The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World(146-150)

Chapter 146: Hidden Mountain Gathering

Not only was Jian Yitong astonished, but Chu Xuan was also somewhat surprised. From their brief encounter, he had discerned that this young man was certainly not of low status.

Despite only being at the first layer of the Golden Core, he was adorned with treasures. Such a person either held a high status or possessed exceptional talents.

Typically, aren't such cultivators known for their vengeful nature?

Yet, despite having his life-bound magic treasure nearly shattered by Chu Xuan, there was no hint of resentment in his eyes, no waiting for a future day of retribution.

Instead, his demeanor softened, and he even proffered a mid-grade flying magic treasure—an act completely at odds with the vindictive geniuses of typical cultivation novels.

Seeing Chu Xuan remain silent, Yuan Zichu gritted his teeth and pulled out three Golden Core-stage talismans. "Elder He, here are two Earth Prison Talismans and one Five Thunder Talisman, all crafted by myself."

Jian Yitong was immediately taken aback. Yuan Zichu was a well-known talisman master within the Hundred Refinements Sect.

The Earth Prison Talisman he crafted could detain enemies for a longer duration than those made by other talisman masters. The Five Thunder Talisman also boasted greater power.

Other Golden Core cultivators would usually seek to purchase talismans from him, yet here he was, offering three to Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan's expression remained unchanged, "Since that is the case, I shall accept them."

With a sweep of his hand, he collected the mirror and the three talismans into his pouch. Treasures offered on a silver platter should never be declined.

Yuan Zichu finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Chu Xuan take the magic treasures and talismans.

Although Jian Yitong might not have understood, Yuan had recognized Chu Xuan's strength during their confrontation.

A body cultivator, and one who had cultivated his physical body to an incredibly strong realm—potentially capable of contending with late-stage Golden Core cultivators!

Body refining consumes a tremendous amount of resources and is considered a path against the natural order in these times. That He Liang had achieved such a state indicated either extraordinary talent or substantial resources.

Either way, Yuan Zichu did not wish to provoke him. Although he was known for his vindictiveness, he also knew whom he could afford to retaliate against and whom he could not.

Clearly, the master of Black Dragon Mountain was not someone he could afford to antagonize.

Yuan Zichu smiled, "Elder He, my Daoist hall is located six thousand li east of Black Dragon Mountain, on Thousand Hammer Peak. When you have time, I would be honored to host you."

With those words, he rode the winds away, vanishing in the blink of an eye, though it seemed almost as if he was fleeing.

Song Junjie and Qian Tang were simultaneously delighted and shocked, with a tinge of melancholy. While they were pleased with their master's growing strength, it also meant that they would likely never escape his control.

Jian Yitong blinked, the initial surprise giving way to understanding as he realized that Yuan Zichu was indeed frightened by Chu Xuan. This was why he had offered treasures and talismans, fearing that Chu Xuan might harbor intentions to kill.

"Let's all go back," Chu Xuan dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Jian Yitong cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice, "The Heaven Burning Sect is about to make its move; I suspect they'll act against us soon. A senior Golden Core cultivator I know has organized a gathering of Golden Core cultivators. You just need to swallow a Transformative Voice Pill to attend, and no one will know who you are.

Elder He, if you are interested, it might be worth checking out. I assume you haven't gathered enough sect contributions to exchange for items yet, and such a gathering could present valuable opportunities."

Chu Xuan appeared contemplative. A Golden Core assembly sounded promising indeed. Perhaps he could acquire a thunder python core there, which could advance his realm into the Golden Core phase in Qi refining.

As for the Transformative Voice Pill, being a master of disguise, he was well aware of it—a pill that allowed one to alter one's appearance and voice. His storage bag still contained many such items, and his current disguise techniques were far more advanced than what the pill offered. He could easily discern others' disguises while remaining undetected himself.

If Jian Yitong was setting a trap, or if the Golden Core assembly harbored hidden dangers, that would suit him even better! His thirty layers of body refinement were not just for show.

"When and where?" Chu Xuan asked.

"Six days from now, in Divine Star Valley," Jian Yitong replied, producing a jade slip. "You will need this to enter."

"Good," Chu Xuan nodded.

...

Six days later, Divine Star Valley.

The spiritual qi here was not particularly dense, but it had always been regarded as a sacred site by the Divine Star Sect, for it was from this valley that the sect's founder had embarked on the path that led to the establishment of the mighty Divine Star Sect.

However, since the sect had uneventfully dissolved, the valley had been plundered by rogue cultivators and had become a ruin. No one visited this "sacred site" of a fallen sect anymore.

A streak of light cut through the sky as Chu Xuan landed in the valley. "An array, and a large-scale illusionary one at that. Impressive," he noted with a light chuckle.

