Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World(101-110) (Patreon)

Chapter 101: Come Out, No More Hiding

Chu Xuan was able to swiftly defeat Duan Feipeng, who was in the same realm, for several reasons.

Firstly, in the prior combat, Duan Feipeng had already expended a considerable amount of his Spiritual Qi and had even deployed his most powerful attack spells.

This was precisely why Chu Xuan had remained passive, biding his time. If the opponent did not deploy their skills, he would not enter the fray.

Secondly, Duan Feipeng could not have anticipated that Chu Xuan possessed the Merit Bell, a top-grade magic tool, nor could he have foreseen the terrifying extent of Chu Xuan's merit, completely misjudging his defense.

Otherwise, Duan Feipeng would have at least been able to retaliate, instead of being so severely injured by Chu Xuan right from the start, rendered utterly incapable of fighting back.

...

Treading through a mixture of blood and mud, Chu Xuan advanced slowly. Ahead, beside the charred corpse of Liu Zhenxiong, lay a figure.

"You actually... shattered my lifebound magic tool! I will kill you! Kill you!"

He roared, plunging a dagger viciously into the charred corpse. The voice was familiar to Chu Xuan—it was Wu Teng.

The footsteps behind him alerted Wu Teng. He sprang up, his pale face twisting into a smile, "Senior Brother Duan, you've returned from slaying Li Xuanming…"

His words trailed off, stuck in his throat, as his smile froze like ice.

"Chu... Chu Xuan?"

A smile uglier than bitterness itself contorted Wu Teng's face.

He was no fool. Although he had been thrown far away by Liu Zhenxiong and had not witnessed Chu Xuan joining the battle or his successive slaying of Li Xuanming and Duan Feipeng, he could guess. Chu Xuan's presence here meant that the situation had spiraled beyond their plans.

"Junior Brother Chu, you're still alive, thank heavens! Liu Zhenxiong, that traitor, caused my lifebound magic tool to be destroyed! Where is our senior brother? Is he safe from Duan Feipeng's pursuit?"

Wu Teng was filled with righteous indignation. Chu Xuan approached him with a slight smile.

Suddenly, the Yin Evil Demon Claw appeared and clenched Wu Teng's head.

And then, before his horrified eyes...

Chu Xuan crushed it completely.

With a crack, like a ripe persimmon smashing onto the ground, juices and pulp flew everywhere.

Of course, Chu Xuan still took care to collect his body, throwing it into the Tower.

"You... you demon cultivator of the Extreme Yin Cave!"

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators widened their eyes, hurriedly attempting to flee. But they were quickly overtaken by Chu Xuan, who crushed their heads as well.

Afterward, Chu Xuan cleaned up the scene, throwing all the cultivators' bodies into the Tower. He collected all their storage bags.

Ensuring nothing was overlooked, Chu Xuan then returned to Liu Zhenxiong's charred corpse.

Even in death, Liu Zhenxiong maintained the state of his Dark Beast Demon Body, making his body extremely large, more beast than man.

"Senior Brother, you are too kind to be a demonic cultivator. Perhaps if you had joined one of the righteous five sects initially, your fate would be far better than it is now."

Chu Xuan sighed softly. He could have tossed Liu Zhenxiong's body into the Tower, either to nurture corpse puppets or to breed Gu insects.

But he chose not to. The bodies of Foundation Establishment cultivators were numerous; one more or less made little difference.

Yet, a kind demon cultivator like Liu Zhenxiong might be the only one in this world.

He placed Liu Zhenxiong's body into a storage bag by itself, planning to take it back to the Extreme Yin Cave for a proper burial.

"Stop hiding, come out."

Chu Xuan spoke nonchalantly, not even turning his head.

"Ha ha ha, you caught me after all."

Han Liuyun leapt down from the top of a giant tree, revealing a smile.

He was somewhat panic-stricken. His employer was Duan Feipeng, and he had been searching for Duan Feipeng's whereabouts just before finding this battleground.

Upon arriving, however, he discovered Duan Feipeng barely clinging to life, closely guarded by two corpse generals. The one who survived was Chu Xuan, who appeared virtually unharmed.

Who was truly the genius here?

Han Liuyun's mind seemed overwhelmed.

Chu Xuan asked calmly, "How much did you see?"

Han Liuyun shook his head, "When I arrived, Duan Feipeng was already in this state; I saw none of your trump cards. If you don't believe me, I can swear an oath on my inner demons."

Chu Xuan shook his head, "No need, you surely have ways to circumvent such oaths."

Han Liuyun just smiled, saying nothing.

Chu Xuan casually asked, "How was your harvest?"

Han Liuyun smiled, "Six Foundation Establishment corpses, eight storage bags, not too bad."

The two made sporadic conversation, yet maintained a cautious distance.

After a moment, Chu Xuan erased all traces left at the scene, then finally looked towards Han Liuyun.

Han Liuyun smiled, "Leaving?"

Chu Xuan nodded.

"Next time we meet, perhaps we can cooperate," Han Liuyun chuckled.

"Definitely next time," Chu Xuan responded noncommittally.

Both stepped back simultaneously, then quickly vanished into the forest.

On the main battlefield, the war among Qi Refining cultivators continued.

Unbeknownst to them, within the unseen woods, several Foundation Establishment cultivators had perished—including Duan Feipeng, one of the renowned Heavenly Seal Trio!

...

Chu Xuan did not rejoin the battle himself but released Long, Hu, and Bao to hunt down the Thousand Insects Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators. He stood on higher ground, surveying the distant conflict among the Golden Core cultivators.

It seemed likely that the Heavenly Seal Sect, Thousand Insects Sect, and Imperial Spirit Mountain would all enter the fray. Not to mention the Golden Core cultivators of Imperial Spirit Mountain, even those within the Heavenly Seal Sect might covet the precious treasure.

Even though Wan Wuying was well-prepared, Chu Xuan dared not conclude that Wan Wuying could win or even survive until the outcome was clear.

"If Wan Wuying dies, the Extreme Yin Cave will most likely be purged by the Heavenly Seal Sect. It would be wise to think of an escape route sooner rather than later. Yue Country is dominated by the Heaven Burning Sect alone; heading south to Yue Country to restart my demonic cultivation career is not out of the question.

However, I have heard that between Yu Country and Yue Country lies a boundless desert filled with demonic beasts, a challenge even for Golden Core cultivators to cross. Without a map to guide me through the oases for rest, my journey south would be exceedingly difficult."

Chu Xuan could not help but sigh. It wasn't that he didn't want to flee; his abilities simply did not permit it.

"If I ever get the chance, I must remember to collect a map."

Chu Xuan made a mental note of this. Just then, he saw two streaks of light suddenly join the distant battle.

"Eh? Two additional Golden Core cultivators? One of them feels familiar, like it's Zhao Wuya!"

Chu Xuan was surprised.

Were Zhao Wuya and Huang Yuanwu not recalled by the main hall of the Heavenly Seal Sect? Why had they joined the battle halfway through? Could this supposed switch in war leaders be merely a ruse by the Heavenly Seal Sect? Or perhaps it was Wan Wuying's own scheme?

Chu Xuan perked up. This development could tilt the battle of the Golden Core cultivators in Wan Wuying's favor.

Sure enough.

Not long after, the earth-shattering exchange of spells in the distance concluded.

A hundred breaths later, five figures streaked across the sky and landed on the main battlefield.

Leading were Wan Wuying, Zhao Wuya, Huang Yuanwu, and Chu Qiong!

Trailing them was Zhu Taiji.

However, Zhu Taiji was severely injured, having lost an arm—not as if it had been severed by a magic tool, but as though it had been violently torn off!

Their arrival greatly boosted the morale of the Heavenly Seal Sect cultivators.

The Thousand Insects Sect cultivators were terrified.

"Old Zhao, it's your turn," Wan Wuying said casually.

Zhao Wuya smiled, circulated his Spiritual Qi, and announced loudly, "The Thousand Insects Sect's Hundred Gu, Chaotic Blood, and Dry Bone demons have been slain! Disciples of the Thousand Insects Sect, surrender and you shall not be killed!"

His voice boomed like a great bell, resounding thunderously across the battlefield.

Chapter 102: The Great Battle Concluded

As the Golden Core cultivator fell, the Thousand Insects Sect's Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators immediately crumbled like a landslide. They surrendered in droves, and in the blink of an eye, the battlefield was filled with Thousand Insects Sect cultivators no longer resisting.

Chu Xuan, seeing that Wan Wuying was safe and sound, breathed a sigh of relief. His master was still alive; thankfully, there was no need to flee.

At that moment, a voice transmission echoed in his ear: "Come find me in the eastern forest."

Chu Xuan immediately headed there and found Wan Wuying looking somewhat pale.

Chu Xuan produced some healing pills. "Master, are you injured?"

Wan Wuying dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "Your healing pills are of no use to me; take them back."

Chu Xuan nodded, thinking he hadn't really planned to give them anyway—it was just for appearances.

Wan Wuying took several glossy pills and popped them into his mouth, gradually bringing some color back to his cheeks. He looked at Chu Xuan with a complex expression and after a long pause said, "Is it just you?"

Chu Xuan nodded.

"What happened? Tell me about it," Wan Wuying requested.

