The killing formation activated, unleashing a barrage of deadly attacks. The entire stone chamber instantly transformed into a hellish purgatory, akin to an apocalyptic disaster. Even those at the Core Formation Stage would feel their scalps tingle upon witnessing it.
Zhou Wendie's face changed dramatically, and she was instantly swallowed by the terrifying calamity.
...
Inside the collapsing pyramid.
Xu Hei was carrying the Cat King, sprinting through the narrow space. All around him, tunnels were collapsing, bricks and stones falling from above, the ground cracking and shaking incessantly.
This pagoda, which had stood for countless millennia, was now being destroyed from within.
At this moment, Xu Hei felt a stir in his heart.
He suddenly sensed that the killing calamity he had left behind had been triggered.
The fact that he could sense this indicated that the Divine Sense isolation function of this place was gradually disappearing.
Xu Hei didn't know who had triggered it, but it certainly wasn't an ally, which meant he still had competitors.
"I must hurry!"
Xu Hei quickened his pace, darting through one path after another. Moments later, the space opened up, and he officially reached the core area of the pyramid.
Here was a massive altar with layers of steps ascending upward. At the top of the altar stood a stone tablet.
The spatial pressure here was immense, making flight impossible.
Xu Hei climbed the steps, and before long, he reached the top of the altar and stood before the stone tablet. He placed the Cat King aside and looked at the tablet.
"To have reached here means you have passed the test and are qualified to become my successor!"
"This tower, named the Xuan Yin Tower, can autonomously absorb the Yin Qi of heaven and earth, ensuring that corpse puppets remain uncorrupted for millennia. It is an excellent place for cultivating corpse puppets."
"Additionally, it is equipped with hidden mechanisms and formations, capable of both offense and defense, able to withstand attacks from peak Elemental Infant cultivators. However, after tens of thousands of years, only a fraction of its former power remains."
"This stone tablet is the core of the Xuan Yin Tower. Refining the tablet is equivalent to refining the entire tower."
"I have also left behind a corpse beetle. With this insect, you can command the corpse puppets born within the tower to serve you."
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After reading the inscription, Xu Hei realized that this tower was actually a top-tier fourth-grade Magical Treasure, capable of withstanding peak Elemental Infant attacks!
Unfortunately, after so many years, the tower spirit was gone, and the structure was collapsing, leaving only a fraction of its power.
Fortunately, there were still many corpse puppets inside, and Xu Hei even saw the Red-haired Corpse King, a terrifying existence at the late Core Formation Stage.
"Corpse beetle?"
Xu Hei observed briefly and found a hidden compartment beneath the stone tablet.
Opening the compartment, he found a mass of amber-like substance inside, and within the amber was a black insect.
The insect was palm-sized, with a bizarre appearance, resembling a giant isopod, currently in a dormant state.
"So this is the corpse beetle?"
Xu Hei mused.
Xu Hei first attempted to refine the stone tablet but found it vast and boundless. With his Divine Sense, it would take him a hundred and eighty years to refine it.
He had to settle for controlling the corpse beetle instead.
With a thought, Xu Hei's Divine Sense pierced into the corpse beetle.
The corpse beetle reacted, suddenly awakening within the amber, which immediately developed a web of cracks.
Xu Hei accelerated his efforts, and just before the amber shattered, he successfully left a Divine Sense imprint within the corpse beetle.
"Boom!"
The amber shattered, and the corpse beetle crawled out.
Having just awakened from its slumber, it merely lifted its head, its eyes blankly staring at Xu Hei.
At the same time, fragmented information flowed into Xu Hei's mind.
"Blackwater Corpse Beetle, fond of consuming human brains, feeding it daily can enhance its intelligence."
"It can control a human body by burrowing into the ear and consuming the brain, gradually refining the body into a corpse puppet."
"This method is called the Corpse Beetle Puppet Technique."
"It has a strong restraining effect on those heavily infused with Yin Qi and will often actively devour them."
"Its reproduction method is parthenogenesis."
"..."
In no time, Xu Hei learned all the information about the corpse beetle.
Xu Hei realized that the tower spirit intended to use the corpse beetle to snatch his body and refine him into a corpse puppet.
No wonder the third trial required him to absorb so much Yin Qi.
Fortunately, he had the Demon God Cauldron, which could expel the Yin Qi from his body. Otherwise, for others, the Yin Sha Qi would remain within, and the corpse beetle would detect it at a glance.
As for its reproduction method, it was the extremely rare parthenogenesis.
This reproductive method only appears in marine life and some insects and ants.
"Shrink!"
With a thought, Xu Hei commanded.
The corpse beetle's body instantly shrank to the size of a fingernail.
"Go!"
Xu Hei pointed forward.
The corpse beetle transformed into a streak of lightning, shooting out instantly, leaving an afterimage in the air.
"What speed! This rivals my Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!" Xu Hei marveled.
And this was just its inherent speed. If combined with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, it would be even faster.
After circling around, the corpse beetle flew back, landing in front of Xu Hei, still staring at him with blank eyes.
Xu Hei pondered for a moment and said, "From today on, your name is Ji Ying, and you are my first Spirit Beast."
A flicker of understanding, albeit faint, passed through Ji Ying's bewildered eyes.
Demonic Beasts of this level would usually gain intelligence, but insects were an exception.
Xu Hei intended to take out a corpse to nourish its brain, but all the corpses had been absorbed by the butcher, leaving none behind.
Xu Hei sighed inwardly, deciding to find more later.
With a thought, Ji Ying's body shrank, hiding in the gap of one of Xu Hei's dragon scales.
This was a queen insect capable of parthenogenesis, but it was not yet mature.
Reproduction consumed a lot of resources, requiring numerous extremely Yin items as bait, the needed resources unimaginable.
Xu Hei glanced at the stone tablet, planning to refine a portion of it first.
He closed his eyes, letting his vast Divine Sense power surge into the stone tablet, gradually spreading from one corner.
...
Outside the Xuan Yin Tower.
"Whoosh!"
A bloodied and battered figure fell from the void, crashing onto the pitch-black sand. She spat blood, her breath weak and listless, her body covered in wounds.
Lightning burns, scorch marks, sword and blade wounds… all kinds of injuries, and most of her True Qi had been drained, nearly causing her to fall on the spot.
It was fortunate that the pyramid had experienced a disturbance, causing the seal to become unstable, allowing her to escape.
"Bai Luo!"
Zhou Wendie's eyes were filled with malice. She immediately recognized that it was Bai Luo's Flying Sword that had triggered all the formations, leading to her current plight.
The hatred in her heart was indescribable, but she could only take a deep breath, suppress her anger, and return to her usual indifference.
At this moment, the space in the distance trembled, and a white-haired, middle-aged cultivator flew over, stopping in front of her.
This person was Zhou Qingxuan, though his hair was now white, and he appeared much older.
"What happened?"
Zhou Qingxuan's expression changed slightly as he looked at the wounded Zhou Wendie, asking in a deep voice.
"Nothing, just fell victim to a villain's plot."
Zhou Wendie's voice was cold as she sat cross-legged, swallowing a pill to heal her injuries, offering no further explanation.
Zhou Qingxuan seemed to perceive something and asked, "Was it Bai Luo?"
Zhou Wendie was silent for a moment before shaking her head, "No."..
....182...
At this moment, figures appeared in the distance once more, shrouded in fierce flames and clad in iron armor and weapons—it was Lei He.
"It's you? You're not dead?"
Lei He raised an eyebrow, looking at Zhou Qingxuan.
While crossing the desert, they had witnessed Zhou Qingxuan being swallowed by quicksand, along with the Earth Boat.
"I have the Elemental Infant decree left by the first ancestor. How could I die so easily?" Zhou Qingxuan responded calmly.
Lei He squinted his eyes, not probing further, and said, "It's good that you're not dead. This black tower seems to have undergone some changes. Do you dare to enter with me for a look?"
Zhou Qingxuan sneered, "No need. Our Zhou Family's second ancestor is about to exit seclusion. His lifespan is nearing its end, and he wants to find a Longevity Pill in the ruins. I have to go assist him."
"As for this black tower, I'll leave it to your Heavenly Puppet Sect."
Zhou Qingxuan grabbed Zhou Wendie, boarded the Earth Boat, and swiftly glided towards the horizon, disappearing at the edge of the desert.
A serious expression flashed in Lei He's eyes.
"The second ancestor's lifespan is nearing its end. The Zhou Family is protesting..."
He wasn't afraid of the second ancestor's strength, but the words "lifespan nearing its end" were quite lethal.
This indicated that the other party wasn't afraid of death and could fight desperately!
It seemed that Zhou Wendie's status was more important than he had imagined, and he couldn't afford to offend her lightly.
The Heavenly Puppet Sect and the Zhou Family were allies, and Lei He didn't want to strain the relationship, so he sighed inwardly and followed.
...
Several days passed.
Xu Hei opened his eyes and exhaled a turbid breath.
Refining the Xuan Yin Tower was not something that could be accomplished overnight, nor was it something Xu Hei could achieve.