He took out a jade slip from his storage bag. The slip seemed to sense something and flew out on its own, casting a beam of light. Where the light touched, a screen of light split open before him. Through the screen, one could see a completely different world.

Chu Xuan stepped forward confidently. The scenery transformed instantly before him, revealing a long table and several scattered chairs.

Twelve cultivators were seated on the chairs, most of them cautiously spaced apart, although a few who seemed to know each other sat closer.

As Chu Xuan entered, all twelve Golden Core cultivators turned their gazes towards him. He returned their looks without hesitation.

Before arriving at Divine Star Valley, he had ingested a "Grand Transformation Pill" he had concocted himself. Not only had his appearance and voice changed, but even his physique was altered.

Moreover, he had concealed his aura using the Turtle Breath Technique. No matter how the others tried to probe, they could only discern that he was a mid-stage Golden Core Qi cultivator, with no visible signs of his body refinement.

A burly man burst into laughter, "Hahaha, another fellow Daoist has arrived, welcome!"

"Please, take a seat," he gestured.

Chu Xuan casually chose a seat and began to survey the twelve Golden Cores. None wore masks, evidently having consumed transformative form and voice pills.

However, with his profound expertise in disguise, Chu Xuan could still identify several individuals whose features had been altered by the pills. Yet, whether the appearances revealed by the pills were genuine was debatable.

For instance, Chu Xuan himself was using the alias 'He Liang' and a face that was not his own.

After scanning the room, he spotted Jian Yitong. The old man had transformed himself into a strikingly handsome young man in white, flirtatiously interacting with a voluptuous woman whose seductive gaze was like silk.

"The holders of the jade slips have all arrived, good," remarked the burly man after a pause. He smiled and continued, "Since we have three newcomers today, I will reiterate the rules of the Hidden Mountain Gathering.

First, the Hidden Mountain Gathering does not discriminate based on alignment, sect, or nationality; anyone is welcome to trade here."

Second, members of the Hidden Mountain Gathering should address each other by codenames and must not reveal their real names or identities. Of course, if you choose to disclose your identity, you must bear the consequences yourself.

Third, no member may reveal the existence of the Hidden Mountain Gathering to outsiders. Violators will be pursued and executed by all members of the gathering!"

As he delivered the last rule, the tone of the burly man turned unmistakably stern.

Chapter 147: The Reward of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace

Chu Xuan's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this.

Hidden Mountain Gathering? Had Jian Yitong, the elderly master, inexplicably drawn him into an organization?

He glanced at Jian Yitong and was struck by the sight of the old man no longer exchanging flirtatious glances with the voluptuous female cultivator but sitting upright in apparent confusion.

It seemed he too did not understand why a straightforward Golden Core cultivator meeting had suddenly been dubbed the so-called Hidden Mountain Gathering.

Chu Xuan surveyed the other cultivators without betraying his thoughts, noticing a fleeting emotion in some eyes that mirrored his own.

However, these signs were swiftly concealed. After all, they were all cultivators who had achieved the Golden Core stage, well-practiced in controlling their emotions.

The burly man continued, "Perhaps some of you wish not to join the Hidden Mountain Gathering, and that is fine. You only need to swear not to disclose the existence of it and you may leave."

"Of course, the oath you take is not a heart-devouring oath but one that I dictate," he added, producing a talisman paper with something inscribed on it.

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Making a heart-devouring oath oneself and abiding by an oath set by another were entirely different matters. Sorcerers had numerous ways to circumvent self-imposed heart-devouring oaths, but an oath imposed by another left no loopholes.

The twelve Golden Core cultivators fell into silence, yet none rose to leave.

Seeing this, the burly man smiled and said, "Good, then let's officially begin this session of the Hidden Mountain Gathering. Let me introduce myself first; my codename is Black Chess. I organize each meeting of the Hidden Mountain Gathering, and I will notify you of the specific times and places through the Hidden Mountain Jade," he said, holding up the jade slip. "Here, this little trinket."

Black Chess smiled again, "Oh, and any member who fails to attend five consecutive meetings will be assumed dead. Let's start the introductions from you," Black Chess directed, turning to the person on his left.

The man, lean and wiry, responded calmly, "Codename, Flying Fish."

After him, the next person stated, "Sky Stone."

One by one, codenames were announced. Jian Yitong's codename was "righteousness," a choice that seemed ironic considering his earlier lascivious demeanor.

When it was Chu Xuan's turn, he simply stated his codename and fell silent.

Heartless.

That was the codename he had chosen for himself, aptly reflecting his persona.

He meticulously memorized the codenames of all present, ensuring he knew each participant clearly.

