Chapter 321: Chapter 219: Black Death Demon Corpse
In a daze, Sunx Miao could already picture Qin Xuan howling for mercy under the sharp claws of the Demon Corpse he controlled.
’Qin Xuan, for the humiliation at the Blood Pool Sword Tomb, I’ll make you pay a hundred times over! You’re dead!’
...
「Meanwhile, at Huaizhong Altar.」
Upon Qin Xuan’s return, his subordinate Incense Masters—Gan Tang, Zhao Youliang, and Duan Ning—immediately came to pay their respects.
"Congratulations, Altar Master, on braving the Reincarnation Tower, passing the preliminary selection for Demon Child, and bringing glory to our Huaizhong Altar!"
Zhao Youliang, his face wreathed in a grin, was the first to bow, laying the flattery on thick.
Not to be outdone, Duan Ning chimed in, "Altar Master, during your absence, we have diligently followed your instructions. The altar’s affairs are in perfect order, and the income from our various enterprises has increased by another thirty percent. One could say things are flourishing!"
Gan Tang was a woman of few words. Her complexion was still pale, but her voice held genuine concern. "You are blessed, Altar Master. It’s truly wonderful to see you back safe and sound."
Qin Xuan sat in the main seat, listening to their reports with a calm expression.
He was noncommittal toward the flattery from Zhao and Duan, but Gan Tang’s brief well-wishes warmed his heart.
Learning that everything at Huaizhong Altar was stable and its development was on the right track, he felt a little more at ease.
"You are dismissed. I need to make some preparations for the next round of the Demon Child trials."
"As you command!" The three slowly retreated.
After dismissing the three, Qin Xuan made up his mind.
’For the next six months, no matter how chaotic the outside world gets, I’ll hole up in Huaizhong Altar and focus on raising my Cultivation. I’m not going anywhere!’
...
「Three months later, in the meditation chamber.」
Qin Xuan sat cross-legged, the Demon Child Order resting in his palm.
As his Cultivation Technique circulated, strands of incomparably pure, dark-red Essence Blood were slowly drawn out, merging into his meridians before finally flowing into his Purple Mansion.
BOOM!
Inside his Purple Mansion, the lake of Demonic Essence surged violently, and the Dantian at its center began to hum.
Under the assault of this pure power, the barrier of the Purple Mansion’s Sixth Level quietly dissolved, like snow melting under the spring sun.
An even more formidable aura surged from within him, and a spiritual light flickered around his body before vanishing.
Purple Mansion Seventh Level!
Qin Xuan slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
’Phew... As expected, absorbing pure Blood Essence is the fastest way to break through!’
With the support of the Blood Essence from the Demon Order, Qin Xuan’s breakthrough was a matter of course, occurring without much incident.
Not only that, but as his Cultivation advanced, Qin Xuan keenly sensed that his understanding and control of the *Cyan Cicada Shell* seemed to have reached a new level.
With a mere thought, a wisp of cyan light flowed around his fingertip. It was more agile and profound than ever before, suffused with an indescribable Dao Rhyme.
Qin Xuan faintly sensed that both the distance and speed at which he could flee using this Divine Technique had increased dramatically!
’So that’s how it is. It’s because of Fan Qingwei’s progress in cultivating the *Cyan Cicada Shell*...’
A flash of understanding passed through Qin Xuan’s eyes.
’A Position needs to be supported. The more people who cultivate a Divine Technique of the same origin, the stronger the gathered Dao Rhyme and Qi Mechanism become, which in turn feeds back to the source.’
’The Thousand Mechanism Puppet Sect was annihilated ten thousand years ago. In the Circulation Realm today, the one who cultivates the *Cyan Cicada Shell*’s Yang Wood Divine Techniques and has the deepest attainment is me...’
’Every Cultivator who comes after, whether intentionally or not, is adding bricks and tiles to my Divine Technique, providing a wisp of fortune and Dao Rhyme!’
As he figured this out, Qin Xuan was overjoyed.
’In that case, relying on this strengthened *Cyan Cicada Shell*, unless a Golden Core True Monarch takes action personally, or a Late-stage Purple Mansion Cultivator with a special restrictive-type Positional Divine Technique appears...’
’...otherwise, no one below the Golden Core realm will be able to stop me!’
Qin Xuan’s sense of security instantly rose to a new level.
...
One day, while Qin Xuan was meditating in his chamber, he suddenly sensed a series of urgent fluctuations from the Array outside his altar.
Qin Xuan’s brow furrowed slightly. With a flash, his figure appeared at the entrance of his Cave Mansion.
Outside the Array’s light barrier stood a man.
The man was tall and wore a purple robe embroidered with ferocious Demon Patterns. He should have looked heroic, but at this moment, he appeared utterly wretched.
His robes were torn in many places, stained with dark red blood and dirt. His face was as pale as paper, a trace of undried blood lingered at the corner of his mouth, and his aura was unstable.
He was clearly heavily injured; even his vitality had weakened considerably.
"I am Jiang Cheng, a Seventh Level Star Mansion Cultivator, and the Altar Master of the Red Blood Altar."
Seeing Qin Xuan, the man forced himself to cup his fists in a salute, his voice hoarse and urgent. "I apologize for this brazen visit, but I am being pursued by a powerful enemy. I had no other choice. I hope Master Qin, for the sake of our shared lineage in the Holy Sect, will open the Array and allow me to take shelter for a moment!"
Jiang Cheng’s long hair was as red as blood, drawing the eye. Even though he was heavily injured, he couldn’t conceal the aura of an incomparably pure Blood Dao Technique.
’Is that the fluctuation of a Cultivation Technique from the direct lineage of the Celestial Demon Hall? The *Blood Sea Demon Skill*?’
Qin Xuan’s gaze narrowed. He did not immediately open the Array.
"I have long heard of Altar Master Jiang’s great name. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation. However... with your Cultivation at the Purple Mansion Seventh Level, coupled with the profound *Blood Sea Demon Skill*, who in the heartlands of the Sect could injure you so grievously?"
A bitter look appeared on Jiang Cheng’s face as he shook his head.
"The one who injured me was not a person, but the Tier Three, Late-stage Purple Mansion Black Death Demon Corpse that guards the Corpse Yin Pool in the Corpse Refining Hall’s forbidden area. For some reason, that beast suddenly went berserk, broke free from its Restriction, and started hunting me down."
"I clashed with it head-on and was nearly killed when its corpse poison corroded my heart meridian!"
Hearing this, a sudden chill went through Qin Xuan’s heart.
’The Black Death Demon Corpse... the Corpse Refining Hall?’
’That damned thing...’ Qin Xuan immediately thought of Sunx Miao.
"Altar Master Jiang, you’re holding something back. As far as I know, a Tier Three Corpse Puppet from the Corpse Refining Hall wouldn’t just randomly hunt down a Holy Sect Cultivator."
"Sigh, it’s a long story."
Jiang Cheng took a breath, his eyes darkening. "It’s only because... a month ago, I refused an offer from Hall Master Sunx Hong of the Corpse Refining Hall to join him. I was unwilling to switch my allegiance and cultivate that Corpse Dao, which makes one neither human nor ghost."
