summons Divine Thunder

    Chapter 324: Sword Summons Divine Thunder


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Mu Yunxin, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why do you have to meddle?"


    Feng Qi said with a solemn expression.


    Mu Yunxin replied in a charming voice, "Junior Sister Ji and I share a bond like sisters; I have connections with Senior Brother Xue. The He Huan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect share mutual interests and will advance or retreat together."


    Feng Qi coldly retorted, "Do you He Huan Sect and Profound Heaven Sword Sect only dare to rely on your numbers?"


    Mu Yunxin smiled seductively. "Yes, we are relying on our numbers to bully your Beastmaster Sect for being so few. What can you do about it?"


    Feng Qi narrowed his eyes coldly, staring at Mu Yunxin for a long time before turning to Elder Rong Jingyun. "Elder Rong, can you help me as a fellow sect member and join forces against the enemy?"


    Rong Jingyun was also at the peak of Foundation Establishment. If she were willing to team up against Mu Yunxin and the others, both sides would have two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, making theirbat strength even.


    Rong Jingyun nced at Feng Qi, her expression indifferent. "Elder Feng, please do not involve the sect in your personal grudges. My partner and I just want a portion of the ten- thousand-year spirit liquid and have no intention of meddling in your conflicts."


    Rong Jingyun firmly rejected Feng Qi and also rified her stance to Mu Yunxin and the others.


    Feng Qi said, "Elder Rong, don''t you think of the bonds between fellow sect members?"


    Rong Jingyunughed coldly. "Bonds between fellow sect members? When you were oppressing Elder Wu, you didn''t consider that."


    "Hahaha..."


    Mu Yunxin suddenly burst intoughter. "I didn''t expect the imposing Feng Qi would also have a time when he needed to beg."


    "Feng Qi, take your dog and roll out of the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid hall!"


    "Otherwise, this hall will be stained with blood."


    The six bandits, Xue Gu, Mu Yunxin, Ji Ruxue, and a total of nine people, simultaneously unleashed their respective spirit weapons.


    In an instant, the atmosphere in the entire hall became unusually tense.


    Killing intent boiled over, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing point.


    Feng Qi''s face darkened like water; he never imagined things would develop to this point.


    The He Huan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect actually united to force him to withdraw from thepetition for the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    "Mu Yunxin, don''t get too carried away; I''ve already agreed to give up one stone mat." Feng Qi made onest struggle.


    Mu Yunxin remained unmoved. "Get lost! Or die!"


    Feng Qi''s face turned ashen, his teeth grinding together audibly, clearly infuriated to the extreme.


    But outmatched, he had no choice but to lower his head.


    He stood up from the stone mat and cast a fierce nce at Mu Yunxin and the others, his face filled with resentment.


    "Damn it!"


    Feng Qi shouted and flew out of the hall.


    Leng Tianlu and the injured masked man followed closely behind, exiting the great hall as well.


    The three quickly disappeared without a trace.


    Feng Qi intended to use the masked man to gain another portion of the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid, but ended up shooting himself in the foot, losing the portion he already had to thebined forces of the He Huan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    Among the six bandits, a man and a woman rushed towards the two vacant stone mats.


    Suddenly, five skeletal ghostly figures appeared beside Jie Hui, quickly rushing toward one of the empty stone mats.


    This stone mat had originally been upied by Feng Qi, adjacent to the one upied by Jie


    Hui.


    Due to the closer distance, the five skeletal ghostly figures reached it first, surrounding the


    stone mat.


    "What do you bald donkeys from Mixed Yuan Temple mean by this?"


    Ji Ruxue eximed angrily upon seeing the situation.


    Jie Hui, sitting cross-legged on the stone mat, slightly bent forward to bow respectfully, his


    face serene andpassionate.


    "Thisdy, the poor monk naturally wishes to seize a share of the opportunity."


    Ji Ruxue retorted furiously, "This stone mat was taken from Feng Qi by our Profound Heaven Sword Sect and He Huan Sect. You bald donkeys were silent just now, but now you want to take advantage!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Jie Hui spoke slowly and leisurely, "The ten-thousand-year spirit liquid is originally a thing without an owner, so it naturally belongs to the virtuous. As a Buddhist cultivator from Mixed Yuan Temple, I save all living beings and possess greatpassion and virtue. I should rightfully obtain more spirit liquid."


    Ji Ruxue cursed angrily, "You bald donkey! You practice soul refinement and control ghosts; where is yourpassion?"


    Jie Hui pressed her palms together and recited a Buddhist mantra, her expression devout. "The Buddha says that all beings are equal, and all things can be Buddhas; even ghosts can be Buddhas."


    "The poor monk has never enved any ghost! I am guiding the ghosts; on the day I be a Buddha, those ghosts can ascend to paradise with me and be free from the suffering of


    reincarnation."


    "This is the highest virtue and goodness; how can you,dy, speak so recklessly and


    spheme?"


    Jie Hui wore a face ofpassion and devotion, as if what she said were true.


    Upon hearing this, Ji Ruxue did not get angry but insteadughed, unable to help herself.


    "You bald donkeys are truly eloquent. ording to your reasoning, those evil cultivators of the ghost path are all virtuous people who should be sent to your Western Paradise to be Buddhas and ancestors."


    "Is it true that in your Buddhist teachings, the supreme Buddha is nothing but a collection of


    the most sinister and evil beings?"


    Faced with Ji Ruxue''s mockery, Jie Hui became furious.


    "Ignorant woman! How dare you nder my Buddha? You seek death!"


    Thepassion on Jie Hui''s face disappeared in an instant, reced by a chilling killing


    intent.


    He lightly moved the prayer beads in her hand, and five skeletal ghostly figures abandoned


    the stone mat, wielding rusted long des, charging toward Ji Ruxue.


    These five skeletal ghosts were all at thete second-tier level.


    Each ghost''s strength wasparable to Ji Ruxue''ste Foundation Establishment level.


    However, Ji Ruxue showed no fear.


    "Just a bunch of ghosts daring to show off."


    As her words fell, nine flying swords suddenly appeared.


    Ji Ruxue eximed sharply, "Great Cave Divine Thunder!"


    In an instant, lightning flickered above the nine long swords.


    Everyone in the hall couldn''t help but look over.


    Especially Lei Yuhua and the other five from the Lei family.


    The Great Cave Divine Thunder is the second of the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secrets


    Techniques from the Lei family, requiring Foundation Establishment level or higher to


    practice.


    Under the pressure of several major sects in the cultivation world, the Lei family had leaked


    the first two techniques of the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secrets Techniques to several


    major sects.


    These sects found that only a few disciples could cultivate the Divine Thunder techniques to a high level, unable to unleash the true power of the techniques.


    Slowly, these sects lost interest in acquiring the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secrets


    Techniques.


    As a result, rumors circted in the cultivation world that only those with Lei blood could unleash the true might of the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secrets Techniques.


    Thus, it was not surprising that Ji Ruxue, as a member of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect,


    practiced the Great Cave Divine Thunder.


    What was strange was that she dared to bring it out to face the enemy.


    Moreover, she was up against five opponents of simr strength.


    Song Wen, who was standing in a corner of the hall and nearly forgotten by everyone, was also


    surprised.


    The ''Great Cave Divine Thunder'' that Ji Ruxue unleashed actually formed from the nine sword


    bodies.


    This was very different from how he had used it.


    When Song Wen used the ''Great Cave Divine Thunder,'' it came down from the sky.


    Moreover, the records he obtained of the Divine Thunder techniques stated that the thunder


    should descend from the heavens.


    "Could it be that a powerful person from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect has improved the


    Divine Thunder techniques?" Song Wen thought to himself.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 325: Enemy or Illusion

    Chapter 325: Enemy or Illusion


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Nine flying swords, shimmering with lightning, circled around Ji Ruxue, constantly spinning.


    Standing in the midst of the lightning, Ji Ruxue seemed like a celestial maiden descending to the mortal realm, mysterious and captivating.


    She leaped into the air, bringing the nine flying swords with her, actively charging toward the five ghostly figures.


    Due to being deep within the Cann Secret Realm, her spiritual consciousness was suppressed, forcing Ji Ruxue to get close to the ghosts and engage in closebat.


    Jie Hui was momentarily startled by Ji Ruxue''s lightning control.


    Before he could make any move, Ji Ruxue had already closed in on the five ghosts.


    Ji Ruxue formed a sword gesture with her left hand, drawing it forward.


    The nine flying swords surged out in a line, but instead of harming the enemies, they circled around the perimeter, enclosing the five ghosts within.


    "Evil Extermination Sword Formation, rise!" Ji Ruxue shouted.


    As Ji Ruxue continuously manipted the sword techniques in her hands, a connection abruptly formed among the nine flying swords.


    Countless mysteriousws flew out from the nine flying swords.


    Thews formed from silver lightning quickly intertwined with one another.


    A gray-ck translucent light curtain emerged, using the nine flying swords as its base and the lightningws as its barrier, suddenly materializing.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    It trapped the five ghostly figures inside.


    Jie Hui''s expression became extremely grave.


    Ji Ruxue had actually cultivated a sword formation, and it was a lightningw sword formation at that.


    However, fortunately, while the sword formation trapped the ghosts, it did not sever the connection between Jie Hui and the ghosts.


    In other words, the five ghosts were still under his control.


    Jie Hui slid his prayer beads, and the five ghostly figures, wielding long des, all shed toward a weak point in the sword formation''s barrier.


    Seeing this, Ji Ruxue revealed a cold smile.


    "Just a bunch of ghosts thinking they can break my sword formation; it''s wishful thinking."


    "Thunder!"


    Each of the nine flying swords shot out a bolt of lightning.


    Nine streaks of thunder, with the force of a thousand pounds, carrying overwhelming celestial might, struck toward the five skeletal ghosts in a sh.


    The five skeletal ghosts merged into one, facing an uncertain direction, and their long des shed fiercely.


    The dazzling lightning instantly filled the entire sword formation,pletely obscuring the figures of the five ghosts.


    When the lightning dissipated, the weak silhouettes of the five ghosts were revealed.


    The souls of the five ghosts had be much more transparent, as if they could disintegrate at any moment.


    The ghosts they had painstakingly refined were nearly shattered by Ji Ruxue, leaving Jie Hui filled with hatred.


    He raised his hand to take out a human skin hand drum.


    With a gentle tap, a dull drumbeat sounded.


    Ji Ruxue''s figure swayed slightly, and a look of terror appeared on her face.


    A terrifyinglyrge beast materialized before her eyes.


    The beast stood several zhang tall; it had a humanoid form but with a bull''s head.


    Its pair of eyes glowed red, exuding cruelty and bloodlust.


    Looking down from its height, it gazed at Ji Ruxue, who was as small as an ant.


    In the shadow of the giant beast, Ji Ruxue felt as if she were falling into an abyss, deeply


    aware of her own weakness, unable to muster even a shred of fighting spirit.


    At that moment, she only wished to escape, to put as much distance between herself and the


    beast as possible.


    It felt as if her feet were filled with lead, unable to move even an inch.


    What terrified Ji Ruxue even more was that the giant beast raised its right foot, slowly


    stepping toward her.


    Ji Ruxue''s vision waspletely dominated by the enormous paw.


    She could even smell the pungent stench emanating from the beast''s foot.


    Just as Ji Ruxue thought she was about to die at the hands of the giant beast, a loud shout


    exploded in her ear.


    "Junior Sister Ji, wake up!"


    Ji Ruxue suddenly came to her senses as if waking from a dream.


    She immediately realized:


    She was in the Cann Secret Realm, within the Hall of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Liquid.


    She was in a fierce battle with Jie Hui.


    Inside the great hall, where did this giant beaste from?


    This giant beast is an illusion!


    It is a mental attack targeting the soul.


    Having discerned the true nature of the beast, what had previously terrified Ji Ruxue now


    appeared to her as nothing more than a fa?ade.


    With her right hand, Ji Ruxue formed a sword gesture and lightly pointed at the giant beast.


    A sword qi shot forth.


    In an instant, the giant beast shattered into countless tiny light particles, dissipating away.


    Ji Ruxue felt a sudden rity as everything before her became bright again.


    Everything she saw returned to normal.


    Looking up, she noticed that the Evil Extermination Sword Formation had copsed due to


    her loss of control.


    The five ghosts had already been recalled by Jie Hui.


    The retrieval of the ghosts meant that the stone cushion upied by the five ghosts was now


    empty.


    Ji Ruxue''s expression turned cold as she stared at Jie Hui, with nine flying swords rapidly rotating around her, reflecting her lingering unease.


    Her forehead glistened with beads of sweat, cold sweat brought on by the giant beast.


    However, she had no intention of backing down.


    Though Jie Hui''s human skin hand drum was strange, Ji Ruxue had seen it once before and had


    her guard up, believing she wouldn''t be easily tricked again.


    "Bald donkey, watch my sword!"


    The nine flying swords gathered lightning energy, ready to strike at Jie Hui.


    With an indifferent expression, Jie Hui said, "Lady, I have already relinquished the stone


    cushion. Why must you be so aggressive?"


    Though Jie Hui appeared to concede, Ji Ruxue was unwilling to let it go so easily.


    The flying swords shot out in a line, sweeping toward Jie Hui.


    Jie Wu suddenly transformed into a golden giant, standing up and bellowing.


    "Filthy woman, can''t you understand my senior brother Jie Hui''s words? Do you really think


    you can run rampant with a mere sword formation? Dare to unleash it, and I''ll smash you to


    pieces!"


    "Junior Sister Ji, do not cause unnecessary trouble;e back," Mu Yunxin suddenly


    interjected, trying to mediate.


    "Hmph!"


    Ji Ruxue snorted coldly, reluctantly sheathed her flying swords, and turned to walk toward her


    stone cushion.


    Within the Mixed Yuan Temple, there were three peak foundation-building cultivators


    present. Even if the He Huan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect joined forces to confront them, the oue could only be mutual destruction.


    This would only allow the others in the great hall to pick up the spoils.


    The vacant stone cushion was upied by a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    Jie Hui sat on his stone cushion, having failed to seize the cushion and suffering injuries because of the five ghosts.


    His expression was no longer as kind and benevolent as before; instead, he appeared quite


    grim.


    Suddenly, he sensed someone watching him.


    Looking up and scanning the great hall, Jie Hui discovered that the one observing him was


    Xue Gu from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.


    However, the other party was not just peeking; they were openly staring at him.


    A surge of anger suddenly rose in Jie Hui''s heart.


    He had already epted defeat, relinquishing the empty stone cushion; what else did the


    Profound Heaven Sword Sect want?


    Did they still want to seize his stone cushion?


    As Jie Hui fumed internally, he noticed that Xue Gu''s gaze flickered toward Lei Yuan and the


    other four Lei family cultivators, a barely noticeable sneer appearing at the corner of his


    mouth.


    Jie Hui''s eyes fixed on Xue Gu, seemingly unsure of his intent.


    Xue Gu nodded slightly.


    Then, he turned away, no longer looking at Jie Hui.


    Seeing this, a smile emerged on Jie Hui''s face, and his expression returned to one of


    compassion.


    ...


    A little over a momentter.


    The vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth began to converge, sharply increasing the


    concentration of spiritual energy within the entire great hall.


    Everyone in the hall felt a strange illusion arise, as if they were situated within a gigantic


    spiritual vein.


    It felt like with every breath, they could inhale arge amount of spiritual energy, and their


    cultivation seemed to be quietly rising.


    All the participants'' expressions brightened.


    The ten-thousand-year spirit liquid was about to condense into existence.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 326: The Ten Thousand Year Spirit Liquid Condenses

    Chapter 326: The Ten Thousand Year Spirit Liquid Condenses


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Inside the great hall, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew increasingly dense.


    The crowd felt invigorated, their gazes fixed tightly on the stone bowls in front of each of their stone cushions.


    At the same time, everyone released their spiritual awareness without reservation, alerting to all movements around them, fearful of any sudden changes.


    Many even summoned their own spiritual artifacts, just in case.


    In an instant, various spiritual artifacts emitted pressure, filling the entire hall with a strong and deadly intent.


    Suddenly.


    Every stone bowl began to emanate a milky white glow.


    The milky white light gradually intensified, and the bowls shone so brightly that they were blinding.


    An extremely rich wave of spiritual energy radiated from the stone bowls.


    The white light enveloped the bowls andsted for about half a stick of incense.


    Then, the white light gradually started to retract and dim.


    The twelve cultivators upying the stone cushions were all visibly excited, yet somewhat tense.


    Once the white lightpletely dissipated, it would be time to collect the precious spirit liquid.


    Suspended in front of each of them was a jade vial, prepared to receive the spirit liquid.


    At that moment, an unexpected turn of events urred.


    A figure with fiery red wings burst in from outside the hall.


    Its speed was astonishing, akin to a burning meteor.


    It was Huo Yu!


    Everyone''s expressions grew serious, each person urging their spiritual artifacts, poised for action.


    What surprised the crowd was that Huo Yu did not attack cultivators from other sects; he instead charged at Rong Jingyun, who was also a disciple of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Only her husband, Heng Cheng, apanied Rong Jingyun.


    Within the great hall, she was the weakest and the easiest target to plunder.


    Seeing Huo Yu barreling toward her with overwhelming force, Rong Jingyun showed no fear.


    "Huo Yu, you previously robbed Elder Wu''s stone cushion, and now you attempt to strike at me. Tsk, tsk! As an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, do you only know how to bully your fellow sect members?"


    TL: Am I the only one who doesn''t remember this Huo Yu?


    As she spoke, Rong Jingyun opened her mouth and expelled a small square cauldron.


    The square cauldron rapidly inted upon meeting the air, instantly growing to a size of ten feet.


    A brilliant red light shone from atop the cauldron.


    The originally jet-ck cauldron gradually began to glow red, quickly transforming into a bright crimson, as if it were being seared by intense mes.


    A terrifying heat radiated from the square cauldron.


    Seeing this, Huo Yu, who was rapidly charging toward Rong Jingyun, widened his eyes in surprise.


    Clearly, he recognized the cauldron and understood its extraordinary nature.


    "The Yan Guang Ding (me Light Cauldron)!"


    Huo Yu''s expression changed, and he grasped the air above him.