"Alright, let's begin the trading," Black Chess said with a smile. "Everyone, please announce the items you wish to trade. Whether it's one-on-one or one-to-many exchanges, that's up to you."

Flying Fish immediately responded, "A mid-grade magic treasure, named the Mystical Mirror. It can delay the Spiritual Qi of an opponent. The price is forty thousand small spiritual stones."

Sky Stone added, "A mid-grade Golden Core spiritual secret technique, the Soul Vortex. It has three levels, and upon mastering the third, one can devour an opponent's soul. I ask for sixty thousand small spiritual stones."

One by one, items were placed on the long table, each enveloped in Spiritual Qi.

Chu Xuan listened with keen interest. However, after calculating his resources, he realized he could afford only one of these items. The price of magic treasures and secret techniques skyrockets upon entering the Golden Core path.

He recalled Shangguan Feng and Zhang Wei, both Golden Core cultivators who had not been targeted by either the Hundred Refinements Sect or the Heaven Burning Sect.

Perhaps their ability to escape amidst chaos and live luxuriously within the territory of the Hundred Sects Alliance was partly due to their substantial familial wealth. Those with scant resources naturally lacked power, and predators focused on fatter sheep, allowing the likes of them to escape and thrive.

Chu Xuan continued to listen, noting that some were trading special treasures from the Heaven Burning Sect. Perhaps these were Golden Core cultivators from that sect.

The Hidden Mountain Gathering was indeed intriguing, with Golden Core cultivators from the Heaven Burning Sect and the Hundred Refinements Sect coming together for mutual benefit.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, "Information, a bounty from the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace. This bounty was issued directly by the Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to the Nascent Soul elders of the major sects in the Northern Cold, Southern Wildness, Eastern Border, and Western Land. Most Golden Core cultivators are unaware of it. The reward is... the corpses of three Nascent Soul stage cultivators."

After these words, all eyes turned toward the speaker.

Chu Xuan's eyes flickered with interest. The person who spoke was codenamed "White Water." His appearance and aura were quite ordinary, so Chu Xuan hadn't paid much attention to him before. But now, he understood that this man was far from simple.

Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, which Chu Xuan had researched alongside the Nether Dao Sect, was the supreme ruler of the Mystic Azure Realm, unmatched by any other.

Mystic Azure Realm was a cultivation star known to the lower-tier cultivators simply as Mystic Azure Realm. To the more powerful cultivators, it was referred to as Mystic Azure Star.

Feather Transformation Heaven Palace dominated the central region of Mystic Azure Star, where the Spiritual Qi was richest. It largely ignored the other forces on the star, adopting a hands-off approach.

The Nether Dao Sect was once a colossal sect that stood shoulder to shoulder with Feather Transformation Heaven Palace. However, one day, the ancestral ground of the Nether Dao Sect vanished without a trace, leading to the sect's downfall.

Feather Transformation Heaven Palace then absorbed the "remnants" of the Nether Dao Sect, solidifying its position as the absolute dominator of Mystic Azure Star.

Historically, Feather Transformation Heaven Palace rarely imposed any demands on other sects. Yet, why had they suddenly issued a bounty now?

The bounty offered was even the corpses of three Nascent Soul cultivators, whose bodies were undecayed, with their potent life force entirely locked within.

These three Nascent Soul corpses could be used in corpse refinement, puppet crafting, or even as cauldrons, offering endless possibilities.

With the announcement of this bounty, all sects would undoubtedly be driven into a frenzy. Every Golden Core present surely harbored covetous thoughts.

As expected.

As soon as White Water finished speaking, Black Chess, Flying Fish, and Sky Stone, among others, all turned their attention towards him.

"I wish to hear this piece of information," declared Black Chess immediately.

"So do I," another chimed in.

"Seconded," echoed a third.

Chu Xuan also voiced his agreement.

In a mere moment, all twelve Golden Cores in the room expressed their desire to hear the information.

White Water held up a finger, "Ten thousand small spiritual stones per person, or the equivalent."

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Chu Xuan transferred ten thousand small spiritual stones into a low-grade storage bag and tossed it over. The other cultivators did the same without hesitation.

Once the payments were settled, White Water calmly disclosed, "The bounty issued by Feather Transformation Heaven Palace targets two resurrected prodigies of the Nether Dao Sect. The first, Overlord Shang Tianjue. The second, Shang Xingchen the Ghost Dragon."

Upon hearing this, the room was filled with astonishment.

The Nether Dao Sect? Two resurrected prodigies?

A spark of realization flashed through Chu Xuan's mind, instantly recalling the underground ruins in the Cloud Mist Mountains. That place was the Ghost Palace of the Nether Dao Sect.

