Chapter 423 Fourth-Order Ghost King, Attack and Seclusion (Seeking monthly tickets! Bonus chapter this afternoon!)
Like Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian, he quickly discovered a considerable amount of high-level materials.
However, few were actually obtained.
Most were Nascent Soul cultivators.
Most, like Xu Mingxian, were being hunted down.
Those who dared to confront the "Chi" head-on either died or were corrupted by the strange energy, forced to flee quickly.
Of course, many also left empty-handed, wandering aimlessly.
The sky over the ancient battlefield was overcast,
seemingly devoid of any change in the sun or moon.
Xu Chuan had only traveled for a day or two, covering less than half the distance.
Along the way, he had already encountered three waves of "Chi" pursuing him.
Fortunately, there were only a dozen or so "Chi" surrounding him, which Xu Chuan could handle.
However, they dropped nothing, which greatly annoyed Xu Chuan.
This was the first time he had encountered such useless creatures who wouldn't let him gain any advantage!
Even Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators could provide some magical artifacts, materials, or spiritual herbs.
First-tier demonic beasts have edible flesh and blood, and their materials can be used to refine magical artifacts and even pills.
Knowing that casually probing with his divine sense would attract "demons," Xu Chuan became cautious.
He relied on deduction to calculate the opportunities nearby each day.
As long as they weren't too far away, he would go and check what they were.
But without exception, "demons" were present near these rare treasures, inevitably leading to conflicts.
However, these were all within Xu Chuan's control.
The "Withering and Flourishing Seal Technique," with its perfected divine power, was quite powerful.
Even the "Four Seasons Seal," which he created initially, had astonishing destructive power.
As for the "Seal of Life" and the "Seal of Death," he had never used them.
The "Origin Life and Death Seal," nurtured deep within his dantian, was also reserved as a trump card against "demons," to be used only in critical moments.
It was both a magical artifact and a divine power, each strike containing the true meaning of life and death.
Even a nascent understanding of the true meaning of life and death is more than twice as powerful as a fully realized understanding of the true meaning of life and death.
On the fourth day,
Xu Chuan discovered a corpse at the foot of a black mountain.
It was a cultivator from Tiannan, whose aura clearly indicated he was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator.
There were signs of a battle nearby, including the eerie energy of "Chi" and the aura left by a demonic cultivator.
Perhaps the two had fought over a treasure, attracting the "Chi."
This man was severely injured by the demonic cultivator and then killed by the "Chi," but his storage bag and other belongings were gone, indicating they had been stolen by the demonic cultivator.
The remaining "Chi" chased after the demonic cultivator.
Xu Chuan quickly deduced the general situation.
"Let me see where they escaped to?"
He immediately used [Heavenly Mystery Dao Derivation] and found that it was only about a thousand miles away, so he decided to go and check.
The corpse was being eroded by eerie energy, seemingly undergoing a process of transformation, leading Xu Chuan to believe that this might be the source of the "Chi."
After thinking for a moment, he flicked his finger, and a burst of golden flame shot out,
completely incinerating the corpse .
Only then did he leave.
"The calculation is slightly dangerous. Let me see what level that means for me."
Xu Chuan's previous calculations were all minor good fortune.
He had obtained several high-grade fourth-tier natural treasures.
And the number of "Chi" was less than ten each.
Judging from this, "slightly dangerous" might mean there were more than a dozen "Chi".
Of course, it was just a calculation.
He still needed to see for himself to know for sure, so that he could make more reasonable arrangements when encountering similar situations in the future.
More than two hours later.
"There are still disciples of the Heavenly Forging Sect."
Xu Chuan went over to take a look and found that in addition to the besieged demonic cultivator, there were two cultivators from the Southern Heaven.
One of them was a late-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Heavenly Forging Sect.
However, he did not recognize him.
As for the besieging "Chi", there were a total of seventeen or eighteen, an average of five besieging one person, while the Golden Core Perfection demonic cultivator was besieged by eight.
All of them were struggling to hold on.
Xu Chuan intended to remain concealed as he approached, but was unexpectedly discovered by the "Chi".
He then openly charged forward,
directly pulling out the "Chongxuan Seal" and hurling it at the demonic cultivator.
"A high-grade magic weapon!"
the demonic cultivator exclaimed, forced to defend with all his might. However, his mid-grade defensive magic weapon was no longer able to activate its defensive barrier under the "Chi's" attack.
He could only rely on the magic weapon itself to defend. Clang
!
The shield and the demonic cultivator were both blasted to the ground.
Many "Chi" were also blasted away.
"Roar!"
Immediately, four "Chi" charged towards Xu Chuan, while the rest continued to pounce on the demonic cultivator.
Xu Chuan used his divine power and seals to knock the "Chi" away while simultaneously launching a sneak attack on the demonic cultivator.
The demonic cultivator only lasted a few rounds before being killed by Xu Chuan.
Xu Chuan preemptively snatched the corpse from the "Chi".
A demonic cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core stage was excellent material for corpse refining and creating Yin Souls; he couldn't waste it.
The rest of the "魑" roared in unison.
Xu Chuan easily sent them flying, then helped the elder of the Tianzhu Sect escape, leading him away.
The remaining Tiannan cultivators shouted loudly, but Xu Chuan pretended not to see them.
The "Chi" was not slow, at least comparable to the mid-to-late stage of the Golden Core realm, but it was far inferior to Xu Chuan.
Once they were hundreds of miles away, the "Chi" would have difficulty sensing and tracking them.
"Thank you for your help, fellow Daoist. I am Yue Shan from the Tianzhu Sect."
After being unharmed, the man clasped his hands in thanks.
