CHAPTER 421: CHAPTER 416: QUIT WHILE YOU’RE AHEAD! FILTHY SPIRIT DEMONIC WATER!_1

Zhuo Chengdao and Jia Ren found a cave to rest in and divided the spoils they had acquired.

Jia Ren owed Zhuo Chengdao a Spiritual Treasure, so he gave him the Under Armor.

Zhuo Chengdao didn’t stand on ceremony and happily accepted the Spiritual Treasure.

Next, they needed to divide the treasures within the Demon Cultivator’s River Mountain Bag.

Spirit Stones, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, and all kinds of Spiritual Medicines were extremely numerous.

They split them equally between the two—a considerable gain.

The Insect External Incarnation and Zhuo Chengdao continued on their way, looking for suitable targets.

They only went after solitary targets and would absolutely not make a move without full certainty.

Ninety percent certainty? What’s the difference between that and courting death?

Zhuo Chengdao was unaware of Jia Ren’s thoughts and silently used the Heart-Mind Sensing technique to look for suitable targets.

It wasn’t long before he found a cultivator from the Shimo Sect.

Their approach was the same as before: they crept up quietly, and Zhuo Chengdao used his Divine Skills to shake the target’s heart-mind, creating an opportunity.

As long as the Shimo Sect cultivator didn’t have a resistant method, their heart-mind couldn’t help but be affected, falling into a trance.

Thirty Silver Moon Yakshas rapidly closed in on the target using Wind Escape, striking fiercely.

Even with a Spiritual Treasure protecting them, it wouldn’t hold.

The person hadn’t even regained their senses before they were easily dispatched.

Destroying the corpse and eradicating all traces, they quickly cleared the battlefield.

After the killing, they decisively left, not lingering for long.

Even if someone sensed the battle fluctuations, by the time they arrived, the two had already vanished.

Hit and run—their sense of security was sky-high.

For five consecutive days, at least one solitary Demon Cultivator from the Shimo Sect fell by their hands each day.

The cultivators of the Shimo Sect were not fools. It didn’t take long for them to detect a problem: the recent losses were quite serious, with nine True Disciples lost in just a few short days.

More than thirty Demon Cultivators from the Shimo Sect gathered, their expressions somber.

The Turtle Shell of the Lingbao Sect camp could not be broken, and they couldn’t harm them in the slightest. Yet, they also had to suffer assassinations by Lingbao Sect disciples.

"All the dead were those who were alone."

"Daring to go out and hunt our Demon Cultivators, it’s not yet certain who the prey really is."

"Gu Qing, this is up to you!"

Gu Qing’s skin was wizened, and he was thin to the bone.

"Heh heh, I’ll make sure they come but never return!" Gu Qing took a big breath. Without any resistance from the Demon Cultivators present, all were sucked into his belly.

Next, it was time for the Shimo Sect Demon Cultivators to fish.

Gu Qing disguised himself as a solitary Demon Cultivator.

If the hunters dared to strike, once he revealed himself, they would face an encirclement of more than thirty Demon Cultivators.

With the inescapable net spread, anyone who came was sure to die without a burial place.

"Junior Brother Jia, let’s strike while the iron is hot and put all our efforts into killing the Shimo Sect Demon Cultivators," Zhuo Chengdao said, full of anticipation.

"Once we miss this chance, earning Spiritual Treasures won’t be so easy."

In five days, nine Demon Cultivators had perished at their hands. Seven of them possessed Spiritual Treasures, and each person had obtained at least three.

Apart from the Spiritual Treasures, there were also many Spiritual Materials and high-age Spiritual Medicines.

All these things put together could be worth two or three Spiritual Treasures.

Risk accompanied reward.

Although sect warfare was perilous, it was also a way to quickly accumulate wealth.

Under normal circumstances, Zhuo Chengdao could never have achieved such astonishing gains.

Leaving the camp was his most correct decision.

"Senior Brother, with so many Demon Cultivators dead, we should rest for a few days," Jia Ren said, content to stop while they were ahead and not continue their assault.

The Shimo Sect Demon Cultivators were not fools; they might be secretly plotting and have already set up traps. A person shouldn’t be too greedy; it’s best to stop while you’re ahead.

Zhuo Chengdao didn’t say much, tacitly accepting Jia Ren’s statement.

In the past few days, he had acquired several Spiritual Treasures. After devouring them, his Cultivation Level could reach the Nascent Soul Peak.

