Chapter 212: The Gift

After passing through the mist circle, Shangren Yinwind halted his steps.

“I won’t return yet; there are some matters that must be brought to a conclusion.”

“The old man of the Seed Demon Sect has powerful curses. Don’t let him detect your presence.”

Chen Luo understood Shangren Yinwind’s plan, knowing he intended to take care of Shi Jun once and for all here. He found this strategy from Shangren Yinwind to be excellent.

As long as it was a matter of causing trouble for the old man of the Seed Demon Sect, Chen Luo would support it.

“Many thanks for the reminder, but I have ways to deal with it.”

Shangren Yinwind cast a glance at Chen Luo and nodded, then watched as he removed a turtle shell with cracks from his pocket. This was the same item Chen Luo had used to escape from the Demonseed Sect Leader previously. Although Shangren Yinwind didn’t know how Chen Luo was aware of the Demonseed Sect Leader’s tactics, the fact that he offered the warning indicated their positions were aligned.

“Perfect, I was also thinking of testing if that old guy has made any progress.”

Chen Luo slapped his bag of holding and produced a brown straw figure.

He knew some cursing techniques, and this figure had been crafted during his cultivation on the mountain. The inspiration came from the demonic cultivators of Guoshan County.

These two enemies were to be dealt with in the future, just not yet.

“You actually know cursing techniques?” Shangren Yinwind noticed Chen Luo producing the straw figure.

I initially thought you were a talismancer, but you turned out to be a corpse cultivator. And when I finally grasped that you were a cultivated corpse cultivator, you pulled out curses?!

“I’ve dabbled a bit in this realm. I have a score to settle with that old coot, so this presents a convenient opportunity for me to strike. Moreover, it’ll alleviate some pressure from Shilian.”

Facing the repulsive Demonseed Sect Leader, Chen Luo displayed surprising enthusiasm. After arranging the straw figure, he extended his index finger and tapped the center of its forehead. A drop of blood seeped in, causing the figure’s eyes to flicker twice, as if coming to life.

With the straw figure activated, Chen Luo produced a copper coin, which he buried alongside the talismans in various corners. Finally, he bound them together with red thread and interred them in the soil.

Watching Chen Luo’s preparations, Shangren Yinwind remained silent. With Chen Luo’s assistance, his confidence soared!

The pair worked swiftly, one burying talismans while the other drew arrays, quickly forming a cordon around the misty circle. This ensured that Shi Jun would fall directly into their trap no matter where he emerged.

Having completed their setup, Chen Luo let out a long sigh of relief. Assisting Shangren Yinwind, and ideally taking down the Demonseed Sect Leader himself, would be a significant achievement. Of course, such a possibility was remote; if the Demonseed Sect Leader were so easily dispatched, he wouldn’t have achieved his current notoriety.

Their shared ordeal had instantly elevated their relationship. They had transcended a mere nodding acquaintance to become fellow practitioners bound by a stronger, more meaningful connection.

“If Fellow Daoist truly seeks fine-quality cultivating corpses, I suggest a visit to Blackstone City. There, you’ll find establishments specializing in their sale.”

This advice came in response to Chen Luo’s earlier disappointment at the exchange event when Shi Jun had snatched away the corpse Chen Luo had his sights on.

Cultivating corpses for sale in Blackstone City! The news instantly perked up Chen Luo, and he resolved to make a detour there, hoping for better luck.

“Even the official channels in Blackstone City sell them, though the process can be tedious. This token here will save you quite some time.” Shangren Yinwind retrieved a plaque from his Pouch of Holding, emblazoned with a pitch-black ‘Corpse’ character—a symbol of authority from some powerful faction.

“Many thanks,” said Chen Luo, gratefully accepting the token.

Just as they finished their conversation, the Five Eyes Temple exchange event concluded. Several auras emerged from the mist circle. Leading the group was none other than the Bamboo Sword Fairy, her presence as sharp and formidable as a magic sword, slicing through the air with every sweep of divine sense.

Following closely were two Spirit Essence Cultivators. No sooner had they exited than they engaged each other in battle.

Within moments, these two peak Foundation Establishment masters created a vast vacuum, sword glares intertwining with black fog. As the fight progressed, the Bamboo Sword Fairy retreated while the Spirit Essence Cultivator pressed the pursuit.

“Remarkable. Both of them have already formed the seeds for their pseudo cores.”

Chen Luo and Yin Wind searched from their hidden positions, observing without intervening in this personal conflict.

These two were likely locked in a final battle between sword cultivators at the peak ofFoundation Establishment, but neither Chen Luo norShangren Yinwind had any interest in engaging with them; their sole focus was to eliminate the threat once and for all.

Soon, more than a dozen figures emerged one after another—additional participants of the exchange conference who had reached Foundation Establishment.

Finally, after enough time had passed to finish a cup of tea, a familiar presence flew out.

“It’s here!”

Shangren Yinwind slapped his hand on the ground.

A jet-black barrier rose from below, then a dense swarm of yin wind swept in from all directions, carrying with it black sand—Soul-Devouring Sand, a divine magic artifact, and Shangren Yinwind’s trump card.

There was no time for pleasantries; as soon as they met, the attack commenced.

“Yin Wind, you old demon?! How dare you ambush me?!”

Shi Jun, also a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, reacted immediately. However, his cultivation level was only in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, creating a significant gap compared to Shangren Yinwind. Caught off guard in this surprise attack, he instantly found himself in dire straits.

Shangren Yinwind didn’t bother replying.

Amidst the swirling black wind, he produced a perfectly round stone and hurled it towards Shi Jun’s head.

