CHAPTER 373: CHAPTER 358: NIGHT PARADE OF HUNDRED DEMONS, DEMON CORPSE! [REQUEST SUBSCRIPTION]

It’s unclear whether ghost cultivators intrinsically provoke heavenly thunder due to their nature, or if it’s simply bad luck to encounter a thunderstorm.

In any case, Xu Song’s path to core formation became increasingly perilous once the violent thunderstorm erupted.

The thunderstorm drove away the majority of the gathered demon beasts, yet Zhouyang sensed that the demon python he had wounded hadn’t retreated far and was still lurking nearby, waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

To avoid attracting more intense heavenly thunder, he and Xiao Ying had to land on the lake surface, releasing their void traveling tower ship to shelter from the rain.

Though primarily designed for flight, the void traveling tower ship hadn’t lost its ability to travel on water.

"Ying’Er, once Xu Song completes his core formation, he’ll undoubtedly trigger dual heavenly thunder strikes. I must intervene to shield him from some of the thunder, and I might not be able to watch over you. You must be extremely cautious and avoid the demon python’s ambush!"

Inside the void traveling tower ship, Zhouyang watched the lightning and torrential rain with a grave expression, speaking to his Dao companion Xiao Ying in a low voice about his plan.

He couldn’t allow Xu Song to face the tribulation alone.

Ghost cultivators are naturally restrained by heavenly thunder. Without Zhouyang’s assistance, Xu Song would be seriously injured even if he survived the dual thunder strikes, unknown how many years it would take to recover.

This was something Zhouyang absolutely would not allow.

"Rest assured, Zhou Lang, I will protect myself well and won’t become a burden to you!"

Having been Dao companions for decades, Xiao Ying knew it was challenging to change Zhouyang’s decisions, so she didn’t attempt to persuade him, but rather nodded firmly to assure him.

Seeing this, Zhouyang also nodded silently to himself.

After waiting amid the storm for about half a day, Xu Song, who was forming his core at the lake’s bottom, finally reached the last step.

A sorrowful ghostly wail suddenly resonated between heaven and earth, and over the rain-swept lake, numerous Yin Soul Ghosts appeared out of nowhere.

These Yin Soul Ghosts consisted of both humans and demons, transformed from the residual souls of cultivators and demon beasts who recently perished in the Black Cloud Swamp.

Since they were formed from residual souls, these Yin Soul Ghosts had no spiritual wisdom nor any attack power.

Even finding refuge in a place like the "Three Yin Forbidden Land" would not allow them to evolve into evil ghosts, merely extending their existence slightly before dissipating.

Now drawn by Xu Song’s core formation, these Yin Soul Ghosts subconsciously took this place as a gateway to the Netherworld, instinctively congregating here to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

However, most of them were obliterated by heavenly thunder or evaporated by the fierce blood energy of demon beasts before reaching their goal.

Even the ones that managed to arrive found no path to the Netherworld, but rather, they were devoured by Xu Song’s forming Ghost Dao Golden Core, becoming its nutritional resources.

"Night Parade of Hundred Demons, I never thought the legend was true. Ghost cultivator’s core formation actually triggers such a Night Parade of Hundred Demons phenomenon!"

Inside the void traveling tower ship, Zhouyang watched with interest as the spectral Yin Soul Ghosts drifted around, eyes filled with surprise.

Such a "Night Parade of Hundred Demons" phenomenon is exceedingly rare and can only be triggered by true ghost cultivators during core formation. Those who practice Ghostly Path Demonic Techniques cannot create such phenomena.

The phenomenon undoubtedly provides immense help to the ghost cultivator during core formation.

Xu Song’s forming ghost pill quickly solidified and stabilized after devouring the Yin Soul Ghosts drawn by the "Night Parade of Hundred Demons."

Rumble!

In a flash, as Xu Song’s ghost pill completely solidified, an arm-thick silver-white heavenly thunder descended from the sky, striking right above Xu Song in the underwater cave.

