Demonic Cultivator 359-368 (Patreon)

Chapter 359: It looks like... Chu Xuan

Wei Ji glanced at him and couldn't help but speak, "Fellow Daoist Shang, the art of puppetry is vast and profound. When I first entered this path, it took me an entire year just to repair a Qi Refining stage puppet. It took me another three years before I was able to independently create a Qi Refining Stage puppet."

He continued, "Don't even think about repairing Nascent Soul Stage puppets. Even Golden Core Stage puppets are beyond the reach of someone just beginning in this art. Better not waste time."

Shang Xingchen chuckled, "How would I know if I don't try? Perhaps my talent in this path is extraordinary, but I've just never had the chance to explore it before."

Seeing his serious expression, Wei Ji shook his head and decided not to say anything more.

As night fell, Wei Ji finally lifted his bloodshot eyes and sighed in relief.

"Fellow Daoist Shang, I've repaired two Nascent Soul Initial Stage puppets, twelve Golden Core Late Stage puppets, and I also repaired twenty mining puppets."

"We should head straight to the large spiritual stone mine. Otherwise, in just another month, these puppets will all be useless." He spoke with a sense of urgency.

Shang Xingchen kept his gaze fixed on the puppet in his hands, shaking his head firmly. "No rush, no rush. It's not the right time to act yet. Many people have their eyes on this large spiritual stone mine. If we act first, we'll become targets."

He then added, "These puppets aren't enough. Please, Fellow Daoist Wei, repair a few more." After speaking, he took out more than a dozen puppets from his storage bag.

Seeing the sheer number of puppets, Wei Ji instantly fell silent. He had been tirelessly repairing puppets day and night for the past few days. His eyes were bloodshot, and his energy was almost depleted. If he weren't a Nascent Soul cultivator, he would have likely collapsed by now. His current Golden Core Mid Stage strength was largely the result of his constant work on puppets.

"Fellow Daoist Wei, you don't want to?" Shang Xingchen looked at him, his gaze carrying an underlying meaning. "I, Shang Xingchen, don't like forcing anyone. If you're unwilling, forget it."

Under the pressure of those eyes, Wei Ji suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Alright, alright. I'll do it. The more puppets, the better. The more, the safer. I understand."

Only then did Shang Xingchen nod with satisfaction. "Glad you understand, Fellow Daoist Wei." After that, he sat down cross-legged, continuing to fiddle with the puppets.

Hearing Shang Xingchen's words, Wei Ji could only sigh. His thoughts drifted to Zhu Shuitian.

The Heavenly Infinite Sect's Nascent Soul cultivators, including himself, Shang Xingchen, and Zhu Shuitian, had originally been assigned to Heaven-Six City for reinforcements, but their group was unexpectedly scattered. Eventually, the three of them ended up together. The two of them made their way swiftly toward the large spiritual stone mine.

As they ventured, Wei Ji couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He recalled the past, how the three of them had fled back to Heaven-Three City during the chaos of the beast siege and the rapid decline in Spiritual Qi. Shang Xingchen had acted with foresight, leading them to break out under the cover of night and seize control of this medium spiritual stone mine.

But even a medium spiritual stone mine couldn't produce enough stones to sustain all three of them. Eventually, Zhu Shuitian had turned on them, but before he could even make a move, he collapsed, his body weakening and growing limp.

Wei Ji still vividly remembered that day—Shang Xingchen had smiled as he drilled blood holes into Zhu Shuitian, planting spiritual herbs within his body. The once Nascent Soul cultivator was slowly transformed into a living furnace for the herbs. Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji had continued to refine pills from the plants, prolonging their survival.

As for Zhu Shuitian, his life force was completely drained, leaving his body a lifeless husk, as useless as a dry corpse. The dogs wouldn't even bother chewing on him.

That chilling moment earlier made Wei Ji shiver. He felt as if an icy wind had surrounded him. He had a strong feeling that had he refused to help Shang Xingchen, he might have shared Zhu Shuitian's fate.

At dawn, Wei Ji had just closed his eyes for a brief rest when a distant rumble of magic attacks pulled him awake.

"Dammit... Can't they pick a better time to fight?" he muttered, his eyes bloodshot as he glared in irritation.

Anyone who disturbed his sleep would have to die.

Shang Xingchen quickly returned to the mine, lowering his voice. "The fight at the large spiritual stone mine has started. It's between the Falling Sun Demon Fortress and the Heavenly Corpse Palace. The leaders of both sides should still possess Nascent Soul Initial Stage power."

Wei Ji immediately closed his eyes again, "Forget it, I'll rest a bit more."

Shang Xingchen chuckled. "Fighting is something we should get in on too."

Wei Ji furrowed his brow. "Can we win?"

Shang Xingchen smiled confidently. "Can't beat a whole group, but can't we beat just one? Even if we can only linger on the sidelines of the battle, grabbing a few storage bags would be worth it."

Hearing this, Wei Ji immediately sprang to his feet. "Let's go, no time to waste."

The two of them quickly prepared the repaired puppets and left the medium spiritual stone mine, but not before leaving behind a few guard puppets to watch over the mine, just in case anyone decided to raid it while they were gone.

As the battle outside the large spiritual stone mine raged on, Wei Ji's eyes narrowed. The area had been quiet for a long time. Though many cultivators had their sights set on this mine, none dared to make the first move. The first to strike would surely be targeted first.

Half a year had passed since then, and the mining puppets inside the mine must still be running autonomously, likely having accumulated a significant amount of large spiritual stones. Over time, many cultivators had exhausted their supplies of pills and spiritual stones, leaving them with almost nothing left. Some were unable to endure any longer.

Zhang Yi of the Falling Sun Demon Fortress, along with two junior brothers, had taken the lead. They brought several mining puppets and marched straight to the entrance of the large spiritual stone mine, determined to act. As they activated their puppets to clear the collapsed rocks, they kept their vigilance high, watching the surroundings carefully.

Soon after, Su Jue and others from the Heavenly Corpse Palace joined the fray. The moment both sides met, the battle broke out immediately—there was no hesitation, no words exchanged. In the past, they had been united as fellow demon cultivators under the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect to combat the Reincarnation Divine Sect, but now they were nothing more than scavengers, fighting over scraps.

As long as the great spiritual stones were within reach, even their fellow cultivators—be they seniors, juniors, or even masters and partners—were expendable.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clash of magic spells resonated through the area. Both sides put everything they had into the fight—spells, medicinal pills, spiritual stones—all were quickly consumed in the heat of the battle. Puppets, beasts, and spiritual creatures of all kinds were summoned to the battlefield.

In the chaos, Zhang Yi found himself at a disadvantage. Su Jue seized the opportunity, striking with precision and severing his arm in one swift motion. Screaming in pain, Zhang Yi attempted to retreat, but several cultivators immediately closed in on him.

Just as Su Jue and his group began to gain control of the mine's entrance, a new threat appeared—cultivators from the Heavenly Blood Alliance, led by their leader, Luo Zhantian, surged forward, aiming to claim the spoils of the battle.

Another round of intense fighting ensued, as the battle for the large spiritual stone mine turned into a bloodbath.

Wei Ji watched with growing impatience, eager to join the fray. Just as he moved forward, however, Shang Xingchen stopped him with a firm hand.

"Look over there," Shang Xingchen said, pointing toward a certain direction. "Someone's waiting there too."

Wei Ji frowned. "So what? There are plenty of people around."

But Shang Xingchen seemed puzzled. "I don't know... something about that figure seems familiar. It looks like... Chu Xuan."

Hearing this name, Wei Ji's body stiffened. A cold chill ran down his spine, his eyes wide with shock.

Chapter 360: The Melee

Chu Xuan? Chu Xuan!

In Wei Ji's heart, Chu Xuan was the one and only Nascent Soul cultivator in this world. During the Mystic Azure battle, Chu Xuan single-handedly defeated Zhao Kai and the other cultivators from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace. Even the dragon puppet that Zhao Kai had summoned was casually taken by Chu Xuan.

What followed in the Heavenly Infinite Sect only deepened Wei Ji's fear and awe toward Chu Xuan. Even now, when he thought about the new sect regulations that Chu Xuan had introduced to "push" disciples to grow, his spine still tingled with discomfort.

When they arrived at the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, after being ambushed by righteous cultivators in Heaven-Six City, they lost contact with Chu Xuan. At first, Wei Ji had assumed that Chu Xuan, being so powerful, would surely escape and that they might meet him again someday. But as time passed and he never saw Chu Xuan's figure, he gradually began to forget about him.

Now, hearing Shang Xingchen mention his name, Wei Ji's heart suddenly leapt into his throat.

"Are you sure? Is it really him?" Wei Ji's voice trembled with uncertainty.

Shang Xingchen stroked his chin, his eyes squinting as he studied the figure from afar. "Yes, it's him... Wait, no... It doesn't quite seem like him..."

Wei Ji felt his emotions surge dramatically, almost choking on the confusion and uncertainty.

"Could you please speak clearly?" Wei Ji gritted his teeth, struggling to keep calm.

Shang Xingchen smiled faintly. "It's too far. I can't make out the details clearly."

He paused, then added, "But after thinking about it, I don't think it's Chu Xuan. It's probably just someone who looks like him."

Wei Ji froze. "Why do you think that?"

Shang Xingchen casually answered, "If it were really Chu Xuan, and he saw the situation unfolding here, do you think he'd reveal himself so easily? Do you think he'd let us spot him?"