Thud!

Recognizing the danger at the last moment, Shi Jun instinctively swerved aside. Still, the black stone struck his chest square, sending a fountain of black blood spilling from his mouth as a look of sheer horror dawned on his face.

That old bastard truly intends to kill me!

How dare he! Has he forgotten Master Sisheng’s warning?

Anger and fear blazed through Shi Jun as he frantically pulled out a pitch-black sphere. With a swift motion, he hurled it at the swirling black wind. This was a Yin Thunder Pearl, a life-saving relic bestowed upon him by his master, the Demonseed Sect Leader.

Boom!

The Yin Thunder Pearl exploded on impact, creating a vast vacuum-like region in the process.

Seizing this brief respite, a strand of crimson light emerged from Shi Jun’s body. His qi and blood surged in reverse, causing his true energy to balloon. His figure instantly transformed into a hazy cloud of blood, poised to unleash his Blood Escape Technique. After all, as merely an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, engaging in a direct confrontation with an old demon like Shangren Yinwind—a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—would be nothing short of suicide. Better to flee while he had the strength and chance to escape.

Once clear of this perilous area, he could call upon his master for aid.

But how could Shangren Yinwind, who had lain in ambush for so long, allow Shi Jun to make his escape? In the very moment that the Blood Escape Technique was triggered, he produced a jet-black nail from his robes. Blending it with the black wind, he swept it towards Shi Jun alongside the soul-devouring sand.

“Ah!”

A blood-curdling scream tore through the air as a bolt of black lightning stabbed into Shi Jun’s left shoulder. His flight ground to an abrupt halt, his body hurtling towards the earth like a plummeting rock. The impact with a nearby mountain was catastrophic, sending shrapnel flying in all directions and enveloping the area in a maelstrom of dust and debris.

Shangren Yinwind closely pursued, controlling the Soul-Devouring Sand to sweep down and completely annihilate his foe.

As seasoned Old Demons, their duel was ferociously intense.

“Shizun, save me!”

Sensing the looming presence of death, a trace of terror flickered across Shi Jun’s face. He cried out to the heavens above. Simultaneously, a drop of black blood materialized at his chest, piercing through Shangren Yinwind’s imposed barrier and flying into the outer world.

Upon witnessing this, Shangren Yinwind’s expression shifted.

Damn!

He hadn’t anticipated that Shi Jun still possessed a single drop of blood.

In that same instant, the black blood twisted and distorted, conjuring an ethereal figure. This apparition swiftly grasped a wisp of essence and cast it far into the distance. Concurrently, the Demonseed Sect Leader, deep in secluded cultivation, opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them.

“Who granted you such audacity?”

The Demonseed Sect Leader raised his hand, his withered index finger slicing through the air above the table.

A circle of gray-white ripples spread from his fingertip into the tabletop. The essence brought back by the drop of blood was instantly pinpointed by the Demonseed Sect Leader, disappearing alongside the circle of gray-white ripples.

The Face of Demons, poised to deliver the killing blow, felt his expression freeze as a crack shattered the turtle shell he’d prepared to fend off the Demonseed Sect Leader. The fragments fell from his chest, their spiritual essence utterly depleted.

Defense failed? How could this be?!

No one responded to his thoughts.

That same finger, having crushed his turtle shell, now pierced through his clothes, aimed directly at his heart. With his divine ability only halfway unleashed, the Face of Demons desperately halted his attack, throwing everything he had into resisting this curse power.

From the moment his vital energy was snatched away, he knew he was in deep trouble.

“Haha! Yin Wind, you’ve truly sought your own demise. Today, I’ll avenge the blood of all 132 souls in my Shi family,” spat Shi Jun, his face twisted with a maddened expression from where he lay, grievously wounded below. His emotions surged to an extreme, manifesting as wisps of shadow that merged into the Demonseed Sect Leader’s finger.

Demonseed.

The seed of the demon, and also its sustenance.

The finger closed in, pressing against the Face of Demons’ chest. This curse power operated on another plane entirely; once it latched onto its target’s energy, a strike was inevitable.

If one could block it, there would be no harm, and in fact, one could even counterattack the assailant. Fail to block it, and death was certain.

This was precisely the situation Chen Luo had faced when attacked earlier.

It was clearly not at this level last time.

A sense of dread overwhelmed Shangren Yinwind as he realized the Demonseed Sect Leader’s power had surpassed his expectations. This kind of feat could only be achieved by an ancient monster who had condensed a Pseudo-Core Seed.

“Courtesy demands a return; old man, I’ve prepared a special gift for you.”

Just as Shangren Yinwind felt despair closing in, a voice rang out abruptly. With a tinkling sound like copper coins, red threads emerged from the soil, rising into the air and precision-targeting the translucent fingers.

Despite appearing insubstantial, the curse-infused fingers were visibly ensnared by the red threads. Simultaneously, a straw figure crawled out from the other side of the soil.

The straw figure climbed up along the red rope, reached the curse fingers, embraced them tightly, and opened its mouth to take a bite.

Crunch!

The finger was instantly snapped in two, and a fragment of the Demonseed Sect Leader’s aura was extracted. The straw figure, now infused with this captured essence, twisted momentarily, then vanished like smoke.

Within the Demonseed Sect, the Demonseed Sect Leader’s previously composed features suddenly contorted. In the next instant, a jet-black straw figure emerged from within, hurtling directly towards the Demonseed Sect Leader’s forehead.

Hee hee.

An eerie chuckle emitted a soul-attacking laugh as the straw figure flew to him, hovered briefly, and then exploded with a Bang!