"This is a deal between me and Senior Chilongzi. If we encounter any disciples of your Tianzhu Sect, I will help. But please don't misunderstand, I'm not here to be your bodyguard.
The ancient battlefield is dangerous. Fellow Daoist Yue Shan, you should find a place to hide.
You can leave after three years."
"Then can I go with you?"
"No." Xu Chuan refused decisively. "I have my own things to do."
"Understood. Thank you again for your help, otherwise I would have been in grave danger."
"Senior Chilongzi must have warned you, right? These demonic creatures, 'Chi,' can only be harmed by the true meaning of divine powers."
"Indeed, but divine powers consume too much mana. If we still can't kill them, we'll be doomed once our mana runs out."
Xu Chuan understood that this was because his understanding of divine powers was too shallow.
With only a minor mastery of the true meaning of divine powers, it would take at least ten attempts to completely kill a "Chi."
A major mastery would probably take about five attempts.
A perfected divine power, on average, only needs two uses to kill it.
Xu Chuan's magical power was several times greater than that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator at the peak of their cultivation.
Besides his caution, his strength was also the reason he had been relatively relaxed on the ancient battlefield so far.
"Be careful yourself. Don't throw your life away for some opportunity. I'll take my leave." Xu Chuan departed.
He then turned back to the battlefield, where he found another cultivator dead,
his body bearing multiple bite marks.
As for the "demons," although they were still nearby, Xu Chuan had no intention of fighting them. He grabbed the corpses and ran.
They roared helplessly for a while, then could no longer sense Xu Chuan.
After expelling the strange energy,
Xu Chuan fed the two corpses and souls to the Blood Fiend Ghost King.
The Blood Fiend Ghost King's body became increasingly solid.
The Corpse King was still digesting its previous gains. Once it fully awakened, it would be a half-step fourth-tier Profound Yin Corpse King. At that time, he could find a place to begin assisting its advancement.
Xu Chuan continued his journey.
He still consulted the oracle daily for opportunities, but not every time he gained anything.
If the opportunity deviated from his path and was thousands of miles away, Xu Chuan wouldn't bother with it,
as it would be too time-consuming.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
"This fluctuation of magical power... it's Ming Xian."
Xu Chuan's face lit up with joy, and he rushed towards the source of the battle fluctuations.
Soon he saw Xu Ming Xian being besieged by more than ten "Chi" (demons).
His attacks weren't very effective against the Chi, but fortunately, the formations were infinitely varied, and there were many ways to hinder them.
In addition, he had many pills to restore his magical power, and his [Swallowing Mountains and Rivers] talent allowed him to quickly recover his magical power.
Therefore, Xu Ming Xian was still persisting.
However, at his speed, completely shaking off this group of Chi was no easy task.
Suddenly,
a verdant seal descended from the sky, blasting away all the besieging Chi.
"This is..."
Seeing the familiar seal, Xu Ming Xian looked up and immediately showed joy, "Father."
He soared into the air and flew to Xu Chuan's side.
Xu Chuan opened his Azure Dragon Umbrella to protect Xu Mingxian, and smiled at him, "I usually don't even want to bother with these useless things, but today I'll help you get revenge."
Xu Mingxian smiled, "Thank you, Father."
"Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Four Seals Unleashed!"
Xu Chuan instantly condensed four seals, and then easily controlled them to smash them towards the "demons. "
In less than half a cup of tea's time,
more than ten "demons" were all reduced to ashes.
"Father, there are more than ten 'Void Stones' at a pile of boulders a thousand miles away in this direction. I was chased by these 'demons' because of them." "
It's quite remarkable that you were able to escape here at your speed. I should find you a flying spirit beast in the future."
The two chatted as they flew.
"By the way, Mingxian, didn't I give you a high-grade 'Withering and Flourishing Pill' among the pills? Refining this pill will allow you to have the magical power foundation of a late-stage Golden Core while you are in the early stage of Golden Core."
"I don't have time to spare." Xu Mingxian said with a wry smile.
"Then refine it now. Although your skill lies entirely in formations, the greater your magical power, the longer you can maintain a battle formation."
"Yes, Father."
An hour or two later,
Xu Chuan, relying on his superior-grade magic treasure for defense, managed to snatch the "Void Stone" from the dozen or so "demons" present, and then left.
Xu Chuan then took Xu Mingxian to meet up with the next person.
However, that person was still tens of thousands of miles away.
Xu Chuan used his divine sense to enter the "Xu Clan's Grotto Heaven" to contact them.
He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that most of them were unharmed.
Xu Mingxian thought that perhaps he was just unlucky.
"Mingxian, if you encounter any opportunities or intuitions on your journey, inform your father immediately. If there is anything suitable for you, don't miss it."
"Understood, Father."
Several days later.
Passing through a mountain range.
Suddenly, an astonishing fluctuation erupted from somewhere in the mountain range.
"A battle between Nascent Soul level cultivators!" Xu Chuan was slightly startled.
Even Mo Yue was awakened.
Dozens of miles away, a middle-aged man was fighting a battle with a fourth-tier early-stage Ghost King.
"Senior Brother Zhang."
Xu Chuan was still guessing who the person was when Xu Mingxian immediately spoke up.
"Could this person be Zhang Daoran, the Sect Master of the Xuan Yue Sect?"
"That's right."
"For him to take action, the treasures here must be extraordinary."
Xu Chuan led Xu Mingxian closer, and then transmitted his thoughts through divine sense: "Sect Master Zhang, I am Xu Chuan from the Canglong Mansion. Do you wish me to take action?"
"Fellow Daoist Kurong? Junior Brother, you are here too."
"Greetings, Senior Brother." Xu Mingxian cupped his hands in greeting.