Could it be that cultivators from the past era of the Nether Dao Sect had emerged from there?

White Water continued, "As you may know, the Nether Dao Sect comprises four palaces: Ghost Palace, Gu Palace, Corpse Palace, and Blood Palace. These palaces are distributed throughout Mystic Azure Star, including both true and false palaces. The Ghost Palace in the Misty Mountains a few years ago was one such false palace.

Feather Transformation Heaven Palace's diviners have foreseen a potential resurgence of the Nether Dao Sect, led by either Shang Tianjue or Shang Xingchen, both of whom vanished around five hundred years ago when the sect was annihilated."

White Water stated evenly, "The bounty from Feather Transformation Heaven Palace is clear: find them, dead or alive, and bring them to the gates of Feather Transformation Heaven Palace in the Central Continent."

Chapter 148: Lone Wolves

Upon hearing White Water's words, the cultivators present all began to scheme quietly.

Compared to the imminent war between the Hundred Refinement Sect and the Heaven Burning Sect, the bounty from Feather Transformation Heaven Palace was far more enticing.

Possessing the corpses of three Nascent Soul cultivators, what more could they worry about? They could even disregard the Hundred Refinement Sect and the Heaven Burning Sect, striding boldly across the entire Mystic Azure Star!

Moreover, the Nascent Soul ancestors of the Heaven Burning Sect and the Hundred Refinement Sect, upon learning of this bounty, would likely slow their war efforts to focus entirely on capturing Shang Tianjue and Shang Xingchen.

Chu Xuan harbored some thoughts on this matter as well. But they were just thoughts. He did not believe that Shang Tianjue and Shang Xingchen, who had resurrected, would be easy to kill.

If they could emerge from underground ruins and survive across five centuries, it indicated they certainly had powerful backing. Excessive greed might well lead to fatal consequences.

Rather than the bounty from Feather Transformation Heaven Palace, Chu Xuan found White Water's identity more intriguing. If this bounty was directly issued by Feather Transformation Heaven Palace to the Nascent Soul ancestors of various sects across Mystic Azure Star, how could a Golden Core cultivator like him be aware of it?

However, Chu Xuan only pondered these thoughts. The twelve Golden Cores present were each exceptional and of unknown background. His greatest reliance was his body refined through thirty layers, making him capable of defeating any one of them in single combat, but at the cost of exposing some of his secrets and possibly sustaining injuries.

Chu Xuan never engaged in acts that were more trouble than they were worth.

The trading continued.

When it was Chu Xuan's turn, he produced a small bottle. "Qi-Binding Dust. Once inhaled, it prevents the target from using their internal Spiritual Qi and from absorbing Spiritual Qi from the environment. Effective against Golden Core cultivators. Six thousand small spiritual stones per bottle. If anyone has a Thunder attribute serpent demon core from the Foundation Establishment stage, I am willing to purchase it at a high price."

This Qi-Binding Dust was a poison he had acquired from the "Venom Scripture." After much consideration, it was the only item he felt safe to trade. The other poisons he possessed were too potent; trading them might bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.

As for magical tools, elixirs, and talismans, most were suited only for Foundation Establishment cultivators and were not worthy of offering here.

Chu Xuan already had the antidote for the Qi-Binding Dust, which was why he dared to offer it in the trade.

"I'll take it," Black Chess's eyes sparkled as he spoke, "I happen to have three demon cores that meet your requirements. We can discuss the trade in private later."

Chu Xuan nodded slightly.

None of the other offerings caught his eye. He only found the Golden Core mid-grade spiritual sense secret technique appealing, but he had already condensed the Soul Core, granting him immense spiritual strength. Even a lower-grade Golden Core technique like the "Soul Piercing Needle" could be immensely powerful in his hands.

As for magic treasures and elixirs, they were even less appealing. His physical body was now comparable to a mid-grade magic treasure. Unless someone offered a superior-grade magic treasure, he was not even interested in looking.

Regarding elixirs, only those with special properties could be of some use to him. He disregarded elixirs that enhanced the Golden Core stage.

With an abundance of Yin Evil Qi and blood honey, he had no need for such cultivation-boosting elixirs.

Instead, he was interested in elixirs that could help his corpse puppet or ghost breakthrough bottlenecks.

Hu, since merging with his spirit root and consuming the corpses of Golden Core cultivators, had rapidly ascended to the level of a ninth-grade corpse general.

Unfortunately, he seemed to be at a bottleneck, unable to condense a corpse core and advance to the rank of corpse commander.

Suddenly, another person spoke, "I have information on the Nether Dao Sect that might be useful in finding Shang Tianjue and Shang Xingchen."

