CHAPTER 1037: CHAPTER 1035: DUTY-BOUND

"Greetings, esteemed seniors."

Chen Nan stood up and bowed gratefully to Ou Dan and Gaso, after all, the Power of Laws that had troubled him was cleared by them.

"Haha, no need for too much formality, young friend, we’ll need your help in the future."

Gaso chuckled kindly and said.

It turned out their village also had the Immortal Epidemic, so they needed Chen Nan’s help.

"I’m willing to help without hesitation!"

Afterward, they began to discuss.

They finally decided that if the black-robed men came, they would deliberately let one escape so Chen Nan could hide in the shadows and find the black-robed men’s base.

To prevent accidents, Chen Nan lent the King of Ten Thousand Gu to Drum Master, which led to the later scene where Drum Master killed many enemies.

After reaching an agreement, Chen Nan asked the two Great Cultivators at Nascent Soul Stage for some Sixth-grade Spiritual Medicine and obtained several Spiritual Medicines from Drum Master, opening the pill furnace to refine elixir pills.

"Is this really a pill furnace? I thought it was your weapon!"

Chang Qing patted the pill furnace in surprise, as she had seen Chen Nan use it to smash people.

Chen Nan’s mouth twitched slightly; Chang Qing always had a way of saying things that ignited a fire in his heart.

"It’s usually for Alchemy, but occasionally it’s taken out to smash people."

Then Chen Nan used the Heaven-Burning Flame and Mo Ying Flame to start the alchemy process.

The two Heaven and Earth Spirit Fires complemented each other perfectly, the Heaven-Burning Flame was fierce, and the Mo Ying Flame gentle, making them ideal for alchemy.

Everyone, including Drum Master, was utterly shocked that Chen Nan could perform Alchemy, and they were even more amazed when he crafted a Sixth Grade Healing Elixir within just two hours.

"Sixth Grade Elixir? Young friend is a Sixth-grade Alchemist?"

Ou Dan’s eyes widened, losing his composure.

Drum Master gulped hard; how old was Chen Nan? Moreover, he was only a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet already a Sixth-grade Alchemist.

The word "demonic" wasn’t enough to describe his talent.

"Yes, I just casually made it."

Chen Nan smiled nonchalantly.

But this comment made Ou Dan and Gaso, the two Nascent Soul True Men, so jealous they coughed up blood. What did he mean by "casually made it"?

Being a Sixth-grade Alchemist is an achievement many can’t fulfill in their lifetime.

They all felt their blood pressure rising, exchanged a few words, and hurriedly left, feeling deeply defeated as if their years of cultivation had gone to waste.

The Sixth Grade Elixir was indeed effective even for Nascent Soul cultivators, after Chen Nan took it, the immense medicinal power spread within him, rapidly healing his injuries.

With his already impressive recovery power, in just two days, Chen Nan’s injuries had healed completely.

And sure enough, the black-robed men came!

...

Returning to the present, Chen Nan looked into the village, sparsely seeing patrols of black-robed men, seemingly few in number.

Chen Nan frowned; could this be just a regular outpost of the black-robed men?

After pondering for a moment, he decided to venture inside for investigation.

Taking advantage of the black-robed men not noticing above, Chen Nan flicked his finger, sending a black flame into the air above the encampment, suddenly exploding.

Countless tiny flames scattered over the campsite, without arousing any suspicion.

Chen Nan could now instantly reach any flame’s location; with a mere thought, he appeared within the encampment.

The village appeared similar to other villages, the only difference being a cliff not far behind it.

The patrol numbers were sparse, and Chen Nan guessed most of the black-robed men were out.

They needed to release the Immortal Epidemic and watch for interference.

After checking around the village and finding no one but a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators on patrol, Chen Nan sighed and prepared to eliminate all the black-robed men.

Suddenly, he noticed a black-robed man leaving the village, heading toward the cliff behind.

"Hmm?"

Chen Nan frowned in doubt and quickly followed, soon discovering a cave at the cliff’s base with a Golden Core Stage Cultivator sitting cross-legged at the entrance.

"A Golden Core Stage Cultivator guarding the entrance? What’s hidden inside the cave?"

Muttering to himself, Chen Nan blended into the shadows, using the Life and Death Technique to merge his presence with the surroundings, stealthily approaching the cave.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the Golden Core Stage Cultivator at the entrance opened his eyes, looked around curiously; he seemed to sense a faint aura.

Upon reaching Golden Core Stage, one’s Divine Sense turns into Divine Thought, allowing detailed exploration of the surroundings.

"An illusion?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes again.

Chen Nan quickly entered the cave, revealing his presence in a corner, breathing a sigh of relief.

Even using the Life and Death Technique almost got him noticed; if a Nascent Soul cultivator were here, he wouldn’t be able to hide.

Taking a couple of breaths, Chen Nan again blended into the shadows, swiftly moving further inside the cave.

The interior was small and seemed freshly carved; before long, Chen Nan reached the cave’s end.

Moonfire Stones were embedded in the cave walls, their light illuminating the cave. Only the very end remained dimly lit, just vaguely showing a human figure.

Going to such lengths to carve a cave and station a Golden Core Stage Cultivator at the entrance, what might the identity of the person inside?

Getting closer, Chen Nan realized two people were inside, though their situations were starkly different.

One person, like the Golden Core Stage Cultivator at the entrance, sat cross-legged, eyes closed, cultivating.

The other was chained, with the chains penetrating their limbs, hanging them there. Upon close inspection, the chains were etched with dense runes.

Moreover, an iron nail was lodged in their chest, hair matted, and old bloodstains blackened.

"Who is this?"

Chen Nan was shocked, discovering the black-robed men had imprisoned someone here.

This person seemed important; even with sealed cultivation, two Golden Core Stage Cultivators were assigned as guards.

"A captive of the black-robed men, perhaps they could become our ally."

Thinking that the enemy’s enemy might be a friend, Chen Nan pondered rescuing the captive.

Before he could act, an aura suddenly approached from outside, prompting Chen Nan to quickly employ the Life and Death Technique, not daring to pause.

"All fine, right?"

Someone asked from the entrance.

"Rest assured, sir, all’s normal."

Footsteps sounded within the cave.

The voice seemed familiar to Chen Nan, he peeked from behind a rock and saw the newcomer.

Master Sang Feng!