"Zheng Xiangzhu, save me..."
Zhou Kai writhed on the ground in agony.
"Be calm. You took Qi Blood Pills to forcibly raise your Cultivation. Your qi and blood were insufficient, so you're suffering a backlash from the Cultivation Technique. Just endure it, and it'll pass."
Zheng Qi said slowly, in no particular hurry.
Zhou Kai, in excruciating pain, finally realized. 'So you knew all along the Qi Blood Pills had side effects, and you still had us take out a loan for our cultivation?'
'Those bastards, Wang Jian and Zheng Qi! A pair of vile animals colluding in evil!'
The other Demon Cultivators couldn't help but curse them in their hearts.
The Demon Cultivators who hadn't chosen the first two Cultivation Techniques showed looks of ecstatic relief, as if they had just survived a disaster. An immense sense of good fortune welled up in their hearts.
'Good thing I didn't take out a loan!'
'Otherwise, I'd be the one suffering right now.'
One Demon Disciple was inwardly gloating, feeling incredibly fortunate. 'This bunch of borrowers are such suckers. They didn't just become Puppets saddled with huge debt, they also got hit by a Cultivation Technique backlash. A truly double loss.'
Just then, Li Fan, who was circulating the *Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs Flame* as the Cultivation Technique required, suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. His joy had turned to sorrow.
The shriek was so sharp it drowned out the cries of Xiao Ran and Zhou Kai, piercing the heavens.
"AAAAAH!"
The next moment, a spray of shimmering blue Nether Ghost Fire erupted from within Li Fan's Dantian, leaving a bloody, mangled mess.
SIZZLE!
An expression of terror filled Li Fan's face. His True Essence surged as he desperately tried to extinguish the explosive Nether Ghost Fire.
But the shimmering blue Nether Ghost Fire spun out of control. Adding True Essence was like pouring oil on the flames, only making it burn more intensely.
Like maggots on a corpse, the fire clung to him, burning furiously from his lower abdomen before spreading to his eyes, his nose, his ears... his every orifice.
In the end, his entire body was engulfed in the ghostly blue fire, transforming him into a human torch.
BOOM!
With a loud bang, all of Li Fan's flesh, blood, and organs were incinerated, leaving only a crystalline white skeleton that crashed to the floor.
A single, bewitching, ghostly blue flame hovered silently in the air.
Following Li Fan, several more Demon Disciples were consumed by the ghostly blue fire.
In the end, all thirty-some Demon Disciples cultivating the *Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs Flame* suffered cultivation deviation and died, their bodies barely producing nine wisps of Nether Ghost Fire through the Refinement.
Wisps of ghostly blue flame floated within the Scripture Pavilion, radiating a biting chill. The temperature instantly plummeted, creating a bizarre and horrifying scene.
"They... just died like that?"
Zhao Youliang's eyes widened in utter shock.
The Demon Disciples stared at one another, not daring to even breathe.
The air seemed to freeze.
They couldn't believe that people who had been perfectly fine moments before could suddenly be reduced to gleaming white skeletons.
Remnants of ghostly blue flame marks, each unique, lingered on the skeletons—proof that they had cultivated the *Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs Flame* in life.
"Heheheh!"
Zheng Qi grinned.
With a grand wave of his hand, he brandished a black Soul Banner that swirled with Demonic Qi.
Instantly, the sound of wailing ghosts and howling wolves filled the air.
Countless ghostly faces surfaced on the Soul Banner as fine, thread-like bloodlines spread across it.
A massive suction force surged forth. Like a great whale drinking the sea, Zheng Qi opened his mouth wide and inhaled the thirty-odd bewitching, ghostly blue flames that had been the Demon Disciples.
Outside the Scripture Pavilion, Wang Jian noticed the changes inside.
As if he had expected it all along, a look of envy crossed Wang Jian's face.
'Guarding the Scripture Pavilion really is the fastest way to increase one's Cultivation.'
'My guess was right. Senior Brother Zheng's Foundation Establishment is just days away.'
He looked down at the ancient jade bottle in his palm.
'Still, Senior Brother Zheng is a man of his word. Twelve Qi Blood Pills for a bottle of Blood Essence Pills. With this, I'm not far from the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer... Heheheh.'
A wanton smile spread across Wang Jian's lips.
Pitiful Li Fan and the others died without ever knowing that long before they had entered, Wang Jian had already "sold" them to Zheng Qi for a high price.
...
「Inside the Scripture Pavilion.」
Zheng Qi sat cross-legged on the high platform, his aura climbing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He held his palm in a loose fist, his True Essence surging. The Soul Banner quivered, the countless fine blood threads upon it weaving together to form a hideous and terrifying ghostly face.
Streams of pure, crimson Spiritual Blood flew out from the Blood Pool, landing on the Soul Banner.
Zheng Qi's eyes snapped open, two sharp glints of light bursting from them.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi stirred.
"This junior, Zheng Qi, has guarded the Outer Sect's Scripture Pavilion for twelve years and obtained a total of 3,600 Netherworld Lotus Fires. Today, I seek to attain the Divine Technique [Netherworld Flame]! I pray for the Saint Venerable's grace, to be granted a Position!"
RUMBLE!
Ripples spread through the air.
In the unseen ether, it was as if a powerful being had descended, sending forth a one-ten-millionth sliver of its Divine Sense.
A vast and mighty pressure washed over them. The Cultivation of Zhou Kai, Zhao Youliang, and the others was too low; they lost consciousness instantly.
Xiao Ran fared no better, and was knocked unconscious by the force.
Only Qin Xuan, with his abundant qi and blood, remained conscious, though a trickle of crimson blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
Yet his eyes shone with a faint light.
