22: Get away with it and brand the vine seeds!

"Under the lamplight, it's dark."

"This Jiang Yuheng is actually hiding within the Nine Bend Market."

"The Qiao Family Artifact Refining Shop, isn't that one of the shops at the end of Blue Grass Street?"

Shi Chuan had visited a few times and had some impression of the surrounding shops.

That Artifact Refining shop should be one of the secret strongholds that Jiang Yuheng set up.

Shi Chuan felt a jolt of alarm at this moment.

Jiang Yuheng, that old Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator, had only recently devoured many Disciples from the Corpse Refining Cave to suppress his demonic nature.

Now he had come to the Nine Bend Market, and his dwelling was on the same street as him.

Shi Chuan felt an urge to turn and run at this moment.

Was the Second-Grade Formation of this Market useless?

As an old Demonic Cultivator within the sect, Jiang Yuheng had been operating for so long that he should have a way to enter the Market.

It was just that, for some unknown reason, Jiang Yuheng had offended someone. After returning to the sect injured from outside, he was then poisoned with Medicinal Pills, leading to his current plight.

This Jiang Yuheng was clearly a mad dog that could bite at any moment, and he needed to be avoided at all costs.

"Pack up my belongings now."

"Cannot delay."

"Move back to the Corpse Refining Cave."

Shi Chuan quickly put everything in the simple room into his Storage Pouch.

Time to leave!

Now that he knew that the Corpse Refining Cave did not have this old Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator lurking within it, it was much safer than being in the Nine Bend Market.

It would also benefit the growth of the Nine Nether Demonic Fiend Vine.

Late at night.

On the streets of the Market, there were still quite a few Disciples.

Pale lanterns floated in the air, illuminating the streets as if they were covered in a layer of white frost.

Shi Chuan rode his Corpse Hound, deliberately taking a detour through Dog Tail Street, bypassing the Qiao Family Artifact Refining Shop.

If Jiang Yuheng couldn't suppress his demonic nature, a Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator like him could easily cause chaos and devour Utility and Outer Sect Disciples.

It seemed Jiang Yuheng also had a plan in mind: once his Heart Demon acted up, being in this Nine Bend Market would provide him with enough Qi Refining Cultivators to consume.

The Market did not overly scrutinize Cultivators leaving, so Shi Chuan exited the Market smoothly.

After passing through layers of dark Yin mist, he arrived at the Corpse Refining Cave.

Along the way, people were scarce.

Shi Chuan even saw several claw marks, dozens of feet long, on a cliff face of the Corpse Refining Cave, emitting a suppressive aura.

The area covered by those claw marks included at least a dozen caves on the surrounding rock walls.

If he had been in the Corpse Refining Cave at that time, he might very well have ended up in Jiang Yuheng's belly.

Ultimately, Shi Chuan chose a secluded corner of the Corpse Refining Cave.

He found an uninhabited stone chamber.

A familiar faint scent of decay permeated the surroundings, and green corpse vines grew on the walls.

Although the Spiritual Qi here was thin, far less concentrated than in the Market.

The sense of security, however, had greatly increased!

"Continue drawing talismans!"

"Once the barrier talismans are drawn, I'll plant the Fiend Vine sooner!"

With a thought, Shi Chuan took out all the talisman paper and spiritual ink from his Storage Pouch.

Streams of Spiritual Qi flowed into his body from the Profound Yin Banner above his head, adjusting his state. He then picked up his brush and began to draw.

With the memory augmentation from Eternal Vine, that Golden Core old Demonic Cultivator, Shi Chuan's progress could be said to be rapid.

He immediately began attempting to draw a Medium Grade First-Grade barrier talisman!

A Medium Grade First-Grade barrier talisman was only of moderate difficulty among other Medium Grade spiritual talismans.

It was just very rare, with few Legacies.

The first one reached 30% completion, the talismanic patterns became chaotic, and the spiritual talisman spontaneously ignited.

The second one, around 40% completion, burned.

The third one.

...

The twenty-eighth one, 99% complete!

The twenty-ninth one, when his Crimson God Magic Power was only 20% remaining, he barely managed to draw the talisman successfully!

"Finally succeeded!"

Shi Chuan raised his hand and took out two Qi Recovery Talismans, sticking them onto himself.

