ã€ŠSerpent Ancestorã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1: The Old Snake Awakens

    The old snake did not remember when it first gained intelligence.

    It only remembered that it was famous in the nearby vige area as the Snake King, notorious for having devoured over twenty lives. The authorities had encircled him, and the demon hunters had pursued him, but none ever seeded in capturing him.

    As a result, a legend spread throughout the vige about the old snake king eating people, scaring children into staying indoors, keeping their lights on at night, and causing snake hunters to patrol the area all night.

    The exact number of people he had devoured was forgotten by the old snake, but he remembered thest two.

    The first was a youth named Ren Dan, who was being chased by an old Taoist priest and ran into the mountains.

    ¡°Ren Dan should pay for his life. How can you escape after consuming so many of my medicinal materials?¡± the Taoist priest shouted while pursuing him.

    The youth, Ren Dan, ran for a whole day and night, exhausted and covered in wounds. He knelt before a Bodhisattva in a ruined temple, crying out for the Bodhisattva¡¯s protection.

    Seeing his pitiful state, the old snake decided to end his suffering and swallowed him.

    The Taoist priest, who had just arrived at the ruined temple, witnessed this scene and screamed, ¡°No! My elixir!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve spent ten years making Ren Dan, spit him out!¡±

    Feeling remorseful for the priest¡¯s despair, the old snake swallowed him as well, so he could be reunited with Ren Dan inside his belly.

    The old snake only remembered this.

    After that, he began to develop intelligence and acquired much knowledge about the human world.

    For example, snake catchers are those who catch snakes; Taoist priests practice spells; Ren Dan is a type of human-shaped elixir that prolongs life and increases cultivation.

    There were also strange and peculiar bits of knowledge from human stories and texts that appeared from time to time.

    ¡°Since humans have names, I¡¯ll give myself one too. I¡¯ll call myself Xu Hei!¡±

    He liked the human world¡¯s story of Xu Xian, so he chose Xu Hei as a substitute for his nickname ¡°Old ck Snake.¡±

    In fact, he envied humans, who were born with intelligence, while Xu Hei didn¡¯t know how many cycles of reincarnation he had gone through before gaining intelligence.

    He wanted to cherish this life and never die easily!

    The more one has, the more one fears losing it. The old snake, who had once known no fear, became anxious about life and death.

    ¡°Humans are too dangerous. I should stay away from them. Fierce beasts are also quite frightening. I¡¯ll stick to safer food.¡±

    Xu Hei decided to avoid humans and fierce beasts. Eggs, poultry, and livestock would be his main targets.

    In the days that followed, Xu Hei wandered around small towns and viges by rivers, stealing chickens, ducks, fish, geese, and small rodents.

    As days went by, the story of the old snake king eating people faded, but livestock began to disappear inrge numbers. The fish in the ponds also dwindled, causing residents to avoid letting their chickens and ducks roam outside, bringing them all back home.

    Xu Hei had arge appetite, capable of eating several chickens in one meal, and the vige¡¯s poultry could not withstand such consumption.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A month passed.

    Xu Hei had not eaten for seven days.

    During this time, Xu Hei had fully digested human knowledge. His body had grown to five meters in length, and a demon core had appeared in his abdomen.

    ¡°With the demon core, I am now a serpent demon,¡± Xu Hei said with delight.

    The demon core was his core, simr to the dantian of human cultivators. Although only the size of a fist, it was his most valuable possession.

    The birth of the demon core meant he was no longer an ordinary beast but a demon beast.

    However, excessive stealing had led to a loss of food sources.

    He dared not huntrge beasts, mainly out of fear of injury. Compared to risking danger in the wild, he preferred to be a petty thief, stealing chickens and ducks.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Ist ate. I need to find something to eat in the town.¡±

    Xu Hei, moving his massive body, slithered toward Chenjia Town.

    Chenjia Town was thergest town in the area. As its name suggested, the Chen family was the wealthiest household, and the town had the most abundant food. Xu Hei, who had lived in the area for years, was well aware of the Chen family¡¯s location.

    Xu Hei carefully and quietly crawled into the Chen family¡¯s backyard.

    In the Chen family¡¯s backyard, many livestock were kept. Xu Hei flicked his tongue to sense the scents in the air and his eyes lit up.

    He smelled pigs!

    Pigs were his favorite food¡ªfatty and filling. Eating one could sustain him for a month. Unfortunately, the pigs were kept in a pigpen.

    Since gaining intelligence, he had never eaten pork because he was afraid of being discovered by humans.

    ¡°After eating one pig, I¡¯ll stop.¡±

    Xu Hei, feeling ravenous, coiled his body and climbed onto the roof beams. Like a leech, he slithered in and stealthily entered the dark pigpen.

    The pigpen wasrge. Xu Hei found a corner and crawled in along the wall. The pigs, sensing a snake approaching, grunted and instinctively backed away but were not too frightened. Some even curiously nudged him with their noses, thinking he might be food.

    This was also why Xu Hei preferred pigs¡ªthey were less warypared to other animals that would run away at the sight of him.

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei opened his gaping maw and bit into a small pig, swallowing it whole.

    Given his size, which previously allowed him to swallow live humans, devouring a somewhat smaller pig was no challenge.

    The pigs immediately screamed in terror, scrambling to the corners of the pen, realizing the danger.

    It took Xu Hei a considerable effort and two minutes to swallow the pig. His body swelled up, bing oval-shaped.

    ¡°Time to leave,¡± Xu Hei thought, but then an idea struck him.

    Since he had gone through the trouble of sneaking in, why not eat a little more?

    With the demon core, his digestion speed had greatly increased. He estimated that he could digest the pig within half a day.

    Xu Hei flicked his tongue again and surveyed his surroundings. It was night, and Chenjia Town was quiet. Distant snoring could be heard. As long as he made no significant noise, he should not be discovered.

    Even if someone went to the toilet in the middle of the night, his speed would allow him to escape without much trouble.

    With this in mind, Xu Hei coiled around another fat pig and swallowed it. This time, it took him a full five minutes to finish. His body expanded, resembling a small hill.

    The pigpen had only five pigs in total, and with three remaining, Xu Hei could no longer move. He curled up in a dark corner and began digesting his meal.

    Xu Hei estimated that by dawn, he would have nearly digested everything.

    About an hourter.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    Suddenly, the door to the pigpen was kicked open. Xu Hei, startled, quickly coiled up into a small ball and hid behind the wall.

    ¡°Thud!¡±

    A bloodied figure was thrown into the pigpen. It was a young man, fairly handsome but covered in wounds and barely alive.

    ¡°Is this trash going to die?¡±

    ¡°Even if he dies, so what? He dared to vie with Young Master Qiu for a woman. This is his fate!¡±

    The two men at the door pped their hands and left the pigpen.

    The young man¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. The faint breath he had left flickered for a moment before disappearing without a trace.

    Dead!

    A human had died right under Xu Hei¡¯s eyes.

    This person seemed somewhat familiar, possibly the young master of Chen Family Vige whom Xu Hei had seen before.

    Xu Hei quickly moved away, climbing up to the roof beams. It was said that death was very ominous, and he did not want to be associated with such bad luck.

    As soon as the two men had left, Xu Hei nned to wait until they were far away before leaving and never returning to this ce.

    Suddenly.

    The young man who had just died opened his eyes again.

    ¡°Reanimation!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s pupils constricted as he recalled a term from the Taoist knowledge he had acquired. His breath stopped, and he dared not move. The term ¡°reanimation¡± was something he learned from the Taoist priest.

    He saw the young man sit cross-legged, a trace of surprise in his eyes. He mumbled to himself, ¡°Chen Fan? Haha, to think I have the same name as this immortal.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: The Immortal Reborn With a Gulp

    ¡°Broken Engagement, Useless, Dantian Destroyed¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine, since I, the Immortal, have inherited your body, I will naturally clear your grievances. Those who humiliated you, I won¡¯t spare a single one!¡±

    Chen Fan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°The injuries are severe. If I hadn¡¯t taken over, you would have already died. But this can¡¯t stop me¡­ hmm?¡±

    Chen Fan suddenly frowned.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was hiding on the roof beam, not daring to breathe heavily. His heartbeat had slowed to its lowest.

    The youth¡¯s muttering had all entered his ears, though he didn¡¯t understand what it meant. Just a moment ago, Xu Hei felt as if someone was observing him.

    Since that sense of being watched appeared, the young man had stopped speaking, indicating that he had already discovered him!

    ¡°Oh no! He has his eyes on me!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s pupils contracted, and a strong sense of crisis filled his heart. The snake scales on his body stood on end. This young man gave him an extremely terrifying feeling!

    ¡°The pigs in the pigpen are short by two. He must know I ate his pigs!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done for! This person is definitely going to kill me!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s scalp went numb as if a thief had been caught red-handed.

    In these times, countless people starved to death on the streets. How precious were two pigs? The Chen Family would definitely not let him go easily.

    Not to mention, so many livestock and poultry had gone missing nearby. They would definitely connect it to him!

    It was over,pletely over. Xu Hei felt his snake life was shrouded in darkness, as if he could already see himself being skinned and dismembered, his corpse lying on the street.

    And at this moment, an even more shocking scene unfolded.

    That young man¡¯s nearly fatal wounds were slowly healing. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth trickled into his shattered dantian.

    Gradually, the spiritual energy swirled around him, forming the shape of a dragon.

    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t expect this¡ªthe demon race¡¯s supreme treasure, the Demon God Cauldron, has also reincarnated with me! Taixu Ancestral Dragon, you miscalcted!¡±

    The youth smirked inwardly. From beginning to end, he didn¡¯t even nce at Xu Hei.

    But Xu Hei¡¯s mental state was on the verge of copse.

    ¡°He¡¯s casting a spell, he¡¯s casting a spell! He¡¯s going to kill me!¡±

    Xu Hei didn¡¯t know what the youth was thinking, but the terrifying aura emanating from him grew stronger, leaving Xu Hei¡¯s heart pounding in fear. It was clear that he was preparing some spell to kill him!

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes widened in terror, then gradually transformed into madness.

    In the natural world, it¡¯s the survival of the fittest; it¡¯s either you die or I die! He stole the young man¡¯s pigs, and the man would definitely kill him!

    ¡°He¡¯s gathering power to deliver a fatal blow!¡±

    ¡°That must be it, that must be it!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, then I¡¯ll just have to eat you! I¡¯ll just eat you!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s gaze turned crazed. He could no longer hold back. If he didn¡¯t make a move now, once the young man fully recovered and finished gathering power, it would be his death.

    This man had clearly noticed him but pretended not to, to avoid alerting him. He was secretly gathering power to kill him. Cultivators were all this cunning and sinister!

    This trick might deceive other snake demons, but it wouldn¡¯t fool Xu Hei!

    Xu Hei¡¯s body was like a tightly wound spring stretched to its limit. In the next instant, he shot forward like a lightning bolt, a gust of wind hurtling downward!

    ¡°Ahhh! You forced me to do this!!!¡±

    Xu Hei lunged forward, opening his bloody mouth wide to bite Chen Fan, looking utterly frenzied.

    Chen Fan: ¡°???¡±

    A foul wind swept past. In a sh of lightning, Chen Fan was swallowed into Xu Hei¡¯s belly in one gulp.

    Swallowed into the snake¡¯s belly, Chen Fan remained puzzled. By all ounts, after he deliberately released some of his immortal aura, the other party should have been scared off by his presence.

    However, he didn¡¯t panic. He didn¡¯t even struggle. Instead, he let out a cold snort.

    ¡°A mere first-level spiritual beast dares to strike at me? Truly seeking death!¡±

    His divine sense had already detected Xu Hei but merely nced past him, not taking him seriously.

    Though he was in a young man¡¯s body, the immortal aura and killing intent he emitted were enough to make any low-level demon beast avoid him, not daring toe near.

    Yet, this unexpected thing happened. This serpent demon seemed to be different.

    It didn¡¯t matter. Not to mention that Chen Fan had already recovered to the second level of Qi Refinement, just by using a bit of his immortal techniques, he could destroy this serpent demon a thousand times over.

    ¡°Boundless Sea!¡±

    Chen Fan raised both hands. A boundless wave of energy, like a tsunami, erupted from his palms.

    Xu Hei¡¯s serpent body immediately began to swell, inting like a balloon, growingrger andrger!

    Greedy snake swallowing an elephant. At this moment, Xu Hei¡¯s body was alreadyrger than an elephant. Even with the flexibility of a snake¡¯s body, it couldn¡¯t endure such torment.

    ¡°Ahhh! I¡¯m going to die!¡± Xu Hei screamed internally.

    He didn¡¯t want to die!

    He had finally awakened his spiritual intelligence after countless cycles of rebirth, having been a chicken, duck, and fish before finally bing Xu Hei. He didn¡¯t want to die just like this!

    Just for stealing two pigs, he now faced the cmity of death. This was the cruel human world! Xu Hei¡¯s heart was filled with regret. If he had known, he would never havee to eat that pig.

    For the first time in his life, he felt the horror of humans.

    ¡°Buzz!¡± His demon core emitted a faint glow. A force supported his body, preventing him from bursting immediately.

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Chen Fan spat out true energy, striking at Xu Hei¡¯s demon core. Xu Hei¡¯s hard demon core shattered like fragile ss.

    With his demon core destroyed, the intense pain nearly caused Xu Hei to faint. His consciousness blurred, his body on the verge of copse, teetering on the edge of death.

    A mere youth could easily kill him. Humans were more terrifying than he had imagined!

    ¡°I¡¯ll have some snake meat to replenish my energy.¡± Chen Fan thought to himself.

    Suddenly, a pitch-ck small cauldron emerged from his spiritual sea,nding at Xu Hei¡¯s demon core, spinning slowly.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Chen Fan was startled. This was the demon race¡¯s supreme treasure, the Demon God Cauldron!

    Just as he intended to retrieve the Demon God Cauldron, he was shocked to find that his connection to it had been severed.

    The next second, an immense and terrifying power exploded from the cauldron, enveloping Xu Hei¡¯s body, mming heavily onto Chen Fan.

    ¡°How could this be? Why is my Demon God Cauldron helping this beast!!!¡±

    Chen Fan let out a shrill scream. In an instant, his flesh shattered, and even his soul was about to be extinguished.

    The reversal happened too quickly. Chen Fan had no time to react. Against the Demon God Cauldron¡¯s attack, he had no resistance and was utterly annihted!

    ¡°No!! I refuse to ept this! How could I, a mighty immortal¡­ ah!!¡±

    Amid the unwilling roars, he self-detonated his soul, swearing to smash into Xu Hei. Yet, he was absorbed by the Demon God Cauldron and vanished into nothingness.

    Everything returned to calm. Xu Hei¡¯s swollen body, which was about to burst, gradually returned to normal. Hey in the pigpen like a pile of mud, his snake scales shattered, meridians severed, barely clinging to life.

    ¡°My demon core¡­ is gone¡­¡± Xu Hei cked out and fainted.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: Swallowing Qi and Nurturing Divine Sense

    Xu Hei awoke, not knowing how much time had passed.

    His body was in tatters. Two pigs had rooted around him, grinding their teeth on his snake skin, producing a ¡°creak¡± sound. They couldn¡¯t bite through, so they retreated to a corner.

    ¡°Argh! It hurts so much!¡± Xu Hei convulsed in agony.

    This was the most severe injury he had ever suffered. His body had nearly burst, his meridians werepletely severed, his skin had entirely cracked open, and his Demon Core was gone.

    The fact that he had regained consciousness was already a miracle.

    He twisted his body with difficulty, crawling to the other side to avoid being rooted by the pigs.

    ¡°My Demon Core is gone.¡±

    Thinking about this, Xu Hei almost burst into tears. It was the foundation of his cultivation, and now, it waspletely destroyed!

    However, he was suddenly startled.

    Where his Demon Core should have been, there was now a small ck cauldron, sitting silently.

    The cauldron had eight legs and was round in shape, with intricate patterns on its surface. A dragon was carved around it, encircling the cauldron with its head and tail connected, looking lifelike, as if it were a living creature.

    This cauldron was precisely the thing that the young man had called the ¡°Demon God Cauldron.¡±

    He could see what was inside his body, which was strange! His gaze could look inward and even extend outward. Even with his eyes closed, he could see an area ten meters around him.

    It was as if a third eye existed in the void, allowing him to see everything around him without obstruction.

    ¡°Strange.¡±

    Xu Hei shook his head. This was not an illusion; he could indeed see, just like how Chen Fan had spied on him before. Now he could spy on others in the same way.

    ¡°Divine Sense?¡± Xu Hei had this term pop up in his mind.

    How he had developed Divine Sense was unclear. It was said that only legendary cultivators had Divine Sense.

    At the same time, new knowledge appeared in his mind.

    It was the cirction path of true Qi, each step clearly outlined, and somewhat familiar.

    ¡°This is that young man¡¯s cultivation method!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t know what this cultivation method could do, but he was sure that it could heal his injuries!

    Xu Hei was not a hesitant snake. After making up his mind, he immediately calmed his mind and began to run the technique¡¯s path.

    Gradually, threads of spiritual energy began to drift in from the world around him, intertwining to form a long dragon of spiritual energy that poured into his body.

    This scene was exactly the same as when Chen Fan healed his injuries the previous night.

    A tingling sensation spread through his body, alleviating the pain. Xu Hei let out a long breath, circted the second path, and the spiritual energy flowed into his body, cycling through and slowly healing his wounds.

    An incense stick¡¯s worth of timeter.

    Xu Hei reopened his eyes and looked inside his body.

    ¡°It really can heal wounds!¡±

    Xu Hei gasped, his heart racing.

    In the wild, serious injuries usually meant death. Having a healing technique was like having an extra life. How could he not be excited?

    Moreover, he had a vague feeling that this technique was mainly used for cultivation to enhance one¡¯s level, with healing being just a secondary effect.

    After just a brief session of breathing and nurturing, his body felt light and full of spiritual energy, as if he had ingested some kind of spiritual herb.

    ¡°Strange! My Demon Core has shattered. Normally, I shouldn¡¯t be able to store spiritual energy.¡±

    Xu Hei was puzzled. The spot where his Demon Core had been was now upied by a cauldron. Could this cauldron have be the new Demon Core?

    He tried to move his body to push the small cauldron out, but it didn¡¯t budge. Xu Hei had to give up.

    ¡°Even a mere young man is so powerful. Humans are truly the spirits of all living things. I must never provoke humans again in the future!¡±

    Xu Hei swore to himself and quickly left the pigpen.

    Before leaving, he nced at the three pigs. He figured he might as well go all out, swallowing the fattest one in a single gulp before swaggering away.

    He fled into the wilderness and found a tree hole to crawl into, where he fell into a deep sleep.

    ¡­¡­

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

    During these days, Xu Hei continuously practiced the mysterious technique. His injuries were already healed, and he had expelled arge amount of impurities, piling up like a mountain. He had even shed his skin once.

    This made him realize that the technique could not only heal but also improve his physique, cleansing and refining his body.

    The only thing that dissatisfied him was that his body size had shrunk by half, now only over two meters long.

    ¡°A fat pig can be two meters long; how am I supposed to swallow pigs now?¡± Xu Hei frowned.

    Snakes can swallow prey muchrger than themselves, but there is a limit.

    However, although his size had shrunk, his speed and strength had increased significantly. His flexibility also improved, allowing him to stretch several times his original length, giving Xu Hei some peace of mind.

    With his previous experience, Xu Hei dared not venture into human towns again. He only hunted small prey in the wild.

    Quickly, a few more days passed.

    This day, Xu Hei suddenly opened his eyes. New knowledge had appeared in his mind.

    ¡ªThe cultivation system!

    Human cultivators were divided into the Qi Refinement stage, Foundation Establishment stage, and Core Formation stage.

    For demonic beasts, this corresponded to the First-Level Spiritual Beast, Foundation Establishment stage, and Demon Core stage.

    ¡°My current level is at the peak of the First-Level Spiritual Beast, equivalent to the peak of the Qi Refinement stage for humans.¡±

    Xu Hei murmured to himself. This was the new knowledge he had just gained.

    Ever since he had swallowed the Ren Dan and the Taoist priest, he asionally acquired human knowledge. This time, it seemed toe from that young man named Chen Fan?

    This suspicion was not unfounded. Recently, he had often dreamt of Chen Fan and simultaneously experienced some unfamiliar memories.

    Moreover, there was another matter that puzzled him.

    ¡°I lost my Demon Core, which is like a human losing their dantian. I should have be a cripple, but my cultivation level has instead increased.¡±

    Instinctively, Xu Hei looked inward, focusing on the Demon God Cauldron at the spot where his Demon Core used to be.

    Wisps of mist-like spiritual energy gathered within the cauldron. This was the spiritual energy he had acquired through his breathing exercises.

    ¡°It really did rece the Demon Core!¡±

    Xu Hei was secretly rmed. He racked his brains but couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. The human knowledge he had acquired offered no exnation for this situation.

    But he didn¡¯t have time to ponder it further.

    The problem he was facing now was that he was hungry again!

    His cultivation technique allowed him to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, but mere spiritual energy wasn¡¯t enough. He also needed a massive supply of Qi and Blood.

    Demonic beasts in their cultivation cannot practice fasting; they need arge amount of food!

    Xu Hei could only drag his body, nce down at the vige below the mountain, shake his head, and turn to climb up the mountain.

    He did not want to go back to the human world. It was too dangerous there; he would rather starve to death than go back to the pigpen.

    Xu Hei extended his Divine Sense, searching for food along the way.

    Throughout the entire afternoon, he ate a nest of bird eggs, a squirrel, and a wildcat. In pursuit of a hare, he even ran down the mountain.

    These morsels weren¡¯t even a third of what a fat pig could provide.

    Xu Hei¡¯s food demand was growing increasinglyrger, and this amount of food wasn¡¯t even enough to fill the gap between his teeth. He needed to huntrger creatures.

    Xu Hei nced down the mountain again and spotted a watermelon field, lush and green, spreading across the mountainside.

    The area was far from the vige, with only one farmhouse nearby.

    At this moment, Xu Hei suddenly noticed a pitch-ck wild boar in the watermelon field, munching on a watermelon noisily.

    The wild boar wasn¡¯t veryrge, roughly one and a half meters long. Given Xu Hei¡¯s current size, it seemed like one bite would be just right.

    Xu Hei felt tempted.

    He was now facing the first major decision of his life as a serpent demon: to prey on arge beast.

    ¡°Will attacking the wild boar be dangerous?¡±

    Xu Hei hesitated. Under normal circumstances, he would avoid facingrge beasts unless absolutely necessary. But he had no choice. His appetite was too vast. For survival, he had to take risks.

    ¡°ording to the cultivation system, I am now at the peak of the First-Level Spiritual Beast. This wild boar has yet to awaken its intelligence, so its level is lower than mine! In theory, I should be able to take it down easily!¡±

    Xu Hei had countless thoughts swirling in his mind. He wasn¡¯t an ordinary beast; he could think, and this was his advantage. He needed to make good use of it.

    ¡°To be safe, let¡¯s take it slow.¡±

    Xu Hei finally decided to take a risk and hunt this wild boar.

    He crawled to the edge of the watermelon field, wrapped his tail around arge rock, and cautiously approached.

    On the way, he also put some small stones into his mouth.

    In reality, given his strength, killing a wild boar wasn¡¯t difficult. He had once been the snake king in this area, had devoured many people, and had also killed wild boars. But thinking back, he realized his survival back then was purely due to luck.

    Now that he had gained intelligence, he needed to be more cautious. He didn¡¯t want to get injured, and he feared pain.

    When wild boars resist, they stomp with their hooves and ram with their tusks, making them quite terrifying. But of course, they were still not as terrifying as humans.

    When Xu Hei got within a ten-meter range of the wild boar, he suddenly raised his neck, opened his mouth, gathered all the internal Qi within him, and concentrated it at his throat.

    ¡­

    ¡°Poof!¡±

    A stone shot out from Xu Hei¡¯s mouth like a cannonball, striking the wild boar on the head.

    ¡°Bang!¡± The boar¡¯s head caved in directly, blood sttered everywhere, and it copsed to the ground.

    Xu Hei was overjoyed. He spat out another stone, creating arge hole in the boar¡¯s head.

    After approaching the fallen beast, he lifted a stone with his tail and smashed it down repeatedly, striking the boar¡¯s head until it was a pulpy mess. Only after the wild boar hadpletely stopped moving, and no more blood was flowing, did he stop.

    Xu Hei spat out the remaining stones from his mouth and breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°It should bepletely dead, but even the dead can sometimes reanimate.¡±

    Still feeling uneasy, Xu Hei proceeded to break all four of its limbs and crushed the bones of its entire body to prevent any chance of reanimation.

    Only then did he feel at ease and began to measure the boar.

    Comparing it to his own body size, he concluded it would be just right for one big gulp.

    ¡°It is said that wild boar meat is tougher than domestic pork. Hopefully, it¡¯llst a bit longer,¡± Xu Hei calcted in his mind. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the boar whole.

    The boar¡¯s fur was rough, and its skin was tough, which meant it would take longer to digest. The upside was that it would stave off hunger for longer.

    Xu Hei started swallowing from the head. Before long, only the boar¡¯s two hind legs were left outside.

    As the pork entered his body, Xu Hei could clearly feel a surge of heat rising inside him. The wild boar meat was rapidly digested and transformed into pure qi and blood, bringing a feeling of fullness. This was the benefit of consuming food!

    Momentster, Xu Hei had entirely swallowed the wild boar. Suddenly, he began to cough violently. He opened his mouth and spat out a ck crystal the size of an egg. It fell to the ground¡ªit was a Demon Core.

    ¡°This is¡­ the wild boar¡¯s Demon Core?¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s snake scales stood on end, his eyes widened in shock.

    No, that couldn¡¯t be right! How could a wild beast have a Demon Core? Could it be¡­

    Staring at the bloodstains on the ground, Xu Hei finally realized, gasping in shock, ¡°This was a Pig Demon?¡±

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: The Watermelon Field Under the Moonlight

    Xu Hei had not been gone for long.

    A young child, barely half-grown, ran to the spot where the Pig Demon had died, pointing excitedly at the bloodstains on the ground and shouting.

    Behind him, a farmer with rolled-up sleeves came running over.

    ¡°Dad! Great news, the Pig Demon that killed Mom is dead! It was eaten by the big snake!¡± the child shouted with excitement.

    Unexpectedly, the farmer picked up a stick and hit the child on the buttocks, causing him to cry out loudly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you daree out again! Be careful or the old serpent king will eat you too. Get back inside immediately!¡± the farmer scolded angrily, grabbing the child by the ear and pulling him away.

    ¡­¡­

    Xu Hei, holding the Demon Core, rushed back to the mountains. Although the trip was smooth, he felt a chill down his spine and was still shaken.

    ¡°Fortunately, I was cautious. If I had rashly rushed in and fought the Pig Demon, the oue would have been uncertain!¡±

    Xu Hei was apprehensive, realizing he had encountered a demonic beast just like himself.

    As for the level of the First-Level Spiritual Beast it had reached, Xu Hei was unsure. Being cautious had indeed been wise; you never know what kind of existence you are dealing with.

    After swallowing the wild boar, his body had expanded to twice its size. Fortunately, he was quick, and Xu Hei dragged his massive form back to his tree hollow.

    This tree hollow was a temporary shelter he had chosen, verified to be free ofrge creature activity within a five-mile radius.

    Xu Heiy in the tree hollow, digesting the boar meat he had just consumed.

    The meat of a demonic beast was indeed extraordinary. Rich in Qi and Blood, it was more filling than ordinary meat. By the next morning, Xu Hei had only digested one-third of it.

    He felt closer to reaching the Second-Level Spiritual Beast.

    At this time, he took out the ck Demon Core.

    The Demon Core, also known as the Inner Core, contains the spiritual essence of a demonic beast¡¯s lifetime and is a valuable material for alchemy, artifact forging, and talisman crafting.

    Swallowing a Demon Core was extremely dangerous; a slight mistake could lead to broken meridians and explosion of the body. Generally, it is used for alchemy.

    ¡°Human knowledge may not necessarily apply to me. Why would a demonic beast have so many rules?¡± Xu Hei was somewhat doubtful.

    ¡­¡­

    Another day passed.

    That night, Xu Hei opened his eyes. The wild boar meat had beenpletely digested. His muscles and meridians felt a sense of satisfaction, like a bucket that had been filled to the brim.

    Xu Hei immediately made a decision¡ªbreakthrough!

    This was an instinctual drive for a demonic beast; he needed to be stronger.

    Xu Hei held the Demon Core in his mouth, swallowed it, and crushed it with his teeth, producing a crunching sound.

    In an instant, a violent surge of energy erupted from the Demon Core, rushing towards Xu Hei¡¯s meridians and bones with a constant roar.

    He felt a slight pain within his body but could endure itpletely.

    Indeed, the physique of demonic beasts is not the same as humans.

    ¡°Breakthrough!¡±

    Xu Hei focused his mind.

    The violent power instantly surged, and his body cracked and popped, undergoing a rapid transformation. This was the metamorphosis of his body.

    The initial stage of the transformation was quick, but then it slowed down. Xu Hei¡¯s aura remained at the limit of the First-Level Spiritual Beast.

    Suddenly, the Demon God Cauldron within him trembled. The energy was absorbed into it, and the spiritual mist rapidly expanded, thenpressed to a single point!

    ¡°Boom!!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s body shook violently, his aura soaring, breaking through that bottleneck.

    After a while, when he opened his eyes again, his aura waspletely different.

    Second-Level Spiritual Beast!

    ¡°Sess!¡±

    Xu Hei exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling immensely joyful.

    At this moment, the spiritual mist inside the Demon God Cauldron had contracted to a small point. Its area was tiny, but its concentration was more than ten times greater, signifying a qualitative change.

    ording to human knowledge, a breakthrough cannot always be achieved on the first try; some may fail several times, and some even remain stuck at a certain realm for a lifetime.

    His first breakthrough had been sessful, indicating that his talent was indeed good, though it was uncertain what spiritual root he had.

    Xu Hei did not becent.

    He was still in the early stages of the First-Level Spiritual Beast.

    Unless he reached the Fourth-Level Spiritual Beast, entering the mid-stage, there would be substantial changes. At that level, he would be able to use true Qi to harm others from a distance and learn some basic spells.

    Xu Hei was still far from that level.

    ¡°Though hunting the wild boar was dangerous, it brought opportunities,¡± Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Danger and opportunity always coexist. If it weren¡¯t for that Pig Demon, relying solely on mundane food, he might not have made any progress for several years.

    Feeling the increased strength, Xu Hei valued life even more and was determined to cherish his existence.

    ¡­¡­

    A dayter, Xu Hei returned to the Watermelon Field.

    This was an instinct of demonic beasts, to remain active within their familiar territory. They generally do not leave their activity area unless faced with significant danger.

    Xu Hei hoped to encounter a second Pig Demon. Although the chances were slim, he chose to wait; it was the safest approach.

    Not just Xu Hei, but many demonic beasts have their own fixed hunting grounds.

    The entire day passed without any sign of the wild boar. Instead, the melon farmer appeared again in the Watermelon Field, applying manure and fertilizer.

    In the evening, the half-grown child also showed up, holding a book. However, not long after, he was pulled back by his father.

    Xu Hei waited all day and saw nothing¡ªno wild boar, not even a mouse.

    Under the moonlight, Xu Hei gazed at the lush green watermelons and suddenly had a sh of inspiration.

    ¡°Wild boars eat watermelons, and I eat wild boars. Can I skip that step and directly eat the watermelon?¡± Xu Hei thought of a bold idea.

    Xu Hei was no ordinary demon beast. Since gaining intelligence, he asionally pondered logical problems, much like a baby encountering the world for the first time, filled with curiosity.

    With the attitude of giving it a try, Xu Hei crawled to arge watermelon, opened his serpent mouth, and swallowed the watermelon whole.

    As his abdominal muscles churned, the watermelon rind was crushed and burst open inside his belly.

    Xu Hei felt a slight increase in his qi and blood, though it was very minimal.

    ¡°I can eat it, but it only replenishes about as much qi and blood as a mouse would,¡± Xu Hei estimated.

    Since he could eat watermelon, it meant he could also eat potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and other nts. With his current digestive ability, even the bones of the Pig Demon could be digested, so these were naturally not a problem.

    However, while he could eat them, his body¡¯s instincts resisted, unwilling to consume such food.

    ¡°I hope I can get some meat tonight,¡± Xu Hei thought to himself.

    A day passed, and Xu Hei waited untilte into the night, finally spotting a badger.

    Xu Hei first used his divine sense to scan the area, confirming that the badger was not a demon beast. He then immediately acted, swiftly attacking, entangling the badger, and swallowing it whole in one go.

    Feeling his belly swell, Xu Hei was very satisfied.

    ¡°I¡¯m full now, time to leave.¡±

    Just as Xu Hei was about to leave, he suddenly froze.

    Under the moonlight, a young boy holding a fork stood not far in front of him. With his fork raised and a dazed expression, he stared nkly at Xu Hei, motionless, like a statue.

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: Xu Hei and the Blood Mountain God Temple

    Xu Hei immediately halted, his pupils contracting as he stopped in his tracks.

    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯ve been spotted by a human!¡±

    ¡°Is he about to attack me? Could this be another Chen Fan?¡±

    In that brief moment, countless thoughts shed through Xu Hei¡¯s mind.

    As the infamous old snake king of Snake Vige, Xu Hei had consumed countless people and was a wanted fugitive by both the authorities and snake hunters. Once discovered, it wouldn¡¯t take half an hour before someone woulde to capture him.

    Just moments ago, Xu Hei had been entirely focused on his prey and hadn¡¯t noticed anyone nearby!

    At this moment, the boy holding a fork was clearly also startled. It was his first time seeing the old snake king up close.

    The old snake king bore a striking resemnce to the portraits circted in the vige: a thick, elongated snake body, an oval head, triangr scales, and pale golden snake eyes, though the size was not asrge as imagined.

    Xu Hei stared at the boy in front of him, and in his eyes, the boy¡¯s face slowly morphed into a cold and ruthless visage.

    That face faintly transformed into Chen Fan¡¯s face!!

    ¡°Boom!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s scalp instantly went numb with shock. His eyes widened with horror, and without hesitation, he turned and vanished, moving faster than he ever had in his life!

    After Xu Hei left, the boy copsed onto the ground, his pants already soaked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the old snake king? Why didn¡¯t he eat me?¡±

    The boy was terrified but also puzzled.

    ¡­

    Xu Hei ran several kilometers before finally stopping, panting heavily.

    ¡°What just happened? Why did his face turn into Chen Fan¡¯s?¡±

    Xu Hei looked horrified.

    ¡°Impossible. It must be an illusion!¡±

    Xu Hei shook his head. He suddenly realized that the immortal had cast a significant psychological shadow on him, making everyone look like Chen Fan.

    Previously, he had even had nightmares about Chen Fan¡¯s figure.

    He hadn¡¯t cared much before, but now he had to be cautious.

    ording to humans, this was a type of mental illness known as post-traumatic stress.

    If it¡¯s an illness, it must be treated!

    ¡°I¡¯m having a mental issue. I need to pay respects to the Bodhisattva for peace of mind.¡±

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and made up his mind.

    The next day.

    Three miles outside Chenjia Town. [Chen Family Town]

    Here stood an abandoned mountain god temple, the deity inside unknown. It was seldom visited for worship, and the surrounding area was deserted.

    Xu Hei arrived and first scanned the area with his divine sense. Confirming that no one was around, he crawled through the main entrance.

    Before him was a massive statue, gray and white, its appearance vague, with one arm broken. Dust and spider webs covered it, giving it a dpidated look.

    To Xu Hei¡¯s surprise, offerings were still ced on a table: a pig¡¯s head, a roasted chicken, and a pile of white buns.

    ¡°So extravagant! Which rich young master left these?¡±

    Xu Hei instinctively wanted to rush over and eat them all, then leave. But considering he was here for a purpose, he had to restrain himself.

    He climbed onto a mat, wondering if he should burn some incense.

    After some contemtion, Xu Hei gathered three dry twigs and ced them in the incense burner.

    Then, returning to the mat, he followed the human practice of bowing three times.

    ¡°Bodhisattva, bless me to be free from mental demons,¡± Xu Hei prayed sincerely.

    Afterpleting the ritual, Xu Hei felt significantly relieved, as if he had been purified and all distracting thoughts had vanished.

    ¡°It really works!¡±

    Xu Hei was overjoyed.

    With the main task aplished, Xu Hei wasted no time and immediately climbed onto the table, opening his mouth wide and devouring all the offerings.

    Human food was indeed different; it was especially tasty.

    Having finished his meal and feeling satisfied, Xu Hei nned to leave.

    ¡°Hee hee hee, little girl, let¡¯s see where you run to!¡±

    Suddenly, a strange, eerieugh and a woman¡¯s scream came from outside the door.

    Xu Hei shivered and quickly hid behind the statue.

    Through his divine sense, he saw a young woman, dressed in luxurious attire¡ªwearing a jewelled phoenix hairpin and a silk robe¡ªfrantically enter through the door. She was evidently a wealthy youngdy.

    The pursuer outside was a young man holding a knife.

    Xu Hei had seen this knife-wielding youth before; he was one of those who had thrown Chen Fan into the pigpen that day.

    Xu Hei frowned. He only wanted to leave quickly, but behind the statue was a wall with no back exit.

    Whether climbing out the window or going through the main door, he would be discovered.

    ¡°This is troublesome.¡±

    Xu Hei sighed and decided to stay put and wait until they were done before leaving.

    ¡°What do you want? I¡¯m the third youngdy of the Chen Family. I can give you anything you want; just don¡¯t kill me.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Miss Chen, I¡¯m only following orders. It¡¯s not my fault you have bad luck. But before you die, I¡¯ll make sure you have a bit of pleasure.¡±

    The conversation between the two came through, the man¡¯s voice full of sinisterughter.

    Xu Hei shook his head silently. In his view, killing for reasons other than food was unnecessary.

    At this moment, the young woman was punched and sent flying. The knife-wielding man, not rushing to kill her, approached with a wicked smile.

    Humans were peculiar creatures, in a perpetual state of heat throughout the year, unlike Xu Hei, who only experienced it in spring.

    As for the woman¡¯s appearance, it might seem extraordinary to humans, but from Xu Hei¡¯s perspective, she was weak and unremarkable.

    Suddenly, the woman seemed to sense something and cried out, ¡°Please, senior, save me! The Chen Family will reward you greatly!¡±

    Her gaze turned towards the back of the statue.

    Xu Hei was stunned. Had he been discovered?

    ¡°Who?!¡±

    The knife-wielding youth was startled and quickly looked around.

    He nced at the dust marks on the ground, narrowing his eyes as he nced at the statue with suspicion.

    ¡°Hehe, there¡¯s no one here. You can ept your fate!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure if someone was hiding behind, but as long as they kept quiet, he preferred to avoidplications and leave after finishing his task.

    However, the young woman was very decisive. She got up and dashed towards the back of the statue.

    Xu Hei was immediately rmed.

    In almost no time, the woman had crossed the short distance and reached the back.

    ¡°Don¡¯te near!!!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s heart screamed as he saw the woman, filled with hope,e around the statue and look towards him.

    ¡°Senior¡­¡±

    She was about to speak when a huge snake tail pped her face.

    ¡°Smack!!!¡±

    The woman¡¯s head was instantly knocked off, her blood sttering everywhere.

    The young man was horrified and immediately turned to flee.

    Xu Hei would not let him escape so easily. He flicked the woman¡¯s head with precision, hitting the young man on the back of his head.

    ¡°Boom!!¡±

    With a muffled thud, the young man fell to the ground. Xu Hei immediately rushed over and twisted the man¡¯s head off.

    To prevent any possibility of reanimation, Xu Hei shattered his bones, crushed his organs, and turned him into a pile of minced meat. They were dead beyond recovery.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: Late Summer, Early Autumn, and the Plump Salmon

    Xu Hei stopped in his tracks, staring at the bloodstained ground, his heart racing uncontrobly.

    That was close! He nearly lost his life; fortunately, he reacted quickly, or it would have certainly been him who died.

    Xu Hei didn¡¯t dare to underestimate humans. The appearance of these two people was highly unusual; they might have been part of a plot.

    ¡°Why does something always happen every time Ie to a temple? Last time it was the Ren Dan and the Taoist priest, and now it¡¯s a man and a woman. Why do I always encounter these things?¡±

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly, doubting whether he was under some kind of curse, always encountering trouble upon entering a temple.

    He nced onest time at therge, vague statue and suddenly felt a strange sense of palpitations.

    Could it be that his act of stealing the offerings had angered the Mountain God?

    Xu Hei hurriedly wrapped up the two corpses and ced them on the offering table before returning to his mat and performing a few kowtows.

    ¡°Lord Mountain God, these offerings are to make up for the ones I¡¯ve disturbed; they¡¯ll surely be tastier than the roast chicken. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±

    Xu Hei climbed out through the window and left without looking back.

    He left at an incredible speed.

    After this experience, Xu Hei vowed never to return to this cursed ce. It was better to stay in the mountains. Not just this temple but the entire Chen Family Town within a twenty-mile radius had be off-limits in his eyes.

    Not long after Xu Hei left.

    The statue seemed to flicker slightly, with dust falling down.

    The smell of the corpses quickly attracted some wild dogs, but that was no longer Xu Hei¡¯s concern.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    After returning, Xu Hei resumed his usual quiet life.

    Fortunately, since that day he prayed to the deity, he had not experienced any nightmares, nor had he dreamt of Chen Fan. It seemed to have worked.

    The experience gradually faded from his memory.

    Time passed.

    In the blink of an eye, two months had gone by.

    During this period, Xu Hei wandered in the mountains, hunting small prey and asionally eating fruits and vegetation to replenish his energy.

    He passed by the farm outside Snake Vige a few times, seeing the farmer teaching his son how to farm in the fields.

    Perhaps by coincidence, the young boy always managed to spot Xu Hei, once in the trees and once among the rocks.

    From afar, their eyes met, but there was no exchange of words.

    ¡°Xiao Niu, why are you daydreaming?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Under his father¡¯s scolding, the boy looked away.

    From his observations, Xu Hei learned that the boy¡¯s name was Wang Xiao Niu, and his father was Wang Da Niu. They were both farmers from the vige. In addition, the family also had an elderly mother and a younger sister named Wang Ya.

    Wang Xiao Niu did not want to spend his whole life farming. He wished to study, pass the imperial exams, and take his sister to live in the city. He often carried books and sneaked to the watermelon field at midnight to study under the moonlight.

    Wang Da Niu, on the other hand, was very helpless. The family did not have the money to support his studies, but he did not want topletely crush his child¡¯s aspirations. He often sighed when thinking about it.

    Xu Hei quietly left.

    ¡­

    ¡°Studying, gaining knowledge¡­¡±

    Xu Hei, hanging from a tree branch, suddenly felt a pang of envy.

    He too wanted to read and gain knowledge, to live like a human.

    Humans are born with superior conditions, without the constant fear of danger, unlike these wild beasts who face the threat of death at every moment.

    Unfortunately, bing human is a skill, not every living being has such good luck.

    A squirrel climbed up the tree and into a hole full of pine cones.

    This was its hard-earned harvest of the year, ensuring it could safely get through the winter.

    Suddenly, a green snake darted out from a corner, coiling and strangling the squirrel, killing it instantly. The squirrel didn¡¯t even know how it died.

    The green snake had been hungry for a long time.

    Xu Hei wondered if they envied human life.

    ¡°Hey! Can you understand me?¡±

    Xu Hei used his divine sense tomunicate with the green snake.

    The green snake seemed startled, releasing its prey and fleeing, disappearing without a trace.

    As he watched the snake disappear, Xu Hei suddenly felt a wave of loneliness.

    He had gained spiritual intelligence but had no one to speak with.

    However, he had no time for idle thoughts because he was hungry.

    Xu Hei devoured the squirrel and then went after the green snake, swallowing it in one gulp.

    ¡°May you be reborn as a human in your next life.¡±

    Xu Hei plunged into the forest, starting a new round of hunting.

    However, such food could only barely satisfy his hunger and could not improve his cultivation. Relying solely on breathing and nurturing, his training progressed very slowly.

    He fantasized about eating a demon beast again soon.

    ¡­

    Late summer, early autumn, heavy rain poured down.

    It was the annual downpour. The river swelled, creating tributaries, and many fish leaped out of the river into the branches, making it a good season for fishing.

    This year¡¯s rain was exceptionally heavy, and there were particrly many salmon. At the vige entrance, farmers often went out with fishings and returned full after an hour. Even cksmiths who did not know how to fish could return with arge bucket.

    Wang Xiao Niu¡¯s family also joined the fishing team.

    ¡°Another tideing.¡±

    Seeing the teams leaving the vige, Xu Hei recalledst year.

    At this timest year, Xu Hei had hidden in the river,unching a surprise attack and swallowing both people and fish, causing several deaths and prompting the authorities to dispatch a hundred men and even Taoist priests to hunt him down.

    It was that time that Xu Hei almost met his end.

    ¡°I won¡¯t go this year,¡± Xu Hei thought to himself.

    With his current perspective, he could naturally see that the Taoist priest was a Qi Refinement stage cultivator.

    He suspected that he was already a demon beastst year, otherwise, he would not have been able to escape from a cultivator.

    ¡°Dad, we¡¯ve caught enough fish, too much will spoil, and we won¡¯t be able to eat it all.¡±

    ¡°What do you know! Take these fish back, and I¡¯ll go out again.¡±

    Wang Da Niu threw the fish at the door and went out with his fishing again. The fish at the door had already been ced in several buckets.

    Wang Xiao Niu could only carry the heavy bucket of salmon back home.

    Suddenly, Wang Xiao Niu¡¯s head turned, and he spotted Xu Hei on the distant hillside, who was also looking at him.

    In recent days, Xu Hei had often wandered near the farm, listening to the conversations of the Wang family. He had grown ustomed to it.

    And Wang Xiao Niu had spotted Xu Hei more than once.

    Although there was no directmunication between the Boy and the serpent, they had grown quite familiar with each other.

    ¡°Old Snake King is back again. Does he also want to eat fish?¡± Wang Xiao Niu wondered inwardly.

    In fact, a normal person would be terrified if they saw a snake circling around their home, but Wang Xiao Niu was not afraid at all.

    He looked at Xu Hei, mustering his courage, and took a step forward.

    Xu Hei immediately shrank back a bit.

    He had been hiding in the shadows, observing human life, but that did not mean he wanted any contact with humans.

    Wang Xiao Niu, carrying a bucket of fish, boldly walked forward and ced it not far from the hillside.

    ¡°Old Snake King, everyone is afraid of you, but I¡¯m not. This bucket of fish is for you,¡± Wang Xiao Niu said, cing the fish down and retreating to a distance with a smile.

    Having learned human knowledge, Xu Hei could understand what he said and was puzzled.

    ¡°Why is this foolish boy giving me fish? Could it be poisoned?¡±

    If it were someone else offering fish, Xu Hei would certainly think ill of their intentions, but Wang Xiao Niu was someone he knew well, just a naive boy with no scheming.

    Moreover, Xu Hei had seen the Wang family catching these fish, so they couldn¡¯t be poisoned.

    Xu Hei looked at therge bucket of fish, flicked his tongue, and his appetite was immediately stimted.

    ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s try a bite.¡±

    Xu Hei climbed over and bit into a fish.

    Wang Xiao Niu sat at a distance, watching quietly with a silly grin.

    Xu Hei tasted it; the vor was quite good. These two-legged beasts had such peculiar thinking, even offering food to a snake. Don¡¯t they know the story of farmers and snakes?

    Though he didn¡¯t understand, his body was honest. Xu Hei quickly devoured the entire bucket of fish, easily satisfying his hunger, which made him very content.

    He looked at Wang Xiao Niu in the distance and mimicked a human gesture, nodding.

    This nod immediately brightened Wang Xiao Niu¡¯s eyes, eximing, ¡°The Old Snake King nodded at me! He actually nodded at me!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    His sister in the house immediately ran out, looking into the distance and also seeing Xu Hei¡¯s nodding gesture, her mouth wide open in surprise.

    As someone outside the vige returned, Xu Hei quickly vanished into the woods.

    Wang Xiao Niu and his sister remained stunned, still unable to recover from their shock.

    Rumors should not be fully trusted; the Old Snake King was not a man-eating monster but rather polite.

    ¡°I told you, the old snake king isn¡¯t a viin who harms people; he¡¯s actually helped us before!¡± Wang Xiao Niu said with a tone of someone who is pointing out the truth.

    ¡°I know, I know, he ate the pig demon and avenged our mother,¡± Wang XiaoYa replied innocently.

    Just as their conversation ended, a scream suddenly came from the vige entrance.

    ¡°Help! The old snake king is eating people again!¡±

    The voice was extremely tragic, and it came from the cksmith Zhou¡¯s son next door.

    Hearing this, Wang Xiao Niu and his sister immediately ran out of their courtyard. Outside the vige, vigers were frantically running into the vige, each of them looking terrified, as if they had seen a ghost. Among them was their father.

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: The Celestial Monitoring Bureau and the Snake Catcher

    ¡°Bad news, the Old Snake King has eaten someone again!¡±

    ¡°The Old Snake King has eaten people! Zhang Mazi and Zhou the cksmith have been swallowed!¡±

    ¡°Right by that river ditch, everyone hurry to report to the officials!¡±

    The vigers, terrified, hurried away, while Wang Da Niu hurriedly dragged his two children into the courtyard and locked the gate.

    ¡°From today on, you are not allowed to step out of the door!¡±

    Wang Da Niu said sternly, his face still showing signs of panic.

    After more than half a year, the Old Snake King had appeared again, which was undoubtedly a major event.

    ¡°Old Snake King, eating people?¡± Wang Xiao Niu asked, puzzled.

    The Old Snake King had just been under his nose, finishing a bucket of fish. How could he suddenly start eating people?

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Just a moment ago, I saw with my own eyes that a dark shadow emerged from the river and dragged Zhou the cksmith and Zhang Mazi down. In an instant, both of them disappeared!¡± Wang Da Niu said in fear.

    ¡°Not possible! Just a moment ago, the Old Snake King even nodded at us. How could he have time to eat people?¡± Wang Xiao Niu¡¯s younger sister, Wang Ya, interjected.

    Wang Da Niu immediately red at her: ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Wang Xiao Niu quickly pulled his sister¡¯s hand: ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, sister!¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, Xu Hei in the mountains also heard the vigers¡¯ cries and looked confused.

    ¡°I ate people? Howe I don¡¯t know about it?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t even been to the river; how could he have had a chance to drag people under the water and eat them?

    He was being wronged.

    Seeing the vigers heading towards the government office, Xu Hei knew it was dangerous to stay here and decided to flee.

    Ordinary wild beasts eating people wouldn¡¯t attract the attention of the officials or lead to a hunt, but Xu Hei was different. As the King of Serpents in this area, there was a bounty posted by a Taoist Priest from the Celestial Monitoring Bureau for his capture. This was why he was taken seriously.

    The Celestial Monitoring Bureau (Ë¾Ìì¼à), an official organization, had great power, and local officials dared not ignore it. The snake catchers (²¶ÉßÈË) were a civilian organization specifically targeting serpent demons, possessing many techniques and some formidable experts with magical tools.

    These were Xu Hei¡¯s two greatest threats: one official, one civilian.

    Having already been exposed, Xu Hei wouldn¡¯t stay in this area; he needed to hide for at least half a year, until next spring.

    However, he was curious about what creature could have eaten people so quickly.

    ¡°Could it be a water demon beast that could drag two men underwater instantly?¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes flickered with spection.

    Throughout the summer, aside from the initial pig demon, he hadn¡¯t encountered any other demon beasts.

    His cultivation had made no progress, remaining at the Second Level of Spiritual Beast. However, his Demon Core had been gradually filling with spiritual mist over time.

    ¡°Forget it, escaping is more important.¡±

    Xu Hei dismissed the thought, prioritizing his survival over anything else. Even if he could defeat a demon beast, the officials and snake catchers were not to be underestimated.

    Heavy rain poured down, and strong winds howled.

    Xu Hei reached the swollen riverbank, dove in, and swam downstream with powerful strokes of his tail. Swimming was the fastest way to escape, and the river water would cover his scent, making it difficult for the snake catchers to track him.

    Of course, Xu Hei didn¡¯t swim too far¡ªat most fifty miles. This distance was sufficient to evade pursuit. The mountains were filled with wild beasts, and venturing too deep would be suicidal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hide out for now ande back next year.¡±

    Xu Hei had done this before.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time passed, and as night fell.

    Xu Hei climbed out of the river and reached the shore.

    Here, he was already fifty miles away from the vige he had left, so he was unlikely to be followed.

    Upon arriving in an unfamiliar environment, Xu Hei spread out his Divine Sense and remained vignt. As the King of Serpents in his home area, this didn¡¯t mean he was the king everywhere.

    Every beast had territorial instincts.

    He would keep his activity range as small as possible and avoid provoking others.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside the vige, at the scene of the incident.

    This was a river ditch that had formed after heavy rain. Many people had gathered here.

    A middle-aged man in Daoist robes walked to the river¡¯s edge. This man looked ordinary, but his demeanor carried an extraordinary aura. The officials immediately showed respect and made way for him.

    This man was Chen Ping, the Taoist Priest from the Celestial Monitoring Bureau.

    ¡± Daoist Chen, have you found any clues?¡± asked the county magistrate.

    Chen Ping, holding a whisk, gazed intently at the water¡¯s surface: ¡°There is indeed a trace of demonic energy!¡±

    Upon hearing this, the vigers erupted in noise.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s the Old Snake King. After disappearing for half a year, he¡¯se out to harm people again!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s truly a scourge; every year he eats several people before he¡¯s satisfied. When will this end?¡±

    The vigers wept andmented, crying out in anger.

    Chen Ping, however, frowned. This unfamiliar demonic energy did not seem to match the Old Snake King¡¯s.

    He calcted with his fingers, and his expression grew somber.

    ¡°I am currently at the Third Level of Qi Refinement, and this demonic energy is quiteparable to mine. But I am unsure what kind of demon beast it is.¡±

    If it were a mouse demon, cat demon, or small demon beast, he would have no fear, but if it were a snake demon or tiger demon, he would leave without hesitation.

    An ordinary person can easily crush a mouse but cannotpete with a tiger or lion.

    Cultivators are the same. They can easily kill a mouse demon at the Third Level of Spirit Beast, but they have little chance againstrge demon beasts.

    Chen Ping stared at the surface of the water. After a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he shouted, ¡°Everyone, retreat!¡±

    ¡°Whoosh!!!¡±

    The surface of the water suddenly exploded, and a dark shadow shot up into the sky, creating a hundred-foot ssh of water that fell like rain. The dark shadow lunged at a soldier.

    Without hesitation, Chen Ping immediately swung his whisk and emitted a beam of golden light. The dark shadow suddenly elerated, grabbed a soldier, and dragged him back into the water in a sh.

    ¡°Beast!¡±

    Chen Pingz was furious. This creature not only devoured people but continued to stay and eat more, how audacious!

    The vigers screamed in terror and fled in all directions.

    The county magistrate asked cautiously, ¡°Master Chen, what should we do next?¡±

    Chen Ping said, ¡°Withdraw! Seal off this area. When the tide recedes, the demon beast in the water will leave.¡±

    ¡°Are we not going to exterminate the demon?¡± The county magistrate was surprised.

    Chen Ping did not speak, only casting him a nce. The magistrate immediately fell silent.

    Chen Ping knew that the demon in the water was not the old snake king. With his strength, he could have dealt with it, but it would have been too troublesome and would require using some of his trump cards.

    Those trump cards were meant for the old snake king!

    ¡°My senior brother disappeared around here. He was probably swallowed by the old snake king. Along with him was the elixir refined for ten years; its medicinal power should still be inside the old snake king.¡±

    ¡°I must capture it. This is the key to my breakthrough to the mid-stage of Qi Refinement.¡±

    Chen Ping¡¯s eyes shed with determination, but he did not reveal his thoughts to anyone.

    The leap from Third Level to Fourth Level of Qi Refinement is a major transition from the early to mid-stage. This step has kept him stagnant for ten years.

    Soon, the soldiers sealed off the area.

    Just as Chen Ping was about to leave, his gaze fell upon a young boy at the vige entrance ¨C it was Wang Xiao Niu.

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: Serpent Scales Transform and y the Water Demon

    Chen Ping nced for a moment, then walked over to Wang Xiao Niu, took his pulse, and pinched his forehead.

    ¡°Immortal, what¡¯s wrong with my little son?¡± Wang Da Niu asked nervously.

    ¡°No need to worry.¡±

    Chen Ping¡¯s tone was gentle. Looking at the tattered books behind Wang Xiao Niu, he said, ¡°He was born with a high spiritual awareness, but unfortunately, his aptitude is too poor for cultivation. It would be better for him to be a schr. If he can pass the county exam, he could enter the Celestial Monitoring Bureau for a civil position; just report my name.¡±

    Earlier, he had noticed Wang Xiao Niu but didn¡¯t have time to examine him in detail. Now, after the inspection, he was somewhat disappointed.

    With that, he turned and left without lingering.

    Once Chen Ping left, the nearby vigers gathered around, their faces full of envy.

    ¡°The Celestial Monitoring Bureau, that¡¯s the ce of the immortals!¡±

    ¡°To be recognized by an immortal, the Wang family is truly fortunate!¡±

    Amidst the ttery, Wang Da Niu gritted his teeth and resolved to send Xiao Niu to study, even if it meant selling everything he had.

    ¡­¡­

    After the officials left, the snake hunters came again. They searched the mountains but found no trace of the Old Snake King.

    Instead, they encountered a water demon by the river and fought it, suffering injuries on both sides.

    As time passed, the incident gradually faded from memory.

    ¡­¡­

    Downstream of the big river, where the current was swift, a long ck shadow slithered through the water.

    Suddenly, water sshed as if a huge fish was struggling in the water, but it soon calmed down.

    Momentster, a snake head emerged from the water and crawled onto the shore.

    This snake was pitch ck, its scales gleaming with a faint shine, its belly swollen and its body fat, as if it had just swallowed arge fish.

    It was Xu Hei.

    A month had passed since Xu Hei arrived here, and the torrential rain had gradually stopped.

    Living by the river, the food was much better, often catching some fish over a meter long, allowing Xu Hei to feast.

    However, these ordinary foods provided little benefit to his cultivation. He still longed for demon beast meat and even considered returning to the river ditch.

    But such dangerous thoughts were fleeting.

    Xu Hei had a cultivation method now, and with time, his cultivation could slowly improve without risking danger.

    Xu Heiy on a rock, coiling up, and practiced the Breathing and Nurturing technique, absorbing strands of spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, which transformed into dragons and entered the gaps between his scales.

    Gradually, his scales began to shine.

    The scales at the tip of his tail even developed faint golden lines, forming a triangr pattern, a new kind of scale he had never seen before.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, and as his scales rubbed against the stone, stone powder fell off, while his scales remained intact.

    ¡°These scales¡­ have reached the level of fine iron!¡± Xu Hei was astonished.

    This phenomenon, unknown to him until recently, had been urring for the past month. He had discovered that his tail had developed two special new scales.

    Moreover, a third one was gradually forming next to them, though very slowly.

    He searched his memories but found no exnation for this.

    Xu Hei suspected it might be rted to the cultivation technique he practiced, which came from Chen Fan and was rather mysterious.

    As for the Demon God Cauldron within him, he had been studying it as well.

    The cauldron hadpletely reced the function of the Demon Core, with the spiritual energy mist inside representing Xu Hei¡¯s cultivation. Although the mist¡¯s volume had not changed, its density had increased with Xu Hei¡¯s breakthroughs.

    Xu Hei focused his mind, looking at the surface of the cauldron. There, a vividly carved dragon was depicted. The dragon¡¯s body appeared smooth but actually had countless tiny scales that were only visible when magnified a hundred times.

    Inside the dragon¡¯s body, there were numerous fine lines resembling blood vessels and meridians, vividly detailed and requiring at least a thousand times magnification to be seen.

    Even with Xu Hei¡¯s divine sense, he could only magnify it a hundred times.

    Xu Hei sighed and withdrew his divine sense.

    ¡°My divine sense is still insufficient. When I be stronger and can see the paths of these meridians clearly, I might gain some insights,¡± Xu Hei thought thoughtfully.

    ¡­

    Upstream of the Zhang River, a gigantic shadow moved stealthily through the water, heading downstream.

    It was a massive octopus.

    Its huge, jet-ck body and seven tentacles extended up to three meters long, grabbing and devouring any fish in its path.

    This was a tidal-time predator in the river.

    Recently, it had fought with a snake-catcher, sustaining injuries. Now, with the tide receding, it was returning to the main river.

    If observed closely, one could see that one of its tentacles was severed, as if sliced by a sharp sword, and its underside bore burns from mes.

    Demon beasts possessed spiritual intelligence.

    Before leaving, it had lured a human child to consume a snake-catcher in the Qi Refinement stage, taking out its vengeance.

    Now, it was at the Third Level of Spiritual Beast, nearing the mid-stage, having lived for countless years and reigning supreme in the waters.

    The giant octopus flowed downstream, preying on fish, which all fled in panic.

    On the riverbank, Xu Hei¡¯s gaze was fixed on a willow tree. His tail was retracted behind him, like a tightly wound spring, ready to strike.

    Xu Hei focused his mind.

    Suddenly, the two scales at the tip of his tail stood upright, sharp as des. In the next moment, the tail whipped out like a steel whip, striking the willow tree.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    A crisp sound echoed as the willow tree was cleanly cut, falling into the river and sshing water everywhere.

    Seeing his work, Xu Hei mused, ¡°These scales are as hard as iron, and their edges are sharp. They can be used as weapons. Unfortunately, only two of them are on my tail. Once I have these scales all over my body, my defense should be quite formidable.¡±

    Xu Hei also had his own poisonous fangs, but their toxicity was too weak. In contrast, these scales were much more direct in their impact.

    ¡°Let¡¯s catch a fish and test their effectiveness.¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s figure shed, and he submerged into the river. Every technique must be tested in practice.

    If catching a fish was difficult, it would be better to avoid using it, as it could endanger him instead of protecting him.

    Oddly, after searching for a while, Xu Hei found no fish.

    Just as he was about to return, he suddenly sensed a rush of current beside him. A massive shadow was emerging from the riverbed, rapidly approaching.

    ¡°A giant octopus?¡±

    Xu Hei was momentarily stunned. He had never seen such arge octopus before, but he didn¡¯t dwell on it. He had seen evenrger fish, and the taste of the three-meter-long fish caught in the snake vige was still unforgettable.

    As the octopus approached, Xu Hei moved forward, his serpent scales erect, and his tailshed out like a long whip, treating the creature as an experimental subject.

    ¡°Swish!¡±

    The octopus recoiled, two of its tentacles severed.

    Xu Hei, taken aback, continued advancing. Anothersh targeted the octopus¡¯s head. The creature seemed to try to escape but was toote. With a sh of cold light, its head was cleaved open.

    The massive body thrashed in the water before sinking to the riverbed, lifeless after a moment.

    Xu Hei was not satisfied with his performance. It took two strikes to kill a fish, which would be inadequate against a real demon beast, let alone a snake-catcher.

    ¡°This move is best avoided. If catching an octopus is this tough, encountering a demon beast would be suicidal, not to mention a snake-catcher,¡± Xu Hei thought, shaking his head.

    Just as he was about to consume the octopus¡¯s corpse, he noticed a wooden token floating up from the cracked area of the octopus. It floated in front of Xu Hei, clearly visible.

    The sight of the token left Xu Hei stunned, as he recognized it as a snake-catcher¡¯s token!

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: The Snake Catcher Enters the Mountain to Capture Snakes

    Xu Hei stared for a long time, repeatedly observing, before confirming that the token was indeed that of a snake catcher.

    This token bore the mark of a cultivator, and its special material made it extremely durable.

    How did it end up inside that octopus¡¯s body?

    Even Xu Hei, who was usually slow to react, sensed something was wrong.

    He immediately extended his divine sense into the octopus¡¯s body and was shocked to discover a fist-sized demon core inside the creature¡¯s head.

    It was quiterge, twice the size of the previous pig demon¡¯s core!

    ¡°Is this really a demon beast?¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s pupils contracted, and he instinctively took a step back, but then realized the creature was already dead.

    After hesitating for a moment, Xu Hei cautiously approached the octopus¡¯s corpse.

    Even after death, the muscles of the corpse remained active, with the tentacles twitching. Xu Hei observed for a long time until the tentacles finally ceased movement before advancing.

    He swung his tail, cutting off the remaining tentacles and then dividing the corpse into several parts.

    Only then did he feel confident enough to examine it closely.

    Inside the octopus¡¯s stomach, there were remnants of other corpses, including fish and two human skeletons. The flesh and blood had been digested, but the clothing remained. One of the garments was recognizable as belonging to a snake catcher.

    Clearly, this demon beast had devoured a snake catcher.

    This powerful water demon had been unintentionally in by Xu Hei, as if it were an ordinary wild creature!

    Xu Hei felt a sense of disbelief. When did he be so powerful? Had the scales on his tail be this formidable?

    ¡°Dear demon brother, I didn¡¯t intend to kill you. I was just hunting a wild beast. Had I known it was you, even a hundred of me wouldn¡¯t dare approach,¡± Xu Hei thought to himself. ¡°I hope you are reborn as a human in your next life!¡±

    Xu Hei silently prayed for the creature, acknowledging its contribution to removing a snake catcher.

    Next, Xu Hei cut up the corpse, spending another half hour transporting it from the riverbed back to hisir.

    During the process, he discovered that the demon beast had been injured before he found it and took advantage of the situation.

    Xu Hei¡¯sir was located not far from the riverbank, in what seemed to be an old animal burrow. He had expanded it and camouged the entrance with grass and foliage, making it indistinguishable from the outside.

    He consumed the octopus¡¯s head in one go and buried the remaining tentacles in the snake hole, covering them with sand, nning to eat them gradually.

    Although the octopus appeared soft, its flesh was actually very tough, like leather, and contained a substantial amount of energy.

    Just from eating the head, Xu Hei felt a surge of vital energy flooding into him, rapidly being absorbed into the Demon God Cauldron.

    The spiritual mist inside the cauldron visibly increased in volume, reaching ten percent, twenty percent, thirty percent¡­

    Even the third scale on his tail rapidly evolved.

    His long-stagnant cultivation finally showed signs of progress.

    ¡°This is much better than the pig demon. Demon brother, I will remember your merit,¡± Xu Hei said as he focused and practiced his technique.

    It had been a long time since he had such a smooth cultivation experience!

    With so much demon beast meat, Xu Hei no longer needed to hunt and could focus solely on meditation. He might even make it through to winter.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A monthter.

    After consuming the entire octopus, Xu Hei¡¯s cultivation level had risen again, reaching thete stage of the Second-Level Spiritual Beast realm.

    The spiritual mist in the Demon God Cauldron now covered more than half of its surface.

    Previously it was only ten percent, but now it was eighty percent.

    Xu Hei sensed that when the mist covered a full hundred percent, he would break through to the Third-Level Spiritual Beast realm.

    Although he had not yet broken through, Xu Hei¡¯s strength had significantly increased, with his power and speed enhanced by around fifty percent, and a third ck-gold scale appeared on his tail.

    This filled Xu Hei with joy and hope, lifting his spirits.

    Time passed, autumn turned to winter.

    In early winter, temperatures plummeted, and food sources became scarcer. Snakes would gradually reduce their bodily functions, conserve energy, and eventually hibernate in a burrow.

    Even a serpent demon like Xu Hei was subject to this naturalw.

    He abandoned the riverbankir as it was unsuitable for hibernation and sought a deeper burrow, preferably in an uninhabited area.

    Wild beasts were manageable, but humans were the main concern. Winter was the peak season for snake catching, and Xu Hei did not want to be discovered.

    He returned to the deep mountains and forests he was familiar with.

    This area had wolf packs and bear droppings, with few visitors. After confirming no dangers with his divine sense, Xu Hei dug a deep underground tunnel and settled twenty meters underground.

    This depth was beyond the reach of any wild beast and even humans would struggle to dig that deep.

    Xu Hei covered the entrance with some bear droppings to mask the scent and then returned to the tunnel, coiling up and entering a state of hibernation.

    Even in hibernation, Xu Hei continued to absorb the spiritual energy of the world.

    As a cautious serpent, he kept a sliver of consciousness, ready to awaken immediately if any anomalies urred.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the vicinity of Chen Family Town, there were two well-known viges: Snake Vige and Python Vige.

    From the names, it was clear that the mountains in this area were abundant with snakes, and snake catchers were active here.

    Winter was the prime season for hunting snakes.

    Many fierce wild beasts choose to hibernate in winter. With the withering of nts and the loss of cover, the safety of entering the mountains greatly increases.

    This year, the snake catcher posted an announcement at the vige entrance:

    ¡°Recruiting young and strong men for hunting in the mountains. One person per trip, a reward of one guan.¡±

    This announcement stirred quite amotion in the vige. In previous years, the snake catchers only cooperated with hunters. This year, however, there were no restrictions; everyone was eligible to join, and every trip to the mountains earned a guan!

    However, ordinary people going into the mountains also faced greater dangers, and might risk their lives without a chance to spend the money.

    ¡°Xiao Niu, stay at home and take good care of your sister. I¡¯m going into the mountains,¡± Wang Da Niu instructed.

    ¡°But father, you¡¯ve never been into the mountains!¡± Wang Xiao Niu expressed concern.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Uncle Sun will be with me. He¡¯s an experienced hunter who has been working with the snake catcher for over a decade without any mishaps!¡± Wang Da Niu patted Xiao Niu¡¯s head and smiled, ¡°Once I earn the money, I¡¯ll send you to the private school in Chen Family Town to study with Mr. Chu. You¡¯ll definitely pass the exams.¡±

    Wang Xiao Niu looked at his father, holding back tears, and nodded.

    Wang Da Niu wrapped the guan in cloth and hid it under the bed. Before leaving, he nced at the yellowing books on the bed, put on his coat, grabbed his belongings, and walked out the door.

    In his hibernation ce twenty meters underground, Xu Hei could only sense up to the surface, which was his limit. This distance allowed him to see the ground above.

    Above ground, asionally, roe deer, snow hares, and other game passed by. There were also tigers and brown bears. Sometimes, reptiles would crawl into the cave, but they were blocked by the entrance and could not enter.

    Xu Hei made no movements except for his breathing, with his heartbeat slowed to the minimum and his body temperature cold and stiff. This was his most vulnerable state.

    As a cold-blooded creature, Xu Hei could only regain his vitality and movement in spring when the temperature rose.

    Days went by.

    The external temperature dropped to its lowest. Xu Hei¡¯s consciousness was in a state of dullness, only recovering some function when spiritual energy entered his body, giving him a faint sense of the outside world.

    Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from above.

    Two hunting dogs approached the cave entrance and sniffed around.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Demons and Human Hearts

    Xu Hei¡¯s consciousness suddenly awoke. He took a breath of spiritual energy to regain some awareness, then extended his divine sense.

    He saw two hunting dogs sniffing around on the surface, with the sound of human footstepsing from behind.

    ¡°These are trained hunting dogs; they can detect the scent of snakes!¡± Xu Hei was shocked.

    Xu Hei knew well that these dogs could detect any ce where snakes had passed and easily find their wintering spots!

    However, he was hiding twenty meters underground and had deliberately covered his scent with bear dung, so they definitely couldn¡¯t smell him.

    Sure enough, the two dogs only sniffed for a while before showing signs of panic and retreating to the side.

    The team behind also quickly moved away, changing direction to continue their search.

    Xu Hei sighed in relief. Even if they did discover him, such a deep distance would be impossible to reach.

    However, therge number of people above was causing him considerable trouble.

    ¡°This is really troublesome. I can¡¯t even hibernate peacefully.¡±

    Xu Heiined inwardly.

    Before long, the hunting dogs started barking, and the hunters gathered around, digging under arge rock to find a wintering snake.

    The snake, two meters long, was a forest rattlesnake. Its meat was edible, and its venom could be used for medicine.

    The wintering snake, cold and stiff like iron, had no ability to move. It was beheaded, its galldder extracted, and its skin removed before being packed into a bag.

    Xu Hei observed the entire process with no change in his expression, hoping they would leave quickly.

    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as he wished.

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s make a fire and have a meal. After eating, we¡¯ll descend the mountain,¡± the leader called out.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Instead of leaving, therge group gathered around and started a fire in the open space.

    Xu Hei was almost furious, wondering why they had to eat right here.

    At this moment, he noticed the two leaders: one a handsome young man, the other a plump middle-aged man.

    Both were wearing dark blue-ck python robes with a distinct aura, and there were faint fluctuations of spiritual energy within them.

    These python robes were worn by snake catchers.

    ¡°Snake catchers!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes shed. Without a doubt, this was a snake-catching team led by a snake catcher, which annually carried outrge-scale snake captures in winter.

    However, the number of people this time was excessive¡ªover thirty, including hunters, young men, farmers, and even Wang Da Niu, which was peculiar.

    The crowd built a bonfire and set up an iron pot.

    Inside the pot were many sections of freshly captured snake meat. The meat was vibrant and was ced into mountain spring water before being boiled over a high me.

    Soon, the aroma filled the air, and the people enjoyed the snake soup and meat with great delight.

    ¡°Humans raise so many livestock, yet they¡¯re not satisfied. Why do they still eat snakes?¡±

    Xu Hei felt indignation watching his kind being consumed, but he couldn¡¯t help but swallow.

    Suddenly, he felt a pang of hunger.

    ¡°Wang Da Niu, how do you feel?¡±

    The old hunter, Li San, asked Wang Da Niu, who was sitting beside him.

    Wang Da Niu, having drunk some snake soup, said bitterly, ¡°I still don¡¯t fit in the mountains. After this trip, I¡¯ll return home. It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s anyway.¡±

    ¡°Haha, returning home is good. Your Xiao Niu will certainly achieve something great in the future,¡± Li San said with a heartyugh.

    Wang Da Niu hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Actually, I always feel that the immortals have been frequently entering the mountains and gathering so many people, not just to catch snakes. It seems like they are looking for¡­¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡±

    Before he could finish, Li San interrupted him.

    Li San had a serious expression and said in a low voice, ¡°We all know about this matter. Don¡¯t ask too much or specte. Just do your job and collect your pay.¡±

    Wang Da Niu nodded.

    At this moment, two snake catchers stood at the edge of the crowd, discussing something with serious expressions.

    ¡°Shixiong, since the location has been found, this group of people is useless and might leak information. Why not¡­¡±

    The handsome young man¡¯s eyes shed as he took out a cyan-purple pill.

    The plump middle-aged man immediately stopped him and said coldly, ¡°Fool, do you think the Celestial Monitoring Bureau is useless? They can detect poison easily.¡±

    As snake catchers were cultivators, the Celestial Monitoring Bureau would not sit idly by if they acted recklessly against ordinary people.

    ¡°So what does Shixiong suggest?¡± The young man asked, putting the pill away.

    The middle-aged man snorted coldly and said proudly, ¡°There is a bear demon nearby that is currently hibernating.¡±

    The young man¡¯s eyes lit up, and he cupped his hands in salute, ¡°Shixiong is brilliant. No wonder you chose this ce; you must have nned it all along.¡±

    The middle-aged man struck a profound pose and remained silent.

    Xu Hei overheard their entire conversation with his divine sense.

    Xu Hei¡¯s scalp tingled with apprehension.

    ¡°You want to kill people, can¡¯t you choose another ce?¡±

    He didn¡¯t care about the lives of the humans, but whether he could continue his peaceful hibernation was at stake.

    If thirty or so people died, wouldn¡¯t the Celestial Monitoring Bureau dig three feet into the ground to eradicate the demons?

    Xu Hei knew that the root cause of all this was the presence of a bear demon nearby.

    Before hibernating, Xu Hei had checked for traces of demon beasts in the vicinity. However, he hadn¡¯t anticipated this inconvenience after he began hibernating; it was purely bad luck.

    Unlike snakes, bears are warm-blooded animals. Even if awakened from hibernation, they could be violent and kill people.

    ¡°This cursed ce, why am I so unlucky? Should I go burn some incense and pray to Buddha?¡±

    Xu Hei pondered inwardly.

    At this moment, the young snake catcher took out a jar of fine wine and served it to everyone.

    ¡°Fellow vigers, you¡¯ve worked hard these days. This is ourst time in the mountains. After this meal, you can all go home!¡±

    ¡°I toast you all!¡±

    Upon hearing this, the crowd cheered immediately, eagerly epting the wine jar and filling their cups.

    This was wine for immortals, something they rarely even got to smell!

    ¡­

    ¡°Thank you for the wine, Immortal!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink up together!¡±

    As the young man drank the wine, everyone followed suit.

    The wine was harmless, just an ordinary spiritual wine with a stronger kick, which made cultivators a bit dizzy, and even more so for mortals.

    ¡°Good wine, good wine indeed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never drunk anything this good in my life!¡±

    ¡°Haha, drink to your heart¡¯s content, I still have more!¡± The young snake catcherughed.

    Before long, everyone was getting woozy, and many had passed out on the ground.

    Just when most people were getting drunk, a sudden rumbling came from the distance. The ground trembled, as if the mountain was shaking.

    Two drunk men suddenly ran towards them from afar, their faces filled with terror, their drunkenness gone in an instant.

    ¡°Not good, a beast ising, run!¡±

    Before the two drunk men could finish speaking, a shadow fell from behind and smashed them into a pulp, with blood and flesh sttering everywhere.

    Then came the earth-shaking roar of the bear demon, resonating through the mountains and forests.

    ¡°Help! It¡¯s a bear demon!¡±

    ¡°Run away!¡±

    The entire hunting team was thrown into chaos. People woke up in panic, fleeing for their lives.

    However, the effects of the alcohol were too strong. Some people crashed into trees, some fell to the ground, rolling and crawling. Some even spoke in their sleep, unable to run at all.

    The oue was predictable.

    ¡°s, more deaths again.¡± Xu Hei sighed.

    Xu Hei had no affection for humans. He only hoped they would die far away, not near his cave, so it wouldn¡¯t be so filthy.

    He moved further outside, so his divine sense could see farther.

    At this moment, the bear demon was in a killing spree.

    The bear demon moved with incredible speed, charging into the crowd and pping people to death with a single swipe. The wind from its paws swept through, smashing people into pieces, blood and flesh flying everywhere, creating a scene of great carnage.

    ¡°Immortal, save me, save me!¡±

    ¡°Help! Don¡¯t leave us behind!¡±

    Screams rose as the vigers had never seen such a demon before, all terrified out of their wits.

    However, two snake catchers who were well-prepared ran the fastest. Even though the handsome young man was drunk, he still sprinted like a leopard.

    Only Li San was the most sober among the hunters.

    ¡°Immortal, you can¡¯t just watch us die!¡±

    Li San lunged forward and grabbed the handsome young man¡¯s leg, but was kicked away with disgust by thetter.

    ¡°You lowly people, causing such a big mess, and still have the face to ask for help. It¡¯s your own fault. Don¡¯t bother me!¡± Zhao Wenzhuo shouted angrily, his face red.

    ¡°Zhao Shidi, hurry up.¡±

    The fat middle-aged man ahead urged.

    Zhao Wenzhuo spat in disgust and leapt ten zhang forward, justnding near Xu Hei¡¯s cave entrance.

    Li San gritted his teeth, took out his crossbow from his back, and shot an arrow forward.

    Zhao Wenzhuo sidestepped, and though the arrow missed him, it hit his waist storage bag, scattering its contents all over the ground.

    Pills, jade bottles, talismans, and two jars of spiritual wine all fell out.

    One jar of spiritual wine shattered with a loud crash, its liquid flowing into the cave.

    ¡°Seeking death!¡±

    Zhao Wenzhuo was furious. How dare a mortal attack an immortal, it was simply outrageous! But he didn¡¯t have time to deal with the mortal and had to bend down to pick up his things.

    He had not yet reached the middle stage of Qi Refinement and could not retrieve items from afar.

    ¡°Shixiong,e help me!¡± Zhao Wenzhuo called out.

    The fat middle-aged man was extremely impatient but still stopped to help him pick up things, grabbing a handful of pills and stuffing them into his own storage bag.

    They picked up the items, but whether they would be returnedter was another matter.

    Xu Hei, hidden in the cave, saw the wine and spiritual pills flowing into the cave, some of which dissolved in the water.

    Xu Hei quickly moved aside, pressing against the rock wall to let the liquid flow past him.

    ¡°Who did I offend?¡±

    Xu Hei cursed, and for a moment, the cave was filled with the smell of alcohol.

    At that moment, Zhao Wenzhuo, while picking up items, grabbed a talisman from the ground and suddenly infused it with spiritual energy.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    The fat middle-aged man¡¯s face changed, and he hurriedly reached for his waist storage bag, but was toote.

    Zhao Wenzhuo, holding the talisman, formed a hand seal, and the talisman exploded with green light. A fierce gale erupted, sting towards the fat middle-aged man.

    ¡°Ah!!¡±

    With a scream, the fat middle-aged man was blown away, flying towards the bear demon that was still ughtering.

    This sudden change left Xu Hei dumbfounded.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: The Human¡¯s Wine Shouldn¡¯t Be Drunk Recklessly

    Zhao Wenzhuo sneered internally. As a cultivator, how could he possibly be hit by an ordinary hunter¡¯s arrow aimed at his storage bag? Did the hunter really think he was drunk?

    He had deliberately let the bag be hit and the contents scatter, creating an opportunity for a surprise attack.

    If he had directly reached for the storage bag, his senior brother would have immediately be alert, and given the distance between them, even if he acted first, he might not have been able to hit his target.

    By pretending to collect the scattered items, he lured the opponent closer and picked up the spiritual talisman to strike swiftly. The opponent wouldn¡¯t have had time to react.

    The fat middle-aged man had also been nning to hoard some elixirs for himself, falling right into Zhao Wenzhuo¡¯s trap.

    ¡°Zhao Wenzhuo, may you die a terrible death!¡±

    Ding Hai quickly realized what had happened, his eyes turning blood-red with rage. But soon, he was forced to fight the bear demon.

    The bear demon¡¯s strength was beyond his imagination, reaching the middle stage of the Spirit Beast level, and in closebat, there was no way out!

    His fate was sealed!

    Xu Hei was stunned, taking a long while toe to his senses.

    ¡°What a situation! The snake catchers are having an internal conflict!¡±

    Xu Hei was amazed, his eyes wide open at the scene.

    ¡°Brother Ding, don¡¯t me me! Both of us have been stuck at the Qi Refinement early stage for years, but that spiritual item could only let one of us break through. Brother Ding, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Zhao Wenzhuo said with a tone full of regret.

    Before leaving, he didn¡¯t forget to add an extrayer of cruelty. He took out a Wind de Talisman, activated it, and shot two des at Ding Hai, one at Li San, and one at the two vigers who had witnessed the scene, eliminating all witnesses.

    Then, he took out a peculiar cow horn flute and blew into it, immediately producing a wolf howl.

    This flute would summon a pack of wolves to devour all the bodies and erase all traces.

    His movements were so practiced they seemed almost mechanical.

    After finishing these tasks, Zhao Wenzhuo picked up the remaining elixirs.

    Finally, he looked with a touch of regret at the shattered wine jar, sighed, and turned to leave.

    ¡°Brother Ding, to stage this scene, I really had to spend a lot!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sad about the wine but about the elixirs. They were essential for his daily cultivation, and he had paid a high price to make the scene convincing.

    Meanwhile, Ding Hai, who was covered in blood and about to activate a talisman in his final moments to strike Zhao Wenzhuo from afar, let out a desperate roar and threw the talisman at the bear demon.

    ¡°Boom!!¡±

    With a loud explosion, both figures were sted away. Ding Hai¡¯s limbs were shattered, his head blown off, and he died on the spot.

    The bear demon was severely injured as well, its fur charred ck, burned off in patches, and it had lost one eye.

    Not long after Zhao Wenzhuo left, the howling of the wolves could be heard in the distance.

    The arrival of the wolves meant that no one would survive.

    Xu Hei, no longer in the mood to pay attention to the events, just wanted to finish up quickly and find another ce.

    He couldn¡¯t stay here any longer; not only had many people died, but the ce was also filled with the smell of alcohol.

    Xu Hei seriously suspected that he had offended the Mountain God and was cursed. Had he ever offended anyone?

    This ce was not suitable for staying. Restoring his energy was the priority.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, practiced his breathing technique, and absorbed the spiritual energy from the air.

    Gradually, arge amount of spiritual energy was released from the wine and elixirs, entering his body and slowly warming his icy cold body.

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s gaze froze as he looked at the wine.

    This was a spirit wine consumed by cultivators, infused with herbs, poisonous snakes, turtles, and other spiritual items, already possessing considerable spirituality. It had further increased its spiritual energy by merging with elixirs.

    Just a whiff made Xu Hei feel the surge of spiritual energy.

    ¡°Humans say that young people shouldn¡¯t drink, but I¡¯m an adult now, so it should be fine to try a little, right?¡±

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment before deciding to take a sip.

    He first licked a drop with his tongue, and instantly, a spicy sensation spread through his body, not only sharpening his mind but also raising his body temperature.

    Xu Hei waited for a while and found no abnormality. The spiciness gradually faded.

    ¡°What a strange taste.¡±

    He licked a few more drops, the fiery sensation surging again, a wave of heat rushing to his brain, warming his cold body rapidly, and the numbness dissipated, leaving a slight euphoria.

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes lit up.

    He bent down and took a big gulp, the spicy liquid flowing down his throat, directly reaching his brain, and the dizzy feeling intensified.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting drunk, I can¡¯t stand it!¡±

    Xu Hei no longer hesitated, absorbing all the spirit wine in the cave, leaving none behind.

    He even swallowed the earth the wine had seeped into.

    At this moment, torrents of scorching and violent energy surged into his meridians and flesh. Xu Hei felt as though his stomach was on fire, intensely hot, and the heat spread throughout his body, almost unbearable.

    But soon, he adapted to the feeling.

    ¡°What an incredible aftereffect! Is this what alcohol does? Haha!¡±

    Xu Hei was overjoyed and quickly focused on refining the energy.

    As time went by, Xu Hei suddenly felt his consciousness drifting away from his body, as if he was floating in the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    Xu Hei looked up at the cave entrance, which seemed to split into three, five, eight¡­

    ¡°Hmm? Why has the entrance be eight?¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s face showed confusion.

    His body became increasingly hot, with boundless energy flowing out. He felt he had endless strength to release.

    A surge of restless emotion suddenly surged into his brain.

    Xu Hei let out a furious roar, mming his tail against the stone wall with immense force, and his body shot towards the cave entrance.

    With a tremendous ¡°boom,¡± the entire cave copsed under the immense power, debris flying everywhere as if a bomb had exploded underground, causing the ground to shake violently.

    The wolf pack was startled and looked around in confusion. They saw a ck, slender shadow shoot up from the distance and fall to the ground.

    When they realized it was just a snake sted away, the wolves ignored it and continued eating.

    ¡­

    The cold wind blew, rustling the forest, and snowkes fell.

    Snow began to nket the ground, covering everything in ayer of white. Before long, the world was a vast expanse of whiteness.

    At this moment, wolves surged from all directions, pouncing on the corpses, and even the few survivors were mercilessly attacked by the wolves, their screams echoing through the air.

    As for the giant bear demon, one of its eyes was blinded, its fur was mostly burned off, and it limped, likely with broken bones.

    The wolves circled the bear, eyeing it menacingly. Initially, two wolves charged, but they were swatted dead by the bear demon and did not dare to approach again.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    The bear demon roared in anger, and the wolves retreated, unwilling to provoke it.

    Xu Hei looked at the snowy forest, feeling as if the sky was spinning and the earth was no longer solid.

    His snake skin was red and hot, and the ice and snow it touched were melting.

    Beyond the intense heat and dizziness, he also felt hunger, an overwhelming hunger.

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry!¡±

    ¡°Eh? So many rabbits?¡±

    Xu Hei stared at the starving wolves attacking humans with suspicion.

    In his sight, countless rabbits appeared, splitting into two, then four, and increasing in number, densely packed.

    Out of curiosity, Xu Hei climbed up, only to find that the rabbits not only did not run away but instead bared their teeth and growled at him.

    ¡°Damn it, rabbits daring to be arrogant, do you think you¡¯re wolves or something!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s temper red, and without saying a word, he charged and bit down on a wolf that was growling at him, swallowing it whole.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: Xu Hei Battles the ck Bear Demon

    Muscles in his body tensed, and a cracking sound echoed from within as the Demon God Cauldron automatically activated. The terrifyingly fast digestion of the evil wolf began!

    The digestion speed was unprecedented!

    The massive body of the recently devoured wolf rapidly shrank, and in just a few breaths, Xu Hei returned to his normal size, expelling a pile of ck ash.

    Everything happened so quickly that the surrounding wolves only noticed theirpanion was missing after the fact.

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, so hungry!¡± Xu Hei once again lunged at another starving wolf, opening his bloody maw and biting down on its head.

    With a contraction of his throat, the entire wolf was swallowed instantly.

    The wolf pack was thrown into chaos, retreating in fear. They had all seen that this serpent was attacking them! In the blink of an eye, it had devoured two wolves!

    At this moment, Xu Hei burped and expelled more ck ash, digestionpleted.

    ¡°Not enough!¡± Xu Hei flicked his tail and darted off like a phantom in the snow, targeting another wolf.

    He bit down, toppled it, and swallowed it in one smooth motion. In just two breaths, another wolf was consumed.

    The wolf pack was in total disarray, fleeing in panic.

    Just as they dared not attack the bear demon, now faced with Xu Hei¡¯s onught, the wolves were terrified, their escape routes leaving them food behind.

    Xu Hei, seizing the opportunity, sped up like lightning, devouring one wolf after another with insatiable hunger.

    In an instant, four more wolves were swallowed, their resistance non-existent, vanishing the moment he got close.

    It was as if Xu Hei was consuming mere chicks.

    ¡°Little rabbits, don¡¯t run away!¡±

    As he consumed the wolves, Xu Hei¡¯s eyes grew even more excited. He felt an emptiness, as if he were a beast that had been starving for a long time, with no sign of satiety.

    The Demon God Cauldron also frantically refined qi and blood, emitting a constant craving.

    Xu Hei was driven by his most primal instinct: the instinct to kill!

    Xu Hei charged forward, swallowing the wolves one by one. Every target he focused on met with an inevitable end. In no time, the wolf pack was reduced to mere scattered remnants, disappearing without a trace.

    It was only at this point that Xu Hei let out a full burp, and his digestion slowed down.

    Despite eating so much, he still felt something was missing.

    Xu Hei¡¯s gaze shifted, and he looked to the side.

    ¡°Uwoo!¡±

    A roar came from ahead.

    The bear demon red at Xu Hei with a pair of sinister eyes, baring its teeth and growling warnings from its throat.

    Xu Hei showed no fear. He coiled his serpent body, raising his head high to scrutinize the creature before him.

    Xu Hei couldn¡¯t help but gasp in amazement.

    ¡°My heavens! What a fat pig! How did this pig get so big?¡±

    At this moment, Xu Hei regarded the bear demon as a fat pig.

    It was thergest pig he had ever seen, standing four meters tall. Could he even swallow it?

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ll swallow it first!¡±

    Xu Hei made a sudden dash towards the bear demon.

    ¡°Roar!!¡±

    The bear demon roared in anger.

    Despite its injuries and a blind eye, it would not tolerate any beast challenging its territory!

    It raised its bear paw and swiped at Xu Hei, creating a fierce wind with a hint of thunder and lightning.

    But to Xu Hei, it seemed like the fat pig was lifting its trotters to strike him.

    ¡°Damn! Even fat pigs can fight back now!¡±

    Xu Hei, though dazed, reacted with extraordinary speed, maneuvering in a bizarre way.

    In mid-air, Xu Hei bent his body like a rubber band, dodging the attack and hanging onto the bear demon¡¯s paw.

    The fierce wind didn¡¯t blow Xu Hei away. Instead, he used the momentum to propel himself onto the bear demon¡¯s face.

    The tip of Xu Hei¡¯s tail, with its scales upright like a sharp sword, stabbed into the bear demon¡¯s eye.

    ¡°Shush!¡±

    ¡°Roar!!!¡±

    The bear demon let out a horrifying scream, frantically pping its face with its paws, trying to knock Xu Hei off.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    Xu Hei was thrown away but felt no pain, only increased anger.

    ¡°How dare a fat pig hit me! Watch me bite off your pig head!¡±

    Xu Hei raged and lunged again, biting into the bear demon¡¯s face.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    The bear demon cried out in agony, grabbing Xu Hei¡¯s body. Xu Hei retaliated by shing with his tail, severing the bear demon¡¯s paw.

    ¡°Even pigs dare to resist? I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes were fierce as his body mmed into the ground and sprang up again. His massive tail whipped like a whip, striking the bear demon¡¯s face.

    Blinded, the bear demon couldn¡¯t see and wildly iled its paws.

    ¡°Wham!!¡±

    A cracking sound echoed as the massive bear demon¡¯s head was sent flying, like a ser ball, crashing into a tree and falling to the ground, motionless.

    The bear demon¡¯s body froze and slowly fell to the ground momentster.

    ¡°How dare you hit me! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Xu Hei, still unsatisfied, charged forward and relentlessly struck the corpse, turning the bear demon into a meat patty.

    Only at this moment did Xu Hei start to catch his breath, his body exuding heat as it gradually cooled down.

    The cold wind blew, and snowkes fell.

    Xu Hei shivered and observed the surroundings.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, there are bear demons and wolf packs nearby. I can¡¯t dy any further or they¡¯lle and snatch my food! I must eat it quickly!¡±

    Xu Hei, even in his dreams, remained cautious and unwilling to be careless.

    Without hesitation, he bit into the bear demon¡¯s leg, swallowing it from the bottom up.

    However, the bear demon was toorge¡ªfour meters long, while Xu Hei was only a two-meter small creature. After swallowing a small portion, he could no longer continue.

    But when it came to eating, Xu Hei refused to back down!

    He could be hesitant in battles, and cautious in dangerous situations, but if he hesitated when eating, he¡¯d rather m his head against a wall and quickly reincarnate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll swallow, I¡¯ll swallow, I need to get it down!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s snake skin tightened, showcasing his remarkable flexibility as he continued to force the food down.

    Before long, the entire bear demon waspletely swallowed.

    At this point, Xu Hei had grown to an astonishing four meters in length, his body swollen into a small hill, bloated and elongated, resembling an oval shape, with his scales stretched tight.

    He perfectly embodied the concept of being too greedy¡ªa serpent trying to swallow an elephant.

    Xu Hei simply couldn¡¯t move anymore,cking even the strength to crawl. His mouth could no longer close, and he immediately cked out and fell unconscious.

    After Xu Hei fainted, the Demon God Cauldron activated automatically, drawing the bear meat inside and quickly refining it.

    Intense heat and vitality surged into Xu Hei¡¯s muscles and bones, reviving him once more.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, and the scene before him had be clear.

    His head was no longer dizzy, his body was no longer hot, and his vision was restored.

    ¡°Eh? Where is this?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: Fortune Out of Misfortune and Another Breakthrough

    ¡°How did I get out?!¡±

    Xu Hei¡¯s face changed drastically as he hurriedly tried to crawl back into the snake¡¯s den.

    Outside, there were many wolves and a bear demon at the mid-stage of spiritual enlightenment¡ªcreatures he could not provoke.

    But he was soon horrified to find that his body had be swollen like arge ball, nearly four meters long, as if he had swallowed a gigantic entity.

    Struggling to move several meters back, Xu Hei looked around in confusion.

    Snow continued to fall, covering the world in a nket of white. The wolf pack had long vanished, and the bear demon was nowhere to be seen.

    Xu Hei felt as if his head had been hit by a heavy hammer, causing intense pain.

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    His head throbbed, and fragmented memories surged back, quickly piecing together the events.

    Earlier, in the snake¡¯s den, he had identally drunk too much alcohol, his body overheated, and he wanted to cool off.

    He had eaten a lot of rabbits and apparently even a pig, but in this icy world, how could there be a pig?

    Xu Hei realized with shock that the wolves he had thought were rabbits were, in fact, wolves!

    As for the so-called pig¡­

    Xu Hei swallowed hard and looked at the ck bear¡¯s head lying under a tree, staring back at him.

    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t mean to.¡±

    Xu Hei felt a bitter pang in his heart.

    This was a bear demon at the mid-stage of spiritual enlightenment, capable of killing snake catchers with a single p. Even if he had a hundred lives, he wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke it!

    He had only been drunk and foolishly ended up killing the bear demon.

    It was dangerous! He could have lost his life!

    Xu Hei was deeply afraid, and he vowed never to drink alcohol again.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone to me, it¡¯s humanity. Not only did they kill their own, but they also killed you, my demon brother. If you¡¯re angry, go after them; don¡¯te after me.¡±

    Xu Hei silently muttered these words, bowed deeply, and crawled forward to swallow the bear¡¯s head.

    This ce was no longer safe.

    He couldn¡¯t return to his original spot, so Xu Hei had to find a new wintering ce.

    Taking a deep breath and using his remaining strength, Xu Hei crawled outside.

    At this moment, he felt waves of pain¡ªnot only from swallowing but also from the bear demon¡¯s p. Xu Hei recalled the battle; it had been excruciating.

    Facing such a gigantic beast, charging at it head-on was suicide.

    Fortunately, his tough hide only resulted in a few broken bones; otherwise, a normal snake demon would have been killed multiple times over by a single p.

    Xu Hei could barely crawl; he had to wriggle like a worm, moving forward with the help of his tail scales. Fortunately, his speed was not slow.

    Having lived in the mountains for many years, Xu Hei was familiar with the terrain and had prepared several wintering spots.

    Soon, Xu Hei reached a crevice in the mountain rock, where a hidden pondy below.

    The pond was frozen, and Xu Hei crawled into the crevice, breaking through the ice and diving into the icy water.

    The entrance to the pond was small, but the interior was vast, connected to a cave. It was extremely concealed, one of Xu Hei¡¯s pre-selected wintering spots.

    He swam for a while, then surfaced and entered the cave.

    The cave was pitch ck, and Xu Hei preferred this kind of environment. Hey on the ground, absorbed in digesting the bear demon meat, breathing and nurturing.

    The snow continued to fall heavily, and the strong wind outside buried the corpses.

    It was as if everything had never happened.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    That night, the government immediately organized a search team, arriving at the scene but only finding the scattered and snow-covered corpses.

    The news spread back to the vige, causing shock and grief everywhere.

    Zhao Wenzhuo stood at the back of the crowd, his eyes red, kneeling and crying.

    Next to him stood a woman in a red Taoist robe, frowning.

    ¡°Junior Brother Zhao, did you say there was a bear demon at the mid-stage of spiritual enlightenment here?¡± the woman in the red robe asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect the bear demon to be so strong! Senior Brother Ding died protecting me!¡± Zhao Wenzhuo said with deep sorrow.

    Soon, they found Ding Hai¡¯s dismembered corpse. His storage bag was destroyed, and everything was gone, though his eyes remained open, filled with resentment as if staring at Zhao Wenzhuo.

    Feigning anger, Zhao Wenzhuo said, ¡°Senior Sister, that bear demon must have been heavily injured by a mid-level fire explosion talisman. We should go into the mountains to eliminate the demon and avenge our Senior Brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not! A bear demon at the mid-stage of spiritual enlightenment is far more formidable than you think. Moreover, being a bear demon, its vitality is tenacious. Injured, it will only be more ferocious. It is not something we can handle!¡±

    The woman in the red robe interrupted him sternly.

    Zhao Wenzhuo quickly bowed, ¡°Senior Sister, your guidance is wise.¡±

    Outwardly, Zhao Wenzhuo appeared naive, but in reality, he was quite clear about the bear demon¡¯s strength. That bear demon had reached the fifth level of spiritual enlightenment, and a fire explosion talisman could not have injured it significantly.

    The woman in the red robe grew suspicious. Why would Zhao Wenzhuo and Ding Hai need to bring thirty people to the mountains to capture snakes?

    Clearly, they had ulterior motives, but with no survivors, she couldn¡¯t gather more information.

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s fortunate that you survived. Ding Hai¡¯s death was an ident. I will exin it to the Master,¡± the woman in the red robe said calmly.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister Song.¡± Zhao Wenzhuo bowed deeply.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the pitch-ck cave.

    A massive shadowy in the corner, its body rising and falling with rhythmic breaths, emitting white smoke.

    This enormous shadow was Xu Hei, hibernating.

    At this moment, the spiritual energy mist within the Demon God Cauldron had expanded to fill the entire cauldron, a sign of reaching the second level of spiritual enlightenment.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei¡¯s body trembled violently, and the spiritual energy mist within the cauldronpressed rapidly, shrinking to a point.

    Although the area had shrunk, the concentration of the spiritual energy had increased by more than ten times, nearly bing tangible.

    At the same time, an immense force burst forth, spreading throughout his body. Xu Hei¡¯s bones cracked and thundered like a storm, and his flesh underwent a transformation.

    An old snake skin fell off, reced by a more resilient new skin.

    Spiritual enlightenment, third level!

    This was a critical juncture; the next four levels would lead to the mid-stage of spiritual enlightenment, marking a significant difference from the early stage.

    At this moment, there was still plenty of the bear demon¡¯s blood and qi left, and Xu Hei continued to absorb and refine it at an incredible speed.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside Chen Family Town, in a dpidated mountain temple.

    The ce was deste, with only some beggars frozen to death, no other figures in sight.

    ording to old tales, this ce was not a mountain god¡¯s temple but a ce of an evil deity. It had seen several murders, causing fear among people.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: The Annual Breeding Season

    Outside Chen Family Town, there is an ancient Mountain God Temple, whose construction dates back to an unknown time but has been standing for over a century. The statue¡¯s appearance has weathered so much that its full form is no longer discernible.

    It is said that strange urrences frequently happen here, and no one dares to approach, leading to its gradual destion.

    This year, not even beggars are seen around, with only a stray wild dog roaming in and out in search of food.

    Suddenly.

    The massive statue in the center trembles slightly, shaking off all the dust and snow umted.

    ¡°Woof!¡±

    The big ck dog, frightened, rolls and crawls away from the temple in terror.

    From within the statue, a faint sigh is heard.

    ¡°After two hundred years, this seat has finally awakened. It¡¯s time to find a new body. Unfortunately, thest two bodies were destroyed by that little beast!¡±

    ¡°That little beast is also considered half a disciple of mine. When hees next time, I must make him find a perfect body for me!¡±

    ¡­

    Unknowingly, three months have passed.

    Winter has gone, and spring has arrived, bringing the revival of all things and the melting of ice and snow.

    The vigers of Snake Vige have begun the new year¡¯s sowing, butpared to previous years, this year¡¯s farmers are noticeably fewer.

    In the deep mountains and forests, everything is bursting with new life, whether nts or animals. The hibernating snakes are awakening from their burrows and starting their foraging for the new year.

    Inside the underground cave.

    As the temperature gradually rises, water droplets seep from the rockyers on the ceiling, falling onto the ground and forming small puddles.

    Xu Hei, who had been in deep slumber, finally opens his eyes.

    After a winter¡¯s hibernation, Xu Hei¡¯s body feels somewhat stiff. He practices breathing and nurturing, and the spiritual energy flows through his meridians, slowly restoring him.

    Xu Hei inspects his body.

    At this moment, the spiritual energy mist within the Demon God Cauldron has expanded again, covering eighty percent of the area from a small breakthrough.

    Eighty percent of this was obtained from devouring the bear demon.

    This surprises Xu Hei slightly. The bear demon¡¯s flesh not only allowed him to break through but also brought him directly to the peak of the Third-Level Spiritual Beast.

    It seems that reaching the Fourth-Level is not far off.

    The ck-golden scales on the tip of his tail have also reached six pieces.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that greater risks bring greater rewards. Relying solely on peaceful cultivation makes it difficult to make progress. Only through devouring and plundering can one advance!¡± Xu Hei thinks to himself.

    Xu Hei spreads his divine sense.

    Now, his divine sense can extend up to thirty meters, a significant improvement from the initial stage.

    ¡°ording to memory, only humans at the mid-stage of Qi Refinement can initially use divine sense, but it doesn¡¯t exceed ten meters. What¡¯s going on with me?¡±

    Xu Hei is puzzled.

    Just like Chen Fan, who could use divine sense from the beginning, perhaps their talents are extraordinary.

    During these three months of hibernation, human knowledge and memories often surfaced, including both cultivation knowledge and advanced thoughts.

    Some of these have deeply inspired Xu Hei.

    He often reviews his actions, finding many immature aspects.

    For example, eating human food is clearly a foolish behavior. If someone wanted to scheme against him, they could easily manipte it.

    A few dayster.

    As the temperature rises again, Xu Hei starts moving.

    He crawls around the cave, stretching his muscles and bones. Although it is dark, he has scanned the area within thirty meters with his divine sense.

    The cave is vast, deep, and narrow, with an unknown destination.

    Nearby, there is a pond, a ce he passed when he entered.

    However, the pond is empty of any creatures, not even insects. At the bottom lies a solitaryrge ck stone.

    Xu Hei jumps into the pond and swims to the shore. He doesn¡¯t linger, immediately climbing up the steep rocks tond.

    The pond seems somewhat eerie, and Xu Hei has no intention of exploring it further. He¡¯ll leave that to others once his cultivation is stronger.

    With the warm sun shining, it is the early spring season.

    The snow melts, flowing from the mountains, gathering in the mountain stream and forming a waterfall.

    Xu Hei reaches a pond, where he catches some frogs, a few river ms, and crabs.

    This ce is teeming with life. Xu Hei¡¯s divine sense scans and finds hundreds of creatures, and he immediately starts devouring them one by one.

    He also discovers some snakes that have just ended their hibernation and devours them as well.

    It is only at this point that Xu Hei feels somewhat full.

    ¡°There¡¯s too much food here. I should move to another ce to hunt.¡±

    Suppressing his urge to continue hunting, Xu Hei leaves the pond and heads to the next location.

    In spring, food is abundant. In the past, he would have devoured everything here without hesitation. But now, he has realized something.

    During his hibernation, he acquired a new concept called ecological bnce.

    If a certain species in an area is lost inrge numbers, it will gradually be extinct, leading to extinction.

    For Xu Hei, this is undoubtedly a nightmare.

    At that time, he would be forced to go down the mountain to seek food and drink from human viges, significantly increasing the risk.

    Moreover, he now consciously spares pregnant female beasts or those with young to ensure their sessful reproduction.

    ¡°Even the hunters from Snake Vige will release young fish when caught. My appetite isrge, but it is still much smallerpared to endless human consumption.¡±

    ¡°As long as I control it a little and upy two more mountain peaks, I can certainly be self-sufficient.¡±

    Xu Hei thinks to himself.

    ¡­

    As time passes.

    Xu Hei continues to roam between two mountain peaks, dealing withpetitors one by one.

    As long as no other fierce beasts intrude, he is the only ruler here.

    With divine sense monitoring, he has a general understanding of the species on these two mountains.

    Xu Hei counted the animals in the vicinity: twenty-five roe deer, twenty wild boars, thirty muntjacs, and hundreds of rabbits.

    ¡°There are also monkeys, sika deer, wild goats, and lynxes, totaling over a hundred.¡±

    Xu Hei had only counted therger animals that could satiate him with just one meal. For the smaller creatures such as rodents, amphibians, birds, and fish, he couldn¡¯t keep track.

    As long as these species continued to thrive and he didn¡¯t overeat, he would be self-sufficient.

    He didn¡¯t dare venture into other mountain ranges because of the scent markings left by the demon beasts. Instead, he marked the edges of his territory.

    He made a trip back to Snake Vige and noticed that Wang Xiao Niu, the young boy he had seenst year, had grown taller and matured. However, Wang Da Niu, Wang Xiao Niu¡¯s father, was missing. There was only a solitary grave in the watermelon field.

    Xu Hei sighed and left.

    He had passed by the mountain god temple outside Chen Family Town once before, intending to offer incense and pray. He even brought a mountain chicken as an offering. But as he approached, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to part with the chicken, so he ate it and left.

    Another month passed.

    One day, Xu Hei left his territory and ventured into the deep mountains. His direction was precise, as if guided by a clear path, leading him to a specific ce.

    Unknowingly, he arrived at a valley.

    It was a basin-like terrain, surrounded by mountains, with damp and chilly air. The ground was dotted with water puddles and numerous snake holes.

    A casual sweep with his divine sense revealed no less than ten snakes.

    This valley was known as the ¡°Valley of Serpents.¡±

    Xu Hei had been drawn to this ce by the scent of his kind. Every year during this season, he woulde here as it had be a habit.

    This was the breeding season for snakes!

    As an adult male ck snake, although Xu Hei didn¡¯t know his exact species, he had left many offspring here over the years.

    There was a chance that his descendants might be among the snakes he sensed.

    Of course, he had no clear memory of these matters.

    This year, however, he wasn¡¯t here to breed but had recalled an important matter.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: The Medicine of the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley

    The Ten Thousand Serpent Valley is lush with greenery, overgrown with weeds, and dotted with pools of water. The sunken terrain creates a damp climate, with standing water that attracts mosquitoes, snakes, and ants.

    Spiritual energy from heaven and earth often gathers here, leading to the growth of some spiritual herbs.

    The most famous of these is the Snake Fruit located at the deepest part of the valley!

    Xu Hei dove into a pool and swam toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley.

    Before long, he reached the end of the valley. The soil here was soft and wet, with no weeds, only a small tree growing on a high slope, having absorbed all the nutrients.

    The tree was small, about the height of a person, and bore three pitch-ck fruits.

    ¡°Snake Fruit!¡±

    Xu Hei stared at the fruit on the tree with burning eyes.

    The Snake Fruit, as the name suggests, is an extremely attractive fruit for snakes. Consuming it can enhance their physical abilities and has a certain chance of transforming them into snake demons.

    Years ago, Xu Hei had be the fearsome Old Snake King after consuming a Snake Fruit.

    The Snake Fruit matures every three years.

    Calcting the time, this year is when it matures again.

    Back then, Xu Hei did not know the purpose of the Snake Fruit and had merely consumed it by instinct.

    Only after gaining human knowledge did he understand the true value of the Snake Fruit. Not only can it be consumed directly, but it can also be used in alchemy, making it very valuable.

    The reason the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley attracts so many snakes is partly due to the breeding season and partly because of the Snake Fruit.

    ¡°Three years ago, I only consumed one Snake Fruit. This time, if I consume all three at once, I wonder if I can break through to the fourth level of the Spirit Enlightment stage.¡±

    T/n: Spirit Enlightment Stage or Spiritual beast.

    Xu Hei thought to himself. Once he reached the mid-stage of the Spirit Enlightment stage, he could use some spells, no longer relying solely on physicalbat.

    This would be a qualitative leap!

    Before the Snake Fruit fully matures, it does not emit any fragrance, and its energy is very mixed. Only when it is fully mature does it exert its medicinal effects and emit a strong aroma that attracts snakes to consume it.

    ording to Xu Hei¡¯s estimation, the maturity time is just in the next few days.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited too soon. Let¡¯s see if there are any dangers nearby.¡±

    Xu Hei left the fruit tree, sinking into the swamp, and extended his divine sense to observe the surroundings.

    ¡­¡­

    The Ten Thousand Serpent Valley is not veryrge.

    Xu Hei spent an hour wandering around and did not find any dangers. Except for a few eagles circling in the sky, preying on the snakes, there was nothing else.

    The presence of these eagles is normal, given that the valley is full of snakes and insects, attracting some natural predators.

    These eagles pose no threat to Xu Hei, and unless they are demon beasts, he has no interest in them.

    However, Xu Hei vaguely felt that such a ce where spiritual herbs grow should be guarded by demon beasts.

    Xu Hei suddenly froze. Isn¡¯t he a demon beast himself?

    After resting for a while, he nned to continue exploring the periphery.

    At this moment, a female white snake slithered towards him.

    The white snake was about a meter long, resembling him in shape but different in color. It was likely attracted by Xu Hei¡¯s scent.

    Xu Hei was not interested in such wild beasts now. For cultivation purposes, only a powerful snake demon would be of any benefit.

    Xu Hei was about to leave.

    Suddenly, he felt that the white snake seemed somewhat familiar, both in aura and appearance.

    The white snake stopped about ten feet away from Xu Hei, lying still on the ground, observing him silently.

    Its gaze was calm, and it made no sound, indicating it meant no harm.

    ¡°I remember now. This is an old friend. Every time I return, shees to find me.¡±

    Xu Hei realized that the white snake had memorized his scent and could track him whenever he returned.

    Usually, it¡¯s males that follow females, but this white snake was an exception.

    Xu Hei thought of a saying and sighed, ¡°We are separated by immortality and mortality. Let us part ways here.¡±

    He made a rustling sound and turned to leave.

    It was a pity he did not have a Forgetfulness Elixir; otherwise, he could have given her one.

    Of course, it¡¯s more likely that Xu Hei was being sentimental. Snakes generally do not have emotions. Even demon beasts with spiritual awareness mostly act on instinct, unlike Xu Hei.

    After Xu Hei left, the white snake followed him for a while.

    Xu Hei suddenly elerated, shaking off the white snake, and disappeared from sight.

    ¡­¡­

    In a blink of an eye, several days passed, and the day of the Snake Fruit¡¯s maturity arrived.

    Outside the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley.

    Two figures arrived simultaneously, one in front of the other.

    The two stood on a tree, exuding a strong smell of realgar, causing nearby snakes to avoid them, repelled by the odor.

    These two were a man and a woman, dressed respectively in dark green python robes and red Taoist robes.

    If Xu Hei were present, he would recognize the young man as Zhao Wenzhuo.

    The woman in the red Taoist robe was his senior sister, Song Shiyu.

    ¡°Senior Sister Song, this is the Ten Thousand Serpent Valley that Ding Shixiong and I discovered. The spiritual Snake Fruit is inside!¡±

    Zhao Wenzhuo pointed to the valley, bowing and showing a ttering expression.

    ¡°Hmm! You did well.¡±

    Song Shiyu nodded in satisfaction.

    She had already sensed something strange about the events that day. Ding Hai had gathered many vigers, clearly searching for something. So, she investigated secretly.

    When she uncovered some clues, Zhao Wenzhuo had eagerly spilled all the information.

    He even revealed the details about Ding Hai disturbing the bear demon and causing the vigers¡¯ deaths.

    As for the rest, she did not press further.

    ¡°I won¡¯t take advantage of you, we¡¯ll split the Snake Fruit evenly, is that alright?¡± Song Shiyu said calmly.

    Zhao Wenzhuo was instantly excited, cupping his hands in thanks, ¡°Thank you, Senior Sister!¡±

    ¡°However, Senior Sister, any spiritual herbs are usually guarded by demon beasts, so we must be cautious!¡± Zhao Wenzhuo said seriously.

    Song Shiyu nodded slightly, then coldly smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior Sister is well-prepared. The only snake demon in this area is the old snake king. If it dares to appear, I can use its snake galldder for medicine!¡±

    Zhao Wenzhuo immediatelyughed heartily, ¡°Haha, what a coincidence! Junior Brother is also well-prepared¡ªspecifically for dealing with the old snake king!¡±

    After saying this, Zhao Wenzhuo took out a snake-shaped flute and showed it off.

    Song Shiyu smiled knowingly and said no more. She took out a yellowish y block and applied it to herself.

    This was the cinnabar powder made by snake catchers, which could repel snakes and insects. As long as they smelled this odor from afar, snakes would avoid it automatically and it had a certain effect on snake demons as well.

    Zhao Wenzhuo did the same, and after finishing, the two entered the Valley of Serpents one in front of the other.

    ¡­

    That day, Xu Hei was lying on arge rock, practicing his breathing techniques.

    The white snake was lying not far away, always watching him.

    Aside from when it was hunting, the white snake stayed close to Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei did not mind; after all, it was a semi-familiar face. Once it finished eating the snake fruit, it would leave.

    At this moment, the white snake, which had been still, seemed to catch a whiff of something and quickly slithered away.

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    Meanwhile, in the distant grass, there was a constant rustling sound. All the snakes seemed to be retreating, heading in the same direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Xu Hei wondered.

    The next moment, a nauseating smell hit him, almost making him vomit.

    ¡°Damn it, what is this smell?¡±

    Xu Hei couldn¡¯t describe the stench.

    In human terms, it was like a mixture of rotten eggs, feces, and urine¡ªa terrible, nauseating stench.

    One whiff made him gag, two whiffs made him vomit, and three whiffs almost made him pass out.

    Although it was a bit exaggerated, Xu Hei almost couldn¡¯t control his body¡¯s urge to flee. Who could stand this?

    However, his rationality won over his instinctive reaction.

    Something unusual must be happening. Xu Hei forced himself to endure the smell, holding his breath, and looked ahead.

    He saw a man and a woman walking through the marsh, advancing deeper into the area.

    As they walked, they scattered yellow powder, and the snakes and insects all retreated, indicating it was the cinnabar powder which snakes were extremely afraid of.

    Some snakes that didn¡¯t manage to escape in time were even fainted or poisoned to death.

    ¡°Another damn snake catcher!¡±

    Xu Hei immediately recognized the man as Zhao Wenzhuo.

    Xu Hei had witnessed Zhao Wenzhuo¡¯s scheming before, and although he didn¡¯t recognize the woman, Zhao Wenzhuo seemed to be trying to curry favor with her.

    ¡°They must be here for the snake fruit as well.¡±

    Xu Hei looked at the direction they were heading, which was precisely where the snake fruit was located.

    The snake fruit, besides being ingested, could also be used to refine pills, benefiting human cultivation. It was a rare and precious material.

    Had it been before, Xu Hei would have been afraid of the snake catchers and might have fled.

    But now, he felt confident.

    In Human terms he was at the peak of the third level of the Qi Refinement stage, and in terms of cultivation, he was not weaker than the others.

    Snake catchers were not invincible. Xu Hei had easily killed them before, and he was much stronger than those creatures.

    Xu Hei pondered for a while, then hid in the water and quietly followed.

    His small size, only two meters long even after a year, made him well-suited for concealment, which was his advantage.

    Xu Hei didn¡¯t act immediately; he just wanted to observe first.

    What if these two suddenly turned against each other? That would be a fine human tradition.

    ¡°Senior Sister Song, what if the old snake king doesn¡¯t show up?¡± Zhao Wenzhuo asked with a smile.

    Song Shiyu nced at him and replied, ¡°The old snake king has lived for over ten years and is nearing the end of its lifespan. The spiritual snake fruit is crucial for it; if it doesn¡¯t eat it, it will age and die. It can¡¯t possibly not show up!¡±

    Xu Hei was startled upon hearing their conversation.

    It lived for over ten years? He had no idea!

    Although he had forgotten exactly how long he had lived, he clearly remembered that the snake fruit had ripened three years ago. This was something he could not mistake.

    It was also in these three years that he had repeatedly eaten humans, which earned him the title of the old snake king.

    But listening to this woman, he was supposed to have lived for ten years?

    Looking at Zhao Wenzhuo¡¯s expression, it didn¡¯t seem unusual to him. He even nodded in realization.

    This made Xu Hei even more confused.

    ¡°Am I really that old?¡±

 Chapter 16: The life of a snake is ten years

    Chapter 16: The life of a snake is ten years

    The lifespan of snakes is generally about ten years. Even for a Spirit Communion Stage Snake Demon, twenty years is the limit.

    After more than ten years, it was almost old enough to die, and Xu Hei couldn''t possibly not notice it.

    His bodily functions were clearly increasing day by day, with no signs of aging at all.

    "What nonsense is this woman spouting? You''re the one who''s old!"

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly.

    But then, Xu Hei suddenly froze. Old Snake King, Old Snake King¡ªthis nickname itself carried the word "old," which clearly symbolized longevity.

    Xu Hei had gotten used to being called Old Snake King and never analyzed why he was called that.

    "Am I really old? Why do they call me that?"

    Xu Hei frowned deeply, suddenly feeling that things were not so simple.Xu Hei scanned the Myriad Serpent Valley with his Divine Sense. There were thousands of snakes, many of which were simr to him, even identical.

    For instance, that white snake was of the same species as him, only its color had mutated.

    Although Xu Hei was a Snake Demon with limited knowledge, he wasn''t stupid.

    After careful analysis, Xu Hei suddenly thought of a possibility. His pupils dted, and his breathing became rapid.

    "Could it be?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened as he submerged into the water, quietly following behind.

    He watched as the two people got closer and closer to the Serpent Fruit tree.

    Their timing was perfect; the Serpent Fruit tree was maturing today.

    And at that moment.

    The ground suddenly began to shake, and the water in the puddles rippled as if an earthquake had urred.

    Xu Hei immediately stopped moving and observed in secret.

    The two people ahead also halted. Zhao Wenzhuo looked tense, clutching his Storage Bag, while Song Shiyu had a disdainful expression.

    "Sure enough, it''s here."

    Song Shiyu sneered coldly, retreating rapidly.

    In the next moment, the ground below suddenly exploded, sending dirt flying. A massive, pitch-ck figure emerged from the soil.

    As soon as this figure appeared, it opened its bloody maw and lunged at Song Shiyu, its venomous fangs gleaming coldly.

    "The Old Snake King has appeared!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo eximed in shock.

    Song Shiyu was prepared. With a wave of her jade hand, a golden Talisman shot out, forming a soft shield. The ck venomous fangs struck the golden shield and sank into it, as if trapped in a quagmire.

    "What is this..." Xu Hei immediately focused his attention.

    He saw that the ck figure was a giant snake, identical in appearance to him, with an oval head, pale golden pupils, and triangr scales.

    In terms of appearance, it was exactly the same as Xu Hei, clearly the same species.

    However, its size was muchrger, about eight meters long and as thick as a barrel, with a ferocious face and enormous venomous fangs. From a distance, it looked like arger version of Xu Hei.

    Seeing this snake and the expressions of the two people, Xu Hei was deeply shocked.

    "This is the real Old Snake King. I''m a fake!"

    Xu Hei finally understood the truth.

    In his mind, he quickly analyzed the cause and effect of the situation.

    For more than ten years, this Old Snake King had wreaked havoc, acting tyrannically, eating countless people, and earning a notorious reputation.

    But as it aged, it reduced its frequency of eating people. Three years ago, it almost never appeared.

    Coincidentally, three years ago, Xu Hei emerged, continuously eating people.

    As a result, people mistook him for the Old Snake King.

    If not for the difference in size, the two snakes looked almost identical, making it difficult to distinguish between them.

    Except for the ck-gold scales at the tip of his tail, which were unique to Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei wondered if this was some rtive of his, but snakes had no concept of rtives. They were cold-blooded animals, only attracted to each other during the breeding season.

    Outside the breeding season, they would kill each other for territory and food, regardless of any familial ties.

    Even in the Myriad Serpent Valley, many male snakes fought fiercely for mates.

    "No wonder every time I appeared, I attracted Snake Catchers. It turns out I was taking the me for you."

    After understanding the truth, Xu Hei felt conflicted.

    This was the first time he had seen another Snake Demon besides himself.

    At this moment, the Old Snake King was disying extremely fierce strength. Despite its age, itsbat power was not weak at all. It was immensely powerful, with sharp venomous fangs, shattering Song Shiyu''s golden shield Talisman in one strike.

    Song Shiyu took out a copper bell, which rapidly erged in her palm and blocked in front of her.

    "ng!!!"

    The Old Snake King collided with the copper bell, causing it to hum loudly. Visible sound waves swept out, making the Old Snake King dizzy and briefly stunned.

    Song Shiyu threw a dart, which struck the scales with a crisp "ding" sound, only prating slightly.

    "What tough scales! If these snake scales were skinned, they could definitely be refined into a treasure armor!"

    Song Shiyu''s eyes burned with desire. She retreated rapidly, throwing darts as she moved, all hitting their mark.

    Although the darts didn''t prate deeply, theypletely enraged the Old Snake King, which lunged forward in fury.

    "Retreat!" Song Shiyu shouted.

    Zhao Wenzhuo quickly retreated.

    The Old Snake King, blinded by rage, chased after the two. Song Shiyu kept throwing darts, while Zhao Wenzhuo used Talismans to unleash wind des, leaving shallow wounds on the Old Snake King''s scales.

    The two fought while retreating, using various Talismans, darts, and hidden weapons, essentially throwing money at the problem!

    Every time the Old Snake King charged, it was blocked by the copper bell, getting dizzy and briefly stunned, much to its annoyance.

    "So this is a human''s Magical Treasure?"

    Xu Hei followed from behind, his eyes burning with curiosity. It was the first time he had seen a battle between humans and Demonic Beasts that was evenly matched.

    The fighting styles of both sides were vastly different.

    One side used Magical Treasures and Talismans for long-range attacks, retreating while fighting, not allowing the enemy to get close.

    The other side kept closing in, relying mainly on closebat.

    Demonic Beasts had strong physical bodies, and if human cultivators got too close, they would die, just like Ding Hai, who was severely injured by a Bear Demon with one p.

    So far, Xu Hei had only fought with Demonic Beasts and had never faced a human cultivator.

    Xu Hei simted in his mind what he would do if he encountered such a situation, where the enemy kept retreating while fighting, making it impossible to catch up.

    Both of them had a Swift Wind Talisman on their feet, making them incredibly fast and capable of brief aerial maneuvers. Xu Hei estimated that their speed was about half of his full speed.

    However, throughout the fight, only Song Shiyu used Magical Treasures, while Zhao Wenzhuo held back.

    The two seemed confident and at ease, clearly having more tricks up their sleeves.

    "What should I do? Help them? Or eat the Serpent Fruit and run?"

    Xu Hei hesitated. The Serpent Fruit was not yet mature, its energy chaotic, and eating it might not be beneficial.

    But if pushed to the limit, he would rather destroy it than let it fall into human hands.

    At this moment, the two humans and the snake had chased each other out of the Myriad Serpent Valley, with the sounds of battle still echoing from afar.

    "Forget it. Since we''re both Snake Demons, I''ll secretly help it."

    Xu Hei quietly followed.

    After swimming a certain distance.

    At that moment, a strange noise came from behind the Serpent Fruit tree.

    "Who''s there?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened, and he immediately turned back, shing away.

    He saw a young man in gray clothes, carrying a bamboo basket and a hoe, approaching the Serpent Fruit tree.

    The young man''s bamboo basket was filled with herbs, and his attire made him look like a mountain herb gatherer, with his body covered in sulfur to repel insects and snakes.

    He reached the Serpent Fruit tree, raised his hoe, and swiftly dug up the tree. His movements were quick and decisive, as if he had prepared in advance, giving no time to react.

    Xu Hei was too far away to stop him in time.

    The Serpent Fruit tree was notrge, only about the height of a person. The herb gatherer carried it on his shoulder, heavy and cumbersome.

    He took a deep breath and ran towards another mountain, intending to climb over it and return.

    "Taskpleted. This should fetch a good price."

    The herb gatherer had a simple and honest look on his face, as if he had just picked an ordinary Spirit Medicine.

    "Bastard!!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold. He elerated suddenly, rushing forward and swallowing the man whole.

 Chapter 17: When it rains, it pours

    Chapter 17: When it rains, it pours

    Xu Hei expanded his Divine Sense, and from a distance, he could instantly determine the other party''s cultivation level. This person had no trace of Spiritual Qi within him, clearly just an ordinary mortal.

    Without a moment''s hesitation, Xu Hei lunged forward and swallowed him whole.

    The herb gatherer didn''t even have time to scream before he was inside the snake''s belly, dead on the spot.

    Xu Hei looked at the already uprooted Serpent Fruit tree, his heart filled with rage. It bore fruit once every three years, and now it had been dug up.

    Renting it was obviously impossible; those two would definitely notice something was amiss.

    Moreover, Xu Hei''s knowledge was limited to the Serpent Fruit itself; he knew little about the tree and wasn''t sure if it could survive being rented.

    "Even I know to leave a bit of leeway when hunting. You humans, uprooting the tree and destroying the roots, deserve death!"

    Xu Hei was furious but helpless.

    At this moment, themotion in the distance gradually subsided, and the hissing of arge snake could be heard, indicating that the battle had ended.Xu Hei''s mind raced, and he quickly made a decision.

    He opened his mouth wide, bit down on one end of the Serpent Fruit tree, and swallowed it whole.

    The Serpent Fruit tree wasn''t veryrge, about three meters tall, with a slender trunk. It was more like a shrub than a tree.

    Once inside, the tree stretched Xu Hei''s body straight, making him look like a bamboo pole. He had expected it to be quickly digested, but it remained intact, which surprised him.

    He had eaten nts before¡ªwatermelons, wild fruits, grasses, even stones¡ªand no matter what entered his body, it would immediately show signs of corrosion and digestion.

    The herb gatherer had been half-digested in just a few breaths.

    But this tree remainedpletely undamaged.

    Only the edges of the leaves were shrinking at an extremely slow pace.

    "Forget it, time to get out of here!"

    Xu Hei immediately slipped away. The undigested tree made him stiff and awkward to move.

    Fortunately, once he entered the pool, he could stretch and contract like a leech, allowing him to move quickly.

    The ck-gold scales at the tip of his tail flicked rapidly, increasing his speed even more.

    "That herb gatherer was definitely instigated by someone, probably one of those two, wanting to monopolize the Serpent Tree."

    Xu Hei wasn''t stupid; a bit of analysis revealed the cause and effect.

    But he couldn''t be bothered to care. He had swallowed the Serpent Fruit tree; now he just needed to leave and find a ce to digest it, avoiding detection.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei froze.

    A massive surge of energy erupted within him, an indescribable force crashing into his meridians like a wild ox, causing excruciating pain.

    "What''s happening?" Xu Hei was shocked.

    In his panic, Xu Hei found a snake hole and burrowed in.

    The snake hole wasn''trge, but Xu Hei kept digging deeper with his tail, making it even deeper than hisst hibernation hole.

    "This is unbearable!"

    Xu Hei quickly looked inside his body and saw that the Serpent Fruit tree had unknowingly digested all its leaves and part of its bark.

    These barks had transformed into boundless, violent energy rampaging through his body, threatening to shatter his bones.

    Unable to endure it, Xu Hei spat out a mouthful of blood.

    It wasn''t that the Serpent Fruit tree was poisonous; the energy was simply too overwhelming for him to handle.

    In fact, the Serpent Fruit tree was a top-grade spiritual item, suitable for consumption only in thete Qi Refining Stage, and even then, it needed to be refined into a pill to remove impurities.

    Swallowing it raw would cause the violent energy to immediately rupture one''s meridians, potentially leading to an explosive death.

    Xu Hei made a quick decision and spat out the Serpent Fruit tree.

    Even after spitting it out, Xu Hei was still in immense pain, with several streams of violent energy rampaging through his meridians.

    At this moment, the Demon God Cauldron suddenly absorbed all the violent energy, calming Xu Hei down.

    "That was terrifying! This Serpent Fruit tree is poisonous!"

    Xu Hei gasped for breath, still shaken.

    No wonder the Serpent Fruit tree had existed for so many years without any demonic beasts gnawing on its bark or branches; it was indeed dangerous.

    He had sensed it too, but in his desperation, he had no other choice but to try.

    Clearly, the mastermind was after the tree, with the Serpent Fruits being a secondary objective.

    At this moment, Xu Hei noticed something astonishing.

    The Spiritual Qi mist inside the Demon God Cauldron had unknowingly expanded from eighty percent to ny percent!

    The seventh scale on his tail had alsopleted its transformation.

    Xu Hei was stunned. When did this happen? Just now?

    Meanwhile, above ground.

    Two streaks of light flew rapidly andnded where the Serpent Fruit tree had originally been.

    These two were Zhao Wenzhuo and Song Shiyu, who had just dealt with the Old Snake King.

    They hadn''t even used their full strength against the aged Snake King, relying on long-range attacks and strategic retreats to eventually kill it.

    However, before they could inspect the corpse, they discovered that the Serpent Fruit tree was gone!

    Standing on the slope, they looked at therge pit and the shovel marks on the ground, their expressions uncertain.

    Clearly, someone had taken advantage of their battle with the Old Snake King to dig up the Serpent Fruit tree.

    Song Shiyu gritted her teeth, "Damn it, who did this?"

    Zhao Wenzhuo nced at her and calmly said, "Senior Sister, if you needed the Serpent Tree, you could have just said so. Why do this behind my back?"

    Song Shiyu was taken aback and red at Zhao Wenzhuo, "What do you mean? Suspecting me? Ridiculous, I haven''t even suspected you yet!"

    "Junior Brother Zhao, are you feeling guilty and trying to shift the me?"

    Xu Hei, deep underground, heard their conversation clearly.

    He didn''t know who had done it. He was unfamiliar with the female cultivator, but he had witnessed Zhao Wenzhuo''s cunning firsthand and leaned towards suspecting him.

    Zhao Wenzhuo examined the ground for a while and found several footprints.

    He said solemnly, "Senior Sister, this isn''t the ce to talk. Call your friend out, and I''ll give you the Serpent Tree. I only want one Serpent Fruit. We can discuss the restter."

    Song Shiyu angrily retorted, "Ridiculous! I have no such friend. If it wasn''t you, then the Old Snake King''smotion must have attracted other experts."

    "Other experts?" Zhao Wenzhuo squinted his eyes and said coldly, "Do you take me for a three-year-old? Trying to fool me with such an excuse?"

    Song Shiyu stared directly at him, and Zhao Wenzhuo stared back.

    "Why aren''t they fighting yet? Hurry up and fight!"

    Xu Hei was getting anxious. He was tired of their bickering and wanted them to get to the part where they both got injured.

    Both of them reached for their Storage Bags simultaneously but then stopped, staring at each other without saying a word.

    "Hurry up! Start fighting!"

    Xu Hei cheered them on in his mind, excited beyond measure.

    He loved watching such scenes, where both sides ended up worse off.

    At this moment, Zhao Wenzhuo suddenly sighed, released his grip, and said, "Let''s leave it to Master to decide."

    He took out amunication jade talisman and tossed it into the air, letting it fly towards the horizon.

    During this process, Song Shiyu kept a close eye on him, ready to activate her copper bell at any moment, but in the end, she didn''t make a move.

    "Snap!"

    Themunication jade talisman hadn''t flown far before arge hand grabbed it.

    A figure appeared in the distance, holding the talisman, walking on water, and quickly approached, arriving in just a few breaths.

    This person looked middle-aged, wearing a green Python Robe, with a stern face and a mustache, resembling a schrly middle-aged man.

    "Senior Brother?"

    "Greetings, Senior Brother!"

    The two were initially surprised but quickly bowed respectfully.

    They had no choice but to be respectful. This person was their strongest senior brother, Mu Yun.

    Eight years ago, Mu Yun had already broken through to the mid-Qi Refining Stage, reportedly reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining, three levels higher than them.

    Both were secretly rmed. Why was Mu Yun here?

    Mu Yunnded in front of them, seemingly aware of their confusion, and said calmly, "Master knew your ns and sent me to protect you in secret. I already know what happened."

    Upon hearing this, the two quickly bowed and thanked him.

    Xu Hei, on the other hand, was startled.

    Thinking back on his recent experiences, Xu Hei felt a chill down his spine.

    "How insidious, having someone secretly protect them! Luckily, I didn''t act rashly, or I''d be dead by now!"

    Xu Hei felt fortunate. Fighting humans was entirely different from fighting demonic beasts; you never knew what tricks humans had up their sleeves.

    Zhao Wenzhuo hesitated for a moment, unwilling to give up, and said, "Senior Brother, what about the Serpent Tree..."

    "It wasn''t me who dug it up; someone else did," Mu Yun said calmly.

    "What?" Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes widened.

    "That person was very cunning, sending a mortal to dig up the tree. Otherwise, I could have tracked them through their Spiritual Qi. But with a mortal, it''s impossible to track, only through footprints."

    Mu Yun shook his head and said slowly, "But unfortunately, the footprints are gone too."

    Everyone could see that the footprints disappeared five meters away from the Serpent Tree.

    Mu Yun stared at the ground, silent for a moment, then closed his eyes and spread his Divine Sense.

    Xu Hei quickly retracted his Divine Sense and remained motionless deep underground.

    He knew the other party''s Divine Sense couldn''t reach him, and as long as he didn''t release his own Divine Sense, he wouldn''t be discovered.

    Just then, the three Serpent Fruits on the Serpent Fruit tree beside Xu Hei suddenly turned a deep ck, emitting a rich fragrance that seeped through the soil.

    The Serpent Fruits had ripened!

    The scent of the ripened Serpent Fruits was so strong that it couldn''t be concealed, even permeating through the soil.

    "Fing hell..."

    Xu Hei nearly cursed out loud.

 Chapter 18: With divine assistance, the Demon God Cauldron

    Chapter 18: With divine assistance, the Demon God Cauldron

    What you fear most oftenes true.

    Just as Xu Hei was worrying about when the Serpent Fruit would ripen, it suddenly did.

    The moment the Serpent Fruit ripened, its scent wafted through the cracks in the soil. Without hesitation, Xu Hei rushed forward and swallowed all three ripe fruits.

    "Hmm?"

    Above ground, Mu Yun''s eyes widened, his gaze fixed on the ground.

    Just now, he sensed a slight fluctuation of spiritual power from the ripening of the Serpent Fruit. Though he couldn''t pinpoint the exact location, he knew it was deep underground.

    "It''s underground!"

    Without hesitation, he sank his feet into the ground and burrowed into the earth.

    It was amon spell among cultivators, the Earth Escape Technique.At the mid-stage of Qi Refining, one could learn the Five Elements Spells, gaining abilities that mortals would consider god-like. This was the fundamental difference between the mid-stage and the early stage.

    If one were only at the early stage, they could only rely on talismans and magical treasures to exert their strength.

    "Underground?"

    Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes flickered, his brow furrowed.

    "Senior Sister Song, I wrongly used you earlier. It was all my fault, and I apologize."

    "Who knows what kind of expert is hiding underground? We should leave quickly to avoid causing trouble."

    Zhao Wenzhuo cupped his fists and bowed apologetically.

    Song Shiyu said nothing, her expression cold as she turned and left.

    A sh of coldness appeared in Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes as he followed her.

    At this moment.

    Although Xu Hei hadn''t released his divine sense, he could clearly feel the vibrations underground, and a sense of impending danger filled his heart.

    "He''sing down. It''s the Earth Escape Technique from the Five Elements Spells!"

    Xu Hei''s mind, filled with human knowledge, had information about this technique.

    The opponent wasing for the Serpent Tree. Xu Hei hesitated no longer, biting into the Serpent Tree and burrowing deeper underground.

    The opponent clearly didn''t know the exact location and had gone in the wrong direction, failing to find Xu Hei.

    After burrowing a distance, Xu Hei spat out the Serpent Tree and began to fully operate his cultivation technique to digest the energy of the Serpent Fruit.

    "Hurry up and refine it! Hurry up!"

    Xu Hei roared internally.

    At this moment, being chased by a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, Xu Hei felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. This wasn''t brought by a demonic beast, but by a human.

    Compared to the clumsy bodies and minds of demonic beasts, the danger humans posed was more than ten times greater!

    Because you never knew what trump cards the opponent had, whether they were hiding their true cultivation, or if they had hidden protectors.

    Everything was unknown.

    Xu Hei''s nature was not to take risks. Without more than ny percent certainty, he wouldn''t make a move! Let alone now, when the opponent''s cultivation surpassed his own, their magical treasures surpassed his own, and their spells were overwhelmingly superior. Xu Hei couldn''t find a single chance of winning.

    He could only hide! He could only run!

    Xu Hei bit into the Serpent Tree, continuously burrowing through the ground. After escaping a certain distance, he stopped and desperately refined the Serpent Fruit.

    Meanwhile, the opponent also used the Earth Escape Technique to pursue him.

    However, the speed of the Earth Escape Technique was far slower than onnd and consumed arge amount of true qi, requiring asional pauses to adjust, which slowed the pursuit.

    Mu Yun had already discovered that the opponent was hiding underground. Although his divine sense couldn''t lock onto the opponent, he had found the escape route.

    "Quite the escape artist! The opponent''s Earth Escape Technique is no weaker than mine, but I wonder what their cultivation level is."

    "Hmph, no matter your cultivation level! With the magical treasure left by my master, as long as you''re not a Foundation Establishment cultivator, I can kill you without fail!"

    Mu Yun guessed that the opponent was likely a newbie who had just entered the mid-stage of Qi Refining, too scared to even show their head, only focused on running away, clearlycking confidence in winning.

    This only strengthened his resolve to pursue.

    "Daring to steal from a snake catcher, you won''t escape death today!"

    Mu Yun swallowed a Rejuvenation Pill, his speed suddenly increasing as he swiftly moved through the soil.

    Xu Hei also pushed himself to the limit, desperately opening a path through the earth.

    "Refine it!" Xu Hei roared internally.

    Suddenly, as if responding to his call, the Demon God Cauldron erupted with a strong suction force, drawing the Serpent Fruit inside. The fruit dissolved at a visible rate, releasing pure energy that nourished his entire body.

    Xu Hei was overjoyed; it had finally begun.

    As long as the Demon God Cauldron was operating, he could refine while escaping, doing both simultaneously.

    The spiritual qi mist within the Demon God Cauldron quickly reached its peak.

    The ck-gold scales on Xu Hei''s tail were rapidly transforming, with the eighth scale undergoing a swift metamorphosis, faster than ever before.

    The eighth scale, the ninth scale!

    In the blink of an eye, the transformation wasplete!

    The scales stopped at nine, seemingly reaching the limit, while the spiritual qi mist also overflowed, no longer increasing.

    Xu Hei immediately realized he had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, the Great Perfection of the thirdyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    For humans, this would be the Great Perfection of the thirdyer of the Qi Refining Stage.

    The next step would be the mid-stage.

    At this moment, the remaining Serpent Fruit in the Demon God Cauldron was rapidly being digested, but the spiritual qi seemed to fluctuate, sometimes overflowing, sometimes retracting, unable to break through the barrier.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and made a ruthless decision, tearing off a branch of the Serpent Tree along with half its bark and swallowing it.

    As soon as the Serpent Tree entered his body, dramatic changes urred.

    It was like throwing a red-hot iron into calm water; the water immediately boiled. The spiritual qi mist in the Demon God Cauldron rapidly expanded, bing increasingly intense.

    When it reached its limit, it began topress inward, with droplets of spiritual qi liquid appearing within the mist.

    No longer mist, but droplets, dotting the inside of the Demon God Cauldron.

    Xu Hei''s physical body also underwent a dramatic transformation. His muscles swelled, his bones trembled, his fangs grew, and even his long-stagnant body lengthened.

    "Hiss hiss hiss!!!"

    Xu Hei let out a painful cry, unable to move a step further, stopping in his tracks.

    Spiritual qipressed, his physical body transformed.

    An old snakeskin slowly peeled off his body, revealing a brand-new form emerging from the old skin.

    Shedding skin symbolized rebirth; every breakthrough Xu Hei made involved shedding his skin.

    Fifteen meters away, Mu Yun, who had been tailing him, finally stopped. His eyes were filled with disbelief, his divine sense locking onto the front as if he had seen a ghost.

    "This, this is..."

    He thought he had seen wrong, repeatedly confirming it before gasping in shock.

    His mind was somewhat frozen, unable to believe that after chasing all day from morning till night, he wasn''t pursuing a cunning cultivator but a snake?

    He knew that demonic beasts could achieve Spirit Communion, hence the name Spirit Communion Stage.

    But what kind of demonic beast was this? He hadn''t seen a single person, just a snake burrowing through the ground, carrying a tree. This wasn''t just Spirit Communion; this was practically bing a spirit!

    What puzzled him even more was that this tree seemed to have been dug up by someone. How did it end up in the hands of a snake?

    Mu Yun''s thoughts raced, and he hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to approach.

    He considered the possibility that a powerful being had snatched a body and was rebuilding their cultivation in a demonic beast''s form. But such a thing was too outrageous to believe.

    "This demon can''t be killed; it must be captured alive. It might even attract the attention of the headquarters!"

    Mu Yun made up his mind, his eyes burning with determination.

 Chapter 19: Break through the mid-term dragon scales

    Chapter 19: Break through the mid-term dragon scales

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s physical body was undergoing a transformation, gradually growing taller. Finally, his length increased from two meters to two and a half meters. His bones trembled incessantly, producing crackling sounds.

    An oldyer of snake skin shed from his body, blending into the soil, while the ck-gold scales on Xu Hei''s tail underwent another change.

    Surpassing the extreme number of nine, it reached ten scales!

    The difference between ten and nine was not just an addition of one; it represented a qualitative change in the entire system. The scales could now connect seamlessly, making control more effortless and increasing their power significantly.

    Inside Xu Hei''s body, within the Demon God Cauldron, the Spiritual Qi mist had disappeared, reced by droplets of Spiritual Qi. Each droplet was equivalent to the entire mist from before.

    And now, there were three droplets.

    The current Xu Hei had undergone a transformation in both his external physical body and internal Spiritual Qi, bing several times stronger than before.

    He had reached the fourthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, officially stepping into the mid-stage.

    "Not bad, you''ve even broken through. Now this is more like it!"Mu Yun sneered, touching his storage bag and taking out an item.

    This item was a golden ring called the Beast Control Ring, a top-grade Spiritual Treasure.

    Once the Beast Control Ring was unleashed, not to mention mid-stage Spirit Communion beasts, evente-stage demonic beasts could only surrender to its power.

    He initially thought the opponent was at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, but it turned out he had just broken through, even weaker than he had expected.

    "Go!"

    Mu Yun approached within thirty meters, raised his hand, and cast a spell. The Beast Control Ring flew out.

    The golden ring gradually erged, aiming to encircle Xu Hei''s neck, emitting an irresistible pressure.

    Xu Hei abruptly opened his eyes.

    At this moment, he felt his Divine Sense growing like ocean waves, extending infinitely, seemingly able to cover a radius of a hundred meters.

    Such Divine Sense had far exceeded the mid-stage range.

    With one nce, he locked onto the iing Beast Control Ring.

    "Human, I didn''t want to fight you, but you''ve pushed me to the brink!"

    A trace of madness appeared in Xu Hei''s eyes.

    He didn''t revel in his breakthrough; he wanted to kill the person before him to eliminate future troubles!

    "So, I can only kill you. You must die!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were filled with madness. He suddenly swung his tail, striking the Beast Control Ring. The ring trembled slightly, paused for a moment, and then continued towards Xu Hei.

    "Hmph! You can''t escape!"

    Mu Yun sneered inwardly. No beast locked by the Beast Control Ring had ever escaped.

    But at this moment, he suddenly felt a vast and boundless Divine Sense drilling into the Beast Control Ring, seemingly trying to erase his Divine Sense within it.

    "What''s going on?"

    Mu Yun was incredulous. This was a top-grade Spiritual Treasure, already refined by him, with an unbreakable Divine Sense. Only a Foundation Establishment cultivator could forcibly erase it.

    Xu Hei certainly couldn''t do that, but he managed to make the Beast Control Ring pause.

    But that was enough.

    Xu Hei opened his mouth wide and swallowed the Beast Control Ring.

    Since he couldn''t erase the Divine Sense, he would use his physical body to forcibly imprison it. He didn''t believe the ring could escape!

    After swallowing the Beast Control Ring, Xu Hei turned and ran, burrowing deep into the soil.

    "Bastard! Stop right there!"

    Mu Yun was shocked, then enraged. He activated the Earth Escape Technique, closely following behind.

    He tried to activate the Beast Control Ring but found it stuck, unable toe out unless he made a hole in Xu Hei.

    "Cunning beast!"

    Mu Yun''s eyes grew colder, and his speed increased.

    Xu Hei knew that the best way for a demonic beast to deal with a human cultivator was closebat. Human bodies were fragile; one hit could be fatal or crippling!

    But the opponent excelled in the Earth Escape Technique. Even if they left the soil, they could use the Swift Wind Talisman to move quickly. The opponent knew this too and wouldn''t let him get close easily.

    Therefore, Xu Hei had to wait for an opportunity.

    He knew Mu Yun''s True Qi wasn''t infinite. Each time he used the Earth Escape Technique for a while, he would have to stop to recover his True Qi.

    This was his best chance to counterattack!

    Xu Hei didn''t flee at full speed but maintained a slightly slower pace, gradually closing the distance between them.

    Giving the opponent a glimmer of hope to catch up.

    "Unfortunately, I just broke through and haven''t learned the Five Elements Escape Technique. Otherwise, with my speed and the escape technique, I wouldn''t need any strategy and could easily get close!" Xu Hei sighed inwardly.

    Mu Yun continued to chase, the distance between them slowly closing.

    When they were within fifteen meters, Mu Yun took out a talisman and cast it into the air.

    "Wind!" Mu Yun chanted a spell.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

    The talisman immediately dispersed, transforming into three wind des, cutting through the soil towards Xu Hei.

    A mid-grade Wind de Talisman could easily slice through the body of any mid-stage Spirit Communion beast in one strike!

    He saw that Xu Hei had swallowed the Beast Control Ring and wanted to cut open Xu Hei''s skin to retrieve it. Otherwise, it would be difficult to capture Xu Hei alive.

    With his strength, he could easily kill Xu Hei, but capturing him alive was challenging and required the Beast Control Ring''s power.

    "Great opportunity!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

    The opponent had been chasing for so long, consuming most of his True Qi. Now, activating the Wind de Talisman had reached a critical point.

    Although the opponent had reserved some True Qi for self-preservation, Xu Hei was not afraid.

    Facing the Wind de Talisman, Xu Hei swung his tail, and the ten ck-gold scales instantly expanded, smashing into the wind des.

    "ng! ng! ng!"

    Three crisp sounds echoed as the wind des, capable of killing any mid-stage Spirit Communion beast, didn''t even scratch Xu Hei''s scales. He was unharmed.

    "What?"

    Mu Yun was dumbfounded.

    Everything happened too quickly. In the next second, after the wind des were deflected, Xu Hei charged towards Mu Yun''s face.

    "Escape!"

    Mu Yun reacted swiftly, shooting upwards towards the soil surface.

    His remaining True Qi was insufficient to sustain the Earth Escape Technique for long; he had to leave the underground and return to the surface.

    Xu Hei had already anticipated his n, charging upwards ahead of him, intercepting him faster than tracking.

    "What are those scales? Why can''t the Wind de Talisman harm them?"

    "Not good!"

    As Mu Yun''s thoughts raced, his Divine Sense detected Xu Hei intercepting him. Unless he immediately turned back and sank down, he would definitely collide!

    "Cunning beast, do you think I''m afraid of you?"

    Mu Yun didn''t retreat; instead, he elerated upwards.

    But now, he had a snake-shaped longsword in his hand.

    The Snake-ying Sword!

    This sword had apanied him for twenty years, ying no less than a thousand snakes in his career as a Snake Catcher, including nearly a hundred Snake Demons!

    Later, after being refined, the sword had the potential to be a Flying Sword. He had sealed it away, rarely unsheathing it, even for Snake Demons.

    But now, this Snake Demon had piqued his interest.

    "To die by this sword is an honor!"

    Mu Yun elerated upwards. As Xu Hei approached, he shook the Snake-ying Sword and shed towards Xu Hei.

    At such close range, Xu Hei didn''t retreat. For the first time, he chose to face it head-on!

    "Your sword isn''t worthy of cutting my scales!"

    Xu Hei roared angrily, his tail scales transforming into steel des, shing towards the Snake-ying Sword.

    "ng!!"

    The scales and the longsword shed, producing a clear sound that echoed through the soil, spreading far and wide.

    Mu Yun''s Snake-ying Sword shattered into countless fragments under the impact of the scales!

    Mu Yun was struck as if by lightning.

    But there was no time for shock. After shattering his sword, Xu Hei''s momentum continued, shing at his arm and hitting his leg.

    "sh!!"

    "Ah!!!"

    A scream echoed.

    In the next second, the soil burst open, and a blood-soaked figure flew into the air.

    This person had two Swift Wind Talismans on his leg, his right arm was empty, and his right leg was missing a section. His hair was disheveled, and he was covered in blood, looking like a madman.

    Zhao Wenzhuo and Song Shiyu, who had been watching the situation closely, were shocked at the sight.

    The disheveled person was none other than their senior brother, Mu Yun.

 Chapter 20: Old Snake Kings Last Wish

    Chapter 20: Old Snake King''s Last Wish

    "Run! There''s a young Flood Dragon down there!"

    As soon as Mu Yun appeared, he only had time to shout before turning to flee.

    He activated two Swift Wind Talismans to their limit, causing a fierce wind to sweep him away towards the outside of Myriad Serpent Valley.

    "A young Flood Dragon?!"

    The two were instantly horrified.

    A Flood Dragon was a legendary creature, and it was said that whenever one appeared, it was at least at the terrifying Demon Infant Stage!

    How could there be a young Flood Dragon beneath Myriad Serpent Valley?

    If it truly was a Flood Dragon, even a young one, how could they possibly survive?

    Despite their doubts, seeing their senior brother in such a panic, they knew the creature below must be terrifying. Without hesitation, they took out their Swift Wind Talismans and fled immediately."Boom!"

    Xu Hei burst out of the ground and, without a word, chased after Mu Yun.

    Only this person had seen his true form, and he absolutely couldn''t let him escape!

    If Mu Yun brought back news of him, the Snake Catchers would surely send stronger experts to hunt him down, and that was a consequence Xu Hei couldn''t bear!

    He couldn''t let this person go!

    Mu Yun flew towards the mouth of Myriad Serpent Valley, where the corpse of a massive ck snakey.

    It was the body of the Old Snake King.

    The corpse was sorge that it couldn''t be stored in a Storage Bag all at once. It had been cut into several pieces, with only the head remaining intact.

    Without a nce, Mu Yun flew over it.

    Suddenly, the head of the Old Snake King moved!

    It opened its mouth and sprayed a jet of venom from its poison sac.

    In the blink of an eye, the venom hit Mu Yun''s face.

    The distance was too close; by the time Mu Yun noticed, it was toote, and he was sprayed directly in the face.

    "Ah!!!"

    Mu Yun clutched his face, letting out a piercing scream as his face immediately swelled up.

    "Damn it, how could I make such a rookie mistake?"

    Mu Yun''s face darkened. It wasmon knowledge that even after a venomous snake''s head was severed, it still retained its toxicity, and the head could still leap up and attack.

    In his panic, he had lost hisposure, and the Old Snake King''s head had blocked his path, leaving him no time to dodge.

    Fortunately, as an expert Snake Catcher, he had antidote pills with him. He quickly took one, and the symptoms rapidly subsided.

    But this brief dy allowed Xu Hei to close the distance to within thirty meters!

    Mu Yun''s face turned pale with fear. He bit his tongue, and his speed suddenly increased. Thankfully, with the high-quality Swift Wind Talisman, as long as Xu Hei didn''t get too close, he could gradually widen the gap.

    "Just wait, I''ll return and ask the Grandmaster toe out of seclusion. This demon is too strange and must be captured with the full force of the sect!" Mu Yun gritted his teeth.

    At this moment, Xu Hei felt as if he heard a voice in his mind.

    "Child, live well, live on..."

    It was the voice of the Old Snake King in its final moments.

    Xu Hei didn''t understand why this voice appeared in his mind or why he was so fixated on the dead snake head.

    But the killing intent in his eyes had already surpassed its limit.

    "Today, you will die without a doubt!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed with boundless ferocity and determination.

    He raised his tail, and the ck-gold scales on it stood up one by one, gleaming with a cold light.

    Mu Yun, constantly watching his rear, saw Xu Hei raise his tail and felt his hair stand on end for some unknown reason.

    In the next moment.

    Ten of Xu Hei''s scales broke off, separating from his flesh with excruciating pain that pierced to the bone.

    But Xu Hei''s expression didn''t change; he was only filled with madness.

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei flung the scales out, and they shot towards Mu Yun''s back like a storm!

    "No!!!"

    Mu Yun screamed sharply.

    He summoned a jade pendant, a life-saving treasure left by his Grandmaster, capable of unleashing a strike at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, which no one below the Foundation Establishment Stage could withstand.

    But it was too slow!

    In such a short time, he couldn''t activate it. From the moment Xu Hei flung his tail to the scales flying out, it was only a breath''s time!

    "Swish, swish, swish..."

    The scales struck the jade pendant, which exploded into fragments under the immense force, and the scales continued their assault, hitting Mu Yun''s body, legs, face, and head.

    "Thud, thud, thud..."

    In just one breath, Mu Yun was riddled with scales, blood gushing out, his face unrecognizable.

    His eyes lost their color, and he fell from a meter high, the Swift Wind Talisman on his leg still exerting its remaining power, causing gusts of wind but unable to lift him.

    With a heavy thud, Mu Yun hit the ground, dead.

    "Pain! Pain!"

    Xu Hei''s whole body was in agony, the pain of the scales falling off exceeding his imagination, but he endured it, smashing Mu Yun''s body into a pulp to ensure he was thoroughly dead.

    Then, Xu Hei picked up the ten scales one by one.

    Reattaching the scales was unrealistic; it was better to let them regrow.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and simply swallowed the scales, hoping they would regrow as he imagined.

    Xu Hei crawled to Mu Yun''s corpse, swallowed him whole, and took the Storage Bag, holding it in his mouth.

    With a wave of his Divine Sense, Xu Hei erased the imprint on the bag and imprinted his own.

    He took the nearly depleted Swift Wind Talismans and stored them in the bag, along with the Beast Control Ring.

    The spoils of war could be sorted outter.

    At this moment, Xu Hei looked at the dead snake head.

    The Old Snake King''s eyes were still open, all the venom in the poison sac gone, silently staring at Xu Hei.

    Looking at the snake head, Xu Hei suddenly felt as if struck by lightning, his whole body trembling.

    In an instant, a memory from three years ago surfaced in his mind.

    At that time, the Serpent Fruit had ripened, producing tworge fruits with a fragrant aroma.

    Xu Hei, not yet fully sentient, instinctively went to devour them.

    However, the overwhelming number of snakes attracted by the fruit''s scent made it impossible. Over half the snakes in Myriad Serpent Valley were drawn, and only two would be lucky enough to get the fruit.

    It was destined to be a brutal battle.

    But then, a deafening hiss rang out.

    The Old Snake King appeared, his presence overwhelming everything. All the snakes stopped fighting and prostrated themselves.

    Xu Hei, trembling with fear, didn''t dare move forward.

    At that moment, the Old Snake King looked at Xu Hei, a ck snake identical to himself. After a long gaze, the coldness in his eyes dissipated.

    The pressure on Xu Hei vanished without a trace.

    Xu Hei quickly went up and swallowed one of the Serpent Fruits.

    Under the Old Snake King''s protection, no snake dared to challenge him.

    Even during his transformation after consuming the Serpent Fruit, the Old Snake King guarded him until Xu Hei fully turned into a Snake Demon, then left peacefully.

    The memory from three years ago was very vague, something Xu Hei couldn''t recall, but now it all came back to him.

    It was like a human recalling memories from infancy, vague and fleeting, only surfacing at certain moments like a bolt of lightning.

    "Old Snake King, why did you treat me like this?"

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand.

    In his impression, snakes were cold and ruthless, even among their own kind, they would kill each other, the strong surviving.

    But the Old Snake King''s actions overturned this belief.

    Xu Hei stood still, lost in long silence, unable to let go.

    A sense of sorrow gradually filled his heart.

    This indescribable emotion slowly umted, eventually turning into overwhelming hatred.

    "Humans, Snake Catchers, I, Xu Hei, will never share the same sky with you!!"

 Chapter 21: The new Snake King, set off

    Chapter 21: The new Snake King, set off

    Outside Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Xu Hei dug arge pit and buried the corpse of the Old Snake King, cing arge stone as a marker.

    He was mimicking human customs, hoping that the Old Snake King could rest in peace and be reincarnated as a human in the next life, free from suffering.

    A snake''s life is short, barely over a decade. Even if the Old Snake King hadn''t died in battle, his lifespan was near its end.

    "Anything with intelligence cares about its offspring. I guess that''s why you gave me the Serpent Fruit," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He bowed three times to the stone.

    He didn''t know if the Old Snake King was his parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent, but he was certain that the Old Snake King was his predecessor.

    Without the Old Snake King, there would be no Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei returned underground, stored the Serpent Fruit tree in his storage bag, and left Myriad Serpent Valley, heading back to his own territory.Since the Snake Catchers had discovered Myriad Serpent Valley, he couldn''t stay there any longer.

    As for the fate of Myriad Serpent Valley, Xu Hei didn''t know. Snake Catchers captured countless snakes every year, and Myriad Serpent Valley, being rich in snakes, was likely to face a bloody disaster.

    Not long after Xu Hei left Myriad Serpent Valley, he suddenly noticed something.

    By a small stream ahead, a figurey motionless, covered in ck, with multiple snake bites on their body, on the brink of death.

    It was one of the two Snake Catchers who had escaped, Song Shiyu!

    Song Shiyuy on the ground, barely breathing.

    "It''s her?"

    A sh of murderous intent appeared in Xu Hei''s eyes, and he instinctively wanted to rush forward and devour her.

    But then he hesitated.

    "Why is she poisoned and lying here? Something''s off!"

    Xu Hei, always cautious, didn''t approach rashly.

    He extended his divine sense, covering the area like a web, scanning both above and below ground.

    His divine sense now covered an impressive ny meters, equivalent to thete Qi Refining Stage, but he found nothing unusual.

    There were no other people, no traps. Song Shiyu was indeed on the verge of death.

    "Could it be... Zhao Wenzhuo''s doing?" Xu Hei was shocked.

    He suddenly recalled a detail.

    Why was the Old Snake King''s head blocking the entrance to Myriad Serpent Valley, hidden by a tree in such a precise position?

    A snake''s head remains active for a long time after being severed. Snake Catchers wouldn''t make such a basic mistake!

    The body was taken away, leaving only the head, filled with venom. It was clearly intentional!

    The more Xu Hei thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.

    What was Zhao Wenzhuo up to? Why would he kill his senior brother and harm his senior sister?

    Killing Ding Hai could be seen as a conflict of interest, but how to exin this?

    Xu Hei even suspected that the Snake Catchers inside the octopus were also Zhao Wenzhuo''s doing!

    "What is he trying to achieve? Why is he doing this?"

    Xu Hei was increasingly shocked.

    At that moment, arge snake slithered over, biting Song Shiyu''s legs and starting to swallow her from the bottom up.

    Xu Hei observed for a moment and confirmed it wasn''t a trap.

    Song Shiyu was indeed close to death, but she seemed to have used a turtle breathing technique, sealing her heart and all her acupoints to prevent the venom from spreading.

    As a result, she couldn''t move and had entered a state of suspended animation.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment, then turned and left without approaching or taking the storage bag.

    The reason was simple: he didn''t know what tricks the other side might be ying.

    Since the woman wasn''t dead and still had a breath left, it meant Zhao Wenzhuo didn''t dare to kill her. If so, why should Xu Hei take the risk?

    If she had some kind of restrictive magical treasure that activated upon her death, he would be doomed without scales to protect him.

    Not long after Xu Hei left, there was a loud "boom" in the distance, as if something had exploded, sending up a hundred-foot-tall pir of fire.

    Xu Hei sighed and quickly moved away from the area.

    ...

    Outside Snake Vige, on a hill.

    There was a grave with two tombstones in front of it, surrounded by overgrown weeds.

    Zhao Wenzhuo knelt before the tombstones and kowtowed heavily three times.

    "Father, Mother, Little Sister, I am about to avenge you!"

    "Liu Tong, Chen Xue, Ding Hai, Song Shiyu, Mu Yun, they have all gone to apany you. Three more to go!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth, saying each word with determination, "Chen Daoling, and all his disciples, I won''t spare a single one!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo stood up and returned to the outskirts of Myriad Serpent Valley, his body covered in wounds.

    He released a venomous snake, which bit him. Before long, he copsed into unconsciousness.

    ...

    About half an hourter.

    Two figures descended outside Myriad Serpent Valley, an old man and a young one. The old man stared at the bloated python and sent out a sword light.

    "sh!"

    The python was cut in half, revealing the figure inside¡ªZhao Wenzhuo.

    The other person quickly checked him and sighed in relief, "That was close, he''s still alive. If we had been a momentter, he would have been beyond saving."

    The person took out a pill and fed it to Zhao Wenzhuo, simultaneously helping him circte his cultivation technique.

    Chen Daoling''s face was grim as he coldly said, "I want to see which demon caused me to lose two disciples!"

    He spread his divine sense, armed with a sharp sword, and stepped into Myriad Serpent Valley.

    ...

    The instigator, Xu Hei, after a long journey, returned to his mountain.

    This ce was located outside Snake Vige, in the mountains ten miles away, far from Myriad Serpent Valley. Even at Xu Hei''s speed, it took him two full days to climb.

    Back in his familiar territory, Xu Hei scanned with his divine sense and found all his prey still there, which made him sigh in relief.

    However, there were some wolf droppings on the ground, which made him frown slightly. But as long as there were no human footprints, he didn''t care.

    Xu Hei had no time to deal with it and immediately returned to the cave where he had hibernatedst winter.

    Back in the familiar dark environment, Xu Heipletely rxed.

    He then spat out the storage bag and extended his divine sense into it.

    He had already checked it once on the way, and now he took out arge handful of jade slips, more than a dozen in total, and examined them one by one with his divine sense.

    Instantly, streams of information flowed into Xu Hei''s mind.

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up.

    "Five Elements Spells: Fireball Technique, Water Bullet Technique."

    "Five Elements Escape Techniques: Earth Escape Technique, Water Escape Technique, Fire Escape Technique."

    "Basic Spells: Gravity Technique."

    "..."

    The information in the jade slips was all about cultivation spells.

    Xu Hei had learned a lot about these spells from the human knowledge he had acquired, but he didn''t have the specific cultivation steps.

    Now, all these steps were presented in the jade slips, ready for him to learn.

    Xu Hei''s physical body was already strong and fast. With the aid of spells, he didn''t believe the Snake Catchers could do anything to him!

    "The difference between me and a demonic beast is that I possess intelligenceparable to humans. Evenplex spells, I can learn!"

    "Once I master these spells, let''s see how the Snake Catchers can capture me!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were resolute. He would inherit the Old Snake King''s will.

    He had to survive, survive!

 Chapter 22: Uninvited guest in the mountains and forests

    Chapter 22: Uninvited guest in the mountains and forests

    In addition to the spell jade slip, the storage bag contained a few talismans, pills, a magical treasure, and a Serpent Fruit tree.

    There was also a scroll named the Myriad Serpent Record, which documented over ten thousand types of snakes and hundreds of snake demons, all encountered by snake catchers.

    Each snake''s characteristics were detailed meticulously.

    Xu Hei skimmed through it and found his own species.

    "ck Yin Snake, mildly venomous, prefers cool and shady environments, grows to two meters in adulthood, and can reach five meters when transformed into a snake demon..."

    "...The strongest ck Yin Snake encountered by snake catchers was a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage snake demon, reaching eighteen meters in length. It developed demon fire within its body, capable of spewing fire poison that kills upon contact!"

    "In the end, this snake was in by an elder and refined into a pill."

    Xu Hei was secretly shocked as he read this record.

    "So, I am a ck Yin Snake. However, I can''t find any record of the scales on my tail, not even in the Myriad Serpent Record."Xu Hei felt puzzled and, after a quick look, put the Myriad Serpent Record away.

    Two days had passed, and a new ck-gold scale had grown on his tail. It would take about half a month for all ten scales to grow.

    During this period, he didn''t n to go out.

    The storage bag contained food, pills, and other supplies to sustain him for some time.

    Although the Serpent Fruit tree had a broken branch and no leaves, it seemed not to be dead. Xu Hei nted it in a spot with soil.

    He had already erased the divine sense imprint on the Beast Control Ring and imprinted his own.

    After studying it for a long time, he discovered that as long as it was ced around the neck, it could control any living being, making them act ording to his will.

    Even humans were no exception.

    Of course, it could only control the physical body, not the mind.

    Finally, Xu Hei took out a golden jade slip.

    This jade slip was the only thing he couldn''t decipher. Even when he fully activated his divine sense, he couldn''t prate it, as if it was sealed.

    Xu Hei guessed that it probably contained the cultivation techniques of the snake catcher.

    Although he was very curious, to prevent any tracking or locating function, he directly shattered it with the scales on his tail.

    "Crack!"

    The jade slip broke, and a golden light dispersed, turning into nothingness.

    Xu Hei continued to attack the jade slip until it was ground into powder and threw it into the nearby pond.

    "First, I need to cultivate escape techniques like the Earth Escape Technique and Water Escape Technique, which can also be used for pursuit. These are my top priorities."

    "Second, the Fireball Technique for destroying evidence is my second priority."

    "Third, the Gravity Technique for retrieving items from a distance, so I don''t have to use my tail or mouth every time."

    Xu Hei formted a detailed cultivation n in his mind.

    As for the Wind de Technique, Thunder Strike Technique, and Turtle Breath Technique, they were advanced spells. The jade slip mentioned that they could only be cultivated in thete Qi Refining Stage, so Xu Hei didn''t consider them for now.

    Xu Heiy on a patch of soil, silently reciting incantations. Spiritual Qi flowed from his body along a specific route to his lower abdomen.

    "Earth Escape Technique!"

    With a thought, his lower abdomen sank an inch into the ground but could go no further.

    The first experiment yielded some results, and Xu Hei was delighted. He did have some talent.

    "It''s said that the Earth Escape Technique works better if you have an earth spiritual root. I wonder what my spiritual root is."

    Xu Hei had never tested his spiritual root and could only specte.

    ...

    A hundred miles away, in Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Chen Daoling appeared in Myriad Serpent Valley once again.

    This time, he had apass in his hand.

    Thispass had divination capabilities and was borrowed from a friend at the Astrology Bureau at great cost.

    Chen Daoling pointed at thepass, and a shadow of a ck snake was projected onto it.

    This ck snake shadow was drawn based on Zhao Wenzhuo''s divine sense and bore eighty percent of Xu Hei''s essence.

    Soon, thepass began to spin, round and round.

    Finally, the needle pointed in a direction, swaying back and forth, the amplitude getting smaller but never stopping.

    "If you had a fragment of its skin or blood, the uracy would be higher. With just a projection, even the Destiny Compass can''t perfectly locate it."

    Those were his friend''s words.

    Chen Daoling''s face immediately darkened.

    Next, he tried to locate the snake catcher''s spell jade slip but found it couldn''t be located, indicating it had been destroyed.

    "What a cautious demon. I refuse to believe I can''t find you!"

    Chen Daoling began searching Myriad Serpent Valley, hoping to find any leftover bloodstains.

    ...

    Unknowingly, a month passed.

    During this month, Xu Hei had been in seclusion, cultivating spells.

    Although his Earth Escape Technique hadn''t reached perfection, it had improved significantly. He could now move through the ground using pure magical power without moving his physical body.

    His speed was even faster than Mu Yun''s at that time.

    This made Xu Hei feelpletely at ease. In terms of cultivating Five Elements Spells, he was no worse than humans.

    However, Xu Hei also had a disadvantage: the amount of True Qi he had.

    He was only at the fourthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, just mid-stage. Such intense use of the Earth Escape Technique could only be maintained for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

    "The Earth Escape Technique is meant to be a trump card; it''s enough if it works," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    A month had passed, and the ten scales on his tail had regrown. After consuming arge number of pills, the eleventh scale was also in the process of transforming.

    He didn''t know when the next crisis woulde, so he had to be prepared at all times.

    As for the Fireball Technique, progress was slower.

    Xu Hei spent a week and only managed to form a small fireball the size of a palm, with no lethality.

    "Right, I remember seeing a red vine with strong fire attributes on my way back. I wonder if it will help with the Fireball Technique," Xu Hei thought.

    After more than a month in seclusion, he had almost exhausted his food and pills, leaving only a few for critical moments. It was time to go out and forage.

    Xu Hei left the cave for the first time and ventured into the outside world.

    It was now June, and the weather was getting hotter.

    After half a year of letting nature take its course, the species on the two mountains he controlled had gradually be more diverse. Xu Hei casually scanned the area and found a group of rock goats climbing a cliff.

    Such a steep location was to prevent predators from attacking.

    Xu Hei climbed the cliff, swallowed a goat, and quickly refined it with the Demon God Cauldron, expelling impurities.

    Now, he could control the Demon God Cauldron more freely.

    "Full and satisfied, time to check it out."

    Following the route in his memory, Xu Hei crawled towards his destination.

    The ce wasn''t far, just beyond the neighboring mountain. Xu Hei reached it in an hour.

    It was a bare rocky terrain with no shrubs nearby, making the temperature high. The red vine grew in the middle of the rocks, absorbing the high temperature from the surrounding hundred meters of sunlight.

    This was a mid-grade spirit medicine, the Earth me Vine, but Xu Hei didn''t know its name.

    Xu Hei initially wanted to use the Earth Escape Technique to get closer but found the rocks too hard to prate.

    "Screw it!"

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, spread his divine sense, and charged forward with all his might, turning into a ck streak heading for the Earth me Vine.

    "Roar!"

    Suddenly, a loud beast roar echoed from afar, and a silver figure sprinted towards him at high speed.

    Wherever there is spirit medicine, there must be a demonic beast guarding it.

 Chapter 23: Beast Control Ring: Taming the Wolf King

    Chapter 23: Beast Control Ring: Taming the Wolf King

    Xu Hei quickly spotted the demonic beast¡ªa demonic wolf, three meters long, asrge as a bull, with cultivation at the thirdyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    Apart from the demonic wolf, there was also a pack of ordinary wild wolves trailing behind it.

    Though the early Spirit Communion Stage was far inferior to Xu Hei, he still stopped cautiously, coiling into a defensive stance and concealing his aura.

    The demonic wolf halted nearby, not rushing forward recklessly.

    Its eyes gleamed like lightning, its fur was half ck and half white, and a crescent moon mark adorned its forehead.

    This was a Moon Cang Wolf, a mutation in the process of a wolf bing a demon.

    "Roar!" The demonic wolf let out a low growl.

    The wolf pack behind it immediately scattered, encircling the area from a distance, possibly to prevent Xu Hei from escaping or to guard against third-party interference.

    "They even know how to coordinate."Seeing this, Xu Hei felt a sudden pang of envy.

    The wolf king hesitated no longer and lunged at Xu Hei, aiming to bite him.

    Xu Hei sidestepped swiftly, noticing the crescent moon mark on the wolf king''s forehead flickering as it raised its ws to strike, sharp and fierce.

    In the void ahead, a pair of phantom wolf fangs appeared, snapping towards him from both sides.

    "It can use demonic spells?"

    Xu Hei was slightly taken aback. Demonic beasts capable of using spells usually had high intelligence, a rare sight.

    However, Xu Hei''s cultivation was a notch higher. He dodged swiftly as the wolf king spewed a mouthful of mes, covering a wide area.

    "Fire!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up.

    He was now certain that the red vine enhanced fire-based spells.

    Not wanting to get entangled, Xu Hei braved the mes, shing beneath the wolf king''s belly and headbutting upwards.

    "Thud!"

    Xu Hei''s head struck the wolf king''s stomach hard, sending it flying several meters into the air, spewing blood and crashing to the ground with a wretched cry.

    At this moment, the wolf king''s eyes showed fear. Like a dog with its tail between its legs, it turned to flee.

    This wolf had high intelligence and realized Xu Hei was not to be trifled with, decisively choosing to escape.

    The wolf pack, seeing their leader flee, howled mournfully and scattered like lost dogs.

    "Trying to escape?"

    Xu Hei spat out a golden ring¡ªthe Beast Control Ring.

    The ring shot out like lightning, transforming into a stream of light, hovering above the wolf king''s head, and quickly erging.

    "Bind!"

    Xu Hei activated his divine sense, and the ring instantly fell, locking around the wolf king''s neck, shrinking to secure it tightly.

    "Awooo!"

    The wolf king rolled on the ground, howling in pain.

    Xu Hei felt a strange sensation; his divine sense, through the Beast Control Ring, permeated the wolf king''s entire body, making him feel he could control every inch of it with a mere thought.

    "Come here."

    Xu Hei willed it, testing his control.

    The wolf king struggled to stand, unable to resist, and walked over to Xu Hei.

    "Bow down, lie down." Xu Heimanded again.

    The wolf king immediately bowed andy down, eyes filled with humiliation and deep fear.

    Xu Hei''s divine sense moved, issuing moremands.

    The wolf king performed various bizarre actions¡ªstanding up and walking like a human, crawling like a snake, or barking like a dog.

    Under divine sense control, the wolf king could perform any action.

    Initially, its eyes were filled with anger and shame, but gradually, it sank into deep fear, showing a pleading look and whimpering for mercy.

    "This Beast Control Ring is quite interesting!" Xu Hei''s heart surged.

    Previously, the demonic beasts he encountered were either identally killed by him or in by humans.

    But this wolf king was captured alive.

    If it posed a threat to Xu Hei, he would kill it without hesitation, but this wolf was clearly harmless now.

    Moreover, it had its value.

    "Summon your pack back." Xu Hei ordered.

    The wolf king understood and howled.

    Soon, the fleeing wolf pack returned, appearing all around.

    Because of Xu Hei''s presence, they dared not approach, eyes filled with fear, hiding behind the wolf king.

    "Guard the area within a five-mile radius, and forbid any creature from entering."

    Xu Heimanded, and the wolf king immediatelyplied, arranging the pack to guard various positions.

    Then, Xu Hei approached the Earth me Vine, inhaling its scent. A surge of scorching energy entered his body, raising his temperature.

    This was pure fire-based spiritual qi.

    Xu Hei''s eyes gleamed with excitement. Besides the Serpent Fruit tree branch, he hadn''t consumed any spirit medicine.

    Human pills were too mild, easy to absorb butcking this potent medicinal property.

    Xu Hei tore off a small piece and swallowed it.

    "¡­" The wolf king was dumbfounded.

    This scorching spirit medicine, it only dared to nibble on the surface slowly. This snake swallowed arge piece in one go, unafraid of being burned alive?

    "Boom!"

    The scorching energy rampaged within Xu Hei, causing a burning sensation in his meridians.

    He was certain that if a human consumed even a tiny bit, they would be burned alive instantly. Even the demonic wolf wouldn''t dare consume too much.

    "Demon God Cauldron, refine it!"

    Xu Hei activated the Demon God Cauldron, absorbing the small piece of vine and slowly refining it.

    During this process, Xu Hei''s body heated up rapidly, bing scorching hot like a furnace, and his cultivation level rose.

    The wolf king watched intently, hoping Xu Hei would be burned to death.

    But as time passed, Xu Hei not only survived but grew stronger, leaving the wolf king in shock.

    After half a day, Xu Hei finished refining the piece of vine.

    Xu Hei exhaled a breath of hot air, looked at a nearby rock, and with a thought, opened his mouth, casting the Fireball Technique.

    "Boom!!"

    A massive me spewed from his mouth, burning the rock into moltenva.

    The wolf king''s eyes nearly popped out.

    Is this a snake? This is a monster!

    It tried spitting a small me, only managing to scorch the ground slightly, nowhere near the same temperature.

    "Indeed, it enhances the Fireball Technique and improves my cultivation. This vine is quite long; I''ll eat another piece." Xu Hei tore off another piece and swallowed it.

    Seeing Xu Hei consume more vine, the wolf kingpletely abandoned any thoughts of resistance. This snake''s strength far exceeded its imagination.

 Chapter 24: The old black dog digs graves and steals corpses

    Chapter 24: The old ck dog digs graves and steals corpses

    In the days that followed, Xu Hei stayed there.

    Consuming too many vines at once had some side effects, making his entire body feel scorching hot, with smoke rising from his skin and a constant burning pain in his meridians.

    Xu Hei wasn''t afraid of pain, but he hated this relentless torment.

    He decided to consume the vines slowly.

    Xu Hei also discovered that, besides the rapid progress in his Fireball Technique, his Earth Escape Technique had also be more proficient, likely due to the enhancement of his True Qi.

    His eleventh scale had also grown out.

    During this time, the Wolf King always stayed by his side.

    At first, he needed the Beast Control Ring to manage it, butter, without Xu Hei''s control, a singlemand was enough for the Wolf King to obediently follow orders.

    asionally, it would even take the initiative to help hunt and bring back some food."I heard that dogs were domesticated from wolves. Can I domesticate one too?"

    Xu Hei thought of the Snake Catcher''s hunting dogs, incredibly loyal, protecting their master even unto death.

    But soon, Xu Hei abandoned this idea; he didn''t have the time to domesticate a demonic wolf. He preferred to trust the Beast Control Ring over loyalty.

    Half a monthter.

    Xu Hei hadpletely refined the entire vine, reaching the peak of the fourthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, not far from the fifthyer.

    The scales on his tail had grown to thirteen.

    There were still many vines underground, deeply rooted, but without absorbing sunlight from the surface, they couldn''t generate fire-type True Qi.

    Xu Hei didn''t destroy the roots, thinking that perhaps in a few decades, the vines would grow back, which wouldn''t be his concern.

    "Fireball Technique!"

    Xu Hei opened his mouth, condensing a pitch-ck me.

    This was the mutation that urred after consuming the vines.

    ording to the Myriad Serpent Record, the demonic fire of the ck Yin Snake was ck and usually only appeared after Foundation Establishment. Was Xu Hei an exception?

    He spat out the ck me, which burned arge pit five zhang wide into the mountain rock ahead, with magma flowing down.

    Satisfied with his handiwork, Xu Hei felt this trip was worthwhile.

    ncing at the Wolf King beside him, Xu Hei retracted the Beast Control Ring.

    "You''re free now."

    The Wolf King had guarded him day and night, keeping watch and helping with hunting. Though not very useful, it had earned some merit.

    In the end, Xu Hei let it go, turning to leave, nning to return to his territory.

    To his surprise, the Wolf King didn''t dare to run away, still following behind, along with its pack.

    Xu Hei ignored them, returning to his mountain, with the Wolf King trailing behind.

    He looked back at the Wolf King and said, "You''re really free. I won''t trouble you."

    After thinking for a moment, Xu Hei added, "Of course, you can continue to keep watch. If you spot any humans, let me know immediately, and I''ll reward you."

    With that, Xu Hei headed straight into the mountain, returning to his cave.

    The Wolf King waited for a long time until Xu Heipletely disappeared, then let out a low growl, eyes filled with joy andplexity, and quickly ran off.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wherever there are Spirit Medicines, there are always Demonic Beasts guarding them.

    On his way back, Xu Hei pondered this issue. He hadn''t returned for half a month; would the Serpent Tree he nted be guarded by a Demonic Beast?

    Xu Hei smiled wryly and shook his head. Even if there were a Demonic Beast, he had nothing to fear.

    Over time, Spirit Medicines naturally attract some Demonic Beasts to settle nearby, absorbing Spiritual Qi. It''s instinctual.

    As Xu Hei approached his cave, he indeed sensed a trace of Demonic Aura.

    "Huh?"

    Xu Hei let out a soft sound of surprise, quickly approaching and spreading his Divine Sense.

    He sensed a hint of battle.

    Xu Hei concealed his aura and quietly crawled into the cave, hiding in a shadow.

    By the Serpent Fruit tree, arge lizard was fighting a white snake. Both were Demonic Beasts, at the early Spirit Communion Stage.

    To Xu Hei''s surprise, he recognized the white snake.

    It was the one he was very familiar with from Myriad Serpent Valley.

    "She''s a Demonic Beast?" Xu Hei was astonished.

    The white snake was still the same, slightly small, only about a meter long, a tiny thingpared to the giant lizard.

    Xu Hei thought the white snake would be devoured.

    But then he saw the giant lizard copse, twitching and dying from poison.

    "..." Xu Hei was speechless.

    He had never used poison for hunting, yet the white snake''s venom was so potent.

    He suddenly thought of the Old Snake King''s poison.

    Could this white snake be a descendant of the Old Snake King? Did she consume the second Serpent Fruit?

    These were all spections, but Xu Hei quickly found the answer.

    The white snakey under the Serpent Fruit tree, starting a Breathing Exercise, the same technique Xu Hei had used in Myriad Serpent Valley.

    "This..."

    Xu Hei was dumbfounded. The white snake had followed him and even learned the Breathing Exercise. What kind of talent was this?

    Suddenly, the white snake seemed to sense something, turning its head to see Xu Hei''s eyes in the shadows.

    Without hesitation, the white snake turned and fled out of the cave.

    "High intelligence, highly alert, talented, and learned Breathing Exercise..."

    Xu Hei''s mind stirred, and the Beast Control Ring flew out, encircling her neck and bringing her back.

    Only then did Xu Hei crawl out from the shadows, revealing himself.

    The white snake hesitated, clearly recognizing Xu Hei.

    "What''s your rtion to the Old Snake King?" Xu Hei asked, knowing she could understand him.

    The white snake flicked its tongue, indicating it was a descendant.

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened. "So, you are indeed a descendant of the Old Snake King. I am also a descendant of the Old Snake King. What does that make us..."

    Xu Hei fell silent.

    In the past, he would kill any intruders without mercy, but he thought of the Old Snake King.

    "In honor of the Old Snake King, I''ll spare you. You can stay here and cultivate."

    The Old Snake King''s gift of the Serpent Fruit had made Xu Hei what he was today.

    This was a word unknown to snakes¡ªinheritance.

    Inheritance was a flourishing concept in the human world: family inheritance, sect inheritance, national inheritance... It was inheritance that kept humanity thriving.

    The white snake nodded, pondered for a moment, and then drew a human figure on the ground.

    "Human?" Xu Hei''s body trembled, staring at the white snake.

    The white snake then drew an arrow pointing at Xu Hei.

    Seeing this symbol, Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold. He tentatively asked, "Humans are looking for me?"

    The white snake nodded.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for the warning."

    Xu Hei moved the lizard''s corpse over, dividing it into several parts for the white snake to consume.

    Then he said, "I''m going out for a while. Cultivate well and don''t go outside."

    The white snake nodded obediently.

    Xu Hei retracted the Beast Control Ring and left the cave. He had long anticipated this day, just not so soon.

    Humans were not as easy to deal with as Demonic Beasts; he needed a meticulous n.

    With his current strength, Xu Hei couldn''t guarantee victory in every battle. He had to rely on favorable terrain and environment.

    If he couldn''t win, he would have to flee.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Thirty li away, on a rocky mountain.

    This was where Xu Hei had previously consumed the Earth me Vine.

    An old man in a Daoist robe and a young Snake Catcher arrived there.

    Chen Daoling held apass, staring at the Earth me Vine''s location, and murmured, "It''s close. I can feel it; he''s nearby!"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Three dayster.

    Xu Hei had scouted the area, finding some treacherous spots to set traps.

    He also located some Demonic Beast territories.

    He nned to lure humans to the Demonic Beasts, but those beasts were too weak to be of much use, so he had to rely on himself.

    "If worstes to worst, I''ll hide in the river and swim as far as I can."

    Xu Hei had developed a sense of belonging to thisnd. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn''t want to move to an unfamiliar ce.

    During this time, Xu Hei hadn''t neglected his spells and had learned the Gravity Technique.

    From two meters away, he could retrieve objects, bringing them to his hand.

    "Hmm? Demonic Aura!"

    One day, Xu Hei suddenly smelled a strong Demonic Aura.

    His eyes shed, and he quickly crawled over.

    This was the strongest Demonic Aura he had ever encountered, indicating a powerful opponent.

    What puzzled Xu Hei was that the Demonic Aura came from near Snake Vige!

    That was a ce where humans lived!

    Before long, Xu Hei arrived at a grave.

    He focused his gaze and saw that the grave had been dug out, leaving arge pit.

    A huge ck dog was holding a human skull, jumping out of the pit and gnawing on it, making crunching sounds.

    The dog was pitch ck, shiny, with a bare tail, and its eyes glowed with malevolence.

    Just looking at it made Xu Hei''s heart race.

    "Digging up graves and eating corpses, my goodness! It''s even more savage than me!" Xu Hei was secretly shocked.

 Chapter 25: The Heavenly Master is hunting me down

    Chapter 25: The Heavenly Master is hunting me down

    The old dog couldn''t remember when he first became enlightened.

    He only remembered that he was a notorious vicious dog around Snake Vige, infamous for stealing food from beggars, biting many people, and even eating corpses. He was a tyrant among the wild dogs.

    He couldn''t recall exactly how many corpses he had eaten, but he remembered two people clearly.

    It was in an abandoned temple, where a man and a woman were ced on the tribute table.

    Since then, he had be enlightened and often gained some human knowledge.

    "Heh, so humans hide their dead in graves. What a waste."

    The old dog was very excited and started digging graves and stealing corpses, always reaping some rewards.

    Especiallyst winter, when thirty people in the vige died at once, he couldn''t dig up the graves fast enough.

    However, over time, he was discovered, and the authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, indirectly leading to the ughter of all the wild dogs in the nearby viges.The old dog narrowly escaped, but he no longer dared to enter the vige and had to survive by digging up wild graves.

    "I heard there''s a new cemetery outside Chen Family Town. I''ll check it out someday," the old dog thought to himself.

    Suddenly, his gaze shifted to a patch of grass, and he sniffed with his dog nose.

    "A snake?"

    He vaguely caught the scent of a snake.

    These days, he had eaten snakes before, but the old dog had an extremely keen sense of danger. His scalp tingled, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

    "Danger, run!"

    The old dog trusted his instinctspletely, which was why he had repeatedly escaped the authorities'' hunts!

    Without hesitation, he bolted, not even bothering with the human bones.

    "Why did it run away?"

    Xu Hei, hiding in the shadows, watched in amazement.

    Xu Hei was certain he was a hundred meters away from the big ck dog and hadn''t shown himself. There was no way the dog could have detected him.

    "Is its nose that sensitive? Let''s follow and see."

    Xu Hei immediately used the Earth Escape Technique to pursue.

    Having lived in Snake Vige for many years, Xu Hei had a keen eye.

    This ck dog was clearly not a wild survivor but a stray dog from a human city, living off human scraps.

    Yet, this stray dog had evolved into a dog demon with such keen senses, which surprised Xu Hei.

    What surprised Xu Hei even more was what happened next.

    The big ck dog seemed to sense Xu Hei''s pursuit, quickening its pace and constantly changing directions, trying to shake him off.

    To think, Xu Hei was underground, and the dog could still smell him?

    The old dog rushed to a steep slope, leaped, and rolled down like a ball, increasing its speed.

    Xu Hei also sped up, chasing closely.

    The old dog felt Xu Hei getting closer, and goosebumps rose all over his body. Uponnding, he opened his mouth wide and shouted:

    "Help! Murder! A snake demon is killing people!"

    The old dog opened his mouth and, surprisingly, spoke humannguage, screaming continuously.

    The sound was extremely sharp, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves, immediately attracting the attention of distant vigers.

    "Damn!"

    Xu Hei almost cursed.

    He had heard of parrots mimicking speech, but a dog? And asking humans for help? What kind of trick was this?

    Seeing the ck dog escape into the vigers'' sight, Xu Hei immediately stopped and ceased his pursuit.

    With his speed, he could catch up and capture the big ck dog, but it wasn''t worth the risk. He was only curious about the dog.

    "Look, it''s that ck dog!"

    "The one that digs up graves?"

    "Damn it! Stop right there!"

    Two vigers, seeing this, immediately grabbed their hoes and rushed over. The big ck dog, sensing danger, turned and fled without fighting back.

    In truth, with the old dog''s strength, killing a few people would be easy, but he had only ever eaten the dead and never killed the living.

    The old dog was smart. If hemitted murder, it wouldn''t just be a few soldiers after him; even the Astrology Bureau would get involved.

    Xu Hei, watching from a distant hill, saw the big ck dog being chased into the alleys of Snake Vige and fell into deep thought.

    "This old ck dog seems famous? Howe I''ve never heard of it before? Did it just appear this year?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    Clearly, this old dog, like him, had also be enlightened and highly intelligent. Xu Hei had never seen another enlightened demon besides himself.

    Why did this happen? What did he and the old dog have inmon?

    Could it be that the old dog also ate some kind of human elixir?

    Xu Hei immediately thought of something and shook his head.

    "No! It shouldn''t be the human elixir. That elixir was just a breakthrough pill for Taoists, nothing rare. There must be another reason!"

    Xu Hei seriously suspected that his enlightenment was due to some other cause!

    It was this cause that led to the ck dog''s enlightenment as well!

    Xu Hei thought hard but couldn''t figure it out for now. He could only capture the big ck dog and ask.

    But the big ck dog had hidden in Snake Vige and hadn''t shown any movement. Xu Hei didn''t know which direction it woulde out from, making him a bit frustrated.

    Should he chase into Snake Vige and capture the dog in the street?

    With the dog''s cunning nature, it would definitely shout and attract a crowd, possibly even the attention of the Astrology Bureau.

    That was an Imperial Court organization, far more formidable than the Snake Catchers. Xu Hei wouldn''t dare provoke the Astrology Bureau even with a hundred times his courage.

    "Hmph, you like digging graves? I''ll just wait by a grave for you to take the bait!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the mountains, outside Xu Hei''s territory.

    Two figures, one in front and one behind, reached the border of two mountain peaks. They were Chen Daoling and Mu Lei.

    Chen Daoling held apass, squinting his eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, there''s a snake demon''s aura here."

    As a veteran Snake Catcher, he had spent his life dealing with snake demons. Sometimes, just a nce or a sniff was enough to distinguish a snake demon''s scent from countless demonic beasts.

    At this moment, his gaze shifted to the side, where arge pack of wolves was rushing out of the forest, quickly surrounding the two of them.

    Behind the wolf pack stood a tall Moon Cang Wolf, its fur ck and white, with a crescent moon mark on its forehead, staring intently at the two men.

    "Howl!" The wolf king roared.

    The wolf pack immediately charged, attacking the two men.

    Chen Daoling stood with his hands behind his back, unmoving.

    Mu Lei took out a palm-sized thunder seal and pointed it with his hand. A bolt of lightning shot out from the seal, striking the center of the wolf pack.

    "Boom!!!"

    The thunder exploded, instantly sting five wolves away, their bodies turning ck. Two of them turned to ashes on the spot, leaving no trace.

    Seeing this, the wolf king was terrified and turned to flee without hesitation.

    "Die!"

    Mu Lei shouted coldly, pointing the thunder seal again. Another bolt of lightning shot out, chasing after the wolf king.

    The wolf king reached the edge of a cliff and leaped off. The lightning exploded three inches behind him, sting his tail clean off. A wail echoed as he fell.

    Mu Lei walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The wolf kingy at the bottom, crippled if not dead.

    He hesitated for a moment but decided not to pursue.

    "Let''s go. I can feel the Flood Dragon''sir is nearby," Chen Daoling said, looking at thepass in his hand.

    "Yes!" Mu Lei responded excitedly, sping his fists.

 Chapter 26: Somewhat smart but not much

    Chapter 26: Somewhat smart but not much

    At the foot of the cliff, the wolf king, whose tail had been burned off, endured the excruciating pain and struggled to stand up, his eyes filled with sorrow and anger.

    The wolf pack was dead, and his tail was severed¡ªall because of that damned human!

    He wanted revenge, but he was powerless. The human was too strong, so strong it made him despair.

    At that moment, he suddenly remembered the order Xu Hei had given him¡ª

    "If you see any sign of humans, report to me immediately!"

    The wolf king hadn''t taken the order seriously before, but now, it was the only thought in his mind.

    "Snake, I need to find the snake!"

    The wolf king stood up, quickly gathered the remaining wolves, and issued the order to find Xu Hei.

    The wolf pack scattered, searching the mountains and fields.¡­¡­¡­¡­

    These days, Xu Hei had been restless, unable to find peace. Even when practicing spells, he couldn''t calm his mind.

    It felt as if something significant was about to happen, making it impossible for him to stayposed.

    Xu Hei wandered around the mountains, catching two wild animals, but the feeling only grew stronger.

    The birds in the sky and the beasts on the ground all showed signs of panic, as if they had been severely frightened.

    Such panic only urred during torrential rains and thunderstorms, as wild animals were most afraid of the power of heavenly thunder.

    "Something''s wrong."

    Xu Hei had a foreboding feeling.

    At that moment, a gray wolf spotted him from a distance and immediately turned to leave.

    Not long after the gray wolf left, Xu Hei heard a loud howl in the distance.

    He saw an injured Moon Cang Wolf running towards him, panting heavily¡ªit was the wolf king.

    The wolf king was charred all over, his tail bare. Upon seeing Xu Hei, he ran over like he had found a family member, letting out sharp cries, his eyes filled with panic, as if trying to convey something.

    "Someone''sing?" Xu Hei asked.

    "Howl!" The wolf king nodded quickly.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment, then chose not to flee but to rush towards his own territory.

    Sure enough, the snake catchers hade. They had their own methods of finding snakes, even knowing them better than the snakes themselves. Xu Hei couldn''t hide from them.

    There was no one-size-fits-all solution.

    If he didn''t want to abandon his territory, there was only one way¡ªkill all the intruders!

    Of course, Xu Hei wasn''t a reckless snake. If he couldn''t win, he would escape immediately and had already nned his escape route.

    Led by the wolf king, Xu Hei returned to the scene of the incident.

    On the ground, there were scorch marks and faint waves of spiritual energy.

    "The intruder is not weak. The power of this strike is about half of my Fireball Technique," Xu Hei estimated silently.

    This person''s strength should be simr to Mu Yun''s.

    But since Xu Hei had killed Mu Yun, the other side wouldn''t just send someone of Mu Yun''s level. There must be someone stronger.

    Xu Hei immediately spread his divine sense and rushed towards the cave, hoping that the Serpent Fruit tree and the little white snake inside were safe.

    For the first time, Xu Hei was concerned about someone else''s safety.

    As Xu Hei approached, his divine sense suddenly touched another divine sense.

    The owner of that divine sense trembled and quickly approached, arriving in a few shes. The person was young, dressed in a ck python robe, holding a thunder seal¡ªit was Mu Lei.

    The moment he saw Xu Hei, Mu Lei didn''t say a word. He pointed the thunder seal at him.

    "Whoosh!"

    A bolt of lightning shot towards Xu Hei, who quickly burrowed into the ground. The lightning struck the ground, creating a ten-meter-wide crater.

    Such a scene surprised Xu Hei. This person''s cultivation was simr to Mu Yun''s, but the power of this magical treasure was far beyond Mu Yun''s.

    "Is it you, this little eel, who killed my brother?"

    Mu Lei looked down on him.

    A Flood Dragon? It didn''t look like one at all. Could it be a mistake? This was clearly a ck Yin Snake!

    He had been guarding the ce under his master''s orders, waiting for the prey toe, while his master used apass to search the perimeter.

    And he had indeed waited!

    For his safety, Chen Daoling had given him many defensive magical treasures, with multipleyers of protection, making it impossible for him to meet the same fate as Mu Yun.

    But to be safe, he still took out amunication jade talisman, intending to throw it into the sky.

    Suddenly, his eyes widened.

    Xu Hei turned and fled without hesitation, rushing down the mountain.

    "Escaped?"

    Mu Lei was stunned. The snake actually escaped?

    "Master instructed me not to be impulsive when I see you, to dy for a stick of incense''s time, and he would arrive."

    Mu Lei''s eyes flickered. It was said to be for his safety, to avoid being killed by the snake demon.

    But now, this snake was only at the fourth level of the Spirit Communion Stage, two levels below him. How could it kill him when it was fleeing at the sight of him?

    As a snake catcher, killing a snake demon of the same realm was a basic skill. If he couldn''t even do that, he shouldn''t be called a snake catcher.

    Not to mention, he was two levels higher.

    "Could it be as Junior Brother Zhao said, this snake demon is extremely cunning, possessed by a great power, capable of fighting above its level, deliberately showing weakness to lure the opponent into pursuit, and then counterattacking?"

    Mu Lei''s contempt turned into a sense of caution.

    He took a few steps back, hid behind a tree, activated themunication jade talisman, and silently threw it into the distance.

    Then, he returned to his original spot, feigning arrogance, and shouted, "A mere fourth-level Spirit Communion Stage beast, and you need my master? I can kill you myself!"

    He chased in the direction Xu Hei had fled.

    Mu Lei was certain that the opponent hadn''t escaped and was waiting for him somewhere.

    His brother, at the peak of the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage, couldn''t have been killed by a fourth-level beast. The opponent must have used despicable means!

    Today, those despicable means would be useless against him. He would use all his trump cards!

    At the same time, he had already informed Chen Daoling. With his master handling it, the snake demon couldn''t escape!

    "Come out, I found you!"

    His divine sense quickly locked onto Xu Hei, who was rapidly moving underground.

    Mu Lei''s eyes shed. He took out two talismans and stuck them on his legs, then used the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground, chasing after Xu Hei.

    He seemed to be chasing at full speed, but in reality, he was only using half his speed, keeping the other half in reserve.

    Simrly, Xu Hei wasn''t fleeing at full speed either, using only a fraction of his speed and not even employing the Earth Escape Technique, deliberately leading the opponent on.

    "This person''s speed is so slow, not even half of Mu Yun''s. He''s clearly pretending to be weak!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    This kid looked young but was very cunning, not as easy to fool as Mu Yun.

    As for his earlier posturing, saying he didn''t need his master and could handle it himself, it was clearly a case of "no silver here."

    Most likely, his master would arrive soon.

 Chapter 27: Rocks crushed the master

    Chapter 27: Rocks crushed the master

    Since there were other hidden experts around who could arrive at any moment, Xu Hei immediately decided to stop engaging with this person and escape directly.

    Xu Hei increased his speed to fifty percent, quickly widening the distance between them.

    Without using the Earth Escape Technique, this was already his full speed!

    Mu Lei, who was chasing from behind, suddenly had a change in expression.

    "Is he really going to escape?"

    Mu Lei was anxious. He had hoped that the other party would stay and fight him, giving him a chance to hold him back.

    But Xu Hei didn''t even try to test him and fled at full speed,pletely beyond his expectations, rendering all his preparations useless!

    "Stop right there!"

    Mu Lei pointed his thunder seal, sending out a bolt of lightning that sted arge pit in the ground ahead, but Xu Hei had already disappeared from sight."Chase him!"

    Mu Lei gritted his teeth and used the Earth Escape Technique with all his might, pursuing forward.

    Under Mu Lei''s full-speed chase, the distance between them finally began to close, but it was consuming a lot of his energy.

    "You little brat, do you really think you can escape? If you have the guts, stay and fight me! I don''t even need a magical treasure to kill you!"

    Mu Lei cursed from a distance, not caring whether Xu Hei could hear him or not.

    Xu Hei sneered inwardly. If the opponent had maintained fifty percent speed, he would never have counterattacked and would have immediately fled.

    But full-speed pursuit was different; it meant leaving no room for retreat.

    "You''re courting death!"

    Xu Hei suddenly stopped, using the Earth Escape Technique to eliminate inertia, then turned and charged directly at Mu Lei.

    His speed was unbelievably fast, almost twice that of Mu Lei!

    "What!"

    Mu Lei was shocked, but he reacted quickly, pointing his thunder seal and sending out a bolt of lightning that sted arge pit ahead, dirt flying and creating a hollow space.

    "Boom!!!"

    The lightning was so close that not only did Xu Hei get struck, but even Mu Lei was affected, spitting blood and being thrown back,nding in the scorched earth.

    A deep pit, thirty meters wide, had appeared.

    Mu Lei immediately looked up ahead.

    He saw Xu Hei standing quietly in the hollow space, his body charred ck, surrounded by a shattered golden light shield, the golden shield talisman.

    However, the golden shield talisman clearly couldn''t block all the lightning.

    Mu Lei''s face darkened, and he was about to activate the thunder seal again.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei opened his mouth, and a dense ck me shot towards Mu Lei''s face.

    Fireball Technique!

    This simple basic spell, in Xu Hei''s hands, disyed an unimaginable power. As the ck fire emerged, the air twisted, and the dirt melted intova, like hellfire, sweeping towards Mu Lei.

    "What kind of sorcery is this?!"

    Mu Lei was horrified, as if he had seen a ghost. He instantly took out a jade pendant and held it in front of him.

    "Gravity Technique!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were bloodshot, and he shouted inwardly. The Gravity Technique descended, acting on the jade pendant in Mu Lei''s hand.

    Mu Lei felt a thousand-pound force pressing down, causing the jade pendant to deviate from its position and slip from his hand.

    Everything happened too fast, too fast for Mu Lei to think or grab the jade pendant, and the Fireball Technique had already arrived.

    "Boom!!"

    The mes surged, igniting a fifteen-meter-wide ck fire,pletely melting the dirt behind Mu Lei, withva flowing out. Mu Lei let out a piercing scream.

    Hearing this scream, Xu Hei didn''t feel any joy; instead, his face darkened.

    Being able to scream meant he wasn''t dead!

    Sure enough, Xu Hei focused his gaze and saw the jade pendant shattered, forming a soft white light shield that protected Mu Lei''s body.

    However, the jade pendant''s position had deviated slightly, and the light shield didn''t fully protect Mu Lei''s body.

    His left arm, left shoulder, and part of his body were outside the light shield,pletely melted in the mes, burned to nothingness.

    All of this was caused by the slight deviation of the jade pendant, with Xu Hei''s Gravity Technique ying a crucial role. Otherwise, Mu Lei might have been unharmed.

    "Damn, just a bit more!"

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly. He had only practiced the Gravity Technique for three days. Given another week, he could definitely move the jade pendantpletely.

    Having failed to kill in one strike, Xu Hei didn''t hesitate, immediately grabbing Mu Lei''s storage bag and diving into the earth to escape.

    Three breaths after Xu Hei left.

    An old man, burning with a blood-red aura, descended into the pit. He nced at the severely injured Mu Lei, his face expressionless, and helped him up.

    "It''s all my fault. I failed to protect you."

    Chen Daoling, with a nk expression, gave Mu Lei a pill and carried him on his back.

    "Don''t worry, I will avenge you!"

    Chen Daoling shed and dove into the earth, chasing forward.

    His Divine Sense spread out, instantly covering over a hundred meters, quickly locking onto the rapidly fleeing Xu Hei.

    For the first time, Xu Hei felt the other party could detect him while he couldn''t detect the other party, feeling a Divine Sense collide with his, filled with murderous intent.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense could reach ny meters, indicating the other party''s Divine Sense exceeded a hundred meters.

    "A Divine Sense over a hundred meters, what level of cultivation is this?"

    Xu Hei''s mind raced.

    Such a Divine Sense had surpassed thete Qi Refining Stage, likely an old monster who had been stuck at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage for countless years.

    As for Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei believed he couldn''t provoke such an existence yet.

    "Young one, I underestimated you. I left my disciple with so many life-saving treasures and repeatedly warned him not to underestimate you, yet he was still almost killed."

    "If you surrender, you can keep your life."

    From afar, Chen Daoling''s Divine Sense transmitted.

    Xu Hei treated these words as nonsense, without any intention of mocking. Under the dual effects of the Earth Escape Technique and his physical strength, he fled forward at unprecedented speed.

    "Eh? You actually mastered the Earth Escape Technique, how strange!"

    Chen Daoling was inwardly surprised.

    His speed also suddenly increased. Chen Daoling had practiced for many years, mastering the Earth Escape Technique to a level far beyond ordinary people.

    Under his full-speed pursuit, even Xu Hei could clearly feel the distance closing.

    Not only was speed an issue, but True Qi consumption was also a major problem.

    Xu Hei had been continuously using spells, and with his current True Qi, he could only sustain it for half an incense stick''s time!

    Soon, Xu Hei''s Divine Sense could already capture the other party, an old man in a Daoist robe, with the injured Mu Lei on his back.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, and he changed direction, heading towards arge mountain.

    Ny meters, eighty meters, seventy meters...

    Before long, the distance between them was only fifty meters.

    At this moment, a rocky area appeared ahead, full of hard granite.

    In such terrain, the Earth Escape Technique was difficult to use. Xu Hei immediately emerged from the ground, his figure shing towards the cliff above.

    The next second, Chen Daoling also emerged from the ground, his eyes narrowing. He was in a canyon, with towering cliffs on both sides.

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, it sounded like an explosion overhead, smoke filled the air, and the canyon shook.

    Immediately, countless rocks fell from the cliffs on both sides, crashing towards Chen Daoling.

    "Not good!"

    Chen Daoling''s face changed, hurriedly dodging back, but more and more rocks kept falling, blocking his retreatpletely.

 Chapter 28: Xu Hei Returns to the Mountain God Temple

    Chapter 28: Xu Hei Returns to the Mountain God Temple

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Boulders fell, crashing onto his head, arms, and back. Yet, a golden aura rose from Chen Daoling''s body, stic and resilient, causing the boulders to bounce off upon impact.

    "A protective magical treasure, huh? Let''s see how you protect yourself when buried under a hundredyers!"

    Xu Hei continuously detonated talismans, hurling rocks down, covering Chen Daoling''s rocky exterior with anotheryer of stone, and then another. Hundreds ofrge boulders fell in unison, creating a spectacr scene.

    The rumbling sound persisted without end.

    Soon, Chen Daoling was buried under countless stones,pletely submerged.

    This canyon was a treacherous spot Xu Hei had scouted for a long time.

    A month ago, he had already envisioned encountering a formidable enemy, slower than himself. How would he escape?

    From Mu Yun, he had scavenged many talismans, mostly mid-level, barely effective against mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, and almost useless againstte-stage ones.Such talismans were useless to Xu Hei, so he used them all to attack the rocks.

    As long as there were enough stones, even if you were at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining, what could you do? A mortal body, you can''t escape being crushed!

    After detonating all the talismans, endless stones fell, crashing down like an earthquake, dust rising, mountains shaking, as if a great mountain had copsed.

    After finishing, Xu Hei didn''t care about the other''s fate and immediately dashed down the mountain, fleeing at full speed.

    Xu Hei estimated that such power could likely kill even a Great Perfection Qi Refining cultivator on the spot, but he didn''t dare to take the risk and gamble. He fled first.

    After Xu Hei escaped, the ce gradually calmed down, the canyonpletely blocked by rubble.

    Who knows how much time passed.

    Suddenly, the rubble began to tremble, crackingyer byyer like an eggshell, turning into powder.

    A figure, burning with a blood-red me, slowly emerged from the rubble.

    It was Chen Daoling. The blood-red mes on his body burned even more fiercely, his white hair fluttering without wind, his eyes blood-red.

    At this moment, Chen Daoling''s aura had surpassed the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining, reaching the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

    Behind him, Mu Lei was bleeding from the head, barely breathing. His previously stabilized injuries had been aggravated by the falling rocks, and he might not survive much longer.

    Chen Daoling''s hatred for Xu Hei was beyond words.

    A mere fourthyer Spirit Communion snake had such cunning, setting up a rock trap, not only killing his disciple but almost causing his own death.

    If not for the Divine Pill left by his grandmaster, which could boost his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment level at the cost of twenty years of lifespan, he wouldn''t have escaped.

    Even if not crushed to death, he could have suffocated or starved.

    He had underestimated that snake!

    "I don''t care what kind of demon you are, today, I, Chen Daoling, will skin you alive, extract your tendons, and refine your bones!!!"

    Chen Daoling was furious. Without further ado, he leaped and sped in a certain direction. The powerful spiritual vortex lifted him into the air, flying faster than before.

    At this moment, he was deeply wary of Xu Hei. If this snake wasn''t eliminated, it would be a major threat to all snake catchers!

    In almost an instant, Chen Daoling crossed a thousand feet, his eagle-like eyes scanning below.

    After several searches, he couldn''t find Xu Hei.

    "I''ve collected your demonic aura; you can''t escape!"

    Chen Daoling remained calm, taking out apass and injecting a strand of demonic aura into it. Thepass immediately spun, pointing in a direction.

    Chen Daoling changed direction, chasing after it.

    Soon, he locked onto a figure fleeing towards the river.

    "You can''t escape!"

    Chen Daoling''s eyes were cold as he dived towards Xu Hei, who was desperately running towards the river, already at the riverbank.

    When the distance between them reached a hundred feet, Chen Daoling clenched his fist from afar.

    Instantly, Xu Hei felt as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on him, his bones creaking, unable to move.

    "This is the Gravity Technique!"

    Xu Hei was horrified. Such a small Gravity Technique had such power in the hands of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    This wasn''t even a true Foundation Establishment, but one boosted by secret pills, yet it had such might. If it were a true Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei had no doubt his body would shatter.

    Seeing Xu Hei immobilized, Chen Daoling sneered and stepped forward.

    Suddenly, his foot seemed to trigger a thin wire.

    "Whoosh!"

    A sapling beside him suddenly sprang up, shooting a dart straight at Chen Daoling''s face.

    Chen Daoling looked disdainful, raised his hand to use the Gravity Technique to intercept the dart.

    However, the dart was unaffected, instantly reaching his face at incredible speed.

    Chen Daoling, shocked, dodged sideways but was still grazed on the neck, even tearing arge gash in his protective True Qi, ignoring all defenses!

    The dart fell to the ground, and Xu Hei swallowed it in one gulp, diving into the river and disappearing.

    Chen Daoling touched the trickle of blood on his neck, his expression uncertain.

    "What was that hidden weapon?"

    The incident happened so fast, he only vaguely remembered it seemed to be a ck-gold scale?

    Chen Daoling''s chest heaved, his face twisted, feeling an unprecedented humiliation.

    Being ambushed at the Great Perfection stage of Qi Refining was one thing, but even at Foundation Establishment, he was ambushed. If he hadn''t dodged in time, he might have lost his life.

    This only intensified his killing intent.

    Such a cunning and sly demon, if allowed to grow, would undoubtedly lead to the extinction of snake catchers!

    He couldn''t leave any future troubles. Even at great cost, he had to kill this snake!

    "I said, even if you hide at the ends of the earth, it won''t matter!"

    Chen Daoling took out thepass again, injecting Xu Hei''s aura into it. Thepass immediately spun, pointing in a direction.

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei was underwater, frantically swimming downstream.

    It was a pity. If he had known, he would have set ten scale darts, shooting them all at once. He didn''t believe the other wouldn''t die. But Xu Hei couldn''t risk everything, as he wasn''t sure the other would fall for it.

    This great river was also a pre-nned escape route, with turbulent currents and countless whirlpools, difficult for humans to navigate, easily swept away by the water.

    However, for powerful cultivators, the impact was minimal.

    Xu Hei had already overestimated the opponent, but still faced the worst situation.

    A Foundation Establishment cultivator was not someone he wanted to provoke unless absolutely necessary.

    However, snake catchers and snakes were mortal enemies. This day woulde sooner orter.

    Fate was like this. No matter how cautious Xu Hei was, he couldn''t escape!

    The only fortunate thing was that the opponent was only at Foundation Establishment in cultivation, not in Divine Sense. Foundation Establishment Divine Sense could extend for miles, making everything visible.

    "The opponent has cultivated for over a hundred years and surely knows the Water Escape Technique. I can''t stay in the water; I must get ashore..."

    Xu Hei knew it was only a matter of time before the opponent found his location. So, where should he escape to?

    Being hunted by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, where was his way out?

    Xu Hei''s mind raced, and unconsciously, he had moved a thousand meters.

    At this time, his Divine Sense saw the Dragon King Temple by the river, with vigers from Chen Family Town burning incense and worshiping.

    A sh of inspiration struck Xu Hei''s mind, and he couldn''t help but think of a ce.

    ¡ªThe Mountain God Temple!

    Xu Hei had his awakening in the Mountain God Temple, and it had also helped him resolve Chen Fan''s inner demon.

    Xu Hei had pondered many questions over a year of cultivation. That Mountain God Temple was definitely not a simple ce!

    Perhaps, Big ck''s awakening was also rted to the Mountain God Temple. Back then, Xu Hei had left two corpses there.

    "The Mountain God Temple is two miles outside Chen Family Town, and Chen Family Town is nearby."

    Xu Hei''s heart raced. This was fate.

    Xu Hei didn''t act immediately. He calmed down in the water, took a pill from his storage bag, and then leaned against the riverbank.

    "Go!"

    Xu Hei used the Earth Escape Technique, rushing towards his destination.

    At this moment, he unleashed unprecedented speed, his blood starting to burn, like an underground earth dragon, only erupting in moments of life and death.

    As Xu Hei dashed out, Chen Daoling seemed to sense something. He stared at thepass, looking sharply in Xu Hei''s direction.

    "Little beast, even at great cost, I will tear you to pieces today!"

    Chen Daoling shouted from afar, pursuing.

    One in the sky, one underground, both racing at top speed, passing by Chen Family Town.

    Except for a few cultivators who sensed something and looked puzzled, the mortals werepletely unaware.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense soon spotted the dpidated Mountain God Temple. He gritted his teeth and burst out of the ground, rushing into the temple.

    Shortly after, Chen Daoling followed thepass''s guidance, arriving. He stared at the broken temple, about to chase in, but stopped.

    "Hmm?"

    Chen Daoling squinted, focusing on the temple''s entrance, deep in thought.

    "This snake is cunning and sly. Why would it choose to hide here? Could it be a trap?"

    Chen Daoling couldn''t understand.

    If he were the snake, he wouldn''t leave the river, but follow the current, using the water''s changes to set traps.

    But now, hiding in this broken temple, what did it mean?

    Chen Daoling''s Divine Sense scanned the temple inside and out, finding nothing unusual.

    However, when his Divine Sense swept over the Mountain God statue, he inexplicably felt a pang of fear.

 Chapter 29: The Mountain God is actually alive

    Chapter 29: The Mountain God is actually alive

    This sense of foreboding vanished in an instant.

    Chen Daoling''s gaze was fixated on the statue, as if trying to see through it. However, that feeling from before never returned, as if it had been a mere illusion.

    "There must be something fishy here," Chen Daoling said coldly.

    At this moment, two figures in white shed over from a distance, their bodies emitting faint waves of spiritual power. Both were cultivators from Chen Family Town, but only at the early Qi Refining Stage.

    They had sensed Chen Daoling''s presence and came to investigate. Upon approaching, their expressions changed, and they hurriedly bowed.

    "Greetings, Senior!"

    The two bowed deeply, their expressions respectful.

    Chen Daoling nced at them and said, "You two,e here!"

    The two were taken aback, exchanged a nce, and then walked over, puzzled. "What are your orders, Senior?"Chen Daoling pointed at the Mountain God Temple and said, "Destroy the statue inside."

    The two couldn''t help but feel puzzled. This Mountain God Temple had stood here for many years, existing since their birth, long abandoned. Why destroy the statue inside?

    They suddenly recalled some rumors that the Mountain God Temple had been haunted, with many strange urrences.

    Seeing Chen Daoling''s serious expression, their suspicions grew.

    But they dared not defy him. Taking a deep breath, they each took out a Fireball Talisman and a Wind de Talisman and walked towards the temple entrance.

    At that moment, a ck me shot out, giving them no chance to react.

    "Ah!!!"

    A scream echoed as the two were instantly turned to charcoal, falling to the ground, dead.

    "Bastard!"

    Chen Daoling gritted his teeth in anger.

    "In that case, I''ll level the entire temple and see what tricks you can y!"

    Chen Daoling took out a light red talisman, exuding an extremely violent aura, and threw it into the Mountain God Temple.

    As the talismannded inside the temple, Chen Daoling retreated thirty meters, made a hand seal, and shouted, "Explode!"

    "Boom!!!"

    The talisman exploded, mes soaring into the sky, shaking the heavens. The entire Mountain God Temple copsed in an instant, turning to nothingness. Everything within fifty meters was reduced to ashes.

    During this time, Chen Daoling''s divine sense was locked onto the temple, not missing a single movement.

    As the mes swept through, walls crumbled, and the structure was obliterated, leaving a huge crater. Even the statue was blown to pieces.

    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed.

    He saw a ck light burst out from the statue, rushing towards him at an incredible speed, too fast for him to react even with his full cultivation.

    "Not good!"

    Chen Daoling didn''t know what it was, but he sensed a soul power fluctuation, possibly an ancient monster''s primordial spirit as recorded in ancient texts.

    He immediately threw Mu Lei in front of him as a shield and retreated swiftly.

    "Whoosh!"

    The ck light shot into Mu Lei''s forehead, and Chen Daoling didn''t dare to stay, fleeing with his life-saving talisman, his speed exploding to more than five times its usual.

    From afar, he heard a voice enter his mind.

    "Dare to appear before me again, and I will shatter your soul, never to reincarnate!"

    The voice was like a thunderp, causing blood to seep from Chen Daoling''s seven orifices, leaving him terrified.

    His previous anger vanished in the face of this life-and-death crisis, reced only by fear.

    "Please calm your anger, Senior. I promise never to set foot here again."

    Chen Daoling left a message and fled, disappearing without a trace.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was hiding deep underground. Although he had avoided the core of the explosion, he was still affected by the shockwaves, barely holding back the urge to spit blood.

    "That was close, but I bet right!" Xu Hei''s heart pounded wildly.

    He had never gambled in his life, and this was the most thrilling gamble he had ever taken.

    However, he had prepared enough contingencies. If pushed to the brink, he would swallow the pill in his mouth and unleash all his scales. That old man would be severely injured if not killed.

    But such an oue was uneptable to Xu Hei.

    At this moment, the figure in the sky descended¡ªit was the lifeless Mu Lei.

    Mu Leiy on the ground, breathless, but his eyes slowly opened.

    "Zombie?!"

    Xu Hei''s mind buzzed, immediately recalling the resurrected Chen Fan, and his fear exploded.

    "Ah!! Don''te back to life!"

    Xu Hei shouted, charging forward madly, his tail whipping out and striking Mu Lei''s face.

    Mu Lei''s face was smashed, his bones shattered, and blood spurted wildly.

    Then, Xu Hei gathered a mouthful of fire and sprayed it on Mu Lei, burning his body to charcoal, then to ashes with another breath, and finally to dust with a third.

    Still not reassured, Xu Hei whipped his tail again, scattering the ashes.

    "Phew! Good thing I practiced the Fireball Technique. He should be dead now!"

    Xu Hei let out a long breath, nearly scared out of his wits.

    After a long time, with no movement from Mu Lei, Xu Hei finally rxed.

    He then turned to the statue''s fragments, bowed respectfully, and said, "Thank you, Mountain God, for saving me!"

    He knew it was the Mountain God who had scared Chen Daoling away.

    Otherwise, he would have had to risk his life, and even if he survived, he would have been severely injured.

    The Mountain God had shown him kindness, and Xu Hei always knew how to adapt to circumstances.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment, took out three incense sticks from his storage bag, nted them in the ground, lit them with the Fireball Technique, and even caught a rat as an offering, cing it on the ground and kowtowing three times.

    "Thank you, Mountain God, for your protection. I wille to worship you every year from now on!"

    Xu Hei smiled and turned to leave.

    "Stop right there, you little brat!"

    Suddenly, an angry voice thundered in his mind, freezing Xu Hei in ce.

    He looked around, confirming he hadn''t misheard. The voice was indeed in his mind.

    "Mountain God, did you speak?"

    Xu Hei asked, both panicked and excited, looking at the broken statue.

    The voice seemed extremely angry, panting for a long time before continuing, "You have half an hour to find me a physical body, or I will curse you to never reincarnate!"

    Hearing this, Xu Hei''s face turned dark.

    Never reincarnate? That meant no afterlife, which was worse than death!

    He didn''t know why the Mountain God wanted a physical body, but he dared not disobey.

    Xu Hei hurriedly said, "I''ll find a body right away."

    He turned and left, moving at top speed.

    "Wait!" The voice shouted again, "Don''t just find any body to fool me. I want a strong, young one! Preferably with cultivation!"

    As for spiritual roots and physique, he didn''t dare to ask, fearing Xu Hei wouldn''t understand. He couldn''t expect much from this beast''s intelligence.

    "Yes!"

    Xu Hei didn''t dare dy, darting away and disappearing without a trace.

    At this moment, his heart was in turmoil. The Mountain God was alive, a living Mountain God!

    No wonder he had gained enlightenment; it must have been the Mountain God''s doing!

 Chapter 30: The Perfect Physical Body of the Demon Lord

    Chapter 30: The Perfect Physical Body of the Demon Lord

    Xu Hei had limited knowledge, but he had read some ancient texts.

    In ancient times, there were deities who could enlighten even stubborn stones, turning them into spirits. So, what''s the big deal about enlightening a demonic beast?

    Indeed, there were still deities in this world.

    "The Mountain God wants me to find him a physical body, young and strong, and with some cultivation. I have to choose carefully. Only if he is satisfied will he bless my cultivation."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, nning toplete this task seriously.

    But capturing a living body might cause trouble, so Xu Hei decided to follow the example of that ck dog and capture a dead one.

    Just now, he had passed by a graveyard. He decided to try his luck there first.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, the so-called Mountain God was hiding in the tribute of a dead rat, his primordial spirit rapidly dissipating."Damn beast, how did I end up with such a thing?"

    He was not a Mountain God but a demonic cultivator who had fled here two hundred years ago, the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person.

    His primordial spirit had been sealed in the Mountain God statue, enjoying the vigers'' worship and surviving on that sliver of faith. However, because his power was too sinister, this ce frequently experienced ghostly phenomena, and over time, the Mountain God Temple was abandoned.

    However, two hundred years of recuperation had allowed his primordial spirit to recover slightly, giving him the ability to perform body snatching.

    Last year, he saw a Human Elixir and a Taoist fleeing into the Mountain God Temple and was about to perform the body-snatching technique when Xu Hei suddenly swallowed them.

    Along with a sliver of his primordial spirit, Xu Hei had swallowed it into his stomach.

    The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person''s primordial spirit was immensely powerful. Just a tiny bit was enough to enlighten a demonic beast.

    That''s why Xu Hei had be enlightened!

    The second time, the youngdy of the Chen Family and an assassin fled into the Mountain God Temple, and he attempted body snatching again.

    This time, Xu Hei directly killed them!

    Although he didn''t swallow them, the corpse waster eaten by a wild dog, which also became enlightened.

    Both attempts at body snatching ended in failure, and he lost a sliver of his primordial spirit each time.

    This time was the third attempt, and he didn''t act rashly.

    He only flew out to perform body snatching on Mu Lei when the statue he was hiding in was blown up.

    As a result... Xu Hei burned him to ashes!

    The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was on the verge of going mad. He had never suffered such a huge loss, and his hatred for Xu Hei was beyond words.

    Yet Xu Hei waspletely unaware, still smugly thinking he was showing great respect to the Mountain God.

    "Just wait, once I get a physical body, I''ll make sure you pay!"

    The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was seething with rage.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside Chen Family Town, in the graveyard.

    Xu Hei arrived at the graveyard, spreading his Divine Sense to scan the graves, searching for corpses.

    To his disappointment, all the corpses had turned into skeletons. Such bodies were obviously unqualified; they had to be freshly buried at the very least.

    Some graves showed signs of being dug up, with the corpses inside missing, clearly stolen by some creature.

    Xu Hei thought of that big ck dog.

    "The Mountain God only gave me half an hour. I need to hurry."

    Xu Hei was getting anxious; he just wanted toplete the task.

    But where could he find a young, strong body with cultivation?

    Suddenly, Xu Hei seemed to sense something. He quickly used the Earth Escape Technique, burrowing underground, retracting his Divine Sense and gaze.

    Xu Hei remained motionless, not daring to release a hint of killing intent, relying solely on his hearing.

    In the distance, he heard faint sounds of digging. Judging by the subtle noise, it wasn''t a human but a four-legged creature, clearly a dog.

    The dog was digging at a grave, making noises.

    Xu Hei immediately knew it was that ck dog digging up graves again.

    "Heh, this time I didn''t release my Divine Sense or even nce at you. I don''t believe you can escape again!"

    Xu Hei knew the other party was highly perceptive, but he was prepared this time. Finally, he would catch it.

    "Go!"

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei rushed towards the target, fully utilizing the Earth Escape Technique.

    As Xu Hei moved, the big ck dog digging the grave finally sensed danger.

    It tried to escape, but it was toote.

    "Awooo!"

    A dog''s wail echoed as Xu Hei emerged from the ground, rushing a hundred meters away, capturing the dog on the spot outside the grave.

    As expected, it was the enlightened big ck dog.

    At this moment, the ck dog''s eyes turned blood-red, extremely sinister, with dark energy emanating from its head. It had clearly eaten many corpses and was now filled with resentment.

    "Awooo!"

    The ck dog tried to bite Xu Hei, but Xu Hei''s cultivation was far superior. With a strong grip, cracking sounds echoed, and the ck dog wailed continuously.

    "Spare me, spare me!" the ck dog pleaded in a human voice.

    Xu Hei ignored it, releasing the Beast Control Ring and cing it around its neck.

    The ck dog immediately became docile.

    Xu Hei stopped and examined the ck dog.

    After a careful look, his eyes lit up.

    "He wants a physical body, strong, young, handsome, with cultivation..."

    The more Xu Hei looked at the ck dog, the more he felt it met the requirements.

    This aura, this body, was simply perfect!

    Almost the most perfect body in Xu Hei''s mind, second only to his own.

    Xu Hei immediately grabbed the ck dog and hurried towards the Mountain God Temple.

    "What are you doing? What are you doing?"

    The ck dog cried out, sensing something ominous, struggling continuously, but it was futile against the superior magical treasure.

    Momentster, Xu Hei returned to the ruins of the Mountain God Temple.

    He entered the pit in the ruins, cing the ck dog down, excitedly saying, "Mountain God, I''ve found the body you wanted! Look, it absolutely meets your requirements!"

    With the allotted time almost up, Xu Hei hadpleted the task perfectly, feeling pleased with himself.

    But at this moment, the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was on the verge of copse.

    This damn thing is the body you found? A dog?

    Are you kidding me? You want me to snatch a dog''s body?

    He had already lowered his expectations of Xu Hei''s intelligence, yet he had still overestimated him.

    He forgot to specify the condition: human.

    "You bastard, why don''t you just die! Die!" the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person roared in anger.

    Xu Hei looked confused. What did he do wrong? He hadpleted the task as required!

    The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was speechless.

    This Xu Hei, cautious and perceptive in his actions, why was he so clueless in this matter?

    Now, his primordial spirit was showing signs of disintegration after leaving the statue. If he didn''t perform body snatching soon, he might have to sleep for another few hundred years.

    At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person suddenly paused, looking at the big ck dog in surprise.

    "A Fiendish Demon Body? Just like my physique back then. Is this a coincidence?"

    The Heavenly Demon Scattered Person examined the big ck dog closely, growing more astonished.

    After a long hesitation, he finally sighed.

    A dog is a dog, at least it has my old physique. It''s better than my soul dissipating.

    At worst, once my cultivation recovers, I''ll find a human to snatchter.

    Immediately, his primordial spirit flew out of the rat''s body, shing into the big ck dog''s forehead.

    The big ck dog instantly stiffened, no longer moving, its blood-red eyes gradually dimming.

    The primordial spirit slowly fused with the physical body. This time, without interference, the process was surprisingly smooth, quickly merging into one.

    Even the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person himself was surprised by the speed of the fusion.

    Under the powerful primordial spirit''s force, the Beast Control Ring on its neck flew off.

    Xu Hei quickly caught the Beast Control Ring, turning to look at the dog.

    "Mountain God, if there''s nothing else, I''ll be leaving now?"

    Xu Hei felt something was off and nned to leave early.

 Chapter 31: Hereâ€™s some shit for you to eat

    Chapter 31: Here¡¯s some shit for you to eat

    "Stop right there!"

    Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind.

    Xu Hei turned around and saw the big ck dog ring at him with its eyes fixed intently on him.

    Those eyes were no longer eerie and sinister as before but filled with human-like anger. The voice, too, was no longer that of the ck dog but had be the Mountain God''s!

    Xu Hei felt his mind go nk with a "boom."

    At this moment, his thoughts raced, and he stammered, "Mountain God, how... how did you turn into a dog?"

    "I''ve already performed body snatching. Didn''t your inherited memories include this term?"

    The big ck dog stared at him, its voice devoid of any emotion.

    Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was furious with Xu Hei to the extreme, wishing he could kill him on the spot. If it weren''t for Xu Hei obtaining his memory inheritance, making him half a disciple, he would have acted long ago."Body snatching?"

    Xu Hei was initially shocked but quickly understood.

    He wasn''t stupid, just inexperienced andcking in knowledge. He had never heard of body snatching before, but now he quickly grasped its meaning.

    Xu Hei retreated several feet, his eyes filled with anger and fear, and asked in a low voice, "You''re not the Mountain God?"

    "When did I ever say I was the Mountain God? I merely parasitized a Mountain God statue. It was your wishful thinking, not my problem," the big ck dog sneered.

    At this moment, Xu Hei felt a surge of anger explode in his chest, his breath unsteady.

    He had been fooled!

    He had offered sacrifices, bowed to the statue, and prayed for smooth cultivation. But in the end, there was no Mountain God, just a cultivator who appeared out of nowhere!

    Despicable! Absolutely despicable!

    Xu Hei felt utterly deceived.

    "You''re impersonating a deity. Aren''t you afraid of retribution and going to hell after you die?" Xu Hei shouted in anger and shame.

    "Retribution? Hahaha!"

    The big ck dog seemed to have heard an extremely funny joke and let out a dog-likeugh.

    "In the memories I passed to you, there''s no mention of retribution. Hell is just aforting lie for ants. How could you think of such nonsense?"

    "Look at that ck dog, digging graves and stealing corpses, not believing in gods or evil. Now that''s more like my memory inheritor!"

    At this point, he paused, staring at Xu Hei for a long time, feeling something was off.

    Xu Hei stared back at him, unflinching.

    After a long while, the big ck dog tentatively asked, "Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person?"

    "What scattered person? A dismembered person? I swallow them whole," Xu Hei replied.

    The big ck dog was deeply shaken.

    In his memory inheritance, although the information was limited and didn''t involve secrets, it definitely included his own title.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t recognize the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person at all. There was no such person in his memory! And it didn''t seem like he was pretending.

    This snake didn''t obtain his memories?

    How could that be? Then how did he gain enlightenment?

    The big ck dog''s mind was in turmoil. He stared at Xu Hei, finding it more and more unbelievable. His intense gaze made Xu Hei feel uneasy.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to deal with him. He didn''t know the strength of a body-snatching cultivator, but he was sure it was beyond his capability. It must be stronger than him.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to provoke such an unknown entity. Without a word, he turned and crawled away.

    Seeing Xu Hei walk away, the big ck dog thought for a moment, then sneered and followed.

    Xu Hei quickened his pace, and the big ck dog matched it. Xu Hei used the Earth Escape Technique, but the big ck dog was even more adept at it.

    The two of them, one in front and one behind, were inseparable, no matter how hard Xu Hei tried to shake him off.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A dayter.

    Xu Hei returned to the vicinity of his territory.

    He turned around, looked at the ck dog, and said, "This is my territory."

    The big ck dog sneered, "What, your territory and I can''te?"

    Xu Hei was both angry and helpless. He had tested his speed for a day and found that he couldn''t shake off this dog. Its strength was clearly unfathomable.

    He could only think of giving the dog some benefits to make it leave, so it wouldn''t cause trouble in his territory.

    At this moment, the wolf king ran over from a distance, carrying a rock goat in its mouth.

    It enthusiastically ran to Xu Hei, dropped the rock goat, and squatted on the ground with a fawning expression.

    Perhaps in its mind, Xu Hei had already dealt with that detestable human, and it now held Xu Hei in fervent reverence.

    "Just in time, I''m hungry."

    Xu Hei nodded in satisfaction. This wolf king was quite intelligent, knowing to offer food without being taught.

    Xu Hei swallowed the rock goat whole, quickly digesting it, feeling a wave offort wash over him.

    The big ck dog watched him silently, saying nothing.

    It wasn''t until Xu Hei finished digesting that the big ck dog coldly said, "I count as half your master. Aren''t you going to show some filial respect?"

    "Roar!" The wolf king immediately red and growled upon hearing this.

    The big ck dog''s eyes narrowed, a sh of ferocity in them, causing the wolf king to retreat in fear, its legs trembling, hiding behind Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment and said, "Wolves eat meat, dogs eat shit. Wolf king, go take a dump for him."

    The wolf king immediately ran over happily, raised its tail, and prepared to defecate in front of the big ck dog.

    The big ck dog was stunned, and soon its face twisted in extreme anger, feeling a surge of fury rushing to its head, almost making it steam with rage.

    He didn''t know if Xu Hei was truly stupid or pretending, but this time, it was clearly to disgust him on purpose.

    "Die!"

    He lunged forward, biting the wolf king''s thigh.

    "Awwooo!"

    The wolf king let out a miserable howl, its thigh torn open, and it fled behind Xu Hei, ring at the ck dog with hatred.

    It was clearly showing a stance of relying on Xu Hei''s power.

    The ck dog was both angry and amused.

    It had been a long time since anyone had humiliated him like this, but this snake didn''t seem to see it as an insult.

    In the past, he would have killed without hesitation, but now, after two hundred years of slumber, his cultivation had greatly diminished. There was no need to stoop to the level of these two beasts.

    Heavenly Demon Scattered Person was inherently stubborn, never giving up until he achieved his goal. Xu Hei had given him a rare bit of amusement.

    "Disciple, do you know the consequences of disrespecting your master?" the big ck dog coldly asked.

    Xu Hei could see that the ck dog was bluffing. If it wanted to teach him a lesson, it would have done so already, instead of putting on a show.

    Therefore, Xu Hei wasn''t afraid.

    "I wasn''t disrespecting you. Dogs naturally eat shit," Xu Hei said calmly.

    "Oh? So, you''re admitting you''re my disciple?" the ck dog sneered.

    Xu Hei''s expression changed, and he quickly denied, "I didn''t say that!"

    "Hmph, I helped you gain enlightenment, and you bowed to me in a disciple''s ceremony. Whether you admit it or not, I''m your master," the big ck dogughed.

    Xu Hei panicked.

    He really didn''t want to admit it, but going around in circles, the other party seemed to have a point.

    "I won''t be fooled!"

    Xu Hei shrieked and fled.

    The big ck dogughed even more triumphantly and followed.

 Chapter 32: The Historical Origins of the Snake Catcher

    Chapter 32: The Historical Origins of the Snake Catcher

    The Snake Catchers were a folk organization in the southern part of the Chu Kingdom, known among mortals for capturing snakes.

    However, in the eyes of cultivators, this was actually a sect dedicated to cultivation.

    This sect had a heritage spanning thousands of years. In ancient times, it was once a flourishing and powerful sect known by the domineering name¡ªDragon Subduing Sect!

    Over the long course of history, the Dragon Subduing Sect gradually declined, and its disciples dwindled. After the fall of the eighteenth sect leader, no one could cultivate the Dragon Subduing Technique to its highest level.

    Thus, they had to lower their status by two levels and rename themselves the Snake Catchers Sect, with their disciples calling themselves Snake Catchers.

    If they didn''t change their name, they feared that the name Dragon Subduing Sect would attract some terrifying entities, bringing disaster to the sect.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Recently, an astonishing piece of news had been circting among the cultivators in the Chen Family Town area.

    "Have you heard? A thousand-year-old snake demon has appeared in the mountains, almost wiping out the Snake Catchers in the area!""I heard that six out of the eight disciples under Chen Daoling were killed. He personally went to seek revenge and was severely injured, almost dying. He aged twenty years overnight!"

    "My God! Chen Daoling is a cultivator at the half-step Foundation Establishment stage!"

    "You don''t know, that day Chen Daoling took a Divine Pill, gaining the true power of Foundation Establishment, but he still lost."

    "That''s terrifying. We better stay out of those mountains!"

    In the tavern where cultivators gathered, almost everyone was discussing this matter, talking fervently and in shock.

    Not only were the cultivators talking about it, but even among the mortals, there were rumors about an old snake demon appearing in the mountains.

    The rumors spread far and wide, and over time, even a portrait of the old snake demon appeared, described in an almost mythical manner!

    In the portrait, the old snake demon was pitch ck, with ink-like scales, a row of ck-gold scales on its tail, pale golden pupils, and a round head, looking no different from the previous Old Snake King.

    Whether the rumors were true or not, everyone decided to avoid such snakes if they saw them.

    Some people believed that the old snake demon''s heinous crimes would surely alert the Snake Catchers'' headquarters, and they would send powerful cultivators to capture it, so it wouldn''t be able to cause trouble for long.

    In the private school in Chen Family Town, Wang Xiaoniu and his sister looked at the portrait of the old snake demon, covering their mouths in surprise.

    "So the Old Snake King is that powerful!"

    Wang Xiaoniu was secretly shocked. As for the rumors that Xu Hei was a ruthless killer who ate countless people, he didn''t believe it at all because he had seen with his own eyes that Xu Hei didn''t eat people.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After returning, Xu Hei immediately went into seclusion to heal his injuries. It took him three full days topletely recover.

    Afterward, he took out Mu Lei''s storage bag and ced it on the ground.

    Xu Hei nced at the big ck dog in the distance and said, "Can you step aside for a moment?"

    "Heh! Just some trash, and you treat it like treasure. I wouldn''t want it even if you gave it to me," the big ck dog mocked.

    Xu Hei gave him a deep look and didn''t avoid him, taking out the items from the storage bag.

    Mu Lei''s treasures were far more abundant than Mu Yun''s! They filled the groundpletely.

    Eight bottles of pills, a thunder seal, several talismans, arge amount of medicinal herbs, a small pill refining furnace, and numerous spell jade slips.

    Additionally, there was a palm-sized stone emitting a faint milky white glow, with a slight spiritual qi fluctuation.

    "A spirit stone!"

    The big ck dog''s eyes lit up, and it was about to grab it with its paw.

    Xu Hei reacted quickly, using his divine sense to instantly retrieve all the items, swallowing the storage bag into his abdomen, and stepping back a bit, watching the dog warily.

    The big ck dog was stunned, awkwardly retreating and snorting, "Hmph, I was just curious, just wanted to take a look. I don''t care about it."

    Xu Hei quietly watched him, saying nothing.

    The big ck dog scratched its head, feeling extremely embarrassed, and turned to leave.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Days passed by.

    Xu Hei''s life remained simple. Besides practicing spells, he would catch some prey for a meal.

    Hisprehension was extremely high. Any spell he could practice, he could use it proficiently within three days.

    The Gravity Technique was his main focus. Through repeated practice, he had achieved a small sess, able to use it within a five-meter range.

    That day, the only injury he suffered was from being squeezed by the opponent''s Gravity Technique.

    "That old man''s Gravity Technique could attack me from a hundred meters away. I must reach that level too!" Xu Hei resolved fiercely in his heart.

    During this period, the big ck dog asionally sat cross-legged nearby, with ck qi emanating from its head and a faint glow from its body, seemingly practicing some cultivation technique.

    Xu Heipletely ignored it, acting as if the dog didn''t exist.

    "Disciple, if you keep eating this stuff, when will you ever break through?"

    One day, Xu Hei was devouring a wild boar when the big ck dog suddenly appeared beside him, mocking him.

    Xu Hei nced at him and ignored him, continuing to eat the boar.

    The big ck dog continued to mock, "This junk food, even a dog would shake its head at it!"

    "Then what should I eat?" Xu Hei asked irritably.

    "Obviously, top-grade demonic beasts and top-grade spirit medicine," the big ck dog sneered.

    "The demonic beasts around here are few in number. Eating them won''t improve much, and we need them to keep an eye on humans," Xu Hei said. He was already at the mid-stage of the Spirit Realm, and eating low-level demonic beasts had little effect.

    The big ck dog looked at him for a long time, then smiled meaningfully.

    Without saying anything, it disappeared in a sh.

    Xu Hei was slightly stunned and immediately spread out his divine sense.

    Within a hundred meters, there was no sign of the ck dog, not even a trace of its aura.

    "Did it leave?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    He searched around the mountain but couldn''t find any trace of the ck dog, its aurapletely gone.

    Still feeling uneasy, he waited for a day, but the big ck dog didn''t reappear.

    Xu Hei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Having such a mysterious presence wandering around made him uneasy. Now, it seemed to have left.

    Xu Hei returned to his cave, took out Mu Lei''s storage bag, and began sorting through the items.

    He spent an hour removing the divine sense imprint from the thunder seal and left his own imprint.

    He arranged the pills, talismans, and misceneous items in a row.

    He now had two storage bags. The first storage bag was for precious items, top-grade pills, top-grade talismans, and magical treasures.

    The second storage bag was for mid-grade and low-grade items that weren''t very useful to him.

    There were also many materials he didn''t recognize, metallic substances, herbs, and scraps, which Xu Hei piled in a corner.

    He paid special attention to the spirit stone, cing it in the first storage bag.

    Finally, he ced Mu Lei''s jade slips on the ground and used his divine sense to examine them one by one.

    At first, they were basic spells that Xu Hei had already learned and found of little value.

    But theter jade slips made Xu Hei''s eyes light up.

    "Misceneous Talks on Spirit Medicine, Forty-Five Essays on Spirit Medicine, Pill Refining Notes..."

    Xu Hei skimmed through them, his heartbeat quickening, and his breathing bing slightly rapid.

    Knowledge about pills and spirit herbs.

    These were exactly what Xu Hei craved!

    Although he had some knowledge about spirit medicine and herbs in his memory, it was only superficial.

    The jade slips, however, contained very detailed information.

    For example, the Serpent Fruit Tree, which Xu Hei only knew by name but not its true value, was detailed in the jade slips.

    "Serpent Spirit Fruit, low-grade spirit medicine, can give snakes an eighty percent chance to transform into demons. Taking three at once gives a twenty percent chance to break through to the mid-stage. It can be used as a main ingredient for Rejuvenation Pills and Rejuvenation Elixirs..."

    "Serpent Spirit Fruit Tree, high-grade spirit medicine, its branches, bark, and trunk all have strong medicinal properties. Do not consume raw, or it will cause the body to explode. Must be refined into Small Foundation Establishment Pills..."

    "Earth me Vine, mid-grade spirit medicine, absorbs the essence of sunlight, containing violent fire-type spiritual qi..."

    "......"

    Xu Hei devoured the information eagerly, spending two full hours to finish reading.

    This knowledge came at the perfect time, greatly enriching Xu Hei''s understanding and vision.

    Mu Lei was skilled in pill refining, and his storage bag contained a small pill refining furnace and many dried spirit herbs for use.

    Xu Hei had no immediate ns to learn pill refining. He still had many pills, and he could study it slowly after consuming them.

    Just then, Xu Hei suddenly froze, quickly putting away all the treasures.

    A ck shadow shed in front of him, and the big ck dog returned.

    This time, it had two colorful feathered birds in its mouth, which it ced on the ground.

 Chapter 33: The old black dog incites chicken theft

    Chapter 33: The old ck dog incites chicken theft

    The two birds were plump andrge, their feathers a dazzling array of colors. They had a faint trace of spiritual power within them, clearly demonic beasts of a high level.

    "Demonic beasts at thete Spirit Communion Stage?"

    Xu Hei was startled. He had searched within a radius of twenty miles but hadn''t found any beasts of this level. Even if he had, he wouldn''t dare provoke them.

    At this moment, the old ck dog was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, clearly exhausted from catching these two chickens.

    He sat on the ground, grinning.

    "Hehe! These things are called Spirit-Tail Chickens, raised by a nearby sect specifically for eating. They taste way better than wild beasts. I happened to pass by and snatched two." The old dog said with a sly smile.

    Hearing this, Xu Hei quickly used the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground, scanning the area with his divine sense to check for any human trackers.

    "Rx, I did it cleanly. No one in this world can track me, the Heavenly Demon... Hmph, no one''s following, so don''t worry."

    The old dog was quite proud, and as he spoke, he used his paws like hands to start plucking the Spirit-Tail Chickens.Seeing his calm expression, Xu Hei emerged from the ground.

    The old dog plucked the feathers swiftly, and in no time, the chickens were bare.

    The old dog touched the ground with his paw, and a pile of charcoal appeared. Right in front of Xu Hei, he set up a grill and began roasting the chickens.

    The charcoal heated up, and the Spirit-Tail Chickens sizzled, their spiritual qi wafting out with a mouth-watering aroma.

    Midway through, the old dog pulled out some salt, cumin, and spiritual herbs from who knows where, sprinkling them on the chickens, making the aroma even richer.

    Xu Hei tried hard not to look, but the scent was too strong, and it even had a hint of spiritual resonance that could aid in cultivation, making Xu Hei swallow his saliva.

    The aroma not only attracted a little white snake but also drew the wolf king from outside into the cave.

    The wolf king stood behind Xu Hei, staring eagerly, drooling.

    Before long, the Spirit-Tail Chickens were done. The old ck dog tore off a drumstick and started gnawing on it happily.

    He tossed the chicken bones aside. The wolf king nced at Xu Hei, and seeing no reaction, darted forward, grabbed the bones, and crunched them down.

    Xu Hei, annoyed, turned and walked away.

    The old ck dog followed behind, eating as he walked, deliberately making loud crunching noises, driving Xu Hei crazy.

    "Get lost!"

    Xu Hei couldn''t take it anymore and shot a Fireball Technique back.

    The old ck dog dodged quickly,ughing, "Don''t be mad. I''m your master, after all. Giving you a chicken is no big deal."

    "Just give me that spirit stone, and we''re even."

    Xu Hei was surprised, but the old dog''s next words made him choke.

    So it was all for that spirit stone.

    "Don''t be so quick to refuse. This Spirit-Tail Chicken could sell for at least three spirit stones. You''re getting a great deal." The old ck dogughed.

    Xu Hei ignored him, but the old dog kept chattering away.

    After a long while, Xu Hei couldn''t take it anymore and reluctantly agreed.

    "Give me the chicken first," Xu Hei said.

    Without a word, the old ck dog tossed the whole Spirit-Tail Chicken over.

    Xu Hei inspected it carefully, then took out the spirit stone and tossed it to the old ck dog.

    "That''s more like it!" The old ck dog nodded in satisfaction.

    With the spirit stone in paw, the old ck dog threw the chicken bones to the wolf king and the little white snake, then sat down to absorb the spirit stone.

    Xu Hei looked at the Spirit-Tail Chicken in front of him, took a deep sniff, and swallowed it whole.

    The Spirit-Tail Chicken wasn''trge, easy to swallow, but it digested much slower than wild beasts.

    Xu Hei fully activated the Demon God Cauldron. From the Spirit-Tail Chicken''s body, a thin line of blood energy was absorbed into the cauldron, where the spiritual qi droplets visibly increased.

    Before long, the cauldron was filled.

    Xu Hei was already at the peak of the fourthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, and now, he reached a bottleneck.

    "Breakthrough!"

    Xu Hei focused,pressing all the spiritual qi droplets into a single point. At that moment, he felt a new power surge through his body.

    ck-gold scales appeared one by one on his tail, continuously increasing.

    An old snake skin shed from his body.

    Xu Hei had broken through to the fifthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage!

    The Spirit-Tail Chicken wasn''t fully digested yet, still being absorbed, and new spiritual qi droplets formed in the Demon God Cauldron.

    Seeing this, Xu Hei took out a bottle of Qi Condensation Pills and swallowed it whole.

    These pills aided in cultivation but couldn''t be used for breakthroughs. They sped up daily cultivation.

    As the pills entered his body, the umtion of spiritual qi droplets elerated, dotting the Demon God Cauldron.

    One-tenth, two-tenths, three-tenths... Finally, it stopped at nine-tenths.

    Xu Hei had reached the peak of the fifthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    Only then was the Spirit-Tail Chicken fully digested, bringing Xu Hei to this level, leaving him quite shocked.

    That spirit stone was well spent!

    The old dog was right; this chicken could indeed sell for three spirit stones.

    By now, three days had passed since Xu Hei''s breakthrough.

    The little white snake and the wolf king were both in a state of cultivation, seemingly having gained something too.

    The old ck dog was the first to open his eyes, the spirit stone in his paw turned to waste. He nced at Xu Hei, slightly surprised.

    "Only three days to refine a Spirit-Tail Chicken and a whole bottle of Qi Condensation Pills, breaking through to the peak of the fifthyer."

    "Such cultivation speed suggests this snake must be practicing a powerful technique, not weaker than my Heavenly Demon Technique."

    The old ck dog had been observing Xu Hei secretly. From the way Xu Hei digested wild beasts in just a few breaths, he had a suspicion.

    He had considered teaching Xu Hei a cultivation technique, but now it seemed unnecessary.

    "Disciple, how does the Spirit-Tail Chicken taste?" the old ck dog asked with a smile.

    "Not bad," Xu Hei nodded honestly.

    "Then go catch a few more. We''ll work together, split fifty-fifty. I guarantee you''ll reach thete Spirit Communion Stage in a month and the Great Perfection in a year!" the old ck dogughed.

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened, and he shook his head repeatedly, "No way, those arete Spirit Communion Stage demonic beasts, too dangerous. If you want to go, go yourself."

    A month tote stage, a year to Great Perfection¡ªsuch speed would tempt anyone, human or beast!

    But Xu Hei wouldn''t fall for it. There''s no such thing as a free lunch.

    "Hmph! These Spirit-Tail Chickens dare call themselves demonic beasts? Raised by humans, they''ve long lost theirbat ability, not even as strong as mid-stage demonic beasts. I can catch two with one hand."

    The old ck dog snorted disdainfully.

    Xu Hei remained silent. Last time he stole a human''s pig, he almost died. He didn''t want to do it again.

    Seeing Xu Hei still hesitating, the old ck dog sneered, "If you don''t go, I''ll go alone. If humans chase me, I''ll run to you."

    Xu Hei''s face turned dark, veins bulging, and he cursed, "I''ve never seen anyone as shameless as you!"

    The old ck dogughed triumphantly, "Haha! Don''t worry, follow me, and you''ll eat well and live well. If there''s danger, I''ll sense it immediately. Would I lie to you?"

 Chapter 34: The notorious combination of snake and dog

    Chapter 34: The notoriousbination of snake and dog

    Xu Hei was at a loss for words.

    He knew that this old dog had a stubborn personality. If he didn''t agree, the old dog would pester him endlessly, trying all sorts of methods to make his life miserable. And Xu Hei had no way to deal with him.

    Xu Hei said, "Fine, but you can''t call me your disciple. I have my own name. My name is Xu Hei."

    "Xu Hei!" The old dog''s eyes lit up, and he praised, "Not bad, disciple. You even know how to name yourself, though it''s a terrible name."

    Xu Hei ignored him and crawled out of the cave, emerging into the outside world.

    After two months, he had to go out and fight again. Xu Hei just wanted to finish quickly. He didn''t like traveling far; he preferred staying at home.

    "Follow me."

    The old dog appeared ahead and sped off.

    Xu Hei followed closely behind.Even though he was following, he kept a certain distance from the old dog. This way, if there was any danger ahead, it would go for the old dog first.

    Along the way, the old dog began to exin somemon knowledge and insights to Xu Hei.

    "Xu Hei, do you know what this country is called?"

    "I know, the Chu Kingdom."

    "Then do you know how many cultivation sects there are within the Chu Kingdom?"

    Xu Hei looked puzzled and said, "I only know the Snake Catchers Sect."

    The old dog chuckled, "The Chu Kingdom has five major sects in the north, south, east, west, and center. North is the Ice Snow Sect, west is Kunlun, east is Peni, south is the Snake Catchers Sect, and in the center is the Imperial Court''s Astrology Bureau. All the sects in the country, big and small, are under the jurisdiction of these five major sects."

    Hearing this, Xu Hei curiously asked, "Is the Snake Catchers Sect very strong?"

    "Currently, it''s barely a two-star sect, but in ancient times, the Snake Catchers Sect was one of the strongest sects on the entire continent. Back then, this ce was called the Xia Kingdom, until two hundred years ago..."

    The old dog suddenly stopped talking.

    Xu Hei didn''t continue to ask. As long as he wasn''t strong enough, he wouldn''t provoke them.

    A snake and a dog spent a day traveling before reaching their destination.

    This ce was a minor sect called the Carefree Sect, under the jurisdiction of the Snake Catchers Sect. There were five Foundation Establishment Stage elders in the sect, and the sect leader was also at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Ahead, there were five giant peaks surrounding a in, which was the mountain gate of the Carefree Sect.

    Before long, the old dog arrived at the foot of one of the giant peaks.

    Xu Hei hid in the grass, slowly approaching.

    "Hey, look at that mountain. Aren''t there a lot of Spirit-Tail Chickens?" The old dog pointed at the slope of the giant peak.

    Xu Hei focused his gaze and indeed saw many Spirit-Tail Chickens with colorful feathers foraging on the slope.

    These chickens were quiterge,parable to big goats, strutting around majestically.

    "On this giant peak, there is an old man at the early Foundation Establishment Stage. These chickens are his, and there are over a hundred of them!" The old dogughed.

    Xu Hei used his Divine Sense to probe and found that the edge of the giant peak had a faint light barrier, preventing his Divine Sense from prating.

    He approached and tested it with his body. It was the same, as if an invisible wall was blocking him from entering.

    "This is a formation barrier to prevent outsiders from entering, but it won''t stop me."

    The old dog chuckled, took out some unknown ck powder, and sprinkled it on the barrier.

    In an instant, the barrier dissolved at a visible speed, creating arge gap ten meters wide centered on the ck powder.

    Then, the old dog took out some spirit insects and ced them at the gap.

    "These spirit insects are irresistibly attractive to Spirit-Tail Chickens. Wait for my signal, and we''ll grab as many as we can and then run." The old dog smiled.

    "Got it!" Xu Hei''s breathing quickened.

    Time passed by the second.

    Xu Hei and the old dog used the Earth Escape Technique to hide underground, waiting for the Spirit-Tail Chickens to take the bait.

    Before long, a chicken spotted the spirit insects and immediately ran over. The other chickens followed, swarming over, totaling more than a dozen.

    These chickens had very low intelligence and had never encountered danger, so they had no sense of precaution.

    "They''re here, get ready!" the old dog called out.

    Xu Hei held his breath, but his Divine Sense spread out to guard against human ambushes.

    "Go!" the old dog shouted.

    As soon as he spoke, the old dog sprang from the soil, opened his mouth, and bit a chicken. His paws grabbed two more.

    The Spirit-Tail Chickens tried to resist, but the old dog exhaled a ck gas from his nostrils, and the three chickens immediately froze, their bodies stiffening.

    Xu Hei also made his move. With a thought, his Beast Control Ring broke through the soil and flew towards the Spirit-Tail Chickens, rapidly erging mid-flight.

    Simultaneously, he activated the Gravity Technique, and from ten meters underground, he forcibly pulled three Spirit-Tail Chickens together.

    "Trap!"

    With a low shout, the Beast Control Ring quickly shrank, trapping the necks of three chickens¡ªtwo at thete stage and one at the mid-stage.

    One had to admit, these Spirit-Tail Chickens had decent cultivation, but they had almost nobat ability.

    They were bred to be eaten.

    It was like tigers raised by humans. Having lived in captivity all their lives, they had never experienced fighting or danger. Once released into the wild, they would be doomed when facing real enemies.

    Even a slightly fierce hunting dog could bully them.

    Despite this, the Spirit-Tail Chickens were quite strong. Only Xu Hei and the old dog could subdue them so easily. Anyone else would have struggled.

    "Done, let''s go!" The old dog grabbed three chickens and was about to use the Earth Escape Technique to retreat.

    Suddenly, an angry roar came from the sky, like thunder exploding in their ears.

    "Ah, so it''s you, you beast, stealing my chickens. No wonder two of my chickens went missing!"

    As soon as Xu Hei seeded, he controlled the Beast Control Ring to drag the three chickens into the soil.

    At this moment, hearing the voice, Xu Hei didn''t hesitate. He swallowed the three chickens in one gulp, flicked his tail, and ran, fully activating the Earth Escape Technique.

    The old dog wasn''t so lucky. Just as he began to use the Earth Escape Technique, the soil turned hard, bing a stone b.

    "Hardening!"

    An old man with white whiskers flew in on a flying sword, making hand seals.

    In an instant, the soil within a hundred-meter radius hardened into iron-like stone bs, making the Earth Escape Technique useless.

    The old dog reacted quickly. With a chicken in his mouth and one under each arm, he stood up on his hind legs and ran like a human.

    Even more absurd, his speed was not slow, almost matching Xu Hei''s underground escape.

    "This..."

    Not only was Xu Hei underground stunned, but the white-whiskered old man in the sky was also dumbfounded.

    Is this a dog or a human? Has the dog be a spirit?

    "Stop, you beast!"

    The white-whiskered old man flew on his sword, chasing after them. He was a genuine Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, far beyond Chen Daoling.

    "You think you''re the only one who can fly? I can fly too!"

    The old dog thought, and two green talismans flew out, sticking to his legs.

    In an instant, his running speed increased dramatically, bing a blur, creating strong gusts of wind as he ran towards the horizon.

    "Whoosh!"

    Amidst the howling wind, the old dog sprinted into the sky, flying away at an incredible speed.

 Chapter 35: Rapid cultivation has hidden dangers

    Chapter 35: Rapid cultivation has hidden dangers

    The white-bearded elder''s face alternated between green and white. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed a pill, and his speed suddenly increased, transforming into a long rainbow as he chased after the old dog.

    Xu Hei, on the other hand, changed direction and easily shook off his pursuers.

    The white-bearded elder didn''t even notice him.

    "Old dog, you''re on your own. I''m going to find a ce to refine this."

    Xu Hei didn''t care whether the old dog lived or died. After killing three Spirit-Tail Chickens, he put them into his storage bag and wandered for half a day before finding an uninhabited forest. He hid in a natural cave.

    Xu Hei had a feeling that refining these chickens,bined with the pills he had previously obtained, would easily push him to the peak of the sixthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, right at the threshold of theter stage.

    Indeed, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Xu Hei had to admit this.

    In the blink of an eye, another hour passed.

    Just as the sky was getting dark.Suddenly, there was amotion at the cave entrance. A disheveled ck figure rushed in, panting heavily, sweat pouring down like rain, and copsed on the ground, tongue hanging out.

    It was the old dog!

    "You''re not dead?" Xu Hei said in surprise.

    "Who said I was dead? Damn it!"

    The old ck dog cursed, his hands empty. "To distract that old man, I had to abandon three Spirit-Tail Chickens. All that effort for nothing, I''m so pissed off."

    He was truly furious, gritting his teeth, his face turning green with anger.

    Xu Hei, as usual, went out to check if anyone was tracking them. Only after the old dog repeatedly assured him did he return.

    Xu Hei took out the three Spirit-Tail Chickens, hesitated for a moment, a trace of pain shing in his eyes, and then handed one over.

    "Huh?"

    This time, it was the old ck dog''s turn to be surprised. He looked at Xu Hei, astonished.

    "We agreed to split fifty-fifty. I got three, so you get one and a half," Xu Hei said helplessly.

    If it weren''t for the old dog distracting the enemy, he wouldn''t have obtained the three chickens so smoothly. ording to their previous agreement, all gains were to be split equally. Xu Hei wasn''t an unreasonable person; he had a sense of contract spirit.

    This gesture left the old ck dog stunned for quite a while.

    "I suddenly feel like you''re not a disciple I taught!" the old ck dog said.

    "I never admitted I was your disciple," Xu Hei retorted.

    The old ck dog didn''t care, smiling as he grabbed the Spirit-Tail Chicken. "I only need one. The other half is yours."

    Xu Hei didn''t refuse. After swallowing two chickens, he began refining them on the spot.

    The old ck dog looked at the chicken in his hand, took out charcoal, a wooden rack, and an iron pot, nning to make a pot of soup.

    At the same time, he took out many precious medicinal herbs, which glowed brilliantly and were filled with spiritual energy.

    He licked his lips, secretlyughing to himself, "This foolish disciple, I already ate the three chickens, and he''s still naively giving me one. So innocent."

    After Xu Hei swallowed the two chickens, the spiritual liquid in the Demon God Cauldron quickly reached a perfect state, pushing towards a higher level.

    However, this time, as the Spirit-Tail Chickens were digested, Xu Hei still couldn''t break through that barrier.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, his heart silently shouting.

    "Break!"

    The Demon God Cauldron trembled slightly, the spiritual liquid inside vibrating intensely,pressing inward, but it always fell short. Xu Hei tried several times, but each time he failed topress it.

    Xu Hei was getting anxious. This wasn''t the first time this had happened. He had encountered a simr situation when breaking through to the mid-Spirit Communion Stage.

    This only meant that two chickens weren''t enough.

    At this moment, the old dog''s pot of chicken soup was almost ready. He had added many spirit medicines, making the whole soup fragrant.

    He also noticed Xu Hei''s situation and hesitated.

    "Break for me!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were bloodshot. These were the spoils he had risked his life for; he couldn''t allow himself to fail.

    This time, if they were discovered stealing chickens, the next time would be even more dangerous. Perhaps this was his only chance!

    The Spirit-Tail Chickens in his stomach were quickly digested, but it was still not enough.

    The old dog watched for a long time and sighed.

    "Fine, I''ll help you."

    The old dog couldn''t bear it. He pped the bottom of the pot, and the medicinal herbs inside flew up, igniting in mid-air and turning into medicinal liquid, gradually merging.

    After a long time.

    A round pill waspleted under the old dog''s control. He flicked his finger, and the pill flew out, dispersing in mid-air and entering Xu Hei''s body.

    Xu Hei recognized this pill. It was a rtively rare Qi-Breaking Pill, which could increase the probability of breaking through realms during the Qi Refining Stage.

    With the Qi-Breaking Pill entering his body, the Demon God Cauldron seemed to be catalyzed by a strong external force. The spiritual liquid inside instantly boiled,pressing inward uncontrobly.

    ¡­¡­

    Southern border of Chu Kingdom, Carefree Sect.

    After two days of fruitless searching, Elder Zhou returned to the sect and issued a sect mission.

    "All disciples, listen up. Track down this dog. Ten spirit stones for killing it, twenty for capturing it alive, and ten for reporting its whereabouts."

    "Beside this dog, there seems to be a ck snake aplice. The reward for discovering it is the same."

    Elder Zhou posted the portrait of the ck dog at the most conspicuous ce at the mountain gate.

    At the same time, he arranged for the wanted notice to be issued in nearby counties and towns.

    However, he didn''t get a clear look at the ck snake, so there was no portrait. He only knew it was ck and very cunning, having also stolen three Spirit-Tail Chickens.

    The news spread, causing an uproar. People were astonished that even Foundation Establishment cultivators'' chickens were being stolen. These demonic beasts were bing quite audacious.

    ¡­¡­

    A few dayster.

    With the help of the old ck dog, Xu Hei finally broke through to the sixthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage without any mishaps.

    Afterward, he consumed two bottles of Qi Condensation Pills and spent a week raising his cultivation to the peak of the sixthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    The next step was theter stage of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    These two breakthroughs took less than half a month, much faster than Xu Hei''s previous progress.

    "Haha, I told you, as long as you follow me, I guarantee you''ll reach theter stage within a month. I didn''t lie, did I?" the old ck dogughed.

    Xu Hei nodded.

    Thinking carefully, apart from pretending to be a Mountain God and deceiving him initially, the old dog hadn''t done anything bad and had helped him a lot.

    "That ce has been discovered. I won''t go stealing chickens there again, not even if you beat me to death," Xu Hei said.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not stupid. We can''t keep targeting the same ce. Next time, we''ll find a new target," the old ck dog said slyly.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment and said, "Actually, there''s no rush to do it within a month. I want to solidify my realm a bit before attempting to break through to theter stage. It doesn''t matter if it takes half a year or a year."

    This near-failure made Xu Hei a bit cautious.

    Although his cultivation realm was advancing rapidly, his physical body''s strength was not improving as much. Unlike before, when he would break through once every half year, his physical body would also transform.

    From the number of scales on his tail, it was clear that this breakthrough only added one ck-gold scale, which was highly unusual.

    Humans primarily cultivate True Qi, while demonic beasts primarily cultivate their physical bodies.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to put the cart before the horse and imitate humans by pursuing True Qi. He wanted to perfect his physical body''s strength as well.

    The big ck dog stroked his chin, nodding thoughtfully. "You have a point. Let''s go back and rest for a while. I''ll teach you some things."

    "Okay," Xu Hei nodded.

    There was another reason¡ªrecent events had caused too muchmotion, and he wanted toy low for a while.

    In the following days, Xu Hei focused on tempering his physical body.

    The method was simple: using the Earth Escape Technique to burrow deep underground, relying on the immense pressure of the earth to burden his body.

    This was taught by the old dog, but he had to control the intensity to avoid getting stuck underground due to exhaustion.

    The Carefree Sect also dispatched many cultivators to search the mountains, but the old dog''s nose was extremely sharp, always detecting danger in advance and allowing them to avoid it.

    During this time, Xu Hei asked the old dog for his name.

    The old dog perked up immediately.

    He stood tall, hands on his hips, and said proudly, "My name is renowned. In the past, on this Sky Dome Star, everyone knew and feared me. I could make powerful beings tremble and children stop crying. I was invincible in a realm. That''s me¡­"

    He was about to reveal the name "Heavenly Demon Scattered Person," but then he thought Xu Hei might not grasp the grandeur of the name and might spread it around.

    So, he changed his mind and said, "Since I''m ck, I''ll call myself the ck Emperor."