Zhang Daoran couldn't afford to be distracted for too long, so he immediately asked, "Fellow Daoist Kurong, what do you plan to obtain for me?"
"I'll help you deal with those surrounding 'Chi' (demons), and drive away that fourth-tier Ghost King. We'll split the treasures here 60/40, how about that?"
Zhang Daoran hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Once those dozens of "Chi" surrounded them, along with the fourth-tier Ghost King, even he would have to give up and leave.
"Mo Yue, it's time to
stretch your legs." Xu Chuan lightly patted his spirit beast pouch, and Mo Yue flew out, muttering, "Always ordering me around."
Then he transformed into a hundred-zhang-long dragon and charged towards the Nascent Soul battlefield.
Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian dealt with the "Chi" in batches.
Xu Mingxian used the formation to restrict the movement of three or four "Chi," while Xu Chuan focused on killing them.
They divided the battlefield and eliminated them gradually.
A quarter of an hour later,
all the dozens of "Chi" had been killed, and there shouldn't be any more "Chi" bothering them for a while.
Zhang Daoran was slightly surprised. After all, he knew firsthand the trouble caused by the "Chi" (魑), and he wouldn't fight them unless absolutely necessary.
"Sect Master Zhang, I'm here to help you."
Xu Chuan summoned the Azure Dragon Umbrella, and twenty-eight flying swords flew out from the umbrella's ribs, instantly condensing into a twenty-zhang-long "Azure Dragon of Swords. "
The aura emanating from the "Azure Dragon of Swords" also reached the Nascent Soul level.
"You guys are quite something!"
The fourth-tier Ghost King frowned, then transformed into a cloud of black mist and vanished in an instant.
Ghosts at the fourth tier possess formidable supernatural powers
. Without a countermeasure, they are extremely difficult to kill.
Zhang Daoran seemed to be a sword cultivator; although his attacks were strong, no less than those of a mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, he wasn't very good at dealing with ghosts.
Mo Yue was the same.
Therefore, in the past quarter of an hour of fighting, they hadn't been able to inflict any real serious damage on the fourth-tier Ghost King, who had easily escaped.
Seeing the Ghost King leave, Xu Chuan waved his sleeve and dispersed the "Azure Dragon of Swords," but he didn't put away the Azure Dragon Umbrella, still holding it in his hand.
"Sect Master Zhang," Xu Chuan greeted, "I wonder what treasure this place holds that warrants such a great effort from you."
"A Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus, and it's almost ripe."
"Such a treasure!"
"Let's retrieve the Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus first. If we linger here too long, we'll be entangled by the 'Chi' again," Zhang Daoran said.
"That makes sense."
The three entered the cave.
The place was filled with yin energy, making it bitterly cold.
Then, at the deepest part of the cave, they found the Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus.
"Legend has it that this Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus is extremely precious; only the yin energy of a fourth-tier Ghost King can nourish it to produce lotus seeds.
As for growing from one leaf to nine leaves, it requires a massive influx of divine souls, at least comparable to thirty or forty Golden Core divine souls.
He probably wants to use this to break through the mid-stage bottleneck." "
Perhaps. This item can also help us cultivators increase our spiritual sense, and it's effective for those below the late Nascent Soul stage."
After a pause, he continued, "There are eight mature lotus seeds in total, plus the spiritual herb itself. I'll let you choose first."
Xu Chuan didn't refuse, smiling as he said, "Then thank you very much, Sect Master Zhang. I'll take three lotus seeds, plus the spiritual herb itself."
Zhang Daoran was somewhat surprised, and after a moment's thought, he said, "The spiritual herb itself is more valuable, but it can't be cultivated by ordinary means. It's worth three mature lotus seeds.
This division is fair, and I agree."
After taking five lotus seeds,
Zhang Daoran said to Xu Mingxian, "Junior Brother Mingxian, when do you plan to return to the sect? Don't wander outside for too long."
"This matter is permitted by Master. When it's time to return, Junior Brother will return to the sect."
Hearing this, Zhang Daoran didn't say anything more, clasped his hands, and said, "Farewell."
Then he left directly.
"It seems your senior brother has some complaints about you."
Xu Mingxian smiled awkwardly.
Xu Chuan took the "Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus" and planted it in the "Xu Clan's Grotto-Heaven"
before leaving .
At this time, dozens more "Chi" (demons) gathered nearby; if Xu Chuan and his companion had been even a quarter of an hour slower, they would likely have been trapped at the cave entrance.
The roars of the "Chi" gradually subsided behind them.
Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian continued their journey.
They encountered demonic cultivators, Tiannan cultivators, and even monsters in the Blackwater Domain.
Some asked him for help, but Xu Chuan ignored them
, though he wouldn't kick them while they were down. Some demonic cultivators even lured large numbers of "Chi" (魑) to try and kill them in the chaos.
To outsiders, Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian appeared to be a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator and an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, practically cannon fodder on the ancient battlefield.
But in the blink of an eye, the novices transformed into dragons.
One demonic cultivator was blasted into a swarm of "Chi" by Xu Chuan and ultimately died at their hands.
Xu Chuan collected the corpse and fed its soul to the "Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus."
A Golden Core-complete soul allowed the last lotus seed of the Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus to fully mature.
However, to produce more lotus seeds, the assistance of a fourth-tier ghost would be necessary.
As for the monsters,
Xu Chuan showed no mercy, regardless of whether they intended to harm him.
He encountered a Suanni (磻猊) and intended to kill it to refine a Demon Spirit Pill to help Xu Hei (许黑) transform in the future.
After all, on the ancient battlefield, he had no worries about his rear.
The true dragon bloodline of the Suanni might be slightly superior to that of Mo Yue before his two bloodline upgrades.
But unfortunately,
the Suanni was not so easy to kill.
