Long before, she had discussed with Ding Quan the method to deal with the Thunder Tribulation Pearl.
The Heavenly Puppet Sect had suffered greatly from the Thunder Tribulation Pearl before. Qin Xuanji's daughter was killed by its explosion.
Even the emperor of the Qin Kingdom had been ambushed with a Thunder Tribulation 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't completely eliminate the impact, it could reduce the power of the heavenly tribulation to its minimum.
The Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations 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 tribulation!
This formation compressed the power of the heavenly tribulation 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 Tribulation 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 collapse, 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 flashed in her eyes.
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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, becoming deep purple, and its power was crazily increasing!
The light shield was visibly filling with cracks, about to collapse.
"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 planned to track Xu Hei's real body, but now he had no such thoughts. In a flash, 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 Tribulation 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 tribulation was about to fail!
As for Xu Hei's true body, at the moment the first shockwave hit, he used Body Swap to switch places with another puppet five miles away.
As for the puppet Ma Teng, he decisively abandoned it.
"What's going on with that Thunder Tribulation 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 the commercial 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 the commercial 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 tribulation is this...?"
Only this thought appeared in Liu Ruyan's mind.
This wasn't the Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation, definitely not. A normal Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation wouldn't be this terrifying!
What they saw wasn't blue lightning, but deep purple, mixed with a hint of black!
Ancient cultivators all had perfect Foundation Establishment!
And the heavenly tribulation triggered by perfect Foundation Establishment cultivators during Qi Condensation was countless times more powerful than today's!
From the weakest Four-Nine Minor Heavenly Tribulation to the Great Heavenly Tribulation, and then to the Destruction Heavenly Tribulation, each level was a qualitative change!
They didn't know what kind of heavenly tribulation was stored in this Thunder Tribulation 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 outcome 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 glanced at the detection jade plate, 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 place for mortals.
Because of the protective formation, the mortals in the outer city didn't feel the destructive power of the heavenly tribulation, 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 Tribulation Pearl, it was purely a last resort. The other side had provoked him repeatedly, forcing him to take this desperate measure.
///132///
The thunder tribulation lasted 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 tribulation, leaving not even a trace behind. Every member was dead, without exception.
Even the formation guarding the place couldn't withstand a single breath before it exploded into fragments.
Several nearby palaces 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 the commercial district collapsed, turning into flat 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 tribulation exploded. Her limbs were broken, and her body was charred black.
Using this brief moment of obstruction, she burned her Golden Core, raised a blood shield, and successfully 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 accumulated 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 playing?
"No!!"
Liu Ruyan, now just a body and head, wailed and fell from the sky, crashing onto a brick and fainting.
The commotion alerted two nearby cultivators.
These two were regulars 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 black-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 glance, their eyes flashing 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!"
...
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Ding Quan's true body was kneeling in front of a large 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, accompanying 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, but compared 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 his command, 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 relax, 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 accurately 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 planned 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 place. According 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.
///133///
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 the commercial 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.
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"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 explain 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 black face, covered in muscles and a full beard, dressed in the black robe commonly 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 proactive later!"
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, who lacked 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.
A large yellow dog suddenly burst into the hut, barking at him, "Gongshu Yi, come 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.
...
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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 occasional whiff of fragrance and the sound of her silver bell-like laughter 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 playfully smiled and placed 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 uncontrollably.
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 black-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 black-faced man looked at the bewildered Xiao Chou, grinned awkwardly, and said roughly, "Brother Xiao, sorry, Xiao Lan has urgent matters. She'll play with you next time."
With that, the black-faced man and a large 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, completely 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 played again, played again! Played 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 slaughtered.
...
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 tribulation, making recovery difficult, Xu Hei's vision darkened, and he almost fainted.
"No, I need to find a safe place."
Xu Hei inhaled an Awakening Pill, boosting his spirits, and focused on healing.
The driftwood floated downstream. Xu Hei glanced 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 plate 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 flashed 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 plate 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 accelerated, 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.
///134///
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 Tribulation 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 vigilant.
If the opponent knew his name, could he still defuse it?
Xu Hei knew that every word related 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 had come after him and used such despicable means, he couldn't just let it go without a response.
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Xu Hei made a quick decision, took out a dragon scale, and carved a line of words on a large 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 black-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 is completely 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 flashed and disappeared, replaced by a middle-aged man—Ding 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 alarm.
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!"
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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 replaying 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 thunderclap, jolting Gongshu Yi awake.
Gongshu Yi spat out a mouthful of blood and was thrown backward, landing 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 jade compass showed no signs of pursuit. He had completely 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 Flag, wrapped it around himself, and fell into a deep sleep.
As long as danger approached, the snake spirit within the Soul-absorbing Flag 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 Tribulation 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 finally completed.
Five days later.
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 become 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.
///135///
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 place.
Towering mountains and steep ridges, desolate and uninhabited.
"Where am I?"
Xu Hei's face was full of confusion as he took out the map of the Southern Region for comparison. 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 villages nearby, just mountains upon mountains.
This made Xu Hei realize with frustration—
He was lost.
However, as a demonic beast with rich survival experience, he knew that finding a river would lead him to a village. This was the simplest method.
Once he found a village, he could use the map to find his way out.
He didn't stay in the air for long and landed 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—an 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 place, he had felt very comfortable, his body and mind bathed in tranquility, making him unconsciously want to relax.
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 place 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 had completely 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 place 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 village, Xu Hei no longer hesitated and used Sword Flight. After three days, he finally spotted a human village at the edge of his vision.