This was an inescapable Grand Dao Heavenly Thunder triggered by the perception of the Heavenly Dao, capable of striking regardless of hiding place, and could not be resisted by external means.

Fortunately, Xu Song was prepared.

As soon as his ghost body formed, he opened his mouth and spat out a black demon umbrella.

This black demon umbrella was originally his lifebound spiritual artifact before converting to a ghost cultivator. He had persistently refined it with Yin Qi, aiming to transform it into a demon artifact usable by ghost cultivators.

Reaching the Golden Core Stage Cultivation once again, Xu Song successfully completed its transformation from spiritual artifact to demon artifact, albeit as a Tier Five Lower Grade Demon Artifact.

Though its grade reduction diminished its power compared to its former spiritual artifact form, it sufficed to block a heavenly thunder strike.

The black demon umbrella opened, successfully blocking the descending heavenly thunder.

In the end, while the black demon umbrella was flung away, the arm-thick thunder was shattered, leaving only pencil-thin lightning which tempered Xu Song’s newly formed ghost body.

Heavenly thunder serves as both punishment and reward.

By surviving heavenly thunder punishment, the life essence within can be harnessed to strengthen and solidify the ghost body.

Yet Xu Song had no time to explore the changes in his new ghost body, as his aura was exposed to the thunderstorm’s sensing after the Grand Dao Heavenly Thunder.

In an instant, bolts of heavenly thunder poured down like rain, targeting Xu Song at the lake’s bottom.

"Tripod Subduing Mountains and Rivers!"

Above the water, Zhouyang had somehow emerged from the void traveling tower ship, and with a fierce shout, he hurled a towering black cauldron over Xu Song’s location.

Instantly, nearly half of the heavenly thunder was drawn to the black cauldron, shattering it into pieces and casting it into the lake.

The remaining heavenly thunder, however, continued downward, striking at Xu Song beneath the water.

With the heavenly thunder divided, Xu Song’s burden lessened significantly.

Unlike the initial Grand Dao Heavenly Thunder, these successive strikes lost some potency submerged in water, unlike the Grand Dao thunder that could bypass distances to strike directly over the tribulation bearer.

Thus, after Xu Song re-invoked the Demon Umbrella Artifact, he quickly blocked the remaining Celestial Thunder strikes.

But the matter wasn’t over; the thunder in the rain clouds was far from just one wave. No sooner had Xu Song and Zhouyang blocked the first wave than a second and third wave of Celestial Thunder descended.

Seeing this, Zhouyang almost felt like cursing.

Helpless, he could only release all twelve "Great Derivation Divine Light Swords," trying to block as much of the thunder as possible to help Xu Song, with the rest down to Xu Song to defend himself.

While Zhouyang was fully focused on blocking the thunder strikes, a shadow flickered under the lake, revealing the silhouette of a giant black python.

It was the same Demon Python that had fled earlier!

Indeed, it was unwilling to accept defeat and came back again to attack.

At this moment, because the Heavenly Thunder Power was pervading the water, the Divine Sense of both Zhouyang and Xu Song was affected, leaving them unaware of the presence of the Demon Python.

The Demon Python took advantage of their focus on defending against the thunder strikes, concealing its aura and drifting with the waves to a position near Xu Song’s cave, where it lay in wait.

One wave, two waves, three waves!

When the third wave of Celestial Thunder fell, the rain clouds finally ceased their discharge, seemingly having exhausted all their stored energy.

Zhouyang, who had been arduously defending against the thunder strikes, finally relaxed and exhaled a long breath.

Then he surveyed the cost he had paid to defend against the thunder, and his face immediately turned black as a pot’s bottom.

He saw that the twelve "Great Derivation Divine Light Swords" he had meticulously crafted were all covered in cracks, on the verge of destruction, not to mention the Mountain and River Cauldron Artifact that had been destroyed while defending against the strongest initial wave of Celestial Thunder.

