Chapter 138: Foundation Establishment Evil Cultivator

Alongside the Mind-Focusing Grass, numerous other plants grew, including large cabbages, white radishes, and various equally valuable spirit materials such as spirit ginseng, violet gold vines, and more. To the garden’s owner, these spirit materials held no distinction from ordinary cabbage or radishes; they were simply harvested for cooking when desired.

The Mind-Focusing Grass thrived abundantly, with leaves divided into seven distinct lobes, and beneath them, fuzzy fibers resembling common weeds at first glance.

Chen Luo gently touched the Mind-Focusing Grass with his spirit sword.

After ensuring it posed no danger, he sighed in relief, then squatted down and used the magical sword to dig up a section of soil. Throughout the process, there were no unexpected threats, allowing Chen Luo to confidently proceed without hesitation. He meticulously excavated not only the nearby violet gold vine and spirit ginseng but also spared none, even the cabbages and radishes.

Since everything was cultivated within the yard, there might be unknown benefits to each plant.

In a short while, the entire vegetable garden was completely emptied.

Having packed everything securely, Chen Luo followed the small path further inward. Soon, he traversed beyond the garden and entered a secluded courtyard. The yard appeared neglected, untouched for a long time, covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. On a stone table nearby, an unfinished game lay abandoned, its remnants scattered across the surface.

Approaching the table, Chen Luo noticed it was a game with unfamiliar pieces; three distinct colors lay scattered across the board. Uncertain of the rules, he used spiritual energy to command his magical sword and touch one of the chess pieces, but nothing happened.

“Strange.”

Curious, Chen Luo examined further and decided to collect the chess pieces as well.

After surveying the yard and confirming there were no other valuable items, Chen Luo’s gaze settled on the hut at the far end. He slowly walked towards its entrance and tried pushing the door open with his magical sword, only to find it seemingly blocked from inside, preventing it from budging.

Circling around the hut, he approached the nearby pigpen instead.

To his surprise, there were actually two pigs inside!

Sensing Chen Luo’s presence, the pigs started grunting loudly, apparently mistaking him for their feeder.

“Pigs?”

How had these two pigs survived? Intrigued, Chen Luo tested them with his magical sword.

Unexpectedly, the pig’s skin proved remarkably tough, resisting even the magical sword’s thrust. Realizing that Chen Luo was not their owner, the pigs’ demeanor shifted abruptly, ceasing their grunts.

‘Human-eating pigs, demonic fiends.’

A thought suddenly emerged in Chen Luo’s mind, originating from the memory of the Foundation Establishment stage Formation Grandmaster.

Before he could further test them, one of the swines abruptly stood up on its hind legs. A menacing aura radiated from the creature as it glared at Chen Luo with green eyes, viewing him like prey.

Clang!

With a swift kick, the swine spirit sent the probing magical sword flying back towards Chen Luo. Immediately after, it leaped out of the pen, lunging directly at him.

Caught at such close proximity, Chen Luo had no time to evade. He swiftly channeled his spiritual energy and unleashed a powerful punch against the swine spirit. The two forces collided fiercely, generating a violent gust of wind.

Such immense strength.

Chen Luo’s expression shifted rapidly as he quickly retreated, using the momentum to dissipate the force exerted by the swine spirit.

Simultaneously, the second swine spirit also burst forth. With both near Peak Qi Refinement swine spirits together, their demonic aura soared, causing fallen leaves on the ground to whirl dramatically.

Chen Luo struck his bag of holding with one hand, retrieving a handful of spirit talismans, ready to eliminate these swine spirits.

Just as he prepared to act, the door of the nearby hut suddenly creaked open.

Creak

The sound of the wooden door scraping against its frame became unmistakably clear. Although no one had yet emerged, Chen Luo felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Danger!’

‘Foundation Establishment aura.’

Nearly simultaneously, all the external brains within Chen Luo’s mind generated similar thoughts.

Without any hesitation, Chen Luo swiftly turned and took flight, channeling his spiritual energy to its maximum. Like a streak of light, he darted towards the garden exit. The two swine spirits quickly moved to intercept, attempting to block his path. However, at this critical moment, Chen Luo paid them no heed. As the swine spirits approached, he grabbed a handful of spirit talismans from his bag of holding and hurled them all out at once.

“Explode!”

With a surge of spiritual energy, nearly a hundred spirit talismans scattered across the sky, including Lightning Diversion Talismans, Fireburst Talismans, and Water Gathering Talismans. Their simultaneous detonation created a breathtaking spectacle. The quickest swine spirits were instantly engulfed, struck by dozens of thunder talismans, sending them plummeting from the air. Following closely, the fiery explosion of Fireburst Talismans swept through with intense flames. In mere moments, both swine spirits were reduced to blackened charcoal, their charred aroma filling the entire courtyard.

The hand pushing from within the hut quickened its pace, but something seemed to be obstructing the door.

“It’s likely one of the three great sects’ contingency measures,” Chen Luo realized. The person inside the hut must undoubtedly be an evil cultivator. Although the five original evil cultivators may have been killed by the Core Formation ancestors of the three great sects, it did not mean their legacies were eradicated.

