CHAPTER 248: CHAPTER 243 SEALING ONESELF? BEWILDERING CHARM?_1

The Lingyuan Pill Prescription had been obtained, and there was no shortage of Spiritual Medicine. Putting other matters aside for the time being, Jia Ren concentrated on refining the Spirit Origin Pill. Three months passed, and his proficiency level in refining the Spirit Origin Pill had risen to Grandmaster Level, with the quality being quite exceptional. Upon consuming a Spirit Origin Pill, the rich medicinal power flowed within his body, swiftly transforming into Spiritual Power through the Cang Hai Jue. Jia Ren could clearly feel his Spiritual Power growing, his cultivation progress accelerating rapidly. The Grandmaster Level Spirit Origin Pill already surpassed the Great Grandmaster Level Red Spirit Pill by a significant margin. Once the proficiency level was raised to Great Grandmaster Level, the cultivation speed would undoubtedly increase exponentially. He could cultivate with peace of mind once again, taking Elixirs daily and diligently practicing cultivation without rest.

From time to time, his Insect External Incarnation went to the Tianxing Trade Association to purchase high-vintage Spiritual Medicines and rare treasures collected by the association. With the Tianxing Trade Association lacking leadership, ordinary clerks dared not provoke a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Jia Ren, like a magpie occupying a dove’s nest, purchased treasures acquired by the Tianxing Trade Association using Spirit Stones before anyone else could. The Tianxing Trade Association was far more useful than any small shop; leveraging its fame, he had collected many Spiritual Medicines and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

When will the Cultivator with the surname Zhu return? His Insect External Incarnation had not forgotten the speculation that the Tianxing Sect might be under the covert control of the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre. Should the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre discover his seclusion here, he would never have a day of peace. From time to time, he employed the Xuan Guang Water Mirror to observe the direction of the Western Wasteland Domain, checking if the Cultivator named Zhu from the Tianxing Sect had returned. For three consecutive months, there was no movement.

I’ve finally found a solution for the Mysterious Instrument. The Parasitic Ghost Whip had always been consuming its master; after several attempts, all ended in failure. It seemed to have its own will and resisted being controlled by others. Jia Ren had referenced the Profound Black Phalanx from the Bizarre Alliance, but alas, it offered little value. Evil-Suppressing Inscriptions had been placed within the Profound Black Phalanx, which, when used, would release limitations and exploit the inherent abilities of Bizarre Demons to deal with enemies. This object could not be reused and was only good for one-time use. Although called a Mysterious Instrument, it more closely resembled a Bizarre Talisman. Creating a true Mysterious Instrument was much more difficult than a Bizarre Talisman. For a Mysterious Instrument to be used long-term, many aspects needed consideration. If the issue of a Mysterious Instrument consuming its master couldn’t be resolved, it was doomed to be useless. No one would want to use a treasure that first harms oneself before harming others, no matter how powerful it might be.

The plan to capture the essence failed. Bizarre Objects have a strange aura that can corrupt Cultivators. Even if one could manage to use a Mysterious Instrument, it wouldn’t be long before one’s mind was corrupted by the power of Bizarre Demons. While no perfect solution was found to suppress Bizarre Objects, a different approach had come to mind. This idea came about while refining the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command.

Jia Ren had seized control of the Xuanming Stone Mine from the Tianxing Trade Association and had mined a large quantity of Xuan Ming Stone. His first idea was to create the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command and make a large number of Suppressing Ghoul Talismans. Facing the issue of the Parasitic Ghost Whip consuming its master, could creating a seal... would his own Evil-Sealing Artifact work? An Evil-Sealing Artifact could put Bizarre Demons to sleep and seal them, preventing their strange aura from leaking out. An Artifact for Quelling Trickery that seals one’s own aura, protecting him within, could it prevent oneself from being affected by Bizarre Demons? If it proved effective, the impact that Bizarre Demons had on Cultivators sealed within a Bizarre-Sealing Magic Artifact would be greatly reduced...

The actual effect required experimentation before the answer could be known.