Chu Xuan recounted the battle in detail, not intending to lie, as Wan Wuying would surely find out the truth if he chose to investigate. He merely omitted that he harbored merit and had practiced the techniques of the Golden Dragon Temple.

"Wu Teng, that traitor, hmph, well killed. Liu Zhenxiong... sigh, he was always too naïve, too kind-hearted for demonic cultivation. Li Xuanming... he did nothing wrong; why did you kill him?" Wan Wuying looked at Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan replied calmly, "He did nothing wrong, but he might have treated me the same way in the future, so I killed him. Also, keeping him would have split the cultivation resources and attention you give to me. Better to focus all on one than to dilute the effect across two. It's better if there's only me."

Wan Wuying commented, "You're quite straightforward. The battle is over. I need to go back and heal. I'll emerge from seclusion after some time."

Chu Xuan started to speak, then hesitated.

Wan Wuying chuckled, "I know what you want to ask. The leaders of the Heavenly Seal Sect aren't fools; they guessed early on that Imperial Spirit Mountain was interfering. The supposed reassignment of Zhao Wuya and Huang Yuanwu was merely a ruse—they never left and stayed nearby.

Zhu Taiji, driven by personal desires, secretly collaborated with Imperial Spirit Mountain to attack his fellow sect members and even ordered his disciples to kill disciples from my Extreme Yin Cave.

He will be punished, and stripped of various resources and positions. However, as a Golden Core cultivator, the Heavenly Seal Sect won't be too harsh on him. They won't drive him away but will let him reflect on his actions, and perhaps one day, he will be sent to attack Imperial Spirit Mountain to redeem himself. Guo Zhen, too weak, was killed by me."

Wan Wuying clicked his tongue, "In my opinion, the elders of the Heavenly Seal Sect are still rigid in their ways. It would be better to let me slay Zhu Taiji and forge him into a Corpse Commander; far more useful than a rebellious Golden Core cultivator."

Chu Xuan chuckled softly, "The leaders of Heavenly Seal Sect fear you as well."

Wan Wuying snorted, "Of course I know that. They don't want me to become too powerful. But they still need to rely on me now and dare not treat me poorly.

This battle has indeed established the reputation of my Extreme Yin Cave. No one dares to provoke the tiger anymore. Just continue to act as usual during this time, and do not tarnish the name of Extreme Yin Cave."

Chu Xuan nodded, "Yes."

Wan Wuying then said, "You take care of cleaning up the battlefield. Don't waste so many corpses."

"Yes."

With that, Wan Wuying rode the black winds and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Chu Xuan felt a bit sentimental. His master was indeed reliable. A good thing indeed.

He diligently gathered his own resources, but nothing compared to the master directly bestowing him a trove of treasures.

...

The great battle thus concluded.

Over the lands of Wu Province, only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators led Qi Refining cultivators in resistance.

Additionally, the land was rife with poisonous creatures and demonic beasts.

These also needed time to be cleared. If not cleared, it was impossible to establish mundane cities. And without mundane cities, true dominion could not be discussed.

The Golden Core masters of the Heavenly Seal Sect naturally wouldn't spare the energy for such tasks.

These chores of clearing Gu cultivators, poisonous creatures, and demonic beasts, and establishing mundane cities, would all be delegated and completed by the disciples of the Heavenly Seal Sect.

A sect expands its territory step by step in this manner, growing ever more vast and formidable.

Chu Xuan was too lazy to care about these commissions.

Too troublesome. It was quicker to make money through looting.

Chu Xuan swiftly cleaned the battlefield before anyone else could react.

Nearly a thousand corpses were collected into the Corpse Nurturing Tower.

Chu Xuan, piloting the Green Shadow Shuttle, was about to return to the Water Curtain Cave. Then he heard an urgent shout from below.

"Uncle Master Chu!"

Looking down, it was Chen Ge, lying amidst a pile of corpses.

However, Chen Ge had lost his right arm. His body was also covered with numerous wounds.

Yet, his face was filled with joy. Clearly, he had reaped great rewards.

Seeing no one around, Chen Ge took a storage bag from his own, and respectfully presented it with both hands, whispering, "Uncle Master, this is a storage bag from a Thousand Insects Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator that I found. I didn't dare to keep it for myself. After much thought, I decided it should be presented to you."

Chu Xuan chuckled softly.

For this once junior brother, now a nephew disciple, he held a deep impression.

Now, Chen Ge's actions were quite commendable.

Chu Xuan casually accepted the storage bag, "Chen Ge, let's go. I'll accompany you part of the way. In the future, when you establish your own cultivator family, I will lend a helping hand."

Chen Ge was immensely moved, almost kneeling in gratitude, "Thank you, Uncle Master!"

He could have easily kept the storage bag for himself. The value inside would even surpass that of two or three dozen Qi Refining stage cultivators' storage bags combined.

Yet, after much deliberation, he decided to hand it over to Chu Xuan. Because he could see.

Out of the four Foundation Establishment cultivators from Extreme Yin Cave, now only Chu Xuan remained. He had outlived Li Xuanming, Liu Zhenxiong, and Wu Teng!

Why wouldn't he invest in such a person? Why not serve him?

A short while later, Chu Xuan set down Chen Ge at Plain City.

Chen Ge respectfully said, "Thank you, Uncle Master Chu. Once I recover from my injuries, I will start establishing my cultivator family."

Chu Xuan smiled, "Very good. Extreme Yin Cave needs to grow and thrive, and it requires your contributions of spiritual seedlings."

Chu Xuan watched him depart, then once again piloted the Green Shadow Shuttle into the wind. He quickly returned to the Water Curtain Cave.

...

On the Blue Star.

Chu Xuan opened each of the storage bags one by one.

The Thousand Insects Sect'a Gu cultivators were generally quite poor. Their spirit stones were few, but they possessed countless Gu insects and eggs.

The Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Heavenly Seal Sect, on the other hand, had considerably more substantial wealth. From their storage bags, Chu Xuan found many unexpected items.

Items like blood beads, Gu insects, demonic pills, and magic talismans—clearly all backup strategies and resources.

Yet, they hadn't even had a chance to use them before they met their demise.

Finally, two exquisite storage bags lay before him. One belonged to Li Xuanming. The other to Duan Feipeng.

The best was saved for last, a treat to be savored. These two storage bags were bound to be the most valuable!

"Time to open these blind boxes!"

Chapter 103: The Deal with Han Liuyun

Within Li Xuanming's storage bag, the spirit stones were surprisingly scant, amounting to just over three thousand small spiritual stones and about twenty to thirty medium spiritual stones.

Chu Xuan surmised that Li Xuanming had likely spent the spirit stones before the war, exchanging them for magic tools and other forms of immediate combat power.

As for magic tools, Chu Xuan found several high-grade defensive magic tools. There was also one top-grade defensive magic tool, a personal undergarment armor, although it had been damaged during the battle between Li Xuanming and Duan Feipeng.

However, the three secret techniques hidden by Li Xuanming piqued Chu Xuan's interest:

"Turtle Breath Technique," a high-grade Foundation Establishment stage cultivation method with three levels. It could completely conceal one's aura, making one appear as a mere mortal. When cultivated to its highest level, one could freely intensify or weaken their aura.

"Venom Scripture," which recorded over a hundred poison formulas, covering both Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, along with various methods of administering poisons.

Such esoteric and unorthodox methods were uniquely valuable to Chu Xuan. He had previously dabbled in the art of poison, but the poison techniques of the Infinite Sect were relatively mediocre. He had only explored them superficially and regretted not delving deeper. Now, a comprehensive manual on poisons was literally handed to him on a platter. There was no reason to let it slip away again.

"Complete Root Seizing Technique," which could extract another's spiritual root and transplant it into oneself. The more materials prepared, the more complete the extraction of the spiritual root. At its highest, it can fully seize another's spiritual root…"

Chu Xuan clicked his tongue. His own spiritual root was a mid-grade wood-leaning spiritual root. Hence, he had long prepared a secret technique to seize spiritual roots, although he had seldom had the chance to use it. Either there was no suitable target, or he lacked the necessary materials.

However, the technique he had only allowed for seizing up to fifty percent of another's spiritual root. For an ultimate thunder spiritual root like Duan Feipeng's, even if transplanted, it would likely degrade to a superior-grade thunder root.

But with this Complete Root Seizing Technique, he could potentially seize an ultimate thunder root in its entirety! Such an opportunity was monumental!

Chu Xuan carefully stored these items. Then, he opened Duan Feipeng's storage bag, and the contents left him astonished. Indeed, Duan was secretly regarded by many as the foremost among the "Three Scions of the Heavenly Seal." His wealth was astoundingly abundant! Chu had never seen such a well-stocked storage bag!

Small spiritual stones, six thousand!

Medium spiritual stones, two hundred!

Top-grade magic tools, two!

Foundation Establishment stage magic talismans, four!

Foundation Establishment stage beast spirit talismans produced by Imperial Spirit Mountain, eight!

Foundation Establishment stage demonic pills, one bottle!

Foundation Establishment stage healing pills, eight bottles!

Foundation Establishment stage killing arrays, defense arrays, and various special arrays, twelve in total!

Besides, there was an extensive collection of cultivation manuals. Heavenly Seal Sect, Thousand Insects Sect, Blood Fury Sect, and more… all included!

Clearly, these were the spoils of war Duan Feipeng had collected from slain enemies. Now, including Duan Feipeng himself, all these treasures had fallen into Chu Xuan's hands.