    Arge fiery de formed from concentrated mes suddenly appeared in his hands.


    Huo Yu wielded the ming de and fiercely shed at the square cauldron.


    "ng!"


    The ming de collided with the square cauldron, producing a sharp, resonating sound.


    The two shed and instantly separated.


    Both retreated several feet.


    Huo Yu''s expression turned grave; the legendary spirit artifact from the Alchemy Peak-the me Light Cauldron-had actually fallen into Rong Jingyun''s hands.


    The me Light Cauldron was a cauldron for alchemy, but it also served as an offensive spiritual artifact.


    Deep within the Alchemy Peak of the Beastmaster Sect, a heart of Earth Fire was sealed within, used for the thousands of alchemists who practiced alchemy on the Peak.


    Within the me Cauldron, there is a trace of the Earth Fire from the depths of the earth.


    When activated by spiritual power, the me Light Cauldron can unleash an endless stream of spiritual mes to scorch its enemies.


    Earlier, when Huo Yuunched a surprise attack, Rong Jingyun was caught off guard and didn''t have time to summon the spiritual mes.


    Huo Yu was secretly rmed, but he did not lessen his offensive; if he wanted to obtain the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid, he could only confront Rong Jingyun head-on.


    He hurriedly formed several hand seals and shouted.


    "Earth Fire Chains!"


    As the hand seals werepleted, the ground within a hundred meters around the me


    Light Cauldron suddenly surged with a red light.


    Nine fiery chains burst from the ground, wrapping around the me Light Cauldron from nine different directions.


    The me Light Cauldron could not evade and was tightly bound by the nine fire chains.


    A faint blue me emerged from the mouth of the cauldron, burning the nine fire chains.


    Wherever the blue mes touched, the red mes on the chains were slowly devoured by the


    blue fire.


    As a result, the fire chains began to shrink.


    Huo Yu knew that his spell could only restrain the me Light Cauldron for a moment.


    He conjured two fire dragons and sent them charging toward Rong Jingyun.


    Rong Jingyun opened her mouth and expelled a small yellow g.


    The small g flew into the air, hovering above Rong Jingyun''s head, quickly expanding to several feet in size.


    The yellow light shone brightly, firmly protecting both Rong Jingyun and Heng Cheng.


    No matter how the two fire dragons exhaled mes, they could not break through the yellow


    light.


    Seeing that the two fire dragons could not threaten Rong Jingyun, Huo Yu cast another spell and summoned two more fire dragons.


    Four fire dragons, each ten feet long, surrounded the yellow g.


    Rong Jingyun began to sweat profusely, struggling to maintain her stone cushion, which


    made her ufortable.


    Her gaze was fixed intensely on the stone bowl.


    The white light on the stone bowl was about to fadepletely.


    It was bing increasingly clear that the stone bowl was filled with a milky white liquid.


    Behind her, Heng Cheng saw his wife being attacked by Huo Yu, and a me of anger surged in


    his eyes.


    He controlled a flying sword and continuously attacked Huo Yu.


    But Huo Yu had a fiery shield in front of him, easily blocking the attacks.


    No matter from which direction Heng Chengunched his flying sword, it was easily deflected


    by the shield, unable to approach Huo Yu at all.


    The fierce battle between Rong Jingyun and Huo Yu seemed like a signal for attack.


    At the same time, three monks from the Mixed Yuan Temple, Ji Ruxue and Xue Gu from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, Mu Yunxin from the He Huan Sect, and six rogue cultivators from the He Huan and Profound Heaven Sword Sects allunched attacks against Lei Yuhua and the four members of the Lei family.


    Jie Hui and his twopanions targeted the four members of the Lei family.


    The othersunched a sneak attack on Lei Yuhua.


    The four members of the Lei family, under the surprise attack from the three monks, were


    unable to withstand even a single strike and were instantly beheaded.


    On the other hand, Lei Yuhua managed to escape from the encirclement of nine foundation-


    building cultivators.


    He was able to evade the attacks of nine people due to the exquisite nature of the Thunder


    Escape Technique. Lei Yuhua''s speed was nearly at the peak that a foundation-building cultivator could achieve.


    Additionally, the secret realm exerted pressure on spiritual awareness. The controble attack range of spiritual awareness was limited to a hundred meters. Beyond that distance, one could not "attack at will."


    As Lei Yuhua narrowly evaded the attacks, the white light on the stone bowl had already


    faded.


    At this moment, everyone could not care less about continuing to attack others and were all urging their jade vials to collect the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid from the stone bowls in


    front of them.


    Seizing this opportunity, Lei Yuhua rushed toward the stone cushion he originally upied.


    There were still no other cultivators rushing to the vicinity of the stone cushion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Relying on his speed advantage, he arrived ahead of others, took out his jade vial, and began


    to absorb the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    At the same time that Lei Yuhua rushed toward the stone cushion, Song Wen, who was positioned in the corner of the great hall and had almost been forgotten by everyone, also used the Thunder Escape Technique, transforming into a bolt of lightning and darting toward


    a stone cushion.


    Song Wen''s speed was even faster than Lei Yuhua''s.


    He arrived at the selected stone cushion ahead of Lei Yuhua.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 327: Pursuit

    Chapter 327: Pursuit


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    The stone cushion that Song Wen rushed toward was one he had carefully selected.


    This stone cushion was the closest to him, and only guarded by a male cultivator from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and a female cultivator from the He Huan Sect.


    Both of them were at thete stage of foundation building.


    They were among the weakest defenses of all the stone cushions.


    Before Song Wen arrived, a three-meter-high treasure pagoda, radiating a mysterious yellow light, descended from the sky, crashing down toward the two.


    It was the top-grade defensive spirit tool, the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda.


    The two were shocked by Song Wen''s speed but did not lose theirposure.


    The male cultivator from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect activated his flying sword to confront the descending pagoda.


    The female cultivator from the He Huan Sect seized the opportunity to activate her jade vial and began collecting the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    A cold gleam shed, shing toward the female cultivator.


    It was the Cold Moon de!


    Although Song Wen had a more powerful attacking spirit tool-the Soul Cleaving de.


    Both the Soul Cleaving de and the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda were top-grade spirit tools, and with Song Wen''ste-stage foundation-building cultivation, it was already a significant strain to activate the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda.


    It was nearly impossible to activate two top-grade spirit tools simultaneously.


    The female cultivator summoned a red ribbon, easily blocking the Cold Moon de.


    However, her action of collecting the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid was momentarily dyed.


    In that brief moment, Song Wen had already approached the stone bowl and was controlling a jade vial from afar, beginning to absorb the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    "Ding!"


    The male cultivator''s flying sword struck the lower edge of the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda.


    The flying sword was deflected away.


    The Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda slowed down slightly but continued to crash down toward the two.


    Realizing the pagoda''s extraordinary nature, the male cultivator did not hesitate to retreat.


    Instead, the female cultivator, who was intent on collecting the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid, was directly struck by the pagoda and trapped inside.


    After the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda trapped the enemy, it had its own means to eliminate foes.


    But at that moment, Song Wen had no intention of splitting his focus to kill the female cultivator.


    He fully focused on activating the jade vial to absorb the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid.


    The ten-thousand-year spirit liquid contained pure spiritual energy, and the time it took to collect was significantly longer than Song Wen had anticipated.


    It took him about ten breaths (20 Seconds) of time topletely gather the ten-thousand- year spirit liquid into the jade vial.


    At this time,


    Apart from Lei Yuhua, everyone else had also gathered the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid into their jade vials.


    When these people saw Song Wen suddenly charge in and seize a portion of the ten- thousand-year spirit liquid, they were all greatly shocked.


    The members of the He Huan Sect and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect were immediately enraged and urged their spirit tools to strike at Song Wen.


    Song Wen could not afford to concern himself with the female cultivator still trapped under the pagoda.


    He raised his hand and summoned the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda, which flew into the air and hovered above his head.


    The pagoda emitted a mysterious yellow light, firmly protecting Song Wen.


    In that instant, Song Wen activated the Thunder Escape Technique, transforming into a bolt


    of lightning and darting toward the exit of the great hall.


    Due to the suppression of spiritual awareness in the secret realm, the attacks of the others were difficult to execute freely.


    Relying on the Thunder Escape Technique, Song Wen evaded most of the attacks.


    He also withstood two attacks thanks to the power of the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda, breaking through the main entrance.


    With Song Wen having taken the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda, the female cultivator trapped inside was naturally freed. She stared at Song Wen''s retreating figure with lingering


    fear.


    Also watching Song Wen leave was Lei Yuhua.


    The speed demonstrated by Song Wen while using the Thunder Escape Technique astonished


    him.


    Could there really be cultivators outside the Lei family who had trained the Thunder Escape


    Technique to such a degree?


    Just how high was this person''s lightning talent?


    As Song Wen left, Lei Yuhua became the target of everyone''s ire.


    After Song Wen had escaped from the great hall, he had just managed to collect the ten- thousand-year spirit liquid.


    He could no longer afford to think about Song Wen''s lightning talent; using the Thunder


    Escape Technique, he darted toward the great hall''s exit.


    Feng Qi was also escaping through the great hall''s exit at the same time.


    The me Light Cauldron broke free from the restraints of the "Earth Fire Chains" and


    spewed out arge amount of blue mes, scorching toward Feng Qi.


    Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Feng Qi decisively gave up onpeting for the ten- thousand-year spirit liquid and chose to retreat.


    Rong Jingyun, filled with murderous intent, stared at Feng Qi''s back and said to the person


    beside her, Heng Cheng.


    "Let''s go!"


    Inside the great hall, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and the He Huan Sect formed one


    power, while the Mixed Yuan Temple was another.


    These two factions possessed the strongest power, capable of crushing anyone else.


    If she continued to stay here, she couldn''t guarantee that no one would have ill intentions


    toward her.


    At this moment, the great hall was in extreme chaos, making it the best opportunity to


    escape.


    Xue Gu and Mu Yunxin were pursuing Lei Yuhua.


    Ji Ruxue was surrounded by nine flying swords, guarding against the three monks from the


    Mixed Yuan Temple alongside several disciples from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and the


    He Huan Sect.


    Jie Hui ignored Ji Ruxue, instead watching Rong Jingyun and Heng Cheng''s retreating figures


    with a peaceful smile.


    "Why are you two so anxious? I implore you to hand over the ten-thousand-year spirit liquid


    as an offering to our Buddha."


    Jie Wu transformed into a golden giant and stepped forward, charging toward Rong Jingyun


    and Heng Cheng.


    Jie Hui and Jie Se each stood on a lotus tform, also pursuing them.


    "You two, your attachment is just greed, and greed is an evil thought. You have been invaded


    by evil spirits, so let this poor monk guide you to salvation."


    Rong Jingyun''s speed was not slow, so she didn''t have to worry about being caught by the


    three.


    However, Heng Cheng''s speed was slightlycking.


    The distance between the three and Heng Cheng was rapidly closing.


    Rong Jingyun nced back at Jie Hui, whose face was filled with benevolence, gritting her


    teeth and lightly shouting.


    "Go!"


    A surge of blue mes suddenly erupted from the me Light Cauldron, which had been


    protecting Rong Jingyun and Heng Cheng.


    The blue mes rapidly spread, blocking the path of the three monks.


    "Just a mere spirit me," Jie Hui scoffed.


    However, he slowed down, not daring to let the blue mes touch him.


    Jie Hui opened his mouth wide.


    Arge amount of ck, foul gas surged from his mouth.


    The foul gas was like the stench of atrine, unpleasant to smell.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was also as if evil spirits had descended, filled with ominousness and disaster.


    And like the presence of asuras in the world, it was filled with bloody violence and chaotic


    bloodlust.


    This was a foul gas, a mixture of corpse poison, ghostly energy, blood evil energy, and other impurities of the world.


    The Earth Core Refining me contained a trace of the righteous energy of heaven and earth,


    which could restrain evil entities.


    However, therge amount of foul gas surged toward the rootless Earth Core Refining me,


    making it seem a bit overwhelmed.


    Wherever the foul gas passed, the blue mes quickly extinguished.


    Once the blue mes werepletely extinguished, Jie Hui inhaled deeply.


    Like a whale swallowing, the nauseating foul gas was sucked back into Jie Hui''s stomach, not


    knowing where it was stored within him.


    Jie Hui and the others continued to soar through the air, pursuing Rong Jingyun and Heng


    Cheng.


    As the chase continued, the five quickly flew out of the rocky mountain area.


    Heng Cheng turned back, looking at the three evil monks who were getting closer and closer,


    his eyes shing with determination.


    Suddenly, his escape speed dropped sharply.


    A powerful wood-type spiritual force rose around him.


    Heng Cheng turned to face the pursuing trio, his expression calm as he focused on them.


    He continually formed hand seals, and the wood-type spiritual force rippling around him


    grew even more immense.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 328: What is Love? It Causes Life and Death to Be Bound Together

    Chapter 328: What is Love? It Causes Life and Death to Be Bound Together


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Rong Jingyun sensed something amiss and noticed her husband''s unusual movements behind her.


    She quickly turned around, her expression anxious.


    "Darling, why are you doing this? It''s dangerous here; Let''s escape quickly."


    Heng Cheng looked back at his wife, his eyes filled with tenderness, yet his hand did not stop forming hand seals.


    "Jingyun, you know very well that the two of us cannot escape together. Rather than falling into the hands of those demonic monks, it''s better for one of us to live and leave."


    As he spoke, a tall green figure suddenly appeared in front of Heng Cheng.


    It was a giant demonic vine, with dozens of tendrils.


    Each tendril was as thick as a human waist, covered in tiny scales that flickered with a faint green light.


    They twisted and writhed like a group of enraged giant snakes.


    With a fierce sound that broke the air, they lunged toward the three monks.


    In the moment of attack, Heng Cheng turned around and shouted at his wife, who had paused her escape, hesitating.


    "Go! You must survive and get out of this secret realm. Our son is still at home waiting for us; he will take care of you."


    Heng Cheng''s tone was urgent, tinged with a sense of tragic loneliness.


    As he spoke, dozens of tendrils, like furious giant pythons,shed out at Jie Hui and the others.


    The three slowed their chase.


    "Unexpectedly, it''s a spiritual nt-type demonic beast; interesting," Jie Hui said with a peculiar smile, stealthily moving behind Jie Wu and Jie Se.


    Dealing with such a tough-skinned, mindless spiritual nt-type beast would be challenging with his evil Buddha secret technique, so he decided it was better to let the physically adept Jie Wu and the stealthy Jie Se take the lead.


    Jie Wu unleashed the "Arhat Golden Body" secret technique, transforming into a towering giant.


    With Jie Se activating his protective robe, fearless, he charged toward the demonic vine.


    Jie Wu''s muscles bulged, and under his golden skin, blue veins writhed like worms.


    He swung his enormous fist down with the force of thunder, smashing into one of the demonic vines.


    This punch gathered all his strength, and as his giant fist fell, powerful spiritual energy poured out, creating a massive shockwave that swept in all directions.


    The demonic vine shattered into countless wooden splinters.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    As soon as Jie Wu broke one vine, ten more surged from nearby, wrapping around him.


    He kept swinging his arms, hammering down like iron hammers.


    With every attack, another vine was crushed.


    Jie Se hid behind Jie Wu''s sturdy frame, wielding a demon-ying staff to clear away some of the vines that slipped through.


    In an instant, nearly half of the vines had been destroyed.


    Heng Cheng turned to look at Rong Jingyun, who still had not left, anxiety etched on his face.


    "Why are you still here? Are you really going to perish with me?"


    These demonic vines were unique to the Beastmaster Sect''s Spirit Grass Peak, and Heng Cheng had only recently acquired them.


    The vines possessed considerable strength,parable tote-stage second-level demonic beasts. Because theycked souls and intelligence, they fought recklessly, making them particrly difficult to deal with.


    However, because theycked intelligence, Heng Cheng had to personally control the demonic vines to attack, unlike other spiritual beasts that could attack on their own, allowing


    their masters to escape.


    Rong Jingyun looked at her husband, her eyes filled with affection.


    "We entered this secret realm together as husband and wife, so we must leave together. How could I stand by and watch you sacrifice your life to save me while I survive?"


    "Indeed, love is deep and loyal. Since that''s the case, you should both stay," Jie Hui''s voice suddenly echoed.


    Unbeknownst to them, he had circled around the vines and approached Heng Cheng closely.


    Holding a human skin drum in his hand, he gently tapped it.


    As Heng Cheng focused on controlling the vines while simultaneously talking to his wife, he momentarily let his guard down.


    His eyes widened in horror, filled with panic.


    The situation was eerily simr to when Ji Ruxue had been controlled by the drum, causing


    him to feel a profound terror that shattered his focus.


    Without Heng Cheng''s control, the demonic vine''s attacks became chaotic, with tendrils even tangling with one another.


    Jie Wu and Jie Se easily broke through the blockade of vines and charged over.


    "Darling, wake up!"


    Rong Jingyun shouted in panic.


    At the same time, she hurriedly activated the me Light Cauldron, pouring out arge


    amount of blue spiritual mes toward Jie Hui and the others.


    Amid Rong Jingyun''s cries, Heng Cheng''s mind snapped back to reality.


    His consciousness had just returned from the illusion, only to see a demon-ying staff


    piercing through the blue mes, aimed at his chest.


    Heng Cheng was filled with dread; the demon-ying staff was now just inches away, and there was no time for him to mobilize his spiritual energy to resist.


    He could only pour all his strength into forming a spiritual energy shield.


    However, ate-stage Foundation Establishment practitioner''s shield couldn''t possibly withstand a full-force strike from a peak Foundation Establishment practitioner.


    The demon-ying staff pierced through his chest, passingpletely through him.


    Heng Cheng was propelled backward by the force of the staff,nding near Rong Jingyun.


    Rong Jingyun caught Heng Cheng and saw a fist-sized hole in his left chest.


    His entire heart had been shattered.


    Thanks to the powerful physical abilities of a Foundation Establishment practitioner, he


    barely clung to life.


    Lying in Rong Jingyun''s arms, Heng Cheng gazed at her face, his eyes filled with reluctance


    and longing.


    His mouth opened slightly, wanting to say something.


    But no words came out, only arge amount of blood foam spilled from his mouth.