It actually possessed a talent similar to lightning escape, escaping dozens of miles in an instant, making it impossible for Xu Chuan to continue tracking it.
Even if he could, it would be a loss.
Several more days passed.
The fourth-tier ghost king actually came looking for him.
Xu Chuan immediately released Mo Yue to confront it.
"A single transformed great demon cannot stop me. Return my 'Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus'!"
"How do you know that the 'Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus' is on me and not on another Nascent Soul stage senior?"
"Hmph, I have painstakingly cultivated that 'Nine-Leaf Soul-Giving Lotus' for over a thousand years. I am naturally confident in sensing it. Return it to me, and I will let you leave!"
"Truly troublesome, Mo Yue, make your move!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Yue immediately roared.
Hundreds of icy spikes materialized from his mouth, raining down on the fourth-tier Ghost King.
Almost simultaneously,
Xu Chuan pointed his sword, a clear dragon's roar echoing through the sky.
Twenty-eight flying swords emerged from the ribs of the "Azure Dragon Umbrella," intertwining and swirling in the air.
In an instant, they transformed into a "Azure Dragon of Swords," its scales and claws gleaming, its sword energy soaring to the heavens.
The sword dragon soared into the air, attacking the Ghost King from the other side!
The sword energy was chilling and incomparably sharp.
The Ghost King roared fiercely. Thick,
pitch-black ghost energy surged from his body, transforming into countless ferocious claws that clashed violently with Mo Yue's icy spikes and the "Azure Dragon of Swords."
The deafening roars were incessant, and the turbulent energy pulverized the rocks below.
Xu Chuan did not stop. His eyes were fixed on the battle, and seizing an opening, he simultaneously made feints with both hands.
His left hand, brimming with life, condensed into a shimmering blue "Seal of Life," while his right hand, exuding a chilling death aura, formed a somber black "Seal of Death."
The two seals, one after the other, silently yet swiftly struck the Ghost King's flank.
The Ghost King was focused on dealing with Mo Yue and Jian Long.
Caught off guard, he was struck one after the other by the two seals of life and death upon his protective ghostly aura.
"Sizzle!"
"Ah!"
A shrill scream erupted from the Ghost King's mouth as his ghostly aura violently surged and dissipated.
"How is this possible! Your divine power can directly injure the very essence of my soul?!"
His voice was filled with indescribable horror. "What kind of divine power is this?!"
"It really works."
Xu Chuan felt reassured, his eyes flashing even brighter. "If that's the case, then things are much easier!"
He pointed his fingers like a sword, drawing energy from his dantian.
A large, ancient, profound seal, half white and half black, slowly emerged from his dantian.
It was the "Seal of Life and Death of the Origin!"
Since its mastery, Xu Chuan had never used this trump card.
Simply because he had no need for it.
His sword formation alone made him virtually invincible among Golden Core cultivators, allowing him to briefly spar with Nascent Soul cultivators.
With this seal, the vast aura of life and death cycle permeated the air.
It was several times stronger than the single "Seal of Life" and "Seal of Death" techniques.
"Suppress!"
Xu Chuan roared, and the "Origin Life and Death Seal" grew rapidly, transforming into a several-zhang-wide area, as if carrying a miniature cycle of life and death, pressing down upon the Ghost King! Even
before the seal arrived, the special power targeting the very essence of the soul made the Ghost King tremble with fear, daring not to meet it head-on,
and hastily dodging. Seeing this, Mo Yue roared and charged forward without hesitation. His
fists and feet, imbued with extreme cold demonic power, tightly entangled the Ghost King, creating an opportunity for Xu Chuan.
"Get out of my way!"
The Ghost King roared in shock and rage, his boundless ghostly energy erupting and condensing into a gigantic phantom, temporarily forcing Mo Yue back.
Simultaneously, he swung a massive, almost tangible, ghostly energy palm, slamming it hard against the side of the "Origin Life and Death Seal."
The seal was sent flying by the force.
Taking advantage of this opening,
the Ghost King's crimson ghostly eyes locked onto Xu Chuan, and he roared, "Insect, die!"
"Let me show you my divine sense attack!"
An invisible, intangible yet terrifying wave, causing the surrounding space to slightly distort, transformed into a thorn of divine soul, shooting towards Xu Chuan's brow with lightning speed!
This kind of soul attack was incredibly powerful. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator of the same level would suffer a soul shock and significant injury if struck by it.
He absolutely refused to believe that a Golden Core cultivator could withstand it!
However, a faint light flashed between Xu Chuan's brows, and a surge of divine sense power, not much inferior to his own, erupted forth.
Forty silver needles of divine sense instantly condensed into a "God-Slaying Cone."
The needle tip collided with the soul piercing point like wheat awns!
"Buzz—!"
A silent roar reverberated.
It was a divine sense impact.
The Ghost King groaned, his body swaying slightly, his eyes filled with shock at its peak.
"How is this possible? Your soul is not much inferior to mine, and your divine sense attack is even more sophisticated than mine!"
Xu Chuan was also impacted and staggered back several steps.
Just as the Ghost King's mind trembled violently,
Mo Yue's divine power arrived.
Terrifying deep blue cold air swept in like a tide, freezing the void wherever it passed, threatening to freeze the Ghost King's lower body instantly!
"Break!"
The Ghost King was horrified. He didn't hesitate to sacrifice his own essence to shatter the ice and break free, but his movements were already slowed.
How could Xu Chuan let go of this golden opportunity?
With a thought, the Life and Death Seal of the Origin that had been knocked away followed him like a shadow, crashing down again!
"Bang!"
This time, the Ghost King couldn't completely dodge and was grazed on the back by the edge of the seal.
"Pfft!"
