Chapter Thirty-Eight

With a single stroke of the sword—

A thunderous crash erupted!

Black mist surged from the corpse maiden, striving to resist Chu Tiange’s lethal blow.

But it was futile; the strike came too suddenly, unstoppable and swift as lightning.

Her body was flung backward, crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

She let out a hoarse, guttural roar, her scarlet eyes brimming with hatred as she cast a venomous glare at Chu Tiange. Then, without hesitation, she turned and fled, vanishing into the depths of the pitch-black cavern.

“She’s not a specter of the Underworld,” Chu Tiange’s gaze sharpened.

Had there been other cultivators present, they would have been dumbstruck: a Spirit-Gathering stage cultivator severely wounding a corpse fiend on par with the Divine Pill realm—it was almost unthinkable, given the vast gulf between the two stages.

Chu Tiange shook his sword and surveyed his surroundings.

The sword’s radiance flickered, illuminating the damp, shadowy stone walls. Beneath the tranquil atmosphere, a trace of unrest lingered.

He exchanged a glance with the old priest, both sensing the oppressive weight hanging in the air.

“This place is far from safe. You must proceed with caution,” the old priest warned quietly, gazing down at Chu Tiange, who was already deep within the cavern.

Chu Tiange nodded, his sword intent sharpened as he pressed on in the direction the corpse fiend had fled.

A chilling aura drifted from the cavern’s depths, prompting him to furrow his brow. He knew the fiend was only temporarily repelled, not destroyed; it would return, likely in a far more frenzied state.

As he ventured deeper, Chu Tiange sensed the space around him twisting, as if some unseen power was quietly gathering.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek split the air. A shadowy figure shot forth from the darkness, swift as a bolt of lightning, and lunged at him.

Chu Tiange responded with calm precision, his sword energy weaving a barrier that deflected the sudden assault.

Sword light flashed, energy howled, and the cavern was thrown into chaos as blade and shadow clashed in a fierce struggle.

In these depths, a battle of life and death was set to unfold.

Facing the corpse maiden, a fearless spirit rose within Chu Tiange, making him only grow stronger the longer the fight went on.

This was the strength of his new life! In the past, confronted with a foe a whole realm above him, he’d have fled without hesitation.

But now, he was different. In this life, he had grown far stronger—enough to overpower any peer and even challenge those beyond his rank.

The corpse maiden was vicious, but her strength had not yet reached the level required to kill him.

“Exorcise evil!”

Chu Tiange’s swordplay was nearly flawless, his power vastly surpassing his former self. With five spell talismans, each prepared for a single devastating strike, he was more than a match for this fiend.

A deafening clang rang out as sword met shadow, sending visible shockwaves rippling outward, shattering stones and the sea of Forgetting Spring Flowers.

At the final moment, his blade erupted with dazzling light, engulfing the shadow entirely.

Beneath this earth-shattering strike, the corpse maiden’s last struggle ended; she was utterly destroyed.

“Brother Chu! Incredible!” Agu Duo stared in awe, admiration shining in her eyes—she even changed the way she addressed him.

The old priest’s eyes flashed, and at last he exhaled a breath of foul air.

This corpse maiden, sealed here for years, had always posed a lurking threat to the nearby Ayen Tribe. Now, with the seal damaged and soon to fail, disaster was all but certain.

Had it not been for Agu Duo’s encounter with this legendary cultivator—whose strength was so overwhelming that even the terrifying corpse fiend was vanquished in moments—the tribe would have been doomed.

Now, Chu Tiange sheathed his sword and stood motionless.

Moments later, a faint stream of white energy floated forth, gathering together and shooting into Chu Tiange’s chest.

His scoring talisman changed once again.

Sixty points!

In an instant, his ranking soared from the bottom to the top.

Twenty-third place!

First was Huaxi Zi of the Supreme Teaching, with two hundred and thirty points.

Second and third were tied at one hundred and eighty points—both disciples of the Three Great Sects. Clearly, these three had achieved such high scores in a single day because they had already formed their Golden Cores, making them the elite among this generation’s disciples.

Not just the top three—up to sixth place, all were from the Three Great Sects.

Ninth was Lin Shan of Mirror Flower Pavilion, with one hundred points.

Eighth was Xiao Changge of Azure Feather Sect, with one hundred and twenty.