Wei Ji took a moment to think. "No, he'd stay hidden, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

"Exactly," Shang Xingchen continued. "Someone who can't hold back and jumps right into the fray like this is definitely not Chu Xuan."

With a grin, Shang Xingchen added, "Actually, it's quite easy to test if someone's really Chu Xuan."

Wei Ji blinked in confusion. "Easy?"

Shang Xingchen smiled knowingly. "Yes, wait for him to make a move."

Wei Ji thought about it and nodded. He realized Shang Xingchen was right. After all, they'd fought alongside Chu Xuan before and knew his methods. If Chu Xuan had his eye on this large spiritual stone mine, he would undoubtedly take action.

As long as they saw someone using Chu Xuan's familiar techniques, they'd be able to confirm with certainty that it was him.

At this moment, Wei Ji's emotions were conflicted. On one hand, he looked forward to Chu Xuan's appearance. After all, the three of them were all cultivators from the Heavenly Infinite Sect, which meant they knew each other well and would be more suited to working together.

On the other hand, he was reluctant for Chu Xuan to show up. With Chu Xuan's strength and abilities, if he realized what was happening in the battle, it was likely that... the large spiritual stone mine would no longer be theirs.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

More cultivators were forced to join the battle. The cultivators at the center of the fight were no fools. They wouldn't let the ones waiting on the sidelines take advantage of their hard work.

So, the cultivators in the thick of the battle often deliberately targeted those hiding on the edges, forcing them into the fray. As a result, the battle became even more chaotic. Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji weren't exempt—they too were drawn into the maelstrom.

On the other side of the battlefield.

Chu Xuan stood quietly, his aura completely retracted, watching as the cultivators fought fiercely. He was waiting for the perfect opportunity to make his move. His breath-concealing technique wasn't particularly sophisticated, but the cultivators engaged in battle were all suffering from varying degrees of weakened cultivation. Most had fallen to the Golden Core stage. And with the ongoing, intense battle, they were too focused on their enemies to notice anything around them. With no trace of his aura leaking out and his temperament under control, if these cultivators could still sense his presence, then something was seriously wrong.

"Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji are here, too. They haven't suffered too much of a decline in their cultivation. They probably took over a spiritual stone mine."

Chu Xuan observed the battlefield filled with flickering shadows, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Apart from Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji, he spotted many familiar faces. But they were mostly fleeting acquaintances.

"Let them fight it out," he mused. "Once they've exhausted their tricks, I'll step in."

Chu Xuan remained completely at ease. Even though several spells passed dangerously close to him, he didn't flinch. After all, the spells weren't aimed at him. There was no need to dodge. If he dodged, his Spiritual Qi would fluctuate and he'd be detected.

He was in no rush. The best time to strike was when everyone else had spent their resources and were no longer a threat. Chu Xuan knew how to wait for the perfect moment to enter.

The battle raged on. Many Nascent Soul cultivators had already fallen, their corpses littering the ground. Their faces still carried traces of unwillingness in death. In their respective cultivation realms, they were once Nascent Soul Ancestors, held in high esteem, revered and respected by thousands.

With a single order, legions of cultivators would carry out their every command. But here, on this battlefield, they were no more than pawns, fighting to the death. And worse, their Spiritual Qi had greatly diminished. Many were only at the Golden Core stage, and to put it bluntly, they died with less dignity than a dog.

The cultivators who considered themselves weaker or had sustained serious injuries gritted their teeth and fled the battlefield, retreating far away, unwilling to fight any longer.

Wei Ji was among them. He could only rely on his puppet beasts for protection, accelerating his escape.

Now, only the most powerful cultivators remained in battle. From Heavenly Infinite Sect, Shang Xingchen. From Falling Sun Demon Fortress, Dong Qi. From Heavenly Corpse Palace, Su Jue. From Celestial Sound Zen Temple, Miaochan. And from Red Flame Temple, Song Lingfeng.

Indeed, even the righteous cultivators had set their sights on this large spiritual stone mine. In the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, large spiritual stone mines were few and far between. Every one of them was now crucial for survival, a key to holding on until the very end.

Among these five, Song Lingfeng was the most powerful. A Nascent Soul Ninth Layer cultivator, his strength hadn't declined significantly and he still retained the battle power of the Nascent Soul Mid-Stage.

Moreover, Song Lingfeng commanded two Nascent Soul-tier puppets: one a Nascent Soul Mid-Stage Puppet Tiger, the other a Nascent Soul Early-Stage Puppet Wolf. With these, he absolutely dominated the battlefield.

Shang Xingchen, Su Jue, and Dong Qi had fought through several rounds of intense combat, and were now severely wounded. If the battle continued, they would inevitably lose. However, their spiritual stones and elixirs were almost depleted. If they couldn't achieve something from this battle, even if they miraculously escaped, it would all be in vain.

Song Lingfeng laughed loudly, "Master Miaochan, these three devils are running out of steam! We should strike now and kill them! After this, we'll take over the large spiritual stone mine together! The ones on the left, leave them to me!"

Miaochan nodded, "Eliminating demons and defending the righteous path is my duty!" She spoke, then slammed her hands on her ancient zither. The sound waves from the zither were sharp as a blade, targeting Dong Qi.

At the same time, Song Lingfeng summoned his massive magic treasure hammer, bringing it down with tremendous force! But it wasn't aimed at Shang Xingchen or Su Jue. No, the hammer was aimed straight at Miaochan!

Feeling the powerful gust of wind coming from behind, Miaochan's expression changed drastically. She immediately threw out a white whisk, "Song Lingfeng! Why are you attacking me!"

Song Lingfeng grinned wickedly, "If you hadn't been holding back, I would have killed these three devil cultivators a long time ago! I'm killing you first!"

Chapter 361: Quite Strong, But Don't Use It in Your Next Life

Though Miaochan had been wary of Song Lingfeng, she hadn't expected him to strike so quickly. Caught off guard, she barely had time to react. The white whisk in her hand was shattered into countless falling strands of white hair by the immense force of the giant hammer. She managed to quickly activate a defensive talisman—a Nascent Soul-tier Ice Wall Talisman. A massive, thick wall of ice suddenly appeared, standing between her and Song Lingfeng.

However, the giant hammer was unstoppable. Its might tore through the whisk, smashed through the ice wall, and then slammed into Miaochan's chest with brutal force.

Despite being a Nascent Soul cultivator in the later stages, and a Celestial Sound Zen Temple disciple at that, Miaochan had already exhausted most of her hidden cards. She had used many talismans earlier in the battle. The Ice Wall Talisman was the last one in her possession.

Bang!

Miaochan coughed up a mouthful of blood, her chest caving in from the impact. Her body was sent flying like a ragdoll, crashing over a hundred zhang away. Before she even hit the ground, two puppet beasts closed in, flanking her from both sides. In an instant, they severed Miaochan's slender neck with their sharp claws.

Song Lingfeng casually raised his hand, summoning the two puppet beasts back to his side. With a faint smile, he turned his gaze toward Shang Xingchen, Su Jue, and Dong Qi, the last remaining combatants.

The trio had not simply been standing idle during the chaos. They had used the brief moment of Miaochan's fall to try and recover their Spiritual Qi. However, Miaochan's death had been so swift that they could only recover a small fraction of their energy.

Song Lingfeng grinned, "You three, as devil cultivators, must be burdened with heavy karma. Don't think you can run. All of you will die here today!"

Su Jue of Heavenly Corpse Palace sneered, "Arrogant! Do you think you can kill the three of us alone? Do you have more puppets?"

Song Lingfeng laughed wildly, waving his hand. To everyone's surprise, two more Nascent Soul Early-Stage Puppet Beasts emerged, bringing his total to four.

The four puppet beasts quickly surrounded the trio from all directions. Su Jue's face darkened. He took a deep breath, "What if you have four puppet beasts? Your spiritual stones cannot possibly support their consumption for long!"

Song Lingfeng grinned, his hand diving into a storage bag. He pulled out a large handful of great spiritual stones, shaking them in front of the group. The sound of clashing stones echoed as they collided together.

Su Jue's face grew even darker. He was about to speak again when Shang Xingchen cut him off, "Shut up."

Dong Qi nodded, adding, "Better keep that crow's mouth closed."

Su Jue flushed with anger but was rendered speechless for a long moment.

Song Lingfeng burst into laughter, "What are you stalling for? You trying to use this moment to recover your Spiritual Qi? I see right through you—die!"

Dong Qi shook his head, growling low, then charged forward. Shang Xingchen and Su Jue followed closely behind.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of magic treasures clashing and spells colliding echoed non-stop.

Shang Xingchen, Su Jue, and Dong Qi were all elite cultivators within the Nascent Soul realm. But despite their strength, Song Lingfeng's army of puppet beasts was simply overwhelming.

From afar, Chu Xuan watched as several times Shang Xingchen narrowly avoided death, forced to deploy a few Golden Core-tier puppet beasts just to escape. As for Dong Qi and Su Jue, after dozens of exchanges, they had both sustained heavy injuries. Dong Qi's shoulders were shattered by Song Lingfeng's giant hammer, and both had deep claw marks from the puppet beasts.

Boom!

Song Lingfeng seized an opportunity and struck Su Jue's chest with a single powerful blow, sending him flying over a hundred zhang. Su Jue vomited blood in mid-air, his body weakening.