A mouthful of dark, ink-like ghost blood, rich in soul power, was spat out. The Ghost King's aura instantly weakened considerably, clearly indicating that he was seriously injured.
He turned his head sharply and glared fiercely at Xu Chuan.
His eyes were filled with anger, fear, and a trace of incredulous apprehension.
He knew that with this profound divine power and the transformed great demon beside him, he would hardly gain any advantage today, and might even be severely injured.
"Boy, I'll remember this!"
After uttering a harsh word, the Ghost King dared not linger any longer. He transformed into a dim black light, tore through the yin wind, and fled hastily into the distant sky.
He disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Hoo—"
Xu Chuan let out a long breath, his face slightly pale. He immediately swallowed a high-grade "Jade Void Pill" to replenish his rapidly depleted mana.
Simultaneously controlling the "Azure Dragon Sword" and the "Origin Life and Death Seal" was extremely taxing.
If it weren't for this seal's ability to restrain the Ghost King, he would likely have been trapped in a fierce battle today, perhaps even unable to escape.
"Xu Chuan, a large number of 'Chi' have been attracted by the battle's fluctuations. They're less than a few dozen miles away, probably numbering seventy or eighty!"
Mo Yue immediately warned.
"Let's go!"
Xu Chuan didn't hesitate, waving his hand to recall his magical artifacts.
Mo Yue transformed into a streak of black light and rushed into the spirit beast pouch.
Then, Xu Chuan, along with Xu Mingxian beside him, transformed into a streak of azure light and continued on their way in the predetermined direction.
After escaping danger,
Xu Mingxian said with lingering fear, "I didn't expect a fourth-tier Ghost King to attack. If it weren't for Father's supernatural power restraining it, and if we had delayed for another half a quarter of an hour, we probably would have been surrounded by 'Chi'." "
With that many, even Nascent Soul cultivators could be killed if they can't escape quickly," Xu Chuan nodded. "We need to be even more careful later.
However, being targeted by that fourth-tier Ghost King is extremely troublesome.
We have to find a way to eliminate it."
Xu Mingxian was shocked upon hearing this. Shouldn't they be avoiding it?
Xu Chuan thought to himself, "I need to speed up the advancement of the Profound Yin Corpse King and the Blood Fiend Ghost King."
More than ten days later,
Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian met up with the second family member, Xu Deling.
And coincidentally,
the Profound Yin Corpse King successfully advanced to a half-step fourth-tier Corpse King.
Xu Chuan entered the "Xu Clan Cave Heaven" to contact the others and inquire about their situation.
Seeing that they weren't in too bad a situation, Xu Chuan immediately found a place nearby to go into seclusion for a period of time.
The "Ninefold Corpse Dissection Technique" requires three months to perform and cannot be interrupted.
After Xu Chuan informed them of this, the two immediately offered to protect him.
"Mingxian, you will control this Cloud Heaven Illusion Array flag. Try to surround it with the Bewildering Array, and then have Deling use her Great Perfection Divine Power to quickly kill it. Do not let too many 'Chi' accumulate."
"Yes, Father." Xu Mingxian cupped her hands.
"Granddaughter will definitely not let those 'Chi' disturb Grandfather." Xu Deling also said.
Then Xu Chuan went into seclusion.
He first had the Blood Fiend Ghost King devour the essence of all the Yin souls in the "Hundred Ghost Banner".
This instantly made its divine soul essence strong to a certain degree.
Then, it fell into a deep sleep, slowly digesting this foreign divine soul essence and assimilating it.
However, Xu Chuan could not guarantee whether it could successfully step into the fourth rank after digestion.
Because advancement is too difficult.
Whether it is a cultivator, a demon beast, or a corpse puppet or ghost, the fourth rank is the beginning of a complete transformation.
Especially for corpse puppets and ghosts, stepping into the fourth rank means that they can also embark on the path of cultivation like cultivators and demon beasts.
Xu Chuan killed Rong Yang, an elder of the Heavenly Ghost Sect, as recorded in the scriptures he possessed.
Even for a dominant force in the ghost path like the Heavenly Ghost Sect, not all of its Nascent Soul Grand Elders possessed a Fourth-Order Ghost King as the main soul of their Soul Banner.
The Heavenly Ghost Sect only had four or five Fourth-Order Ghost Kings, several of which were the main souls of Nascent Soul Grand Cultivators from the previous or even earlier generations.
In this generation, only the newly promoted great cultivators within the sect have cultivated their own fourth-tier ghost kings.
This seems to be due to the fortune of the ancient battlefield.
The ancient battlefield not only had many ghost kings of the fourth tier or higher, but also a large number of peak third-tier ghosts.
If some could be captured and devoured, it wouldn't be impossible to cultivate a fourth-tier ghost king.
This method is similar to what Xu Chuan is currently using.
After the Blood Fiend Ghost King began to slumber,
Xu Chuan began to use the secret technique of the Ninefold Corpse Dissection Technique.
The half-step fourth-tier Xuan Yin Corpse King was located in the center of the formation, while the other nine peak third-tier blood corpses were distributed in nine special positions.
Having reached the peak of the third tier, their intelligence was naturally not low.
Therefore, they would resist, requiring Xu Chuan to suppress them with all his might.
Fortunately, Xu Chuan is now a Nascent Soul cultivator with a corpse-controlling restriction, allowing him to suppress these peak third-tier blood corpses.
Their essence was extracted by the formation, refined through the secret technique, and transformed into strands of pure blood corpse essence, which were then sent into the body of the half-step fourth-tier Xuan Yin Corpse King.
This source energy is the fastest and most effective way to help them grow.
Time passed day by day.
In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed.
The wandering "Chi" were attracted by the array's fluctuations and headed towards the Cloud Illusion Array.
