Chapter 121: Superior Grade Blood Essence

As they entered the mountain valley, all four became more cautious. Old Man Hu produced three circular magical artifacts, which he arranged around himself with impressive aura, clearly indicating his expertise as an arcane cultivator skilled in combat techniques. Zhou Tianyang took out a pair of gauntlets and donned them, transforming his robes to black.

The mummified old ghost summoned three refined corpses directly, their menacing malevolent qi chilling the surrounding air significantly.

Only Chen Luo appeared quite ordinary.

He held a free magical sword obtained from Wu Dao Peak, and his attire remained unchanged, leaving the others momentarily stunned.

Aren’t alchemists notoriously wealthy? How come Brother Chen seems so impoverished?

However, Chen Luo felt no embarrassment about it.

Since descending the mountain, he had been fully focused on cultivation. Acquiring new magical items and magic robes would have been too costly in both spirit stones and time, leaving him without the opportunity to replace them. Currently, apart from this complimentary magical sword, his only other artifact was the silver needle given by solo cultivator Wan Ming. Its diminutive size made him hesitant to use it openly.

“Stay vigilant; mythical beasts can appear at any moment,” warned Old Man Hu, who led the group at the front.

None of them were novice cultivators just entering Qi Refinement; they well understood the inherent dangers.

The cloud of insects continued its flight, causing every peculiar flower it passed to wither instantly. The four cultivators closely followed behind, and only after crossing through the valley entrance did the insect swarm halt.

Inside, the terrain revealed a bowl-shaped canyon.

Surrounded by mountains, at the center lay a pool of water. Apart from the entrance where they arrived, all other directions appeared impassable. The mountain peak extended towards the heavens, its tip obscured by mist, making it difficult to discern clearly. However, faintly within the clouds, powerful silhouettes seemed to be moving about.

“The fauna beast is ahead, and the aura of Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts also emanates from that direction.”

Mentioning the Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts caused their breathing to noticeably deepen. Without hesitation, they utilized the landscape to stealthily advance further. Once inside, maintaining energy became crucial, as extravagant techniques like flying on spiritual currents could no longer be relied upon, needing to conserve strength for potential imminent dangers.

After flying some distance, they entered a dark wood.

From the valley entrance, this forest had appeared small, but once airborne, they found themselves unable to exit even after half an hour.

“Something’s not right.” The mummified old ghost halted abruptly.

Suddenly, Daoist Dry Corpse produced a small black flag and tossed it onto the ground. A grayish-white energy ripple spread out, revealing thirteen corpses lying on the pitch-black soil with eyes wide open, as if they had died in agony. All clad in the attire of the Loose Cultivators Union, these were the elite cultivators who had accompanied Zhou Tianyang to track down the mythical beast previously. Most were at the first level of Qi Refinement, with three not even having fully embarked on their cultivation path.

Zhou Tianyang and Old Man Hu also halted their steps.

With a wave from Old Man Hu, the swarm of insects flying ahead gradually returned into his gourd.

“Has Fellow Daoist Dry Corpse discovered something?” The two approached Daoist Dry Corpse, puzzled by his actions.

“I’ve already mentioned that I killed these people,” Zhou Tianyang frowned, unsure of what Daoist Dry Corpse was up to. “Achieving significant goals often requires minor sacrifices.”

In Zhou Tianyang’s view, focusing on such trivial matters was unnecessary for those aiming high. Earlier, he too had sensed these corpses but paid them no heed, just like Old Man Hu.

“Not these, the issue lies beneath.” Daoist Dry Corpse reached into the burial mound, retrieving a clump of black ash. An eerie smile crept across his withered face.

“Amateur work. Did you think turning them to ash would stop me?” As he spoke, a black aura emerged from his hand, causing nearby spiritual energy to distort and the array banner to sway. The ashes in his palm seemed drawn by some force, gradually dispersing outward. Suddenly, a chilling wind swept through the silent forest, accompanied by the eerie appearance of pale mist. Within the fog, ghostly whispers echoed, shifting between distant and near, their words indistinct.

“A Soul Summoning Technique?”

Old Man Hu, well-versed in various practices, immediately recognized its origin with just one glance.

“My Corpse-Raising Sect is renowned for handling such matters; we excel at dealing with these entities.”

Daoist Dry Corpse gripped the remaining ashes tightly before striking the ground with his hand. His withered palm appeared to melt as it sank into the earth. Instantly, the surrounding mist surged, as if pulled upwards by an invisible force, silencing the drifting voices within. Before them, the dark soil began to churn, forming a mound that slowly shaped into a humanoid figure.

