"Need to speed up."
Xu Hei glanced 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 to completely 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 black 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 clay 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, a large red dot on the jade disk entered the mountain's interior, rushing towards them.
"A Core Formation Stage cultivator is coming!" Xu Hei's gaze turned serious.
He released the Li Yang puppet and took out the Soul-absorbing Flag, ready to act at any moment.
...
At the Mountain Movers Sect's plaza.
Blades and swords clashed, 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 glances, 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 a layer off the metal floor.
The followers behind him were all dumbfounded.
The purple-haired youth acted with extreme caution, avoiding any place 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 penetrated, hitting his back hard, yet it felt like hitting cotton. The purple-haired youth let out a cry and was sent flying, landing 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 the late 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 occupied, 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 as compensation.
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 flashed, "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, a large 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, playing 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 thunderclap.
"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, a large 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 becoming 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?"
/////142////
"What is your name?"
She had short silver hair, pale skin, cold eyes, and a petite frame, resembling an emotionless puppet. Occasionally, 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 become 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 Flag, 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 accomplices 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, placed the serpent spirits at the stone gate, and issued a guarding command, 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 not complete; the ancient pill furnace had only melted some edges, with much room for improvement.
But the enemy had already come 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 was completely 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 place, 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 occur!" 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 red lava 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, a communication 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, comparable 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 collapse.
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 collapse!"
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 plaza outside, the third-tier array spirit had weakened to the extreme, almost completely 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 Array completely collapsed, 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.
////143/////
"Back in the day, when the Mountain-moving Patriarch was still around, your glory was unmatched! If he were here, you wouldn't have become the Qin army's lackeys!"
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 was laid 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 display of moving mountains and filling seas left everyone in shock.
This was the power of the Core Formation Stage!
Now, only one place remained unexposed—the Artifact Refining Room.
This place 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 the last 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 had come 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 plaza.
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 glanced 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 flashing, 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 glared 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 become my disciple?"
Five years later, on the Mountain Movers Sect's plaza.
The kind old man sat cross-legged on the ground, still wearing that smile from years ago.
"Young one, you've grown up. Congratulations on completing your training!"
After saying these words, the old man closed his eyes forever, his body gradually turning to stone, becoming 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 not comprehend 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 Platform within the Demon God Cauldron was rapidly expanding.
"Roar!"
From the Moon-supporting Pagoda before him, a loud dragon's roar echoed.
//144////
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 legs completely 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 become 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 become 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 plaza.
The elders and disciples of the Mountain Movers Sect were reaching the end of their lives one after another.
Some sat in place and turned into stone statues, while others fled desperately, but the outcome was the same.
"Sin, sin!"
The Demon Monk Ku Xuan clasped his hands together, reciting a chant for the deceased, scattering paper money to send off the souls.
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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's last wish, and also the last 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, becoming 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 as last 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 was completely annihilated.
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.
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The others also gathered around.
Xu Qingfeng was indifferent to the Mountain Movers Sect's assets, but he was particularly 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 overcome.
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 alarming 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 the combined efforts of the two Core Formation Stage cultivators, the defenses of the Artifact Refining Room were completely breached, the formation collapsed, 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 Qi completely 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 black light, and beneath that black 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 black as ink, with layers of black-gold dragon scales on its surface, extremely eerie.
"Where's the Dragon Qi?"
Xu Qingfeng took out a compass, searched around, and locked his gaze on the strange Black Dragon Pagoda before him.
Everyone could see that this pagoda was extraordinary!
"Fellow Daoist, could you show yourself? We mean no harm!"
Xu Qingfeng clasped 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 Black 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 Black 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.
////145////
"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 Black Dragon Pagoda.
"Boom!!!"
A deafening sound echoed through the heavens and earth.
The moment his hammer touched the Black 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 Black Dragon Pagoda whirled and charged towards the crowd.
"Retreat quickly!" Xu Qingfeng shouted.
A "retreat" character appeared above everyone's heads, and they uncontrollably 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 Black 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 Black Dragon Pagoda, and raised her slender jade finger to point down.
The space around the Black 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 explained, "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 Black Dragon Pagoda ascended into the sky, flying towards the horizon at an incredible speed, transforming into a black streak of light, disappearing into the night.
Xiao Chou also used the Earth Escape Technique to leave the area.
Everyone immediately began healing.
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Xu Qingfeng landed 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 clasped.
After all, they didn't leave empty-handed; the Mountain Movers Sect's accumulated 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 placed 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 explain, I was just playing 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 Black 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 Black Dragon Pagoda, his body uncontrollably 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 become 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 Black 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 Black 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.
////146////
"Stop right there!"
Xu Hei willed it.
In that instant, the speed of the Black Dragon Pagoda gradually slowed down, but at the same time, Xu Hei's True Qi was disappearing at an alarming rate.
This made Xu Hei's face change drastically.
He could indeed control the Black Dragon Pagoda, but the consumption was terrifying. Just a single thought could drain him dry.
But if he stopped controlling it, the Black Dragon Pagoda would continue to accelerate, speeding towards the horizon.
Xu Hei tried to change direction, directing the Black 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 collapse, 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?
"Black Dragon Pagoda, you're alive, aren't you? I'm your master, you must obey me. Stop immediately!" Xu Hei shouted.
However, the Black 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 Black 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 Black 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 can last."