At this statement, the eyebrows of the Golden Core cultivators present all raised, though none immediately spoke up to buy the information.

Chu Xuan glanced at the speaker, whose codename was Deep Sea.

"I'm somewhat interested; let's hear it," said Jian Yitong with a few strange laughs.

"I am also interested, name your price," Sky Stone added.

Deep Sea held up five fingers, "This information has some value, but not a lot—three thousand small spiritual stones should suffice."

Black Chess looked around, noticing everyone's interest, and suggested, "Then let's do it like before, everyone contributes three thousand small spiritual stones, how about it?"

"Agreed."

"Acceptable."

After everyone contributed three thousand small spiritual stones, Deep Sea spoke solemnly, "When the Heaven Burning Sect marched north, after swallowing the Heavenly Seal Sect, they ousted the Divine Star Sect and dominated the Misty Mountains.

At that time, the Heaven Burning Sect had dispatched a Golden Core cultivator to lead a large group of cultivators to guard the Ghost Palace of the Nether Dao Sect there.

However, after some time, that Golden Core cultivator was declared missing, and so were the cultivators who followed him to guard that place. That Ghost Palace might be a fake, but perhaps something emerged from it."

After hearing this information, everyone present pondered quietly, opting to remain silent.

When each person had reported in turn, it was time for private trading.

Black Chess actively approached Chu Xuan, stretching out his hand to reveal three demon cores. Each core was the size of a fist, smooth, and emitted an aura of thunder and lightning.

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, "Foundation Establishment stage demon cores typically go for around five hundred small spiritual stones. I'll offer six hundred each. How does that sound?"

Black Chess nodded, "If you need more of these demon cores, I have more available."

Chu Xuan acknowledged with a nod.

Moments later, the transaction was completed.

He then acquired a Grand Yin Mystic Evil Pill from a Golden Core cultivator codenamed "Snow Mountain" for three thousand small spiritual stones, which could aid a corpse puppet in condensing a corpse core.

Two hours later, the private trading session concluded.

Black Chess declared the gathering over and mentioned that the time of the next meeting would be communicated at an appropriate moment.

The Golden Core cultivators began to leave one by one.

Chu Xuan was the first to leave, but he immediately hid outside the Divine Star Valley. He was intent on following some of them but discovered that these individuals were exceedingly cunning.

Some used flying magic treasures that disappeared in the blink of an eye, others circled around confusingly, and some, like Jian Yitong, simply stayed in the valley pretending to admire the scenery until everyone else had left.

However, Chu Xuan's spiritual sense detected that three individuals were still hidden in this relatively small area of the Divine Star Valley. He shook his head in amusement.

Chu Xuan stood up, dusted off his pants, and decided to leave, "Boring, let's go."

As he stood, he deliberately glanced at the three hidden individuals, making it clear he had spotted them.

The three sensed they were discovered but showed no embarrassment. They too stood up, bowed to each other, and then dispersed.

With that, the now-ruined Divine Star Valley finally returned to tranquility.

…

At the Haotai Hotel.

As soon as Chu Xuan returned, he summoned Hu to his side. He produced the Grand Yin Mystic Evil Pill Pill, "This will be very helpful for you to condense your corpse core. Eat it."

Without suspicion, Hu swallowed the pill immediately. Soon after, he closed his eyes, and a faint yin qi began to gather around him.

"The Yin Evil Qi here is insufficient; we need to go to the great array."

Chu Xuan picked up Hu and threw him into the tower, then headed straight for the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array.

Chapter 149: An Inter-sect Disciple Competition

After arriving at the array, Chu Xuan threw Hu into it. He then thought for a moment and decided to retrieve several tens of kilograms of blood honey from the bee nest, placing it beside Hu.

Soon, the Yin Evil Qi began to converge towards Hu, gradually forming a dense, dark purple cocoon around his body. It seemed that it would take at least a year or two for the corpse core to condense.

Chu Xuan then settled himself down within the formation. He had acquired three thunder python demon cores from Black Chess, and it was an opportune moment to condense his own Golden Core, advancing his cultivation from the Qi Refinement to the Golden Core stage.

Swallowing the three thunder python demon cores, Chu Xuan immediately began compressing the Spiritual Qi within his body.

"Foundation Establishment cultivators search high and low for thunder python demon cores, yet I easily obtained them from Golden Core cultivators at a Hidden Mountain Gathering. Indeed, the circles one moves in can make a significant difference in what one acquires." Chu Xuan smiled lightly.

He then calmed his mind and began compressing his Spiritual Qi according to the "Thunder Python Core Condensation Technique."

Each demon core had its intricacies, and the method of condensing a core varied with different types of demonic beasts. There were no shortcuts in the process of compressing Spiritual Qi; it was a slow and steady effort.