Fortunately, the Misty Array was effective against them and could trap them; otherwise, Xu Mingxian and Xu Deling would really not know what to do with these "Chi".
After all, they did not have the strength of Xu Chuan, who could easily kill the "Chi".
Xu Deling killed them one by one.
But the "Chi" seemed endless, wave after wave, and even Xu Deling could not kill them all.
Gradually,
there were dozens of "Chi" wandering in the misty area.
The strange dark red energy constantly affected the stability of the array, and Xu Mingxian felt that the Misty Array was gradually losing its ability to trap them.
There would even be one or two "Chi" suddenly breaking through the mist and attacking Xu Mingxian.
Xu Deling could only retreat from the misty area and kill the "Chi" that had broken in.
"Fifth Uncle, this can't go on. With more and more 'demons' gathering here, we'll eventually break down."
Xu Mingxian frowned slightly.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he transmitted his voice to Xu Deling, "Father gave you a pill called 'Withering and Flourishing Pill.' Have you taken it?"
"I think I have, but I haven't taken it. What's wrong with this pill?"
Xu Mingxian's face lit up with joy, and he quickly said, "This pill is an ancient and rare pill. A Golden Core cultivator can only take it once in their lifetime. The one Father prepared for us must be a top-grade pill.
Even if you take it at the early Golden Core stage, you have a chance to directly upgrade your mana to the late Golden Core stage. Deling, your mana quality is already comparable to the late Golden Core stage.
If you refine it, your mana quality is very likely to reach the perfect Golden Core stage.
In this way, you can release a Great Perfection Divine Power with less mana. You
might even reach the perfect level of mana strength."
"So miraculous?!" Xu Deling was astonished.
"I have already refined it, and my power and strength are now comparable to the late Golden Core stage. You need not doubt that,"
Xu Mingxian said. "I will do my best to hold off these 'demons' for one day."
"However, my understanding of array formations is still a little short of the Lesser Chengdu stage, so I can only hold them off for one day."
"De Ling understands. Then, before I emerge from seclusion, I will trouble Fifth Uncle to hold them off first."
"I can only stop them; killing them is too much trouble."
Chapter 424 De Ling Emerges from Seclusion (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets!)
After saying this,
Xu De Ling rushed out of the misty area.
He patted his spirit beast pouch, summoned the Four-Winged Chongming Bird, and instructed it, "Little Red, I need to go into seclusion to refine a pill. You will protect me.
If Fifth Uncle is in danger, you must also go and help."
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"Yes, Master." "
Fifth Uncle, if you can't hold on, remember to call Little Red."
"Understood."
Xu Mingxian immediately rushed into the misty area, using the battle formation to fight against the "Chi."
Xu Deling took out a high-grade "Withering and Flourishing Pill" from his storage ring and swallowed it to refine it.
"The Withering and Flourishing Pill?!"
The Four-Winged Chongming Bird recognized the pill Xu Deling had swallowed immediately.
"The Xu family actually has this kind of luck... Yes, the master's grandfather had a Withering and Flourishing Tree, and he often cultivated under it, which accelerated its growth.
Otherwise, relying on the Withering and Flourishing Tree to produce its own pills would be too slow.
With the Withering and Flourishing Pill, the Xu family's Golden Core cultivators can quickly overcome their weakness period, greatly increasing the number of those attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
Even if not everyone can form a Nascent Soul, a few will succeed after trying."
As for the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul,
even the Four-Winged Chongming Bird didn't believe the Xu family could obtain many.
At most two or three, that would already be a stroke of luck.
Like the Tiancang Sect, which hadn't obtained a single Nascent Soul opportunity for over a thousand years, gradually declined and ultimately led to its downfall.
In the Misty Zone...
Xu Mingxian used the battle formation to fight the "Chi".
Dark shadows loomed all around, their howls incessant—these were the "Chi" who were unafraid of ordinary attacks.
However, they were trapped in the mist and could not break through in the short term.
If a large horde were to emerge
, unless Xu Chuan forcibly came out of seclusion, Xu Mingxian and De Ling would surely die if they tried to stop them.
His expression was solemn, his ten fingers moving rapidly like butterflies flitting among flowers.
Array patterns appeared at his command, flickering in the void.
"Five Elements Revolve, Bind!"
With a low shout, five distinct beams of light shot into the sky from the formation.
They transformed into five enormous energy chains of gold, cyan, blue, red, and yellow, tearing through the air and binding several "Chi".
Xu Mingxian had comprehended the true meaning of the array, infusing the battle formation with that true meaning.
It could be said that the battle formation was his divine power.
An ordinary cultivator or demon beast would certainly try to avoid the approaching chains.
But these "demons" ignored him, seemingly only seeing Xu Mingxian, brandishing their claws as if trying to tear him to shreds.
Therefore, the chains easily bound three or four of the charging "demons."
Countless plumes of black smoke rose from their chain-bound bodies, hissing and crackling.
"Roar!"
The "demons" immediately felt pain and began to struggle violently.
Although their strength was only at the early Golden Core stage, their physical strength was considerable, and with each angry roar, a strange, dark red energy emanated from their bodies.
This was the source of their power, counteracting the true meaning of their divine abilities.
Therefore, the dark red energy was also corroding the Five Elements Chains.
Once weakened, the "demons" could break free at any time thanks to their own physical strength.
"Suppress!"
The chains tightened suddenly, temporarily imprisoning the "demons."
Xu Mingxian didn't stop, changing his hand seals again.
"Five Elements Unite, Slash!"
Five-colored light converged in the air, condensing into a giant five-colored sword seven or eight zhang long.
The sword flowed with the mysteries of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, slashing down towards the bound "Chi"!
