82: Number Four’s thank-you gift, the evil-collecting monk?

Half a day later.

The sky was gloomy and dark, and a strong wind suddenly rose.

Rain poured down.

In the Black Tooth River Valley, on the outskirts of the Azure Cloud Mountain Range.

Shi Chuan, currently concealing his aura to only show Mid-Stage Qi Refining, was controlling a Medium Grade first-tier flying boat, heading towards the seemingly endless river valley before him.

Black Tooth River Valley.

Within it were more than ten first-tier Spiritual Veins, with several small Cultivator Family powers scattered about.

Although there weren't many Spiritual objects in Niu Chengzhu's Storage Pouch, there were quite a few books and maps.

The maps were even circulated from within the Jiao Demon Sect and were very detailed.

The maps included the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, the Five Elements Immortal City, and parts of Qi Country in the northwestern desert region.

These were exactly what Shi Chuan needed.

And this Black Tooth River Valley was where the Yin Underworld Insect Cave was located. The path Shi Chuan chose to take to the Five Elements Immortal City passed through this place.

He could just take the Yin Underworld Insect King and control that batch of flying winged demonic insects.

After refining such a demonic insect group, it was possible to extract a few drops of demonic insect essence blood.

Within the incomplete memories of the Eternal Vine, there was a method for refining puppets that required the aid of demonic insect essence blood to refine a half-demonic insect puppet.

This demonic insect puppet refining method was perfectly suited for Niu Chengzhu's Physical Body, which Shi Chuan had just acquired.

Although Niu Chengzhu's Physical Body had become a mess, with many broken bones and withered Qi and blood, after being refined and repaired into a puppet, it was still possible to maintain it in the ranks of a second-tier Corpse Puppet.

However, to fully refine it into a second-tier Corpse Puppet, demonic insect essence blood alone might not be enough.

Many other Materials were also needed.

Once these Materials reached the Five Elements Immortal City, with the more than 20,000 Spirit Stones in Shi Chuan's Storage Pouch, there was a good chance of refining Niu Chengzhu's Corpse into a second-tier Corpse Puppet.

This was slightly easier than cultivating a first-tier Perfection Red Scale Puppet to advance to the second-tier.

Just as Shi Chuan entered the Black Tooth River Valley amidst the rain.

The tai peak token in his Storage Pouch, which Shi Chuan had split a wisp of Divine Soul to constantly monitor, began to show some activity.

Shi Chuan infused a wisp of Divine Soul into its internal space.

"Number Three, you're finally in. Let's chat privately..."

When Shi Chuan, controlling the Number Three ancient text, entered the internal space of the tai peak token, the voice of the Number Four girl came from his ear.

Immediately, Shi Chuan sensed a wisp of Divine Thought aura coming towards him, and the two instantly entered an independent private chat space.

"This time, I still have to thank Fellow Daoist Number Three for his help, which allowed us to seize the initiative, learn the approximate time of the three Sects' confrontation, and successfully obtain the treasure."

"I know that Fellow Daoist Number Three must be a Cultivator near the Five Elements Immortal City."

"Therefore, I opened a private account in the Ten Thousand Treasures Immortal Pavilion within the Five Elements Immortal City. It can be opened with this incantation and secret command. The items stored in the account's memory are my thank you gift."

"In the future, if Fellow Daoist needs help, just ask. This thank you gift, of course, does not count towards the favor owed."

Before Shi Chuan could respond, the Number Four girl meticulously recited the incantation and secret command to open the account, every word profound.

Shi Chuan heard every single word clearly.

However, he had no intention of opening the thank you gift from Number Four while he was in the Qi Refining Stage. It wouldn't matter if he opened it after completing Foundation Establishment.

Currently, Shi Chuan was not lacking Foundation Establishment Pills and even had surplus Foundation Establishment Spiritual objects.

With such preparations for Foundation Establishment, he was even more secure than many Core Disciples of Core Formation Sects when they made their Breakthrough.

"Oh, right, this time I heard that in the Ten Thousand Treasures Immortal Pavilion within the Five Elements Immortal City, there might be a Spiritual object that can replace the red serpent dragon fruit: a five-hundred-year-old Dragon Ginseng Grass!"

"Such a Medium Grade second-tier Spiritual Plant is quite expensive. I hope Fellow Daoist can be prepared."