    Rong Jingyun''s face was filled with heartache. She raised her hand, retrieving a purple spiritual mushroom.


    It was the purple cloud mushroom, a precious third-level spiritual medicine, which had been


    used by Fang Pengyi during the final stage of Song Wen''s human-snake transformation to


    sustain thest flicker of life.


    TL: Purple Cloud Mushroom, previously tranted as Ziyun Mushroom


    Rong Jingyun stuffed the purple cloud mushroom directly into the wound on Heng Cheng''s


    chest.


    Then, she poured a stream of spiritual energy to help refine the mushroom.


    "Don''t speak, just rest; I will definitely take you out of here."


    Rong Jingyun looked into her husband''s eyes, her expression exceptionally resolute.


    Heng Cheng''s eyes rolled back, and he fainted.


    Rong Jingyun waved her hand, summoning the me Light Cauldron.


    She ced Heng Cheng''s body inside the cauldron.


    Then, stepping onto her flying sword, she soared into the air.


    With Heng Cheng no longer a burden, Rong Jingyun''s speed increased significantly.


    Jie Hui and the others were momentarily blocked by the blue spiritual mes.


    Rong Jingyun quickly widened the gap between herself and the three.


    The vast cavern of the Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid Hall had only one exit-the one


    they had entered from.


    Ahead of Rong Jingyun, there were several people.


    Leading the escape was Song Wen.


    Following him was Lei Yuhua.


    Next were Mu Yunxin and Xue Gu, who were pursuing Lei Yuhua, trying to seize the Ten


    Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid in his possession.


    Finally, there was Feng Qi, who had gained nothing.


    Rong Jingyun knew that these people ahead were not to be trifled with.


    She decided not to continue fleeing toward the exit but instead headed down toward the cliff''s


    edge at the cavern''s periphery.


    The cliff was bottomless, and no one knew where it led or if it would allow them to escape the


    cave.


    The practitioners who had entered the cave previously had not brought any relevant


    information.


    However, at that moment, Rong Jingyun had no choice but to take the risk.


    Even if there were no exits down the cliff, all she needed was to find a hidden ce to hide.


    Given the limited range of spiritual perception in the secret realm, it wouldn''t be easy for Jie


    Hui and the others to find her.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 329: Resurrection of the Dead

    Chapter 329: Resurrection of the Dead


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Not far ahead of Song Wen, the cave exit was finally in sight.


    Song Wen nced back at the people following him.


    The distance between him and the others was growing ever wider.


    The urgency in Song Wen''s heart rxed a bit.


    Just as he was about to dash at full speed toward the exit, fully intending to shake off the group behind him in the winding passage, two shadows flickered in the pitch-ck tunnel.


    Suddenly, two dark sword lights shot out like venomous snakes lying in wait in the darkness.


    With an unmatched sharpness, they sliced through the darkness, heading straight for Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s expression changed slightly, but he didn''t panic.


    The two flying swords in this surprise attack didn''t seem particrly strong.


    The cultivation levels of the two attackers should be on par with Song Wen, also at thete stage of Foundation Establishment.


    This led Song Wen to deduce the identities of the two.


    They were Feng Qi''s subordinates, Leng Tianlu and the masked man.


    Leng Tianlu already harbored a grudge against Song Wen, so it was expected he would take action against him.


    But the masked man''s hatred for Song Wen was even greater than Leng Tianlu''s, which left Song Wen somewhat confused.


    As thoughts raced through his mind, Song Wen''s actions didn''t slow down.


    He first summoned the Turtle Snake Shield; behind it was the Kui Water Shield, and behind that was a bronze cauldron, fully protecting his body.


    Although the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda was excellent, it consumed too much spiritual energy, so Song Wen didn''t want to use it unless necessary.


    Song Wen also didn''t limit himself to passive defense.


    He raised his hand and conjured three lightning spears, each a yard long.


    The lightning spears surged forward, racing toward the two figures in the tunnel.


    The two flying swords and the three lightning spears passed by each other, with the flying swords first striking at Song Wen.


    The two flying swords collided with the Turtle Snake Shield first.


    The Turtle Snake Shield couldn''t withstand the attack ar was easily knocked away.


    Then, the Kui Water Shield was cut through by the two flying swords, transforming into a mass of Kui Yin heavy water.


    Next, the two flying swords struck the bronze cauldron.


    The bronze cauldron glowed brightly with green light, emitting a deafening hum.


    The power of the two flying swords was exhausted, returning without sess.


    Song Wen pressed forward with the bronze cauldron, charging into the tunnel.


    Earlier, the three lightning spears he shot had already been blocked by Leng Tianlu and the masked man.


    The two once again urged their flying swords to strike at Song Wen.


    Previously, they had hoped to catch Song Wen off guard and hadn''t used their full strength with the flying swords.


    Now, they had no reservations.


    With all their might, the flying swords glimmered with sword light, resembling shooting stars cutting through the night sky as they targeted Song Wen.


    However, as the two flying swords charged at him with unstoppable momentum, Song Wen seemedpletely unfazed, continuing to press forward with the bronze cauldron, as if he were deliberately crashing into the swords.


    Just as the flying swords were about to strike the bronze cauldron, Leng Tianlu and the masked man suddenly looked panicked.


    They were astonished to find that there were actually six insects within a ten-foot radius around them.


    Some came from the ground, some from above, and some from behind... rushing toward them.


    These insects emitted a powerful aura,parable to mid-stage Foundation Establishment practitioners.


    They hadn''t even noticed when these insects had appeared.


    Song Wen''s earlier three lightning spears were merely a distraction.


    The real killing move was the insects that followed behind the lightning spears.


    He used the overwhelming power of the lightning spears to mask the presence of the insects, preventing Leng Tianlu and the masked man from detecting them.


    The insects were too close and moved too quickly.


    In a panic, Leng Tianlu and the masked man could only hastily condense their spiritual energy


    into a protective shield to fend off the insects.


    The Sacred Gu suddenly grewrger, reaching the size of an egg.


    Its ck, sharp mandibles mped down on the spiritual energy shield.


    It was like a high-frequency vibrating knife, continuously gnawing at the sturdy surface of


    the shield.


    With each bite, the spiritual energy shield emitted slight tremors, as if groaning in pain.


    The speed of the Sacred Gu''s bites was extremely fast; in an instant, it had bitten into the


    shield.


    Suddenly, cracks appeared in the spiritual energy shield, and it shattered.


    With looks of horror on their faces, each of the two men had three Sacred Gus burrow into


    their bodies.


    In a moment, both of them ceased to breathe.


    With their deaths, the flying swords that had been aimed at Song Wen lost their power, and he


    easily swept them up, storing them in his storage ring.


    Song Wen then entered the passage.


    With a flick of his fingers!


    A burst of spiritual energy shot out.


    The iron mask on the masked man''s face was struck off by the spiritual energy.


    When he saw the face beneath the mask, a surge of killing intent suddenly welled up in Song Wen''s heart.


    The masked man was none other than Wang Ming, who was supposed to have received the


    death penalty.


    Three years ago, Feng Xinghai had publicly sentenced Wang Ming to death in front of Songn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Wen and Fang Pengyi.


    Over three years had passed, and not only was Wang Ming alive, but he was also vividly


    present in the secret realm.


    He even wore an iron mask to conceal his appearance and aura.


    It was clear that Feng Xinghai had not executed Wang Ming; instead, he had secretly spared


    Wang Ming''s life, allowing him to work for Feng Qi and assist in exploring the secret realm.


    Feng Xinghai had deceived everyone in the Beastmaster Sect.


    Song Wen believed he couldn''t do anything about Feng Xinghai, but since Feng Qi was in the


    secret realm, he could still take revenge.


    He released a Sacred Gu, hiding it in the crevices of the cliff outside the passage.


    Song Wen then cast the Soul Binding Technique, sealing the souls of the two men within their


    respective corpses.


    He then stored the two bodies in his storage ring.


    Afterpleting this, Song Wen released a few lightning techniques to disperse the residual


    aura of the Sacred Gus in the passage with the overwhelming pressure of the lightning.


    Song Wen used the Lightning Escape Technique and headed deeper into the passage.


    Amid the intricate andplex passages, he chose only the downward-sloping ones, hoping


    to delve deeper into the ground.


    The underground dark river, which nurtured the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branches,y deep


    below.


    Not long after Song Wen left, Lei Yuhua also entered the passage, not pausing for a moment


    before disappearing into it.


    Mu Yunxin and Xue Gu hovered not far from the entrance of the passage, suspended in mid-


    air.


    With Lei Yuhua fleeing into the maze-like passage, there was no chance of catching up.


    The two exchanged nces, shook their heads, and flew back toward the great hall.


    Feng Qi, who had originally followed behind them, saw them change direction and was now


    coming toward him.


    Not wanting to sh with the two, Feng Qi quickly distanced himself.


    Mu Yunxin and Xue Gu had no intention of entangling with Feng Qi either and directly flew


    toward the great hall.


    This made Feng Qi breathe a sigh of relief.


    He flew into the exit passage on his sword.


    Earlier, he had sensed the fluctuations of spiritual energy from the battle between Wang Ming


    and Leng Tianlu against Song Wen from a distance.


    However, due to the distance, he was unclear about the process and oue of the battle.


    After carefully examining the remnants of the battle, Feng Qi concluded that Wang Ming and


    Leng Tianlu were both dead.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 330: Following Traces

    Chapter 330: Following Traces


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Feng Qi couldn''t help but feel a sense of foreboding.


    On paper, Wang Ming had already been executed.


    If Wang Ming''s corpse fell into Wu Sheng''s hands, and if Wu Sheng reported to the sect with the body, their faction would be implicated.


    After all, Wang Ming was sentenced to death because he had disturbed the human-snake bnce, which was essential to the First Supreme Elder.


    Wu Sheng, a mere nobody, shouldn''t pose a threat to them.


    However, Wu Sheng was favored by the First Supreme Elder, and offending him could attract the Elder''s attention.


    That was why, at the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall, when Wang Ming upied Song Wen''s stone mat, Feng Qi did not intervene.


    When Wang Ming showed hostility toward Song Wen in front of everyone in the hall, Feng Qi stopped him.


    Competing for the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid was a normal resource dispute; even if it reached the ears of the First Supreme Elder, the Elder wouldn''t bother with such trivial matters.


    But killing Song Wen would truly offend the First Supreme Elder.


    After all, the First Supreme Elder still had use for Song Wen at the moment.


    "Wu Sheng is well-hidden; he was able to kill Wang Ming and Leng Tianlu alone, and he''s adept at lightning techniques."


    "The cultivation level he disyed, at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, is mostly fake."


    "This person must not be left alive. We need to secretly deal with him before he leaves the secret realm, or it will lead to endless troubles."


    Feng Qi pondered these thoughts in his heart.


    Having made up his mind, Feng Qi used his escape technique to head deeper underground.


    Wu Sheng could kill twote Foundation Establishment cultivators; such strength wouldn''t be disinterested in the Yin-Yang Blood-Weeping Branches.


    He would search carefully along the banks of the underground dark river where the branches grew, or exchange information with other cultivators; he was bound to find some clues about Wu Sheng.


    Just as Feng Qi left, a Sacred Gu crawled out.


    It firmly memorized the residual aura left by Feng Qi and followed him closely.


    Song Wen traveled for dozens of miles, passing through over ten forks in the path.


    He discovered a problem: traveling exclusively downward sloping passages to reach the underground dark river seemed unfeasible.


    Each passage extended several miles before new forks appeared.


    Each fork had two to several diverging paths.


    At the previous fork, the passage sloped downward.


    But at the next fork, the passages ahead were all inclined upward.


    Strangely enough, some passages that originally sloped downward suddenly shifted to sloping upward.


    This left Song Wen feeling extremely frustrated, unable toprehend why the ancient forces that upied this ce built such maze-like passages.


    No longer choosing paths blindly, Song Wen took out a map of the secret realm and began to study it carefully.


    This map came from the Beastmaster Sect''s scripture repository and was drawn based on the memories of various sect members who had entered the secret realm and left.


    The uracy of the map was yet to be verified.


    Song Wen had already discovered several inuracies on the map.


    Unable to think of a way to navigate through the maze of passages, Song Wen decided to wait here, hoping to ambush Feng Qi.


    He took out the bodies of Wang Ming and Leng Tianlu and performed the Soul Searching Technique on them.


    From their memories, Song Wen learned that Feng Qi had a more urate map in his possession.


    The map in Song Wen''s hands was publicly avable information within the Beastmaster


    Sect.


    Many cultivators who participated in the secret realm and exited alive drew maps for their sects but withheld certain information.


    The truly urate maps would be sold privately at high prices to some cultivators interested


    in the Cann Secret Realm.


    At the same time, Song Wen understood why Feng Xinghai spared Wang Ming''s life.


    Wang Ming''s spirit beast, the Spirit Piercing Rat, could barely be considered a Mouse King, as it could control many low-level rat-type demon beasts.


    In the more than three years of hiding his identity, Wang Ming had cultivated arge number


    of low-level rat-type demon beasts.


    He used these low-level rat demons to explore the secret realm to cope with the issues of spiritual perception being suppressed within the Cann Secret Realm.


    Of course, Wang Ming''s cultivation at thete Foundation Establishment stage was also a powerful asset for Feng Qi in exploring the secret realm.


    After devouring the souls and blood of the two corpses, Song Wen burned their bodies to ashes.


    The bodies of the Beastmaster Sect cultivators could obviously not be taken with him.


    In fact, Song Wen had no intention of keeping any corpses from the secret realm, not just


    these two.


    After waiting for a quarter of an hour in the passage, Song Wen realized he had not only failed


    to wait for Feng Qi but also hadn''t encountered Lei Yuhua and the others.


    Song Wen recognized that he must have taken the wrong path.


    Moreover, the elite cultivators from various factions all possessed more urate maps.


    These maps, if notprehensive, were at least significantly more precise than the publicly avable map he had in hand.


    Song Wen retraced his steps and returned to the cave entrance of the Ten Thousand-Year


    Spiritual Liquid Hall.


    There was no one at the entrance of the cave, but from deep within, he could faintly sense fluctuations of spiritual energy, suggesting that there were still cultivators lingering in the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall.


    Not wanting toplicate matters, he didn''t inquire why those people were staying behind.


    After carefully searching around the entrance, Song Wen discovered three neatly arranged scratches in a corner of the passage floor.


    These scratches were very subtle, almost unnoticeable against the mottled ground.


    If one was not intentionally searching for them, it would be difficult to spot.


    These scratches were left by the Sacred Gu to guide Song Wen.


    Finding the scratches calmed Song Wen''s mind, and he once again ventured deeper into the


    passage.


    When he reached the first fork in the path, he found scratches on the side passage.


    Thus, Song Wen followed the traces left by the Sacred Gu, heading further down into the


    depths of the underground.


    He walked through the maze-like passages for an entire day before finally finding his way


    out.


    During this time, he had traversed no less than several thousand feet.


    The vertical distance he covered was also around three to five hundred feet.


    At the end of the passage was a wide underground river.


    The turbulent waters flowed incessantly within the riverbed, producing a rumbling soundn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    that echoed in the quiet underground world.


    On both banks of the river, a few peculiar ordinary nts grew sporadically.


    They emitted a faint glow, like tiny stars dotting this dark and mysterious underground


    world.


    After spending considerable time, Song Wen reached the opposite bank of the river, where he


    found the traces left by the Sacred Gu.


    Following the insect''s guidance, Song Wen ascended the riverbank, moving upstream.


    ording to the experiences of previous Beastmaster Sect members who entered the secret realm, the underground river concealed powerful demon beasts, so flying above the river was inadvisable unless necessary, as it could provoke an attack from the aquatic demons.


    While flying, Song Wen remained vignt, observing the pile of rocks along the riverbank.


    The Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branches were rooted among the chaotic stones on the


    riverbank.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 331: The Reappearance of the Demonic Path Corpse

    Chapter 331: The Reappearance of the Demonic Path Corpse


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen traveled several hundred miles without encountering a single cultivator; even the surrounding environment and the dark river showed little change, as if this dark river had no end.


    Suddenly.


    A man-sized cave entrance appeared on the left rock wall.


    This cave had obvious signs of artificial excavation.


    From the markings, it seemed that this entrance had been opened for many years.


    Song Wen stopped, carefully searching near the cave entrance for traces left by the Sacred Gu.


    Upon entering the cave and walking for a short distance, another underground river appeared before Song Wen.


    Compared to the previous underground river, this one was significantly smaller, and the water flowed more gently.


    As soon as he exited the passage, Song Wen noticed vague figures moving several hundred meters downstream in the riverbed.


    He quickly signaled the Sacred Gu to sneak closer.


    The other party also noticed Song Wen but did not appear as cautious as he was, at least not on the surface.


    The person spoke up directly, introducing himself.


    "Benefactor, this humble monk is Jie Hui from the Mixed Yuan Temple. May I ask your name?"


    It turned out to be Jie Hui.


    As he spoke, he walked straight towards Song Wen.


    His pace was neither fast nor slow, as if he was not at all worried that the suddenly appearing stranger could pose a threat to him.


    Instead, he voluntarily revealed his roots.


    It gave a feeling of utmost sincerity.


    If Song Wen did not know this person''s behavior, he could easily be deceived by the genuine demeanor Jie Hui was pretending to show, thereby lowering his guard.


    At that moment, the Sacred Gu sent a message, indicating that there was no sign of Jie Wu and Jie Se in the vicinity.


    In other words, Jie Hui was alone!


    For some unknown reason, the three had separated.


    Song Wen''s eyes lit up; Jie Hui might have a more detailed map and even the Ten Thousand- Year Spiritual Liquid.


    When Jie Hui approached within a hundred meters, his spiritual perception swept over Song Wen.


    Upon discovering Song Wen''s identity, Jie Hui''s eyes also brightened.


    After all, Song Wen possessed a portion of the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid.


    The only trouble was that the Evil Buddha Path techniques he cultivated would be suppressed by Song Wen''s Thunder Law.


    However, he was confident that dealing with a mid-Foundation Establishment Thunder Law cultivator would not pose a problem.


    He was still unaware of Song Wen killing Wang Ming and Leng Tianlu.


    In his understanding, Song Wen was merely a person with considerable talent in Thunder Law.


