49: Control the hidden pieces and go to the banquet!

The next day, in the gloomy dusk.

Below the Corpse Refining Cave.

Shi Chuan personally took action and easily controlled Duan Yue, Qin Zhizhi's Senior Sister.

Duan Yue was currently an Outer Sect Disciple of the Gu Refining Hall, with a hidden cultivation Realm of Mid-Stage Qi Refining. After coming into contact with Qin Zhizhi, Duan Yue had no suspicions and chose to trust her Junior Sister Qin unconditionally.

After all, the Elder of the Jiao Demon Sect had personally instructed her that within the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, she needed to hand over all Cultivation resources to Qin Zhizhi for her to Cultivate, and to obey all of Qin Zhizhi's commands.

Duan Yue, like other Outer Sect Disciples, wore black robes, and her figure and appearance were outstanding among the female Disciples.

During her time infiltrating the Gu Refining Hall, she had already gathered many Spiritual Materials for Cultivation and had handed them all over to Qin Zhizhi.

“Your Gu refining talent is not bad. In such a short time, you've become proficient in cultivating Low Grade Gu worms.”

“It's not easy for an Outer Sect Disciple to accumulate these Spirit Stones!”

“By the way, starting today, you, Qin Zhizhi, and Duan Yue, are to go to the third house on the east side of Ghost Wandering Street in Nine Bend Market, to a female Cultivator named Yu Jiao.”

“She, like you, is a Jiao Demon Sect operative. From now on, you will Cultivate under her arrangements to assist a female Cultivator named Qu Linglu.”

Shi Chuan collected the dozens of Spirit Stones from the Storage Pouch in his hand. The Magical Artifacts and talismans inside the Storage Pouch were all Low Grade Tier 1.

To Shi Chuan, they were useless.

Even the Low Grade Materials extracted from them, if integrated into the Profound Yin Banner, would only add Impurities and provide no benefit.

“Yes, Master.”

“We will certainly do our best and not be negligent!”

When Qin Zhizhi heard Shi Chuan's command, it sounded like heavenly music.

As long as she didn't have to stay in this Corpse Refining Cave, where the Evil Qi and corpse poison were dense, Cultivating in the corpse cave mountain range below felt like a snail's pace.

Qin Zhizhi did not possess her Master's ability to refine Evil Qi.

After giving his instructions, Shi Chuan did not linger and left the place. By then, he had already controlled three operatives from the Jiao Demon Sect.

However, the Purple Cloud Sect remained completely unaware.

Through a communication jade talisman, Shi Chuan had already instructed Yu Jiao to investigate the Jiao Demon Sect's arrangements outside the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, without alerting the Jiao Demon Sect Elder.

Furthermore, he also arranged for Qin Zhizhi and Duan Yue; they were all Jiao Demon Sect operatives, so any incoming messages could be cross-verified for authenticity.

Returning to Blue Grass Street in the Market.

Drawing talismans, harvesting soul threads.

Another day passed.

【zi shi has arrived】

【Received a green intelligence report】

【Green Intelligence: The Soul Thread Great Formation has been initially completed. Xiao Jueying, Peak Lord of Soul Refining Peak secretly came to Corpse Refining Peak, seemingly discussing something with Qu Feng in secret, and mentioned some matters concerning the Corpse Refining Peak Master.】

…

“Xiao Jueying, Peak Lord of Soul Refining Peak and Qu Feng, are they going to make a move against the Corpse Refining Peak Master?”

Shi Chuan pondered.

Although most Cultivators in Demonic Path Sects were ruthless and vicious, not many would continuously plot against their own internal Foundation Establishment Cultivators during a Sect-destroying crisis.

Had the Golden Core Stage Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect gone into seclusion or passed away?

Under this trend, it was highly possible that the Yellow Springs Demon Sect would completely disintegrate from within.

…

After Cultivating in meditation for several hours, Shi Chuan recovered the Spiritual Qi in his body and began to draw Earth Qi Talismans.

Fortunately, his next-door neighbor was a Talisman Master, and that Talisman Master also dealt in talisman paper. If he ran out of talisman paper at home, he could purchase it from next door.

Dozens of Earth Qi Talismans were all drawn in just a few hours.

“Today is Master Talisman Yang Yan's hundredth birthday!”

