Chapter 233: Information

After seeing off the children, Shangren Yinwind’s expression finally returned to its previous state.

“This place has been my hiding spot for the past two years, evading the Demonseed Sect.”

Shangren Yinwind led Chen Luo through the village, guiding him to the innermost thatched hut.

A pond lay before the door.

The old ox tethered to a tree by the water’s edge was grazing when it spotted the pair approaching. It mooed in greeting.

“The Demonseed Sect came searching once. These children’s parents shielded me then, sacrificing their lives. Naturally, I couldn’t abandon them. A lifetime of prosperity? I can certainly provide for that.”

“Of course,” Chen Luo nodded, offering no further questions.

The story here was undoubtedly more complex than Shangren Yinwind’s account. There must be a personal history behind these events, but the old man chose not to elaborate, and Chen Luo saw no reason to pry.

“Master.”

The thatched door swung open as a young girl emerged. Upon seeing Shangren Yinwind, she performed a respectful bow.

“This is my disciple here, Xiaoyu. Water attribute single spirit root!”

A hint of satisfaction flickered across Shangren Yinwind’s face as he spoke of his pupil.

This was a genius with a single spiritual root. Countless cultivators would break their heads trying to recruit such a disciple. Yet here he was, stumbling upon her himself. While good spiritual roots didn’t guarantee Foundation Establishment, they certainly gave a higher starting point than others, making it far more likely than for ordinary cultivators.

A properly trained disciple like this could become a valuable ally in the future. After death, there’d be no need to fear enemies digging up his grave.

“This is my good friend, Pill Formation Master Chen Luo.”

“Greetings, Senior Chen.”

Xiaoyu immediately bowed to Chen Luo. Though only at the second layer of Qi Refining, she’d heard many cultivation world rumors. During her visits to nearby markets, she’d learned stories about top experts from the demonic cultivation realm, including legends about this very Pill Formation Master.

Chen Luo retrieved a first-rank Magic Sword he’d crafted from his Pouch of Holding and gifted it to the girl. As a second-rank Artificer, his first-rank Magic Sword was considered premium even in the Qi Refining realm, making it an appropriate greeting gift.

“Many thanks, Senior.”

A flicker of joy crossed Xiaoyu’s face.

“Go now. Cultivation is like accumulating water droplets - never slack off.”

Shangren Yinwind assumed the demeanor of a strict teacher, and Xiaoyu immediately withdrew. Watching her cradle the Magic Sword with such affection, a flicker of warmth crossed the shangren’s eyes.

“Many thanks, fellow Daoist.”

“A mere trinket. No need for thanks.”

With outsiders gone, their conversation circled back to the Demonseed Sect Leader.

“The black stone from Shi Jun’s Pouch of Holding is the Demonseed Sect’s ‘demon seed’!”

Shangren Yinwind produced the small stone once more.

The previously ordinary rock from Gu Demon Mountain now emitted a red-purple glow. Chen Luo retrieved his own stone, noticing the same luminous effect.

“This is why I chose this place for seclusion. This village possesses strange properties - it can evade the Demonseed Sect’s detection while revealing the stone’s presence.”

Setting the stone on the stone table, Shangren Yinwind gathered spiritual energy and tapped it. The rock responded with a series of childlike whimpers, as if alive.

“But why couldn’t he locate me?” Chen Luo examined his stone, perplexed. He’d been unaware of its nature, leaving it neglected in his pouch. If the Demonseed Sect Leader could sense these stones, shouldn’t he have been found?

No, he must have tried before.

Chen Luo recalled the incident with the three sword-carrying cultivators who had invaded the mountain. During that confrontation, he’d used gu insect magic to deceive the Demonseed Sect Leader. By the time the Pill Formation Master’s reputation spread, the sect leader had already been wounded by a Core Formation Ancestor of the Hu Clan. The man would be too busy hiding to seek revenge.

“A second-rank formation can mask the aura of a ‘demon seed.’ Your Gu Demon Mountain possesses a complete second-rank formation.”

A flicker of envy crossed Shangren Yinwind’s eyes.

For years, he’d been hunted like a stray dog, nearly dying multiple times. Meanwhile, his rival had been cultivating in safety at home, living a life of comfort.

Humans couldn’t compare - the gap between them was wider than that between dogs.

“What use are these demon seeds?”

“The Demonseed Sect Leader cultivates a technique called Demon Gathering and Seed Condensation. By gathering nine emotional demon seeds, he can form a foundation to condense a Golden Core. His success rate stands at thirty percent!”

To counter the sect leader, Shangren Yinwind had invested considerable effort over the past two years, thoroughly investigating the man’s capabilities and methods.

“To date, the Demonseed Sect Leader has condensed seven emotional demon seeds. The remaining two are within Shi Jun’s body. We slaughtered Shi Jun and seized the seeds, thereby sealing our mortal enmity.”

So that’s how it was.

“This guy’s unlucky. He stumbled upon the Hu Clan based on a vague premonition. I heard Graffiti Granny, the Core Formation Ancestor of the Hu Clan, destroyed several of his demonic forms. He nearly died.” A smug look of schadenfreude appeared on Shangren Yinwind’s face.

Encountering a Core Formation Ancestor was likely something even the Demonseed Sect Leader himself hadn’t anticipated.

Chen Luo suspected this incident was connected to him. He’d previously visited the Hu Clan himself. If the Demonseed Sect Leader came seeking based on a hazy intuition, he’d inevitably encounter Graffiti Granny - after all, Chen Luo had already crossed paths with her once before.

“After being gravely injured, the Old Demon went into hiding. It took considerable effort to locate his refuge.”