"Rich as Croesus," Chu Xuan marveled, clicking his tongue in wonder as he carefully stored away the treasures. He then began the process of seizing and transplanting spiritual roots.

The Complete Root Seizing Technique required three types of pills as mediators to excavate and hold the spiritual roots. Two of these pills were high-grade Foundation Establishment stage, and the third was even a top-grade Foundation Establishment stage pill. All of them possessed the properties to reinforce or even repair damaged spiritual roots, making them exceptionally expensive.

The high-grade Foundation Establishment stage pills each cost at least six hundred small spiritual stones, and the top-grade Foundation Establishment stage pill demanded a whopping eight hundred small spiritual stones—and even at that price, they were scarce. Ultimately, this was due to the rare ingredients required for their creation.

If Chu Xuan did not have the planet Blue Star as his backyard, with its abundance of zombies serving as furnaces to grow spiritual plants, he would have found it challenging to gather these essential pills.

"There are a few types of spiritual plant seeds I still need. I'll go buy them shortly. Let's plant these seeds now; in time, they will grow, and I can attempt to concoct the pills."

With that, Chu Xuan headed to the unnamed market to purchase the seeds.

...

In a tea house at the nameless market, Chu Xuan sat quietly on an armchair, eyes closed as if dozing.

The tea and snacks served by the female cultivator remained untouched. He was always cautious with anything not prepared under his watchful eye; if he could avoid eating, he would.

Moments later, a figure appeared on the third floor. Almost instantly as the footsteps sounded, Chu Xuan's eyes snapped open, his muscles tensing, nearly ready to trigger an attack spell.

The newcomer, seeing the fierce aura Chu Xuan exuded as if he was about to strike, seemed to recognize someone he had once fought!

In that instant, both recognized each other's true identity.

Tap, tap.

Han Liuyun's footsteps were steady and firm, yet he kept a distance from Chu Xuan. This time, he did not sit down in front of Chu Xuan but stayed quite far away.

Chu Xuan asked calmly, "Did you come here looking for me?"

Han Liuyun shook his head vigorously. "You think too much. I'm not interested in fighting you to the death. The cost-benefit ratio doesn't add up."

He glanced around and then asked, "What about that cultivator in need of spiritual plant seeds? Did you devour him?"

Chu Xuan, "…is it possible—I'm just saying possible—that the commission was posted by me?"

Han Liuyun looked astonished. "You don't seem like the type who enjoys farming. What do you need spiritual plant seeds for?"

Chu Xuan scoffed, "That's none of your business. Hand over the goods."

From a distance, Han Liuyun tossed a storage bag. Chu Xuan didn't catch it; instead, he let it fall to the ground.

After a moment, ensuring there were no traps, he used the Evil Soul Chain to lift it.

Chu Xuan nodded, "Good, everything I need is here. Name your price."

Han Liuyun smiled, "Spiritual plant seeds are cheap—thirty small spiritual stones per catty. There are a thousand cattys of various seeds in there. You mentioned you have blood beads; let's settle in those."

Chu Xuan nodded, counted out some large blood beads, and tossed them over.

Han Liuyun caught the blood beads and raised an eyebrow, "He Liang?"

Chu Xuan replied calmly, "Indeed."

Han Liuyun stared at Chu Xuan, shocked. He had been dealing with Chu Xuan all along without penetrating his disguise. Despite priding himself on having unmatched skills in disguise, here was someone truly celestial before him!

Han Liuyun clicked his tongue in admiration, "Your skill in disguise is strong. Could you teach me?"

Chu Xuan sneered, "Your hidden weapons are also impressive. Would you teach me those?"

After a moment's thought, Han Liuyun shook his head, "Forget it, I fear the day I teach you might be the day I drop dead."

Both men backed away and simultaneously made a swift exit, their movements exceptionally synchronized.

With his preparations complete, Chu Xuan headed to the zombie farm near the Haotai Hotel. The Zombie Matriarch diligently produced small flesh pods there, each serving as a nurturing bed for the spiritual plants.

Chu Xuan then began his cultivation practices.

He had to practice the Turtle Breath Technique, the Boiling Blood Scripture, the Body Protecting Golden Wheel Decree, and even glance through the Venom Scripture when he had the chance. Although he only intended to dabble lightly without going deep, it would still consume a considerable amount of time.

Days passed one after another, and within a year, various spiritual plants matured successfully.

Chapter 104: The Top Alchemist

Chu Xuan began to attempt alchemy.

Previously, he had only refined the Earth Evil Pill. However, the grade of the Earth Evil Pill was not high, only a low-grade Foundation Establishment stage pill.

Now, the three types he was going to attempt were all high-grade and top-grade Foundation Establishment stage pills.

Even though Chu Xuan was somewhat prepared, he was still surprised by the low success rate of these three pills.

It was incredibly low. For these two high-grade Foundation Establishment stage pills, he failed six furnaces before succeeding once.

As for the top-grade Foundation Establishment stage pill "Heaven Patching Pill," he tried seven times and failed each time.

Chu Xuan couldn't help shaking his head. It was too difficult. To be safe, it would be better to find a professional.

...

"You want to find a top-grade Foundation Establishment alchemist? Hmm, that's not easy," Han Liuyun shook his head involuntarily after hearing Chu Xuan's description.

Foundation Establishment low-grade alchemists were plentiful. Even Han Liuyun and Chu Xuan themselves could refine Foundation Establishment low-grade pills.

However, it was difficult to refine mid-grade pills and above. It would be best to find a professional alchemist who specialized in pill refinement.

But finding a top-grade Foundation Establishment alchemist? That was not easy at all.

Chu Xuan could manage to take it a step further and trouble Wan Wuying directly to invite the Golden Core Elder of the Heavenly Seal Sect to refine pills. But could he afford the price that they would ask for?

Han Liuyun said, "I'll do my best to keep an eye out for Heaven Patching Pills and anyone who can refine them."

Chu Xuan nodded, "Alright."

He then flicked three large blood beads over as payment.

...

Chu Xuan continued his daily cultivation.

His main cultivation technique was the Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture, supplemented by techniques like Turtle Breath Technique and Boiling Blood Technique. Benefiting from the endless Yin Evil Qi and the replenishment of the large blood beads, he progressed smoothly.

However...

Bang!

A muffled explosion came from the pill furnace.

Chu Xuan opened the lid and found that the pill liquid inside had turned into a solidified, charred, and unrecognizable mass.

"Damn!"

Chu Xuan frowned at the lump of charred matter and gave it the middle finger. It seemed that his talent in alchemy was still lacking.

He could barely refine high-grade Foundation Establishment pills. But he had been failing continuously in refining top-grade Foundation Establishment pills.

During this period, he had failed almost twenty furnaces, if not thirty.

All failures. Too difficult.

Chu Xuan casually threw out the charred lump. Bao quickly rushed over and swallowed it in one gulp. Its expression looked rather satisfied.

Chu Xuan was no longer surprised by its reaction. In fact, during this period of failed alchemy attempts, this little guy had eaten all the leftovers. He didn't know why it loved eating these things.

"Hmm? The mother-child stone broke. It seems there's a result!"

Chu Xuan's eyes lit up. He quickly packed up and headed straight to the nameless market.

...

The nameless market tea house.

When Chu Xuan arrived, Han Liuyun was already waiting there.

He got straight to the point, "I've found what you asked me to look for! I found a top-tier Foundation Establishment alchemist at Mystical Sound Palace. You provide the materials, and she'll refine the pills. She charges 500 small spiritual stones for the alchemy, and she also requires one pill after it's refined."

Chu Xuan frowned, "It's pricey, but acceptable. My only condition is that she refines the pills in front of me."

Han Liuyun scratched his head, "Alchemy in front of you? That's an unusual request. Let me ask her."

He took out a sound-transmitting jade and sent his voice across. Soon, he received a response. The response was just one sentence.

"Okay, I'm coming right away."

Chu Xuan was puzzled, "Isn't she at Mystical Sound Palace?"

Mystical Sound Palace's headquarters are in Qian Province, located in the central part of Yu Kingdom, eighty thousand li from here. How could an alchemist from Mystical Sound Palace rush over here?

Han Liuyun smiled, "She's currently traveling through the Nine Provinces of Yu Kingdom, purchasing alchemy materials in this market."

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps echoed up the stairs. Immediately after, a graceful figure walked in.

If one had to describe her appearance, Chu Xuan could only say, her features were delicate and exquisite.

Small mouth, small nose, and eyes... also small.

The woman looked at Chu Xuan, "My name is Yan Xiao. Are you here to refine the Heaven Patching Pills?"

Chu Xuan nodded, tossing over a storage bag, "All the materials are inside, enough to refine two furnaces of it. The alchemy fee is also included."

Yan Xiao nodded, "Good, I'll start the furnace now."

The three of them entered a soundproof chamber.

Yan Xiao took out a small bronze cauldron from the storage bag, ignited the spirit wood with flame arts, and heated the cauldron. Then she began to add various materials into the cauldron.

The entire process flowed smoothly, done in one go. This level of proficiency could only come from refining dozens of Heaven Patching Pills.

Chu Xuan watched closely, without blinking.

Han Liuyun snacked on pastries, smiling ambiguously, "Stop staring. Without sufficient talent in alchemy, you won't learn a thing. We should stick to refining low-grade pills ourselves. High-grade pills like these should be left to professional alchemists."