Dong Qi was surrounded by three puppet beasts, unable to break free despite desperate struggles. His old wounds hadn't even healed before he accumulated new injuries.

Shang Xingchen wasn't faring any better. A puppet beast clawed through his abdomen, and he collapsed into a pool of his own blood.

Song Lingfeng laughed maniacally.

"Three Nascent Soul devils! Killing you all—just think of the merit I'll earn! I can't even imagine it!" He strode toward Shang Xingchen, who was closest to him.

However, just as Song Lingfeng was about to use his Spiritual Qi for another strike, he suddenly felt an unnatural stagnation in his Spiritual Qi. Even the speed of his thoughts seemed to slow down.

"What's happening...?" His expression turned to one of disbelief.

Shang Xingchen roared, "Chu Xuan, he's poisoned! If you don't act now, when will you?!"

Song Lingfeng froze in shock.

"There's a devil cultivator hiding?"

Dong Qi and Su Jue were equally stunned. They had been fighting for so long, yet there had been another cultivator watching from the sidelines, letting them duke it out?

At that moment, Song Lingfeng heard a soft sigh from behind him.

"I was going to wait a bit longer. Shang Xingchen, you really are something."

Shang Xingchen clutched his abdomen, forcing a smile. "If you don't show up now, I'm going to die. If I die, who will you discuss poison and toxin methods with?"

Song Lingfeng was incredibly startled, instinctively activating a talisman. A shield made of a water curtain immediately enveloped him.

However, the Sky-Tearing Cold Palm ignored the water shield entirely and slammed directly into his mind. Spirit sense secret arts could not be blocked by mere talisman-generated Spiritual Qi shields.

Song Lingfeng screamed in agony, retreating rapidly. Blood streamed from his nostrils. But, being an experienced expert, he quickly recovered, wiping his nose. A cold sneer appeared on his face.

"Competing with me in spirit power? In cases where the spirit strength is not vastly different, the level of the spirit technique determines everything. I practice the high-grade Nascent Soul spirit secret arts, Crimson Flame Heaven Blade and Crimson Flame Heaven Shield. What do you think you can use to fight me?"

Song Lingfeng's spirit energy rapidly condensed into a giant blade and shield—one for attack, one for defense—and he directed them toward Chu Xuan's Sky-Tearing Cold Palm.

However, as soon as they collided, he realized something was terribly wrong. With just one strike, the spirit shield cracked. With the second strike, the shield was riddled with cracks! As for the spirit blade, it couldn't even make a dent in Chu Xuan's spirit hand!

Song Lingfeng's heart sank in terror. He understood now. The difference in spirit strength between him and his opponent was staggering. That's why he had been outmatched so easily!

Chu Xuan casually remarked, "So this is your spirit technique? Quite strong. But don't use it in your next life."

With a low growl, Chu Xuan surged with spirit power. The Sky-Tearing Cold Palm grew even larger, and with a single crushing movement, Song Lingfeng's spirit blade and shield were obliterated!

Under the pressure, Song Lingfeng immediately began to bleed from all seven of his orifices. His mind felt as if it had been struck by a giant hammer. A thin, almost imperceptible thread, as delicate as a hair, swept across his neck, turning sharply. With a crisp snap. His head flew up into the air. The decapitated body dropped to the ground with a dull thud, lifeless.

Chu Xuan casually collected Song Lingfeng's body and then turned his attention to Shang Xingchen and the others. He walked toward Shang Xingchen with long, confident strides.

Dong Qi and Su Jue's hearts tightened. Was he going to attack?

However, Chu Xuan suddenly stopped halfway to Shang Xingchen. "Fellow Daoist Shang, I see your poison arts have improved again." He said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

Shang Xingchen slowly picked himself up. The wound on his abdomen had already healed. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking as if nothing had happened, and smiled.

"Thanks to frequent discussions on toxins and poisons with the sect master, how could I have achieved this level otherwise? The sect master's poison insects are also quite formidable. They nearly crawled into my wound just now."

Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen locked eyes for a long time. After a while, both of them burst into laughter.

Chapter 362: I, Chu Xuan, Rarely Give Things to Others

Chu Xuan stood ten zhang away, not taking another step forward. He could tell that most of Shang Xingchen's injuries were faked. The goal was to provoke him into acting. However, Shang Xingchen had indeed poisoned Song Lingfeng, or else Song Lingfeng would not have been so easily killed.

At this point, Dong Qi had helped Su Jue to his feet. He looked toward Chu Xuan, unable to stop himself from saying, "You're Chu Xuan, right? I think I remember you. You're from Heavenly Infinite Sect, aren't you?"

Chu Xuan smiled. "That's right. Back in Heaven-Six City, I lost contact with all of you. I've been barely surviving on the Heavenly Metal Battlefield these days, suffering quite a lot."

Shang Xingchen couldn't help but sneer. Look at how full your Spiritual Qi is. Barely surviving? Suffering?

As Dong Qi and Su Jue spoke, they began to retreat. But Chu Xuan took a few steps forward. "I have some healing pills here. Would you two like some?" He spoke while pulling out the pills, his face full of smiles.

Dong Qi forced a smile. "No need, no need. Healing pills are quite precious now. Fellow Daoist Chu, you should keep them for yourself."

Su Jue coughed up a mouthful of blood. "It's nothing... just a few fatal wounds. I'll recover after some time. No need to waste your pills, Fellow Daoist Chu."

Chu Xuan took another few steps forward. "Really don't want them? I, Chu Xuan, rarely give things to others."

Dong Qi and Su Jue took several steps back.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, we still have matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave. We don't need these mining puppets or anything else. We'll leave them to you, Fellow Daoist Chu!"

With that, both of them used their escape technique and vanished in an instant.

Chu Xuan sighed lightly. "What a pity."

Shang Xingchen smiled. "A pity for the healing pills, or for them?"

Chu Xuan casually replied, "Both, really."

Shang Xingchen smiled again. "Those two were no pushovers. They probably still had trump cards."

Chu Xuan waved his hand. "Do you want this big spirit stone mine?"

Shang Xingchen's lips curled upwards. "If I say I want it, can you give it to me?"

"No, I can't."

Shang Xingchen chuckled. "Well then, that settles it. But you being able to easily kill Song Lingfeng, I must say, I had a part in that. I won't fight you for the big spirit stone mine, but I do need some healing pills and spirit stones."

Chu Xuan nodded. "That's fine."

The reason he didn't act earlier was because he strongly suspected that Shang Xingchen still had some hidden cards. He had already suspected that Shang Xingchen was a cautious individual and would never fall easily to Song Lingfeng.

As expected, Song Lingfeng was poisoned by Shang Xingchen. When Chu Xuan walked toward him earlier, if he hadn't been prepared, he might've fallen victim to the poison himself. At that point, the situation would have been reversed.

Since they could still work together as partners, giving up a little in exchange was no problem at all. It was entirely acceptable. Having this big spirit stone mine meant he could continuously produce large quantities of spirit stones in the future.

A moment later, dozens of mining puppets cleared the collapsed entrance.

Chu Xuan strode into the mine. When he saw that Shang Xingchen had no intention of entering, he casually asked, "Aren't you coming in?"

Shang Xingchen waved his hand. "The mine's too cramped. It's more suited for you to make your move. I'll wait outside."

Chu Xuan smiled. "Alright." He quickly took a tour of the great spirit stone mine. When he saw the mountain of great spirit stones piled up in the warehouse, a satisfied smile spread across his face. This trip had been worthwhile!

Although the entrance to the mine had been destroyed, the mining puppets hadn't ceased working. They kept digging until their internal spirit stone energy was exhausted, then stopped. Chu Xuan scanned the area with his spiritual sense and immediately understood the quantity of spirit stones.

- Great spirit stones: 7,000.
- Medium Spiritual Stones: 185,000.
- Small Spiritual Stones: nearly a million.

The mine was built atop an entire spirit stone vein, not just for producing great spirit stones. It was only called a big spirit stone mine because great spirit stones were the highest grade it could produce. Similarly, medium spiritual stone mines could produce both medium and small spiritual stones.

Chu Xuan took a top-tier storage bag and collected all the spirit stones. Then, he replenished the mining puppets with more spirit stones, causing them to resume their work, only then did he leave the mine. He casually tossed a storage bag towards Shang Xingchen. At the same time, he sighed deeply. "What a waste of a trip. The spirit stones here are few. There are only about 500 great spirit stones, and not even 10,000 medium spiritual stones."

Shang Xingchen caught the storage bag, and his heart finally settled. Inside were 100 great spirit stones and 1,000 medium spiritual stones. If used carefully, it would be enough to last him a long time. As for Chu Xuan's words, he didn't believe a single one of them.

Shang Xingchen suddenly asked, "How will we contact each other in the future?"

Chu Xuan threw over a stone.

"This item is similar to the Mother Son Stone. If the Heart-Linking Stone on your side cracks, the one on mine will too, and vice versa. If there's any news, we can meet outside Heaven-Three City."

Shang Xingchen put on a pair of white silk gloves before taking the Heart-Linking Stone, making sure not to directly touch it. He nodded and turned to leave.

Chu Xuan, on the other hand, began setting up formations in the mine. Once he had placed various attack formations, defensive formations, mist formations, sound-blocking formations, and light-absorbing formations, he sat down on a stone bed.