Creating such a Magic Artifact was not difficult; it could be considered a variant of a Bizarre-Sealing Magic Artifact. Both the Town Ghoul Inscription and the Seal Trickery Engraving were available; what remained was an Evil-Warding Full Body Armor proportionate to himself. The main material was Xuan Ming Stone, and to enhance the effect, he deliberately increased its thickness, strengthening the sealing effect and fortitude. In less than five days, the new Magic Artifact was successfully forged.

Shall we see how effective it is? Jia Ren donned the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor. With the Town Ghoul Inscription and the Seal Trickery Engraving activated, his own aura was sealed, imperceptible to the senses. He took out the Parasitic Ghost Whip, which reacted badly to the scent of the Xuan Ming Stone, writhing and trying to get away. "Come back here!" Jia Ren grabbed hold of the Parasitic Ghost Whip, which seemed to panic, lashing out at the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor. The strange parasitic force was blocked by the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor, yet the terrifying force of the blow was still unstoppable. The area struck by the Parasitic Ghost Whip caved in, and the inscriptions at the point of impact grew dim. The defensive capability was insufficient, making it slightly weak against physical attacks. The Bizarre-Sealing Magic Artifact focused primarily on internal effects; its external capabilities were weak. Thankfully, the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor was not damaged; otherwise, the plan would have failed. In the palm of his hand, a small part of the Town Ghoul Inscription was activated, subduing the Parasitic Ghost Whip. The rampaging Parasitic Ghost Whip calmed down, becoming somewhat lazy and no longer frenzied. Did it work?

Jia Ren swung the now much ’tamer’ Parasitic Ghost Whip, its movements creating afterimages in the void. How effective was it? The trial target was a Magical Beast, and he deliberately found a Second-Order Monster to test the might of the Parasitic Ghost Whip. The Second-Order Monster couldn’t detect Jia Ren’s presence but was aware of the terrifying Whip and fled at an astonishing speed. This was the natural fear that Magical Beasts have of Bizarre Objects. Magical Beasts that did not fear Bizarre Demons would have found it difficult to survive and thrive to this day. "Stay!" The body of the Parasitic Ghost Whip extended ten zhang, suddenly striking the Magical Beast. The whip’s body split into countless tendrils, taking root within the Second-Order Monster, as the Parasitic Ghost Whip greedily sucked the Demonic Blood while emitting a sinister red light. The Second-Order Monster lasted only three breaths before losing its vitality. The Parasitic Ghost Whip rooted itself in the enemy’s body, invading their flesh and blood and growing dozens of Parasitic Trickster Blossoms.

Not bad for power!It seems... there’s still room for growth! Jia Ren acutely felt the Parasitic Ghost Whip becoming stronger; the progress was slight but visibly discernible. The body of the whip vibrated gently, as if urging Jia Ren to find more targets. Truly an evil instrument! The dead Magical Beast, covered in Parasitic Trickster Blossoms, was a chilling sight. Jia Ren collected the Magical Beast’s corpse, intending to use it as material for crafting Bizarre Sound Talismans.

The Parasitic Ghost Whip should not be used lightly; if it failed to kill an enemy, exposing it would surely bring great trouble. The success of the Bizarre Sound Talisman and the Parasitic Ghost Whip also showed him the potential of Bizarre Objects. If used well, they could be an endless treasure trove. Unfortunately, Bizarre Objects were few in number and extremely rare. It would be difficult to find usable Bizarre Objects in the future.

If Bizarre Objects can’t be found, what about Bizarre Demons? The production of Bizarre Sound Talismans from Parasitic Trickster Blossoms proved the feasibility of using Bizarre Objects; perhaps there was also hope for successfully utilizing Bizarre Demons. This would be unlike the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command, which transformed and utilized the Wicked Flame; it would be truly converting Bizarre Demons for his own use. Jia Ren commanded two types of Bizarre Demons: one was the Misleading Bizarre contained within the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command, and the other was the Mirror Bizarre that had been sealed and never released. The former, having died countless times, still existed safely, transformed into a perpetually burning engine, continuously producing Banishing Evil Talismans for Jia Ren. The Mirror Bizarre was quite dangerous, and he had always been wary of it. He wouldn’t consider releasing this Bizarre Demon until he reached the Golden Core Stage and crafted an Evil-Repelling Magical Treasure.