Chu Xuan ignored him and continued to observe. It wasn't until Yan Xiao finished refining two furnaces of pills that he reluctantly looked away.

Yan Xiao was surprised. Someone could actually watch her alchemy for over five hours without looking away. This person had remarkable perseverance, likely with some talent in alchemy. Maybe he really did learn something.

Thinking of this, she felt a bit regretful. Her alchemy techniques were passed down exclusively within her family. If they were truly learned by an outsider just from observing once, she would probably become a sinner.

Han Liuyun was also astonished, "Did you learn something?"

Chu Xuan clicked his tongue, "Not really."

Han Liuyun, Yan Xiao, "..."

Chu Xuan smiled. He did manage to glean a little, but not much.

Yan Xiao's alchemy technique was undoubtedly far superior to his pedestrian methods. That was beyond doubt. If he could obtain Yan Xiao's alchemy technique...

Yan Xiao handed over a jade bottle, "There's a small formation on the mouth of this bottle. It will only unlock by itself once I leave the boundaries of Wu Province. If I come under attack, the formation will self-destruct. This transaction is complete."

With that, Yan Xiao took the items and turned to leave. She showed no intention of lingering.

Chu Xuan sneered, cutting it close. However, this female cultivator could refine top-grade Foundation Establishment-level pills, indicating considerable wealth. There might be a few people hiding in the shadows to protect her.

As for this Han Liuyun, who knew if he was really a guardian? To play it safe, it was indeed unnecessary to provoke trouble.

After Yan Xiao left, Han Liuyun whispered, "This woman is not simple. I received a commission from a disciple of the Heavenly Seal Sect to kill her, but she always has three or four late Foundation Establishment stage cultivators protecting her. Later, she even found out about me."

Chu Xuan asked, "And then?"

Han Liuyun smiled, "Then she offered me five times the price. I firmly refused, saying the employer was my senior brother in the sect, my fellow disciple, and she immediately raised it to ten times. You know, it's... impossible to refuse."

Chu Xuan scoffed, "Leave."

Han Liuyun hurriedly said, "Don't go! I have a job here. Let's explore an ancient secret realm together! That place is full of treasures! Many opportunities! I've heard that many Foundation Establishment cultivators are planning to explore it!"

Chu Xuan shook his head, "Not interested. I'd rather sit down and cultivate properly."

Han Liuyun was puzzled, "But you're a demonic cultivator! How can you call yourself one without fighting and seizing opportunities?"

Chu Xuan replied calmly, "I'm different from other demon cultivators. My cultivation is on putting down the butcher's knife and becoming a Buddha on the spot."

Han Liuyun watched him walk away, speechless. After a long time, he sighed.

"This guy is so stubborn, trying to trick him is too difficult."

Chapter 105: Replanting of Spiritual Roots

Haotai Hotel, rooftop.

Duan Feipeng, his limbs severed, howled weakly but received no response. Before his eyes, there was only a corpse puppet, intermittently stuffing large blood beads into his mouth to ensure he didn't perish.

Duan Feipeng could only see thousands of flesh sacs lying in the zombie farm, covered in lush and dripping spirit plants. A gentle breeze caused them to sway continuously, yet to him, these things were no different from the devil's fangs. It was too terrifying. This place was simply hell.

How had Chu Xuan found such a place? To continuously use flesh sacs to cultivate spirit plants. No wonder Chu Xuan possessed such terrifying strength!

Duan Feipeng secretly tried to contact his master, Zhu Taiji, using a jade slip embedded in his flesh, injecting countless Spiritual Qi and sending numerous calls for help, but all signals sank without a trace, receiving no response at all.

Duan Feipeng didn't know where exactly this place was. All he knew was that he was waiting for death.

Buzz.

Suddenly, a figure appeared before him without warning.

Duan Feipeng focused and saw that it was Chu Xuan. His eyes widened in disbelief. How could Chu Xuan appear out of thin air? This was definitely not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could possess.

"Heh... Heh..." Duan Feipeng tried to speak, but his trachea had already been severed, only strange syllables escaping.

Chu Xuan calmly said, "You've waited long enough. Don't worry, I'll soon send you on your way."

Duan Feipeng, "...Ah... Ah! I don't want to go! Don't come near me!"

Following the "Complete Root Seizing Technique," Chu Xuan laid out the materials.

Seizing spiritual roots was divided into three steps: extracting the spiritual roots, bearing the spiritual roots, and transplanting the spiritual roots. Three types of pills corresponded to these steps.

Among them, transplanting the spiritual roots was the most difficult. Foreign spiritual roots would react adversely with one's own body and had to be neutralized with Heaven Patching Pills.

Chu Xuan patted Duan Feipeng's shoulder reassuringly, "It won't hurt too much. Relax."

He directly took out a pill, the Forbidden Spirit Pill, and pushed it into Duan Feipeng's mouth. This pill would reduce Duan Feipeng's affinity with the Spiritual Qi to the lowest level, temporarily separating his body from the spiritual roots.

Sure enough，after dozens of breaths, Duan Feipeng showed a look of horror. He felt like a mortal, completely unable to sense the existence of his spiritual roots.

Chu Xuan seized the opportunity. A short knife plunged directly into Duan Feipeng's abdomen!

The spiritual roots were located three inches deep in the Qi Sea. Once a cultivator died, the spiritual roots would immediately disappear. This was why Chu Xuan hadn't killed Duan Feipeng and had kept him alive until now.

Chu Xuan's movements were swift and precise. In the blink of an eye, he extracted a complete spiritual root.

Duan Feipeng's spiritual root was purple-blue, with green and yellow on either side. These colors represented the attributes of thunder, wood, and metal.

However, Duan Feipeng's spiritual root was predominantly thunder attributed, with the wood and gold attributes so weak as to be almost non-existent, making it difficult to affect his absorption of thunder Spiritual Qi.

It was because of this that the Heavenly Seal Sect had classified his spiritual root as an ultimate-grade Thunder Spiritual Root.

The spiritual root was soft and delicate, feeling like cartilage to the touch.

"Wuwuwu..." Duan Feipeng cried out in pain, contorting like a twisted worm. The agony of having his spiritual root forcibly taken was beyond what an ordinary person could endure. Even as one of Heavenly Seal Sect's top three disciples who had experienced numerous battles, he couldn't bear this pain.

With a final stroke of the knife, Chu Xuan ended Duan Feipeng's life. He then took out another pill, dissolved it with Spiritual Qi, and injected it into the spiritual root.

Gradually, the spiritual root hardened, forming a tough outer layer only then could the spiritual root temporarily exist outside the body.

Otherwise, if left in the air for too long, the spiritual root would gradually vaporize until it completely disappeared.

Chu Xuan then took out another Forbidden Spirit Pill, this time swallowing it himself. Taking a deep breath, he fiercely stabbed his Qi Sea and forcefully extracted his own spiritual root!

The empty space in his Qi Sea couldn't accommodate more spiritual roots. To transplant someone else's spiritual root, he had to remove his own!

The moment he extracted his spiritual root, Chu Xuan felt as though he possessed all the cultivation in the world but couldn't sense even a trace of Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth. It was as if he had been completely cut off from the world.

He picked up the exceptional Thunder Spiritual Root and roughly stuffed it into his Qi Sea. The intense rejection reaction caused him excruciating pain that penetrated to his bones.

Cold sweat poured out! Veins bulged!

Chu Xuan quickly swallowed a prepared Heaven Patching Pill. Only then did the surging tide of pain gradually subside.

...

"Hu, come here!" Chu Xuan shouted loudly.

Hu, who had been standing nearby, hurried over as fast as lightning. Following Chu Xuan's command, it had already opened its own abdomen.

Struggling to stand, Chu Xuan inserted the wood spiritual root he had extracted from himself into Hu's belly. The strain on him reached its limit at that moment, and he passed out completely.

When he woke up again, the wound on his abdomen had already healed. The exceptional Thunder Spiritual Root had merged seamlessly with his body.

He stood up, flexing his muscles slightly, sensing no abnormalities. Chu Xuan thought for a moment, then called for Hu. He felt that even the medium-grade wood spiritual root shouldn't go to waste, so he attempted to insert it into Hu's belly, though he wasn't sure what changes would occur.

Soon after, a figure appeared in the distance, bounding swiftly towards him. With a few leaps, the figure appeared before him.

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. He noticed that Hu's appearance had undergone significant changes. Its fierce and angular body had softened, and its hollow eyes now showed a human-like gaze.

Hu opened its mouth, but instead of "roar, roar, roar," it emitted a few unpleasant syllables.

Chu Xuan became alert.

"Try harder!"

Hu cleared its throat and growled in annoyance, but ultimately only managed to produce a few incomprehensible syllables. It looked somewhat frustrated and lowered its head.

Chu Xuan pondered. Although it couldn't yet speak human language, its lively eyes seemed genuine.

The combination of a corpse puppet's body and a cultivator's spiritual root seemed to have created an unexpected creation.

"Spiritual root, corpse puppet... There must have been demonic cultivators who tried this before, but did they succeed?" Chu Xuan mused, finding it increasingly intriguing.

"Don't be anxious; one day, you'll surely speak," Chu Xuan reflected with some emotion.

"Ho, ho," Hu nodded.

