The 24 True Ones of the 8 Mirror god in the 3 divisions had all been opened!
It still took time.
Chen Sanshi could feel the spirit shrines that had originally been scattered throughout his body becoming completely linked as one, yin and yang complementing each other, generation upon generation without end.
[Cultivation Method: Dragon Scripture (True Force late stage)]
[Progress: 0/500]
[Effect: Taking Fire]
[Taking Fire: Temper the body with law, and wield all manner of flames.]
True Force late stage!
Chen Sanshi looked at his left hand and mobilized the spirit shrines within his body. True Force surged in his palm, warping the air, pure to the extreme.
Taking Fire.
Put simply, it meant he could overlay the fire of mana onto his True Force, thereby using different kinds of True Force flames to attack.
From this point on, his martial path would no longer be limited to the Heaven-Scorching Fire alone.
Chen Sanshi took a deep breath and mobilized all the True Force in his body. After being washed through the mirror god, it fused again with the flames stored by the Swallowing Fire Art.
"Boom—"
Orange-yellow flames soared up, within them seeming to be tens of thousands of ferocious beasts stampeding.
Myriad Beast Fierce Flame!
Under the enhancement of this fire, combined with the Extreme Dao Divine Ability, even the Dragon Gall Silver Spear Technique became fiercer and more violent.
Yin Soul Nether Flame!
The moment he drew on that flame, vengeful ghosts and yin souls immediately wrapped around the spear shaft and spearhead. When he used the Extreme Dao Divine Ability, the spear technique became even more sinister and ruthless.
Three kinds of flame meant three different spear styles, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Used at will, they would surely display even greater power.
Extinguishing the strange flames and putting away his spear, Chen Sanshi felt the even fuller power inside his body. He relaxed slightly, but that relief was quickly replaced by even greater unease.
Still not enough!
At the very least, his immortal cultivation also had to reach Foundation Establishment middle stage, and then he still needed to find a way to deal with the trouble named Shouzhongzi.
Over the years, Chen Sanshi had racked his brains using his past experience in marching and warfare. If faced with an army guarding its headquarters that could not possibly be defeated head-on, yet victory required capturing that headquarters, what should one do?
Without reinforcements, there was probably only a single strategy.
Lure the tiger away from the mountain!
It was just that...
He had already tried something similar years ago at Luoxia Mountain, but it had not worked. It was probably not that simple. At the root of it, the matter simply had not been serious enough.
After all, the Luoxia Mountain auction had never been anything particularly important to begin with. As far as Shouzhongzi was concerned, if those people died, then they died. It had no real effect.
If he wanted to lure him away, then either a person of comparable strength had to make a move, or trouble had to appear somewhere else that Shouzhongzi absolutely had to handle.
For example...
Making something happen to the disciples under his sect once again?
Chen Sanshi remembered that after the incident in the Nine Nether Forbidden Land, Shouzhongzi had personally gone to inspect the situation for a short while. If it happened again...
He began quietly turning a plan over in his heart. At the same time, he intended to first settle the matter of the teleportation formation, since the 5-year deadline was drawing closer and closer.
Also, two days ago, the Bai family had said that the Phoenix Luan Stone Beast had been successfully ripened ahead of schedule and could now be used for pill refinement.
Chen Sanshi ended his secluded cultivation and informed Bai Chaotong, asking her to tell her father to help retrieve the medicinal ingredients from the medicine valley.
Come to think of it, more than 2 years ago, the Bai family had already resolved to send Bai Chaotong and Bai Ange away first. No one had objected during the meeting, but in private it seemed to have stirred up quite a disturbance, which was why the two of them were still temporarily in Dusk Valley.
"The Phoenix Luan Stone Beast?"
After hearing this, Bai Chaotong recalled, "Father was asking a few days ago when Senior Xiao would need it so he could send it over. But seeing that you had been in seclusion the whole time, I didn't dare disturb you. I'll go look for Father right now."
"Laowu!!!"
As the two were speaking, a shout suddenly came from the direction of the ancestral hall.
"Fifth Uncle?"
Bai Chaotong immediately said, "Senior Xiao, we need to go take a look."
Dusk Valley had not been peaceful lately. There was no need for her to say it; Chen Sanshi was already flying toward the source of the voice on his sword.
"It's in the underground prison!"
Bai Chaotong spoke as she led the way ahead.
The underground prison beneath the ancestral hall was basically used to detain enemies of the clan, or demonic cultivators captured in the past.
In a few rare cases, it was also used to punish clansmen who had committed grave offenses.
The prison cages had all been forged from a special iron ore used for crafting magic artifacts, their surfaces engraved with dense, countless runes. Anyone imprisoned there would be pierced through various acupoints and the dantian by magic artifacts, leaving them unable to use mana.
Ever since Bai Laowu had been discovered secretly corresponding with outsiders and attempting to scheme for the clan's treasure, he had been imprisoned there.
And at this very moment...
Everyone in the entire underground prison had become dried corpses, including Bai Laowu himself!
The demonic cultivators had never stopped killing people. Deaths occurred basically every month, and every corpse looked exactly the same as Bai Xifeng had when he died.
"Laowu!"