    "ck Younger Brother?"

    "Emperor as in ruler!"

    "No way, if you''re called Emperor, doesn''t that make me inferior? I think, since you''re big, I''ll call you Big ck."

    "Damn it! That sounds like a dog''s name."

    "Aren''t you a dog?"

    After some arguing, the old ck dog decided topromise and changed his name to Hei Huang, but Xu Hei still strongly opposed it. The old dog had no choice but to change "Huang" to "Huang" meaning yellow.

    Only then did Xu Hei relent.

    "Earlier, you asked if I knew Heavenly Demon Scattered Person. I think that name sounds good. It has an evil ring to it, perfect for taking the me. From now on, if we do something bad, we''ll say it was Heavenly Demon Scattered Person. If we do something good, we''ll say it was Xu Hei and Hei Huang," Xu Heiughed.

    "¡­" Hei Huang was speechless.

    ¡­¡­

    One day, Xu Hei returned to his territory.

    As he neared home, Xu Hei looked into the distance and saw thick smoke rising from behind the mountain, turning the sky ck.

    "What''s that?"

    Xu Hei raised his head, looking surprised.

    Hei Huang climbed a tree and jumped into the air, looking into the distance.

    Afternding, he shrugged and said, "What else could it be? A fire!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Hei''s muscles tensed, and he dashed forward at an unprecedented speed.

    Hei Huang was stunned for a moment, muttering, "It''s just a wildfire. What''s the big deal?"

    But after saying that, he also felt something was off and quickly sped up to follow.

 Chapter 36: Setting fire to the mountains will lead to imprisonment

    Chapter 36: Setting fire to the mountains will lead to imprisonment

    The wildfire raged, thick smoke billowing, mes covering the entire forest, spreading at an incredible speed towards its depths.

    Before he even got close, Xu Hei saw countless birds fleeing and beasts crying out in agony.

    A wildfire, for the animals living in the mountains, was undoubtedly a catastrophe.

    Wherever the mes passed, only scorched earth remained. Any living being, any nt or animal, would perish.

    Xu Hei''s heart was heavier than ever before.

    This was his home, his home!

    "No!!!"

    Xu Hei roared and charged towards his territory.

    Hei Huang, seeing Xu Hei''s expression for the first time, surprisingly said nothing, simply following behind.Xu Hei rushed to the front of his territory. Tworge mountains ahead were aze with towering mes. Most of the vegetation had already burned away, and the scene was like a hellscape, with rolling mes and scorching heat waves.

    The wildfire continued to expand, countless creatures dying miserably, falling in the mes.

    He saw a group of wild boars, a mother boar leading her piglets, fleeing through the mes, letting out heart-wrenching screams. Suddenly, a burning log fell, crushing the mother boar to the ground.

    The piglets gathered around, refusing to leave, and were soon engulfed by the mes as well.

    These piglets were ones Xu Hei had watched grow up, originally intended to be next year''s food supply.

    But right before his eyes, they were gone! Not a single one left!

    There was also a nest of mountain doves, still learning to fly, swallowed by the mes along with the entire forest, all turned to ashes.

    Countless creatures died one after another under Xu Hei''s sweeping gaze.

    The wildfire''s coverage was too vast, beyond human ability to extinguish. It would likely burn deep into the forest until heavy rain fell to stop it.

    Humans have a saying, "Set fire to the mountain, end up in prison," showing how severe the consequences of a wildfire can be.

    Gritting his teeth, Xu Hei charged into the mes, his Divine Sense spreading wildly.

    The mes burned on his body without causing any pain. Xu Hei sped up, arriving at a familiar pond, jumping in and entering a cave.

    Inside the cave, thick smoke rolled.

    In a corner, a group of wolf pups huddled together, along with the wolf king and a little white snake.

    The little white snake had grown significantly, almost as big as Xu Hei, having broken through to the third level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    Fortunately, there was this cave. Otherwise, these creatures would have also struggled to escape the wildfire. But as time went on, the smoke grew thicker, and they would likely suffocate.

    The Serpent Tree nted in the corner was still there, bearing a young fruit. In three years, a new Serpent Fruit would appear.

    Seeing Xu Hei enter, the wolf king immediately approached, whimpering with its head lowered.

    Outside, the fire burned fiercely, and thick smoke drifted in from the cave entrance. Staying here was not a long-term solution.

    Xu Hei said nothing, rolling up the Serpent Tree and putting it into his Storage Bag. He spoke to the white snake and the wolf pack, "Let''s go, I''ll lead you out."

    ...

    Thirty miles away, at the entrance of Snake Vige.

    An old man in a Taoist robe stood at the foot of the mountain, looking at the forest reduced to ck ash, a cold smile on his face.

    This man was the aged Chen Daoling.

    Chen Daoling''s lifespan was nearly exhausted, with at most three years left to live. He had no great ambitions in this life, only wishing to capture that old snake demon before he died, to skin it and refine it into a snake pill.

    He didn''t hope to extend his own life but left his hopes to his two remaining disciples.

    Zhao Wenzhuo and Chen Duoduo.

    At this moment, the two stood respectfully on either side behind him.

    After months of secluded cultivation, Zhao Wenzhuo had reached the mid-stage of Qi Refining. For someone who had joined the Snake Catchers Sect only a year ago, this was considered a prodigious talent.

    Chen Duoduo, a Chosen of the Chen Family, was about to break through to thete stage of Qi Refining.

    "This wildfire has burned for three days. It should have reached that snake demon''sir by now," Chen Daoling sneered.

    Zhao Wenzhuo was silent for a moment, then said, "Master, this fire has likely angered many demonic beasts. I''m afraid that snake demon wille down the mountain for revenge."

    "Hmph, so what?" Chen Daoling sneered, exuding confidence.

    "To tell you the truth, the old snake demon and the matter of Myriad Serpent Valley have already caught the interest of an elder from the headquarters. The Snake Catchers Sect is about to establish a branch hall here. When that happens, both of you can enter the branch hall for cultivation."

    Hearing this, Zhao Wenzhuo and Chen Duoduo were both shocked.

    The Snake Catchers Sect, one of the five major sects in Chu Kingdom and the southern overlord, had powerful forces with Qi Condensation cultivators stationed at every branch hall.

    The establishment of a branch hall meant that the local cultivation level would rise sharply. Whether it was Snake Vige, Python Vige, or Chen Family Town, they would all benefit immensely.

    There might even be arge poption migration, establishing a new city here, leading to economic prosperity.

    "Where will the branch hall be established?" Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes shed as he asked.

    "This involves sect secrets, and I have no authority to know. However, the elder has already sent a clone to investigate. There should be results soon," Chen Daoling said slowly.

    The appearance of Myriad Serpent Valley was destined to attract the attention of the Snake Catchers Sect''s high-level members. It was a natural snake field with endless snake resources.

    If that were all, it would be fine, but the appearance of the old snake demon added fuel to the fire, further elevating the value of Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Therefore, the Snake Catchers Sect nned to establish a branch hall to firmly upy Myriad Serpent Valley.

    ...

    In the deep mountains, the wildfire raged, thick smoke filled the sky, the air was full of dust, making it hard to breathe and impossible to open one''s eyes.

    "Water Bullet Technique!"

    Xu Hei spat out water balls, extinguishing the mes and creating a wide path.

    Behind him, the wolf king carried the pups, and the little white snake rushed out together, heading deeper into the forest.

    Hei Huang appeared beside him, saying, "Xu Hei, these wildfires happen from time to time. It''s nothing unusual. The weather is hot; it''s normal."

    Xu Hei crawled silently, saying nothing.

    Hei Huang stood on the mountaintop, looking around, and smiled bitterly, "But such arge-scale one is indeed rare."

    As they walked, all they saw was pitch-ck scorched earth. Conservatively estimated, it had burned at least twenty miles, maybe more.

    Without strong winds and heavy rain, it would just keep burning.

    Hei Huang sighed, wanting tofort Xu Hei but not knowing what to say. As a human, he couldn''t understand the thoughts of a snake.

    But thinking from another perspective, if his home were burned by a sudden wildfire, unable to be stopped, burning deeper and deeper, consuming the entire city, how would he feel?

    "I don''t think this was an ident."

    Suddenly, Xu Hei, who had been silent for a long time, spoke.

    "Hmm?" Hei Huang was stunned, waiting for Xu Hei to continue.

    Xu Hei said seriously, "Earlier, you told me about the Snake Catchers Sect. They have many branches, mostly set up in ces rich in Spiritual Qi and snake resources, right?"

    "That''s right!" Hei Huang nodded.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, his voice icy cold.

    "I know who did this."

    Xu Hei''s eyes were cold and blood-red, bursting with unprecedented killing intent.

    Such terrifying murderous intent even stunned Hei Huang. It was hard to imagine that this came from a mid-stage Spirit Communion demonic beast.

 Chapter 37: The old dog has come up with another bad idea

    Chapter 37: The old dog hase up with another bad idea

    The old ck dog was a shrewd character. He squinted his dog eyes and said, "Are you saying that deep in these mountains, there''s a ce rich in serpent resources and abundant in spiritual qi, suitable for establishing a sect?"

    Xu Hei didn''t hide anything and nodded, "That ce is called Myriad Serpent Valley. I go there every spring, and there are hundreds of thousands of serpents."

    As he spoke, he nced at the little white snake. This white snake had escaped from Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Hei Huang sighed helplessly, "There''s nothing we can do about it. The Snake Catchers Sect is a two-star sect. If they''re setting up a branch, there will definitely be a Core Formation Stage cultivator overseeing it. We can''t beat them, so we can only run."

    "Burning the mountains is also for clearing thend. All human cities were established this way; it''s inevitable."

    Hei Huang consoled him. He didn''t feel much about it, but Xu Hei''s reaction was intense, as if it were a deep-seated grudge. His pale golden eyes turned blood red.

    Hei Huang was startled and instinctively reminded him, "Xu Hei, don''t be impulsive. You''ve always been the cautious one!"

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and nodded heavily, "I know, I''m not stupid!"

    A group of demonic beasts burst out of the encircling mes and headed deeper into the mountains. The mes behind them continued to chase, and Xu Hei didn''t dare to stop, fleeing forward.Now, in the dense summer vegetation, the fire would only grow stronger. Any firefighting measures would be like a drop in the bucket.

    Along the way, many animals joined the fleeing group.

    Most of those who could escape the mes were demonic beasts. These intelligent creatures formed small teams and fled deeper into the mountains.

    Unlike usual, they didn''t attack each other on sight. Instead, they were quiet, their expressions filled with fear and dread. They feared the mes and were also angry.

    In Xu Hei''s group, there were a bunch of pangolins, two porcupines, a giant centipede, and arge frog.

    For the sake of survival, these demonic beasts, who were usually natural enemies, had no intention of fighting.

    ...

    The raging fire turned the mountains into scorched earth, spanning dozens of miles. The sky was gray, covered by thick smoke.

    In the sky, a middle-aged schr in white walked on air, his gaze like lightning, scanning the scorched earth below.

    The middle-aged schr took out a jade slip and recorded the terrain he saw.

    "This ce is t and suitable for establishing a mortal town. Eight points."

    "This ce has many mountain springs, suitable for raising spiritual birds. Five points."

    "This ce is near a river, suitable for opening a herb garden. Seven points."

    "This ce is suitable for nting spiritual fields, but the mountain is a bit ugly. Only three points."

    ...

    At each ce, he recorded the terrain and gave his evaluation.

    This person was Xuan Yangzi, a core elder of the Snake Catchers Sect, who had a keen interest in this area.

    The n to establish a branch hall was his idea.

    The terrain was still being surveyed, and his true body had not arrived. Only a clone was here.

    Xuan Yangzi moved quickly. Soon, he crossed the fire-ravaged area and reached the deeper parts of the mountains, untouched by the mes.

    "I heard Myriad Serpent Valley is ahead, rich in serpents. I must go and see how many points it deserves," Xuan Yangzi thought expectantly.

    ...

    Thirty miles ahead.

    Hei Huang was walking forward when he suddenly sniffed the air, his expression tensing. "A human cultivator ising."

    In the past, if Xu Hei heard this, he would have hidden without hesitation.

    But now, with killing intent in his heart, his eyes shed, and he said with a grim face, "What cultivation level?"

    "Core Formation Stage," Hei Huang answered without thinking, rubbing his nose.

    "Whoosh!"

    Without another word, Xu Hei turned and fled, disappearing faster than a dog.

    "Hey, I haven''t finished. It''s just a clone, not the true body," Hei Huang shouted.

    "Damn it, why didn''t you say so earlier!"

    Xu Hei stopped in his tracks, cursing as he turned back.

    Xu Hei asked, "What level is this clone?"

    "I don''t know. Clones have different levels. The strongest external incarnation is at least at the False Core Stage, while the weakest paper clone is barely at the Qi Refining Stage," Hei Huang said nonchntly.

    Xu Hei squinted his eyes. If you don''t know, then why are you talking nonsense?

    Just then, the cultivator behind them approached rapidly, surprising even Hei Huang with his speed.

    He immediately took out a jade talisman, activated it with a spell, and a ripple shed, making Xu Hei and Hei Huang''s figures transparent, blending into the natural environment.

    "Whoosh!"

    The middle-aged schr''s figure swept past above them.

    But as he passed over Xu Hei and Hei Huang''s heads, he suddenly stopped, as if sensing something. He sniffed the air andnded on the ground.

    "Is this guy part dog too?" Xu Hei thought in surprise.

    "Don''t panic. My invisibility talisman is foolproof. Even a Great Golden Immortal wouldn''t detect us. Trust me!" Hei Huang reassured Xu Hei, holding him back from making any rash moves.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s heart was in his throat, and he didn''t dare to move.

    It was his first time observing a Core Formation Stage cultivator up close!

    Even though it was just a clone, the invisible pressure made Xu Hei''s heart tremble. Why did hee back? He should have just run!

    Xuan Yangzi frowned, observing for a moment before standing with his hands behind his back, closing his eyes, and loudly saying, "Your concealment technique only deserves two points. Stop hiding ande out!"

    With that, he raised his hand and struck arge boulder in front of him.

    The boulder split in two and crumbled into dust.

    There was nothing behind it!

    Xuan Yangzi frowned again and struck another boulder, splitting it open, but still found nothing.

    Xu Hei was puzzled. What was this guy doing?

    "He sensed something but doesn''t know where, so he''s trying to bluff us. Don''t worry," Hei Huang said with a smile.

    "Didn''t you just say even a Great Golden Immortal wouldn''t detect us?" Xu Hei red at him.

    "Great Golden Immortal is the name of my pet," Hei Huang exined.

    Xu Hei: "..."

    At this moment, Xuan Yangzi was also stroking his chin, falling into self-doubt. He muttered to himself, "Could it be an illusion?"

    After observing again and finding nothing, Xuan Yangzi couldn''t help but shake his head.

    "Tch, this clone is of poor quality. I''ll dismantle it and make a new one when I get back!"

    Saying this, Xuan Yangzi flew up and headed towards Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Hei Huang didn''t move, and neither did Xu Hei.

    After thinking for a moment, Hei Huang suddenly whispered, "Xu Hei, how about we do something big?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    Xu Hei had a bad feeling when he heard this.

    Hei Huang licked his lips, a greedy look shing in his eyes. "Did you see the storage bag on that clone''s waist? That''s..."

    "Stop!"

    Before he could finish, Xu Hei''s face darkened, interrupting him, "If you want to go, go by yourself. I don''t want to die!"

    This old dog was too bold. They couldn''t even handle a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he wanted to target a Core Formation Stage one. Where did he get the courage?

    "Hey, listen to me! That clone is just a paper tiger, barely at the Foundation Establishment level, with even weaker resistance. One stab and it''s done. Trust me, I''m not bragging. I have more than a fifty percent chance of taking him down!"

    "We''ll split the loot fifty-fifty. That''s a Core Formation Stage cultivator''s storage bag. Who knows how many spirit stones are in there? Who knows how many Spirit-Tail Chickens we could buy!"

    Hei Huang kept persuading, but Xu Hei was unmoved, shaking his head like a rattle drum.

    "Kill the clone, and there''s still the true body. I don''t want a Core Formation Stage cultivator holding a grudge. If you want to go, go by yourself," Xu Hei shook his head.

    Hei Huang pondered for a while, then suddenly squinted his eyes, staring coldly at Xu Hei. "Xu Hei, don''t you want revenge? Your home was burned down!"

    Hearing this, Xu Hei''s shaking head immediately stopped.

    After a moment, his eyes gradually filled with blood.

 Chapter 38: Pitfall Killing Core Formation Stage Avatar

    Chapter 38: Pitfall Killing Core Formation Stage Avatar

    Hei Huang, seeing that his words were having an effect, continued to fan the mes, "Xu Hei, Xu Hei, others have burned the wild boars you raised, the sheep you tended, your mountain, your chickens, ducks, and birds! Don''t you hate them? Don''t you want revenge?"

    "Do you want to be a stray dog for the rest of your life?"

    Hei Huang''s words grew more and more fervent.

    Xu Hei turned to look at him, coldly saying, "You''re the dog."

    "That''s not the point. The question is, do you want revenge?" Hei Huang urged.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, then said, "A fifty percent chance is too low."

    Hei Huangughed, "I was talking about my chances alone. With you, the odds will be much higher."

    Xu Hei seemed to be considering this.

    After a moment, he took out a ck-gold scale from his storage bag and ced it on the ground. "With this, how much higher?"This was a ck-gold scale Xu Hei had plucked from his tail and stored in his storage bag. He had discovered that once the scale was removed, it would gradually lose its spiritual essence over time, bing dull and no longer sharp. Only when it was freshly plucked was its power at its peak. Even so, its sharpness was still formidable, making it a rare weapon. The one he had now was plucked just yesterday, and its power was still at half strength.

    Hei Huang took the scale, scraped it against his palm, and saw blood. His eyes lit up.

    "Seventy percent! No, eighty percent!" Hei Huang eximed excitedly.

    "Alright, I''ll add fuel to the fire as needed," Xu Hei said.

    "Then it''ll be over ny percent," Hei Huangughed.

    ...

    Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Upon arriving, Xuan Yangzi swept his Divine Sense across the valley, quickly surveying the entire area.

    A glint of excitement shed in his eyes.

    "Perfect! No, beyond perfect. This is an ideal serpent breeding ground!"

    "Every spring, it attracts all the serpents within a two-hundred-mile radius. What could be more thrilling?"

    Xuan Yangzi was visibly excited.

    He observed the area repeatedly, confirming his findings and recording them in a jade slip, giving it a perfect score in his mind.

    "It''s time to send this jade slip back. The master will be pleased," Xuan Yangzi smiled.

    Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, shooting towards the rear like lightning.

    "Hmph, I thought it was an illusion, but someone is indeed following me!"

    Xuan Yangzi vanished from his spot and instantly appeared atop a mountain peak.

    The ce seemed ordinary, but he noticed a half-drawn formation etched into the ground.

    "Trying to hide, are we?"

    Xuan Yangzi snorted coldly, stomping his foot. A scream of "Ouch!" came from within the mountain, and the ground exploded, sending a ck dog flying andnding on the ground.

    "Oh? A mangy dog? Where''s your master?"

    Xuan Yangzi raised his hand, activating the Gravity Technique, lifting the ck dog into the air.

    The ck dog merely grinned at him.

    "Boom!"

    Suddenly, the ck dog''s body exploded into pieces.

    "An illusion formation?"

    Xuan Yangzi''s expression changed. He immediately realized he had stepped into an illusion formation, causing various hallucinations. The half-drawn formation was likely part of the illusion.

    His Divine Sense was sealed, unable to detect any fluctuations, confirming it was an illusion formation.

    However, he reacted decisively, throwing the jade slip towards the horizon. The jade slip soared at an incredible speed, flying far away.

    His mission as a clone was to survey the terrain and gather information. Dying was inconsequential.

    The opponent''s illusion formation was so convincing that even he couldn''t tell it was fake, indicating a formidable adversary.

    "Do you really think what just happened was an illusion?"

    Suddenly, a cold voice whispered in his ear.

    Xuan Yangzi''s eyes narrowed. The ck dog that had exploded into pieces suddenly reformed, holding a ck-gold scale.

    "sh!"

    A sh of cold light, and Xuan Yangzi''s head flew off, his eyes still filled with shock.

    The ck dog''s explosion had been real! It wasn''t an illusion!

    Hei Huang''s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

    However, the next second!

    Xuan Yangzi''s headless body suddenly moved, raising an arm to grab Hei Huang by the neck, lifting him up and holding him tightly.

    Hei Huang''s face changed drastically as he looked at the severed head on the ground, which was staring at him with a sinister smile.

    "I''m just a wooden puppet clone. Losing my head doesn''t matter. I''m not dead. Your trick only earns you six points, barely passing."

    Xuan Yangzi''s head sneered, with no blood at the severed neck, only wooden carvings.

    It was a wooden puppet clone, unaffected by losing its head.

    "sh! sh!"

    At that moment, Xuan Yangzi''s smile froze.

    Several ck-gold scales flew out of nowhere, slicing his head in half, his arms into four pieces, his legs into three, and his body into countless fragments, turning into pieces of wood scattered on the ground.

    "Fireball Technique!"

    Xu Hei appeared, spitting a fireball that engulfed the wooden fragments, causing them to emit agonized screams as traces of Divine Sense were burned.

    After a long while, the Divine Sense waspletely incinerated, reduced to nothingness.

    Hei Huang fell to the ground, panting heavily, his face pale. He cursed, "Miscalction! It was a wooden puppet clone. Such a valuable thing used for scouting, what a waste!"

    Xu Hei ignored him, casting another fireball to burn the charred wood into ck ash.

    "Fireball Technique!"

    Xu Hei spat another fireball, melting the ground into magma, leaving nothing behind.

    "Stop, stop, it''s already dead!" Hei Huang cursed.

    Xu Hei finally stopped.

    He retrieved the scales he had shot out, swallowing them one by one, then looked at Hei Huang. "This is the eighty percent chance you mentioned? How could it be so weak?"

    Hei Huang snorted, "To weaken his power, I used a costly formation to seal his Divine Sense. Otherwise, how could you ambush him? I even kept the jade slip!"

    "Besides, even if you didn''t act, I could have easily dealt with him."

    Hei Huang stubbornly defended himself, rattling off a list of reasons. Xu Hei didn''t argue, instead looking towards the horizon.

    The jade slip that had flown out seemed to hit an invisible wall, unable to escape. Hei Huang waved his hand, retrieving the jade slip.

    It recorded everything encountered along the way, including their confrontation. If it were sent back, it would cause great trouble.

    Xu Hei scanned the jade slip with his Divine Sense, then destroyed it, burning it to ashes.

    "Is it safe now?" Xu Hei asked, still uneasy.

    "Not yet. Although the message didn''t get through, the fact that someone at the Core Formation Stage died here means they''lle to investigate," Hei Huang said.

    Before he finished speaking, Xu Hei had already vanished.

    Hei Huang: "..."

 Chapter 39: Escaping is shameful but useful

    Chapter 39: Escaping is shameful but useful

    Myriad Serpent Valley, within an underground serpent cave.

    Xu Hei stared at the storage bag in front of him, noticing a strong Divine Sense imprint on it that he couldn''t erase no matter what he tried.

    After several attempts, Xu Hei had two options: either use the ck-gold scales to forcefully break it open, which might damage the contents inside, or swallow it into the Demon God Cauldron and refine it with the cauldron.

    Either way, there was a risk of damaging the items inside.

    Hei Huang appeared beside him, took the storage bag, and nced at it.

    "Hmph, it''s just a Divine Sense. I can handle it easily."

    He weighed the storage bag in his hand.

    "Are you sure?" Xu Hei asked, not entirely convinced.

    "Leave it to me. Three days, tops," Hei Huang said, patting his chest confidently.Xu Hei nodded. In this matter, he still trusted the old dog.

    Afterward, Xu Hei went outside Myriad Serpent Valley and bid a hasty farewell to the little white snake and the wolf king.

    Before leaving, Hei Huang raised his hand and sent two strands of Divine Sense into their minds.

    "What is this?" Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

    "Some memory inheritance to help them gain wisdom. This is my unique secret technique; you won''t find another like it in the world," Hei Huang said proudly.

    At this moment, the eyes of the little white snake and the wolf king shed with a human-like intelligence.

    Then, Hei Huang cast two golden light spells, leaving them on the little white snake and the wolf king to protect them in life-and-death situations.

    "Let''s go. The memory inheritance can''t be digested in a short time. It will take at least ten days to half a month. How far they can go depends on their fate," Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei sighed and turned to leave. He had only met these two creatures by chance and didn''t know when he would see them again.

    Hei Huang nced at the terrain of Myriad Serpent Valley and sighed, "What a blessednd. It''s a pity it will benefit others."

    He could naturally see the unique structure of Myriad Serpent Valley, which could automatically absorb Spiritual Qi from the heavens and earth into the valley, forming a natural Gathering Spirit Array. Over time, it would even give birth to Spirit Medicines.

    Such a terrain was quite rare among blessednds.

    After Xu Hei left, he remained silent along the way. Hei Huang could see his mood and didn''t try to persuade him. This was a path every powerful cultivator had to walk.

    The weak could only bow their heads and run when facing the strong, or else they would die.

    Xu Hei understood this and didn''t let his hot-bloodedness lead him to a pointless death, which made Hei Huang very pleased.

    Xu Hei felt the same way.

    ...

    Far away, in the southern region of Chu Kingdom, within a sect''s cave dwelling.

    A middle-aged schr meditating with closed eyes suddenly opened them, a strange light shing in his gaze.

    "The wooden puppet clone is dead."

    "Even the recording jade slip was left behind, and the Divine Sense on the storage bag was erased. Who could have done this?"

    Xuan Yangzi knew that his clone''s strength was average, but its aura and Divine Sense were extremely strong, genuinely at the Core Formation Stage.

    To see through the clone''s nature and dare to attack it, the opponent was either a brainless fool or extremely powerful, not fearing him at all.

    "Hmph, I didn''t expect Myriad Serpent Valley to attractpetitors."

    "I''m getting more and more interested."

    Xuan Yangzi closed his eyes again, lightly tapping the ground with his finger, entering a state of calction.

    In the southern region of Chu Kingdom, no one dared to oppose the Snake Catchers Sect, so it could only be an opponent from another country or perhaps a provoked great demon.

    "Su Bei!" Xuan Yangzi called out in a low voice.

    Momentster, a young man in a yellow robe appeared and respectfully bowed, "Greetings, Master."

    "Take five inner disciples and go to the vicinity of Myriad Serpent Valley to investigate the person who attacked my clone," Xuan Yangzi ordered.

    "Yes!" The young man in the yellow robe shed and disappeared from sight.

    ...

    In the days that followed, the snake and the dog traveled south, crossing mountains and rivers. Besides avoiding forest fires, they also had to evade the strong members of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    As they ventured deeper into the mountains, they asionally encountered powerful demonic beasts, even once encountering a Foundation Establishment great demon. But with the old dog''s keen nose, they could always avoid danger in advance.

    During this time, Xu Hei didn''t idle. He tempered his physical body and honed his foundation every day.

    "Earth Escape Technique!"

    Xu Hei''s body sank, drilling into the ground. He wanted to use the pressure of the earth to temper his body. This was the simplest yet most effective method.

    Previously, he could only dive up to a hundred meters.

    This time, Xu Hei descended two hundred meters, three hundred meters... and kept going.

    "Take it easy. If you can''t get back up, I won''t save you!" the old dog''s voice echoed from afar.

    At this moment, Xu Hei had descended from the soilyer to the sandyer. Here, the soil was no longer soft but mixed with a lot of sand and gravel, greatly increasing the pressure.

    Even with the Earth Escape Technique, it was difficult to move here.

    Although Xu Hei feared death, he was no coward.

    He was like a venomous snake, hiding in the dark, cultivating diligently, waiting to deliver a fatal blow when the opponent was off guard!

    "If humans lose their True Qi, they be weak and vulnerable! I am a demonic beast; I cannot be as fragile as humans. I must be stronger!"

    Xu Hei''s resolve was firm.

    Under the immense pressure, his muscles and bones creaked, the heavy force squeezing his flesh, making it hard to breathe or move.

    But Xu Hei''s eyes were bright, his willpower unprecedentedly strong, as if he had found his path to cultivation.

    The Demon God Cauldron trembled violently, emitting vast and heavy waves, merging with his body to resist the earth''s pressure.

    Suddenly, the ck-gold scales on his tail began to regrow.

    One, two, three...

    Soon, the scales covered his tail, and their number continued to increase, surpassing the previous limit.

    Unknowingly, the number of scales on Xu Hei''s tail exceeded twenty.

    "Sure enough, the number of scales is linked to the strength of my physical body. The stronger my body, the more scales I have," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    His cultivation had reached the peak of the mid-Spiritual Awareness stage, but his physical body had not, leaving much room for improvement.

    When Xu Hei reached his limit, he returned to the surface, copsing from exhaustion.

    A week passed in such days.

    Xu Hei traveled a long distance, not knowing how far he had gone.

    ording to Hei Huang, they were no longer in Chu Kingdom''s territory. If they continued forward and crossed a great river, they would reach another country, the Qin Kingdom.

    Finally, the old dog erased the Divine Sense on the storage bag.

    "Damn, I can finally open it. That Divine Sense was tough to crack!"

    Hei Huangy on the ground, panting heavily. It had taken him a whole week to erase the Core Formation cultivator''s Divine Sense.

    "Open it and see."

    Xu Hei hurried over. If there wasn''t a substantial reward for taking such a risk, it wouldn''t be worth it.

    "You open it. I''m out of strength."

    Hei Huang, out of breath, didn''t even have the strength to get up and tossed the storage bag over.

    Xu Hei took it suspiciously, scanning it with his Divine Sense, and his expression turned strange.

    The storage bag did contain treasures, but far fewer than he had imagined, mostlymon items he had seen before.

    Pills, talismans, herbs, low-level magical treasures, spell jade slips... but not a single Spirit Stone.

    This was far from what he expected from a Core Formation cultivator''s storage bag.

    "Could it be that the old dog pocketed some of it?"

    Xu Hei considered the possibility.

    Spending seven days to open a storage bag was already suspicious, but seeing the old dog panting heavily, it didn''t seem like he was faking it.

    "Why are you staring at me?" Hei Huang asked, sitting up immediately.

    He grabbed the storage bag, nced inside, and eximed, "Damn! Such bad luck, not a single Spirit Stone. All that effort for nothing."

    "These treasures are useless to me, so I''ll give them to you."

    Hei Huang tossed the storage bag to Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei didn''t take it, staring intently at him.

 Chapter 40: Meeting an acquaintance in a foreign land

    Chapter 40: Meeting an acquaintance in a foreignnd

    "ording to our agreement, you should get half of these things," Xu Hei said coldly.

    Hei Huang was taken aback, then forced augh, "Haha, there''s no need for that. I don''t need these."

    Feeling uneasy under Xu Hei''s gaze, he turned to leave.

    Whoosh!

    Suddenly, Xu Hei lunged at him with his mouth wide open.

    "Ah! Stop, let''s talk this out!"

    Hei Huang screamed repeatedly, using both hands and feet to hold Xu Hei''s jaws apart.

    "You old dog, hand over the Spirit Stones!"

    "Stop, stop!""Hand them over!"

    "¡­"

    After a fierce struggle, Hei Huang finally spat out ten Spirit Stones, giving half to Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei saw through this old dog.

    Damn it! Too greedy! Even scams his own people.

    He wasn''t even sure if these ten Spirit Stones were all of them.

    "Xu Hei, I''m doing this for your own good. You''re still young. Why do you need so many Spirit Stones? I''m saving them for you to use in critical moments," Hei Huang said earnestly.

    Xu Hei couldn''t be bothered to argue. He took out arge pile of jade slips and began to probe them with his Divine Sense. These human knowledge records were what he craved the most.

    After a short while, Xu Hei skimmed through them and took out one jade slip, cing it in front of him.

    "Wooden Puppet Clone."

    This jade slip recorded the method to refine a Wooden Puppet Clone.

    The old dog had mentioned before that clones were divided into different levels.

    The weakest Paper Puppet Clone only had the strength of the Qi Refining Stage and would burn away easily.

    The Wooden Puppet Clone was also weak, only slightly stronger than the Paper Puppet Clone, but it had the advantage of being able to perfectly imitate the original, in terms of aura and Divine Sense. Unless one had extraordinary vision, it was hard to tell the difference.

    Above that, there were Stone Puppet Clones, Flesh and Blood Clones, and the strongest, the External Incarnation.

    Hei Huang nced at the jade slip and mocked, "What''s the use of this Wooden Puppet Clone? It''s just for scaring people. Don''t cultivate this. I rmend a type of clone that, if practiced well, can be even stronger than the original!"

    "What?" Xu Hei quickly asked.

    "Puppets!" Hei Huang''s eyes gleamed as he spoke, "Puppet techniques are one of the six arts of cultivation. The Heavenly Puppet Sect, the number one sect in the Qin Kingdom, are experts in this."

    "It''s said that their puppets are stronger than their masters, feel no pain, have physical bodiesparable to Demonic Beasts, ande inrge numbers. Releasing a hundred or eighty at once, who canpete with them in the same Realm?"

    Listening to Hei Huang''s boasting, Xu Hei''s mind was filled with vivid images.

    In a battle, without hesitation, releasing a hundred or eighty puppets to gang up on the opponent, wouldn''t that be exhrating?

    Xu Hei swallowed and muttered to himself, "Then in the future, if I see people from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, I should avoid them."

    Hei Huang: ???

    Isn''t the normal thought process to join if you can''t beat them? Xu Hei, this coward, his first thought is to run away.

    He was speechless.

    "Xu Hei, ahead at the border of the Qin Kingdom, there''s a small frontier town. Let''s go there to buy some body-tempering herbs and some nourishing Demonic Beast meat," Hei Huang suggested.

    Xu Hei didn''t think much and nodded.

    Body tempering consumed a lot, requiringrge amounts of meat daily. Hunting alone could no longer suffice.

    The two demons traversed mountains and rivers, continuing forward for fifty miles.

    Gradually, a misty scene appeared ahead, revealing arge river running north to south.

    Yanluo River, its waters swift and turbulent, even wild geese couldn''t cross it. Low-level cultivators couldn''t fly over it either, relying only on ferries.

    On the other side of Yanluo River was the Qin Kingdom.

    Hei Huang took out a ck robe and a bamboo hat, covering himself tightly, and walked upright to the dock.

    The ferryman at the dock nced at Hei Huang, puzzled, but said nothing.

    However, a piercing voice came from the boat.

    "Hey, where did this little dwarfe from? This height, barely a meter tall, right?"

    "Hahaha! Maybe the strong wind on the river will blow him away!"

    The crowd on the boat burst intoughter.

    These people were shirtless, their bodies covered with tattoos of fierce beasts,rge knives at their waists, and ferocious faces. They were likely from a nearby gang or bandits.

    Other passersby also looked at Hei Huang, guessing what kind of body was under the ck robe, probably a dwarf?

    Hei Huang just snorted coldly and waved his hand.

    Whoosh!

    A gust of wind swept through, and the bandits who had insulted Hei Huang were immediately blown off the boat, iling in the river.

    The rest were shocked.

    "My heavens, an immortal!"

    "This dwarf¡­ is actually an immortal!"

    The crowd on the boat turned pale. This unremarkable dwarf was actually a cultivator, which was no small matter. No one dared to provoke him.

    The ferryman became courteous, quickly inviting Hei Huang onto the boat. Hei Huang stood proudly and boarded.

    Xu Hei also hid under the ck robe, observing the boat''s environment.

    The boat was medium-sized, with two levels, capable of holding over a hundred people.

    The first level was full of mortals, looking at Hei Huang with awe.

    The second level had only two people, a man and a woman, both with extraordinary temperaments, never ncing below.

    The woman, however, frowned slightly, nced at Hei Huang, then looked away.

    Xu Hei felt that the woman looked familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

    The woman, dressed in purple, seemed about sixteen, with an ethereal and refined aura. There was a faint fluctuation of Spiritual Power within her, indicating she was a cultivator.

    Hei Huang sat at the stern on the first level, motionless, waiting for the boat to depart.

    Gradually, more mortals boarded the boat.

    Finally, a white-bearded elder, holding a horsetail whisk, boarded the ferry. The man and woman on the second level immediately stepped forward to greet him.

    "Junior Qin Ye greets Elder Zhou!"

    "Junior Qiu Ling greets Elder Zhou!"

    The two bowed, and the white-bearded elder quickly returned the gesture, and the three went up to the second level together.

    At this moment, Hei Huang and Xu Hei on the first level were stunned, their eyes wide open.

    "That old man is¡­" Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    "Shh! You didn''t see wrong, it''s that old man who raises chickens!" Hei Huang gritted his teeth.

    Xu Hei''s heart was in turmoil.

    Why was Elder Zhou from the Carefree Sect, who raised Spirit-Tail Chickens, here in the Qin Kingdom? And on the same boat, no less? What the hell?

    Xu Hei instinctively wanted to leave, but Hei Huang held him back.

    "Don''t be impulsive. If you leave now, won''t you be discovered?" Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei cursed, "Isn''t your dog''s nose supposed to be sharp? How could you not notice when he''s so close?"

    "Damn it! Who the hell remembers that old man''s sour smell all day? I forgot!" Hei Huang retorted.

    At this moment, Elder Zhou on the second level hadn''t noticed anything unusual, sitting with the two young people, eyes closed, resting.

    Hei Huang couldn''t help but feel puzzled. What was this elder from the Carefree Sect in Chu Kingdom doing in the Qin Kingdom, sitting with someone who seemed like a royal prince?

    He didn''t want to care, as long as they didn''t notice him.

    If they did, he would have no choice but to kill them all. A fierce light shed in Hei Huang''s eyes.

    Just then, the bandits who had been blown off the boat earlier climbed back from the shore.

    They knelt by the river, kowtowing to the ferry, "Immortal, please forgive us. We didn''t mean it. We deserve to die!"

    As they spoke, they pped themselves.

 Chapter 41: Linjiang City dines and dashes

    Chapter 41: Linjiang City dines and dashes

    "Get lost!" Hei Huang''s low growl sent the crowd scattering in panic.

    "Hmm?" The white-bearded elder upstairs opened his eyes and frowned slightly.

    "Elder Zhou, what''s wrong?" Qin Ye, who was beside him, asked.

    "Nothing."

    Zhou Xu shook his head. He felt that the short cultivator looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn''t recall where he had seen him before. Among the people he knew, none were that short.

    He had important matters to attend to here and didn''t want any unnecessaryplications, so he didn''t dwell on it.

    ...

    Before long, the ferry set off.

    The boatman hoisted the sail and steered towards the center of Yanluo River.The boatman was also a cultivator, though only at the first level of the Qi Refining Stage. However, he had been steering boats for many years and was experienced, following a fixed route that ensured the boat''s safe arrival at the opposite shore.

    Even the mortals on the boat were strong and vigorous, most having practiced martial arts. Otherwise, those with weaker constitutions might have been blown away by the wind.

    The closer they got to the center, the more turbulent the river became, with stronger winds and waves causing the boat to rock.

    Xu Hei, feeling the rushing water, suddenly had an idea. Could he find the most turbulent spot in the water to temper his physical body?

    He had tried tempering his body in the earth before, so perhaps doing it in water was also feasible.

    After eating some demonic beast meat, he could give it a try.

    Just then, he noticed Hei Huang''s paw scratching something on the ground, carving out spiritual power patterns that faintly outlined a miniature formation.

    "This..."

    Xu Hei felt uneasy. What was the old dog up to now?

    "Xu Hei, how about we pull off a big heist and split the loot fifty-fifty?"

    The familiar voice made Xu Hei''s eyes widen.

    It''s one thing if no one noticed you, but you actually want to stir up trouble? Can''t you just stay quiet?

    "How confident are you?"

    "Thirty percent."

    "Then I''ll eat you first!"

    "Heh, just kidding, don''t take it seriously."

    Hei Huang chuckled and erased the formation marks under his paw.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief.

    Thus, everyone safely reached the opposite shore without incident.

    Xu Hei seriously suspected that the old dog had boarded the boat with the intention of killing and robbing, but fortunately, a Foundation Establishment cultivator had boarded midway, making him hesitate. Otherwise, he would have definitely made a move.

    "This old dog''s thoughts are too dangerous. I need to be careful not to get dragged into his schemes," Xu Hei thought warily.

    After disembarking, everyone went their separate ways without any further incidents.

    The white-bearded elder hesitated for a moment after getting ashore and then said to Hei Huang, "Fellow Daoist, have we met before?"

    Hei Huang smiled and replied, "I saw you at an auction once. Didn''t expect you to remember."

    Zhou Xu was taken aback.

    Auction? What nonsense?

    Thinking back, he did attend an auction six years ago. There were too many people and it was too long ago for him to remember clearly.

    "I see. I have important matters to attend to. Farewell!"

    Zhou Xu cupped his hands and turned to leave.

    The young man named Qin gave Hei Huang a deep look but said nothing, following Zhou Xu as they left.

    The group gradually disappeared from sight.

    Xu Hei was surprised. "That''s it?"

    "What else? You want to fight him? Just say the word, and I''ll go after him!" Hei Huang rolled up his sleeves, ready to chase after them.

    "Stop! Pretend I didn''t say anything!"

    Xu Hei quickly pulled him back.

    ...

    In the afternoon, the group followed the road and arrived at the riverside city, Linjiang City.

    Linjiang City, located on the border of the Qin Kingdom, was far from the emperor''s reach, with chaotic order and a mix of good and bad people.

    Many fugitives and wanted criminals hid here, keeping a low profile. Therefore, Hei Huang''s appearance didn''t attract much attention.

    On the streets of Linjiang City, people hurried by with wary expressions, keeping a considerable distance from each other. Even the beggars had sharp eyes, clearly not to be trifled with.

    Hei Huang found a tavern and walked in.

    "I want a top-notch private room and serve all your most expensive dishes, especially the demonic beast meat. Lots of it," Hei Huang shouted.

    The innkeeper, with a sharp face and paleplexion, looked like he had practiced some evil arts and was clearly not someone to mess with.

    He sized up Hei Huang, nodded slightly, and immediately ordered someone to make arrangements.

    Before long, Hei Huang was led into a private room, and tes of delicious food were brought in.

    Xu Hei eagerly crawled out and devoured the food.

    Hei Huang grabbed a wine jar, took a big gulp, and then spat it out, cursing, "What garbage wine, even dogs wouldn''t drink this!"

    He then started eating the dishes.

    Xu Hei could tell at a nce that the wine was drugged, likely with some kind of sedative.

    The two demons had enormous appetites, eating one round after another. After several rounds, Hei Huang was still not satisfied and shouted, "Not enough, not enough, bring everything again!"

    Outside the private room, the waiter grimaced and whispered to the innkeeper, "Boss, this guy has already eaten nearly a thousand taels of silver''s worth of food, including two demonic beasts. Should we keep serving him?"

    The innkeeper, sitting in his chair, coldly replied, "Keep serving until he''s satisfied. Double the dose of the Soft Fragrance Powder."

    Two hourster.

    Xu Hei waspletely stuffed, bloated like a ball, unable to eat another bite.

    Hei Huang, not only full, had also sneaked into the kitchen and packed some demonic beast meat.

    "Let''s go!"

    He took out a talisman and activated it, making both of them invisible and blending into the surroundings.

    "Just like that?" Xu Hei was incredulous.

    "Of course! This ce is obviously a shady establishment. Be d they didn''t serve you human flesh. Were you nning to pay?" Hei Huang scolded.

    "I meant, aren''t you going to kill and rob them, splitting the loot fifty-fifty?" Xu Hei asked in surprise.

    "..." Hei Huang was speechless.

    "Bang!"

    Suddenly, the door to the private room was kicked open. The innkeeper, with a grim face, said, "Even emptied the kitchen. You have quite the appetite, aren''t you afraid of bursting?"

    He entered the room, looking around, but saw no one. Furious, he smashed the table with a single palm.

    "Search the ce! Daring to dine and dash at my Blood Wolf Tavern, even if you''re a cultivator, I''ll kill you myself!" the innkeeper roared.

    "Yes, sir!"

    The waiter and a group of people rushed out of the tavern.

    Meanwhile, Hei Huang and Xu Hei quietly left, found another ce, and checked into an inn.

    The inn was a bit more normal. Seeing that Hei Huang was a cultivator, they dismissed any ill intentions and arranged a top-notch room for them.

    Xu Hei climbed onto the bed, seizing the time to refine the demonic beast meat he had just eaten. This time, his physical strength should increase significantly.

    Xu Hei had grown ustomed to the constant trouble and enemies, as it was always the old dog''s doing and had nothing to do with him.

    "You refine slowly. I have some business to attend to. I''ll be back soon."

    Hei Huang put on a raincoat and jumped out the window.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes and looked outside.

    "He left me here and went out alone."

    Xu Hei frowned, feeling uneasy.

    "No, I have to follow him. If the old dog is up to no good again, I won''t even know if I get dragged into it."

    Immediately, Xu Hei took out a talisman and activated it.

    The talisman turned into a beam of light, hitting Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei''s body quickly became transparent, his aura disappearing. Ever since he saw Hei Huang''s invisibility talisman that day, he had asked for two, keeping them for emergencies.

    This thing was excellent for both life-saving and tracking, undetectable even by a Great Golden Immortal.

    Xu Hei''s figure shed as he slipped out the window, quietly following Hei Huang to see what he was up to.

 Chapter 42: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

    Chapter 42: The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

    Hei Huang weaved through a series of alleyways, with Xu Hei following closely behind, relentless in his pursuit.

    Momentster, Hei Huang arrived at the city center, in arge marketce. This ce had few mortals; it was teeming with cultivators, with various shops buying and selling treasures.

    Hei Huang stopped in front of an artifact refining shop, taking out a snake-shaped longsword, a curved de, and a snake bone, and handed them over.

    "Eight spirit stones in total. Deal or no deal?" Hei Huang asked in a low voice.

    The shopkeeper took the items, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Deal!"

    After pocketing the spirit stones, Hei Huang continued onward, winding through the streets until he reached a shop that bought and sold medicinal herbs.

    He took out a pile of herbs and asked, "Fifteen spirit stones in total. Deal or no deal?"

    After some haggling, he received thirteen spirit stones.

    Next, he visited a pill shop, a demonic beast material shop, and various other shops, selling off numerous treasures in exchange for spirit stones.Xu Hei followed closely behind, watching in astonishment.

    "So, this old dog is out here fencing stolen goods. Damn it! He¡¯s pocketed so many treasures!" Xu Hei cursed inwardly.

    He could clearly see that the old dog had swiped arge number of treasures from the storage bag and was secretly selling them off!

    No wonder the storage bag from that Foundation Establishment avatar had no valuable treasures left; they had already been pilfered.

    Xu Hei resisted the urge to rush out and bite someone, quietly following behind, watching to see how many spirit stones the old dog could sell, nning to make him cough them all upter.

    ...

    Two cultivators in cloud-patterned white robes sped over from a distance,nding in the marketce.

    Upon seeing their robes, many stall owners showed expressions of reverence and quickly stood up to greet them.

    These were disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect!

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect, the number one sect in the Qin Kingdom, was the overlord of the kingdom, governing every city.

    "Damn it, being assigned to this godforsaken ce, I have to stay here for three years before I can return. How did I get so unlucky!" One of the cultivators with a horse-like face said with a gloomy expression.

    "No choice, we haven''t been able to reach Foundation Establishment, so we have to follow orders. Although Linjiang City is chaotic, if handled well, there are still some benefits to be had." The other, a handsome young man, said calmly.

    Both of them were outer disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, assigned to guard Linjiang City due to theirck of talent.

    If it were any other city, it might be fine, but Linjiang City was the ce all disciples least wanted to go: remote, chaotic, impoverished, and asionally gued by rogue cultivators. Just thinking about it gave them headaches.

    The two first walked around the marketce, collecting stall fees.

    Then, they headed towards the Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

    "Hmm?"

    The horse-faced youth squinted his eyes, grabbing hispanion and pointing at a short masked man ahead, "Did you notice that guy just now?"

    "Yes, he probablymitted murder and robbery and came here to fence the goods." The handsome youth said calmly. Such things were toomon in Linjiang City for him to bother with.

    The horse-faced youth said nothing, his figure shed, and he disappeared.

    Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

    This was thergest chain business in the Qin Kingdom, essible only to cultivators.

    Hei Huang walked into the hall, waved a spirit stone, and said, "Get your manager here, I want to sell some things."

    The receptionist immediately realized a distinguished guest had arrived and quickly called the manager to the hall.

    "Take a look, how much is this worth in total?" Hei Huang threw out a storage bag.

    The manager took it, scanned it with his divine sense, and immediately widened his eyes.

    He took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Fellow Daoist, why don''t we discuss this inside?"

    Hei Huang nodded and walked into the reception room.

    Xu Hei did not follow him in, waiting outside the Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

    About the time it takes to burn a stick of incenseter, Hei Huang came out.

    He walked out of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, looked around, and headed into an alley.

    "What is he up to now?" Xu Hei wondered.

    Just as he was about to follow, a horse-faced youth rushed into the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, quickly asking the manager, "What did that short man in cke here for?"

    Beside the horse-faced youth was the handsome young man, both wearing the same cloud-patterned robes.

    Seeing they were from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, the manager trembled in fear and quickly cupped his fists, "He sold many jade slips and magical treasures from the Snake Catchers Sect, exchanging them for arge number of body-tempering pills andte-stage demonic beast meat."

    The manager did not hide anything, recounting everything truthfully.

    "How much were those treasures worth?" the horse-faced youth asked again.

    "About a hundred spirit stones." The manager answered honestly.

    The horse-faced youth''s eyes shed, and he immediately chased after Hei Huang in the direction he had disappeared.

    "Brother Yu, wait!"

    Suddenly, the handsome young man stepped forward, saying seriously, "We just arrived, we should be cautious before figuring out the other party''s background. That person is openly fencing stolen goods and leaving without hiding his identity, which means he''s not afraid of being targeted!"

    Yu Qiang sneered, "I just find his actions suspicious and want to question him, not do anything to him."

    "..." The handsome youth frowned slightly.

    Question him? In Linjiang City, who could withstand questioning?

    Questioning was equivalent to a fight to the death, to kill and rob.

    He shook his head and sighed, "I''ll go with you."

    The two chased after Hei Huang into the alley.

    Xu Hei stood nearby, witnessing the entire scene, his mind racing.

    "To attract the attention of Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples, this damned dog is really unlucky!"

    Xu Hei didn''t want to get involved, but Hei Huang seemed to have exchanged for many body-tempering pills and demonic beast meat. This meant Hei Huang hadn''tpletely pocketed everything and had bought some things for him.

    He didn''t care if the old dog died, but he didn''t want his pills to be ruined.

    "Let''s follow and see."

    Xu Hei suddenly sped up and followed.

    He vaguely felt that the old dog''s tant fencing might be a trap.

    Catching small fry was one thing, but these were Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples, big sharks. Wasn''t he afraid of being swallowed?

    "What a hassle!"

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly, cursing the old dog''s entire family a thousand times.

    Hei Huang was in front, the two Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples in the middle, and Xu Hei at the back.

    Unknowingly, this group chased all the way to the east of the city, the most deste area.

    The houses here were dpidated, nine out of ten were empty, and almost no one was in sight. This ce used to be a gang''s stronghold,ter wiped out by enemies, with several streets ughtered clean, left abandoned ever since.

    Now, it had be the residence of vagrants and stray dogs.

    "Hmm? Where is he?"

    Yu Qiang saw Hei Huang rush into a broken house, but when he walked over, he found no one, only a big ck dog peeing in the corner.

 Chapter 43: The Heavenly Puppet Sect is skilled at nesting dolls

    Chapter 43: The Heavenly Puppet Sect is skilled at nesting dolls

    Yu Qiang spread his Divine Sense, but he still couldn''t locate the opponent''s figure. However, the opponent''s presence hadn''t vanished; it was right nearby.

    Another handsome young man frowned, a sense of extreme vignce rising in his heart.

    The opponent had clearly discovered they were being followed and deliberately lured them here. This secluded ce was perfect for murder and corpse disposal.

    He cupped his fists towards the front and said, "Fellow Daoist, we are outer disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, here to manage the order of Linjiang City. We mean no harm. Please show yourself."

    No response.

    Yu Qiang sneered, "Senior Brother Zhao, your words are too formal. They might not understand. Let me try."

    He stepped forward and shouted towards the house in front, "Shorty, you have three breaths toe out and ept questioning, or you''ll end up like this dog!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and a sharp light struck the ck dog that had just urinated.

    "Awwooo!"The ck dog let out a miserable cry, its body split in two, blood flowing everywhere.

    "One breath!" Yu Qiang said coldly.

    The ck dog''s body twitched, theny motionless, lifeless.

    A sh of surprise crossed Yu Qiang''s eyes. He took two steps forward and said, "Two breaths!"

    Suddenly, the front half of the ck dog''s corpse flew out, its mouth wide open, biting towards Yu Qiang.

    Yu Qiang''s lips curled into a mocking smile, "Did you think I wouldn''t know it was you?"

    He patted his Storage Bag, and arge number of lizard puppets flew out, spitting fireballs towards the ck dog''s body while he swiftly retreated.

    He had suspected the dwarf''s height during the chase. The sudden disappearance and the appearance of a big ck dog made it clear. There was no doubt; he immediately guessed that the ck dog was the dwarf cultivator!

    It seemed like he was venting his anger on the ck dog, but he was actually testing it.

    The only surprise was that the dog didn''t dodge and was directly split in half.

    Now it made sense; the dog wasn''t dead at all!

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The fireballs spat by the lizards exploded near the old ck dog, creating arge burst of blood.

    The house copsed, smoke and dust rose, and pieces of flesh and bone, mixed with blood, flew everywhere.

    Strangely, the pieces of the corpse didn''t die but instead flew towards Yu Qiang.

    "What an evil technique!" Yu Qiang squinted his eyes.

    Xu Hei, hiding in the shadows, watched the scattered pieces of the corpse in the sky and thought to himself, "So that''s what a rogue cultivator means."

    "Plop, plop, plop..."

    Some pieces of flesh sttered onto the lizard puppets, causing all of them to stop moving and lose their luster.

    These lizards were unique secret techniques of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, mechanical puppet beasts. Almost every disciple of the sect had at least a hundred of them.

    At this moment, any puppet that was stained with Hei Huang''s blood became ineffective.

    Seeing this, the horse-faced youth Yu Qiang''s eyes were full of seriousness. He took out a giant frog puppet, which swallowed the flying pieces of flesh in one gulp.

    But in the next second, the giant frog puppet lost its luster and disintegrated into powder, with the flesh inside shooting out towards him.

    "What?"

    Yu Qiang was horrified. This giant frog puppet was one of his trump cards, invincible below Foundation Establishment, yet it was defeated in one breath?

    Without hesitation, he turned to flee, but the street ahead turned into a sea of blood mist, extremely viscous, like a bloodthirsty maw, sealing his escape route.

    "I am a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Do you dare to kill me?" Yu Qiang shouted angrily.

    The handsome young man Zhao Yiduo came to Yu Qiang''s side, holding a wind sail. With a vigorous shake, a strong wind blew away arge part of the blood mist.

    "Junior Brother Yu, no need to waste words with him. Let''s join forces and kill this thief!" Zhao Yiduo shouted.

    "Alright!"

    Yu Qiang gritted his teeth, took out arge number of puppets, and threw them out. Zhao Yiduo also cast spells, engaging in a fierce battle.

    As time passed, more and more blood mist appeared. The two of them gradually got injured, their True Qi chaotic. Defeat was only a matter of time.

    Xu Hei nced at the situation, sighed, and turned to leave.

    The oue was decided. These two were doomed, with no chance of victory!

    "This old dog has be so powerful, silently and insidiously. Damn it!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth. Hei Huang''s strength gave him a sense of urgency. He couldn''t fall behind; he had to be even stronger than the old dog.

    The time limit for the Invisibility Talisman was up. Xu Hei exited invisibility and left the East City Street, nning to return and wait.

    After crossing two streets, he was about to leave the East District.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei stopped in his tracks.

    His gaze fixed on a figure in the corner ahead, motionless.

    It was a beggar, disheveled and dirty, with an indistinguishable appearance, seemingly ordinary.

    However, the beggar''s fingers were twitching.

    Like ying a zither, his hands moved rhythmically, as if plucking invisible strings in the air.

    Xu Hei crept closer, but the beggar remained motionless,pletely unaware of Xu Hei''s approach.

    "This person is... no, something''s wrong!"

    Xu Hei didn''t rashly extend his Divine Sense, just quietly observed.

    The beggar''s attention was entirely focused, oblivious to the surroundings, as if his mind was elsewhere.

    A sudden sh of insight hit Xu Hei''s mind, bringing up the image of the handsome young man.

    Initially, when the horse-faced youth wanted to pursue, the handsome young man had advised against it, clearly not a reckless person.

    And finally, when the horse-faced youth was defeated and tried to retreat, using the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s name to threaten, the handsome young man instead urged him to fight to the death, which was somewhat illogical.

    This only indicated one thing: the handsome young man was confident.

    Why was he so confident?

    Xu Hei''s mind buzzed, thinking of a possibility.

    "Could that handsome young man be a fake?"

    It''s said that the puppet techniques of the Heavenly Puppet Sect can create puppets identical to humans, indistinguishable from the real thing. If so, it made sense.

    This beggar in front of him was the real body!

    "What if this beggar is also a fake?"

    Xu Hei didn''t act rashly, to avoid alerting the real mastermind.

    He immediately took action, spreading his Divine Sense to search the surroundings.

    The real body and the puppet couldn''t be too far apart.

    After searching, Xu Hei confirmed there were no other suspicious individuals nearby, only this beggar.

    "This person might have life-saving means. When I strike, it must be fatal, leaving no chance of survival!"

    Xu Hei immediately moved, painfully plucking three of his scales to set up traps around.

    At the same time, he arranged all the offensive Talismans he had obtained earlier: Fire Explosion Talisman, Wind de Talisman, Thunder Strike Talisman...

    Still feeling unsafe, he took out two Magical Treasures, the Thunder Seal and the Beast Control Ring.

    Finally, he climbed to the wall behind the person, his throat swelling, True Qi rapidlypressing in his mouth.

    This was his strongest attack, the ultimate deluxe version of the Fireball Technique.

 Chapter 44: Kill and scatter the ashes in one go

    Chapter 44: Kill and scatter the ashes in one go

    The fireball, condensed to its extreme, had turned into a deep ck color, its heat distorting the air and melting the ground.

    Xu Hei didn''t care how many defensive measures this person had; this strike would turn him to ashes!

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei spat out a mouthful of ck mes, which swept forward and shot towards the wall. At the same time, he activated the Gravity Technique from a distance, firmly locking the opponent in ce, preventing any movement.

    "Hmm?"

    The beggar behind the wall immediately widened his eyes. As soon as he realized an attack wasing, his body was bound by an invisible force¡ªthis was the basic spell, Gravity Technique!

    With histe-stage Qi Refining cultivation, he could easily break free from this level of Gravity Technique, but it still slowed him down slightly.

    "Ha!"

    With a low shout, the beggar stepped forward. The fireball exploded behind him, striking his back. A series of light circles lit up on his back¡ªthis was the protective light of a Magical Treasure.However, the power of the fireball was truly beyond imagination. The protective light quickly filled with cracks.

    The jade pendant on his chest shattered, forming a water sphere that enveloped him, preventing the mes from touching him.

    Just as the beggar was about to breathe a sigh of relief, the ground beside him exploded. Arge number of talismans activated simultaneously, bombarding him like a torrential storm.

    "What the hell is this?"

    The beggar''s face changed dramatically. As lightning, fire, and wind des shot towards him, he almost instinctively ced a copper bell in front of him. But it was instantly shed apart by three ck-gold scales.

    "No!!"

    The beggar let out a miserable scream as various attacks descended,pletely engulfing his figure.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

    The ground shook, and the entire street''s buildings copsed as if the sky had fallen.

    All of this, though seemingly slow, happened in the blink of an eye.

    Zhao Yiduo couldn''t understand until his death why a mid-stage Spirit Communion demonic beast wouldunch such an outrageous attack.

    His original n was to sacrifice a puppet clone and join forces with Yu Qiang to kill that ck dog. Even if they failed, he could use the opportunity to get rid of Yu Qiang and escape this burden.

    But he never expected his true body to be caught!

    "Fireball Technique! Fireball Technique!"

    "Thunder Seal!"

    Xu Hei continued to bombard the ruins in front of him relentlessly.

    His Divine Sense could still detect a faint trace of the opponent''s aura, though it was very weak.

    "Thunder!"

    Xu Hei activated the Thunder Seal, sending bolts of lightning towards the source of the aura, lifting the groundyer byyer, as if the sky was copsing. The terrifying vibrations could be clearly heard even outside the East District.

    Although Linjiang City often experienced bloody battles, suchmotion was rare, causing nearby residents to flee in panic to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

    "Which gang is fighting?"

    "This noise, it must be at least twentyte-stage Qi Refining cultivators shing!"

    The distant crowd looked towards the east, their hearts trembling.

    It took a full stick of incense''s time for the chaos to subside.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, exhausted and drained. The faint aura finally dissipated under his continuous bombardment.

    Even after it dissipated, he continued to attack for a long time before sticking on an Invisibility Talisman and crawling forward to the massive crater.

    The entire street''s buildings were gone, and the crater looked like it had been bombarded countless times, full of pits and darkness. The person''s body waspletely gone, not even ashes remained, and the storage bag was blown to bits.

    However, a few items remained intact.

    There was a broken copper bell, a set of silver inner armor, a ck jade stone, and a pile of unknown metal materials.

    And Xu Hei''s three scales.

    Xu Hei stuck on an Invisibility Talisman, collected the treasures, swallowed the scales, and quickly left.

    "These treasures didn''t break after such a long attack; they must be extraordinary," Xu Hei thought excitedly.

    He was almost certain that the beggar was the true body of that handsome young man, and the young man was just a puppet.

    This person''s life-saving treasures were indeed numerous. Fortunately, Xu Hei had prepared in advance; otherwise, if he hadn''t killed him in one strike, he would have escaped.

    "This guy is really afraid of death, using a puppet to deceive people. Haha, but I do admire this tactic!" Xu Hei chuckled to himself.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, Hei Huang''s dog paws were groping the heads of two people.

    "Damn! It''s a fake!"

    He threw Zhao Yiduo''s body aside, cursing.

    However, he did find something in Yu Qiang''s mind.

    "After all this effort, I only got the firstyer of puppet techniques. The Heavenly Puppet Sect is really stingy, not even teaching the full technique!"

    Hei Huang''s mouth twitched.

    Since he had obtained a dog''s body, he couldn''t move around the human world as a dog; he needed a human identity.

    In the short term, he couldn''t perform body snatching, so he had to resort to puppet techniques to create a human-shaped puppet.

    That''s why he targeted the disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Killing and soul-searching was the most convenient method.

    However, he only found the firstyer of puppet techniques, which could only create some mechanical beasts, not human puppets.

    "There was somemotion over there just now, probably caused by that brat Xu Hei."

    After destroying the evidence, Hei Huang donned a ck robe and mask and swiftly left.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside an inn.

    Members of the Blood Wolf Gang crowded into Xu Hei''s guest room, with shadows of people inside and outside,ying ambushes inyers.

    The leader, with a pale face and cold eyes filled with killing intent, was none other than the innkeeper, Blood Wolf.

    "Boss, that short cultivator is back! He''s on his way!"

    A ck-d subordinate ran over and reported respectfully.

    Blood Wolf immediately stood up, sneering, "Good! Daring to dine and dash, I''ve finally caught you. Today, I''ll make you vomit everything you ate and kneel before me, begging for mercy!"

    A stick of incenseter.

    Blood Wolf, covered in blood, knelt on the ground, continuously kowtowing and begging for mercy.

    As for Xu Hei, he hung from the beam, not even ncing at them.

    "Senior, please spare me. I was blind and offended you. I deserve to die! I deserve to die! I''ll do anything you ask!"

    Blood Wolf kowtowed and pped himself, his intestines turning green with regret for provoking these two fiends.

    They had dined and dashed, and he thought they were weak, but they turned out to be so fierce.

    "If you want to live, give me a reason," Hei Huang said coldly.

    Blood Wolf trembled all over, taking out a piece of paper and a token, "This is the deed to the inn, and this is the token of the Blood Wolf Gang, and a censer for contacting the Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples..."

    Blood Wolf took out various items from his storage bag, introducing them one by one.

    "Not bad! I won''t kill you; you can leave," Hei Huang nodded slightly.

    "Thank you, Senior, for your mercy!"

    Blood Wolf, as if granted amnesty, scrambled towards the door.

    Xu Hei suddenly spat out a fire, setting Blood Wolf aze. He fell to the ground, screaming.

    "He said he wouldn''t kill you; I didn''t say that," Xu Hei said.

    "......"

    Momentster, Blood Wolf was burned to ashes.

    Xu Hei went up and picked up the misceneous items.

    Hei Huang hesitated for a moment and said, "Did you take care of Zhao Yiduo''s true body?"

    Xu Hei was stunned, "Who''s Zhao Yiduo?"

    "The disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    Xu Hei pretended to be confused.

    Seeing that the other party wouldn''t admit it, Hei Huang had no choice but toe clean, exining what had happened.

    He also admitted his mistake, saying he had kept some treasures for himself but had helped Xu Hei exchange them for pills to make up for it.

    "Enough with the nonsense. You killed two Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples; shouldn''t you be running? I''m leaving first," Xu Hei said.

 Chapter 45: Being a snake cant be too honest

    Chapter 45: Being a snake can''t be too honest

    A snake and a dog quickly left the inn and Linjiang City, arriving at a secluded spot by the river. Within a ten-mile radius, there wasn''t a trace of human presence.

    Afterward, they happily divided their spoils, strictly adhering to their fifty-fifty n.

    Hei Huang took out arge amount of pills and demonic beast meat, all beneficial for Xu Hei''s cultivation. Their value was over a hundred spirit stones, enough to sustain Xu Hei for half a year.

    He also promised never to hold back again.

    Xu Hei didn''t believe a word of it. This old dog suddenly became so powerful; who knows how many good things he''s hiding?

    However, Xu Hei still took out the three treasures from Zhao Yiduo.

    A broken copper bell, a set of silver soft armor, and a pile of metal materials for making puppets.

    "These are the items Zhao Yiduo dropped. I burned his storage bag, and only these were left," Xu Hei said.

    Hei Huang picked up the copper bell. It had three scratches on it, almost cutting it in half, clearly caused by those scales.The silver soft armor was Zhao Yiduo''s personal inner armor.

    "An inferior-grade spiritual treasure! What a good find!" Hei Huang eximed in surprise as he picked up the armor.

    A spiritual treasure is a magical treasure used by Foundation Establishment cultivators. An inferior-grade spiritual treasure means this armor can defend against early Foundation Establishment attacks.

    However, Zhao Yiduo''s insufficient cultivation meant the armor couldn''t cover his entire body, and Xu Hei''s relentless attacks burned it to ashes.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and asked, "Can you modify it so I can wear it?"

    Hei Huang nced at Xu Hei andughed, "When you reach Great Perfection in the Spirit Communion Stage, you might barely be able to use it. For now, forget it."

    As he spoke, he put the armor on himself. The silver inner armor shed and fit him perfectly.

    "Damn it..."

    Xu Hei almost couldn''t resist the urge to bite him.

    Hei Huang quickly took out arge pile of puppet mechanism beasts and said, "I''ll give you all these puppets. Is that enough?"

    Xu Hei nced at them. The mechanism beasts included lizards, toads, and birds, all used by Yu Qiang. As for their effectiveness, he would have to find out for himself.

    "I''ll also use this ck gold stone to make you an ultimate puppet and strengthen all your puppets aspensation. Is that enough?" Hei Huang pointed at the pile of metal materials.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and reluctantly nodded in agreement.

    Hei Huang also took out the collected treasures. After some haggling, Xu Hei decided to convert everything into spirit stones, receiving forty-six in total.

    The division of spoils was sessfullypleted.

    In fact, Xu Hei had kept one thing to himself: a ck jade stone the size of a fingernail.

    Xu Hei felt this was probably the most valuable item on Zhao Yiduo and wanted to study it himself.

    "This old dog is so cunning, he must be hiding something. Damn it, I need to learn from him and not be too honest," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    On their way back, with Zhao Yiduo''s sail, they didn''t need a boat. They could make a bamboo raft to return.

    The trip to Linjiang City had yielded enough resources to sustain their cultivation for more than half a year, enough for Xu Hei to break through to thete Spirit Communion Stage.

    ...

    At this moment, far beyond the Qin Kingdom, in the distant center of the continent.

    A middle-aged man, looking ordinary and like a mortal, sat in front of a grass hut. His appearance was strikingly simr to Zhao Yiduo, though slightly older.

    Suddenly, his eyes flickered with a strange light.

    "My external incarnation, out training, has fallen again."

    The middle-aged man lowered his head, calcted with his fingers, and scenes shed before his eyes like a revolvingntern.

    These scenes were what his incarnation had seen before its death.

    Losing an incarnation was nothing new, but he always summarized the lessons from each death to be more cautious next time and avoid the same mistakes.

    "Didn''t even see the killer''s face. How peculiar."

    The middle-aged man frowned. In his view, his incarnation''s actions had no ws, yet it still died.

    Moreover, after its death, the opponent''s attacks continued until the lingering divine sensepletely dissipated.

    Being a cautious person himself, he created numerous incarnations to train and summarize the lessons from each death.

    Today, he found someone even more cautious than himself, and he couldn''t help but admire this hidden killer.

    He felt a sense of camaraderie.

    Suddenly, the middle-aged man''s eyes narrowed as he saw three strange ck-gold scales in the scenes.

    These scales had pierced through the seemingly indestructible defenses of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    "What is this?"

    The middle-aged man''s pupils suddenly contracted.

    ...

    A dayter.

    Hei Huang found a suitable ce for long-term cultivation in the forest on the northern bank of Yanluo River.

    It was an abandoned spirit mine, depleted five hundred years ago and untouched for centuries.

    "I''ve checked. This is the ce with the densest spiritual qi within a fifty-mile radius. We''ll cultivate here for now."

    Hei Huang dug a hole with his paws, creating a small cave dwelling.

    Xu Hei entered the cave dwelling and spread out his divine sense. Deep underground, he vaguely found some remnants from the past¡ªalmost disintegrated mine carts, near-fossilized human skeletons, and some mining tools.

    Although the spirit stones had been mined out, the spiritual qi here was still denser than elsewhere.

    Xu Hei took out arge vat, filled it with clear water, and sprinkled in some red medicinal powder.

    Momentster, the water in the vat turned red, with faint signs of boiling.

    "Shaoyang Powder, a top-grade pill for tempering the physical body and refining bones. It''s an extremely rare body-tempering spirit medicine, worth twenty spirit stones for just a little bit."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and leaped into the vat.

    His skin immediately turned crimson, and his muscles ached intensely. The pain was far stronger than being hundreds of meters underground.

    For better effect, Xu Hei used ten times the amount a human would use.

    "The first body tempering is the most effective. Don''t pass out," Hei Huang said with a smile.

    Xu Hei certainly wouldn''t pass out. His willpower was a hundred times stronger than the average person''s!

    Before long, ayer of old snake skin shed from Xu Hei''s body, turning to ash in the medicinal water. He hadn''t shed his skin during hisst breakthrough, so this made up for it.

    Xu Hei could clearly feel his physical strength increasing, matching his cultivation level and continuing to grow.

    Bones grew, meridians toughened, muscles expelled impurities, and every inch of flesh rapidly strengthened.

    This body temperingsted a full week.

    A weekter.

    The water in the vat had evaporated, leaving only a pile of ck sludge, the impurities expelled from Xu Hei''s body.

    His body had changed, growing to about three meters long.

    Despite the increased length, Xu Hei felt he could shrink at will.

    "Shrink!"

    With a thought, his bones crackled, and his body shrank by a third, returning to its original two meters.

    "Keep going!"

    Xu Hei continued to shrink, reducing his length to one meter, his limit.

    He exhaled and returned to three meters.

    He crawled around the cave dwelling, moving swiftly, the sound of wind breaking constantly, stirring up dust.

    "Controlling my physical body at will, my strength and speed have increased more than threefold!" Xu Hei thought, stopping his body.

    His cultivation level hadn''t changed, still at the peak of the sixthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, but his strength was iparable to before.

    The ck-gold scales on his tail had grown to thirty, gradually spreading to his torso, no longer confined to his tail.

    Xu Hei spected that when his physical body reached Great Perfection in the Spirit Communion Stage, the scales might cover his entire body.

    How would his strength change then?

    At the very least, anyone wanting to harm him would have to break through his scales first.

    Xu Hei took out a piece of demonic beast meat and swallowed it. Looking around, he spread his divine sense but didn''t find the old dog.

    His eyes shed as he took out the ck jade stone and examined it closely.

    The jade''s deep color seemed to swallow light, casting a dim aura around it. This was Zhao Yiduo''s relic, and Xu Hei instinctively felt it was a valuable treasure.

    Xu Hei extended his divine sense into it, and even his divine sense was absorbed.

    "What is this..."

    Xu Hei was startled, stepping back a few meters, staring at the jade with some hesitation.

    After a moment, he gathered his courage and continued to probe with his divine sense.

    As his divine sense delved deeper, the jade seemed like a bottomless pit, infinitely extending, which amazed Xu Hei.

    Finally, after his divine sense reached a hundred meters, he encountered a barrier.

    He couldn''t go any further; Xu Hei''s divine sense was only a hundred meters long.

    Xu Hei tried a different direction and found he could go up or down, not just forward.

    "Could it be..."

    Xu Hei gasped, a bold guess forming in his mind, "Is this a massive storage space, a hundred meters in length, width, and height?"

 Chapter 46: Spirit-Eating Ants Beneath the Mine

    Chapter 46: Spirit-Eating Ants Beneath the Mine

    This spection was quickly confirmed.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense explored up, down, left, and right, touching the boundaries in all directions¡ª100 meters long, 100 meters wide, and 100 meters high.

    This was a massive storage space! A thousand timesrger than a storage bag!

    And right in the center of this ck jade space, Xu Hei finally found Zhao Yiduo''s relics¡ªa mountain of Spirit Stones.

    "This..." Xu Hei gasped.

    At a nce, there were at least a thousand Spirit Stones!

    No wonder when he heard Hei Huang mention a treasure worth a hundred Spirit Stones, he wasn''t tempted at all. It turned out he had so many himself!

    What surprised Xu Hei even more was that beside this small mountain of Spirit Stones, there were five fist-sized Spirit Stones, square and neatly cut, with a density of Spiritual Qi that was on apletely different level.

    Obviously, these square Spirit Stones were of a higher grade!"How much demonic beast meat could I buy with this? How many pills?" Xu Hei''s heart raced.

    Initially, he felt heartbroken that the storage bag he burned had destroyed the Spirit Stones inside. But on second thought, even if Spirit Stones were destroyed, they would leave some residue; it was impossible for them to vanish without a trace.

    It turned out they were all hidden here.

    Because the space was sorge, Xu Hei had to fully extend his Divine Sense to see the Spirit Stones.

    "This storage space is so vast, it could fit a pce. Could it be that this jade itself is worth more than the Spirit Stones?" Xu Hei wondered.

    Zhao Yiduo, as an outer disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, was at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, yet he was wealthier than some Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    This person was exceptionally clever and kept a low profile. If he hadn''t encountered Xu Hei and Hei Huang, this ck duo, he might have lived a long life.

    "I''m rich, I''m rich," Xu Hei was ecstatic.

    With a thought, he retrieved one of the square Spirit Stones.

    Xu Hei then took out a regr Spirit Stone forparison. The quality of the square Spirit Stone was a hundred times better than the regr one.

    "I can''t let the old dog know about this, or it''ll definitely be snatched away!"

    Xu Hei was cautious, nning to store the Spirit Stones safely.

    Just then, an unexpected change urred.

    The square Spirit Stone in front of him suddenly flew uncontrobly into Xu Hei''s mouth, heading straight for the Demon God Cauldron, and collided with its surface.

    To be precise, it hit the Flood Dragon statue on the surface of the Demon God Cauldron.

    "This..."

    Xu Hei was dumbfounded as he watched the square Spirit Stone melt at a visible speed, being absorbed by the Flood Dragon statue.

    "My Spirit Stone!" Xu Hei shouted.

    He watched helplessly as the square Spirit Stone was drained by the Flood Dragon statue, turning into waste.

    It didn''t absorb regr Spirit Stones but insisted on the high-grade ones. What was this statue up to?

    However, Xu Hei faintly felt that after absorbing the Spirit Stone, the Flood Dragon statue seemed to shine a bit more, especially its scales.

    After some thought, Xu Hei took out another square Spirit Stone.

    Sure enough, it was attracted again, absorbed by the statue, and turned into waste.

    In just a moment, he had lost two Spirit Stones.

    "This Flood Dragon statue seems to need these high-grade Spirit Stones. Should I continue?"

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment, looked at the remaining three high-grade Spirit Stones, and decided against it.

    He didn''t know how many Spirit Stones the Flood Dragon statue would need, and with only a few left, it would be a waste. He decided to wait until he had more to try again.

    Xu Hei had a premonition that once the Flood Dragon statue had enough Spirit Stones, it would undergo a strange transformation.

    "I''ll ask Hei Huang where I can get more Spirit Stones. I wonder where the old dog has been these days," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Just as Xu Hei was pondering.

    "Ow! Ow ow!"

    Suddenly, the miserable cries of a ck dog came from outside.

    "Xu Hei, save me! Save me!"

    Hei Huang''s voice echoed from underground, extremely shrill, which puzzled Xu Hei. What had the old dog provoked this time to be so terrified?

    "Heh, that old dog must have caused trouble again. Serves him right!"

    Xu Hei chuckled inwardly, feeling a bit schadenfreude.

    He extended his Divine Sense to see what trouble the old dog was in, but in an instant, his eyes widened, his scalp tingled, and he almost jumped out of his skin.

    "Damn it..."

    Xu Hei''s mind went nk. Without hesitation, he activated the Earth Escape Technique and shot upwards at full speed.

    What did he see?

    Deep underground, there were countless white ants, frantically chasing after Hei Huang. They were densely packed, endless, and even billions couldn''t describe their numbers.

    These ants not only burrowed into the mine but also into the soil, devouring everything in their path at an rming speed. They even had wings and could fly.

    Xu Hei didn''t know what these creatures were, but just seeing their numbers made his skin crawl.

    "Damn it! What kind of ce did this stupid dog choose?"

    Xu Hei cursed loudly.

    Xu Hei''s speed had tripledpared to a week ago, allowing him to escape ahead. The old dog was chasing behind, screaming, "Xu Hei, don''t leave me to die! Use your Fireball Technique!"

    "Screw you! You use it!" Xu Hei cursed back.

    These white ants could fly and burrow, moving as fast as lightning. Soon, a few caught up to the old dog''s tail, biting off some fur, making the old dog howl in pain, its legs running so fast they seemed to smoke.

    Fortunately, these ants were only chasing Hei Huang and seemed uninterested in Xu Hei, possibly because he was farther away.

 Chapter 47: The mountain fire burns away, and the white snake emerges

    Chapter 47: The mountain fire burns away, and the white snake emerges

    Before long, a snake and a dog escaped from the mine. Hei Huang summoned a wind sail and flew towards Yanluo River, while Xu Hei fled in another direction.

    The swarm of ant-like creatures chased out of the mine but retracted their wings as soon as they were exposed to sunlight, retreating back into the cave.

    Xu Hei watched from a distance, his heart pounding.

    The sheer number of them was beyond description; any creature passing through would be devoured to the bone.

    It took a long time for the swarm to fully retreat, disappearing from his Divine Sense range.

    Hei Huangnded, still shaken, gasping for breath.

    "How did you provoke those things?" Xu Hei asked.

    "I was just curious about what was at the bottom of the mine, so I went to explore. Who knew I¡¯d encounter those Spirit-Eating Ants?" Hei Huangined.

    "Spirit-Eating Ants..."Xu Hei had never heard of them, but the name alone sounded troublesome.

    "Spirit-Eating Ants feed on Spirit Stones. They usually gather at the bottom of mines, in a dormant state. As soon as a Spirit Stone appears, they wake up and start biting anything with Spiritual Qi like mad," Hei Huang exined.

    Hearing this, Xu Hei suddenly understood, his heart sinking.

    Earlier, he had taken out a Spirit Stone, not just any Spirit Stone, but a high-grade one!

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and asked, "How far can these Spirit-Eating Ants sense a Spirit Stone?"

    "Ordinary Spirit Stones, about a hundred meters. But if it''s a rare high-grade Spirit Stone, they can sense it from thousands of meters away. And for top-grade Spirit Stones, the entire swarm would go berserk. Why are you asking?"

    Hei Huang looked at Xu Hei suspiciously.

    "Nothing," Xu Hei shook his head repeatedly, feeling a bit guilty.

    He wasn''t sure if that square Spirit Stone was top-grade or high-grade, but it was very likely that he had caused the swarm to go berserk.

    So, did he end up screwing over Hei Huang?

    No, it couldn''t be said that way. Hei Huang had chosen this ce; he had brought this upon himself by exploring underground.

    "I was wondering why this ce was so rich in Spiritual Qi but had no Demonic Beasts. Turns out there were Spirit-Eating Ants hidden below!" Hei Huang muttered, shaking his head.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment and asked, "Hei Huang, I have a question."

    "What is it?"

    "I had a friend who once saw a square Spirit Stone. What grade is that kind of Spirit Stone?" Xu Hei asked earnestly.

    Hei Huang squinted his eyes and looked at Xu Hei for a few moments beforeughing, "That''s a man-made cut, taken from a whole Spirit Vein. It''s at least high-grade."

    "Where can you get high-grade Spirit Stones?" Xu Hei asked again.

    "Killing a Core Formation Stage cultivator might get you one," Hei Huangughed.

    Xu Hei''s face turned grim. The Flood Dragon statue only consumed high-grade Spirit Stones, and he had to kill a Core Formation Stage cultivator to feed it. Who knew when that would happen?

    So, he really had some dumb luck that Zhao Yiduo had one.

    "However, I suspect that deep beneath this abandoned mine, there might be a semi-abandoned Spirit Vein. You might be able to cut out a hundred or so high-grade Spirit Stones," Hei Huang mused, looking at Xu Hei. "Is your friend interested?"

    Xu Hei chose to avoid the question.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Southern Forest of Chu Kingdom.

    After two months of rampant wildfires, the forest finally weed the rainy season in September.

    The rain was torrential, with thunder rolling and dark clouds pressing down, pouring down like a long-restrained beast venting its fury.

    In just three days, the widespread wildfire waspletely extinguished, leaving only scorched earth.

    Afterward, arge number of cultivators entered the mountains, searching for prey or fertile soil to nt Spirit Medicine.

    The areas burned by the fire were particrly fertile, ideal for cultivation.

    Most of the Demonic Beasts in the mountains were burned to death. asionally, cultivators found Demonic Beast corpses and dug out Inner Cores, or discovered rare Spirit nt remnants, or found natural Spirit Springs, reaping great rewards.

    With no wild beasts or vegetation to obstruct them, everything was exposed, a windfall for the taking.

    Led by the Snake Catchers Sect, smaller sects like the Carefree Sect, Mountain Movers Sect, and Purple Mist Sect sentrge numbers of disciples into the deep mountains to train and search for treasures.

    The Astrology Bureau also dispatched people to seize the opportunity to clearnd and expand, building new cities for Chu Kingdom.

    It was a human celebration.

    Deep in the forest.

    A two-meter-long white snakey motionless in a mud puddle, not daring to make a sound.

    Her body was covered in wounds, her bones broken, utterly exhausted.

    Within a mile on either side, two human cultivators stood onrge trees, scanning the area with their Divine Sense.

    "Senior Brother, I''m sure that white snake disappeared around here. She was hit by my Bone-Crushing Hammer; she can''t have gone far!" said a burly man, carrying a giant hammer, with a fierce look on his face.

    He was Xue Hu, a disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect, at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

    "This demon has devoured five of our Mountain Movers Sect disciples. Today, we must skin her alive and let her die slowly!" said the other, a shorter cultivator with a sinister expression, holding an iron hook and draped in chains.

    He was Zhu Ze, also a disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect, at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

    Recently, several Mountain Movers Sect disciples had gone missing, all devoured by that Snake Demon. The sect had issued an order: whoever killed the Snake Demon would receive great merit.

    The two spread out, conducting a thorough search, their Divine Sense sweeping through the area.

    Gradually, they got closer to the white snake''s hiding ce.

    Under the mud, the white snake gritted her teeth, filled with endless grief and anger.

    These humans had invaded their home, ughtered their kin, set the mountains on fire, and sought to exterminate her.

    Before, she had no concept of home, enemies, or friends.

    But since she gained sentience, she understood everything.

    For revenge, she had devoured one human cultivator after another, but her power was too insignificant, far from being able topete with humans!

    In her final moments, a ck figure appeared in her memory.

    It was a snake with pale golden pupils and special scales on its tail.

    In this life, she feared she would never see it again.

    Suddenly, a loud wolf howl echoed from afar.

    Then, several fireballs shot out from the bushes, targeting the approaching human cultivators.

    "Damn it, it''s that mangy wolf again!" Xue Hu cursed, dodging quickly.

    During his pursuit of the white snake, this mangy wolf had appeared from time to time, throwing fireballs and then running away, luring him into chasing it.

    If it weren''t for this wolf''s interference, he would have captured the white snake long ago.

    He had no choice but to call his senior brother for help.

    "So this is the demonic wolf that knows the Fireball Technique? Interesting," Zhu Ze said, a sinister smile spreading across his face.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    Three fireballsnded nearby, burning down tworge trees and crashing towards the two men. The wolf king, having spat out the fireballs, turned and ran, taunting them to give chase.

    "White snake, run! I''ll lure them away," the wolf king transmitted its voice from afar.

    "Alright!"

    The white snake gathered her strength and slithered out of the mud, rushing forward.

    Zhu Ze nced at the escaping white snake and then at the wolf king, coldly saying, "Neither of you will escape!"

 Chapter 48: Earth Escape Technique: A Thousand Miles of Support

    Chapter 48: Earth Escape Technique: A Thousand Miles of Support

    In the southern forest of the Chu Kingdom, a torrential downpour began.

    Another rainy season had arrived.

    Xu Hei still rememberedst year when he hid in the river to catch fish. Back then, he was alone with a snake, with no one to rely on, and a single misstep could mean death.

    Although things weren''t much different now, at least he had a dog.

    This dog, if nothing else, had a keen nose and could always sense danger in advance.

    Over the past two months, more than half of the pills had been consumed, and the demonic beast meat was almost gone. It was only then that Hei Huang realized he had severely underestimated Xu Hei''s appetite.

    Originally, the food was expected tost six months, but at this rate, it would be gone in a week.

    As a result, Xu Hei''s strength had skyrocketed, bing many times stronger than he was two months ago.

    His cultivation level was still at the sixthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, but Xu Hei could feel that if he faced Zhao Yiduo again, he could crush him with just the Gravity Technique."Gravity Technique, I have mastered it. I can release it from fifty meters away, which isn''t much different from Chen Daoling back then."

    "Fireball Technique, also mastered. This low-level spell is no longer suitable for me. Fortunately, I have cultivated the Fire Serpent Technique as a recement."

    "Earth Escape Technique, I can travel a thousand miles a day."

    "In addition, I have also cultivated Wind de Technique and Thunder Strike Technique, both of which are more powerful than the Fire Serpent Technique."

    Xu Hei thought to himself. These advanced spells were originally meant to be cultivated in theter stages of Qi Refining, but Xu Hei had already mastered them in the mid-stage, and each one was quite powerful.

    The strengthening of his physical body made Xu Hei''s foundation incredibly solid, and even his True Qi had undergone a qualitative change,parable to theter stages of Qi Refining.

    However, Xu Hei''s greatest strength was still the Earth Escape Technique, possibly due to his exceptional Earth Spiritual Root.

    "Xu Hei, the puppets I promised you are finally finished."

    Hei Huang threw a bunch of puppet beasts onto the ground.

    There were a hundred small lizards, ten medium lizards, two giant frogs, and several birds, all scavenged from Yu Qiang''s storage bag.

    In addition, there was arge snake that particrly caught Xu Hei''s attention.

    This snake had pale golden eyes, a pitch-ck body with distinct scales, and ck-gold scales on its tail, looking lifelike and identical to Xu Hei.

    This puppet was crafted based on Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei quickly crawled closer, examining it carefully and growing more delighted the more he looked.

    "How do I control it?" Xu Hei asked eagerly.

    Hei Huang tossed him a jade slip and said, "This is the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s unique technique, Puppet Mechanism Technique, but it only has the firstyer. Make do with it."

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense entered the jade slip, instantly acquiring the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s technique, the firstyer of the Puppet Mechanism Technique¡ªHuman Puppet Technique!

    The Puppet Mechanism Technique had fiveyers: Human Puppet, Earth Puppet, Heaven Puppet, Demon Puppet, and Divine Puppet.

    The firstyer, Human Puppet, corresponded to Qi Refining Stage puppets.

    It was said that the Heavenly Puppet Sect only mastered the first threeyers.

    Xu Hei stored the puppet beasts and began to practice.

    "The Puppet Mechanism Technique is controlled by Divine Sense. The stronger the Divine Sense, the better the control, especially when controlling multiple puppets. It requires multitasking and a high level of talent!"

    "At the entry level, you can control puppets three realms lower than yourself."

    "When the number of controble puppets exceeds ten, you can advance by one realm."

    "......"

    Xu Hei released a small lizard, a puppet three realms lower than him, at the thirdyer of Qi Refining Stage.

    Under his mental control, the small lizard moved left and right swiftly and freely, indicating that he could control it perfectly.

    Soon, Xu Hei released another one, controlling two simultaneously.

    He closed his eyes, his Divine Sense attached to the lizards. Whatever the lizards saw, he could see as well.

    Gradually, Xu Hei released more lizards, increasing their number quickly to five, ten, twenty.

    Xu Hei had an astonishing talent in Divine Sense.

    Two months ago, his Divine Sense range exceeded a hundred meters. Now, it had reached one hundred and fifty meters, surpassing even the Great Perfection of Qi Refining Stage.

    Xu Hei''s puppet technique progressed rapidly. In just one day, he could control thirty small lizards.

    The small lizards scattered, crawling all over the mountains and fields, each moving extremely nimbly. Xu Hei could clearly see through each lizard''s vision.

    This expansive view was something Xu Hei had never experienced before.

    At this moment.

    A white snake darted out from the grass, biting one of the small lizards and attempting to swallow it.

    Xu Hei controlled the lizard to twist lightly, escaping from the white snake''s mouth and disappearing.

    "I wonder how that little white snake is doing," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Looking at the white snake, Xu Hei suddenly remembered the one that had bid him farewell in Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Two months had passed, the rainy season had arrived, and the mountain fire should have subsided by now.

    Xu Hei suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to go back and take a look. If he didn''t, he would feel uneasy.

    "Strange, why do I feel this way?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    He had only met the white snake by chance, so why did he feel the same unease as when his territory was invaded? It was very odd.

    As a demon cultivator, Xu Hei was very sensitive to such instincts. After thinking for a moment, he decided to put away all the small lizards.

    At this moment, Hei Huang suddenly appeared and said, "Those two little demons following you are in trouble."

    "Hmm?" Xu Hei stared at him intently.

    "I left a Golden Light Curse on them. It activates automatically in life-threatening situations, protecting them for an hour. It has already activated. Do what you must."

    Hei Huang said calmly, sending out a Divine Sense to mark the location of the Golden Light Curse.

    In the next second, Xu Hei vanished, fully activating his Earth Escape Technique and moving forward at unprecedented speed.

    A rumbling sound came from underground, like an earth dragon tunneling through. Wild beasts scattered in fear, as if something terrifying was rushing past underground.

    Hei Huang followed, but soon realized in shock that he couldn''t keep up.

    "My heavens, how is he so fast?"

    Hei Huang was dumbfounded. He activated the Wind Travel Technique and Wind Sail, chasing at full speed, but still couldn''t catch up with Xu Hei.

    Flying couldn''t keep up with tunneling. This was absurd!

    He could only watch as Xu Hei got farther and farther away.

    "Could he be a top-tier Earth Spiritual Root?"

    Hei Huang spected.

    At this moment, Xu Hei had reached an unprecedented speed. His Earth Escape Technique was already perfected, and at his full speed, even Foundation Establishment cultivators might not catch up.

    His cultivation level was low, but his foundation was incredibly solid.

    It was no exaggeration to say that if Xu Hei wanted, he could step into theter stages of the Spirit Communion Stage at any moment and continuously break through severalyers.

    But he didn''t do that!

    Xu Hei didn''t know why he felt uneasy, but since it was an instinctive reaction, he decided to follow it.

    "Boom!!!"

    The earth dragon tunneled through, causing the soil to lift. Xu Hei got closer and closer to his destination.

    During this process, more ck-gold scales unknowingly appeared on his tail.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Five hundred miles away, in a deep pit, the little white snake was crushed at the bottom. A giant hammer kept pounding down, causing a rumbling sound.

    She was already severely injured and couldn''t move. Ayer of hazy golden light surrounded her, blocking all attacks.

    But as time passed, the golden light gradually faded.

    "This snake has so many secrets. It might be the old snake demon that was widely rumored before!" Xue Hu said excitedly.

    "This mangy wolf is the same, with ayer of golden light protecting it."

    Another cultivator, Zhu Ze, threw out chains, wrapping the wolf kingyer byyer, making it immobile. The wolf king''s body was also protected by ayer of golden light, preventing the chains from touching it.

    But as time passed, the golden light on them gradually weakened.

    The two cultivators noticed this and their eyes gleamed with excitement.

    "In less than an hour, this golden light will dissipate. Capturing such evil creatures will earn us great merit!" Xue Huughed.

    Zhu Ze squinted his eyes. He felt that the golden light seemed to be buying time, giving him a bad feeling.

    Although Zhu Ze was cruel, having killed countless demonic beasts by skinning them alive, he was naturally cautious and always kept an eye out.

    "Is there a senior from our Mountain Movers Sect nearby?" Zhu Ze asked.

    "Uncle Ye is at a camp a hundred miles away. Why?" Xue Hu asked, puzzled.

    "Uncle Ye is enough."

    Zhu Ze nodded, took out amunication jade slip, recorded a message, and sent it flying into the sky.

 Chapter 49: Shi Xiaojie instantly killed two people

    Chapter 49: Shi Xiaojie instantly killed two people

    "What are you doing..."

    Xue Hu was filled with uncertainty. If they called a Foundation Establishment stage uncle over, their credit would be at least halved.

    "Uncle Ye will arrive in an hour. By then, we should have captured these two beasts. Our credit shouldn''t be taken," Zhu Ze said calmly.

    He was also worried about losing credit, but to be safe, he still sent out themunication jade talisman.

    The golden light on these two beasts was highly unusual. He feared they had a backer, but with Uncle Ye''s abilities, even if that backer showed up, it would be easily handled.

    Who knows, they might even earn more credit.

    "Earth Prison Technique!"

    Zhu Ze activated his spell, and in an instant, the ground rose, the earth churned, forming a mud prison that trapped the white snake and the wolf king within.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­An hour passed.

    Xu Hei sped forward, finally reaching his destination just as the time limit was about to expire.

    Along the way, to speed up, Xu Hei had consumed several pills. Fortunately, he made it in time.

    Ahead was a low-lying area, filled with puddles after a heavy rain. Crocodiles often lurked in the muddy swamps, along with some shallow water creatures.

    Xu Hei spread his Divine Sense out to 150 meters and immediately discovered two mounds emitting a faint golden light. It was the white snake and the wolf king.

    Both demonic beasts were severely injured, barely clinging to life, which made Xu Hei breathe a sigh of relief.

    However, he did not see any human cultivators.

    "Earth Prison Technique? Hmph, the opponent is quite cautious."

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold. He didn''t rush to rescue them. Instead, he released small lizards to search the area thoroughly.

    The opponent was very cautious and must be hiding somewhere. Using Divine Sense recklessly would alert them. It was safer to use puppet beasts.

    These puppet beasts, after being reforged by Hei Huang, were indistinguishable from living creatures to most people.

    Xu Hei didn''t know the opponent''s cultivation level, but they definitely hadn''t reached Foundation Establishment. Otherwise, the Golden Light Curse wouldn''t hold.

    Below Foundation Establishment, he had nothing to fear.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A hundred meters away, on arge rock, there were two human-shaped impressions.

    These figures kept their eyes on the mounds, observing in secret.

    "Looks like I was overthinking. These two beasts have no helpers," Zhu Ze thought to himself.

    He did this to be cautious, after all, there was no loss in being careful.

    Xue Hu, however, felt disdain, secretly mocking, "Senior Brother has been cultivating for thirty years, his cultivation hasn''t improved much, but his courage has shrunk. When Uncle Ye arrives, I wonder if there will be any credit left for me."

    At this moment, his eyes narrowed as he saw two lizards suddenly appear on the ground ahead, staring straight at him.

    At first, Xue Hu didn''t pay much attention, but after observing for a moment, he noticed that both lizards opened their mouths simultaneously, emitting a white light.

    Not only the lizards in front of him, but also in the bushes ahead and behind, white lights were shining, densely packed.

    "Not good!"

    Xue Hu''s pupils contracted. The next moment, the white lights shot out like beams, sting towards his hiding spot.

    From the front, left, right, and behind, fifty beams of white light fired simultaneously, covering all directions.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom..."

    Therge rock he was hiding behind shattered instantly, reduced to rubble. Xue Hu spat blood, his robes burned to ashes, his body covered in countless bloody holes, charred and emitting a burnt smell.

    In just one exchange, he was severely injured.

    Zhu Ze fared slightly better. His cultivation had reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining stage, already in thete stage. He was extremely cautious and activated the Hardening Technique the moment the white light appeared, simultaneously casting the Earth Shield, blocking eighty percent of the bombardment.

    Even so, he was in a sorry state, his clothes tattered, hair disheveled, and multiple ck marks on his body.

    "Heavenly Puppet Sect''s Puppet Mechanism Technique!"

    "Damn it! How could a cultivator from the Qin Kingdom be here?"

    Zhu Ze''s heart trembled. His first thought was that a cultivator from the Heavenly Puppet Sect had arrived, a sect even stronger than the Snake Catchers Sect, the top sect in the Qin Kingdom.

    The little white snake and the wolf king in the earth prison immediately woke up.

    They sensed a familiar aura.

    "It''s him!" The white snake''s voice trembled.

    Zhu Ze took a deep breath and calmed down.

    Under normal circumstances, he wouldn''t dare provoke the other party, but with Uncle Ye on the way, he felt more confident. He cupped his fists towards the front and said, "Fellow Daoist from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, is there some misunderstanding?"

    The response was another round of beams.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom..."

    Another round of bombardment. Zhu Ze couldn''t dodge and summoned three rotating shields around him, his skin turning to stone, enduring all the attacks.

    Apart from his clothes being sted to pieces, he was unharmed.

    Xu Hei shook his head secretly. These little lizards were still too weak, only able to injure mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. They were powerless againstte-stage cultivators skilled in defense.

    Zhu Ze''s face darkened. Since the other party was unreasonable, he wouldn''t hold back. So what if it was the Heavenly Puppet Sect? On Chu Kingdom''s territory, they had to bow down.

    "Since you won''t speak properly, I''lle to you."

    Zhu Ze used the Earth Escape Technique, diving into the ground and charging forward. Just now, he had sensed the opponent''s position.

    Hiding underground was like being fully exposed to a Mountain Movers Sect cultivator skilled in earth techniques.

    "Piercing Technique!"

    Zhu Ze formed a spell in the air, and immediately, the underground rocks condensed into stone needles, shooting towards Xu Hei.

    "Wind de Technique!"

    Xu Hei spat out wind des, spraying out a dense rain of wind des, shattering all the stone needles and heading straight for Zhu Ze''s face.

    "This power..."

    Zhu Ze''s expression changed. He immediately condensed a thick earth armor, but it was like paper, easily split in two.

    "sh!"

    One of his arms flew off, falling into the mud.

    In one exchange, he was killed! The opponent''s true strength was far beyond that of the puppet beasts!

    "Spare me, senior..."

    Zhu Ze instinctively shouted, but the next moment, a strong sense of danger made his hair stand on end.

    This was the danger of death!

    Zhu Ze hurriedly dove into the mud, retrieving his arm, and poked his head out of the ground, shouting, "Uncle Ye, save me!"

    In the distance, a gray-robed cultivator rode a giant sword, flying with the wind, his gaze locked on the muddy swamp ahead, shouting, "Stop right there!"

    "Toote!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were fierce, his entire cultivation erupted at this moment. A bolt of lightning shot from his mouth, striking the mud.

    Lightning Strike Technique!

    "Boom!!!"

    A thunderbolt struck the swamp, sending up a hundred-foot spray of water. Then, the electric light spread, covering the entire swamp. All the creatures in the water died instantly, including Zhu Ze, who was trying to escape.

    Lightning enveloped his entire body, inside and out, crackling and popping, electrocuting himpletely.

    Zhu Ze convulsed, his head charred, copsing in the swamp, his eyes wide open, dead in an instant, without any chance of survival.

    At the same time, the other escaping person, Xue Hu, was also surrounded and sted to death by a group of lizards, his head blown apart.

    Xu Hei killed both simultaneously, effortlessly.

    The difference in strength was overwhelming, aplete and utter crush.

    After killing them, Xu Hei didn''t pause for a second, immediately rushing towards the two mounds.

    "Beasts, you seek death!!!"

    A thunderous roar echoed through the mountains.

    Elder Ye Haichuan of the Mountain Movers Sect had never been this furious.

    His Divine Sense had locked onto Xu Hei''s figure from a kilometer away. It was a snake! A snake that spat wind des, lightning, and controlled puppet beasts, killing his two disciples right under his nose.

 Chapter 50: Xu Hei, Foundation Establishment Cultivator

    Chapter 50: Xu Hei, Foundation Establishment Cultivator

    The scene before him hadpletely overturned his understanding.

    He had heard rumors before¡ªthere was a snake demon and a dog demon in these mountains, creatures with intelligenceparable to humans. They had killed disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect, stolen Spirit-Tail Chickens from the Carefree Sect, and could fly and escape, even speaking humannguage.

    He had always dismissed it as mere hearsay.

    But witnessing it today with his own eyes was an eye-opener; it was even more exaggerated than the rumors.

    However, soon, Ye Haichuan''s eyes shed with boundless coldness.

    "You killed my Mountain Movers Sect disciples. Today, you won''t leave here alive!"

    Ye Haichuan clenched his hand in mid-air. Instantly, the sky darkened, yellow sand filled the air, and countless grains of sand and stones flew up, forming vast, boundless storms that swept towards Xu Hei with infinite ferocity.

    Earth Element Spell, Sandstorm Technique!

    This was the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Without even getting close, he could cast such arge-scale spell from hundreds of meters away.This was on apletely different level from the Qi Refining Stage, like heaven and earth.

    "Thud, thud, thud..."

    Xu Hei''s little lizards were caught in the sandstorm, each one being shredded into pieces mid-air, leaving not even a trace behind. In an instant, he lost more than half of them.

    Xu Hei didn''t have time to feel heartache. He split open the Earth Prison Technique, letting the little lizards drag the white snake and the wolf king away swiftly.

    He himself fled in another direction.

    "Go!"

    Ye Haichuan''s flying sword shed out from under his feet. The sword was enormous, with a weighty, rock-like feel. Wherever it passed, gravity seemed to increase, like a mountain splitting the heavens, shing towards Xu Hei''s back.

    Xu Hei knew he couldn''t dodge this strike. His tail swung high, meeting the giant sword head-on, smashing into it with all his might.

    "ng!!!"

    A deafening sound echoed through the heavens and earth, causing a resonant hum.

    A shocking scene unfolded before Ye Haichuan. His flying sword was actually dented with a row of dense nicks and was knocked away.

    Xu Hei didn''t fare well either. His body shook violently, being flung dozens of meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

    Although his tail was protected by ck-gold scales and remained intact, the internal shock was severe, with bones showing signs of breaking.

    "So this is Foundation Establishment? The gap in cultivation is too vast." Xu Hei gritted his teeth.

    His cultivation was only at the sixth level of the Spirit Communion Stage. Xu Hei prided himself on being nearly unbeatable below Foundation Establishment. Even if he faced Chen Daoling, who had forcefully elevated himself to Foundation Establishment with pills, he would still be unafraid.

    But against a true Foundation Establishment cultivator, Xu Hei felt a sense of helplessness.

    This wasn''t a half-baked cultivator like Chen Daoling but a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose divine sense, spells, perception, andbat experience far surpassed Chen Daoling''s.

    To Ye Haichuan, this scene was like a bolt from the blue. He, a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, couldn''t even kill a Spirit Communion Stage snake demon with one strike.

    His gaze fixed on Xu Hei, as if wanting to see through him.

    "I''m getting more and more curious. What secrets do you hold?"

    In a sh, he chased after Xu Hei, his dented giant sword once again soaring towards Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei used the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground. Ye Haichuan cast a spell from a distance, causing the soil below to harden and solidify into rocky terrain.

    Such rocky areas were impassable with the Earth Escape Technique, meant to trap the opponent.

    But to Ye Haichuan''s shock, Xu Hei waspletely unaffected, his speed unchanged.

    "How is this possible?"

    Ye Haichuan eximed.

    Little did he know, Xu Hei had often ced himself 800 meters underground during countless physical body tempering sessions, long ustomed to extremely solid underground environments.

    Even rock couldn''t stop Xu Hei.

    In just a moment, Xu Hei had widened the distance between them again, reaching 500 meters.

    "You can''t escape!"

    Ye Haichuannded, pressing his palms to the ground, his gaze icy. With a thought, a sudden sense of danger surged from ahead.

    Xu Hei reflexively veered slightly to the left. Almost simultaneously, a giant spike shot up from the ground, piercing through where Xu Hei had just been.

    "Boom!!!"

    The spike shot up, reaching a height of thirty meters, piercing the sky.

    Xu Hei broke out in a cold sweat.

    Had he not veered slightly, he would have been instantly impaled by that spike.

    "You actually dodged it? Such keen senses!"

    Ye Haichuan''s heart chilled. Pressing his palms down again, he shouted in his mind, "Earth Piercing Spike!"

    The sense of danger surged from Xu Hei''s heart again. He quickly retreated dozens of meters. The next moment, another spike shot up from the ground, forming a cone that soared into the sky.

    Xu Hei had just stopped, barely catching his breath, when he had to retreat again.

    "Boom!"

    Another spike shot up.

    One wave after another.

    "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"...

    Spike after spike shot up from the ground in front of Xu Hei, gradually forcing him back.

    He had no choice but to retreat. A moment''s dy and he would be impaled.

    "Damn it! The opponent doesn''t want me to stay underground!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and burst out of the ground, soaring into the air. He took out a Swift Wind Talisman, stuck it to his abdomen, and rode the wind towards the horizon.

    "Heh, just in time! Sandstorm Technique!"

    Ye Haichuan pushed his hands forward, and endless sand and dust surged out again, forming a rolling sandstorm that swept forward. Trees were uprooted and shattered in mid-air, countless rocks were split into tiny grains of sand, merging into the storm.

    He knew the opponent was skilled in the Earth Escape Technique. Forcing him out meant certain death.

    But at that moment, Ye Haichuan''s eyes narrowed, staring at the sky ahead, his eyes wide open.

    Gone!

    Xu Hei, who had just been flying, was gone.

    His pupils contracted, filled with disbelief, thinking he had seen wrong.

    "How did he disappear?"

    Ye Haichuan hurriedly flew forward, reaching the sandstorm''s location. The area was empty. Just as the sandstorm was about to engulf Xu Hei, he had suddenly vanished, disappearing into thin air.

    Because of the distance, Ye Haichuan didn''t know how the opponent had disappeared.

    He spread his divine sense, scanning a radius of 500 meters, inch by inch, but found nothing, as if Xu Hei had evaporated.

    "It must be some kind of invisibility talisman or magical treasure. I don''t believe you can hide forever!"

    He took out a handful of ck dust and scattered it into the sky. Then, with a push, a strong wind arose.

    The ck dust spread forward, dispersing everywhere, covering the sky and ground.

    This dust, known as Revealing Dust, was the nemesis of all concealment techniques.

    No matter where one hid or what method was used, as long as they were touched by this dust, their silhouette would immediately be revealed.

    However, after observing for a while, Ye Haichuan saw no figure appearing ahead.

    There was only one possibility¡ªXu Hei had doubled back.

    "He actually dared toe back?"

    Ye Haichuan immediately turned around, looking back. What he saw made his eyes turn red.

    Zhu Ze and Xue Hu''s storage bags were gone.

    Ye Haichuan instantly flew into a rage. That little beast hadn''t run away but had turned back to take the storage bags.

    How audacious!

    Ye Haichuan felt like he was about to explode with anger. A mere Spirit Communion Stage demon dared to provoke him.

    "I swear, I''ll dig three hundred feet if I have to, but I''ll find you!"

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei was hiding 800 meters underground, panting heavily, drenched in cold sweat.

    He swallowed a pill, quickly recovering his True Qi.

    Through several tests, he was certain he wasn''t a match for this person. Even if he gave it his all, his chances of winning were less than thirty percent.

    Xu Hei knew that human cultivators had weak physical bodies. If he could get close, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could be gravely injured or killed by him.

    But the opponent''s attack range was too vast. He could kill from 500 meters away, and his spells were extremely powerful. Getting close was a pipe dream.

    Moreover, besides that giant flying sword, who knew what other tricks the opponent had?

    From start to finish, Xu Hei had kept at least 500 meters away from the opponent, not daring to get closer. Otherwise, he might be dead before he even got close.

    "The old dog was right. Fighting across levels is something only prodigies can do. But crossing realms is like defying the heavens, almost impossible."

    Xu Hei sighed.

    In this battle, he suffered due to his cultivation and his spells.

    He practiced the Five Elements Spells, which were numerous and varied but not refined. Xu Hei was exceptionally talented, mastering each spell but unable to achieve extreme proficiency.

    Like this Mountain Movers Sect cultivator, who only practiced Earth spells and only epted disciples with Earth Spiritual Roots, maximizing a particr trait.

    Xu Hei was also skilled in Earth spells, but he only knew the Earth Escape Technique and hadn''t learned any other Earth spells, not even having a jade slip. It was truly a pity.

    Regardless, Xu Hei gained a lot of experience and lessons from this battle.

    Fortunately, he had the old dog''s Invisibility Talisman, which allowed him to fight without restraint.

    Xu Hei didn''t dare stay too long. After recovering some True Qi, he nned to circle back. The dy was enough; the white snake and the wolf king should be safe.

    But at that moment, a sinister, sharp voice echoed in his ear.

    "Heh heh, little beast, so you''re hiding here!"

 Chapter 51: The serpents wrath reverses to strike above

    Chapter 51: The serpent''s wrath reverses to strike above

    At the moment he heard that ghostly voice, Xu Hei''s scalp tingled, and a chill surged straight to his head. Instinctively, he was about to turn and flee.

    But in an instant, he stopped himself, standing motionless.

    This ce was 800 meters underground.

    If the other party had discovered him, they would have attacked immediately. Why waste time with tricks?

    Xu Hei waited for a moment, but nothing happened.

    "What a despicable old man, he''s trying to trick me!" Xu Hei gritted his teeth.

    He had no idea what method the person used to project his voice so far.

    Xu Hei didn''t fall for it. He didn''t even probe with his Divine Sense. Instead, he stayed still, quietly recovering his strength.

    The gravity here was immense. Xu Hei had undergone long-term bone tempering and body refinement, making his physical body strong enough to stay here safely....

    At this moment, beneath the earth.

    Ye Haichuan was a hundred meters underground, his body merged with the rock, fully attuned to the underground pulses. Any disturbance, he would sense immediately.

    "Your two demonic beastpanions have already been captured by me. If you don''te out, I''ll skin them alive."

    Ye Haichuan continued to shout, his voice echoing through the underground, while he sensed for any movements.

    After a long while, there was no response.

    Ye Haichuan was certain that the other party was hiding deep underground. With the opponent''s ability to burrow through rock, they were likely more than 500 meters deep.

    This gave him a headache.

    Five hundred meters. With his abilities, he could go down and search, but he feared the opponent might have set traps underground.

    At such depths, the pressure was immense, making it hard to maneuver. One wrong move, and he could end up in a dire situation.

    "You little beast, I''ll give you the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn toe out and meet me. Otherwise, I''ll go out and kill your twopanions, then unite all the sects to hunt you down endlessly!"

    Ye Haichuan shouted, his voice traveling down through the rockyers.

    He had made up his mind. If the other party still didn''t respond, he would have to give up. But he would never let the other two demonic beasts go.

    Time ticked by.

    Ye Haichuan wasn''t in a hurry. He waited patiently for the other party to reveal themselves.

    Suddenly, he seemed to hear something. His eyes widened, and without a word, he drilled rapidly into the ground.

    "Hmph, you finally showed yourself!"

    Ye Haichuan''s eyes gleamed with cold light. At unprecedented speed, he rushed towards a certain direction, closing the distance between them.

    Five hundred meters, three hundred meters, two hundred meters, one hundred meters...

    "Rock Pressure!"

    Ye Haichuan clenched his fist in the air. Instantly, the pressure of the rocks multiplied, crazily squeezing towards a central point.

    "Crack, crack, crack!"

    A burst of blood light exploded ahead. Arge ck snake emerged from the rocks, already crushed into a bloody mess, bones broken and tendons snapped. It was Xu Hei.

    His body moved slightly. Ye Haichuan snorted coldly, and a spike shot out from the rock, piercing Xu Hei''s neck instantly, spraying blood once more.

    A shrill hiss came from ahead. Xu Hei struggled desperately, but it was futile, spilling arge amount of blood.

    "Pierce!"

    Ye Haichuan didn''t dare be careless. He continuously used the Earth Piercing Spike, three spikes shooting out, piercing therge snake over and over, pinning itpletely in the rock crevice.

    Finally, therge ck snake twitched and could no longer move.

    Only then did Ye Haichuan reveal a cold smile.

    "Eight hundred meters underground, you really are ruthless, hiding so deep that even I had to be extremely cautious."

    Ye Haichuan''s lips curled into a cold smile. A protective light shield rose around him as he passed through the rockyers, approaching therge ck snake.

    Before long, he reached therge ck snake.

    The snake''s body was severely deformed, its aurapletely gone. This made him slightly regretful. He had hoped to capture it alive, but eliminating such a huge threat and extracting some secrets from the corpse was still worth it.

    But at that moment.

    Ye Haichuan suddenly felt a sense of rm.

    "Something''s wrong! Wasn''t this too easy?"

    As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, killing a Spirit Communion Stage snake demon should have been easy, even easier than this, a mere snap of the fingers.

    But now, he felt something was off.

    He couldn''t pinpoint the reason, it was purely his intuition from a century of cultivation!

    As soon as this thought emerged, his hair stood on end, his pupils contracted to a point, and his heart surged with a tidal wave of shock.

    What did he see?

    In his Divine Sense, arge number of ck-gold scales suddenly appeared behind him without warning, piercing through the rockyers, shooting towards his back!

    Too close! The distance was too close, less than fifteen meters!

    The opponent was hiding nearby!

    "What is this?!"

    At that moment, Ye Haichuan finally saw clearly. Not far from him, there was anotherrge ck snake, identical to the one he had just killed, covered in blood, its body shattered, swinging its tail fiercely towards him, smashing through the rock,ing down on him with a powerful strike.

    It looked exactly like the one he had just killed.

    "Earth Shield!"

    "Thick Earth Armor!"

    "Earth Flow Wall!"

    In an instant, Ye Haichuan cast three defensive spells, activating the inner armor magical treasure on his body. But it was too fast, too close. Just as the gray light appeared on his body, countless scales shot into him.

    "Thud, thud, thud..."

    Blood blossomed. Ye Haichuan''s physical body was pierced through, all his defenses shattered like paper, leaving him bloodied, his internal organs turned into a sieve.

    He had tried his best to dodge, but in such deep ces, surrounded by heavy rocks, it was hard to move. He barely avoided the vital points.

    At this moment, Ye Haichuan realized he had fallen into a trap.

    The one he had just killed wasn''t the real snake, but a puppet, an almost lifelike puppet identical to the ck snake!

    What shocked him was that the puppet also bled, its skin also tore.

    Looking at Xu Hei''s wounds, he finally understood.

    The blood, the flesh, the snake skin, even the internal organs, were all Xu Hei''s doing, merging with the puppet.

    What a ruthless snake! What a cunning tactic!

    To achieve his goal, he even harmed himself!

    What kind of opponent had he provoked?

    "I must escape, I must get away!"

    Ye Haichuan took out a talisman, activating it underground. A stream of air shot out from behind, carrying Ye Haichuan upwards.

    "Smack!!!"

    Xu Hei''s tail struck his lower abdomen, instantly smashing half of Ye Haichuan''s body, his legs exploding into a mist of blood, and his storage bag falling off.

    The stream of air from the talisman carried half of Ye Haichuan''s body towards the surface, creating a path through the rockyers, unstoppable.

    "This is my limit!"

    Xu Hei watched his opponent flee, wanting to chase but unable to move.

    He had heard from Hei Huang that it''s extremely difficult for cultivators to fight across levels. Some geniuses could do it, but to fight across stages was almost impossible, like defying the heavens!

    Xu Hei had reached his limit, yet he still couldn''t kill his opponent, just one step short, one step!

    He had never risked his life for anyone.

    But this time, he did.

    For no other reason than the opponent''s threat of endless pursuit against him and hispanions!

    From that moment, Xu Hei knew he had no way out. Some things, even at great risk, had to be done!

    Xu Hei almost seeded. If not for that talisman, Ye Haichuan would have been dead.

    Xu Hei didn''t mind. Everyone had life-saving items. He had managed to take the opponent''s storage bag and push him to the brink of death, which was enough.

    ...

    Ye Haichuan''s heart pounded, the pain in his body bringing waves of weakness, almost making him faint. He swallowed a Blood Spirit Pill, suppressing his injuries.

    He never imagined that he would suffer such a loss at the hands of a Spirit Communion Stage snake demon! He even developed a psychological shadow.

    If not for the life-saving talisman, he would have died just now.

    If not for the Blood Spirit Pill, he would have died from his injuries!

    Both were his century-long umtion, gifts from a senior at the Core Formation stage.

    "What were those scales, why did my Spiritual Treasure have no effect, being pierced directly?"

    Ye Haichuan''s heart trembled, unable toprehend, even feeling a bit of fear.

    The situation just now was too terrifying. He never wanted to experience it again in his life.

    "Whatever it takes, I must inform the sect. If this demon is not eliminated, it will be a great disaster!"

    Ye Haichuan gritted his teeth.

    Momentster, he broke through the underground and reached the surface.

    But as soon as he saw the sunlight, a ck dog''s shadow appeared before him.

    The dog was robust, pitch-ck and shiny, with a bald tail, and its eyes gleamed with a sinister light.

    The dog turned its head, looking at him, a ghostly smile curling its lips.

    Ye Haichuan''s pupils dted, his mouth opened wide. Before he could scream, he identally crashed into a tree.

    "Boom!"

    The tree copsed, Ye Haichuan spat blood, fell to the ground, and with onest breath, his vision went ck, and his body stiffened forever.

 Chapter 52: Slaying the Cultivator, Gaining Fame in the Southern Region

    Chapter 52: ying the Cultivator, Gaining Fame in the Southern Region

    "This..."

    Hei Huang was dumbfounded.

    He swore he hadn''t done anything. He just nced at the man, and the man ran into a tree and died.

    Upon closer inspection, Hei Huang realized that this person was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator. But how could a Foundation Establishment cultivator end up with only half a body and die from crashing into a tree?

    What happened here?

    "Could it be Xiao Xu''s doing? But how could he, at the sixth level of the Spirit Communion Stage, be so fierce?"

    Hei Huang took a few steps closer and used his Divine Sense to investigate. He discovered that this person''s spiritual foundation was like ake, overflowing. This was not an ordinary early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator but one who was very close to reaching mid-stage.

    This was an old cultivator who had been at the early stage of Foundation Establishment for a long time, with deep umtions, far surpassing those who had just broken through.

    This made Hei Huang even more astonished.How did Xu Hei manage this?

    He had watched Xu Hei grow step by step and knew his strength clearly.

    Except for those scales and the mysterious technique he couldn''t see through, he knew everything else.

    At this moment, Xu Hei emerged from the ground. He was covered in wounds; both his snake skin and bones were severely damaged. As soon as he appeared, he aimed at the fallen Ye Haichuan and spewed a mouthful of mes.

    "Fire Snake Technique!"

    The lively mes transformed into a long snake, rushing toward Ye Haichuan and igniting a raging fire upon contact.

    Ye Haichuan''s physical body quickly melted, emitting a faint, weak wail.

    Hei Huang was about to intervene but was stunned by the wail.

    In fact, Ye Haichuan wasn''t dead. The moment he saw the ck dog, he activated the Turtle Breathing Form, putting his body into a state of false death and crashing into a tree to feign death, trying to deceive the heavens and cross the sea.

    As long as he could preserve a trace of his primordial spirit and wait for sect assistance, there was a chance of resurrection.

    But all of this waspletely destroyed by the Fire Snake Technique.

    "No!!"

    Ye Haichuan let out an unwilling roar before his death. His physical body and Divine Sense turned to ashes in an instant, his body bing charred.

    Hei Huang hurriedly went up to absorb Ye Haichuan''s True Qi, but he only managed to extract a little before thetter turned to dust.

    "What a waste!" Hei Huang sighed inwardly.

    However, this person had used the Turtle Breathing Form and even deceived him, which was truly unexpected.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was already exhausted.

    Fighting a Foundation Establishment cultivator tested not only the physical body and cultivation but also mental willpower.

    He had to stay focused at all times, trying every possible method, without the slightest underestimation. A single mistake could lead to eternal damnation.

    He had only been cultivating for a year, while others had been cultivating for decades or even centuries. Why should they be weaker than him?

    Xu Hei never thought he was necessarily stronger than others. Even when dealing with two Qi Refining Stage disciples before, he gave it his all. If he didn''t strike, it was fine, but if he did, it was a kill.

    The reason he survived was due to his strong will.

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have thought of self-harming to deceive his opponent.

    Hei Huang nced at Xu Hei, his face darkening, and said, "Are all these injuries on you caused by that person?"

    His voice carried a rare hint of anger.

    "I did it myself," Xu Hei replied.

    Hei Huang was stunned.

    "No time to exin. You clean up the scene. I''m leaving."

    Xu Hei didn''t want to stay any longer. He turned and left, his injuries too severe, with many ces exposing white bones. He needed to find a ce to heal.

    Hei Huang looked at the two corpses in front of him, threw out two fireballs to burn them to ashes, and rearranged the scene to avoid leaving any clues.

    "Mountain Movers Sect, I, the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person, will y with you."

    A murderous glint shed in Hei Huang''s eyes.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    About half an hourter.

    Three figures shot through the sky and arrived above.

    These three were tall and imposing, their auras as vast as the ocean, each stronger than thest, and they were among the top in the Foundation Establishment stage.

    They were the Sect Master of the Mountain Movers Sect, the Great Elder, and a guest elder from the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Every Foundation Establishment elder had a soulmp in the sect. As soon as the soulmp extinguished, the location of their death could be immediately known.

    Now, Ye Haichuan''s soulmp had gone out. This was the first major incident in the Mountain Movers Sect in ten years.

    Even the people from the Snake Catchers Sect were deeply interested and came to assist in the investigation.

    "The aura here is chaotic, clearly indicating a fierce battle, but the traces have been deliberately erased. It''s impossible to tell who did it."

    The Great Elder of the Mountain Movers Sect, Shi Fengzi, spoke calmly.

    The elder from the Snake Catchers Sect snorted coldly, "Hmph! Our five sects entered the mountains and signed a non-aggression pact long ago. Even if there were conflicts, they were between disciples. Now, even elders dare to be killed. This is courting death!"

    "Could it have been done by a Demonic Beast?"

    "A Demonic Beast? This area within a radius of three hundred miles has been thoroughly investigated. There are no Foundation Establishment stage Demonic Beasts. Even if there were, with Ye Shidi''s skills, he wouldn''t be unable to escape! And how could a Demonic Beast erase the traces?"

    "Could it be..."

    After a round of discussion, the elder from the Snake Catchers Sect suddenly froze, a figure shing through his mind like lightning.

    It was the shadow of a Snake Demon.

    But he immediately shook his head. A Snake Demon? What a joke. Ye Haichuan was among the top in the early stage of Foundation Establishment. How could he be killed by a little Snake Demon, unable even to escape?

    "First, find out why Ye Shidi came here, whether someone called for help, who that person was, and what the content was. Investigate thoroughly before drawing conclusions."

    Shi Fengzi spoke calmly.

    The elder from the Snake Catchers Sect had a sudden sh of inspiration and said, "I suddenly remembered, two months ago, Senior Xuan Yangzi''s avatar was destroyed, and his storage bag was taken. The culprit has not been found, and it also happened in this forest."

    "Hmm?"

    The other two looked over simultaneously, their eyes shing with brilliance.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei knew that there was no wall in the world that didn''t let the wind through. Wherever one went, traces would be left. Since he did it, it was impossible to hide it perfectly forever.

    What he could do was not to hide and pray that he wouldn''t be discovered by humans.

    Instead, he had to be stronger, stronger, and even stronger!

    Strong enough to openly admit it, and no one would dare to touch him!

    If he had the cultivation of the Demon Core Stage, even if he killed his way to the Mountain Movers Sect and wiped out their entire sect, who would dare to say a word?

    From the moment humans stepped into the mountains and set fire to them, Xu Hei knew that hiding was not an option. The hatred of destroying one''s family and exterminating one''s n was irreconcble.

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have agreed to join forces with Hei Huang to trap and kill the avatar of that Core Formation stage cultivator.

    Now, having personally killed a Foundation Establishment elder.

    Xu Hei did not regret it.

    "This is cultivation, this is enlightenment." Xu Hei smiled sinisterly.

    They found a hidden cave, ced the white snake and the wolf king inside, and Hei Huang guarded the entrance while Xu Hei went into seclusion to heal.

    Xu Hei didn''t open the storage bags of the three cultivators, and Hei Huang didn''t have the nerve to ask for them this time. After all, he had been traveling the whole time and hadn''t participated at all.

    If he had to count, he had only scared the person, forcing him to use the Turtle Breathing Form to fake death. In the end, it was Xu Hei who did the killing.

    "Xiao Xu has be so powerful. Unknowingly, I also need to step up my game," Hei Huang thought to himself.

 Chapter 53: Xu Heis cultivation breaks through again

    Chapter 53: Xu Hei''s cultivation breaks through again

    Southern Forest of Chu Kingdom.

    A Foundation Establishment elder had died, a rare event that hadn''t happened in years.

    The Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and Tai Xuan Sect all stepped forward to rify that they had nothing to do with the incident, providing alibis for their powerful members.

    The Snake Catchers Sect, being high and mighty, naturally had no need to kill an elder from a subordinate sect and then deliberately cover it up.

    This matter sparked widespread spection.

    "It must be him, it must be him!"

    Chen Daoling''s eyes were bloodshot as he recalled the Snake Demon that had nearly cost him his life.

    Those eerie scales could pierce through any defense, a memory that still haunted him. Ye Haichuan must have been careless and fallen victim to those scales.

    "That Snake Demon is exceptionally cunning, as sly as a fox. Besides him, I can''t think of anyone else," Chen Daoling said with certainty.The Carefree Sect believed it was the work of that chicken thief, the big ck dog that could fly and escape.

    Soon, the Mountain Movers Sect''s investigation results came out.

    Along with Ye Haichuan, two inner disciples had also died. Ye Haichuan had gone there because he received a message from the two.

    What exactly the disciples had said was unknown, but it was easy to find out that man-eating Demonic Beasts had appeared in that area.

    A weekter.

    The Snake Catchers Sect issued a bounty order to capture the ck Snake Demon and the ck Dog Demon.

    Capturing one would reward a hundred Spirit Stones, and finding a clue would reward fifty Spirit Stones.

    This caused an uproar among all the sects.

    Many small sects mobilized their disciples to search the mountains, as fifty Spirit Stones were a fortune many cultivators could only dream of in their lifetime.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep in the forest, in a hidden cave within a canyon.

    Xu Hei woke up, his damaged snake skin had already healed, and his flesh and bones had regrown, restoring him to his peak condition.

    His muscles glowed with a dark luster, disying incredible resilience, seemingly even stronger than before he was injured.

    The scales on his tail had regrown, now covering one-fifth of his body.

    "What kind of cultivation technique is Xu Hei practicing? This healing speed, and those scales on his back¡­"

    The more Hei Huang observed, the more puzzled he became.

    He initially thought Xu Hei''s technique was on par with his Heavenly Demon Technique, but now it seemed he had underestimated it. This technique was likely an ancient legacy, specifically suited for snake cultivation.

    The suitable one is the best. Hei Huangpletely abandoned the idea of teaching Xu Hei the Heavenly Demon Technique.

    His only concern was whether such a powerful technique wasplete.

    If it was iplete and could only be cultivated to a certain level with no further progress, it would be useless.

    Just like the puppet technique he had acquired, which only had the first level of the Human Puppet Technique, limited to the Qi Refining Stage. No matter how powerful, it was still useless.

    "Boom!"

    Suddenly, the Demon God Cauldron inside Xu Hei''s body trembled violently, beginning to frantically absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth. The spiritual liquidpressed rapidly, showing signs of transformation.

    "Late Spirit Communion Stage."

    Hei Huang''s eyes shed, and he immediately took out formation gs, setting up a formation, while also taking out arge number of pills, ready to feed them at any moment.

    This battle had turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Xu Hei, giving him the opportunity to break through. Everything seemed to fall into ce naturally.

    Although it was dyed from thete stage of the month as Hei Huang had mentioned, Xu Hei''s foundation was incredibly solid. Even before the breakthrough, he was already at thete stage.

    Three days passed.

    Inside the Demon God Cauldron, the spiritual liquid droplets merged, forming a thumb-sized spiritual water ball.

    Within the water ball, a stream of spiritual energy flowed out, spreading like the branches of a tree, coursing through Xu Hei''s entire meridian system.

    This spiritual water ball was Xu Hei''s core. When the water ball expanded to fill the entire Demon God Cauldron, it would signify the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    At that time, he could attempt topress the water ball and establish his spiritual foundation.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, his True Qi now twice as dense as before. The transition from mid-stage tote-stage was another transformation.

    Spirit Communion Stage, level seven.

    Although he had broken through, Xu Hei still felt a sense of powerlessness when facing Foundation Establishment cultivators. Their long-range spells that could destroy everything with a wave of the hand were still out of his reach.

    Not enough! This level of strength is still not enough!

    Killing Ye Haichuan was purely a stroke of luck and coincidence. If Xu Hei had to do it again, he wouldn''t be confident in replicating such a miracle.

    "This big snake is fixed for you."

    Hei Huang tossed in arge snake puppet, the same one from before, now fully repaired.

    Xu Hei nced at it and nodded, "Thank you."

    He stored the snake away.

    If it weren''t for Hei Huang''s Invisibility Talisman and this snake puppet, he wouldn''t have been able to kill that cultivator.

    Xu Hei took out three storage bags and ced them on the ground.

    Hei Huang nced at them and obediently left, "I''ll go for a walk."

    "No need, there''s a share for you," Xu Hei said.

    Hei Huang''s eyes lit up, and he immediately scampered back, sitting on the ground with a cheeky grin.

    "And you two,e in as well," Xu Hei called out to the cave entrance.

    The white snake and the wolf king excitedly ran in, sitting obediently by the side.

    Both of them had long since recovered from their injuries and had made significant progress in their strength.

    The wolf king was now at the third level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    The white snake, surprisingly, had reached the fourth level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    This was the mid-stage, and such rapid progress without many resources astonished Xu Hei. It was much faster than his own progress back in the day.

    The little white snake looked at Xu Hei with starry eyes, hesitating for a moment before timidly asking, "What should I call you, Great King, Senior Brother, or¡­"

    "Stop! Just call me Xu Hei."

    Xu Hei quickly interrupted her, stopping her from continuing.

    Hei Huang grinned mischievously, "Little Xu, let her finish. Could it be that you two have some unspeakable rtionship?"

    Xu Hei''s face remained expressionless as he said:

    "I was nning to share with everyone, but forget it."

    "Hey? Come on, what did I do to offend you?"

    "Get lost!"

    "¡­"

    After a round of bickering, Hei Huang had no choice but to back down.

    "Xu Hei¡­" The white snake''s eyes brightened as she asked, "Then, can I call myself Xu Bai?"

    "¡­"

    Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

    This was a serious question.

    "Ha! With names like these, you two definitely have something going on!" Hei Huang pointed usingly.

    Xu Hei bit down on the ck dog''s leg, causing him to howl in pain and not dare to make another sound.

    "Fine, you can be called Xu Bai," Xu Hei agreed.

    The little white snake immediately became ted, her eyes sparkling as she muttered to herself, "I''m Xu Bai, I''m Xu Bai, I have a name now, I have a name now¡­"

 Chapter 54: Testing Spiritual Root: White Snake Alchemy

    Chapter 54: Testing Spiritual Root: White Snake Alchemy

    "Can I have a name too?" the wolf king asked.

    "You can follow me and be called Hei Er Gou," Hei Huang interjected.

    "Isn''t ''dog'' an insult? I''m a wolf!" the wolf king protested.

    "Woof!" Without another word, Hei Huang bit the wolf king''s thigh, causing thetter to beg for mercy repeatedly.

    Xu Hei was speechless.

    In the end, the wolf king reluctantly agreed to the name Er Gou.

    Although he had a name now, Er Gou was very unwilling, always feeling that it was an insult and lowered his status.

    However, looking at his ck and white fur, he did resemble a certain breed of dog.

    Next came the exciting moment of dividing the spoils.Xu Hei opened the first two storage bags at once. These belonged to two inner disciples and contained nothing special, justmon items.

    The most numerous were demonic beast corpses and inner cores.

    "Don''t be polite, take whatever you like," Xu Hei said.

    Xu Hei was already in thete Spirit Communion Stage, and these low-level items were of little use to him. Before long, Er Gou and Xu Bai had picked out what they needed.

    Then came the main event. Xu Hei took out Ye Haichuan''s storage bag. The Divine Sense imprint on it had been broken three days ago.

    With a sh of light, a dozen or so treasures appeared scattered on the ground.

    Three hundred spirit stones, two bottles of pills, three talismans, and several jade slips.

    Two flying swords, a soul g, and a pill furnace, all of Foundation Establishment level spiritual treasures.

    As for spirit medicines, beast materials, and metal materials, they filled arge bag.

    Additionally, there was a crystal ball for testing spiritual roots.

    "Is that all?"

    Xu Hei was somewhat surprised. He had thought that a Foundation Establishment cultivator should have a wealth of treasures, but the reality was quite different.

    It might not even be as valuable as Zhao Yiduo''s thousand spirit stones.

    "These old cultivators who have been stuck at a certain realm for years often spend everything they have to break through. Only the chosen ones from big families have a lot of valuable items," Hei Huang exined.

    Xu Hei wasn''t too disappointed. He picked up a flying sword and the soul g, took half of the pills and talismans, collected all the jade slips, and handed the rest to Hei Huang.

    Hei Huang grabbed the crystal ball and smiled, "This can test spiritual roots. Who wants to try?"

    Er Gou immediately ran up, "I want to test! I want to test!"

    Xu Hei became interested.

    Er Gou ced his paw on the ball, and spiritual energy blossomed. The crystal ball emitted a faint glow of three colors.

    Hei Huang shook his head, "Gold, fire, and water, three mixed spiritual roots, poor aptitude."

    Er Gou immediately deted.

    Curious, Xu Bai also ced her hand on the ball.

    This time, the crystal ball glowed a bright green, illuminating the entire cave dwelling.

    "This..." Hei Huang eximed.

    Xu Hei was also stunned.

    In his impression, a single color indicated extremely high talent.

    "A single attribute, top-grade wood spiritual root!"

    Hei Huang marveled, "Such talent is rare even among humans. No wonder this serpent has such a keen sense."

    Xu Bai, however, had no concept of this and was instead frightened by the bright light, shrinking back.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment, took out some jade slips on wood element spells, and handed them to her, instructing her to practice diligently. Xu Bai epted them seriously.

    Hei Huang nced at Xu Hei and smiled meaningfully, "A single wood spiritual root in a human woman would mean unparalleled beauty. If she could transform, who knows how many male cultivators she would enchant."

    "..." Xu Hei remained silent.

    Finally, it was Xu Hei''s turn.

    Xu Hei climbed up and ced his hand on the crystal ball, releasing his spiritual energy.

    The crystal ball lit up with a myriad of colors, starting with earthy yellow, then red, blue, gold, and purple...

    "Mixed spiritual roots? Six... seven mixed spiritual roots?" Hei Huang was a bit stunned.

    No, if they were mixed spiritual roots, how could Xu Hei cultivate so quickly?

    But soon, the multicolored light grew brighter and more dazzling, especially the earthy yellow light, which was almost blinding.

    Even the crystal ball showed a crack, as if it was about to explode.

    Xu Hei quickly withdrew his spiritual energy, and the crystal ball calmed down.

    "What is going on?" Xu Hei asked in surprise.

    Hei Huang pondered for a long time before saying, "You do have multiple spiritual roots, but their quality is very high. I''ve never seen such a situation."

    Normally, the more spiritual roots one had, the lower their quality.

    But Xu Hei had many spiritual roots, and their quality was high.

    Especially his earth spiritual root, which was beyond top-grade.

    This was quite extraordinary!

    No wonder Xu Hei could master any spell quickly and with great power. It turned out he had all kinds of spiritual roots, and none of them were low-grade.

    Xu Hei didn''t dwell on it. Since his earth spiritual root was the best, he decided to focus on earth element spells.

    After all the demonic beasts had left.

    Hei Huang ced his paw on the crystal ball, which emitted a ck glow, like a ck hole that could swallow all light. Hei Huang immediately withdrew his hand.

    "It''s time to visit the Mountain Movers Sect," Hei Huang said coldly.

    ...

    Outside the canyon, in a yellow-brown area.

    Xu Hei took out a jade slip and quickly scanned it with his Divine Sense.

    "There are a total of sixteen earth element spells."

    "I need to learn two for now, Thick Earth Armor and Earth Spike. One for attack and one for defense. If I master these two, I should be able to escape even if I can''t defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

    Xu Hei thought to himself. Both spells were top-tier for the Qi Refining Stage, and many Foundation Establishment cultivators used them.

    With Xu Hei''s top-grade earth spiritual root, their power would be even greater.

    "Thick Earth Armor!"

    Xu Hei focused his mind.

    A yellow-brownyer of light immediately appeared on his body, gradually covering his skin, making it look petrified, with a halo surrounding him from head to toe.

    But the glow dissipated after just a breath.

    Xu Hei exhaled. He had seeded on his first try, confirming his exceptional talent in earth element spells.

    Days passed in a sh.

    Xu Hei spent his days doing breathing exercises in the cave dwelling and went out at night to practice earth element spells.

    In terms of spells, he progressed rapidly. He had already achieved minor sess in both earth element spells, and their power was indeed much greater than other spells.

    However, his cultivation level showed almost no progress.

    The Shaoyang Powder for body tempering was useless to him, and the Qi Condensation Pills had lost their effect. He had also run out of high-level demonic beast meat.

    While he could capture more demonic beast meat, the biggest problem was the pills.

    "I don''tck spirit stones, but Ick effective pills. Ordinary pills have lost their effect, partly because my cultivation is too high and partly due to resistance."

    "Only the top-tier Qi Refining Stage pill, the Minor Essence Nurturing Pill, has any effect," Xu Hei thought.

    He had found half a bottle of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills in Ye Haichuan''s storage bag and had consumed them, increasing his spiritual energy by about thirty percent.

    Additionally, Ye Haichuan had a bottle of Major Essence Nurturing Pills, but only Foundation Establishment cultivators could take them. Xu Hei had tried licking one and nearly had his meridians burst, so he didn''t dare try again.

    "There are plenty of ingredients to make Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, like the Serpent Tree, but I don''t know how to refine pills," Xu Hei frowned.

    Pill refining, one of the six arts of cultivation, was extremely taxing to learn.

    Xu Hei had already learned puppet techniques and had no energy to learn pill refining. Besides, his wood spiritual root wasn''t high, so he might not have the talent for it.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei had a sh of inspiration.

    Wood spiritual root?

    "Wood spiritual root? Isn''t Xu Bai a top-grade wood spiritual root?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened.

    Thinking carefully, Xu Bai was practically a natural pill refining genius, born for it! How had he not thought of this before?

    Coincidentally, Xu Hei had a high-level pill furnace that he could give her.

    Xu Hei immediately took action, carrying the pill furnace into Xu Bai''s cave dwelling.

    As soon as he entered, he saw her already fiddling with herbs, with a mortar in front of her, forming a ball of herbs.

    During the division of spoils, she had taken the most spirit medicines and nts.

    "Xu Hei!"

    Xu Bai''s eyes lit up when she saw Xu Hei, and she quickly crawled over.

    "Are you... refining pills?" Xu Hei asked, looking at the ball of herbs in the mortar, somewhat stunned.

    What kind of pill refining was this? A new concept?

    "Yes, I''m a top-grade wood spiritual root, perfect for pill refining. I even got Er Gou to help me test the pills! Er Gou was so happy after eating them!" Xu Bai said with a smile.

    Xu Hei listened and then noticed that Hei Er Gou was also in the cave dwelling.

    However, Er Gou''s face was dark, his eyes lifeless, and he stood there like a wooden statue, but his mouth was constantly grinning foolishly.

    "Er Gou, aren''t my pills amazing?" Xu Bai asked Er Gou with a smile.

    Er Gou just kept grinning foolishly, drool dripping from the corner of his mouth.

 Chapter 55: Dog Tomb Raiding Traditional Skills

    Chapter 55: Dog Tomb Raiding Traditional Skills

    Looking at the nearly dazed Er Gou, Xu Hei''s throat moved convulsively.

    Xu Hei really wanted to ask a question.

    Who let her refine pills?

    "By the way, Xu Hei, did youe to see me for something? Whatever you need, I''ll definitely get it done!"

    Xu Bai looked at Xu Hei, her eyes sparkling, waiting for his response.

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    He remembered he came to ask Xu Bai for help with pill refining, but seeing Er Gou''s state, could he dare to eat the pills she made?

    "Right, what was I here for? I seem to have forgotten. Wait, let me think outside."

    Xu Heiughed awkwardly and turned to leave."Hey, is that pill furnace on your back for me? Did youe to ask me to refine pills?"

    Xu Bai''s eyes lit up, staring at the pill furnace on Xu Hei''s back.

    Xu Hei''s body stiffened, his face turning alternately blue and white.

    "Whatever! With my physical body, as tough as iron and steel, what pills can''t I eat? I can''tpare myself to Er Gou."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, deciding to go all out.

    He took out the pill furnace, cing it carefully in front of Xu Bai, then brought out the Serpent Tree and arge amount of high-grade medicinal herbs, piling them up beside it.

    At the same time, he took out all the jade slips containing his pill refining insights, discussions on spirit medicines, and pill recipes,ying them out in a row.

    "These are the experiences I''ve gathered on pill refining, including the recipe for the Minor Essence Nurturing Pill."

    "You can give it a try, but don''t force yourself if it doesn''t work."

    Xu Hei said tactfully.

    "Mm, I won''t let you down." Xu Bai said excitedly, putting away the jade slips.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and quickly left the cave dwelling.

    Anyway, the task was handed over. When the timees, whether the pills can be eaten or not, let Hei Huang try one first, then himself.

    "She''s just refining pills for the first time, it''s inevitable to make mistakes. She''ll get better with practice."

    Xu Hei thought optimistically.

    He indeed needed apanion who could refine pills. Otherwise, going to human cities to buy them every time was too risky. If Xu Bai could consistently produce pills, being a tool snake would be perfect.

    Inside the cave dwelling.

    Xu Bai nced at Er Gou and said, "Er Gou, Xu Hei has given me a task, and I mustplete it. The job of testing the pills will be yours."

    Er Gou''s silly smile froze instantly, a primal fear appearing in his eyes.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Southern Chu Kingdom, Mountain Movers Sect.

    As a one-star sect in the south, Mountain Movers Sect was under the Snake Catchers Sect, with a history of five hundred years. The Mountain-moving Patriarch of that year was considered a legendary figure.

    "Hmph, dare to bully little Xu? Today marks the end of your Mountain Movers Sect."

    Hei Huang sneered sinisterly, his figure disappearing into the back mountain.

    Who knows how much time passed.

    In the back mountain of the Mountain Movers Sect, a steward was passing by, performing routine patrol and maintenance.

    Suddenly, the steward stopped, his eyes widening, staring at a certain spot with an incredulous expression.

    Momentster, a piercing scream echoed throughout the Mountain Movers Sect.

    "Something terrible has happened! The ancestor''s tomb has been dug up!!!"

    The news spread, causing an uproar in the entire sect.

    The sect master, the grand elder, the guest elders from the Snake Catchers Sect... all the high-ranking members gathered in the back mountain, only to see arge pit dug out of the ancestor''s tomb, the third-tier formation above it rendered useless,pletely ignored.

    "No!!" Grand Elder Shi Fengzi screamed, almost fainting.

    Others hurriedly said, "Quick, go inside and check the ancestor''s body."

    Shi Fengzi snapped back to reality, rushing into the tomb. The coffin inside was empty, not only were the burial items gone, but the remains were also missing.

    The formations and restrictions were all in an inactive state.

    In other words, the grave robber had ignored the formations!

    "Who!? Who did this!!!"

    Shi Fengzi roared in anger.

    The Mountain-moving Patriarch was his most revered master. His master''s reputation was more important to him than his own life, and now the body was stolen, crossing his bottom line.

    "The Mountain-moving Patriarch was a Core Formation stage powerhouse back in the day. To dare steal his body, the culprit must also be a Core Formation cultivator!"

    "Impossible, if it were a Core Formation cultivator, why do such a despicable act?"

    "If not a Core Formation stage, how could they ignore the third-tier formation?"

    The high-ranking members discussed heatedly.

    Sect Master Shi Yazi knelt in front of the tomb, continuously kowtowing, tears streaming down.

    "Disciple is unfilial, disciple is unfilial!"

    After a while, he immediately issued orders, sparing no expense, mobilizing the entire sect''s power to capture the grave robber, and offering a sky-high reward.

    The guest elder from the Snake Catchers Sect was deep in thought.

    "Why did nothing happen to others, but your Mountain Movers Sect had an incident? What''s different about you?"

    He quickly thought of the difference: you had a Foundation Establishment elder die, while others didn''t.

    "Sigh!"

    This guest elder rubbed his forehead, feeling speechless.

    For a time, the theft of the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s body caused a huge stir, shocking the Southern Region. Other sects hurriedly strengthened their defenses to prevent simr incidents.

    The theft of an ancestor''s body was a great humiliation, worse than being pped in the face.

    And the instigator, Hei Huang, was too exhausted to rob another sect. Just dealing with the Mountain-moving Patriarch had worn him out.

    But the gains were substantial.

    "What a pity, if only I could get the third-tier techniques from the Heavenly Puppet Sect and refine you into a corpse puppet, that would be interesting." Hei Huang thought to himself.

    He regretted not going to the Heavenly Puppet Sect to demand a copy back then. With his fame at the time, who would dare refuse?

    Not to mention the Heavenly Puppet Sect, even its headquarters, the Divine Puppet Sect, would have toply.

    "Little Xu is lucky, with a single wood spiritual root, he won''t have to worry about pills in the future. Perfect, this time I''ll teach him some pill refining techniques and see how talented he is."

    Hei Huang thought excitedly, burrowing into the ground.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In a forest overgrown with chaotic trees.

    A group of ck-skinned, long-haired giant elephants was munching on the nts here. The leader, standing five meters tall, was like a giant, easily devouring arge tree.

    Xu Hei hid in the ground, observing this group of mammoth elephants for some time.

    The leader, the Mammoth King, had reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion stage, a quasi-great demon.

    Although not at the Foundation Establishment stage, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator wouldn''t dare provoke such a beast lightly.

    These beasts stood at the top of the food chain, moving in herds, immensely powerful. Injuring one would attract the whole group, and even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would gain nothing.

    Moreover, these beasts had thick skin and tough flesh, ordinary spells couldn''t harm them, making them hard to kill.

    "Any one of them could feed me for days."

    Xu Hei flicked his tongue, extremely tempted.

    Without pills and having run out of demonic beast meat, he had to hunt.

    His Earth Spike and thick earth armor were practiced to perfection, and his puppet techniques were not neglected, able to control fifty small lizards or twentyrge ones simultaneously.

    Xu Hei only wanted to eat the Great Perfection leader or the second-inmand at the eighth level of the Spirit Communion stage.

    "Better not alert them, let''s try luring them away first."

    Xu Hei thought, sending out a small lizard.

 Chapter 56: Xu Hei Encounters the Snake Catcher Again

    Chapter 56: Xu Hei Encounters the Snake Catcher Again

    The mammoth woolly elephants, a type of migratory demonic beast, travel in groups, devouring everything in their path. When they strip a forest bare, they move on to the next area.

    This herd had eleven mammoth woolly elephants, with the weakest calf already at the third level of the Spirit Communion Stage, boasting formidable bloodlines.

    Xu Hei had dispatched thirty small lizards, lurking around, waiting for the perfect moment.

    At this moment, a calf approached one of the lizards, swinging its trunk and sniffing curiously.

    Xu Hei hesitated slightly but refrained from acting. The calf was too weak; he feared that a single strike might kill it andpletely enrage the herd.

    His targets were only the tworgest ones. Killing one of them would suffice. Xu Hei was well aware of his own capabilities.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air came from afar.

    Xu Hei was taken aback and directed the lizard¡¯s gaze towards the source.In the distance, arge group of figures emerged, at least ten people, each using a Swift Wind Talisman, flying and escaping,nding on nearby mounds and treetops.

    Within just a few breaths, the group had taken their positions, surrounding the elephant herd.

    They were uniformly dressed, adorned with carvings of green mountains and white clouds, all disciples of the Carefree Sect, with cultivation levels ranging from mid tote Qi Refining Stage.

    Leading them was a snake catcher in a python robe.

    This person was very young, around sixteen or seventeen years old, tall and slender, with a slightly youthful appearance, but his cultivation had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, the highest in the group.

    His name was Hua Yuntian, one of Xuan Yangzi¡¯s true disciples, the least experienced but exceptionally talented, possessing a rare single superior-grade water spiritual root, achieving Foundation Establishment at fifteen.

    Such talent was quite rare in the entire Chu Kingdom.

    Upon seeing humans, the elephant herd''s eyes turned blood-red, letting out angry roars. The mother elephants hurriedly shielded the calves behind them.

    "Haha, so many woolly elephants! Uncle Hua¡¯s foresight is truly remarkable!"

    "Their tusks are extremely precious, carved into jade treasures, and given to the youngdies of the Purple Mist Sect, they would surely love them."

    Everyone was excited, their eyes filled with greed, staring at the tusks.

    Even in the cultivator world, tusks were rare luxury items, used to craft jade magical treasures, highly favored by cultivators.

    Hua Yuntian''s lips curled into a smug smile and hemanded, "Form the formation, don''t let a single one escape!"

    "Yes!"

    Immediately, the Carefree Sect disciples took out formation gs, cing them in their respective positions.

    A faint light shield gradually formed, epassing the entire elephant herd.

    The herd, sensing the danger, had their strongest leader charge backward, causing the ground to tremble as its sharp tusks fiercely struck a point on the light shield.

    "Buzz!!"

    The light shield shook violently, showing cracks. Three other bull elephants also charged, their tusks colliding and massive feet stomping, making the shield creak and almost shatter.

    "Die!"

    Hua Yuntian snorted coldly, pulling out a long spear and hurling it into the air. The spear instantly pierced the leader''s back, embedding a meter deep, causing it to let out a piercing howl.

    The others also took out spears, throwing them. Against suchrge creatures, swords were ineffective; only long and sharp weapons could inflict significant damage.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Spears pierced the elephants'' bodies, their sharp cries echoing in all directions. Each elephant was riddled with spears, some with several, bleeding profusely.

    "These humans are aiming for extinction!"

    Xu Hei frowned, feeling it was too much to even target the calves.

    Xu Hei hesitated whether to intervene but realized it would bring no benefit to him. If he acted, he would surely be the target of everyone.

    At this moment, the injured herd grew even more frenzied, their fur turning blood-red. The leader stomped the ground, suddenly unleashing ten times its strength, charging forward.

    "Boom!!!"

    The light shield trembled, covered in dense cracks, and the ground split into a ten-meter-wide fissure.

    Hua Yuntian''s face changed, quickly saying, "Leader of the herd, I know you can understand human speech. If you obediently hand over your tusks, I can spare your lives."

    "Even if not for yourself, think of the calves!"

    But the herd ignored him, continuing to exert force. The light shield finally shattered with a loud bang, creating arge gap.

    "Roar!!" The leader let out a high-pitched roar.

    Two pregnant cows and three calves dashed through the gap, covered in wounds, fleeing into the distance.

    But the leader and the remaining bulls did not escape. Instead, they turned to face the human cultivators, eyes filled with furious madness, charging at them.

    They had attacked the light shield not to escape but to give their herd a glimmer of hope.

    "Damn it!"

    Hua Yuntian''s face turned extremely grim. He was still too young, misjudging the herd''s strength, leading to an insufficient formation strength.

    He leaped, chasing after the fleeing elephants, but the leader roared, its sonic wave sweeping like a gale, forcing Hua Yuntian to halt.

    Hua Yuntian threw a flying sword, aiming at the fleeing cows, but the leader''s trunk shot out a sword-shaped airflow, knocking the flying sword down.

    "You three, go after the escapees. The rest, kill these beasts with me!" Hua Yuntian shouted angrily.

    "Yes!"

    Three Carefree Sect cultivators immediately took off, using Swift Wind Talismans, chasing the fleeing herd.

    They split into two groups, three pursuing the females and young, the rest dealing with the main force.

    Xu Hei watched, his eyes flickering, deciding to kill the three cultivators first.

    These three Carefree Sect cultivators were at the ninth and seventh levels of the Qi Refining Stage.

    Xu Hei burrowed underground, moving like an earth dragon.

    He did not underestimate his opponents due to their lower cultivation. Against any foe, he would go all out, aiming for a kill in one strike, leaving no chance for escape.

    Moreover, the one at the ninth level was two levels higher than him.

    Hua Yuntian stayed behind, leading the others in a fierce battle against the bull elephants. With his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, he handled it with ease.

    However, these demonic beasts were incredibly tough, killing them would take time.

    On the other side.

    Xu Hei fully activated his Earth Escape Technique, soon arriving directly beneath the two cows, with the three calves protected in front.

    "You little beasts think you can escape? You can''t!"

    The ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator approached first, from ten meters away, casting a lightning strike at the cow''s tail.

    Xu Hei did not act out of sympathy but seized the moment his opponent attacked, his eyes turning ruthless, activating his spell.

    "Earth Spike!"

    A sharp cone of earth suddenly rose from beneath the cultivator, thrusting towards his rear at lightning speed.

    "Not good!"

    The man''s face changed drastically, but having just cast the Lightning Strike Technique, he had no time for other defenses, hurriedly taking out a shield to block below.

    "Thud!!"

    The shield was pierced through, the Earth Spike impaling him from bottom to top, entering through his rear and exiting through his head, killing him instantly.

    The ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator was killed in an instant.

 Chapter 57: Despicable and Shameless Devious Trickster

    Chapter 57: Despicable and Shameless Devious Trickster

    The mother elephant couldn''t avoid being struck by a bolt of lightning. Fortunately, these types of demonic beasts had thick blood and tough skin, so she didn''t die but was severely injured.

    She noticed the situation behind her and was secretly shocked, not knowing who was helping them from the shadows.

    "What?"

    "More enemies!"

    The two cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining behind her turned pale and halted their steps.

    The moment the cultivator in front died, their minds raced. Without a word, they turned and fled in different directions, each pulling out life-saving items to shield themselves.

    They used everything¡ªtalismans, pills, magical treasures¡ªand ran for their lives, sparing no effort.

    Xu Hei sneered inwardly. The moment he made his move, these two were doomed. If he didn''t act, fine, but once he did, none would be left alive.

    The two had just fled a few meters when they were horrified to find themselves surrounded by a dense swarm of small lizards."Kill!" Xu Hei shouted.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom..."

    The small lizards simultaneously spat out white beams of Spiritual Qi, shooting from all directions and hitting the two men.

    Aste-stage Qi Refining cultivators, they couldn''t be taken down by such small lizards. Their magical treasures glowed, blocking all attacks, though they looked a bit disheveled.

    The two cursed inwardly. They were clearly ambushed, but as long as they could reach Hua Yuntian, they would be saved.

    But at that moment, they suddenly noticed several small lizards flying out from the barrage, each carrying a burning talisman.

    "Is that..."

    "Top-grade Fire Explosion Talismans?"

    "Not good, retreat!"

    The two screamed shrilly.

    Retreat? There was nowhere to retreat! The lizards carrying talismans were not just one or two but a whole swarm,ing from all directions.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The Fire Explosion Talismans detonated, shattering their protective barriers. The white beams from behind surged forward, leaving bloody holes in their bodies.

    Screams echoed continuously.

    In just a few breaths, the two were sted into meat paste.

    Xu Hei quickly collected the storage bags of the three and had the small lizards burn their bodies with Fireball Talismans.

    Low-grade talismans were of no use to Xu Hei, but they were good for destroying bodies.

    "These small lizards have too simple attack methods; they must carry talismans. But top-grade talismans are limited and too wasteful."

    "Next time, I need stronger puppet beasts, like that giant frog or that big snake..."

    Xu Hei pondered the battle as he returned.

    Taking out that ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator was straightforward, a single Earth Spike did the job.

    The other two took some effort.

    If they had been a bit smarter, had more trump cards, and used a life-saving talisman like Ye Haichuan, Xu Hei could only watch helplessly.

    "My preparations were still insufficient; this time was just luck," Xu Hei shook his head inwardly.

    ...

    Time slowly passed.

    On the other side, Hua Yuntian was already getting impatient.

    "Those three idiots, why aren''t they back yet?" Hua Yuntian''s face was gloomy.

    "With Xue Yang''s trio''s cultivation, they should have finished in half a stick of incense. It''s almost a full stick now; did they run off with the loot?" a female cultivator said.

    At this moment, the group of male elephants was already on the verge of death, their bodies pierced with spears and spikes, and arge number of flying swords. Their wounds were deep, with blood flowing everywhere, forming small streams.

    Two had already died, no longer breathing.

    However, the remaining ones continued to resist, still emitting sonic attacks.

    "Roar!!!"

    The deafening roar stirred up a hundred meters of dust, shaking in all directions. Many people had their ears ringing, blood flowing from their ears.

    "I''ll go take a look."

    The female cultivator who had just spoken leaped towards the direction the three had chased.

    Hua Yuntian didn''t stop her. After such a long time, it was indeed necessary to check.

    "Whoosh!!"

    Suddenly, not far from where the female cultivator flew, an Earth Spike shot up from below, aiming at her lower body.

    "Not good!"

    Hua Yuntian''s face changed drastically. He threw out a flying sword, shing at the Earth Spike with lightning speed. But Xu Hei had already calcted the timing; how could it be so easily blocked?

    The Earth Spike was cut into two, but the front half still soared, piercing through the female cultivator''s body from back to front. She fell from fifteen meters high, crashing to the ground, dead.

    The speed was so fast that she couldn''t even react, not having time to activate her defensive magical treasure, dying instantly.

    Everyone froze. Hua Yuntian stared for a few seconds, his eyes bulging with extreme anger.

    "Earth Spike? Mountain Movers Sect? Impossible! Who is it? Get out here!"

    Hua Yuntian roared in fury, his Divine Sense sweeping out, covering a radius of three hundred meters, but finding nothing.

    The severely injured male elephants also looked puzzled.

    After using that move, Xu Hei immediately activated an Invisibility Talisman, hiding underground, motionless.

    "This person''s Divine Sense doesn''t seem as strong as Ye Haichuan''s?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    From previous observations, although Hua Yuntian was also in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he was on apletely different levelpared to Ye Haichuan.

    Thetter''s spells, magical treasures, flying swords, and Divine Sense were all far superior to Hua Yuntian.

    Even his cunning and scheming were several levels above Hua Yuntian. Inparison, the person before him seemed like a reckless fool, failing to control the situation from the start and letting a few elephants escape.

    "It seems that even Foundation Establishment cultivators vary in strength. I can''t be careless, whether this person is truly weak or just pretending!"

    Xu Hei remained vignt, always giving his all against any opponent.

    Moreover, this person had reached Foundation Establishment at a young age, surely a genius with many life-saving items.

    "Get out! Get out!"

    After a bout of hysterical roaring.

    Hua Yuntian panted heavily, his eyes bloodshot. He stopped attacking the giant elephants and stared ahead, his face gloomy. "What is your purpose? Just speak up. Why hide and beughed at!"

    The remaining people looked at each other, all highly alert, standing back to back, watching their feet to prevent another spike from appearing.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and decided to trick him.

    He controlled a small lizard to fire a beam at a certain spot.

    "Boom!"

    A giant rock shattered.

    Hua Yuntian instantly reacted, shing with his sword and scattering arge amount of Revealing Dust in that area.

    The sword light roared, covering a hundred meters, and the Revealing Dust quickly spread, but no invisible creature was found.

    "Despicable, shameless scoundrel, dare to fight me head-on!"

    Realizing he had been tricked, Hua Yuntian was furious, roaring to the sky.

    The others were silent, not daring to say a word.

    Seeing this, Xu Hei had the small lizard fire another shot, and Hua Yuntian rushed over again, shing wildly at the void.

    "Here''s my chance!"

    Xu Hei''s mind moved, Earth Spike.

    "Thud!!"

    A sharp stone pir shot up from beneath a seventh-level Qi Refining disciple, piercing through him despite his defenses, including his armor and magical treasure bell, which were prated as if made of paper.

    The corpse fell with a thud, dying a miserable death.

    A terrifying shadow spread in everyone''s hearts.

    Unconsciously, everyone moved closer to Hua Yuntian, not daring to be alone.

    Hua Yuntian''s face was ashen, like he had eaten something foul. He grabbed the lizard that had fired the shot and crushed it.

    "Puppet Mechanism Technique? Earth Spike? Who the fuck are you?!"

    Hua Yuntian was about to lose his mind. He had never been so humiliated, being toyed with like a monkey, watching his men die in front of him.

    He could already imagine the hidden person''s sinister smile.

    His eyes scanned around, his Divine Sense shooting out like arrows, covering every inch, growing more and more gloomy.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    Suddenly, a thunderous rumble came from afar, growing louder and louder, shaking the heavens and earth.

    It wasn''t the ground shaking, but the void.

    A vast and terrifying demonic aura swept across the sky, turning it ck.

    Sensing this demonic aura, the severely injured male elephants immediately raised their trunks, making excited sounds, cheering and calling for help.

 Chapter 58: Who made her learn Pill Refining?

    Chapter 58: Who made her learn Pill Refining?

    "Foundation Establishment Great Demon?"

    Hua Yuntian''s face changed instantly.

    Xu Hei was also deeply shaken. He had seen many cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but this was the first time he had encountered a demonic beast at this level. And judging by the situation, this was clearly no ordinary Foundation Establishment demonic beast.

    In the distant sky, a rumbling sound echoed, as if wheels were grinding over the earth, causing the heavens and earth to shake. A mammoth elephant, carrying a fierce demonic wind, stepped through the air, its presence like the copse of heaven and earth.

    "Run!"

    Hua Yuntian looked as if he had seen a ghost. He grabbed two cultivators beside him and flung them towards the mammoth elephant, then retreated at lightning speed, fleeing into the distance as fast as he could.

    The other cultivators were horrified and scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives, no longer caring about sticking together.

    The two cultivators thrown by Hua Yuntian were pulverized into dust by the terrifying aura before they even got close to the mammoth elephant. Blood and flesh scattered, but the mammoth elephant continued its stride, covering a thousand feet with each step, chasing after Hua Yuntian.

    "This is at leastte Foundation Establishment, maybe even Great Perfection!"Xu Hei judged roughly in his heart after observing through his small lizard.

    He never expected that this group of seemingly ordinary mammoth elephants would attract the help of such a terrifying mammoth elephant. It was too frightening.

    What kind of creatures were hidden in this forest? Xu Hei had no idea.

    "Let''s slow you down."

    Xu Hei certainly wouldn''t let Hua Yuntian escape so easily. With a thought, he activated the Earth Spike, aiming it at Hua Yuntian''s path.

    Hua Yuntian sensed something, his face twitching as he quickly veered to the side.

    In the instant he dodged, a sharp stone pir shot up, almost grazing his face.

    Although it didn''t harm him, it slowed him down.

    "Earth Spike!"

    Xu Hei cast the spell again, mimicking Ye Haichuan''s method, aiming at Hua Yuntian''s path to block his escape.

    "Thud! Thud! Thud!"

    Stone pirs shot up one after another, always appearing in Hua Yuntian''s path whenever he tried to move.

    In just a moment, the distance between him and the mammoth elephant closed rapidly.

    "You despicable scoundrel!"

    Hua Yuntian was nearly driven mad with rage. Under normal circumstances, this spell couldn''t possibly hit him. He could even track the caster''s location andunch a thunderous counterattack. But now, he didn''t dare.

    He had never felt so aggrieved. His hatred for the person in the shadows was boundless.

    "Shameless scoundrel! One day, I will tear you to pieces!!"

    Seeing the mammoth elephant getting closer, Hua Yuntian could no longer endure. He crushed a golden jade pendant, and a golden shield of light rose around him.

    Ignoring all the Earth Spikes, he charged forward, out of Xu Hei''s spell range.

    The mammoth elephant chased after him, and in a moment, both disappeared into the distance.

    "I''ve stalled him long enough. The rest is up to you."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Without hesitation, he released arge lizard to chase after the remaining cultivators.

    There were ten people in total. Three were killed initially, two more diedter, and two were thrown by Hua Yuntian. That left three.

    Xu Hei kept an eye on Hua Yuntian while also watching these three.

    Xu Hei himself chased one, while a group ofrge lizards tracked the other two.

    For humans, Xu Hei would strike while the iron was hot, not letting any opportunity slip by.

    As for Hua Yuntian''s fate, Xu Hei didn''t care. He had done enough; the rest was up to the mammoth elephant.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei emerged from the ground, spitting a bolt of lightning that instantly turned the person flying high in the sky, trying to avoid the Earth Spikes, into charred remains.

    Elsewhere, the two who had split up were caught by the group ofrge lizards. One was killed in a chaotic attack, while the other escaped.

    Xu Hei arrived shortly after and, after a ten-breath chase, sessfully dealt with the escapee.

    "These mechanical beasts are still not good enough."

    Xu Hei shook his head.

    He needed to hurry and control hisrge snake and giant frog better, as they could rival puppets at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.

    He didn''t dare covet the mammoth elephant''s corpse, but killing a group of human cultivators and collecting a pile of storage bags was enough.

    Xu Hei returned the way he came, passing the battlefield and having his small lizard retrieve the storage bags of the cultivators.

    Most of the male elephants were dead, mostly from severe injuries, with only two barely clinging to life.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and decided to help them to the end. He took out two healing pills from a storage bag and had the small lizard deliver them.

    The two elephants, showing intelligence, used their long trunks to roll up the pills and swallow them, trumpeting at the small lizard in gratitude.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly, deciding not to show himself. If they wanted to thank someone, they could thank the small lizard.

    "Seeing you so pitiful, I''ll help you out. Just don''t go extinct, or there''ll be nothing to eat in the future," Xu Hei thought.

    In the distance, a rumbling sound approached. The mammoth elephant was returning.

    Xu Hei didn''t linger, observing from afar before quickly turning to leave.

    From a distance, Xu Hei heard a loud trumpet.

    "Friend in the shadows, my mammoth tribe owes you a favor. We will repay you generously when you reveal yourself."

    This was the voice of the mammoth elephant. Such a high-level great demon could alreadymunicate verbally.

    Xu Hei sighed. He hade to hunt but ended up saving lives. It was almostughable.

    However, gaining the favor of the mammoth elephant wasn''t a loss. He hoped there would be some demonic beast meat in the storage bags to enjoy.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei had a thought.

    The mammoth elephant returned so quickly. Did Hua Yuntian die?

    In such a short time, Hua Yuntian couldn''t have gotten far. If he went to check, he might be able to finish him off and grab his storage bag.

    But Xu Hei quickly shook his head, dismissing the idea. Hua Yuntian had a significant background. If he was a disciple of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, looting his corpse might lead to an encounter with his master.

    He couldn''t guarantee that the Invisibility Talisman would work against a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    "Know when to stop and don''t be too greedy," Xu Hei thought.

    Next, Xu Hei didn''t rush back to his cave dwelling.

    He moved far away, finding a secluded cave to check the storage bags and organize the items.

    These people were easily killed by him, so they didn''t have any extraordinary treasures, justmon items.

    Xu Hei categorized the items:

    Low to mid-grade treasures, useless to him but useful for Xu Bai.

    High-grade treasures, which he could keep as more is always better.

    Unknown treasures, needing Hei Huang''s identification or his own research.

    To his relief, there was plenty of demonic beast meat, with five at thete Spirit Communion Stage, totaling about eight thousand pounds, roughly equivalent to a small mammoth elephant.

    It was enough tost him a while.

    He also found some Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, enough to fill a small bottle.

    There were also plenty of talismans, just enough to replenish his battle losses.

    Xu Hei immediately ate ate Spirit Communion Stage leopard and took two Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, starting to refine them on the spot.

    Demonic beast meatbined with pills was the ultimate enjoyment.

    Xu Hei could feel his hungry body rapidly absorbing the energy, his spiritual qi growing quickly, especially after the battle.

    In the Demon God Cauldron, the spiritual qi water ball kept expanding, growing to about the size of a fist, with the spiritual qi stream bing even thicker.

    This seclusionsted for three days.

    After three days, the Minor Essence Nurturing Pills were gone, but there was still plenty of demonic beast meat left.

    The spiritual qi water ball had grown to its limit. Xu Hei had reached the Great Perfection of the seventhyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, but he was still a bit short of the eighthyer.

    Xu Hei sighed. Nine storage bags yielded only half a bottle of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills.

    These pills were extremely precious to human cultivators, who would usually consume them immediately, rarely storing them in their storage bags, leading to limited gains.

    If Xu Hei were in the human world, he could buy them with spirit stones or exchange them for contribution points in a sect.

    But as a wild demonic beast, his opportunities to obtain pills were too few.

    The ck jade stone contained nearly two thousand spirit stones, a considerable fortune, but he couldn''t trade with humans. Thest time Hei Huang traded, he killed a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, causing a huge trouble.

    "I wonder how Xu Bai''s pill refining is going."

    Xu Hei was full of anticipation and decided to go back and check.

    ...

    In a distant forest.

    A corpse, crushed into a pulp,y quietly. Upon closer inspection, it was Hua Yuntian, with his storage bag lying untouched beside him.

    No one knew how long had passed.

    Suddenly, the long-dead Hua Yuntian opened his eyes and coughed violently.

    His ttened body gradually swelled, and the scattered flesh began to heal.

    "You''re awake," said a calm voice. In the sky, a faint shadow of a middle-aged schr appeared.

    "Master, did that despicable person show up?" Hua Yuntian asked urgently as soon as he woke, but he immediately coughed violently, spitting blood, his breath weak.

    "Since your feigned death three days ago, he has not appeared," the middle-aged schr said.

    Hua Yuntian''s severely injured body trembled violently upon hearing this, and he fainted again in a fit of rage.

    The middle-aged schr frowned deeply, shaking his head in silence.

    ...

    Crossing several mountains, Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling.

    He first checked the surroundings, finding no signs of human or demonic beast activity, and the markers he left were untouched. Only then did he approach the cave.

    "Three days should be enough to refine one or two batches of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills," Xu Hei thought.

    From a distance, he suddenly heard a thunderous explosion from the cave.

    The sound was intense, shaking the entire mountain, with faint sounds of copse.

    "An enemy attack?"

    Xu Hei''s heart jolted. He rushed forward, spreading his divine sense to stay alert.

    As he got closer, he saw ck smoke billowing from the cave. Arge ck dog, covered in dust, ran out, coughing and looking miserable.

    Seeing it was Hei Huang, Xu Hei sighed in relief.

    But seeing the ruined cave, mostly copsed, Xu Hei''s heart sank again. He quickly appeared and asked, "What happened?"

    Hei Huang, seeing Xu Hei return, gritted his teeth and said with a dark face, "Who let her learn pill refining?"

 Chapter 59: Crazy Trial Dan Segment

    Chapter 59: Crazy Trial Dan Segment

    Who got her into alchemy?

    Xu Hei''s heart sank when he heard this.

    From the copsed cave dwelling, a pitch-ck white snake slithered out, carrying a cracked pill furnace on its back.

    Behind her, she dragged Er Gou, whose eyelids were flipped, tongue lolling out, andpletely unconscious.

    "I... I didn''t tell her to refine pills," Xu Hei quickly shook his head.

    "Isn''t that pill furnace yours? Stop lying!" Hei Huang fumed.

    Xu Hei nced guiltily at the pill furnace. It was originally a Spiritual Treasure at the Foundation Establishment level, but now it was covered in fine cracks. A few more attempts and it might just explode.

    Xu Hei''s mouth fell open.

    "How many times has the furnace exploded?""This is the fifth time today. If you count the past few days, I''ve lost track," Hei Huang cursed.

    In his entire life, he had never encountered such a talent. Every time she refined pills, the furnace would explode. Even with hands-on guidance, it was useless. Whenever he personally refined pills, if the white snake was involved in even a small step, it would go "boom" and explode. She was like an automatic furnace-exploding machine.

    "Then why didn''t you stop her? Why me me?" Xu Hei retorted.

    Hei Huang was momentarily speechless.

    After he returned, he saw that Xu Bai had an exceptional wood Spiritual Root, loved pill refining, and was determined, so he wanted to guide her. But the more he guided, the more she failed. It was unstoppable.

    He was naturally stubborn, never giving up until he achieved his goal. Even if it was a piece of deadwood, he believed he could carve it into something beautiful. But this time, he had hit a major snag.

    "I... I seeded this time. I refined a pill," Xu Bai said, feeling wronged as she saw the two arguing.

    "Hmm?"

    Hei Huang''s eyes lit up. The furnace exploded, but she still managed to make a pill? That was unexpected.

    Xu Hei also looked over curiously.

    Xu Bai lifted the pill furnace, turned it upside down, and shook it. A pitch-ck pill rolled out and fell to the ground.

    The pill was uneven, surrounded by ayer of ck mist, and emitted a faint, pungent smell.

    Hei Huang''s eyes widened. "What kind of pill is this?"

    "A Minor Essence Nurturing Pill. Xu Hei taught me to refine it. This is my first sessful product," Xu Bai said.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched as he stared at the ck, shriveled pill. He couldn''t see how it had any rtion to a Minor Essence Nurturing Pill.

    Hei Huang stared at it for a while, then suddenly picked up the pill, looked at Xu Hei, and smiled slightly. "Since you taught her to refine it, you should eat it. Don''t waste her effort."

    Xu Hei shook his head vigorously and stepped back repeatedly.

    "No, no, I''m always humble as a snake. You should have it."

    "Hey, no need to be so polite. We''re all brothers here."

    "You should have it. I can''t handle it."

    "You eat it!"

    "You eat it!"

    Hei Huang pushed the pill towards Xu Hei, who pushed it back. The two demons kept pushing it back and forth.

    Xu Bai watched for a while, then blinked and said, "You don''t have to be so polite. I can refine another one. Everyone can have a share."

    "No need!"

    This time, both demons spoke in unison, their voices particrly loud.

    In the end, they had no choice.

    Xu Hei and Hei Huang simultaneously turned their gaze to Er Gou, whoy on the ground, his fate uncertain. They exchanged a nce and nodded.

    They took the pill and walked towards Er Gou.

    Er Gou seemed to sense danger. Though unconscious, he suddenly sprang up and let out a series of sharp barks, "Woof! Woof! Woof!" The sound was extremely shrill.

    Like a dog with its tail caught, he frantically retreated, barking as he backed into a corner.

    Xu Hei swallowed hard. Had this pill caused such a physiological reflex? Was it really that terrifying?

    Xu Hei regretted it. If he had known, he wouldn''t have killed all those cultivators. He should have kept one alive to test the pill. It wouldn''t havee to this.

    "I''ll go catch a demonic beast," Xu Hei said, turning to leave.

    Hei Huang stared at the pill in his hand, brought it to his nose for a sniff, and ayer of ck mist spread over his face. His fur showed signs of falling off, so he quickly sealed the pill in a jade box.

    Xu Bai was anxious. She really wanted to help, but she was always clumsy and failed repeatedly. This was her first sess.

    She pinned all her hopes on that pill.

    ...

    Not long after, Xu Hei returned.

    He had caught a big fish and a monkey, both at the seventh level of the Spirit Communion Stage, bound with a demon-binding rope.

    Actually, he wanted to catch a snake to test, but snake demons were hard to find, especially those with simr cultivation levels. After searching for a while, he only found the fish and the monkey.

    "Let''s try the fish first."

    Hei Huang took out the pill and carefully scraped off a bit of powder, feeding it to the big fish.

    After the fish consumed the pill, ayer of ck mist enveloped its body. Its True Qi surged rapidly, breaking through to the eighth level of the Spirit Communion Stage within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

    "It works! It has the effect of a Minor Essence Nurturing Pill!" Hei Huang eximed in delight.

    "It really is a Minor Essence Nurturing Pill!"

    Xu Hei also noticed the effect. This was indeed the effect of a Minor Essence Nurturing Pill.

    And this was just a bit of powder. If the whole pill was consumed, wouldn''t it allow continuous breakthroughs?

    No wonder she had an exceptional wood Spiritual Root. She was a genius in pill refining!

    But before Xu Hei could finish his thought, he saw the fish''s abdomen start to bulge on both sides.

    Two lumps of flesh extended out, transforming into two bare feet that touched the ground.

    "Uh..."

    Hei Huang was stunned, and Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    What was happening?

    A fish growing legs?!

    "Screech!!!"

    Suddenly, the fish let out a sharp roar, broke free from the ropes, and started running on its two feet, kicking up dust as it fled into the distance.

    In the blink of an eye, it disappeared from sight.

    The scene was so shocking that the two demons stood there for a long time, unable to react.

    "Did the fish... evolve?" Xu Hei asked, bewildered.

    Hei Huang''s mouth twitched. "Evolve my ass! It mutated into a monster!"

    As the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person, he had seen many evil cultivators create all sorts of bizarre creatures. He had also seen demonic cultivators refine demonic pills, turning themselves into abominations.

    But watching a fish grow human-like legs and run away right before his eyes was too absurd.

    He nced at the bewildered Xu Bai and thought, could she be a budding demon?

    "Let''s try the monkey. Monkeys are simr to humans, so we might be able to predict the effect on humans," Xu Hei suggested.

    Hei Huang didn''t bother with powder this time. He directly shoved the whole pill into the monkey''s mouth.

    "Oo oo oo!"

    The monkey, being intelligent, knew the pill was poisonous and refused to swallow it. But Hei Huang wasn''t to be trifled with. With a p of his paw, the pill went down with a gulp.

    The monkey''s body was immediately enveloped in ayer of ck mist. Its face turned a mix of blue and red as the pill''s energy surged chaotically, its cultivation rising to the eighth level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    But that wasn''t the end. Because it had consumed the whole pill, an hourter, the monkey broke through again, reaching the ninth level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    Then, its entire skeleton began to crackle and pop. Its posture became upright, its legs elongated, its tail retracted, its fur fell off, and its face underwent rapid changes.

    "Is it evolving again?"

    Xu Hei watched in amazement.

    Hei Huang also stared unblinkingly at the "evolving" monkey.

 Chapter 60: Double Black Marches to the Purple Mist Sect

    Chapter 60: Double ck Marches to the Purple Mist Sect

    The monkey''s tail grew shorter and shorter, its fur falling off, skin bing smoother, and its body taller, gradually transforming into an ape-man.

    "What the hell..."

    "Is it turning into a human?"

    Both demons were dumbfounded.

    During this process, the monkey sometimes screamed in agony, sometimes wept, sometimesughed maniacally, sometimes raged, and sometimes showed fear. Various emotions appeared on its face one by one.

    "This is going berserk," Hei Huang said in a deep voice.

    Rapid advancement in cultivation, bloodline mutation, and no auxiliary techniques¡ªit''s no wonder it went berserk!

    "Ah!!"

    With a heart-wrenching scream, the monkey suddenly stood still, like a wooden statue.At this moment, its evolution had stopped. It stood six feet tall, with a straight posture, almost all its fur gone, and its tail disappeared. Its skin was slightly rough, and its race was between a monkey and a human.

    It was a monkey before.

    Now, it should be an ape-man.

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    What kind of heaven-defying pill is this? It can make fish grow legs and monkeys evolve into humans.

    However, the ape-man''s eyes were dull, its mouth slightly open, standing motionless like a puppet.

    "Why isn''t it moving?"

    Xu Hei used the Gravity Technique to grab a branch and waved it in front of the ape-man''s eyes, but there was no reaction.

    "He went berserk and died," Hei Huang said.

    "Berserk..."

    Xu Hei frowned. He had heard of this term, which meant that during cultivation, an error urred, causing an Inner Demon to invade the body. In mild cases, one could be an idiot; in severe cases, they would die on the spot.

    Xu Bai was startled. She lowered her head like she had done something wrong and said, "I... I didn''t mean to. I didn''t know it would kill someone."

    Hei Huang sneered, "What''s the big deal about a dead person? This monkey was meant to be caught and eaten. Back in the day, I could easily poison an entire sect."

    He didn''t care about the monkey''s death; he was just pondering why the pill had such an effect.

    He had witnessed the entire pill refining process and recognized all the materials, but no matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t figure out why this strange pill caused such a mutation.

    This was no ordinary pill; it was practically a demonic pill refined by a demonic cultivator!

    Xu Hei was also pondering this question.

    A pill that could make fish grow legs and walk onnd, make monkeys evolve into ape-men, and judging by the looks of it, if the monkey hadn''t died midway, it could have continued evolving. It was simply absurd.

    Xu Hei suddenly had a sh of inspiration and asked, "Hei Huang, what is her cultivation technique?"

    "Cultivation technique?" Xu Bai thought for a moment and said, "I think it''s called... Heavenly Demon Technique."

    "Heavenly Demon Technique!"

    Hei Huang was shocked, a sh of realization crossing his mind.

    In the inheritance he had given, there indeed was the Heavenly Demon Technique!

    But the Heavenly Demon Technique was only suitable for someone with a Fiendish Demon Body like his to cultivate. There had never been a case of someone with a pure Wood Spiritual Root cultivating it.

    "Try circting your cultivation technique," Hei Huang quickly said.

    Xu Bai immediatelyplied. A wisp of True Qi emerged from her Demon Core and flowed through her meridians.

    It was powerful Wood-element True Qi, but within it, there was also a trace of ck Qi, continuously merging together.

    Hei Huang eximed, "It really is the Heavenly Demon Technique, but I''ve never seen such True Qi before!"

    The truth was revealed.

    This should be his Heavenly Demon Technique,bined with the Wood Spiritual Root, producing a strange mutation that even he, the creator, hadn''t anticipated.

    "Can I still refine pills in the future?" Xu Bai asked.

    "You did well, but don''t refine anymore," Hei Huang said.

    Xu Bai: "..."

    In the end, it was Xu Hei who persuaded her, encouraging her to keep trying if she liked it. In the future, she could catch more human cultivators to test the pills, and she would eventually seed.

    After some encouragement, Xu Bai finally regained her confidence, promising to work hard and not let everyone down.

    "I will work hard. I swear, I will refine pills that will be useful to Great King Xu Hei!" Xu Bai said with determination.

    "Hehe, good luck."

    Xu Hei forced a smile of encouragement.

    He handed over the previously collected medicinal materials to Xu Bai and took out three brand new pill furnaces from his storage bag, all spoils of war.

    Xu Bai epted them excitedly and immediately began a new round of research.

    "Xu Hei, you were the one who asked her to refine pills. In the future, you better not refuse to eat her pills!" Hei Huang took the opportunity to speak, a wicked smile on his face.

    Xu Hei nced at the ape-man and instinctively shrank his neck, quickly changing the subject, "I just remembered something I need to do. I''ll be off."

    "Hey, wait!"

    Hei Huang quickly put away the ape-man''s corpse and ran over, grinning slyly, "Xu Hei, are you in urgent need of pills? I have a way to get enough Minor Essence Nurturing Pills to ensure you cultivate to Great Perfection."

    Xu Hei was stunned, instinctively feeling that it couldn''t be anything good, but he still asked, "What way?"

    "Let''s do something big, rob the pill refining room!"

    Hei Huang took out a map and said excitedly, "This is theyout of the Purple Mist Sect. Don''t ask me how I got it. The pill refining room is right here... Hey, don''t go, I haven''t finished talking."

    Xu Hei cursed, "If you want to go, go yourself. I''m not stopping you."

    Xu Hei just wanted to cultivate in peace. He really didn''t want to stir up trouble. He had just fought a big battle with humans and hadn''t even digested it yet, and now he had to fight again. When would it end?

    Hei Huang''s eyes rolled, and he caught up, saying, "We''re going to steal, not rob openly. What are you afraid of?"

    "The Purple Mist Sect is full of female cultivators, all of them simple-minded and easy to deal with."

    "The Purple Mist Sect is also a major pill refining sect. Don''t mention Minor Essence Nurturing Pills; we might even get Foundation Establishment Pills."

    "When have I ever tricked you?"

    "Xu Hei, humans are so wicked. We can''t sit idly by; we need to teach them a lesson..."

    Hei Huang kept following, analyzing the pros and cons from all angles, trying to persuade him.

    His voice was like a ghost haunting, lingering in Xu Hei''s ears, making him extremely annoyed.

    Xu Hei looked back at him, gritting his teeth, "Just tell me, how confident are you?"

    Hei Huang was stunned and said, "With you, ny percent."

    "Then let''s go! You can exin the n on the way."

    Xu Hei used the Earth Escape Technique and sped towards the direction of the Purple Mist Sect.

    He had figured out Hei Huang''s tactics. If he didn''t agree, Hei Huang would pester him until he did. It was better to agree from the start, saving time.

    Hei Huang followed behind, a satisfied smile on his face.

    "Little Xu, the usual fifty-fifty split."

    "Got it, got it, you talk too much."

    ¡­¡­

    Along the way, at Xu Hei''s strong request, Hei Huang refined a batch of puppets and many Invisibility Talismans.

    Hei Huang couldn''t refuse these requests and could only agree with a pained heart.

    Two dayster.

    Xu Hei and the two demons arrived at the territory of the Purple Mist Sect.

    The Purple Mist Sect, one of the four major sects under the Snake Catchers Sect, only epted female disciples and was on par with the other three sects in terms of strength.

    But this sect had one major characteristic: it was overly pampered.

    From disciples to elders, there was an air of mortal ignorance and arrogance.

    The reason was simple: the female cultivators of the Purple Mist Sect were all stunningly beautiful, and with the Purple Mist Technique, a dual cultivation technique, anyone who dual cultivated with them could improve their cultivation. This led to them having arge number of admirers.

    Various rare magical treasures and spirit beasts would be offered to them as long as they asked.

    Even disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect often tried to curry favor with them.

    Because the Purple Mist Technique required both parties to be willing for the best effect, if the female cultivator harbored resentment, it could cause the male cultivator to go berserk.

    This was the domineering aspect of the Purple Mist Technique.

    Additionally, the sect master of the Purple Mist Sect was a Daopanion of a significant figure in the Snake Catchers Sect, who was a notorious wife-protector. Under his authority, no one dared to provoke the sect.

    "Hehe, this is why we encountered so few female disciples of the Purple Mist Sect on our way here. As long as they ask, treasures are delivered to their doorsteps. Why would they need to risk their lives in the mountains?" Hei Huang sneered.

    "The creator of the Purple Mist Technique was truly a genius, benefiting the entire sect," Xu Hei sighed.

    "Forgot to tell you, the creator was a man."

    "What?" Xu Hei was stunned.

 Chapter 61: Two people spread dog food and pass away

    Chapter 61: Two people spread dog food and pass away

    "He was originally a man, but somehow turned into a female cultivator. I won''t go into the details; it might ruin your state of mind."

    Hei Huang chuckled mischievously.

    Xu Hei swallowed hard and instinctively decided not to ask further.

    "Hei Huang, if the n fails and we get discovered, how do we escape?"

    Xu Hei asked, wanting to prepare for the worst-case scenario. It wasn''t ack of confidence, just a precaution to ensure everything was covered.

    "Don''t worry, once I bring out that thing, the women of the Purple Mist Sect won''t dare to make a move!" Hei Huang said confidently.

    Xu Hei didn''t press further. Revealing all secrets wasn''t good either; some basic trust was necessary.

    ...

    Ahead, they entered the territory of the Purple Mist Sect, Purple Mist Mountain.This mountain was home to many spirit beasts. Xu Hei scanned with his divine sense and found numerous spirit cats, spirit dogs, and spirit rabbits, all fluffy creatures.

    However, there were only these three types of creatures; nothing else was left.

    Not even nts, which had been almost entirely eaten, leaving Purple Mist Mountain barren.

    "Are you sure your method will work?" Xu Hei remained skeptical.

    "Just watch, it''ll definitely work!"

    Hei Huang took out a pile of white powder and covered himself with it, turning snow-white and shiny. Then he swallowed a pill, and his body shrank.

    In just a few breaths, he transformed from a big ck dog into a small white dog.

    Even his demeanor changed; he no longer looked sinister but rather like an ordinary puppy, with watery eyes and a pitiful expression.

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    "Damn... this is blinding." Xu Hei eximed, unable to bear the sight.

    Hei Huang ran ahead and suddenly let out a cry of pain.

    A wound appeared on his hind leg, bleeding profusely, deep enough to see the bone.

    "Ow! Woof woof woof!"

    Hei Huang howled in pain, attracting the attention of many spirit beasts.

    Two spirit cats, sensing danger, attacked him. Hei Huang didn''t fight back, allowing himself to be scratched all over.

    Before long, two female disciples of the Purple Mist Sect arrived, rmed by the noise. Seeing the scene, they eximed, "Stop!"

    They hurriedly chased away the cats and rescued Hei Huang.

    "Poor little dog, it''s so badly injured."

    "Let''s take it back and treat it."

    After a brief discussion, one of them carried Hei Huang away without further thought.

    Xu Hei watched from underground, dumbfounded.

    Damn, this works too?

    These two were mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, yet they were so easily fooled?

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand but had to admire Hei Huang''s acting skills and shamelessness. Truly, he was too brazen and despicable!

    The remaining female disciple scolded the fighting spirit cats and then fed them.

    All the spirit beasts in the mountain rushed over, frantically grabbing the food, which was quickly devoured.

    Xu Hei realized that these two female cultivators were responsible for the spirit beasts'' welfare and were friendly towards animals.

    Xu Hei didn''t dislike such people.

    Who would hate someone who posed no threat to them?

    Thinking for a moment, Xu Hei released a small mechanical snake, cutting a wound on its body to expose the bone, making it look pitiful.

    This mechanical snake was crafted by Hei Huang during their journey. It had the appearance of a snake and was at the first level of the Spirit Communion Stage, but it was very fast, used for scouting.

    Xu Hei did this purely out of curiosity. If he were injured, would this woman save him?

    A spirit cat saw the snake and immediately pounced, scratching and biting it. Xu Hei controlled the snake to hiss and thrash around.

    "What''s that?"

    The female cultivator feeding the animals looked over.

    Seeing it was a snake, her face turned pale, and she screamed.

    "Ahhh!! A snake demon has intruded!"

    Her scream was particrly sharp, her expression terrified as if she had been frightened.

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    "Die! Die!"

    Without a second thought, she drew a sword and thrust it at the snake.

    Xu Hei''s face darkened.

    Damn double standards! Hei Huang gets saved, but the snake gets killed? Aren''t they both spirit beasts?

    If snakes are considered a threat to humans, this little snake was only at the first level of the Spirit Communion Stage, while she was mid-stage Qi Refining. It posed no threat at all.

    Xu Hei understood then; it was because the snake wasn''t fluffy and didn''t fit human aesthetics.

    "ng!"

    The sword struck the ground, missing its target as the snake had already burrowed underground, and Xu Hei stored it in his storage bag.

    This snake was painstakingly crafted over the past few days; he didn''t want to lose it so easily.

    "What''s wrong, Sister Fang?"

    At this moment, a male cultivator flew over from a distance, quickly arriving beside the female cultivator.

    Judging by his robes, he was a disciple of the Carefree Sect.

    Fang Qingxue immediately threw herself into the male cultivator''s arms, pointing to where the snake had hidden, crying, "Brother Li, there''s a snake there, I''m so scared!"

    The young man named Li''s eyes shed as he discovered Xu Hei hiding underground. He patted her head,forting her, "Don''t worry, I''ll skin that snake and feed it to the spirit cats."

    "Yay, Brother Li is the best!" Fang Qingxue eximed excitedly.

    The young man named Li sneered, sending a Fire Explosion Talisman towards Xu Hei''s hiding spot.

    The talisman exploded upon contact, creating a deep pit thirty meters wide.

    Then, he leaped forward, wielding a soft sword, stabbing towards Xu Hei''s hiding spot, clearly mistaking Xu Hei for the mechanical snake.

    "Forget it, the bigger picture is more important."

    Xu Hei sighed. This man was at the eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage; he could kill him in one move, but Xu Hei preferred to act cautiously. Until Hei Huang sent word, he didn''t want to cause trouble.

    He burrowed deeper underground, the man''s sword repeatedly stabbing, leaving the ground riddled with holes but missing each time.

    "Huh?"

    Fang Qingxue frowned. It was just a first-level Spirit Communion Stage snake; why couldn''t he hit it?

    "Try dodging this time!"

    Enraged, the young man named Li drew a golden longbow, nocking an arrow and aiming at Xu Hei, pulling the bowstring taut.

    "That''s... a top-tier magical artifact!"

    Xu Hei immediately recognized it as a top-tier magical artifact capable of threatening even a Great Perfection Spirit Communion Stage cultivator.

    Such a bow was among the best even for Qi Refining Stage cultivators. He hadn''t expected these two to possess such a treasure.

    Xu Hei hadn''t intended to kill, but this bow posed a real threat to him; he couldn''t just sit and wait.

    "Die!"

    The young man named Li released the arrow, which shot towards Xu Hei, piercing the earth and aiming for him underground.

    "Thick Earth Armor!"

    Xu Hei activated the thick earth armor with a thought.

    Ayer of yellow light quickly condensed on his body, forming a solid armor. The arrow only broke a small piece of the earthyer, barely scratching his skin.

    "This..."

    Both were stunned, realizing they were in big trouble.

    "Thud! Thud!"

    Two nails shot out from underground.

    And then, nothing more.

    Just then, Hei Huang''s voice came through a transmission talisman: "It''s done, you cane in."

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief, just in time.

 Chapter 62: Poor and desolate, Hua Yuntian

    Chapter 62: Poor and deste, Hua Yuntian

    Xu Hei released the small lizard, which quickly disposed of the corpse. Activating the Earth Escape Technique, he sped forward at full speed.

    Before long, a faint light barrier appeared ahead. This was the Restriction Formation of the Purple Mist Sect, forming a spherical shield that epassed both the sky and the ground, preventing any intruders from entering.

    At this moment, a very small circr gap appeared on the light barrier. Xu Hei''s figure flickered, and he slipped through the gap.

    As soon as he entered, Hei Huang was already inside, tossing over a palm-sized jade disk.

    "I''ve already cracked all the Restriction Formations of the Purple Mist Sect. When you encounter a restriction, just press this onto it, and a gap will immediately appear in the light barrier,sting for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn."

    Xu Hei examined the jade disk, which was engraved with a Five Elements Formation diagram, emitting waves of mysterious energy.

    Xu Hei tried using the Gravity Technique to control the jade disk, pressing it against the light barrier. In the blink of an eye, a small gap appeared in the barrier.

    "Can it break any restriction?" Xu Hei asked in astonishment.

    "Of course! You can even enter the Sect Master''s cave dwelling. With the Invisibility Talisman, no one below the Core Formation Stage will be able to detect you, as long as you don''t recklessly release your Divine Sense," Hei Huang said proudly."There are three ces in the Purple Mist Sect where pills are stored: the Outer Sect Pill Room, the Inner Sect Pill Room, and the Purple Mist Pavilion where disciples exchange treasures."

    "First, we''ll go to the Inner Sect Pill Room, cause a bit ofmotion, then use the Minor Teleportation Formation to go to the Purple Mist Pavilion. I''ve already set up the formation; once we take what we need, we''ll teleport directly there."

    Hei Huang reiterated the n, and Xu Hei nodded in agreement.

    Xu Hei could tell that Hei Huang''s real target wasn''t the pills in the pill rooms but the treasures in the Purple Mist Pavilion, where countless valuable items were stored.

    Xu Hei didn''t mind; since they were going to steal, they might as well steal more.

    ...

    The Outer Sect Pill Room contained mostly low to mid-grade pills.

    The Inner Sect Pill Room, however, housed high-grade pills, mainly used byte-stage Qi Refining disciples, and was the primary production site for Minor Essence Nurturing Pills.

    There, two pill refining elders and many pill refining disciples resided, making it heavily guarded and difficult for ordinary people to approach.

    Hei Huang pressed the formation disk, breaking through the light barrier to the inner sect. Both of them stuck on Invisibility Talismans and used the Earth Escape Technique to infiltrate, heading towards the pill room.

    Along the way, Xu Hei saw not only female cultivators of the Purple Mist Sect but also many male disciples from other sects.

    These male disciples often ttered and fawned over the female cultivators, offering various courtesies. From some of the disciples'' residences, peculiar sounds could be heard, making Xu Hei secretly click his tongue.

    "Xu Hei, simps never have a good ending. Just wait and see; once these male cultivators are drained of their value, they''ll be discarded immediately," Hei Huang chuckled.

    "Simp?" Xu Hei stared at him in confusion.

    "Why are you looking at me? I''m not a simp. Woof!" Hei Huang said.

    Although Xu Hei didn''t understand, seeing the infatuated looks on these male cultivators'' faces, he gained a deep understanding of the power of the Purple Mist Technique.

    ...

    In the pill refining area, inside a pill refining disciple''s residence.

    Hua Yuntiany on the bed, his face pale. Severely injured, he had lost a lot of weight, and his cultivation had dropped by a level.

    At this moment, a beautiful woman sat on top of him. The Spiritual Qi around them resonated, responding to each other, and Hua Yuntian''s cultivation slowly recovered, returning to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    He opened his eyes, but there was no joy in his gaze, only deep-seated anger.

    If it weren''t for the Nine Apertures Soul Returning Pill his master had given him, he would have been trampled to death by the Wild Giant Elephant!

    Even so, that stomp had shattered his bones, severed his meridians, and broken his Dantian, causing his cultivation to plummet to thete Qi Refining Stage.

    He had spent all his savings on arge number of pills, including a Foundation Establishment Pill, and had dual cultivated with the Silver Bell Fairy in front of him, only then managing to return to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    For this, he had exhausted all his umted resources and was deeply in debt, almost having to pawn his Flying Sword.

    "Thank you, Silver Bell Fairy," Hua Yuntian said.

    "No need for such words, Young Master Hua. We are about to be Daopanions; it''s only right to help each other," Silver Bell replied with a smile.

    Hua Yuntian sighed. If it weren''t for Silver Bell giving him arge sum of Spirit Stones and helping him obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill, he wouldn''t have recovered his cultivation so quickly.

    It was said that the Foundation Establishment Pill had been obtained from a simp.

    Every time he thought of that despicable person in the shadows, he felt a surge of anger, almost spitting blood, unable to cultivate in peace.

    "I, Hua Yuntian, swear that one day I will capture you with my own hands and tear you to pieces to avenge my hatred!" Hua Yuntian vowed inwardly.

    "Silver Bell Fairy, are you there?"

    At this moment, a young man''s voice came from outside, soft as if afraid of disturbing her. "I heard you were unwell, so I brought you some medicinal supplements."

    The young man had dark skin and an honest, simple appearance.

    A trace of impatience shed in Silver Bell''s beautiful eyes. She coldly said, "Leave the items at the door and you can go."

    "Alright!" The young man outside put down the supplements, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Is there someone else inside?"

    "Young Master Hua is here, guiding me in spell techniques," Silver Bell said, her voice breathless, apanied by the sound of the bed creaking.

    The dark-skinned young man was stunned, then bit his lip, feeling bitter inside.

    "So it''s Young Master Hua."

    He lowered his head and turned to leave, dejected.

    But after a few steps, he stopped, clenching his fists, feeling a sharp pain in his palms, as if unwilling to ept it.

    Some nearby female disciples saw this and couldn''t help but cover their mouths,ughing and whispering.

    "Look, Xiao Chou is here again."

    "Xiao Chou is a genius of the Mountain Movers Sect. Why does he keep humiliating himself?"

    "Knowing he''s being yed by Silver Bell, he still goes to her. I heard he even gave her a Foundation Establishment Pill."

    "Some men are born to be turtles."

    "Serves him right!"

    ...

    Before long, the duo of Xu Hei and Hei Huang arrived at the pill refining area.

    Despite being underground, Xu Hei could still smell a faint medicinal fragrance, indicating that thend had absorbed the properties of the pills over the years.

    This ce was divided into the pill refining area, assessment area, lecture area, and disciple residence area.

    In the center stood a building, the pill refining area. From within, Xu Hei sensed two powerful auras, likely two Foundation Establishment elders.

    Additionally, there were eight slightly weaker auras, belonging to eight pill refining disciples.

    "One elder is at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, the other at the mid Foundation Establishment Stage. You distract one, and I''ll handle the other. Once we have the pills, we''ll meet at the teleportation formation," Hei Huang said.

    Despite their prior discussion, Xu Hei confirmed, "How should I distract them?"

    "Any way you like. Kill someone, destroy a building, as long as it catches the attention of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Just don''t make too much noise."

    After a brief exchange, they split up.

    Momentster, Xu Hei arrived at the disciple residence area.

    Pill refining was a major industry of the Purple Mist Sect, so there were many disciples here, each carrying arge number of pills.

    Xu Hei wanted to kill them all and take their storage bags but restrained himself to avoid causing too muchmotion and alerting the Sect Master.

    Xu Hei released a small snake for reconnaissance, checking each room and selecting targets.

    Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, sensing a familiar aura.

    The scent came from a rather luxurious building, one of the finest in the residential area.

    Xu Hei''s snake tongue was very sensitive to auras, and he instantly recognized it as Hua Yuntian!

    "Hua Yuntian is still alive!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed as he thought, "This person has a significant background, likely a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, and must have some life-saving items. But he must be severely injured and here for healing."

    Xu Hei quickly analyzed the situation and guessed why Hua Yuntian was here.

    The Purple Mist Sect, being a major pill refining sect, had pillsparable to those of the Snake Catchers Sect and even had dual cultivation techniques to help quickly heal and restore cultivation.

    He wondered how much Hua Yuntian had recovered. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator and had a life-and-death feud with Xu Hei.

    If possible, Xu Hei would not let him go, nning to strike while he was weak.

    Xu Hei moved closer, observing in secret. Outside the building stood a dejected young man from the Mountain Movers Sect, looking as if he had suffered a blow.

    Strange sounds came from inside the building.

    With each sound, the young man''s expression twitched.

    "This..." Xu Hei''s expression turned peculiar.

 Chapter 63: A simp has no good ending

    Chapter 63: A simp has no good ending

    "Xiao Chou, pity yourself a bit ande sit with me?" A female cultivator teased deliberately.

    Xiao Chou ignored her.

    "Ungrateful! Deserves to be a turtle for life," the female cultivator cursed.

    "Such a lowly nature!"

    "Hahaha, my stomach hurts fromughing. How can there be such a person?"

    "Xiao Chou, Hua Yuntian is out of strength, go in and give him a push!"

    Piercingughter came from all around, and some even came specifically to watch the spectacle. There are always onlookers wherever you go.

    Xiao Chou''s face gradually twisted. Finally, he unclenched his fists, seemingly making up his mind to leave forever and never return.

    Xu Hei witnessed all this and suddenly had an idea."Cause a bit of amotion? Isn''t this the perfect timing?"

    Xu Hei used the Earth Escape Technique to silently burrow beneath the pavilion.

    Whether intentional or not, the pavilion had no Restrictions set up, allowing sound to travel freely. This made it easy for Xu Hei to enter.

    He didn''t spread out his Divine Sense but used his snake-like sense to detect the positions of the two people''s auras.

    "One is at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, the other has just reached Foundation Establishment. The former should be the female cultivator, and thetter is Hua Yuntian, who hasn''t fully recovered yet!"

    As Xu Hei approached, he tore off a ck-gold scale and ced it directly below the two, controlling it with the Gravity Technique.

    "The floor of this pavilion is too sturdy. Even if the Earth Spike could pierce through, it would alert them, and there''s a high chance it could be dodged. Plus, it would make too much noise."

    "I''ll use this trick!"

    This trick, using the Gravity Technique to control the scale as a hidden weapon, was something Xu Hei had tested before.

    The advantage was its speed and concealment, making it very suitable for assassination.

    The disadvantage was its short range. The further the distance, the weaker the power of his Gravity Technique. Only within ten meters could the lethality be maximized.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was exactly ten meters underground.

    "Kill!"

    With a thought, the scale shot upward, directly targeting the two above.

    In truth, his main target was the female cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage. He had no confidence in dealing with Hua Yuntian, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    This person had too many life-saving cards. If Xu Hei went all out, he might have a chance, but sneaking in like this, it was almost impossible to kill him.

    "Thud!"

    The sturdy ground was instantly pierced, leaving a small crack. The ck shadow shot through the bedboard in an instant.

    "There''s..."

    Hua Yuntian''s face changed slightly. He reacted extremely quickly, retreating to the side the moment the ck-gold scale was activated.

    In the next second, a ck shadow flew past his body, and his protective spirit jade automatically activated, blocking the attack.

    The other person wasn''t so lucky. Silver Bell dodged the vital point at the first moment but had an arm cut off by the scale, letting out a sharp scream.

    But the next second, the scream abruptly stopped as the scale pierced through her forehead and retracted back underground.

    All this happened in the blink of an eye, less than half a breath, and it was all over.

    Hua Yuntian stared nkly at the scene before him, his eyes wide open, a storm raging in his heart.

    Fear, shock, anger... various emotions filled his chest, making it hard to breathe.

    "Bell!"

    The first to exim wasn''t him but Xiao Chou, who was about to leave the pavilion.

    The moment he heard Silver Bell''s scream, he broke through the door and rushed in, his face filled with panic.

    That scream, filled with anguish and fear, was something only heard at the brink of life and death. He couldn''t be mistaken.

    The moment he rushed in, he saw Silver Bell''s forehead bleeding, dead on the bed.

    In an instant, Xiao Chou felt as if the sky had copsed, his mind nk.

    But immediately, his eyes bulged with extreme anger, staring fiercely at Hua Yuntian.

    "You! It was you!"

    The furious roar also snapped Hua Yuntian back to reality.

    Seeing the raging Xiao Chou, Hua Yuntian instinctively shivered. As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he felt a hint of panic facing this Qi Refining disciple.

    "Don''t misunderstand, she was ambushed..."

    Before Hua Yuntian could finish his sentence.

    Xiao Chou roared, drew his Flying Sword, and charged.

    "It was you, you killed her, why??!"

    "Xiao Chou, calm down..."

    "Die!"

    Inside the pavilion, a fierce battle erupted, causing the building to copse instantly, dust flying, bricks scattering.

    One has to admit, when an honest person gets angry, the power is truly astonishing.

    At the same time, Xu Hei, having retrieved the scale, quickly left, escaping far away.

    "Did I overdo it?"

    Listening to themotion behind him, Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    Before long, a powerful aura shed by in the distance, one of the Foundation Establishment elders who had been in the pill refining room.

    Soon after, Hei Huang''s voice came through themunication talisman.

    "It''s done,e quickly and move the stuff."

    Xu Hei was delighted and quickly rushed to the pill refining room.

    At this moment, inside thergest pill refining room.

    Arge number of disciplesy unconscious on the ground, their Storage Bags taken. The Foundation Establishment elder, for some reason, was locked inside the pill furnace, angrily pounding from within, causing it to shake continuously.

    "You bastard, let me out, face me if you dare!"

    The Foundation Establishment elder roared, his voice echoing inside the furnace.

    Hei Huang ignored him, his paws moving like lightning, stuffing bottles of pills from the table into his Storage Bag, leaving afterimages.

    Xu Hei emerged from the ground, activated the Gravity Technique, and collected all the pills in the room into his Storage Bag.

    A box emitted a medicinal fragrance. Xu Hei used a scale to open the lock and took all the herbs inside.

    These herbs looked top-grade, possibly even materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

    "We''ve struck it rich, hahaha!"

    Even someone like Xu Hei couldn''t help butugh out loud.

    "You little beast, I will kill you! Let me out if you dare!"

    Xu Hei nced at the shaking pill furnace and shot a Fire Snake Technique at it, adding more fire. Instantly, the angry voice grew even louder.

    "Old dog, how did you get her in there?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

    "Hey, don''t me me, she crawled in herself," Hei Huang quickly defended.

    "Crack, crack!"

    As they spoke, the pill furnace suddenly showed cracks, about to explode. The Foundation Establishment elder was about to break out.

    "Damn, let''s go!"

    Xu Hei hurriedly collected the boxes on the ground, not even opening them, stuffing them into his Storage Bag, and escaped underground.

    "What''s the rush?"

    Hei Huang nced at the cracking pill furnace, took out an evenrger furnace, waved his hand, and put the cracking furnace inside, sealed it, and then leisurely left.

    "Ahhh! You bastards, I won''t spare you!!!"

    The furious roar echoed endlessly.

 Chapter 64: The great formation activates, and the two blacks are trapped

    Chapter 64: The great formation activates, and the two cks are trapped

    The two demons hurriedly traversed underground, heading towards the Minor Teleportation Formation.

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, a deafening bell rang out, echoing across the entire Purple Mist Sect in an instant.

    At this moment, all disciples and elders, whether they were cultivating, refining pills, or in seclusion, heard the loud chime.

    This was the emergency bell of the sect, only rung in critical situations, requiring everyone to immediately stop what they were doing, cease their seclusion, and gather at the location where the bell rang.

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    Xu Hei was taken aback; the bell¡¯s source was precisely the area where the pill refining room was located.

    "Why so fast?"

    Hei Huang had anticipated the bell, knowing that the theft of the pill refining room would be a major event, rming all the high-ranking members.He just didn¡¯t expect the news to spread so quickly.

    "Did you make too much noise, causing the bell to ring prematurely?" Hei Huang looked at Xu Hei, his face full of suspicion.

    "No, I just killed someone." Xu Hei replied.

    "That¡¯s strange."

    Hei Huang couldn¡¯t figure it out but then said, "No matter, this was part of the n. While everyone rushes to the pill refining room, we¡¯ll head to the Purple Mist Pavilion and empty it of treasures."

    Shortly after, they arrived at the location of the Minor Teleportation Formation.

    As the name suggests, the Minor Teleportation Formation allows for short-distance teleportation.

    The Purple Mist Pavilion, being the repository of the sect¡¯s most valuable treasures, was protected by formations and restrictions, and guarded by an elder. Without an identity token, it was impossible to enter.

    Unless one used the teleportation formation to silently teleport inside, avoiding any rms.

    This formation had taken Hei Huang an hour to set up in advance, and now it was time to put it to use.

    Just as the two cks entered the formation and were about to activate it, Xu Hei suddenly had a bad feeling and said, "Hei Huang, let¡¯s quit while we¡¯re ahead. I have a bad premonition."

    "What?"

    Hei Huang looked at Xu Hei in shock.

    "Since things aren¡¯t going as nned, more changes are likely to follow. I don¡¯t want to take any more risks. Let¡¯s quit while we¡¯re ahead and leave!" Xu Hei stared at him, his tone firm.

    Hei Huang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, "This formation cost me a lot of spirit stones and materials to set up, directly connecting to the inside of the Purple Mist Pavilion, allowing for back-and-forth teleportation. How can we just leave?"

    "Xu Hei, we agreed to follow the n. Don¡¯t back out now!"

    Hei Huang was unwilling topromise; his goal wasn¡¯t just the pills. Those were just extras. The real target was a valuable treasure inside the Purple Mist Pavilion.

    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have spent so much to set up such a precious Minor Teleportation Formation.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, "Hei Huang, trust my judgment! If you trust me, leave now. If not, I can send in the mechanical beast with you, but I won¡¯t take any more risks."

    Hearing that Xu Hei wanted to back out and use the mechanical beast, Hei Huang almost lost his temper.

    But seeing Xu Hei¡¯s determined eyes and recalling his behavior over the past few days, Hei Huang¡¯s emotions gradually calmed down.

    "Xu Hei, why do you think there will be changes? Do you have any evidence, or is it just a gut feeling?" Hei Huang stared at Xu Hei, speaking each word clearly.

    Xu Hei was speechless, just quietly looking at him.

    Hei Huang stared back, silent for a while, then sighed helplessly.

    He knew that everything had risks. Without risks, what was the point of robbery? Without risks, why cultivate immortality? Even if they left now, there was no absolute guarantee they could escape.

    Hei Huang loved taking risks, enjoying the perilous path of cultivation.

    Even with a thirty percent chance, he would take a gamble.

    It was this trait that allowed Hei Huang to rise from a mere mortal to one of the top beings on this.

    It was also this trait that led to his physical body being destroyed, reducing the once-feared Heavenly Demon Scattered Person to his current state.

    "Sigh! I¡¯ll trust you this once. But since the formation is set up, it shouldn¡¯t go to waste. You use the mechanical beast, and I¡¯ll use mine."

    Hei Huang cursed, taking out a big ck dog identical to him, a puppet mechanical beast.

    Xu Hei also took out arge snake.

    After two days of practice, although he hadn¡¯t fully mastered it, he could control it well enough.

    The dog and snake rushed onto the formation. With a thought from Hei Huang, the Minor Teleportation Formation glowed faintly, absorbing arge amount of spiritual qi, and the snake and dog disappeared simultaneously.

    Xu Hei closed his eyes, sensing through the snake¡¯s vision.

    The snake arrived inside a magnificent pavilion, its eyes seeing a dazzling array of treasures, with manypartments on the walls, each holding a treasure.

    Pills, magical treasures, talismans, materials, everything was there.

    "This is the inside of the Purple Mist Pavilion!"

    Xu Hei thought to himself, his gaze sweeping over, locking onto a row of pills.

    "Minor Essence Nurturing Pill, 50 contribution points each, medium quality."

    "Minor Essence Nurturing Pill, 70 contribution points each, high quality."

    "¡­"

    The entire row was Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, exactly what Xu Hei needed before.

    He also saw Foundation Establishment Pills, requiring a staggering twelve thousand contribution points.

    "As long as you have contribution points, you can exchange for anything. Human cultivators have such inherent advantages, unlike us demonic beasts¡­"

    Xu Hei suddenly felt a bit envious.

    Hei Huang¡¯s gaze, however, wasn¡¯t on the pills but locked onto apartment at the top, where a purple mirror with an ancient and mysterious auray, marked at fifty thousand contribution points.

    "My old possession, it¡¯s really here!"

    Hei Huang¡¯s eyes gleamed, and he leaped towards the mirror.

    Xu Hei didn¡¯t waste time either, shing to the most expensive earth-element spell jade slip.

    This spell, named "Mountain Severing Abyss," was the highest-valued earth-element spell, requiring thirty thousand contribution points.

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei took out the analysis disk given by Hei Huang, pressed it against the light circle, and the light circle disappeared. Xu Hei took out the jade slip and quickly read its contents.

    At the same time, Hei Huang reached the vicinity of the purple mirror, about to grab it.

    Suddenly, he changed direction, bypassing the mirror, and grabbed the most expensive item, a gourd worth two hundred thousand contribution points, a Core Formation Stage magical treasure.

    The protective light circle on thepartment was sliced open, and Hei Huang¡¯s w reached in, grabbing the gourd.

    At that moment, an invisible formation instantly activated, epassing the Purple Mist Pavilion in an oval shape, like an overturned egg.

    The Minor Teleportation Formation below exploded, turning into nothingness.

    "It¡¯s a trap!" Hei Huang eximed.

    On the other side, Hei Huang and Xu Hei¡¯s true bodies simultaneously opened their eyes, rushing towards the edge of the Purple Mist Sect at full speed.

    Xu Hei¡¯s heart pounded, and he immediately cut off the connection with the snake. He abandoned the puppet, knowing he had gained enough and could always make another one.

    Unfortunately, he had only read half of the Mountain Severing Abyss worth thirty thousand points.

    ...

    At this moment, inside the Purple Mist Pavilion.

    An old figure appeared, apanied by a cold snort.

    "I¡¯ve been waiting for you! Tell me, what did youe to the Purple Mist Pavilion for?"

    The old woman looked down at Hei Huang, who waspletely immobilized by the Gravity Technique, unable even to blink.

    "Hmm?"

    The old woman sensed something was wrong and clenched her fist, causing Hei Huang¡¯s body to explode into a pile of metal scraps.

    The nearby snake was also a puppet.

    Both were mechanical beasts!

    The old woman¡¯s face darkened immediately.

    She had discovered the Minor Teleportation Formation early on, knowing it targeted the Purple Mist Pavilion. She had set a trap,ying down a sealing formation, ready to ensure that anyone who entered would never leave.

    Who would have thought that the intruders were puppets!

    She had been tricked!

    The old woman couldn¡¯t understand. Had her trap been discovered? How could the other party have such an ability to detect a Core Formation Stage cultivator? She believed she had calcted everything perfectly.

    "Today, no one will leave!"

    She took out arge bell, striking it heavily, and a loud voice spread throughout the Purple Mist Sect.

    "From now on, seal all exits of the Purple Mist Sect. No one is allowed in or out, not even a mosquito!"

    The old woman¡¯s voice, along with the bell, echoed in the ears of every disciple and elder.

    The Mountain Protection Array of the Purple Mist Sect instantly activated, with the outer light circle bing three times thicker than before, a super array enhanced by a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    Moreover, the structure of the formation waspletely updated, rendering previous analyses ineffective.

 Chapter 65: Induction talisman, a hundred people seek the demons

    Chapter 65: Induction talisman, a hundred people seek the demons

    "Damn it, we miscalcted! There''s really an ambush! Xu Hei, how did you find out?"

    Hei Huang cursed while running frantically.

    "I guessed."

    Xu Hei''s face was also full of shock and anger. "Didn''t you say that Core Formation Stage cultivators wouldn''t make a move?"

    "How would I know? The Purple Mist Sect has gone mad. Stealing a pill brought out their ancestor. We''re really out of luck!"

    Hei Huang was equally furious.

    The Purple Mist Sect, as a one-star sect, naturally had Core Formation Stage cultivators in residence. However, these were all old monsters who had lived for hundreds of years and rarely emerged from seclusion, only appearing when the sect faced life-and-death crises.

    These Core Formation ancestors were already nearing the end of their lifespans, and every time they came out, it consumed their life force.

    Who would have thought that stealing a pill would draw out such an ancestor?Moreover, that old woman was very cunning. After they broke into the Purple Mist Pavilion, she didn''t immediately activate the sealing formation but waited in the shadows to see what they were after.

    Fortunately, Hei Huang reacted quickly and didn''t directly grab the Demon Mirror, otherwise, their true objective would have been exposed.

    He grabbed the Core Formation Magical Treasure Gourd instead, the most valuable item, which shouldn''t arouse suspicion.

    ...

    Before long, they reached the outermost edge of the Purple Mist Sect, the ce where they had initially entered.

    Hei Huang took out a deconstruction array disk and attached it to the formation, finding no response.

    "As expected! The formation has been changed; it needs to be re-analyzed," Hei Huang said.

    "How long will it take?" Xu Hei asked.

    "This is a third-tier formation, at least one hour," Hei Huang replied.

    One hour!

    At this moment, Xu Hei could already feel a vast and boundless Divine Sense sweeping through the Purple Mist Sect. In just a few breaths, it would reach their location.

    "Don''t worry, my Invisibility Talisman has been enhanced. As long as you don''t move, that old hag won''t find us!" Hei Huang sneered.

    Xu Hei immediately held his breath and remained motionless.

    Momentster, that immense Divine Sense swept past their location inch by inch, without any reaction.

    Xu Hei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Now, they just needed to wait for an hour to safely retreat.

    This time, the haul from the Purple Mist Sect was substantial. He hadn''t examined the pills closely, but there were at least five gourds of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, enough for him to cultivate to Great Perfection.

    Additionally, he had obtained a spell jade slip worth three hundred thousand contribution points. Unfortunately, the content was too extensive, and he had only read the first half.

    In any case, this adventure was worth it.

    They just didn''t know which part of the n had gone wrong, causing the Purple Mist Sect''s ancestor toe out of seclusion.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to stay too long and tentatively asked, "Hei Huang, can I forcibly break this formation?"

    Xu Hei extended his tail, with all the scales standing upright.

    Hei Huang nced at it and shook his head, "No, your scales are impressive, but they can only deal with Foundation Establishment Stage. This third-tier formation is a bit too much."

    "Besides, if we forcefully break it, I could do it too, but that old hag would definitely notice."

    Hearing this, Xu Hei could only wait quietly.

    However, Xu Hei felt that after the Divine Sense sweep found nothing, the other party wouldn''t just let it go. They would definitely use more sophisticated methods to search for them.

    Xu Hei didn''t dare to underestimate any opponent. Since that old woman dared to set a trap, she must be cunning.

    She would surely guess that they were hiding somewhere, analyzing the formation.

    "No, I must think of a way to deal with the possible uing situation. I can''t just do nothing!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    ...

    At this moment, in the Purple Mist Sect, on the sect''s za.

    All the members of the Purple Mist Sect were gathered here, including elders, stewards, true disciples, inner disciples, outer disciples, and even the servants.

    Even the outer sect disciples with Daopanions were no exception, all standing in the sect za.

    These were the people who were within the Purple Mist Sect when the formation was activated, totaling five hundred. They looked at each other, not understanding what had happened.

    Above the za, a purple-robed old woman floated in the air. This was the fifth-generation sect master of the Purple Mist Sect, He Luohua.

    The once Fairy He was now Immortal He.

    Seeing this ancestor-level figure appear, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

    "Everyone, because our Purple Mist Sect has been infiltrated by thieves, the entire sect is now sealed to capture the demons. Until the demons are found, no one is allowed to enter or leave, including the sect master. I hope you all understand."

    He Luohua spoke calmly, her voice spreading throughout the za.

    Upon hearing this, everyone''s expressions changed. In the past hundred years, the Purple Mist Sect had never experienced such a major event as sealing the sect.

    The incident happened too suddenly. When the sect was sealed, even the sect master was caught outside.

    No one coulde in or go out.

    No one dared toin, and they all cupped their fists and said, "We obey the ancestor''s orders!"

    Among the crowd, a young man covered in blood, with one arm severed and his True Qi depleted, suddenly realized something.

    "Damn! No wonder Silver Bell was ambushed; it turns out demons have infiltrated!"

    Hua Yuntian gritted his teeth in anger.

    Because of those demons, he was misunderstood by Xiao Chou and forced into a life-and-death battle, almost dying on the spot!

    The ridiculous part was that Xiao Chou, who was clearly at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, went berserk and almost defeated him, a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, nearly killing him with a single sword strike.

    Fortunately, he had a jade talisman left by his master; otherwise, he would have been dead.

    Xiao Chou also escaped in the end, leaving a threat of revenge.

    This gave Hua Yuntian a headache.

    He Luohua waved her hand, and a hundred Talismans fell into the hands of the female disciples of the Purple Mist Sect.

    "These Talismans are Life Detection Talismans. As long as there are living beings with cultivation within ten meters, the Talismans will light up. The more beings, the more lights."

    "Although the range is small, the effect is excellent. Even if the other party has a Core Formation Stage concealment treasure, they won''t be able to hide!"

    He Luohua said slowly, "Go, find the location of those demons, and crush the Talismans immediately. I will reward thirty thousand contribution points."

    Hearing the thirty thousand contribution points, all the female disciples'' breaths became rapid.

    Thirty thousand was a huge sum. It could exchange for twenty Foundation Establishment Pills and even the top-tier spiritual artifacts for the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    "Yes!"

    The female disciples, after receiving the detection Talismans, immediately dispersed and began searching.

    As for the others, to prevent the Talismans from misjudging, they had to stay put and not leave.

    After arranging everything, He Luohua sat cross-legged in the za, ready to act at any moment.

    Because the Talismans were limited, only a hundred people participated.

    Six Foundation Establishment Stage elders and ny-four female disciples. Except for the elders who acted alone, most of the female disciples moved in groups of three to five.

    It was said that this gave them a sense of security.

    Many of them had never experienced a life-and-death crisis, and now, investigating the hidden demons, they were all cautious and slow in their actions.

    However, among them were also those who were bold and meticulous, willing to take risks for the contribution points.

 Chapter 66: Chosen of the Purple Mist Sect

    Chapter 66: Chosen of the Purple Mist Sect

    Huang Yu, Qi Refining Stage Level Seven, Inner Disciple.

    Unlike the other charming female disciples, Huang Yu''s appearance was quite in. Her skin was sun-kissed wheat color, her features were good but she never dressed up, and she wore no essories.

    Huang Yu grew up in a farming family, herding cattle and working the fields. If it weren''t for her rare Earth Spiritual Root, which caught the eye of a Purple Mist Sect elder, she wouldn''t have be a cultivator.

    The elder had predicted that with Huang Yu''s talent, she would reach Foundation Establishment within three years, bing the greatest Chosen of the Purple Mist Sect in the past century.

    However, five years after joining the sect, Huang Yu was still only at the seventh level of Qi Refining Stage.

    The reason was simple: she was unwilling to cultivate the Purple Mist Technique and looked down on the male cultivators who tried to curry favor with her. She never tried to please anyone.

    Gradually, she was ostracized by her peers and forgotten by the elder, bing just an ordinary disciple.

    "Huang Yu, why are you covered in wounds again?"

    "Huang Yu, you work so hard to hunt demonic beasts and obtain Inner Cores, wouldn''t it be easier to dual cultivate with me?""Such great talent,pletely wasted!"

    "......"

    Every time she returned from hunting demonic beasts, battered and bruised, she would be mocked by some of the other female disciples.

    They banded together, constantly discussing how to gain benefits from the male disciples and how to attract the Chosen from other sects.

    Huang Yu, however, was always alone, silently shouldering her weapon and heading to the mountains.

    From being exceptionally talented and highly regarded to being misunderstood and unappreciated, to bing ordinary, it only took Huang Yu five years.

    Now, no one paid attention to her rare Earth Spiritual Root anymore. The once greatest Chosen was now just a joke.

    But today, Huang Yu''s eyes were unusually bright.

    "Three hundred thousand contribution points. As long as I get these points, I can reach Foundation Establishment within a year."

    "Then, after umting for another two years, I can exchange for the Mountain Severing Abyss technique and leave the Purple Mist Sect! This is my chance, perhaps the only one in my life. I must find that demon."

    Huang Yu held a Life Detection Talisman, moving through the outskirts at the fastest speed, even more diligently than the Foundation Establishment elders.

    She knew that the target must be hiding somewhere underground at the edge, trying to break the outer formation.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the same time.

    Xu Hei''s little lizards had already spread out, connecting to his Divine Sense and sending back images one by one.

    He saw many female cultivators holding white talismans, moving around.

    "Life Detection Talismans!" Xu Hei was startled.

    He had heard Hei Huang mention before that besides Revealing Dust, Life Detection Talismans could also detect Invisibility Talismans.

    "Xu Hei, keep an eye out and don''t let anyone get within ten meters of us."

    At this moment, Hei Huang was focused on a point on the light barrier, carefully studying it, his voice serious.

    "I understand."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, his eyes fierce.

    Killing someone in this situation was extremely risky, but if anyone dared to approach, he had no choice.

    Time slowly passed.

    The Purple Mist Sect was vast, but with a hundred people moving at high speed, one area after another was being cleared, leaving fewer unexplored areas.

    Xu Hei wasn''t idle either. He had set up numerous puppets within the Purple Mist Sect.

    Whenever someone approached this area, he would use the puppets elsewhere to create a distraction and lure them away.

    Many female disciples, startled, hastily crushed their talismans, attracting He Luohua''s attention. When he found out he had been tricked, he was furious.

    "Puppets! Again with the puppets!"

    "This demon is truly cunning, but it confirms one thing: he''s definitely hiding underground!"

    "Keep searching! Don''t miss any corner, even the ces we''ve already searched, search them again!"

    He Luohua threw out dozens more Life Detection Talismans, pulling in more people to join the search team.

    More and more people joined the search.

    Whenever someone got close, Xu Hei would use the puppets elsewhere to lure them away. He even used the puppets to kill some people, managing to avoid danger, but his puppets were dwindling.

    Out of nearly a hundred, only tenrge ones were left.

    "Almost there, just half an incense stick''s time left. Hang in there, little Xu," Hei Huang said excitedly.

    "I know," Xu Hei replied.

    Finally, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator approached, Xu Hei used all his remaining puppets to sessfully drag the cultivator away and lure them elsewhere.

    Now, Xu Hei had no puppets left.

    Only a small snake for reconnaissance, with nobat ability.

    "Damn it! Too few puppets. I should have prepared more."

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly, but in reality, he had already used up all the puppet materials he had collected, unless he hunted down more disciples from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Time ticked by.

    Xu Hei could clearly feel Hei Huang''s eyes shining, his hands moving faster, clearly about to break through.

    "Almost there, Xu Hei. When I give the signal, charge over here without hesitation."

    Hei Huang reminded.

    "I understand."

    Xu Hei nodded.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s snake sensed a human presence approaching.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed coldly. At this critical moment, someone wasing.

    His snake adjusted its position and looked over, and he was stunned.

    Approaching was a female disciple, different from the others. She had short hair, in clothes, no decorations, and wheat-colored skin. From a distance, she looked like a man.

    Xu Hei had noticed her early on. She had been lingering in the distance, often ncing this way but never approaching.

    Until now.

    She held a Life Detection Talisman, her body covered inyers of brown armor. Xu Hei recognized this spell as thick earth armor.

    Around her, five rotating shields appeared. This was the Earth Shield.

    Fifty meters, thirty meters, twenty meters...

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold. No matter who she was, he couldn''t let her get within ten meters. He was ready to use Earth Spike and ck Gold Scales.

    Qi Refining Stage Level Seven, no matter how many defensive measures, could be killed in one strike, no doubt about it!

    Previously, he had only used puppets. This time, he might expose himself.

    But he had no choice. Sooner was better thanter. He needed to buy thisst bit of time.

    Fifteen meters, thirteen meters...

    Xu Hei took a deep breath. Just as he was about to act, the in-looking girl suddenly stopped.

    At this moment, her face turned pale, sweat beads the size of beans appeared on her forehead, dripping down.

    Her legs were weak, her head dizzy. This was a sign of extreme danger!

    Huang Yu, unlike others, had wandered in life-and-death crises countless times, honing a very keen intuition.

    She had long sensed something was wrong here. Whenever someone approached, they would leave due to various idents. She was seventy percent sure the demon was hiding nearby.

    But now, at this final moment, she didn''t dare move forward.

    "Three hundred thousand contribution points, three hundred thousand!"

    "But if I die, what use are those points to me?"

    Huang Yu''s face was pale, her breathing rapid, her in white robe soaked in sweat.

    Calmness and humility were the first elements of survival!

    Arrogance and pride were the causes of death!

    She wasn''t like the other female disciples, sheltered flowers. She had experienced life-and-death battles and knew the value of life.

    Huang Yu took a deep breath and stepped back.

    At that moment, the Foundation Establishment female cultivator, who had just been lured away by ten puppets, flew over on her sword. She nced at Huang Yu and said, "Huang Yu? Have you searched over there?"

    The neer wasn''t alone. Behind her was a weathered old woman, the Grand Elder of the Purple Mist Sect, ate-stage Foundation Establishment powerhouse.

    She was also the strongest in the search team.

 Chapter 67: Break the Great Formation and Escape Death

    Chapter 67: Break the Great Formation and Escape Death

    Huang Yu nced at the two people, her fear slightly dissipating, but she still didn''t change her mind.

    She raised the unresponsive sensing talisman in her hand and said, "We''ve already searched ahead, there''s nothing."

    The Foundation Establishment female cultivator nodded and muttered, "Tch! Where did that demon go? It''s really strange!"

    "I guess the demon''s location keeps changing. Otherwise, why would we have searched every corner and still found nothing?" the old woman said.

    The two turned and left without suspicion.

    The Purple Mist Sect was toorge. If the demon kept moving to avoid detection, there really wasn''t much they could do.

    However, it was strange that the demon hadn''t released any Divine Sense yet managed to perfectly avoid everyone.

    Huang Yu let out a sigh of relief, took a deep look at the void and the ground ahead, bowed slightly, and retreated slowly, step by step.

    Xu Hei had been watching her, his mind never leaving her.Just now, his heart had been in his throat.

    As long as Huang Yu dared to take half a step forward, he would have acted immediately.

    And after those two Foundation Establishment elders appeared, if she had shown the slightest abnormality, he would have acted without hesitation.

    Xu Hei might have been exposed, but this woman in front of him would definitely not survive.

    In the end, this in-looking female cultivator chose the only path that would allow her to live.

    In a certain sense, she even helped them a bit.

    "This woman is no ordinary person. Judging by her earth-based spells, her Spiritual Root must be quite good. Why is her cultivation only at the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage?"

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand. Someone this clever should have a much stronger cultivation.

    He thought of Zhao Wenzhuo, who also had low cultivation but was very cunning. However, he didn''t know Zhao Wenzhuo''s Spiritual Root.

    After Huang Yu left, no one else approached, and Xu Hei finally rxed his tense mind.

    Hei Huang also smoothlypleted the final step.

    "Alright, mission aplished," Hei Huang said.

    "Whoosh!"

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei activated the Earth Escape Technique at full power and rushed towards Hei Huang''s location, where arge gap had been opened in the light barrier.

    He and Hei Huang, one after the other, almost simultaneously dashed out.

    The gap closed the moment they left.

    "Phew! That was close, but we got out safely."

    Hei Huang let out a long breath.

    He realized that Xu Hei was actually quite reliable.

    If it weren''t for Xu Hei holding him back, he might have gone to the Purple Mist Pavilion and been caught. Even if he didn''t die, he''d be skinned alive by that old hag.

    "Little Xu, I have to praise you this time. Hey, why are you running? We''re already safe!"

    Seeing Xu Hei running for his life at full speed, even using a Swift Talisman, Hei Huang had no choice but to follow.

    But seeing Xu Hei getting faster and faster, even taking various pills to increase his speed, Hei Huang''s face darkened, and he felt a bit uneasy. He didn''t dare to ck off and sped up as well.

    At the same moment they were escaping.

    In the sect square of the Purple Mist Sect.

    The old ancestor, He Luohua, who had been sitting silently, suddenly opened her eyes, which burst with a zing light.

    "Hmph, they really escaped! I don''t believe you can escape from my grasp!"

    He Luohua''s figure flickered, and she sped towards a certain location at a terrifying speed, instantly breaking through the range of the Purple Mist Sect''s grand formation.

    She had seemed to be sitting motionless in the square.

    In reality, she, like Xu Hei, had been considering the possibility of the opponent escaping.

    The opponent was cunning, and any carelessness would be foolish.

    She hadn''t personally joined the search team because she had secretly added ayer of Divine Sense membrane to the outer formation.

    As long as anything passed through that membrane, it would be branded with an undetectable Divine Sense mark.

    At that time, even if they really escaped, they would be marked and hunted down to the ends of the earth.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    "Boom!!"

    From the distant sky came a series of roaring shockwaves, scattering the clouds. A terrifying figure, carrying an indescribable pressure, was rapidly approaching.

    Hei Huang''s face changed dramatically, his soul almost flying out of his body. He hurriedly shouted, "Xu Hei, wait for me, wait a moment!"

    Xu Hei''s speed didn''t decrease at all; instead, he went even faster. This was the fastest he had ever gone in his life, butpared to that old woman in the Core Formation Stage, it was still too slow!

    The old woman in the sky sneered, "Heh, so it''s just two beasts. Don''t worry, neither of you will escape."

    He Luohua waved her hand, and a golden bowl flew out, inverting to cover the sky.

    In an instant, a golden light circle rapidly descended from the bowl, blocking Xu Hei''s path. Within a thousand feet, everything was covered.

    "Great Golden Bowl, capture!"

    He Luohua shouted, and an immense suction force erupted from the golden bowl, pulling at Xu Hei and Hei Huang, trying to drag them out of the earth and into the bowl.

    Xu Hei cursed, "Old dog, bring out your trump card now, or we''re done for!"

    The old dog had previously said that if he brought out that thing, the people of the Purple Mist Sect wouldn''t dare to act. Now he was still dawdling.

    "Xu Hei, I don''t have any trump card. I''m about to be sucked away," Hei Huang wailed.

    "Damn it! If I ever go out with you again, I''ll be worse than a pig or dog!" Xu Hei cursed.

    The old woman looked disdainful. She had thought it was some formidable demon, but it was just this?

    Soon, the two demons were pulled out of the earth, uncontrobly rising into the air.

    At this moment, Hei Huang sighed helplessly, "Fine, I wanted to wait until that old hag got closer, but since she''s using a magical treasure to capture us, I have no choice but to go all out."

    Hei Huang patted his Storage Bag.

    Instantly, a terrifying and vast pressure descended from the heavens, causing even the space to ripple slightly.

    "Crack! Boom!!"

    The golden light from the Great Golden Bowl instantly retreated, the suction force disappearing without a trace. Even He Luohua''s face turned pale, and she took several steps back.

    "Bang!!"

    The Great Golden Bowl flew back into her hand.

    Her eyes narrowed, staring intently at the object Hei Huang had taken out.

    Xu Hei was also shocked, looking at the item in Hei Huang''s hand with an incredulous expression.

    It was a human figure.

    This person wore a dirt-yellow Daoist robe, his body emaciated like kindling. After countless years, his appearance was no longer clear, his beard almost gone, leaving only dry skin with cracked wrinkles.

    Xu Hei stared at the back of this person''s robe, which bore the image of arge mountain, the mark of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Though his body was emaciated, his posture was exceptionally upright, standing there like a towering mountain, insurmountable and majestic.

    His aura was terrifying, like mountains and rivers, endless and boundless.

    He Luohua''s pupils contracted, and she eximed in disbelief.

    "Mountain-moving Patriarch?!"

 Chapter 68: Return Horse Spear Dan Battle

    Chapter 68: Return Horse Spear Dan Battle

    The Mountain-moving Patriarch, founder of the Mountain Movers Sect, had reached the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage and was just one step away from forming his Elemental Infant.

    However, it was said that during his breakthrough, he was possessed by an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, causing his attempt to fail and leading to his death and the dissipation of his Dao!

    In the history of the Chu Kingdom, he was a legendary figure.

    He Luohua was not mistaken; this indeed was the corpse of the Mountain-moving Patriarch, which had been stolen by this old dog after his recent disappearance.

    "Old geezer, leave some room for maneuver. I advise you not to push me too hard, or we''ll both die together. My life is worthless, but yours is precious. Think it over!" Hei Huang sneered.

    At the same time, he secretly transmitted a message to Xu Hei: "Xu Hei, you go first. I''ll hold her off."

    Xu Hei took a deep look at He Luohua, saw that she remained motionless, nodded, and burrowed into the ground to leave.

    He suddenly paused and asked, "What about the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse?"

    "Don''t worry, I''ve refined it into a puppet. Although I can''t fully control it yet, it can still cast a small spell to scare people."Hei Huang smiled and waved impatiently, "Go on! Stop dawdling like a woman! I just erased the Divine Sense imprint on you. I had to chase you for quite a while because you ran too fast!"

    Hearing this, Xu Hei was shocked.

    No wonder Hei Huang told him to wait; it was to erase the Divine Sense imprint on him.

    "This old dog could have said so earlier."

    Xu Hei muttered to himself and quickly fled.

    Hei Huang remained standing in ce, and the old woman did not pursue him. She just stared intently at the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse, standing motionless in mid-air.

    Just now, the moment the corpse appeared, it had directly shattered her Great Golden Bowl, indicating that it could exert a certain level of power.

    This was a Great Perfection Core Formation Stage monster, half a step into the Elemental Infant Stage. Even the aura emanating from the corpse made her somewhat fearful.

    "Is this dog trying to scare me? Or does he really have some skills?"

    He Luohua''s eyes narrowed, a cold glint shing.

    ¡­¡­

    At this moment, Xu Hei had already escaped beyond the perception range of a Core Formation Stage cultivator. He suddenly felt a bit hesitant.

    "Is it immoral for me to just run away like this?"

    "But if I stay, I won''t be of any help and would only be a burden."

    Xu Hei thought of the Wild Giant Elephant. If he could summon it, he wondered if it could help.

    On second thought, he dismissed the idea. By the time the elephant arrived, it would be toote.

    Moreover, the Purple Mist Sect was also full of experts. If he could summon help, so could the others; it made no difference.

    "Damn it! If only I were stronger."

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly.

    In the end, it was still a matter of strength. Xu Hei had thought he was progressing fast enough, butpared to true experts, he was still far behind.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and did not immediately go far. Instead, he found a hidden cave to hide in.

    He couldn''t just run away without doing anything!

    "Hei Huang may be despicable, but he can''t die. I have to do something, but what can I do?"

    Xu Hei took a deep breath to calm himself down and think of a strategy.

    The most lethal weapon he had was the scales on his tail.

    But ording to Hei Huang, these scales were effective against Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators but seemed inadequate against Core Formation Stage cultivators.

    Then there was the mysterious Demon God Cauldron, but it was only an auxiliary tool that allowed him to quickly refine anything he consumed.

    Xu Hei knew the Demon God Cauldron had more functions, but he hadn''t discovered them yet.

    "What other means do I have, what else¡­"

    Xu Hei kept thinking.

    ¡­¡­

    On the other side.

    Hei Huang saw that Xu Hei had gone far, and the old woman still hadn''t made a move.

    He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and sneered, "Old geezer, I won''t y with you anymore. We''ll meet again."

    He leaped backward, intending to leave.

    The Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse also leaped backward simultaneously, mirroring Hei Huang''s movements.

    At the moment they retreated.

    He Luohua''s eyes suddenly narrowed, and with a flick of her finger, a silver needle shot out, piercing through the void and almost instantly reaching Hei Huang''s rear.

    "Ha!"

    Hei Huang shouted, and the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s figure instantly appeared behind him, spitting out a mouthful of viscous purple mist that corroded the silver needle instantly.

    The purple mist rapidly expanded, forming a giant purple skull that corroded everything in its path, charging toward He Luohua.

    "How could the Mountain-moving Patriarch know such a spell? You must be a demonic cultivator!"

    He Luohua coldly said, staring at the overwhelming purple mist.

    Hei Huang sneered, "Who cares if it''s righteous or demonic? As long as it kills, it''s a good spell!"

    "Hmph, truly a demon!"

    With a wave of her sleeve, He Luohua unleashed a dazzling golden light, formingyers of waves that swept toward the purple skull.

    Just as the two were about to collide.

    The purple skull suddenly vanished, along with all the purple mist, as if it had all been an illusion.

    At the same time, Hei Huang''s figure also disappeared.

    He Luohua''s face twisted in anger, "Dare to trick me!"

    Her figure instantly shot out, filled with boundless fury, chasing after Hei Huang.

    At this moment, Hei Huang was carrying the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse, sprinting through the mountains, his legs almost smoking.

    "Damn it! The Golden Core inside this corpse is only the size of a fingernail, not enough for more than three spells. How am I supposed to y like this?"

    Hei Huang cursed inwardly, feeling miserable.

    The purple mist just now was purely for show, with some initial power but mostly just a facade.

    To match the spells of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, he had to rely on consuming the Golden Core''s energy.

    But after so many years, the Golden Core inside the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse had long since shriveled up, with very little energy left.

    Feeling the overwhelming fury behind him, Hei Huang gritted his teeth and ran.

    "It''s a pity. If I could refine it into a corpse puppet that could perform breathing exercises on its own, it would be great. My cultivation is still not enough."

    Hei Huang ran while thinking about which spell to use to escape. With limited Golden Core energy, every move had to be carefully considered.

    "Rashomon? No, too strong. The Golden Core would be exhausted before I could even cast it."

    "Hundred Ghosts Night Parade? No, can''t be used with Earth Spiritual Roots, only my true self can."

    "¡­"

    As Hei Huang was rapidly thinking, he sensed danger from behind.

    It was three flying swords, stabbing straight at his back.

    "Requiem!"

    Hei Huang gritted his teeth, and the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s abdomen swelled. The shriveled Golden Core inside shrank by a third.

    Then, a sharp wailing sound emitted from its mouth, forming a terrifying Requiem soundwave that shot backward.

    "Woo woo woo!!!"

    He Luohua''s face turned pale, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, but the three flying swords did not slow down. They circled and instantly pierced Hei Huang''s body, slicing him into pieces.

    Immediately, Hei Huang''s body reformed, but his aura was much weaker, his steps unsteady, and his escape speed greatly reduced.

    "Damn it! This old geezer is attacking me even at the cost of injury. One more hit and the Golden Core will be gone." Hei Huang''s face was grim.

    Even more precarious was that he was also seriously injured.

    A few more attacks like that, and he would be finished. Even if his primordial spirit escaped, it would take a thousand years of slumber to recover.

    He Luohua''s eyes were filled with killing intent. This old dog posed too much of a threat and had to be eliminated!

    "Die!"

    She pointed forward, and the three flying swords rose again, stabbing toward Hei Huang''s back.

    At this moment.

    He Luohua''s face suddenly changed, and the three flying swords quickly turned back. From the ground below, countless tiny scales shot out, thirty in total.

    The timing was extremely tricky, right after she was hit by the Requiem.

    "ng ng ng¡­"

    The flying swords blocked in mid-air, sparks flying, deflecting all the ck gold scales.

    But to He Luohua''s shock, her flying swords were covered in countless tiny nicks.

    "What kind of hidden weapon is this?"

    He Luohua stared in disbelief at the scales scattered on the ground.

 Chapter 69: This is Xu Heis instinct

    Chapter 69: This is Xu Hei''s instinct

    Hei Huang was also startled. He could see that these scales were all fired by Xu Hei.

    "I told you to run, why did youe back?" Hei Huang roared angrily.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was hiding underground. His tail was already half bald and bleeding profusely. He had no time to exin and instead asked, "Hei Huang, can I control that puppet?"

    Hei Huang was taken aback. "You mean... the Mountain-moving Patriarch?"

    "Exactly!" Xu Hei replied.

    Hei Huang thought for a moment and quickly said, "You''ve practiced puppet techniques, so you can control it. But with your Divine Sense strength, you might copse before you can even control it for a moment."

    A Golden Core stage puppet was not an ordinary puppet. Without a powerful Divine Sense to support it, it couldn''t even move, let alone cast spells.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were resolute. "I want to try."

    "This..." Hei Huang was stunned.He had considered letting Xu Hei control the Mountain-moving Patriarch. They both had Earth Spiritual Roots. If Xu Hei could really control it, it might work wonders.

    However, Xu Hei was only at the seventh level of the Spirit Communion Stage. His Divine Sense was limited and couldn''t possibly control a Golden Core stage puppet.

    But in this critical moment, Hei Huang couldn''t think too much. He nodded heavily. "Alright, I can assist you, but you must cooperate well. If the control isn''t coordinated, we''ll both be doomed!"

    Hei Huang thought of apromise: both of them controlling it together.

    Xu Hei quickly approached the Mountain-moving Patriarch and imprinted his Divine Sense.

    At this moment, he could feel a faint connection with the physical body.

    But this faint connection felt as heavy as a mountain. Even lifting his hand was difficult, as if a mountain was pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

    "Xu Hei, have you made up your mind? If it doesn''t work, retreat. This puppet can still cast two spells, enough to cover your retreat. Make a decision quickly!" Hei Huang urged.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and took out a green pill, swallowing it.

    This pill, called the Divine Explosion Pill, could greatly enhance Divine Sense strength for a short time, but it had significant side effects, simr to the pill Chen Daoling took when chasing him.

    "Boom!!"

    As the pill entered his mouth, Xu Hei''s head buzzed, and the heavy feeling lessened considerably.

    Xu Hei tried to lift his hand, and the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s arm finally rose.

    "It actually... works!" Hei Huang was stunned.

    One Divine Explosion Pill did the trick.

    Xu Hei''s secrets were even more than he had imagined!

    He Luohua did not immediately attack. She first picked up the scales that had fallen to the ground one by one. She felt that these scales were extremely valuable and might be refined into a Golden Core stage Magical Treasure.

    "Thank you for the materials. Now, you can die."

    He Luohua raised her hand, and three Flying Swords shot out simultaneously. Although they had many nicks, their power hadn''t diminished much.

    Facing the iing Flying Swords, Xu Hei''s eyes were colder than ever. This was the strongest opponent he had ever faced. He couldn''t back down!

    "Earth Shield!"

    Xu Hei shouted, and the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s palms struck the ground. The earth rose to form three sturdy shields, automatically shimmering and blocking the Flying Swords.

    "Thud!"

    The Flying Swords embedded themselves in the Earth Shield, piercing through but getting stuck, unable to advance further.

    All three Flying Swords were blocked.

    "What?!"

    At this moment, not only was He Luohua shocked, but Hei Huang was also stunned.

    This Earth Shield was at most a second-tier spell, useful in the Foundation Establishment Stage. But in the hands of the Mountain-moving Patriarch, it disyed such terrifying power, even blocking Golden Core stage Flying Swords.

    Because it was a low-level spell, the Golden Core barely consumed any energy, only about one-tenth.

    Hei Huang''s breathing became rapid.

    However, after casting this spell, Xu Hei felt dizzy and his vision darkened, almost fainting.

    "No, I can''t pass out. I must hold on!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and took out three more Divine Explosion Pills, swallowing them in one go.

    "Xu Hei, you..." Hei Huang was thunderstruck.

    Was this still the Xu Hei he remembered, who was timid and cowardly?

    The Xu Hei who would arm himself to the teeth just to go out, was now this madman?

    This waspletely different from the Xu Hei he remembered.

    After taking three Divine Explosion Pills, Xu Hei''s mind cleared up a lot. His eyes were bloodshot, staring at the old woman in front of him with extreme madness.

    "Hei Huang, I don''t know why, but this is my instinct, my instinct!"

    Xu Hei focused his mind. The Mountain-moving Patriarch pressed his palms on the ground and shouted, "Earth Spike!!"

    He Luohua''s face changed dramatically, feeling a sense of crisis.

    "Not good!"

    She shed backward, only to see a sharp stone pir shooting up from the ground, almost grazing her face as it soared into the sky.

    Even with her reaction speed, her face was scratched, her nose broken, and blood spurted out.

    "Is this the Earth Spike?"

    He Luohua stared at the stone pir in front of her.

    No! This couldn''t be called a stone pir anymore; it was practically a mountain, reaching a height of a hundred feet! Could the Earth Spike be this terrifying?

    "Boom!!"

    Before she could think further, another stone pir shot out, straight into the clouds.

    He Luohua kept retreating, and the Earth Spikes kept emerging. In just a few breaths, over a dozen stone pirs had shot out. Her arm was hit once, blood flowing, and she had more scratches on her body. One of her Magical Treasures was even destroyed.

    He Luohua decisively crushed a golden shield Talisman, blocking an attack, then took out a wind sail. Riding the wind, she flew up to five hundred meters in the air.

    At such a height, the Earth Spikes couldn''t exert their power.

    He Luohua panted heavily. She had underestimated her opponent, ending up in such a sorry state.

    But now, it was time to end this.

    "Rain of Pear Blossoms!"

    He Luohua took out a handful of flying needles and scattered them in the air, like a torrential downpour, shooting towards Xu Hei and Hei Huang.

    Xu Hei immediately raised a shield to block the flying needles.

    "Let''s see how long you can hold out. The Mountain-moving Patriarch''s Golden Core must be nearly exhausted by now."

    He Luohua sneered coldly. She could see the opponent''s weakness clearly.

    These two demonic beasts had been able to entangle with her for so long only because they relied on the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse.

    Any spell would consume Spiritual Qi, and the source of this Spiritual Qi, to match her, could only be the corpse''s Golden Core.

    A Golden Core that had been dead for countless years and was already shriveled¡ªhow could itpare to her?

    He Luohua was right.

    Although Earth Element Spells consumed less, the Golden Core had shrunk by another third in just a short while and couldn''t hold out much longer.

    "Xu Hei, what do we do?"

    At this moment, Hei Huang actually asked Xu Hei.

    Unknowingly, he no longer saw Xu Hei as a junior but as an equal.

    "Take a gamble!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, recalling the super spell he had just learned.

    Mountain Severing Abyss!

    This spell was the most powerful Earth Element Spell in the Purple Mist Sect, with considerable power even in the Golden Core stage. But with Xu Hei''s cultivation, he couldn''t possibly cast it.

    But with the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s physical body, it might seed.

    "I only have the first half of Mountain Severing Abyss. The rest, I can only think and create myself."

    Before Xu Hei arrived, he had anticipated this moment and had already simted it in his mind.

    Xu Hei''s talent and understanding in spells were rare in the world. Any spell, he could grasp instantly and master quickly.

    Earth Spike and thick earth armor were sessfully cast on the first try.

    Now, he had no choice. In this life-and-death moment, Xu Hei perfectly disyed his exceptional talent, even surpassing his limits, reaching the pinnacle.

    Create, create!

    In this brief instant, aplete spell gradually formed in Xu Hei''s mind, filling in the missing half!

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, his gaze resolute and mad.

    He took out a handful of Divine Explosion Pills and swallowed them. The Demon God Cauldron in his body operated, frantically refining the pills, bringing his waning spirit back to its peak.

    "Old hag, if you don''t leave today, it will be your death day!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were blood-red as he shouted.

    "Mountain Severing Abyss!"

    The Mountain-moving Patriarch''s palms pressed on the ground. The Golden Core within him shrank rapidly, visible to the naked eye, until only a tiny bit was left in an instant.

 Chapter 70: Mountain Severing Abyss, the world is astonished

    Chapter 70: Mountain Severing Abyss, the world is astonished

    "Boom!!!"

    In an instant, the mountains crumbled and the earth shook violently.

    At this moment, the forest seemed to copse like the sky was falling. An unprecedented earthquake erupted, trees toppled, the ground disintegrated, rocks flew wildly, and countless beasts fled in panic. The tremors spread for miles.

    "What is this..."

    He Luohua''s face changed drastically, as if she had seen a ghost, staring at the sudden changes in the earth and mountains below.

    Looking at the scene that resembled the end of the world, a terrifying thought arose in her mind.

    "Could this be... the Mountain Severing Abyss?"

    As the fifth-generation sect master, she naturally had heard of the most powerful Earth Element Spell stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion, the Mountain Severing Abyss.

    It was said that this spell was exchanged at a great cost by the first-generation sect master from the Mountain-moving Patriarch hundreds of years ago, and it was only a simplified version.It had been stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion for countless years, and almost no one had sessfully cultivated it. Even among the sessive sect masters, few hadprehended it.

    And the price of the Mountain Severing Abyss had dropped from the initial one million contribution points to just three hundred thousand, yet still, no one had mastered it.

    He Luohua thought of that giant snake puppet.

    As soon as it entered the Purple Mist Pavilion, it eagerly read that jade slip. Could it be that it mastered it in that instant?

    "Retreat first!"

    Whether it was a bluff or real, He Luohua made a decisive decision and quickly retreated.

    "Boom!!"

    A giant mountain suddenly rose from the ground. This mountain, towering five hundred feet high, blocked out the sky and the sun, standing like a giant pir behind He Luohua, cutting off her retreat.

    But it wasn''t over yet. Another mountain shot up into the sky, blocking another direction for He Luohua.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    One mountain after another began to move crazily, as if they were alive, quickly shifting among the mountains, forming a continuous chain that sealed off all directions for He Luohua.

    Moving mountains, moving mountains, moving a mountain with a single thought, this was beyond human capability!

    Among the Core Formation Stage cultivators, only the Mountain-moving Patriarch could easily achieve this!

    Xu Hei''s eyes were already bleeding, and Hei Huang was also giving it his all.

    Countless mountains connected into a single mass, pressing down on He Luohua, resembling the end of the world.

    "You''ve forced me to this extent! So be it!"

    He Luohua''s eyes shed like lightning. She took out a talisman and ced it on her forehead.

    "Teleport!"

    The space around her subtly twisted, and in the next second, He Luohua vanished from her original spot. When she reappeared, she had already escaped the encirclement of the mountains and was outside the mountain range.

    "Small Teleportation Talisman!" Hei Huang eximed.

    The Small Teleportation Talisman, simr to the Minor Teleportation Formation, was an instant-cast, highly valuable item that required rare Void Stones to craft. It could perform a teleportation ability that only Elemental Infant cultivators could use.

    This was definitely one of He Luohua''s trump cards.

    He Luohua''s face showed a pained expression. This was a relic given by her Daopanion years ago, and now she had to use it.

    But before she could even take a breath, she was horrified.

    In front of her, the mountains had unknowingly formed a curve.

    All the mountains connected together, resembling a giant snake coiling in the forest, with the head of the snake being the foremost peak, facing her directly.

    "Is this really the Mountain Severing Abyss?"

    He Luohua suddenly felt that the move in front of her was somewhat different from the records.

    "Old bastard, today is your death day, die!"

    Xu Hei, using hisst breath, let out a low shout. Endless pain spread from his divine sense throughout his body, and he fell unconscious. The Mountain-moving Patriarch''s Golden Core also exhausted itsst bit of energy.

    In the next second, the giant snake formed by the mountain range let out a hiss and, with overwhelming pressure, charged towards He Luohua.

    At this moment, He Luohua felt an imminent sense of death.

    Unstoppable, unstoppable!

    "How is this possible!"

    He Luohua screamed, taking out all her magical treasures and throwing them forward while retreating rapidly.

    The mountain snake charged forward, its massive body and tail stretching for miles, like a sky-swallowing serpent, carrying immense pressure, crashing into the radiance formed by countless magical treasures.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    With a series of explosive sounds, many Core Formation Stage magical treasures were shattered upon impact. The head of the mountain snake disintegrated into nothingness, but the rest of its body continued to surge forward.

    The head was gone, the neck was gone, the body was gone. The thousand-foot-long mountain snake shattered halfway, turning into countless flying rocks, raining down like a storm.

    The remaining part still charged forward, hitting He Luohua as she tried to escape.

    "Ugh!!!"

    With a violent explosion, He Luohua spat out blood. A copper mirror inside her body shattered into pieces, but she was thrown forward as if hit by a heavy object, her speed increasing a thousandfold, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The mountain snake finally lost its power and fell to the ground, forming a snake-shaped mountain range.

    The Mountain-moving Patriarch also exhausted his Golden Core and sat weakly on the ground.

    Hei Huang let out a long breath, his body feeling weak. Even with his spirit, he almost fainted.

    "This move must be Xu Hei''s creation, it''s ridiculous! Let''s go, let''s go!"

    Hei Huang was about to carry Xu Hei away when he saw Xu Hei''s eyes still open.

    His consciousness had long been unconscious, but his eyes were still wide open, still transmitting divine thoughts, like talking in his sleep.

    "She''s not dead yet, go, go finish her off..."

    Xu Hei''s consciousness was gone, but his instincts were still speaking.

    "Finish off my ass! Be careful or someone will finish you off."

    Hei Huang cursed, carrying Xu Hei on his back.

    Xu Hei''s body automatically manifested ayer of earth-brown armor, the thick earth armor, and the jade pendant inside him emitted a faint protective light.

    "This..." Hei Huang was speechless.

    Even unconscious, he could still automatically defend himself. How many backup ns did he have?

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to eat you, no need to be afraid."

    Hei Huang sighed helplessly, putting the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s corpse into a storage bag, and collecting the three fallen flying swords on the ground. These were Core Formation Stage magical treasures, which might be exchanged for high-grade spirit stones.

    Earlier, these three flying swords had been stuck by the Earth Shield, making them quite a valuable haul.

    In the distance, at the edge of the forest, ck dots appeared. It seemed that people from miles away had heard themotion and wereing to investigate.

    "Just wait, I''ll get back at you sooner orter!"

    Hei Huang didn''t hesitate any longer. His eyes turned cold, he activated the Invisibility Talisman, and his figure disappeared.

    ...

    Outside the Purple Mist Sect.

    An old woman, covered in blood, her clothes tattered and hair disheveled, flew in from the horizon.

    She staggered while flying, her figure unsteady, and fell from the sky.

    "Patriarch!"

    Sect Master Shen Qingzhu eximed, rushing forward immediately. The elders behind her also hurriedly moved up to catch He Luohua.

    He Luohua broke free, speaking urgently, "That demon is near death. Everyone, listen to mymand, search the mountains immediately, dig three feet deep if you have to, but capture that old demon!"

    He Luohua waved her hand, drawing portraits of Xu Hei and Hei Huang, then spat out a mouthful of blood and copsed, surrounded by a chorus of urgent cries.

 Chapter 71: Storms come to the Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom

    Chapter 71: Stormse to the Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom

    The sect leader, Shen Qingzhu, immediately issued an order: "All elders and disciples, heed mymand. Search the mountain and find that old demon, dead or alive!"

    Everyone epted the order and entered the deep mountains.

    However, although they entered the mountain, their minds were filled with different thoughts, and there was a hint of fear in their eyes.

    "That demon almost killed an ancestor in the Core Formation Stage. If we go, isn''t it just courting death?"

    "No way, this demon is too terrifying. We can''t provoke it!"

    "The sect leader''s order cannot be disobeyed, so let''s just put on a show."

    The Purple Mist Sect was different from other sects. Most of its disciples had never experienced life-and-death battles. After practicing the Purple Mist Technique, they had a more rxed cultivation method. Why risk their lives outside?

    Especially in such an environment, if you risk your life, you are seen as not fitting in, pretending to be aloof, and you will be ostracized.

    This led to very few people truly willing to search for that old demon.From elders to disciples, they all behaved the same.

    They grouped in threes and fives, wandering leisurely in the mountains, more like they were on a sightseeing tour.

    ...

    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

    The news from the Purple Mist Sect swept through the entire Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom like a storm.

    A mysterious demon broke into the Purple Mist Sect to steal pills and was chased for thousands of miles by the fifth-generation ancestor. The ancestor was defeated and retreated with serious injuries.

    Those who heard the news were all shocked.

    In the Southern Region, the death of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was already big news. Now, a demonic cultivator in the Core Formation Stage had appeared, which was an earth-shattering event.

    A demonic cultivator in the Core Formation Stage had the power to destroy a sect!

    But the most outrageous part was yet toe.

    ording to the fifth-generation ancestor, the demon had stolen the corpse of the Mountain-moving Patriarch and refined it into a puppet, which gave it such power.

    The Southern Region was in an uproar.

    ...

    The Mountain Movers Sect, a great sect that had stood for five hundred years, was unprecedentedly furious.

    "Stealing our ancestor''s corpse, we must tear that demon to pieces!"

    "Increase the bounty, make it ten times the previous amount!"

    "Retrieve the ancestor''s corpse!"

    The Mountain Movers Sect made searching for the demon their top priority. Elders and disciples were all dispatched, patrolling the southern forests, capturing all dogs and snakes they encountered.

    The Carefree Sect, also a three-hundred-year-old great sect.

    Last time, they lost ten disciples while hunting a herd of mammoths. ording to Hua Yuntian, it was caused by the demon who could use the Earth Spike.

    "Kill! Avenge our ten fallen disciples!"

    "Kill, hunt down the demon!"

    The Carefree Sect also mobilized on arge scale, making the task their top priority.

    The remaining Tai Xuan Sect also issued the highest-level mission to track down the demon.

    The Snake Catchers Sect, as the leading sect in the Southern Region.

    Xuan Yangzi finally understood who had killed his avatar.

    "A dog and a snake, huh, interesting."

    The Snake Catchers Sect issued a bounty.

    Providing clues would reward 200 spirit stones and 100,000 contribution points.

    Killing the demon would reward 500 spirit stones and 300,000 contribution points.

    This was an unprecedentedly high bounty, not only tempting all cultivators in the Southern Region but also attracting many outsiders.

    This was a grand hunt, reaching an unprecedented peak in the fervor for hunting demonic beasts.

    ...

    At the border of the Qin Kingdom, on the Yanluo River.

    A giant official ship was sailing in the fierce wind. Inside the ship sat a middle-aged man in luxurious clothes, sipping wine and muttering to himself, "Mountain-moving Patriarch? Puppet?"

    "Hehe, I wonder which chosen one could have mastered our sect''s puppet techniques to such an extent. I''m quite curious. If possible, I''d like to take them as a disciple."

    ...

    In the southern forests of the Chu Kingdom, in an area burned by a mountain fire.

    The scorched vegetation had been cleared, the mountains had been restored, and the terrain was t. Several scattered giant peaks stood around like guards, protecting the center.

    Many mortal carpenters and masons were building houses, digging wells, and paving bluestone streets.

    This was a branch base established by the snake catchers.

    After two months of construction, the ce had taken shape, with pavilions and houses everywhere. The inner and outer gates, medicine garden, spirit fields, and za were clearly divided. It was estimated that in another six months, it would be officiallypleted.

    If cultivators did the work, the efficiency would be faster, but few cultivators were willing to do such chores as it consumed a lot of spiritual qi. Most of the time, mortals were hired to do the preliminary work, and the cultivators would only do some formation reinforcement at the end.

    Only some Qi Refining Stage disciples were here to supervise.

    Zhao Wenzhuo was the chief supervisor here, as he was most familiar with the area.

    At this moment, Zhao Wenzhuo was sitting in his cave dwelling, holding apass in his hand. This was the Destiny Compass, used for divination, left to him by his master.

    On the other side were some misceneous items: a piece of snake bone and some old magical artifacts.

    These items were bought by him in Linjiang City of the Qin Kingdom, which were stolen goods sold by Hei Huang.

    Upon learning that Xuan Yangzi''s avatar''s storage bag was stolen, he deduced that the thief would go to the Qin Kingdom to sell the stolen goods, and he followed the trail, finding clues in Linjiang City.

    Moreover, he discovered that an outer disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect in Linjiang City had gone missing.

    Combining this with the recent appearance of arge number of puppets in the Purple Mist Sect, his suspicions were confirmed.

    "These clues should be enough to im the bounty."

    Zhao Wenzhuo took a deep breath, his eyes burning with excitement.

    Two months ago, Zhao Wenzhuo had already found clues to locate the thief, but the bounty was too low, so he hadn''t acted.

    Now was the best time to act.

    "However, I always feel that a storm is brewing here, as if something big is about to happen. The divination result is also a great omen."

    Zhao Wenzhuo stared at thepass in his hand, pondering, and shook his head. "No matter what, once I get the bounty, I''ll leave this ce. No matter how dangerous it gets, it won''t concern me."

    ...

    Xu Hei didn''t know how long he had been unconscious.

    In a daze, he had many dreams.

    He dreamed of entering a pigsty, stealing a fat pig, and encountering Chen Fan, who imed to be an immortal.

    He also dreamed of being disturbed by Chen Fan''s remnant thoughts, worshipping at the Mountain God Temple, and finally suppressing those thoughts.

    One by one, the past events he had experienced resurfaced in his mind.

    Until finally, he fought a fierce battle with He Luohua and was severely injured and fell unconscious.

    "Young one, do you feel that your strength is insufficient?"

    Suddenly, a vague and ethereal voice echoed in Xu Hei''s mind.

    Xu Hei was startled and looked up at the sky, seeing a giant cauldron floating above. The cauldron was engraved with a flood dragon coiled around its body.

    This was the Demon God Cauldron!

    The voice seemed toe from the flood dragon engraved on the cauldron.

    "Who are you, senior?" Xu Hei instinctively asked.

    "Who I am is not important. If you want to be stronger, you must reach Foundation Establishment. Once you do, I will answer all your questions."

    "However, it seems your cultivation technique is missing something."

    The ethereal voice continued, and the Demon God Cauldron slowly rotated, the flood dragon seemingly staring at him.