Normally, a corpse puppet had to condense corpse core to become a corpse commander before it could speak, albeit with a simple vocabulary. Hu, as a corpse general, was already producing syllables.

In the future, it would only get faster than an ordinary corpse puppet.

"Corpse puppet's body is robust. With a spiritual root, it can absorb Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth, and even learn the techniques and spells of cultivators... I feel like I've created a monster," Chu Xuan marvelled.

Chapter 106: The Method of Condensing the Golden Core

Chu Xuan sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating. The attributes of his spiritual root underwent fundamental changes.

Normally, this would necessitate switching to a new primary cultivation technique.

However, doing so would mean completely dispersing his previous cultivation and starting anew.

Chu Xuan had already advanced to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Dispersing his cultivation would render the years of effort he had invested utterly in vain—a consequence too heavy for anyone to bear.

Yet, such considerations applied to orthodox cultivators. For those on the demonic path, who possessed means to seize spiritual roots, maintaining existing cultivation without dispersing it was a feasible capability.

The "Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture" was one such unique technique. As a demonic cultivation method, it inherently possessed the ability to alter its own attributes.

Originally a wood attribute technique, through repeated operations, the Spiritual Qi within a demonic cultivator's body could also change accordingly. It could even be transformed into variant attributes like thunder or wind.

Moreover, since thunder belonged to yang wood and wind to yin wood, transforming the "Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture" into a thunder attribute technique was actually simpler than converting it into other elemental attributes.

To transform the technique, only a thunder attribute spiritual material was needed: Thunder Striking Wood.

In front of Chu Xuan appeared a section of charred Thunder Striking Wood. At its lower end, a tender shoot had just sprouted.

Thunder, capable of destruction unparalleled, also harbored the power to foster life with the arrival of spring thunder and the first rain of spring, sprouting myriad beings.

Thunder Striking Wood could also enhance Chu Xuan's acquired Spiritual Body, achieving dual benefits with a single effort.

Such a small section of Thunder Striking Wood contained two attributes and multiple powers, its mysteries boundless.

Thunder Striking Wood was of a high grade. This piece, a top-grade Foundation Establishment material, had cost Chu Xuan three hundred small spiritual stones to acquire. He hadn't utilized Han Liuyun's channels but instead entrusted Chen Ge to make the purchase.

Although this approach was slower and more expensive, it was safer.

Chu Xuan wasn't foolish enough to entrust all transactions to Han Liuyun, as that could easily expose his intentions.

Han Liuyun, possessing only a superior-grade spiritual root, secretly surpassed Duan Feipeng in strength and seemed to wield an extensive intelligence network—an unquestionably formidable individual.

It was precisely because Chu Xuan and Han Liuyun possessed similar strengths that neither of them acted rashly. They proceeded with caution in their collaboration, each carefully testing the other's abilities.

If Chu Xuan were to discover one day that Han Liuyun had weakened or suffered serious injury, he would not hesitate to eliminate this individual who knew so many of his secrets.

He believed that Han Liuyun would likely do the same.

Throughout, Chu Xuan had always regarded Han Liuyun as someone to be used: useful when beneficial, discarded when not, with no further discussion needed.

Chu Xuan immediately began refining the Thunder Striking Wood with Spiritual Qi.

Rich Thunder Spiritual Qi and Wood Spiritual Qi surged into his body. Spiritual Qi flowed continuously within him.

Following the path of the Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture, which altered it into Thunder attribute.

One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...

With each successive operation, the Spiritual Qi underwent constant changes. After a day, it finally completely transformed from Wood attribute Spiritual Qi to Thunder attribute Spiritual Qi.

"Phew..."

Chu Xuan let out a sigh of relief. That was finally accomplished.

Moreover, due to the formidable lethality of Thunder Spiritual Qi, the spells he cast henceforth would also be imbued with the power of lightning.

When facing cultivators of the same realm, he would mostly dominate the battlefield.

Coupled with his hidden cards, even Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer cultivators were not his match.

...

Water Curtain Cave.

The moment Chu Xuan appeared, he detected a sound transmission array within the formation. It was Wan Wuying's. Thus, he arrived at Wan Wuying's cave residence.

With a rumble, the cave residence opened.

Wan Wuying was not sitting on the bone throne but joyfully pacing back and forth.

Next to the bone throne stood a robust, dark figure. Its body was over one zhang tall, muscles bulging, and veins protruding like dragons.

The aura emanating from it made Chu Xuan's scalp tingle. He had no doubt that this was a Corpse Commander equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator!

Wan Wuying smiled faintly. "While I was healing, I took the opportunity to refine the corpse of Hundred Gu Daoist into a Corpse Commander."

Chu Xuan hurriedly bowed. "Master's demonic arts are unparalleled. In the future, you will certainly step into the Nascent Soul, sweep through the world, and recreate Infinite Sect's glory!"

Wan Wuying waved dismissively. "Forget it. Infinite Sect is down to just a handful of us. What glory is there to recreate? Let it dissipate completely into the dust of history."

Chu Xuan clicked his tongue. He wondered how Wan Wuying could be more detached than himself.

Wan Wuying casually continued, "I summoned you this time to teach you the method of condensing the Golden Core."

Chu Xuan immediately perked up, feeling as though he had been called by his superior for a meeting, only to unexpectedly receive a promotion!

"Please, have a seat."

Wan Wuying gestured towards a cushion nearby.

Chu Xuan sat down on it.

Wan Wuying cleared his throat and began, "There are four methods for condensing the Golden Core. The first is to compress Spiritual Liquid until it solidifies completely, forming the Full Golden Core. This is the most orthodox method, resulting in extremely robust Spiritual Qi once formed. However, it is also the slowest.

Without at least a decade, one cannot fully solidify the Spiritual Liquid. If you do not possess an Earth-grade or higher spiritual root, this path is not for you.

Of course, if you insist on choosing this path, I have a secret technique called the 'Nine Cycles Core Condensation Method,' passed down from ancient times. You can take it directly."

Wan Wuying clicked his tongue and continued.

"After the ancient times, as Spiritual Qi faded, the orthodox method of core condensation became exceedingly difficult. Later generations of cultivators sought alternative paths.

The second method involves using a demonic beast's inner core as a catalyst, injecting Spiritual Liquid into it to forcibly solidify it using the inner core's power. This type of Golden Core is generally referred to as the Beast Golden Core.

The overall amount of Spiritual Qi in a Beast Golden Core is moderate, but its combat prowess is formidable. However, due to the use of a demonic beast's inner core, practitioners may sometimes be prone to the beast's instincts—bloodlust, light aversion, and water affinity.

I have two secret techniques for core condensation using this method. The 'Fire Ape Core Condensation Method' requires the inner core of a fire attribute ape demonic beast. The 'Thunder Falcon Core Condensation Method' requires the inner core of a thunder attribute bird demonic beast."

Seeing Chu Xuan's lack of response, Wan Wuying continued speaking.

"The third method involves using a magic tool as a catalyst to condense the core. This type of Golden Core is known as the Instrument Golden Core. Depending on the type of magic tool, it may also be called Sword Golden Core, Saber Golden Core, Axe Golden Core, and so on.

Golden Cores condensed using this method generally have less Spiritual Qi than Beast Golden Cores. However, if one can manipulate the same type of magic tool, its power will greatly increase—such as a Sword Golden Core wielding a sword magic tool or a Saber Golden Core wielding a saber magic tool.

I do not possess secret techniques for this condensation method; you will need to seek them out yourself."

Wan Wuying spoke calmly.

"Next, there is a fourth method, which I personally chose. Extract the Qi Seas of a hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and refine them into Qi Sea Pills. Swallow a hundred pills, and a Golden Core forms naturally. This type of Golden Core is called the Blood Golden Core!"

Chapter 107: The New Disciple

Chu Xuan's heart trembled upon hearing this.

Full Golden Core, Beast Golden Core, Instrument Golden Core, Blood Golden Core!

Without the dense Spiritual Qi of ancient times, cultivators still relied on their own wisdom to create new methods of core formation.

Wan Wuying casually said, "So, which one do you want?"

After careful consideration, Chu Xuan replied earnestly, "I want them all."

Wan Wuying rolled his eyes.

Nevertheless, he reached out and retrieved four volumes from his storage bag.

They were respectively titled: "Nine Cycles Core Condensation Method," "Fire Ape Core Condensation Method," "Thunder Falcon Core Condensation Method," and "Qi Sea Core Condensation Method."

"Since the Yin Extreme Cave now has only one Foundation Establishment disciple like you, I have no one else to nurture," Wan Wuying said, waving his hand to dismiss Chu Xuan.

After Chu Xuan left, Wan Wuying chuckled to himself, "Which method will this kid choose in the end?"

...

Upon leaving the cave residence, Chu Xuan returned to the Blue Star and settled down, carefully studying the four methods of core condensation.

"The Nine Cycles Core Condensation Method is so difficult; it requires nine complete consolidations and recoveries. Who has that much lifespan to spare?

As for the Thunder Falcon Core Condensation Method, it seems to be the quickest method for me now. I just need to find the inner cores of nine Thunder attribute bird demonic beasts at the Foundation Establishment stage.

As for the Qi Sea Core Condensation Method, it is also an option. However, if I were to kill a hundred cultivators at the late Foundation Establishment stage and refine their Qi Seas, it would certainly differ significantly from killing a hundred at the early stage.