The only convenient and usable one was the Misleading Bizarre. Could he use it to create... a Bewildering Charm? While the Misleading Bizarre might not be particularly deadly, it was a treasured asset for trapping people and escaping. Jia Ren had personally experienced the abilities of the Misleading Bizarre; ordinary Evil-warding Treasures could not guard against it. Once affected, one would inevitably lose their way. If he encountered a strong enemy, simply throwing a Bewildering Charm at them would make it very difficult for them to pursue. What’s more, if the Bewildering Charm was successful, other Bizarre Demons could follow this method to create Heart Demon Trickery Talismans, Dream Trickery Talismans, Black Blood Bizarre Talismans, and more. To succeed or not, he would only know after trying.

Let’s start the experiment! Jia Ren found a deserted island, set up the Seal-Demon Formation, confirmed there were no issues, donned the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor, and placed the eleven Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands close to his chest. We can start now! After confirming everything was ready, he took out the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command that sealed the Misleading Bizarre, activated the Magic Artifact, and opened a small gap. In an instant, a figure engulfed in red flames shot out at an alarming speed, frantically attempting to escape into the distance. It was as if a terrifying monster was pursuing it, and the slightest delay would leave it with no place to be buried. The Misleading Bizarre wasn’t new to being sealed. Other sealing Magic Artifacts simply put it to sleep, without much consequence. However, this sealing Magic Artifact was different; it perpetuated a constant cycle of death and rebirth. To date, it had died over a hundred thousand times. Bizarre Demons also have their own instincts: seeking benefits and avoiding harm. The Misleading Bizarre ran madly outward, hoping to escape to freedom.

WHOOSH! The sound of cleaving air followed as a long sword glowing with profound black light slashed down. Amidst the leaping purple lightning, an arm burning with Wicked Flame separated from the body. Not wanting the arm to burn to ashes, Jia Ren took out a prepared black disk and absorbed all of the burning Wicked Flame. Without the Wicked Flame, dark energy began to emerge on the severed arm, regenerating it to its original state at a pace visible to the naked eye. A black Jade Box opened, and the freshly severed arm was collected inside. The Evil-Slaying Demon-Purging Sword, the black disk that absorbed the Wicked Flame, the black Jade Box—all were Magic Artifacts crafted with Xuan Ming Stone as the main material. After exploiting the Tianxing Sect’s ore vein, Jia Ren had accumulated a large amount of Xuan Ming Stone and crafted numerous Evil-warding Magic Artifacts: the Evil-Warding Full Body Armor that covered every inch of his body, the Evil-Slaying Demon-Purging Sword made from Thunder Rhinoceros Horn Powder and Xuan Ming Stone, the Evil-Burning Spirit Fire Disk, and the Evil-Absorbing Jade Box. Jia Ren had made thorough preparations, arming himself to the teeth.

Again! The Evil-Slaying Demon-Purging Sword swung towards the Misleading Bizarre. This creature, burning with Wicked Flame, was unaffected in speed, making it impossible to capture its form. "Bizarre Sound Talisman!" Jia Ren pulled out a Bizarre Sound Talisman and triggered it, suddenly throwing it in the direction of the Misleading Bizarre. An indiscriminate Bizarre Sound abruptly resounded, and the Misleading Bizarre, running at high speed, froze on the spot, motionless. The Evil-Slaying Demon-Purging Sword moved deftly, severing parts of the Misleading Bizarre’s body and collecting them into the Evil-Absorbing Jade Box. The Misleading Bizarre was quickly incinerated by the Wicked Flame, but it rapidly regenerated to its original form and fled into the distance. The Wicked Flame lit up again, doggedly following it. Another new Bizarre Sound Talisman was triggered, and the escaping Misleading Bizarre was knocked down once more, as Jia Ren skillfully severed pieces of its body, collecting them. After striking over twenty times and filling all the Evil-Absorbing Jade Boxes with the remnants of the Misleading Bizarre, Jia Ren finally showed a satisfied smile.

Time to go back! The Suppressing Trickery Profound Fire Command radiated red light, promptly collecting the Misleading Bizarre. It continued the previous cycle of death, burning itself to provide Banishing Evil Talismans. The job is done! With the materials from the Misleading Bizarre collected, what followed was the experiment to see if he could use its body to craft a Bewildering Charm.