Bai Laoqi rushed into the cell. Seeing the dried corpse on the ground, his eyes nearly split apart in rage and grief, and he was overcome with sorrow.
"What happened?"
Bai Linxun and the others hurried over. When they saw the horrific scene inside the underground prison, all of them froze in place.
"Even the several guest elders responsible for guarding the prison are dead..."
"These demonic cultivators have truly become more and more rampant lately. What kind of upper sect is Shengyun Sect? After all this time, they still haven't managed to find the root of the problem!"
"They're short on manpower. It's said that along Heavenly Water Isle's border, there have also always been frictions with the demon race and the yao race, so for a remote place like our Northern Yang Dao, so long as it doesn't threaten the layout at Daze Main Peak, probably no one is willing to bother with this bit of 'trivial nonsense.'"
"Laowu?!"
Bai family head Bai Liangbi arrived belatedly. He stepped into the prison cell, looked at the corpse on the ground, and roared, "Where is he? Has anyone found where the person went?!"
"No."
Bai Laosi, who had arrived first, shook his head. "When I got here, it was already like this. We also searched the area around the valley and found no trace at all."
"If this vengeance is not avenged, I would rather die!"
Bai Liangbi said in a deep voice.
"Laoda, stop pretending to be a cat weeping over a dead mouse!"
Bai Laoqi cursed loudly. "If you hadn't insisted on locking Laowu in the underground prison, would something like this have happened?!"
Bai Liangbi looked at the corpse and said nothing.
"Laoda! Stop persisting!"
Bai Laoqi cried out in grief. "Can't you see it yet? They've already started making their move against us. One dies today, another tomorrow. If this keeps going, our Bai family won't have anyone left!"
"That's right, Eldest Uncle."
Bai Ansheng, Bai Laowu's eldest son, knelt beside the corpse and wept bitterly. "It was never something that belonged to our family in the first place, so why must we forcibly keep it—"
"Laoda."
Even Bai Laoliu, who was usually taciturn, could not help but speak. "Otherwise, listen to Seventh Brother's advice. If we hand the thing over to them now and immediately move the whole clan away, that would be the best possible strategy."
"Family Head!"
"Laoda!"
Bai Laowu's death seemed to have greatly shaken the Bai family clansmen. On their faces, one could clearly see fear!
They were afraid.
The Bai family truly feared that if this continued, everyone would die.
"Enough!"
Bai Liangbi cut everyone off with a dark expression. "Whoever dares bring this matter up again will be dealt with under clan law! Lao'er, give Laowu a proper burial, and give the slot for Chaotong to go to Shengyun Sect to Ansheng instead"
"Daoist Friend Xiao, a word in private."
After saying this, he led "Xiao Feng" out of the underground prison.
Once it was quiet around them, Bai Liangbi said, "Daoist Friend Xiao, you came to find me to retrieve the Phoenix Luan Stone Beast, didn't you? I had it prepared for you long ago."
He took out a storage bag from his sleeve.
Chen Sanshi accepted the storage bag and probed it with his divine sense. He discovered that in only a few short years, the originally crimson Phoenix Luan Stone Beast had become covered in a faint layer of purple, and the medicinal power and spiritual energy it emitted far surpassed what it had before.
For heavenly materials and earthly treasures, "1,000 years" was equivalent to Foundation Establishment for cultivators—a tremendously important threshold. Once crossed, it would undergo a qualitative transformation.
With this Phoenix Luan Stone Beast to refine various kinds of Breakthrough Pills, not only could he solve the teleportation formation problem, he himself could also break through to Foundation Establishment middle stage within the next year.
"Many thanks, Family Head Bai."
Chen Sanshi cupped his fist.
"There are also some medicinal ingredients here. Later, I will accompany Daoist Friend in refining them together."
As Bai Liangbi spoke, he handed over another storage bag.
Chen Sanshi opened it and immediately his expression changed slightly. "These yin-sha medicinal ingredients probably took even more effort to cultivate than the Phoenix Luan Stone Beast, didn't they? And the pills Family Head Bai has asked me to refine lately all have considerable side effects as well. I know I should not speak too much, but as fellow allies, I still feel it is necessary to offer a well-intentioned reminder."
Aside from the Fierce Flood Dragon Nourishing Foul Pill, over these 2 years he had also successively helped refine demonic-path pills such as Black Sha Pill and Blood Transformation Pellet.
Because these few pills were extremely difficult to refine, Bai Liangbi had not even been able to help by adding ingredients into the pill furnace, and could only lay out the pill formulas in full.
"Yes."
Bai Liangbi gave a bitter laugh and said, "The side effects are great, but the effects of the pills are extraordinary as well."
Of course they were. In just a few years, he had surged from True Force late stage to True Force Perfection.
This was not something Chen Sanshi could state outright.
Given the current situation in Dusk Valley, even if Bai Liangbi truly had gone to cultivate some kind of demonic art, Chen Sanshi could understand it...
After all, how a demonic art is used ultimately depends on the person.
Inside Little Zhuzi's Ten Thousand Souls Banner lived only utterly heinous people.