"With this big spirit stone mine, I now have a solid foundation for my survival. Thinking back now, Heavenly River True Master from the Reincarnation Divine Sect and Tian Mozi from Heaven Shaking Divine Sect must have already taken over a big spirit stone mine, right? Their cultivation levels shouldn't have dropped much. Getting treasure from them now is still quite difficult."

Chu Xuan smiled faintly. Not now, then he would wait. Sooner or later, even Deity Transformation cultivators would be affected by external factors and their cultivation would decline. As long as he maintained his current battle power by then, he would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

"This is probably the only time and place where Nascent Soul cultivators can stand on equal footing with Deity Transformation cultivators," Chu Xuan mused with a light laugh. The Reincarnation Divine Sect's desperate final move had actually provided him with a great opportunity for profit. Should he thank those righteous cultivators from the Reincarnation Divine Sect?

"I'll definitely collect your corpses in the future," Chu Xuan said seriously, raising his hands towards the direction of the Heaven-Nine City.

...

Shang Xingchen returned to the medium spiritual stone mine, now with several more chilling wounds on his body. Wei Ji was currently healing. Seeing Shang Xingchen stumbling back, he hurried over to support him.

Shang Xingchen waved him off, "It's nothing, nothing serious."

"What happened? Who ultimately took the big spirit stone mine?" Wei Ji asked anxiously.

Shang Xingchen sighed lightly, "Chu Xuan made his move. He killed Song Lingfeng, forced back Dong Qi and Su Jue, and now the big spirit stone mine belongs to him."

Wei Ji exclaimed, "So we got nothing and even lost quite a bit?"

Shang Xingchen threw him a storage bag. "We still got something. Ten great spirit stones, one hundred medium spiritual stones. I poisoned Song Lingfeng to help Chu Xuan kill him. This is what he gave me, so we'll split it."

Chapter 363: Nutrition Must Be Balanced

Wei Ji took the storage pouch, his expression filled with emotion. "Good, good. As long as I have something, it's enough. If I use it sparingly, I should be able to ensure my cultivation doesn't regress to the early stage of Golden Core within the next two months."

He said no more, immediately sitting down to meditate, maintaining his Spiritual Qi. Not even sparing Shang Xingchen a second glance. He seemed to harbor no suspicion about the number of spirit stones. For deep inside, he knew very well.

What was the point of suspicion? Shang Xingchen was stronger than him. Whatever Shang Xingchen was willing to give, he would take. A fist too weak to claim more gains would only lead to death.

Meanwhile, Shang Xingchen watched Wei Ji meditate, smiling silently. Both of them pretended ignorance, though fully aware of the truth.

...

At the great spirit stone mine, Chu Xuan gently caressed Gangsi, feeding it two low-grade magic treasures.

In Song Lingfeng and Miaochan's storage pouches, there were many magic treasures, both righteous and demonic. Now, all of them had fallen into his hands.

"One cannot live on magic treasures alone," Chu Xuan muttered. "The nutrition is unbalanced. I'll need to get you some metal ores."

With a flick of his hand, he took out a jade slip inscribed with spiritual sense from his pouch. This jade slip had come from Song Lingfeng's belongings. It contained a map of the Heavenly Metal battlefield, a much more detailed one, showing even the various outposts surrounding the cities.

Chu Xuan's gaze immediately landed on the several metal mines around Heaven-Three City.

"Thousand-Year Gold. Bloodstained Copper Sand. Coldheart Iron. Not bad, not bad. These three mines will do. Monks usually target spirit stone mines first, followed by spirit herb gardens, then spirit wood forests, and lastly, metal mines. The difficulty of conquering these three mines shouldn't be too high."

With a thought, Chu Xuan summoned Long, Hu, and Bao, who led a large group of corpse generals into action.

Less than two days later, when Chu Xuan returned to the great spirit stone mine, three storage pouches were now filled to the brim. Each pouch contained over ten thousand pounds of metal ores—enough to satisfy Gangsi's hunger.

"It's been a while since I checked on the situation in the Cave World," Chu Xuan mused. "Now that I have the time, I should go back and take a look."

He stepped forward, returning to Blue Star. His spiritual sense connected with the Myriad Realm Mirror, and the scene of the Cave World appeared before him.

...

The Cave World had now passed nearly twenty years. The Holy Ant Tribe and the Fire Ant Tribe held a collective vote. In the end, the vote decided that the two tribes would merge and be called the "Fiery Holy Ant Tribe."

Of course, there were some voices against the merger, as it touched upon their own interests. However, Lie Xin still held a firm control over the two tribes. Those discordant voices were swiftly and physically eliminated. The merging of the two tribes went smoothly, exactly as she had planned.

"Not enough, still not enough. To surpass the Myriad Insects Tribe, a single large tribe cannot achieve it."

At this moment, Lie Xin was holding a fishing rod, fishing leisurely. But her thoughts remained focused on how to expand the Fiery Holy Ant Tribe and how to devour the Myriad Insects Tribe.

Yet, the more intelligence she gathered, the more she felt a sense of dread toward the Myriad Insects Tribe. A tribe-nation, it truly deserved the name. It was far too vast.

The Royal Guard of the nation was the most elite military force of the Myriad Insects Tribe. It boasted a permanent force of five thousand. These were five thousand Silver Insect Masters! Not to mention the Golden and Platinum Insect Masters who led them. The power disparity was immense.

Besides the Royal Guard, the ruler of the Myriad Insects Tribe also had the authority to summon Insect Masters from large tribes under his banner. Once fully mobilized, the numbers would be staggering!

Though the current ruler had been immersed in alchemy and had not managed the affairs of the court for many years, the ruler's residual influence still remained. With a single order, the large tribes dared not disobey.

The Fiery Holy Ant Tribe would need at least another hundred years of growth to stand against the Myriad Insects Tribe. Lie Xin didn't believe she could live to see that day. Thus, she had to change her strategy.

If I cannot conquer you, then I shall merge with you.

Lie Xin looked at the two bone fragments to her left. The blue bone fragment was engraved with a man's name. The red bone fragment was engraved with a woman's name. In total, there were twenty-two names.

All were young men and women from the Fiery Holy Ant Tribe, aged sixteen to thirty. Their appearances and physiques were all excellent. Moreover, they were deeply loyal to the tribe.

Lie Xin had long sought out the most handsome men and beautiful women in the tribe, preparing for future needs. Now that the path of forceful conquest had become unfeasible, she had no choice but to turn to this backup plan.

Among them, she had two children she was particularly fond of. One was named Lie Xiao, aged eighteen. The other was named Lie Chen, aged twenty.

Lie Xiao was the epitome of excellence in appearance, physique, emotional intelligence, and talent. However, he was a bit carefree in his actions, often lacking seriousness. He was easily distracted, with a tendency to lose interest after a short time.

Lie Chen, on the other hand, had it all—looks, intellect, and the perfect physique. He was intelligent in both mind and body.

The ruler had many princes and princesses. The young men and women Lie Xin had selected were meant for those very princes and princesses.

She wasn't worried about Lie Xiao. With his innate foundation, entering the royal palace wouldn't be difficult for him. But for Lie Chen, the conditions for entering the palace were far more stringent.

Lie Xin knew that the Ninth Princess didn't place much importance on appearance. Instead, she valued intelligence more than anything.

"Soon it will be the day of the grand selection. I hope these children I've chosen will all have the chance to enter the royal palace."

Lie Xin sighed softly, placing the two bone fragments down.

Five days later, the grand selection arrived as promised. The ruler issued a decree, calling for young men and women from various large tribes to be selected as potential partners for the princes and princesses. This had been an ancient tradition.

Originally, it was meant to establish a strong bond between the royal family and the large tribes under its command, to ensure the large tribes wouldn't rebel. But as time passed, the royal family grew ever stronger, while the large tribes weakened. Yet, the tradition had not changed.

Even for the ruler, casually altering the customs passed down by ancestors was a burden he couldn't bear lightly. Among the twenty-two individuals Lie Xin had chosen, eighteen passed the selection and entered the royal palace.

At the gates of the Fiery Holy Ant Tribe, Lie Xin watched as the young men and women were taken away by the royal carriages. She sighed deeply.

To vie for favor, the competition within the palace was even more intense than the outside world. Once inside the royal palace, one was often lost in its depths. But if she wanted to continue expanding the Fiery Holy Ant Tribe, she had no choice but to send them in.

"I hope you all can survive and return safely," Lie Xin sighed heavily.

Chu Xuan watched all of this unfold. His expression remained unchanged, for he was merely an outsider. As long as Lie Xin could provide him with better and more advanced methods to cultivate the insects, everything else was negotiable. To him, the events of the Cave World were little more than a game. He could slightly influence the course of its story.

In his eyes, Lie Xin's decisions made perfect sense. For survival, for growth, for development, certain things simply had to be done. It was true for individuals, tribes, and even nations.

Chapter 364: As Long as I Run Faster Than My Teammates, Death Won't Catch Me!

The Heavenly Metal Battlefield. Another six months had passed.

Chu Xuan stepped forward with long strides, returning to the great spirit stone mine. He had originally planned to continue his cultivation, but the Heart-Linking Stone in his hand had developed a crack. It was clear that Shang Xingchen had received new intelligence.

Just as Chu Xuan was about to leave the mine, he suddenly paused in his tracks. He seemed to be deep in thought. "Since six months have passed, my Spiritual Qi level should have dropped somewhat."

