Chapter 189

The old fool couldn’t recognize true talent! How could he choose that hypocrite Wang Kui as his successor?! What makes him better than me? One day, I’ll reclaim everything I’ve lost.

Transformation magic is truly supreme. That ‘Thousand Transformations Incantation’ is just a misguided waste of effort.

Core Formation! Core Formation! I will definitely reach Core Formation!

These three obsessions surfaced in Chen Luo’s mind. They were the lingering thoughts of Old Demon Fang, unable to let go even at death. By absorbing this energy, some fragments also entered Chen Luo’s consciousness. Among them were memories related to practicing Transformation magic, but only those comparing himself with ‘Wang Kui’. In Old Demon Fang’s heart, his unwavering focus remained on proving himself to the ‘old fool’ and eliminating his Senior Brother Wang Kui, who had stolen his position.

“Everyone has their own destiny; the one who endures until the end is the true winner.”

Chen Luo recalled Third Uncle’s words once more.

It didn’t matter how you started or how strong your aptitude was—only those who survived could hope to prevail.

He reached out, taking hold of the soul banner. With a sweep over Old Demon Fang’s corpse, he extracted a faint wisp of soul essence—the remnant spirit of the old demon. To refine it into a banesoul, however, would require special treatment beyond simply capturing it.

Ordinary vengeful ghosts required forty-nine days of refined resentment to form, let alone banesouls controlled by soul refiners. Although Chen Luo wasn’t a true Soul Refiner, with Lin Feng’s brain assisting him, he had filled in much of his knowledge gap and could now be considered a competent practitioner.

“A late Foundation Establishment residual soul—refined, it will become another primary soul.”

He placed the fragmentary soul into his soulsack and stored it within his sleeve. With a flicker of spiritual fire from his index finger, the corpse was instantly reduced to a pile of black ash.

Time was pressing; there was no need for burial.

Turning to look at the other side,

the coffin-carrying old man had already fled. This guy epitomized the mindset of evil cultivators: ready to pounce at any perceived advantage but fleeing immediately upon sensing danger, without any hesitation.

However, Chen Luo wasn’t one to let such prey escape so easily. After swiftly disposing of Old Demon Fang, he set off in pursuit.

Passing through the room led to an old courtyard outside. The pond water was pitch-black, emitting a strong foul odor. The surrounding wooden corridors were dilapidated, with several collapsed sections scattered around. Rags hung loosely on fallen timber pieces, swaying continuously as if beckoning like ghostly hands.

Southwest direction!

Chen Luo turned his gaze in that direction and quickly locked onto the fleeing coffin-carrying old man. As he stepped forward through the courtyard, he enveloped himself with a layer of spiritual energy to guard against any ambushes. But after only two steps, he saw a figure stumbling out from within.

It was none other than the Blood Qi Old Demon who had been with Lady Bai Gu. Who knew what kind of enemy he’d encountered? His left arm was gone entirely, and a gaping wound in his abdomen still bled profusely.

Chen Luo cast him a quick glance before continuing to chase after the coffin-carrying old man.

If he hesitated any longer, that old fellow would really get away.

“Please wait, Fellow Daoist!” The once-humiliated Blood Qi Old Demon’s eyes lit up at the sight of Chen Luo, and he rushed to block Chen Luo’s path.

Chen Luo frowned, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“Get lost!”

The Blood Qi Old Demon’s expression froze, his face darkening as he realized that this Foundation Establishment junior, whom Old Demon Fang had held at bay, dared to speak to him like that.

“Don’t forget why I invited you here. Without me, there’d be no way for you to break the restrictions on your cultivation technique.”

Bang!

Chen Luo didn’t even bother listening to him finish. He placed one hand on the Blood Qi Old Ghost’s head, channeling the murderous aura of his Iron Body Art. His fingers tightened like iron shackles around the ghost’s skull as he slammed it against a nearby wall with such force that clouds of dust billowed up from shattered wood splinters flying in all directions.

The already severely wounded Blood Qi Old Ghost coughed out a mouthful of blood instantly upon impact, his eyes flashing with shock and fury mixed together.

He never expected this person would be so ruthless—attacking without warning or wasting any breath on words.

Having engaged in combat, Chen Luo had no intention of letting his opponent live. Whether killing one or two, there was no reason to waste the brainpower of someone at Foundation Establishment stage.

“Wait.”

But Chen Luo ignored his babble, maintaining his grip on the ghost’s head while gathering gale-force winds within his hand, ready to dispatch this old thing once and for all.

This fellow’s purpose was too obvious; he clearly wanted to draw whatever was chasing him onto Chen Luo instead.

Did he really think Chen Luo was some novice just starting cultivation?

All this yammering only served to delay things further. If they kept dawdling here, even the coffin-carrying old man might vanish completely.

A faint voice cut through the chaos: “Fellow Daoist, please spare his life.”

Chen Luo’s hands stilled as he looked up to find that mysterious white-haired woman standing just three steps away, like a wraith.

“You wish to save him?”

As Chen Luo gazed at this woman who had appeared out of nowhere, a sense of perilous alertness stirred within him. This woman was akin to the Old Demon Fang he had dispatched earlier—a late Foundation Establishment stage powerhouse whose strength was unfathomable.

“Our objective has yet to be located; engaging in fratricidal strife would run counter to our plan.” The white-haired woman shook her head, exuding an aura of uncanny eeriness. She seemed not quite alive, her speech measured and devoid of the spontaneity one expects from living beings.