So far, he had only refined about one-tenth of it, and the further he went, the slower it became. His cultivation was too low, and a fourth-tier Magical Treasure was still too early for him.
At least he had to reach the Core Formation Stage, or even the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, to fully refine it.
However, even with just ten percent, Xu Hei had already gained insight into the internal structure of the Xuan Yin Tower through the stone tablet.
He knew the location of the butcher.
He also knew the number of corpse puppets.
"Inside the Xuan Yin Tower, there are a total of one hundred and twenty corpse puppets, including one corpse king at the late stage of Qi Condensation and one corpse charm at the mid-stage."
"There are twelve nightshades at the early stage of Qi Condensation, and the rest are False Core and Foundation Establishment."
"The strength of this Cat King is still beyond my comprehension."
Xu Hei pondered briefly, took the Cat King, and passed through several tunnels, reaching the destination in the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn.
This was the stone chamber of the first level, located at the entrance of the Xuan Yin Tower.
The Formation here was still intact, but Xu Hei could now control it to some extent.
With a thought, the coffin lid opened automatically. He placed the Cat King inside and took the butcher out.
After several rounds of such maneuvers, the butcher, originally composed of more than thirty people, was reduced to twenty-five, causing Xu Hei some heartache.
Xu Hei scanned with his Divine Sense and unexpectedly found a semi-finished corpse core in the butcher's abdomen, showing signs of Qi Condensation!
"The butcher actually broke through. This Xuan Yin Tower is indeed a holy land for corpse puppets."
Xu Hei thought to himself, pleasantly surprised.
He tried to control the butcher, whose dozens of arms quickly extended, punching the stone wall with a continuous rumble.
Compared to before, the butcher's speed and strength had significantly improved, capable of unleashing combat power at the False Core level.
The only difference was that controlling it now consumed more mental energy.
"This trip has been quite rewarding. I've learned about the corpse puppet system, mastered some Formation techniques, acquired Ji Ying, and even strengthened the butcher." Xu Hei was quite pleased.
It was time to leave.
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He kept the entrance setup as intact as possible, ensuring that even if others broke in, they wouldn't gain any advantage.
Xu Hei put away the butcher, applied the Invisibility Talisman, and with a flash, rushed out from the entrance, returning to the desert area.
He identified the direction and immediately used the Earth Escape Technique, speeding forward.
The exit of the Earth Path wasn't far, and Xu Hei reached it in just an hour.
In front of him, in the Void, there was an illusory door with a vortex at its center, easily recognizable at a glance.
"Could someone be waiting for me outside the exit?"
Xu Hei's eyes flashed, and he made a quick decision, splitting a common passerby from the butcher's body.
Then, he had the passerby take out a blue bead, holding it in his palm—it was the Thunder Tribulation Pearl!
He controlled the person to crush a small part of the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, and with a burst of terrifying lightning, timed it perfectly, charging directly into the illusory door.
"Buzz!"
The vortex turned, and the passerby disappeared, passing through the space barrier and reaching the outside world.
"Boom!"
From afar, Xu Hei felt a spatial tremor, with energy waves penetrating from that side.
"It exploded. I wonder if it killed anyone."
Xu Hei thought to himself.
This was a plan he had devised long ago. Regardless of whether someone was blocking him, he would use the Thunder Tribulation Pearl to clear the way.
If the other party was cautious enough not to block him, that would be ideal.
Although he lost a Thunder Tribulation Pearl, he ensured his safety.
But if they dared to block him, it would catch them off guard.
The power of this Thunder Tribulation Pearl wasn't as strong as the one Xu Hei used in the Heavenly Dragon Casino, and the other party had countermeasures against it. Xu Hei wouldn't hesitate to use it when necessary.
Xu Hei estimated the time, and when the thunder tribulation was almost over, he flashed into the vortex door.
"Buzz!!"
The spatial ripples shook violently, and soon, Xu Hei disappeared from the Earth Path.
...
Outside the Earth Path was a pitch-black underground city, the endpoint of the Five Elements Path.
This underground city, with its unknown long history, was already in ruins, with remnants and broken limbs everywhere. Only a few buildings remained intact.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the sky.
Blue lightning illuminated half of the underground city, spreading for miles, shaking the heavens, and drawing everyone's attention.
Faintly, human screams could be heard, but they were quickly drowned out by the more terrifying thunder.
...
The scenery before Xu Hei twisted rapidly, and when it cleared again, he found himself in a desolate ruin.
Lightning flickered around him, terrifying ripples spread out, and the heavens roared with the power of the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations, which even those at the Core Formation Stage dared not face directly.
Around him, there were faint silhouettes turned to charcoal, mixed in the ruins, with heavy casualties. Whether they were targeting him or not, being here indicated something.
Xu Hei felt the lingering power of the aftermath and dared not linger. Activating the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, he vanished, diving underground and fleeing at the fastest speed.
Not long after Xu Hei left.
A disheveled figure emerged from the ruins, clad in broken armor, eyes filled with terrifying killing intent—it was Lei He.
Behind him, Bai Luo, who had stayed far away, remained unscathed.
However, most of the Zhou Family team assisting them had perished.
"This person is ruthless, using a Thunder Tribulation Pearl to clear the way, and he escaped!"
Lei He's voice was extremely somber, showing that his anger had reached its limit.
With his skills, if given even two breaths of time to prepare, he could have perfectly countered the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, rendering it powerless and preventing any harm.
But the explosion occurred the moment the other party emerged, leaving him stunned in less than a breath.
Such a ruthless tactic was unimaginable.
"Fortunately, I stayed far away, or I would have been in trouble again."
Bai Luo stood at a distance, still shaken. He had developed a psychological shadow from that mysterious person, with an ominous premonition that prompted him to retreat temporarily and stand far away.
Who knew, he was right after all.
....183...
Bai Luo was both angry and apprehensive, wondering about the true identity of the person behind this.
"The one who detonated the Thunder Tribulation Pearl earlier seemed to be a puppet..."
Bai Luo's pupils contracted as if he had realized something.
For disciples of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, Wu Mountain was an absolute forbidden zone. Even he had been forced to seal away his puppet techniques and switch to cultivating the Bai Family's Azure Sky White Emperor Sutra to enter smoothly.
If that person wasn't a disciple of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, then who could it be?
He immediately thought of someone.
The person who once caused a sensation in Chuyang City!
"Nephew Bai Luo, what happened here? Why was a Thunder Tribulation Pearl detonated?"
A clear voice came from behind, and a handsome young man with a long sword at his waist, exuding an aloof aura, dressed in white, and at the late Foundation Establishment stage, walked over.
It was none other than the young master of the Bai Family, Bai Qiushui.
"Bai Qiushui!"
Bai Luo's expression stiffened.
Although he was the top Chosen of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, his seniority in the Bai Family was a generation below Bai Qiushui.
Bai Qiushui's talent was also remarkable, but the Bai Family had an ancestral rule allowing only one person to join the Heavenly Puppet Sect every hundred years, so they chose the younger Bai Luo.
"What's this? You don't seem happy to see your uncle?" Bai Qiushui said with a bright smile.
Bai Luo's mouth twitched. This person was only five years older than him, yet he had to call him uncle, which made him very uncomfortable.
"Here's what happened..."
He didn't hide anything and briefly recounted what had just occurred.
As for his experiences inside the pyramid, he glossed over them, only mentioning that he had been tricked.
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"Puppet..."
Bai Qiushui's eyes flashed as he murmured, "This familiar method, it really is him!"
"You know this person?" Bai Luo asked in surprise.
"I've met him once," Bai Qiushui replied with a faint smile. "Uncle advises you not to provoke him, or you'll only bring trouble upon yourself."
As Bai Qiushui spoke, he stepped forward and patted Bai Luo on the shoulder.
Bai Luo wanted to dodge, but the former's hand was too quick, landing a pat on him, which made him show a look of disgust and quickly step back a few paces.
"Oh? What's with your cultivation? It seems to have fallen to the late Foundation Establishment stage?"
Bai Qiushui withdrew his hand, carefully sensing, and feigned surprise.
Earlier, he had taken the opportunity to probe with his True Qi, feeling that the other's cultivation had clearly dropped from before.
Bai Luo's face was stiff, and he said coldly, "What does this have to do with you?"
"What kind of talk is that? As your elder, can't I show some concern? You must have been injured, how careless!"
Bai Qiushui sighed, speaking earnestly, "But don't be discouraged. I only broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage last month. At your young age, having the same cultivation as me is already quite good."
His words seemed to praise but were actually mocking.
Bai Luo had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage five years ago, meaning he had been stagnant for five years.
To ordinary people, it might be excellent, but for Bai Luo, who had consumed so many resources from the Heavenly Puppet Sect and remained unchanged, it was utterly disgraceful.
"You..."
Bai Luo's face turned black with anger, unable to speak.
"Don't be angry, uncle is just looking out for you. You're still young, and there will be plenty of days to be angry in the future," Bai Qiushui said with an increasingly bright smile.
Seeing Bai Luo about to explode, Bai Qiushui laughed heartily and swaggered away.
