5: Giant corpse puppet, silver dragonfly!

“A Three Spiritual Root Cultivator two years ago, even with Medicinal Pills, his cultivation progress would at most reach Qi Refining Layer Three.”

“Only the Family power behind Li Meng is worth fearing!”

Shi Chuan pondered.

In Li Jiang's Family letter and communication Jade Slip, there was barely any mention of his Family.

Mainly because he was just a Utility Disciple.

But Li Meng was different; he possessed Three Spiritual Roots. After Cultivating to Qi Refining Great Perfection, he naturally had at least a nearly 20% chance of advancing to Foundation Establishment.

Shi Chuan, with his Four Spiritual Root Aptitude, had at most a 10% chance.

However, with the help of a Foundation Establishment Pill, or by finding Heaven And Earth Treasure that could enhance Spiritual Root Aptitude, he could also significantly increase his chances of Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

Li Meng's Aptitude, whether within the Sect or his Family, was far more valuable than Li Jiang's.

Killing Li Meng would not be difficult!

If he dared to come to the Corpse Refining Cave, there were many ways to keep him there.

However, in this process, it was necessary to erase all traces of his involvement as much as possible.

Subsequently, Shi Chuan took out the black jade skull Magical Artifact. After imprinting it, basic information about the Magical Artifact appeared in his mind.

Low Grade Tier One Magical Artifact, Fire Skull!

It could command the Magical Artifact to spew out a mouthful of Profound Yin Corrosive Fire, which was also effective against Corpse Puppets!

This Magical Artifact was quite usable.

After finishing up.

Shi Chuan got up and left the stone chamber, first to look for Outer Sect Disciple Ge Dawei's Storage Pouch.

At the same time, he had the Tier One Corpse Puppet guard the stone chamber.

Although the Corpse Puppet's appearance had changed, it was still vaguely recognizable as the Utility Disciple who had stolen Li Jiang's Corpse Nourishing Pill!

This Demon Sect is treacherous; one must act cautiously!

He would have to abandon this stone chamber after he returned and find a new one to Cultivate in. This would also provide an extra layer of protection against Li Meng.

After exiting the stone cave passage.

Shi Chuan, having undergone the Qi Refining Mortal Transformation, could clearly feel that his movement speed was several times faster than before.

The Profound Yin Banner in his right hand continuously absorbed the surrounding Evil Qi, while simultaneously feeding Spiritual Qi back to nourish his body and strengthen the Crimson God Magic Power within him.

Outside the Corpse Refining Cave.

There were many deep pits, all leading to underground dark rivers.

However, the Evil Qi in the underground dark rivers was much stronger than on the surface. Corpse Servants dared not easily step into them; only Utility Disciples, relying on the magic power of the Corpse Raising Art, could enter the river channels.

They searched the underground river channels for corpses with the potential to become Corpse Puppets!

Shi Chuan successfully entered the underground river channel. The Evil Qi within the channel was even more intense, with visibility only about ten steps. He could hear the rushing sound of water in his ears.

At the same time, faint roars, carried by the river's current, entered Shi Chuan's ears.

“Purple Fiend Eyes!”

Shi Chuan formed hand seals, and faint purple runes flickered in his eyes.

In an instant, Shi Chuan's vision changed dramatically; visibility extended beyond a hundred steps, and he could see faint gray-white wandering souls drifting within the river channel.

This was a Low Grade Tier One Spell from Eternal Vine's memory.

It could break through Evil Qi and see souls!

Next, Shi Chuan activated his Crimson God Magic Power, summoned the Profound Yin Banner, and placed it above his head, letting it float a few inches above him, slowly rotating.

The surrounding close-range Evil Qi was rapidly devoured, continuously filtered into Spiritual Qi, replenishing the consumption of Shi Chuan's Magical Artifact.

A moment later.

“This corpse is good; refining it will make it enter the ranks!”

Shi Chuan saw a corpse in ancient armor with his eyes. The armor was heavily damaged, and a long spear pierced its chest, pinning it to a cliff wall on one side of the river channel.

The corpse's Evil Qi was condensed, enveloped like a layer of black mist.

It already showed some signs of Corpse Transformation; even if left alone, it would transform into a Low Grade Tier One Corpse Puppet in three months at most!