A flicker crossed Chen Luo’s eyes as he sensed the coffin-bearing old man about to vanish. He cast aside the blood qi old ghost in his grasp.

Leaving behind a mark, he intended to return after dispatching the coffin-bearer to finish off the other ghost.

“Many thanks, fellow Daoist,” the woman said, stepping aside deferentially.

“We cannot let him go. That thing inside will emerge shortly, and we’ll struggle to hold it off alone. We must find a scapegoat,” interjected the blood qi old ghost, having coughed twice while sprawled on the ground.

Still trying to make me a sacrificial lamb!

Two steps into his escape, Chen Luo’s eyes flashed with a murderous intent. He swiftly raised his hand, channeling a layer of twisting yin lightning that coalesced in his palm. With a swift motion, he directed it towards the Blood Qi Old Ghost’s neck.

The Blood Qi Old Demon’s face paled as he immediately turned and rolled aside.

Chen Luo moved with blinding speed; the heavily wounded Blood Qi Old Ghost had no chance to retaliate. The powerful yin lightning expanded outward, controlled by Chen Luo, forming five arcs of thunder that bombarded the ground relentlessly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ferocious yin lightning illuminated the entire courtyard. Snakes of electricity scattered across the ground and roof tiles, leaving behind trails of black smoke where they struck.

The Blood Qi Old Ghost, hit by all five bolts, let out a pitiful scream. His dry skin charred instantly, emitting dark wisps as he crumpled to the corner, reduced to a lump of pitch-black coal.

Chen Luo darted forward, kicking the remains away with a swift motion, infusing yin lightning to disrupt any lingering spiritual energy within him.

The interrupted Blood Qi Old Ghost shrieked, his body tumbling further before crashing against a rock near the foul pond. Before he could recover, a hand reached out, seizing him by the throat and lifting him completely off the ground.

The woman with white hair remained motionless beside them, showing no intention of interfering.

A flicker of bitter hatred flashed through the Blood Qi Old Ghost’s eyes. Then, as he looked at Chen Luo standing before him, his lips curled into a deranged smile.

“Kill me and you’ll never unlock that third-stage cultivation technique,” he snarled. “No ordinary rogue cultivator could possibly find it otherwise.”

He knew Chen Luo was desperate for techniques; a Core Formation stage legacy was precisely the kind of thing any rogue cultivator would risk their life for. The technique in Chen Luo’s hand had been sealed by this old ghost, and only he could unseal it.

Chen Luo’s face turned cold. Spiritual energy surged down his arm, but the already grievously wounded Blood Qi Old Ghost had no means of resistance.

With a sharp crack, Chen Luo snapped the old ghost’s neck. The residual power within the corpse exploded into dust from the spreading yin thunder. After ensuring the old ghost was dead, Chen Luo placed one hand on the ghost’s head to extract its brainwaves, then used his other hand to grab the Pouch of Holding. It transformed into a black light that shot towards the Coffin-Bearing Old Man.

Throughout all this, the woman with white hair hadn’t moved an inch. Only after Chen Luo left did she approach the Blood Qi Old Ghost’s body. She crouched down and gently tapped her finger against the center of his forehead.

“Return, O souls.”

The voice was faint, as if calling back departed spirits.

After passing through Blackwater City’s courtyard, Chen Luo found himself in a desolate area filled with rubble and overgrown weeds. He paused for a moment, sensing his surroundings. The direction where the coffin-bearing old man had disappeared was clear.

“He sure ran fast,” Chen Luo muttered.

He took a few steps into the wasteland, eventually stopping in front of a large rock.

This stone stood out, noticeably cleaner than its surroundings. He tried to move it but couldn’t budge it even slightly. With the strength granted by his Iron Body Art, any normal stone should have been easily shifted. Yet this one seemed fused to the ground itself.

Chen Luo wasn’t interested in unraveling the mystery behind it.

Instead, he channeled spiritual energy into his hands. Through the effect of the Iron Body Art, his entire arm transformed into a deep black hue, akin to mystical black iron.

Boom!

His fist struck the stone with such force that it shattered instantly. A cold wind gusted up from below, indicating an underground passage.

Chen Luo’s divine sense swept over the area, confirming no immediate dangers awaited. He swiftly entered the tunnel, ensuring there were no traps before hastening after the old man. Someone as cunning as the coffin-bearer wouldn’t willingly place himself in mortal peril. Even the little girl he carried remained eerily quiet throughout their escape, as if she were merely another corpse.

The scenery on both sides of the corridor blurred as it flew past. After chasing for some distance, Chen Luo once again saw familiar spiritual talismans.

Both walls had transformed into a sea of spiritual talismans.

Densely packed yellow papers covered the sides, and chilly winds blew from within the passage. The talisman paper rustled in the draft, creating an especially eerie atmosphere.

Roar!

At that moment, another furious roar echoed from the depths, growing closer with each sound. Standing in the corridor, Chen Luo could even feel the pressure building with each bellow.

“The corpse-sealing ancient land.”

He recalled the array mentioned by the Foundation Establishment array master. The external brain containing this array master was found hanging from a tree in Guoshan County; the man had likely been dead for at least a hundred years, possibly more. Anything recorded instinctively by such a long-dead individual must have been the most unforgettable part of his life.

As he continued down the corridor, Chen Luo gradually slowed his steps and withdrew the soul banner from his hand.

“Lady Bai Gu planned to capture a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak of perfection from the Hundred Monsters Alliance. Yet since we’ve intruded, we haven’t seen any sign of them. And her ally, Luo Zhengdao, has also failed to appear.”