Moreover, the Yin Gui Breathing Method cultivated by that old ancestor of the Ling family, Ling Kui, back then actually required the blood of women born in a yin year, yin month, and yin day in order to succeed. Yet he had done it only to protect his family's inheritance, and would even cut off his own future because of it.
Presumably...
As the family head, Bai Liangbi was faced with the current situation, and with his brothers also divided in opinion, this was likely a helpless measure taken under immense pressure.
"As for refining these pills, I ask Daoist Friend Xiao to keep it secret for me."
Bai Liangbi said, "If there are any medicinal ingredients you need, so long as they do not affect my original arrangements, feel free to tell me."
"No problem."
Chen Sanshi agreed.
The two of them, now completely familiar with the process, entered the alchemy room.
In a flash, more than 10 days passed.
"It's done."
After seeing Family Head Bai off, Chen Sanshi looked at the Breakthrough Pill in his hand. "It is also time to meet Daoist Friend Qu and take care of the matter old man Mo Zhu entrusted to me."
Without the slightest delay, he disguised himself as Mo Zhu and set out for Daze Market. Then, through an intermediary, he called Qu Lingchuan and the others to a nearby mortal town.
"Long time no see, fellow Daoists."
Chen Sanshi lifted the teapot and poured tea for the 3 people opposite him one by one.
This time, he had called over all 3 from Little Bamboo Peak: Qu Lingchuan, Deng Wuchang, and Zinan.
"Heh, old Xiao, old Xiao, your guts really are big enough."
Deng Wuchang had kept the secret of the other party's identity as Chen Lei all along, and teased, "Quite a few people have died in Northern Yang Dao lately. Even several from Shengyun Sect are dead. Was that your doing?"
"It wasn't before, but it might be me afterward."
Chen Sanshi held his teacup. "Brother Deng, want to come along and do another job with me?"
"Give me a break."
On the surface, Deng Wuchang waved his hands repeatedly, then secretly transmitted his voice: "Can this kind of thing be said out loud? Have you gone stupid from eating? That Qu Lingchuan hasn't even worked with us before. He's still one of the Li family's people. Be careful he doesn't report you.
"Also, what's the price this time? Shengyun Sect's people aren't easy to kill. That old thing Shouzhongzi sits at Daze Main Peak every day. Moving against them is extremely risky. You'll need to pay more!"
"Heh..."
Chen Sanshi ignored him and instead looked at the woman. "Miss Zinan, since you came today, does that mean everything has been prepared?"
"It has."
Zinan handed over a storage bracelet and transmitted her voice, "A total of 5 warships, 1 large and 4 small. The large ship can carry a bit over 2,000 people. Together with the small ships, carrying 3,000 people will not be a problem."
"Only 3,000 people?"
Chen Sanshi calculated inwardly. "Can you build a few more? I'll find a way to get the materials for you."
"That truly won't do. It is not only that there aren't enough materials; there also isn't enough time."
Zinan shook her head. "In order to build that large ship, I have already delayed my cultivation quite a bit over these past 2 years. Please... forgive me, Daoist Friend."
"All right."
Chen Sanshi felt it was a pity.
But counting the original ships, transporting more than 5,000 people in one go, with the Heavenly Book formation, would still barely be enough.
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Zinan."
As he spoke, he offered the payment he had originally promised, and in addition gave several highly valuable pills.
"Many thanks, Daoist Friend Xiao."
Zinan's expression brightened with delight.
"You two."
Watching them secretly transmitting their voices, Qu Lingchuan could not help but say, "It's not just Daoist Friend Xiao who has guts. You two aren't bad either. Shengyun Sect has been searching for him like mad these past few years. If they discover that you've been working for him..."
"Daoist Friend Qu."
Chen Sanshi took out a storage bag. "This is the thing you wanted."
"Oh?"
Qu Lingchuan picked up the storage bag and sent his divine sense inside. When he saw the Breakthrough Pill floating in the dark space, his body visibly stiffened.
A supreme-grade second-tier Breakthrough Pill made from a large quantity of precious materials!
Back then, he had only mentioned it casually, intending to use it as an excuse to refuse the other party's invitation. He had never expected it to actually be obtained.
"Daoist Friend Xiao."
Qu Lingchuan said, "It seems Daoist Friend got quite a lot of good things in the Nine Nether Forbidden Land a few years ago."
He too had gone to take part, but his gains had been meager. Later, when the forbidden land collapsed, he had nearly lost his life because of it.
"Since I promised Daoist Friend, naturally I had to do my utmost to accomplish it."
Chen Sanshi transmitted his voice. "Now that Daoist Friend has received the item, can you fulfill what you promised last time?"
Qu Lingchuan weighed the storage bag in his hand back and forth. After pondering for a moment, he sent his voice into Chen Sanshi's ear, repeating his previous words: "It seems the amount of heavenly materials and earthly treasures that emerged from the Nine Nether Forbidden Land this time was truly quite considerable..."
The meaning behind his words was clear: he was raising the price on the spot.
Chen Sanshi understood what he meant.
Since he needed to rely on others, it was not good for him to show resentment. He only said, "Daoist Friend may as well speak plainly. What else do you need? I will certainly do my utmost to satisfy it."