    "Ah, so you are a benefactor of the Beastmaster Sect. I remember that your sect''s Rong Jingyun mentioned you, and your name is ''Wu Sheng.""


    "Wu Sheng, hand over the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid! This humble monk can grant you a quick death. Otherwise, I will have to exorcise demons and let you experience the taste of a vengeful spirit devouring your soul."


    Before his words fell, Jie Hui''s benevolent expression suddenly turned sinister.


    Although he repeatedly urged Song Wen to hand over the Ten Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid, his actions showed no intention of sparing Song Wen''s life.


    He held a human-skin drum in one hand and lightly tapped it with the other.


    He knew well that ghostly entities could be suppressed by Thunder Law, so he decided not to


    summon any.


    In front of Song Wen, the world began to spin.


    The space gradually distorted and transformed, and time seemed to shift.


    A thousand-meter-high mountain appeared before him.


    The mountain had eighteen tentacles waving and thrashing about.


    It was unmistakably the appearance of the Beastmaster Sect''s guardian divine beast-Blood


    Sui.


    Song Wen stood at the foot of the mountain, with the eighteen thick tentacles casting a


    shadow over him, descending menacingly.


    An illusion!


    Song Wen realized in his heart.


    Although he knew that the scene before him was merely an illusion, it felt too real; he could even clearly perceive the hurricane created by the iling tentacles, whipping against his skin, causing a stinging pain.


    A fear emanating from the depths of his nature surged within him.


    This fear, like a cold venomous snake, tightly bound him, trying to imprison him and prevent


    any resistance.


    "What if it''s the guardian divine beast! It''s just a man-eating demon."


    "You think I will surrender? Dream on!"


    "Great Cave Divine Thunder, extinguish!"


    A bolt of thunder materialized in the sky like the wrath of a celestial deity, tearing apart the


    silence of the underground dark river.


    Thunder shes, breaking all the sinister and evil in the world.


    The phantom of Blood Sui shattered like struck ss, weak and fragile, turning into countless


    tiny fragments that scattered in the air.


    Song Wen''s vision instantly returned to normal.


    He saw a pale white bone spear shoot towards his forehead.


    A bronze bell suddenly materialized on Song Wen''s body.


    The bone spear struck the bronze bell.


    The bell emitted a brilliant green light.


    It blocked the bone spear.


    The tremendous impact caused Song Wen to stumble backward several steps.


    A flicker of surprise shed in Jie Hui''s eyes.


    He had ambushed a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator and actually failed.


    Not only did the opponent cultivate Thunder Law, but he was also a formidable body-refining


    cultivator.


    "I want to see just how strong your Thunder Law is, whether it can defeat the endless evil."


    Jie Hui thought fiercely.


    He opened his mouth and spat.


    Arge amount of ck, foul qi gushed out.


    It surged forward like a torrent of filth, crashing toward Song Wen.


    Jie Hui originally thought Song Wen would activate his Thunder Law to forcibly disperse the


    filthy qi.


    However, Song Wen merely looked at the rushing filth without any signs of movement, as if


    he didn''t care at all.


    Jie Hui couldn''t help but be astonished.


    Typically, righteous cultivators, when faced with filthy qi, would at least set up a spiritual


    power shield to resist the corruption.


    If a righteous cultivator were heavily tainted by foul qi, their spiritual power would be


    polluted, leading to obstructions in its operation and severely affecting their abilities.


    Yet, Song Wen remained motionless, allowing the foul qi to wash over his flesh without showing any difort, except for being slightly disturbed by the foul stench.


    In Jie Hui''s astonished gaze, the righteous aura around Song Wen began to retract, and a


    dense corpse aura surged forth.


    Song Wen''s flesh rapidly shriveled and transformed into a corpse-like form.


    In an instant, he became a zombie with sharp fangs and long ws.


    "Demonic Path Corpse Cultivator!"


    Jie Hui''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    How could anyone simultaneously cultivate both righteous and demonic path techniques!


    No wonder the other party was unafraid of foul qi; demonic path cultivators had no fear of it.


    They used foul qi to cultivate.


    Jie Hui''s shock didn''t end there.


    Two figures radiating terrifying pressure appeared beside Song Wen, one on the left and one


    on the right.


    On the left was a corpse puppet exuding overwhelming corpse aura.


    On the right was a ghost king with a vast and oppressive ghostly presence.


    "A pseudo-third stage silver corpse and ghost king!"


    Jie Hui''s face was filled with horror and disbelief.


    He quickly began retreating.


    "Jie Jie Jie... only now do you think about escaping? Isn''t it a bit toote?"


    A bloodthirsty expression filled Song Wen''s face.


    Since escaping from the Corpse Demon Sect, it was the first time he revealed his body from


    the Blood Refinement Technique of the Corpse King.


    Just moments ago, the Sacred Gu had already scouted a ten-mile radius.


    There were no other cultivators nearby!


    The secret realm was isted from the outside world and filled with foul qi, helping him


    conceal his presence.


    He could unleash his full power.


    Just as Jie Hui had escaped about ten meters, he was caught up by the rushing ghost king.


    The ghost king kicked towards Jie Hui''s chest.


    Jie Hui opened his mouth again, spewing out arge amount of foul qi, condensing it into a


    shield in front of him.


    However, the foul qi shield, merely a product of concentrated foul qi, was utterly incapable of


    withstanding the full-force strike of a pseudo-third stage ghost king.


    The foul qi shield shattered with a single blow.


    It transformed into a stench-filled miasma that dispersed into the air.


    (End of the Chapter)n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


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 Chapter 332: Cold Pool

    Chapter 332: Cold Pool


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Jie Hui could only watch helplessly as the ghost king raised its big foot and kicked toward his chest.


    At that moment, he felt immense regret.


    Why had he practiced the evil Buddha technique?


    If he had practiced orthodox Buddhist teachings, it might have had some restraining effect on ghosts.


    Perhaps he could have held on for a bit longer.


    Now, he was left powerless and awaiting his doom.


    Chaotic thoughts shed through Jie Hui''s mind.


    Bang!


    The ghost king''s kicknded squarely on Jie Hui''s chest.


    His body was sent flying backward as if struck by a giant beast.


    At the same time, he spat out arge amount of fresh blood, staining the air crimson.


    The ghost king''s kick didn''t take Jie Hui''s life; it only left him severely injured.


    Unerringly, Jie Huinded right at Song Wen''s feet.


    He tilted his head up and saw Song Wen looking down at him from a height, gazing at him intently.


    It was a face that looked nothing like a living person''s!


    Skin that was shriveled and ck!


    Fangs protruding with a dark, eerie glow!


    Between his mouth and nose, a swirling aura of corpse energy could be seen.


    At that moment, Song Wen''s appearance was terrifying beyond belief.


    "Master, didn''t you just say you would give me a quick end? To exorcise the demons?"


    "I wonder how you n to exorcise me, this corpse demon?"


    "Kekeke..."


    Song Wen''s gray eyes fixed on Jie Hui, sending chills down his spine.


    With sharp, bony ws, he aimed to stab down at Jie Hui''s head.


    "Wait, benefactor..."


    In the midst of Jie Hui''s terrified gaze, the ws stopped just half an inch from his eyes.


    "Oh? Does the master have anyst words? Hurry up and say them. Once you''re done, this demon will send you to the western paradise to meet the Buddha."


    Song Wen''s voice was like the wailing of hell''s demons, sharp and piercing, making one tremble in fear.


    Jie Hui hurriedly replied.


    "Everyone is equal; there are no demons in this world, just people who are foolish and blinded by appearances. The Buddha has a thousand forms; benefactor, you are definitely not a demon, but a manifestation of the Buddha exorcising demons in this world."


    Upon hearing this, Song Wen couldn''t help but be stunned.


    He thought that Jie Hui had some vital information worth a life.


    He never expected that even on the brink of death, Jie Hui would still be trying to outsmart


    him.


    It was utterly absurd, wasting precious time.


    In an instant, the ws pierced through Jie Hui''s skull.


    Jie Hui breathed hisst.


    Song Wen activated the Soul Searching Technique to delve into Jie Hui''s memories.


    Both Song Wen and Jie Hui were at the peak level of the Foundation Establishment stage.


    However, Song Wen''s spiritual consciousness was slightly stronger.


    Upon executing the Soul Searching Technique, he found very few memories.


    Only scattered fragments from the moments leading up to Jie Hui''s death.


    From Jie Hui''s memories, Song Wen learned that when they were in the cave where the Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid pce was located, Jie Hui and hispanions had chased after Rong Jingyun along the cliff edges of the cave, descending hundreds of miles.


    Upon reaching the depths of the cliff, a chilling aura began to creep in.


    At the end of the cliff, a bottomless cold pool appeared before them.


    A bone-chilling cold emanated from the pool.


    Fatigued from fleeing, Rong Jingyun didn''t hesitate and plunged into the cold water.


    The water in the deep pool was icy to the bone.


    That frigid aura prated to the marrow, seemingly capable of freezing a person''s very soul.


    Upon entering the pool, Rong Jingyun felt her limbs stiffen.


    However, with a deadly demon monk behind her, she had no way to retreat and could only


    continue diving deeper.


    The deeper she went, the stronger the cold became.


    Even with spiritual power protecting her, many ces on Rong Jingyun''s body began to crystallize with tiny ice shards, causing her flesh to freeze and die.


    As she continued to dive deeper, the pool water swept past her, taking with it pieces of rotting


    flesh, revealing the frozen blood and flesh beneath.


    Seeing that Rong Jingyun was about to sumb to the extreme cold of the cold pool, she grabbed the fire cauldron behind her with one hand.


    A wisp of faint blue me overflowed from the cauldron, flowing along her arm and into her


    flesh.


    The dual torment of ice and fire plunged Rong Jingyun into immense pain.


    Yet, under the adjustment of her inner spiritual power, the ice and fire reached a delicate


    bnce.


    With the help of the Earth Core Refining me, Rong Jingyun barely resisted the encroaching


    cold.


    She continued to dive toward the depths of the cold pool.


    Fortunately, the cold pool wasn''t very deep, only about ten meters.


    At the bottom of the cold pool was a horizontal passage. After moving forward a few meters


    along the passage, it began to slope upward.


    Rong Jingyun, who was already dazed from the freezing, felt a surge of energy and quickly


    ascended.


    Meanwhile, for Jie Hui and the other two.


    When they reached the upper part of the cold pool, their expressions inexplicably changed to


    one of excitement.


    The Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch thrives in dark, sunless, and damp ces.


    This location perfectly met both of those conditions.


    Thus, it was highly likely that the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch could grow here.


    The three of them quickly spread out to search around the cold pool.


    The entire bottom of the cliff wasn''trge, only upying a small area, with the cold pool


    taking up half of it.


    In just a breath or two, the three of them had searched the vicinity of the cold pool.


    They found no trace of the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    After a brief discussion, they decided to dive into the cold pool to search for any other exits.


    Perhaps at the other exits of the deep pool, they might find traces of the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    Since Rong Jingyun was ahead scouting for them, even if there were dangers, she would bear


    the brunt, giving them ample time to react.


    If there were no other exits in the cold pool, they could also kill Rong Jingyun and seize the


    Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid in her hands.


    Jie Se''s robe was a top-tier defensive spiritual artifact, and it helped to release Buddha light,


    shielding them from the cold temperatures of the pool.


    The three followed Rong Jingyun and descended to the bottom of the deep pool''s horizontal


    passage.


    After diving down, the underwater passage began to slope upward.


    ...


    Ahead, Rong Jingyun saw a glimmer of hope for escape and felt invigorated.


    The three monks behind her were simrly stirred; the mouth of the pool above them likely


    had the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    "Whoa."


    Rong Jingyun was the first to break through the water''s surface.


    With a wave of her hand, a fireball the size of a basin suddenly shot up into the air.


    After ascending several hundred meters, the fireball collided with the rocky ceiling of the


    cave.


    The fireball exploded, turning into countless sparks of light that scattered everywhere.


    With the aid of the firelight, Rong Jingyun finally saw her surroundings clearly.


    This was an underground cavern, about several dozen meters in size.


    Within the cave, bizarre rock formations jutted out.


    There wererge stone stctites hanging from the ceiling.


    There were stone drapes, stone pirs, and stgmites standing on the ground.


    Each formation was unique and oddly shaped.


    A subterranean river wound its way through the cavern.


    Rong Jingyun looked around but found no exit in this cavern.


    However, at the end of the river was a submerged passage leading out of the cave.


    Rong Jingyun swiftly made her way toward the dark passage flowing out of the river.


    "Ssh, ssh, ssh."


    Jie Hui and the other two emerged from the deep pool.


    At that moment, darkness once again enveloped the cavern.


    Yet, they were able to urately locate Rong Jingyun''s position, relying on their strong


    eyesight and the fluctuations of spiritual power emanating from her.


    Jie Wu immediately transformed into a golden giant and pursued Rong Jingyun.


    Jie Se urged the demon-exorcising staff and charged at Rong Jingyun.


    Jie Hui raised his hand and shot out two fireballs, illuminating the entire cavern once more.


    The three acted independently yet in perfect coordination, as if they had nned it in


    advance.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 333: Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch

    Chapter 333: Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Rong Jingyun knew in her heart that once she was entangled by the three of them, there would be little chance of escape.


    This underground cavern would be her burial ce.


    Time was pressing, and Rong Jingyun had no time to dodge the attacks from the demon- exorcising staff.


    She kept the fire cauldron behind her, not dodging or avoiding, and continued to rush toward the river''s exit.


    "ng!"


    The demon-exorcising staff struck the fire cauldron.


    The tremendous impact sent the fire cauldron flying forward, colliding perfectly with Rong Jingyun''s back.


    "Pff!"


    Rong Jingyun spat out a mouthful of blood.


    Stumbling, she elerated and charged ahead.


    Just as she was about to plunge into the river, a sharp, piercing sound suddenly came from behind her.


    It was a thick stgmite, over two meters long.


    It was Jie Wu!


    Seeing that he couldn''t catch up to Rong Jingyun, he casually ripped off a stgmite and threw it with all his might at her.


    Rong Jingyun used all her strength to unleash a wave of spiritual energy, hitting the stgmite.


    The stgmite immediately exploded into countless fragments.


    Before Rong Jingyun could breathe a sigh of relief, another series of piercing sounds rang out as several thick stgmites came hurtling toward her.


    With their immense force, Rong Jingyun dared not underestimate them and could only focus on shattering them one by one.


    Next, the demon-exorcising staff regrouped and attacked again.


    Under the relentless assault from Jie Wu and Jie Se, Rong Jingyun was exhausted from defending herself and slowed down, allowing Jie se to catch up to her.


    After blocking the demon-exorcising staff once again, Rong Jingyun couldn''t dodge in time and was struck in the chest by arge stgmite.


    The sharp stgmite crashed against her chest.


    It shattered instantly.


    Rong Jingyun was violently knocked back.


    "Bang bang bang..."


    A series of crashing sounds erupted.


    Rong Jingyun broke several hanging stctites before finally stopping, crashing down beside the river.


    The continuous violent impacts injured her internal organs severely.


    "Cough cough cough..."


    Rong Jingyun copsed to the ground, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, with fragments of her internal organs mixed in.


    Jie Se shed over and hovered above Rong Jingyun.


    His gaze slowly swept across her body, filled with lewd desire.


    "Though your appearance may have aged a bit, your charm still remains, with a unique allure."


    Jie Semented on Rong Jingyun like a hungry ghost obsessed with lust.


    He seemed utterly impatient!


    Meanwhile, Jie Hui, who was using the light from his fireball technique to observe the cavern, suddenly brightened his eyes.


    Next to the river, among a tangle of stgmites, a spiritual nt was growing.


    The nt was about a foot tall, with twenty-four small leaves; half of them were white, and


    half were jet ck.


    It was the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch, an essential herb for refining the Golden Core


    Pill.


    Every twenty years, the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch grows a new leaf.


    This meant that the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch before them was nearly a hundred years


    old.


    Such an aged Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch was rare even in the Cann Secret Realm.


    A Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch over a hundred years old could already be used for refining


    the Golden Core Pill.


    The Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch grew among the stgmites, and because it was beyond the perception range of Jie Hui and the others, they had not discovered its presence when they first entered the cavern.


    With a look of ecstatic joy, Jie Hui''s expression shifted to one of caution.


    Wherever the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch grew, powerful beasts often resided.


    However, despite their fierce battle in the cavern, they had yet to see any sign of beasts.


    Could it be that this Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch was unguarded by any beasts?


    Jie Hui spected in his heart.


    "Jie Wu, Jie Se, be careful and stay alert; there''s a Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch here."


    Jie Hui loudly reminded herpanions.


    Upon hearing this, Jie Wu''s expression lit up with joy.


    "What! You really found the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch!"


    Jie Wu eximed, rushing toward Jie Hui.


    Jie Se also showed a happy expression. He looked at Rong Jingyun, and his lewd gaze


    gradually retracted.


    "I was nning to let you live a bit longer, allowing you to experience the subtlety of the


    Joyful Buddhist Sutra before you die. But since there''s a Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch here, there may be beasts lurking around. It seems you won''t have the chance toprehend the Joyful Buddhist Sutra after all. What a pity."


    Jie Se wore an expression full of regret.


    He circted his spiritual energy and activated the demon-exorcising staff.


    The demon-exorcising staff shone with golden light, piercing through the air with a harsh, shrill sound as it stabbed down toward the heavily injured Rong Jingyun.


    On the brink of life and death, Rong Jingyun, despite her severe injuries, forcibly activated the


    fire cauldron to protect herself.


    However, contrary to expectations, the scene of the demon-exorcising staff striking the fire


    cauldron did not ur.


    As the demon-exorcising staff approached Rong Jingyun, a few meters away, suddenly, an ice column shot up from the river beside her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The ice column was about a meter thick and over ten meters long, emitting a ghostly blue cold


    light.


    This made the ice column appear less like it was formed from ice crystals and more like it was


    made of metal.


    The demon-exorcising staff struck the ice column.


    Several cracks quickly spread within the ice column.


    With a loud "bang," the ice column shattered into several pieces and fell down.


    The demon-exorcising staff was also blocked.


    The sudden turn of events made Jie Se''s eyes narrow, and he stared at the river with a wary


    expression.