Zhuo Chengdao was not a reckless man; he just wanted to increase his strength as quickly as possible.

After digesting the benefits in his hand, his strength would experience a stunning improvement. Then, it wouldn’t be too late to strike against the Demon Cultivators of the Shimo Sect.

The two found a cavern left by Magical Beasts to stay in temporarily.

They set up a Disorienting Formation, and the Bewildering Spirit Bead was used to obscure perception.

With this two-pronged approach, if Demon Cultivators came near, it would be impossible for them to detect the slightest clue.

"Junior Brother, I am going into closed-door cultivation," Zhuo Chengdao said as he took out a piece of Under Armor gleaming with dark light and boldly entered the makeshift Cultivation Room.

The quality of Spiritual Treasures made by the Demon Sect was inferior to those of the Lingbao Sect. Prolonged use by Demon Cultivators had ’contaminated’ them severely.

He didn’t dare to assimilate the Spiritual Treasures recklessly with the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art. Otherwise, the Spiritual Power tinged with demonic energy could easily contaminate his own Spiritual Power.

This was one of the major risks of cultivating the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art.

Of course, there were solutions to this issue.

As an Artifact Refining sect, the Lingbao Sect had the largest number of Spiritual Treasures. Likewise, they had many secret techniques and Divine Abilities related to Spiritual Treasures.

The sect possessed a special Spirit-Cleansing Elixir to refine Spiritual Treasures, removing filth and impurities.

There were also unique secret techniques to address the issue of contaminated Spiritual Treasures.

The former cost money, while the latter required time and energy.

As a part of Ancestor Ji Kong’s lineage, Zhuo Chengdao practiced the Divine Ability of the Spirit Devouring Treasure Art. He was well-prepared before entering the Heiyuan Secret Realm.

The Insect External Incarnation went into closed-door cultivation to enhance his Cultivation Level.

The Demon Cultivators of the Shimo Sect were still fishing, with Gu Qing roaming around disguised as prey, luring hunters into the trap.

Alas, the hunters had ceased their trade, and the fishing plan was unviable.

As a result, plagued by ill fortune, they encountered Lingbao Sect Cultivators on a joint sweep.

The advantage of the Lingbao Sect Cultivators lay in their unity. Camp cultivators always acted together, never giving Demon Cultivators the chance to defeat them one by one.

After numerous casualties, the Shimo Sect Demon Cultivators were outnumbered by the Lingbao Sect Cultivators, turning the battle into a one-sided rout.

From every aspect, the situation in the Heiyuan Secret Realm was settled. The Shimo Sect had no chance of turning the tables.

"Such incompetence!"

"Most secret realms are dominated by the Shimo Sect—an utter disgrace to the Sect!"

A streak of black light descended on the Heiyuan Secret Realm and located the cultivators of the Shimo Sect.

This was a Demon Cultivator with an inky complexion, exuding a thick aura of death.

Had Jia Ren and Zhuo Chengdao been there, they would have recognized the person.

It was Xia Zonglong, with whom they’d had a brief encounter, the one who had displayed the Great Divine Ability Yama Emperor.

He was at the Late-stage of Soul Transformation, but upon arriving in the Heiyuan Secret Realm, his realm plummeted to the Nascent Soul Peak.

When the cultivators in the Heiyuan Secret Realm saw Xia Zonglong, their expressions shifted. They respectfully asked, "What brings you here?"

"Elder Dark Jade is very dissatisfied with you all and sent me to assist you."

Xia Zonglong’s realm was suppressed by the Heiyuan Secret Realm, making his Cultivation Level barely stronger than the others present, yet his tone was laced with immense confidence.

A Late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator’s Spiritual Power far exceeds that of a Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivator by more than tenfold, and its quality is higher.

His Divine Skills, secret techniques, and combat experience were far beyond those of any Late Nascent Soul Stage disciple. He could easily sweep ten cultivators at the Nascent Soul Peak with no issue.

Xia Zonglong was not being arrogant. He had brought an item capable of countering the Spiritual Treasure Formation, sure to deal with these little bugs.

The Shimo Sect’s actions were breaking the rules. The problem was, Demon Cultivators never cared much for rules.

All that mattered was winning!

By the time the Lingbao Sect realized what was happening, their disciples would be dead, and it would be too late.

"Is everyone here?"