Seventh was Li Qingyu of Qianyang Academy, with one hundred and thirty.

After that, once again, only disciples of the Three Great Sects.

Among the disciples of the Dawn Immortal Sect, Chu Tiange stood out the most. This was only day two, and the gap was already so vast. In seven months, the difference would be even greater.

“Chu, burn the Forgetting Spring Flower sea clean.”

The old priest above called out, reminding him.

“Very well.” Chu Tiange nodded, formed a hand seal, and sent forth a wave of flames. With a flick of his fingers, a single Forgetting Spring Flower landed in his palm.

These flowers were peculiar—Master Xiao had shown great interest in them.

As the sea of flowers met the fire, they burst into flames, releasing an intoxicating aroma that soon faded as the fire raged on.

But like the spring wind that brings new growth, eradicating them entirely required suppressing the lingering resentment here. Otherwise, in time, the flowers would bloom again.

Thunder descended in a roar!

The force of lightning shattered the resentment of this place, pulverizing the scattered bones beneath its wrath.

At that moment, a wisp of white energy appeared before Chu Tiange. His eyes flashed as he drew it into his body.

Instantly, brilliant white radiance erupted from him. The light gradually faded, merging into his flesh and blood, turning his once-fair skin to a lustrous cream.

It was a drop of the corpse maiden’s blood!

Within his inner world, a thumb-sized, milky-white, crystalline bead slowly condensed, radiating a soft glow.

Within this bead was pure vital energy—the most precious essence from the corpse maiden.

“Hm?” Chu Tiange immediately sat down cross-legged, pressing a hand to his dantian.

He felt his blood surge, flowing several times faster than before, his entire body boiling with energy.

This unexpected development delighted him.

This was the power of the corpse core!

The Devouring Heaven Creation Sutra began to operate frantically, absorbing this power.

Invisible energy poured ceaselessly into him.

His Celestial Bone of Creation became crystal clear, as if embedded with countless tiny gems. His body began to emanate a powerful aura, making the very cavern tremble.

Suddenly, a blinding light burst from his body, and within his inner world, suffused with infinite radiance, it was as if he had fused with all the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, shining with unparalleled brilliance.

This power made Chu Tiange feel invincible, as though he could shake the very world.

In his dantian, a drop of golden liquid appeared within the Celestial Bone of Creation.

The four stages of the Divine Pill: Condensed Liquid, Pill Origin, Origin Pill, and Golden Pill.

Chu Tiange had not expected that by slaying this corpse fiend and absorbing its core, he would condense a drop of pill liquid.

In this moment, he had entered the Divine Pill realm! His spiritual power and might were now more than tenfold what they had been at the Spirit-Gathering stage!

He exhaled heavily.

A vast, majestic aura burst from his body, shaking the air itself.

Chu Tiange opened his eyes, their light brilliant, his heart brimming with joy and excitement.

“If I can condense my Golden Pill here, I could even contend with fourth-rank demon beasts! Even the ghosts of the Underworld would not frighten me.” He murmured, leaping lightly back into the cave.

This was the source of his newfound confidence.

“Congratulations, young Chu!” The old priest had seen what had occurred and offered his felicitations.

The aura around Chu Tiange was now more powerful, even exuding a hint of authority—a feeling only present in those who had reached a certain level of strength.

“Thank you.” Chu Tiange cupped his fist respectfully. “The hidden dangers here are now removed, the fiend exorcised, and the resentment dispelled. However, to be safe, you should send someone to check this place from time to time.”

“Thank you, young Chu. I will come personally to inspect it every six months,” the old priest promised.

“I suspect Agen did not ingest the Forgetting Spring Flower, but to be safe, I’ll remain here a few more days,” Chu Tiange added.

Now that he had broken through to the Divine Pill realm, even if an Underworld ghost appeared, he could stand against it. The laws of this land suppressed all, likely affecting not only outsiders but foreign monsters as well.

Any who entered this ancient domain would be subject to these laws.

“Then let us return,” the old priest said.

Agu Duo sighed in relief as well—who would choose death if they could avoid it?

...

As dawn approached, the three returned to the tribe.

Under the old priest’s direction, the tribe began preparations for Agen’s funeral.