    Rong Jingyun, who had just escaped death, was equally astonished as she looked at the river


    beside her.


    Just moments ago, the ce where the ice column had erupted from was less than a yard away


    from her.


    At such a close distance, she hadn''t sensed any life in the river.


    Suddenly, a tentacle shot out from underwater, curling toward Rong Jingyun by the riverbank.


    The tentacle was about the thickness of a human waist.


    What was peculiar was that the tentacle was almost transparent.


    If it remained still underwater and emitted no fluctuations of spiritual energy, it would be


    very difficult to detect its presence.


    Rong Jingyun, knowing her current condition, understood that she could not evade the attack


    of the tentacle.


    She activated the fire cauldron and turned it upside down.


    The fire cauldron enveloped her.


    The tentacle wrapped around both her and the cauldron, dragging them both into the water.


    In the distance, Jie Hui and Jie Wu were stunned at this scene.


    Their attention had been solely on the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    They had already anticipated the presence of beasts in the cavern.


    However, the location where the beasts were hiding should have been near the Ying Yang


    Blood Weeping Branch, not beside Rong Jingyun, who was several miles away.


    But soon, the two realized.


    The stgmite group where the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch grew was only a few meters


    away from the riverbank.


    It was practically adjacent to the river.


    It wouldn''t be surprising for a beast to hide within the waters.


    The beast was likely attracted by the earlier battle and had stealthily concealed itself nearby.


    With Rong Jingyun gravely injured and lying by the river, Jie Se was preparing tond a fatal


    blow on her, which would lead the less intelligent water beast to mistakenly believe it was


    being attacked.


    So, the beast summoned an ice column to block the demon-exorcising staff?


    Upon realizing this, Jie Hui''s eyes lit up.


    If the beast had gone downstream, didn''t that mean that the Ying Yang Blood Weeping


    Branch was currently unguarded?


    Suddenly, an ominous aura surged around him, and he transformed into a blur, swiftly racing


    toward the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    When he was less than a hundred meters away from it, Jie Hui could already sense the Ying


    Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    He extended his right hand, and a foul aura shot from his palm.


    The foul energy coiled around the base of the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch like a chain.


    Jie Hui intended to use the foul energy chain to pull the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch up from a distance.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 334: Jie Se’s Death

    Chapter 334: Jie Se��s Death


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "Ssh!"


    A deafening sound of water breaking echoed.


    Suddenly, a tentacle shot up from the water, sweeping towards Jie Hui and simultaneously crushing the foul energy chain.


    This tentacle was only as thick as a bucket, but when it emerged from the river, it extended several meters long.


    Jie Hui''s expression tightened.


    At this moment, he realized that the water beast wasn''t drawn downstream but had an extremely elongated body.


    Whether it was the Ying Yang Blood Weeping Branch or the heavily injured Rong Jingyun several miles downstream, they were all within its attack range.


    The length of this beast''s body was almost unbelievable.


    Jie Hui retreated rapidly.


    Arge amount of foul energy overflowed from his mouth.


    At this moment, he formed a Buddha Seal with his hands in front of his chest.


    With the activation of the Buddha Seal, the foul energy began to condense in the air.


    In the blink of an eye, a ten-zhang tall, dark and sinister Buddha materialized.


    The Buddha held one hand with the Buddha Seal and struck toward the elongated tentacle with the other.


    "Boom!"


    The two forces collided.


    The tentacle trembled slightly and was pushed back.


    The Buddha''s palm dissipated, and the foul energy dispersed into the air.


    "Jie Wu, Jie Se, help me kill this demon!"


    Jie Hui shouted loudly.


    Jie Wu, a giant man over a zhang tall, gathered strength in his legs and leaped toward the tentacle.


    He swung his fist down with all his might toward the tentacle.


    The golden fist smashed firmly against the tentacle.


    A burst of blood mist erupted.


    The tentacle was cut off with a single blow.


    A segment of the tentacle, over a meter long, fell down.


    However, since the tentacle had already emerged from the water, it was several meters long. Losing just over a meter was not a significant injury to it.


    The severed portion of the tentacle, however, took the opportunity to wrap around Jie Wu.


    The tentacle coiled tightly, fully encircling Jie Wu.


    At that moment, the tentacle squeezed with all its strength, trying to crush Jie Wu into minced meat.


    Jie Wu''s face contorted in rage, his muscles bulging as veins like long worms writhed beneath his skin.


    "Open!"


    Jie Wu summoned all his strength but found that he couldn''t break free from the tentacle.


    The tentacle rapidly retracted, dragging Jie Wu into the river.


    Jie Se, who was rushing downstream, saw this scene.


    He suddenly activated the demon-exorcising staff, aiming it at a rtively calm section of the water''s surface.


    The demon-exorcising staff shone with golden light, piercing into the water and causing a


    huge ssh.


    "Eek..."


    A strange, howling cry emerged from beneath the water.


    "Ssh!"


    A semi-transparent monster surfaced from the depths.


    The monster resembled a jellyfish, appearing semi-transparent, allowing a clear view of its


    internal organs.


    Its body was only a few zhang in size, but it had eight tentacles, each as thick as a bucket, all extending three to four zhang long, giving it a very elongated and bizarre appearance.


    Two of its tentacles coiled around Jie Wu and Rong Jingyun.


    The monster had a hole the size of a grinding disk on its head, from which a viscous liquid


    flowed continuously.


    It was clear that it had been injured by the demon-exorcising staff.


    With its head wounded and in immense pain, the monster became extraordinarily furious.


    Its tentacles iled wildly in the air, throwing Jie Wu and Rong Jingyun away.


    Jie Wu wasunched like a cannonball, crashing to the ground, tumbling and smashing through countless stgmites before finallying to a stop.


    The violent impact severely injured Jie Wu.


    Over half of his bones were shattered, and his hands and feet twisted and deformed, oddly


    folding together.


    His Arhat Golden Body had been broken, returning him to his true form, his aura drifting as he


    lay on the ground.


    Rong Jingyun''s situation was about to improve significantly.


    She was knocked into the river, but with the me Fire Cauldron protecting her, she did not


    suffer significant damage from this strike.


    However, she was still heavily injured.


    When the me Fire Cauldron crashed into the water, the tremendous impact aggravated her internal injuries, causing her intense pain as if her organs were shifting.


    After catching her breath for a moment, Rong Jingyun gritted her teeth against the excruciating pain and flipped out of the me Fire Cauldron, slipping into the river and


    making her way downstream.


    Not far downstream, there was a dark passage where the river flowed out of a cave.


    As long as she could enter the passage, she would have a chance to escape from this


    predicament.


    At that moment, the monster''s attention was focused entirely on Jie Se, providing the best opportunity for Rong Jingyun to escape.


    After throwing Rong Jingyun and Jie Wu away, the monster''s eight tentacles all converged


    towards Jie Se.


    Jie Se''s expression turned terrified, and he retreated rapidly.


    Under hismand, the Demon-Exorcising Staff lunged at the tentacle.


    The monster sacrificed one of its tentacles to withdraw the Demon-Exorcising Staff toward


    the other end of the cave, far beyond Jie Se''s range of spiritual control, making it impossible


    for him to retrieve it for the time being.


    Several tentacles from different angles wrapped around Jie Se.


    Jie Se tried to control his body to dodge left and right in the air, but ultimately he could not


    escape the encirclement of the eight tentacles.


    The eight tentacles drew closer, graduallypressing Jie Se''s space to move.


    In the end, with nowhere to flee, Jie Se was trapped in the center, tightly surrounded by the


    tentacles.


    If it weren''t for the golden Buddha light emanating from his kasaya, andcking a powerful


    physique like Jie Wu''s, he would have been crushed into a pile of flesh long ago.


    "Jie Hui, help me!"


    Jie Se cried out desperately.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    At that moment, Jie Hui flew over to Jie Wu''s side and fed him two pills.


    Upon hearing Jie Se''s plea for help, Jie Hui looked up.


    He saw the eight tentacles chaotically entangled together, forming a massive ball of flesh.


    The tentacles tightened around their prey like a giant python, continually constricting.


    Jie Hui took out a human skin drum and lightly tapped it.


    A muffled drumbeat echoed.


    The monster''s tentacles, which had been tightening, suddenly showed a tendency to stop


    contracting.


    However, in less than a breath''s time, the monster broke free from the drum''s illusion and


    resumed tightening its tentacles, showing no signs of stopping until Jie Se was dead.


    Seeing this, a flicker of hesitation crossed Jie Hui''s eyes.


    From the records left by past cultivators who entered the secret realm, there was


    documentation about this monster.


    The creature was called the Stinging Mother Beast, a powerful demon that lived in the water.


    The Stinging Mother Beast before him was at the peak of the second tier, equivalent to a peak foundation establishment cultivator.


    However, within the Cann Secret Realm, the cultivators'' spiritual consciousness was suppressed, severely limiting the attack range they could control.


    In battle, they would inevitably feel restricted.


    When facing a monster like the Stinging Mother Beast, which had long-range attack


    capabilities, it was even more difficult.


    "Jie Hui! Hurry ande save me, I can''t hold on much longer!"


    Jie Se urged from within the encircled ball of flesh.


    Hearing this, Jie Hui, who had been hesitating, made his decision.


    He dragged Jie Wu and leaped back into the cold pool, not looking back.


    Only the sounds of Jie Se''s cries for help and curses echoed in the cave.


    "Jie Hui, what are you doing? Come save me!"


    Not realizing Jie Hui had already left, Jie Se continued to urge him.


    "Jie Hui, you greedy coward, do you really want to abandon me?"


    Gradually, a hint of despair crept into Jie Se''s voice.


    "Jie Hui, I beg you,e save me, I don''t want to die here."


    After a long time without receiving a response, Jie Se began to plead pitifully.


    "Jie Hui, you ungrateful wretch, have you forgotten that I saved your life from the hands of the Corpse Demon Sect?"


    Amidst Jie Se''s curses, the tentacles continued to constrict.


    The kasaya could gradually no longer withstand the immense force of the tightening


    tentacles, and the golden light it emitted slowly dimmed.


    "Ah..."


    In an instant, the kasaya''s golden light suddenly vanished, and the tentacles abruptly closed


    in.


    Jie Se was instantly crushed into a pulp.


    The transparent tentacles turned red with his blood.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 335: Feng Qi Appears

    Chapter 335: Feng Qi Appears


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Jie Hui dragged the severely injured Jie Wu through the cold pool, returning to the cave of the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall.


    The Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall was already deserted.


    Jie Wu, already injured, was forcibly pulled through the cold pool by Jie Hui. The cold seeped into his body, exacerbating his injuries, leaving him lying on the ground, unable to move.


    Fortunately, the healing pills Jie Hui had previously fed him were high-quality, barely preserving his life.


    At that moment, the spiritual power within him was slowly refining the pills, repairing his injuries.


    "Jie Hui, Jie Se..."


    Jie Wu struggled to spit out a few words.


    Usually, he argued incessantly with Jie Se.


    However, when he was trapped by the Stinging Mother Beast, it was Jie Se who risked his life to save him.


    In the end, this led to Jie Se falling into the hands of the Stinging Mother Beast.


    Jie Se had risked his life to save him; yet, when Jie Se found himself in peril, he felt powerless, leaving Jie Wu with deep guilt.


    Jie Hui shook his head. "At that time, I was also powerless."


    Jie Wuy on his back, staring at the pitch-ck sky with a deste expression.


    "Jie Wu, in your current state, it''s difficult to recover in a short time. At least until the end of the secret realm, you won''t be able to return to your former self. Why not offer your soul and body to my Skeletal Ghost Generals? They can also restore some strength."


    Jie Hui''s voice was like the wind and snow of winter, chilling Jie Wu''s heart.


    After decades of friendship, Jie Hui wanted to use him as food for the ghostly beings.


    Helpless, Jie Wu could only move his eyes to look at Jie Hui.


    What he saw, however, were five ethereal skeletons.


    During the struggle for the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid, the five skeletal ghost generals were injured by Ji Ruxue''s sword formation and had not fully recovered.


    "Jie Hui, spare me..."


    He couldn''t finish his sentence before the five skeletal ghosts lunged at him.


    They began to gnaw at his physical body.


    Watching Jie Wu being devoured, Jie Hui wore apassionate expression and chanted the Buddhist Rebirth Spell.


    However, Jie Wu''s soul was quickly consumed.


    There was absolutely no chance for "rebirth"!


    After the five ghosts finished their meal, Jie Hui turned and left the cave where the Ten- Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall was located.


    Following the passage used by Song Wen and the others to leave, he ventured deeper into the underground dark river.


    The path he took was different from the one that Song Wen had followed when trailing Feng


    Qi.


    Their entrances into the underground dark river were also different.


    ...


    After organizing the memories obtained from the soul search, Song Wen couldn''t help but feel delighted.


    He had discovered a clue about the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, and it was a five- hundred-year-old one.


    However, the Stinging Mother Beast posed a challenge.


    Perhaps it was due to the protection of the Stinging Mother Beast that this Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch could have such a high age.


    Those cultivators who coveted the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch had all died at the hands of the Stinging Mother Beast.


    "But how do we enter the cave? Do we have to return to the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall and enter through the cold pool below the cliff?"


    Song Wen pondered.


    In Jie Hui''s memories, there was only this route to enter the cave where the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch was located.


    There was also a dark passage leading into the cave through an underground river.


    However, Song Wen did not know where this dark river was.


    "First, I need to find Feng Qi, kill him, and then obtain the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    After thinking for a moment, Song Wen made his decision in his heart.


    The Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch was protected by the Stinging Mother Beast, and even three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Jie Hui, had not been able to


    defeat it.


    There was no need to worry about someone else taking it.


    The time required to travel back to the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Hall was too long, and Song Wen didn''t want to waste too much time on the journey.


    After carefully searching around, Song Wen discovered the markings left by the Sacred Gu.


    Feng Qi was moving along the riverway.


    Thinking of the Yin Yang Blood Weeping Branch, Song Wen''s speed noticeably increased.


    Song Wen followed the river, swimming upstream for several hundred miles, yet he still had not seen Feng Qi''s trace.


    During this time, he also discovered several hidden passages leading to other riverways.


    He couldn''t help but sigh in his heart that the underground dark rivers in the Cann Secret Realm were indeed crisscrossing and endless, and this underground waterway was perhaps a


    bit too developed.


    Suddenly, a violent fluctuation of spiritual energy came from ahead.


    Someone was fighting!


    Song Wen first allowed the Sacred Gu to approach, while he concealed his aura and slowly


    followed.


    After moving forward about ten miles, Song Wen could clearly see the twobatants.


    It was actually Ji Ruxue and Feng Qi.


    Ji Ruxue activated the Evil Extermination Sword Formation, trapping Feng Qi within it.


    Within the sword formation, bolts of lightning and sword energy fell intermittently, bombarding Feng Qi.


    It was thanks to the shes of lightning that illuminated the pitch-ck underground world


    that Song Wen was able to recognize the two from several miles away.


    The battle between the two was quite intense.


    The Evil Extermination Sword Formation could summon thunderous techniques, making it


    quite powerful.


    However, Ji Ruxue''s cultivation was weaker than Feng Qi''s.


    Moreover, Feng Qi was not an ordinary opponent.


    With his fire techniques, even though he was trapped in the sword formation and simultaneously attacked by lightning and sword light, he seemed to handle it with ease.


    On the contrary, Ji Ruxue, who was controlling the sword formation, appeared somewhat unsettled.


    Maintaining the sword formation consumed a considerable amount of her spiritual power.


    Not being able to take down Feng Qi for an extended period made her feel a bit discouraged.


    "Last time in the Donghua Square, your master and the He Huan Sect''s senior let you escape with your life. This time, let''s see where you can run!"


    Inside the sword formation, Feng Qi, while mobilizing his fire techniques to fend off the


    iing sword energy, shouted loudly.


    He said this to disturb Ji Ruxue''s mindset.


    Although he was temporarily safe, being trapped in the sword formation for too long was not


    a good thing.


    Ji Ruxue bit her silver teeth and quickly manipted the sword art in her hands.


    The formation''s power suddenly increased.


    Thunderbolts fell frequently, and sword light continued to sh out.


    Inside the sword formation, Feng Qi felt the pressure surge.


    But instead of getting angry, he felt joy.


    The sword formation was driven by Ji Ruxue''s spiritual power; such a high-intensity attack could not be sustained for long with herte-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.


    Feng Qi held a zing fire bell above him, helping him resist the attacks that slipped through.


    He continuously summoned various fire dragons and fire phoenixes to counter the iing


    thunder and sword light.


    Suddenly.


    Three bolts of lightning and nine rays of sword light fell simultaneously.


    The fire techniques Feng Qi unleashed only managed to block ten of the attacks.


    One bolt of lightning and one ray of sword light struck the zing fire bell above him.


    The mes on the bell suddenly flickered, going from bright to dim.


    Then, the bell exploded, sending firelight sttering everywhere.


    The residual power of lightning and sword light fell on the spiritual power shield, which was


    Feng Qi''s final defense.


    The spiritual power shield shattered with a sound.


    The sword light shed across Feng Qi''s chest, and the lightning struck the top of his head.


    After the zing fire bell and the spiritual power shield absorbed some of the power, the remaining might of the thunder and sword light was not much.


    Feng Qi suffered a wound about a foot long across his chest from the sword light.


    The lightning knocked Feng Qi flying, leaving him charred all over.


    Though Feng Qi appeared disheveled, the actual damage was not severe.


    He slightly circted his spiritual power, expelling most of the sword energy and lightning


    that had invaded his body.


    As for his external injuries, they were merely superficial wounds, not serious, and would not


    affect hisbat effectiveness.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 336: Spirit Flame Jade Light

    Chapter 336: Spirit me Jade Light


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Feng Qi was injured by the sword formation, but Ji Ruxue did not pursue the advantage.


    The move she had just used to hurt Feng Qi was already her trump card.


    Yet she hadn''t achieved the ideal battle oue; instead, it had resulted in a significant drain on her spiritual power.


    Ji Ruxue recalled the nine flying swords of the Evil Extermination Sword Formation and swiftly retreated.


    As she escaped, she was moving downstream along the river.


    Coincidentally, this direction was where Song Wen was located.