“This place has far more than the few corpses you killed. There must be at least a hundred dead bodies here. It’s these entities that have trapped us.”

The emerging clay figure had indistinct facial features, its mouth wide open as if about to speak.

However, before it could utter a word, a streak of sword light swooped towards them.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the sword light exploded, slicing the mud doll summoned by the emaciated old daoist into nearly twenty pieces, leaving no chance for reaction from Zhou Tianyang, Old Man Hu, and Chen Luo.

“A sword cultivator!”

“Be cautious, there might be others nearby!” Zhou Tianyang and Old Man Hu simultaneously activated their magical items, scanning their surroundings from left to right. The sword aura was incredibly swift, so fast they couldn’t even shield themselves. A strike like that would undoubtedly inflict severe wounds if it connected.

Behind them, Chen Luo placed his hand on a decayed skull.

‘Contact with deceased brainwaves: Degradation Rate 99%. Read now?’

Read!

‘Raising pills, raising pills, nurturing pills with one’s soul? How pitiful, after half a lifetime of cultivation, I’ve become someone else’s precious medicine.’

With just this single obsession, Chen Luo understood how these people met their demise.

This black forest wasn’t an ordinary woodland but rather a yin wood grove—a place where ghosts gather, according to folklore. Yin wood forms when yin energy and resentment reach their peak concentration, solidifying into vegetation. It is often used in pill concoction, with many divine soul-related medicinal pills requiring branches from such trees as ingredients.

Roooar!

A three-meter-tall giant ape crashed through trees, striking where Zhou Tianyang stood with a single punch, its crimson eyes filled with hatred. This formidable creature was the same mythical beast they had pursued earlier, now recovered from its injuries and seeking revenge.

“It’s that mythical beast.” Zhou Tianyang’s expression turned grim.

Before even finding the Foundation Establishment spirit object, unexpected complications arose—first, an unknown solo cultivator’s ambush, and now this vengeful beast. It felt as if his plans were spiraling out of control.

The secrecy surrounding the spirit object seemed compromised; others besides their group must have infiltrated the area.

“Daoist Shi and I will handle this brute. Fellow Daoists Zhou and Chen, keep watch for any hidden sword cultivators.”

These individuals were not inexperienced newcomers to cultivation; their actions were swift and decisive. Old Man Hu struck first, followed by Daoist Dry Corpse commanding his three refined corpses to engage.

Initially, the giant ape sought vengeance on Zhou Tianyang, but just as it moved, the refined corpses blocked its path.

In a fit of rage, the ape raised its hand and slammed a powerful fist onto a refined corpse’s head.

With a loud impact, the refined corpse staggered momentarily before surprisingly managing to brace against the giant ape’s force using both hands. The collision generated waves of dark energy radiating outward, causing the combatants’ legs to sink deep into the soil up to their knees. Two weaker refined corpses were sent flying by the resulting shockwave.

“Yin Thunder Talisman!”

Seizing this opportunity, the emaciated old daoist spun mid-air, releasing three black spirit talismans from his hand.

The talisman paper instantly ignited.

A thumb-thick bolt of dark lightning struck down from above.

Thunder is inherently a powerful and yang-based technique, but the yin thunder conjured by Daoist Dry Corpse exuded an eerie, ghostly aura. Illuminated by the lightning, it radiated a sinister presence akin to demonic evil.

Meanwhile, Old Man Hu had also joined the fray.

Holding three circular rings, they enlarged like Vajra hoops, positioning themselves around the giant ape’s throat, waist, and legs. Blue-purple spiritual energy flowed through them, rapidly contracting in an attempt to bind the creature.

In terms of combat prowess, both Old Man Hu and Daoist Dry Corpse surpassed Zhou Tianyang. Their combined efforts immediately forced the giant ape onto the defensive. Under their relentless onslaught, the enraged ape let out continuous cries of agony, nearing defeat swiftly.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, have you sensed that sword cultivator?”

Contrasting the intense battle, Zhou Tianyang and Chen Luo stood at a distance, relatively calm on the outskirts.

After launching one surprise attack, the hidden sword cultivator vanished, merging seamlessly with the darkness, leaving no trace behind.

An invisible sword cultivator was the most fearsome adversary. Among the three major cultivation systems, sword cultivators were renowned for their formidable offensive capabilities, making their unleashed sword qi impossible to ignore.

“No,” Chen Luo shook his head in response.

His gaze shifted towards the distant woods, activating all his external brains simultaneously. Among these hundred-plus brains, the ones specialized in assassination kept providing constant warnings:

‘Beware of the crippled-neck tree at three hundred meters to your left.’