The spirit stones around him had never been in short supply, so his cultivation hadn't diminished. However, others by now should have experienced at least some decline.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Chu Xuan activated the Returning Void Technique, suppressing his aura to the late Golden Core stage, and then made his way toward the agreed meeting spot.

Outside of Heaven-Three City, Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji waited behind a cluster of rocks. Wei Ji appeared somewhat anxious. Shang Xingchen, on the other hand, remained calm and composed. After a while, Chu Xuan finally appeared within their line of sight.

The three met.

Chu Xuan glanced over and noticed that Wei Ji's strength had dropped further, now at the early Golden Core stage. Shang Xingchen was in slightly better condition, still at the late Golden Core stage. However, it was impossible to tell whether Shang Xingchen was hiding his true strength or if his cultivation had indeed dropped to the late Golden Core stage.

"Has your Spiritual Qi also declined?" Wei Ji sighed lightly. "It's inevitable."

Chu Xuan didn't pay much attention to it and casually asked, "What's the information?"

Shang Xingchen lowered his voice. "Some strange tree roots suddenly appeared in Heaven-Five City, but no one knows where they came from."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Did you bring them with you?"

Shang Xingchen took out a twisted, gray root from his storage bag. Chu Xuan glanced at it, and his heart jolted. Wasn't this a root of the Taotie Tree?

Could it be that the Taotie Tree had appeared in the Heavenly Metal Battlefield as well?! He had already experienced firsthand how terrifying it could be. If allowed to grow unchecked, it would devour all the vitality in the entire battlefield. All of them, including the cultivators, would be doomed.

Yet Chu Xuan didn't show any hint of alarm on his face. He only displayed a look of confusion. "What is this?"

Shang Xingchen shook his head. "Neither Wei Ji nor I have seen such a tree before, but it gives off an extremely sinister feeling."

Chu Xuan nodded. "Is there any other information?"

Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji exchanged a glance before speaking solemnly. "Three righteous cultivators, each with Nascent Soul early-stage strength, are planning to hold a small gathering to exchange various resources. The time is five days from now, and the location is at a spiritual wood forest about a hundred miles east of Heaven-Five City. This information came from the soul of a righteous cultivator I searched. I also saw in his soul that they had already held one such gathering, and there were no unexpected incidents."

Wei Ji voiced his concern. "But we're worried that those three righteous cultivators might have set a trap, which is why we came to find you."

Chu Xuan gave a slight nod. Such concerns were entirely reasonable. As time passed, resources within the Heavenly Metal Battlefield would inevitably grow scarcer. Though the three cultivators claimed to be holding a trading gathering, they might actually be waiting for others to fall into their trap. Just because nothing happened at the first trade meeting didn't mean the second would be safe.

However, as long as his strength was sufficient, why would he need to worry about the opponent's schemes? If they hadn't set up anything, that was great—he could acquire the treasures he needed at a bargain. But if they had set a trap, even better—he could just crush through it!

After a moment of thought, Chu Xuan nodded. "I'll go with you."

When participating in such trade meetings, it was always better to go in groups of three or five. Lone wolves were the easiest targets. The more people there were, the more they could intimidate any would-be troublemakers. And, at crucial moments, his teammates could help him escape.

As the saying went, as long as I run faster than my teammates, death won't catch me!

Seeing Chu Xuan agree, Wei Ji immediately felt a weight lifted off his chest. The strength Chu Xuan demonstrated was evident to both him and Shang Xingchen. With Chu Xuan agreeing to join, their safety was assured.

...

Five days later.

Chu Xuan met up with Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji, and together they made their way toward the spiritual wood forest.

Ancient beasts still attacked places where cultivators gathered, but they only ventured out at night, retreating back into underground caves by day.

Now, many Nascent Soul cultivators had already fallen to the Golden Core stage. If they found themselves surrounded by large groups of the Nether Crocodiles, they were as good as dead.

Thus, daylight was a precious time for cultivators. Every day, subtle tremors and changes occurred across the outer battlefield. A hill that stood yesterday might have turned into a plain today. Long-dead cultivators' corpses, ancient demonic beast remains, or even entirely new veins of spirit stones could suddenly surface on the earth. If one happened upon these discoveries by chance, their safety would be ensured.

This was why cultivators had to be active during the day. There were limited resources, and without working tirelessly to acquire more, survival was impossible.

Not long later, a towering cluster of spiritual trees appeared before the trio. They had arrived at the spiritual wood forest.

This place produced two types of spiritual wood: Cold Iron Wood and Yin Wood. Both hundred-year-old and thousand-year-old varieties were present. Normally, these trees would be excellent materials for forging. But now, spiritual wood held little value for most cultivators, only being used to repair wooden puppet beasts.

However, because spiritual wood absorbed Spiritual Qi to grow, it contained a substantial amount of Spiritual Qi within. The forest had also become saturated with Spiritual Qi. Thus, taking control of the spiritual wood forest was a highly desirable option.

When Chu Xuan and his companions arrived, they saw several figures hurrying toward them from the distance. These cultivators didn't use escape techniques. Instead, they walked on foot or relied on puppet beasts and other vehicles. After all, Spiritual Qi was precious—every bit used meant less for cultivation. It was impractical to waste it on traveling.

Wei Ji gazed at the approaching figures, unable to suppress a sigh. "A Nascent Soul cultivator, a figure who would be a sect leader or even a patriarch in any other place... Now, they can't even use escape techniques, walking on foot like common mortals... If other cultivators found out, they'd surely laugh at them."

The three reached the entrance to the forest. There, two Golden Core early-stage puppet guards stood watch. Upon seeing the three approach, the puppet guards extended their spears, blocking the way.

Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen exchanged a glance, then turned to Wei Ji. It seemed to say, You go ahead. You handle it.

Wei Ji sighed, stepping forward reluctantly. "We come to attend the trading gathering."

After a long pause, a voice suddenly came from the left puppet. "You three don't seem like righteous cultivators."

The voice from the right puppet was even more severe. "Demonic cultivators, entry forbidden."

Shang Xingchen chuckled lightly. "We have enough spirit stones to prove our worth." With that, he took out a storage bag and casually pulled out a large handful of spirit stones. They were all large, transparent spirit stones.

The two puppet guards fell silent for a moment, then suddenly stepped aside, allowing them to pass. "This gathering has nothing to do with righteous or demonic paths. It's just a trade. Fellow Daoists, please enter."

Chapter 365: Trading Begins

The three of them—Chu Xuan, Ximen Changqing, and Wei Ji—strode confidently into the forest. The rich Spiritual Qi immediately enveloped them, a refreshing breeze mingled with the fragrance of the trees, invigorating their spirits. Though the Spiritual Qi here couldn't compare to the prime days of the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, it was still a rare and treasured experience to be in such a rich environment now.

Soon, the trio arrived at the center of the forest, where they found other cultivators. There were around twenty or so of them, gathered in small clusters around tables of various sizes, speaking in hushed tones.

Their arrival drew attention. Nascent Soul cultivators were few, and most of them knew each other. Since Chu Xuan, Ximen Changqing, and Wei Ji were from the Heavenly Infinite Sect, they were unfamiliar to the others. This, in part, was why Chu Xuan didn't easily alter his appearance—his sect's distinct identity would make such efforts pointless.

A young cultivator in white robes smiled and cupped his hands. "I am Kang Jia from the Fiery Sky Cloud Tower. Fellow Daoists seem unfamiliar. May I ask which sect you come from?"

Chu Xuan immediately transmitted a message to Wei Ji, telling them they were from the Falling Sun Demonic Fortress.

Wei Ji sighed, reluctantly speaking up. "I am Wei Ji, from the Falling Sun Demonic Fortress."

Kang Jia froze for a moment. "The Falling Sun Demonic Fortress? A demonic sect?!" With a swift motion, he retreated several steps, holding a talisman in his hand, his face full of suspicion.

Thud, thud, thud.

Several righteous dao cultivators stood up immediately. One of them pointed an accusatory finger at Wei Ji and shouted angrily.

"How dare demonic cultivators join a trading gathering! Get out!"

"Vile demons! If it weren't for your kind, we wouldn't be trapped in this situation!"

However, most of the righteous cultivators remained seated, watching coldly without making a move. Chu Xuan and Ximen Changqing stood motionless, arms crossed.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, as if a confrontation was imminent.

At this moment, a voice rang out, calm and smiling. An old man with a youthful face and flowing white hair strode over, his presence radiating authority.

"Fellow Daoists, there's no need to be so tense. These three are here simply to attend the gathering, not to engage in life-and-death battles. We are all trapped in the Heavenly Metal Battlefield. The priority now is how to survive. Why waste energy fighting among ourselves?"

Next to him stood an elderly woman, who merely snorted without speaking.

Kang Jia and the other righteous cultivators immediately cupped their hands in respect. "Greetings, Senior Brother Shangguan, Senior Sister Qiu."

The two elders—Shangguan He from Fiery Sky Cloud Tower and Qiu Wanhong from the Crazy Dragon Valley—had organized this trading gathering. The third person, however, had yet to appear.

Earlier, when Chu Xuan and his group had approached the entrance, the voices from the puppet guards had been those of Shangguan He and Qiu Wanhong.

Kang Jia couldn't help but speak up, "But... they are still demonic cultivators, after all. The righteous and demonic paths have never coexisted. How can we possibly align ourselves with them?"