    The riverbank was not wide, and there was no suitable ce to hide.


    Song Wen noticed that Ji Ruxue was fleeing toward him, and even if he wanted to hide, there was nowhere to go.


    Moreover, Song Wen had no intention of hiding at all.


    As Ji Ruxue flew on her sword, she suddenly discovered that someone was blocking her path ahead and couldn''t help but feel startled.


    Focusing her gaze, she could vaguely see that the person was dressed in the attire of the Beastmaster Sect.


    Ji Ruxue subconsciously took Song Wen to be Feng Qi''s aplice.


    She urged her flying sword toward Song Wen to strike.


    This sword strike was not meant to kill; she simply wanted to force Song Wen back so she could escape smoothly.


    Song Wen activated the Turtle Snake Shield to block Ji Ruxue''s hasty sword strike.


    At that moment, as Ji Ruxue did not slow down, she finally saw Song Wen''s appearance clearly.


    She realized she had attacked the wrong person.


    In the Ten Thousand Year Spiritual Liquid Hall, Ji Ruxue had seen quite clearly that Feng Qi''s subordinate had snatched Song Wen''s stone meditation cushion.


    Song Wen was not Feng Qi''s aplice, but rather an enemy.


    An enemy of an enemy is a friend!


    "Fellow Daoist, I was reckless just now; I apologize for the offense."


    Ji Ruxue spoke words of apology, but her fleeing light showed no signs of slowing down.


    She thought to herself:


    Song Wen held a grudge against Feng Qi; in this encounter, there was likely to be a battle between the two.


    She was just in time to divert the water and wait for an opportunity to slip away.


    Just as Ji Ruxue was about to sweep past Song Wen overhead, a majestic celestial might suddenly surged before Song Wen.


    Three lightning spears, each a zhang long, materialized.


    The lightning spears shot out like shooting stars, aimed directly at Ji Ruxue.


    Ji Ruxue''s expression changed, and she raised her hand to send out a white flying sword to sh at the lightning spears.


    "Fellow Daoist, what do you mean by this?"


    Confused by Song Wen''s attack, Ji Ruxue was forced to slow her escape to fend off the lightning spears, urgently asking.


    "You attacked me for no reason, and after a mere ''I apologize for the offense,'' you think you can escape?"


    Song Wen''s expression was grim, bearing a look of vengeance.


    Ji Ruxue, looking anxious, exined, "You and I both have grievances with Feng Qi; we should join forces to fight against him instead of harming each other, allowing Feng Qi to benefit from it."


    Song Wen remained unmoved, summoning three more lightning spears to strike at Ji Ruxue.


    He cast a nce toward Feng Qi, who was chasing Ji Ruxue ever closer, and a bloody smile crept across his lips.


    "Feng Qi, neither of you will escape."


    Feng Qi had caught up to a short distance behind Song Wen. Seeing that Song Wen had intercepted Ji Ruxue, he couldn''t help but smile.


    "Wu Sheng, I truly have to thank you. Not only did you walk into the trap, but you also helped


    me block this vile woman."


    Ji Ruxue''s expression darkened as she shouted at Song Wen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Get out of the way!"


    As she spoke, Ji Ruxue summoned nine flying swords, which surged out one after another to


    sh at Song Wen.


    Song Wen''s expression remained cold.


    "I told you, neither of you will escape!"


    With a thought, Song Wen summoned the Profound Earth Treasure Pagoda, shielding it above


    his head to block the onught of the nine flying swords.


    At the same time, three corpses and two ghosts appeared beside Song Wen.


    The armored ghost king was the fastest; as soon as it appeared, it dashed toward the slightly


    distant Feng Qi.


    The silver corpse, on the other hand, charged at Ji Ruxue.


    In the Blood Cloud Cave, he had captured a total of three peak second-stage copper corpses,


    one of which he refined into a fake third-stage silver corpse.


    There was also a ghost, a Ghost General he hadn''t used for a long time.


    It held the Top Grade Ghost Banner and quickly swept towards Feng Qi from behind,


    preventing his escape.


    As for the Sacred Gu, Song Wen had scattered it all around to scout the perimeter, preventing


    any other cultivators from approaching.


    Song Wen employed all his means, leaving no chance for the two to escape.


    Feng Qi looked at the ghost king charging at him with a sword, and his expression changed


    drastically.


    This ''Wu Sheng'' had hidden his capabilities too deeply.


    The corpse-refining techniques disyed within his sect were merely the tip of the iceberg.


    ''Wu Sheng'' had not only refined a fake third-stage silver corpse but had also raised a fake third-stage ghost king.


    Feng Qi hurriedly formed a hand seal to summon a fire phoenix over ten zhang tall.


    The fire phoenix pped its wings, transforming into a brilliant red trajectory that rushed


    toward the ghost king.


    "Chirp!"


    The fire phoenix let out a sharp cry.


    With its mouth wide open, endless mes erupted forth.


    The zing mes spread across the sky, sweeping toward the ghost king.


    The pitch-ck underground realm was illuminated brightly by the mes, and the temperature in the vicinity began to rise sharply.


    The fire phoenix summoned by Feng Qi was condensed from fire-element techniques,


    carrying a strand of natural Yang energy that exerted a certain suppressive effect on evil entities.


    As the mes swirled around, the ghost king had nowhere to dodge and saw no need to.


    The ck ghostly energy rising from its body resembled burning ck mes, seemingly capable of swallowing light itself.


    The ghost king held a broad ghost sword and charged directly into the mes.


    With endless ghostly energy protecting its body, the mes seemed to shy away in fear.


    The chilling ghostly energy surged forth, causing the mes to extinguish at a visible speed.


    "Roar."


    The fire phoenix opened its mouth and lunged at the ghost king.


    The ghost king raised its hand, swinging the giant sword in its grip.


    The ghostly energy surrounding the giant sword was ominous.


    In the midst of the zing mes, the ck sword light stood out vividly, shing by in an


    instant.


    The over ten zhang long fire phoenix was cut in half by a single sword strike.


    While the intense mes had a certain suppressive effect on the ghost king, the disparity in


    strength between the two could not be mitigated by mere suppression.


    Only a spirit me infused with rich Yang energy from heaven and earth could ignore the


    difference in strength and injure the ghost king.


    After summoning the fire phoenix, Feng Qi had a pair of fiery wings coalesce on his back, turning into a fiery red afterimage as he swiftly retreated.


    However, he was blocked by the already-arrived Ghost General and two copper corpses.


    The Ghost General waved the Top Grade Ghost Banner, stirring up a torrent of ghostly energy, sweeping toward Feng Qi.


    As the ghostly energy surged past, the mes on the pair of wings on Feng Qi''s back were


    significantly extinguished, and his escape speed drastically reduced.


    The two copper corpses leapt toward Feng Qi simultaneously.


    Feng Qi''splexion turned ashen, realizing that powerful ghostly entities surrounded him.


    It felt as if he were trapped in a dire situation, unable to escape.


    Clenching his teeth, Feng Qi''s expression turned fierce.


    He flipped his right hand, and an ancient ding (cauldron) about the size of a palm appeared in


    his hand.


    On the ding, a yellow talisman was affixed, seemingly sealing something.


    He extended his left hand in a sword gesture, lightly tapping the ancient ding.


    The ding expanded to the size of a water tank; the yellow talisman floated down, and the


    ancient ding opened to reveal a fist-sized Golden me.


    The me flickered slightly.


    A terrifying heat radiated from the golden me.


    Along with it came a surge of pure Yang energy.


    This me, known as the Jade Light me, was a spirit me imbued with vast righteousness


    and extreme Yang energy.


    It was something he had gone to great lengths to acquire from the Star Sea.


    Originally, he intended to refine this fire after Feng Qi''s Core Formation, integrating it into


    the golden core to enhance the power of his fire-element techniques.


    Now, facing life and death, Feng Qi could only ce his hopes of escape on the Jade Light


    me.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 337: Compromise

    Chapter 337: Compromise


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Feng Qi mobilized all the spiritual power in his body, and the power surged forth like a flood, rushing towards the ancient ding.


    "Boom!"


    The spiritual energy surged forth, like sparks meeting a torrent of oil.


    A small Jade Light me suddenly soared, transforming into a raging inferno that shot up into the sky.


    The tinum firelight zed brightly, illuminating the surroundings in a dazzling tinum hue.


    The terrifying heat, apanied by vast pure Yang energy, swept out in all directions.


    In the face of the firelight''s brilliance, all darkness and evil seemed to have nowhere to hide, ultimately destined to be extinguished by the pure Yang righteousness.


    The Red-haired Ghost General waved the Top-Grade Ghost Banner, releasing a torrent of ghostly energy that was immediately dispelled.


    The two copper corpses that were charging towards Feng Qi quickly halted and retreated, distancing themselves from him.


    Even the ghost king did not continue its assault on Feng Qi.


    Instead, it swung its ghost sword, slicing out several beams of condensed ghostly energy aimed at Feng Qi.


    Both the ghosts and the copper corpses sensed an overwhelming threat from the Jade Light me.


    Feng Qi urged the ancient ding to meet the ghost king''s ck sword beams.


    The ck sword beams collided with the tinum firelight and, surprisingly, dissipated at a visible speed.


    For a moment, the two ghosts and two corpses found themselves unable to do anything against Feng Qi.


    However, Feng Qi was not at ease either.


    He had not truly refined the Jade Light me; he was merely relying on the ancient ding to barely control it for defense against his enemies.


    While the Jade Light me could harm his foes, it could also injure him.


    Being closest to the Jade Light me, the intense heat radiating from it felt like it was burning him alive.


    This was precisely why the ghost king and the copper corpses chose to avoid the mes for


    now.


    They understood that Feng Qi could not maintain the Jade Light me for long.


    Meanwhile, Song Wen, who was assisting the silver corpse in besieging Ji Ruxue, also took note of themotion here.


    He ordered the two ghosts and two corpses to trap Feng Qi, ensuring he could not escape.


    Feng Qi was like a turtle in a jar; he couldn''t sustain the Jade Light me for long. Therefore, they only needed to wear down his spiritual power without rushing to engage, to prevent the ghosts and corpses from sustaining injuries.


    Song Wen and the silver corpse were about to gain the upper hand in surrounding Ji Ruxue.


    Ji Ruxue saw the silver corpse charging at her and was filled with terror.


    In a near instinctive reaction, she activated nine flying swords and executed her strongest move-Evil Extermination Sword Formation, intending to trap the silver corpse.


    "Great Cave Divine Thunder, manifest!"


    Ji Ruxue shouted loudly.


    Lightning flickered on the nine long swords as they surrounded the silver corpse.


    Song Wen, standing nearby, could not just watch Ji Ruxue set up the sword formation.


    "Great Cave Divine Thunder? Perfect, I can do that too."


    As soon as his voice fell, a thick bolt of thunder suddenly coalesced above him.


    In an instant, it shot down toward Ji Ruxue.


    Seeing the descending thunder, feeling its violent and unmatched pressure, Ji Ruxue was incredulous.


    Song Wen had also cultivated the Great Cave Divine Thunder, and more importantly, his was far more powerful than hers.


    Ji Ruxue hurriedly employed her movement technique to retreat, no longer caring about


    setting up the formation.


    She redirected the nine flying swords into two waves.


    Four of them shed at the thunder.


    The other five aimed at the silver corpse.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In the end, Ji Ruxue, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, overestimated her


    strength.


    The four flying swords failed to destroy the thunder.


    The five flying swords also did not stop the silver corpse.


    The greatly weakened thunder struck Ji Ruxue.


    She immediately stiffened, her body trembling uncontrobly.


    While the thunder''s damage was not fatal, it left her body rigid, rendering her escape


    technique ineffective.


    Taking advantage of the moment, the silver corpse lunged at her.


    Its sharp ws shed past Ji Ruxue''s slender neck.


    In the midst of Ji Ruxue''s terrified expression, her head suddenly slipped off from her neck,


    and blood gushed forth.


    TLN: *Chef''s Kiss** I love how the author doesn''t needlessly drag fights.


    Song Wen leaped up, using a secret technique of the corpse path to seal her soul and body.


    After dealing with Ji Ruxue, he turned his gaze towards Feng Qi.


    Feng Qi was still surrounded by the two ghosts and two corpses.


    He had attempted several times to break through the encirclement using the Jade Light


    me, but was blocked by the two ghosts and two corpses each time.


    Under the illumination of the tinum glow of the Jade Light me, Feng Qi''s face turned as


    pale as paper.


    When Ji Ruxue had trapped him in the sword formation, he had already consumed a


    significant amount of his spiritual power.


    Just a moment ago, he had forcibly activated the Jade Light me multiple times.


    Additionally, he had to expend spiritual power to resist the high temperature of the Jade Light me.


    As a result, his spiritual power was rapidly depleting, and he had very little left.


    "Elder Wu, how about we call it a truce? Whatever treasures you want, I can give you. We have


    no deep-seated grudges; why force each other?" Feng Qi said loudly.


    "Feng Qi, Wang Ming and I have a deadly feud. He should have received the utmost punishment, but you secretly saved him. In the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Pce, Wang Ming, under your orders, even stole my stone mat. How can you say there is no enmity


    between us?"


    Song Wen was not in a hurry to take action and calmly replied.


    "Elder Wu, Wang Ming is already dead, and you killed him with your own hands. You''ve


    already avenged yourself. As for the incident in the Ten-Thousand-Year Spiritual Liquid Pce, that was my fault, and I canpensate you with treasures." Feng Qi said.


    Song Wen smiled slightly, "If I kill you, all the treasures on your body will naturally belong to


    me. Don''t you find it ridiculous to offer me your treasures to buy your life?"


    "Wu Sheng, don''t think you''ve already won. If I unleash all the Jade Light me from the


    ancient ding, you might not be able to escape unscathed either."


    Feng Qi said sternly.


    After all, the Jade Light me was his only lifeline.


    He could only rely on the Jade Light me to intimidate Song Wen.


    "Feng Qi, your remaining spiritual power is minimal. I wonder how many more times you can


    activate the Jade Light me," Song Wen said, crossing his arms with a smile.


    "Wu Sheng, are you truly intent on exterminating me?"


    Feng Qi gritted his teeth and said.


    As he spoke, the spiritual power within him surged crazily toward the ancient ding.


    The tinum mes immediately surged forth, shooting into the sky!


    The intense heat and pure Yang energy swept out in all directions.


    Feng Qi''s face twisted in a grotesque expression as he roared loudly.


    "Wu Sheng, even if I die, I''ll drag you down with me!"


    Under Feng Qi''s urging, the tongues of the Jade Light me erupted toward Song Wen''s direction, seemingly ready to pour out at any moment, incinerating him to ashes.


    Feng Qi''s move was not genuinely intended to risk his life against Song Wen; rather, he aimed


    to use the might of the Jade Light me to intimidate Song Wen, preventing him from daring


    to fight to the death.


    Feeling the high temperature of the Jade Light me and looking at the madness on Feng Qi''s face, Song Wen seemed both intimidated by the me and wary of Feng Qi''s fury.


    His expression shifted to one of fear as he quickly retreated several paces, calling out, "Elder


    Feng, we are both from the same sect and old acquaintances. As long as you swear a soul oath


    not to reveal a single word about today''s incident, and hand over all your spiritual items aspensation, I''ll let you leave. How does that sound?"


    Seeing Song Wen relent, Feng Qi''s spirits lifted, but he remained cautious.


    "Are you serious?"


    Song Wen looked at the flickering tongues of fire, his expression wavering.


    "Of course. I can swear a soul oath. Elder Feng, you should gather the spiritual mes first to


    conserve some spiritual power."


    Feng Qi hesitated, seemingly worried that if he gathered the mes, Song Wen might take the opportunity to ambush him.


    Then, he heard Song Wen continue, "To show my sincerity, I can first collect the ghosts and


    corpses."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, true to Song Wen''s im, the two ghosts and three corpses were all retracted by him.


    Seeing this, Feng Qi''s tense body involuntarily rxed a bit.


    He ceased activating the Jade Light me; as Song Wen said, he needed to conserve his


    spiritual power.


    However, he did not retract the ancient ding containing the Jade Light me.


    The ancient ding hovered half a foot in front of him, allowing him to activate the Jade Light


    me again at any moment, in case Song Wen went back on his word.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 338: Collecting the Jade Light Flame

    Chapter 338: Collecting the Jade Light me


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Feng Qi flipped his palm, revealing a jade vial in his hand.


    He cautiously nced at Song Wen, seeing that Song Wen showed no reaction.


    He then opened the jade vial and took out a few recovery pills, swallowing them without hesitation.


    The pills he consumed were meant to restore his spiritual power.


    As soon as the pills entered his abdomen, he eagerly began to operate his spiritual power to refine the pills.


    "Elder Feng, we had an agreement: all your spiritual items belong to me. You are taking recovery pills now, which should also belong to me," Song Wen''s voice suddenly rang out.


    While silently refining the pills, Feng Qi smiled in reply, "Just a few pills; I assume Elder Wu won''t mind."


    Song Wen said, "A few pills are indeed insignificant. Elder Feng, you''ve taken the recovery pills; hand over your storage ring."


    Feng Qi looked at the storage ring on his finger, hesitating slightly.


    "What''s the matter? Elder Feng, do you want to back out?" Song Wen asked.


    "Here you go."


    Feng Qi took off the storage ring and tossed it to Song Wen.


    The situation was pressing, and he had no choice but to yield.


    However, Song Wen did not catch the storage ring; instead, he used his spiritual power to control it, levitating it a hundred meters away.


    "I swear on my soul..."


    ording to the agreement he just made with Song Wen, Feng Qi was about to issue his soul oath when he was suddenly interrupted by Song Wen.


    "Elder Feng, wait! You still have spiritual items that you haven''t given me."


    Feng Qi looked bewildered. "All my spiritual items are in the storage ring; what other items could I possibly have?"


    "Of course, there''s the ancient ding and the Jade Light me in front of you."


    Feng Qi was taken aback.


    "What! You want the Jade Light me? That''s impossible!"


    The Jade Light me was his life-saving item. Without it, he would lose any leverage to negotiate with Song Wen.


    Song Wen replied, "I can swear a soul oath first. As long as you hand over the Jade Light me, I will not harm your life and will allow you to leave safely."


