CHAPTER 438: CHAPTER 243 ZHAO HONGLIE SCOUTS FOR A NEW PUPPET

Seeing that the spiritual energy in his body could no longer be activated, Gu Sheng could only take out a Spirit Stone.

These Spirit Stones were ones he had secretly kept for himself. Out of more than a thousand, keeping a tenth was not excessive.

Glancing at the walls, he felt a little uneasy.

"I’d better head outside!"

No kidding—if even a treasure that experts in the Marrow Refining Realm had to lie low for was involved, could this small house really handle it? Fat chance!

Holy Cloud Peak was vast enough; it wasn’t hard to find a secluded training ground.

He arrived at a bamboo grove, took out a Spirit Stone, and used the Water Cold Sword to slice it open. As spiritual energy continued to flow in, a strong force field grew more intense.

Crackling sounds filled the bamboo grove as the stalks began falling one by one.

Someone unaware of the situation might have thought some beast had descended, trampling the grove like an elephant stomping through a vegetable patch.

A man poked his head out cautiously from behind a large tree, observing the bamboo grove from a distance. When he saw Gu Sheng’s silhouette, his heart surged with terror.

"It’s him..."

The man was middle-aged, fat, with a large bloated head and a corpulent frame. He held an intense grudge toward Gu Sheng, for he was none other than Shi Jianyi, father of Shi Lezhi.

"With a Mystical-level Treasure, I might never be able to avenge my son in this lifetime!"

Shi Jianyi mulled over the thought bitterly and was about to leave when he suddenly felt his legs grow heavier, as if filled with lead.

"Crack!"

A tree branch broke and fell on Shi Jianyi, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Who’s there?"

Gu Sheng withdrew the force field, intending to investigate, but Shi Jianyi had already hurriedly fled.

In Holy Pill City, the disguised Zhao Honglie paced back and forth, observing disciples of the Holy Pill Sect.

He was scouting for an accomplice.

He’d had support before—in the Red Cloud Secret Domain, he had picked Kang Tai.

No one could have predicted that Kang Tai would die so quickly.

Now, he had to find a new ally.

An ally who could help him infiltrate the Holy Pill Sect, preferably someone capable of gathering intelligence for him, like when the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll would emerge.

With the power of the Demon Body, his greatest nemesis was the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll. To become unstoppable in the Red Cloud Prefecture Domain, he had to eliminate this threat.

The best course of action was to possess the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll himself, making it his own.

But alas, the Holy Pill Sect’s defenses were too tight. For him to infiltrate on his own was no different from courting death.

Only as a last resort would he take that risk.

With Kang Tai dead, it was time for a new Kang Tai to take the stage.

After several days of searching, he had not yet found a suitable candidate.

Suddenly, a portly man caught his eye.

This man was none other than Shi Jianyi.

Based on Zhao Honglie’s intel, Shi Jianyi’s cultivation was only at the Silver Bone Realm. He was greedy and lustful, but most importantly, he suspected that his son had been killed by Gu Sheng.

This hatred could be exploited.

Zhao Honglie began tailing Shi Jianyi, following him into a brothel.

Waiting until Shi Jianyi was engaged in cheerful carousing, Zhao Honglie activated multiple isolating arrays.

"Snap!"

The neck of the woman twisting her delicate figure was suddenly snapped. She didn’t even have time to cry out.

"Ah..."

Shi Jianyi screamed, grabbing the Golden Feather Fan by the side of the bed and swinging it at Zhao Honglie.

Golden feather blades spread out, forming a barrier screen.

"Boom!"

In his demon-empowered state, Zhao Honglie nonchalantly slapped down. The Golden Feather Fan shattered apart like dead wood, falling in pieces to the ground.

"Do you want to live or die, Manager Shi?"

Shi Jianyi trembled in fear, stuttering out a single word, "Live..."

"If you want to live, then obey!"

Zhao Honglie, his body surrounded by black mist, spat out a glob of viscous black sludge and handed it over. "Swallow it—spit it out and you’ll die!"

"Huh?"

Staring at the disgusting lump in his hand, Shi Jianyi would have preferred eating feces over consuming this thing.

This substance was at least a hundred times more repulsive than feces.

Forcing a calm demeanor, Shi Jianyi’s face twitched uncontrollably as he stared at the grotesque blob in his palm.

"My lord... could you kindly explain what this is?"

Already shadowed with a sinister expression, Zhao Honglie’s anger flared. Raising his hand, engulfed in black mist, he barked, "Stop the nonsense! Eat it or die!"

Gritting his teeth, Shi Jianyi forced the viscous black substance into his mouth.

The foreign substance slid down his throat as he gagged, nearly vomiting out all his internal organs.

But for the sake of survival, he held it back.

His features contorted in agony, his face flushing red as he felt a faint burning sensation inside his body.

"It’s a Demon Seed. After enduring an hour of pain, you will gain power and have the chance to avenge your son!"

A sly smile appeared at the corner of Zhao Honglie’s lips as he warned, "I’ll be back for you in an hour!"

Shi Jianyi stood dumbfounded in place as waves of sharp pain surged through his abdomen, causing him to howl in anguish.

An hour later, Zhao Honglie returned to the brothel and helped Shi Jianyi suppress the Demonic Qi.

"The Demon Seed has begun to grow inside you, granting you power. I need intelligence on the Holy Pill Sect. If you show any signs of treachery, the Demon Seed will consume your soul until you are utterly annihilated!"

Zhao Honglie, once a gang leader, was skilled in managing people, knowing when to punish and when to reward.

From this day forward, Shi Jianyi was completely changed.

Despite the dramatic scene of the bamboo grove falling in rows, appearing awe-inspiring, Gu Sheng was actually struggling mightily.

The attacks of the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll were indiscriminate. Without the protection of the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell, its powerful force field was pressing on him so heavily that he was nearly spitting blood.

"This won’t do. This treasure must be paired with the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell to fully unleash its advantages."

But currently, the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell was unresponsive to his commands.

Fortunately, in times of danger, the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell could activate itself, allowing him to safeguard his life.

Of course, Gu Sheng still had no clue how strong an attack this combination could actually withstand.

Jiang Bai, from the Governor Mansion, must have reached the ninth level of the Marrow Refining Realm. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so formidable.

To think he could still spar with Master Wen Mingyan under the pressure of the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll.

Even though his master was only at the eighth level of the Marrow Refining Realm, having comprehended Sword Intent, his power was comparable to an average cultivator at the ninth level of the Marrow Refining Realm.