After eight months of repeatedly emptying and refilling his Spiritual Qi, Chu Xuan felt an expanding sensation within the demon core, signaling that it was almost time to condense the Golden Core. Another eight months passed.

Chu Xuan's aura surged wildly as the demon core continued to rotate, collapse, and harden.

At a certain moment, the thunder python demon core finally collapsed into a smooth, round Golden Core, surrounded by crackling thunder, with the pattern of a coiled python etched on its surface. This was the mark of a Beast Golden Core.

The moment the Golden Core was formed, Chu Xuan opened his eyes, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"With a Golden Core swallowed, from now on, my fate is in my own hands!" He chuckled to himself, feeling that such old sayings were somewhat pretentious. After all, he could now easily burst a mere Golden Core with a single punch.

Chu Xuan stood up, looking towards the center of the formation where Hu was enveloped in a large, dark purple cocoon. There were no signs of the cocoon breaking open.

Just as Chu Xuan was about to leave, he heard a faint crackling sound from the surface of the cocoon. His expression brightened, "It seems we're also nearing the final stage."

Chu Xuan decided to sit down beside the formation, studying the "Venom Scripture" while waiting. He discovered that although his talent in the path of alchemy was mediocre, he excelled in the art of poison.

His storage bag now contained six types of poisons capable of killing Golden Core cultivators—three with color, two with smell, and the strongest being colorless and odorless, a truly formidable poison.

However, Chu Xuan suddenly had a new inspiration. He thought of designing a poison that could latch onto an opponent's Spiritual Qi during combat. Once the enemy retracted their Spiritual Qi, the poison would enter directly into their Golden Core, attacking it from within!

Several days passed, and the cracks on the surface of the dark purple cocoon multiplied, spreading like a spider web.

Finally, on the tenth day, under Chu Xuan's expectant gaze, the cocoon shattered piece by piece.

A figure, far more robust and imposing than before, emerged from the remains of the cocoon. Hu now stood nearly five meters tall, his body covered in dense bone armor that could expand and contract at will.

His arms and legs were muscular, bulging like rocks, and Chu Xuan had no doubt about the immense strength flowing through them—enough to crush a Golden Core on the spot!

"Master!" Hu called out excitedly.

Chu Xuan laughed heartily, "Come on, hit me with a few punches! Let's see whether my thirty layers of body refining are stronger, or your new rank as a first-level Corpse Commander!"

Hu immediately slid to his knees, "Hu dares not attack the master, but without a doubt, the master's strength is greater."

Chu Xuan cocked his head, "You won't hit me? Then I'll hit you."

At that, Hu charged forward with a punch, "Master, here I come!"

Pound, pound, pound!

The sound of fists hitting flesh echoed throughout the formation, like thunder. Laughter followed soon after.

A man and a corpse, they fought vigorously, reveling in the combat. The wandering souls around them dared not approach, fearing they might be caught up in the fray.

...

Several days later, at Black Dragon Mountain.

"An inter-sect disciple competition? No, I won't go," Chu Xuan said, shaking his head upon hearing the reports from Song Junjie and Qian Tang.

The Hundred Refinements Sect had thirty-five Golden Core cultivators. Aside from two who were in closed-door cultivation and did not accept disciples, the other thirty-three had established their own sub-sects.

The inter-sect disciple competition was intended to rank the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples among these thirty-three sub-sects. A victory for his disciples would reflect well on him as their master, but Chu Xuan was indifferent to such recognition.

Back when he was part of the Heavenly Seal Sect, there had been similar competitions, and Chu Xuan had never participated. Now, even though he was considered a peer of Wan Wuying, his feelings hadn't changed.

Qian Tang, looking deferential, added, "Master... the top ten disciples in both Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining not only receive personal rewards, their masters also receive substantial contributions rewards..."

Chu Xuan, appearing benevolent, responded, "Then go ahead. You've all been practicing diligently; it's a good opportunity to test your skills."

"Don't disgrace me," he added offhandedly.

The contributions were inconsequential to him. His primary interest was in seeing the disciples of Black Dragon Mountain perform well and make a name for themselves. Hmm, that's it.

"Master, will you be attending?" Qian Tang asked quietly.

Chu Xuan shook his head. "I won't go; it would only add pressure on you."

Song Junjie and Qian Tang muttered under their breaths, acknowledging that even Chu Xuan was aware of the pressure his presence could cause. They nodded vigorously, "We understand!"

...

The competition lasted for ten days. The other thirty-two sub-sects were left somewhat shocked by the performance of the Black Dragon Mountain disciples.

In the Foundation Establishment category, Black Dragon Mountain secured four of the top ten spots. In the Qi Refining category, they claimed three.