‘Three enemies detected.’

Though he couldn’t see them himself, his external brains could.

“Just where did this guy come from!” Zhou Tianyang exclaimed, filled with frustration.

He believed they had been sufficiently cautious, yet somehow their presence was revealed.

Now they faced another competitor. And it remained uncertain if there were truly only one person or more; additional opponents would make the Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts even scarcer!

Boom!

Under the combined assault of two peak Qi Refinement cultivators, the giant ape finally succumbed to its injuries and collapsed onto the ground.

“What a resilient beast, we can’t let it go to waste.” Daoist Dry Corpse stepped forward, gesturing to halt three refined corpses ready to pounce for blood. “Unfortunately, its spiritual essence is lacking.”

After using a secret technique to assess the corpse, regret surfaced on the emaciated old daoist’s face.

The giant ape’s body possessed insufficient spiritual essence, making it incompatible with the Corpse-Raising Sect’s secret methods. Refining it would yield nothing but an empty shell, serving no purpose other than wasting resources.

“I recall Fellow Daoist Chen needs mythical beast essence blood, right? Let me assist where I can.” Old Man Hu performed a one-handed seal, directing the bottle to collect the creature’s blood.

Nearby, Chen Luo, who was vigilant against potential sword cultivator ambushes, turned his head.

There’s still another.

A Foundation Stage fiend beast, with superior essence blood. Refining it can increase the chances of reaching Foundation Establishment.

All seven Foundation Establishment cultivators’ minds simultaneously provided feedback, including the mummified brain, which ‘awakened’ to offer its opinion.

The words “superior essence blood” and “increase the chances of Foundation Establishment” instantly captivated Chen Luo.

He hadn’t yet begun practicing the Iron Body Art due to the lack of essential mythical beast essence blood. Just moments ago, he had planned to collect the giant ape’s blood as a backup, only for even better material to unexpectedly present itself within the blink of an eye.

For the mummified brain to classify it as “superior essence blood,” this must truly be valuable.

These three must not discover it; Chen Luo intended to claim it all for himself!

Boom!

The earth exploded, causing nearby trees to crash down as a massive white python’s tail swept across, its potent demonic aura enveloping the entire area. A swath of vegetation toppled, and the three refined corpses standing at the front were struck by the tail, flying uncontrollably away. Reacting swiftly, Old Man Hu and Daoist Dry Corpse retreated, narrowly avoiding the strike.

“I’ll handle it.”

Chen Luo leaped into action, his magical sword slicing through the air as he flew past the trio, directly towards the massive white python.

“Brother Chen, be careful!”

This unexpected move stunned all three of them, prompting Zhou Tianyang to anxiously shout out. In their eyes, Chen Luo was merely an alchemist, not adept at combat and more suited for secluded cultivation. They had invited him primarily to share benefits and strengthen their relationship, hoping he could later assist in refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

Seeing Chen Luo engage, they instinctively moved to support him.

However, before they could act, the hidden sword cultivator struck again.

Whoosh!

Sword qi swept across the area.

This time, alongside the sword cultivator’s ambush, two additional magical items—a copper hammer and a square seal—also emerged. Forced by circumstance, the trio retreated to evade. As the dust from the explosion settled, Chen Luo’s figure had vanished entirely.

“Three intruders!” Witnessing this, Zhou Tianyang’s face darkened completely.

“Ha ha ha! Old Ghost Zhou, you can’t handle Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts alone. Why don’t I lend a hand? Wouldn’t want you to choke from trying to devour it all by yourself.”

“Zhou Tianyang, as an executor of our Loose Cultivators Union, how dare you attempt to kill fellow brothers without authorization! I will surely report this truthfully to the Alliance Lord.”

Two figures emerged, one on each side, launching their attacks before their voices reached.

Old Man Hu and Zhou Tianyang were compelled to confront them head-on. The emaciated old daoist fared no better, standing still with a grim expression as he glared at another direction.

Unbeknownst to him, a similarly dressed black-robed figure had appeared nearby, his three refined corpses now underfoot.

“Shixiong, why not let me have this opportunity this time?” The black-robed man noticed the old daoist’s gaze and grinned menacingly, revealing teeth like those of a wild beast.

“Haven’t your sect elders taught you to respect your Shixiong?”

The emaciated old daoist retrieved his bag of holding from his waist, his eyes flashing with cold light.

A Foundation Establishment spirit object was akin to decaying flesh, attracting a swarm of flies.