The two dark figures were none other than Hu and Long. After merging with the True Steel Centipede, Hu's body had expanded tremendously, and his strength had surged. On the other hand, Long, who had merged with the Blue Tuft Silk, didn't possess the overwhelming strength of Hu, but his power and speed had increased across the board. As a result, Long's speed was astonishingly fast.

Dong Wei's defensive magic treasure was a square handkerchief. When activated, it inflated and was about to envelop him. However, before it could fully unfold, Long had already reached him.

In a panic, Dong Wei instinctively threw out two Slowdown Talismans, hoping to slow the Corpse King's speed, buying just a little more time to activate his defensive treasure completely.

The Slowdown Talismans did have some effect. Long's body was briefly delayed. However, before Dong Wei could even catch his breath, a flood of blue threads began pouring out from Long's facial features.

In the blink of an eye, these blue threads had wrapped around Dong Wei, tightly binding him in place. He only realized then what was happening. These weren't threads at all. They were poisonous insects!

"Blue Tuft Silk!"

Dong Wei, who had some knowledge of poisonous insects, immediately recognized the situation. His mind raced, and he quickly recalled the form of the Blue Tuft Silk. A surge of panic and dread hit him.

The fact that these poisonous insects could parasite inside a corpse puppet was utterly unheard of.

What kind of evil sorcery was this?

"The Blue Tuft Silk's level isn't high, it's barely a third-tier gu insect!"

Dong Wei gritted his teeth in fury, roaring as he released his Spiritual Qi to try and expel the insects. He hoped to break free, thinking he still had a chance if he could just remove the parasite's grip.

But he quickly realized the Blue Tuft Silk threads were far more durable than he had expected. They weren't anything like a simple third-tier gu insect at all.

In fact, they were sturdier than some top-tier magic treasures!

"This... this is impossible! Impossible!"

As Dong Wei struggled, his eyes bulged out, and blood began to seep from his body. The Blue Tuft Silk had completely ensnared him.

In his desperation, he roared, and with one final effort, he tried to escape by using his Nascent Soul to break free, retreating into the spiritual realm. But before he could make his escape, two massive hands emerged from the darkness, effortlessly grabbing his Nascent Soul.

And then, in the eerie, chilling darkness, there was a terrifying presence. It was the unmistakable, clawed grip of a Ghost King!

Wang Pengjie's fate, however, was a bit more straightforward. Hu's speed was slightly slower than Long's, giving Wang Pengjie just enough time to raise a large shield to protect himself. But just as he was about to unleash more magic treasures to strike back at Hu, the giant fist of Hu descended.

There was a thunderous crash.

Wang Pengjie, along with his defensive magic treasure, was sent crashing into the ground. His body, along with the shattered remnants of his treasure, was reduced to a mess of blood, flesh, and bone.

Only then did Chu Xuan step out of the shadows.

Dealing with these two was hardly a challenge. The Ghost King and Corpse King under his command could easily take down Nascent Soul mid-stage opponents.

"Two talisman masters dead... Black Wind Island will surely investigate my whereabouts." Chu Xuan gave a faint smile, then boarded his flying boat and returned to Nameless Island.

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His personal philosophy had always been: When facing difficulty, run—no second thoughts, just get away.

As long as he delayed things long enough, time would naturally diminish the repercussions of the two talisman masters' deaths. Even if Black Wind True Master was determined to investigate, he wouldn't find a single trace of him.

And besides, Black Wind Island wasn't unified. When someone dies, it's not like it's their own life on the line. With the meager monthly stipend, who would risk their life for such trivial matters?

Blue Star.

Chu Xuan leisurely reclined on a soft chair, enjoying the comfort. His thoughts stirred, and the Universe Bag appeared before him. Various treasures flew out one by one, each revealing itself.

There were spiritual items used to nourish and enhance cultivation. Among them were several ancient secret techniques, rare medicinal recipes, and rare spirit plants—most of which he had exchanged with various cultivators.