    "Missing something?"

    Xu Hei''s heart stirred, and he hurriedly asked, "Can you teach me theplete technique, senior?"

    "Theplete technique is in your heart. You mustprehend it yourself; others cannot teach it to you."

    As the voice faded, the Demon God Cauldron turned into a beam of light and entered Xu Hei''s forehead.

    "Descendant of my n, you mustprehend,prehend well!"

    "Your path will be ten times, a hundred times more difficult than others! But once you seed, you will be ten times, a hundred times stronger than others!"

    "Remember, the key toprehension lies in the word ''reverse.''"

    "..."

 Chapter 72: Breakthrough to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Communion Stage

    Chapter 72: Breakthrough to the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Communion Stage

    Xu Hei woke up, unsure of how many days had passed.

    Recalling the words from his dream, Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

    "Reverse? What does it mean to reverse?"

    "Speaking in riddles, why do these seniors always like to be so cryptic?"

    Unable to make sense of it, Xu Hei shook his head and decided not to dwell on it.

    He looked inward at his body. The Demon God Cauldron was still as it was, but the spiritual qi within had expanded from a water ball to a pool. Unknowingly, he had broken through to the eighthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    His head still felt dizzy, a side effect of taking too many Divine Explosion Pills.

    However, his divine sense had grown significantly stronger, now extending to an astonishing range of two hundred meters.

    To put it into perspective, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Hua Yuntian had a divine sense range of only three hundred meters.This ce looked familiar; it was his own cave dwelling. In the neighboring cave, Xu Bai was busy refining pills.

    "Phew!"

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    He was back.

    Xu Hei moved slightly, feeling a bit stiff but otherwise fine.

    To his surprise, the scales on his tail had fully regrown.

    Moreover, their number had almost doubled, covering half of his tail.

    "This breakthrough actually caused so many scales to grow?"

    Xu Hei was astonished.

    In the past, his scales would only grow wildly when his physical body made rapid progress and underwent extreme tempering.

    He couldn''t figure it out, but it was definitely a good thing.

    After multiple tests, Xu Hei had a rough understanding of the power of these special ck Gold Scales.

    Against anything below the Core Formation Stage, they were invincible!

    However, they couldn''t inflict fatal damage on Core Formation Stage cultivators.

    Even third-tier flying swords could only leave numerous small nicks rather than cutting through them, indicating that the sharpness of these scales had its limits.

    Being able to deal with Foundation Establishment cultivators was already satisfactory for Xu Hei.

    Of course, he wouldn''t be so arrogant as to actually fight a Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on. In a real fight, his scales might not even touch the opponent before he was killed.

    Human cultivators were notoriously fragile but had extremely strong attacks and numerous magical treasures and life-saving items.

    Demonic beasts focused more on physical body enhancement. Even without protective magical treasures, they could withstand most attacks.

    Xu Hei had both a strong physical body and spells, along with magical treasures for protection, giving him multiple advantages. However, surpassing his level was still very difficult.

    "I wonder where the old dog ran off to. Otherwise, I could ask him about the ws in my cultivation technique," Xu Hei muttered.

    Recalling his previous near-death experiences, Xu Hei cursed Hei Huang in his heart.

    "Nine out of ten chances, my foot! Almost got killed by a Core Formation Stage cultivator."

    Xu Hei took out everything he had obtained from the Purple Mist Sect andid it out in front of him.

    There were over ten gourds of pills, all of high quality, including second-tier pills suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    There were fiverge boxes filled with medicinal herbs.

    There were also many seeds, pill furnaces, and jade slips containing pill refining insights.

    As a major sect specializing in pill refining, the Purple Mist Sect did not disappoint in the pill department.

    "With these pills, I won''tck any until I reach Foundation Establishment, and there will even be enough left over for Xu Bai."

    Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, Divine Explosion Pills, Rejuvenation Pills, Shaoyang Powder... there were even two precious Foundation Establishment Pills.

    This was the reward for surviving a near-death experience.

    Xu Hei suddenly realized that without Hei Huang, where would he be now?

    Without Hei Huang urging him to take risks, without going to Linjiang City, without learning puppet techniques, without going to the Purple Mist Sect.

    Without all those risks, what would he be?

    Perhaps he would still be a mid-stage Spirit Communion snake demon, hiding in some corner, barely surviving, unnoticed and unpursued.

    In another decade or so, his lifespan would end, and he would turn into a pile of yellow earth.

    Xu Hei let out a long sigh.

    "A snake''s life is short, just ten years. If I don''t fight against the heavens, the earth, and people, how can I talk about immortality?"

    After thinking for a long time, Xu Hei decided not to worry about the risks anymore. Since it was all in the past, it was all worth it.

    In a way, Hei Huang had indeed helped him a lot.

    ...

    Xu Hei went to Xu Bai''s neighboring cave dwelling.

    Perhaps due to frequent copses, this cave was exceptionally spacious, like a giant za, and reinforced with some kind of formation to stabilize the structure.

    The pill furnaces Xu Bai had been using were all broken, and she had a new one from who knows where.

    "Xu Hei, you''re awake?" Xu Bai said joyfully.

    Xu Hei nced around the cave dwelling. It was filled with soil, nted with spirit medicine and spiritual herbs, and even had a Serpent Tree growing.

    In the corner, there was a pigsty with several fat pigs, likely used for testing pills.

    "How long was I unconscious?"

    "Not long, just half a month."

    "..."

    Xu Hei was speechless. He had been unconscious for half a month.

    Wasn''t winter approaching? He needed to find a ce to hibernate.

    However, now that he was at the eighthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, it was uncertain whether he still needed to hibernate like in previous years.

    "This pill refining cave of yours is quite impressive."

    Xu Hei smiled, taking out arge pile of pill furnaces, medicinal herbs, and jade slips on pill refining, and handed them over.

    He had already examined these items; they were of little use to him but were invaluable treasures for Xu Bai, who was dedicated to pill refining.

    Xu Bai''s eyes immediately lit up, and she rushed over, delighted by the sight of so many treasures.

    "Are all these for me?"

    "Yes, they''re useless to me. Study them well," Xu Hei said.

    Xu Bai was so excited she could hardly speak, her body trembling.

    She quickly took out a few gourds of pills and said excitedly, "Xu Hei, I''ll give you these pills as a reward."

    "No, no! I can''t ept that!"

    Xu Hei''s forehead darkened.

    "Don''t underestimate a snake. The pills I refine now are really useful; even dogs praise them!"

    Xu Bai said proudly, her head held high.

    Dogs praise them... Xu Hei thought to himself, could that dog be Er Gou?

    However, since Xu Bai had a talent for pill refining, the pills shouldn''t be as deadly as before.

    Xu Hei opened the first gourd and sniffed it. It had the scent of a Strength Pill.

    Amon body-tempering pill that Xu Hei had taken before.

    "Better test it on a pig first."

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and then crawled over to the pigsty in the corner, where Xu Bai kept several fat pigs.

    "Are these pigs for testing pills?" Xu Hei asked.

    "Pigs?" Xu Bai was puzzled for a moment and then said, "Look closely. These are all rats, not pigs."

    "Rats?"

    Xu Hei was shocked and looked closely.

    In the pigsty, there were indeed a bunch of fat, white creatures. On closer inspection, they were actually giant rats.

    Because they were sorge and covered in greasy fat, Xu Hei hadn''t looked carefully.

    Xu Hei was so shocked he took several steps back, trembling, "Th-these..."

 Chapter 73: Doing good and accumulating virtue, Bodhisattva Xu

    Chapter 73: Doing good and umting virtue, Bodhisattva Xu

    "Why has this white mouse grown so big?" Xu Hei hurriedly asked.

    "It''s quite simple..."

    Xu Bai activated the Gravity Technique, grabbed a Strength Pill from her gourd, and took a small white mouse out of her Spirit Beast Bag.

    Then, she tossed the Strength Pill into the mouse''s mouth.

    She put the mouse down, and its body began to swell, its bones crackling, flesh growing wildly, and its tail curling up.

    In the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the mouse had transformed into a fat, plump pig.

    Because it was so fat, Xu Hei couldn''t tell if it was a mouse or a pig.

    "..." Xu Hei was so scared he almost fell over.

    Damn it, is this the effect of the Strength Pill?"In battles with demonic beasts, size is everything. As long as your body is big and strong, you can defeat your enemies! Even a mouse can beat a cat if it eats this Strength Pill," Xu Bai said proudly.

    "Squeak!!"

    The enormous mouse let out a sharp cry and rammed into the rock wall. With a loud crash, the wall caved in.

    Xu Hei swallowed hard.

    This strength had indeed increased significantly.

    In a way, it really was a Strength Pill, no doubt about it.

    But no one expected it to turn out like this. Xu Hei thought for a moment and decided against trying one himself.

    Next time, he''d catch a cultivator and have them try it.

    Xu Hei nced at the remaining gourds of pills, which included Minor Essence Nurturing Pills, Awakening Pills, Bone Strengthening Pills, Blood Replenishing Pills, and others, all quitemon.

    The pills were still the same, and he recognized each one.

    But as for their specific effects, only the heavens knew.

    Xu Hei took out a brand-new storage bag and marked it with a skull symbol.

    Then, he carefully ced these pills into the storage bag to avoid mixing them with other pills.

    "What''s this mark?" Xu Bai asked, puzzled.

    "It''s a bottom-of-the-chest mark, indicating that precious items are stored inside and shouldn''t be shown to others lightly," Xu Hei exined seriously.

    "Oh! I see." Xu Bai nodded heavily.

    Xu Hei immediately left the cave dwelling.

    He didn''t know what Hei Huang would think when he saw these pills, but he didn''t want to care.

    At that moment, Xu Hei had a sudden inspiration and came up with an idea.

    ¡ªSince Xu Bai couldn''t refine proper pills, what if she tried making poison instead?

    But this thought quickly vanished, and Xu Hei shook his head.

    "No way, if she turns proper pills into this, making poison might end up killing herself."

    Xu Hei shook his head vigorously, abandoning the terrifying thought.

    He had heard of the risks of being a poison master; one wrong move, and you could poison yourself and the whole vige, leaving nothing alive for miles around.

    As a mildly venomous snake, Xu Hei had never used poison to attack his opponents.

    He couldn''t rely on her for pills in the future; he''d have to rely on himself.

    Fortunately, this trip had yielded enough, so Xu Hei didn''t have to worry about pills for now.

    The only problem was that all his puppets were gone.

    The materials for making puppets had long been exhausted, and only the Heavenly Puppet Sect had them.

    Xu Hei had no choice but to settle for some hard rocks as substitutes.

    Rock puppets were among the lower-level puppet techniques, easily distinguishable from the real thing.

    Unlike his previous creations, which could pass for real.

    "Let''s make some rock puppets for now," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A few dayster.

    Xu Hei hovered in front of a granite mine, where he had already dug arge pit.

    In front of him was a pile of stone puppets, all purple, in various shapes: human, snake, dog, lizard, and more.

    These were made from the granite he had dug up, with a strength barely reaching thete Qi Refining Stage.

    Moreover, they couldn''t cast spells and could only throw stones at most.

    "Granite puppets, how poor must a disciple be to make these?"

    Xu Hei was speechless. If the disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect saw this, they''dugh their heads off.

    They had seen poor people before, but never this poor!

    Rocks were everywhere; this was no different from trash.

    It was only because Xu Hei had Earth Spiritual Roots to support him that these puppets were even slightly useful. For anyone else, these puppets would be utterly useless.

    Xu Hei sighed and stored the granite puppets in his storage bag.

    He didn''t idle around afterward.

    Although he had made the puppets, he still needed to test their power.

    Xu Hei found a t, open area and had the puppets try to concentrate their attacks on a target.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    The puppets received themand and simultaneouslyunched a barrage of stones at the target, riddling it with holes.

    This was the granite puppets'' attack method, using Earth Element Spells, specifically the Flying Stone Technique.

    To put it bluntly, they just threw stones.

    However, with so many stones thrown at once, the scene was quite spectacr. It might even be enough to crush a cultivator to death, given the power of the granite.

    "I wonder where that old dog has gone; I hope he brings back some materials."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Then, Xu Hei had a sudden idea.

    Could he increase the number of puppets?

    If individual strength wasn''t enough, he could use numbers. If thirty weren''t enough, then fifty, a hundred, two hundred, three hundred...

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense was now much stronger, so he might be able to control a massive army of granite puppets.

    "Let''s do it and see how many I can control," Xu Hei thought excitedly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Hundreds of miles away.

    In the mountains, a bloodied figure was running frantically into the depths of the forest.

    If Xu Hei were here, he would recognize this person as Xiao Chou, the disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect, often cursed as a bastard.

    Ten miles behind Xiao Chou, two Snake Catchers were chasing him, both at the Foundation Establishment Stage. One of them was Hua Yuntian.

    "Xiao Chou, you little bastard, how dare you attack me? Today is your death day; not even the gods can save you!"

    Hua Yuntian''s vicious voice echoed as he touched his severed arm, the anger in his eyes growing fiercer.

    One of the Snake Catchers beside him said, "To be able to hold us off at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage, this kid is no simpleton!"

    Both of them sped up, searching through the dense forest.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the following days, Xu Hei entered a long period of secluded cultivation.

    With plenty of pills, his daily routine consisted of taking pills, cultivating, taking more pills, and tempering his body.

    He also practiced his puppet techniques.

    Xu Hei found that he could control up to a hundred granite puppets, but to be safe, he prepared a total of five hundred puppets.

    He had already hollowed out the entire granite mine.

    It was only because Xu Hei had enough pills that he dared to dig so recklessly.

    With so many puppets, his storage bag couldn''t hold them all, so Xu Hei stored them in a pitch-ck jade stone, which had a huge space, more than enough to fit them all.

    Additionally, Xu Hei spent some time each day patrolling the area to check for any signs of human activity.

    With Hei Huang gone, Xu Hei had to stay vignt.

    They had caused such amotion that humans were bound to send many cultivators into the mountains, so Xu Hei had to be on guard.

    If any humans came near, he would immediately relocate.

    Time flew by.

    One day, Xu Hei released a small snake puppet for his routine scouting.

    He had set up many sensing talismans around the area, which were extremely sensitive to spiritual power. If a cultivator passed by, the talisman would disintegrate on its own.

    That day, he noticed that one of the sensing talismans had disappeared.

    "Is there a cultivator here?"

    Xu Hei was startled and sent out the small snake to investigate.

    The sensing talisman''s range was five hundred meters, or one mile.

    The small snake searched through various areas and finally found bloodstains on the ground in an inconspicuous spot.

    "Hmm? This person is injured?"

    Xu Hei frowned and followed the blood trail, eventually finding a severely injured young man by a mountain spring.

    Xu Hei had seen this person before.

    It was Xiao Chou, the dark-skinned, honest-looking disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Xu Hei didn''t know him personally, but he had heard plenty about him from the gossipy women of the Purple Mist Sect.

    It was said that this guy had formed a Daopanionship with Silver Bell but hadn''t even held her hand. He had even given away his hard-earned Foundation Establishment Pills.

    Calling him a weirdo was an understatement.

    "Seeing you in such pain, I''ll send you to reunite with that girl."

    Xu Hei was about to finish him off but then stopped.

    "Wait a minute! Aren''t I in need of a pill tester? Isn''t this a perfect opportunity?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up.

    He didn''t dare try Xu Bai''s pills himself and needed someone to test them. This was perfect!

    However, this guy had managed to hold his own against Hua Yuntian, so he wasn''t easy to control.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to risk capturing a dangerous individual.

    "Poof!"

    Just as Xu Hei was hesitating, Xiao Chou spat out a mouthful of blood and copsed by the spring, unconscious.

    "Dead?"

    Xu Hei controlled the small snake to approach and found that he wasn''t dead.

    The guy was barely alive, severely injured, and poisoned by snake venom, which prevented his wounds from clotting. He would bleed to death within half an hour.

    If Xu Hei still worried about being hurt by this half-dead person, he might as well give up.

    The small snake coiled around Xiao Chou and dragged him into a ground hole.

    Xiao Chouy there,pletely unconscious. Xu Hei thought for a moment and decided to save him first.

    He''d leave the rest to Hei Huang when he returned, as he was better at controlling people.

    "You''re losing too much blood; let''s start with a Blood Replenishing Pill."

    Xu Hei tapped the storage bag marked with a skull and took out a Blood Replenishing Pill.

    Then, a human-shaped granite puppet carried the pill into the cave and ced it in Xiao Chou''s mouth.

    The pill melted instantly.

    Xu Hei watched with his Divine Sense to observe Xiao Chou''s reaction.

    The Blood Replenishing Pill not only restored blood but also healed wounds and expelled poison.

    In no time, Xiao Chou''s wounds began to heal, stopped bleeding, and his breathing stabilized.

    It looked like he was going to make it.

    "Heh, this is my first time saving someone; I guess I''m doing a good deed."

    Xu Hei chuckled to himself.

    He took out a magical rope, intending to tie Xiao Chou up.

    Suddenly, Xiao Chou''s abdomen heaved, and waves of powerful blood energy surged from his body, inting his blood vessels.

    "Hmm?" Xu Hei was stunned.

    When the blood energy reached its peak...

    "Poof!!!"

    Xiao Chou spewed a long stream of blood, shooting ten meters high and sttering on the cave ceiling.

    Xu Hei was stunned for a full two seconds.

    "My goodness!" Xu Hei''s jaw almost dropped.

    The effect of the Blood Replenishing Pill was too strong; one pill had such an impact?

    But the absurdity didn''t end there.

    Once it started, it couldn''t stop!

    Xiao Chou kept spewing blood, like a human fountain, hitting the ceiling with high-pressure blood jets.

    The intense blood energy caused the cave to rumble, showing signs of copse.

    "No, if this continues, it''ll never end. I need to stop the bleeding."

    Xu Hei thought quickly and had a granite puppet rush over to cover Xiao Chou''s mouth.

 Chapter 74: Great compassion and great mercy save the world

    Chapter 74: Greatpassion and great mercy save the world

    "Pfft!!"

    Blood spurted from his nose, Xu Hei tried to block it, but it ended up spraying from his rear.

    Finally, Xu Hei blocked all his orifices, and Xiao Chou swelled up like a balloon, continuously expanding.

    "Damn! When will this end?!"

    Xu Hei was furious. The puppet punched Xiao Chou in the face, and with a "bang," blood sttered as Xiao Chou flew backward, crashing into the stone wall and embedding himself in it.

    Momentster, he peeled off the wall, leaving a human-shaped indentation, and fell to the ground, motionless like a dead dog.

    Xu Hei waited for a while and noticed that Xiao Chou finally stopped bleeding, letting out a sigh of relief.

    "Fists are still the most effective. This Blood Replenishing Pill''s recovery effect is too strong; it needs to be countered with some attacks," Xu Hei nodded to himself.

    He checked and found that Xiao Chou''splexion was rosy, significantly improved.It showed that the Blood Replenishing Pill was indeed effective.

    However, Xiao Chou''s face was twisted, looking like a mask of pain.

    "Hey? Where are you ufortable? You need to tell me!" Xu Hei hurriedly said.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment, manipted the puppet, and grabbed Xiao Chou''s leg, lifting him upside down.

    Xu Hei shook him and made the puppet speak in a human voice, "Hey! Wake up! Wake up! Speak!"

    He swung Xiao Chou around a few times in mid-air but found that he still didn''t wake up, his expression only bing more contorted.

    "Strange, what does that expression mean?"

    Xu Hei looked puzzled.

    His gaze swept over to Xiao Chou''s storage bag at his waist.

    Xu Hei immediately smiled.

    "Not talking, huh? Let''s see what''s in your storage bag."

    Xu Hei put him on the ground and grabbed his storage bag.

    Xiao Chou unconsciously reached out, trying to grab it back, his face struggling as if he wanted to resist.

    Xu Hei snorted, took out the demon-binding rope, and tied him up tightly several times.

    "What treasures are you hiding, afraid others might see?"

    Xu Hei chuckled, tied Xiao Chou up a few more times, and tossed him aside. Then, he spent a stick of incense''s time removing the Divine Sense imprint on the storage bag.

    He shook the storage bag, and its contents spilled out onto the ground.

    Seeing these items, Xu Hei was stunned.

    "This... how is he so poor?"

    To Xu Hei''s surprise, there wasn''t a single Spirit Stone in the storage bag.

    No pills, talismans, or magical treasures, just some white steamed buns, a handful of pickles, a gourd of water, and some clothes and misceneous items.

    Is this really a cultivator''s storage bag?

    If he didn''t know better, Xu Hei would have thought he had captured a mortal.

    Any random Qi Refining Stage cultivator would be wealthier than this.

    Xu Hei was disappointed, thinking he had found some treasure.

    Xu Hei scanned the pile of misceneous items and found a bamboo slip with some writing on it.

    Curious, Xu Hei started to read its contents.

    The content was quite peculiar, like a diary.

    "Yesterday, I spent thirty Spirit Stones to buy Silver Bell Fairy''s clothes. She said she wouldn''t sell them to anyone else for a hundred Spirit Stones, only to me, which means she has feelings for me..."

    "Just got beaten up by Young Master Hua. I wanted to resist, but I didn''t because you said you liked honest people..."

    Reading aloud in front of Xiao Chou, Xu Hei noticed Xiao Chou''s expression bing increasingly pained and twisted.

    Xu Hei skimmed through a few more lines and couldn''t bear to read any further.

    There were even more bizarre entries like "Silver Bell gave him a strand of hair, and he gave her a Foundation Establishment Pill in return, thinking he made a profit," which left Xu Hei speechless.

    "This guy must have gone mad."

    Xu Hei muttered to himself, unable to understand Xiao Chou''s thought process. If he wanted to mate, he should just knock her out; why go through all this trouble?

    No wonder he''s so poor; it''s a miracle if he had any money.

    Xu Hei nced at Xiao Chou, who was still unconscious, which wasn''t good.

    His expressions were rich, indicating his body still had sensation, but he just couldn''t wake up.

    "Seeing you so pitiful, I''ll be a good person to the end and wake you up."

    Xu Hei patted the skeleton''s storage bag and took out a light yellow pill.

    Awakening Pills, essential for refreshing the mind during cultivation.

    Without hesitation, he stuffed the pill into Xiao Chou''s mouth.

    "Ugh!"

    Unexpectedly, Xiao Chou coughed violently, spitting the pill out.

    "Hey? You dare not eat it!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened, about to force-feed him again, but saw a wisp of smoke emanating from the Awakening Pill, its medicinal properties starting to disperse, instantly filling the entire cave dwelling.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s puppet was operating, while his main body was outside the cave dwelling.

    Even so, Xu Hei''s main body smelled an indescribable stench seeping out from the cave dwelling.

    The odor permeated the stone walls, the soilyers, and could be smelled from hundreds of meters away!

    "What, what is this smell?"

    Xu Hei''s face changed dramatically. He retreated several meters, the stench growing stronger, continuously seeping out from the cave dwelling, so foul it almost made him vomit.

    "Ugh!!!"

    The unconscious Xiao Chou suddenly sprang up, clutching his throat and vomiting violently, expelling all the food in his stomach, even bile.

    The stench was unimaginably strong.

    Even the puppet felt its eyes burning, and the stone surface seemed to be corroding.

    "Ah!!" Xu Hei screamed and fled in panic.

    He burrowed a hundred meters underground and used a golden shield Talisman to seal the space, barely escaping the smell.

    "Is this really an Awakening Pill?" Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    Xiao Chou was also dizzy from the stench, unable to sleep any longer.

    He actually woke up slowly.

    Xiao Chouy on the ground, weak and trembling, speaking to the stone puppet, "Senior... please..."

    Xu Hei was stunned, quickly controlling the puppet to approach, saying in a muffled voice, "Speak, I''m listening."

    Xiao Chou''s expression was extremely pained, seemingly holding his breath, but the smell kept invading, making his face turn blue and purple.

    "Senior, can you... give me... a quick death?"

    A trembling voice came out.

    Xiao Chou had never wanted to die so strongly in his life.

    Previously, when being chased by those two, he had fought desperately to escape, not wanting to die.

    But now, in the hands of this stone puppet, it felt like he had fallen into hell, enduring the greatest torment of his life.

    Both physically and mentally, he was tortured beyond endurance.

    He was tired, he didn''t want to live anymore, just wanted a quick release.

    Xu Hei shook his head at these words.

    "How can that be? I saved you with great effort, how can you just die like that!"

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand why anyone would want to die.

    "Senior! I really..."

    Xiao Chou''s tears flowed down.

    "Hey, you''re a grown man, why are you crying?"

    Xu Hei was even more puzzled.

    At this moment, several kilometers away.

    Hua Yuntian and anotherpanion were following the trail, searching through the forest. Along the way, they found many traces of blood.

    "Heh, that kid was poisoned by a thousand snakes and ran this far. He''s probably dead by now," Hua Yuntian sneered.

    "I heard he spent all his wealth on Foundation Establishment Pills and has no life-saving items. He''s most likely dead," the other person nodded in agreement.

    Hua Yuntian smirked, following the blood trail.

    "Even if he''s dead, I want to see his corpse."

    As he walked forward, he suddenly stopped.

    Hua Yuntian''s nose twitched, his face contorting slightly. He suddenly rushed to a nearby tree and started vomiting.

    "Ugh!!"

    The other person was puzzled, but within five seconds, he too was retching on the ground.

    "What, what is this smell?"

    "I can''t take it, I''ve never smelled anything this foul in my life!"

    "I can''t even open my eyes."

 Chapter 75: Xu Heis Self-Created Stone Man Formation

    Chapter 75: Xu Hei''s Self-Created Stone Man Formation

    Awakening Pills were originally meant to act on the primordial spirit, clearing the mind.

    But now, they still act on the primordial spirit, making one equally clear-headed.

    Just in a different way.

    Hua Yuntian kept retching; he couldn''t stand it and had to retreat, and the other person was the same.

    They had tried to seal their mouths and noses with True Qi, but it was useless, as if even their souls could smell the stench.

    Finally, Xu Hei appeared, took out a sealing talisman, and pped it on the Awakening Pill.

    "Seal!"

    With a low shout, the sealing talisman wrapped around the Awakening Pill and put it away.

    Only then did the stench slowly dissipate."Phew!"

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    He had never smelled anything so foul in his life. Normally, one would adapt to a stench after staying in it for a while, but this smell only got worse, not better.

    It affected not just the physical body but also the spirit.

    "This pill is too outrageous; it must never be tried lightly again."

    Xu Hei was still in shock.

    At this moment, Xiao Chou''s face was pale, his eyes vacant, staring nkly at the ceiling as if he had lost his soul.

    He was awake, but almost dead.

    "Kill me, kill me..."

    He kept mumbling.

    Xu Hei sighed helplessly, pped him hard, causing blood to spurt from his nose, and knocked him out.

    Xu Hei took out some human bones, ced them on the ground, and then added some demonic beast fur, creating a scene as if someone had been eaten by a demonic beast.

    In fact, this cave dwelling had indeed been a tiger demon''sir, but Xu Hei had long since killed it.

    Carrying the unconscious Xiao Chou, Xu Hei left the ce.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    About an hour after Xu Hei left.

    Hua Yuntian and the middle-aged cultivator followed the blood trail to the cave dwelling.

    There was a lot of dried blood, caused by Blood Replenishing Pills, demonic beast fur, and bones on the ground, along with some lingering stench.

    The middle-aged cultivator observed for a moment and said, "That kid seems to have been eaten by a demonic beast."

    "Serves him right," Hua Yuntian said coldly.

    The two nced at the cave dwelling''s environment, felt a chill, and quickly left without lingering.

    On a nearby tree, a small scouting snake quietly watched their backs disappear.

    "Hua Yuntian, and another Foundation Establishment aplice."

    "Since someone has found this ce, I need to find a time to move."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He knew these two were here to hunt Xiao Chou, but Xu Hei wouldn''t let his guard down because of this. It only showed that humans could search this ce at any time.

    Xu Hei needed to find a new ce to settle, to prepare for theing winter.

    Xu Hei knew that deep in these mountains, there were many powerful creatures, like the Wild Giant Elephant, a ce where human cultivators dared not tread, making it a safe haven.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Three dayster.

    Xiao Chou had recovered from his dazed state.

    He picked up the water bottle on the ground and took a big gulp; it was his first action in two days.

    Then, he sat cross-legged to restore his depleted Spiritual Qi.

    Having gone through life and death, he hade to understand that life was too short to live for a woman. If it weren''t for that woman, he might have reached Foundation Establishment long ago.

    He even felt a vague sense of gratitude to the person who had killed Silver Bell. It had freed him from the love curse, breaking his chains.

    "Senior."

    He looked at the stone man at the cave dwelling''s entrance, pondered for a moment, and cupped his fists, "Is there anything this junior can do to help?"

    The stone man ignored him.

    At that moment, Xu Hei was outside the cave dwelling, conducting a hundred-man drill.

    In short, he was simultaneously controlling a hundred granite golems to perform the Flying Stone Technique.

    "Fire!" Xu Heimanded with his mind.

    Hundreds of stones flew out, raining down on a small hill, smashing it into rubble, creating a spectacr scene.

    Xu Hei thought of the cannons and catapults used by mortals,unching such giant stones. With enough quantity and size, they could easily destroy a city.

    "Such a dense attack could even kill a cultivator," Xu Hei thought.

    Moreover, he could attach Fire Explosion Talismans to the stones to increase their power. With the advantage of numbers, he could definitely kill someone.

    As a demonic cultivator,ing up with such an attack method made him quite the weirdo.

    However, Xu Hei hadn''t tested the exact power yet.

    "I just happen to have a live target in the cave dwelling; why not let him try?"

    Xu Hei thought of Xiao Chou and had an idea.

    At the cave dwelling''s entrance, the stone man turned its head to Xiao Chou and spoke, "Repeat what you just said."

    Xiao Chou was stunned, then cupped his fists again, "Is there anything this junior can do to help?"

    "There is!"

    The stone man nodded, revealing an ugly smile.

    Xiao Chou couldn''t help but shiver, feeling he shouldn''t have asked that question.

    A stick of incenseter.

    Xiao Chou was tied up with ropes, standing in an open area.

    In front and behind him stood ten stone men, holding giant stones, ring at him menacingly.

    "Xiao Chou, this is a test. Defend yourself against the attack of ten stone men with all your might and see if you can survive!" Xu Hei''s voice rang out.

    Xiao Chou''s mouth twitched violently. Damn it, at least untie me first.

    Suppressing the urge to curse, he trembled and asked, "What if I survive?"

    "Then we''ll increase the number of stone men to twenty," Xu Hei replied.

    "..." Xiao Chou''s face turned ck.

    ¡­¡­

    Momentster, Xiao Chou was carried back to the cave dwelling, heavily injured.

    He had withstood the attack of thirty-three giant stones.

    But Xu Hei felt that Xiao Chou hadn''t given his all. He could rival Hua Yuntian, so why could he only withstand so few stones? He seemed too weak.

    Afterward, Xu Hei put away the stone men and left the ce to conduct his daily inspection.

    After a round of inspection, Xu Hei''s face turned grim.

    Today, five sensing talismans were missing.

    If only one was missing, it might be someone passing by.

    Two or three would mean someone was lingering nearby.

    Five could only mean one thing: someone was specifically investigating this ce.

    "It seems this ce is no longer safe," Xu Hei thought.

    Moreover, Xu Hei found many blurred footprints, left by humans.

    But after careful inspection, Xu Hei found that the footprints were always from one person, indicating only one person was active nearby.

    Of course, it could also be a disguise, with one person in the open and many in the dark, deliberately confusing him.

    "Who could it be?"

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

    "Forget it, whoever it is, let''s retreat first."

    Xu Hei quickly returned to the cave dwelling and urgently said to Xu Bai, "Pack up, we''re moving."

    "Okay!" Xu Bai nodded, reacting quickly, and put all the spiritual herbs and spirit medicine in the cave dwelling into the storage bag.

    Xu Hei had practiced this with her before; she was always ready to move.

    A cunning rabbit has three burrows.

    Xu Hei''s cave dwellings were not just one or two; he had pre-selected multiple locations for hiding and seclusion.

    However, frequently changing ces meant the spirit medicine couldn''t grow, and intruding into unfamiliar territory could lead to conflicts with demonic beasts over territory. Unless necessary, Xu Hei didn''t want to move.

    Now that humans had intruded, he had no choice.

    One thing was certain: he was being watched, although he didn''t know by whom.

 Chapter 76: Set a trap and invite you into the urn

    Chapter 76: Set a trap and invite you into the urn

    Purple Mist Sect.

    In a secluded cave dwelling in the back mountain.

    An old woman with a withered figure opened her eyes. Between her brows, a deathly aura loomed¡ªa sign that her end was near.

    "It seems my time is running out," He Luohua sighed deeply.

    As a Nascent Soul ancestor, she rarely left seclusion, knowing that each time she did, it consumed her lifespan. How could she not understand?

    That battle had left her gravely injured, depleting what little life force she had left. Now, she had at most half a year to live and was too weak to take action again. She could only arrange her final affairs.

    But thinking about the current state of the Purple Mist Sect filled her with mncholy.

    Both disciples and elders were of dubious character, unfit for great responsibilities.

    Her only hope was to capture that demon and hand it over to the Snake Catchers Sect, ensuring their continued protection of the Purple Mist Sect."I obtained a scale from that demon snake. Perhaps I can use it as a medium to cast a soul-chasing spell and find it," He Luohua''s eyes flickered with determination.

    However, in her near-death state, she was powerless to search herself and could only entrust the task to others.

    He Luohua stood up, intending to leave the cave dwelling to make her final arrangements.

    At that moment, a shadow suddenly shed before her eyes, a sinister smile appearing at the corner of its mouth.

    "Old hag, so this is where you''ve been hiding!"

    The moment the voice rang out, He Luohua''s pupils contracted, and she retreated rapidly. A withered hand shot out from the darkness, grabbing at her like lightning.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Southern forest of the Chu Kingdom.

    Two snakes, along with a severely injured person, were swiftly moving through the mountains.

    Xu Hei searched the surroundings but found no trace of the pursuer, leaving him no choice but to move on.

    He suddenly thought that if Hei Huang were here, with his keen sense of smell, he might be able to sniff out the person.

    He couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, wondering where that old dog had disappeared to. It had been a month since hest saw him.

    "Senior, actually... you don''t need to be so wary of me. I''m wanted by the Snake Catchers Sect. Going back means certain death; I can''t possibly escape."

    On the shoulder of the stone man, Xiao Chou, who was tightly bound with ropes and covered with a bup sack, spoke with a bitter smile.

    "Oh? You can still talk?"

    Xu Hei was surprised. This person was bruised and battered, with broken bones, barely clinging to life, yet he still had the strength to speak.

    "Senior, that healing pill you gave me was quite potent. I only refined a bit of its residual power, and my injuries have already healed by half," Xiao Chou said with a wry smile.

    Xu Hei was taken aback and nced at Xu Bai, who was walking beside him.

    "I told you, my pills are amazing. Everyone praises them," Xu Bai said proudly.

    Xu Hei remained nomittal.

    Xiao Chou seemed honest and straightforward, not the type to lie, but Xu Hei still didn''t let him down, nning to observe him for a few more days.

    "I don''t know if the person behind us will continue to follow. I need to be cautious."

    Xu Hei didn''t head directly to their destination. Instead, he led Xu Bai and Xiao Chou through the mountains, taking winding paths and lingering in dangerous areas to leave misleading traces before moving on.

    This series of maneuvers left the others puzzled.

    Xu Hei didn''t exin and continued to circle the mountains, deliberately heading towards areas thick with demonic aura.

    He was no longer the reckless youth who only knew how to run in a straight line.

    Now, he left false information to lead pursuers astray, guiding them to dangerous ces.

    Having lived in the mountains for so long, Xu Hei couldn''t im to know all the dangers, but he had a good sense of them.

    Moreover, he didn''t make it too obvious, avoiding suspicion. Sometimes, he even deliberately acted secretive, making the false seem real.

    With a mix of truth and lies, Xu Hei couldn''t guarantee fooling everyone, but it was enough to deal with some reckless pursuers.

    He didn''t know who was behind them or if anyone was even following. This was purely a precaution.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After Xu Hei and his group left,te that night.

    A group of over twenty people appeared in the sky above the ce where they had previously been in seclusion.

    They were all wearing the robes of Snake Catchers. Leading them were five young men and women, all at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    The foremost person was even at thete Foundation Establishment Stage.

    These five were Xuan Yangzi''s five true disciples.

    Hua Yuntian, the youngest disciple, was among them, along with Wang Ping, who had previously chased Xiao Chou with him. Wang Ping was the third disciple.

    "This is the ce Zhao Wenzhuo mentioned. Hmph! There''s something here," said Wu Mochou, the eldest disciple, with a cold gaze, waving his hand.

    In an instant, the two cave dwellings in front of them were exposed, revealing their interiors.

    Although Xu Hei had deliberately destroyed the traces before leaving, it was still evident that someone had been in seclusion here, with faint spiritual power fluctuations.

    "Is this really the demon''s hiding ce?" Hua Yuntian was incredulous. He had been here just a few days ago and had missed it.

    "Indeed, Zhao Wenzhuo is skilled in divination. There''s some truth to it," Wu Mochou said solemnly.

    "But we are still a step toote. The demon left earlier," a young woman beside him sighed.

    "Why not have Zhao Wenzhuo divine again?" Wang Ping suggested.

    Wu Mochou said nothing, descending to carefully sense the spiritual power fluctuations. His eyes narrowed, a cold light shing.

    "The demon should have left less than half a day ago. We five will each lead a team and search separately. If anyone finds anything, notify everyone immediately."

    "Yes!"

    The group dispersed, searching the nearby areas.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In half a day''s time, if it were an ordinary demonic beast, their tracking experience might have allowed them to catch up.

    However, they were dealing with Xu Hei.

    Hua Yuntian''s team headed east. After a while, using the Snake Catchers Sect''s secret techniques, they indeed sensed a trace of snake aura.

    "Could it be that I''ve stumbled upon it?" Hua Yuntian was taken aback.

    To be honest, he still harbored some fear of the demon, but he didn''t want to waste this great opportunity to earn merit.

    The team continued tracking for about thirty miles, arriving at a swamp.

    "The aura has disappeared. Could it be hiding under the swamp?" Hua Yuntian pondered,nding on the swamp.

    At that moment!

    Countless giant crocodiles suddenly leaped out of the swamp, their gaping jaws snapping at him.

    "Terrifying Crocodile King!" Hua Yuntian and his team turned pale.

    These crocodiles had excellent camouge, blending seamlessly with the mud. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could fall into their ambush if not careful.

    Caught off guard, Hua Yuntian was bitten on the leg. Fortunately, he had a defensive magical treasure, but others weren''t so lucky.

    In an instant, two of hispanions were dragged into the swamp and torn to pieces.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Southeast, a female disciple led a five-person team into a forest filled with strange flowers.

    They hadn''t gone far when one of them, for some reason, swatted a bee.

    "Stop!"

    The leading woman shouted, but it was toote.

    Countless killer bees swarmed from all directions, attacking the group.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Various bizarre incidents befell each team.

    The clever ones sensed danger early and avoided it, while the foolish ones were immediately struck, suffering injuries and losses.

    "Damn it, we''ve been tricked!"

    Eldest Brother Wu Mochou finally realized he had been led in the wrong direction.

    Ahead was the territory of the Sun Eagle, a great demon at the Foundation Establishment stage. Though he wasn''t afraid of it, who knew if killing one would attract a whole flock?

    The demon''s aura ended abruptly here, clearly leading him on purpose.

    The most infuriating part was that the aura had been deliberately masked, making him believe it was real when it wasn''t!

    "Everyone, retreat immediately!"

    Wu Mochou decisively took out fourmunication jade slips, recorded a message, and sent them into the sky.

    He could sense the danger ahead, but who knew if others would fall for it?

    Xuan Yangzi''s five true disciples were all Chosen, but talent didn''t equate to wisdom. Some were barely in their teens, how could they discern these traps?

    However, it was already toote.

    Not long after, a rumbling sound came from afar, the earth shaking, demonic aura soaring into the sky, as if a terrifying demon was approaching rapidly.

    Second disciple Liu Fei was seen burning her blood essence, fleeing frantically while shouting, "Senior Brother, save me, save me!!"

    Behind her, a massive Wild Giant Elephant, filled with rage, was stomping through the air, chasing the Snake Catchers.

    "Damn humans, you all deserve to die!"

    The Wild Giant Elephant had long remembered these humans in Snake Catchers'' robes, killing them on sight.

    It roared a terrifying sonic boom, waves of energy sweeping the sky. With one roar, two people bled from their orifices and fell dead.

    "Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment?" Wu Mochou''s face turned ck.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Along the way, Xu Hei had set up no fewer than ten false routes as lures, in all directions.

    These misleading routes were insignificant to true great cultivators, but they could work wonders on some people.

    "Let''s leave it at that. Buying some time is better than nothing," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Xiao Chou was dumbfounded, having witnessed Xu Hei''s cunning maneuvers, unsure how to react.

    How devious must one be to do such things?

    The most absurd part was that Xu Hei wasn''t even sure if anyone was following them; it was purely a precaution.

    "The Snake Catchers are really out of luck to run into such a jinx," Xiao Chou thought.

    Actually, Xu Hei had held back.

    The dangerous ces he led them to could be survived with enough life-saving means and Foundation Establishment cultivation.

    If he were truly ruthless, he could have led them to that abandoned mine and unleashed the Spirit-Eating Ants.

    No one would have survived.

    Of course, Xu Hei didn''t want to expose that abandoned mine to outsiders. He believed it might hold secrets.

 Chapter 77: Hunted a big black dog

    Chapter 77: Hunted a big ck dog

    In a clearing within the forest.

    About a dozen figures sat there, panting heavily, their faces smeared with dirt and their hair disheveled, looking extremely bedraggled.

    Originally, there were over twenty of them, but now more than half were gone, leaving only ten.

    Even the five Foundation Establishment Stage true disciples were more or less injured.

    The most severely injured was Hua Yuntian. Originally, the Terror Crocodile King hadn''t managed to harm him, but on his way back after receiving the news, he encountered the Wild Giant Elephant.

    Enemies meeting face to face, their eyes zed with hatred. The giant elephant immediately recognized him as the person it had trampled to deathst time.

    If it weren''t for Wu Mochou''s timely rescue, he would have definitely been a goner.

    "That demon is truly cunning, killing fifteen of our people. We can''t let this go!"

    "Exactly! This enmity is irreconcble!""I must extract his bones and refine his marrow!"

    Wu Mochou and the others were filled with grief and indignation.

    Everyone''s anger towards Xu Hei was beyond words. As snake catchers, being toyed with by a snake spirit was an utter humiliation.

    "So... should we continue the chase?" Wang Ping asked.

    Everyone looked at each other, falling into a long, deathly silence.

    "Chase! Of course, we must chase, but not blindly. Next time, we should bring Zhao Wenzhuo along and have him use his divination skills. I refuse to believe we can go wrong!" Liu Fei gritted her teeth.

    Despite her words, everyone knew that divination wasn''t something that could be performed at will.

    After a fruitless discussion, the group finally retreated in disarray.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei''s destination this time was located in the mid-western region of Yanluo River.

    This ce was called the Wu Mountain Range, with steep and treacherous terrain, a deste area rarely visited by humans, teeming with great demons. It was said that deep within the mountains, there were rare ancient beastsparable to Core Formation Stage cultivators, extremely dangerous.

    On some of the perilous cliffs, there were also thousand-year-old cliff coffins, containing ancient corpses that had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, cultivating into spirits.

    Of course, these were all tales told by Hei Huang, their truth unknown.

    Xu Hei didn''t dare venture too deep, stopping at the outermost part of Wu Mountain, in front of a valley.

    This ce was one he had scouted earlier, originally the territory of a demon python, which Xu Hei had driven away with constant puppet harassment.

    "Finally here." Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    Upon entering the valley, Xu Hei was surprised to find it upied by a group of monkeys.

    A sentry monkey at the valley entrance saw the stone man approaching and immediately sounded a sharp rm.

    "Squeak! Squeak!"

    The monkey troop, hearing the rm, gathered around, perching on the trees on both sides, baring their teeth and making threatening gestures at Xu Hei and his group.

    Xu Hei ignored them and walked straight into the valley. The monkeys quickly retreated, not daring to obstruct him.

    Xu Hei arrived at the demon python''s former cave dwelling and threw Xiao Chou inside.

    Then, he used an Earth Element Spell to create a new cave dwelling next door for Xu Bai.

    He took out formation gs and nted them at the entrances of both caves, raising a protective light shield for basic defense.

    Seeing theirir upied by a snake, the monkeys were furious but didn''t dare to fight, only ring from a distance and screaming. Some monkeys threw stones at Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei sneered inwardly at the sight.

    He patted his storage bag and took out a sealed Awakening Pill, opening a small gap.

    Instantly, an extremely pungent odor spread out, quickly permeating the area within a few hundred meters!

    This was a stench that prated the soul!

    "Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!!"

    The monkeys screamed, vomiting on the spot and fleeing in all directions, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

    The valley, which was teeming with monkeys just moments ago, was cleared within two breaths.

    "This is killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of our own!"

    Xu Hei suppressed his nausea, resealed the pill, and put it back into his storage bag.

    If he weren''t new here and unwilling to cause a massacre to avoid attracting great demons, he wouldn''t have used such a biochemical weapon.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    That night, at Xu Hei''s previous seclusion spot.

    A big ck dog emerged from the ground, looked around, and muttered to itself, "Little Xu actually ran off without telling me. That''s so inconsiderate."

    It sniffed around, intending to track the scent.

    However, it unexpectedly found that the scent had split into multiple trails.

    "Damn it! This beast is up to no good, learning all these sneaky tricks."

    Hei Huang was speechless. The scent trails were like a maze, winding around, and he had no idea who taught him this.

    "Forget it, there''s nothing in this world that can stump me, the Heavenly Demon Scattered Person. I''ll just try every path."

    Hei Huang sneered and burrowed into the ground.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The next day, the monkey troop returned, bringing along an old white-haired ape, seemingly their ancestor, to seek revenge.

    The ape was hunched, with dry skin and white hair and beard, its age unknown. Its intelligence was on par with humans, and its cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    However, it only nced at Xu Hei and the stone man standing guard beside him from a distance before leading the monkeys away, never to appear again.

    In the following days, everything was peaceful.

    Xu Hei practiced his breathing exercises daily, fully focusing on improving his cultivation.

    He aimed to achieve Foundation Establishment by the spring of next year.

    This was purely a feeling, a mysterious guidance, that he must establish his foundation by then.

    In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

    Xu Hei''s cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the eighthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage. His foundation was extremely solid, and as long as he had enough resources, he faced almost no bottlenecks.

    Next, he would aim for the ninthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage.

    Like the Qi Refining Stage, the Spirit Communion Stage had nineyers. This was the finalyer, and Xu Hei needed to be fully prepared to seed in one go.

    Over the past half month, through constant testing, Xu Hei confirmed that Xiao Chou had no intention of escaping.

    Even if he was let out, he would return within half a day, often bringing back some prey.

    This saved Xu Hei the trouble of hunting.

    However, Xu Hei wasn''tpletely at ease. He ced a Beast Control Ring around Xiao Chou''s neck.

    With this ring, even if Xiao Chou tried to escape, Xu Hei would sense it and bring him back.

    "Breaking through to the ninthyer of the Spirit Communion Stage will require at least three to five days of seclusion. If he tries to escape during this time, I won''t be able to stop him."

    Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

    After careful consideration, Xu Hei decided to beat Xiao Chou half to death, making him unconscious for about a week.

    Just as Xu Hei was nning this, Xiao Chou returned from hunting, shouting excitedly from a distance, "Haha, senior, today I caught a big ck dog."

    Hearing this, Xu Hei''s heart skipped a beat.

    From afar, he saw Xiao Chou carrying a big ck dog, running towards him with excitement, waving his arms.

    "Haha! This old dog has some years on it, its fur almost bald. This is a great tonic! Tonight, we''ll feast on ck dog meat!"

    Xiao Chou said excitedly, taking out a pot as he spoke.

    Xu Hei nced at the ck dog and felt a twitch in his heart.

    The big ck dog was looking at Xu Hei with a half-smile, then nced at Xiao Chou, a smirk forming at the corner of its mouth.

 Chapter 78: A simp cant change its nature

    Chapter 78: A simp can''t change its nature

    "Hey? Senior, why aren''t you saying anything?"

    Xiao Chou looked puzzled. Usually, whenever he brought back prey, Xu Hei would devour it without hesitation. What was different today?

    Xu Hei said nothing, only looking at him with a sympathetic expression.

    Xiao Chou''s heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding creeping in.

    "Little Xu, you''ve really made it! Is this your pet?"

    Hei Huang grinned mischievously, ncing at Xiao Chou.

    At these words, Xiao Chou''s body stiffened, his expression freezing.

    He turned his head with difficulty to look at Hei Huang and said, "You... you can talk?"

    "Not only can I talk, but I can also bite! Woof!"Hei Huang bit down on Xiao Chou''s leg.

    Immediately, a scream like a pig being ughtered echoed through the air. Xiao Chou clutched his leg, rolling on the ground in agony.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A momentter.

    Xiao Chou was tied up with a rope and hung from a tree.

    Underneath the tree was therge pot he had just taken out. Hei Huang was adding firewood under the pot.

    "Xu Hei, this guy actually wanted to eat dog meat. What do you think we should do? Roast him, stew him, or deep fry him?"

    Hei Huang took out various seasonings from his storage bag, along with garlic,tro, radishes, and other ingredients.

    Hanging from the tree, Xiao Chou''s face turned as ck as coal. He urgently called out, "Senior, you can''t just watch me die! Please save me!"

    Xu Hei felt a bit awkward. Of all the creatures to catch, this fool had to catch the old dog and even nned to eat ck dog meat. Wasn''t this courting death?

    Xu Hei chuckled awkwardly, "Wouldn''t it be a bit wasteful to eat him just like that?"

    "Hey! You''re right!"

    Hei Huang''s eyes lit up, nodding. "These skinny arms and legs don''t have much meat. We need to fatten him up first."

    Hearing this, Xiao Chou finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before he could fully rx, Xu Hei pondered, "How about we try frying one of his arms first?"

    Hei Huang''s eyes lit up again, pping his hands. "Great idea, let''s have a taste first."

    As he spoke, he was about to make a move, causing Xiao Chou to scream and beg for mercy.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After some fuss, Xiao Chou was finally let down, but he was already scared out of his wits, trembling all over.

    Xu Hei was already difficult enough to deal with, but who knew this old dog was even worse.

    He was so frightened that he didn''t dare to say a word, for fear of inviting disaster.

    "Hei Huang, what have you been up to these days?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

    Xu Bai also poked her head out from the cave dwelling, watching curiously.

    Hei Huang sighed, spreading his hands. "What else? Digging graves. Those sects are all heavily guarded, only the Purple Mist Sect let me barely seed. It wore me out."

    "Oh right, I took care of that old hag while I was at it. Here are your scales."

    As he spoke, Hei Huang took out a pile of ck gold scales and ced them on the ground, a total of fifty-two pieces.

    These were the scales Xu Hei had shot out that day, which He Luohua had picked up.

    "This..." Xu Hei was stunned.

    He looked carefully at Hei Huang, finding that he didn''t seem to be joking.

    "Is this for real?"

    He Luohua was a Core Formation Stage cultivator. Although that strike had severely injured her,bined with her old age and weakened strength, she was far from her peak.

    But Hei Huang had casually mentioned taking her out?

    "Haha, what are you so surprised about? That old hag was on herst breath. That battle exhausted her lifespan. Even if I hadn''t acted, she would have died within six months."

    "But the Purple Mist Sect really should fall. The ancestor died for half a day, and no one noticed. It''s ridiculous!"

    Hei Huang sneered.

    Xu Hei nodded in agreement.

    He had seen the atmosphere of the Purple Mist Sect. If it weren''t for their backers and the Nascent Soul ancestor, they would have been swallowed up long ago.

    "My god! The ancestor of the Purple Mist Sect has fallen?" Xiao Chou was shocked.

    Such astonishing news, and he was a witness to it.

    Hei Huang nced at him, mocking, "Oh right, you''re that famous simp, aren''t you? The Purple Mist Sect is buzzing with your glorious deeds. I almost forgot."

    Exposed for his dark history, Xiao Chou''s face turned red. He argued, "I was pursuing her seriously. How can you call that simping? Besides, she''s already dead. That was the old me!"

    "Now, I''ve turned over a new leaf. I''ll never simp again in this life!"

    Xiao Chou puffed out his chest, his tone firm, a sense of pride welling up.

    Hearing this, Hei Huang''s eyes narrowed, a strange smile spreading.

    "Oh? Really?"

    "Of course. As a man, you have to have backbone. How can you bow and scrape to a woman?" Xiao Chou said proudly.

    Hei Huang cackled, then with a wave of his hand, took out a corpse from his storage bag.

    It was a female corpse, but it looked almost alive, with tender skin exuding a faint spiritual aura, and an exceptionally beautiful face, as if she were merely asleep.

    It was the deceased Silver Bell.

    "Silver Bell!!"

    Xiao Chou''s eyes immediately widened. He shouted and rushed over with red eyes.

    Hei Huang waved his hand, putting the corpse back into the storage bag.

    "Look at you, still saying you don''t simp. You even want to simp for a corpse. Truly, a dog can''t change its habit of eating shit!" Hei Huang scolded.

    Xiao Chou froze, his face alternating between green and white.

    He stared at Hei Huang, hesitating for a long time before pleading, "Can you... give me that corpse? No, I just want a piece of clothing."

    "Get lost!"

    "Please! Senior Dog!"

    "Scram!"

    "......"

    Seeing Xiao Chou almost kneeling, Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    What happened to never simping again?

    What happened to backbone? This was the quintessential simp!

    It was simply maddening!

    Xu Hei couldn''t help but shiver, secretly warning himself to take this as a lesson.

    "With such good spiritual roots, if you had focused on cultivation, you would have reached Foundation Establishment years ago. What a waste of talent." Hei Huang cursed.

    Xiao Chou, like a lost soul, realized his problem and lowered his head. "Then, what should I do?"

    Seeing his humble attitude and not insisting on the corpse, Hei Huang nodded slightly and said leisurely:

    "Actually, it''s not entirely your fault. The Purple Mist Technique is a bit sinister, capable of unknowingly nting a love parasite. And you happen to be susceptible to it, making it easy for you to fall into the trap."

    "When you can use your willpower to break free from the love parasite''s influence, you might surpass ordinary Foundation Establishment and achieve Perfect Foundation Establishment."

    "Perfect Foundation Establishment?"

    Xu Hei looked thoughtful. He had some impression of this term.

    "Since you''re all on the verge of Foundation Establishment, I''ll exin what Perfect Foundation Establishment is." Hei Huang looked around at Xiao Chou, Xu Hei, and then at Xu Bai in the distance.

    Everyone quickly gathered around, listening quietly.

    "Foundation Establishment is aboutpressing the spiritual power within your body into a solid state, forming a spiritual base. Spiritual Qi flows continuously, endlessly, this is Foundation Establishment."

    "However, Foundation Establishment cultivators vary in strength, mainly due to True Qi!"

    Hei Huang waved his hand, and an image appeared in the air.

    In the image, there was a wisp of white True Qi.

    "See this wisp of True Qi? White! Most Foundation Establishment cultivators have this kind of white True Qi, in and ordinary, this is ordinary Foundation Establishment."

    "However, a small number of Foundation Establishment cultivators have light blue True Qi. These cultivators are usually peerless Chosen, with strong spiritual roots, powerful cultivation techniques, and willpower, all three are indispensable!"

    "Foundation Establishment with blue True Qi is Perfect Foundation Establishment!"

    Hei Huang waved his hand, and the image changed, the True Qi turning light blue.

    Xiao Chou had seen this information in ancient texts but didn''t know much about it.

    Xiao Chou''s eyes gleamed, and he quickly asked, "If one achieves Perfect Foundation Establishment, how strong would they be?"

    "In the same realm, one can fight ten, no exaggeration." Hei Huang smiled.

    Xiao Chou''s breathing became rapid.

    Xu Hei, however, didn''t feel much and asked, "Is there anything beyond Perfect?"

    Hei Huang looked at him in surprise and nodded.

    "Of course! The deeper the color of True Qi, the more perfect it is. After bluees deep blue, then purple, but such cultivators are rare across the continent."

    "It''s mainly due to the limitations of cultivation techniques. There are very few techniques suitable for Perfect Foundation Establishment, like the Heavenly Demon Technique, which is one."

    "I wonder what kind of extraordinary genius created this technique!"

    Hei Huang sighed with his ws behind his back.

    Xu Hei thought of those heaven-defying pills and nodded in agreement, "The creator of the Heavenly Demon Technique must be a peerless genius."

    He said this sincerely. Those pills were not something an ordinary person could refine.

    "Naturally, but let''s stay humble, it''s just so-so."

    Hei Huang grinned, his mouth crooked.

    Hearing this, Xiao Chou frowned and muttered, "Heavenly Demon Technique? Just the name sounds like an evil cult. The creator must be a scoundrel."

    "In my opinion, he''s probably a rat everyone wants to..."

    Before he could finish, he noticed the sudden silence around him.

    Xu Hei was looking at him, Xu Bai was looking at him, and Hei Huang''s smile had vanished, staring at him intently. The atmosphere was extremely eerie.

    Xiao Chou was utterly confused.

 Chapter 79: The old black dog said goodbye and left

    Chapter 79: The old ck dog said goodbye and left

    "Why are you all looking at me? Did I say something wrong? What did I say wrong?"

    Xiao Chou was utterly confused and looked to Xu Hei for help.

    "If you can talk, then talk more..." Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    "Crunch!"

    Suddenly, Hei Huang bit down hard on Xiao Chou''s thigh, producing a sound of bones breaking.

    Instantly, a piercing scream echoed through the valley once again.

    ...

    Outside the valley, on a distant peak.

    A white-haired old ape gazed far into the valley.Beside him stood a massive golden-winged eagle, its feathers sharp as swords, and its talons like steel des that could easily crush refined iron.

    This was a great demon at the Foundation Establishment stage.

    "You say there are two demonic snakes in that valley, carrying arge number of pills, spending their days in a misty haze?" The golden-winged eagle asked in confusion.

    "That''s right, these two demonic beasts must be hiding a big secret," the white-haired old ape said in a deep voice.

    The golden-winged eagle nodded, "I understand."

    With a p of its wings, it stirred up a violent wind and disappeared.

    The white-haired old ape''s face was stern, a cold glint shing in his eyes as he followed behind.

    ...

    In the valley.

    Hei Huang took out arge number of formation gs and ced them around the cave dwelling, setting up a formation to conceal their presence. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator passing by might not detect it.

    He then took out a spirit jade and handed it to Xu Hei, saying, "This item can automatically detect powerful cultivators within a hundred-mile radius. If danger approaches, the jade will turn red. The deeper the color, the stronger the opponent, but it only works on humans."

    Xu Hei carefully put the spirit jade into his storage bag. With this treasure, he wouldn''t need to patrol every day to check for approaching humans.

    Next, Hei Huang began to exin some experiences from the Foundation Establishment stage, talking non-stop. Although Xu Hei found it annoying, he remembered every word.

    Hei Huang looked at Xu Hei, silent for a moment, then said, "By the way, Xu Hei, I''m here to say goodbye."

    "What?" Xu Hei was stunned.

    Hei Huang pondered for a while and said, "I found a ce of extreme yin, very suitable for my cultivation. I n to go into seclusion for a while."

    Xu Hei suddenly understood.

    No wonder he gave him the spirit jade for detecting enemies, set up formations, and exined Foundation Establishment. So that''s why.

    However, Xu Hei was already used to it. Even if Hei Huang wasn''t around, he could handle most crises on his own.

    Xu Hei calmly asked, "How long will you be in seclusion?"

    "I''lle out once I''ve absorbed all the yin energy there. It could be as short as half a year or as long as three to five years. This amount of time is nothing. Cultivators have long lifespans; a single seclusion can easilyst ten years, passing in the blink of an eye," Hei Huang said nonchntly.

    For someone who had slept for two hundred years, this amount of time was indeed nothing.

    Xu Hei, however, had never experienced such a long time. Since his awakening, it had been less than two years.

    He said nothing, just nodded.

    "By the way, I have something for you to save your life."

    Hei Huang dug around his waist and pulled out a pale golden storage bag, tossing it over.

    "Don''t open this storage bag yet. Only open it when you''re in a life-and-death situation. The item inside can give you a fifty-fifty chance against any opponent, but remember, it can only be used once, so don''t waste it," Hei Huang reminded.

    Xu Hei took the storage bag and swallowed it.

    "Go ahead, are you afraid I''ll die?" Xu Hei said.

    "You..."

    Hei Huang was speechless.

    "Forget it, I''m leaving. I hope next time we meet, you''ll be a Foundation Establishment great demon."

    Hei Huang said no more, stepping into the air and flying into the mountains, carried by a gust of ck wind.

    He flew towards the depths of the Wu Mountain Range, a ce full of dangers but also many ancient tombs with heavy yin energy.

    Xu Hei watched Hei Huang until he disappeared from sight.

    Who knows what the next meeting will be like.

    "That troublemaker finally left."

    Xiao Chou breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his throbbing thigh, wincing in pain.

    Compared to Hei Huang, this snake seemed much more agreeable, at least it didn''t bite people randomly.

    Only now did he realize how gentle Xu Hei was.

    After Hei Huang disappeared, Xu Hei took out the pale golden storage bag he had just received.

    "I wonder what''s inside. I''m really curious."

    Xu Hei was itching to open it.

    A fifty-fifty chance against any opponent? Even Qi Condensation cultivators?

    He instinctively wanted to open it and take a look, but feared that something powerful mighte out.

    He decided against it.

    "Oh, I forgot something."

    Xu Hei suddenly remembered something important.

    That old dog still hadn''t given him the puppet he promised.

    ...

    In the sky ten thousand meters high, white clouds filled the sky, and among them, a golden-winged eagle circled, overlooking thend below.

    With the eagle''s vision, it could easily see through the clouds and observe the valley below.

    The white snake was gone, probably hiding in the cave. Outside, only the ck snake and the human were left, both at thete Spirit Communion stage.

    "What nonsense about pills, the old ape just wants to use me to eliminate his enemies. His little scheme is quite clear."

    The golden-winged eagle had been observing for a long time and hadn''t seen them taking any pills, feeling quite disdainful.

    But it didn''t care.

    In the animal kingdom, symbiotic rtionships weremon, and demonic beasts were no exception.

    Coincidentally, eagles were natural enemies of snakes, making it easy to deal with them. As for the human cultivator, the old ape would handle that.

    Eating two snake demons would make the trip worthwhile.

    "Let''s move!"

    The golden-winged eagle shed and dove down.

    Its speed was like lightning. An eagle demon''s diving speed could reach a thousand meters in a breath, almost in the blink of an eye, it had dived from the clouds to the ground.

    At this moment, Xu Hei and Xiao Chou were both meditating.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei felt a tingling sensation on his scalp. Almost reflexively, he burrowed into the ground, fully activating the Earth Escape Technique.

    "Smash!!!"

    A pair of massive eagle talons struck the ground where Xu Hei had been, tearing open a huge gash in the rock, with powerful force prating the ground, aiming straight for Xu Hei''s back.

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei turned his lower body to face the force and activated the golden shield talisman.

    "ng!!!"

    The golden shield talisman was instantly torn apart, but the force struck Xu Hei''s lower body, which was covered in ck Gold Scales. The metallic sound rang out, sparks flew, and the attack left him unscathed, though it sent him flying, deeply embedding him in the soil.

    Having missed its target, the eagle demon swiftly flew back into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.

    "That was close, it''s a Foundation Establishment great demon! Why is it targeting me?" Xu Hei''s face was grim.

    Eagles were natural enemies of snakes, having a restraining effect.

    If not for his imprable scales, that strike could have taken off half his tail.

    Being targeted by an eagle was not a good thing.

    However, demonic beasts were different from humans. The eagle was after him for his flesh, which was simpler than human motives.

    Xiao Chou was also scared and hid underground.

    "That scared me to death. How did I get so unlucky to encounter a Foundation Establishment great demon?" Xiao Chou''s face was pale.

    Xu Hei said nothing, pondering how to lure that feathered beast down.

 Chapter 80: The Battle Between the Snake and the Eagle

    Chapter 80: The Battle Between the Snake and the Eagle

    Xu Hei would have run without hesitation in the past, but now, since the opponent hadn''t injured him with a single strike, it meant there was room for maneuver.

    Xu Hei had no good way to deal with creatures that could fly. He could fly too, but his altitude was too low, making him an easy target.

    This was the meaning of a natural enemy.

    "Xiao Chou, can you handle this big bird?" Xu Hei asked.

    "Senior, this is a Foundation Establishment great demon, how could I possibly be its match?" Xiao Chou shook his head decisively.

    "Hua Yuntian is also at the Foundation Establishment stage, why were you able to beat him like that?" Xu Hei asked again.

    "......"

    Xiao Chou was momentarily speechless.

    He certainly wouldn''t admit that he had exploded with such power for the sake of Silver Bell, so he just smiled awkwardly and changed the subject. "Senior, if we join forces, we might have a chance."Xu Hei pondered for a moment and nodded, "Joining forces is fine. How about we hang you on a tree as bait?"

    "......" Xiao Chou immediately fell silent.

    ......

    Above the clouds, the golden-winged eagle looked down, frowning.

    That strike just now, he was confident it would shatter the targetpletely, but it seemed to have failed. This was unprecedented in his experience!

    "Could it be as the old ape said, that this snake consumed an immortal pill, making it impervious to des and swords?" The golden eagle was on high alert.

    As a Foundation Establishment great demon, facing lesser demons below the Foundation Establishment stage, he could easily deal with them even if they burrowed into the ground. But now, he didn''t do that.

    Among beasts, only one in a hundred survives, and among those that transform into demons, only one in ten thousand. Let alone reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he knew how to be cautious.

    "Hiding and noting out, huh."

    The golden-winged eagle''s gaze turned cold, and he flew into the clouds, disappearing.

    After a stick of incense.

    Xiao Chou poked his head out from the ground, looked at the sky, and said, "Senior, that great demon seems to be gone."

    Xu Hei''s scouting snake on the mountaintop also saw the opponent disappear, but he remained unmoved.

    Snakes can stay still for three days and nights to catch a frog; this short time was nothing.

    At worst, they could just wait it out.

    When it came to patience, Xu Hei had never backed down.

    Instead of crawling out, Xu Hei burrowed deeper underground.

    As for Xu Bai, she was safe inside the cave dwelling protected by Hei Huang''s formation. Of course, he could also hide there to avoid danger, but that would expose the formation''s existence, which was unnecessary.

    Xu Hei dug out a small space underground,y inside, and took a pill to consolidate his cultivation.

    However, to be safe, he secretly released puppets to hide around as guards.

    An hour passed.

    Xiao Chou looked around, seeing no movement, he emerged from the ground.

    "Senior, that great demon really left, there''s no movement."

    Xiao Chou shouted, seeing Xu Hei still noting out, he sighed and sat down to meditate.

    Time slowly passed.

    Clouds gathered in the distance, and before long, the clouds overhead grew thicker and darker.

    If one were close enough, they could hear the sound of thunder and lightninging from the clouds.

    Xiao Chou nced at the sky, suddenly feeling uneasy, and retreated to the side.

    Xu Hei was also startled, quickly changing his location, but the clouds above followed him wherever he went.

    "What kind of demonic technique is this?"

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened, and almost instinctively, he activated his thick earth armor and took out various talismans.

    At that moment!

    A thunderous explosion echoed across thend, and a lightning bolt as thick as a barrel struck down from the dark clouds, piercing the sky and hitting the ground.

    "Boom!!!"

    The entire valley shook from the strike, and the lightning bolt hit directly above Xu Hei.

    "Crack!!"

    The ground was instantly split open, with cracks spreading madly a hundred meters deep, like a thunder dragon crashing down on Xu Hei.

    "What?"

    Xu Hei''s face changed, but fortunately, he was prepared. At the moment the lightning appeared, he activated threeyers of Earth Shield above his head, thickened his earth armor, and continuously used several golden shield talismans while fully activating his Earth Escape Technique to retreat.

    "Boom!!!"

    The lightning struck, piercing through all the Earth Shields in an instant, creating a hole in the thick earth armor, and shattering the golden shield talismans.

    In the end, Xu Hei used Ye Haichuan''s flying sword to block the lightning, which finally dissipated.

    Despite blocking it, Xu Hei was left charred and smoking, with a huge crack in the ground above him, connecting to the sky.

    This strike directly injured Xu Hei.

    "Whoosh!"

    A golden figure swooped down from the clouds, as fast as lightning, heading straight for the crack.

    Eagle demons were known for their speed among demonic beasts, and the golden-winged thunder eagle was one of the best!

    From a thousand meters high, it arrived in the blink of an eye!

    Xu Hei remained calm. As the golden-winged thunder eagle appeared, he activated the Gravity Technique, sending countless ck dots into the surrounding soil.

    At the same time, he pped his storage bag, releasing arge number of granite puppets that lined up in front of him.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The eagle''s ws shattered dozens of stone puppets in a row, reaching for the retreating Xu Hei.

    Suddenly, countless tiny ck dots shot out from the soil behind, raining down on the eagle!

    These were scales!

    The moment the eagle appeared, Xu Hei had torn off arge number of scales and used the Gravity Technique to hide them in the soil.

    When the opponent got close, he pulled them out, forming an encirclement to strike the enemy.

    It was like a big, waiting for the opponent to fall into it!

    "What the hell?"

    The eagle squinted its eyes, sensing something was wrong.

    In the sky, with his speed, he could easily dodge these scales, but in the narrow underground crack, his space to maneuver was very limited.

    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

    The eagle moved like a phantom, dodging most of the attacks, and used his steel-like feathers to block the rest.

    But then, a shocking scene urred.

    His feathers were pierced by the scales, bringing out blood, and even his bones were cut with cracks.

    "Fall!"

    Xu Hei flicked his tail, sending the flying sword towards the eagle, enhanced by the Gravity Technique, it shot like a rainbow!

    The eagle tried to dodge but was still a beat too slow, one of his wings was shed by the flying sword.

    "St!"

    Blood spurted out, and the eagle''s wing was cut, with arge patch of feathers falling to the ground.

    Once again, Xu Hei''s scales proved their worth.

    If it were a human cultivator, they might have heard of the scales'' power and taken precautions, but the eagle had never seen them before and suffered a great loss.

    Xu Hei took a pill and quickly retreated to a safe distance.

    "Damn it, this snake is too cunning!"

    The eagle gritted his teeth.

    As an eagle demon, he had captured no less than tente-stage snake demons, always seeding, never encountering such a strong opponent!

    This snake was not only powerful but also cunning, luring the enemy in and even using human methods!

    Who fights like this?

    All demonic beasts fight to the death, using demonic techniques at most. Xu Hei used talismans, spells, puppets, and flying swords, more shameless than humans, it was cheating!

    "Shameless!"

    The eagle cursed, turning to flee, losing the will to fight.

    "Think you can leave aftering?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and suddenly, countless rocks flew from the crack above, rolling into the crevice, crashing down on the eagle.

    This was a puppet formation Xu Hei had set up outside.

    These granites weren''t very lethal, at most they could kill some mortals and low-level cultivators.

    Falling on the eagle, it was like scratching an itch.

    But there were too many of them.

    Snowkes can''t kill humans, but they can bury them, and these granites were like magnified snowkes.

    "Damn it!"

    The eagle roared in anger, spreading his wings to break the rocks.

    Xu Hei couldn''t defeat his natural enemy if the opponent stayed in the sky, asionallyunching sneak attacks, he had no way to counter.

    But the opponent insisted oning underground, entering his own disadvantageous territory, it was courting death.

    The problem was the opponent was too confident.

    Rocks kept falling, the eagle shattered one after another, but they were endless.

    "Snake demon, don''t push me! Do you really think I''m afraid of you?" The eagle roared.

    Xu Hei remained silent, activating the Earth Spike, countless sharp spikes emerged from the soil, stabbing towards the eagle, while staying vignt, ready to retreat at any moment.

    Xu Hei didn''t believe he had won just because he had the upper hand, this bird might have more tricks up its sleeve.

    Even corpses could revive, let alone an opponent that wasn''t dead yet.

 Chapter 81: Slaying the great demon, hidden arrows are hard to defend against

    Chapter 81: ying the great demon, hidden arrows are hard to defend against

    "Courting death!"

    The Golden Eagle was furious. It spread its wings wide, and all its golden feathers shot out like countless sharp swords, instantly shredding everything within a hundred meters into pieces.

    In an instant, golden light roared, and Sword Qi crisscrossed.

    This was arge-scale killing move,parable to a sword formation used by human cultivators!

    Xu Hei had been on guard against his opponent. All his scales merged to form a shield in front of him, and he burrowed underground, retreating to a safe distance.

    The Golden Eagle''s eyes turned red. This was its final killing move, capable of materializing all the feathers on its wings into small flying swords, destroying everything.

    However, once this move was used, it temporarily lost its ability to fly.

    But Xu Hei''s attacks had already focused on its wings, rendering it unable to fly. Using this move was just going with the flow.

    "Come again!"Xu Hei stared at the opponent''s bare wings andmanded his puppets to intensify their efforts, continuing to throw stones.

    At the same time, he reserved arge portion of his mind for spells like Earth Spike, asionally using his scales for sneak attacks, driving the Golden Eagle into a rage.

    It regretteding underground; had it known, it would never havee.

    "Just you wait!"

    The Golden Eagle used its feathered flying swords to clear the way, climbing up the rocks with its ws, rushing out of the valley like a flightless chicken.

    Having lost its ability to fly, it could only walk, its speed reduced to below that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator,parable to an ordinary Spirit Communion Stage demonic beast.

    "You can''t escape!"

    Xu Hei wouldn''t let such an enemy leave. If the Golden Eagle regrew its feathers, it would attack again, knowing the power of his scales and his methods, and would be prepared.

    By then, another battle would be extremely disadvantageous for Xu Hei!

    This time, he had to kill the opponent! No loose ends!

    ...

    Xiao Chou stood at a distance, watching the scene of the featherless giant bird emerging from the ground, with Xu Hei in hot pursuit. He couldn''t help but be stunned.

    A Spirit Communion Stage demonic beast chasing a Foundation Establishment cultivator¡ªthis would have been unheard of before, but it seemed reasonable with Xu Hei.

    Xiao Chou had no time to watch, as he too had encountered opponents.

    Two long-armed giant apes, at the peak of the Spirit Communion Stage, were attacking him from front and back, each holding a bronze gong magical artifact, asionally striking it, causing dizziness.

    In the distance, a group of monkeys kept throwing stones, feces, and other misceneous items, some of which emitted a foul odor, annoying him to no end.

    "You beasts!"

    Xiao Chou cursed, taking a punch to the face, leaving him bruised and with broken bones.

    Compared to Xu Hei''s side, this was apletely different scene.

    One was chasing, the other was being beaten.

    He suddenly missed the smell of Awakening Pills; if he had one, it might drive them away.

    "Brothers, stop hitting, spare me!"

    Xiao Chou ran with his head covered, taking a heavy blow to his back, knocking him to the ground, seriously injured with broken bones.

    In desperation, he took out steamed buns, bananas, and other food from his storage bag, throwing them into the distance.

    The monkeys rushed to the food, temporarily stopping their attack, giving Xiao Chou a moment of relief.

    But before he could be happy, the two giant apes fixed their eyes on his storage bag.

    "What do you want?"

    Xiao Chou screamed, and the two long-armed apes stretched their arms several meters like rubber bands, grabbing for his storage bag.

    "Don''t even think about it!"

    Xiao Chou gritted his teeth, but one of the apes struck the gong hard, making his head spin. In that moment of dizziness, his storage bag was snatched away.

    In a blink, the monkeys had the bag, rummaging through it.

    "No!!! My storage bag! Give it back!"

    Xiao Chou got up and ran over.

    The contents of the storage bag were scattered all over the ground, causing the monkey group to scramble for them. Among the items, a woman''s long dress stood out.

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei had intercepted the Golden Eagle at the edge of the valley.

    He set up a giant puppet formation around it, blocking all escape routes.

    "Smash it!"

    Xu Hei gave a low shout, and all the granite puppets used the Flying Stone Technique, hurling stones at the Golden Eagle.

    The Golden Eagle was protected by feathered flying swords, so Xu Hei didn''t dare get close, but he could keep depleting its strength until it died of exhaustion.

    This was the safest method!

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The boulders kept falling, shaking the earth and mountains, with faint cries of eagles echoing.

    An eagle without wings was like a tiger without teeth, just waiting to die.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense was locked onto the front, sensing the Golden Eagle''s weakening aura.

    Before long, it copsed to the ground, on the verge of death.

    Xu Hei didn''t rx, continuing to control the falling rocks, piling them into a small hill, while using Earth Spikes to attack from above and below.

    He nced at Xiao Chou''s situation and saw him being attacked by monkeys, raising his suspicion. Why were both attacked at the same time?

    Suddenly, Xu Hei felt a chill down his spine.

    His pupils shrank, and he reflexively retreated. In the next second, a bone arrow shot past, nearly grazing his head.

    Missing its target, the bone arrow turned and shot at Xu Hei again.

    Xu Hei''s face darkened, his gaze locking onto a white figure on a distant mountain.

    "It''s that white-haired old ape!"

    Xu Hei''s tailshed out, colliding with the bone arrow, shattering it, but he was also heavily hit, flying far away, with old injuries ring up, blood seeping from his mouth.

    Xu Hei, injured by a Spirit Communion Stage peak demonic beast!

    The bone arrow was a magical treasure, made from the bones of a great demon, emitting the demon''s former pressure, with terrifying power.

    Because of this, Xu Hei was injured.

    The old ape''s timing was peculiar, attacking just as the Golden Eagle died, seemingly knowing Xu Hei would rx.

    Such a sneak attack would have killed anyone else, but Xu Hei managed to block it.

    "Even among demonic beasts, there are cunning ones. That white-haired old ape left without a word, only to cause trouble in secret."

    "The Golden-winged Thunder Eagle must have been its aplice."

    Xu Hei was furious.

    He wasn''t afraid of open attacks, but sneaky ones were the worst.

    If the white-haired old ape had negotiated or fought directly, Xu Hei wouldn''t be so angry. Now, he felt the sting of betrayal.

    After the failed attack, the old ape vanished again.

    It kept a distance of over five hundred meters, avoiding Divine Sense detection, with no trace of its aura, clearly skilled in stealth.

    But Xu Hei was determined to kill it. This monkey had to die!

    Xu Hei took a Rejuvenation Pill, quickly recovering. After the battle with the Golden Eagle, he was exhausted and injured, unable to fight further. He quickly collected all the puppets and the massive Golden Eagle corpse.

    The Golden Eagle''s demonic beast meat was a rare treasure, aiding in reaching the peak of the Spirit Communion Stage, preparing for Foundation Establishment.

    Its feathers and ws were excellent materials for crafting magical artifacts, and its inner core contained a trace of thunder power, making its entire body valuable.

    ...

    A thousand miles away, deep in the vast Wu Mountain.

    Hei Huang was flying through the air when he suddenly widened his eyes, pping his forehead as if remembering something.

    "Oh no, I forgot to give Xu Hei the puppet I promised."

    Hei Huang quicklynded, frowning in hesitation.

    He had been nning to make a perfect body for Xu Hei but got too busy and forgot.

    "Little Xu should be fine without a puppet, right? Maybe I should just forget it?"

    He hesitated for a moment, thinking hard, but finally shook his head.

    "No, I can''t break my promise. I''ll make one and send it to him; it won''t take long."

    Hei Huang dug out a cave dwelling, took out various materials, and began crafting.

 Chapter 82: Who is joking around with you?

    Chapter 82: Who is joking around with you?

    One kilometer away, atop a mountain peak.

    The white-haired old ape hid within a thicket, holding a peculiar longbow. He nocked a bone arrow, drew the bowstring to its limit, and aimed at a distant figure¡ªXiao Chou.

    Having failed to kill the snake, he decided to eliminate this human instead.

    ...

    At this moment, Xiao Chou was covered in blood, half-kneeling on the ground, riddled with wounds. The monkey horde jeered at him, rummaging through his storage bag and scattering various items across the ground.

    Among the scattered items, a white long dress caught his eye.

    "Give it back..."

    Xiao Chou''s mournful expression suddenly froze. His eyes widened, and he stood there, stunned like a statue.

    All emotions vanished from his face, making him look like a soulless puppet.He stood up straight, gazing coldly at the monkey horde. "Did you think I was joking with you?"

    Xiao Chou''s tonepletely changed, and even his demeanor transformed, as if he were a different person.

    "Chirp chirp!"

    A long-armed ape let out a provocative cry, picked up the dress, and wore it.

    Xiao Chou''s eyes filled with a chilling coldness, and a violent aura surged through his body.

    "You''re courting death!"

    With a loud shout, his body transformed into a rocky form, covered in crimson rock. His size grew to four meters, turning into a mountainous giant.

    The rocks on his body red like burning mes.

    "Whoosh!"

    In the next moment, he disappeared, moving at unprecedented speed, like a crimson meteor, crashing forward with terrifying momentum.

    Too fast, too fast! The monkey had no time to dodge and was struck head-on.

    "Boom!!!"

    A thunderous roar echoed. The long-armed ape that had been mocking him moments ago was instantly torn apart, its blood sttering the sky. The surrounding monkeys were also caught in the shockwave, sent flying and turning into a rain of blood.

    "Chirp chirp!!"

    Another long-armed ape''s eyes turned blood-red. The one who had just died was its mate.

    It swallowed a fruit, its veins bulging and body swelling, exuding a violent aura, its power approaching that of a great demon.

    "You all must die!!"

    With a loud shout, Xiao Chou''s originally small arm grew tenfold, covered in molten rock, transforming into a colossal hand that swept forward.

    "Bang bang bang..."

    Countless monkeys were sent flying, blood sttering everywhere, limbs scattered. Even the enraged ape was instantly blown apart, half its body obliterated, unstoppable!

    "This is..."

    Xu Hei, watching from afar, was stunned.

    How did Xiao Chou, who was being beaten just a moment ago, suddenly transform and go berserk?

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed as he saw the familiar dress. It was the one Silver Bell had given to Xiao Chou, recorded on a bamboo slip, costing fifty spirit stones.

    So that''s it, the simp has gone berserk!

    "Whoosh!"

    At this moment, the bone arrow reappeared, traversing the void, stealthily heading straight for Xiao Chou.

    Xu Hei had been wary of the old ape. The moment the bone arrow appeared, he transmitted a warning through his Divine Sense: "Watch out for hidden weapons!"

    Xiao Chou reacted swiftly. Instead of dodging, he charged forward, grabbing the bone arrow with his hand.

    "Crack!!"

    Xiao Chou''s rocky arm shattered instantly, his flesh disappearing, leaving only white bones that gripped the arrow tightly.

    "Go!"

    With a low shout, he hurled the bone arrow back with all his might.

    "Swish!!"

    The bone arrow shot back at an incredible speed, piercing through the space, heading straight back into the distant thicket.

    With a soft thud, no sound came from the thicket, but Xu Hei could sense that the old ape was injured.

    Without even a scream, without a hint of panic, showing how terrifying the old ape was.

    "Chase!"

    Xu Hei decisively sent two stone golems to investigate. His condition was poor, only thirty percent of his strength remained, but he could still deploy puppets.

    Unfortunately, the old ape''s figure had long disappeared.

    Xiao Chou''s arm had turned to bone, while the other arm grewrger and thicker, ughtering the monkey horde.

    Before long, most of the monkeys were dead, and the rest had fled.

    Xiao Chou''s vision darkened, and he copsed, unconscious.

    His body shrank back, the crimson rocks disappearingpletely, returning to normal form.

    Xu Hei checked and found that Xiao Chou''s Spiritual Power waspletely depleted, drained from the wound on his right arm.

    "This bone arrow can drain Spiritual Qi. I wonder what kind of bone it''s made from."

    Xu Hei was secretly astonished.

    He had blocked it with his tail, preventing it from piercing through. Even the shockwave alone had injured him, showing how terrifying the bone was.

    This deepened Xu Hei''s resolve to kill the old ape and obtain the bone arrow!

    Xu Hei burrowed underground, arriving at the spot where the old ape had been hit.

    It was a thicket, with traces of footprints and some white fur and blood.

    Xu Hei collected all the fur and blood.

    He wasn''t sure if it was left by the old ape. If it were him, he wouldn''t leave such obvious clues.

    Of course, it was also possible the old ape left in a hurry, unable to clean up.

    "This old ape is so cunning, it might be using other demonic beasts'' blood and fur to deceive me."

    Xu Hei was extremely cautious, trusting nothing.

    After some thought, he decided to dig up all the soil and vegetation in the area. No matter how cautious the old ape was, it would leave traces in the soil and nts.

    He couldn''t track it now, but there woulde a time when he could.

    Next, Xu Hei returned the way he came, bringing Xiao Chou back to the cave dwelling.

    With the formation in ce, he felt much more at ease.

    ncing at Xiao Chou''s bare right arm, Xu Hei hesitated.

    He had a pill for regrowing limbs, obtained from the Purple Mist Sect, but it was extremely precious, only one, worth as much as Foundation Establishment Pills.

    It could regrow not just one arm, but even both, though it would be a waste on Xiao Chou.

    After a long contemtion, he decided to throw Xiao Chou into Xu Bai''s cave dwelling next door.

    "Xu Bai, can you heal this person?" Xu Hei asked.

    Xu Bai nced at Xiao Chou''s skeletal right arm and nodded repeatedly. "I can heal him. I''m best at treating injuries!"

    "Alright, I''ll leave him to you!"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure his right arm is as good as new!"

    "¡­"

    Xu Bai was enthusiastic about it, and she needed some materials anyway.

    Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling, took out arge number of pills and a handful of spirit stones, and ced them around.

    He needed to heal and simultaneously break through to the ninth level of the Spirit Communion Stage!

 Chapter 83: Despicable and cunning demon monkey

    Chapter 83: Despicable and cunning demon monkey

    Xu Hei swallowed ten Minor Essence Nurturing Pills in one go. The potent medicinal power spread out, forming storms that churned within his body.

    Ordinary humans wouldn''t dare to consume so many pills at once, but Xu Hei relied on the Demon God Cauldron, allowing him to act without restraint.

    "Refine!"

    Xu Hei shouted in a low voice. The Demon God Cauldron absorbed all the pills, suppressing the violent medicinal power and transforming it into a gentle stream that flowed throughout his meridians and bones.

    Next, he took out the corpse of the Golden Eagle, cut off its wings, and swallowed them.

    "Boom!!"

    The energy of a Foundation Establishment great demon was extraordinary. Xu Hei felt continuous roaring within his body as the surging energy rampaged everywhere.

    Xu Hei didn''t dare to be careless. Using this power, he concentrated,pressing the spiritual liquid, aiming for a higher transformation.

    Xu Hei had an excellent foundation, encountering few obstacles. The spiritual liquid began topress slowly, and his flesh and bones started to transform.This processsted for a full five days.

    Five dayster.

    Xu Hei''s muscles and bones emitted crackling sounds. The spiritual liquid in the Demon God Cauldron transformed into a small water ball again, only this time it was darker in color and had a viscous feel, transitioning towards a solid state.

    This was the finalyer of the Spirit Communion Stage, the ninthyer!

    When the spiritual liquidpletely solidified and formed a spiritual foundation, that would be the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Foundation Establishment was divided into ordinary Foundation Establishment and perfect Foundation Establishment.

    ording to Hei Huang, perfect Foundation Establishment required a cultivation technique, spiritual root, and mental will, all indispensable. It could turn true qi into a light blue color, making one''sbat power several times that of ordinary Foundation Establishment.

    Fighting ten opponents at once might be an exaggeration, but it highlighted the strength of perfect Foundation Establishment.

    Xu Hei didn''t know if he could achieve perfection, but he could only do his best.

    "My injuries have healed too. This seclusion has been quite fruitful," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    The scales on his tail had regrown, about ten percent more than before, and his divine sense had also made some progress.

    Xu Hei took out the broken bone arrow and examined it carefully.

    Even though the arrow was broken, it still retained spiritual power fluctuations. The bone fragments were extremely tough, like diamonds. Xu Hei tried several times, but only his scales could cut through them.

    "This arrow is extraordinary. I wonder what kind of bone it is!"

    "But why does it seem so familiar, like I''ve seen it somewhere before?"

    Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

    He thought for a long time but couldn''t recall where the familiarity came from.

    He then took out the feathers and ws of the Golden Eagle. These were Foundation Establishment beast materials, capable of refining second-tier magical treasures. Xu Hei nned to integrate them into his puppet to enhance itsbat power.

    At this moment, there was amotion in the valley, as if some creature was moving around.

    Xu Hei''s heart stirred, and he immediately released a scouting snake to investigate the valley.

    Arge mongoose-like demonic beast, with a big nose, was walking around the valley, sniffing carefully.

    This demon was three meters tall, as big as an elephant, with scales simr to a pangolin''s and very sharp ws that could crush rocks.

    "Another Foundation Establishment great demon, and it''s a mongoose specialized in restraining snakes!" Xu Hei''s face darkened.

    Undoubtedly, this was another creature brought by that old ape!

    However, the old ape didn''t appear, and the formation set up in the cave dwelling prevented the mongoose from detecting anything.

    After searching fruitlessly, the mongoose turned and left without lingering.

    It muttered, "Which bastard lied to me about there being snakes to eat here? So annoying! There''s not even a trace of snake scent, big liar!"

    Xu Hei had always been cautious about scents, always cleaning up thoroughly to avoid leaving any hidden dangers.

    Xu Hei sent the small snake to follow the mongoose for a long time. Only when the mongoose hadpletely left and didn''t look back did Xu Hei breathe a sigh of relief.

    "Damn it! That old ape must be dealt with. If this continues, who knows what other demonic beasts will be brought here!"

    Xu Hei''s killing intent was stronger than ever.

    The old ape hadn''t appeared, clearly unfamiliar with the mongoose.

    Xu Hei didn''t like the feeling of being schemed against from behind. He needed to think of a way to lure out the old ape; otherwise, this would never end.

    He went to the neighboring cave dwelling. Xiao Chou was still unconscious, muttering in his sleep, seemingly cursing Hei Huang.

    His arm had grown new flesh but wasn''t fully healed yet.

    This was a long process, taking at least half a month.

    "Heh, this dog meat is really delicious, very nourishing," Xiao Chou mumbled, drooling, lost in some dream.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and didn''t wake him. He nned to go out and actively search for that old demon monkey. If he couldn''t find it, he''d target the monkey group and kill until it appeared.

    Although this was risky, since it was a fight to the death, there was no need to hold back. Let''s see who was tougher.

    "Hahaha, I''m back, didn''t expect that, did you?"

    Suddenly, a loudugh came from underground.

    A dog head emerged from the ground, looked around, and turned to Xu Hei.

    "Hei Huang?" Xu Hei was stunned.

    Hei Huang climbed out of the ground, looked around, andughed, "I always keep my promises. Here''s the puppet for you. I guarantee you''ll be satisfied. I''m off now."

    Hei Huang tossed a storage bag with his paw.

    After speaking, he burrowed back into the ground, intending to leave.

    "Wait!" Xu Hei shouted.

    The dog head popped up again, puzzled, "What, something else?"

    Xu Hei took out a bunch of white hair, some blood, and soil and nts, asking, "Is there any monkey scent on these?"

    "Monkey?" Hei Huang raised an eyebrow.

    He immediately noticed signs of a fight in the valley, with Xiao Chou severely injured and unconscious, guessing most of the situation.

    However, he was somewhat surprised by Xu Hei''s active request for help, which made him smirk.

    "This hair is from an Ice Soul Giant Bear, with strength likely in thete Foundation Establishment stage. The blood is also from that bear demon. I smelled this bear on my way here, about a hundred miles away."

    Hei Huangughed, "That bear demon is extremely sensitive to outsiders. If you get close to its territory, it will hunt you to the ends of the earth."

    Hearing this, Xu Hei knew the dog was up to no good, trying to trick him.

    If he followed the scent, he might end up dead with no burial ce!

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.

    "However, there''s a faint demonic aura in the soil and nts. The other party must have used a concealment technique, but it can''t fool me."

    Hei Huang moved closer, sniffing carefully, and fell silent.

    After a dozen breaths, he pondered, "It''s the scent of a Blizzard Giant Ape, no mistake! Its cultivation is at the Foundation Establishment level, but it seems to be injured, greatly reducing its strength."

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up. He asked in a deep voice, "Is this monkey nearby?"

    "No, I can tell you for sure, within a two-hundred-mile radius, there''s no trace of this ape''s scent," Hei Huang shook his head.

    "..." Xu Hei waspletely stunned.

    Not nearby?

    Where did that white-haired old ape hide? Did it migrate? Or was its concealment technique better than Hei Huang''s nose?

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A thousand miles away, in the southeastern ins of Wu Mountain.

    The Wild Giant Elephant tribe lived here year-round. This ce had natural hot springs, and they would return during the winter to rest and breed by the hot springs.

    The elephant tribe had many sub-species and numerous groups, but there was only one leader here, the Wild Giant Elephant, a great demon close to Qi Condensation.

    Today, the white-haired old ape visited this ce.

    The elephant tribe was herbivorous and generally didn''t attack outsiders unless they were natural enemies.

    In fact, elephants had almost no natural enemies, with the greatest threat being humans!

    "Is that the old ape?"

    "Yes, the one who saved a baby elephant years ago and was rewarded with a tusk by the leader."

    Two Foundation Establishment giant elephants watched the old ape enter the territory, discussing among themselves.

    Behind the old ape followed a group of monkeys, all injured and looking miserable.

    The Wild Giant Elephant noticed the old ape and immediately ran over, asking in a deep voice, "Friend, what brings you here? Are you in trouble?"

    He could tell at a nce that the old ape seemed to be in big trouble, with only about ten monkeys left in its group, looking pitiful.

    "Two snakes and a human have invaded my territory, exterminating my tribe. I beg for your help!"

    The white-haired old ape pleaded, exining the situation.

    The Wild Giant Elephant frowned. He didn''t want to meddle in other tribes'' affairs, but the elephant tribe was known for repaying kindness, a rule passed down from their ancestors.

    In ancient times, ivory was precious and often coveted by humans, leading to unprecedented massacres.

    Without the help of outsiders, the elephant tribe would have been extinct long ago. Therefore, they valued gratitude highly, even offering tusks as a token of thanks.

    "Da Hui, you go," the Wild Giant Elephant ordered.

    "Yes, Great King!"

    Da Hui, a Foundation Establishment stage beast, nodded.

    The old ape quickly stopped him, saying, "That snake knows human spells and can kill Foundation Establishment great demons. You can''t underestimate him; you must send a strong one!"

    "You think I''m not strong enough?" Da Hui was displeased.

    The old ape bowed his head, saying nothing, just waiting quietly. He had underestimated his opponent once and couldn''t make the same mistake again.

    The Wild Giant Elephant frowned and asked, "How far is that ce?"

    "It took me five days to get here. For you, it would take at most half a day," the white-haired old ape replied honestly.

    The Wild Giant Elephant pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright, I''ll go personally. I need to see if that human is one of those damned Python Robe people."

 Chapter 84: Flood washed away the Dragon King Temple

    Chapter 84: Flood washed away the Dragon King Temple

    "Anything else you want to ask? Let''s settle it all at once," Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, then took out the fragments of the bone arrow and asked, "What kind of demonic beast''s bone is this?"

    This arrow was extraordinary. When it hit, it caused spiritual qi to leak out, far more mysterious than the magical artifacts confiscated from humans.

    "Hmm?"

    Hei Huang picked up a piece of the bone fragment, observed it for a while, and said, "This is made from ivory. Its owner should have the bloodline of the ancient beast, the Spirit-Devouring Elephant, and their cultivation should have reached the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage."

    Xu Hei suddenly understood.

    No wonder it looked so familiar before; it turned out to be ivory.

    "Ivory is an excellent material for refining treasures. It requires almost no technique. Just by polishing it, it possesses the power of a magical treasure. In ancient times, the Spirit-Devouring Elephant used its tusks to absorb the essence of spiritual veins. Its ivory was known as the strongest spirit-breaking artifact, often hunted for its tusks, nearly driving it to extinction."

    Hei Huang added, while skillfully putting all the bone fragments into his storage bag.Seeing this, Xu Hei couldn''t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. This old dog really couldn''t change his nature, trying to pocket even these scraps.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s eyes shed as he suddenly remembered something.

    "By the way, Hei Huang, where are those three flying swords from that old geezer? Where did you take them?" Xu Hei shouted.

    Hei Huang''s face instantly stiffened, and he stammered, "Wha... what flying swords? You must be mistaken."

    "Bullshit! There were clearly three flying swords, stuck by my Earth Shield. Are you trying to keep them all for yourself?"

    Xu Hei was instantly furious. He had almost forgotten about it.

    The storage bag was fine since Hei Huang had finished off the guy alone, but trying to keep those three flying swords was just too much!

    Hei Huang looked a bit embarrassed andughed, "Ohe on, as a snake, you shouldn''t be so petty. The more you think about, the more trouble you get."

    "Give them back to me!"

    Xu Hei was furious and lunged at Hei Huang, wrestling with him.

    "Xu Hei, I made a puppet for you. You can''t be ungrateful!"

    "That''s a separate matter. Besides, those are Core Formation treasures!" Xu Hei roared.

    "..."

    After a bout of scuffling, Hei Huang reluctantly took out three top-grade spirit stones and handed them over.

    "I sold those three flying swords. They only fetched six top-grade spirit stones in total. We split fifty-fifty. I didn''t cheat you out of a single copper coin," Hei Huang said helplessly.

    "Just... three?"

    Xu Hei was speechless. He had three top-grade spirit stones in his ck jade stone alone.

    Core Formation flying swords were worth so little?

    He seriously suspected the old dog of hiding some, but he had no evidence.

    "Damn it," Xu Hei was furious.

    Hei Huang felt a bit guilty and didn''t want to stay any longer. He hurriedly tried to leave.

    He was also feeling depressed. He thought he could get away with it, but Xu Hei found out, so he had to ept his bad luck.

    "The taste of dog meat is really nice..."

    At this moment, Xiao Chou, who was asleep, let out a sillyugh, drooling from the corner of his mouth.

    He was talking in his sleep, smacking his lips, who knows what he was dreaming about.

    Hei Huang, already in a bad mood, heard this and his dog eyes widened. He walked over and said, "What are you eating?"

    Xiao Chou, still in deep sleep, grabbed Hei Huang''s dog paw and brought it to his mouth, taking a couple of bites.

    Without a word, Hei Huang bit back.

    "Ahhh!!!"

    A piercing scream echoed through the cave dwelling.

    ...

    After a while, Xiao Chou slowly woke up, his whole body in pain.

    He looked around, frowned, and muttered, "That was terrifying! I dreamed I was bitten by a dog, and it was a dog being cooked in a pot."

    He touched the bitten area, the pain was excruciating, almost like it was real.

    "Senior, did something bite me just now?" Xiao Chou asked Xu Hei.

    "Of course not. You must be confused from sleep," Xu Hei shook his head.

    Xiao Chou still felt something was wrong. The pain was too real! It didn''t feel like a dream.

    He rolled up his pant leg and his face changed dramatically. His leg was indeed swollen, with a ck bite mark, and the bone seemed to be fractured.

    "Oh my god, I''m cursed!" Xiao Chou eximed.

    ...

    In the distance, at the horizon.

    A Wild Giant Elephant was stepping through the sky, bringing with it a rolling demonic wind. On its back stood a white-haired old ape and seven or eight other monkeys.

    Before long, they saw the valley at the end of their sight.

    "Is it there?" the Wild Giant Elephant frowned.

    "Yes, inside there are two snakes and a human. They took my territory and ughtered my tribe," the white-haired old ape said.

    "Alright."

    The Wild Giant Elephant nodded and said no more, heading towards the valley.

    The white-haired old ape''s face was grim. With this Great Perfection Foundation Establishment demonic beast, any means would be futile. Even if they hid underground or in a cave dwelling, the Wild Giant Elephant could tten everything.

    The monkeys beside them were also excitedly chattering, as if they could already see the scene of their revenge.

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s scouting snake outside the valley immediately saw the dark clouds pressing down from the distance, the demonic wind sweeping, and the earth shaking.

    He saw a massive Wild Giant Elephant stepping through the sky, its momentum terrifying, heading straight for them.

    "Wild Giant Elephant?"

    Xu Hei was stunned. What was this elephant doing in the valley?

    Then, Xu Hei noticed a group of monkeys standing on the elephant''s back, led by the white-haired old ape. Xu Hei''s mind raced, instantly realizing something.

    "Could it be that the old ape called the Wild Giant Elephant for revenge?"

    Xu Hei carefully analyzed the old ape''s actions, and it was highly likely.

    Considering the old ape had ivory weapons, it indicated a past connection with the elephant tribe.

    Xu Hei couldn''t help but be secretly rmed. This old ape had quite the connections, able to call upon such a powerful demonic beast!

    At this moment, the Wild Giant Elephant nced over and noticed the scouting mechanical snake, frowning.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly, "As expected of a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, it even noticed my scouting puppet."

    This little snake had almost no cultivation, designed for concealment. It had fooled many Foundation Establishment cultivators but couldn''t hide from this giant elephant.

    The Wild Giant Elephant took a deep look at the scouting snake but didn''t bother with it, quickly arriving in the valley.

    The monkeys on its back jumped down one by one, standing at the edge of the valley, eagerly waiting for a show.

    "Children, we''re about to get our revenge. That snake is a great supplement, and the many magical treasures and pills on him will belong to our tribe. Our tribe will surely grow strong again."

    The old ape''s voice was filled with long-lost excitement.

    "Squeak squeak squeak!!"

    The monkeys cheered excitedly, waving their arms and legs.

    The giant elephant stood in the air, in the center of the valley, and shouted, "The owner of this ce, pleasee out to see me."

    His voice was loud, echoing in the valley, but his tone was polite.

    Even his astonishing momentum had been restrained a lot, and the surging demonic wind had disappeared.

    This attitude made the old ape pause,pletely different from what he had imagined.

    "Did it recognize me?" Xu Hei wondered.

    The giant elephant waited for a moment, then looked at the scouting snake and said, "I hope my friend can show yourself."

    This made the old ape''s face change slightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

    "What does this mean? Does the giant elephant leader have a past with that snake demon?"

    The white-haired old ape was suspicious.

    The monkeys beside him also had changes in their expressions.

    The giant elephant leader descended from the sky,nding on the ground,pletely restraining its momentum, like an ordinary elephant.

    "Friend, won''t youe out to see me?"

    He stared at the scouting snake puppet, his gaze persistent, wanting to confirm his suspicion.

    Xu Hei sighed helplessly.

    By nature, he didn''t want to have any contact with the elephant tribe, but since they hade to him, he had no choice.

    He released a small lizard, which came out of the cave dwelling.

    The moment the giant elephant saw the small lizard, its pupils contracted, its heart shook, and scenes from the past shed in its mind.

    If it weren''t for the help of that person in the dark, not a single one of the elephants would have survived.

    Even the two pregnant mother elephants and three baby elephants would have been killed by humans.

    That person in the dark had saved a tribe!

    Seeing the scouting snake had made the giant elephant suspect, but the appearance of the small lizard confirmed his thoughts.

    "Savior, I bow to you!"

    The giant elephant shouted, bowing deeply, performing the ritual of a demonic beast.

    The entire valley fell silent, the previously noisy monkey group instantly dumbfounded.

 Chapter 85: Two Devious Tricksters Face Off

    Chapter 85: Two Devious Tricksters Face Off

    The Wild Giant Elephant tribe had only six groups under itsmand, totaling less than a hundred elephants. Due to frequent human hunts, they were on the brink of extinction.

    Each elephant''s life was extremely precious.

    Because of this, when the old ape saved a baby elephant, it was greatly rewarded and even given an ancestor''s ivory.

    But now, this demon in front of them had saved an entire tribe. What a tremendous favor! Far surpassing that of the old ape!

    "Benefactor, I will remember your kindness for life!"

    The Wild Giant Elephant''s voice trembled with excitement.

    "You don''t need to thank me. The Snake Catchers are my enemies too. I just did it in passing."

    Xu Hei controlled the little lizard and spoke.

    The Wild Giant Elephant stood up, nodded heavily, and pondered, "So, they are called Snake Catchers.""The Snake Catchers are extremely powerful, with Core Formation Stage cultivators among them. If you encounter them again, don''t act impulsively," Xu Hei reminded.

    No matter what, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

    Since this Wild Giant Elephant had a grudge against the Snake Catchers, it was also considered Xu Hei''s ally. He couldn''t let it die easily.

    "Thank you for the reminder, Benefactor! However, my Wild Elephant tribe is extremely powerful individually. Even in the Core Formation Stage, I am not afraid! Besides, I can condense my core at any time!"

    The Wild Giant Elephant said in a deep voice, with a hint of pride.

    The elephant tribe was almost the strongest individual existence in the animal kingdom, with no natural enemies. The elephant demons were the same, unmatched in the same realm.

    Only somerger sea beasts in the deep sea couldpare.

    "Condense your core at any time?" Xu Hei was puzzled.

    "That''s right!" The Wild Giant Elephant sighed and said, "But condensing a demon core requires a long retreat and will attract the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions, which will severely injure me. My tribe has always been coveted by humans. If I am seriously injured, the tribe will face extinction!"

    "I see..." Xu Hei suddenly understood.

    As a great demon, he had too many ties and constraints: family, territory, and a tribe on the brink of extinction. The Wild Giant Elephant had too many things to consider.

    A slight oversight could lead to extinction, not even daring to attempt condensing a demon core.

    Unlike Xu Hei, who was alone and had no ties.

    However, the Wild Elephant so easily revealed such an important matter without any guard, which surprised Xu Hei.

    Didn''t he know the importance of being cautious? Even though Xu Hei wasn''t human.

    "I am Man Jin, the leader of the Wild Elephant tribe. May I know the name of my benefactor?" the Wild Giant Elephant asked.

    "Xu Hei."

    Xu Hei did not hide it. This was the first time he revealed his name to an outsider.

    "I have important matters to attend to, so I won''t stay."

    Xu Hei''s little lizard shed and chased in a certain direction.

    At the same time, Xu Hei fully activated the Earth Escape Technique, heading straight for the direction the old ape had fled.

    Just as they were talking, the white-haired old ape saw the situation was not right and fled. Xu Hei had been secretly watching.

    He originally wanted to use puppets to surround it secretly, but the old ape escaped faster than he expected. Before the puppets could encircle it, it had already fled.

    "Xu Hei, I will remember you."

    Man Jin nodded and flew in the direction the old ape had left.

    He didn''t intend to intervene, just wanted to see the final result.

    At this moment, the white-haired old ape had two talismans stuck on its body, a cloak on its back, and its body had turnedpletely transparent, speeding through the forest.

    He couldn''t care about his monkey descendants now. He had to escape to a volcanic area, where he had a slim chance of survival.

    Xu Hei didn''t know where the other party was going, but he had one thing to do: intercept!

    "Competing in speed, huh? Let''s see who''s faster!"

    Xu Hei swallowed a pill that made his True Qi surge, and at the same time, he stuck three Swift Wind Talismans on himself. His speed was like an arrow leaving the string, shooting straight towards the target ahead.

    At the same time, he used the Gravity Technique on himself, increasing his speed by another fifty percent.

    He used all the means to increase his speed, like a shooting star crashing forward.

    Xu Hei could feel the distance between him and the old ape closing.

    One thousand meters, eight hundred meters, five hundred meters...

    Two hundred meters, one hundred meters!

    When the distance reached a hundred meters, Xu Hei let out a low shout, "Earth Spike!"

    This was Xu Hei''s usual interception method.

    The soil in front of the white-haired old ape suddenly exploded, and a sharp stone pir shot up into the sky, blocking the old ape''s path.

    If the old ape dodged, the dy would instantly close the distance to within thirty meters!

    However, unexpectedly, the old ape did not dodge!

    He took out an iron pot and blocked it below.

    "Boom!!!"

    The stone pir collided with the iron pot, making a deafening sound. The old ape sat on the iron pot and was directly propelled into the sky.

    Using this momentum, he raised a wind sail, instantly shifting his position and gliding forward at extreme speed.

    The distance between them not only didn''t close but instead widened.

    "This..."

    Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    Such a maneuver?

    He had learned to use the Earth Spike to stop opponents from Ye Haichuan, and it had always worked. But now, he had fallen into a big trap, being used by the other party.

    That magical iron pot could actually withstand the impact of the Earth Spike, which was quite astonishing.

    However, the old ape suffered from the shock force and was severely injured internally, with blood spraying out in the air, paying a heavy price.

    After a dive to elerate, his speed also slowed down.

    "Drinking poison to quench thirst, let''s see how many times you can block!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were cold, nning to use the Earth Spike to stop him again.

    But suddenly, he realized, was the blood the other party spat real or fake?

    After pondering for a moment, he didn''t use this move but continued to chase, slowly closing the distance.

    After a while, the distance was once again reduced to within a hundred meters.

    But when the distance reached fifty meters, the old ape''s skin turned red, entering a berserk state, increasing his speed and keeping pace with Xu Hei, unable to close the distance further.

    Ape demons could berserk their bloodline, temporarily boosting their cultivation.

    "Really troublesome!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, his mind moved, and he activated a spell.

    "Earth Spike!"

    A stone pir suddenly appeared below the old ape.

    The old ape immediately took out the iron pot and blocked it below, but suddenly, the stone pir stopped moving.

    The Earth Spike did not appear. Instead, a powerful pulling force acted on the iron pot, causing it to tremble violently as if it was about to fly away.

    This spell was not the Earth Spike but... Gravity Technique!

    The old ape was caught off guard, and the iron pot was instantly pulled away by Xu Hei and thrown far away.

    "This..." The old ape''s expression changed.

    He had been tricked!

    The other party''s target was not him but the iron pot!

    In terms of survival experience and cunning, Xu Hei might not match him, as thetter had lived for over a hundred years.

    But in terms of learning ability, Xu Hei far surpassed anyone.

    He would not make the same mistake twice!

    "Now, let''s see how you block!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned red as he once again used the Earth Spike. A stone pir shot up from below the old ape.

    The old ape finally changed his expression. He was forced to stop, let out a sharp howl, and turned around to punch Xu Hei.

    This was the desperate struggle of a cornered beast. The wind from his fist blew away all the trees within a hundred meters, creating a deafening explosion, evenpressing the air.

    This strike reached his limit!

    The old ape was very decisive. Since he couldn''t move forward, he turned around tounch a sneak attack. Under such a sudden attack, most people wouldn''t be able to react.

    Unfortunately, he encountered Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei didn''t even bother to fight him. He immediately stopped, using the Earth Shield, golden shield Talisman, thick earth armor, and various defensive magical treasures, while retreating.

    "Boom!!!"

    With one punch, the ground shook violently, all defensive measures shattered, turning to dust, the force like a roaring thunder.

    This strike stunned even Man Jin in the sky.

    This seemingly ordinary old ape, at the peak of the Spirit Communion Stage, actually unleashed a strike with the power of the Core Formation Stage, and its power wasn''t weak among Core Formation cultivators.

    A wolf in sheep''s clothing!

    Even more absurd, Xu Hei blocked it.

 Chapter 86: How to capture an elephant

    Chapter 86: How to capture an elephant

    In fact, if Xu Hei were to encounter any threat, Man Jin would not hesitate to lend a hand. After all, this snake had done him a great favor, and he even nned to gift an ivory tusk in return.

    But now, seeing the situation, it was clear that Xu Hei didn''t need any help.

    As the old ape threw his punch, his other hand tightly gripped a bone arrow, which was his true killing move.

    Who would have thought that Xu Hei wouldn''t confront him head-on but would retreat instead?

    This cautious approach left the old ape with no chance tounch a sneak attack, making him extremely frustrated.

    "Snake Demon, I don''t want that territory anymore, so stop pushing me," the old ape said in a deep voice.

    Xu Hei merely sneered.

    "You lured the Golden Eagle to kill me, enticed the mongoose to kill me, and even tried to have the Wild Giant Elephant kill me. And now you say I''m the one being aggressive? Don''t you find thatughable?"

    Xu Hei had no intention of letting the old ape off and didn''t want to waste words.His eyes turned cold, and his flying sword shot out, apanied by a dozen scales.

    At the same time, a rock golem appeared, casting the Flying Stone Technique. Countless granite stones were hurled at the old ape, not aiming for the center but spreading out to block any possible escape routes.

    Each flying stone had a Fire Explosion Talisman attached, which was no joke and could be deadly.

    When Xu Hei made a move, it was a thunderous strike.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    A series of violent explosions ensued. The old ape wielded a stick, continuously swinging it to deflect all the approaching magical artifacts and stones, but he was still severely affected, spitting blood and having countless wounds cut by the scales.

    "Earth Prison Technique!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei made the earth rise and wrap around the old ape.

    The old ape was tenacious, pulling out a flying sword to cut through the Earth Prison Technique.

    "Earth Sink!"

    Xu Hei used another Earth Element Spell, turning the ground beneath the old ape into a swamp, swallowing him up while countless earth spikes pierced toward him.

    Wind de Technique, Fire Snake Technique, Lightning Strike Technique... Xu Hei unleashed various spells as if they cost nothing. He even took pills and used all kinds of stored talismans, igniting and releasing them.

    The granite golem kept throwing rocks with Fire Explosion Talismans at the old ape, smashing and detonating them. A small lizard also appeared, spitting spiritual light at the old ape.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    It was as if an army was besieging a single person, with continuous explosions and deafening roars, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The ground shook as if the sky was falling and the earth was copsing.

    In the sky, Man Jin was dumbfounded.

    He had never seen a demonic beast fight like this.

    A gang fight? No! A duel? That didn''t seem right either!

    Who fights like this?

    This was beyond ridiculous! Even human battles weren''t this absurd!

    This was Xu Hei''s full-force attack, holding nothing back and using all his killing moves. He was even prepared to take a Divine Explosion Pill to fight to the death.

    But the old ape didn''t seem worthy of that.

    "I hate this!"

    Finally, after a heart-wrenching scream, the old ape fell silent, his aura dissipating.

    Xu Hei continued his assault until his True Qi was nearly exhausted. Only then did he take a Rejuvenation Pill and send the golem to investigate.

    By now, the area ahead was a wastnd, leaving a massive crater a hundred feet wide, filled with pits and darkness, as if it had been bombarded by countless artillery shells, leaving nothing behind.

    The old ape''s flesh was gone, leaving only a headless skeleton, indicating that its bones were extraordinary and incredibly tough.

    Xu Hei searched around but found no trace of the ivory bone arrow, suggesting the old ape had hidden it.

    "This old ape had a storage artifact!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed as he carefully examined the remains.

    Not long after, he dug out a small ck jade stone, the size of a fingernail, from one of the old ape''s ribs.

    "This is..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    He had found an identical ck jade stone on Zhao Yiduo, but this one was much smaller, only the size of a fingernail.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, erased the imprint on it, and probed it with his Divine Sense.

    Sure enough, Xu Hei discovered a space inside, about twenty meters long, wide, and high, totaling eight thousand cubic meters.

    It contained many misceneous items, including an ivory tusk, though only a small part remained.

    Next to the tusk were two bone arrows and a longbow.

    "This is the tusk of the Spirit-Devouring Elephant," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    The old ape had quite a collection of oddities, many of which Xu Hei had never seen before. He nned to study them slowly when he returned.

    At this moment, Man Jin descended from the sky.

    After witnessing the battle, his feelings wereplex. It wasn''t just that Xu Hei had killed the old ape, but the way they fought hadpletely overturned his understanding.

    Thebat power of these two demonic beasts far exceeded their apparent cultivation levels.

    Especially Xu Hei, whose methods were bizarre and highly astute, knowing when to fight, when to retreat, when to feint, and when to strike for real.

    This deeply shocked Man Jin.

    Although his cultivation was strong, he was far inferior in these techniques. Otherwise, Hua Yuntian wouldn''t have been saved.

    "Benefactor, ording to the rules set by our ancestors, you have saved so many of my elephant tribe members. I should give you an ivory tusk as a thank-you gift. Please ept it!"

    Man Jin raised his trunk and sprayed, dropping two glowing objects to the ground, revealing tworge tusks.

    It was clear that Man Jin''s trunk contained a storage artifact.

    Xu Hei looked at the two tusks.

    One was entirely blue, with ayer of frost spreading over it, making the ground crackle as if it could freeze the air.

    The other was fiery red, with the surrounding space slightly distorted, as if an invisible fire was burning.

    "This is... the twin tusks of the Ice-Fire Giant Elephant."

    Xu Hei recalled what Hei Huang had told him about a type of elephant.

    The Ice-Fire Giant Elephant, once active in the pr regions, naturally possessed both ice and fire spiritual roots. It was very rare and had long been extinct on this continent, only asionally seen in some remote areas.

    The owner of these tusks must have been on the verge of Qi Condensation, simr to Man Jin.

    These were even more precious than the old ape''s Spirit-Devouring Elephant tusks!

    "This gift is too valuable," Xu Hei said.

    "This is the rule set by our ancestors. Please ept it!"

    Man Jin said solemnly, "Our elephant tribe survives by making many friends. When I fall in the future, my tusks will also be left to those who have done good for our tribe."

    In truth, if he hadn''t just witnessed that battle, he would have only given one tusk at most.

    But after that battle, his perspective was shaken. Xu Hei was worth it.

    Xu Hei no longer hesitated and put the tusks into his storage bag. Then, he took out some pills as a return gift.

    "These pills have their effects written on the bottles. They should be useful to your elephant tribe."

    Xu Hei had obtained so many pills from the Purple Mist Sect that he couldn''t use them all. Sharing some was no big deal.

    Xu Hei believed that saving the elephant herd was a simple act, and he needed to give something in return.

    "This..."

    Man Jin was stunned.

    Pills were nothing to humans and could be easily obtained, but they were incredibly precious to demonic beasts, making it impossible for him to refuse¡ªthey were highly beneficial to his tribe.

    Man Jin had given away many tusks, but this was the first time he had received a return gift, causing his emotions to surge and shaking him once again.

    "Benefactor, how can I ept this?"

    Man Jin said, his voice trembling with excitement.

    Xu Hei smiled wryly. Despite his strength, Man Jin was straightforward and honest, holding no grudges and repaying kindness without any scheming.

    For his benefactor, he had no reservations. Such precious tusks were given without hesitation.

    The old ape had asked him to kill someone, and he had evene out personally, traveling a long distance.

    "If you consider me a friend, there''s no need to be polite," Xu Hei said.

    Man Jin took a deep breath, put away the pills, and said firmly, "Benefactor, say no more. From now on, even if you ask me to climb a mountain of swords or plunge into a sea of fire, I won''t hesitate! You are my friend, and that is final!"

 Chapter 87: Refining Flying Sword and Attempting Foundation Establishment

    Chapter 87: Refining Flying Sword and Attempting Foundation Establishment

    Man Jin''s self-moved speech left Xu Hei speechless.

    He hadn''t really done much, just exchanged some pills, and it wasn''t even an equivalent trade.

    But even this insignificant act of kindness greatly moved Man Jin.

    It was evident what the Elephant Tribe had been through.

    "You don''t need to call me benefactor, just call me Xu Hei."

    "Alright, benefactor, if you ever have the chance, you must visit our Elephant Tribe. We will wee you with open arms."

    "......"

    ......

    After seeing Man Jin off, Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling.Xu Hei had always been cautious in his actions. Even when Man Jin said he wanted to repay him that day, Xu Hei did not show his face.

    Most cultivators were inherently cunning, but there were also some straightforward, honest, kind, and simple people. Man Jin was one of them.

    In the end, it was all for survival.

    Like that old ape, who had lived for over a hundred years and once had Foundation Establishment cultivation. He had fallen due to severe injuries. His experiences were far richer than Xu Hei''s, as could be glimpsed from his storage artifacts.

    Xu Hei began to inventory the old ape''s treasures.

    A longbow, bone arrows, Spirit-Devouring Elephant tusks, an iron pot, an artifact refining furnace, a stick, herbs...

    He discarded all the low-level items, leaving only four treasures.

    The Spirit-Devouring Elephant tusks, the iron pot, a sheepskin scroll, and a key.

    The sheepskin scroll depicted a map with very detailed textures, clear even when magnified a thousand times.

    "This is... a map of the Wu Mountain Range!" Xu Hei focused his mind.

    The map was veryrge, covering most of the outer regions of Wu Mountain, with all the demonic beasts clearly marked.

    Xu Hei''s location was a valley marked with a red dot and two snakes.

    A hundred miles north, a bear was drawn with arge red dot, indicating the Ice Soul Giant Bear that Hei Huang had mentioned, in thete Foundation Establishment stage.

    The mongoose was two hundred miles away, with a red dot slightly smaller than the Ice Soul Giant Bear.

    The elephant herd was in the corner of the map, located in a hot spring in a thousand miles away, with rivers and viges nearby, marked with thergest red dot.

    In the depths of the Wu Mountain Range, there were some ck dots depicting various strange demonic beasts, like three-headed wolves and four-winged birds... Xu Hei didn''t need to look to know these were great demons in the Demon Core Stage.

    Animals undergoing demonic transformation would experience a series of mutations, and nothing was surprising.

    Of course, he had never seen a fish with legs.

    Additionally, there were some areas marked with crosses, whose meanings Xu Hei did not understand.

    However, one of the crossed areas was a ce Xu Hei had been to, the abandoned mine.

    "Does the cross indicate extreme danger?" Xu Hei pondered.

    This map, given the old ape''s abilities, couldn''t have been soprehensive. It must have been inherited from someone else and updated by himself.

    Though not a magical treasure, this item was extremely valuable. Xu Hei took out a jade slip, made a copy, and carefully stored it.

    As for the iron pot, Xu Hei used his divine sense to find that it was a mid-grade spiritual treasure, a magical artifact for mid-Foundation Establishment stage use.

    No wonder the Earth Spike couldn''t pierce it.

    Xu Hei quickly refined it and stored it in his storage bag.

    Finally, there was a key and half a tusk.

    The key''s material was unknown, covered with countlessplex patterns, simr to the deconstruction array disk Hei Huang had given him.

    Xu Hei tried scraping it with a scale but found it undamaged, which surprised him. It was the first time he encountered something his scales couldn''t harm.

    "This material surpasses the flying swords of the Core Formation stage. I wonder what it unlocks."

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and carefully stored the key.

    He then rolled up the tusk and began cutting it with his scales.

    The tusk had its own spiritual charm, requiring no advanced artifact refining techniques, just shaping to be effective.

    After a day, Xu Heipleted a flying sword.

    The sword was a meter long, snow-white like jade, with a serpentine de and no hilt, purely Xu Hei''s personal preference.

    Generally, only those who reached the Foundation Establishment stage could control a flying sword and perform sword flight.

    However, Xu Hei was born with a strong divine sense and could now freely control a flying sword without the need for Gravity Technique.

    He also collected the tusk shavings for future use in the artifact refining furnace, to avoid waste.

    He had tried to shape the other two tusks, but the process was extremely difficult. Even with all his strength, his scales could only make a small cut.

    At this rate, it would take him half a year toplete, and Xu Hei didn''t have that much time to waste. He decided to wait until he reached the Foundation Establishment stage to consider it.

    ......

    In the neighboring cave dwelling.

    "Ahhh!!!"

    Xiao Chou let out a hysterical scream, staring at his healed arm, his voice shrill and high-pitched.

    At this moment, his right arm was covered in fluffy red hair, long and thick, resembling that of a long-armed ape.

    "Ah! Help, help!"

    Xiao Chou ran to Xu Bai, crying out, "Senior Bai, help me, help me! What''s wrong with my arm?"

    He shook his arm, which looked just like that of a red-haired monkey.

    Xu Bai looked at him and smiled, "Don''t panic, this is mytest research on flesh and blood transntation. I transnted the flesh and blood of a long-armed ape demonic beast onto you to help you recover quickly! Not only that, but your arm can also stretch freely like the long-armed ape''s, with immense strength!"

    Xiao Chou''s face turned pale.

    His arm had turned into a monkey''s arm?

    Oh my god, how could he face anyone? How could he ever get married?

    "Can this... be reverted?" Xiao Chou asked tentatively.

    "Why revert? Aren''t humans just evolved monkeys? Besides, isn''t it good to be stronger?" Xu Bai didn''t quite understand and asked in return.

    Xiao Chou was stunned.

    He swung his monstrous arm, hearing the sound of wind breaking, and it seemed his strength had indeed increased significantly.

    He punched the wall, causing the formation to shake violently.

    "It really is stronger!"

    But then, Xiao Chou shook his head vigorously, "No, this is too ugly. Can you remove the hair and shorten it?"

    Actually, if it could enhance his strength, he could ept being a bit ugly. As a cultivator, he could make such apromise.

    Xu Bai frowned and said, "You want a different look?"

    "Yes, something closer to a normal human." Xiao Chou nodded quickly.

    "It''s not impossible."

    Xu Bai pondered for a moment, took out a bottle of snake venom, and handed it over, "This can suppress the long-armed ape''s bloodline."

    Xiao Chou took it and eagerly drank it all in one gulp.

    "Hey! It really works..."

    Xiao Chou saw the red hair on his arm fall off, and the size returned to normal.

    But then, he felt a rush of heat to his head, his vision went ck, and he lost consciousness.

    "This is for external use," Xu Bai said.

    ......

    Time flew by, and winter arrived.

    Snow fell in the deep mountains and forests, covering the ground with frost. Most animals chose to hibernate or migrate to warmer ces, with only a few able to live in the cold winter.

    Xu Hei looked at the silver-white world outside, exhaled a breath of hot air, and returned to the cave.

    Now, his cultivation had reached the peak of the ninthyer of the Spirit Communion stage, the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion stage.

    He could already maintain his body temperature like a warm-blooded animal, though it continuously consumed True Qi.

    This made snake demons unsuitable for going out, and most would choose to hibernate and cultivate in seclusion.

    "It''s time to establish my foundation."

    Xu Hei took out the Foundation Establishment Pills, ced them beside him, recalled the experiences Hei Huang had shared, took a deep breath, and calmed his mind.

    An hourter, Xu Hei confirmed he was in his best state.

    He no longer hesitated, first taking out the prepared Golden Eagle meat and swallowing it in one gulp, his body immediately swelling into a small mountain.

    With the entire Golden Eagle in his body, Xu Hei operated the Demon God Cauldron, rapidly refining it. The immense blood and energy transformed into thin threads, rushing through Xu Hei''s meridians.

    Xu Hei''s aura grew at a terrifying speed, and ck Gold Scales appeared, spreading from his tail to his midsection and continuing upward.

    The faint barrier was gradually being broken.

    When Xu Hei''s blood and energy reached their peak a weekter, he no longer hesitated, opened his mouth, and swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pills.

    "Boom!!"

    A loud noise erupted within, and the spiritual liquid in the Demon God Cauldron underwent earth-shattering changes.

    ......

    In the southern part of the Chu Kingdom, near the border with the Qin Kingdom, at Yanluo River.

    A massive official ship sailed through Yanluo River. This was the upper reaches, where the fierce wind was strong, and even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators dared not fly recklessly.

    Inside the main hall of the official ship sat a middle-aged cultivator. His appearance was ordinary, his aura weak, like a mortal. But no one present dared to underestimate him. He was the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, the Thousand Puppet King, Qin Xuanji.

    He alone was equivalent to an entire army.

    On both sides of the hall, a group of cultivators sat cross-legged. They came from various sects in the southern part of the Chu Kingdom.

    Mountain Movers Sect, Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, Tai Xuan Sect... even the Snake Catchers Sect was present.

    Elder Zhou and the Qin noble Xu Hei had seen before were also among them.

    If the Astrology Bureau of the Chu Kingdom saw this scene, it would surely cause outrage.

    The sects of the Chu Kingdom meeting with the high-ranking officials of the Qin Kingdom was a grave taboo.

 Chapter 88: War broke out on New Years Eve

    Chapter 88: War broke out on New Year''s Eve

    They used the pretense of searching for the snake demon to enter the mountains without restraint, giving them the opportunity to infiltrate the Qin Kingdom. Otherwise, they would have definitely been discovered by the Astrology Bureau.

    "Why isn''t Xuan Yangzi here?" Qin Xuanji asked calmly.

    "Master has made his stance clear. He won''t get involved in the conflict between the two kingdoms, as long as the Snake Catchers Sect is not interfered with," Wu Mochou replied with a respectful bow.

    Qin Xuanji nodded, "Good! As long as he doesn''t interfere, once our Heavenly Puppet Sect enters the territory, the Snake Catchers Sect will remain as it is."

    "What about the attitudes of the other sects?" Qin Xuanji looked at the others present.

    At this moment, everyone cupped their fists and said in unison, "We will follow the orders of the Heavenly Puppet Sect."

    "Very well!"

    Qin Xuanji nodded in satisfaction and then added, "As for the snake demon and the dog demon, there''s no need to pretend to search the mountains anymore. The fact that he can control the corpse of the Mountain-moving Patriarch clearly indicates he has stolen our sect''s Puppet Mechanism Technique. Just half a year ago, two of our outer disciples went missing in Linjiang City. They must have obtained it from them."

    "Once I conquer the Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom, I will personally investigate. If he has stolen our puppet techniques, he will either be a disciple of our sect or die!"With that, Qin Xuanji filled a cup with wine and raised it, "May this cooperation be sessful. I toast to you all!"

    "To the senior!"

    Everyone raised their cups and drank in one gulp.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time flew by.

    In the blink of an eye, it was deep winter. Today was the New Year in the human world, and mortal cities were decorated withnterns and streamers to wee the spring.

    But for demonic beasts, there were no such festivals.

    In a cave dwelling deep in the mountains.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes and exhaled.

    The True Qi within his body hadpletely calmed down, the flesh and blood of the demonic beast had been fully digested, and the effects of the Foundation Establishment Pills had been exhausted.

    However, his aura still remained at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage, with only a slight increase.

    "Foundation Establishment... failed?"

    Xu Hei frowned, deep in thought.

    At this moment, the spiritual liquid in his Demon God Cauldron was still in a liquid state, only slightly more viscous than before. In the center, there was a small solid piece, but it had not yet formed aplete spiritual foundation.

    If aplete spiritual foundation was a step, Xu Hei had only managed to create a single brick.

    This left Xu Hei puzzled. He had followed Hei Huang''s instructions, made thorough preparations, consumed an entire great demon, and supplemented with arge number of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills.

    Yet he had only managed to create a single brick!

    Xu Hei didn''t know what realm he was currently in. Above the ninth level of the Spirit Communion Stage... the tenth level?

    The ck gold scales on his body covered two-thirds of his body, still far from the full coverage he had envisioned, clearly not meeting his expectations.

    "What went wrong?"

    Xu Hei pondered for a long time and suddenly had a sh of insight, recalling a previous dream.

    In that dream, the old dragon had said that his cultivation technique was missing something.

    Perhaps it was this missing part of the cultivation technique that had caused his Foundation Establishment to fail!

    "Your path will be ten times, a hundred times more difficult than others! But once you seed, you will be ten times, a hundred times stronger than others!"

    "Descendant of my n, you mustprehend, trulyprehend!"

    "Theplete cultivation technique is within your heart!"

    Recalling the words from the dream, Xu Hei sighed and locked his Divine Sense onto the flood dragon in the Demon God Cauldron.

    "Old man, stop speaking in riddles. Just tell me what you mean!"

    Xu Hei was quite frustrated and directly transmitted his thoughts to the flood dragon, but thetter remained motionless.

    Xu Hei shook his head and decided to go to the neighboring cave dwelling to warm up by the fire.

    A firece had been carved into the wall of the cave, filled with burning firewood, providing warmth to the room.

    Xu Bai was coiled in front of the firece, brewing a pot of unknown medicinal soup.

    Xiao Chou had just returned from outside, covered in snow, seemingly having just finished hunting.

    His arm had returned to normal, but it was covered in snake patterns, which were gradually spreading across his body.

    Initially, he had been hysterical, wanting to cut off the arm. But after discovering its incredible strength, he had been grinning foolishly, treating it as a treasure.

    Xu Bai had wanted to cut it off for him, but he refused.

    "This is the legendary Qilin Arm, with Qilin patterns on it. It has the strength of ten thousand elephants in a single punch. This is my great fortune!" Xiao Chou said seriously.

    "Then you should be careful. These snake patterns might spread across your entire body in the future," Xu Bai reminded him.

    "Haha, what do I care? I''m a cultivator. Why would I care about my outer appearance? At worst, I''ll just buy a Beauty Pill in the future," Xiao Chouughed.

    Compared to strength, this was insignificant.

    After all his experiences, Xiao Chou deeply understood that strength was the true path!

    Xiao Chou patted the snow off his body and, seeing Xu Hei approaching, quickly came over with a smile, "By the way, Senior Hei, do demonic beasts have any festivals?"

    "No," Xu Hei shook his head.

    "We humans have a festival called New Year''s Eve. Every year on this day, we go home to reunite with our families," Xiao Chou said with a smile.

    Speaking of which, Xiao Chou hadn''t been home for five years. Ever since joining the Mountain Movers Sect, he thought of his parents every year on this night.

    "What is home?" Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

    "You don''t even know what home is? It''s the ce where you were born and raised," Xiao Chou rolled his eyes.

    A thought shed through Xu Hei''s mind, and he immediately thought of a ce.

    Xu Bai also looked up, thinking of the same ce.

    ¡ªMyriad Serpent Valley!

    That was where they were born, where their ancestors had lived for generations.

    "Your home is Myriad Serpent Valley, right? I heard it''s being turned into a ughterhouse by the snake catchers. From your perspective, that''s quite pitiful."

    Xiao Chou shook his head, not dwelling on the topic, and took out a bag of flour and meat.

    "Haha, it''s New Year''s Eve today. I''ll make dumplings for you, with dog meat filling! That star of cmity isn''t here, and I''ve been wanting to eat dog meat for a long time," Xiao Chouughed, drooling.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched.

    He forgot to tell Xiao Chou that Hei Huang had left a Divine Sense mark on him and could hear everything he said.

    Before long, a pot of dumplings was ready.

    Xiao Chou ate with great relish, while Xu Hei tried one but found it tasteless. His mind was preupied with the concept of home.

    To him, home had always been just a territory, and territories could be exchanged.

    But listening to Xiao Chou, it seemed to mean something different.

    Just as Xu Hei was deep in thought.

    Xu Hei suddenly sensed something and took out a piece of jade. This was given to him by Hei Huang to detect human cultivators.

    At this moment, a small red dot appeared on the jade.

    "A human cultivator approaching?" Xu Hei looked puzzled.

    However, the red dot was very small, indicating only a Qi Refining Stage cultivator. What was such a low-level cultivator doing in these deep mountains? Seeking death?

    But then, Xu Hei was shocked to see that the red dots on the jade were increasing, bing denser and denser.

    One, two, three, five, ten, twenty, fifty...

    There were too many to count!

 Chapter 89: Ancient Qi Refining Twelve Layers

    Chapter 89: Ancient Qi Refining Twelve Layers

    The jade stone could detect human presence within a hundred-mile radius.

    At first, Xu Hei suspected that a sect had mobilized its entire force, with everyone from the old to the younging to capture him.

    But soon, he realized that this group wasn''t targeting him; they merely passed by a hundred miles away.

    "Three hundred Qi Refining cultivators, several Foundation Establishment cultivators... No, those were just the ones that passed by. There are more behind them..."

    Xu Hei looked at the countless red dots on the jade stone, feeling a chill run down his spine.

    He had never seen so many human cultivators moving together.

    "What''s going on?" Xiao Chou asked curiously, having just finished his dumplings.

    Xu Hei pondered, "Maybe a major sect is relocating. It''s none of our business."

    "Oh." Xiao Chou nodded, not thinking much of it.Time flew by.

    The red dots a hundred miles away continued to move. Xu Hei had lost count of how many people had passed by¡ªthousands, tens of thousands?

    No single sect could have so many people. This wasparable to the army of a cultivation kingdom.

    Xu Hei initially thought of sending a scouting puppet to investigate but dismissed the idea. It was best not to approach such a massive human army.

    "Human territorial disputes have nothing to do with me," Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    At first, the red dots were densely packed, but as time passed, their numbers gradually decreased.

    A few dayster, the jade stone becamepletely quiet.

    Xu Hei waited another week. Only after the snow stopped did he send out a puppet to investigate, following behind using the Earth Escape Technique.

    In the forest a hundred miles away, a small path had been cleared. There were human footprints and wheel tracks on the ground, leading from south to north.

    "It seems they came from the Yanluo River."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, already having an answer in mind.

    Just as demonic beasts had territorial disputes, so did humans.

    But this time, the scale of the territorial dispute was enormous, involving thousands of cultivators¡ªunprecedented.

    For Xu Hei, this was good news. At least the major sects in the south wouldn''t have the time to target him.

    To deal with him, they would need to send a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and such a cultivator could determine the oue of a small war. How could they spare one to catch a demonic beast?

    "Great! I''ll seize this opportunity to establish my foundation!"

    "Even if I fail, I will continue to improve my strength until I reach my limit."

    Xu Hei made up his mind.

    In a war of this scale, almost all sects would be involved, leaving no time to bother with him.

    He wondered what would happen to the Snake Catchers Sect. If they were wiped out, he would celebrate.

    Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling and resumed his seclusion.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Tonight was destined to be a night recorded in history.

    In the 223rd year of the Chu Kingdom, on New Year''s Eve, the Qin Kingdom''s army invaded the southern territories of the Chu Kingdom, deploying an army of five thousand cultivators and eight hundred thousand mortals.

    They attacked in three directions: from the southwest outskirts of Wu Mountain, the southern Zhang River region, and the southeastern coast.

    Simultaneously, four sects under the Snake Catchers Sect in the southunched an internal pincer attack, coordinating from inside and outside. In just one month, they had breached eight main cities and advanced a thousand miles.

    By the end of April, outside Chuyang City, the Astrology Bureau and the main forces of the Heavenly Puppet Sect would engage in a decisive battle.

    Compared to the battles of mortals, the cultivators on both sides were the key to determining the oue.

    This battle would decide life and death!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    During this period, the forests in the southern Chu Kingdom becamepletely tranquil. Not a single person could be seen, and the disciples of various sects seemed to have vanished.

    asionally, support troops from the Qin Kingdom would pass through, but they always took the cleared paths and never ventured into the deep mountains.

    In spring, everything revived. Animals woke from hibernation.

    The earth began to sprout, withered trees grew tender green branches, and frozen rivers flowed again, full of vitality.

    This year, no cultivators entered the mountains to hunt, resulting in more wild beasts than usual.

    Xu Hei emerged from his cave dwelling, took a stroll nearby, and easily hunted three Spirit Communion Stage demonic beasts, feasting on them.

    Xu Hei dove into a river, opened his mouth, and sucked in arge number of fish, quickly digesting them.

    War was a catastrophe for humans!

    But for wild creatures, it was a blessing. As long as the human poption decreased, their living space would expand.

    Not just animals, but some rare nts also began to grow wildly without human harvesting.

    Even Xu Bai rarely ventured out, joining him in hunting.

    However, to Xu Hei''s surprise, Xu Bai didn''t like eatingrge animals but was interested in snakes, insects, centipedes, and scorpions.

    She even asionally ate some poisonous herbs and fungi.

    At first, Xu Hei thought it was a personal quirk, but when Xu Bai swallowed a colorful poisonous mushroom, Xu Hei''s face changed dramatically.

    The Seven Illusion Mushroom was a second-tier spirit medicine capable of poisoning a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and she had swallowed it in one gulp.

    "Are you alright?" Xu Hei asked in surprise.

    Xu Bai burped and said, "This is a great supplement. Why would anything happen to me?"

    A great supplement...

    Xu Hei had tried such things before. Though they couldn''t kill him, they would make him dizzy.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and took out a foul-smelling Awakening Pill, waving it in front of Xu Bai.

    A pungent stench spread, and Xu Hei endured the smell, holding it out for a moment before putting it away.

    The nearby birds and beasts had long fled, but Xu Bai remained unaffected.

    "What''s wrong? Is there something wrong with the Awakening Pill?" Xu Bai asked, puzzled.

    "..." Xu Hei was speechless.

    He had long suspected how Xu Bai could refine such things. It turned out she was immune.

    "No problem. The Awakening Pill is... excellent," Xu Hei said sincerely.

    "Of course, my Awakening Pill has undergone hundreds of experiments. No matter how deeply a demonic beast sleeps, one taste will wake them up immediately," Xu Bai said proudly.

    "Yes, you''re right," Xu Hei nodded in agreement.

    "By the way, Xu Hei, I''ve developed many new pills. Do you want to try them?"

    "Next time, for sure."

    "Great, it''s a deal."

    "¡­"

    Another week passed.

    One day, Xu Hei''s cultivation broke through again, with ck gold scales covering over seventy percent of his tail, gradually spreading to his neck.

    The Demon God Cauldron still wasn''t full and could continue to absorb spiritual energy.

    "Strange, I''m clearly at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage. Why can I still break through? I haven''t even established my foundation!"

    Xu Hei was puzzled. This waspletely different from the cultivation system in his mind.

    It seemed to be an entirely new system.

    In fact, in ancient times, during the peak of cultivators, the ninth level of the Qi Refining Stage wasn''t the limit. There were the tenth, eleventh, and even the highest twelfth levels.

    Moreover, ancient cultivators, once they established their foundation, almost all achieved perfect Foundation Establishment.

    However, with the passage of time, the depletion of spiritual power on the, and the severance of cultivation technique inheritances, no one could cultivate beyond the ninth level of the Qi Refining Stage.

    Of course, Xu Hei was unaware of this.

    His current cultivation had reached the eleventh level of the Spirit Communion Stage.

 Chapter 90: Xu Hei Encounters an Invader

    Chapter 90: Xu Hei Encounters an Invader

    In the monotonous days of endless cultivation, Xu Hei made a difficult decision. He needed to hunt down a Foundation Establishment great demon to use as his food supply.

    After two consecutive breakthroughs, he hadpletely exhausted his stock of demonic beast meat. He had thought that eating a Golden Eagle would be enough, but even after adding an old ape, it still wasn''t sufficient.

    Due to Xu Hei''s unique circumstances, his consumption was several times that of an ordinary person. Even with a well-prepared supply of pills, Xu Hei began to worry.

    Xu Hei disliked sitting idly and depleting his resources, so hunting became inevitable.

    There were quite a few Foundation Establishment great demons marked on the sheepskin map. Within a hundred-mile radius alone, there were five. Except for the Ice Soul Giant Bear, which was tough to deal with, the other four were all at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

    After careful consideration, he set his sights on one of them.

    Xu Hei''s strength was no longer what it used to be. Although he had failed to establish his foundation, his consecutive breakthroughs had made him significantly stronger than before.

    To ensure the sess of this hunt, he brought along Xiao Chou as cannon fodder.

    Xu Bai, unwilling to be left out, also tagged along, making it a full-scale operation."Our target this time is an early-stage Purple Crystal Thunder Lion. Although it''s only at the early stage, it''s much stronger than that Golden Eagle, almost reaching the mid-stage! After thorough research, I''ve determined that killing it offers the highest cost-benefit ratio and the greatest rewards!"

    "Everyone, follow mymands during this operation."

    "Understood!"

    The two snakes and one person quickly sprang into action.

    In the past, Xu Hei would never have brought Xiao Chou along. Despite having spent nearly half a year together, he didn''t have absolute trust in humans.

    However, Hei Huang had left a mark on Xiao Chou. As long as Xiao Chou harbored any ill intentions, Hei Huang could kill him instantly from thousands of miles away.

    Because of this, Xu Hei felt assured in bringing him along.

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''sir was located in a hilly area to the north. The terrain was rugged, the climate humid, and there were many reptiles living there.

    Along the way, Xu Hei scanned the area with his Divine Sense and found many demonic beasts foraging nearby.

    As they delved deeper into Wu Mountain, the abundance of Spiritual Qi increased, and so did the number of demonic beasts. Ordinary animals that managed to survive here would undergo some degree of evolution.

    Under Xu Hei''s influence, everyone used the Earth Escape Technique to travel.

    Before long, they arrived at a massive cave. The cave was purple in color, with many purple crystal minerals growing inside, which contained lightning-attributed Spiritual Qi, born from the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s cultivation.

    The cave was empty, with only some fur and scent remaining.

    "Not here..."

    Xu Hei sent out a scouting snake to search the area, but there was no sign of the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion within a ten-mile radius.

    However, there were faint footprints and a lingering scent on the ground, which they could follow to find it.

    Xu Hei immediately activated the Earth Escape Technique and pursued in the direction of the scent.

    After chasing for about a hundred miles, Xu Hei sensed the sound of rumbling and vibrations in the distance, indicating a battle.

    "Are two great demons fighting?" Xu Hei''s heart tightened.

    He quickly advanced and arrived at the entrance of an underground cave.

    It was a massive underground cavern, with tunnels extending in all directions. Inside, a group of pangolin-like demonic beasts lived. There were over a dozen small beasts and a gigantic mother beast, which had also reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

    At this moment, the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion was engaged in a fierce battle with the mother beast.

    "Roar!!"

    A thunderous roar shook the cave, causing it to copse. The sound waves swept out, and the small beasts curled up into a ball, using their armored shells to protect themselves from the sonic attack.

    The mother beast''s sharp ws continuously scratched the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s back, leaving bloody marks.

    The Pangolin King was adept at defense and protection but not at offense. It was only suitable for preying on small insects, primarily termites and hos, and was especially effective against Spirit-Eating Ants!

    However, their armored hides were valuable materials for artifact refining,parable to ivory. Their flesh and blood could also be used in medicine, serving as a main ingredient for Foundation Establishment Pills, which had led to their near extinction due to overhunting by humans.

    "Why is the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion fighting the Pangolin King?"

    Xu Hei''s face showed a strange expression. Generally, two Foundation Establishment great demons rarely shed. Great demons had a certain level of intelligence and would only engage in life-and-death battles if they were natural enemies.

    Why would these normally non-interfering demonic beasts engage in a deadly fight?

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand and decided to observe in secret.

    The two great demons fought fiercely, causing the cave to copse. They fought from underground to above ground and back again. The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion attacked frantically, unleashing lightning strikes that sted ck holes into the Pangolin King''s back, but thetter withstood the attacks with its tough defensive shell.

    "I told you, I didn''t kill your child!"

    "I saw it with my own eyes! Don''t try to deny it! The corpse is in your cave!"

    "My Pangolin n only eats insects. Why would we attack your child?"

    "Enough talk! You killed my child, so I will kill all your offspring to avenge him!"

    After a heated argument, the two demons resumed their ferocious battle.

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion was clearly in a state of rage, recklessly unleashing various demonic spells. Its purple crystals emitted a dazzling light, rapidly consuming its energy.

    The Pangolin King, determined to protect its offspring, fought desperately, using its body to withstand the onught.

    Xu Hei finally understood.

    The Pangolin King had killed the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s child, so thetter was seeking revenge?

    The corpse of the little Purple Crystal Liony motionless in the cave, clearly dead for some time.

    Xu Hei didn''t know the truth and didn''t care to investigate further. Since they wanted to fight, he would let them fight to the death, and then he would reap the benefits.

    "Good luck, being able to hunt two Foundation Establishment great demons at once should be enough to sustain me until I establish my foundation." Xu Hei was in a good mood.

    Xu Bai and Xiao Chou waited quietly by his side, awaiting Xu Hei''smand.

    ...

    Meanwhile, a hundred miles away.

    Two figures, a man and a woman, sat on a treetop. Their bodies were transparent, half merged with the tree, resembling tree spirits with somewhat blurred appearances.

    "ording to the timing, it should be soon," the woman said.

    "Hehe, no rush, no rush. Let''s wait a bit longer. Once one of the two demons ispletely dead, we''ll make our move," the man replied.

    "Who would have thought that in the deep mountains of the Chu Kingdom, we could find a Pangolin King, which has long been extinct in the Qin Kingdom? Its scales are priceless treasures," the woman said with a slight smile, then asked, "What about the small ones?"

    "Of course, we''ll kill them for medicine. They can still be of some use," the man said coldly.

    The woman''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

    "Shuang''er, as a cultivator, you can''t afford to be soft-hearted. If we let them go, it would only benefit others. If we don''t seize everything, how can we talk about cultivation?" The male cultivator seemed to see through her thoughts and spoke disdainfully.

    ...

    Time slowly passed.

    The battle between the two great demons gradually approached its end.

    Their strengths were clearly calcted by the cultivators to be nearly equal, ensuring they would both be severely injured while keeping the scales intact.

    This was why they chose the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion instead of another target.

    Xu Hei had been observing for a long time and felt something was off. The two demonic beasts seemed to be fighting to the death.

    How could there be such a good opportunity in the world, allowing him to reap the benefits without lifting a finger?

    Considering the dead cub''s body and the conversation between the two demonic beasts, everything seemed unusual.

    "Something''s not right. There''s something fishy about this!"

    Xu Hei was naturally suspicious. He instinctively took out the jade stone given to him by Hei Huang and checked it. There were no human red dots within a hundred miles.

    He stared at the jade stone for a long time, but there was still no movement.

    No humans involved, so what was the reason? Was it really just a coincidence?

    Things were going too smoothly, making Xu Hei suspicious.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed, and his pupils contracted.

    "This jade stone can only detect human cultivators, but the cultivators of the Qin Kingdom, especially those from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, are skilled in puppet techniques."

    "So, can it detect puppets?"

 Chapter 91: Cutting the puppet while secretly advancing through Chen Cang

    Chapter 91: Cutting the puppet while secretly advancing through Chen Cang

    Xu Hei always imagined every possible scenario before taking action. He immediately thought of the puppets from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "Judging from the wounds on that little Purple Crystal Lion, it indeed looks like the work of the Pangolin King''s ws."

    "But if it was done by a puppet, then everything makes sense."

    The puppet mechanical beasts could be crafted into any form, including a pangolin.

    It was highly likely that a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect used a pangolin puppet to kill the little lion and framed the Pangolin King.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, gradually understanding the cause and effect.

    Of course, this was just a suspicion and needed to be verified.

    The only thing that reassured him was that the person in the shadows couldn''t be too powerful. If they were at the mid tote Foundation Establishment Stage, they would have acted directly without resorting to such underhanded tactics.

    Xu Hei guessed that the person was likely at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, with a small chance of being at the mid-stage."If it''s mid-stage, should I fight or run?"

    "Never mind, let''s wait and see. After all, I have the Invisibility Talisman."

    Xu Hei distributed some Invisibility Talismans to Xu Bai and Xiao Chou. The talismans were more than enough.

    ...

    Soon, the two great demons were at theirst gasp.

    The purple crystals on the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion had lost their luster. The earthen light shield on the Pangolin King''s body was also rapidly dissipating.

    "Damn it! Just wait until my husband returns, I will definitely avenge this!"

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion roared angrily and turned to leave. Continuing the fight would lead to no result; she couldn''t afford to lose her life here.

    At that moment, a vine suddenly extended from a nearby tree, swiftly wrapping around the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion.

    The vine moved incredibly fast, almost in the blink of an eye, coiling around her and expanding like a giant rope.

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted; there was indeed someone in the shadows.

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s face darkened. In her prime, she could have dodged it, but now she was too weak to evade.

    "Swish, swish, swish..."

    One vine after another, as fast as lightning, bound the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion tightly, sealing herpletely. The Pangolin King in the cave was also attacked by tree roots, which split into countless branches, locking her in ce.

    "Humans?"

    The two great demons quickly realized that humans were hiding in the shadows.

    Xu Hei didn''t act rashly; he simply patted his storage bag and released his puppets.

    The next moment, two figures flew out from the tree, a man and a woman. The man had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, looking heroic and handsome. The woman had skin like snow and was equally stunning.

    These two were rare beauties and handsome men in the human world.

    After they appeared, they said nothing and decisively grabbed the two bound great demons, their actions swift and clean.

    "Damn humans!"

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion roared in fury, her fur standing on end, emitting purple lightning towards the man. But her remaining strength was less than thirty percent, easily neutralized by the man''s casual palm strike.

    On the other side, the Pangolin King only had time to throw her children into a bottomless pit before being captured by the female cultivator.

    "Spare my children, and I will go with you," the Pangolin King pleaded in humannguage.

    The woman hesitated, but the man scolded, "Shuang''er, don''t dawdle. This is your test!"

    Qin Shuang''er''s eyes shed with determination, and she whispered, "I''m sorry, but I must take the cubs too."

    Hearing this, the Pangolin King''s eyes turned red, tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes in pain.

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion also realized what was happening, gritting her teeth, "My children... was it you?"

    The male cultivator didn''t bother to exin, flicking his fingers, and a wooden flying sword shot out from his body, aiming straight for the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s forehead.

    One strike to kill!

    Despair and sorrow filled the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion''s eyes.

    Just as the wooden sword was about to pierce her forehead.

    A white light shed in the void, and a bone flying sword suddenly emerged from the ground, shooting towards the cold-faced man at lightning speed.

    The timing was perfect, just as the cold-faced man was about to kill the great demon.

    "ng!!"

    A crisp sound rang out.

    The wooden flying sword, somehow, returned like a teleportation, blocking the attack.

    "Blocked?"

    Xu Hei''s heart trembled. He had timed his sneak attack perfectly, but it was still too slow.

    Looking at the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion, she wasn''t dead. The opponent seemed to have been on guard, using only twenty percent of his strength to kill the demon.

    Such caution was not something ordinary people possessed.

    However, the bone flying sword was made from the tusks of the Spirit-Devouring Elephant. The wooden flying sword only blocked it for a moment before the spiritual energy dissipated, and the ivory flying sword continued its charge.

    "Hmm?"

    The cold-faced man remained expressionless, but his heart was shocked. The power of this flying sword was beyond his expectations.

    "Could it be a spirit-breaking flying sword?"

    "But the opponent''s spiritual power fluctuation is only at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage. How can he control a flying sword? And such a powerful one?"

    Sun Jian''s mind was filled with questions.

    Flying swords could only be controlled at the Foundation Establishment Stage; this wasmon knowledge.

    Of course, there were some methods to control them at the Qi Refining Stage, but their power would be limited.

    Instinctively, he took out a tortoise shell shield and ced it in front of him. With a crisp sound, the flying sword pierced through the shield, shooting out from the other side.

    "This..."

    Sun Jian''s heart finally wavered.

    This was definitely not the power of the Qi Refining Stage! Even at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, few could pierce his tortoise shell spiritual treasure in one strike.

    Had the opponent concealed his cultivation? No, spiritual power fluctuations could be hidden, but once in action, the resulting spiritual energy waves couldn''t be faked.

    Sun Jian''s thoughts raced, but his actions didn''t slow. Using the brief moment of obstruction, he merged into arge tree. The tree was instantly cut down by the flying sword, blood sttering everywhere.

    Xu Hei''s attack didn''t relent. The flying sword turned again, shing at the neighboring tree, drawing more blood.

    Despite being hit twice, Sun Jian didn''t flee. Instead, he charged towards Xu Hei''s location.

    "Wild Forest Frenzy!"

    Sun Jian pped his hands, and with a low shout, the forest came alive. Tree roots grew wildly, like sharp spikes, shooting towards Xu Hei underground.

    "Not dodging, trying to trade injuries?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed with ferocity.

    Trade injuries? A human trading injuries with a demon, howughable.

    "sh!"

    The flying sword cut through, severing one of Sun Jian''s arms, while Xu Hei''s upper body was pierced with small holes, blood flowing.

    ...

    Ten miles away.

    A ck-clothed person sat cross-legged inside a century-old tree with a five-meter diameter, motionless.

    After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes, a look of surprise shing through them.

    "A demonic beast?"

    "Unexpectedly, the rumors about Chu Kingdom are true. There''s a snake demon in the deep mountains, practicing human cultivation techniques and using flying swords. I happened to encounter it."

    As an inner disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Sun Jian didn''t pay much attention to Chu Kingdom''s affairs, only having heard a little.

    If he hadn''t nned to enter the mountains today and asked around, he wouldn''t have known about this.

    "Rumor has it that this demon is also skilled in puppet techniques, but in my opinion, it''s just showing off in front of an expert."

    Sun Jian sneered inwardly. He had been on guard because he had spotted the scouting snake hiding in a tree.

    Such a snake could deceive others but not him. With fifty years of experience in puppet techniques, he could distinguish between real and fake at a nce.

    He had pretended not to see it on purpose.

    Now, the snake was trading injuries with his puppet, fighting back and forth, showing some skill.

    Even his puppet had the strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage. For a small demon at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage to suppress his puppet was unexpected.

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, a giant sharp stone pir shot up from beneath him, shattering the tree. Before Sun Jian could react, it pierced through his lower body.

 Chapter 92: Stinking Thunder Bomb

    Chapter 92: Stinking Thunder Bomb

    An indescribable, earth-shattering pain spread throughout his body. Even with Sun Jian''s calm demeanor, he couldn''t help but let out a piercing scream. Blood spurted from his back as he shot into the sky.

    Fortunately, his protective magical treasure blocked the attack for a moment, and his constant vignce allowed him to escape in time.

    Otherwise, that blow would have surely caused him unbearable agony.

    Without time to look closely, a sense of danger loomed from behind, and another stone pir shot up from the ground.

    In an instant, Sun Jian realized that his opponent''s strength was not inferior to his own; otherwise, they wouldn''t be able to cast such spells.

    Without hesitation, Sun Jian merged into a nearby tree, swiftly traveling through its roots.

    This was the Wood Escape Technique, one of the Five Elements Escape Techniques.

    While the Earth Escape Technique was direct, the Wood Escape Technique excelled in its elusiveness, allowing one to move between trees and remain hidden, making it difficult to track.

    However, Xu Hei seemed to see through his position. Earth Spikes continuously erupted from the ground, piercing through tree after tree. Each strike forced a shadowy figure to leap out in a panic."Can he sense my location?"

    "How is that possible? I have a Concealment Talisman given by my master. It''s a third-tier talisman. Unless someone has the Divine Sense of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, they shouldn''t be able to lock onto me!"

    The more Sun Jian moved, the more rmed he became. It seemed his opponent had pinpointed his location, always finding the right tree whenever he used the Wood Escape Technique.

    Even more bizarre, the one chasing him seemed to be a giant serpent.

    Then, what was the other serpent fighting his puppet?

    ...

    At this moment, Sun Jian''s puppet had its limbs severed andy on the ground. The previously bnced situation had turned against him due to his distraction, leading to the puppet''s swift defeat.

    Sun Jian''s face darkened, a pained look shing in his eyes. He took out a handful of seeds and scattered them, pping his palm down.

    "Parasite!"

    In an instant, the seedsnded on the trees, quickly sprouting into vines.

    The parasitized trees came to life, uprooting themselves and lunging at Xu Hei, their branches iling like fists.

    "Ground Copse!"

    Xu Hei muttered, and the ground caved in, trapping the tree-men. But more and more tree-men surged from all directions.

    Xu Hei looked around. In just a few breaths, hundreds of trees had been parasitized, transforming into tree-men rushing toward him.

    Sun Jian formed another hand seal, and the vines on the tree-men rose into the air like venomous snakes, striking at Xu Hei.

    "Sandstorm Technique!"

    Xu Hei decisively swallowed a Rejuvenation Pill and cast the Earth Element Spell that Ye Haichuan had used.

    Though it was a Foundation Establishment spell, Xu Hei had enough True Qi to perform it.

    "Boom!!!"

    In an instant, sand and dust filled the air, a violent storm raging. Within a five-hundred-meter radius, all the trees were uprooted and shredded by the fierce winds.

    The gale was like a knife, lifting Sun Jian into the air. His skin cracked, blood sprayed, and the light in his body exploded one by one.

    "Sandstorm Technique? That''s a Foundation Establishment spell. How can a Spirit Communion Stage demonic beast use it? Impossible!"

    Sun Jian''s face was filled with horror, his shock beyond words.

    This spell consumed a tremendous amount of energy. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator needed deep reserves to use it.

    Suddenly, a gleam shed in his eyes as if he understood something.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei charged forward, killing intent surging, ready to deliver a fatal blow.

    Suddenly, Sun Jian''s body flickered, his limbs vanished, and his aura disappeared.

    The figure before him transformed into the puppet he had previously defeated.

    "Switched ces?"

    Xu Hei was astonished.

    Swapping ces with a puppet wasn''t part of his puppet techniques.

    "It seems he''s figured something out."

    Xu Hei remained expressionless, ncing at the red dot on the jade stone. He decisively dashed in another direction.

    He had been able to locate Sun Jian''s true body because of the jade stone Hei Huang had given him, which could pinpoint the opponent''s location through a red dot.

    When those two appeared, Xu Hei had sensed something was off. The jade stone showed no red dots, yet they were right in front of him.

    Xu Hei quickly realized they were fake!

    Upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint red dot ten miles away. Xu Hei had then quietly approached and ambushed the real body.

    As for the other serpent, it was a clone given by Hei Huang, almost identical to the original.

    Apart from the scales, everything else was nearly perfect, making it a wless clone ording to Hei Huang.

    Even the experienced old puppeteer hadn''t noticed the deception.

    You were fake, and so was I. Two fakes fighting, exchanging injury for injury.

    The only miscalction was that this person could swap ces with his puppet.

    This effectively allowed him to teleport ten miles, a truly heaven-defying ability.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Xu Hei''s serpent puppet encountered Sun Jian''s true body.

    Without a word, Sun Jian took out a bundle of threads and shot them at Xu Hei''s puppet.

    These were puppet threads, a magical treasure from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, designed specifically to immobilize puppets upon contact.

    Sun Jian''s intention was clear: he couldn''t defeat the serpent''s true body, so he aimed to capture the puppet. If he seeded, it would be a draw, with each side losing a puppet, and he might even gain a flying sword.

    Xu Hei''s puppet dodged and burrowed into the ground, retreating swiftly. But the threads were too fast, striking the puppet within a few breaths, producing a snapping sound.

    Xu Hei could feel his control slipping. The puppet''s body stiffened, unable to move.

    "sh!"

    An ivory flying sword cut through the threads, but more threads followed, relentless and continuous.

    Gradually, Xu Hei lost control of the puppet, even the flying sword fell helplessly to the ground.

    Sun Jiannded, ready to store the flying sword and puppet in his storage bag.

    At that moment.

    "Boom!!"

    Suddenly, a massive figure collided from behind. It was Xiao Chou, now gigantified, holding a pill in his hand, which he hurled forward with a loud shout.

    "Stinking Thunder Bomb, explode!"

    The pill detonated, releasing a thick, pervasive smoke. Sun Jian, on high alert, held his breath and cast protective barriers, but the overwhelming stench that followed was indescribable, assaulting his senses.

    It was a stench he had never encountered, making his vision blur and nearly causing him to faint.

    The stench prated his soul, beyond the defense of any simple magical treasure.

    "What is this foul thing? Ahhh!!"

    Sun Jian screamed and retreated, while even Qin Shuang''er turned green, vomiting.

    Amazingly, Xiao Chou withstood the stench, charging like a bull, swinging his right arm andnding a punch on Sun Jian''s face.

    His speed was beyond words.

    "Bang!!!"

    Sun Jian''s protective True Qi shattered, teeth flew out, blood sprayed, and he was sent flying.

    At the same time, Xu Hei finally arrived, his anger surging. He controlled his flying sword with a single gesture, beheading Sun Jian.

    "No!!!"

    Qin Shuang''er let out a desperate, heart-wrenching scream.

 Chapter 93: Being more affectionate is harder than being heartless

    Chapter 93: Being more affectionate is harder than being heartless

    Xu Hei took out the jade stone and watched the red dot on it rapidly dim. This was a sign of life fading away.

    "No! Brother Jian, don''t go! Don''t leave me!"

    Qin Shuang''er knelt in front of Sun Jian, holding his body, tears streaming down like rain.

    Sun Jian''s lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he was too weak to speak.

    Xu Hei muttered to himself, "Is he addicted to role-ying? Even at death''s door, he''s still at it?"

    Sun Jian was cold and ruthless, while Qin Shuang''er was indecisive. When Xu Hei first met them, he really thought they were fellow disciples. It turned out they were two puppets controlled by the same person.

    This left Xu Hei speechless.

    As Sun Jian''s life ebbed away, the light in Qin Shuang''er''s eyes also gradually faded.

    When the master dies, the puppet loses all its vitality as well."Dao... Daoist..."

    Suddenly, Sun Jian''s lips moved slightly, and his head struggled to make a sound, as if he wanted to leave somest words.

    "Please... bury us... together..."

    Just as Sun Jian was speaking, Xu Hei spat out a me, burning his head to ashes, not giving him the chance to finish hisst words.

    "Yourst wish means nothing to me."

    Xu Hei said coldly, burning his body to ashes as well.

    A cultivator must not have a merciful heart. This was something he always said to himself, and now it hade true for him.

    As Sun Jian''s soul dispersed, the puppet named Shuang''er alsopletely lost consciousness, bing utterly motionless.

    But at the corners of her eyes, two lines of tears hung, as if she were truly crying.

    Xu Hei raised an eyebrow, showing a look of doubt.

    He vaguely felt that things were not so simple.

    Sun Jian''sst words were iplete, but Xu Hei could guess that he wanted them to be buried together.

    "Xiao Chou, what do you think?" Xu Hei looked at Xiao Chou.

    Xiao Chou shrugged and said, "What can I think? Probably another tragic lover like me."

    "Yours can''t be called a tragic lover, can it?" Xu Hei sneered.

    "......"

    Xiao Chou''s face darkened, and he chose to remain silent.

    Xu Hei put away Sun Jian''s storage bag and checked it, his eyes widening instantly.

    He found that the resources in this person''s storage bag could only be described as terrifying. Various pills and treasures were piled up like mountains.

    There were also many jade slips, countless magical treasures that hadn''t been refined, all brand new.

    The number of spirit stones reached two thousand!

    The Ye Haichuan he had killed before, who was also at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, only had a tenth of this.

    "My God, so rich!" Xu Hei gasped.

    This was the most abundant haul Xu Hei had ever gotten from killing and looting.

    Xu Hei immediately realized that this person must have fought in a war and plundered the storage bags of Chu Kingdom cultivators, which is why he had such a rich collection.

    Killing and looting to get rich, as long as one could survive the war, they could always gain some spoils.

    "With such a big harvest, this trip was worth it." Xu Hei thought to himself.

    In the storage bag, there was also demonic beast meat, all neatly cut high-quality great demon meat, looking very appetizing. But the quantity was not much, only two hundred pounds.

    The Pangolin King had run off, probably hiding deep underground.

    The Purple Crystal Thunder Lion was finally killed and put into Xu Hei''s storage bag.

    As for the purple crystal mine in its cave dwelling, Xu Hei didn''t dare to take it. ording to the lioness, she had a husband whose cultivation level was unknown, so Xu Hei decided not to provoke him lightly.

    Lion-type demonic beasts practiced polygamy, with one male lion usually leading a pride with multiple lionesses.

    It was rare for a lioness toe out alone with her cubs.

    Xu Hei guessed that the male lion was probably deep in the Wu Mountain Range and might be extremely powerful.

    Lions should have special ways ofmunicating. After thinking for a moment, Xu Hei cleaned up his traces, collected his spoils, and quickly left the ce.

    As for the lioness, he decided not to eat her for now. Maybe one day he would encounter her mate, and she mighte in handy.

    The two demonic beasts and Xu Hei ran all the way back to their cave dwelling.

    Back in the cave dwelling with formations set up, they finally felt at ease and breathed a sigh of relief.

    Xu Bai did not participate in the battle, only eating some poisonous creatures along the way.

    Xiao Chou, however, made a great contribution. Although Xu Hei could have caught up eventually, it would have consumed a lot of energy and might have led to unforeseenplications.

    For this person, Xu Hei nned to give a reward.

    He took out a Foundation Establishment Pill from Sun Jian''s storage bag and handed it over.

    "Whether you can establish your foundation, it''s up to you." Xu Hei said.

    "Thank you, Senior, hahaha..."

    Xiao Chouughed wildly, took the Foundation Establishment Pill, and went into the deepest part of the cave dwelling.

    There were five more Foundation Establishment Pills in Sun Jian''s storage bag, enough for Xu Hei to use.

    Xu Hei checked the jade slips, all of which were wood-based spells, which Xu Bai could probably use.

    One golden jade slip had a seal on it, seemingly recording the secondyer of puppet techniques, but Xu Hei couldn''t open it.

    Xu Hei sighed and took out Qin Shuang''er''s storage bag.

    After his inspection, he found that Qin Shuang''er was not a fictional puppet but a real person who had already fallen. This was her storage bag from when she was alive.

    Inside were some jade slips recording her experiences.

    Through these, Xu Hei understood the sequence of events.

    Qin Shuang''er was the daughter of Qin Xuanji, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. She and Sun Jian had mutual affection. During a siege, she spared a child, who then detonated a Thunder Tribtion Pearl, severely injuring her.

    The child died instantly, and Qin Shuang''er was on the brink of death.

    At thest moment, she turned herself into a flesh puppet, preserving a sliver of consciousness in her body.

    In this way, she remained by Sun Jian''s side, fulfilling their mutual promise.

    "Shuang''er, as a cultivator, you must not have a woman''s kindness!"

    Recalling Sun Jian''s words at the time, Xu Hei had a different understanding.

    Actually, when Sun Jian and the puppet switched ces, Xu Hei wondered why he didn''t switch with Qin Shuang''er. That woman was unharmed and might have dyed him a bit.

    Instead, he switched with a broken body, which Xu Hei didn''t even bother with and directly chased after.

    If Qin Shuang''er had held him back, even for a moment, Sun Jian''s chances of escaping would have greatly increased.

    "People are not nts; who can be without feelings? Sun Jian kept talking about being ruthless, but in the end, he lost because of his feelings."

    Xu Hei sighed.

    He couldn''t help butpare the experiences of these two with Xiao Chou and found that there was noparison. This was a true partnership, while Xiao Chou''s situation was nothing.

    He took Sun Jian''s ashes and buried them on a hill, then buried Qin Shuang''er''s body next to him.

    This flesh puppet had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage and had some value, but Xu Hei had no interest in using it.

    With his current strength, he didn''t need such a puppet.

    "Rest in peace, both of you. Farewell."

    Xu Hei said, turning to leave.

    Just as Xu Hei turned around, a golden light shed from Qin Shuang''er''s forehead and entered Xu Hei''s storage bag.

    Xu Hei was stunned and took out the golden jade slip recording the puppet techniques.

    He found that the seal on it was gone.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he sent his divine sense into it.

    In an instant, theplete steps for cultivating the Puppet Mechanism Technique appeared in Xu Hei''s mind.

    "Puppet Mechanism Technique, Second Layer, Earth Puppet Technique."

    "Can create Foundation Establishment Stage puppets, including three puppet spells: Spirit Thread, Transposition, Hundred Puppet Formation."

 Chapter 94: Foundation Establishment Stage: Purple Qi Comes from the East

    Chapter 94: Foundation Establishment Stage: Purple Qi Comes from the East

    In the process of Xu Hei acquiring the cultivation technique.

    Under the mound of earth, Qin Shuang''ery quietly beside Sun Jian''s ashes, a look of relief in her eyes. Suddenly, her body ignited without fire, gradually turning to ashes.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, took a deep look at the mound, and ced a stone tablet in front of it.

    He seemed to want to carve something, but felt his talent was insufficient, so he turned and left.

    Humans are emotional beings. They may seem heartless, but it''s all for survival, for bing stronger.

    Demonic beasts are also emotional beings. A mother beast can risk her life for her cubs.

    If there''s anything truly heartless, it would be things like stones or lifeless puppets.

    Xu Hei didn''t know if being heartless would allow one to live longer, but for now, he couldn''t do it.

    Since Xu Hei began cultivating, his primary belief was that for survival, one could abandon everything. Of course, this belief had not changed to this day."I''m going to establish my foundation. This time, I''m fully prepared. I won''te out until I''ve seeded."

    Xu Hei made up his mind. No matter what happened outside, he wouldn''t leave his retreat.

    The resources he had prepared were more than enough to reach the Foundation Establishment stage from scratch, let alone now.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Chuyang City, Southern Region of Chu Kingdom.

    This city was the gateway to the Southern Region of Chu Kingdom. As long as the city stood, the Southern Region would be safe. But if it fell, the entire Southern Region would be essible, making it the most strategic city.

    A hundred miles outside Chuyang City, the Qin Kingdom''s army had been stationed there for a month.

    The Astrology Bureau had ceded many cities, with almost everyone guarding this ce for this crucial battle.

    Inside the Qin Kingdom''s main tent.

    Qin Xuanji suddenly opened his eyes and took out a soul jade, covered in cracks and already shattered.

    "Sigh!"

    Qin Xuanji was silent for a long time, then let out a sigh.

    This was Sun Jian''s soul jade.

    This young man had average talent, reaching only the early Foundation Establishment stage after fifty years of cultivation. But his determination and ruthlessness were remarkable, and he had developed feelings for Qin Xuanji''s daughter, Qin Shuang''er.

    As the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Qin Xuanji naturally couldn''t allow his daughter to follow someone with such mediocre talent, leading to conflicts and even threats to sever ties.

    Qin Xuanji hadn''t paid much attention to the two, only saying that if they could lead an army to capture a city, he wouldn''t stop them.

    In the end, the city fell, but Qin Shuang''er perished.

    "Forget it. Once we take Chuyang City, I''ll bring you both back to the Qin Kingdom for burial."

    Qin Xuanji closed his eyes, a pang of sorrow in his heart.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time flew by, and the months passed like a shuttle.

    In April, the most crucial battle since the Qin Kingdom''s invasion began outside Chuyang City. Over a million troops from both sides shed in an epic battle.

    The southern forests of Chu Kingdom entered a long period of peace.

    Without human hunting, the flora and fauna rapidly proliferated, and some rare spirit medicines appeared.

    Xu Hei swallowed two Foundation Establishment Pills in session. After breaking through to the twelfthyer of the Spirit Communion stage, he made a bold move towards the Foundation Establishment stage.

    "Boom!!!"

    A loud explosion echoed within Xu Hei''s body. The spiritual liquid in the Demon God Cauldron boiled,pressing rapidly towards the center, forming a solid, square tform at a slow pace.

    At this moment, the spiritual energy within a thirty-mile radius seemed to be drawn in, converging madly towards this ce and being absorbed into the cave dwelling.

    Even the clouds in the sky above roared in, piling up into mountains and seas of clouds.

    From a distance, the sky over this ce could only be described as spectacr.

    Many spiritmuning demonic beasts looked up in shock at this unprecedented celestial phenomenon.

    Fortunately, no humans were around. Otherwise, they would have thought a rare treasure was emerging.

    Soon, the spiritual energy within thirty miles was drained, and the energy from beyond thirty miles was also being absorbed, forming a vast vortex of spiritual energy pouring into the cave dwelling.

    Despite this, Xu Hei still felt the spiritual energy wasing too slowly.

    "Not enough, not enough!"

    Xu Hei''s heart stirred, and a thousand spirit stones fell from his storage bag, ced all around.

    As soon as the spirit stones appeared, the concentration of spiritual energy in the cave dwelling skyrocketed, but it didn''t take long for Xu Hei to absorb them all.

    The spirit stones quickly lost their color, turning to residue and disintegrating into ashes.

    Fortunately, this measure was effective. Under the frenzied devouring of the Demon God Cauldron, Xu Hei''s spiritual foundation gradually took shape.

    He took out a bottle of Minor Essence Nurturing Pills and swallowed them whole, along with the remaining demonic beast meat, for the final push.

    A monthter.

    The celestial phenomenon in the sky persisted, with rays of light shooting up.

    At this moment, the spiritual foundation within Xu Hei''s Demon God Cauldron wasplete, emitting terrifying spiritual resonance that shot into the sky, scattering light at the horizon.

    Initially, the light was white, gradually turning pale blue.

    "Pale blue spiritual energy, this is perfect Foundation Establishment."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, maintaining his focus and continuing to absorb the remaining spirit stones.

    The light in the sky deepened from pale blue to deep blue and continued to transform.

    ording to Hei Huang, beyond perfect Foundation Establishment, the color would deepen further.

    Three days passed, and the light turned pale purple, as if purple energy wasing from the east, a magnificent sight.

    Such a phenomenon could be considered a wonder of the world!

    Xu Hei didn''t know that in ancient times, perfect Foundation Establishment had several levels: pale blue, deep blue, and purple.

    Most cultivators achieved only the first level.

    Purple spiritual energy was extremely rare even in the peak of ancient times, requiring not only the twelfthyer of the Qi Refining stage at Great Perfection but also top-tier cultivation techniques, supreme spiritual roots, and perfectprehension.

    All these conditions were indispensable!

    Such a cultivator, once sessfully establishing their foundation, would be a terrifying existence, causing cmities.

    If Xu Hei were in that era, achieving purple spiritual energy, or even deep purple, would be easy.

    But now, with the scarcity of spiritual energy, even with the most extraordinary talent and powerful techniques, true perfection was unattainable.

    Under the purple light, the creatures in this area also benefited, undergoing evolution, an additional boon from the purple energy.

    Xu Hei''s scales grew rapidly, soon covering his entire body, except for a spot between his eyebrows.

    No one knew how much time had passed.

    The celestial phenomenon gradually dissipated, the clouds scattered, and the purple energy returned to the cave dwelling.

    The vortex of spiritual energy also vanished.

    All movements in the world came to aplete halt.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of air.

    At this moment, he no longer appeared as the previous ck Yin Snake but as a new species covered in ck Gold Scales.

    His body was three meters long but could stretch freely, with flexibility beyond imagination, reaching over ten meters.

    The spiritual foundation within the Demon God Cauldron wasplete, emitting purple spiritual energy that flowed through his meridians, a type of energy Xu Hei had never heard of.

    "Now, I am at the early Foundation Establishment stage, but the Flood Dragon hasn''t appeared."

    Xu Hei pondered.

    His divine sense locked onto the Demon God Cauldron, trying to contact the Flood Dragon statue, but there was no response.

    This contradicted the previous agreement that once he established his foundation, he would be told the truth.

    "Senior, are you ying me?" Xu Hei transmitted.

    The Flood Dragon remained silent.

    Xu Hei sighed. Since he had already established his foundation, it didn''t matter if the Flood Dragon appeared or not.

    However, Xu Hei soon discovered a problem.

    His cultivation had stagnated.

    His mysterious cultivation technique seemed to only allow him to reach the early Foundation Establishment stage, with nothing beyond.

    Xu Hei took out a Minor Essence Nurturing Pill, a second-tier pill for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    He swallowed it in one gulp and quickly refined it ording to his previous cultivation steps, but his cultivation didn''t budge, and his true qi didn''t increase at all.

    "Indeed, my cultivation has stopped. The previous cultivation technique is now useless," Xu Hei thought.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect''s techniques were divided intoyers: the firstyer, the secondyer, the thirdyer...

    Xu Hei''s mysterious technique seemed to have only the firstyer, a fragment.

    It really was missing a crucial piece.

 Chapter 95: Xu Hei descends the mountain to seek the Way

    Chapter 95: Xu Hei descends the mountain to seek the Way

    The Art of Earth Puppetry not only allows one to refine puppets but also includes aprehensive cultivation technique, detailing every step from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation.

    Xu Hei felt a bit unwilling. He knew that his possession of purple True Qi was entirely due to that mysterious cultivation technique, and he didn''t want to switch to another.

    "Senior, can you give me a response?"

    Xu Hei continued to try to make contact, but there was still no response.

    "Strange! Such a powerful existence shouldn''t deceive me."

    Xu Hei''s face showed doubt, wondering if he hadn''t met the requirements.

    At this moment, whether it was his internal spiritual foundation or his external aura, he was undoubtedly at the Foundation Establishment stage.

    Compared to other Foundation Establishment cultivators he had seen before, Xu Hei''s aura was purer and more robust, and his Divine Sense range had exceeded a thousand meters.

    The only thing that didn''t match Xu Hei''s expectations was his ck Gold Scales, which were still missing one piece.It was his forehead, still missing the final piece of scale!

    "Could it be because of this scale? My cultivation has reached Foundation Establishment, but my physical body is stillcking?" Xu Hei pondered.

    In the following days, he tried devouring demonic beast meat, even consuming part of the Purple Crystal Thunder Lion, and took some body-tempering pills.

    Xu Hei could feel his physical body growing stronger.

    But thatst piece of scale remained motionless.

    "Strange."

    Xu Hei shook his head.

    He didn''t dwell on it and instead took out his puppets, using the Art of Earth Puppetry to reinforce them all.

    As for his own cultivation, if it was stagnant, so be it.

    In a few days, he nned to go down the mountain, consult some human sects'' ssics, and thoroughly study the techniques of the Five Great Sects. Perhaps he could find some clues.

    As for asking Hei Huang, that dog didn''t know when it woulde out of seclusion, so he couldn''t rely on it for now.

    Now that he had sessfully reached Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei felt more confident. With the war between the two countries, as long as Xu Hei was cautious, he would be safe.

    Even if he was really unlucky and encountered a Core Formation old monster, he still had the life-saving item given by Hei Huang, which was said to be able to split anything in the world fifty-fifty. Xu Hei was actually eager to try it out.

    ...

    Next, Xu Hei made full preparations.

    Besides reinforcing his puppets, Xu Hei also needed to refine two flying swords. At the same time, he needed to update his own magical treasures, talismans, and pills.

    He spent five days reinforcing his main puppets to the Foundation Establishment level.

    Then, he took out the Ice and Fire Ivory, cut off a part, and spent three days crafting two flying swords.

    Thus, Xu Hei now had three ivory flying swords.

    Xu Hei named them: Spirit-Breaking Sword, Extreme Frost Sword, and Heaven-Burning Sword.

    However, the power of thetter two swords was too great, reaching the peak of the second tier. With Xu Hei''s Divine Sense, he could barely control them, far less smoothly than the Spirit-Breaking Sword.

    Xu Hei mainly used the Spirit-Breaking Sword.

    The leftover materials from the Spirit-Devouring Elephant''s ivory were melted down into some Spirit-Breaking Needles for auxiliary use.

    After that, he selected a Fire Thunder Seal and a Wind-Stabilizing Pearl from Sun Jian''s collection and carried the old ape''s iron pot on his back, all of which were mid-grade Spiritual Treasures.

    In terms of defense, his entire body was covered in ck Gold Scales, which could basically ignore most attacks.

    "It''s time to go down the mountain. I want to empty the human Scripture Repository."

    Xu Hei thought to himself as he climbed out of his cave dwelling and arrived outside.

    Xiao Chou had already sessfully reached Foundation Establishment and was lying in the valley, sunbathing in a strange posture.

    "Senior, are you going down the mountain?"

    Xiao Chou raised his head excitedly when he saw Xu Heiing out of the cave.

    "That''s right." Xu Hei nodded.

    "Can Ie with you?"

    Xiao Chou''s face turned serious as he said, "Now that I''ve reached Foundation Establishment, I have some scores to settle with certain people."

    Xu Hei knew what he had been through and nodded without hesitation, "Alright, but you must follow my lead."

    "Good!"

    Xiao Chou followed, looking a bit excited.

    He had waited for this day for far too long. The humiliation of being hunted down and nearly losing his life could finally be washed away! He only hoped those people were still alive and hadn''t died too soon!

    Thus, one man and one snake left the valley and headed down the mountain.

    "By the way, Senior Hei, I encountered a lot of trouble during my Foundation Establishment. I almost died. Let me tell you about it."

    Xiao Chou followed behind, chattering excitedly.

    Perhaps it had been too long since he had spoken to anyone, Xiao Chou turned into a chatterbox, talking non-stop along the way.

    "Senior, you wouldn''t believe it. At the critical moment of my Foundation Establishment, the Spiritual Qi around me suddenly disappeared. Within a ten-mile radius, not a drop was left, causing me to fail my breakthrough! It''s infuriating. I don''t know which bastard did it!"

    Xiao Chou cursed.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched, but he chose to remain silent.

    "That wasn''t the worst part. Later, when I tried to break through again, an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon appeared nearby, almost scaring me to death!"

    Xiao Chouined again.

    Xu Hei was instantly shocked.

    An extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon? What was going on?

    Cultivators defy the heavens, and during breakthroughs, there is a small chance of attracting an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, also known as external demonic possession.

    But this usually only happens to Core Formation cultivators during their Nascent Soul formation, and only to those with extraordinary talent, one in a million.

    For example, the Mountain-moving Patriarch died due to an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

    "Damn it! I''m just a small Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could I attract an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon? It''s ridiculous. I suspect they made a mistake." Xiao Chou cursed.

    At this point, he fell silent, not speaking for the rest of the journey.

    Xu Hei was eagerly waiting to hear more, but Xiao Chou suddenly stopped talking, which made Xu Hei quite annoyed.

    He wanted to prompt him to continue, but Xu Hei didn''t know how to start.

    "And then?"

    After holding back for a long time, Xu Hei couldn''t help but ask.

    "Oh? So you were listening, Senior. I thought you weren''t paying attention." Xiao Chou said in surprise.

    "I suddenly feel like punching you." Xu Hei said honestly.

    "Don''t dare, don''t dare!" Xiao Chou quickly returned to the main topic and continued, "Later, for some unknown reason, that extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon entered a spatial rift and disappeared. The demon''s expression seemed like it had encountered something terrifying."

    "Of course, it might have been an illusion caused by a cultivation mishap."

    Xiao Chou quickly added, as the whole thing was too outrageous. How could an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon appear during a Foundation Establishment?

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and also felt it was an illusion. How could an extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon target Xiao Chou?

    Xiao Chou had indeed been through a lot, with a difficult and troubled path to Foundation Establishment.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and asked, "After failing twice, how did you finally reach Foundation Establishment?"

    "Later, Senior Bai sessfully refined a Foundation Establishment Pill and asked me to test it. I couldn''t resist and took it." Xiao Chou said.

    Xu Hei immediately stopped, staring at Xiao Chou, examining him closely.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Xiao Chou felt a bit uneasy under the scrutiny.

    "Are you alright? Any side effects?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

    "No, I''m perfectly fine. How could there be any side effects? Senior Bai''s other pills might be unreliable, but the Foundation Establishment Pill is absolutely fine!"

    Xiao Chou said confidently.

    Xu Hei examined him again for a long time but didn''t find anything wrong, so he said, "Let''s continue on our way."

    "Alright!"

    Xiao Chou slithered along like a snake, following behind.

 Chapter 96: This punch can only be endured for five seconds

    Chapter 96: This punch can only be endured for five seconds

    Xu Hei had two choices for his descent from the mountain: the Purple Mist Sect or the Mountain Movers Sect.

    In terms of strength, the Purple Mist Sect was undoubtedly the weaker option. With the fall of Patriarch He Luohua, there was no longer a Core Formation Stage expert to hold the fort, significantly increasing the safety factor.

    Moreover, Xu Hei had been to the Purple Mist Sect once before and had experience in sneaking around, making him quite familiar with the ce.

    Xu Hei decided to head to the Purple Mist Sect first to take a look.

    However, after spending three days traveling to the Purple Mist Sect, he found the cepletely deserted, with not a single disciple in sight.

    All the houses and pavilions were empty, and even the medicinal gardens had been thoroughly cleaned out.

    Only a few unattended spirit beasts remained, wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.

    "Have they... moved?" Xu Hei''s face showed a hint of suspicion.

    He used the Earth Escape Technique to reach the former location of the Purple Mist Pavilion, only to find that the entire building was gone, undoubtedly moved by someone.There were no signs of battle or bloodshed, indicating that it was a voluntary relocation.

    Xu Hei searched around but only found a few outer disciples on the periphery.

    To be cautious, Xu Hei didn''t ask anyone and simply turned to leave.

    "Senior, aren''t you going to ask someone?" Xiao Chou asked in confusion.

    "What''s there to ask? Without a Core Formation expert, the Purple Mist Sect is vulnerable in these troubled times. Moving to seek protection from the Snake Catchers Sect is quite reasonable."

    Xu Hei had figured it out and wasn''t surprised.

    The head of the Purple Mist Sect had formed a Daopanionship with a significant figure from the Snake Catchers Sect, so such a move was easily arranged.

    Unexpected, but reasonable.

    Xiao Chou looked disappointed. He had hoped to settle a score with a woman who had humiliated him before.

    With no other choice, they turned and headed for the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Going to the Mountain Movers Sect had its advantages. Xiao Chou was a disciple there and could use his disciple token to enter openly.

    "Aren''t you afraid of trouble, showing up like this when you''re wanted by the Snake Catchers Sect?" Xu Hei asked.

    "That was before. Now that I''m in the Foundation Establishment Stage, who would dare trouble me?" Xiao Chou said proudly.

    In thete Qi Refining Stage, he was just an inner disciple. But in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he was at the elder level. Hua Yuntian didn''t have the power to make the Mountain Movers Sect hand over an elder.

    After a moment of contemtion, Xu Hei decided to go with Xiao Chou to take a look.

    The Mountain Movers Sect was one of his backup options anyway.

    The Mountain Movers Sect was at the pinnacle of Earth Spiritual Roots research in the Chu Kingdom, making it the best ce for Xu Hei to learn Earth Element Spells.

    After another two days of travel, they arrived at the Mountain Movers Sect''s mountain gate.

    Before them stood a towering mountain, its edges steep and its middle t and expansive. It was said that the Mountain-moving Patriarch had spent many years moving mountains from all over the Chu Kingdom to form this one.

    After half a year, Xiao Chou returned to his homnd, feeling a mix of emotions.

    "Xiao Chou, why do I feel like there''s something off about the way you walk?" Xu Hei couldn''t help but ask.

    "Hmm? What''s off?" Xiao Chou wiggled his hind limbs, slithering forward like a snake.

    "Aren''t humans supposed to walk upright?"

    Xu Hei pointed ahead, where an outer disciple was walking up the mountain.

    Xiao Chou was stunned for a full five seconds before he realized.

    "Hey, that''s right! I walk on two legs!"

    He quickly stood up and walked back and forth but felt awkward and continued to crawl on the ground, frowning in thought.

    "Strange, why is this happening?"

    Xiao Chou couldn''t figure it out.

    To avoid strange looks, he decided to walk upright, even though it felt awkward.

    Xu Hei shrank his body to a meter and was stuffed into a sack by Xiao Chou, who slung it over his shoulder and headed for the mountain gate.

    Before long, they reached the entrance halfway up the mountain.

    "Stop!"

    The gatekeeping disciple nced at Xiao Chou, looked closely for a while, rubbed his eyes, and his face changed dramatically. "Xiao Chou? Is that you?"

    "Is there a problem?" Xiao Chou''s face was expressionless.

    "You''re not dead?" The gatekeeping disciple was shocked.

    "What do you mean? Who said I was dead?"

    Xiao Chou squinted his eyes, feeling puzzled.

    The gatekeeping disciple''s face turned strange, and he hesitated to speak.

    Feeling the overwhelming pressure from Xiao Chou, the gatekeeping disciple swallowed hard and exined honestly.

    "It''s like this. Last year, you were wanted by the Snake Catchers Sect and fled into the deep mountains. After being missing for half a year, the sect removed you from the roster and listed you as deceased."

    "Your cave dwelling and all your belongings were handed over to your rtives."

    The gatekeeping disciple was only in the early Qi Refining Stage and didn''t dare offend an inner disciple. He exined everything in detail.

    "Rtives? My parents are mortals. What rtives?" Xiao Chou red, feeling something was off.

    "That, I don''t know. But it was two female cultivators wearing Purple Mist Sect robes. You can go back and check for yourself," the gatekeeping disciple said hurriedly.

    Hearing this, Xiao Chou''s eyes immediately red with anger.

    He stepped forward and rushed into the mountain gate at an incredible speed, heading straight for his cave dwelling.

    ...

    Inside the Mountain Movers Sect, the inner disciples'' residences were different from those of the Purple Mist Sect. All disciples lived inside the mountain, with cave dwellings allocated based on their cultivation levels.

    It was said that the center of the mountain contained half a spiritual vein, making the spiritual energy in the cave dwellings much denser. Many disciples from other sects envied the Mountain Movers Sect for this.

    At this moment, inside Xiao Chou''s cave dwelling, sat two female disciples from the Purple Mist Sect.

    Xu Hei had seen these two before; they lived next to Silver Bell and had constantly mocked and ridiculed Xiao Chou.

    A month ago, they had used special means to take over Xiao Chou''s cave dwelling.

    "Elder Qiu, this is the contract for their Daopanionship. It clearly states that if Xiao Chou dies, all his property belongs to Silver Bell. As her sister, I have the right to inherit it," Xu Mei said with a flirtatious smile.

    "Haha, well said. I''ll open the cave dwelling and take out that kid''s belongings right away."

    Elder Qiu of the Mountain Movers Sectughed heartily, forcibly opened the cave dwelling, and handed it over to Xu Mei.

    All the items inside were also given to Xu Mei.

    In fact, Xu Mei and Elder Qiu had been secretly involved for a long time, and this was just a natural progression of their rtionship.

    Elder Qiu would asionally visit the cave dwelling to meet Xu Mei for illicit activities.

    This time, Xu Mei had even brought her good sister along for a threesome.

    "Dual cultivating with a Foundation Establishment cultivator is extremely effective. In just a month, I''ve reached the ninth level of the Qi Refining Stage."

    "Haha, I should thank you for letting me benefit as well."

    The two chatted happily.

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, the cave dwelling''s door was sted open with a punch.

    Xu Mei and her sister were startled awake and looked outside.

    "Who dares to barge into my cave dwelling? Are you tired of living?" Xu Mei shouted in anger after realizing someone had intruded.

    At the cave dwelling''s entrance, dust rose, and a young figure walked in from outside.

    This person had a bundle hanging from his waist, was travel-worn, had dark skin, and an ordinary appearance. His eyes burned with fiery anger¡ªit was Xiao Chou.

    "It''s you?"

    Xu Mei was shocked, thinking she was seeing things.

    "You... you''re not dead!"

    Xu Chun, beside her, widened her eyes in disbelief.

    They were very familiar with Xiao Chou, having often mocked and ridiculed him. How could they not recognize him?

    Xiao Chou just stared at them silently.

    "You''ve got some nerve! Don''t you know Hua Yuntian is looking for you? How dare youe back to court death!" Xu Mei reacted quickly and scolded with a flushed face.

    She knew how to deal with such men; she had to be tough.

    Xu Chun also threatened, "If you''re smart, leave now, and we''ll pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, when Young Master Hua arrives, it''ll be your death!"

    They were smart women. If Xiao Chou wasn''t dead, they would likely have to give up the cave dwelling.

    Their dual cultivation ns with Elder Qiu would be ruined, which was uneptable.

    So, Xiao Chou had to die!

    Given Xiao Chou''s cowardly nature, he might just submit to their threats. After all, they had mocked him countless times before, and he never dared to say a word.

    Xiao Chou remained expressionless and coldly said, "Do you know what it means to be overbearing?"

    Xu Mei sneered, "Oh? A lowly coward dares to resist? Kneel and lick my toes, and maybe I''ll spare you..."

    "Bang!!"

    Her words were cut off by a punch.

    Xu Mei''s nose bled, her face caved in, and she was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall with a bloody head.

    With just one punch, her face was disfigured!

    Xu Chun''s expression changed drastically, as if she had seen a ghost.

    Who was this? Xiao Chou?

    How was this possible? Xiao Chou was a coward, a simp who couldn''t even speak clearly to women. How could he hit a woman?

    "You... you dare hit..." Xu Chun''s voice trembled, but she couldn''t help but threaten.

    "Bang!!"

    Another heavy punchnded on Xu Chun''s face.

    Her teeth flew out, and her head was twisted, nearly breaking her neck, as she crashed into the ceiling.

    "Boom!!"

    The entire cave dwelling shook, and dust fell.

    Both women were knocked down with a single punch.

    At this moment, Xiao Chou seemed like a different person.

    "I''ve been honing this punch for five years!"

    Xiao Chou clenched his fist, his eyes red, and said through gritted teeth, "But from now on, I''ll only endure for five seconds!"

 Chapter 97: Mountain Movers Sect Earth Relocation Spell

    Chapter 97: Mountain Movers Sect Earth Relocation Spell

    "Whoosh!!"

    Elder Qiu sped towards Xiao Chou''s cave dwelling at an incredible speed. Just moments ago, he had received a distress signal from Xu Mei.

    Originally, Xu Mei had brought along a sister, nning to dual cultivate together. Elder Qiu had even prepared some pills to enhance the experience, but things had gone awry.

    As Elder Qiu neared the cave dwelling, a figure suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path.

    "You..."

    Seeing the person, Elder Qiu''s eyes widened in disbelief. "It''s you?"

    "That''s right, it''s me, Xiao Chou," Xiao Chou said with a bright smile.

    "You didn''t die?" Elder Qiu''s eyes narrowed.

    "I was hunted down but managed to survive," Xiao Chou replied with a smile.Ignoring him, Elder Qiu tried to bypass Xiao Chou and head straight for the cave dwelling.

    "Elder Qiu, what are you doing? The cave dwelling is my private territory. ording to sect rules, no one is allowed to trespass, not even an elder."

    Xiao Chou took two steps back, blocking the entrance to his cave dwelling.

    "Move aside!"

    "No!"

    "Do you have a death wish?"

    Elder Qiu''s gaze turned sinister, and a powerful aura began to press down on Xiao Chou. However, Xiao Chou remained unmoved, a glint of determination in his eyes.

    Elder Qiu''s gaze turned cold. He raised his hand andunched a fireball, but Xiao Chou caught it effortlessly and flung it aside, where it exploded in mid-air.

    This disy of skill made Elder Qiu''s eyes widen in shock.

    He had heard that this young man, when fully unleashed, could fight Hua Yuntian to a standstill and even severely injure him, breaking one of his arms.

    Though Xiao Chou was only at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, his true strength was not to be underestimated.

    "As an elder, I''m merely conducting a routine inspection to see if you''re harboring any enemies in your cave dwelling. Is there a problem with that?" Elder Qiu''s tone softened slightly.

    "Fine." Xiao Chou waved his hand, and the door to the cave dwelling opened.

    Inside, there was nothing.

    Elder Qiu nced around the entrance. The two women were long gone, likely reduced to bones.

    "What a ruthless method..."

    Elder Qiu''s heart turned cold, but he didn''t act out. After all, if this matter were exposed, he would lose face as well.

    He had privately given a disciple''s cave dwelling to his lover, and even as an elder, he would face severe punishment.

    He said nothing more and turned to leave.

    Xiao Chou also refrained from acting out. In the Mountain Movers Sect, causing too much trouble wasn''t wise. Killing an elder was no small crime.

    "Xiao Chou, let me remind you, our four-sect alliance has strict military regtions against killing allies. Don''t leave any evidence behind."

    Elder Qiu''s words were meaningful as he disappeared down the corridor.

    Xiao Chou had heard about the four-sect alliance on the way.

    The Mountain Movers Sect, Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and Tai Xuan Sect had formed an alliance, led by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, to attack the Chu Kingdom.

    As for the Snake Catchers Sect, they were not participating in the fighting but were providing logistical support.

    Allies were forbidden from killing each other, and the consequences of being caught were severe.

    "Why didn''t you kill him?" Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

    "This is the Mountain Movers Sect. If I kill him, it will be hard to escape," Xiao Chou replied helplessly.

    Xu Hei said, "Then let''s take care of him tonight and then run away."

    Xiao Chou was speechless. Why was it necessary to kill a mere Foundation Establishment elder? He wasn''t a significant threat.

    Xu Hei didn''t bother to exin.

    He only understood one principle: eliminate any potential threats without mercy.

    "Killing him tonight isn''t impossible, but the items you need might be hard to obtain," Xiao Chou said.

    Xu Hei hesitated.

    "Then let''s hurry."

    "Understood!"

    After that, Xiao Chou left Xu Hei in the cave dwelling and went to the sect''s main hall to report his sessful Foundation Establishment to his master, Shi Longzi.

    However, he was informed that his master, Shi Longzi, had gone to the front lines in Chuyang City and wouldn''t be back for a while.

    "Xiao Chou, if you have any matters, you can report them to me. During the war, I can handle all internal affairs," said the elder in the main hall calmly.

    Xiao Chou reported truthfully, "I have sessfully established my foundation and seek Foundation Establishment stage cultivation techniques, spells, and the rewards for bing an elder."

    The elder in the main hall was taken aback.

    After a thorough examination, confirming Xiao Chou''s Foundation Establishment, the elder was filled with surprise. He took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

    "Under normal circumstances, the process would take at least half a month. But given the current situation, many steps can be skipped."

    "Follow me."

    "......"

    After a detailed inspection, Xiao Chou sessfully received the rewards for bing a Foundation Establishment elder.

    At the same time, Xiao Chou''s information was reported to the higher-ups. Within three days, he would likely receive orders to head to the front lines.

    "With the war intensifying, all Foundation Establishment cultivators will be assigned to the front lines. If you desert, there will be severe punishments, including the revocation of your elder status and the destruction of your cultivation. Be careful."

    The elder reminded him.

    "Thank you for the warning!" Xiao Chou cupped his hands in gratitude.

    He returned to his cave dwelling and opened his storage bag, stunned by the wealth of resources inside.

    Xu Hei was also taken aback.

    A thousand spirit stones, three bottles of Pei Yuan Pills, countless recovery pills, two flying swords, and even two spiritual treasures, one for attack and one for defense...

    There was also a third-tier talisman capable of defending against a Core Formation stage attack.

    As for the jade slips Xu Hei needed, there were too many to count.

    "No wonder it''s wartime; the resources are abundant!" Xiao Chou eximed.

    "Are you heading to the battlefield?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

    "Yes! If I don''t go, I''ll be considered a deserter and punished! A few days of dy are fine, but if it''s too long and affects the war, my cultivation will be destroyed," Xiao Chou said helplessly.

    Xu Hei said no more and began examining the jade slips one by one.

    These spell jade slips usually required arge number of contribution points to exchange.

    Now, to enhance theirbat power, the sects were not holding back.

    From these jade slips, Xu Hei learned several powerful spells.

    "Mountain Embrace Seal, second-tier advanced."

    "Stone Vein Technique, second-tier advanced."

    "Falling Stars, second-tier peak."

    "......"

    Xu Hei''s target was only those second-tier advanced spells, which had the power ofte Foundation Establishment.

    Although Xu Hei had never fought a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, he felt that with his previous methods, he could handle mid-stage opponents. Intermediate spells didn''t add much to his power.

    To be stronger, he had to learn second-tier advanced spells.

    These would be his trump cards againstte Foundation Establishment cultivators!

    Of course, with Xu Hei''s current strength, he believed it would still be difficult to contend with some veterante Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even within the same realm, the difference in strength could be vast.

    Xu Hei had experienced this firsthand.

    For example, that old ape, who was only at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Communion Stage, could still injure him, who was at the same stage.

    Xu Hei couldn''t guarantee that he would win against ate Foundation Establishment cultivator, or even a mid-stage one.

    Especially after seeing Xiao Chou obtain a third-tier defensive talisman, this thought grew stronger.

    An hourter, Xu Hei had read through all the jade slips, recording the cultivation steps in his mind.

    At the same time, he had obtained the main cultivation technique of the Mountain Movers Sect, the secondyer of the Mountain Moving and Ridge Shifting Technique.

    Although Xu Hei''s cultivation hadn''t advanced, acquiring this knowledge had rapidly increased hisbat methods. With more practice, his strength would be iparable.

    He didn''t need to find a ce to test; he could directly experiment on people.

    "It''s time to kill," Xu Hei thought.

    Xu Hei locked onto a red dot on the jade slip. That night, he and Xiao Chou stealthily moved towards their target.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Mountain Movers Sect, back mountain.

    Elder Qiu paced back and forth, his expression anxious.

    "Damn it, I''ve sent the message jade slip all afternoon, why hasn''t there been any response?"

 Chapter 98: Spell and Magical Treasure Clash

    Chapter 98: Spell and Magical Treasure sh

    Elder Qiu, whose full name is Qiu Hua, was one of the few who remained loyal to the sect.

    Originally, he nned to make things difficult for Xiao Chou, assigning him to deadly positions or finding opportunities to eliminate him secretly.

    But when he learned that Xiao Chou had be an elder in the Foundation Establishment Stage, he couldn''t sit still.

    He immediately sent a message to the alliance, reporting Xiao Chou for killing allies and demanding evidence be submitted.

    Killing two allies was no small crime!

    Although he himself couldn''t escape me, his extensive connections meant he could easily get away with a minor charge of negligence. But Xiao Chou would be in serious trouble.

    Now, with the need for a suicide squad, Xiao Chou''s fate would likely be to have his soul imprinted and be sent to the front lines as cannon fodder.

    A Foundation Establishment Stage cannon fodder was hard toe by.

    "They''re here!" Qiu Hua''s face lit up with excitement.In the distance, two figures, a man and a woman, flew in on swords. They were enforcers from the Four Sects Alliance, both in the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage.

    "Are you the one who reported someone from the Mountain Movers Sect for killing allied disciples?" The red-haired woman looked down at him coldly.

    "That''s right, here''s what happened..."

    Facing the enforcers, he didn''t dare hide anything and recounted the events in detail, including his own actions.

    A flicker of disgust passed through the red-haired woman''s eyes.

    While others were fighting and dying on the front lines, this old man was enjoying himself at home, even indulging in secret affairs.

    "My actions have shamed the position of elder. I am willing to volunteer for the front lines at Chuyang City to atone for my sins!" Qiu Hua sped his hands and half-knelt on the ground, eyes full of regret.

    His attitude left the red-haired woman momentarily stunned.

    "Hehe, Elder Qiu, there''s no need for such dramatics. It''s a small matter. Those two female cultivators from the Purple Mist Sect were also seeking their own cultivation. What''s wrong with mutual benefit?" The middle-aged male enforcer stepped forward and helped Qiu Hua up.

    During their interaction, a storage bag was quietly passed from Qiu Hua to the man, who tucked it into his waistband.

    "I... I truly feel guilty. If I don''t go to the front lines, I won''t be able to cultivate in peace!" Qiu Hua spoke with tears and remorse.

    The middle-aged male cultivator responded with polite words, both of them seasoned veterans of such situations.

    However, the red-haired woman was new and didn''t understand the nuances, thinking the old man was genuinely remorseful, and nodded secretly.

    "Do you really want to die that badly?"

    Suddenly, a cold voice echoed.

    Xiao Chou appeared behind Qiu Hua, standing like a tower, eyes sharp as lightning, fists clenched.

    "Xiao Chou?"

    Qiu Hua was startled, then a look of joy shed in his eyes. This person had walked right into his trap.

    The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow and said indifferently, "So, you''re Xiao Chou? Perfect timing. We suspect you of murdering allies. Come with us!"

    Xiao Chou remained calm, "I didn''t kill anyone."

    Of course, he hadn''t killed anyone; Xu Hei had done it.

    "Whether you did or not, we will investigate. Don''t make things worse for yourself!" The middle-aged cultivator said coldly.

    Seeing Xiao Chou unmoved, the red-haired woman advised, "Xiao Chou, Elder Qiu''s evidence isn''t enough to convict you. If you''re innocent, we will clear your name."

    Qiu Hua pointed at him and shouted angrily, "I saw you kill with my own eyes. How can it be false..."

    "Thud!!!"

    Suddenly, a massive spike shot up from the ground at an incredible speed, striking Qiu Hua from below.

    "Boom!!"

    A protective barrier shattered, and Qiu Hua, terrified, hurriedly took out a defensive magical artifact. But then, an ivory flying sword shed across his throat, sending his head flying and blood spurting.

    "Stop!" The middle-aged cultivator''s face changed drastically, but it was toote. The sudden attack left no time to react.

    Qiu Hua''s flying head had wide-open eyes, full of disbelief.

    He couldn''t believe he was killed right under the enforcers'' noses.

    "No..."

    Fear lingered in Qiu Hua''s eyes as his head hit the ground, and his headless body copsed.

    This actor, who had yed his role all his life, finally met his end at the hands of a brute.

    "As you wished, I killed him."

    Xiao Chou''s cold voice slowly echoed.

    He had understood one thing.

    ¡ªWhen someone uses you of murder, it''s best to actually kill.

    The two enforcers were stunned. In all their years of enforcing, they had never seen such a brazen act, killing right under their noses.

    "Attack!"

    Xu Hei gave them no time to think. He immediately cast spells, releasing a giant snake and a huge frog, which lunged at the middle-aged cultivator. Xiao Chou charged at the red-haired woman.

    The middle-aged cultivator, experienced in countless battles, reacted swiftly. As an enforcer, he had amassed many magical treasures.

    He crushed a golden talisman, forming a protective barrier that blocked the Earth Spike''s attack. Simultaneously, he flicked two purple beads from his storage bag, shooting them into the mouths of the giant frog and snake.

    Xu Hei reacted quickly, making the puppets retreat and activating the Gravity Technique, suspending the beads in mid-air.

    "Explode!"

    The middle-aged cultivator shouted, and the beads exploded, lightning shing and thundering, creating a deep chasm within a hundred feet.

    Although the puppets avoided the explosion, they were charred ck and lost theirbat ability.

    "Thunder Tribtion Pearls?"

    Xu Hei squinted, then shook his head, "No, just imitations!"

    True Thunder Tribtion Pearls absorbed the power of heavenly tribtions, their powerparable to a minor heavenly tribtion, capable of threatening even Core Formation Stage cultivators.

    The downside was that they didn''t discriminate between friend and foe, potentially killing the user as well.

    "Still alive?"

    The middle-aged cultivator nced at Xu Hei in surprise, then shouted at Xiao Chou, "Xiao Chou, attacking enforcers is a serious crime. Surrender now!"

    Xiao Chou had already transformed into battle mode, his body like a small mountain, fists thundering as he fought the red-haired woman fiercely, ignoring the man.

    "Swish!"

    A flying sword shed like lightning, stabbing at the middle-aged cultivator. The protective barrier around him shattered upon contact, and the spiritual energy dissipated instantly.

    This flying sword was Xu Hei''s Spirit-Breaking Sword.

    "This sword is strange!"

    The middle-aged cultivator squinted, taking out a gourd. Opening the gourd''s stopper, a powerful suction force erupted, pulling Xu Hei''s Spirit-Breaking Sword towards it.

    The Sword-Swallowing Gourd, specifically designed to devour flying swords, was the nemesis of all flying swords!

    If not for the sword''s strong suppression of spiritual energy, it would have been swallowed already.

    "Gravity Technique!"

    Xu Hei focused, applying the Gravity Technique to the gourd. The middle-aged cultivator used the same technique, resulting in a stalemate.

    But then, the middle-aged cultivator was horrified to find that his Gravity Technique couldn''tpete with this Foundation Establishment Stage great demon?

    The Sword-Swallowing Gourd slowly moved towards Xu Hei.

    "How is this possible?"

    The middle-aged cultivator was shocked. Not only was his cultivation higher, but the gourd was also refined with his imprint. How could it be forcibly taken?

    Even ate Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator couldn''t achieve this!

    Xu Hei realized that his purple True Qi could suppress this person in quality.

    This suppression transcended cultivation levels, an upper-level suppression over a lower level!

    Though the man''s cultivation was higher, his True Qi quality was inferior to Xu Hei''s.

    However, Xu Hei had just entered the Foundation Establishment Stage, and his True Qi wasn''t as deep. Within a few breaths, he had consumed a lot.

    Xu Hei didn''t continue the stalemate. He quickly swallowed a Rejuvenation Pill and cast the Sandstorm Technique!

    "Boom boom boom!!!"

    In an instant, winds howled, sand filled the sky, and a massive storm erupted, lifting the ground as if to blow away the entire mountain.

    The middle-aged cultivator quickly retrieved the gourd, took out a green pearl, and formed a wind-resistant barrier around him, ignoring the storm.

    "Damn! This guy has so many magical treasures!"

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly. The people he had killed mainly relied on spells, asionally using flying swords, but he had never encountered someone with so many magical treasures.

    Inparison, Xu Hei had very few magical treasures and rarely used them. He wasn''t skilled in their use either.

    The middle-aged cultivator was equally shocked. Despite his higher cultivation, he was at a disadvantage, barely able to defend himself.

    This was the first time Bai Xiu had encountered such a situation.

    "This demon isn''t simple. Though it appears to be in the early Foundation Establishment Stage, its True Qi can suppress mine. The situation on the other side isn''t good either. I can''t drag this out."

    Bai Xiu took out a ck g from his storage bag. It quickly expanded into a giant sail in his palm.

    Instantly, the sky darkened, and the sound of ghostly wails and howls echoed.

    Seeing the giant sail, Xu Hei felt a chill, as if he were in the depths of the underworld.

    He retrieved his Spirit-Breaking Sword and the charred puppets, eyes wary.

    "This giant sail must be his trump card. I can''t give him time to release it."

 Chapter 99: What is reverse cultivation? (1)

    Chapter 99: What is reverse cultivation? (1)

    Xu Hei''s current usable magical treasures¡ªFire Thunder Seal, Wind-Stabilizing Pearl, and an iron pot¡ªare all mid-grade spiritual treasures, possibly even less powerful than a flying sword.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, swallowed a Divine Explosion Pill, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind.

    Mountain Embrace Seal, an advanced earth spell, requires constant visualization of a massive mountain day and night. Once the mountain''s shadow can be manifested, True Qi is infused to solidify it.

    The stronger the True Qi, the more powerful the mountain.

    This spell demands extremely high earth spiritual roots andprehension, usually only executable byte-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. Xu Hei, however, had simted it in his mind countless times.

    Gradually, a shadow of a mountain formed above Bai Xiu''s head.

    "Feel this!"

    Bai Xiu waved a giant sail, releasing gusts of eerie wind. In an instant, countless phantoms emerged, charging straight at Xu Hei.

    These phantoms were invisible to the naked eye but could be sensed through divine sense.Xu Hei had never encountered such things before, feeling his scalp tingle.

    He had heard Hei Huang mention that these were soul entities born from deceased cultivators, specialized in devouring human flesh.

    Xu Hei ignored them, his gaze fierce. With a do-or-die attitude, he condensed the Mountain Embrace Seal and pressed it down on Bai Xiu.

    At this moment, retreat was not an option; retreat meant defeat!

    "Boom!!!"

    A colossal mountain formed above Bai Xiu''s head, crushing down like Mount Tai.

    The void where Bai Xiu stood copsed instantly, the earth roared, and the ground sank into a crater, resembling a cataclysm.

    "Mountain Embrace Seal?"

    Bai Xiu''s face turned pale with horror, as if he''d seen a ghost.

    This move was rare even within the Mountain Movers Sect.

    What kind of snake was this? The sect''s guardian beast?

    From the beginning, he felt something was off about this snake. Only now did he realize it was a monstrous anomaly.

    "Boom!!"

    The mountain crushed Bai Xiu into the ground, while countless phantoms invaded Xu Hei''s body, starting to devour his flesh.

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei took out the Fire Thunder Seal, put it in his mouth, and bit down hard.

    "Boom!"

    The Fire Thunder Seal exploded inside Xu Hei, unleashing terrifying thunder and overwhelming mes, burning his flesh. The violent force spread through his meridians.

    The invading phantoms screamed in agony, their souls dissipating into nothingness.

    But Xu Hei also suffered severe injuries. Letting a mid-grade spiritual treasure explode inside him was no joke. It was fortunate he was Xu Hei; a human would have died many times over.

    This was Xu Hei''s premeditated strategy. He couldn''t retreat, so he resorted to this desperate measure!

    "Who would''ve thought the treasures I prepared would be used this way."

    Xu Hei smiled bitterly inside. Without hesitation, he summoned all his True Qi andunched a crimson flying sword towards his target.

    Heaven-Burning Sword, a peak second-tier magical treasure!

    At this moment, the solidified mountain had disappeared. Bai Xiu, crushed into a pulp,y in a deep pit, his defensive treasures dim.

    He had many defensive treasures, but time was too short to summon them.

    He didn''t expect the Mountain Embrace Seal to form the moment he used his soul sail, leaving him no time to defend.

    He also didn''t expect Xu Hei to charge through the phantoms to kill him.

    "No, you can''t kill me, Xiao Chou, if you kill me, you..."

    Before he could finish, the Heaven-Burning Sword fell, shing and burning him into nothingness.

    Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the storage bag.

    As an enforcer, this guy was a fat sheep.

    It was Xu Hei''s first time encountering a cultivator skilled in magical treasures. As a demonic beast, he relied more on his own strength and rarely used magical treasures.

    This led to him suffering a great loss in this battle.

    "Foundation Establishment cultivators are not easy to deal with; I can''t underestimate humans."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    At this moment, the red-haired woman fighting in the distance saw Bai Xiu''s death and lost all will to fight, turning to flee.

    She knew Bai Xiu was a top-tier mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Though they were of equal cultivation, she was no match for him.

    "This woman is also mid-stage Foundation Establishment. I must strike with all my might."

    Xu Hei swallowed an explosive essence pill and a Divine Explosion Pill, ignoring the side effects to reach his peak state.

    Then, with a thought, the Heaven-Burning Sword shot towards the red-haired woman, who paled in fear and took out a talisman.

    "sh!"

    The red-haired woman''s head flew off, her body instantly reduced to ash.

    Only after she disappeared did the light shield from the talisman form, enveloping nothing.

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Hei was stunned, quickly extending his divine sense to search but found nothing.

    He took out a detection jade and checked again, still finding nothing. It was as if the woman had vanished into thin air.

    "Dead?"

    Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    Just like that... gone?

    Seeing the storage bag burned and items scattered, Xu Hei realized she was indeed dead.

    This was absurd. He thought she was a formidable opponent, but she was so weak.

    The gap between her and Bai Xiu was so vast that Xu Hei didn''t even react.

    Xu Hei opened his mouth and sucked in the Heaven-Burning Sword and the scattered items.

    He exchanged a nce with Xiao Chou and quickly left the area.

    The battle seemed long butsted less than half an incense stick.

    They couldn''t stay in the Mountain Movers Sect any longer. News of the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment enforcers'' deaths would spread quickly.

    During wartime, any Foundation Establishment cultivator could change the course of a battle, and their loss was uneptable.

    One man and one snake left the Mountain Movers Sect, flying swiftly.

    They didn''t stop until daylight.

    "Xiao Chou, what are your ns?" Xu Hei asked.

    Xiao Chou was silent for a long time before calmly saying, "Senior, I have a request."

    "Speak."

    "I want to leave for a while, to the front lines, Chuyang City," Xiao Chou said.

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    Going to the front lines was a good way to avoid punishment. The Four Sects Alliance had a rule that any crime could be pardoned if one volunteered as a vanguard.

    This rule, set by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, was invible.

    "Why?"

    Xu Hei didn''t understand.

    "I''m from Chu Kingdom. My parents and family are in Chuyang City. I can''t sit idly by; I must save them!"

    Xiao Chou''s eyes were filled with unprecedented determination.

    Xu Hei fell into a dead silence.

    He had misunderstood.

    Xiao Chou didn''t want to go to Qin Kingdom''s front lines but Chu Kingdom''s!

    Wasn''t this courting death?

    Qin Kingdom had the upper hand, with a higher survival rate, while Chu Kingdom''s cultivators had been losing.

    "Senior might not understand why a cultivator would care about mortals. For the sake of cultivation and immortality, what do these matter? What''s the difference between Qin and Chu?"

    Xiao Chou''s words reflected not just Xu Hei''s view but that of all cultivators.

    Many disciples in the Four Sects Alliance had mortal rtives, but few stood up to protect them.

    As cultivators, they were expected to sever mortal ties and be loyal to their sect.

    After countless years, mortals would turn to dust, but the sect would endure.

    "But I can''t bear it. I''ve been cultivating for five years, and my parents and rtives are still alive. I can''t bear to see them leave like this! I can''t!"

    Xiao Chou gritted his teeth, his eyes red with determination as he looked at Xu Hei. "I beg you, Senior, allow me to leave for a while. I swear, if I survive, I will repay your kindness a thousandfold!"

    Xiao Chou knelt and kowtowed to Xu Hei.

 Chapter 100: What is reverse cultivation? (2)

    Chapter 100: What is reverse cultivation? (2)

    Half an hourter.

    Xiao Chou finally left, his solitary figure disappearing into the distance.

    At first, he crawled on the ground like a snake, but when he reached the mountain peak, he stood up.

    Xu Hei had no reason to stop him; this was the path he had chosen.

    Even if it was a path to death.

    Xu Hei didn''t follow him. He only gave him some magical treasures, talismans, and pills refined by Xu Bai as life-saving items.

    As for the chance of survival, it was almost zero.

    Joining the Qin Kingdom''s side offered a slim chance of survival, but going to the Chu Kingdom was undoubtedly a death sentence.

    Hei Huang had once said that the Heavenly Puppet Sect was no simple matter. Behind it was a colossal force, where even an old monster could easily destroy a kingdom but had no interest in seizing power.The defeat of the Chu Kingdom was already certain, and the cession of the Southern Region was inevitable. The only suspense was how long it would take to conquer the entire country.

    "Why can''t he just stay alive and get stronger? Why insist on going to his death? Some human behaviors are truly beyond my understanding," Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    Suddenly, a sh of insight struck Xu Hei''s mind.

    He stared at Xiao Chou''s departing figure and thought of one word¡ª

    Rebellion!

    What is rebellion? Xu Hei had never had a clear answer. He only knew that cultivators inherently defied the heavens, cultivating against the natural order.

    Therefore, during Qi Condensation, the heavens would send down the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions. During Nascent Soul formation, the Fifty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions would descend, and sometimes even extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons would appear.

    Cultivation itself was rebellion!

    Xu Hei''s understanding was limited to this.

    But recalling Xiao Chou''s actions, Xu Hei gained a new perspective on what rebellion meant.

    Xu Hei immediately took out the spell jade slips from the Mountain Movers Sect and began to peruse them one by one.

    Xiao Chou had not only brought spell jade slips but also all the books and ancient texts he could find for Xu Hei to examine.

    Finally, Xu Hei found a sentence in the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s writings.

    "Rebel against the prison of the heavens, rebel against the obsessions of the heart, rebel against the shackles of rules..."

    "Throughout history, the great cultivators who could reach the heavens and the earth were all rebellious cultivators!"

    Xu Hei silently recited this sentence in his heart, recalling Xiao Chou''s actions...

    This was clearly the epitome of rebellious cultivation!

    As a cultivator, one should sever ties with the mortal world; this was the rule.

    Having an obsessive and pathological love for Silver Bell; this was an obsession.

    In the environment of the Mountain Movers Sect, he was supposed to be loyal to his sect; this was a prison!

    Xu Hei couldn''t guarantee whether his understanding was right or wrong, nor could he be sure if the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s writings were correct.

    But without a doubt, Xiao Chou had indeed embarked on a path of rebellious cultivation.

    Doing what others dared not do, walking the path others dared not tread¡ªif this wasn''t rebellious cultivation, then what was?

    "Perhaps I should go down the mountain and see the human world."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Everyone had a different understanding of rebellious cultivation. Xu Hei wouldn''t imitate the Mountain-moving Patriarch, nor would he follow Xiao Chou.

    Xu Hei decided he would find his own path.

    Unknowingly, a faint glimmer appeared in thest empty spot between Xu Hei''s brows.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After two days of rest.

    Xu Hei left the mountains and began to crawl down, not using the Earth Escape Technique, but moving like a mortal snake towards his old home.

    His pace was slow, crawling over mountains and rivers, over soil scorched by wildfires.

    A year had passed, winter had gone, and spring hade.

    New nts grew from the ckened ashes, tender green saplings sprouted, vegetation budded, insects emerged, and asionally, some rodents foraged in the grass.

    Ants also appeared from the ground, building new homes.

    Wildfires couldn''t destroy everything; spring winds brought life anew.

    The only regret was that the towering trees that had grown for centuries were gone, as were the wild animals. But in countless years, a new cycle would begin.

    Xu Hei returned to his former territory.

    It had been upied by snake catchers, who had established a branch hall. The buildings wereplete, but no formation had been set up, and there were no disciples guarding the mountain.

    Although the Snake Catchers Sect remained neutral, they were greatly affected. The mortal towns under their jurisdiction had been plundered by the Qin army.

    Xu Hei took out a detection jade and found that there were only a few cultivators, the strongest being at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage. The others were nowhere to be seen.

    Xu Hei put away the jade and scanned the area with his divine sense.

    At that moment, he detected a familiar figure.

    ¡ªChen Daoling!

    The man who had once chased him for a hundred miles.

    Now, Chen Daoling''s eyes were dim, his vitality weak. His cultivation had plummeted from the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage to the seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage, just a step away from falling to the mid-stage.

    He was imprisoned in a dungeon, chained, surrounded by rats and snakes that gnawed at him, his True Qi sealed, left to die.

    Xu Hei initially wanted to kill him, but seeing him in such a state, he thought living might be a greater torment.

    With his current strength, Xu Hei could easily wipe out this branch hall without leaving a single survivor.

    But he didn''t want to alert anyone and quickly moved on.

    Xu Hei continued down the mountain, returning to Snake Vige.

    He went back to the deste watermelon field and saw Wang Xiaoniu''s thatched hut.

    The lonely grave was still there, but the body inside had disappeared.

    Wang Xiaoniu was also in the hut. Compared to two years ago, he was now a fifteen-year-old boy, taller but thinner, his face pale. Days of hunger had left him lying weakly on the bed.

    At the vige entrance, a cultivator at the early stage of the Qi Refining Stage stood, with a Qin Kingdom badge on his waist.

    A group of Qin soldiers was searching each house for enemies.

    "Sir, there''s no one hiding here, it''s just me."

    "Hey, little girl, still got a sharp tongue, drag her out..."

    After looking around, Xu Hei withdrew his divine sense, feeling conflicted.

    He had found the hiding ce of the Chu soldiers, in a pigsty. There were only three of them, all injured.

    One suggested surrendering to be prisoners and survive, but the other two vehemently refused.

    Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, then decided to leave.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei sensed something.

    He shed to the front of Wang Xiaoniu''s thatched hut.

    Inside, hanging from a beam, was a noose. Wang Xiaoniu stood on a stool, his neck in the noose, biting his dry lips.

    Tears streamed down his cheeks.

    Seeing this, Xu Hei immediately thought of one word: suicide.

    Life is precious, why seek death?

    In front of Wang Xiaoniu was his father''s memorial tablet. He stared at it, his dry eyes unable to shed another tear.

    "Father! I''m sorry, I am unfilial. You risked your life to earn money for my studies, but I am useless! Although I didn''t achieve fame, I am still a schr!"

    "I don''t want to be a ve to a fallen kingdom!"

    Wang Xiaoniu hung himself, kicking the stool away.

    The noose tightened, Wang Xiaoniu didn''t struggle, his breath stopping, eyes filled with unwillingness and pain. The light of hope for knowledge and learning slowly faded.

    Xu Hei watched silently, unmoved for a long time.

    Respecting others'' fates and letting go of the urge to help was Xu Hei''s usual way.

    But this time, he acted.

    "Snap!"

    The noose silently broke, and Wang Xiaoniu fell to the ground. A stream of spiritual power flowed into his body, bringing him back to consciousness.

 Chapter 101: Life is hard-earned

    Chapter 101: Life is hard-earned

    Wang Xiaoniu fell to the ground and slowly regained consciousness.

    Spiritual Qi had been injected into his body, restoring some of his senses, but the long-term hunger and malnutrition left him weak and feeble.

    Even attempting to hang himself had exhausted all his strength.

    As a schr, he didn''t want to die silently in bed from starvation; he wanted to end his own life.

    Wang Xiaoniu got up and nned to re-tie the broken rope.

    Suddenly, he froze.

    He sensed a familiar aura, one he hadn''t encountered in two years but often appeared in his dreams.

    Wang Xiaoniu looked around nkly and muttered, "Snake Immortal?"

    Snake Immortal.It was the first time Xu Hei had been called that.

    In the past, he was either called Old Snake Demon, Old Snake King, or some other derogatory term.

    Xu Hei transmitted his voice, "What is an Immortal?"

    Hearing the voice appear out of nowhere in his mind, Wang Xiaoniu took a deep breath and pondered, "A person and a mountain make an Immortal."

    "A person and a mountain make an Immortal..." Xu Hei murmured to himself.

    He wasn''t asking about the writing but the meaning.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t want to ask such enigmatic questions; only riddlers did that.

    Xu Hei then asked, "Why do you want tomit suicide?"

    Wang Xiaoniu remained silent for a long time before sighing, "The country is about to fall. What meaning is there in my life?"

    "You''re just starving, about to die of hunger," Xu Hei said.

    "..." Wang Xiaoniu was at a loss for words.

    There wasn''t a single coin left at home, and no food either. He just wanted to hang himself while he still had some strength.

    Dying for honor was better than starving to death in bed.

    Thinking this way, he even entertained the idea of dying for his country, feeling a surge of heroism, which led to the earlier scene.

    Xu Hei sighed helplessly.

    With a sh of light, a jade bottle appeared out of thin air in front of Wang Xiaoniu.

    "You''re severely dehydrated. Drink this first," Xu Hei transmitted his voice.

    Wang Xiaoniu quickly picked up the jade bottle and drank the liquid inside in one gulp.

    Immediately, he felt a cool sensation in his body, even his hunger lessened, and he regained some strength.

    Xu Hei didn''t carry mortal food, so he took out a lot of the Spiritual Qi liquid he had earlier and ced it on the ground.

    Wang Xiaoniu drank several mouthfuls in a row, and hisplexion became rosy.

    "Now, do you still want to die?" Xu Hei asked.

    Wang Xiaoniu hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

    However, he added, "Snake Immortal, don''t underestimate schrs. Many of my ssmates would rather die standing than live as ves."

    "If one day I am captured by the Qin army to be a ve, I will alsomit suicide."

    He wasn''t lying; Wang Xiaoniu''s eyes were clear and honest.

    "Intelligence is hard toe by. Do you know how many lifetimes of reincarnation it takes to be human? Even so, you still want tomit suicide?"

    Xu Hei voiced his confusion.

    Wang Xiaoniu fell silent, unable to answer such a profound question.

    "Wang Xiaoniu, where is your sister?" Xu Hei asked.

    "My sister was sold to the Chen Family as a maidst year. Rather than suffer with me, she can at least have enough to eat and won''t starve. Besides, Mr. Chu is looking after her, and she can learn to read and write."

    Wang Xiaoniu said slowly.

    Mr. Chu was a well-known teacher in Chen Family Town, quite talented, and wrote excellent poetry. He was the top schr of his year.

    It was said that he offended a powerful official and was suppressed, unable to be an official, so he returned to be a teacher.

    Xu Hei had also heard the vigers speak of this teacher, who often held free sses to teach children to read. All the vigers praised him.

    "Unfortunately, it''s wartime now, and the Chen Family''s situation is unknown. Many immortals are said to have gone there."

    Wang Xiaoniu sighed and added, "By the way, Snake Immortal, I''m no longer called Wang Xiaoniu. Mr. Chu gave me a name, Wang Ding, as in ''a word as good as a bond.''"

    "Wang Ding... a good name," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Maybe he should ask Mr. Chu to give him a name too. Xu Hei sounded so rustic.

    Forget it, he was used to it and wouldn''t change it.

    When he named himself, he couldn''t think of any good words with his limited vocabry.

    Xu Hei found talking to Wang Xiaoniu quite interesting. He went to the wild, caught a mountain chicken, and nned to roast it for Wang Xiaoniu.

    However, his fire breath turned the chicken into charcoal.

    Wang Ding didn''t mind at all, grabbing the ckened chicken and stuffing it into his mouth.

    It had been a long time since he had eaten anything.

    Xu Hei also dug up sweet potatoes and caught some wild rabbits, bringing them to Wang Ding''s home.

    "I ate a few fish from the Wang Family before. Today, I''ll repay the favor," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    This was entirely out of character for him, and Xu Hei didn''t know why he was doing it.

    Compassion?

    What a joke, he was a snake; how could he feelpassion for mortals?

    However, Wang Ding was indeed different. Despite having no Divine Sense, he could always sense Xu Hei''s presence.

    Xu Hei pondered for a long time, nning to leave, but before he did, he wanted to say something.

    "Wang Ding."

    Xu Hei looked at the young man before him and said slowly, "Reincarnation into a human is not easy. Your current life is something countless beings can only dream of."

    "Do you know that out of a thousand sea turtles born, only one hatchling makes it to the sea?"

    "Countless salmon swim upstream, but only one percent sessfully spawn!"

    "You humans can''tprehend such cruelty!"

    Xu Hei''s voice, like thunder, echoed in Wang Ding''s mind.

    Wang Ding sat on the ground, recalling the words of sages and Xu Hei''s words, falling into silence.

    "This Great Chu Kingdom has billions of beings, but how many are human? One in a billion? Haha, being born human is incredibly fortunate."

    "Treasure this hard-earned intelligence. At least you can think. Many beings don''t even have the chance to think before they die."

    "Don''t take your life for granted!"

    Since his birth, this was the first time Xu Hei had spoken so much, and it was to a human.

    He didn''t continue. This was his unchanging belief since his birth.

    He envied humans.

    If those beasts had intelligence, they would envy humans too.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After the Qin soldiers searched house by house.

    Finally, the Chu soldiers hiding in the pigsty came out, but only two of them.

    The third had be a corpse.

    They carried the third person''s head to the vige entrance and knelt before the early-stage Qi Refining Qin cultivator.

    "Immortal, we tried to persuade Zhang San to surrender, but he refused. We were so angry that we cut off his head to present to you."

    One of them knelt and said.

    "We will definitely follow your orders and submit to the Qin army."

    The other knelt sincerely.

    The young cultivator nodded slightly, not even bothering to look at them, and ordered someone to incorporate them.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense saw this scene and could only sigh. These two were smart, choosing the only way to survive.

    Living meant hope; if a person died, there was nothing left.

    But at that moment.

    As the young cultivator passed by the two...

    One of the Chu soldiers suddenly sprang up, a steel nail in his hand, stabbing fiercely at the young cultivator''s back of the head.

    "Hmm?"

    The young cultivator was taken aback, clearly not expecting this mortal to dare to attack him.

    Even more absurd, the other also took out a jade de, shing at his neck.

    "Courting death!"

    Although he was only at the early stage of Qi Refining, his reaction was swift. His body surged with Spiritual Qi, and he struck back with a palm.

    "Boom!"

    The Chu soldier''s chest was pierced, but he didn''t retreat an inch, clinging to the cultivator''s body, biting at his shoulder, only to be bounced off by a protective light shield.

    The other''s de only made a small cut on his sleeve before being knocked away, spitting blood, and both died instantly.

 Chapter 102: Something more important than life

    Chapter 102: Something more important than life

    Two mortals, killing their teammates to gain trust, waiting for the right moment to get close, attempting to y an immortal.

    Xu Hei was stunned by this scene.

    "Mortals trying to kill a cultivator? Isn''t that courting death?"

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand. Their courage wasmendable, but how was this different from suicide?

    Knowing that it was an impossible task, why would they still do it?

    At this moment, just after the two mortals died, not long after.

    The young cultivator suddenly began to tremble. A shallow scratch appeared on his sleeve, exactly where the de had grazed him.

    And that shallow wound turned a purplish-blue.

    "This is..."The young cultivator''s heart shook. It was a kind of poisonous spiritual herb.

    Clearly, the de was poisoned.

    "Immortal!"

    Qin soldiers hurriedly surrounded him, only to see the cultivator spew a mouthful of ck blood, sitting cross-legged on the ground, quickly swallowing a pill to suppress the poison within.

    Xu Hei had noticed this detail early on and now could only sigh inwardly.

    Clearly, the cultivator wasn''t dead, just severely poisoned.

    Those two mortals had done everything they could, but still couldn''t defy the heavens.

    Cultivators are invincible to mortals; this is almost an ironw.

    "Poof!!"

    Suddenly!

    Arge de emerged from the Qin army crowd, shing at the young cultivator''s head, blocked by a halo of light, but still cutting a bit.

    "There''s a traitor!"

    An exmation rang out, and the crowd swarmed, hacking the Qin soldier who struck into pieces.

    But the young cultivator, heavily injured and poisoned, died after the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

    Xu Hei was struck as if by lightning, falling into a long daze.

    Even he hadn''t expected such a scene.

    "So that''s how it is!"

    Xu Hei let out a bitter smile.

    These mortals had exchanged their lives for the life of a cultivator.

    Life is precious, but some things are worth more than anything.

    Defy? What does it mean to defy?

    Xu Hei vaguely had an answer in his heart.

    "ughter this vige; this is the price of rebellion!"

    "Kill everyone!"

    The remaining dozen or so Qin soldiers split into two teams, one heading straight for Wang Ding''s house at the vige entrance.

    Wang Ding saw themotion outside, his face pale. He watched as two Qin soldiers burst into his home, and without a word, shed at his forehead.

    Xu Hei''s face was expressionless.

    "Die!"

    A flying needle, driven by the Gravity Technique, instantly shed through each person''s forehead.

    In an instant, all the Qin soldiers in Snake Vige fell to the ground, their bodies stiff.

    "Snake Immortal Senior?"

    Wang Ding turned around, looking at Xu Hei inside the house, his eyes wide open.

    He knew Xu Hei was powerful, but he didn''t expect him to be this powerful, killing a dozen Qin soldiers in an instant.

    Xu Hei flicked out mes, burning the bodies clean.

    "Today, I''ve gained a lot. I can grant you one wish. Speak, what do you want?" Xu Hei raised his snake head, quietly looking at him.

    Wang Ding bit his lip, tears welling up, "I want to go to Chen Family Town to see my sister."

    Xu Hei was slightly surprised.

    He thought this person would ask for a method of cultivation or something, but it was just this?

    "Alright." Xu Hei nodded.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Chen Family Town.

    The Chen Family, as a cultivation family, had developed significantly over the years.

    But under the invasion of the Qin army, even a cultivation family had to bow and submit. If they resisted, they would face annihtion.

    The Chen Family survived by providing arge amount of resources.

    Xu Hei took out a detection jade and found that the strongest person in the entire Chen Family Town was only at the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage.

    The Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom was too vast, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were limited in number, making it impossible to station them in such ces.

    With Xu Hei''s help, Wang Ding easily entered the Chen Family and reunited with his sister, Wang Qin.

    In the courtyard, the siblings hugged and cried.

    "By the way, where is Mr. Chu?" Wang Ding asked.

    "Themander of the Qin Kingdom, after learning about Mr. Chu''s deeds, met him personally. Since then, Mr. Chu has shut himself in." Wang Qin pointed to the study door.

    At that moment, the study door opened.

    A middle-aged schr with a schrly aura walked out, looking refreshed and radiant.

    "Mr. Chu?" Wang Ding was overjoyed.

    "Wang Ding? You''re just in time, join me for a drink!" Mr. Chu smiled.

    "I don''t drink."

    "There''s a first time for everything, especially for schrs, who must know how to drink!"

    Mr. Chu took out a jar of old wine, smiling, "This is a fine wine given to me by that Qin Kingdommander."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Unable to resist Mr. Chu''s insistence, Wang Ding had to take a small sip in the courtyard, coughing as he drank.

    Xu Hei was right beside them, using an invisibility technique, unnoticed by anyone.

    At this moment, Xu Hei clearly saw a cloud of death qi on Mr. Chu''s forehead.

    This was the sign of someone whose lifespan was nearing its end!

    "He''s going to die? Clearly, he''s only middle-aged, not poisoned, and looks radiant. Why is this happening?" Xu Hei didn''t understand.

    He used his Divine Sense to carefully examine the man, finding his body in perfect health. How could there be death qi?

    "Mr. Chu, what did that Qin Kingdom general say to you?" Wang Ding asked curiously.

    "He said he admired my talent, said the Chu Kingdom had buried me, and asked me to follow the Qin King topile their history." Mr. Chuughed.

    "Then you..."

    Wang Ding looked at the middle-aged schr before him, his heart stirred.

    "I agreed. At thirteen, I passed the imperial exam, at fifteen, I became a schr, entered the court for three years, presided over reforms, but was repeatedly ostracized and demoted back to my hometown. I''ve had enough of this humiliation!"

    Mr. Chu took a big gulp of wine, cursing with a smile, "Now, I''m finally going to rise to power! Wang Ding, life is not easy, live well."

    He patted Wang Ding''s shoulder, speaking earnestly.

    The two talked for a long time, and the middle-aged schr got up to leave.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense was locked onto him, following behind.

    Momentster.

    He arrived at a riverbank, a tributary of the Yanluo River.

    This was also where Xu Hei had once been pursued.

    Mr. Chu stood by the river,ughing up at the sky, then leaped into the river, swallowed by the rushing waves.

    Like a tiny speck of dust falling into the river, without causing a ripple.

    Xu Hei stood for a long time, leaving in silence.

    He returned to Mr. Chu''s study, reading every book in the room, like a schr thirsting for knowledge.

    After a long time, Xu Hei put all the books back.

    He nced at the drunken Wang Ding, imparting a simple breathing exercise to him.

    Then, he turned and left Chen Family Town.

    Xu Hei headed deep into the mountains.

    It was time to go home.

    Now, it was spring, the season when snakes gathered.

    Xu Hei nned to return to Myriad Serpent Valley.

    That was the ce that gave him life, that was his home.

 Chapter 103: Blood Sacrifice of a Million Common Snakes

    Chapter 103: Blood Sacrifice of a Million Common Snakes

    Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Every year, from April to May, countless snakes converge from all directions to gather in Myriad Serpent Valley, much like migrating birds that appear at fixed times in fixed ces.

    No one can exin this phenomenon.

    It could be that generations of snakes have formed a natural instinct through survival and reproduction, etching it into their genes. Or perhaps there''s a special scent in Myriad Serpent Valley that attracts the snake swarms.

    Myriad Serpent Valley is rich in Spiritual Qi and has birthed many rare spiritual herbs, making it a natural paradise. Hei Huang once said that if it could be transformed into a secluded cultivation retreat, it would be perfect.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside Myriad Serpent Valley, atop a high peak.

    The eldest disciple, Wu Mochou, sat cross-legged, eyes closed in deep concentration.

    On the neighboring peak, the second disciple, Liu Fei, also sat cross-legged, facing Myriad Serpent Valley.Additionally, the third disciple, Wang Ping, the fourth disciple, Su Bei, and the fifth disciple, Hua Yuntian, each sat on separate peaks, forming a faint circr formation, surrounding Myriad Serpent Valley.

    "Half a month has passed, and the number of snakes in the valley has exceeded two million. Is Master nning to make a breakthrough in one go?" Hua Yuntian''s heart trembled.

    The five disciples seemed motionless as they surrounded the valley.

    In reality, they had subtly created an invisible force field, trapping the snakes within the valley, preventing them from leaving.

    Most of the snakes would leave after mating and reproducing, but this action caused the number of snakes to continuously umte, only entering and not exiting, now exceeding a million.

    The cultivation technique of the Snake Catchers Sect required the use of snakes to aid in cultivation.

    Refining snake blood and galldders, extracting their essence to transform into one''s own energy, required arge number of snakes.

    The sect also raised many snakes, but the quantity was limited, sufficient for ordinary disciples to cultivate, but far from enough for those at the Core Formation Stage.

    "This cultivation session is akin to draining the pond to catch the fish; it might take a hundred years for the snake poption to recover."

    Wu Mochou sighed inwardly. He understood his master''s actions; in the face of great events, only by bing stronger could one ensure their own safety.

    The sheer number of snakes this time would not only allow Xuan Yangzi to break through but also benefit the five true disciples and many inner disciples, allowing them all to gain something.

    This was a great opportunity, a great fortune!

    As time passed, some inner disciples quietly arrived.

    They did not approach but sat quietly at a distance to avoid disturbing the snake swarms.

    The disciples scattered medicinal powder along the way, attracting hidden snake swarms into Myriad Serpent Valley, pushing the number of snakes to an unprecedented peak.

    "Whoosh!"

    In the distance, a middle-aged figure floated over,nding nearby, dressed in a yellow Daoist robe simr to Xuan Yangzi''s.

    Upon seeing this person, the inner disciples all cupped their fists respectfully, "Greetings, Elder Cui."

    Cui Yuan, whose cultivation had reached the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage, was once Xuan Yangzi''s senior brother and had a life-and-death bond with him. However, his talent was slightly inferior, and he had not reached the Core Formation Stage.

    Cui Yuan had been stuck at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage for fifty years, with half his lifespan gone. This time, he had poured all his resources into a final attempt to break through.

    "This is myst chance in this life. Whether I survive depends on today." Cui Yuan''s eyes shed with determination.

    Soon, other familiar faces at the Foundation Establishment Stage arrived one after another.

    The Snake Catchers Sect was vast, with many branches. Those who came this time were all from Xuan Yangzi''s lineage or had deep ties with him.

    "Two million snakes, tsk tsk, it seems like half of the Southern Region''s snakes are here."

    "Senior brother, you''re mistaken. The Southern Region is vast, and the number of snakes is countless times that of mortals. Two million is nothing."

    "I used to believe that, but now, there are fewer and fewer snakes."

    The disciples discussed among themselves.

    In ancient times, demonic cultivators ughtered cities, blood-sacrificing a hundred thousand mortals to condense blood pills, inciting the wrath of gods and men. But no one would criticize a blood sacrifice of mortal snakes.

    In the blink of an eye, several more days passed.

    When the number of snakes reached three million, it stopped increasing because the valley was saturated. The snakes began to die off gradually.

    Whether through fighting, cannibalism, or being crushed, the number could no longer rise.

    Moreover, there were no more snakes to lure in from outside; the snakes within a thousand-mile radius had almost disappeared.

    "The time hase."

    Suddenly, a distant, resonant voice echoed throughout the valley.

    At this moment, all five true disciples, inner disciples, elders, and stewards raised their heads in unison, looking towards the center of Myriad Serpent Valley.

    In the sky, a figure in a yellow robe slowly appeared.

    Xuan Yangzi, the core elder of the Snake Catchers Sect, a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    "This blood sacrifice is unprecedented in my life. Three million mortal snakes and five hundred snake demons are enough for me to break through to the mid-Core Formation Stage and for all of you to break through your bottlenecks and advance to the next level!"

    With a wave of his hand, Xuan Yangzi released arge number of snake demons he had captured from various ces into Myriad Serpent Valley, merging them into the snake tide.

    These snake demons had been sealed by him, unable to move, likembs to the ughter. Their eyes were filled with anger and despair, emitting unwilling hisses.

    The valley was filled with their kin, now trapped like livestock, unable to resist, only to be ughtered one by one.

    Among the snake demons, one was entirely white, but her eyes were calm.

    "Everyone, step forward. How much you can absorb depends on your fortune," Xuan Yangzi said loudly.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Numerous cultivators gathered, sitting cross-legged outside Myriad Serpent Valley. They took out pills they had treasured for years, nning to break through in one go, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

    This was the greatest opportunity since they joined the sect.

    Just as everyone was about to begin the blood sacrifice.

    In one corner of Myriad Serpent Valley, a thick green smoke suddenly emerged. The smoke was highly corrosive, melting soil and rocks into nothingness, apanied by an indescribable stench that quickly spread.

    "Ah!!"

    Two disciples, unable to dodge in time, were engulfed by the smoke, their bodies instantly vaporized, flesh dissolving, emitting agonizing screams.

    "Hmm?" Xuan Yangzi''s eyes widened. He raised his hand, capturing the spreading green smoke and confining it to a small area.

    He quickly pulled the two affected disciples out, but only their skeletons remained, dead beyond saving.

    Such a horrifying scene caused an uproar among the crowd.

    Two inner disciples were killed right in front of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, with no time to rescue them. What was happening? Was there an unexpected turn of events?

    The area corroded by the green smoke revealed a gap in the formation, allowing the snake swarm to surge out, but Xuan Yangzi sealed the gap in an instant.

    Xuan Yangzi''s Divine Sense spread out, quickly locating the source of the smoke¡ªa green pill.

    He drew the pill into the air, sealing it.

    "Well, well, an unexpected bonus! I can give this pill a seven out of ten!"

    Xuan Yangzi''s face remained expressionless, his gaze locking onto an inconspicuous white snake below, his eyes shing with brilliance.

    With a grasp from afar, he pulled the white snake from the ground.

    Various smokes emanated from the white snake''s body, causing crackling sounds in the air. Xuan Yangzi''s brows furrowed, growing more intrigued.

    He took out a second-tier Spiritual Treasure and ced it on the snake. With just a touch, the treasure dissolved into nothingness.

    This scene left everyone present in astonishment.

    "Heh, interesting," Xuan Yangzi said with great interest.

    Hua Yuntian hesitated for a moment, unable to resist saying, "Master, this mere Spirit Communion Stage snake demon, why trouble yourself? Let me handle it..."

    "Shut up!"

    Xuan Yangzi red at him, and Hua Yuntian immediately fell silent.

    Wu Mochou inwardly scoffed. Hua Yuntian had potential, but his brain often failed him, frequently saying things that left others speechless, always out of sync with everyone else.

 Chapter 104: Also what my heart favors

    Chapter 104: Also what my heart favors

    Xuan Yangzi stared at the white snake for a long while before suddenly smiling, "Do you think I''ll keep you here and take you back for research?"

    The white snake stared at him intently, without a word, its eyes showing no emotion.

    "Heh, I''m not curious about you at all."

    Xuan Yangzi pulled out a long spear and hurled it into the void. The spear pierced through the white snake''s body and shot towards Myriad Serpent Valley, pinning it to the center of the valley.

    "Begin the blood sacrifice, leave no one alive!" Xuan Yangzi ordered.

    "Yes!"

    Everyone shouted in unison. With a wave of Xuan Yangzi''s hand, a blood-red light enveloped the entire Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Many were puzzled. This white snake was an unprecedented oddity. Why not take it back for research?

    No one could fathom Xuan Yangzi''s true intentions, so they continued as usual, casting spells and throwing them into the valley.From the edge of Myriad Serpent Valley, the snake swarm began to struggle and hiss, writhing like severed earthworms. Their physical bodies dissolved, and blood was drawn out, forming thin lines that injected into the meridians of the Snake Catchers Sect disciples nearby.

    Everyone focused their minds, fully refining the precious snake essence, circting their Snake Catching Technique, and their cultivation levels rapidly soared.

    This was a gluttonous feast!

    The anguished cries of the snakes echoed through the mountains. They died slowly, first their galldders were extracted, then their blood, and due to their tenacious vitality, they often endured prolonged torment before turning into a puddle of mud,pletely dead.

    Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of snakes were drained dry within an hour.

    "I''m about to break through!"

    "Break through for me!"

    Many Qi Refining Stage disciples reached their bottlenecks, swallowed pills, and charged towards the next level with all their might.

    Devouring others to gain strength, the strong live, and the weak die. This is the natural order, unbreakable by anyone.

    Most ordinary snakes had not reached Spirit Communion; they didn''t know why they were dying or where their enemies came from. Silently, they turned into blood, dissipated into ashes, and became nourishment for the Snake Catchers.

    Those Spirit Communion Stage snake demons, however, had eyes filled with anger and despair. Some female snakes showed pleading eyes, but it was futile.

    Regardless of gender, age, species, race, or cultivation level, all were melting, dying slowly.

    Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath. It was time for him to act. This time, he would surely reach the mid-Core Formation Stage.

    "Whoosh!"

    Just then!

    A white lightning bolt streaked across the sky, a swording from the west!

    Five inner disciples absorbing nourishment were instantly decapitated, and a Foundation Establishment Stage elder also perished, not even knowing how he died.

    But just after killing these six, the white lightning was forcibly frozen in ce, revealing itself to be a flying sword.

    Everyone was shocked, exiting their meditative states, staring in disbelief at the flying sword.

    Xuan Yangzi opened his eyes, not angry, but filled with intense curiosity.

    "Another one, and a Foundation Establishment great demon at that."

    Xuan Yangzi''s gaze shifted, raising his hand to activate the Gravity Technique, pulling the target into the air.

    It was a snake covered in ck gold scales!

    In the past, he would have kept such a snake demon alive for research.

    But today, there was no need for words; it would be thrown into Myriad Serpent Valley and refined!

    Curiosity is good, but excessive curiosity while ignoring the inherent threat of the other party signifies ignorance and arrogance, often leading to great upheaval!

    "Go!"

    With a flick of his wrist, Xu Hei''s body was uncontrobly flung into Myriad Serpent Valley, about to be part of the nourishment.

    As a Foundation Establishment great demon, he could not resist the Gravity Technique of a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    Moreover, this was not an ordinary Core Formation Stage; it was the peak of Core Formation, far beyond the old woman from the Purple Mist Sect.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were blood-red, filled with raging anger, but his mind remained calm.

    At the moment he was pulled up, a pale gold storage bag fell from his mouth.

    This was the storage bag Hei Huang had given him.

    "Open it at the moment of life and death. Whatever is inside, you can fight any opponent to a draw!"

    These were Hei Huang''s exact words.

    Xu Hei didn''t know what was inside, nor if it would be useful. Facing a Core Formation Stage cultivator, he might not even have time to use it before being killed.

    But Xu Hei did not hesitate for a moment.

    The storage bag automatically opened, and a purple bronze mirror flew out.

    Seeing the familiar mirror, Xu Hei''s pupils contracted. He had seen it before; it was the very mirror Hei Huang had tried to steal from the Purple Mist Pavilion.

    "This is..."

    Xuan Yangzi''s gaze sharpened, instinctively dodging to avoid being reflected by the mirror, but the mirror seemed to lock onto him, aiming directly at him.

    "Buzz!"

    In an instant, a reflection appeared in the mirror, looking exactly like Xuan Yangzi.

    The reflection waved its hand, and Xuan Yangzi''s face changed dramatically, retreating hastily. Xu Hei seized the opportunity to break free from the Gravity Technique and fled from mid-air.

    "Boom!!"

    A noticeable dent appeared on Xuan Yangzi''s chest.

    The entire scene erupted in chaos, everyone witnessing this was shocked to the core.

    "What is that mirror?"

    "How could it harm a Core Formation Stage cultivator!?"

    "My heavens, what kind of treasure is this?"

    "I think I''ve seen this item in the Purple Mist Pavilion!"

    For a moment, the crowd was abuzz, the disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect were all stunned, their eyes filled with shock.

    At this moment, all eyes were on that purple bronze mirror.

    From the mirror, a figure emerged.

    This person, dressed in a yellow robe, a middle-aged schr, looked exactly like Xuan Yangzi, the very reflection from the mirror!

    However, this reflection had materialized, as if it hade to life, staring at Xuan Yangzi with identical expressions.

    Xuan Yangzi''s gaze was fixed on the mirror, coldly saying, "So, this is the mirror''s effect. I underestimated it!"

    He had seen this mirror before; it was obtained by the Purple Mist Ancestor and stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion, seemingly useless except for its hardness.

    Now, it was an unexpected surprise.

    Xuan Yangzi disappeared from his spot, reaching for the bronze mirror, but the reflection also waved its hand, unleashing a strike. A deafening explosion echoed through the void, forcing Xuan Yangzi to retreat.

    "Hmph!"

    Xuan Yangzi snorted coldly, summoning an ancient cauldron that erged in mid-air, pressing down on the reflection.

    This cauldron, named the Myriad Serpent Cauldron, was a third-tier magical treasure, effective against Core Formation Stage cultivators. No matter how strong the reflection was, it was still just a reflection, iparable to a real cultivator.

    Unexpectedly, the reflection also summoned an identical Myriad Serpent Cauldron, erging it and pressing it down on Xuan Yangzi.

    "How is this possible?!"

    Xuan Yangzi''s face finally changed, eximing in shock.

    He quickly took out two third-tier talismans, simultaneously activating them with a low shout of "explode," causing an explosion in front of the Myriad Serpent Cauldron.

    The reflection did the same, producing two talismans, shouting "explode," and sting Xuan Yangzi''s cauldron away.

    Xuan Yangzi then summoned a flying sword, and the reflection did the same. The two swords shed in mid-air, evenly matched.

    After some probing, Xuan Yangzi realized that the reflection could replicate his magical treasures and talismans perfectly, an unbelievable phenomenon!

    "If I can''t deal with the mirror, I''ll deal with its owner!"

    Xuan Yangzi changed his tactics, summoning ancient wood to create wooden puppet clones, sending them towards Xu Hei.

    The reflection also summoned ancient wood, creating countless wooden puppet clones, even more than Xuan Yangzi''s, intercepting all of them.

    Some even charged towards the disciples below, causing them to scream and flee in terror.

    Xuan Yangzi''s face turned dark.

    He finally realized that relying on himself alone, it would be difficult to spare a hand to kill this snake. Targeting Xu Hei would only provoke the reflection to use even stronger methods.

    He needed help.

    "Master, don''t worry, I''ll kill this snake!"

    Wu Mochou saw Xuan Yangzi''s predicament and stood up from the mountaintop, speaking loudly.

    "And us!"

    "Just a Foundation Establishment Stage, easily crushed!"

    Liu Fei, Wang Ping, and other disciples also stood up, drawing their magical treasures.

    Xuan Yangzi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Everyone, attack together with all your might, kill this snake! Leave no survivors!"

    With these words, everyone present stopped their cultivation, stood up, and focused their gaze on Xu Hei, who had not fled but instead charged towards the crowd.

 Chapter 105: Though facing death nine times, I still have no regrets

    Chapter 105: Though facing death nine times, I still have no regrets

    Xu Hei charged forward like a raging bull, shattering a Foundation Establishment cultivator into pieces. He swung his flying sword, decapitating five inner disciples in quick session. Meanwhile, his puppets were unleashed, attacking in all directions.

    "So, this is the snake demon causing trouble earlier. My clone must have been destroyed by this snake," Xuan Yangzi observed calmly, his eyes flickering with a hint of mockery as he watched Xu Hei''s relentless ughter below.

    He had nned to use the bloodline tracing secret technique to find Xu Hei after reaching the mid-stage of Qi Condensation. But now, Xu Hei had delivered himself, saving him the trouble.

    Although this strange mirror was indeed troublesome, the Snake Catchers Sect was filled with experts. How could a mere snake contend with them?

    "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Xu Hei, fearless and ferocious, charged into the crowd like a god of death. Lightning arcs surrounded him as he cut down one Snake Catchers Sect disciple after another.

    Countless spell attacksnded on Xu Hei, but his tough scales deflected them with a metallic ng. Unhindered, he continued his killing spree, drenched in blood, resembling a fearsome demon.

    "ng!" A massive flying sword struck Xu Hei from behind. Though it didn''t break his defense, the impact caused his body to sink, bones cracking, nearly making him fall from the sky.

    The attacker was none other than Wu Mochou.

    As the top disciple, Wu Mochou knew well the vital points to strike on a snake. Each of his sword strikes aimed directly at Xu Hei''s weak spots. His strength far surpassed that of Bai Xiu, whom Xu Hei had faced earlier, by at least tenfold.Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold. He spat out a cerulean ice soul flying sword, which collided with the giant sword above, instantly freezing it with spreading frost.

    "Heavenly Thunder Curse!" Suddenly, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking Xu Hei''s back.

    Though his scales blocked most of the attack, some of the lightning prated, sending Xu Hei crashing heavily to the ground, creating a snake-shaped crater.

    "Elder Cui is so powerful!" The crowd cheered.

    Cui Yuan, at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment stage, was even more terrifying than Wu Mochou!

    Cui Yuan, expressionless, directed several more bolts of lightning into the snake-shaped crater.

    As Xuan Yangzi''s senior brother and the highest-ranking individual present, Cui Yuan''s strength and wisdom far surpassed everyone else.

    He could see the strangeness of this snake. Despite appearing to be at the initial Foundation Establishment stage, he had to go all out. Even if the snake died, he needed to ensure its body was utterly destroyed to feel at ease.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!..." Continuous lightning bolts struck Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei used his Earth Escape Technique to dodge desperately, but the lightning pursued him relentlessly, no matter how fast he fled.

    Moreover, his opponent''s perception was incredibly sharp and experienced, seemingly able to predict Xu Hei''s moves, always blocking his path in advance.

    "Boom!!" Another lightning strike hit Xu Hei, severely injuring him, his aura plummeting.

    If not for his tough scales, he would have died countless times already.

    Xu Hei patted his storage bag, took out some healing pills, and swallowed them. Using the Demon God Cauldron, his injuries healed at an astonishing rate.

    But immediately, lightning and flying swords attacked again, joined by several mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    Xu Hei''s freshly healed wounds were once again severely damaged, his meridians ruptured, flesh charred, and he fell into the ground.

    Even in a one-on-one fight, Xu Hei struggled to defeat Wu Mochou, let alone contend with Cui Yuan.

    Moreover, with both of them teaming up and so many mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators attacking him, they were determined to kill Xu Hei at all costs.

    The humans didn''t underestimate him due to his low cultivation. They unleashed all their trump cards and magical treasures without holding back, attacking with full force!

    Xu Hei''s injuries were too severe, and his consciousness began to fade.

    "Boom! Boom!" Two bolts of lightning struck, sending Xu Hei crashing into the ground.

    At this moment, Xu Hei could clearly feel his physical body nearing death. Though his scales remained intact, his internal organs were utterly destroyed.

    "ng!!" A flying sword struck his vital point, splitting the ground with a thousand-foot chasm, burying Xu Hei deep underground.

    Is this the end...

    A single snake''s strength could never contend with an entire sect, nor with the overwhelming force.

    Two fists can''t fight four hands. Humans are the spirits of all beings, standing at the pinnacle of creation. This is the rule!

    They are snake catchers, and I... am a snake!

    "Why didn''t you run?" In a daze, Xu Hei entered a dream, hearing that familiar voice again.

    The voice sounded like it came from a flood dragon, yet also from within himself.

    "Why did you fight so desperately?" The voice echoed once more in Xu Hei''s mind.

    "Do you regret it?" The voice asked three soul-searching questions, and Xu Hei asked himself the same.

    Why didn''t he run, why didn''t he escape as he usually did?

    If he had, he could have survived easily, preserved his strength, and risen again, with a chance to return one day.

    What did the extinction of the snake n have to do with him?

    He risked his life to kill a group of Snake Catchers Sect disciples, but lost his own life. Was it worth it?

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s mind shed with blurry images, like a revolvingntern.

    Scenes appeared before his eyes, as if in the present, as if in the distance, as if in his heart.

    "I am from the Chu Kingdom. My parents and family are all from the Chu Kingdom. I can''t just stand by and do nothing!" Xiao Chou knelt before him, tears in his eyes.

    He stood up resolutely, turning away, leaving only a lonely silhouette.

    ¡ªWhat if there''s no return?

    ¡ªThen there will be no return!

    "This is my ancestral jade, which I ground into a de. It''s the only thing with spiritual power."

    A Chu Kingdom soldier, trembling, handed a sharp jade piece to hispanion.

    "Kill me, use my head to approach that Qin Kingdom cultivator."

    The Chu Kingdom soldier, holding hisrade''s broadsword, stabbed it into his own chest.

    "No!!" A painful cry from arade echoed in his ears.

    "My... death... is it worth it?" The Chu Kingdom soldier quietly closed his eyes.

    In a thatched hut, Wang Ding used hisst strength to shout "I won''t be a ve to a fallen kingdom," hanging himself from the beam.

    By the turbulent river, Mr. Chuughed wildly at the sky, abandoning the pursuit of official rank and power, throwing himself into the great river.

    "Why didn''t you run?" The ethereal voice echoed once more.

    Xu Hei smiled calmly, replying, "This is my home. Why should I run?"

    "Why did you fight so desperately?" The question appeared again.

    Xu Hei replied calmly, "They kill mypatriots, destroy my home. If I don''t fight desperately, who will?"

    This time, the ethereal voice paused for a moment before continuing, "Do you regret it?"

    Do I regret it?

    Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, seemingly sighing, but his gaze remained unwavering.

    "Though I face death nine times, I have no regrets!"

    ...

    Time seemed to pass quickly and slowly.

    Who knows how long the attacks continued.

    Suddenly, a new force was born within Xu Hei. His already established spiritual foundation began to expand once more.

    The foundation rose, like a giant dragon soaring to the sky.

    "Buzz!!" A beam of purple light shot from the ground, illuminating the mountains and rivers for miles.

    The sky was filled with purple light, and the eastern sky was bathed in purple.

    Everyone was stunned by this magnificent scene.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s purple true qi rapidly changed, its color deepening from light purple to dark purple, and then gradually turning into an even deeper ck!

    Xu Hei finally realized that his previous Foundation Establishment was not truly perfect!

    It wasn''t until this moment, when he understood the concept of reverse cultivation, that he achieved true perfection!

    "Reverse! What does it mean to be reverse?"

    "A dragon has a reverse scale; touch it and it will rage. Though I face death nine times, I have no regrets!"

    Xu Hei''s voice, like thunder from the nine heavens, descended from the clouds.

    The reverse scale! Xu Hei''sst missing scale was his reverse scale!

    "Boom!!!" Thunder rolled, splitting the sky, like the wrath of a god descending to the mortal world, striking Xu Hei''s forehead.

    On Xu Hei''s forehead, a ck-gold reverse scale was rapidly forming, bing tangible.

    This reverse scale was the scale of the ancestral dragon, even the heavens would tremble before it!

    "This is... the Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribtion?" Xuan Yangzi''s heart was in turmoil.

 Chapter 106: Nine Transformations of the True Dragon

    Chapter 106: Nine Transformations of the True Dragon

    The Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions are meant for a Foundation Establishment cultivator reaching Great Perfection and forming a Golden Core. How could they appear on a mere snake?

    "Boom!!!"

    The thunder tribtion struck Xu Hei''s head, but it waspletely absorbed by the reverse scale on his forehead, as if it turned into nourishment, leaving him unharmed.

    Xuan Yangzi''s heart sank, and he shouted, "We must not let him cross the tribtion, kill him!"

    Wu Mochou raised his hand, and a giant sword flew out. But as it approached Xu Hei, the thunder tribtion fell with a roar, turning the flying sword into ashes in an instant.

    A small lightning bolt was drawn towards Wu Mochou, who hurriedly took out a pagoda to block it. The lightning struck the pagoda, shattering it into pieces.

    Everyone realized that attacking Xu Hei now would trigger a chain reaction from the tribtion.

    Xuan Yangzi''s face was cold as he said, "Surround him. Even if he crosses the tribtion, what can he do? A dying snake is nothing to fear!"

    ...As time passed.

    The spiritual foundation within Xu Hei grewrger, several times that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. His True Qi had turned a deep, profound ck.

    Such ckness was unheard of, even among ancient cultivators!

    Only by tracing back to ancient times could there be any clues.

    Cultivation techniques, spiritual roots, temperament, and... one''s own Dao!

    Xu Hei''s Dao was the path of reverse cultivation.

    And his mysterious cultivation technique gradually revealed its true nature.

    A vague voice appeared in Xu Hei''s mind, conveying theplete content of the technique!

    "This cultivation technique is inherited from the Great Void Ancestral Dragon, the only technique for a snake to transform into a dragon, the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon!"

    "To transform from a snake to a dragon, one must undergo nine transformations: forging dragon scales, tempering dragon bones, opening dragon veins, creating dragon blood, growing dragon ws, raising dragon might, shaping the dragon body, and igniting the dragon soul!"

    "Each transformation is not only a physical change but also a spiritual one!"

    "The first transformation of the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, the dragon scales, is nowplete!"

    With the appearance of Xu Hei''s reverse scale, the final dragon scale was finally perfected.

    His entire body of scales trembled with a terrifying pressure, even the surrounding Snake Catchers felt a chill of fear.

    Their cultivation technique, the Snake Catching Technique, was supposed to suppress snake-type demonic beasts!

    But facing Xu Hei, not only did it fail to suppress him, it instilled fear instead!

    This was no ordinary snake!

    What was he?

    At this moment, Xu Hei finally understood why his scales grew wildly when he rushed to save the white snake and the wolf king from a thousand miles away.

    He finally understood why, on that day, when he faced He Luohua and used the Mountain Severing Abyss technique, his scales surged.

    ¡ªHe was perfecting his Dao!

    The Nine Transformations of the True Dragon were not just about refining the physical body but also cultivating the Dao.

    The first transformation, the dragon scales, could only be achieved by truly understanding the meaning of the reverse scale, transforming into a true dragon.

    Without the reverse scale, he would never be a true dragon, always remaining a snake!

    Only dragons have reverse scales.

    "Crack!"

    A rift opened in the void.

    A pitch-ck demonic hand reached out, with overwhelming demonic energy sweeping out.

    "An extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon?!"

    Everyone was horrified and retreated.

    But as soon as the demonic hand fully emerged, revealing a demonic eye, it nced at a bronze mirror in mid-air and quickly retracted, disappearing without a trace.

    The rift closed, as if it had never appeared.

    Everyone looked at each other, bewildered.

    It was just an interlude.

    ...

    Momentster, the tribtion disappeared, and the thunderclouds dispersed.