There will always be those seeking shortcuts in this world.

For solo cultivators, the allure of bypassing the limitations imposed by Foundation Establishment Pills was simply too strong. As for the risk of losing any hope for Core Formation, they often saw it as inconsequential. Without resorting to evil techniques, many might never reach the Foundation Establishment realm in their lifetime.

The individual within the hut was most likely a solo cultivator who had inherited the legacy of the five great evil cultivators.

“Trap!” Chen Luo exclaimed.

He swiftly ran towards the garden entrance, reaching it in mere moments.

Behind him, the aura fully awakened as the wooden door of the hut swung open. Evil qi surged outward, revealing a gaunt figure standing at the threshold. With a glance at the charred swine spirits in the yard, his cold gaze swept over Chen Luo, who had already fled into the medicinal garden.

“Ignorant whelp.” The emaciated figure raised his hand, and a black flash revealed a small black straw figure appearing mysteriously within his grasp.

The emaciated figure extended his index finger, and a drop of black blood appeared at its tip. With a gentle touch, he pressed it onto the forehead of the straw figure in his hand.

A flash of dark spiritual energy ensued.

Instantly, a chilling gust swept across the courtyard. Howling like mournful wails, countless dense black specks were carried by this wind, forming a gloomy cloud that surged over the entire yard, heading straight for Chen Luo as he fled.

Boom!

Despite Chen Luo’s swift speed, he was still a fraction too slow.

The yin wind struck him from behind.

In an instant, a frigid chill invaded his body, causing him to feel almost paralyzed. Numerous tiny bursts of light exploded within him, spreading seeds along with his circulating bloodline spiritual energy throughout his entire being.

Moreover, his mind became hazy, as if struck forcefully between the brows, making his divine soul tremble.

This was Chen Luo’s first direct encounter with a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s divine ability. Its power far surpassed anything he had witnessed during Xianhe Chengfeng’s display. Fortunately, the individual inside the hut seemed restrained, never stepping beyond its confines throughout the ordeal.

The force of the divine ability diminished significantly near the bamboo fence, creating a stark divide like two separate worlds.

Having unleashed his attack, the emaciated figure turned back inside without even bothering to check Chen Luo’s fate.

After all, he was merely a cultivator at the Qi Refining stage.

What truly warranted his attention were the seals left by the three great sects.

Outside the garden, Chen Luo collapsed onto the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably. His mind felt clouded, as the impact from the emaciated figure’s touch on the straw figure’s forehead perfectly affected him.

It directly harmed his divine soul, with an incredibly sinister effect.

‘An evil curse!’ Within Chen Luo’s mind, the consciousness of the mummified brain resurfaced.

“The yin wind within your body can be dispelled by thunder and fire techniques. For the injury to your divine soul, use the Soul Technique to suppress it temporarily, followed by consuming Nourishing Spirit Pills for recovery.”

Amidst the silence of the other brains, the mummified brain remained unflappable, as if the crisis Chen Luo faced was insignificant.

Chen Luo promptly followed the advice given by the mummified brain.

First, he activated the Soul Technique, and as expected, the throbbing pain between his brows eased considerably. Although not fully alleviated, it allowed him to move again.

With the imminent threat of death alleviated, Chen Luo finally let out a sigh of relief.

He glanced back towards the direction of the medicinal garden, then shakily stood up, preparing to leave the area first.

Upon reaching the whipneck tree, Chen Luo sat down again to rest, intending to address the remaining yin wind within his body.

Although he didn’t know any thunder techniques, he had a thunder talisman at hand. As for fire attribute spells, he had learned quite a few. He placed ten thunder talismans beside him and, holding one by its edge with one hand, activated the Flame Ignition Technique within himself.

As the fire technique took effect, it indeed suppressed the yin wind’s power. The tiny seeds were consumed by the spirit flame, crackling audibly. Chen Luo then triggered the energy from the thunder talismans, channeling lightning through his palm into his body.

The force emanating from the talismans differed significantly from his cultivated energy; it was intensely volatile. Thunder talismans are inherently designed for harm, so using them as a lifeline naturally lacked subtlety. Upon entering his body, the surge caused Chen Luo to emit a stifled groan, feeling damage to his internal organs.

Fortunately, Chen Luo was prepared and forcefully circulated his spiritual energy, guiding this power within him.

The fiery thunder energies converged, gradually expelling the yin wind that had infiltrated his body.

Time ticked away, second by second.

During this period, no malevolent entities approached. However, there was some commotion from the nearby ‘Spirit Herb Garden,’ with Chen Luo faintly hearing the joyful shouts of his mummy friend and others.

One spirit talisman after another burned to ash on the ground.

After using ten talismans, the black wind invading Chen Luo’s body was completely purged.

“Foundation Establishment, truly the might of Foundation Establishment!”

Chen Luo expelled a mouthful of dark blood, casting a fearful glance towards the direction of the hut and medicinal garden. Just being caught in the aftermath of such divine abilities left him severely weakened; if not for limitations imposed on whoever resided in the hut, he likely would have perished.

It had been an incredibly perilous situation; any delay, even half a step, and he would have ended up as fertilizer for those herbs.