CHAPTER 252: CHAPTER 247 CRAFTY OLD CUNNING! SLAY THE GOLDEN CORE!_1

"Lucky I reacted fast!"

The Insect External Incarnation stared at the two figures flying toward Kongyang Island, his smile quickly disappearing.

His face transformed, as Zhen Yi morphed into the likeness of Xu Yi.

His Spiritual Power fluctuations steadily declined, his Cultivation Level dropping to the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement.

There weren’t many Foundation Establishment Cultivators on Wanling Island, making them too eye-catching. A cultivator at the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement, however, wouldn’t easily attract attention and was suitable for hiding.

He strode meteor-like to the vicinity of the Tianxing Trade Association, renting a stone house not far away to settle down, conveniently monitoring every move of the Golden Core Cultivators.

They would never imagine that he hadn’t fled, but had instead come here.

"Seven Stars Palace is pursuing Demon Cultivators! Open up the Formation for me to inspect!"

Qi Yuankang continuously barged into various islands and Caves, meticulously searching.

When Golden Core Cultivators came knocking, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators on the island had no choice but to bow their heads. Not daring to complain, their faces wore ingratiating smiles.

"This Spiritual Medicine is not bad, I’ll take it!"

Qi Yuankang, seeing several fine specimens of Spiritual Medicine, didn’t even bother to make excuses and simply took them.

Who would dare refuse?

The cultivators on the Qunxing Archipelago were mostly Loose Cultivators without strength or backing.

They couldn’t afford to provoke Golden Core Cultivators from the Seven Stars Palace and could only try to avert disaster by losing wealth.

Every island with a Formation laid out received a visit; he was the type to exploit every opportunity, ensuring he never left empty-handed. With everything accumulated, it was quite a significant haul.

Shameless! Using his high Realm to openly rob? How is this different from the actions of Bizarre Cultivators? This person’s conduct is despicable.

Everyone was angry yet dared not speak.

Not good, it won’t be long before he arrives at Qingzhu Island.

Inside Qingzhu Island, the original body, who was cultivating in seclusion, opened his eyes, his expression ugly.

He had arranged many decoy islands around the Qunxing Archipelago, mostly inhabited by his Insect External Incarnations, mainly to confuse outsiders.

The Town Demon Alliance female cultivator surnamed He had not found him, thanks to this arrangement.

Qingzhu Island had always been his main base.

The island was planted with a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicines, Spirit Fish, Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Insects.

Formations concealed their aura, and even Golden Core Cultivators couldn’t see through them.

Usually, there were no troubles.

But a Golden Core Cultivator who plucked feathers from every goose that flew by was different; he would check every island.

He was the type to take advantage of any situation, never leaving empty-handed.

Once he forced his way into Qingzhu Island, the main base would inevitably be exposed.

If a large amount of precious Spiritual Medicines were exposed, by then, it would be too late to take action...

I’m afraid it’s time to make a move...

Jia Ren had thought that by leaving first and finding a place to hide, he could escape trouble, but he had underestimated the other’s shamelessness.

To prevent the Spirit Field of Qingzhu Island from being exposed, he had to act in advance.

The original body wouldn’t move; dangerous tasks were left to the Insect External Incarnation.

An Early Golden Core Stage cultivator was not hard to deal with; the Insect External Incarnation already possessed the ability to fight and win.

The Parasitic Ghost Whip, Bizarre Sound Talisman, Bewildering Charm, and two Third Rank Monster Pets made for an unprecedentedly powerful force.

Without a word, the Insect External Incarnation quickly entered the Tianxing Trade Association and took away the stored goods.

Selling the materials for several tens of thousands of Spirit Stones would be no problem. He couldn’t let the Golden Core Cultivator and his minions benefit.

The Insect External Incarnation appeared, drawing the attention of the Golden Core Cultivator.

He moved away from Qingzhu Island, selecting a suitable battlefield.

"Senior, the Loose Cultivator surnamed Zhen has gone to the Tianxing Trade Association and is looting your treasures!"

Inside the Tianxing Trade Association, an employee loyal to the Tianxing Sect secretly used a Sound Transmission Talisman to send a message, which reached Qi Yuankang.