A hundred at the late Foundation Establishment stage... I'll need to completely overturn the righteous sects to achieve that, won't I?"

Chu Xuan shook his head.

Priority to the Thunder Falcon Core Condensation Method, with the Qi Sea Core Condensation Method as a backup.

Chu Xuan immediately sent a message to Chen Ge, asking him to keep an eye out for the inner cores of Thunder attribute bird demonic beasts at the Foundation Establishment stage.

He then resumed his cultivation. With the ultimate-grade Thunder Spiritual Root, his cultivation speed increased significantly.

However, upon reaching the late Foundation Establishment stage, the amount of Spiritual Qi required for each minor breakthrough was far greater than in the middle stage.

After sitting motionless in the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array for half a year, Chu Xuan's Spiritual Qi had only increased by a small amount.

During this period, the war between the Heavenly Seal Sect and the local factions in Wu Province generally came to an end.

A Golden Core cultivator from Imperial Spirit Mountain was severely injured but had to swallow his grievances.

A rare period of peace descended over the Wu Province area.

As for the Eastern Three Provinces of Blue Star, with Chu Xuan's presence, peace reigned even more profoundly. There were no significant disturbances.

Chu Xuan quite enjoyed this slow-paced life. Every day was spent practicing cultivation, refining pills, and raising insects.

Occasionally, he would release his three corpses—Long, Hu, and Bao—to roam freely like unrestrained wild dogs.

For Chu Xuan, this peaceful farming life surpassed all the bloodshed, heroic pursuits, and fate-stealing endeavors.

...

Extreme Yin Cave.

Chu Xuan, as the senior brother of Extreme Yin Cave, sat at the head seat. Beside him were two Foundation Establishment disciples—a young man and a woman.

The young man, Xu Ming, exuded confidence, yet his gaze towards Chu Xuan was filled with deep respect.

Li Xiaoman, the female disciple, introduced herself as a member of the Corpse Puppet Sect. Previously a loose cultivator in Qian Province, she promptly joined upon hearing of Wan Wuying's establishment of Extreme Yin Cave under the Heavenly Seal Sect.

The Corpse Puppet Sect had been annihilated by the Five Righteous Sects over three hundred years ago. Most of its lineage was absorbed by the righteous sects, while the remainder fell under the Infinite Sect, which subsequently developed some corpse refining techniques.

Li Xiaoman, only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, found a smooth entry into Extreme Yin Cave due to Wan Wuying's possession of Foundation Establishment stage techniques from the Corpse Puppet Sect and the lack of Foundation Establishment disciples.

Li Xiaoman was not exceptionally beautiful but had a slender waist. She sat upright, her piercing gaze revealing a sharp and imposing demeanor.

At the highest point of the dojo sat Wan Wuying, the founder of Extreme Yin Cave. Within the dojo, seventy-six spiritual seedlings gathered, ranging in cultivation from no Spiritual Qi to the third level of Qi Refining.

Among them were ordinary folks from Tong Province, descendants of immortal cultivation families, and local natives of Wu Province who had suffered under the oppression of the Thousand Insects Sect. Now, having passed rigorous selection processes, they were all accepted into Extreme Yin Cave.

Wan Wuying did not accept Qi Refining disciples himself. As the eldest senior brother, Chu Xuan acted as the representative to accept new disciples.

However, he acknowledged that while his strength was considerable, he was not adept at teaching. Thus, he entrusted the crucial task of guiding and instructing disciples to those who genuinely loved such responsibilities and life itself.

His primary hope was for his junior brothers and sisters to gain experience, not merely to be an absentee manager.

The disciple induction ceremony quickly concluded, and Wan Wuying rose immediately.

The disciples collectively shouted, "Farewell, Patriarch!"

"Chu Xuan, you handle things from here," Wan Wuying instructed before disappearing.

Chu Xuan swiftly assigned half of the disciples to Xu Ming and the other half to Li Xiaoman, then left the dojo with an air of leisure, leaving his junior siblings in a state of astonishment.

"Senior sister, what will you teach the disciples? I'd like to learn," Xu Ming scratched his head.

Li Xiaoman glanced at him and replied nonchalantly, "Dissection, corpse refining, ghost nurturing, puppet refining, and a bit of poison technique."

Xu Ming cautiously took a step back. "I understand, senior sister, no need to say more. It's quite creepy."

...

After the disciple induction ceremony concluded, calm returned once more. Extreme Yin Cave gradually expanded its influence. Under the diligent efforts of the disciples, who tirelessly relocated ordinary people and established mortal cities, the territory of Extreme Yin Cave continued to expand.

Chu Xuan's three corpse commanders devoured a significant amount of Foundation Establishment cultivators' flesh and blood, rapidly advancing their realms.

Among them, Hu, with the highest cultivation, had even reached the eighth-level corpse commander stage, surpassing Chu Xuan by a hair's breadth.

His lifebound Gu had also reached the mid-second transformation stage, while the Queen Bee Gu was accelerating in growth and had already reached the late-first transformation stage.

The worker bees it produced numbered in the thousands, with blood honey slowly accumulating and numerous soldier bee eggs lying dormant.

At the Queen Bee's command, they would hatch immediately, transforming into formidable forces.

Everything prospered, yet Chu Xuan remained somewhat discontented. He was still at the seventh level of Foundation Establishment, unable to break through to the eighth.

The Thunderbird demonic beast core that Chen Ge was tasked with finding had yet to be located.

However, since establishing his family, Chen Ge had swiftly woven a vast intelligence network. Regularly, he sent Chu Xuan various pieces of information, keeping him informed of all external changes down to the smallest detail.

Chapter 108: Chu Xuan Prefers to Cultivate Good Karma

"In the south, the Kingdom of Yue has expanded its territory under the Heaven Burning Sect, capturing much of the oasis within the boundless desert, establishing mortal cities..."

"To the north, the Kingdom of Yan's Hundred Refinements Sect has crossed into southern territories, engaging in several significant battles with the Heaven Burning Sect. Both sides suffered casualties among their foundational cultivators, including some elders. Tensions are rising along the border..."

"Hmm... conflicts among the various sects of the Yu Kingdom seem never-ending. What a harmonious and friendly assembly of righteous sects."

Chu Xuan chuckled.

Once the threat of the Infinite Sect was removed, the Five Righteous Sects would inevitably vie for their own interests, likely following the paths of dominance set by the Hundred Refinements Sect and the Heaven Burning Sect, with one sect rising above all others to bring an end to the conflicts.

Chu Xuan took out a map.

This was a map he had purchased for a thousand small spiritual stones. It encompassed the Kingdoms of Yu, Yan, and Yue in their entirety.

These three kingdoms bordered each other in pairs. Between Yu and Yue lay the boundless desert. Between Yu and Yan flowed a vast and mighty river.

Furthermore, there existed long-standing enmity between Yan and Yue. Only cultivators from Yu could live relatively peacefully.

"Hmm? An underground ruin has surfaced in the Misty Mountains, where some cultivators have inadvertently stumbled upon a wealth of magic tools buried underground for many years, even some magic treasures?"

Chu Xuan's eyebrows raised at this intelligence.

The emergence of underground ruins meant that numerous cultivators would flock there. This would inevitably lead to bloodshed, chaos, and death. For demonic cultivators, this was an unprecedented opportunity.

Chu Xuan had no intention of personally wading into this quagmire.

The underground ruins were too dangerous. Since treasures were emerging, Golden Core experts would be the main force exploring these ruins. As a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could he dare to compete with Golden Core cultivators?

Perhaps, in the eyes of some Golden Core cultivators, he himself was also a tempting target.

However, this did not deter Chu Xuan from conducting business near the underground ruins.

Since many cultivators were rushing there, a trading market would naturally form around the ruins.

Items like demonic talismans, evil elixirs, blood beads, and other such goods that could rapidly enhance one's strength would immediately become scarce commodities.

During this time, Chu Xuan could search for other Condensing Core methods. Perhaps there was one more suitable for him.

Leaving aside other matters, a mid-grade method like the "Thunder Falcon Condensing Core Method" could be replaced with a high-grade or even top-grade foundational method, which would be excellent.

Chu Xuan carefully reviewed all the intelligence Chen Ge had provided. He did not fully trust the information provided by Chen Ge. In his view, anyone could betray him, even turn against him.

Even if Chen Ge saw potential in him and was willing to work for him, there was a possibility that one day he might be controlled by someone stronger and used for their purposes.

Relying too much on Chen Ge's intelligence network was not a wise decision. At the very least, he needed to cross-reference information from two sources.

However, Chu Xuan currently lacked the capability to establish two intelligence networks. He could only rely on the intelligence provided by Han Liuyun and Chen Ge to cross-check each other.

...

A few days later, the Misty Market.

Although the war between the Heavenly Seal Sect and the indigenous sects of Wu Province had ended, the nameless market in this region persisted.

Perhaps due to the surrounding mist, cultivators had come to call it the Misty Market. Over time, someone with intention erected a plaque at the entrance of the market, bearing the two words "Misty Market."

Chu Xuan sat calmly in a window seat of the teahouse, waiting patiently. Before long, a hidden weapon whistled through the window from outside. Three smaller projectiles suddenly split off from it when they were three meters away from Chu Xuan, each emitting a dangerous green glow, clearly poisoned.