A flash of insight struck him. 'The Seventh-Grade Opportunity my Golden Finger mentioned... it seems it's about to appear right now!'
Behind Zheng Qi, a massive and bewitching thirty-six-petaled, ghostly blue lotus Dharma Aspect gradually materialized.
On every petal of the lotus burned at least a hundred wisps of what looked like solid Nether Ghost Fire.
Looking closely, one could even see the struggling figure of Li Fan's soul trapped within one of the flames.
At the same time, an identical ghostly blue lotus Dharma Aspect was deeply imprinted upon Qin Xuan's sea of consciousness.
To be precise, this lotus couldn't be called a Dharma Aspect; it was merely a transparent, illusory shadow of a flower.
Of its thirty-six petals, one was one-tenth solidified.
This tenth of a petal seemed born from the Netherworld itself, composed entirely of ghostly blue fire. It burned fiercely, waves of fire pulsing from it, radiating a sinister, cold aura.
[Taiwu's Secret Heart Scripture of the Lotus]
Qin Xuan instantly understood.
This was an Earth Tier Lower Grade Technique that contained a Position. It used Nether Ghost Fire as its foundation and the visualization of the Taiwu Nether Lotus as its Dharma Gate, capable of massively increasing one's cultivation speed.
Cultivating it to the stage of Great Success would even allow one to comprehend the Foundation Establishment Position [Netherworld Flame], a direct path to the Golden Core Dao!
'A full 3,600 Nether Ghost Fires... That means over twelve years, Zheng Qi has conned at least ten thousand Demon Cultivators to their deaths.'
Simply by chance, by imprinting just one-three-hundred-and-sixtieth of this Divine Technique's phantom, Qin Xuan felt his mind clear and his internal True Essence swell.
As he visualized the phantom of the Nether Lotus Dharma Aspect in his mind, his speed of devouring the surrounding Demonic Qi accelerated. Qi Cultivation Third Layer—breakthrough!
At his waist, three-tenths of his Lifebound Iron Sword also turned an ancient bronze color.
He couldn't imagine how fast his promotions would be if he mastered the complete Nether Lotus Dharma Aspect.
Besides Qin Xuan, the other Demon Disciples also benefited to varying degrees.
However, most were merely touched by the dissipating Demonic Qi, their Cultivation advancing only slightly—nothing compared to the benefits Qin Xuan had reaped.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Zheng, on attaining a Divine Power Position! In a matter of days, you shall step into the Foundation Establishment Realm!"
"Congratulations to the Inner Sect's Ten Thousand Laws Altar for gaining another Foundation Establishment Ascendant!"
Majestic phantoms emerged from the second, third, and even higher floors of the Scripture Pavilion. Some smiled warmly while others spoke with cold indifference. They stood suspended in the air, radiating immense auras. Every one of them was a Foundation Establishment Ascendant from the Holy Sect, stationed to guard the Scripture Pavilion!
Unfortunately, a layer of mist shrouded each of their faces, obscuring their features.
Zheng Qi cupped his fists and bowed his head. "Zheng Qi thanks his Senior Brothers."
...
The spectacular scene of Zheng Qi attaining his Divine Power Position left a deep impression on everyone.
Even after returning to the Demon Disciple Dormitory that evening, many were still reeling from the shock, unable to shake the feeling.
But now, in the previously empty dormitory, stood an old man. He had appeared at some unknown moment, his face gloomy, his body gaunt and skeletal, like a withered husk.
Wang Jian's figure had also reappeared at some point.
"This is Instructor Li Cang, a cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer. He will be responsible for teaching you all how to cultivate Demon Skills."
"If you have any questions, you can ask him."
Hearing this, Zhou Kai and the others felt a chill in their hearts.
'This Instructor Li is actually at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer! His Cultivation is even higher than Steward Wang's!'
Li Cang had a large frame, but he was severely stooped, looking to be at least eighty years old. His face was a roadmap of deep wrinkles, and he completely lacked the vibrant qi and blood of Wang Jian and Zheng Qi.
He looked frail and sickly, a man with one foot in the grave. He was the spitting image of a corpse that had just crawled out of its own tomb.
Li Cang sized up Qin Xuan and Xiao Ran, then cracked a sinister, chilling smile.
"Not bad. It seems the quality of this batch of Demon Disciples is very high."
"I have some potions here, 10 Contribution Points a bowl. Whoever wants one can come and get it."
Hearing this, Zhao Youliang and the others instantly shuddered.
Their immediate, subconscious assumption was that this Instructor Li was cut from the same cloth as Wang Jian—another scoundrel out to cheat them!
Li Cang couldn't be bothered to explain. With a wave of his hand, a dark light flashed, and a Giant Bronze Cauldron, bubbling and gurgling, instantly appeared before the Demon Disciples.
...
The Demon Disciples' stomachs immediately churned, and some even threw up on the spot.
'Fucking hell, you call *this* a potion?'
'This disgusting filth? Forget paying 10 Contribution Points for it, we wouldn't touch it even if you paid *us* 10 Contribution Points!'
Xiao Ran, in particular, turned his head away, refusing to even look at it.
At this moment, the sphere of light in Qin Xuan's mind flashed again.
From within it flew out three ancient bamboo slips.
[Middle-Upper Draw: Take a loan of 10 Contribution Points to purchase a bowl of Bone-Scraping Yin Moss Soup. Your Cultivation Technique practice will become twice as effective, and you will earn Instructor Li's favor. Auspicious.]
[Middle-Middle Draw: Refuse the purchase. Nothing gained, nothing lost. Neutral.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Refuse the purchase, show open resistance and disgust. This will displease Instructor Li, and you will suffer bitterly. Inauspicious.]