Shangguan He spoke in a solemn tone, "Junior Brother Kang, you've just recently entered Nascent Soul. You might not understand, but the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths must be considered in context. This war is, at its core, the struggle between the Reincarnation Sect and the Heaven Shaking Sect. Our respective sects were dragged into this conflict without cause. Now, we are all trapped in the Heavenly Metal Battlefield due to the sudden depletion of Spiritual Qi and the failure of the teleportation arrays. In the end, we are all innocent victims caught in the crossfire. Why make things difficult for one another?"

Kang Jia scratched his head, looking somewhat perplexed but also feeling that there was some truth in what Shangguan He said.

Qiu Wanhong snorted coldly, "Rest assured, fellow daoists, these demonic cultivators wouldn't dare cause trouble."

Shangguan He smiled and waved his hand, "This gathering has nothing to do with the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths. It's just a simple trade. Please, everyone, take your seats."

After hearing these words, the righteous cultivators who had stood up returned to their seats, albeit reluctantly. Chu Xuan, Ximen Changqing, and Wei Ji casually found a spot and sat down.

Chu Xuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It seemed likely that some of the righteous cultivators had already realized that the sudden loss of Spiritual Qi was caused by the formation.

That formation, of course, had been laid down by the Reincarnation Sect. This undoubtedly caused a lot of resentment toward the Reincarnation Sect, which might explain why some cultivators were reluctant to serve them. It was only natural that they would prefer trading with demonic cultivators instead.

Shangguan He smiled again, "I won't waste time with pleasantries. Let me start with something of value." He raised his hand, and two copper coins appeared in his palm.

The first coin was ancient and weathered, dark and lustrous, with faint traces of mortal history etched into its surface. The second coin was as fresh as new, startlingly white, as if it had just been forged.

Shangguan He gently infused some Spiritual Qi into them, and in an instant, the two coins began to expand. Within the blink of an eye, they had grown to the size of a zhang.

Kang Jia immediately exclaimed in surprise, "One old and one new, one black and one white... these are Senior Brother Shangguan's Two Yis Copper Coin, aren't they? These are top-tier magic treasures! Senior Brother Shangguan is willing to part with them?"

Shangguan He withdrew his Spiritual Qi, and the Two Yis Copper Coin returned to their original size. He gently stroked them, a trace of melancholy crossing his face.

"Whether I am willing or not, in the end, I've had to part with them. It's all for the sake of survival."

He looked at everyone, "The Two Yis Copper Coin, a top-tier magic treasure, capable of both offense and defense. In exchange, I would like two bottles of Black Dragon Pills. If you don't have Black Dragon Pills, ten great spiritual stones will suffice."

Black Dragon Pills were a type of pill used by Nascent Soul cultivators to rapidly replenish their Spiritual Qi.

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. A top-tier magic treasure, under normal circumstances, would require at least one hundred thousand small spiritual stones to purchase. One great spiritual stone could be exchanged for a hundred medium spiritual stones, or ten thousand small spiritual stones. Thus, the price of this treasure, in terms of great spiritual stones, would usually be a hundred. But now, Shangguan He was offering it at a tenfold discount. It was clear that the value of pills and spiritual stones had surged dramatically.

Chu Xuan had anticipated the sharp rise in the value of pills and spiritual stones, but he hadn't expected it to surge to this extent. At this moment, he was even more grateful for his foresight in seizing the spiritual stone mine in advance.

"It's a shame this trade conference doesn't allow for disguise," he thought, his heart giving a quiet sigh. "Otherwise, I'd buy every single top-tier magic treasure here."

The current prices of these treasures were absurdly low. He had plenty of great spiritual stones, but if he were to buy one treasure after another, it would undoubtedly attract the envy of the righteous cultivators. Such attention would cause trouble, and before he knew it, a group of them would be ganging up on him.

That was why he had asked Wei Ji to claim they came from the Falling Sun Demon Fortress instead of revealing their true identities. After all, many cultivators had fought fiercely over the spiritual stone mine in the past, and although some had fled midway, there was always the possibility that someone might return secretly, lurking in the shadows, observing from a distance.

Then there were Dong Qi from the Fallen Sun Demon Fortress and Su Jue from the Heavenly Corpse Palace. Chu Xuan had originally intended to silence both of them, to eliminate any potential future threats.

However, these two hadn't yet shown all their cards, and Chu Xuan couldn't gauge their full strength, so he had refrained from acting rashly. Instead, he allowed them to leave unharmed. He certainly didn't expect either of them to keep their mouths shut. The news of him seizing the great spiritual stone mine outside Heaven-Three City had likely already spread over the past six months.

Whether the news was confined to a small circle or had reached a broader audience, Chu Xuan couldn't say for certain. These righteous cultivators weren't fools. If he were to suddenly start splurging large amounts of spiritual stones here, they would likely recognize him immediately. At that point, he would become the target of their collective hostility.

The Two Yis Copper Coin were indeed valuable, but they weren't an ideal fit for him. It would be better to wait for other treasures to make an appearance and then make a move when the time was right.

Chapter 366: Demonic Talisman Sutra

The Two Yis Copper Coin was certainly a top-tier magic treasure, but for Chu Xuan, they weren't the perfect match. Yet, to other cultivators, they were a rare and precious item. It didn't take long before someone purchased the Two Yis Copper Coin for eleven great spiritual stones and twenty-five medium spiritual stones.

After that, Shangguan He sat down, and Qiu Wanhong took out two more treasures. The first was a set of array disks and array flags, called the Crimson Flood Flag. The second was a giant sword-type magic treasure, the Silver Edge Sword. Both were also top-tier magic treasures. The price for both was the same as Shangguan He's: ten great spiritual stones.

Chu Xuan couldn't help but shake his head. These weren't treasures that caught his eye. However, Wei Ji was quite tempted. Yet, he didn't have enough to afford them—ten great spiritual stones was no small amount.

After the auction of the two hosts' treasures, the event moved into the free trading segment. Cultivators found a place to sit and began placing their wares on nearby tables, ready for trade.

Chu Xuan glanced around and couldn't help but shake his head. These righteous cultivators seemed to be used to standard trading practices. But how could they display their truly valuable items in such an open manner? Did they not fear someone swooping in and stealing them?

With a wave of his hand, Chu Xuan took out a mirror. It shimmered with light, and within its reflective surface appeared the items he intended to sell today. If he spoke the name of any of these items aloud, they would enlarge and a series of descriptive text would appear beside them.

This item was the Hundred Treasures Mirror. It had no offensive or defensive capabilities, but it could record and display all kinds of treasures, making them visible on the mirror's surface.

Chu Xuan had obtained it from Miaochan's storage bag, finding it incredibly useful, so he had kept it. Now, it had come in handy.

Wei Ji looked on in amazement. "This treasure is something new, fellow daoist Chu. Where did it come from?" he asked.

Chu Xuan smiled. "Of course, I acquired it through some... unsavory means. I didn't make it myself."

Wei Ji's mouth twitched. "That makes sense," he thought.

Chu Xuan didn't look like the type who would craft treasures himself. Shang Xingchen also took out a similar treasure, though on his table were only the projections of his items. The actual treasures remained hidden in his storage bag.

Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen immediately stood up and began to stroll through the forest, looking for anything that might be useful or of interest to them from the other cultivators.

As for Wei Ji—He had originally planned to lay his treasures out for display. But seeing Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen doing their thing, he scratched his head. He decided it was safer to just sketch out the various treasures he had, write down their uses, and place them on his table. Only then did he feel comfortable enough to leave his seat and browse the other traders' goods.

Chu Xuan wandered around for a bit, but still couldn't find anything that caught his eye. However, as he passed by a cultivator in white, something caught his attention. It was none other than Kang Jia.

When Kang Jia saw Chu Xuan stop in front of him, he instinctively wanted to smile and greet him. But as soon as he remembered that the other party was a demonic cultivator, he quickly suppressed his smile and cleared his expression.

"Do... do you wish to buy something?" Kang Jia began to say "fellow daoist," but stopped himself at the last moment.

Chu Xuan pointed at a white cocoon and asked, "What is this?"

Kang Jia answered, "It's a Spirit Insect—the Moonlight Butterfly. It feeds on wind and dew and can grow to match the strength of an early Nascent Soul cultivator."

Chu Xuan smiled slightly, "Isn't it just a kind of Gu insect? Why call it a Spirit Insect?"

Kang Jia frowned, "Gu insects consume human blood, but Spirit Insects feed on the essence of heaven and earth, the sun, and the moon. They are not the same at all."

Chu Xuan chuckled lightly, "But from what I know, this Moonlight Butterfly needs at least a thousand years to match the strength of an early Nascent Soul cultivator."

He had read extensively about Gu insects. Naturally, he was aware of the Moonlight Butterfly's growth cycle. To him, Gu insects and Spirit Insects were no different—both were just insects, after all.

He continued, "Which Nascent Soul cultivator would be so bored as to raise such insects?"

Kang Jia, with a somewhat awkward expression, replied, "...I would."

Chu Xuan couldn't help but laugh. "Didn't expect you, fellow daoist, to be so inclined toward such leisurely pursuits."

Kang Jia, slightly irritated, retorted, "You demonic cultivators! Either buy or leave; don't waste my time."

Chu Xuan pointed at a golden insect, "What's this?"

Kang Jia answered, "It's a Golden Spirit Moth. It feeds on metal to grow, and one needs a Black Dragon Pill to trade for it."

Before Kang Jia could say anything further, Chu Xuan pointed to the next insect, "And this one?"

Kang Jia, with a look of restraint, answered, "That's the Black Wind Cicada."