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"Don't get angry, don't get angry, he's just jealous of me."
Bai Luo continued to take deep breaths to calm himself.
He had been accustomed to smooth sailing, but since entering these ruins, he had suffered continuous setbacks, and even Bai Qiushui had come out to mock him. Yet, as the top Chosen of the Qin Kingdom, he couldn't stoop to argue with such people.
"Bai Luo, we've found out who that person is. The one who once blew up the Heavenly Dragon Casino, using the alias Ma Teng, skilled in puppet techniques, even Elder Ding Quan suffered at his hands."
Lei He appeared in time, speaking in a deep voice, "Later, he entered the ruins, used a puppet butcher to kill Zhou Wenjun, drove Liu Ruyan mad, and defeated Zhou Qingxuan's External Incarnation. Now, one of Zhou Wendie's eyeballs is still in his possession."
Bai Luo gasped, "He's offended so many people, and our Heavenly Puppet Sect hasn't issued a warrant for him?"
"Hmph! You should ask Qin Xuanji about that. He's been tight-lipped on the matter, saying he'll handle it, but what handling?" Lei He grumbled.
He didn't know that Qin Xuanji had tried to handle it but failed, even provoking the Demon Lord.
"However, the butcher puppet he crafted is indeed quite sinister. I've never seen such a puppet before," Lei He pondered.
...
The ruins of the underground city marked the end of the Five Elements Path.
Each path led to a different position, arranged in five directions but not far from each other.
At this moment, Xu Hei found a dilapidated house to settle in.
He initially wanted to dig a pit, but the soil here was black, hardened by millennia of yin energy, as hard and foul as a stone in a latrine.
Only by using all his cultivation could he barely dig a hole, so Xu Hei had to give up. Fortunately, the house was sturdy enough.
Xu Hei pondered briefly, scattering ten thousand Spirit Stones to set up a simple vortex spirit-devouring formation as a defensive measure, then went into seclusion to expel the thunder from his body.
Earlier, he had withstood two strikes from the thunder tribulation to break through the encirclement.
"This underground city is vast, and it hasn't been fully explored yet. But in the depths, there are indeed some extremely terrifying dangers. That must be where the end lies," Xu Hei thought to himself.
His knowledge of the underground city was limited to previous rumors.
Now, having spent over half a month in the Earth Path, there might have been new developments.
After half a day, Xu Hei finished adjusting his breath, dismantled the formation, and recovered eight thousand Spirit Stones.
The nine-square grid formation allowed for partial recovery of Spirit Stones as long as it wasn't triggered.
Spirit Stones were not only used for daily cultivation but were also heavily consumed in formations.
"Crack, crack, crack."
Suddenly, the ground ahead trembled, and a spot began to bulge.
Then, a withered claw emerged from the ground.
"A wild corpse puppet?"
Xu Hei's eyes narrowed.
"Boom!!"
A ferocious green-haired zombie burst out from the ground, baring its fangs and claws, lunging at Xu Hei.
Green-haired Flying Zombie, False Core Stage.
This ruin was indeed fraught with danger, and Xu Hei encountered it just as he arrived.
Xu Hei was about to act when a small black dot flew out from his scales, darting like lightning into the green-haired zombie's ear, burrowing into its brain.
The green-haired zombie immediately froze.
Moments later, its ferocious eyes turned vacant, becoming bewildered.
"Can it really control corpse puppets?"
Xu Hei's eyes flickered. He hadn't actively controlled it; Ji Ying had acted on its own.
He pondered briefly and thought, "Return!"
The green-haired zombie opened its mouth, and Ji Ying flew out, landing on Xu Hei's head.
"Roar!"
The green-haired zombie roared again, raising its claw to strike Xu Hei.
"Go!"
Xu Hei released Ji Ying, which darted into its mouth, and the zombie froze once more.
...184...
After repeated experiments, Xu Hei discovered that as long as Ji Ying entered the brain of the corpse puppet, it could be controlled. However, once it flew back, the corpse puppet would break free and attack again.
This move was effective against the green-haired corpse puppet at the False Core Stage, but it hadn't been tested on more powerful corpse puppets.
"Rustle, rustle..."
At this moment, Ji Ying's wings began to tremble, conveying a certain emotion.
Without any verbal communication, Xu Hei understood its meaning—it was hungry.
"Go," Xu Hei commanded.
"Whoosh!"
Ji Ying instantly darted forward, burrowing into the green-haired corpse puppet's body and began devouring it from the inside.
The corpse puppet remained motionless as its brain shriveled, followed by the rest of its body, emitting a grinding chewing sound.
In just the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the corpse puppet was reduced to an empty shell. It appeared intact on the outside, but nothing remained inside.
Xu Hei stepped forward and gave it a pat, causing the entire corpse puppet to collapse instantly, turning into a sheet of brittle paper.
After consuming a corpse puppet, Ji Ying became more lively, flitting back and forth in front of Xu Hei, emitting a sound of joyous vibration.
"Want to eat brains?" Xu Hei asked.
Ji Ying bobbed up and down, signaling a nod.
"There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Xu Hei turned around, and Ji Ying voluntarily flew back, slipping into the dragon scales.
Xu Hei oriented himself and headed towards the front lines of the underground city.
The underground city was vast, and people had arrived long ago, but after several months, no one had explored its depths. Xu Hei didn't know what the next destination was, so he could only venture deeper.
Not long after.
Suddenly, Xu Hei's eyelid twitched, and he felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.
It was as if some danger was imminent, and he couldn't avoid it.
"What's going on?"
Xu Hei's heart raced, his scalp tingled, and his thoughts spun rapidly. The next moment, as if realizing something, he decisively took out the Small Teleportation Talisman and activated it immediately.
At times like this, any hesitation could mean the difference between life and death!
"Whoosh!"
Space warped, a ripple flashed, and Xu Hei vanished on the spot.
"Boom!!!"
At the same moment Xu Hei disappeared, a massive handprint descended from the sky, landing where Xu Hei had been. The terrifying shockwave surged skyward, sending countless bricks and stones flying, leveling the entire street.
The ground collapsed, leaving a deep crater, shaking the area for miles!
The handprint was a thousand feet wide and ten meters deep. To cause such destruction in such a sturdy place showed the immense power of the person who cast it!
"A Small Teleportation Talisman? Hmph, quite alert."
In the sky, an old man in a purple robe appeared, his expression stern, eyes like lightning, showing no trace of emotion.
Behind the old man, on a rooftop, stood a young girl in purple, her face pale, her breath weak—it was Zhou Wendie, severely injured but not dead.
"Did he escape?" Zhou Wendie was surprised.
"Indeed, he had a Small Teleportation Talisman and was quite alert. Even my sure-kill strike couldn't hit him," the old man in purple said calmly.
This old man's aura was as powerful as Lei He's, and he was the second ancestor of the Zhou Family, Zhou Qing, who had just emerged from seclusion.
He was here for the Longevity Pill.
Zhou Qing's cultivation was the highest among those who entered the ruins, having reached Great Perfection of the Golden Core three hundred years ago.
However, after countless years and repeated failures to break through, he had regressed to the late Qi Condensation stage, comparable to Lei He, but had accumulated considerable experience in breaking through.
Zhou Qing was confident that if he found the Longevity Pill and extended his life by sixty years, he had a good chance of successfully forming a Nascent Soul.
"Continue the pursuit," Zhou Qing said calmly.
"Yes!"
Zhou Wendie touched her forehead, and one of her eyes turned golden, flames burning as if sensing something.
But after a moment, Zhou Wendie's expression changed.
"What is it?" Zhou Qing looked over.
"He... seems to have teleported very far away. I can't sense him at all," Zhou Wendie said in surprise.
"How is that possible? A mere Small Teleportation Talisman, how far could it take him?" Zhou Qing was skeptical.
Zhou Wendie sensed for a long time again, still to no avail, only pointing towards the depths of the underground city, saying, "Only a general direction, very far away."
Zhou Qing squinted his eyes.
In fact, the missed strike just now surprised Zhou Qing. Before he struck, he hadn't even released his Divine Sense, nor locked onto the target, just slapped in a general direction to catch the opponent off guard.
Even this was detected, proving the opponent was indeed skilled.
This piqued his interest further.
"Interesting," Zhou Qing murmured, his eyes flickering. "This ambush failed, the opponent should realize there's something on him that can be tracked. He might destroy that eyeball or hide it in a dangerous place to lure us in. Next time, there won't be such a good opportunity."
"Then... what should we do?" Zhou Wendie asked hastily.
"The Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes aren't easy to destroy. Whether he'll abandon it is uncertain, but this one is cunning, better not to act rashly," Zhou Qing said calmly.
If the teleportation was close, he could chase and hunt him down, but teleporting so far in one go gave the opponent enough time to set traps.
From previous understanding, the opponent was also ruthless, not a kind soul, and this place was fraught with danger. A single misstep could lead to disaster.
He decided not to pursue, focusing on the Longevity Pill instead.
"I agree," Zhou Wendie nodded.
...