    "Is that true?" Feng Qi asked.


    "Absolutely, there''s no deception... or concealment."


    As he spoke thest word, Song Wen''s tone suddenly became grave.


    A chilling aura of killing intent spread out.


    Arge amount of blood mist began to rise from Song Wen''s body.


    The sudden change caused Feng Qi''s face to drastically change.


    "Wu Sheng, you''re not harboring good intentions. In that case, we''ll die together!"


    Feng Qi''s face twisted with rage as he shouted hysterically.


    He had no idea what the blood mist that suddenly surged from Song Wen was, nor did he understand what kind of technique Song Wen was employing.


    What he did know was that Song Wen would certainly unleash a thunderous strike next.


    The storage ring had already fallen into Song Wen''s hands, and he could no longer retrieve any spiritual artifacts to defend himself.


    Given his current state of spiritual power, he couldn''t maintain any defensive artifacts for long to contend with Song Wen.


    Thus, he made a resolute decision in his heart.


    Since Song Wen was determined to put him to death, he wouldn''t spare Song Wen either.


    He drained all the remaining spiritual power within him, pouring it all into the ancient ding without reservation.


    The golden mes within the ancient ding suddenly erupted with brilliance.


    Feng Qi pushed both hands toward the ancient ding with great force.


    The ancient ding shot out, racing toward Song Wen.


    As it was still a hundred meters away from Song Wen, the ancient ding suddenly tipped over.


    The Jade Light me slid out from within the ancient ding.


    Originally, there was only one cauldron of Jade Light me, but once it left the ancient ding,


    it seemed to have lost some kind of restraint.


    Like an uncontrolled wildfire, it spread rapidly, sweeping out in all directions.


    Song Wen''s position was also well cared for.


    The golden mes surged like a torrent, racing toward Song Wen.


    Seeing the Jade Light me about to engulf Song Wen, Feng Qi''s face suddenly brightened


    with joy.


    The blood mist surrounding Song Wen became thicker, yet he had not cast any spells or activated any techniques.


    At this moment, it was already toote for Song Wen tounch an attack.


    No attack could break through the sprawling Jade Light me.


    Now was his best chance to escape.


    As for whether Song Wen could survive the burning of the Jade Light me, he had no time to


    consider that.


    Just as he prepared to activate his escape technique, he realized his spiritual power waspletely depleted.


    Fortunately, he still had some pills in his body that had not been fully refined, and he had a


    vial of recovery pills in his hand.


    He quickly began to refine the pills.


    Just then, he noticed something.


    Song Wen, who was about to be swallowed by the Jade Light me, suddenly vanished into


    the blood mist, disappearing without a trace.


    What startled him even more was that the vanished Song Wen reappeared right in front of him


    the next moment.


    He was only a meter away!


    In Song Wen''s right hand, there was suddenly a long sword.


    At that moment, Feng Qi had no storage ring left to produce any treasures and waspletely


    drained of spiritual power.


    He was utterly powerless to resist.


    Song Wen extended the long sword forward, effortlessly piercing through Feng Qi''s chest.


    With a gentle twist of his right hand holding the sword, Feng Qi''s chest was instantly crushed.


    "You..."


    Feng Qi stared at Song Wen, as if wanting to say something, but he only managed to utter one


    word before his breath left him.


    Song Wen wasted no time; he pressed his hand against Feng Qi''s forehead and began to cast


    the soul search technique.


    During the process of using the soul search technique, he couldn''t help but nce back at the


    raging Jade Light me.


    The Jade Light me was quite powerful; it would be a pity if he couldn''t collect it.


    He could only hope to find a method to gather it from Feng Qi''s memories.


    The soul searching went smoothly; Song Wen learned from Feng Qi''s memories that by


    activating the ancient ding and using the fire control technique, he could retrieve the Jade


    Light me.


    The ancient ding was a high-grade spiritual artifact, and since Feng Qi was dead, it became an ownerless item, making it simple to refine, though it would take about a day.


    As for the fire control technique, there was a jade slip in Feng Qi''s storage ring that recorded a


    secret method called The Supreme Fire Control True Secret.


    The Supreme Fire Control True Secret was extremely profound andplicated, and it was absolutely impossible for Song Wen to cultivate it to sess in a short time.


    However, from the fragmentary memories obtained through the soul search, Song Wen


    understood that he only needed to retrieve the Jade Light me, and he didn''t have to fully


    comprehend The Supreme Fire Control True Secret.


    He only needed to grasp the method for collecting fire.


    Song Wen was notpletely ignorant of fire control techniques.


    When refining pills, it was necessary to control the furnace fire.


    Song Wen instructed the Sacred Gu to guard the upstream and downstream areas.


    He was multitasking, refining the ancient ding whileprehending the fire controln/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    technique.


    The process went rtively smoothly. Two dayster, Song Wen finished his meditation.


    He began to attempt to collect the Jade Light me.


    The Jade Light me, like a rootless duckweed, was not difficult to gather back.


    After more than ten attempts, Song Wen managed to retrieve the Jade Light me into the


    ancient ding.


    However, the collected Jade Light me had shrunk significantly.


    Originally the size of a fist, the Jade Light me was now only as big as a thumb.


    After two days of continuous burning without any replenishment, the Jade Light me had


    consumed too much energy.


    Moreover, Song Wen''s fire control technique was not yet proficient, causing him to waste a lot


    during the collection of the Jade Light me.


    Even so, Song Wen was extremely satisfied.


    As long as he could retain the seed of the Jade Light me, there would always be a way to


    cultivate it back to its former strength.


    Song Wen recalled the Sacred Gu and turned to leave the ce.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 339: The Third and Fourth Heavenly Thunder

    Chapter 339: The Third and Fourth Heavenly Thunder


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    In the Cann Secret Realm, beneath the dark river.


    In a cave formed by rocks along the riverbank.


    Song Wen took out Ji Ruxue''s corpse and began to search her soul.


    In Ji Ruxue''s memories, Song Wen did not acquire any useful information.


    Instead, he learned an interesting fact.


    She and her master, Yan Yuyan, had once plotted together to ambush the head of the Lei family, Lei Jun.


    They had obtained the first four thunder techniques from the nine great thunder techniques of the Lei family.


    The reason they did this was:


    Years ago, Yan Yuyan had discovered the Evil Extermination Sword Formation in an ancient ruin.


    The Evil Extermination Sword Formation had immense power, capable of battling above its level.


    However, to unleash the Evil Extermination Sword Formation, a cultivator needed to have a certain level ofprehension of sword techniques and the ability to cultivate thunder techniques.


    The higher the swordsmanship, the stronger the thunder techniques, and the more powerful the Evil Extermination Sword Formation would be.


    In the Tianyuan Continent, the most powerful thunder techniques were the nine great heavenly thunder secrets of the Lei family.


    After obtaining the first four heavenly thunder techniques, Ji Ruxue also made a copy.


    Song Wen quickly took out Ji Ruxue''s storage ring and began to inspect it.


    Momentster.


    Two jade slips appeared in Song Wen''s hand.


    The first jade slip contained the first four thunder techniques from the nine great heavenly thunders.


    Song Wen''s face lit up with joy.


    After cultivating the first two thunder techniques, he deeply felt the strength of the nine great heavenly thunder secrets, and he had long coveted theplete set of techniques.


    However, due to his limited strength, it was difficult for him to obtain the subsequent thunder techniques from the Lei family.


    Now, however, he had easily acquired the third and fourth heavenly thunder techniques without any effort.


    The second jade slip contained the cultivation method for the Evil Extermination Sword Formation.


    From the outline of the sword formation''s secret method, Song Wen learned that this sword formation had four levels.


    It corresponded perfectly to the four levels of Qi Refinement and Nascent Soul.


    TLN: Qi Refinement �� Foundation Establishment �� Golden Core �� Nascent Soul


    The jade slip in Song Wen''s hand only had the contents for the first two levels of the technique.


    It was quite remarkable that Ji Ruxue, a foundation-building cultivator, carried the first four thunder techniques with her.


    However, in her possession of the Evil Extermination Sword Formation, she only had the content for the first two levels.


    Indeed, one cherishes one''s own methods while treating others'' with disdain. It''s feared that they might leak out.


    The methods of others are treated as worthless; even if they leak out, it doesn''t matter.


    Song Wen quickly skimmed through the Evil Extermination Sword Formation.


    His evaluation of this sword formation was that it was an extremely intricate sword formation, but the requirements for the cultivator were very high.


    One needed to be proficient in swordsmanship and alsoprehend thunder techniques.


    These two requirements made it so that most cultivators, even if they acquired this sword formation technique, would find it impossible to cultivate.


    There were not many cultivators in the immortal cultivation world who could cultivate thunder techniques, and even fewer who were proficient in swordsmanship.


    Cultivators'' lifespans, energy, and resources were limited; it was impossible for them to excel in every aspect.


    After putting away the Evil Extermination Sword Formation jade slip, Song Wen searched Ji Ruxue''s storage ring for some swordsmanship cultivation techniques.


    In addition, there was a set of flying swords in the storage ring, totaling nine, all of which


    were high-grade spiritual artifacts.


    They were likely crafted specifically for the Evil Extermination Sword Formation.


    These items held little value for Song Wen at the moment.


    He did a quick inventory and then stored them away.


    After that, Song Wen took out Feng Qi''s storage ring.


    Feng Qi''s storage ring mostly contained cultivation techniques for fire-type secret methods


    and spiritual materials for cultivating fire techniques.


    Among them was the ''Fire Lin Wood'' that Feng Qi had obtained earlier.


    Then, Song Wen began to inspect the storage rings of Jie Hui and Jie Wu.


    After Jie Wu''s death, his storage ring had naturally fallen into Jie Hui''s hands.


    After Song Wen killed Jie Hui, it was naturally obtained by Song Wen.


    The techniques in these two storage rings were mostly about Buddhist and Taoist secret methods, which Song Wen had no way to cultivate.


    In fact, in Jie Hui''s storage ring, some secret techniques rted to controlling ghostly beings were quite enlightening for Song Wen.


    Jie Hui''s prayer beads were a high-grade spiritual artifact, sealed with five skeletal ghost generals, all at thete second stage of power.


    Song Wen already had the Top-Grade Ghost Banner, so the prayer beads were of little use to


    him.


    However, he nned to refine the prayer beads after leaving the secret realm to transfer the five skeletal ghosts into the Top-Grade Ghost Banner.


    The Human Skin Drum was a type of mental attack artifact, also a high-grade spiritual


    artifact.


    Song Wen was very interested in this treasure.


    He immediately began the refinement process.


    A dayter, the Human Skin Drum was sessfully refined.


    It is worth mentioning that Song Wen obtained four bottles of ten-thousand-year spiritual


    liquid from Ji Ruxue, Jie Hui, and Jie Wu''s storage rings.


    Jie Hui''s storage ring contained two bottles.


    Adding his own bottle, he now had five bottles of ten-thousand-year spiritual liquid.


    After hastily organizing his belongings, Song Wen left the cave.


    The Cann Secret Realm had been open for nearly ten days, and he had yet to find a Yin-


    Yang Blood Weeping Branch; he needed to act quickly.


    Song Wen nned to first collect the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch discovered by Jie Hui.


    He retraced his steps along the route he had taken, intending to return to the cave where the ten-thousand-year spiritual liquid hall was located.


    Although it took some time, it was much better than aimlessly wandering in the vast underground river, relying on luck to search for the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch.


    In the pitch-ck underground river, both vision and spiritual awareness were severely


    restricted.


    Despite having the Sacred Gu lead the way, Song Wen still advanced very cautiously.


    Thus, his speed of travel could not be fast.


    After more than an hour.


    He returned to the bank of the underground river he first saw when he exited thebyrinth.


    Suddenly.


    Song Wen vaguely heard the sound of sshing water in the distance.


    It sounded like something was diving sharply into the water.


    The sound came from across the dark river.


    This underground river was over a mile wide, the water flowing tumultuously and making a


    loud sshing noise.


    Therefore, Song Wen did not hear the sshing sound clearly.


    He raised his eyes to look at the opposite bank.


    The other side was pitch ck, and for a moment, Song Wen did not see anything unusual.


    "Ssh."


    Another loud sshing sound rang out.


    With Song Wen listening intently, this time he heard it very clearly.


    The sound came from about three miles downstream on the opposite bank.


    Song Wen also vaguely saw a huge figure, over two zhang (approximately 6.5 meters), leaping


    out of the water.


    The enormous figurended on the riverbank, crawling forward on all fours, moving


    upstream, as if chasing something.


    Song Wen focused his gaze.


    Indeed, in front of the gigantic figure, at a distance of about two to three meters, there was a


    small, thin figure flying through the air.


    This slender figure was dressed in a ck outfit, nearly blending into the surrounding darkN?v(el)B\\jnn


    environment.


    This was why Song Wen had not noticed it earlier.


    "It seems that a cultivator has provoked a beast and is fleeing for their life," Song Wen


    thought to himself.


    He did not want to get involved in trouble, so he concealed his presence, hiding behind a pile


    of rubble.


    He then sent a Sacred Gu to the opposite bank to scout the situation.


    Song Wen flowed down the river, while the two on the opposite bank were moving upstream.


    They were headed directly towards each other.


    When the Sacred Gu reached the opposite bank, it managed to clearly see the fleeing person''s


    appearance.


    It was Rong Jingyun!


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 340: Risking Her Life to Save Her Husband

    Chapter 340: Risking Her Life to Save Her Husband


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Rong Jingyun was in a bad state. She bore severe injuries, her breathing was erratic, and she looked as though her spiritual energy had been excessively depleted.


    Because of this, she was desperately fleeing from ate-stage, seventh-level demonic beast.


    Song Wen''s expression lit up.


    Rong Jingyun held clues leading to the frigid cave within the Cold Pool.


    She had escaped from the cave through an underwater passageway, so she must know the shortcut to the cave.


    "Senior Rong, don''t panic! I''ll lend you a hand!" Song Wen immediately stopped concealing himself and shouted across the distance.


    Before he even finished speaking, he leaped into the air, speeding toward the other side.


    Rong Jingyun trembled slightly when she heard Song Wen''s voice, her expression showing surprise.


    She was astonished to meet Song Wen here and equally surprised that he would step forward to help her.


    But she didn''t slow down. She wasn''t about to trust Song Wen so easily just because of a few words.


    Though she had a bit of a rtionship with Song Wen, it was hardly the kind that would justify him risking his life for her.


    It was only when Song Wenunched his Thunder Spear technique to attack the demonic beast that she stopped her escape.


    Three Thunder Spears shot toward the beast.


    The demonic beast raised a forepaw, swatting away two of the spears. Only one struck its head.


    In an instant, lightning shed.


    With the silver light of the electric sh, Song Wen could finally see the beast in full.


    It was a pangolin-like creature, its body covered in dark gray scales, with a t snout lined with fine, sharp teeth and limbs equipped with sharp ws.


    This creature, known as the "Burrowing Beast," is a demonic beast thatmonly burrows underground. It is skilled at breaking through soil and rock and has a taste for blood.


    The Thunder Spear didn''t harm the Burrowing Beast; instead, it stirred up its ferocity.


    Its mouth opened wide, and a barbed tongue shot out, darting toward Song Wen.


    Song Wen called forth his Turtle Snake Shield, positioning it in front of him.


    "Boom!"


    The long tongue mmed into the shield like a massive spiked club, causing Song Wen to stagger back.


    He darted sideways, moving closer to Rong Jingyun.


    "Senior Rong, this creature is strong-I can''t handle it alone."


    As he spoke, Song Wen fired off three more Thunder Spears to prevent the Burrowing Beast from getting closer.


    The Thunder Spears heunched this time were barely half the length of his usual ones,cking their typical power.


    The Burrowing Beast raised its forepaw and swatted the Thunder Spears, shattering them into countless tiny sparks.


    At that moment, a flying sword suddenly struck.


    Distracted by the Thunder Spears, the Burrowing Beast was momentarily caught off guard, and the sword pierced its right eye, causing blood to gush out.


    The flying sword was Rong Jingyun''s; she intended to use it to prate the beast''s skull through its eye socket, delivering a lethal blow.


    The Burrowing Beast''s scales were exceptionally hard, and its eyes were one of its few weak spots.


    However, the Burrowing Beast reacted quickly, jerking its head to knock against the flying sword.


    As its sturdy scales shed with the flying sword, sparks flew, sending the sword careening


    off.


    The beast''s remaining left eye gleamed with a fierce light, ring at Rong Jingyun with savage intensity.


    Then, with a sudden turn, it leaped into the river with a ssh and escaped underwater.


    Rong Jingyun, anxious at this sight, urged her sword to strike into the water.


    But it was all in vain.


    This left Rong Jingyun deeply frustrated.


    However, she did


    pursue it. She was well aware of her current condition; fighting alone,


    she could not possibly defeat the Burrowing Beast.


    If she were at her peak, the sword that blinded the beast''s eye would have been enough to


    shred its brain and take its life.


    Song Wen looked at Rong Jingyun, his face filled with surprise and admiration.


    "Senior Rong, your strength truly runs deep. With a single sword, you managed to drive away


    the Burrowing Beast."


    Rong Jingyun gazed at Song Wen and replied, "Elder Wu, let''s be frank with each other. I have


    a request and hope you can lend your full support."


    "Don''t hide your own strength any longer. Given your disyed abilities, you should have


    easily dealt with a mere second-level,te-stage Burrowing Beast back at the Ten Thousand Year Spirit Liquid Hall."


    Song Wen dropped his surprised look and asked, "What does Senior Rong need from me? Conveniently, I also have a request where I could use your help."


    Rong Jingyun responded, "I want your help to rescue my husband."


    "What happened to Elder Heng?" Song Wen inquired.


    "My husband was injured by the monks of the Mixed Yuan Temple and has been unconscious.


    After escaping from those monks'' clutches, we hid in an underground stone cave to treat his injuries. Unexpectedly, that Burrowing Beast we saw just now barged into the cave and tried


    to devour both of us."


    "I''m also injured, so I couldn''t defeat the Burrowing Beast and had to flee in haste. In my rush, I couldn''t bring my husband with me."