As a Foundation Establishment expert in the demonic cultivation realm and an elder of Blackstone City, the Demonseed Sect Leader held a position similar to Elder FusionSpirit’s. Before any conflict arose, these individuals were all under the Blackstone Ancestor’s protection, considered part of Blackstone City’s inner circle. This was precisely why Graffiti Granny didn’t pursue the Demonseed Sect Leader further after he fled from the demon realm to the demonic cultivation realm.

Any further action would be seen as a provocation against the Blackstone Ancestor. If the Demonseed Sect Leader faced mortal peril, the Blackstone Ancestor would undoubtedly intervene, escalating the conflict into a war between Core Formation Ancestors—a situation where the costs outweighed the benefits.

“Eliminating him in the demonic cultivation realm would be difficult. The Blackstone Ancestor won’t let him be killed by others.”

Chen Luo, now bearing the Blackstone City Elder’s token, understood the unspoken rules behind this.

“The Blackstone Ancestor is currently preoccupied with his own affairs,” Shangren Yinwind said, his eyes flickering as he revealed a hidden truth. “Do you know why so many ‘Core Formation secret techniques’ have emerged in the past two years?”

Chen Luo’s mind raced, quickly grasping the implication.

“Those secret techniques were released by the Blackstone Ancestor himself. He’s using the cultivators of the demonic realm as stepping stones to secure a sliver of hope against the Heavenly Tribulation.”

“How did you discover this?” Chen Luo suddenly asked.

Such a closely guarded secret remained unknown even to Su Linlin of the Hu Clan. How could a Foundation Establishment rogue cultivator like Shangren Yinwind possess such detailed knowledge?

“I’ve joined the Qiong Hua Sect,” Shangren Yinwind replied.

Shangren Yinwind didn’t shy away from the topic and openly admitted to clinging to powerful patrons. In his view, there was nothing shameful about it. Hadn’t the Demonseed Sect Leader himself pledged allegiance to the Blackstone Ancestor? If others could do it, why couldn’t he?

“Qiong Hua Sect”

Chen Luo had heard much about the Qiong Hua Sect over the years. As the foremost sect in the southwestern demonic cultivation realm, it controlled the majority of the region’s high-grade resources. Rumor had it that the sect’s experts were as numerous as clouds, with a cultivation system dating back to the ancient era that directly pointed towards the Nascent Soul stage.

“If Fellow Daoist is interested, you could join the Qiong Hua Sect,” Shangren Yinwind suggested, observing Chen Luo’s reaction.

“Leaning against a great tree provides shade. Being a rogue cultivator is truly too difficult.”

These words came from personal experience.

In recent years, Shangren Yinwind had carved out a reputation as a local tyrant in the demonic cultivation realm, but the reality was far from glorious. Foundation Establishment-level resources were scarce, with most precious materials monopolized by Blackstone City. Every step in cultivation became increasingly arduous.

For the sake of cultivation, he had ventured into countless ancient graves over these centuries, bidding farewell to numerous fellow cultivators.

Hadn’t each expedition been a near-death experience?

They scraped by, eking out meager resources through endless schemes and counter-schemes.

The meager gains these adventurers risked their lives for were mere common goods to higher-tier powers. It was akin to Blackstone City’s monopoly on spirit essence - in this demonic cultivation realm, only Blackstone City’s cultivators could possess it. Those who wished to obtain it had no choice but to dig through ruins, risking their lives in the process.

Compared to Shangren Yinwind, Chen Luo fared somewhat better.

With his skill in pill refinement and connections to the Hu Clan, he effectively leaned on a major power’s influence. This allowed him to live relatively comfortably.

“Let’s put it this way: once you join the Qiong Hua Sect, Core Formation resources will be available at every turn. As long as you have enough merit points, you can acquire anything you desire. Even Blackstone City would have no way to challenge you.”

As a second-rank array master and pill refiner, Chen Luo’s recommendation would undoubtedly earn substantial merit points for anyone he brought into the sect.

“Are you not a pill refiner yourself? Within the Qiong Hua Sect, there are even third-rank Pill Formulas available! With sufficient merit points, obtaining such formulas would pose no problem.”

“I’ve heard the Qiong Hua Sect intends to expand northward. Is there any truth to this?”

Chen Luo was also weighing his options.

For him, joining Qiong Hua Sect was optional. If their terms were too strict, he’d ignore them; if relatively lenient, switching patrons wouldn’t matter. As a Dan Refinement expert, he could adapt anywhere.

In worst-case scenarios, he could always cling to Su Linlin’s coattails in the Hu Clan.

“This depends on the Blackstone Ancestor’s condition,” Chen Luo said. “If he survives this calamity, all remains unchanged. If not, it’ll be a complete upheaval.”

Shangren Yinwind wasn’t fully informed either. Not being part of Qiong Hua Sect’s inner circle, he’d only heard vague rumors.

“I’ll consider it,” Chen Luo nodded. “If I do join, I’ll seek a fellow Daoist’s recommendation.”

Seeing Chen Luo’s noncommittal response, Shangren Yinwind shifted the conversation back to the Demonseed Sect Leader.

“The location where the Demonseed Sect Leader is hiding came from my purchase within Qiong Hua Sect. These major sects’ influence far surpasses our imagination.” As he spoke, Shangren Yinwind produced a bone scroll from his robes and tapped it on the stone table.

A beam of light flashed, conjuring an image of a secluded valley.

The valley was a basin surrounded by mountains, its perimeter densely forested. Deep within the central woods lay a sunken pit that resembled a hidden passage.