Shi Chuan's own Crimson God Magic Power could refine puppets. The Corpse Puppets he refined would be several times stronger than ordinary Corpse Puppets, and were called Crimson God Puppets!

However, once a Crimson God Puppet was refined, if those old fellows with some Dao cultivation on Corpse Refining Peak saw it, they would inevitably notice some clues.

Being dependent on others, caution comes first!

Refining only some special Corpse Puppets could also enhance combat power!

Shi Chuan stopped before the corpse on the stone wall, formed hand seals, and his Crimson God Magic Power condensed two mysterious black runes, which he struck into the corpse's glabella.

One rune was called the Puppet Refining Giant Strength Rune!

The other was the Soul Condensing Rune, which attracted wandering souls and trapped them within the Corpse Puppet's body, allowing simple commands to control the Corpse Puppet!

A Tier One Corpse Puppet empowered by the Giant Strength Rune would have two to three times more strength than other Corpse Puppets.

It was one of a special type of puppet-refining rune techniques. This rune, in Eternal Vine's memory, was not considered a special puppet-refining Legacy.

Tier One puppet refining methods were widely circulated in the market.

Only Tier Two puppet refining was extremely difficult!

Otherwise, this Yellow Springs Demon Sect would not have disguised and adapted many of its own puppet-refining methods into various Cultivation Techniques, spreading them throughout their Demon Sect territory.

In Eternal Vine's memory, the famous Corpse Refining Schools in Qi Country were the Corpse God Sect and their Red God Sect, who were neighbors and had engaged in open and covert struggles for over a thousand years.

Crack, crack, crack!

After the Giant Strength Rune entered the body, all the Evil Qi within a hundred steps around the corpse was summoned and poured into the corpse's body.

The Aura of the entire corpse began to soar rapidly, and a pressure comparable to Qi Refining Layer One was released. Black flesh began to grow on the rotting head of the Corpse Puppet.

Its slightly twisted limbs recovered as before amidst the sounds of bones rubbing.

Shi Chuan activated the Corpse Control Ring, striking a Corpse Control Rune into it, thereby controlling this Corpse Puppet.

Bang!

The next moment, this Tier One Giant Strength Corpse Puppet raised its hand, pulled out the long spear from its chest, and its entire body fell from the stone wall to the ground.

“Follow me.”

After Shi Chuan issued a simple command.

He continued to search for a three-way junction along the river channel. There were many strange rocks in the river, but tree-like rocks were very rare.

About half an hour later.

“Found it.”

At a three-way junction, amidst a pile of rocks, Shi Chuan indeed saw a rock resembling a withered tree.

“Earth Spike Spell!”

Bang!

A yellow earth spike, almost as thick as a bucket and two meters high, shattered the tree-like rock.

As the dust settled, there was indeed a dark green Storage Pouch beneath.

The Storage Pouch looked ordinary, but with Shi Chuan's Purple Fiend Eyes, he could see a layer of faint purple Evil Qi gathered on it.

This should be Qiu Qi's self-made poisonous Evil Qi.

“Poison Dispelling Spell!”

Shi Chuan formed hand seals, and a black light swept across the Storage Pouch. The thin layer of purple Evil Qi on it disappeared without a trace.

He drew the Storage Pouch into his hand, and after imprinting it with a magic power mark, the Storage Pouch was opened.

Whoosh!

But the moment the Storage Pouch was opened, a swift silver light flew out from it. In the silver afterimage, a silver flying insect, resembling a dragonfly, could vaguely be seen rapidly flapping its wings, fleeing into the distance.

This was a Silver Dragonfly Insect!!

The Silver Dragonfly Insect, a Low Grade Tier One strange insect, was incredibly fast and skilled at tracking soul Auras. It could fly all the way back to the Cultivator who captured its soul.

This must have been one of the contingency plans set up by the slain Outer Sect Disciple Ge Dawei!

“Soul Capture!”

Of course, Shi Chuan had made preparations before opening the Storage Pouch.

From the banner surface of the Profound Yin Banner above his head, more than a dozen blood-colored threads instantly flew out, moving much faster than the Silver Dragonfly Insect. They caught the Silver Dragonfly Insect several tens of steps away, and a wisp of gray insect soul was captured and instantly pulled into the Profound Yin Banner.