He’s got some nerve! Just when I was worried I couldn’t find you!

Just as he was about to give chase, he seemed to think of something.

Why would a Foundation Establishment Cultivator have the guts to reveal himself? This person took the best resources from the Tianxing Trade Association; there’s no need to risk his life. As long as he hides, he won’t be easy to find. To reveal himself deliberately... it must be to attract my attention. There must be another secret here!

His eyes swept over the nearby islands a few times, silently noting the islands he had not yet searched.

Interesting!

A black bead flew out of his palm and hovered in mid-air. A crack opened, revealing a human-like white pupil inside.

The Magic Artifact’s pupil was cold, watching every move in the vicinity.

Leaving this Magic Artifact behind would allow him to monitor any abnormalities in this area, lest he miss an opportunity.

After killing Zhen Yi and retrieving the Tianxing Trade Association’s resources, I’ll come back here to investigate.

He would recapture the resources of the Tianxing Trade Association, and he couldn’t miss any possible treasures or opportunities on the island.

Qi Yuankang had lived for over two hundred years and possessed his own wisdom, knowing how to maximize benefits.

Golden Core Cultivators are indeed not easy to deal with! Most cultivators who have lived that long are shrewd.

Jia Ren’s gaze pierced through Qingzhu Island’s Formation, staring at Qi Yuankang’s vanishing figure.

「Meanwhile, at the Tianxing Trade Association.」

"Thank you for sending the message!"

The Insect External Incarnation, having taken a large quantity of the Tianxing Trade Association’s materials, looked down at a nervous employee in the corner of the first floor, his right hand clutching a Black Stone.

"The Golden Core Cultivator will be here any moment..."

The employee, not expecting his signal to be discovered, tried to use the threat of the Golden Core Cultivator to scare off Zhen Yi.

A geyser of blood suddenly shot into the sky, and with it flew a head, its eyes wide with terror.

For a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator, killing a Qi Refining Cultivator was as easy as slaughtering a chicken.

Time to leave!

The Insect External Incarnation took to the skies on his sword, swiftly flying off into the distance.

The Ancient Talisman Wings remained unused. Once he used this treasure, he would risk being linked to Shi Bai, a remnant of the Bizarre Alliance.

His Grandmaster-level Sword Control Technique was not slow, but it paled in comparison to a Golden Core Cultivator’s speed.

A powerful aura was rapidly approaching him.

"Since you actively seek death, I’ll oblige you!"

The distance between the two was closing at an alarming speed.

We’re still too close! This place isn’t far from the Group of Stars Island, and many secret techniques could still detect a battle here.

However, using the Ancient Talisman Wings now would not be a problem.

The twelve Divine Wind Talismans inside the Ancient Talisman Wings activated, and his speed increased several-fold, rapidly widening the gap that had just closed.

"An Ancient Talisman Artifact?"

The Golden Core Cultivator from one of the Great Sects was well-informed and experienced, recognizing it at first glance.

Such Magic Artifacts have an obvious drawback—they can’t be used for long. Can a Golden Core Cultivator still not catch up to someone in Foundation Establishment?

The two flew further and further from the Group of Stars Island, eventually reaching a distance of two hundred li.

In the distance, the fleeing Insect External Incarnation stopped flapping its wings and stood in place, watching the rapidly approaching Qi Yuankang with a smirk.

Could there be a problem?

Qi Yuankang immediately became alert. Before he could react, he sensed something and looked towards a distant island.

The monitoring Black Eye lost its connection. Before disappearing, it only saw a massive, lightning-wreathed Spiritual Power palm seizing his Magic Artifact.

As expected, there was a problem! Hmph, courting death!

He charged rapidly towards the Insect External Incarnation, intending to subdue him, reclaim the Tianxing Trade Association’s resources, and then interrogate him.

"How about this place as your burial ground?"

Aren’t those my lines? At first glance, the gap between late Foundation Establishment Stage and Early Golden Core Stage might not seem large, but in reality, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth. The gulf between their Realms is nearly insurmountable. Who gave this fellow the audacity and confidence to think he could challenge a Golden Core Cultivator across Realms? Overestimating his own abilities! Foolish!