Chu Xuan continued pointing at various insects, and Kang Jia answered them all, though his patience was clearly wearing thin.

Finally, Kang Jia couldn't hold it in any longer. "Buy or don't buy! Leave or don't leave! Why the hesitation?"

Chu Xuan smiled calmly, "Don't rush, fellow daoist. I'm just curious about the Gu insect path."

He pointed to a purple cocoon. "What about this one?"

Kang Jia, clearly annoyed, responded, "This is the Ancient Evil Bug—the Shadow Demon Worm. This insect is a descendant of the Ghost Shadow Insect. If refined into a puppet, it can withstand a full-strength attack from an early Nascent Soul cultivator. However, I lack the ability to refine it. It can be exchanged for one Black Dragon Pill, or ten medium spiritual stones."

Chu Xuan, pretending to be disinterested, casually tossed ten medium spiritual stones onto the table.

"I'll take it. Please pack it up for me."

He deliberately acted this way—he didn't want Kang Jia to realize that the Shadow Demon Worm was exactly what he needed. If he had immediately asked for it, Kang Jia would undoubtedly have raised the price in secret.

Though he had control over a great spiritual stone mine, it had already been mined for thousands of years, and he wasn't sure how much was left. And as for when he would be able to leave the Heavenly Metal Battlefield—that was still uncertain. So, although he had plenty of spiritual stones, he couldn't afford to waste them. As a demonic cultivator, the key was thriftiness and frugality, after all.

Kang Jia was momentarily stunned, then quickly and skillfully packed the Shadow Demon Worm, handing it over to Chu Xuan. Finally, the first insect had been sold. It hadn't been easy.

After acquiring the Shadow Demon Worm, Chu Xuan wandered around a bit more, picking up several rare materials and secret techniques at incredibly low prices. Among the items he acquired were Black Flood Dragon Horns, needed to enhance the Evil Soul Chain, Dragon Transformation Ginseng, which was essential for crafting Black Dragon Pill, and the Lotus Escape Technique from the Celestial Sound Zen Temple, among others.

Of these, the Lotus Escape Technique stood out. It possessed abilities that enabled the user to suppress their presence. It could also counter divination and prophetic abilities. This technique was truly a jack-of-all-trades.

However, countering divination required the user to condense a Merit Lotus, which would consume considerable merit. The monks of the Celestial Sound Zen Temple were hesitant to use it recklessly, knowing how precious merit could be. But Chu Xuan didn't mind the cost of merit at all.

Now possessing a Four-Tier Merit Gold Wheel, his store of merit was far more vast and potent than a Three-Tier Gold Wheel. A little consumption meant nothing.

Before long, Chu Xuan returned to his seat and found three cultivators waiting for him. Among them was Kang Jia.

Chu Xuan smiled lightly, "What can I do for you, fellow daoists?"

The first person, a tall and stern cultivator, spoke in a deep voice, "I need a Nascent Soul early-stage Puppet Beast and five Mining Puppets." He paused and then added, "I have a Demonic Talisman Sutra from Falling Sun Demon Fortress. Would you be willing to trade?" With that, he took out the Demonic Talisman Sutra.

Chu Xuan took it from him and flipped through it briefly, a pleased expression crossing his face. This Demonic Talisman Sutra was remarkably complete, covering everything from Qi Refining stage talismans all the way up to Nascent Soul-level talismans.

He had long been interested in creating Demonic Talismans but had never had access to the appropriate methods. Now, with this Demonic Talisman Sutra handed to him, it was as if a major obstacle had been cleared from his path.

Chapter 367: I, Dong Qi, run an honest business

Chu Xuan sighed lightly, shaking his head, "The Demonic Talisman Sutra is good, but it doesn't hold much value for me."

The orthodox cultivator in front of him showed a look of surprise. "Doesn't it hold value? Aren't you all from the Demonic Dao?"

Chu Xuan shook his head. "The Demonic Dao is not a single entity. The Falling Sun Demon Fortress specializes in Human Skin Dao and Blood Dao, but I don't practice the Human Skin Dao. I'm a rather affable and kind person, someone who seeks to get along with others."

He paused, then added, "For me, the Demonic Talisman Sutra is just something to look at to broaden my perspective. That's why I said it's not of much significance to me. I'm not downplaying its value, just telling the truth."

After a slight pause, Chu Xuan continued, "As for the Nascent Soul early-stage Puppet Beast, its value is already quite high. I walked around just now and saw that someone offered five great spirit stones for it, and I didn't sell."

The orthodox cultivator couldn't help but roll his eyes. After a long moment, he spoke again, "Then I'll add something."

He gritted his teeth, and with some reluctance, he took out a spiritual sense jade slip. The slip was a deep red color, with six large black characters inscribed upon it: "Great Transformation Blood Demon True Art".

"This is the Great Transformation Blood Demon True Art from the Heavenly Capital Blood Alliance. I obtained it by accident. This is a core cultivation technique of the Blood Dao, even if it's only at the Nascent Soul stage, it's still extremely valuable."

Chu Xuan's heart leapt with joy. This was indeed a good find. The cultivation technique Great Transformation Blood Demon True Art was highly sought after among Demon cultivators. He had long been aware of it, especially the several spells and secret techniques contained within it. There were a few that every demonic cultivator wanted to learn, but the Heavenly Blood Alliance strictly forbade its external circulation.

It was unexpected to see it here, on the Heavenly Metal Battlefield. This cultivator must have killed a Heavenly Blood Alliance cultivator to obtain it. But, of course, that had nothing to do with Chu Xuan. He was simply a kind and amicable person who had no desire for conflict.

"That will do, barely."

Chu Xuan handed over the items and took the two spiritual sense jade slips, casually placing them into his storage bag. His brow remained furrowed, as if he had been the one who lost out.

In business, the first rule is: no matter whether the deal is done or not, always present yourself as though you've suffered a huge loss. If asked, claim that the cost is exceedingly high. If pressed further, explain that the profit is minimal. Make the other party feel like they've made a huge profit while the merchant has taken a great loss.

As the first cultivator walked away, the second one stepped forward, hoping to make a trade.

"I am Long Hao from Crazy Dragon Valley. This Heavenly Star Gale Formation is good, and these five Golden Core late-stage Puppet Wolves—I'll take them all. And as for your Crazy Dragon Valley cultivation techniques, heh, I'll pretend I didn't see them. Six great spirit stones—do you want to trade?"

Chu Xuan chuckled lightly, his expression amused. "Do you think I look like an easy mark?"

Long Hao froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed. "You're not willing to trade?"

Chu Xuan's tone was cold, indifferent. "Scram."

Long Hao's face changed several times, his expression shifting between anger and disbelief. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and growled, "If you dare harm a cultivator of Crazy Dragon Valley, you'll regret it. Don't think you'll get away with this! Wait until you fall into my hands!"

With that, he turned and stormed off. It seemed like he was heading straight for Qiu Wan Hong to report the incident.

Chu Xuan's face remained unfazed, calm like still water. Both Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji had heard the entire exchange.

Shang Xingchen lowered his voice, "When do we make a move?"

Chu Xuan casually replied, "When he comes back to deliver it."

Shang Xingchen nodded, "Count me in when the time comes."

Chu Xuan also nodded, "If the numbers are right, I'll call you."

Meanwhile, Kang Jia was trembling. Was this really happening in front of me? Talking about killing someone so casually, so calmly. No change in their expression, not even a flicker of hesitation. This is what the Demon Dao really is—ruthless.

Chu Xuan turned to Kang Jia and flashed a warm, friendly smile. "Fellow Daoist, what would you like to buy? My prices are always fair—no deception, honest business."

Kang Jia turned to leave, but before he could take a step, Chu Xuan's voice turned icy. "Planning to leave without buying anything?"

An invisible chill spread out, suffocating the air around them. It felt as though dozens of sharp blades were pressing against the back of Kang Jia's head. One more step forward, and an overwhelming terror would descend upon him.

Kang Jia swallowed hard, and hurriedly turned back around.

Chu Xuan's smile returned to its usual warmth. "That's better. I, Dong Qi, have always treated others with sincerity and run an honest business."

Kang Jia scratched his head, looking a little uncomfortable. Eventually, he pointed to a spiritual sense jade slip.

"I want this Ten Thousand Insects True Canon."

Chu Xuan gave it a quick glance. The Ten Thousand Insects True Canon was something he had obtained from Song Lingfeng of the Red Flame Temple.

This canon originated from Heavenly Insect Cavern, a fifth-tier cultivation sect under Heaven Shaking Divine Sect. Their strength was a little weaker than that of the Heavenly Blood Alliance and Falling Sun Demon Fortress, but comparable to Heavenly Corpse Palace.

Chu Xuan chuckled, "This is a manual for raising Gu Insects. Didn't you say that Gu Insects and Spiritual Insects are completely different?"

Kang Jia's face immediately flushed red. "I was just looking, alright? Gu Insects and Spiritual Insects are indeed different, but they also share some similarities…"

But as he saw Chu Xuan's knowing expression, Kang Jia's voice grew smaller and smaller. Eventually, he sighed deeply, admitting, "Fine, I just want to learn the way of Gu Insects. Senior Brother Shangguan said, methods aren't divided into right or wrong, as long as I always maintain a kind heart, I'll always walk the righteous dao. Out there, I might not be able to get this Ten Thousand Insects True Canon. I've wanted to see it for a long time."