    Xu Hei opened his cold eyes, looking at the crowd. Though his form hadn''t changed much, his aura was vastly different, no longer resembling a snake demon.

    Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone felt as if they were facing an emperor, not a snake demon.

    Especially the reverse scale on his forehead, which looked like an imperial mark!

    With a thought, Xu Hei took out a Blood Replenishing Pill from his storage bag marked with a skull and swallowed it.

    This Blood Replenishing Pill, if taken by a human, would cause an excess of blood, bursting out.

    But for Xu Hei, it was just right.

    This was not a human pill; it was a pill for a demon king.

    Xu Hei hadn''t transformed into a dragon yet; he had onlypleted the first step, gaining true dragon scales, but his physique was far beyond that of a snake demon.

    As the pill entered his body, his previously exhausted flesh and blood rapidly recovered.

    "Go!"

    Cui Yuan, holding a thunder seal, waved his hand, and a purple thunderbolt as thick as a barrel condensed into a thunder spear, shooting towards Xu Hei with indescribable speed, reaching him in an instant.

    "Boom!!!"

    The void shook, and the ground was split into a thousand-foot chasm.

    But Xu Hei''s figure hadpletely disappeared.

    "Quick, dodge!" Xuan Yangzi shouted angrily.

    "Snap!!"

    With a flick of his tail, a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator''s head was smashed, blood spraying, his body torn apart, turning into pieces.

    There was no time to use any magical treasures; all defensive talismans exploded automatically, unable to block the attack.

    This strike, Xu Hei didn''t use any spells; it was pure physicalbat!

    Everyone was horrified and retreated, only to see a sh of ck light, and Xu Hei disappeared again.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei turned into an arc of lightning, darting through a string of figures, killing six people in an instant, including two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    "Bang, bang, bang..."

    Blood and flesh exploded, limbs flew everywhere, with no trace of spell fluctuations; it was pure physical collision.

    Cui Yuan waved his hand, and fourrge gs flew out, nting themselves in four directions. With a change of hand gestures, he shouted, "Four Symbols Snake Trapping Formation!"

    In an instant, the four gs emitted red, green, white, and yellow lights, forming a square formation, trapping the area tightly.

    Cui Yuan sped his hands together and shouted "Constrict," causing the formation to rapidly close in, trapping Xu Hei within.

    Xu Hei''s movement range grew smaller and smaller, soon colliding with the formation.

    "Boom!!"

    The formation shook violently, Cui Yuan''s face turned pale, almost spitting blood, but he gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot, and activated the formation again, tightening it further.

    Wu Mochou wasn''t idle either; he cast a zed pagoda, which hovered high above, its colorful light covering Xu Hei''s head.

    Xu Hei''s speed slowed, as if he were a worm trapped in mud.

    Soon, he stoppedpletely.

    "Kill!"

    Seizing the opportunity, the others unleashed their spells, bombarding Xu Hei with a barrage of colorful lights, causing the ground to copse, the earth to rumble, and the sound of explosions to spread for miles!

    Facing a mutated snake, they had responded perfectly.

    The Snake Catchers Sect members showed joy, but their faces soon stiffened.

    As the dust cleared, Xu Hei''s body was covered in thick stone armor, sixteen Earth Shields, thirty-two light rings, along with his dragon scales and the Stone Vein Technique, blocking all attacks.

    "Crack, crack..."

    The shields, light rings, and armor shattered one by one, leaving Xu Hei unharmed.

    Everyone gasped.

    "Earth Shield, I''ve only seen eight shields at most, how does he have sixteen?"

    "Is that thick earth armor?"

    They couldn''t understand how Xu Hei''s basic defensive spells could have such terrifying effects!

    Xuan Yangzi''s face turned grim, realizing that mid-Foundation Establishment spells could no longer harm Xu Hei.

    But among them, only two werete-Foundation Establishment cultivators, Wu Mochou and Cui Yuan!

    Xu Hei looked at the crowd coldly and said, "Now, it''s my turn!"

    He recalled the earth spells he had learned before.

    Advanced spell, Mountain Embrace Seal?

    No, not needed. Xu Hei directly aimed for the pinnacle spell, Falling Stars.

    This move was one of the most powerful killing techniques in the Foundation Establishment stage, with a wide range, capable of covering everyone.

    But the cost was that the more targets, the greater the consumption!

    Even with Xu Hei''s perfect Foundation Establishment and unprecedented ck True Qi, he couldn''t attack everyone at once.

    High-quality True Qi didn''t mean arge quantity.

    Xu Hei couldn''t afford such consumption!

    But his killing intent was overwhelming!

    "No matter! Today, no matter the cost, none of you will leave alive!"

    Xu Hei made up his mind, took out a whole bottle of Rejuvenation Pills from his skull-marked storage bag, and swallowed them all in one gulp.

 Chapter 107: Dragons Reverse Scale

    Chapter 107: Dragon''s Reverse Scale

    A whole bottle of Super Rejuvenation Pills entered his body, transforming into a surging torrent of True Qi, roaring like mountains and seas, crashing wildly within Xu Hei''s body.

    Blood seeped from the corners of Xu Hei''s mouth, his meridians nearly copsing, and his flesh experiencing unimaginable pain, almost on the verge of exploding.

    He possessed dragon scales, but the rest of his body was still that of a snake, yet to undergo transformation, unable to withstand such a violent impact.

    "Demon God Cauldron, refine it for me!"

    Xu Hei shouted, mobilizing the Demon God Cauldron to absorb all the True Qi streams, fully suppressing andpressing them within, preventing any chaos.

    Gradually, his pain lessened.

    He looked around again; the crowd had already gathered their second round of spells,unching them together like a storm.

    The Snake Catchers'' strategy was clear: they had the numbers, and even through attrition, they could exhaust Xu Hei to death!

    Xu Hei''s spells were powerful, no doubt! With the ck True Qi''s enhancement, even the most basic spells could achieve miraculous effects.But his True Qi was limited. He could defend once, twice, but could he defend three times, ten times?

    In an instant, the crowd''s spells descended upon Xu Hei, including Wu Mochou''s three Bone-Corroding Nails, top-tier second-grade magical treasures he had treasured for years, now taken out for use,parable to third-grade.

    One person even burned their life force to unleash a third-grade Wind de Talisman, aiming to sever Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei swallowed a Blood Replenishing Pill, ignoring all attacks, a madness gleaming in his eyes as he silently chanted in his heart.

    "Falling Stars!"

    In the sky, massive meteors suddenly appeared, gradually solidifying from phantoms into physical forms.

    At the same time, the True Qi within Xu Hei''s body was being consumed frantically, depleting rapidly, while the suppressed chaotic True Qi within the Demon God Cauldron was swiftly released, replenishing his body.

    During this process, Xu Hei felt indescribable pain, his meridians seemingly on the verge of bursting, his body feeling as if struck by a thousand-pound hammer, blood seeping from his dragon scales, flowing all over his body.

    But he gritted his teeth and endured!

    "I can''t lose, this is my home, my home!!!"

    Xu Hei roared in his heart, the reverse scale on his forehead shining brilliantly.

    Behind him were his family, his reverse scale!

    If he were a snake, he could flee, but as a true dragon, he could not retreat!

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    The Falling Stars streaked across the sky, crashing down on the crowd below with a terrifying, world-destroying force.

    Falling Stars was originally a peak second-grade spell, but in Xu Hei''s hands, enhanced by ck True Qi, its power approached third-grade,parable to the Core Formation Stage!

    "Boom!!"

    Arge group of inner disciples hadn''t even been touched yet, but were already crushed by the increasing gravity, their flesh disintegrating, countless magical treasures shattering into fragments.

    When the meteors struck, the disciples were instantly obliterated, not even a hair left behind.

    "Boom!!"

    Another meteor fell on the heads of two elders, who took out their life-saving treasures, third-grade golden shield talismans, but due to insufficient spiritual power, the shields shattered after a few breaths, and the meteors fell, killing them amidst their screams.

    Fourth disciple Su Bei used his treasured umbre to protect himself,sting five breaths, but turned to ashes after the second meteor fell.

    Third disciple Wang Ping, terrified out of his wits, chose to flee, but was caught by a meteor from behind, smashing into his back, leaving not even a trace of skin.

    "No!!!" Xuan Yangzi roared to the heavens.

    Second disciple Liu Feisted the longest, with three meteors falling on her delicate body, driving her into the ground. Even though she had a treasure capable of blocking a Core Formation Stage attack, she couldn''t hold out for long, ultimately perishing.

    One by one, disciples died, elders with countless means perished, like wheat being harvested, unable to resist.

    Xuan Yangzi''s heart bled, he burned his blood and Qi, forming a blood array with his life soul, determined to kill Xu Hei at any cost.

    But the mirrored figure opposite him also burned its blood and Qi, attacking with the same method, even stronger than him.

    Xuan Yangzi immediately realized he couldn''t act rashly; if he attacked in anger, the mirror image would do the same, even stronger!

    When he changed his n to protect the disciples, the mirror image directly attacked the crowd.

    Xuan Yangzi was instantly at a loss.

    Even if he wanted to leave, the mirror image blocked him, preventing any escape.

    Xuan Yangzi''s gaze was fixed on the mirror image before him, which also stared back, mirroring his every move.

    "What kind of magical treasure is this, why is it so defiant of the heavens?"

    Xuan Yangzi couldn''t understand, the effects of this magical treasure were beyond hisprehension.

    At this moment, the mirror image stared at him, suddenly revealing a sinister smile.

    Seeing this smile, Xuan Yangzi''s scalp tingled, goosebumps rising all over.

    He clearly wasn''t smiling, so why was this figure smiling?

    Could it be, the other party had intelligence?

    This wasn''t an ordinary mirror image?

    "What score would you give this magical treasure?" the mirror image suddenly sneered.

    Xuan Yangzi''s scalp exploded, involuntarily taking a step back.

    The figure in front also stepped forward, maintaining the same distance.

    "Who are you?" Xuan Yangzi''s face darkened, shouting.

    The other party didn''t speak, just looked at him quietly, a mocking and ridiculing smile on its lips.

    Xuan Yangzi''s mind shed through countless ancient texts, racking his brains for clues, but he waspletely at a loss.

    He couldn''t fathom the principle behind this magical treasure!

    Suddenly, a sh of inspiration struck him, and he thought of a word¡ª

    Inner Demon!

    The figure before him resembled the inner demons that ancient cultivators faced when breaking through.

    Born from the heart, emerging from within, inner demons knew everything about you, the evil projection of a cultivator''s heart.

    There was also a theory that inner demons were transformations of extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons entering the body, but the truth was unknown.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Meteors fell, leaving thend scarred, countless cultivators crushed to death, the Snake Catchers Sect disciples nearly wiped out, less than five surviving.

    They couldn''t believe that an hour ago, they were hunters, about to blood sacrifice three million snakes.

    In the blink of an eye, they were ughtered, dead and wounded.

    Regret surged in their hearts; if they had known, why get involved in this mess? What they thought was a great opportunity turned into a nightmare!

    At the same time, Xu Hei suffered unprecedented injuries.

    Not only from the collective attack of the Snake Catchers but also from the severe bacsh of casting Falling Stars.

    This move was originally for those at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Stage, relying on their abundant True Qi to perform.

    Xu Hei was only at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, relying entirely on the Rejuvenation Pills and the Demon God Cauldron to forcibly refine and cast it.

    The damage to himself was terrifying.

    Even though Xu Hei took various healing pills to recover, the burning pain in his meridians and the mental exhaustion couldn''t be alleviated.

    His Divine Sense also felt waves of dizziness, nearly fainting, but he held on with sheer willpower.

    Xu Hei had yet to transform into a true dragon, only taking the first step, forging dragon scales, achieving perfect Foundation Establishment.

    He had reached his limit.

    Looking around, the Snake Catchers present were almost all dead, the survivors severely injured, worse off than him.

 Chapter 108: Not a single one left

    Chapter 108: Not a single one left

    The eldest disciple, Wu Mochou, had his sleeves hanging empty, both arms severed, and his flying sword shattered. He was barely clinging to life.

    Cui Yuan wasn''t faring much better. He was covered in blood, emaciated, and his True Qi was nearly depleted. He must have used some secret blood-burning technique to barely stay alive.

    Another person had managed to run farther away, surviving by sheer luck, but he was also on hisst breath, lying on the ground with little time left.

    In an instant, all the snake catchers who hade to participate in the blood sacrifice were either dead or gravely injured.

    Xuan Yangzi felt his worldview shatter, as if struck by lightning, unable to ept this reality.

    He couldn''t help but ponder a question.

    What was the cultivation level of this snake?

    How could it, at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, unleash an attackparable to the Core Formation Stage, crossing an entire major realm and killing so many people in one blow?

    Even Cui Yuan, at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, nearly perished! Fortunately, he had blood-refining techniques and numerous magical treasures protecting him. Any other Great Perfection Foundation Establishment cultivator would likely have been dead by now."This snake cannot be allowed to live, or the Snake Catchers Sect will face annihtion!"

    Xuan Yangzi''s face was grim, and the killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible.

    ...

    Xu Hei took deep breaths, swallowing arge amount of pills again, using the Demon God Cauldron to refine them and maintain hisbat state.

    "Why... is he still able to move?" Wu Mochou was already bewildered.

    Seeing that the opponent still seemed capable of fighting, Cui Yuan was equally stunned.

    They couldn''tprehend why Xu Hei had such powerful mental strength!

    They had never witnessed a mortal ying immortals.

    So, they didn''t understand!

    "Whoosh!"

    A flying sword shot straight towards Wu Mochou.

    Cui Yuan suddenly shed in front, pping the flying sword away, but his arm also broke, turning into a mist of blood.

    "Junior Nephew Wu!"

    Cui Yuan shouted.

    Wu Mochou shuddered, struggling to lift his head to look at Cui Yuan.

    "Run! I''ll hold him off!"

    Cui Yuan gritted his teeth, a resolute look in his eyes.

    Wu Mochou and he were both at their limits, but the former was young with an unlimited future. Cui Yuan, on the other hand, was past his prime, and this severe injury meant he would never form his core in this life.

    Seeing Wu Mochou still hesitating, Cui Yuan shouted again, "Get out of here!"

    His voice was like thunder, snapping Wu Mochou out of his daze.

    With red eyes, Wu Mochou solemnly said, "Take care, Uncle Cui!"

    He turned and trudged away.

    With both arms severed and his True Qi depleted, he could only rely on his legs to run.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were cold as he spat out the ivory flying sword, aiming once more at Wu Mochou''s back.

    But Cui Yuan''s figure shed again, appearing in front of the flying sword, shouting loudly.

    "Explode!"

    Cui Yuan''s physical body swelled and then exploded, turning into a mist of blood, with a powerful shockwave sweeping in all directions.

    The self-destruction of a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment cultivator was terrifying. The ivory flying sword was sted away, flying thousands of meters, even showing cracks.

    Even Xu Hei was impacted, flying out like a kite with a broken string, spitting blood.

    "Uncle Cui!!"

    Wu Mochou cried out in anguish but didn''t dare to look back. He bit his tongue and ran for his life, using his remaining legs to escape.

    He couldn''t die!

    His life was bought with Cui Yuan''s sacrifice, and he had to live!

    With hatred and unwillingness, he had to live on to avenge his fallen brothers!

    "Senior Brother..."

    Xuan Yangzi''s eyes were filled with sorrow.

    Of his generation, few were still alive, and now, even Cui Yuan was gone.

    Xu Hei flew out, his body once again suffering a severe impact, bones breaking.

    Watching Wu Mochou gradually disappear into the distance, Xu Hei''s eyes filled with intense grief and anger.

    Wu Mochou carried the hope of this lineage; he had a reason to live.

    But he also had a reason to die!

    "I said, none of you are getting away!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were vicious, his remaining True Qi rapidly depleting.

    Xuan Yangzi''s face changed drastically, shouting, "Be careful!"

    At this moment, a small scouting snake appeared near Wu Mochou.

    This scouting snake was Xu Hei''s only remaining puppet, following him until now. It had no cultivation level and had never participated in a fight.

    It had nobat power and was never taken seriously by anyone.

    But in this instant!

    The positions of the scouting snake and Xu Hei swapped!

    "Body Swap!"

    Xu Hei''s True Qi was exhausted, using a puppet technique from the Earth Puppet Art to switch ces with the small snake, appearing right in front of Wu Mochou.

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei, unable to use any more spells, pounced directly, opening his bloody mouth and biting Wu Mochou''s head.

    "Ah!!"

    Wu Mochou screamed miserably, his legs kicking wildly, but Xu Hei didn''t budge.

    Reverse cultivation, what is reverse cultivation?

    Cultivators who follow the natural order are like y chickens and pottery dogs before a true reverse cultivator, unable to withstand a single blow!

    Xu Hei gave him no chance, twisting hard, and Wu Mochou''s screams abruptly stopped with a crack, his head severed.

    The entire scene fell silent.

    The whole Myriad Serpent Valley was deathly quiet, only the sound of the breeze blowing through, carrying the scent of blood.

    Around the perimeter of Myriad Serpent Valley, corpsesy in heaps, all snake catchers, young and old, all dead.

    Xuan Yangzi was stunned, standing there like a fool.

    With Wu Mochou''s death, his lineage waspletely wiped out.

    Xu Hei, at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, had killed ate Foundation Establishment cultivator, forced a Great Perfection Foundation Establishment cultivator to self-destruct, and ughtered arge number of elder disciples.

    Such a record was simply terrifying.

    In that moment, Xuan Yangzi seemed to age significantly, feeling somewhat unreal.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, taking advantage of Xuan Yangzi''s distraction, the mirrored figure flicked his wrist, sending several phantom spirit snakes flying from his sleeve, striking Xuan Yangzi''s chest and burrowing in. Xuan Yangzi''s face turned pale, spitting blood, quickly circting his energy to expel the spirit snakes.

    "Hey, hey! You actually got distracted. Show some respect, will you? This is an eight-point spell."

    The mirrored figure sneered, seizing the opportunity to attack relentlessly, bombarding with various magical treasures and secret techniques.

    Their strengths were evenly matched, but Xuan Yangzi, deeply affected, lost his bnce, allowing the suspected inner demon tond a sessful sneak attack.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s spirit was also at its limit, feeling dizzy and on the verge of fainting.

    He could only take an Awakening Pill to stay alert.

    "What should I do now?"

    Xu Hei couldn''t intervene in the Core Formation Stage battle; he didn''t have that capability yet.

    At this moment, facing the mirrored figure''s attacks, Xuan Yangzi was at a disadvantage, in a perilous situation, but his eyes showed no panic, only a hint of a cold smile.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, a flying sword shed from afar, its speed like teleportation, aiming at the mirrored figure.

    "ng!"

    The mirrored figure took out the Myriad Serpent Cauldron, blocking the sword, his figure retreating rapidly. Xuan Yangzi took the opportunity to escape,nding in the distance.

    Xu Hei''s eyes focused, looking towards the sky.

    Behind Xuan Yangzi, a purple-haired young man had appeared at some point. His hair was disheveled, his attire strange, and he was covered in weapons, yet his presence was almost undetectable.

    But from his earlier strike, it was clear that this person was undoubtedly at the Core Formation Stage!

    The purple-haired youth nced around, his gaze sweeping over the corpses outside Myriad Serpent Valley, a look of surprise shing in his eyes.

    "Xuan Yangzi, you seem to be in trouble. What''s going on?"

 Chapter 109: Reinforcements have arrived

    Chapter 109: Reinforcements have arrived

    The young man with strange purple hair, named Han Te, was one of the rare Core Formation Stage rogue cultivators in the Southern Region. He had no sect or faction, known for his incredible speed, appearing and disappearing without a trace. He was an old acquaintance of Xuan Yangzi.

    Xuan Yangzi had always been cautious. Upon realizing something was wrong, he decisively used amunication jade slip to send a message to Han Te.

    At that time, Xu Hei was still in the midst of his tribtion, and no one believed he would survive.

    But Xuan Yangzi still used a favor to have Han Te rush over at the fastest speed for support.

    As it turned out, his choice was correct!

    A major upheaval indeed urred!

    In fact, Xuan Yangzi was not the only Core Formation Stage cultivator in the Snake Catchers Sect, but most of the core elders were in seclusion at the headquarters, and the fastest one would take a day to arrive, which was toote for support.

    The only one nearby who could make it in time was Han Te.

    "Don''t ask unnecessary questions. You just need to kill that snake, that''s enough," Xuan Yangzi pointed at Xu Hei and said coldly.Han Te squinted his eyes and hesitated, "What about the price..."

    Xuan Yangzi impatiently threw out a storage bag and urged, "Hurry up and do it, don''t dawdle!"

    Just a dying early-stage Qi Condensation great demon, and he still wanted to negotiate the price. Xuan Yangzi was speechless.

    Han Te took the storage bag, nced inside, and said, "This is the price for helping you out earlier. If you want me to kill that snake, you''ll have to add more!"

    Xuan Yangzi''s lips twitched. He forced himself to be patient and threw out another storage bag.

    Han Te took a look and finally smiled, putting the storage bag away.

    "Fellow Daoist, you are indeed generous. I will kill that snake right away!"

    Han Te sneered, waved his hand, and a flying sword shot out, aiming straight for Xu Hei''s forehead.

    At that moment!

    A violent demonic wind suddenly arose in front of Xu Hei, forming a fierce storm that swept up the flying sword and blew it far away.

    This terrifying demonic aura had already turned into a destructive storm, sweeping in from the distance. The sky darkened, ck clouds pressed down on the city, as if some terrifying demonic beast was approaching!

    "A Golden Core great demon?"

    Xuan Yangzi and Han Te''s faces changed simultaneously.

    In the distant sky, a giant elephant asrge as a mountain stepped through the void, each step shaking the void, rumbling as if the sky was about to copse.

    The terrifying might of this creature was among the top of the great demons they had seen!

    This was the leader of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, Man Jin.

    Unlike before, Man Jin''s body had grown to ten meters, shining with golden light, with long hair like a forest. On each side, there were three tusks like ferocious curved des, a unique mark of a Golden Core giant elephant!

    The Elephant Tribe was already among the top demonic beasts, almost invincible in the same realm.

    If he hadn''t just broken through recently, he could even fight two at once!

    Xu Hei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    When he first arrived at Myriad Serpent Valley and noticed something was wrong, he immediately sent a message to Man Jin, requesting support.

    At that time, Man Jin had alreadypleted his Core Formation, and with the healing pills Xu Hei had given him, he sessfully endured the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions in winter without serious injury.

    Now, Man Jin had finally arrived.

    Not only did hee, but he also brought a group of tribesmen. Behind him were severalte-stage Qi Condensation great demons, all elite members of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.

    Xuan Yangzi called for help, and Xu Hei did the same!

    Moreover, Xu Hei called upon top-tier demonic beasts, the elite among demonic beasts.

    "This..." Xuan Yangzi''s body stiffened, his face turning ck.

    He never imagined that this snake would also call for help!

    Seeing the situation turn bad, Han Te took a few steps back and said in a deep voice, "Xuan Yangzi, this will cost extra."

    Xuan Yangzi ignored him and turned to flee.

    At this point, there was no need to continue fighting. It was no longer a matter of revenge but whether they could escape!

    If this Wild Giant Elephant and the mirror image person attacked him together, he would be in grave danger.

    As for Han Te, he couldn''t be relied on. He was good at bullying the weak, but asking him to risk his life was impossible.

    "Trying to escape?"

    The mirror image person sneered, moving like a ghost to block Xuan Yangzi''s path.

    Xuan Yangzi pped his chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and shot out like a meteor, flying a thousand feet away.

    The mirror image person also spat out blood, flying a thousand feet to pursue.

    The two figures flew continuously, disappearing from sight in an instant.

    Man Jin roared, stepping on the sky, charging towards Han Te.

    "Misunderstanding!"

    Han Te''s face changed, and he turned to run. His speed was faster than Xuan Yangzi''s blood escape, turning into a sh of lightning, speeding towards the horizon.

    Even Man Jin couldn''t keep up with such speed!

    Man Jin initially chased for a bit, but the opponent disappeared in an instant. He could only roar in frustration and return to the original ce.

    "That damned human escaped! Unfortunately, my strength is still not enough!" Man Jin was unwilling.

    Man Jin returned to Myriad Serpent Valley, looking around outside the valley, and couldn''t help but gasp.

    Groups of snake catchersy dead outside Myriad Serpent Valley, their deaths miserable. He recognized their clothes; they were his enemies!

    "My benefactor avenged me and killed so many people!" Man Jin was deeply moved.

    ...

    Xu Hei entered Myriad Serpent Valley.

    After a year, he finally returned home.

    Xu Hei felt a special sensation, like a wanderer returning to his hometown.

    This feeling wasmon among humans, but Xu Hei, as a demonic beast, also had this feeling.

    The restraints of Myriad Serpent Valley had long been lifted. Many surviving snakes left Myriad Serpent Valley, returning to their respective habitats.

    However, whether they were ordinary snakes or snake demons, they all bowed their heads to Xu Hei in deep respect when they left.

    Xu Hei was their savior!

    Xu Hei had defeated the snake catchers, saving the lives of millions of snakes, earning the respect of every snake!

    Especially after Xu Hei developed dragon scales, he seemed like the emperor of snakes. Even his aura was enough to make snakes submit!

    Xu Hei came to the middle of the valley, crawling to the side of the white snake.

    Xu Bai had a spear stuck in her, pinning her to the ground. She was barely breathing but still alive.

    Xu Hei carefully pulled out the spear, picked up Xu Bai, and carried her on his back.

    Xu Hei continued crawling forward, reaching a hillside.

    Here stood a stone tablet, the tombstone of the Old Snake King.

    Back then, the Old Snake King gave two Serpent Fruits, one to him and one to Xu Bai.

    "Old man, I''m back to see you."

    Xu Hei whispered to the tombstone.

    An overwhelming sense of fatigue swept over him, and Xu Hei copsed in front of the tombstone, passing out.

    Man Jin watched from afar, sighed, and ordered, "All members of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, guard this valley until the benefactor wakes up."

    "Yes, Great King!"

    The elite members of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe roared, taking positions around Myriad Serpent Valley to guard it.

    ...

    An hourter.

    "Whoosh!"

    A figure flew back from afar, the mirror image projection of Xuan Yangzi.

    This person was covered in blood, his aura chaotic, as if he had experienced a life-and-death battle. He said nothing, diving into the purple bronze mirror and disappearing.

    The bronze mirror lost its luster, flying back to Xu Hei''s side andnding on the ground.

 Chapter 110: Noble spirit remains

    Chapter 110: Noble spirit remains

    Chu Kingdom Calendar, Early May.

    Xuan Yangzi led a hundred members of the Snake Catchers Sect to surround Myriad Serpent Valley, intending to blood-sacrifice three million mortal snakes, but they suffered a devastating defeat, with nearly all dead or injured.

    Since then, Xuan Yangzi disappeared.

    No one knew where he went. He might have found a secret ce to heal, or he might have been too ashamed to face anyone, or perhaps he fled to another region.

    Because no one survived to tell the tale, the massacre at Myriad Serpent Valley was only discovered by the world a weekter.

    Mid-May.

    The Qin army broke through Chuyang City, decimating the Chu army of 800,000 and capturing 500,000, including 3,000 cultivators!

    The Southern Region of Chu Kingdompletely fell.

    The core force of Chu Kingdom, the Astrology Bureau, retreated to the capital city. The main force''s defeat signaled the end of this war, and the fall of the entire country was only a matter of time.This was destined to be a losing war from the start; the strength of the two sides was not on the same level.

    If the Qin army hadn''t been cautious to minimize casualties, they would have broken the city a month earlier.

    The four major sects of the southeast, northwest, Kunlun, Peni, Ice and Snow, and Snake Catchers, did not send a single person to aid, waiting quietly for the regime change.

    These four sects have a long history, even predating Chu Kingdom, and regime changes were nothing new to them.

    For the stubborn resistance of various cities in Chu Kingdom, the Qin army was very patient. They would rather wait for months until the people inside starved or surrendered than attack rashly.

    They wanted aplete country, not ruins.

    Of course, these are allter matters.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    This time, Xu Hei''sa did notst long.

    In just three days, he woke up. After achieving perfect Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei''s physique far surpassed ordinary demonic beasts, possessing the qualities of a legendary divine beast.

    Xu Hei checked on Xu Bai beside him and found that she was unharmed, which put his mind at ease.

    He picked up the bronze mirror beside him and observed it carefully, finding that it had lost its previous luster. He remembered Hei Huang had said it could only be used once.

    He probed it with his divine sense, but there was no response.

    Xu Hei looked at his reflection in the mirror, sighed, and put it back into the pale golden storage bag.

    "Brother Xu, you''re awake!"

    Man Jin immediately flew over and stood in front of him.

    "Thank you, Brother Man Jin, for your help this time!"

    Xu Hei said sincerely.

    "Brother Xu killed so many enemies for me; I should be the one thanking you. Besides, it was the pills you gave me that gave me the courage to attempt Qi Condensation. You helped me!"

    Man Jin said even more sincerely.

    Originally, Xu Hei''s kindness to him was already immense. After this battle, Xu Hei''s kindness was even more unrepayable.

    He even wanted to give Xu Hei a piece of his ivory, but Xu Hei strongly persuaded him not to.

    This time, although Xu Hei woke up, his condition had not fully recovered. Consuming so many pills in session had caused significant side effects.

    Even now, he still felt waves of soreness. Both his bones and meridians had varying degrees of damage, and there were many residual medicinal residues in his body.

    During the previous battle, he didn''t have time to check, but now he saw that the problem was significant.

    Xu Hei nned to retreat in Myriad Serpent Valley for some time, adjust his condition to the best, and thene out.

    "I need to retreat for a few more days," Xu Hei said.

    "Haha, no problem. I''ll guard here. This valley is quite nice; I also need to consolidate my cultivation," Man Jinughed.

    Xu Hei nodded.

    Man Jin was not human; he had not experienced the scheming of human sects and had a simple mind, which also made him sincere.

    Xu Hei immediately activated the Demon God Cauldron to absorb the remaining medicinal power in his body. At the same time, he operated the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon cultivation technique, fully refining it, or expelling some useless substances from his body.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the blink of an eye, June arrived.

    The breeding season for snakes had ended, and most of the snakes in Myriad Serpent Valley had left, returning to their respective habitats.

    Only a few snakes that lived here year-round remained, and they all revered Xu Hei as their king.

    The hundreds of snake demons captured by Xuan Yangzi had also left, leaving only a few behind for unknown reasons, staying in Myriad Serpent Valley for a long time.

    Whenever they saw Xu Hei, they would lower their heads.

    Without any verbalmunication, just a nce from Xu Hei, they could understand his orders and act ording to his will.

    Xu Hei did not interfere with these intelligent snake demons; whether they stayed or left was their own choice.

    The environment here also often attracted some natural enemies of snakes, leading to hunting and fighting.

    Xu Hei did not interfere with this either. As long as it wasn''t humans causingrge-scale destruction, he wouldn''t intervene.

    During this time, under Xu Hei''s careful observation.

    He discovered that Myriad Serpent Valley, besides being filled with spiritual qi and being a rare blessednd, seemed to have a trace of dragon qi deep underground.

    It might be this trace of dragon qi that attracted so many snakes every year.

    But when Xu Hei delved underground to investigate, he couldn''t sense it anymore.

    Xu Hei didn''t understand why. He wasn''t the type to dig to the bottom of things. Since he couldn''t find it, it meant the time wasn''t right. If he hadn''t cultivated the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, he wouldn''t have sensed the dragon qi at all.

    In the battle against the snake catchers, he had obtained over a hundred storage bags, which he checked one by one, categorizing the items and storing them in the huge ck jade space.

    Xu Hei took out some items and gave them to Man Jin and Xu Bai.

    Since waking up, Xu Bai had locked herself in the underground cave dwelling, fully immersed in researching pills.

    It seemed that the recent injuries had greatly affected her.

    Xu Hei didn''t disturb her. He took out the formation gs left by Hei Huang and ced them around the cave dwelling, ensuring it was well-hidden.

    This way, no one could discover Xu Bai''s whereabouts.

    Xu Hei regretted that he didn''t have Hei Huang''s formation skills. Otherwise, he could have set up a Mountain Protection Array like human sects, providing defense even if someone came.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    One day, Xu Hei left Myriad Serpent Valley.

    He went to a branch hall of the snake catchers he had passed by before and found it already emptied, with no one in sight.

    "Have they withdrawn?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled. Normally, if the small ones died, wouldn''t the older onese? If the older ones ran, wouldn''t even older onese?

    He didn''t know what was happening with the Snake Catchers Sect.

    However, in these turbulent times, any sect was caught in therger trend and couldn''t stay unaffected.

    Xu Hei then went to Snake Vige.

    The news of the Southern Region of Chu Kingdom falling and theplete defeat had spread to every town and vige.

    From now on, Chu Kingdom might cease to exist.

    Xu Hei wasn''t human, so he couldn''t empathize with humans.

    But the scene of mortals killing immortals that day deeply influenced him, giving him the courage to resist the invaders.

    Xu Hei took out a stone tablet and ced it at the entrance of Snake Vige.

    With the power of mortals, defying the heavens and killing cultivators, these nameless people deserved respect!

    This stone tablet was called the Immortal ying Tablet!

    Xu Hei wasn''t skilled in carving words, so he used his divine sense to imprint it, merging it into the stone tablet. Only those with a fated connection could sense that trace of defiance.

    Afterward, Xu Hei went to the riverside.

    He set up another stone tablet, leaving the image of a middle-aged schr.

    A person''s death could be as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai.

    In a daze, Xu Hei saw the scene of that day again.

    A speck of dust fell into the river, swallowed by the waves.

    But this speck of dust stirred up a mighty wave.

    "Though you have died, your deeds will be passed down through generations, your name will be remembered forever!"

    Xu Hei bowed deeply to the stone tablet.

    Across the vastnd, the sun and moon changed the sky, though people die, their noble spirit remains.

    Xu Hei was also about to embark on a new path.

    ¡ª¡ªEnd of Volume One, Dragon Scale Chapter!

    ¡¾PS: I deleted the rtionship between the Old Snake King and the protagonist from thest chapter, treating him as a senior. The same goes for Xu Bai, treating her as a junior.¡¿

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    End of Volume Summary & Reflections:

    I''m quite satisfied with the ending of the first volume. This was the plot I had designed from the beginning, starting and ending with Snake Vige.

    The difference is that the protagonist has changed, from running away at the sight of people to confronting them head-on (not really).

    In short, a growing protagonist whose personality also changes is rtively rare in web novels.

    This actually carries a significant risk. A change in personality might mean that readers'' tastes may not ept it. For example, the initial cautious approach might deter readers who prefer hot-blooded stories, while those who came for the cautious approach might not like a reckless protagonist.

    But I believe that as long as the story is well-written, there is no conflict of genre or style.

    Regarding the female lead, I haven''t decided whether to write one yet.

    Many readers insist on no female lead because many web novels have poorly written romance, with female leads being either vases or tools to create conflict, leading to readers developing PTSD and avoiding female leads.

    Some readers also say the protagonist shouldn''t turn human or empathize with humans, h h h.

    As I said before, as long as it''s well-written, there''s no such thing as what can or can''t be written.

    I''ve written snakes with female leads and without, and I haven''t seen much difference.

    Ultimately, content is king.

    Why do many novels with unique concepts or gimmicks start strong but fall apartter?

    Because unique concepts are temporary; only a good story can retain readers.

    In the second volume, the protagonist won''t stay in Myriad Serpent Valley but will go to other ces and do other things. Being a mountain king all the time can get boring, right?

    He might go to the deep sea or some human sects, but it won''t be clich¨¦.

    The usual content will still be mainly light-hearted and enjoyable. People like to read funny stuff, and a serious ending once in a while is enough.

    At the end of each volume, I''ll do a summary. With nine realms and currently 250,000 words, it should at least reach two to three million words... probably.

    Off-topic:

    Next month, I n to change to a shorter title. The current title is somewhat off-putting. Although more people click in, many leave after a few chapters, especially after the Immortal Emperor devours everything, which is frustrating.

    Actually, that Immortal Emperor is useless, purely a gimmick. He mighte back for a revival matchter to y a minor role.

 Chapter 111: Emotional Outburst Lion King

    Chapter 111: Emotional Outburst Lion King

    Xu Hei passed through vige after vige, wandering aimlessly until he found himself outside the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei thought of someone¡ªXiao Chou.

    Chuyang City had fallen; this person was probably dead.

    Xu Hei sighed, and on a peak outside the Mountain Movers Sect, he erected a monument and carved the name "Xiao Chou" on it.

    "I know this person best, so I should write a bit about his life."

    Xu Hei pondered for a long time, then wrote down the contents of a bamboo slip he had once read, carving small lines of text at the bottom of the stone tablet.

    "Just got beaten up by Young Master Hua. I wanted to fight back, but I didn''t, because you said you liked honest people."

    "You told me to get lost. You finally spoke to me, which means you have me in your heart..."

    "..."These were all written by Xiao Chou himself, likely the best reflection of his life... Xu Hei thought to himself.

    ...

    Chuyang City.

    Shi Longzi, an elder of the Mountain Movers Sect and a veteran Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    Today, however, he received a summons from the Grand Commander.

    The Grand Commander, also known as the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Qin Xuanji, was a figure who had almost no rivals even in the Core Formation Stage.

    With a heart full of anxiety, Shi Longzi entered Qin Xuanji''s pce.

    Qin Xuanji sat in a chair, quietly gazing ahead.

    On the ground in front of himy a man covered in blood, on the brink of death, his breath barely detectable. The moment Shi Longzi saw this man, his pupils contracted, and his face turned deathly pale.

    This dying man was none other than his disciple, Xiao Chou.

    "You are this man''s master?" Qin Xuanji asked calmly.

    Shi Longzi trembled all over, immediately kneeling on one knee, and said, "Yes, his name is Xiao Chou. It''s my fault for not teaching him well..."

    He knew that Xiao Chou had fought a life-and-death battle with the Qin army to protect the Xiao family, killing five Foundation Establishment cultivators. In this one-sided war, it was nothing short of astonishing.

    To know that during the Qin army''s siege of Chuyang City, they had lost fewer than thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators, many of whom had died in mutual destruction, one-for-one, or even more.

    Killing five was simply unbelievable!

    However, what surprised Shi Longzi was that this had caught the Grand Commander''s attention. Shouldn''t his focus be on battles at the Core Formation Stage? Why pay attention to a Foundation Establishment junior?

    "You don''t need to be afraid; I''m not here to hold you ountable."

    Qin Xuanji waved his hand, interrupting Shi Longzi''s apology, and said, "I''m here to discuss taking this disciple of yours. What do you think?"

    Shi Longzi was momentarily stunned.

    "Am I not clear enough?" Qin Xuanji said indifferently.

    Shi Longzi''s heart trembled, and he quickly said in a panic, "No... no problem, I''ll do as you say, Senior!"

    "Very well. I won''t take your disciple for free. Here, take this aspensation."

    Qin Xuanji tossed a storage bag to Shi Longzi, who caught it without even looking, hurriedly bowing, "Thank you, Senior."

    He didn''t know why Qin Xuanji had taken an interest in Xiao Chou. Xiao Chou''s spiritual root was indeed exceptional, but not enough to attract this person''s attention.

    The inner disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect were all more talented and brilliant.

    "Go now, and make sure the survivors of the Xiao family are well taken care of. Do not harm a single member of the Xiao family, especially this person''s direct rtives. Ensure they are properly settled," Qin Xuanji said.

    "Yes! I''ll take care of it right away!" Shi Longzi nodded and bowed as he retreated.

    Qin Xuanji looked at the unconscious Xiao Chou lying on the ground, not bothering to heal him, merely letting out a coldugh.

    "Reverse cultivation, interesting."

    He waved his hand and said to the shadows, "Take this kid and dump him in some deste mountain. Just don''t kill him."

    "Yes!"

    A ck-clothed person emerged from the shadows, grabbed Xiao Chou, and vanished into the air.

    ...

    Myriad Serpent Valley.

    After returning from his travels, Xu Hei sensed two powerful auras outside Myriad Serpent Valley.

    One belonged to Man Jin, but the other was unfamiliar.

    Xu Hei quickly returned to the valley and immediately locked onto the massive figure in mid-air.

    It was a lion covered in purple lightning, its fur bristling, with wings on its back. Though slightly smaller than Man Jin, it was still a colossal beast to Xu Hei.

    The void around the lion was entirely purple, with bolts of lightning crackling, exuding a terrifying aura.

    "Purple Lightning Lion King!"

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened.

    Comparing its aura to Man Jin''s, the Purple Lightning Lion King''s cultivation was slightly higher, roughly at the peak of the early Core Formation Stage, not far from the mid-stage.

    However, Man Jin, being from the Elephant Tribe, had naturally powerfulbat abilities, making him not inferior to his opponent.

    "I''ve been waiting for you."

    The Purple Lightning Lion King''s gaze locked onto Xu Hei as it approached.

    Man Jin stepped forward, blocking its path, and said coldly, "Speak your piece and be quick about it. Don''t just barge into someone''s home; it''s extremely rude!"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King''s eyes shed with disdain but stopped in its tracks, not forcing its way in.

    It looked at Xu Hei and said, "My wife''s body is in your possession, isn''t it?"

    "..." Xu Hei was taken aback.

    His wife? That Purple Crystal Thunder Lion in the Foundation Establishment Stage?

    In the lion tribe, any lion with a lightning spiritual root could be called a Thunder Lion.

    Xu Hei had long suspected that the lion might have a powerful mate, but he hadn''t expected it to be this strong and toe looking for him.

    That lion had a leg bitten off by him, and its body was iplete. Would it cause trouble for him because of that?

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and then feigned confusion, "Your wife?"

    "I won''t waste words with you. It''s that Purple Crystal Thunder Lion. From what I understand, she was killed by a human, but her body was taken by you. I advise you to hand it over quickly, or don''t me me for being impolite," the Purple Lightning Lion King said coldly.

    "Rude!"

    Man Jin roared and stepped forward, his powerful demonic wind forcing the Purple Lightning Lion King back half a step.

    "Is this how you ask for help? Threatening people? If you can''t speak properly, go back and learn how tomunicate beforeing back!"

    Man Jin''s voice was filled with anger. To him, Xu Hei was a great benefactor, and he wouldn''t allow anyone to threaten Xu Hei.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was stunned, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

    He was just surprised why this Golden Core elephant would help a Foundation Establishment snake, trying to test the other''s attitude, but the response was so resolute.

    He began to doubt the snake''s background.

    Xu Hei asked in confusion, "How did you know the body was taken by me?"

    "I asked the Pangolin King and two passing eagles. They all saw what happened that day. I also caught a few snake demons to inquire. In this forest, you''re the only snake that can use spells," the Purple Lightning Lion King exined.

    Xu Hei couldn''t help but feel speechless.

    He had be so famous without realizing it, to the point where people could find him just by asking any random snake.

    Damn it...

    Xu Hei suddenly felt that he couldn''t keep a low profile anymore, even if he wanted to.

    Seeing Xu Hei''s prolonged silence, the Purple Lightning Lion King coldly said, "You didn''t eat her, did you?"

    "So what if I did? You said yourself that your wife was killed by a human. If you want revenge, go find the humans. Why are you causing trouble here?"

    Man Jin retorted unceremoniously.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was utterly enraged, raising its paw to strike.

    Xu Hei didn''t hesitate any longer. He quickly took out the iplete body and used the Gravity Technique to toss it over.

    The moment he saw the body, the Purple Lightning Lion King immediately stopped, rushed over, and hugged the body, wailing in grief.

    "Howl! Ninth Sister, Ninth Sister!"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King cried tears like rain, wailing incessantly, a stark contrast to his previous image.

    "..."

    Xu Hei and Man Jin were both stunned.

    Damn it, you were just about to fight, and now you''re crying?

    After wailing for a full hour, the Purple Lightning Lion King finally stopped, wiped away his tears, and regained hisposure.

    He stored the body away and said, "Sorry, I lost control of my emotions earlier."

    "It''s fine, I understand."

    Xu Hei nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 112: Attack the Snake Catchers Sect branch

    Chapter 112: Attack the Snake Catchers Sect branch

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was born into an unremarkable Thunder Lion family. He was the eldest and the first to sessfully reach the Qi Condensation stage, bing a demon king.

    Afterwards, he inherited the position of Lion King and took nine wives. Eight of them were inherited from the previous Lion King, and only the ninth was his original mate.

    The ninth wife was the youngest and had the lowest cultivation level. She was often ostracized, but she had a strong personality and left home, taking her child with her.

    As a result, she met a tragic end.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was heartbroken and gritted his teeth, "Do you know which sect''s people killed her?"

    Xu Hei initially wanted to tell the truth and say it was the Heavenly Puppet Sect. But after a moment''s thought, he shook his head and said, "I''m not sure, but in these chaotic times, the only ones capable of such an act are the Snake Catchers Sect."

    "Good! I''ll destroy the Snake Catchers Sect right now!"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King roared, stepping on lightning and thunder, his wings pping as he flew towards the direction of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    "¡­¡­" Xu Hei was dumbfounded.He''s just going like that? Where''s his brain?

    "Don''t be impulsive!" Xu Hei shouted.

    "I''m not impulsive at all. If I can''t destroy the headquarters, I can at least wipe out their branch halls! Watch me take down their three branch halls in one go!"

    As he spoke, the Purple Lightning Lion King had already disappeared from sight.

    Xu Hei turned around and looked at Man Jin, who was also looking at him.

    "Brother Xu, should we follow him?" Man Jin asked hesitantly.

    "He''s just a reckless brute. I''m afraid if we follow him, we''ll get ourselves into trouble."

    Despite saying this, Xu Hei was also hesitant. After all, the Snake Catchers Sect was his enemy too. If they could cause some damage to the sect, he would be happy to see it.

    After a moment of silence, Xu Hei gritted his teeth and said, "Let''s follow and see."

    "Alright!" Man Jin nodded.

    "Take this!"

    At this moment, Xu Bai''s voice came from behind.

    Xu Hei turned around to see Xu Bai throwing a porcin bottle towards him. Xu Hei used the Gravity Technique to catch it. It seemed to contain some powdery substance.

    "Use this, and it will make the Snake Catchers Sect''s people unable to have descendants!" Xu Bai said seriously.

    Xu Hei was surprised, "Is this a poison pill?"

    "That''s right, it''s my first time making a poison pill!" Xu Bai nodded.

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    The normal pills Xu Bai made already had terrifying effects. If this was a poison pill, it must be extraordinary.

    Hearing her description of "unable to have descendants," Xu Hei knew it wasn''t simple. He instinctively took a few steps back, carefully storing it in a storage bag from a distance of thirty meters, sealing it with abel before taking it.

    Xu Hei didn''t even dare to swallow it, only hanging it around his neck to avoid identally breaking the storage bag inside his stomach, which would be disastrous.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The headquarters of the Snake Catchers Sect was in the northern part of the Southern Region, a long distance away, but it had five branch halls.

    Each branch hall had a Great Perfection stage cultivator stationed,bined with a third-tier formation. Even a Core Formation stage cultivator couldn''t easily take it down and could hold out until reinforcements arrived from the headquarters.

    Some old monsters at the end of their lifespan in the Core Formation stage would alsoe to the branch halls to retreat, making them even harder to attack.

    The two demons traveled at full speed and arrived outside a city after half a day.

    This city was called Rock Serpent City, built on the edge of a cliff. Only cultivators could enter and exit, with the Snake Catchers Sect stationed there, making it one of the few cities not affected by the war.

    From a distance, Xu Hei saw the Purple Lightning Lion King standing outside Rock Serpent City, surrounded by purple lightning, with a demonic wind swirling around him, ready to attack.

    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

    Behind him, a group of female lions appeared, the Purple Lightning Lion King''s eight wives, each exuding a powerful aura, moving like thunder, stepping on seven stars.

    Three were at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, three at thete stage, one at Great Perfection, and one was his first wife at the Core Formation stage.

    Inparison, the ninth wife''s cultivation level was indeed the lowest.

    "Lions have so many wives..."

    Xu Hei was also shocked, not by the number, but by theirbat abilities.

    At this moment, a light shield rose outside Rock Serpent City, with faint snake-shaped shadows circling it. This was the city''s protective formation.

    Inside the light shield, an old man with white hair and a white beard appeared on the city wall. He looked at the Purple Lightning Lion King and said calmly, "Purple Lightning Lion King, how has our Snake Catchers Sect offended you to bring you here?"

    "You killed my wife and child, and you still ask why I''m here?"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King didn''t bother with words, roaring angrily and spitting out a thirty-meter-wide lightning bolt, striking the city wall of Rock Serpent City.

    "Boom!!!"

    The light shield shook violently, cracks spreading all over it, showing signs of copse with just one strike.

    The old man''s face darkened, "This year, no one from our Snake Catchers Sect has entered the mountains. How could we have killed your wife and child?"

    As soon as he said this, his heart sank.

    Not long ago, Xuan Yangzi''s faction suffered a great disaster, with everyone ughtered, and Xuan Yangzi himself missing. No one knew the details.

    Could it have been Xuan Yangzi''s people who did it?

    The old man was pondering this when he heard a mocking voice.

    "Didn''t enter the mountains? Your Snake Catchers Sect sent over a hundred people to Myriad Serpent Valley, blood-sacrificing millions of lives. Is this what you call not entering the mountains?"

    Xu Hei didn''t waste words, directly taking out over a hundred Snake Catchers Sect disciples'' clothes, tokens, and body fragments, making them circle in the air with the Gravity Technique.

    At this moment, there was an uproar inside Rock Serpent City.

    Everyone stared at the items flying in the air, their faces twitching, their hearts in turmoil.

    "My God! The rumors are true, Xuan Yangzi''s faction waspletely wiped out!"

    "Look at that golden token, it''s the first disciple Wu Mochou''s!"

    "Oh my God! That''s Cui Yuan''s head!"

    The city was inplete chaos.

    A hundred people entered the mountains, not a single one returned alive, and even Xuan Yangzi was missing.

    They only knew they were all killed but didn''t know the details. Seeing this now, it was highly likely they had shed with this demonic beast.

    The old man''s face turned ck.

    "Xuan Yangzi, how could you cause such a huge disaster!"

    The old man cursed Xuan Yangzi''s ancestors in his heart.

    The Chu Kingdom was in turmoil, the Heavenly Puppet Sect had wild ambitions, and all their branch halls had received orders to guard their headquarters and not go out casually.

    At such a critical moment, Xuan Yangzi took his hundred men to hold a blood sacrifice ceremony.

    He could understand, though. If it seeded, their strength would greatly increase, and even if the Heavenly Puppet Sect wanted to act against them, they would have to think twice.

    But it failed and caused such a huge trouble.

    "Attack!"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was impatient. Seeing the old man silent, he directly ordered an attack on the city gate.

    "Boom boom boom!!!"

    All eight female lions attacked, spitting thunder and mes, beams of terrifying energy striking the light shield, causing it to shake and crack all over.

    On the light shield, a coiled snake shadow appeared, the spirit of the formation.

    A third-tier mountain protection formation had a spirit guarding it. At this moment, the coiled snake roared to the sky, spitting out streams of venom, raining down on the lion group.

    "Roar!"

    Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from behind. Man Jin raised his nose to the sky, spraying a stream of scorching air, evaporating the venompletely.

    "Another one!"

    The people inside Rock Serpent City were once again shocked, their hearts almost numb.

 Chapter 113: Han is just passing by

    Chapter 113: Han is just passing by

    A pack of Thunder Lions was already enough to handle, and now an elephant had appeared.

    The elder of the Snake Catchers Sect initially believed that with his strengthbined with the Nascent Soul ancestor in seclusion and the Mountain Protection Array, they could hold out until reinforcements arrived from headquarters.

    But now, seeing that giant elephant, his heart sank.

    This wasn''t an ordinary Core Formation demonic beast; it was the most powerful elephant!

    "I''m going in!"

    Man Jin raised his trunk, took a deep breath, and sank his Qi into his dantian,pressing his True Qi into a single point within his Golden Core.

    Then, he suddenly released it. Man Jin stepped into the void, charging forward like an immense, boundless mountain toward the city wall.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    It was like a war chariot rolling across the sky; the heavens and earth trembled. Even before he arrived, a massive earthquake erupted within Rock Serpent City, and the deafening roar echoed in everyone''s ears.The sky copsed, the earth shattered, and the sun and moon dimmed.

    In everyone''s eyes, it seemed as if it wasn''t an elephant charging but the heavens and earth themselves.

    "Fire the cannons! Release the arrows!" The white-bearded elder shouted in terror.

    The soldiers aimed their cannons, but there was no time to fire. Man Jin had already arrived!

    "Boom!!!"

    Man Jin''s body collided with the protective barrier. The entire Rock Serpent City seemed about to be blown away. The barrier, already covered in cracks, was instantly pierced by sharp tusks. His physical body crushed forward, and the entire formation was like ss on the verge of shattering.

    The white-bearded elder, who was controlling the formation, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying, crashing down from the city wall. The soldiers were shaken to death on the spot.

    The coiled serpent was also affected, letting out a miserable scream, its phantom dimming significantly.

    "Ha!"

    Man Jin roared, took a few steps back, and charged again. This time, the barrier shatteredpletely, turning into countless fragments.

    Man Jin''s momentum didn''t stop. He crashed into the city wall. The ten-meter-high wall crumbled like fragile paper under his massive body. With a loud "boom," the entire wall copsed into ruins.

    One hit, two hits¡ªboom!

    From the start of the battle to the breach of the city, it took only a few breaths, setting a record for the fastest city breach in history.

    Everyone was dumbfounded.

    They had seen humans attacking cities, but never demonic beasts, and certainly not in such a straightforward and brutal manner.

    It wasn''t until the city wall copsed that the Nascent Soul ancestor in seclusion within Rock Serpent City finally arrived, looking at the devastated battlefield,pletely stunned, unable to advance or retreat.

    ...

    Rock Serpent City, Listening Wind Tavern.

    "This information is definitely worth thirty thousand. You won''t regret buying it. Why don''t you believe me?"

    "..."

    "Hey, twenty-eight thousand, how about that? I''m already giving you a discount!"

    "..."

    Han Te, with his messy purple hair and clothes filled with weapons, was haggling with a middle-aged man in ck.

    The middle-aged man in ck was the manager of Listening Wind Tavern, thergest intelligence organization between the two countries, responsible for intelligence transactions and also purchasing information.

    Han Te''s information was about the specific situation in Myriad Serpent Valley that day and the whereabouts of Xuan Yangzi.

    He directly asked for thirty thousand Spirit Stones.

    That was today''s price; two days ago, he even asked for fifty thousand.

    "Daoist Han, it''s not that the information is bad, but your asking price is too outrageous. Even if I sell this information to the Snake Catchers Sect, I won''t make a profit. You should look elsewhere," the middle-aged man in ck said helplessly.

    "I don''t want to argue anymore. Twenty-five thousand, final offer!"

    "Daoist Han, are you insulting me?"

    "Then what''s your price?"

    The middle-aged man held up five fingers and said, "Five thousand."

    "Damn! Are you trying to brush off a beggar?"

    Han Te cursed and turned to leave.

    Five thousand? For someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage, it might be a fortune, but for someone at the Core Formation Stage, it was nothing.

    Qian Dachun sneered inwardly, not in a hurry. With Han Te''s greedy nature, he wouldn''t let the information rot in his stomach; he would eventually sell it to him.

    Han Te didn''t dare sell to the Snake Catchers Sect because they would capture and interrogate him directly.

    If he wanted to exchange it for money, this was his only option. He had already waited two days; he could wait a bit longer.

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if something had crashed into Rock Serpent City''s formation. The shockwave swept across the city, and the sky trembled.

    Even several nearby buildings copsed.

    Fortunately, Listening Wind Tavern had a separate formation for istion; otherwise, they would have been affected too.

    "What''s going on?"

    Qian Dachun''s face darkened as he stood up and went outside.

    Han Te disappeared in a sh. After a moment, he reappeared, urgently saying to Qian Dachun, "Five thousand, I''ll sell! I''ll sell!"

    Qian Dachun sensed something strange and didn''t immediately agree. Instead, he went to the edge of the city to take a look. What he saw nearly made his eyes pop out.

    The western city wall hadpletely copsed, overturned by a ten-meter-tall giant elephant!

    "Roar!!"

    Man Jin raised his trunk and let out a loud trumpet, hot air spewing from his nostrils, his battle intent soaring.

    "Roar!!"

    Behind him, a male lion and eight female lions charged into the city, unleashing lightning and thunder, bombarding the buildings. Various demonic spells rained down, and screams filled the city, blood and gore everywhere.

    "Demonic beasts attacking the city?"

    "Oh my god, something big is happening!"

    The cultivators in Rock Serpent City were scared out of their wits, fleeing for their lives. They never imagined that demonic beasts would attack a city.

    And three Core Formation great demons at that¡ªwho could withstand this?

    Qian Dachun quickly understood what had happened.

    "Xuan Yangzi has caused such a huge mess, what a disaster!" Qian Dachun cursed inwardly.

    At this moment, the lion pride was besieging the Nascent Soul ancestor. The male lion led the attack, while the female lions formed a formation to assist, working in perfect harmony. The ancestor spat blood, beaten so badly he couldn''t even escape.

    Lions were naturally good at teamwork, a trait they had inherited since their days as wild beasts.

    As for the coiled serpent formation spirit, after the formation was broken, its form became illusory and weakened significantly, but it still had considerablebat power.

    However, when facing Xu Hei, for some reason, there was deep fear in its eyes. It coiled in ce, trembling, not daring to attack.

    Man Jin didn''t interfere. His gaze swept through the city, searching for other experts.

    Soon, he locked onto someone.

    "It''s you!"

    Man Jin immediately spotted the conspicuous Han Te, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Without a word, he charged forward.

    Han Te''s face turned green, and he turned to run.

    "Misunderstanding! I''m just passing by, I have nothing to do with that person!"

    "Passing by? Then today I''ll just pass by too," Man Jin said coldly.

    Qian Dachun finally understood why Han Te had agreed to lower the price so quickly¡ªit was because his enemy hade knocking.

    Man Jin stepped through the air, and wherever he passed, buildings copsed one after another, like a bulldozer, leaving a long trench. The ground sank several meters deep.

    Han Te''s face twitched. If he got "passed by," there wouldn''t be anything left of him.

    Although he was also at the Core Formation Stage, as a rogue cultivator, he didn''t have the numerous treasures and trump cards of a sect elder. Hisbat power was among the lowest in his realm.

    Of course, as a rogue cultivator, surviving until now, he relied on his ability to escape.

 Chapter 114: Fake Cultivator

    Chapter 114: Fake Cultivator

    Han Te''s entire body surged with purple energy, his speed skyrocketing, and his purple hair danced wildly as if he were treading on lightning.

    Man Jin, however, was prepared. At the same moment he gave chase, he threw out a pair of icy tusks that spun together, summoning a frigid wind that froze the air, creating an expanse of ice.

    Han Te''s speed immediately plummeted, and even his True Qi began to freeze, causing him to stall halfway.

    His face turned ashen as he shouted, "Don''t push me! If you push me any further, I''ll have to use my killer move!"

    Man Jin remained unfazed, charging forward with a thunderous roar. Compared to him, Han Te''s figure was like that of a tiny ant.

    Qian Dachun was curious. Did Han Te really have a killer move?

    "Ten Thousand Swords, Unsheathe!"

    Han Te let out a strange cry, and the dozens of weapons on his body all unsheathed simultaneously, connecting together to form a ship.

    This ship, made of weapons, lifted Han Te up. With a burst of speed, it shot out in an instant, flying out of Rock Serpent City in the blink of an eye."..." Man Jin was stunned.

    Not only him, but everyone who witnessed this scene was dumbfounded.

    No one had expected that the numerous weapons on Han Te''s body were not for killing but for forming a ship to escape.

    "What a disgrace to the Core Formation Stage!" Qian Dachun cursed inwardly.

    A Core Formation cultivator, with the same level of cultivation, fleeing without a fight was indeed a weirdo.

    Qian Dachun returned to the Listening Wind Tavern and activated a one-time teleportation array, leaving directly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei stared at the formation spirit, the fear in its eyes growing more intense.

    At first, it flicked its tongue, issuing a warning sound, but as Xu Hei approached, the formation spirit''s body began to tremble.

    Xu Hei watched for a long time before calmly saying, "I know you were forced into this formation, not by choice. Would you be willing to leave with me?"

    Xu Hei had killed many members of the Snake Catchers Sect and had examined the jade slips in their storage bags. Naturally, he knew that each Mountain Protection Array of the Snake Catchers Sect used the soul of a Golden Core Snake Demon as the formation spirit.

    Some were cultivated by the sect, but most were captured from the wild.

    Each formation spirit had a history of hundreds of years, like the one before him in Rock Serpent City, which had existed for three hundred years.

    The formation spirit did not speak, still staring coldly at Xu Hei. Despite its inexplicable fear, its instinct to guard remained.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly and said no more. Dragon scales detached from his body, attacking the formation spirit.

    Foundation Establishment cultivators had the ability to control flying swords.

    Afterpleting his first transformation, Xu Hei''s new ability was to detach dragon scales, turning them into flying swords. However, this move had a drawback: it left him defenseless.

    "Swish!"

    The dragon scales sliced through the formation spirit''s body, causing it to let out a shrill scream and be even more ethereal. But this also triggered its ferocity, and itshed its tail at Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei did not dodge. He condensed thick earth armor with True Qi and charged forward, colliding with the tail.

    "Boom!!"

    Xu Hei''s body trembled slightly, retreating a bit, but the formation spirit was heavily struck, sent flying into the City Lord''s mansion below.

    Facing this third-tier formation spirit, Xu Hei had the upper hand. Of course, it also helped that the formation spirit had been repeatedly injured and was no longer at its peak.

    The formation spirit rose again, biting towards Xu Hei.

    "Mountain Embrace Seal!"

    Xu Hei envisioned a great mountain descending from the sky, smashing onto the formation spirit''s head and pressing it deep into the ground, its screams echoing. He then took out several sealing talismans, continuously throwing them to temporarily seal the formation spirit.

    Xu Hei looked around and saw that the cultivators in the city were fleeing in all directions.

    Some elders of the Snake Catchers Sect initially wanted to resist, but seeing the situation deteriorate and the formation spirit defeated, they gave up and chose to run.

    Xu Hei had no interest in dealing with rogue cultivators, but he killed every member of the Snake Catchers Sect he encountered.

    "Kill!"

    With a thought, Xu Heiunched ivory needles, crafted from leftover materials, at the fleeing members of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    The crowd was terrified, using protective magical treasures to shield themselves, but Xu Hei''s gaze intensified. With his ck True Qi burning, the needles'' speed doubled, creating a piercing force.

    "Thud, thud, thud, thud..."

    Wherever the needles went, magical treasures were pierced, and the crowd fell like wheat being harvested.

    Everyone had a blood spot on their forehead, killed instantly without even a chance to scream.

    Aiming for the forehead was the most efficient way to kill!

    Xu Hei conserved his True Qi, ensuring each strike was lethal.

    For tougher Foundation Establishment cultivators, Xu Hei used dragon scales to target their foreheads, achieving the same result.

    "Too terrifying, he''s a demon!"

    "Help!"

    The crowd screamed and fled, using all their trump cards to escape, fight back, or beg for mercy, but none could escape death.

    Xu Hei''s strength was nearly invincible within the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Except for a few tough opponents with numerous magical treasures, killing others was as easy as ughtering chickens.

    However, after killing dozens, Xu Hei finally encountered a tough opponent.

    This was a middle-aged man with a full beard, at the peak of Foundation Establishment, likely from Cui Yuan''s generation.

    Unlike Cui Yuan, who had a sacrificial spirit, this man grabbed those around him and threw them at Xu Hei!

    Whether fellow disciples or passing rogue cultivators, he used them as shields to dy Xu Hei''s attacks.

    Xu Heiunched five attacks in a row, not even touching a hair on him.

    "Still trying to escape?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold, ready to pursue, but then he wondered if the man was feigning weakness to lure him into a trap.

    Seeing Man Jin returning from afar, Xu Hei felt reassured. Without hesitation, he charged at the man, recalling the flying dragon scales to his body, making them stand up like des.

    "Swish, swish, swish..."

    Everything in his path was shredded to pieces as Xu Hei shot towards the bearded man like a straight line.

    "Don''t push me!"

    The bearded man roared. Seeing Xu Hei''s relentless approach, he made a decisive move, swallowing a shriveled Golden Core.

    "A Golden Core?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed.

    This Golden Core belonged to a Core Formation cultivator but was in a withered state, likely obtained from a long-dead corpse.

    The man''s desperate act made Xu Hei pause, quickly activating sixteenyers of Earth Shield and thirtyyers of thick earth armor.

    "Boom!!!"

    The violent power of the Golden Core erupted from the man''s body, surging backward.

    Xu Hei''s defenses shattered, and he fell back.

    But his vast Divine Sense remained locked on the man.

    The bearded man''s Dantian, where his stable spiritual foundation was, rapidly transformed, forming a shriveled, semi-finished Golden Core.

    "Has he formed a Golden Core?"

    "No, it should be a False Core!"

    Xu Hei thought of a term.

    Foundation Establishment cultivators, if unable to form a true Golden Core, might settle for a lower-grade semi-finished Golden Core, a False Core.

    Such cultivators might be stuck at the False Core Stage for life.

    False Core cultivators were weaker than true Core Formation cultivators but stronger than peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    This old Snake Catchers Sect cultivator, knowing he was in grave danger, sacrificed his future to form a False Core, just to survive.

    After forming the False Core, he didn''t turn to attack but used his boosted cultivation to burn his lifespan and flee Rock Serpent City at top speed.

    In this brief burst, his speed was indeedparable to a true Core Formation cultivator!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    [Previously, I referred to the Core Formation Stage, Golden Core Stage, and Demon Core Stage as the same realm. I''ll try to use consistent terms in the future to avoid confusion.]

 Chapter 115: Not let you go even as a ghost

    Chapter 115: Not let you go even as a ghost

    As he fled for his life, he didn''t forget to repeat his previous actions, grabbing at the people around him.

    "Liu Buqun, you heartless scoundrel!"

    "You won''t die a good death!"

    Angry curses echoed from the sides, but Liu Buqun grabbed each person through the air and threw them behind him.

    Man Jin noticed Liu Buqun''s unusual behavior. He snorted, sending a wave of air that sted through the crowd and headed straight for Liu Buqun!

    Liu Buqun pulled out a copper bell, withstanding the impact of the airwave. He spat out a mouthful of blood, using the force to propel himself forward. Mid-air, he took out a wind sail, riding the wind and diving out of the city.

    In an instant, he had escaped Rock Serpent City.

    "..." Xu Hei was stunned. That guy actually managed to escape.

    If Liu Buqun had even a moment''s hesitation or the slightest thought of turning back to fight, he would have been dead.Man Jin wanted to chase after him, but remembering the many experts still in the city, he had to give up. Instead, he turned his attention to the city guards on the tower.

    "Fire the cannons!"

    The City Lord waved his g, and the guards aimed their cannons at Man Jin and fired.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

    The cannonballs hit Man Jin, causing him no pain, only slightly halting his movement.

    At this moment, a ten-meter-wide ballista, carried by five cultivators, was brought out from the tower. They loaded a bolt and aimed at Man Jin, firing it with a loud "whoosh!"

    The bolt pierced through the void with a sharp, ear-piercing sound, slightly pausing Man Jin''s movement before it struck him.

    Initially, Man Jin didn''t pay much attention, but this bolt prated his protective true essence and embedded into his skin.

    Though only the arrowhead was lodged in, it shocked Man Jin.

    He used his nose to pull out the bolt and examined it closely.

    The arrowhead was white jade in color, with faint spiritual power fluctuations.

    It was made from the tusk of a Spirit-Devouring Elephant!

    Man Jin''s mind shed back to his childhood memories.

    At that time, the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe had many members, including a branch of Spirit-Devouring Elephants with thirteen members, one of whom was his closest sister.

    But after a foraging trip, they never returned.

    When they were found, only their tuskless corpses remained, lying cold in a pit.

    The Spirit-Devouring Elephants werepletely wiped out in that incident.

    "Roar!!"

    Man Jin let out an earth-shattering roar, shaking the entire Rock Serpent City.

    In truth, Man Jin was naturally simple and didn''t enjoy killing. As a herbivore, his bloodlust was far less than that of lions or Xu Hei.

    After entering Rock Serpent City, he only targeted Han Te and other potential threats.

    But now, seeing his kin''s tusks made into weapons by humans, he recalled those painful memories.

    "Senior Elephant, it was the Snake Catchers Sect that wronged you. Why must you annihte us too?" the City Lord shouted in grief and indignation.

    Man Jin red over.

    That sentence was like a fuse, igniting Man Jin''s furypletely!

    "You humans all deserve to die!"

    Man Jin''s roar echoed across the sky.

    At this moment, he had no more mercy, unleashing his most destructive demon technique, Elephant''s Roar!

    "Roar!!!"

    The air twisted, visible waves of air sweeping in all directions, destroying countless buildings, copsing pavilions, and toppling city walls. Countless people had their brains burst and souls scattered.

    Some weaker cultivators were caught in the waves, their bodies exploding.

    On the city tower, the cultivators who were about to fire a second ballista bolt bled from their seven orifices, screaming in agony as they fell from the high walls, which tilted backward.

    The City Lord of Rock Serpent City, ate-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, onlysted a breath before his head exploded. He died not knowing how he had offended this giant elephant.

    The sorrows of humans do not connect, let alone between humans and demons.

    Man Jin''s anguished roar spread far and wide, turning the surrounding ten miles into ruins in an instant!

    Xu Hei watched this scene and couldn''t help but gasp.

    He had used flying needles and dragon scales, going to great lengths to kill about fifty people, and even let one escape.

    But with a single roar from Man Jin, not a single person within ten miles survived, killing hundreds.

    The entire Rock Serpent City had fewer than a thousand cultivators, and half were gone in an instant.

    Adding those who fled and were killed by the Thunder Lions, the city was almost empty, with hardly any survivors.

    Xu Hei acted again, eliminating the remaining stragglers.

    Now, no disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect could be seen in the city.

    In the sky, the Core Formation Stage battle was also nearing its end. The Nascent Soul ancestor, unable to withstand the lions'' siege, was finally defeated.

    In his dying moments, he aimed at Xu Hei and dove down, preparing to self-destruct.

    He knew Xu Hei was the mastermind behind this incident!

    "Hmph, dream on!"

    Not only did Man Jin intercept him, but the Purple Lightning Lion King also moved to block him.

    Xu Hei quickly retreated, putting a safe distance between them at unprecedented speed.

    "You little beast, I won''t let you go even as a ghost!"

    The unnamed Nascent Soul ancestor roared in unwillingness, his body exploding into a sky full of energy, sweeping outward.

    Man Jin inhaled deeply, sucking all the shockwaves into his nose and refining them, preventing any spread.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King activated his thunder shield, standing in front of Xu Hei and blocking most of the waves.

    The remaining impact on Xu Hei was minimal, hardly causing any difort.

    A few breathster, everything was calm.

    The unnamed Nascent Soul ancestor was dead, not even leaving a storage bag.

    "Phew!"

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    Suddenly, he had a sh of inspiration.

    Not letting him go even as a ghost?

    He almost forgot!

    Xu Hei patted his storage bag and took out a ck soul g.

    This was the Soul-absorbing g he had taken from Bai Xiu, an enforcer of the Four Sects Alliance, a rare magical treasure capable of storing souls.

    Such treasures were extremely rare. Despite killing so many snake catchers, Xu Hei hadn''t found another with simr effects. Bai Xiu was indeed fortunate.

    Xu Hei waved the Soul-absorbing g at the spot where the old man had died.

    Suddenly, a faint, invisible wisp of yin energy was drawn into the g.

    "It works!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up, and he waved the g again, drawing in another wisp of yin energy.

    It was said that a person''s soul lingers in the world for a moment after death before dissipatingpletely.

    Before that happened, Xu Hei needed to absorb the old man''s soul into the Soul-absorbing g for refinement!

    "If you won''t let me go even as a ghost, then I won''t let you go either!"

    Xu Hei activated the Soul-absorbing g, continuously waving it to absorb the yin energy. Finally, a nearlyplete soul was drawn into the g.

    With a sweep of his divine sense, Xu Hei saw a fist-sized misty spirit body swirling inside the g, faintly emitting roars, its outline resembling the old man''s face.

 Chapter 116: Underground snake breeding farm

    Chapter 116: Underground snake breeding farm

    "Stay put."

    Xu Hei sneered inwardly.

    Xu Hei was not adept at using magical treasures and had suffered greatly because of it in the past. Now, he could finally indulge in the power of a magical treasure.

    Once he refined this old man, he could turn him into a vengeful spirit, unleashing him against enemies with remarkable effect.

    "Exactly, since so many have died, I should collect more," Xu Hei''s eyes lit up.

    Back then, Bai Xiu had released five or six vengeful spirits, forcing Xu Hei to swallow the Thunderfire Seal and injure himself to break the attack.

    If he could absorb a hundred or so and release them all at once, it would definitely be a powerful trump card!

    Xu Hei immediately took action, waving the Soul-absorbing g over the spots where Foundation Establishment cultivators had died, absorbing each soul.

    He ignored those at the Qi Refining Stage, focusing mainly on the Foundation Establishment Stage.The lion pack wasn''t idle either, scavenging storage bags from the ground and searching for anything useful.

    As demonic beasts, this was their first time attacking a human city, and their sess left them somewhat excited.

    Man Jin wasn''t in the mood for treasure hunting; he headed straight for Rock Serpent City''s armory, pulling out all the ivory items and storing them in his trunk.

    Many of the ivory items emitted familiar energy fluctuations; they had once been members of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.

    After a round of scavenging.

    Xu Hei had collected sixteen Foundation Establishment souls and over a hundred Qi Refining souls, though many were fragmented due to the passage of time.

    But Xu Hei was already very satisfied.

    He began to understand why humans valued magical treasures so much. If a treasure was carefully cultivated and used at a critical moment, it could indeed turn the tide of battle.

    Xu Hei''s physical body and True Qi were so powerful that he often defeated opponents with a single spell, causing him to frequently overlook the importance of magical treasures.

    Finally, Xu Hei headed straight for the City Lord''s mansion.

    There was still a Jiao Python formation spirit that hadn''t been subdued.

    When Xu Hei arrived, the formation spirit was already extremely weak, almost transparent, with no strength left.

    However, having guarded Rock Serpent City for three hundred years, it had developed an instinctual duty ingrained in its soul, long forgetting its wild nature.

    Xu Hei tried to persuade it, but the formation spirit remained unmoved, still attempting to attack.

    Xu Hei stopped wasting words and directly took out the Soul-absorbing g, focusing his mind.

    "Soul-absorbing g, absorb!"

    A suction force acted on the formation spirit, which screamed and struggled. Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold, and ck True Qi ignited, increasing the force.

    After a series of screams, the formation spirit was forcibly absorbed into the Soul-absorbing g.

    Once inside the g, over time, it could be refined into a vengeful spirit, ready to devour anyone.

    No matter who you were in life, you would ultimately be an emotionless killing machine.

    Xu Hei had given it a chance out of consideration for his kind, but he didn''t have time to convert it.

    Xu Hei scanned the Soul-absorbing g with his Divine Sense, noting that the old man and the Jiao Python were thergest and most conspicuous.

    Next were the sixteen Foundation Establishment souls, and finally, the over a hundred Qi Refining souls, scattered around.

    Once these souls were all turned into vengeful spirits and released together, who knew if they could threaten a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    "Killing has its perks; this trip wasn''t in vain," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    "Hey! You over there,e take a look."

    A voice called from afar; it was the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion looking at him.

    Xu Hei shed over to an underground cage. Above it had been a formation that blocked Divine Sense, but now it was destroyed.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense probed underground, and he was shocked, his body stiffening.

    Inside the dungeon were countless snakes, densely packed and uncountable.

    There were all kinds of snakes, spread over ten levels with a thousand rooms, totaling over ten thousand, all ordinary snakes.

    At the lowest level, there were even snake demons.

    From the Spirit Communion Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    The strongest snake demon was a fifteen-meter-long giant horned python at thete Foundation Establishment Stage, but it was bound by iron chains, unable to move, with thin tubes inserted all over its body, looking emaciated.

    "So many."

    Xu Hei had known that the Snake Catchers Sect had ces for raising snakes, but he hadn''t expected the scale to be so grand.

    This underground breeding base was like an underground city, filled entirely with snakes.

    And this was just one branch.

    The Snake Catchers Sect had five such branches and an even more exaggerated headquarters.

    What would that be like? It was unimaginable.

    Humans might find this snake-filled scene terrifying, but Xu Hei felt no difort. He leaped into the underground breeding ground.

    There were five snake catchers hiding there, knocked out by the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion.

    "These are your enemies. I didn''t kill them; I''ll leave them to you," the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion said calmly.

    "Thank you," Xu Hei nodded.

    He entered the underground, heading straight for the deepest part where the Foundation Establishment great demons were kept.

    Each cage on either side had its own formation, imprisoning a great demon.

    Most of the snake demons had thin needles inserted all over their bodies, connected to jade bottles and other containers, emitting a pungent smell.

    Xu Hei immediately recognized these as devices for extracting snake gall and snake blood. The cultivation techniques of snake catchers relied mainly on these.

    Foundation Establishment great demons were hard to cultivate, so they chose to extract them alive.

    The giant horned python twitched instinctively at the sound, its eyes shing with fear.

    But when it saw that the visitor was not human but Xu Hei, it was visibly stunned, then overjoyed, "Brother, please kill me, kill me!"

    Its eyes were filled with fervor, as if death were a blessing.

    Xu Hei frowned.

    The other snake demons woke up and also began to shout, "Benefactor, please kill me! Be careful of the humans!"

    "Please kill me, I don''t want to suffer anymore!"

    "Please, have mercy and let me be free!"

    Various pleading voices filled Xu Hei''s mind.

    Their excitement outweighed their fear. To them, death, which ordinary people feared, was a release, a blessing.

    Thete Foundation Establishment giant horned python had been imprisoned for five years. Once twenty meters long and as thick as a barrel, it was now skin and bones.

    Each extraction of snake gall was excruciatingly painful.

    Their True Qi was sealed, their meridians blocked, unable to move, not even able tomit suicide, forced to watch their life drain away helplessly.

    Xu Hei scanned each snake, taking in their emotions.

    "I''m here to save you," Xu Hei said.

    "No! Don''t save me, I just want to die!"

    "Benefactor, I don''t want to live!"

    The snake demons pleaded.

    Xu Hei remained expressionless, revealing the robes and heads of each snake catcher, and disyed the Soul-absorbing g, letting it float in the air.

    The noisy voices fell silent in an instant.

    All the snake demons stared in shock, the entire ce falling into a deathly silence.

    "They''re all dead. Rock Serpent City has been destroyed. I can really let you out," Xu Hei said calmly.

    The snake demons'' eyes filled with hopeful light, but it quickly dimmed again.

    Some things could never be restored.

    An old snake sighed, "My venomous fangs have been pulled, my venom sac removed. I''ve lost the ability to hunt. Going back means death."

    Another patterned python said dejectedly, "I''m already a useless snake. I don''t want my friends to see me like this."

    "My meridians are severed, my bones shattered. I can''t cultivate..."

    "My demon core was taken. I can only die..."

    Various helpless voices continued to echo.

    Gradually, the snake crowd fell silent, until the ce was as quiet as death.

    Xu Hei then realized.

    The snake catchers had destroyed not only their physical bodies but also their spirits and wills.

 Chapter 117: Transformed into a vengeful spirit, living towards death

    Chapter 117: Transformed into a vengeful spirit, living towards death

    Once, they too had dreams of escaping this hellish ce and regaining their freedom. But as time passed, their will to survive gradually faded away.

    Their bodies were still alive, but their spirits had been crushed, turning them into mere walking corpses.

    The only belief they had left was to die!

    "Thank you, benefactor, for killing so many of our enemies and fulfilling our wish!"

    "Please, elder, do it without mercy."

    The snake horde shouted in unison.

    They were grateful to Xu Hei for killing their enemies and granting them freedom.

    ¡ªThen choose death freely!

    Xu Hei sighed and decided to respect their choice.He released a scale, which shot out and shattered the formation and chains that bound them, pulling out the fine needles from their bodies.

    There were only thirteen Foundation Establishment Stage snake demons here.

    Xu Hei ced a slumber pill in front of each snake, allowing them to forget their pain briefly and die in their sleep.

    This, perhaps, waspassion.

    It was also the greatest kindness Xu Hei could offer.

    The snake demons understood Xu Hei''s intention, and tears of gratitude and excitement filled their eyes.

    "Benefactor, that g should be able to collect souls, right?"

    The giant horned python, the highest in cultivation, looked at the soul-absorbing g Xu Hei had just taken out and asked.

    "That''s right, I''ve collected many remnants of the snake catchers'' souls." Xu Hei nodded slightly.

    The other snake demons also looked over, staring at the soul-absorbing g.

    The giant horned python took a deep breath and said, "I would like to request that after I die, benefactor can also collect my soul!"

    Xu Hei frowned slightly.

    "Do you know what it means to have your soul collected?"

    Xu Hei said in a deep voice, "This treasure, called the Soul-absorbing g, can refine souls into vengeful spirits, stripping them of their consciousness, leaving them only with the desire to kill. They will never reincarnate after death..."

    "I know!"

    The giant horned python interrupted him, his gaze unwavering. Then, he lowered his head, "If my soul can kill a snake catcher, I will die without regret."

    The other snake demons, seeing this, lowered their heads without hesitation.

    "Please collect my soul after I die!"

    "Refine me into a vengeful spirit to kill the snake catchers!"

    Various pleas echoed through the dungeon.

    Xu Hei was astonished, looking at each snake. In their cold eyes, a glimmer of hope appeared.

    This hope had never emerged, even when they were freed from their chains and regained their freedom.

    But when they learned they could be vengeful spirits, this hope became unprecedentedly strong.

    They had found their value, which was¡ªrevenge!

    "Please let me kill my enemies with my own hands!"

    A flower python swallowed the pill and copsed to the ground.

    "I have no regrets!"

    Old Snake swallowed the pill and closed his eyes.

    "Even if I never reincarnate, I will be a vengeful spirit and kill all the snake catchers!"

    The giant horned python swallowed the pill and mmed its head against the wall, causing blood to flow before copsing to the ground.

    One by one, the snake demons swallowed the death pill and fell into a peaceful sleep.

    Theirst words, countless as they were, condensed into two words: revenge!

    "My death has value, right?"

    A young ck Yin Snake, after taking thest pill,y on the ground and spoke words that seemed familiar.

    Before her consciousness fell into chaos, she quietly looked at Xu Hei, her eyes filled with hope.

    "I promise you, your deaths will be the snake catchers'' nightmare!" Xu Hei said solemnly.

    She finally closed her eyes, dying peacefully.

    Xu Hei no longer hesitated. He took out the soul-absorbing g and waved it towards the sky.

    Wisps of souls floated out from the tops of the corpses'' heads and were absorbed into the g without Xu Hei needing to actively collect them.

    They were the shadows of snakes.

    They were heading towards a beautiful vision, towards hope!

    Before long, all thirteen souls were absorbed into the Soul-absorbing g without exception.

    Unlike the snake catchers'' souls, these snake souls retained theirplete snake forms, vivid and lifelike, while the snake catchers'' souls were mostly scattered points of light or amorphous clouds, iplete.

    Xu Hei spat out mes, burning the ce to ashes.

    Just as Xu Hei was about to leave.

    Suddenly, there was a disturbance within his Soul-absorbing g.

    The souls of the snake demons, upon entering the g, began to riot, all of them devouring the souls of the snake catchers!

    They opened their mouths wide, swallowing the snake catchers'' souls one by one.

    Points of light disappeared one after another, even the Foundation Establishment Stage souls were not spared, being devoured in one gulp.

    "This..." Xu Hei was stunned.

    This change waspletely unexpected for Xu Hei.

    After devouring the remnants of the snake catchers'' souls, the snake demons'' souls seemed to have grown significantly, appearing more solid and several times stronger.

    Before long, over a hundred Qi Refining souls and sixteen Foundation Establishment souls werepletely devoured, leaving only thirteen enhanced snake demons'' souls.

    An even more surprising scene unfolded.

    The formation spirit, the Jiao Python''s soul, seemed to be stimted by something.

    With eyes full of rage, it roared towards the sky and pounced on the elder''s soul beside it.

    "Die! Revenge, revenge!"

    The Jiao Python''s soul roared continuously, biting at the elder''s face. Each attack devoured arge amount of soul power.

    The thirteen snake demons'' souls joined in the assault, surrounding and attacking the Qi Condensation elder.

    The elder tried to resist, but Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he activated the Soul-absorbing g, suppressing the elder and allowing the snake horde to attack.

    In just a moment, the Qi Condensation elder waspletely devoured, his soul scattered, never to reincarnate.

    After devouring the elder''s soul, the Jiao Python''s soul and the thirteen snake demons'' souls all sparkled with starlight, appearing even more robust than before.

    Especially the Jiao Python''s soul, the confusion in its eyes had vanished, and it lowered its head towards the sky.

    It seemed to be paying its respects.

    This situation was beyond Xu Hei''s expectations, and he couldn''t tell if it was good or bad.

    "Well, at least the benefits stayed within the family," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Losing over a hundred souls, but they were devoured by his own snake souls.

    Next, Xu Hei went to the cells of the Spirit Communion Stage snake demons. These snake demons had not been tortured, their galldders not extracted alive; the snake catchers had killed and eaten them directly, refining thempletely.

    Xu Hei released all the snake demons, including the ordinary snakes.

    At the same time, Xu Hei opened a passage leading directly to the outside world.

    The snake demons bowed deeply to him and left the dark underground prison with their respective tribes.

    The five snake catchers were devoured by the frenzied snake horde.

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    "Brother Xu, it''s time to retreat."

    Outside, Man Jin''s voice came.

    He had just looted the armory, retrieving many ivory items, as well as unprocessed ivory and elephant bones.

    The lions had also destroyed the Snake Catchers Sect''s Scripture Repository, pill rooms, and other ces storing valuables, but they hadn''t found much of value. It must have been taken away in the chaos, possibly hidden in a storage bag.

    There were quite a few jade slips, which could be of some reference even to demonic beasts.

    "There''s no time to lose, let''s go!"

    Xu Hei didn''t dy, immediately climbing onto Man Jin''s back.

    Man Jin stepped into the void, rushing out of Rock Serpent City, with the lion pack following behind, their bodies like lightning, quickly leaving the ce.

    About half an hour after they left.

    An elderly man with a gloomyplexion appeared in the sky, his vast Divine Sense sweeping over Rock Serpent City inside and out.

    As the Divine Sense swept through, the elder''s face grew increasingly grim.

    "Hmph! My Snake Catchers Sect hasn''t suffered such a loss in a long time, and it was at the hands of a bunch of beasts!" The elder''s voice was calm, but the calmer it was, the more furious he was.

    "Senior brother, the envoy from the Heavenly Puppet Sect is about to arrive, it''s best not to act rashly," a gentle voice came from beside him.

 Chapter 118: Dragon Clans Ultimate Skill, Ever-changing Fish and Dragon

    Chapter 118: Dragon n''s Ultimate Skill, Ever-changing Fish and Dragon

    "Damn that Heavenly Puppet Sect, they''ve been eyeing us for half a year now. If it weren''t for them, Xuan Yangzi wouldn''t have faced such a cmity," the gloomy elder muttered bitterly.

    When the Qin Kingdom advanced, they didn''t take sides like the other four sects, and that was the problem.

    "Enough talk, let''s go back and deal with that envoy."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Xu Hei, Man Jin, and the Lion King had a simple division of spoils.

    In this siege, Xu Hei didn''t contribute much; it was Man Jin who broke through the Mountain Protection Array.

    And the one who killed the Nascent Soul ancestor was the lion pack.

    Xu Hei only subdued a weakened formation spirit and killed a bunch of ants.Even so, under Man Jin''s insistence, Xu Hei still got a third of the treasures, and the Lion King had noints.

    The lionesses wanted to say something, but a single re from the Lion King silenced them.

    Family hierarchy...

    "How about this, I don''t want anything else, just the Spirit Stones," Xu Hei said.

    The two beasts exchanged nces and nodded simultaneously.

    The lionesses'' eyes also showed a hint of joy.

    Spirit Stones are mostly used as currency by cultivators or for daily cultivation needs, and they are of little use to demonic beasts.

    Demonic beasts primarily cultivate their physical bodies by devouring heavenly materials and earthly treasures, as well as other demonic beasts and cultivator corpses.

    Speaking of which, the cultivator corpses in Rock Serpent City were almost entirely eaten by the lion pack, and those weren''t even counted.

    "Then take all these Spirit Stones; they are useless to me anyway!"

    The Lion King took out the Spirit Stones he had collected, and Xu Hei exchanged various treasures for them.

    Xu Hei didn''t care about ordinary low-grade Spirit Stones; his eyes were only on the square high-grade Spirit Stones.

    There were five of them!

    Adding to what Xu Hei had previously acquired, he now had sixteen high-grade Spirit Stones.

    Xu Hei didn''t know how many the Demon God Cauldron''s true dragon needed to devour to be satisfied, but with sixteen, he could definitely give it a try!

    "This time, I also gained quite a bit, including two gold-element spells that I need to study carefully," Man Jin said.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King gave Xu Hei a deep look and said, "Xu Hei, right? My name is Lei Meng. If you have an urgent matter, you can use thismunication jade slip to contact me. But if it''s not urgent, don''t bother me."

    He left amunication jade slip and departed with his lioness harem.

    "Lei Meng..."

    Xu Hei had a deep impression of this irritable lion who attacked cities at the slightest provocation.

    "This Lei Meng is not simple. He might have already realized that the one who killed his wife wasn''t a disciple of the Snake Catchers Sect," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    In the previous battle, Lei Meng surrounded and killed the Nascent Soul ancestor, showing a state that was not like a hot-headed fool.

    He might have long understood that Xu Hei was merely using him to attack the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Xu Hei shook his head, not dwelling on it. Regardless of whether Lei Meng saw through it or not, the fact that he left amunication jade slip and shared the Spirit Stones already expressed goodwill.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the sky, Lei Meng''s wings pped as he sped along.

    Behind him, a lioness said, "Great King, that little snake might be using you."

    "Yeah, Ninth Sister might not have been killed by the Snake Catchers Sect. What were the snake catchers doing at the mouth of Wu Mountain?" another lioness echoed.

    "Does it matter?" Lei Meng retorted.

    The lionesses were instantly speechless.

    "Don''t be ungrateful. Think about how many people you ate this time."

    Lei Meng''s words plunged the harem into collective silence.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After leaving amunication talisman, Man Jin also left Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Xu Hei burrowed underground, creating a spacious chamber. Then, he took out all the square high-grade Spirit Stones.

    He swallowed them one by one, pressing them against the surface of the Demon God Cauldron.

    With his knowledge, Xu Hei initially thought the dragon-shaped statue on the surface was a Flood Dragon, but it was actually a true dragon.

    Xu Hei onlyter understood the significance of a true dragon.

    Since ancient times, true dragons have been unseen, and those remaining in the world only have thin dragon bloodlines, known as Flood Dragons.

    For example, that third-tier formation spirit was a Jiao Python, not even a Flood Dragon.

    Only those at the Elemental Infant stage and above might encounter a Flood Dragon.

    "A true dragon is far above a Flood Dragon. What realm could that be..."

    Xu Hei calcted that a true dragon required nine transformations, one for each major realm, which was beyond his imagination.

    The first high-grade Spirit Stone was quickly absorbed by the dragon statue.

    Xu Hei swallowed the second, then the third.

    One after another, Xu Hei consumed seven stones, but it still wasn''t enough.

    "Could it be a bottomless pit?" Xu Hei''s heart trembled.

    He had killed so many people and washed an entire city, barely umting sixteen stones, which even a Core Formation Stage cultivator might not have.

    Xu Hei steeled himself and continued devouring.

    After consuming the eighth stone, the dragon statue began to emit a faint glow.

    "Eight stones, plus the two I had before, that''s ten in total!" Xu Hei calcted.

    "Boom!"

    A thought surged into Xu Hei''s mind.

    Then, that grand and distant voice echoed once more.

    It was the voice of the true dragon.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, a lower-grade dragon n supreme technique..."

    "Master this body technique, and you can grasp the wonders of myriad transformations, invisible to the naked eye, undetectable by Divine Sense, traversing forbidden zones, passing through formations, and escaping the void as if walking on solid ground..."

    Countless pieces of information converged, flooding into Xu Hei''s memory.

    Who knows how long it was before Xu Hei opened his eyes again, filled with deep shock.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, a dragon n body technique!"

    Xu Hei had only ever learned elemental spells from humans and had never seen a demonic beast technique.

    Let alone a dragon n technique!

    This Ever-changing Fish and Dragon body techniquepletely opened a new world for him.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon has nine levels."

    "The first level increases movement speed, making it impossible for anyone in the same realm to harm you."

    "The second level further increases speed, allowing you to create afterimages."

    "The third level multiplies afterimages, making the true body hard to find."

    "The fourth level solidifies illusions, enabling the creation of external incarnations."

    "¡­¡­"

    "The eighth level allows for initial shape-shifting."

    "The ninth level enables myriad transformations, mastering the Dao of change!"

    Recalling the contents of Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Xu Hei couldn''t help but gasp.

    Nine levels, each more heaven-defying than thest.

    At theter stages, one could even pass through formations without being detected.

    Especially the final level, enabling myriad transformations.

    Of course, no matter how you change, it doesn''t alter your essence; a fight would reveal you. It''s just a smokescreen.

    Xu Hei wasn''t interested in transformations; his focus was on the body technique''s enhancements, which could save his life.

    "Nine levels are too far off; I''ll start with the first level."

    Xu Hei estimated that with the difficulty of this technique, truly mastering the ninth level would take who knows how many years.

    So, feeding the dragon statue Spirit Stones would yield a dragon n supreme technique. It was a huge gain.

    But Xu Hei suspected that next time, ten stones wouldn''t be enough. Who knows how many it would take.

 Chapter 119: Time flies, the dragon bone transforms

    Chapter 119: Time flies, the dragon bone transforms

    Southern Region, Headquarters of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    This time, arge number of core elders who had been in seclusion came out, all to wee the envoy from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Rather than weing, it was more like being on high alert to prevent any sudden attacks.

    Upon arrival, the envoy demanded one hundred thousand spirit stones without any preamble, which enraged all the elders.

    However, after the envoy injured two people, the Snake Catchers Sect obediently handed over the spirit stones.

    "As cultivators of the Qin Kingdom, what''s wrong with paying a little tax?"

    "If you behave, this tax will be collected once a year. If not, I''lle every day to collect it, and you will have to pay whether you like it or not!"

    The envoy sneered, pocketed the spirit stones, and left.

    One hundred thousand spirit stones were no small amount for the Snake Catchers Sect; many Core Formation elders didn''t have that many spirit stones."This Heavenly Puppet Sect is too much!"

    "They''re treating us like pigs to be ughtered!"

    The elders were furious but didn''t dare to say much, knowing they couldn''t afford to offend this person.

    "Envoy, please wait!"

    Suddenly, the Grand Elder, who was seated at the head, spoke up.

    This person was the same gloomy old man who had appeared in Rock Serpent City earlier, his cultivation at the peak of mid-stage Core Formation, known as Yin Mingzi.

    Apart from the sect master and some elders in deep seclusion, his cultivation was the highest.

    "Oh? Do you have something to say?"

    The envoy turned back, frowning slightly.

    Yin Mingzi waved his hand, and a storage bag flew to the envoy''s side.

    "Envoy, you''ve traveled a long way. This is a small token of my appreciation, and also an apology for any earlier disrespect," Yin Mingzi said apologetically.

    The envoy took the storage bag and scanned it with his divine sense, finding twenty thousand spirit stones inside, raising his eyebrows.

    This didn''t need to be handed over and was his personal gain.

    "You have a request, don''t you?" The envoy epted it expressionlessly.

    Yin Mingzi didn''t hide anything, cupping his fists, "You must have heard about the demonic beast that destroyed Rock Serpent City."

    "I''ve heard a bit," the envoy nodded.

    "If the Heavenly Puppet Sect can capture that snake demon, I will offer three hundred thousand spirit stones as a reward," Yin Mingzi said, cupping his fists.

    All the elders gasped.

    Three hundred thousand spirit stones were more than half of the Snake Catchers Sect''s savings, sending it out would be a severe blow! The elders wouldn''t receive their stipends for years.

    Everyone''s expressions changed.

    "Oh? Not interested in the giant elephant or the thunder lion, but willing to pay three hundred thousand for the weakest snake... why?"

    "Capturing the snake is a small matter; it''s just a gift to your sect, hoping the envoy will show mercy in the future."

    Yin Mingzi bowed respectfully, his attitude sincere.

    His words were reasonable, seemingly wless.

    But anyone could hear the underlying message in Yin Mingzi''s words.

    The envoy frowned, pondered for a moment, then nodded, "I will report this matter, and the sect will decide."

    "Farewell, envoy!"

    The envoy said no more and turned to leave.

    After leaving, the envoy was still deep in thought.

    He couldn''t understand why three hundred thousand spirit stones, enough to hire a group of Core Formation cultivators, were offered just as a gift.

    He initially thought of capturing the snake demon himself and pocketing the three hundred thousand, but on second thought, he decided to report it to avoid any traps.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, the Snake Catchers Sect''s main hall was in an uproar.

    No one understood why they had to offer three hundred thousand spirit stones to capture a snake, their savings umted over countless years.

    "Grand Elder, why?"

    "We could capture that snake demon ourselves, why give away our savings?"

    Questions arose from all directions.

    Yin Mingzi coldly said, "Can''t you see?"

    Everyone was stunned.

    "That snake demon has always seemed off! Puppet techniques, human spells, countless magical treasures and pills, its cultivation advancing rapidly. Do you think a wild snake could achieve this?"

    Yin Mingzi said coldly.

    An old woman seemed to realize something, her voice heavy, "Are you saying... this snake demon has someone behind it?"

    "Exactly!"

    Yin Mingzi nodded, "Initially, I was just suspicious, but yesterday, I learned from a bounty hunter that the snake demon could perform Body Swap, a secret technique of the Heavenly Puppet Sect!"

    "Only a few direct disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect know this technique!"

    "¡­¡­"

    The hall fell into dead silence.

    "Andst year, on the Yanluo River official ship, what did Qin Xuanji say? He told us not to worry about the snake, that he would handle it. Now it seems, how ironic," Yin Mingzi said self-deprecatingly.

    In fact, they had long felt something was wrong. How could a snake be so formidable? Single-handedly wiping out all of Xuan Yangzi''s subordinates and leading a group of demonic beasts to tten Rock Serpent City?

    They didn''t believe in a miraculous snake, only in a powerful backer.

    It made much more sense that the Heavenly Puppet Sect had secretly nurtured it to target them!

    Everyone suddenly understood.

    "My offer of three hundred thousand is clear: asking them to show mercy. We''ve already lost Rock Serpent City. If we lose Green Snake City or King Snake City, it won''t be just three hundred thousand!" Yin Mingzi said helplessly.

    The other elders sighed, treating the three hundred thousand spirit stones as a protection fee.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this time, Xu Hei had no idea what the Snake Catchers Sect had imagined.

    He had been waiting in Myriad Serpent Valley for days, but no one hade to trouble him.

    In fact, Xu Hei was mentally prepared that if a powerful elder came, he would have to flee, but he would take Xu Bai with him, one of his few friends.

    Xu Hei kept a bit of his divine sense on the jade disk given by the old dog.

    The rest of his mind was focused on cultivating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.

    Days passed.

    The jade disk remained empty; not a single red dot from the Core Formation, Foundation Establishment, or Qi Refining stages appeared. Even if there were, they passed by quickly, never approaching Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, summer and autumn passed, and it was the end of the year.

    Xu Hei finallypleted the firstyer of the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique and began the secondyer.

    Now, his movements were not just fast but had some form, unlike before, when he relied solely on speed.

    "Swish, swish, swish..."

    Xu Hei darted back and forth over the pond several times without causing a single ripple, sometimes left, sometimes right, leaving a phantom behind.

    Leaving a phantom was the mark of the secondyer.

    "Half a year to reach the secondyer, who knows when I''ll finish all nineyers," Xu Hei sighed.

    Over the past six months, Xu Hei hadn''t neglected his main cultivation technique either.

    The second transformation of the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon was to temper the dragon bones.

    Xu Hei noticed a faint golden glow at the tip of his tailbone, and his cultivation had improved slightly.

    Although it was just a preliminary change, the power of his tail had increased several times.

    "Boom!"

    Xu Hei''s tail struck the pond, causing a massive ssh and leaving a hundred-zhang deep crater! The water shot up into the sky and fell like rain!

    This casual strike wasparable to a high-level spell.

    Xu Hei''s ck true qi made him nearly invincible within the Foundation Establishment stage, and once his dragon bones formed, his physical strength would also increase dramatically.

    This gave him great confidence.

    "Time to spar with Man Jin."

    Feeling confident, Xu Hei went to the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.

    Over the past six months, Xu Hei had often sparred with the Elephant Tribe, challenging all their experts, except for Man Jin.

    However, to Xu Hei''s frustration, no matter what moves he used or how he attacked, Man Jin remained unmoved.

    Man Jin''s body was covered with a golden shield, and no matter how Xu Hei struck, it had no effect, not even causing a ripple.

    "Haha, use more strength! This is a gold-element spell I acquiredst time, specializing in defense. Your strength is not enough!" Man Jinughed heartily.

    Xu Hei felt ashamed.

    He used his dragon scales to cut with all his might, but it was useless, only scratching the surface, which quickly healed.

    After three attempts, Xu Hei couldn''t even break through the defense.

    "Forget it, I give up."

    Xu Hei sighed. The gap between Foundation Establishment and Core Formation was indeed vast.

    The true essence power used in the Core Formation stage was far superior to that of the Foundation Establishment stage. Unless he used the Soul-absorbing g, Xu Hei had no other way.

 Chapter 120: Change ones appearance and enter Chuyang City

    Chapter 120: Change one''s appearance and enter Chuyang City

    "Man Jin, I''m nning to visit a human city to buy some supplies. Do you need anything?" Xu Hei asked.

    "Oh, you''re going to a human city?" Man Jin was slightly surprised.

    Xu Hei patted his storage bag and took out a puppet, cing it in front of him.

    This was a flesh puppet Xu Hei had crafted from the corpse of a rogue cultivator, simr to Qin Shuang''er and Sun Jian.

    Xu Hei had found this rogue cultivator''s body during his attack on Rock Serpent City. The man had an ordinary appearance, the kind that would blend into a crowd. His storage bag was also empty, without even an identity token.

    Using this puppet to infiltrate the city was ideal.

    Of course, besides this puppet, Xu Hei had also made a backup and a backup for the backup.

    "So it''s a puppet."

    Man Jin was well aware of Xu Hei''s puppet techniques. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I don''t really need anything. If you have time, could you get me some bananas? Oh, and watermelons too.""Bananas, watermelons..."

    Xu Hei was speechless.

    Damn it, can''t you ask for something more serious? Magical treasures or pills would be fine too.

    He hadn''t expected Man Jin to be such a foodie. With his ten-meter-tall body, it seemed no amount of food would be enough.

    "Hehe, I have a child now, and he likes those things," Man Jin said with a simple smile.

    Xu Hei was momentarily stunned and looked towards a hot spring, where a mother elephant and a recently born baby elephant were.

    "I see."

    Xu Hei nodded and said, "I''ll keep an eye out."

    Xu Hei put away the puppet, shed his figure, and left the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, heading straight north.

    This trip was necessary because he had umted too many low-grade spirit stones. With storage bags from hundreds of people, he had over seventy thousand spirit stones and a bunch of misceneous magical treasures to sell.

    ...

    Xu Hei left the mountains and first passed through Chen Family Town.

    Now, Wang Ding and his sister Wang Qin were both working for the Chen Family. Wang Qin was a maid, and Wang Ding had be a servant.

    The breathing exercise Xu Hei had taught them was learned by both. Although it wasn''t aplete cultivation technique and couldn''t generate cultivation, it could strengthen the body and prolong life.

    Because of this, Wang Ding was recruited to do chores like chopping wood and cooking, which saved him from starving to death.

    At the same time, he hadn''t forgotten to study.

    "A teacher imparts knowledge and resolves doubts... Huh? Snake..."

    Wang Ding was suddenly startled, looking towards the east side of the courtyard. He was about to call out to the Snake Immortal but hesitated, fearing someone might overhear, and didn''t say it.

    Xu Hei was speechless. He was observing from a thousand meters away with his divine sense, yet Wang Ding still noticed.

    "The Snake Immortal didn''t show up, probably because he doesn''t want to see me. Forget it, teaching me the breathing exercise in a dream was already a great favor."

    Wang Ding didn''t say anything more. He just knelt on the ground and kowtowed towards the east.

    For this simple vige boy, Xu Hei didn''t want him to step onto the path of cultivation. It was a cruel and inhumane world.

    Once you start cultivating, it''s like a fishing ashore. The fish is no longer a fish, and a person is no longer a person.

    Xu Hei didn''t linger and quickly left, heading towards the big city in the north.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t know.

    From the moment he taught Wang Ding the breathing exercise, Wang Ding''s path was already set. It was a bloody, cruel, and endless road.

    Once you step into cultivation, there''s no turning back!

    ...

    Southern Region core, Chuyang City.

    After six months of full restoration, Chuyang City had already regained its prosperity. This was a crucial battle for Qin Shengchu, and the city received special attention.

    Over the past six months, arge number of people had migrated in. The number of cultivators and the economic strength had surpassed the Chu Kingdom''s peak.

    On this day.

    An unremarkable middle-aged man walked to the gate of Chuyang City. The man had a square face, a broad forehead, dull eyes, and dry lips¡ªan appearance that would blend into a crowd.

    His hair was messy, he wore a thick coat, and his waist was tied with a bup sack, making him look like a bloated dumpling.

    Fortunately, it was winter; otherwise, this appearance would make him look like a lunatic.

    Xu Hei had originally nned to wear a mask, but now, with the whole country catching spies and remnants of the Chu, masks were banned in the city. Xu Hei had no choice but to take off his mask.

    "Entering the city requires a fee of five taels of silver."

    The guard at the gate said, frowning at Xu Hei''s appearance.

    "Silver?"

    Xu Hei was stunned and quickly searched his body.

    After searching for a long time, he couldn''t find any silver, which made him very embarrassed.

    At this moment, the guard stared at his face for a long time, his expression changing. He trembled and said, "Senior, please enter. We won''t charge you!"

    Another guard''s face also turned pale, and he took a few steps back.

    "Hmm? No charge?" Xu Hei frowned. "You''re not going to arrest me, are you?"

    "No, no! Cultivators always enter the city for free!" The two guards quickly shook their heads.

    Xu Hei didn''t think much of it and walked into the city.

    After Xu Hei entered the city, the two guards exchanged nces and waited for a long time until Xu Hei waspletely out of sight before whispering.

    "That person is..."

    "Yes, it''s him. I recognize every wanted criminal''s portrait. That man is Ma Teng, who lost everything, even his wife and children, and still owes the Heavenly Dragon Casino a thousand spirit stones. He''s currently wanted by the casino..."

    "Shh, keep your voice down. Cultivators have extremely sharp senses. Don''t let him hear us."

    The two guards'' faces changed, and they didn''t dare to discuss further.

    After entering the city, Xu Hei didn''t walk far before realizing something was wrong.

    He noticed that some passersby were subtly observing him, staring at his face, but quickly looking away when Xu Hei nced back.

    Was his face that strange?

    Or was his figure too conspicuous?

    Xu Hei''s true body was hidden under his clothes, making him appear a bit bulky, but it was a reasonable amount of fat.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and gradually quickened his pace, bing more vignt.

    Chuyang City was divided into the inner city and the outer city.

    The inner city was the cultivator''s area, upying one-third of the city''s area.

    After entering the inner city, Xu Hei headed straight for the Myriad Treasure Pavilion trading area.

    Suddenly, a group of cultivators emerged from the street corner, rushing towards Xu Hei with fierce expressions.

    Xu Hei instinctively wanted to run but stopped himself.

    "Ma Teng, you dare show your face? You have some nerve!"

    "Get him!"

    The leading ck-d cultivator waved his hand, and the others swarmed Xu Hei, punching and kicking him.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to cause trouble, but he quickly realized that this group had a grudge with the former owner of this body.

    So this person''s name was Ma Teng. What bad luck, running into this right away.

    Xu Hei took a step back, activated the Gravity Technique, and sent the group flying, causing them to fall in disarray. Xu Hei had held back, so no one was killed.

    "This..." Everyone was shocked.

    The ck-d cultivator''s face darkened and said, "Ma Teng, do you know the consequences of defying the casino?"

    "Speak inly. What do you want?" Xu Hei said impatiently.

    The ck-d cultivatorughed coldly and said, "You owe our casino one thousand three hundred spirit stones. Are you trying to deny it?"

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Hei was stunned. All this trouble was over some money?

    Xu Hei suddenly realized that the original owner of this body was just a Qi Refining Stage cultivator. One thousand three hundred spirit stones was an enormous sum!

    He remembered how surprised he was when he found over a thousand spirit stones in Zhao Yiduo''s ck jade stone.

    The ck-d cultivator was sure Ma Teng couldn''t repay the debt, which was why they attacked.

    One thousand spirit stones would take a Foundation Establishment cultivator a long time to save, and a Qi Refining Stage cultivator might never earn that much in a lifetime without great fortune.

    As for how Ma Teng owed the money.

    It started with just a hundred, but with interest piling up, it grew to this amount.

 Chapter 121: Upon entering the marketplace, meet Han Te

    Chapter 121: Upon entering the marketce, meet Han Te

    Xu Hei was new to the area and didn''t want to attract too much attention. He nned to settle things quietly and return the thousand spirit stones.

    But on second thought, if he easily took out a thousand spirit stones, it might backfire and draw unwanted attention.

    After weighing the pros and cons, Xu Hei released a hint of Foundation Establishment Stage pressure.

    The ck-d cultivator was about to make a move when his body suddenly trembled, his face turned pale, and he stared with wide eyes, "F-Foundation Establishment?"

    This kind of aura made his True Qi stagnate, and his whole body felt numb. It was definitely not a bluff.

    Xu Hei took out a storage bag, filled it with a hundred spirit stones, and tossed it over.

    "This is all I have. Follow me again, and don''t me me for turning hostile."

    After saying this, Xu Hei turned and left.

    He estimated that the man originally owed just a small amount, but it had snowballed due to high-interest loans.The ck-d cultivator caught the storage bag, still shocked. He couldn''t believe that this wretched gambler, who had disappeared for years, had actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage!

    The other thugs were also stunned. Was there any justice in this world?

    "Master... Master Ma!"

    In an instant, the ck-d cultivator''s attitude changed. He followed Xu Hei, his tone now ingratiating, with a ttering smile.

    The speed of his change in demeanor made Xu Hei frown, "Do you still have something to say?"

    "Master, it''s like this..." The ck-d cultivator paused, his tone respectful, "Our Heavenly Dragon Casino is under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. If your debt isn''t cleared, you''ll remain on the cklist and won''t be able to make purchases or trades at any Myriad Treasure Pavilion location. You would only..."

    The ck-d cultivatorughed awkwardly.

    ording to the casino''s rules, if a Qi Refining Stage cultivator owed over a thousand spirit stones, they would be a wanted criminal. But for a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, it would only be a bad credit record, not enough to warrant capture.

    Different cultivation levels had different credit limits.

    "How did I end up owing so much?" Xu Hei asked.

    "It''s like this, you borrowed a hundred and twenty spirit stones from the casino years ago and didn''t repay them on time. ording to our interest rates, the debt doubles every year, but there''s a cap where the interest can''t exceed ten times the principal."

    The ck-d cultivator patiently exined, "It''s been five years now, so the debt has capped at one thousand three hundred and twenty spirit stones."

    The tenfold cap was to prevent some debtors from disappearing for decades and returning to find their debt had multiplied to an unpayable amount.

    Seeing Xu Hei''s troubled expression, the ck-d cultivator added, "If you''re short on spirit stones, you can sign this installment agreement, and the Myriad Treasure Pavilion will immediately remove you from the cklist."

    The ck-d cultivator took out a jade slip and handed it over.

    Xu Hei looked at the jade slip and couldn''t help but feel a bit strange.

    The agreement divided his debt into three years of repayments, with a hundred spirit stones due each month, plus an additional double repayment.

    Xu Hei was disgusted by this swindler. He lost his patience and coldly said, "I can pay it off, but are you sure you want to take it?"

    "Casino rules, I have no choice." The ck-d cultivatorughed awkwardly.

    Xu Hei said no more and threw over twelve hundred spirit stones.

    "Thank you, Master. Take care, Master."

    The ck-d cultivator collected the spirit stones with a smile.

    Xu Hei left expressionlessly. Although the spirit stones were not much, just a fraction of his wealth, it still put him in a foul mood, lowering his opinion of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion to the minimum.

    At this moment, a young woman in ck approached. She was young, stunningly beautiful, and dressed simrly to the previous cultivator, indicating she was also from the casino.

    "Master Ma, now that you''re a valued guest of our Heavenly Dragon Casino, is there anything you need to take care of in Chuyang City? I can arrange it for you!"

    "A top-notch cave dwelling, a fine restaurant, a trade fair, an auction, or even a few youngdies, I can arrange it all. Or if you want to ce another bet, we can raise your limit to five thousand..."

    "Get lost!"

    Xu Hei shouted, sending the woman flying.

    The young woman was terrified but didn''t dare to react. She bowed respectfully, "If Master Ma needs anything, feel free to send me a message."

    Xu Hei ignored her and walked away.

    Damn, they''re too damn greedy!

    Even after he paid off his debt, they still wanted to raise his limit and trick him into gambling more.

    They''d squeeze the rich dry and leave the poor in debt.

    "When I leave the city, I''ll visit the casino personally and ce a big bet!"

    Xu Hei didn''t care about the money, but he didn''t want to suffer a loss. Once he finished his business, he would make the casino understand that sometimes, it''s not spirit stones you lose, but your life.

    ...

    Inner City, Jiaofang Division.

    In Chuyang City, brothels were divided into several levels, with the Jiaofang Division being the highest. The women there were all stunningly beautiful and had notable backgrounds.

    They included family members of high officials, fallen nobles, daughters of cultivators, and even female cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage. As long as you had enough spirit stones, you could find any kind of woman.

    At this moment, in a courtyard, a young girl was cleaning.

    The door opened, and a ck-d cultivator entered. It was the same person from the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    "Ma Yuanyuan, you can leave now," the ck-d cultivator said indifferently.

    "What did you say?"

    Seeing the person who had sold her here years ago, Ma Yuanyuan thought she had misheard.

    "You''re lucky. Your father, Ma Teng, has repaid the debt and even reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. The Jiaofang Division naturally won''t hold you anymore. You can leave."

    The ck-d cultivator''s gaze was indifferent. He raised his hand and lifted the seal within Ma Yuanyuan, restoring her cultivation.

    "Master Ma is now a valued guest of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. You can find him there."

    After saying this, he ignored the stunned young girl and turned to leave.

    Ma Yuanyuan sat on the ground in a daze, tears streaming down her face.

    "Mother!"

    ...

    Myriad Treasure Pavilion, marketce.

    Many cultivators set up stalls here, either selling or buying. The outer area was filled with Qi Refining Stage cultivators, while the inner area had Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    Xu Hei casually browsed the stalls but found nothing useful.

    "If only Hei Huang were here. With his knowledge, he could probably sniff out some treasures," Xu Hei thought.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed, and his Divine Sense locked onto a jade detection te.

    There was arge red dot on it, right nearby.

    Xu Hei had long known there were Qi Condensation cultivators in Chuyang City, but he hadn''t paid much attention. However, this red dot was right in front of him, among the stall owners.

    The puppet''s face remained calm, and his gaze shifted to a purple-haired man in the corner.

    This man looked unfamiliar, but he gave Xu Hei a sense of familiarity, especially with his unique roguish aura. It reminded Xu Hei of someone.

    Xuan Yangzi''s aplice, the Qi Condensation cultivator who escaped from Rock Serpent City...

    "Han Te?"

    Xu Hei discreetly sniffed with his snake tongue. He recognized Han Te''s scent. As Xu Hei approached, he sniffed again, confirming that this person was indeed Han Te.

    But he was in disguise.

    This man''s cultivation was also suppressed to thete Foundation Establishment Stage. Who knew what he was nning?

    "Hey! Fellow Daoist, interested in any of these treasures? They''re all rare finds, reasonably priced, just five thousand spirit stones each."

    Han Te noticed Xu Hei''s interest and smiled. Anyone who didn''t back off at that price was definitely wealthy.

    Xu Hei nced at the three items in front of Han Te.

    An ancient map, a mechanical box with a keyhole, and a pitch-ck mirror.

    The moment he saw the mirror, Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    Damn... that''s Hei Huang''s mirror.

    The real mirror was in his possession.

    The one before him was undoubtedly a fake!

    Seeing Xu Hei''s gaze, Han Te''s eyes lit up. He pointed to the mirror and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have a good eye. This mirror has a mysterious origin. It''s said to be a supreme treasure left by an ancient demonic cultivator, with unfathomable powers!"

    Xu Hei was speechless.

    This guy had made a fake mirror and was praising it to the skies. Didn''t he feel embarrassed?

 Chapter 122: Three treasures, fake one and compensate ten

    Chapter 122: Three treasures, fake one andpensate ten

    Five thousand spirit stones were enough to deter most Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    Among the storage bags Xu Hei had acquired, only a few of Xuan Yangzi''s direct disciples and a couple of deeply hidden individuals had more than five thousand spirit stones.

    "What is this ancient map?" Xu Hei asked.

    "This is a map of an ancient ruin. The story behind it is quite significant..." Han Te began to boast.

    He imed that two Core Formation Stage cultivators fought fiercely over this ancient map, and he had obtained it by sheer luck.

    He had once formed a team to explore the ruins, led by a Core Formation Stage cultivator, but the entire team perished, leaving him as the sole survivor.

    As for the mechanism box, it was discovered within the ruins.

    With permission, Xu Hei picked up the mechanism box and examined it. There was a keyhole on it, and the size...

    Xu Hei was suddenly startled.He had found a key in the ck jade storage artifact of the old ape, and its size seemed to match this keyhole.

    "Could it be such a coincidence?"

    Xu Hei was uncertain but remained outwardly calm, cing the box back down and turning his attention to the mirror.

    Inwardly, he was debating whether to buy the mechanism box.

    Five thousand spirit stones were no small amount.

    "Hey? Isn''t that the mirror from the Purple Mist Pavilion? How did it end up here?"

    A surprised voice came from behind.

    Xu Hei turned to see a young cultivator dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding an extraordinary aura, likely a scion of a great family.

    Han Te''s expression changed, and he looked around before lowering his voice, "Do you recognize this item, fellow cultivator?"

    "Indeed!"

    The noble cultivator nodded slightly and stepped forward, "I''ve seen it once before. How did it end up in your hands?"

    Han Te sighed, "To be honest, this mirror is an ancient relic that had been stored in the Purple Mist Pavilion for many years, but no one could decipher its mysteries until one day, a demon stole it!"

    "And that demon used this mirror to defeat Xuan Yangzi!"

    Han Te lowered his voice for thest two sentences, as if transmitting the information only to Xu Hei and the noble cultivator.

    The noble cultivator''s expression changed immediately, indicating he had heard of it before.

    "I acquired this mirror by chance, and the details are inconvenient to disclose," Han Te said.

    The noble cultivator pressed, "What exactly does this mirror do?"

    "Its function..." Han Te took a deep breath and lowered his voice mysteriously, "It can create inner demons!"

    Both the noble cultivator and Xu Hei were shocked.

    Han Te''s words were so convincing that if the genuine mirror wasn''t in Xu Hei''s possession, he might have been deceived into buying it.

    "Really? You''re not a fraud, are you?" the noble cultivator asked suspiciously.

    Han Te nced at him disdainfully, "If you don''t believe me, I can demonstrate, but you''ll have to buy it first."

    The noble cultivator hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, "If it truly can create inner demons, this treasure is priceless. I, Bai, will definitely buy it!"

    Han Te smiled slightly.

    "Watch closely, I can only demonstrate a fraction of its power."

    Han Te picked up the mirror and chanted a spell. The mirror emitted a faint light and shone on the Bai family cultivator.

    Suddenly, Bai Ye''s expression changed as if he had seen something terrifying, and he staggered back.

    "It''s really... an inner demon!"

    His eyes were filled with fear, and he clutched his chest as if struck by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, as if an invisible person was attacking him.

    Han Te retracted the mirror and sneered, "Now, do you believe me?"

    Bai Ye nodded quickly, still shaken, "I believe, I believe!"

    Xu Hei was baffled. He had tried various methods but couldn''t see what was in front of Bai Ye.

    But judging by his reaction, it seemed he had indeed been attacked.

    "Could it be that Han Te created a replica using the mirror?"

    Xu Hei vaguely sensed something. The mirror wasn''t entirely useless; it still had some effects of a magical treasure.

    "Damn it!"

    Bai Ye touched his storage bag and panicked, "I didn''t bring enough spirit stones! Can I owe you five hundred? I''ll go get it right away."

    "That''s not possible. No credit here!" Han Te frowned.

    Bai Ye was so anxious he was almost jumping, "Fellow cultivator, can you lend me five hundred? I''ll repay you double, no, triple!"

    Xu Hei decisively refused.

    Bai Ye had no choice, sweating profusely, "Hold it for me, I''ll be right back with the money!"

    With that, he disappeared as fast as he could.

    Xu Hei watched him leave, frowning slightly.

    Could these two be colluding to put on a show?

    That Bai family cultivator might not have encountered any inner demons at all; it was all an act.

    One selling fake goods, the other acting as a shill!

    This...

    Xu Hei was speechless. If he hadn''t opened his Heavenly Eye and known the real mirror was with him, he would have been deceived.

    "Creating a fake, selling it for five thousand, and using real rumors to make people believe..."

    Xu Hei suddenly felt that the city was full of schemes, and he just wanted to go back to the mountains.

    Seeing Xu Hei still hesitating, Han Te raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Fellow cultivator, time waits for no one. That Bai family cultivator might return any moment."

    Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, then took out a storage bag with ten thousand spirit stones, "A total of ten thousand spirit stones for these three items. If you don''t sell, I''ll leave immediately."

    Han Te''s face stiffened, and he shook his head repeatedly, "Three items for fifteen thousand, no bargaining!"

    "Then goodbye! I want to see if that Bai family cultivator wille back."

    Xu Hei sneered and turned to leave decisively.

    Han Te panicked, feeling like ants were crawling all over him, but he remained outwardly calm, sitting still.

    Until Xu Hei reached the marketce gate, Han Te transmitted, "Ten thousand, I agree!"

    Xu Hei returned, threw out the storage bag with ten thousand spirit stones, and took all three items from the stall.

    "Fellow cultivator, here''s the method to use the mirror." Han Te tossed a jade slip over.

    Xu Hei caught the jade slip and left without looking back, heading to an inn under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion.

    ...

    Myriad Treasure Pavilion, marketce.

    Not long after Xu Hei left, the Bai family cultivator returned.

    He looked around cautiously and approached Han Te, "Senior Han, did it work?"

    "It worked, but that person... seemed to have noticed something wrong with the mirror," Han Te said seriously.

    "What?" Bai Ye was stunned.

    "Anyway, we sold the other two treasures, so it''s not a loss," Han Te said.

    "Are the other two also fake?" Bai Ye couldn''t help but ask.

    Han Te nced at him and smiled, "I, Han, do business with a mix of truth and falsehood. What I said before was not a lie, and the items are real. Don''t ask more."

    ...

    In the inn.

    Xu Hei looked at the jade slip''s instructions, which said the mirror needed to be refined for a year before it could be used.

    "Damn it!"

    Xu Hei threw the mirror on the ground.

    It wasn''t even a replica, just a piece of junk! Completely useless!

    After hesitating for a while, Xu Hei picked up the mirror and put it back in his storage bag. He had spent money on it, and if he ever got the chance, he would demand a tenfold refund!

    Xu Hei could only pin his hopes on the mechanism box now.

 Chapter 123: If you dont do anything reckless, you wont get hurt

    Chapter 123: If you don''t do anything reckless, you won''t get hurt

    Inside the inn.

    Xu Hei took out the mechanism box. First, he tried to force it open with brute strength, but it didn''t budge, and his Divine Sense couldn''t prate it either.

    Then, he took out the key he had obtained from the old ape and inserted it into the keyhole.

    "Click!"

    With a crisp sound, the mechanism box automatically opened without needing to be turned, revealing its contents.

    Xu Hei''s pupils shrank, and he stared intently.

    Inside the box was a purple bead, about the size of a palm, with countless purple arcs of electricity flowing inside. Lightning shed and roared.

    Despite the outer shell, Xu Hei could clearly feel the destructive energy contained within.

    "This is... a Thunder Tribtion Pearl?"Xu Hei carefully sensed it. Bai Xiu had previously used a makeshift version of the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, which was incredibly powerful.

    The one before him was clearly a genuine Thunder Tribtion Pearl, having absorbed the power of the Heavenly Tribtions. It could unleash the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions, posing a threat to Core Formation Stage cultivators!

    Xu Hei probed it with his Divine Sense, and a wave of destructive energy immediately surged forth, startling him into quickly retracting his Divine Sense, no longer in doubt.

    Once the box was opened, it lost its defensive properties and turned to ash automatically.

    Xu Hei suddenly realized that if the mechanism box had been forcibly opened with brute strength, it would have immediately triggered the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, leaving him with no ce to be buried!

    The key was the only way; otherwise, it was just scrap.

    "So, Han Te wasn''t entirely a fraud. What he described might actually be true."

    Recalling Han Te''s previous statements, Xu Hei realized that aside from some exaggeration, the events were mostly urate.

    Xu Hei then took out the ancient map and probed it with his Divine Sense, finding the exact location of the ruins.

    Located deep within Wu Mountain, in an underground cave, the entrance was clearly marked, very detailed.

    The map also depicted the general structure.

    Rather than an ancient ruin, it was more like a grand tomb.

    The location where the mechanism box was found was also marked, in a hidden chamber on the outskirts of the tomb.

    Xu Hei made a copy of the map and stored it safely. He also ced the Thunder Tribtion Pearl into a special storage bag, as it was extremely dangerous and needed careful handling.

    The value of the map aside, obtaining a Thunder Tribtion Pearl was worth more than ten thousand Spirit Stones.

    This was a tangible treasure that could threaten a Core Formation Stage cultivator!

    Xu Hei nced at the key again and was momentarily stunned.

    He noticed that the key seemed to have shortened after opening the box.

    "Could it be that this key has a limited number of uses?" Xu Hei frowned.

    ...

    One dayter.

    Xu Hei left the inn and entered a shop in the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, selling off some of the stolen goods he had previously acquired.

    In a hurry, Xu Hei didn''t haggle over the price, conceding at least twenty percent.

    Two dayster.

    Xu Hei switched to a human puppet and repeated his actions, selling off another portion of the stolen goods.

    Xu Hei didn''t dare to sell everything at once. Instead, he sold in batches, using different identities in different areas, through various channels.

    Sometimes he set up a stall, sometimes he went to a pawnshop, sometimes he sold to shops, and sometimes at auctions.

    After seven consecutive days of selling, Xu Hei finally sold off all the misceneous items that were of no use to him.

    He totaled thirty thousand Spirit Stones.

    During this period, Xu Hei also purchased arge number of Foundation Pills for his Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, as well as various spiritual fruits, heavenly materials, and earthly treasures valuable to Demonic Beasts.

    He spent even more, but such a vast amount of resources was enough to cultivate him to the mid-stage.

    Along the way, Xu Hei wasn''t without encounters with those who coveted his wealth and secretly followed him.

    All were dealt with by Xu Hei in secret, adding two more human puppets to his collection.

    These encounters only heightened Xu Hei''s vignce.

    "I can''t stay here any longer. Who knows how many people are secretly watching me? I''ve gained enough; I''ll leave tonight," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    That day, Xu Hei switched back to his first identity, Ma Teng.

    Since his transaction with Han Te, he hadn''t used this identity. Today, he switched back, finding it the cleanest.

    Just as Xu Hei stepped out of the inn, a clear female voice suddenly called out from beside him.

    "Father!"

    Xu Hei was momentarily stunned and turned to look.

    He saw a young girl, about thirteen or fourteen, clutching her sleeve, staring at him with tearful eyes.

    The girl''s appearance was very simr to Ma Teng.

    Xu Hei had heard of Ma Teng''s story¡ªlosing his entire fortune, running away with a mountain of debt, even losing his wife and child.

    It seemed that after clearing his debts, the child had left the Jiaofang Division.

    Xu Hei had no interest and turned to leave.

    "Father, this is the only thing Mother left behind before she passed. She said it was to repay your debt. Please take it!"

    Ma Yuanyuan rushed up to Xu Hei, holding out a bracelet.

    Xu Hei frowned slightly and scanned it with his Divine Sense, immediately detecting a strange poison within the bracelet¡ª

    Corpse Bone Pill!

    If worn regrly, the poison from the Corpse Bone Pill would gradually enter the body until it fully erupted. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would find it hard to eradicate.

    Looking at Ma Yuanyuan again, she appeared normal on the surface, but her eyes concealed a deep hatred that Xu Hei, having experienced these recent days, could easily discern.

    "Heavenly Dragon Casino, truly harmful..."

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly. He bore no ill will towards the girl. From her perspective, a gambling-addicted father had ruined her mother and sold her to the Jiaofang Division, so her desire for revenge was understandable.

    She had probably been racking her brains these days toe up with such a revenge n!

    Unable to defeat a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she could only resort to such means.

    "I am not your father. Don''t deceive yourself!"

    Xu Hei said calmly and turned to leave, ignoring the girl.

    Hearing this, Ma Yuanyuan''s hatred surged uncontrobly, unable to be suppressed any longer.

    She drew a Flying Sword, bit her tongue, and unleashed all her cultivation, blood seeping from her body as she charged at Xu Hei''s back.

    "Boom!"

    Ma Yuanyuan was sent flying,nding by the roadside.

    In a hidden alley.

    The ck-d cultivator who had taken thirteen hundred Spirit Stones from Xu Hei couldn''t help but sigh.

    "Failed again. This Ma Teng is really cautious!" the ck-d cultivatormented.

    "His daughter used such a method, yet he saw through it and killed her effortlessly. It shows he is cold-hearted. We better not provoke him further," an old man beside him sighed.

    The ck-d cultivator, named Zhang Kuang, was a manager at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, responsible for debt collection.

    A week ago, he saw Ma Teng easily produce over a thousand Spirit Stones and break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, believing he had a great opportunity.

    Coupled with Ma Yuanyuan''s desire for revenge against Ma Teng, Zhang Kuang had given her her mother''s relic,ced with the poison of the Corpse Bone Pill.

    As long as Ma Teng took the bracelet, within two days, the poison would erupt, his strength would plummet, and that would be the day they killed him for his treasures.

    "Let''s go. It''s best not to think about Ma Teng anymore. He''s no longer the gambling addict he once was."

    The old man urged, getting up to leave.

    "What a pity," Zhang Kuang sighed. He understood the psychology of gamblers. If Ma Teng still wanted to gamble, he had countless ways to make him hand over his opportunities and wealth without resorting to such means.

    But Ma Teng had stopped gambling, leaving them no choice.

    Just as the two were about to leave the alley.

    A figure suddenly appeared at the alley''s entrance, staring at them coldly.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    [Minor revision in the previous chapter: the protagonist also obtained the relic map. Thanks to the readers for the timely feedback. Writing and posting immediately can lead to such issues. I''ll ensure to double-check in the future.]

 Chapter 124: Heavenly Dragon Casino, Xu Hei gambles with his life

    Chapter 124: Heavenly Dragon Casino, Xu Hei gambles with his life

    "Ma... Master Ma!"

    Zhang Kuang''s face changed instantly. He never expected Ma Teng to discover them.

    But thinking about the mid-Foundation Establishment elder beside him, he didn''t feel afraid. He smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Master? Let me introduce you to Zhu, our manager at the Heavenly Dragon Casino."

    "I handle matters rted to the Qi Refining Stage. Since you are a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Manager Zhu will take care of all your affairs from now on," Zhang Kuang said, pointing to the elder behind him.

    Manager Zhu nodded and smiled, "Whatever Master Ma wishes to y, our Heavenly Dragon Casino can amodate."

    He was speaking leisurely when suddenly his vision blurred.

    "Retreat!" Manager Zhu''s face changed dramatically.

    Just as he was about to summon his magical treasure, Xu Hei appeared before him with terrifying speed, almost like teleportation.

    It was the Dragon n''s movement technique, the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!Even when performed by a human puppet, the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon was still more than enough to handle a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    "Crack!"

    A pair of powerful hands mped around Manager Zhu''s neck, lifting him off the ground.

    Manager Zhu''s face turned pale with fear. He found himselfpletely immobilized, unable to activate his magical treasure or even circte his True Qi. His entire body felt like it was being crushed.

    It was nothing but the Gravity Technique.

    Under the enhancement of ck True Qi, Xu Hei''s Gravity Technique had reached an almost divine level.

    Zhang Kuang, who tried to escape, was also caught by the Gravity Technique and dragged in front of Xu Hei.

    "Anything you want to y? How about your lives?" Xu Hei said coldly.

    Both Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu turned pale, their scalps tingling with fear.

    The opponent was clearly at the early Foundation Establishment stage, yet he handled them like they were mere chickens.

    "Please, don''t be hasty. We can talk this out. If our Heavenly Dragon Casino has offended you in any way, just let us know your demands, and we can negotiate!" Manager Zhu said, trembling.

    Xu Hei remained expressionless, nced at Zhang Kuang, and said coldly, "I have no demands. Since this gentleman kept urging me to gamble, let''s do as you wish. I''ll ce a bet."

    Zhang Kuang was nearly scared out of his wits, his lips trembling and his body shaking. "It''s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding..."

    Without another word, Xu Hei moved his mind, and a thin thread of True Qi entered Zhang Kuang''s meridians.

    "Ugh..."

    Zhang Kuang''s body convulsed, his eyes rolled back, and his consciousness began to fade.

    Xu Hei sped up his movements, sending one thread of True Qi after another into Zhang Kuang''s body, connecting to his joints and fully integrating into his flesh.

    Puppet Mechanism Technique, second level, Earth Puppet Art, which includes three techniques: Spirit Body Thread, Body Swap, and Hundred Puppet Array.

    This move was the Spirit Body Thread!

    Sun Jian had once used this move to deal with Xu Hei''s puppet, causing Xu Hei''s giant snake puppet to lose consciousness on the spot. Now, Xu Hei used it against a living person.

    In no time, Zhang Kuangpletely lost control of his body, bing a living puppet under Xu Hei''s control.

    His consciousness remained, but he couldn''t speak or make any expressions. He was like a wooden doll, at Xu Hei''s mercy.

    "You, you..."

    Witnessing this scene, Manager Zhu was terrified, a chill running down his spine, feeling an unprecedented fear.

    "Heavenly Puppet Sect, a direct disciple?!"

    Such a terrifying thought crossed Manager Zhu''s mind.

    Initially, he had thought to use his status and the backing of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion to intimidate Xu Hei. But after witnessing the Spirit Body Thread, he was utterly hopeless.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect was a colossal power in the Qin Kingdom, the leaders of warfare, while the Myriad Treasure Pavilion was merely a business entity.

    At this moment, Manager Zhu deeply regretted his actions.

    They had spected that Ma Teng had some great fortune, never imagining that he was a puppet all along.

    Had they known, they wouldn''t have dared to provoke such a deadly figure even with a hundred lives.

    "Master, it''s a misunderstanding. I didn''t know you were..." Manager Zhu said regretfully.

    "Enough with the nonsense!"

    Xu Hei used the Spirit Body Thread again, controlling Manager Zhu as well.

    Manager Zhu''s cultivation was slightly higher, making it a bit more troublesome to control him. But with the enhancement of ck True Qi and the fact that Manager Zhu had already lost all hope, Xu Hei managed to subdue him within half an hour.

    In fact, a week ago, Xu Hei had considered whether to reveal that he was a puppet.

    But for the sake of caution, Xu Hei hid his puppet identity, leading the Heavenly Dragon Casino to misjudge the situation.

    This was a wise decision, as the identity of a Heavenly Puppet Sect disciple was too prestigious and would easily attract unwanted attention.

    Now that he was about to leave, a bit of attention didn''t matter anymore.

    Xu Hei dragged the two living puppets behind him, walking at the forefront as they headed towards the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    Passing through a bustling street, Xu Hei arrived at the center of Chuyang City.

    This was the most prosperousmercial area under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, with arenas, the Jiaofang Division, martial arenas, taverns... everything one could imagine.

    The Heavenly Dragon Casino was among them, one of the busiest ces.

    It was the golden hour, and the streets were adorned with eternalmps, making the night as bright as day.

    The puppet Ma Teng walked in front, followed by Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu, like two dogs on a leash, as they entered the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    The casino''s interior was luxurious, akin to a pce, filled with shouts and curses.

    "Ah, isn''t this our esteemed guest, Master Ma? Wee, wee!"

    A woman in a cheongsam approached, her face beaming with a smile. "What would Master Ma like to y today?"

    Clearly, this woman knew Ma Teng. Ma Teng was a notorious gambler at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, a well-known figure. Every hostess would vie to attach themselves to him, enticing him to gamble heavily for a substantialmission.

    Xu Hei scanned the ce with his Divine Sense, finding a variety of games.

    There were the simplest dice and mahjong, and more advanced stone gambling.

    There were also beast fights, ve fights, and insect fights.

    As long as you had enough Spirit Stones, you could even call two people to the stage for a duel, with the house setting the odds and the guests betting on the oue.

    Whatever you wanted to y, you could y.

    You could even grab a passerby for a game of rock-paper-scissors.

    This was a gambler''s paradise, but also a gambler''s hell.

    Countless people had lost everything here, selling their children and wives.

    In just a brief scan, Xu Hei witnessed two people who had lost everything, crying in despair.

    Because this was the inner city, the yers were mostly cultivators, primarily at the Qi Refining Stage.

    The lower the cultivation, the easier it was to get addicted.

    Foundation Establishment cultivators were rarer; those who had broken through to Foundation Establishment naturally had extraordinary willpower and usually came just for fun, rarely getting addicted.

    However, Foundation Establishment cultivators often yed the biggest stakes, losing dozens of Spirit Stones without a care. They were the casino''s esteemed guests.

    Xu Hei retracted his Divine Sense and looked at the cheongsam woman in front of him. "Anything I want to y?"

    "Of course, as long as you''re willing, anything is possible."

    The cheongsam woman giggled, subtly using her charm technique.

    As a professional hostess, she was not only skilled in verbal persuasion and psychology but also proficient in charm techniques.

    She had already arranged for Ma Teng to win a hundred Spirit Stones today.

    Winning and losing could be manipted in secret!

    First, get him hooked, and there would be plenty of opportunities to slowly drain him in the future.

    "Good!" Xu Hei nodded and said calmly, "Today, I won''t y for Spirit Stones. I''ll y for lives!"

    His words caused a brief silence around them.

    ying for lives was rare at the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    The cheongsam woman was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, smiling, "So Master Ma likes this kind of game. We have plenty of ves and demonic beasts at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, all avable for life-and-death games, as long as you..."

    "Bang!!"

    Before she could finish, Xu Hei pped her, sending her head flying, blood gushing out.

    "You misunderstood me. When I said ying for lives, I meant this."

 Chapter 125: Friend, stay calm; lets talk it out

    Chapter 125: Friend, stay calm; let''s talk it out

    The head of the female cultivator in the cheongsam rolled to the side of the hall.

    The noisy crowd instantly fell silent, everyone retreating to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

    Some cultivators, however, wore cold smiles, eager to watch the spectacle.

    Thest person who killed someone in the Heavenly Dragon Casino had grass growing a meter high on their grave.

    "How dare you kill someone in the Heavenly Dragon Casino! You''re courting death!"

    An old man in hemp clothes appeared, raising his hand to suppress Xu Hei without a word. His palm, asrge as a fan, descended on Xu Hei like Mount Tai.

    This man''s cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage. Against a troublemaker like Xu Hei, he struck with lethal intent!

    Xu Hei himself was hidden underground with an Invisibility Talisman. This mere avatar couldn''t withstand such a powerful opponent.

    But Xu Hei remained unfazed, pulling out the Soul-absorbing g and waving it skyward."Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Arge group of phantom snake heads suddenly burst from the g, biting at the descending palm. Each bite took out arge chunk, and in an instant, the palm crumbled to dust.

    "Not bad."

    The old man''s eyes narrowed. He took out a bronze furnace and waved it. With a thought, the furnace''s suction power erupted, and a fire ignited inside, attempting to draw in and refine the snake souls.

    Suddenly, one of the Jiao Pythons raised its head and spat a stream of venom onto the furnace. The bronze furnace emitted a hissing sound, blue smoke rising as it vaporized instantly, leaving no trace.

    "What?" The old man was dumbfounded, retreating as if he''d seen a ghost. The Jiao Python soared into the air, opening its mouth to bite his head.

    "A third-tier demonic beast''s soul!"

    The old man was terrified, shouting in despair, "Master, save me!"

    "Boom!"

    An invisible force surged, halting the Jiao Python mid-air, but it still spat venom, which sshed onto the old man''s sleeve.

    "Ah!!"

    A piercing scream echoed as the old man decisively severed his arm, which turned to ash instantly.

    Xu Hei waved the Soul-absorbing g, recalling all the souls, including the Jiao Python.

    These snake demon souls had grown, developing some basic instincts. They were no longer just mindless wraiths; they had a degree of self-awareness.

    Thus, they could be recalled after being released.

    In mid-air, the figure of a woman in a red robe gradually appeared. She looked to be in her middle years, with fair skin, long legs, red lips, and white teeth, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

    She was the master of the Heavenly Dragon Casino, Liu Ruyan.

    "Who would have thought that my humble casino would attract such an esteemed guest," Liu Ruyan said calmly, her tone betraying no anger.

    "Master, this..."

    The old man with the severed arm hurriedly transmitted his voice, thinking that if they didn''t kill this person who had murdered in public, their reputation would be ruined.

    "Step back."

    Liu Ruyan nced at him. The old man trembled, bowed, and retreated.

    Then, the red-robed woman looked at Xu Hei and smiled, "Esteemed guest, what would you like to y?"

    "I already said, I''m ying for my life," Xu Hei replied, his expression unchanged.

    "Very well, the Heavenly Dragon Casino has always had a rule: whatever the guest wants to y, we will amodate," Liu Ruyan nodded slightly.

    This bizarre scene caused an uproar among the crowd.

    The Heavenly Dragon Casino was the most profitable force under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, an economic pir. Even Core Formation Stage cultivators wouldn''t dare cause trouble here.

    Yet this middle-aged male cultivator had killed someone in public and severed the arm of the old manager, and he was just let off?

    "Isn''t he the infamous gambling addict Ma Teng? He sold his wife and children."

    "What''s going on?"

    "Heavens, when did Ma Teng get such a powerful backing!"

    The crowd spected wildly. How had Ma Teng gotten so lucky? Not only had he broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, but he also had such a powerful backing that he dared to kill in the Heavenly Dragon Casino without being captured.

    Most of the people present were locals from the Chu Kingdom, with few from the Qin Kingdom.

    They had never encountered an inner disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect in their lives and couldn''t fathom the use of a puppet in ce of a real person.

    Many were unaware of such puppet techniques, only the high-level members of the Heavenly Dragon Casino could recognize it, but they didn''t expose it.

    Xu Hei walked to a tform and waved his hand.

    "Whoosh!"

    A figure flew onto the tform, it was Zhang Kuang, controlled by Xu Hei.

    "You and I will gamble. You send someone to fight this person. If your person wins, I''ll lose ten thousand to you. If they don''t win, you lose ten thousand to me. How about it?" Xu Hei said calmly.

    Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, "Agreed."

    She waved her hand, and a burly man walked out from among the ves and stood on the tform. This man had reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, equal in cultivation to Zhang Kuang.

    The onlookers were stunned.

    This was clearly Zhang Kuang, who was responsible for debt collection, yet he was on the tform like a ve.

    And his expression seemed unusually calm.

    "Others can ce bets too. The odds are two to one. I''ll ept all bets. You have the time of one stick of incense to decide," Xu Hei said.

    The crowd looked at each other, hesitant to ce bets.

    This situation was clearly not simple. Who would dare get involved?

    However, many gambling addicts with low intelligence and some influential people were present.

    After a while, many ced their bets.

    "I bet a hundred on Zhang Kuang to win."

    "I bet three hundred on the ve to win..."

    Soon, Xu Hei collected three thousand spirit stones in bets.

    "I bet five thousand spirit stones on Zhang Kuang to win."

    Thest bet was ced by a young cultivator. He had an arrogant demeanor, handsome looks, and had reached the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage at a young age.

    "That''s the young master of the Bai Family, Bai Qiushui!"

    "He''s a prodigy, said to have achieved a perfect Foundation Establishment, capable of fighting evente Foundation Establishment cultivators."

    Whispers spread among the crowd.

    Xu Hei was taken aback. It was the first time he had heard of a perfect Foundation Establishment in someone else.

    The Bai Family was a renowned noble family in the Qin Kingdom. Bai Xiu and Bai Ye were both from the Bai Family.

    Bai Qiushui nced at Xu Hei and nodded slightly.

    Xu Hei paid no attention to him and said directly, "Begin!"

    As soon as Xu Hei spoke, he controlled Zhang Kuang to charge forward, engaging in a fierce battle. The ve quickly stabilized his stance.

    The ve had survived countless life-and-death battles, and both his spellcasting and physical body had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage. In terms of raw strength, he was clearly superior to Zhang Kuang.

    However, Zhang Kuang was under Xu Hei''s control.

    "Boom!!!"

    After a few moves, Xu Hei controlled Zhang Kuang to self-destruct while holding the ve, resulting in both of them dying on the spot.

    Everyone was stunned.

    They had never seen a self-destruction in a tform battle before.

    "A draw, all bets are collected!"

    Xu Hei gathered all the spirit stones from the bettors, including Liu Ruyan''s, making a small profit of eighteen thousand.

    Ignoring the angry expressions of the crowd, Xu Hei sent Manager Zhu onto the tform and said, "For the second round, I''ll have him fight. You send someone too. The rules remain the same."

    Manager Zhu, who was at the mid-Foundation Establishment Stage, was not fully controlled. His eyes were filled with deep fear as he looked at Liu Ruyan, seemingly pleading for help.

    Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, her voice turning cold, "Esteemed guest, I have respected you and given you some face. I hope you know when to stop. The Heavenly Dragon Casino is not a ce to be bullied!"

    Liu Ruyan could see that Xu Hei had no other intention but to cause trouble.

    ying along once in front of so many people was giving face, but if he pushed too far and even dared to kill a Foundation Establishment manager, where would her dignity be?

    As the casino master, she wasn''t easy to bully. Did he really think she feared a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect?

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Hei frowned slightly, taking something out of his storage bag.

    "Your voice was too low, I didn''t hear what you said. Could you repeat it?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes gleamed coldly, and he applied slight pressure to the bead in his hand. The bead emitted a world-destroying aura, with arcs of lightning spreading and rumbling. It was the Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    "Run!"

    The entire crowd was terrified, retreating frantically. Even Bai Qiushui''s face changed drastically as he retreated hundreds of meters, taking out a Small Teleportation Talisman for safety.

    Liu Ruyan could no longer remain calm. Her face changed dramatically as she shouted in shock, "Friend, calm down! Let''s talk this out!"

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 126: Ten bets, nine losses; lose everything and stop

    Chapter 126: Ten bets, nine losses; lose everything and stop

    Liu Ruyan''s heart was in turmoil.

    The Thunder Tribtion Pearl, a devastating weapon of war, was priceless and unattainable!

    The creation of this pearl was extremely difficult. Only when a cultivator reached the Core Formation Stage and attracted the Heavenly Tribtion, with a great divine ability user nearby to condense the tribtion lightning into a single point using supreme artifact refining techniques, could it be formed.

    Such stringent conditions made mass production of the Thunder Tribtion Pearl impossible; each use meant one less in existence.

    Who was this person, to possess a Thunder Tribtion Pearl?

    "Fellow Daoist, don''t be impulsive. Everything is negotiable. How about putting down the Thunder Tribtion Pearl?" Liu Ruyan had never been so flustered.

    "I''m not impulsive at all, just a bit shaky. I can''t handle stimtion, so you''d better not say anything to provoke me," Xu Hei said calmly.

    "Alright, we''ll do as you say. Let''s continue with the second round, okay?" Liu Ruyan was truly scared; this guy was a lunatic.

    The biggest feature of the Thunder Tribtion Pearl was that it didn''t distinguish between friend and foe. Once used, it meant mutual destruction, but its power was undeniable.Back then, she had set up countless third-tier defensive formations, used numerous magical treasures, and had senior experts protecting her, barely surviving the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions, and was severely injured as a result.

    If the tribtion were to be triggered without any preparation, not only she but the entire Heavenly Dragon Casino and even half of themercial district would be doomed!

    Xu Hei stared at her for a long time before finally putting down the Thunder Tribtion Pearl and putting it away.

    Liu Ruyan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    The crowd watching had long lost their interest in the spectacle.

    Except for a few who were not afraid of death and returned, most had scattered, fleeing the Heavenly Dragon Casino to avoid being caught in the explosion if the lunatic really detonated the Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    Bai Qiushui hesitated for a long time but finally steeled himself and returned.

    Who knows what was going through his mind.

    Momentster, only the casino staff, ves, and a few spectators remained.

    Liu Ruyan sent an old ve at the Foundation Establishment Stage onto the arena. At Xu Hei''smand, the two immediately began to fight.

    At this moment, the old manager with a severed arm returned.

    "Master, I''ve investigated the matter. The cause is as follows..."

    The old manager exined the situation through sound transmission.

    "Those two bastards..."

    Liu Ruyan''s face twisted upon hearing the exnation, cursing Zhang Kuang and Manager Zhu''s ancestors for eighteen generations. These two jinxes, of all people to provoke, they had to provoke a lunatic like this.

    Running a casino involved many shady dealings, especially in debt collection¡ªforcing people into prostitution, kidnapping, and murder weremonce.

    They could even lure the families and children of those unwilling to gamble into gambling.

    With these methods, the Heavenly Dragon Casino, under the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, was the most profitable business.

    Usually, Liu Ruyan couldn''t be bothered to intervene.

    But these two didn''t even investigate who they were dealing with. A week ago, they extorted 1,300 spirit stones from Ma Teng, who didn''t cause trouble, which was already lucky. Now, they even incited Ma Yuanyuan to plot against him.

    No wonder someone came to make trouble.

    "Ahhh!!"

    Manager Zhu''s limbs were twisted, and he screamed miserably, ultimately ending in self-destruction, taking others down with him.

    In an instant, the Heavenly Dragon Casino lost two Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    An unprecedented humiliation!

    Liu Ruyan sighed inwardly, epting her bad luck for the day, and handed over 10,000 spirit stones.

    "Continue!"

    Xu Hei took out the Thunder Tribtion Pearl and walked towards the casino''s interior.

    Liu Ruyan gritted her teeth and followed.

    "I wonder, how long does this esteemed guest n to y?" Liu Ruyan asked.

    "Until the end of time, until I lose everything!" Xu Hei sneered.

    Lose everything... Liu Ruyan''s eyelids twitched.

    The casino members nearby all had expressions of gritted teeth.

    "Heh, your people invited me to y back then, so why am I not wee now?" Xu Hei said with a fake smile.

    "You misunderstand, we certainly wee you!"

    Liu Ruyan outwardly ttered him while inwardly cursing those two again.

    Next, Xu Hei started ying human vs. demonic beast battles.

    The Heavenly Dragon Casino raised many demonic beasts, either bought or captured, all fitted with Beast Control Rings for human maniption.

    Using these small tricks, they secretly controlled the oues to earn gambling money.

    In gambling, nine out of ten bets are lost, nine out of ten bets are scams; the only way to win is not to gamble.

    Of course, Xu Hei''s method was an exception.

    If you could carry explosives into a casino, they would ensure you win.

    "Let that rat fight that big cat. I bet 10,000 spirit stones on the rat winning!" Xu Hei pointed to the caged rat demon and cat demon.

    Everyone looked at each other in disbelief.

    The rat was only at the mid-stage of Spirit Communion, while the cat demon was at theter stage, with a bloodline suppression. How could it win?

    Liu Ruyan signaled to someone, and the manager immediately arranged for the two demonic beasts to be brought to the arena.

    The battle began.

    With just one move, the rat demon was caught in the cat''s mouth, unable to fight back.

    "Crack!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s hand trembled, causing a slight vibration in the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, and his body tensed up.

    "Stop!"

    Everyone''s faces changed drastically.

    The old manager immediately willed the rat to go berserk, escaping the cat''s mouth, while the cat mysteriously weakened, having its neck bitten off.

    The rat demon won narrowly!

    Xu Hei''s hand stopped shaking, and he took his winnings, feeling pleased.

    Bai Qiushui suddenly regretteding to watch this spectacle.

    This was clearly dancing on the edge of a knife!

    "This guy is a lunatic, a maniac!"

    Bai Qiushui, usually arrogant, couldn''t muster any arrogance in front of such a ruthless person.

    As for why he followed, he was mainly curious about how the other person showed off in front of others; he wanted to learn.

    This was a profound skill.

    Among the onlookers, a few fearless bystanders focused on the fact that the casino could easily manipte the oues! What did their previous bets mean then?

    Liu Ruyan''s face was extremely ugly; this was not just a p in the face but also ruining their reputation!

    However, she couldn''t let these people leave.

    "You, and you, get on stage and fight that bear."

    Xu Hei randomly pointed to two people in the crowd.

    "Me?"

    These two were casino employees, responsible for reception and such, and were dumbfounded.

    The old manager waved his hand, directly throwing them onto the stage.

    As expected, Xu Hei won another 10,000 spirit stones, and the two employees died.

    Then, Xu Hei yed various games, winning a total of 50,000 spirit stones.

    Such a loss made even Liu Ruyan feel a pang of pain.

    They earned a lot, but most of it had to be tributed, leaving them with little.

    "Hurry and find out which disciples from the Heavenly Puppet Sect havee to Chuyang City!" Liu Ruyan secretly urged.

    "Yes!" The old manager quickly left.

    ...

    Xu Hei arrived at the stone gambling area.

    These stones were imed to be from spirit stone mines, potentially containing high-grade spirit stones and rare artifact refining materials.

    But most were junk.

    Xu Hei didn''t bother to look closely, taking out the Spirit Devouring Sword, cutting one after another, slicing through rows of stones, revealing many materials, and even damaging some treasures in the process.

    Everyone watching had twitching mouths.

    This area had a total of 1,000 stones, each priced at least ten spirit stones, the most expensive over a hundred, all casually cut through!

    More absurdly, Xu Hei only found two high-grade spirit stones and a pile of worthless stuff, showing how stingy it was.

    "So ck, too ck!"

    Xu Hei cursed loudly.

    Everyone else was angry but didn''t dare to speak.

 Chapter 127: Hit someone and leave

    Chapter 127: Hit someone and leave

    Based on the provided genre, character introductions, story settings, and name correspondences, here is the tranted text:

    ording to the listed prices, selling all these stones could fetch over sixty thousand spirit stones, but the actual value of what was cut out didn''t exceed five thousand.

    Not even a tenth!

    Meanwhile, banners overhead boasted about certain cultivators cutting out treasures worth fifty thousand, a hundred thousand. It was all just a scam.

    Xu Hei shook his head and cursed, then walked into the next stone gambling area to continue cutting.

    The stones here were enormous, some even taller than a person or a house, and their prices were equally staggering.

    The lowest priced stone was five hundred spirit stones, while the most expensive one reached a whopping ten thousand!

    Xu Hei scanned the stones with his divine sense but couldn''t prate them, so he simply started cutting.

    "Honored guest, the stones on the outskirts are one thing, but these stones here are closely monitored by the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. Some contain extreme dangers, please consider the consequences," Liu Ruyan said seriously.Bai Qiushui also reminded, "I once saw a cultivator cut out an evil weapon here, which killed him on the spot."

    Xu Hei found their words reasonable.

    As soon as he entered this area, he felt a faint sense of being watched, indicating that there were experts hidden nearby.

    They were probably there to guard this stone area.

    Liu Ruyan kept her eyes on Xu Hei, squinting slightly, wanting to see how he would react and whether he would back down.

    If he retreated...

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei drew his sword and shed at a giant stone worth three thousand spirit stones.

    "I don''t even fear the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, why would I be afraid of mere danger?" Xu Hei sneered.

    He was showing his defiance; since he was already in trouble, he might as well go all the way.

    Liu Ruyan''s face remained unchanged, but her inner fury was raging. If it weren''t for the Thunder Tribtion Pearl in his hand, she would have attacked him a thousand times over.

    "Crack!"

    The giant stone split open, revealing a blood-red light inside.

    A streak of blood shot out from the stone, and Xu Hei quickly took out his Soul-absorbing g to capture it. The snakes inside the g devoured the remnant soul in an instant.

    "This..."

    The crowd was stunned.

    Xu Heipletely cut open the stone, revealing a human skeleton inside. The remnant soul had flown out from its skull.

    "This is... an ancient cultivator!" Bai Qiushui said in a deep voice.

    "An ancient cultivator?"

    "How is that possible? The ancient era was countless millennia ago; their bodies should have turned to dust long ago."

    Some remained skeptical.

    Bai Qiushui exined, "Ancient cultivators had much stronger physiques than us. They were skilled in body refining, had excellent bone structure, and their bones were thicker. This is the proof!"

    Bai Qiushui pointed at the skeleton.

    The crowd examined it closely and found it to be truepared to their own bodies.

    The skeleton was over two meters tall, and each bone was about thirty percent thicker, like a small giant.

    "In ancient times, everyone had a perfect Foundation Establishment. Today''s Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators would be mere ants in that era."

    Bai Qiushui sighed inwardly. Despite his current brilliance, he would be nothing in ancient times, where everyone could surpass their level.

    Xu Hei said nothing, waving his hand to turn the skeleton into dust. No matter what cultivation level the person had in life, after countless years, it was worthless.

    Suddenly, a small ck stone the size of a fingernail fell from the ashes.

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed, and with lightning speed, he collected the entire pile of ashes along with the inconspicuous ck stone, almost unnoticed by anyone.

    Xu Hei continued cutting several more stones but found no treasures.

    He did, however, cut out a streak of Sword Qi that almost severed his puppet''s arm, but there was nothing inside.

    This made Xu Hei realize that even in this high-level stone gambling area, finding treasures was nearly impossible.

    Xu Hei targeted a stone priced at thirty thousand spirit stones and shed at it, but after cutting just an inch, he couldn''t cut any further.

    It was absurdly hard.

    "This stone is called Qingdan. It requires the destructive power of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator to break it," Liu Ruyan exined softly from the side.

    Xu Hei frowned. His true body wasn''t nearby, and he didn''t want to reveal his dragon scales. After a moment of contemtion, he retracted his flying sword.

    "Alright, that''s enough for today!"

    Xu Hei knew that everything had its limits.

    The other side was surely investigating his identity, possibly even contacting the higher-ups of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. He didn''t want to actually detonate the Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    Xu Hei tried to store the giant stone in his storage bag but found it wouldn''t budge, so he had to give up.

    "Is the honored guest leaving?"

    Liu Ruyan''s eyes flickered as she probed.

    "Why, don''t want me to leave? I can stay and y until dawn," Xu Hei said with a smile.

    Liu Ruyan''s face stiffened.

    "Hehe, I have other matters to attend to, so let''s call it a day. I hope that next time Ie to Chuyang City, I''ll still receive an invitation," Xu Hei said with a forced smile.

    The crowd cursed inwardly, hoping he would leave quickly. Whoever invited him again would be a fool!

    Liu Ruyan had long reached her limit but maintained her smile, saying, "In the future, as long as the honored guest enters the city as Ma Teng, I guarantee a warm wee!"

    "Then I will certainlye as promised," Xu Hei said, cupping his hands. "Farewell!"

    He held the Thunder Tribtion Pearl and turned to leave.

    Once he exited the stone area, the sense of being watched disappeared, making Xu Hei breathe a sigh of relief.

    The hidden expert was indeed only guarding the stone gambling area and wouldn''t follow him elsewhere.

    Xu Hei instinctively nced at the jade detection disk Hei Huang had given him and found that only Liu Ruyan was marked as a red dot nearby.

    This puzzled Xu Hei. ording to his guess, the hidden expert should be a high-level Qi Condensation cultivator. Why didn''t the disk detect them?

    "It seems this jade disk isn''t foolproof," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Under various gazes, Xu Hei boldly left the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    As he walked out, someone followed him in secret.

    It was unclear if they were from the casino or just curious onlookers.

    However, one person openly followed him, none other than the Bai Family''s young master, Bai Qiushui.

    Dressed in white, with an elegant demeanor, he followed Xu Hei from a distance of about three meters, neither too fast nor too slow.

    "Fellow Daoist, may I know your name?" Bai Qiushui asked, cupping his hands.

    "Ma Teng," Xu Hei replied.

    "..." Bai Qiushui, of course, knew that this puppet body was called Ma Teng. He could only smile awkwardly. "Then I''ll address you as Brother Ma from now on."

    Xu Hei had no interest in this overly familiar person.

    He just wanted to get rid of him and said bluntly, "If you have something to say, just say it. Can you stop following me?"

    "Uh..." Bai Qiushui hesitated for a moment, then asked, "I want to know, if the casino master had troubled you earlier, would Brother Ma really have detonated the Thunder Tribtion Pearl?"

    "Of course," Xu Hei replied.

    Bai Qiushui wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, "Brother Ma, you must also have a perfect Foundation Establishment, right?"

    Xu Hei refused to answer.

    "Brother Ma, there''s no need to hide it. The Bai Family is a major n in the Qin Kingdom. I''ve been dealing with Heavenly Puppet Sect cultivators since I was young. A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn''t possibly have such proficient puppet techniques," Bai Qiushui said confidently.

    Xu Hei took out the Soul-absorbing g and said coldly, "If you keep following me, don''t me me for taking action."

    Bai Qiushui immediately froze.

    "I mean no harm. I just wanted to ask a few questions. Since Brother Ma is unwilling, I''ll take my leave!" Bai Qiushui cupped his hands and decisively turned to leave.

 Chapter 128: Thoughts are clear and accessible, act according to ones heart

    Chapter 128: Thoughts are clear and essible, act ording to one''s heart

    Bai Qiushui thought for a moment and then turned back, saying, "By the way, if Brother Ma enjoys gambling on stones, you''re wee to visit my Baidi City. The stones there are all first-hand, much better than the rejects in Chuyang City. In Baidi City, we gamble, but we don''t cheat!"

    Xu Hei paused for a moment, said nothing, and left straight away.

    Watching Xu Hei''s departing figure, Bai Qiushui''s eyes showed a look of reverence.

    Xu Hei''s heroic act today hadpletely overturned his understanding.

    Though young, Bai Qiushui was a rising star in the Bai Family and had experienced life-and-death battles, but he had never shown such brilliance in front of others.

    The world''s perception of him was limited to being the young master of the Bai Family with a perfect Foundation Establishment.

    He had an arrogant personality, disdaining to use his status to oppress others and hating those who fawned over him. However, purely based on his own strength, a Core Formation Stage cultivator could crush him with a single finger.

    But Xu Hei''s actions today made him realize that even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could make a Core Formation Stage cultivator tremble with fear.

    Bai Qiushui''s eyes flickered."Old Du."

    "At your service, young master." A shadow appeared, bowing.

    "Do we still have any Thunder Tribtion Pearls in the Bai Family?"

    "This..." The shadow shook his head, "No."

    "..." Bai Qiushui was speechless.

    ...

    Chuyang City, coremercial district.

    That night was a night of humiliation for the Heavenly Dragon Casino. Someone hade to provoke them, killed several members in public, forced the master to lose tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, and cut all the gambling stones in the outer area without a singleint.

    It was a tant p in the face!

    The news spread, and the Heavenly Dragon Casino''s reputation was utterly ruined!

    If it were just a p in the face, it would be one thing, but there were also rumors that the Heavenly Dragon Casino could manipte the oues behind the scenes. On the surface, it was gambling, but in reality, it was cheating.

    This was no longer just a matter of face but a matter of credibility!

    Once the casino lost its credibility, no one woulde to gamble. Although gamblers were foolish, they weren''t foolish enough to give money away for nothing.

    "Have you found out anything?" Liu Ruyan asked coldly.

    "Master, I have already asked Elder Ding. He said that there have only been two inner disciples in Chuyang City recently. One left yesterday, and the other is reclusive and couldn''t have caused such trouble," the old steward replied with a fist salute.

    Elder Ding, Ding Quan, was the manager stationed in Chuyang City by the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Thirty percent of the Heavenly Dragon Casino''s profits went to him, making him their biggest backer.

    Liu Ruyan''s face darkened, "Then who could it be?"

    "No need to think about it, it''s not someone from our Heavenly Puppet Sect."

    At this moment, a mechanical voice came from outside the hall.

    A mechanical dog ran in, entirely yellow, only the size of a palm, but very fast and agile. It was Elder Ding''s puppet.

    "Greetings, Elder Ding!"

    Liu Ruyan and the old steward quickly bowed.

    Ding Quan loved dogs, and all his mechanical beasts were modeled after dogs. People secretly called him Ding Dog, but he didn''t mind.

    "Elder Ding, are you sure?" Liu Ruyan asked.

    "Of course, I''ve already sniffed around. I remember the aura of every inner disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, and there''s none nearby!" the mechanical dog said with a smile.

    Liu Ruyan was first shocked, then her face turnedpletely dark.

    "Notify all city gates to set up a Ten Thousand Mile Soul-Chasing Formation. I want to make sure that person can''t escape!" Liu Ruyan said with a grim face.

    "Yes!" The old steward immediately left.

    "Apologies, Elder Ding, I have urgent matters to attend to. I''ll take my leave first!" Liu Ruyan cupped her hands.

    "Haha, no problem, business is important," the mechanical dog said with a smile.

    Liu Ruyan hesitated for a moment and couldn''t help but ask, "Once we catch that person, should we hand them over to Elder Ding, or..."

    "Just kill them directly, no need to inform me."

    The mechanical dog sneered and then disappeared.

    Liu Ruyan, being extremely shrewd, already understood his meaning!

    Thirty percent of the profits from the Heavenly Dragon Casino went to Ding Quan. How could he sit idly by while the casino''s reputation was ruined? There was only one solution: catch the person, kill them, and set an example.

    Whether that person was a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect was no longer important.

    With Ding Quan''s tacit approval, that was enough.

    As an elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, his status was high. Even if the sky fell, he would bear it. The casino only needed to handle the killing.

    ...

    Chuyang City, thergest city in the Southern Region, had a no-fly formation in the sky and an anti-escape formation underground.

    To enter or leave the city, one had to go through the city gates.

    Only Core Formation Stage cultivators could ignore these rules.

    Xu Hei stood at one of the city gates, his true self hidden in a bundle, and Ma Teng had already been swapped into the form of a skinny old man.

    As for the people following him, Xu Hei had casually wandered around the city a couple of times and used a Body Swap once, shaking them all off.

    After checking with a jade disk to confirm no one was following, Xu Hei nned to leave.

    He mingled in the crowd, queued up, and after a routine check, was about to walk out of the city gate.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed, and he stopped in his tracks.

    Xu Hei could vaguely sense a thin membrane at the city gate, invisible to the naked eye. If not for his recent breakthrough and the surge in his Divine Sense, he wouldn''t have noticed it.

    Xu Hei recognized this thin membrane; he had encountered it before!

    It was the same Divine Sense membrane he had encountered when leaving the Purple Mist Sect.

    Anyone or anything passing through it would be marked with a Divine Sense imprint, hunted to the ends of the earth.

    Including Xu Hei''s true self.

    "Is this the work of the Heavenly Dragon Casino?" Xu Hei squinted his eyes.

    He switched to another city gate and carefully checked, but the result was the same.

    Every city gate had this Divine Sense membrane.

    Xu Hei had reason to believe this was the handiwork of the Heavenly Dragon Casino, but where did they get the guts to target him?

    "Could it be the high-ups of the Heavenly Puppet Sect giving orders?"

    "Forget it, I won''t leave the city for now. I''ll go back to the inn and wait for a couple of days."

    Xu Hei made a decisive decision, abandoning his n to leave the city. He found a random inn on the roadside and checked in.

    In the inn, each cultivator had their own independent courtyard. Xu Hei took out four formation gs he had bought earlier and ced them in four directions, forming a simple shielding formation.

    This formation couldn''t block Divine Sense probes above the Foundation Establishment level but could serve as an alert, letting Xu Hei know if someone was watching.

    At the same time, he sent out two puppets to rent cave dwellings three and five miles away, respectively.

    This way, even if his true self was discovered, he could use Body Swap to escape, buying time to flee.

    The fact that the other party dared to target him, knowing he had a Soul-absorbing g and Thunder Tribtion Pearls, showed they had great confidence. Xu Hei had to be cautious.

    This situation was something Xu Hei had anticipated long ago.

    Back then, he could have ignored the other party''s schemes and left the city directly. If he had done that, perhaps nothing would have happened, and he wouldn''t be in this passive situation now.

    But Xu Hei didn''t regret it.

    If you asked why, there were only two words¡ªpeace of mind!

    He had stormed in and humiliated the Heavenly Dragon Casino, offending so many people and taking a huge risk, just for peace of mind.

    Xu Hei waved his hand, and a cold corpse appeared in the courtyard.

    It was Ma Yuanyuan''s body.

    She had been killed by Xu Hei but had died at the hands of Ma Teng, the puppet.

    "If it had been Ma Teng himself facing this situation instead of me, what would have happened..." Xu Hei fell silent.

    As an observer, he couldn''t empathize, but from Ma Yuanyuan''s despair and pain before her death, he gained a bit of understanding.

 Chapter 129: Descendants of Gongshu, relics of ancient times

    Chapter 129: Descendants of Gongshu, relics of ancient times

    Was she innocent?

    Neither innocent nor guilty.

    She merely wanted to avenge her mother, but ended up being used as a tool to plot against Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei shook his head, no longer dwelling on the matter.

    He took out the ck stone he had cut from the gambling house earlier.

    The stone, only the size of a fingernail, was peeled off from the fossilized bones of an ancient cultivator. The moment Xu Hei saw it, he realized it was a storage artifact he had seen before.

    Xu Hei had investigated this stone and believed it to be a material called "Void Stone."

    Ancient cultivators rarely used storage bags; they typically used Void Stones, which had vast space and could preserve items for a long time.

    Even after countless millennia, they wouldn''t decay.Many people embedded Void Stones in rings, naming them storage rings. They were extremely convenient for storing and retrieving items.

    However, in contemporary times, Void Stones were exceedingly rare, making storage rings almost extinct. Even Core Formation cultivators primarily used storage bags.

    Xu Hei''s divine sense probed into the ck stone, encountering ayer of dense fog.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, then took out the Soul-absorbing g, summoning a snake spirit to bite at the ck stone. Gradually, the fog thinned.

    An hourter, the fogpletely dissipated.

    Only then did Xu Hei''s divine sense smoothly enter the stone.

    Inside was an irregr spherical space with a diameter of fifty meters, filled with numerous enormous spirit nts.

    "Is this... Dragon Blood Vine! Earth me Mushroom! And..."

    Xu Hei was stunned, his breath stopping.

    These treasures were rare spirit medicines recorded in ancient texts, long thought extinct, and at least of the third rank.

    There were many others Xu Hei didn''t recognize, but judging by their appearance, they were likely of even higher rank, possibly above the fourth rank.

    Instinctively, Xu Hei touched them with his divine sense, only to see each nt turn to dust at the slightest contact.

    "This..."

    Xu Hei realized that too much time had passed. Even items in a storage ring would eventually perish.

    The space was stable, with no air cirction. If taken outside, a gust of wind would scatter them.

    Xu Hei sighed, touching each nt with his divine sense, hoping to find some remnants. Unfortunately, all turned to dust without exception.

    In the end, only a pill furnace and a token remained intact.

    The pill furnace was clearly a top-grade treasure, still metallically lustrous after countless years, though its spiritual essence had long been depleted, rendering it mundane.

    The token was quiterge, retaining some spiritual aura.

    Xu Hei''s divine sense moved, taking out the token.

    It contained some information, and as Xu Hei probed, he heard fragmented words.

    "I... descendant of Gongshu... to save my master..."

    "Great cmity... Yin Corpse Pill... seal myself..."

    "Inherit my legacy... Divine Puppet Sect..."

    Xu Hei only grasped the gist.

    This person was a descendant of Gongshu, collecting so many spirit medicines to save his master. When cmity struck, he had to take the Yin Corpse Pill to seal his physical body.

    The rest involved the Divine Puppet Sect, but too much time had passed, leaving many gaps.

    "Divine Puppet Sect... this name is quite simr to the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Are they rted?" Xu Hei pondered.

    Such ancient jade slips are hard to preserve unless by a great divine ability user.

    Judging by the medicinal herbs left behind, this person''s cultivation was likely at the peak of the Golden Core stage or around the Elemental Infant stage.

    "Even such a powerful person struggled to leave a bit of information." Xu Hei sighed.

    Time is the greatest enemy. After countless years, not only surviving but even leaving traces of existence is difficult.

    Xu Hei looked at the token in his hand and put it away.

    He then took out the pill furnace, examining it closely. Besides its sturdy material, its spiritual essence was long gone.

    So, he hadn''t gained any substantial rewards.

    "Wait a minute!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei had a sh of insight and took out the token.

    There was aplex mark on the token.

    He then took out the key left by the old ape, which had the same mark.

    The two were identical, possibly made by the same person!

    "Descendant of Gongshu..."

    Xu Hei suddenly had a thought.

    Could this key have been left by the descendant of Gongshu?

    And this key could open the mechanical box obtained from the ancient tomb.

    Xu Hei felt a chill down his spine.

    Ancient tombs, mechanical boxes, keys, descendants of Gongshu, Divine Puppet Sect...

    Could all these be interconnected?

    Xu Hei took out the ancient map, his eyes fixed on the tomb''s location.

    "It seems I need to find time to visit this tomb."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    However, now he was trapped in the city. Finding a way out was the priority.

    Xu Hei sighed, took a Qi Nourishing Pill, and sat down to cultivate.

    ...

    Two dayster, at the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    "Hmph! How bold of him to still be in the city!"

    Liu Ruyan''s expression was uncertain.

    Over the past two days, she had investigated every Foundation Establishment cultivator leaving the city, totaling over thirty people, none of whom were the target.

    Not even a single puppet was found.

    There was only one possibility: the target hadn''t left the city and was still hiding in Chuyang City.

    "Master, why don''t we conduct a thorough search? We can check every Foundation Establishment cultivator in the city; we''ll surely find him," suggested the old steward beside her.

    "No, that would offend too many people!" Liu Ruyan shook her head.

    The Thunder Tribtion Pearl was still a hidden threat. If it were outside the city, it wouldn''t matter, but inside the city, it was troublesome.

    At this moment, a yellowish figure appeared in the front hall, Ding Quan''s mechanical dog.

    "Liu Ruyan, it''s been two days, and you still haven''t caught him. How disappointing," the mechanical dog said impatiently.

    Seeing this, Liu Ruyan knew her chance hade and quickly bowed. "Please, Elder Ding, give me some guidance."

    "Hmph." The mechanical dog tossed a jade slip over. "I found traces of that person''s scent in fifteen ces within the city. I''ve marked them all."

    Liu Ruyan''s eyes lit up, and she eagerly took the jade slip.

    "Thank you, Elder Ding."

    Liu Ruyan put away the jade slip, her eyes shing with cold light.

    Her figure vanished from the spot.

    In the past two days.

    Xu Hei hadn''t stayed in one ce. He changed inns every few hours, never staying in one ce for more than six hours.

    Not only him, but also the three puppets he sent out did the same.

    Xu Hei could control up to four human puppets, maintaining flexibility. Any more, and they would be like wooden dolls.

    Xu Hei had tried to leave the city, but the divine sense barrier remained.

    He knew this barrier couldn''t be maintained indefinitely, as it consumed a lot of divine sense.

    The opponent would eventually be unable to sustain it.

    But Xu Hei no longer nned to wait.

    "My patiencests one more day. If you push me, I''ll turn your Heavenly Dragon Casino into rubble overnight," Xu Hei''s eyes were cold.

    If the opponent thought the Thunder Tribtion Pearl was just a deterrent and not a weapon, they were gravely mistaken.

 Chapter 130: Re-enter the gambling den, ignite the calamity

    Chapter 130: Re-enter the gambling den, ignite the cmity

    At that moment, Xu Hei''s expression shifted as he took out a jade detection disk.

    On the disk, arge group of Foundation Establishment cultivators was approaching him and the ces where his three puppets had been in an extremely orderly fashion.

    This group consisted of fifteen Foundation Establishment cultivators: seven in the mid-stage, five in thete-stage, and three at Great Perfection.

    Such a scale was beyond the capabilities of ordinary forces, and even the Heavenly Dragon Casino didn''t have so many experts.

    Xu Hei squinted his eyes as he watched the group quickly pass by the inn where he had previously stayed and head straight for his current location.

    "Heavenly Dragon Casino, you brought this upon yourselves."

    Xu Hei''s gaze turned cold as he severed his connection with all the puppets, leaving only Ma Teng by his side.

    He then stored Ma Teng in his storage bag.

    "Body Swap!"With a thought, Xu Hei''s true body instantly disappeared from the original spot and reappeared on a street five miles away.

    He had long set up small snakes in these ces specifically for body swapping.

    However, Xu Hei''s current body swap technique was only partially mastered and could only move him five miles at most.

    Taking a deep breath, Xu Hei ignored the cultivators tracking him and controlled Ma Teng, who wore a mask, to head straight for the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    The streets were bustling with people and traffic.

    Even in the afternoon, themercial district was still crowded. Along the way, Xu Hei overheard passersby discussing him and the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    "Ever since Ma Teng caused thatmotion, the Heavenly Dragon Casino has lost more than half its customers."

    "Heh, serves them right. I''ve always heard that the casino is a scam, but some people just don''t believe it."

    "A gambling stone worth over eighty thousand was cut open and turned out to be worth less than five thousand. Isn''t that ridiculous?"

    "Some people always dream of getting rich overnight!"

    Two people by the roadside were discussing.

    Suddenly, a middle-aged man in ck walked up and scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

    The two were startled and quickly shook their heads, "We didn''t say anything!"

    "Boom!"

    With a palm strike, the middle-aged man in ck made the two cough up blood and fall to the ground, their faces pale.

    "The Heavenly Dragon Casino has already debunked those rumors. They were spread by enemies. If you dare to talk nonsense again, I''ll cripple your cultivation!"

    The middle-aged man in ck snorted coldly, spread his divine sense, and continued walking.

    The two dared not retaliate and had no choice but to leave helplessly.

    To control public opinion, the Heavenly Dragon Casino had resorted to extreme measures, sending out many people to forcibly silence others with violence.

    In the short term, this might not be effective, but over time, people tend to forget, and it would eventually work.

    By then, they would publicly execute Ma Teng, the rumor spreader, and hang his body at the city gate, ensuring no one would dare to speak out again.

    At this moment, Xu Hei passed by, staring at the ck-clothed man with a nk expression. He raised his hand and clenched it.

    The middle-aged man in ck seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand, his head making cracking sounds before it was forcibly crushed.

    "Boom!"

    Blood sttered everywhere.

    In an instant, the entire street fell silent, and everyone looked over.

    "You dare court death!"

    From a distance, an old man in ck rode the wind, rushing over and reaching out to grab Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei took out the Soul-absorbing g and waved it, causing a swarm of snake shadows to appear and pounce on the old man.

    "It''s Ma Teng!"

    The old man''s face changed drastically, and he screamed, "Master Ma, spare me!"

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were filled with malice as the snake swarm quickly tore the old man to pieces, even absorbing his soul into the Soul-absorbing g, devouring itpletely.

    The snake swarm grew even stronger.

    After killing the Foundation Establishment old man, Xu Hei quickened his pace, using the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to leap into the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    After Xu Hei left, the ce erupted into chaos.

    "Was that... Ma Teng?"

    "Ma Teng is back! My god!"

    "He''s back to make trouble again!"

    The entire street fell into a frenzy.

    However, no one dared to go and watch.

    Neither the Heavenly Dragon Casino nor the notorious madman Ma Teng were people ordinary folks dared to approach. One wrong move, and they could be caught in the crossfire and die.

    Like the onlookers two days ago, almost none survived; they were all silenced by the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    Ma Teng was even more dangerous, often using Thunder Tribtion Pearls!

    Although no one dared to approach, it didn''t stop people from excitedly discussing in small groups.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    Today, there were very few gamblers.

    The casino had implemented a series of profit-sharing measures, and those who participated had won some spirit stones.

    They even arranged for two shills to open top-grade treasures from the gambling stones and hung banners to promote it.

    This attracted some customers.

    Xu Hei entered the casino and, without a word, started a killing spree, releasing snake spirits to kill everyone in sight, whether they were casino staff or bystanders.

    Most of the casino''s experts had been sent out, and Xu Hei, with bloodshot eyes, entered an unstoppable state.

    It wasn''t until a white-robed elder activated arge formation that Xu Hei''s rampage was slightly hindered.

    "Master Ma, when did our Heavenly Dragon Casino ever offend you to deserve such ruthless attacks?"

    The elder''s face was ashen.

    "Tell your master toe out and see me!" Xu Hei said coldly.

    ¡­¡­

    At this moment, Liu Ruyan had just captured the four puppets Xu Hei had abandoned when she received news from the casino.

    "What?!"

    Liu Ruyan couldn''t believe that Xu Hei had actually returned.

    Not only did he not leave the city, but he also went back to the Heavenly Dragon Casino, which was beyond everyone''s expectations.

    Without hesitation, Liu Ruyan retraced her steps and rushed back to the casino as fast as she could. Meanwhile, Ding Quan''s mechanical dog followed suit.

    "He actually went back. Is he courting death?"

    Ding Quan was baffled.

    However, it seemed the other party had no way out. Leaving the city meant death, staying in the city meant death, so the only option was to fight desperately at the casino.

    This was also within Ding Quan''s calctions, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

    Inside the Heavenly Dragon Casino, in the main hall.

    In front of Xu Hei, Liu Ruyan''s figure slowly appeared. Her face no longer bore the courtesy from two days ago but was filled with cold killing intent.

    "Why did youe back?"

    "Someone didn''t want me to leave, so I had toe back," Xu Hei replied calmly.

    A trace of surprise shed in Liu Ruyan''s eyes. This person could actually see through the soul-chasing technique at the city gate. Impressive.

    "Since you''re back, you won''t be leaving today!"

    Liu Ruyan waved her hand.

    As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Hei took out a Thunder Tribtion Pearl and, without giving her any time to react, threw it and clenched his hand in mid-air.

    "Explode!" Xu Hei shouted in a low voice.

    Liu Ruyan''s pupils contracted to a point.

    She had anticipated this moment but still didn''t expect Xu Hei to be so decisive.

    One must know that the range of the Thunder Tribtion Pearl was vast. Xu Hei''s true body would definitely be affected, if not killed, then severely injured.

    In that case, he would have no way to escape in Chuyang City.

    "Madman!"

    Liu Ruyan cursed inwardly, but she was prepared. The moment Xu Hei threw the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, she took out the formation disk given by Elder Ding and clenched it.

    In an instant, a light shield appeared,pressing rapidly towards the Thunder Tribtion Pearl''s location at lightning speed, aiming to minimize the destruction range.

    This was no ordinary formation but a mid-tier third-grade formation, capable of blocking most of the power of a heavenly tribtion!

 Chapter 131: Prehistoric thunder calamity, destroying heaven and earth

    Chapter 131: Prehistoric thunder cmity, destroying heaven and earth

    Long before, she had discussed with Ding Quan the method to deal with the Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect had suffered greatly from the Thunder Tribtion Pearl before. Qin Xuanji''s daughter was killed by its explosion.

    Even the emperor of the Qin Kingdom had been ambushed with a Thunder Tribtion Pearl by someone who sent him a painting.

    This formation was the proud creation of Gongshu Lei, the strongest formation Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Although it couldn''tpletely eliminate the impact, it could reduce the power of the heavenly tribtion to its minimum.

    The Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions couldn''t be fully suppressed. The more you tried to suppress it, the stronger it would explode.

    This was the terrifying aspect of the heavenly tribtion!

    This formationpressed the power of the heavenly tribtion within a specific area, releasing it cyclically without letting it spill out, thereby reducing the destruction.

    "Explode!"

    With Xu Hei''s low shout, the light shield formed simultaneously.Inside the light shield, there were thin blue lines, which were lightning conductors that could draw the lightning within the area and prevent it from spreading.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    The Thunder Tribtion Pearl was covered in cracks and instantly exploded. The destructive energy inside poured out, and the thunder roared like blue thunder dragons, letting out ferocious growls.

    "Boom!!!"

    The void shook, the heavens and earth trembled, and terrifying ripples swept out. Everyone spat blood and was thrown back.

    The lightning struck the edge of the light shield, constantly vibrating, causing the ground to crack and buildings to copse, but it couldn''t break through the encirclement.

    "It''s under control!"

    Liu Ruyan wiped the blood from her mouth, breathed a sigh of relief, and a hint of sarcasm shed in her eyes.

    Outside the casino, the mechanical dog also showed a look of disdain, sniffing around, intending to find Ma Teng''s hidden body.

    But at that moment.

    Inside the light shield, the originally blue lightning turned purple, growing darker and darker, bing deep purple, and its power was crazily increasing!

    The light shield was visibly filling with cracks, about to copse.

    "How is this possible?!"

    These words weren''t from Liu Ruyan.

    They came from the mechanical dog.

    Ding Quan''s heart was in turmoil. He could feel the formation rapidly disintegrating, unable to withstand it!

    He had nned to track Xu Hei''s real body, but now he had no such thoughts. In a sh, he fled at the fastest speed.

    Ding Quan''s hidden body also fled frantically, as if he had seen a ghost.

    Even Liu Ruyan, no matter how foolish, realized something was wrong.

    This Thunder Tribtion Pearl was abnormal!

    "Everyone, retreat!"

    Liu Ruyan shouted, and all the members inside the casino fled for their lives, their hearts in their throats, their souls almost scared out of them.

    At this moment, everyone felt a chill running from their spine to the top of their heads. This was the body''s instinctive warning of danger, a crisis of death!

    The formation controlling the heavenly tribtion was about to fail!

    As for Xu Hei''s true body, at the moment the first shockwave hit, he used Body Swap to switch ces with another puppet five miles away.

    As for the puppet Ma Teng, he decisively abandoned it.

    "What¡¯s going on with that Thunder Tribtion Pearl? Why did it turn deep purple?"

    Xu Hei''s heart was very unsettled. He had vaguely felt before that the energy of this pearl seemed different from what was recorded, but he hadn''t thought much of it.

    Now, he felt a tingling on his scalp and fled at the fastest speed.

    In the blink of an eye!

    Not long after everyone fled, just two breaths'' time.

    "Boom!!!"

    A thunderous roar that everyone in Chuyang City could hear echoed above the Heavenly Dragon Casino.

    "Boom!!!"

    The sky exploded, daylight filled the area, as if a hole had been punched in the sky, light piercing through the clouds, illuminating for miles.

    At this moment, everyone in themercial district went blind, their ears deafened, their heads buzzing, losing all senses.

    The next second, a world-destroying thunder roar swept from the center, all cultivators spat blood and were thrown back, taking out various magical treasures to resist, but each one exploded, shattered into pieces.

    Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, all were severely injured!

    These were the people in themercial district.

    As for the cultivators at the center of the Heavenly Dragon Casino, the moment the dazzling lightning swept out, their bodies vaporized instantly, turning into steam, not even a hair left.

    "What kind of tribtion is this...?"

    Only this thought appeared in Liu Ruyan''s mind.

    This wasn''t the Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribtion, definitely not. A normal Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtion wouldn''t be this terrifying!

    What they saw wasn''t blue lightning, but deep purple, mixed with a hint of ck!

    Ancient cultivators all had perfect Foundation Establishment!

    And the heavenly tribtion triggered by perfect Foundation Establishment cultivators during Qi Condensation was countless times more powerful than today''s!

    From the weakest Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribtion to the Great Heavenly Tribtion, and then to the Destruction Heavenly Tribtion, each level was a qualitative change!

    They didn''t know what kind of heavenly tribtion was stored in this Thunder Tribtion Pearl, only that it was not something a normal cultivator could withstand.

    "Bang!!"

    The shockwave hit, Xu Hei spat out a mouthful of blood, gritted his teeth, and once again used Body Swap, moving five miles away, but still being thrown out, blood oozing from his body, bones breaking.

    This was the result of him escaping at the first moment.

    If he had been at the center of the casino, one step slower, the oue would be unimaginable.

    "Die, let them all die."

    Xu Hei didn''t dare stop, fleeing at the fastest speed, running thirty miles away, still dizzy and blood surging.

    Only when he reached the city gate did the feeling disappear.

    Xu Hei nced at the detection jade te, found it had lost its function, cursed inwardly, and quickly put it away to avoid it being shattered.

    He looked back at the dazzling sky behind him, the whole city watching, faces filled with fear, as if facing the end of the world.

    Xu Hei didn''t hesitate, taking advantage of everyone''s distraction, used Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, and rushed out of the city gate.

    The thin divine sense membrane naturally disappeared, its owner likely dead.

    Outside the inner city was the outer city, a gathering ce for mortals.

    Because of the protective formation, the mortals in the outer city didn''t feel the destructive power of the heavenly tribtion, only saw the light in the inner city and heard the roaring thunder, not knowing what had happened.

    Everyone was curiously looking, pointing and discussing.

    It was their first time seeing such an apocalyptic scene, feeling a chill in their hearts.

    Xu Hei didn''t stop, fleeing at the fastest speed, not even bothering to use a puppet, moving with his true snake body.

    "This has blown up big, I wonder if I''ll be wanted by the Qin Kingdom."

    Xu Hei muttered to himself, swallowing a pill to suppress his injuries, speeding away like a thunderbolt.

    He didn''t want to use the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, it was purely ast resort. The other side had provoked him repeatedly, forcing him to take this desperate measure.

 Chapter 132: Surviving after a disaster, the myriad forms of life in the world

    Chapter 132: Surviving after a disaster, the myriad forms of life in the world

    The thunder tribtionsted for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense before finally subsiding.

    Chuyang City, the core area of the inner city.

    The Heavenly Dragon Casino was reduced to ashes in an instant under the baptism of the thunder tribtion, leaving not even a trace behind. Every member was dead, without exception.

    Even the formation guarding the ce couldn''t withstand a single breath before it exploded into fragments.

    Several nearby pces and auction houses were also affected, their formations destroyed, and the casualties were heavy.

    Only the inner courtyard of the stone gambling house remained intact for some unknown reason.

    Most of the buildings in themercial district copsed, turning into t ground. The crowd was either dead, injured, or fleeing.

    Looking around, only scorched earth remained.

    This was thanks to Gongshu Lei''s formation holding out for a moment. Otherwise, there wouldn''t have been a single survivor in this area.Of course, Xu Hei''s ability to leave smoothly and still have the strength to run was also due to Gongshu Lei''s formation.

    Otherwise, even if Xu Hei didn''t die, he would have been severely injured.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Liu Ruyan, a Core Formation Stage cultivator, had all three of her defensive magical artifacts shattered the moment the thunder tribtion exploded. Her limbs were broken, and her body was charred ck.

    Using this brief moment of obstruction, she burned her Golden Core, raised a blood shield, and sessfully used a life-saving Small Teleportation Talisman just before dying.

    She teleported ten miles away, finally avoiding the core explosion area.

    Although she had teleported away, burning her Golden Core cost her more than half of her cultivation. Her Golden Core shrank to the size of a fingernail, and her physical body suffered unprecedented damage.

    Her spirit was also heavily impacted!

    A lifetime of effort, gone!

    The Heavenly Dragon Casino, gone, with not a single survivor. All her umted wealth, destroyed in an instant!

    Even now, she felt like she was dreaming, unwilling to believe it all.

    Her heart was filled with endless regret. If she had known, why did she listen to Ding Quan''s nonsense and provoke that mysterious person?

    Ding Quan said it was safe, so it was safe? How could she participate in what the big figures of the Heavenly Puppet Sect were ying?

    "No!!"

    Liu Ruyan, now just a body and head, wailed and fell from the sky, crashing onto a brick and fainting.

    Themotion alerted two nearby cultivators.

    These two were regrs at the Heavenly Dragon Casino, having lost all their property and fallen into debt. One of their wives was even forcibly sent to the Jiaofang Division.

    The other had his hand cut off and still couldn''t afford treatment.

    Their hatred for the Heavenly Dragon Casino was beyond words. They had been spreading so-called "rumors" that tarnished the casino''s reputation.

    Because of spreading "rumors," they were crippled by ck-clothed people, and one even had his tongue cut out.

    "Look, that person is..."

    One of the cultivators, named Wang Dashuang, stared at the charred Liu Ruyan lying on the stone-paved road, reduced to just a head and torso.

    "It''s her, the master of the Heavenly Dragon Casino!"

    The other person, who had his tongue cut out, used Divine Sense to transmit his voice.

    The two exchanged a nce, their eyes shing with immense anger, and without hesitation, they rushed towards Liu Ruyan.

    Don''t ask if it was rational; they had long been desperate. What reason did they have left?

    "This person can''t be killed easily; she must suffer endless torment!"

    "Exactly! She caused us brothers such misery; we must repay her a hundredfold and not let her die easily!"

    "First, cut off her tongue! Cripple her meridians!"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Ding Quan''s true body was kneeling in front of arge tree.

    Under the tree was his mechanical dog, now reduced to a pile of coal.

    "Woo woo woo, Da Huang, you died so miserably! Da Huang!"

    Ding Quan cried his heart out.

    He looked very young, under thirty, with a tall and handsome appearance, but in reality, he had lived for countless years.

    This dog was a spirit beast he had raised since childhood, growing up with him. Later, when its lifespan ended, he refined it into a puppet, apanying him in another form until now.

    For Da Huang, he had spent a great deal of money to buy a Void Dog''s nose to attach to Da Huang, giving it an extraordinary sense of smell, which brought him repeated profits.

    Now, the dog was reduced to ashes.

    Ding Quan, not far away, was also affected, butpared to his own injuries, he cared more about the dog.

    "Da Huang, I swear, in this life, I will avenge you! I will capture that thief and cut him into a thousand pieces!"

    Ding Quan''s eyes were cold. With a wave of his hand, countless yellow dogs appeared everywhere.

    Er Huang, San Huang, Si Huang, Wu Huang... all the way to Er Bai Ling Ba Huang.

    They all looked exactly like Da Huang.

    They had keen senses, though not as good as Da Huang''s Void Dog nose, but they could still lock onto scents and track enemies for miles.

    Ding Quan rode on Er Huang''s back. At hismand, all the yellow dogs began tracking outside the city.

    Suddenly, Ba Huang barked twice, arriving at an alley entrance, barking madly inside as if it had smelled something.

    Ding Quan raised an eyebrow and murmured, "Oh? I almost forgot, Liu Ruyan isn''t dead yet."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei fled at lightning speed, escaping Chuyang City.

    Xu Hei didn''t rx, still running non-stop.

    Liu Ruyan was definitely gone, but he feared there might be others behind.

    If Liu Ruyan didn''t have a backer, Xu Hei wouldn''t believe she dared to target him.

    He had hidden in Chuyang City, and they could urately find his location, targeting every puppet''s trail. Clearly, there was a powerful figure helping behind the scenes.

    Xu Hei climbed for a day and night until his True Qi was exhausted, and his body was in unbearable pain before he stopped.

    He had long left Chuyang City, reaching the edge of the Southern Region.

    Xu Hei didn''t deliberately leave a scent trail. This trick worked on young cultivators but was counterproductive for cunning senior cultivators, slowing him down and leaving future troubles.

    "Erase the tracks, erase the scent."

    Xu Hei took out the Invisibility Talisman left by Hei Huang, stuck on two, then swallowed a Breath Suppressing Pill and activated the Dust Cleansing Technique to remove impurities from his body.

    Only then did he feel a bit more at ease.

    After running all the way, his True Qi was exhausted.

    Xu Hei found a river, pushed a tree into it, and climbed onto the trunk, drifting downstream.

    This way, he could heal while on the move.

    Xu Hei checked his gains from this trip.

    Originally, he came to Chuyang City to sell stolen goods, spend some money, and buy enough supplies to return.

    As a result, he entered with seventy thousand Spirit Stones and came out with eighty thousand.

    He had gained an extra ten thousand.

    Xu Hei shook his head helplessly. Sometimes, opportunities just coincided like that.

    Here, he had to thank the Heavenly Dragon Casino for courting death and delivering such a wave of benefits.

    With so many Spirit Stones, he couldn''t just leave them be; he had to make good use of them.

    After returning, Xu Hei nned to explore an ancient tomb marked on the map, looking for clues about the descendant of Gongshu, the key, and the mechanical box.

    However, he needed to be fully prepared.

    "I can''t go alone; I need to call for help."

    "Also, Han Te knows about that ce. ording to him, he went there with a group, but everyone died except him. Whether true or false, it must be extremely dangerous."

    "With these eighty thousand Spirit Stones, I need to buy some life-saving items, as many as possible, preferably Small Teleportation Talismans."

    Xu Hei pondered his next steps.

 Chapter 133: Xiao Chou collapses, fleeing a thousand miles

    Chapter 133: Xiao Chou copses, fleeing a thousand miles

    Chuyang City, Outer City, Xiao Family.

    The Xiao Family was just an ordinary small family in Chuyang City, running a medicinal herb business for generations. They owned several pharmacies and were somewhat well-known among mortals.

    Xiao Chou was noticed by an immortal while buying medicine and was thus recruited into the Mountain Movers Sect. It has been five years since then.

    After the Qin army''s plundering and bombardment, the Xiao family suffered heavy casualties but managed to survive.

    They were one of the few surviving families in Chuyang City.

    Xiao Chou was severely injured and bedridden for half a year before recovering.

    "Xiao Chou, now that the Qin Kingdom is in power, you can''t act recklessly like before. Be careful with your words!"

    "Don''t worry, Dad. I''m not a fool. I came back to save you all. As long as the Xiao family is safe, that''s all that matters."

    After his father''s repeated warnings, Xiao Chou packed his bags and left Chuyang City.After resting for half a year, it was time to return to the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Just before leaving, he suddenly heard an explosion from the inner city, startling him. Looking into the distance, he saw a thundercloud rising in the sky, emitting a terrifying purple light.

    After some inquiries, he learned that the Heavenly Dragon Casino had angered a fierce individual who blew up themercial district, leveling it to the ground.

    It was said that the fierce individual was a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "Is the Heavenly Puppet Sect really that fierce?"

    Xiao Chou muttered to himself.

    "That''s right, the Heavenly Puppet Sect is that strong!"

    Behind him, a graceful and stunningly beautiful young girl smiled.

    The girl was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with fair skin as delicate as a budding peony, beautiful but not seductive, more attractive than most girls Xiao Chou had seen.

    "Why are you still in Chuyang City?" Xiao Chou''s heart stirred, and he asked in confusion.

    The girl''s name was Xiao Lan, a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. She was the one who had saved him from being devoured by wild beasts in the wilderness.

    Strictly speaking, this girl was his savior.

    "I''m here to take you back to the Heavenly Puppet Sect. You are a disciple personally chosen by our ancestor. If I don''t bring you back, I can''t exin it." Xiao Lan smiled.

    "I''m a disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect, I''m not going to the Heavenly Puppet Sect." Xiao Chou refused.

    "Fine, then I''ll go with you to the Mountain Movers Sect."

    Xiao Lan put her hands on her hips and followed behind, smiling like a flower.

    Xiao Chou''s body stiffened, and he could only shake his head helplessly and walk ahead.

    At this moment, five miles behind.

    In a small hut, a burly man with a ck face, covered in muscles and a full beard, dressed in the ck robemonly worn by Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples, sat.

    The man was picking his toes and sneering, "Heh, I heard this Xiao Chou likes women. I''ve brought out the best Xiao Lan No. 1. I don''t believe I can''t handle him!"

    "Be proactiveter!"

    The man grinned mischievously.

    He was under orders from his sect to bring this perfect Foundation Establishment individual back to the Heavenly Puppet Sect by any means necessary.

    After investigating Xiao Chou''s background, he decisively used his best tactic, the beauty trap. For someone like Xiao Chou, whocked affection, this tactic was undoubtedly very effective.

    The man thought for a moment, controlled Xiao Lan to follow, and took out an exquisite gift.

    Just then.

    Arge yellow dog suddenly burst into the hut, barking at him, "Gongshu Yi,e with me immediately to chase someone!"

    Gongshu Yi''s face changed slightly, "Elder Dog?"

    "Stop talking nonsense. The person who blew up the Heavenly Dragon Casino just left the city. Follow me to chase him immediately!" The yellow dog urged.

    "But I have a task. I need to bring Xiao Chou back!" Gongshu Yi hurriedly said.

    Before he could finish his sentence, the hut exploded, and Gongshu Yi was lifted into the air, flying into the sky.

    Along with him, his puppet Xiao Lan No. 1 also soared into the sky.

    ¡­¡­

    Xiao Chou walked along the road, his face calm, but his heart was anything but calm.

    Being followed by the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, who said she wanted to go back to the Mountain Movers Sect with him.

    Xiao Chou had never even held a girl''s hand in his life. It was impossible not to have thoughts.

    "Calm down, calm down. This girl has ulterior motives. She just wants to take me to the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Don''t fall for it!" Xiao Chou kept reminding himself.

    He quickened his pace, walking ahead without looking back, but the asional whiff of fragrance and the sound of her silver bell-likeughter kept stirring his heart.

    "Xiao Chou, this is a puppet I made. Do you like it?"

    Suddenly, Xiao Lan skipped up to him, holding a palm-sized wooden puppet that looked just like Xiao Chou, and handed it to him.

    "Here, it''s for you!" Xiao Lan yfully smiled and ced the puppet in the dazed Xiao Chou''s hands.

    "This..." Xiao Chou''s face instantly turned red.

    In his life, he had only ever fawned over others, never had a girl given him a gift, let alone such a delicate puppet.

    Xiao Chou''s heart raced uncontrobly.

    What was this feeling?

    What feeling?

    That''s right! This was the feeling of being moved!

    Xiao Chou''s hand holding the puppet trembled, as if it was about to activate some long-forgotten bloodline power.

    Just then.

    A sudden explosion sounded in the distance, a house shattered, and a ck-faced man flew out, dragged by a yellow dog.

    At the same time, Xiao Lan also flew into the sky, still smiling, caught by the yellow dog and put into a storage bag.

    The ck-faced man looked at the bewildered Xiao Chou, grinned awkwardly, and said roughly, "Brother Xiao, sorry, Xiao Lan has urgent matters. She''ll y with you next time."

    With that, the ck-faced man and arge group of yellow dogs behind him sped away, flying towards the horizon.

    Leaving Xiao Chou standing alone, like a clown, motionless.

    Xiao Chou stood there, as if struck by lightning,pletely dumbfounded.

    The puppet in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.

    His dazed face gradually twisted into a contorted expression.

    "Ahhhhh!!!"

    A hysterical roar erupted from his throat, sounding like a madman.

    He understood what had just happened. He had been yed again, yed again! yed again!!

    "I swear, if I ever touch a woman again, I''ll castrate myself on the spot! Castrate! Castrate!!"

    Xiao Chou immediately took out a knife, but after hesitating for a moment, he didn''t go through with it. Instead, he howled at the sky, his voice more grating than a pig being ughtered.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the rushing river.

    Xu Hei tied himself to a piece of driftwood, swallowed several pills, and entered a state of quiet healing.

    Whether it was due to exhaustion or the severe injuries from the thunder tribtion, making recovery difficult, Xu Hei''s vision darkened, and he almost fainted.

    "No, I need to find a safe ce."

    Xu Hei inhaled an Awakening Pill, boosting his spirits, and focused on healing.

    The driftwood floated downstream. Xu Hei nced at the map. At this rate, he would eventually reach the Mountain Movers Sect area, but the journey was long and would take several days.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei was startled.

    He took out a detection jade te and saw a red dot appear a hundred miles away.

    Judging by the size of the red dot, the person was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    "Mid-Foundation Establishment... can I counter-kill?"

    This thought shed through Xu Hei''s mind but was quickly dismissed.

    The other party wouldn''t be foolish enough to send just one person to chase him. Who knew what else was behind?

    The experts in the gambling house made Xu Hei realize that the detection jade te wasn''t foolproof. There were still ways to hide from it, like puppets, which couldn''t be detected!

    At this moment, the Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly elerated, heading towards the river.

    Xu Hei was sure that he had concealed himself well before entering the river, so the other party must be following his previous scent.

    Xu Hei immediately took a deep breath, used the Gravity Technique on the driftwood, and the driftwood shot forward like an arrow, sliding downstream.

    "Ma Teng, I found you. Come out and die!"

    Behind him, the mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator''s shout echoed, but Xu Hei ignored it.

 Chapter 134: Heart of the Way Game, Cultivation Improvement

    Chapter 134: Heart of the Way Game, Cultivation Improvement

    "Ma Teng, you cowardly rat who hides in the shadows, you don''t even have the courage to fight! You''ll never reach Qi Condensation in this life!"

    The Foundation Establishment cultivator continued to curse.

    These words were venomous, almost like a psychological suggestion meant to disrupt one''s Dao heart.

    For an ordinary cultivator with a weak Dao heart, such words might indeed provoke them into a fight, falling right into the enemy''s trap.

    But Xu Hei remained unmoved.

    The opponent mistakenly thought that Xu Hei, who had used the Thunder Tribtion Pearl to blow up the casino, was a hot-headed and impulsive person.

    Such people are the easiest to provoke!

    In reality, Xu Hei was very calm. His impulsiveness was always based on his own will.

    As long as he believed something was right, he would do it even if it meant defying the heavens and facing death.Conversely, such low-level provocations were useless against him!

    "Ma Teng, you''d rather never reach Qi Condensation than fight me. You''re a disgrace to cultivators, a joke!"

    As Xu Hei sped away, the taunting voice behind him grew fainter and fainter.

    It was clear that the opponent couldn''t track his movements.

    "Ma Teng''s inability to reach Qi Condensation has nothing to do with me!" Xu Hei chuckled inwardly.

    He had easily defused the psychological suggestion with this method.

    However, this made Xu Hei more vignt.

    If the opponent knew his name, could he still defuse it?

    Xu Hei knew that every word rted to cultivation carried immense power. Once such a suggestion took hold, it could significantly affect one''s state of mind.

    This was no longer a simple provocation but a battle of Dao hearts.

    "My Dao heart is too strong to be disturbed by such petty tricks."

    Xu Hei thought for a moment. Since the opponent hade after him and used such despicable means, he couldn''t just let it go without a response.

    Xu Hei made a quick decision, took out a dragon scale, and carved a line of words on arge rock by the riverbank.

    "You two can''t catch me with your strength, so you resort to such despicable means. You''re unworthy of being called immortals. Your cultivation will end here!"

    As he carved the words, Xu Hei infused them with his insights from reverse cultivation, adding a touch of profound meaning. This made the words far more potent than mere insults.

    After finishing, Xu Hei didn''t care whether the opponent would find it. He immediately used the Earth Escape Technique to flee far away.

    In reality, if the opponent wasn''t stupid, they would follow the river and eventually find the rock.

    Xu Hei didn''t expect the words to have a significant effect, but if they could disrupt the opponent''s state of mind and make them spend energy to counteract the influence, that would be enough.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    On the riverbank, the ck-faced man Gongshu Yi continued to shout.

    "Ma Teng''s puppet master, I''ll give you three more breaths to consider. If you don''t even dare to face a Foundation Establishment cultivator like me, what right do you have to talk about cultivation?"

    "¡­¡­"

    After shouting for half an hour, Gongshu Yi was exhausted.

    He opened a mechanical box, and a yellow dog appeared inside.

    Gongshu Yi said bitterly, "Elder Dog, that person ispletely unresponsive. He must have already left!"

    The yellow dog looked grim and said coldly, "Even if he has left, he must have heard your words. His state of mind is inevitably damaged. This trip was not in vain."

    The yellow dog shed and disappeared, reced by a middle-aged man¡ªDing Quan''s true form.

    Ding Quan looked around to make sure no one was hiding nearby, then sighed and prepared to leave.

    Suddenly, he raised his hand and sucked a rock from the riverbank into his hand.

    "This is¡­"

    Gongshu Yi also came over. When he saw the words on the rock, his face changed dramatically, and he took several steps back in rm.

    The rock bore the line Xu Hei had left, suggesting their cultivation would end here.

    Ding Quan''s face turned ashen, uglier than if he had eaten something foul.

    "Damned bastard!"

    He crushed the rock in his hand.

    The fact that the person had left such words indicated that not only had he not been affected by their taunts, but he had also calmly thought it through and countered, putting them in a difficult situation.

    Ding Quan wasn''t much affected, but Gongshu Yi might be in trouble.

    Ding Quan turned to look and was stunned.

    Gongshu Yi stood there pale-faced, trembling, his legs shaking, and cold sweat pouring down.

    He kept reying the words "despicable means, unworthy of being called immortals" in his mind.

    He had used many despicable means in his life.

    "Gong! Shu! Yi!"

    Ding Quan''s shout was like a thunderp, jolting Gongshu Yi awake.

    Gongshu Yi spat out a mouthful of blood and was thrown backward,nding on the ground.

    "What just happened¡­"

    He looked bewildered. Just seeing those words had made him lose consciousness, repeatedly reflecting on his despicable actions.

    Ding Quan realized something was wrong. It wasn''t just the words; there was something else attached to them.

    He took a deep breath, realizing he had underestimated the opponent.

    "Thank you, Elder Ding!"

    Gongshu Yi came to his senses and quickly bowed in gratitude.

    If it weren''t for Ding Quan''s thunderous shout breaking his thoughts, he might have suffered severe damage and really ended his cultivation here.

    "Alright, I''ll continue to investigate this person in the shadows. You don''t need to get involved."

    Ding Quan sighed.

    He had initially brought Gongshu Yi along to use his Foundation Establishment cultivation to lure the opponent into a counterattack. Given the opponent''s arrogant nature, he might have fallen for it.

    But it backfired. The opponent didn''t take the bait and almost caused Gongshu Yi serious harm.

    "Yes!"

    Gongshu Yi took a deep breath, bowed, and left with lingering fear.

    Surrounded by a group of yellow dogs, Ding Quan stared downstream, lost in thought.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei didn''t continue drifting along the river.

    After a certain distance, he used the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground, found an underground river, and kept diving, constantly changing directions.

    Another day and night passed.

    Xu Hei remained underground, and the jadepass showed no signs of pursuit. He hadpletely shaken off his pursuers.

    Even Xu Hei didn''t know where he had escaped to.

    "I''m exhausted. I''ll sleep first."

    Xu Hei dug out a cave, took out the Soul-absorbing g, wrapped it around himself, and fell into a deep sleep.

    As long as danger approached, the snake spirit within the Soul-absorbing g would automatically attack the intruder and wake Xu Hei.

    He didn''t know how long he slept.

    During his sleep, the tip of his tailbone was quietly changing.

    In fact, after Xu Hei stormed the Heavenly Dragon Casino and detonated the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, the first dragon bone at the tip of his tail had already begun to transform.

    As Xu Hei fell into a deep sleep, this transformation reached its final stage and was finallypleted.

    Five dayster.

    Xu Hei slowly woke up, the pain in his physical body gone, feeling refreshed as if he had recovered from a great battle.

    It was said that human cultivators rarely slept as deeply as he did.

    They usually rested in a meditative state and never in deep sleep, which was a difference between human cultivators and demonic beasts.

    "I seem to have be stronger?"

    Xu Hei frowned slightly. The first thing he felt upon waking was this instinctive realization.

    He scanned himself with his Divine Sense and suddenly discovered that the first bone at the tip of his tail had turned a dark golden color.

    In appearance, it had reached a perfect state.

    This was purely a feeling. Xu Hei''s self-perception told him it was perfect.

    Moreover, his cultivation had also improved slightly, with his solidified spiritual foundation covering about thirty percent, still seventy percent away from the mid-stage.

    "I''ve improved this much!"

    Xu Hei was astonished.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 135: Chu Kingdom border, strange tales and odd stories

    Chapter 135: Chu Kingdom border, strange tales and odd stories

    Xu Hei broke through the underground tunnel and emerged onto the surface.

    He spread out his Divine Sense, extending it within a five-mile radius, and found himself in an unfamiliar ce.

    Towering mountains and steep ridges, deste and uninhabited.

    "Where am I?"

    Xu Hei''s face was full of confusion as he took out the map of the Southern Region forparison. After looking at it for a long time, he was still at a loss.

    Before he lost consciousness, he had been dizzy and disoriented, unable to remember his bearings. He had just kept charging forward, not knowing where he had ended up.

    The Southern Region was vast, and Xu Hei was certain he hadn''t left its boundaries; he should still be within its range.

    He took out a jade disk and checked it. Within a hundred-mile radius, there were no red dots indicating the presence of cultivators.

    Xu Hei wandered around for a while, then flew into the sky to get a better view. There were no viges nearby, just mountains upon mountains.This made Xu Hei realize with frustration¡ª

    He was lost.

    However, as a demonic beast with rich survival experience, he knew that finding a river would lead him to a vige. This was the simplest method.

    Once he found a vige, he could use the map to find his way out.

    He didn''t stay in the air for long andnded on the ground. A leopard demon saw him and, terrified, its fur stood on end as it fled in panic.

    Xu Hei didn''t release any of his cultivation power, appearing just like an ordinary snake. But he had killed too many people and had experienced life and death multiple times, giving him an aura of ferocity.

    This aura made ordinary predators not dare to approach him.

    Xu Hei pounced and swallowed the leopard demon.

    Not long after, Xu Hei found a small stream and followed it downstream.

    He found a piece of floating wood to lie on and entered a state of cultivation, not wasting a single moment. At the same time, Xu Hei spread out his Divine Sense, ready to stop drifting as soon as he detected human presence.

    Unknowingly, two days passed.

    Along the way, there wasn''t a single human figure, and Xu Hei had no idea where he was.

    On the third day at dawn, Xu Hei smelled the fragrance of peach blossoms.

    He looked up and saw that the stream had flowed into a peach grove. The grass was lush, the petals were falling, the water was clear and transparent, fish swam in the shallow waters¡ªan incredibly beautiful scene that made him feel a sense of tranquility and peace.

    Such a scene, whether viewed from a human or demonic beast''s perspective, was breathtakingly beautiful, like a painting.

    As time passed, the hostility in Xu Hei''s heart unknowingly disappeared.

    This hostility had grown during his constant killing, and even Xu Hei himself hadn''t realized it.

    The floating wood continued to drift, and the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth gradually became denser.

    During this process, Xu Hei felt very at ease, as if lying in an absolutely safe house, not needing to be on guard or worry about being killed. The hostility disappeared, and so did the ferocity.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei thought of a problem.

    "Wait, it''s winter now, how can peach blossoms be blooming?"

    Xu Hei shivered, his eyes snapped open, and he shot out of the stream like lightning.

    He stared at the peach grove on both banks, filled with suspicion.

    The Spiritual Qi here was dense, and since entering this ce, he had felt veryfortable, his body and mind bathed in tranquility, making him unconsciously want to rx.

    For Xu Hei, this was not a good sign.

    Xu Hei looked at the strange peach grove and then at the end of the stream, where a cave seemed to appear. But when he used his Divine Sense to probe, he found nothing.

    This made Xu Hei instantly tense.

    He had heard some rumors that some cultivators, to avoid war, would retreat to deep mountains and forests, creating a paradise to live out their years in peace, away from the world.

    The mindset of a cultivator could also affect the environment, washing away killing intent and irritability, leaving only peace.

    Xu Hei thought it best to stay away from such unknown things.

    He quickly retraced his steps and left along the stream. Once he was far away, that feeling of ease disappeared, and he was back in the jungle.

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    "Phew! That ce was truly strange, affecting the mind without one realizing it."

    "However, that sense of peace and tranquility was unprecedented. I feel much lighter."

    Xu Hei reminisced for a moment, took a deep look back at the end of the peach grove, sighed, and turned to leave.

    After he hadpletely left, the peach grove vanished as if it had never existed.

    Recalling the cave he hadn''t entered, Xu Hei could imagine it must have been a paradise.

    Xu Hei spotted a cat demon, restrained his aura, and crept up to it.

    The cat demon stared at Xu Hei but didn''t flee like the leopard. Instead, it bared its teeth and attacked.

    Xu Hei flicked his tail, swiftly dodging to a distance.

    "Even the ferocity in me is gone. That ce is truly magical," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    After hesitating for a moment, he turned back and swallowed the cat demon.

    He had to be fair.

    Xu Hei changed direction, moving away from the stream and heading in another direction.

    To find a vige, Xu Hei no longer hesitated and used Sword Flight. After three days, he finally spotted a human vige at the edge of his vision.

    Xu Hei immediately set off, flying a hundred miles to the vige entrance.

    The stone tablet at the entrance had two words: Ma Town.

    "Ma Town..."

    Xu Hei took out the map to identify it, but to his frustration, Ma Town wasn''t on the map of the Southern Region!

    There was only one possibility: this town was too remote to be officially recorded.

    Even the war hadn''t reached here.

    In fact, Ma Town was a newly established settlement by refugees fleeing the disasters of the Qin Kingdom, located in an extremely remote area.

    Originally, the people of Ma Town lived self-sufficiently, but the influx of refugees had overwhelmed the limited resources, leading to overcrowding.

    The streets, the town outskirts, everywhere were beggars and refugees, with rotting corpses piling up in ditches, uncleaned.

    "Please, give us something to eat!"

    "I can wash clothes and chop wood, I can do anything, please take me in!"

    "¡­"

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense swept over the area, seeing refugees begging everywhere.

    Some desperate people had turned to banditry, robbing and stealing, making Ma Town chaotic.

    However,pared to ces ravaged by war, where nine out of ten houses were empty, this ce was still rtively better.

    Xu Hei didn''t n to stay. He just wanted to ask for directions and leave.

    He locked onto a Qi Refining Stage cultivator and transmitted a message: "Which part of the Southern Region is this?"

    The cultivator was in seclusion and was startled by the sudden voice. He quickly stood up and respectfully replied, "Senior, this is the southwestern border. Eight hundred miles east is Liefeng City."

    Xu Hei recalled the location of Liefeng City, nodded silently, and left immediately.

    At that moment.

    A melodious sound of a zither came from afar.

    The music was enchanting, seemingly with an invisible power that could cleanse the soul and purify resentment. Many refugees, upon hearing the music, immediately showed happy smiles, as if bathed in sunlight.

    They no longer felt hungry, no longer tired, all negative emotions vanished.

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed, and he sent out a mechanical puppet to the street.

    At the end of the street, a luxurious long carriage was slowly approaching. A veiled woman sat on the carriage, ying a guzheng, while a group of maidservants walked ahead, scattering flower petals to clear the way.

    "Join the Changle Sect, and attain eternal bliss!"

    "Join the Changle Sect, and suffer no more pain!"

    "Join the Changle Sect, and be free from illness and disaster!"

    "¡­"

    The maidservants chanted slogans as they walked.

    Listening to the slogans and the music, both refugees and locals were filled with happiness, smiles on their faces, with no trace of negativity or despair.

    Even the Qi Refining Stage cultivator Xu Hei had questioned was no longer tense or fearful, a smile on his face, looking serene.

    Xu Hei felt something was off.

    Without a word, he quickly left, sealing his ears and nose to avoid hearing the enchanting music.

 Chapter 136: Repair the Magical Treasure, create Talisman

    Chapter 136: Repair the Magical Treasure, create Talisman

    Xu Hei had never heard of the Changle Sect.

    In fact, the woman ying the zither wasn''t a powerful cultivator; her cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment Stage.

    The melody she yed merely had a calming and stabilizing effect, capable of controlling emotions, useful for mortals and low-level cultivators.

    But Xu Hei thought of that eerie peach grove. Upon entering, all his negative emotions were dispelled, even the baleful aura was purified.

    He couldn''t help but link the two together.

    "With these two countries at war, all sorts of strange beings are emerging," Xu Hei mused.

    Xu Hei was familiar with the five great sects of the Chu Kingdom and the single sect of the Qin Kingdom, but he had never heard of the Changle Sect. It was likely a new emergence.

    Where there''s opportunity, there''s development.

    There were also some demonic sects and evil factions that often surfaced during wartime, massacring viges, refining corpses and souls¡ªit was quitemon.Xu Hei didn''t know how to categorize the Changle Sect; it didn''t seem like an evil faction, but he didn''t want to get involved with it in any case.

    Eight hundred miles due easty Liefeng City.

    This distance wasn''t far for Xu Hei now.

    Xu Hei traveled at a steady pace, neither hurried nor slow, passing through a ughtered town along the way.

    The town, with a poption of over ten thousand, had been reduced to just a thousand survivors. Corpses were piled in pits, emitting a dense baleful aura. Xu Hei could faintly see a red mist hovering over the town.

    Xu Hei didn''t know if the massacre was done by the Qin army or by demonic cultivators framing the Qin army. It had nothing to do with him.

    At this moment, a red-robed cultivator was lurking underground, absorbing the remaining baleful aura to forge his spiritual foundation, hoping to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Most of the baleful aura from over ten thousand people had already been taken by someone else, leaving him with the scraps.

    "Another strange being," Xu Hei shook his head.

    He approached and transmitted his voice, "What''s your name?"

    The red-robed cultivator''s face changed drastically, spitting out a mouthful of blood in panic, "Junior... Junior Li Yang! What are your orders, Senior?"

    He had been in seclusion for half a month, just a few days away frompleting his Foundation Establishment, but was interrupted. Yet, due to the opponent''s cultivation, he could only suppress his anger and answer patiently.

    "Li Yang, not a bad name. It will be mine from now on!" Xu Hei sneered coldly.

    Li Yang was stunned for a moment, then reacted with terror. Without hesitation, he soared into the sky, pulling out various magical treasures and amunication jade slip.

    "Thud!"

    His body stiffened, a bloody hole appeared in his forehead, and he fell before he could use his treasures.

    Xu Hei collected the corpse and quickly left.

    He had run out of human puppets and needed a suitable one. This person would be perfect for refining into a Foundation Establishment puppet.

    He checked the storage bag and found that the person''s identity was well-hidden, with no identity token found, suggesting he was a rogue cultivator.

    However, themunication jade slip was exquisitely made, and he didn''t know who it would contact.

    Xu Hei didn''t bother with it. After refining the puppet and storing the jade slip, he headed straight for Liefeng City.

    Liefeng City, a small city in the Southern Region, was less than a tenth the size of Chuyang City.

    It was a city where mortals and cultivators coexisted, with both an inner and outer city.

    Xu Hei checked with a jade disk and found that the city had no Core Formation cultivators, only e Foundation Establishment cultivator.

    The city''s protective formations were all second-tier, prohibiting flight and underground travel, with entry and exit only through the city gates.

    Xu Hei saw a Foundation Establishment cultivator flying into the city from the sky.

    Xu Hei didn''t make a scene and entered the city through the gate obediently.

    Once inside, he first checked the wanted notices.

    To his surprise, he found that the Qin Kingdom had not issued a warrant for his arrest.

    The wanted list mostly consisted of rebels and traitors from the Chu Kingdom, as well as Core Formation cultivators, with some bounties exceeding a hundred thousand spirit stones.

    Compared to these high-level cultivators, Xu Hei was insignificant.

    "Looks like I was overthinking. They wouldn''t issue a warrant for their own sect member," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He then headed straight for thergest Myriad Treasure Pavilion in the city.

    Myriad Treasure Pavilion had branches in every city. Xu Hei directly found the branch master and asked bluntly if they had any life-saving items.

    "Small Teleportation Talismans are rare and in high demand. I can''t guarantee avability, but we do have a third-tier defensive magical treasure. However..." The branch master hesitated.

    "However, what?" Xu Hei asked quickly.

    The old cultivator sighed and led Xu Hei to an underground za.

    In the center of the za stood a three-meter-tall pagoda, its surface battered and cracked, as if struck by immense force, looking ready to copse.

    "This Moon-supporting Pagoda is a mid-tier third-tier spiritual treasure, but it''s severely damaged. It will be destroyed after one use. If you need it, I can sell it to you at the price of a low-tier third-tier spiritual treasure, just thirty thousand spirit stones," the old cultivator said with a wry smile.

    "Thirty thousand for something that can only be used once?" Xu Hei frowned.

    "You''re mistaken, esteemed guest. This treasure''s spirituality is intact, with the potential to birth a spirit in the future. If you buy it, it''s surely for repair. If you manage to repair it, it will be a genuine mid-tier third-tier spiritual treasure, worth far more than thirty thousand," the old cultivator exined.

    Though true, the materials needed for repair would not be cheap.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you have the recipe for the Small Teleportation Talisman?"

    "Haha, the recipe for the Small Teleportation Talisman is known to all major sects and families. The main issue is the scarcity of materials, hence the high demand. I can make a deal: if you buy this pagoda, I''ll give you the recipe for free!" the old cultivatorughed.

    A stick of incenseter.

    Xu Hei decisively spent thirty thousand spirit stones to buy the Moon-supporting Pagoda and the recipe for the Small Teleportation Talisman.

    After reading the recipe, Xu Hei understood why it was so rare.

    Because the main ingredient was Void Stones!

    Xu Hei had heard of this before, but seeing it confirmed today.

    Additionally, he learned that a single high-grade spirit stone cost at least a thousand low-grade spirit stones to exchange, and even then, it wasn''t guaranteed!

    In other words, Xu Hei''s remaining fifty thousand spirit stones could only exchange for fifty high-grade ones.

    Xu Hei shook his head and left immediately.

    "Heavenly Puppet Sect disciples are truly wealthy."

    The branch master sighed deeply. A Foundation Establishment cultivator could casually spend tens of thousands of spirit stones to buy a Core Formation treasure, something unimaginable in other sects.

    Of course, a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn''t wield a third-tier spiritual treasure, so it was likely bought for an elder.

    ...

    Next, Xu Hei moved to another city and, using a simr method, acquired the remaining materials for the Small Teleportation Talisman and a high-quality artifact refining furnace.

    He spent another twenty thousand spirit stones in total.

    Afterward, Xu Hei left the city and headed deep into the mountains.

    He found a deste, uninhabited ce, dug a cave, and began his secluded refining and talisman crafting.

    For an average Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if they obtained a third-tier spiritual treasure, they couldn''t use it.

    Third-tier spiritual treasures required the true essence of Core Formation cultivators to activate, a level above the true qi of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    However, Xu Hei''s true qi was of such high quality that it was very close to true essence, allowing him to barely use third-tier spiritual treasures.

    For example, the Soul-absorbing g, after absorbing the soul of the Jiao Python, was already considered a low-tier third-tier spiritual treasure, and Xu Hei could wield it freely.

    But the defensive pagoda he bought was meant for life-saving in critical moments, not for killing or suppressing.

    Such high-intensity consumption was beyond Xu Hei''s means.

    "To repair the Moon-supporting Pagoda, I could try this..."

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and took out the pill furnace he had found in the jade slip of the descendant of Gongshu.

    This pill furnace was an ancient relic, long devoid of spirituality, but the materials were still intact. Melting it down to repair the Moon-supporting Pagoda would be perfect.

    This was Xu Hei''s n.

    He had never refined artifacts before, but with a foundation in puppet crafting, learning wouldn''t be difficult. He had also obtained many artifact refining jade slips from the Mountain Movers Sect.

    It was arge project, but Xu Hei was very patient.

 Chapter 137: Artifact Refining failed, unexpected trouble

    Chapter 137: Artifact Refining failed, unexpected trouble

    Xu Hei nted the formation gs in all directions, setting up a small formation. Then, he took out the artifact refining furnace.

    Unlike a pill furnace, the artifact refining furnace only required the infusion of True Qi to continuously increase its temperature. As long as the temperature was high enough, even the toughest materials could be melted.

    With a thought, Xu Hei sent the ancient pill furnace into the refining furnace and began infusing it with True Qi.

    "Boom!"

    In an instant, the interior of the refining furnace turned red, and the temperature soared rapidly, resembling the core of the earth. However, the surface of the furnace remained icy cold.

    This furnace had cost Xu Hei eighteen thousand Spirit Stones, the highest quality refining furnace he could afford, capable of melting third-tier Spiritual Treasures.

    Time slowly passed.

    With the continuous infusion of True Qi, the temperature inside the furnace reached an extremely terrifying level, glowing red like a small sun.

    "Strange, why hasn''t this pill furnace melted yet?" Xu Hei''s face showed doubt.The ancient pill furnace remained intact inside the refining furnace, without any reaction, not even a change in color.

    At such a temperature, an ordinary third-tier Spiritual Treasure would have long melted.

    "I don''t believe this, let''s increase the temperature further!"

    Xu Hei swallowed a pill and continued to infuse True Qi.

    Three hours passed.

    Xu Hei had infused most of his True Qi, consuming five Rejuvenation Pills in the process.

    Inside the refining furnace, the heat waves were overwhelming, as if he were inside the sun, distorting the space around it.

    Even the previously cold surface began to heat up.

    Such a temperature could only be achieved by Xu Hei''s True Qi; no other Foundation Establishment cultivator could manage such an exaggeration.

    Yet, despite this, the pill furnace remained unmoved!

    Wisps of white steam began to rise from the surface of the refining furnace, apanied by faint cracking sounds.

    Xu Hei''s expression changed; the refining furnace was reaching its limit, yet the pill furnace still hadn''t melted!

    "I refuse to believe this!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, swallowing a handful of Rejuvenation Pills and forcefully infusing arge amount of True Qi.

    The temperature inside the refining furnace rose another notch.

    Xu Hei was certain that at this temperature, even the Moon-supporting Pagoda would melt into liquid, and even higher-grade Magical Treasures would show some reaction.

    But to his dismay, the ancient pill furnace remained unresponsive.

    The refining furnace began to shake slightly, with more white steam rising and cracking sounds bing more pronounced, faint cracks appearing.

    Even the stable formation gs started to shake violently.

    "Not good!"

    Xu Hei''s face changed dramatically, and he quickly withdrew his hand and retreated.

    "Boom!!!"

    A deafening explosion echoed through the cave, the refining furnace unable to withstand the heat and explodingpletely, the force terrifying.

    The explosion caused a nearby mountain peak to copse.

    Within a hundred meters, the rocks melted into liquid under the intense heat, turning into magma.

    Xu Hei was sted away, crashing deep into the ground, covered in soot and charred all over.

    Fortunately, he had dragon scales protecting him, so he wasn''t seriously harmed, just severely shaken.

    Xu Heiy underground for a long time before recovering.

    "I actually... failed..."

    Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    This was his first attempt at artifact refining, and he had been full of confidence, yet he couldn''t evenplete the first step of melting the materials.

    Xu Hei crawled back, diving into the cooling magma to retrieve the intact ancient pill furnace and stored it in his Void Stone.

    Not wanting to waste anything, he also collected the fragments of the refining furnace, storing them carefully.

    "What material is this ancient pill furnace made of, to be so sturdy? What a pity."

    Xu Hei shook his head and sighed.

    He wasn''t discouraged; the steps he had taken were correct, it was just that the material of the pill furnace was beyond his capabilities.

    It was a pity that the refining furnace he had bought for eighteen thousand Spirit Stones couldn''t even refine a single Magical Artifact and was now useless.

    He could only buy a better refining furnace or find a natural treasurend to try again.

    Xu Hei adjusted his breathing and rested for a while before starting to craft Talismans.

    Compared to artifact refining, Talisman crafting required more skill.

    Among puppets, there was a branch called Talisman Puppets, and the two were closely rted. Xu Hei had previously made some low-level Talismans.

    Now, he took out the Talisman crafting materials and began to carefully carve.

    Xu Hei meticulously drew on a piece of Talisman paper, sometimes applying materials. After a whole day, he took out a small Void Stone and imprinted it.

    Momentster, the Talisman shed with a ck light, bing semi-transparent and emitting faint spatial fluctuations, formingplex patterns.

    The Void Stone had shrunk by about one-tenth.

    "Sess!" Xu Hei was delighted.

    Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a Small Teleportation Talisman, though the color was slightly different, covered in ck patterns.

    "Never mind, it''s good enough."

    Xu Hei didn''t stop and continued crafting; the more life-saving items, the better.

    The first Talisman took him a day to make.

    The second one took only three hours.

    The more he made, the more skilled Xu Hei became, and the time required shortened.

    By the time he used up this small piece of Void Stone, Xu Hei had crafted eight Small Teleportation Talismans, enough for him to use freely.

    He still had tworger pieces left, which he could use to make more in the future.

    "Why not test one out?"

    The thought shed through his mind but was quickly dismissed.

    These things were precious; he couldn''t afford to waste them.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei sensed something.

    He took out themunication jade slip he had found in Li Yang''s Storage Bag.

    The surface of the jade slip gradually gathered Divine Sense, and momentster, a phantom figure appeared, its features blurred, emitting strong Divine Sense fluctuations.

    "Tomorrow night, at the third watch, Mountain Movers Sect."

    The figure spoke.

    Xu Hei stared at the figure, surprised.

    What a peculiar way of transmitting messages; Xu Hei had never seen anything like it!

    The person behind this message clearly had a high cultivation level.

    Just then, the figure suddenly said, "Why is there no response?"

    Xu Hei was startled, alive?

    He reacted quickly, spitting a mouthful of fire at the figure.

    "Stop! Who are you?"

    The figure roared, but Xu Hei didn''t hesitate, summoning the Soul-absorbing g and sucking the figure in.

    The voice stopped abruptly, and the jade slip was burned to ashes by Xu Hei.

    Staring at the remnants, Xu Hei fell silent.

    It seemed he had stirred up trouble; there was a powerful figure behind Li Yang.

    Could he still keep this puppet?

    Xu Hei had thought it was just an ordinarymunication jade slip, but it turned out to contain something akin to a clone.

    Though it wasn''t exactly a clone, as it had nobat power, only capable of speaking and issuingmands.

    Xu Hei''s mind raced as he took out the treasures from Li Yang''s Storage Bag again, checking each jade slip one by one for anything simr.

    He even released the Jiao Python spirit to swallow and spit out each one, ensuring nothing was missed before putting them away again.

    "Mountain Movers Sect is not far from here, just on my way. Should I avoid it?" Xu Hei pondered.

 Chapter 138: After a long separation, it feels familiar

    Chapter 138: After a long separation, it feels familiar

    Outside the Mountain Movers Sect, in an unremarkable small town.

    Inside a tavern, a group of inly dressed farmers sat around a table, drinking rice wine and whispering among themselves.

    "Something happened to Li Yang," said a man with a bushy beard.

    "Hmph, that man was always on the wrong path. It''s a miracle he didn''t betray us sooner. Don''t count on him," a wrinkled woman snorted coldly.

    "Master, what''s the point of recruiting these rogue cultivators? None of them are reliable," a young man in coarse clothes muttered.

    The bearded man sighed, took arge gulp of wine, and said, "I know Li Yang. He wouldn''t betray us. I believe something unexpected happened to him."

    A towering man with a soldier''s bearing nodded in agreement, "In these times, it''s hard enough to gather together. Let''s not speak such discouraging words."

    "In the future, there will be fewer and fewer like-minded people!" A bald man at the next table smiled bitterly and recited a Buddhist chant.

    As the group chatted, the sky gradually darkened.At this moment, everyone in the tavern looked out the window, towards the distant Mountain Movers Sect.

    "Back when the Mountain-moving Patriarch was still around, the sect was so glorious. What a pity, what a pity."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A hundred miles outside the Mountain Movers Sect.

    A ck snake shed by and burrowed underground.

    Xu Hei ultimately decided not to bypass the sect because he suddenly remembered that there was a spiritual vein beneath it, providing a continuous supply of spiritual qi that could aid in artifact refining.

    Moreover, there was the heavy-pressure artifact refining chamber left by the first patriarch.

    This was arguably the best ce for artifact refining in the Southern Region''s sects. There was no second ce like it!

    It was the only ce where he had a chance to melt the ancient pill furnace. If he failed again, he would have to wait until he reached the Core Formation Stage to try again.

    Originally, Xu Hei didn''t n to take such a risk.

    But he had just refined eight Small Teleportation Talismans. If he chickened out over this, he might as well give up on exploring the great tomb and just go into seclusion to await death.

    "There''s some risk, but it''s worth a try."

    Xu Hei took out a jade disk for detection. Inside the Mountain Movers Sect, there was only one red dot symbolizing the Core Formation Stage, representing a patriarch in seclusion.

    Judging by the brightness of the red dot, the person''s life force wasn''t strong, possibly due to injuries.

    Xu Hei immediately sprang into action.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the foot of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Xiao Chou was climbing the steps. Although he could fly up the mountain with his cultivation, he seemed to prefer walking.

    Along the way, some Qi Refining Stage disciples nced at Xiao Chou, their expressions turning strange. After confirming it was him, they couldn''t help but smile.

    But whenever Xiao Chou looked over, they would stop smiling, put on serious faces, and pretend to be deep in thought.

    "What''s going on?" Xiao Chou wondered.

    He had encountered this phenomenon more than once or twice on his way back. Every disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect who saw him had the same expression.

    Were they mocking him?

    Xiao Chou was very sensitive to ridicule and could spot it instantly.

    "Hey! Kid, what were youughing at just now?"

    Xiao Chou grabbed a disciple and demanded.

    "I wasn''tughing, senior. You misunderstood. I really wasn''tughing!" the disciple hurriedly replied.

    Xiao Chou stared at him for a long time, but the disciple refused to admit it, so he had no choice but to let him go.

    Finally, when Xiao Chou reached the mountain gate.

    The gatekeeping disciple saw Xiao Chou and couldn''t hold back any longer, bursting intoughter.

    Thisughter triggered a chain reaction. All the Qi Refining Stage disciples behind him clutched their stomachs andughed uncontrobly, some even rolling on the ground withughter.

    "Is this the protagonist of that stone tablet?"

    "That''s right, just like his name!"

    "I usually don''tugh unless I can''t help it, haha..."

    "......"

    Seeing the people around him, Xiao Chou''s face turned as dark as if he had eaten something foul.

    At this moment, a tall elder appeared in the sky, looking down at Xiao Chou with eyes like lightning and an imposing aura. This was his master, Shi Longzi.

    "Master!" Xiao Chou quickly bowed.

    "Xiao Chou, you have disgraced the sect and have been expelled. You are not to step foot in the Mountain Movers Sect again. Leave!" Shi Longzi nced at him coldly, not giving Xiao Chou a chance to speak, and disappeared.

    Xiao Chou stood there, stunned.

    Theughter behind him grew even louder.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    It was noon.

    Xu Hei had been wandering around the foot of the mountain for half a day, looking for a disciple to blend in with.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei heard loudughtering from above.

    Looking from a distance, he saw a dejected disciple standing at the mountain gate, surrounded by countless peopleughing at him.

    That person beingughed at looked somewhat familiar.

    Xu Hei stuck on an Invisibility Talisman and approached, his eyes widening in surprise.

    "Xiao Chou?"

    Xu Hei wasn''t mistaken. It was indeed Xiao Chou. Wasn''t this guy supposed to be dead?

    In that situation, rushing into Chuyang City to defend it was practically suicide.

    Xu Hei observed for a moment and confirmed it was indeed Xiao Chou. This scene felt familiar. When he first arrived at the Purple Mist Sect, this guy was also beingughed at by a group of people.

    Now, despite his increased cultivation, he was still beingughed at. Truly a unique talent.

    "Forget it, I''ll help you out."

    Xu Hei took out an Awakening Pill and slightly activated his true qi.

    In an instant, a nauseating stench spread out, causing all the disciples nearby to clutch their heads and vomit. Some even rolled down the steps.

    "What the hell is that smell?"

    "So disgusting! Damn it!"

    The gatekeeping disciple turned pale, clutching his stomach and vomiting.

    In just a few breaths, all the disciples nearby fled in panic, not a single one remaining.

    Only Xiao Chou stood there, turning his head to look at the source of the smell.

    This once extremely foul odor now felt oddly familiar.

    "Is it... Senior Hei?"

    Xiao Chou looked towards the empty void.

    Xu Hei transmitted his voice, "How did you know it was me and not someone else?"

    Hearing this voice, Xiao Chou''s eyes immediately welled up, his nose tingling, almost bursting into tears.

    Xu Hei was puzzled.

    Why are you so emotional? Did the smell make you cry?

    Xu Hei quickly put away the Awakening Pill.

    Xiao Chou, holding back his tears, said, "This Awakening Pill, although it smells bad, actually... well, it still smells bad."

    He wanted to say it smelled good, but found he couldn''t lie.

    Xu Hei, not wanting to waste time, climbed up to Xiao Chou and said, "Get into the mountain. I need to go to the artifact refining chamber of the Mountain Movers Sect."

    Xiao Chou nodded repeatedly, "Yes!"

    He took out the elder token of the Mountain Movers Sect and walked to the mountain gate.

    At this moment, the gatekeeping disciple had recovered and shouted at Xiao Chou, "Xiao Chou, you''ve been expelled from the sect. How dare you..."

    Before he could finish, Xiao Chou''s eyes turned cold, and he pped the disciple from a distance, sending him flying with a powerful gust of wind.

    "Smack!"

    The crisp sound of the p echoed as the gatekeeping disciple was sent spinning through the air, crashing to the ground with a broken tooth and a bright red handprint on his face, blood flowing.

    "Let me through, or I''ll kill you!"

    Xiao Chou''s eyes were icy as he pressed the token against the mountain gate''s barrier.

    "Yes, I''ll let you through right away!"

    The gatekeeping disciple didn''t dare to stop him and opened the passage, allowing Xiao Chou to enter the mountain.

    Xiao Chou quickly disappeared into the distance.

    Watching Xiao Chou''s departing figure, the gatekeeping disciple''s eyes turned cold, and he gritted his teeth, "Xiao Chou, you brought this on yourself. Don''t me anyone else!"

    "Your master showed mercy by only expelling you. Otherwise, with the crimes of killing Elder Qiu Hua, two enforcers, and five Foundation Establishment Stage members of the Qin army, you''d be dead a hundred, no, a thousand times over! Just wait until the other elderse after you. Let''s see how you handle it!"

 Chapter 139: The dragons energy has vanished, and the fate is exhausted

    Chapter 139: The dragon''s energy has vanished, and the fate is exhausted

    The Mountain Movers Sect, still the familiar scene.

    Passing through the outer sect za and entering the mountain tunnel, the lives of the inner disciples were all within the mountain. The closer to the spiritual vein, the denser the spiritual Qi.

    Along the way, Xiao Chou ignored the various nces and discussions, his mind focused solely on the task Xu Hei had entrusted to him.

    In truth, Xiao Chou was not foolish; he knew the risks of returning to the sect, yet he did not hesitate, resolutely heading to the center.

    For no other reason than Xu Hei having saved his life!

    Back then, if Xu Hei hadn''t rescued him, he would have been killed by Hua Yuntian.

    Although Xu Hei had fed him various strange pills and conducted all sorts of experiments, causing him much suffering.

    But itter proved that those strange pills truly had life-saving effects!

    Xiao Chou had a wed character, but he valued gratitude deeply.Otherwise, he wouldn''t have risked his life to save his parents, nor would he have returned to the sect to see Shi Longzi, knowing he hadmitted a grave crime.

    The puppet Xiao Lan could deceive him because it saved his life, leaving Xiao Chou without any suspicion.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After a long time.

    Xiao Chou arrived at the central area of the mountain range, in front of a stone door.

    This was the artifact refining chamber of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    The sect became a major force in artifact refining because of the gravity refining chamber left by the patriarch of old.

    Just like how the Purple Mist Sect excelled in pill refining, every sect had its own focus.

    "Xiao Chou!"

    In front of the refining chamber appeared an elder in a yellow robe, with dry skin and cloudy eyes, looking like an old man at the end of his life.

    "You have been expelled from the sect, why have you returned?"

    The yellow-robed elder spoke calmly; he was the gatekeeping elder who had guarded this ce for two hundred years, a figure from the era of the first patriarch. The refining chamber had always been his responsibility.

    "Junior wishes to use the refining chamber once, and will leave immediately after. I hope Elder Hai will grant this request!" Xiao Chou sped his fists.

    Xu Hei hid in the back, ready to act at any moment.

    The yellow-robed elder stared at Xiao Chou, and after a while, waved his hand.

    Xu Hei was about to unleash the Soul-absorbing g, to strike the elder down with lightning speed.

    Suddenly, the door to the refining chamber opened.

    "¡­¡­"

    Not only was Xiao Chou stunned, but Xu Hei was also taken aback; clearly, this scene was beyond their expectations.

    "I owe your master a favor, use it quickly and leave, I''ll pretend you never came." Elder Hai nced at Xiao Chou, his tone still calm.

    "Thank you, Elder Hai!" Xiao Chou nodded excitedly.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief; he had been prepared for a battle, but the elder''s understanding saved them the trouble.

    Xiao Chou and Xu Hei simultaneously slipped through the stone door, which slowly closed behind them.

    Elder Hai sat cross-legged in front of the door, his eyes filled with bitterness.

    "Since the patriarch''s fall, the Mountain Movers Sect has declined with each generation, even losing its backbone. Thisst hard bone cannot be retained either." Elder Hai sighed deeply in his heart.

    The gravity refining chamber, the core of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Inside was a massive hall, filled with formation gs forming a grand formation, connected to the underground spiritual vein, allowing for continuous extraction of spiritual Qi.

    At the center was a super reactor, connected to the earth vein, immovable, a masterpiece of the Mountain-moving Patriarch.

    "My heavens, if this doesn''t melt, I might as well bash my head in."

    Xu Hei gazed at the colossal structure, his heart in awe.

    He hesitated no longer, taking out the ancient pill furnace and tossing it into the reactor, then activated the formation, injecting spiritual Qi.

    In an instant, a blue me ignited within the reactor, the temperature rising at an astonishing speed.

    Space distorted, gravity increased, and the blue me grew brighter, the temperature skyrocketing.

    In just the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, it surpassed Xu Hei''s previous peak.

    Moreover, it consumed very little true Qi; Xu Hei''s ck true Qi merely served as a catalyst, most of it was consuming the spiritual vein.

    Seeing this, Xu Hei couldn''t help but sigh inwardly; having a sect as a backing was indeed an advantage over being a rogue cultivator.

    Demonic beasts, without a sect or teacher, could only explore on their own.

    Xu Hei gradually realized how monstrous Xu Bai was!

    "By the way, Xiao Chou, there might be changes in the Mountain Movers Sect at the third watch tonight," Xu Hei suddenly said.

    "What do you mean?" Xiao Chou was taken aback.

    Xu Hei briefly recounted the events that had urred.

    He then took out Li Yang''s puppet and ced it in front.

    Xiao Chou stared at Li Yang, muttering, "I think I''ve seen this person before; he used to be with the Astrology Bureau, butter practiced evil arts and was expelled."

    "Astrology Bureau¡­"

    Xu Hei fell into deep thought, vague suspicions forming in his mind.

    Xiao Chou took a deep breath and solemnly said, "Senior, no matter what changes ur, I will guard the door and not let anyone step inside until you finish refining!"

    Xu Hei said nothing, only increased his efforts, true Qi surging forth, causing the temperature to soar once more.

    The underground spiritual vein was also drawn, spiritual Qi transforming into dragon-like streams, pouring into the formation, pushing the temperature to an unimaginable level.

    The blue light was dazzling, like a star, enveloping the pill furnace; both gravity and temperature were enough to shatter any third-tier magical treasure.

    Xu Hei continued to inject true Qi, and by nightfall, the pill furnace finally began to change.

    Starting from the outer shell, ck liquid began to flow down, first from the three legs of the furnace, then from the corners.

    "It''s finally done!"

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief, the hardness of this was simply absurd.

    Xu Hei did not know that under the pull of his true Qi, a stream of dragon Qi from the underground spiritual vein flowed into the reactor.

    Dragon Qi is the foundation of the spiritual vein, a symbol of fortune.

    Once dragon Qi is lost, the spiritual vein will gradually wither, and the sect''s fortune wille to an end.

    Originally, dragon Qi could not be easily extracted, but since the Mountain-moving Patriarch''s fall, the dragon Qi had be unstable, growing worse over time, with the sect''s fortune declining year by year.

    After the Mountain Movers Sect defected from the Chu Kingdom and joined the Qin army, the dragon Qi and spiritual vein became severed.

    Tonight, at the third watch.

    Under Xu Hei''s guidance, the dragon Qi was officially extracted, leaving the spiritual vein, leaving the Mountain Movers Sect!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    It all seemed destined.

    At the same time.

    A group of ck-clothed people silently appeared at various locations within the Mountain Movers Sect, each standing in a ce, vaguely forming a mysterious formation.

    They made hand seals, took out formation gs, and at the stroke of the third watch, pressed them onto the ground simultaneously.

    "Seal!"

    With a single word, invisible seals spread from the formation gs, connecting with each other to construct a massive formation, enveloping the Mountain Movers Sect in the blink of an eye.

    This formation would iste all external probing and prevent anyone inside from sending messages out.

    Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

    Deep within the Mountain Movers Sect, at the entrance of the refining chamber.

    The long-silent Elder Hai suddenly opened his eyes.

    He first looked at the sky, then at the earth, his cloudy eyes seeming to see the future.

    "The dragon Qi has vanished, the fortune of the Mountain Movers Sect has reached its end."

 Chapter 140: The first lamp of the spark of stars

    Chapter 140: The firstmp of the spark of stars

    The massive formation took shape, forming a shell that enveloped the Mountain Movers Sect.

    All the ck-clothed individuals removed their masks, revealing their true faces, and swiftly moved to the entrance of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    At this moment, the disciple guarding the mountain was muttering to himself.

    "Strange! I''ve already reported to the sect leader, so why hasn''t Xiao Chou been expelled?"

    "Something''s not right!"

    The disciple was pondering.

    Suddenly, countless dark shadows flew across the sky like meteors, unstoppable.

    The disciple''s face changed drastically. He quickly took out a jade slip, but before he could crush it, a silver-haired girl raised her hand and grasped.

    The disciple was flung away, caught by an immense force."State your name," the silver-haired girl said coldly.

    The disciple''s eyes were nk as he stammered, "Fang Yu."

    "Boom!"

    As soon as he spoke his name, his body exploded into a mist of blood.

    A burly man with a bushy beard nearbyughed, "Little Silver, asking for names before killing, that''s a bad habit."

    This burly man was the one from the tavern.

    "He guarded the mountain for twenty years; he deserves a name."

    As the silver-haired girl spoke, a giant like an iron tower stomped the ground and charged like a meteor, crashing into the light barrier.

    His entire body was covered in runes that spread out and merged into the barrier. The Mountain Protection Array instantly became as fragile as paper, with arge gap smashed open.

    "Boom!!"

    The entire Mountain Movers Sect shook.

    All the sect''s disciples were rmed.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    The elders of the Mountain Movers Sect all emerged from their secluded cultivation, riding flying swords, and hovered in mid-air, their expressions changing drastically as they looked at the crowd of ck-clothed individuals ahead.

    "That man is... Shen Daozi, Xu Qingfeng, a wanted criminal with a bounty of 150,000 spirit stones!"

    Everyone stared at the burly man with expressions as if they''d seen a ghost.

    "That''s the Silver-haired Witch, with a bounty of 80,000!"

    "And there''s the Demon Monk Ku Xuan, the Demon Man Zhang Tie, the Little Overlord Xiang Fei, all notorious rebels!"

    At this moment, everyone''s hearts were in turmoil.

    After the Chu Kingdom''s defeat and the Astrology Bureau''s destruction, some Chu Kingdom cultivators couldn''t withstand the Qin army, so they formed bandit groups, causing chaos everywhere.

    They specifically targeted the Qin army and its allies, robbing and killing to seize treasures, earning themselves a fearsome reputation, each with a bounty of over ten thousand spirit stones.

    These rebels and bandits were either survivors of the Astrology Bureau, elites among the Chu army, or like-minded individuals.

    With the Chu Kingdom fallen, some harbored hopes of restoring the kingdom.

    Some were simply bandits by nature.

    In any case, for various reasons, they came together, forming a sizable group and bing nationally wanted criminals.

    Yet today, these rats who had been hiding everywhere dared to invade the Mountain Movers Sect, attacking a major sect for the first time in history!

    The burly man Xu Qingfeng stepped forward and shouted, "Mountain Movers Sect, colluding with foreign enemies, plotting rebellion, unforgivable crimes! Today, I, Xu Qingfeng of the Astrology Bureau, will act on behalf of heaven and eliminate theseckeys!"

    Xu Qingfeng''s voice, filled with boundless righteousness, echoed throughout the mountain gate.

    In an instant, the word "guilty" appeared above everyone''s heads in the Mountain Movers Sect!

    This was the mark of a criminal. Xu Qingfeng, as the Astrology Bureau''sw enforcement elder, was skilled in the art of words, capable of killing with words alone!

    At this moment, many disciples felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and self-reproach, even harboring suicidal thoughts.

    "Hmph! A bunch of bandit scoundrels, iming to act on behalf of heaven? Ridiculous!"

    An elderly man with white hair stepped out from the deep mountains, covering a thousand feet in a single step, surrounded by surging heat waves, his entire being like a furnace.

    The Mountain Movers Sect''s ancestor, the fifth-generation sect leader, Shi Xuan.

    He was also the only Core Formation cultivator in the sect.

    With a wave of Shi Xuan''s hand, the "guilty" words immediately dissipated.

    At this moment, the current sect leader Shi Lin, core elders Shi Longzi, Shi Fengzi, and others appeared one after another, staring at the intruders with extremely grave expressions.

    "The sect is sealed; we can''t call for help or retreat. We can only fight," Shi Lin said solemnly.

    Everyone''s expressions changed.

    The enemy had set up such a grand scheme; today, it was destined to be a battle to the death!

    "Then let''s fight! Just these bandits think they can destroy our Mountain Movers Sect? What a joke!"

    Shi Xuan took the initiative to move forward, his withered body rapidly expanding, flesh growing, bones crackling, his hunched body straightening and rising, white hair turning ck, his emaciated form regaining its luster.

    In the blink of an eye, he transformed from an old man into a robust middle-aged man.

    Xu Qingfeng scanned the crowd and coldly shouted, "Thinking of escaping before the battle, seeking help? Truly a bunch of cowards. You knelt before the Qin army back then, and today, you can kneel before us!"

    As he finished speaking, the word "kneel" appeared above everyone''s heads.

    At this moment, everyone in the Mountain Movers Sect felt their bones soften, involuntarily wanting to surrender, to kneel and beg for mercy.

    "Silence!!"

    Shi Xuan wentpletely berserk, roaring in anger, his voice spreading out, shattering all the "kneel" words.

    He clearly understood Xu Qingfeng''s verbal attacks, extremely insidious, capable of damaging one''s Dao heart. The best way to counter it was to silence him through force.

    Shi Xuan''s body expanded, rapidly growing into a stone giant, charging at Xu Qingfeng with earth-shaking momentum, waves of energy surging.

    "Everyone, attack!"

    Zhang Tie, who had broken through the formation, shouted, his arm swelling, sweeping out like a giant, the fierce energy instantly hitting two elders, their bodies exploding into pulp.

    The others also charged into the sect, unleashing their magical treasures and skills, attacking the Mountain Movers Sect members.

    "Fight! Defend the sect!"

    "Kill these rebels!"

    The elders and disciples of the Mountain Movers Sect also rushed out, shing with the invaders.

    Sect leader Shi Lin sat in the square, activating the sect''s protective array.

    A phantom stone figure emerged from the ground, the third-tier array spirit, the Stone Daoist, guarding the sect for generations.

    Without a word, Zhang Tie''s body swelled to match the Stone Daoist''s size, punching out like a warrior, causing a massive wave of energy. The Stone Daoist also punched, the two engaging in pure physicalbat, creating earth-shattering booms!

    "Sin, sin! Namo Amitabha..."

    The demon monk Ku Xuan closed his eyes, sitting cross-legged, holding a string of Buddhist beads, chanting the Rebirth Mantra, transcending the souls of the dead, and also the living.

    "What''s your name? Yan Lei? Die!"

    The silver-haired girl, calm as water, asked each person''s name before instantly erasing them.

    "All troops, form up, charge!"

    Xiang Fei led a five-man team, charging into the enemy ranks. This team, all at the Foundation Establishment Stage, wielded shields and spears, forming a battle formation, wless in both offense and defense.

    There was also a young man with purple hair, not fighting but specializing in stealing storage bags and magical treasures. Many elders'' treasures were snatched away before they could even use them.

    This group,posed of the Astrology Bureau, orthodox army, evil cultivators, witches, and bandits, stormed a major sect, like a spark igniting the first me!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the Mountain Movers Sect, in the artifact refining room.

    Outside, the battle raged, but inside the refining room, it was quiet. The formation here isted all disturbances.

    Xu Hei looked at the jade disk, seeing fourrge red dots, his heart heavy.

    "Four Core Formation Stage..."

    Xu Hei had severely underestimated the danger of this mission.

    However, he had plenty of Small Teleportation Talismans. If push came to shove, he could ensure his survival.

    Moreover, these four Core Formation Stage individuals weren''t all from the same faction.

    Xu Hei noticed that three of the red dots came from outside, meaning among the attackers, there were three Core Formation Stage cultivators, quite a grand scheme!

    The Mountain Movers Sect had only one Nascent Soul ancestor, plus the Mountain Protection Array, making two at most. Who knew how long they could hold out?

 Chapter 141: Silver-haired Witch, Bounty Hunter

    Chapter 141: Silver-haired Witch, Bounty Hunter

    "Need to speed up."

    Xu Hei nced at the reactor.

    At this moment, most of the three legs of the alchemy furnace had melted, with some edges turning to liquid, but the main structure remained intact.

    At this rate, it would take two or three days topletely melt, and Xu Hei couldn''t afford to wait.

    Immediately, he summoned the Moon-supporting Pagoda and tossed it into the reactor.

    "Merge!"

    Xu Hei activated the Gravity Technique, causing the ck liquid on the ground to rise and attach to the Moon-supporting Pagoda, quickly integrating with it.

    Under Xu Hei''s control, the damaged pagoda began to repair itself at a slow pace.

    The pagoda''s core functions were intact, requiring no re-refinement, only structural repairs. This simple task was within Xu Hei''s capability.As for how much it could be repaired, that was up to fate. Xu Hei couldn''t wait, so he had to use this clumsy method for now.

    Xu Hei kept an eye on the monitoring jade disk, where red dots were rapidly disappearing, indicating the death of Mountain Movers Sect members.

    The invaders numbered only fifty, but each was an elite.

    The weakest among them had reached the Great Perfection of the Qi Refining Stage, with more than half at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    The Mountain Movers Sect had more than ten times their numbers, yet they were like y chickens and pottery dogs, unable to withstand the assault.

    Ordinary disciples fell like ants, dying in droves, and even elders could only hold on for a short time, their strength not on the same level, unable to match even those of the same realm.

    Xiao Chou seemed to realize something, pacing back and forth in front, restless.

    At this moment, arge red dot on the jade disk entered the mountain''s interior, rushing towards them.

    "A Core Formation Stage cultivator ising!" Xu Hei''s gaze turned serious.

    He released the Li Yang puppet and took out the Soul-absorbing g, ready to act at any moment.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the Mountain Movers Sect''s za.

    des and swords shed, shouts of battle shook the heavens, bodies fell one after another, flying swords shattered, and blood flowed like rivers, resembling a hell on earth.

    Ordinary disciples faced a one-sided massacre, and the high-ranking elders were retreating step by step.

    The strongest, Patriarch Shi Xuan, was being beaten by Xu Qingfeng, spitting blood, barely holding on.

    Even the third-tier formation spirit was being suppressed by Demon Man Zhang Tie, each punch making it more illusory.

    These bandits were all top talents of the same realm, each one a Chosen!

    The purple-haired youth, who specialized in stealing magical treasures, wore a cold smile as he rushed towards the mountain cave, snatching several elders'' storage bags along the way.

    "Keep up, don''t let him loot the treasury alone, we want a share too!" Xiang Fei cursed.

    The group exchanged nces, and several Foundation Establishment cultivators immediately followed.

    "Little Silver, you keep an eye on him too," Xu Qingfeng urged.

    The silver-haired girl frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly followed into the mountain.

    Inside the mountain was the inner sect of the Mountain Movers Sect, with countless cave dwellings.

    Every time the purple-haired youth passed a cave dwelling, he rushed in and looted it clean.

    "Young friend, I''m only after wealth, not lives, so don''t act rashly!"

    Inside a cave dwelling, the purple-haired youth waved his hand, taking everything, even stripping the disciple of his clothes, leaving nothing behind.

    He looted all the way, nothing valuable escaped his eyes, even scraping ayer off the metal floor.

    The followers behind him were all dumbfounded.

    The purple-haired youth acted with extreme caution, avoiding any ce that might have traps or dangers, only targeting easy cave dwellings.

    When encountering members of the Mountain Movers Sect, even if they were weaker than him, he never attacked, as if he truly was only after wealth.

    Before long, he reached the most central area, the entrance to the Artifact Refining Room.

    "This is the Mountain Movers Sect''s Artifact Refining Room. It''s said to contain relics left by the Mountain-moving Patriarch, sure to be worth a lot," the purple-haired youth''s eyes gleamed with excitement.

    He looked around and immediately headed for the stone door.

    Suddenly, a palm imprint silently struck from behind, emerging from the mountain wall.

    "Bang!"

    The force prated, hitting his back hard, yet it felt like hitting cotton. The purple-haired youth let out a cry and was sent flying,nding beside the passage.

    Behind him, an elder in a yellow robe emerged from the mountain wall, his gaze cold, his aura like waves. It was the gatekeeper patriarch, Elder Hai.

    "Core Formation Stage? Who are you?"

    Elder Hai''s expression was heavy. This person appeared to be at thete Foundation Establishment Stage, but that palm strike clearly contained true essence.

    This could only mean the person was hiding his cultivation!

    The purple-haired youth cupped his hands, "I am Li Feiyu."

    "Li Feiyu..."

    Elder Hai frowned, having never heard of such a person.

    "Han Te, keep this person upied, I''ll enter the Artifact Refining Room!"

    The silver-haired girl appeared in the distance, her voice calm, followed by a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    Han Te scratched his head, spreading his hands, "Boss, this person is a False Core cultivator, not within my job scope unless... uh, you pay more!"

    "You''ve taken so many storage bags, isn''t that enough?" The silver-haired girl frowned.

    Han Te became anxious, "Those have to be shared, I can only keep thirty percent for myself! Look, the contract is right here, you think I''d cheat?"

    Han Te took out a contract, clearly stating: Han Te assists in dealing with Foundation Establishment cultivators, entitled to thirty percent of personal gains aspensation.

    Note: Medical expenses are self-funded in case of injury.

    At the end was Xu Qingfeng''s enforcement seal and Han Te''s signature.

    "As a bounty hunter, I have a sense of contract spirit. Thirty percent means thirty percent, I won''t covet your things!"

    Han Te was indignant, feeling insulted, with a group sent to supervise him.

    Elder Hai, hearing their conversation, his eyes shed, "You''re Han Te? The Han Te who does anything for money?"

    At this moment, Han Te stopped pretending, tearing off the human skin mask on his face, revealing his unruly middle-aged appearance, with messy purple hair and weapons all over his body.

    "What do you mean by that? Trying to buy me off? I have a sense of contract spirit!"

    Elder Hai was taken aback, then said in a deep voice, "How much?"

    "Well..." Han Te rubbed his chin, pondering, when suddenly, arge palm imprint emerged from the stone wall behind him, pressing down on his back.

    This palm was different from before, with a blue lightning glow in the center, carrying a trace of true essence.

    "You old fox, ying tricks!"

    Han Te was furious, summoning a shield to block behind him. The palm imprint struck, shattering the shield with a loud bang, the remaining force hitting his back like a thunderp.

    "Boom!"

    Han Te fell forward, crashing into the stone wall ahead. His back was charred, but a silver inner armor blocked the blow.

    Han Te''s face was ashen, looking at the shattered shield and charred inner armor, his heart ached as if bleeding.

    "Damn it! I''m not taking money anymore, this is personal now!"

    Han Te cursed, drawing all sorts of weapons from his body, charging at Elder Hai with unstoppable force.

    Elder Hai remained unfazed, his skin rapidly petrifying, his False Core continuously releasing true essence, summoning countless sharp stone spikes to attack.

    The distant crowd was speechless.

    The silver-haired girl showed no expression, calmly walking to the stone door, her jade finger pointing in the air, causing ripples in the void, releasing mysterious seals.

    With a "click," the stone door opened.

    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on it.

    "Whoosh!"

    As the stone door opened, arge phantom burst out from the gap, opening its bloody maw to bite the silver-haired girl. It was a Jiao Python spirit! At the same time, venom shot out, covering all possible escape routes.

    This was Xu Hei''s prepared killing blow, anyone opening the door would face a thunderous assault.

    Even a Core Formation Stage cultivator would fall victim to such a sudden chain attack!

    The silver-haired girl remained expressionless, her figure suddenly bing ethereal, like an afterimage, the Jiao Python spirit passing through her, missing its target.

    All the venom fell on the ground, sizzling.

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Hei, controlling Li Yang, frowned. This technique was something he''d never seen before, resembling the afterimage left by the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon.

    The girl''s afterimage stared at him, suddenly asking, "What''s your name?"

 Chapter 142: Dragon energy emerges, the Pagoda undergoes dramatic changes

    Chapter 142: Dragon energy emerges, the Pagoda undergoes dramatic changes

    "What is your name?"

    She had short silver hair, pale skin, cold eyes, and a petite frame, resembling an emotionless puppet. asionally, her brow would furrow, but otherwise, her face showed no expression.

    Xu Hei immediately realized that this wasn''t an afterimage left by extreme speed, but a living person!

    For some unknown reason, she had be a phantom, unable to be attacked!

    Even his Divine Sense couldn''t detect her, as if she were just a mass of air.

    Xu Hei ignored her, shaking the Soul-absorbing g, summoning thirteen serpent spirits to attack the other Foundation Establishment cultivators outside.

    The girl''s phantom raised her hand and gently clenched it toward the serpent spirits. Instantly, an invisible force of confinement appeared in the space, immobilizing all the serpent spirits.

    At the moment she clenched her hand, her body briefly materialized!

    "Whoosh!"Xiao Chou suddenly emerged from the ground, delivering a powerful punch to her face.

    The serpent patterns on Xiao Chou''s arm lit up, his strength increasing several times over, causing the air to explode with a loud bang. This punch could shatter gold and split stone!

    "Boom!"

    With a dull thud, the silver-haired girl''s face took a heavy punch, sending her flying sideways. A rare look of shock appeared on her usually impassive face as she crashed into the stone wall, a few drops of blood falling to the ground.

    The bandit aplices in the distance were all dumbfounded.

    It was the first time they had seen the Silver-haired Witch get hit by a punch. It was unprecedented! She had fought countless battles before and had never been injured!

    "Well done!"

    Xu Hei praised, noting that Xiao Chou, having experienced life-and-death battles, was indeed different, seizing the opportunity perfectly.

    Even he hadn''t realized that the opponent would briefly materialize when casting a spell, but Xiao Chou had keenly caught it and even prepared for a sneak attack in advance.

    "Senior, focus on artifact refining. Leave this to me!" Xiao Chou said in a deep voice.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, ced the serpent spirits at the stone gate, and issued a guardingmand, then concentrated fully on artifact refining.

    Now, the artifact refining had reached the critical final stage, and he didn''t want to be distracted by fighting, lest all his efforts be in vain.

    In fact, the form of the Moon-supporting Pagoda was notplete; the ancient pill furnace had only melted some edges, with much room for improvement.

    But the enemy had alreadye knocking, and Xu Hei could only forcibly wrap up, interrupting the artifact refining.

    This was the most prudent course of action.

    "Roar!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei seemed to hear a sound, startling him, and he looked straight at the reactor.

    Beneath the earth, a faint, indescribable aura emerged, entering the reactor.

    This aura was undetectable by anyone.

    Xiao Chou at the door waspletely unaware.

    But in Xu Hei''s eyes, it was faintly visible, swirling in the air like a dragon.

    "Dragon Qi?"

    Xu Hei''s heart trembled.