This inter-sect competition saw the long-established sub-sects overshadowed, with only Black Dragon Mountain shining bright like a dark, polished stallion—so dazzling that it left others unable to open their eyes.

Chu Xuan watched as his elder token's contributions surged, grinning from ear to ear.

The cultivators from Black Dragon Mountain had been training hard under his encouragement, rapidly advancing their realms and earning him a lot of contributions.

Now, with such outstanding results, he felt even more gratified. Indeed, he was a good master.

...

Original Dao Peak.

This was where the Hundred Refinements Sect's scripture pavilion was located. After the competition ended, Chu Xuan made his way there immediately.

Having achieved Golden Core status, he needed to continue his practice with Golden Core stage techniques. His late master had only had time to impart the core condensation technique and not any Golden Core stage methods, so now he had to exchange for them himself.

The scripture pavilion was a nine-story pagoda. In front of it was a vast square, bustling with disciples coming and going.

Chu Xuan flew down to the square using his Imperial Sky Mirror. His elder token, hanging at his waist, clearly identified his status. As he passed, disciples bowed in respect. However, once he was far enough away, they began to whisper among themselves.

Chapter 150: Black Heart Ancestor?

"That's the master of Black Dragon Mountain, the so-called 'Black Heart Ancestor'? Truly, seeing is believing!" one disciple murmured as Chu Xuan approached the scripture pavilion.

"I heard the cultivators at Black Dragon Mountain train fanatically every day, and those who don't meet the requirements get turned into corpse puppets!" another whispered, a mix of fear and fascination in their voice.

"That's brutal! Isn't that a method of the demonic path?" questioned a third, their face creased in disapproval.

"If you ask me, other sub-sects also use demonic methods; they just hide them better. The Black Heart Ancestor just puts it all out in the open," a fourth disciple chimed in, trying to sound pragmatic.

"Because of the Black Dragon Mountain affair... our Mystic Wind Cave's Golden Core ancestor has also issued an order—those who don't meet the standards will be expelled from the sect," a fifth shared, his tone a mix of resignation and anxiety.

"The same goes for my Flying Dragon Mansion!" another agreed, nodding vigorously.

The disciples' voices, though subdued, carried to Chu Xuan. His soul, strengthened by the Soul Core, was far more potent than that of most Golden Core cultivators, allowing him to overhear their quiet complaints.

"Black Heart Ancestor? That title actually suits my persona quite well," Chu Xuan mused a hint of amusement in his tone. "Unknowingly, has Black Dragon Mountain stirred up the entire Hundred Refinements Sect?"

He chuckled lightly, finding the situation both ironic and slightly flattering.

As Chu Xuan strode into the scripture pavilion, the elderly cultivator guarding the entrance noticed the waves of invisible energy emanating from the Golden Core elder token at Chu Xuan's waist. The old man jumped up from his seat, startled awake from his dozing.

"Greetings, Elder!" the old cultivator said with deep respect.

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, "I wish to exchange for Golden Core stage techniques."

"The Golden Core techniques are on the seventh floor," the elder quickly informed.

With a nod, Chu Xuan flashed to the seventh floor of the pavilion. This level was meticulously organized, filled with a vast array of scriptures—techniques for Qi cultivation, spiritual sense secrets, and even body refining methods were all available.

Chu Xuan passed by the sections containing lower and mid-grade Golden Core techniques, heading straight for the areas dedicated to superior and top-grade techniques. His gaze swept over the titles:

Heavenly River Heavy Water Scroll

Blood Refinement True Art

Three Thousand Mysterious Threads Chapter

Raising an eyebrow, Chu Xuan noted to himself, 'The Hundred Refinement Sect's scripture pavilion certainly has an abundance of demonic arts.'

Yet, he did not see any overtly sinister or nefarious techniques, nor any methods explicitly for corpse refining—only puppet crafting was mentioned.

But in truth, what difference was there between crafting puppets from wood and stone versus from corpses? The terminology might vary, but the essence was the same.

From this, it was evident that the Hundred Refinements Sect did not particularly concern itself with the distinctions between the righteous and demonic paths.

"The pinnacle technique for the Golden Core stage, the 'Yin Thunder Evil Technique,' requires three thousand sect contributions. It's you!"

Chu Xuan flipped through the tome, nodding in satisfaction.

This 'Yin Thunder Evil Technique' pursued a path of bold strikes and grand gestures. Once mastered, it rendered one fearless against the heavenly thunder, a favorite among many demonic cultivators.

Yet, if one were to cultivate this technique by absorbing ordinary thunder Spiritual Qi, progress would be excruciatingly slow. It demanded the absorption of yin thunder to hasten cultivation.