Chu Xuan couldn't help but smile, "Well said. So, what price can you offer? This is a Nascent Soul stage manual, after all."

Kang Jia immediately pulled out a spiritual sense jade slip from his storage bag.

"This is my alchemy experiences, and it contains many Nascent Soul stage pill formulas. Among them are the Black Dragon Pill to restore Spiritual Qi, the Forget Dust Pill to improve the chances of Deity Transformation, and the Four Extremes Blood Pill to strengthen the body… I have some talent in alchemy, so I've improved these formulas. Now, most of them require fewer materials to make. Trust me, they're definitely worth more than what you'd expect." Kang Jia spoke earnestly.

Chu Xuan nodded slightly. These pill formulas were certainly valuable.

"I'll take a look." Chu Xuan extended his hand.

"Of course." Without hesitation, Kang Jia handed it over.

Chu Xuan took the spiritual sense jade slip and pressed it to his forehead.

It took a while before he finally smiled, "You're showing me your alchemy experience now? Aren't you afraid I'll back out of the deal?"

Kang Jia froze, immediately showing a panicked expression. He really was! He had been too trusting of others.

"You… I…"

Kang Jia stammered, unsure how to respond. Before coming to the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, he had been immersed in his cultivation at Feiry Sky Cloud Pavilion, focused only on advancing his realm. The cultivators he met were always kind and friendly senior brothers or disciples, or Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators who respected him. He had never encountered someone like Chu Xuan, who played by his own rules.

"Here you go."

Chu Xuan casually tossed the Ten Thousand Insects True Canon to him.

Kang Jia blinked in confusion. "Eh?"

Chu Xuan smiled faintly. "As I said, I, Dong Qi, run an honest business—no deception, no tricks."

Chapter 368: There are kind-hearted ones among demonic cultivators

Kang Jia, still somewhat dazed, walked away with the spiritual sense jade slip in hand. Was the deal really done just like that? He had thought Dong Qi would actually hold back on the Alchemy experience, but this demonic cultivator… seemed to be a rather decent person.

"Falling Sun Demon Fortress's Dong Qi, truly a man of integrity. I'll remember you. If you were a righteous dao cultivator, we would have been like-minded friends, but alas…"

Kang Jia couldn't help but glance back at Chu Xuan a few more times before finally leaving.

Shang Xingchen chuckled softly, "This Fellow Daoist Kang, he seems so inexperienced. Probably a disciple personally trained by a Deity Transformation ancestor at Feiry Sky Cloud Pavilion, always focused on his own cultivation there."

Chu Xuan nodded, "Indeed. But why would he come to the Heavenly Metal Battlefield to take such risks?"

Shang Xingchen's expression shifted with curiosity.

Wei Ji interjected, "Probably because of that so-called righteous and its grand ideals."

Chu Xuan and Shang Xingchen both laughed.

Righteous dao cultivators were always waving the banner of "acting on behalf of the heavens" and "eradicating demons and evil." After a while, they even started to believe it themselves. Over the next period, more righteous dao cultivators continued to visit the trio's booth. After all, demonic cultivator items were hard to resist.

Whether it was Demonic Talismans or Evil Pills, they had side effects, but they could unleash power far beyond that of normal talismans and pills in a short amount of time. Moreover, with the decline of Spiritual Qi on the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, righteous dao cultivators were forced to seek out other means to maintain their combat strength.

Body refining, Gu Insects, blood techniques, poison arts… These methods didn't rely on Spiritual Qi and could still enhance one's power. Out in the outside world, they would have scorned using such means. But now, to survive, they had no choice but to rely on them. Even the strongest cultivators had to bow to reality. Before long, the trio had sold most of the items on their tables.

Chu Xuan wasn't sure about Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji's circumstances, but as for himself—he had made quite a profit. All the items he had obtained could easily be converted into combat power with just a little time and effort. Especially the Shadow Demon Worm—that was one of his key supports for advancing into Deity Transformation in the future.

Just then, two figures approached together. Chu Xuan looked up to see Qiu Wanhong and Long Hao. At this moment, Long Hao was standing proudly beside Qiu Wanhong, a smug look on his face.

The surrounding cultivators immediately took notice. It seemed like the two from Crazy Dragon Valley were about to confront the three demonic cultivators from Sunset Demon Fortress.

Long Hao pointed a trembling finger at Chu Xuan's nose and growled, "Senior Sister, I just saw him take out the cultivation techniques of our Crazy Dragon Valley! He must have killed one of our Crazy Dragon Valley cultivators!"

Chu Xuan shook his head repeatedly, "Just because I possess your Crazy Dragon Valley's cultivation techniques, does that mean I killed your people? Fellow Daoist, you must be mistaken. I, Dong Qi, have always focused on cultivating merit and acting with kindness. How could I casually kill people? After all, even among demonic cultivators, there are kind-hearted ones!"

At those words, both Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji couldn't help but cringe.

Qiu Wanhong furrowed her brow deeply. Cultivating merit? What nonsense! If demonic cultivators could cultivate merit, the entire cultivation world would have long since changed!

The onlookers couldn't hold back their laughter either. The idea of a demonic cultivator cultivating merit was surely the greatest joke in the world! Clearly, Dong Qi from Sunset Demon Fortress was just putting on an act.

Qiu Wanhong looked Chu Xuan up and down, her voice cold, "Dong Qi, hand over the Crazy Dragon Valley's cultivation techniques."

Long Hao was taken aback. From the way Qiu Wanhong spoke, it seemed like she had no intention of making a move. That wouldn't do! This Dong Qi must be killed to uphold the prestige of Crazy Dragon Valley! Just as he was about to speak, Qiu Wanhong shot him a sideways glance. The commanding presence of an elder was unmistakable.

Though both were Nascent Soul cultivators and addressed each other as Senior Brother and Junior Brother, Qiu Wanhong had long been in the later stage of Nascent Soul and was well-established in her reputation. Long Hao, on the other hand, had only recently entered the Nascent Soul stage less than ten years ago. Naturally, he dared not oppose Qiu Wanhong's intentions.

Seeing that Chu Xuan still hadn't moved, Qiu Wanhong was about to scold him when Chu Xuan's aura suddenly surged, rising from Golden Core late stage to Nascent Soul early stage. The Nascent Soul aura caused the onlookers to grow serious. To still possess such power at the Nascent Soul stage—this Dong Qi must be no simple character!

Qiu Wanhong's expression subtly changed, and her tone softened, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Dong, where did you obtain the Crazy Dragon Valley techniques?"

Chu Xuan smiled, "I picked them up, just some remnants."

Qiu Wanhong nodded, "In that case, it's no trouble. Our Crazy Dragon Valley's complete techniques are not meant to be leaked according to our rules. I was merely inquiring out of courtesy."

Chu Xuan nodded, "I admire Fellow Daoist Qiu for your dedication to your sect."

Qiu Wanhong gave a slight tug to the bewildered Long Hao and turned to leave. The righteous dao cultivators, who had been watching eagerly, quickly turned away and resumed their own transactions. No one dared glance at Chu Xuan again.

On the other side, in a secluded corner, Long Hao couldn't help but ask, "Senior Sister, why didn't you make a move on him? This person must have the vengeful souls of our Crazy Dragon Valley cultivators! It could even be my missing cousin, Long Chen!"

Qiu Wanhong shot him a fierce glare. "He still retains the power of the Nascent Soul early stage! Demonic cultivators often have many secretive methods up their sleeves. Given the current environment, where Spiritual Qi is waning, the techniques he hides may well surpass mine. To kill him, we'd need to use several of our trump cards. Engaging him in a full-scale battle, what would we truly gain from it? How would it benefit us? Have you thought about these questions?"

Long Hao stammered, unable to answer immediately. He lowered his head after a long pause. "Senior Sister, I was wrong."

Qiu Wanhong scolded him, "You need to change your reckless habits, or one day, you won't even know how you died. Do you really think that just because you've reached the Nascent Soul stage, you can live a carefree life?"

Long Hao gave a perfunctory nod but couldn't help but ask, "So, we're just letting him go?"

Qiu Wanhong sighed deeply, thinking to herself, "Did I just waste my breath? Being reckless and bloodthirsty is not the way to immortality. This Spirit Wood Forest is rich in Spiritual Qi, and its value is only slightly less than the great spirit stone mines. As long as we stay here, the decline in our strength won't be rapid. We just need to wait. Time will naturally widen the gap between us and Dong Qi. At that point, killing him will be as easy as killing a dog!"

Long Hao's eyes lit up with understanding, and he grinned, "So, Senior Sister, you do want to kill him! I understand now!"

Qiu Wanhong looked at her junior brother with a shake of her head.

Long Hao's cultivation journey had been smooth sailing. He became a Nascent Soul cultivator in less than four hundred years. But his lack of real-world experience was evident. Just the fact that he couldn't hide his excitement now was a potential weakness that could cost him his life someday. How could he take over the position of Crazy Dragon Valley's sect master if he kept this up?

Qiu Wanhong sighed inwardly, "Forget it, there will be plenty of time for him to gain experience. That Dong Qi is nothing but a mere obstacle, not worth thinking too much about. In time, we'll simply deal with him when the time is right. But what we need to focus on now is the great spirit stone mine outside Heaven-Three City. How powerful is Chu Xuan, the cultivator from the Heavenly Infinite Sect, who occupies it? Before making any real moves, we need to probe his strength first."