Chapter 124: Return

After establishing cooperation with the newly appointed deacon Zhu Jie, Chen Luo’s life settled back into tranquility.

In his room, Chen Luo retrieved the fiend beast essence blood he had refined during his time in the mountain valley. As soon as the blood emerged, the temperature in the room significantly increased, causing insects outside to become active, attempting to rush in to devour it.

Apart from the unexpectedly acquired brains, the greatest gain from this mountain valley expedition was this drop of fiend beast essence blood.

‘Combining body refinement techniques with Blood and Qi medicinal pills can yield twice the results with half the effort.’

This thought surfaced in his mind, originating from the brain of a Qi Refinement expert who achieved Perfection in physical cultivation. According to his understanding, practicing body refinement techniques always involved such methods. The refined corpse’s brain, on the other hand, was far less insightful, persistently urging him to consume the fiend blood and commence training the ‘Iron Body Art.’ No wonder it ended up as a mere refined corpse with that level of intelligence.

“Blood and Qi medicinal pills…”

Chen Luo rose and walked over to the table, organizing the spirit materials gathered from the mountain valley along with those previously obtained from Zhou Tianyang. Quickly, he assembled the necessary ingredients for a Blood and Qi Pill. He had already mastered the refining method earlier; during his collaboration with Zhou Tianyang, they had produced many such pills.

Following the proportions outlined in the pill formula, Chen Luo meticulously sorted the ingredients. Throughout this process, both the deer monster’s brain and the Wood Attribute Foundation Establishment brain provided numerous suggestions. Incorporating their insights, Chen Luo made subtle adjustments based on their knowledge.

With the ingredients prepared,

he ignited the fire and began the refining.

After the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea, Chen Luo opened the pill furnace lid, and five round medicinal pills flew out. With a swift motion, he caught the scorching pills in his palm.

All were of first-grade quality.

Thanks to the detailed adjustments suggested by the deer monster’s brain and the wood attribute brain, these medicinal pills surpassed the typical efficacy of ordinary Blood and Qi Pills.

For Chen Luo, crafting early-stage Qi Refinement pills was no longer challenging; he could do so with his eyes closed.

“Five should be sufficient.”

He swiftly consumed all five pills at once.

As they entered his mouth, they transformed into a surge of intense heat that rapidly coursed through his entire body. His blood qi mobilized completely, raising his temperature and emitting waves of warmth. Had he possessed these five pills during his training days with Cripple Ma, he undoubtedly would have achieved Bone Tempering on the very first day, setting him firmly on the path towards becoming a Zongshi.

What took martial artists decades of arduous practice, cultivators could accomplish with just a few medicinal pills.

With his blood qi fully activated, Chen Luo promptly initiated the Iron Body Art and grabbed the nearby fiend beast essence blood, swallowing it in one gulp.

With his already activated blood qi, consuming the fiend beast essence blood ignited it completely. His bones and blood turned deep crimson, resembling molten lava. It felt like a volcanic eruption within him, rapidly accumulating immense energy. The intense heat distorted the air in the room, accompanied by faint sounds akin to roaring Dragonfish.

“Refine the body as iron, transform bones into stars.”

Chen Luo harnessed this surge of power, invoking the technique of Iron Body Art.

Once, twice…

“Circulate through Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian, slowing the flow. Traverse the Foot Taiyin Spleen Meridian, refining heart and spleen strength.”

“Detecting weakened internal organ qi; adjust pace accordingly.”

All the experienced external brains, serving as Chen Luo’s advisors, became active, providing guidance from their unique perspectives. This allowed Chen Luo to avoid common pitfalls faced by novice physical cultivators. Gradually, after nine cycles, a ferocious aura began to emanate from him.

This aura closely resembled that of Lian Qiang from Divine Fire Peak.

“Huff”

Opening his eyes, Chen Luo exhaled deeply.

An Iron Lung breath erupted from within, piercing straight through the door panel ahead and striking the nearby magical sword, causing sparks to fly.