Wherever the sword's edge touched, dark red energy violently dissolved, and a shrill scream rang out.
However, completely obliterating a "Chi" was too taxing for Xu Mingxian, far beyond what a single attack could achieve.
"Slash!"
"Slash!"
"Slash!"
Xu Mingxian had just slain the nearby "Chi" when, before he could even catch his breath, four or five more "Chi" unexpectedly broke through the mist and found their way to him.
He had guessed that it was because their nature was incompatible with spiritual energy and magic.
Therefore, even if the illusion array could temporarily trap them
, over time, the strange energy on their bodies would weaken the array's effect,
gradually rendering it ineffective.
This was why, when Xu Mingxian was alone, he could only constantly flee from those "Chi".
For cultivators, a third-tier illusion array could trap them for months.
These "demons" suddenly appeared and charged, tireless and undeterred by casualties.
Xu Mingxian could only hastily assemble a defensive battle array.
The array's light screen lit up, resisting the dark red claws that grabbed from all directions, producing dense, muffled sounds like raindrops hitting banana leaves.
Killing arrays rose one after another, with flames, golden spears, giant trees, ice shards, and mountain shapes appearing in turn,
repelling and injuring the approaching "demons" time and time again.
As for illusion arrays, they were very effective against demonic beasts and human cultivators.
However, illusion arrays were almost ineffective against the "Chi."
After all, they were completely unfazed by even divine sense techniques.
Xu Mingxian felt that the "Chi" probably didn't have a soul, like puppets controlled by strange energy, possessing only a bloodthirsty instinct and an innate, extremely keen sensitivity to magical power.
Relying on this sensitivity, they hunted down human cultivators and demonic beasts.
"Five Elements Chains, Bind!"
Ordinary killing arrays caused limited damage; if one slowly wore them down, they could be killed. Unfortunately, the "Chi" wouldn't give him time.
If he didn't kill these in front of him quickly, more "Chi" would inexplicably burrow into this area.
Once the number of "Chi" accumulated to more than a dozen, it would be a catastrophic disaster for a cultivator like Xu Mingxian who hadn't even mastered a minor divine ability.
Like a snowball rolling downhill, it would only increase
until it was no longer manageable.
"Five Elements Giant Sword, Slash!"
Xu Mingxian couldn't care less about the consumption of magical power at this point and could only use his ultimate moves one after another.
Fortunately, his magical power foundation had now been raised to the late Golden Core stage.
Otherwise, he might not even last an hour.
One "Chi" after another was slain.
Xu Mingxian's magical power also dissipated like flowing water, and fine beads of sweat began to seep from his forehead.
He could wield the Five Elements transformations with ease, often unleashing multiple formations simultaneously, using earthen walls to block, water curtains to slow them down, and then launching a fierce attack with a metal and fire formation, always managing to resolve crises at the last second.
But these battle formations were only auxiliary; the real killing still depended on the Five Elements Giant Sword.
With the rotation of the Five Elements, its true power could be enhanced to above the minor completion level.
Otherwise, killing the "Chi" would require even more effort.
Time passed.
One hour, two hours later,
all the "Chi" that fell within the formation had turned to dust.
But the pressure around Xu Mingxian not only did not decrease, but was attracted by the continuous battle fluctuations.
Xu Mingxian's breathing gradually became heavy; maintaining such a high intensity of battle formations and magical power output was a great burden on his mind.
Suddenly.
"Roar~"
A series of roars rang out, and more than ten "Chi" rushed over simultaneously.
Xu Mingxian's eyes flashed with rage, and he abandoned all pretense of composure, immediately shouting, "Little Red, come help!"
The Four-Winged Chongming Bird, hearing this, couldn't stand idly by.
"Cry—!"
A clear and resounding bird cry rang out, piercing through the clouds and splitting the rocks.
A crimson shadow shot out like lightning, instantly rushing into the mist and arriving at Xu Mingxian's location.
Its four wings flapped in unison, and its magnificent feathers flowed with blazing light, like a small, scorching sun entering the battlefield.
An aura of innate auspiciousness and scorching evil spread out, causing the surrounding "Chi" to pause in their movements.
But this only provoked the "Chi" to roar even more violently.
They actually abandoned Xu Mingxian and charged towards the Four-Winged Chongming Bird.
"What the hell is this thing? Its aura is so evil!"
the Four-Winged Chongming Bird thought to itself.
"I'll assist, you attack!"
Xu Mingxian forcefully channeled his magic power, and dozens of Five Elements chains spread out from the void, binding the dozen or so "Chi" (
demons/monsters). The Four-Winged Chongming Bird's eyes flashed with extreme disgust upon seeing this. It opened its beak, unleashing a burst of condensed, molten gold-like crimson flame that swept across the front!
This flame was no ordinary fire; it contained its natal true flame and auspicious energy for dispelling evil. Its ability to restrain yin and evil energy seemed even stronger than Xu Mingxian's array-based true intent.
The "Chi" engulfed by the crimson flame let out even more miserable howls, their dark red energy colliding and dissolving with the flames.
"They're still not dead!"
The Four-Winged Chongming Bird was slightly surprised.
Xu Mingxian said, "These 'Chi' can only be restrained and completely killed by divine powers and true intent. Ordinary spells and magical attacks cannot completely annihilate them.
Once they die, they will turn into a pile of ashes. " The Four-Winged Chongming Bird was horrified, cursing inwardly, "
What ancient monster researched this disgusting concoction?!"
As a reincarnation of a fused ancient demon, the Four-Winged Chongming Bird naturally knew the essence of the Divine Power True Meaning.
The Fusion stage was when one truly began to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth.
The Divine Power True Meaning probably didn't even possess one ten-thousandth of the power of the laws of heaven and earth.