At this moment, deep within the underground city, an unknown distance away.
Xu Hei's figure suddenly appeared, falling from mid-air and crashing to the ground.
He panted heavily, blood seeping from all his scales. That palm strike hadn't even landed, but just a trace of its residual force had severely injured him.
It showed the level of cultivation that person possessed!
"Late Qi Condensation stage, and it was a full-force strike, leaving no room for error!"
Xu Hei's face was ashen.
He was extremely sensitive to danger. If the opponent had used Divine Sense, he would have sensed it immediately and teleported away.
But this time, he hadn't felt a trace of Divine Sense or killing intent, just a palm strike that completely enveloped his area.
This was a dangerous enemy!
Xu Hei was able to respond so quickly purely because he realized his oversight—the eyeball!
This eyeball likely had a tracking function, and he could even feel a sense of being spied upon from it.
It was greed and a fluke mentality that made him think it was a treasure he could use, almost leading to disaster.
"I was careless! This thing can't stay on me!"
Xu Hei had underestimated the danger of the eyeball.
He considered finding a dangerous place to hide the eyeball as bait to trap the opponent.
But soon, Xu Hei dismissed this idea. Such a small trick might work on some juniors, but against such a formidable opponent, it was unlikely to succeed.
"Cough, cough!"
Xu Hei coughed up blood again and quickly took a Blood Replenishing Pill.
Fortunately, it was just a superficial wound, not affecting his foundation.
It was only because he reacted quickly enough. If he had been a moment slower in escaping, the outcome would have been different.
"Ji Ying!"
Xu Hei's mind moved, and Ji Ying crawled out from the gaps in his dragon scales.
.....185..
Ji Ying didn't take flight but landed directly on the ground, looking rather deflated.
The palm strike just now had affected Ji Ying as well.
However, compared to Xu Hei, Ji Ying was much less injured thanks to the protection of dragon scales and could still move freely.
Xu Hei, on the other hand, had fractures in all his bones except for the intact dragon bone in his tail.
Xu Hei took out a storage bag containing an eyeball and placed it in front of Ji Ying. The eyeball was entirely golden, with flames swirling inside, looking extremely bizarre.
"Eat."
Xu Hei commanded.
Ji Ying approached but recoiled as if electrocuted the moment it touched the eyeball, retreating far away, its body trembling with fear.
"Afraid?"
This left Xu Hei even more astonished.
Ji Ying could even consume corpse puppets, yet it was afraid of this eyeball.
This made Xu Hei's heart grow heavier, with a strong sense of dread rising within him.
This must be a treasure! Whether it was Ji Ying's reaction or the relentless pursuit from the other side, everything highlighted the value of this eyeball!
But no matter how valuable something is, you need to be alive to keep it. The other side had been chasing him non-stop, even deploying a late Qi Condensation stage elder who could track his location. Xu Hei couldn't keep this item; he had to get rid of it!
"Could it be the flames? Is it like the Thunder Tribulation Pearl, where piercing it would cause an explosion?"
Xu Hei stared at the golden eyeball, his eyes flickering.
After a brief contemplation, he put the golden eyeball away, planning to heal first and then find a suitable place to discard it.
Xu Hei looked around. This was an unfamiliar place, devoid of the ruins of the underground city, with only some undulating black mountains.
He had no idea where he had been teleported to.
This was the downside of the Small Teleportation Talisman Xu Hei had crafted. The talisman teleported randomly and over long distances, easily sending him to strange places.
"Ji Ying, check if there's any danger nearby," Xu Hei ordered.
"Buzz!"
Ji Ying took flight and patrolled the surroundings. After a few simple circles, it returned and landed, conveying waves of dissatisfaction.
Xu Hei helplessly realized that the Corpse Beetle was hungry again.
Perhaps it was due to its injuries.
With no other choice, Xu Hei chopped off a head from the butcher and tossed it over.
"Buzz!"
Ji Ying immediately became excited, rushing over and devouring the head in no time.
After finishing the meal, it finally started working, wandering around the vicinity.
Xu Hei also took the opportunity to focus on healing.
After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.
Suddenly, Ji Ying seemed to have discovered something, issuing a hostile warning and darting toward a mountain ridge.
"Boom!"
It seemed to have collided with a dull metallic object, causing Ji Ying to fly back and hover in front of Xu Hei, eyes filled with anger.
"Someone's here?"
Xu Hei quickly hid his true body underground and brought out the butcher puppet, moving forward.
His physical body was injured, but his Divine Sense was unaffected, making the puppet the best choice.
From behind the mountain ridge, footsteps could be heard, and a monk wearing a kasaya walked over from the other side of the slope.
The monk was tall and muscular, holding a crescent moon staff in his right hand, a broken bowl in his left, with large prayer beads hanging from his waist, yet his gaze was extremely gentle.
Upon seeing the monk, Xu Hei's pupils contracted.
"Demon Monk Ku Xuan?"
Xu Hei recognized him as one of the Chu Tian Alliance members who attacked the Mountain Movers Sect that day, Demon Monk Ku Xuan.
Xu Hei hadn't expected to encounter someone from the Chu Tian Alliance here.
At this moment, the butcher glared with its dozen eyes, rotating on its head, its body swelling with countless pustules, staring at Ku Xuan with overwhelming murderous intent.
A normal person, upon seeing the butcher, would either flee in terror or be too mentally overwhelmed to react.
But Ku Xuan merely paused slightly, put away his staff and bowl, and clasped his hands together.
"Amitabha."
"Benefactor, it seems we have met before."
Ku Xuan began with a Buddhist chant, then looked up with a gentle smile.
Xu Hei just quietly watched him, saying nothing and making no move.
"Benefactor, human faces are human faces, Buddha faces are Buddha faces, all beings have their own faces. I see the benefactor's dignified appearance, a perfect forehead, a face like a Buddha, with pure six senses, surely someone destined for the Buddhist path."
Ku Xuan looked at the butcher's dozen ugly faces, not only unfazed but smiling as he spoke eloquently.
"..."
Xu Hei was speechless.
He recognized every word the monk said, but why couldn't he understand them when strung together?
How did he see that this butcher was destined for the Buddhist path?
Xu Hei had heard from Xiao Chou that there were many strange people in the Chu Tian Alliance, and today he had witnessed it.
"Why do you think we've met?"
Xu Hei spoke with all the mouths, deciding to respond to Ku Xuan's earlier statement.
"Eyes are the windows to the soul. Even if I haven't seen you, you must have seen me."
Ku Xuan looked at Xu Hei's eyes and smiled.
Xu Hei was taken aback.
He suddenly felt that this demon monk wasn't speaking nonsense but had some insight.
Xu Hei could roughly judge a person's emotions and thoughts through their eyes, especially those with little experience, who were easier to read.
This wasn't even his own eyes but the butcher's, yet Ku Xuan could tell they had met. It was indeed impressive.
Xu Hei didn't dwell on this and instead asked, "Where is this place?"
"This place is outside Wuyou City, at the forefront of the ruins," Ku Xuan replied.
"Wuyou City?" Xu Hei was puzzled.
"Wuyou City means carefree and joyful, referring to that underground city," Ku Xuan continued.
Xu Hei thought carefully. That city was full of corpse puppets and dangers, hardly carefree, likely named in ancient times.
At this moment, another person arrived.
This person was burly, with skin as dark as steel, wielding a Star-shattering Hammer, making loud noises as he walked, exuding a strong oppressive aura. It was Demon Man Zhang Tie.
"Master Ku Xuan, who is this person..."
Zhang Tie's pupils contracted upon seeing the butcher, showing a wary expression.
If it weren't for Ku Xuan communicating with it, he would have smashed it with his hammer.
"This is the rumored ninth danger in the world, Benefactor Butcher," Ku Xuan said with clasped hands.
Zhang Tie stared at the butcher for a while, squinting his eyes, and said, "This is clearly a corpse puppet, and it's being controlled by someone. Its true body should be behind it. Let the true body come out and speak!"
Despite his rough appearance, Zhang Tie was actually sharp-minded, immediately seeing through Xu Hei's nature.
Having fought against the Qin Kingdom for years and countless battles with the Heavenly Puppet Sect, he had long developed the ability to see through puppets at a glance.
"Amitabha! All forms are illusory, even what you see with your own eyes can be false. Whether it's the true body controlling the puppet or the puppet controlling the true body, what difference does it make?" Ku Xuan said.
Zhang Tie was left speechless.
When this person appeared, Xu Hei felt like retreating. He didn't want any interaction with someone at the Core Formation Stage, as it was too dangerous.
His true body had already quietly retreated a thousand feet away.
In these ruins, not only was the range of Divine Sense limited, but the control range of puppets was also restricted. However, with Xu Hei's speed, escaping wouldn't be an issue.
But suddenly, Xu Hei thought of the golden eyeball.
That mysterious eyeball, he didn't know how to handle it, but if he gave it to the Chu Tian Alliance...
....186...
Xu Hei carefully weighed the pros and cons of handing over the item to the Chu Tian Alliance and made a decision on the spot.