Since Agen was suspected of ingesting the Forgetting Spring Flower and died unexpectedly, he could not be buried hastily. After cremation, his ashes would be sealed in a coffin for burial.

Word of Agen becoming a ghost quickly spread, and out of fear, few came to mourn.

Chu Tiange remained in the Ayen Tribe for five full days.

During this time, nothing unusual occurred; no ghosts appeared. This brought him some relief.

Agen’s spirit did not return, and the matter was at an end.

At last, on the sixth day, Chu Tiange prepared to depart.

He had lingered here too long. Aside from slaying two monsters and gaining sixty points, he had done little else, and his ranking had slipped from twenty-third to over three hundred.

During these six days, Chu Tiange refined another five talismans capable of his full-strength blow, integrated them into his “Demon-Slaying Sword,” and also refined the gourd gifted by Master Xiao—a peerless pill treasure.

The gourd was not an offensive artifact, but a defensive one—a disappointment to Chu Tiange, who was devoted to the sword. Still, it was a supreme treasure, able to unleash the power of a Golden Core, so he would make do.

Refining the talismans had cost him half a bottle of Recovery Pills.

He swallowed another pill, and without bidding farewell to the old priest or Agu Duo, quietly slipped away.

...

Leaving the tribe behind, Chu Tiange sped deeper into the mountains.

The forest was shrouded in miasma, crawling with poisonous snakes and insects. Yet he moved as if unhindered, his silhouette darting among the trees, vanishing into the distance.

According to his locator orb, six miles from the Ayen Tribe lay a valley—his next destination: the Moon-Eater Wolf Den.

There, a crimson dot had flashed briefly.

Clearly, Ning Wuque had been spotted!

That area was home to packs of demon beasts.

Second-rank demon beasts—Moon-Eater Wolves—and even two of the third rank.

These wolves dwelled in darkness, thriving under moonlight. Massive in size, they became frenzied at the sight of living prey—no need to hunt for them; they would find him themselves.

Along the way, Chu Tiange encountered several beasts, all felled by his thunderous sword, but they were only first rank.

He also found several medicinal herbs, decades in age—Soul-Nourishing Wood and Blood-Spirit Ganoderma.

These herbs were used to replenish blood and energy, ingredients for Recovery and Blood-Replenishing Pills.

Half a day later, Chu Tiange reached the vicinity of the Moon-Eater Wolf Den.

It was nestled deep within the mountains, a vast gorge. Year-round, demon winds swept through, raising dust that blotted the sky, making the place cold and damp.

As the winds grew fiercer, rocks tumbled with thunderous roars, like the end of days—thus, the valley’s name.

Standing atop a peak, Chu Tiange could see a wide river at the horizon, its surface calm. Beyond the river lay a dark, dense forest, shrouded in shadow.

Low shrubs and thickets blocked the view, but Chu Tiange sensed the abundance of spiritual energy and a terrifying, savage aura within.

Even the Moon-Eater Wolves dared not venture deep inside. Yet there, spiritual herbs abounded, and perhaps even a “Lesser Paradise” lay hidden.

“Ning Wuque’s trace has vanished again,” Chu Tiange muttered, frowning at the vast river.

Ning Wuque appeared only briefly, then disappeared—surely already hundreds of miles away.

When Chu Tiange spotted his trace, he set out at once, making no detours for herbs or beasts, yet the gap only widened. He was now early Divine Pill realm, able to travel thousands of miles a day.

“It seems he’s heading for the Forest of Laws,” Chu Tiange murmured.

The so-called Forest of Laws was a place where the strong preyed on the weak—humans and beasts alike, strict in hierarchy.

A second-rank beast could send a first-rank one to its death, and it would have no choice but to obey.

Suddenly, a wolf’s howl echoed.

“Hm? Beasts are approaching,” Chu Tiange’s eyes narrowed.

“Not just one—at least twenty!” He grew excited. If he took them all in one sweep, that would be at least two hundred points.

“No, there are cultivators too!”

Soon, the clang of magical artifacts rang out.

Chu Tiange stilled his breath, concealing his presence completely.

“Damn it! I, Egg Lord, must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to end up with you fools—Third Grandpa, save me!”

The wolf howls drew closer, finally stopping outside the gorge, then slowly advancing deeper.

Chu Tiange saw a dozen or so figures wielding magical artifacts, retreating in disarray before the wolf pack.