"Seven Star Sword!"

A silver longsword Magical Treasure with seven grooves appeared, seven precious beads embedded within.

This was the most common Magical Treasure of the Seven Stars Sect; many Golden Core Cultivators from the Sect refined Seven Star Swords and Seven Star Lamps.

"Star Python Devouring!"

The first groove lit up, and the silver sword transformed into a silver python tens of zhang long. The massive python’s body crashed towards him.

The Insect External Incarnation showed no panic. A suit of black armor emerged, completely covering his body without a single gap.

Is this... Xuan Ming Stone? Not good, are you going to release Bizarre Demons?! Bizarre Demons!

Qi Yuankang was knowledgeable; he had seen full-body armor made of Xuan Ming Stone before and immediately understood Jia Ren’s intentions.

Only when facing Bizarre Demons would one resort to using such sealing-type treasures.

Qi Yuankang hastily took out several Evil Warding Artifacts and activated his Seven Star Sword to slash the target.

As long as I kill him before he releases the Bizarre Demons, it’ll be fine. Even if I fail, the impact won’t be significant. No matter how strong Bizarre Demons are, they... can’t be controlled by humans. I can’t guarantee I can handle an unknown Bizarre Demon, but relying on the Evil-Warding Treasures I have, escaping won’t be an issue. Rampant Bizarre Demons wouldn’t significantly affect me. I can just leave the mess for the Town Demon Alliance to handle.

"Die!"

The Star Python, transformed from the Seven Star Sword, surged in speed, about to instantly slay the target.

Ancient Talisman Wings emerged behind the Insect External Incarnation, flickering rapidly as he dodged several attacks.

"Die!"

As they drew closer, a Bizarre Sound Talisman Pill was thrown at extreme speed.

Not good!

Qi Yuankang dared not be negligent. A silver-glowing spiritual shield materialized, its nine shield-like lights flickering and dancing nimbly.

BOOM!

The Bizarre Sound Talisman Pill exploded, the powerful Bizarre Sound impact forming visible sound waves.

A jade disk hanging from Qi Yuankang’s waist lit up, a jade-colored halo defending him, creating ripples.

This Evil Warding Artifact could actually withstand the Bizarre Sound impact.

Unfortunately, it was still just a Magic Artifact, not a Magical Treasure.

As twelve Bizarre Sound Talismans erupted simultaneously, the jade-colored halo dimmed at a visible rate.

What is this thing? How can a Magic Artifact possess the power of Bizarre Demons? Are you a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator?! Bizarre Alliance Cultivators possess Mysterious Instruments and Mysterious Pills; could this be a new type of Mysterious Instrument developed by the Bizarre Alliance?

The jade-colored halo shattered and disappeared.

"No!"

Under the Bizarre Sound’s impact, Evil Warding Talismans and other such Talismans were completely useless. The other types of Evil Warding Artifacts also offered no defense against the Bizarre Sound.

His eyes rolled back as he plummeted straight down from the sky.

Before losing consciousness, he vaguely saw a whip that seemed alive shooting rapidly toward him.

The Parasitic Ghost Whip swung out, both its solid and ethereal roots descending.

The solid roots struck the defense Magic Artifacts, sending all nine shield-lights flying. The ethereal roots disregarded the Golden Core Cultivator’s Magic Artifact defenses and rooted into his body first.

When the Parasitic Ghost Whip attacked, the target faced two types of root attacks simultaneously.

The solid roots sucked blood from the target, similar to ordinary Magic Artifacts. Their advantage was absorbing the target’s blood and an unknown power, which strengthened the Parasitic Ghost Whip. This Mysterious Instrument had the ability to grow.

The latter was the essence of the Parasitic Ghost Whip—parasitism!

Once the ethereal roots made contact with the target, they would cause a large number of Parasitic Trickster Blossoms to grow within the target’s body. This was why Parasitic Trickster Blossoms appeared after the Parasitic Ghost Whip struck.

The Bizarre Sound Talisman Pill combined with the Parasitic Ghost Whip—a union of two weapons—allowed him to boldly slay a Golden Core Cultivator.