"Do you two have any business here?" Xu Hei controlled the butcher to ask, without revealing his own thoughts.
"Not really, we just sensed some spatial fluctuations here, so Master Ku Xuan came to check it out, and we happened to run into you," Zhang Tie spoke bluntly, unlike Ku Xuan, who was more cryptic.
"I entered by accident as well," Xu Hei replied.
Zhang Tie found the butcher's appearance unsettling and didn't want to linger. He glanced at Ku Xuan and secretly transmitted a message, "Who is this butcher?"
Such a malevolent presence, in the past, he would have killed on sight, but Zhang Tie refrained from acting and instead inquired.
"He is fated with my Buddha," Ku Xuan replied.
Zhang Tie immediately understood, clasped his hands together, glanced at the butcher, and said, "I won't disturb you any longer, take your time."
"Hold on."
Xu Hei stopped him, took out a golden eyeball from his storage bag, and said, "Are you interested in this? Name your price."
At this moment, both Ku Xuan and Zhang Tie turned their attention to the golden flame-like eyeball.
"The Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes?"
Zhang Tie observed it for a moment and clearly recognized it, gasping in surprise, "Wait here!"
He turned and left.
Before long, Zhang Tie returned from a distance, accompanied by a man in a scholar's robe, none other than Xu Qingfeng, the leader of the Chu Tian Alliance.
Additionally, a large bald eagle flew over and landed on Ku Xuan's shoulder.
Xu Hei immediately retreated.
Xu Qingfeng waved his hand, and everyone stepped back, leaving him alone to approach, standing on the hillside at a safe distance.
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"It truly is the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes!"
He stared at the golden eyeball, his divine sense scanning it, his eyes flickering, and said, "My friend, the butcher, what price do you have in mind?"
At this moment, Xu Hei had adjusted his appearance to resemble a normal person, as he was conducting business with the other party. However, he still looked extremely ugly, covered in protruding lumps.
Xu Qingfeng, not judging by appearances, remained composed.
"Name your price, it depends on your Chu Tian Alliance's sincerity," Xu Hei said.
Zhang Tie exchanged a glance with him, whispered something, and Xu Qingfeng nodded slightly.
After a moment of silence, Xu Qingfeng smiled and said, "Butcher friend, you must be trying to sell this because you're being hunted by the Zhou Family's patriarch, right?"
Xu Hei didn't hide it and nodded, "That's right."
"I won't hide it either. The Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes are indeed invaluable, capable of transforming mediocrity into greatness, benefiting one for a lifetime. It's not something that can be measured by value. However, taking this treasure means bearing the consequences with the Zhou Family."
"Although the Zhou Family is a major family in the Qin Kingdom, under the command of the Heavenly Puppet Sect, they're already half an enemy of our Chu Tian Alliance. But offending them without reason carries certain risks."
Xu Qingfeng spoke at length, and Xu Hei nodded in agreement.
Dealing with someone like this, Xu Hei had no intention of hiding anything. After all, keeping this item was a burden, and he wouldn't refuse to give it away.
"Alright, I'll take the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes, and in exchange, I'll give you half of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book," Xu Qingfeng said with a smile.
"Boss, you mustn't!" Zhang Tie quickly intervened.
"Bookworm, are you crazy? You're even giving that away?"
The bald eagle also cried out, speaking human words.
From their reactions, it was clear that the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book was an extremely precious item!
Of course, it could also be a deliberate performance, but considering Xu Qingfeng's character, it was unlikely to be an act.
"No worries! The Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes are of great use to our Chu Tian Alliance, and it also forges a good relationship. Why not?"
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Xu Qingfeng smiled openly, took out a rolled-up scroll, cut it in half, and sent it to Xu Hei through the air.
Xu Hei reached out to catch it, immediately feeling a heavy aura from the scroll, suppressing much of his hostility.
Xu Hei also handed over the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes, which Xu Qingfeng accepted.
"What is the use of this scroll?" Xu Hei asked.
"The Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is a relic left by my grandmaster, containing a vast amount of text. Each word holds immense power. You can think of it as a set of talismans crafted by our Confucian sect, with each word representing a talisman," Xu Qingfeng explained.
Xu Hei unrolled the scroll and indeed found numerous words recorded inside.
"Fix, Kill, Soldier, Move, Approach, Comprehend, Reverse..."
There were also some verses, likely representing even more formidable spells.
Although there was no description, Xu Hei could immediately understand the functions of these spells, some for killing, some for support, and some for enlightenment.
However, despite being called the Ten Thousand Word Book, it only contained about a hundred words, the name was an exaggeration.
"How powerful is this treasure?" Xu Hei asked.
"The power depends on your own comprehension. If you can grasp the essence of the words, you can unleash incredible power."
Xu Qingfeng added, "For example, if I use it, even if someone at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core attacks, I can escape unscathed."
"Boss, you've said enough," Zhang Tie reminded with a stern face.
Such confidential matters, if leaked, would be a great disaster for the Chu Tian Alliance, equivalent to exposing their trump card.
Xu Qingfeng, however, shook his head, smiling, unconcerned.
Zhang Tie looked at Ku Xuan, who also appeared calm, with no intention of stopping him, leaving Zhang Tie puzzled.
"So powerful..."
On the surface, Xu Hei remained calm, but inside, he was deeply shaken.
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Xu Qingfeng was only at the mid-stage of Qi Condensation, yet he could use this treasure to contend with someone at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, which spoke volumes about the power of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.
Moreover, as far as Xu Hei knew, Xu Qingfeng had an even stronger scroll that he hadn't taken out.
No wonder he inherited from the Astrology Bureau; he had a wealth of treasures.
However, Xu Qingfeng didn't explain how to grasp the essence of the words, and Xu Hei didn't ask further.
He put away the scroll, clasped his hands, and said, "Thank you, I hope this journey goes smoothly."
"Butcher friend," Xu Qingfeng said in a deep voice, "Our Chu Tian Alliance, along with some rogue cultivators, is exploring a cave dwelling at the frontier. I wonder if you're interested in joining us. Our Chu Tian Alliance guarantees that any treasures found will be contested based on individual abilities, and we will never resort to killing and robbing afterward."
Zhang Tie added, "The boss speaks the truth. You can ask those rogue cultivators; they can vouch for it."
Xu Hei remained silent for a moment and said, "I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be going for now."
It wasn't that he didn't want to go, but he was injured, and he was used to fighting alone, unwilling to cooperate with others.
He also scoffed at the Chu Tian Alliance's righteous conduct. If they didn't kill and rob, why cultivate immortality at all?
Xu Qingfeng didn't insist, taking out a jade slip and saying, "If you change your mind, you can come anytime. According to our speculation, it should lead to the core of the ruins."
The jade slip flew over and was caught by the butcher.
"Farewell!"
Xu Qingfeng and the others turned and left.
Ku Xuan glanced at the butcher and the real Xu Hei in the distance, saying, "Fated one, the Buddhist sect is always open to you!"
He chanted a Buddhist mantra, with the bald eagle on his shoulder, and drifted away.
Xu Hei ignored those who didn't speak plainly.
"The people of the Chu Tian Alliance are all extraordinary."
Earlier, Xu Hei had sensed the aura of everyone present.
In summary, there were only three words: unfathomable, completely unfathomable.
Ku Xuan was only at the Great Perfection Foundation Establishment, and under normal circumstances, such a cultivator would be easily defeated by Xu Hei, but Xu Hei had no confidence in defeating him.
The other two were even more formidable, both at the Qi Condensation stage.
And that bald eagle, seemingly ordinary, but with an even more terrifying aura within, deterring Xu Hei from probing further.
And then there was the silver-haired witch from before, also a formidable opponent.
....187. ..
After the members of the Chu Tian Alliance left, Xu Hei immediately appeared and checked the jade slip. Once he confirmed everything was correct, he infused his Divine Sense into it.
Inside the jade slip was an enormous map, stretching from Wuyou City to this location, spanning thousands of miles.
Under circumstances where Divine Sense and flight were restricted everywhere, this was an extremely long distance, even for someone in the Core Formation Stage.
"This should be the latest version of the map."
Xu Hei thought to himself, comparing it with the map he had purchased from Han Te, and found that it contained a lot of new information.
Many red dots were specifically marked, indicating extreme danger.
"Historical Projections, Red-Haired Corpses, Yellow-Haired Corpses, Yellow Spring Flowers..."
Xu Hei had some understanding of the corpse puppet system; red hair indicated the late Qi Condensation stage, while yellow hair was the mid-stage.
One of the Yellow-Haired Corpses was not far from here.
Xu Hei was relieved that he hadn't teleported near there; otherwise, he would have been in big trouble as soon as he landed.
Regarding the Historical Projections, Xu Qingfeng had written a note.
"Historical Projections appear without any pattern and can occur anywhere. I have only marked places where they have appeared before. Please be aware."
Xu Hei was naturally very wary of these highly dangerous Historical Projections.
Although most were harmless, some were extremely lethal, still carrying the Dao Rhythms of ancient times. Encountering one could lead to death on the spot, regardless of one's cultivation level.