Chen Luo walked over and picked up the damaged blade. During the mountain valley expedition, this sword had sustained significant wear and was nearing its end. He hadn’t bothered storing it back in his bag of holding, and now with this burst of Iron Lung breath, it was rendered completely useless.

Gripping the blade with his Iron Body Art, he applied gentle force.

Snap!

The already fractured sword shattered completely into fragments.

“This Iron Body Art… it truly delivers.”

Sensing his enhanced physical strength, Chen Luo’s face revealed a satisfied expression.

After a night of diligent effort, he had finally mastered the basics of the Iron Body Art.

With this, he addressed the last remaining weakness in his abilities. Now all that remained was finding suitable magical items. Unfortunately, he lacked expertise in equipment forging; otherwise, he could have crafted them himself.

A thought crossed Chen Luo’s mind:

Equipment forging.

No rush, someday I’ll acquire external brains skilled in forging.

Following another day of rest,

after completing a transaction with Zhu Jie, Chen Luo locked the door and left Woodmount City. Having been delayed for several days, it was time to check on the emaciated old daoist. He hadn’t heard from him since returning, wondering how the fellow was faring.

Coincidentally, his newly acquired Iron Body Art still needed the final step of refining through malevolent qi, which he planned to accomplish along the way.

Flying swiftly down the path, Chen Luo soon arrived at the outskirts of Potter’s Field.

Compared to his previous visit, the concentration of malevolent qi within Potter’s Field had intensified, its reach expanding further. As he entered, dark clouds once again enveloped the sky above.

A somber, oppressive atmosphere permeated the cemetery.

“Gongzi, oh how pitiful I am…”

A voice emerged from the gray mist. The female ghost, who had only dared to weep by grave markers last time, now felt confident enough to speak with him. However, Chen Luo was a cultivator of Wu Dao Peak, specializing in attacks targeting the divine soul.

To him, this fledgling trick of the female ghost felt like mere tickles.

Chen Luo halted, gazing at the ghost within the fog, and decided to change course, walking directly towards her.

As she noticed his approach, the ghost’s expression became even more pitiful, allowing her sheer veil draped over her shoulders to slip down, revealing half of her form.

“Gongzi, I…”

Pop!

A hand brimming with malevolent qi clamped onto the ghost’s forehead. With a swift squeeze, the female ghost, who moments ago was feigning distress, instantly dissipated into wisps of escaping gray mist, too frightened to continue her deceitful games.

“Already so pitiable, why linger on?”

Chen Luo forcefully drew in the dispersing malevolent qi, swiftly absorbing it all. This infusion advanced his chilled iron fiendish aura further, marking significant progress in the Iron Body Art, transitioning from beginner to initial mastery. The method provided by the mummified brain indeed proved effective.

Using fiend beast essence blood to activate and refining with malevolent qi.

So far, the effects of the Iron Body Art were impressive. Not only did it bolster his defense, but it also significantly increased his resistance to yin evil and malevolent qi.

Witnessing this display, the lurking spirits that had intentions against Chen Luo swiftly scattered, bringing sudden quietude to his surroundings. Even the surrounding mist thinned considerably.

After dealing with these entities, Chen Luo turned and approached the innermost part of the Great Mausoleum.

The malevolent qi here was nearly tangible; along the cemetery’s perimeter, Chen Luo noticed numerous malevolent qi mushrooms, which only appeared in areas where the concentration of malevolent qi reached a certain level.

“Friend Fellow Daoist Shi, I have arrived.”

Standing outside the Great Mausoleum, Chen Luo used spiritual energy to project his voice within.

After a considerable delay, movement echoed from inside.

The stone door covering the grave pit was pushed aside by the corpse puppet, revealing the very one who had provided Chen Luo with the Iron Body Art. This corpse puppet bore significant injuries; bones protruded from its chest, surrounded by coagulated black malevolent qi, creating a darkened patch.