Additionally, this technique necessitated the prior mastery of a Foundation Establishment stage technique, the 'Five Thunder Technique' or the 'Mysterious Demise Technique.'

Naturally, this posed no issue for Chu Xuan. With his prior experience cultivating the 'Blood Evil Demon Refining Scripture,' mastering another Foundation Establishment stage technique was trivial.

As for the yin thunder, it could only be formed through the combination of Yin Evil Qi and thunder Spiritual Qi, a process fraught with difficulties.

However, for Chu Xuan, it was merely a matter of exerting some effort. Once the formation was established, the yin thunder would roll forth in an instant, a mighty deluge of yin qi for his use alone, unclaimable by others.

As Chu Xuan was about to depart from the scripture pavilion, he encountered someone ascending the stairs—it was Yuan Zichu.

Upon seeing Chu Xuan, Yuan could not help but smile awkwardly. He vividly remembered how Chu Xuan had shattered his formidable defenses with a single punch.

"Fellow daoist He, what a fortunate encounter," he greeted with a forced smile. "Congratulations on Black Dragon Mountain's grand victory in the recent sect-wide disciple competition."

Yuan's Thousand Hammer Peak, recently established, had few disciples. In this competition, they had indeed ranked first—alas, from the bottom.

Chu Xuan nodded slightly, then brushed past him. Y

uan Zichu, a clever man, rarely left Thousand Hammer Peak, making it challenging for Chu Xuan to eliminate him covertly.

Over time, Chu Xuan had grown indifferent to him.

From the corner of his eye, Yuan noticed the 'Yin Thunder Evil Technique' in Chu Xuan's hand and was visibly taken aback. The technique was notoriously difficult to master, only advancing rapidly with the aid of yin thunder.

"Fellow daoist He," Yuan coughed lightly, "I know of a cavern underground that harbors yin thunder, which might aid your cultivation. However, there resides a powerful Golden Core stage demonic beast, necessitating our collaboration..."

Chu Xuan smiled, "No need. I am not fond of taking risks, nor do I relish conflict."

Confused, Yuan watched as Chu Xuan walked away without hesitation. How could a cultivator not embrace risks for the sake of fierce advancement? This He Liang was truly peculiar.

After leaving the scripture pavilion, Chu Xuan headed to the treasure pavilion. With over ten thousand sect contributions to his name, purchasing was a simple matter. After selecting some treasures, he quickly made his exit.

"Form the array!"

Chu Xuan stood firm within the array. With a sweep of his consciousness, seventy-two array flags descended one by one, ultimately interconnecting to form an intricate and arcane pattern.

This was the 'Grand Thunder Transformation Array,' a mid-grade Golden Core formation that Chu Xuan had exchanged for four hundred contribution points from the Hundred Refinement Sect's treasure pavilion. The array was designed to absorb the thunder Spiritual Qi from heaven and earth and gather it within the formation.

However, Blue Star was a planet scarce in Spiritual Qi. Even if one harnessed all their power to absorb the natural Spiritual Qi, after a decade or so, it would barely fill a small spiritual stone.

Thus, Chu Xuan decided to reverse its intended use, transforming the Grand Thunder Transformation Array into the Reverse Thunder Transformation Array. This modification allowed the array to expel the thunder Spiritual Qi accumulated inside, feeding it back into the external environment.

After setting up this Reverse Thunder Transformation Array, Chu Xuan slapped his storage bag, and three head-sized crystals were thrown into the array.

These crystals were 'Heavenly Thunder Crystals,' either formed coincidentally when natural lightning struck the earth or crafted by Nascent Soul stage cultivators who dared to harvest heavenly thunder and infuse it with Spiritual Qi.

Due to their rarity, a head-sized Heavenly Thunder Crystal could cost up to twenty thousand small spiritual stones, equivalent to two hundred contributions.

Chu Xuan, however, was not concerned about the expense given his ample contributions.

As soon as the three Heavenly Thunder Crystals entered the array, they were immediately absorbed by the Reverse Thunder Transformation Array, transforming into pure thunder Spiritual Qi that flowed into the Soul-Capturing Evil-Nurturing Array.

This thunder Spiritual Qi continuously collided and annihilated with the Yin Evil Qi, eventually merging into one.

Observing from the side, Chu Xuan quickly deduced that roughly three strands of thunder Spiritual Qi were needed to merge with ten strands of Yin Evil Qi to form a single mass of yin thunder.

"Let it take its time, no one is competing with me for this. I'll return in a month, and by then, this place will surely have accumulated a substantial amount of yin thunder."

With a satisfied smile, Chu Xuan then vanished in a flash, disappearing from sight.