With that, Number Four did not engage in further pleasantries and cut off the connection to the private chat space.

Shi Chuan had not expected that Fellow Daoist Number Four within this tai peak token would even give him a thank you gift.

However, Shi Chuan always harbored a sense of caution.

He would wait until he reached the Foundation Establishment Stage and had some self-preservation ability before going to the Ten Thousand Treasures Immortal Pavilion to open this incantation and secret command.

Since Number Four had successfully obtained the treasure and retreated safely,

it was likely that the chaos in the three Sects' territories would gradually subside in a few days, perhaps forming a newpattern.

But the struggle for such a third-tier Spiritual Vein, the Jiao Demon Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect would certainly not give way easily. There would inevitably be a fierce struggle before a winner could be decided for the additional portion.

Shi Chuan collected his thoughts.

He headed straight for the Evil Cave where the Yin Underworld insect swarm was entrenched.

In the continuously rainy river valley, rivers crisscrossing were soon visible.

As Shi Chuan controlled his flying boat to pass over the hundred-zhang wide river, he could vaguely feel the prying eyes of some demonic creatures in the river.

A moment later.

Shi Chuan arrived at the northeast corner of the Black Tooth River Valley.

As soon as he arrived outside this Evil Cave, he saw three Cultivators, two women and one man, collecting Evil Qi outside the Evil Cave. In front of each Cultivator was a black jade gourd, its mouth open, and three wisps of dark blue Evil Qi flew out from the cave, drilling into the black jade gourds.

Furthermore, a faint chirping sound could be vaguely heard from within the gourds.

"Oh?"

"Evil Qi-gathering Magical Artifacts. My luck is quite something."

Shi Chuan was very satisfied.

His Divine Thought swept over them. The two women and one man were all wearing blue Magical Robes, on which an eight-winged snake-insect pattern was imprinted. It was clear they all came from the same Family.

The two female Cultivators were both at the fourth level of Qi Refining, appearing to be only in their early twenties. The male Cultivator, at the fifth level of Qi Refining, was a middle-aged man with a long face and sallow complexion.

"Go."

Then Shi Chuan released the Corpse Crow and the Red Scale Puppet from his corpse raising bag. These few Cultivators from a small Family, only at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, could be easily controlled with a scare.

"Caw—"

After the Corpse Crow was released, its body rapidly expanded, immediately skyrocketing from a dozen inches to about a zhang (about 3.3 meters). Its caw was extremely penetrating, echoing for a long time in the surrounding mountain forests for several miles.

The pressure of the Late Stage Qi Refining demonic puppet swept in all directions. After flapping its wings twice, it hovered above the heads of the two women and one man.

"Not good, it's a Late Stage Qi Refining demonic creature. Run quickly!"

The sallow-faced man with the long face's pupils contracted, and he cried out in alarm.

The other two younger female Cultivators were also filled with terror, completely at a loss.

At this moment, a burly, massive figure walked out from the mountain forest on one side, covered in red scales, with a pair of ox horns on its head. Its aura was like a vast abyss, pressing down on the three of them, making them unable to breathe.

"Qi Refining... Perfection!!"

The long-faced man felt despair.

His legs went weak, and he directly knelt on the ground. These two demonic creatures were at least in the Late Stage Qi Refining, which was a certain death situation for the three of them.

But when the long-faced man, Zhu Ying, felt a will to die, he looked up and saw the figure of a gaunt old man slowly approaching in the forest, treading on black clouds. A glimmer of hope ignited in his desperate expression.

"Senior, Senior!"

"Junior is a member of the Zhu Family from Black Tooth River Valley. All the refined iron ore from our Family is supplied to the Niu Clan, a Foundation Establishment Family within the Three Thousand Spirit Valley!"

"Junior can represent the Zhu Clan and is willing to obey any command from Senior."

Zhu Ying hastily kowtowed, his tone respectful and deferential, a fine layer of sweat appearing on his forehead.

The two young female Cultivators beside him also knelt and kowtowed, not daring to breathe a sound.

"Oh?"

"You think you can use a mere Niu Clan to pressure this old man?"

Shi Chuan, wearing a black Fiend Vine Mask, sneered.

What a joke, the Clan Chief of the Niu Clan, Niu Chengzhu, was still lying in his corpse raising bag.

He didn't even know if the Niu Clan still had a future.