Chu Xuan made no move. Three demon claws accurately caught the three hidden weapons.

Han Liuyun's laughter echoed from downstairs, gradually approaching, "How about this move? It's my newly developed Mother-Child Dart."

Chu Xuan replied calmly, "Not bad."

Han Liuyun clicked his tongue in amazement, "To receive your approval, I am honored indeed."

With a wave of his hand, he released a puff of smoke to neutralize the faint poison in the air, "Your progress in poisoning is impressive. I'm starting to feel some pressure."

Chu Xuan remained composed. During this period, he had been studying the Venom Scripture and gained some insights.

Whenever they met, they would test each other. So he decided to use Han Liuyun to test his newly researched poison.

If Han Liuyun didn't die from the poison, it meant his poison skills were still inadequate, and he needed to continue his studies. If Han Liuyun did die one day, it would mean his poison skills had reached perfection.

Han Liuyun continued, "To the point, I invited you here this time because I wanted..."

Chu Xuan interrupted calmly, "The underground ruins of the Misty Mountains."

Han Liuyun looked slightly surprised, "You already know? It seems your intelligence isn't lacking compared to mine."

Chu Xuan lightly tapped the table, "Are you planning to enter?"

Han Liuyun nodded, "I've noticed a slight change in your demeanor; you must have obtained Duan Feipeng's spiritual root. Unlike me, with only a superior-grade spiritual root. Typically, those with superior-grade spiritual roots have only a twenty percent chance of embarking on the Golden Core path. It's too low.

In those underground ruins, treasures have already surfaced. There must be spiritual objects beneficial for Core Formation. I have no choice but to go."

Chu Xuan nodded.

Such was the fate of a cultivator. One's entire life was filled with risks. Spirit stones, magic tools, spiritual objects, elixirs, formations... everything drove cultivators tirelessly forward.

Han Liuyun, seeing Chu Xuan's calm demeanor, asked in astonishment, "You're not going? Perhaps there's a path to the Golden Core waiting for you there."

Chu Xuan shook his head, "As I've said, I don't enjoy killing. I prefer to cultivate good karma."

Han Liuyun replied with a hint of disbelief, "If I hadn't seen you kill before, I might have believed you."

"Oh, Wang Jianyu wanted to meet with you through me, saying he wanted to spar with you. I declined on your behalf," Han Liuyun added.

Chu Xuan nodded, "Good choice to decline."

He had no interest in sparring with others. It was not only a waste of energy but also risked exposing his true abilities.

Afterward, they exchanged some items and departed in different directions.

Han Liuyun never took the same path Chu Xuan had walked. And Chu Xuan did the same.

...

Blue Star.

Chu Xuan arrived at the rooftop of the Haotai Hotel.

A substantial amount of intelligence gathered by Black Blade was laid out before him.

Although Blue Star was just a small planet with extremely poor Spiritual Qi, the resurgence of Psionics here had subtly begun to alter all living beings on this planet.

Perhaps one day, something unexpected might appear. That's why he needed to remain vigilant at all times. Even in what he considered his backyard, he couldn't afford to make mistakes.

"According to survivors who fled, the man-eating vines in the west are expanding. Several Level Five Superhumans died surrounded by these vines..."

"In the south, venomous insects are becoming stronger, dominated by swarms of locusts that are migrating towards the coast, devouring all vegetation along the way..."

Chapter 109: The Cultivation World Is Too Dangerous

"In the north, the Zombie Empress continues to expand her territory, but instead of heading south, she is moving westward, where she has encountered the expanding man-eating vines..."

"Additionally, there's a faction known as Science City rapidly growing, commanding at least thirty Superhumans and absorbing remnants of the Linjiang Army, also locking horns with the Zombie Empress..."

"In the east... only a few scattered factions exist, with just two or three Superhumans."

"Current situation from Black Blade: eleven Level One Superhumans, five Level Two Superhumans, two Level Three Superhumans, overseeing over three thousand survivors."

Chu Xuan nodded slightly as he read.

It seemed that Wang Gang and his team truly valued the opportunity he had given them initially. They were handling things systematically.

Originally, Chu Xuan had some thoughts about the Zombie Empress. However, the Zombie Matriarch had already been nurtured into a Level Five zombie, and it was foreseeable that her rank would continue to rise. The Zombie Empress was probably even more formidable now.

Chu Xuan had lost interest in dealing with that creature.

As for the formations and collapses of other Superhuman factions, he regarded them as no more interesting than children playing house.

"Continue researching the Venom Scripture..."

Chu Xuan spread out the scrolls and studied them attentively.

...

Mystic Azure Realm, one month later.

Chu Xuan received another report from Chen Ge.

With Chu Xuan's approval, most of this report focused on the underground ruins of the Misty Mountains.

Chen Ge was proficient in his work. He had sent people directly to the nameless market outside the underground ruins, continuously spending money to gather intelligence. This was the only way to present the most complete, detailed, and up-to-date information to Chu Xuan as quickly as possible.

"The largest entrance to the underground ruins, located in the Bullhorn Mountain of the Misty Mountains, is now occupied by the Divine Star Sect."

"The remaining large entrances are located on several other peaks, some occupied by the Divine Star Sect, and others by the Heavenly Seal Sect and the Imperial Spirit Mountain."

"The Mystical Sound Palace and the Golden Dragon Temple have already had Golden Core cultivators arrive at the Misty Mountains. The orthodox sects are on the verge of conflict, likely to escalate into open conflict."

"The first batch of cultivators to enter the underground ruins numbered fifty to sixty people. Fewer than a handful survived, and without exception, these survivors reaped rich rewards."

"Some were recruited by the Divine Star Sect, while others were killed by major sect cultivators for refusing to hand over spiritual objects."

Chu Xuan pondered.

It appeared that within those underground ruins lay treasures enticing enough to attract Golden Core cultivators. Otherwise, it wouldn't have drawn Golden Core cultivators from all five orthodox sects, nearly causing them to fight each other.

Given this situation, he couldn't afford to take unnecessary risks.

Chu Xuan continued reading.

The latest intelligence report arrived two days ago.

Chu Xuan's gaze sharpened as he read it.

"The orthodox sects have announced today that they will allow minor sect disciples and loose cultivators to enter the underground ruins, but each person must pay a price of thirty small spiritual stones."

"Allow?" Chu Xuan shook his head in disbelief. "If the treasures inside the underground ruins are truly as rumored, how could the orthodox sects possibly give other cultivators such an opportunity? They would prefer to seal off the entire Misty Mountains, preventing anyone from entering, not even a bug's egg."

"The orthodox sects are far from being true cultivators of 'righteousness'," he continued. "And the major sect cultivators are far from being noble. This sudden move must have some ulterior motive."

Chu Xuan recalled another matter. "Han Liuyun hasn't contacted me for a long time. His strength is comparable to mine, and there has been no word from him since he went to the underground ruins."

"Combined with the sudden benevolence of the orthodox sects," Chu Xuan pondered, "perhaps there are dangers in the underground ruins that ordinary people cannot comprehend. This move by the orthodox sects is likely intended to use minor sect disciples and loose cultivators as fodder, to explore the path ahead."

Chu Xuan shook his head repeatedly. As a precaution, he decided to postpone his journey to the Misty Mountains for now.

...

Two days later.

A message suddenly appeared in the Water Curtain Cave.

Chu Xuan read it and was surprised to find it was from Wan Wuying.

"The underground ruins are actually the Ghost Palace of the Nether Dao Sect. I have already gone there to search for treasures. Whether you go or not, it's your choice."

Chu Xuan's brow relaxed. Finally, his master gave him a hint. If he hadn't received any hints, he would have gone to find Wan Wuying himself.

"The Nether Dao Sect... it rings a bell," Chu Xuan strained to recall the ancient texts he had read.

Wan Wuying had a penchant for collecting ancient texts, and Chu Xuan had managed to read some in his spare time.

"I remember now," Chu Xuan said to himself. "The Nether Dao Sect was a colossal demonic sect. At its peak, it occupied territories spanning eight kingdoms including Yan, Yu, and Yue. Later, due to the disappearance of their ancestral land and conflicts among the elders for power and profit, it fragmented into over a dozen major sects, including the Infinite Sect and the Corpse Puppet Sect."

Chu Xuan's eyes lit up.

Such an ancient and massive sect. The Infinite Sect was just one of its branches. No wonder even Wan Wuying, usually composed, couldn't resist the temptation and went straight to this so-called Ghost Palace.

However, Chu Xuan's momentary excitement quickly subsided, and he returned his thoughts to more practical considerations. It wasn't right to go, he shouldn't go, and there was no need to go.

In fact, he might even need to start worrying about his own safety. With so many Golden Core cultivators vying for a share at the Ghost Palace of the Nether Dao Sect, could his master survive?

Once Wan Wuying was gone, Chu Xuan would lose his support and have to find another path.

Moreover, the Hundred Refinements Sect of the Yan Kingdom and the Heaven Burning Sect of the Yue Kingdom—who knew what intentions they harbored?

The tensions between these two sects were palpable, seemingly on the brink of open conflict. If they caught wind of the emergence of the Ghost Palace, how would they react?

Thinking this through, Chu Xuan was suddenly alarmed. From the beginning, he had felt that the spread of information about the underground ruins was unexplainably fast.