Xu Hei had only been here for a short time, so he hadn't encountered any yet.
Following the map, Xu Hei left the area and found a safe, secluded place to heal and recuperate.
This time, it was only a flesh wound, and Xu Hei recovered within half a day.
Then, he took out the scroll of the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book.
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His gaze focused on a single character, "Enlighten," which was used for comprehension. Xu Hei currently had few things he could comprehend, with the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon being one of them.
"Enlighten!"
With a low shout, a character flew out from the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book and appeared above Xu Hei's head.
In an instant, Xu Hei felt his mind become clear, as if he were soaking in an icy spring. Confusions and uncertainties were instantly resolved, and he was immersed in a peculiar state.
"The key to the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon is not speed, but form!"
"When speed reaches its peak, relying on the change of form can surpass the extreme..."
Xu Hei closed his eyes, and insights appeared in his mind, continuously simulating and calculating, practicing until he reached the essence.
It was unclear how much time had passed.
Xu Hei's eyes remained closed, but his body began to move.
"Swish!"
He vanished on the spot, his figure tracing a lightning bolt, executing the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique, leaving behind a series of afterimages in mid-air.
One, two, ten... fifty!
On his first attempt, Xu Hei left fifty afterimages, five times more than before.
"Whoosh!"
Xu Hei disappeared again, this time the afterimages formed a continuous line, reaching eighty.
Xu Hei kept shifting, leaving countless afterimages, repeatedly surpassing a hundred in no time.
Time slowly passed.
The "Enlighten" character above his head didn't last long, dissipating after just an hour.
But Xu Hei had no intention of stopping, continuing his relentless practice.
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He had a premonition that his movement technique would play a crucial role soon, potentially saving his life at a critical moment.
Xu Hei took out the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book again and pointed at a "Learn" character.
Learn, not for himself, but for Ji Ying.
A "Learn" character appeared above Ji Ying's head, and it began to mimic, flying through the air and leaving an afterimage, precisely the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon.
"Even the Corpse Beetle can learn; this Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is indeed extraordinary," Xu Hei thought to himself.
Ji Ying's speed was already fast, and now, combined with the dragon clan's movement technique, it was beyond description, even with lightning. Xu Hei had to concentrate to barely discern its technique.
Ji Ying was learning, and Xu Hei was learning too, mimicking Ji Ying's flying form, learning from each other.
"Ever-changing Fish and Dragon!"
Xu Hei vanished, his afterimages quickly surpassing a hundred, instantly reaching two hundred, three hundred, and still climbing...
In the end, as long as Xu Hei wished, he could leave any number of afterimages.
Unknowingly, Xu Hei's comprehension of the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon reached the third level of perfection.
The third level: countless afterimages, the true body hard to find.
The fourth level: afterimages become tangible, capable of creating an External Incarnation.
Thus, the three levels were fully comprehended, yet Xu Hei was still some distance away from the fourth level's tangible afterimages.
He needed to thoroughly comprehend "form" to enter the next level.
At this moment, Xu Hei and Ji Ying stopped, their True Qi exhausted, but his spirit was incredibly excited.
"This Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book is worth it!"
Xu Hei marveled in his heart, carefully storing the scroll.
There were still many characters left on the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book, of various types, which would become his trump cards in the future.
Xu Hei didn't know the value of the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes, but obtaining this treasure was definitely a gain for him! After all, the Scarlet Flame Demon Eyes were a hot potato he couldn't use.
"My current spells include the third level of perfection in Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Falling Stars, and Mountain Severing Abyss."
"As for puppets, I have the butcher, metal puppet, and Ji Ying controlling corpse puppets."
"My Magical Treasures include the Ice and Fire Flying Sword, Black Dragon Pagoda, and the Ten Thousand Word Heavenly Book."
"Additionally, there's a gray Talisman left by Xuan Yangzi."
"With so many trump cards, I have the confidence to fight against someone in the early Qi Condensation stage."
Xu Hei calculated his means.
However, Xu Hei didn't let his guard down. As a rogue cultivator, he had managed to acquire so many trump cards.
How many trump cards would the Zhou Family, Heavenly Puppet Sect, Snake Catchers Sect, and other adversaries have?
Like the young man who had chased him all the way, even after being tricked so many times, he still had the mind to ambush him at the exit, which spoke volumes.
"Let's take a look at the Chu Tian Alliance."
Xu Hei took a Rejuvenation Pill, meditated for a moment, and adjusted his state to the best.
He took out the butcher and split off a normal person from it, a nondescript member of the Iron Mountain Gang.
But to be safe, Xu Hei removed its facial features, turning it into a faceless person.
"This way, no one should be frightened."
Xu Hei was worried that the butcher's appearance was too terrifying and would cause alarm, so he came up with this plan.
He stored the main body of the butcher, put a mask on the faceless person, dressed it in a black robe, and then leaped towards the location Xu Qingfeng had provided.
Before long, Xu Hei arrived at the place.
Ahead was a cave dwelling with a large entrance exuding eerie ghostly energy, and a large group of rogue cultivators gathered outside.
The members of the Chu Tian Alliance were also among the crowd, seemingly discussing strategies.
Xu Hei's true body was hidden within the faceless person as he descended and approached.
"Another rogue cultivator?"
"Where are you from? State your name!"
Seeing Xu Hei appear, a rogue cultivator stepped forward and shouted loudly.
...188...
"Greetings, my surname is Xu."
Xu Hei cupped his hands. After all, no one knew his name, so there was no need for an alias.
"Xu... Are you planning to join us or act alone?"
The cultivator with thick eyebrows and big eyes was very straightforward, speaking rapidly, "Let me make it clear first, our group is under the jurisdiction of the Chu Tian Alliance. We've all signed a series of peace agreements, which prohibit us from initiating harm, and we must unite against external threats. Treasures go to whoever gets them first. If you're willing, you can join; if not, you can go to the other side."
He pointed in another direction, where only a small group of people gathered in threes and fives, scattered around.
Xu Hei glanced over and found that most of them were demonic cultivators, like Wu Chou from the Blood Robe Sect.
Except for a few who were independent, almost all rogue cultivators had allied with the Chu Tian Alliance for added safety.
No matter their conduct, righteous cultivators like Xu Qingfeng always gave a sense of security.
Xu Hei pondered briefly and asked, "What kind of contract?"
The cultivator in front of him directly took out a scroll of golden paper, which was filled with various rules.
"Just infuse a trace of Divine Sense, and this contract will take effect. If you violate it, there's no need for us to act; your Divine Sense will collapse on its own," the person said calmly.
Xu Hei glanced at it; it was something left by Xu Qingfeng, with many rules written on it.
Without saying more, Xu Hei retreated to the other side, standing with the demonic cultivators. He would never sign such a contract.
Seeing Xu Hei refuse, the cultivator didn't ask further, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes as he returned to the crowd.
As Xu Hei landed, the five nearby demonic cultivators quickly retreated, keeping their distance from him.
"Blood Robe Sect?"
To Xu Hei's surprise, the aura and attire of these five were very similar to Wu Chou, whom he had killed, indicating they were from the Blood Robe Sect.
In Wu Chou's Storage Bag, there was a Blood Robe Token, suggesting he held a significant position in the sect.
"What's the situation here? Tell me."
Xu Hei looked at a female cultivator who seemed easy to bully and asked.
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The female cultivator remained silent, continuously retreating with a wary expression.
"Not talking?"
Xu Hei raised his hand and used the Gravity Technique to pull her over, holding her in his grasp.
"How dare you!"
"Spare me, senior!"
The other four wanted to shout, but the woman in his hand began to wail, leaving everyone stunned.
"Senior, I'll tell you. This is a Blood Corpse Cave. Inside the cave dwelling, there are many ancient pills preserved to this day, and an ancient medicinal garden. But the Chu Tian Alliance has tried several times and hasn't cleared out the blood corpses, so they're discussing strategies."
The female cultivator in his hand spoke with a tearful face.
Xu Hei nodded slightly and released her. She immediately retreated back to the other four, who dared not act rashly, only nervously stepping back.
The strongest among them was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and Xu Hei's earlier display had directly intimidated them.
"Is this all that's left of your Blood Robe Sect?"
Xu Hei asked curiously. In his impression, such demonic sects should have been thriving.
Recognized for their identity, the five weren't surprised. They exchanged glances, a bitter look flashing in their eyes.
Originally, they had twenty people enter, including two Nascent Soul ancestors, but they all died. One ancestor perished to a corpse puppet, and the other was drained dry by the Thirteenth Ancestor of the Snake Catchers Sect.
The group remained silent, but Xu Hei could glean some information from their eyes. He asked again, "Why didn't you join the Chu Tian Alliance?"
"It's not that we didn't want to; the Chu Tian Alliance refused."
The female cultivator from before explained.
"Just because you're demonic cultivators?" Xu Hei was surprised.
"Exactly." The female cultivator nodded.
"..." Xu Hei fell silent.
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At that moment, there was a commotion from the cave dwelling.
Everyone looked over to see a ghostly, phantom-like girl with silver hair floating out from the eerie cave dwelling.