Of course, the Four-Winged Chongming Bird's current level of cultivation prevented it from wielding even a trace of the power of the laws of heaven and earth, but its comprehension of the Divine Power True Meaning was not slow.
It was a different Divine Power True Meaning from its previous life.
Now it had reached the same level of mastery as Xu Deling.
However, it had never revealed a single trace of it.
But facing these "demons," the Four-Winged Chongming Bird had no choice but to fuse its true meaning into flames to launch an attack.
After three or four attacks,
coupled with Xu Mingxian's Five Elements Giant Sword,
it finally annihilated more than ten "demons."
"These 'demons' are gathering in ever-increasing numbers. We must find a way to constantly eliminate them to buy time for De Ling to refine the elixir in seclusion."
"Little Red understands," the old monster said, feigning innocence.
The man and the bird immediately rushed to other areas and began actively eliminating the 'demons.'
But just as Xu Mingxian had said, more and more 'demons' continued to gather and then rush into the Cloud Illusion Array.
Its disguise seemed to have no effect on the 'demons.'
Seven or eight hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Even they were exhausted from continuously using their supernatural powers and true essence.
"More 'Chi' have entered, over thirty this time!"
Xu Mingxian's expression suddenly changed after resting for less than a quarter of an hour.
He and the Four-Winged Chongming Bird dared not be negligent and charged again, relying on the formation and true flames to desperately kill them within the misty area.
However, they were extremely tired at this moment, with little magic power and demonic energy remaining, greatly reducing their killing efficiency. In the
midst of the chaotic battle
, suddenly, three or four "Chi" somehow found an opening and burst out of the misty area.
The "Chi's" eyes blazed with ferocity, their dark red claws tearing through the air, carrying a nauseating stench, as they quickly rushed towards Xu Deling.
"Chi!"
The Four-Winged Chongming Bird cried out in alarm and anger, no longer caring about entangled with the monsters in the formation. Its four wings flapped violently
, transforming into a crimson-gold rainbow of light as it desperately tried to return to the rescue, but the distance was too great, and it was clear it was too late!
Just as one of the "Chi" was about to strike Xu Deling's head, at
this critical moment—
Xu Deling's closed eyes suddenly snapped open!
"Clang!"
A clear, metallic clang erupted from her eyes, and a tangible, dazzling golden light, like a sword drawn from its sheath, shot out instantly, piercing the heads of the two leading "Chi" with pinpoint accuracy!
This was the divine power Xu Deling had comprehended, the "Fire Emperor's True Eye."
Utterly powerful and domineering.
The two "Chi" were blasted away.
But terrifyingly, even with their heads shattered, the two "Chi" did not die; they slowly rose and charged towards Xu Deling.
"Fire Phoenix, emerge!"
A clear, melodious phoenix cry rang out!
Above Xu Deling's head, blazing flames gathered wildly, instantly condensing into a magnificent fire phoenix with a wingspan of several meters.
The phoenix, its eyes gleaming with golden light, swooped down with an aura of incinerating evil, its posture haughty and powerful.
A wave of heat surged through the air, golden flames engulfing everything.
The two demons were struck squarely by the phoenix; their dark red energy evaporated violently like boiling water. They screamed in agony as they were violently thrown back by the immense force.
The golden flames still swirling around their bodies continued to hiss and burn.
"Master, you're awake!"
The four-winged Chongming Bird fluttered its wings and landed in mid-air in front of Xu Deling,
chirping joyfully.
Its magnificent tail feathers fluttered excitedly.
Xu Mingxian, worried, also rushed over.
Seeing Xu Deling's aura surging and becoming even stronger than before, a relieved and relieved smile appeared in his eyes: "Deling."
Xu Deling's importance in the Xu family was no less than his own.
If something had happened to him, he would have had a hard time explaining it to Xu Chuan.
Xu Deling stood tall, giving a slight nod to Xu Mingxian and the Chongming Bird. The golden light in her eyes hadn't faded, adding a touch of sharpness and composure.
"Thank you for your hard work, Fifth Uncle, Xiao Hong. You two should recuperate first; leave the rest to me."
Xu Mingxian knew this wasn't the time for
formalities, so she nodded and said, "Be careful." She then sat down cross-legged, swallowed a pill, and focused all her energy on recovering her nearly depleted mana and mental strength.
Xu Deling's gaze shifted to the four still-alive "demons," her eyes turning cold.
She lightly raised her hand, and a stream of light flew from her sleeve, revealing a crimson feather, naturally patterned with fine lines and edges shimmering with a faint golden light.
It was her natal magic weapon, the "Fire Phoenix Feather."
"Go."
The Fire Phoenix Feather transformed into a crimson-gold stream of light, disappearing into the majestic phantom of a fire phoenix above her head.
In an instant,
the phantom of the fire phoenix solidified, its eyes gleaming brightly.
The feather patterns were clearly visible, each feather seemingly forged from leaping golden flames, radiating an even more powerful and scorching pressure, like a true fire phoenix divine bird descending to earth.
"Li!"
the fire phoenix cried out, its sharp claws grabbing four "Chi" and tossing them into the misty area.
She herself flashed in.
With a flap of her wings, countless golden-red sparks rained down, causing the "Chi" that touched them to scream in agony, their movements greatly hampered.
Immediately, the fire phoenix's giant claws reached out, crushing the heads of two more "Chi."
Pale golden flames burned their bodies.
These flames were infused with the true essence of a fully-fledged divine power.
Although not as powerful as true divine power, they were quite effective against the "Chi."
More than thirty "Chi," in groups of four or five, were scattered throughout the misty area.
Xu Deling immediately rushed towards the nearest wave.