Xu Hei immediately set off, flying a hundred miles to the village 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, compared to places ravaged by war, where nine out of ten houses were empty, this place was still relatively better.
Xu Hei didn't plan 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, playing 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.
////136////
Xu Hei had never heard of the Changle Sect.
In fact, the woman playing the zither wasn't a powerful cultivator; her cultivation was only at the early Foundation Establishment Stage.
The melody she played 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 villages, refining corpses and souls—it was quite common.
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 east lay 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 slaughtered town along the way.
The town, with a population 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 from completing 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 a communication 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, the communication 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 one late 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 the largest 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 availability, 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 plaza.
In the center of the plaza stood a three-meter-tall pagoda, its surface battered and cracked, as if struck by immense force, looking ready to collapse.
"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 explained.
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 cultivator laughed.
A stick of incense later.
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 similar 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 desolate, uninhabited place, 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 Flag, 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 plan.
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 a large project, but Xu Hei was very patient.
////137//
Xu Hei planted the formation flags 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, accompanied by faint cracking sounds.
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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 a large 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 becoming more pronounced, faint cracks appearing.
Even the stable formation flags 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 exploding completely, the force terrifying.
The explosion caused a nearby mountain peak to collapse.
Within a hundred meters, the rocks melted into liquid under the intense heat, turning into magma.
Xu Hei was blasted 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 Hei lay 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 even complete 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.
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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 treasure land 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 related. 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.
Moments later, the Talisman flashed with a black light, becoming semi-transparent and emitting faint spatial fluctuations, forming complex patterns.
The Void Stone had shrunk by about one-tenth.
"Success!" Xu Hei was delighted.
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a Small Teleportation Talisman, though the color was slightly different, covered in black 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.
ज़िंदगी भर पीठ और जोड़ों का दर्द रहेगा दूर, अगर ये अपनाएंगे ये विधि
खाली पेट एक चम्मच एक हफ्ते में 9 किलो पेट की चर्बी जलाता है
He still had two larger pieces left, which he could use to make more in the future.
"Why not test one out?"
The thought flashed 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 the communication jade slip he had found in Li Yang's Storage Bag.
The surface of the jade slip gradually gathered Divine Sense, and moments later, 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 Flag 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 ordinary communication jade slip, but it turned out to contain something akin to a clone.
Though it wasn't exactly a clone, as it had no combat power, only capable of speaking and issuing commands.
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 similar.
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.
////138///
Outside the Mountain Movers Sect, in an unremarkable small town.
Inside a tavern, a group of plainly 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 a large 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 black snake flashed 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 place for artifact refining in the Southern Region's sects. There was no second place like it!
It was the only place 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 plan 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 glanced 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 you laughing at just now?"
Xiao Chou grabbed a disciple and demanded.
"I wasn't laughing, senior. You misunderstood. I really wasn't laughing!" 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 into laughter.
This laughter triggered a chain reaction. All the Qi Refining Stage disciples behind him clutched their stomachs and laughed uncontrollably, some even rolling on the ground with laughter.
"Is this the protagonist of that stone tablet?"
"That's right, just like his name!"
"I usually don't laugh 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 glanced at him coldly, not giving Xiao Chou a chance to speak, and disappeared.
Xiao Chou stood there, stunned.
The laughter 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 loud laughter coming from above.
Looking from a distance, he saw a dejected disciple standing at the mountain gate, surrounded by countless people laughing at him.
That person being laughed 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 being laughed at by a group of people.
Now, despite his increased cultivation, he was still being laughed 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 slapped the disciple from a distance, sending him flying with a powerful gust of wind.
"Smack!"
The crisp sound of the slap 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 blame 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 elders come after you. Let's see how you handle it!"
////139////
The Mountain Movers Sect, still the familiar scene.
Passing through the outer sect plaza 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 glances 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 it later proved that those strange pills truly had life-saving effects!
Xiao Chou had a flawed 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 had committed 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.
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"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 place 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 clasped 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 Flag, 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 glanced 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. This last 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 flags 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."
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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 flame ignited within the reactor, the temperature rising at an astonishing speed.
Space distorted, gravity increased, and the blue flame 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 black 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 occurred.
He then took out Li Yang's puppet and placed 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, but later 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 occur, 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.
स्मिता पाटिल का न्यूज़रीडर से अभिनेत्री बनने का सफर
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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, black 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 will come to an end.
Originally, dragon Qi could not be easily extracted, but since the Mountain-moving Patriarch's fall, the dragon Qi had become 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 black-clothed people silently appeared at various locations within the Mountain Movers Sect, each standing in a place, vaguely forming a mysterious formation.
They made hand seals, took out formation flags, 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 flags, connecting with each other to construct a massive formation, enveloping the Mountain Movers Sect in the blink of an eye.
This formation would isolate 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."
///140/////
The massive formation took shape, forming a shell that enveloped the Mountain Movers Sect.
All the black-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 blank 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 nearby laughed, "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 a large gap smashed open.
"Boom!!"
The entire Mountain Movers Sect shook.
All the sect's disciples were alarmed.
"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 black-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 becoming 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 these lackeys!"
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's law 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, claiming 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 black, 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 went completely 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, clashing 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 physical combat, 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, flawless 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, composed of the Astrology Bureau, orthodox army, evil cultivators, witches, and bandits, stormed a major sect, like a spark igniting the first flame!
...
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 isolated all disturbances.
Xu Hei looked at the jade disk, seeing four large 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?