Earlier, to block the third wave of thunder strikes, he had also destroyed a Tier Four Middle-Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact and wasted two Tier Four Middle-Grade Spirit Talismans.

Fortunately, the thunder was targeting only Xu Song, a ghost, and did not divert its power to attack him; otherwise, his losses would have been more than just artifacts and talismans.

"Forget it, out with the old, in with the new; losing several artifacts to gain a Golden Core Stage Cultivator isn’t a bad deal!"

With a dejected face, Zhouyang shook his head, collected the severely damaged flying swords, and was about to call Xu Song from the water.

However, before he could speak, his expression changed, and he quickly shouted in anger, launching the "Thousand Blade Disc" artifact towards the water.

Alas, it seemed to be too late.

Beneath the water, Xu Song, who had just withstood the thunder strikes and was flying out of his hiding cave to reunite with Zhouyang, was suddenly swallowed whole by the gaping maw of the nearby Demon Python.

Swallowing its prey, the Demon Python immediately swished its tail, intending to retreat to its lair to slowly refine the captured prey.

Rather than seeking revenge on Zhouyang, it was more eager to become a Tier Five Demon Beast.

However, it barely got far before the silver-glinting "Thousand Blade Disc" cleaved towards it.

Unwilling to be entangled, the Demon Python conjured that inky black spiritual light, withstanding the attack and forcibly breaking through.

"Where do you think you’re going, foul creature!"

Zhouyang shouted furiously, intending to chase the fleeing Demon Python.

But just then, the lake surface surged with towering waves, and amidst the splashing, the thick body of the Python could be faintly seen stirring tumultuously.

Hiss~ Hiss!

Amongst the rolling waves, the piercing hiss of the snake echoed across the lake.

Seeing this, Zhouyang was initially stunned, then seemed to realize something, a cold, mocking smile appearing on his face, as he crossed his arms to watch the spectacle unfold.

Moments ago, in his concern, he forgot that Xu Song was a Ghost Cultivator, a Golden Core Stage Ghost Cultivator at that!

Being a Ghost Cultivator, even at the Golden Core Stage, with a condensed Ghost Body, it was not a real fleshly body.

The Demon Python, used to swallowing other demon beasts and humans, thought it could digest anything, foolishly swallowing a Golden Core Stage Ghost Cultivator. Was this not courting death?

Initially, after defending against the Celestial Thunder, Xu Song would have needed considerable effort to deal with the Demon Python and might even risk it escaping using Water Escape.

Yet now, with the python swallowing him, it saved him a world of trouble.

Thus, under Zhouyang’s cold gaze, the python thrashed for a while and soon lost its life force completely.

Then, with a rush of black gas from its nostrils, Xu Song emerged from within, reforming his Ghost Body.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, might I have this python to refine into a Demon Corpse? With its innate bloodline, refined into a Demon Corpse, it could even contend with Golden Core Stage Cultivators!"

Having reformed his Ghost Body, Xu Song immediately requested the python’s corpse from Zhouyang.

It turns out he left the python whole intending to retain it for refining into a Demonic Corpse.

Zhouyang, having witnessed more than once the prowess of Demonic Corpse Refinement, and having slain a powerful Demon Corpse in the "Sealed Demon Cave," acquiring a rare Corpse Pearl, thought for a moment after hearing Xu Song and nodded: "I don’t oppose using the demon for corpse refinement, but Elder Xu, you must not breach the promise you made to me earlier, or don’t blame me for being impolite!"

Xu Song, having received his consent, showed an expression of great joy and quickly promised: "Fellow Daoist Zhou, rest assured, although I was forced to become a Ghost Cultivator, I’ve never truly considered myself a Demonic Cultivator, and those unscrupulous demonic methods—trust me, I’ll never use them!"

He paused, then continued, "Please allow me to use the remaining Yin Qi in the Three Yin Forbidden Land to conduct an initial refinement of this Demon Python’s body."

"Alright." Zhouyang nodded gently, not refusing this small request.