Perhaps someone was deliberately stirring up trouble behind the scenes. Now, he couldn't rule out the involvement of the Heaven Burning Sect and the Hundred Refinements Sect.

"The cultivation world is too dangerous, I'm going back to Blue Star!" Chu Xuan shook his head repeatedly. "I must keep a close watch on the information about the Ghost Palace ruins and be prepared to flee. If there's any trouble, I'll directly head for Blue Star."

Chu Xuan sighed deeply. "If the master doesn't strive, the disciple suffers. It's tough."

At that moment, there was a sound from outside—not a message, but someone visiting.

Chu Xuan inspected and was surprised to find Junior Brother Xu Ming and Junior Sister Li Xiaoman.

"Why have you two come?" Chu Xuan flashed out of the cave to meet them.

Excitedly, Xu Ming exclaimed, "Senior Brother! Master has sent me a message saying that the underground ruins in the Misty Mountains are the Ghost Palace of the Nether Dao Sect! I plan to form a team to go to the Ghost Palace. Senior Brother, would you be willing to join us?"

Chu Xuan looked directly at Li Xiaoman. "And you?"

Li Xiaoman clasped her hands respectfully before speaking earnestly, "Senior Brother, I too received Master's message. I wanted to ask whether Senior Brother intends to go to the Ghost Palace to seek treasures."

Her demeanor was serious and dignified, clearly awaiting Chu Xuan's response.

Chu Xuan looked at the enthusiastic Xu Ming and the composed Li Xiaoman and simply smiled.

Chapter 110: Setting a Small Goal for Oneself

Chu Xuan spoke calmly, "Junior Brother Xu may go if he wishes, there's no need to ask me. As for myself, with this major issue at the Extreme Yin Cave, I must keep watch. I cannot leave," he continued.

Xu Ming looked somewhat disappointed and hurriedly persuaded, "Senior Brother, but the remnants of the Nether Dao Sect are there!"

"Once we find some treasures..." he trailed off.

Chu Xuan waved his hand dismissively, "I need to focus on my cultivation."

With that, he vanished in a flash.

Xu Ming felt even more disappointed, glancing at Li Xiaoman. "Senior Sister, shall we go together?"

After careful consideration, Li Xiaoman shook her head. "No, I will stay here to teach the disciples."

Sighing deeply, Xu Ming muttered, "We cultivators should strive forward courageously! I didn't expect both Senior Brother and Senior Sister to retreat..."

He controlled his flying magic tool and left in the blink of an eye.

Li Xiaoman cast a few more glances at Chu Xuan's cave, lost in thought, before departing in the opposite direction.

Chu Xuan sat cross-legged in his cave, smiling lightly.

You can't reason with a mad dog. He could see it at a glance; no matter what he said, Xu Ming would go to the Ghost Palace.

As for Li Xiaoman, she truly lived up to her background as a demonic cultivator refined from a loose cultivator. Only those who know how to avoid danger and seek fortune can live long.

...

Five days later.

Chu Xuan, who had been closely monitoring the situation, received two pieces of new information from Chen Ge.

A large number of disciples from small sects and loose cultivators had entered the underground ruins, and most of them had not returned.

However, a small number of cultivators brought back treasures from the ruins.

The cultivators from the Righteous Five Sects immediately decided to enter the underground ruins.

"Wan Wuying, Xu Ming, they should have gone in," Chu Xuan mused.

"The Ghost Palace... I wonder how many more lost souls it will claim," he sighed lightly.

Another five days passed.

Chen Ge personally came to the entrance of Chu Xuan's Water Curtain Cave to pay respects.

Chu Xuan was somewhat surprised. "Why did you come by yourself?"

Chen Ge's face was solemn as if shrouded in an unbreakable dark cloud.

He said gravely, "Uncle Master, something big has happened!"

Chu Xuan prompted, "Go on."

Only then did Chen Ge speak in a grave tone, "Around the underground ruins, there's a dense black mist covering the sky, even shrouding half of the Misty Mountains. Some demonic beasts trying to escape were instantly drained of their essence by the black mist, turning into dried corpses."

It's said that a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage tried to save his fellow daoist, rushed into the black mist, and within a few breaths, he was drained of flesh and blood essence. The informant I had placed there is already dead. I learned this from a surviving cultivator."

Chu Xuan's heart raced.

A major event! Indeed, this was a colossal matter!

The Ghost Palace was definitely not a treasure trove easily accessible to just anyone. Even if there were treasures, they were not something ordinary people could take.

Chen Ge continued, "There's also..."

Chu Xuan furrowed his brow and then relaxed it. "I understand. Is it the Northern or Southern sects? Which one has shown movement?"

Chen Ge looked at Chu Xuan with reverence, nodding repeatedly. "Several days ago, a team of cultivators from the Heaven Burning Sect stormed into the Wu Province. The main halls of the Heavenly Seal Sect, located in the southern reaches of the Wu Province, have already been occupied by the Heaven Burning Sect.

From their direction, they are heading straight for the main hall of the Heavenly Seal Sect. Whether there are Golden Core experts among them is still unclear. But I guess there must be."

Chu Xuan sighed lightly.

The situation had become clear. Adjustments were indeed necessary.

Anxious, Chen Ge asked, "Uncle Master, what should I do? Could you please give me some guidance?"

Chu Xuan replied calmly, "You are a mortal without an immortal family."

Chen Ge paused, then realized, "I have married four concubines, and own six mansions and over a dozen shops..."

Before he could finish, realization dawned on him, a deep sorrow flickering in his eyes. "I understand now, Uncle Master."

With that, he turned and left.

As he departed, he wiped away tears and said in a heavy voice, "Chen Ge is leaving. Uncle Master, please take care."

Chu Xuan merely nodded slightly.

Chu Xuan piloted the Green Shadow Shuttle to the highest peak of the boundary in the Extreme Yin Cave.

Here lay the cemetery of fallen cultivators from the Extreme Yin Cave. Now, there was only one grave mound here. On the tombstone were engraved a few large characters.

Senior Brother Liu Zhenxiong's Grave — Erected by Junior Brother Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan had never been proficient in calligraphy since childhood, so the carved characters weren't very pleasing to the eye. They couldn't be called elegantly flowing; at best, they were crooked and slanted.

"Senior Brother, it's rare for me to visit you. Please don't blame me. Now that there's been a change, I'm also planning to leave. In our Extreme Yin Cave, Li Xuanming was killed by me, Wu Teng betrayed us, and Xu Ming has reached Foundation Establishment and probably won't last long.

Among the former Qi Refining disciples, only Chen Ge is still alive. I don't know if he can survive this catastrophe. Maybe when I come back next time, even Master might be gone."

Chu Xuan shook his head incessantly.

Cultivation was so cruel. Those around you would disappear one by one. Perhaps only those who understood the art of survival could endure till the end.

Chu Xuan dismantled most of the formation in the Water Curtain Cave, leaving only the simplest mist array. As for the Formation Soul(twin-headed python), he naturally took it back.

Chu Xuan piloted the Green Shadow Shuttle northward all the way. He stopped only when he was about to reach the boundary of the Imperial Spirit Mountains.

"It's just you."

Chu Xuan looked at the towering mountain in front of him, took out the Evil Soul Chain, and vigorously pounded it, quickly smashing open a cave in the mountain.

The cave was very rudimentary, with only a stone bed. Then he arranged various arrays such as the mist array, warning array, gathering spirit array, and killing array. Only then did he sit cross-legged.

Chu Xuan traveled between the two realms through the Blood Mirror, with each drop-off point fixed.

If he crossed from the Water Curtain Cave to the Blue Star. Then the next time he returned to the Mystic Azure Realm, he would still appear at the Water Curtain Cave.

Who knew what awaited him then? So he chose to establish a rudimentary cave in this remote and thinly inhabited place with sparse Spiritual Qi.

"Leaving the Mystic Azure Realm again. Setting a small goal for myself: reaching Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer before returning."

Chu Xuan didn't linger, immediately using the Blood Mirror to cross over to the Blue Star.

...

Shortly after Chu Xuan left the Mystic Azure Realm, a team consisting of four Golden Core experts and thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Heaven Burning Sect swept through the Wu Province like a sharp blade, heading directly for the main camp of the Heavenly Seal Sect.

Most of the Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Seal Sect had entered the Ghost Palace in search of treasures. The remaining Golden Core cultivators left behind were nowhere near enough to resist the well-prepared and well-equipped team from the Heaven Burning Sect.

In the end, the Nascent Soul master of the Heavenly Seal Sect came out of seclusion.

The long-awaited Nascent Soul master of the Heaven Burning Sect immediately engaged in battle.

The two sides fought fiercely for seven days and seven nights, breaking mountains, cutting off rivers, and altering countless landscapes.

Ultimately, the Nascent Soul master of the Heavenly Seal Sect was slightly inferior in strength, severely injured, and managed to escape.

The morale of the Heaven Burning Sect cultivators soared, and under the leadership of their Nascent Soul master, they directly attacked and shattered the mountain protection formation, annihilating the main hall of the Heavenly Seal Sect!

Subsequently, the Heaven Burning Sect launched a massive invasion, completely occupying all the halls and strongholds wherever they passed.

The ordinary people, who worked by sunrise and rested by sunset, had no idea that the colossal entity looming over them had been completely replaced by an even larger one in just over ten days!