“Cough cough…”

A series of violent coughs echoed from within. Chen Luo followed the corpse puppet inside, finding the underground preparation chamber as gloomy as before, illuminated only by a faint green glow. The emaciated old daoist sitting amidst stone coffins resembled a ghost even more now.

His face was shriveled like a corpse, with deeply sunken skin, and the few wisps of straw-like hair on his head had completely fallen out, leaving behind folds akin to dried orange peel. Judging by his aura, this old fellow seemed severely injured.

Although he managed to escape during their encounter in the mountain valley, it clearly wasn’t as effortless for him as it had been for Chen Luo.

“You’ve finally arrived.”

“So heavily wounded?”

Chen Luo examined the setup within the tomb: black malevolent qi banners were placed at corners and near the entrance. These banners could gather yin energy to preserve corpses or aid in healing injuries, being one of the most common methods used by Corpse-Raising Sect disciples.

“Despite getting hurt, I took care of that brat.” The mummified old ghost grinned sinisterly under the eerie green light, his weathered face looking particularly unnerving.

“Come forth!” With a command from the mummified old ghost, a shaky figure emerged. It was none other than the Corpse-Raising Sect disciple who had initially confronted Chen Luo.

The mummified old ghost had transformed his fellow sect brother into a corpse puppet, showcasing the Corpse-Raising Sect’s uncompromising ethos.

“That fool fell for the Scattered Cultivators Alliance’s deception, deluding himself with pipe dreams of reaping benefits without effort. He simply didn’t know what awaited him.” As the mummified old ghost spoke, he erupted into another violent cough, yet the hatred in his eyes could not be concealed.

Neither mentioned the events within the mountain valley, fully aware of the significance behind the Foundation Establishment spirit object they encountered.

With their current strength, items from Nine Poisons Valley were merely beyond their reach. Returning alive was already considered sheer luck, as Zhou Tianyang’s fate clearly demonstrated the rules of the cultivation world.

“Revenge served well.”

Chen Luo withdrew his hand from the Corpse-Raising Sect disciple.

Yet again, he acquired another brain.

Seems like destiny keeps intertwining him with the Corpse-Raising Sect! Once there’s an opportunity, I must pay them a visit.

The mummified old ghost gave Chen Luo a peculiar look but said nothing further.

He had long witnessed Fellow Daoist Chen’s unique interests; it wasn’t harmful, and after all, they belonged to similar paths.

“I’m injured now, and recovering will take at least five years. During this time, I won’t attempt any breakthroughs.”

As they spoke, the mummified old ghost retrieved a piece of paper from within the stone coffin and tossed it to Chen Luo.

“This is the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill. Familiarize yourself with it first, and ideally, practice refining similar medicinal pills to increase your success rate. I’m currently missing one key ingredient; once my recovery is complete, I’ll find ways to gather it.”

Before entering the mountain valley, the mummified old ghost was short of two main ingredients, but now only one remains needed.

Apparently, his journey into the valley proved fruitful for him as well.

“Trust me, I’ll handle this diligently.”

Chen Luo briefly scanned the Foundation Establishment Pill formula, ensuring there were no major issues, before tucking it away into his sleeve. This served as the mummified old ghost’s advance payment, demonstrating his sincerity.

With the pill formula in hand, Chen Luo’s path to Foundation Establishment became significantly smoother.

They engaged in casual conversation, discussing recent events in Woodmount City. Eventually, Chen Luo rose to leave, while the mummified old ghost prepared to continue his recuperation.

To eliminate his junior brother, he had paid a hefty price. Fortunately, he emerged victorious, inheriting everything from his fallen sibling. Once fully recovered, he could then consider attempting the breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm.

‘You old fools who forced me to flee the Luxury Nation, better not die on me yet.’

The stone coffin slowly closed, and the mummified old ghost’s aura gradually faded until it resembled a true corpse, devoid of any presence.