“It's time to go out!”

“How can I miss the formation key for a Tier 3 Great Formation?”

Shi Chuan's thoughts stirred, and he casually drew a Medium Grade Tier 1 Wood Puppet Talisman!

The difficulty of this talisman was medium-low. The spiritual talisman could transform into a Wood Puppet with a combat power of around Mid-Stage Qi Refining, but Wood Puppets were generally weaker than ordinary Corpse Puppets at the same Realm in terms of combat power.

The value of a Medium Grade Tier 1 spiritual talisman was quite generous.

Shi Chuan walked out of his residence, and it was only a dozen steps to Master Talisman Yang Yan's small courtyard next door.

At the entrance of Master Talisman Yang Yan's small courtyard, two chubby Dao Children were greeting guests. Both Dao Children had conspicuous red blush on their cheeks, and their grey robes were adorned with two large dark green 'Longevity' characters.

“Greetings, Senior Brother!”

The two chubby Dao Children bowed in unison.

Under his Purple Fiend Eyes, the two chubby Dao Children had dense corpse Evil Qi on their bodies, clearly indicating they were half-Corpse Puppets, with their bodies having undergone partial modifications.

Shi Chuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then handed the wooden box containing his gift to one of the chubby Dao Children and stepped into the courtyard.

Although they were both on Blue Grass Street, Master Talisman Yang Yan's rented small courtyard was considerably larger than Shi Chuan's.

The small courtyard was covered by a black mist of Evil Qi.

Eight Cultivators of various types had already gathered inside, each sitting at a wooden table, drinking wine and tea, and conversing with each other.

However, nearly half of these Cultivators wore masks, deliberately concealing their faces.

This way, the bronze ghost mask Shi Chuan wore would not be very conspicuous.

Besides them, there were also thirteen half-Corpse Puppets, identical to the two chubby Dao Children outside, moving back and forth among the seats, serving.

“It seems that Master Talisman Yang Yan, besides being a Medium Grade Talisman Master, also has considerable insight into the Dao of Puppet refining!”

Shi Chuan glanced at the dozen or so half-Corpse Puppet Dao Children, then his gaze fell on Yang Yan among the crowd.

Master Talisman Yang Yan, seeing a new person enter, stood up and walked over.

“So it's Fellow Daoist from next door. Your presence truly brings honor to my humble abode!”

“May I ask what Fellow Daoist prefers to be called?”

“I can also introduce you to the others.”

Yang Yan smiled, showing considerable goodwill towards Shi Chuan.

“Ghost Face.”

Shi Chuan's tone was calm.

“Fellow Daoist Ghost Face, come, come!”

Yang Yan enthusiastically led Shi Chuan to the front and greeted the other seven Mid-Stage Qi Refining Outer Sect Disciples.

Shi Chuan casually cupped his hands, then found a wooden table and sat down.

The several chubby Dao Children nearby began to serve tea and pour wine.

The other Demonic Cultivators, seeing Shi Chuan's low spirits, were accustomed to it and did not continue to converse much.

There were many people with strange and difficult personalities among those who Cultivated Demonic Techniques in the environment of Corpse Refining Peak.

While drinking tea, Shi Chuan glanced at the other Demonic Cultivators, all of whom were Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivators.

Since they were all Outer Sect Disciples of the same Realm, there was no restraint in their conversations.

Shi Chuan's goal was the formation key of the Tier 3 Great Formation. As for getting acquainted with these Mid-Stage Qi Refining Demonic Cultivators, he naturally wouldn't waste his time.

Another half an hour passed.

Later, two more Outer Sect Disciples arrived together, each wearing a dark wood mask to conceal their true appearance.

A total of eleven Outer Sect Disciples gathered in this small courtyard.

“I presume many Fellow Daoists are here for the Treasure Appreciation Assembly, aren't you?”

“This humble Daoist will not beat around the bush. The purpose of this Treasure Appreciation Assembly is for this humble Daoist to sell my family's spiritual items and collect Spirit Stones.”

“Although this humble Daoist has just passed a hundred years old and is not too old, my talisman drawing skill has been unable to advance to High Grade. If I don't strive at this point, I will always be unwilling!”

Yang Yan, with temples streaked with grey, shook his head and said with an unwilling tone.