    In legend, Dragon Qi symbolizes the fortune of a ce, a sign of great destiny.

    Such an ethereal thing is invisible to humans, but Xu Hei, who practiced the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, could vaguely capture a trace of it.

    Some experts in feng shui and divination could also vaguely discern the presence of Dragon Qi.

    Could it be that beneath the spiritual vein of the Mountain Movers Sect, there was a wisp of Dragon Qi hidden?

    "When did the Mountain Movers Sect harbor such great fortune?" Xu Hei was quite surprised.

    His understanding of Dragon Qi was limited, confined to folklore and a few jade slip records, without knowing its specific effects.

    At this moment, the Dragon Qi emitted a low roar, suddenly soaring into the sky, and entered the Moon-supporting Pagoda.

    This sudden change left Xu Hei momentarily stunned, and then the Moon-supporting Pagoda began to tremble violently, emitting cracking sounds, its surface instantly covered with cracks.

    "Damn it!"

    Xu Hei''s face changed dramatically, hurriedly focusing to suppress it, but the cracks on the Moon-supporting Pagoda multiplied, undergoing an earth-shattering transformation, seemingly about to be destroyed.

    "Damn it, why did this change ur!" Xu Hei''s expression was grim.

    Inside the reactor, the dazzling blue light grew more brilliant, the pill furnace melting faster, the liquid automatically flying into the Moon-supporting Pagoda, repairing the gaps, and altering the overall shape.

    "This..." Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    He didn''t know what had happened, but the Moon-supporting Pagoda seemed to have slipped out of his control.

    However, Xu Hei''s mind remained connected to it, and he could clearly sense that the tower was undergoing an astonishing transformation, with the wisp of Dragon Qi merging into it.

    ...

    After a short while, the silver-haired girl emerged from the stone wall, returning to the stone gate, her face showing no emotion.

    Xiao Chou''s body swelled, transforming into a redva giant, his skin covered in serpent patterns, blocking the doorway with a stance that suggested he could hold off a thousand enemies, staring intently at the indifferent girl.

    She calmly said, "State your..."

    "I''m your father!"

    Xiao Chou cursed, simultaneously throwing a punch.

    The silver-haired girl''s eyes were cold, and with a flick of her finger, Xiao Chou suddenly felt an indescribable tearing force descend upon him.

    This power was irresistible, surpassing the limits of defense.

    An extreme pain instantly spread throughout his body, and Xiao Chou realized that death was near.

    "Stop!"

    Suddenly, amunication jade slip flew out from the silver-haired girl''s sleeve.

    A figure floated out from the surface of the jade slip, identical to the one from Li Yang''s jade slip, urgently shouting.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    At this moment, all the defensive Magical Treasures on Xiao Chou shattered, whether it was the thick earth armor or the Earth Shield, splitting from the middle simultaneously, providing no defense at all.

    A crack appeared out of thin air on his chest, only three inches long, the break very smooth, as if it was the space itself that had split, not his flesh.

    Xiao Chou retreated in time, breaking out in a cold sweat.

    The silver-haired girl stopped her actions just in time, not continuing.

    "Why?" she asked, puzzled, looking at the figure.

    "He is..." the figure whispered, saying something unknown.

    The silver-haired girl nodded, said nothing, and turned to leave.

    Xiao Chou''s face was pale, his heart filled with lingering fear, having just brushed past death''s door.

    What kind of spell could ignore all defenses and attacks with such tearing and phasing?

    Xiao Chou had thought he could at least hold his own, but he was defeated in one move, unable to retaliate, leaving him with a strong sense of frustration.

    The woman seemed to be only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, so why was she so strange?

    The Silver-haired Witch, with a bounty of eighty thousand Spirit Stones,parable to the Core Formation Stage, was not without reason.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Suddenly, the entire mountain began to shake, growing more intense, as if the sky were about to copse.

    In the distance, Han Te and Elder Hai, who were entangled in battle, also stopped, staring at the sky.

    The ceiling above was covered with countless cracks, spreading across all areas, as if the entire mountain was about to be overturned.

    "The Mountain Protection Array... is about to copse!"

    Elder Hai''s face was filled with despair.

    When the mountain was no longer stable, it meant the destruction of the Mountain Protection Array.

    With the array gone, any casual exchange would bring catastrophic disaster to the mountain; a Core Formation Stage cultivator could move mountains with a mere gesture.

    In fact, that was exactly the case.

    On the za outside, the third-tier array spirit had weakened to the extreme, almostpletely transparent.

    As Zhang Tieshou wielded a giant hammer, smashing it heavily on the array spirit''s head, the array spirit, which had protected the sect for hundreds of years, finally let out a mournful cry, its body shattering and dissolving into nothingness, returning to the depths of the earth.

    With the array spirit''s dissolution, the Mountain Movers Sect''s Mountain Protection Arraypletely copsed, and the sect master spat blood and fell to the ground.

    The fifth-generation sect master, Patriarch Shi Xuan, was also at the end of his strength, on the brink of demise.

 Chapter 143: Bow to neither heaven nor earth, only to the revered master

    Chapter 143: Bow to neither heaven nor earth, only to the revered master

    "Back in the day, when the Mountain-moving Patriarch was still around, your glory was unmatched! If he were here, you wouldn''t have be the Qin army''sckeys!"

    Xu Qingfeng stood high in the sky, his voice booming and echoing throughout the entire sect.

    "You have exhausted the fortune left by the Mountain-moving Patriarch. Mountain Movers Sect is doomed!"

    As his words fell, a character for "doom" appeared above the heads of the remaining core elders.

    Even Patriarch Shi Xuan had the character for "doom" above his head, and this time, it could not be erased.

    A cloud of deathly aura appeared at their brows, signaling that their fate was sealed and irreversible.

    "Move mountains, fill seas!"

    Zhang Tie gathered his strength, embraced the mountain, and lifted its cover, revealing the environment inside.

    Inside the mountain, there was a hidden world, with countless cave dwellings exposed. Inside, numerous terrified disciples huddled in corners, trembling in fear.Like ants hiding in their burrows, their refuge wasid bare, leaving them nowhere to escape.

    The mountain cover that had been lifted was thrown into the sky by Zhang Tie, shattering into countless fragments and raining down as a shower of stones.

    Such a disy of moving mountains and filling seas left everyone in shock.

    This was the power of the Core Formation Stage!

    Now, only one ce remained unexposed¡ªthe Artifact Refining Room.

    This ce was connected to a spiritual vein, a unique location. Even without the Mountain Protection Array, it still had an independent formation inside.

    Xiao Chou stood before the stone door, gazing at the already transparent ceiling, looking up at the star-filled night sky.

    At this moment, Patriarch Shi Xuan was covered in blood, with thest thread of life about to fade away.

    His master, Shi Longzi, Grand Elder Shi Fengzi, Sect Leader Shi Lin, and those who were once his uncles, were all gravely injured and on the brink of death, surrounded by a deathly aura.

    The Mountain Movers Sect''s fortune had run out, and the life of this sect hade to an end.

    Do they regret it?

    No one regrets it. If they hadn''t joined the Qin army back then, they would have died even sooner.

    In this world, there''s no such thing as right or wrong, only eternal strength!

    "Little ants, get out of here!"

    Zhang Tie grabbed through the air, activating the Gravity Technique, and all the hiding disciples of the Mountain Movers Sect were caught by an invisible hand, lifted like little chicks, and thrown outside the sect''s za.

    They had no power to resist! The gap was too vast!

    Only one person remained, his legs seemingly welded to the ground, his body bleeding, teeth clenched, refusing to be pulled out.

    That person was Xiao Chou!

    "I have failed my ancestors, failed my sect!"

    Shi Lin cried out in anguish to the sky, charging at Zhang Tie, his body exploding into countless fragments.

    The current sect leader of the Mountain Movers Sect had fallen.

    Zhang Tie stepped back a few paces, swatting the fragments away like flies, without a scratch on him.

    Only then did he turn his gaze to the one disciple who hadn''t been lifted.

    Xiao Chou stood upright, his eyes bloodshot, staring back at him.

    This piqued Zhang Tie''s interest; there was still such a disciple in the Mountain Movers Sect.

    Shi Longzi nced back at the mountain''s interior, his face changing drastically, shouting angrily, "Xiao Chou, didn''t I expel you from the sect? How dare you return?!"

    His words seemed to reprimand Xiao Chou, but in truth, he was conveying a message to everyone.

    Xiao Chou was no longer a disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect and should not be implicated.

    "Xiao Chou? Sounds familiar."

    Xu Qingfeng smiled faintly upon hearing this and said, "Shi Longzi, rest assured, we won''t kill him. He''s a hero who slew five Qin army Foundation Establishment cultivators. Why would we trouble him?"

    These words caused everyone''s expressions to change.

    Zhang Tie rubbed his stubbly chin, his eyes shing, muttering to himself, "I see, no wonder he stands so straight! Not bad!"

    Zhang Tie rarely gave such praise.

    This allowed Shi Longzi to breathe a sigh of relief.

    Xu Qingfeng got straight to the point, "Xiao Chou, I''ll give you a chance to join us. I know we share the same aspirations..."

    "I refuse!"

    Before anyone could express surprise, Xiao Chou gave an even more shocking reply.

    Everyone was stunned, including Xu Qingfeng.

    "You destroy my sect and then ask me to join you? Do you think I''m such a heartless person?" Xiao Chou said coldly.

    "Silence!" Shi Longzi''s face turned ashen, angrily rebuking, "The Mountain Movers Sect is no longer your sect. Our life or death is none of your concern. Don''t make a mistake!"

    "Master..."

    "Don''t call me Master. I expelled you from the sect!"

    Shi Longzi red at him, but due to his agitation, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The deathly aura at his brow spread instantly, his body withered, almost turning into a mummy.

    Xiao Chou stood frozen, unmoving.

    Shi Longzi took a few deep breaths and said no more.

    He sat cross-legged on the ground, all his vitality dissipating, sinking into the earth. The deathly aura at his brow spread throughout his body, and his life came to an end.

    Shi Long opened his eyes, looking at Xiao Chou, and that kind smile from years ago reappeared.

    Five years ago, at the Xiao family''s pharmacy.

    A kind old man looked at Xiao Chou and spoke words that changed his life:

    "Young one, you have good potential. Would you like to be my disciple?"

    Five yearster, on the Mountain Movers Sect''s za.

    The kind old man sat cross-legged on the ground, still wearing that smile from years ago.

    "Young one, you''ve grown up. Congrattions onpleting your training!"

    After saying these words, the old man closed his eyes forever, his body gradually turning to stone, bing a statue, his soul returning to the earth.

    Born of the mountains, died in the mountains.

    He cultivated relying on the mountains all his life, and now, he became part of the mountains.

    All sounds fell silent.

    Xiao Chou said nothing, only knelt on the ground, and kowtowed three times heavily to Shi Longzi''s statue.

    The mighty Qin army did not make him bow.

    The enemies before him did not make him yield.

    Xiao Chou bowed to neither heaven nor earth, only to his parents and his revered master.

    His head struck the ground, and two streams of hot tears silently slid down from the corners of his eyes.

    Inside the Artifact Refining Room.

    Xu Hei''s Divine Sense witnessed all of this, and a realization rose within him, indescribable, a new understanding.

    What is integrity?

    People have unyielding integrity, bending but not breaking, preferring death to submission!

    Without integrity, one loses all fortune and heads towards inevitable decline! Even Dragon Qi cannot hold it back!

    Xu Hei, who rose from adversity, understood the meaning of integrity, but he had no master, nor parents to nurture him, so he did notprehend the weight of gratitude.

    "Bow to neither heaven nor earth, only to the revered master..."

    "What I witnessed and understood today is worth ten years of cultivation!"

    Xu Hei closed his eyes.

    In an instant, the second dragon bone at his tail was rapidly transforming, faster than ever before.

    A dark golden hue emanated from it, one bone, two bones...

    In just a brief moment, three dragon bones appeared at Xu Hei''s tail.

    At the same time, Xu Hei''s cultivation rapidly ascended, his entire body''s meridians automatically absorbing Spiritual Qi, drawing it in from the underground spiritual vein.

    The Spirit tform within the Demon God Cauldron was rapidly expanding.

    "Roar!"

    From the Moon-supporting Pagoda before him, a loud dragon''s roar echoed.

 Chapter 144: Spiritual vein exhausted, Black Dragon Tower appears

    Chapter 144: Spiritual vein exhausted, ck Dragon Tower appears

    The Dragon Qi seemed to sense Xu Hei''s transformation, and the entire Moon-supporting Pagoda began to change along with it.

    "Boom!"

    An ocean of Spiritual Qi was drawn from the spiritual vein and injected into the pagoda. The sheer volume was so immense that even half of the spiritual vein began to wither.

    The pill furnace melted faster, its three legspletely gone, and the lid disappeared.

    The shape of the Moon-supporting Pagoda gradually transformed into that of a dragon, resembling a coiling Flood Dragon ascending to the sky, gazing at the stars, and staring into the heavens.

    At this moment, it was no longer the Moon-supporting Pagoda but had be a Flood Dragon Pagoda.

    Xu Hei''s cultivation surged rapidly, climbing to sixty percent of the early stage before gradually slowing down, edging closer to the mid-stage.

    "I finally understand why that True Dragon senior said my path would be a hundred times more difficult than others..."

    Xu Hei recalled the events of the Mountain Movers Sect and couldn''t help but sigh.If they had dared to stand firm, they would have perished under the iron hooves of the Qin army long ago.

    But without the courage to stand firm, they couldn''t preserve the Dragon Qi within the spiritual vein.

    If one day Xu Hei faced a situation where he would surely die unless he bowed his head, what should he do?

    The path of transforming into a dragon is by no means a simple one.

    It''s like the rare sword cultivators among humans, who must either bow their heads and die or refuse and never be sword cultivators. It''s the same principle.

    This is destined to be a path of nine deaths and one life.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside, in the sect''s za.

    The elders and disciples of the Mountain Movers Sect were reaching the end of their lives one after another.

    Some sat in ce and turned into stone statues, while others fled desperately, but the oue was the same.

    "Sin, sin!"

    The Demon Monk Ku Xuan sped his hands together, reciting a chant for the deceased, scattering paper money to send off the souls.

    For each person who died, he performed a ritual, treating everyone equally regardless of their cultivation level.

    The only Core Formation Stage patriarch eventually gave up resisting, choosing to sit and pass away, his soul returning to the mountains, ending his life.

    "Xiao Chou, go with them. This is your master''sst wish, and also thest wish of the Mountain Movers Sect!"

    Shi Xuan looked at Xiao Chou and spoke softly, "As long as you remember that you were once a disciple of the Mountain Movers Sect, that''s enough."

    "Everyone, give up resisting. Let us return our lives to this mountain!"

    Shi Xuan''s voice rang out clearly as his body turned to stone, bing a statue that merged into the mountain.

    The remaining elders also sat down, offering their physical bodies and souls to the mountain.

    "Xiao Chou, there''s no need to hate anyone. We died as early asst year."

    Elder Hai, who guarded the Artifact Refining Room, looked at him calmly and said, "Live well. Shi Longzi''s spirit in heaven will also find peace."

    He sat cross-legged at the entrance of the Artifact Refining Room, his body turning to stone, his soul returning to the earth.

    Just like the past two hundred years of guarding, his soul remained here forever.

    From this moment on.

    The Mountain Movers Sect waspletely annihted.

    Xiao Chou unclenched his fists and bowed deeply to the mountain before him.

    Now, he was the only survivor.

    Xu Qingfeng sighed and said, "I won''t force you. If you don''t want to join, I can decide to let you go."

    "Boss, but..." Zhang Tie wanted to say something, but Xu Qingfeng waved his hand, "My mind is made up."

    They had set up a massive formation to prevent anyone from escaping and leaking information.

    Their intelligence and individual abilities were invaluable, but Xu Qingfeng still took the risk and let Xiao Chou go.

    Xu Qingfeng left a token on the ground and said, "Once you''ve thought it over, you can use this token to contact me. I''ll send someone to pick you up. If you don''t want to, just destroy the token."

    With that, he no longer paid attention to Xiao Chou and headed towards the only remaining Artifact Refining Room.

    The others also gathered around.

    Xu Qingfeng was indifferent to the Mountain Movers Sect''s assets, but he was particrly interested in the Artifact Refining Room.

    To be precise, it was the spiritual vein beneath the Artifact Refining Room and the trace of Dragon Qi hidden within it.

    This was their ultimate goal!

    The alliance wanted to grow and prosper, and the fortune brought by Dragon Qi was indispensable.

    They had previously captured a Dragon Qi and suppressed it beneath their headquarters, which made them invincible. The more Dragon Qi, the better.

    Xiao Chou was about to intervene, but Zhang Tie grabbed him from a distance and flung him away.

    "Did you really think I couldn''t handle you?" Zhang Tie''s eyes were filled with mockery.

    The gap in cultivation was too great, not something personal will could ovee.

    Xu Qingfeng stood in front of the stone door, observing for a while before his brow furrowed slightly.

    He vaguely noticed that the underground spiritual vein was depleting at an rming rate, and the concentration of Spiritual Qi here was about a third of what it should be!

    "Break it for me!"

    Zhang Tie charged forward, and cracks spread across the walls of the Artifact Refining Room, the formation shaking violently.

    "Something''s wrong!"

    Xu Qingfeng''s expression darkened. This was the formation left by the Mountain-moving Patriarch two hundred years ago, and it shouldn''t be so easily broken. How could it be so simple today...

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Suddenly, the earth emitted a deafening roar, shaking violently, as indescribable waves of terror surged from the Artifact Refining Room.

    The next moment.

    "Roar!"

    A resounding dragon roar echoed through the heavens, shaking the universe.

    "This is Dragon Qi!"

    Xu Qingfeng''s face lit up with joy.

    "Open!"

    He no longer hesitated, shouting loudly. Zhang Tie also used all his strength, crashing into the stone wall. With thebined efforts of the two Core Formation Stage cultivators, the defenses of the Artifact Refining Room werepletely breached, the formation copsed, and all the walls turned to dust!

    In fact, the formation left by the Mountain Movers Sect''s patriarch was not so easily broken.

    However, the half spiritual vein maintaining the formation had been drained, unable to keep the formation at its peak.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the Artifact Refining Room, the evolution of the pagoda reached its final stage, and the Dragon Qipletely fused!

    Even Xu Hei, without hesitation, dove into the pagoda.

    "Bang!"

    The Artifact Refining Room shattered, and a blinding golden light illuminated the world.

    Then, the golden light rapidly dimmed, gradually turning into ck light, and beneath that ck light stood a pagoda three meters tall.

    This pagoda resembled the legendary Flood Dragon, its dragon head pointing upward, piercing the heavens, its entire body as ck as ink, withyers of ck-gold dragon scales on its surface, extremely eerie.

    "Where''s the Dragon Qi?"

    Xu Qingfeng took out apass, searched around, and locked his gaze on the strange ck Dragon Pagoda before him.

    Everyone could see that this pagoda was extraordinary!

    "Fellow Daoist, could you show yourself? We mean no harm!"

    Xu Qingfeng sped his hands and said, knowing that someone was hiding in the Artifact Refining Room and vaguely guessing their identity.

    His goal was only the Dragon Qi and the spiritual vein.

    "Whoosh!"

    The ck Dragon Pagoda suddenly rose from the ground, a terrifying gust of wind blowing everyone away. Even Xu Qingfeng and Zhang Tie were forced back ten meters, their faces filled with shock.

    "What kind of magical treasure is this?"

    Xu Qingfeng''s mind was shaken. He raised his hand and shouted, "Fellow Daoist, we can discuss matters. Why remain silent? Stop!"

    A giant "Stop" character appeared above the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    But as soon as the "Stop" character appeared, it was shattered by an indescribable force, and that force rushed straight at Xu Qingfeng.

    "Poof!"

    Xu Qingfeng''s expression changed as he took a heavy blow to the chest, spitting blood and flying backward.

 Chapter 145: Pagoda out of control, no one can stop it

    Chapter 145: Pagoda out of control, no one can stop it

    "What?"

    Everyone was taken aback.

    Zhang Tie immediately stood up, his body swelling into a giant iron-skinned figure thirty meters tall. The iron hammer in his hand also expanded rapidly, resembling a small mountain.

    He swung the massive hammer towards the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    "Boom!!!"

    A deafening sound echoed through the heavens and earth.

    The moment his hammer touched the ck Dragon Pagoda, an immense force seeped out from within the tower, striking the hammer.

    "Watch out!" Xu Qingfeng shouted.

    Zhang Tie''s hand exploded instantly, shattering into pieces.The giant hammer showed cracks and flew back, crashing into the mountain with a thunderous noise, causing many to be injured, bleeding from their heads.

    "How is this possible?"

    "What kind of Magical Treasure is this?"

    Everyone was in disbelief.

    That was a third-tier Spiritual Treasure, the Star-shattering Hammer, a treasure Zhang Tie had refined for a lifetime, nearly reaching mid-tier third grade, yet it was so easily repelled!

    "So... so powerful!" Xiao Chou was stunned.

    Everyone was breathing heavily; this was undoubtedly a supreme treasure, ranking among the top in the entire Qin Kingdom.

    Zhang Tie waved his hand, and the Star-shattering Hammer returned to him. Looking at the cracks, his heart ached as if bleeding, but his face grew darker.

    At this moment, the ck Dragon Pagoda whirled and charged towards the crowd.

    "Retreat quickly!" Xu Qingfeng shouted.

    A "retreat" character appeared above everyone''s heads, and they uncontrobly flew back, avoiding the direct attack, though many were still crushed by the edge of the aura, spitting blood and severely injured.

    Xu Qingfeng''s face was ashen. He took out an ancient scroll, unfurled it, and it emitted a terrifying wave, but his expression suddenly froze, and he put the scroll away.

    "Boom!"

    The ck Dragon Pagoda soared into the sky, colliding with the firmament, blocked by an invisible light screen, causing ripples.

    The Silver-haired Witch flew into the air, gazed at the ck Dragon Pagoda, and raised her slender jade finger to point down.

    The space around the ck Dragon Pagoda began to warp.

    "Forget it!"

    Xu Qingfeng raised his hand, pressing down the Silver-haired Witch''s arm, and the spatial distortion disappeared.

    The Silver-haired Witch looked at him in confusion.

    "Withdraw the formation and let it leave," Xu Qingfeng said solemnly.

    Everyone was stunned.

    "Why? The Dragon Qi is clearly inside the tower, and it has harmed so many of us!"

    Zhang Tie was unwilling. They had fought their way into the Mountain Movers Sect, risking so much and sacrificing so many brothers, only to retreat now?

    The Silver-haired Witch calmly said, "I can..."

    "No, you can''t."

    Xu Qingfeng shook his head and exined, "This is the leader''s decision."

    Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

    The leader was the mastermind behind the scenes, and every action they took was under the leader''s guidance, helping them avoid crisis after crisis.

    This attack on the Mountain Movers Sect was also arranged by the leader.

    The leader''s weight in their hearts was unmatched, and they obeyed unconditionally.

    "Since it''s the leader''s decision, I, Zhang Tie, have no objections."

    Zhang Tie sighed, his giant body quickly shrinking back to normal size.

    Everyone simultaneously formed hand seals, and the formation barrier trapping the area dissipated immediately.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda ascended into the sky, flying towards the horizon at an incredible speed, transforming into a ck streak of light, disappearing into the night.

    Xiao Chou also used the Earth Escape Technique to leave the area.

    Everyone immediately began healing.

    Xu Qingfengnded on the ground, probing deep into the earth''s veins, discovering that the half spiritual vein had indeed withered.

    "It seems we''ve made wedding clothes for others, losing the two biggest gains," Xu Qingfeng said bitterly.

    "Damn it, who on earth is inside that tower?"

    Zhang Tie was still indignant.

    He absolutely obeyed the leader''s orders, just didn''t understand.

    "Perhaps, it''s not a person," Xu Qingfeng said.

    "Not a person?"

    Everyone looked over, full of doubt.

    "I''m just guessing; ask the leader for specifics," Xu Qingfeng said helplessly.

    "Amitabha! The leader''s judgment has never been wrong, we just follow," Ku Xuan chanted with hands sped.

    After all, they didn''t leave empty-handed; the Mountain Movers Sect''s umted wealth over countless years was no small amount.

    Xiang Fei smiled and said, "No matter what, we gained a lot this time; after all, it''s a major sect... huh, where''s Han Te?"

    Xiang Fei looked around but couldn''t see Han Te.

    "Could it be, he ran off when the formation opened?" Zhang Tie''s eyes widened.

    While they were fighting, Han Te was busy collecting Magical Treasures, stealing Storage Bags, and looting various treasure vaults, and then just slipped away?

    Most of the Mountain Movers Sect''s treasures were with him.

    Xu Qingfeng said nothing, just squeezed a "corpse" on the ground hard.

    "Ouch!"

    The corpse suddenly screamed and was lifted up.

    From the voice, it was Han Te.

    Han Te shrank his neck, looked around, and quickly defended himself against the unfriendly gazes, "Hey, I didn''t run away, I have professional ethics, I said I''d only take thirty percent, and that''s all I took!"

    As he spoke, he took out his previous gains and ced them on the ground.

    For such a shameless person, Zhang Tie was so angry he wanted to punch his face.

    Xu Qingfeng remained expressionless, just took out the contract, pointed a finger, and a dignified light enveloped Han Te.

    Xu Qingfeng said loudly, "By the vow of the Dao heart, take out seventy percent."

    Han Te''s face stiffened but he was very straightforward, taking out seventy percent of his previous gains, filling the ground with Storage Bags.

    The contract''s light disappeared, confirming the seventy percent was correct.

    "I need to exin, I was just ying dead earlier to avoid being discovered by that monster, I didn''t run away with the money!" Han Te added.

    "Monster?" Zhang Tie was puzzled.

    At this point, Han Te stopped talking, coughed twice, and put on a mysterious air.

    "Damn, this money-grubber! Obsessed with money!" Zhang Tie cursed, throwing a thousand Spirit Stones over.

    Han Te took the Spirit Stones and naturally put them into his Storage Bag.

    "Actually, your leader''s decision was very wise. If you had intercepted it, your fate might have been the same as Xuan Yangzi''s," Han Te said meaningfully.

    Xu Qingfeng was startled and asked, "Why do you say that?"

    Han Te said nothing, just patted his Storage Bag, causing everyone''s faces to twitch.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the sky, the ck Dragon Pagoda was flying rapidly, as fast as a shooting star, faster than anyone Xu Hei had ever seen.

    "Damn it! I can''t stop it at all, where is this tower going?"

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly.

    After entering the ck Dragon Pagoda, his body uncontrobly merged into it. The tower not only absorbed Dragon Qi, a spiritual vein, and half an ancient pill furnace, but seemed to want to absorb him too.

    It was as if he had be part of the Magical Treasure.

    At this moment, it wasn''t him controlling the Magical Treasure, but the Magical Treasure controlling him.

    Xu Hei had never heard of such a situation.

    The Moon-supporting Pagoda itself was a mid-tier third-tier Spiritual Treasure, the material of the ancient pill furnace was unknown, and it also contained Dragon Qi.

    The grade of the ck Dragon Pagoda had reached an astonishing level, even Xu Hei didn''t know the specifics.

    What was certain was that with Xu Hei''s weak cultivation, he couldn''t possibly control it freely.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda was moving on its own.

    "This direction seems to be Myriad Serpent Valley?"

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    But he didn''t have the energy to think; the tower was indeed refined by him, connected to his mind, but he had to take the initiative to control it.

 Chapter 146: Perfect score in one strike, Xuan Yangzi falls

    Chapter 146: Perfect score in one strike, Xuan Yangzi falls

    "Stop right there!"

    Xu Hei willed it.

    In that instant, the speed of the ck Dragon Pagoda gradually slowed down, but at the same time, Xu Hei''s True Qi was disappearing at an rming rate.

    This made Xu Hei''s face change drastically.

    He could indeed control the ck Dragon Pagoda, but the consumption was terrifying. Just a single thought could drain him dry.

    But if he stopped controlling it, the ck Dragon Pagoda would continue to elerate, speeding towards the horizon.

    Xu Hei tried to change direction, directing the ck Dragon Pagoda downward. It immediately dove and crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.

    "Boom rumble..."

    It was as if an earth dragon was rolling underground, causing mountains to crumble and the earth to copse, with tremors spreading for miles around.Fearing he might alert others, Xu Hei had no choice but to let it ascend again.

    "No, I need to find a way. I can''t let a pagoda take the upper hand," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He had indeed crafted a great treasure. This pagoda, by a stroke of luck, absorbed Dragon Qi, devoured spiritual veins, and consumed alchemical furnaces, its power beyond imagination. But if he couldn''t control it, what use was it?

    "ck Dragon Pagoda, you''re alive, aren''t you? I''m your master, you must obey me. Stop immediately!" Xu Hei shouted.

    However, the ck Dragon Pagoda gave no response.

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth and attempted to break free from the pagoda with his physical body, but the more he struggled, the more fiercely the pagoda absorbed.

    "How dare you resist!"

    Xu Hei''s expression turned grim. With a thought, the Demon God Cauldron within him began to spin, unleashing an infinite devouring force.

    "Boom!!"

    Vast amounts of Spiritual Qi were sucked into the Demon God Cauldron. This was Spiritual Qi from the spiritual veins, devoured by the ck Dragon Pagoda, now falling into Xu Hei''s hands.

    During this process, Xu Hei indeed sensed a slight loosening, as if he could break free from the pagoda.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda also trembled slightly, but its speed did not decrease, continuing its rapid flight with even more violent force.

    Everything within a ten-mile radius was destroyed, all living creatures turned to ash, as if a Flood Dragon was raging.

    "Hmph, let''s see how long you canst."

    Xu Hei continuously activated the Demon God Cauldron to absorb the Spiritual Qi, testing whether the ck Dragon Pagoda was more formidable or the Demon God Cauldron superior.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside Myriad Serpent Valley.

    The figure of a middle-aged schr appeared fifty miles away, standing atop the clouds, his gaze prating the void, looking towards Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Inside Myriad Serpent Valley, every snake''s form and every movement were easily captured by him, as if he were searching for something.

    If Xu Hei were here, he would surely recognize this middle-aged schr.

    He was Xuan Yangzi, who had disappeared for a year after fleeing.

    Xuan Yangzi hadn''t returned to the Snake Catchers Sect, nor had he seen anyone. He had secluded himself in his hidden cave dwelling, healing and crafting the strongest Wooden Puppet Clone.

    After some investigation, he learned that the Snake Catchers Sect had no interest in avenging him and even seemed to resist provoking Myriad Serpent Valley.

    At this, Xuan Yangzi waspletely disappointed.

    His lineage, over a hundred people wiped out, five direct disciples without a single survivor, was a lifelong pain etched into his bones! How could he not seek revenge?

    He didn''t care if the other party was secretly nurtured by the Heavenly Puppet Sect or had a powerful backing.

    He, Xuan Yangzi, would stop at nothing, even if it meant betraying his sect, to annihte the enemy!

    However, Xuan Yangzi was not foolish. The mirror fromst time had caused him great suffering. If he rushed in recklessly, he might fall into the same trap and be forced to retreat in the same manner.

    "That thing, suspected to be an Inner Demon, left me severely injured for half a year, nearly costing me my life. Although it''s unlikely you''ll use it a second time, I must be cautious!" Xuan Yangzi''s gaze was cold and sinister.

    Now, after a full year of preparation, he was ny-nine percent confident that he couldpletely eliminate the ck snake once it appeared!

    He had been observing the area for half a month, yet he still hadn''t found any trace of the ck snake.

    He wasn''t in a hurry; he had all the time in the world.

    As for being discovered early by the enemy, Xuan Yangzi wasn''t worried. His concealment techniques were such that even those at the Core Formation Stage couldn''t detect him.

    At this moment, he was like a cloud, difficult to notice even if someone passed by.

    "Bone-Corroding Nails, Ten Thousand Poison Demon Powder, Death Curse Technique, plus the Great Annihtion Talisman, Thunder Tribtion Pearl¡ªI could kill hundreds of Core Formation Stage great demons! Let''s see how you escape!"

    Xuan Yangzi was full of confidence. For this sure-kill strike, he had prepared for a year, spent his entire life''s savings, and expended more than half of his cultivation, all to kill the enemy.

    If he didn''t kill the enemy, he couldn''t cultivate in peace.

    "This is... a perfect strike!"

    Xuan Yangzi''s heart surged with excitement.

    Suddenly, a violent wave came roaring from behind, the wind howling, the clouds changing color, shaking the heavens. Xuan Yangzi nced back, his pupils dting, his eyes nearly popping out.

    At the horizon, a small ck dot grewrger and thicker, apanied by the sound of thunder, crushing the sky as it passed.

    It was a horizontally flying pagoda, dragon-shaped, its surface covered in dark golden dragon scales.

    That was the ck Dragon Pagoda!

    "Boom rumble rumble..."

    The ck Dragon Pagoda, like a war chariot rolling across the sky, caused the void to tremble, the sun and moon to lose their light, its unmatched might like an ancient beast capable of destroying the heavens and earth, even causing the world to copse.

    "My... God..."

    Xuan Yangzi''s jaw dropped, his eyes filled with endless fear. Without hesitation, he turned and fled.

    But it was too slow!

    Or rather, the ck Dragon Pagoda was too fast! From the moment it appeared as a small ck dot to being right in front of him, it was just a single breath.

    "Rumble rumble..."

    The roaring sound echoed in his ears, the earth trembled, and Xuan Yangzi had barely taken a few steps before the terrifying ck Dragon Pagoda crushed him.

    "Poof!"

    Xuan Yangzi didn''t even have time to grunt before his body exploded into a mist of blood.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A thousand miles away, in a hidden cave dwelling.

    The middle-aged schr who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, spitting out a mouthful of life essence blood.

    He stared nkly ahead, the scene of his clone''s death shing before his eyes, his expression horrified.

    "What the hell was that thing?"

    Xuan Yangzi''s eyes were filled with deep fear.

    The one who had just died was his Wooden Puppet Clone, but unlike his previous clones, this one had been refined over half a year using life essence blood, at the cost of most of his cultivation, even causing his realm to regress.

    It was almost like his second life.

    Although it couldn''tpare to his peak self, it had seventy to eighty percent of his full strength, plus he had prepared ample killing magical treasures.

    Killing a Core Formation Stage opponent would have been more than enough.

    But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn''t fathom how he was crushed by something unknown before he even began, disappearing just like that.

    He had concealed himself extremely well, and that mysterious thing probably didn''t even know it had crushed someone.

    The more Xuan Yangzi thought about it, the angrier he became. This was a year''s worth of preparation, his life''s work, gone in such a bizarre manner!

    "Arghhh!!"

    Xuan Yangzi screamed to the sky, his anger overwhelming him, causing him to spit out another mouthful of blood, his aura now utterly depleted.

 Chapter 147: A thousand miles to deliver treasures, new gains

    Chapter 147: A thousand miles to deliver treasures, new gains

    In order to kill, he had only prepared things that would ensure mutual destruction, not anything to save his own life. As a result, he didn''t have time to dodge and was hit head-on.

    He carefully recalled the shape of that thing, and suddenly his eyes widened.

    "Right, the surface of that tower seemed to have some scales..."

    Xuan Yangzi thought of the ck Dragon Pagoda''s surface, covered in ck-gold dragon scales, which were very simr to the scales of the snake he had seen.

    Could it be...

    The more Xuan Yangzi thought about it, the faster his heart raced, his face twisted, and his emotions gradually spiraled out of control.

    "Ah!! I hate it!"

    Xuan Yangzi spat out a mouthful of blood towards the sky, his head tilted, and he fainted.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Inside the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    Xu Hei could feel that he was about to break free from the control of the ck Dragon Pagoda, and when that happened, it would be his time to counterattack.

    As the Demon God Cauldron refined, the ck Dragon Pagoda was gradually losing its power to resist, the initial violent shaking bing more and more subtle.

    It seemed that this seemingly powerful magical treasure was still a notch below the Demon God Cauldron.

    "Right, it seemed like I hit something just now."

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed. He had been concentrating on activating the Demon God Cauldron and hadn''t paid attention to anything else.

    It was only because the fluctuation of spiritual qi just now was strong that he noticed it. It seemed that whatever he hit had a high level of cultivation.

    "Never mind, I''ll go backter and see if I can pick up any remains."

    Without thinking much, Xu Hei continued to counterattack with all his strength.

    Before long, the ck Dragon Pagoda arrived above the Myriad Serpent Valley and stopped.

    "It stopped?"

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    A sudden suction force erupted from the Demon God Cauldron, finally breaking free from the slight control. Xu Hei''s body sessfully detached from the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    Xu Hei quickly retreated several meters, checked his body, and found no damage, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

    After Xu Hei detached, the appearance of the ck Dragon Pagoda rapidly changed. The scales on the surface disappeared, and the dragon shape gradually retracted, turning into an ordinary ck pagoda about ten meters high, with only faint traces of a dragon''s shape remaining.

    Even the earth-shattering aura from before had mostly vanished.

    The power was still there, but it was definitely not as fierce and unmatched as before, where even a slight aftershock could kill someone.

    Xu Hei was secretly shocked.

    Once he left the pagoda, the ck Dragon Pagoda changed its appearance, which meant he was also part of the magical treasure?

    The magical treasure was actually himself?

    "Damn it..."

    Upon learning the truth, Xu Hei didn''t know what to say.

    In the process of refining this magical treasure, he had identally refined himself into it.

    It must be said, demonic beasts indeed have unique creativity in the six arts of cultivation.

    Xu Hei observed his surroundings for a moment and found that the ck Dragon Pagoda had stopped after reaching the Myriad Serpent Valley. Was there something here attracting it?

    Xu Hei immediately thought of the Dragon Qi hidden below the Myriad Serpent Valley.

    He had previously sensed a faint trace of Dragon Qi, but the Dragon Qi in the Myriad Serpent Valley was very stable, hidden very deep, and extremely difficult to detect.

    Unlike the Mountain Movers Sect, where the fate had ended, and the Dragon Qi had detached, making it easily detectable.

    "Can Dragon Qi attract each other?" Xu Hei wondered.

    Seeing that the ck Dragon Pagoda had lost its resistance, Xu Hei slightly controlled it, and the ck Dragon Pagoda immediately descended to the ground.

    But just this descent consumed thirty percent of Xu Hei''s True Qi.

    However,pared to the "Body Fusion" from before, it was much easier, at least not unbearable.

    "Collect!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei shrank the ck Dragon Pagoda and swallowed it into his abdomen for storage.

    "This ck Dragon Pagoda is strong, but the consumption is too severe, and it easily refines me into it. I must be cautious next time I use it."

    Xu Hei evaluated.

    This type of magical treasure that requires personal control often consumes a lot.

    Inparison, the Soul-absorbing g only required him to release and retrieve the spiritual body, without needing to manage anything else, as the snake spirits would automatically attack, making it much more convenient.

    This was thanks to the snake demon spirits, which had developed a trace of intelligence and could be willingly controlled.

    "Right, let''s see what I hit just now."

    Xu Hei retraced his steps, following the route in his memory, and arrived fifty miles away.

    Indeed, there were some lingering spiritual qi fluctuations in the air here. Xu Hei carefully sensed it and found that the deceased''s cultivation seemed to be at the Core Formation Stage. However, it didn''t seem like a true Core Formation, which puzzled Xu Hei.

    "Someone was hiding here, what were they trying to do? Monitor me? Or attempt to assassinate me?"

    Xu Hei frowned, spreading his Divine Sense to search every inch of the area. Soon, he found a storage bag.

    The storage bag was reinforced with a strong seal, but it had been somewhat broken by the collision.

    In addition, there were some scattered fragments of magical treasures on the ground, likely shattered by the impact.

    Xu Hei used the Gravity Technique to carefully pick up the fragments. From these remnants, he could sense some sinister energy, clearly intended for killing.

    "Someone indeed wants to harm me."

    Xu Hei''s expression darkened as he released the spirit of the Jiao Python to tear apart the seal on the storage bag and probed inside with his Divine Sense.

    In an instant, Xu Hei''s expression changed.

    Inside the storage bag were two items.

    The first was a blue pearl, filled with violent lightning, possessing the power to destroy the heavens and earth, with arcs of electricity scattering around. It was clearly a Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    However, this Thunder Tribtion Pearl was entirely blue, likely a normal Thunder Tribtion Pearl, much weaker than his purple one.

    The other item was a piece of gray talisman paper, seemingly ordinary and unknown in use.

    But being stored together with the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, it was certainly also a lethal item.

    Even the storage bag was reinforced with a seal, indicating that its owner was also afraid of identally breaking it and being affected.

    "What a grand scheme, who wants to harm me? Who could it be?"

    Xu Hei was furious.

    A killer, carrying two deadly weapons, lurking just fifty miles away, would make anyone uneasy once they knew.

    Even without considering what was shattered, just these two treasures were enough to cause significant trouble.

    Xu Hei spread his Divine Sense, continuing to search for any clues.

    Momentster, he discovered some wood fragments filled with spiritual power and traces of blood scattered around.

    Xu Hei recalled in his mind anyone who might seek revenge on him and was associated with wood.

    "A Wooden Puppet Clone, this person is Xuan Yangzi!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes widened.

    When he was in human cities, he had inquired about Xuan Yangzi''s whereabouts, and it was said that he had been missing for a year, whereabouts unknown.

    Xu Hei had thought the man was dead and didn''t pay attention, but unexpectedly, he wasn''t dead at all and was nning revenge.

    Such a menace cannot be left alive!

    Otherwise, if the opponent asionally sent a Wooden Puppet Clone to harass him, what would he do?

    "Since the opponent lost a clone, they should be quiet for a while. I need toe up with a n!"

    Xu Hei thought of Han Te, who might have information on Xuan Yangzi. But Han Te was elusive and skilled in disguise, making him hard to find.

    Even if he were found, dealing with a Core Formation Stage cultivator wouldn''t be easy.

    Xu Hei sighed, cing the Thunder Tribtion Pearl and the gray talisman into separate storage bags, sealing them, and then storing the bags in Void Stones.

    He burned all traces at the site with a single breath of fire and then returned to the Myriad Serpent Valley.

 Chapter 148: Xu Bai establishes her foundation, the Pill is renewed

    Chapter 148: Xu Bai establishes her foundation, the Pill is renewed

    Before anyone realized it, winter had passed, and the temperature began to rise.

    This winter, there was no snow, and since Xu Hei had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, his body temperature remained constant, so he didn''t even notice winter''s arrival.

    In the Myriad Serpent Valley, the snakes that had been hibernating began to awaken and gradually went out to hunt.

    The grass and trees sprouted new buds, and at the burial site of the Old Snake King, a man-high Serpent Fruit tree was quietly growing. This tree had been transnted several times and had now returned to its original spot.

    At this moment, two Serpent Fruits were growing on the tree, and in another year, it would reach the three-year maturity cycle.

    However, now the Serpent Fruit held little value for Xu Hei. On his recent trip to the human city, he had purchased enough resources, any one of which far exceeded the value of the Serpent Fruit tree.

    This tree was just a memento.

    "Xu Bai''s cave dwelling even has a shielding formation. Let''s see what she''s up to."

    Xu Hei''s figure flickered as he dove underground, arriving at the entrance of Xu Bai''s cave dwelling, and knocked on the door with his tail.Based on his guess, Xu Bai should have reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. He wondered what kind of pills she would refine after reaching this stage.

    "Come in."

    Xu Bai''s response came from inside.

    Xu Hei entered, and the space suddenly opened up.

    The area was vast, equivalent to an underground za, with bottles and jars lined up on both sides, along with somerge transparent containers.

    The first container in front of him was filled with liquid, soaking a cat.

    However, this cat looked very strange; its back half was actually a dog.

    A dog''s head!

    The front was a cat''s head, the back a dog''s head, with no rear, as if the front halves of two animals were joined together.

    The second container held a snake.

    However, the snake''s face was a woman''s ghastly white face.

    The third container contained a dog with a woman''s long hair.

    Further back, there was a ck cat covered in eyes, and as Xu Hei passed by, all the eyes looked over.

    "What on earth is this?"

    Xu Hei was startled. This was definitely not a normal mutation after a beast became demonic; this was extremely abnormal!

    These strange beasts, soaking in the liquid, were motionless, seemingly lifeless, yet there was a faint trace of vitality.

    Looking around, there were dozens of such monsters, each more terrifying than thest.

    "I''m researching the Transformation Pill. These are the results after taking the pill," Xu Bai exined.

    "Transformation Pill?"

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    The Transformation Pill, as the name suggests, is a pill that allows one to transform into a human form after consumption, but this thing only exists in legends.

    For a demonic beast to transform, it must cultivate for a thousand years, attain profound Dao, and use great divine abilities to transform.

    Xu Hei''s Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, when mastered, could also transform into a human, but that was merely a visual illusion, not real.

    "I''ve only had some preliminary sess. It''s still far from transforming into a human," Xu Bai said with a bitter smile.

    "Preliminary sess..."

    Xu Hei swallowed. Observing these beasts, they were far from transforming into humans! They were evolving into monsters.

    This wasn''t a beast transforming into a human, but a human transforming into a beast, a beast into a monster.

    To dare to research the Transformation Pill right after reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage, she might just ascend to the heavens!

    "Xu Bai, I think you could change your research direction. There''s no need to be fixated on the Transformation Pill," Xu Hei said with an awkward smile.

    "But humans are the spirits of all things, controlling most of the resources in this world. If demonic beasts want to obtain them, they can only transform into humans. For example, in the art of pill refining, humans are the best," Xu Bai replied.

    Xu Hei really didn''t know how to exin.

    Saying too much might discourage her, but saying nothing might lead to an uncontroble situation.

    Not to mention, just one of these monsters in the container would be deemed a demonic creature by cultivators, who would surelye to punish the one who created it.

    As expected of the Heavenly Demon Technique.

    He had thought Xu Bai''s pills were safe and harmless, but that was before she broke through. Now that she had reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, her pills had also leveled up.

    "Actually, the Transformation Pill is quiteplex. It''s not toote to research it after you reach the Qi Condensation stage," Xu Hei said with a bitter smile, using a dying tactic.

    Xu Bai nodded thoughtfully, "Makes sense. So what should I research now?"

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment and then said seriously, "A healer, with a heart to save the world and benefit all living beings."

    The reason he said this wasn''t because he thought saving people was particrly good.

    It was just that this seemed to be the best choice for Xu Bai.

    As long as the general direction was right, no matter how off it went, it wouldn''t go too far astray.

    "Benefit all living beings..."

    Xu Bai''s eyes lit up as she stared at the creatures in the containers excitedly, "Then let''s save them first; they might survive."

    "Forget it, forget it, pretend I didn''t say anything."

    Xu Hei waspletely speechless, no longer trying to persuade her, and crawled away.

    There''s no saving her, absolutely no saving her. He could only find a time to destroy these monsters so they wouldn''t be discovered.

    "By the way, where did you catch these experimental subjects?"

    Xu Hei nced around and asked curiously. There were quite a few demonic beasts here, and there were over three hundred that hadn''t even been experimented on, kept in a separate room.

    "I caught them from the Purple Mist Sect. The spirit beasts there were unguarded and had be a disaster, eating several mountains bare, so I caught them all," Xu Bai replied.

    "......"

    Xu Hei was silent.

    No wonder these cats and dogs looked so familiar; they were raised by the Purple Mist Sect.

    He suddenly felt that Xu Bai creating these monsters wasn''t such a big deal. Inparison, humans allowing these spirit beasts to run rampant and destroy the ecosystem was the real disaster.

    He had been too harsh on Xu Bai.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, then took out a storage bag full of medicinal herbs and ced it on the ground.

    These were specially bought for Xu Bai.

    Then he took out an iron pot and ced it beside her.

    This was the remnant of an ancient pill furnace.

    The pill furnace had mostly melted, leaving only a base resembling an iron pot, which should still have some use.

    "Xu Bai, no matter what you research, I support you," Xu Hei said seriously.

    "Really?"

    Xu Bai''s eyes lit up.

    "Of course!" Xu Hei nodded.

    "Great! These are mytest pills,beled with their names. Help me test their effects; I need someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage... Hey? Where are you going? Don''t leave!"

    Xu Bai called out excitedly, but Xu Hei slipped away without looking back.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A momentter.

    Xu Hei still ended up with some bottles and jars on him.

    These were forcibly given to him by Xu Bai when she caught up.

    Among them was the infamous Transformation Pill.

    "Xu Hei, don''t underestimate the snake. I''ve improved this Transformation Pill. No matter what you turn into, you''ll return to normal once the time is up, with no side effects!" Xu Bai said confidently. "Those spirit beasts can''t recover because their cultivation is too low to expel the drug''s power. You can definitely do it."

    Xu Hei felt quite helpless.

    He definitely wouldn''t dare to take it himself, so he could only find someone else to try it.

    He nned to visit the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, deliver the food he promised before, and see if any brave souls were willing to volunteer to test the pill.

 Chapter 149: Wu Mountain Incident, Great Tomb Emerges

    Chapter 149: Wu Mountain Incident, Great Tomb Emerges

    Myriad Serpent Valley, inside the underground cave dwelling.

    The white serpent gazed at the group of experimental subjects before her, murmuring, "To save all beings... I really should study this carefully."

    The spirit beasts she had captured were well-fed and healthy, with the only potential cause of death being their lifespan.

    Some of these old cats and dogs had lived for over a decade, looking withered and frail, clearly at the end of their life span.

    So the first issue to tackle was the problem of longevity.

    "Lifespan... The lifespan of demonic beasts and humans is not long. Even at the Foundation Establishment stage, they can only live for a little over two hundred years."

    "How can one achieve longevity?"

    Xu Bai took out a book that recorded all things and began to study it carefully.

    She found some long-lived creatures."The longest-lived animals are turtles, which can live for several hundred years."

    "There are also some marine creatures that can live for over a hundred years, but that''s still not enough..."

    Xu Bai remained silent for a long time. What she wanted to research was a pill that could break the limits of life. A few hundred years was not enough. If she was going to do it, she had to do it to the best.

    Countless thoughts shed through her mind, and Xu Bai seemed to have thought of something, her eyes suddenly brightening.

    "No, the longest-lived beings are not animals, but nts! Anyrge tree, as long as it has ample spiritual qi, can live for thousands of years. That is true longevity."

    Xu Bai seemed to have found the right direction, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she thought more about it.

    "Yes, I shouldbine living creatures with trees, let them live like trees, with long lifespans. That way, I can save all beings!"

    Xu Bai immediately spat out a small emerald-green cauldron, directly absorbing the "iron pot" left by Xu Hei into it.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    On the other side.

    After leaving Myriad Serpent Valley, Xu Hei headed straight for the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.

    Along the way, he felt a bit uneasy. Was it good or bad to let Xu Bai research how to save people?

    "Letting her save lives shouldn''t be a bad thing. No matter how twisted it gets, it shouldn''t harm anyone," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He couldn''t think of a better path.

    This girl had just reached the Foundation Establishment stage and had already created such monsters. If he didn''t correct her immediately, who knows what trouble she might cause in the future. He needed to set the right tone early on.

    With the overarching goal of saving lives, it should develop in a positive direction.

    A night passed.

    By the time Xu Hei arrived at the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe''s settlement, it was already noon the next day.

    It was a vast, open grasnd, dotted with hot springs, but Xu Hei didn''t see a single elephant, nor were there any signs of battle.

    All the elephant herds had disappeared without a trace.

    "Where have they gone?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled. Although elephant herds were migratory, some members should have stayed behind.

    "Are you... Uncle Xu?"

    At this moment, a small elephant emerged from a hidden underground hole, curiously looking at him.

    Xu Hei turned to look. This small elephant was gray and only half the height of a person. He had seen it before; it was Man Jin''s child.

    The entrance to the hidden underground hole was protected by a third-grade shielding formation, preventing Core Formation stage cultivators from spying. Inside, many small elephants were hiding.

    "That''s right, what''s your name?" Xu Hei nodded and asked.

    "I''m Man Yin."

    Upon recognizing Xu Hei, Man Yin immediately ran out, looking a bit excited.

    "Where are your tribe''s elders?" Xu Hei asked curiously.

    Man Yin quickly replied, "Dad and the others went to the Wu Mountain Range. Recently, many humans have invaded Wu Mountain, as if they''ve found a treasure, and they want to clear out the surrounding demonic beast groups. Dad is very righteous and led the tribe over there."

    "Wu Mountain Range..."

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he instinctively thought of that ancient tomb.

    ording to the ancient map, that tomb was within the Wu Mountain area.

    "Could it be? That map cost me five thousand spirit stones!"

    Xu Hei''s face turned grim as he looked at the small elephants, seriously saying, "Go back inside, and don''te out for anyone, not even me."

    Man Yin''s earlier actions were actually quite dangerous. If someone had impersonated him and brought a simr snake, Man Yin would have been in trouble.

    "Okay, I understand."

    Man Yin nodded and quickly retreated into the underground hole.

    "Here, take these."

    Xu Hei took out a storage bag and tossed it into the hole.

    Man Yin''s trunk reached into the bag and pulled out a bunch of crystal-clear bananas, immediately overjoyed.

    "Wow, it''s fruit!"

    "We have fruit to eat!"

    "Great, it''s been so long since we''ve had such fresh fruit."

    Many small elephants gathered around, pulling out watermelons, grapes, mangoes, and other foods from the storage bag, all preserved with spiritual qi, fresh and unspoiled.

    They ate quickly, their faces filled with happiness.

    "Thank you, Uncle Xu!" Man Yin gratefully bowed his head.

    "Thank you, senior!" The other small elephants also thanked Xu Hei from outside.

    Xu Hei felt a sense of emotion. In this world, it was rare to find such a simple and honest group of elephants.

    Humans had invaded Wu Mountain, far from this ce, yet Man Jin still led the entire tribe over there.

    If it were Xu Hei, without any benefit, he would definitely not do it.

    Xu Hei took out two more storage bags filled with food and tossed them into the hole, advising, "Remember, don''te out for any creature, not even your elders! Humans are very cunning!"

    Man Yin seemed thoughtful and nodded, "Got it, Uncle Xu. Even if youe next time, I won''te out!"

    "Yes, we won''te out at all!" The small elephants said in unison.

    Xu Hei didn''t linger any longer and quickly left the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe''s settlement.

    Man Jin''s simple and honest nature, his righteousness, also influenced his descendants.

    Such a character could be considered noble in peaceful times, but in chaotic times, it was easy to be exploited and naturally eliminated.

    There wasn''t much Xu Hei could do, except warn them.

    After searching the area to confirm no one was around, Xu Hei quickly left the ce.

    His target was the Wu Mountain Range.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wu Mountain.

    As thergest mountain range in the southwest of the Chu Kingdom and now in the western Qin Kingdom, it was shrouded in mist all year round, with overcast clouds and a harsh internal environment, inhabited by many great demons.

    Golden Core great demons, rare in the outside world, were not umon in Wu Mountain, each upying a territory and ruling over it.

    Normally, the great demons wouldn''t interfere with each other, but now, they had all united.

    This was because arge group of humans had entered the deep mountains, forcing them to leave.

    At this moment, in a sunken area of Wu Mountain, a group of people stood, floating high in the sky, standing on flying swords, holding various magical treasures, all exuding an imposing aura, clearly experts.

    "From this ce as the center, within a radius of ten thousand miles, it will be considered a forbidden zone. No demonic beast is allowed to enter!"

    An old man with a menacing aura swept the area with his pressure, reaching the mid-stage of Core Formation, the highest cultivation level present.

    Beside him were other Core Formation stage experts and arge number of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    They wore various robes, including members of the Snake Catchers Sect, Carefree Sect, Tai Xuan Sect, and Purple Mist Sect. Even some Nascent Soul ancestors from cultivation families had arrived at the scene.

    The old man with the highest cultivation, the menacing elder, was the Grand Elder of the Snake Catchers Sect, Yin Mingzi.

    This gathering almost represented the most elite forces of the Southern Region.

    "A radius of ten thousand miles? Our territories are all nearby. Are you trying to exterminate us?"

    "Snake Catchers Sect, such arrogance, do you really think we''re afraid of you!"

    On the other side of the sky, a group of demon king-level experts faced off from a distance.

    The eagle tribe, snake tribe, ape tribe, lion tribe of Wu Mountain, and even the elephant tribe from a bit further away had all gathered. No matter how much enmity they had in the past, they united against the human invasion.

    Together they rise, together they fall.

 Chapter 150: Two sides in battle, Xu Hei launches a sneak attack

    Chapter 150: Two sides in battle, Xu Heiunches a sneak attack

    The number of these demon kings was not less than the human Core Formation cultivators on the other side, and they also had an old demon at the mid-Golden Core stage leading them.

    In terms of Foundation Establishment, the demonic beasts had twenty more.

    Yin Mingzi said coldly, "Don''t me me for not warning you. This is a ce the Heavenly Puppet Sect has designated for clearing. If you don''t leave, when Qin Xuanji arrives in person, you won''t be able to leave even if you want to!"

    With these words, the demonic beasts looked at each other in dismay.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect was a powerful sect that had wiped out the entire Chu Kingdom, and its Grand Elder had the cultivation of Great Perfection in the Core Formation Stage, capable of defeating ten thousand troops alone.

    As long as he took action, no demonic beast in this area could withstand him.

    At this moment, the old demon at the mid-Golden Core stage stepped forward and snorted coldly, "Don''t think I don''t know. There are certain restrictions here for the people of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, am I right?"

    Yin Mingzi''s eyes shed upon hearing this, and he said, "Restrictions, are you sure?"

    "Hmph, my Stone Ape lineage has lived and thrived here for over ten thousand years. How could we not know some secrets?"This old demon was an old monkey, so old that its skin was almost bald, its body hunched, yet its eyes were full of vigor and wisdom.

    In truth, his words had no basis and were purely a guess based on past experiences.

    In the Wu Mountain Range, all kinds of people hade, except for the experts of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Even if they dide, it was just some juniors passing by.

    He didn''t believe in such a coincidence.

    Especially this time, Qin Xuanji didn''te in person but sent another sect, without even a single elder from his own, which deepened his suspicion.

    "Secrets? I''d like to know, what secrets?" Yin Mingzi was half-believing, half-doubting.

    "Noment," the old monkey demon sneered.

    This left Yin Mingzi in hesitation. He was here on orders, and if he didn''t achieve something, it would be difficult for the Snake Catchers Sect to establish a foothold in the Qin Kingdom.

    He also had his doubts about why Qin Xuanji didn''te personally.

    He initially thought it was a test for the Snake Catchers Sect, but now it seemed not so simple.

    "No need to waste words with these humans, just charge and kill them."

    The Purple Lightning Lion King shouted coldly.

    "No matter what sect, driving us out for thousands of miles is intolerable!"

    "Kill! Kill all the humans."

    "The territory is invible!"

    The demonic beasts were not like humans who wanted to think things through; most of them had fiery tempers and could start a fight at the slightest disagreement.

    Seeing that the old monkey demon did not stop them, a horned eagle pped its wings, sending countless wind des forward. The other great demons roared in anger, charging forward with overwhelming momentum.

    Yin Mingzi''s face turned ashen. Fighting was not impossible, but they were missing a team. The Mountain Movers Sect had some unknown incident and not a single person showed up, with no response to theirmunication talisman.

    With the Mountain Movers Sect, their defensive capabilities would be greatly enhanced.

    Seeing the other side charging, Yin Mingzi took out arge g, which grew longer in the wind.

    With a wave of his hand, countless snake demons were released from the g, pouncing towards the demonic beast horde.

    "Kill!"

    With an order, everyone charged towards the demonic beast army, and the two sides quickly became entangled in a chaotic battle.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    On the outskirts of Wu Mountain.

    Xu Hei used the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, moving swiftly and leaving behind afterimages.

    He practiced his body technique while traveling, and unknowingly, the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon showed signs of advancing to the third level.

    At the second level, his speed greatly increased, allowing him to create afterimages.

    At the third level, the afterimages could multiply into thousands, making the true body hard to find.

    Currently, Xu Hei couldn''t create thousands of afterimages, but making a dozen or so was no problem.

    His speed was nearly invincible within the Foundation Establishment Stage, approaching that of a False Core cultivator using true essence. This was the domineering aspect of the dragon n''s body technique.

    Of course, he couldn''t use this body technique for long while traveling, as it consumed too much true qi.

    After absorbing arge amount of spiritual vein energy, Xu Hei''s cultivation reached eighty percent of the initial stage, very close to the middle stage.

    With three dragon bones, Xu Hei''s strength had increased tremendously, capable of easily shattering a top-tier second-grade magical treasure.

    Unknowingly, Xu Hei had touched upon a legendary realm¡ª

    The Extreme Realm!

    The Extreme Realm does not refer to a cultivation realm but a realm of strength.

    The gap between the Foundation Establishment Stage and the Core Formation Stage was toorge to cross, as it was the difference between true qi and true essence, which couldn''t be bridged by mere techniques.

    However, within the Foundation Establishment Stage, one could continuously enhance their strength until they could defeat those at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, achieving invincibility within the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    And then surpass invincibility!

    At that point, although still unable to contend with the Core Formation Stage, one would be infinitely close, reaching an extreme value.

    Extreme represents the limit, beyond which there is no further enhancement.

    This is the meaning of the Extreme Realm!

    Throughout history, those who could reach the limit of strength within the Foundation Establishment Stage were few and far between. In ancient times, only a few with perfect Foundation Establishment, through great fortune, might achieve it.

    In the context of history, to touch the Extreme Realm at the initial stage of Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei was not unique but certainly among the top.

    In this era of scarce spiritual qi, where even perfect Foundation Establishment was rare, he was enough to dominate an era.

    Before long, Xu Hei arrived at his destination.

    Before even reaching the location indicated on the map, Xu Hei sensed various battle fluctuationsing from all directions.

    Fights were happening everywhere.

    "Sure enough, they''ve started fighting."

    Xu Hei stopped using the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique and instead applied the Invisibility Talisman, using the Earth Escape Technique to burrow underground and advance stealthily.

    As Man Yin had said, the demonic beast ns had united to resist the humans, and the area was divided into several battle zones.

    The Ape Tribe and Eagle Tribe were fighting the Snake Catchers Sect.

    The Elephant Tribe was battling the Carefree Sect.

    The Lion Tribe was confronting the Tai Xuan Sect.

    The Snake Tribe was fighting some ancient cultivation families.

    Besides these five main forces, there were also some other minor demon ns participating in the battle.

    Xu Hei roughly observed that the demonic beast side seemed to have the upper hand, with two more Golden Core great demons and twenty more Foundation Establishment great demons.

    However, the humans had numerous magical treasures, endless techniques, and pills, talismans, and formations, which the demonic beastscked.

    Additionally, the humans coordinated more seamlessly, supporting each other to achieve a synergy greater than the sum of their parts, while the demonic beasts fought individually.

    Moreover, the humans were not fighting desperately, holding back in their attacks.

    For the time being, the situation was at a stalemate.

    "The Five Great Sects of the Southern Region are all here, except for the Mountain Movers Sect."

    Xu Hei spected that the Mountain Movers Sect had been annihted two days ago, and these people probably didn''t know yet.

    Judging by theirints, they were indeed unaware of the annihtion.

    Xu Hei''s figure flickered as he moved towards the battlefield between the Elephant Tribe and the Carefree Sect.

    The Elephant Tribe excelled in strength, nearly invincible in frontalbat, but the Carefree Sect members all had Swift Wind Talismans, using agile body techniques and long-range spells to maneuver.

    The Carefree Sect was the one from whom he had stolen the Spirit-Tail Chicken.

    That day, Elder Zhou, who had chased the old dog all the way, was also present and had broken through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, proving to be quite talented.

    "Let''s start with you!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed as he burrowed to the rear of the crowd, targeting his objective, and with a thought.

    "Mountain Embrace Seal!"

    Through visualization, a grand mountain quickly formed above Elder Zhou, crashing down with immense force.

    The current Mountain Embrace Seal was countless times stronger than when Xu Hei had first used it!

    "Watch out!"

    "We''re under attack!"

    The crowd shouted from behind, and Zhou Xu''s expression changed as he rapidly retreated, only to see the mountain crashing down onto a giant light formation, causing it to shake and crack.

    This was a defensive formation set up by the Tai Xuan Sect.

    The Tai Xuan Sect excelled in formations, providing each team with one for protection, crucial for survival, showcasing the coordination among humans.

 Chapter 151: Pill shows its power, unexpected person

    Chapter 151: Pill shows its power, unexpected person

    In the Southern Region, the Five Great Sects each have their own specialties.

    The Purple Mist Sect excels in Pill Refining, the Mountain Movers Sect in Artifact Refining, the Tai Xuan Sect in Formations, the Carefree Sect in Talisman Crafting, and the Snake Catchers Sect in Beast Taming.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect specializes in puppets.

    When these skills arebined and coordinated, they can achieve the effect of defeating many with few, and the weak oveing the strong.

    Xu Hei had anticipated this scene long ago. The Mountain Embrace Seal just now was merely a feint. Almost simultaneously, a white lightning shed by like a startling swan, precisely the Spirit-Breaking Sword.

    This sword pierced through the cracked light formation without any hindrance, making a turn in front of Zhou Xu''s neck.

    "sh!"

    His head soared into the sky, and the defensive magical treasures on his body didn''t even have time to activate before he fell to the ground, dead and gone.

    His storage bag also disappeared, taken away by the Spirit-Breaking Sword, which burrowed underground."Zhou Xu is dead?"

    "What was that just now? Such speed!"

    "Damn it! Who did this?"

    The members of the Carefree Sect were furious and shocked, but they had no time to investigate further, as the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe was already approaching.

    Taking advantage of the broken defensive light formation, they stepped into the sky, crushing forward like war chariots that could shatter mountains and rivers.

    "All members, perform the Elephant Roar!"

    Man Jin led the charge, raising his long trunk, spewing hot air towards the crowd.

    "Roar!"

    The elephant herd also performed the Elephant Roar in unison, sound waves sweeping across the sky, stirring up a violent storm, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.

    The people of the Carefree Sect were blown about, losing their formation. In previous battles, they relied on their agility, fighting while retreating, never engaging head-on.

    Even when attacked by sound waves, they could use formations to block them.

    But once the formation was gone, their formation was immediately scattered, plunging from a stalemate into an abyss, utterly defeated.

    Xu Hei remained hidden underground, not taking further action.

    There were too many people here, and he had just killed someone and shattered the Tai Xuan Sect''s formation, which was already his limit.

    If he revealed the Soul-absorbing g and exposed his true identity, being seen by those Snake Catchers could lead to unforeseen trouble.

    Xu Hei was not familiar with the current situation and didn''t want to draw too much attention to himself, bing a target.

    This battlefield had caught the attention of the Grand Elder, Yin Mingzi, who asionally nced over, a strange expression on his face.

    "sh!"

    Before long, another elder of the Carefree Sect was pierced through the chest by an ivory tusk, falling lifeless.

    "Heh, humans, it seems your side will be the first to lose!"

    The old demon monkeyughed sinisterly.

    Yin Mingzi''s expression remained unchanged, outwardly still engaged with the old monkey, but in reality, he was paying more attention to the Carefree Sect''s side.

    "This old bastard is indeed watching me!"

    Xu Hei''s gaze was cold, his intuition sharp. He could tell at a nce if someone was looking for him.

    Xu Hei surveyed the surroundings,paring them to a map. The ancient tomb was nearby.

    The humans'' motive was clear: to seize the tomb, which is why they were fighting the demonic beasts.

    However, there was one thing he couldn''t understand.

    The humans had no reinforcements. With so few people, how did they dare to engage in a great battle with the demonic beasts?

    Isn''t this seeking annihtion?

    Though people die for wealth, you are cultivators. Knowing you can''t win, why throw your lives away? It''s iprehensible.

    Xu Hei thought it over and realized something was wrong.

    He furrowed his brows and retreated a thousand meters away.

    "The defeat of the Carefree Sect is only a matter of time. Let''s see what changes ur."

    Xu Hei took out a pill, held it in his mouth, and focused his mind, ready to summon a magical treasure at any moment to guard against unexpected changes.

    As time passed, more and more members of the Carefree Sect fell, their bodies plummeting from the sky.

    The Carefree Sect was anxious, but Yin Mingzi remained calm as ever.

    "I won''t y with you anymore!"

    The Carefree Sect''s ancestor, Li Yao, his face ashen, took out a talisman and burned it, preparing to flee.

    Suddenly, Man Jin flung countless ivory tusks into the sky, crisscrossing and spreading cold, forming a frozen zone in the air.

    "All members, take the pills!" Man Jin shouted.

    In an instant, all the Foundation Establishment Stage elephants of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe took out milky white pills and swallowed them.

    Demonic beasts taking pills was unexpected for everyone.

    They didn''t think much of it, as pills were crafted by humans for themselves, having little effect on demonic beasts, especially suchrge creatures like elephants, where the efficacy would be diluted to the extreme.

    However, Xu Hei, hidden underground, had his pupils contract.

    This milky white pill looked somewhat familiar.

    Xu Hei quickly took out a jade bottle with the words "Bone Strengthening Pills" written on it, containing the same milky white pills.

    "No way?"

    Xu Hei swallowed hard.

    Were these pills refined by Xu Bai?

    At this moment, after taking the Bone Strengthening Pills, the elephant herd erupted with dazzling white light, a strange energy emerging within them.

    Their tusks grew at a terrifying speed, shooting out like winding dragons, stabbing towards Li Yao, the ancestor.

    One zhang, two zhang, three zhang... ten zhang, twenty zhang...

    "What kind of monster is this?!"

    Everyone was horrified.

    Xu Hei was also dumbfounded.

    Their expressions were as if witnessing a miracle, eyes wide, almost popping out, even the distant battle paused, all eyes turning here.

    "Haotian Divine Shield!"

    Li Yao took out a golden shield, quickly forming an eggshell, enveloping himself. Man Jin''s tusks grew to thirty zhang, wrapping around Li Yao''s eggshellyer byyer, with countless tusks stabbing from behind.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The shield trembled incessantly, and with a loud crash, it shattered into pieces. Li Yao''s form changed rapidly, slipping through the gaps in the tusks, but Man Jin was prepared, letting out a roar, causing him to momentarily freeze.

    "sh!"

    Li Yao''s back was pierced by a tusk, blood gushing, as more tusks stabbed him, turning him into a sieve.

    "Ancestor!"

    The Carefree Sect''s crowd screamed in horror.

    "......"

    Xu Hei waspletely stunned.

    Not only him, everyone was stunned, caught off guard by the sudden change.

    Xu Hei instantly understood. Xu Bai had not only tested the pills on him but also on Man Jin. The effect was so shocking, he didn''t know what to say.

    Bone Strengthening Pills, damn Bone Strengthening Pills!

    Yin Mingzi''s face alternated between green and red. He no longer hesitated, directly taking out a token and activating it.

    This matter was too bizarre. Initially nning to wait, but now he couldn''t dy any longer.

    "Buzz!"

    The token in Yin Mingzi''s hand floated up, rising into the sky, emitting a white light.

    Within it, an immense divine sense pressure was born, growing stronger, sweeping out like a storm in all directions.

    This divine sense''s strength far exceeded everyone present, both humans and demonic beasts.

    It was like ants facing a mountain, a tsunami, causing all beings to tremble, feeling an irresistible force.

    "What powerful cultivation, who is this?"

    The old demon monkey''s face changed dramatically, retreating hastily.

 Chapter 152: Strong enemies approach, driving them out for thousands of miles

    Chapter 152: Strong enemies approach, driving them out for thousands of miles

    The expressions of Man Jin and the other elephants changed dramatically. They quickly retracted their tusks and retreated. At the same time, a fire ignited within them, expelling traces of medicinal residue from their bodies.

    As the residue was expelled, their tusks slowly retracted.

    The pressure was too overwhelming, beyond what mere willpower could ovee. They could fight those of the same realm, but facing someone a level higher meant death if they didn''t retreat.

    As the beasts retreated, Xu Hei had already used all his strength to flee into the distance.

    At this moment, a phantom image of a middle-aged man emerged from the token, gradually bing solid.

    This man was dressed in white, holding a cup of tea in one hand while the other was behind his back. His eyes were deep, like the sun, moon, and stars, as if he had experienced the vicissitudes of life, yet his face showed no signs of aging.

    The moment they saw him, the demon kings felt their scalps tingle, their expressions horrified, as if facing a formidable enemy.

    Qin Xuanji, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, stood as one of the strongest figures at the pinnacle between the two nations.

    He alone could rival ten thousand troops!The demonic beasts instantly lost their will to fight and retreated, forming a group.

    The old monkey king had thought that elders of the Heavenly Puppet Sect couldn''te here, but this shattered his perception.

    Though he didn''t know if it was an avatar or some other method, the pressure was something they couldn''t withstand.

    After Qin Xuanji appeared, he didn''t take any action, merely releasing his divine sense, sweeping it underground.

    The range of this divine sense was vast, far exceeding any Core Formation Stage cultivator; no one could escape its search.

    At this moment, Xu Hei, who was fleeing, could clearly feel a strong sense of being watched rapidly approaching from behind.

    "That divine sense seems to be targeting me!"

    "The range is toorge; I can''t escape!"

    In a split second, many thoughts shed through Xu Hei''s mind, and he made a decisive decision.

    Xu Hei made a bold move, taking out a Transformation Pill and swallowing it in one gulp, quickly refining it with the Demon God Cauldron.

    At the same time, he didn''t stop, fully activating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, sprinting toward the distance.

    Facing such an unknown powerhouse, the Invisibility Talisman was definitely ineffective. Xu Hei didn''t expect Hei Huang''s talisman to protect him from anyone.

    But if he wanted to avoid being discovered, he had to disguise himself.

    Ordinary disguises wouldn''t work; he had to rely on unconventional methods.

    Thus, Xu Hei took a huge risk by swallowing the Transformation Pill.

    After being refined by the Demon God Cauldron, the Transformation Pill quickly took effect.

    Xu Hei''s body rapidly shrank, changing from slender to short and stout. His bones and flesh made crackling sounds as his appearance altered.

    "Pop!"

    Next, two legs grew from the front of Xu Hei''s abdomen, one on each side.

    Xu Hei didn''t know what creature he would be, but the creatures Xu Bai created were always random. He could only hope he wouldn''t turn into something too bizarre.

    "Pop!"

    In the next moment, two more legs grew from the back of Xu Hei''s abdomen.

    A total of four legs sprawled around his short, stout body. His neck also shrank, and his body became smooth and rounded, with his ck-gold dragon scales turning pitch ck.

    In just a brief moment, Xu Hei transformed into a four-legged lizard.

    A four-legged lizard is a lizard, also known as Shi Longzi.

    Realizing he wasn''t changing anymore, Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief. At least he had be a normal beast, not something grotesque.

    ording to Xu Bai, he should be able to revert back afterward.

    Soon, the divine sense swept over, and Xu Hei removed the Invisibility Talisman to avoid suspicion.

    Hey on the ground, breathing steadily, pretending to be a normal hibernating lizard, as the divine sense passed over him.

    The divine sense didn''t pause and continued forward after passing over Xu Hei, retracting only at its limit.

    In the distance, at the center of the battlefield.

    Qin Xuanji''s expression remained calm, showing no emotion, but a trace of confusion shed in his eyes.

    Earlier, his divine sense had swept across a thousand-mile radius, discovering a vast number of creatures underground, numbering in the millions, with cultivation levels ranging from high to low.

    The strongest were at the Core Formation Stage, while the weakest were mere mortals.

    But he found no trace of the suspected Flood Dragon.

    Now, with the Chu Kingdom fallen, Qin Xuanji''s focus returned to these trivial matters. Besides tracking down rebels and bandits, the Flood Dragon intrigued him greatly.

    He looked at the barely alive Carefree Sect ancestor, Li Yao, and calmly asked, "What happened just now? Tell me in detail."

    Li Yao dared not dy and quickly recounted the events.

    However, Xu Hei acted too swiftly for him to notice any details, and Zhou Xu was already dead.

    Afterward, Xu Hei made no further moves.

    After talking for a long time, it amounted to nothing.

    "Hmph, forget it."

    Qin Xuanji shook his head, no longer concerned.

    In fact, he had a more important matter to attend to here, one that surpassed everything else, even his attack on the Chu Kingdom was to pave the way for it.

    Compared to that, rebels, bandits, and the Flood Dragon were insignificant.

    He looked at the demon kings in the distance and spoke loudly, "Esteemed demon kings, my Heavenly Puppet Sect has important matters to attend to here."

    "Our sect''s third-generation ancestor had ties with your demon lord. Today, we won''t make things difficult for you. You only need to retreat ten thousand miles and find another ce to reside. Once the matter is settled, this area will be returned."

    Qin Xuanji''s voice was calm and unruffled.

    The demonic beasts exchanged nces, falling into a deathly silence.

    The old monkey king remained silent for a long time before speaking in a deep voice, "How long?"

    "A year at the shortest, three to five years at the longest," Qin Xuanji replied tly.

    The old demon monkey fell silent.

    A year was manageable, but if it dragged on, how would they survive? Moreover, the other party hadn''t specified a concrete timeframe. What if it exceeded five years?

    "What?"

    Qin Xuanji''s gaze flickered as he looked at the old monkey king, "Do you have any objections?"

    Just a look made the old monkey king''s heart tremble, forcing him to retreat several steps, spitting blood.

    The difference in realms was terrifying!

    This left the demon kings horrified. The old monkey king was at least mid-Golden Core, yet he couldn''t withstand even a nce.

    "We have no choice but to yield. Qin Xuanji didn''t go for the kill, so we shouldn''t be ungrateful," the old monkey king said faintly.

    "We have no other option," the Purple Lightning Lion King muttered bitterly.

    "The territories deep within Wu Mountain are already upied by other demon kings. We either fight for them or develop on the outskirts."

    "Damn humans, they all deserve to die!"

    Despite their unwillingness and anger, the demon kings were helpless.

    The opponent''s strength was too overwhelming for them to contend with.

    As long as someone stronger could drive you out of your territory, saying they''ll borrow it for three to five years without outright seizing it was already courteous.

    Of course, Qin Xuanji might have his own concerns, preventing him from acting recklessly.

    However, the demon kings didn''t dare to gamble, nor did they see the need to take such a huge risk to offend the immensely powerful Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "Let''s hope you keep your word," the old monkey king said, staring at Qin Xuanji.

    "As long as you don''t cause trouble, I''ll naturally keep my promise," Qin Xuanji replied.

    After exchanging a few words, the demon kings had no choice but to abandon the area and leave.

    Man Jin''s territory seemed to be right at the edge of the ten thousand miles, uncertain if they needed to relocate.

    Just then, Qin Xuanji''s gaze subtly nced at him, causing Man Jin to shiver internally and hastily speed up his departure.

 Chapter 153: Elephant Tribe Crisis, Shameless Humanity

    Chapter 153: Elephant Tribe Crisis, Shameless Humanity

    Yin Mingzi hesitated for a moment and tentatively asked, "Senior, that Snake Demon, what exactly is it..."

    "This is a matter of our sect, you need not concern yourself," Qin Xuanji said indifferently.

    "Yes!"

    Yin Mingzi felt a shock in his heart and quickly nodded.

    He had always been specting whether that Snake Demon was secretly nurtured by the Heavenly Puppet Sect or was wild, and he had been feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

    Now, hearing Qin Xuanji''s words, his heart was greatly shaken, and he no longer had any stray thoughts.

    In fact, Qin Xuanji had always intended to suppress the Snake Catchers Sect; it was just that the appearance of the Snake Demon was perfectly timed, causing chaos in the Snake Catchers Sect, and it just so happened to practice puppet techniques.

    Qin Xuanji simply let things take their course, allowing others to specte.

    "Additionally, the Mountain Movers Sect has been annihted. I have arranged for the Iron Mountain Sect to take its ce. From now on, the Five Great Sects of the Southern Region will be the Iron Mountain Sect, Snake Catchers Sect, Tai Xuan Sect, Carefree Sect, and Purple Mist Sect."Qin Xuanji spoke slowly.

    These seemingly calm words stirred up a storm in everyone''s hearts, leaving them all in shock and disbelief.

    The Mountain Movers Sect, a great sect that had stood for five hundred years, was just gone like that!

    Gone without a trace, and Qin Xuanji didn''t even exin how it happened.

    As for the Iron Mountain Sect, it was a sect they had never even heard of, but it was undoubtedly a subordinate of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Everyone''s expressions changed dramatically, and a terrifying thought arose in their hearts¡ªcould they also be wiped out at any time and reced?

    When Qin Xuanji mentioned the Five Great Sects, he ced the Iron Mountain Sect first, even before the Snake Catchers Sect. Wasn''t this hint obvious enough?

    "This ancient relic is entrusted to you Five Great Sects to explore together. If there are any gains, I will reward you handsomely."

    At this point, Qin Xuanji''s gaze turned cold, and he said chillingly, "If anyone dares to hide anything, the Mountain Movers Sect will be your warning!"

    After speaking, Qin Xuanji''s figure quickly faded andpletely disappeared, and the token shattered into two halves.

    The people present were already chilled to the bone, a sense of fear and... powerlessness rising in their hearts.

    Beside Yin Mingzi, an old man trembled and said, "Grand Elder, could it be that the Mountain Movers Sect was destroyed by Qin Xuanji..."

    "Silence!" Yin Mingzi reprimanded sternly.

    The old man immediately fell silent.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep underground in Wu Mountain.

    Xu Hei remained motionless until the faint sense of crisispletely disappeared. After another night, he finally opened his eyes and burrowed underground.

    Xu Hei reached a very deep ce and examined himself.

    At this moment, he hadpletely transformed into a four-legged lizard, both inside and out.

    But Xu Hei knew that only his form had changed, not his essence.

    "The Transformation Pill seems to contain an extremely special power that can change the body''s structure but cannot alter bloodline and race."

    Xu Hei could feel the presence of that power.

    With a thought, steam began to rise from his body, and that invisible power was slowly expelled, turning into a stream of air and disappearing.

    As the medicinal power dissipated, Xu Hei''s body slowly returned to its original form, bones extending, limbs retracting.

    This change in body structure was reversible.

    However, the process was somewhat lengthy, and Xu Hei spent a full two hours expelling that powerpletely, reverting to his original snake form.

    "Phew!" Xu Hei let out a sigh of relief.

    Recalling the scene of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe consuming Bone Strengthening Pills, Xu Bai''s pills weren''t entirely useless.

    The Transformation Pill, for him, could be used for disguise.

    However, taking other pills still required utmost caution.

    "The ancient tomb, better not go there for now. Let''s see what Man Jin and the others have to say."

    After a brief contemtion, Xu Hei left the ce and headed straight for the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe''s settlement.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, a group of uninvited guests appeared in the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe''s settlement, erupting into a fierce battle.

    The members of the Elephant Tribe were unprecedentedly furious, risking their lives, each one burning their blood and energy, pursuing the humans with reckless speed.

    Because this group of humans had targeted their children.

    For the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, this was an unforgivable crime, more infuriating than killing them!

    Fortunately, Xu Hei had warned them, and the children didn''t fall for it; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

    "None of you will escape!"

    Man Jin''s Ice Soul Tusk flew out, transforming into a prison of ice and snow, trapping the crowd.

    The elephant herd trampled the sky, charging forward with overwhelming momentum.

    But these human cultivators were not easy to deal with either. Each one had bodies like iron, absurdly tough, all having practiced body-tempering techniques, capable of contending with demonic beasts in physicalbat.

    Although they couldn''tpare to the Elephant Tribe, being hit wouldn''t be fatal.

    This was abat style they had never seen before.

    Moreover, among this group of people, there were actually two Core Formation Stage cultivators, who joined forces to fight Man Jin, battling back and forth.

    "Leader of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, this is just a misunderstanding. How about we call it quits?"

    One tall and strong man took out a chain, whipping it while sneering.

    "That''s right, we just came to visit, bringing some food for the children, with no ill intentions."

    Another short and stout man also sneered, wielding a steel fork, stabbing continuously from a distance.

    Man Jin, fighting two against one, showed no signs of falling behind, growing braver as the battle went on. He was willing to burn his life to bring these two thieves to justice.

    At the same time, he was puzzled.

    The strong ones of the Southern Region were mostly concentrated deep in Wu Mountain. Where did this secte from, with abat style they had never seen before?

    This didn''t seem like people from the Chu Kingdom.

    "No matter who you are, today you will die!"

    Man Jin''s tusks charged forward, colliding with arge shield.

    Suddenly, therge shield turned into a pool of sludge, quickly surging out, wrapping around Man Jin''s tusks. The sludge continued to expand, growingrger and heavier.

    Man Jin felt as if he were bearing the weight of a mountain, his speed drastically reduced.

    "Today marks the founding of our Iron Mountain Sect. We must make a name for ourselves!"

    The tall and strong man sneered, his eyes filled with cruel bloodlust, staring at Man Jin and the other beasts.

    "We originally nned to capture your children as hostages to make things easier, but since they didn''t take the bait, using force isn''t out of the question."

    The short iron man also revealed his true intentions, knowing that Man Jin was about to unleash a deadly move, and he retreated in advance, as if everything was within their calctions.

    "Iron Mountain Sect..."

    The sludge on Man Jin''s tusks grewrger, bing a mountain. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t shake it off. His body grew heavier, the sludge covering his nose and eyes, gradually spreading to his entire head.

    "Heh, this is a third-grade mid-tier magical treasure, the Mountain-Covering Mud. Unless you break your tusks, it will only growrger until it buries your entire body."

    The tall and strong man sneered. This magical treasure was specifically designed to counter beasts like the Elephant Tribe that relied purely on strength, a perfect counter for elephants, leaving them utterly helpless.

    In fact, even breaking the tusks wouldn''t help. Once it stuck, it couldn''t be shaken off, only spreading over the entire body.

    "Step back a few paces, this beast is about to go berserk, don''t get hurt!"

    The short man quickly retreated, knowing that Man Jin was about to unleash a deadly move, avoiding it in advance, as if everything was within their calctions.

 Chapter 154: Unrestrained, true dragons power

    Chapter 154: Unrestrained, true dragon''s power

    The short man was named Tie Xiong, and the tall, strong man was named Tie Niu.

    The two were brothers and founders of the Iron Mountain Gang, a faction in the Qin Kingdom.

    The reason it was called the Iron Mountain Gang was that the Qin Kingdom only allowed one sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, while others could only be called gangs.

    Just a week ago, they were informed that they were allowed to rename themselves as the Iron Mountain Sect and expand into the Chu Kingdom, with arge amount of resources provided, which delighted the two brothers.

    Without hesitation, they led their gang members to the Southern Region of the Chu Kingdom.

    The third-tier magical treasure before them, Mountain-Covering Mud, was one of the resources they received.

    This item was highly effective against clumsy, strength-type demonic beasts, specifically designed to kill the Elephant Tribe.

    "Roar!!"

    Man Jin let out an earth-shattering roar, terrifying sound waves swept through, causing the Mountain-Covering Mud to tremble continuously. Instead of being shaken off, it spread rapidly, growing evenrger."Hahaha, useless, useless, useless!"

    Tie Niuughed heartily, never feeling so exhrated.

    Just arriving in the Southern Region, they were about to kill a Golden Core giant elephant, an unprecedented sense of achievement.

    At this moment, it seemed that Man Jin swallowed something.

    "Whoosh! Whoosh!!"

    From within the Mountain-Covering Mud, two tusks suddenly shot up, piercing through with terrifying speed.

    "What kind of move is this?"

    Tie Niu''s eyes widened as he retreated rapidly. Fortunately, they were prepared and kept a safe distance, easily avoiding the tusks that grew explosively.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep in Wu Mountain.

    There was a huge pool, nestled in a valley, its surface calm as a mirror, with no visible bottom.

    No matter if a breeze blew or a stone was thrown in, the water''s surface wouldn''t ripple even slightly. The area was deste, with not a single bird or beast in sight.

    Who knows how much time passed.

    A vulturended on a crooked tree by the pool and said, "Master Demon Lord, after ten thousand years, the Divine Puppet Sect has returned."

    The voice echoed.

    After a long while, the pool, calm for ten thousand years, finally rippled slightly.

    "Divine Puppet Sect... such distant memories."

    An ancient voice slowly emerged, as if traversing the river of time,ing from the depths of history.

    The vulture chuckled, "They want to retrieve the third-generation ancestor''s belongings. What do you think?"

    At that moment, a water column shot out from the pool, gradually condensing into a small humanoid form.

    It was a baby, slowly growing into a child, then into a young man.

    The young man opened his eyes, walked out of the pool naked, and his cultivation rapidly ascended from a mortal to the Qi Refining Stage, then to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Soon, his dantian''s spiritual foundationpressed, true qi transformed into true essence, forming a Golden Core, reaching the Core Formation Stage.

    Then, the Golden Core transformed into an infant form, the Elemental Infant stage!

    But it wasn''t over; the Elemental Infant rushed towards the young man''s crown, seemingly to merge with his divine sense.

    "Master Demon Lord, enough, enough! It''s just a branch of the Divine Puppet Sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect!"

    The vulture hurriedly shouted.

    "You should have said so earlier!"

    The young manined, and the Elemental Infant immediately shrank back, as if time reversed, turning back into a Golden Core, stopping at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage.

    The young man took out a green robe and put it on, saying, "It''s been a long time since I went out. How do I look?"

    The vulture scrutinized him for a moment and said, "Master Demon Lord, your form is fine, but you look too young."

    "What, should I be an old man?" the young man frowned, displeased.

    The vulture trembled and quickly corrected, "No, no! You are still young, this is just right."

    The green-robed young man nodded in satisfaction.

    He pondered for a moment and quickly asked, "By the way, I haven''t been out for ten thousand years. Will I be out of touch with the world? What if people say I''m inexperienced?"

    "Also, what spells are modern people good at? Are there still many body cultivators?"

    "What should I do to act like a senior expert?"

    The young man continued to speak tirelessly.

    The vulture smiled wryly, "Just say less."

    "Sigh! Going out is such a hassle, sleeping is better."

    The young man sighed, reluctantly walking into the distance.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the edge of the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe''s territory.

    Xu Hei rushed over from mid-air, seeing the battle ahead from afar.

    "Humans again?"

    Xu Hei''s face darkened, and without hesitation, he used the jade slip left by the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion.

    No matter what happened, calling for help was never wrong.

    He used his divine sense to scan the area, finding two Core Formation stage cultivators and about twenty Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, with no one else nearby, not even the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered; these two Core Formation stage individuals were strangers to him, not recognizing him.

    This meant Xu Hei could act swiftly, cooperating with Man Jin to take down these two.

    "Wait! Don''t be impulsive!"

    Xu Hei frowned, sensing something was off.

    Previously, when he, Man Jin, and the Purple Lightning Thunder Lion attacked Rock Serpent City, it was surely known that he was associated with the Elephant Tribe.

    So, could this attack on the Elephant Tribe be a trap to lure him out?

    The Purple Lightning Thunder Lion hadn''t appeared; could it have been attacked too?

    Ever since Qin Xuanji appeared, Xu Hei had been uneasy, feeling watched. During the previous war between the two kingdoms, they had no time for him, but now, they were clearly devoting some effort to searching for him.

    From the moment Qin Xuanji appeared, his divine sense targeted him, and Xu Hei noticed.

    Humans are cunning, and as a key figure in the Qin Kingdom''s forces, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Qin Xuanji was no simple character.

    Such an existence, any move could be a trap.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, calmly considering his options. He couldn''t just watch Man Jin be killed; he had to do something while ensuring he wasn''t exposed.

    Should he take the Transformation Pill and charge in?

    No, impossible!

    Xu Hei highly suspected that at this moment, anyone appearing to help Man Jin would prompt Qin Xuanji to emerge.

    What should he do?

    Qin Xuanji clearly wanted to capture him; it was an open scheme!

    If he didn''t show up, Man Jin would die!

    Xu Hei felt unprecedented pressure, taking out the jade disk Hei Huang gave him. As expected, there was only this group of red dots in front of him, the enemy hidden well.

    At this moment, Man Jin was under increasing pressure, the Mountain-Covering Mud already enveloping him entirely, trapping him, allowing only slow movement.

    "Just wait for death!" Tie Niu sneered.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, a cold gleam shot from the shadows.

    A figure burst out from hiding, revealing itself, a sword gleaming as it shed at Tie Niu''s back, only to spark slightly.

    Tie Niu nced back, seeing an unremarkable young man, only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, unable to break his defense.

    This person had been lurking nearby, unnoticed.

    "Die!"

    Tie Niu hesitated for just a second before swinging a palm to crush Xiao Chou''s head.

    "Boom!!"

    A deafening collision echoed.

    However, it wasn''t Xiao Chou''s head that was hit, but Tie Niu''s head.

    A long ck shadow appeared instantly before Tie Niu, almost simultaneously with Xiao Chou.

    It was a big ck snake.

    However, this snake''s movement was so stealthy that he only saw Xiao Chou, not Xu Hei!

    Without giving him any chance to react, a thick, scale-covered tail whipped fiercely at Tie Niu''s face.

    "Smack!!!"

    The power of dragon bones and dragon scalesbined eruptedpletely, smashing Tie Niu''s face, blood sttering, teeth shattering. With a loud bang, Tie Niu spun in the air, flying back, crashing into a mountain rock.

    The scene drew everyone''s attention, faces aghast.

    "Big brother!" the short Tie Xiong eximed.

    "Boom!"

    Tie Niu quickly burst out from the rock, his expression terrifying.

    At this moment, his face was no longer recognizable, eyes, nose, and features all smashed, bones exposed.

    Thanks to his cultivation of the Iron Mountain Sect''s special technique, his physical body was extremely tough, preventing his head from being blown apart. Otherwise, anyone else might have lost their head from such a blow.

    He was careless! He never expected the snake to be so fast, its physical attack so terrifying!

    Tie Xiong''s eyes flickered slightly as he took out a token.

    "Wait!"

    Suddenly, Tie Niu stopped him, coldly saying, "Don''t rush, let me deal with this snake!"

    Tie Xiong nodded, putting the token away.

    He knew his big brother was truly enraged.

 Chapter 155: Step on it to death, the Demon Lord appears

    Chapter 155: Step on it to death, the Demon Lord appears

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered. The token just now was meant to summon Qin Xuanji. The other party showed it to him briefly before putting it away again. What did that mean?

    Looking down on him?

    As for the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, he had to save them, no matter what schemes the other side might have, whether it was a trap or not, he had to act!

    Man Jin had helped him more than once or twice, even saving his life in the Myriad Serpent Valley.

    The old Xu Hei might have run away.

    But the Xu Hei now was no longer someone who wouldn''t act without a ten percent chance of sess.

    Some things, you do knowing they''re impossible!

    The only thing he didn''t expect was that Xiao Chou had alsoe, using an Invisibility Talisman to lurk nearby, and even he hadn''t noticed.

    The two of them acted almost simultaneously, without any priormunication, purely by coincidence."What were you doing up there just now, offering yourself up?" Xu Hei transmitted his voice.

    "The Chu Tian Alliance gave me a protective jade pendant that only activates when I''m near death," Xiao Chou replied.

    "..." Xu Hei was speechless.

    Xiao Chou paused and continued, "The Mountain Movers Sect was annihted, not a single survivor left. I found out that the Heavenly Puppet Sect orchestrated this in secret, recalling their disciples to the sect and deliberately gathering all the experts from other sects to the Wu Mountain Range, leaving no support!"

    Xiao Chou''s voice was calm, but anyone could hear the fire in his heart.

    "So, the Heavenly Puppet Sect is an aplice?" Xu Hei asked in surprise.

    "Not an aplice, the mastermind! They are the root of all this!" Xiao Chou said.

    Xu Hei was silent for a moment and then said, "Isn''t the root of the problem being too weak?"

    Xiao Chou was left speechless.

    Their exchange waspleted in an instant.

    At this moment, Tie Niu swallowed a pill, and the wounds on his face slowly healed. He took out a chain, his gaze icy, and flicked his wrist.

    "Whoosh!"

    The chain unfurled, rushing forward like a long snake. Xu Hei summoned the Soul-absorbing g, and the spirit of the Jiao Python appeared instantly, biting onto the chain.

    At the same time, the ck Dragon Pagoda appeared, consuming thirty percent of his True Qi, and crashed towards Man Jin.

    This was Xu Hei''s n all along, to first help Man Jin break free.

    Otherwise, for someone at the early Foundation Establishment Stage to go against a Core Formation Stage, a sneak attack might work, but if the opponent reacted, he would definitely not be a match.

    "Boom!!!"

    The ck Dragon Pagoda collided with the Mountain-Covering Mud. The mountain above Man Jin''s head, rapidly expanding, was shattered like it had been struck by a meteor, with many pieces being sucked into the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    "How can this thing swallow everything?" Xu Hei was astonished.

    Such a scene was like a tidal wave in Tie Xiong''s eyes.

    "Impossible?"

    Tie Xiong''s face changed dramatically. He never expected the Mountain-Covering Mud to be shattered; it was a third-grade mid-tier Spiritual Treasure.

    What exactly was that ck pagoda?

    "Roar!!"

    Man Jin roared to the sky, and after breaking the seal, the fury in his chest eruptedpletely. Only the death of the opponent could vent his anger.

    Tie Niu grabbed the spirit of the Jiao Python, smashed it with his fist, causing its body to dent. The Jiao Python''s venom sprayed out, corroding a wisp of green smoke on him, but leaving him unharmed.

    A third-grade array spirit was, after all, a defective product. It was fine against the Foundation Establishment Stage, but against a true Core Formation Stage, it would be defeated in one round.

    "Big brother, sorry, if we keep ying, we''ll lose."

    Seeing Man Jin break free, Tie Xiong immediately took out the token to summon Qin Xuanji and activated it.

    However, unexpectedly, the token had no response!

    "This..."

    Tie Xiong was dumbfounded again.

    "Human! You must die!"

    Man Jin''s fury reached its peak. He leaped up, and his giant elephant leg, like a pir supporting the sky, stomped towards Tie Xiong''s head with unstoppable force, shaking the heavens and the void.

    Xu Hei once again activated the ck Dragon Pagoda, spinning it topletely block Tie Xiong''s retreat.

    Tie Xiong had just turned his head when he crashed into the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    In a battle between Core Formation cultivators, life and death were decided in an instant. With just this moment of obstruction, death was imminent!

    "No!!"

    With a miserable scream, Man Jin''s elephant hoof stomped fiercely on Tie Xiong''s head.

    With a "st," his body was crushed into a pulp.

    Originally, with Tie Xiong''s physical body, it was impossible to be stomped to death in one blow, but Man Jin''s fury was overwhelming. This stomp was the most powerful in his history, unleashing his strength to the limit!

    From head to toe, he was crushed into a mass of flesh, stomped deep into the ground, breaking through the abyss.

    Even Man Jin''s four legs were burning fiercely, igniting golden mes.

    The mes gradually spread across his body, turning him into a burning giant elephant.

    Tie Niu, seeing his brother fall, didn''t have time to grieve before he saw the fiery body charging at him, rapidly erging in his pupils.

    A question floated in his mind.

    "What kind of demonic beast is this?"

    Tie Niu''s eyes were filled with terror. This feeling waspletely different from facing Man Jin before, as if it were a different demonic beast.

    This time, Xu Hei''s True Qi was down to twenty percent, unable to use the ck Dragon Pagoda to block.

    But Man Jin''s stomp stillnded solidly. Although Tie Niu dodged most of it, he was hit by the aftermath, losing half of his body.

    Such terrifying power was truly frightening.

    Tie Niu suppressed his injuries, shed to Tie Xiong''s corpse, and with a grasp, pulled the token into his hand.

    "Senior, save me! Why don''t youe out?"

    Tie Niu screamed miserably.

    But the token remained motionless, with no response.

    Man Jin roared and charged again, clearly in a desperate stance.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, the token flew out, into the sky, and was caught by a figure.

    At this moment, the world fell silent.

    All humans and demonic beasts stopped, countless eyes all looking towards the sky, at the figure that had appeared unnoticed.

    It was an ordinary-looking youth, wearing a green robe, with slightly rough skin.

    He looked just like a mortal, with no detectable presence.

    But this eerie scene sent chills down everyone''s spine.

    This was definitely a peerless powerhouse!

    Xu Hei instinctively wanted to use the Small Teleportation Talisman to escape or immediately merge with the ck Dragon Pagoda, but his instincts sensed no danger.

    At this moment, the green-robed youth stared at the token in his hand and said calmly, "Will youe out yourself, or shall I find you?"

    The ancient voiceing from a youth''s mouth was extremely bizarre.

    As the words fell.

    A middle-aged phantom floated out from the token, sped his hands, and quickly solidified.

    This scene was just like when Yin Mingzi took out the token and Qin Xuanji appeared.

    Xu Hei had seen simr situations before. Themunication jade slip in Li Yang''s storage bag worked like this, seemingly using a method to attach Divine Sense to the jade slip, turning it into a physical form.

    But this Qin Xuanji was clearly more advanced, almost equivalent to an External Incarnation.

    Such a method couldn''t even be detected by a jade disk, making it impossible to guard against.

    "Junior Qin Xuanji, greets the Demon Lord!"

    Facing this youth, Qin Xuanji, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, bowed deeply, performing the courtesy of a junior.

    As this scene unfolded, the entire ce fell into a deathly silence, where even a pin drop could be heard.

 Chapter 156: Ancient cultivator, practicing in secrecy

    Chapter 156: Ancient cultivator, practicing in secrecy

    "Who is the Demon Lord?"

    "What kind of cultivation does this person have to make Qin Xuanji address him as a junior?"

    Everyone''s minds buzzed, their hearts stirred by waves of shock.

    Qin Xuanji, the most talented individual of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, an unparalleled Chosen not seen in a millennium, invincible within the Core Formation Stage.

    Even the Elemental Infant ancestor of the Chu Kingdom couldn''t kill him and had to retreat.

    For someone to make Qin Xuanji pay respects, what level of cultivation does this youth possess?!

    "Back then, the Divine Puppet Sect made a vow with me to never set foot here again. Have you forgotten?" The Demon Lord looked at the person before him, seemingly assessing.

    Qin Xuanji slightly bowed, neither humble nor arrogant, "I respect the ancestors and seniors, hence my true self did note. But as a cultivator, we go against the heavens, how could we be bound by some old rules?"

    His words were not arrogant but heartfelt.In the entire Heavenly Puppet Sect, only he dared to face the Demon Lord''s reputation ande to this ce.

    The Demon Lord remained expressionless, coldly saying, "Sounds nice, but aren''t you just testing my limits?"

    "Let me make it clear to you now, I don''t care what kind of avatars, puppets, or external incarnations you use, as long as they belong to the Divine Puppet Sect, they should not appear within the Wu Mountain range. Today, consider this a lesson."

    He opened his mouth and sucked in, pulling Qin Xuanji''s figure towards him.

    Suddenly, Qin Xuanji''s eyes red with ghostly fire, breaking free from the constraints, his body igniting and quickly dissipating into smoke.

    "Extreme Realm?"

    The Demon Lord''s eyes shed with a hint of surprise, murmuring, "This person is indeed extraordinary, no wonder he has such confidence."

    Extreme Realm represents the ultimate power within a certain realm.

    For example, Xu Hei possesses the Extreme Realm of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    The Demon Lord thought that in this era of thin Spiritual Qi, the Extreme Realm would be very rare, yet he encountered one as soon as he emerged.

    The Demon Lord picked up the token and coldly spoke into it, "Defying the heavens? You were hiding from me just now, which shows fear and trepidation, yet you talk about defying the heavens!"

    These words, transmitted through Qin Xuanji''s token, crossed an endless distance and echoed in Qin Xuanji''s mind.

    This would be Qin Xuanji''s inner demon.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Jiangling, the capital city of the Chu Kingdom.

    In a quiet room, Qin Xuanji sat on a prayer mat, suddenly opening his eyes, the voice from earlier reverberating in his mind.

    "Good, this tribtiones at the right time!"

    Qin Xuanji was not panicked; instead, he was very calm, "As long as I ovee this tribtion, I can form my Elemental Infant!"

    He, the strongest Core Formation in the history of the Qin Kingdom, and also the youngest.

    He respects neither heaven nor earth, neither ghosts nor gods, nor ancestors. Even when facing the Elemental Infant ancestor of the Chu Kingdom, he is fearless.

    But the moment the Demon Lord appeared, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness, like an ant.

    ¡ªDivine Transformation Stage!

    This was the first time in Qin Xuanji''s life facing the Divine Transformation Stage, and also the first time he felt fear. However, as long as he crossed this hurdle, the world would be wide open.

    "You''ve seen the Demon Lord, how did it go?"

    A voice came from the void ahead, belonging to the Elemental Infant ancestor of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "The Demon Lord is not dead, and now appears in a youthful form."

    Qin Xuanji spoke to the void ahead.

    The voice was silent for a long time before asking, "Qin Xuanji, do you believe anyone or any demonic beast could survive from ancient times to the present?"

    Qin Xuanji shook his head, "I don''t believe it."

    Elemental Infant cultivators have a lifespan of over a thousand years.

    The Divine Transformation Stage can reach up to three thousand years.

    Even so, it''s still too far from ancient times.

    "Then what do you think the Demon Lord is?" the old voice asked again.

    Qin Xuanji was silent for a moment before decisively saying, "He is practicing in a way that deceives the heavens."

    A cultivator''s lifespan is limited by thews of the heavens, and they cannot live indefinitely. Even defying the heavens won''t work; only by deceiving the heavens can they avoid its scrutiny.

    "That''s a good guess."

    A figure appeared, the Elemental Infant ancestor walked up to him, solemnly saying, "The day you unravel the mystery of the Demon Lord will be the day you form your Elemental Infant."

    "By then, no matter how the Demon Lord deceives the heavens, he won''t be able to hide."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wild Giant Elephant Tribe.

    With Qin Xuanji''s disappearance, the Iron Mountain Sect''s momentum was gone.

    The Demon Lord didn''t even nce at them, leaving directly.

    It was as if his appearance was merely to counterbnce the Heavenly Puppet Sect, indifferent to everything else.

    Xu Hei let out a sigh of relief, truly afraid that the Demon Lord would notice him, as he had too many secrets.

    Tie Niu''s eyes flickered, trying to slip away, but Man Jin gave him no chance, crushing him like a mountain,pletely obliterating him.

    The remaining members of the Iron Mountain Sect were swiftly defeated by thebined efforts of Xu Hei, Xiao Chou, and the elephant herd, leaving none alive.

    Xu Hei wasted no time, using the Soul-absorbing g to draw in all their souls, allowing the snake spirit to devour them.

    Thus, the Iron Mountain Sect, which was supposed to rece the Mountain Movers Sect, perished halfway before it even began.

    Man Jin''s burning mes extinguished as he walked up to Xu Hei, weakly saying, "Brother Xu, I owe you a great favor again, I..."

    Before he could finish, his body swayed and fell to the ground.

    Man Jin''s body rapidly shrank, the massive mountain-like figure deting like a punctured balloon, visibly shrinking, even his life force rapidly waning.

    "Chieftain!"

    "Big brother!"

    Cries of rm came from the surrounding elephants, who gathered around, extremely anxious.

    Without a word, Xu Hei immediately took out a pill and administered it to him, giving him three in session before Man Jin''s aura stabilized, no longer declining.

    "He''s too severely injured, his life force greatly depleted, he needs rest," Xu Hei said solemnly.

    To kill two Core Formation cultivators, Man Jin had exerted all his strength, burning his life force at a heavy cost.

    The elephant herd fell into silence.

    This time, they suffered great losses, with their leader unconscious and many elite tribesmen dead or wounded.

    The silver lining was that their children were unharmed.

    Xu Hei''s warning was crucial for them.

    "We cannot repay Senior Xu''s kindness."

    An old elephant was moved to tears.

    All the elephants bowed to Xu Hei.

    Such kindness cannot be expressed in words; it''s no exaggeration to say that in the future, they would be willing to go through fire and water for Xu Hei.

    At this moment, the lion pack led by the Purple Lightning Lion King arrived btedly.

    "Damn it! I was trapped by a formation, only just arriving now," the Purple Lightning Lion King cursed.

    Xu Hei was not surprised by this; Qin Xuanji''s arrangements would certainly have also stalled the Purple Lightning Lion King, otherwise, he wouldn''t have been lured in.

    Xu Hei held no grudge.

    Ultimately, it was about strength!

    If not for the Demon Lord''s sudden intervention, Xu Hei didn''t know what kind of situation he would have faced.

    Qin Xuanji was too powerful, the strongest Core Formation cultivator he had ever seen, capable of making a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator cough up blood with just a nce, terrifyingly strong.

    The only methods Xu Hei could think of were using eight Small Teleportation Talismans or merging with the ck Dragon Pagoda, and whether he could escape would purely depend on luck.

    "Lei Meng, you need not me yourself; this was a conspiracy against me."

    Xu Hei briefly exined what had happened.

    "What do you mean against you? This was clearly against all of us demonic beasts!"

    The Purple Lightning Lion King was furious.

    With his fiery temper, he wished to destroy another city, but now he was powerless to do so. Impulsiveness does not mean courting death.

    "The Heavenly Puppet Sect being targeted by the Demon Lord likely means they won''t dare toe again. Do you still n to move thousands of miles away?" Xu Hei asked.

    The Purple Lightning Lion King pondered for a long time before sighing.

    "The Heavenly Puppet Sect may note, but they can send others. The major sects in the Qin Kingdom, like this Iron Mountain Sect, are as numerous as cattle, not to mention the super families like the Bai Family."

    "We are too weak to challenge them."

    The Purple Lightning Lion King looked at the unconscious Man Jin, thought of his own situation, and could only swallow this bitter pill.

    They couldn''t rely on the Demon Lord for everything. The Wu Mountain Range was vast and endless, with countless demon ns; the Demon Lord couldn''t possibly look after them individually.

    Frankly, they were insignificant among the demon ns.

    No one could fathom the Demon Lord''s intentions.

    "Senior Lei Meng, if you don''t mind, why not settle here? Our Wild Giant Elephant Tribe wees you," an old elephant suggested.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 157: Excavation of the large tomb, split up and take action

    Chapter 157: Excavation of therge tomb, split up and take action

    Lei Meng was taken aback as he surveyed the surroundings.

    This ce was situated on a in, rich in vegetation and teeming with demonic beasts. With hot springs throughout the seasons, it was a rare treasurend; otherwise, the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe would not have chosen to reside here.

    "Our Lion Tribe are predators by nature, bloodthirsty and a threat to your offspring. Even if our Foundation Establishment Stage members can control themselves, the young cubs cannot be disciplined," Lei Meng said truthfully.

    Living together, the Elephant Tribe and the Lion Tribe would inevitably sh, even if the leaders did not. The younger generations were bound to fight, leading to conflicts sooner orter.

    They were not human and could not educate their offspring to be cultured and reasonable.

    Friendliness? Peace? Such traits, if cultivated among young lions, would eventually lead to their natural elimination.

    The elephants exchanged nces and could only sigh helplessly.

    "However, we can live nearby and help keep watch. If any human cultivators dare toe, I will intervene," Lei Meng added.

    "Thank you, Senior Lei Meng!" the elephants all bowed in gratitude....

    Xu Hei and Xiao Chou stayed here as well, choosing to settle down.

    For Xiao Chou, a human, the Elephant Tribe was reasonable, knowing he was Xu Hei''s friend and had helped them earlier. They treated him as an honored guest.

    Xu Hei carved out a cave dwelling and began to inventory the spoils from the recent battle.

    "Mountain-Covering Mud, a mid-grade third-tier Spiritual Treasure!"

    Xu Hei looked at the small, palm-sized lump of soft mud before him, highly malleable.

    Yet this unassuming item could expand a thousandfold, with its weight increasing infinitely.

    Xu Hei spent an hour refining it, understanding its effects and principles.

    "So that''s how it is. Once activated, this item can automatically absorb earth-element True Qi from the heavens and earth, gathering nearby sand and dust from the air, growingrger and increasing gravity. It''s truly the bane ofrge demonic beasts," Xu Hei mused.

    This lump of mud could also change shape at will, allowing him to mold it into a shield for disguise.

    Simrly, it could be used for defense, wrapping around oneself to reduce external damage.

    Xu Hei tried to activate it and found that while it consumed a lot of energy, it was much more economical than other third-tier magical treasures, likely due to his Earth Spiritual Roots.

    "An earth-element magical treasure, useful for me!"

    Xu Hei stored it in his Void Stone.

    Besides the Mountain-Covering Mud, there were some defensive magical treasures, but most had been crushed by Man Jin''s foot.

    The remaining treasures were few.

    He acquired the chains used by Tie Niu and the fork used by Tie Xiong, both low-grade third-tier Spiritual Treasures.

    These two weapons were of no use to Xu Hei, so he nned to sell them.

    What surprised Xu Hei the most was that the Iron Mountain Sect members collectively had about one hundred thousand Spirit Stones in reserve, including over forty high-grade Spirit Stones.

    "So many high-grade Spirit Stones!"

    Seeing so many high-grade Spirit Stones, Xu Hei''s heart burned with excitement.

    He took out all the square high-grade Spirit Stones, totaling sixty-seven pieces.

    "I wonder if I can obtain another dragon n secret technique."

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei swallowed the high-grade Spirit Stones one by one, moving to the Demon God Cauldron, where they were absorbed by the true dragon statue.

    One, two, three... ten, twenty...

    Last time, it only took ten Spirit Stones to obtain the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.

    This time, even after fifty pieces, nothing appeared.

    Soon, Xu Hei''s sixty-seven high-grade Spirit Stones werepletely absorbed, and no secret technique emerged.

    "Still short by thirty-three; it seems I need to gather a hundred pieces!"

    Xu Hei had a strong premonition.

    He calcted the resources he currently had.

    Ordinary Spirit Stones totaled two hundred thousand.

    Usable third-tier magical treasures included the ck Dragon Pagoda, Mountain-Covering Mud, and the Soul-absorbing g.

    However, the Jiao Python within the Soul-absorbing g was severely injured. Xu Hei had absorbed many souls into it, allowing it to slowly devour and heal, but it would take some time.

    As consumables, he had eight Small Teleportation Talismans, an unknown gray talisman, and an ordinary Thunder Tribtion Pearl.

    For flying swords, he had the Spirit-Breaking Sword, Heaven-Burning Sword, and Ice Soul Sword, all made of ivory. Xu Hei could simultaneously wield three swords, wreaking havoc within the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    As for puppets, Xu Hei had used most of them. He had just collected a batch of corpses but hadn''t had time to refine them.

    "What if I refine these Iron Mountain Sect members into puppets?" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    The Iron Mountain Sect specialized in body refining techniques, with tough physical bodies covered in iron skin, making them excellent puppet materials.

    Even as corpses, they were extremely sturdy, resistant to ordinary des and swords.

    "Let''s do it!"

    Xu Hei immediately took out the corpses and piled them together.

    He looked at the corpses, ready to refine one, when a brilliant idea struck him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Why should I refine them one by one? Why notbine these corpses into a single flesh giant?" Xu Hei pondered.

    His Earth Puppet Art could only refine puppets up to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Therefore, he couldn''t utilize the corpses of Tie Niu and Tie Xiong.

    But the other corpses could bebined and stitched into a super Foundation Establishment puppet.

    Its strength would be at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but it would be extremely durable, nearly indestructible, with enough flesh to take on a hundred foes. The scene would be spectacr.

    No sooner said than done!

    Xu Hei immediately piled all the corpses together, releasing the Spirit Body Thread to begin this grand project.

    ...

    While Xu Hei was in seclusion.

    The four major sects began their excavation of the ancient relic.

    It was a deep canyon, with the entrance to the relic in the middle, through a tunnel leading underground.

    The tunnel was bottomless, blocking all detection, with only visible ck smoke wafting out.

    This was Yin Sha Qi, extremely dense yin energy.

    It indicated that countless corpsesy within!

    There were signs of previous excavation, suggesting others had been here before and retrieved some items.

    "ording to that bounty hunter, their team had a Qi Condensation leader and thirteen members in total, but they were all wiped out, with only him surviving," Yin Mingzi said solemnly.

    "Everyone, should we enter together or split up?"

    He looked at the group behind him.

    Their team was naturally more luxurious than Han Te''s, capable of splitting into several groups for exploration.

    The Carefree Sect''s patriarch, Li Yao, was severely injured and had not yet recovered. After a moment of silence, he said, "Perhaps... we should split up."

    He no longer wished to explore any relics, only to preserve his life. His words were also an excuse.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, a stream of Yin Sha Qi shot out from the tunnel, and the patriarch''s head flew off.

    Everyone''s faces changed dramatically, summoning protective magical treasures as if facing a formidable enemy.

    However, nothing happened.

    The tunnel remained unfathomably deep, calm as usual, except for Li Yao''s missing head, with no other changes.

    "Hehehe..."

    At that moment, Li Yao''s head suddenly emitted a sinisterugh, with a strange smile, and flew into the tunnel, disappearing from sight.

 Chapter 158: Ruins appear in the world, gathering from all directions

    Chapter 158: Ruins appear in the world, gathering from all directions

    The crowd''s faces were pale, not daring to make a sound.

    They split up, truly split up.

    "Everyone, disperse!" Yin Mingzi shouted.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Without hesitation, the crowd quickly scattered, spreading throughout the canyon.

    "That was an ancient vengeful spirit. As long as there are too many people and the Yang energy is strong, it will attract such entities. Plus, Li Yao was severely injured and weak, which allowed the spirit to seed!"

    The cultivation technique Yin Mingzi practiced was the Yin Ming Art from the Snake Catchers Sect. This sinister art was extremely sensitive, and he immediately identified the problem.

    "We need to split into multiple small teams, each with no more than ten people," Yin Mingzi said solemnly.

    After arrangements were made, everyone gradually dispersed, forming small teams and entering the tunnels one by one.¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Three dayster, the people from the four major sects returned in disarray.

    Their numbers were halved, with two Core Formation Stage cultivators fallen.

    However, they did bring back some ancient relics ording to Han Te''s map. Despite the heavy losses, it wasn''t aplete failure.

    At least they gained more understanding of the situation inside the relic, allowing them to avoid danger as much as possible next time.

    At the same time, the map of the ancient relic spread like a storm across the Southern Region.

    Not only in the Southern Region, but it also spread throughout the country, even reaching the southern bank of the Yanluo River, bing widely circted.

    This map, initially bought by Xu Hei for five thousand spirit stones, now seemed to be everywhere, almost everyone had a copy.

    For a time, the whole country was in an uproar.

    Countless people formed teams and rushed to the Wu Mountain Range to explore the relic.

    The four major sects did not stop the peopleing from all over the country, nor could they. The danger level of that relic far exceeded their imagination.

    It wasn''t a treasure trove filled with riches, but a perilous ce that devoured people!

    Rather than risking themselves, they let these passersby probe the area, possibly reducing some losses.

    However, while everyone was heading to the Wu Mountain Range, one sect remained indifferent.

    ¡ªThe Heavenly Puppet Sect!

    Whether disciples or elders, they were given strict orders not to approach the Wu Mountain area.

    They only sent some subordinate sects and families to investigate, but not a single person from their own sect went, causing experts from various factions to specte on the reason.

    Over time, more and more human cultivators gathered in Wu Mountain.

    In the sky, Core Formation Stage cultivators could asionally be seen leading teams, sweeping across from high above.

    Initially, the nearby Demon n was furious, but gradually, they became ustomed to it.

    Eventually, human cultivators even established a small base within Wu Mountain for information exchange and magical treasure trading.

    Everything was in service of exploring this relic.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time flew by.

    Unknowingly, a month had passed.

    In the Wild Giant Elephant Tribe, Xu Hei''s seclusion was finally nearing its end.

    This was the longest he had ever spent crafting a puppet.

    "Finally... it''s done!"

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    Before him stood a three-meter-tall giant puppet.

    Its bloated body, steel-like limbs, and that bizarrelyrge head provided a strong visual impact.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    On the head were ten human faces, with over twenty eyes scattered in various directions, facial features twisted together like an ancient demon.

    This was Xu Hei''s masterpiece after a month of work.

    He was certain that the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s puppet techniques did not include the method to create this, because it was Xu Hei''s own creation! It had drained all his creativity.

    He repeatedly disassembled and reassembled corpses, failing over a dozen times, even using Tie Xiong''s body, yet still failing.

    Finally, it was only after injecting a Transformation Pill into the body that he began to see results.

    This thing appeared to be a single person, but in reality, it was the amalgamation of thirty people.

    For instance, the arms appeared to be only two, but inside, there were dozens more, ready to grow back immediately if severed, and the body was covered in various twisted faces.

    Such a monster, just by its appearance, could scare a group of people to death!

    If the Heavenly Puppet Sect knew that someone had used puppet techniques to create such a thing, who knows what they would think.

    "Let''s test its strength."

    Xu Hei willed it to move.

    The giant took a step forward, charging ahead like a cannonball, producing a booming sound as it swung its iron fist, striking the stone wall ahead.

    "Boom!!"

    The underground cave dwelling instantly copsed, the tremor spreading for a thousand meters, like an earthquake.

    Xu Hei gasped.

    This physical body, this strength, this speed, it was the most perfect puppet Xu Hei had ever seen!

    Xu Hei used the Spirit Devouring Sword to cut the puppet, only managing to make small wounds that healed in seconds.

    It also had astonishing regenerative power!

    Even if its limbs were severed, they could grow back immediately.

    Xu Hei was certain that this thing wasn''t a match for a Core Formation Stage cultivator, but it wouldn''t be easy for a Core Formation Stage to deal with it either.

    Its size was somewhatrge, even after he hadpressed it as much as possible.

    "This puppet shall be called the Butcher, the butcher that ughters people!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Inside the Butcher was a small space specifically for storing Xu Hei''s main body.

    Xu Hei immediately cut open a hole and climbed inside, the opening quickly sealing shut.

    The Butcher donned a sealed helmet, covering its face, and then put on a set of heavy knight armor, covering itselfpletely.

    This set of armor was also something Xu Hei crafted on a whim.

    He controlled the Butcher and walked out of the copsed underground cave.

    At this moment, the entire Wild Giant Elephant Tribe was present.

    Due to the frequent human activity, the Elephant Tribe dared not venture out casually, lest they be targeted and killed by humans.

    The Lion Tribe was the same, staying close by to provide support at any time.

    Xu Hei walked around and was surprised to find that even the Snake Tribe hade nearby, seemingly intending to band together.

    "Senior, your body..."

    Xiao Chou was drawn by themotion and, seeing Xu Hei''s massive form, looked astonished.

    Although he couldn''t see his appearance, the oppressive feeling from this body was stronger than ever, with a trace of Yin Sha Qi, like a fierce and evil demon, making Xiao Chou''s face turn pale.

    "This is my new identity. From now on, call me the Butcher."

    Xu Hei controlled the puppet, its mouth opening and closing, producing a muffled voice.

    "Yes!" Xiao Chou nodded.

    "By the way, tell me about the situation over the past month."

    Xu Hei sensed changes in the outside world and inquired.

    "It''s like this, deep in Wu Mountain, someone discovered an ancient relic..."

    Xiao Chou exined truthfully, "The map has spread everywhere, and people from all over the country havee, not just from the Southern Region. It''s said that people from the Eastern Region, Western Region, and even the Qin Kingdom have arrived."

    "So many people?" Xu Hei was stunned.

    Logically, Qin Xuanji had cleared the area for thousands of miles, intending to monopolize it, but it ended up attracting cultivators from all over.

    This situation was beyond Xu Hei''s expectations.

    "That relic was initially very dangerous, with people dying as soon as they entered, but over the past month, it''s been mostly cleared, and many treasures have been retrieved. Even the Chu Tian Alliance is interested in taking a look," Xiao Chou continued.

 Chapter 159: Cultivator Town, Professional Ethics

    Chapter 159: Cultivator Town, Professional Ethics

    The Chu Tian Alliance, now considered a band of rebels and traitors, was responsible for the destruction of the Mountain Movers Sect.

    "Have you been to that relic?" Xu Hei asked.

    "Not yet," Xiao Chou shook his head, "but those who have been there have summarized a few irond rules."

    "First, you can''t gather too many people, or you''ll attract ancient vengeful spirits looking to snatch bodies."

    "Second, you can''t have too few people either. There''s an illusory forest inside that causes hallucinations at irregr intervals. You needpanions to wake you up; you can''t get through alone."

    "Third, you need at least one Core Formation Stage leader. Their cultivation level shouldn''t be too high, or they''ll attract ancient corpse puppets, but they can''t be too weak either..."

    Xiao Chou went on to exin a host of precautions for the relic.

    Although Xu Hei hadn''t been there, he could sense the perilous nature of the relic just from Xiao Chou''s description.

    Moreover, he had a vague feeling that the relic didn''t seem naturally formed; there were traces of human arrangement."There are eighteen known dangers in the relic, each potentially fatal, but there are also many treasures. It''s even rumored that there''s a Longevity Pill inside, which can extend life by sixty years with just one pill," Xiao Chou continued.

    "A Longevity Pill, sixty years..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    It''s important to know that Foundation Establishment cultivators can only live for two hundred years, and those in the Core Formation Stage, five hundred years. An extra sixty years of life could rejuvenate an old monster at the end of their lifespan, making countless people willing to risk their lives.

    "Where did this informatione from? Is it reliable?" Xu Hei asked urgently.

    Whether it was the risks in the relic or the Longevity Pill, the value of the information was beyond imagination, and he didn''t think Xiao Chou could have obtained it himself.

    "The information came from the Chu Tian Alliance. The dangers are absolutely true, but the Longevity Pill is just something someone imed to have seen, not very certain," Xiao Chou replied.

    Xu Hei nodded heavily.

    No matter what, he had to go this time.

    He had the old ape''s key and that ancient token, both pointing to this relic, and he had various life-saving items. There was no reason not to take the risk.

    "Give me a day to prepare, and we''ll set off tomorrow," Xu Hei said.

    ...

    Next, Xu Hei went to check on Man Jin.

    A month had passed, and Man Jin had already awakened. Although his body was still weak and his Golden Core was only half its previous size, he was in much better shape than a month ago.

    "Brother Xu, you''ve helped me a lot this time, I..." Man Jin didn''t know what to say.

    "We''re brothers, no need to say such things," Xu Hei said with a faint smile.

    He took out arge number of pills, spiritual fruits, and spiritual herbs, cing them nearby, all beneficial to the Elephant Tribe.

    Then, Xu Hei took out a jade box and handed it over, "Take this, it should help you quickly recover your cultivation."

    Man Jin took it with his nose, opened the jade box, and inside was a fist-sized Golden Core, exuding a rich true essence.

    "This is..." Man Jin was stunned.

    "This is the Golden Core of that human cultivator," Xu Hei said.

    All the spoils of this battle were obtained by Xu Hei alone, and he felt uneasy not sharing any of it.

    Man Jin took a deep breath, didn''t refuse, and epted the Golden Core, saying solemnly, "Brother Xu, I won''t say anything more. From now on, you''re my blood brother!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "I''ll be counting on you," Xu Hei replied with a smile.

    Afterward, Xu Hei made a trip to Myriad Serpent Valley.

    He went to the underground cave dwelling, intending to thank Xu Bai for her Transformation Pill.

    However, to his surprise, Xu Bai was not there.

    The spirit beasts she kept were still there, with plenty of food left, but Xu Bai had disappeared.

    On the ground was a jade slip, which Xu Hei picked up and probed with his Divine Sense.

    "Xu Hei, I''ve found a perfect ce for pill refining. I''ve gone ahead. If there''s an emergency, just crush this jade slip."

    It was Xu Bai''s voice.

    Xu Hei shook his head, put the jade slip away, and left the cave dwelling.

    He took out the butcher puppet, entered it, and headed straight for the depths of Wu Mountain.

    ...

    Wu Mountain, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, had a harsh environment and was rarely visited.

    But now, the ce was unprecedentedly lively, with arge number of peopleing and going, and a cultivator outpost had been established.

    The outpost was about the size of a small town, with some simple houses and a basic magical array, located a hundred miles from the relic.

    Xu Heinded in the outpost, like a towering iron tower, causing the ground to shake slightly.

    Immediately, many cultivators looked over, their gazes wary. However, this ce had all sorts of strange people, and Xu Hei''s appearance was not unusual.

    Inside the outpost, there were quite a few people, some trading magical treasures, others forming temporary teams, gathering in groups of three or five.

    "A newly released map of the ancient relic, including strategies for all dangerous areas, only five thousand Spirit Stones. You won''t be disappointed, and it''s worth every stone!"

    As soon as Xu Hei entered the outpost, he heard a shouting from a stall.

    It was a bald old man, with a scraggly beard and only a few sparse purple hairs on the back of his head, his cultivation at the early Core Formation Stage.

    Xu Hei sniffed the air and immediately walked over to the stall.

    "Han Te!" Xu Hei squinted his eyes.

    The bald old man was momentarily stunned and shouted, "What Han Te? Don''tpare me to that shameless scoundrel; he''s just a fraud."

    Xu Hei was nomittal and asked, "Do you know where Xuan Yangzi is hiding?"

    The bald old man''s eyes flickered, and he quickly shook his head, "What Xuan Yangzi? I don''t know..."

    Before he could finish, his voice abruptly stopped.

    Xu Hei had taken out a storage bag and waved it in front of him, his Divine Sense clearly seeing ten thousand Spirit Stones inside.

    "Ahem!" The bald old man coughed twice and changed his tune, "Xuan Yangzi is a client of a friend of mine. A client is like a god, and how could my friend betray a god? He has professional ethics..."

    His voice stopped again.

    This time, Xu Hei took out a second storage bag, another ten thousand Spirit Stones, and waved both bags in front of him.

    The bald old man''s throat moved, and he reached out to grab the storage bag, but Xu Hei pulled it back.

    "Speak first," Xu Hei said coldly.

    Han Te scratched his bald head and slowly said, "I''ve already said, my friend won''t betray a client. No matter how much money you give, it''s useless. Besides, I''ve almost forgotten where Xuan Yangzi is hiding. I need to recall..."

    As he spoke, he turned his head and looked in a certain direction, staring intently without blinking.

    Xu Hei nced in that direction, immediately understanding, and memorized the location.

    Professional ethics, huh.

    He had to eliminate Xuan Yangzi, but not now. He would wait until he truly had the strength to kill a Core Formation Stage cultivator, with a hundred percent certainty, before making his move.

    Xu Hei tossed a bag of Spirit Stones and said, "You only gave me the direction, not the distance, so I''m only giving you half."

    Han Te quickly grabbed the storage bag and put it away.

    "Dear customer, I didn''t say anything, don''t misunderstand," Han Te emphasized again.

    Xu Hei was speechless at this man''s shamelessness. He didn''t waste any more words and picked up the map from the stall.

    "These Spirit Stones are for buying this map, okay?"

    "Yes, absolutely!" Han Te nodded repeatedly.

    Xu Hei nced at the map, which contained a lot of information, including the dangers and precautions within the relic, all clearly detailed, just as Xiao Chou had described.

    This reassured Xu Hei.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t trust Xiao Chou, but he didn''t know much about the Chu Tian Alliance, so he needed to gather information from multiple sources. Hence, the map was a must-buy.

    "Thank you, Daoist Han. I wish you prosperity and wealth."

    Xu Hei cupped his hands and turned to leave.

    "Hey! Wait a moment!"

    Han Te quickly stood up and handed over a token, "Dear customer, you''re practically an old client now. This is Han''s membership token. If you have any needs, just infuse your Divine Sense into it, and I''ll arrive as quickly as possible,e rain or shine."

    "Of course, there''s a delivery fee."

 Chapter 160: Ghost Cultivation Kills, Chu Alliance Arrives

    Chapter 160: Ghost Cultivation Kills, Chu Alliance Arrives

    "An old customer?"

    Xu Hei took the token, surprised, and asked, "Have we traded before?"

    Han Te was momentarily stunned, then chuckled awkwardly, "I was just guessing. You came in asking about Xuan Yangzi, so I thought maybe we knew each other. No offense."

    Xu Hei immediately realized that this person was probing his identity.

    Han Te, while appearing friendly, was actually quite cunning.

    At that moment, amotion arose in the distance.

    Arge group of dark figures rushed over from afar, numbering in the hundreds, moving swiftly with an imposing aura.

    "The people from the Four Great Sects have arrived."

    "And the Bai Family, the Zhou Family too.""So many havee!"

    Following the murmurs, familiar figures flew in from the horizon, sweeping across the sky.

    Most of them, Xu Hei had seen before, were those who had fought against the Demon n.

    There were also some who didn''t seem local, dressed oddly, likely from the Eastern or Western regions, and fewer in number.

    Xu Hei immediately followed.

    Han Te warned, "Fellow Daoist, following them won''t get you any benefits. Even if you find treasures, they''ll just be taken away. We lone cultivators have no support and can only eat dust."

    "What makes you think I''m a lone cultivator? Can''t I be one of them?" Xu Hei sneered.

    Han Te was momentarily speechless.

    Xu Hei said no more and quickly caught up, arriving at the entrance of the ruins with the crowd.

    Some lone cultivators also arrived, watching from a distance.

    This ce was originally a canyon, but one side had been ttened, turning it into an isted mountain.

    The entrance to the ruins was filled with a terrifying aura, ghostly and chilling, with ck mist rising, making one''s skin crawl.

    It was Xu Hei''s first time here, and surprisingly, he didn''t feel much fear.

    Yet some bystanders were already pale, sweating on their foreheads.

    "So many havee this time, they must be nning to delve deep inside."

    "If we can get past the corpse puppet formation, we could make a fortune."

    The bystanders whispered, eyes flickering.

    "Let''s go!"

    At this moment, Yin Mingzi took the lead, heading into the tunnel with over fifty people.

    "With so many going in at once, aren''t they afraid of attracting vengeful spirits?" someone wondered.

    Xu Hei noticed a frail old man among them, his body withered, life hanging by a thread, like a dead man, yet his cultivation was unfathomable, beyond Xu Hei''s perception.

    The sense of danger from him was even stronger than from Yin Mingzi.

    At least at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

    Just then, a stream of Yin Sha Qi rushed out from the tunnel, heading straight for the frail old man.

    "Perfect timing!"

    The frail old man''s eyes suddenly snapped open, and he inhaled, sucking the Yin Sha Qi directly into his mouth. He tapped his forehead, and ck smoke billowed from his seven orifices.

    "Swallowing vengeful spirits?!"

    The crowd eximed in shock.

    Daring to swallow such a sinister thing as a vengeful spirit, isn''t that courting death?

    But then someone realized that the old man was clearly a dying person.

    "I understand now, this person is a ghost cultivator, able to use his body as a vessel to absorb vengeful spirits," an old cultivator eximed.

    Ghost cultivators, rare and of the demonic path, live by devouring these sinister entities.

    However, ghost cultivators often suffer mental issues, easily going mad, and over time, they too be vengeful spirits.

    "Thirteenth Ancestor, how do you feel?" Yin Mingzi asked.

    "Excellent! These vengeful spirits are a great supplement for me, allowing me to make a few more moves," the Thirteenth Ancestor replied calmly, showing no difort.

    At this moment, deathly aura emanated from his seven orifices, making him neither human nor ghost, yet his presence was stronger than before.

    "No time to waste, let''s move!"

    Yin Mingzi led the way into the tunnel, followed by the crowd.

    First the Four Great Sects, then the Bai and Zhou Families of the Qin Kingdom, forming an alliance.

    Along the way, another vengeful spirit was devoured by the Thirteenth Ancestor, further boosting his aura.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor stood at the back, nced at the hesitant lone cultivators, and smiled, "The vengeful spirits have been cleared by me. You may all enter and seek your fortunes as you wish."

    With that, he entered the tunnel, ignoring the crowd.

    The lone cultivators breathed a sigh of relief, forming small teams to enter the tunnel one after another.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, but he didn''t rush in, instead waiting at the entrance.

    The next moment, a sudden, piercing scream echoed from within.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Ahhh!!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor suddenly turned, spewing a thick ck mist towards the lone cultivators.

    The two cultivators at the front were touched by the ck mist, their flesh melting away, leaving only skeletons. One of them even had a False Core cultivation, but was gone in an instant, unable to even draw a magical treasure.

    "Not good, run!"

    "That old bastard tricked us!"

    The crowd was terrified, retreating in panic, but the ck mist spread rapidly, engulfing several more, their flesh disappearing, leaving only bones.

    Xu Hei''s face changed drastically, and he hurriedly retreated.

    He had suspected that the Snake Catchers Sect''s grand setup, bringing out an old ancestor, was up to no good, and he was right.

    Soon, the tunnel was cleared, and all the lone cultivators who entered became skeletons, their souls sucked into the old man''s mouth.

    The crowd retreated outside, their faces grim, seething with anger.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor stood in the tunnel, eyes cold, a cruel smile on his lips, ck mist swirling around him like a corpse.

    "You really came in when I let you!"

    "This ce is reserved by my Snake Catchers Sect. If you know what''s good for you, leave now, or I''lle out and start a massacre!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor took a probing step outside, and the crowd retreated in fear.

    Among the lone cultivators, a Core Formation stage cultivator wanted to speak, but seeing that gaze, he trembled and lowered his head, knowing that one more word might turn him into a skeleton too.

    Such dominance from the Snake Catchers Sect!

    But no one dared to stand up for justice, such was the intimidation brought by power.

    Xu Hei''s face was dark; with that old dog guarding the entrance, it was hard to get in.

    Earth Escape Technique?

    He had tried it before; the tunnel had a strong barrier, preventing spells and even divine sense from prating, leaving only walking as an option.

    "Hmph! Such arrogance, I want to see how your Snake Catchers Sect stops the world!"

    Suddenly, a figure swept in from afar, dressed in a schr''s robe, but unkempt, with a face full of stubble.

    Everyone looked over.

    The neer was Xu Qingfeng, a Core Formation cultivator from the Chu Tian Alliance.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor squinted his eyes, slowly raising his withered hand.

    "You, a half-buried corpse, should be lying in a grave, yet you dare to wreak havoc in the world. Today, I shall vanquish evil and y you, vile creature!"

    Xu Qingfeng took out a scroll, the one he hadn''t had a chance to openst time, exuding a powerful aura, a righteous energy that strongly suppressed evil.

    "Whoosh!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor vanished instantly, his whereabouts unknown.

 Chapter 161: Strange Puppet, Zhou Familys Legitimate Daughter

    Chapter 161: Strange Puppet, Zhou Family''s Legitimate Daughter

    "Vanished."

    Xu Hei was momentarily stunned. He had thought that old ghost was gearing up for a fight, but he fled so quickly.

    What kind of magical treasure was that scroll in Xu Qingfeng''s hand? Its deterrent power was immense.

    After Xu Qingfeng arrived, more familiar faces gradually appeared.

    Demon Monk Ku Xuan, Silver-haired Witch, Demon Man Zhang Tie.

    Little Overlord Xiang Fei didn''te, but there was a young Taoist, with a tortoise shell andpass hanging from his waist, looking extremely familiar.

    Xu Hei stared for a long time and suddenly realized that this person was Zhao Wenzhuo!

    This disciple of the Snake Catchers Sect had joined the Chu Tian Alliance?

    Xiao Chou also came over but didn''t stand with them. Instead, he disguised himself as a rogue cultivator, mingling with the crowd."Everyone, our Chu Tian Alliance promises that whatever you gain within the relics, we will not take a single thing by force! But when facing the Qin Kingdom''sckeys, we hope you can lend a hand."

    Xu Qingfeng looked around, cupping his hands.

    The rogue cultivators exchanged nces and cupped their hands in session: "Of course!"

    "Elder Xu, you''re too polite!"

    "I''ve been annoyed with them for a long time! Let''s take them down!"

    Each rogue cultivator expressed their support.

    At least on the surface, they had to support the Chu Tian Alliance, as it had helped them.

    Everyone knew Xu Qingfeng, the former enforcement elder of the Astrology Bureau, known for his integrity and uprightness, a breath of fresh air in the bureau.

    No one could match his standards, but no one looked down on him either.

    The only criticism was his tendency tobel people, often with just a single word.

    "Let''s go!"

    Xu Qingfeng led the way, followed by the other four members of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    The rogue cultivators, no longer hesitant, filed in.

    Xu Hei chose a middle position, neither too far back nor too far forward.

    It was a narrow tunnel leading deep underground. Upon entering, a chill struck his chest, and his divine sense waspressed to a very small range.

    Xu Hei''s divine sense could only extend about a hundred meters, indicating how limited others would be.

    However, Xu Hei felt not difort but rather at ease in this environment.

    Snakes love the dark, and this was exactly to his liking.

    After traversing about a thousand feet, the space suddenly opened up, and they arrived at an underground circr za.

    This ce was t and spacious, with traces of battle, but these traces were slowly repairing themselves.

    "It can even self-repair."

    Xu Hei stared at a sword mark on the ground, lost in thought.

    Here, one had to be cautious, as corpse puppets could appear at any time, the stronger the cultivation, the stronger the corpse puppets attracted.

    This is why one''s cultivation shouldn''t be too low or too high.

    Vengeful spirits would also asionally emerge, so gathering in one ce was not advisable.

    In front of the circr za, there were three paths, all explored by others. Although the entrances were different, they all led to the same location.

    The first path was rich in magical treasures.

    The second path was abundant with pills.

    The third path had spiritual liquid pools, but the yin energy was so heavy that it was hard to absorb.

    Each path contained various dangers, such as the Illusionary Forest in the second path.

    Zhao Wenzhuo took out hispass, calcted with his fingers, and said, "They''ve split into three groups, with at least two Core Formation Stage cultivators on each path. The ghost cultivator and Yin Mingzi went to the third path."

    Zhang Tie thought for a moment and said, "Let''s go to the middle, the second path. It''s said someone saw a Longevity Pill there, and I want to try my luck."

    Everyone nodded in agreement and entered the second path.

    The rogue cultivators dispersed, heading to different paths. The second path attracted the most people, as pills were more enticing.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly and decided to explore each path, not wanting to miss any details.

    He immediately entered the first path.

    In an instant, his vision changed dramatically, and white light illuminated the path ahead. Xu Hei could see glowing metallic substances embedded in the stone walls on either side.

    There were also many fragments of magical treasures scattered around.

    "Are these remnants of ancient magical treasures?"

    Xu Hei picked up a fragment.

    He continued forward, the path seemingly endless, with some cave dwellings on either side, all looted, and remnants of battles.

    Xu Hei decided not to proceed further and nned to return to the second path.

    Suddenly, the sound of fierce fighting came from ahead, and two figures approached rapidly: a metal puppet was chasing a female human cultivator.

    The puppet and the woman were surprisingly evenly matched, both at thete Foundation Establishment stage.

    But the woman clearly didn''t want to waste her energy on the puppet, fleeing all the way. Upon seeing Xu Hei, she immediately ran towards him.

    "Fellow Daoist, please lend me a hand. I''ve discovered a ce with a valuable treasure. If we deal with this puppet, we can share the treasure!"

    Without waiting for Xu Hei''s agreement, she moved closer to him.

    Xu Hei examined the charging puppet. It was unlike any he had seen before, entirely made of metal, with a serrated de for an arm, continuously rotating and emitting a mechanical roar, seemingly capable of easily shredding flesh.

    "Amazing!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes lit up, admiring the puppet''s weapon like a piece of art.

    As for the woman, hepletely ignored her.

    "Help me, Daoist!"

    The female cultivator leaped behind Xu Hei, using him as a shield, while the puppet charged straight at him, swinging its serrated de to slice him.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Xu Hei flicked his fingers, and eighteen threads shot out, striking the metal puppet''s joints.

    "Spirit Body Thread!"

    Xu Hei pulled with both hands.

    This move was the bane of puppets; once the threads prated the body, they would immediately render it immobile.

    Sure enough, the metal puppet froze instantly, its joints firmly controlled by the Spirit Body Thread, its weapon suspended in mid-air.

    Xu Hei could feel his Spirit Body Thread prating the puppet''s interior, connecting with its structure, showing signs of initial control.

    "It seems this ancient relic must be rted to the Heavenly Puppet Sect!"

    Xu Hei was secretly convinced.

    The woman behind him reacted quickly. Seeing the puppet controlled, she immediately rushed out, throwing two golden flying swords at the puppet.

    "Get lost!"

    Xu Hei shouted lowly, and a surge of True Qi burst forth, sending the two golden flying swords flying and causing the female cultivator to turn pale and be thrown back,nding to the side.

    "You..."

    The woman was stunned.

    Xu Hei nced at her, and that look made her shiver. She gritted her teeth and said, "I am Zhou Wenjun, the direct daughter of the Zhou Family from the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. If you follow my orders, I will give you plenty of benefits!"

    The Zhou Family, one of the powerholders of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, was the wealthiest family in the Qin Kingdom, even richer than the Bai Family to some extent.

    Zhou Wenjun was the pride of the Zhou Family, her talent second only to her sister, who had achieved perfect Foundation Establishment, ranking high within the family.

    But what she hadn''t expected was that a single shout from this tall man before her could make her blood boil, almost causing her to spit blood.

    However, she was absolutely confident that once she revealed her identity, the other party would obey her.

    Simply because she was from the Zhou Family.

    "Oh? Zhou Wenjun?"

    Xu Hei''s voice carried a hint of surprise.

    "That''s right! It''s me."

    Zhou Wenjun wasn''t surprised that this person had heard of her. More than eighty percent of the rogue cultivators who came here knew her.

    Xu Hei walked up to her and said, "So, you''re the direct daughter of the Zhou Family. Fine, I can listen to you."

    Zhou Wenjun was instantly delighted.

    "Bang!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei struck, pping Zhou Wenjun on the head. A surging force prated her entire body, and a world-destroying power exploded from the top of her head.

    "Crack!"

    Her protective magical treasure automatically activated, shattering the light shield and sending Xu Hei''s arm flying, but still bursting out a massive blood light, with the faint sound of a skull cracking.

 Chapter 162: Strong hands split the skull, the path of the five elements

    Chapter 162: Strong hands split the skull, the path of the five elements

    Zhou Wenjun''s face still bore traces of terror and bewilderment, seemingly unable to believe that Xu Hei dared to strike suddenly.

    In the next second, a spatial ripple shed, and Zhou Wenjun disappeared entirely, but her head was split open, leaving her fate uncertain.

    Xu Hei looked at the blood and bone fragments left on the ground, his brows furrowed.

    He had acted with the fastest speed possible, yet she still managed to escape.

    This Zhou Wenjun, he had never even heard of her, yet she seemed so self-assured, clearly the type who had been pampered and never experienced the treachery of the human heart.

    Xu Hei had simply copied the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect''s tactics, learning and applying them on the spot.

    Despite his poor acting skills andck of sincerity, the other party still fell for it, showing how foolish she was.

    "My attack just now had some issues."

    "These pampered daughters of heaven have many means of self-preservation. Next time, I need to adopt different methods, like poisoning, so even if she escapes, she still dies."Xu Hei pondered, summarizing the lessons from earlier.

    He continued forward, arriving at the ce where Han Te had once discovered the mechanism box, only to find it had been thoroughly looted, leaving nothing behind.

    "The first path ends here. Once I''ve refined the puppet, I''ll move on to the next path."

    Xu Hei sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, fully focused on refining the metal puppet.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the entrance of the three-pronged path, in the circr za.

    Zhou Wenjun''s figure appeared, her head shattered, body covered in blood, limbs unable to move.

    A jade stone on her chest automatically shattered, releasing a gentle medicinal power into her body, slowly healing her head wound.

    This was the first time she had suffered such severe trauma.

    Even her thoughts were scattered, and it took a long while before she remembered what had happened.

    "I''ll remember you, no matter who you are, today I must kill you!"

    Zhou Wenjun gritted her teeth in hatred.

    She only acted alone to not fall behind her sister. If she had sought her family''s power, how could she have ended up so miserable? How could she have been severely injured by a nobody?

    "Liu Ruyan,e pick me up immediately!" Zhou Wenjun took out amunication token.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Two days passed.

    Theplexity of the metal puppet far exceeded Xu Hei''s expectations. It took him two days to barely refine it.

    "What aplex structure, it''s almost as intricate as my Butcher!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Controlling a finished product was already so difficult; he couldn''t imagine how much time it would take to create one from scratch.

    Additionally, he made an unexpected discovery¡ª

    In the puppet''s abdomen, at the dantian position, there was an empty space, seemingly meant for storing something as an energy source.

    Based on Xu Hei''s knowledge, this led him to a bold hypothesis.

    "That empty space might be for storing a Golden Core. This is a Core Formation Stage puppet, but over time, the Golden Core dissipated, reducing its strength to thete Foundation Establishment Stage," Xu Hei spected.

    He happened to have a Golden Core in his storage bag, belonging to Tie Xiong.

    If he ced the Golden Core inside, would the puppet''s strength suddenly surge?

    Xu Hei considered trying it but worried that once installed, he might lose control, causing the puppet to go berserk, so he dismissed the idea.

    He then dismantled the puppet''s weapon, spending an hour installing it on his left arm.

    "Activate!"

    With a thought, the saw de began to spin, emitting the roaring sound of machinery, and he couldn''t help but think of the word "chainsaw," which seemed very fitting.

    "The exploration of the first path ends here, onto the second."

    Xu Hei left the secret chamber, retracing his steps back to the circr za, heading straight for the second path.

    Passing through a faint membrane, the space suddenly transformed into a lush green area.

    Ahead was a forest, the ground covered with green vegetation, some of which were medicinal herbs that had grown for countless years, but the area was heavily shrouded in yin energy, deterring ordinary people from picking them.

    This ce was also the most frequented by people, with pills scattered everywhere, but the dangery in the Bewildering Forest, which could randomly cause one to fall unconscious, requiringpanions to pass through safely.

    Xu Hei observed briefly and then left.

    The third path was filled with spiritual pools and ponds, a watery area.

    As soon as Xu Hei entered, he saw the withered old man sitting in a pool, breathing in yin energy. His eyes suddenly opened, staring directly at Xu Hei¡ªit was the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Xu Hei quickly retreated back to the za.

    Hended far away, waited for a moment, and seeing that the Thirteenth Ancestor did not pursue, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    That person was likely just cultivating and wouldn''t bother with others.

    "Strange, why do I feel like there aren''t only three paths here?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he carefully observed the positions of the three paths, two on the left and one in the middle, but none on the right, only a stone wall.

    He immediately moved to the stone wall on the right to explore.

    Momentster, he found a small hole, like a keyhole, located at the center of the stone wall.

    "A keyhole?"

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted as he recalled the key, which seemed to match this keyhole.

    Could there be such a coincidence?

    His key could open the mechanism box here, so could it also open this keyhole?

    Xu Hei''s heartbeat gradually quickened. If it could indeed be opened, would a fourth path appear?

    The benefits of the previous three paths had all been reaped, but if a fourth path appeared, what would it be like?

    Xu Hei nced back; there were quite a few people in the za, mostly sitting cross-legged healing, paying no attention to Xu Hei''s actions, as many had explored like him and discovered the small hole.

    Their cultivation levels were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage, with over eighty percent of those entering the ruins being Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    "Hehe, has this fellow Taoist also discovered something? It seems there might be another path on this stone wall?"

    A white-bearded elder looked over, stroked his beard, and said with a smile.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and calmly replied, "What insights does this old gentleman have?"

    The elder''s aura was around the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, yet he gave off an unfathomable feeling, making Xu Hei wary; this person might be concealing his true cultivation.

    The elder pointed to the first path and said with a smile, "Look at the first path, filled with magical treasures, mechanism puppets, and various metal hidden weapons, representing the metal element of the Five Elements."

    "The second path, covered in greenery and ancient pills, represents the wood element of the Five Elements."

    "And the third path, with many spiritual pools and ponds, represents the water element of the Five Elements."

    "Therefore, there must be paths for the fire and earth elements of the Five Elements, belonging to the other two undiscovered paths."

    Hearing the elder''s exnation, Xu Hei''s pupils contracted, feeling a sense of enlightenment.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The other scattered cultivators in the za also looked over, their faces showing a strange light.

    "Hehe, this isn''t a secret; perhaps someone has already figured it out. I was just mentioning it casually, nothing worth noting," the old Taoist said with a smile.

    Xu Hei''s figure shed as he continued to explore the stone wall, and indeed, he found a second keyhole in the distance.

    ording to the position, this was the earth element of the Five Elements.

    "This elder is not simple, speaking such words openly, what is his intention?"

    Xu Hei remained highly vignt internally.

 Chapter 163: The Gate of Earth, Zhou Family Pursuit

    Chapter 163: The Gate of Earth, Zhou Family Pursuit

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, cupped his fists, and asked, "May I know your esteemed name, senior?"

    "Don''t call me senior, I''m just an old Taoist wandering the world. You can call me... Tianji Shangren," the old Taoist said with a smile.

    Xu Hei had never heard of this name before.

    However, many people in the square showed a change in expression.

    "Tianji Shangren, the Tianji Shangren from Peni Ind?"

    "I remember now. It''s said that this person is skilled in divination, and even the Qin Kingdom treats him with respect."

    Two cultivators whispered to each other.

    In the Southern Region, the Snake Catchers Sect leads, followed by the Four Great Sects.

    In the Eastern regions, Peni Ind stands alone in power, its mountain gate located on an overseas immortal ind, far away and its strength unfathomable. Even the Qin Kingdom has never dared to offend Peni Ind.Peni Ind is countless miles away from here, yet someone has managed toe over.

    However, judging by Tianji Shangren''s tone, he seemed to be wandering and just happened to pass by, which is why he came to take a look.

    "So it''s Tianji Shangren, I''ve long admired your name."

    Xu Hei ttered on the surface, but was actually wary inside, trusting this person only three parts.

    "Haha, fellow Daoist, you''ve never heard of me, so how could you have long admired me?"

    Tianji Shangren chuckled, pointing at the keyhole and asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a way to open this earth-shaped path?"

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened, and he countered, "Why do you think I have that ability?"

    "I ask everyone who goes up to inspect, so there''s no need for you to worry," Tianji Shangren said with a smile, his gaze flickering imperceptibly.

    Xu Hei remained silent.

    With such a cunning old fox, it''s better to say less to avoid slipping up and revealing something to the other party.

    Xu Hei didn''t know if the key could open it, but he wanted to try. However, if it did open, it would inevitably cause trouble in front of so many people.

    Xu Hei scanned everyone present with his Divine Sense.

    There were thirteen cultivators in total, eleven at the Foundation Establishment Stage, one False Core cultivator, and Tianji Shangren.

    He calcted whether he could immediately take action and eliminate all these people.

    "No, the chance is too small, a few would definitely escape."

    "Not to mention Tianji Shangren, especially that False Core cultivator, I seem to have seen him before."

    Xu Hei nced at the False Core cultivator.

    The man had a fierce look, very familiar. Xu Hei immediately remembered that this was the only False Core cultivator who escaped from Rock Serpent City, Liu Buqun.

    Xu Hei had experienced Liu Buqun''s escape skills firsthand.

    Now, Liu Buqun had be a rogue cultivator, likely due to having killed too many fellow disciples, leading to his expulsion from the Snake Catchers Sect.

    "Do you have something to say?" Liu Buqun suddenly spoke, his senses extremely sharp, clearly noticing Xu Hei observing him.

    Xu Hei remained silent, just calmly looking at him.

    Liu Buqun was taken aback, squinted his eyes, and quietly summoned a Magical Treasure.

    "You observed everyone just now and finally stopped your Divine Sense on me. What does that mean?"

    Liu Buqun didn''t say this out loud but transmitted it through Divine Sense.

    Xu Hei still said nothing.

    Liu Buqun''s gaze flickered, and he sneered, "You want to join forces with me to eliminate everyone else here because you have a way to open that fourth passage. Am I right?"

    One must admit, Liu Buqun indeed had an outstanding imagination in some aspects.

    Although he was guessing, he was about eighty to ny percent correct about Xu Hei''s thoughts, and his logic was quite reasonable.

    The only mistake was that Xu Hei didn''t want to cooperate with him but wanted to eliminate everyone.

    However, Liu Buqun''s words did provide a new perspective. Xu Hei thought for a moment and transmitted, "What do you think?"

    "Heh, your idea is not bad, but you also need to win over Tianji Shangren. The others don''t matter," Liu Buqun sneered.

    Xu Hei nced at Tianji Shangren and found that he was also observing him with a smile.

    Suddenly, a shadow rushed out from the second passage.

    This person was dressed in ck, masked, wielding a long sword, and moved like a ghost with incredible speed.

    Behind him followed a beautiful and proud young woman, her eyes filled with hatred as she red at Xu Hei. It was Zhou Wenjun.

    As soon as Zhou Wenjun appeared, she pointed at Xu Hei and angrily shouted, "It''s him!"

    "Whoosh!"

    The ck-d assassin charged at Xu Hei without a word, moving as fast as lightning, his sword like a bolt of electricity, his cultivation reaching the Core Formation Stage!

    "Do it."

    Xu Hei hurriedly transmitted to Liu Buqun, took out the key, and stabbed it into the keyhole.

    "Boom!"

    With a thunderous roar, the stone wall in front suddenly cracked open, revealing a deep passage.

    This was the fifth door, the Earth Path!

    The passage quickly opened, revealing an endless road inside.

    At this moment, the entire crowd was in an uproar! Even the ck-d assassin was stunned, clearly not expecting Xu Hei to open a brand new passage.

    What an astonishing event this was; besides the three paths, there was a fourth one!N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This was a path that had never been explored before.

    Zhou Wenjun and the ck-d assassin exchanged a nce. The former took out amunication talisman, while thetter paused for a moment before charging at Xu Hei again.

    But Xu Hei had already pulled out the key, leaped into the deep passage, and disappeared.

    "Ah!!"

    Screams echoed as Liu Buqun had already taken action, killing two people instantly with one strike each.

    Although a False Core cultivator was not as powerful as a Core Formation Stage cultivator, they could already use true essence, which was a qualitative change!

    "Hey? Why kill? The more people, the merrier!"

    Tianji Shangren chuckled, waved his sleeve, interrupting Liu Buqun, then leaped into the tunnel.

    Liu Buqun''s eyes flickered, and he followed into the passage.

    The remaining rogue cultivators looked at each other, but thinking of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, they no longer hesitated and all gritted their teeth, rushing into the tunnel one after another.

    In an instant, the square was empty, with everyone without exception pouring into the newly opened fourth path.

    And those who cameter would also unhesitatingly enter that fourth path.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The scenery before Xu Hei rapidly changed, and he arrived in a new world.

    This ce was a vast desert, with an extremely dense earth-based Spiritual Qi, but the sky was ck, filled with a chilling aura, like a desert of death.

    He nced at the key in his hand, which had shortened after opening the door, indicating a limit to its usage.

    "Not eradicating the roots leads to this. Next time, I can''t act lightly; if I do, it must be a fatal strike!"

    Xu Hei harbored a deep resentment in his heart, remembering this lesson well.

    Fortunately, his pursuer was only at the early Core Formation Stage, not too strong, so Xu Hei should be able to handle it.

    However, in the ancient relic, one could face life-and-death crises at any moment, and Xu Hei didn''t want to be in a disadvantageous position. If he had to counterattack, he couldn''t let the opponent escape and had to ensure his absolute safety.

    "Earth Escape Technique."

    Xu Hei dove underground, speeding forward with all his might.

 Chapter 164: Ruthless in dealing with delicate matters, eradicate the roots of trouble

    Chapter 164: Ruthless in dealing with delicate matters, eradicate the roots of trouble

    After Xu Hei left, it wasn''t long before two figures appeared behind him.

    Without a word, the ck-d cultivator chased after Xu Hei, with Zhou Wenjun following closely.

    The ck-d assassin moved at full speed, his body like a phantom, closing the distance with Xu Hei rapidly, leaving Zhou Wenjun behind.

    With Xu Hei''s own speed, at full exertion of the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, he could barely shake them off, but the puppet couldn''t. No matter how many legs the butcher had, it couldn''t outrun a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    The color of the desert ahead was gradually deepening, giving Xu Hei an uneasy feeling.

    "This ce is undeveloped and unknown dangers may lurk. If I flee blindly, who knows what I might run into," Xu Hei thought warily.

    After pondering for a moment, he decided it was better to face the known threat than the unknown.

    At this moment, the ck-d assassin was drawing closer, forming a straight line, and Xu Hei could almost feel the cold gleam on his back.

    Xu Hei carefully sensed Zhou Wenjun''s position, his expression turning cold."You like chasing, huh? I''ll let you chase to your heart''s content!"

    "Body Swap!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei swapped ces with the metal puppet he had buried earlier.

    Xu Hei vanished from his spot, reappearing a thousand feet behind, carrying the butcher with him¡ªthis was the maximum range of the Body Swap technique!

    "Swish!"

    The flying sword struck, but only hit a metal puppet. The ck-d assassin paused, then his face changed dramatically.

    "Body Swap? Not good!"

    A storm of emotions surged in the ck-d assassin''s heart as she hurriedly turned around, chasing after Xu Hei a thousand feet away.

    With the speed of a Core Formation Stage cultivator, a thousand feet was a fleeting distance.

    But that brief moment was enough!

    At this moment, Zhou Wenjun was following behind the assassin with a cold smile, eager to see how that person would die!

    Suddenly, a strong wave of spiritual power erupted from the ground.

    A metal puppet disappeared, reced by an iron-d giant.

    It was the puppet butcher!

    "Let''s see how many times you can escape!"

    Xu Hei appeared and, without a word, fully unleashed the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique. Dozens of legs sprouted from his abdomen, striding towards Zhou Wenjun like a stampede, the ground roaring beneath him.

    Zhou Wenjun''s mind went nk, stunned by the scene before her.

    Dozens of legs? What kind of monster is this?

    "Run!" She quickly reacted, pulling out a feather fan and waving it behind her, conjuring a fierce wind that carried her swiftly backward.

    "Gravity Technique!"

    Xu Hei''s low shout echoed, and Zhou Wenjun''s body felt as if it was gripped by an invisible w, halting her mid-air.

    Despite the raging wind, Xu Hei stood immovable as a mountain, holding her firmly in ce from a distance.

    "How is this possible? I''m in thete Foundation Establishment stage, and he''s also in Foundation Establishment. How can he control me with just the Gravity Technique?"

    Zhou Wenjun couldn''t believe what was happening.

    The gap was too vast; the quality of True Qi was on a different level. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, relying on resources to advance, were no match for Xu Hei!

    She summoned a jade talisman again, crushing it directly. A phantom figure emerged from the talisman, drawing a sword to strike at Xu Hei.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Jiao Python, attack!"

    Xu Hei waved the Soul-absorbing g, and the spirit of the Jiao Python, leading thirteen snake spirits, lunged at the phantom figureparable to the Core Formation Stage, engaging in a fierce battle.

    Both being third-tier spiritual entities, the phantom seemed stronger, suppressing all the snake spirits. But Xu Hei had the advantage in numbers, making it difficult for the opponent to break free.

    "Fellow cultivator, let''s talk this over. I am Zhou Qingxuan, the steward of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion. Do not harm this woman! I can offer you any benefit you desire!"

    The phantom figure, besieged by snake spirits, shouted anxiously as Xu Hei approached Zhou Wenjun.

    As the steward of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, he had ess to countless resources, giving him the authority to make such an offer.

    Xu Hei ignored him, quickening his pace, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

    "Stop!"

    The ck-d assassin had also caught up, letting out a sharp cry, a voice that seemed familiar from before.

    But Xu Hei acted decisively, activating the chainsaw with a deafening roar, thrusting it down to shatter the defensive magical artifact, piercing through Zhou Wenjun''s abdomen and destroying her dantian.

    The weapon was coated with various toxic pills, all concocted by Xu Bai. Even if she were teleported away, the poison would take effect.

    "Ugh!!"

    Zhou Wenjun spat blood, yet was held firmly by the Gravity Technique, unable to fall backward.

    In fact, the teleportation earlier was triggered by a Small Teleportation Talisman, set by the Zhou Family''s elder, activating automatically in a life-threatening crisis, with instant effect.

    But such a method could only be set up once.

    Nevertheless, her life-saving measures were plentiful, including the third-tier spiritual entity that could contend with Core Formation Stage opponents, and her protective magical artifact was also a third-tier treasure.

    Yet under Xu Hei''s terrifying chainsaw, it was pierced with a single thrust, even Xu Hei was surprised by its power.

    Unfortunately, Zhou Wenjun wasn''tpletely dead. A jade stone on her chest emitted a gentle spiritual qi, frantically healing her wounds, deepening Xu Hei''s grim expression.

    "You dare court death!!!"

    A furious roar erupted from the phantom figure, eyes wide with disbelief that Xu Hei wasn''t dead.

    The other scattered cultivators also looked on, eyes wide with shock.

    Xu Hei, having been struck by two Core Formation Stage attacks, was thrown forward, crashing into the sand, sending up a thousand-foot cloud of dust, mingled with a strong scent of blood.

    Xu Hei''s armor was gone, and half his body was missing.

    This was a life-for-life exchange, to take Zhou Wenjun''s life!

    She had plotted against him first, then showed no remorse, sending people to kill him again. Xu Hei had long resolved to pay any price topletely eliminate her.

    After unleashing a powerful attack, the phantom figure grew even more indistinct, its eyes wide with disbelief that Xu Hei wasn''t dead.

    The other scattered cultivators also stared in shock, eyes fixed on the scene, filled with awe.

 Chapter 165: Ancient evil demon, ultimate malevolence

    Chapter 165: Ancient evil demon, ultimate malevolence

    The fierce wind blew, yet Xu Hei remained standing on the sandy ground. Half of his body was covered in shredded flesh, and as he straightened up, his appearance was fully exposed to everyone''s view.

    All eyes were vacant with shock.

    These cultivators, daring to venture deep into the ruins, were people of courage who had seen all kinds of corpse puppets, their minds far surpassing ordinary people''s resilience.

    Yet even so, upon witnessing Xu Hei''s appearance, they couldn''t help but gasp in horror.

    "What kind of monster is this?"

    "A demon cultivator! This is definitely a demon cultivator!"

    "Hiss!"

    A chill ran down everyone''s spine.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s enormous bald head was exposed, covered with various human faces, each with different expressions. Over twenty eyeballs adorned his head, and his body was full of bizarre lumps of flesh. From the exploded half of his body, countless writhing limbs were squeezed together.With a thought, Xu Hei''s exploded body regenerated, and his arm grew back.

    He looked at Zhou Wenjun in front of him, who was already semi-conscious, yet a continuous stream of vitality flowed into her, healing her wounds.

    "Can''t kill you, huh?"

    Xu Hei grabbed Zhou Wenjun, and a grotesque mouth split open on his head, swallowing her whole.

    "Crunch, crunch!"

    The chilling sound of chewing echoed.

    Zhou Wenjun was devoured in one bite, swallowed into the butcher''s body.

    Such a terrifying act left the ck-d assassinspletely frozen, as if struck by lightning.

    In the next moment.

    A new face appeared on the butcher''s skullcap, Zhou Wenjun''s face, filled with fear, her eyes bulging as if she had endured immense torment before her death.

    "What the hell is this?"

    "This is terrifying! Could it be an ancient fiend?"

    "I can''t take it anymore!"

    Terrified cries erupted from the crowd, even among these carefully selected cultivators, none were weak-minded.

    This scene was too horrifying, something none had ever witnessed, even leaving a psychological scar!

    Liu Buqun swallowed hard; dealing with such a creature, was like negotiating with a tiger, a sure path to death!

    Even Tianji Shangren was stunned, disbelief shing in his eyes.

    "Impossible, I calcted that there would be a child of destiny here, but how could it be so sinister? There must be someone else," Tianji Shangren muttered to himself.

    The phantom of Zhou Qingxuan could no longer suppress his murderous intent, igniting into a sword of light, shooting towards Xu Hei.

    "Demon, today I will kill you!"

    Zhou Qingxuan''s phantom unleashed unprecedented energy, burning his entire avatar for this strike, the strongest blow, reaching the Core Formation Stage.

    "Save... save me..."

    Suddenly, from the top of the butcher''s head, Zhou Wenjun''s face emitted a faint cry for help.

    Zhou Qingxuan felt a "boom" in his mind, his scalp tingling, and his forward momentum stalled.

    He quickly realized it was a trick!

    But it was toote!

    Xu Hei acted decisively, the Jiao Python lunged forward, self-destructing half its body, along with five snake spirits, further weakening Zhou Qingxuan.

    Then, with a wave of the Soul-absorbing g, Zhou Qingxuan was sucked in, along with all the snake spirits.

    The snake spirits pounced, devouring the phantom Zhou Qingxuanpletely.

    This all happened in a sh, from Zhou Qingxuan''s attack to his being swallowed, in the blink of an eye.

    Life and death in an instant, hesitation leads to defeat!

    Zhou Wenjun had long been dead, the cry for help was Xu Hei''s deliberate maniption, meant to disrupt the opponent''s mind.

    Zhou Qingxuan fell for it, hesitating for just a moment.

    But that moment was enough for Xu Hei to seize the opportunity, sacrificing half a Jiao Python and five snake spirits to capture him in the Soul-absorbing g, sessfully eliminating this major threat.

    Xu Hei had to do this.

    If he fell behind or suffered even a slight setback, the others watching like hawks would immediately pounce, reducing this grotesque monster to dust.

    He needed to use thunderous means to perfectly kill Zhou Qingxuan to serve as a deterrent!

    Now, Xu Hei turned his gaze to the remaining dozen or so people.

    The twenty eyeballs on his head rotated in unison, each locking onto a person, sending a chill through their hearts.

    "Everyone, such an evil being must be eradicated! Let''s join forces and kill this demon!" the ck-d assassin shouted hoarsely.

    However, upon hearing this, the people on either side stepped back, distancing themselves from her.

    This was intimidation!

    Not just visual intimidation, but also intimidation through means. Xu Hei''s appearance was merely auxiliary; the real impact came from his devouring Zhou Wenjun and killing Zhou Qingxuan!

    Xu Hei looked at the ck-d assassin and said coldly, "Liu Ruyan, you''re quite lucky to still be alive."

    The ck-d assassin''s body stiffened instantly.

    "Liu Ruyan?"

    "That name sounds familiar."

    Liu Buqun''s mind raced, and he immediately remembered.

    In Chuyang City, the master of the Heavenly Dragon Casino was Liu Ruyan.

    Last year, due to poor management, Liu Ruyan provoked someone she shouldn''t have, detonating a Thunder Tribtion Pearl, blowing up the casino and destroying several shops in themercial district, causing heavy losses and numerous casualties.

    The Myriad Treasure Pavilion couldn''t catch the culprit, so they pinned all the me on Liu Ruyan.

    Liu Ruyan had to atone by bing an assassin, protecting the Zhou Family disciples.

    It was the most degrading position.

    She was no longer the high-ranking manager but a lowly assassin, forced to risk her life at the Zhou Family''smand.

    "You''ve got the wrong person."

    Liu Ruyan stared at Xu Hei, her voice still hoarse.

    In truth, from the moment she witnessed the Body Swap and the spirit of the Jiao Python, she recognized him as the one who detonated the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, causing her downfall.

    That day, she was sted to pieces, her Golden Core shattered, and was humiliated by two low-level cultivators, nearly expelled from the Myriad Treasure Pavilion afterward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    It was the pain of her life!

    She had long vowed to grind the bones of the one who wronged her into dust, no matter the cost.

    Yet, when she finally faced the culprit, she felt no anger as she had imagined, but rather, fear.

    So much so that she dared not act.

    Fear stemmed from the unknown!

    Was this grotesque monster truly his true form?

    If so, it was terrifying!

    If not, it was even more terrifying!

    "Why don''t you act? I destroyed your Heavenly Dragon Casino, reduced you to an assassin, why don''t you kill me? Are you afraid?"

    Xu Hei continued to taunt, attacking her mind with words.

    As Xu Hei advanced, his bloated body sprouted numerous arms, growing from his shoulders, abdomen, and chest.

    On his head, seven or eight more heads emerged, eyes covering his entire body, transforming into an indescribable ancient fiend in an instant!

    Liu Ruyan''s face turned pale, her legs weak, cold sweat dripping down her back, despite being at the Core Formation Stage, she was terrified.

    She struggled to stop trembling, but her body wouldn''t obey, her mind reying the scene of Zhou Wenjun being swallowed, her face crying for help, causing her head to buzz.

    "Are you afraid?"

    All of Xu Hei''s eyes turned in unison, locking onto Liu Ruyan, all mouths speaking in unison.

    With those words.

    Liu Ruyan''s spiritpletely copsed.

 Chapter 166: The heart of the path collapses, my name is butcher

    Chapter 166: The heart of the path copses, my name is butcher

    "Are you afraid?" "Are you afraid?" "..."

    Countless voices ovepped, echoing incessantly in Liu Ruyan''s mind, like an inner demon swirling around, pushing her fear to its limit.

    In front of her, she vaguely saw a scene¡ª

    On the butcher''s head, all the faces changed, turning into her own face, with bulging eyes staring straight at her.

    Those eyes, like those of a dead fish, conveyed an indescribable terror.

    "Come, be a part of me."

    Countless mouths opened and closed, emitting a demonic sound that echoed in her mind.

    Finally.

    "Ah!!!"Liu Ruyan clutched her head with both hands, letting out a piercing, high-pitched scream.

    She could no longer hold on, her mindpletely copsed, and she turned to flee.

    Using all her strength, she frantically fled backward, as if she had seen a ghost, stumbling and falling to the ground, then crawling away in a panic.

    "No! No!! I don''t want to be like that!"

    With a series of heart-wrenching screams, Liu Ruyan disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.

    The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

    A Core Formation Stage cultivator fled without a fight, directly scared away.

    Tianji Shangren watched the disappearing figure, his expression heavy, and whispered, "She has bred an inner demon!"

    Earlier, when Xu Hei held the Thunder Tribtion Pearl and stormed into the gambling house, she dared not make a move!

    Now, she still dared not make a move!

    Xu Hei was destined to be her inner demon!

    In fact, after Liu Ruyan''s limbs were broken and she suffered a series of setbacks, her Dao heart was already damaged, with cracks forming. Seeing Xu Hei today and not daring to take revenge directly caused her Dao heart to copse.

    From today onward, whenever she sees Xu Hei, she will think of her miserable experience in the gambling house and the terror she felt facing those countless heads.

    She wasn''t the only one frightened.

    The onlookers passing by were all scared, with many having already retreated, not daring to explore thisnd of earth movement any further.

    Seven people remained, all retreating to a far distance, nervously watching Xu Hei, their faces pale, their throats tight.

    One had to admit, this group was quite courageous, and their cultivation was not weak, at least at thete Foundation Establishment stage.

    They were unwilling to give up this hard-won opportunity, but with Xu Hei standing in front, blocking the only path, they dared not be the first to go forward.

    Finally, one of the sinister cultivators couldn''t hold back any longer and cupped his fists, saying, "This... fellow of the demonic path, I am Wu Chou of the Blood Robe Sect. May I ask which sect you belong to, senior? Could you grant us a favor?"

    The Blood Robe Sect, an evil sect from the Western regions.

    Originally not strong, but due to the war between two countries, with countless deaths and injuries, they had an abundance of blood corpses to feed on, leading to the growth and expansion of the Blood Robe Sect, almost gaining the prestige of a major sect.

    Of course, being an evil sect, they still remained hidden, not daring to be too conspicuous.

    "A favor? I''m not blocking you; you can go ahead." Xu Hei said calmly.

    Wu Chou''s face stiffened, yet he still dared not step forward.

    The intimidation of this demon was too strong; no one dared to approach within a thousand meters, only daring to watch from afar.

    Wu Chou, who hadmitted countless evil deeds and stained his hands with blood, usually made other cultivators tremble at the sight of him, but in front of this demon, he had no fierceness at all.

    "What, do you need me to step aside and invite you to pass?" Xu Hei said coldly.

    At this moment, all eyes were on Wu Chou, curious about what he would do.

    Wu Chou was so anxious that cold sweat broke out.

    He began to regret being the one to step forward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Senior asked you to go up, so why don''t you hurry up and go?"

    Suddenly, a hand shot out, grabbing his throat. The oppressive true essence pressure descended, sealing Wu Chou''s entire body, rendering him immobile.

    It was Liu Buqun who acted.

    With a frosty expression, Liu Buqun grabbed Wu Chou, gave him a fierce p, shattering his dantian, and then threw him forward with force.

    Wu Chou soared through the air, a pair of blood-red wings sprouting from his back, but Xu Hei, with a gravitational technique, instantly immobilized him.

    "Swish!"

    An arm suddenly extended ten meters, grabbing Wu Chou and pulling him back.

    "No, no!! Spare me, senior... ah..."

    Wu Chou was stuffed into the butcher''s belly, bing a part of the butcher.

    Everyone was shocked.

    Liu Buqun no longer held back, summoning a copper bell and striking it heavily, the sound waves sweeping in all directions, causing the heads of everyone present to buzz, blood to flow from their seven orifices, and their bodies to freeze.

    "Die!"

    Two flying swords were thrown out, slicing through two mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators, then turning towards the remaining twote Foundation Establishment cultivators.

    "Poof!!"

    Liu Buqun caught up with one, his evil sword shing, sending the person''s head flying. The remaining person fled for their life, but within a dozen breaths, Liu Buqun caught up and swiftly killed them.

    Thus, of the seven remaining people, Liu Buqun killed four, Xu Hei devoured one, leaving only Liu Buqun and Tianji Shangren.

    And Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei hadn''t expected Liu Buqun to act so ruthlessly and decisively, killing without mercy, something even Xu Hei felt inferior to.

    The previous battle had consumed too much of his true qi; he only wanted to scare this group away, but Liu Buqun killed them all.

    From their encounter in Rock Serpent City, it was clear that this person was sharp-minded and decisive, able to escape in such a situation, definitely not an ordinary person.

    "Fellow Daoist, the matter is settled. How about the three of us join forces to explore this desertnd?" Liu Buqun said, his face unchanged, but his heart was actually filled with anxiety.

    Tianji Shangren had lost interest initially, but since they hade all this way, they might as well explore, so he agreed.

    "Alright." Xu Hei nodded.

    Liu Buqun was pleased, but remained cautious; such a demon was unpredictable, and who knew which words were true and which were false.

    But outwardly, he maintained a friendly demeanor.

    "Haha, I am Liu Buqun. May I know your name, fellow Daoist?" Liu Buqun asked with a smile.

    "Butcher," Xu Hei replied indifferently.

    Butcher... Liu Buqun secretly thought the name was quite fitting.

    "I am Tianji Shangren. I will cooperate with you two for now."

    Tianji Shangren nodded.

    After speaking, he took out a brush and casually drew on the ground. In an instant, the void behind them twisted, forming a hazy area.

    "This formation can trap those whoe after us, but it will onlyst for a day. I hope within this day, the three of us can gain something," Tianji Shangren said calmly.

    Xu Hei noticed that Tianji Shangren, who had been very interested in him before, now seemed to have lost all interest, not even wanting to look at him.

    This was a good thing.

    Xu Hei was very wary of this person, so it was best if he didn''t pay attention to him.

    "Let''s go."

    Xu Hei moved forward, retracting his limbs and head, returning to a slightly more normal form.

    Liu Buqun hesitated for a moment, then moved a little closer, entering Xu Hei''s thousand-meter range, his whole body tense.

    Seeing that Xu Hei didn''t make a move, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but he still kept his magical treasure in hand, not putting it away.

    Tianji Shangren walked unhurriedly at the back.

    Xu Hei had no intention of dealing with others; he just wanted to find a quiet ce to rest, recover his strength, and also examine Zhou Wenjun''s storage bag.

    There was still ayer of restrictive seal on her storage bag, which piqued his curiosity.

    But for now, he couldn''t show any weakness or stop, lest someone notice his significant consumption.

    Xu Hei''s true self took a Rejuvenation Pill, refining it with the Demon God Cauldron, recovering as he walked.

    Unknowingly, the color of the desert deepened, and Xu Hei found himself in the ck desert area again.

    Aheady an endless expanse, with open views on both sides, no longer a narrow ce.

    Tianji Shangren leaped forward, standing beside Xu Hei, gazing at the ck desert, a gleam in his eyes.

 Chapter 167: Black Desert, each displaying their Divine Ability

    Chapter 167: ck Desert, each disying their Divine Ability

    "Tianji Shangren, what insights do you have?"

    Liu Buqun leaned in closer. Compared to Xu Hei, he preferred to be near this person.

    "The Yin Sha Qi is so intense here; many must have died in this ce," Tianji Shangren muttered to himself.

    After observing for a moment, Tianji Shangren took out two sheets of paper and folded them into a paper man and a paper crane.

    "Go!"

    He pointed forward.

    The paper man and the paper crane, one burrowed underground, the other flew into the sky, both moving forward.

    After advancing about a thousand meters, a sudden sandstorm erupted in the sky, instantly tearing the paper crane to shreds, and the sandstorm vanished with it.

    "It seems we can''t fly above; we''ll have to use earth escape..."Tianji Shangren had just spoken.

    Suddenly, a quicksand vortex appeared underground, unleashing a terrifying suction that pulled the paper man deep below, shattering it as well.

    Tianji Shangren fell into deep thought.

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted. He had vaguely sensed danger ahead and knew he shouldn''t proceed further, and now it was confirmed.

    The suction that erupted just now¡ªif he encountered it, he definitely wouldn''t escape.

    "The Five Elements Path, none of them are safe. Since others have passed through the other three paths, there must be a way through this one too. Better let others try first," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He didn''t make a move, letting others explore first was the safest option, avoiding situations like the Illusionary Forest, where relying on teammates was crucial, and he had suffered greatly before.

    Then, Tianji Shangren took out several more paper men, advancing them from different directions and in various postures, but without exception, they were all attacked.

    Either by sandstorms, quicksand burial, emerging stone pirs, or flying stone des.

    All sorts of dangers emerged one after another.

    Xu Hei vaguely sensed something unusual.

    These attacks were clearly the most basic earth-type spells!

    The other two also noticed this but remained silent, merely observing quietly, their eyes flickering with spection.

    "There are no spells without a source. If there are spells, there must be a caster, either a person or a formation."

    Tianji Shangren, well-versed in formations, immediately saw through the mystery.

    With a serious expression, he took out a brush, waved it in the air, and scattered ink droplets, forming a massive formation base that epassed the area ahead.

    "This formation is called the Spirit Ban Formation. Within its area, no spells can take effect, whether by humans or formations!"

    Tianji Shangren, full of confidence, set up the formation and stepped forward.

    Liu Buqun hesitated slightly, intending to follow, but seeing Xu Hei unmoved, he decided to stay put as well.

    Momentster.

    As Tianji Shangren walked further away, Xu Hei remained indifferent. Liu Buqun grew anxious and transmitted a message: "Fellow Daoist, Tianji Shangren has gone far. If we don''t follow, any treasures ahead might be lost to us."

    Xu Hei still didn''t move, sitting cross-legged and observing quietly.

    There was no other reason; he needed to restore his True Qi. Without ensuring his peak condition, Xu Hei wouldn''t take a single step forward.

    Otherwise, if there was any danger, how would Xu Hei cope?

    Even if there were opportunities ahead, they would have to be left for Tianji Shangren. There was no other way; being cautious first was a matter of principle.

    "Rest assured, fellow Daoists, with the Spirit Ban Formation in ce, the crisis is resolved. No need to worry."

    Tianji Shangren''s voice came from afar.

    Liu Buqun nced at Xu Hei again, frowning. He had seen the Spirit Ban Formation before and knew it effectively prohibited spells, just as he remembered.

    He tried casting some minor spells, and indeed, they couldn''t manifest, which reassured him. Without further hesitation, he moved forward.

    Three meters, six meters, nine meters... thirty meters...

    Suddenly!

    The sand on the ground rose into the air with lightning speed, engulfing Tianji Shangren. Liu Buqun''s hair stood on end, and he burned a talisman in his hand, returning to the starting point as if by teleportation.

    But he lost an arm.

    As for Tianji Shangren, he vanished without a trace, not even a bone fragment left.

    Liu Buqun was drenched in sweat from the pain. The sand came and went quickly, disappearing the moment it touched his arm, leaving Tianji Shangren with no remains.

    This terrified him; the danger here was more frightening than the other three paths!

    At least the other three paths had been explored, and their dangers were clear. This one waspletely unknown.

    Xu Hei remained motionless, but a gleam shed in his eyes as he vaguely discerned some clues.

    "Strange, why did spells appear despite the Spirit Ban Formation? And why didn''t they appear when Tianji Shangren first entered, but did immediately when I entered? Why is that?"

    Liu Buqun found it hard to believe and looked at Xu Hei, hoping to see his perspective.

    "Tianji Shangren, what do you think?"

    Xu Hei didn''t answer but turned his gaze to an empty spot nearby.

    There, a shadow gradually solidified into a figure in a robe¡ªit was Tianji Shangren.

    Earlier, he had left a paper man in ce, and at the moment of death, he used it as a substitute, altering causality to escape the cmity.

    However, his face was slightly pale, indicating that the cost of this causality technique was not small.

    "This ce is tricky. My Spirit Ban Formation is genuine, and I had no intention of deceiving you two, but it indeed couldn''t stop those bizarre spells," Tianji Shangren said solemnly.

    As he spoke, he took out a blood-red pill and tossed it to Liu Buqun.

    "The Blood Spirit Pill."

    Liu Buqun''s eyes shed. This pill could regenerate flesh and bones, allowing a severed limb to regrow quickly, making it a holy healing pill.

    But he didn''t take it, instead storing it away and consuming a lesser Bone Regeneration Pill.

    This pill could also regrow limbs, albeit more slowly.

    The main reason was his deep suspicion, unable to fully trust others'' pills.

    "I''ve expended a lot of energy, so I''ll meditate for a while. Let''s discuss this in an hour," Tianji Shangren said, sitting down to perform breathing exercises.

    Liu Buqun quickly sat down to heal as well.

    Xu Hei stared at the ck sand, lost in thought.

    He could tell that the Spirit Ban Formation indeed prohibited spells, preventing even Spiritual Qi from flowing, and Tianji Shangren hadn''t lied.

    So how did these deadly earth-type spells appear?

    Or perhaps, they weren''t spells at all?

    Sandstorm Technique, Earth Spike, Flying Stone Technique, Quicksand Technique... all familiar to Xu Hei, yet not spells. What were they then?

    After a long time, Xu Hei''s eyes suddenly lit up. He stood up and walked to the edge of the sand.

    He grabbed a handful of ck sand, observing it closely as it slipped through his fingers.

    The two others watched Xu Hei, puzzled.

    Xu Hei remained silent for a long time, as if realizing something, his eyes flickering as he walked into the ck desert.

    Tianji Shangren squinted his eyes and asked, "Butcher Daoist, have you discovered something?"

    Xu Hei didn''t respond, stepping onto the ck sand and walking forward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He quickened his pace, continuing onward, and the earth-type spells never appeared.

    Tianji Shangren''s eyes flickered.

    Liu Buqun stared intently, curious about how the Butcher would handle a ce even Tianji Shangren couldn''t cross.

 Chapter 168: Small Teleportation Talisman, Unknown Zone

    Chapter 168: Small Teleportation Talisman, Unknown Zone

    Not long after, Xu Hei reached a distance of a thousand feet away.

    This was where Tianji Shangren was ambushed. At that time, the air was filled with dust and sand, and in an instant, nothing was left of him.

    Yet Xu Hei didn''t pause, continuing to move forward.

    "It''sing," Tianji Shangren''s eyes narrowed, thinking to himself.

    Suddenly, a stgmite shot up from the ground, aiming straight for Xu Hei''s crotch. It was a spell Xu Hei was familiar with, the Earth Spike.

    "Spirit Body Thread!"

    With a thought, countless invisible threads shot out, striking the stgmite.

    In an instant, the stgmite stopped moving.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."The wind howled, and sand filled the sky. The Sandstorm Technique appeared once more, but Xu Hei again used the Spirit Body Thread, and the sandstorm ceased immediately.

    Such a bizarre scene left the two people behind him dumbfounded.

    "What... what''s going on?"

    Tianji Shangren immediately stood up, instinctively wanting to investigate, but hesitated.

    He couldn''t understand the principle behind it, and going forward would be courting death.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s Spirit Body Thread spread out thousands of strands, precisely passing through each grain of sand.

    He suddenly realized that these grains of sand were not formed by any spell. It was nonsense to call it a spell; it was nothing of the sort.

    These were clearly puppets, puppets the size of grains of sand!

    This exined why "spells" appeared under the Spirit Ban Formation.

    Xu Hei didn''t know what kind of existence could create puppets as small as grains of sand, with such aplex internal structure in such a tiny body.

    But this was definitely beyond his understanding!

    "ording to legend, there are Spirit-Eating Ants smaller than grains of sand. Although tiny, they can devour spirits and gold, possessing immense power. The puppets here are just like Spirit-Eating Ants!"

    Xu Hei marveled in his heart, bing even more curious about the owner of these ruins.

    Xu Hei released the Spirit Body Thread, forming a continuous loop around him, creating a sphere that enveloped him tightly, providing absolute defense that no puppet could prate.

    As long as the Spirit Body Thread touched them, the sand would fall powerlessly.

    Xu Hei''s Spirit Body Thread had clearly formed a defensive light screen, blocking all attacks.

    "Boom!!"

    The next moment, the desert trembled, and a fierce wind arose. ck sand and dust surged into the sky in the distance, forming terrifying clouds that pressed down like a ck cloud over a city, sweeping towards Xu Hei.

    The vast ck cloud was unimaginablyrge in number.

    "This..." Xu Hei''s face changed dramatically.

    His Spirit Body Thread could indeed restrain the puppets, but with such numbers, how could he possibly restrain them?

    Even if he exhausted his True Qi, he couldn''t hold them back!

    Xu Hei knew that not all the ck sand here were puppets; for instance, he had only found two or three among the sand he had picked up earlier.

    But there was simply too much sand here.

    Even if only one in ten thousand were puppets, the number was still terrifying.

    "Boom!!"

    The heavens and earth roared as the sandstorm approached, blotting out the sky like a giant hand reaching for Xu Hei.

    These puppets all had a sense of self-preservation and a hint of intelligence. Even after the Spirit Ban Formation was set up, they deliberately refrained from attacking, waiting for someone to delve deeper before devouring them in one fell swoop.

    Tianji Shangren had suffered greatly because of this.

    At this moment, they clearly realized that Xu Hei posed a great threat to them, so they all gathered and charged forward.

    Xu Hei turned and fled, while Tianji Shangren and Liu Buqun, their faces pale with fear, also ran without hesitation.

    What talk of opportunities or magical treasures? Their lives were the most important thing right now.

    Xu Hei had underestimated the difficulty of this journey. He had thought that since others had made it through the other three paths, this Earth path should be passable too.

    However, this path was sealed for a reason.

    "Boom!!"

    The ck cloud moved incredibly fast, quickly spreading behind Xu Hei and colliding with the Spirit Body Thread. Countless grains of sand fell, but more came to rece them.

    Xu Hei could clearly feel his True Qi draining away like water, and in just a few breaths, it would bepletely exhausted.

    "Should I use the ck Dragon Pagoda or the Small Teleportation Talisman?"

    After a moment of thought, Xu Hei made a quick decision, taking out the Small Teleportation Talisman and gripping it in front of him.

    "Whoosh!"

    A spatial ripple shed, and Xu Hei vanished from the spot.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The ck cloud lost track of Xu Hei and turned towards the two men in the distance. They too didn''t hesitate, each taking out their life-saving items, whether for teleportation or shifting causality, and fled.

    Deep underground in the Earth path.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei''s figure slowly emerged.

    Since the Small Teleportation Talisman only worked on the original body, Xu Hei had put away the butcher puppet, and now it was his true self.

    "Huh, where is this?"

    Xu Hei looked around in confusion, finding himself beneath the desert, his body squeezed by sand and stone, creating a narrow space.

    His Divine Sense spread out, still only covering a hundred meters, and all he saw was sand!

    Xu Hei''s body trembled; he had actually teleported beneath the desert.

    What kind of operation was this?

    "Strange, I clearly aimed for the direction behind me, so why did I end up here?"

    Xu Hei was puzzled and uncertain.

    The Small Teleportation Talisman was supposed to teleport him to a ce he had been before, usually used for escaping.

    But this talisman had transported him to a strange ce.

    He took out the remaining seven Small Teleportation Talismans, which he had personally crafted. They were ck in color, different from ordinary ones.

    Xu Hei had thought they only looked different.

    However, the effect was different too, seemingly random teleportation?

    Xu Hei tried to move but was frustrated to find he couldn''t budge. The sand here was extremely heavy, indicating he was deep underground.

    The oppressive force made his dragon scales creak, and his body was on the verge of being crushed.

    "No, I need to teleport again."

    Xu Hei took out another Small Teleportation Talisman, thought for a moment, and activated it in the opposite direction of before.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei disappeared from the spot.

    When he reappeared, he was still beneath the desert, but the pressure had lessened somewhat, indicating he was in a moreyered area.

    Yet moving was still incredibly difficult for Xu Hei.

    "Again!"

    Xu Hei used another Small Teleportation Talisman to teleport once more.

    This time, the space finally opened up, and he found himself in mid-air.

    Xu Hei looked up and saw he was above the desert. The sand was still ck, and the sky was bleak, but the ck cloud from before was gone.

    Xu Hei quickly descended to the ground, looking around to find himself in a ce he hadn''t been before, and the environment was different from what he had seen earlier.

    He casually picked up a handful of sand and checked it one by one, surprisingly finding no puppets, just ordinary sand.

    "Could it be that I''ve passed through that extremely dangerous area and reached the depths of this Earth path?" Xu Hei''s expression changed.

    This was shocking to him. The Small Teleportation Talisman was supposed to be for escaping, only teleporting to ces he had been before.

    But Xu Hei''s Small Teleportation Talisman seemed to teleport randomly.

    Of course, this kind of random teleportation was extremely risky. If he ended up in a ce where death was certain, wouldn''t that be the end?

    For instance, earlier, Xu Hei had teleported underground. If he only had one Small Teleportation Talisman and no extras, he would have been trapped to death.

 Chapter 169: Devil Butcher, infamous far and wide

    Chapter 169: Devil Butcher, infamous far and wide

    After facing such a massive crisis, fortunately, Xu Hei emerged unscathed and arrived safely in the depths.

    Recalling the ck storm from earlier, Xu Hei felt a shiver run down his spine.

    That thing, even if Qin Xuanji were to handle it, would probably struggle.

    "So much sand, probably millions of puppets. Who could control so many puppets at once, or is there some other technique?"

    Xu Hei racked his brain but couldn''tprehend it.

    This bizarre puppet technique refreshed his understanding, making the inheritance from the Heavenly Puppet Sect seem like child''s y inparison.

    He suddenly thought of the token in the Void Stone and the fragmented words from ancient times.

    "Descendant of Gongshu... Divine Puppet Sect..."

    Xu Hei pondered.For some reason, the Heavenly Puppet Sect was forbidden to enter, but the owner of this tomb was clearly rted to the Heavenly Puppet Sect, perhaps even an ancient powerhouse from the sect.

    The Divine Puppet Sect should be the superior of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Xu Hei looked around, surrounded by a vast ck desert, unsure of where to go. He decided to stay put and perform breathing exercises to recover his energy, while also attempting to unlock Zhou Wenjun''s storage bag.

    He dared not act recklessly before being fully prepared, lest he encounter more danger.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the entrance of the Earth Path.

    Two disheveled figures rushed out, covered in blood and gasping for breath, their True Qi nearly depleted. They were Liu Buqun and Tianji Shangren.

    These two had unique skills, managing to escape from such a vast expanse of sand, proving their considerable abilities.

    "This ce is too dangerous. I should give up on this opportunity."

    Liu Buqun''s face was pale, still shaken. He craved opportunities, but he needed to survive to seize them.

    Tianji Shangren also sighed deeply, finding it difficult to proceed with his abilities.

    "That demon must be dead. I just misjudged."

    Tianji Shangren sighed inwardly, deciding not to dwell on it.

    They both sat cross-legged on the square, recovering their strength.

    At this moment, many people noticed the newly opened Earth Path.

    The first batch of cultivators who entered had partially fled, each with a pale face and a look of terror, as if deeply traumatized.

    Upon inquiry, it was revealed that inside was a demonic cultivator who pieced together bodies from living people, covered in hundreds of eyeballs, described as terrifying as possible.

    A crazed woman in ck also ran out, screaming madly about "demons" and "stay away," causing everyone to turn pale.

    Even Core Formation Stage cultivators were driven insane with fear. What kind of monster could it be?

    "What kind of demon could scare people like this? I don''t believe it!"

    A Core Formation Stage cultivator, skeptical, formed a small team to explore inside.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But it wasn''t long before they fled back in panic. Out of more than ten people, only two returned alive, weak and severely injured.

    "It was terrifying. What kind of sand was that?"

    "It devours people without leaving a trace."

    The two were terrified. They hadn''t encountered the demon but faced even more terrifying sand.

    Later, more fearless cultivators formed groups to enter, but without exception, they all suffered heavy casualties, none making it through.

    This left everyone in despair.

    In other ces, as long as one grasped the pattern and had a strong leader, one could still muddle through. Here, it was sheer suicide, without even a glimpse of treasure.

    In just half a day, this ce was marked as forbidden by the rogue cultivators, with no one daring to enter again.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep within the ancient relic.

    This ce was the forefront of relic exploration, where major families and forces of the Qin Kingdom had arrived, establishing strongholds, including the Zhou Family.

    The Zhou Family members wore uniform purple robes, adorned with jewels and magical treasures, always protected by a glow of treasure, making them immune to sneak attacks¡ªthe advantage of wealth.

    Leading the Zhou Family was a schrly middle-aged man, none other than the illusory figure, Zhou Qingxuan.

    However, the Zhou Qingxuan here was his true self, with cultivation reaching the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

    Among the Zhou Family crowd was a young girl, resembling Zhou Wenjun but slightly younger, with cold eyes and an innate arrogance in her every move, not feigned but inherent.

    The pride of the Zhou Family, Zhou Wendie.

    Compared to her sister, this girl''s reputation was much more prominent. She began Qi Refining at five, achieved perfect Foundation Establishment at ten, reached Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage at seventeen, possessed a Heavenly Spirit Root unseen in five hundred years, and was born with Scarlet me Demon Eyes, hailed as the most talented person in Zhou Family history.

    "Zhou Wenjun is confirmed dead. This is news from the rear."

    Zhou Qingxuan handed over a jade slip.

    Zhou Wendie took the jade slip and pressed it to her forehead, her expression still cold, though a tear streaked down her cheek.

    "Is the demon who killed her confirmed dead?"

    Her voice was calm, suppressing her emotions with effort.

    "ording to Tianji Shangren, facing that sand, it''s impossible to survive," Zhou Qingxuan sighed.

    He was equally furious! To destroy his avatar and devour Zhou Wenjun in front of him, and the opponent was just a Foundation Establishment Stage demon, was an utter humiliation!

    The demon should feel fortunate to die under the relic''s dangers rather than being captured by them.

    At this moment, Zhou Wendie stood up, facing the rear, retracing her steps.

    "What are you doing..." Zhou Qingxuan''s face darkened.

    "Going to the Earth Path."

    Zhou Wendie said expressionlessly, "Wenjun''s storage bag is still there. I have something important in it that I need to retrieve."

    Zhou Qingxuan hesitated for a moment, sighed inwardly, and could only lead the others to follow.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep within the Earth Path.

    Xu Hei suddenly opened his eyes. At this moment, Zhou Wenjun''s storage bag had been forcibly unlocked by him. He had scraped it with dragon scales for a full hour before breaking it open.

    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, the treasures inside wereid bare.

    Spirit Stones, Talismans, Magical Treasures... everything was there.

    Even though Xu Hei was mentally prepared, he still gasped, stunned by her astonishing wealth.

    "Eight thousand Spirit Stones, richer than a Core Formation Stage cultivator!"

    Xu Hei marveled inwardly. The Iron Mountain Sect''s entire collection barely exceeded ten thousand. As expected of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion''s Zhou Family heiress, if nothing else, she had plenty of Spirit Stones.

    Additionally, there were twenty high-grade Spirit Stones.

    Combined with the five from Wu Chou''s storage bag, Xu Hei was only eight high-grade Spirit Stones short of acquiring a new dragon n technique. Just gathering a few cultivators would suffice.

    Xu Hei also discovered many life-saving items that Zhou Wenjun hadn''t had the chance to use.

    "Ground Shrinking Talisman, Swift Talisman..."

    These two Talismans were for escaping, not as effective as the Small Teleportation Talisman, but each had its advantages.

    The Ground Shrinking Talisman could instantly shrink the ground to an inch, covering a thousand feet in one step. Liu Buqun used this Talisman to escape the sand''s pursuit.

    The Swift Talisman could increase speed fivefold.

    With so many life-saving items, yet being chased by a metal puppet and seeking help, Xu Hei found it utterlyughable.

    Xu Hei carefully stored these two Talismans. His Small Teleportation Talisman was highly unstable, so these could serve as substitutes.

    "Huh? Is this a mechanism box?"

    Xu Hei picked up two wooden boxes, covered in intricate patterns with powerful seals, impossible to force open. They were the mechanism boxes Xu Hei had seen before.

    But the boxes had a keyhole, meant to be opened with a key.

 Chapter 170: Unexpectedly obtaining a rare elixir, laying the foundation in the mid-stage

    Chapter 170: Unexpectedly obtaining a rare elixir,ying the foundation in the mid-stage

    This must have been discovered by Zhou Wenjun within the ruins.

    Unlike the ones Han Te sold before, this is a wooden box, likely originating from thend of wood.

    Xu Hei nced at the key, now two-tenths shorter, estimating it could still open eight more times.

    These mechanism boxes should be plentiful within the ruins, so he needed to use them cautiously.

    "Let''s try opening one first."

    Xu Hei inserted the key into the lock, and with a "click," the first wooden box opened.

    As soon as it opened, the box vanished automatically, and a strong medicinal fragrance wafted out. Xu Hei quickly sealed it to prevent the loss of its potency.

    Upon closer inspection, it was a pill the size of a dragon''s eye, lush green and fragrant.

    Xu Hei had never seen such a pill and didn''t know its name, but just a whiff made him feel his cultivation loosening."Who knows how many millennia have passed, yet it retains such potent efficacy. Unbelievable!"

    Xu Hei thought to himself, deeply admiring the creator of this mechanism box.

    The medicinal herbs preserved in the Void Stones turned to dust over the ages, yet the box could preserve them for so long, still fragrant when opened.

    Unfortunately, the box was single-use; once opened, it disappeared, or else Xu Hei could have studied it further.

    Suddenly, the green pill before him began to wither at a visible rate.

    Even with Xu Hei''s seal, it continued to lose potency rapidly, as if it would vanish as soon as it saw the light of day.

    Xu Hei''s expression changed. Seeing the pill disappearing, he dared not hesitate and immediately opened his mouth to swallow it.

    "Gulp!"

    The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth.

    Swallowing an ancient pill was a risky move. Xu Hei didn''t know its effects, but under these circumstances, he couldn''t afford to waste it.

    "Boom!!"

    In an instant, Xu Hei''s body trembled violently as the pill''s Spiritual Qi formed whirlwinds, rushing through his meridians.

    This Qi was vast and boundless, yet extremely pure, easily absorbed.

    It was Spiritual Qi from ancient times.

    In both quality and quantity, it far surpassed the modern era!

    The whirlwind grew stronger, turning into a gale, then a hurricane, raging within his body, causing his meridians intense pain, his flesh to swell, as if his body might burst.

    Blood seeped from his skin, dyeing his body red, even his bones resonated with a trembling sound.

    "Damn! This is definitely a third-grade pill, meant for those above the Core Formation Stage, and I actually swallowed it!"

    Xu Hei''s heart was heavy, and he exerted all his strength to activate the Demon God Cauldron,pressing the violent Spiritual Qi.

    "Suppress it for me!!"

    Xu Hei roared inwardly.

    The endless storm of Spiritual Qi was drawn into the Demon God Cauldron, yet the pain and swelling remained intense, his body echoing with booming sounds, like thunder, threatening to destroy his physical body.

    This pill was too powerful, definitely above third-grade.

    And this was after losing some potency and being preserved for so many years. If it were at full strength, Xu Hei had no doubt that even a tiny bit would cause him to explode instantly.

    This was a battle!

    A battle between Xu Hei and the pill.

    More and more Spiritual Qi emerged from the pill, and Xu Hei''s body expanded at a terrifying speed.

    He was only two and a half meters tall, yet within ten breaths, he swelled to ten meters, twenty meters...

    He had be a balloon with a diameter of twenty meters.

    This was Xu Hei''s reinforced body; anyone else would have perished long ago. He was on the verge of exploding, even the Demon God Cauldron was struggling to suppress it.

    "What the hell kind of pill is this, why is it so fierce?" Xu Hei''s heart trembled.

    Calling it a third-grade pill was an understatement.

    Xu Hei didn''t know its grade, but if this continued, he surely couldn''t withstand it, his body would explode, and the Spiritual Qi would be lost.

    "What should I do? What should I do?"

    Xu Hei was extremely anxious, then suddenly, a sh of inspiration struck him.

    Xu Hei opened his mouth and spat out the ck Dragon Pagoda, entering it directly, channeling the vast ocean-like Spiritual Qi into the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    Previously, he had absorbed a lot from the ck Dragon Pagoda, now he returned it all.

    "Whoosh!"

    As if finding an outlet, Xu Hei''s body began to shrink slowly, his meridians retracting, and the ck Dragon Pagoda actively absorbed the Spiritual Qi, cooperating perfectly.

    Seeing the effect, Xu Hei continued to transfer the Spiritual Qi while striving to refine it.

    This was ancient Spiritual Qi; he couldn''t waste it and had to absorb as much as possible.

    Xu Hei''s cultivation rapidly soared, reaching a perfect state in mere moments.

    He decisively attempted to break through to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This was originally a long process, but the earlier Qi upheaval had widened Xu Hei''s meridians, and even the spiritual foundation within the Demon God Cauldron had expanded significantly.

    It all happened almost effortlessly.

    The next day.

    With a crisp "crack," his spiritual foundation split into two, marking Xu Hei''s official entry into the mid-stage of Qi Condensation.

    At this moment, his body hadpletely returned to normal, and the vast flow of Spiritual Qi had mostly been sent into the ck Dragon Pagoda, with a small portion absorbed by himself.

    Now, Xu Hei''s second spiritual foundation was initially formed, not only reaching the mid-stage but also umting a certain amount.

    After a long while, he examined his body internally and, finding no major issues, let out a long breath.

    Randomly consuming pills was too risky, leaving Xu Hei with lingering fear, but fortunately, the oue was good.

    In one night, he surpassed the ten years of arduous cultivation that others would spend in seclusion, directly advancing to the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, a speed rarely seen in the world.

    However, he wouldn''t dare to consume another pill like that again.

    Now, with a second wooden box at hand, Xu Hei dared not open it recklessly. If another pill emerged, swallowing it would be dangerous, and not swallowing it would be a waste.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda, having absorbed arge amount of Spiritual Qi, seemed to have gained a hint of spiritual charm, showing signs of breaking through the void. Xu Hei quickly stored it away.

    Next, he checked Zhou Wenjun''s magical treasures, which were mostly ordinary items with little use.

    However, one eyeball caught his attention.

    Inside the eyeball, a me burned, very eerie, and it could rotate, as if alive, resembling a magical treasure, yet not quite.

    When he probed it with his Divine Sense, he couldn''t see through it, nor did it reveal any information about a magical treasure.

    "What is this thing?" Xu Hei didn''t quite understand.

    He instinctively wanted to cut it open with dragon scales but feared damaging this mysterious object, so he decided to leave it for future study.

    With that, Zhou Wenjun''s storage bag was cleared.

    Xu Hei packed his belongings, observed his surroundings, and saw endless desert in every direction. After a brief contemtion, he decided to head towards the area with dense Yin Qi, which should be the deepest part.

    Meanwhile, he released many puppets to guard the surroundings, with the butcher leading the way.

    He had also quietly refined some sand puppets, only about a hundred, not very powerful, and wrapped them around his body to prevent idents.

    The vast, endless desert seemed to have no end.

    Xu Hei continued forward, the Yin Qi growing heavier, and he had a feeling he was getting close.

    Half a day passed.

    At the edge of his vision, a small ck dot appeared. Xu Hei didn''t dare to speed up, continuing at a steady pace as the ck dot gradually erged.

    Momentster.

    Xu Hei gazed at the massive structure before him, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    The building was pyramid-shaped, a design Xu Hei had never seen before, about a hundred meters wide, entirely ck, and he could only think of one word: pyramid.

    The source of the dense Yin Qi seemed to be this pyramid.

    "A desert pyramid, could it be another puppet?"

    Xu Hei instinctively became alert, now suffering from puppet paranoia, seeing everything as a puppet.

    He hoped the pyramid wouldn''t suddenly transform into a humanoid and charge at him; that would be absurd.

 Chapter 171: Top ten dangers, butcher makes the list

    Chapter 171: Top ten dangers, butcher makes the list

    In this vast desert, it''s unclear where the end lies; this thing here clearly wants to lure people over.

    "This ce is strange, better not get too close. Let''s check ahead first."

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, ignored the pyramid, and bypassed it, moving forward.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Just as Xu Hei was in seclusion, breaking through and advancing deeper.

    Outside, a series of events were unfolding.

    News of the opening of the Earth Path spread overnight across major sects and forces, with sects continuously sending people to explore and seek opportunities within the Earth Path.

    However, those sent returned empty-handed, and the dangers inside were unimaginably absurd.

    Rumors of ancient fierce demons, man-eating sand, terrifying spells, and more circted, making it known as the most difficult path.The very first obstacle, the sand, stumped countless people.

    Even if someone managed to pass through with clever methods, their soul tablets would soon shatter, dying under unknown circumstances.

    This only deepened people''s fear.

    As casualties increased among the various groups, the exploration of the Earth Path was put on hold.

    Some enthusiastspiled a list of the top ten most dangerous ancient relics.

    "Thetest top ten dangers of ancient relics, avable for just five thousand spirit stones, fair to all, a purchase is a profit!"

    Outside the relic, an elderly man with purple hair was selling the list, attracting a crowd, but upon hearing the price of five thousand spirit stones, many hesitated.

    Such a price could bankrupt a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, the scroll on the stall was snatched away. Han Te was about to lose his temper but froze upon seeing the neer.

    The neer was a young man in a white robe, tall and handsome, with ck hair like a waterfall, exuding an air of elegance and knowledge.

    Behind him stood a middle-aged warrior in silver armor, wielding a long spear, emanating an indescribable aura of ughter, as if forged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, having killed countless people.

    Just one nce felt like entering a hellish realm.

    "Such a murderous aura, he must have killed no less than a hundred thousand!"

    "With such a terrifying expert as a protector, who is this young man in white?"

    Han Te, having met countless people, made a rough judgment and was about to observe secretly when he felt a chilling killing intent, quickly lowering his head, not daring to look further.

    The young man in white unfolded the scroll and read from top to bottom.

    "Second on the danger list: ck Sand, located at the entrance of the Earth Path, ck sand fills the sky, sweeping across thousands of miles, contact means death, no one has entered so far..."

    "Third on the danger list: Historical Projection, located at the forefront of the relic, an ancient projection appearing randomly, containing great divine abilities, even a slight ripple can kill..."

    "Fourth on the danger list: Blood Corpse, a puppet targeting Core Formation Stage cultivators, the higher the cultivation, the stronger the blood corpse attracted..."

    "¡­"

    The young man in white scanned the list, his gaze falling to the end.

    "Ninth on the danger list: Demon Butcher,posed of countless corpse puppets, disguised as human cultivators, traveling with people, actually an ancient fierce creature, capable of driving Core Formation Stage cultivators insane."

    "Tenth on the danger list: Illusionary Forest, randomly induces sleep, originally could rank in the top five, but the pattern was cracked, hence rankedst."

    After reading the list, the young man in white smiled gently, "The ninth one is interesting, even corpse puppets can develop intelligence and disguise as humans."

    Then he asked, "Why isn''t the first on the danger list marked?"

    Han Te replied truthfully, "To be honest, for the first on the danger list, no one has survived to describe what it is."

    "But some specte it''s a demon infant with Elemental Infant stage cultivation, encountering it means certain death."

    Han Te spoke convincingly.

    The young man in white nodded slightly, took out a storage bag containing five thousand spirit stones, ced it on the stall, and then turned to leave.

    "Thank you for your patronage, take care!"

    Han Te epted the storage bag, his heart racing. He even considered throwing the bag away, not wanting any involvement, but he kept it.

    "That murderous aura, clearly from a great general of the Qin Kingdom, with such an expert as a protector, who could that young man be? Heavenly Puppet Sect? Impossible, right?"

    Han Te fell into thought, sensing something big was about to happen.

    ¡­¡­

    At this moment, in the deep entrance tunnel.

    Countless vengeful spirits hovered around, but with a surge of killing intent from Lei He, all the spirits retreated in fear.

    Soon, they arrived at the circr za.

    "The Demon Lord hasn''t appeared, it seems the n seeded," the young man in white smiled.

    Lei He replied indifferently, "The Demon Lord isn''t omniscient. Every rule has loopholes. Find the loophole, and sess is inevitable."

    This man was Lei He, one of the top ten experts of the Qin Kingdom, ate Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    And the young man in white was Bai Luo, the current top Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    But through some method, he had changed his appearance and identity, even sealing his puppet techniques and altering his personality to be gentle and refined.

    "The legacy of the third-generation ancestor must belong to me. It''s my only chance to return to the headquarters!" Bai Luo''s heart was resolute.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect had dispatched various experts to help thempete for the relic, but not everything could be entrusted to outsiders.

    Bai Luo was the top Chosen of his generation, second only in talent to the already Golden Core Great Perfection Qin Xuanji, chosen as the best candidate.

    Three years ago, he could have formed his core, but he deliberately suppressed it, waiting for today''s grand n.

    Though still at the Foundation Establishment Stage, in terms of strength and various extraordinary means, he could contend with ordinary Core Formation Stage cultivators.

    After ncing at the path of the Earth Path, the two entered without hesitation, moving in perfect harmony.

    Meanwhile, the Zhou family also rushed in.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Deep within the Earth Path, in front of the ck pyramid.

    Xu Hei returned again, bouncing with determination.

    Because since entering the Earth Path, he had gained nothing, his only spoilsing from killing, unrted to the opportunities here.

    Logically, every path should have great opportunities, Xu Hei couldn''t return empty-handed.

    Ahead was still the endless desert, repeating eternally, with the only thing present being this pyramid. Xu Hei had to give it a try.

    "Let''s see if there''s any danger first."

    Xu Hei released puppets, scattering them around, and summoned various magical treasures for protection, then cautiously approached.

    Under the pyramid, there was a dark entrance. Xu Hei pondered briefly and sent a sand puppet inside first.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Once the sand puppet entered, it immediately lost contact with Xu Hei.

    It was as if there was a thin membrane at the entrance, isting it from the outside world.

    Xu Hei sent in a scouting snake, with the same result.

    "I''ll have to try it myself."

    Taking a deep breath, Xu Hei activated various magical treasures, and with a sh, dashed into the pyramid''s entrance.

 Chapter 172: Inside the pyramid, the predecessors left messages

    Chapter 172: Inside the pyramid, the predecessors left messages

    After entering the pyramid, Xu Hei felt as if he had stepped into a new realm.

    Aheady a tranquil passageway, with amp burning by the wall, casting a dim light that had likely been flickering for countless millennia.

    The passage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time. In front of him stood a stone tablet inscribed with some text.

    "There''s an inscription too!"

    Xu Hei''s spirits lifted as he focused on the ancient script, which was somewhatplex but decipherable to him.

    "This treasure was acquired by me during my travels in the Western regions. Its internal mechanisms are hidden and contain endless transformations and mysteries beyond words."

    "The Puppet Mechanism Technique, whichbines the strengths of many schools, though contrary to my sect''s philosophy, ultimately leads to the same path. I have summarized and incorporated it into our sect''s inheritance."

    "However, my heart was willing but my strength was insufficient. Though this item is excellent, it was abandoned by the sect. I have stored it here for future generations to explore. If they can grasp even a fraction, they can im ownership of this treasure."

    The stone tablet bore three passages, still clearly visible after countless years.It wasn''t a Divine Sense imprint but rather carved text, which endures the longest.

    Clearly, the person who inscribed these words valued them greatly.

    Xu Hei carefully pondered the meaning of these passages. It seemed that after the pyramid was discovered, the author greatly admired it but, due to conflicting philosophies, it was abandoned by the sect.

    Thus, it was stored here for future generations to study. If they could uncover even a little, they could gain the pyramid''s recognition.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief. If it was merely a test, he could ept it, as long as it wasn''t a trap.

    However, to be safe, Xu Hei decided to be cautious, in case someone had been here before and altered the inscription to deceive him.

    He took out a dragon scale and scratched the stone tablet, noting a clear difference between the new and old marks.

    "This ce should be opening for the first time, and I am the first to enter here. It''s unlikely someone has beaten me to it," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    After checking thoroughly for a long time and confirming everything, he stepped into the passage.

    Behind the stone tablet, there was an additional piece of text¡ª

    "Remember, once you step in, there''s no turning back. Regardless of your cultivation level, the difficulty is the same. Choose wisely!"

    Xu Hei read this and felt reassured, entering without hesitation.

    Suddenly.

    Xu Hei sensed something, a slight vibration emanating from his Storage Bag.

    He stepped back a little, took out the butcher, and had it open the Storage Bag, retrieving an item to hold in his palm.

    It was that peculiar eyeball!

    At the center of the eyeball, a me burned, and at this moment, it brightened as if an invisible gaze was scrutinizing him.

    The moment this sense of being watched appeared, Xu Hei quickly put the eyeball away.

    "What¡¯s going on? Why do I feel like I''m being watched? Is this eyeball alive? Or can someone observe me through it?"

    Xu Hei was shaken.

    At this moment, the eyeball''s abnormality ceased. Xu Hei thought for a moment and took it out again, applying countless seals to it.

    "Should I destroy it to be done with it?"

    Xu Hei hesitated. He had thought the eyeball was a treasure, not expecting such a hidden danger.

    It''s possible someone could locate it ande after him.

    However, if someone indeed came looking, wouldn''t that indicate the eyeball''s significant value?

    Xu Hei pondered briefly. Since he was already here, there was no reason to leave.

    He considered altering the inscription but realized he wasn''t skilled at deception and didn''t know what to write. So, he traced over the inscription, making the old marks new again.

    "I''m not deceiving you, but if you''re suspicious, that''s not my fault."

    Xu Hei smirked inwardly and crawled into the dark tunnel.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the entrance of the Earth Path.

    Two teams had just entered when they were assaulted by a storm of ck sand. Bai Luo remained unfazed, summoning an ancient bell and flicking it with his finger, sending out a ripple.

    He had already investigated the situation inside beforeing and knew that the sand was all puppets.

    As a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, he had unique methods to counter puppets.

    This wasn''t a Spirit Body Thread but a wave of chaos that could cause puppets to be disoriented, especially effective against corpse puppets with some self-awareness.

    Once the ripple spread, the ck sand in the sky lost its sense of direction, scattering wildly, even attacking and devouring each other, halting the assault.

    However, there were simply too many, and Bai Luo couldn''t deal with them all at once.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the two teams moved swiftly, bypassing the first wave of attacks. Lei He grabbed Bai Luo, burning the power of his Golden Core, and shot forward like a stream of light, racing ahead for a thousand miles.

    Zhou Qingxuan took out an Earth Boat, which sailed over the desert, cutting through the endless dust and soaring into the sky.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Both teams were well-prepared, far beyond what Xu Hei and others couldpare to on their first entry.

    On the Earth Boat.

    Zhou Wendie''s pupils changed, one eye turning golden, with a me burning fiercely within, her aura rising.

    "I see him."

    Zhou Wendie said coldly.

    "Who?" Zhou Qingxuan asked.

    "The butcher." Zhou Wendie''s voice was icy, like a thousand-year frost. "He''s not dead."

    Zhou Qingxuan''s body trembled, his face darkening. "So he''s not dead. It seems the rumors are true. This person isn''t a cultivator but a demon from the ruins."

    To survive in such circumstances, what else could he be but a demon?

    "Whatever he is, I must retrieve my belongings." Zhou Wendie remained cold, her eyes unlike those of a young girl.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the pyramid.

    Xu Hei continued down the passage, soon arriving in a stone chamber.

    It was sealed on all sides, with no way out.

    Inside the chamber, there was only a coffin, nothing else.

    "A coffin?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered. He had heard that some ces within ruins contained coffins, often with corpse puppets and burial items inside.

    Xu Hei first extended his Divine Sense, unsurprisingly finding it unable to probe.

    He released the butcher puppet, which walked forward and tapped the coffin lid, eliciting no response.

    "Meow!"

    Suddenly, a sharp, eerie cat cry echoed through the empty stone chamber.

    "Who?"

    Xu Hei looked around but couldn''t find the source of the sound.

    The cat''s cry was right by his ear. Xu Hei immediately scattered sand, sweeping it forward, and the sand wrapped around a cat-shaped outline, which lunged at him.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei left behind an afterimage, flicking his tail to instantly send the cat flying, crashing into the distance.

    The cat''s form was revealed¡ªa corpse puppet wrapped in white cloth, its bones shattered, lifeless, seemingly killed by Xu Hei''s strike.

    "This corpse puppet is quite weak. Could it be adjusted to my cultivation level?" Xu Hei wondered to himself.

 Chapter 173: Mechanism Formation, profound and myriad

    Chapter 173: Mechanism Formation, profound and myriad

    Xu Hei cast the Spirit Body Thread, attempting to control the cat corpse, but unexpectedly discovered that his Spirit Body Thread would disintegrate upon contact.

    "Impossible to control!" Xu Hei was astonished.

    Every type of puppet he had encountered could be manipted with the Spirit Body Thread, but this corpse puppet was an exception.

    Xu Hei probed it with his Divine Sense and found a ck sphere in the dantian position of the cat corpse, resembling a Golden Core.

    "A Corpse Core?"

    Xu Hei''s heart skipped a beat.

    The Corpse Core, containing Yin Sha Qi, was the core of the corpse puppet.

    If a Corpse Core was cultivated, it meant the corpse puppet had developed intelligence, could cultivate on its own, and possessed at least the strength of the Core Formation Stage.

    However, the strength of the corpse puppet before him was clearly suppressed, maintained at about thete Foundation Establishment stage."This must be the tomb owner''s deliberate doing, suppressing it to match my level," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    With this, the first challenge posed no pressure for Xu Hei, as his strength couldn''t be measured by his apparent cultivation level.

    Although the corpse puppet''s strength was suppressed, controlling it was still a futile dream for Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei manipted the butcher to open the coffin lid, revealing a roll of white cloth inside, simr to what was on the cat corpse.

    This was a Magical Treasure.

    Xu Hei probed it with his Divine Sense but received no information, though he could sense a strong fluctuation of Spiritual Power.

    "Let''s test its effect."

    With a thought, Xu Hei wrapped the butcher with the shroud, and the butcher immediately entered an invisible state.

    "It can make one invisible, even undetectable by Divine Sense. How amazing!" Xu Hei marveled.

    He controlled the butcher to move back and forth without making any sound. The invisibility effect was no less impressive than Hei Huang''s Invisibility Talisman.

    However, he suddenly felt the Yin Qi within the butcher intensifying, with Yin Qi continuously rising from the ground, rushing into the butcher''s body, gathering at the center of the abdomen, seemingly about to condense into a point.

    "Is it going to..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    But at that moment, the butcher''s body suddenly moved uncontrobly, crawling into the coffin.

    "Stop!"

    Xu Hei''s face changed drastically, exerting all his control, but the shroud''s power was too strong, directly pulling the butcher into the coffin, even closing the lid automatically.

    This sudden change left Xu Hei dumbfounded.

    He hurriedly tried to move the lid, using dragon scales to pry it open, but no matter what, he couldn''t budge it, as if it was locked.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    A door opened behind the stone wall, leading to the next challenge.

    Xu Hei stood there, staring at the immovable coffin lid, feeling both angry and embarrassed.

    "Boom!!"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He mmed his tail hard on the coffin, but it only made a faint sound, to no avail.

    "Damn it! This Magical Treasure tricked me!" Xu Hei cursed.

    He had only used the butcher to test the Magical Treasure, yet such a change urred.

    Fortunately, it was the butcher wrapped in it. If it had been his true self, Xu Hei couldn''t imagine the consequences.

    Now, he still had a faint connection with the butcher, but the coffin blocked him from controlling it further.

    This made Xu Hei extremely frustrated; not only did he fail to obtain the treasure, but he also lost a puppet.

    Xu Hei''s gaze shifted to the cat corpse on the ground.

    He hoisted the cat corpse onto his back and crawled toward the second challenge.

    He couldn''t abandon the butcher, but knowing nothing about this pyramid, he couldn''t just stand there foolishly; he had to move forward.

    After a while, Xu Hei crawled into a new passage, where another stone tablet stood ahead, with inscriptions that seemed to be from the same hand.

    "The first challenge requires defeating the Cat King and cing it in the coffin to pass."

    "I have modified the Cat King to suppress its strength to match the challenger''s. If you pass, you will be rewarded with a Magical Treasure scroll, which can enhance corpse puppets or render one invisible, but it has strong side effects. Prolonged use will lead to corpse Qi erosion, gradually losing one''s mind and bing a true corpse."

    "For the subsequent challenges, this treasure mighte in handy."

    After reading the inscription, Xu Hei realized that the Cat King didn''t enter the coffin, but the butcher did, which also worked. This rule had a loophole.

    Xu Hei could only shake his head and proceed to the second challenge, with the passage behind him automatically closing.

    The stone chamber of the second challenge was empty, with the floorposed of ninerge squares, each ten zhang wide.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment, then threw the Cat King onto one of the squares, but nothing happened.

    He climbed onto the first square himself.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, countless sharp wind des whistled toward him, and Xu Hei immediately understood that this ce was a killing formation, triggered by living beings.

    "ng, ng, ng..."

    The dragon scales on Xu Hei were shed, emitting crisp collision sounds. Xu Hei''s gaze turned cold, and he mmed a Mountain Embrace Seal onto the center of the square, but the des only increased in number and power.

    Xu Hei used the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon to dodge, but the des continued to multiply. He took out a Magical Treasure to block them, but it was the same.

    After various attempts, he finally discovered that only by enduring them with his body would the power gradually weaken.

    "I understand now, this formation requires me to endure it head-on," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Xu Hei stopped dodging, using his dragon scales to block the falling des. Each strike made his whole body tremble, but the power slowly diminished, and the frequency decreased.

    After a stick of incense''s time.

    The des in this cepletely subsided.

    Xu Hei endured a series of formation strikes, exhausted, but thanks to his dragon scale body, any other cultivator might not havested a few rounds.

    The difficulty of this second challenge was several times greater than the first, clearly designed for those with a perfect Foundation Establishment.

    Xu Hei looked ahead, seeing eight more squares. Did he have to step on each one?

    After the wind des ended, the formation''s foundation was revealed, consisting of countless intersecting lines.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he began to study it.

    "Since I''m here, I should gain something. I''ve never studied formations before, so I''ll use this one as my introduction."

    Xu Hei considered himself to have decentprehension. With time and effort, he might unravel this formation.

    Although his talisman crafting and artifact refining left much to be desired.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time slowly passed.

    In the blink of an eye, three dayster.

    Xu Hei suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a strange light.

    The first formation was a wind-based killing formation, enhancing the Wind de Technique within the formation, triggered by a medium. The principle was simple, but execution was extremelyplex.

    Especially concerning the assessment, the formation''s power constantly changed, which was the challenging part.

    With a thought, Xu Hei uttered an incantation, instantly forming the formation''s foundation, and infused it with a destructive wave, with earth-element Spiritual Qi frantically gathering and merging into the formation.

    It was the earth-element spell, Falling Stars.

    "Sess!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    After his modifications, the formation''s power greatly increased, incorporating Xu Hei''s own knowledge, transforming it from an assessment formation into a true killing formation.

    Being able to modify the formation indicated that Xu Hei''s understanding of it had reached a deep level.

    "Continue!"

    Xu Hei crawled into the second square.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Countless earth spikes emerged from the ground, stabbing toward Xu Hei.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    No one knew how much time passed.

    Outside the pyramid, three figures arrived at the location: Lei He, exuding a murderous aura; the elegant gentleman Bai Luo; and the cold-eyed Zhou Wendie.

    As for Zhou Qingxuan, he was nowhere to be found.

    The three appeared in poor condition, their faces pale, their auras weaker than before, and Lei He''s cultivation was unstable, showing signs of decline due to excessive Golden Core burning.

    It had taken them a week to reach this ce, indicating the numerous life-and-death crises they had encountered.

    Bai Luo looked at the pyramid before them, his eyes brightening, and said, "ording to the sect''s ancient records, this tower was obtained by the third-generation ancestor during his travels in the Western regions. I never expected it to be hidden in this Earth Path!"

    "Oh?" Lei He frowned and asked, "Is there any danger here?"

    He was only responsible for Bai Luo''s safety, nothing else concerned him.

    "The danger is determined by the intruder''s cultivation level. For me, the danger here is negligible."

    Bai Luo''s lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes radiating strong confidence.

    He had suppressed his cultivation for so long, still at the Foundation Establishment level, waiting for moments like this.

 Chapter 174: Improved Formation, Unlucky Bai Luo

    Chapter 174: Improved Formation, Unlucky Bai Luo

    Bai Luo had done his homework thoroughly before entering the ruins, going through the sect''s history and ancient texts to learn everything about the third-generation ancestor.

    Despite many details being lost¡ªsuch as why the third-generation ancestor left the sect, why he came to Wu Mountain, and what he left behind¡ªthese remain mysteries.

    However, there are rtively detailed records about this tower.

    "Heaven is helping me; I will definitely conquer this tower!"

    Without hesitation, Bai Luo stood up and entered the tower.

    Zhou Wendie, however, was stopped by a single nce from Lei He.

    She said nothing, simply sitting cross-legged at the entrance.

    Upon entering the tunnel, Bai Luo immediately saw a stone tablet and the inscription on it.

    "Heh, just as the ancient texts described."Bai Luo''s eyes gleamed with excitement as he was about to step into the first challenge, but suddenly he paused.

    The inscription on the stone tablet seemed strange, as if it had been newly carved!

    He quickly went out and called Lei He to observe it together. Lei He shared the same opinion: the inscription was newly inscribed.

    "How could this be?" Bai Luo''s face darkened.

    There was only one exnation: someone had entered the pyramid before them.

    The inscription might be fake, altered byter generations to deceive people!

    He was certain that the stone tablet was left by the third-generation ancestor, but if a few words were altered, the meaning would bepletely different.

    Bai Luo''s face turned ashen as he stared at the stone tablet, his eyes bloodshot, studying it carefully.

    In fact, Xu Hei hadn''t changed a single word of the inscription; he had merely copied it.

    This directly led to Bai Luo not daring to proceed until he restored the true inscription!

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei was already standing on the fifth square.

    He spent three days analyzing the first formation, only two days on the second.

    The next two took just one day each.

    In the six arts of cultivation, Xu Hei learned rapidly, often seeding on his first attempt, showcasing his terrifyingprehension.

    Simrly, after passing each formation, Xu Hei would "improve" it, integrating his knowledge.

    If the previous formations were fraught with danger, now they were filled with lethal traps.

    "This formation is a water-based vortex formation, capable of trapping a person and draining their Spiritual Qi until it''spletely depleted."

    Xu Hei sat motionless on the ground.

    He didn''t break the formation but pondered its principles, trying to understand it from the designer''s perspective.

    Xu Hei discovered that the mechanisms within the pyramid, though seeminglyplex and ever-changing, were essentially formations.

    For example, the walls that blocked Divine Sense and the coffin in the first challenge were all due to formations.

    In other words, if his formation skills were strong enough, he wouldn''t need to go through the challenges. He could take the pyramid directly and retrieve the butcher as well.

    This time, Xu Hei took only half a day toprehend it.

    "I understand now. This formation tests the depth of one''s True Qi. As long as you keep taking pills and let your True Qi be drained ten times, you can pass," Xu Hei thought.

    But he didn''t n to do that; he wanted to break the rules here.

    Why should everything be ording to the opponent''s design?

    Xu Hei took out arge number of Spirit Stones, casting formation patterns across the ground, forming an inverse spiral formation in an instant.

    As Xu Hei deployed his formation, the speed of Spiritual Qi extraction gradually slowed.

    An hourter, it vanishedpletely.

    "Phew!" Xu Hei exhaled deeply.

    This was the first time he had broken a formation using his own formation skills instead of following the opponent''s rules!

    Although it cost him ten thousand Spirit Stones, it was worth it.

    Simrly, Xu Hei improved the water-based vortex formation, adding ayer of Heavenly Thunder formation on top, which not only drained True Qi but also infused it with thunder.

    Xu Hei pressed on without stopping.

    ...

    Meanwhile, at the entrance to the first challenge.

    Bai Luo and Lei He meticulously reviewed every detail,paring it with ancient texts, and after a day and night of study, they finally restored the inscription.

    It was identical to the original!N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "What a brilliant trick; I can''t even tell what was altered!" Bai Luo''s face was stiff.

    If it were just alterations, it would be fine, but he seriously suspected that the opponent had erased crucial information.

    Without finding that information, rushing in would lead to a dead end.

    In desperation, Lei He took out a mirror of historical reflection.

    This mirror could rey historical projections, a sophisticated technique of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, inherited from ancient times, and one of their trump cards for this journey.

    Under the mirror''s reflection, the events on the stone tablet yed out in reverse, reying before their eyes.

    They saw a scale scraping across the stone tablet, copying all the inscriptions.

    After watching the rey, Lei He fell into silence.

    "Just... this?"

    Bai Luo was stunned for a few seconds, then his gentle face twisted rapidly, his chest heaving, almost exploding with rage.

    "Ah!! Despicable scoundrel!"

    Bai Luo roared to the sky, his handsome face turning maniacal, "I don''t care who you are, this time, I will tear you to pieces!"

    He had been yed, and it was the first time he had been yed like this.

    The opponent hadn''t changed anything, relying solely on his own imagination.

    If there had been changes, it would have been easier to find ws by reasoning through inconsistencies, but the opponent hadn''t changed a thing, which was the cruelest.

    For the first time, Bai Luo felt how troublesome this predecessor was.

    "Since the content is correct, I need not worry. Based on my cultivation, I alone am enough to pass."

    Before long, Bai Luo regained his confidence, returning to his calm andposed demeanor.

    Lei He didn''t enter, standing guard at the entrance to prevent any disturbances.

    Bai Luo walked into the stone chamber of the first challenge.

    Upon entering, he saw a coffin, the ce where Xu Hei had once been.

    However, the Cat King corpse puppet had be the butcher corpse puppet.

    Of course, Bai Luo knew nothing of this.

    "The first challenge should be a corpse puppet, though I''m not sure what kind of corpse puppet it is. As long as its cultivation hasn''t reached Qi Condensation, it won''t be my match..."

    Bai Luo saw the coffin and, after a brief analysis, understood the general process.

    However, just as the thought crossed his mind, he found all his protective Magical Treasures shattering.

    "Whoosh!"

    Bai Luo immediately retreated to the farthest point, taking out a handful of revealing dust and scattering it into the air, turning the area into a hazy dust field.

    Within the dust, a vague humanoid silhouette could be seen approaching him.

    "Invisibility? That''s a first."

    Bai Luo''s expression remained unchanged as he took out an ancient mirror, flicking his finger to send a wave of chaos spreading out. This move was naturally effective against puppets, especially corpse puppets that had developed intelligence.

    "Ugh..."

    The silhouette began to tremble, and after being hit by the wave of chaos, it sprouted numerous arms and legs, then started to split, with countless smaller silhouettes emerging from its body.

    It was as if this wasn''t a single corpse puppet but a conglomeration of many.

    "This..." Bai Luo was dumbfounded.

 Chapter 175: Heavenly net and earthly trap, five elements killing formation

    Chapter 175: Heavenly and earthly trap, five elements killing formation

    Bai Luo watched as the figure of the corpse puppet in front of him continuously split apart, countless smaller corpse puppets emerging from the "mother" body.

    Two, three... five... ten...

    Bai Luo felt a buzzing in his mind, his scalp tingling.

    What was even more terrifying was that all these corpse puppets had reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, nearing the False Core, just like him.

    "What kind of monster is this?"

    Bai Luo''s face turned pale, his breath caught.

    Suddenly, he thought of the ninth-ranked evil entity on the danger list, the Butcher. The description of the Butcher seemed eerily simr to the monster before him.

    The many corpse puppets turned their gaze and charged at Bai Luo with bared fangs and ws.

    These newly born corpse puppets had no shrouds, revealing their true forms, with copper skin and iron bones, bodies like ck iron. Each punch and w emitted a thunderous roar, and corpse Qi permeated the air. A single hit would leave him severely injured, if not dead."Chaos!"

    Bai Luo unleashed another wave of chaos, causing the corpse puppets to lose their sense of direction and move erratically.

    But the mother body seemed stimted, its entire mass of tumors trembling violently, and more corpse puppets emerged from within it. The number exceeded twenty, and the stone chamber was filled with a thick corpse Qi.

    This made Bai Luo''s heart sink. He quickly put away the ancient mirror, not daring to use it recklessly again.

    As the corpse Qi spread, Bai Luo''s skin turned green, with blue and purple spots appearing¡ªsigns of corpse poison.

    "Damn it! This is trouble. The chaos wave can''t be used; it''s clearly countering me!"

    Bai Luo swallowed an antidote pill and erected a light shield to block the corpse Qi, only to see the mother body''s arm suddenly expand by several dozen meters, reaching for him.

    "Entangle!!"

    Bai Luo released a willow branch, which grew in the wind, wrapping around the arm. But from the Butcher''s hand, a serrated weapon emerged, spinning with a mechanical roar, slicing through all the willow branches.

    Bai Luo then summoned a copper bell, which was also shed open by the weapon, the de heading straight for his face.

    With no choice, Bai Luo used a teleportation talisman to instantly dodge the attack.

    ...

    In the second chamber.

    Xu Hei had reached thest three grids of the Nine Pces Formation. These three formations were clearly different from the previous six, more than ten times asplex.

    Just a nce made Xu Hei feel dizzy.

    "Hmm?"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei felt a faint sensation from the first chamber.

    "Is the Butcher stirring?"

    Xu Hei frowned. He had always maintained a connection with the Butcher, and although it was blocked by distance and divine sense, the feeling was unmistakable.

    This led Xu Hei to suspect that someone had entered the first chamber, disturbing the Butcher.

    "Looks like I need to speed up."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, swallowed an Awakening Pill, and focused all his efforts on studying the next formation.

    As soon as Xu Hei entered, mes erupted from the ground, raising the temperature and distorting the space. The fire released toxic gas, trying to invade his body.

    "A fire poison formation, containing two elements, cleverlybined. No wonder theplexity skyrockets," Xu Hei mused.

    ...

    In the blink of an eye, two more days passed.

    In the first chamber, about twenty corpse puppets wandered aimlessly in the empty stone room, while the Butcher''s mother body stood still, the dozen or so eyes on its head looking nk.

    Corpse Qi from the heavens and earth gathered, flowing into the Butcher''s body, where a corpse pill seemed to be forming in its dantian.

    Two stiff corpse puppetsy on the ground, having lost their spiritual power.

    As for Bai Luo, he was nowhere to be found.

    At this moment, an ancient painting was affixed to the ceiling of the stone chamber, depicting a courtyard.

    Inside the painting was a space filled with mist, lush green trees, and a quaint courtyard, like a paradise. Bai Luo sat cross-legged within, performing breathing exercises to recover from his injuries.

    It took him a full day topletely expel the corpse Qi from his body, and the corpse spots disappeared.

    "Thankfully, I had the paradise painting from my Grandmaster, or I wouldn''t have survived. The difficulty of this first chamber isn''t meant for someone like me; it requires Core Formation Stage cultivation to pass!"

    Bai Luo''s expression was grim. Although he could unleash all his abilities to fight against the Core Formation Stage, this was only the first chamber. If he used all his trump cards, what would he do for theter stages?

    Facing more troublesome dangers without those magical treasures might leave him without even a chance to escape.

    Therefore, he decided to act cautiously.

    Using the special space of the paradise painting, he would slowly wear down the corpse puppets, engaging in a war of attrition, taking out one or two at a time before retreating.

    Eventually, he would be able to eliminate all the corpse puppets here.

    Fortunately, these corpse puppets had not developed intelligence and acted only on instinct, unable to recognize the paradise painting, allowing him to use this tactic.

    "Is this Butcher really left by the third-generation ancestor? Why do I feel something is off?"

    The more Bai Luo thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Initially confident, he now had a sense of foreboding.

    Fortunately, he was well-prepared. As long as nothing unexpected happened, there shouldn''t be any major issues.

    ...

    Xu Hei took three days to break the fire poison formation and another two days to dismantle the ice thunder killing formation.

    The final Five Elements Killing Formation was extremely tricky. The moment Xu Hei triggered it, he nearly lost his life.

    Luckily, he managed to hide inside the ck Dragon Pagoda just in time, barely surviving.

    From within the ck Dragon Pagoda, he observed the outside, where winds howled, thunder roared, earth fire surged, the ground froze, and sandstorms raged. The five elements converged, forming a cycle that seemed eternal.

    Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

    "The five elements rotate endlessly. I need to create a breach to disrupt the cycle," Xu Hei pondered.

    Ultimately, it took five days to fully analyze this formation.

    Xu Hei set up a force-dissipating formation, creating a gap in the five elements, stopping their cycle, and gradually weakening them until they dissipated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The door to the next chamber opened at this moment.

    Xu Hei let out a long breath, mentally exhausted.

    "This formation is too dangerous. To enhance it with my abilities would require at least fifty thousand spirit stones and might still fail, taking a minimum of three days. During that time, the opponent could enter at any moment..."

    After silently calcting, Xu Hei shook his head.

    "Better not, but..."

    Xu Hei''s eyes gleamed.

    He took out spirit stones, constructing bridges of spiritual Qi, embedding them into the formation base, linking this formation with the other eight, creating eight connections.

    Triggering the Five Elements Killing Formation would activate the other eight formations simultaneously, reactivating the previously solved formations.

    With all nine formations activated, even a Great Golden Immortal would meet their end!

    Xu Hei smirked coldly. This design was more reasonable and challenging; the tomb owner''s previous design was too simple.

    It was merely a test, giving people a chance to learn formations, which was quite dull. Now, it was a life-and-death trial at every step.

    "They should being soon; I need to leave."

    Xu Hei sensed the Butcher''s condition, nced at the dark exit, hoisted the cat corpse, and with a sh, dashed inside.

 Chapter 176: Bai Luos Collapse, Land of Corpse Poison

    Chapter 176: Bai Luo''s Copse, Land of Corpse Poison

    After Xu Hei left, the back door closed shortly after.

    At this moment, inside the first stone chamber.

    Bai Luo was panting heavily, his True Qi exhausted, sitting on the ground with a pale face, unable to muster the strength to stand. He looked utterly drained.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    In his hand, he held a golden leaf, exuding an immense pressure. This was a decree left by the Elemental Infant ancestor of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, containing a trace of the profound meaning that only those at the Elemental Infant stage couldprehend. It was one of his strongest trump cards.

    It was with this item that he managed to suppress the butcher and seal him in the coffin.

    Originally, he intended to use force to eliminate the butcher, but that thing was simply unkible. It could regrow a severed arm, with endless limbs, wounds healing frantically, and it could devour other corpse puppets to enhance its power, with the corpse Qi growing thicker.

    Forced into a corner, he had no choice but to switch to sealing, thus using this trump card.

    Bai Luo put away the golden leaf, his face flushed, and spat out another mouthful of blood, his breath weak.

    "This was supposed to be myst resort, and now I''ve used one up. What a huge loss this trip turned out to be!"Bai Luo began to deeply question whether the inheritance of this pyramid was worth it.

    He came to this ancient relic with a goal in mind, not just for the opportunity in this Earth Path, but for the greatest opportunity at the end.

    However, having passed the first challenge, there was no turning back now!

    He took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and walked into the passage leading to the next challenge.

    There was a stone tablet here, with inscriptions carved on it.

    Bai Luo nced at the inscriptions.

    "Defeat the Cat King and ce it in the coffin to pass..."

    "Cat King?"

    Bai Luo was stunned for a moment, then carefully read the inscription again.

    In an instant, he froze.

    Put the Cat King in the coffin?

    That wasn''t a Cat King at all; it was clearly the butcher!

    Though young, Bai Luo was not a fool. He immediately understood that the thing wasn''t an original corpse puppet of this ce but was deliberately swapped by someone!

    Bai Luo clenched his fists, his delicate features twisted in extreme anger.

    So, the difficulty of his first challenge wasn''t supposed to be this high; it was only because of the trap set by the person before him that it became so difficult!

    It forced him to use the paradise painting, and in the end, to seal the butcher, he even used the golden leaf decree.

    "Argh!!! I will never forgive you in this life!!"

    Bai Luo roared to the sky in anger, almost spitting out another mouthful of blood.

    He had already suspected that the butcher was addedter, but he was unwilling to believe that the other party had such capability. Yet the facts were right in front of him, leaving him no choice but to believe!

    Bai Luo sat cross-legged on the ground for a long time before slowly calming his inner rage. He took several pills to stabilize his True Qi and adjusted his mindset to its best.

    This trial was not only a test of strength but also of character.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect had specifically trained him for this relic, preparing him for various situations, including harsh environments and tormenting opponents.

    This had honed Bai Luo''s mindset far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. Although not yet at the level of some sect elders, among his peers, he was exceptional.

    An hourter, when Bai Luo opened his eyes again, he had regained his calm demeanor.

    "A small setback like this won''t defeat me."

    "Those who achieve great things don''t mind such minor troubles."

    Bai Luo exhaled and, with firm steps, walked into the second stone chamber.

    Inside the stone chamber was a formation test, a nine-square grid.

    Nine formations, firstpleting the outer eight, then stepping into the center.

    Bai Luo only needed a nce at the environment to understand the test''s content, and he inwardly sneered.

    However, he suddenly became alert. Since the person before liked to set traps, could there be traps left here as well?

    Bai Luo squinted his eyes.

    He decisively pressed a finger to his forehead, extracting a wisp of divine sense and cultivation, condensing it beside him.

    This time, he spared no expense in cultivation, spending a day to create an external incarnation identical to himself, with the same aura.

    "Go!"

    Bai Luo pointed forward, and the external incarnation stepped onto the first square.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    A fierce wind de appeared, a wind-based killing formation, attacking the external incarnation.

    Bai Luo hadn''t even had time to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw a massive meteor appear above both his and the incarnation''s heads, falling down¡ªarge-scale group spell, Falling Stars.

    "Not good!"

    Bai Luo''s face changed dramatically, hurriedly raising a light shield. His incarnation was instantly crushed, and all the attacks came roaring towards him.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the passage, Xu Hei stood before a stone tablet, reading the inscription.

    "The second challenge is the nine-square grid formation I created in my youth, consisting of the most basic nine killing formations. Simply break them one by one to pass."

    "There are three methods to break it: first, follow the formation rules and meet the requirements to break it. Second, break it with brute force. Third, analyze the formation structure and break it with another formation."

    "Among them, the third method is the best. Those who pass using this method canprehend the mysteries of the nine formations and benefit for life. This is the reward for the second challenge."

    Xu Hei thought he had found a loophole, not realizing that the tomb owner had deliberately designed it this way to allow him toprehend formations and break formations with formations.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly, adjusted his state to the best, and proceeded to the third challenge.

    The third stone chamber.

    As soon as Xu Hei entered, he felt an overwhelming corpse Qi filling the chamber. Inside, there were no less than a hundred coffins, with arge amount of gas emanating from them, turning the air a purplish-ck, easily causing poisoning.

    Xu Hei sniffed. Although he disliked the smell emanating from the corpses, he did not reject it, nor would he be poisoned by it.

    This seemed to be a natural advantage.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief. With coffins ced everywhere, he followed the narrow path towards the end.

    "Crack!"

    Suddenly, the first coffin opened, and a withered w reached out, emitting a terrifying fluctuation, definitely a powerful corpse puppet close to the False Core.

    The lid was lifted, and a pair of glowing green eyes looked over.

    Meanwhile, countless coffins behind him began to stir, making cracking sounds as if they were about to open.

    "Could it be that this challenge requires me to deal with so many corpse puppets?"

    Xu Hei looked at the coffins behind him, his heart alert, instinctively retreating.

    As Xu Hei retreated to the Cat King''s side, those green eyes turned, staring straight at the Cat King.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, hoisted the Cat King onto his back, and continued crawling forward.

    As Xu Hei advanced, the lids of the coffins behind him opened one after another, with countless eyes peering out, seemingly ready to rise from their coffins. But upon seeing the Cat King, they all stopped.

    "After passing the first challenge, there''s a reward of a shroud, meaning in this challenge, as long as I wear the shroud and disguise myself as one of them, I can pass?" Xu Hei calcted inwardly.

    The shroud was taken by the butcher, but having the Cat King seemed to work as well.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei felt dizzy and nauseous, as if he wanted to vomit.

    It was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

 Chapter 177: Corpse Puppet System, Final Level

    Chapter 177: Corpse Puppet System, Final Level

    Xu Hei realized that he might have absorbed too much corpse Qi.

    He took out an antidote pill and swallowed it, expelling the corpse poison from his body.

    But just then, as the corpse Qi dissipated, all the coffins began to make noises, and pairs of ws reached out.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The lid of the nearest coffin was suddenly lifted, and a green-haired zombie wrapped in white cloth nced at him and immediately charged forward.

    "Damn it!"

    Xu Hei''s expression changed, and in a sh of thought, he quickly took a deep breath, swallowing countless corpse Qi into his body, no longer suppressing it, letting it permeate throughout.

    With the corpse Qi entering his body, ck Qi emanated from Xu Hei, and the green-haired zombie indeed stopped moving, merely staring at him quietly.

    Xu Hei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but after inhaling the corpse Qi, the dizziness returned.

    He dared not use another antidote pill and could only endure the corpse poison, crawling forward.He wasn''t afraid of a single green-haired zombie; the problem was there were too many behind him. Xu Hei worried that once he started fighting, all the coffin lids would be lifted, and it would be uncontroble.

    Xu Hei guessed that he was supposed to pretend to be a corpse puppet to get through this trial.

    He slightly increased his speed, but whenever he did, the coffin lids would tremble, forcing him to slow down.

    Xu Hei''s gaze swept over the coffins, discovering that the corpse puppets inside were all different.

    There were humans, demons, fat ones, thin ones, with yellow, green, purple hair, some with wings on their backs, some just skeletons, in all sorts of forms, like a treasure map of corpse puppets.

    "What does the tomb owner mean by this? Is it for me to observe the corpse puppets?"

    Xu Hei secretly spected.

    The strength of these corpse puppets also varied, starting from the False Core Stage, with some even at the Core Formation Stage, each stronger than thest, their eyes like ghostly mes, their aura like Asura.

    Xu Hei dared not scrutinize them deeply, only sensing them slightly.

    Moreover, he discovered a pattern.

    "The cultivation of the corpse puppets seems to corrte with their hair color: hairless is the weakest, green hair is slightly stronger, purple hair even stronger, followed by yellow and red hair."

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered.

    After walking for a while, he also noticed that the bottom of these coffins seemed to have the names of the corpse puppets engraved on them.

    "Hairless Hopping Zombie, Green-haired Flying Zombie, Purple-haired Yaksha..."

    Xu Hei scanned the names of the corpse puppets.

    The Hairless Hopping Zombie was roughly at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, simr to what he could refine.

    The Green-haired Flying Zombie was at the False Core Stage, having initially formed a corpse core.

    The Purple-haired Yaksha was clearly at the early stage of Core Formation.

    Further on, Xu Hei found two coffins engraved with "Yellow-haired Corpse Charm" and "Red-haired Corpse King."

    These two coffins undoubtedly represented the mid-stage andte-stage of Core Formation.

    "There are evente-stage Core Formation corpse puppets here..."

    Xu Hei''s heart raced, forcing himself to stay calm.

    This trial couldn''t be passed by brute force; it had to be done ording to the rules! Otherwise, he wouldn''t even know how he died.

    As for any thoughts of trickery, Xu Hei temporarily dismissed them; that was only feasible within his capabilities.

    Trying to trick others here might just end up tricking himself first.

    Through observation, Xu Hei noted that among the hundreds of coffins here, most were between hairless and green-haired, with very few purple-haired ones above the Core Formation Stage.

    As for the Yellow-haired Corpse Charm and Red-haired Corpse King, Xu Hei only saw these two in front of him.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and crawled forward, passing by the coffin of the Yellow-haired Corpse Charm.

    "Crack!"

    A crack appeared in the coffin, and a surge of overwhelming corpse Qi emanated from it, spreading over Xu Hei.

    This was a mid-stage Core Formation corpse puppet!

    Xu Hei dared not hold his breath, allowing the corpse Qi to enter his body, making the dizziness even more intense, almost causing him to faint.

    "I can''t detoxify! This trial tests endurance against corpse puppets. If I can''t even withstand the corpse Qi, how can I ept this inheritance?"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, eyes firm, crawling forward.

    Momentster, he reached the coffin of the Red-haired Corpse King.

    This was the strongest corpse puppet here, at thete stage of Core Formation.

    "Crack!"

    The coffin lid opened, revealing a red-haired arm, human-like yet ape-like, with long nails, and in the darkness, a pair of eyes seemed to be watching him.

    Xu Hei dared not look back, continuously reminding himself that he was a true dragon, and these corpse Qi were useless against him!

    At this moment, the corpse Qi within Xu Hei surged like a vast ocean, polluting his blood and meridians, even threatening to corrupt his Divine Sense, turning him into a true corpse puppet.

    But beneath his abdomen, within the range of the Demon God Cauldron, the corpse Qi could never enter.

    After a while, Xu Hei felt slightly better, not pausing for a moment, passing the strongest corpse puppet and reaching the distance.

    When he finallypleted this path, all the coffin lids behind him closed again.

    Ahead, a door to the next trial opened.

    Xu Hei exhaled deeply.

    At this moment, he looked ghostly, devoid of any vitality, like a dead corpse.

    "Demon God Cauldron, refine!"

    Xu Hei shouted, and the Demon God Cauldron operated at full power.

    This time, it took him half a day to finally absorb all the corpse Qi, refining it into a ck pill.

    Xu Hei spat it out, and the pill floated before him, a half-finished corpse core.

    "Is this the reward for this trial?" Xu Hei frowned.

    ncing back at the room full of coffins, he thought it would be great if he could control them all.

    However, with his current strength, he couldn''t even withstand the corpse Qi, so it was best not to indulge in such fantasies.

    Xu Hei stepped through the exit, and the door behind him immediately closed. He arrived before a new stone tablet.

    The stone tablet was also inscribed with numerous inscriptions.

    "The third trial tests your affinity with corpse puppets."

    "These corpse puppets were personally refined by me in the past. If you can''t even withstand the corpse Qi, how can you receive my inheritance?"

    "This inheritance includes Hairless Hopping Zombie, Green-haired Flying Zombie, Purple-haired Yaksha, Yellow-haired Corpse Charm, Red-haired Corpse King, White-haired Corpse Infant, Blood-faced Corpse Ghoul, ck-haired Corpse Demon..."

    "The Divine Puppet Sect has refined countless puppets, yet little do they know, they themselves are the best puppets."

    "My inheritor, reaching here means you have passed the preliminary test. Next is the final trial, questioning your heart."

    "I will see if you truly wish to be my inheritor."

    "Now, there is still a chance to turn back."

    After reading this unexpectedly long passage, Xu Hei fell into silence, unlike before.

    Previously, it was all about summarizing the trials, with nothing amiss from start to finish.

    But upon reading this, Xu Hei felt an eerie vibe from the tomb owner.

    Especially thest sentence, questioning whether he truly wished to be the inheritor.

    Could it be that there are those who wouldn''t want to?

    "The Heavenly Puppet Sect doesn''t use corpse puppets. Could this person be a demonic cultivator for refining so many corpse puppets?" Xu Hei became vignt.

 Chapter 178: The mirror of the heart, instinctive choice

    Chapter 178: The mirror of the heart, instinctive choice

    Xu Hei''s crafted puppets were neither human nor ghost, so he felt no aversion to corpse puppets; they were just another type of puppet to him and certainly not something demonic.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    However, in the eyes of humans, that might not be the case.

    "Is the owner of this tomb really an ancestor of the Divine Puppet Sect? And what is his rtionship with the descendants of Gongshu?" Xu Hei pondered deeply.

    Xu Hei refrained from jumping to conclusions. He carefully analyzed the inscriptions on the stone tablet from beginning to end.

    Xu Hei had only been cultivating for three years, but he already possessed an insight that ordinary peoplecked.

    ¡ª"These inheritances include Hairless Hopping Zombie, Green-haired Flying Zombie, Purple-haired Yaksha..."

    ¡ª"The Divine Puppet Sect crafted countless puppets, yet little did they know, they themselves were the best puppets."

    Xu Hei scrutinized these two sentences and pondered for a long time, his pupils suddenly contracting.

    Individually, these sentences seemed harmless. But together, they were deeply unsettling."Could it be that he refined the people of the Divine Puppet Sect?" Xu Hei was secretly rmed.

    Typically, the patriarchs of sects would leave their inheritances within the sect before their death, like the Mountain-moving Patriarch.

    But this person hade to Wu Mountain, excavated a massive tomb, and left behind so many corpse puppets that attacked indiscriminately.

    This was indeed very peculiar.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the stone chamber of the second trial.

    A golden figure d in armor appeared on Bai Luo''s body surface; this was the Golden Body Manifestation, his most powerful trump card.

    Although this move relied on external objects, it also came at the cost of his cultivation.

    Originally, he nned to use it only when obtaining the final inheritance, as the sect''s patriarch had envisioned. But now, if he didn''t use it, he feared he would die here.

    Once the Golden Body Manifestation appeared, the six formations ahead were all destroyed by brute force, unable to stop him in the slightest.

    However, he halted before thest three formations.

    These three formations were clearly a level more powerful!

    "If I force my way through, even if I seed, my cultivation will plummet!" Bai Luo''s face was gloomy.

    At this moment, his hatred for the person in the shadows was beyond words.

    If that person appeared before him, he would surely devour their flesh and gnaw their bones to vent his anger.

    But he was also contemting whether it was worth continuing.

    His trump cards were nearly exhausted. If he continued like this, what would he have left topete for the final inheritance? He might end up losing the watermelon while picking up sesame seeds!

    "This is merely a magical treasure of the Earth Path, yet I''ve lost so much for this tower! Had I known, I wouldn''t havee in!"

    "But now, giving up is not something I''m willing to do. If I don''t capture and execute that despicable person, I won''t be at peace!"

    Bai Luo''s heart was filled with dark hatred, nearly losing his rationality.

    He took a deep breath to calm himself, took out apass, and spat a mouthful of blood onto it.

    Outside the pyramid.

    Lei He seemed to sense something and took out a simrpass, which began to rotate automatically, seemingly transmitting some kind of message at a certain frequency.

    This pyramid isted everything;munication talismans and Small Teleportation Talismans were unusable. Only this parent-childpass could function, allowing them to sense each other.

    "You, go in!"

    Lei He looked at Zhou Wendie and pointed to the pyramid entrance.

    "Me?"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyebrow arched, and she thought to herself, "Now they want me to go in, are they trying to use me as cannon fodder?"

    Zhou Wendie maintained a cold and calm demeanor throughout, never showing anger even when blocked outside, nor did she choose to leave.

    This showed that Zhou Wendie''s scheming was much deeper than Bai Luo''s.

    At this moment, she immediately saw that Bai Luo must have encountered trouble and had no choice but to ask for help.

    Letting Lei He in might trigger even more powerful mechanisms due to his high cultivation, making the situation uncontroble, so they chose her.

    "That''s exactly what I intended."

    Zhou Wendie, her mind racing, nodded and walked into the entrance tunnel.

    She passed the stone tablet without stopping and directly entered the first trial.

    Upon entering the stone chamber of the first trial, she immediately leaped into the air, clinging to the ceiling like a spider, entering a stealth state.

    One of her eyes turned golden, with mes burning within, capable of seeing through all illusions.

    With one nce, Zhou Wendie saw the butcher below and also saw through the mechanism design here.

    At the same time, she saw the familiar face on top of the butcher''s head, seemingly staring straight at her.

    It was her sister, Zhou Wenjun.

    Zhou Wendie''s pupils instantly filled with blood, a wave of grief and anger surging in her chest.

    "Silence!"

    Suddenly, she uttered a coldmand, suppressing that grief and anger.

    "With just this bit of emotion, you can''t control yourself. How can you achieve great things?"

    Zhou Wendie''s voice was icy, as if she had be a different person.

    She had no intention of helping immediately.

    She was waiting, waiting for Bai Luo to be unable to hold on and leave this ce, before she would enter.

    What belonged to her, no one else could take, including Bai Luo!

    As for the one who took her other eye, she wouldn''t let them go either.

    Zhou Wendie flicked her finger, sending a butterfly de flying out, instantly slicing off the face on the butcher''s head.

    mes ignited in her eyes, burning the face to ashes.

    "Sister, rest in peace."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Half a dayter.

    Xu Hei finally stepped through the gate to the next trial because he had no other path to take.

    Inside the stone chamber of the final trial, there was nothing but a solitary mirror.

    As usual, Xu Hei tossed the Cat King in front of the mirror. When nothing happened, he had no choice but to approach the mirror himself.

    At that moment, Xu Hei suddenly felt his consciousness fly out, entering the mirror as if his soul had left his body.

    "Buzz!"

    The scene before his eyes changed rapidly as Xu Hei plummeted at high speed.

    In the next moment, Xu Hei found himself in a strange world.

    It was a pitch-ck realm, eerie with ghostly energy. The sky burned with demonic fire, and thend was scarred, with ckva bubbling up and countless spirits drifting by, resembling a hellish scene that would terrify anyone.

    However, Xu Hei was not just anyone.

    "Where is this, and what am I supposed to do?"

    Xu Hei looked around in confusion, realizing he had also be a spirit, but in the form of a snake.

    "It''s said this trial is called ''Heart Inquiry.'' Heart Inquiry? How does one inquire?"

    Recalling the inscriptions, Xu Hei was deep in thought when he suddenly noticed his thoughts slowing, unable to generate any additional ideas.

    He couldn''t even manage to think calmly!

    His rationality was fading, his thoughts rigidifying, leaving only instinct, pure instinct.

    His eyes turned vacant.

    "Fiend! You will die a horrible death!"

    "Help, save us!"

    Cries of murder and pleas for help echoed nearby.

    Xu Hei turned his head and saw a cultivator exuding evil energy, with blood-red eyes, ughtering wantonly within a family. Numerous cultivators and mortals were being massacred.

    To his shock, Xu Hei recognized the blood-red-eyed evil cultivator as Wang Ding!

    Also known as Wang Xiaoniu after he changed his name.

    And the family being ughtered was Wang Ding''s own Chen Family.

    At this moment, Wang Ding had lost all reason, wielding a flying sword and killing indiscriminately, regardless of whether they were bystanders or innocents, men or women, young or old.

    "How could Wang Ding..."

    Xu Hei wanted to think calmly, but no matter what, he couldn''t.

    He couldn''t even discern whether what he saw was real or not, leaving only his instinctive choice.

    "No need to pretend, make your choice."

    A voice echoed in his heart.

 Chapter 179: Demon Mirror emerges, devouring the Tower Spirit

    Chapter 179: Demon Mirror emerges, devouring the Tower Spirit

    At this moment, whether it was the Wang Ding or the Chen Family, in front of Xu Hei, they were nothing but ants.

    With a single thought, Xu Hei could decide their life or death. He could kill Wang Ding, annihte the Chen Family, ignore them, seal Wang Ding, or eliminate them all.

    This was clearly a test, a test of Xu Hei''s Dao heart, to see what kind it was.

    "Make a choice, follow your true self."

    A phantom voice drifted up, echoing in Xu Hei''s heart.

    However, as time passed, Xu Hei made no choice.

    In his eyes, a look of confusion flickered, his face showing struggle, as if resisting some kind of guidance.

    "Why don''t you make a choice quickly? Do you want to defy your true self?"

    The voice continued, echoing in Xu Hei''s ears, causing his rity to fade, once again overtaken by instinct.What was Xu Hei''s instinct?

    In the stone chamber, Xu Hei stood before the mirror, his entire skeleton beginning to tremble, especially the three dragon bones at his tail, emitting a buzzing sound, very intense.

    "What is my instinct?"

    Xu Hei suddenly murmured to himself.

    Xu Hei closed his eyes, deciding to follow his instinct.

    "Ah!!"

    In the mirror world, Xu Hei''s spirit let out a sharp screech, a terrifying soul wave erupting from his sea of consciousness.

    Everything before him, all the illusions, began to copse.

    Like a will-o''-the-wisp, everything was false, fabricated out of thin air.

    Wang Ding shattered inch by inch, the fleeing members of the Chen Family vanished, and the hellish scene disappeared as well.

    "How could this be?"

    A voice of astonishment sounded in the dark.

    Instinct is the true self.

    Since Xu Hei knew this was fake, his true self would only make one choice, to resist this illusion!

    "You wish to see through my heart, to read my memories, how could I, Xu Hei, fall for that?"

    "This inheritance, I don''t need it!"

    Xu Hei had never told anyone about his rtionship with Wang Ding, yet this mirror could read it, which had already crossed his taboo.

    If it could read Wang Ding, could it also reveal the Demon God Cauldron, the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon?

    Xu Hei hated being manipted, and he was already wary of this ce, especially after learning that the tomb owner might be a demonic cultivator, he even considered escaping.

    If his retreat hadn''t been cut off, he wouldn''t havee to this heart-questioning trial.

    "Whether you want it or not is not up to you! Such an opportunityes once every thirty thousand years, and since you''re here, how could I let you go?"

    The ethereal voice echoed once more.

    Xu Hei confirmed that the other party had always been present, watching him from the shadows.

    This made Xu Hei''s scalp tingle, his eyes turning fierce.

    "Crack!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s storage bag flew out on its own, a pale golden storage bag.

    The storage bag opened, and a mirror floated out, hovering in mid-air, its surface facing the heart-questioning mirror.

    This was the mysterious purple mirror left by Hei Huang. Since Xu Hei used it once, it had remained inactive, and now, it appeared on its own for the first time!

    "What is this..."

    The voice appeared astonished once again.

    A faint light emitted from the mirror, shining on the heart-questioning mirror, and a powerful attraction erupted.

    "Boom!!!"

    In an instant, the heavens and earth shook, the ground quaked, and mountains swayed.

    The mirror world, like an impending apocalypse, twisted, copsed, and shattered, the void cracking in countless ces, spreading to every corner, like a breaking mirror.

    The hellish ground, the burning sky, disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye, this was the copse of a world, akin to the end of days.

    "What kind of magical treasure is this?"

    The voice was filled with terror.

    At this moment, a sharp, eerieugh emanated from the purple Demon Mirror.

    "Hehehe, there''s actually an artifact spirit here, what a rare and great supplement!"

    The attraction from the Demon Mirror''s surface grew stronger, twisting the space around the heart-questioning mirror, as if it would be pulled into the Demon Mirror.

    "No! I''m not an artifact spirit! I''m not!"

    The heart-questioning mirror let out a miserable cry.

    But the Demon Mirror did not argue, only continuing its eerieughter. As the space twisted more, the heart-questioning mirror floated up, growing smaller.

    "Buzz!"

    Before Xu Hei''s spirit, the mirror worldpletely shattered, turning to nothingness, leaving nothing behind. His spirit returned, automatically merging back into his physical body.

    Xu Hei was dumbfounded by the scene before him.

    "Hehe, a little artifact spirit shouldn''t struggle, you impersonated the tomb owner and set up so many trials, just to find a suitable physical body to snatch and transform into a human, right?"

    The Demon Mirror continued its eerieughter.

    Hearing this, the heart-questioning mirror went mad, roaring frantically: "No! I''m not an artifact spirit, I''m the third-generation ancestor of the Gongshu family!"

    Its voice was hysterical, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

    "Hehehe, you can fool others, but don''t fool yourself."

    The Demon Mirror sneered, "I should thank you, otherwise, where would I find such a good supplement?"

    The Demon Mirror increased its power, the surface of the heart-questioning mirror cracking with countless fissures, about to shatter, its size shrinking, about to be absorbed.

    Xu Hei watched the struggle between the two magical treasures, utterly speechless.

    "Artifact spirit?"

    Xu Hei had heard the term before, but this was his first time seeing one.

    An artifact spirit is born when a magical treasure reaches a certain level of power and develops self-awareness.

    For example, the sword spirit of a flying sword is a type of artifact spirit.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda also had some self-awareness, with the potential to birth an artifact spirit.