The pure Spiritual Qi stored within the Qi Recovery Talismans flowed into his body, accelerating the recovery of his Spiritual Qi.

If Shi Chuan's efficiency in drawing talismans were seen by other talisman masters, they would surely exclaim in awe.

This was all because Shi Chuan possessed the memories of Eternal Vine, the Golden Core old Demonic Cultivator, and received its augmentation.

A Medium Grade First-Grade barrier talisman!

It was deep blue all over, its talismanic patterns flickering, each pattern node resembling an inlaid sapphire.

Fortunately, Shi Chuan had enough talisman paper left.

Once the talisman paper ran out, he could control a Utility Disciple to go to the Market and purchase more.

One barrier talisman wasn't quite enough; he had to keep drawing!

After Cultivating for several hours.

His Spiritual Qi was fully recovered.

Shi Chuan then got up and continued.

From then on, he could basically draw a complete barrier talisman every three or four attempts!

He did not know how much time had passed.

More than half of the talisman paper in his Storage Pouch was used up, and Shi Chuan now had fifteen Medium Grade First-Grade barrier talismans in his hand.

A Medium Grade First-Grade barrier talisman could resist the attacks of a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator for at least two quarters of an hour.

If it were a Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivator, at least ten Medium Grade barrier talismans would be needed to resist even for a moment.

As for the Foundation Establishment Stage, these fifteen barrier talismans wouldn't even withstand a single blow.

If a hundred or more barrier talismans were stacked together, they might be able to withstand a casual blow from an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Enough."

"The main purpose is to conceal the aura fluctuations. Now that the Corpse Refining Cave has been searched thoroughly, layer by layer, it won't be disturbed by other Cultivators for at least a short period."

"Rest for a day, then I can begin planting the Fiend Vine!"

Shi Chuan took out the method for planting the Fiend Vine from his Storage Pouch, preparing to practice it more, and a longer time of comprehension would make it even more secure.

Time flowed by, and soon it was zi shi (11 pm - 1 am) again.

["zi shi (11 pm - 1 am) has arrived"]

["Received a green intelligence item"]

["Green Intelligence: Xiao Jueying, Peak Lord of Soul Refining Peak, the Peak Master of Refining Soul Peak, secretly contacted Qu Feng, the Hall Master of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall. They seem to have reached some cooperation and intend to target the Disciples of the Punishment Hall."]

...

"The Peak Master of Refining Soul Peak and the Hall Master of the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall, these two..."

"It seems the matter of Jiang Yuheng's poisoned Medicinal Pill was likely Xiao Jueying, Peak Lord of Soul Refining Peak's doing. These two sides seem to have had a long-standing feud."

"Targeting the Disciples of the Punishment Hall should be to see if they can inquire about Jiang Yuheng's whereabouts."

"Let them cause whatever trouble they want, as long as it doesn't affect the Corpse Refining Cave!"

Shi Chuan calmed his mind. His Crimson God Magic Power had recovered to 70%. In a few more hours, he could plant the Fiend Vine into his body!

This wondrous seed could shape a spiritual body and extend one's lifespan.

Originally, Foundation Establishment was still somewhat difficult for Shi Chuan, but now with this Nine Nether Demonic Fiend Vine, the difficulty factor plummeted.

In a blink of an eye, several hours later.

Shi Chuan's Magic Power surged, and his Crimson God Magic Power had recovered to its Peak.

"Begin planting the Fiend Vine!"

Shi Chuan did not hesitate, taking out dozens of Qi and Blood Pill bottles from his Storage Pouch and placing them in front of him.

He took out the black-grey seed from the ancient casket.

Shi Chuan formed a hand seal, injecting Magic Power into the vine seed.

At the same time, ten Qi and Blood Pill bottles in front of him opened, and blood-red Medicinal Pills, one by one, spun around the vine seed.

Pure Qi and blood power continuously flowed into it.

After fifty Qi and Blood Pills were absorbed completely.

The vine seed then emanated a trace of vitality.

It was at this moment that Shi Chuan raised his hand and imprinted his Divine Soul mark deep into the newly awakened vine seed.

Instantly, the two became connected. When Shi Chuan looked at the vine seed again, a familiar sense of intimacy arose in his heart.