Xia Zonglong looked at the assembled True Disciples of the Shimo Sect, numbering only thirty-five, and couldn’t help but frown.

The True Disciples of the Shimo Sect were unlike those of other Sects. They were frequently replaced, with the capable reigning supreme.

Of the one hundred and eight True Disciples who entered the Heiyuan Secret Realm, only a third remained.

It was no wonder Elder Dark Jade was furious and sent me here personally.

"Hehe, I’ll go and meet them."

Xia Zonglong’s figure flickered, transforming into an unremarkable, common Demon Cultivator.

Having entered the Giant Forest Secret Realm, he couldn’t guarantee that none of the arriving cultivators recognized him. If the plan were exposed and the Lingbao Sect sent a Divine Transformation Cultivator, the chances of victory would become slim.

"Hidden Moon Veil!"

A piece of black-gleaming veil flew out, concealing Xia Zonglong and the other thirty-five Shimo Sect True Disciples from view.

Silent as shadows, they advanced toward the Lingbao Sect camp.

Within the Heiyuan Secret Realm, the True Disciples of the Lingbao Sect numbered one hundred and twelve. Thirty-three had perished—a loss of less than one-third.

The vast majority had died in the initial chaos upon entering the Heiyuan Secret Realm.

The Lingbao Sect, with an absolute advantage in numbers, was not rash or reckless.

Within the camp, flashes of Lingbao Light danced about. Prohibitive measures were dense, forming an impregnable bastion.

They had devoted much thought to ensuring their safety, with thirty-six defensive-type Spiritual Treasures forming a Spiritual Treasure Formation.

Even the concerted forces of the Shimo Sect’s Demon Cultivators would struggle to breach it.

The Lingbao Sect Cultivators need not hurry. Steady and thorough efforts promised victory.

"Junior Brother Zhang has pinpointed the gathering points of the Demon Cultivators. We’ll move together, aiming to slay at least ten of them this time."

"Once their numbers dwindle below twenty, we’ll split into two groups and accelerate the purge."

A cultivator surnamed Qi and over seventy Lingbao Sect True Disciples gathered to discuss the plan’s feasibility.

When dealing with Demon Cultivators, caution was key. They had to erode their numbers steadily, denying them any chance of a desperate comeback.

"I have recent intelligence that Senior Brother Zhuo is hunting Demon Cultivators. At least seven have perished at their hands."

The Lingbao Sect Cultivators were well-informed, receiving timely intelligence.

No one knew what means Zhuo Chengdao used to kill his enemies, but taking down seven Shimo Sect True Disciples was an impressive feat.

Many showed envy on their faces, itching to take action.

"Senior Brother Ma, what do you mean by that?"

"Are you trying to dissolve our alliance?"

"Do you think everyone is like Senior Brother Zhuo, possessing the Nine Spirit Sword Body and mastering the Heart-Mind Sensing technique?"

"We cannot change the plan—"

BOOM!

A blast sounded in the distance. Dozens of Demon Cultivators had converged and were laying siege to the camp.

The others found this unremarkable. The Demon Cultivators had attacked the camp before, but what had been the outcome?

The camp’s protective Lingbao Light barrier was a hundred zhang thick. The defensive light was impressively dense with three hundred layers, posing a challenging barrier for the Demon Cultivators to breach. Everyone had full confidence in the defensive Light Formation.

But this time was different.

Vast stretches of black water splashed onto the defensive Lingbao Light like ink. The light, which normally resisted Spiritual Treasure attacks, dimmed at an astonishing speed as if meeting its nemesis.

In just a few breaths, the defensive formation shattered like a bubble.

"Is this... Filthy Spirit Demonic Water?"

"How many have you killed to concoct such a malevolent substance?!"

"Be careful with your Spiritual Treasures and Spiritual Power! Don’t let them touch this cursed stuff!"

The previously confident Lingbao Sect Cultivators paled, hastily retracting their Spiritual Treasures.

They dared not use their Spiritual Treasures against the Shimo Sect’s Demon Cultivators. Consequently, the Lingbao Sect cultivators’ combat capabilities sharply declined, and they also had to be wary of the Filthy Spirit Demonic Water.

The Lingbao Sect Cultivators became disorganized, each fighting for themselves.

Although the Shimo Sect Demon Cultivators were outnumbered by the Lingbao Sect disciples, they now had the upper hand.