    When Xu Hei first used the Demon Mirrorst year, he saw something resembling an inner demon, which, after chasing Xuan Yangzi, returned and entered the Demon Mirror. Xu Hei had spected whether that thing was an artifact spirit.

    Now it seemed, it was highly likely.

    Of course, Xu Hei wasn''t certain, perhaps it was a product of copying the other party''s artifact spirit.

    "Ahhh!! How could I, the third-generation ancestor, die at the hands of an artifact spirit? This is impossible!"

    At this moment, the heart-questioning mirror was close to beingpletely absorbed, letting out its final howl.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But the Demon Mirror froze, angrily cursing: "You''re the artifact spirit, your whole family are artifact spirits!"

    "Whoosh!"

    The attraction suddenly intensified, forming a vortex,pletely swallowing the heart-questioning mirror, absorbing it into the Demon Mirror.

    At this moment, the Demon Mirror calmed down,nding on the ground, no longer moving.

    The Demon Mirror''s surface regained a hint of spiritual charm, returning to the state it was in when Xu Hei first took it out.

    Xu Hei stood there, stunned for a long time, before finally taking a deep breath, inexplicably shaken.

    "What on earth is this mirror?"

    Xu Hei crawled closer, hesitant to touch this treasure, but remembering it was left by Hei Huang, he used the Gravity Technique to pick it up, examining it from the side.

    Xu Hei dared not look too closely, lest he identally reflect himself, creating a duplicate to fight him, which would be truly unjust.

    He quickly stored it in the pale golden storage bag.

    This golden storage bag was specifically for storing this mirror, opening automatically at certain times.

    "Rumble..."

    Suddenly, the entire stone chamber shook, dust falling from above, as if this pyramid had lost some structure, on the verge of copse.

 Chapter 180: Pagoda collapsed, Bai Luo retreated

    Chapter 180: Pagoda copsed, Bai Luo retreated

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    The stone walls in all directions began to crack and copse, revealing door after door, with various passages leading in all directions, their destinations unknown.

    Although the Divine Sense was still being blocked, Xu Hei could already spread out arge amount of it, clearly seeing the direction of these passages.

    "What¡¯s going on? One artifact spirit dies, and this happens?"

    Xu Hei''s face showed a hint of surprise.

    "Boom!!"

    The ceiling suddenly copsed, crashing down. Xu Hei quickly dodged and rushed into one of the passages, only to find that it was also copsing, with cracks everywhere.

    "Could it be... that wasn''t the artifact spirit of the Heart-Mirror, but the tower spirit of the pyramid?"

    "The Heart-Mirror, just a product simted by the tower spirit?"Xu Hei had a bold guess in his heart.

    His idea was not without reason. If this pyramid was a Magical Treasure, then the most likely ce for an artifact spirit to be born would be this pyramid.

    And the only thing capable of setting up these checkpoints would be the pyramid.

    The Heart-Mirror was just the final test, with the tower spirit personally taking action, using its own Divine Ability to simte it.

    This made sense.

    In this way, the content on those stone tablets before could all be disregarded; they were not left by the tomb owner at all, but were a disguise by the tower spirit!

    "If it really is the tower spirit, then with the tower spirit dead, the rules of the pyramid are broken. This is the best opportunity for excavation!"

    "I must quickly find the treasures here."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he spread out his Divine Sense, heading towards the general central area.

    Along the way, the tunnel walls were copsing. Xu Hei relied on his memory to keep moving forward. Fortunately, his body was very small, allowing him to squeeze through even narrow gaps, an advantage humans did not have.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    One hour earlier.

    In the second chamber, Bai Luo had been waiting for half a day without seeing Zhou Wendiee in, his face turning grim with anger.

    "Is this Zhou Family''s proud daughter a waste? Can''t even pass the first test?"

    "Or is she deliberately stalling for time, waiting for me to leave so she can enjoy the inheritance alone?"

    Bai Luo''s mind raced as he looked at the remaining three formations in front of him, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

    He was unwilling to leave without catching the person behind the scenes.

    But on second thought, the butcher in the first test was indeed strange, and he didn''t really understand Zhou Wendie''s true strength. Without the paradise painting, there was indeed a slight possibility of failure.

    "Truly a waste," Bai Luo cursed inwardly.

    Momentster, he activated his Golden Body Manifestation, enduring the fire poison formation and the ice thunder formation.

    Only thest Five Elements Killing Formation remained.

    After all this trouble, Bai Luo''s face was pale, and he spat blood. These two formations had directly caused his cultivation to plummet from the brink of Core Formation Stage to thete Foundation Establishment stage.

    It would take at least a year to recover to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    This made Bai Luo so furious that he was almost smoking from his seven orifices, but he had to calm down and consider whether to continue.

    "Thest formation must be a deadly trap. This Golden Body Manifestation might not withstand it, and even if it does, my cultivation might drop further."

    Bai Luo''s mind was active, his gaze fixed on the center of the nine-square grid.

    Suddenly, his eyes shed, and he took out a conspicuous Talisman, striking it out. With a bang, the formation base appeared in the void, revealing faint bridges of spiritual Qi.

    Throughout this journey, Bai Luo hadn''t spent time studying the nine-square formation, focusing solely on speed.

    But with his insight, he still discerned some formation principles, at least not beingpletely in the dark near the final test.

    At this moment, he vaguely discovered that some bridges of spiritual Qi connected the other eight formations with this central final formation.

    Bai Luo was dumbfounded, gasping as if he''d seen a ghost.

    "That was close! Almost fell into the trap!"

    He was horrified to find that this final test, once entered, would simultaneously trigger the other eight formations,bining into one. Even if he survived, he would be severely injured.

    This would absolutely force him to use all his trump cards!

    Bai Luo breathed heavily, grateful that he hadn''t acted impulsively. If he had rushed in recklessly, even if he survived, he would have no chance with the final inheritance.

    The nine formationsbined, a deadly trap. At this moment, his anger towards the person ahead was mixed with a hint of fear.

    This person was definitely not simple.

    "This ce must be abandoned. This might be a warning from the other party. Continuing to pursue might lead to greater losses!"

    Bai Luo began to suspect whether this was a deliberate w exposed by the other party, but he didn''t think much about it. Whether it was or not, he didn''t want to continue.

    Bai Luo took out the child-motherpass, ced it on the ground, and stepped on it.

    At the same time, outside the pyramid, Lei He also took out the child-motherpass, ced it on the ground, and the two of them simultaneously cast a seal, causing the space to shake violently, about to teleport away.

    Suddenly, Bai Luo thought of Zhou Wendie, who might still be stalling in the first test.

    "Zhou Wendie, whether you''re dead or alive, don''t even think about entering here!"

    Bai Luo''s eyes shed as he cast a concealment Talisman, hiding the bridges of spiritual Qi, and then used a secret technique to shield the danger of this ce once more.

    Next, he released some flying sword fragments hidden in the dark and set up a mechanism at the entrance. If anyone came in, the flying swords would activate the entire formation.

    If he couldn''t have it, no one else would!

    "Go!"

    With a thought, the child-motherpass flickered with spatial fluctuations.

    The space twisted, and Bai Luo and thepass instantly disappeared from the original spot, appearing outside the pyramid.

    "How did it go?" Lei He quickly asked.

    Bai Luo picked up thepass and said calmly, "I lost half of my trump cards and only reached the second test. This ce must be abandoned."

    Lei He''s eyes shed coldly, "Someone set you up?"

    He knew Bai Luo''s background; he was someone heavily cultivated by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, armed with various Magical Treasures, someone even the Core Formation Stage couldn''t easily deal with, so it was impossible for him to be in such a sorry state.

    "This is a long story, I''ll exinter."

    Bai Luo seemed unwilling to mention the encounter inside the tower, walking straight ahead, but his fists were clenched tightly, his eyes shing with ferocity.

    He knew nothing about the person ahead, only the dragon scales used to carve the stone tablets and the butcher.

    With these two clues, it was enough. He would eventually dig that person out.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Shortly after Bai Luo left, Zhou Wendie seemed to sense something and arrived in the second chamber.

    One of her eyes was burning with mes, able to see through everything. The moment Bai Luo left, she sensed it and immediately arrived.

    Suddenly, her pupils shrank as countless flying swords shot out from the dark, striking the nine squares of the grid.

    The formation activated!

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    The nine formationsunched simultaneously, with heavenly thunder and earth fire, quicksand burial, falling meteors, vortex suction, corpse dissolution... all kinds of destructive forces descended together, even more ruthless than Xu Hei''s, with the first wave being a super deadly cmity.

 Chapter 181: Black Water Corpse Bug, Harvest Spirit Beast

    Chapter 181: ck Water Corpse Bug, Harvest Spirit Beast

    The killing formation activated, unleashing a barrage of deadly attacks. The entire stone chamber instantly transformed into a hellish purgatory, akin to an apocalyptic disaster. Even those at the Core Formation Stage would feel their scalps tingle upon witnessing it.

    Zhou Wendie''s face changed dramatically, and she was instantly swallowed by the terrifying cmity.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the copsing pyramid.

    Xu Hei was carrying the Cat King, sprinting through the narrow space. All around him, tunnels were copsing, bricks and stones falling from above, the ground cracking and shaking incessantly.

    This pagoda, which had stood for countless millennia, was now being destroyed from within.

    At this moment, Xu Hei felt a stir in his heart.

    He suddenly sensed that the killing cmity he had left behind had been triggered.

    The fact that he could sense this indicated that the Divine Sense istion function of this ce was gradually disappearing.Xu Hei didn''t know who had triggered it, but it certainly wasn''t an ally, which meant he still hadpetitors.

    "I must hurry!"

    Xu Hei quickened his pace, darting through one path after another. Momentster, the space opened up, and he officially reached the core area of the pyramid.

    Here was a massive altar withyers of steps ascending upward. At the top of the altar stood a stone tablet.

    The spatial pressure here was immense, making flight impossible.

    Xu Hei climbed the steps, and before long, he reached the top of the altar and stood before the stone tablet. He ced the Cat King aside and looked at the tablet.

    "To have reached here means you have passed the test and are qualified to be my sessor!"

    "This tower, named the Xuan Yin Tower, can autonomously absorb the Yin Qi of heaven and earth, ensuring that corpse puppets remain uncorrupted for millennia. It is an excellent ce for cultivating corpse puppets."

    "Additionally, it is equipped with hidden mechanisms and formations, capable of both offense and defense, able to withstand attacks from peak Elemental Infant cultivators. However, after tens of thousands of years, only a fraction of its former power remains."

    "This stone tablet is the core of the Xuan Yin Tower. Refining the tablet is equivalent to refining the entire tower."

    "I have also left behind a corpse beetle. With this insect, you canmand the corpse puppets born within the tower to serve you."

    After reading the inscription, Xu Hei realized that this tower was actually a top-tier fourth-grade Magical Treasure, capable of withstanding peak Elemental Infant attacks!

    Unfortunately, after so many years, the tower spirit was gone, and the structure was copsing, leaving only a fraction of its power.

    Fortunately, there were still many corpse puppets inside, and Xu Hei even saw the Red-haired Corpse King, a terrifying existence at thete Core Formation Stage.

    "Corpse beetle?"

    Xu Hei observed briefly and found a hiddenpartment beneath the stone tablet.

    Opening thepartment, he found a mass of amber-like substance inside, and within the amber was a ck insect.

    The insect was palm-sized, with a bizarre appearance, resembling a giant isopod, currently in a dormant state.

    "So this is the corpse beetle?"

    Xu Hei mused.

    Xu Hei first attempted to refine the stone tablet but found it vast and boundless. With his Divine Sense, it would take him a hundred and eighty years to refine it.

    He had to settle for controlling the corpse beetle instead.

    With a thought, Xu Hei''s Divine Sense pierced into the corpse beetle.

    The corpse beetle reacted, suddenly awakening within the amber, which immediately developed a web of cracks.

    Xu Hei elerated his efforts, and just before the amber shattered, he sessfully left a Divine Sense imprint within the corpse beetle.

    "Boom!"

    The amber shattered, and the corpse beetle crawled out.

    Having just awakened from its slumber, it merely lifted its head, its eyes nkly staring at Xu Hei.

    At the same time, fragmented information flowed into Xu Hei''s mind.

    "ckwater Corpse Beetle, fond of consuming human brains, feeding it daily can enhance its intelligence."

    "It can control a human body by burrowing into the ear and consuming the brain, gradually refining the body into a corpse puppet."

    "This method is called the Corpse Beetle Puppet Technique."

    "It has a strong restraining effect on those heavily infused with Yin Qi and will often actively devour them."

    "Its reproduction method is parthenogenesis."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "¡­¡­"

    In no time, Xu Hei learned all the information about the corpse beetle.

    Xu Hei realized that the tower spirit intended to use the corpse beetle to snatch his body and refine him into a corpse puppet.

    No wonder the third trial required him to absorb so much Yin Qi.

    Fortunately, he had the Demon God Cauldron, which could expel the Yin Qi from his body. Otherwise, for others, the Yin Sha Qi would remain within, and the corpse beetle would detect it at a nce.

    As for its reproduction method, it was the extremely rare parthenogenesis.

    This reproductive method only appears in marine life and some insects and ants.

    "Shrink!"

    With a thought, Xu Heimanded.

    The corpse beetle''s body instantly shrank to the size of a fingernail.

    "Go!"

    Xu Hei pointed forward.

    The corpse beetle transformed into a streak of lightning, shooting out instantly, leaving an afterimage in the air.

    "What speed! This rivals my Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!" Xu Hei marveled.

    And this was just its inherent speed. Ifbined with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, it would be even faster.

    After circling around, the corpse beetle flew back,nding in front of Xu Hei, still staring at him with nk eyes.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and said, "From today on, your name is Ji Ying, and you are my first Spirit Beast."

    A flicker of understanding, albeit faint, passed through Ji Ying''s bewildered eyes.

    Demonic Beasts of this level would usually gain intelligence, but insects were an exception.

    Xu Hei intended to take out a corpse to nourish its brain, but all the corpses had been absorbed by the butcher, leaving none behind.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly, deciding to find moreter.

    With a thought, Ji Ying''s body shrank, hiding in the gap of one of Xu Hei''s dragon scales.

    This was a queen insect capable of parthenogenesis, but it was not yet mature.

    Reproduction consumed a lot of resources, requiring numerous extremely Yin items as bait, the needed resources unimaginable.

    Xu Hei nced at the stone tablet, nning to refine a portion of it first.

    He closed his eyes, letting his vast Divine Sense power surge into the stone tablet, gradually spreading from one corner.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside the Xuan Yin Tower.

    "Whoosh!"

    A bloodied and battered figure fell from the void, crashing onto the pitch-ck sand. She spat blood, her breath weak and listless, her body covered in wounds.

    Lightning burns, scorch marks, sword and de wounds¡­ all kinds of injuries, and most of her True Qi had been drained, nearly causing her to fall on the spot.

    It was fortunate that the pyramid had experienced a disturbance, causing the seal to be unstable, allowing her to escape.

    "Bai Luo!"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes were filled with malice. She immediately recognized that it was Bai Luo''s Flying Sword that had triggered all the formations, leading to her current plight.

    The hatred in her heart was indescribable, but she could only take a deep breath, suppress her anger, and return to her usual indifference.

    At this moment, the space in the distance trembled, and a white-haired, middle-aged cultivator flew over, stopping in front of her.

    This person was Zhou Qingxuan, though his hair was now white, and he appeared much older.

    "What happened?"

    Zhou Qingxuan''s expression changed slightly as he looked at the wounded Zhou Wendie, asking in a deep voice.

    "Nothing, just fell victim to a viin''s plot."

    Zhou Wendie''s voice was cold as she sat cross-legged, swallowing a pill to heal her injuries, offering no further exnation.

    Zhou Qingxuan seemed to perceive something and asked, "Was it Bai Luo?"

    Zhou Wendie was silent for a moment before shaking her head, "No."

 Chapter 182: Thunder tribulation opens the way, psychological shadow

    Chapter 182: Thunder tribtion opens the way, psychological shadow

    At this moment, figures appeared in the distance once more, shrouded in fierce mes and d in iron armor and weapons¡ªit was Lei He.

    "It''s you? You''re not dead?"

    Lei He raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhou Qingxuan.

    While crossing the desert, they had witnessed Zhou Qingxuan being swallowed by quicksand, along with the Earth Boat.

    "I have the Elemental Infant decree left by the first ancestor. How could I die so easily?" Zhou Qingxuan responded calmly.

    Lei He squinted his eyes, not probing further, and said, "It''s good that you''re not dead. This ck tower seems to have undergone some changes. Do you dare to enter with me for a look?"

    Zhou Qingxuan sneered, "No need. Our Zhou Family''s second ancestor is about to exit seclusion. His lifespan is nearing its end, and he wants to find a Longevity Pill in the ruins. I have to go assist him."

    "As for this ck tower, I''ll leave it to your Heavenly Puppet Sect."

    Zhou Qingxuan grabbed Zhou Wendie, boarded the Earth Boat, and swiftly glided towards the horizon, disappearing at the edge of the desert.A serious expression shed in Lei He''s eyes.

    "The second ancestor''s lifespan is nearing its end. The Zhou Family is protesting..."

    He wasn''t afraid of the second ancestor''s strength, but the words "lifespan nearing its end" were quite lethal.

    This indicated that the other party wasn''t afraid of death and could fight desperately!

    It seemed that Zhou Wendie''s status was more important than he had imagined, and he couldn''t afford to offend her lightly.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect and the Zhou Family were allies, and Lei He didn''t want to strain the rtionship, so he sighed inwardly and followed.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Several days passed.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath.

    Refining the Xuan Yin Tower was not something that could be aplished overnight, nor was it something Xu Hei could achieve.

    So far, he had only refined about one-tenth of it, and the further he went, the slower it became. His cultivation was too low, and a fourth-tier Magical Treasure was still too early for him.

    At least he had to reach the Core Formation Stage, or even the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, to fully refine it.

    However, even with just ten percent, Xu Hei had already gained insight into the internal structure of the Xuan Yin Tower through the stone tablet.

    He knew the location of the butcher.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He also knew the number of corpse puppets.

    "Inside the Xuan Yin Tower, there are a total of one hundred and twenty corpse puppets, including one corpse king at thete stage of Qi Condensation and one corpse charm at the mid-stage."

    "There are twelve nightshades at the early stage of Qi Condensation, and the rest are False Core and Foundation Establishment."

    "The strength of this Cat King is still beyond myprehension."

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, took the Cat King, and passed through several tunnels, reaching the destination in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.

    This was the stone chamber of the first level, located at the entrance of the Xuan Yin Tower.

    The Formation here was still intact, but Xu Hei could now control it to some extent.

    With a thought, the coffin lid opened automatically. He ced the Cat King inside and took the butcher out.

    After several rounds of such maneuvers, the butcher, originallyposed of more than thirty people, was reduced to twenty-five, causing Xu Hei some heartache.

    Xu Hei scanned with his Divine Sense and unexpectedly found a semi-finished corpse core in the butcher''s abdomen, showing signs of Qi Condensation!

    "The butcher actually broke through. This Xuan Yin Tower is indeed a holynd for corpse puppets."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, pleasantly surprised.

    He tried to control the butcher, whose dozens of arms quickly extended, punching the stone wall with a continuous rumble.

    Compared to before, the butcher''s speed and strength had significantly improved, capable of unleashingbat power at the False Core level.

    The only difference was that controlling it now consumed more mental energy.

    "This trip has been quite rewarding. I''ve learned about the corpse puppet system, mastered some Formation techniques, acquired Ji Ying, and even strengthened the butcher." Xu Hei was quite pleased.

    It was time to leave.

    He kept the entrance setup as intact as possible, ensuring that even if others broke in, they wouldn''t gain any advantage.

    Xu Hei put away the butcher, applied the Invisibility Talisman, and with a sh, rushed out from the entrance, returning to the desert area.

    He identified the direction and immediately used the Earth Escape Technique, speeding forward.

    The exit of the Earth Path wasn''t far, and Xu Hei reached it in just an hour.

    In front of him, in the Void, there was an illusory door with a vortex at its center, easily recognizable at a nce.

    "Could someone be waiting for me outside the exit?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he made a quick decision, splitting amon passerby from the butcher''s body.

    Then, he had the passerby take out a blue bead, holding it in his palm¡ªit was the Thunder Tribtion Pearl!

    He controlled the person to crush a small part of the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, and with a burst of terrifying lightning, timed it perfectly, charging directly into the illusory door.

    "Buzz!"

    The vortex turned, and the passerby disappeared, passing through the space barrier and reaching the outside world.

    "Boom!"

    From afar, Xu Hei felt a spatial tremor, with energy waves prating from that side.

    "It exploded. I wonder if it killed anyone."

    Xu Hei thought to himself.

    This was a n he had devised long ago. Regardless of whether someone was blocking him, he would use the Thunder Tribtion Pearl to clear the way.

    If the other party was cautious enough not to block him, that would be ideal.

    Although he lost a Thunder Tribtion Pearl, he ensured his safety.

    But if they dared to block him, it would catch them off guard.

    The power of this Thunder Tribtion Pearl wasn''t as strong as the one Xu Hei used in the Heavenly Dragon Casino, and the other party had countermeasures against it. Xu Hei wouldn''t hesitate to use it when necessary.

    Xu Hei estimated the time, and when the thunder tribtion was almost over, he shed into the vortex door.

    "Buzz!!"

    The spatial ripples shook violently, and soon, Xu Hei disappeared from the Earth Path.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside the Earth Path was a pitch-ck underground city, the endpoint of the Five Elements Path.

    This underground city, with its unknown long history, was already in ruins, with remnants and broken limbs everywhere. Only a few buildings remained intact.

    Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.

    Blue lightning illuminated half of the underground city, spreading for miles, shaking the heavens, and drawing everyone''s attention.

    Faintly, human screams could be heard, but they were quickly drowned out by the more terrifying thunder.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    The scenery before Xu Hei twisted rapidly, and when it cleared again, he found himself in a deste ruin.

    Lightning flickered around him, terrifying ripples spread out, and the heavens roared with the power of the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions, which even those at the Core Formation Stage dared not face directly.

    Around him, there were faint silhouettes turned to charcoal, mixed in the ruins, with heavy casualties. Whether they were targeting him or not, being here indicated something.

    Xu Hei felt the lingering power of the aftermath and dared not linger. Activating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, he vanished, diving underground and fleeing at the fastest speed.

    Not long after Xu Hei left.

    A disheveled figure emerged from the ruins, d in broken armor, eyes filled with terrifying killing intent¡ªit was Lei He.

    Behind him, Bai Luo, who had stayed far away, remained unscathed.

    However, most of the Zhou Family team assisting them had perished.

    "This person is ruthless, using a Thunder Tribtion Pearl to clear the way, and he escaped!"

    Lei He''s voice was extremely somber, showing that his anger had reached its limit.

    With his skills, if given even two breaths of time to prepare, he could have perfectly countered the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, rendering it powerless and preventing any harm.

    But the explosion urred the moment the other party emerged, leaving him stunned in less than a breath.

    Such a ruthless tactic was unimaginable.

    "Fortunately, I stayed far away, or I would have been in trouble again."

    Bai Luo stood at a distance, still shaken. He had developed a psychological shadow from that mysterious person, with an ominous premonition that prompted him to retreat temporarily and stand far away.

    Who knew, he was right after all.

 Chapter 183: Underground city pool, green-haired zombie

    Chapter 183: Underground city pool, green-haired zombie

    Bai Luo was both angry and apprehensive, wondering about the true identity of the person behind this.

    "The one who detonated the Thunder Tribtion Pearl earlier seemed to be a puppet..."

    Bai Luo''s pupils contracted as if he had realized something.

    For disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Wu Mountain was an absolute forbidden zone. Even he had been forced to seal away his puppet techniques and switch to cultivating the Bai Family''s Azure Sky White Emperor Sutra to enter smoothly.

    If that person wasn''t a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, then who could it be?

    He immediately thought of someone.

    The person who once caused a sensation in Chuyang City!

    "Nephew Bai Luo, what happened here? Why was a Thunder Tribtion Pearl detonated?"

    A clear voice came from behind, and a handsome young man with a long sword at his waist, exuding an aloof aura, dressed in white, and at thete Foundation Establishment stage, walked over.It was none other than the young master of the Bai Family, Bai Qiushui.

    "Bai Qiushui!"

    Bai Luo''s expression stiffened.

    Although he was the top Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, his seniority in the Bai Family was a generation below Bai Qiushui.

    Bai Qiushui''s talent was also remarkable, but the Bai Family had an ancestral rule allowing only one person to join the Heavenly Puppet Sect every hundred years, so they chose the younger Bai Luo.

    "What¡¯s this? You don¡¯t seem happy to see your uncle?" Bai Qiushui said with a bright smile.

    Bai Luo''s mouth twitched. This person was only five years older than him, yet he had to call him uncle, which made him very ufortable.

    "Here''s what happened..."

    He didn''t hide anything and briefly recounted what had just urred.

    As for his experiences inside the pyramid, he glossed over them, only mentioning that he had been tricked.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Puppet..."

    Bai Qiushui''s eyes shed as he murmured, "This familiar method, it really is him!"

    "You know this person?" Bai Luo asked in surprise.

    "I''ve met him once," Bai Qiushui replied with a faint smile. "Uncle advises you not to provoke him, or you''ll only bring trouble upon yourself."

    As Bai Qiushui spoke, he stepped forward and patted Bai Luo on the shoulder.

    Bai Luo wanted to dodge, but the former''s hand was too quick,nding a pat on him, which made him show a look of disgust and quickly step back a few paces.

    "Oh? What''s with your cultivation? It seems to have fallen to thete Foundation Establishment stage?"

    Bai Qiushui withdrew his hand, carefully sensing, and feigned surprise.

    Earlier, he had taken the opportunity to probe with his True Qi, feeling that the other''s cultivation had clearly dropped from before.

    Bai Luo''s face was stiff, and he said coldly, "What does this have to do with you?"

    "What kind of talk is that? As your elder, can''t I show some concern? You must have been injured, how careless!"

    Bai Qiushui sighed, speaking earnestly, "But don''t be discouraged. I only broke through to thete Foundation Establishment stagest month. At your young age, having the same cultivation as me is already quite good."

    His words seemed to praise but were actually mocking.

    Bai Luo had reached thete Foundation Establishment stage five years ago, meaning he had been stagnant for five years.

    To ordinary people, it might be excellent, but for Bai Luo, who had consumed so many resources from the Heavenly Puppet Sect and remained unchanged, it was utterly disgraceful.

    "You..."

    Bai Luo''s face turned ck with anger, unable to speak.

    "Don''t be angry, uncle is just looking out for you. You''re still young, and there will be plenty of days to be angry in the future," Bai Qiushui said with an increasingly bright smile.

    Seeing Bai Luo about to explode, Bai Qiushuiughed heartily and swaggered away.

    "Don''t get angry, don''t get angry, he''s just jealous of me."

    Bai Luo continued to take deep breaths to calm himself.

    He had been ustomed to smooth sailing, but since entering these ruins, he had suffered continuous setbacks, and even Bai Qiushui hade out to mock him. Yet, as the top Chosen of the Qin Kingdom, he couldn''t stoop to argue with such people.

    "Bai Luo, we¡¯ve found out who that person is. The one who once blew up the Heavenly Dragon Casino, using the alias Ma Teng, skilled in puppet techniques, even Elder Ding Quan suffered at his hands."

    Lei He appeared in time, speaking in a deep voice, "Later, he entered the ruins, used a puppet butcher to kill Zhou Wenjun, drove Liu Ruyan mad, and defeated Zhou Qingxuan''s External Incarnation. Now, one of Zhou Wendie''s eyeballs is still in his possession."

    Bai Luo gasped, "He''s offended so many people, and our Heavenly Puppet Sect hasn''t issued a warrant for him?"

    "Hmph! You should ask Qin Xuanji about that. He¡¯s been tight-lipped on the matter, saying he¡¯ll handle it, but what handling?" Lei He grumbled.

    He didn''t know that Qin Xuanji had tried to handle it but failed, even provoking the Demon Lord.

    "However, the butcher puppet he crafted is indeed quite sinister. I¡¯ve never seen such a puppet before," Lei He pondered.

    ...

    The ruins of the underground city marked the end of the Five Elements Path.

    Each path led to a different position, arranged in five directions but not far from each other.

    At this moment, Xu Hei found a dpidated house to settle in.

    He initially wanted to dig a pit, but the soil here was ck, hardened by millennia of yin energy, as hard and foul as a stone in atrine.

    Only by using all his cultivation could he barely dig a hole, so Xu Hei had to give up. Fortunately, the house was sturdy enough.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, scattering ten thousand Spirit Stones to set up a simple vortex spirit-devouring formation as a defensive measure, then went into seclusion to expel the thunder from his body.

    Earlier, he had withstood two strikes from the thunder tribtion to break through the encirclement.

    "This underground city is vast, and it hasn''t been fully explored yet. But in the depths, there are indeed some extremely terrifying dangers. That must be where the end lies," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    His knowledge of the underground city was limited to previous rumors.

    Now, having spent over half a month in the Earth Path, there might have been new developments.

    After half a day, Xu Hei finished adjusting his breath, dismantled the formation, and recovered eight thousand Spirit Stones.

    The nine-square grid formation allowed for partial recovery of Spirit Stones as long as it wasn''t triggered.

    Spirit Stones were not only used for daily cultivation but were also heavily consumed in formations.

    "Crack, crack, crack."

    Suddenly, the ground ahead trembled, and a spot began to bulge.

    Then, a withered w emerged from the ground.

    "A wild corpse puppet?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed.

    "Boom!!"

    A ferocious green-haired zombie burst out from the ground, baring its fangs and ws, lunging at Xu Hei.

    Green-haired Flying Zombie, False Core Stage.

    This ruin was indeed fraught with danger, and Xu Hei encountered it just as he arrived.

    Xu Hei was about to act when a small ck dot flew out from his scales, darting like lightning into the green-haired zombie''s ear, burrowing into its brain.

    The green-haired zombie immediately froze.

    Momentster, its ferocious eyes turned vacant, bing bewildered.

    "Can it really control corpse puppets?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered. He hadn''t actively controlled it; Ji Ying had acted on its own.

    He pondered briefly and thought, "Return!"

    The green-haired zombie opened its mouth, and Ji Ying flew out,nding on Xu Hei''s head.

    "Roar!"

    The green-haired zombie roared again, raising its w to strike Xu Hei.

    "Go!"

    Xu Hei released Ji Ying, which darted into its mouth, and the zombie froze once more.

 Chapter 184: Crisis arrives, death in a palm

    Chapter 184: Crisis arrives, death in a palm

    After repeated experiments, Xu Hei discovered that as long as Ji Ying entered the brain of the corpse puppet, it could be controlled. However, once it flew back, the corpse puppet would break free and attack again.

    This move was effective against the green-haired corpse puppet at the False Core Stage, but it hadn''t been tested on more powerful corpse puppets.

    "Rustle, rustle..."

    At this moment, Ji Ying''s wings began to tremble, conveying a certain emotion.

    Without any verbalmunication, Xu Hei understood its meaning¡ªit was hungry.

    "Go," Xu Heimanded.

    "Whoosh!"

    Ji Ying instantly darted forward, burrowing into the green-haired corpse puppet''s body and began devouring it from the inside.

    The corpse puppet remained motionless as its brain shriveled, followed by the rest of its body, emitting a grinding chewing sound.In just the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the corpse puppet was reduced to an empty shell. It appeared intact on the outside, but nothing remained inside.

    Xu Hei stepped forward and gave it a pat, causing the entire corpse puppet to copse instantly, turning into a sheet of brittle paper.

    After consuming a corpse puppet, Ji Ying became more lively, flitting back and forth in front of Xu Hei, emitting a sound of joyous vibration.

    "Want to eat brains?" Xu Hei asked.

    Ji Ying bobbed up and down, signaling a nod.

    "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

    Xu Hei turned around, and Ji Ying voluntarily flew back, slipping into the dragon scales.

    Xu Hei oriented himself and headed towards the front lines of the underground city.

    The underground city was vast, and people had arrived long ago, but after several months, no one had explored its depths. Xu Hei didn''t know what the next destination was, so he could only venture deeper.

    Not long after.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s eyelid twitched, and he felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

    It was as if some danger was imminent, and he couldn''t avoid it.

    "What''s going on?"

    Xu Hei''s heart raced, his scalp tingled, and his thoughts spun rapidly. The next moment, as if realizing something, he decisively took out the Small Teleportation Talisman and activated it immediately.

    At times like this, any hesitation could mean the difference between life and death!

    "Whoosh!"

    Space warped, a ripple shed, and Xu Hei vanished on the spot.

    "Boom!!!"

    At the same moment Xu Hei disappeared, a massive handprint descended from the sky,nding where Xu Hei had been. The terrifying shockwave surged skyward, sending countless bricks and stones flying, leveling the entire street.

    The ground copsed, leaving a deep crater, shaking the area for miles!N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The handprint was a thousand feet wide and ten meters deep. To cause such destruction in such a sturdy ce showed the immense power of the person who cast it!

    "A Small Teleportation Talisman? Hmph, quite alert."

    In the sky, an old man in a purple robe appeared, his expression stern, eyes like lightning, showing no trace of emotion.

    Behind the old man, on a rooftop, stood a young girl in purple, her face pale, her breath weak¡ªit was Zhou Wendie, severely injured but not dead.

    "Did he escape?" Zhou Wendie was surprised.

    "Indeed, he had a Small Teleportation Talisman and was quite alert. Even my sure-kill strike couldn''t hit him," the old man in purple said calmly.

    This old man''s aura was as powerful as Lei He''s, and he was the second ancestor of the Zhou Family, Zhou Qing, who had just emerged from seclusion.

    He was here for the Longevity Pill.

    Zhou Qing''s cultivation was the highest among those who entered the ruins, having reached Great Perfection of the Golden Core three hundred years ago.

    However, after countless years and repeated failures to break through, he had regressed to thete Qi Condensation stage,parable to Lei He, but had umted considerable experience in breaking through.

    Zhou Qing was confident that if he found the Longevity Pill and extended his life by sixty years, he had a good chance of sessfully forming a Nascent Soul.

    "Continue the pursuit," Zhou Qing said calmly.

    "Yes!"

    Zhou Wendie touched her forehead, and one of her eyes turned golden, mes burning as if sensing something.

    But after a moment, Zhou Wendie''s expression changed.

    "What is it?" Zhou Qing looked over.

    "He... seems to have teleported very far away. I can''t sense him at all," Zhou Wendie said in surprise.

    "How is that possible? A mere Small Teleportation Talisman, how far could it take him?" Zhou Qing was skeptical.

    Zhou Wendie sensed for a long time again, still to no avail, only pointing towards the depths of the underground city, saying, "Only a general direction, very far away."

    Zhou Qing squinted his eyes.

    In fact, the missed strike just now surprised Zhou Qing. Before he struck, he hadn''t even released his Divine Sense, nor locked onto the target, just pped in a general direction to catch the opponent off guard.

    Even this was detected, proving the opponent was indeed skilled.

    This piqued his interest further.

    "Interesting," Zhou Qing murmured, his eyes flickering. "This ambush failed, the opponent should realize there''s something on him that can be tracked. He might destroy that eyeball or hide it in a dangerous ce to lure us in. Next time, there won''t be such a good opportunity."

    "Then... what should we do?" Zhou Wendie asked hastily.

    "The Scarlet me Demon Eyes aren''t easy to destroy. Whether he''ll abandon it is uncertain, but this one is cunning, better not to act rashly," Zhou Qing said calmly.

    If the teleportation was close, he could chase and hunt him down, but teleporting so far in one go gave the opponent enough time to set traps.

    From previous understanding, the opponent was also ruthless, not a kind soul, and this ce was fraught with danger. A single misstep could lead to disaster.

    He decided not to pursue, focusing on the Longevity Pill instead.

    "I agree," Zhou Wendie nodded.

    ...

    At this moment, deep within the underground city, an unknown distance away.

    Xu Hei''s figure suddenly appeared, falling from mid-air and crashing to the ground.

    He panted heavily, blood seeping from all his scales. That palm strike hadn''t evennded, but just a trace of its residual force had severely injured him.

    It showed the level of cultivation that person possessed!

    "Late Qi Condensation stage, and it was a full-force strike, leaving no room for error!"

    Xu Hei''s face was ashen.

    He was extremely sensitive to danger. If the opponent had used Divine Sense, he would have sensed it immediately and teleported away.

    But this time, he hadn''t felt a trace of Divine Sense or killing intent, just a palm strike thatpletely enveloped his area.

    This was a dangerous enemy!

    Xu Hei was able to respond so quickly purely because he realized his oversight¡ªthe eyeball!

    This eyeball likely had a tracking function, and he could even feel a sense of being spied upon from it.

    It was greed and a fluke mentality that made him think it was a treasure he could use, almost leading to disaster.

    "I was careless! This thing can''t stay on me!"

    Xu Hei had underestimated the danger of the eyeball.

    He considered finding a dangerous ce to hide the eyeball as bait to trap the opponent.

    But soon, Xu Hei dismissed this idea. Such a small trick might work on some juniors, but against such a formidable opponent, it was unlikely to seed.

    "Cough, cough!"

    Xu Hei coughed up blood again and quickly took a Blood Replenishing Pill.

    Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound, not affecting his foundation.

    It was only because he reacted quickly enough. If he had been a moment slower in escaping, the oue would have been different.

    "Ji Ying!"

    Xu Hei''s mind moved, and Ji Ying crawled out from the gaps in his dragon scales.

 Chapter 185: Outside Wuyou City, see Chu Tian Alliance

    Chapter 185: Outside Wuyou City, see Chu Tian Alliance

    Ji Ying didn''t take flight butnded directly on the ground, looking rather deted.

    The palm strike just now had affected Ji Ying as well.

    However,pared to Xu Hei, Ji Ying was much less injured thanks to the protection of dragon scales and could still move freely.

    Xu Hei, on the other hand, had fractures in all his bones except for the intact dragon bone in his tail.

    Xu Hei took out a storage bag containing an eyeball and ced it in front of Ji Ying. The eyeball was entirely golden, with mes swirling inside, looking extremely bizarre.

    "Eat."

    Xu Heimanded.

    Ji Ying approached but recoiled as if electrocuted the moment it touched the eyeball, retreating far away, its body trembling with fear.

    "Afraid?"This left Xu Hei even more astonished.

    Ji Ying could even consume corpse puppets, yet it was afraid of this eyeball.

    This made Xu Hei''s heart grow heavier, with a strong sense of dread rising within him.

    This must be a treasure! Whether it was Ji Ying''s reaction or the relentless pursuit from the other side, everything highlighted the value of this eyeball!

    But no matter how valuable something is, you need to be alive to keep it. The other side had been chasing him non-stop, even deploying ate Qi Condensation stage elder who could track his location. Xu Hei couldn''t keep this item; he had to get rid of it!

    "Could it be the mes? Is it like the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, where piercing it would cause an explosion?"

    Xu Hei stared at the golden eyeball, his eyes flickering.

    After a brief contemtion, he put the golden eyeball away, nning to heal first and then find a suitable ce to discard it.

    Xu Hei looked around. This was an unfamiliar ce, devoid of the ruins of the underground city, with only some undting ck mountains.

    He had no idea where he had been teleported to.

    This was the downside of the Small Teleportation Talisman Xu Hei had crafted. The talisman teleported randomly and over long distances, easily sending him to strange ces.

    "Ji Ying, check if there''s any danger nearby," Xu Hei ordered.

    "Buzz!"

    Ji Ying took flight and patrolled the surroundings. After a few simple circles, it returned andnded, conveying waves of dissatisfaction.

    Xu Hei helplessly realized that the Corpse Beetle was hungry again.

    Perhaps it was due to its injuries.

    With no other choice, Xu Hei chopped off a head from the butcher and tossed it over.

    "Buzz!"

    Ji Ying immediately became excited, rushing over and devouring the head in no time.

    After finishing the meal, it finally started working, wandering around the vicinity.

    Xu Hei also took the opportunity to focus on healing.

    After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

    Suddenly, Ji Ying seemed to have discovered something, issuing a hostile warning and darting toward a mountain ridge.

    "Boom!"

    It seemed to have collided with a dull metallic object, causing Ji Ying to fly back and hover in front of Xu Hei, eyes filled with anger.

    "Someone''s here?"

    Xu Hei quickly hid his true body underground and brought out the butcher puppet, moving forward.

    His physical body was injured, but his Divine Sense was unaffected, making the puppet the best choice.

    From behind the mountain ridge, footsteps could be heard, and a monk wearing a kasaya walked over from the other side of the slope.

    The monk was tall and muscr, holding a crescent moon staff in his right hand, a broken bowl in his left, withrge prayer beads hanging from his waist, yet his gaze was extremely gentle.

    Upon seeing the monk, Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    "Demon Monk Ku Xuan?"

    Xu Hei recognized him as one of the Chu Tian Alliance members who attacked the Mountain Movers Sect that day, Demon Monk Ku Xuan.

    Xu Hei hadn''t expected to encounter someone from the Chu Tian Alliance here.

    At this moment, the butcher red with its dozen eyes, rotating on its head, its body swelling with countless pustules, staring at Ku Xuan with overwhelming murderous intent.

    A normal person, upon seeing the butcher, would either flee in terror or be too mentally overwhelmed to react.

    But Ku Xuan merely paused slightly, put away his staff and bowl, and sped his hands together.

    "Amitabha."

    "Benefactor, it seems we have met before."

    Ku Xuan began with a Buddhist chant, then looked up with a gentle smile.

    Xu Hei just quietly watched him, saying nothing and making no move.

    "Benefactor, human faces are human faces, Buddha faces are Buddha faces, all beings have their own faces. I see the benefactor''s dignified appearance, a perfect forehead, a face like a Buddha, with pure six senses, surely someone destined for the Buddhist path."

    Ku Xuan looked at the butcher''s dozen ugly faces, not only unfazed but smiling as he spoke eloquently.

    "¡­¡­"

    Xu Hei was speechless.

    He recognized every word the monk said, but why couldn''t he understand them when strung together?

    How did he see that this butcher was destined for the Buddhist path?

    Xu Hei had heard from Xiao Chou that there were many strange people in the Chu Tian Alliance, and today he had witnessed it.

    "Why do you think we''ve met?"

    Xu Hei spoke with all the mouths, deciding to respond to Ku Xuan''s earlier statement.

    "Eyes are the windows to the soul. Even if I haven''t seen you, you must have seen me."

    Ku Xuan looked at Xu Hei''s eyes and smiled.

    Xu Hei was taken aback.

    He suddenly felt that this demon monk wasn''t speaking nonsense but had some insight.

    Xu Hei could roughly judge a person''s emotions and thoughts through their eyes, especially those with little experience, who were easier to read.

    This wasn''t even his own eyes but the butcher''s, yet Ku Xuan could tell they had met. It was indeed impressive.

    Xu Hei didn''t dwell on this and instead asked, "Where is this ce?"

    "This ce is outside Wuyou City, at the forefront of the ruins," Ku Xuan replied.

    "Wuyou City?" Xu Hei was puzzled.

    "Wuyou City means carefree and joyful, referring to that underground city," Ku Xuan continued.

    Xu Hei thought carefully. That city was full of corpse puppets and dangers, hardly carefree, likely named in ancient times.

    At this moment, another person arrived.

    This person was burly, with skin as dark as steel, wielding a Star-shattering Hammer, making loud noises as he walked, exuding a strong oppressive aura. It was Demon Man Zhang Tie.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Master Ku Xuan, who is this person..."

    Zhang Tie''s pupils contracted upon seeing the butcher, showing a wary expression.

    If it weren''t for Ku Xuanmunicating with it, he would have smashed it with his hammer.

    "This is the rumored ninth danger in the world, Benefactor Butcher," Ku Xuan said with sped hands.

    Zhang Tie stared at the butcher for a while, squinting his eyes, and said, "This is clearly a corpse puppet, and it''s being controlled by someone. Its true body should be behind it. Let the true bodye out and speak!"

    Despite his rough appearance, Zhang Tie was actually sharp-minded, immediately seeing through Xu Hei''s nature.

    Having fought against the Qin Kingdom for years and countless battles with the Heavenly Puppet Sect, he had long developed the ability to see through puppets at a nce.

    "Amitabha! All forms are illusory, even what you see with your own eyes can be false. Whether it''s the true body controlling the puppet or the puppet controlling the true body, what difference does it make?" Ku Xuan said.

    Zhang Tie was left speechless.

    When this person appeared, Xu Hei felt like retreating. He didn''t want any interaction with someone at the Core Formation Stage, as it was too dangerous.

    His true body had already quietly retreated a thousand feet away.

    In these ruins, not only was the range of Divine Sense limited, but the control range of puppets was also restricted. However, with Xu Hei''s speed, escaping wouldn''t be an issue.

    But suddenly, Xu Hei thought of the golden eyeball.

    That mysterious eyeball, he didn''t know how to handle it, but if he gave it to the Chu Tian Alliance...

 Chapter 186: Weigh the pros and cons, trade for treasure

    Chapter 186: Weigh the pros and cons, trade for treasure

    Xu Hei carefully weighed the pros and cons of handing over the item to the Chu Tian Alliance and made a decision on the spot.

    "Do you two have any business here?" Xu Hei controlled the butcher to ask, without revealing his own thoughts.

    "Not really, we just sensed some spatial fluctuations here, so Master Ku Xuan came to check it out, and we happened to run into you," Zhang Tie spoke bluntly, unlike Ku Xuan, who was more cryptic.

    "I entered by ident as well," Xu Hei replied.

    Zhang Tie found the butcher''s appearance unsettling and didn''t want to linger. He nced at Ku Xuan and secretly transmitted a message, "Who is this butcher?"

    Such a malevolent presence, in the past, he would have killed on sight, but Zhang Tie refrained from acting and instead inquired.

    "He is fated with my Buddha," Ku Xuan replied.

    Zhang Tie immediately understood, sped his hands together, nced at the butcher, and said, "I won''t disturb you any longer, take your time."

    "Hold on."Xu Hei stopped him, took out a golden eyeball from his storage bag, and said, "Are you interested in this? Name your price."

    At this moment, both Ku Xuan and Zhang Tie turned their attention to the golden me-like eyeball.

    "The Scarlet me Demon Eyes?"

    Zhang Tie observed it for a moment and clearly recognized it, gasping in surprise, "Wait here!"

    He turned and left.

    Before long, Zhang Tie returned from a distance, apanied by a man in a schr''s robe, none other than Xu Qingfeng, the leader of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Additionally, arge bald eagle flew over andnded on Ku Xuan''s shoulder.

    Xu Hei immediately retreated.

    Xu Qingfeng waved his hand, and everyone stepped back, leaving him alone to approach, standing on the hillside at a safe distance.

    "It truly is the Scarlet me Demon Eyes!"

    He stared at the golden eyeball, his divine sense scanning it, his eyes flickering, and said, "My friend, the butcher, what price do you have in mind?"

    At this moment, Xu Hei had adjusted his appearance to resemble a normal person, as he was conducting business with the other party. However, he still looked extremely ugly, covered in protruding lumps.

    Xu Qingfeng, not judging by appearances, remainedposed.

    "Name your price, it depends on your Chu Tian Alliance''s sincerity," Xu Hei said.

    Zhang Tie exchanged a nce with him, whispered something, and Xu Qingfeng nodded slightly.

    After a moment of silence, Xu Qingfeng smiled and said, "Butcher friend, you must be trying to sell this because you''re being hunted by the Zhou Family''s patriarch, right?"

    Xu Hei didn''t hide it and nodded, "That''s right."

    "I won''t hide it either. The Scarlet me Demon Eyes are indeed invaluable, capable of transforming mediocrity into greatness, benefiting one for a lifetime. It''s not something that can be measured by value. However, taking this treasure means bearing the consequences with the Zhou Family."

    "Although the Zhou Family is a major family in the Qin Kingdom, under themand of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they''re already half an enemy of our Chu Tian Alliance. But offending them without reason carries certain risks."

    Xu Qingfeng spoke at length, and Xu Hei nodded in agreement.

    Dealing with someone like this, Xu Hei had no intention of hiding anything. After all, keeping this item was a burden, and he wouldn''t refuse to give it away.

    "Alright, I''ll take the Scarlet me Demon Eyes, and in exchange, I''ll give you half of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book," Xu Qingfeng said with a smile.

    "Boss, you mustn''t!" Zhang Tie quickly intervened.

    "Bookworm, are you crazy? You''re even giving that away?"

    The bald eagle also cried out, speaking human words.

    From their reactions, it was clear that the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book was an extremely precious item!

    Of course, it could also be a deliberate performance, but considering Xu Qingfeng''s character, it was unlikely to be an act.

    "No worries! The Scarlet me Demon Eyes are of great use to our Chu Tian Alliance, and it also forges a good rtionship. Why not?"

    Xu Qingfeng smiled openly, took out a rolled-up scroll, cut it in half, and sent it to Xu Hei through the air.

    Xu Hei reached out to catch it, immediately feeling a heavy aura from the scroll, suppressing much of his hostility.

    Xu Hei also handed over the Scarlet me Demon Eyes, which Xu Qingfeng epted.

    "What is the use of this scroll?" Xu Hei asked.

    "The Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is a relic left by my grandmaster, containing a vast amount of text. Each word holds immense power. You can think of it as a set of talismans crafted by our Confucian sect, with each word representing a talisman," Xu Qingfeng exined.

    Xu Hei unrolled the scroll and indeed found numerous words recorded inside.

    "Fix, Kill, Soldier, Move, Approach, Comprehend, Reverse..."

    There were also some verses, likely representing even more formidable spells.

    Although there was no description, Xu Hei could immediately understand the functions of these spells, some for killing, some for support, and some for enlightenment.

    However, despite being called the Ten Thousand Word Book, it only contained about a hundred words, the name was an exaggeration.

    "How powerful is this treasure?" Xu Hei asked.

    "The power depends on your ownprehension. If you can grasp the essence of the words, you can unleash incredible power."

    Xu Qingfeng added, "For example, if I use it, even if someone at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core attacks, I can escape unscathed."

    "Boss, you''ve said enough," Zhang Tie reminded with a stern face.

    Such confidential matters, if leaked, would be a great disaster for the Chu Tian Alliance, equivalent to exposing their trump card.

    Xu Qingfeng, however, shook his head, smiling, unconcerned.

    Zhang Tie looked at Ku Xuan, who also appeared calm, with no intention of stopping him, leaving Zhang Tie puzzled.

    "So powerful..."

    On the surface, Xu Hei remained calm, but inside, he was deeply shaken.

    Xu Qingfeng was only at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, yet he could use this treasure to contend with someone at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, which spoke volumes about the power of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    Moreover, as far as Xu Hei knew, Xu Qingfeng had an even stronger scroll that he hadn''t taken out.

    No wonder he inherited from the Astrology Bureau; he had a wealth of treasures.

    However, Xu Qingfeng didn''t exin how to grasp the essence of the words, and Xu Hei didn''t ask further.

    He put away the scroll, sped his hands, and said, "Thank you, I hope this journey goes smoothly."

    "Butcher friend," Xu Qingfeng said in a deep voice, "Our Chu Tian Alliance, along with some rogue cultivators, is exploring a cave dwelling at the frontier. I wonder if you''re interested in joining us. Our Chu Tian Alliance guarantees that any treasures found will be contested based on individual abilities, and we will never resort to killing and robbing afterward."

    Zhang Tie added, "The boss speaks the truth. You can ask those rogue cultivators; they can vouch for it."

    Xu Hei remained silent for a moment and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won''t be going for now."

    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to go, but he was injured, and he was used to fighting alone, unwilling to cooperate with others.

    He also scoffed at the Chu Tian Alliance''s righteous conduct. If they didn''t kill and rob, why cultivate immortality at all?

    Xu Qingfeng didn''t insist, taking out a jade slip and saying, "If you change your mind, you cane anytime. ording to our spection, it should lead to the core of the ruins."

    The jade slip flew over and was caught by the butcher.

    "Farewell!"

    Xu Qingfeng and the others turned and left.

    Ku Xuan nced at the butcher and the real Xu Hei in the distance, saying, "Fated one, the Buddhist sect is always open to you!"

    He chanted a Buddhist mantra, with the bald eagle on his shoulder, and drifted away.

    Xu Hei ignored those who didn''t speak inly.

    "The people of the Chu Tian Alliance are all extraordinary."

    Earlier, Xu Hei had sensed the aura of everyone present.

    In summary, there were only three words: unfathomable,pletely unfathomable.

    Ku Xuan was only at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, and under normal circumstances, such a cultivator would be easily defeated by Xu Hei, but Xu Hei had no confidence in defeating him.

    The other two were even more formidable, both at the Qi Condensation stage.

    And that bald eagle, seemingly ordinary, but with an even more terrifying aura within, deterring Xu Hei from probing further.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    And then there was the silver-haired witch from before, also a formidable opponent.

 Chapter 187: Accelerate again, take stock of the cards

    Chapter 187: elerate again, take stock of the cards

    After the members of the Chu Tian Alliance left, Xu Hei immediately appeared and checked the jade slip. Once he confirmed everything was correct, he infused his Divine Sense into it.

    Inside the jade slip was an enormous map, stretching from Wuyou City to this location, spanning thousands of miles.

    Under circumstances where Divine Sense and flight were restricted everywhere, this was an extremely long distance, even for someone in the Core Formation Stage.

    "This should be thetest version of the map."

    Xu Hei thought to himself,paring it with the map he had purchased from Han Te, and found that it contained a lot of new information.

    Many red dots were specifically marked, indicating extreme danger.

    "Historical Projections, Red-Haired Corpses, Yellow-Haired Corpses, Yellow Spring Flowers..."

    Xu Hei had some understanding of the corpse puppet system; red hair indicated thete Qi Condensation stage, while yellow hair was the mid-stage.

    One of the Yellow-Haired Corpses was not far from here.Xu Hei was relieved that he hadn''t teleported near there; otherwise, he would have been in big trouble as soon as hended.

    Regarding the Historical Projections, Xu Qingfeng had written a note.

    "Historical Projections appear without any pattern and can ur anywhere. I have only marked ces where they have appeared before. Please be aware."

    Xu Hei was naturally very wary of these highly dangerous Historical Projections.

    Although most were harmless, some were extremely lethal, still carrying the Dao Rhythms of ancient times. Encountering one could lead to death on the spot, regardless of one''s cultivation level.

    Xu Hei had only been here for a short time, so he hadn''t encountered any yet.

    Following the map, Xu Hei left the area and found a safe, secluded ce to heal and recuperate.

    This time, it was only a flesh wound, and Xu Hei recovered within half a day.

    Then, he took out the scroll of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    His gaze focused on a single character, "Enlighten," which was used forprehension. Xu Hei currently had few things he couldprehend, with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon being one of them.

    "Enlighten!"

    With a low shout, a character flew out from the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book and appeared above Xu Hei''s head.

    In an instant, Xu Hei felt his mind be clear, as if he were soaking in an icy spring. Confusions and uncertainties were instantly resolved, and he was immersed in a peculiar state.

    "The key to the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon is not speed, but form!"

    "When speed reaches its peak, relying on the change of form can surpass the extreme..."

    Xu Hei closed his eyes, and insights appeared in his mind, continuously simting and calcting, practicing until he reached the essence.

    It was unclear how much time had passed.

    Xu Hei''s eyes remained closed, but his body began to move.

    "Swish!"

    He vanished on the spot, his figure tracing a lightning bolt, executing the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, leaving behind a series of afterimages in mid-air.

    One, two, ten... fifty!

    On his first attempt, Xu Hei left fifty afterimages, five times more than before.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei disappeared again, this time the afterimages formed a continuous line, reaching eighty.

    Xu Hei kept shifting, leaving countless afterimages, repeatedly surpassing a hundred in no time.

    Time slowly passed.

    The "Enlighten" character above his head didn''tst long, dissipating after just an hour.

    But Xu Hei had no intention of stopping, continuing his relentless practice.

    He had a premonition that his movement technique would y a crucial role soon, potentially saving his life at a critical moment.

    Xu Hei took out the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book again and pointed at a "Learn" character.

    Learn, not for himself, but for Ji Ying.

    A "Learn" character appeared above Ji Ying''s head, and it began to mimic, flying through the air and leaving an afterimage, precisely the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon.

    "Even the Corpse Beetle can learn; this Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is indeed extraordinary," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Ji Ying''s speed was already fast, and now,bined with the dragon n''s movement technique, it was beyond description, even with lightning. Xu Hei had to concentrate to barely discern its technique.

    Ji Ying was learning, and Xu Hei was learning too, mimicking Ji Ying''s flying form, learning from each other.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei vanished, his afterimages quickly surpassing a hundred, instantly reaching two hundred, three hundred, and still climbing...

    In the end, as long as Xu Hei wished, he could leave any number of afterimages.

    Unknowingly, Xu Hei''sprehension of the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon reached the third level of perfection.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The third level: countless afterimages, the true body hard to find.

    The fourth level: afterimages be tangible, capable of creating an External Incarnation.

    Thus, the three levels were fullyprehended, yet Xu Hei was still some distance away from the fourth level''s tangible afterimages.

    He needed to thoroughlyprehend "form" to enter the next level.

    At this moment, Xu Hei and Ji Ying stopped, their True Qi exhausted, but his spirit was incredibly excited.

    "This Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is worth it!"

    Xu Hei marveled in his heart, carefully storing the scroll.

    There were still many characters left on the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, of various types, which would be his trump cards in the future.

    Xu Hei didn''t know the value of the Scarlet me Demon Eyes, but obtaining this treasure was definitely a gain for him! After all, the Scarlet me Demon Eyes were a hot potato he couldn''t use.

    "My current spells include the third level of perfection in Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Falling Stars, and Mountain Severing Abyss."

    "As for puppets, I have the butcher, metal puppet, and Ji Ying controlling corpse puppets."

    "My Magical Treasures include the Ice and Fire Flying Sword, ck Dragon Pagoda, and the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book."

    "Additionally, there''s a gray Talisman left by Xuan Yangzi."

    "With so many trump cards, I have the confidence to fight against someone in the early Qi Condensation stage."

    Xu Hei calcted his means.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t let his guard down. As a rogue cultivator, he had managed to acquire so many trump cards.

    How many trump cards would the Zhou Family, Heavenly Puppet Sect, Snake Catchers Sect, and other adversaries have?

    Like the young man who had chased him all the way, even after being tricked so many times, he still had the mind to ambush him at the exit, which spoke volumes.

    "Let''s take a look at the Chu Tian Alliance."

    Xu Hei took a Rejuvenation Pill, meditated for a moment, and adjusted his state to the best.

    He took out the butcher and split off a normal person from it, a nondescript member of the Iron Mountain Gang.

    But to be safe, Xu Hei removed its facial features, turning it into a faceless person.

    "This way, no one should be frightened."

    Xu Hei was worried that the butcher''s appearance was too terrifying and would cause rm, so he came up with this n.

    He stored the main body of the butcher, put a mask on the faceless person, dressed it in a ck robe, and then leaped towards the location Xu Qingfeng had provided.

    Before long, Xu Hei arrived at the ce.

    Ahead was a cave dwelling with arge entrance exuding eerie ghostly energy, and arge group of rogue cultivators gathered outside.

    The members of the Chu Tian Alliance were also among the crowd, seemingly discussing strategies.

    Xu Hei''s true body was hidden within the faceless person as he descended and approached.

    "Another rogue cultivator?"

    "Where are you from? State your name!"

    Seeing Xu Hei appear, a rogue cultivator stepped forward and shouted loudly.

 Chapter 188: Historical Projections, Ancient Alchemist

    Chapter 188: Historical Projections, Ancient Alchemist

    "Greetings, my surname is Xu."

    Xu Hei cupped his hands. After all, no one knew his name, so there was no need for an alias.

    "Xu... Are you nning to join us or act alone?"

    The cultivator with thick eyebrows and big eyes was very straightforward, speaking rapidly, "Let me make it clear first, our group is under the jurisdiction of the Chu Tian Alliance. We''ve all signed a series of peace agreements, which prohibit us from initiating harm, and we must unite against external threats. Treasures go to whoever gets them first. If you''re willing, you can join; if not, you can go to the other side."

    He pointed in another direction, where only a small group of people gathered in threes and fives, scattered around.

    Xu Hei nced over and found that most of them were demonic cultivators, like Wu Chou from the Blood Robe Sect.

    Except for a few who were independent, almost all rogue cultivators had allied with the Chu Tian Alliance for added safety.

    No matter their conduct, righteous cultivators like Xu Qingfeng always gave a sense of security.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly and asked, "What kind of contract?"The cultivator in front of him directly took out a scroll of golden paper, which was filled with various rules.

    "Just infuse a trace of Divine Sense, and this contract will take effect. If you vite it, there''s no need for us to act; your Divine Sense will copse on its own," the person said calmly.

    Xu Hei nced at it; it was something left by Xu Qingfeng, with many rules written on it.

    Without saying more, Xu Hei retreated to the other side, standing with the demonic cultivators. He would never sign such a contract.

    Seeing Xu Hei refuse, the cultivator didn''t ask further, a hint of mockery shing in his eyes as he returned to the crowd.

    As Xu Heinded, the five nearby demonic cultivators quickly retreated, keeping their distance from him.

    "Blood Robe Sect?"

    To Xu Hei''s surprise, the aura and attire of these five were very simr to Wu Chou, whom he had killed, indicating they were from the Blood Robe Sect.

    In Wu Chou''s Storage Bag, there was a Blood Robe Token, suggesting he held a significant position in the sect.

    "What''s the situation here? Tell me."

    Xu Hei looked at a female cultivator who seemed easy to bully and asked.

    The female cultivator remained silent, continuously retreating with a wary expression.

    "Not talking?"

    Xu Hei raised his hand and used the Gravity Technique to pull her over, holding her in his grasp.

    "How dare you!"

    "Spare me, senior!"

    The other four wanted to shout, but the woman in his hand began to wail, leaving everyone stunned.

    "Senior, I''ll tell you. This is a Blood Corpse Cave. Inside the cave dwelling, there are many ancient pills preserved to this day, and an ancient medicinal garden. But the Chu Tian Alliance has tried several times and hasn''t cleared out the blood corpses, so they''re discussing strategies."

    The female cultivator in his hand spoke with a tearful face.

    Xu Hei nodded slightly and released her. She immediately retreated back to the other four, who dared not act rashly, only nervously stepping back.

    The strongest among them was only at thete Foundation Establishment stage, and Xu Hei''s earlier disy had directly intimidated them.

    "Is this all that''s left of your Blood Robe Sect?"

    Xu Hei asked curiously. In his impression, such demonic sects should have been thriving.

    Recognized for their identity, the five weren''t surprised. They exchanged nces, a bitter look shing in their eyes.

    Originally, they had twenty people enter, including two Nascent Soul ancestors, but they all died. One ancestor perished to a corpse puppet, and the other was drained dry by the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    The group remained silent, but Xu Hei could glean some information from their eyes. He asked again, "Why didn''t you join the Chu Tian Alliance?"

    "It''s not that we didn''t want to; the Chu Tian Alliance refused."

    The female cultivator from before exined.

    "Just because you''re demonic cultivators?" Xu Hei was surprised.

    "Exactly." The female cultivator nodded.

    "..." Xu Hei fell silent.

    At that moment, there was amotion from the cave dwelling.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Everyone looked over to see a ghostly, phantom-like girl with silver hair floating out from the eerie cave dwelling.

    The girl had silver hair, a petite figure, and looked like she was in her early teens. She was quite beautiful but exuded an extremely cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.

    "Silver-haired Witch," Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed.

    The Silver-haired Witch, in her translucent state, flew out from the cave dwelling and approached.

    "How is it?"

    "What''s the situation inside?"

    The core members of the Chu Tian Alliance quickly went up to inquire, with Xiao Chou among them.

    The Silver-haired Witch''s form gradually solidified as she said, "I saw the ancient medicinal garden. There are at least twenty nts with ten thousand years of age."

    "Ten thousand years!"

    Everyone gasped.

    In today''s world, even thousand-year-old medicinal herbs are rare, let alone ten thousand years old, which are priceless and of unimaginable quality.

    "Moreover, there''s a hundred-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo."

    The Silver-haired Witch added.

    This left the entire Chu Tian Alliance stunned, with Zhang Tie''s eyes almost zing with desire, itching to rush in and harvest it immediately.

    However, there were too many corpse puppets inside the cave dwelling, continuously emerging from the ground. After clearing wave after wave, he dared not venture in recklessly.

    Although others didn''t know what they were discussing, their expressions revealed that they must have discovered something extraordinary.

    And just then.

    A strong wind blew across the sky, with a hazy light shining down from beyond, appearing at the top of the cave dwelling, with a hint of Dao resonance emerging.

    "It''s a Historical Projection!"

    "Retreat quickly!"

    Everyone retreated, their eyes warily watching above the cave dwelling.

    Historical Projections appear without any pattern, possibly remnants of ancient Dao resonance or some kind of world rule at work.

    Most projections are harmless, but some contain the divine might of ancient cultivators, and just a trace can be deadly.

    It was Xu Hei''s first time seeing a Historical Projection.

    In the sky, blurred scenes appeared: caves, figures, houses, like a mirage in the desert.

    It was like a reflection of historical scenes, crossing the river of time, presented before their eyes.

    The scenes seemed to be inside the cave dwelling.

    In the images, a young, tall alchemist sat cross-legged, cing medicinal herbs into a pill furnace.

    Xu Hei''s pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the alchemist.

    He actually recognized this alchemist!

    It was the ancient cultivator''s corpse he had excavated from a stone at the stone gambling house!

    And that pill furnace was the very one Xu Hei had refined.

    "How could it be such a coincidence?"

    Xu Hei''s heart surged with waves of shock.

    But he said nothing, his expression calm, watching coldly.

    The projection from ancient times seemed to elerate, quickly ying out. The cultivator refined arge number of pills, cing them into pill bottles, one of which had the words "Longevity Pill" on it.

    Seeing the Longevity Pill, everyone''s eyes lit up with desire; it was a pill countless people dreamed of obtaining.

    But the most astonishing part was yet toe.

    Next to the Longevity Pill, there was another pill bottlebeled "Nascent Soul Pill."

    "My heavens!"

    "It''s actually a Nascent Soul Pill!"

    Seeing this, everyone''s eyes burned with fervor, almost going mad.

    The Nascent Soul Pill is taken by cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage when forming a Nascent Soul, its value beyond description.

    If the Longevity Pill merely extends the life of a Nascent Soul ancestor by sixty years, the Nascent Soul Pill gives them hope of forming a Nascent Soul.

 Chapter 189: Enter the cave to seek treasure, the restless spirits linger

    Chapter 189: Enter the cave to seek treasure, the restless spirits linger

    This would drive any Core Formation cultivator mad!

    Of course, achieving Nascent Soul isn''t as simple as just taking a pill; it also requiresprehending the essence of the Dao. However, the Nascent Soul Pill can greatly increase the sess rate.

    In addition, among those pill bottles, there are Divine Marrow Pills that can alter one''s Spiritual Root, Sky Blue Pills that clear the mind and eyes, and various other pills that have vanished from the world today.

    "I found a Sky Blue Pill in the cave dwelling."

    "And that Hao Yuan Pill, I think the one I found is that exact bottle."

    Zhang Tie quickly took out a pill bottle andpared it with the Historical Projections, finding it almost identical, indeed a bottle refined by ancient cultivators.

    "Does this mean that the Nascent Soul Pill and Longevity Pill can also be found in the cave dwelling?"

    Zhang Tie looked at Xu Qingfeng.

    At this moment, the Chu Tian Alliance could hardly sit still. If there really were Longevity Pills and Nascent Soul Pills here, they would spare no cost to obtain them!These are ancient pills, their quality and efficacy unmatched by anything today.

    However, the appearance of the Historical Projections was ill-timed, as almost everyone present had seen it.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered. If he were Xu Qingfeng, he would immediately act, killing everyone except those from the Chu Tian Alliance to prevent the news from leaking.

    But Xu Qingfeng clearly had no such intention, not even considering it.

    As the enforcement elder of the Astrology Bureau, he had adhered to Confucian principles for a hundred years. Even after joining the Chu Tian Alliance, he still upheld the old rules and his own bottom line.

    As an enforcement elder, if he were to trample thew and kill the innocent, whatw would there be to enforce?

    Fairness and integrity are the bottom lines of an enforcer, and also Xu Qingfeng''s Dao.

    Xu Hei saw his inaction and sighed inwardly.

    At this moment, in the Historical Projections.

    The ancient alchemist organized all the pill bottles, sticking a talisman on each one.

    "These sealing talismans are enough to preserve the efficacy for ten thousand years. If future generations open them, remember to consume them quickly."

    The Historical Projections made no sound, but one could see his mouth moving, deducing what he was saying.

    These pills were left for future generations!

    At this moment, everyone was convinced that these pills were all hidden in the cave dwelling, waiting to be discovered.

    Xu Hei felt a sense of doubt. It was said that Historical Projections appeared randomly, but this scene didn''t seem random at all.

    It seemed like a deliberate design, triggered by certain conditions, intentionally shown to future generations.

    Before long, the Historical Projections faded away.

    "Everyone, gather!"

    Xu Qingfeng shouted, and the scattered cultivators affiliated with the Chu Tian Alliance all gathered, totaling fifty people.

    There were only seven members of the Chu Tian Alliance: Xu Qingfeng, Zhang Tie, the Silver-haired Witch, Ku Xuan, along with Xiao Chou, Zhao Wenzhuo, and even that vulture.

    The rest were all scattered cultivators.

    It was evident that the Chu Tian Alliance still had strong appeal, which was the advantage of being righteous.

    Of course, this harmony was only temporary.

    "We will sweep through this cave dwelling with all our might. As usual, if you find treasures like the Nascent Soul Pill or Longevity Pill, you can keep them or exchange them with me for items of equal value..."

    Xu Qingfeng briefly exined.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    All the scattered cultivators were invigorated.

    Originally, with their strength, they didn''t even qualify to break into the Blood Corpse Cave. Now, with strong leaders clearing the way, they could search for treasures for free, keeping whatever they found. Such a good deal was rare in the world.

    If not for this, they wouldn''t have willingly joined.

    "Move out!"

    Under the lead of the Chu Tian Alliance, everyone rushed into the cave dwelling.

    The evil cultivators at the back also followed suit, entering the cave dwelling.

    Xu Hei mingled among the evil cultivators, everyone wary of each other, keeping a distance.

    For some reason, the five members of the Blood Robe Sect followed behind Xu Hei, seemingly treating him as a pir of support.

    Xu Hei ignored them. At this moment, a battle had already erupted ahead, with terrifying shockwaves rolling in. A Purple-haired Yaksha and Yellow-haired Corpse Charm leapt out, engaging in a fierce battle with the Chu Tian Alliance.

    As the battle continued, more and more corpse puppets crawled out from the ground, fiercely attacking the crowd. The scattered cultivators joined forces to fight back, gaining and losing ground.

    Fortunately, the cave dwelling was quite stable, not shaking too violently. Outside, it would have copsed a hundred times over.

    The evil cultivators were surprisingly well-behaved, not daring tounch sneak attacks from behind, fearing retribution from the Chu Tian Allianceter.

    Xu Hei looked around, seeing the ground beneath him break open, a w reaching out to grab him, followed by a head rising from the ground, revealing a green-haired zombie.

    "Whoosh!"

    A sh of ck light came from Xu Hei''s sleeve.

    The green-haired zombie instantly froze.

    With a casual wave of his sleeve, Xu Hei turned the zombie''s body into flying ash, dispersing itpletely.

    This move left the five people behind him dumbfounded.

    "So strong!"

    "What was that just now?"

    They hadn''t seen Ji Ying''s move clearly, only perceiving a ck line sh by, and the corpse puppet was gone.

    After learning the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Ji Ying''s speed could only be described as incredible. And this wasn''t even at full speed; at full speed, it was even more exaggerated.

    The five exchanged nces, seemingly deciding to stick close to Xu Hei, as it seemed the safest.

    Xu Hei extended his Divine Sense, searching inch by inch on a stone wall, seemingly looking for some kind of mechanism or secret door.

    Unfortunately, he found nothing.

    Xu Hei waspletely clueless about treasure hunting, having no experience. Hemunicated with Ji Ying, "Ji Ying, where do you think there might be treasures?"

    Ji Ying also showed no reaction.

    "Useless thing, all you do is eat." Xu Hei muttered inwardly.

    "Buzz!"

    Ji Ying seemed to hear Xu Hei''s thoughts, sending back a dissatisfied emotion.

    At this moment, the battle ahead was nearing its end. With the full force of the Chu Tian Alliance, the emerging corpse puppets were suppressed one by one into the ground, letting out unwilling roars.

    Corpse puppets were hard to kill; not everyone had Xu Hei''s means to destroy them. They mainly focused on suppression and sealing.

    "Buzz!"

    Ji Ying suddenly sent a craving emotion, pointing at the suppressed corpse puppets ahead.

    "Eat, eat, eat until you die!" Xu Hei cursed inwardly.

    Despite his words, Xu Hei flew forward. Since there were no benefits at the entrance, he could only search ahead.

    He arrived at a suppressed Purple-haired Yaksha, letting Ji Ying in to devour it.

    The Yaksha, with a sealing talisman on it, couldn''t move its body, but its hands could still move. It wed at Ji Ying, sending it flying. Ji Ying was furious, charging again like lightning, biting off one of the Yaksha''s ears.

    At this moment, more and more cultivators were pouring in, the numbers increasing.

    After the news spread, everyone nearby had gathered, and it wouldn''t be long before the Zhou Family, Bai Family, and the four sects of the Southern Region would also arrive.

    "Whoosh! Whoosh!"

    Two figures shed in, one of them an old Taoist whose eyes gleamed as he looked at Xu Hei''s back, quickly catching up and arriving behind him, smiling, "How should I address this fellow Taoist?"

    Xu Hei''s eyebrow twitched, calmly retracting Ji Ying, and looked at the old Taoist behind him.

    This person, with white hair and beard, holding a horsetail whisk, had a kind smile but shifty eyes, sizing up Xu Hei. It was none other than Tianji Shangren.

    And the other middle-aged cultivator was Liu Buqun.

    "Persistent old man."

    Xu Hei cursed inwardly, maintaining a calm demeanor, "I am Tianji Shangren, Tianji."

    He emphasized thest two words.

    "..." Tianji Shangren''s smile froze instantly.

    Liu Buqun was also taken aback, his expression rather peculiar.

 Chapter 190: Kill for treasure, a mob of the disorganized

    Chapter 190: Kill for treasure, a mob of the disorganized

    Both individuals realized that the masked cultivator was using a pun to insult them.

    "Heh, fellow Daoist, you really know how to joke."

    Tianji Shangren forced a smile, his expression not looking too pleased.

    Xu Hei ignored the two of them, stopped feeding the corpse puppet, and with a swift movement, dashed deeper into the cave dwelling.

    "Old Taoist, how many Children of Destiny is this now?" Liu Buqun asked sarcastically.

    "None of your business!"

    Tianji Shangren snapped, waving his horsetail whisk and stepping onto a cloud to follow.

    Liu Buqun pondered for a moment and said, "Old Taoist, how do you rate my aptitude?"

    "You''ll be like this for the rest of your life, just wait for death."Tianji Shangren mocked.

    Liu Buqun''s mouth twitched, and he said no more.

    Tianji Shangren''s speed gradually increased, but he found that Xu Hei ahead was even faster.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei stopped moving.

    Tianji Shangren caught up, only to see Xu Hei''s figure quickly blur and dissipate, leaving only an afterimage.

    As for Xu Hei himself, he was already nowhere to be found.

    "An afterimage?" Tianji Shangren''s face turned alternating shades of green and white.

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei left behind a series of afterimages, moving through the cave dwelling at an incredible speed.

    The appearance of these two made him feel a sense of crisis.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    With Tianji Shangren here, the Zhou Family, Bai Family, and some hostile forces were probably not far behind. Once they arrived, the Chu Tian Alliance would definitely be unable to maintain control.

    As for those fifty or so rogue cultivators, they were just a rabble.

    They were good at taking benefits, but if you asked them to fight the Heavenly Puppet Sect to the death, they''d run faster than anyone.

    Xu Hei needed to grab as many benefits as possible and then retreatpletely, avoiding involvement in the high-level conflicts.

    Before long, Xu Hei reached the front line of the group.

    The space here was vast, with a dome reaching a thousand feet high, enough to amodate tens of thousands of people without feeling crowded.

    The stone walls emitted a bright light, as if iid with Night Pearls, illuminating the cave dwelling brightly and clearly.

    The crowd resembled a swarm of flying insects, racing through the air, diving into beehive-like small rooms.

    There were many of these small rooms, presumably the residences of disciples from years past. People came and went, and asionally the roar of corpse puppets and the sounds of fighting could be heard.

    The corpse puppets seemed endless, constantly emerging from the ground, requiring constant vignce to avoid being ambushed.

    "Boom!!"

    Zhang Tie punched open a room door, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. The remaining people surged in.

    Xu Hei casually found an open room to investigate, discovering it was an abandoned medicinal garden. The medicinal herbs had long been scavenged, and even most of the soil had been taken away.

    "The open ones have almost all been searched; I must find one that hasn''t been opened yet."

    Xu Hei quickly made up his mind.

    He left the room, setting his sights on a sealed door ahead.

    At this moment, five rogue cultivators were gathered there, attacking the door together.

    Xu Hei flew forward, arriving nearby.

    The group immediately stopped their actions, and a middle-aged cultivator looked over, saying coldly, "This fellow Daoist doesn''t seem to be under the Chu Tian Alliance, does he?"

    "That''s right," Xu Hei nodded.

    "Then get lost!" the middle-aged cultivator shouted coldly.

    The others also looked unfriendly, moving closer. Their rule was internal unity, but if outsiders dared to snatch treasures, they would kill without mercy.

    Xu Hei nced around, noticing many people could see this ce, and made a decision in his heart.

    "Alright."

    Xu Hei nodded and quickly backed away.

    "Hmph, doesn''t know what''s good for him," the middle-aged cultivator snorted coldly.

    "I know that guy. We asked him before if he wanted to join, and he actually refused. Never seen someone so stupid," a thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator sneered.

    "Not joining is good too, one less person topete with," anotherughed.

    At this moment, the group once again joined forces, striking the door.

    This time, the door instantly opened, shattered into pieces.

    The moment the door opened!

    A dark shadow darted inside at an incredibly fast speed, and they only felt a gust of wind pass by, not even knowing who it was.

    "Not good, someone got in first!"

    "Chase!"

    Everyone''s expressions changed, and they all rushed into the room.

    ording to the original n, someone should have stayed at the door to guard against corpse puppets appearing from behind, but now that someone had gotten ahead of them, they couldn''t care less and all surged forward.

    Inside the room was an untouched pill refining room.

    A thickyer of dust covered the floor, but the equipment was well-preserved, and an ancient seal still remained on one of the counters.

    They looked around but found no sign of anyone.

    Xu Hei was already standing behind them, blocking the exit.

    "It''s you!"

    The thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator''s pupils shrank.

    The middle-aged cultivator wasted no time, attacking the moment he saw Xu Hei, arge seal falling from above, smashing towards Xu Hei''s head.

    This situation was one he had encountered many times, always striking first. Whoever hesitated would suffer, clearly an experienced person.

    "Ji Ying, leave no one alive!"

    Xu Hei said coldly, just a fraction slower than the man, as he needed to set the seal and block the exit.

    "Ah!!"

    The middle-aged cultivator screamed, clutching his head and falling to the ground, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, quickly having his brain devoured by Ji Ying, therge seal falling powerlessly.

    The remaining people were horrified, but their actions were not slow,unching various attacks at Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei''s figure instantly disintegrated, his physical body smashed to pieces, leaving nothing behind.

    But before they could celebrate, they saw Xu Hei appear once again.

    What had just disappeared was only an afterimage.

    "Falling Stars!"

    Xu Hei unleashed a spell at the peak of Foundation Establishment, meteors falling one by one, crashing onto their heads, but various magical treasures emerged, water rippling, light shields endlessly cycling.

    This spell, capable of killing at the peak of Foundation Establishment, didn''t kill a single person!

    Xu Hei gradually realized that the rogue cultivators who made it here were no ordinary people, each having some skills, theirbat power not to be underestimated.

    Countless attacks came once again, but Xu Hei''s Ever-changing Fish and Dragon was masterful, leaving behind hundreds of afterimages, none of which were hit.

    "Kill!"

    Xu Hei''s figure shed, charging at one person, simultaneously releasing three flying swords: Breaking Spirit, Burning Heaven, and Extreme Freeze.

    Even the Mountain-Covering Mud from before was thrown out by Xu Hei, flung towards a cultivator.

    After reaching the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei''s True Qi had increased significantly, allowing him to use various magical treasures simultaneously.

    "Thud!"

    Three flying swords instantly pierced through one person, but Xu Hei himself missed, crashing into the wall, the opponent using some trick to disrupt Xu Hei''s movements.

    The remaining three, seeing Xu Hei was not easy to deal with, all ran towards the door at the same time, intending to escape.

    They were just a rabble, and when faced with a strong enemy, no one wanted to fight to the death; they all chose to flee.

    "Ji Ying, stop eating and kill them for me!" Xu Hei cursed angrily.

    At this moment, Ji Ying, still gnawing on the brain, reluctantly rushed out, once again drilling into someone''s ear, that person not even realizing what happened before convulsing and falling.

    The remaining two, the thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator was held back by the Mountain-Covering Mud, unable to advance.

    Thest person finally reached the door, easily breaking the seal with a flying nail.

    At this moment, behind the seal, a tall, twisted figure rose from the ground, blocking the way¡ªit was the butcher!

 Chapter 191: Bell of Chaos, Unearth the Corpse Spirit

    Chapter 191: Bell of Chaos, Unearth the Corpse Spirit

    "Spare me, senior!"

    With a scream, the person was directly stuffed into the butcher''s body, merging into one.

    By now, of the five people who entered the room, only the thick-browed cultivator trapped by the Mountain-Covering Mud remained; the other four had all been dealt with.

    The process wasn''tplicated either; it took just two or three breaths for Xu Hei to swiftly settle the matter.

    The remaining person was the one responsible for recruiting rogue cultivators, with a cultivation level reaching the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, the strongest among them.

    "Are you opposing the Chu Tian Alliance? I advise you to release me quickly, lest you bring trouble upon yourself!"

    Surprisingly, this thick-browed cultivator didn''t beg for mercy like those Xu Hei had encountered before but instead started to threaten.

    When something is unusual, there must be something strange.

    This person was trapped, merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, and couldn''t possibly be a match for Xu Hei. Where did he get the courage?"How about we split the treasures here between us? I won''t tell anyone and will even help you cover it up, saying these people died at the hands of corpse puppets. How about it?"

    The thick-browed cultivator showed no fear in his eyes, looking at Xu Hei with a flicker in his gaze, speaking in a deep voice, "This is the best choice for you, but if you dare to kill me, I guarantee you will..."

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei couldn''t be bothered with nonsense. Three flying swords shot straight out, but they suddenly veered off course, striking the stone wall instead.

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Hei raised an eyebrow and charged forward, but something bizarre happened. His movements distorted, causing him to dash to the side, missing once again.

    "Indeed, I felt something was off earlier!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered. He tried to move left, but his body involuntarily went right.

    Not only was his puppet affected, but even his true self was influenced, though not as exaggerated as the puppet.

    The butcher stumbled slightly, almost tripping over his own feet.

    Xu Hei immediately stood still, maintaining his current state.

    "What kind of technique is this? It actually disrupts my sense of direction," Xu Hei thought warily.

    Once he lost his sense of direction, what use was speed? He would just crash around like a headless fly, perfectly countering his Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.

    "My friend, I advise you not to make things difficult for yourself. We are both smart people, and you don''t want to waste time, right?"

    At this moment, the Mountain-Covering Mud on the thick-browed cultivator was also falling off to the side. The man wore a cold smile, his eyes gleaming as he was about to break free.

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned icy. In the past, he would have studied such a strange method.

    But now, he didn''t n to waste time. He directly took out the ck Dragon Pagoda, quickly erging it to fill the entire room, crushing down like a towering mountain.

    The man''s face changed dramatically, instantly smashed by the massive shadow, his body exploding into pieces with a "bang," not even having time to utter a sound, his form and spirit annihted.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda''s attack direction deviated slightly, but its massive size crushed everything in all directions, rendering the small deviation useless.

    Even some equipment in the back was smashed to pieces, copsing along the way.

    It was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut!

    This cultivator never expected Xu Hei to have such a terrifying weapon.

    Xu Hei consumed thirty percent of his True Qi, quickly storing away the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    "Reaching the mid-stage is different. If it were the initial stage, that move just now would have consumed at least half of my True Qi," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    In fact, Xu Hei had other ways to deal with his opponent. Once he adapted to the disorienting feeling, he could have handled it with his true self.

    But time was pressing, and he worried that if this person dyed, something unexpected might happen.

    It was all for safety.

    After dealing with this person, the chaotic feeling disappeared, and Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief, collecting the Mountain-Covering Mud and retrieving the storage bags from all the corpses.

    The thick-browed cultivator''s storage bag was crushed by the ck Dragon Pagoda, but one item remained intact, catching Xu Hei''s attention.

    Xu Hei reached out and grabbed an ancient bell into his hand.

    The bell was bronze-colored, inscribed with countless spell imprints, imprable by Divine Sense.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, then flicked the ancient bell with his finger.

    The bell vibrated slightly, sending ripples throughout the room. Xu Hei immediately felt dizzy, and his puppet fell into a state of confusion, unable to distinguish left from right, up from down.

    "What a magical bell!"

    Xu Hei could tell that the bell was imbued with some strange spell, activated with a simple flick.

    Its effect was to make people lose their sense of direction, especially effective against puppets!

    Xu Hei probed it with his Divine Sense, but the imprints inside the bell were extremely strong, requiring at least a stick of incense''s time to erase.

    This puzzled Xu Hei. The bell''s owner was dead, so it shouldn''t be this strong.

    Could it be that the Divine Sense imprint belonged to someone else?

    "Roar!"

    A strange cry came from outside the door, and a green-haired zombie rushed in like a sh, baring its ferocious teeth.

    "Boom!"

    Seeing this, Xu Hei flicked the ancient bell, sending ripples that caused the green-haired zombie to change direction, crashing headfirst into the wall and embedding itself.

    Ji Ying shed forward, instantly devouring the corpse puppet.

    "It seems effective against corpse puppets," Xu Hei thought.

    He had plenty of ways to deal with corpse puppets, so having another one wouldn''t hurt.

    However, he needed to quickly erase the Divine Sense imprint to avoid future trouble.

    Xu Hei split his attention, using his Divine Sense to erase the imprint while controlling the puppet to examine the surroundings.

    The room wasn''trge, with a giant pill furnace and two smaller ones, one of which was damaged in the collision.

    Nearby, a hiddenpartment was sealed with talismans, containing jade bottles of pills and some ancient medicinal herbs preserved to this day.

    Xu Hei had experience with such things; once the ancient sealing talismans were removed, they would turn to dust.

    After a brief consideration, Xu Hei used dragon scales to carve out the hiddenpartments, collecting them with the talismans into Void Stones.

    Each pill bottle wasbeled with the name of the pill. Xu Hei nced over them, finding them to be ordinary pills, mostly second-grade, with only two being third-grade beginners.

    Xu Hei epted them all without hesitation.

    While Xu Hei was excavating, he suddenly uncovered an empty space.

    It was as if he had peeled away the outer shell, revealing another world inside.

    "Is there something inside?"

    Xu Hei stared at the stone wall before him, took two steps back, and probed with his Divine Sense, only to be blocked by a strong seal, unable to investigate further.

    This seal was far superior to the ancient sealing talismans.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he tore off more dragon scales, digging from various angles.

    Momentster.

    A small space of three cubic meters appeared before him. Inside, there was a giant jade bottle as tall as a person, resembling a pill bottle.

    However, the pill bottle had a human head on top.

    It was a woman''s head, already turned into a corpse puppet, covered in creepy yellow hair.

    Mid-stage Core Formation, Yellow-haired Corpse Charm!

 Chapter 192: Ancient prosperous era, humbly pleading

    Chapter 192: Ancient prosperous era, humbly pleading

    "I actually dug up a Corpse Charm!"

    Xu Hei''s face darkened as he quickly retreated to the doorway.

    The Corpse Charm was sealed within a jade bottle, surrounded by a powerful sealing light barrier. This was the only reason he didn''t immediately flee but instead watched intently.

    Upon spotting Xu Hei, the Corpse Charm''s eyes instantly filled with ferocity.

    Therge jade bottle suddenly shot forward, attempting to crash into him, but it was repelled by the invisible seal and bounced back.

    "Roar!"

    She let out a heart-wrenching scream, ring at Xu Hei as if she wanted to devour him.

    The overwhelming corpse Qi spread from the bottle but could not extend beyond the seal.

    Facing such a powerful corpse puppet, even Ji Ying dared not move, curling up within Xu Hei''s dragon scales, trembling."Was this Corpse Charm sealed by someone? But clearly, no one has been here!" Xu Hei pondered.

    The seal here was left from ancient times, not byter generations.

    Xu Hei examined the pill bottle the Corpse Charm was "riding." It was also a sealing magical treasure, covered in patterns that seemed to depict a city.

    After waiting for a moment and seeing that the corpse puppet could not break free, Xu Hei felt reassured and continued to search the room.

    Every pill and medicinal herb he found was dug out and stored in his storage bag.

    He also took away two pill furnaces.

    There were some prayer mats on the ground for meditation; Xu Hei dusted them off and stored them in his storage bag as well. Anything he saw and could take, he left nothing behind.

    Xu Hei moved quickly and efficiently, finishing in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

    Seeing that he had almost everything, Xu Hei was about to leave.

    Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the seal.

    He noticed a token partially exposed at the corner of therge jade bottle.

    "This is..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    The design of the token was very simr to his "descendant of Gongshu" token, originating from the same source!

    However, the token before him was slightly smaller, seemingly a lower grade.

    Xu Hei nced outside the door, using the butcher as a meat shield to block the entrance. Then, he took out that token.

    As soon as the token appeared, the ferocity in the Yellow-haired Corpse Charm''s eyes vanished, reced by a moment of confusion.

    Her gaze fixed on the token in Xu Hei''s hand for a long time, her eyes trembling.

    "You recognize this?" Xu Hei hesitated.

    The Corpse Charm looked bewildered, and after a moment, her expression showed intense struggle, as if resisting something, causing the jade bottle to creak.

    Suddenly, a slender hand reached out from the bottle, grabbed the token on the ground, and tossed it to Xu Hei.

    The token prated the seal, and Xu Hei caught it in his hand.

    He didn''t rashly use his Divine Sense to probe it but observed the Corpse Charm''s expression. Seeing her look of anticipation and ensuring no one was approaching from behind, he then used his Divine Sense to explore it.

    "Buzz!"

    In an instant, Xu Hei''s consciousness saw a vast, boundless city.

    The city was grand and magnificent, with zed tiles, bustling streets, and joyousughter everywhere, a scene of peace and prosperity.

    "Wuyou City!"

    Xu Hei thought of the lifeless underground city.

    This must be a scene from ancient times.

    Within this once-flourishing city, Xu Hei''s consciousness swiftly traversed, overlooking from above, seeing no negativity, only vibrant faces.

    The elderly were cared for, the young nurtured, coexisting harmoniously, a true era of peace.

    "Is there really such a peaceful ce in the world, without even a hint of conflict?"

    Xu Hei found it hard to believe.

    Doors were left unlocked at night, and items were not picked up on the streets, with no authorities in sight, severely challenging Xu Hei''s worldview.

    Perhaps too much time had passed, the scenes became blurry, intermittent, with fragmented images shing by.

    Xu Hei saw a stunning woman, her beauty beyond words.

    She sat cross-legged in a pill refining room, with three pill furnaces, the same setting as this ce.

    However, her eyes held despair.

    "Wuyou City, our Wuyou City..."

    "I don''t want anyone to see what I look like after I die, I don''t want to!"

    Her desperate cries echoed, her eyes filled with sorrow.

    Then, Xu Hei saw the woman dig a hole in the stone wall, taking out arge pill bottle.

    She leaped into the bottle, sealing herself within the pit.

    "If someone from the futurees here, I have only one request¡ªkill me!"

    "I have sealed my cultivation; even if I turn into a corpse, I will only be at mid-stage Core Formation! Inside this pill bottle is my life''s wealth, as a reward for killing me!"

    Her faint words transmitted over.

    "If no onees, so be it, let me be buried here forever, unseen by future generations."

    As her voice faded, the dust on the ground automatically filled in, burying the pit in the stone wall.

    ...

    Outside the Blood Corpse Cave.

    Arge group of figures was rushing toward this ce on various flying devices.

    On one of the underground ships sat two people, the Heavenly Puppet Sect duo, Lei He and Bai Luo.

    Beside them was arge group following the lead of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, including the Southern Region''s four sects, the Zhou Family, the Bai Family, and others, though they kept a distance.

    "Hmm?" Bai Luo frowned slightly, muttering, "The second pawn is dead."

    "Was it discovered by the Chu Tian Alliance?" Lei He raised an eyebrow.

    "It doesn''t matter if they found out; the key information has already been transmitted, that''s enough. It''s perfect timing to catch this group of rats in one fell swoop," the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect said coldly.

    This group''s scale was the strongest wave since entering the ruins. Core Formation cultivators were everywhere, and Foundation Establishment cultivators were asmon as dogs.

    They had longid a trap for the Chu Tian Alliance, and now was the time to close the.

    Although the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s main goal was the final inheritance, taking down those rebels along the way was a bonus.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Zhou Qing, the second ancestor of the Zhou Family, sat atop a mass of dark clouds, never revealing himself.

    His goal differed from the others; he had no intention of joining the battle. He was only after the Longevity Pill.

    As for the Scarlet me Demon Eyes, though important, he could tell they had been handed over to the Chu Tian Alliance. He wouldn''t be foolish enough to fall into such a trap.

    "Myriad Treasure Pavilion may not have much else, but it has plenty of money. I can always buy it back from the Chu Tian Alliance. As for you..."

    Zhou Qing''s eyes shed with a cold light, "The treasures on you are surely more valuable than the Scarlet me Demon Eyes!"

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei stood before the Corpse Charm woman, having finished reading the contents of the token.

    The Corpse Charm in front of him also gazed at him, her hollow eyes no longer showing ferocity but confusion and a hint of... pleading.

    A humble plea.

    But only for a moment, her expression turned to struggle again.

    Alternating between confusion and viciousness, her face twisted in pain.

    She wanted to crawl back into the bottle, not wanting to be seen like this, but feared Xu Hei would leave.

    She looked at Xu Hei, her eyes full of supplication.

    Xu Hei sighed, shaking his head. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to help her find relief; he was also tempted by the treasures she left behind. But his abilities were limited. How could a weakling who hadn''t even reached Core Formation help a mid-stage Core Formation Corpse Charm find peace?

    That would be suicidal.

    Moreover, judging by her appearance, although she retained some sanity, she was osciting between sanity and madness. Who knew when she might suddenly attack?

    The risk was too great, and Xu Hei was powerless.

    Xu Hei turned around, taking a deep look at the woman who had be a Corpse Charm. With a wave of his hand, he covered the dug-out wall, preserving a shred of her dignity, unseen by outsiders.

    Xu Hei could only wait until his cultivation was stronger, at least reaching the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, before considering returning to try again.

    A mid-stage Core Formation, even self-sealed, was not something he could handle now. Xu Hei was very self-aware.

    "Senior... brother..."

    Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the Corpse Charm''s mouth.

    Her eyes, bright and clear, looked at the token in Xu Hei''s hand, the madness in them gone, as if she had be more lucid.

 Chapter 193: Ancient Medicine Garden, Red-haired Corpse King

    Chapter 193: Ancient Medicine Garden, Red-haired Corpse King

    Xu Hei''s figure suddenly halted, turning back to look at the corpse enchantress.

    Only her head remained outside the jade bottle, her eyes clearer and brighter as she gazed at the token, seemingly recalling some memories.

    "Senior brother? Is this woman the junior sister of that descendant of Gongshu?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he carefully recalled the contents of the token once more.

    "I... descendant of Gongshu... to save my master..."

    "Great cmity... Yin Corpse Pill... sealed myself..."

    "Receive my inheritance... Divine Puppet Sect..."

    The words in the token were fragmented.

    Xu Hei quickly formed some conjectures."The owner of this tomb is likely their master, let''s call him Ancestor Gongshu for now."

    "This person encountered a sudden disaster and needs healing!"

    "And that disaster led to the destruction of Wuyou City, the annihtion of the Gongshu lineage, turning everyone into corpse puppets!"

    Xu Hei''s thoughts raced.

    Undoubtedly, these corpse puppets were cultivators from this ce or residents of Wuyou City. But what kind of upheaval caused the current scene remains unknown.

    Xu Hei was also curious about what kind of catastrophe could turn the once prosperous Wuyou City into its current state.

    What is the connection between these events and the Divine Puppet Sect?

    However, Xu Hei came here only to seek treasures and find an opportunity for a breakthrough.

    Such curiosity that kills the cat is best avoided.

    Time should not be wasted.

    Xu Hei nced once more at the hopeful eyes of the corpse enchantress, took a deep breath, and quickly made up his mind.

    With a wave of his hand, he activated the Gravity Technique, causing arge amount of dust and sand to pile up,pletely burying that area and restoring it to its original state.

    Although the corpse enchantress had regained a bit of rity, even if she didn''t attack him, the overwhelming corpse Qi inside, once released, was not something Xu Hei could easily withstand.

    He couldn''t guarantee that he could retreat unscathed after breaking the seal.

    Moreover, to kill a mid-stage Core Formation corpse enchantress, Xu Hei couldn''t find any method other than exhausting his True Qi to drive the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    His True Qi was already running low, and whether he could seed or not was uncertain.

    Even Xu Qingfeng and others hadn''t killed the corpse enchantress but chose to seal and suppress her, indicating that her vitality was extraordinarily strong.

    Xu Hei left the room, silently noting the location, and swiftly departed.

    Not long after Xu Hei left, scattered cultivators entered one after another, but they merely nced around and left.

    Everyone''s time was precious, and no one would spend time in a room that had already been explored.

    At this moment, the Chu Tian Alliance had also finished searching two rooms and was heading forward together.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he followed behind.

    Before long, the group arrived at a wide passageway.

    Inside the passage, the air was thick with the scent of blood, corpse Qi surged, and in the darkness, pairs of green eyes flickered, emitting a ferocious light.

    The corpse puppets inside were at least at the False Core Stage, none easy to deal with.

    "This is the ce," the Silver-haired Witch transmitted her voice.

    At this moment, besides the Chu Tian Alliance, most of the allied scattered cultivators had also followed.

    No one present was a fool; everyone knew there were benefits to be had by following the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Zhang Tie nced at the crowd behind him, a look of impatience shing in his eyes, but he didn''t drive them away.

    "Senior Zhang, although we can''t help much, we can still assist from the side."

    "Rest assured, leave your backs to us, no corpse puppet will sneak attack from behind!"

    The crowd stepped forward, speaking tteringly, showing ingratiating expressions.

    Some others, however, red coldly at Xu Hei and the other demonic cultivators, saying, "What are you following us for?"

    "Do you also want a share of the spoils?"

    "Courting death! Get lost!"

    The scattered cultivators were unceremonious with outsiders, stepping forward to drive them away, with two even drawing their flying swords to attack, pointing at the masked Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei stepped back a few paces, his gaze icy.

    Suddenly, a battle erupted at the front, with the Chu Tian Alliance decisively charging into the tunnel, engaging the corpse puppets inside.

    They knew time was of the essence, and Xu Qingfeng immediately used his strongest suppression technique.

    A giant character "Suppress" appeared above each corpse puppet''s head, instantly pressing them to the ground and sealing them, while the others rushed into the tunnel.

    Seeing this, the scattered cultivators no longer pressed forward, quickly changing direction and charging into the tunnel, fearing others would seize the opportunity first.

    "Hmph!"

    Xu Hei snorted coldly, Ji Ying shot out like lightning, piercing into the ear of the cultivator who had threatened him.

    "Thud!"

    The cultivator fell to the ground, convulsing to death.

    The other twopanions were shocked, and before they could call for help, Xu Hei pointed forward, and three flying swords shot out, instantly beheading the two.

    Xu Hei''s formidable strength startled the others.

    But most cultivators rushed into the tunnel, fearing to be a step behind and have the treasures snatched by others, unwilling to turn back to deal with Xu Hei.

    As for the Chu Tian Alliance, they didn''t even spare a nce, pretending not to notice.

    "Impressive skills, fellow Daoist!"

    "I admire you, it''s right to kill those who bully the weak!"

    Two demonic cultivators nearbyplimented, cupping their hands. No matter where, the strong are always respected.

    Xu Hei ignored everyone, his figure shing as he activated Ever-changing Fish and Dragon at full speed, leaving a trail of afterimages as he dashed into the tunnel, his speed no less than that of a Core Formation Stage cultivator!

    "Whoosh¡ª"

    Countless cultivators were overtaken by him, and amidst the chaos, Xu Hei reached the forefront, standing alongside the core members of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    The corpse puppets in the passage were all suppressed, and Xu Hei, with a quick nce, realized the Chu Tian Alliance was even stronger than he had imagined.

    Two mid-stage Core Formation, three early-stage Core Formation, and arge group of False Core corpse puppets were all dealt with in an instant.

    Passing through the tunnel, a dim yellow light shone down from the sky, revealing a range of mountains ahead, lush with greenery, trees forming forests, and countless medicinal herbs growing on the mountains, their fragrance wafting through the air.

    This was a vast medicinal garden!

    Having grown for countless millennia, it had formed a grand scale.

    Even though everyone was prepared, they couldn''t help but be filled with awe at the sight of this medicinal garden.

    Various ten-thousand-year-old spirit medicines were everywhere, and thousand-year-old ones were countless, covering the mountains and fields.

    On a peak, there was a bamboo grove, with one particrly striking golden giant bamboo, the Ten-thousand-year Gold Thunder Bamboo.

    Without a word, Zhang Tie rushed over, only to collide with a light barrier, revealing a seal.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This seal isted the medicinal garden from the world, visible but not passable.

    "Leave this ce!"

    Suddenly, a sinister voice came from within the medicinal garden.

    A figure covered in red hair emerged from a crack in the mountains ahead, its appearance unclear, but with a pair of glowing eyes watching the crowd.

 Chapter 194: Crazy Ancestor, Terrifying Massacre

    Chapter 194: Crazy Ancestor, Terrifying Massacre

    "Is this the Corpse King of this ce?"

    Xu Qingfeng''s expression was grave as he quietly took out the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    A corpse puppet of this level not only had a formidable physical body but also terrifying spells, and even a hint of intelligence, making it ten times harder to deal with than ordinary mindless corpse puppets.

    "Leave, leave..."

    The Red-haired Corpse King murmured hoarsely, repeating the same two words over and over.

    At this moment, the rogue cultivators from behind also caught up.

    Seeing Xu Hei ahead, their expressions changed dramatically. One young cultivator pointed at him and said, "Seniors, it''s him, he killed Yu Hao and the others, please..."

    "Shut up!"

    A middle-aged man beside him immediately pulled the young man aside, covering his mouth.The young cultivator was puzzled and looked at his elder.

    "Fool! He just killed someone, do you think the Chu Tian Alliance wouldn''t know? And he''s standing at the forefront, walking alongside the Chu Tian Alliance, don''t you understand?" the middle-aged man said in a deep voice.

    The young cultivator suddenly realized, his face turning a mix of green and red, looking extremely embarrassed.

    The middle-aged man said no more, quickly retreating and pulling the young man away.

    As rogue cultivators, they weren''t foolish enough to truly consider themselves part of the Chu Tian Alliance. They were merely borrowing the name to intimidate some demonic path cultivators.

    Along the way, they had gained quite a few benefits, and their safety was assured. If they dared to push their luck, it would be courting death.

    After all, aside from Xu Qingfeng, the leader of the Chu Tian Alliance, the other members were not good people.

    "Amitabha!"

    Kuxuan started with a meaningless phrase, looking at Xu Hei with a smile, "Benefactor, your good deed just now, this humble monk saw it. Are you nning to take refuge in my Buddha?"

    Good deed... Xu Hei pursed his lips and said, "Let''s deal with this Corpse King first."

    Being recognized at a nce didn''t surprise Xu Hei. He just couldn''t tell if this Kuxuan was a Buddha or a demon.

    At this moment, the Corpse King''s gaze grew fiercer. Emerging from the ground, he walked out of the seal, murmuring "leave" repeatedly.

    His entire body was covered in red hair, towering like a giant. Even in ancient times, he would have been extremely rare. As he walked, a whirlwind of red hair swept through the heavens and earth.

    The sky darkened, a chilling wind howled, producing ghostly wails, and a powerful oppressive force swept out, sending shivers down everyone''s spine.

    Xu Qingfeng''s expression was heavy as he sped his hands and said, "Senior, we only wish to use this ce..."

    "Non-sect alchemists are forbidden to enter, leave! Leave..."

    The Red-haired Corpse King continued to murmur, stepping out of the seal, a torrent of corpse Qi surged forth, nauseating and maddening. Xu Qingfeng immediately raised an invisible wall to block the corpse Qi.

    "Non-sect alchemists..."

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered imperceptibly.

    At this moment, a startled cry came from the side, murmuring, "Impossible! This is impossible!"

    Everyone looked over to see Zhao Wenzhuo holding a tortoiseshell, his eyes filled with shock, as if he had calcted something unbelievable.

    "What happened?" Xu Qingfeng asked.

    "Someone has been here before us!" Zhao Wenzhuo said gravely.

    At these words, everyone was stunned, unable to believe it.

    Zhang Tie quickly asked, "Are you sure?"

    "It can''t be false! But I''m not sure if it''s a person or something else," Zhao Wenzhuo said with a heavy expression.

    "Perhaps it''s just a corpse puppet."

    The vulture beside them interjected.

    Despite this, they didn''t n to dawdle any longer. Someone had entered before them, and the situation could develop unpredictably, so they had to act quickly!

    "Take action!"

    Zhang Tie''s body transformed, swelling to ten meters tall, bing a towering giant, wielding the Star-shattering Hammer, and smashed it towards the Corpse King''s forehead.

    "ng!"

    The sound of metal shing rang out as strands of red hair grew along the hammer, and red hair began to sprout on Zhang Tie''s hand.

    "Purify!"

    A "purify" character appeared above Zhang Tie''s head, dispersing the red hair, but he was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall, spitting blood.

    Xu Qingfeng unfolded the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, spat a bit of essence blood onto the scroll, and shouted:

    "Azure clouds and white robes, draw the long arrow and shoot the Sirius!"

    In an instant, azure light filled the sky, enveloping his body. On the scroll, a phantom of a bow-drawing archer appeared, shooting an arrow that hit the Red-haired Corpse King right between the eyes.

    "Roar!"

    The Corpse King let out a low roar, his body was shot and pinned to the stone wall, but the red hair whirlwind grew fiercer, forming a tornado storm, roaring forward, shaking the entire ground as if the sky was about to copse.

    Everyone was horrified and retreated rapidly.

    Two slower rogue cultivators were merely grazed by the storm, and their bodies were immediately covered in red hair, turning into monstrous creatures, losing their sanity, and biting at others.

    Kuxuan flicked his finger, sending out a golden light, and the two were instantly reduced to ashes.

    Even a slight touch from the red hair whirlwind would spell doom!

    Xu Hei''s face was ashen as he retreated rapidly. Even among Core Formation stage cultivators, the gap between each small realm was like a chasm, insurmountable from early to mid-stage, and mid tote-stage.

    He originally thought of trying to use the female corpse''s token to sneak in, but decided against it, too dangerous!

    And at this moment.

    Xu Hei suddenly felt a chill, a strong sense of crisising from behind, making his scalp tingle.

    This was a feeling from his true self, a cold stream rushing from his spine to his crown, causing his mind to buzz.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei instantly used his movement technique to dodge to the side.

    The next moment, a terrifying blood-colored handprint came crashing from behind, rumbling as it passed, turning people into blood mist, smashing them into meat paste.

    Even the narrow passage was widened by the impact.

    Although Xu Hei dodged in time, he was still affected, half of his puppet''s body was gone, and his true self spat blood, almost crashing into the rock wall.

    Taking advantage of the attack''s gap, Xu Hei saw the person approaching from behind.

    It was an old man wearing a straw hat, his face expressionless, with no detectable aura,pletely concealing himself.

    If not for the lingering sense of crisis, Xu Hei might have mistaken him for an ordinary old man.

    "Late Core Formation stage!"

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted, a thought like lightning shed through his mind, immediately recalling the person who had used a shocking handprint on him in Wuyou City.

    That handprint had appeared without warning, crashing down from the sky, covering all possible positions he could be in.

    If not for his innate sense of danger, that palm would have surely taken his life!

    Now, that person had appeared once again.

    "Hmph!"

    The straw hat elder remained expressionless, walking forward, raising his hand to unleash countless handprints, causing the rogue cultivators to explode into blood and flesh, shattering into pieces.

    This was indiscriminate killing.

    Zhou Qing,te Core Formation stage.

    He hadn''t followed the main group, but instead advanced at full speed, surpassing everyone, making him the first to arrive.

    Zhou Qing didn''t know who the target was, only guessing that the person might be seeking protection from the Chu Tian Alliance, hiding among the rogue cultivators.

    This made it simple, kill everyone, leave no one alive.

    It was an undeniably simple and effective method.

    Although it might offend some people, he was nearing the end of his lifespan, relying on the Longevity Pill to survive, so he wasn''t afraid. Moreover, he had hidden his identity.

    Along the way, countless rogue cultivators had died at his hands, but he hadn''t found the suspected target.

    "Poof!"

    Suddenly, his handprint struck something soft like cotton, losing most of its power.

    This made Zhou Qing pause, and he looked closely to see a white-bearded elder holding a horsetail whisk, squinting at him.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Zhou Family''s ancestor, don''t overdo it, beware of karmic retribution," Tianji Shangren said coldly.

 Chapter 195: The deity manifests, taking a daring gamble

    Chapter 195: The deity manifests, taking a daring gamble

    "Karma?"

    Zhou Qing smiled faintly; it was the first time he had heard such a term.

    The palm strike just now was merely a casual blow from him, easily blocked by Tianji Shangren, nothing surprising.

    If he wished, he could kill this person at any time, but considering the Peni Ind behind Tianji Shangren, even the Qin Kingdom hadn''t dared to invade, he dismissed the thought.

    "Every cause has an effect. The sins of today will be repaid in the future! If not in this life, then in the next; if not on oneself, then on one''s children. That''s all I''ll say. Whether you listen or not is up to you," Tianji Shangren said coldly.

    "Annoying!"

    Zhou Qing''s eyes turned icy as he raised his hand and sent a palm strike, sending Tianji Shangren flying into a corner, his face turning pale.

    This old Taoist didn''t know his ce, daring to curse him. Did he really think Zhou Qing wouldn''t dare to kill him?

    "I heard you''re skilled in divination. Why don''t you calcte how long I have left to live?" Zhou Qing sneered, his eyes filled with murderous intent.Tianji Shangren snorted coldly, actually starting to calcte, but soon his expression changed to one of shock.

    "Oh? What''s the result?" Zhou Qing asked with a smile.

    Tianji Shangren remained silent, but his eyes were filled with unmistakable astonishment.

    "Hahaha!"

    Zhou Qingughed heartily, not pressing further, and turned to walk deeper into the tunnel.

    "The ancestor of the Zhou Family, it really is the Zhou Family..."

    Xu Hei''s mind raced, his scalp tingling with fear.

    At this moment, Zhou Qing was approaching step by step, and two more rogue cultivators attempting to escape were killed with a single palm strike.

    If Xu Hei were to emerge from the stone wall now, he would surely be targeted on the spot.

    Should he use the Small Teleportation Talisman?

    Or the ck Dragon Pagoda?

    The ck Dragon Pagoda consumed too much energy and might not ensure escape. With this old undying one''s experience, he surely had a countermeasure.

    The Small Teleportation Talisman, who knows where it would transport him.

    Moreover, Zhou Qing had been holding something in his hand, hidden in his sleeve. Knowing Xu Hei had a Small Teleportation Talisman, he must have been prepared!

    As soon as there was a hint of spatial fluctuation, Zhou Qing would likely react instantly!

    Xu Hei could use the Small Teleportation Talisman to escape once, but how could the opponent not know he would try to escape a second time?

    Instead, it might expose him.

    Against such a cunning opponent, Xu Hei couldn''t afford a single mistake; a mistake meant death!

    "This is the only way!"

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and made up his mind.

    While Xu Hei was contemting, Zhou Qing killed five more people, bing even more reckless.

    Even when some rogue cultivators revealed their identities, they were mercilessly killed by Zhou Qing.

    At this rate, in just two breaths, Zhou Qing would be right in front of Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei quickly stored half of the puppet into his Storage Bag, swallowed an explosive essence pill, and his blood began to burn, focusing his mind to a single point.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    In this life-and-death crisis, Xu Hei unleashed unprecedented speed.

    He burst into mes, like a ck lightning bolt, shooting out from the stone wall, racing towards the ancient medicinal garden ahead.

    His speed was indescribable, leaving countless afterimages in mid-air, appearing in all directions, filling the sky.

    This was the thirdyer of the perfected Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, with countless afterimages, making it impossible to find the true body!

    Xu Hei didn''t use an External Incarnation but relied on his true form, achieving his peak speed, faster than even the Core Formation Stage!

    The moment Xu Hei moved, Zhou Qing also acted.

    He flicked a Talisman of Forbidden Spirit, which shattered in mid-air, creating a space devoid of spirit, prohibiting all spells and talismans.

    Even the Small Teleportation Talisman could be forcibly interrupted, one of Zhou Qing''s trump cards.

    However, it was ineffective against the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon.

    "Hmm?"

    Zhou Qing was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting this, but he reacted swiftly, raising his hand to scatter all the afterimages in an instant.

    "Gravity Technique!"

    He seamlessly raised his hand, exerting a powerful gravitational force on the remaining Xu Hei, holding him firmly and pulling him back.

    In the blink of an eye, Xu Hei was pulled close.

    But then Zhou Qing''s expression froze.

    The Xu Hei he had caught was not the true body but an External Incarnation!

    "When did he create an incarnation? I didn''t notice at all!"

    Zhou Qing''s heart was shaken.

    An External Incarnation could only be created at the fourthyer of Ever-changing Fish and Dragon. In this life-and-death moment, Xu Hei naturally broke through under mental stimtion.

    Zhou Qing looked ahead, seeing Xu Hei''s true form already rushing into the whirlwind of red hair.

    At this moment, Xu Hei felt an unbearable itch all over his body, as strange energy drilled into him, as if trying to grow red hair. But he gritted his teeth, took out a Token from his Storage Bag, and sped up again, rushing towards the sealed area.

    The Red-haired Corpse King on the wall roared, about to raise a hand to stop him, but upon seeing the Token, its expression froze, and even the whirlwind of red hair around Xu Hei weakened slightly.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei slipped into the sealed light barrier without any obstruction, passing through and disappearing.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    At this moment.

    The outside world was in a daze.

    Not only Zhou Qing was stunned, but even the members of the Chu Tian Alliance were bewildered.

    No one expected a snake to rush into the light barrier first, without being stopped by the ancient seal.

    Seeing the Red-haired Corpse King''s expression and recalling Xu Hei''s previous actions, they immediately realized it must have been due to the Token.

    "Hmph! You won''t escape!"

    Zhou Qing stomped his foot, raising a golden light shield, and charged towards the seal. Any red hair that touched him ignited into mes, quickly burning away.

    He took out a golden seal, striking the formation with it, causing it to tremble and the world to crack.

    "A mere remnant of an ancient formation dares to stop me?"

    Zhou Qing''s eyes were cold as he smashed the seal again, the deafening roar causing cracks in the formation.

    The Red-haired Corpse King, like a mad demon, broke free from the arrows, its eyes shing with lightning, roaring like thunder, charging at Zhou Qing.

    ...

    Meanwhile.

    As soon as Xu Hei entered the ancient medicinal garden, he was enveloped by a rich medicinal fragrance, and even the strange energy within him dissipated rapidly, with the corpse Qi being expelled from his body.

    Just by taking a breath, Xu Hei felt purified.

    Xu Hei let out a sigh of relief, copsing to the ground.

    He had taken a huge risk earlier, testing with the Token. If it hadn''t worked, he would have had to use his trump card.

    Fortunately, he seeded!

    The Red-haired Corpse King indeed recognized the Token.

    "This Zhou Family ancestor is a problem. I must find a way to eliminate him!" Xu Hei thought with resentment.

    Twice he had nearly been killed, all thanks to this person.

    Such an old undying one, who doesn''t y by the rules, must be killed to eliminate future troubles. Any talk of shifting hatred to the Chu Tian Alliance was nonsense! The opponent was targeting him!

    In fact, it was understandable. He had opened the Earth Path and emerged from the pyramid, surely possessing countless treasures. Not coveting him would be abnormal.

    Xu Hei exhaled, refocusing his thoughts, and looked around.

    This medicinal mountain was vast, filled with a dazzling array of medicinal herbs, most of which he didn''t recognize or had never heard of. Thousand-year-old herbs were everywhere, and there were quite a few ten-thousand-year-old ones.

    These relics from ancient times, even a single de of grass, would be worth a fortune.

    Even the soil here had remarkable medicinal properties.

    This ce was visible from the outside, yet no sound from outside could be heard. Xu Hei looked back, seeing the Corpse King and Zhou Qing locked in battle, fighting fiercely, blood and light filling the sky, shaking the surroundings, with the tunnel showing signs of copse, but it didn''t affect the formation inside.

    This ancient formation isted the area, like a paradise.

    Xu Hei nced at the cracks in the formation, feeling cautious. This ancient formation wasn''t unbreakable, and he needed to scour the area as quickly as possible.

    Of course, he couldn''t take everything, or he''d be a target for everyone.

 Chapter 196: Spirit Medicine, Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell

    Chapter 196: Spirit Medicine, Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell

    Xu Hei sprang into action, arriving in front of a millennia-old Purple me Vine. As the vineshed out at him with a whistling sound, he eximed, "It''s sentient!"

    Startled, Xu Hei dodged and then bit down on the vine, pulling it from the ground and storing it in a Void Stone.

    It''s not umon for nts that have lived for thousands of years to be sentient. Just as humans and demonic beasts can cultivate, nts can naturally gain sentience after surviving for millennia, although the process is much more arduous.

    Xu Hei moved to another patch of grass, but before he could act, a carrot-shaped creature emerged from the ground and tried to flee. Its roots acted like human legs, propelling it swiftly, faster than most at the Foundation Establishment Stage could catch.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei moved like lightning, capturing the "carrot" in an instant. It was a thirty-thousand-year-old Earth Spirit Fruit, which began to wail like a baby once caught, its cries sharp and piercing.

    Xu Hei knocked it unconscious with a flick of his tail and stored it in a Void Stone. A nt of thirty thousand years is far more valuable than one of ten thousand years.

    Continuing his spree, Xu Hei collected several other millennia-old medicinal herbs, not sparing even those of a thousand years, gathering about ten in total.

    "I''m rich, I''m rich! Just selling these would be worth a fortune, beyond estimation!"Xu Hei''s heart raced with excitement, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. With so many eyes watching from outside, keeping his bounty was another matter entirely.

    Especially the Zhou Family''s patriarch, who, despite showing no expression, radiated a chilling killing intent that Xu Hei could sense even through the seal.

    ...

    Outside the passage.

    The surviving rogue cultivators, having narrowly escaped death, fled in panic, with only a few daring to linger at a distance, their eyes fixed on the ancient medicinal garden, flickering with greed.

    "Old Daoist, what did you see earlier?" Liu Buqun asked in a deep voice.

    Tianji Shangren replied, "For someone like the Zhou Family''s second patriarch, whose lifespan is at its end, there should be signs of death energy. I can recognize it at a nce, yet this person shows no such signs!"

    "As for what I''ve divined, I can''t tell you yet."

    Hearing this, Liu Buqun fell into deep thought, "Could it be that this person has some great fortune?"

    Tianji Shangren merely shook his head with a cold smile, "Great fortune wouldn''t belong to someone like him. It belongs to those destined by fate..."

    At this point, Tianji Shangren suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining with unprecedented brilliance.

    "Such strong luck, this time there''s no mistake!"

    He stood up and walked towards the cave''s entrance.

    Meanwhile, the main forces of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Bai Family, Zhou Family, and the four sects of the Southern Region had arrived at the entrance of the Blood Corpse Cave, advancing inside.

    ...

    After a thorough search, Xu Hei had taken most of the inconspicuous medicinal herbs. The garden looked much the same as before, but its scatteredponents had been cleaned out by Xu Hei.

    Most of the spirit medicines were a thousand years old, and he only took ten of the ten-thousand-year ones, with three being sentient, a low ratio.

    Additionally, Xu Hei noticed signs that some herbs had been previously harvested. Only a few low-grade thousand-year ones were taken, and if Xu Hei hadn''t been observant, he wouldn''t have noticed these details.

    "Zhao Wenzhuo mentioned someone had entered here earlier, and it seems true!"

    Xu Hei looked around. Besides the harvested herbs, the person left no other traces.

    Xu Hei didn''t dwell on it, just kept it in mind.

    At this moment, many precious spirit medicines remained in the garden.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed as he brought out a corpse puppet, cing it in front of a massive Rafflesia.

    He had never seen this flower before and didn''t know its species. Its pistil emitted a bloody scent, seemingly to lure creatures closer.

    Suddenly, the Rafflesia lunged, like a monstrous maw, swallowing the puppet whole in an instant.

    Its attack speed wasparable to the Core Formation Stage!

    In Xu Hei''s perception, the puppet was instantly digested, bing nourishment for the giant flower.

    "This thing is indeed not to be trifled with!"

    Xu Hei had suspected the flower was unusual from the start, and testing it with a puppet confirmed it.

    Xu Hei nced at the hundred-thousand-year-old Gold Thunder Bamboo atop the peak and the formation about to shatter behind him, quickly abandoning the idea of digging it up.

    Even if he seeded, the group outside wouldn''t let him go.

    The risk was too great, so Xu Hei decisively gave up.

    He took out a Small Teleportation Talisman, ready to activate it, but suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.

    Instinctively, he felt this ce was unsuitable for teleportation!

    Based on past experiences, using it here had a high chance of teleporting him into the mountains, requiring multiple uses to escape.

    Even if he luckily appeared on the surface, he could easily get lost or encounter danger.

    "Better to trust the known than gamble on the unknown," Xu Hei thought, putting away the Small Teleportation Talisman.

    The soil here had the same effect as the stone walls outside, blocking Divine Sense.

    Xu Hei made a quick decision, cing a puppet outside, then using an Invisibility Talisman to hide himself in a pit.

    This spot was originally where a spirit medicine grew, now upied by Xu Hei.

    Using dragon scales to dig, he tunneled several hundred feet deep.

    His hiding ce was absolutely undetectable.

    Of course, this wasn''t enough.

    Xu Hei continued digging, but soon hit something resembling an iron te, blocking further progress.

    "What''s beneath here..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted.

    "Boom!!"

    A roar came from outside as the sealing formation waspletely shattered, and everyone rushed into the medicinal garden.

    Zhou Qing wasted no time, heading straight for the back of the garden, his only target being Xu Hei.

    Not to mention the treasures Xu Hei carried, the herbs he dug up alone had to be seized!

    "Leave it to me!"

    Xu Qingfeng threw a "Stop" character above Zhou Qing''s head, momentarily freezing him.

    Xu Hei didn''t hesitate, controlling the puppet to activate a teleportation talisman.

    "Buzz!"

    A spatial ripple shed, and the puppet was instantly teleported away.

    Xu Hei lost contact with the puppet, not knowing where it had been sent. If the distance was too great, this would happen.

    In the garden, Zhou Qing also sensed the strong spatial fluctuation. With a swift movement, he arrived at the spot where Xu Hei''s puppet had disappeared, his face darkening.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "You escaped again!" Zhou Qing''s face turned ashen.

    As expected, if he were in the other¡¯s shoes, facing ate Core Formation Stage pursuer, he would do the same. It was the optimal solution.

    But he didn''t know that what had just been teleported wasn''t Xu Hei himself, but merely a puppet.

    However, Zhou Qing had no time to ponder further.

    At this moment, members of the Chu Tian Alliance began harvesting herbs, and a few fearless rogue cultivators also entered, digging up thousand-year spirit medicines.

    Zhou Qing sensed the approaching main forces, heading straight for this ce.

    "Longevity Pill! Even without the Longevity Pill, there might be longevity spirit medicines!"

    Zhou Qing spread his Divine Sense, scanning the various herbs in the garden. Even with his knowledge, many were unfamiliar.

    He didn''t care, grabbing a handful of spirit medicines and stuffing them into his storage bag, then heading straight for the Gold Thunder Bamboo at the mountain''s peak.

 Chapter 197: Surrounded by life and death, the way to break the deadlock

    Chapter 197: Surrounded by life and death, the way to break the deadlock

    Xu Hei waspletely unaware of what was happening outside.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    At the moment, an iron te blocked his path downward. Xu Hei pondered for a moment and began digging to the side along the edge of the iron te.

    The iron te didn''t extend infinitely and had bends. Xu Hei continued digging downward along the edges.

    It took Xu Hei a full half-hour of digging before he finally saw what it was.

    It was a massive square secret chamber, entirely made of metal, with only one entrance at the front, sealed off by iron tes everywhere else.

    "There''s a secret chamber beneath this herb garden. What''s it used for?"

    Xu Hei reached the entrance, staring at the dark doorway ahead, feeling a bit hesitant.

    At this moment, sounds of battle could be heard outside. Although his Divine Sense couldn''t probe out, the terrifying fluctuations of the battle kept resonating, with spells roaring¡ªdefinitely a sh between cultivators at the mid-stage Core Formation or higher!

    Xu Hei estimated the time; the people from the Heavenly Puppet Sect should be arriving soon.He definitely didn''t dare to go out. Looking at the door in front of him, Xu Hei pondered briefly and then made a decision.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, External Incarnation!"

    Xu Hei''s figure became blurry, and shadows shot out from his body, ovepping infinitely beside him.

    When the number of shadows reached its limit, they solidified, turning into a real entity, transforming into a ck snake identical to Xu Hei himself!

    This was the External Incarnation!

    External Incarnation was considered a rtively advanced secret technique in major sects, typically mastered only by those at the Core Formation stage or some prodigies.

    Xu Hei, in a moment of crisis, had a sudden inspiration, evolving the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon to the fourth level, naturally using the incarnation.

    One must admit, the growth speed in dangerous environments is always faster than infortable ones, which is an advantage.

    The downside is the risk of dying.

    Xu Hei wouldn''t deliberately put himself in danger just for growth; he was purely forced into it.

    At this moment, Xu Hei looked at the incarnation in front of him, and the incarnation looked back at him.

    This felt different from a puppet; both seemed like himself, able to be controlled at will, and casting spells felt more natural.

    He could even use the incarnation to control a puppet.

    Perhaps it was an illusion, but Xu Hei felt that the incarnation created by the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon was more advanced than others, almost indistinguishable from the real thing!

    Even Zhou Qing couldn''t tell at first nce, only realizing the truth when he caught it in his hand.

    Xu Hei took out the ancient bell he had snatched. He had already refined it, and it was called the Bell of Chaos.

    Inside the bell, a spell was engraved, named Chaos Wave, which had a strong restraining effect on corpse puppets. As long as it was struck, the Chaos Wave would automatically be released.

    Xu Hei had reason to suspect that this bell originated from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Xu Hei sent out the incarnation, holding the Bell of Chaos, and crawled into the dark doorway.

    He didn''t know what was inside, so he used the incarnation to probe first.

    "Whoosh!"

    Passing through the door, Xu Hei didn''t feel any obstruction and entered the secret chamber.

    "This is..."

    In an instant, Xu Hei was stunned.

    Inside the chamber, a series of pills were neatly disyed on the counter, with remnants of medicinal herbs on the ground, very fresh, and various medicinal fragrances floating in the air.

    It showed that someone had been here not long ago.

    The pill bottles on the counter were all ancient, with the names of the pills written on them.

    Xu Hei nced over and couldn''t help but widen his eyes, almost dropping his jaw in shock.

    "Longevity Pill, Longevity Pill, Longevity Pill..."

    There were many pills here, and surprisingly, half of them were Longevity Pills.

    The other half were pills that Xu Hei was familiar with.

    "Rejuvenation Pill, Blood Replenishing Pill, Awakening Pills..."

    Looking at these familiar pills, Xu Hei smiled bitterly inside. He activated his Gravity Technique and pulled two bottles of pills over.

    The pill bottles were ancient relics, but the pills inside were modern concoctions.

    Xu Hei already understood who had been here before.

    ¡ªXu Bai.

    Xu Bai had left a jade slip saying she had found a pill refining holynd. He didn''t expect it to be here.

    He just couldn''t figure out how Xu Bai had reached this ce, which was fraught with danger, where a slight mistake could cost one''s life.

    Not to mention the Red-haired Corpse King and the various corpse puppets in the Blood Corpse Cave, just getting here without Core Formation cultivation and incredible luck would be nearly impossible.

    Xu Hei naturally knew that Xu Bai was researching the Longevity Pill.

    He casually pulled over a bottle of Longevity Pills. The pills inside were emerald green, full of vitality, yet for some reason, Xu Hei had a gut feeling that this pill should never be consumed!

    And on the surface of the Longevity Pill, there was a cross mark, which Xu Bai usually wouldn''t make.

    This only indicated that there was something wrong with this pill!

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, took away some Longevity Pills, and left only three bottles.

    He also took all the other pills, then took out some empty pill bottles he found in the corpse puppet''s room and ced them here.

    Afterward, he collected the fresh herb remnants on the ground, sprinkled some dust, and perfectly simted the appearance of an ancient pill refining room.

    After some arrangements, Xu Hei couldn''t guarantee to fool everyone, but deceiving over ny-nine percent was enough.

    "Where has Xu Bai gone?"

    Xu Hei took out the jade slip Xu Bai left behind, inserted his Divine Sense into it, and roughly sensed that the direction was towards Wuyou City.

    ...

    At this moment, the struggle in the herb garden had reached a fever pitch.

    The spirit medicines here were not defenseless; they all had strong offensive capabilities.

    A Rafflesia could swallow a Core Formation cultivator, and a bomb tree would throw explosive fruits when approached, easily injuring a Core Formation cultivator.

    There was also an eighty-thousand-year-old willow tree, with willow branches like flying swords, possessing strengthparable to mid-stage Core Formation.

    The hundred-thousand-year-old Gold Thunder Bamboo even hadte Core Formation cultivation.

    However, nts were still nts; as long as they couldn''t move, humans had ways to deal with them.

    The premise was human unity.

    When Zhang Tie exhausted all his strength to cut a piece of Gold Thunder Bamboo, only to be ambushed by the Zhou Family''s ancestor, things took an unpredictable turn.

    Initially, both sides were harmoniously harvesting, taking what they needed, but now, a life-and-death battle had erupted.

    After a round of fighting, both sides were heavily injured and retreated.

    As the main forces of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Snake Catchers Sect, and others entered the scene, the Chu Tian Alliance immediately faced a life-and-death crisis, on the brink of annihtion.

    Lei He, Zhou Qingxuan, the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, and others¡ªten Core Formation cultivators in total¡ªwerepletely unmatched against the two from the Chu Tian Alliance.

    The passage was blocked, and the perimeter of the Blood Corpse Cave was also sealed.

    There was no way to escape, no way to retreat; it was a certain death situation!

    However, in the face of such a desperate situation, the Chu Tian Alliance showed no sign of panic.

    "If you dare to make a move, I''ll destroy this herb garden, and no one will get any benefits!"

    Xu Qingfeng took out a scroll, ready to unfold it, releasing a world-destroying wave, causing even the space to tremble as if it would copse.

    "And all the corpse puppets suppressed here, I''ll lift all the seals and see how you deal with the corpse puppet army!"

    Xu Qingfeng''s first statement only made everyone hesitate.

    The second statement made everyone''s faces change dramatically.

    As Xu Qingfeng raised his hand, the sealed Red-haired Corpse King outside let out a roar, a red-haired whirlwind rising, ready to crawl out from the ground.

    Everyone was shocked and could no longer remain calm.

    "Stop! We agree to a ceasefire!"

    Lei He hurriedly shouted, stopping Xu Qingfeng''s reckless actions.

 Chapter 198: Stealing beams and replacing pillars, Minor Teleportation Formation

    Chapter 198: Stealing beams and recing pirs, Minor Teleportation Formation

    Xu Qingfeng, as a leader of the Chu Tian Alliance, although upright in his conduct, often found himself at a disadvantage in the ruthless Cultivation World. However, he was far from foolish.

    He had long anticipated that among the rogue cultivators under the Chu Tian Alliance, there might be spies, leading enemies to surround this ce.

    The corpse puppets outside were not something he couldn''t kill; rather, he intentionally suppressed and sealed them.

    This was his trump card, a bargaining chip for negotiations.

    With just a thought, the seal would break, and this ce would be heavily surrounded by the army of corpse puppets, leaving no chance for escape.

    Even if a few managed to escape by luck, most would face a dead end.

    "No wonder you''re the leader of the rebels, such a clever tactic!" Lei He said, his face pale with anger.

    "You''re too kind! We''ve been developing this ce for three days, and the suppressed corpse puppets number in the hundreds, if not thousands. If you give it your all, maybe two or three of you can survive," Xu Qingfeng sneered.

    Everyone fell silent.Even the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, who was exuding a sinister aura as if about to go berserk, remained silent. He wasn''t foolish enough to fight the corpse puppets head-on.

    "Have you found the Longevity Pill?" Zhou Qing asked.

    "I''ve only seen it in Historical Projections," Bai Luo replied.

    Everyone nodded in agreement.

    Zhou Qing sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed. He hade to the ancient relics to extend his life, how could he return empty-handed?

    Zhou Wendie, seeing that the ancestor had forgotten the main issue, hurriedly sent a voice transmission: "Ancestor, my Scarlet me Demon Eyes..."

    Hearing this, Zhou Qing finally looked at Xu Qingfeng and transmitted: "Name your price for the Scarlet me Demon Eyes. Our Zhou Family runs the Myriad Treasure Pavilion; we can afford any price!"

    Xu Qingfeng did not immediately refuse. He smiled and said, "Let''s discuss this matter outside."

    Upon hearing this, everyone''s eyes flickered.

    The Zhou Familymunicated through Divine Sense.

    But Xu Qingfeng spoke openly in front of everyone.

    Could it be that the Zhou Family had private dealings with the Chu Tian Alliance? This made those present suspicious.

    Zhou Qing immediately realized he had been set up. He wanted to exin, but as a second ancestor, he couldn''t bring himself to do so, so he just snorted coldly.

    Zhou Qingxuan quickly exined, "Wendie''s Scarlet me Demon Eyes were taken by that demon and handed over to the Chu Tian Alliance. Our Zhou Family is negotiating to buy them back."

    His exnation only made things worse, as everyone showed strange expressions.

    We weren''t suspecting you, so why exin?

    Is there no silver here?

    Moreover, Zhou Qing was the first to arrive here, bypassing everyone else to meet with the Chu Tian Alliance, which was quite intriguing.

    "Xu Qingfeng, there''s no need for such petty tricks to sow discord. Do you really think we''re fools?" Yin Mingzi spoke coldly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Smart people could naturally see through the ploy, but there was never a shortage of foolish teammates.

    They just didn''t show it.

    Moreover, there were some troublemakers within the coalition.

    "Qiushui, what do you think?"

    The Bai Family had also sent an elder named Bai Zhong to protect Bai Qiushui''s safety.

    "Our Bai Family should best avoid getting involved in such disputes and not be used as pawns," Bai Qiushui said calmly.

    "I agree! These rebels are not simple; let Qin Xuanji handle it. Isn''t he capable?" Another member of the Bai Family echoed.

    Unknowingly, different voices emerged within the coalition.

    Subsequently, the medicine garden fell into a brief peace.

    Everyone turned their attention back to the Spirit Medicines scattered across the mountains.

    They had attempted to attack the ten-thousand-year-old Gold Thunder Bamboo several times, only breaking a few branches, unable to shake the main trunk.

    Helpless, they turned their attention to other Spirit Medicines.

    Some had scouted the surroundings and discovered that the medicine garden had boundaries. Beyond the mountain, a protectiveyer appeared, and passing through it led to a void space, seemingly the end of the ancient relic.

    Others began digging downward, finding that the soil here was rich in Spiritual Qi, a rare spiritual soil.

    Even if they couldn''t find Spirit Medicines, taking some soil back would be beneficial.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, Xu Hei had searched the secret chamber thoroughly. Besides the Pills left by Xu Bai, he also found a decayed bamboo sword.

    The bamboo sword was pitch ck and had been in the corner for an unknown number of years, yet it hadn''tpletely rotted away.

    However, the Spiritual Power on it had long dissipated, turning it into a piece of decayed wood.

    Xu Hei didn''t let it go and carefully stored it away.

    At this time, his true self outside the secret chamber suddenly felt the ground shaking.

    "They''re digging down, as expected."

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened. He wasn''t surprised that the underground would be discovered.

    His avatar immediately left the secret chamber, digging in the opposite direction of the vibrations, using dragon scales to clear the way, while his true self followed behind, filling in the excavation traces.

    Before long, he reached a position only ten meters from the surface and stopped.

    At this distance, if he exerted all his strength, he could break through in an instant.

    Momentster.

    "Look! What have I found!"

    "There''s an underground cave dwelling here!"

    The two who first discovered the secret chamber rushed in, sweeping away all the Pills inside, without suspecting it was a setup.

    These two were elders from the Tai Xuan Sect in the Southern Region. They didn''t dare to snatch Spirit Medicines, so they could only dig for spiritual soil and pick up leftovers.

    Seeing such a great opportunity, they didn''t hesitate and rushed in.

    However, the news quickly leaked, and Lei He and Zhou Qing found their way there, taking all the gains from the two.

    Zhou Qing naturally ended up with a Longevity Pill.

    He looked at the pill bottle in his hand, hesitated for a while, and didn''t open the seal, carefully storing it away.

    Spreading his Divine Sense, he scanned the searched secret chamber, frowning as his thoughts raced.

    "If there were more Longevity Pills, I could let someone else try one first. Unfortunately, there are only three."

    Zhou Qing suspected that the Pills might have been swapped.

    Ancient Pills and modern Pills had very distinct differences, but the Longevity Pill in front of him was too rare, matching ancient records perfectly, not seeming fake.

    Moreover, the pill bottle was indeed from ancient times.

    Zhou Qing couldn''t make up his mind and decided to set it aside for now.

    "Buzz!"

    Suddenly, intense spatial fluctuations came from outside, causing terrifying ripples.

    "Not good, it''s the Minor Teleportation Formation!"

    "The Chu Tian Alliance is trying to escape!"

    Shouts of rm came from outside.

    "Damn it!"

    Zhou Qing and Lei He exchanged nces and rushed towards the surface at the fastest speed.

    They had been careless! Aste Core Formation stage cultivators, they had been so focused on the underground opportunity that they overlooked the Chu Tian Alliance''s small actions!

    They could ept the Chu Tian Alliance leaving, but they had to leave together!

    If the Chu Tian Alliance left first and released the corpse puppets, it would be a disaster! They would have yed a time trick, slipping away first and leaving the others trapped by the corpse puppets, with dire consequences!

    "Boom!!"

    The surface exploded as Xu Hei''s figure shot into the sky.

    He had also heard the shouts from outside and made a decisive move, breaking through the surface, his gaze instantly locking onto a massive Formation in the distance.

    The Minor Teleportation Formation, once used by Hei Huang at the Purple Mist Sect, was something Xu Hei could recognize at a nce.

 Chapter 199: Yuan Yings artistic conception, ambush at the exit

    Chapter 199: Yuan Ying''s artistic conception, ambush at the exit

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei''s speed reached its peak, entering the Minor Teleportation Formation almost the instant it activated, enveloped by spatial light.

    Inside the formation, several people appeared simultaneously, all members of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Zhang Tie, Ku Xuan, the Silver-haired Witch, Xiao Chou, Zhao Wenzhuo, and the Vulture.

    A few rogue cultivators also rushed in.

    Seeing Xu Hei enter, everyone was slightly surprised.

    Ku Xuan nodded in greeting, Zhang Tie remained expressionless, Xiao Chou was full of excitement, Zhao Wenzhuo''s pupils contracted as he took out a tortoiseshell to calcte fortunes.

    The Silver-haired Witch stayed icy cold, not even ncing at him.

    The Vulture warily retreated a few steps, perching on Ku Xuan''s shoulder.Everyone''s expressions varied, but it was clear Xu Qingfeng had informed them not to stop Xu Hei.

    Xu Qingfeng did not enter; he stood outside the formation, holding the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, back to the crowd, protecting them.

    Zhou Qing burst from the ground, eyes locked, and charged toward the formation without a word.

    Upon seeing Xu Hei inside the formation, his pupils slightly contracted.

    "It''s you?"

    Zhou Qing was surprised, instantly realizing that the one who had been teleported earlier was just a substitute, not the true form of this snake.

    The snake''s real body was hidden somewhere, only emerging now!

    He had sensed something was amiss before; behind the medicine gardeny an endless void. Even if the snake teleported, where would it go? Entering the endless void was a dead end!

    Now, it dawned on him that he had been tricked again!

    In an instant, Zhou Qing''s eyes erupted with a murderous intent that could no longer be contained.

    He took out a gray talisman and crushed it, blood seeping from his palm as he activated a spell. Blood-red runes rapidly spread from the shattered talisman.

    Where the runes passed, even space trembled, forming a barrier as if to interrupt the teleportation waves.

    "A fourth-level talisman?!"

    The crowd behind eximed; the talisman Zhou Qing used was a fourth-level talisman, a Void Lock Talisman!

    The Void Lock Talisman could lock space, prohibiting teleportation, a divine ability only Elemental Infant stage cultivators could wield, beyond mere spells.

    Zhou Qing had prepared ample means for this expedition, and this was one of his trump cards. Without hesitation, he used it to trap the opponent.

    "The wind is cold at Yi River, the warrior goes never to return!"

    Xu Qingfeng, holding the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, recited loudly. From the book floated a long poem, coalescing into a ck figure.

    This figure, holding a de, exuded an extremely chilling killing intent, even hinting at the Elemental Infant stage''s aura.

    The aura of life and death, a thought of life, a thought of death!

    This was the insight of an Elemental Infant cultivator before bravely facing death, transformed into verses and integrated into the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    Words became poetry, infused with aura, presenting power far beyond ordinary single words!

    "Kill!"

    The ck figure, like a de, charged toward Zhou Qing''s area, the indescribable aura of life and death instantly invading Zhou Qing''s body.

    In a sh, Zhou Qing''s hair turned white, his eyebrows grayed, skin withered, as if on the brink of death in an instant.

    "Ah!!"

    Zhou Qing screamed and retreated, the Void Lock Talisman forcibly interrupted.

    "God of War Avatar!"

    Simultaneously, Lei He also acted.

    Holding a long spear, d in battle armor, his whole body exuded fierce mes. Step by step, he advanced, a massive blood-colored figure appearing behind him, like a god of war on the battlefield, capable of ughtering millions with a single thought!

    Simrly, an indescribable aura of ughter swept from the avatar, shaking the heavens and earth.

    Another Elemental Infant cultivator''s aura, the aura of ughter!

    In the past, the owner of this aura had ughtered a million enemy troops, almost single-handedly conquering a nation. All captives were killed without mercy.

    Endless ughter forged the myth of Qin Kingdom''s God of War, stepping into the Elemental Infant stage with the aura of ughter!

    And this was merely a remnant of that aura, instantly boosting Lei He''s power, making him invincible within the Core Formation stage!

    "Kill!"

    Xu Qingfeng spat blood, marking the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    The ck figure, like an assassin rushing toward death, charged unhesitatingly at the blood-ming God of War Avatar, colliding with a thunderous crash.

    Heaven and earth shattered, the void broke, the great path roared!

    This was a sh of Elemental Infant auras.

    The aura of life and death against the aura of ughter!

    Xu Hei, within the Minor Teleportation Formation, was utterly stunned, his mind buzzing, unable to utter a word.

    Everyone present was shocked, awed by the overwhelming aura.

    "I can''t calcte it!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo looked at the tortoiseshell in his hand, then at Xu Hei, his expression grave.

    In the blink of an eye!

    At the moment of the two auras'' collision, the Minor Teleportation Formationpleted, activating immediately, spatial ripples enveloping everyone within.

    "Buzz!"

    The crowd within the formation vanished, transforming into streaks of light, traversing the void, teleporting outward.

    This was not a random teleportation.

    It had a direction, returning along the path they came, no different from an ordinary Small Teleportation Talisman. However, the talismans were limited, non-renewable, and due to war consumption, were scarce nationwide.

    Perhaps due to interference from the battle, this teleportation did not move them far, stopping just outside the Blood Corpse Cave.

    This ce was familiar to everyone, not far from the exit, needing at most half an incense stick''s time to leave.

    Enough!

    "Go!"

    Everyone moved in unison, rushing toward the exit, aiming to escape as quickly as possible.

    No one cared about Xu Qingfeng''s fate; they had long reached an understanding. As rebels, no decision could afford a hint of hesitation.

    Xu Hei also used Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, about to rush out, but hadn''t gone far when a sense of dread washed over him.

    "Stay!"

    A sharp voice echoed nearby.

    Xu Hei hurriedly stopped, seeing a wall of golden mes rise before him, blocking his path, even warping the void with its heat.

    Being burned by it would be disastrous.

    Xu Hei squinted, looking to the side.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    There stood a young girl in purple, graceful in figure, youthful in appearance, resembling Zhou Wenjun, but with golden mes flickering in her eyes, filled with fierce killing intent.

    "Zhou Wendie."

    A name suddenly surfaced in Xu Hei''s mind.

    "Swish, swish, swish..."

    From the shadows on both sides and the front, numerous figures emerged, armed with magical treasures and talismans, fully equipped, the Zhou Family and Snake Catchers Sect guards stationed here.

    They had set ambushes throughout the Blood Corpse Cave.

    Zhou Wendie had even taken it upon herself to dispatch an additional Zhou Family team to guard the cave entrance, preventing any escape.

    Zhou Qingxuan was among them, the strongest, having reached mid-stage Core Formation.

    At this moment, they stared at the scales on Xu Hei, precisely as Bai Luo had described, the scales of the culprit.

 Chapter 200: A moments difference can mean the difference between life and death

    Chapter 200: A moment''s difference can mean the difference between life and death

    They suffered a major setback with Bai Luo inside the pyramid, leading to mutual suspicion.

    However, afterward, Bai Luo took the initiative to visit and share intelligence about the pyramid, suggesting a reconciliation.

    Zhou Wendie naturally felt disdain; she almost died because of Bai Luo, so how could she just let it go lightly? On the surface, though, both sides had to maintain peace.

    "It seems the guess was correct; the other party is indeed a snake, the one the ancestor is looking for!"

    Zhou Qingxuan nced at Xu Hei in the crowd. Such demonic beasts, more cunning than humans, were rare but not unheard of.

    The demonic beasts appearing in the ruins were mostly human spirit pets, coborating with humans, never seen acting alone.

    Not to mention, this snake ventured into the pyramid alone, reaping various benefits.

    "Attack!"

    With a cold shout from Zhou Wendie, the ambushed army of cultivators surged forward, charging at the Chu Tian Alliance members. Various spells and magical treasures were unleashed, creating a spectacr scene.The Chu Tian Alliance, including two rogue cultivators, had only eight people, while they faced more than twenty, outnumbered by more than double.

    The Chu Tian Alliance members exchanged nces, with nothing more to say.

    Just fight!

    Demon Man Zhang Tie led the charge, his body swelling like a towering giant, swinging a massive hammer towards Zhou Qingxuan. Zhou Qingxuan dodged into the air to avoid the Core Formation stage battle affecting others.

    "Namo Amitabha..."

    Demon Monk Ku Xuan chanted the Rebirth Mantra, causing those casting spells to fall powerlessly from the sky as if losing their souls, their spells dissipating into nothingness.

    "Zhou Ping, Zhou Cang, Xie Yuyan..."

    The Silver-haired Witch maintained her habit of asking names before killing. Anyone she named froze involuntarily, their heads flying off, dying instantly.

    These two were the main force of the Chu Tian Alliance, invincible below the Core Formation stage.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xiao Chou and Zhao Wenzhuo, with slightly weaker cultivation, could only deal with some small fry.

    The other two rogue cultivators, having survived until now, were not mediocre, each picking ate Foundation Establishment stage cultivator to fight, taking advantage of the chaos.

    "Go, Baldy, kill them! Make us proud, Baldy!"

    The Vulture stood behind Ku Xuan, cheering, seemingly without anybat ability.

    Though the numbers seemed vastly different, after one round of confrontation, the other side instantly lost five people, while the Chu Tian Alliance remained unscathed.

    This clearly showed the true strength of both sides.

    Xu Hei was targeted by Zhou Wendie; he was her initial target.

    "You little beast, today is your death day! Watch me kill you with my own hands, avenging Wenjun!"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes swirled with mes, and where her gazended, a raging fire ignited, forming a sea of fire, sweeping towards Xu Hei like a fiery storm.

    Xu Hei moved at full speed, leaving countless afterimages, but the mes were incredibly fast, burning all the afterimages. Wherever her gazended, even the void could catch fire.

    "What a strange fire, is this the power of the Scarlet me Demon Eyes?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered.

    At this moment, a False Core stage corpse puppet underground screamed, engulfed by the mes, burned to ashes. Xu Hei realized he must not let even a trace of this fire touch him.

    Even a False Core could be instantly annihted; this was an opponent beyond the limits of the Foundation Establishment stage.

    Extreme Realm cultivators were all people with great opportunities and fortunes, possessing extraordinary talent and unique physiques, often with numerous magical treasures.

    Zhou Wendie was one of them.

    In fact, throughout the Qin Kingdom, only three people had reached the Extreme Realm of the Foundation Establishment stage.

    "Falling Stars, Earth Spike, Lightning Strike Technique!"

    Xu Hei instantly cast three spells, aiming at Zhou Wendie.

    From above, below, front, and back, various spells appeared, attacking Zhou Wendie from all directions, but before they could get close, they were burned to nothingness by the mes.

    Then, Xu Hei summoned the ivory flying sword, which melted upon contact with the mes.

    "Indeed, ordinary means are useless against her!"

    Xu Hei''s heart trembled, suddenly wondering if selling the Scarlet me Demon Eyes was a loss.

    At this moment, Zhou Wendie''s face was pale, blood trickling from the corner of her eye, seemingly greatly exhausted.

    Xu Hei observed briefly and found that she was surrounded by mes, leaving no gaps.

    To deal with her, he would either need the ck Dragon Pagoda or the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    But since she hadn''t used any magical treasures, she must have a trump card of the same level!

    "Something''s wrong!"

    Xu Hei looked at the omnipresent mes, suddenly feeling a chill.

    The opponent''s mes seemed to be attacking but weren''t truly threatening; Xu Hei could easily avoid them each time they burned.

    And whenever Xu Hei tried to counterattack, the opponent could always predict his position and prepare defenses in advance.

    Xu Hei thought of a possibility.

    "This woman isn''t attacking; she''s defending with all her might, stalling for time!"

    The exchange just now seemed long but was only two or three breaths. Xu Hei had already analyzed the opponent''s intentions.

    Zhou Wendie never intended to kill Xu Hei!

    To verify his guess, Xu Hei deliberately left an opening while dodging.

    As a result, Zhou Wendie ignored the opening, not using the mes to attack, instead watching her surroundings, wary of possible ambushes.

    "Indeed! She''s stalling for time!"

    Xu Hei''s face darkened.

    Zhou Wendie had exceptional talent but was also very self-aware, knowing she couldn''t kill Xu Hei.

    Even Bai Luo was tricked repeatedly, and even the second ancestor failed multiple times; what did she have to kill him?

    From the start, Zhou Wendie acted fiercely, iming she would kill him for revenge, but it was all an act!

    She hadn''t used all her trump cards, only using the known Scarlet me Demon Eyes for defense, so she had little consumption.

    However, the blood at her eye corner and her pale face weren''t fake; the Scarlet me Demon Eyes were indeed used to their limit.

    But she hadn''t shown any other means, aiming to confuse her opponent.

    However, Xu Hei saw through her intentions at a nce.

    Xu Hei nced at the sealed exit, calcting the probability of escape, and made a bold decision.

    Xu Hei turned and charged deeper into the Blood Corpse Cave.

    He chose to return!

    Zhou Wendie''s expression changed, immediately shouting, "You little beast, are you scared? Afraid to fight me?"

    Xu Hei ignored her, focusing on one direction, moving at full speed, leaving Zhou Wendie behind.

    His destination was clear.

    ¡ªThe cave dwelling where the corpse charm resided.

    At this moment, from the start of the battle until now, it seemed long, but only three breaths had passed. Xu Hei had already left the battle, choosing to escape.

    Zhou Wendie realized her n was exposed, her expression changing drastically, gritting her teeth as she pursued.

    Butterfly wings appeared behind her, moving at full speed like a phantom, reaching speedsparable to the Core Formation stage, yet she still couldn''t catch up to Xu Hei.

    His figure grew more distant, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    "Buzz!"

    At this moment, the space around Zhou Wendie distorted, and an old man, white-haired and withered, emerged from the space.

    It was the second ancestor of the Zhou Family, Zhou Qing.

    Zhou Qing, now emaciated, his flesh and blood withered, with most of his vitality gone, resembled a dying man.

    "Where''s that snake?"

    He nced around, seeing Zhou Wendie''s pale face, chasing in one direction, and without further words, stepped forward like a shooting star, speeding towards where Xu Hei had disappeared.

 Chapter 201: After exhausting all schemes, a desperate fight to the death

    Chapter 201: After exhausting all schemes, a desperate fight to the death

    In the dimly lit Blood Corpse Cave, a streak of golden light pierced the sky like a meteor in the night, illuminating the surroundings.

    Xu Hei elerated continuously, his body burning as dragon scales sparked against the air, with arge amount of True Qi jetting out from behind him.

    "Almost there, just ahead!"

    Xu Hei could clearly sense the looming danger from behind.

    Without a doubt, that woman was stalling for time to wait for Zhou Qing. She couldn''t take him down herself, so she waited for reinforcements, putting on a show all the while.

    These cultivators never cared about honor or face, using any means necessary to kill their opponents.

    "This woman is deeply scheming and will be a great threat in the future. She must not be left alive!"

    Xu Hei''s expression was grim as he swallowed a pill and elerated once more.

    Behind him, Zhou Qing pursued relentlessly, the distance between them closing rapidly, a look of surprise shing in his eyes."What incredible speed! This snake truly holds many secrets and cannot be left alive!"

    Although Zhou Qing''s vitality was waning, his cultivation was still at thete Core Formation stage. Yet, chasing a Foundation Establishment great demon for so long was astonishing, and his fervor only grew stronger.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    His intuition was right; this snake was a priceless treasure in itself!

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei elerated again, splitting into two as he charged into two beehive-like doors. Such rooms weremon in the Blood Corpse Cave, all previously ransacked.

    "Hmph, ying hide and seek, are we?"

    Zhou Qing was not careless. With a raise of his hand, a blood-colored flying sword shot into the room, Sword Qi spreading everywhere, indiscriminately attacking everything in the cave dwelling, even scraping the walls down.

    Xu Hei was also shed into nothingness; it was an external incarnation.

    Almost simultaneously as the incarnation was destroyed, Zhou Qing stood at the entrance of the second room.

    He punched into the dark entrance, and with a thunderous boom, the room copsed, dust filling the air, the entire room destroyed by the violent punch.

    For such cunning individuals, Zhou Qing usually employed full-range attacks, sting everything to ensure the opponent''s death before approaching.

    He wouldn''t even approach; he would only send an incarnation.

    For a Foundation Establishment "ant" that had survived multiple attacks, he was even more cautious.

    "No movement? Again!"

    Zhou Qing pointed forward once more, the blood-colored flying sword rushing into the room, Sword Qi crisscrossing, attacking indiscriminately, shaving ten meters off the walls.

    The Divine Sense istion here was extremely severe, and even he could only vaguely sense a trace of movement inside the room.

    The snake seemed to have hidden inside a Magical Treasure, enduring his attacks, while inside the room, there was a faint presence of a corpse puppet, seemingly at the mid-stage Core Formation.

    This made Zhou Qing inwardly sneer.

    "This snake is indeed cunning. If I had rushed in, I might have been ambushed by the corpse puppet and let it escape."

    Zhou Qing felt assured.

    If Xu Hei had died easily, leaving only a snake corpse in the room, he wouldn''t dare enter.

    Now, seeing the opponent hiding in a Magical Treasure with a corpse puppet inside, Zhou Qing felt much more at ease.

    Knowing the opponent''s n, he had all the time to slowly wear them down.

    He wouldn''t enter until the Magical Treasure was reduced to ashes and the opponent waspletely annihted.

    "Ugh!"

    Blood trickled from Zhou Qing''s mouth, aggravating his internal injuries, but the smile on his face grew brighter, as if he saw a chance to change his fate.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the room.

    Xu Hei hid within the ck Dragon Pagoda, being forcefully sted into the depths of the wall by the relentless Sword Qi.

    The opponent hadn''t fallen for it, as Xu Hei had expected; it was a gamble from the start.

    At this moment, he had two options.

    First, use Body Swap to switch himself to the adjacent room, then escape with a Small Teleportation Talisman.

    Beforehand, Xu Hei had hidden a puppet in the next room for emergencies.

    Second, gamble again, taking a certain risk to lure the opponent in.

    As long as Zhou Qing dared to enter the room, Xu Hei had a sixty percent chance of severely injuring him, andbined with Zhou Qing''s injuries, a thirty percent chance of killing him on the spot!

    At this moment, Xu Hei looked at the sealed formation that was also being bombarded.

    Inside the formation, the corpse enchantress was also looking at him.

    The madness in her eyes had vanished, reced by a hint of joy as she looked at the tower, her hoarse voiceing through: "Senior Brother... you''ve... returned..."

    From the moment Xu Hei entered, she showed no signs of going berserk,pletely different fromst time.

    It seemed that from the moment she saw that Token, she "awoke."

    Of course, there was still a hint of struggle in the corpse enchantress''s eyes, but it was not obvious.

    "Yes, I''m back," Xu Hei transmitted his voice. "Your Senior Brother is being hunted. Can you deal with the opponent?"

    The corpse enchantress''s gaze shifted to the door, a look of hatred in her eyes.

    She sprang up, crashing into the formation, only to be bounced back.

    Yes, just like that... Xu Hei nodded secretly and continued to transmit his voice: "The opponent won''te in, and rushing out to kill him is too risky; he might escape."

    "Senior Brother wants you to help put on a show, lure him in, and then kill him. Can you do that?"

    Xu Hei tentatively asked.

    This time, the corpse enchantress was stunned for a few seconds, seemingly struggling with theplex logic.

    She retained only a shred of consciousness,cking advanced intelligence, and merely nodded, "I''ll listen to you."

    "Good, here''s what we''ll do next... just follow my instructions!"

    Xu Hei briefly exined the n.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside the room, Zhou Qing had alreadyunched over a hundred attacks, his injuries causing a pallor to his face.

    However, he wasn''t going all out, just ying a war of attrition, and he had plenty of patience.

    This might be the greatest opportunity of his life, and he couldn''t afford to lose it.

    "Hmm?"

    Suddenly, Zhou Qing''s gaze sharpened.

    The snake seemed unable to withstand it, emerging from the Magical Treasure, its body immediately shed by the sharp Sword Qi, bursting into blood, barely clinging to life.

    Meanwhile, the corpse puppet also broke free from the sealed formation, pouncing towards the snake demon, eyes full of greed, ready to devour it.

    "No!"

    Zhou Qing''s expression changed drastically; this was his prey, how could it be devoured by a corpse puppet?

    If it got tainted with corpse Qi, consuming it would be troublesome, not to mention the snake demon had numerous Spirit Medicines on it. One bite and it might evolve into another Red-haired Corpse King!

    By then, the Red-haired Corpse King would surely hunt him down, having been attacked by him for so long!

    "Damn it! I''ll risk it!"

    Without much thought, Zhou Qing made a decisive move, pulling out a handful of Talismans and sticking them on himself, while donning a straw hat, blood-colored armor covering his body, surrounded by eight blood swords, fully armed, he charged into the room.

    He had initially thought of using an incarnation, but the incarnation couldn''tpete with the corpse puppet, so he had to go in person.

    The moment he entered the room.

    "Now!"

    Xu Hei''s mind moved, and Mountain-Covering Mud descended from above, smashing onto Zhou Qing''s head.

    At the same time, the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book activated, a giant "Stop" character flying out, appearing on Zhou Qing''s forehead.

    Xu Hei ignored the corpse enchantress pretending to pounce; it was a huge risk, but Xu Hei chose to trust, he had to trust, this was the best chance to kill Zhou Qing, and he couldn''t let it slip away.

 Chapter 202: The path to longevity, fulfilling ones wishes

    Chapter 202: The path to longevity, fulfilling one''s wishes

    Sure enough!

    As soon as the corpse puppet entered the room, it turned swiftly, charging out with the jade bottle. Two ferocious ws extended from the bottle, sprouting countless vine-like branches, sharp as des, enveloping Zhou Qing like a storm.

    In life, this corpse puppet must have had a wood spiritual root and mastered some spells.

    Zhou Qing''s pupils contracted, and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Unhurriedly, he drew another flying sword, making a total of nine blood-colored flying swords swirling around him, reaching the pinnacle of nine. The power of the sword qi surged, forming a blood-killing sword formation.

    The Mountain-Covering Mud falling from above just covered him when it was shredded by the sword formation, turning to nothingness. This third-grade middle-tier spiritual treasure waspletely destroyed!

    Yet, the "Stop" character above his head remained.

    "So you still have tricks up your sleeve. I didn''t underestimate you after all!"

    Zhou Qing''s face darkened. As he broke through the Mountain-Covering Mud, the corpse puppet''s nt attack arrived, quickly piercing his blood-colored armor.

    These vines, like straws, pierced the armor, frantically absorbing the blood energy within. But Zhou Qing remained motionless, and the blood-killing sword formation shed again, turning the vines to ashes.Xu Hei released the ck Dragon Pagoda and entered it, directly merging with it.

    "Boom!!"

    A thunderous roar echoed as the ck Dragon Pagoda expanded, like a towering giant peak, bearing down on Zhou Qing with overwhelming might.

    The void trembled, and the entire room copsed, turning into a vast open space, as if to destroy everything.

    Zhou Qing''s heart was shaken, but the greed in his eyes grew stronger.

    The moment the "Stop" character above his head disappeared, Xu Hei''s ck Dragon Pagoda crashed into his back.

    "Poof!"

    The blood-colored armor shattered, and Zhou Qing spat blood, flying forward. Half of his body erupted with blood light, flesh scattered, and countless vines took the opportunity to burrow into his body again, frantically devouring what little life force he had left.

    "I''m at thete Core Formation stage. Do you think you can kill me with just this?"

    Zhou Qing was injured again, covered in blood, his life force waning, but madness surged in his eyes.

    A mid-stage Core Formation corpse puppet, dead for who knows how many years, plus a Foundation Establishment stage demonic beast using a high-level magical treasure.

    No matter how capable you are, what can you do to him?

    The difference between stages in Core Formation is vast! Besides, you have trump cards, and so does he!

    At this moment, the talisman on Zhou Qing''s body burst with brilliant blood-colored light, soaring into the sky, sweeping across a vast area. The surrounding rocky region instantly turned to dust, melting upon contact with the blood light, vaporizing without a trace.

    All the vines vanished without a trace, even the corpse puppet sensed a hint of danger, but she didn''t fear, instead charging forward, releasing more vines to y Zhou Qing.

    "Futile resistance, useless!"

    Zhou Qing was slightly surprised by the corpse puppet''s advance, but he was already in a killing frenzy, the talisman on his body shining, unstoppable.

    "Poof!!"

    The corpse puppet''s arm turned to nothingness, her head like it was being roasted, skin cracking, bones exposed, and the bottle shattered.

    Even Xu Hei''s ck Dragon Pagoda, charging forward, was repelled by the blood light,nding in the distance.

    Xu Hei, having used the ck Dragon Pagoda repeatedly, was nearly out of true qi. He took out the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, releasing a "Seal" character and a "Weak" character, but it was just a drop in the bucket.

    Zhou Qing''s talisman was terrifying, destroying all nearby spells, almost entering an invincible state, a method he had never used before.

    This was thete Core Formation stage!

    Xu Hei''s trump cards were nearly exhausted, but it was still not enough to kill ate Core Formation stage cultivator!

    "Should I use Ji Ying? But sending Ji Ying up is surely a dead end!"

    Xu Hei was anxious, having exhausted all his means, set upyers of traps, seized every advantage, yet still couldn''t ovee the opponent.

    This was the gap in raw strength, no matter how many tricks you have, I can break them with sheer force!

    If it were a slightly weakerte Core Formation stage, he might have seeded, but the opponent, being the second ancestor of the Zhou Family from the Myriad Treasure Pavilion, had not only formidable strength but also numerous magical treasures, not fearing him at all.

    For example, the blood-killing sword formationposed of nine blood-colored flying swords was a set of magical treasures not weaker than the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book!

    And the blood-colored armor on him, withstanding the corpse puppet''s attack without moving, making it impossible to kill him.

    The talisman he unleashed afterward was even more devastating.

    Zhou Qing had lived for five hundred years, with higher cultivation and deeper foundations than Xu Hei. How could Xu Hei outsmart him?

    Xu Hei was already in despair. Just as he was about to give up and choose n A, a sudden inspiration struck him, reminding him of the gray talisman left by Xuan Yangzi.

    This talisman, ced with the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, was still unknown, but it might be useful!

    However, facing such a powerful opponent, Xu Hei didn''t hold much hope. He took out the gray talisman, infused it with spiritual qi, and threw it towards Zhou Qing.

    Then, without looking back, he used hisst bit of true qi to retrieve the ck Dragon Pagoda and turned to flee.

    Xu Hei had done his best. If he couldn''t win, he couldn''t win. There was nothing shameful about it. The opponent had lived a hundred times longer, with more experience, higher cultivation, and overwhelming in every aspect. Losing was not surprising.

    "What a pity, such a good opportunity, but even if he doesn''t die, he''ll be severely injured..." Xu Hei calcted his gains and losses in his mind.

    But at that moment.

    Zhou Qing, who had been arrogant andughing wildly, suddenly fell silent as if his throat had been choked.

    He stared at the gray talisman flying towards him, his eyes nearly popping out, wondering if he was seeing things.

    But then, focusing his mind, he immediately cried out in horror.

    "The Minor Annihtion Talisman?!!"

    Zhou Qing''s voice was filled with unparalleled shock. Without hesitation, he abandoned the idea of killing the corpse puppet and turned to flee, rushing towards the shattered space behind him.

    All the blood light was retracted, gathering behind him, formingyer uponyer of protection, binding thickly.

    Even the blood-killing sword formation was retracted, forming a shield-like defensive posture.

    At this moment, the corpse puppet''s remaining body was almost gone. In her dying moments, she endured immense torment from the blood light, the bottle shattered, but there was a hint of relief in her eyes.

    Scenes from her life shed before her eyes like a carousel, and as the Minor Annihtion Talisman drew closer, she smiled.

    "Senior Brother, thank you..."

    The corpse puppet lunged forward, her remaining body blooming with vibrant flowers, forming a floral barrier that bound Zhou Qing.

    Countless vines extended once more, wrapping Zhou Qingyer byyer, holding him firmly in ce.

    Zhou Qing couldn''t move, his eyes filled with mad hatred and unwillingness.

    He was already at the end of his strength, his lifespan exhausted. Even if he escaped, he would soon die, but he couldn''t ept being outsmarted to death.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Damn it! Why does this corpse puppet obey you? I refuse to ept this! I refuse!"

    Zhou Qing stared at the approaching Minor Annihtion Talisman, his unwillingness turning to despair. He was about to destroy all his magical treasures, preferring death over leaving them for the opponent.

    Suddenly, as if finding a lifeline, he took out a jade-green pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

    It was the Longevity Pill!

    He had doubted its authenticity, but at this moment, if he didn''t take it, he''d never have the chance.

    As the pill entered his mouth, a surge of vitality spread, rejuvenating Zhou Qing''s withered life!

    Zhou Qing''s graying hair turned ck again, his dry skin regained its luster, his flesh swelled, and his body was revitalized.

    "Hahaha, it''s the Longevity Pill, it really is the Longevity Pill! Hahaha, I''ve achieved immortality!"

    Heughed wildly to the sky.

    The Minor Annihtion Talisman exploded, a gray mist sea tearing the space apart, spreading towards Zhou Qing. Wherever it passed, the void crumbled, inch by inch, turning into a world of nothingness.

    But Zhou Qing was no longer afraid. His body rose, carrying the countless nt vines binding him, bursting out of the shattered world,nding outside the cave dwelling.

    When he wanted to pursue Xu Hei, he found himself unable to move.

    His feet took root, embedding into the soil, his legs turned to wood, unable to move, even his Golden Core left his body, bing a fruit hanging at his waist.

    "No! How can this be? I want immortality, how can I be a tree?"

    Zhou Qing couldn''t believe it, trying to break free, but he couldn''t.

    Life force uncontrobly released, his legs, abdomen, torso, arms, all turned to wood in a few breaths, unable to move, his cultivation seemingly vanished, spells and magical treasures unusable, leaves sprouting from his head.

    "Ah!!!"

    Zhou Qing''s remaining head screamed to the sky, hoarse and desperate, unable to stop his transformation into a tree.

    Xu Hei stood not far away, eyes wide, silently watching the now-crazed Zhou Qing.

    Zhou Qing''s entire body turned into a tree-like form, his hysterical expression forever frozen.

    In an instant, he became a tree.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    A series of cracking sounds echoed in the empty Blood Corpse Cave.

    Under Xu Hei''s watchful eyes, Zhou Qing slowly grew, bing a ten-meter-tall humanoid tree, standing majestically, awe-inspiring, and imposing.

 Chapter 203: Bluffing to intimidate the Chosen

    Chapter 203: Bluffing to intimidate the Chosen

    Inside the Blood Corpse Cave, silence reigned.

    Arge tree stood in the center, its branches full of leaves, and on its trunk hung a fruit resembling a Golden Core, shaped like a human with arms and legs, and a terrified human face on top.

    In just a few breaths, Zhou Qing had turned into a tree-man.

    "ng, ng..."

    Nine blood-colored flying swords fell to the ground.

    If he were at his peak, he might have been able to expel the pill from his body. But now, with his life force nearly extinguished and a desperate desire for longevity, he didn''t consider the risks and instead absorbed the medicinal power with all his might.

    He had pursued immortality his entire life, taking great risks for the Longevity Pill, and now, he had finally achieved his wish!

    He had be a tree and no longer needed to worry about his lifespan.

    As long as no one cut him down, he could live as long as he wanted.Zhou Qing''s thoughts slowed down, as if moving at a snail''s pace, and he tried to analyze something, but no matter what, he couldn''t remember.

    Eventually, Zhou Qing stopped thinking altogether.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei hovered in front of Zhou Qing, his eyes wide, his mind buzzing,pletely stunned.

    Thiste Core Formation ancestor had turned into a tree right before his eyes!

    Even witnessing it firsthand, Xu Hei still found it hard to believe.

    But now wasn''t the time to be in a daze. Xu Hei took out a thousand-year-old Spirit Medicine, bit off a corner of a leaf, swallowed it in one gulp, and used the Demon God Cauldron to refine it.

    The surging Spiritual Power quickly filled his body, allowing Xu Hei to recover at the fastest speed.

    This was a star-shaped leaf with eight corners, each capable of providing a massive amount of Spiritual Power, making it one of the rtivelymon Spirit Medicines Xu Hei had collected.

    Of course, mon" was rtive here, as every Spirit Medicine he gathered was extremely rare and priceless. Xu Hei wouldn''t consume them unless it was a critical moment.

    "Refine!"

    A corner of the leaf entered the Demon God Cauldron, rapidly refining into pure Spiritual Qi, filling his body and restoring about thirty percent of his strength.

    In the perilous Blood Corpse Cave, Xu Hei couldn''t afford to let his True Qi run dry.

    "Even if you''ve turned into a tree, I must eradicate youpletely!"

    Xu Hei summoned the ck Dragon Pagoda, and with a thought, he directed it to crash into the tree.

    "Boom!!"

    The earth and sky resounded with a thunderous noise as the pagoda''s tip struck the tree''s trunk.

    The tree that Zhou Qing had be shuddered violently, leaves rustling down, and the trunk was dented, with the Golden Core-like fruit knocked away.

    Xu Hei''s newly recovered True Qi was once again depleted.

    He stared intently, his eyes widening.

    "Unbelievable!"

    Xu Hei found it hard to believe. At this moment, the tree''s trunk had a dent and was slightly tilted, but overall, it wasn''t significantly damaged.

    At this rate, unless Xu Hei could continuously strike it a dozen times, he might not be able to break itpletely.

    With Xu Hei''s current cultivation level, it was like a fool''s dream.

    "Ate Core Formation cultivator is so difficult to deal with. Even standing still, I can''t do anything to him," Xu Hei''s face darkened as he had to admit the gap between them.

    He put away the ck Dragon Pagoda, his eyes shing as he sent a puppet forward to retrieve the Storage Bag from the dent.

    It was Zhou Qing''s Storage Bag.

    He also picked up the nine blood-colored flying swords from the ground, storing them in the Void Stone.

    Each of these nine flying swords was extraordinary, at least top-tier third-grade Magical Treasures, and together they could form an extremely terrifying sword formation.

    The Mountain-Covering Mud was instantly obliterated, not even leaving a trace, showcasing its power.

    The blood-colored armor was still on him, but without Spiritual Power to activate it, it had lost its luster.

    Xu Hei didn''t let it go either, fiddling with it for a while before stripping it off. The armor shrank into a palm-sized bead, hovering in front of him.

    "Whoosh!"

    A sound of wind breaking came from afar.

    A woman with butterfly wings on her back flew swiftly, hovering in the air, staring nkly at Xu Hei in the distance, and... the tree that Zhou Qing had be.

    This woman was Zhou Wendie, who had rushed over.

    From afar, she had sensed the battle fluctuations from this side. To avoid being caught up in it or being captured by Xu Hei as a hostage, she deliberately waited for a while. Only when the battle''s aftermathpletely dissipated did shee to investigate the situation.

    When Zhou Wendie''s gaze swept over the ten-meter-tall tree, her mind buzzed as if struck by lightning, leaving her dumbfounded.

    Especially at this moment, Xu Hei was manipting a puppet, fiddling with the tree trunk, removing a blood-colored armor.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    This scene was like a thunderbolt, shocking Zhou Wendie to her core, as if she had seen a ghost.

    Being a very intelligent person, the scene before her quickly yed out in her mind, and she immediately pieced together most of the situation.

    "That''s the ancestor''s Blood God Armor, and that face is the ancestor''s face... This snake is still alive... Could it be..."

    Zhou Wendie felt her scalp tingle with just a bit of imagination.

    Had Xu Hei actually taken down thete Core Formation second ancestor?

    Although it seemed impossible for someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage to aplish this, the evidence was right in front of her!

    The second ancestor, Zhou Qing, was dead, and Xu Hei was still alive and well!

    "How is this possible? How did this happen? How did he do it?"

    Zhou Wendie trembled violently.

    Seeing her appear, Xu Hei''s gaze turned cold, and he took out a Metal Puppet.

    Without a word, he casually inserted a Golden Core into the puppet''s abdominal cavity.

    This Golden Core belonged to Tie Xiong.

    With the Golden Core inside, the ancient Metal Puppet activated, its eyes glowing with a ghostly light. Xu Hei grabbed the puppet with his tail, swung it around twice, and hurled it with all his might toward Zhou Wendie.

    "Whoosh!"

    The puppet tore through the sky, its eyes shooting out cold beams, its fists raised, and its feet spewing a hot air stream, charging straight at Zhou Wendie.

    Zhou Wendie hesitated no longer, her wings fluttering as she fled at full speed. Being naturally cautious, she knew that facing such a strange demon, which had even taken down the second ancestor, would be suicidal.

    Initially, she had considered testing to see how much strength her opponent had left.

    But when the opponent casually sent a Core Formation stage puppet to attack, Zhou Wendie immediately abandoned the idea of testing. Who knew what other tricks the opponent had?

    At this moment, with the Golden Core installed, the Metal Puppet had lost control, but it instinctively pursued the nearest target, which was the woman before it.

    mes spewed from its back, doubling its speed, just like when it had pursued Zhou Wenjun, now chasing after Zhou Wendie.

    Xu Hei pretended to chase for a while, shouting from behind, "Little wench, why are you running? If you have the guts, fight me!"

    These words only made Zhou Wendie run faster, as if she had activated some kind of Magical Artifact, turning into a purple meteor and disappearing without a trace.

    Seeing this, Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief and retraced his steps.

    He was already exhausted, and earlier he had just been putting on a show. The Metal Puppet was hisst resort.

    If Zhou Wendie had decided to fight him to the death, Xu Hei wouldn''t have known what to do. Despite her being only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, such a Chosen had plenty of lethal moves.

    Xu Hei could only strike first, creating the illusion that he was unafraid, scaring her away.

    The opponent was also extremely cautious, unwilling to take any risks, which is why she fell into the trap.

    However, Xu Hei did have one more trump card he hadn''t used.

    It was the Demon Mirror left behind by Hei Huang.

 Chapter 204: Inventory gains, corpse puppet uprising

    Chapter 204: Inventory gains, corpse puppet uprising

    After devouring the tower spirit, the mirror seemed to regain its spirituality, but Xu Hei wasn''t sure if it could be used a second time.

    Hei Huang had warned him it could only be used once, and given the mirror''s eerie nature, Xu Hei dared not take it out casually.

    Only when faced with a life-and-death situation, against an enemy he couldn''t defeat by any means, would Xu Hei consider using it.

    Xu Hei nced back at the previous cave dwelling.

    At this moment, where the Minor Annihtion Talisman had been released, was a shattered void, like a broken mirror, pitch-ck inside, slowly repairing itself.

    "Minor Annihtion Talisman?"

    Xu Hei recalled the person''s words and fell into deep thought.

    The function of this talisman seemed to be to destroy a space, annihting all living beings within its range.

    An indiscriminate attack, dealing true damage, no matter your cultivation, if caught in the shattered space, you''d be destroyed along with it.Xu Hei couldn''t help but shiver.

    However, although the Minor Annihtion Talisman was powerful, it was slow to release. If the cultivation gap was toorge, as soon as you took it out, the opponent would dodge immediately, making it impossible to hit.

    It was only by relying on the corpse puppet''s dy that the opponent was forced into a desperate situation.

    "Xuan Yangzi even managed to get his hands on this thing. How much does he hate me? If he threw this in my face, ten of me wouldn''t be enough to die!"

    Xu Hei couldn''t help but feel a bit of fear.

    Although his dragon scales were tough, whether they could withstand the Minor Annihtion Talisman, which could shatter space, was still unknown.

    He secretly decided that after leaving this ce, the first thing he would do was to drag Xuan Yangzi out.

    Xu Hei nced at Zhou Qing, who seemed to be looking at him too, though his expression remained unchanged.

    "I wanted to get rid of you, but I''m powerless. Rest in peace here, and when my cultivation advances greatly, I''lle to free you!"

    In front of Zhou Qing, Xu Hei collected all his remaining belongings.

    A Golden Core fruit, a storage bag, nine blood-colored flying swords, and a set of Blood God Armor.

    Before dying, Zhou Qing seemed to want to throw these into the void to destroy them, but unfortunately, he changed his mind at thest moment, allowing Xu Hei to gain a great advantage.

    Xu Hei nced at the shattered space, his eyes flickering, and sent a puppet over.

    There was still half a broken jade bottle on the ground, which was used to seal the corpse puppet. ording to the corpse puppet, once freed, there would be pills left in the bottle as a thank-you gift.

    Xu Hei spread out his Divine Sense, searching carefully. There were many jade bottle fragments on the ground, but he couldn''t find the pills.

    "Could they have been destroyed by the Minor Annihtion Talisman?"

    Xu Hei considered this possibility and couldn''t help but feel regret.

    After looking around for a while and finding nothing, he shook his head, nning to leave.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei paused, rushed out, and at the edge of the shattered space, pulled in a ring-shaped ck jade stone, grabbing it in his hand.

    "Void Stone!"

    Looking at the ring-shaped stone in his hand, Xu Hei''s eyes were filled with intense excitement.

    A Void Stone, indistinguishable from ordinary stone in appearance, could easily be overlooked if not carefully examined.

    This piece of Void Stone, shaped into a ring, should be an ancient storage ring.

    Xu Hei quickly took it, not opening the seal, and directly stored it away.

    "It''s gettingte, time to retreat!"

    Xu Hei packed up his belongings, took a Rejuvenation Pill, activated Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, and dashed towards the exit.

    Shortly after Xu Hei set off.

    "Boom¡­"

    The entire Blood Corpse Cave began to shake violently.

    All the tremors originated from underground, and with a casual nce, Xu Hei saw corpse puppets reaching out from below, crawling up.

    Green-haired, purple-haired, yellow-haired, all sorts of corpse puppets emerged from the soil, all previously sealed by the Chu Tian Alliance.

    "Xu Qingfeng has broken the seal, nning to turn against us!" Xu Hei''s heart tightened.

    Fortunately, he wasn''t far from the exit, and in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he could reach it. As long as the corpse puppets at the entrance weren''t at the Core Formation Stage, Ji Ying could handle them.

    "Ji Ying!"

    With a low shout, Ji Ying swiftly emerged from the gaps in the dragon scales, circling around Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei swung his tail, elerating to full speed, while arge bell appeared on his head, the Bell of Chaos, essential for restraining corpse puppets.

    "Dong!"

    Xu Hei struck it hard, sending bell waves rippling out, instantly disorienting two nearby corpse puppets.

    Ji Ying seized the opportunity, snatching away the heads of the two corpse puppets.

    With the Bell of Chaos and Ji Ying''s cooperation, Xu Hei was confident that even if he encountered a purple-haired yaksha at the early Core Formation stage, he could take it on.

    However, his True Qi was nearly depleted, so he decided not to take such a risk.

    "What''s going on? Why are all the corpse puppetsing out?"

    "This ce is no longer safe, run!"

    Along the way, many rogue cultivators emerged from various directions, rushing towards the exit in a hurry.

    Xu Hei stuck an Invisibility Talisman on himself to avoid attracting attention. Except for the corpse puppets sensing his presence, passersby ignored him.

    The rest of the journey was smooth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Along the way, Xu Hei only encountered five corpse puppets, all below the Core Formation Stage, easily dealt with by Ji Ying, allowing Xu Hei to smoothly reach the entrance of the Blood Corpse Cave.

    The Chu Tian Alliance was nowhere to be seen, and the ambushing troops were gone too. The ground was littered with bodies, all from the Zhou Family and the Snake Catchers Sect, indicating the battle had ended.

    Xu Hei sensed the residual fluctuations and footprints on the ground, looking in one direction.

    "Wuyou City."

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, but he didn''t move immediately. Instead, he flew thousands of miles in another direction, found a hidden cave, and slipped inside.

    He needed to heal as quickly as possible.

    "The core of this ancient relic should be Wuyou City," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    ording to his spection, this entire ancient relic wasn''t just buried underground but was located within a secret realm.

    A secret realm is not infinitely expansive!

    For instance, at the deepest part of the Blood Corpse Cave, beyond the ancient medicine garden, he saw an endless void, which was the edge of the secret realm, not to be ventured further.

    If he used the Small Teleportation Talisman there, he would be transported into the endless void, never to return!

    This was why Xu Hei felt a sense of dread.

    Xu Hei mentally mapped out the secret realm.

    Wuyou City was right at the core of the secret realm.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the Blood Corpse Cave, everyone was frantically fleeing to the outside, using all sorts of methods to escape the pursuit.

    After Xu Qingfeng broke the seal, not only did the sealed corpse puppets appear, but more hidden ones seemed to be summoned, triggering a chain reaction, continuously emerging and attacking the crowd.

    Bai Luo, Lei He, various sects and factions, rogue cultivators, both righteous and evil paths, all panicked, ignoring the treasures here, with only one thought: escape!

    At this moment, they rarely united, retreating while fighting, jointly resisting the corpse puppets.

    "That damn Xu Qingfeng, I wonder if he''s dead!"

    Bai Luo gritted his teeth in hatred.

    "With such severe injuries, if he''s not dead, he''s crippled! He still has the God of Death''s mark on him. Once I call on the Zhou Family''s ancestor, we''ll go straight to him and wipe him out. This ancient relic will be his burial ground!"

    Lei He''s eyes were cold, filled with killing intent.

    "While we''re at it, let''s wipe out the Chu Tian Alliance too. You promised me a Longevity Pill, don''t go back on your word!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect said with a sinister smile.

    He had just received a promise that if he assisted, he would get a Longevity Pill, which excited him greatly, as his lifespan was nearing its end.

    "Speaking of which, Zhou Qing should have dealt with that snake by now, so why hasn''t he shown up?"

    Lei He frowned.

    Bai Luo''s heart skipped a beat. He was particrly concerned about that snake, which almost gave him a psychological shadow. If it were dead, it would be for the best, and he wouldn''t have to recall those humiliating events.

    Logically, with Zhou Qing''ste Core Formation stage cultivation, he should have dealt with not just one snake, but a hundred by now.

    Unknowingly, they reached the outskirts of the Blood Corpse Cave.

    In the middle of the path ahead, a tree three meters high grew, standing out conspicuously.

 Chapter 205: History is hidden, and long-lasting joy is worry-free

    Chapter 205: History is hidden, and longsting joy is worry-free

    "Could something have happened to the Zhou Family''s ancestor?" Bai Luo asked, puzzled.

    "Impossible. He''s in thete Core Formation stage. How could anything unexpected happen to him?"

    Lei He didn''t doubt Zhou Qing''s abilities. At over five hundred years old, Zhou Qing possessed numerous magical treasures. Even if Lei He were to fight him, he''d have to endure some hardship.

    Even if Zhou Qing was injured by an aura of life and death at the Elemental Infant level, severely damaging his vitality, not just anyone could take advantage of him.

    However, Lei He did suspect that Zhou Qing, with his deep scheming, might have obtained some extraordinary benefit and simply fled.

    That snake was quite peculiar, possibly harboring some secret that Zhou Qing discovered and didn''t want to share. It was entirely possible.

    The more Lei He thought about it, the more his expression darkened.

    He had fought Xu Qingfeng fiercely, while Zhou Qing conveniently used the pretext of chasing the Snake Demon to escape, taking the benefits and disappearing. It was simply outrageous!

    "Hmph! Last time in the Earth Path, I offended the Zhou Family. Is this some kind of protest?" Lei He muttered to himself."Look, what''s that?"

    Bai Luo suddenly pointed into the distance and shouted, "A tree? How could there be a tree inside the Blood Corpse Cave?"

    Without needing Bai Luo to say more, everyone turned to look as soon as the tree appeared.

    The tree stood ten meters tall, solitary in the middle of the Blood Corpse Cave, with lush branches and roots sprawling everywhere. In this deathly silent zombie cave, it was impossible not to draw attention.

    Even more bizarre was that the tree was shaped like a human, with two arms and two legs, distinctly outlined, as if its back was turned to them.

    Everyone immediately moved forward, arriving in front of the tree. As they focused their gaze, they were instantly dumbfounded.

    "That face is..."

    Everyone was stunned.

    That familiar face, with an expression of terror, who else could it be but the Zhou Family''s ancestor?

    Lei He''s eyes were vacant, staring at that hysterical face, and he couldn''t help but shiver.

    What had Zhou Qing encountered to end up like this?

    Or was this just a rare spirit wood, deliberately carved to look like him?

    The Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, however, had a glint in his eyes. He rushed forward, grabbed the tree, and pulled with all his might.

    "Rise for me!"

    With a loud shout from the Thirteenth Ancestor, Zhou Qing''s roots were so deeply embedded that only a small portion was uprooted, with countless roots snapping.

    Faintly, he heard a piercing scream, like a soul''s roar, emanating from within the tree, making the pained face twist even more.

    "What strong resilience! This divine sense fluctuation is indeed from the Zhou Family''s ancestor, it''s him!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor hastily retreated a few steps, speaking in a deep voice.

    The entire scene fell into a dead silence.

    What had he experienced in life to be a tree! Moreover, Zhou Qing seemed not to bepletely dead, with a faint trace of divine sense still lingering. This was beyondprehension.

    Zhou Qing had pursued immortality his entire life, and this was his immortality?

    "Was it... that snake''s doing?"

    Bai Qiushui felt his mouth dry up. He had long thought that snake was not to be trifled with, but he hadn''t expected it to be this extreme.

    Bai Luo''s face turned pale, and he felt a wave of fear. If he had encountered it inside the pyramid, who knows what might have happened.

    There was no time for everyone to think deeply, as a red-haired whirlwind arose in the distance. The Corpse King, leading arge group of corpse puppets, charged in angrily, forcing everyone to flee, their hearts shaken to the core by the scene they had just witnessed.

    ...

    Outside the Blood Corpse Cave, in a distant underground cave dwelling.

    Xu Hei opened his eyes and exhaled a stream of air. After a long period of breathing exercises, he had mostly recovered.

    However, the injury from the flying sword was healing extremely slowly. He had deliberately allowed himself to be hit by the blood sword to lure Zhou Qing in.

    It was only because he had dragon scales and Zhou Qing had held back a bit that he hadn''t lost his life.

    "Let''s see what I''ve gained from this trip."

    Xu Hei took out a storage ring and removed the seal, revealing its contents.

    It was a massive space, a hundred meters in length, width, and height, totaling a million cubic meters. Xu Hei couldn''t help but gasp at the sight.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    It was the first time he had seen such arge Void Stone.

    Inside, it was piled high with spirit medicines and pill bottles, but as Xu Hei swept his divine sense over them, the spirit medicines turned to dust.

    Just like thest time, when he had cut open a Void Stone in the gambling stone workshop, the spirit medicines inside crumbled at a touch, having been stored for too long to be preserved.

    However, the jade bottles containing pills were still intact, each sealed, likely retaining some medicinal potency.

    In a corner, there were about thirty top-grade Spirit Stones piled together, which made Xu Hei''s eyes light up.

    In addition, there was one item that caught Xu Hei''s attention.

    It was a massive stone b, inscribed with arge amount of text.

    The contents of a divine sense jade slip cannot be preserved for long unless by a great divine ability user.

    But inscribing on a stone tablet is the simplest and most enduring method of storage. Even after tens of thousands of years, or even a million years, as long as it''s not exposed to the elements, the carved text can still be seen.

    Xu Hei focused on the stone b, examining it closely. The handwriting was elegant, clearly written by a woman.

    "I don''t know how many years it will be before this stone tablet is discovered, perhaps tens of thousands, perhaps a hundred thousand, perhaps a million, or perhaps never."

    This was the first sentence on the stone b.

    "I, Gongshu Ruyi, a direct disciple of the third generation sect master of the Divine Puppet Sect, a member of the Pill Hall of Wuyou City."

    "I inscribe this text to reveal the truth of this history, so that future generations may remember."

    ...

    Xu Hei scanned the stone b, reading it word by word from top to bottom.

    In ancient times, heroes rose, and the Hundred Schools of Thought contended.

    Confucianism, Daoism, the Buddhist sect, and the Demon Cult each upied their own territories, with talented individuals emerging in great numbers, making it a golden era.

    Gongshu Zi, renowned for his art of mechanisms and puppets, founded the Divine Puppet Sect as the first Grandmaster. After breaking through to Divine Transformation, he wandered beyond the world and disappeared.

    Afterward, the second-generation sect master, Mo Ban, inherited the sect, continuing to promote the art of puppets and mechanisms, determined to change life through technology and create a perfect world.

    The third-generation sect master, Mo Wuyou, was even more so. He fulfilled Mo Ban''s wish and created the most perfect city in the world¡ª

    Wuyou City!

    Wuyou City, as the name suggests, is a ce of longsting happiness without worries.

    The old have support, the young are cared for, no one picks up lost items on the road, and doors are not locked at night. Regardless of race, gender, or status, there is no sorrow or conflict, making it a paradise everyone yearns for.

    To fulfill the wish of Wuyou, he continuously improved Wuyou City, using the art of mechanisms to elevate the living standards of its inhabitants far beyond any ce of the time.

    This was Mo Wuyou''s Dao, to protect this city without worries and break through to Divine Transformation!

    Regarding this, Xu Hei also had some understanding.

    It is said that at the Elemental Infant stage, it''s not just about cultivation but also about cultivating one''s aura and Dao heart.

    Using Wuyou City as his Dao heart to prove the Dao of Wuyou, this was what the third-generation ancestor Mo Wuyou did.

    During this period, Mo Wuyou''s identity was merely that of a mortal City Lord, without performing any immortal deeds. Yet, through some artisan techniques, he turned Wuyou City into a paradise.

    For ten consecutive years, there was not a single crime recorded.

    He fulfilled the lifelong pursuit of the second-generation ancestor, just half a step away from Divine Transformation!

    However, human desire is limitless.

    Every dynasty has the iron rule of peacesting no more than a hundred years, let alone a single city.

 Chapter 206: Dragon Clans ultimate skill, Shattered Dragons Roar!

    Chapter 206: Dragon n''s ultimate skill, Shattered Dragon''s Roar!

    As time passed, a series of conflicts began to emerge within Wuyou City.

    Initially, they could be suppressed throughw, but as desires continued to swell, order spiraled out of control.

    Once basic needs are met, people crave more; with peacees the demand for fairness; with fairness, the desire to exploit arises.

    Ten years of peace is easy, twenty years is hard, and a hundred years is but a fool''s dream.

    At this moment, life in Wuyou City was like this: everyone had a wooden carriage, jade slips for real-timemunication, and meals delivered to their doorsteps.

    While other ces couldn''t even satisfy basic peace and sustenance.

    In Wuyou City, where everyone lived like immortals, an unprecedented internal strife broke out.

    Cultivators led the charge, mortals rushed forward, the Discipline Hall was razed to the ground, the Pill Hall was expelled from Wuyou City, with tens of thousands dead or injured. Helplessly, the Pill Hall had to establish a new cave dwelling outside the city.

    This is now known as the Blood Corpse Cave."Why did ite to this?"

    Xu Hei couldn''t understand.

    To Xu Hei, peace was already a luxury, and having enough to eat and wear was a dream.

    Yet the people of Wuyou City, not only satisfied with these, even far exceeded them, were still not content!

    Of course, Xu Hei didn''t fully believe the contents of the stone tablet, as it was left by Gongshu Ruyi, surely carrying her subjective imagination, painting herself as a victim.

    Later, Mo Wuyou took a series of measures, but they only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.

    Eventually, everyone gave up, stoppedpeting, and justy around, since they had no worries about food and clothing, they were even toozy to work.

    The whole city was in a state of eating and waiting to die.

    "Now, it''s almost impossible for Master to reach Divine Transformation. Wuyou City has proven to be a failed creation; true worry-free living is impossible."

    "Master''s Dao heart was frustrated, his cultivation plummeted, butter, Master he..."

    At this point, Xu Hei''s pupils suddenly contracted, and he continued reading.

    "Master did something unknown and suddenly reached the Divine Transformation Stage."

    "The entire Divine Puppet Sect was mobilized to hunt down Master. The second, fourth, and fifth generation sect leaders joined forces to y Master outside Wuyou City."

    Here, the text abruptly ended.

    Xu Hei furrowed his brows, deep in thought. He felt that a part of the content was missing, especially thest part, which was almost summarized in two sentences.

    He read it again from start to finish.

    The beginning seemed reasonable, the middle was mostly omitted, and the end was glossed over.

    There was no exnation for bing a corpse puppet!

    Xu Hei squinted his eyes, seriously suspecting that the stone tablet had been tampered with, causing the content to be distorted.

    It likely involved some secrets that couldn''t be known, so they were blocked by a great divine ability.

    Thinking of this, Xu Hei shook his head.

    Why did everyone be corpse puppets?

    Why was Mo Wuyou, as the third generation sect leader, hunted by the sect?

    Since Wuyou City was proven a failure, how did he achieve Divine Transformation?

    With so many mysteries, Xu Hei could only go to Wuyou City to find answers.

    "A Divine Transformation cultivator... I never thought I coulde into contact with such secrets. It would be a pity to miss such an opportunity!"

    Xu Hei originally had no interest in history, but when it involved breaking through to Divine Transformation, he became curious.

    If someone as strong as Mo Wuyou found it so difficult to reach Divine Transformation, ending up hunted by the sect, would Xu Hei face even greater challenges in the future?

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, stored the stone tablet, and took out an ancient Essence Cultivation Pill.

    He unsealed the pill, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. Without dy, Xu Hei opened his mouth and inhaled, consuming the rapidly withering Essence Cultivation Pill.

    An hourter.

    Xu Hei had fully recovered to his peak state, with his cultivation increased by about twenty percent.

    Next, Xu Hei attempted to open Zhou Qing''s storage bag.

    As expected, it waspletely unopenable, the seal on it was unimaginably strong! Even using dragon scales had no effect.

    "That old bastard must have deliberately strengthened the seal before he died!"

    Xu Hei''s face turned grim.

    To be cautious, he decided to seek help from the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Xu Hei didn''t fully trust anyone, but based on Xu Qingfeng''s previous behavior, he seemed rtively trustworthy.

    Besides, Zhou Qing had already revealed his trump cards, so there shouldn''t be any unspeakable treasures in the storage bag.

    Afterward, Xu Hei tried to refine the nine blood swords, but still failed.

    At this point, Xu Hei had little hope left. He took out the Blood God Armor, now in the form of a blood bead, and probed it with his divine sense.

    Suddenly, the blood bead floated up automatically, adhering closely to Xu Hei''s body.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei instinctively retreated, keeping a distance, staring at the blood bead.

    "I can actually use it? Is this for real?"

    Xu Hei shook his head, his eyes serious, his heart vignt.

    Zhou Qing''s magical treasure, at least third-tier top-grade, could it really be used so easily?

    Xu Hei didn''t believe it, suspecting a trap.

    He pondered for a moment, took out the butcher, approached the blood bead, and attached it, probing with his divine sense.

    "ng!"

    The blood bead adhered to the butcher, immediately spreading out, transforming into a blood-red armor, forming on the butcher''s body surface.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    During this process, blood from the butcher''s body was continuously absorbed into it, albeit at a slow pace.

    Xu Hei stared at the armor for a long time, seemingly understanding, and nodded.

    "So that''s how it is!"

    This magical treasure wasn''t a simple one; it was a sentient item that required the owner''s blood and energy to activate automatically.

    The stronger the owner''s blood and energy, the higher the armor''s strength.

    Xu Hei tried attacking the armor, finding it impervious to his attacks, its strength at least reaching the Core Formation level, slightly higher than the butcher''s own cultivation.

    However, the butcher''s vitality was also being continuously drained.

    Xu Hei shuddered, shaking the armor off his body, where it reformed into a blood bead in mid-air,nding in his palm.

    "Blood God Armor, no True Qi needed, only consumes blood and energy, perfect for those with abundant vitality," Xu Hei mused.

    If he, in his true form, wore this armor, his defense would surely be astonishing.

    After checking it again to confirm, Xu Hei stored the blood bead.

    Then, he took out a handful of high-grade spirit stones from the storage ring, swallowing them, allowing the true dragon on the Demon God Cauldron to absorb them.

    One, two, three... eight.

    "Buzz!"

    An idea surged into Xu Hei''s mind.

    That familiar and profound voice echoed once more, the voice of the true dragon.

    "Dragon Shatter Roar, a mid-grade dragon n supreme technique, a sonic spell..."

    "The dragon n must not only conquer with virtue but also with reason! When reasoning, use Dragon Shatter Roar to ensure the other party listens obediently."

    "This technique consists of seven levels, each a realm of its own, divided into shattering stone, shattering soul, shattering star, shattering void, shattering the firmament, shattering sun and moon, shattering the great Dao."

    "......"

    Countless pieces of information, like a roaring sea, flooded into Xu Hei''s mind.

    Compared to the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, the information of Dragon Shatter Roar was even more vast, though it had only seven levels, it was ten times moreplex.

 Chapter 207: Return to Wuyou City, Zhou Familys conspiracy

    Chapter 207: Return to Wuyou City, Zhou Family''s conspiracy

    After an unknown amount of time, Xu Hei opened his eyes, carefully recalling the content that had just shed through his mind.

    Dragon Shatter Roar, a mid-tier dragon n ultimate technique.

    Unlike traditional spells, it is a perfect fusion of True Qi and the physical body, not necessarily suitable for human cultivators, but extremely fitting for demonic beasts with powerful physical bodies.

    When used in conjunction with the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, it can unleash destructive power far beyond the current cultivation level.

    "Let''s give it a try."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, rapidlypressing the True Qi within his body, concentrating it towards his tailbone.

    Using the bone to produce sound, this is the minimum requirement for the Dragon Shatter Roar.

    After a long while, Xu Hei felt the True Qi hadpressed to its limit, and his bones began to tremble. He immediately took out a piece of reactor debris, cing it in front as a target.

    Xu Hei opened his mouth wide towards the debris, and thepressed True Qi within him roared out."Dragon Shatter Roar!"

    A deafening explosion reverberated, sound waves swept through, and the soil in front was instantly blown away. The piece of reactor debris immediately cracked and within a breath, shattered into pieces.

    "So powerful!"

    Xu Hei was internally shocked.

    Although the reactor was scrapped, its material was still above third-tier, yet it was shattered by the Dragon Shatter Roar.

    This was his most powerful attack without relying on a magical treasure!

    "Crack... crack..."

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s bones emitted a faint cracking sound, showing signs of fractures. He quickly stopped the spell, letting the True Qi disperse, and his breath calmed down.

    At this moment, Xu Hei felt his whole body ache, utterly exhausted.

    In just that instant, he had consumed half of his True Qi.

    His entire skeleton was in piercing pain, with wear and tear everywhere except for the intact dragon bone at his tail.

    "The cost of this move is too great. It should be a spell aimed at the Core Formation Stage, requiring a full set of dragon bones, which I currently cannot handle," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    A low-tier dragon n ultimate technique requires Foundation Establishment.

    A mid-tier dragon n ultimate technique requires Core Formation.

    The true dragon statue probably didn''t expect Xu Hei to collect a hundred high-grade spirit stones before reaching Core Formation.

    "Dragon Shatter Roar is truly not something ordinary people can withstand; it can only be used as a trump card."

    Xu Hei took out a pill and consumed it for healing.

    This journey cost him quite a few trump cards, but he also gained a lot.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    South of the Blood Corpse Cave, Wuyou City.

    After recovering, Xu Hei headed straight for Wuyou City. After a long journey, he saw the massive city in the distance, coiled like a giant ck dragon.

    The sky was dark, covered with clouds, and the underground world never saw the sun. The air was cold and damp, with corpse puppets scattered in every corner.

    Xu Hei found it hard to imagine that in ancient times, this ce was prosperous, known as the most peaceful ce in the world.

    Most of Wuyou City was shrouded in dark clouds, with only a few visible areas.

    At this moment, a crowd was gathered at the distant city gate.

    Some passing rogue cultivators were also heading there.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment, took out a random passerby, removed the face, put on a helmet, and then separated an external incarnation to control the puppet, walking forward.

    The main body can only control the puppet within a thousand feet.

    But if the incarnation controls it, it can be far away; as long as the incarnation doesn''t die, even thousands of miles apart is fine.

    When Xuan Yangzi ambushed him, he sent an incarnation.

    Of course, the external incarnation Xu Hei created was done casually, with only thirty percent of the main body''sbat power, minimizing the cost.

    As the incarnation approached, Xu Hei discovered that the Zhou Family was recruiting soldiers on the city gate.

    "Everyone, join our Myriad Treasure Pavilion, and you can receive arge amount of spirit stones every day. If you perform well, you can also receive ancient spirit medicine rewards."

    "Once out of the relic, you can leave freely, with no constraints. Our cooperation is limited to within the relic."

    Zhou Qingxuan stood on the city gate, continuously giving speeches.

    The rogue cultivators looked at each other, some joining, some hesitating, and some discussing behind the scenes.

    Xu Hei sneered internally. The Zhou Family had suffered heavy losses, first being bombed by his Thunder Tribtion Pearl, then being killed by corpse puppets in the Blood Corpse Cave, and finally intercepting the Chu Tian Alliance, losing anotherrge group.

    Even their strongest force, the two ancestors, were gone.

    If they didn''t recruit more, they probably couldn''t continue.

    The Myriad Treasure Pavilion, the wealthiest force in the Qin Kingdom. In fact, many of their previous teams were also hired mercenaries.

    However, those who have survived in the relic for so long are not fools. They won''t easily be cannon fodder and can somewhat see the Myriad Treasure Pavilion''s predicament, so the price they demand is naturally exorbitant.

    "Fifty thousand spirit stones, plus a thousand-year-old spirit medicine, and our five members of the Blood Robe Sect are at your service."

    The five members of the Blood Robe Sect stepped forward.

    In the past, hiring five Foundation Establishment cultivators only required ten thousand spirit stones, but now the price had quintupled.

    Zhou Qingxuan nced over, using his divine sense to assess the five, frowning slightly.

    What he needed wasn''t this kind of Foundation Establishment cannon fodder, but Core Formation!

    For the uing actions, without Core Formation cultivation, nothing could be aplished.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    However, to cover his intentions, Zhou Qingxuan still nodded, "Blood Robe Sect, epted! But only half the deposit can be given, and the spirit medicine will be paid in a week. You should trust the reputation of our Myriad Treasure Pavilion."

    "No problem!"

    After some discussion, the Blood Robe Sect joined.

    The Myriad Treasure Pavilion''s reputation was trustworthy; as long as they didn''t die, the spirit medicine would surely be delivered.

    Zhou Qingxuan looked over the rogue cultivators who had joined, feeling quite heavy-hearted. They had been recruiting for two days and only one Core Formation had joined.

    As pioneers, they had thetest information regarding the greatest inheritance in the ancient relic. Without Core Formation, they couldn''t even qualify to participate.

    They wanted to request support from headquarters, but time was tight, and it would take several days for a round trip, with potential mishaps along the way, leaving them no choice but to take this approach.

    "Are there any more Core Formation cultivators willing to join? Our reward for Core Formation is higher than usual, with a thousand-year-old spirit medicine paid unconditionally."

    Zhou Qingxuan decided to go all out and said.

    "I don''t want spirit medicine; I want two hundred thousand spirit stones, paid upfront!"

    At this moment, a purple-haired youth walked over, weapons strapped all over, with azy expression.

    As he moved, his body exuded the aura of Core Formation, drawing everyone''s attention.

    "Bounty hunter Han Te?"

    Zhou Qingxuan''s eyebrow twitched, a look of disdain shing in his eyes.

    "What, don''t trust me? I, Han, may not have much else, but I have professional integrity. I do the job once paid, no ambiguity!" Han Te smiled brightly.

    The remaining members of the Zhou Family looked at each other.

    Han Te had long been notorious. Although he was Core Formation, he was known as the weakest Core Formation in history, even fleeing from False Core stage corpse puppets. Who would dare hire him?

    Xu Hei''s incarnation and puppet were not far away, quietly observing, with a hint of spection in his heart.

    "The Myriad Treasure Pavilion, no matter how wealthy, can''t be spending like this! Hiring five Foundation Establishment for fifty thousand spirit stones? Spending two hundred thousand for an early Core Formation? The markup is through the roof."

    "Yet despite the high markup, many people are still hesitant."

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, suspecting that the other party might have some secret and urgently needed manpower.

    The size of Wuyou City,pared to the outside world, isn''trge, but in this restricted underground city, there are still many unexplored areas, an unknown territory.

    Discovering opportunities in these unknown areas wouldn''t be surprising.

    Sure enough, after much hesitation, the Zhou Family still took out the spirit stones and recruited Han Te.

    "Hahaha, happy cooperation, big client!"

    Han Te cheerfully stored away the spirit stones, his eyes gleaming. He had never done such a big deal in his life.

 Chapter 208: Join the Chu Tian Alliance, join the Myriad Treasure Pavilion

    Chapter 208: Join the Chu Tian Alliance, join the Myriad Treasure Pavilion

    Seeing that even someone like Han Te received two hundred thousand Spirit Stones, the eyes of the rogue cultivators in the distance lit up with greed.

    "I am at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage. How about a hundred thousand Spirit Stones?"

    A rogue cultivator mustered the courage to speak, but Zhou Qingxuan ignored himpletely.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, we will depart in one hour. If anyone else wishes to join, do so quickly, or you''ll miss the opportunity," Zhou Qingxuan announced.

    Everyone exchanged nces and began to discuss among themselves.

    The people present were quick-witted, specting whether the Zhou Family had stumbled upon some great fortune and needed people to act as cannon fodder.

    Some said that the Myriad Treasure Pavilion wouldn''t be so shameless, as they were businessmen, and a tarnished reputation would ruin them.

    Others guessed they were nning to attack the Chu Tian Alliance and needed manpower.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and sat cross-legged nearby, wanting to see what tricks the Zhou Family was up to.Suddenly, Xu Hei saw two familiar figures approaching Zhou Qingxuan.

    One was a white-bearded elder, holding a horsetail whisk and dressed in a Taoist robe adorned with the Eight Trigrams, exuding an aura of immortality.

    It was Tianji Shangren!

    Beside him was a masked man, following closely like a shadow, with sharp eyes. It was clearly Liu Buqun.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Why are these two together again? Are they glued to each other?" Xu Hei internallyined.

    As if sensing Xu Hei''s gaze, the white-bearded elder turned his head, smiled slightly, and nodded in acknowledgment.

    Xu Hei quickly averted his eyes.

    Tianji Shangren walked up to Zhou Qingxuan and said with a smile, "I, a humble Taoist, have observed that the Zhou Family has ady of great fortune, so I havee to offer my assistance."

    "Great! How many Spirit Stones do you require, fellow Daoist?" Zhou Qingxuan immediately perked up, not daring to neglect him, and asked quickly.

    "I do not require Spirit Stones," Tianji Shangren unexpectedly shook his head, then transmitted a message, the contents of which were unknown.

    After some contemtion, Zhou Qingxuan nodded in agreement.

    "What is this old fox nning? Should I join as well?" Xu Hei hesitated, considering that with a clone and a puppet, he wasn''t afraid of being discovered.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the same time, Xu Hei''s true self was flying towards the interior of Wuyou City.

    Wuyou City, with its clusters of ancient buildings, mostly in a state of copse, had its bricks and stones turned pitch ck from years of umted yin energy, exuding an eerie aura.

    From beneath the surface, creaking sounds could be heard, made by corpse puppets.

    Looking around, one could vaguely see the shadows of its former grandeur.

    Xu Hei took out amunication jade slip left by Xiao Chou.

    "Head eighty miles east, Chu Tian Alliance..."

    Xu Hei read the message in the jade slip and flew eastward.

    Momentster, he arrived in front of a rtively well-preserved pavilion courtyard.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, then sent a puppet ahead to enter the courtyard.

    In an instant, his vision cleared, and the light brightened, revealing a hidden world within the courtyard.

    Xu Hei focused his gaze, finding the seemingly small courtyard surprisingly vast inside.

    Members of the Chu Tian Alliance were present, but after a nce at Xu Hei, they ignored him and continued with their own tasks.

    The Silver-haired Witch was staring nkly at a wall.

    Ku Xuan was chanting scriptures to the Vulture.

    Zhang Tie was sharpening his hammer.

    Additionally, five rogue cultivators were meditating cross-legged, also ignoring Xu Hei.

    "You''ve arrived," Xu Qingfeng approached.

    "I have," Xu Hei replied, unsure of what else to say.

    "Have you made up your mind?" Xu Qingfeng asked.

    Xu Hei nodded and said, "I am willing to cooperate with you."

    This was a decision Xu Hei had reached after careful consideration.

    Since Xu Hei began cultivating, he had always fought alone, never joining any faction or power. At most, he would ask Man Jin or Lei Meng for help.

    This expedition to the relic made him deeply aware that individual strength is limited, and the omnipresent cmities and ever-looming enemies often put Xu Hei in danger.

    He had left the Blood Corpse Cave thanks to the Chu Tian Alliance''s Minor Teleportation Formation.

    At the exit, it was also the Chu Tian Alliance that blocked the ambush.

    This narrow escape led Xu Hei to decide that if he could rely on external forces, why not give it a try?

    He might have survived by luck once, but there might not be a next time.

    Enemies like the Zhou Family''s ancestor were not few. Whether it was the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect or Lei He, they would not hesitate to kill him on sight.

    The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the Chu Tian Alliance had helped him once, proving their sincerity.

    "May our cooperation be sessful," Xu Qingfeng smiled.

    "Sessful cooperation!" Xu Hei nodded.

    At the same time, Xu Hei''s clone had also mingled with the Zhou Family''s rogue cultivator team, earning five thousand Spirit Stones as a reward.

    "Fellow Daoist, long time no see. I''ve missed you," Tianji Shangren beamed.

    Xu Hei ignored him, took two steps back, and tightened his helmet.

    "Fellow Daoist, no need to be nervous. I mean no harm. Though I cannot discern your identity, I can see that you are blessed with great fortune. I, a humble Taoist, love to make friends with those favored by fate," Tianji Shangren said with a smile.

    "Is he a child of fortune?" Xu Hei pointed at Liu Buqun.

    Tianji Shangren fell silent, and Liu Buqun''s expression turned awkward.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, within the Chu Tian Alliance''s stronghold.

    In a separate room, both Xu Hei''s true self and puppet had arrived.

    He took out a Storage Bag and asked, "Can you open this?"

    It was Zhou Qing''s Storage Bag.

    Xu Hei could have waited until his cultivation improved to open it himself, but time was of the essence, and his trump cards were far from sufficient. He needed to enhance his strength as quickly as possible.

    "The Zhou Family''s ancestor''s Storage Bag?"

    Xu Qingfeng took the Storage Bag, examined it carefully, then suddenly tossed it away and pointed at it.

    "Bang!"

    With a crisp sound, a golden me burst out, twisting the Void with its heat.

    "This..." Xu Hei was stunned.

    "The Zhou Family''s ancestor had ill intentions. If you had carelessly unsealed it without any precautions, this soul fire would have burned you to ashes," Xu Qingfeng said solemnly.

    Xu Hei''s face darkened; it was his first time encountering such a trick.

    However, he had anticipated something like this, which was why he hadn''t fallen for it.

    At this moment, Xu Qingfeng stared at the me for a while, then suddenly said, "Take out your Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book."

    Xu Hei immediatelyplied.

    Xu Qingfeng took the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, pointed at the Void, and the me rapidly contracted, transforming into a gust of red wind that was absorbed into the book, forming the character <em>burn </em>on it.

    "This ''burn'' character can release the soul fire from earlier, dealing significant damage to Divine Sense, but it can only be used once," Xu Qingfeng handed the book back.

    "Thank you."

    Xu Hei epted the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.

    Now, he had another lethal move.

    At this moment, the Storage Bag had been charred ck and shattered, scattering its contents on the ground.

    These were the Magical Treasures Zhou Qing hadn''t had time to destroy.

    Before his "death," he could only resort to such petty tricks.

    Although most of the treasures were destroyed in the fire, many remained intact, a dazzling array of various types, all unused by Zhou Qing.

    Xu Hei nced at them and gasped.

    Only now did he realize how well-prepared the Zhou Family''s ancestor had been for the ancient relic.

    Xu Qingfeng was also stunned for a while before eximing, "As expected of the Myriad Treasure Pavilion''s ancestor, this wealth even makes me envious."

    Xu Hei knew he was just speaking casually and wouldn''t actually try to seize them.

    The main concern was that after the burning, many Magical Treasures had lost their effectiveness.

 Chapter 209: Put on the red nose, recognize yourself

    Chapter 209: Put on the red nose, recognize yourself

    Magical treasures in the form of beads numbered more than ten, including Water Repelling Beads, Wind-Stabilizing Pearls, Fire Avoidance Beads, Blood Condensing Beads, Soul Locking Beads... Though their grades weren''t high, they were practical and could be used in various environments.

    There were also seven or eight sail-type magical treasures, along with bells, seals, fans, bowls, and more, totaling over a hundred items.

    Xu Hei even suspected that they might have emptied the treasury of some merchant guild.

    Xu Qingfeng picked up a banana leaf fan, scanned it with his Divine Sense, and shook his head, "What a pity, it''s too damaged."

    Xu Hei also picked up a magical treasure and inspected each one.

    After a long while, Xu Hei shook his head helplessly.

    Although there were many magical treasures, they were all damaged to varying degrees. Minor damage ounted for ten to twenty percent, while severe damage exceeded eighty percent, with some burned to ashes.

    Out of over a hundred magical treasures, only about twenty were barely usable.

    However, the high-grade magical treasures were all well-preserved.Xu Hei raised his hand and pulled over a straw hat. Zhou Qing had worn this hat before; it could conceal one''s aura and remained undamaged even after being burned by mes.

    He ced the hat on his head, and with a sh of light, it automatically shrank to fit his head, aligning perfectly with his snake head.

    Xu Hei''s aura vanished instantly, as if he were just a wisp of air, with no trace of a snake.

    "What a powerful effect, even stronger than an Invisibility Talisman!" Xu Hei marveled inwardly.

    Xu Hei then picked up a small boat, only the size of a palm. With a thought, the boat quickly expanded to ten meters, capable of amodating about five people.

    "Earth Boat, able to traverse deserts and underground, faster than the Earth Escape Technique," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Next, he picked up a pair of radiant wings.

    "Heavenly Silkworm Wings, can increase flight speed..."

    "......"

    One magical treasure after another was collected by Xu Hei.

    Most of the magical treasures in the storage bag had auxiliary effects, with little enhancement forbat.

    But when facing treacherous environments, these magical treasures could be crucial!

    For instance, in the Earth Path before, Xu Hei had entered without any preparation, relying solely on luck and the Small Teleportation Talisman to get through.

    But with these magical treasures, Xu Hei was ny percent confident he could make it through.

    And as for the yet-to-be-explored Fire Path, although Xu Hei hadn''t been there, he felt more confident.

    Xu Hei stored all the usable magical treasures and said to Xu Qingfeng, "Can you repair the remaining ones?"

    "Damage below fifty percent should be repairable, but beyond that, I''ll do my best," Xu Qingfeng replied.

    Xu Hei nodded, "Alright, if you seed in repairing them, consider it your reward."

    The other party had helped so much, it wouldn''t be right to offer nothing in return.

    Though getting things for free was quite enjoyable.

    Xu Qingfeng didn''t stand on ceremony, storing the damaged magical treasures, and said, "Then I won''t refuse. Once I''ve repaired them all, I''ll show you to see if there''s anything you need."

    "Thank you."

    Xu Hei controlled the puppet to cup its fists in thanks.

    Xu Qingfeng smiled calmly and walked towards the door.

    Xu Hei remained outwardly calm, but his heart was turbulent.

    Throughout, the other party''s eyes never showed a hint of greed. Even if there had been a trace, Xu Hei would have immediately gone into battle mode, but there was none! Not even a little!

    In fact, Xu Hei suspected that if he hadn''t spoken up, the other party might have left without asking for any benefits.

    Xu Hei hesitated slightly and asked, "Are your injuries alright?"

    Xu Qingfeng appeared unscathed on the surface, but Xu Hei''s senses were sharp; the other party was definitely severely injured.

    In the sh of Elemental Infant realms, with Yin Mingzi, the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, and other powerful figures assisting at Lei He, it was almost impossible for him to escape unscathed.

    "Little friend, there''s no need to worry. It''s just a minor injury, nothing serious."

    Xu Qingfeng dismissed it lightly and walked out the door.

    Xu Hei said no more. He had intended to offer an ancient healing pill if the other party''s injuries were severe, but since it wasn''t needed, he wouldn''t take it out.

    He took out the jade slip left by Xu Bai and carefully sensed it for a moment, but found no clues.

    All he knew was that it was somewhere in Wuyou City, but there was no specific location.

    "Where is Xu Bai?" Xu Hei wondered.

    He left the room and entered the courtyard.

    Everyone was busy with their own tasks.

    At this moment, Zhang Tie was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, facing Master Ku Xuan, with his eyes closed.

    "Focus on your nose, your nose on your mouth, your mouth on your heart, and with no distractions, you can suppress the demonic thoughts within," Ku Xuan recited a Buddhist mantra, holding a string of prayer beads.

    Zhang Tie silently recited the scriptures, and a wisp of ck energy on his body dissipated, his skin color lightening.

    Before long, Zhang Tie opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and as if a great weight had been lifted.

    "Thank you, Master!"

    Zhang Tie stood up, sped his hands, and bowed.

    Xu Hei watched from the side, feeling quite amazed.

    He had heard of Demon Man Zhang Tie, said to be a half-demon, prone to going berserk. Every few days, his demonic nature would re up uncontrobly, and only Ku Xuan could calm it.

    Demon Monk Ku Xuan was a master in psychological treatment.

    At this moment, Xiao Chou also approached, sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat, and said, "Master Ku Xuan, I''ve been having nightmarestely. Please help me understand them."

    "Oh? What have you been dreaming about?" Ku Xuan smiled slightly.

    "Dreaming of some women, which troubles me greatly. I''m considering bing a monk to clear my mind," Xiao Chou said with a troubled expression.

    He had long vowed never to touch a woman in this life, but being young, despite his words, his mind often wandered, leading to dreams.

    Xu Hei paused nearby, watching with interest.

    Ku Xuan was silent for a moment, then smiled, "Young benefactor Xiao, it''s normal for a young man full of vigor. Why not face yourself honestly?"

    Xiao Chou''s eyes flickered, "Then, Master Ku Xuan, what should I do?"

    Ku Xuan smiled and took a red ball from his storage bag, cing it in front of the prayer mat.

    "Master, what is this..."

    Xiao Chou looked at the red ball, only half the size of a fist, fluffy.

    Ku Xuan smiled without speaking, then took out a mirror and ced it beside the red ball.

    He said nothing, simply watching Xiao Chou quietly.

    Xiao Chou seemed to ponder, then his eyes lit up, "I understand. Master wants me to be passionate and lively, not lifeless, to illuminate the path ahead, right?"

    Ku Xuan sighed helplessly, "No."

    Then, seeing Xiao Chou''s dumbfounded expression, he exined, "I meant that you could put this red ball on your nose, then look in the mirror and recognize yourself."

    Hearing this, Xiao Chou picked up the red ball and mirror, about to ce it on his nose.

    Suddenly, his whole body froze.

    Xiao Chou looked at the red ball in his hand, then at the mirror, imagining the scene, and his face turned as ck as coal.

    Xu Hei was utterly speechless, sighed silently, and turned to leave.

    Beside him, the Vulture couldn''t hold back and burst into sharpughter.

    "Only by recognizing yourself can you avoid unrealistic fantasies, Amitabha!" Ku Xuan sped his hands and recited a Buddhist mantra.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, at the gate of Wuyou City.

    "The time hase, let''s move out!"N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Zhou Qingxuan led his team, immediately setting off and rushing into Wuyou City, with everyone following closely behind, like shadows.

 Chapter 210: Chutians myriad forms, a rare corpse tide

    Chapter 210: Chutian''s myriad forms, a rare corpse tide

    This time, Zhou Qingxuan recruited over thirty people, including three at the Core Formation Stage.

    One was an old white-haired man named Cang Ming, another was Han Te, and the third was a newly joined middle-aged woman in blue. All three were at the early Core Formation Stage.

    These people were all old hands, extremely cunning, forcing him to spend five times the usual price to barely secure their services.

    Only because the Zhou Family was wealthy and powerful could they afford such extravagance; the Bai Family wouldn''t dare waste resources like this.

    After the group left, they were followed by a crowd of outsiders trailing behind at a distance. But after Cang Ming made a move and killed three people, the rest dared not follow any longer.

    Before long, they arrived at the Zhou Family''s stronghold.

    It was a spacious courtyard, once a noble''s residence in ancient times, now upied by the Zhou Family.

    Zhou Wendie walked out from the courtyard and handed over a jade slip, saying, "This is a message from above."

    Zhou Qingxuan took the jade slip, and after reading its contents, his face immediately turned grim. "It''s about dealing with the Chu Tian Alliance again..."Xu Hei, who had been paying attention to themotion ahead, was suddenly startled upon hearing this.

    "Are we going?" Zhou Wendie asked.

    "Our Zhou Family has suffered such heavy losses, and they still want to order us around! If they want to go, they can go themselves; we won''t participate!" Zhou Qingxuan said in a deep voice.

    "But Xu Qingfeng is seriously injured; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Zhou Wendie hesitated.

    "Hmph, no matter, we have more important things to do."

    Although the Zhou Family duo''s conversation was quiet, they hadn''t used Divine Sense to iste it, allowing Xu Hei to hear everything clearly.

    His eyes flickered as he quickly pieced together the contents of the jade slip.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect was nning to target the Chu Tian Alliance and was gathering manpower, but the Zhou Family had refused!

    But then, Xu Hei realized something was off.

    Why wasn''t the Zhou Family keeping such important information under wraps?

    Anyone like Xu Hei, who was intent on eavesdropping, could easily overhear their conversation. Weren''t they afraid of leaks?

    Or was this intentional on their part?

    Xu Hei squinted his eyes, sensing that things weren''t simple. Regardless of what schemes the Zhou Family was ying, the Chu Tian Alliance definitely needed a heads-up.

    ...

    Xu Hei''s true self immediately found Xu Qingfeng and briefly exined the situation.

    He didn''t mention how he got the information, only the conclusion.

    "Looks like we have to move again," Xu Qingfeng sighed.

    He didn''t question the reliability of the information and directly announced the move.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Immediately, the members of the Chu Tian Alliance began packing up.

    gs from the formation were pulled up, houses were lifted and stored in their storage spaces, and traces were cleared. The whole process took only two breaths, their efficiency astonishing.

    Before long, they had relocated to a new site.

    This ce, in ancient times, was likely a school, with statues of sages and a stone tablet in the courtyard. However, time had weathered them, leaving only faint traces of words like "At the beginning of man, nature is inherently good."

    Xu Qingfeng took out formation gs and ced them in various positions, Zhang Tie set up the houses, and Zhao Wenzhuo established a Gathering Spirit Array. In no time, the environment transformed back to its previous state.

    "The efficiency of this escape is truly second nature," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    "Hey, bald snake, what''s your name?"

    At this moment, the Vulture flew over, stopping not far from Xu Hei, and asked with a grin.

    Bald snake... Xu Hei''s mouth twitched slightly, "Are you insulting me?"

    "How could that be an insult? You have no hair on your head, if not bald, then what? Besides, being bald isn''t something everyone can have; it''s a symbol of strength! I have no respect for creatures with hair on their heads."

    The Vulture approached, acting overly familiar, pointing at others.

    "..." Xu Hei remained silent.

    "Let me introduce myself first, I''m Ku Ming, that''s the Dharma name Big Baldy gave me. And you?" the Vulture chuckled.

    "Xu Hei."

    "So it''s Brother Xu. Everyone in the Chu Tian Alliance is a weirdo; only the two of us are somewhat normal. As they say, ''near vermilion, one bes red.'' I hope we can look out for each other," the Vulture said with a smile.

    No, you''re not normal either, only I am... Xu Hei silently stepped back a bit.

    After hesitating for a moment, Xu Hei asked, "Can you introduce the members of the Chu Tian Alliance?"

    His understanding of the Chu Tian Alliance was limited to external rumors.

    "Hey, you''ve asked the right person. When ites to intelligence, I''m number one!" the Vulture boasted.

    He pointed with his wing at a silver-haired girl staring nkly at a wall in the distance, "First, there''s the Silver-haired Witch. This one has amnesia, a block of wood, no interests whatsoever, except a hobby of collecting names."

    "The funny thing is, she even forgot her own name, so people call her Ah Yin or Little Silver."

    The Vulture seemed to mock her.

    Xu Hei nodded in realization, no wonder the Silver-haired Witch only had a nickname.

    Then, the Vulture pointed at Zhang Tie, "This one''s a weirdo too, single-minded and prone to madness. Last time, after a bit of drinking, he nearly tore down his old home..."

    The Vulture continued to badmouth everyone, his voice loud and unrestrained.

    Even the usually kind Xu Qingfeng wasn''t spared.

    In his eyes, only Master Ku Xuan was normal; everyone else was a freak.

    "And that Zhao Wenzhuo, you better watch out for him. He used to be a Snake Catcher, specialized in catching your kind. Don''t be fooled by his honest appearance; he''s actually quite devious," the Vulture muttered.

    Xu Hei grew interested and asked, "How so? Tell me more."

    "How would I know? Anyway, anyone with hair on their head is no good!" the Vulture concluded.

    Xu Hei was speechless once again.

    In no time, Xu Hei had aplete understanding of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    The Chu Tian Alliance wasn''t just a few people; it had over a thousand members led by the leader, but Xu Qingfeng''s team was particrly famous.

    Xu Qingfeng''s goal was simple: to restore the Chu Kingdom and establish a well-governed nation.

    Although the others had different personal goals, they shared amon direction, which brought them together.

    ...

    "Boom!!!"

    Suddenly, the ground shook, and ayer of light appeared in the sky, filled with cracks as if struck by some massive object.

    "What''s happening?"

    The members of the Chu Tian Alliance looked up, bewildered, towards the horizon.

    "Boom!!"

    Another thunderous crash followed as the massive object struck the light again, causing the cracks to spread across the light.

    At the same time, tremors came from all directions, as if countless cultivators were attacking their formation.

    "What''s going on? Where are the lookouts?"

    Zhang Tie cursed.

    "Something''s wrong, we''re surrounded by corpse puppets!"

    A rogue cultivator ran back, shouting.

    "Surrounded by corpse puppets?"

    The Vulture''s eyes widened, muttering, "This is bad, we''re in for a fight again."

    Xu Qingfeng also emerged from his secluded healing, arriving in the courtyard.

    With a loud "boom," the light shatteredpletely, and the Yin Sha Qi from outside swept in, turning the world pitch ck.

    All around, countless ck figures hovered, filling the sky and ground, their faces twisted and filled with murderous intent¡ªall corpse puppets.

    Such a massive number was something they had never encountered before.

    "Is this... a corpse tide?" Zhang Tie''s face turned ashen.

    A corpse tide, as the name suggests, is a massive gathering of corpse puppets. But such urrences are extremely rare; corpse puppets are mindless and never act collectively.

    Unless... there''s a higher-level corpse puppetmanding them.

    Once a corpse tide erupts, it signifies a danger surpassing all others, reaching an unpredictable level.

    "How could this happen? This ce was chosen as a Feng Shui treasure, how could a corpse tide erupt?" Zhao Wenzhuo was in disbelief.

 Chapter 211: Diverting disaster eastward, driving the tiger to swallow the wolf

    Chapter 211: Diverting disaster eastward, driving the tiger to swallow the wolf

    Ku Xuan remained calm, while Ah Yin showed no expression.

    What kind of scene hasn''t the Chu Tian Alliance witnessed? They were much moreposed, but the group of rogue cultivators were panicking, their faces pale.

    Xu Hei felt that something was amiss.

    They had just moved in and hadn''t even settled down when they were surrounded by corpse puppets, without any warning or sign. Were these people just sitting around doing nothing?

    "No need to panic, they''re just a bunch of mindless zombies. I have a way to escape," Xu Qingfeng dered loudly.

    Hearing this, the rogue cultivators finally calmed down a bit.

    "Are you going to use that move again? Can you handle it?" Zhang Tie said gravely. "Why don''t we fight our way out? Maybe we can break through!"

    "Absolutely not. The corpse puppets have no intelligence. If they are acting collectively, it means there''s a Corpse King-level existence among them. We mustn''t alert them!" Xu Qingfeng''s expression was serious.

    The strength of these corpse puppets wasn''t great, and there were few with long hair. But breaking through would be easy; if they alerted the Red-haired Corpse King, it would be a big problem.Xu Hei pondered, secretly transmitting, "Do you think this is a natural disaster or a man-made one?"

    Xu Qingfeng didn''t answer the question, just gave him a meaningful look.

    Xu Hei suddenly realized that if he could think of the problem, how could the other party not know? To stand in this position, one must not be simple.

    "I understand," Xu Hei nodded silently.

    At this moment, Xu Qingfeng took out a scroll and slowly unfurled it.

    In an instant, a terrifying and vast energy wave spread out, sweeping across a thousand feet. Within this range, Xu Hei saw countless mountains and rivers rising from the ground.

    Green mountains, flowing rivers, vast clouds, and purple pavilions appeared, forming a magnificentndscape.

    Any corpse puppet that approached was repelled by the terrifying power of the mountains and rivers, pushed back a thousand feet away, as if this ce had be a forbidden zone.

    The Mountain and River Diagram!

    A domain-type magical treasure, unique in the history of the Chu Kingdom.

    "Is this Xu Qingfeng''s trump card?"

    Xu Hei was shocked. Under the cover of this mountain and river power, it felt as if they were isted from the world.

    Xu Qingfeng''s face was pale, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Using this treasure came at a great cost to him.

    "Boss!" Zhang Tie''s face showed a struggle.

    "It''s fine."

    Xu Qingfeng''s voice was firm, but his aura was very weak. Holding the Mountain and River Diagram, he stepped towards the outside.

    As he moved, the mountains and rivers of Chu Prefecture moved with him. Within a thousand feet, wherever the mountains and rivers passed, no evil could invade, and no yin energy could enter. This ce was like a world apart.

    Xu Hei''s mind was filled with thoughts.

    "If it''s a natural disaster, this can be understood."

    "But if it''s man-made, the other party is clearly forcing you to use the Mountain and River Diagram, trying to exhaust you, making your injuries worse! From the conversation between the two from the Zhou Family, the Heavenly Puppet Sect knows he''s injured."

    "I also gave Xu Qingfeng a hint, so why is he still doing this?"

    Xu Hei observed secretly, his Divine Sense scanning each person''s face, but he had no clue.

    Xu Qingfeng was definitely no fool. He must have his reasons for doing this.

    Xu Qingfeng activated the Mountain and River Diagram, leading the group to escape far away, quickly breaking through the encirclement of the corpse tide.

    But soon, Xu Hei noticed something was wrong.

    After breaking out of the encirclement, Xu Qingfeng''s speed was not fast, always maintaining a consistent distance with the pursuing corpse puppets behind.

    Whenever a corpse puppet fell behind, he would deliberately wait for a moment before continuing forward.

    "What is he trying to do?"

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened.

    Moreover, looking at Xu Qingfeng, although his face was always pale, with blood at the corner of his mouth, seemingly about to copse from serious injury at any moment.

    But he kept moving at a steady pace, never actually copsing.

    This ambiguous appearance made Xu Hei''s mind buzz.

    "Is this guy acting?"

    Xu Hei recalled earlier when he asked about the other''s injuries and had intended to offer pills, but Xu Qingfeng decisively refused.

    At the time, Xu Hei didn''t think much of it, but now, he suddenly understood.

    As time passed, the corpse tide not only didn''t decrease but continued to grow. Whenever a corpse puppet appeared nearby, it would follow and join the army of the corpse tide.

    The Chu Tian Alliance was in front, the corpse tide behind, moving all the way through.

    ...

    At this moment, in a certain stronghold in Wuyou City.

    The area was vast, the terrain t, surrounded by towering city walls. In ancient times, this ce was a martial arena, now upied by the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Hundreds of people from the four sects of the Southern Region were stationed here.

    Unlike the Zhou Family and Bai Family, as sects of a defeated nation, they could onlyply with arrangements.

    However, they had gained many benefits from this trip, and many had even made breakthroughs.

    Especially the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, who was beaming with joy. Just now, he had received a Longevity Pill, a reward from Lei He.

    But he didn''t rush to consume it. The pill was quite peculiar, and from its appearance, it didn''t seem to be from ancient times.

    Lei He obviously noticed this too. Although he said it was a reward, he actually intended for him to test the pill.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Thirteenth Ancestor, having absorbed yin energy for years, had be neither human nor ghost, but his mind was still sharp, and he could see through Lei He''s little scheme.

    "Want me to test the pill, huh? Why don''t you try it yourself?"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor sneered inwardly. Out of caution, he nned to take it back for identification before consuming it.

    Additionally, he thought of that snake.

    "That snake is definitely a rare treasure. If I can capture it, consume its blood, and swallow its snake pill, I can surely break through to thete Core Formation stage, or even Great Perfection! Coupled with the Longevity Pill, I might have a chance to reach the Elemental Infant stage in the future!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s eyes gleamed.

    They said that snake killed Zhou Qing and was hard to deal with, but as the ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, he feared no snake. He had ten thousand ways to kill a snake!

    Besides, who knew who really killed Zhou Qing? No one saw it happen.

    "This is my great opportunity, my great fortune! It must be mine!" The Thirteenth Ancestor grew more excited, sitting alone in his room, unable to suppress a sinisterugh.

    "Everyone, retreat immediately!"

    Suddenly, a roar came from outside, the voice of Lei He.

    In an instant, figures rushed out from every room. The Snake Catchers Sect, Tai Xuan Sect, Carefree Sect, Purple Mist Sect, and some cultivators recruited by the Heavenly Puppet Sect all appeared in the open square.

    At this moment, dark clouds loomed in the distance, and a massive, oppressive shadow charged forward with terrifying speed. The air was filled with murderous intent. As everyone focused their gaze, they saw it was a massive corpse tide!

    This corpse tide was being drawn by the Mountain and River Diagram, sweeping towards the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s people!

    Everyone was stunned, their expressions terrified, as if they had seen a ghost.

    "How is this possible?"

    "Quick... run!"

    No reminder was needed; everyone scattered in all directions, only to be horrified to find that the Mountain and River Diagram was faster, and the corpse tide was elerating.

    It was about to catch up with them!

    "Xu Qingfeng, are you courting death? Have you lost your mind?"

    Lei He roared in anger, staring at the pale, shaky figure of the middle-aged schr within the Mountain and River Diagram.

    In response, Xu Qingfeng merely smiled calmly and said, "That''s right, I''m almost done for, just holding on by a thread. You can try a bit harder."

    He increased his speed, carrying the Mountain and River Diagram and the Chu Tian Alliance members, quickly passing through the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s stronghold.

    The corpse tide behind them rushed directly into the stronghold, and the army of corpse puppets immediately changed direction, pursuing the scattered cultivators.

    The scene descended into chaos, turning into a multi-sided massacre.

    Screams and cries for help filled the air.

    At this point, how could Lei He not realize he had been yed? His fury erupted, and he gritted his teeth, cursing, "Xu Qingfeng, I never thought a righteous person like you could act so despicably!"

    "Despicable? You nted so many spies in my Chu Tian Alliance, and you have the nerve to talk about despicability!" Xu Qingfeng retorted.

 Chapter 212: Each has their own ulterior motives, the City Lords mansion appears

    Chapter 212: Each has their own ulterior motives, the City Lord''s mansion appears

    Inserting spies is something anyone can do, even trusted aides can be bought off, let alone rogue cultivators.

    Xu Qingfeng had also nted spies within the Four Sects Alliance, otherwise, he wouldn''t have known the location of the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s stronghold.

    As for the injuries on his body, they were indeed real.

    However, as one of the first to enter the Blood Corpse Cave, he had acquired quite a few ancient pills. Among them was a fourth-tier healing sacred pill, the Blood Locking Pill!

    The Blood Locking Pill only works when one is gravely injured and on the brink of death, allowing Xu Qingfeng to maintain a severely injured state without dying.

    Of course, the Blood Locking Pill he obtained had lost most of its potency over the long years, only able to sustain him for a short while.

    "It''s time to retreat."

    Xu Qingfeng nced at Lei He, who was busy putting out fires everywhere, and mocked, "Lei He, tell your pawns to be more mindful, and stop feeding you false information to trap you!"

    He didn''t forget to throw in a taunt before leaving.With a wave of his hand, Xu Qingfeng poured all his true essence into the Mountain and River Diagram, transforming it into a meteor that carried everyone away into the distance.

    "Pawns?"

    Xu Hei nced over everyone within the Mountain and River Diagram and shook his head. This matter had nothing to do with him; he was merely in a cooperative rtionship with the Chu Tian Alliance, and once they left the ruins, he would part ways.

    Compared to demonic beasts, the survival environment for human cultivators was, in some ways, even harsher.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the same time, another incarnation began its action.

    Led by members of the Zhou Family, arge group of rogue cultivators raced through the city, weaving through streets and alleys, arriving at an unexplored area.

    The mist in the sky grew thicker, the air was pitch ck, and visibility was only about thirty meters, making it difficult to extend one''s divine sense.

    In such an environment, corpse puppets could emerge from the shadows at any moment.

    Everyone was on high alert, constantly vignt of their surroundings.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The Zhou Family members also slowed their pace, opting to walk instead of flying.

    Momentster, they arrived in front of a grand and majestic mansion.

    "We''re here!" Zhou Qingxuan stopped, and Zhou Wendie stood before the mansion, gazing at the que above.

    All the rogue cultivators focused their attention, staring at the mansion in front of them.

    The que bore threerge characters: City Lord''s Mansion!

    "The City Lord''s Mansion of Wuyou City!" Xu Hei was secretly shocked.

    There had long been suspicions that the City Lord''s Mansion held great opportunities and secrets of Wuyou City!

    However, the location of the City Lord''s Mansion had always been unknown.

    Various forces had been exploring, yet they could never find the City Lord''s Mansion.

    Now, the Zhou Family had actually been the first to discover its location, which excited Xu Hei.

    Not only him, but the rogue cultivators around him exchanged nces, their expressions excited, with some quietly taking outmunication jade slips.

    "Hmph!"

    Zhou Qingxuan let out a cold snort, and an invisible sound wave rippled out. The person who had just taken out amunication jade slip had their arm shattered, screamed in pain, and fell to the ground.

    "I know some of you are spies from other forces, but since you''ve taken spirit stones from my Myriad Treasure Pavilion, you should serve the Pavilion. Please refrain from any small actions, or don''t me me for turning hostile."

    Zhou Qingxuan''s eyes were filled with killing intent, and the terrifying pressure of the Golden Core stage was released, immediately instilling fear in everyone, quelling any thoughts of resistance.

    Even the two subordinates loyal to the Heavenly Puppet Sect trembled in fear, clearly feeling the pressure focused on them.

    "However, if you all perform well, my Myriad Treasure Pavilion will reward you handsomely once the task isplete. Pills and magical treasures will be yours to choose from!"

    A carrot-and-stick approach, Zhou Qingxuan handled it well.

    Everyone quickly put away their thoughts, after all, they were paid to do a job.

    "No wonder the Zhou Family refused the Heavenly Puppet Sect and deliberately leaked information, they wanted to entangle them in trouble and notpete for the opportunity here!" Xu Hei suddenly understood.

    These major forces are not simple!

    Now, the Heavenly Puppet Sect is preupied, being chased everywhere by corpse puppets, where would they find the time toe to the City Lord''s Mansion?

    "The City Lord''s Mansion, haha, Miss Zhou truly is a person of great fortune, a true child of destiny in this era, I did not misjudge!" Tianji Shangren stroked his beard, his smile bright and his mood even more cheerful.

    Most of the buildings in Wuyou City had weathered the storms and were in ruins. Yet, the City Lord''s Mansion before them still retained its intact form, with faint powerful spiritual power fluctuations, clearly indicating its extraordinary nature.

    At this moment, Zhou Qingxuan took out arge number of formation gs, cing them in various positions to form a formation, isting the area to prevent anyone from leaving.

    Even if someone did discover this ce, they wouldn''t be able to break in quickly.

    "Foundation Establishment cultivators, please guard within the formation. If anyone approaches, regardless of who they are, kill without mercy! As for those at the Core Formation stage, please follow me inside!"

    Zhou Qingxuan said solemnly, then led the way into the City Lord''s Mansion.

    Cang Ming, Han Te, and the middle-aged female cultivator followed him into the mansion.

    "Only those at the Core Formation stage can enter?"

    The rogue cultivators exchanged looks, whispering among themselves.

    Suddenly, a figure darted in like lightning, surprisingly a rogue cultivator at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage. This person, confident in their skills, decided to take a risk for the potential great opportunity.

    He took out a third-tier spiritual umbre, held it above his head, and rushed through the door.

    But immediately, a scream echoed, and the rogue cultivator was sent flying back, his body shattered, and he fell to the ground, dead on the spot.

    "Dead?!"

    Gasps erupted from the crowd.

    "Hmph! The City Lord''s Mansion has extremely strong spiritual pressure, those below the Core Formation stage cannot enter. Would my Myriad Treasure Pavilion deceive you?" A Zhou Family elder spoke disdainfully.

    They recruited these Foundation Establishment cultivators merely to make up the numbers, just to prevent outsiders from noticing anything.

    With this, no one doubted anymore, and they all retreated obediently.

    Zhou Wendie walked to the door, her body enveloped in a true essence shield, and stepped inside without any rejection.

    Seeing this, someone immediately realized something.

    "True essence..."

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, deep in thought.

    True essence can only be released after forming a Golden Core, this was the pass to the City Lord''s Mansion.

    It wasn''t necessarily about being at the Core Formation stage; as long as you had a way to release true essence, you could enter.

    Liu Buqun hesitated for a moment but didn''t act. Although he could also release true essence, it was too risky.

    "Does this fellow Daoist also wish to give it a try?"

    Tianji Shangren smiled, looking at Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei remained silent.

    "Haha, fellow Daoist is also a person of great fortune, I am willing to lend you a hand!"

    Tianji Shangren smiled slightly, taking out a fingernail-sized Golden Core, from which faint true essence emanated, forming a golden shield.

    Xu Hei nced at the miniature Golden Core and said, "What do you mean by this?"

    "The more people there are, the greater the chance of obtaining the opportunity here. I just want to form a good rtionship with you, nothing more." Tianji Shangren smiled.

    Xu Hei''s face remained expressionless, but he was on guard inside.

    There''s no such thing as a free lunch!

    Tianji Shangren had been mysterious and unpredictable from the start, with unclear intentions, always trying to get close.

    Talking about fortune and destiny, what was he after?

    Xu Hei shook his head and said, "No need for your trouble, I don''t wish to form any good rtionships with someone I don''t know!"

    Tianji Shangren''s smile vanished instantly.

    Clearly, Xu Hei''s response was unexpected.

 Chapter 213: Wuyou City Lord, Five Elements Inheritance

    Chapter 213: Wuyou City Lord, Five Elements Inheritance

    "Hehe, fellow Daoist, you might have misunderstood me. After all, we just met by chance, and it''s natural to be cautious. I understand."

    Tianji Shangren gave a bitter smile and put away the Golden Core.

    "Fate is not something to be forced. Farewell, fellow Daoist!"

    Tianji Shangren cupped his hands, stood up, and walked into the City Lord''s mansion, disappearing from sight.

    Liu Buqun''s eyes flickered as he asked Xu Hei, "Did you notice anything?"

    "No," Xu Hei shook his head.

    The more elusive it is, the more vignt one must be!

    Even with Xu Qingfeng, Xu Hei only dared to interact after understanding his character, and he still remained cautious. Let alone this mysterious old Daoist.

    After a brief contemtion, he controlled Passerby Ding to stand up and walk to the gate of the City Lord''s mansion.The Zhou Family elder at the entrance did not stop him, merely showing a hint of disdain in his eyes.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and, following the method of refining corpse puppets from the Xuan Yin Tower, took a deep breath, absorbing the Yin Qi from the surroundings into his body, and pushed it towards Passerby Ding''s abdomen.

    Gradually, a fingernail-sized corpse core formed in the Dantian.

    Inside the butcher''s body, there was already a half-finished corpse core. Xu Hei merely followed the pattern, giving the corpse puppet the cultivation level of the False Core Stage.

    He wasn''t sure if he could enter, but he had to try.

    Xu Hei stepped forward and walked into the City Lord''s mansion. Instantly, an invisible pressure seemed to envelop him, and he immediately raised the corpse Qi to cover his body.

    The pressure swept over him and then disappeared, allowing Xu Hei to breathe a sigh of relief.

    This must be some sort of cultivation level check. As long as one met the standard, they were allowed entry.

    Seeing Xu Hei enter safely, the crowd outside erupted in astonishment.

    "Another one went in?"

    The Zhou Family elder was slightly taken aback, then muttered to himself, "Hehe, what a pleasant surprise."

    The higher-ups had instructed that the more people who entered, the better.

    If not for the tight schedule and the desire to avoid attracting too much attention, they wouldn''t have only recruited three Core Formation Stage cultivators.

    Inside the City Lord''s mansion, the light was bright, as if passing through a membrane and entering a grand hall.

    Xu Hei focused his gaze and saw a human statue from ancient times standing ahead.

    Despite the countless years that had passed, the statue remained vivid and lifelike, its features clear, its expression calm, holding a scroll in one hand and the other behind its back, exuding a schrly elegance, faintly showing the grace of its era.

    "Is this the City Lord of Wuyou City, Mo Wuyou?" Xu Hei''s heart tightened.

    At this moment, Zhou Wendie, Zhou Qingxuan, and the three recruited rogue cultivators, along with Tianji Shangren, were all looking at the statue.

    Upon noticing Xu Hei''s entry, a trace of surprise shed in Zhou Wendie''s eyes as she looked at Zhou Qingxuan, seemingly seeking instructions.

    "No problem," Zhou Qingxuan said calmly.

    Xu Hei did not move forward, merely observing from a distance, while also taking in the surrounding scenery.

    Inside the City Lord''s mansion, though spacious, it was not luxurious in the slightest. Wooden tables and chairs were ced against the walls, and there were potted nts in the corners, though they had withered.

    The bookshelves nearby were filled with numerous literary scrolls, showcasing the owner''s elegant taste.

    This waspletely different from a traditional City Lord''s mansion.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    There were no weapons or soldiers, no strict guards, and no killing aura¡ªonly some brushes and scrolls, more like a study than a City Lord''s residence.

    The statue stood in front of a desk, its gaze seemingly looking at everyone.

    "It seems consistent with the ancient records. Mo Wuyou yearned for a carefree life, which was a necessary path on his journey to Divine Transformation."

    Xu Hei thought to himself, feeling eighty percent certain that this statue was indeed Mo Wuyou.

    "Senior, our Zhou Family is ready. We can begin."

    Zhou Wendie walked to the statue, bowed slightly, and a wisp of soul blood flew from her forehead,nding on the scroll in the statue''s hand.

    In an instant, the statue''s eyes became clear, as if it hade to life.

    Seeing this scene, Xu Hei frowned slightly and instinctively took a few steps back.

    At this moment, the statue''s eyes sparkled with life, scanning the crowd, and a distant voice emerged: "Inheritor, Zhou Wendie, once the path of inheritance begins, there is no turning back. Are you sure?"

    "Yes!" Zhou Wendie nodded solemnly.

    Even with her state of mind, she clenched her fists tightly, unable to hide her excitement.

    Xu Hei, however, detected ayer of meaning in the statue''s words.

    Inheritor, Zhou Wendie... So what were they? Support? Just here to help?

    "The Five Elements Inheritance, Water Realm, activate!"

    As the statue''s voice fell, the scenery in the room rapidly changed, the surrounding environment twisting as if being transported, or as if in a dream.

    Everyone looked tense, watching the rapidly changing environment, their palms quietly clenching.

    After a long time, the scene stabilized.

    The sky turned azure, the ground covered in white frost, with numerouskes scattered around, rivers flowing endlessly.

    In the distance, ice mountains stood at the edge of sight.

    A rich and intense water-element Spiritual Qi rose from the heavens and earth.

    This was a world of water!

    "This is..." Zhou Wendie''s pupils contracted.

    Zhou Qingxuan, Tianji Shangren, and the remaining three rogue cultivators all showed expressions of shock.

    "This is the third path!" The old man named Cang Ming said in a deep voice.

    "This is the Water Path of the Five Elements Land!" Tianji Shangren spoke.

    On the way to Wuyou City, there were five paths: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. This was clearly the third Water Path.

    However, the Water Path before them showed no signs of eerie ghostly Qi; instead, it seemed like it had just been established in ancient times.

    The rich water-element Spiritual Qi subtly enhanced everyone''s cultivation.

    Especially for cultivators with a water Spiritual Root.

    "There are a total of five inheritances?"

    Zhou Wendie''s expression changed.

    She had thought the inheritance here was unique, but who would have thought there were five! Doesn''t this mean others could gain the same opportunities as her?

    This made her extremely unbnced.

    The Zhou Family had gone to great lengths, recruiting cultivators, sealing off information, and even risking offending the Heavenly Puppet Sect, all to monopolize the benefits, but the result was not as expected.

    Zhou Qingxuan''s eyes flickered, and he couldn''t help but ask, "Are there people in the other four inheritancends now?"

    The phantom in the sky shook its head and said, "No, there aren''t."

    "If after a year, there are still no people, you will win directly."

    This made Zhou Wendie slightly relieved.

    The ancient relic had been explored for half a year, and no one had discovered an inheritancend yet. Even most of Wuyou City''s area remained unexplored.

    The Zhou Family just got lucky finding the City Lord''s mansion.

    Give it another year, so what?

    Moreover, a year here is only a month outside. What could be found in a month?

    Zhou Wendie secretly prayed that the other four inheritancends would remain undiscovered, so all the benefits would be hers alone.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    But in reality, the outside world was not as Zhou Wendie imagined.

    At this moment, Wuyou City was already in an uproar!

    Everyone in Wuyou City was looking up at the sky, where dim light shone down, falling on the streets and the dpidated buildings.

    Under the light, dreamlike scenes unfolded throughout Wuyou City.

    Countless phantom figures walked along the streets, countless new pavilions appeared amidst the ruins.

    This was a Historical Projection!

    An unprecedented, city-wide Historical Projection!

    Everyone was stunned, stopping whatever they were doing to watch this awe-inspiring scene, even the corpse puppets halted, ceasing their pursuit.

    History was reappearing, old acquaintances returning! The scenes shifted from blurry to clear, like a mirage within reach.

    Even ancient voices emerged, with the sounds of people bargaining in the market, babies crying, mothers soothing them, street gossip, and youths studying, as if right by the ear.

    Everything seemed to have returned!

    At this moment, a massive phantom figure appeared atop Wuyou City, hands behind its back, eyes deep, overlooking all beings.

    The City Lord of Wuyou, the third-generation ancestor of the Divine Puppet Sect, Mo Wuyou!

 Chapter 214: Inheritance begins, the whole city trembles

    Chapter 214: Inheritance begins, the whole city trembles

    Inside Wuyou City.

    Everyone looked up at the sky, utterly awestruck by the magnificent and grand scene before them.

    Such a heaven-reaching and earth-prating feat couldn''t be described as mere spells; it was a divine ability, a power that even Elemental Infant cultivators might not possess!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Honored guests from afar, wee to Wuyou City!"

    A deep, resonant voice echoed from the horizon, reaching everyone''s ears.

    All listened intently, eyes unblinking.

    The middle-aged schr standing high in the sky spoke loudly, "I am Mo Wuyou, the City Lord of Wuyou. Within the city, I have left five ces of inheritance. Now, the first inheritance site has opened. You have only one month to find the remaining four!"

    "A monthter, those who find the inheritance sites can undergo the next round of trials and ultimatelypete for my entire legacy!"

    Upon hearing this, everyone''s minds became active.Bai Luo stared at the figure in the sky, murmuring, "Is this the third-generation ancestor of the Divine Puppet Sect?"

    "Indeed, it matches the portrait!" Lei He replied in a deep voice.

    "But shouldn''t he have the surname Gongshu?" Bai Luo questioned in surprise.

    Though the Heavenly Puppet Sect is just a branch, there are some records about the sessive leaders of the headquarters.

    The first leader was Gongshu Zi, the second was Mo Ban, and the following six generations were all from the Gongshu family.

    Only the third leader remained a taboo, with no records at all.

    Lei He was silent for a moment before saying, "Such secrets are beyond my knowledge. You should ask your master."

    Bai Luo nodded heavily.

    Regardless, with the inheritance sites opened, the next goal was clear, rather than wandering aimlessly like headless flies, ying cat and mouse with the Chu Tian Alliance.

    At this moment, the members of the Four Sects Alliance narrowly escaped death.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor widened his eyes, eximing, "There are four more inheritance sites?"

    Everyone exchanged nces, realizing what this meant.

    It meant they had a great chance to seize one, or even two or three!

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect would undoubtedly secure one, without a doubt, and the Four Sects Alliance could take the leftovers.

    Everyone''s spirits immediately soared; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to defy fate.

    "Our Snake Catchers Sect must secure one inheritance site," Yin Mingzi said solemnly.

    Not just them, but everyone in Wuyou City was equally excited.

    They came to the ancient relics seeking great opportunities and fortunes, didn''t they?

    Now, the greatest fortuney right before them, so what reason was there not to fight for it?

    But Mo Wuyou''s next words poured cold water on everyone.

    "Although my inheritance is open to all, I advise you not to make a fool of yourself if you don''t have the strength of the Core Formation Stage."

    "If you''re not capable, even if I grant you a fortune, you won''t be able to handle it!"

    "I''m only giving you a month, so make the most of it!"

    With those words, Mo Wuyou''s apparitionpletely vanished.

    But the historical projections within Wuyou City remained, proving that what had just happened was no illusion but reality!

    "To think it requires Core Formation Stage cultivation!"

    "The Core Formation Stage, whether in the Chu Kingdom or the Qin Kingdom, is a top-tier expert, and there aren''t many of them."

    "It seems it''s not meant for us."

    Of those who came to the ancient relics, over ny percent were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with very few at the Core Formation Stage.

    And the Core Formation Stage was merely a threshold.

    This undoubtedly deterred the majority of cultivators.

    However, some still harbored a glimmer of hope, wanting to try their luck.

    The Chu Tian Alliance had already settled at a new stronghold, having prepared several such ces like a cunning rabbit with multiple burrows.

    "Four inheritance sites, Core Formation Stage..."

    Xu Qingfeng pondered briefly before swiftly making a decision.

    They must strive for one of Mo Wuyou''s inheritances; after all, the Chu Tian Alliance came for opportunities!

    He quickly took out a map, marking it and nning the next exploration. Everyone would act separately, and they had to find the remaining inheritance sites within a month.

    "Hey, Bald Snake, hey! Are you dazed?!"

    Vulture patted the dazed Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei snapped back to reality, still shocked.

    Just now, after his avatar entered the inheritance site, it lost contact with his true self.

    This phenomenon urs when the distance is too great or when separated by a formation.

    At that time, the avatar would act ording to the original will of the true self, and only when the connection is reestablished would the seen images be transmitted back.

    "The avatar must have been eliminated."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, touched his forehead with his fingertip, and the memories from the avatar''sst moments gradually returned.

    He could only see some fragmented images.

    "Ice and snow, Water Realm, Five Elements Inheritance, tenfold time..."

    After a long while, Xu Hei opened his eyes again, seeing some fragments from the avatar''sst moments.

    They seemed to have been transported into a strange space where time flowed ten times faster; one month outside was a year inside.

    From the images, it appeared to be the Water of the Five Elements Land.

    As for who eliminated him, he couldn''t see clearly; his avatar only had thirty percent of his true self''s strength, and any Core Formation cultivator could easily kill him.

    "Forget it, I never expected the avatar to survive. It''s already a miracle that the Zhou Family allowed an enemy to follow them for so long," Xu Hei muttered to himself.

    He immediately found Xu Qingfeng and shared this information.

    "The City Lord''s mansion? Water Inheritance?"

    Xu Qingfeng''s expression turned serious, "Very well, this information is crucial to me. No need for thanks; if you have any requests, feel free to ask!"

    He and Xu Hei were in a cooperative rtionship, and since it was a partnership, benefits couldn''t be taken for free.

    "I want a pill for healing and the ancient relic''s pillpendium!" Xu Hei said.

    Xu Qingfeng pondered briefly and nced at Zhang Tie.

    Without a word, Zhang Tie took out a jade bottle sealed with a talisman and handed it to Xu Hei. The words "Blood Locking Pill" were written on it.

    This pill was precious, and they had only found three.

    Then, Xu Qingfeng personally crafted a pillpendium, detailing all the pills he knew.

    "Thank you."

    Xu Hei epted the jade bottle andpendium, and his divine sense probed inside.

    He had obtained many ancient pills, but he didn''t recognize most of them and didn''t dare to consume them recklessly, urgently needing guidance from an expert.

    Xu Qingfeng unfolded the map, marking the location of the City Lord''s mansion.

    "The City Lord''s mansion is the most important facility within Wuyou City, located in the southwest."

    "The other four are of equal status. We must adopt Mo Wuyou''s perspective to determine what he considers most important."

    Xu Qingfeng quickly analyzed and suggested ces like the "Academy," "Medical Hall," and "Martial Hall" as references.

    Zhao Wenzhuo took out a tortoiseshell, calcting something continuously.

 Chapter 215: Fire Inheritance, Yunlu Academy

    Chapter 215: Fire Inheritance, Yunlu Academy

    The Chu Tian Alliance quickly identified the first possible location of the inheritance, which was their previous stronghold.

    It was an academy.

    Xu Qingfeng''s eyes flickered, and he immediately said, "Let''s set off at once!"

    "Yes!"

    Everyone perked up and rushed toward the academy at the fastest speed.

    Zhao Wenzhuo moved closer and secretly transmitted a message, "They''re starting to suspect me."

    Xu Qingfeng remained calm and replied indifferently, "It''s normal for them to suspect you, after all, it was your idea to use the corpse tide strategy."

    "So what should I do? Should I continue to keep in touch with them?" Zhao Wenzhuo sought advice.

    Xu Qingfeng was silent for a long time, then looked at the younger generation beside him and smiled openly, "I appreciate your talent. You don''t need to ask me about everything; you can make your own decisions."Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes flickered. After pondering for a while, he exhaled and nodded, "I understand."

    He then added, "Thank you."

    ...

    Before long, everyone returned to the ruins of the academy.

    The corpse tide had been diverted, leaving the ce deserted.

    Xu Qingfengnded in front of the main gate. The que had disappeared, but asionally a dim yellow light would reveal a faint line of text in the sky: Yunlu Academy.

    In ancient times, this ce was called Yunlu Academy.

    Inside the academy, the sound of young students reading echoed, dreamlike and illusory, as if the voices from back then were still lingering in their ears.

    Following the broken gate, they entered and returned to the familiar courtyard.

    In the courtyard, the shadows of some schrs walked by slowly; they were all students of the academy.

    "The highest good is like water; water benefits all things without contention, dwelling in ces loathed by all, thus close to the Dao. Therefore, the City Lord''s mansion belongs to water."

    "If Yunlu Academy is also a ce of inheritance, then what does it belong to?"

    Xu Qingfeng stared at the inscription under the sage''s statue, which had words like "At the beginning of man, nature is inherently good," and suddenly had an epiphany.

    "I understand now, this ce belongs to fire! As long as words exist, civilization does not perish. The physical body may fade, but the spirit endures!"

    Xu Qingfeng looked at the disappearing figures, then at the faintly existing inscription, his gaze firm, and stepped forward to touch the inscription with a finger.

    "Buzz!"

    The sage''s statue suddenly emitted a halo, spreading outward.

    Xu Hei quickly covered his body with True Qi.

    As the halo spread, the rogue cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage were all blown away, spitting blood. Xu Qingfeng shouted, "Protect your body with True Essence!"

    In an instant, a protective light shield appeared on the rogue cultivators. Although they were repelled, it blocked most of the force, preventing them from being killed outright.

    As for the members of the Chu Tian Alliance, each used their own methods. Even though they hadn''t reached the Core Formation Stage, they all managed to withstand the shockwave, including Xu Hei.

    Among the rogue cultivators, only one seemingly frail female cultivator remained, not being blown away, clearly hiding her true cultivation level.

    "It really is a ce of inheritance!"

    Xu Hei was quite surprised.

    Xu Qingfeng had deduced this conclusion from just a few words and even found a way to activate the inheritance. He indeed had some skills.

    He even exined why the City Lord''s mansion was the Water Inheritance.

    Though Xu Hei didn''t understand a word of it.

    At this moment, the eyes of the sage''s statue came to life. This person was not Mo Wuyou, but also an ancient powerhouse.

    "Inheritor, Xu Qingfeng, are you sure you want to activate the ce of inheritance?" The sage looked at him.

    Xu Qingfeng nced at everyone, and they all nodded in unison.

    Xu Qingfeng solemnly said, "I''m sure!"

    "Five Elements Inheritance, Departing Fire, activate!"

    As the words fell, everyone felt the surroundings twist, time and space shifting, as if entering an alternate space. This feeling, Xu Hei''s incarnation had experienced before, and now it was his true self.

    Time was set for a month, but they found the second ce of inheritance in less than a day, and everyone was very excited.

    And at this moment.

    Xu Hei suddenly sensed something, hurriedly retreated, and exited the range of the halo.

    The changing environment immediately stopped, and Xu Hei left the ce of inheritance.

    Meanwhile, the other members of the Chu Tian Alliance vanished collectively with a sh of light.

    Even the sage''s statue disappeared.

    The remaining four rogue cultivators were all inwardly resentful, hating that they didn''t have Core Formation Stage cultivation, watching the inheritance slip away right under their noses.

    "Huh? Why did that snakee out?"

    "With Xu Qingfeng backing him, why didn''t he go in?"

    "This is an ancient inheritance!"

    The rogue cultivators all had a look of surprise in their eyes, not understanding why Xu Hei gave up such a great opportunity.

    Xu Hei didn''t care what they thought and left directly.

    Five ces of inheritance.

    The Zhou Family upied the City Lord''s mansion, and the Chu Tian Alliance took over Yunlu Academy.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to follow others and be a hanger-on. He had reason to suspect that even if he went in, it would be to make a wedding dress for someone else.

    Apart from a year''s elerated cultivation, he saw no benefits. Of course, Xu Qingfeng might offer somepensation, but with Xu Hei''s personality, would he be content with that?

    He, Xu Hei, wanted to find his own ce of inheritance.

    "The endpoint of the Earth Path seems to be in the eastern direction, let''s check around there."

    Xu Hei took out an Earth Boat, expanded it to three meters long, and got in, traveling at the fastest speed.

    Although the speed of the Earth Boat might not match his Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, it saved effort.

    ...

    Water Inheritance Land.

    Passerby Ding''s bodyy on the ground, and Xu Hei''s incarnation had long disappeared, erasing all traces.

    Tianji Shangren stood nearby, looking puzzled.

    "Why did he self-destruct?" Zhou Qingxuan asked.

    This was not only his point of confusion; everyone was perplexed. Just now, Xu Hei''s external incarnation suddenly self-destructed without any warning.

    They hadn''t nned to make a move, yet it exploded on its own, for reasons unknown.

    "Hmph! This demon is overly cautious and often misses opportunities. It''s the path he chose, and he can''t me others." Tianji Shangren shook his head, his eyes showing regret and disdain.

    Everything has its fortune. Some people are born with great fortune but fail to seize opportunities. For such people, no matter how strong their fortune, what''s the use?

    In contrast, Zhou Wendie was much smarter, understanding patience and knowing which choices were most beneficial.

    At this moment, Zhou Wendie sat in a pool, continuously absorbing spiritual mist. Water-type Spiritual Qi was excellent for healing. Along the way, she had sustained hundreds of injuries, big and small, with no time to heal, greatly reducing her strength.

    This year''s rest was very important to her.

    "Once I obtain the ancient inheritance, I won''t spare anyone who has wronged me!"

    Zhou Wendie''s heart was resolute.

    If she had to name the people she hated the most, there were two.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    One was Bai Luo, who nearly got her blown up inside the pyramid. Despite their seemingly amicable cooperation, if given the chance, she would turn against him without hesitation.

    The other was that snake! This snake killed the Zhou Family''s second ancestor, took her Scarlet me Demon Eyes, and finally threw out a metal puppet that chased her for over a thousand miles, causing her great suffering.

    Though she seemed unmoved on the surface, her inner killing intent was stronger than anyone''s.

    But thinking about her great chance to obtain the final inheritance, Zhou Wendie''s mood improved significantly.

    ...

    Half a dayter, Xu Hei arrived at the endpoint of the Earth Path.

    This ce had been sted by a Thunder Tribtion Pearl, leaving a massive crater, very conspicuous.

    Xu Hei put away the Earth Boat, shed into a ruin, and attached an Invisibility Talisman.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    Several figures descended from the distant sky.

    Xu Hei focused his gaze and saw that they were from the Four Sects Alliance.

    These people likely had the same idea, suspecting that the five inheritances were rted to the Five Elements Land, so they searched for clues at this exit.

    However, the main force of the Four Sects Alliance should have split up. The team in front of him had only about twenty people, with only one Core Formation Stage leader.