    Song Wen replied, "Pardon my frankness, but with Elder Heng injured and unguarded, by the


    time we get there, it may be toote. By then, he may have already met a tragic end. Senior Rong, you''re also heavily wounded. Let''s first tend to your injuries. I''ll stand guard for you."


    Rong Jingyun shook her head, her face full of urgency.


    "No, my husband is inside the me Light Cauldron, which is protecting him. The Burrowing


    Beast won''t be able to harm him right away. Elder Wu, I beg you, help me save my husband. I fear that if we dy any longer, the Burrowing Beast may break through the me Light


    Cauldron, and then he will be in grave danger."


    Song Wen gave Rong Jingyun a strange look.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although the me Light Cauldron was indeed powerful, capable of both offense and


    defense, it was, after all, an alchemical furnace. cing an injured person inside seemed more


    like refining them than healing them.


    You aren''t trying to heal him-you''re trying to refine him, aren''t you?


    Since Rong Jingyun had already exposed his true strength, Song Wen stopped hiding.


    "I can help you save Elder Heng, but you must tell me the location of the hidden path to the


    Cold Pool cave."


    Rong Jingyun looked at Song Wen in shock.


    "How did you know I had been to the Cold Pool cave?"


    Song Wen replied, "Master Jie Hui from Mixed Yuan Temple informed me."


    "Jie Hui?"


    Rong Jingyun felt a pang of suspicion.


    There was no reason for Jie Hui to reveal what had happened in the Cold Pool cave to Song


    Wen without reason.


    Could it be? Has Jie Hui already...


    At that thought, Rong Jingyun looked at Song Wen with a hint of caution.


    "The Cold Pool cave is upied by a Stinging Mother Beast. Why would you go there? Unless


    you''re after..."


    Rong Jingyun''s face turned slightly incredulous.


    The only reason Song Wen would inquire about the Cold Pool cave was to seek the Yin-Yang


    Blood Weeping Branch within.


    To obtain the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch, one would have to defeat the Stinging Mother


    Beast.


    However, even three peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, including Jie Hui, had failed


    to ovee the Stinging Mother Beast.


    How could ''Wu Sheng dare to covet the Yin-Yang Blood Weeping Branch within the Cold Pool


    cave all on his own?


    Noting Rong Jingyun''s astonished expression, Song Wen said, "Please, Senior Rong, don''t


    mention this matter to anyone."


    Though Song Wen''s tone was calm, Rong Jingyun couldn''t help but shudder, as if she were


    being watched by a primeval beast.


    "Rest assured, Elder Wu. I can swear an oath on my soul not to disclose your cultivation


    strength or any matters rted to the Cold Pool cave."


    A smile appeared on Song Wen''s face, and he nodded.


    "That''s excellent!"


    He bore no grudge against Rong Jingyun.


    Other than a bottle of Ten Thousand Year Spirit Liquid, she possessed nothing that he desired.


    Besides, he already had five bottles of Spirit Fluid on hand.


    Better to do her a favor, help rescue Heng Cheng, and obtain the hidden path to the Cold Pool


    cave from her. This way, Song Wen could save significant time.


    As for killing Rong Jingyun and using soul-searching techniques, Song Wen had considered it.


    However, soul-searching techniques were unreliable, often yielding fragmented and random memories.


    Soul-searching wouldn''t necessarily provide the exact memory he needed.


    (End of the Chapter)


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 Chapter 341: Rong Jingyun’s Peculiar Behaviour

    Chapter 341: Rong Jingyun��s Peculiar Behaviour


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    "There''s no time to lose; let''s set off immediately to rescue Elder Heng," Song Wen said.


    Rong Jingyun looked at Song Wen with gratitude.


    "Thank you, Elder Wu. Please follow me."


    Rong Jingyun used her sword to fly ahead, leading the way.


    The two of them followed the river downstream, flying several miles.


    Then, Rong Jingyun leaped into the rushing river.


    Song Wen didn''t hesitate to follow; he let the Sacred Gu dive into the water first before jumping in himself.


    The current was swift, but Song Wen moved through the water like a fish, easily navigating through.


    After diving for over ten meters, Song Wen followed Rong Jingyun into an underwater cave.


    Rong Jingyun walked ahead cautiously, fearing that there might be monsters lurking in the water.


    The underwater cave twisted and turned, and after moving forward for over ten miles, they came across two forks in the cave.


    One fork wound forward, while the other nted upward.


    Rong Jingyun chose the upward path.


    After moving forward for a bit longer, Rong Jingyun suddenly stopped andmunicated with Song Wen through sound transmission.


    "We are less than a mile from the water''s surface. Above the surface is an underground cave where my husband is located."


    "The Burrowing Beast should still be guarding the cave. Once we enter, Elder Wu, please hold off the Burrowing Beast while I seize back the me Light Cauldron. If we can y the Burrowing Beast, that would be even better."


    Song Wen nodded, restraining his aura, and moved ahead of Rong Jingyun.


    He slowly floated upward and, as they neared the water''s surface, he sent the Sacred Gu to probe the surface first.


    The cave above was roughly the size of several acres.


    In one corner of the cavey arge me Light Cauldron, tipped over onto the ground.


    The one-eyed Burrowing Beast was striking the cauldron with its ws, producing loud nging noises.


    It would asionally bite the cauldron with its sharp teeth but could not harm it in the slightest.


    After several failed attempts, the Burrowing Beast grew annoyed and swung its massive tail, striking the cauldron fiercely.


    The me Light Cauldron was immediately knocked into the air, crashing against the rock wall.


    The wall was dented from the impact, with stone debris flying everywhere as rocks tumbled down.


    Seeing this scene from underwater, Song Wen activated his spiritual energy and used the Lightning Spear Technique.


    With all his strength, three spear-like bolts of lightning shot out of the water.


    At the same time, Song Wen leaped out of the water, charging toward the Burrowing Beast.


    When enemies meet, there is nothing but enmity.


    Upon seeing the iing figure, the Burrowing Beast, with its remaining eye, shed with a bloodthirsty red light.


    Previously, it was this person''s lightning magic that had disrupted it, allowing that woman to ambush and injure one of its eyes.


    The human in front of it was mediocre in strength; its lightning magic could only give it a tickle.


    How dare this humane chasing after it alone? It was simply looking for death.


    The Burrowing Beast exerted its limbs, leaping high into the air and pouncing toward Song


    Wen.


    At the same time, ayer of earthen yellow light glowed around it, like a thick armor that


    protected it.


    "Beast, die!" Song Wen roared.


    He formed a hand sign for the lightning technique.


    A bolt of lightning as thick as a water barrel condensed at the cave''s ceiling.


    At that moment, the three lightning spears struck the Burrowing Beast.


    The lightning erupted, illuminating the entire cave.


    The earthen yellow armor on the Burrowing Beast was instantly shattered.


    The residual force of the lightning spears mmed the Burrowing Beast down to the ground.


    Anger shed in the eyes of the Burrowing Beast.


    Humans are truly despicable and cunning; they hide their true strength.


    The power of this lightning spear was several times stronger than before.


    At that moment, therge cave''s divine thunder had already coalesced.


    Feeling the terrifying pressure from the divine thunder, deep fear appeared in the eyes of the Burrowing Beast.


    A denser earthen yellow light surged forth from its body.


    At the same time, its four limbs began to dig into the ground simultaneously.


    Rocks were thrown aside, and in an instant, it had dug arge pit.


    The stones that were dug out seemed to be attracted by the earthen yellow glow, automatically wrapping around its body.


    From a distance, it looked like a massive stone beast lying on the ground.


    At that moment, the divine thunder descended upon the cave.


    "Boom!"


    Debris shot everywhere.


    The surrounding rock walls echoed with loud thuds.


    The rock armor on the Burrowing Beast was instantly shattered.


    However, the Burrowing Beast itself was nowhere to be seen; only a pit remained in the


    ground.


    In such a short time, it had already burrowed underground.


    "Beast, don''t you dare run away!"


    Song Wen shed to the top of the cave entrance.


    He could still see half of the Burrowing Beast''s tail.


    It was desperately digging to escape.


    The rock armor hadn''tpletely blocked the divine thunder; many of the scales on the


    Burrowing Beast were shattered.


    With its scales broken, blood flowed profusely, making it look extremely miserable.


    Song Wen raised his hand to summon a short spear, which crackled with lightning.


    "Go!"


    He threw the short spear into the underground cave.


    The spear pierced through the damaged scales, embedding itself into the Burrowing Beast''s


    body.


    Lightning raged within the Burrowing Beast, causing it to lose its breath instantly.


    At this moment, Rong Jingyun, who had just emerged from the water and was preparing to retrieve the me Light Cauldron, suddenly stopped.


    She turned to look at Song Wen, her face filled with shock, mixed with a hint of vignce.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The Burrowing Beast was known for its strong defensive capabilities.


    Yet, Song Wen had easily dispatched it with just a few moves.


    Even at her peak, she would have found it extremely difficult to y this Burrowing Beast so


    easily.


    "Elder Rong, shouldn''t you hurry to check on Elder Heng?"


    Rong Jingyun withdrew her gaze and turned to the side of the me Light Cauldron.


    The me Light Cauldron was a high-grade spirit tool, containing mysterious formations


    that had prevented the lid from being opened despite the Burrowing Beast''s repeated attacks.


    Rong Jingyun channeled her spiritual energy and activated the cauldron, prying open the lid.


    With a flick, she only opened a small gap.


    As her spiritual sense probed into the cauldron, her face changed drastically, bing filled


    with panic.


    Elder Heng''s condition seemed dire, so bad that she couldn''t be as discreet as before and


    pushed the lid wide open.


    She used her spiritual energy to lift Elder Heng from within the cauldron.


    Or rather, she lifted Elder Heng''s lifeless body from inside.


    Elder Heng was already dead, his body devoid of any breath, and no deity could save him.


    He must have died not long ago, as his soul hadn''t yet dispersed.


    Rong Jingyun swiftly formed several hand seals and directed them at Elder Heng''s body.


    Then, she took out a jade vial from her storage ring, preparing to do something.


    Suddenly, her movements froze, and she looked up at Song Wen, her expression wavering.


    It seemed that upon seeing Elder Heng''s death, she had lost herposure and momentarily


    forgotten that Song Wen was still beside her.


    After pondering for a moment, Rong Jingyun said,


    "Elder Wu, what you see and hear from here on out, I implore you, do not disclose a word


    outside. Otherwise, I will have no ce to stand within the Beast Control Sect."


    Song Wen frowned, looking at Rong Jingyun with suspicion.


    Earlier, the hand seals that Rong Jingyun cast on Elder Heng''s corpse were soul-binding


    spells.


    This was amon technique among demonic cultivators, intended to bind the soul of the


    deceased, preventing it from dissipating and moving on to its rightful ce.


    (End of the Chapter)


    Read (RDC) ahead on (patreon/CinderTL) - Chapter 530.


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 Chapter 342: Blood Relatives Refining Pills

    Chapter 342: Blood Rtives Refining Pills


    ?


    Trantor: Cinder Trantions


    Song Wen said, "Elder Rong, you and your husband share a deep bond. I understand your sorrow. If you wish for Elder Heng to possess another body and be reborn, it is not without justification."


    Rong Jingyun shook her head. "Elder Wu, you misunderstand. In any case, what happens next must never be mentioned to outsiders. Time is of the essence; please allow me to exin in detailter."


    After saying this, she no longer paid attention to Song Wen.


    She opened the jade vial in her hand, and a rich, rancid aura of corpse energy wafted out.


    She performed a spell, manipting the corpse energy to merge with Elder Heng''s body.


    Song Wen stood silently by, watching Rong Jingyun''s actions.


    The spell she was casting was something Song Wen was all too familiar with.


    She was refining Elder Heng''s corpse.


    Refining a living corpse.


    A living corpse can maintain the body''s vitality, so that even decadester, the body still appears as if it had just died.


    Creating a living corpse is a very malicious technique.


    Those turned into living corpses have their souls imprisoned within their bodies, able to perceive their surroundings but unable to respond in any way.


    Every action they take can only be controlled by others.


    Living corpses can sense the emotions of others, hear theirughter and anger, yet they cannotmunicate with the outside world.


    It''s as if they are isted from the world; over time, the torment their souls endure is beyond imagination.


    Watching Rong Jingyun''s movements, Song Wen felt a surge of doubt in his heart.


    Had her husband died, and was Rong Jingyun so grief-stricken that she couldn''t ept reality, wanting to turn him into a living corpse to apany her forever?


    The process of refining a living corpse is not difficult.


    What''s difficult is that the materials needed for refining a corpse are numerous, and some are not easy to obtain.


    However, Rong Jingyun''s storage ring surprisingly contained all the required materials.


    It was as if she had anticipated that her husband would die in this expedition into the secret realm.


    Or perhaps, she had long made ns.


    The process of refining a living corpse is essentially a form of torture for the soul within the body.


    Elder Heng''s soul struggled fiercely, trying to escape from the corpse.


    Yet, no matter how hard he struggled, he remained tightly imprisoned within his body, unable to break free from the binding of the Soul Binding Technique.


    "Jingyun, what are you doing? It feels like my soul is being torn apart! Please stop! Stop!"


    "Jingyun, I beg you, let my soul return to the underworld. Please..."


    Faced with her husband''s pleading soul, Rong Jingyun felt a flicker ofpassion and reluctance. Yet, the spell she was casting did not pause for a moment.


    About an hourter, the living corpse waspleted.


    Rong Jingyun took out a corpse nurturing coffin and ced the body inside.


    After putting away the nurturing coffin, Rong Jingyun turned to look at Song Wen.


    "Elder Wu, you witnessed what happened just now. I ask you not to tell anyone about this matter."


    Song Wen replied, "Elder Rong, Elder Heng''s life and death have nothing to do with me. How to handle his corpse is a matter for you and your husband; I am not concerned. However, I am quite curious about your reasoning for doing this."


    Rong Jingyun said, "Elder Wu, do you know about the Heart Tribtion?"


    Song Wen replied, "Are you referring to the Heart Tribtion that cultivators face when forming their golden core?"


    Rong Jingyun nodded. "The Heart Tribtion is the final hurdle in forming the golden core, testing the cultivator''s character. When oveing the Heart Tribtion, the cultivator may fall into demonic obstacles. If they break through, they achieve a sessful golden core. If not, they fail in their attempt."


    "About fifteen years ago, I inadvertently obtained an ancient pill recipe that detailed a method for refining a pill called Obstruction-Breaking Pill."


    "Taking the Obstruction-Breaking Pill can greatly increase the probability of sessfully oveing the Heart Tribtion."


    "And to refine the Obstruction-Breaking Pill, the most essential ingredient is the blood, flesh, and soul of a beloved and close rtive."


    Upon hearing that the Obstruction-Breaking Pill could increase the probability of oveing


    the Heart Tribtion, Song Wen felt a surge of excitement.


    This was the first time he had heard of such a pill existing.


    However, when he heard that refining the pill required the blood, flesh, and soul of a beloved rtive, he couldn''t help but feel despondent.


    He was all alone; where would he find someone so close and dear to him?


    Moreover, Song Wen questioned himself; even if he had a beloved person, he probably


    wouldn''t be able to go through with it.


    In this regard, he felt he was not as resolute as Rong Jingyun.


    Rong Jingyun was truly someone who pursued longevity wholeheartedly; for the sake of a


    higher cultivation level, she could be utterly ruthless.


    Song Wen said, "Elder Rong, may I take a look at the recipe for the Obstruction-Breaking


    Pill?"


    "Of course."


    Rong Jingyun raised her hand and tossed out a piece of animal skin.


    Song Wen caught the animal skin; it was soft yet extremely tough, resembling the hide of


    some high-level demon beast.


    The animal skin was primitive, and the writing on it was ancient.


    This was indeed an ancient recipe, not something Rong Jingyun had fabricated out of thin air.


    ording to the records of the ancient recipe, the Obstruction-Breaking Pill indeed existed, and what Rong Jingyun said was not mere nonsense.


    Song Wen took out a nk jade slip and copied down the contents of the ancient recipe.


    Then, he returned the ancient recipe to Rong Jingyun.


    Song Wen said, "I have some doubts in my heart, and I hope Elder Rong can enlighten me.


    Elder Heng is not your blood rtive, yet can he still be considered a beloved and close


    person?"


    Rong Jingyun replied, "Elder Heng and I have beenpanions for over sixty years. How can he not be considered a beloved and close person? The Obstruction-Breaking Pill helps cultivators break through their inner demons. As long as you genuinely believe this person is your beloved, you can use him for pill refinement."


    "When I first obtained the ancient recipe, I had no intention of using him to refine the pill. Unfortunately, he actually betrayed me multiple times and sought pleasures with outsiders behind my back."


    "There was even a lowly loose cultivator who bore him an illegitimate child. At that time, I forgave him, thinking it was just a moment of folly, and took that child in, treating him as my


    own."


    "But I never expected that two yearster, he would find a new mistress."


    "As a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator and the elder of the Beast Control Sect, how


    could I endure such humiliation?"


    "To use him for pill refinement is not a matter of my ruthlessness; it''s he who betrayed me first."


    As Rong Jingyun spoke, her expression was fierce.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was as if she were venting her dissatisfaction, or perhaps trying to justify her cruel actions.


    "Is Heng Junxia not your biological child?" Song Wen asked.


    Rong Jingyun shook her head, her expression somewhat deranged.


    "No, he is the child of his mistress. This works out perfectly; I have two sets of materials, so I


    still have one more chance to make mistakes."


    Song Wen cupped his hands. "Thank you, Elder Rong, for clearing my doubts."


    Rong Jingyun suddenly smiled faintly, "Elder Wu, do you think I am a heartless and cruel


    person, willing to resort to any means to achieve my goals?"


    Song Wen shook his head, his face sincere.


    "I do not think so. On the contrary, Elder Rong''s determination makes you a true cultivator.


    To achieve longevity, you can sacrifice everything. I admire that very much."


    Rong Jingyun was momentarily taken aback, clearly not expecting Song Wen to say such


    words.


    "Elder Wu, do you really think that way?"


    Song Wen nodded. "Absolutely; there is no falsehood in my words."


    A glimmer of color flickered in Rong Jingyun''s eyes.


    It was as if she had found a kindred spirit.


    TLN: Begone B! #ch!


    (End of the Chapter)


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