Xu Hei continuously activated the Demon God Cauldron to absorb the Spiritual Qi, testing whether the Black Dragon Pagoda was more formidable or the Demon God Cauldron superior.
...
Outside Myriad Serpent Valley.
The figure of a middle-aged scholar appeared fifty miles away, standing atop the clouds, his gaze penetrating 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 scholar.
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 was completely 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 annihilate the enemy!
However, Xuan Yangzi was not foolish. The mirror from last 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 ninety-nine percent confident that he could completely eliminate the black snake once it appeared!
He had been observing the area for half a month, yet he still hadn't found any trace of the black 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 Annihilation Talisman, Thunder Tribulation Pearl—I 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 glanced back, his pupils dilating, his eyes nearly popping out.
At the horizon, a small black dot grew larger and thicker, accompanied 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 Black Dragon Pagoda!
"Boom rumble rumble..."
The Black 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 collapse.
"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 Black Dragon Pagoda was too fast! From the moment it appeared as a small black 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 Black 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 scholar who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, spitting out a mouthful of life essence blood.
He stared blankly ahead, the scene of his clone's death flashing 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't compare 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.
/////147/////
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 Black Dragon Pagoda's surface, covered in black-gold dragon scales, which were very similar 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 Black Dragon Pagoda.
Xu Hei could feel that he was about to break free from the control of the Black Dragon Pagoda, and when that happened, it would be his time to counterattack.
As the Demon God Cauldron refined, the Black Dragon Pagoda was gradually losing its power to resist, the initial violent shaking becoming 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 flashed. 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 back later and see if I can pick up any remains."
Without thinking much, Xu Hei continued to counterattack with all his strength.
Before long, the Black 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 successfully detached from the Black 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 Black Dragon Pagoda rapidly changed. The scales on the surface disappeared, and the dragon shape gradually retracted, turning into an ordinary black 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 Black 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 accidentally 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 Black 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 Black Dragon Pagoda had lost its resistance, Xu Hei slightly controlled it, and the Black Dragon Pagoda immediately descended to the ground.
But just this descent consumed thirty percent of Xu Hei's True Qi.
However, compared to the "Body Fusion" from before, it was much easier, at least not unbearable.
"Collect!"
With a thought, Xu Hei shrank the Black Dragon Pagoda and swallowed it into his abdomen for storage.
"This Black 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.
In comparison, the Soul-absorbing Flag 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 Tribulation Pearl.
However, this Thunder Tribulation Pearl was entirely blue, likely a normal Thunder Tribulation 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 Tribulation 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 accidentally 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.
Moments later, 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 planning revenge.
Such a menace cannot be left alive!
Otherwise, if the opponent occasionally 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 to come up with a plan!"
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, placing the Thunder Tribulation 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.
////148////
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 transplanted 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 plaza, with bottles and jars lined up on both sides, along with some large 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.
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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 black 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 the last.
"I'm researching the Transformation Pill. These are the results after taking the pill," Xu Bai explained.
"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 success. It's still far from transforming into a human," Xu Bai said with a bitter smile.
"Preliminary success..."
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.
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Xu Hei really didn't know how to explain.
Saying too much might discourage her, but saying nothing might lead to an uncontrollable situation.
Not to mention, just one of these monsters in the container would be deemed a demonic creature by cultivators, who would surely come 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 quite complex. It's not too late to research it after you reach the Qi Condensation stage," Xu Hei said with a bitter smile, using a delaying 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 particularly 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 was completely 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 glanced 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 become 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. In comparison, 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 placed it on the ground.
These were specially bought for Xu Bai.
Then he took out an iron pot and placed 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 my latest pills, labeled 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 moment later.
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 planned 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.
/////149/////
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 flashed 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 plants! Any large 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 should combine 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 grassland, 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 flashed, and he instinctively thought of that ancient tomb.
According 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't come out for anyone, not even me."
Man Yin's earlier actions were actually quite dangerous. If someone had impersonated him and brought a similar 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 place, 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't come out for any creature, not even your elders! Humans are very cunning!"
Man Yin seemed thoughtful and nodded, "Got it, Uncle Xu. Even if you come next time, I won't come out!"
"Yes, we won't come 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 place.
His target was the Wu Mountain Range.
...
Wu Mountain.
As the largest 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 uncommon in Wu Mountain, each occupying 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 a large 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 place 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 a large 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.
/////150/////
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 blame me for not warning you. This is a place 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 flashed 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 had come, except for the experts of the Heavenly Puppet Sect. Even if they did come, it was just some juniors passing by.
He didn't believe in such a coincidence.
Especially this time, Qin Xuanji didn't come 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.
"No comment," 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't come 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 inviolable!"
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 flapped its wings, sending countless wind blades 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 their communication talisman.
With the Mountain Movers Sect, their defensive capabilities would be greatly enhanced.
Seeing the other side charging, Yin Mingzi took out a large flag, which grew longer in the wind.
With a wave of his hand, countless snake demons were released from the flag, 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 clan's body technique.
Of course, he couldn't use this body technique for long while traveling, as it consumed too much true qi.
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After absorbing a large 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—
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 too large 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 fluctuations coming 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 clans 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.
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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 clans 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 beasts lacked.
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 speculated that the Mountain Movers Sect had been annihilated two days ago, and these people probably didn't know yet.
Judging by their complaints, they were indeed unaware of the annihilation.
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 frontal combat, 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 flashed 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.