    The group searched the ruins in small clusters, with some observing Historical Projections, trying to trace clues from history.

    This was a very smart approach, as Xu Qingfeng had gained inspiration from Historical Projections.

 Chapter 216: Tavern conversation, ancient black dog

    Chapter 216: Tavern conversation, ancient ck dog

    Xu Hei wasn''t too worried about this group ofpetitors; the only concern was that Core Formation stage cultivator.

    He had faced off against Core Formation stage opponents before and knew well how troublesome they could be.

    In the Blood Corpse Cave, even with the help of corpse spirits and the opponent falling into a trap, having been heavily injured by Xu Qingfeng, Xu Hei still almost got countered by Zhou Qing despite having the advantage of time, ce, and people.

    If it weren''t for his dumb luck in pulling out a Minor Annihtion Talisman, who knows what might have happened.

    Xu Hei dared not be careless.

    "Elder Liu,e quickly!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Suddenly, a shout came from afar.

    The Core Formation stage cultivator''s expression changed, and he hurriedly followed the sound to the entrance of a tavern.

    The tavern was half-copsed and in ruins, but inside, there were numerous historical projections, with all sorts of people entering, sitting at tables and benches, drinking and talking loudly.Though the voices were muffled, one could vaguely make out some of the conversations.

    "Listen carefully, what are they saying?" a young disciple said excitedly.

    "Oh?"

    Elder Liu spread out his Divine Sense, carefully capturing each person''s conversation.

    This man was named Liu Chengfeng, appearing middle-aged, dressed in a long green robe, with a handsome appearance, about the same age as Xuan Yangzi, but with a much higher status.

    He was the head of the Pill Hall of the Snake Catchers Sect!

    Speaking of which, he was also the Daopanion of the head of the Purple Mist Sect, and no one dared to provoke the Purple Mist Sect precisely because of his backing.

    Liu Chengfeng''s cultivation wasn''t outstanding, but his pill refining skills ranked first in the sect, and all factions sought his help. Even the Grand Elder and the sect head treated him with respect.

    He was not content with solitude, which was why he came to explore the ancient relic.

    If he didn''t want to, the Heavenly Puppet Sect wouldn''t force him; such talent in pill refining was rare anywhere.

    "Brother, you''re too decadent, spending all day either in the birdhouse or drinking. How can that be? Look at me, I''m also well-off, yet I work an hour every day," said a schrly-looking man at the table.

    Opposite him sat a drunken burly man, who cursed, "What do you know? Recently, a new Earth Temple was built in the east of the city, and I''ve been working overtime every day, so busy that I can''t get home until noon, missing lunch. If it weren''t for that, I wouldn''t have quit my job."

    Their conversation was full of resentment. If the mortals outside heard it, they''d be furious, calling them ungrateful.

    However, Liu Chengfeng caught a keyword: "Earth Temple?"

    Xu Hei was eavesdropping from afar and also heard the words "Earth Temple."

    But he subconsciously thought it couldn''t be such a coincidence that it was the Earth Temple. These historical projections shouldn''t be so urate.

    "Missing lunch? No way, the City Lord of Wuyou wouldn''t exploitbor like that. Is this Earth Temple really that important?" the schr frowned, as Wuyou City''sborws strictly limited work to no more than two and a half hours a day.

    "Haha, why would I lie to you? Even the dogs are exhausted, let alone people!" the burly man cursed.

    "Exactly! Even the dogs are exhausted; it''s inhuman!"

    As they talked, a voice chimed in, sounding like a dog''s bark.

    It was a phantom of a big ck dog, speaking human words.

    No one was surprised that a dog could talk in these historical projections. Wuyou City''s technological level had surpassed that of cultivation sects, with machines recing much of the manualbor.

    There were even mechanical birds that could deliver goods to your door, allowing you to shop from home.

    Xu Hei shuddered, focusing his Divine Sense repeatedly to confirm he wasn''t mistaken.

    "This ck dog is..."

    Xu Hei''s pupils contracted, and his breath caught.

    This phantom of a big ck dog looked so much like a certain Huang.

    No, wait!

    Amon dog looks the same, right? What''s the difference?

    It''s just an ancient projection, nothing to be surprised about.

    Xu Hei exhaled, dismissing it.

    But what happened next was rather bizarre.

    The big ck dog continued, "I heard the City Lord of Wuyou personally went to the Earth Temple to perform a ritual, leaving something behind, and no one is allowed to approach."

    As soon as these words were spoken, Liu Chengfeng jumped up, eyes shining, and immediately killed the shocked young cultivator beside him.

    This information was too important; he was almost certain that it was the third inheritance site.

    It was likely the Earth inheritance!

    But if he left alone, it might arouse suspicion, and he didn''t want the inheritance to be shared with others.

    "Hmph! I''m the only one at the Core Formation stage here; who can stop me? I''ll leave an External Incarnation here to pretend to search while my true self sneaks away to the Earth Temple."

    Liu Chengfeng quickly made up his mind.

    But just as he was about to gather his External Incarnation with full True Essence.

    A pitch-ck figure suddenly appeared behind him.

    "Hall Master Liu, you suddenly killed to silence someone; did you discover a secret you want to keep to yourself?"

    Liu Chengfeng trembled all over and looked back to see an old man with a ghostly aura, thin and smiling, but the smile was eerie and sinister.

    It was the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect!

    Liu Chengfeng was startled, cold sweat breaking out on his back, but he quickly regained hisposure.

    "So it''s the Thirteenth Ancestor. I saw this person as a spy trying to leak information to outsiders, so I acted decisively."

    Liu Chengfeng lied without blushing or gasping, effortlessly.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor didn''t press further; everyone knew the truth, and it wouldn''t do to speak it aloud.

    He had coincidentallye to find Liu Chengfeng to appraise a Longevity Pill to see if it was consumable, and happened to witness this.

    But now, with Liu Chengfeng''s dubious intentions, he wouldn''t bring it out, nor would he trust the appraisal.

    Regardless, he would first check out the Earth Temple.

    "Let''s go!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor acted swiftly, waving his hand and leaving the tavern, heading east of the city.

    Liu Chengfeng hesitated for a moment and said, "What about the disciples outside?"

    "They''re tired and want to sleep."

    The Thirteenth Ancestor sneered, flicking twenty small snakes from his sleeve into each disciple''s sleeve, causing them to feel dizzy and copse to the ground within a breath.

    Liu Chengfeng''s mouth twitched, and he quickly followed the Thirteenth Ancestor.

    Shortly after they left, Xu Hei emerged from the ruins.

    As soon as the Thirteenth Ancestor arrived, Xu Hei retracted his Divine Sense and concealed himself.

    His Invisibility Talisman could hide him from early-stage Core Formation, but he wasn''t confident against mid-stage Core Formation.

    "The Thirteenth Ancestor is here too; this is troublesome!"

    Xu Hei''s face was heavy. If the Earth Temple was indeed the Earth Path inheritance, it might be taken by the Snake Catchers Sect, leaving him with nothing.

    These two were not easy to deal with, acting ruthlessly and decisively, unwilling to allow any chance of information leaking.

    Xu Hei knew his limits; facing these two old foxes, it would be difficult to snatch the treasure from their hands.

    Just then, Xu Hei felt a chill in his heart.

    The historical projections inside the dpidated tavern suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 217: Rushing to be the first, sending the wealth-bringing boy

    Chapter 217: Rushing to be the first, sending the wealth-bringing boy

    Xu Hei''s body suddenly froze.

    The random appearances and disappearances of Historical Projections were not unusual, but Xu Hei always felt something was off.

    Especially the way that dog spoke¡ªit sounded so familiar!

    "Damn it! There''s definitely something wrong!"

    Xu Hei cursed under his breath, immediately took out the Earth Boat, and burrowed underground, heading east.

    He didn''t know the exact location of the Earth Temple in the east of the city, but without the corpse puppet, it was easy to find by observing the distribution of buildings.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    An hourter.

    In the eastern district of Wuyou City, at the outskirts, a temple stood at the end of the street. The temple wasn''trge, with ancient figures'' shadowsing and going, praying inside.This was the Earth Temple.

    Inside the temple, there was a statue of the Earth God, with an incense burner in the middle and a merit box beside it. As a proper city, it also needed to fulfill human beliefs.

    At this moment, four cultivators stood in front of the Earth Temple.

    Besides the Thirteenth Ancestor and Liu Chengfeng, there were two others, a man and a woman, whom they "coincidentally" met on the way.

    "Oh, what a coincidence! Where is Daoist Liu heading?"

    "Junior greets the Thirteenth Ancestor!"

    The two were Jiang Lang, an inner elder of the Snake Catchers Sect, and Shen Qingzhu, the head of the Purple Mist Sect.

    One was at the early Core Formation Stage, the other at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    These two shared amon trait: both had a deep connection with Liu Chengfeng. The former was a close friend within the sect, and thetter was his Daopanion.

    Their appearance was extremely coincidental, and though the Thirteenth Ancestor said nothing on the surface, his face darkened.

    "Did you call them?" the Thirteenth Ancestor asked coldly.

    "No! Absolutely not! Pure coincidence, how could I share such a secret?" Liu Chengfeng defended.

    In fact, he truly didn''t want to share it.

    But he was even less confident aboutpeting with the Thirteenth Ancestor.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor absorbed yin energy, turning himself into something neither human nor ghost, looking as if he could go mad at any moment. Cooperating with him was like holding a bomb.

    Others might be polite to him, but a madman wouldn''t.

    Anything could happen in the ancient relic, and even if he died, no one would seek justice for him.

    Jiang Lang, at the early Core Formation Stage, was outstanding, and Shen Qingzhu, as the sect leader, had more life-saving methods than a Core Formation cultivator. Having these two with him was like having double insurance.

    "Hmph!" The Thirteenth Ancestor snorted coldly, "We''re all on the same side, no need to guard against me. I''m just afraid you''ll talk too much and attract outsiders!"

    He didn''t specify who these outsiders were, but everyone knew he meant the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "Yes, yes."

    Liu Chengfeng nodded repeatedly, but inwardly he was disdainful. Not guarding against him would mean being devoured without a trace left.

    "By the way, how is this inheritance activated?" the Thirteenth Ancestor muttered to himself.

    At this moment, the other three also gathered around, staring at the Earth God statue before them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The Historical Projections continued, with ancient figuresing and going, burning incense, kneeling, or tossing coins into the merit box.

    Their words were all about prayers, with no valuable clues discovered.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor pondered for a moment, raised his hand, and pointed at the statue, but there was no response.

    "Strange, could we have been mistaken, and this is not the ce of inheritance?" the Thirteenth Ancestor frowned.

    At the same time, Xu Hei also arrived nearby. To be safe, he put on Zhou Qing''s straw hat and stopped at a safe distance, not approaching further.

    The group fell silent for a while, then suddenly focused their attention.

    They saw a projection of a big ck dog approaching from afar, swaggering into the Earth Temple.

    The dog took out a square Spirit Stone, tossed it into the merit box, and prayed to the Earth God, "May I be strong and vigorous!"

    A sh of light, and the dog''s size slightly increased.

    Everyone''s eyes lit up, as if they had an epiphany: "I understand, we need to put coins into the merit box!"

    Almost as soon as they realized, the Thirteenth Ancestor acted.

    He decisively took out a top-grade Spirit Stone and threw it into the ancient merit box. Once inside, it disappeared instantly, undetectable even by Divine Sense.

    The Earth God statue before them lit up with a faint white glow.

    "There''s definitely something here!"

    His eyes shone brightly.

    However, the white glow of the Earth God vanished as quickly as it appeared.

    Without hesitation, the Thirteenth Ancestor took out three more top-grade Spirit Stones and tossed them into the merit box. The others also took out Spirit Stones or Pills, trying their luck by throwing them into the merit box.

    "Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

    The Earth God statue began to flicker with light, shing brightly. As long as something with Spiritual Qi was ced inside, it would sh.

    "Ah, this..." Xu Hei watched in a daze from afar.

    What was going on? Why were they giving away treasures?

    He remembered Zhou Wendie used a drop of blood from her fingertip to activate the inheritance, and Xu Qingfeng had a simr experience.

    But this scene,bined with the dog''s suggestive words...

    Xu Hei instantly understood, this was a trap!

    Could it really be like this?

    At this moment, the ck dog''s projection sighed, "I still gave too little, just a slight enhancement, it''s not enough."

    With these words, the Thirteenth Ancestor seemed to be driven mad.

    The Historical Projection was clearly hinting: the Spirit Stones given were insufficient, too few to activate the inheritance!

    They needed to increase the amount!

    He even suspected that the main inheritor would be determined by who gave the most, who was the most pleasing.

    They had long heard that the Five Elements Inheritance had primary and secondary roles. For example, in the Zhou Family, Zhou Wendie was the main, and the Core Formation recruits were just helpers.

    "Hmph, don''t think you canpete with me!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor directly took out arge handful of top-grade Spirit Stones, stuffing them into the merit box like a string of firecrackers, putting in about fifty, using up most of his wealth.

    The Earth God shone with a dazzling golden light, as brilliant as the sun.

    Liu Chengfeng had been hesitant, but seeing the Thirteenth Ancestor''s madness, continuously throwing in Spirit Stones, he felt that not doing so would make him seem out of ce, missing a great opportunity.

    "What treasures do you have! Don''t hold back, bring them all out!"

    Liu Chengfeng became anxious, shouting to hispanions.

    Thus, another series of Spirit Stones and treasures were thrown in, and Liu Chengfeng himself took out arge number of Pills.

    He cursed the Thirteenth Ancestor inwardly, but his actions were honest, both sidespeting madly.

    "Boundless merit, countless fortunes, perfect merit, enlightenment of the Dao."

    A phantom voice echoed from history, the statue under the shroud of merit appeared sacred and solemn,pelling worship, urging everyone to give more fervently.

    After exhausting their Spirit Stones, both sides began to offer Spirit Medicines and Magical Treasures, which the Earth God epted without hesitation, taking whatever was given, the merit box seemingly a bottomless pit, never satisfied.

    In the end, not only did Liu Chengfeng feel something was amiss, but even the Thirteenth Ancestor hesitated.

    At this rate, when would it end? He was nearly bankrupt!

    Yet, the more they gave, the brighter the Earth God shone, clearly indicating that they needed to keep giving until a certain limit was reached.

    Finally, Liu Chengfeng gritted his teeth and took out a shiny crystal.

    "What is that?"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s face showed greed, and he quickly tried to snatch it.

    Fortunately, Liu Chengfeng was prepared, with the help of his twopanions, blocking the attack and swiftly tossing the crystal into the merit box.

    He didn''t know what it was either, having found it in a mechanical box.

    But the concentration of Spiritual Qi inside was many times that of a top-grade Spirit Stone! It must be of great use!

    "Buzz!!"

    In an instant, golden light burst forth, and the Earth God seemed toe alive, his eyes full of vitality.

    Everyone stopped their actions, filled with shock, staring in awe.

    "Yes! This is it, the inheritance is about to activate, it''s going to be mine!"

    Seeing this, Liu Chengfeng trembled with excitement.

    Xu Hei also recalled the moment the inheritance was activated, the statue''s eyesing alive, identical to what he saw now, even he was almost convinced.

 Chapter 218: Ancestor goes mad, Yin Thunder Formation

    Chapter 218: Ancestor goes mad, Yin Thunder Formation

    Humans have this kind of mentality.

    Once you invest money and get a step closer to your goal, you''ll keep investing. With sunk costs, you won''t give up halfway, even losing your rationality and numbing yourself.

    These human cultivators perfectly embody the gambler''s mindset.

    Mortals do it for money, cultivators for opportunities and fortunes; essentially, there''s no difference.

    So much so that at this moment, they all firmly believe they are right.

    They''ve given so many treasures, nearly exhausted their Spirit Stones, and can''t ept failure.

    At this moment, the Earth God''s gaze swept over the crowd, and he said loudly, "Thank you all for your gifts. May you all achieve perfect merit and have your wishese true. Farewell!"

    His gaze dimmed and he turned back into an ordinary Earth God statue.

    In an instant, the scene froze for a long time.The imagined ce of inheritance did not appear.

    Everyone stared at each other, their minds buzzing, unable to think, as if they were dumbfounded.

    "Did I... hear wrong?"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor couldn''t believe it.

    "No way."

    Liu Chengfeng also didn''t believe it, suspecting that a step was missing.

    The four present were convinced that their choice was correct, that this was how the ce of inheritance was opened.

    "Earth God, where is my inheritance?" The Thirteenth Ancestor tried to suppress his anger, keeping his voice low.

    "Inheritance?"

    The Earth God opened his eyes again, a lump of dog feces appeared in his hand, and he flung it onto the Thirteenth Ancestor''s face.

    "This is the inheritance of the earth, the breath of thend. Pleaseprehend it well, don''t waste such a great fortune." The Earth God''s voice carried a hint ofughter.

    The entire scene fell into a dead silence.

    The statue had actually thrown a lump of dog feces onto the Thirteenth Ancestor''s face! Such an absurd scene left the Thirteenth Ancestor stunned.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched slightly; he already understood who this Earth God was.

    It was the Mountain God from the Mountain God Temple, carved from the same mold!

    As for the Mountain God... who else could it be?

    "Too dark, never seen anything so dark! This is pure fraud!"

    "This group of people was scammed out of everything, they''re probably going to be furious."

    Xu Hei internally mocked, no wonder he found it familiar, so that''s how it was.

    Suddenly, a chill ran through his heart as he sensed something off about the Thirteenth Ancestor''s mental state. He quickly retreated, ready to dodge at any moment.

    At this moment, the Thirteenth Ancestor was silent for a long time before his eyes regained their luster. Without a word, he reached out his withered hand, wiped the lump of earth''s breath off his face.

    Then, he nced at the ck dog sitting on the prayer mat and the many worshippers burning incense.

    "Historical Projections?" The Thirteenth Ancestor''s cold voice rang out.

    These so-called historical projections all stopped their actions and looked over in unison.

    Such a bizarre scene would usually send chills down one''s spine.

    But at this moment, the Thirteenth Ancestor''s face gradually twisted, his chest heaving, initially slowly, but increasingly violently. An uncontroble, overwhelming killing intent began to spread from his heart, like a volcano about to erupt.

    Liu Chengfeng, initially furious at being deceived, couldn''t help but take two steps back after seeing the Thirteenth Ancestor''s condition.

    "Fuck, turns out it''s a scam! I can still be rational, but this Thirteenth Ancestor is probably going to go crazy, better smash that statue!"

    Liu Chengfeng''s eyes flickered; he was also angry, but more so apprehensive.

    The other party could create historical projections to deceive; how could this be something ordinary people could do? Liu Chengfeng asked himself, he couldn''t afford to provoke such an existence.

    Moreover, as a young pill refiner, as long as he focused on making money, he could naturally make up for the loss over time.

    But the Thirteenth Ancestor was different; that was his life''s savings, hisst opportunity in this life.

    Gone, truly gone!

    Who understands the pain of losing everything?

    "You all go to hell! Go to hell! Go to hell!!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor was utterly enraged, his arm suddenly shot out, extending dozens of meters, transforming into a giant python, opening its mouth to bite the statue, swallowing it whole.

    From within his body, countless venomous liquids shot out, corroding all the historical projections, turning the area into a sea of poison.

    But the big ck dog alone kept dodging, barking incessantly.

    Even its illusory figure was gradually bing solid.

    "So it was you!!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor suddenly realized, this damn thing wasn''t a historical projection, this ck dog was real.

    "You little beast, I''m going to skin you alive, gnaw your bones clean, and turn your soul into an oilmp to burn for a thousand years!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s face twisted with rage as he flew up to grab it, looking like a fierce ghost, shrieking sharply.

    Liu Chengfeng and the other two quickly retreated, nning to leave first, but their backs suddenly hit an invisible barrier, bouncing them back.

    "What?"

    The three turned to look, only to see that within a five-hundred-meter radius of the Earth Temple, there seemed to be an invisible wall isting the area.

    "Formation?" Jiang Lang eximed.

    He was deeply versed in formations and quickly saw that waves of Spiritual Qi were surging from the merit box, drilling deep underground.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Vaguely, these Spiritual Qi formed a massive formation base, epassing the area.

    At this point, how could he not understand!

    The Spirit Stones and treasures they threw in earlier were all used to set up the formation.

    "You old coot, not caring for animals, you''ll get your retribution!"

    The ck dog shouted as it fled, its speed fast and movements agile, ying the Thirteenth Ancestor like a fool in such a small area, always evading capture.

    Finally, the Thirteenth Ancestorunched an all-epassing attack, hundreds of snakes shot out from his body, surrounding the ck dog from all sides, finally capturing it.

    "Help! Murder!"

    The big ck dog, entangled by the snakes, wailed loudly, shouting to the outside, "Little Xu, don''t just watch! This is your rtive, quickly persuade him!"

    Xu Hei''s face turned dark.

    Rtive, you have the nerve to say that?

    Damn it, don''t call me when you cause trouble! I''m just passing by!

    The Thirteenth Ancestor also looked outside, but just as he turned his head, a thunderbolt crashed down from above, striking his forehead.

    "Boom!!!"

    ck light exploded, and the Thirteenth Ancestor''s skull shattered like a watermelon, but no blood spurted out, only eerie ghostly energy spread.

    "Boom!!"

    Another ck thunderbolt fell, striking his headless body, knocking him to the ground.

    This divine thunder from the heavens was different from ordinary lightning; it was Yin Thunder, condensed from intense Yin Sha Qi, possessing the same world-destroying power.

    Nine Nether Yin Thunder Formation!

    This formation was costly, requiring arge number of Spirit Stones to set up, with the merit box as the formation''s core.

    "Ow!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor let out a hideous roar, his broken body stood up, still moving.

    Constantly, ck energy emerged from his broken body, and the snakes emanating from his body immediately turned into skeletal forms, yet this body that should have long been dead continued to move.

    "Quick! Hurry!"

    Liu Chengfeng was scared out of his wits, urgently urging Jiang Lang to break the formation.

    He also took out various magical treasures to attack.

 Chapter 219: Snake-Dog Combination, Re-emerging in the Jianghu

    Chapter 219: Snake-Dog Combination, Re-emerging in the Jianghu

    Liu Chengfeng was extremely furious, and the other two were also seething with rage, having been deceived, wishing they could skin that ck dog alive.

    But they knew now was not the time for revenge.

    "You little beast, do you really think you can kill me? Today, I''ll swallow you whole!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s divine sense continued to echo, and his headless corpse rose, countless small snakes shooting out from his neck, only to be struck down by thunder once more.

    The deafening roar split the air, striking the Thirteenth Ancestor with ck smoke, and the ground cracked open into a hundred-zhang deep pit, sting him into the earth.

    Hei Huang''s face twisted with pain; these Yin Thunderbolts were not cheap, each attack consuming top-grade spirit stones, it was like burning money!

    It was only because this group generously contributed over a hundred top-grade spirit stones that he dared to be so extravagant.

    "Jie jie jie jie jie! You can''t kill me!"

    A sinisterugh echoed from underground, the Thirteenth Ancestor emerged like a vengeful spirit, his broken body writhing like a snake, swift as lightning, rising again, a terrifying devouring force emanating from where his head should be, aimed at the ck dog.But the next second, Yin Thunder fell again, sting him back underground.

    Continuously, up and down, theughter grew sharper, like a ghostly wail.

    "Mad, the Thirteenth Ancestor is truly mad!"

    Liu Chengfeng watched, his mouth dry.

    "And that ck dog, it''s also a most evil creature, the two demons are fighting, it''s best if they both die here!"

    Liu Chengfeng felt a chill in his heart, pulling out a row of ck steel nails, striking them at the formation, the nails shooting out continuously, each attack at the same small point.

    The other two also used their own methods, attacking the same spot.

    Under the full assault of the three, the formation finally showed a tiny hole, only the size of a sesame seed. Jiang Lang released a Thunder Pearl, which exploded at the breach, rapidly expanding it, cracks spreading.

    "What are you doing? Hurry up and help!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s cold voice echoed from underground.

    No one looked back, only thinking of escaping with their lives.

    "Escape? What is there to escape from? This beast is merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, and it has scared you all? Let''s join forces and destroy it, eat ck dog meat! Drink ck dog blood!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s ghostlyughter continued.

    Liu Chengfeng ignored him, not listening to a word from this madman.

    Shen Qingzhu looked back, only to see the Thirteenth Ancestor had turned into a shriveled snake-like creature, his limbs shattered by thunder, his head exploded.

    But his torso still moved, ck flesh churning, sprouting tumors like hellish creatures, sending chills down one''s spine.

    Even his mind was somewhat deranged, sometimesughing maniacally, sometimes roaring, each time he rose into the air, he was struck back by a bolt of Yin Thunder.

    Taking advantage of the entanglement between the two sides, the three of them broke open the gap, about to escape,pletely ignoring whether the Thirteenth Ancestor lived or died.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Hei Huang was a bit anxious, transmitting to Xu Hei: "Don''t just stand there,e help, we''ll split the spoils fifty-fifty!"

    Xu Hei cursed the old dog in his heart for being unreliable, always leaving him to clean up the mess.

    But he didn''t need to be told; Xu Hei knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    He had already moved ahead, arriving at the breach in the formation, wearing Zhou Qing''s straw hat, no one could detect his presence.

    At this moment, the breach in the formation wasrge enough.

    Liu Chengfeng threw out a flying sword, shooting it outside the hole, using it as a bridge to perform a transfer technique, allowing himself to appear on the flying sword, thus escaping the formation.

    Jiang Lang was more straightforward, directly sticking his head out, his body shrinking into a long shape. This was the Bone Shrinking Escape Technique, allowing him to squeeze through even the smallest openings.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, a massive shadow appeared abruptly in front of him.

    Carrying a fierce impact, it came crashing towards his forehead without warning.

    It was the tip of the ck Dragon Pagoda!

    "Not good!" Jiang Lang''s face changed dramatically, trying to retract himself.

    "Thud!!"

    The tip struck, and Jiang Lang''s head was smashed into arge hole, blood spurting out, the light of his defensive magical treasures shattering one by one, his true essence dissipating.

    Jiang Lang let out a miserable cry, flying backward,nding on the ground, his body convulsing continuously.

    "Brother Jiang!"

    Liu Chengfeng''s face changed drastically, looking back, his flying sword had disappeared, swallowed by the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    Outside, there was no one, only a man-high tower standing.

    Shen Qingzhu''s face was pale,pletely bewildered.

    Xu Hei did not show himself, staying underground, controlling the ck Dragon Pagoda, smashing anyone who came out, a single snake blocking the way, none could pass.

    Under normal circumstances, a Core Formation stage cultivator would not be so easily hit, but as long as Xu Hei guarded this pass, anyone who came would be struck, a hundred hits, a hundred sesses.

    "Damn it! This beast has aplices!"

    Liu Chengfeng gritted his teeth in hatred.

    Shameless, too shameless!

    Inside, two demons were fighting, and outside, some unknown thing was blocking the exit. They had been swindled of their possessions, and now they were being hunted to the end. He had never seen such despicable tactics in his life!

    Liu Chengfeng took out a handful of ck steel nails, flinging them out, shooting towards the ck Dragon Pagoda, hitting its surface with a clinking sound, but the tower remained undamaged.

    Xu Hei ignored it, contemting whether to throw some dirty tricks inside.

    Suddenly, the steel nails seemed to find his hiding ce, shooting downward!

    These nails were Soul Chasing Nails, capable of locking onto their target''s position through the divine sense imprint on a magical treasure.

    As long as they caught a trace of the target''s divine sense, they could chase them to the ends of the earth.

    However, Xu Hei''s straw hat was not to be underestimated, allowing his aura to be elusive, sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes left, sometimes right, making it difficult for the Soul Chasing Nails to fully lock on.

    "Thud thud thud thud thud..."

    Most of the Soul Chasing Nails brushed past Xu Hei, with some shooting directly at him. Xu Hei willed the dragon scales to form a shield in front, blocking all the nails.

    Taking this opportunity, Shen Qingzhu had already squeezed half of her body out.

    "Trying to escape?"

    Xu Hei multitasked, the ck Dragon Pagoda struck again, pushing Shen Qingzhu back, but this time, she was prepared, summoning a lotus tform to block in front, with strong force-dissipating capabilities, but she underestimated the strength of the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    "Boom!!"

    The lotus tform shattered, Shen Qingzhu spat blood, her arms turned to nothingness. Her cultivation was a level weaker, no matter how she urged her magical treasures, they couldn''t exert their full power.

    With just one strike, she was worse off than Jiang Lang, her body bursting with blood, her meridians severed, flying back,nding beside Jiang Lang. Fortunately, she had the jade pendant from the first ancestor of the Purple Mist Sect protecting her heart, otherwise, she would have died!

    But at this moment, an unexpected change urred!

    The Soul Chasing Nails that had just been shot out rapidly gathered together, forming the shape of a flying sword.

    "What!"

    Xu Hei''s face changed slightly, seeing Liu Chengfeng forming a hand seal, his figure instantly disappearing within the formation.

    The next second, he appeared on the flying sword.

    Just now, while Xu Hei was attacking his Daopanion and blocking the Soul Chasing Nails, he used this diversion tactic toplete the transfer.

    The Soul Chasing Nails he released were not meant to attack the opponent, but to form a flying sword to perform his transfer technique.

 Chapter 220: Snake-dog combination, evil abounds

    Chapter 220: Snake-dogbination, evil abounds

    The timing was incredibly precise.

    As Liu Chengfeng appeared, he didn''t waste any words and pulled out a giant gourd, pointing it at the ground where Xu Hei was hiding.

    "Boom!!"

    The gourd unleashed a powerful suction, causing the earth to crack open. Countless clumps of soil and stones were sucked into the gourd, revealing Xu Hei''s hidden figure.

    It was arge ck snake, wearing a straw hat on its head,pletely concealing its aura, making it impossible to discern its cultivation level.

    Liu Chengfeng was about to make another move, but when he saw the straw hat on Xu Hei''s head, his pupils suddenly contracted.

    "That straw hat is..."

    His scalp tingled, and his mind buzzed, as a memory of a figure wearing a straw hat shed through his mind.

    It was the Zhou Family''s ancestor, Zhou Qing''s straw hat.This was the strange snake that killed Zhou Qing!

    In an instant, Liu Chengfeng''s hair stood on end, an indescribable fear rushing straight to his head!

    Run! I must run!

    Without hesitation, he summoned various magical treasures to shield himself, switching from offense to defense, and stepped onto his flying sword to flee.

    The reputation of this snake had long spread within the Four Sects Alliance. If encountered, one must not act rashly and should immediately report to the higher-ups, namely the Thirteenth Ancestor!

    Ironically, even the Thirteenth Ancestor couldn''t protect himself.

    Zhou Qing and Lei He both suffered greatly at the hands of this snake, with Zhou Qing even turned into a tree. Damn it, who would dare provoke it?

    As for Shen Qingzhu and Jiang Lang, he didn''t even spare them a nce. How could others'' lives be more important than his own?

    "Brother Jiang, Qingzhu, I''m sorry. I will avenge you in the future! I''ll cut this snake and dog into a thousand pieces!"

    Liu Chengfeng was filled with grief and indignation, and it wasn''t just an act; he was genuinely heartbroken.

    One was his close friend, the other his Daopanion, but reality was harsh. If he didn''t run, none of them would escape. Those who are indecisive don''tst long.

    This scene left Xu Hei momentarily stunned.

    He thought it would be a fierce battle, but the opponent got scared and ran away? Without even probing?

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he made a decisive decision.

    ¡ªChase!

    "Whoosh!"

    A streak of light shot across the sky, with Xu Hei fully unleashing his Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, chasing rapidly like a meteor, startling Liu Chengfeng with his speed.

    This was definitely the speed of the Core Formation Stage!

    For some reason, after Hei Huang appeared, Xu Hei''s courage inexplicably grew, daring to intercept even a Core Formation Stage cultivator trying to escape.

    In the past, this would have been unthinkable.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s throat swelled, ck True Qipressed to a point, with thunderous energy surging in his abdomen, dragon bones vibrating, and all his bones humming with a terrifying aura about to erupt.

    Liu Chengfeng''s face changed dramatically, and his speed soared again.

    The next moment¡ª

    "Dragon Shatter Roar!!!"

    A thunderous dragon roar erupted from Xu Hei''s mouth, shaking the heavens and earth, causing a vacuum channel to form through the Yin Sha Qi, sting towards the fleeing Liu Chengfeng.

    This was Xu Hei''s newlyprehended dragon n ultimate skill, Dragon Shatter Roar!

    Unlike traditional sonic spells, this move wasn''t an indiscriminate area attack but a targeted lock-on technique!

    Its power naturally skyrocketed!

    Of course, Xu Hei''s current Dragon Shatter Roar was only at the first level, the stage of shattering form, capable of attacking physical forms but unable to harm souls. Xu Hei also wanted to test its effectiveness in actualbat!

    "Bang!!"

    Liu Chengfeng had just escaped a thousand feet away when he was struck by the sound wave, as if hit by lightning, shattering countless magical treasures'' lights.

    He pulled out a treasure umbre to block, but it shattered as well, his form trembling violently, blood gushing out, and even his physical body on the verge of copse, plummeting to the ground.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "What kind of spell is this!"

    Liu Chengfeng''s mind was in turmoil, his head buzzing incessantly, his consciousness momentarily blurred.

    As a pill refiner, he focused solely on the Dao of Pills and was not adept atbat, making him rtively weak among those of the same realm.

    It was only because he had numerous life-saving means that he dared to seek opportunities in the ruins. But earlier in the Earth Temple, he had sacrificed half of his magical treasures, leaving him with few trump cards.

    However, Xu Hei''s cultivation was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

    Dragon Shatter Roar was a spell that could only be performed at the Core Formation Stage, requiring the dragon bones to be fully developed. At this moment, it was forcibly used by Xu Hei.

    Although its power far exceeded the Foundation Establishment level, it was still too much to kill a Core Formation Stage cultivator.

    Liu Chengfeng''s thoughts were only fragmented for a moment before he regained rity, the Soul Chasing Nails close to his back, lifting him high and speeding forward.

    In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the distance.

    Xu Hei sighed, not continuing the pursuit. Just using the Dragon Shatter Roar once caused his entire skeleton to tremble violently, with all bones except the dragon bones showing slight cracks.

    Killing a thousand enemies, losing eight hundred of his own!

    However, the power was indeed extraordinary, capable of causing a Core Formation Stage heavily protected by magical treasures to fall into a mental halt.

    In a battle between experts, even a brief pause could be fatal!

    If only Xu Hei had someone to coordinate with, such a sneak attack would have been incredibly effective.

    Xu Hei didn''t expect to kill a Core Formation cultivator, but through this brief encounter, he realized that the gap between him and the Core Formation Stage wasn''t as vast as he had imagined. With the right timing, location, and people, along with some special means and environments, it might not be impossible to surpass his level and win.

    This gave him immense confidence.

    At this moment, Ji Ying was holding a storage bag,nding nearby.

    This was stolen during Liu Chengfeng''s moment of distraction.

    "You finally did something right!" Xu Hei praised.

    Ji Ying, however, felt like Xu Hei was scolding it, emitting a buzzing sound as if expressing dissatisfaction.

    "Boom!!!"

    "Boom boom boom boom boom..."

    Within the formation, the sky continued to be bombarded by Yin Thunder, with Yin Thunder also erupting from underground, creating an apocalyptic scene.

    Yin Thunder from the sky and Yin Thunder from the earthbined, sting the Thirteenth Ancestor''s form to pieces, leaving him unrecognizable, not even in snake form, with only a skeleton remaining.

    Yet he continued tough maniacally, ck gas emerging from his bones, transforming into small snakes slithering nearby.

    Jiang Lang was caught by a wave of earth Yin Thunder, instantly sted to smithereens. Hei Huang, realizing this person was adept at formations, decided not to leave him any chance of survival.

    On the other hand, the Purple Mist Sect''s leader, Shen Qingzhu, was still alive, but seeing the ck tower standing outside, she dared not escape.

    She tried using the Small Teleportation Talisman, but within the formation, even space was sealed.

    "What to do? What to do?"

    Shen Qingzhu was in despair.

    "Hehehehe, I am immortal, immortal!"

    The Thirteenth Ancestor''s eerieughter echoed, but as the final thunderbolt struck, even his bone fragments were shattered, his voice abruptly cut off, his formpletely destroyed, leaving only the swirling ck gas.

    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

    Countless ck gas streams surged out, crashing in all directions.

    One of the ck gas streams transformed into a ck light, darting into Shen Qingzhu''s forehead, causing her eyes to immediately be vacant.

    In just a moment, a wisp of ck light appeared in her eyes.

    "Liu Chengfeng''s Daopanion, hehe, this physical body isn''t bad, huh? Why does this woman have Jiang Lang''s aura inside her?"

    Shen Qingzhu voiced her confusion, her physical body rapidly contracting, transforming into a snake-like elongated form.

    The next moment, Shen Qingzhu shot up from the ground, instantly breaking through the formation''s gap, moving with unprecedented speed.

    As she left the formation''s range, she activated the Small Teleportation Talisman, her figure flickering and disappearing without a trace.

 Chapter 221: Mountains and rivers may change, but ones nature is hard to alter

    Chapter 221: Mountains and rivers may change, but one''s nature is hard to alter

    "Old geezer, if you have the guts, don''t run! Let''s fight another three hundred rounds!"

    Hei Huang shouted pretentiously for a while, but the opponent had long since disappeared without a trace.

    "Another one got away."

    Xu Hei waspletely speechless.

    They had agreed to eliminate everyst one, but in the end, two out of four escaped. Hei Huang was really unreliable.

    He was too exhausted to stop them. He had gone to great lengths to steal Liu Chengfeng''s storage bag, exhausting all his True Qi.

    "Damn it! That old geezer cultivates the Yin Demon technique. If I cultivated the Yang Thunder technique, I could have struck him dead with one blow! Yin Thunder was just countered by him," Hei Huang cursed.

    "Don''t make excuses for your failure," Xu Hei said.

    "It''s not exactly a failure. I destroyed his physical body, and his Golden Core is gone. He can only snatch the body of a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, losing more than half of his cultivation. He won''t be able to stir up much trouble."At this point, Hei Huang gave a sinister smile, "Besides, letting him go is quite amusing, isn''t it?"

    Amusing... Xu Hei looked bewildered.

    "Think about it, that old geezer, a male, snatches the body of a female cultivator, who happens to be the Daopanion of his own elder, and then discovers that this Daopanion is having an affair with another elder. Isn''t that amusing?"

    Hei Huangughed mischievously, his expression truly devilish.

    Xu Hei: "..."

    So that''s what happened?

    It took Xu Hei a while to sort out the rtionships among these people, leaving him speechless.

    Humans are soplicated!

    Clearly from the same sect, Liu Chengfeng and the Thirteenth Ancestor were suspicious of each other; clearly close friends, Jiang Lang made him a cuckold.

    Inparison, demonic beasts are much simpler, always straightforward.

    Xu Hei didn''t dwell on this matter. After all, he and the Snake Catchers Sect were mortal enemies. The more chaotic the other side became, the more advantageous it was for him.

    At this moment, Hei Huang dismantled the formation and jumped out, reaching for the ck Dragon Pagoda with his paws, his eyes gleaming.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched, and he quickly put away the ck Dragon Pagoda, leaving Hei Huang empty-handed.

    "So, how about a fifty-fifty split?"

    Xu Hei got to the point.

    "Ahem!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Hei Huang coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and took out two storage bags, saying, "These are Jiang Lang''s and the old immortal''s storage bags. You got the alchemist''s, right?"

    Xu Hei said nothing, nor did he make any move, just nced at the merit box.

    "Damn! This formation consumes Spirit Stones like crazy. That little bit just now was already used up," Hei Huang cursed.

    Xu Hei: "..."

    Familiar tactics, this dog really can''t change its nature.

    "Let''s not worry about this now. We shouldn''t stay here long; let''s find another ce to talk."

    Hei Huang picked up the merit box, took out a Divine Wind Boat, and boarded it. Xu Hei also took out the Earth Boat, and the two quickly sped away, disappearing into the distance.

    Momentster, they found a deserted ce.

    This ce was on the outskirts of Wuyou City, surrounded by abandoned fields and houses, with no one around.

    The two demons happily conducted a round of loot distribution.

    Xu Hei gave away arge number of magical treasures he didn''t need in exchange for some spell jade slips, ancient books, and various talismans.

    He had been longing for that Spiritual Qi crystal, but Hei Huang insisted it was consumed, leaving Xu Hei helpless.

    Liu Chengfeng''s pills, he gave away half of them. After all, he had ancient pills, and these modern ones weren''t very useful to him.

    "Old dog, I didn''t hold back anything. I said half, and it''s half. What about you?" Xu Hei''s gaze fixed on Hei Huang.

    "Heaven and earth bear witness! I absolutely didn''t hold back anything. May I be childless if I, Hei Huang, lie!" Hei Huang eximed repeatedly.

    Xu Hei was taken aback. Since Hei Huang said so, he couldn''t pursue the matter further.

    In fact, he didn''t care much about this small amount of money. Hei Huang had helped him a lot.

    At this moment, Hei Huang took out a thick jade slip and said, "This is a set of formation insights, the most basic version. I won''t take advantage of you; consider it a gift."

    Xu Hei quickly took the jade slip and casually scanned it, revealing the structures of nine basic formations.

    "Kill Formation, Trap Formation, Illusion Formation, Gathering Spirit Array, Defense Formation, Concealment Formation..."

    These weren''t profound formation inheritances, just detailed exnations of nine basic formations, described vividly, very suitable for beginners.

    Xu Hei had learned nine different kill formation systems in the Xuan Yin Tower. Now, with these, many of his doubts were resolved, opening a whole new door for him.

    Just in time!

    "This is very important to me. Thank you," Xu Hei said.

    Hei Huang squinted his eyes and smiled, "So, how do you n to thank me? I noticed that tower you used earlier seems quite good, and that straw hat too. Could you lend them to me for a few days?"

    He rubbed his paws together, his eyes filled with excitement.

    Xu Hei stepped back repeatedly, cursing, "You''re really pushing it!"

    "I''m just borrowing it, not taking it!"

    "Dream on!"

    "Hey! You shameless snake..."

    "..."

    Xu Hei realized that with this old dog, he couldn''t say a single kind word.

    The two demons exchanged pleasantries for a while before calming down.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei seemed to remember something and took out the ck mirror, asking, "What''s the deal with this magical treasure?"

    Hei Huang nced over and was immediately taken aback, tapping his paw, "Oh? It actually swallowed an artifact spirit!"

    He picked up the mirror, looked it over, and tapped on the mirror surface, producing a thumping sound and ripples.

    Inside the mirror, a shadow appeared.

    Xu Hei instinctively stepped aside, not wanting to be reflected in the mirror.

    Hei Huang chuckled, put the mirror back into the storage bag, and tossed it over, "It functions the same as before, but can only be used once."

    Xu Hei couldn''t help but ask curiously, "What''s inside this magical treasure?"

    Being able to split evenly with anyone, it sounded truly unbelievable.

    Hei Huang was silent for a moment and said, "I can only tell you that this mirror is called the Heavenly Demon Mirror, but I can''t say more to avoid unnecessary trouble. It might even attract some evil spirits when you break through."

    Hearing this, Xu Hei''s eyes flickered, and his heart tightened.

    Attracting evil spirits during a breakthrough, it sounded ominous.

    "Xu Hei, before you reach sufficient strength, the less you know about some things, the better. Don''t overthink it, and don''t inquire. A troubled mind won''t achieve anything," Hei Huang advised earnestly.

    Seeing the other party suddenly serious, Xu Hei nodded.

    He knew that curiosity could kill the cat, and he wouldn''t dwell on things he shouldn''t think about.

    Human cultivators might have many distractions, but Xu Hei wouldn''t have such phenomena. His thinking was sometimes even too simple.

    Next, Xu Hei asked about the main issue, "Do you have any clues about the Five Elements Inheritance?"

    Hei Huang immediately sneered, "That Earth Temple is the inheritance site. I wasn''t lying to you."

    "Huh?" Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    "The City Lord of Wuyou is very particr about the Five Elements Inheritance. If you study it carefully, it''s easy to figure out. This kind of thing can''t be faked, only half-true."

    Hei Huang exined, "So, I only swapped the statue, nothing else."

    Xu Hei: "..."

    This old dog, so cunning, could actually do such a thing, pretending to be the Mountain God and swapping the Earth God. If there were real immortals, he''d be the first to go to hell.

    "Where''s the statue?"

    Xu Hei quickly asked, knowing it was the key to unlocking the inheritance.

    "Thrown in a ditch."

    Hei Huangzily pointed in a direction, "Seems to be over there!"

    Without another word, Xu Hei took out the Earth Boat and headed in that direction, with Hei Huang jumping on board and sitting cross-legged.

    After a moment of silence, Xu Hei took out the straw hat from the storage bag and tossed it over.

    "Lend it to you for a few days, remember, it''s a loan!"

    Xu Hei didn''t spare his words, but he knew that a straw hat was nothing.

    "Then I''ll keep it safe for you for now."

    Hei Huang moved quickly, taking the straw hat, branding it with his own mark, and wearing it on his head without any courtesy.

    In an instant, his aura disappeared,pletely undetectable.

    "Good stuff, even better than an Invisibility Talisman!"

    Hei Huang''s eyes lit up, and he took out a sword, strapped it to his back, and covered his face with the straw hat, speaking in a low voice, "Little Xu, do I look like a peerless master?"

    Xu Hei nced back, finding the image beyond words.

 Chapter 222: The Inheritance of the Earth, Xu Bais Message

    Chapter 222: The Inheritance of the Earth, Xu Bai''s Message

    On the journey, Hei Huang recounted his experiences from the past year.

    The ce he was searching for, thend of extreme yin, was this ancient relic, where the yin energy flowed endlessly, enough to absorb for years without depletion.

    But after just over a year, cultivators started intruding.

    Xu Hei knew what happened next; more and more people came to this ce, making it impossible for Hei Huang to meditate in peace.

    "Damn it, I found this ce first, and these humans are so unreasonable!"

    Every time this was mentioned, Hei Huang would grit his teeth in anger, wishing he could trick everyone.

    Xu Hei just sneered without saying a word.

    ...

    It wasn''t long before they found the ditch Hei Huang had mentioned.In ancient times, this should have been a canal used for irrigating farnd, now long dried up.

    The Earth God was stuck upside down in the ditch, with only a small tip protruding from the ground.

    Xu Hei hurriedly dug a hole to pull the Earth God out.

    Perhaps due to the infiltration of yin energy, the statue had turned ck, and the smile on its face appeared sinister and eerie.

    "Is this it?" Xu Hei asked.

    "That''s right, this thing can''t be stored in a storage bag, so I had to bury it," Hei Huang replied.

    Xu Hei was speechless; discovering a ce of inheritance and thinking first to use it to trick people was something only Hei Huang could do.

    "Why don''t you activate the inheritance?"

    "Why would I? I don''t care about this inheritance. A friend of mine can casually create hundreds of them," Hei Huang said disdainfully.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed. "You said it."

    He set the statue upright, climbed up, recalled the methods of Zhou Wendie and Xu Qingfeng, and flicked a drop of fresh blood, using the tip to touch the statue.

    "By the way, this ce of inheritance has a time eleration effect; one month outside is equivalent to a year of cultivation inside, and the spiritual qi is abundant," Xu Hei said softly.

    Hearing this, Hei Huang''s eyes lit up immediately, and he ran over, rubbing his paws with a sheepish grin. "Why didn''t you say so earlier!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Didn''t you say you didn''t care?"

    "When did I say that? Don''t nder me!"

    "¡­"

    Xu Hei had nothing to say to this shameless dog.

    "Buzz!"

    In an instant, the statue emitted a powerful light.

    Xu Hei was prepared, taking out a corpse pill to support a true essence barrier.

    No matter how much true essence there was, as long as there was a trace, it wouldn''t be rejected. Xu Hei had discovered this rule, which served as a threshold for epting the inheritance.

    Hei Huang reacted quickly, mimicking Xu Hei, and wasn''t repelled.

    As the halo spread, the Earth God''s stiff body came to life, his eyes gaining luster, just like the previous two activations.

    The Earth God scanned the surroundings, confusion shing in his eyes, and a deep voice emerged: "Where is this?"

    "Uh¡­" Xu Hei paused and said, "This is the Earth Temple."

    "Yes, this is the Earth Temple."

    Hei Huang nodded while filling the hole beside him with dirt.

    The Earth God examined the surrounding environment, initially bewildered, then turning to anger. Especially upon seeing a deep pit of the same size as himself, though his face couldn''t show expressions, his eyes seemed to ze with fury.

    Xu Hei felt a chill, sensing something ominous.

    "Hmph! This is outrageous, moving me out and burying me in the ground, what decorum is this!" the Earth God said angrily.

    Xu Hei remained silent.

    Hei Huang also stayed silent.

    The Earth God looked around at the environment, then at therge pit in the ditch, growing more and more furious: "Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable, you descendants are utterly disrespectful!"

    Xu Hei said nothing.

    Hei Huang was immediately displeased, ring and pointing at the Earth God: "Old man, we found the ce of inheritance ording to the rules, hurry up and activate it, don''t be ungrateful!"

    Hearing this, Xu Hei''s face darkened.

    Damn it, if you want to die, don''t drag me into it!

    Xu Hei''s eyelids twitched, and he transmitted his voice: "Isn''t that a bit too much?"

    "Maybe."

    "You..." Xu Hei was speechless again.

    The Earth God was so angry his face turned blue. As one of the guardians of the Five Elements Inheritance, even though he only retained a trace of ancient divine thought and couldn''t take action, he wasn''t someone these juniors could bully.

    "Quickly send me back!" the Earth God demanded.

    Xu Hei looked troubled; the ce was already exposed, and the Snake Catchers Sect might have sent people to seek revenge. How could he dare to return?

    At this moment, the Earth God gazed at Xu Hei for a while, then suddenly focused, eximing, "What is your rtionship with that white snake?"

    "What?"

    Xu Hei was bewildered.

    He nced at Hei Huang and found him equally perplexed.

    "You two just stumbled upon this, but that white snake is a truly perceptive creature. She could understand the meaning of the earth, but unfortunately, she wasn''t interested in the earth inheritance. Otherwise, she would have been the most suitable inheritor."

    The Earth God sighed deeply and continued, "That white snake mentioned that a ck snake was more suitable than her, which must be you."

    Upon hearing this, Xu Hei realized that Xu Bai had also been here and encountered the Earth God, being the first to find the earth inheritance.

    Xu Bai carried many mysteries, always appearing in strange ces.

    He took out the jade slip Xu Bai had left behind, looked at it, and put it away.

    "In that case, I can activate the inheritance space, but this ce is not within the Earth Temple, deviating from the City Lord of Wuyou''s original intent. Don''t me me if problems arise!" the Earth God said.

    "No problem!" Hei Huang spoke first.

    The Earth God looked at Xu Hei and asked, "Inheritor, Xu Hei, do you wish to activate the inheritance?"

    "Wait!"

    Xu Hei suddenly thought of something and stopped him.

    "Do you have something else?" the Earth God asked, puzzled.

    Xu Hei took out an ancient spirit-replenishing pill, broke the seal, and swallowed it in one gulp. Then he closed his eyes, using the pill''s abundant spiritual power to mobilize all the true qi in his body, concentrating it at his brow, and releasing it beside him.

    "External Incarnation!"

    With a thought, a shadow appeared beside Xu Hei, countless shadows ovepping, solidifying the ethereal image into an external incarnation.

    This journey would allow him to meditate for a year, giving him ample time to cultivate.

    But he couldn''t influence matters in the outside world, so he needed to leave some backup.

    This time, Xu Hei used all his true qi and half his blood essence, spending a day to condense an external incarnation with eighty percent of his original strength.

    After forming the incarnation, Xu Hei waspletely exhausted.

    Seeing this, Hei Huang also formed a dog-shaped incarnation beside him.

    Xu Hei and his incarnation exchanged nces, nodded at each other, and said, "Activate!"

    "Alright!"

    The Earth God dered loudly, "Five Elements Inheritance, Breath Soil, activate!"

    As the words fell, the surrounding light distorted, space twisted, and time became chaotic. Xu Hei felt as if he were being drawn into an alternate space.

    The world spun, light and shadow intertwined, as if traversing the gxy.

    Momentster.

    Xu Hei''s original form descended upon a barrennd.

    Dust filled the sky, the earth was a dull yellow, and the air was thick with earth-element spiritual qi, dozens of times more than the outside world.

    Por trees, cacti, palms... various desert nts grew here, along with a pool of spiritual spring, adorning thendscape.

    He lost contact with his incarnation.

 Chapter 223: Inheritance Space, Encountering Xu Bai Again

    Chapter 223: Inheritance Space, Encountering Xu Bai Again

    Xu Hei gazed into the distance. Although thendscape had changed dramatically, he could still recognize it as the Earth Path.

    Despite being a desert and a wastnd, it retained vitality with towering cacti and scattered oases, making it an ideal ce for seclusion.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Hei Huang had already dived into one of the oases, devouring it madly.

    "A miraculous inheritance space," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    At that moment, a voice came from the sky.

    "One year here is equivalent to one month outside."

    "You have one year to prepare. After that, you willpete with others from the ces of inheritance," the Earth God said before disappearing.

    Compete... Xu Hei wasn''t sure what kind ofpetition it would be. He only had two demonic beasts, while the Zhou Family and Chu Tian Alliance each had six people.

    Without overthinking, Xu Hei immediately entered an oasis, practicing breathing exercises to quickly restore his depleted True Qi.His external incarnation would lose contact if too far away and would act ording to his original self''s style.

    The incarnation had eighty percent of his cultivation butcked the ck Dragon Pagoda, Ji Ying, Blood God Armor, and various talismans and magical treasures.

    In reality, it had less than half of his original self''sbat power.

    His original self could contend with Core Formation stage opponents, while the incarnation could at most show off in the Foundation Establishment stage.

    However, Xu Hei still let the incarnation carry a magical treasure, the Soul-absorbing g. The snake spirit inside could self-destruct to temporarily hold off a Core Formation stage opponent, which was the incarnation''s biggest trump card.

    "One year... I wonder if I can break through to thete Foundation Establishment stage."

    "This journey offers great opportunities, but there''s been no time to digest them. Now is a perfect chance."

    Xu Hei took out ancient pills and ced them in front of him.

    The ancient pills from the corpse puppets, thousand-year spirit medicines, ten-thousand-year spirit medicines, and the wealth of Liu Chengfeng and Zhou Qing, allbined, amounted to a considerable fortune.

    As long as he utilized these pills, Xu Hei was confident he could reach a higher level.

    Such a great opportunity would be unimaginable for anyone, even the first Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Bai Luo, wouldn''t have such good treatment.

    Xu Hei took out an ancient Essence Cultivation Pill, broke the seal, and swallowed it in one gulp.

    "Boom!!"

    The pill dissolved, and surging True Qi rushed through Xu Hei''s meridians and flesh.

    The biggest difference between ancient pills and modern ones was the quality of Spiritual Qi. Back then, everyone achieved perfect Foundation Establishment, so the pills were naturally tailored for that!

    When Xu Hei took ordinary pills, he couldn''t feel any fluctuation in his cultivation. Now, he immediately felt his cultivation rising.

    The effectsted only a day before the medicinal power was exhausted.

    His cultivation increased by about one percent.

    "These ancient pills are good, but they''ve been stored too long, losing much of their potency. There are pros and cons," Xu Hei sighed inwardly.

    He took out another Essence Cultivation Pill and swallowed it, fully refining it.

    Any improvement was better than standing still.

    There were enough Essence Cultivation Pills for him to consume for two months.

    Additionally, there were Nine Yang Powder, Muscle-Easing Pills, Sky Blue Pills, and others to enhance various attributes, including body strengthening, marrow cleansing, bone refining, and mind sharpening, enough to transform Xu Hei''s physique!

    These ancient pills and thousand-year spirit medicines, if taken out casually, would cause a frenzy.

    Moreover, he had a pile of unopened mystery boxes that required a key, and he didn''t know what pills they might contain.

    Since entering the ruins, Xu Hei hadn''t had a moment''s peace, constantly fighting or on the way to a fight. Now, he finally had a chance for seclusion.

    ...

    Outside the inheritance space.

    Xu Hei''s external incarnation also sprang into action.

    The incarnation would act ording to his original self''s will. His task was to find Xu Bai''s location and observe others'' movements.

    Xu Hei took out a jade slip, activated it with his divine sense, and sped towards the southeast.

    In the blink of an eye, five days had passed since the first inheritance opened.

    More and more people entered Wuyou City. Without the interference of corpse puppets, they conducted a thorough search, leaving no stone unturned.

    Along the way, Xu Hei discovered many unfamiliar teams.

    From their conversations, they seemed to be reinforcements invited by the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    This gave Xu Hei a sense of urgency.

    "Thepetition in a year... I don''t know the rules. If it''s a numbers game, I have no advantage," Xu Hei thought.

    ...

    At the edge of Wuyou City, in a botanical garden.

    In ancient times, this ce had the most nts, but they all withered and disappeared.

    Today, nts emerged again, growing all sorts of rare herbs, lush greenery, and shrubs, teeming with precious spirit medicines, as if life had returned.

    The anomaly quickly attracted the attention of a group of rogue cultivators.

    As they approached, each one screamed in agony and never appeared again.

    A dayter, two more people discovered the ce.

    "Look, what''s that?!"

    "I remember there were no nts there. Why have so many grown?"

    These two cultivators were from the Four Sects Alliance. Faced with such a strange phenomenon, they didn''t approach rashly but reported it to their superiors.

    Just then, Xu Hei arrived.

    He looked at the dense forest in the distance and caught Xu Bai''s scent.

    "So Xu Bai is here?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed. He nced at the two Foundation Establishment cultivators in the distance and stealthily approached, directly using the Mountain Embrace Seal.

    "Boom!!"

    The mountain crushed down, instantly turning the two into meat patties.

    After disposing of the evidence, Xu Hei entered the botanical garden.

    The nts here were bizarre, unlike anything he''d seen before. There were even human-like trees, which reminded Xu Hei of the Zhou Family''s second ancestor.

    "Is this all Xu Bai''s doing?" Xu Hei''s heart raced.

    The forest wasn''trge, but the nts were strange, some clearly possessing offensive capabilities.

    Relying on his incarnation, Xu Hei fearlessly charged in but encountered no attacks.

    Momentster, Xu Hei reached the core area.

    In the dense forest, he saw a white snake coiled around a jade-green cauldron, energy gathering within it, with an ancient pill floating inside.

    "This is..."

    Xu Hei immediately recognized it as an ancient Essence Cultivation Pill used for cultivation.

    As energy gathered, the ancient Essence Cultivation Pill slowly rotated, with each turn increasing its potency, and its shriveled form gradually restored.

    "Is Xu Bai repairing the pill?"

    The thought suddenly urred to Xu Hei.

    After observing for a while, Xu Hei became more convinced of this idea.

    Ancient pills would dissipate if not consumed shortly after being taken out, but the scene before him defied that understanding.

    Xu Hei had many ancient pills. If he could restore these depleted pills to perfection, what an achievement that would be!

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and didn''t disturb the process, quietly watching from the side.

    An hourter.

    "Whoosh!"

    The Essence Cultivation Pill flew out,nding in front of Xu Hei, its fragrance rich and medicinal power potent, not only restored but now with a shelf life, no longer disintegrating at a touch.

    "For you," Xu Bai said with a gentle gaze and a smile.

    Xu Hei took the Essence Cultivation Pill and said, "How can I ept this?"

    Even as he spoke, he pocketed the pill.

    Don''t ask where he learned that.

 Chapter 224: Surrounded by a great army, mirror of historical reflection

    Chapter 224: Surrounded by a great army, mirror of historical reflection

    Xu Bai didn''t mind at all. She nced at Xu Hei and said, "Did you find the Earth Inheritance?"

    "That''s right, and I have you to thank for it."

    Xu Hei recounted the events that had transpired.

    At the same time, he was curious about how Xu Bai had gained the Earth God''s approval.

    Xu Bai couldn''t help butugh, taking out a perfectly round pill. She said, "This is an Earth Spirit Pill. Once consumed, it can greatly enhance the purity of one''s Earth Spiritual Roots in a short time, increasing affinity with the earth. I used this pill to fool the Earth God."

    "..." Xu Hei was speechless.

    Fool? So the Earth God was tricked all along!

    He had genuinely thought Xu Bai had a stronger affinity for earth.

    "I knew you were suited for the Earth Inheritance. I was just worried someone else might take it, so I went ahead and fooled the Earth God," Xu Bai exined.Xu Hei suddenly understood.

    He couldn''t help but feel amazed. He used to think Xu Bai was just a kid obsessed with pill refining and causing trouble, with unreliable pills.

    Now, without realizing it, Xu Bai had grown to this extent.

    She was even paving the way for him, her senior.

    Alone with a serpent, she traveled from Wuyou City to the Blood Corpse Cave, then to the ancient medicine garden, and returned safely. Xu Bai had aplished things many couldn''t even imagine.

    Xu Hei wanted to ask her about it, but considering it was her secret, he suppressed his curiosity.

    Everyone has secrets!

    If Xu Bai asked him about his secrets, Xu Hei wouldn''t easily divulge them either.

    Besides, Xu Hei already had some clues.

    He nced at the small, emerald-green cauldron Xu Bai always carried with her, unsure of its origins.

    When Xu Hei observed it with his Divine Sense, the Demon God Cauldron within him reacted faintly.

    This was enough to suggest something.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "This cauldron is probably a divine artifact second only to the Demon God Cauldron," Xu Hei spected.

    Ever since Xuan Yangzi''s invasion and Xu Bai''s severe injury, this cauldron had appeared with her, possibly found beneath the Myriad Serpent Valley.

    Myriad Serpent Valley, where Dragon Qi resides, where destiny lies.

    This was her opportunity, and Xu Hei wouldn''t pry.

    It also exined why Xu Bai''s pill refining skills were so extraordinary.

    Just then, Xu Hei seemed to sense something, his gaze turning cold as he looked outside.

    Xu Bai also turned her attention outward.

    ...

    At this moment, arge group of people had arrived outside, surrounding the botanical garden.

    The group consisted of twenty people, simr in scale to Liu Chengfeng''s team, led by a Core Formation Stage elder with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators following.

    "What a strange ce. Could it be the Wood Inheritance?"

    The leading elder, known as Lie Yunzi, was naturally cautious. He had heard about Liu Chengfeng''s encounter with the Thirteenth Ancestor.

    For ces suspected to be inheritance sites, he first suspected whether any demons were trying to trap them.

    He wouldn''t make the same mistake twice, especially not such a basic one.

    "Hmph! Whatever inheritance it is, let''s set it on fire first."

    Lie Yunzi, true to his fiery nature, conjured two fireballs in his palm, ready to throw them.

    "Elder, don''t! If it''s the Wood Inheritance, destroying it would be disastrous!" a Foundation Establishment cultivator urged anxiously.

    Lie Yunzi nced at him, nodded slightly, and said, "Hmm, you have a point. Then you go in and take a look."

    He raised his hand, activating the Gravity Technique, and directly flung the cultivator inside.

    "Ah!!"

    The cultivator screamed as soon as he flew in, a vine piercing his chest, extracting his flesh and blood, turning him into a dried corpse.

    Everyone was horrified, hurriedly summoning various magical treasures.

    Lie Yunzi''s gaze turned cold as he said, "Indeed, it''s evil. Burn it!"

    He threw a fire serpent into the dense forest, setting the entire woond aze. The others also hurled fireballs, continuously bombarding the area until the grass, strange trees, and spirit medicines were all reduced to ashes.

    Against the countering mes, no nt could survive.

    ...

    At this moment, Xu Hei noticed themotion outside. If his true body were here, he might have a chance, but his avatar had no good solutions.

    "This way!"

    Xu Bai put away the green cauldron and slipped into the trunk of a por tree, following its roots deep underground.

    Xu Hei followed her into the depths.

    Deep underground, Xu Hei discovered that the tree roots had long intertwined, extending thousands of feet below, branching out in countless directions, leading who knows how far.

    Following the roots, Xu Bai could travel freely.

    In the ancient relic, even the Earth Escape Technique couldn''t achieve such convenience!

    "Follow me!"

    Xu Bai''s body merged into a section of root, swiftly moving away.

    Xu Hei was silent for a moment before asking, "You don''t want the Wood Inheritance?"

    He knew Xu Bai had Wood Spiritual Roots and needed it the most.

    "I don''t want it. I can''t protect it anyway, so I''d rather go to the Earth Path," Xu Bai replied.

    This wasn''t reckless; it was a well-considered decision.

    After the first year of cultivation, there would be a second round of fiercepetition. She didn''t believe she could withstand the next round alone.

    Sometimes, you have to let go!

    Whether it was the Four Sects Alliance, the Bai Family, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, or any other factions, she couldn''t contend with them.

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly and quickly followed.

    ...

    At this moment, the surface nts had gone berserk.

    Branches, vines, and flowers rose from the ground like monstrous creatures, charging at the crowd, carrying raging mes that burned ever fiercer, a final charge before death.

    Lie Yunzi struck with a palm, shattering a string of willow branches, then dashed toward the depths of the forest.

    He had a hunch that something was hiding underground, and whatever it was, capturing it would be a great opportunity!

    However, the nts here were too troublesome. Some charged up and self-destructed, others released toxins, and mushrooms even grew on his body, making it difficult for him to free his hands, forcing him to defend with all his might.

    But with the arrival of Lei He, all the nts turned to ashes under his palm.

    Lei He''s cold gaze swept over the ashen forest, saying nothing as he took out a mirror.

    The mirror of historical reflection.

    ...

    What happened next, Xu Hei didn''t know.

    After delving underground, he realized that Xu Bai''s escape abilities were exceptional.

    Using the trees'' rooting abilities, she could extend the roots thousands of feet outward. By entering a tree, she could instantly move to any location the roots reached.

    As long as the tree roots remained intact, she could escape at any time.

    In the relic where Divine Sense was limited, who could discern the situation underground?

    As long as Xu Bai didn''t act recklessly, no one could catch her.

    Before long, using the roots'' extension, they distanced themselves from the encirclement, easily evading the pursuit of the main group.

    Looking back, they could no longer sense any figures.

    Yet, for some reason, Xu Hei had a lingering feeling of being watched.

    His eyes flickered, and he made a decisive decision, saying to Xu Bai, "Xu Bai, let''s split up immediately. You head to the Earth God''s location; Hei Huang has opened the passage!"

    "I''ll go in another direction to draw the enemy away."

 Chapter 225: Seven Stars Lock the Dragon, Transform into Self-Detonation

    Chapter 225: Seven Stars Lock the Dragon, Transform into Self-Detonation

    The Mirror of Historical Reflection, one of the five great treasures of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    By using the mirror, one can trace back events that have urred, akin to a simplified version of Historical Projections, making it easier to track and uncover the truth.

    However, the Mirror of Historical Reflection was inherited from the ancient Divine Puppet Sect and, after numerous uses, has lost most of its spiritual essence, with only a few uses remaining.

    Yet at this moment, Lei He used it without hesitation.

    "Trace back!"

    A dim yellow light shone down, and a scene simr to Historical Projections appeared deep within the dense forest.

    In the core area, the outlines of two snakes appeared, only their shapes visible, very blurry.

    However, Lei He could immediately discern that one of them was the ck snake they had been tirelessly pursuing.

    The events that had transpired before yed out in reverse before their eyes. However, the green cauldron did not appear, and its location was a nk space.The two snakes slithered along the trunk of a por tree, burrowing underground and crawling outward along the roots.

    Lei He tracked them all the way, reaching ten thousand feet away, where he saw Xu Hei break away from the roots and swiftly head west.

    "This direction is..." Lei He squinted his eyes.

    The five elements'' directions are easy to identify, with metal in the west. Judging by the snake''s posture, it was clearly heading to cause trouble.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Courting death!"

    Lei He''s gaze turned icy as he pursued along the western route.

    For the inheritance of metal, the Heavenly Puppet Sect conducted a carpet search, leaving no corner unchecked. Although inefficient, they had essentially locked down the area and couldplete the search in at most two days.

    At this time, no unexpected events were allowed!

    As for the other slightly smaller snake, he had no intention of letting it go either.

    With a thought, Lei He conjured an external incarnation beside him. In the rush, it had less than a tenth of his true cultivation. The incarnation stepped on a flying sword, chasing in the direction where Xu Bai had disappeared.

    He paid little attention to the small snake, focusing mainly on the ck one!

    Simultaneously, Lei He took out amunication talisman and sent a message to everyone.

    "All units, listen up. The target is moving from the southeast to the west, passing through the Herb Garden District and the Southern Commercial District. Intercept immediately, at all costs!"

    Soon, all parties received the message.

    A vast targeting Xu Hei unfolded within Wuyou City.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Before long, Xu Hei encountered a search team, but these cultivators failed to notice him.

    Over the next hour or so, Xu Hei encountered three groups. Only two people saw Xu Hei, but they did not act rashly. Instead, they quickly sent messages to their elders, reporting Xu Hei''s location.

    "There are more and more people in Wuyou City. The Heavenly Puppet Sect is really sparing no expense!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He wasn''t worried at all. After all, it was just an incarnation. The more people chasing him, the safer Xu Bai would be.

    In fact, he didn''t believe Xu Bai would be caught. Being able to navigate the ancient relics with ease, she couldn''t possibly have just these few tricks. He was merely being cautious, deliberately attracting others to capture him to cover for Xu Bai.

    As time passed, the crowd in the vicinity gradually increased.

    Basically, every stick of incense''s time, Xu Hei would spot a team.

    Yet without exception, whether Xu Hei was hiding too well or others were pretending not to see, no one dared to stop him.

    "The people the Heavenly Puppet Sect brought in, are they all this useless?" Xu Hei sneered inwardly.

    He was just an incarnation, but his reputation was well-known. No one would risk their life to attack him.

    But gradually, Xu Hei sensed something was off.

    When he noticed a team ahead and nned to change direction, he found another team on the other side.

    Each team had a Core Formation cultivator in charge, making it impossible for Xu Hei to charge through. He had to change direction again.

    However, there were people in the third direction too!

    "Strange."

    Xu Hei''s expression darkened as he changed direction once more, only to encounter another group shortly after!

    These teams didn''t act rashly, and they might not have even noticed Xu Hei, but their advancing directions all converged on Xu Hei, forming a faint encirclement.

    One, two, three... six...

    Xu Hei discovered six teams, blocking all areas around him.

    Six Core Formation cultivators¡ªXu Hei had never seen such a grand disy. Was this a war? Just to besiege him?

    "So that''s it!"

    Xu Hei realized, no wonder no one acted before; they were preventing him from being alerted.

    Now, the encirclement wasplete, and every direction was blocked. It was toote for him to escape.

    This tactic of surrounding from a distance was something Xu Hei had never seen before. Today, he was truly enlightened.

    The only escape route left was behind him, but Xu Hei didn''t need to try; Lei He must have upied that ce.

    At this moment, Lei He appeared ten thousand feet behind Xu Hei, raising his hand high toward the sky.

    Simultaneously, six Core Formation cultivators acted together, casting their seals.

    "Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation!"

    Everyone shouted in unison, their positions connected, true essence flowing through, forming a massive formation linked to the Big Dipper, named the Seven Star Dragon Lock, the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s strongest trapping formation!

    Xu Hei felt something amiss and immediately severed his divine sense, preparing to self-destruct!

    "Ding!"

    Suddenly, his body froze,pletely immobilized as if time and space had locked him in ce, even interrupting his self-destruction, his expression frozen, his thoughts halted.

    At this moment, Lei He shed to Xu Hei''s side, grabbing the incarnation in his hand.

    "An external incarnation, huh, truly cunning!"

    Lei He snorted coldly.

    He had considered the possibility of capturing an incarnation.

    However, the incarnation and the true self''s divine sense were connected. With the right method, he could still use the incarnation to affect Xu Hei''s true body.

    At the very least, tracking was entirely feasible.

    Lei He pointed at Xu Hei''s forehead, sensing slightly, and discovered that Xu Hei''s true body was not in this space, unable to be sensed, likely having gone to the ce of inheritance.

    His gaze turned cold as he took out a ck jade slip.

    This ck jade slip contained countless chaotic memories, all records of cultivators experiencing inner demons.

    By recording these memories into Xu Hei''s incarnation, even Xu Hei''s true self would suffer severe bacsh!

    As a cultivator, whether human or demonic beast, some things are better left unknown. A pure and unblemished heart is conducive to cultivation.

    "You think sending an incarnation means I can''t deal with you? I''ll gift you these memories and see how you can peacefully cultivate!"

    Lei He flicked his finger, and the ck jade slip transformed into a long rainbow, aiming to enter Xu Hei''s forehead.

    Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted nearby.

    "Ah!!!"

    In one corner of the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation, a Core Formation cultivator''s back exploded with a bloody hole, falling backward as if struck by thunder.

    "Who??" Lei He''s expression changed drastically.

    In that instant, the Xu Hei in his hand broke free from the formation''s restraints, his body immediately swelling.

    With one corner of the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation missing, the entire formation copsed.

    With a thunderous explosion, Xu Hei''s body detonated, transforming into a violent gale, sweeping in all directions. The ck jade slip was shattered, sending Lei He flying, scattering countless scales and burning talismans, which exploded among the distant crowd!

    "Boom boom boom boom boom..."

    A series of explosions echoed, countless low-level cultivators caught in the aftermath.

 Chapter 226: Qin Kingdom Military Strategist, Extreme Body Refinement

    Chapter 226: Qin Kingdom Military Strategist, Extreme Body Refinement

    The injured Core Formation cultivator took a heavy blow and was then bombarded by arge number of talismans that exploded on his face, shattering his head and causing blood to gush out.

    The others, due to the formation being broken, spat blood one by one and were sent flying backward.

    Nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators suffered heavy casualties, their wails echoing continuously.

    In just a moment, the team that constructed the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation copsedpletely.

    Though the formation was strong, it had significant drawbacks; it required seven people to activate simultaneously, and breaking one would cause the entire formation to fail. However, once trapped, no matter how great your divine abilities, you would be in a state of temporal and spatial lock.

    The cost and effect are always proportional.

    Lei He looked at the devastation around him, his face dark and gloomy.

    "Who did this?"

    He looked toward the direction from which the attack hade, his eyes filled with murderous intent."I didn''t expect this serpent to have external support; it was indeed a miscalction."

    A calm voice came from beside him. It was a middle-aged man in ck, with a gentle and schrly demeanor, his face like jade, exuding a schrly aura.

    He was one of the seven who had formed the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation.

    This man was none other than the famous strategist of the Qin Kingdom, Li Si.

    Originally from the Chu Kingdom, heter joined the Qin Kingdom. The Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation was his strategy to deal with Xu Hei, and even capturing an incarnation would cause significant damage.

    "This time we failed, but next time, this serpent will be even more cautious," Lei He said in a deep voice.

    "No matter! Sometimes, no matter how cautious you are, it¡¯s useless. Strength determines everything. Once the inheritance ends, I¡¯ll have my own way to deal with him!" Li Si said nonchntly.

    On the surface, he spoke calmly, but internally he was quite heavy-hearted. As Lei He said, the cunning of this serpent far exceeded his expectations.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Taking advantage of the time Xu Hei was buying, Xu Bai smoothly arrived at the ce where the Earth God had disappeared. A halo emanated from this spot, a passage created by Hei Huang.

    Xu Bai rushed in, and the halo closed, instantly teleporting her away.

    At this moment.

    In the ce of inheritance, Xu Hei suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily.

    Just now, he received fragmented images sent back after his incarnation''s death. Although disjointed, they allowed him to piece together the events.

    "What kind of formation was that, with such power that itpletely immobilized me, preventing even self-destruction!" Xu Hei was shocked internally.

    He didn¡¯t know what the other party would do after capturing his incarnation, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be anything good for his true self.

    Moreover, judging by the ck jade slip the other party took out, they definitely had a special method targeting him.

    "I was careless, made two fatal mistakes on this trip!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He hadn¡¯t encountered any attacks and thought no one had discovered him, or that everyone was too afraid to act.

    Little did he know, the other party had set a trap, slowly tightening it until a thunderous strike! Not acting immediately was just to make him lower his guard.

    That was the first mistake!

    The second mistake was that after discovering the encirclement, he didn¡¯t choose to self-destruct immediately, thinking that as an external incarnation, he had nothing to fear and could take a few down with him before dying.

    The rest was history; if not for Hei Huang following, who knows what consequences he might have faced.

    Of course, the reason Xu Hei was so bold was also because the old dog was following behind.

    Making mistakes isn¡¯t scary; everyone makes mistakes.

    It¡¯s precisely these repeated mistakes that have allowed Xu Hei to grow to this point! Although he hasn¡¯t been cultivating for long, he has a strong learning ability and won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.

    "This Qin Kingdom general, Lei He, actually has such means?"

    "If he had this strategy, why didn¡¯t he use it earlier, and only now against me?"

    Xu Hei¡¯s eyes flickered, deep in thought.

    Considering the unfamiliar Core Formation faces that appearedter, Xu Hei strongly suspected that the Qin Kingdom had brought in another wave of reinforcements, with someone strategizing behind the scenes.

    Now, the situation was quite serious.

    He didn¡¯t know what the rules of the inheritance were, but Xu Hei¡¯s side, including Xu Bai, only had three people in total. If having more people was advantageous, he would be at a significant disadvantage.

    At this moment, a spatial fluctuation shed ahead, and Xu Bai¡¯s figure appeared,nding in the sand.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief.

    "This is your magical treasure!"

    Xu Bai tossed over a Soul-absorbing g, which Xu Hei caught.

    When they parted, he had entrusted the Soul-absorbing g to Xu Bai for safekeeping, while his incarnation was armed with talismans. Once his incarnation died, all the talismans would automatically fire.

    And the Soul-absorbing g, if Xu Bai encountered danger, all the snake spirits inside would rush out to self-destruct.

    It seemed she hadn¡¯t encountered any danger.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "And here are your pills!"

    Xu Bai also brought over two bottles of repaired ancient Peiyuan Pills.

    Xu Hei epted them without hesitation, then handed over his own ancient Peiyuan Pills to her for repair.

    This way, each bottle of pills could be utilized to the fullest.

    Of course, he only dared to consume the ones Xu Bai repaired. As for those she refined herself, he¡¯d let Hei Huang test them first.

    Xu Hei swallowed a Peiyuan Pill and began to refine it immediately.

    The purer medicinal power than before swept through Xu Hei¡¯s body, and he could clearly feel his cultivation steadily improving, his meridians filling, and the spiritual foundation within the Demon God Cauldron slowly growing.

    This time, the refinementsted for three days before the medicinal power was fully absorbed.

    "Great! At this rate, the remaining Peiyuan Pills will be enough for half a year, which will definitely allow me to break through to thete Foundation Establishment stage, and perhaps even have some surplus," Xu Hei was overjoyed.

    The unexpected surprise Xu Bai brought filled Xu Hei with hope.

    As long as his cultivation could improve, he would have greater confidence in facing whatever came next.

    However, Xu Hei wouldn¡¯t getcent too soon.

    While he was in seclusion cultivating, others were also in seclusion cultivating; everyone was progressing, Xu Hei just had slightly better resources than others.

    If possible, he would aim for the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Days passed one by one.

    Meanwhile, while Xu Hei was in seclusion.

    Outside, in Wuyou City, the Heavenly Puppet Sect sessfully found thest two ces of inheritance for gold and wood.

    The gold inheritance naturally fell into Bai Luo¡¯s hands, as he was originally of the gold spiritual root, and the Heavenly Puppet Sect came for him.

    The wood inheritance, after a series of internal struggles, was imed by Bai Qiushui of the Bai Family. The Bai Family sent numerous experts to guard it, and even the third-generation Ancestor came out of seclusion, forcing those who sought to seize it to retreat.

    Thus, the five great inheritances were concluded.

    Zhou Wendie, Bai Qiushui, Bai Luo, Xu Hei, Xu Qingfeng.

    The five forces each had their targets, aiming to enhance their strength as much as possible within this precious year.

    In terms of resource abundance, Xu Hei couldn¡¯tpete with the other four, but in terms of resource quality, he was undoubtedly the best.

    Many things couldn¡¯t be bought even in the outside world.

    Day after day, month after month.

    Three monthster, Xu Hei¡¯s spiritual foundation had doubled, his cultivation reaching over fifty percent. He estimated that in another three months, he could attempt a breakthrough.

    This oasis was nearly drained by him.

    Xu Hei delved deep underground, passing through the sandyer, reaching the rockyer, and continued downward. The pressure increased with each step, and he encountered an area of extremely dense magma.

    Further down, there was a membrane.

    "This ce is the boundary of the inheritance space," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Through observation, this inheritance space was roughly spherical, with limits in all directions.

    Xu Hei stopped at the edge of the magma area. The magma here was different from the outside, with pressure so absurdly high that it exceeded his limit.

    He took out the Nine Yang Powder, a body-tempering pill originally meant for application, and swallowed it whole.

 Chapter 227: Late Foundation Establishment stage, rapid progress

    Chapter 227: Late Foundation Establishment stage, rapid progress

    "Crackle!"

    Xu Hei''s skin felt like it was burning, his bones heating up and turning crimson, with wisps of smoke rising from his head.

    This kind of violent pill was meant for body tempering and needed to be diluted in water; no one dared to ingest it directly.

    However, Xu Hei was long ustomed to such levels of pain. Many demonic beasts swallowed spirit medicines whole, unlike humans who were so delicate.

    Under the immense external pressure, Xu Hei''s scales made cracking sounds, oozing blood, while the Nine Yang Powder burned inside. Thebination of internal and external forces pushed Xu Hei''s physical endurance to its limit.

    Extreme body tempering¡ªXu Hei hadn''t done this since achieving Foundation Establishment.

    His currentbat methods relied on magical treasures, spells, puppets, and talismans, rarely engaging in physicalbat.

    But he couldn''t neglect the primalbat techniques of demonic beasts.

    Some methods he might not use, but he couldn''t be without them!After enduring for an hour, Xu Hei felt he was nearing his limit.

    "I''m about to reach my limit."

    Xu Hei steeled himself, took out a star-shaped leaf, consumed a corner, and abundant spiritual power surged through his body, healing his injuries at a visible rate. This thousand-year-old spirit medicine was indeed pure and effective, working instantly.

    In the following days, Xu Hei focused entirely on body tempering, using the star-shaped leaf to aid in healing.

    Such extravagant methods could only be carried out by Xu Hei.

    The earth-element Spiritual Qi underground was even denser, and as Xu Hei tempered his body, his cultivation level steadily rose.

    A monthter, the star-shaped leaf was consumed entirely.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    A new section of dragon bone had formed at Xu Hei''s tail. Now, without the need for healing medicine, his body''s natural recovery could withstand the burning of the Nine Yang Powder.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time flew by.

    By the end of the seventh month, Xu Hei''s cultivation finally reached a bottleneck, achieving Great Perfection of the mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

    The dragon bone had extended by three sections, reaching the middle of his body.

    During this period, he consumed a hundred Major Essence Nurturing Pills, five thousand-year-old spirit medicines, and a significant portion of other ancient pills, reaching an extreme level of extravagance.

    On this day.

    Xu Hei arrived at the center of the inheritance space, nted formation gs nearby, and set up a Gathering Spirit Array, one of the basic nine arrays, enhancing the already dense earth-element Spiritual Qi to a new level.

    Ji Ying was nearby, panting as he consumed a corpse pill.

    The butcher was also brought out by Xu Hei, sitting cross-legged to the side.

    Along with the Soul-absorbing g and ck Dragon Pagoda, which Xu Hei ced nearby.

    "Breakthrough!"

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, took out a Major Essence Nurturing Pill with ten times the potency, and swallowed it whole.

    "Boom!!"

    The Demon God Cauldron spun rapidly, and the Major Essence Nurturing Pill was quickly absorbed and refined, transforming into a surging True Qi that rushed into Xu Hei''s meridians. This wave of Spiritual Qi was unprecedentedly intense, like a tsunami, wave after wave.

    In the past, Xu Hei would have spat blood, his skin cracking.

    But his tempered physical body easily withstood the impact of the Spiritual Qi, causing only slight pain.

    "Hmm, I can still endure more!"

    Xu Hei estimated in his heart, took out several more Major Essence Nurturing Pills, and consumed them until he finished an entire bottle, finally feeling he had reached his limit.

    At this moment, his body swelled, bing like a balloon, reminiscent of when he first broke through to the mid-stage.

    He had heard of some prodigies who could establish their foundation at fifteen and form a core before thirty. Bai Luo, not even twenty, had already reached Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to form a core at any time.

    He wondered if his talent couldpare to these people.

    His current resources were beyond what Bai Luo could enjoy.

    Xu Hei took out a three-thousand-year-old spirit medicine, a piece of earth spirit ginseng, and directly consumed a root.

    As the root entered his body, Xu Hei''s body swelled again, then slowlypressed, with the True Qi in the Demon God Cauldronpressing in sync.

    The Spiritual Qi in the inheritance space surged like a storm, flowing into Xu Hei''s body, while Ji Ying and the butcher also rapidly grew in the Spiritual Qi.

    This breakthroughsted a week.

    Xu Hei''s spiritual foundation became threefold; previously, his True Qi was a trickle, now it was a vast river, iparable to before.

    Late Foundation Establishment stage!

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, his powerful aura dispersing the dust, his bones crackling, and ck True Qi like swimming dragons coursing inside and outside his body, his gaze shing with thunder, exuding immense pressure.

    Even the dragon bone extended beyond half his body, spreading towards his upper abdomen.

    "Late Foundation Establishment stage, I wonder how much my strength has improvedpared to half a year ago."

    Xu Hei moved around, flickering back and forth, with the sound of wind and thunder, lightning shing, even the air exploding, leaving countless afterimages.

    Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, his speed was about twice as fast as before.

    He then tried activating the ck Dragon Pagoda, finding he could use it twice consecutively with ease.

    Next, he performed some earth-element spells, easily casting both Falling Stars and the third-tier spell Mountain Severing Abyss.

    Although Xu Hei was still at Foundation Establishment, in every aspect, he had the qualifications topete with the Core Formation Stage.

    Third-tier spells, third-tier magical treasures, and third-tier talismans could all be used effortlessly, the amplification from perfect Foundation Establishment manifesting vividly at this moment.

    Moreover, Xu Hei hadn''t reached his limit and could continue to improve.

    The butcher had already condensed corpse pills, more than one, with seven or eight in his dantian, and new ones continuously forming.

    Ji Ying began to molt, seemingly undergoing a transformation.

    Xu Hei took out the blood-killing flying swords seized from Zhou Qing, a total of nine. With his current cultivation, he still couldn''t control the blood-killing sword formation, but refining one flying sword was possible.

    Additionally, Zhou Qing had left some spell jade slips, which he could study in his spare time.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time flew by, the sun and moon sped by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed.

    In the Water Inheritance space, deep underground.

    At the center of the ten-thousand-year ice, a woman who had been in seclusion for a long time slowly opened her eyes.

    The moment she opened her eyes, invisible ripples spread from them.

    At this moment, one of her eyes was golden, burning with mes. The other was azure, with snowkes falling, an icy world.

    "Ice Soul Demon Eyes! Haha, truly a person of great fortune, losing a Scarlet me Demon Eye but gaining an Ice Soul Demon Eye, this woman''s fortune is extraordinary!"

    Tianji Shangren smiled brightly.

    A child of destiny would never be defeated by a minor setback but would use it to rise stronger!

    In the Water Inheritance, at the center of extreme cold, there was a Heart of Ancestral Ice, which she used to awaken a new eye.

    In the Five Elements Inheritance, each inheritance had a ce of fortune, waiting to be discovered.

    And it wasn''t just a ce for secluded cultivation.

    These opportunities were hidden deeply, almost impossible to find without great fortune.

 Chapter 228: The great earth and Breath Soil, where humans and nature are one

    Chapter 228: The great earth and Breath Soil, where humans and nature are one

    Zhou Wendie stood up, emerging from the thickyer of ice, her figure ethereal, like a person in a mirror.

    "Is it time?"

    Zhou Wendie''s voice remained indifferent, just likest year, but her eyes now brimmed with strong confidence.

    Now, losing one Scarlet me Demon Eye was not a bad thing, but rather a good one. If not for this, she wouldn''t have developed the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes.

    "There''s onest day."

    Zhou Qingxuan looked at the sky, a cold smile appearing on his face. The day of the Zhou Family''s rise is now.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ce of Earth Inheritance.

    On thest day, Xu Hei was still tempering his body in the deepest part of the underground magma.Currently, his cultivation was not yet perfect, but it was close. The dragon bone had reached seventy percent and had stopped growing.

    It seemed to have reached a bottleneck.

    Xu Hei wasn''t surprised by this. The further one progresses, the less effective conventional cultivation bes, requiring insight!

    Just like thest piece of dragon scale, it needed a chance toprehend! It couldn''t be forced!

    "It''s time to leave. It''s a pity that I can''t take this blue magma with me."

    Xu Hei sighed inwardly.

    At this moment, where he was, the magma was no longer red but blue.

    The blue area was small, but the temperature and pressure had reached astonishing levels. No one at the Foundation Establishment Stage couldst a second, and even those at the Core Formation Stage needed to sustain a true essence shield to withstand it.

    This was the deepest center of the inheritance space, where the pressure was greatest.

    Xu Hei had only barely reached this ce a month ago. After entering this blue magma, his strength grew at a terrifying speed, and even his Earth Spiritual Roots began to change.

    No one knew how much time had passed.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei closed his eyes.

    His heart and pulse beat slowly, and with each beat, the entire blue magma pulsated.

    This ripple of movement spread through Xu Hei, through the magma, through the rockyers, through the desert...

    The range of the ripple grewrger andrger until it epassed the entire inheritance space.

    At this moment, Xu Hei seemed to enter a state of unity with heaven and earth. He didn''t need to extend his Divine Sense to sense everything within the inheritance space.

    Xu Bai was merging with a cactus, controlling it to walk.

    Hei Huang was making straw hats, crafting two identical ones.

    The butcher''s body was emitting over a dozen corpse pills.

    Ji Ying was staring at the butcher''s head, drooling.

    Xu Hei didn''t extend his Divine Sense, and his Divine Sense couldn''t possibly cover such arge range, but he could clearly see every detail.

    "What is happening to me?"

    A question arose in Xu Hei''s heart.

    At this moment, he had a feeling that he could influence any part of the space, any point, with just a casual move!

    This feeling had never urred before, as if he was connected to thisnd.

    On this final day before leaving, Xu Hei entered a mysterious state.

    However, this feeling came quickly and left just as fast. In an instant, Xu Hei withdrew from the mystery, and his consciousness returned to himself from the entirend.

    "Hmm?"

    Suddenly, Hei Huang seemed to sense something and disappeared from his spot in an instant.

    The next moment, he appeared right in front of Xu Hei, first ncing at him in surprise, then turning his gaze to the mass of blue magma, his eyes nearly popping out.

    "This is... Breath Soil!"

    Hei Huang took a deep breath, his eyes burning with excitement, licking his lips.

    Seeing Hei Huang''s greedy look, Xu Hei knew it must be something extraordinary and quickly asked, "What is Breath Soil?"

    "It''s this blue magma. It can continuously provide earth-element Spiritual Qi. The Spiritual Qi of this entire space is provided by this Breath Soil, known as the source of spiritual veins."

    Hei Huang didn''t hold back, exining enthusiastically, "Additionally, this thing can help youprehend the realm of unity between earth and man, which was your state just now."

    "Unity between earth and man?"

    Xu Hei pondered.

    Hei Huang didn''t waste any more words and immediately took action, scratching with his dog paws, carving strange ripples like formation patterns.

    Breath Soil couldn''t be taken away by conventional means; what was taken would be waste material. It had to be done with formations, and it had to be an immortal pattern-level formation.

    Immortal patterns, even for Hei Huang, could only be partially arranged.

    "Hehe, with this corner of an immortal pattern, not to mention Breath Soil, even stars can be plucked down."

    Hei Huang finished his preparations and reached out to the front.

    Immediately, a chunk of blue magma was gone.

    And in Hei Huang''s dog paw, there was a small piece of blue stone, solid in form, no longer liquid.

    Then, Hei Huang continued to pluck, grabbing five or six thumb-sized pieces of Breath Soil.

    Suddenly, the space began to tremble, showing signs of instability, and Hei Huang quickly stopped, not daring to continue.

    "Damn it! That bastard City Lord even set a Restriction, afraid someone would steal it, how stingy!" Hei Huang cursed.

    "So, you n to sneak backter and take it all for yourself?" Xu Hei sneered.

    "Hey! Am I that kind of person? Don''t look down on me with snake eyes!" Hei Huang retorted.

    You''re a dog... Xu Hei thought to himself.

    However, seeing Hei Huang''s anxious look, it seemed he really couldn''t pluck any more.

    Afterward, Hei Huang gave Xu Hei three pieces of Breath Soil, splitting it fifty-fifty, since this ce was discovered by Xu Hei first.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    "Once I reach Core Formation, I''ll take all this Breath Soil without leaving a drop! At most half a year, I''ll definitelye back!" Hei Huang said indignantly.

    Just then, a familiar and powerful voice came from outside.

    "The time hase, all inheritors, exit immediately!"

    It was the voice of the City Lord of Wuyou.

    With the arrival of the voice, everyone in the five ces of inheritance exited their closed-door cultivation state.

    Xu Hei also immediately emerged from the underground,ing to the surface, looking at the phantom in the sky.

    Hei Huang handed over two identical straw hats.

    These were Zhou Qing''s straw hats, somehow duplicated by Hei Huang.

    "These hats are for you. They can block Divine Sense. Although we are demonic beasts, we still need to act like normal people to avoid being targeted."

    Hei Huang put on a straw hat, donned a cloak, and wore a long knife at his waist, walking upright, transforming into a dwarf-like human form.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment, then took out the butcher, put on heavy armor, wore the straw hat, and entered the butcher''s body.

    Xu Bai took out a pill and swallowed it, her body immediately transforming into a woman, hiding her figure with the straw hat.

    "You..." Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    Hei Huang was also stunned.

    We went to such lengths to hide, and you just transformed into a human?

    Xu Bai covered her face andughed, "This is a Transformation Pill. It can only transform into a human for a short time, just a little trick. Not only a human, but any form can be transformed."

    If it were just a trick, it would be easily seen through, but with the straw hat blocking Divine Sense, it naturally couldn''t be detected.

    "It can be done like this!" Xu Hei was astonished.

    At this moment, the phantom in the sky waved a hand, and an irresistible spatial fluctuation acted on their bodies, taking them away from this space.

    The scenery before their eyes changed rapidly, stars shifting.

    Momentster, they arrived at a massive pentagonal za.

    They were positioned in the east, with the ground beneath them engraved with the symbol of earth.

    In the other five-element positions, familiar figures appeared one after another.

 Chapter 229: Vicious dogs harm people, hitting cattle across the mountain

    Chapter 229: Vicious dogs harm people, hitting cattle across the mountain

    The neighboring metal team consisted of six people, the most luxurious on paper, each one a prominent figure with a well-known name.

    Lei He, the strongestbat power, unparalleled in killing.

    Li Si, strategist of the Qin Kingdom, skilled in the art of talisman formations.

    Liu Chengfeng, the top alchemist of the Four Sects.

    Yin Mingzi, Grand Elder of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Li Yuanhao, the number one body cultivator in the Qin Kingdom, with an invincible physical body.

    And the most talented Bai Luo.

    This team could be described as the most luxurious lineup. They could withstand and fight, with skills covering all angles, ready to face any uing challenges with ease.

    The wood team from the Bai Family was second only to the metal team, consisting of the best-selected talents from within the Bai Family, each with their strengths, also numbering six.Inparison, the water team from the Myriad Treasure Pavilion seemed a bit bleak.

    Zhou Wendie, Zhou Qingxuan, along with Tianji Shangren, and three rogue cultivators temporarily recruited.

    Although also six people, they were far behind the first two. If Zhou Qing were still around, it wouldn''t be so bleak.

    The fire team from the Chu Tian Alliance was even more unbearable.

    At least the Myriad Treasure Pavilion had members at the Core Formation Stage, while they only had Xu Qingfeng and Zhang Tie at Core Formation, and it was unclear if the others had broken through.

    As for thest one, the earth team led by Xu Hei.

    Uh... better not mention it.

    Three figures wearing bamboo hats, one tall and burly like a mountain, one slender like a woman, and one short like a dwarf.

    These three people,pared to the powerful lineups around them, werepletely out of ce,cking any momentum.

    Or rather, they had no presence at all.

    "Is this the bunch that obtained the earth inheritance?"

    Many people had this thought in their minds.

    The metal team was right next to them, and everyone looked over.

    Liu Chengfeng''s gaze swept over the dwarf cultivator, and suddenly his pupils shrank, pointing at Hei Huang, "That''s right! It''s him, he''s that evil dog!"

    "This height, it must be him! Did he think wearing a bamboo hat would make me not recognize him?"

    Liu Chengfeng''s eyes were venomous, wishing he could eat his flesh and gnaw his bones.

    It was this dog that caused him to fall to this point. His brothers were gone, his Daopanion was body-snatched, all because of this dog!

    Even more hateful, the Thirteenth Ancestor kept saying Shen Qingzhu had an affair with Jiang Lang, spreading rumors. Although no one believed the madman''s words, it still caused some gossip.

    As a man, this was intolerable.

    "Oh? Even a turtle can speak, how rare!"

    Hei Huang hadn''t expected to be recognized as soon as he appeared and immediately retorted sarcastically.

    Hearing the word "turtle," Liu Chengfeng was instantly furious.

    "You dog, today I''ll personally ughter you and stew ck dog meat!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Liu Chengfeng drew a flying sword, pointed it forward, and stabbed towards Hei Huang.

    However, midway, the flying sword hit an invisible wall, shattering instantly into flying ash.

    Only then did everyone realize that there was a wall between each team, separating them.

    "Tsk tsk tsk! With this level, you want to make a move? Let me show you how it''s done! Woof!"

    Hei Huang sneered, lunging forward, biting into the void with his dog teeth.

    Originally, everyone was just watching for entertainment, but then a crisp sound of bones breaking echoed, shocking everyone.

    Immediately after, a scream like a pig being ughtered rang out.

    "Ahhh!!!"

    Liu Chengfeng clutched his crotch, fell to the ground, his body curling up like a shrimp, his thigh bitten off, blood flowing everywhere.

    "What?"

    Everyone was horrified.

    This old dog could actually hit someone through the void?

    Clearly biting into the void, yet injuring someone from a distance! And no one sensed any spell fluctuations!

    "This is..." Xu Hei''s pupils shrank.

    Just now, he sensed a familiar feeling, that was the unity between earth and man.

    "Little Xu, did you see clearly? That''s the use of Breath Soil. Just one grain can put you in a state of unity between earth and man, hitting someone through the void," Hei Huang proudly transmitted.

    "So, you just consumed a piece of Breath Soil to bite off that guy''s leg?" Xu Hei said speechlessly.

    "Don''t worry, I can go back to that ce and get them all out, there''s no end to it," Hei Huang sneered.

    At this moment, in the metal team, everyone looked at the painfully howling Liu Chengfeng with somewhat unsightly expressions.

    Their team had the most luxurious lineup, exuding pressure as soon as they appeared.

    But in one encounter, they suffered a silent loss, bitten by a dog.

    Lei He''s face was gloomy. Whether Liu Chengfeng was injured didn''t matter, but losing face for their team was intolerable.

    "Courting death!"

    Lei He pointed forward, ripples shed in the void, but when they reached the wall, the ripples dissipated instantly.

    Then, he tried various methods,unching a series of attacks on Hei Huang.

    But without exception, as long as the spells reached that wall, they would dissipate immediately, no matter the attack, it couldn''t harm Hei Huang.

    "Woof!"

    Hei Huang bit again, and with a "crack," Liu Chengfeng''s other leg broke, emitting a shrill wail, rolling on the ground in pain.

    Seeing this, Li Si immediately set up a formation to protect Liu Chengfeng.

    "Next time I''ll dye the hat green and send you one," Hei Huang taunted.

    Liu Chengfeng was so angry his face turned ck.

    Seeing the attacks were ineffective, Li Si stepped forward, intending to use verbal attacks: "This dog fellow, if you have the ability, let''s have a direct confrontation, why resort to sneak attacks, that''s the act of a petty person!"

    "Who are you calling a dog!"

    Hei Huang immediately shouted.

    Li Si squinted his eyes, "Am I not speaking the truth?"

    "Crack!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Li Si felt a sharp pain in his leg.

    "Buzz buzz buzz..."

    The talismans on his leg activated one after another, but they had no defensive effect, as if the attack could prate all defenses, directly affecting the physical body.

    "Ugh!" Li Si''s leg also broke, his body bending down, clenching his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead.

    He tried to stand up with his true essence, but found he couldn''t muster any strength, which shocked him even more. What powerful dog teeth, no wonder Liu Chengfeng, a Core Formation cultivator, was rolling on the ground in pain.

    "Spit! People can''t spit out ivory, you''re the dog, your whole family is dogs!" Hei Huang cursed.

    He also cared about his face, and in front of so many people, it was time to establish his image, how could he be called such?

    In the past, it was whatever, but now, he wanted to make a name for himself.

    "I, Hei Huang, do not change my name or surname, remember it!"

    Hei Huang introduced himself proudly.

    "Behind me is Xu the Butcher, he has the broadest heart, can amodate anyone, wee all fated ones to join him."

    Hei Huang pointed to Xu Hei behind him.

    "Damn it, just draw the hatred to yourself, don''t drag me into it!" Xu Hei cursed, taking a few steps back.

    He was such a low-key snake, hated attracting attention, yet Hei Huang loved to show off,pletely opposite to him.

    The hateful thing was, he showed off, but also dragged him along.

    "What are you afraid of, since we''re going to be targeted, might as well make it more intense!"

    Hei Huangughed slyly, that annoying look, making people want to punch him.

 Chapter 230: Analyze the Formation, Disaster of Bloodlight

    Chapter 230: Analyze the Formation, Disaster of Bloodlight

    Xu Hei was speechless. This old dog exposed himself right from the start, dragging him along with it. What was the point of disguising now?

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect''s team was gnashing their teeth in hatred, while the others secretly took pleasure in their misfortune.

    Whether openly or in secret, everyone hoped others would start fighting, preferably to the death, so there would be fewerpetitors.

    Hei Huang didn''t make any more cutting remarks. The Breath Soil had been used too much, and others were now on guard, making it hard tounch a surprise attack.

    Only by catching them off guard could they be truly defenseless.

    "Don''t panic. Let him be arrogant for a while. There will be plenty of chances to kill himter!" Lei He said coldly.

    Bai Luo''s expression was calm, like an ancient well without ripples, and he even felt likeughing inside.

    In the space of the Gold Inheritance, he had obtained a great opportunity that others would never have imagined. This ce of inheritance was not just about cultivation.

    "These short-sighted fools only know how to fight over pride. In the end, the only winner will be me!" Bai Luo sneered.He wasn''t the only one with such thoughts.

    "Others are just support. Only being strong yourself is the hard truth."

    Zhou Wendie nced over the luxurious lineup behind Bai Luo, a look of disdain shing in her eyes.

    "This person is not to be provoked. I must hide myself well and not let anyone know I''ve obtained great fortune."

    Bai Qiushui''s eyes flickered as he decided to keep a low profile. He had no advantage against any side and could only bide his time.

    "Do your best and leave the rest to fate."

    Xu Qingfeng sighed inwardly, not caring about the final ranking. It was enough that their Chu Tian Alliance hade this far and gained such opportunities.

    "What should we do next? Why hasn''t the City Lord of Wuyou appeared yet?"

    Xu Hei stared at the center of the square.

    As he pondered, he saw the familiar phantom of a middle-aged schr appear in the middle of the giant pentagonal square.

    Mo Wuyou looked the same as before, just a bit older, with white hair and beard, and deep eyes. Even though it was just a phantom, it felt as if a real person was present, exerting an invisible pressure.

    Everyone''s expressions turned serious, and they looked on with respect, bowing towards the front.

    "In thest round of the Five Elements Inheritance, besides elerating cultivation, I left each of you with a great opportunity. I wonder if any of you have gained anything," Mo Wuyou said with a smile.

    Everyone remained silent, while secretly observing others to gauge their reactions.

    Bai Qiushui feigned surprise, looking bewildered, pretending to know nothing.

    Bai Luo stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining a calm demeanor, though a trace of arrogance shed in his eyes.

    Zhou Wendie''s brows furrowed, seemingly not wanting Mo Wuyou to reveal anything.

    "No matter what you have gained or how much, I will treat you all equally."

    "The next round is the much-anticipated duel of skills!"

    Mo Wuyou waved his hand, and a ring-like light circle appeared in the center of the square.

    Within the circle, the environments of the five ces of inheritance appeared.

    "A duel of skills?"

    Everyone''s eyes lit up, their minds racing with various thoughts. Some faces darkened, while others were overjoyed.

    Especially the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s team, whose eyes shone brightly, with Bai Luo''s smile almost visible on his face.

    When it came to a duel of skills, their team was practically invincible! In terms of cultivation strength, they were top-tier across the board.

    Just sending Lei He out would secure an unbeatable position. Why even fight? The opponents might as well surrender.

    "However, the duel of skills I''m referring to is not in the narrow sense, but epasses various aspects. It can be alchemy, talisman crafting,prehension, debate, or even a game of chess. All can be a duel of skills."

    "In my Wuyou City, cultivation is just the threshold and cannot decide everything!"

    Mo Wuyou said slowly.

    "Just as expected."

    Xu Qingfeng''s eyes brightened, as if he had anticipated this.

    If it were just a contest of strength, no one would be a match for the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Upon hearing this, Bai Luo and the others remained calm. Regardless of the aspect of the contest, they were top-notch and feared no opponent.

    Lei He cupped his fists and asked, "Senior, what are the specific rules?"

    "The rules are based on a points system."

    "Next is the first round, formation analysis!"

    As Mo Wuyou spoke, he waved his hand, and a massive formation was revealed within the light circle.

    Everyone immediately focused their attention.

    The formation looked like a killing formation, yet not quite, as if it was abination of multiple formations, extremelyplex and difficult to discern at a nce.

    Xu Hei observed for a few seconds, and his pupils shrank.

    "This formation is... such a coincidence?"

    Xu Hei was shocked internally. This formation was very familiar to him; it was the nine-square grid killing formation from the second level inside the pyramid!

    However, the formation before himbined nine formations, increasing the difficulty by more than tenfold.

    Mo Wuyou said, "This formation is called the Nine-Square Grid Killing Formation, which I obtained during my travels in the Western regions. You are required to perfectly decipher this formation without using brute force, within three days."

    "The first to decipher it will be awarded three points; the second, one point; the third, zero points."

    "Those beyond the third ce, or those who fail to analyze it, will lose one point."N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Each of your five teams starts with ten points. You have the time of a stick of incense to consider and decide whether to participate!"

    As Mo Wuyou''s words spread, everyone fell into contemtion.

    The five teams began discussing strategies internally.

    "Formation? Leave it to me, Li Si. First ce is in the bag."

    Li Si''s eyes were filled with strong confidence.

    "My only rival is that old man Tianji. He seems to have some real skills, but I have more than a seventy percent chance." Li Si looked towards the Zhou Family''s team in the distance.

    The Chu Tian Alliance also deliberated on who to send out and finally made a decision.

    The Bai Family discussed for a long time and decided to forgo participation. They weren''t confident of securing the top two spots, and taking thest three would be meaningless, even resulting in point deductions.

    Hei Huang stared at the formation for a moment and muttered, "This formation seemsplex, but it''s not simple at all."

    "What are you even saying?" Xu Hei was baffled.

    "Would you really need me, the emperor, to handle such a low-level thing? You can manage it yourself, right?" Hei Huangughed.

    At this moment, Liu Chengfeng from the neighboring team was staring intently at him, as if ready to retaliate the moment Hei Huang made a move.

    Xu Hei also noticed this and said, "Alright, I''ll do it!"

    Finally, the participants were confirmed.

    Mo Wuyou waved his hand, extracting four figures and sending them into the light circle in the center.

    They were Xu Hei, Li Si, Tianji Shangren, and... Zhao Wenzhuo.

    Three men and a snake, each facing a formation, and the timer began.

    Li Si only observed for a few seconds before starting to decipher it. He cast one spell after another into the air, precisely hitting the correct spots. Although the speed was slow, it was effective.

    The firstyer of the formation was being deciphered.

    "So fast! We''ve got this in the bag!" Lei Heughed.

    Xu Hei also saw the structure of the formation but didn''t rush to act, pretending to be deep in thought.

    Tianji Shangren only nced at it and already had the answer in his mind, sneering inwardly before beginning his actions.

    But just then.

    Suddenly, a cold voice emerged from the side.

    "Old Taoist, I see your forehead is dark, and yourplexion is dull. You are in for a bloody disaster today!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo held a tortoiseshell, looking at him calmly, murmuring.

    Tianji Shangren paused, turned to look at the tortoiseshell in Zhao Wenzhuo''s hand, and squinted his eyes, frowning, "Are you talking to me?"

    "Yes, you! You''re in for a bloody disaster!"

    Zhao Wenzhuo emphasized, continuing.

    Tianji Shangren had never heard such words in his life. After being stunned for a moment, he felt a nameless anger rising within him.

    Then, he calcted with his fingers, a slight smile on his lips, and sneered, "Kid, you''re young and already learning to tell fortunes. I, the poor Taoist, foresee a bloody disaster for you. Do you believe it?"

    "No! It''s you who will face a bloody disaster!" Zhao Wenzhuo replied.

    "You will!"

    "You will!"

    The two began arguing back and forth,pletely setting aside the formation analysis.

 Chapter 231: Mutual attack, causal transformation

    Chapter 231: Mutual attack, causal transformation

    Tianji Shangren was amused to the point ofughter; it was the first time he encountered someone trying to tell his fortune, and it was a mere child at that.

    The thing he avoided most in his life was having his fate calcted. He never did it himself and would never let others do it. This little brat had sessfully piqued his interest.

    "Heh, what a fool," Li Si sneered inwardly as he observed the scene.

    He was well aware that Zhao Wenzhuo was a pawn they had ced within the Chu Tian Alliance, their number one pawn.

    This young man, given his age, couldn''t possibly have any profound understanding of formations. Whether he could even unravel a formation was questionable. Zhao Wenzhuo''s sole purpose in participating was to mess with their minds, to first eliminate Tianji Shangren, their rival, so he could easily im the top spot.

    Seeing through the opponent''s n, Li Si felt reassured. With one lesspetitor, the first ce was within easy reach.

    As for Xu the Butcher, he naturally ignored him, thinking, "A snake, what does he know about formations?"

    Tianji Shangren stared at Zhao Wenzhuo for a long time before slowly saying, "I see water and fire shing in you, a fate marked by disaster. I fear you were born into misfortune, bringing bad luck to anyone around you!"

    These words hit Zhao Wenzhuo''s sore spot.His eyes narrowed, but he maintained a cool tone, "You harbor fire in your fate, hiding malicious intent. Anyone you fixate on is bound to suffer great misfortune!"

    Upon hearing this, Tianji Shangren''s eyes narrowed to slits, but soon he sneered, "Young man, some words shouldn''t be spoken carelessly."

    "Why are they arguing?" Xu Hei was taken aback.

    The two kept cursing each other, exposing each other''s weaknesses, seemingly intent on mutual destruction. Were they both suffering from some sort of ailment?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In the blink of an eye, Li Si was about to unravel the firstyer.

    Tianji Shangren smirked, pulling out a paper figure, and with a flick of his finger, he began inscribing lines into it.

    "You can eat recklessly, but you can''t speak recklessly. Today, I''ll teach you a lesson!"

    As Tianji Shangren inscribed, the paper figure became lifelike, gradually transforming into the likeness of a young man, bearing some resemnce to Zhao Wenzhuo.

    Zhao Wenzhuo''s eyes flickered, and he cupped his hands toward Mo Wuyou, "Senior, may I ask if we can make a move here?"

    "You are only allowed to act on the formations, not attack each other," Mo Wuyou replied calmly.

    Zhao Wenzhuo nodded, forming hand seals toward the formation, but it seemed more like he was adding something rather than analyzing it.

    "Trying to make a move against me, truly reckless!" Tianji Shangren almostughed out loud, his hands moving even faster, as the paper figure grew hair and bones, bing increasingly lifelike.

    Xu Hei was about to start analyzing when he suddenly paused.

    "No attacking each other?"

    Xu Hei frowned.

    Would Zhao Wenzhuo''s words count as verbal attacks? Was Tianji Shangren''s paper figure also a form of attack?

    Mo Wuyou, if he truly wanted to prevent interference, could have locked them in separate rooms. Why let them sit face to face in the open?

    It was clear he tacitly allowed them to attack each other!

    Xu Hei realized this btedly. Originally nning to immediately analyze the formation, he hesitated.

    If he could see this, had the other three also noticed?

    Was Li Si, who seemed to be unraveling the formation, also up to something behind the scenes?

    The only thing not to worry about was external interference; this ce was isted from the outside, and any changes would ur internally.

    "I''ve long memorized these nine formations. It''s not enough to merge them; I must thoroughly understand them first."

    Xu Hei didn''t act immediately but instead sent his Divine Sense into the formation, studying every detail meticulously.

    It''s like analyzing a lock; you can open it, but you can''t understand its mechanism.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was studying the mechanism.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Time ticked by.

    Unknowingly, most of the first day had passed.

    Li Si had already unraveled six formations, but the difficulty of thest three increased exponentially, ten times harder than before, and the time spent was iparable.

    An ice thunder killing formation alone took as much time as all the previous onesbined toplete.

    After finishing the paper figure, Tianji Shangren put it away, muttering incantations under his breath, the purpose unknown.

    Zhao Wenzhuo sat cross-legged before the formation, his formation different from before, but the difference was indiscernible.

    Xu Hei sat motionless with his eyes closed, like a piece of wood.

    "One in a daze, two attacking each other, like a child''s y, ridiculous," Li Si scoffed, having initially thought he needed to guard against Xu Hei, but it seemed unnecessary.

    At this moment, Xu Hei opened his eyes, a gleam shing through them.

    Just now, he hadpletely understood the merging of the nine formations, able to see through any detail with his eyes closed.

    If he were to analyze now, he could unravel the formation in no time, easily iming first ce.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t n to do that; he wanted to see what tricks the other three were up to.

    He strongly suspected that the key to this round wasn''t in unraveling the formation at all.

    He didn''t know Mo Wuyou''s intentions, but it certainly wasn''t something as superficial as solving a formation.

    "What is Mo Wuyou thinking?" Xu Hei looked at the unmoving silhouette.

    "Fire Poison Killing Formation,plete..." As Xu Hei pondered, Li Si unraveled another formation, leaving only the final one.

    This was the mostplex Five Elements Killing Formation.

    From the progress, he was far ahead of the others, with first ce almost guaranteed.

    Xu Hei couldn''t wait any longer; he didn''t know how long it would take the opponent to unravel the final formation. What if it went wrong?

    "No, I must start now. If Li Si is holding back and suddenly speeds up, catching me off guard, it would be troublesome!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Such suspicion wasn''t unfounded; Li Si had clearly slowed down intentionally toward the end.

    As soon as thest formation began to be analyzed, it elerated, indicating prior rehearsal.

    Xu Hei immediately approached the formation, intending to unravel it as quickly as possible.

    And just then.

    Zhao Wenzhuo suddenly pointed at the formation, releasing a burst of me toward Tianji Shangren''s face, a fiery array from within the formation.

    "Foolish!" Tianji Shangren sneered, seemingly prepared, waving his sleeve to reveal a Bagua pattern that dissipated the me.

    Then, Zhao Wenzhuo continued to activate the formation,unching all attacks toward Tianji Shangren.

    Tianji Shangren casually waved his sleeve, easily neutralizing these simple attacks.

    "Is this all you have to cause me harm? Not enough!" Tianji Shangren sneered, taking out thepleted paper figure and pointing at it.

    Li Si looked over curiously.

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed as he saw the paper figure''s appearance change, initially resembling Zhao Wenzhuo, but suddenly twisting into Li Si''s likeness.

    "Not good!" Li Si''s face changed drastically.

    "Karma Transfer!"

    Tianji Shangren pointed at the paper figure, which quickly burned to ashes, an invisible karma linking the two formations.

    Attacking the person was forbidden, but attacking the formation wasn''t.

    The formation in front of Li Si, just one step frompletion, was instantly swapped and transferred to Tianji Shangren.

    Meanwhile, Tianji Shangren''s new formation was transferred to Li Si.

    The two had swapped!

    Tianji Shangren had directly stolen thepleted solution from his opponent.

    Did you think he was doing nothing before, just wasting time arguing? How naive andughable.

 Chapter 232: Heaven and hell, a reversal of extremes

    Chapter 232: Heaven and hell, a reversal of extremes

    The sudden reversal left Xu Hei utterly astonished.

    "Good thing I didn''t rush to break the formation. If it had been stolen from me, all my efforts would have been in vain."

    Xu Hei was relieved that he had kept hisposure.

    Meanwhile, the situation on Zhao Wenzhuo''s side was also bing clear.

    He had just added a brand new formation on top of the nine formations¡ªa phantom formation!

    This formation could create various illusions to confuse opponents. His earlier attacks on Tianji Shangren were all fake!

    Tianji Shangren saw through those illusory attacks at a nce but still assumed a defensive posture, merely to mislead others and conceal his true intentions.

    In the end, he seeded.

    He stole Li Si''s achievements, jumping straight to the first ce!At the same time, Zhao Wenzhuo''s real progress was revealed¡ªhe was also deciphering the final formation, almost on par with Tianji Shangren.

    He had been deciphering formations all along, just hidden by the phantom formation, making everyone mistakenly believe he was standing still.

    The entire venue was in an uproar.

    "Zhao Wenzhuo''s talent in formations is terrifying; he''s already at thest formation! Even more terrifying, he knows how to hide it!"

    "This guy is no simple character; everyone in the Chu Tian Alliance is a freak!"

    "We''ve all been yed!"

    The audience outside could see the situation within the light circle, and their eyes were about to pop out.

    The Bai Family members were very d they hadn''t gotten involved. Damn, these people were all devious tricksters; if they had sent someone in, they would have been at the bottom for sure!

    This was no longer just a test of formation skills; it was also a test of cunning.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect instantly fell from heaven to hell, dropping from first ce tost, tied with Xu Hei.

    "What the hell!"

    "Isn''t Zhao Wenzhuo one of us?"

    Voices of confusion erupted within the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Bai Luo was puzzled, while Lei He remained silent.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and calmed himself.

    Those two guys had been arguing all along; he thought it was just a petty squabble, but he had underestimated them.

    Now, things were getting interesting.

    "The battle has just begun!"

    Xu Hei controlled the butcher, his hands moving frantically, casting spells into the formation at a speed that created afterimages.

    In one breath, the first formation was broken!

    In two breaths, the second formation was broken!

    The third formation was broken!

    Initially, only Xu Hei''s hands were moving, but soon, multiple arms appeared, casting spells simultaneously, countless afterimages in motion.

    To speed up, Xu Hei applied the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to his arms.

    Others couldn''t keep up with their brains; Xu Hei simply couldn''t keep up with his hands.

    Li Si intended to catch up, having spent the whole day deciphering formations. With his previous experience, he shouldn''t have been inst ce.

    At the very least, he could hold his ground and avoid losing points.

    But when he saw Xu Hei''s actions next to him, he was dumbfounded.

    "How is this possible?!"

    What did Li Si see?

    In just the blink of an eye, Xu Hei had already reached thest three challenging formations.

    And he had just started, at least ten times slower.

    He had deciphered them once before, so he should have been much more proficient. How could Xu Hei, who was doing it for the first time, be so terrifying?

    "Impossible, this is impossible! How could I be at the bottom?"

    Li Si panicked, losing his usual calm demeanor.

    As the strategist of the Qin Kingdom, undefeated in war, this was the first time he had been so stumped.

    He had been outsmarted by those two devious tricksters and the snake beside him; they were all pretending, every single one of them!

    Each one was more extraordinary than thest, yet each one was better at pretending. And he, the honest person, was just obediently deciphering formations?

    At this moment, the outside world was once again in an uproar, even more shocking than what Zhao Wenzhuo had brought.

    Everyone doubted their eyes.

    Xu the Butcher, with dozens of arms simultaneously breaking formations, what a joke? He was just a snake, a snake! Only now did they realize Xu Hei had been severely underestimated.

    "The seventh formation, the eighth formation!"

    In the blink of an eye, these extremelyplex two formations were also effortlessly broken by Xu Hei.

    Now, he arrived at the final formation, the Five Elements Killing Formation.

    Xu Hei, Zhao Wenzhuo, and Tianji Shangren stood on the same starting line.

    The original first ce, Li Si, had turned into aughingstock, as ridiculous as could be.

    "Hehe, things are getting interesting," Mo Wuyou chuckled.

    Li Si''s eyes flickered, stopping his actions, a trace of malice shing in his eyes.

    In the final formation, the three were incredibly fast, but upon closerparison, they found Xu Hei was more than ten times faster than them.

    "Hmm?"

    Tianji Shangren squinted his eyes, unconsciously speeding up.

    Zhao Wenzhuo''s face darkened, also speeding up, abandoning any tricks; now, it was all about raw strength.

    Xu Hei remained unhurried, and in the blink of an eye, he had deciphered over ny percent, just one step away.

    "The oue is decided."

    Mo Wuyou had already made his calctions.

    Li Si stared at the formation before him, a fierce glint in his eyes, about to make a move when he suddenly felt a cold gaze.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He withdrew his hand involuntarily.

    Momentster¡ª

    "Sess!"

    The formation in front of Xu Hei waspletely deciphered, vanishing instantly.

    Immediately after, Zhao Wenzhuo and Tianji Shangren almost simultaneouslypleted their deciphering, not a second apart.

    Li Si, unwilling as he was, had to ept being at the bottom and chose to give up.

    "Alright! The first round is over. The Earth Team takes first ce, earning three points, now with thirteen points."

    "The Water Team and Fire Team tie for second, each earning one point, now with eleven points."

    "The Metal Team is fourth, losing one point, now with nine points."

    Mo Wuyou waved his hand, and the four turned into rainbows, automatically flying back to their team locations.

    Li Si returned to his spot, and no one med him. Bai Luo consoled him, "A temporary setback is no big deal; the road ahead is long."

    Li Si took a deep breath, nodded, and regained his usual calm demeanor.

    "Indeed, we have the advantage."

    Li Si thought of his arrangements, regaining his confidence, though his fists clenched tightly, eyes filled with killing intent.

    When Tianji Shangren returned, the Zhou Family weed him with the utmost enthusiasm.

    Tianji Shangren, however, was not in the mood, waving them off, "Second ce, the biggest loser, nothing worth celebrating."

    But the Zhou Family didn''t see it that way.

    Their only opponent was the Heavenly Puppet Sect; as long as they pulled them down, it was a sess.

    As for the teamposed of those three beasts, they didn''t even consider them a threat, believing they would be surpassed sooner orter.

    Tianji Shangren sat cross-legged, his gaze fixed on Xu Hei in the distance, eyes heavy, muttering, "That snake must have seen the Nine Pces Formation before, otherwise, he couldn''t be this fast! Waiting for me to steal before making a move, perfectly avoiding it, his luck is extraordinary!"

    He nced at Zhou Wendie, muttering, "I hope I didn''t choose wrong."

    Xu Hei felt a chill in his heart, sensing the gaze from afar.

    Xu Hei''s mind raced, thinking to himself, "I drew too much attention just now; I''ll be targeted. I need to control my score."

 Chapter 233: Abandon the sword, harvest fallen iron

    Chapter 233: Abandon the sword, harvest fallen iron

    At thest moment, Xu Hei surpassed everyone in just a few breaths and took first ce, causing quite a stir.

    With a total of five teams, if one team pulls ahead, they are sure to be targeted by the others.

    "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Xu Hei has never liked being in the spotlight; he''d rather settle for a middle ranking."

    "Heh, what kind of nonsense is this, trying to be a strategist? With skills like that, you might as well put a dog''s head on your face and be a dog-headed strategist," Hei Huang couldn''t resist mocking the neighboring team.

    Li Si was fuming, but remembering the opponent''s sharp teeth and the dull ache in his thigh, he knew he couldn''t gain any advantage. He snorted coldly and ignored them.

    "Say what you will, but once this is over, none of you will escape!" Li Si''s eyes were venomous.

    Lei He and Bai Luo seemed confident, not at all worried about the unfavorable start.

    "The second round, sword forging!"

    Mo Wuyouid out a pile of oddly shaped metal materials on the ground.Everyone quickly gathered to look.

    The pile consisted of irregrly shaped stones, entirely pitch ck with a hint of deep purple, twinkling with starlight, as if infused with some strange energy.

    "Is this meteorite iron from beyond the heavens?"

    Hei Huang''s eyes narrowed with greed.

    "Exin," Xu Hei asked.

    "Heavenly meteorite iron, as the name suggests, is stone that falls from the sky. The materials are bizarre, but all contain the power of the stars. If refined properly, even trash can be treasure. The key lies in that trace of star power."

    Hei Huang rubbed his paws together, looking somewhat excited.

    Mo Wuyou''s voice spread out: "Forge a sword! Within the limited seven days, use these materials to forge a flying sword. The ranking will be based on the quality of the sword, following the same rules as the first round."

    "You have the time of a stick of incense to prepare."

    Immediately, all the teams gathered to discuss their next steps.

    Xu Hei frowned and asked, "Are you going to participate in this round?"

    "Aren''t you trying to control the score? If I participate, there won''t be any suspense," Hei Huang replied.

    Xu Hei was taken aback. It was surprising that Hei Huang would support him in controlling the score.

    Wasn''t this old dog usually very high-profile?

    "Wait, if you do this..."

    Hei Huang crawled over and whispered something to Xu Hei, leaving him dumbfounded.

    After a stick of incense, each team had chosen their participant.

    With a wave of Mo Wuyou''s hand, everyone was drawn into the circle of light.

    This time, all five teams chose to participate.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect sent their strongest, Lei He, while the Bai Family sent their top sword cultivator, Bai Que.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The Myriad Treasure Pavilion brought out Han Te, a master swordsmith with flying swords all over his body.

    "Pay me more, you must pay me more!" Han Te had nned to bezy, but ended up having to take the stage himself, which made him very unhappy, feeling like he had lost hundreds of thousands.

    The Chu Tian Alliance sent Zhang Tie, and Xu Hei represented his own side.

    In the center of the five participantsy arge pile of irregr heavenly meteorite iron. They looked simr in appearance, but the materials were surely different.

    This was also a test of one''s discernment!

    Stones falling from the sky couldn''t all be the same; the materials could vary greatly. The onlymonality was that they all contained star power.

    "Choose the right material and forge the strongest sword. Remember, each person can only choose one piece, and once chosen, there''s no going back."

    "In this round, interference with others is prohibited. Vitors will be expelled!" Mo Wuyou announced.

    Everyone understood.

    While interference was prohibited, there were no barriers between them. In essence, it was still up to each person''s ability to maneuver within the rules.

    The four of them focused ahead, their divine senses scanning each piece of meteorite iron, hesitant to decide. Since they could only take one piece and couldn''t change their minds, they had to choose carefully.

    But if they took too long, someone else might snatch the piece they wanted.

    Zhang Tie only observed for a few breaths before stepping forward to grab a millstone-sized piece of meteorite iron.

    Then, one by one, others went up to choose their desired materials.

    Xu Hei approached thergest piece of meteorite iron, which stood five meters tall, like a massive meteorite. The butcher''s arms wrapped around the giant stone, trying to lift it, but couldn''t move it.

    He controlled the butcher, using all his strength and even channeling ck True Qi, barely managing to lift it.

    "What is he thinking?"

    Zhang Tie didn''t quite understand.

    Taking such arge piece, how long would it take to refine? The time limit was only a week!

    Moreover, the quality of the flying sword wasn''t solely dependent on the material''s value; it had to suit the user.

    Lei He showed a disdainful expression; no tricks would work in this round.

    "So heavy! With this weight, it must contain top-grade materials!" Xu Hei was thrilled and directly stored the meteorite iron in his storage bag.

    Then he said to Mo Wuyou, "I forfeit."

    "What?"

    The crowd was in an uproar.

    Even the confident Lei He was stunned, clearly not expecting this development.

    A brief silence fell over the surroundings.

    "Forfeit?" Mo Wuyou looked at him for a while and asked, "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, I forfeit. I''m no match for these people; I just wanted to grab a piece of material and leave," Xu Hei answered honestly.

    This left everyone speechless.

    No wonder Xu Hei chose thergest piece; he nned to grab it and run, not aiming for any ranking.

    You have to admit, this move was quite practical. No one would have thought of this, as only a weirdo like Xu Hei would think of controlling the score, while others didn''t have this awareness at all.

    "Alright, the Earth Team loses one point, leaving twelve."

    With a wave of Mo Wuyou''s hand, Xu Hei was directly sent flying out, back to the outside of the circle of light.

    Meanwhile, the others sat in their respective positions, calming their minds and observing their materials.

    "Forfeiting is also a wise choice, at least he knows his limits!" Liu Chengfeng sneered inwardly.

    "A team of three demonic beasts winning once is just good luck; losing consistently is more reasonable," Yin Mingzi nodded in agreement.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    "Quick, take it out and let''s see!" Hei Huang said excitedly.

    Xu Hei took out the five-meter-diameter meteorite iron, entirely dark with a purple glow, thergest in size, and almost too heavy for him to move, showing how dense it was.

    Hei Huang sniffed it with his nose, tapped it with his paw, and praised, "If I''m not mistaken, it should contain about ten percent star purple gold, five percent Tianxuan divine sand, twenty percent Orient Loong God rock, fifty percent mysterious steel, and the rest are impurities."

    Xu Hei didn''t understand a word and asked, "Can you speak humannguage?"

    "It''s very valuable!" Hei Huang replied.

    "Got it," Xu Hei nodded.

    By now, the participants in the arena had already begun melting their materials.

    Hei Huang cut open the material, extracting some purple substance, and said, "Little Xu, why not try forging a flying sword for yourself? After all, you''re not doing anything else."

    "Me? Forge a flying sword?"

    Xu Hei was momentarily stunned.

    He had never forged a flying sword before; his previous ivory flying sword was simply carved into shape and used directly.

    He had refined one of Zhou Qing''s blood-kill swords, though.

    "You''re almost at Core Formation; how can you not have your own life-bound flying sword? Give it a try; I''ve prepared all the materials for you," Hei Huang encouraged.

 Chapter 234: In the final round, Xu Bai refines pills

    Chapter 234: In the final round, Xu Bai refines pills

    Xu Hei nodded and immediately began to act.

    Refining a flying sword is not a task that can bepleted in a day or two. A flying sword crafted within seven days would never be of high quality.

    Especially a life-bound flying sword, which requires years of nurturing to achieve extraordinary power.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to hastily forge one just to win a rank.

    In the blink of an eye, seven days passed.

    During this week, a series of events unfolded in the arena. Initially, Lei He and Bai Que engaged in a continuous and widespread sh of sword intents, clearly having a mutual understanding to disrupt others.

    Han Te, to avoid being affected, nned to withdraw, but suddenly heard a voice.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "One point for a hundred thousand? One point for a hundred thousand?"

    Han Te shivered, his eyes glowing red."If I take first ce, wouldn''t I get three hundred thousand spirit stones? Damn it, I''ll fight for it!" Han Te gritted his teeth,bining his flying swords to form a shield, blocking all interference.

    On thest day, the products werepleted.

    Lei He and Bai Que''s flying swords were both impressive, rare treasures.

    Han Te''s flying sword was broad and tall, more like a shield than a sword.

    Zhang Tie, however, crafted a hoe.

    "Master Ku Xuan told me that whenever demonic thoughts arise, I should abandon the intent to kill and forge a sword into a plow. I think that''s the true intention of Wuyou City." Zhang Tie said slowly.

    This statement shocked everyone, making them break into a cold sweat.

    If forging a sword had this meaning, they would surely lose, and even the best flying sword would be meaningless.

    However, it was just a false rm.

    "What I require is sword forging, not readingprehension. Fire Team,st ce!" Mo Wuyou said without hesitation, directly expelling Zhang Tie.

    This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

    "Forging a sword into a plow, the Chu Tian Alliance does have some insight, but not much." Li Si sneered.

    However, thepetition among the remaining three sparked some controversy.

    The flying sword contest was not to be interfered with by cultivation, purelyparing the quality of the flying swords.

    Bai Que''s flying sword was inferior and lost.

    Han Te and Lei He, however, entered an incredible stalemate.

    Han Te''s flying sword had zero offense but full defense, making it impossible for the opponent to break through, and his sword couldn''t break through the opponent either.

    After several rounds of stalemate, neither could do anything to the other.

    "This cunning trickster!"

    Lei He looked livid, his sword-forging skills inferior to a bounty hunter, leaving him humiliated.

    If he could enhance his cultivation, ten Han Tes wouldn''t be enough for him, but in terms of pure flying sword quality, they were evenly matched.

    Han Te also looked grave, secretly worried: "Damn it! To earn this three hundred thousand, I''ve exposed my sword-forging skills. Will someone target me now?"

    "I have no money on me! No opportunities either, don''t look at me!"

    Han Te tightened his storage bag, feeling like ants were crawling all over him under the various tant stares.

    Mo Wuyou said, "You two are tied for first."

    Lei He angrily said, "Flying swords are meant for killing, who uses them like him? This is clearly a turtle shell! Being tied with this guy is a disgrace to us!"

    "Poof!"

    As soon as he finished speaking, Lei He was sted away, spitting blood, making him restrain his murderous aura and dare not act rashly.

    The results were out, two tied for first, both earning three points, Bai Que zero points, Zhang Tie minus one point.

    In this way, Xu Hei sessfully controlled the scores, very sessfully.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s flying sword had barely formed a prototype, far from a finished product, and couldn''t be taken out forpetition.

    Suspended before him was a purple sword embryo, said to be made from the bestponent of star meteorite, preserving theplete power of the stars.

    But when Xu Hei wanted to continue refining, the sword embryo emitted an attraction, making his true self involuntarily merge into it.

    "Strange!"

    Xu Hei quickly stopped his actions, looking at the three-foot-long sword embryo with uncertainty.

    He couldn''t help but think of the ck Dragon Pagoda, making him shiver.

    After a brief contemtion, he put away the sword embryo to studyter.

    "Next is the third round..." Mo Wuyou continued the introduction.

    In the following third and fourth rounds, Mo Wuyou tested talisman and tribtion crossing abilities.

    Xu Hei cedst and second, respectively.

    At the same time, he acquired arge amount of talisman materials.

    As for tribtion crossing, it tested the ability to cope during tribtion, with thunder tribtionsting seven days. Originally, Xu Hei could pass unscathed, but was shocked to find his thunder tribtion was several times stronger than others!

    Upon careful observation, Xu Hei discovered it was caused by Ji Ying during tribtion crossing!

    "Ji Ying is about to form a core!"

    Xu Hei was secretly rmed but dared not make it public.

    While others were testing, he was truly crossing a tribtion, the pressure was imaginable.

    However, if Ji Ying formed a core, it would be a great help to him, bing one of his strongest trump cards. After all, it was a genuine Core Formation stage, and being a Corpse Beetle, it was much stronger than human cultivators.

    Through these tests, Xu Hei''s strength quietly grew.

    Others might be aiming for points ranking, but Xu Hei was purely aiming to be stronger.

    As for the final ranking rewards, Xu Hei no longer cared, whether he got them or not didn''t matter.

    After a series of tests.

    Xu Hei only scored twelve points.

    The Zhou Family ranked first with sixteen points, Heavenly Puppet Sect second with fifteen points, Chu Tian Alliance thirteen points.

    The Bai Family was at the bottom.

    During this time, Xu Hei witnessed the methods of various parties.

    Tianji Shangren repeatedly took action, alwaysing in second, earning him the nickname "eternal second." This seemed to remind him of unpleasant past memories, making his face look grim.

    The only time Chu Tian Alliance won was relying on Xu Qingfeng''s talisman skills, using words to transform into talismans, overwhelming everyone.

    Although Heavenly Puppet Sect won twice, they were still behind the Zhou Family due to losing a point at the start.

    "Next is the final round, pill refining."

    Mo Wuyou said, taking out various ancient spirit medicines, piling them within the light circle.

    "Finally, it''s here."

    Xu Hei took a deep breath, having anticipated this round, as the tests were mostly within the six arts of cultivation.

    "Is it my turn?" Xu Bai was quite excited.

    "Yes, perform as you wish." Xu Hei smiled.

    He was currently at twelve points, ranking fourth, winning or losing didn''t matter, as he couldn''t take first ce anyway.

    The five teams quickly made their decisions.

    The Bai Family and Chu Tian Alliance forfeited, leaving only three participants.

    Liu Chengfeng, Tianji Shangren, and Xu Bai.

    Seeing Xu Hei send out a mysterious woman, everyone was a bit surprised, but didn''t pay much attention, as Xu Hei''s previous actions had minimized his presence.

    He only won the first round by sheer luck, and his subsequent performance was on par with the Bai Family, akin to hidden talents.

    "I''m only one point behind the Zhou Family, as long as I take first, I can surpass them."

    Liu Chengfeng was full of confidence, having prepared thoroughly, determined to surprise everyone.

    The Zhou Family once again sent out Tianji Shangren, who almost always participated, securing a point each time, steady as the old dog.

    "This round, I will pave the way for you, next, it depends on Zhou Wendie herself." Tianji Shangren thought to himself.

 Chapter 235: Creating a pill, triggering the pill thunder

    Chapter 235: Creating a pill, triggering the pill thunder

    The medicinal herbs provided by Mo Wuyou, thoughmon Spirit Medicines, were all at least a thousand years old, making them rare treasures in the market.

    Even an ordinary spiritual herb, after living for a thousand years, would have its Spiritual Qi greatly increased.

    "For this round, the requirement is to refine a Golden Essence Pill for Core Formation cultivators. Only one pill is allowed, and the one with the highest quality wins!" Mo Wuyou announced.

    The Golden Essence Pill is simr in effect to the Foundation Essence Pill,monly consumed by cultivators; the former is for the Core Formation Stage, while thetter is for the Foundation Establishment Stage.

    Any Core Formation cultivator can refine such pills, but the quality is not guaranteed.

    Tianji Shangren moved swiftly, selecting five medicinal herbs and starting the refining process.

    Liu Chengfeng, confident, chose six herbs, took out his pill furnace, and threw in one of the herbs, injecting a cluster of golden mes.

    In an instant, the mes shone as brightly as the sun.

    The moment the golden light appeared, the crowd''s eyes focused, followed by exmations."Is that... the Great Sun Golden me?"

    "Indeed, it''s the legendary Great Sun Golden me, said to be born from absorbing the essence of the sun!"

    "Using this me to refine pills allows them to absorb the essence of the sun and moon, enhancing their quality by a tier!"

    Many sharp-eyed individuals recognized the origin of the me, gasping in astonishment. Such a legendary me appeared with Liu Chengfeng.

    Liu Chengfeng merely smirked coldly.

    This me was the great fortune of the ce of inheritance for the metal element, the Great Sun Golden me. However, it was not theplete form, just a wisp of the me, which he had borrowed from Bai Luo.

    He had anticipated the pill refining segment in this assessment and had prepared in advance for this moment!

    With the half-tier enhancement from the Great Sun Golden me, the Golden Essence Pill he refined could be called the Great Golden Essence Pill, enough to outshine all others. Unless it was a fourth-grade pill, nothing could surpass it.

    "The great fortune of the metal element''s inheritance,parable to the Ice Soul Demon Eyes, these people are not simple!" Tianji Shangren thought with a calm expression, secretly amused.

    He could see that Bai Luo also possessed great fortune, but still slightly less than Zhou Wendie.

    At this moment, Xu Bai had also selected her medicinal herbs, only three, and they were extremely rare, ones many had never seen before.

    "Why is that?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Xu Qingfeng, observing the scene, couldn''t help but frown.

    The herbs for refining the Golden Essence Pill were well-established, based on the experience of predecessors.

    It''s not that other herbs couldn''t work, but this was the optimal solution.

    Using otherbinations would result in either low-quality pills or failed ones, with almost no exceptions.

    Xu Bai took out a small emerald green cauldron, ced the three herbs inside, and a wisp of green me enveloped the herbs.

    It seemed ordinary, just for show, and the crowd quickly lost interest after a nce.

    Xu Hei, on the other hand, watched with great interest, as he had never seen Xu Bai refine pills before; this was his first time.

    Time slowly passed.

    In the blink of an eye, two days went by. The refining of third-grade pills always took a long time, especially when pursuing quality and perfection.

    However, with the aid of the Great Sun Golden me, Liu Chengfeng''s pill had already taken shape, entering the final Condensing Elixir stage.

    With the support of the exotic me, even the speed was remarkably fast.

    Liu Chengfeng remained vignt, having learned from previous lessons, constantly guarding against Tianji Shangren''s "pill-stealing" tactics. However, Tianji Shangren hadn''t used such tricks since the first round.

    "The oue is set, just wait for the good news," Liu Chengfeng thought to himself.

    Tianji Shangren felt a sudden unease, taking out a row of Talismans.

    At that moment, the weather changed dramatically!

    Above everyone''s heads, dense clouds suddenly gathered,yering the sky.

    They grew denser andrger.

    Within them, a rumbling sound emerged, like the roar of a thunder god, with purple lightning coalescing inside, brewing a terrifying thunderous might.

    Tianji Shangren''s pupils contracted in shock, "Is this... Pill Thunder?"

    "Pill Thunder?!"

    Liu Chengfeng''s face changed drastically.

    Most of the people present were confused.

    Only a few elder cultivators had heard of Pill Thunder, their expressions turning to shock, their hearts stirring with immense waves.

    Cultivators have thunder tribtions, Demonic Beasts have thunder tribtions, and pills also have thunder tribtions!

    However, Pill Thunder is extremely rare, requiring two conditions to be met.

    The first condition is that the pill exceeds third grade, meaning above the Core Formation Stage.

    The second condition is that such a pill has never been created before.

    This is the first time this pill has appeared, triggering Pill Thunder.

    In ancient times, Pill Thunder wasmon, with great cultivators often creating new pills, forming their own schools, and triggering countless Pill Thunders, causing a sensation.

    But as time passed, such conditions no longer existed, and it was rare to see brilliant alchemists creating entirely new pills.

    Nowadays, people mostly follow the paths of their predecessors, using their pills, never attempting to innovate.

    "What kind of pill is this to trigger Pill Thunder?"

    Tianji Shangren was genuinely shocked, not pretending.

    You can''t just create any third-grade pill and expect to trigger Pill Thunder; the pill must have certain value, recognized by the heavens and earth!

    It''s akin to a cultivator forming a core, defying the heavens, triggering a thunder tribtion.

    "Not good, retreat quickly!"

    Liu Chengfeng''s face changed dramatically as a thunderbolt as thick as a barrel suddenly descended from the clouds above, striking Xu Bai''s pill.

    "Boom!!!"

    Lightning scattered, exploding with a deafening roar, shaking the heavens and earth, even causing the Void to tremble. Liu Chengfeng, next to it, was caught in the st, sent flying.

    "Crack!!"

    Liu Chengfeng spat blood and staggered back, his pill furnace also thrown aside, barely avoiding being overturned with his desperate control.

    Tianji Shangren, moreposed, retreated in time, protecting his pill from the lightning.

    When a cultivator crosses a tribtion, having other cultivators nearby will also attract the heavenly tribtion.

    The same principle applies to pill tribtions; if there are other pills nearby, they will also attract lightning.

    Tianji Shangren watched Xu Bai, bathed in Pill Thunder, with a flicker in his eyes. A female puppet appeared in his sleeve, but after a moment of hesitation, he shook his head and put it away.

    Liu Chengfeng, protecting his pill, retreated to the farthest point.

    At this moment, his Great Golden Essence Pill was full of cracks, nearly destroyed by the earlier st.

    "It''s over, it''s all over!" Liu Chengfeng''s face was as grim as if he had eaten something foul.

    Not only him, but everyone from the Heavenly Puppet Sect was stunned, their faces ashen.

    "How could this happen?" Bai Luo couldn''t believe it.

    This was the final round, the one they were sure they could turn the tables with.

    They had prepared long in advance, even bringing out the great fortune of the metal element''s inheritance, the Great Sun Golden me, to overturn the situation in the pill refining segment.

    In fact, ording to their n, overtaking the score and seizing first ce was a sure thing!

    But then, a heaven-defying pill triggered Pill Thunder.

    Is there anyparison left?

    "Everyone, don''t panic. Triggering Pill Thunder only indicates that the pill is innovative; it doesn''t mean its quality surpasses the Great Golden Essence Pill," Li Si said calmly.

    Creating a never-before-seen pill and triggering Pill Thunder is indeed a rare feat.

    But can that pill, in terms of quality, surpass the Great Golden Essence Pill? That''s a quasi-fourth-grade pill; unless it''s a true fourth-grade pill, there''s no chance.

    Hearing Li Si''s words, the crowd came to their senses, finding his reasoning sound.

 Chapter 236: Final competition, transformation of divine laws

    Chapter 236: Finalpetition, transformation of divinews

    "Boom!"

    Pill Thunder struck continuously,nding right where Xu Bai was.

    Xu Hei asked worriedly, "Is Pill Thunder rare?"

    "It''s quitemon, nothing to fuss about. They just haven''t seen much of the world, don''t follow their example," Hei Huang replied.

    Xu Hei nodded.

    At this moment, the Pill Thunder kept striking the green cauldron, tempering the Golden Essence Pill within the lightning, emitting a golden glow, no longer resembling a typical Golden Essence Pill.

    The two people nearby stopped their pill refining, intending to wait until the storm passed.

    "So this is how Xu Bai refines pills," Xu Hei mused.

    Just then, Xu Bai grabbed the green cauldron from a distance, suddenly stood up, and walked towards the center area.As she moved, the Pill Thunder followed, striking wherever she went.

    "What is she doing?" Liu Chengfeng''s face changed drastically.

    The closer Xu Bai got to the center, the closer she was to them.

    At that moment, the Pill Thunder struck again, splitting a bolt that headed straight for Liu Chengfeng.

    "What!!"

    Liu Chengfeng screamed, using his physical body to block the Pill Thunder to prevent his pill from shattering.

    "Ugh!"

    Liu Chengfeng spat out blood, severely injured once more.

    The lightning fell again, splitting and striking towards the two people nearby.

    "Damn it!"

    Tianji Shangren felt his scalp tingle; this was the power of heaven and earth, not something human strength could withstand, and he could only avoid its sharpness.

    Xu Hei then realized that Xu Bai was doing it on purpose.

    "Damn, Xu Bai is crafty too! Who did she learn this from?" Xu Hei was stunned.

    Before long, Xu Bai stood in the center, and with the Pill Thunder descending there, no matter where the other two hid, as long as they didn''t leave, they would keep getting struck by lightning.

    This heavenly thunder tribtion was a tempering for her pill but a destruction for others.

    Tianji Shangren calcted with his fingers and saw a Pill Thunder strike down, turning his pill into ashes.

    Looking at the scene before him, Tianji Shangren''s face turned as ck as coal.

    "I give up!"

    He was very decisive, leaving the circle immediately and returning to the Zhou Family''s position.

    Zhou Wendie nced at him, puzzled.

    "No worries, it''s not over yet," Tianji Shangren said.

    Not long after, Liu Chengfeng couldn''t hold on either, and his pill shattered all over the ground.

    Failing in pill refining resulted in a deduction of one point, regardless of your rank. Liu Chengfeng could only give up, prepared to be scolded.

    The Pill Thundersted a whole day before it ended.

    Xu Bai''s green cauldron didn''t have a single crack, and the pill was perfectly preserved.

    There was no need for evaluation; even if it was a trash pill, the other two had failed, so naturally, she won first ce.

    Despite this, Mo Wuyou still evaluated it and said, "A Golden Essence Pill, yet not quite like one. What is the effect of this pill?"

    He couldn''t discern the pill''s purpose and had to ask Xu Bai.

    "It enhances cultivation, but it''s meant for special demonic beasts," Xu Bai answered truthfully.

    "Special demonic beasts..."

    Mo Wuyou didn''t pursue further, nodded slightly, and announced the result.

    Xu Hei''s score shot up to fifteen points, tying with the Zhou Family for first ce.

    Heavenly Puppet Sect had fourteen points, and Chu Tian Alliance had thirteen.

    The Bai Family kept losing, their single-digit score negligible.

    No one expected the final round to end up like this, with Xu Hei jumping from fourth to a tie for first, leaving the Zhou Family in an awkward position.

    Tianji Shangren calcted again and said, "Don''t panic, the main event is yet toe."

    A tie for first wouldn''t just be left as is.

    There could only be one true inheritor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "All rounds have ended, but due to a tie, there will be an extra round," Mo Wuyou said, his gaze sweeping over the Zhou Family and Xu Hei''s direction. "Both sides will engage in a duel, rules of your choice."

    "No need to choose, a life-and-death battle, no holds barred, until one side falls!" Zhou Qingxuan stepped forward, his eyes filled with killing intent. "What do you think?"

    Xu Hei frowned, about to refuse, but Hei Huang shouted, "Sure! Who''s afraid? Let your Zhou whatever her name is fight our Xu the Butcher. Loser kneels and kowtows!"

    Zhou Qingxuan''s face darkened; he had nned to fight himself. With his mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, wouldn''t he be able to handle it easily?

    "I agree."

    Zhou Wendie stood up, her eyes swirling with a mix of ice and fire, burning slowly in her pupils.

    After a year, facing Xu Hei again, there was no fear in her eyes, only confidence, the confidence of being an unparalleled arrogance.

    Tianji Shangren''s eyes lit up; this was the moment he had been waiting for.

    Zhou Wendie and Xu Hei would determine the first ce.

    But Bai Luo of the Heavenly Puppet Sect didn''t show much anxiety, standing with his hands behind his back, quietly observing.

    ...

    Outside the ancient relic.

    In the capital of the Qin Kingdom, within the imperial city.

    A golden token flew over from the horizon, shrouded in a divine aura, like a flying dragon, exuding a terrifying pressure akin to a Superior Immortal''s arrival.

    Qin Xuanji appeared immediately, respectfully catching the token in his hand.

    At this moment, a phantom figure appeared on the token, its features indistinct, only two eyes shining brightly.

    "With this decree, eliminate Mo Wuyou!"

    The phantom figure spoke only one sentence, apanied by a majestyparable to the Divine Transformation Stage, enveloping the sky.

    Qin Xuanji''s expression remained unchanged as he bowed respectfully, "As youmand!"

    "The Demon Lord deceives the heavens and cultivates in secret; someone will handle him. You just follow orders."

    "Within a month, I want results!"

    The phantom figure returned to the token, which Qin Xuanji held in his hand.

    At this moment, even Qin Xuanji''s arm trembled slightly. Despite his usually unshakable demeanor, he couldn''t suppress his emotions, trembling with excitement.

    This was his opportunity, the greatest opportunity of his life!

    He had bet correctly!

    "Contact the Divine Puppet Sect. Nine deaths and one life, who would have thought, not only did you survive, but the Divine Puppet Sect also responded."

    A white-bearded elder appeared beside him, one of their Elemental Infant ancestors, known as Ancestor Xingtian.

    "They are very concerned about the third-generation ancestor, urging me to eliminate him quickly. There must be a big secret involved; I''m just going with the flow," Qin Xuanji said.

    The Divine Puppet Sect, to this day, remained one of the top sects on the cultivation star, with a Divine Transformation Stage expert overseeing it. For their small Heavenly Puppet Sect, without a major event, disturbing them would be courting death.

    Qin Xuanji had risked his life on this gamble.

    "No wonder the third-generation ancestor harbors such hatred for the Divine Puppet Sect, even forbidding entry into the Wu Mountain area. It''s a blood feud to the death!" Ancestor Xingtian sighed.

    Qin Xuanji wasted no more words and immediately gathered all the elites of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    "Everyone, move out immediately, surround Wu Mountain, and don''t let even a mosquito escape!"

    "Yes!"

    The deafening response echoed throughout the imperial city and beyond.

    No one knew how many disciples and elders the Heavenly Puppet Sect had, only that their puppet army was invincible, breaking through all obstacles, the most terrifying force in the world.

    Wherever they pointed, even if it was a demonic beast''s territory, they could carve out a path.

    That day, dense clouds gathered in the sky, setting out from the Qin Kingdom, drifting towards Wu Mountain in the Chu Kingdom, the vast and boundless army of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    [The second volume is wrapping up, the relic is about to end, entering the third volume.]

 Chapter 237: Battle for the Top, the Strongest Chosen

    Chapter 237: Battle for the Top, the Strongest Chosen

    Mo Wuyou gazed into the horizon, seemingly sensing something in the void. After a moment, he let out a sigh.

    "What is meant toe will eventuallye. Time is running out."

    He looked at the participants and produced arge piece of intricately patterned jade, which he tossed out. The jade piecesnded in front of the five teams.

    In front of Xu Qingfeng were thirteen jade pieces.

    Bai Luo received fourteen jade pieces.

    Bai Qiushui got eight.

    Xu Hei and Zhou Wendie each received sixteen.

    Upon closer inspection, the number of jade pieces matched their remaining points.

    "These are mechanism jades. With them, you can open the mechanism boxes found within the relic," Mo Wuyou exined.Everyone was taken aback.

    They had indeed found many mechanism boxes within the relic, but no one had been able to open them, despite trying countless methods.

    Who would have thought they needed these mechanism jades to unlock them!

    Everyone who came to the ancient relic had acquired some mechanism boxes, even rogue cultivators might have found one or two. Now, with a way to open them, the boxes'' value became apparent.

    Xu Hei, however, was stunned.

    If the mechanism jade opened the boxes, then what was the purpose of his key?

    The key he obtained from the old ape could open mechanism boxes and the Earth Path...

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he considered various possibilities.

    "Could it be a universal key?"

    His breath quickened slightly.

    Of course, this was just a guess and needed verification. If it truly was a universal key that could open anything, that would be interesting.

    But now was not the time to think about such things.

    With a wave of Mo Wuyou''s hand, Xu Hei and Zhou Wendie''s figures flew into the center of the light circle.

    The circle''s area suddenly expanded, transforming into a battle tform that stretched infinitely, expanding to a width of a thousand miles¡ªthis was their battlefield.

    Xu Hei remained hidden within the butcher''s body, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and armor. Zhou Wendie stood opposite him, d in a purple robe, her face as cold as frost.

    Their physiques formed a stark contrast.

    Outside the circle, all eyes were on them.

    "The winner between you two will receive my final inheritance," Mo Wuyou''s voice echoed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Xu Hei asked, "May I ask, senior, what exactly is your inheritance?"

    "I cannot tell you yet," Mo Wuyou shook his head.

    Xu Hei sighed helplessly.

    He hated exposing his strength in front of others. He preferred to keep a low profile, avoiding attention and enmity.

    Despite controlling his points throughout thepetition, it still came down to a one-on-one battle.

    Perhaps this was fate!

    There was no retreat in this fight.

    Yet Xu Hei had a vague feeling that his point control was not meaningless; it had at least influenced some people''s judgments.

    "I''m surprised to face you instead of Bai Luo in the end!"

    Zhou Wendie''s voice was calm, a stark contrast to her previous hasty retreat in the Blood Corpse Cave. Now, her eyes were filled with absolute confidence.

    Last time, she had not fully recovered from her injuries, her eyes had been taken, and her strength greatly diminished.

    This time, she would not repeat her mistakes!

    Although she was wary of Xu Hei''s method of killing Zhou Qing, she could tell Zhou Qing was not defeated head-on but fell to some underhanded trick.

    She could not afford to be careless.

    Xu Hei''s expression grew serious.

    His opponent was at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage, ready to form a core at any moment, and he was not far behind. In terms of cultivation, he had no disadvantage. Due to his perfect Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei even had an overwhelming advantage.

    The only potential variables were magical treasures and hidden trump cards.

    In any case, he could not be careless.

    Xu Hei and this woman had a deep-seated enmity. She had repeatedly plotted to have him killed and even summoned an ancestor. Who knew if there would be a next time? If given the chance, Xu Hei would not hesitate to eliminate her.

    "Whoosh!"

    Zhou Wendie vanished from her spot, a pair of butterfly wings appearing behind her, moving so fast that afterimages formed.

    "So fast!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes narrowed as he too disappeared, leaving behind an afterimage.

    As they crossed paths, a crisp metallic sound echoed in the void, and a de mark appeared on the butcher''s arm, though it was unclear what had caused it.

    "Whoosh!"

    Zhou Wendie charged again, her speed rivaling that of an average Core Formation cultivator, even faster than the butcher''s Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique.

    Xu Hei extended countless arms, reaching for Zhou Wendie, but she sidestepped and shed past, slicing off one of the butcher''s arms.

    "This is one of the Zhou Family''s Four Divine Techniques, the Startling Swan Step!"

    Someone outside recognized Zhou Wendie''s footwork and eximed in astonishment.

    "This is a spell only Core Formation ancestors can learn. When did she master it?"

    "Did you see the wings on her back? That''s also a third-tier magical treasure, the Illusory Butterfly Wings!"

    "The Startling Swan Stepbined with the Illusory Butterfly Wings makes her speedparable to the Core Formation Stage."

    The crowd marveled.

    They all knew the two were merely testing each other, but even in this probing, Xu Hei was at a disadvantage.

    No wonder she was one of the top Chosen in the Qin Kingdom, capable of fighting across realms!

    In fact, Zhou Wendie had already sparred in secret with three rogue cultivators her family had recruited.

    Three early-stage Core Formation cultivators. Among them, Cang Ming had fought her for a hundred moves without using trump cards, ending in a draw.

    The blue-d woman surrendered after two hundred moves.

    Han Te was defeated in just three moves, though there was suspicion of him holding back. But still, he was a Core Formation cultivator using true essence, yet he was no match for Zhou Wendie.

    It was clear that Zhou Wendie''s strength could already rival an early-stage Core Formation cultivator.

    "Whoosh!"

    Zhou Wendie charged again. Xu Hei could discern her position, but the butcher''srge size made dodging difficult, leaving him a sitting duck.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly, and as she approached, he sank his energy into his dantian and let out a mighty roar: "Roar!!"

    Dragon n''s ultimate technique, Dragon Shatter Roar!

    However, he only used twenty percent of his power before stopping, not wanting to reveal too much.

    Yet even with just twenty percent, Zhou Wendie''s movement halted, causing a brief stiffness. Xu Hei quickly formed a hand seal and shouted, "Earth Rock Spike!"

    Countless rocks in the void formed spikes and shot toward Zhou Wendie''s figure, piercing through her in an instant.

    However, Zhou Wendie''s figure vanished; what was pierced was merely an afterimage.

    "So it was a feint."

    Xu Hei''s expression remained unchanged as he struck the void beside him, sending three ivory flying swords stabbing into arge umbre, spinning and bouncing off.

    Xu Hei realized immediately that this woman had too many defensive magical treasures, protecting not only her physical body but also her divine sense.

    Even soundwave spells couldn''t catch her off guard.

    Of course, Xu Hei had only used twenty percent of his power in the Dragon Shatter Roar, so it was normal not to break through her defenses.

    "Whoosh!"

    Zhou Wendie retreated a thousand feet away, covering herself with her wings and vanishing from sight.

    At this moment, she withdrew to a corner, her expression heavy.

    "This person is incredibly strong. I''ve already used fifty percent of my cultivation and the Startling Swan Step, yet I can''t do anything to him. Even getting close is extremely difficult."

    Zhou Wendie swallowed a pill to maintain her optimal state.

    At this rate, even if she used all her cultivation, without employing her Ice and Fire Dual Pupils, victory would be hard to achieve.

    Because she could tell her opponent was also hiding his strength, though she didn''t know how much.

    "I''ll use the Four Divine Techniques to force out his true self."

    Zhou Wendie made up her mind.

    The Zhou Family''s Four Divine Techniques were well-known in the Qin Kingdom.

    Speed technique, Startling Swan Step. Palm technique, Void Shattering Palm.

    de technique, Invisible Sword. Eye technique, Void Piercing Eye.

    Each technique was a decisive killer move in the Core Formation Stage.

    Just as Zhou Wendie was formting her n, she saw a shadow appear before her.

 Chapter 238: The butcher exits the stage, the true self reveals

    Chapter 238: The butcher exits the stage, the true self reveals

    "Whoosh!"

    This time, Xu Hei took the initiative to attack. Countless fists, infused with overwhelming corpse Qi, roared out with earth-shattering force, creating turbulent waves of energy. The sheer number of fists blocked all of Zhou Wendie''s escape routes.

    Above Zhou Wendie''s head, that umbre appeared once more.

    The fists struck it, but it was as if they hit a slippery eel, the force dispersing everywhere, sliding off in all directions, unable to concentrate.

    Umbre-type magical treasures, he had seen Liu Chengfeng use them before, were very effective at dispersing force, the nemesis of all brute strength.

    "What a strange umbre! If I were to attack in person, would the result be the same?"

    Xu Hei calcted inwardly, suddenly feeling a prickling sensation on his back, quickly dodging to the side.

    In the next moment, numerous fine cuts appeared on his arm, and two more arms were severed.

    It was that invisible sword again!One of the Four Divine Techniques of the Zhou Family, de Absolute, Invisible Sword.

    Xu Hei had suffered from this invisible sword before. After creating some distance, he pressed his palm to the ground.

    "Mountain Severing Abyss!"

    This was the first time Xu Hei used a third-tier spell after reaching the peak of Foundation Establishment. Mountains rose from the ground, connecting into a chain, forming a serpent-like mountain range, with its head raised, charging towards Zhou Wendie.

    This serpent-like mountain range, in terms of area, was simr to the one Xu Hei had previously summoned with the help of the Mountain-moving Patriarch, but its hardness was several times greater!

    The serpent''s head was like it was forged from metal, exuding a sense of immense weight. It was unclear what material the battle tform was made of.

    "Boom..."

    The mountain serpent crashed down, causing Zhou Wendie''s treasure umbre to tremble violently,yers of invisible ripples spreading out. Zhou Wendie''s face turned pale, and she had to increase her cultivation, raising it to over eighty percent.

    Under Xu Hei''s relentless assault, she found it difficult to withstand.

    "Even with my perfect Foundation Establishment, am I really thiscking in True Qi? Could he have already reached Core Formation?"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes were heavy, already considering Xu Hei as an opponent of a higher level, engaging in a cross-level battle.

    "Spurt!"

    She spat out a mouthful of blood, a streak of purple light appearing beneath her feet, her speed increasing several times, instantly escaping the range of the mountain serpent''s impact. Then, her figure vanished.

    "You like to hide, huh? Let''s see where you can hide!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei caused the butcher''s body to suddenly split into multiple figures, identical, faceless, with only limbs and heads.

    Passersby A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.

    Each passerby was covered in various offensive talismans, ranging from the peak of the second tier to the third tier. Xu Hei had collected a basketful of these talismans, using them freely.

    "Go!"

    With a point of his finger, these passerby corpse puppets flew out, appearing at any possible location Zhou Wendie might move to, stopping and self-destructing.

    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

    The talismans on their bodies shot out in all directions, exploding at various locations. For a moment, the battle tform was filled with continuous explosions, the entire world shaking, violent True Qi scattering everywhere.

    Wind des, fireballs, thunder, whirlpools, countless talisman spells erupted, sweeping across all areas, a full-scale bombardment with no blind spots, leaving Zhou Wendie nowhere to hide.

    The crowd outside was all shocked by this scene.

    Xu Hei''s methods were truly astonishing, simultaneously activating so many talismans. Even someone at the Core Formation Stage would suffer greatly.

    "Bai Luo, what do you think of these two?" Lei He asked.

    Bai Luo, dressed in white, stood with his hands behind his back, a gentle demeanor, calmly said, "Rare Chosen ones,parable to Bai Qiushui."

    Bai Qiushui was of his uncle''s generation, but his talent had always been overshadowed by Bai Luo. When the Bai Family chose someone to go to the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they chose the younger, more outstanding Bai Luo.

    Thus, while it seemed like he was praising them, the implication was clear¡ªthey were not as good as him.

    "Hehe, it seems you''ve made quite some progress this year," Lei Heughed.

    "If it were a year ago, with my cultivation severely damaged, I really wouldn''t be their match," Bai Luo calmly admitted.

    Bai Luo had received a good education from a young age, with a gentle and refined temperament, rarely losing his temper. The only time he lost hisposure was when he was trapped in that pyramid.

    But after a year of honing, he had regained that confidence andposed demeanor.

    Yet the pride in his bones was undeniable.

    He was the first, the strongest Chosen.

    As the top genius of the number one sect, the Heavenly Puppet Sect, this was his pride.

    These two were still fighting to the death for Mo Wuyou''s inheritance, unaware that everything here would eventually belong to the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    Third in points, so what?

    He hadn''t even stepped onto the stage once, not because of hisck of strength, but because his team was too weak. If he wanted, he could be the rule maker at any time, not even bothering to take first ce. Only the weak are bound by rules.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The fierce bombardment in the arenasted for several breaths before it ended. Xu Hei scanned the area, only to see a turtle-shell-like light shield curled up in a corner.

    The light shield was covered in cracks, Zhou Wendie''s body was pitch ck, hair disheveled, her aura chaotic, even her eyes appeared unfocused.

    But Xu Hei wouldn''t believe any of her disys. Even if she was dead, he would grind her to ashes, only believing she was dead once the ashes were scattered.

    "Go!"

    With a point of his finger, three flying swords shot out again, sword Qi crisscrossing, forming an imprable sword. At the same time, Falling Stars was unleashed, meteors crashing down everywhere, another round of relentless bombardment.

    "Void Piercing Eye!"

    Suddenly, Zhou Wendie''s eyes lit up.

    In her vision, all movements slowed down, she saw a narrow gap, the w in the opponent''s offensive.

    Void Piercing Eye, capable of seeing through all illusions, even the ws in the opponent''s attacks at a nce.

    She stepped with the Startling Swan Step, slipping through the w, simultaneously connecting with the Invisible Sword.

    But just as she rushed in, she was enveloped by endless firepower. This was a w Xu Hei had deliberately left, luring her in!

    "Boom boom boom..."

    Another series of meteors crashed down on her head, Zhou Wendie''s turtle-shell light shield finally shattered, her head taking a heavy blow, bleeding profusely, as she fell down.

    Seeing her in such a sorry state, Xu Hei frowned slightly, pondering inwardly, "Could she really be unable to take it anymore?"

    He didn''t want to show overwhelming strength.

    Because he always felt things weren''t that simple.

    It was purely an instinct, a self-preservation instinct. If he had ten parts of strength, and five were enough to win, he would never use six.

    At this moment, Xu Hei had only shown four parts of his strength.

    "Boom!"

    Suddenly, the temperature in the world soared, the air distorted, and the falling meteors melted into nothingness.

    At this moment, one of Zhou Wendie''s eyes ignited, the golden mes within spreading at a terrifying speed, sweeping towards Xu Hei.

    "Finally here."

    Xu Hei assumed a five-part serious stance.

    He had seen these golden mes before, a corpse puppet would instantly melt upon contact. He had witnessed a False Core Stage corpse puppet being burned to death in the Blood Corpse Cave, its corpse Qi perfectly restrained.

    Thus, Xu Hei decisively put away the butcher, revealing his true self.

    No matter how much he used the butcher, it only had half his strength. Only by appearing in person could he exceed half.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 239: Xu Hei plays dead, the final winner

    Chapter 239: Xu Hei ys dead, the final winner

    From the moment the Scarlet me Demon Eyes appeared, Zhou Wendie had no intention of holding back. This fire burned everything and was the nemesis of all things sinister.

    Staring at the ze igniting in the void, Xu Hei remained unfazed, his entire body enveloped in ayer of blood-red armor, perfectly encasing his serpent-like form.

    Blood God Armor!

    At this moment, both Xu Hei''s speed and closebat abilities were pushed to their limits.

    "Whoosh!"

    With the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique fully unleashed, Xu Hei instantly passed through the fiery, arriving right in front of Zhou Wendie.

    This explosive speed left Zhou Wendie stunned, and another Ice Soul Demon Eye immediately emerged, freezing the surroundings and drastically slowing Xu Hei''s speed.

    Initially, she wanted to keep it hidden, but if she continued to do so, defeat was certain!

    "Is that the Ice Soul Demon Eye?!" Zhang Tie''s pupils contracted."Her Scarlet me Demon Eye is still in my possession, yet she awakened the Ice Soul Demon Eye. This woman is indeed extraordinary!" Xu Qingfeng murmured.

    At this moment, the appearance of the Ice Soul Demon Eye once again caused a stir.

    Even the extremely arrogant Bai Luo couldn''t help but express a hint of surprise, nodding in admiration.

    As Xu Hei approached, an uncontroble icy force surged in from the outside, freezing the Blood God Armor, his flesh, and his True Qi.

    But when this extreme cold tried to invade his meridians, the Demon God Cauldron trembled slightly, immediately refining all the freezing energy.

    This unexpected situation left Xu Hei momentarily stunned.

    Without hesitation, he summoned a Blood Killing Sword, brimming with endless bloodlust, and thrust it towards Zhou Wendie.

    At such close range, there was nowhere for her to dodge.

    "sh!"

    A streak of blood appeared on her cheek, most of her hair was cut off, and the blood-red Sword Qi, like devouring insects, surged into her body through the facial wound, causing Zhou Wendie to spew blood and retreat.

    The Blood Killing Sword, once it hits even a minor wound, rapidly worsens the injury.

    Seeing the Blood Killing Sword strike again, her eyes swirled with ice and fire, forming a blue fire wall in front. Even the Blood Killing Sword was frozen after being burned by the fire wall.

    Xu Hei could clearly feel the opponent''s life force rapidly declining.

    "No wonder it''s a third-tier high-grade Flying Sword; its effect is immediate," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Although the Blood Killing Sword also consumed a significant amount of his vitality, Xu Hei''s physique was extraordinary, well within his endurance.

    At this moment, as long as he pressed the advantage, he had a great chance ofpletely defeating the opponent.

    But Xu Hei had a nagging feeling.

    "Something''s not right! I can''t just win like this! I must have overlooked some detail! Something''s definitely wrong!"

    Xu Hei''s mind raced, constantly recalling various details from before, reying every facial expression and action of everyone involved.

    In that brief instant, Xu Hei connected many dots.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei thought of a possibility, his pupils slightly contracting.

    "Could it be..."

    Xu Hei pondered carefully, the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he felt a chill run down his spine, his body trembling.

    Regardless of whether it was true or not, he couldn''t continue fighting; he couldn''t take such a risk.

    Xu Hei immediately retreated, applied an Invisibility Talisman, and then swallowed a Pill.

    The Blood Locking Pill, the more severe the injury, the faster the healing effect, could be used for disguise. Xu Qingfeng had used this pill to deceive the Four Sects Alliance, making others believe he was in a severely injured state.

    Not enough!

    Xu Hei swallowed a Breath Suppressing Pill, which could suppress True Qi to the lowest level, making others think he was out of True Qi, while it was actually stored deep within the Demon God Cauldron.

    He had to conceal his strength, not expose it.

    When Xu Hei reappeared, he looked weak, the Blood God Armor dim and lifeless, as if drained of all vitality.

    Seeing this, Zhou Wendie didn''t show much surprise.

    "The Blood God Armor and the Blood Killing Sword of the second ancestor, how could they be so easily mastered? You''re indeed at your limit."

    Zhou Wendie struggled to stand from the ground, the scars on her face gradually erging, threatening to disfigure her, but she didn''t care; instead, her eyes showed excitement.

    The Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, each use consumed a massive amount of the user''s vitality to maintain.

    Even Zhou Qing was left emaciated, let alone Xu Hei?

    Zhou Wendie had calcted Xu Hei''s tactics long ago.

    What he had used and what he hadn''t, she knew clearly, knowing oneself and the enemy, she could remain undefeated. From the moment he brought out the Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, she had predicted the subsequent situation.

    "If I''m not mistaken, he still has a tower he hasn''t used."

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes bled, but she didn''t use any other means, directly employing her ice and fire dual eyes.

    "Boom!!"

    One ice, one fire, growing more intense, forming two tornadoes, spiraling towards Xu Hei. Xu Hei''s expression turned grave as he summoned the ck Dragon Pagoda to block in front.

    "Boom!!"

    The ice and fire tornadoes collided with the ck Dragon Pagoda, Xu Hei spat blood and was sent flying, even the ck Dragon Pagoda was overturned.

    Zhou Wendie''s pupils bled more, but she didn''t care, swallowing a Pill and walking straight ahead.

    Suddenly, as she approached within a hundred feet of Xu Hei, the ck Dragon Pagoda suddenly moved, crashing towards Zhou Wendie.

    "Whoosh!!"

    A strike missed.

    Zhou Wendie''s Void Piercing Eye and Startling Swan Step were always active, constantly guarding against any sneak attacks.

    If Xu Hei had no backup n, she would have been more worried.

    "It seems you''re at your limit too, even your sneak attacks are powerless."

    At this moment, she retreated to the other side of the ck Dragon Pagoda, took out a longbow, drew it fully, and ced a ck arrow, aiming at Xu Hei.

    Demon ying Bow, Demon Exorcising Arrow!

    This was her final trump card, the top-tier Magical Treasure in the Myriad Treasure Pavilion! It had a strong restraining effect on Demonic Beasts and evil spirits, once locked on, there was no escape, it was almost a guaranteed kill!

    "With the Demon ying Bow and Demon Exorcising Arrow, it should be over."

    Zhou Qingxuan sighed.

    Others also sighed.

    This battle had undergone two reversals, initially Zhou Wendie was suppressed, but once the ice and fire dual eyes were used, the situation reversed, and Xu Hei was constantly restrained.

    The Blood God Armor and Blood Killing Sword, though possessing unparalleled defense and attack, were used by the Zhou Family''s second ancestor, not something ordinary people could easily master.

    Defeating the enemy at the cost of one''s own damage.

    "Whoosh!"

    Zhou Wendie released her grip, the Demon Exorcising Arrow shot out instantly, tearing through the sky, leaving a deep mark in the void.

    Xu Heiunched himself with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, flying towards the distance, leaving countless afterimages in mid-air, splitting into two, creating an External Incarnation.

    But to Zhou Wendie, all this seemed like a futile struggle.

    "Poof!"

    The incarnation was pierced through, and the Demon Exorcising Arrow locked onto the true body, striking Xu Hei.

    "Boom!"

    The dragon scales emitted a metallic sound, not pierced in the slightest, but his internal flesh copsed, spewing from his mouth, crashing to the ground, unable to move.

    Piercing one, ying the incarnation, destroying the true body, the power of the Demon Exorcising Arrow was fully disyed.

    "It''s over!"

    Zhou Wendie exhaled deeply, her body nearly copsing to the ground.

    Xu Bai and Hei Huang''s eyes were wide open, staring at Xu Hei in the field, as if dumbfounded.

    "Heh, the oue is the same, why bother?" Zhou Qingxuan sneered.

    Various teams sighed, voicing all sorts of opinions.

    Only Tianji Shangren remained silent, doing something unknown.

    In the sky, Mo Wuyou''s phantom also appeared, about to announce the result.

    And at this moment.

    From Tianji Shangren''s sleeve, a female doll appeared, lifelike and indistinguishable from Zhou Wendie, except the eyes hadn''t been drawn.

    At this moment, Tianji Shangren gently tapped, and the doll''s eyes appeared, one blue, one red, ice and fire dual eyes.

    "After receiving so many favors from me, cause and effect must be repaid, it''s time for you to return the favor."

    Tianji Shangren took out the doll, some snake scales on the doll''s surface fell off, dissipating in mid-air.

    This was his secondyer of preparation, turning it into a snake, but it seemed unnecessary, Zhou Wendie was indeed the child of destiny.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    No need to change, his choice was correct!

    "Cause and effect transfer!"

    Tianji Shangren clenched his fist, Zhou Wendie''s doll dissipated, merging into his body.

 Chapter 240: Only until the end, full power mode

    Chapter 240: Only until the end, full power mode

    Tianji Shangren, from the moment he entered the ruins, was constantly searching for someone with great fortune.

    He believed that with his strength, it was impossible to obtain the final inheritance, so he could only plunder!

    Stealing the secrets of heaven, seizing creation, using his supreme art of Tianji, he sought out the child of destiny to snatch a piece of the future!

    At this moment, Zhou Wendie''s figure suddenly became illusory, as if an irresistible force of causality was acting upon her.

    She could clearly feel herself being separated, her identity being swapped with Tianji Shangren, a power from the mysterious heavens, leaving her unable to resist.

    And in the memories of everyone present, a series of errors appeared.

    For instance, in their impression, it was Tianji Shangren who first entered the City Lord''s mansion and initiated the inheritance.

    It was Tianji Shangren who hired the three rogue cultivators.

    It was Tianji Shangren who fought against Xu Hei.This was the most ruthless technique of stealing causality, ten or even a hundred times more vicious than what he had previously used, capable of even altering the memories of others!

    "You old scoundrel, you won''t seed!"

    Zhou Wendie gritted her teeth, took out a jade talisman, and crushed it directly. A phantom figure appeared behind her, a divine halo enveloping her.

    This was the first ancestor of the Zhou Family.

    Under the divine halo, theyer of causal force couldn''t get close, being repelled every time it approached, solidifying her once illusory form.

    "It''s useless. The causality between you and me is too deep. If it weren''t for my intervention, how could you have obtained the first ce? How could you have the qualification to fight the opponent?"

    "You received my favor, so you must pay the price. This is your causality! You cannot escape it; you can only ept it!"

    Tianji Shangren was very calm. He had anticipated the protection of the Zhou Family''s first ancestor. The cause he had nted was too deep, and this alone could not reverse it.

    To steal the result, there must be a cause, only then can causality be connected.

    What he had done before was to create the "cause."

    In this world, there are no favors without reason, no good rtions formed for no reason.

    Offering unsolicited kindness, either a traitor or a thief!

    It was precisely because he nted countless "causes" that the final result was irresistible to the other party.

    Tianji Shangren also hoped Zhou Wendie could seed. His entanglement with Xu Hei was not deep, and his attempts to approach were repeatedly rejected.

    If he were to change his n at thest minute and plunder Xu Hei instead, even if sessful, it wouldn''t be wless, affecting everyone''s thoughts, and in the end, might even lead to some unforeseen events.

    Now, taking Zhou Wendie was the best oue.

    At this moment, Xu Hei also had a feeling that the other party seemed not to be Zhou Wendie, but Tianji Shangren.

    The one he had been fighting with before had always been Tianji Shangren.

    This sense of confusion in his thoughts and memories suddenly awakened Xu Hei, who quickly calmed his mind and focused his thoughts on the Demon God Cauldron.

    He didn''t know where this power came from, but the only treasure in his body that could suppress it was the Demon God Cauldron.

    Sure enough, the Demon God Cauldron gently trembled, blocking all external influences, keeping Xu Hei clear-headed.

    Under Xu Hei''s gaze, Zhou Wendie''s figure ahead flickered, sometimes appearing as Tianji Shangren, sometimes as herself.

    "What a terrifying technique of stealing causality."

    Xu Hei''s heart was in turmoil.

    He had considered these things before, but whenever he thought of Tianji Shangren, he would unconsciously ignore and automatically dismiss it.

    Tianji Shangren must have used some means to shield his presence, making people not think of him.

    It was only at this critical moment that Xu Hei suddenly remembered something Zhao Wenzhuo had said: "You harbor malicious intent, and those targeted by you are bound to suffer."

    This was originally a verbal spat between Zhao Wenzhuo and Tianji Shangren, which no one took seriously.

    But upon closer thought, this was no mere verbal spat!

    Previously, Xu Hei had carefully reviewed everyone''s words, actions, and details, and thought of this sentence.

    Like a sudden enlightenment, it instantly awakened him!

    "Zhao Wenzhuo is not simple either. From the start, he saw through Tianji Shangren''s intentions. That seemingly casual remark was a warning to others," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He wasn''t sure if he would be taken by Tianji Shangren if he got first ce, but he didn''t want to take the risk.

    In the end, Tianji Shangren still seeded.

    He appeared in the arena out of nowhere, recing Zhou Wendie''s position, without a hint of incongruity.

    Zhou Wendie returned to the sidelines, standing with Zhou Qingxuan and others.

    She was stunned for a moment, then pointed at Tianji Shangren, hesitantly saying, "Why is he there?"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes were nk, feeling as if she had lost something, yet she couldn''t recall what it was.

    She tapped her forehead, grabbed a handful of hair, and her pupils were bloodshot.

    "What happened to you?"

    Zhou Qingxuan looked at her curiously.

    Others were also puzzled.

    "It''s nothing..." Zhou Wendie took a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the ground. Perhaps she had made a mistake in her cultivation, causing her to see all sorts of illusions.

    Just now, she had even mistakenly thought she was fighting that snake in the arena.

    How absurd!

    The illusion was too realistic, like a dream, Zhou Wendie frowned, lost in thought.

    Tianji Shangren appeared in the arena, looking at Xu Hei, who seemed like a corpse, and said, "It''s over, it''s time to announce the results."

    He looked at Mo Wuyou, but thetter had no reaction.

    Tianji Shangren frowned slightly. Wasn''t Mo Wuyou supposed to announce the results?

    He picked up the Demon ying Bow on the ground, grabbed the Demon Exorcising Arrow from afar, then drew the bow and aimed it at the fallen Xu Hei.

    Even if it was a corpse, it had to be pulverized!

    But at that moment, Tianji Shangren''s vision blurred, and Xu Hei''s figure suddenly disappeared.

    "Not right!"

    Tianji Shangren''s pupils shrank, aiming the bow and arrow downward, and shot fiercely.

    At the moment his Demon Exorcising Arrow was released, a massive snake head emerged from the ground, and simultaneously, a deafening roar echoed from its mouth.

    "Roar!!!"

    Dragon Shatter Roar, full power mode!

    Space twisted, air waves surged to the sky, and the Demon Exorcising Arrow exploded instantly upon being hit by the Dragon Shatter Roar, shattering like dry wood, with no resistance!

    "What?!"

    Tianji Shangren was dumbfounded.

    He had guessed that Xu Hei was ying dead, but thought he was barely hanging on, with only a fraction of his strength left.

    But he never expected that Xu Hei had preserved so much strength, and wasn''t even seriously injured!

    Xu Hei had been hiding all along, not even unleashing half of his cultivation, pretending from start to finish. Until this moment, until Tianji Shangren was exposed, Xu Hei finally revealed his true strength!

    With one move, Dragon Shatter Roar shattered the Demon Exorcising Arrow, its residual power sweeping across.

    "Boom!!"

    The terrifying sound wave, like a heavy hammer, smashed into Tianji Shangren''s mind, causing his whole body to tremble violently, his mind buzzing, thoughts nk, and his body on the verge of shattering, seeping countless blood lights.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Previously unable to break through Zhou Wendie''s defense, now, with one move, severely injuring Tianji Shangren.

    The entire arena was stunned by this sudden reversal.

    "Ji Ying, go!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei sent Ji Ying flying out. This was the Core Formation Ji Ying, making its first move, like a bolt of lightning, heading straight for Tianji Shangren''s head.

    At the same time, Xu Hei changed direction, ignoring the stiff Tianji Shangren, and charged towards a nk area at the back, where the paper substitute was hidden, something Xu Hei had already discovered.

 Chapter 241: Brutally beating the heavenly secrets, worry-free downfall

    Chapter 241: Brutally beating the heavenly secrets, worry-free downfall

    Ji Ying burrowed into Tianji Shangren''s skull, swiftly devouring his entire head, only to find himself with a belly full of paper.

    Tianji Shangren had swapped himself with a paper figure.

    But just as he appeared where the paper figure had been, Xu Hei was already within arm''s reach, and simultaneously, countless earth-based spells bombarded him from all directions.

    Earth Spike, Falling Stone Technique, Mountain Embrace Seal, Earth Prison Technique... A dozen lethal moves, preemptively released, closed in as soon as they appeared, leaving him no room to breathe.

    "Spirit Ban Formation!"

    Tianji Shangren was equally prepared, with specific points releasing spiritual power, linking together to form a massive formation. The spiritual qi in this space was forbidden from appearing, causing each spell to crumble and vanish.

    The Spirit Ban Formation, which he had once released in the Earth Path, was only now discovered by Xu Hei, as the paper figure had long buried spirit stones nearby, constructing the Spirit Ban Formation.

    All spells would be rendered ineffective, turning this ce into a forbidden zone for spiritual power!

    But so what?Did they really think his physical strength was just for show?

    The opponent had calcted countless strategies, but hadn''t Xu Hei done the same? Spells were merely appetizers; his true strengthy in his physical body! This time, he intended to crush Tianji Shangren so thoroughly that he would never recover!

    "Smack!!!"

    There was no fluctuation of spells.

    Xu Hei swung his hardened tail with the force of ten thousand pounds, striking down fiercely. Tianji Shangren sidestepped, but the dragon tail smashed into the void, causing the air to explode with a thunderous roar, sending shockwaves sweeping across a thousand feet.

    Yet, even though Tianji Shangren dodged this blow, his head suddenly exploded with a "boom," shattering into pieces.

    Breath Soil! Xu Hei had consumed Breath Soil in advance.

    A momentter, Tianji Shangren reappeared intact in the distance. However, this time, his face was deathly pale, his body emaciated, his robe tattered, and he could barely stand, as if he might be blown over by the wind at any moment.

    His disheveled appearance was secondary; the shock in his heart was like a tidal wave, indescribable.

    He had been wrong, terribly wrong! Zhou Wendie was not the child of destiny; this snake was!

    He had wanted to seize fortune, but how could true destiny be so easily taken?N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Boom!!"

    Another heavy blow struck the void. Tianji Shangren tried to dodge, but with the Breath Soil''s enhancement, the entire earth was connected to Xu Hei, allowing him to strike across mountains.

    Half of Tianji Shangren''s body was blown apart, transforming into countless paper figures that scattered.

    "Devour them all, leave none behind!"

    Xu Hei growled lowly, and Ji Ying shot forward, no longer holding back. It opened its mouth wide, tracing an arc in the sky, and wherever it passed, paper figures turned to ash, and silhouettes vanished, apanied by Tianji Shangren''s wails, as the devouring never ceased.

    Xu Hei unleashed his full strength, his cultivation fully blossoming. This was the truebat power of a perfect Foundation Establishment.

    Even at the early Core Formation stage, facing Xu Hei in his berserk state, one could onlyment!

    Everyone was stunned.

    At this moment, the external shock was beyond words.

    "When he fought me before, was he hiding his strength all along?"

    Zhou Wendie was incredulous, feeling her pride had been insulted.

    She had even used her Ice-Fire Dual Pupils, yet the opponent had been concealing his cultivation to guard against Tianji Shangren, even pretending to be defeated by her.

    What did that make her? A mere clown?

    "Huh? I''ve been on the sidelines all along, so why do I have such thoughts?"

    Zhou Wendie suddenly felt confused, sensing her memory was in disarray, often mistaking illusions for reality.

    "Strange, why is this happening? Am I experiencing a deviation in my cultivation?"

    Zhou Wendie''s eyes were filled with confusion.

    Bai Luo, who had been confident andposed, also showed a slight change after witnessing Xu Hei''s thrashing of Tianji Shangren.

    He stared at Xu Hei and said in a deep voice, "Barely a worthy opponent, given the right time and ce, you might have a chance to beat me."

    "How big a chance?" Liu Chengfeng couldn''t help but ask.

    "Around twenty percent."

    Bai Luo didn''t answer directly, merely estimating in his mind. He wouldn''t belittle anyone verbally, as it was his courtesy, but deep down, he looked down on everyone.

    Even after witnessing the terrifying Xu Hei, this thought seemed somewhat self-deceptive.

    "Our judgment was correct; he truly is a rare talent. Not being able to join the Chu Tian Alliance is because our temple is too small to amodate him."

    Xu Qingfeng, with his broad-mindedness, was genuinely happy to see Xu Hei achieve such sess.

    "Thankfully, we didn''t offend this snake. In the future, the Bai Family must never provoke him."

    Bai Qiushui was very relieved by his decision. Notpeting, not showing off, staying low-key was the way to survive.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    No one expected the battle to be so one-sided, with Tianji Shangren unable to put up any resistance,pletely suppressed.

    This only indicated one thing: Tianji Shangren and Xu Hei were not on the same level, not even close.

    Strong! Absurdly strong, inexplicably strong! Not only Xu Hei himself but also Ji Ying, something beyond normalprehension.

    In the arena, after being trampled by Xu Hei repeatedly, Tianji Shangren was powerless to reverse the situation, repeatedly using causality to substitute for his injuries, but the more he used it, the more helpless he became.

    "I forfeit!"

    Tianji Shangren shouted unwillingly.

    If he didn''t forfeit, he would be beaten to death by Xu Hei. He had severely underestimated his opponent, and even if he were at the Core Formation stage, it would still be a dead end.

    "Good!"

    Mo Wuyou nodded, a rare look of satisfaction in his eyes.

    Tianji Shangren was kicked out of the space, appearing in the Zhou Family''s ranks. As soon as he appeared, he spat a mouthful of blood, staining his robe red. He immediately sat cross-legged and swallowed a handful of pills, focusing on healing.

    Strangely, the Zhou Family members didn''t step forward to console him.

    Zhou Wendie even felt a hint of pleasure in her heart, not knowing why. Her own team lost, yet she felt happy?

    Towards Tianji Shangren, she even felt a rare trace of killing intent. This thought startled her, and she quickly dismissed it.

    Xu Hei''s victory was undisputed. Previously, it could be said to be opportunistic, but this final battle thoroughly convinced everyone.

    Mo Wuyou announced the results.

    "Final ranking, Earth Team first..."

    As Mo Wuyou spoke, he suddenly looked up at the sky.

    In the distance, faint spatial cracks appeared in the void, seemingly spreading in this direction.

    Mo Wuyou remained indifferent, calmly saying, "Xu Hei, you may receive all my inheritance. Others can also receive a gift, the lifelong insights of my five avatars, which will greatly aid your breakthrough to the Elemental Infant stage!"

    The lifelong insights of a Divine Transformation stage?

    Hearing this, everyone''s hearts raced, and their breathing quickened.

    Divine Transformation insights, invaluable and immeasurable, would influence one''s entire life. This gift was countless times stronger than any previous tangible rewards!

    Especially Lei He, who had been stuck at thete Core Formation stage for countless years. If it could help with the Elemental Infant, any price was worth it!

    At this moment, the cracks in the void grew more numerous and dense, gradually spreading to every corner.

    A coldugh echoed from outside.

    "Hehe, Mo Wuyou, at a time like this, you still have the mind to distribute your inheritance?" The voice rang like a great bell in everyone''s ears, causing their minds to tremble, blood to flow from their seven orifices, as if they were about to copse and die.

    "Hmph!"

    Mo Wuyou snorted coldly, and the influence vanished without a trace.

    "Mo Wuyou, how about including me in this inheritance?"

    Theughter continued, and vaguely, a pair of eyes appeared in the void, like the eyes of a god, making people unable to look directly, all lowering their heads.

    Mo Wuyou said nothing, charging straight up.

    At that moment, the world shattered, the void disappeared, and everyone seemed to fall into a vortex, the surrounding scene rapidly changing, returning to the mortal realm.

    Momentster, the external environment became clear.

    Now, each teamnded at one of the five corners of Wuyou City: the City Lord''s mansion, the academy, the medical hall, the cksmith''s shop, and the Earth Temple.

    It was as if the previous space was all an illusion.

    However, in front of each of the five people, a head-sized ball of light appeared.

    Xu Hei''s light ball was multicolored, containing various images and an indescribable vast power, as if a mere touch would draw him in.

    "What is this?" Xu Hei wondered, unsure.

    "This is Mo Wuyou''s lifelong insight, invaluable to you!" Hei Huang said solemnly.

    At this moment, the sound of rushing wind came from all directions, with more and more unfamiliar faces appearing. The suppression of divine sense in this ce had also weakened significantly, allowing it to easily spread over ten thousand feet.

    Mo Wuyou''s influence was waning.

    "Let''s go quickly; this ce isn''t safe for long. Find a secure location toprehend this inheritance," Hei Huang advised.

 Chapter 242: The Great Way Controversy, Divine Sense Surrounds the City

    Chapter 242: The Great Way Controversy, Divine Sense Surrounds the City

    As soon as Hei Huang finished speaking, the sky darkened, and a massive inverted bowl descended from the heavens, crashing down towards their area.

    "Boom!!"

    Its speed was indescribable, arriving almost the instant Xu Hei and the other twonded. Hei Huang, unhurried, changed his hand gesture and shouted, "Minor Teleportation Formation!"

    "Whoosh!"

    The figures of Xu Hei and the other two vanished instantly, reappearing thousands of feet away. This was a contingency n Hei Huang had prepared in advance, not something set up on the spot.

    In the distance, arge shadow approached menacingly. Hei Huang urged, "Quick, go!"

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei swallowed the inheritance light orb, took out the Earth Boat, and loaded Xu Bai and Hei Huang onto it, speeding away from Wuyou City at full throttle.

    The pursuing soldiers were quickly misled and lost track, thanks to the various deceptive tactics left by Hei Huang.

    This allowed Xu Hei to breathe a sigh of relief.Those soldiers, d in armor and wielding halberds, were troops of the Qin Kingdom, likely deployed by Li Si. Despite everything, that strategist wasn''t entirely useless.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside Wuyou City, the environment remained pitch ck, but there were slight changes.

    For instance, the yin energy was weakening, the dark clouds were dissipating, and all forms of suppression were decreasing. Both speed and perception were improving every moment.

    This only indicated that the master of Wuyou City was losing control over the ce.

    He could no longer govern Wuyou City ording to his own rules. Given time, this ce, and even the entire ancient relic, would fall and be like the outside world.

    "I''m a demonic beast. Can human insights really be useful to me?" Xu Hei hesitated.

    "Don''t underestimate a Divine Transformation cultivator, especially a genius like Mo Wuyou."

    Hei Huang praised, "That Earth God, the teacher from the academy, the cksmith from the forge, and the doctor from the clinic, they''re all his incarnations. His insights are ever-changing and will surely find something beneficial for you. If he says it can help you form a Nascent Soul, then it certainly can."

    Xu Hei was taken aback; it was the first time he''d heard Hei Huang praise someone so highly.

    Xu Hei indeed needed insights. His dragon bone had reached a bottleneck, and without insights, he couldn''t advance. He deeply understood the importance of insights.

    "Insights from the Divine Transformation stage..."

    Xu Hei had no concept of the Divine Transformation stage; both the Elemental Infant and Divine Transformation stages were beyond his understanding. However, hearing Hei Huang speak of it, he felt a deep respect.

    Time slowly passed.

    Along the way, they encountered many people, but they were all soldiers of the Qin Kingdom, with no disciples from the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Hei Huang casually set up a formation on the boat, easily blocking all prying eyes, allowing them to travel unimpeded.

    The Earth Boat burrowed deep underground, traveling at an incredible speed.

    Before long, they reached the city gate, where a vortex hovered in the distant sky, marking the way out.

    But just then, Hei Huang suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

    Xu Hei immediately halted the Earth Boat, looking at him in surprise and doubt.

    "There''s a divine sense membrane ahead. Remember the one at the Purple Mist Sect? It''s the same thing!" Hei Huang said solemnly.

    A divine sense membrane, once passed through, would attach itself to you, allowing its owner to pursue you relentlessly.

    Seeing Xu Hei hesitate, Hei Huang added, "The owner of this divine sense membrane is an Elemental Infant cultivator."

    Xu Hei said nothing and immediately turned around, choosing a different direction.

    But he encountered another divine sense membrane.

    After trying three different directions, the result was the same.

    The entire Wuyou City was surrounded!

    "Even Elemental Infant cultivators can run rampant in Wuyou City now. Has itpletely fallen?"

    Xu Hei felt heavy-hearted. This was Mo Wuyou''s territory, yet an Elemental Infant cultivator was acting so brazenly, using divine sense to encircle the city. The situation was dire.

    In the past, Xu Hei would have instinctively asked, "What should we do?" But now, he simply pondered silently.

    "It''s notpletely fallen yet. Outsiders can''t enter; they can only block the city. This was expected."

    Hei Huang mused, "There are two ways to leave now. First, create thousands of corpse puppets and charge out from all directions simultaneously, overwhelming the divine sense owner. We can slip out amidst the chaos and use the Small Teleportation Talisman to escape. Our chances of all three escaping are about fifty percent."

    "Next option," Xu Hei said.

    He knew all too well about Hei Huang''s "fifty percent." Last time, even a ny percent chance nearly got them killed. Fifty percent was far too risky.

    Besides, where would he find so many corpse puppets? The butcher could only split into twenty at most.

    "Second, give me three days to set up arge teleportation formation," Hei Huang said.

    "Three days..."

    Xu Hei was speechless. The city was already surrounded by divine sense today; who knew what would happen in three days?

    His enemies weren''t just any random foes; they were from the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Once Qin Xuanji arrived, it wouldn''t just be a simple divine sense encirclement.

    "What about finding allies?"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s eyes lit up. "Let''s find the Chu Tian Alliance. They''re facing the same predicament."

    Hei Huang pondered for a moment and nodded. "Not a bad idea, but remember, the Chu Tian Alliance is a thorn in the Qin Kingdom''s side and will be heavily targeted. Coborating with them might bring trouble."

    "I understand."

    Xu Hei said no more, steering the Earth Boat southeast.

    This relic expedition made Xu Hei deeply realize the limits of individual power. Whether it was team assessments or uncovering Tianji Shangren''s secrets, help from others was always involved.

    With riskes reward!

    Throughout the journey, Xu Bai piloted the Earth Boat while Xu Hei took pills to heal. The previous battles had drained him significantly, whether it was resisting the Demon Exorcising Arrow or using the Dragon Shatter Roar, both had left him with considerable injuries.

    "Sigh! Such a great ce for cultivation, what a pity!"

    Hei Huangmented deeply. He had initially nned to stay here for a while, but with Elemental Infant and even Divine Transformation cultivators involved, the risk was too high, and he wasn''t confident of escaping unscathed.

    The only good news was that the strong outsiders seemed unable to enter. Inside Wuyou City, it was Li Si''s men, soldiers of the Qin Kingdom, not people from the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    At least for now, no puppets had been found.

    Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared in the sky, like a deity descending, overlooking all beings.

    "To the five inheritance holders, surrender your inheritances, and I will let you leave safely!"

    A voice echoed from the sky, spreading throughout the city, reaching every cultivator''s ears.

    But then, dark clouds gathered, obscuring those godlike eyes.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    The earth trembled, and the rumbling continued. The previously thinning yin energy suddenly surged. Withered ws emerged from the ground¡ªcorpse puppets, the corpse puppet army of Wuyou City!

    "In Wuyou City, everyone must abide by the city''s rules! If you want to seize opportunities, do it with your own skills!"

    Another majestic voice spread, this time Mo Wuyou''s voice.

    Xu Hei immediately understood that Mo Wuyou was resisting the invaders.

    Mo Wuyou had only left behind a wisp of his soul, and the invader was also just a divine sense.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    "Mo Wuyou is a peerless genius; he won''t hand over this city easily!" Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei nodded firmly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Yunlu Academy, Chu Tian Alliance.

    The moment the Chu Tian Alliance returned, they were surrounded. Li Si had left almost all his arrangements at Yunlu Academy.

    As a thorn in the Qin Kingdom''s side, they were bound to receive special attention.

    However, the Chu Tian Alliance was not to be trifled with. Upon appearing, they demonstrated astonishingbat prowess, cutting down dozens and forcing Li Si''s army to retreat, though two of their own were injured.

    "Xu Qingfeng, as long as you hand over the inheritance, I promise not to trouble any of you, and the Heavenly Puppet Sect will let you leave!" Li Si shouted from outside, his army still in formation, surrounding the ce.

    "Do you think I would believe your lies?" Xu Qingfeng replied coldly.

    "I swear by the name of a saint!"

    In Li Si''s palm, a statue of a saint appeared.

 Chapter 243: The competition on the grand avenue, everyone is like a dragon

    Chapter 243: Thepetition on the grand avenue, everyone is like a dragon

    Li Si, also a schr, would never lightly invoke the words of the sages. But once he did, his words carried the weight ofw.

    Xu Qingfeng remained silent, directly summoning the Mountain and River Diagram.

    Li Si''s eyes flickered as he took out a projection jade slip. With a tap of his hand, the contents were disyed, revealing scenes in the sky filled with countless figures.

    These were the Confucian cultivators who had been imprisoned.

    Xu Qingfeng nced at it and immediately recognized many of his disciples, fellow brothers, and uncles. Over a hundred people, all shackled and confined in a courtyard.

    In addition, there were piles of scrolls and books, towering like mountains, the painstaking efforts of Confucian disciples over millennia, the carriers of culture.

    In the center of the courtyard was a massive pit, surrounded by stacks of firewood.

    "What do you mean by this?"

    Xu Qingfeng squinted his eyes, a hint of madness flickering."Xu Qingfeng, the fate of Confucianism lies in your decision!"

    Li Si spoke unhurriedly, "As the Chancellor of the Qin Kingdom, with just one word of advice, I can have the Qin King burn these students and those precious books to ashes."

    "You should know what these people and these books represent."

    ¡ªXu Qingfeng was well aware, more than anyone else!

    If the people live, the books live, and the inheritance continues; if the people perish, the books are destroyed, and the inheritance is severed.

    The implication was clear: if he did not hand over Mo Wuyou''s inheritance, Confucianism and its millennia-old cultural legacy would be destroyed.

    "Boss, don''t believe his nonsense!"

    Zhang Tie quickly interjected. Although he trusted Xu Qingfeng''s judgment, he couldn''t help but speak up in such a matter.

    Xu Qingfeng''s gaze was fixed on Li Si, gritting his teeth, he spoke in a low voice, "You are a schr too!"

    Li Siughed, "You''re right, burning books is something barbarians do. Since we are both schrs, how about a debate?"

    "ording to the rules of the City Lord of Wuyou, a duel doesn''t have to be about fighting! Alchemists canpete in pill refining, artifact refiners in sword forging, and you and I, in a debate!"

    "If I lose, not only will I let you go, but I''ll also release all the Confucian cultivators, including those scrolls and books."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "If you lose, hand over the City Lord of Wuyou''s inheritance!"

    "I swear by my Dao heart, this is no lie. What do you say?"

    Li Si''s words were a deadly move.

    It was a carefullyid n, thoroughly understanding a person''s psychology, making it impossible to refuse. Li Si''s confidence earlier was not without reason.

    "What do you want to debate?" Xu Qingfeng asked.

    "At the beginning of man, nature is inherently evil!"

    Li Si pointed to the statue of the sage in the academy, the first words under the statue were these six characters.

    Except he had changed thest character to "evil."

    At this moment, the eyes of the sage statue came to life again. It looked at the two and said in a loud voice, "If you agree, I can act as a witness!"

    This sage was one of Mo Wuyou''s five elemental incarnations, truly capable of making wordse true.

    Li Si strictly adhered to the rules of Wuyou City, triggering an additional duel, seeking fortune through genuine skill.

    Xu Qingfeng stood still, nodding heavily, "Alright!"

    When Xu Hei arrived, he happened to witness the entire scene.

    "Sigh, can''t help at all, absolutely can''t help." Hei Huang scratched his head, sighing.

    They were good at fighting and scheming, but in this situation, they couldn''t intervene at all.

    Li Si''s move was a retreat to advance, seemingly making concessions, but actually forcing Xu Qingfeng toply.

    "Underestimated this strategist, he really has some tricks up his sleeve. Even someone as clever as Xu Qingfeng fell for it," Hei Huang sighed.

    "What if he doesn''t agree?" Xu Hei asked.

    "If he doesn''t agree, the thought that Confucianism perished because of him will linger in his heart. Even a trace of this thought is fatal for a Confucian cultivator! Not to mention being unable to break through for a lifetime, it might even cause a regression in cultivation. Li Si''s move is ruthless!" Hei Huang exined.

    Moreover, even if he didn''t agree, he might not be able to break through the encirclement of Wuyou City, leaving him with no choice!

    Xu Hei, who hadn''t studied, didn''t understand at all. His gaze swept over Li Si''s army, secretly estimating thebat power of both sides.

    Hei Huang closed his eyes, observed for a long time, then suddenly opened his dog eyes, a sharp light shing through them.

    "I see! The Chu Tian Alliance is also stalling for time, they''re secretly setting up a formation!" Hei Huang eximed in surprise.

    "What formation?"

    "They''re opening a path to thend of fire, but at their speed, it will take a long time. I''ll lend them a hand!"

    Hei Huang immediately disappeared, burrowing underground, heading towards the academy.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wuyou City, clinic.

    Led by Bai Qiushui, the Bai Family forces were also surrounded by the Qin army upon their return, receiving the same treatment as the others.

    "What are you doing?"

    The Grand Elder of the Bai Family immediately stepped forward, pointing at the Qin army and angrily rebuking, "Our Bai Family Ancestor is your superior, are you rebelling?"

    To everyone''s speechlessness, many of the Qin soldiers were from the Bai Family themselves. Fighting against themselves? What a joke!

    Not long after, Bai Luo emerged from the crowd.

    He stepped forward, hands behind his back, looking at Bai Qiushui with calm eyes, and said indifferently, "Uncle Qiushui, orders from above state that any inheritance from Mo Wuyou must not remain, it must disappear from the world forever. You''re no exception, hand it over!"

    This time, he unprecedentedly used a respectful address.

    The Bai Family, as a prominent family in the Qin Kingdom, a military family, always obeyed orders from above.

    The Grand Elder hesitated, looking at Bai Qiushui, his eyes showing struggle. This was a great opportunity for the Bai Family, how could they give it up? As for making it disappear from the world, who would believe such nonsense?

    Who could guarantee that besides insights, there were no other treasures in the inheritance?

    Mo Wuyou''s magical treasures and lifetime collection were still unknown.

    "Qiushui, it''s your choice."

    A voice came from the shadows, the voice of the Bai Family head. Although he wasn''t present, he had been observing with his divine sense.

    Bai Qiushui remained silent for a long time, taking a deep breath, stepping out from the crowd, standing face to face with Bai Luo.

    Bai Qiushui stood tall, his eyes showing a proud demeanor.

    In stark contrast to Bai Luo''s seemingly gentle yet arrogant demeanor, this was tant arrogance.

    "What do you mean by that look?" Bai Luo''s eyes narrowed.

    "Bai Luo!" Bai Qiushui stared at him, speaking slowly, "Do you really think I''m not your match?"

    Bai Luo was inwardly furious, but his upbringing allowed him to maintain hisposure, smiling calmly, "Uncle Qiushui, I''ve never thought that way. We are both Chosen of the Bai Family, there''s no distinction between us."

    Bai Qiushui merely shook his head, "I know, the Heavenly Puppet Sect took all the inheritances for you alone. They want you to take everything, to grow into the next Mo Wuyou!"

    "Am I right?"

    These words stirred a great storm in Bai Luo''s heart, a look of shock shing in his eyes, but he forcibly suppressed it, coldly saying, "What do you mean?"

    "My meaning is simple."

    Bai Qiushui stepped forward again, eyes filled with overwhelming battle intent.

    "You and I, a fight to the death! If you win, I, Bai Qiushui, will hand over the inheritance! If you lose, you will be expelled from the Bai Family!"

 Chapter 244: The struggle of the great way, where everyone becomes an enemy of the nation

    Chapter 244: The struggle of the great way, where everyone bes an enemy of the nation

    After Bai Qiushui''s words left his mouth, everyone was in disbelief, not just the Bai Family, but even the Qin Kingdom soldiers surrounding them looked as if they had seen a ghost.

    The Bai Family''s unparalleled twins were actually going to engage in a life-and-death battle!

    Bai Luo was stunned for a long while before saying, "This joke isn''t funny at all. Take back what you just said, and I''ll pretend nothing happened."

    "I''m not joking with you!"

    Bai Qiushui directly drew a snow jade flying sword and pointed it at Bai Luo.

    Such an action was tantamount to dering war!

    Everyone in the Bai Family''s faces changed dramatically.

    But Bai Luo merely shook his head and said to Lei He behind him, "General Lei, Bai Qiushui has gone astray in his cultivation. Knock him out and take away the inheritance."

    He had no intention of fighting Bai Qiushui.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//omThe two were not on the same level, and there was no need to fight. If he won, it would strain his rtionship with the Bai Family.

    Imagine, Bai Qiushui, whom the Bai Family had high hopes for, being easily defeated by him. How would the Bai Family save face? Where would the family head''s dignity go?

    Unparalleled Arrogance, fighting amongst themselves, he didn''t want to bebeled with such a name; it would sound too unpleasant if spread around!

    Lei He said nothing, immediately stepping forward and unleashing an invisible field of lightning, pressing towards Bai Qiushui. As someone in thete Core Formation stage, his power was unmatched, and no one could stop him.

    "Let''s see who dares!"

    Bai Qiushui shouted, and a purple bead appeared in his hand, which he clenched tightly.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    Cracks appeared on the surface of the bead, and terrifying thunder power spread out. A series of terrifying booming sounds echoed between heaven and earth, causing the space to appear distorted.

    Lei He''s face changed dramatically, and he immediately withdrew the lightning field, retreating several steps.

    Everyone was shocked, retreating in fear, their faces filled with terror.

    "Is that... a Thunder Tribtion Pearl?"

    "And not just any Thunder Tribtion Pearl, what kind of power is this?"

    "Could it be the Five-Nine Heavenly Tribtion of the Elemental Infant stage?"

    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on that purple bead, feeling their scalps tingle and their hair stand on end. Such heavenly power was unshakable!

    This Thunder Tribtion Pearl was something Bai Qiushui had obtained using a mechanism jade.

    He had previously collected many mechanism boxes, among which one seemed to contain thunder power, which he had paid special attention to. This Thunder Tribtion Pearl was precisely one of the treasures he had obtained!

    Bai Luo''s expression finally changed.

    He had never looked Bai Qiushui in the eye from the beginning, but now he had to take him seriously!

    Holding the Thunder Tribtion Pearl, Bai Qiushui was full of pride, suddenly thinking of the person who detonated the heavenly tribtion in the gambling house, thinking of Xu Hei.

    To protect himself, he had to risk his life!

    "In the blink of an eye, one man can stand against a nation. Bai Luo, put away your arrogance, you have no choice today!" Bai Qiushui stared ahead, speaking coldly.

    Madman... At this moment, everyone had this thought in their minds.

    Bai Luo finally took a deep breath, nodded, and said seriously, "Fine, you brought this on yourself!"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the struggle for the Great Dao, everyone is like a dragon.

    To fight for an opportunity, they disregard life and death,peting with the heavens and battling with others, leaping like fish over the dragon gate, undergoing the phoenix''s nirvana.

    Wuyou City, City Lord''s mansion.

    Tianji Shangren sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a blue halo in his palm, which was his inheritance halo.

    Behind him stood the Zhou Family''s team.

    Outside the City Lord''s mansion, arge group of figures, including Yin Mingzi, Liu Chengfeng, and many powerful cultivators from the Qin Kingdom, surrounded the mansion.

    However, they did not make a move.

    "I guess the reason you haven''t acted is that you want me to help you capture that number one Snake Demon, am I right?" Tianji Shangren looked at the crowd, his expression half-smiling.

    "Talking to smart people is simple."

    A Qin Kingdommander said calmly, his name was Wang Qian, one of the top ten experts in the Qin Kingdom.

    "We won''t let Mo Wuyou''s inheritance leave a trace, including the one in your hand. But aspensation, our Qin Kingdom will give you enough benefits. You can make any request, and if you want fortune, our Qin Kingdom can even offer a Dragon Qi as a reward!" Wang Qian said calmly.

    Tianji Shangren''s eyes flickered, and no one knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he simply nodded heavily, "Alright!"

    "Good! May our cooperation be sessful!" Wang Qian raised a slight smile.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei, having nothing better to do, used two mechanism jades to open two blind boxes, obtaining a piece of meteorite iron from beyond the heavens and apass-shaped magical treasure.

    Xu Qingfeng and Li Si were debating the nature of good and evil in humanity, but Xu Hei couldn''t care less and didn''t understand what there was to argue about.

    It would be better to just have a fight; whoever''s fist is bigger is the hard truth.

    "External Incarnation!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei created an incarnation, which immediately dove underground and slipped away.

    He knew that the Heavenly Puppet Sect was pursuing and blocking every inheritor.

    There was nothing to worry about with the Bai Family, but he was concerned about the Zhou Family, as Tianji Shangren''s treacherous heart was still alive, wanting to conspire against him.

    He wasn''t afraid of Tianji Shangren''s strength, but he was most worried about his heavenly divination skills, always coincidentally encountering him. How could there be such a coincidence?

    The other party must have a way to track fortune!

    Although he trusted Hei Huang''s concealment skills, he wanted to take multiple precautions.

    "Fellow Daoist, please stay!"

    Xu Hei''s incarnation hadn''t gone far when he heard a ghostly voice appear on the street above.

    It was a paper figure of Tianji Shangren, facing the void, talking to itself, "Fellow Daoist, how about we make a deal? I can help you shield the heavenly secrets, making everyone ignore your existence..."

    Xu Hei didn''t even bother to listen, turning around and leaving.

    "This isn''t a benevolent fate, but a transaction. The cause and effect are resolved, and there will be no repercussions!"

    Tianji Shangren''s paper figure shouted.

    Xu Hei didn''t want to hear what he had to say, fully activating the Earth Escape Technique and disappearing without a trace.

    At the same time.

    Xu Hei''s true self received a summons from Hei Huang, and he quickly entered the formation set up by the Chu Tian Alliance.

    "Buzz!"

    The void twisted, the world turned upside down, and Xu Hei''s figure disappeared from this space, immediately losing connection with his incarnation.

    This time, the teleportation did not send him to the Land of Fire but stopped in a strange spatial crevice.

    "The Five Elements Land has fallen; only this ce is safe. You can meditate here without any disturbance!" Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei looked around, finding it pitch ck, unable to see his hand in front of him, with very little space to move.

    Only the formation beneath him emitted faint energy fluctuations.

    "Is this a spatial crevice?" Xu Hei wondered.

    "This is a space I painstakingly opened up, only five cubic meters, enough for you to hide. I have things to do outside and will go meet your incarnation first."

    After giving a brief exnation, Hei Huang vanished.

    Xu Hei calmed his mind and released the multicolored light orb.

    Mo Wuyou''s lifelong inheritance.

    He hesitated no longer, focusing his divine sense and entering it.

    In a daze, Xu Hei heard a voice.

    "Young dragon n member! This inheritance poses great risks for you, and you may never awaken! Are you sure you want to enter?"

    This was Mo Wuyou''s voice.

    He actually referred to Xu Hei as a young dragon n member!

    Xu Hei''s heart trembled, and he quickly asked, "Please, senior, exin further."

 Chapter 245: Ether is indestructible, Vajra suppresses the primordial

    Chapter 245: Ether is indestructible, Vajra suppresses the primordial

    "My insights begin in Wuyou City and end in Wuyou City. The so-called ''worry-free'' is meant for humans, not demonic beasts. I will let you experience this journey as a human, but you might be lost and never awaken."

    "Young dragon of the dragon n, are you sure you want to do this?"

    Mo Wuyou''s voice came again, unusually serious.

    Xu Hei had no hesitation, saying, "A bird is reborn as a phoenix through nirvana, a flood dragon bes a true dragon through tribtion crossing. The Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, each transformation is a matter of life and death. I am ready!"

    One transformation, one life and death¡ªthis is the essence of the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, a destined path.

    "Good! I await the day you awaken!"

    Mo Wuyou''s voice carried a tone of relief.

    "Buzz!"

    A ball of light rapidly expanded, like a mass of cotton,pletely enveloping Xu Hei''s body. His consciousness plunged into a fantastical world.Wuyou City, bustling and lively, with streams of people and vehicles.

    This was the five-hundredth year since the founding of Wuyou City, a time of peak prosperity.

    A small life was born in the Xu family.

    "It''s born, it''s a boy."

    People gathered around, and the midwife pped the baby boy''s bottom, trying to make him cry, but he remained motionless, his eyes filled with confusion and vignce as he looked at the surrounding crowd and his parents.

    "Wow! This kid can bite!"

    "What strength!"

    "Haha, this child is naturallybative, with a ck mark on his forehead. Let''s call him Xu Hei."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wuyou City.

    "Boom!!"

    A loud explosion echoed from afar, and a figure in white was sted away, crashing heavily into the bricks and stones, blood spraying, head broken and bleeding.

    Xu Hei''s avatar happened to be passing by. He looked closely and realized it was Bai Qiushui, the young master of the Bai family.

    "Why is Bai Qiushui fighting with someone?"

    Xu Hei had some impression of him and quickly deduced the cause and effect.

    The Heavenly Puppet Sect hadunched a siege on all inheritors, including Bai Qiushui.

    In the distance, a young man in white chased after him, holding a Five Elemental Seal in his hand, within which wind, rain, thunder, and lightning roared and rotated endlessly.

    "Bai Qiushui, surrender. I don''t want to make things difficult for you!"

    Bai Luo''s voice came from afar. With a grip of the Five Elemental Seal, countless vines shot out, stabbing toward Bai Qiushui.

    Bai Qiushui, however, did not dodge, letting the vines pierce through as his body soared into the air, throwing a punch at Bai Luo. The shadow of his fist grew denser, like a storm, striking out thousands of times in an instant.

    "Boom boom boom..."

    Fists struck the void, shaking the heavens and earth. Bai Luo blocked all the attacks with just arge shield, and as a bolt of lightning struck, countless leg shadows descended at tricky angles. Bai Luo, d in silver armor, only emitted a dull sound, unharmed.

    A look of disdain shed in his eyes. This outdated way of fighting could only be taught by the Bai family.

    "The Bai family''s Fusion Fist and Lightning Leg are mastered to perfection by you, worthy of being the Bai family''s young master. But we are all cultivators; such physicalbat is useless!"

    Bai Luo summoned four flying swords, forming a sword formation that instantly shed Bai Qiushui, causing blood to flow and leaving countless wounds on his body, like rain falling.

    Xu Hei watched in astonishment.

    It was the first time he had seen a human cultivator use such a purely physical fighting style. Even the body cultivators of the Iron Mountain Sect had tempered their bodies countless times, their bodies as strong as refined iron. Tie Xiong and Tie Niu each possessed their own third-tier magical treasures.

    Bai Qiushui looked like an ordinary martial artist without any cultivation.

    No magical treasures, an unremarkable physical body, relying solely on leg techniques¡ªcould he defeat a cultivator?

    "Boom!!"

    Bai Qiushui fell from the sky, leaving a human-shaped imprint on the ground, his body covered in blood and bones shattered.

    Bai Luo''s eyes showed disdain, but he still generously advised, "Stop now, and I can pretend nothing happened before."

    Even among the Chosen, there are different levels.

    In his view, the gap between him and Bai Qiushui was at least three Zhou Wendies,pletely not on the same level.

    But just as he finished speaking, Bai Qiushui charged again, indifferent to his injuries.

    "Boom!"

    Bai Qiushui was knocked down again, his injuries worsening, but he charged again at an even faster speed, his eyes filled with fierce light.

    Three times, four times, five times... ten times!

    Blood stained the ground, wounds deep enough to see bone, spitting out blood-stained organs, yet Bai Qiushui seemed like an undying war god, constantly falling, rising, charging, falling again, and rising again.

    Each time he rose, hisbat power grew stronger, and the fierceness in his eyes intensified.

    As time passed, at first, Bai Luo thought the other had taken some pill, but gradually, he realized something was wrong.

    "Something''s not right!"

    Bai Luo squinted his eyes.

    Why couldn''t Bai Qiushui be defeated?

    Instead, the more severe his injuries, the stronger hisbat power?

    Not only him, but the onlookers from afar were also full of astonishment. Bai Qiushui was like an ancient war god, endlessly falling and rising, never dying.

    "The Etheric Undying Body, this was the physique of the White Emperor back in the day. I didn''t expect to see it today."

    Behind Xu Hei, Hei Huang''s voice was filled with surprise.

    "What is the Etheric Undying?" Xu Hei asked.

    "It means you can''t be killed. Who knows what fortune this kid obtained in the wood element area to gain the Etheric Undying Body. It''s much more formidable than that Zhou family''s girl''s Ice and Fire Dual Pupils!"

    Hei Huang clicked his tongue, "But just being unkible is useless. True Qi will eventually run out. It still needs to be paired with other cultivation techniques to unleash its power."

    In just a short moment.

    Bai Qiushui had already fallen a hundred times. Bai Luo had also tried using sealing and binding magical treasures, but they were ineffective, always being broken free.

    "Hmph, don''t me me then!"

    Bai Luo''s gaze turned cold, and the four flying swords beside him shot out like lightning, aiming to sever Bai Qiushui''s limbs and turn him into a human stick.

    "Ding!"

    Suddenly, the flying swords seemed to strike refined iron, rebounding from the thick spiritual power.

    At this moment, Bai Qiushui''s body was like ss, his skin crystal clear and transparent, as if ayer of water rippled within, exuding a terrifying pressure that was no weaker than the Core Formation Stage!

    Bai Luo''s calm eyes finally changed.

    Everyone''s expressions shifted simultaneously, looking at Bai Qiushui with waves of shock in their hearts.

    "Diamond Suppression Technique?" The Bai family''s Grand Elder eximed in astonishment.

    The Diamond Suppression Technique, by repeatedlypressing True Qi until it bes solid, achieving powerparable to True Essence!

    Once solidified, it can still bepressed again. Eachpression strengthens it a bit. Compressing ten times strengthens it tenfold!

    This was a cultivation technique created by the Bai family''s ancestor, and until now, no one but that war god had mastered it.

    Bai Qiushui became the second person.

    With Diamond Suppression, a Foundation Establishment cultivation can challenge Core Formation.

    And with the Etheric Undying Body, all the previous beatings were part of thepression process. After so manypressions, Bai Qiushui''s True Qi waspressed to an unimaginable degree.

    It turned out that his previous beatings were intentional, hiding his true purpose, all for this moment of reversal!

    "Boom!!!"

    Like a human cannonball, Bai Qiushui shot into the sky,unching an assault on the aloof and proud Bai Luo. His previously unremarkable fists and feet were now the strongest spells! The strongest magical treasures!

    A mortal ying an immortal, a Foundation Establishment challenging Core Formation, the weakest Chosen striking a fatal blow against the self-proimed strongest Chosen!

    "Useless!"

    Suddenly, three figures blocked the way. One was blown apart by a punch, but the other two simultaneously acted, locking Bai Qiushui''s fists from left and right, and sealing formations appeared instantly beneath his feet.

    In an instant, Bai Qiushui''spressed True Qi was rapidly sealed, his aura plummeting!

    Xu Hei''s pupils shrank to a point.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    These three figures, he had seen them before, were three of the seven in the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation! Their cultivation had reached the Core Formation Stage!

    These three appeared without warning, as if out of thin air, blocking in front of Bai Luo.

    There was only one exnation.

    These three were puppets!

 Chapter 246: What is good and evil?

    Chapter 246: What is good and evil?

    In the ancient relic, the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s cultivators were forbidden from entering. Bai Luo had sealed his puppet techniques and retrained in the White Emperor Sutra to blend in.

    But now, there was no need for that!

    If he wished, he could unseal himself and instantly revert to being the all-powerful number one Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect!

    Even after witnessing Xu Hei''s strength, Bai Luo still believed himself invincible, thinking the opponent only had a twenty percent chance of defeating him, and it wasn''t without reason. His confidence was not self-deception!

    Three Core Formation puppets were his trump card. Which Foundation Establishment Stage could withstand them?

    "You forced me to use my trump card and even destroyed a puppet. Bai Qiushui, you have enough to be proud of! But times have changed, and the Bai Family''sbat style is outdated!"

    Bai Luo''s voice was low, and countless spider-web-like threads emerged from the puppet, entangling Bai Qiushui.

    However, Bai Qiushui''s forward momentum was not halted; instead, his strength grew stronger. His entire body radiated a brilliant ze, and the two Core Formation puppets couldn''t stop him!

    Even the newly formed sealing formation was about to be broken."What?"

    Bai Luo''s pupils contracted as he saw a massive fist, unstoppable, break through the seal and crash into his face, leaving no room to dodge.

    The Bai Family''s Nuclear Fusion Fist!

    "Bang!!"

    A crisp sound of bones shattering echoed as Bai Luo''s nose copsed, his entire face caved in, teeth flying out like a kite with a broken string, crashing into the ruins, causing a thunderous vibration and creating a hundred-zhang-wide crater!

    "He actually broke through?"

    Xu Hei was full of shock. The sealing formation just now was already a simplified version of the Seven Star Dragon Lock Formation, yet Bai Qiushui broke through it.

    Without using a single spell, relying purely on physical strength, was the Diamond Suppression Technique really that powerful?

    "Xu Hei, who do you think will win?" Hei Huangughed.

    "How would I know?" Xu Hei shook his head.

    Bai Luo spat out a mouthful of blood, seeing Bai Qiushui dive down like a meteor. He no longer held back, summoning arge number of mechanical puppets, forming a battle formation with full firepower coverage.

    Bai Qiushui didn''t use any defensive magical artifacts, allowing the shells to hit him without fear. His body friction sparked, like a brilliant star, crashing down from the sky.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    On one side were the advanced spell mechanisms of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, on the other, the Bai Family''s traditional hand-to-handbat.

    This battle was not only a contest of strength but also a sh of ideologies.

    Two Chosen of the Bai Family''s generation had embarked onpletely different paths!

    Bai Qiushui, with a determination to die, took out the Thunder Tribtion Pearl. Was it really just for himself? For Mo Wuyou''s inheritance?

    No!

    "Bai Luo, I will use the Bai Family''s fists and feet that you look down upon to utterly destroy you!!!"

    Bai Qiushui''s eyes zed with immense fire, and with a long roar, he charged towards the endless army of puppets, apanied by fists and feet crashing down from the sky.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wuyou City, Yunlu Academy.

    "Teacher, you always say that human nature is inherently good, but I see that little Xu from the Xu family is clearly inherently evil!"

    "Just born and already biting people, at three he can crush a chick to death, at five he uses a slingshot to shoot birds, and often bullies other children. If not for his parents'' discipline, who knows what trouble he might cause."

    In front of the academy, Sun Qing spoke to an elderly gentleman with white hair.

    The old gentleman shook his head, "The little one from the Xu family is just mischievous, how can that be rted to evil? Next year his parents will send him here to study, and his temperament will naturally improve."

    It had been eight years since Xu Hei was born.

    Xu Hei retained the nature of a snake, full of hostility towards any foreign object. While ordinary people would fear killing chickens or ughtering cattle, he could wield the knife himself.

    The little tyrant of the world, Xu the Butcher, the king of children... at just eight years old, he had earned a series of titles.

    He didn''t understand what good and evil were, only knowing that anything threatening him must be eliminated!

    But within Wuyou City, nothing posed a threat to him.

    Under the meticulous care of his parents, day after day, year after year, Xu Hei finally restrained his temper somewhat, no longer attacking people unprovoked.

    "Tomorrow you''re going to Yunlu Academy, Xu Hei, you must listen to the teacher and not cause trouble!"

    "If you''re wronged, juste home, don''t get into fights outside!"

    His parents'' repeated reminders were etched in Xu Hei''s mind.

    At night, Xu Hei went to his room and took out a snake as long as an arm from under the bed.

    This was a pet snake, entirely golden yellow, with a gentle temperament.

    Originally a fierce species, but after years of Xu Hei''s nurturing, it no longer had any aggression, even its venomous fangs had fallen out.

    Like a wolf tamed into a dog; a wild chicken tamed into a domestic one.

    In a peaceful and carefree environment, the snake lost its fangs, and Xu Hei learned to care for a pet.

    "Hei Huang, tomorrow I''m going to the academy, do you want toe with me?" Xu Hei asked.

    Hei Huang was the name of the pet snake.

    The little yellow snake only flicked its tongue, and Xu Hei seemed to understand its meaning, nodding, "Alright, I''ll take you with me!"

    The next day, at Yunlu Academy.

    When a snake crawled out of Xu Hei''s bag, it instantly caused an uproar.

    "Run, there''s a snake!"

    "Someone help!"

    "Get him out of here!"

    Various urgent cries rang out, and for a moment, the scene was chaotic and disorderly.

    In the end, it was the old gentleman who stepped in, calming everyone down.

    "This kid is a bad seed, he can''t stay here!"

    "Keeping a snake as a pet is too dangerous!"

    Despite everyone''s strong persuasion, the old gentleman still decided to keep Xu Hei, but the price was to release the snake.

    Originally, the demand was to kill it, but after much debate, it was changed to releasing it.

    "Why can''t snakes be allowed? They''re living creatures too, why treat them differently?" Xu Hei was very confused.

    Some at the academy kept birds, some kept fish, some kept cats, but snakes were not allowed! Even without fangs, it wasn''t allowed!

    Remembering his parents'' advice, Xu Hei gritted his teeth and released the little snake into the pond behind the mountain. From then on, he woulde here every day to feed it.

    From then on, Xu Hei had a confusion in his heart: the good and evil people spoke of had double standards.

    Xu Hei found the teacher and asked, "Teacher, what is goodness?"

    "Goodness, you can understand it as being kind to others, helping each other, being sincere, and having a positive impact on everything," the old gentleman replied.

    Xu Hei was silent for a moment, then said, "Are people born this way?"

    The old gentleman smiled, "In Wuyou City, yes! Human nature is inherently good."

    "What if it''s in a dangerous environment?" Xu Hei asked again.

    The answer Xu Hei received was a long silence.

    After a long time, the old gentleman said, "Xu Hei, when you grow up, we can discuss this question again."

    A monthter.

    When Xu Hei came to the pond behind the mountain as usual to feed Hei Huang, he found that the little golden snake had long been dead¡ªit had been eaten by a wild cat.

    Xu Hei squatted by the pond, staring at the snake''s iplete body, as if he were dumbfounded, lost in a long daze.

    From the traces on the ground, Hei Huang had tried to fight back.

    But in a peaceful environment, it had lost its fangs, its most powerful weapon for self-defense, and once it went into the wild, it was doomed to die.

 Chapter 247: What is good and evil?

    Chapter 247: What is good and evil?

    Zhang Tie''s arm swelled, transforming into a demonic hand, and with lightning speed, it reached for Xu Qingfeng''s back.

    "Watch out!"

    "Ugh!"

    Xu Qingfeng couldn''t dodge in time, and his back was pierced by a palm strike. Blood gushed out wildly, even his protective True Essence was shattered by the blow.

    "Zhang Tie, you..."

    Xu Qingfeng looked incredulously at his friend behind him.

    At this moment, Zhang Tie''s eyes were pitch ck, devoid of emotion, and his body was emitting a sinister demonic aura. ck hair sprouted on his arms and body, and his teeth were bing sharp.

    Zhang Tie had sumbed to madness!

    "Haha! Xu Qingfeng, Zhang Tie hasn''t gone mad; he''s lost his reason and returned to his true nature. Humanity is inherently evil; this is his nature. Killing and plundering, that''s the primal instinct!" Li Siughed heartily.A powerful suction appeared on Zhang Tie''s arm, drawing Xu Qingfeng''s True Essence into his body. This technique of absorbing others'' True Qi was extremely dangerous and malicious.

    Originally, Zhang Tie had sealed this technique, vowing never to use it again, but now he had unleashed it once more.

    Xu Qingfeng did not resist, his eyes bloodshot, he looked at Zhang Tie calmly and said, "Zhang Tie, look at me, wake up!"

    Zhang Tie remained unmoved.

    He continued to absorb and plunder others, strengthening himself. This was thew of nature, the essence of living beings.

    "Xu Qingfeng, humanity is inherently evil, you''ve lost!" Li Si sneered coldly.

    Nearby, the army surrounded Yunlu Academy, all brandishing magical treasures and weapons, ready to attack at amand.

    "Xu Qingfeng, I heard you even supported a snake. Unfortunately, it''s nothing but a white-eyed wolf, the worst of the worst. What else do you have to say? Admit defeat!" Li Si said.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    "Boom!"

    Bai Qiushui fell from the sky, crashing into the ground, adding another deep pit to the already scarred earth.

    He was covered in blood, his flesh mangled, and he had lost count of how many times he had gotten back up.

    At this moment, he was like a zombie without consciousness, tirelessly falling and rising, repeating the process in a daze, like a walking corpse.

    "Bai Qiushui, you''ve lost! The times have changed, body cultivation should have been eliminated long ago. Even demonic beasts have started using spells, why are you, a human, so stubborn?"

    Around Bai Luo,yers of puppet battle formations were set up, with puppet cannons, puppet chariots, ground spike traps, and poison arrays with thunders...

    He had fully utilized thebat methods of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    With such advanced spells, how could mere flesh and bloodpare?

    "I... have not... lost..."

    Bai Qiushui got up once more, staggering towards Bai Luo, his speed like that of an old man, even slower than the Qi Refining Stage. Step by step, he raised his fist and walked forward.

    This time, Bai Luo did not attack, only a look of mockery and a hint of regret shed in his eyes.

    "Thud!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Bai Qiushui fell to the ground.

    Without encountering any attack, he copsed, his blood drained, his body covered in wounds, and his bones exposed, lying in front of Bai Luo.

    Bai Luo shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips.

    In the end, he still won.

    Just as his smile appeared, a twinge of pain shot through his face, a reminder of the Nuclear Fusion Fist from the Bai Family that had struck him.

    He touched his face, the lingering pain casting a shadow over his victory.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Southern Region, headquarters of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    On this day, Qin Xuanji personally visited, prompting many ancestors to emerge from seclusion, and the current sect leader, Xu Qingzhi, weed him with open arms.

    "I''vee to ask you to catch a snake. Can you do it?"

    Qin Xuanji got straight to the point.

    "We can!"

    Xu Qingzhi immediately understood his intention, his eyes flickering as he replied in a deep voice, "As long as we have the blood or scales of the target, I can catch it, even if it''s a rtive of the same species."

    Qin Xuanji nodded slightly and waved his hand.

    Behind him, puppet chariots slowly drove into the Snake Catchers Sect, loaded with various snakes, all bound by chains, cart after cart, returning fully loaded.

    Everyone nced briefly, their hearts shocked. There were at least over a million, possibly reaching tens of millions!

    "This is..." Xu Qingzhi was stunned.

    Cart after cart, it took a full hour to transport them all into the Snake Catchers Sect, piling up so much that not even a mountain could contain them, filling the sky and earth.

    Even for the Snake Catchers Sect, such a number of snakes was rare!

    "This is a gift, a total of ten million snakes. I''ve nearly cleaned out all the snakes in the Southern Region, and I''ve specifically marked those from Myriad Serpent Valley, which should include the kin of that ck snake," Qin Xuanji said calmly.

    The members of the Snake Catchers Sect exchanged nces, filled with doubt and uncertainty.

    They had long suspected that the ck snake was secretly raised by the Heavenly Puppet Sect, and Qin Xuanji had specifically instructed them not to capture it.

    But now, Qin Xuanji personally came, specifically asking to capture that snake!

    What did this mean? Everyone had their own spections.

    Regardless, they had to aplish this task!

    Even if Qin Xuanji didn''t arrange it, they would still grind that snake to dust.

    "I will ensure this task ispleted!"

    Xu Qingzhi cupped his fists and bowed.

    With ten million snakes, even if he couldn''t immediately break through to the Elemental Infant stage, reaching the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage and keeping pace with Qin Xuanji was no problem!

    This was a great opportunity and fortune for the Snake Catchers Sect, unprecedented! With the backing of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they would soar to great heights!

    "Very well, I give you half a month."

    Leaving these words, Qin Xuanji turned and left.

    After leaving the Snake Catchers Sect, he went to Chuyang City and summoned Elder Dog, instructing, "The Xiao Family no longer needs to exist."

    "Huh? Aren''t you going to recruit Xiao Chou?" Elder Ding Quan was taken aback.

    Qin Xuanji merely shook his head self-deprecatingly.

    Initially, he had seen potential in Xiao Chou and made various arrangements, going to great lengths to win him over, but repeatedly failed, and Xiao Chou even joined the Chu Tian Alliance.

    This was clearly a p in his face!

    Everything he had done seemedughably foolish.

    "The facts prove that gentle methods have no effect. Only with an iron fist, only through killing, can one make others submit! Kindness? How ridiculous! Only through extreme evil can one reign supreme!"

    Qin Xuanji sneered and shook his head, instructing, "Exterminate the entire Xiao Family, extract everyone''s souls, and make them into soul banners to take to the Wu Mountain ruins!"

    Elder Ding Quan was astonished, but after a moment of silence, he cupped his fists and said, "Yes! I will carry out your orders immediately!"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the end, Xu Hei was persuaded to leave the academy.

    His nature was too unruly, one could even describe it as "evil," making him unsuitable for life at the academy, so he returned home to farm with his father.

    The Xu Family was known as melon farmers in the east of the city, cultivating several acres of watermelons, living a life free from want.

    "Xu Hei, it''s okay if you don''t study. I, your father, can''t read a word, and I''m doing just fine!" Xu Daniuughed, patting Xu Hei on the shoulder.

    Xu Hei said nothing, just continued weeding in the melon field.

    These weeds would hinder the growth of the watermelons and had to be removed, a task he performed daily.

    Weeds would steal nutrients from the watermelons, something his father had taught him.

    "Father, do you think nts have good and evil?" Xu Hei suddenly asked.

    "Haha, nts don''t have good or evil. Have you gone mad from studying?" Xu Daniuughed and scolded.

    "But the teacher said that as long as you plunder from others, it''s evil!" Xu Hei replied.

    "..." Xu Daniu was momentarily stunned, taking a long time to recover, unsure of how to respond.

    After a long silence, heughed awkwardly, "How can nts bepared to people? The teacher must be right, listen to the teacher, not me. I, your father, am uneducated."

 Chapter 248: The End of True Qi Compression

    Chapter 248: The End of True Qi Compression

    Three yearster.

    With the widespread use of mechanism techniques, Xu Hei no longer needed to manually weed; using a weeding machine, he could easily clear all the weeds.

    The free farm vehicle could automatically fertilize and water the fields, saving a lot of effort. There was even a mechanical dog to help drive away wild boars.

    This gave Xu Hei more free time.

    "Xu Hei, since you don''t want to study, how about practicing martial arts? I see the martial arts school is recruiting young people. As long as you pass the test, you can be selected."

    During dinner, Xu Daniu suggested at the table.

    Xu Hei''s mother also agreed.

    The technology in Wuyou City was bing increasingly advanced, freeing up manpower to do what they wanted.

    "Alright, I can give it a try," Xu Hei nodded.That night, Xu Hei returned to his bedroom and said to a ck snake by the window, "Xiao Hei, I''m going to the martial arts school tomorrow. I won''t be taking you this time, so you don''t end up like Xiao Huangst time."

    The ck snake seemed to understand and nodded its head.

    This was a pet snake Xu Daniu had bought for Xu Hei three years ago.

    The death of Hei Huang had been a big blow to Xu Hei, and his father thought of this way tofort him.

    Although Xiao Hei was a snake, it was soft all over, had no teeth, and even its bones were soft, more like a big earthworm.

    It was a new breed cultivated in the environment of Wuyou City, gentle in temperament andpletely non-aggressive.

    The next day.

    Xu Hei arrived at the martial arts school and queued up for a physical test.

    When it was Xu Hei''s turn, the master at the martial arts school checked him over and was instantly shocked, quickly running into the school.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Soon, a white-bearded elder came out, holding a crystal ball.

    "Quick, ce your hand on it!" the white-bearded elder urged.

    Xu Hei ced his palm on it, and the crystal ball immediately emitted a dazzling brown light.

    "An exceptional Earth Spiritual Root, a candidate for cultivation!" the white-bearded elder eximed.

    "Cultivation!"

    Everyone showed expressions of shock and envy.

    Most of Wuyou City''s poption were mortals, but there were also many cultivation candidates. The advanced mechanism techniques were created by those cultivators.

    An hourter.

    Xu Hei was taken to the City Lord''s mansion to meet the legendary City Lord.

    This person appeared middle-aged, with a gentle and amiable demeanor, a kind smile, clearly a benevolent person. His name was Gongshu Wuyou.

    "Xu Hei, you are the thirtieth person in a thousand years in Wuyou City to have an exceptional spiritual root," Gongshu Wuyou said with a smile.

    Xu Hei lowered his head, silent.

    "I now offer you two choices: one, be my disciple, learn the Puppet Mechanism Technique from me, and be a master."

    "The previous twenty-nine all chose this path, and now each of them is outstanding."

    "Two..." Gongshu Wuyou paused here, "return to the martial arts school and train in martial arts with Mr. Bai, since it was he who sent you here."

    "I choose the second!" Xu Hei made his choice without hesitation.

    Gongshu Wuyou was stunned, staring at Xu Hei for a long while, incredulous, "Why?"

    He couldn''t believe that a disciple with an exceptional spiritual root would choose traditional martial arts over cultivation, which was for mortals to temper their bodies!

    A promising cultivation candidate choosing to refine the physical body seemed like a waste of talent.

    "I don''t want to adapt to Wuyou City''s environment; I want to forge my own path," Xu Hei answered after a long silence.

    Gongshu Wuyou''s gaze fixed on him, and after several breaths, he nodded, "Alright, it''s your choice. I hope you don''t regret it."

    A momentter.

    Xu Hei returned to the martial arts school and met Mr. Bai.

    Mr. Bai was over sixty, with white hair, showing no trace of an immortal''s aura, more like an elderly mortal who enjoyed exercising.

    "Xu Hei, since you''ve returned to the martial arts school, let me make it clear: you will be treated the same as other students, with no special privileges. Do you understand?" Mr. Bai said sternly.

    "I understand!" Xu Hei nodded.

    "Very well! Today''s lesson is to temper your physical body, clear your meridians, and harden your bones!" Mr. Bai said harshly.

    Tempering the physical body meant taking a beating!

    Xu Hei was hit with various sticks, his bones fractured, and he was half-dead, only barely recovering after soaking in a medicinal bath.

    The second day, the third day, this continued for a year, every day the same.

    Initially, ten strikes were enough to knock Xu Hei down. Later, it took twenty, fifty, a hundred...

    Now, no amount of sticks could make Xu Hei fall.

    Not only had his physical body and bones been tempered to an extraordinary degree, but his willpower also far surpassed that of ordinary people.

    Afterward, there were various harsh trials.

    The children who started with Xu Hei had long given up, with more than half eliminated, but Xu Hei endured it all without even frowning.

    Xu Hei vaguely felt that even though he hadn''t practiced breathing exercises, his strength was advancing rapidly, not at all inferior to an immortal.

    Five yearster.

    Xu Hei was now sixteen, considered an adult in Wuyou City.

    "Xu Hei, in a thousand years, you are the first with an exceptional spiritual root to join the martial arts school and the first to endure so long without falling."

    Mr. Bai stood before him, unchanged from years ago, with no signs of aging, time leaving no mark.

    He looked at Xu Hei, his expression serious, "Now, I will teach you a cultivation technique."

    "A cultivation technique?" Xu Hei was taken aback, puzzled, "Isn''t that something only immortals learn?"

    "Hehe, who says only immortals can learn it?"

    Mr. Bai smiled meaningfully, "This technique is known as the strongest body cultivation technique, called... Diamond Suppression Technique!"

    Xu Hei was stunned, murmuring to himself, "Diamond Suppression Technique."

    "This technique has a unique aspect; it tests not the physical body, not the spiritual root, nor talent, but willpower!" Mr. Bai said.

    "As long as your willpower is strong enough, your True Qi can bepressed infinitely!"

    "Do you know what infinitepression means?"

    Mr. Bai smiled at him.

    Xu Hei shook his head, bewildered.

    "Infinite means invincible!"

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Bai Qiushuiy on the ground, his blood drained, and the halo of inheritance emerged from his body.

    Bai Luo raised his hand and absorbed the halo.

    He shook his head and was about to turn away.

    Suddenly, Bai Qiushui''s fingertip twitched.

    It was just a small movement, then nothing more, even his life force vanished.

    "Dead?"

    Bai Luo frowned slightly, ignoring it.

    But at that moment, he noticed a tiny ck particle shooting out from Bai Qiushui''s fingertip.

    The particle was so small, less than dust, moving slowly into the air.

    Where it passed, the light dimmed, and the space slightly twisted towards the center, as if a strange force field was present.

    "What is this..."

    Bai Luo''s pupils contracted, his Divine Sense unable to detect any energy, yet an indescribable fear surged from his spine to his head.

 Chapter 249: Mr. Bais legacy

    Chapter 249: Mr. Bai''s legacy

    The ck sand tore through the void, creating a strange force field that caused the surrounding space to continuously copse towards the center. It was like the Minor Annihtion Talisman, but even more bizarre.

    "What is this?"

    Before Xu Hei''s avatar could take a closer look, Hei Huang grabbed him and quickly retreated.

    "Buzz!!"

    In the instant the two demons retreated, the attraction force suddenly intensified, drawing everything nearby towards the ck sand, devouring everything in its path without exception!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Even the space itself waspletely sunken, forming a broken void.

    Xu Hei immediately thought of the Minor Annihtion Talisman, which could cause a simr effect.

    Bai Luo''s puppets, mechanical formations, spiritual power treasures... everything was sucked in. No matter what kind of spell it was, it seemed powerless at this moment.

    "How could this happen? What is this?!"From afar, Bai Luo''s scream echoed.

    Too far away to see what was happening, Xu Hei''s Divine Sense was forced to retract as Hei Huang continued to pull him back.

    Finally¡ª

    "Buzz!"

    A deafening roar echoed in the distance, and a blinding light illuminated everything, as if all things had vanished.

    "Boom!!"

    The sky shook, the sun and moon lost their light, and the terrifying power was unmatched, as if it had reached a critical point, even the space couldn''t bear it and was copsing.

    Xu Hei waspletely stunned.

    "Is the Diamond Suppression Technique really that powerful?" Xu Hei eximed in shock.

    "Of course! It''s a technique created by the White Emperor, no weaker than Gongshu Zi''s Divine Puppet Technique, one of the strongest techniques of our time," Hei Huang said solemnly.

    "It''s just that no one can master the Diamond Suppression Technique, so it''s not well-known, unlike puppet techniques, which even you can cultivate."

    He added another sentence.

    What do you mean even I can cultivate... Xu Hei was speechless, as if he was being called weak.

    "Compared to the Heavenly Demon Technique you always talk about, which is stronger?" Xu Hei asked again.

    This question stumped Hei Huang.

    He was silent for a long time before answering, "They''re about equal. The Heavenly Demon Technique is also one of the strongest techniques of our time!"

    When he mentioned the strongest, his tone was firm and unquestionable.

    "Then,pared to the creator of the Heavenly Demon Technique, who is stronger, the White Emperor or him?" Xu Hei pressed on.

    Hei Huang turned to look at him, "Can you ask another question?"

    "..." Xu Hei was taken aback.

    "By the way, are those two dead?" Xu Hei looked at the void in the distance, puzzled.

    "If there''s no external interference, they''re likely both dead," Hei Huang pondered.

    "Rumble..."

    Suddenly, the world trembled violently, the void shook, and the entire Wuyou City felt it, as if an unprecedented earthquake had erupted.

    Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the sky in unison.

    Xu Hei and Hei Huang also looked up, focusing on the sky above.

    A narrow beam of light appeared on the pitch-ck sky, like a crack opening in the sky, with sunlight streaming in.

    Then, the ground began to rise, as if the entire city was being lifted straight up!

    Due to inertia, everyone was knocked to the ground.

    "What''s happening?"

    "Wuyou City is flying!"

    In every corner of the city, people were shocked and moved.

    The crack in the sky grewrger, and light poured into the city, seemingly connecting to the outside world.

    And the Wuyou City they were in was flying towards the outside world.

    "What a grand gesture! This ancient city is about to see the light of day again," Hei Huang eximed.

    Xu Hei was too shocked to say a word.

    Everyone knew that Wuyou City was a hidden underground city, never seeing the sun, and now, someone was pulling it up from underground.

    What a grand gesture! Who could aplish this?

    "Once we reach the outside, the Yin energy will decrease, and without it to sustain the formation, Wuyou City will eventually fall. By the way, has your true self awakened yet?" Hei Huang urged.

    "No," Xu Hei shook his head.

    At this moment, as Wuyou City ascended, some figures attempted to rush into the city, only to be blocked by an invisible formation.

    The process was very long.

    "Return to the Chu Tian Alliance, there''s trouble there."

    Hei Huang and Xu Hei quickly returned.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    This was Xu Hei''s third year cultivating the Diamond Suppression Technique.

    This method of cultivation, relying solely on honing the physical body without breathing exercises, was something ordinary people couldn''t endure. The pain he experienced was ten or a hundred times that of ordinary cultivators, no wonder no one could persist.

    In Wuyou City, where generations lived infort and ease, who would do such a thing?

    However, after prolonged torment, Xu Hei had grown ustomed to it.

    ording to Mr. Bai, this technique primarily trained the physical body, but more importantly, it honed the spirit and willpower!

    "In the early stages, the physical body is the bridge for the spirit, the carrier of the spirit."

    "But in theter stages, the mortal body is no longer the carrier, but a shackle! Your spirit must surpass the physical body, break the shackles of the flesh, connect to the heavens with your mind, and transform into the divine!"

    Xu Hei only half-understood Mr. Bai''s words.

    He was still far from that level, and what he needed to do now was to hone his physical body and continuously refine his spirit and will until the day he surpassed his physical body.

    Interestingly enough.

    As Xu Hei cultivated, his little ck snake at home also gradually grew stronger, its body no longer soft and weak.

    "Xu Hei, you''re twenty years old this year, and it''s time for me to leave."

    Mr. Bai found him and spoke with a smile.

    "Leave?"

    Xu Hei was stunned and quickly said, "Why are you leaving? And my cultivation technique, I''ve just started."

    "Getting started is enough. The road ahead is yours to walk alone; I can''t teach you much more."

    Mr. Bai smiled gently, speaking slowly, "I stayed in this world to find a sessor, to prevent this technique from being lost. Now that my wish is fulfilled, it''s time to leave."

    Mr. Bai looked towards the boundless sky, his eyes filled with longing and nostalgia.

    Xu Hei looked on in confusion, his mind filled with questions and doubts.

    Sessor? Lost? Stay in this world? Leave?

    Xu Hei''s mind buzzed with so many questions that he didn''t know where to start.

    At this moment, Mr. Bai took out an ancient map and handed it over.

    Xu Hei nced at it, and the map had four names written on it: Superior Immortal Da Luo, Heavenly Demon Scattered Person, Tian Jizi, and Green Emperor.

    Each name was written with a different stroke, as if penned by different people, each carrying a unique aura. Just a nce brought an indescribable sense of oppression.

    Superior Immortal Da Luo, radiant with golden light, celestial music lingering. Heavenly Demon Scattered Person, demonic aura soaring, evil thoughts rampant.

    Tian Jizi, the path of change, mysterious and profound. Green Emperor, life-giving, blessings descending.

    "This is..."

    Xu Hei took several steps back, as if unable to bear the powerful wills, but with a wave from Mr. Bai, he returned to normal.

    "These four people once came to challenge me. After our encounters, they left their names. As long as you hold this map and find them, they will fulfill one request unconditionally," Mr. Bai said with a smile.

    "..." Xu Hei remained silent.

    He took a deep breath and guessed, "Are these four people your defeated opponents?"

    Leaving their names and promising to fulfill a request clearly indicated they lost the challenge and willingly epted the penalty.

    Mr. Bai simply shook his head, "In the path of cultivation, is there really a distinction between victory and defeat?"

 Chapter 250: Born in darkness

    Chapter 250: Born in darkness

    Xu Hei carefully took the ancient map and stored it away.

    At that moment, he witnessed a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.

    In the sky above, a rift suddenly appeared, as if a heavenly gate had opened. Within this gate was a vortex leading straight to the heavens.

    This sight was invisible to mortals and cultivators alike, only visible in the area where Xu Hei stood.

    From the vortex, a hazy light emanated, shining upon Mr. Bai, as if celestial energy was cascading down, guiding him to ascend to the heavens.

    Mr. Bai looked up at the sky, seemingly reminiscing, savoring the moment. He turned back to nce at Xu Hei, stepped forward, and patted his shoulder.

    "Xu Hei, from now on, you''re on your own," Mr. Bai said with a smile.

    Xu Hei hurriedly knelt and bowed.

    "Farewell, Mr. Bai!"Under Xu Hei''s gaze, Mr. Bai soared into the sky, transforming into a white streak of light, flying higher and higher, until he disappeared into the heavenly gate.

    City Lord''s Mansion.

    Gongshu Wuyou lifted his head, gazing beyond the clouds, as a stream of celestial energy descended, enveloping him. Dao rhythms flowed, divine light surrounded him, and countless insights emerged in his heart.

    After a long while, Gongshu Wuyou opened his eyes, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Bai!"

    He sat cross-legged, his eyes no longer hesitant.

    "Divine Transformation Stage," he silently recited in his heart.

    ¡­¡­

    The next day.

    The news of Mr. Bai''s departure spread throughout the martial arts school, and after Xu Hei declined the position, the inheritance fell to Senior Sister Bai Wei.

    Bai Wei was not Mr. Bai''s descendant, merely adopted by him and named Bai Wei.

    In terms of seniority, she grew up in the martial arts school, had been there the longest, and had the highest cultivation level.

    Her appointment as the head of the school was widely supported.

    "Sister Bai Wei, Mr. Bai''s cultivation technique is too difficult to learn. I want to simplify it and pass it on to future generations. That way, even after I''m gone, the technique won''t be lost," Xu Hei suggested.

    The woman in front of him had short hair tied up, a lithe and heroic figure, exuding a sense of strength¡ªthis was Bai Wei.

    "That makes sense! Although the technique is difficult to learn, Mr. Bai''s martial arts skills and physicalbat techniques can be passed down and integrated. What should we call it?" Bai Wei hesitated.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you know Mr. Bai''s real name?"

    Bai Wei shook her head, "I don''t know. Everyone calls him Mr. Bai; that''s how it''s always been."

    She paused, then hesitated again, "However, I heard from the older generation that someone once came from outside the city and called him the White Emperor."

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he nodded, "Then let''s call it the White Emperor Sutra."

    "The White Emperor Sutra... what a great name!" Bai Wei''s eyes lit up.

    The Diamond Suppression Technique was not only difficult to master, but its name was also somewhat rustic. Renaming it to the White Emperor Sutra after simplifying it was perfect; it sounded like an unparalleled divine skill.

    ¡­¡­

    Wuyou City, City Lord''s Mansion.

    A rift opened in the space, and a demonic hand reached out from within, followed by a pair of eyes as dark as ink.

    Then, a pitch-ck body crawled out of the rift, filled with demonic energy, and approached Gongshu Wuyou.

    This was a demonic body, without features, only eyes.

    At this moment, it looked at Gongshu Wuyou, its appearance slowly changing until it became identical to Gongshu Wuyou.

    Gongshu Wuyou opened his eyes, looked at the figure before him, and said, "The extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon has finally arrived."

    Breaking through to the Divine Transformation Stage often attracted extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons!

    Or rather, Inner Demons!

    This was almost an irond rule since ancient times.

    The extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon sneered, "Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, what an outdated name. From today on, I shall be called Mo Wuyou, how about that?"

    "Your Dao is the Dao of Wuyou; I will turn the Dao of Wuyou into something illusory!"

    Mo Wuyou mimicked his actions, sitting cross-legged and facing him.

    The struggle of the Great Dao was a life-and-death battle.

    Gongshu Wuyou simply looked at him calmly and said, "My Dao heart is unbreakable by anyone!"

    "Hahaha!" Mo Wuyouughed wildly, "Is that so? I will make you understand how fragile your so-called peace and worry-free life is!"

    ¡­¡­n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    A sudden famine swept through Wuyou City.

    For three whole years, there was a severe drought, and not a single grain was harvested.

    Initially, cultivators could use spiritual energy to hasten the growth of nts, but as time passed, spiritual energy became increasingly scarce, and crops could no longer be grown.

    Three yearster, a gue targeting cultivators broke out, even bringing down those who practiced cultivation.

    People ate all the birds, all the rats, even the grass and tree roots were consumed.

    The poption plummeted, and corpses littered the streets.

    Mortals, ustomed to peace and worry-free life, were utterly vulnerable in the face of such natural disasters.

    ¡­¡­

    In reality.

    Wuyou City, after a long period of elevation, had risen to the surface, recing arge area of the Wu Mountain Range.

    The sky remained gray and sunless, with the clouds of Wu Mountain looming over everyone''s hearts.

    Such a magnificent scene shook everyone''s soul.

    The long-hidden Wuyou City had reemerged into the daylight!

    At the entrance of Yunlu Academy.

    Xu Qingfeng was half-kneeling on the ground, with all members of the Chu Tian Alliance severely injured, blood flowing like a river.

    The statue of the sage was right in front of him, the threerge characters "Innate Goodness" stained red with blood.

    Li Si looked ahead and sneered, "Xu Qingfeng, you still refuse to admit defeat!"

    With a wave of his hand, a recording jade slip appeared, projecting the scene within.

    It showed the Qin army besieging the city, the famine within the city.

    People eating each other, burning bones for fuel, exchanging children for food.

    Li Si had witnessed such scenes countless times and had be numb to them, but in Xu Qingfeng''s eyes, it was the final straw that broke the camel''s back.

    "Xu Qingfeng, stubbornness is useless. This is the truth! In times of peace, evil thoughts are hidden, but when disaster strikes, they are all exposed!"

    "Burning bones for fuel, exchanging children for food! Do you see it? This is the innate goodness you speak of! Hahaha! How ridiculous!"

    Li Siughed maniacally.

    Xu Qingfeng spat out blood and fell heavily to the ground, the inheritance halo within him finally leaving his body, ready to drift away.

    In this debate, he had ultimately lost!

    Lostpletely!

    His body was dead, his Dao heart extinguished, and from then on, Xu Qingfeng would cease to exist.

    At this moment, Yin Mingzi of the Snake Catchers Sect also arrived, with a ball of snake blood in his palm, forming a bloodline pointing straight to the depths beneath Yunlu Academy.

    "That snake disappeared underground here! I can''t sense it specifically; it must have been transferred by the Chu Tian Alliance''s formation!"

    Yin Mingzi said coldly.

    This was a blood source tracking technique, with thetest snake blood sent by the sect master, sharing the same origin as Xu Hei.

    "Oh?"

    Li Si raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Xu Qingfeng really has lost his mind, trusting not even people but a snake, giving him an opportunity for enlightenment. Isn''t thatughable?"

    Yin Mingzi said, "No matter, let''s destroy the Chu Tian Alliance first, then dig this ce open. Even if it''s hidden in a spatial rift, we''ll find it!"

    As soon as he finished speaking.

    A ck snake suddenly burst from the ground, fully unleashing its ever-changing fish and dragon form, transforming into a shadow as it shot towards Yin Mingzi, its body rapidly expanding mid-air.

    "Xu Hei, are you sure you want to do this?" Hei Huang was surprised.

    "Some things must be done, even if they seem impossible!" Xu Hei''s eyes were resolute.

    The moment Xu Hei charged out, the floating inheritance halo suddenly paused.

    The once hopeless Xu Qingfeng, upon seeing Xu Hei''s transformation, regained a glimmer of spirit in his eyes.

    "Xu Qingfeng, don''t lose to this person; your choice was not wrong!"

    After leaving those words, Xu Hei flew towards Yin Mingzi, and under the astonished gazes of everyone, his body suddenly expanded, true energy condensed to a single point.

    In the next second, a deafening dragon roar echoed through the heavens and earth.

 Chapter 251: Heart towards the light

    Chapter 251: Heart towards the light

    In the year of great famine, people resorted to cannibalism.

    Yet, in the ancient times within the famine-stricken Wuyou City, a strange scene unfolded.

    Many had starved to death indoors, but no one scavenged the bodies for food, nor did anyone break into others'' homes to steal grain.

    In the outside world, no one could exin this phenomenon.

    But in Wuyou City, where doors were left unlocked and nothing was picked up from the roads, this was quite ordinary.

    When people are ustomed to kindness, no onemits evil.

    Whenever an evil thought arose, seeing Xu Hei''s busy figure, they would silently retract their intentions.

    Xu Hei returned home after a day of hard work.

    For years, he had been hunting outside. Initially, he could catch wild boars and deer, butter, only mice, weeds, and wild vegetables were left.Now, even wild vegetables were gone, and tree roots had been eaten up.

    Xu Hei had long practiced inedia and could survive without eating or drinking, but due to the gue, his True Qi was depleted, and he was gravely ill, almost like a mortal.

    Not eating would also lead to hunger.

    "Father, Mother, I found a sweet potato. Let''s make some porridge."

    Xu Hei took out a sweet potato, chopped it up, put it in a pot, added some rotten grass grains, and cooked a big pot of porridge.

    "Child, you eat. Mother is not hungry!" Xu''s mother said weakly from the bed.

    Xu Daniu was also beside her, eyes closed.

    "Your father isn''t hungry either, eat up." Xu''s mother smiled kindly.

    Xu Hei seemed to sense something, his body stiffened, and he quickly moved closer.

    Xu Daniuy on the bed, his breath faint.

    Xu''s mother still had her eyes open, but they were losing focus.

    "Father, Mother!" Xu Hei called out anxiously.

    But neither could respond anymore.

    He quickly filled a bowl with porridge and brought it to his parents, but they just turned their heads away, unwilling to take a bite.

    Tears streamed down Xu Hei''s face.

    How could he not understand? His parents were clearly refusing to eat, hoping to leave more for him, so he could have a bit more.

    Xu Hei was the hope of the family.

    They would rather starve to death than let their child suffer from cold and hunger!

    If there is kindness in the world, then parents are the greatest embodiment of it!

    Xu Hei knelt on the ground, constantly begging them to take a bite of porridge, but the two remained unmoved.

    It was too little, a rotten sweet potato couldn''t sustain them for long.

    "Father, Mother, the City Lord said it will rain soon, and there will be food. Hold on for these two days, we can all survive!" Xu Hei shouted urgently.

    Still, there was no response from his parents.

    "Hiss!"

    Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the corner.

    Xu Hei was startled and turned to look.

    Arge, emaciated ck snake, skin and bones, crawled out from somewhere.

    Xu Hei recognized this snake; it was the big ck snake he had raised years ago.

    Later, the big ck snake regrew its fangs, its bones hardened, and it gained the ability to hunt. During the famine, Xu Hei couldn''t afford to feed it, so he released it back into the mountains and hadn''t seen it since.

    Now, the big ck snake had emerged, its green vertical pupils staring intently at the family of three.

    "Are you going to eat me?"

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened, and he cautiously picked up a stick.

    If this big ck snake attacked him, even if Xu Hei could kill it, a bite from its venomous fangs would likely be fatal.

    Xu Hei didn''t believe the snake would still recognize him as its master after three years in the wild, especially since snakes are the coldest of creatures.

    However, the expected attack did not ur.

    The big ck snake brought over a squirrel in its mouth and then silently slithered away.

    Xu Hei was stunned for a long while, then eximed with joy, "Great, there''s food!"

    For several days thereafter.

    Strange food appeared in the house, sometimes insects, sometimes mice, or wild vegetables.

    But the rain never came.

    Food was limited, and there woulde a day when it ran out. It had been a week without any food appearing.

    That day, Xu Hei returned empty-handed once again, but from afar, he smelled the aroma of meating from home.

    "What is that smell?" Xu Hei hurriedly ran back home.

    On the stove, arge, emaciated snakey quietly in the pot, the fire burning brightly.

    The aroma of snake meat wafted from the pot.

    Xu Hei stood as if struck by lightning, frozen in ce.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Wuyou City, City Lord''s mansion.

    Xu Hei stood at the entrance, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes tightly.

    After a long time, when he opened his eyes, a resolute gleam shed within them.

    "Boom!!!"

    The dpidated door was kicked open, and Xu Hei stepped inside the mansion.

    In his palm, a blood-red aura continuously gathered andpressed.

    This was not True Qi; his True Qi had long been exhausted.

    This was his vital energy!

    As the vital energypressed, Xu Hei''s body visibly shrank, bing skin and bones, his physical body decaying, and his vital energy waning.

    Years of honing had forged Xu Hei''s current mental will, keeping him from copsing!

    "City Lord of Wuyou, get out here!"

    Xu Hei roared furiously, the vital energy in his palmpressing and umting, gradually turning ck.

    Even the space around him began to distort!

    "Shouting and yelling, what kind of conduct is this?"

    A voice came from ahead, and a pitch-ck middle-aged figure appeared before Xu Hei, none other than Mo Wuyou.

    "Hmm?"

    When he saw the ck spot in Xu Hei''s palm, his pupils slightly contracted, and his figure halted.

    "The famine, the gue, was it all your doing?"

    Xu Hei''s gaze locked onto him, gritting his teeth, "I don''t care what you''re up to, Wuyou City, including everyone here, is not your stepping stone!"

    At his level, he was no longer naive and had vaguely sensed some truths.

    Mo Wuyou raised an eyebrow, sneering, "So you''re standing here, what do you want?"

    "I want justice!" Xu Hei shouted coldly.

    "Justice?" Mo Wuyou was taken aback, then burst intoughter.

    He pointed to the distant houses, to the starving masses, and said, "For these ants, you want justice? Have you forgotten who you are?"

    As soon as he finished speaking.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei''s heart trembled violently.

    In a daze, he felt chaotic memories flooding into his mind.

    They were fragments from when he transformed and charged into the enemy ranks, performing the Dragon Shatter Roar, and self-destructing.

    More and more memories, using his transformation as an anchor, poured into Xu Hei''s mind.

    Xu Hei''s body shook violently, and due to the merging of two sets of memories, his body trembled.

    "I, am I... not human? Am I... Xu Hei? Those two, aren''t my parents?" Xu Hei lowered his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

    "Hahaha!" Mo Wuyouughed up at the sky, "Figured it out? You''re not human, you''re a snake, the coldest creature in the world. Would you seek justice for a bunch of mortals?"

    "Don''t you find it ridiculous?"

    Mo Wuyouughed wildly.

    But gradually, as heughed, hisughter stopped.

    Heposed his expression, looking at Xu Hei before him, suddenly feeling a chill in his heart.

    At this moment, Xu Hei raised his head, staring coldly at him. The previous confusion and memory chaos seemed to have vanished in an instant.

    His gaze remained icy, transforming into vertical pupils, the eyes of a snake.

    But within those vertical pupils, a sharp glint shone, dazzling amidst the coldness.

    "Do you find this amusing?"

    Xu Hei''s gaze fixed tightly, that sharp light growing ever brighter.

    "You''re right, I''m a snake, born in darkness, a killer without mercy, cold-blooded and ruthless. But what does that have to do with me seeking justice?"

    "Today, I''ll personally take you down!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Xu Hei''s palm pressed forward fiercely.

    The ck speck, with Xu Hei''s action, grew deeper, causing the surrounding space to twist entirely.

    Xu Hei knew he was not a match for this person, but there was no reason, only the spirit in his heart!

    He never considered himself righteous.

    But he knew gratitude, knew protection.

    This was Xu Hei''s path!

    Mo Wuyou''s face changed drastically.

    "You''ve lost, extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon!"

    From within the mansion, a voice echoed, it was the voice of the City Lord.

 Chapter 252: Return, Core Formation Stage Tribulation

    Chapter 252: Return, Core Formation Stage Tribtion

    In the City Lord''s mansion, a figure identical to Mo Wuyou emerged.

    His eyes were clear, his voice calm, and his demeanor gentle,pletely different from the demonic aura of Mo Wuyou.

    "Everyone in Wuyou City is my people. Their thoughts are my thoughts! As long as one of them loses their humanity, I will fall into darkness, never to return!"

    "Your idea ismendable, but unfortunately, you have failed!"

    "For three years, no one has resorted to cannibalism, and no one has killed each other."

    "You have lost!"

    Gongshu Wuyou''s voice was firm as he waved his hand.

    A golden light descended from the heavens, apanied by the vast and boundless might of the Dao, suddenly enveloping the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

    Compared to this might of the Dao, the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon was like an ant trying to shake a tree. The demonic aura vanished like snow meeting boiling oil. Its body crumbled instantly under a ck speck of dust cast by Xu Hei.This was not dust; this was the Dao!

    The face of the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon gradually turned fearful, emitting a sharp, piercing scream.

    "This is impossible! No!!!"

    Within the might of the Dao, the form of the extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon gradually blurred, as if vaporized. The demonic aura disappeared, and its body vanished as well.

    Ultimately, it turned into a wisp of ck light.

    Gongshu Wuyou took out a mirror, pointed with his hand, and the wisp of ck light flew into the mirror, transforming into the Heart-Mirror within the pyramid.