"Desolate Island is indeed a treasure trove. Every volcanic eruption brings forth a wealth of treasures from the ground," Chu Xuan mused as he observed these items, clicking his tongue in amazement.

However, as he carefully examined a few spiritual sense jade slips, he suddenly fell into thought.

"Strange, these jade slips that contain sealed secret techniques are all made from the same type of precious jade," he murmured. "These spiritual sense jade slips, compared to the current ones, transmit information much faster."

He quickly shifted his focus to the martial techniques contained within. "And they all seem to be body-refining techniques, as if they form a complete system on their own."

Chu Xuan then turned his attention to the medicinal formulas and spirit plants.

"These valuable medicinal formulas are all for replenishing vital energy." He examined them more closely. "And these rare spirit plants are teeming with life force, ideal for refining the body."

His mind immediately sharpened. When he had conducted the earlier trade, he hadn't noticed anything unusual. But now, connecting all the treasures together, he suddenly realized the possibility.

"Could it be that beneath Desolate Island, there is the cave of a senior body-refining cultivator?"

"No!" he quickly corrected himself. "If it were just a cave, there's no way it would have spit out so many treasures."

With a sudden start, he sat upright. A realization flashed through his mind.

"It's more likely that beneath Desolate Island lies a sect relic specifically focused on body-refinement!"

Only such an explanation could account for the large number of similar treasures found in the area.

Chu Xuan felt a surge of excitement. This was a golden opportunity for him! He was currently full of strength, but lacked the methods to fully harness it. The martial arts he possessed were limited—he only had the Great Extinguishing Thunder Fist as a trump card.

If he could acquire more martial techniques and methods from the underground relics of Desolate Island, his strength would increase dramatically.

As for body-refining magic treasures, they were only used by weak Qi Refining cultivators. Body-refiners never used magic treasures. Their bodies were the strongest weapons they could wield!

"Unfortunately, I've only reached the forty-first level of body-refinement. Without the continuation of the techniques, I can't progress further in cultivation. If I only rely on the power of the forty-first level, rashly venturing into the depths of Desolate Island could put me in mortal danger."

He shook his head, thinking, "Without overwhelming strength, how can I step out into the world confidently?"

With this in mind, he went to the Enlightenment Institute to wander around as usual, suppressing his presence. When he confirmed there had been no progress, he decided to visit Taotie Tree on the small island in the Eastern Sea to reminisce and draw on some of its life essence to replenish himself.

Time passed quickly, and after ten months...

Chu Xuan sat cross-legged in the Alchemist's Room, exhaling a breath of turbid air. Before him lay a Great Soul Spirit Pill, round and full, which caused a satisfied smile to spread across his face.

After the Spiritual Shadow Root matured, he immediately set to work refining the Great Soul Spirit Pill.

With his True Blood Pill Body and innate alchemical talent, Chu Xuan had a high aptitude for pill-making. After one failed attempt, he succeeded continuously. Now, he could easily refine the Great Soul Spirit Pill, with an over eighty percent success rate. Many well-known Nascent Soul alchemists couldn't match this level of consistency.

Swallowing one Great Soul Spirit Pill, Chu Xuan immediately felt his soul quiver. After fully refining the pill, his soul expanded slightly. He could feel his senses sharpened, becoming more precise than ever before.

"If I had enough of these Great Soul Spirit Pills, I might even be able to push my soul to the level of a Deity Transformation cultivator," he mused with a touch of longing.

Unfortunately, such pills that permanently enhance the soul couldn't be consumed indefinitely. There was a limit—once he reached a certain threshold, the effect would taper off to the point where taking more would be almost pointless.

Just as Chu Xuan was preparing to refine another batch of Great Soul Spirit Pills, a loud, ecstatic shout came from outside the cave.

"Immortal! The technique has succeeded! The technique has succeeded!"