The girl had silver hair, a petite figure, and looked like she was in her early teens. She was quite beautiful but exuded an extremely cold aura that warned others to keep their distance.
"Silver-haired Witch," Xu Hei's eyes narrowed.
The Silver-haired Witch, in her translucent state, flew out from the cave dwelling and approached.
"How is it?"
"What's the situation inside?"
The core members of the Chu Tian Alliance quickly went up to inquire, with Xiao Chou among them.
The Silver-haired Witch's form gradually solidified as she said, "I saw the ancient medicinal garden. There are at least twenty plants with ten thousand years of age."
"Ten thousand years!"
Everyone gasped.
In today's world, even thousand-year-old medicinal herbs are rare, let alone ten thousand years old, which are priceless and of unimaginable quality.
"Moreover, there's a hundred-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo."
The Silver-haired Witch added.
This left the entire Chu Tian Alliance stunned, with Zhang Tie's eyes almost blazing with desire, itching to rush in and harvest it immediately.
However, there were too many corpse puppets inside the cave dwelling, continuously emerging from the ground. After clearing wave after wave, he dared not venture in recklessly.
Although others didn't know what they were discussing, their expressions revealed that they must have discovered something extraordinary.
And just then.
A strong wind blew across the sky, with a hazy light shining down from beyond, appearing at the top of the cave dwelling, with a hint of Dao resonance emerging.
"It's a Historical Projection!"
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"Retreat quickly!"
Everyone retreated, their eyes warily watching above the cave dwelling.
Historical Projections appear without any pattern, possibly remnants of ancient Dao resonance or some kind of world rule at work.
Most projections are harmless, but some contain the divine might of ancient cultivators, and just a trace can be deadly.
It was Xu Hei's first time seeing a Historical Projection.
In the sky, blurred scenes appeared: caves, figures, houses, like a mirage in the desert.
It was like a reflection of historical scenes, crossing the river of time, presented before their eyes.
The scenes seemed to be inside the cave dwelling.
In the images, a young, tall alchemist sat cross-legged, placing medicinal herbs into a pill furnace.
Xu Hei's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw the alchemist.
He actually recognized this alchemist!
It was the ancient cultivator's corpse he had excavated from a stone at the stone gambling house!
And that pill furnace was the very one Xu Hei had refined.
"How could it be such a coincidence?"
Xu Hei's heart surged with waves of shock.
But he said nothing, his expression calm, watching coldly.
The projection from ancient times seemed to accelerate, quickly playing out. The cultivator refined a large number of pills, placing them into pill bottles, one of which had the words "Longevity Pill" on it.
Seeing the Longevity Pill, everyone's eyes lit up with desire; it was a pill countless people dreamed of obtaining.
But the most astonishing part was yet to come.
Next to the Longevity Pill, there was another pill bottle labeled "Nascent Soul Pill."
"My heavens!"
"It's actually a Nascent Soul Pill!"
Seeing this, everyone's eyes burned with fervor, almost going mad.
The Nascent Soul Pill is taken by cultivators at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation Stage when forming a Nascent Soul, its value beyond description.
If the Longevity Pill merely extends the life of a Nascent Soul ancestor by sixty years, the Nascent Soul Pill gives them hope of forming a Nascent Soul.
....189....
This would drive any Core Formation cultivator mad!
Of course, achieving Nascent Soul isn't as simple as just taking a pill; it also requires comprehending the essence of the Dao. However, the Nascent Soul Pill can greatly increase the success rate.
In addition, among those pill bottles, there are Divine Marrow Pills that can alter one's Spiritual Root, Sky Blue Pills that clear the mind and eyes, and various other pills that have vanished from the world today.
"I found a Sky Blue Pill in the cave dwelling."
"And that Hao Yuan Pill, I think the one I found is that exact bottle."
Zhang Tie quickly took out a pill bottle and compared it with the Historical Projections, finding it almost identical, indeed a bottle refined by ancient cultivators.
"Does this mean that the Nascent Soul Pill and Longevity Pill can also be found in the cave dwelling?"
Zhang Tie looked at Xu Qingfeng.
At this moment, the Chu Tian Alliance could hardly sit still. If there really were Longevity Pills and Nascent Soul Pills here, they would spare no cost to obtain them!
These are ancient pills, their quality and efficacy unmatched by anything today.
However, the appearance of the Historical Projections was ill-timed, as almost everyone present had seen it.
Xu Hei's eyes flickered. If he were Xu Qingfeng, he would immediately act, killing everyone except those from the Chu Tian Alliance to prevent the news from leaking.
But Xu Qingfeng clearly had no such intention, not even considering it.
As the enforcement elder of the Astrology Bureau, he had adhered to Confucian principles for a hundred years. Even after joining the Chu Tian Alliance, he still upheld the old rules and his own bottom line.
As an enforcement elder, if he were to trample the law and kill the innocent, what law would there be to enforce?
Fairness and integrity are the bottom lines of an enforcer, and also Xu Qingfeng's Dao.
Xu Hei saw his inaction and sighed inwardly.
At this moment, in the Historical Projections.
The ancient alchemist organized all the pill bottles, sticking a talisman on each one.
"These sealing talismans are enough to preserve the efficacy for ten thousand years. If future generations open them, remember to consume them quickly."
The Historical Projections made no sound, but one could see his mouth moving, deducing what he was saying.
These pills were left for future generations!
At this moment, everyone was convinced that these pills were all hidden in the cave dwelling, waiting to be discovered.
Xu Hei felt a sense of doubt. It was said that Historical Projections appeared randomly, but this scene didn't seem random at all.
It seemed like a deliberate design, triggered by certain conditions, intentionally shown to future generations.
Before long, the Historical Projections faded away.
"Everyone, gather!"
Xu Qingfeng shouted, and the scattered cultivators affiliated with the Chu Tian Alliance all gathered, totaling fifty people.
There were only seven members of the Chu Tian Alliance: Xu Qingfeng, Zhang Tie, the Silver-haired Witch, Ku Xuan, along with Xiao Chou, Zhao Wenzhuo, and even that vulture.
The rest were all scattered cultivators.
It was evident that the Chu Tian Alliance still had strong appeal, which was the advantage of being righteous.
Of course, this harmony was only temporary.
"We will sweep through this cave dwelling with all our might. As usual, if you find treasures like the Nascent Soul Pill or Longevity Pill, you can keep them or exchange them with me for items of equal value..."
Xu Qingfeng briefly explained.
All the scattered cultivators were invigorated.
Originally, with their strength, they didn't even qualify to break into the Blood Corpse Cave. Now, with strong leaders clearing the way, they could search for treasures for free, keeping whatever they found. Such a good deal was rare in the world.
If not for this, they wouldn't have willingly joined.
"Move out!"
Under the lead of the Chu Tian Alliance, everyone rushed into the cave dwelling.
The evil cultivators at the back also followed suit, entering the cave dwelling.
Xu Hei mingled among the evil cultivators, everyone wary of each other, keeping a distance.
For some reason, the five members of the Blood Robe Sect followed behind Xu Hei, seemingly treating him as a pillar of support.
Xu Hei ignored them. At this moment, a battle had already erupted ahead, with terrifying shockwaves rolling in. A Purple-haired Yaksha and Yellow-haired Corpse Charm leapt out, engaging in a fierce battle with the Chu Tian Alliance.
As the battle continued, more and more corpse puppets crawled out from the ground, fiercely attacking the crowd. The scattered cultivators joined forces to fight back, gaining and losing ground.
Fortunately, the cave dwelling was quite stable, not shaking too violently. Outside, it would have collapsed a hundred times over.
The evil cultivators were surprisingly well-behaved, not daring to launch sneak attacks from behind, fearing retribution from the Chu Tian Alliance later.
Xu Hei looked around, seeing the ground beneath him break open, a claw reaching out to grab him, followed by a head rising from the ground, revealing a green-haired zombie.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of black light came from Xu Hei's sleeve.
The green-haired zombie instantly froze.
With a casual wave of his sleeve, Xu Hei turned the zombie's body into flying ash, dispersing it completely.
This move left the five people behind him dumbfounded.
"So strong!"
"What was that just now?"
They hadn't seen Ji Ying's move clearly, only perceiving a black line flash by, and the corpse puppet was gone.
After learning the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon, Ji Ying's speed could only be described as incredible. And this wasn't even at full speed; at full speed, it was even more exaggerated.
The five exchanged glances, seemingly deciding to stick close to Xu Hei, as it seemed the safest.
Xu Hei extended his Divine Sense, searching inch by inch on a stone wall, seemingly looking for some kind of mechanism or secret door.
Unfortunately, he found nothing.
Xu Hei was completely clueless about treasure hunting, having no experience. He communicated with Ji Ying, "Ji Ying, where do you think there might be treasures?"
Ji Ying also showed no reaction.
"Useless thing, all you do is eat." Xu Hei muttered inwardly.
"Buzz!"
Ji Ying seemed to hear Xu Hei's thoughts, sending back a dissatisfied emotion.