    At that moment!

    All negative influences vanished.

    Disaster ceased to exist.

    "Whoosh!"

    Heavenly rain descended, and Spiritual Qi was revived.

    Wuyou City experienced a long-awaited downpour.

    nts grew wildly, bringing new vitality.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The gue among cultivators naturally lifted, True Qi surged into their bodies, and the cultivators in the city were overjoyed.

    Everyone, without exception, immediately sprang into action, rushing to the homes of mortals, going door to door.

    They did not sit down to meditate and restore their cultivation but instead rushed to save people at the first opportunity!

    This was the order of Wuyou City!

    In times of disaster, good intentions were hidden, but when peace returned, everything would revive.

    Lives were saved one by one, and those on the brink of death awoke under treatment.

    Some healers copsed on the front lines, and some cultivators permanently lost their cultivation, but they had no regrets.

    Xu Hei''s gaze swept over Wuyou City, witnessing everything within the city, his eyes filled with awe.

    At this moment, he finally understood.

    The people of Wuyou City were the anchor points of the City Lord''s Dao heart. As long as these anchor points did not fall into darkness, the City Lord would not either.

    Once an anchor point had issues, the City Lord would also be doomed.

    Xu Hei also had his own anchor point, which was that big ck snake.

    He gave upfort, endured daily beatings, and practiced the Diamond Suppression Technique, causing the big ck snake to grow stronger, regain its wild nature, and develop venomous fangs.

    He learned gratitude, and the big ck snake followed suit, knowing to repay kindness.

    "Are these scenes real or fake?" Xu Hei couldn''t help but ask.

    By now, he had recovered all his memories.

    He had entered this world after receiving an inheritance.

    No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like a dream, an illusion, but it was too real for Xu Hei to distinguish.

    "Both real and fake," Gongshu Wuyou said.

    Xu Hei looked at him in confusion.

    "In true history, Wuyou City was destroyed, I was invaded by the Inner Demon, and everyone turned into madmen."

    Gongshu Wuyou paused, then solemnly said, "But you changed history."

    Changed history... Xu Hei was initially stunned, feeling utterly confused.

    History is something that has already happened; how could it be changed?

    "Some oues are already destined and cannot be changed, but some things can still be salvaged!"

    "When you return to reality, you will understand."

    Gongshu Wuyou said slowly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei returned home, and his parents had recovered after treatment.

    However, the big snake could never rise again.

    It had grown venomous fangs and had a sturdy skeleton, but it was not used for killing or hunting, nor did it have a cruel instinct. Instead, it was used to repay kindness and to carry out Xu Hei''s Dao intentions.

    Xu Hei buried it.

    Afterward, the family had dinner together.

    "Father, Mother, I have to go. I am leaving Wuyou City, going to a far, far ce," Xu Hei said.

    Faced with Xu Hei''s farewell, his parents did not try to stop him.

    Xu Daniu patted Xu Hei''s shoulder and said, "Your father is uneducated, doesn''t know what to say, take care!"

    Xu''s mother said, "Don''t fight with people outside, and if you feel wronged,e home."

    Xu Hei''s nose tingled, and he nodded heavily.

    Even though he knew that Father and Mother might be fictional, an illusion, he couldn''t help but shed tears.

    Why was this?

    Xu Hei didn''t know, he didn''t understand, he was just a snake, unable toprehend suchplex things.

    A snake''s life is three years, a human''s life is twenty years.

    He carved the names and portraits of the three family members onto a stone tablet and buried it underground.

    "Father, Mother, I''m leaving!"

    At the gate of Wuyou City, Xu Hei turned his back, eyes filled with tears, and walked towards the city gate.

    In a daze, Xu Hei returned to the moment he first gained awareness.

    Reincarnated for countless lifetimes, living once as a human.

    He envied humans.

    How wonderful it would be to live in Wuyou City forever?

    Xu Hei did not look back, resolutely walking towards the city gate, just as he chose the most challenging path of body cultivation, a life offort was not for him.

    "Buzz!"

    A bright white light shone before him, illuminating everything, space twisted, consciousness was extracted, and he traveled swiftly through the void.

    He didn''t know how long it took.

    Xu Hei''s consciousness returned to reality.

    He was back in the crevice of space, beneath him was still the teleportation formation left by Hei Huang, and he was still that big ck snake.

    However, all the snake bones in his body had unconsciously transformed into dragon bones, including his head.

    In front of him appeared an ancient scroll, with four names written on it, and this treasure returned with him.

    "Xu Hei."

    From the void in the sky came the voice of the City Lord of Wuyou.

    "Do you think a true Wuyou City exists in the world?" the voice asked.

    Xu Hei shook his head and said, "Born in adversity, die infort, there is no Wuyou City in this world."

    "But if there are countless worlds, perhaps in one of them, somewhere, there is a ce close to Wuyou City. The technology there is more advanced than Wuyou City."

    "Everyone yearns for beautiful things, such a ce must exist."

    Xu Hei understood that in the harsh Cultivation World, Wuyou City could not exist.

    The scenes in the city just now were but an illusion, with a powerful cultivator like the City Lord as a backing, enjoying favorable weather, free from illness and disaster, living in peace.

    In a normal city, how could there be no disasters for a thousand years? It was just a Will-o''-the-Wisp.

    "Born in adversity, die infort."

    "Everyone yearns for beautiful things."

    "Hahaha, it''s a pity you weren''t born in my era."

    The City Lord of Wuyouughed heartily, his voice tinged with regret, gradually fading away.

    At that moment, the world suddenly shook.

    Xu Hei looked up at the void, where a vortex appeared, leading to the heavens, as if terrifying thunderclouds were forming in the vast void.

    These thunderclouds were countless times more terrifying than any Xu Hei had seen before.

    "The Core Formation Stage tribtion is here!" Xu Hei thought to himself.

 Chapter 253: Dragon of Dragon Bone

    Chapter 253: Dragon of Dragon Bone

    Xu Hei chose not to break through here. Hei Huang had warned him that if the formation here was shattered, he would be left adrift in the void, unable to return.

    He put away the ancient map, only to discover, to his surprise, that a new name had appeared on it, making it five in total.

    The new name was White Emperor!

    Xu Hei carefully rolled up the ancient map and swallowed it.

    "Teleportation formation, activate!"

    With a thought, Xu Hei was enveloped by the light of teleportation. The scenery before him twisted rapidly, and Xu Hei transformed into a beam of light, traversing the void and arriving in the modern Wuyou City.

    Above Wuyou City, a thickyer of dark clouds appeared immediately.

    The oppressive clouds loomed over the city, rumbling like muffled thunder. Countless bolts of lightning brewed within the clouds, which were at least ten thousand feet high and a thousand miles wide, still expanding, like a mountain and sea of thunder suspended overhead, ready to pour down at any moment.

    "What is that?""Look at the sky!"

    Everyone stopped what they were doing, including Li Si''s army, who were about to besiege the Chu Tian Alliance. They all looked up at the sky in unison.

    Gazing at the thunderous clouds, everyone felt a deep sense of fear.

    Because these thunderclouds were hanging right above their heads.

    "Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions? No, how could the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions be this terrifying?!"

    "But this clearly looks like the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribtions that appear when someone forms a core!"

    Everyone spected, unable to make a decision.

    With such a sword hanging over their heads, no one could remain calm. They all involuntarily retreated, seeking a safe ce to hide or summoning defensive magical treasures.

    "Don''t panic. Beforeing to Wuyou City, I made thorough preparations. How could I not have measures against lightning?"

    Li Si took out a series of formation gs, cing them in four directions, scattering spirit stones to construct a massive lightning-avoidance formation. This formation could divert the lightning to the periphery, preventing harm to the center.

    Still feeling insecure, he set up additional defensive formations, lightning-blocking formations, bell formations, and a series of life-saving formations.

    If it weren''t for Tianji Shangren stealing his formation, he could have won first ce in that round, showing that Li Si''s formation skills were quite impressive.

    Outside Wuyou City, in the Wu Mountain Range.

    Qin Xuanji sat high above the clouds, staring at the thunderclouds gathering in the distance, his eyes narrowing.

    "Core Formation?"

    His eyelids twitched, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

    "We can''t wait any longer. Break open the shell of Wuyou City immediately!"

    With a wave of Qin Xuanji''s hand, a gigantic cannon, a thousand feet wide, appeared in the sky, aimed at the distant gate of Wuyou City. The dark muzzle seemed capable of devouring the heavens and the earth.

    "Boom!!!"

    The cannon fire descended.

    Simultaneously, the thunder tribtion fell.

    At this moment, Wuyou City trembled, the heavens and earth shook, the void inverted, the universe reversed, and the sun and moon lost their light.

    The majestic heavenly might traversed the void, crashing onto Xu Hei''s head, striking the reverse scale on his forehead. A world-destroying electric light burst from Xu Hei''s body, illuminating the entire Wuyou City.

    The deafening roar exploded in everyone''s ears, almost deafening them, their minds buzzing.

    Xu Hei not only did not retreat but instead rose from the ground, soaring into the sky, facing the thunder head-on.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Reverse scale, growing in adversity!

    Dragon bone, born in peril!

    The biggest difference between a snake and a worm is that a snake has bones. In afortable environment, a snake will shed its venomous fangs, lose its hard bones, and be as soft and powerless as a worm.

    Wolves will lose their sharp teeth and ws, bing dogs. Wild chickens will lose their ability to fly, bing domestic chickens.

    When apes put on clothes, they lose their warm fur.

    In afortable environment, no true dragon can emerge. Dragon bones can only grow in adversity; this is the way of the dragon bone that Xu Hei learned in Wuyou City.

    "Boom!!"

    Another bolt of thunder struck down. Xu Hei did not flinch, shouting loudly as he charged into the sky, confronting the thunder head-on. Each time the thunder tribtion struck, the entire Wuyou City shook violently. Xu Hei''s body was charred ck, suffering severe injuries both inside and out.

    Everyone looked up, watching the great snake battling against the heavens, their hearts filled with awe.

    No matter which faction they belonged to or what their intentions were, they were all stunned by this scene.

    "Is that... that snake?"

    "Yes, it''s that snake! Xu the Butcher!"

    "Is he forming a core?"

    "The same Core Formation, why is there such a big difference?"

    Most of those present had seen the heavenly tribtion of Core Formation, and many had even experienced it themselves, but they had never seen such a terrifying tribtion.

    Even more outrageous was that this snake could withstand it?

    If it were them, the first bolt of lightning would have turned them to ash.

    "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"...

    One thunder tribtion after another struck down, and Xu Hei suffered repeated injuries. The ck True Qi within himpressed frantically, transforming into True Essence.

    In his dantian, above the Demon God Cauldron, a demon core was slowly forming; this was his Golden Core.

    It was a purple-ck Golden Core, the highest quality ever known.

    "My dragon bone is not yetplete; I still need the final piece!"

    A small bump appeared on Xu Hei''s forehead.

    This was his final piece of bone.

    Just like the big ck snake of Wuyou City growing venomous fangs, Xu Hei was also growing new bones.

    Li Si could no longer sit still. He had a premonition that he must not let this snake seed in crossing the tribtion, or the consequences would be unimaginable!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the forbidden area of the back mountain of the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Sect Master Xu Qingzhi soaked in a vat of snake blood, suddenly opened his eyes, feeling his eyelids twitching.

    All the snake demons raised by the sect fell silent, trembling with fear, looking towards the horizon as if some powerful creature was about to be born into the world.

    "Hmph!" Xu Qingzhi snorted coldly, calming his mind.

    "Buzz buzz buzz..."

    Deep within the forbidden area, a dark golden broadsword emitted a buzzing sound, instantly rising from the ground, traversing the void to appear before Xu Qingzhi.

    This sword was ancient and worn, its surface covered with dim dragon patterns etched in blood, hinting at its past glory.

    "Even the Dragon ying Sword of the Dragon Subduing Sect''s ancestor has been summoned. It seems there''s a Flood Dragon for me to y!" Xu Qingzhi murmured.

    At this moment, he took a deep breath, swallowing all the essence of snake blood in the vat in one gulp. This essence, condensed from millions of snakes, caused his aura to soar, quickly reaching the Great Perfection of the Golden Core from thete Core Formation stage.

    At this moment, the Golden Core within him was wless andplete, a perfect Golden Core without any defects!

    Before him, the Dragon ying Sword had a drop of dark red blood seeping from its tip, filled with a terrifying aura of ferocity.

    This was ancient Flood Dragon blood.

    Xu Qingzhi stared at the drop of dark red blood, his gaze burning.

    "If I consume this blood, I could even charge towards the Elemental Infant stage!"

    "However, it''s unnecessary. This is the blood of the Flood Dragon in by the ancestors, the way of the ancestors, not my own way!"

    Xu Qingzhi shook his head.

    The way of the Dragon Subduing Sect is to y dragons and ughter Flood Dragons, proving the Dao with dragon blood and breaking through shackles.

    Consuming this blood would prove someone else''s Dao, not his own. Only by personally ying a dragon, drinking dragon blood, and refining the Flood Dragon''s soul could he achieve a perfect Elemental Infant.

    He put away the drop of blood and grasped the ancient Dragon ying Sword.

    This sword had ughtered Flood Dragons.

    Xu Qingzhi could faintly feel the will of the dragon yers of the past, filling him with heroic spirit.

    He soared into the sky, rushing towards the Wu Mountain Range at the fastest speed.

 Chapter 254: Wuyou City Falls

    Chapter 254: Wuyou City Falls

    "Boom boom boom boom boom..."

    Thunder crashed down in waves, striking Xu Hei''s head and surging through his entire body. Each bolt of the tribtion made his bones harder, and the horn on his head slowly grew out.

    His reverse scale shifted to his neck, bing his horn, a dragon horn.

    With the Nine Transformations of the True Dragon, Xu Hei was finally about toplete the second transformation, the Dragon Bone Transformation!

    Forming a purple-ck Golden Core, transforming dragon bones and growing horns, Xu Hei''s power would reach an incredibly terrifying level.

    Tianji Shangren stood in a corner of Wuyou City, continuously calcting with his fingers. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

    "What a terrifying causality, I can''t calcte anything!"

    Tianji Shangren''s fingers trembled, his face ashen, his body weak. It was the first time he encountered such a situation, unable to calcte anything.

    There was only one possibility: this matter involved one or more supreme beings, beyond his reach."I must not get involved in this; I need to leave quickly!" Tianji Shangren said gravely.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Xu Hei''s tribtion crossing, though extremely perilous, was not enough to threaten him under his tempered spirit and will.

    Such terrifying thunderclouds, even in ancient times, would mean certain death for any perfect Foundation Establishment cultivator attempting to cross the tribtion.

    But for Xu Hei, it was merely a close call.

    Xu Hei was far stronger than those perfect Foundation Establishment cultivators, beyond what any normal Chosen couldprehend!

    However¡ª

    When the heavenly tribtion wasn''t enough, human cmity stepped in!

    At the critical moment of Xu Hei''s tribtion crossing, a thunder spear pierced through the void, aiming straight for his location.

    It was Lei He making his move!

    One of the top ten experts of the Qin Kingdom, ate Core Formation stage general, without a word,unched a spear,pletely locking onto Xu Hei''s figure.

    Xu Hei noticed the piercing thunder spear, his gaze turning cold.

    "Heh, is this also part of the tribtion crossing?"

    In the past, facing such a formidable enemy, he wouldn''t even have time to defend, only able to escape using a Small Teleportation Talisman.

    Zhou Qing''s casual p, with just a bit of residual force, could severely injure him.

    But now, Xu Hei was no longer the same.

    Xu Hei did not dodge. A fierce glint shed in his eyes as he charged head-on with his horn towards the iing thunder spear.

    "Diamond Suppression Technique!"

    With a low shout, all his true essence gathered at his head, the purple-ck Golden Core spun wildly, the surging true essence transformed into ocean waves,yer uponyer,pressing madly, making his dragon horn shine with a ck light.

    "Boom!!!"

    The dragon horn collided, and the thunder spear from afar disintegrated instantly upon impact, shattering into powder.

    Xu Hei also suffered a heavy blow, his body thrown back, blood sttering, bones trembling violently, muscles tearing, suffering severe injuries.

    However, he did not fall. After retreating a thousand meters, he steadied himself.

    He withstood the strike!

    "How is this possible?!!"

    Lei He in the distance, witnessing this scene, let out a sharp cry, his eyes filled with shock.

    The opponent didn''t dodge but charged head-on.

    He was at thete Core Formation stage, while the opponent was only at the early Core Formation stage, not even havingpleted the tribtion crossing.

    In history, has there ever been such a powerful Core Formation stage? Even Qin Xuanji, when he first formed his core, wasn''t this exaggerated.

    This was an existence even more terrifying than Qin Xuanji!

    "Li Si was right, this serpent cannot be left alive, I must take this seriously!"

    Lei He took a deep breath, his eyes shing with lightning, a Thunder God Trident appeared in his hand, surrounded by thunder spears, forming a thunder formation.

    This was a magical treasure used only against opponents of the same level. Even Xu Qingfeng would have to avoid it! Lei He was getting serious!

    Just as he was about to make a move, his pupils shrank.

    Xu Hei had disappeared.

    "Not good!"

    Lei He''s face changed drastically, hurriedly rushing downward.

    At this moment, Xu Hei, fully utilizing his Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, covered in blood, transformed into afterimages, speeding toward the area where Li Si and others were.

    "I just wanted to quietly cross my tribtion, but you insist on courting death! Did you really think I didn''t notice you?"

    Xu Hei''s speed was incredibly fast, impossible to capture with Divine Sense, beyond sight. In the blink of an eye, he was above Li Si and the others.

    He couldn''t deal with Lei He, so he would first handle these easier targets.

    "Boom!!!"

    Thunder struck down, hitting the area where Xu Hei was, lightning scattering, crashing into the formation, weakenedyer byyer, yet some still prated.

    Li Si was immediately struck by lightning, spitting out blood, his eyes filled with horror.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "What terrifying thunder tribtion, and what''s wrong with my formation?"

    Li Si was shocked to find that the formations he had set up seemed to have been secretly altered, appearing the same as before, but with only ten percent of their original power!

    Upon closer inspection, most of the Spirit Stones he used for the formation had been stolen!

    "Who did this! Who on earth did this?!"

    Li Si roared, instinctively thinking of Tianji Shangren, but then dismissing the idea, as the other party had no reason to trouble him.

    In just a moment, another bolt of lightning fell. With a "boom," the ground exploded, the sky shook, all formations copsed in an instant, formation gs flew chaotically, sting a deep pit ten thousand meters wide.

    Screams echoed, people were sted into the air one by one, Li Si also spat blood, his body charred, being sted away, suffering heavy casualties in an instant.

    Faintly, a dog paw could be seen reaching out from the void, collecting the formation gs one by one.

    Fortunately, this group had defensive magical treasures on them, not relying solely on the formations, or they would have been struck dead.

    Lei He waspletely dumbfounded.

    At this moment, the ck serpent was rampaging among the crowd. How could he dare to make a move? If he threw a spear, who knew if it would kill the enemy or harm his own.

    "Prime Minister Li, think of something!"

    The cultivators shouted to Li Si, but he also had no idea what to do.

    "Boom!" "Boom!"...

    Two more bolts of lightning struck down, finally causing a Core Formation stage cultivator to be unable to withstand it, killed by the aftermath of the thunder tribtion, perishingpletely.

    This was still just the aftermath of Xu Hei''s tribtion crossing.

    However, Xu Hei was also not in good shape. He had to concentrate to withstand the thunder tribtion. If he hadn''t been pushed to the brink, he wouldn''t have resorted to such methods to intimidate his opponents.

    Xu Hei roamed around again, another early Core Formation stage was struck dead, and three to five Foundation Establishment stages were turned to ash.

    Li Si''s heart bled; every Core Formation stage was a deputy general-level figure, losing even one was painful.

    Fortunately, Xu Hei didn''t take further action, and everyone quickly hid behind Lei He.

    Lei He also dared not make another move, lest Xu Hei, pushed to the limit, charged at him. Even if he could escape unscathed, those around him could not be saved.

    "Is that... Senior Xu Hei?" Xiao Chou was stunned.

    "The bald snake, no longer bald?" Vulture''s eyes were wide, staring at the horn on Xu Hei''s head.

    "Amitabha, great virtue." Ku Xuan sped his hands together.

    "That was close! I couldn''t calcte anything this time, I was just guessing." Zhao Wenzhuo gritted his teeth, the tortoise shell in his hand trembling.

    "So he''s called... Xu Hei." The Silver-haired Witch murmured softly.

    The madness in Zhang Tie''s eyes faded a bit.

    Xu Qingfeng said nothing, just exhaled deeply and closed his eyes.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Before long, Xu Hei''s tribtion crossing reached its end.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s injuries no longer worsened. Under the final wave of thunder, his physical body rapidly strengthened, the Demon God Cauldron frantically devoured the power of the thunder tribtion, feeding it back to Xu Hei, helping him repair his damaged body.

    Xu Hei''s body quickly grew taller, longer, thicker, harder.

    The purple-ck Golden Core in his abdomen officially formed, emitting ck true essence, transforming into ake, flowing into his meridians and bones.

    He had a dragon horn on his head, dragon bones inside, dragon scales outside, transforming into a fifteen-meter-long giant horned serpent. Perhaps, it could no longer be called a serpent.

    At this moment, Xu Hei sessfully formed his core, officially bing a Core Formation stage great demon.

    An immense, boundless pressure released from his body, dominating the entire scene, a pressure no one had ever seen before, unmatched by any same-level demonic beast!

    And at the same time.

    "Boom crack..."

    Outside Wuyou City, the protectiveyer blocking the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s army shattered.

 Chapter 255: Protect this sky

    Chapter 255: Protect this sky

    "Rumble..."

    In the distant sky, a dense shadow flew in from the outside world, arriving above Wuyou City.

    It was a massive, endless army of puppets, covering the already dark sky with a ck cloud.

    As the thunder tribtion dissipated, the puppets entered the scene.

    At the forefront of the puppet army was a middle-aged man in brocade clothing, exuding a longsting aura, his eyes deep as if containing mes and thunder, with various storage artifacts hanging from his body.

    Qin Xuanji, a formidable cultivator who had reached the Extreme Realm of the Core Formation Stage, was a force capable of conquering an entire city on his own.

    Countless renowned experts of the Chu Kingdom had perished under his puppet battle formation, and numerous cities had fallen to his single-handed assault.

    Though he was one of the top ten experts of the Qin Kingdom, the pressure Qin Xuanji brought was more terrifying than ten Lei Hebined.

    "Hehehe, it''s over! These people are doomed!"Li Si sneered coldly. His n was always to buy time until the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s army arrived, and now his goal was aplished.

    Although the serpent''s breakthrough caused a slight disruption, it was insignificant and didn''t affect the overall situation. From the beginning, the oue was predetermined.

    As Qin Xuanji descended, his gaze immediately locked onto Xu Hei.

    Reflected in his pupils was a giant horned serpent, and without a word, he raised his hand and pointed.

    "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."

    A row of war chariots charged forward, forming a snake-ying battle formation, creating an inescapable. Each chariot wasparable to a top-tier third-grade magical treasure, moving at incredible speed, like phantoms.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were icy, with no intention of confronting head-on, as he was about to summon something.

    "Boom!"

    Suddenly, the ground in a certain area of Wuyou City exploded, and a figure shot into the sky like a white lightning bolt tearing through the firmament, roaring like thunder, swift as a streak of lightning.

    This person, with snow-white hair fluttering in the wind, had a robust figure, exuding a sense of power.

    Raising her hand, she clenched it into a fist and smashed down towards the war chariots.

    "Nuclear Fusion Fist, Formation Breaking Style!"

    With an earth-shattering shout, the fist moved like a gale, piercing through the sky. The rows of war chariots were sted apart with a single punch, shattering into countless fragments, turning to dust.

    Seeing the familiar martial technique and the figure with white hair flying, Xu Hei''s mouth gaped open, his body frozen in ce.

    "What!?" Li Si''s pupils contracted sharply.

    Qin Xuanji''s gaze also focused, saying, "An Elemental Infant stage corpse puppet?!"

    Red hair above, white hair¡ªthis was an Elemental Infant stage corpse puppet.

    The number one on the legendary danger list.

    "It''s here! It''s here! This is the number one on the danger list, the strongest demon puppet!"

    Han Te shrank into a corner, trembling, his eyes fixed on the hole in the sky, thinking of escaping from there but too afraid to move.

    The moment the Elemental Infant stage corpse puppet appeared, everyone''s expressions changed drastically, their hearts filled with terror.

    This was a corpse puppet, killing anyone in its path, unstoppable by anyone.

    However, this corpse puppet did not actively attack people.

    That agile figure, strong physique, aside from the white hair being different from back then, was still so familiar.

    Xu Hei''s body trembled as he looked at the back of that figure, murmuring, "Senior Sister?"

    His voice even trembled slightly.

    This white-haired corpse puppet was the martial arts school''s senior sister from back then, Bai Wei!

    Bai Wei did not answer him, nor did she turn around, just stood quietly in the void, locking onto Qin Xuanji.

    Though she had be a corpse puppet, and a cultivator''s lifespan couldn''tst that long, Bai Wei did not attack people. She just stood at the front, guarding thisnd.

    It was her instinct.

    If human nature is inherently evil, then after bing a corpse puppet, the instinct would be ughter.

    If human nature is inherently good, then what they do is protect!

    "Whoosh!"

    Bai Wei''s figure vanished on the spot, transforming into a long rainbow, stepping on one of the White Emperor''s ultimate techniques, the Lightning Leg, sweeping towards the puppet army in front.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    The airwaves surged, the void trembled, forming wave-like shockwaves that swept across the sky. Under this leg, the puppet army exploded one after another, shattering into pieces. No matter how strong the puppets were, they had no power to resist this fatal strike.

    This was the Elemental Infant stage; even as a corpse puppet, it was not something the Core Formation stage could withstand.

    "Look, what is that?"

    "That figure looks so familiar! I think... I''ve seen it in the Bai Family''s ancestral spirit hall."

    The Bai Family''s team, also trapped within Wuyou City, looked towards the horizon, watching the white-haired figure flying among the puppet army, each showing a look of shock.

    Especially the Bai Family''s Grand Elder, whose eyes were filled with excitement, his body trembling, tears streaming down his face.

    The Bai Family''s first ancestor!

    Bai Wei passed through the puppet formation, striking directly at the retreating Qin Xuanji with a punch, the force surging, unstoppable!

    "Hmph!" A cold snort came from beyond the sky.

    A white-haired figure appeared almost instantly, with a wave of his sleeve, forming a gentle force that neutralized all the energy.

    The Elemental Infant stage ancestor of the Qin Kingdom, Ancestor Xingtian, also appeared, the one who had previously sealed the city with his Divine Sense.

    "Even with an Elemental Infant stage corpse puppet for protection, it was unexpected, but your fate is sealed today!"

    Ancestor Xingtian''s face was expressionless. The Heavenly Puppet Sect had made countless preparations; no matter how many changes you had, it was a dead end.

    The Qin Kingdom did not fight unprepared battles.

    They had conquered countless cities in the Chu Kingdom; what was one Wuyou City?

    Bai Wei showed no fear, charging at Ancestor Xingtian, who frowned, throwing out a copper bell magical artifact, pressing forward. Yet Bai Wei punched through the sky, even denting the copper bell, which then exploded.

    "A rare body-refining corpse puppet!"

    Ancestor Xingtian squinted his eyes, not daring to be careless, retreating while fighting, continuously summoning magical artifacts.

    "You can stop me, but can you stop our puppet army?" Ancestor Xingtian sneered.

    At this moment, under Qin Xuanji''s control, the puppet army reformed, covering the mountains and ins, the sky and the earth, as if the space within his storage artifact was endless.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Suddenly, the ground of Wuyou City cracked open.

    Withered hands reached out from underground. One by one, corpse puppets crawled up, standing within the city.

    However, these corpse puppets were different from before; they had no sinister aura, no ghostly energy, and no murderous intent.

    Their steps were firm, their eyes clear, looking towards the Heavenly Puppet Sect''s army in the sky.

    In life, they were farmers, carpenters, builders, students of the academy. In death, as corpse puppets, they still protected thisnd.

    "Roar!"

    All the corpse puppets let out a thunderous roar, stepping on the ground, rising into the sky like sharp swords, charging towards the endless Heavenly Puppet Sect army.

    Protect Wuyou City, protect this sky!

    Unknowingly.

    After Xu Hei''s inheritance ended, the corpse puppets changed as well.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were vacant, staring nkly at everything between heaven and earth, finally understanding the meaning of that sentence.

    "History is destined, unchangeable, but some things can be redeemed!"

    In the sky, the dark clouds that had been covering Wuyou City split open, and long-lost sunlight shone down, falling upon the earth, illuminating everyone''s hearts.

 Chapter 256: Dragon Qi Soars to the Sky

    Chapter 256: Dragon Qi Soars to the Sky

    Xu Qingfeng gazed at the sun pouring down from the sky, seemingly lost in thought, his eyes squinting against the re.

    More and more experts from the Heavenly Puppet Sect descended upon Wuyou City, each carrying a multitude of puppets, with any one of them equivalent to an entire army.

    However, Wuyou City''s army of corpse puppets was equally vast, emerging from the ground in waves, an awe-inspiring sight.

    "Kill!"

    Lei He, his body surging with blood energy, wielded a war halberd like an invincible war god, charging into the army and effortlessly cutting down swathes of corpse puppets.

    "Roar!"

    From the Blood Corpse Cave outside the city came an earth-shattering roar, and a whirlwind of red hair swept through the sky. A red-haired figure stepped through the air from outside the city¡ªit was the Red-haired Corpse King.

    Behind him, the army of corpse puppets from the Blood Corpse Cave joined the battle.

    The Red-haired Corpse King led the charge, heading straight for Lei He, who was also at thete Core Formation stage.This was an epic battle, the likes of which had never been seen before. The two armies shed like two massive dark clouds, the sounds of battle echoing to the heavens.

    This was the battle between the Heavenly Puppet Sect and Wuyou City.

    It was also the battle between the Divine Puppet Sect and the third-generation ancestor!

    In a daze, the dim glow of history shone down, and historical projections appeared above Wuyou City.

    These were from ancient times, when the City Lord of Wuyou faced the siege of three sect leaders from the Divine Puppet Sect, resulting in cataclysmic destruction, the city in ruins, and all its citizens turned to madness, joining the great battle.

    History can repeat itself.

    But Wuyou City was no longer the Wuyou City of old.

    Yunlu Academy.

    Zhang Tie was also affected by an invisible force, the ferocity gone from his eyes as he looked outside at Li Si.

    "Boom!!"

    In the next moment, he stomped the ground and shot out like a ck cannonball, his body undergoing demonic transformation, a thickyer of ck keratin forming on his skin, with demonic mes burning in his eyes.

    This enhanced form only appeared when one was possessed, and Zhang Tie maintained it to attack his enemies!

    "You! Die!"

    Zhang Tie wed at Li Si''s neck, who immediately summoned a demonic bell. The sound waves rippled out, impacting Zhang Tie, but he was unaffected, not even pausing for a second.

    "How is this possible? The demonic bell is useless?!"

    Li Si was shocked and dismayed.

    The demonic sound was the culprit that drove Zhang Tie to madness, yet it had lost its effect. Without hesitation, Li Si retreated swiftly.

    "Viins, halt!"

    Suddenly, from behind came the surge of a hundred spells, crashing down with a roar. Fire Snake Technique, Storm Technique, Water de Technique... all basic spells, only second-tier in power. But their sheer number forced even Li Si to stop.

    "Who?!"

    Li Si and his men looked behind them.

    On a broken street, at some unknown time, arge group of rogue cultivators had taken over.

    Among this group, more than ny percent were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with only five at the early Core Formation stage, totaling around eighty people.

    This included evil cultivators from the Blood Robe Sect and three recruited by the Zhou Family, most of whom had followed the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Now, they had all gathered, forming a team. The remaining rogue cultivators in Wuyou City were basically all here.

    "What are you doing?"

    Li Si''s face was dark as he stared at the group of rogue cultivators, a look of disbelief in his eyes.

    Even more shocking was the fact that these rogue cultivators had formed a fan-shaped encirclement, blocking their retreat.

    Li Si, as the strategist of the Qin Kingdom, with many generals following him, had never encountered such a situation!

    "Mere rogue cultivators, are you rebelling?"

    A deputy general shouted.

    From among the rogue cultivators, one stepped forward, fearless.

    "We have received the grace of the Chu Tian Alliance. Now, in this time of crisis, we cannot sit idly by. We will follow Senior Xu and fight to the end!"

    "Follow Senior Xu! Fight to the end!"

    "Fight to the end!"

    The rogue cultivators shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

    Their motives were clear.

    Now, an epic battle had erupted in Wuyou City, with the Heavenly Puppet Sect and Wuyou City as thebatants, countless Core Formation stage cultivators, and even Elemental Infant stage shes, with puppets numbering in the millions.

    These rogue cultivators, caught in such a war, were like ants, like dust, easily wiped out by any stray wave.

    To survive, they had two choices: join Li Si or join Xu Qingfeng.

    Who to choose?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Is there even a question?

    Whether you are a viin or a virtuous person, whether righteous or evil, you would unhesitatingly choose thetter!

    Following the righteous path, seeking benefit and avoiding harm, is human nature!

    At least, Xu Qingfeng would not kill without reason, would not betray you.

    "Do you know what you are saying?"

    Li Si''s face was grim as he spoke in a low voice, "I am the Prime Minister of the Qin Kingdom. I give you a chance, join me, and you will have a way out! If you dare to resist, once you leave this ce, none of you will escape!"

    Immediately, a rogue cultivator retorted, "We rogue cultivators have no ties, the world is vast, where can''t we go? At worst, we''ll leave the Qin Kingdom!"

    "Following Senior Xu, at least safety is guaranteed. But following you, who can trust you?"

    "Who can trust you?"

    The rogue cultivators shouted, their voices ovepping.

    Someone like Li Si could offer you benefits one moment and sell you out the next.

    Sow evil, reap evil; cultivate good, receive good.

    A family that umtes virtue will havesting prosperity.

    Xu Qingfeng, because of a series of seemingly foolish good deeds, finally received a response at this moment.

    At this moment, all eyes were on him.

    Xu Qingfeng stood beside the Sage''s statue, his clothes stained with blood, his nose tingling, his voice choked.

    "Thank you... everyone!"

    The Sage''s phantom, acting as a witness, had long since vanished.

    The inheritance halo had also disappeared at some point.

    Perhaps they were not fighting for Mo Wuyou''s inheritance, but for their own path.

    Li Si and Xu Qingfeng, Bai Luo and Bai Qiushui, as Mr. Bai said, in a debate, is there really a winner or loser?

    Xu Qingfeng did not win, nor did he lose!

    Xu Hei exhaled a hot breath, and through the Demon God Cauldron''s refinement of the thunder tribtion, his internal and external injuries werepletely healed. Dragon scales and dragon bones were in ce, his eyes gleaming, reaching the peak of the post-Core Formation stage.

    "Roar!!"

    Xu Hei roared to the sky, letting out a loud dragon''s roar.

    Dragon Qi soared to the heavens, dragon bones stood proud in the sky! Xu Hei felt his blood and energy burning, let out a sharp howl, and with a flick of his dragon tail, charged towards Li Si''s army.

    Today, Li Si''s blood would be the first sacrifice!

    "Stop him!"

    Li Si''s face changed dramatically, formation gs were ced on the ground, spirit stones rained down like a storm. With the retreat blocked by rogue cultivators, he could only use a teleportation formation to escape!

    "Crack!"

    Xu Hei opened his massive jaws and bit down, shattering the armor of a Core Formation stage deputy general d in golden armor, his body and a third-tier mid-grade magical treasure crushed to powder, blood and flesh flying, not even a scream escaping, his form and spirit annihted.

    Same realm, a one-hit kill!

    "Smack!!"

    With a flick of his tail, another Core Formation stage cultivator was smashed, along with various third-tier magical treasures shattered, this person giving his all, yet unable to withstand a casual strike.

    Everyone was shocked, their eyes wide, as if seeing a ghost.

    "What terrifying power!"

    "Is this a demonic beast? Can a demonic beast be this strong?"

    "Even third-tier mid-grade magical treasures are useless! What kind of existence is this?"

    At this moment, whether it was Li Si''s army or the nearly hundred rogue cultivators watching from behind, their jaws nearly dropped.

    Even a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator dealing with an early-stage Core Formation cultivator couldn''t do it so easily.

    And this was without using spells, just closebat!

    What would it be like if spells and magical treasures were added?

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei''s figure flickered, shooting like an arrow into Li Si''s formation. At his realm, Ever-changing Fish and Dragon could already ignore some weaker formations, moving as if on t ground.

    "Stop him!" Li Si shouted.

    He pulled out a jade talisman and crushed it, the talisman transforming into a golden seal, standing proudly in the air, apanied by an overwhelming imperial aura, reigning over the world, the emperor''s might suppressing all.

    Li Si''s strongest trump card, the Qin Emperor''s Seal!

 Chapter 257: Qin Emperors Seal, Overlord Cauldron

    Chapter 257: Qin Emperor''s Seal, Overlord Cauldron

    In the shadows, a towering and majestic emperor could be seen, holding the Qin Emperor''s Seal, reigning over the world, standing proudly in the void, his eyes gazing down upon all living things.

    The Qin Emperor''s Seal, which governs the fate of a nation and controls the myriadws of the universe, though merely a manifestation, is not something that can be easily shaken, capable of suppressing even those at thete Core Formation stage.

    Suddenly, something in Xu Qingfeng''s storage bag began to vibrate violently. He quickly retrieved it, revealing the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book left to him by his grandmaster.

    At this moment, a character in the center of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book was vibrating intensely, emitting a dazzling light.

    ¡ªDing!

    The character "Ding" seemed to concentrate all the energy of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, as if it were bing tangible, eager to burst forth.

    The Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book was not written by one person; it contains different Dao rhymes from various individuals. This "Ding" character came from a prodigy of the Xiang family.

    "The Qin Emperor''s Seal has emerged, and the Ding character contends for supremacy. Is this destiny?"

    Xu Qingfeng''s eyes were resolute as he raised his hand and pointed.The "Ding" character soared into the sky, instantly transforming into an illusory giant cauldron, pitch-ck, exuding the domineering aura of an overlord!

    The Xiang family, the Overlord Cauldron!

    Once the Overlord Cauldron appeared, it needed no human control, traversing the void at an incredible speed, roaring towards Li Si in the distance.

    Or rather, the Overlord Cauldron''s target was not Li Si, but the Qin Emperor''s Seal!

    The might of the unparalleled overlord shed with the grand imperial aura, a contest not only of power but of destiny.

    "Boom!!"

    With a collision that shook the heavens, the phantom of the Qin Emperor''s Seal crumbled instantly, and the Overlord Cauldron shattered as well. Li Si''s pupils contracted, and he cried out in disbelief, "This is impossible!!"

    Nothing is impossible!

    The Qin Emperor''s Seal was only out for two breaths before being destroyed by the Overlord Cauldron.

    "Ugh!!"

    Li Si spat blood, his entire skeleton shattered, swept by the terrifying aftermath, nearly reduced to dust.

    With the Qin Emperor''s Seal gone, no one could stop Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei, unstoppable, charged into the formation, without any fancy moves, directly using the horn on his head to ram into Li Si.

    "Bang!!"

    Just as the formation was about to activate, Li Si''s body waspletely torn apart by Xu Hei''s strike, turning into countless pieces of flesh, scattering across the sky.

    Even the teleportation formation was mostly destroyed by Xu Hei''s collision.

    However, Xu Hei noticed that within Li Si''s shattered body, a phantom shadow slipped into a Void Stone, and with a sh of formation fluctuation, the Void Stone was directly transmitted away.

    "Escaped?"

    Xu Hei frowned slightly, not wanting to leave such a menace behind.

    However, with his physical body destroyed, a mere Core Formation cultivator could at most linger on like the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect, relying on special means, neither human nor ghost.

    Although the opponent might not have teleported far, still within Wuyou City, Xu Hei had no interest in searching.

    Li Si''s army still had some small fry left, which Xu Hei, together with many rogue cultivators, quickly ughtered cleanly.

    The trouble they now faced was still the Heavenly Puppet Sect.

    The numbers were simply overwhelming, and this kind of puppet battle between immortals was nerve-wracking to even nce at. Unless one possessedte Core Formation stagebat power to break through locally and thus affect the overall situation, it was impossible to intervene.

    The Chu Tian Alliance at its peak might have been able to do it, but now, with the Chu Tian Alliance mostly crippled, and Xu Qingfeng having fainted directly after using the Overlord Cauldron.

    Xu Hei said, "You stay here, find an opportunity to escape, and leave the rest to me!"

    Without hesitation, Xu Hei soared into the sky, his gaze fixed on Lei He, who was fighting in the distance.

    At this moment, Lei He was engaged in a fierce battle with the Red-haired Corpse King from the Blood Corpse Cave. The two sides were locked in a stalemate, and the Red-haired Corpse King, now fully awake, was even stronger, effortlessly wielding various spells.

    Lei He also realized he was being targeted by a snake, frowning slightly but not overly concerned. As long as Xu Hei dared to intervene, he was confident he could ensure Xu Hei would not return.

    Xu Hei''s eyes flickered as he was about to take out the ck Dragon Pagoda.

    But suddenly, he felt a tightness in his chest, a sensation of being locked onto, his blood boiling uncontrobly.

    This made him frown deeply, hesitating.

    "Xu Hei, this is the karma of the Divine Puppet Sect. It was sown by me back then, and I will end it!"

    "You also have your own karma!"

    At this moment, a familiar voice reached Xu Hei''s ears, the voice of the City Lord of Wuyou, transmitted through a corpse puppet.

    Xu Hei seemed to sense something, raising his head to look towards the horizon.

    At this moment, outside Wuyou City, a figure entirely bathed in crimson was approaching, riding on a wave of blood.

    The overwhelming murderous aura transformed into a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, pressing heavily on Xu Hei''s heart from an endless distance, having ughtered countless snake creatures!

    Such an existence, with just a nce, could make snakes tremble in fear.

    Even snake demons of the same cultivation level would instinctively feel terrified when encountering such a snake killer, unable to exert even a fraction of their strength.

    Xu Hei originally felt a sense of dread, but as his Nine Transformations of the True Dragon cultivation technique circted, all fear vanished, reced by anger and hatred.

    The instinct of a living creature made him almost unable to control himself, wanting to kill this person, to grind their bones to dust!

    "Calm down."

    Xu Hei muttered to himself, forcing himself to remain calm.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Undoubtedly, the opponent was a peerless expert, with means to restrain snake demons. Even though Xu Hei was no longer a pure snake, he couldn''t blindly confront them head-on.

    Each level of a Core Formation cultivator is vastly different, and Xu Hei had just broken through. To fight against a Great Perfection Core Formation cultivator would be suicidal.

    Moreover, within Wuyou City, he didn''t want to expose himself too much. Otherwise, if Qin Xuanji or the Elemental Infant stage ancestor decided to eliminate him at all costs, it would be a huge problem.

    During his attack on Li Si, he had already felt some gazes from afar.

    Xu Hei could sense that every move he made, every disy of strength, was being watched by someone in the shadows.

    He was able to shatter Li Si''s physical body thanks to Xu Qingfeng''s Overlord Cauldron, which didn''t attract much attention, and even Lei He held a slight contempt for him.

    This was exactly the situation Xu Hei wanted!

    If Xu Hei''s strength exceeded a certain threshold, seen as a threat by the Heavenly Puppet Sect that must be eliminated at all costs, it would be very troublesome.

    "Xu Hei,e here!" Hei Huang''s voice transmitted over.

    Xu Hei immediately descended and burrowed underground.

    At this moment, Hei Huang had already constructed a giant formation, hidden beneath the earth.

    ¡ªThe Great Teleportation Formation.

    This was what Hei Huang had mentioned before, giving him three days to set up a Great Teleportation Formation to escape Wuyou City, and he had seeded.

    "Fight or retreat? That guy seems obsessed, just fixated on you. I could see it from afar," Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei replied solemnly, "Let''s leave this ce first."

 Chapter 258: Dragon Slaying Sword, Heavenly Demon Mirror

    Chapter 258: Dragon ying Sword, Heavenly Demon Mirror

    Xu Hei stealthily entered the underground, arriving within the formation.

    "Activate!" With a p of Hei Huang''s ws, the light of the formation immediately enveloped Xu Hei.

    The space twisted, as if a Small Teleportation Talisman had been activated. Xu Hei''s figure swiftly transformed into a streak of light, diving into the void and traversing at an astonishing speed.

    In the blink of an eye, Xu Hei had escaped the confines of Wuyou City, passing through the blockade and reaching the outskirts.

    Finally, he descended onto a mountainside in the Wu Mountain Range.

    The Wu Mountain Range was shrouded in mist, with a humid climate.

    Looking back, Wuyou City was not far behind, resembling a massive ck dragon lying coiled in a cracked valley.

    Even from this distance, the terrifying fluctuations of battle could still be felt, asionally apanied by earth-shattering booms, as Elemental Infant cultivators shed.

    However, the blood-red figure in the distance continued to approach Xu Hei, as if it had locked onto him."Blood Source Tracking Technique, this person has devoured the blood of your kin, and won''t rest until they catch you!" Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei said nothing, taking out a spirit stone and beginning to construct a formation.

    As the City Lord of Wuyou had said, this was his karma, and this battle was unavoidable.

    He never intended to flee, merely to change locations to kill quietly, avoiding interference and misleading others into thinking he was running away.

    At this moment, not only was the blood-red figure closing in rapidly, but also some cultivators from the Snake Catchers Sect were flying out from the top of Wuyou City, also heading towards Xu Hei.

    The Snake Catchers Sect was Xu Hei''s karma!

    The name of this sect destined that only one side could survive.

    At this moment, the entire Snake Catchers Sect, from the sect master and ancestor to the foundation-building disciples, all charged towards Xu Hei.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    They had received orders to spare no effort in eliminating Xu Hei, to drink his blood, gnaw his bones, and seize his fortune!

    Xu Hei was an unprecedented great fortune for the Snake Catchers Sect, a living flood dragon! Every inch of his body was a treasure, each scale a supreme treasure, every drop of blood capable of helping disciples break through.

    In an era where true dragons were extinct and flood dragons were hard to find, Xu Hei was a rare gem.

    "They''re here!"

    Gazing at the approaching blood-red figure, Xu Hei''s eyes were solemn.

    He had already recognized who it was¡ªthe sect master of the Snake Catchers Sect, Xu Qingzhi, the strongest snake catcher of the current generation.

    And even stronger than the rumors suggested!

    The sky darkened, blood-red murderous aura filled the heavens, and wherever Xu Qingzhi passed, the air turned crimson, a result of ughtering millions of snakes.

    Before Xu Qingzhi even got close, he let out a low shout, and the surging murderous aura pressed towards Xu Hei.

    But Xu Hei was unaffected, his eyes not showing fear but instead burning with immense fury.

    "Hmm?"

    Xu Qingzhi frowned slightly, clearly surprised by Xu Hei''s reaction. Even a flood dragon should be somewhat affected.

    "No matter what, today you will die under the Dragon ying Sword of our ancestor!"

    Xu Qingzhi took a step, covering a thousand feet, rapidly closing in, almost reaching Xu Hei in the blink of an eye.

    Xu Hei didn''t hesitate, taking out a golden storage bag, and with a flick of his snake tail, a mirror appeared.

    The Heavenly Demon Mirror!

    The Heavenly Demon Mirror aimed at Xu Qingzhi, but thetter vanished instantly, like an illusion, not captured like Xuan Yangzi had been.

    However, the Heavenly Demon Mirror was no ordinary item, automatically seeking its target, aiming at a distant void.

    There, Xu Qingzhi''s figure reappeared, and in the Heavenly Demon Mirror, an identical image of Xu Qingzhi emerged.

    "What is this?"

    Xu Qingzhi had heard rumors of this mirror two years ago and was prepared, creating a wisp of illusion to approach and see if he could trick the mirror out.

    He seeded, as Xu Hei indeed used the Heavenly Demon Mirror.

    But he also failed, as he was still captured.

    From the Heavenly Demon Mirror, a figure identical to Xu Qingzhi stepped out, d in blood-red robes, handsome in appearance, and the sky was immediately covered with overwhelming blood-red murderous aura, standing in opposition.

    The difference was, a cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

    "The rumors are true, you really have a mirror that creates inner demons!"

    Xu Qingzhi''s eyes narrowed, but he also let out a cold smile.

    "You can copy me, but can you also copy the Dragon ying Sword..."

    Before Xu Qingzhi could finish his sentence.

    He saw another Xu Qingzhi take out a Dragon ying Sword, identical, with murderous aura reaching the heavens, seemingly having also in a flood dragon.

    Xu Qingzhi''s pupils contracted.

    He had never seen an inner demon in his life and had no idea how they worked.

    There were only rumors that the Mountain-moving Patriarch encountered an inner demon during his nascent soul formation, leading to his death and the dissipation of his Dao, but the details were unknown.

    Then, Xu Qingzhi took out various magical treasures and talismans, but without exception, they were all mirrored by the other Xu Qingzhi.

    "I underestimated you, but since I anticipated this scene, how could I not be prepared?"

    Xu Qingzhi sneered, sending a message: "Master, you can act now!"

    "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, three ck chains shot out from the void, piercing through the inner demon Xu Qingzhi with lightning speed, firmly anchoring him in the void.

    At the other end of the chains appeared an old man with silver hair, d in a red robe, stepping out from the void, holding the chains, his aura vast and unending like the ocean waves.

    He was the previous sect master of the Snake Catchers Sect, the Fifteenth Ancestor.

    A Core Formation stage sect master over three hundred years old would retire, passing the position to the next generation. The Fifteenth Ancestor was slightly younger than the Thirteenth Ancestor, but still four hundred years old, his cultivation stalled at thete Core Formation stage.

    The chains in his hand, called the Inner Demon Chains, were specifically prepared to target inner demons.

    To prevent the Inner Demon Chains from being copied, he specifically called the Fifteenth Ancestor to act instead of himself.

    "You can copy me, but can you copy my master?" Xu Qingzhi sneered.

    But as soon as he finished speaking, he saw chains shooting out from the Heavenly Demon Mirror, aiming at him.

    "Not good!"

    The Fifteenth Ancestor''s expression changed, attempting to intercept, but the chains elerated, ignoring the spatial distance, piercing through Xu Qingzhi before he could dodge, locking him in ce, unable to move.

    From the mirror of the Heavenly Demon Mirror stepped out an old man.

    d in red robes, with silver hair, holding the other end of the chains, his aura vast and unending like the ocean waves.

    Identical to the Fifteenth Ancestor!

    "How can this be?" Both were dumbfounded.

    Xu Hei was also stunned.

    Two inner demons! This Heavenly Demon Mirror can replicate two?

    "Hey, hey, don''t just stand there, do something! My time is precious!" urged the inner demon Xu Qingzhi, shaking the Dragon ying Sword impatiently.

    "Do what? I''m already four hundred years old, these old bones can''t handle fighting! A few more hits and my lifespan will be gone." The inner demon Fifteenth Ancestor cursed.

    At this moment, the scene was deathly silent.

    Xu Qingzhi and the Fifteenth Ancestor''s eyes were wide as saucers, not knowing what to do.

    They had rehearsed ways to deal with inner demons, but the current situation waspletely unexpected.

    Xu Hei''s mind buzzed, quickly sending a message underground: "Hei Huang, what''s going on? Why can this mirror replicate two people?"

    However, there was no response from Hei Huang.

    Xu Hei scanned with his divine sense, only to find that Hei Huang had long disappeared, whereabouts unknown.

    Soon, the Snake Catchers Sect''s army arrived at the scene, led by Grand Elder Yin Mingzi. They exchanged nces, tacitly keeping their distance from the inner demons in the sky, encircling Xu Hei instead.

    In their view, it was best to stay as far away as possible from such bizarre phenomena.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 259: Take them down one by one

    Chapter 259: Take them down one by one

    In order to kill Xu Hei, the Snake Catchers Sect had made extremely thorough preparations, reaching the utmost in terms of manpower and resources.

    Sect Leader Xu Qingzhi was held back, along with the Fifteenth Ancestor. Without the Fifteenth Ancestor, there was still the elder group of the Snake Catchers Sect led by Yin Mingzi.

    With such meticulous preparations, no matter how many tricks Xu Hei had up his sleeve, there was only one path for him¡ªdeath!

    In a daze, Xu Hei found himself back in the Myriad Serpent Valley, facing an overwhelming army.

    The difference was thatst time, he was merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage, facing Xuan Yangzi.

    This time, he had already reached the Core Formation Stage, facing the elite of the entire Snake Catchers Sect.

    Xu Hei secretly observed his opponents.

    Three mid-stage Core Formation core elders, seven early-stage Core Formation ordinary elders, totaling ten Core Formation cultivators, posed the greatest threat.

    Arge number of Foundation Establishment stage stewards and disciples stayed back, hiding behind the mountain peaks. Only some cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Stage set up formations around, which could also affect those at the Core Formation Stage.Xu Hei''s gaze grew colder; he wouldn''t let a single one of these people escape today.

    "Take action!" Yin Mingzi ordered in a low voice.

    Numerous elders pped their hands and pressed them to the ground. Suddenly, a massive formation emerged, with countless chains shooting out from the void, directly targeting Xu Hei. It was the Demon Sealing Dragon Trap Formation aimed at him.

    The positions of these chains changed endlessly, interlocking and encircling, sealing off all directions of Xu Hei''s movement. They also possessed indestructible strength, representing the extreme of the formation''s Qianyang, highly effective against demons.

    In terms of expertise, the Snake Catchers Sect had no equal in the Demon Sealing Dragon Trap Formation.

    "So, you want to y with formations? Nine-square Killing Formation!"

    Xu Hei shouted, his snake tail burrowing into the ground, activating the formation.

    In an instant, countless formation lights lit up on the surrounding ground and in the void, with destructive waves enveloping the ten elders surrounding from the Snake Catchers Sect!

    These formations appeared too quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Xu Hei detonated them.

    Would Xu Hei just stand still and wait for them to surround him and set up their formation?

    Ridiculous! He did it on purpose because his formation was buried right there!

    "Not good! Retreat quickly!"

    "It''s an ambush!"

    Yin Mingzi eximed in shock, immediately retreating, and all the elders fled desperately, but it was toote. One by one, lights shed, and earth-shattering waves erupted instantly.

    The Nine-square Killing Formation was a formation Xu Heiprehended inside the Xuan Yin Tower, with nine formationsbined into one, especially the final Five Elements Killing Formation being the most formidable.

    The Snake Catchers Sect had been suspicious, but these formations had their aura concealed by Hei Huang, making thempletely undetectable.

    They couldn''t imagine how a snake could set up so many formations in such a short time!

    "Boom boom boom boom boom..."

    For a moment, thunder and lightning roared, earth fire erupted, fierce winds shredded, and underworld soil dposed... Various formation attacks appeared in all directions, and the group of elders suffered a brutal assault, each vomiting blood as their magical treasures shattered one after another.

    The so-called Demon Sealing Dragon Trap Formation, meant to restrain Xu Hei, was just halfway formed before beingpletely destroyed by these killing formations. Not a single chain remained, blown into nothingness by the Five Elements Killing Formation.

    At this moment, Yin Mingzi''s face turned as ck as coal.

    The Snake Catchers Sect had rich experience in catching snakes, but damn it, was this a snake?

    What happened to capturing him with ease?

    Looking at their sect leader Xu Qingzhi, his face was as dark as could be.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei''s figure vanished on the spot, turning into a shadow, charging at an early-stage Core Formation elder. With their formation scattered, now was the perfect time to take them down one by one.

    This unnamed elder immediately summoned an ancient gourd, which spewed out a halo. In an instant, a vortex-like force field appeared around him.

    As Xu Hei approached, it felt like he was trapped in a quagmire, unable to move, especially targeting his snake-like form. This was also a magical treasure designed to bind snake demons.

    Unfortunately, Xu Hei''s Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique had surpassed the fourth level, long since ignoring such restraints. After just a brief pause, he charged in again,pletely unaffected by the vortex-like force field.

    "Sect Leader, save me!"

    The unnamed Elder A let out a piercing scream, the gourd shattered, and the vortex force field expanded more than tenfold, yet it couldn''t stop the bloodthirsty Xu Hei.

    Countless magical treasure halos appeared on Elder A, attempting a desperate struggle.

    Xu Hei opened his crimson maw, swallowing the man and all his magical treasures whole, his belly bulging like a balloon.

    Immediately, he refined them swiftly within the Demon God Cauldron, absorbing everything cleanly.

    Xu Hei spat out the elder, now reduced to a withered husk, his Golden Core, flesh, and all the energy absorbed by his cultivation techniquepletely devoured by Xu Hei.

    From start to finish, it took only a single breath.

    "Humans taste disgusting!"

    Xu Hei cursed; it had been a long time since he had swallowed a person whole.

    Thest time he ate a human was thest time, but the snake catchers disgusted him to the core. He wanted to extract their bones and refine their marrow, making them suffer the tortures of hell.

    "Kill!"

    Xu Hei once again used the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, charging at the second unnamed Elder B.

    "Boom!"

    A loud noise echoed from the sky as Xu Qingzhi could no longer hold back, wielding the Dragon ying Sword, slicing through the air, forming a massive blood-colored de light, descending from the heavens to sever Xu Hei.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Hey, hey! Do you think I don''t exist?"

    Another Xu Qingzhi sneered, swinging his Dragon ying Sword, producing the same blood-colored de light, intercepting in the void. After mutual annihtion, he shed at Xu Qingzhi''s neck again, ensuring that if he attacked Xu Hei, his head would roll.

    Xu Qingzhi''s face turned ashen, forced to engage in directbat, and soon they were locked in a fierce battle.

    Meanwhile, the Fifteenth Ancestor and another Fifteenth Ancestor merely stood in the sky, gazing at each other without moving, neither seeming inclined to take action.

    However, the Fifteenth Ancestor''s face was exceptionally grim, arge seal appearing in his hand, only to be put away again.

    "The fake inner demon created by this mirror must have a time limit. Once the time is up, it will break without attack. Why waste energy?" the Fifteenth Ancestor spected internally.

    Two breathster.

    The second Elder B was also swallowed by Xu Hei, struggling for just one more breath. Thatpass-shaped magical treasure could disrupt Xu Hei''s sense of direction, also designed to restrain snake demons.

    Every snake catcher had magical treasures targeting snake demons, knowing his body structure and attack habits as if they were second nature. This infuriated Xu Hei, making him feel nauseated from the depths of his heart.

    Xu Hei spat out the drained Elder B.

    "Disgusting, your taste is too disgusting!"

    Xu Hei flicked his tail, shooting towards the nearest third person, named Liu Dun, whose cultivation had reached mid-stage Core Formation, unlike the previous two he had killed. He was a poison master specializing in snake venom.

    With a wave of his hand, Liu Dun scattered arge amount of poison powder, forming a toxic that covered every inch of space, easily prating a snake''s body.

    The Bone-Eroding Powder could instantly soften snake bones, rendering them powerless.

    "Sacrificing two people to capture you is still within eptable losses!"

    Liu Dun thought to himself. He had long anticipated that this mission wouldn''t go smoothly and that sacrifices were inevitable.

    "Poof!!"

    In the next second, his lower half was shattered by Xu Hei''s strike, his Golden Core mped in Xu Hei''s mouth.

    "This..." Liu Dun''s thoughts quickly scattered.

    He couldn''t understand why his Bone-Eroding Powder had no effect!

    The time hested wasn''t even a single breath, shorter than the previous two!

 Chapter 260: The strongest body cultivator, Xu Hei

    Chapter 260: The strongest body cultivator, Xu Hei

    "Wow!"

    Suddenly, Liu Dun''s skin sprouted scales, his eyes turned into vertical pupils, and hepletely lost consciousness. The remaining half of his body rapidly elongated, his spine transforming into a tail that extended outward.

    In the blink of an eye, Liu Dun had turned into a giant python.

    The python''s face still faintly retained Liu Dun''s features, but its eyes were devoid of emotion, filled only with a mad killing intent.

    "Elder Liu has sumbed to the snake sacrifice!"

    Voices of shock echoed around.

    Snake Catchers, who cultivate using snakes, have remnants of snake demon pollution within them. Once they lose the suppression of their cultivation, this pollution spreads throughout their body, causing them to transform into snakes, hence the term snake sacrifice.

    Only elders with profound cultivation or those deeply polluted might experience a snake sacrifice.

    "Hiss!"Liu Dun opened his massive mouth, his venomous fangs lunging at Xu Hei, his body coiling around him. Xu Hei''s dragon scales bristled, instantly piercing Liu Dun with countless wounds.

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei thrust his head forward, his horn piercing through Liu Dun''s skull, creating arge hole. Liu Dun let out a shrill scream as he plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground.

    "Mid-stage Core Formation, truly not easy to deal with..."

    Xu Hei thought to himself. At the same time, countless snake-shaped flying swords shot towards him from the sky, shing against his dragon scales with a nging sound.

    Simultaneously, arge number of snake shadows surged out like raindrops,pletely enveloping Xu Hei.

    The remaining two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators, Yin Mingzi and Red Fang, quickly adjusted andunched a fierce attack on Xu Hei.

    "Bang, bang, bang..."

    The snake shadows exploded around Xu Hei, releasing arge cloud of ck mist that could obscure divine sense and corrode flesh. These were talismans refined using venomous snakes.

    Gradually, the other cultivators also adjusted, immediately forming a battle formation tounch an offensive against Xu Hei.

    One magical treasure after another was thrown out, and various spells to counter snake demons were continuously unleashed.

    Xu Hei immediately summoned the ck Dragon Pagoda, cing it in front of him to block all attacks. The pagoda shook violently, and Xu Hei was sted backward.

    "Everyone, don''t hold back! Use whatever trump cards you have! Can our Snake Catchers Sect not handle a single snake?"

    "Even a flood dragon must be brought down!"

    Yin Mingzi shouted, and the morale of the crowd was immediately boosted.

    One must admit, the Snake Catchers Sect, with its countless years of inheritance, indeed had some means.

    Initially caught off guard by the formation, losing two people and one to a snake sacrifice, Xu Hei had taken them by surprise. But soon, they adjusted.

    "Dragon Binding Rope!"

    "Eight Extremes Thunder Seal!"

    "Yellow Springs Swamp!"

    Another round of spells descended upon Xu Hei, trapping him in the Yellow Springs, striking him with thunder, and binding him with the Dragon Binding Rope. Even with his physical body, he suffered significant injuries.

    Especially those two mid-stage Core Formation cultivators, each strike brought immense pressure to Xu Hei.

    "Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"

    Xu Hei unleashed his full speed, his form turning into countless afterimages as he charged forward. But the light ahead suddenly twisted, causing Xu Hei to lose his sense of direction and miss his target.

    In the air, illusions of the Yellow River appeared, greatly disrupting his vision.

    This was a magical treasure specifically targeting movement techniques, the Nine Bends Yellow River.

    "Thud!"

    Suddenly, a massive seal mmed into Xu Hei''s back with tremendous force, causing him to spit blood and stumble forward, taking another heavy blow.

    Xu Hei nced back, spotting the assant hidden among the Foundation Establishment cultivators. It seemed to be a woman, with a sinister smile on her lips.

    "The Thirteenth Ancestor?"

    Xu Hei instantly realized that a Foundation Establishment cultivator couldn''t possibly harm him. It could only be the Thirteenth Ancestor who had snatched the woman''s body.

    "Keep attacking! Don''t give him a chance to breathe!"

    "Don''t stop!!!"

    The next second, a new wave of attacks descended. The opponents timed it perfectly, the remaining seven taking turns to attack, not giving Xu Hei a moment''s respite.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Heavenly thunder and earthly fire, the ground shook and mountains trembled. The mountain Xu Hei stood on was sted open, creating a thousand-foot abyss. The destructive power of Core Formation cultivators was enough to shake a mountain.

    "Mountain Severing Abyss!"

    Xu Hei shouted, and the mountain beneath him rose, forming a massive serpentine mountain range that charged towards the crowd.

    This giant serpent was several timesrger than any Xu Hei had previously summoned, blocking out the sky like a prehistoric beast!

    However, the opponents had already calcted for this move.

    "Earth Dissolution Technique!"

    Elder Bing pped his hands on the ground, and the mountain serpent''s body copsed, disintegrating into rubble that fell like rain.

    Xu Hei then used Falling Stars and Mountain Embrace Seal, but all were easily countered.

    Every spell and technique Xu Hei had used before had been anticipated by the opponents, who had prepared countermeasures.

    Even every magical treasure and talisman he had used, including the Small Teleportation Talisman, had been guarded against in advance, everything calcted to thest detail.

    The only thing that exceeded their calctions was the initial formation, which caught the Snake Catchers Sect off guard.

    But the subsequent developments were all within the sect''s control.

    "Give up struggling, today you will surely die!" Yin Mingzi shouted.

    "I know you still have a puppet, the Zhou Family ancestor''s Blood Killing Sword, Blood God Armor, Soul-absorbing g, and Xu Qingfeng''s Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, but they''re all useless!"

    "Xu the Butcher, you''ve been seen through! You''re at the end of your rope!"

    The crowd continued their verbal assault while relentlessly casting spells.

    Metal, earth, wood, all Five Elemental spells were used, anything that could counter snake demons.

    Xu Hei didn''t know how many attacks he had endured. Even with dragon scales protecting him and a strong physique, it was hard to withstand so many assaults.

    In a one-on-one fight, Xu Hei could easily defeat any of them, killing one in two breaths.

    But together, they produced an effect greater than the sum of their parts.

    These elders were no longer the riffraff of Myriad Serpent Valley; they were the core elder group of the Snake Catchers Sect! A total of ten, each having lived for over a hundred years, experienced and coordinated, having rehearsed countless times against Xu Hei.

    Any one of them could rival the likes of Xuan Yangzi, each a renowned expert in their own right.

    At this moment, the entire sect joined forces against Xu Hei, holding nothing back, giving him the utmost attention!

    "Almost, almost!"

    Xu Hei continued to endure the attacks, his flesh splitting, his internal organs severely injured. But as the attacks continued, the True Qi within him was beingpressed.

    In a daze, he returned to the martial arts school in Wuyou City.

    Mr. Bai, holding a stick, beat him ck and blue, day after day of severe injuries, forging Xu Hei''s spirit and will to be harder than steel.

    In his mind, he saw Bai Qiushui falling again and again, only to rise each time.

    "The more you get beaten, the stronger you be. So this is the essence of the Diamond Suppression Technique!"

    Gradually, Xu Hei''s skin began to emit a golden light, producing a metallic ng, a sign of True Essence being refined to the extreme.

    Yin Mingzi, holding a ck snake sword, pointed it forward.

    The snake sword flew out, instantly striking Xu Hei''s vital point, blood bursting forth as Xu Hei plummeted from the sky, creating a snake-shaped crater on the ground.

    "No matter what tricks you have, today, not even the gods can save you!"

    Yin Mingzi didn''t dare approach recklessly. He raised his hand, and the ck snake sword shot out again, aiming to decapitate Xu Hei, refusing to stop until his head was severed!

    The others'' attacks continued unabated, determined not to stop until Xu Hei was reduced to pulp.

    "Heh, the oue is decided. This snake has no strength left to struggle, not even a sound."

    Xu Qingzhi sneered coldly.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The inner demon in front of him also sneered, shing at him with a de, forcing Xu Qingzhi to parry.

    But just as Xu Qingzhi finished speaking.

    "Roar!!!"

    A resounding dragon roar echoed through the heavens and earth, spanning a thousand miles, directly targeting Elder Bing, Xu Hei''s long-prepared killing move, Dragon Shatter Roar!

    This wasn''t a traditional spell but a dragon n''s ultimate technique!

    When True Essence ispressed to the extreme, the power of Dragon Shatter Roar skyrockets, a perfect fusion of physical body and spell.

    This strike pierced the sky!

    "Boom!!"

    Elder Bing, thirty miles away, didn''t even have time to grunt before his body exploded, turning into fragments that rained down from the sky.

    After obliterating one, Dragon Shatter Roar spread out from the center, instantly severely injuring the two nearby. Their eyes burst, blood flowed from their orifices, and their magical treasures exploded one by one.

    Everything happened too quickly. The others were still in a daze when one was dead, and two were severely injured.

    "I wonder if you anticipated this strike!"

    Xu Hei climbed out of the pit, his body now radiating golden True Essence, coating his skin. Thispressed True Essence elevated his physical strength to the extreme.

    "This is..."

    Yin Mingzi''s pupils contracted to a point.

    Xu Qingzhi also showed a look of horror, a storm raging in his heart, unable to believe his eyes.

    "This is the Diamond Suppression Technique? How is it possible? Besides that Qin Kingdom God of ughter, how could anyone else have learned it?" Xu Qingzhi was shocked beyond measure.

    Even more astonishing was that Xu Hei''s cultivation technique seemed more orthodox and purer than that of the God of ughter.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei vanished on the spot, without a sound of breaking wind. The next second, Xu Hei was right in front of them, his speed ten times faster than before!

    From a distance, Xu Hei thrust his horn forward, thepressed True Essence within him pouring out madly through it!

    "Boom!!"

    A thunderous sound echoed, as if the void itself was being pierced.

    Despite the distortion of light, the entire space ahead was covered by this strike.

    "Boom, boom, boom!!"

    Terrifying shockwaves soared into the sky, sweeping across the heavens, shattering clouds, copsing the earth, and disintegrating mountains. Xu Hei''s strike from afar created a scene of apocalyptic destruction.

    Elder Ding and Elder Wu in front were instantly obliterated by the horn, not even knowing how they died.

    The remaining Yin Mingzi and Red Fang spat blood, their faces pale as they were blown away, their inner terror beyond words.

    Legends spoke of those whose physical bodies had reached sainthood, capable of breaking the void with a punch, shattering the heavens with a kick.

    No need for spells, their physical body was the strongest spell!

    However, such powerful beings existed only in ancient legends. Inter generations, body cultivators had long vanished.

    Though Xu Hei hadn''t reached such an exaggerated level, Xu Qingzhi sensed a hint of that potential.

 Chapter 261: You are not fighting alone

    Chapter 261: You are not fighting alone

    "How could this happen?"

    Xu Qingzhi waspletely numb.

    He thought everything was under control, but unexpected events kept urring one after another.

    Out of the ten Core Formation stage elders, six were dead, two were severely injured, leaving only Yin Mingzi and Red Fang still holding on. Such losses were unbearable for them!

    "Did you jinx it? Every time you speak, the situation turns around. Haven''t you noticed?"

    Xu Qingzhi''s inner demon sneered mockingly.

    "Shut up!"

    Xu Qingzhi, both angry and ashamed, drew his sword and charged forward.

    "Master, take action! If we can y the true inner demon, a fake one is nothing."Xu Qingzhi''s eyes shone with astonishing light, his aura continuously rising, seemingly about to form a suppression.

    The Fifteenth Ancestor hesitated initially, but upon hearing Xu Qingzhi''s words, he immediately summoned a coiled serpent seal and hurled it at the inner demon Fifteenth Ancestor.

    "Boom!!"

    Unexpectedly, the inner demon Fifteenth Ancestor offered no resistance, took a heavy blow, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying.

    Seeing this, the Fifteenth Ancestor was stunned, while Xu Qingzhiughed wildly, "Hahaha, it seems your inner demon is nothing! Let''s finish him off first, then join forces..."

    Before Xu Qingzhi could finish his sentence.

    "Boom!!"

    A ck lightning bolt erupted from the ground, striking the Fifteenth Ancestor''s crotch.

    "Ow!" The Fifteenth Ancestor let out a miserable scream, was struck into the sky, his entire body charred, hair standing on end from the electricity.

    Meanwhile, the other inner demon Fifteenth Ancestor smirked and said, "Who said an inner demon has to follow your script? Can''t it have a bit of creativity?"

    As he spoke, he stomped, and another ck lightning bolt shot from the ground, striking the Fifteenth Ancestor.

    "Boom!!"

    The Fifteenth Ancestor was struck skyward, his body scorched, hair burned to a crisp, his red robe turned ck, and even his arm was severed.

    Everyone was dumbfounded.

    Ate-stage Core Formation Fifteenth Ancestor was being beaten by an inner demon?

    In a corner, a female Foundation Establishment cultivator in the crowd watched the familiar scene in the sky, her eyes nearly popping out.

    "Yin Thunder Formation?"

    Her pupils contracted, then she jumped in rage, gritting her teeth, "Damn it! It''s that old dog!"

    This woman was Shen Qingzhu, who had been possessed by the Thirteenth Ancestor, and the reason for her downfall was being struck by the Nine Nether Yin Thunder Formation.

    She recognized it at once; it was the same formation that had attacked her, and she had suffered greatly from it!

    Now, the Fifteenth Ancestor was also suffering, struck repeatedly by the Yin Thunder from above and below, with no chance to fight back. He hid inside a pagoda, but the pagoda was soon shattered to pieces.

    The Thirteenth Ancestor cursed inwardly, what nonsense inner demon, it was that wretched old dog in disguise!

    That old dog kept iming to be four hundred years old and unwilling to fight, but was secretly setting up a formation, fooling everyone. They had believed him wholeheartedly, how absurd.

    "Boom!!!"

    Another thick Yin Thunder bolt erupted from the ground, striking the Fifteenth Ancestor, sending him soaring nine thousand miles into the sky before crashing down like a dead dog.

    Xu Qingzhi was anxious but could only watch helplessly.

    "Hey, hey, what did you just say? Truly, your words have power." Xu Qingzhi''s inner demon sneered.

    At this moment, everyone in the distance felt an urge to curse.

    In the brief moment Xu Qingzhi was stunned, the inner demon seized the opportunity to sh out, the blood-red de light like a devouring w, striking his chest, leaving a deep gash, blood bursting out, even breaking his ribs.

    "Bang!!"

    Xu Qingzhi was sent flying, crashing into a mountain, causing it to copse.

    "Hey! Can you show some respect? I''m right in front of you, and you dare to look elsewhere, I feel discriminated against!" The inner demon mocked.

    "It''s over!"

    Everyone''s hearts sank.

    The sect leader was injured, now things were really bad.

    If Xu Qingzhi lost to the inner demon, the Snake Catchers Sect would be utterly defeated, with no chance of recovery!

    "Bang!!"

    Xu Hei and Yin Mingzi collided with great force, both sent flying, Yin Mingzi''s body felt like it was falling apart, Xu Hei''s skin was torn, blood dripping, but his eyes grew fiercer.

    "Again!"

    Xu Hei consumed a thousand-year-old Spirit Medicine and a handful of Rejuvenation Pills, without pausing for even a second, shot up again like a storm, his body like a whirlwind, charging towards Yin Mingzi and Red Fang with pure physical strength.

    Yin Mingzi took two breaths to recover, hurriedly summoned a handkerchief, wrapping it around Xu Hei''s body like a ghostly cloak.

    At that moment, Xu Hei lost his sense of direction again, but relying on his memory, he charged forward!

    "Boom!!"

    The handkerchief was pierced with arge hole, the shockwave piercing the sky, and in the distance, Yin Mingzi and Red Fang''s bodies shattered, flying backward, both withrge holes in their bodies.

    Especially Red Fang, half her body was nearly gone, barely clinging to life.

    Ten Core Formation stage elders, all snake catchers meant to restrain snake demons, besieging one Xu Hei, yet ended up in such a miserable state.

    No one expected this oue.

    Including the sect leader and two ancestors, nearly the entire sect was mobilized, only to be beaten thoroughly, leaving everyone with a sense of defeat.

    "Grand Elder, the rest is up to you, you must y him!"

    Red Fang''s eyes showed determination, she raised her only remaining hand, pointed at her forehead, and blood-red dragon scales appeared on her skin, her body elongated, legs transforming into a snake tail, arms retracting into her body, turning into a giant red python in an instant.

    A blood-red horn also appeared on her head.

    "Elder Red Fang has also performed the snake sacrifice!"

    The Foundation Establishment disciples witnessing this from afar all turned pale.

    Three mid-stage Core Formation elders, two had performed the snake sacrifice, leaving only the Grand Elder.

    "Hiss!!"

    Red Fang opened her mouth wide and lunged, Xu Hei swung his tail, sending her flying high, crashing to the ground, creating a thousand-meter deep pit.

    "Damn!" Xu Hei''s heart sank.

    He realized his strength was waning.

    At first, he could easily kill two people with a single strike. But now, even with all his might, he couldn''t destroy a single snake, which only meant his true essence was running low.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Without the reinforcement of the Diamond Suppression Technique, his physical strength would drop significantly.

    This battle was the toughest Xu Hei had ever faced.

    "Hiss hiss!"

    Red Fang struggled to climb out of the pit, opened her giant mouth, and sprayed venom.

    At the same time, Yin Mingzi used all his strength, six ck snake swords shot out, transforming into ravenous ghosts, biting at Xu Hei''s flesh.

    "Bang bang bang..."

    Xu Hei''s skin erupted with countless ck lights, he fell halfway from the sky, then forcibly stopped.

    At this moment, the six ck swords clung to his body, trying to burrow into the gaps of his dragon scales, aiming to devour his flesh.

    "He''s almost done, give it all you''ve got! Everyone, attack together!" Xu Qingzhi shouted.

    "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

    From the distant crowd, three giant crossbow bolts shot out, brought by Foundation Establishment cultivators, aimed at Xu Hei, only now daring to fire.

    These crossbows, ten meters long, could easily kill a demonic beast the size of an elephant. Originally meant to guard against Xu Hei''s reinforcements, after all,st time in Myriad Serpent Valley, Xu Hei had called for Man Jin.

    Now, they were all used against Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei used the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, dodging the first strike, but the bolts spun around, tracking him again, each bolt engraved with a soul-chasing symbol.

    It truly was one man against a sect! Xu Hei''s stamina was rapidly depleting, he felt he was nearing his limit.

    "Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

    But at this critical moment, a mass of vines suddenly burst from the ground, like living creatures, wrapping around all the bolts, immobilizing them.

    "What''s happening?"

    Everyone was shocked, only to see the surrounding trees beginning to move.

    "Bang!!"

    Arge tree swung its branches, smashing a crossbow into pieces.

    A seemingly harmless flower suddenly mutated, its body swelling, transforming into a ferocious maw, swallowing a disciple whole, who let out a miserable scream, melting into bones in the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 262: Xu Heis friends

    Chapter 262: Xu Hei''s friends

    Bamboo shoots shot up wildly, transforming into sharp spikes that burst from the ground, piercing through a group of Snake Catchers.

    A thousand-year-old willow tree, its branches like sharp swords, danced wildly in the wind, slicing off heads one by one.

    Strange dandelions floated through the air, exploding wherever theynded, leaving death and destruction in their wake.

    At this moment, the mountains were experiencing a massive nt eruption, with all vegetation turning into ferocious, man-eating monsters, attacking the Snake Catchers Sect.

    Xu Hei was stunned.

    This kind of attack seemed familiar, and only she was the most adept at it!

    "Xu Bai?"

    Xu Hei nced around and looked at the Fifteenth Ancestor of the Inner Demon.

    "No choice, she insisted oning out to help, so I had to bring her out," the Fifteenth Ancestor of the Inner Demon said, shrugging.At this moment, the Fifteenth Ancestor of the Inner Demon no longer pretended, transforming into a dog-headed man, none other than Hei Huang.

    As for the real Fifteenth Ancestor, hey on the ground, charred and lifeless, having been struck down by Hei Huang. This left Xu Hei secretly amazed; after a year of seclusion, this dog seemed even stronger, with truly unfathomable methods.

    Meanwhile.

    Beside Xu Hei, lush green lotuses sprouted, emitting a gentle light that enveloped him, aiding in his rapid healing and elerating the recovery of his true essence.

    Xu Hei took a deep breath and regained hisposure.

    He looked into the distance and saw a giant cactus swiftly moving through the ranks of the Snake Catchers Sect disciples. Wherever it went, cries of misery followed, and many disciples were pierced by cactus spines. Xu Bai was hiding inside the cactus.

    By now, Xu Bai had be a great demon capable of holding her own.

    Xu Hei finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Ji Ying, attack!"

    With a lowmand from Xu Hei, Ji Ying emerged from the dragon scales, another of Xu Hei''s hidden aces.

    Ji Ying finally appeared, letting out a joyful hum before shooting forward like a cannonball, shattering all six ck Snake Swords nearby, and then charging towards the stunned Yin Mingzi.

    The snake-transformed Red Fang lunged at Xu Hei, eyes filled with crazed hatred.

    Xu Hei showed no fear, using hisst ounce of strength to open his mouth wide and bite down.

    "Rip!"

    Xu Hei bit down on her head and twisted fiercely, tearing off a massive snake head.

    Red Fang spewed venom, drenching Xu Hei, her severed body still attacking him.

    "Die!"

    Xu Hei summoned the ck Dragon Pagoda, swallowing Red Fang whole, absorbing herpletely, leaving only a skeleton in the blink of an eye.

    "Red Fang!!"

    Yin Mingzi''s eyes were filled with rage and despair as he let out a heart-wrenching scream.

    At this point, two of the three mid-stage Core Formation elders of the Snake Catchers Sect had fallen, leaving only Yin Mingzi!

    Of the seven early-stage Core Formation elders, five were dead, and two were seriously injured.

    The core strength of the Snake Catchers Sect was utterly defeated!

    However, Xu Hei was also at his limit, his true essence nearly exhausted, his body covered in wounds. Without the green lotus released by Xu Bai and the ancient Spirit Medicine, Xu Hei could have fainted at any moment.

    Even though his dragon scales were intact, beneath them, he was already severely injured, his blood nearly drained.

    Yin Mingzi was not in much better shape. Though he still had the strength to fight, after being entangled by Ji Ying multiple times, he had lost both ears, leaving him even more terrified.

    "After a thousand years of catching snakes, I finally got bitten by one. Today, I''ve suffered a huge setback!"

    Yin Mingzi sighed inwardly, making up his mind to retreat.

    But suddenly, he remembered Red Fang''s dying wish.

    Red Fang, even with her head severed, continued to attack Xu Hei, giving her all!

    ¡ªShe hoped he could kill Xu Hei and avenge her.

    If Xu Hei wasn''t in, their sacrifices would be in vain!

    Yin Mingzi clenched his fists, gritting his teeth, his eyes filled with determination.

    "You two, if you still have the strength to fight, don''t hold back, join me in attacking!"

    Yin Mingzi took out a blood-red pill and swallowed it in one gulp. Instantly, a blood-red giant python''s shadow appeared behind him, his eyes turning into vertical pupils, his body igniting with blood-red demon fire, his aura soaring, approaching thete Core Formation stage.

    The fierce demon fire swept out, even forcing Ji Ying back a hundred feet, unable to get close.

    "That''s the spirit of the Ancestor Serpent!"

    The two severely injured Core Formation elders'' pupils contracted, their bodies trembling as if inspired.

    One of them took out a giant python statue, tore off his own arm, and directly sacrificed it to the statue.

    The other burned his lifespan, chanting incantations, releasing a terrifying wave as if about to cast some forbidden technique.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Xu Hei immediately felt a sense of danger approaching.

    Hei Huang frowned and cursed, "These old bastards, they''re going all out. Xu Hei, if it doesn''t work, we should retreat!"

    Retreat?

    Xu Hei''s true essence was exhausted, barely able to move, how far could he escape?

    Xu Hei said nothing, taking out a five-thousand-year-old ancient Spirit Medicine and swallowing it whole. Using the Demon God Cauldron, he forcibly refined it, causing a surge of violent true essence to flow through his meridians, making his whole body ache.

    At this point, he couldn''t worry about any aftereffects.

    If the other side was going all out, he had no choice but to do the same!

    Blood God Armor, Blood Killing Sword, Soul-absorbing g, Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, Xu Hei summoned them all. Now, it was do or die, no turning back! He had no choice!

    The only option was to kill the opponent, eliminating future threats. He didn''t want to run anymore!

    "Xu Hei, rest well!"

    Suddenly, a powerful voice echoed from afar, resonating in his ears.

    Xu Hei looked up to see a golden radiance shing from the horizon, a giant elephant with gleaming golden light and sharp tusks.

    ¡ªMan Jin!

    Before even reaching him, a golden light shield enveloped Xu Hei, a metal element spell from Man Jin.

    Additionally, a thunder lion stepped on lightning, riding the storm, descending from the sky in an instant, it was the Purple Lightning Lion King, Lei Meng!

    There was also a mid-stage Core Formation old monkey king, an early-stage Core Formation wind eagle king, and an early-stage Core Formation old flood dragon, all arriving on the scene.

    Behind them were their respective demonic beast armies!

    Groups of demonic beasts approached, their steps shaking the earth, a thunderous sound like a thousand horses galloping.

    "You all..." Xu Hei was struck as if by lightning, frozen in ce.

    These demonic beasts were the five great demon ns that once fought against the Four Sects Alliance, driven away for thousands of miles, now all present.

    "Awooo!"

    From afar, a loud wolf howl echoed through the mountains.

    A wolf king, stepping on the verdant mountains, led a massive pack, quickly upying a mountain peak.

    Among the wolf pack, a ck-and-white wolf watched Xu Hei and Hei Huang with burning eyes, filled with long-lost excitement.

    This wolf was very familiar, none other than Er Gou, lost for many years.

    A snake in distress, supported from all sides.

    Xu Hei was no longer the lone fighter in Myriad Serpent Valley, battling the heroes, never to return home.

    He had friends, these demonic beast friends, to lend him a hand!

    "Xu Hei, rest well, leave the rest to us!" Man Jin said solemnly.

    As he spoke, the golden shield around Xu Hei''s body added eight moreyers, no longer just an eggshell, but a thick golden wall, shielding him from wind and rain.

    Man Jin stood before the golden shield, like a towering mountain, blocking Yin Mingzi and the others.

 Chapter 263: He can be replaced!

    Chapter 263: He can be reced!

    They''ve returned, all of them have returned!

    Every demonic beast Xu Hei knew was present.

    Looking at those familiar figures, Xu Hei was so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn''t speak.

    He had been prepared to fight to the death, but seeing the massive figure of Man Jin before him, Xu Hei exhaled and said, "Thank you... all of you!"

    For the first time in his life, Xu Hei uttered such words.

    In contrast, the members of the Snake Catchers Sect looked as if they were in a daze.

    At this moment, Yin Mingzi''s face was as dark as it could be.

    "Where is the Four Sects Alliance? Where are our people?" Yin Mingzi raged impotently.

    The demonic beasts hade to help, yet there was no movement from the Four Sects Alliance.What he didn''t know was that the Four Sects Alliance had always been reluctant about exploring the ruins. They had no share in the benefits but were expected to risk their lives first. Why would they sincerely act?

    When the Divine Puppet Sect responded by pressing their entire army towards Wuyou City, the Four Sects Alliance lost all their utility.

    "Whoosh!"

    Suddenly, a Core Formation cultivator who had just used a forbidden technique manifested a faint light in his hand, tearing open a rift with terrifying power and slipping into the space crevice, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    "He ran away?!" The crowd was in an uproar.

    Meanwhile, another cultivator who had sacrificed his arm to summon a snake statue rode on the snake''s back, soaring into the sky at an astonishing speed, heading towards the horizon. The snake beneath him moved like the wind, covering thousands of feet in an instant.

    Another one ran!

    "Die, you scoundrel!"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Lei Meng shouted, spewing lightning that struck its target. The fleeing Core Formation cultivator was hit by the thunder, screaming in agony, and the snake beneath him let out a piercing wail.

    The old monkey king swung a heavy club, striking him and instantly shattering him into pieces, flesh and blood flying everywhere.

    He didn''t manage to escape and was beaten to death!

    With one main force dead and another fled, the remaining disciples of the Snake Catchers Sect turned pale, losing all will to fight.

    Even Yin Mingzi felt the urge to retreat. The premise of fighting to the death was having a chance to kill the opponent, but now, what chance was there?

    His eyes flickered, and with a gritted teeth, he took out arge boat made of snakeskin, boarded it, and fled far away.

    He actually ran away too!

    With so many elders dead, Yin Mingzi''s heart bled, but he had no choice. Going up meant certain death. What else could he do?

    In this battle, the Snake Catchers Sect had deployed more than half of its core strength, leaving only a few old immortals with little lifespan to guard the sect.

    The high-level losses were severe, and the disciples below suffered equally.

    This was the worst disaster for the Snake Catchers Sect in nearly two hundred years.

    The old monkey king chased after Yin Mingzi, while the demonic beasts attacked the remaining disciples, mercilessly beating the fallen.

    The people of the Snake Catchers Sect were utterly panicked, fleeing in all directions, either burrowing underground or taking out flying magical artifacts, using all means, their forces inplete disarray.

    "Boom!!"

    Suddenly, a loud explosion erupted from a distant mountain stream, rocks flying, mountains exploding, and a blood-colored figure shot into the sky, wielding a Dragon ying Sword, dyeing half the sky red.

    It was Xu Qingzhi.

    "Perfect timing!"

    Inner demon Xu Qingzhi rubbed his hands together, hoisting the Dragon ying Sword, ready to engage in a great battle.

    At this moment, Xu Qingzhi seemed to have made up his mind. His eyes were cold as he took out a mass of fresh red Flood Dragon blood.

    With the Flood Dragon blood in hand, Xu Qingzhi''s face was reflected in a crimson hue. He no longer hesitated and swallowed the blood in one gulp.

    Originally, he wanted to personally kill Xu Hei, infusing his entire body with Flood Dragon blood to perfectly form a Nascent Soul.

    But now, killing Xu Hei had be a luxury. Without breaking through the inner demon, he couldn''t even get close!

    Xu Qingzhi could only settle for the next best thing, using the Flood Dragon blood left by his ancestors to attempt forming a Nascent Soul. Although the sess rate wasn''t high, there was still a chance to enhance his cultivation and reach the pseudo-Nascent Soul level.

    "Boom!!"

    After consuming the dragon blood, Xu Qingzhi''s body roared and vibrated, blood energy surging, forming a crimson wave that swept around, forcing the inner demon back a thousand feet.

    "Oh? You think you''re the only one who can break through?"

    The inner demon also took out a drop of Flood Dragon blood, swallowed it, and his aura rose as well, forming a tornado that whipped up an even greater storm.

    Xu Qingzhi''s expression was cold and indifferent. Without saying a word, he stepped on the Dragon ying Sword, transforming into a long rainbow, flying towards the distance, ignoring the inner demon.

    He needed to find a ce to go into seclusion, wait for his realm to stabilize, and thene back to settle the score.

    No matter what, he had to y that Flood Dragon.

    "Hey, hey, hey! You''re ignoring me again. How many times have I told you, you think I don''t exist, huh? I''m going to kill you!"

    The inner demon shouted angrily, stepping on the Dragon ying Sword, chasing after Xu Qingzhi, also transforming into a long rainbow, and the two disappeared at the horizon''s end.

    This scene was reminiscent of how Xuan Yangzi hade.

    With Xu Qingzhi''s departure, the blood-colored clouds in the sky dissipated, and the oppressive crimson feeling vanished without a trace, along with the nausea and difort.

    The dark clouds in the sky also disappeared, a thick cloudyer splitting open to let a warm ray of sunlight shine down, illuminating the Wu Mountain Range and the distant Wuyou City.

    Xu Hei exhaled, feeling the world spinning, and copsed.

    He was too exhausted.

    From returning to reality until now, he hadn''t rested, from the Core Formation thunder tribtion to killing Li Si, and then to the battle with the Snake Catchers Sect, Xu Hei felt like he had been running with a boulder on his back.

    When the pressure was lifted, the taut string snapped, and Xu Hei lost consciousness as soon as he hit the ground.

    Before he fainted, he fell into a patch of green lotus, as if he were in a hibernating nest,fortable and warm, putting his mind at ease.

    This time, his slumber didn''tst long.

    Perhaps only a stick of incense, less than half an hour.

    A rumbling explosion came from afar, shaking the heavens, as if the earth was being overturned, an indescribable surge of energy sweeping in from all directions, crashing into Xu Hei''s mind.

    The tremor was so intense that it forcibly woke Xu Hei from his slumber.

    He slowly woke up, immediately alert, looking towards the distant valley.

    That was where Wuyou City was located.

    "What happened?"

    Not only him, but all the nearby demonic beasts also looked towards Wuyou City, eyes filled with shock.

    In the direction of Wuyou City, a dazzling white light appeared, blinding to the eyes, expanding rapidly from a single point until it enveloped the entire Wuyou City!

    It was like a sun rapidly expanding, growingrger andrger, covering the entire Wuyou City.

    "Boom!!!"

    The tremor spanned the sky, leaving everyone deaf and nearly blind.

    It was a cataclysmic disaster, akin to the end of the world.

    Even from a great distance, Xu Hei felt an irresistible heavenly might, a sense of insignificance arising from the depths of his heart.

    This was a thousand times more terrifying than a full-force strike from an Elemental Infant cultivator!

    When the sun-like light disappeared, half of Wuyou City was gone, leaving only ruins and rubble.

    Xu Hei was utterly shocked.

    The scene just now reyed in Xu Hei''s mind, etched into his memory.

    "Crack, crack, crack..."

    Countless dense cracks appeared in the surrounding space, torn open by a pair ofrge hands, and one by one, disheveled figures emerged from the rifts, falling to the ground.

    These were the members of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    Xu Qingfeng, Ah Yin, Ku Xuan, Zhang Tie, Zhao Wenzhuo, Xiao Chou, and in addition, two more figures.

    One was Little Overlord Xiang Fei, whom Xu Hei had seen before.

    The other emitted a white halo all over, obscuring his appearance, only his silhouette visible. His stature was as tall as a mountain, limbs robust, eyes like thunder, aura like a fierce tiger, exuding an imposing presence, with an air of lifting mountains.

    The spatial rift just now was torn open by him with his bare hands.

    With just one nce, one could feel the aura of a hero from this person, definitely a giant in his own right! Comparable to Qin Xuanji!

    Xu Hei instinctively thought of one person¡ªthe leader of the Chu Tian Alliance.

    After this person appeared, he nced at Xu Hei, without any conversation, just nodded slightly.

    Xu Qingfeng and the others also nodded in greeting to Xu Hei.

    Xiao Chou nced at Hei Huang, instinctively shrinking his neck, showing an awkward yet polite smile.

    "Whoosh!"

    A token shot over,nding in front of Xu Hei. This token was different from the previous one; it was personally given to him by the person suspected to be the leader.

    After delivering the token, there were no extra words.

    He took out a ck cauldron, quickly erging it, and took the members of the Chu Tian Alliance inside.

    At this moment, a pair of majestic eyes appeared in the sky, peering down from the clouds, like a human emperor in the world, reigning over all, overlooking all beings, with an irresistible imperial might.

    Just a nce would make an ordinary person tremble with fear, not daring to meet its gaze.

    However, the hero before them merely nced calmly at those eyes, saying indifferently, "He can be reced!"

    After saying this, the ck cauldron carried everyone, soaring into the sky, heading towards the horizon.

    Before leaving, Xu Qingfeng cupped his fists and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, Chu territory is no longer a ce to linger. The universe is yet to be determined, we shall meet again!"

    The ck cauldron tore through the void, disappearing into the sky.

    And those eyes filled with imperial might merely scanned the ruined Wuyou City before disappearing, as if it were all just an illusion.

    Hei Huang said, "No need to look, this ce is not suitable for staying, we should leave too!"

    This indeed wasn''t a ce to linger.

    Xu Qingzhi, who had left, might return at any time, and who knew what level of cultivation he would have reached by then.

    With Xu Hei''s current strength, he couldn''t contend with the Great Perfection of the Golden Core.

    Hei Huang whistled, and the wolf king immediately ran over. Hei Huang mounted it directly.

    Xu Bai also crawled over, using a cactus to support Xu Hei on her back.

    Er Gou followed along, looking at Xu Bai with a somewhat fearful gaze.

    Back then, Er Gou had eaten Xu Bai''s pills like meals, resulting in various mutations. Fortunately, he wasn''t poisoned to death. Later, he joined the wolf n of the Wu Mountain Range and became a young master.

    Although still pathetically weak, only at the Foundation Establishment level, a three-colored mixed spiritual root breaking through to Foundation Establishment was already a great fortune.

    "Thank you, Boss Bai," Er Gou said, shrinking his neck in gratitude.

    Xu Bai smiled and said, "I''ve just developed a Longevity Pill and need a few testers. Do you want to try it?"

    "No, no, Boss Bai''s kindness is more than enough, I can''t bear it," Er Gou shivered in fear, quickly retreating.

    "Humph! Ungrateful!" Xu Bai rolled her eyes.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 264: The dragon returns to the sea

    Chapter 264: The dragon returns to the sea

    "Boss Hei, which way are we going?" the wolf king asked.

    "To Yanluo River!" Hei Huang replied.

    "Yes!" The wolf king obediently carried Hei Huang, sprinting towards Yanluo River.

    Xu Hei had serious doubts whether this wolf king had also been subdued by Hei Huang, as he looked at Hei Huang with a mix of awe and respect.

    Xu Hei was also being carried by a giant cactus, soaring into the sky. This cactus was enormous, like an oval-shaped airship, carrying the ck and white snakes.

    It seemed that the demonic beasts like Man Jin, Lei Meng, and the giant serpent had learned of Xu Hei''s departure and were following along to see them off.

    The old monkey king, who had been chasing Yin Mingzi, also returned and joined the group.

    Throughout the journey, Xu Hei remained silent.

    His mind kept reying the scene he had just witnessed¡ªa rapidly expanding point of light that destroyed half of Wuyou City. Who could haveunched such an attack?It wasn''t the Human Emperor. Although he was the ruler of Qin Kingdom, he didn''t possess such power.

    Nor could it have been the Elemental Infant ancestor, as an attack from someone at the Elemental Infant stage wouldn''t be this terrifying.

    "The opponents of Wuyou City are even more formidable than I imagined!" Xu Hei sighed inwardly.

    His own power was still too insignificant, not worth mentioningpared to the true might of heaven and earth.

    At least he could see the Human Emperor''s eye.

    But the master of that attack¡ªhe didn''t even have the qualification to discover them. The gap was so vast that he wasn''t even worthy of a nce.

    Xu Hei didn''t bother asking Hei Huang about it. Such questions were meaningless and would only add to his worries.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Xu Bai, why do you use a cactus as a weapon?"

    Xu Hei looked towards the front of the cactus, where Xu Bai was coiled.

    "Aren''t humans supposed to fly on swords? I don''t have a sword, so I have to use something pointy," Xu Bai replied.

    "So, can you stop poking me with that pointy thing?" Xu Hei said.

    "Ah? Sorry!"

    Xu Bai eximed, and the cactus''s spines immediately retracted.

    At this moment, Xu Hei seemed to recall something and asked the old monkey king about the Demon Lord.

    The Demon Lord was supposed to intercept the Heavenly Puppet Sect, so why didn''t he appearter? He was a being with earth-shattering cultivation!

    The old monkey king didn''t know much about the Demon Lord, only sharing some rumors he had heard.

    "In ancient times, the Demon Lord made an agreement with the City Lord of Wuyou to intercept the people of the Divine Puppet Sect."

    "However, the Demon Lord has lived too long, surpassing the limits of the world''s rules, and must make some sacrifices, such as... giving up parts of his memory."

    "The Divine Puppet Sect exploited this rule, greatly limiting the Demon Lord. His situation is likely very dire."

    The old monkey king''s expression was extremely grave.

    The Demon Lord was considered the guardian deity of the Wu Mountain Range and the entire demonic beast territory. If something happened to him, the demonic beasts would have a hard time.

    Without the Demon Lord, humans could expand recklessly, invading the demonic beastnds.

    Deforestation, mountain burning, city building¡ªthe natural environment would be utterly destroyed. Humans would expand infinitely, while demonic beasts could only retreat infinitely.

    "What should we do?" Xu Hei couldn''t help but ask.

    The old monkey king just sighed, "I don''t know the specifics. These matters can only be addressed by the demon emperors at the Demon Infant stage."

    Hei Huang sneered, "Little Xu, don''t think too much. You''ve just formed your core; this isn''t something you can concern yourself with."

    Xu Hei nodded.

    Before long, the inner demon returned, silently slipping back into the mirror, leaving the demonic beasts exchanging puzzled nces.

    ...

    With the demonic beasts'' rapid flight, they reached the vicinity of Yanluo River by nightfall.

    Ahead, beneath the cliffs, a mighty river surged, flowing from the distant horizon, its waves crashing and rolling towards the sea.

    This was thergest river in the south, stretching from the west at Kunlun to the east at the East Sea, the river of life.

    A fierce gale swept across the river''s surface, unbearable for Foundation Establishment cultivators, only those at the Core Formation stage could withstand it.

    The speed of the river was also unprecedented; without using spiritual power, a boat ced on it could reach the sea at the fastest speed.

    Provided the boat didn''t break.

    This was Hei Huang''s n: staying in Chu territory posed risks not only from the Snake Catchers Sect but also from the Heavenly Puppet Sect, which would relentlessly pursue Xu Hei.

    Before Xu Hei could protect himself, it was better to seek refuge overseas.

    Once beyond a certain range, the Blood Source Tracking Technique would fail. The vast, boundless sea was the right ce for Xu Hei.

    "Brother Xu, I''ll see you off here. Take care," Man Jin said solemnly.

    Xu Hei pondered briefly and took out a millennium-old spiritual treeden with fruits, offering it to him.

    "How can I ept this?" Man Jin quickly declined.

    "Brother Man Jin, don''t be so polite! Consider these fruits a gift for your children," Xu Hei said earnestly.

    Man Jin couldn''t refuse and epted it.

    Xu Bai also took out some pills, distributing them among the demonic beasts present. Although their expressions were somewhat strange, especially Er Gou, who almost bolted, they still epted them reluctantly.

    "Brother Xu, if you need someone taken care of, just say the word, and I''ll be the first to do it," the hot-tempered Lei Meng said.

    "Definitely!" Xu Hei nodded with a smile.

    "Boss Xu, don''t forget about me when you make it big!" Er Gou said.

    Xu Hei took out a humanoid puppet and patted Er Gou''s head.

    "Hiss, you have the aura of an ancestor. Our snake n wees you anytime," the old serpent said.

    Xu Hei replied, "Next time I return, I''ll help you tten the Snake Catchers Sect."

    Hei Huang walked to the riverbank, took out a watercraft, and ced it on the river. The boat raised a protective shield, blocking the fierce gale.

    Xu Hei, Xu Bai, and Hei Huang boarded one after another.

    Under the watchful eyes of the demonic beasts, the watercraft shot forward like an arrow, heading towards the distant, boundless sea.

    On the shore, the demonic beasts stood watching. Er Gou raised his head and let out a long howl, and the other demonic beasts joined in, singing the song of the demonic beasts.

    Amidst the song, Xu Hei sailed towards the sea, towards the vast, expansive world.

    "Farewell, everyone, until we meet again!"

    Xu Hei shouted, as the solitary boat drifted further away, leaving only the sound of the river wind in his ears. Unknowingly, the light boat had passed through countless mountains.

    "Finally, I can rest."

    Xu Heiy drowsily on the watercraft, closing his eyes.

    ...

    Deep within the Wu Mountain Range, by an unfathomable pool.

    A vulture descended,nding on a crooked tree. It was Vulture Ku Ming, associated with the Chu Tian Alliance.

    "Lord Demon, they''ve all left," Vulture Ku Ming said.

    A ripple appeared on the tranquil pool, followed by a voice cursing.

    "Damn it, those bastards finally left!"

    On the pool''s surface, the reflection of a bald youth appeared, cursing with a gloomy expression, seemingly harboring deep resentment.

    "Demon Lord, please mind your image," Ku Ming said.

    "There''s no one else here, why should I care? I''ve held back for ten thousand years; do I have to pretend to be profound like some ancestors?" the Demon Lord cursed.

    "Uh..." Ku Ming was speechless. "As long as you''re happy."

    "By the way! Tell me something interesting, like that Chu Tian Alliance. It''s rare to have someone to talk to, so don''t just stand idle."

    The Demon Lord crawled out of the pool, revealing his bald youth form, hands on hips, staring at the vulture with keen interest.

    Ku Ming said, "This time, I won''t talk about the Chu Tian Alliance. This time, I''ll tell you about a bald snake."

    "Bald snake? Great! I like that!" The bald youth''s eyes lit up.

    ...

    Near Yanluo River, in the Wu Mountain Range.

    Han Te carried a bloodied white-haired youth on his back, sneaking through the bushes with cautious steps, not emitting a trace of aura.

    In a few shes, he reached the riverbank.

    "Damn it! If the Bai Family wants to send someone, why don''t they do it themselves? Why make me run errands, almost getting caught," Han Te grumbled with resentment.

    He didn''t want to offend the Heavenly Puppet Sect again; it was like looking for death with antern in atrine!

    If not for the Bai Family''s generous offer, he wouldn''t have done it.

    This Bai Qiushui was a fool, causing trouble with Bai Luo for no reason, almost getting himself killed. Now, he had offended the Heavenly Puppet Sect, and there was no ce for him in Qin Kingdom.

    Of course, the Heavenly Puppet Sect didn''t explicitly say they were after him, but the Bai Family wasn''t foolish enough to bring him back for treatment openly, so they had to send him away secretly.

    "I heard your name is Bai Qiushui, and today happens to be autumn. Sending you into the water, you shouldn''t drown, right? Good luck."

    Han Te reached the riverbank, ready to throw him in.

    He hesitated, then took out an iron boat, ced it on the river, and tossed the half-dead Bai Qiushui into it.

    Han Te originally intended to leave, but after feeling the storage bag given by the Bai Family, he couldn''t bear it and jumped onto the iron boat.

    "Fine, I''ll do a good deed to the end. This time, I''ll take a loss and find you a family. Consider it an extra service, put it on the tab."

    Han Te steered the iron boat, speeding down the river, though his expression was one of great reluctance.

    ...

    Tianji Shangren arrived at the outskirts of Wu Mountain.

    As he was about to leave, he nced back at Wu Mountain, sighed, and headed towards the distant human city.

    Beside him was a middle-aged man. This man was unremarkable in appearance, with an equally unremarkable aura, a False Core cultivator, and his talent had stopped progressing long ago.

    Liu Buqun, this was Tianji Shangren''s "good brother."

    "Old Daoist, did you find the child of destiny you mentioned?" Liu Buqun asked.

    "Don''t mention it, it was all for nothing. This is fate, the will of heaven, beyond human control!" Tianji Shangren sighed.

    Liu Buqun''s eyes flickered, and he smiled slightly, probing, "You weren''t thinking of finding an inheriting disciple, were you? Since you didn''t find a suitable one, how about me?"

    Tianji Shangren nced at him and said irritably, "Get lost!"

    ...

    Yanluo River, with fierce gales and turbulent waters.

    The watercraft carrying Xu Hei transformed into streaks of afterimages, heading towards a new world, towards the sea, a new journey.

    The eagle soars in the sky, the dragon returns to the sea.

    Xu Hei was about to enter the sea, embarking on a new chapter.

    ¡ªEnd of Volume Two, Dragon Bone Chapter!

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Authors note â€“ Authors note

    Author''s note ¨C Author''s note

    600,000 words, and the second volume hase to an end.

    The first volume was 250,000 words, and the second volume 350,000. At this pace,pleting nine volumes and reaching 3 million words shouldn''t be a problem.

    Originally, I nned to end the story at the Peach Blossom Spring, but as I wrote, it naturally progressed to Wuyou City. Although it deviated from the outline, the theme remained unchanged.

    Wuyou City is akin to the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming¡ªa utopian society, idealistic.

    Of course, this ideal was ultimately obliterated by a mysterious big shot''s strike.

    I''m somewhat satisfied with the conclusion of the second volume.

    Compared to the first volume, the pace of this volume has noticeably quickened. The protagonist barely trained, and breakthroughs weren''t detailed into nine levels, just briefly mentioned. It has its pros and cons.

    (Mainly, I was afraid of losing readers. If I dragged out two chapters and lost readers, my mindset would copse.)n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Some details at the beginning weren''t handled well, like the part entering Chuyang City, but when emotions rise, you just charge ahead. It wasn''t in vain, as it indirectly affected a key character like Bai Qiushui.In the part where the protagonist receives the inheritance in Wuyou City, the perspective kept switching, which made it hard for some readers who skim to understand. For this, I can only apologize.

    Overall, it''s not about being great, but maintaining stability.

    In the final wrap-up, I made sure every character appeared, giving them some screen time.

    Demonic Beast Group: Xu Hei, Xu Bai, Hei Huang, Man Jin, Lei Meng, Demon Lord, Er Gou, Vulture.

    Chu Tian Alliance: Xu Qingfeng, Xiao Chou, Ah Yin, Ku Xuan, Zhang Tie, Zhao Wenzhuo, Xiang Fei.

    Qin Kingdom Forces: Qin Xuanji, Xu Qingzhi, Li Si, Lei He, Bai Luo, Zhou Wendie, Bai Qiushui.

    Neutral Beings: Tianji Shangren, Han Te, Liu Buqun.

    I missed Wang Ding, I''ll add him in the next chapter.

    Due to limited space, and since this book isn''t a professional ensemble piece, I can only try to create as many interesting characters as possible within the confines.

    This is what I''m most satisfied with personally. Seeing praise from readers brings me greatfort.

    Regarding the protagonist''sbat power, some said it was broken during the Qi Refining Stage, and others said it was broken during Core Formation, but up to now, it doesn''t seem broken.

    (After all, I have experience with two long novels, so have some faith in me, okay?)

    Regarding the female lead, I don''t know if it''s a trend issue, but many beast-themed novels state in their synopsis (no female lead, no transformation), leading everyone to subconsciously believe that beast-themed novels shouldn''t have a female lead or transformations.

    I can''t guarantee anything here; I can only say that no rules or frameworks can bind me!

    Writing a good story with heart is what I aim to do, not being constantly hinted at what can''t be written due to these rules, which would greatly diminish the quality.

    In the early stages, it indeed affected me, making me afraid to create female characters, and those who appeared were mostly antagonists or cannon fodder.

    That won''t happenter.

    Of course, I won''t write a female lead for now either. Many new readers will leave immediately upon hearing there''s a female lead, which is not an exaggeration, but a reality.

    So even if I do write one, it will be through continuous development until perfection, making everyone ept her before she bes the female lead. I can''t write those who are just given away or clingy.

    Writing the characters and stories in my heart and sharing them with everyone is my honor.

    Now, let''s talk about the third volume, Opening the Dragon Veins.

    The first volume''s dragon scales defied the heavens, mortals ying immortals.

    The second volume''s dragon bone was born from adversity, with a heart toward the light.

    The third volume''s dragon veins will focus on humanity and nature.

    Actually, in thest chapter of the second volume, some content was hinted at. If the Demon Lord, as the guardian beast of the demonic beasts, encounters a problem, the demonic beasts will face disaster.

    This is the main conflict and theme of the third volume.

    The map shifts to the East Sea, where Peni Ind is located, the ce where Emperor Qin sought the elixir of immortality ording to history.

    I won''t reveal too much for now. The third volume will be the one I put the most effort into.

    I''m already eager to start writing.

    Stay tuned.

    Oh, and there''s a character I forgot to introduce. Since he didn''t get a chance in the main text, I''ll include him in a single chapter.

    Xuan Yangzi: "I, the main antagonist of the first volume, actually survived to the third volume. This deserves a perfect score!"

    "What do you think?"

    Please give a five-star review, thank you all!

 Chapter 265: Wang Ding

    Chapter 265: Wang Ding

    Day after day.

    The turmoil in the Wu Mountain Range had subsided, and everything returned to normal.

    Outside the imperial city of the Qin Kingdom.

    Arge pit had been dug here, and a group of alchemists were bound and thrown into it, huddled together back to back, trembling with fear, their faces pale.

    Surrounding them were bundles of firewood, doused with mmable materials, ready to ignite at any moment.

    A tall man, wearing a crown that reached the heavens and dressed in a ck dragon robe, stood outside the pit. His eyes glowed like lightning, exuding an aura of dominance over the world. His gaze swept over the alchemists, and just one look made them shiver, not daring to meet his eyes.

    "Is this the Longevity Pill you found?"

    He held two emerald green pills in his hand, his voice full of authority.

    One of the alchemists trembled and said, "I found this... in an ancient relic."The Qin Emperor said nothing, waved his hand, andmanded, "Li Si, find someone to test the pill."

    "Yes!"

    Li Si, who had regained his physical form and looked pale, found a man to test the pill and had him take the Longevity Pill.

    "Ah!!"

    With a piercing scream.

    The man who took the Longevity Pill rooted himself into the ground, sprouted branches and leaves from his head, and in full view, turned into a tree.

    A human-shaped tree, three meters tall.

    The entire ce fell silent.

    Everyone stared wide-eyed, as if they were dumbfounded, their heartbeats audible.

    "Heh, very well, this is the Longevity Pill you wanted me to take!"

    The Qin Emperor crushed the other Longevity Pill in his palm with a snap, nodding, "First assassins, now alchemists, there''s always some treacherous people trying to harm me."

    "Burn them, burn these traitors to death!"

    "Yes!"

    A torch was thrown into the pit, and the fire roared to life, filling the pit with screams of agony, as hundreds cried out in unison.

    Li Si''s mouth twitched at the sight.

    These people were not Xu Qingfeng''s fellow disciples, just a group of alchemists.

    The Qin Emperor, with his unparalleled might, had swept through the six kingdoms, unifying the central ins, but unfortunately, the wars had drained his life force, leaving him with at most a decade or so to live.

    Though he appeared mighty and unscathed now, when the time came, even the supreme Human Emperor would turn to dust.

    Longevity, whether for mortals or cultivators, was an insurmountable barrier.

    The Qin Emperor had to find the Longevity Pill to extend his life.

    In no time, the hundreds of alchemists in the pit were burned to ashes.

    "Xu Fu!" the Qin Emperor called.

    "At your service."

    A plump man with a shiny face stepped forward, bowing slightly. Though his figure was stout, he exuded an ethereal aura, somewhat resembling an immortal.

    "Imand you to lead a team beyond the East Sea and find the elixir of immortality," the Qin Emperor ordered.

    "At yourmand!"

    Xu Fu epted the order and withdrew.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Outside Chen Family Town in the Southern Region.

    In the deste wilderness, a young boy, covered in blood, was staggering through the forest, carrying a young girl on his back.

    The boy''s face was youthful, his hand gripping a dagger tightly. From behind, the growls of wolves and dogs could be heard. His face was pale, his lips tightly pressed, and a determined look shed in his eyes.

    "Qin''er, hold on, we''re almost home," the boy gritted his teeth and said.

    The boy was once Wang Xiaoniu, now Wang Ding!

    On his back was his sister, Wang Qin.

    The Wang siblings had been servants for the Chen Family, living a hard life but at least having food and shelter.

    However, one day, a tyrant took a liking to his sister and wanted to take her as a concubine. The Chen Family epted the tyrant''s spirit stones and nned to send his sister away.

    Wang Ding begged repeatedly, knelt, and kowtowed, but all he got was a severe beating. The tyrant even wanted to humiliate his sister in front of him.

    Seeing Wang Qin about to be defiled by the tyrant, Wang Ding suddenly erupted with a surge of power and killed the tyrant with a punch.

    This was a huge disaster!

    The tyrant was the brother of a centurion in the Qin army, a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, someone even the Chen Family dared not offend, let alone Wang Ding.

    To appease the Qin army''s wrath, the Chen Family nned to bind the Wang siblings and hand them over to the centurion as an apology.

    Wang Ding had no choice but to escape with his sister, both severely injured.

    "I can''t die, I can''t fall!"

    His consciousness began to blur, but he gritted his teeth, bit his tongue, and forced himself to keep moving forward.

    Behind him, the sounds of hunting dogs grew closer, along with the curses of Qin soldiers.

    The centurion''s presence was also drawing near.

    Wang Ding''s vision was blurry, but his spiritual perception was exceptionally sharp. Even from thousands of meters away, he could sense the enemy''s presence.

    This was his gift, one he had never told anyone about.

    It was also the reason why, as an ordinary mortal, he had repeatedly evaded pursuit and escaped into the mountains.

    However, he had been on the run for two days straight, his physical and mental strength at their limits. No matter how sharp his spiritual perception, there woulde a day when it dulled.

    "Brother, leave me, save yourself," Wang Qin''s weak voice came.

    "I will never leave you!" Wang Ding gritted his teeth.

    Carrying Wang Qin, he continued to flee, unknowingly arriving at a vige.

    Snake Vige.

    This was his home.

    Returning to the familiar thatched cottage, he vaguely remembered two years ago when he had tried to hang himself in his room, only to be saved by Old Snake. From that moment, his fate began to change.

    Now, Old Snake was gone, and Wang Ding had reached a dead end.

    He knew he couldn''t hide from the Qin army here, but fleeing into the mountains was a death sentence, either killed by the Qin army or eaten by wild beasts.

    His sister couldn''t hold on any longer; he had to return home.

    Wang Ding drew water from the well to clean his sister''s wounds and his own, then found some dried herbs to apply to the injuries.

    He also picked an uneaten watermelon from the melon patch and shared it with Wang Qin.

    "Father, Mother, your son is unfilial."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    He knelt heavily before the ancestral tablets.

    Wang Ding took an iron shovel from the house and stood at the vige entrance, in front of the stone stele.

    In the distance, the Qin army quickly surrounded him.

    "Well, this brat dares toe out. I''ll kill him myself to avenge my brother!"

    The centurion, a cultivator in the Qi Refining Stage, drew arge machete and approached Wang Ding without a word, aiming to sh at his neck.

    Wang Ding showed no fear in his eyes, shouting as he swung the iron shovel.

    The Qin soldiers sneered, thinking this peasant''s move was suicidal against the centurion.

    At that moment, the stone stele beside Wang Ding emitted a faint light.

    Wang Ding didn''t know.

    This stone stele was the Reverse Cultivation Stele left by Xu Hei!

    "Buzz!"

    A sense of reverse cultivation surged into Wang Ding''s sea of consciousness, making his eyes shine brightly.

    In a daze, he felt as if he had be Xu Hei, with the will to y immortals as a mortal!

    The iron shovel in his hand cut through the air, its power surging, slicing the machete in half, and with undiminished force, it pierced the centurion''s chest.

    "Splurt!"

    The centurion was cut in half, blood gushing.

    Before dying, disbelief lingered in his eyes. He couldn''t believe he would die at the hands of a mortal boy, as if he had seen a ghost.

    Everyone was stunned, the entire ce fell silent.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    A thousand miles outside Snake Vige.

    "Hmm?"

    An old Taoist with an immortal aura stopped in his tracks, looking towards Snake Vige.

    Holding a horsetail whisk and stepping on a cloud, his eyes filled with surprise, it was Tianji Shangren.

    "Reverse cultivation? Another child of destiny?"

    Tianji Shangren''s eyes shed, and without hesitation, he flew towards Snake Vige.

    Behind him, Liu Buqun followed closely.

    Soon, they arrived at Snake Vige, seeing the stone stele at the entrance and the boy lying on the ground.

    The boy had killed a centurion, and as the other soldiers swarmed him, he managed to kill two more. Ultimately, he was overwhelmed, cut down to the ground.

    His arm was severed, his body bore multiple wounds, deep enough to see bone, and one cut nearly sliced him in half, leaving him on the brink of death.

    "Father, Mother, little sister, see you in the next life."

    Wang Ding closed his eyes, tears sliding down his cheeks.

    Arge de was about to fall on his neck, ready to kill him on the spot.

    "Boom, boom, boom..."

    Suddenly, the Qin soldiers exploded into thin air.

    Before Tianji Shangren could act, Liu Buqun had already moved, killing them like squashing ants, leaving no survivors.

    "I know you cultivators can''t afford karmic burdens, but I don''t believe in that stuff. From now on, I''ll handle the dirty work of killing!" Liu Buqun sneered.

    Tianji Shangren remained silent.

    He said nothing, immediately raising his hand, and Wang Ding''s critical injuries stopped bleeding instantly.

    The boy floated into the air,nding on Tianji Shangren''s cloud.

    Before losing consciousness, the boy vaguely saw an immortal standing before him.

    "Save... my sister..."

    Wang Ding managed to say before closing his eyes.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Consider this chapter an extra.

    By the way, I¡¯d appreciate some free gifts, just a little advertisement will do. I''ve never asked for gifts before, mainly because I''m worried about affecting the reading experience (especially with AI narration), but if I don''t ask, many won''t give.

    I hope everyone can click on the ads to support the author. I''ll try not to mention this in the future. Any unrted content will be left for the summary at the end of the volume.

 Chapter 266: Yanluo River, the ghost fleet returns

    Chapter 266: Yanluo River, the ghost fleet returns

    In the dpidated thatched hut.

    Wang Ding and Wang Qiny on the bed, their injuries somewhat healed. Scattered on the ground were torn paper figures, stained with blood.

    Tianji Shangren stood by the bed, calcting something with his fingers, his brows deeply furrowed, his expression not looking good.

    "What is it? Is this seedling not suitable?" Liu Buqun asked curiously.

    "It''s suitable, but..." Tianji Shangren hesitated, "Though he has great fortune, he''s also a harbinger of doom, you understand what I mean?"

    Liu Buqun widened his eyes and shook his head, "I don''t understand."

    These two terms were obviously contradictory, how could they bebined?

    "This person lost both parents, and all those who befriended him, like the old hunter and his teacher, have died. Even the Chen Family that adopted him suffered great misfortune. Wouldn''t you call that a harbinger of doom? Yet he also has great fortune, encountering benefactors and turning danger into safety," Tianji Shangren exined.

    Liu Buqun immediately understood."Sigh!" Tianji Shangren sighed deeply.

    "So, what do you n to do?" Liu Buqun asked.

    "What else can I do? Even though he''s a harbinger of doom, he''s still a bit better than you," Tianji Shangren replied.

    Liu Buqun''s mouth twitched slightly.

    Could he stop being so harsh? After all, he was a False Core cultivator, yet he was beingpared unfavorably to a mortal?

    At this moment, Wang Ding slowly woke up. Seeing the two people in the room, he hurriedly ignored his injuries, got up from the bed, and knelt on the ground, kowtowing to them.

    "Thank you, Immortal Grandfather, for saving me! Thank you for your life-saving grace!"

    Wang Ding kept kowtowing, his forehead breaking open, crying tears of gratitude.

    Liu Buqun and Tianji Shangren exchanged nces, both remaining silent.

    Wang Ding stopped kowtowing, looked at the two, hesitated for a moment, and took out and deed from under the bed.

    "Immortal Grandfather, I, Wang Ding, have nothing but this ancestral home deed and two acres of melon fields. I now offer them to you."

    Wang Ding presented the deed. The sages said to repay kindness, and since his life was saved, he had to repay it.

    Liu Buqun''s expression was strange, and Tianji Shangren was equally speechless.

    What use was this?

    Wang Ding had never interacted with immortals in his life and had no idea what they desired, but he could only offer his most precious ancestral home and melon fields.

    "Who taught you your breathing exercise?" Tianji Shangren suddenly asked.

    "This..." Wang Ding''s expression froze.

    It was Old Snake who taught him, but he would never reveal that, as Old Snake was also his benefactor.

    "I''m sorry, Immortal Grandfather, I cannot divulge his information, as he too has saved my life," Wang Ding said, kneeling.

    This answer was clearly unexpected for Tianji Shangren.

    He could see that Wang Ding was strong and resilient, surviving severe injuries, which had a lot to do with that breathing exercise. It was not a simple breathing technique.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Since Wang Ding wouldn''t say, he wouldn''t force it.

    "What is your name?"

    "Junior Wang Ding, and that is my younger sister Wang Qin."

    "Would you be willing to follow me to the East Sea?"

    Tianji Shangren looked at him, his tone carrying a hint of seriousness.

    "The East Sea?"

    Wang Ding had read books and knew what the East Sea meant. It was the end of the Yanluo River, an infinitely distant ce that a mortal could never reach in a lifetime.

    But he didn''t hesitate, immediately kowtowing.

    "I am willing, as long as you take my sister with us!"

    Wang Ding had offended the Qin army and staying here would only lead to his execution, so he had to leave.

    Despite the long journey, he might never return in his lifetime.

    "Very well!" Tianji Shangren nodded.

    Afterward, Wang Ding burned paper for his parents, took Wang Qin, and left Snake Vige, leaving behind the hometown where he had lived for over a decade.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Yanluo River, estuary.

    This ce was thergest coastal city in the Eastern regions, Haiya City. As its name suggests, it stood like a pair of teeth on both banks.

    With ie from ocean industries, Haiya City ranked among the top in the Eastern regions in terms of economic power and the number of cultivators.

    Today was the day for the return of ships from the sea, and many cultivators stood by the dock to wee them.

    The two major merchant guilds, the three great families, and all the notable forces gathered by the sea to celebrate this annual return day.

    "Look, the ship ising!"

    "This time it must be a full load!"

    Voices called out from the shore.

    In the distance on the horizon, a giant sailing ship approached from afar,den with sea fish, the Haijiao.

    Following it was the whaling ship, the Hunter, specialized in hunting giant sea beasts.

    Next came the mining ship collecting spiritual veins from the sea, and the oil ship gathering crude oil.

    With each ship''s appearance, cheers erupted from the shore, celebrating the triumphant return.

    But gradually, the cultivators on the shore noticed something amiss.

    Why were there no cultivators appearing on the ships?

    Everyone focused their attention, only to see that all the decks of the ships were empty, filled with cargo but not a single cultivator.

    Such an eerie scene silenced everyone on the shore.

    The ships in the distance slowly approached.

    Everyone exchanged nces, and immediately a middle-aged cultivator stepped onto a flying sword, soaring into the air, flying towards the approaching sailing ship.

    Soon, hended on the deck and entered the cabin.

    Inside, there were traces of the crew''s life¡ªthe formation in the cultivation room, the herbs in the pill furnace, all fresh, the pill furnace still warm, and freshly cooked sea fish on the table.

    There was even a half-eaten spiritual fruit rolling on the ground.

    "What happened?"

    The middle-aged cultivator''s pupils contracted.

    It gave the impression that everyone had vanished into thin air in an instant.

    Other ships were simrly inspected by cultivators, and the situation was the same¡ªeveryone had disappeared, but their belongings remained.

    There were no signs of battle; everyone had vanished into thin air, with some in the middle of refining flying swords, gone before finishing.

    The ships were in an unmanned state, yet they sailed automatically, uncontrobly.

    Seeing such a bizarre scene, a sense of fear rose from the depths of everyone''s hearts, making their skin crawl.

    Everyone immediately retreated, leaving the eerie ships and returning to the shore.

    Momentster.

    A total of eight sea ships stopped at the estuary of Yanluo River, motionless. The positions of these eight ships were very deliberate, seemingly forming a formation, but no one could understand it.

    From the crowd, an elder with an immortal demeanor stepped forward, staring at the positions of the eight ships, pondering deeply.

    Suddenly, his pupils contracted, his face changed dramatically, and he pointed at the eight ships, shouting, "Quickly, destroy these eight ships!"

    This person was a guest elder stationed in Haiya City from Peni Ind, highly respected, and his words were heeded by all.

    "Yes!"

    The numerous cultivators on the shore immediatelyunched the most ferocious attacks on the eight ships at the estuary, countless flying swords piercing through, various spells bombarding down.

    Even the City Lord turned the city''s cannons towards the sea ships, firing volleys of artillery, a barrage of cannon fire.

    However, it was already toote.

    "Buzz!!!"

    A silent tremor spread across the river, making no sound, yet stirring up monstrous waves, with seawater pouring in and the world turning upside down.

    Everyone vanished into thin air within the city.

    A solitary boat drifted through the middle of the eight ships, causing no ripples, yet it too disappeared without a trace.

 Chapter 268: Build a Cave Dwelling, and fate will bring us together from a thousand miles away

    Chapter 268: Build a Cave Dwelling, and fate will bring us together from a thousand miles away

    Despite the octopus''s head being smashed by Xu Hei, its tentacles were still moving. Xu Hei summoned a flying sword and sliced one off.

    "Slurp!"

    Xu Hei bit into the tentacle, sucking it in one gulp, causing his body to swell into a giant stick. He quickly refined it, and his body shrank back down.

    He reminisced about the past when he wouldn''t dare approach a dead octopus, fearing it mighte back to life. Now, he was so bold that he''d eat even a live one.

    After swallowing two tentacles, Xu Hei bit into the octopus''s massive head, devouring it bit by bit.

    The Demon God Cauldron also refined with full force, and Xu Hei''s vitality surged.

    He felt his physical body strengthening, his meridians bing more resilient, and his bones elongating. A new meridian was gradually extending from his head downward.

    To open the dragon veins, one must clear nine new meridians, connecting them all.

    By then, whether it was true essence or physical strength, it could be exerted to the fullest.A true dragon can summon wind and rain and can also sanctify its physical body.

    Xu Hei bit into the octopus''s Golden Core, swallowing it in one gulp, crazily absorbing the true essence within and integrating it into his own body.

    This processsted an entire day.

    After a day, Xu Hei finished eating the octopus''s head and refining the Golden Core, reaching his peak state, full of energy and vitality.

    Even better, he felt like he had grown a bit taller.

    "Still, eating more meat is the way to grow!" Xu Hei sighed.

    The remaining sixrge tentacles were stored in the Void Stone by Xu Hei as reserve food.

    He didn''t know howmon suchrge octopuses were in the sea, but he figured it was best not to eat them all at once, lest he craves themter with none left to eat.

    Xu Hei searched around the area but found no trace of Xu Bai. He took out themunication token she left behind, but it also showed no response.

    Shaking his head, Xu Hei returned to the shallow sea area.

    He created an external incarnation, left the sea surface, and soared into the sky, surveying the surroundings. For a thousand miles around, it was all vast ocean, with not a soul in sight, leaving him unsure of where to go.

    However, a thousand miles away, Xu Hei spotted a small ind.

    "First, find a ce to retreat."

    Xu Hei immediately submerged and swam towards the ind at full speed.

    The ind wasn''trge, with a diameter of only about a hundred miles, which Xu Hei could circle in a few breaths.

    Xu Hei applied an Invisibility Talisman andnded on the ind. After checking the environment to ensure no one had been there, he dug out a cave dwelling and began setting up formations.

    Since it was a ce for retreat, Xu Hei couldn''t be careless, lest any passing cultivator notices something amiss.

    Before long, a shielding formation waspleted.

    Next, Xu Hei set up a defensive formation and an illusion formation,yering multiple formations together as a precaution.

    Xu Hei let out a long breath.

    "Even a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator passing by wouldn''t notice this formation, unless ate-stage Core Formation cultivator scanned with divine sense, then they might detect something unusual," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    He took out a pile of mechanism boxes from his storage bag andid them on the ground. These were spoils from Wuyou City, which he hadn''t had a chance to open yet.

    Including the storage bags obtained from previous kills, he hadn''t had time to check them either.

    Finally, Xu Hei had the time now.

    "Let''s open some mystery boxes first." Xu Hei took out a mechanism jade, inserted it into a mechanism box, and it opened, revealing a glowing crescent jade stone.

    The jade was entirely purple, with a restriction inside. As long as the wearer was attacked, it could raise a shield, serving as a defensive magical treasure.

    Xu Hei put it away and proceeded to open the next one.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    On the sea surface.

    A piece of driftwood floated over, with a figure hidden beneath it. The figure had purple hair, was covered in Invisibility Talismans, and wore a transparent cloak from a mechanism box, rendering the entire person transparent.

    ording to Hei Huang''s standards, even a Great Golden Immortal wouldn''t be able to detect it.

    "I, Han Te, have really stepped in dog poop this year. How did I get so unlucky?"

    "I just wanted to deliver someone. Who did I offend?"

    Han Te cursed inwardly.

    He carried Bai Qiushui, drifting downstream. The journey was smooth until they reached Haiya City, where he thought he hadpleted his mission perfectly.

    Who knew, just upon reaching Haiya City, before he could dock, he was sucked away by a strange force.

    From afar, he only saw eight ships suspended on the river, forming a formation.

    Han Te used all his strength but couldn''t escape the pull, getting sucked into the formation.

    Later, he entered a teleportation channel, and luckily, a master broke the channel, allowing him to escape midway. Otherwise, who knows where he would have been sent.

    It certainly wouldn''t have been a good ce.

    Falling into the sea wasn''t the end; he was then chased by a giant octopus. Fortunately, he had enough Invisibility Talismans to escape, fleeing all the way here.

    "In this thousand-mile radius, there''s only this one ind. I''ll retreat here first; I''m exhausted!"

    Han Te grumbled, climbed onto the ind, put away the driftwood, and after checking around to ensure no one had been there, he rxed and carved out a cave dwelling in the center.

    Then, he took out formation gs and began setting up formations.

    Since it was a ce for retreat, Han Te couldn''t be careless, lest any passing cultivator notices something amiss.

    Before long, a shielding formation waspleted.

    Next, Han Te set up a defensive formation and an illusion formation,yering multiple formations together as a precaution.

    Han Te let out a long breath.

    "I wasted so many spirit stones again. Such a loss, such a loss. When I get back, I''ll definitely have the Bai Family reimburse me," Han Te thought, heart aching.

    He took out two mechanism boxes and two mechanism jades, which were the Bai Family''s reward to him.

    "I''ve been so unlucky; I hope I can get something good to bnce my luck," Han Te thought to himself.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Next to Han Te''s cave dwelling.

    Xu Hei crawled out from his cave dwelling, looked around, and frowned slightly. He seemed to have sensed something earlier, but a sweep with his divine sense revealed nothing.

    He didn''t think much of it, taking out an octopus tentacle, rubbing it with sea salt, intending to air-dry it into jerky.

    "That''s it!"

    Xu Hei''s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of a brilliant idea.

    "The butcher can merge with humans; can it merge with demonic beasts?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes sparkled.

    He immediately took out the butcher, intending to give it a try.

    He stuffed a tentacle into the butcher''s body, refining it with puppet techniques. The process was extremely long, and after two failures, Xu Hei finally got the hang of it.

    Using a Transformation Pill as an aid, supplemented by a thousand-year spirit medicine, he finallypleted the fusion.

    The butcher extended a tentacle, waving it in the void.

    The tentacle was small but could expand continuously, reaching a hundred feet long, like a demon dancing wildly!

    "Sess!" Xu Hei was delighted.

    With this, the butcher''sbat power would soar.

    He took out three more tentacles, stuffed them into the butcher''s body, and after a week, the butcher hadpleted an evolutionary upgrade.

    However, the butcher''s appearance became more abstract, its face full of tentacles, indescribable in words.

    Xu Hei wondered if humans would appreciate such a design, but he certainly didn''t.

    With two tentacles left, he nned to marinate them for slow consumption, not intending to give them all to the butcher.

 Chapter 269: At the bottom of the trench, a feast of marine life

    Chapter 269: At the bottom of the trench, a feast of marine life

    Xu Hei divided the remaining two tentacles into many pieces, roasting half and curing the other half to dry in the sun. He would asionally take them out for a snack, living quitefortably.

    In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed on the ind.

    The previous gains had been fully absorbed by Xu Hei, and he now had arge collection of magical treasures.

    The storage bag from the Snake Catcher didn''t contain anything valuable, except for a spell jade slip about beast control, which Xu Hei might find useful.

    The main treasures came from the mechanism boxes.

    "The Ten Thousand Poison Gourd can absorb all poisons and store them inside, releasing them at critical moments to kill enemies."

    "The Water Control Pearl, when held in the mouth, allows control over all seawater within a hundred-mile radius, speeding up underwater travel."

    "The Earth Vein Fire Seal connects to the earth''s mes, using volcanic eruptions to attack, killing and cooking simultaneously."

    The magical treasures Xu Hei could use were mainly these three.The others were either too low in level or too high,pletely unusable.

    For instance, the highest-level magical treasure Xu Hei obtained was a tiger-headed cannon, reaching above the fourth tier, requiring a sufficient amount of spirit stones to activate.

    Even if Xu Hei used all his current spirit stones, it wouldn''t be enough to activate it once.

    "Magical treasures above the fourth tier are all mechanism puppets, likely crafted by the City Lord of Wuyou himself," Xu Hei spected.

    He still had two mechanism jades left unused and wanted to try his luck with high-level items, not wanting to waste them on ordinary boxes.

    Although he couldn''t discern any pattern, the grade of treasures seemed entirely random.

    Xu Hei put away the treasures, nning to go out to sea and catch some seafood.

    Having finished the giant octopus, he wanted to try something different, like sharks, jellyfish, ms, sea turtles, lobsters, and even whales, which he found quite tempting.

    He didn''t want to touch the tentacles from the butcher, as they were too much of an eyesore.

    Before leaving, Xu Hei set up a killing formation to ensure he wouldn''t be discovered, erased his traces, and left the small ind.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡­¡­

    A few days after Xu Hei left.

    In the distance, a cloud of auspicious clouds floated on the sea surface, speeding towards the ind. On the cloud stood four people: an elderly man in a Taoist robe, a middle-aged man with a beard, and two young individuals, a boy and a girl.

    The elderly man in the Taoist robe was none other than Tianji Shangren.

    The middle-aged man with the beard was Liu Buqun.

    The other two were Wang Ding and Wang Qin.

    "Peni Ind is far away, and there''s a stronghold ahead where I often rest. Let''s take a break for two days," Tianji Shangren said calmly.

    Soon, they descended onto a solitary ind.

    With a wave of Tianji Shangren''s hand, a phantom pavilion appeared in the middle of the ind, suspended three meters in the air, gradually solidifying. It was a cave dwelling he had meticulously crafted before.

    Wang Ding and Wang Qin were stunned; this was the power of an immortal!

    Liu Buqun looked around hesitantly and asked, "Is this ce safe?"

    Tianji Shangren smiled and said, "Even if someone passes by, they won''t discover the formation on the ind unless ate Core Formation stage cultivator searches inch by inch with their divine sense."

    Liu Buqun nodded slightly. This person''s cultivation wasn''t very high, but his ability to conceal was impressive.

    Tianji Shangren stepped on the auspicious cloud and flew into the pavilion, disappearing with the group. The pavilion also vanished from the ind, as if it were just an illusion.

    ¡­¡­

    Deep Sea Area.

    Xu Hei wandered for two days, finding nothing but some small shrimps.

    Only then did Xu Hei realize that the giant octopus from before was purely a stroke of luck.

    Additionally, he discovered that the demonic beasts in the oceanmunicated using a strange sound wave, inaudible to ordinary humans, only detectable by demonic beasts.

    Xu Hei captured a Foundation Establishment stage dolphin and studied it for two days, finally learning some tricks.

    "Tell me, where are the Core Formation stage demonic beasts?" Xu Hei demanded.

    "In that trench, there are many great demons at the demon core stage! Please don''t hurt me; I''ll tell you everything. Just don''t eat me," the dolphin pleaded pitifully.

    "Trench?" Xu Hei raised an eyebrow and said, "Lead the way, and I won''t eat you!"

    "Yes!" The dolphin quickly led the way.

    Following the guidance, Xu Hei continued forward and finally reached the trench after half a day.

    The trench stretched for ten thousand miles, located in the middle of the seabed, like a giant abyssal mouth, devouring everything, instilling a natural sense of fear.

    However, Xu Hei felt no fear.

    "You can go now."

    "Thank you, Flood Dragon Grandpa!" The dolphin quickly swam away.

    Xu Hei gazed at the trench, slowing his approach.

    The outside of the trench was dark blue, while the inside was pitch ck. The deeper he went, the dimmer the light became, with only faint glimmers of light scattered around, possibly from some kind of luminescent creatures.

    Xu Hei continued to dive, spreading his divine sense. The water pressure increased, even suppressing his divine sense. His dragon scales closed, emitting a faint cracking sound.

    Xu Hei kept diving, and after an hour, he couldn''t see his hand in front of him, seeing nothing at all.

    The rocks on both sides became narrower, as if the trench had reached its bottom.

    But Xu Hei could smell traces of spiritual qi, right at the deepest point.

    After a moment of silence, Xu Hei conjured an external incarnation to lead the way.

    "If I can''t handle it, with my Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique and the Water Control Pearl, escaping shouldn''t be a problem," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    The incarnation continued to dive, passing through a narrow passage, and suddenly, the view opened up.

    He arrived at a vast bottom space.

    "Huh?"

    Xu Hei let out a soft exmation. Beneath the trench, there was another world, vast in area, with a wide field of vision.

    Even the light here was slightly brighter, with a faint blue hue.

    When he focused his gaze downward, he was stunned.

    Below, there was a massive seabed, vast and boundless. On the seabedy an indescribably enormous corpse.

    The corpse was a thousand meters long and five hundred meters wide, a hundred timesrger than the previous octopus!

    Compared to this corpse, the octopus was tiny.

    Xu Hei was instantly shocked by the sight.

    At this moment, most of the corpse was reduced to bones, with only a small portion of flesh remaining, being gnawed on by various sea creatures.

    The sea creatures that could reach this ce were not weak, at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.

    There were also some at the demon core stage, equivalent to human Core Formation cultivators, leisurely eating on the side.

    Strangely, these demonic beasts did not fight each other. After eating a portion, they would retreat to the side to refine, not disturbing others'' meals.

    "Another one hase."

    Many sea beasts noticed Xu Hei, but they only nced at him briefly, not paying much attention. Most didn''t even look at him, continuing to eat.

    After finishing, they would retreat to the side to refine, allowing other sea beasts to take their turn.

    There were fish, shrimp, insects, and all kinds of demonic beasts.

    Theirmon trait was that they didn''t quarrel, seemingly following an unspoken rule, silently abiding by it.

 Chapter 270: Competing for territory, violently beating shrimp soldiers and crab generals

    Chapter 270: Competing for territory, violently beating shrimp soldiers and crab generals

    The scene was something Xu Hei had never witnessed in his life, leaving him speechless with shock.

    The corpse appeared to be thergest whale in the ocean, dead for some time, and in life, its cultivation was not low, possibly even reaching the Elemental Infant level.

    A whale at the Elemental Infant stage must have consumed countless sea fish and shrimp during its life, and in death, it returned everything to the ocean.

    Xu Hei hesitated for a moment, then retracted his transformation and approached the massive corpse in his true form.

    The body was divided into three sections: the head, torso, and tail, with demonic beasts feeding in each area.

    There was plenty of food, so there was no need to fight over it; everyone could eat their fill.

    When Xu Hei arrived, the Foundation Establishment demonic beasts in front of him backed away, clearing a path and moving elsewhere to feed.

    Xu Hei bit into a piece of meat and swallowed it. The Demon God Cauldron quickly refined it, and a surge of energy, far greater than that of an octopus, flooded into Xu Hei''s body, raising his body temperature and making him feel hot all over.

    "Awesome!"Xu Hei blew out a string of bubbles, eximing in satisfaction.

    The most energy-rich part of the whale was the blubber, where the Elemental Infant essence was primarily stored. However, such a luxury had long been consumed by the stronger beings who arrived first, leaving mostly bones.

    But for Xu Hei, it was a rare treasure.

    Ordinary demonic beasts would take a long time to refine a piece of whale meat, but with the Demon God Cauldron, Xu Hei could refine it immediately, giving him a significant advantage in efficiency.

    He continued to devour the whale meat, swallowing pieces muchrger than himself, yet his body showed no signs of swelling.

    Xu Hei carved his way from the whale''s back to its belly, creating a passage.

    He tried eating a piece of whale bone, hoping to absorb the marrow, but unfortunately, the digestion was too slow. Even with the Demon God Cauldron, it took a long time to refine just a bit of the surface.

    To get to the marrow, it would take at least a whole day.

    With no other choice, Xu Hei stored the bones and continued to gnaw on the whale meat.

    Xu Hei''s voracious consumption quickly caught the attention of the other sea beasts, who stared in disbelief.

    They had seen fast eaters before, but never this fast!

    In just a short while, Xu Hei had consumed the equivalent of ten Demon Core stage sea beasts! And he showed no signs of stopping.

    "Is he a reincarnated starving ghost?"

    "What species is this?"

    "This is ridiculous, is his stomach a bottomless pit?"

    The sea beasts were all shocked.

    Normally, a Demon Core stage beast would need to rest after a few bites, but Xu Hei had already surpassed the limit.

    "Hey, kid, you''re overstepping! Get lost!"

    Suddenly, a massive w shot towards Xu Hei''s neck with lightning speed.

    Xu Hei quickly shrank back, squinting his eyes as he stared at the creature inside the whale''s belly.

    It was an East Sea Giant w Lobster, also at the initial Demon Core stage, feasting inside the whale''s belly, the best part of the meat.

    After missing its strike, the lobster red at Xu Hei before turning back to its meal, itsrge ws quickly tearing off chunks of whale meat and stuffing them into its mouth.

    "Kid, you''ve eaten enough, scram before you regret it!"

    The Giant w Lobster red at Xu Hei with itsrgepound eyes, threatening him.

    This action amused many demonic beasts, who were eager for Xu Hei to leave.

    Xu Hei was eating too fast. A whale this size would normally take months to a year to finish, but with Xu Hei joining in, it might be gone in less than half a month.

    Xu Hei stared at it for a while, then nodded, "Alright, I''ll leave."

    The Giant w Lobster''s eyes shed with disdain as it continued eating.

    Just as it looked away.

    "Whoosh!!"

    Suddenly, Xu Hei moved at full speed, opening his mouth wide and swallowing the Giant w Lobster whole. It was a surprise attack, and the lobster had no time to react before it was inside Xu Hei''s stomach.

    "Ah!! You tricked me!" The lobster roared in fury, thrashing inside Xu Hei''s stomach, but once refined by the Demon God Cauldron, it fell silent instantly.

    A Demon Core stage beast was swallowed by Xu Hei in an instant!

    The nearby sea beasts were all shocked, stopping their feeding to watch in fear.

    Fighting over food wasn''t unheard of, but it was rare. Weaker beings would usually give way, and those of equal strength wouldn''t sh to avoid injury and being taken advantage of by others.

    Who knew this snake was so fierce, swallowing a sea beast of the same realm in one gulp.

    "You bastard, you''re dead! How dare you eat my brother!"

    A furious shout came from afar, and a massive crab leaped from an open space,nding in front of the whale, itspound eyes locking onto Xu Hei.

    It was a Golden Armor Crab, its entire body covered in dark golden armor, its ws like tiger-headed guillotines, emitting a de-like aura that sliced through the seawater.

    This demon''s cultivation had reached the mid Demon Core stage, having consumed enough whale meat and was digesting in the open space. Who would have thought its brother would be swallowed by a snake!

    "Your brother?"

    Xu Hei frowned, wondering how a shrimp and a crab could be brothers.

    "Die!"

    The Golden Armor Crab roared, snapping at Xu Hei from a distance, making his neck feel cold as if a guillotine was falling from the sky.

    He quickly dodged, the seawater in front of him sliced into a deep groove, striking the whale bone with a crisp sound. Xu Hei''s dragon scales sparked from the impact.

    "de Storm!"

    The Golden Armor Crab leaped into the air, transforming into a spinning top, creating a deep-sea whirlwind, its endless sharpness slicing towards Xu Hei.

    "Your brother tasted good."

    Xu Hei smiled slightly,pressing his true essence within his body, raising his dragon scales, and charging towards the Golden Armor Crab head-on.

    He realized the whale''s parts were divided into several grades, with only the strong having the right to upy the highest grade.

    The weak could only eat leftovers, not even qualifying for the best parts. Without showing some strength, trouble would keeping.

    Facing a mid Demon Core stage opponent, Xu Hei didn''t ck off, using the Diamond Suppression Technique, his body glowing with a golden hue, raising his dragon scales, and colliding with it head-on.

    "Boom!!"

    A scream echoed.

    All the sea beasts stopped, watching with wide eyes.

    The mid Demon Core stage Golden Armor Crab was sent flying, its shell shattered, spewing yellow substance into the air.

    The crab roe was knocked out!

    In contrast, Xu Hei only retreated a few feet, unscathed, the difference in strength clear.

    Xu Hei rushed forward, inhaling the crab roe into his body, eximing in delight.

    Crab roe was the most nutritious part of a crab, more energy-rich and absorbable than the whale''s scraps.

    And much tastier.

    Without a word, Xu Hei chased after the fleeing Golden Armor Crab, flicking his tongue, his eyes shining with excitement.

    All the onlookers were dumbfounded, never expecting this initial Demon Core stage snake to send a mid Demon Core stage opponent running for its life.

    Despite the level difference, it could crush its opponent!

    Xu Hei was now even stronger than when he had just broken through. After eating the octopus and arge amount of whale meat, his physical strength had reached a new level.

    This was the amplification brought by the Demon God Cauldron.

    Others needed to retreat to digest, but Xu Hei could eat and digest simultaneously, growing stronger and saving countless hours.

    "Crab roe, delicious!!" Xu Hei''s eyes almost glowed with fire, his tail swaying as he excitedly pursued the Golden Armor Crab.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    The Golden Armor Crab was terrified, fleeing with all its might, never imagining the snake to be so fierce. Had it known, it wouldn''t have dared provoke it even with a hundred guts!

    "Stop!"

    Suddenly, a loud shout came from ahead.

    ---------

    Hi, guys, my new book, hope you like it: <strong>Starting as a Snake: Defying Heaven with Invincibility</strong>

 Chapter 271: Competing for territory, the diversity of marine life

    Chapter 271: Competing for territory, the diversity of marine life

    The sound waves surged with the tide, forcing Xu Hei to stop and look into the distance.

    The golden-armored crab also halted,nding nearby, trembling all over with a weak aura.

    The speaker was a slender, ring-patterned sea snake, its body covered in silver rings, with a small, narrow head and pitch-ck eyes staring at Xu Hei, exuding a sense of danger.

    This snake was also at the mid-demon core stage, but close to thete stage.

    Unlike Xu Hei''s sturdy physique, the sea snake resembled a slender whip, clearly not suited for body cultivation, yet it possessed venom.

    "Are you here to cause trouble? You''ve eaten enough already, and now you want to devour others. What do you take this ce for?"

    "The remains of the senior belong to everyone. If you devour them alone, what will others eat?"

    This sea snake, unlike the shrimp soldiers and crab generals who acted directly,unched a verbal attack, standing on the moral high ground to use Xu Hei.

    In an instant, Xu Hei was ced in opposition to all the demonic beasts."Yeah, this guy has eaten too much!"

    "After eating whale meat, he still wants to devour others. Is there no order here?"

    "This ce doesn''t wee the greedy!"

    Three other sea snakes chimed in, clearly supporters of therge sea snake.

    The sea snake family had been residing here for a month, and those at the Foundation Establishment Stage had made breakthroughs. One sea snake had even just sessfully formed its core, indicating the benefits of whale meat.

    But with Xu Hei''s devouring, the food they could share would be greatly reduced.

    Thisrge sea snake was also on the verge of thete Core Formation stage. Just one more month, and it could attempt a breakthrough.

    Such a rare opportunity couldn''t be disrupted by an outsider.

    "Oh?" Xu Hei raised an eyebrow and said, "When we were dividing the whale blubber earlier, why didn''t you speak up? Now you''re here to criticize me?"

    Whale blubber was the most energy-rich substance, with ny percent of the whale''s essence concentrated in the fat.

    Therge sea snake frowned and said, "That was for the strong. What does it have to do with us?"

    "So you know it''s for the strong! Now, I''m stronger than you. If you have the ability, take me down; if not, stop whining!" Xu Hei mocked coldly.

    These words infuriated therge sea snake.

    If she had broken through to thete demon core stage, she wouldn''t need Xu Hei to say anything; she would have acted immediately.

    But now, even if she could fight Xu Hei, it would be extremely difficult, and she might get injured. In such an environment, with threats all around, getting injured was not a good idea.

    "Everyone, this snake is greedy and has started a killing spree, severely disrupting order. Why don''t we join forces to y it and share the spoils?" therge sea snake said loudly, trying to incite others.

    The demonic beasts looked at her, but few responded.

    Only her fellow sea snakes echoed her.

    Xu Hei''s abilities were witnessed by all the demonic beasts. If anyone dared to step forward, they might be made an example of.

    Not everyone was like her, on the brink of a breakthrough, desperately needing that bit of meat. They were all here to get free benefits, to eat a few bites along the way, and no one wanted to fight.

    As time passed with no response, the sea snake''s expression turned awkward.

    "Come on, start fighting already!"

    A young dolphin said gleefully.

    "Sea snakes, don''t be cowards, attack together and take down that Big ck!"

    Another dolphin shouted, both brothers just wanting to watch the fun.

    The silver-ringed sea snake looked at the two dolphins and said, "Could you two lend a hand?"

    "Of course, we support you spiritually!"

    "Yes, we''ll cheer for you!"

    The two dolphins said in unison.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Therge sea snake''s face turned almost ck with anger.

    The first part of their response pleased her, but thetter almost made her spit blood.

    Xu Hei couldn''t be bothered to argue, returning to continue eating meat. Unfortunately, the crab got away due to the interruption.

    "The sea snake family is quite a nuisance."

    Xu Hei calcted in his mind, considering his chances if a fight had broken out earlier.

    The female sea snake was at the mid-demon core stage, close to thete stage, with three early demon core stage helpers, weaker than the previous Snake Catchers Sect ambush.

    But in this deep-sea environment, with many sea beasts watching, he didn''t want to end up heavily injured likest time.

    Moreover, sea beasts of the same realm were stronger thannd demonic beasts and much stronger than humans, given they were in the sea. Xu Hei was new here and hadn''t fully adapted to the environment.

    "Sister, what should we do?"

    "Are we just going to let him go?"

    "This is your rare chance to break through!"

    The three sea snakes whispered.

    Therge sea snake''s eyes shed with killing intent and said, "Don''t worry, he won''t escape. My big brother recently returned from the Peni Sea and learned some immortal techniques. With histe demon core stage cultivation, he can kill this beast effortlessly. Why should we take the risk?"

    "Big brother ising back!"

    The sea snakes'' eyes were filled with excitement.

    The Peni Sea, rich in Spiritual Qi, was a ce of immortals that sea beasts longed for. There, it was like the ancient times in the human world, where every sea beast had terrifying cultivation.

    In the same realm, they were unmatched, let alone having an advantage over their opponents.

    The sea snakes continued eating, ignoring Xu Hei.

    Therge sea snake''s eyes flickered as she secretly released a scale, which disappeared into the ocean current.

    Unlike her siblings, she had been enlightened by an immortal from Peni Ind in her childhood, possessing extraordinary intelligence, and was given a name, Hai Meng.

    Hai Meng had no deep hatred for Xu Hei. Her actions were purely out of curiosity about why Xu Hei could eat so much and fight beyond his level.

    She spected that Xu Hei must have a great opportunity!

    "He must have a storage artifact, and the whale meat is stored in it. This opportunityes from an immortal, and he must have an immortal inheritance!" Hai Meng spected internally.

    Demonic beasts living in the ocean rarely encountered humans, but she knew what immortals meant, unimaginable benefits.

    Whatever it was, she had to obtain it!

    At the same time, Xu Hei also frowned, pondering therge sea snake''s actions.

    "This snake didn''t attack me directly but incited others to join in, which is unusual. Moreover, her gaze was always off, too much killing intent."

    "With such scheming, she definitely won''t let it go. She''s plotting against me!"

    Facing such an opponent, Xu Hei wouldn''t treat her as an ordinary sea beast but as a human.

    He needed to find a way to eliminate her and remove any future threats.

    "Hey, brother, could youe over for a moment?"

    At this moment, a barely audible voice came from the side; it was the dolphin speaking.

    Xu Hei nced at him and frowned, "What is it?"

    The dolphin hesitated for a moment and approached, "Brother, do you have any human treasures?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes turned cold, wary, "What do you mean?"

    "Don''t misunderstand, brother!" The dolphin quickly waved its fin, exining, "It''s just that my sister likes human jewels and gems. I wanted to see if you could sell me some. If not, it''s okay, I''ll leave."

 Chapter 272: Open the dragon vein, rumors of the Penglai Sea

    Chapter 272: Open the dragon vein, rumors of the Peni Sea

    His expression was tense, as if he was afraid of displeasing Xu Hei, and he quickly stepped back.

    Behind him was a slightly smaller dolphin, equally nervous, its eyes blinking rapidly. This was his sister.

    Dolphins are intelligent creatures, fundamentally different from thoserge shrimp and crabs. He could vaguely guess the significance of Xu Hei.

    "No," Xu Hei shook his head.

    The dolphin sighed, a hint of disappointment shing in his eyes, but he still reminded, "By the way, big brother, that sea serpent is very vicious. She has a brother who once followed an immortal in the Peni Sea and learned immortal spells. He''s not someone to be trifled with. I advise you to be careful."

    With that, the dolphin siblings turned and left, the sister''s eyes revealing an undeniable sense of loss.

    Xu Hei''s gaze flickered slightly as he transmitted his voice, "Do you have a grudge against that sea serpent?"

    He had no familial ties with the dolphins, and they had no reason to warn him, so this was the only exnation.

    The dolphin siblings paused, the brother turned around, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "To be honest, an elder in our dolphin family was poisoned by the sea serpent and hasn''t recovered to this day, suffering day and night."Xu Hei''s heart tightened. Is the sea serpent''s poison really that potent?

    What Peni Sea, what immortal spells¡ªhe waspletely in the dark about these matters. Xu Hei was new here and knew nothing about these things.

    He only knew that Tianji Shangren seemed toe from Peni Ind.

    "Can I ask you about some things?"

    Xu Hei produced a crescent-shaped purple jade stone, which he had obtained from a mechanism box, possessing defensive properties.

    This item was barely of the third-tier beginner level, useless to him, but perfect for giving away.

    The dolphin sister''s eyes immediately lit up.

    Seeing this, the dolphin brother quickly spat out ayer of water curtain, isting the area so that outsiders couldn''t see.

    "Ask away, big brother, I''ll tell you everything I know," the dolphin brother said.

    Xu Hei tossed the jade stone over, which the dolphin sister caught in her mouth, making a joyful purring sound.

    "Here''s the thing, Ie from the open sea and am not familiar with the situation here..." Xu Hei exined briefly.

    Upon hearing this, the dolphin brother immediately began to speak at length.

    "Big brother, you''vee to the right person. Our dolphin family, if nothing else, is top-notch in intelligence. Our members are spread throughout the East Sea and often interact with humans. We know everything under the sky!"

    The dolphin sister chimed in, "We know everything under the sky!"

    ...

    At the other end of the whale''s skeleton.

    Hai Meng saw the water curtain rising in the distance, her eyes almost spitting fire. Not only did the dolphins not help, but they also started conversing with that horned serpent. It was outrageous!

    Even more infuriating was that the golden-armored crab ran off without a word, despite her saving its life.

    "When my brother returns, you''re all doomed!"

    Hai Meng''s gaze was sinister as she gnawed on whale meat, desperately pushing herself to the limit, onlymenting that her stomach was too small to eat more.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    After some time of conversation.

    Xu Hei had learned quite a bit.

    The Peni Sea is a sacred ce yearned for by sea beasts, its location unknown, with a natural massive barrier, isted from the world. Without an immortal to lead the way, one cannot enter.

    It''s said that the spiritual qi inside is abundant, no different from ancient times. The demonic beasts that emerge from the Peni Sea are all powerful, unmatched in the same realm.

    Hai Meng''s brother was led inside by an immortal to study, and once he returns, he will be a dominant force.

    "So there are such sacred ces at sea,parable to ancient times!"

    Xu Hei was quite surprised internally.

    The dolphin family is considered a rtivelyrge family in the East Sea, very friendly with humans. Several members have been to the Peni Sea, but few return.

    As for immortal spells, they can be understood as advanced spells cast by demonic beasts, only teachable by immortals, and are highly praised.

    Xu Hei had never witnessed them, so he couldn''t make a judgment, but he wasn''t afraid. The dragon n''s ultimate techniques he possessed were stronger than any immortal spells.

    Xu Hei took out some strange items and gave them to the dolphin sister, Boqi.

    These siblings, the brother named Bopu and the sister named Boqi, were at the mid and early stages of their demon cores, respectively.

    "Wow, thank you, Brother Hei," Boqi eximed excitedly, making a unique squeaking sound, her eyes shining.

    Xu Hei had a good impression of these siblings. It''s said that dolphins are usually very friendly, only showing their ferocious side during group hunts.

    "Brother Hei, feel free to visit my home anytime. I''ll be here for the next month!"

    Bopu took out a simple map made from some unknown skin and handed it over.

    The map had only a few markings, indicating trenches, some inds, and seabed locations. Xu Hei nced at it and found that the ce was quite close to his cave dwelling, so he nodded.

    "I''ll visit when I have the chance."

    Xu Hei put away the map and continued to devour the whale meat.

    Boqi and Bopu only ate a few bites before leaving.

    After that, no one disturbed Xu Hei.

    After eating for an entire day, Xu Hei finally felt he had reached his limit.

    Even with the Demon God Cauldron refining, he felt a sense of fullness, his meridians and flesh were all in a saturated state, and his Golden Core had grown significantly, seemingly reaching a critical point.

    This wasn''t a breakthrough in cultivation but a breakthrough in his meridians.

    The first of the nine dragon veins was about to be opened!

    "Using this whale carcass to open the first dragon vein, now''s the time!"

    Xu Hei internally shouted, gathering all his energy, concentrating it in his head, and channeling it downward toward his abdomen.

    Opening a dragon vein is a long process.

    Xu Hei remained still on the whale''s remains, eyes closed, even his breath restrained to the extreme.

    "This guy finally had his fill."

    "I''ve never seen anyone eat so much."

    The distant sea beasts all gasped, having witnessed something extraordinary.

    Hai Meng also breathed a sigh of relief. She was really worried that Xu Hei would eat everything in one go. It seemed that this horned serpent had its limits and wasn''t a bottomless pit.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s first dragon vein was rapidly extending, moving downward.

    This process was neither fast nor slow. The further it went, the more difficult it became.

    As time passed, when the first dragon vein nearedpletion, an indescribable terrifying pressure emanated from Xu Hei''s body, causing ripples to spread.

    "What is this aura?"

    The demonic beasts immediately looked at Xu Hei, eyes filled with shock.

    Hai Meng also noticed Xu Hei''s movements, a hint of surprise shing in her eyes. This aura was definitely not that of an ordinary demonic beast!

    "Big sister, why do I feel like that horned serpent is a flood dragon?"

    Beside Hai Meng, a sea serpent spoke in amazement.

    "What nonsense! A flood dragon, him?"

    Hai Meng was instantly angered by this, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost losing herposure.

    Only her brother had the qualifications to be a flood dragon. The horned serpent before her was merely relying on its strength, learning some wild tricks from who knows where, iparable to her brother''s orthodox immortal spells.

    Her brother was her belief, and no one could belittle him, no matter who they were!

 Chapter 274: Battle at Sea Teng, forcing out the wonders of heaven and earth

    Chapter 274: Battle at Sea Teng, forcing out the wonders of heaven and earth

    He stared at Xu Hei, nodding slightly, his eyes full of admiration.

    "You''re different from other snakes. In you, I see the potential of a Flood Dragon. As long as you survive, you''re destined to be a ruler."

    "Such talent is rare in the world. I''ve only seen it in one peerless king snake before, and that king snake was me!"

    Hai Teng began with a round of praise.

    But thest sentence made Xu Hei''s mouth twitch slightly.

    You''re praising yourself so seriously, don''t you feel embarrassed?

    Yet Hai Teng''s face remained calm, speaking with confidence, as if it were only natural.

    Hai Teng dered loudly, "Now, you have two choices. One, be my follower. Although one sea cannot amodate two dragons, I, Hai Teng, wish to emte the sages of humanity and gather talents. You will be a great general under mymand."

    "Two, oppose me and face a dead end!""I heard from Hai Meng that you have the ability to fight beyond your level. But defeating two shrimp soldiers and crab generals is nothing to boast about. If I were at the early stage of the demon core, I could do the same!"

    Hai Teng''s words were filled with strong confidence.

    In the ocean, even with the same level of cultivation, strength can vary greatly. Shrimps can be among the weakest sea beasts, while the mightiest whales can fight several levels above.

    Hai Teng returned from his studies with absolute confidence, ready to crush all his peers. Even against whales, he could fight!

    Xu Hei merely sneered, "You can try."

    Upon hearing this, Hai Tengughed instead of getting angry.

    "Haha, as expected of the snake I admire, you have spirit!"

    Hai Tengughed loudly, staring at the group of dolphins appearing behind him, "Are you waiting here to prevent me from bullying you with numbers? There''s no need!"

    "I, Hai Teng, am upright and disdain to rely on others. Let''s have a fair fight, dare you?"

    As he spoke, Hai Teng''s cultivation level suddenly plummeted, his aura retracting. In an instant, he suppressed his level from thete stage of the demon core to the early stage, matching Xu Hei''s level.

    This made Xu Hei''s eyes widen in surprise.

    Suppressing his cultivation? What a joke! Doesn''t he know the meaning of death?

    "Hai Teng, what are you doing? This is too risky!"

    Behind Hai Teng, a giant sea eel appeared, repeatedly warning him.

    This sea eel was enormous, over three times Hai Teng''s size, with a t body and eyes that sparkled with electricity, possessing the cultivation of Great Perfection.

    "Senior brother, don''t worry. Since I, Hai Teng, want to win, I must make my opponent truly convinced!" Hai Teng said with a smile.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Xu Hei was speechless; in terms of courting death, he had to admit defeat.

    "Are you sure you want to suppress your cultivation?" Xu Hei reminded.

    Hai Teng nodded, "Of course, I want you to bepletely convinced and submit to..."

    At that moment, Xu Hei suddenly disappeared, transforming into a streak of lightning, charging towards Hai Teng.

    Xu Hei''s movement didn''t even cause a ripple in the water, reaching within an inch of Hai Teng in an instant.

    "So fast!"

    Hai Teng''s pupils contracted.

    The distant sea eel''s expression also changed drastically.

    Too fast! So fast that no one could react in time. Xu Hei''s sudden attack caught everyone off guard.

    Moreover, this speed surpassed any immortal spells they had seen.

    "Unbeatable! Unbeatable!"

    A signal of extreme danger rose in Hai Teng''s heart, making his whole body tingle, his scalp numb, as if with just a thought, he would perish immediately.

    No more holding back! This is serious!

    Finally, at the moment Xu Hei rammed into him, Hai Teng stopped suppressing his cultivation, rising to the mid-stage of the demon core, with surging true essence forming a protective barrier. Almost in the next instant, Xu Hei crashed into his chest.

    "Poof!!"

    Hai Teng''s protective true essence was shattered, the remaining force surging up, instantly creating arge hole in his chest, blood sttering, and the entire snake was sent flying like a broken whip.

    Even at the mid-stage of the demon core, he was severely injured with one strike!

    This was partly due to Xu Hei''s sneak attack, but more so, it was the perfectbination of speed and power, along with the fact that his first dragon vein was about to be opened, enhancing his strength to a new level, achieving sess in one strike.

    "Weren''t you going to suppress your cultivation?"

    Xu Hei sneered, once again using the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, attacking Hai Teng, beating the snake while it was down.

    "Despicable! You ambushed me!"

    Hai Teng was furious, caught off guard while he was speaking. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been so embarrassed.

    However, Xu Hei''s strength was indeed beyond expectations, forcing him to get serious.

    "Immortal spell, Water Tornado!"

    Hai Teng shouted, and the surrounding seawater surged, forming tornadoes that circled around him, integrating offense and defense, making it impossible to get close.

    However, Xu Hei''s Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique had already reached the fifth level, allowing him to traverse any terrain as if it were t ground, even ignoring some formations. This water tornado was useless!

    "Boom!!"

    In the next second, Hai Teng was hit again, blood spurting out as he was sent flying, while arge piece of flesh appeared in Xu Hei''s mouth, which he swallowed in one gulp.

    "This sea snake doesn''t taste great, not as good as lobster," Xu Heimented.

    "You wretched creature, courting death!"

    In the distance, the sea eel was utterly enraged, lightning sparking in its eyes, ready to act. The dolphin army was also prepared to intercept.

    Hai Teng shouted, "Senior brother, don''t intervene, leave it to me!"

    The sea eel halted, the lightning in its eyes retracting.

    At this moment, Hai Teng hovered ten meters below the sea surface, the water tornado vanished, the churning seawater calmed, and his eyes were unprecedentedly calm.

    He stared at Xu Hei, took a deep breath, and released his cultivation, finally returning to thete stage of the demon core.

    The missing piece of flesh on his body was covered with ayer of sea beast leather. Instead of anger, a rare excitement appeared in Hai Teng''s eyes.

    "Body cultivation, it''s actually the rare body cultivation, and the cultivation technique you practice is the ancient White Emperor''s Diamond Suppression Technique, isn''t it?" Hai Teng said.

    This statement left Xu Hei stunned, and even the sea eel was taken aback.

    "I spent three years in the Scripture Repository, reading extensively, and hold great respect for the sages of humanity, so of course, I know the name of the White Emperor."

    Hai Teng stared at Xu Hei, speaking solemnly, "You have the qualification to make me go all out!"

    Xu Hei just shook his head, "You sure talk a lot of nonsense."

    At this moment, Hai Teng closed his eyes, and strange scenes appeared around him, images shifting, vaguely revealing the shadow of a giant dragon rising from the sea, its majestic gaze surveying the world, the dragon swimming across the seas, summoning winds and rain, lightning and thunder, the sea flooding, and all demons submitting.

    This scene seemed almost real, captivating and genuinely awe-inspiring.

    "Phenomenon! Junior Brother Hai Teng has actually cultivated a phenomenon of heaven and earth, this should be the Dragon King Patrolling the Seas phenomenon!" the sea eel eximed.

    Dragon King Patrolling the Seas, a phenomenon of heaven and earth.

    It was the first time Xu Hei heard such a term, sparking his curiosity.

    His eyes shed, and he once again took the initiative to attack, using his pure physical body to charge into the phenomenon.

    However, this time, his movement was hindered, as if trapped in a muddy swamp, unable to move an inch, his speed slowing down.

    "Within my phenomenon, I am the absolute ruler!" Hai Teng dered.

 Chapter 275: Battle Sea Teng, Xu Heis strongest strike

    Chapter 275: Battle Sea Teng, Xu Hei''s strongest strike

    "Immortal Spell, Overturning Mountains and Seas!"

    Hai Teng shouted, and the seawater surged up like a towering mountain, crashing down on Xu Hei with the force of a copsing sky. Within the phenomenon of the Dragon King Patrolling the Seas, the shadow of a giant dragon roared towards the heavens, its w pressing forward with unstoppable might.

    At this moment, Hai Teng seemed to transform into a flood dragon, every movement carrying the power to destroy the heavens, making others feel insignificant, a stark contrast to before.

    "Xu Hei, watch out!" Bopu shouted.

    "Be careful!" Boqi echoed.

    This was Hai Teng''s full-force attack, with the strength of thete stage of the demon core, truly formidable.

    Xu Hei felt an intense sense of danger. He quickly held the Water Control Pearl in his mouth, gathering all the seawater in front of him to form a vortex. At the same time, hepressed his true essence madly, a faint golden hue appearing on his skin, a sign of his Diamond Suppression Technique reaching minor sess!

    "Blood God Armor!"

    The Blood God Armor appeared on Xu Hei''s body, activating his strongest defense. He charged forward fearlessly, colliding with Hai Teng''s immortal spell like a blood dragon."Boom!!"

    The earth shattered, mountains shook, and in that instant, it was as if a massive tsunami had been triggered, reducing the coral reefs below to dust.

    A sea eel snorted coldly, and the surging waves immediately halted, stabilizing the area.

    Within the dolphin group, experts also acted to steady the seawater.

    The scene ahead was obscured, only the sh of two giant serpents visible, followed by energy waves sweeping in all directions, creating terrifying heat waves that evaporatedrge swathes of seawater.

    "Whoosh!"

    Xu Hei was sent flying backward, crashing into the rocks on the seabed, creating arge pit, his bones nearly shattering. Hai Teng was also in bad shape, the phenomenon of heaven and earth blurred, and he spat blood, his aura weakened.

    Being injured by a wild serpent, and fighting beyond his level, was originally a great humiliation, but instead of being angry, Hai Tengughed wildly.

    "Hahaha! Good! This is truly the heir of the White Emperor, such a body cultivator, I acknowledge you!" Hai Tengughed maniacally.

    Xu Hei hid among the rocks, quickly swallowing an ancient spirit medicine to heal, his expression extremely grave.

    Although Hai Teng''s words were somewhat deranged, and he loudly announced his spells every time, making one speechless, he was indeed a formidable opponent, his strength rivaling even Lei He.

    As these thoughts shed through his mind, Hai Teng shouted again, "Immortal Spell, Yellow Springs Burial!"

    With this move, Hai Teng''s aura plummeted rapidly, bing weak.

    Xu Hei''s heart tightened, sensing imminent danger.

    "Not good!"

    He quickly summoned the ck Dragon Pagoda, merging with it without hesitation.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Boom!"

    At that moment, the circle of rocks and reefs on the seabed turned liquid, darkening in color to form a pitch-ck surface, like the legendary Yellow Springs River, threatening to bury Xu Hei.

    The ck Dragon Pagoda was also trapped in the Yellow Springs River, sinking deeper, as the light of the world dimmed.

    "This is my strongest attack, Yellow Springs Burial. Once fully submerged, it will erase the soul directly, a certain death for anyone at the Demon Core Stage! How will you respond?" Hai Tengughed.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s vision blurred, his consciousness fading, as if he truly would be erased by the Yellow Springs.

    Yet, Xu Hei''s mind calmed. He opened his mouth, revealing a tiny ck light.

    This light, smaller than a grain of sand, was formed bypressing his true essence hundreds of times.

    As it appeared, all nearby light vanished, even creating a nk area in the Yellow Springs water, as if devoured.

    "What?" Hai Teng''s pupils contracted.

    "Whoosh!"

    The ck Dragon Pagoda disappeared, and Xu Hei reappeared.

    At this moment, a ck light appeared on his horn, devouring everything around it. The Yellow Springs water couldn''t approach, and anything within thirty meters was silently consumed.

    Whether seawater or light, nothing coulde near. That area, except for Xu Hei, turned ck, as if even space was copsing.

    "This is also my strongest attack!"

    Xu Hei''s gaze was grim, his body feeling weak, but in the next second, he rose up, charging at Hai Teng.

    Where the ck light passed, seawater vanished, creating a vacuum world around Xu Hei. This terror was indescribable, enough to make anyone''s scalp tingle at a nce.

    "Hai Teng, retreat!" the sea eel urgently shouted.

    However, Hai Teng ignored it, his gaze fixed on the light,ughing excitedly.

    "Hahaha! This is the power of the White Emperor, the true body cultivation!"

    Hai Teng''sughter grew more frenzied, and under the intense battle spirit, the Dragon King Patrolling the Seas phenomenon behind him became more solid, the dragon king''s shadow almost tangible, gradually merging with Hai Teng.

    At this moment, Hai Teng''s aura soared to its peak.

    "Xu Hei, among all the snake demons I''ve fought, I, Hai Teng, acknowledge you as the strongest!"

    With a shout, Hai Teng advanced instead of retreating, charging at Xu Hei with unstoppable momentum, like a moth to a me.

    "You''re courting death!"

    The sea eel could no longer endure, rushing towards Hai Teng.

    His master had instructed him to follow Hai Teng, to prevent him from entering a berserk state, which even immortals couldn''t stop.

    This condition, said to only appear in teenagers, was especially evident in Hai Teng.

    The master''s words were indeed true...

    At the same time, Hai Meng and a group of sea snakes arrived at the farthest point.

    "They''re fighting!"

    "How far has it gone?"

    They arrivedte, too far to see which side was Hai Teng and which was Xu Hei.

    "The one with the upper hand must be my brother. He will surely win and crush the horned serpent to dust!" Hai Meng said confidently.

    The power ahead was too terrifying, one side devouring all light, the other with a phenomenon of heaven and earth, making them afraid to approach for fear of being caught in the crossfire.

    The dolphin army also charged out, ready to assist at any moment.

    "Whoosh!"

    In an instant, Xu Hei, with the ck light above his head, crashed into the phenomenon of heaven and earth. Even the phenomenon was absorbed, leaving a void, spacepletely copsing.

    Hai Teng also entered the void, his eyes filled not with fear, but extreme excitement.

    "Boom!!!"

    The ck light suddenly contracted, as if reaching its limit, then exploded with a world-shaking st.

    "Boom!!!"

    Seawater soared, shockwaves shook the sky, the earth crumbled, sun and moon dimmed, as if the entire seabed would copse. Even the stability maintained by the dolphins was broken, scattering them in all directions with cries of rm.

    In the chaos, a glimpse of an eel''s silhouette could be seen, rushing into the explosion''s center to rescue the unconscious Hai Teng, while Xu Hei also suffered a heavy blow, sent flying, caught by Bopu and Boqi.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 276: Dolphin Clan, Xu Hei has benefited greatly

    Chapter 276: Dolphin n, Xu Hei has benefited greatly

    This time, the tremor was so intense that it created a deep abyss-like crack in the space within the seawater, resembling a void world, with seawater frantically pouring in.

    Staring at the pitch-ck spatial rift, everyone fell silent, their eyes filled with shock.

    "What a terrifying strike, what kind of power is this?"

    "It''s too frightening! Even space can be torn apart. I''ve only heard that a human''s Minor Annihtion Talisman can achieve this!"

    All the demonic beasts held their breath, their eyes wide open.

    After about ten breaths, the rift slowly healed, and the space returned to its original state.

    The sea eel''s gaze was terrifyingly gloomy, with a clear intent to kill in its eyes.

    It was a close call! If he hadn''t rescued in time, a disaster might have urred.

    This Hai Teng is a madman; he could have just dodged, but instead, he charged head-on, practically courting death!He quickly took out a pill and injected it into the unconscious Hai Teng, instantly stopping the bleeding.

    At this moment, Hai Teng''s entire body was covered in tattered scales, his flesh and blood a mess, with no intact area, and his internal organs severely damaged.

    "What a madman," the sea eel cursed inwardly.

    On the other side, Xu Hei was supported by Boqi, too weak to even move, his whole body limp and powerless, barely staying conscious.

    Xu Hei had dragon scales protecting his body, so externally he seemed fine, but internally he was severely injured, mostly self-inflicted.

    The opponent was at thete stage of the demon core, and Xu Hei had no other choice but to fight desperately.

    At all costs,pressing his true essence led to such consequences. It was his first timepressing his true essence so many times.

    The most severely injured part was his meridians. Except for that one dragon vein, all of Xu Hei''s other meridians were fractured, even shattered, making healing extremely troublesome.

    However, to Xu Hei''s surprise, that one dragon vein seemed to show signs of opening up?

    This brought him some joy, but his physical injuries didn''t allow him to be too happy too soon.

    "Xu Hei, how are you feeling, are you okay?" Bopu asked anxiously.

    "Are you okay?" Boqi echoed.

    Xu Hei barely mustered a breath and said, "I have a way to cure the poison affecting your elder."

    After saying this, Xu Hei fell into a state of unconsciousness.

    Before passing out, he also reminded Ji Ying to rush out and kill if he encountered danger.

    This was a double insurance.

    "He can cure Grandpa''s poison!?" Bopu was surprised.

    Bopu had no doubt about Xu Hei''s words. Anyone could see from the recent battle that Xu Hei had a significant background, rumored to be a descendant of the ancient White Emperor.

    They hadn''t heard of the White Emperor, but from Hai Teng''s tone, it was clear that the White Emperor''s descendant was no ordinary person and wouldn''t lie about such things!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, Hai Meng led a group of sea snakes to the scene.

    Seeing Hai Teng severely injured and unconscious, they were all thunderstruck, dumbfounded.

    "How could this happen?"

    "How could my brother be severely injured!?"

    Hai Meng couldn''t believe her eyes.

    In her eyes, her brother was invincible, unmatched among his peers, the future Flood Dragon, a kingly figure, how could he be beaten into unconsciousness?

    And by an unremarkable horned serpent!

    Such a stark contrast brought a violent shock, making Hai Meng feel like she was dreaming.

    "Senior Lei Man, what exactly happened? Why is my brother severely injured? The opponent must have had help, they must have used despicable means to ambush him, right?" Hai Meng hurriedly asked.

    Lei Man, however, had no mind to entertain her, carrying Hai Teng on his back, swimming towards the dolphin group.

    Seeing this, the dolphin group quickly gathered together, forming a wall of flesh, blocking the front.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Hand him over!"

    Lei Man stopped in front, uttering just two words.

    "This is the territory of the dolphins, sea eels are not wee here!" Bopu said.

    "Not wee!" Boqi echoed.

    Lei Man''s face darkened, coldly saying, "You are just a small branch of the dolphin family, and you dare to challenge me. Do you know who I am?"

    "I don''t care who you are!" Bopu said.

    "Don''t care who you are!"

    "Who are you!"

    "Who!"

    A group of dolphins echoed.

    Lei Man''s face twitched, revealing a row of sinister teeth, with thunderous anger brewing in his eyes. As an electric eel, his temper was not good at all.

    At this moment, an old dolphin swam up behind the group of young dolphins.

    "Friend Lei, apologies, but we cannot hand over this horned serpent to you!" The old dolphin''s voice was calm, yet his tone left no room for doubt.

    Lei Man''s gaze shifted, staring at the old dolphin for a long time before nodding.

    "In that case, I won''t insist, farewell!"

    Without any extra words, Lei Man supported Hai Teng and turned to leave, leaving only a silhouette behind.

    Thisrge sea eel, twenty meters long, with a t body and a mouth full of sharp teeth, was a bad-tempered thunder-type sea eel, definitely not one to be trifled with.

    The old dolphin''s eyes were solemn, waving his fin, he said, "Retreat, let''s go home."

    "Yes!"

    The dolphins carried Xu Hei back to their territory.

    The recent battle had wreaked havoc on the coral group, but fortunately, their territory was vast, with countless underwater nests and cave dwellings, all with beautiful scenery.

    They ced Xu Hei in a sea cave, cared for by the siblings Bopu and Boqi, while the other dolphins returned home.

    This sea cave was Boqi''s nest, filled with human objects, various emeralds, diamonds, and shiny things, ced everywhere.

    There was also a moonstone hanging at the top, making the sea cave as bright as daylight.

    "I don''t know what Xu Hei likes to eat, Boqi, go catch a turtle for him to nourish himself," Bopu said.

    "Okay."

    Boqi swam out to hunt, and soon brought back a snapping turtle.

    The snapping turtle was still alive, ced next to Xu Hei.

    "But he''s still unconscious, how do we feed him?" Bopu pondered.

    Suddenly, the snapping turtle opened its mouth and bit towards Xu Hei''s tail.

    "Swish!"

    In an instant, a pitch-ck shadow darted out from the gap between Xu Hei''s dragon scales and then darted back.

    In just a moment, the snapping turtle was reduced to a skeleton.

    This startled the siblings.

    "What was that just now?"

    "What was that?"

    The siblings looked at each other in confusion, unable to see anything clearly.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the blink of an eye, a night passed.

    The next day, Xu Hei slowly woke up, his whole body in unbearable pain. He took a thousand-year-old Spirit Medicine, along with healing pills and meridian-repairing pills, and meditated for another half day. It wasn''t until noon that he felt rejuvenated.

    To fully recover would still take some time.

    The Diamond Suppression Technique, forciblypressing true essence hundreds of times, came at a great cost, no wonder it was exclusive to body cultivators. If it were someone with a weak body, it wouldn''t just be a matter of fractured meridians.

    Their entire body might copse and die.

    "Those ck particles have immense destructive power, but the cost is equally great, ordinary meridians simply can''t withstand it!"

    Xu Hei thought to himself, that was an ultimate technique that could only be performed when the Diamond Suppression Technique was mastered to a minor level.

    At this moment, his first dragon vein showed signs of being opened, just one step away, and with a day of seclusion, he couldplete it.

    This was an unexpected joy.

    The battle with Hai Teng had benefited him greatly.

 Chapter 277: Dolphin Clan, Healing the Great Poisoning

    Chapter 277: Dolphin n, Healing the Great Poisoning

    Xu Hei spread out his Divine Sense to observe the surroundings.

    This was a dolphin''s cave dwelling, located underwater, with bright lighting. From the interior setup, it seemed to be Boqi''s cave dwelling, adorned with decorations only seen in the human world.

    Various pearls and gemstones, anything colorful, were collected and hung on the walls.

    The crescent-shaped purple jade that Xu Hei had gifted earlier was hung in the most conspicuous spot.

    Xu Hei thought for a moment and took out some more human items to embellish the surroundings.

    "Brother Xu Hei, you''re awake!"

    A voice came from outside the cave.

    Bopu swam over with a basket of box turtles and entered the cave.

    Boqi followed beside him but remained silent and listless."I heard you love eating turtles, so I specially brought you a specialty from Turtle Ind. Come and try it." Bopu ced the box turtles on the ground.

    "I love eating turtles?" Xu Hei was taken aback. He had no idea.

    "You don''t know, but when you were unconscious, as soon as a turtle was ced beside you, it would be devoured in seconds. It was that fast," Bopuughed.

    "..." Xu Hei was dumbfounded.

    He immediately guessed that it was Ji Ying''s doing.

    After Ji Ying formed its core, its intelligence was high, and it wouldn''t miss such food delivered to its mouth.

    "Huh?" Xu Hei nced at Boqi and asked in confusion, "Why isn''t she repeating?"

    Upon hearing this, Boqi lowered her head, eyes full of grievance, almost on the verge of tears.

    Bopu sighed and said, "At the family meeting earlier, she mimicked the elders speaking and got punished."

    "..." Xu Hei was speechless.

    He could already imagine what the family meeting looked like.

    The elders speaking above, the younger ones repeating below, caught red-handed, how embarrassing.

    "I just mimicked her for a couple of sentences, and they punished me with a month of confinement, boohoo!" Boqi''s eyes were brimming with tears, her fins touching each other.

    At this moment, Xu Hei suddenly had a sh of inspiration and remembered a joke he learned in human life.

    "Boqi, let me tell you a joke," Xu Hei said with a smile.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "What joke?"

    Boqi''s eyes lit up, eagerly looking over, and Bopu also listened curiously.

    Xu Hei said, "Once upon a time, there was a pufferfish, it swam and swam, swam into the sea, and then... it turned into a dolphin."

    "Puff puff puff!"

    "Hahaha!"

    The two dolphinsughed in unison, Boqiughed until tears came out, rolling on the ground.

    Xu Hei just watched them quietly, saying nothing.

    To be honest, he didn''t find the joke particrly funny, but since it was dolphin-rted, he told it, not expecting such a good effect.

    So, Xu Heiughed along with them.

    The inheritance of Wuyou City, Xu Hei, having lived a life as a human, though just a void memory, unknowingly influenced him, adding something extra to him.

    Even Xu Hei himself didn''t know what it was.

    "By the way, the elder specifically instructed me to bring you over once you woke up," Bopu said.

    Xu Hei nodded, nced at Boqi, who was stillughing uncontrobly, and helplessly turned to leave.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the dolphin territory, there was a dolphin pce.

    Dome-shaped and square, entirely blue, its appearance was not much different from a human pce, just with more entrances and exits for easy ess.

    Led by Bopu, Xu Hei entered the pce. He could sense that the weak aura was inside the pce.

    An older dolphin appeared before Xu Hei, the same one that negotiated with Lei Man yesterday.

    "Young friend Xu Hei, I am the patriarch of the Bo n of the dolphin family, Bo Xi," the old dolphin introduced himself.

    "Greetings, sir," Xu Hei replied.

    "I heard that you can cure the poison afflicting our elder. If it''s true, how can we ask for your help?" Bo Xi asked sincerely.

    Xu Hei pondered for a moment and said, "I can''t guarantee a cure, but I can give it a try."

    He didn''t make any absolute promises, leaving a way out.

    Bo Xi was overjoyed and said, "As long as there''s a chance, whether or not you can cure him, as long as you can alleviate the pain, our Bo n is willing to offer any reward."

    "Please follow me."

    Bo Xi quickly led the way, and Xu Hei followed.

    Inside the pce, there were some basements and small rooms.

    They entered a dark entrance and came into a room.

    The room was isted from the outside, with no seawater, and the air was dry. However, dolphins at the Demon Core Stage could already float without needing water.

    On a bare stone by a dolphin with a shriveled body. His body was covered with various purple spots, emitting a strong, pungent odor. His once massive body had shrunk, and long without contact with water, his vitality was nearly depleted.

    "What a strong poison," Xu Hei''s heart sank.

    This dolphin''s cultivation had reached the Elemental Infant Stage, stronger than the patriarch.

    At least, this Bo Xi patriarch had not yet sessfully formed a Nascent Soul, only at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, close to a false infant state.

    To poison an Elemental Infant Stage demonic beast, the toxicity must be incredibly potent.

    "This is my brother, Bonan, also the only Demon Infant Stage genius of our n. He was ambushed by an assassin from the sea serpent family during his Nascent Soul formation. Although he seeded, he was severely injured."

    "He doesn''t dare enter the sea, as the poison would spread with the seawater, prating every dolphin''s body, possibly leading to a catastrophe. He can only seal himself onnd, but as a result, his vitality is dwindling."

    Bo Xi''s voice was heavy, filled with anger and helplessness.

    Xu Hei stared at Bonan''s body, his Divine Sense probing for a long time before moving closer.

    "Young friend Xu Hei, be careful, this poison can also permeate the air!" Bo Xi reminded.

    Xu Hei approached Bonan. This Demon Infant Stage powerhouse seemed to sense a presence nearby, a look of vignce appearing between his brows, his power surging. But after Bo Xi secretly transmitted a message, he calmed down.

    "Young friend, don''t me me for being cautious. I don''t know your background or true identity, so some precautions are inevitable. Please refrain from any actions that might be misunderstood as dangerous during the treatment, as I fear I might unintentionally harm someone," Bonan said.

    Although he was poisoned, he still had some strength. For the safety of the n, he had to be cautious. If anything happened to him, the entire Bo n would face big trouble.

    "I understand."

    Xu Hei nodded and took out an ancient Spirit Medicine of ten thousand years.

    In Wuyou City, he had obtained a total of ten Spirit Medicines over ten thousand years, which were also useful for the Elemental Infant Stage. What he took out was the Purifying Lotus, capable of purifying the body.

    "This is..." Bonan immediately fell silent.

    Xu Hei only clipped a small petal from the Purifying Lotus, put away the main body, and used the Gravity Technique to deliver the petal.

    "Take this medicine and try to expel the poison from your body."

    Xu Hei didn''t start with Xu Bai''s pill but first used a small amount of ancient Spirit Medicine to assist in expelling the toxin, the safest approach.

    "Alright!"

    Bonan took a deep breath, eyes filled with determination, and absorbed the petal into his body. Then, he circted the nearly exhausted power of his Demon Infant, fully refining it, concentrating the toxin on the surface of his skin.

    "Ha!" Bonan let out a low shout, cold sweat oozing from his body, veins bulging.

    Gradually, arge purple spot appeared on his abdomen, the color bing more vivid and dark, as if it would turn into poisonous water and drip out.

    Xu Hei stepped back slightly, his eyes shing, and took out a purple gourd.

    This gourd was the Magical Treasure he had obtained from the mechanism box, the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd, capable of storing all kinds of poisons.

 Chapter 278: Encountering pursuit, Xu Hei fled at full speed

    Chapter 278: Encountering pursuit, Xu Hei fled at full speed

    Xu Hei activated the gourd, drawing in the air from a distance. The purple mark on Bonan''s abdomen gradually seeped out, releasing wisps of mist that were absorbed into the gourd.

    As time passed, more and more mist was drawn out, forming a visible bridge of purple energy between the gourd and Bonan.

    The poisonous mist was continuously extracted, and the poison spots on Bonan''s skin began to fade.

    "It really works!"

    Bo Xi, watching from behind, was shocked, his heart filled with excitement and joy.

    After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, Xu Hei took out a small piece of petal and had Bonan consume it, continuing the extraction process. This step was repeated three times before he finally stopped.

    At this moment, the poison spots on Bonan''s body had reduced by half, and their color had significantly lightened.

    Bonan gasped for breath, drenched in sweat from the effort of expelling the poison, which was a great strain on him.

    "This poison is too stubborn to be removed in a short time. Rest for now, and I''ll return in three days."Xu Hei put away the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd.

    Bonan took a long time to catch his breath before nodding.

    "Alright! As you say."

    Bonan got up and looked towards the n leader in the distance, "Brother, prepare some food for me."

    Bo Xi was momentarily stunned and said, "You can eat now?"

    "That''s right, this young friend''s detoxification is effective. I feel hungry," Bonan replied.

    Bo Xi was moved to tears. Since Bonan had sealed himself, he hadn''t touched a drop of water or a morsel of food, and his vitality was nearly exhausted.

    He wiped away his tears and nodded heavily, "I''ll prepare it right away."

    Xu Hei also left the room.

    "Young friend," Bonan called out, hesitating for a moment before lowering his head, "Thank you."

    Xu Hei said nothing, just smiled calmly.

    Being thanked was extremely rare in his life. He had spent most of his life plundering and killing, rarely helping others voluntarily.

    Even this time, he acted because the Dolphin n had helped him.

    "I have some pills here, but their effects are too strong. Your body is too weak now to handle them. I''ll give them to you once you''ve recovered enough."

    Xu Hei said this to increase his importance.

    Bonan nodded repeatedly, "Alright! During this time, if you have any needs, just let me know, and I''ll arrange it."

    "Yes, our Dolphin n has plenty of resources. Whatever you need, just say the word, no need to be polite!" Bo Xi chimed in.

    "We''ll talk after the treatment isplete," Xu Hei smiled, flew out of the room, and left the Dolphin Pce.

    Only then did he realize that arge group of dolphins had gathered outside the pce, waiting for the results.

    "Chief, how is it?"

    "Is Bonan alright?"

    The dolphins hurriedly gathered to ask.

    Bo Xi smiled, "No need to worry, Bonan''s condition has improved, thanks to this young friend who drove out the poison!"

    Upon hearing this, all the dolphins were moved to tears, looking at Xu Hei with gratitude.

    "Thank you, young friend!"

    "You''re our savior!"

    "You saved our Bo n."

    Voices of gratitude filled the air.

    Xu Hei felt a bit ufortable and quickly swam away from the ce.

    His small ind wasn''t far from here, only an hour''s full-speed journey. He nned to return and meditate for two days, open the first dragon vein, and thene back to continue the detoxification.

    Although he was reluctant to part with the Purifying Lotus, a rare spirit medicine, he had made up his mind to help to the end.

    "People have connections, dragons have dragon veins, the Dolphin n is my first dragon vein," Xu Hei thought to himself.

    Hearing that Xu Hei was leaving, Bopu initially wanted to see him off but thought better of it, considering Xu Hei might not like being followed, and decided against it.

    He just reminded Xu Hei to be careful on the road.

    ...

    Xu Hei rested for a night, enjoyed a sumptuous meal, and quietly left the Dolphin n early the next morning.

    He split into an external incarnation, taking two routes and leaving various misleading signs, circling the Dolphin n several times before heading to his ind.

    He wasn''t worried about the Dolphin n; it was just a habit.

    Xu Hei moved at full speed, swimming for more than half an hour, getting closer to his ind.

    Suddenly, Xu Hei felt a chill, as if he was being targeted. This feeling was familiar; he had experienced it aftering out of the trench.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Being watched again! Who is it?"

    Xu Hei''s mind shed, quickly thinking of Hai Teng, Hai Meng, and that sea eel.

    It couldn''t be the Dolphin n; if they wanted to act, they wouldn''t have waited until now. Besides, after these two days of interaction, Xu Hei didn''t believe anyone in the Dolphin n harbored ill intentions.

    Moreover, Xu Hei''s departure was silent, from an inconspicuous spot, absolutely unnoticed.

    "I didn''t notify anyone, nor did I leave any signs. How did they lock onto me?"

    "Andst time, aftering out of the trench, it was the same. How did they find me?"

    Xu Hei''s eyes were serious. He had to understand the principle behind this tracking ability and find a way to counter it, or he could be ambushed at any time.

    Xu Hei''s mind raced. Whether it was Hai Teng or Hai Meng, he didn''t intend to fight.

    Xu Hei pushed his speed to the limit, activating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to the extreme, his tail thrashing wildly, stirring up waves, while biting the Water Control Pearl to manipte the sea, maximizing his speed!

    "Whoosh!"

    A streak of light cut through the sea, heading towards the ind at full speed, creating waves a thousand feet high in its wake. Such speed was astonishing.

    "Friend, please wait, I mean no harm!"

    A shout came from the distant sky.

    The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck from the distant seabed, turning the entire sea surface blue and purple, electric arcs dancing, aiming at Xu Hei''s back.

    Xu Hei''s expression changed, and he quickly leaped out of the water.

    "Boom!!"

    A thunderous explosion sounded beneath him, sting the sea into a thousand-foot abyss, water sshing like a torrential rain. Xu Hei had just left the water when he was struck by lightning, his body paralyzed, flung forward.

    No harm, this was supposed to be no harm? Fortunately, Xu Hei didn''t hesitate for even a second, or he would have taken a direct hit.

    "I can''t stay in the water; I must get to the sky!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, soared into the air, and continued at full speed without slowing down.

    The opponent was Lei Man, that Great Perfection Golden Core sea eel. He was definitely not a match. Xu Hei hadn''t expected to be so cautious, yet still be targeted.

    "Whoosh!"

    Another bolt of lightning shot from an unknown distance, exploding in the water. However, Xu Hei was already in mid-air, dodging the attack in time.

    Xu Hei breathed a sigh of relief. This lightning technique traveled far in water but couldn''t effectively hit him in the air.

    "Beast, stop!"

    The opponent stopped pretending, shouting arrogantly. The sea eel frantically pped its fins, electric arcs dancing all over its body, charging forward with sparks and lightning.

    Lei Man''s speed was among the top tier among sea beasts, with lightning-enhanced movement, few in the same realm could surpass him. He was confident in chasing down Xu Hei.

    But to Lei Man''s shock, Xu Hei''s speed wasn''t slow either!

    Despite being at a much lower realm, he could keep up! How was this possible?

 Chapter 279: Return to the Small Island, King of Survival Competition

    Chapter 279: Return to the Small Ind, King of Survival Competition

    "What terrifying speed! No wonder Hai Teng lost to him; there''s definitely something special about him!"

    Lei Man squinted his eyes, the killing intent in his gaze growing even stronger.

    Being pursued, Xu Hei couldn''t afford to hesitate. He took out a conch shell and blew into it.

    This was the summoning conch given to him by Bo Xi, the chieftain of the Dolphin n, atst night''s banquet. Bo Xi had said that as long as the conch was blown, any dolphin that heard it would quickly spread the word, and the Dolphin n would rush to his aid at top speed.

    He hadn''t expected to use it so soon after leaving the Dolphin n.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "A summoning conch? The Dolphin n even gave him this? What exactly did this serpent do?"

    Lei Man''s heart sank. He gritted his teeth and elerated, the lightning around his body bing even more dazzling.

    Xu Hei also increased his speed. For every bit Lei Man sped up, Xu Hei matched it, maintaining the distance between them.

    At this range, unless they were in the sea, Lei Man''s lightning couldn''t strike from such a distance."Hmph! Let''s see how long you can keep up with this endurance game!"

    Lei Man wasn''t in a hurry. His opponent was only at the early stage of the demon core, while he was at the Great Perfection. Even if Xu Hei could match his speed, how could hepete in endurance? Their true essence reserves were at least ten times apart.

    Xu Hei realized this too.

    The greatest advantage of the Great Perfection of the Golden Core was endurance. With countless years of umtion, although they hadn''t broken through to the Elemental Infant stage, their true essence had be increasingly profound.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed. Facing such a formidable enemy, ordinary magical treasures were useless, and even the ck Dragon Pagoda might not work.

    He thought of the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd.

    This gourd wasn''t considered a top-tier treasure, but the toxins it contained were potent enough to poison even those at the Elemental Infant stage. Xu Hei had studied itst night and didn''t dare touch it directly, which showed its power.

    The downside was that the poison was difficult to control, essentially borrowing external force.

    "Let''s test it on you first."

    With a thought, the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd appeared, releasing a cloud of purple mist that spread backward. It wasn''t long before Lei Man charged straight into the purple mist.

    "Ahhh!!"

    The next second, a blood-curdling scream came from behind, more harrowing than a pig being ughtered.

    Xu Hei didn''t look back, nor did he care if the opponent was truly poisoned. He released another wisp of purple mist and shot forward, widening the distance.

    "You wretched beast, you''ll die a horrible death!"

    Curses came from behind, but the voice gradually faded away.

    With this obstruction, Xu Hei managed to shake off his pursuer.

    "What a fierce poison!"

    Xu Hei was secretly rmed, looking at the gourd in his hand. Suddenly, he felt a burning pain all over his body, and quickly put the gourd away in shock.

    "Could it be that even I''m getting poisoned?"

    His vision darkened, and his consciousness spun. He took a deep breath, fully activating the Demon God Cauldron to absorb the toxins within him and refine them.

    After several breaths, Xu Hei stabilized and continued forward.

    However, Lei Man was nowhere to be seen.

    That faint sense of being locked onto still lingered, so Xu Hei didn''t dare be careless. He elerated, returning to his ind at top speed.

    ...

    At this moment, Lei Man stood in ce, taking several breaths to suppress the deadly poison within him.

    His expression grew darker, the killing intent in his eyes almost tangible.

    He had seen the purple poison mist and hadn''t paid it much mind, nor had he intended to avoid it, merely holding an obstacle-avoiding pill. Who knew it would be useless, and he would suffer because of a single misstep?

    "What kind of poison is this? Why is it so bizarre that even I''ve never encountered it?"

    Lei Man squinted his eyes. He had tried various antidote pills earlier, all ineffective, and had to rely solely on his cultivation to expel the poison.

    Why hadn''t Xu Hei used such poison in his earlier battle with Hai Teng, only to bring it out now?

    Either Xu Hei had just obtained it, or the poison had significant limitations, or perhaps both.

    "I must use my trump card. Even if it means burning my lifespan, I must capture you today."

    Lei Man''s gaze was sinister. From his back, bones extended, transforming into a pair of thunderous wings. In the next second, his figure shed explosively, the wings vibrating, creating a sound of wind and thunder as he broke through the air, his speed doubling from before!

    ...

    On the ind, in the sky pavilion.

    Tianji Shangren had rested for two days and nned to go out today, but upon calcting, he found that today was not a good day.

    He had previously calcted that today was suitable for travel, so why the sudden change? He felt a shadow looming, as if a disaster was imminent.

    "Better reinforce the formation."

    Tianji Shangren never doubted his intuition, quickly taking out formation gs and cing them around the pavilion.

    Meanwhile, in another cave dwelling.

    Han Te also felt something was off recently. He wasn''t sure if it was just his imagination, but he always felt like someone had been on the ind.

    Sometimes, while deep in cultivation, he even heard human voices.

    "Damn it, could someone havee up here? But my formation clearly hasn''t detected anything!"

    Han Te immediately donned a transparent cloak, stuck on an Invisibility Talisman, and searched the ind, but didn''t see a soul.

    "Could it be a ghost?"

    Han Te''s expression was uncertain.

    His eyes flickered, and he immediately took out arge pile of homemadendmines, burying them underground. Numerous bombs were also hidden around the cave dwelling, ready to detonate at any moment.

    These were his handmade creations, and with his artifact refining skills, they could easily kill a Core Formation stage cultivator.

    Against stronger opponents, he could use smoke bombs to trap them and escape.

    He had finally reached a critical point in his breakthrough, and this was a feng shui treasurend; he didn''t want to relocate.

    Thus, one person set up formations, and the other buried mines, proceeding methodically on the ind.

    Time slowly passed, about half an hourter.

    Unknowingly, Han Te had buried mines in a corner of the ind, and Tianji Shangren had also walked there.

    Suddenly, Han Te''s heart tightened, and he looked to the sky.

    At the same time, Tianji Shangren''s eyelid twitched, and he looked at the ground.

    At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

    In mid-air, the white-bearded elder was shrouded in smoke and clouds, concealing all his aura, like an immortal descending to the mortal world. On the ground, the purple-haired youth was covered in Invisibility Talismans,pletely transparent, like a ghost walking.

    Their distance was almost face-to-face, just shy of mouth-to-mouth.

    Had they not bumped into each other, so close that they could smell each other''s breath, they would never have discovered the other''s presence.

    "Too close!"

    A signal of caution simultaneously shed in both their minds, their expressions changing drastically as they quickly retreated a hundred feet away.

    "It''s that old man who steals people''s fortunes!"

    "It''s that purple-haired chatan?"

    Both had seen each other before, and the same thought crossed their minds.

    "Why am I encountering him here?"

    "What is he doing?"

    Staring at each other, they were momentarily bewildered.

    No time to ponder further, suddenly, from afar, there was a sh of lightning and thunder, rapidly approaching, the sound like a terrifying wave, the momentum overwhelming.

    They looked up to see a massive electric eel, filled with rage, speeding towards them.

    The eel''s cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, seemingly tracking something.

    "Wretched beast, you''re at death''s door. Once I catch you, I''ll skin you alive and pull out your tendons. No matter what tricks you have, it''s a dead end!" Lei Man''s voice thundered like a storm.

    "Whoosh!"

    A ck horned serpent shot past them in an instant.

    Only then did they see clearly that the eel was chasing Xu Hei!

    And just as Xu Hei arrived, the formation in the cave dwelling he had left behind lit up, space rippling as a teleportation array appeared.

    As the light brightened, a dog-headed phantom gradually solidified, emerging from the spatial rift.

    "Little Xu actually found such a ce, not bad, a feng shui treasurend, truly rare!" the dog head praised.

 Chapter 280: Return to the island, Lei Man suffers persecution

    Chapter 280: Return to the ind, Lei Man suffers persecution

    Hei Huang arrived and first sniffed around with his dog nose, his eyes widening in surprise.

    "What is this ce? Did Ie to the wrong spot?"

    With a sweep of his Divine Sense, Hei Huang discovered numerous dangerous formations scattered everywhere, left behind by who knows whom.

    Underground, there were countlessndmines and explosives.

    At the edge of the ind, there were also the auras of two humans.

    In the far distance, a Great Perfection Golden Core stage electric sea eel was roaring and charging towards them.

    Hei Huang waspletely bewildered. Would Xu Hei really choose such a ce as a foothold?

    "Body Swap!"

    Suddenly, a puppet inside the cave dwelling vanished, reced by Xu Hei''s figure, looking rather disheveled."What on earth happened on this ind?"

    Xu Hei''s face was grim as he recalled the recent encounter, feeling cold sweat all over, having narrowly escaped death.

    If not for his Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique that allowed him to bypass formations, and if he hadn''t left a puppet in the cave dwelling, he might not have made it back.

    Moreover, he seemed to have seen two familiar figures just now.

    "Old dog, what''s going on on this ind?" Xu Hei shouted.

    "How the hell should I know?" Hei Huang retorted angrily.

    As they spoke, the giant sea eel outside leaped from the sea, its thunderous wings shaking as it charged towards Xu Hei''s location.

    "Vile beast, prepare to die!"

    Lei Man''s roar echoed across the ind.

    "Boom!!"

    Suddenly, he collided with a formation, producing a bell-like sound that left him dizzy and seeing stars.

    Immediately after, it felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, with gravity increasing sharply, nearly pinning him to the ground.

    "Heh, there''s still a formation left? Such a child''s y can''t trap me?"

    Lei Man sneered inwardly. When he was learning to counter formations in the Peni Sea, his opponent hadn''t even been born yet.

    "Lightning Burst!"

    Lei Man shouted, his body exploding with dazzling lightning, sweeping in all directions, causing thunderous roars, sending dust flying, and churning the sea, destroyingrge swathes of formations.

    This resistance triggered countless Restrictions, setting off another wave of formations that exploded towards him.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!..."

    The continuous explosions left Lei Man charred all over, his blood and energy surging, with countless wind des slicing across him, leaving scars.

    Lei Man''s eyes were red with anger.

    "I''ll swallow you alive!"

    Though there were many third-tier formations, they posed no threat to him. As a Demon Core Stage sea beast, his Golden Core was already full, storing an unknown amount of true essence.

    Oust him? How many formations do you have that can exhaust him? Ridiculous!

    "Vile beast, you can''t escape!"

    Lei Man gritted his teeth, ayer of thunder armor appearing on his body, like a thunder god descending, charging towards the depths of the ind.

    This scene left Han Te and Tianji Shangren dumbfounded from afar.

    They weren''t fools; it was clear that Lei Man was targeting Xu Hei. But their cave dwelling was also on this ind, and if a battle broke out, they would be caught in the crossfire.

    "This has nothing to do with me, you guys have fun, I''m out."

    Without a second thought, Han Te decided to flee. His cave dwelling was valuable, but his life was more important, and this was clearly beyond his involvement.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He didn''t flee immediately but first created an External Incarnation to scout ahead.

    But as soon as his incarnation left the ind and swam a short distance from the sea, a poisonous arrow suddenly shot from the water.

    The arrow pierced his incarnation, which struggled briefly before dissolving into a puddle of spiritual liquid.

    "Damn it! There are sea snakes here too!" Han Te''s face turned dark.

    These sea snakes were clearly targeting Xu Hei, surrounding the ind to prevent escape.

    Even he got caught in the crossfire!

    "You guys fight, what does it have to do with me? I''m just a passerby!" Han Te shouted angrily at the sea.

    "Whoosh! Whoosh!"

    Two more jets of poison shot towards him, and Han Te quickly dodged, his face turning as ck as coal.

    "You bastards, trying to drag me down with you? You won''t get away with it!" Han Te fumed.

    Tianji Shangren''s face was even darker. Liu Buqun, Wang Qin, and Wang Ding were in his cave dwelling, which he had spent a fortune to build. How could it be destroyed?

    "Vile beast, you''re courting death!" Tianji Shangren''s gaze was sinister as he formed a spell.

    Xu Hei, hiding in the cave dwelling, also formed a spell, activating the nine-square grid killing formation, bombarding Lei Man outside.

    At the same time.

    The sea eel was surrounded by countless formations, with various booming sounds descending, wind des, fireballs, thunder and lightning, underworld corpse dissolution, yellow spring devouring, Tai Chi divine light... all bombarding it, leaving it unable to approach, dazzled, enduring at least a thousand different attacks in just a moment!

    The next second, another wave of destruction arrived, with thousands of destructive formations descending from the sky, each reaching the third tier.

    Lei Man''s expression finally changed.

    Ten formations could be endured, a hundred could be barely managed, but how to withstand a thousand? Wasn''t this exaggerated?

    Was this the work of a snake?

    "What kind of ce is this, what kind of ind is this?" Lei Man''s face turned ck.

    As a Great Perfection Golden Core, ordinary third-tier formations were nothing to him, his true essence shield could block them, but so many piled together, was this something a human could do?

    Even he, facing so many formations, would be skinned alive if not killed.

    "No, I need to hide!"

    Lei Man gritted his teeth, intending to burrow into the ground.

    But as soon as he touched the ground, a white light suddenly lit up.

    This white light wasn''t just one or two, nor ten or a hundred, but thousands, densely packed, covering the ind in a white glow.

    At the same time, countless destructive waves crashed towards him, all the white lights converging here.

    "No!!!"

    Lei Man let out a piercing scream.

    "Boom!!" "Boom!!" "Boom!!" "Boom!!"...

    The earth shook, tsunamis roared, the entire ind trembled as if it would be sted into the sky. If not for the numerous defensive formations left here, it would have been destroyed.

    Attacks came from above and below, leaving no ce to hide, with formations everywhere, rocks flying, dust rising, the tremors spreading for miles, even the fish in the sea fled in all directions, trying to escape this apocalyptic zone.

    "Ah!!"

    A scream came from the center of the ind, quickly drowned out by more violent explosions.

    Lei Man''s protective true essence was shattered, his skin sted open, his flesh torn apart, his bones charred ck, with no part of his body unscathed, even his wings were blown off.

    Normally, attacks that felt like a tickle, when multiplied by thousands, caused a qualitative change, even he couldn''t withstand it, leaving him severely injured and on the brink of death.

    "Damn, you guys made such a big fuss just to catch a fish?"

    Hei Huang was dumbfounded.

    He felt like he couldn''t keep up with the pace of events.

 Chapter 281: Grilled eel, a heavenly delicacy

    Chapter 281: Grilled eel, a heavenly delicacy

    Outside the ind, in the sea.

    Hai Meng stared at the ind ahead, which was constantly shaking, and gasped in shock, "What a terrifyingmotion. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

    She had followed Lei Man''s orders all the way here, not letting any creature escape, but it seemed Lei Man had run into big trouble and couldn''t even protect himself.

    "Elder sister, what should we do?"

    The other three sea serpents hesitated.

    "How should I know?"

    Hai Meng gritted her teeth. She also wanted to avenge her brother and take down that damned horned serpent.

    After a brief moment of contemtion, she steeled her heart, took out a snake scale, and flung it into the depths of the sea.

    Calling for family support was only to be used in emergencies, but for revenge, she didn''t hesitate to use it."This should be a safe bet," Hai Meng said with a fierce look in her eyes.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment.

    After enduring a barrage of attacks, Lei Man had used a pile of protective magical treasures, even resorting to his ultimate moves, yet he was still severely injured, his life hanging by a thread.

    He finally realized that the formations and traps on this ind were not set by one person but by three.

    He had been tricked, and badly!

    Even more absurd was that the three parties seemed not to know each other and were wary of one another. He was merely passing by and identally became the target of everyone''s concentrated fire.

    "Fellow Daoist, it''s a misunderstanding! I just identally intruded here, with no ill intentions. Please let me leave!"

    Lei Man''s body was stiff, his breath weak, as he anxiously shouted at Tianji Shangren, who was looking down from the sky.

    At this moment, countless formations were suspended above him, various trapping formations, dragon-locking formations, and pitfall formations, surrounding him so tightly that he couldn''t move.

    Tianji Shangren and Han Te were both watching him from a distance, their expressions not looking good.

    Xu Hei was also hiding in his cave dwelling, staring at Lei Man with a ruthless look in his eyes.

    "Alright! I never kill, you may leave."

    Tianji Shangren nodded and waved his hand, releasing the three sealing formations.

    "Thank you! Thank you, fellow Daoist!"

    Lei Man, as if granted amnesty, breathed a long sigh of relief and got up to leave.

    But just as he let his guard down, Tianji Shangren cast another spell, and the sealing formations instantly transformed into a guillotine that fell with lightning speed, leaving a sh on his back, nearly cutting him in half.

    "Ah!!"

    Lei Man screamed miserably, shed to the ground, triggering several morendmines that exploded with a burst of blood and a heartrending wail.

    Xu Hei remained expressionless as the Blood Killing Sword flew out, shing Lei Man relentlessly.

    "You despicable scoundrels, worse than pigs and dogs, you''ll all die horribly!"

    Lei Man howled in despair, his voice filled with hatred and hopelessness.

    He regretted it, regretteding to this damned ce, regretted encountering such unreasonable people.

    "Who taught you those lines? Demonic beasts don''t talk like that!" Tianji Shangren said indifferently.

    He originally didn''t want to get involved, but this demonic beast was clearly ruthless and vengeful, letting it go would lead to future troubles, so he decided to eliminate itpletely.

    Lei Man''s voice was miserable as he cursed, "Old bastard, purple-headed man, and that beast, you''re all finished. Dare to kill me, you''ll all die!"

    With a thought, he spat out a mouthful of soul blood, imprinting the images of the three figures before him into the soul blood.

    Han Te cursed, "What does this have to do with me? You stepped on it yourself, I didn''t do anything!"

    "Whoosh!"

    Lei Man didn''t care, the soul blood shot out at an incredible speed, traversing the void, about to fly away, unstoppable by any formation.

    Everyone''s expressions changed simultaneously.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    But in the next second, the drop of soul blood suddenly froze in mid-air, as if attracted by something.

    Then, the soul blood flew back, swallowed by a dog''s head.

    "Soul blood is such a precious thing, don''t waste it," Hei Huang said with a smile, patting his belly contentedly.

    "What?!"

    Lei Man was dumbfounded as if struck by lightning.

    Where did this dog''s heade from?

    Would it ever end?

    And judging by the expressions of the other two, it seemed they didn''t know this dog''s head either.

    "Recently, I''ve been feeling a bit weak, wanted to eat some seafood to replenish," Hei Huang''s eyes glowed red as he stared at the sea eel.

    "You want to eat me, just you?"

    Lei Man''s sinister gaze swept around, scanning the four figures surrounding him.

    Though he was at his wit''s end, as a strong cultivator at the Demon Core Stage, he could still take down these low-level beings in a desperate counterattack. If he was going to die, he''d take them with him. Did they really think he was easy prey?

    Momentster¡ª

    Lei Many in arge pit, lifeless, surrounded by shattered space, the entire ind in ruins.

    Just before Lei Man''s death, an illusory figure emerged from his body, nced at everyone, but was swallowed by Hei Huang in less than a second.

    The identity of that figure was unknown, but its true form was definitely an Elemental Infant stage cultivator.

    Everyone looked at each other, eyes wide, the atmosphere unusually silent.

    "This has nothing to do with me, farewell!"

    Tianji Shangren didn''t want to linger for a moment, quickly returning to the pavilion and leaving with the three people inside, stepping on clouds, swiftly retreating.

    "You can''t escape, you were part of killing this eel too!" Han Te shouted.

    "I''ve transferred the karma to you, even the cave dwelling on the ind is yours, it has nothing to do with me," Tianji Shangren said.

    At this moment, Han Te could clearly feel that all the formations set up on the ind were connected to his mind and could be controlled at will.

    And at the center of the ind, there was a pavilion cave dwelling, also within his control range, rich in spiritual energy, a spiritual eye.

    "Old bastard, you''ll die horribly!" Han Te cursed.

    Tianji Shangren had already gone far, disappearing from sight.

    And in that brief moment of distraction.

    Hei Huang had already set up a fire, cutting Lei Man into small pieces, with one piece roasting over the fire, sprinkled with cumin, sea salt, chili, and other seasonings, sizzling with oil.

    "Damn it, I''m so unlucky, why is this happening to me?" Han Te roared.

    "Stop shouting, why not have a bite," Hei Huangughed.

    At this moment, Xu Hei also crawled closer, squatting by the fire pit, staring at the roasting eel meat.

    The energy in this eel meat was far richer than the whale in the trench.

    Although the whale''s cultivation was higher, most of it had been taken by others, leaving only scraps, while this eel was full of essence, a single bite could send one soaring, even the oil dripping from the roast was rich in spiritual energy.

    Especially that Great Perfection Golden Core...

    "Huh?"

    Xu Hei nced at the corpse, the Golden Core inside the eel was nowhere to be found.

    "Old dog, where''s the Golden Core?"

    "Huh? It''s gone, did that old Taoist take it? It must be, damn old Taoist, stealing our stuff!" Hei Huang cursed.

    Xu Hei was immune to such low-level lies by now. That old Taoist had just said it had nothing to do with him, why would he take the Golden Core? This old dog was too shameless.

    At this moment, Xu Hei''s gaze shifted to the distant sea.

    Beneath the sea, many powerful auras suddenly appeared,ing from different directions, seemingly in a standoff.

 Chapter 282: Come to help, good deeds will be rewarded

    Chapter 282: Come to help, good deeds will be rewarded

    Beneath the sea.

    A line of dolphins stood together, with four sea snakes tied up behind them, bound tightly with ropes and wrapped in fishings. These were Hai Meng and her threepanions.

    Among the dolphins were many familiar figures.

    Chieftain Bo Xi, Bopu, and the renowned elder guardians of the Dolphin n were all present.

    Floating opposite the dolphins was a group of sea snakes, also the high-ranking members of the Sea Snake n.

    "Bo Xi, why have you captured my nsmen?"

    The speaker was Hai Yuntian, the chieftain of the Sea Snake n, his voice cold as a ghost.

    He had rushed over as soon as he received the message from the snake scales, but he was still a step toote, resulting in Hai Meng''s capture.

    "Your nsmen plotted against a friend of my Dolphin n, intending to kill him, so I had no choice but to capture them," Bo Xi replied coldly.Hai Yuntian squinted his eyes and stared at Hai Meng, "Hai Meng, what exactly happened?"

    Bound by the fishing, Hai Meng stammered, her face extremely pale.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Chieftain, it has nothing to do with us. We were just following Sister Hai Meng''s orders to hunt a horned serpent, and that''s how we got caught."

    "Yeah, we were just following orders. Please save us, I don''t want to be eaten by dolphins!"

    The sea snakes captured alongside Hai Meng hurriedly pleaded for help. They had never been captured in their lives and thought they were doomed, crying out in fear.

    Hai Yuntian ignored them, focusing solely on Hai Meng.

    At this point, Hai Meng dared not hide anything anymore. Gritting her teeth, she said, "That horned serpent injured my brother with despicable means. My brother is still unconscious. I was furious and asked Senior Lei Man to take revenge. Senior Lei Man was also willing, so..."

    She recounted the events.

    She and Lei Man had teamed up to hunt Xu Hei, chasing him all the way to the ind.

    After hearing this, Hai Yuntian''s pupils contracted, "Lei Man?"

    "Where is Lei Man?"

    His expression changed immediately, rising into the air and looking towards the ind.

    On the ind, the aroma of grilled fish wafted through the air, a mouthwatering scent.

    By the bonfire, three figures sat together.

    Hei Huang held a skewer of meat, Xu Hei was gnawing on a fish fillet, and Han Te quickly burrowed into the ground, covering his face with a coconut shell.

    Seeing the skewered meat on the bonfire, Hai Yuntian''s eyes nearly popped out.

    "Lei Man, eaten?"

    A tidal wave of shock surged within Hai Yuntian.

    He could never have imagined that Lei Man, at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, a master of the Peni Sea, would die in such a deste ce, devoured by a group of unknown individuals.

    "Come on, join us! It''s delicious," Hei Huang waved the skewer in his hand, shouting.

    Hai Yuntian''s mouth twitched, gritting his teeth, "You''re courting death!"

    He no longer paid attention to the people on the ind. These reckless fools would be dealt with by someone of higher status.

    Hai Yuntian returned to the sea, addressing Bo Xi, "I don''t care what Hai Meng did, release them immediately, or don''t me me for being ruthless!"

    "Hmph! I won''t release them today. What can you do? I don''t intend to take her life, just to bring her back and imprison her for a while to prevent further mischief!"

    Bo Xi was unyielding. He knew that this snake woman harbored murderous intent towards Xu Hei and could not be allowed to leave.

    As for whether to kill or not, that was up to Xu Hei.

    "You seek death!"

    Hai Yuntian''s voice was icy, and the sea snakes beside him quickly spread out, forming a surrounding formation, eyes filled with killing intent, encircling the dolphin group.

    The dolphins were not to be outdone, brandishing fish spears and other weapons, ready to fight at any moment.

    "Your Dolphin n''s top expert seems to be injured. Without someone at the Demon Infant Stage to hold the fort, you dare to challenge my n? I think you''re tired of living!"

    Hai Yuntian squinted his eyes, a cold gleam shing.

    And at that moment.

    Suddenly, a long ck shadow appeared behind Hai Yuntian. It was a sea snake shrouded in shadows, its appearance indistinct, with only a pair of hollow ck eyes visible.

    As soon as this snake appeared, Chieftain Bo Xi''s pupils contracted instantly.

    "It''s him!"

    He recognized it. This ck serpent was the very culprit that poisoned his brother, an assassin at the Elemental Infant stage!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    "Hmm?"

    On the ind, Hei Huang, who had been gnawing on an eel skewer, suddenly stood up, his dog eyes wide open, fixed on the sea below, unblinking.

    "What''s wrong?" Xu Hei asked.

    Hei Huang replied, "I smell something that makes me sick, makes me want to vomit."

    Hei Huang gritted his teeth, his fists clenched, a hint of crimson in his eyes, the eel skewer falling to the ground.

    Seeing Hei Huang''s expression, even Xu Hei was taken aback. It was the first time he had seen Hei Huang like this.

    This primal anger was something he had never witnessed before.

    Xu Hei''s eyes shed, and he made a quick decision, rushing towards the water.

    "Wait!"

    Hei Huang stopped him, solemnly saying, "Don''t go over there, it''s not something you can handle!"

    "What do you mean?" Xu Hei frowned.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    "Boom!!"

    The sea surface erupted with waves a thousand feet high, exploding with overwhelming ripples, violent energy sweeping across. Hei Huang''s mind moved, erecting a formation to block the surging tides.

    Beneath the water, a massive dolphin appeared, its flesh full and vibrant, eyes bright and spirited, exuding a powerful aura.

    It was Bo Xi''s brother, the great demon at the Demon Infant Stage, Bonan!

    Bonan had emerged as well!

    "How is this possible? Weren''t you poisoned?" Hai Yuntian''s voice echoed in shock.

    In front of Bonan,yers of ripple-like waves emerged, blocking the ck serpent outside.

    Both sides disyed their cultivation perfectly, both reaching the Demon Infant level, equivalent to the human Elemental Infant stage, evenly matched.

    The ck serpent''s eyes were sharp, staring at the creature before it, sneering, "Oh? I didn''t expect you to have the strength to emerge. Did you find a way to detoxify? Or are you forcing yourself out, regardless of the consequences?"

    "That''s none of your concern!"

    Bonan snorted coldly, spitting out a colorful bubble that drifted towards the dark serpent.

    The bubble moved swiftly, exploding near the serpent.

    "Boom!!!"

    A thunderous explosion resounded, the shockwave concentrating at a point, transforming into a colorful sword, stabbing towards the dark serpent. This technique of concentrating explosions was Bonan''s specialty.

    The serpent did not linger, retreating like a ghost, its form shing past, grabbing Hai Meng''s fishing, and withdrawing swiftly. However, it was still grazed by the sword, letting out a muffled groan, and flew back into the sea snake group.

    "Bonan, you''re lucky this time. Next time, you won''t be so fortunate!"

    The dark serpent''s figure vanished like a ghost, retreating rapidly.

    The sea snake n also withdrewpletely, disappearing into the distance.

    Bonan hovered in the water, his expression calm, watching the sea snake n retreat.

    Only after all the sea snakes had left, disappearing from his perception range.

    Bonan shuddered, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his body emanating waves of weakness.

    "Are you alright?" Bo Xi hurriedly approached, asking anxiously.

    "No worries!" Bonan waved his fin, saying, "This injury is nothingpared to when I was poisoned. I''m much better now."

    This time, he had taken a significant risk by forcing himself out, further aggravating his injuries, but it was all worth it.

    At this moment, Xu Hei also descended, arriving in the sea.

    "Xu Hei, my young friend, they didn''t hurt you just now, did they?" Bonan asked.

    "I''m fine." Xu Hei swam closer, saying seriously, "You should head back first. In a day, I''lle to perform the second detoxification for you."

 Chapter 283: Sea God Sect, Han Te is forced to join the game

    Chapter 283: Sea God Sect, Han Te is forced to join the game

    Bonan nodded, "Alright, take care of yourself. It''s fine to wait a few more days; I can hold on!"

    Before leaving, Xu Hei took out some healing medicine and gave it to Bonan, who was immensely grateful. The dolphins bid him farewell one by one.

    "Help! I don''t want to be eaten!"

    "Woo woo woo! I don''t want to die, I''m still young."

    Three sea snakes were bound by fishings, crying out in pain as Bopu dragged them away from the scene. The ck serpent only managed to save one, Hai Meng.

    Xu Hei returned to the shore, looked at Hei Huang, and asked, "What was that disgusting thing you mentioned earlier? Was it the Demon Infant Stage sea snake fighting Bonan?"

    Hei Huang gazed at the distant horizon and shook his head.

    "It''s a long story. Do you remember when we first entered the East Sea and identally stumbled into a teleportation array?" Hei Huang said.

    Xu Hei frowned, "Don''t ask me about that. I was unconscious and know nothing.""Then you should know," Hei Huang turned to Han Te, smiling.

    At this moment, Han Te had already packed up his belongings and was ready to escape on a small boat. He hadn''t even touched the sea eel, not using his chopsticks once.

    "Don''t talk to me. I''m not interested in anything, nor do I want to hear it. Farewell!"

    Han Te cupped his hands, jumped onto the boat, and started rowing away.

    The more you know, the more trouble it brings. He didn''t want to hear or get involved in anything.

    "Look at this!" Hei Huang suddenly shouted.

    He took out a recording jade slip, and with a tap of his paw, an image appeared in the sky.

    Han Te instinctively turned back to look and was stunned, his rowing stopped.

    "This is..." Han Te''s face was filled with shock, his mouth agape.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ...

    In the depths of the ocean.

    A group of sea snakes was swimming at full speed, returning to their territory.

    The n leader, Hai Yuntian, approached a dark shadow and asked, "Ancestor, why didn''t you act earlier and destroy Bonan directly? He forcibly exited seclusion and must be severely injured, definitely not your match!"

    The shadowy sea snake remained silent, only shaking its head, its expression extremely grave.

    After a long time, it finally spoke, "Earlier, I smelled something that made me nauseous."

    "What?" Hai Yuntian was stunned.

    "It shouldn''t be me that''s nauseated, but the power within me. I don''t know what it is yet, but I advise you all not to approach that ind again," the shadowy sea snake said.

    ...

    By the ind, Han Te stared at the image in the sky, his mind buzzing.

    In the image, a group of people was nailed with iron spikes all over their bodies, shackled and chained, driven forward like ves. There were men, women, old, and young, mostly cultivators captured from Haiya City.

    They seemed to be on an ind.

    Among them, Han Te saw a familiar figure, Bai Qiushui. The moment he saw this person, Han Te''s breathing became rapid.

    "Weren''t you responsible for escorting this person? Now that they''ve been abducted, do you still want to go back and collect your payment?"

    Hei Huang sneered, "If I send this recording jade slip back to the Bai Family, you won''t get a single copper coin, and you might even be hunted by the Bai Family."

    Hearing this, Han Te trembled all over.

    Especially when he heard "won''t get a single copper coin," his eyes turned blood-red, veins bulging on his face, on the verge of copse. He trembled as he asked, "Where is Bai Qiushui?"

    Hei Huang waved his paw, and the image disappeared. He sat back down, picked up a skewer of eel, and happily munched on it.

    Han Te was on the brink of copse.

    After a moment of silence, he rowed the boat back, put it away, and sat down by the campfire.

    "Um... Senior Dog, where is Bai Qiushui?" Han Te asked with a smile, but Hei Huang ignored him, making him sweat with anxiety.

    He had worked so hard, stranded on a deserted ind,ing to this godforsaken ce. If it all ended up being for nothing, and he got nothing, and was even hunted by the Bai Family...

    He might as well just bash his head in.

    The Bai Family had promised that as long as he escorted sessfully, he would receive five hundred top-grade spirit stones upon return.

    Those were top-grade spirit stones! Five hundred of them! Worth all his ie, five times more than the deposit!

    Seeing Hei Huang silent, Han Te was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

    Fortunately, he was a clever person, having dealt with many people over the years. He chuckled awkwardly, tore off a piece of fish meat to eat, and took out some bamboo skewers to skewer the eel meat.

    "Actually, I wasn''t trying to escape just now, just temporarily avoiding danger. After all, there was a big battle here, not suitable for staying long. If the enemy has reinforcements, they will definitelye to investigate. It''s safer to leave early," Han Te exined with a smile.

    Xu Hei also thought it made sense and nodded, "I agree, leaving early is better."

    "Oh?" Hei Huang raised an eyebrow, "Didn''t I run?"

    As he spoke, Xu Hei and Han Te suddenly noticed that although the scenery on both sides was still the sea, the asional bird flying by was rapidly retreating!

    The clouds in the sky were also constantly moving backward.

    It wasn''t the scenery moving; it was them moving quickly!

    "My goodness! This ind can move?" Han Te was shocked.

    Only now did he realize that the ground beneath him was moving rapidly in one direction, the entire ind floating on the sea.

    "A mere mountain-moving formation, nothing to brag about," Hei Huangughed.

    Xu Hei then noticed that the corpse of the Mountain-moving Patriarch had been taken out at some point, sitting cross-legged in the center of the ind, stealing the ind''s formation.

    At this moment, Han Te finally rxed.

    "Dog friend, what was that image about?" Han Te asked urgently.

    This was what he was most concerned about. Bai Qiushui meant spirit stones, and he couldn''t let it go. It was his faith! Of all the world''s sins,ck of money was the greatest.

    Hei Huang, munching on grilled fish skewers, pondered for a moment and said, "Simply put, there''s an evil faction capturing people everywhere, iming to offer sacrifices to some sea god, needing live offerings. The exact number is unknown, but the more, the better, all kinds of cultivation levels, including mortals."

    "They used to only capture inders, fishermen, and cultivators from the sea, but now they don''t even spare coastal cities. Many cities on the maind of Shenzhou have suffered, and the Qin Kingdom is taking it seriously."

    "We happened to run into the evil faction capturing people that day, which is why we were teleported away. Luckily, I broke the teleportation channel, or we would have been caught too."

    Hei Huang exined the cause of the events.

    Han Te suddenly understood. No wonder he was sucked in too; it turned out to be the evil faction''s doing.

    So, he managed to escape halfway because Hei Huang broke the channel.

    "Sea god?"

    Han Te''s eyes flickered, "I''ve heard of the sea god before, but the sea god would never need sacrifices. What''s going on?"

    "Heh heh," Hei Huang chuckled sinisterly, "That''s the key issue, that mysterious evil faction!"

    "By the way, the nauseating power I mentioned earlier is the power used by that evil faction."

    Hei Huang looked at Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei''s heart skipped a beat, as if he had thought of something. He quickly took out the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd and said, "Check if there''s anything wrong with the poison in this gourd!"

 Chapter 284: Dolphin Clan, the last detox

    Chapter 284: Dolphin n, thest detox

    "What''s this?"

    Hei Huang squinted his eyes, took the gourd, and opened its stopper, releasing a purple gas.

    "This is the poison I extracted from Bonan. He was injured by a sea snake. Take a look and see if there''s any problem."

    Xu Hei briefly exined Bonan''s situation.

    Hei Huang said nothing, walked to the seaside, and stopped the ind.

    "Go!"

    Hei Huang raised the gourd, and a wisp of purple gas flew out, falling into the sea.

    Even though it was just a wisp, the color of the seawater visibly darkened.

    The poison quickly spread, forming an arc. Wherever it passed, seaweed withered, and small fish and shrimp died instantly.Even some sentient sea beasts, upon contact with the darkened seawater, shriveled up and died rapidly, as if their flesh and blood were drained.

    The dark area spread faster, soon reaching a thousand feet.

    "Stop it now!" Xu Hei shouted.

    Hei Huang waved his hand, injecting a surge of powerful True Qi into the seawater, forcing the trace of poison out, and it quickly evaporated, restoring the seawater to normal.

    Xu Hei''s face changed drastically and he said, "What kind of poison is this, spreading so quickly, and this is just a small drop!"

    No wonder Bonan dared not enter the seawater. If the poison were to spread, the entire Dolphin n would be in grave danger. This is no exaggeration!

    At the same time, Xu Hei discovered the method to counteract this poison.

    It was to use more powerful True Qi to force the poison out of the water, where it couldn''t spread in the air and would slowly dissipate.

    This was also why Bonan sealed himself in a dry room.

    A question arose in Xu Hei''s mind¡ªwas this really the poison of a sea snake?

    "Indeed, it''s the work of the evil sect!" Hei Huang''s eyes shed with ferocity.

    How could such a strange poison be naturally urring? It was cultivated by evil sect cultivators.

    Han Te watched with his heart pounding and said, "What is this thing? I''m timid, don''t scare me."

    Hei Huang tossed the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd to Xu Hei and said, "It''s best not to use this poison in water. Although it''s a rootless poison and will disappear quickly, if a strong person gets hit, it bes a rooted poison, spreading infinitely with endless consequences."

    Xu Hei took the gourd and nodded, "I understand what you mean."

    Rootless poison refers to the bit he released from the gourd, which would disappear over time.

    Rooted poison refers to when a creature is poisoned and bes the source, continuously releasing toxins until the creature dies.

    Hei Huang''s expression turned exceptionally serious, raising questions in Xu Hei''s mind, prompting him to ask, "Do you have some grudge with that evil sect?"

    "Mind your own business, kid." Hei Huang replied.

    "You!" Xu Hei''s face darkened, almost biting back.

    Han Te chimed in, "I''m an adult, I can ask, right?"

    "You too!" Hei Huang said.

    ...

    Next, Hei Huang controlled the Mountain-moving Patriarch, who in turn controlled the ind, heading north.

    Before long, they arrived at a shallow sea area filled with reefs, where they stopped the ind, letting it take root.

    After inquiring about Xu Bai''s location, Xu Hei returned to his cave dwelling to cultivate in seclusion.

    Han Te also returned to his cave dwelling to train.

    As for the pavilion gifted by Tianji Shangren, he didn''t even nce at it, so naturally, Hei Huang took it over.

    During this seclusion, Xu Hei spent only half a day sessfully opening the first dragon vein.

    "Roar!!"

    A loud dragon roar echoed within Xu Hei''s body. A crystalline meridian appeared, winding from the dragon''s head to its tail, encircling the Golden Core like a meandering true dragon, far surpassing ordinary meridians in both toughness and strength.

    Xu Hei felt that even someone a whole realm higher couldn''t destroy this meridian.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "With the first dragon vein, using the Diamond Suppression Technique will be much easier," Xu Hei thought.

    Compressing True Qi puts a huge burden on the meridians. His previous severe injury had left his meridians shattered, still not fully healed.

    With the dragon vein sharing the pressure, he wouldn''t be as helpless asst time.

    With the first dragon vein opened, Xu Hei''s cultivation level increased significantly, reaching the mid-stage of the early demon core.

    Half the time had passed, and he needed to return to the Dolphin n.

    Xu Hei nced back at the pavilion, shook his head, and sighed, "The old dog is very secretive about his matters. That evil sect must be deeply connected to him, better not to ask."

    Xu Hei noted the ind''s location, shed into the seawater, and swam towards the Dolphin n.

    On the way, he released an External Incarnation to the ce where he had previously poisoned, finding the seawater normal and no sea beasts poisoned, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Strange, why did I send an incarnation here? This is a risky move."

    Xu Hei shook his head, quickly withdrawing the incarnation to a deserted ce before detonating it.

    Xu Hei noticed subtle changes in his behavior since forming his core, even he wasn''t fully aware of them.

    The journey was smooth.

    Before long, Xu Hei returned to the Dolphin n. He didn''t enter directly but circled a few times before going in.

    Since it waste at night, only the n leader and a few members noticed Xu Hei''s arrival.

    Xu Hei said nothing and went straight to the dolphin pce, arriving at Bonan''s seclusion ce.

    This time, Bonan was exceptionally cooperative.

    Xu Hei used three Purifying Lotus petals, spending two hours to expel the poison, with the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd absorbing it eight times before it was done.

    Bonan was exhausted, drenched in sweat, nearly copsing, and had visibly lost weight.

    Xu Hei didn''t leave, temporarily staying with the Dolphin n.

    Three dayster, he used the same method to expel the poison from Bonan again,pletely depleting the Purifying Lotus petals.

    This time, Bonan finally expelled ny percent of the toxins.

    Bonan let out a long breath. Three detoxifications nearly cost him half his life, but it was worth it. The stubborn poison was reduced to ten percent, and he could suppress it with his own strength without external help.

    "Words can''t express my gratitude. From now on, as long as Xu Hei asks, I, Bonan, will do anything, even at the cost of my life!"

    Bonan stood up to give a grand salute, but Xu Hei quickly stopped him.

    "This poison ignores antidote pills and can only be expelled through one''s cultivation. What I did was merely assist," Xu Hei said.

    Bonan knew Xu Hei was being modest. Without the ancient Spirit Medicine and Xu Hei''s help, he could never have detoxified himself and might have died here.

    And if he died, without a Demon Infant Stage cultivator, the fate of the Dolphin n was unimaginable.

    n leader Bo Xi, upon hearing the news, was moved to tears, crying on the spot.

    Xu Hei took out some pills and handed them over.

    "These pills are made by a friend of mine and can help youpletely rid the remaining stubborn poison, but they might have some side effects. I suggest taking them when you''re at full strength."

    Xu Hei said solemnly, his expression more serious than ever before.

    Bonan took the pills, nced at them, and seeing they were third-tier pills, he smiled slightly. Xu Hei said, "I''m not joking, I''m serious."

 Chapter 285: Water mine wings, Xu Hei collects heavy treasures

    Chapter 285: Water mine wings, Xu Hei collects heavy treasures

    Seeing Xu Hei like this, Bonan also put away the thought of immediately taking a pill, deciding to wait until he recovered.

    "Detoxification Pill, Marrow Cleansing Pill, Meridian Clearing Pill... quite a collection."

    Bonan carefully stored the pills away. Although he was at the Demon Infant Stage and should ideally use fourth-tier pills, he had unconditional trust in Xu Hei.

    "Bo Xi, take him to the treasure vault," Bonan instructed.

    Bo Xi nodded and said to Xu Hei, "Young friend, please follow me."

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    East Sea, Sea Serpent n.

    The Sea Serpent n''s habitat was a vast shallow area, with a central Snake Ind. The ind was the heart of their territory, extending a thousand miles in every direction.

    A full week had passed since Hai Teng fell unconscious.Today, he finally awoke, his entire body in excruciating pain, with broken bones and torn muscles. He was covered in various ointments and bandages, wrapped up like a sack, yet he maintained a cold and arrogant demeanor.

    "Young master, the n leader has forbidden you from leaving until you recover."

    "I am the future Flood Dragon, and you dare to defy me,mitting insubordination?"

    Faced with Hai Teng''s authoritative gaze, the guards at the cave entrance had no choice but to relent.

    "A king bound like this, what a disgrace."

    Hai Teng crawled out of the cave dwelling, unwrapped all the bandages, and burned them to ashes with true fire. However, when his injuries touched water, the pain made him grimace.

    After a while of adjusting, he continued to swim forward.

    He hadn''t gone far when he encountered Hai Yuntian, who seemed to be waiting for him.

    "Oh? Old n leader, what do you want with me? Handing over the leadership now seems a bit premature, doesn''t it?" Hai Teng mocked.

    Hai Yuntian red at him and then recounted in detail what had happened after he fell unconscious.

    "What? My senior brother was roasted, and my sister captured? Such a formidable opponent!" Hai Teng''s expression turned serious.

    "Hai Meng brought this upon herself, but from the Peni Sea, a jade slip has arrived, instructing you to return immediately once you recover," Hai Yuntian said, tossing over amunication jade slip.

    Hai Teng nced at it and then smirked coldly, saying, "The sect is afraid I''ll recklessly seek out Xu Hei for revenge? Haha, am I that foolish?"

    Hai Yuntian gave him a peculiar look, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

    "Hmm? What does that look mean?" Hai Teng red.

    After a moment of silence, Hai Yuntian exined, "I mean, you''re still gravely injured, so you should go back and rest."

    "Rest..." Hai Teng sneered, "After death, there''s plenty of time to rest. As long as I''m alive, how can I stop here?"

    Hai Yuntian was left speechless, shaking his head silently.

    This kind of madness was incurable, only left to luck. Fortunately, he had anticipated this, knowing the guards couldn''t hold him, so he waited here. Otherwise, Hai Teng would likely have slipped away.

    "By the way, you don''t need to watch me all the time. I''m nning to... dismantle my core and start over," Hai Teng suddenly said.

    "Dismantle your core and start over?"

    Hai Yuntian''s eyes widened, thinking he had misheard.

    Dismantling one''s core to start over meant dispersing the Golden Core and rebuilding the Golden Elixir Realm, starting from the early stage of the demon core.

    Hai Teng was already at thete stage of the demon core, painstakingly umted to this point. Why start over?

    "To face an early-stage opponent with myte-stage realm and still fall unconscious made me realize my shorings. My Golden Core is not perfect!"

    Hai Teng said earnestly, "There are many Chosen in this world stronger than me. Their Golden Cores might be deep blue, even purple. As a king, I must reach or even surpass them. Otherwise, how can I live up to the name of Flood Dragon?"

    His words were passionate, his eyes red, veins bulging.

    But Hai Yuntian waspletely speechless at such madness. In all his years, he''d never heard of anyone dismantling their core to start over. Cultivation was hard-earned, and only a madman like the one before him would consider such a thing.

    "I can''t persuade you, decide for yourself. Just don''t bring trouble to our n," Hai Yuntian said.

    Hai Teng returned to his cave dwelling to go into seclusion and dismantle his core.

    Not long after he left, a shadow appeared from afar, pitch ck as ink, with only a pair of eyes, revealing itself as a ck serpent.

    "Hehe, what a fine seedling. If he joined the Sea God..." The ck serpent stared in the direction Hai Teng had gone, flicking its tongue.

    "Ancestor, Hai Teng is a celestial seedling from the Peni Sea!" Hai Yuntian''s face darkened, gritting his teeth.

    "Oh? Why so tense? I was just praising him," the ck serpent said expressionlessly.

    Hai Yuntian breathed a sigh of relief, bowing his head, "Please don''t take offense, Ancestor."

    The ck serpent merely chuckled sinisterly, not minding, and slowly said, "The entire East Sea will eventually belong to the Sea God, including the Peni Sea. Believe it or not, that''s the truth."

    Hai Yuntian said nothing, merely staring into the distant deep sea, lost in thought.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Dolphin n, beneath the pce.

    Xu Hei was led into an underwater tunnel, advancing a hundred miles before reaching the end.

    Herey a massive spiritual vein, hidden beneath the Dolphin n, making the area rich in Spiritual Qi, which was why the Dolphin n had rooted themselves here.

    Compared to the half spiritual vein of the Mountain Movers Sect, this was much more magnificent. Xu Hei took a deep breath, feeling instantly refreshed.

    "This is where our Dolphin n stores its treasures. Many n treasures are here, inessible to outsiders, only openable by direct descendants," Bo Xi exined.

    With a point, the door opened, revealing a spacious stone chamber inside.

    The interior was filled with an array of Magical Treasures, mostly around the third tier.

    The higher the cement, the higher the grade, arranged like an equteral triangle.

    Xu Hei''s gaze immediately locked onto a pair of wings at the top. The wings had two colors, blue and purple, exuding a terrifying aura even from a distance, at least third-tier top grade.

    "This was obtained by our n''s former leader from a cave dwelling. It ces a great burden on the physical body, and no one has dared to use it until now," Bo Xi said.

    Xu Hei''s eyes were fixed on the item, "May I try it?"

    "Of course!" Bo Xi waved, and the wings descended,nding before Xu Hei.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The wings had no feathers, resembling the fins of a marine creature, with delicate bone patterns, akin to a flying fish''s fins.

    Xu Hei infused his Divine Sense into them and immediately received information.

    "Water Thunder Wings, greatly enhance stealth speed, ignore terrain obstacles, usable in sea,nd, and air..."

    "They can also serve as lethal weapons, their sharpnessparable to a third-tier top-grade flying sword."

    Xu Hei opened his eyes, refining the wings, which appeared on either side of his body, thin as cicada wings, sharp as des.

    In an instant, a terrifying force of lightning surged from the wings into his body, apanied by crushing water pressure. Xu Hei felt as if he were being electrocuted in the deep sea, his body paralyzed, trembling.

    Bo Xi''s expression changed, "Xu Hei, young friend..."

    "No worries!"

    Xu Hei gritted his teeth, enduring for about ten breaths before the wings fell off, nearly causing him to faint.

 Chapter 286: Fish grows legs, Xu Bai defies the heavens with a pill

    Chapter 286: Fish grows legs, Xu Bai defies the heavens with a pill

    Xu Hei felt dizzy and his body tingled, taking a long time to catch his breath.

    "What a powerful burden. What kind of Demonic Beast''s wings are these, to possess such might!" Xu Hei was secretly astonished.

    It wasn''t just the lightning and water pressure; there was also a powerful bloodline suppression, as if it originated from some ancient beast.

    No wonder it was left to gather dust in the treasury; hardly anyone could withstand it.

    Bo Xi said, "ording to the former n leader''s spection, the material used for these Water Thunder Wingses from the fins of an ancient fierce beast, carrying an inherent bloodline pressure. No one in our Dolphin n can bear it. If it doesn''t work out, young friend, you can choose another Magical Treasure."

    "No!" Xu Hei shook his head firmly, "I''ll take this one!"

    With aplete dragon bone, he had no fear of any bloodline suppression. As long as his Physical Body was strong enough, he could fully withstand it.

    The reason he could only maintain it for a dozen breaths now was purely because he wasn''t strong enough yet; he needed to temper his Physical Body more.

    Once he consumed the eel''s corpse and secluded himself for a while, he''d be able to endure longer."Good! If the Water Thunder Wings can realize their true value on you, it would be a worthy use of them," Bo Xi sighed.

    Xu Hei nced at the other treasures, most of which were of lower grade and didn''t catch his eye, far inferior to the Water Thunder Wings, so he left the ce directly.

    Xu Hei retraced his steps back to the Dolphin Pce.

    Suddenly, he heard an urgent cry, which was Bonan''s voice.

    "Bonan?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    He exchanged a nce with Bo Xi and immediately headed to where Bonan was in seclusion.

    At this moment, Bonan was suspended in mid-air, staring at a spot on his body, mouth agape, his face changing drastically.

    On his abdomen, two marks had risen, vaguely forming the shape of feet, as if they were about to grow out.

    "What... what is this?!"

    Bonan stared at the feet about to grow from his abdomen, his eyes bulging as if he''d seen a ghost.

    Bo Xi was also dumbfounded.

    Xu Hei felt a buzzing in his mind and quickly asked, "Did you take a Pill?"

    Bonan nodded, "Yes, I took a healing Pill. It worked great; all my old injuries healed. But this..."

    He was already incoherent.

    Xu Hei had warned that Pills have side effects and shouldn''t be taken recklessly. He had been very restrained, only taking a healing Pill.

    It was just a healing Pill, and he had checked it beforehand; the medicinal power was very mild, so it should have been fine!

    But he hadn''t expected such a side effect to ur.

    "Xu Hei, what should I do? Think of something!" Bonan was anxious.

    Xu Hei immediately realized that this healing Pill was the Blood Spirit Pill, capable of healing any injury, regenerating flesh and bones, even restoring lost limbs!

    It was the highest-grade healing medicine refined by Xu Bai! It could regenerate severed limbs.

    But the only problem was¡ª

    The Blood Spirit Pill was designed fornd creatures, not considering marine life.

    If a marine creature lost a limb, it would grow back too!

    Just as Xu Hei was pondering, Bonan''s body changed again. Below his fins, handprints seemed to appear, as if arms were about to grow!

    "Ah!!" Bonan screamed in fright.

    Xu Hei''s face darkened, and he quickly said, "Calm down, and use all your strength to expel the Pill''s power from your body."

    "Okay!"

    Bonan calmed his mind, his Demon Infant operating at full speed, opening his mouth as wisps of red mist flew out.

    Xu Hei could feel that the red mist was the aura of the Blood Spirit Pill.

    As the red mist drifted out, the footprints on Bonan''s abdomen slowly retracted, and the handprints below his fins gradually disappeared.

    Bo Xi watched in shock, dumbfounded.

    This processsted for two full hours before it finally ended.

    Bonan was exhausted, copsing to the ground.

    "Phew! Finally saved!" Bonan gasped.

    Xu Hei''s mouth twitched.

    Xu Bai''s Pills really shouldn''t be taken lightly; one mistake could lead to problems. Fortunately, this was a Demon Infant Stage expert. If it were a Core Formation Stage cultivator, without the strength to expel the Pill, the oue...

    Xu Hei shuddered, thankful that he hadn''t given out many Pills, with only one healing Pill.

    "I''ll stay with the Dolphin n for a few days until you take the Detoxification Pill before leaving."

    Xu Hei was worried about more problems arising, so he decided to help to the end.

    "That would be great, thank you, young friend," Bonan expressed his gratitude.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In the following three days, Xu Hei stayed with the Dolphin n.

    During these three days, Bo Xi hosted a banquet every day, bringing out the Dolphin n''s treasured wine, Fishman Drunk.

    However, Xu Hei didn''t touch a drop.

    Because he recalled some unpleasant memories, he would never drink alcohol.

    Instead, he spent time studying the Water Thunder Wings.

    After consuming the Dolphin n''s food, Xu Hei''s Physical Body strength also progressed rapidly.

    "Go!"

    With a thought, the Water Thunder Wings shot out, transforming into two sharp swords, like a thunderous vortex, slicing a patch of coral into powder before returning to rest at Xu Hei''s sides.

    "One water, one thunder, quite powerful, but the burden on the Physical Body is too great. It requires constant endurance of water pressure and lightning erosion. I''ll need a stronger Physical Body to master it perfectly."

    Xu Hei put away the Water Thunder Wings, contemting.

    Then, he took out a set of nine blood-colored flying swords.

    This was Zhou Qing''s blood-killing sword formation!

    Each one was a third-tier high-grade Magical Treasure, andbined, the nine reached the peak of the third tier.

    With Xu Hei''s current cultivation, he still couldn''t master it perfectly; he could only control three at most.

    "Whether it''s the Water Thunder Wings or the blood-killing sword formation, they''re both too challenging for me. And the ivory flying sword is too weak..."

    Xu Hei pondered briefly and took out a half-finished sword embryo.

    This was a flying sword he had personally refined.

    Although Xu Hei primarily focused on cultivating his Physical Body, he couldn''t neglect the art of flying swordbat, especially since he nned to visit a human ind where flying swords were essential formunication.

    "Xu Hei, Bonan is ready," Bo Xi came over and said to Xu Hei.

    Xu Hei put away the flying sword and said, "Alright, I''ming."

    Momentster.

    Xu Hei appeared in the Cave Dwelling, where Bonan was at the center, surrounded by a Formation, with two fourth-tier Magical Treasures nearby and two Dolphin n elders guarding, fully armed.

    Although thest time had been quite a mess, at least the hidden injuries were healed. As long as thest bit of poison was cleared, he would be fully recovered.

    "I''m starting," Bonan took a deep breath and swallowed the Detoxification Pill.

    Xu Hei immediately held his breath, observing closely.

    "Boom!!"

    Bonan''s body suddenly trembled, and thick ck substances began to seep from his skin.

    The initial seepage was slow, but gradually it elerated, starting to spray out.

    "Pop, pop, pop..."

    Bonan''s entire body erupted, spraying various impurities that crashed around the room, causing loud booms.

    Xu Hei and Bo Xi quickly raised a light shield to block the spraying substances.

    Before long, the Cave Dwelling was filled with a foul stench, with all sorts of ck substances piling up, not just toxins but all sorts of junk.

    Bonan''s body shrank a size, even spitting ck blood, with his True Qi dissipating and signs of his cultivation level dropping.

    Bo Xi was dumbfounded, and Xu Hei was stunned.

 Chapter 287: Twin Islands, butcher enters the island to sell stolen goods

    Chapter 287: Twin Inds, butcher enters the ind to sell stolen goods

    An hourter.

    Xu Hei left Bonan''s cave dwelling with mixed feelings.

    The poison had beenpletely eradicated, leaving no hidden dangers, but the dolphin was also on the brink of death.

    In the end, it was the two elders of the n who helped clean up the scene.

    Days passed, and the story of Bonan spread through the Dolphin n like the wind, bing exaggerated and mythical.

    Some busybody even gave Bonan the nickname "Jet Warrior."

    This infuriated the person involved, but it was said that the nickname came from the n leader after he got drunk.

    Of course, that''s all in the past now. Xu Hei left the Dolphin n that very day, not staying a second longer.

    ...This time, Xu Hei was no longer being tracked. With the Water Thunder Wings, unless someone at the Elemental Infant level personally acted, no one could catch up to him.

    Back on the ind, Hei Huang handed him a jade talisman.

    "What is this?" Xu Hei asked, puzzled.

    "This is something to shield your fortune. With this, you can be ordinary, blending in with the crowd, and no one can find you just by your fortune," Hei Huang exined.

    This was clearly a magical treasure aimed at cultivators like Tianji Shangren.

    Hei Huang continued, taking out a fish-skin armor made from fish skin, entirely blue with ocean patterns and inscribed with various runes.

    Despite the modifications to its appearance, Xu Hei recognized it at a nce as being made from Lei Man''s skin.

    "Wearing this armor will erase all traces of you in the water, making it impossible to track you by water currents."

    "Additionally, this is a stone that disrupts direction, called the Chaos Ma Stone, which can make you immune to certain demonic beasts'' tracking abilities."

    Hei Huang presented three different magical treasures, all designed to prevent tracking, leaving Xu Hei dazzled and speechless.

    Previously, he had told Hei Huang about being continuously tracked, and Hei Huang provided a solution.

    "With these magical treasures, can I rest easy?" Xu Hei quickly asked.

    "Of course not. If you encounter someone much stronger, they can ignore these, but you won''t be dealing with that level for now."

    Hei Huang crossed his arms proudly and said, "Even if that evil faction makes a move, as long as it''s not the highest level so-called sea god, you can avoid being tracked."

    Xu Hei carefully stored the three magical treasures.

    His experience was still too shallow, and when faced with unfamiliar methods, he didn''t know how to respond. This old dog was more reliable.

    At this moment, Han Te emerged from the cave dwelling.

    He still had the same appearance, with flying swords all over his body, flowing purple hair, and metal objects all over his robe and pants.

    Although his cultivation was still at the initial Core Formation stage, unchanged, Xu Hei bet that this person had definitely made a breakthrough.

    "Brother Hei, could you tell me where Bai Qiushui is?" Han Te asked with an awkward smile.

    Hei Huang took out a map jade slip and tossed it over. Han Te caught it and his expression froze.

    "That far?" Han Te''s face turned pale.

    "Not only is it far, but there are also at least three Elemental Infant stage guards on that ind. If you''re brave enough, you can try rescuing someone," Hei Huang mocked.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Han Te immediately fell silent.

    Xu Hei went to the seaside and took out a boat, boarding it.

    He took out a map, an East Sea map given to him by the Dolphin n, marking most of the East Sea regions.

    One location, Twin Inds, was thergest ind nearby and the most prosperous ce for sea trade, known as one of the three major inds of the East Sea.

    Xu Hei had umted too many misceneous items and urgently needed a ce to offload them. Twin Inds was the most suitable.

    Coincidentally, Xu Bai was also near Twin Inds.

    "Let''s go!"

    Xu Hei steered the boat, transforming into a streak of light heading towards Twin Inds.

    He took out the butcher puppet, covering it with armor to conceal its face, making it easier to act.

    The journey was long, taking at least three days, and using a boat was the most effortless way.

    Han Te, stepping on a flying sword, hurriedly caught up and shouted from outside, "Brother, are you heading to a human ind in that outfit? I, Han, have extensive connections and have been to most of the inds in the East Sea. I can be your guide, and... forget it, for an old customer, it''s free!"

    Seeing Xu Hei remain silent, Han Te stepped aboard the boat.

    Actually, he also needed to replenish supplies in a city, so it was convenient to travel together.

    Han Te sat cross-legged next to the butcher, smiling, "Is this your first time going to sea?"

    Xu Hei ignored him.

    Han Te''s eyes flickered, and he praised, "Your sailing skills are impressive, truly a chosen one among thousands, mastering everything."

    Xu Hei stepped back a few steps, expressionless, and said, "You steer."

    "Uh..." Han Te''s expression stiffened, but he nodded, "Alright!"

    He was frustrated, as ttery seemed ineffective on this demonic beast, putting even a social expert like him in a bind.

    Xu Hei retreated to the cabin, taking out a sword embryo and arge amount of star meteorite, beginning to forge his first flying sword.

    Hei Huang, appearing in the cabin at some point, took out the bones of an electric eel, inscribing formation patterns, seemingly crafting some kind of magical treasure.

    And so, with Han Te as the toolman steering the boat, the two demonic beasts crafted treasures in the cabin, undisturbed by wind or rain.

    It must be said, Han Te''s sailing skills were quite steady. They arrived a day earlier than Xu Hei had expected, reaching their destination in two days.

    ...

    In the distance, a dense foggy area appeared, impossible to see from afar. Only upon approaching and passing through a restriction could the full view be seen.

    It was a grand and majesticrge ind!

    The ind was covered with towering mountains, shrouded in clouds and mist, resembling a massive city in the human world.

    One of the three major inds of the East Sea, Twin Inds.

    Twin Inds consisted of a main ind and a secondary ind. The main ind was a mix of mortals and cultivators, with mortals making up over seventy percent. Most cultivators were in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, with few Core Formation stage cultivators, less than one in a thousand.

    On the secondary ind, all were cultivators, and only those with certain status could enter.

    Before the boat even approached, two cultivators flew over to conduct a routine inspection.

    Han Te quickly stood up and greeted them with a smile, "Oh, isn''t this Brother Li and Brother Zhao? It''s me, Han Te, do you remember?"

    As he spoke, Han Te handed over a storage bag, suppressing his cultivation to the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

    "Oh? It''s you?"

    The two nced at him, ignoring the storage bag, and the cultivator named Zhao stepped forward to search the boat.

    "Apologies, Brother Han, the evil faction has been rampanttely, and we have to strengthen our defenses. Any potential evil faction cultivators must be stopped at the gate; it''s the ind master''s order, and we''re just following orders," Li Yu said, sping his hands.

    Han Te quickly sped his hands in return, "I understand, I understand."

    He had no confidence in the demonic beasts entering the city and could only hope they wouldn''t cause any trouble.

    "Ah! Ouch!"

    Suddenly, a scream came from the side. Zhao Xing had just stepped onto the boat when his leg was bitten, bleeding profusely with teeth marks.

    "Fing hell, where did this doge from! Ah!"

    As he spoke, he was bitten again.

 Chapter 288: Twin Islands, Xu Hei transforms into a sword

    Chapter 288: Twin Inds, Xu Hei transforms into a sword

    "Crack!"

    "Ah!!"

    A piercing scream echoed as Zhao Xing''s leg was bitten and broken. He crawled and rolled out of the cabin, his face filled with terror.

    Hei Huang stood with his hands on his hips, striding out of the cabin with a massive set of dentures in his mouth, teeth sharp as saw des.

    "Did I give you permission to board? You really don''t know the rules. Get lost quickly, or I''ll let you taste these sawtooth steel teeth!" Hei Huang scolded.

    Han Te swallowed hard.

    He immediately recognized the dentures, clearly crafted from Lei Man''s teeth, those sawtooth teeth that could grind anything to dust, now fitted into a dog''s mouth.

    "Friend Han, where did this doge from? Is it your spirit pet?"

    Zhao Xing''s face turned ashen. Such an ordinary-looking ck dog had actually reached the Core Formation Stage, and even he couldn''t withstand a single bite.Han Te''s face changed dramatically, and he hurriedly said, "No, don''t say that!"

    "Spirit pet? I''m here today to collect a human pet for fun!"

    Hei Huang lunged forward, biting down. Zhao Xing quickly retreated, simultaneously summoning a copper bell. But Hei Huang''s dog mouth was extremely sharp, biting through the air and shattering the copper bell along with it. Zhao Xing screamed again, his rear end blooming like a flower, as he fell from the sky into the water below.

    "Stop!"

    Li Yu took out a formation disk, raised his hand, and a light from the formation appeared in the sky.

    Within the formation, a pair of eyes faintly appeared, gazing at the scene.

    "This... dog friend, we apologize for the offense earlier. We are merely following orders to register every cultivator entering the ind, especially those above the Foundation Establishment Stage. We ask for your cooperation!" Li Yu said sternly.

    Though they were gatekeepers, they were only at the Foundation Establishment Stage and dared not be too presumptuous in front of such a Core Formation monster. However, with the formation in ce, they still had to follow procedure.

    Zhao Xing climbed out of the water, his face pale with fear, not daring to utter a word.

    "You are the spirit pet, your whole family are spirit pets! Can''t you speak properly? If you dare speak nonsense again, I''ll bite your neck off!"

    Hei Huang pointed at Zhao Xing and cursed, but he didn''t continue biting and retreated back onto the ship.

    Zhao Xing shivered, thinking to himself that one shouldn''t stoop to a dog''s level, and swallowed his anger.

    "Since this demon brother is Friend Han''s...panion, a simple registration will suffice, and you may enter the city. Please have the other person reveal themselves as well."

    Li Yu said, gripping the formation disk a bit tighter.

    At this moment, Xu Hei also emerged from the ship, disguised as a butcher, his face covered tightly.

    Li Yu activated the formation disk, and a faint light swept over the butcher.

    Li Yu frowned slightly, "A puppet?"

    "What, got a problem?" Hei Huang asked.

    "No... no problem."

    Li Yu''s brow furrowed tightly. He had a persistent feeling that there was a third person present, but after scanning with the formation disk several times, he couldn''t find any trace of anyone.

    Behind the butcher, there was a sword, entirely ck as ink, with fine dragon scales on its surface and a pair of eyes on the hilt.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Upon closer inspection, it looked like a snake.

    Li Yu shook his head, tapped the formation disk, and imprinted the images of Han Te and Hei Huang into it.

    "Registrationplete. The two of you may freely enter and exit Twin Inds within a month without needing to register again," Li Yu said.

    "Thank you, Friend Li!"

    Han Te cupped his fists and handed over a storage bag.

    Li Yu took the storage bag, weighed it, and smiled, "Friend Han, you''re always so courteous. Once this evil faction''s influence wanes, I''ll definitely invite you for a drink."

    "I wouldn''t refuse," Han Te smiled.

    And so, the group sessfully entered the ind.

    ...

    At the peak of the highest mountain on Twin Inds.

    A middle-aged man in fine clothes stared at the screen in front of him, his brows furrowed. It disyed the scene of Xu Hei and his group entering the ind.

    Beside him stood a graceful woman, with phoenix eyes, ck hair, and elegant Emei brows.

    These two were the ind masters of Twin Inds, the Gemini Twins, Jiang Chong and Jiang Ying.

    "So, is there a problem with this man and dog?" Jiang Ying asked.

    Jiang Chong shook his head, "No problem, it''s just that with these two, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators on the ind has reached nine hundred ny-eight, and Core Formation cultivators have reached twenty-six. Since the founding of Twin Inds, we''ve never gathered so many top-tier cultivators."

    Since the rise of the Sea God Sect and the rampage of the evil faction, countless inds have suffered, and most cultivators have flocked torger inds seeking refuge.

    And Twin Inds, as one of the three major inds in the East Sea, has be a popr sanctuary, with its poption growing everrger.

    "Isn''t that a good thing? The more people, the more prosperous. The trade on this ind has increased several timespared to before," Jiang Ying smiled.

    "Sigh, that''s not what I''m worried about."

    Jiang Chong shook his head, a sense of foreboding lingering in his heart, though he couldn''t pinpoint what it was.

    As an experienced Elemental Infant stage cultivator, he always trusted his intuition, which is why he scrutinized every person entering the port, especially those above the Foundation Establishment Stage, to investigate thoroughly and leave no one unchecked.

    "Has Xu Fu made any moves recently?" Jiang Chong asked.

    "What moves could he make? Ever since he came to Twin Inds, he''s been buying Longevity Pills, and now he''s hosting some trade fair to acquire materials rich in vitality," Jiang Ying replied.

    Jiang Chong hesitated for a moment, then took out an emerald green pill bottle, sealed with a pill seal, with rich life essence swirling inside.

    "If we really encounter trouble, we''ll use this pill as a bargaining chip to ask Xu Fu for help," Jiang Chong murmured to himself.

    ...

    To be honest, this was Xu Hei''s first time in such arge city.

    Twin Inds, whether in terms of size, concentration of Spiritual Qi, or the number of cultivators, far surpassed any city Xu Hei had visited before, even muchrger than Chuyang City.

    Here, immortals and mortals mingled, and mortals had long been ustomed to the presence of cultivators, living together in harmony.

    And on Twin Inds, there were no restrictions on flying; one could fly freely, just not at excessive speeds, or else face fines in spirit stones if caught by the enforcement team.

    "Xu Hei, where''s your snake? I don''t see it," Hei Huang asked.

    At this moment, Xu Hei was controlling the butcher, walking in front, while he himselfy on the butcher''s back.

    That''s right, he was the sword!

    When Xu Hei was crafting the flying sword, he inadvertently fused himself into it, without even realizing it.

    By the time he discovered it, it was toote.

    However, he had a feeling that if he fully activated the Diamond Suppression Technique, he could break out of the flying sword and emerge.

    But to remain hidden, he didn''t do so.

    Although he had be a sword, his divine sense was unaffected, allowing him to still control the puppet and cast spells, and his hardness far exceeded normal.

    A single strike was much more powerful than when he used the dragon horn.

    Perhaps the only downside was the strange appearance and limited mobility.

    Xu Hei didn''t answer Hei Huang''s question, instead smiling and saying, "Take a guess."

    Hei Huang sniffed hard with his dog nose, his brows deeply furrowed, staring at the butcher''s back, muttering, "Strange! Your illusion is so good that even I can''t see through it."