Chapter 323: Chapter 220: Tier Three Pill Master
"ROAR!"
The Black Death Demon Corpse roared in fury and lunged at Qin Xuan and the others again.
’It seems this is the maximum distance the Cyan Cicada Shell can teleport someone.’
Qin Xuan mused.
Jiang Cheng’s Cultivation was the same as Qin Xuan’s—Purple Mansion Seventh Level. Otherwise, they probably could have gone farther.
WHOOSH~
A Yin Wind howled as Corpse Evil Qi filled the air.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, be careful!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed.
In a single leap, it crossed the fifty-zhang distance in an instant. The Black Death Demon Corpse lunged viciously at Qin Xuan’s neck.
"Insolent beast! How dare you!"
A cold glint flashed in Qin Xuan’s eyes. Instead of retreating, he took a step forward.
With a flick of his wrist, an ancient-looking black bell covered in strange runes appeared in his palm—the Corpse-Control Bell!
TING-A-LING!
The bell’s chime was crisp, carrying a bizarre fluctuation that pierced straight to the Divine Soul.
A sliver of the Power of the Yang Wood Position—sharing the same origin as the Cyan Cicada Shell, yet far more profound and mystical—quietly erupted.
"Positional Divine Technique, Yu Fu Yao!"
Its essence was like a spring breeze brushing through a forest, causing all beasts to bow their heads; like an ancient tree’s deep roots, it commanded the ecosystem of a region.
It was especially effective against a Demon Corpse like this, driven by a remnant soul and Corpse Evil Qi!
[Yufu Yao: It does not specialize in slaughter or defense, but is dedicated to controlling, communicating with, and guiding the hearts of all living creatures and beasts!]
The bell’s chime rippled outward.
The Demon Corpse, frozen in mid-lunge, stiffened abruptly. The ghastly green Soul Fire flickering in its eye sockets wavered violently, as if stirred by an invisible hand.
"ROAR!"
The Black Death Demon Corpse let out a low growl, a mixture of pain and confusion.
Its previously rampaging aura stagnated. Its sharp claws hung in the air, seemingly at a loss.
Using the power of Yu Fu Yao, Qin Xuan sent countless, imperceptible roots along the Corpse-Control Bell’s fluctuations, forcibly probing into the remnant soul’s imprint at the Demon Corpse’s core.
He sensed a will that was cold and violent, yet tightly bound—it was the Spiritual Imprint left by Sun Miao!
’Disperse!’ Qin Xuan commanded coldly in his mind.
The Dao Rhyme of Yu Fu Yao was like warm sunlight melting ice and snow, or a mother tree calling to its lost young. Under the scouring force of this higher-Position Yang Wood power, the imprint belonging to Sun Miao actually made a sizzling sound as it rapidly thinned and disintegrated!
"This... Fellow Daoist Qin’s Positional Divine Technique can even control a Demon Corpse?!" Jiang Cheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face a mask of disbelief.
...
Dozens of miles away, inside a hidden mountain cave.
Sun Miao, who was sitting cross-legged and channeling all his power into the Corpse-Control Bell, suddenly trembled!
"PFFT—!"
He abruptly spat out a large mouthful of metallic-tasting blood. His face instantly went from red to white, then to a horrifying, sallow gold, and his aura deflated like a punctured ball.
The Corpse-Control Bell in his hand also fell to the ground with a CLANG.
"How... how is this possible?!"
Sun Miao’s voice was hoarse with terror. "My Corpse-Control Bell, my Spiritual Imprint... That Qin Xuan, how can his control over the art of Corpse Refining be even stronger and more refined than mine?!"
He clutched his fiercely aching chest, his eyes filled with profound disbelief. The connection in his Divine Sense to the Black Death Demon Corpse had been forcibly severed.
The backlash felt like a heavy blow to his Divine Soul.
Sun Miao was bewildered. He couldn’t fathom how Qin Xuan could so easily seize control of the Demon Corpse he had painstakingly refined.
...
Outside the Red Blood Altar, the Soul Fire in the Black Death Demon Corpse’s eyes gradually calmed, and it became docile. It gave a low growl and slowly prostrated itself at Qin Xuan’s feet, showing its submission.
With a deadpan expression, Qin Xuan put away the Corpse-Control Bell. With a sweep of his sleeve, he placed the powerful Tier Three Corpse Puppet into his Storage Pouch.
He knew in his heart that if not for the natural suppression the "Yu Fu Yao" Position held over all the beasts in the world, he never could have resolved the matter so cleanly with the Corpse-Control Bell alone.
At his side, Jiang Cheng stared, dumbfounded. It took him a long moment to recover his senses. He let out a long breath and praised him sincerely, "Master Qin... what a move! I am truly impressed!"
His gaze toward Qin Xuan now held a deeper meaning and a hint of fear.
With the crisis averted, the two entered the Red Blood Altar.
After ordering his subordinate to serve Spirit Tea, Jiang Cheng turned to Qin Xuan with a solemn expression. "Master Qin, I have no way to repay you for saving my life. However, I have heard some news about the second selection for the Demon Child trials that I can share with you."
Qin Xuan raised his teacup, his expression unreadable. "Oh? I’m listening."
"According to a reliable source, the second selection trial isn’t just about combat. It’s an assessment of a Cultivator’s mastery of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, such as Sword, Arrays, Artifacts, Pills, and Arts."
Jiang Cheng explained, "Besides the Sword Talismans required to refine one’s Lifebound Longsword, participants must also have at least one other powerful skill, and their proficiency must be at least Tier Two or higher."
He paused before continuing, "Take me, for example. In addition to Sword Talismans, I primarily focus on the Array Dao. I’m a Tier Two Top Grade Array Master. I’ve also dabbled a bit in Talisman Making and can be considered a Tier Three Low Grade Talisman Maker. With this, I have a decent chance."
Hearing this, Qin Xuan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He mainly focused on his Cultivation Technique and Divine Techniques; he hadn’t delved deeply into these miscellaneous skills.
Jiang Cheng noticed his reaction and said frankly, "Master Qin, the reason I’m willing to share this information with you is firstly to repay you for saving my life, and secondly, because..."
He smiled, a hint of barely perceptible relief in his expression.
"There are only three months until the second selection. Even if you are a heaven-sent genius, Master Qin, trying to master one of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation to Tier Two or higher in three months is as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Whether you know about this or not makes little difference to the final outcome."
His meaning was clear.
’It doesn’t matter if I tell you. You don’t have enough time to prepare anyway, so you’re no threat to me.’
Qin Xuan put down his teacup and cupped his hands. "I see. Thank you for your candor, Senior Brother Jiang."