At this moment, the battle ahead was nearing its end. With the full force of the Chu Tian Alliance, the emerging corpse puppets were suppressed one by one into the ground, letting out unwilling roars.
Corpse puppets were hard to kill; not everyone had Xu Hei's means to destroy them. They mainly focused on suppression and sealing.
"Buzz!"
Ji Ying suddenly sent a craving emotion, pointing at the suppressed corpse puppets ahead.
"Eat, eat, eat until you die!" Xu Hei cursed inwardly.
Despite his words, Xu Hei flew forward. Since there were no benefits at the entrance, he could only search ahead.
He arrived at a suppressed Purple-haired Yaksha, letting Ji Ying in to devour it.
The Yaksha, with a sealing talisman on it, couldn't move its body, but its hands could still move. It clawed at Ji Ying, sending it flying. Ji Ying was furious, charging again like lightning, biting off one of the Yaksha's ears.
At this moment, more and more cultivators were pouring in, the numbers increasing.
After the news spread, everyone nearby had gathered, and it wouldn't be long before the Zhou Family, Bai Family, and the four sects of the Southern Region would also arrive.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two figures flashed in, one of them an old Taoist whose eyes gleamed as he looked at Xu Hei's back, quickly catching up and arriving behind him, smiling, "How should I address this fellow Taoist?"
Xu Hei's eyebrow twitched, calmly retracting Ji Ying, and looked at the old Taoist behind him.
This person, with white hair and beard, holding a horsetail whisk, had a kind smile but shifty eyes, sizing up Xu Hei. It was none other than Tianji Shangren.
And the other middle-aged cultivator was Liu Buqun.
"Persistent old man."
Xu Hei cursed inwardly, maintaining a calm demeanor, "I am Tianji Shangren, Tianji."
He emphasized the last two words.
"..." Tianji Shangren's smile froze instantly.
Liu Buqun was also taken aback, his expression rather peculiar.
....190...
Both individuals realized that the masked cultivator was using a pun to insult them.
"Heh, fellow Daoist, you really know how to joke."
Tianji Shangren forced a smile, his expression not looking too pleased.
Xu Hei ignored the two of them, stopped feeding the corpse puppet, and with a swift movement, dashed deeper into the cave dwelling.
"Old Taoist, how many Children of Destiny is this now?" Liu Buqun asked sarcastically.
"None of your business!"
Tianji Shangren snapped, waving his horsetail whisk and stepping onto a cloud to follow.
Liu Buqun pondered for a moment and said, "Old Taoist, how do you rate my aptitude?"
"You'll be like this for the rest of your life, just wait for death."
Tianji Shangren mocked.
Liu Buqun's mouth twitched, and he said no more.
Tianji Shangren's speed gradually increased, but he found that Xu Hei ahead was even faster.
Suddenly, Xu Hei stopped moving.
Tianji Shangren caught up, only to see Xu Hei's figure quickly blur and dissipate, leaving only an afterimage.
As for Xu Hei himself, he was already nowhere to be found.
"An afterimage?" Tianji Shangren's face turned alternating shades of green and white.
...
At this moment, Xu Hei left behind a series of afterimages, moving through the cave dwelling at an incredible speed.
The appearance of these two made him feel a sense of crisis.
With Tianji Shangren here, the Zhou Family, Bai Family, and some hostile forces were probably not far behind. Once they arrived, the Chu Tian Alliance would definitely be unable to maintain control.
As for those fifty or so rogue cultivators, they were just a rabble.
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They were good at taking benefits, but if you asked them to fight the Heavenly Puppet Sect to the death, they'd run faster than anyone.
Xu Hei needed to grab as many benefits as possible and then retreat completely, avoiding involvement in the high-level conflicts.
Before long, Xu Hei reached the front line of the group.
The space here was vast, with a dome reaching a thousand feet high, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people without feeling crowded.
The stone walls emitted a bright light, as if inlaid with Night Pearls, illuminating the cave dwelling brightly and clearly.
The crowd resembled a swarm of flying insects, racing through the air, diving into beehive-like small rooms.
There were many of these small rooms, presumably the residences of disciples from years past. People came and went, and occasionally the roar of corpse puppets and the sounds of fighting could be heard.
The corpse puppets seemed endless, constantly emerging from the ground, requiring constant vigilance to avoid being ambushed.
"Boom!!"
Zhang Tie punched open a room door, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out. The remaining people surged in.
Xu Hei casually found an open room to investigate, discovering it was an abandoned medicinal garden. The medicinal herbs had long been scavenged, and even most of the soil had been taken away.
"The open ones have almost all been searched; I must find one that hasn't been opened yet."
Xu Hei quickly made up his mind.
He left the room, setting his sights on a sealed door ahead.
At this moment, five rogue cultivators were gathered there, attacking the door together.
Xu Hei flew forward, arriving nearby.
The group immediately stopped their actions, and a middle-aged cultivator looked over, saying coldly, "This fellow Daoist doesn't seem to be under the Chu Tian Alliance, does he?"
"That's right," Xu Hei nodded.
"Then get lost!" the middle-aged cultivator shouted coldly.
The others also looked unfriendly, moving closer. Their rule was internal unity, but if outsiders dared to snatch treasures, they would kill without mercy.
Xu Hei glanced around, noticing many people could see this place, and made a decision in his heart.
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"Alright."
Xu Hei nodded and quickly backed away.
"Hmph, doesn't know what's good for him," the middle-aged cultivator snorted coldly.
"I know that guy. We asked him before if he wanted to join, and he actually refused. Never seen someone so stupid," a thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator sneered.
"Not joining is good too, one less person to compete with," another laughed.
At this moment, the group once again joined forces, striking the door.
This time, the door instantly opened, shattered into pieces.
The moment the door opened!
A dark shadow darted inside at an incredibly fast speed, and they only felt a gust of wind pass by, not even knowing who it was.
"Not good, someone got in first!"
"Chase!"
Everyone's expressions changed, and they all rushed into the room.
According to the original plan, someone should have stayed at the door to guard against corpse puppets appearing from behind, but now that someone had gotten ahead of them, they couldn't care less and all surged forward.
Inside the room was an untouched pill refining room.
A thick layer of dust covered the floor, but the equipment was well-preserved, and an ancient seal still remained on one of the counters.
They looked around but found no sign of anyone.
Xu Hei was already standing behind them, blocking the exit.
"It's you!"
The thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator's pupils shrank.
The middle-aged cultivator wasted no time, attacking the moment he saw Xu Hei, a large seal falling from above, smashing towards Xu Hei's head.
This situation was one he had encountered many times, always striking first. Whoever hesitated would suffer, clearly an experienced person.
"Ji Ying, leave no one alive!"
Xu Hei said coldly, just a fraction slower than the man, as he needed to set the seal and block the exit.
"Ah!!"
The middle-aged cultivator screamed, clutching his head and falling to the ground, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, quickly having his brain devoured by Ji Ying, the large seal falling powerlessly.
The remaining people were horrified, but their actions were not slow, launching various attacks at Xu Hei.
Xu Hei's figure instantly disintegrated, his physical body smashed to pieces, leaving nothing behind.
But before they could celebrate, they saw Xu Hei appear once again.
What had just disappeared was only an afterimage.
"Falling Stars!"
Xu Hei unleashed a spell at the peak of Foundation Establishment, meteors falling one by one, crashing onto their heads, but various magical treasures emerged, water rippling, light shields endlessly cycling.
This spell, capable of killing at the peak of Foundation Establishment, didn't kill a single person!
Xu Hei gradually realized that the rogue cultivators who made it here were no ordinary people, each having some skills, their combat power not to be underestimated.
Countless attacks came once again, but Xu Hei's Ever-changing Fish and Dragon was masterful, leaving behind hundreds of afterimages, none of which were hit.
"Kill!"
Xu Hei's figure flashed, charging at one person, simultaneously releasing three flying swords: Breaking Spirit, Burning Heaven, and Extreme Freeze.
Even the Mountain-Covering Mud from before was thrown out by Xu Hei, flung towards a cultivator.
After reaching the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, Xu Hei's True Qi had increased significantly, allowing him to use various magical treasures simultaneously.
"Thud!"
Three flying swords instantly pierced through one person, but Xu Hei himself missed, crashing into the wall, the opponent using some trick to disrupt Xu Hei's movements.
The remaining three, seeing Xu Hei was not easy to deal with, all ran towards the door at the same time, intending to escape.
They were just a rabble, and when faced with a strong enemy, no one wanted to fight to the death; they all chose to flee.
"Ji Ying, stop eating and kill them for me!" Xu Hei cursed angrily.
At this moment, Ji Ying, still gnawing on the brain, reluctantly rushed out, once again drilling into someone's ear, that person not even realizing what happened before convulsing and falling.
The remaining two, the thick-browed, big-eyed cultivator was held back by the Mountain-Covering Mud, unable to advance.
The last person finally reached the door, easily breaking the seal with a flying nail.
At this moment, behind the seal, a tall, twisted figure rose from the ground, blocking the way—it was the butcher!