187: Zhang kept an eye on him.

Hundreds of miles of crimson waters, like a festering scar, were embedded upon the land of the Southern Border.

Before even drawing close, an extremely thick stench of blood crashed into the protective spiritual light like a physical force, producing a sizzling sound of corrosion.

The lake's surface was not peaceful.

The viscous blood-water tumbled like boiling oil, with massive bubbles bursting one after another.

Every time a bubble burst, it would release a distorted vengeful soul that let out a shrill shriek, only to be immediately torn apart by the even more ferocious Evil Qi around it, merging back into the endless blood and filth.

“This is the Blood Lake.”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan stood atop the clouds, looking down at the hellish scene below; his eyes held both wariness and greed.

Gu Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, grey mist swirling around him, keeping all the resentful thoughts that tried to corrode him three feet away.

He did not respond, his gaze passing over the core regions where Evil Qi soared to the heavens, landing directly on the westernmost side.

That place was the sewage outlet of the Blood Lake.

It was also their destination for this trip—the Western Desolate Marsh.

The group lowered their flight lights and landed on a muddy beach.

As soon as they landed, Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan's face turned green.

It was too filthy.

There was no pure Evil Qi here at all; there were only various severed limbs, rotting demon corpses, and various colorful toxic residues drifting down from upstream.

The mud beneath their feet was a sickly yellowish-brown, soft to the touch, as if stepping on the rotting flesh of a giant.

A nauseating mixed stench filled the air, and even the circulation of spiritual power became sluggish.

“Cough, cough...”

In the distance, Crimson Powder Maiden covered her mouth and nose, standing by the “Peach Blossom Ferry” where peach blossoms were in full bloom, transmitting her voice from dozens of miles away.

“Fellow Daoist Protracting Purity, is the scent over there still authentic? If you can't bear it, this little one's Peach Blossom Ferry can be lent to you to avoid the brunt of it, as long as you are willing... tee-hee.”

Her laughter was full of schadenfreude.

The Thousand-Foot Old Monster didn't even bother to look over; he was busy directing his Disciples to scatter large handfuls of poisonous bait into the Myriad Snake Cave.

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan's face twitched violently.

He turned his head and stared fixedly at Gu Changsheng, his voice suppressed with an anger that was about to explode.

“Fellow Daoist Protracting Purity.”

“This is the ‘dust-covered pearl’ you spoke of?”

“This is clearly a latrine! Even the lowliest corpse refiners wouldn't want to be buried in such a hellhole!”

If he hadn't been wary of the other's unfathomable strength, he would likely have stormed off by now.

After paying such a high price and even risking offending the Wan Sha Hall, all they got in return was this junkyard?

How was he supposed to explain this to the Sect when he returned?

Gu Changsheng's expression remained unchanged.

He raised his foot and kicked aside a half-rotten skull, unsure if it was human or beast.

“Chen Mu.”

“Clear the area.”

Chen Mu, who had been silently following behind, did not hesitate for a moment upon hearing the command.

His left leg stomped hard on the ground.

Boom!

Countless blue-purple vines surged out like wild pythons, instantly covering the ground for a hundred feet around.

The mountains of trash and corpses were rapidly turned to ash under the strangulation and devouring of the vines.

In just a few moments, the beach was cleared into a clean, empty space.

Gu Changsheng gave his sleeve a wide flick.

Buzz.

An invisible Taiyin barrier rose, isolating all external prying eyes and sounds.

Only after doing all this did he slowly crouch down.

His palm, as fair as jade, plunged directly into the foul-smelling sludge under the astonished gaze of Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan.

“Fellow Daoist, you...”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan was about to speak.

Gu Changsheng flipped his wrist and grabbed a handful of viscous black mud.

“The Sect Leader only sees the surface filth.”

“But you forget that water flows to lower ground, and this Evil Qi... is the same.”

Within Gu Changsheng's palm, a light of Wither and Flourish suddenly lit up.

Life and death rotated; Withered Wood Encounters Spring.

The clump of black mud trembled violently in his hand, letting out a hissing scream as if it were alive.

Countless plumes of black smoke rose; those were the Impurities and toxic gases in the sludge, forcibly stripped and purified by the power of Wither and Flourish.

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan's eyes widened, and his breathing gradually quickened.

He saw that as the Impurities dispersed, a heart-palpitating dark red gradually revealed itself in Gu Changsheng's palm.

That was... “Condense.”

Gu Changsheng's five fingers suddenly clenched.

Crack.

When he opened his palm again, a thumb-sized crystal lay quietly in his palm.

It was dark red throughout, crystal clear, and seemed to have a miniature sea of blood sealed within.

A wave of Evil Qi, refined to the extreme and even half a notch higher than a “Blood Marrow Diamond,” instantly filled the entire barrier.

“Blood... Blood Fiend Crystal?!”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan cried out in shock, nearly pouncing forward.

He reached out with a trembling hand, wanting to touch the crystal, but stopped in mid-air, fearing it was just an illusion.

Blood Fiend Crystal.

It was the product of Evil Qi condensed to the extreme, usually only found at the bottom of the deepest abyss in the core of the Blood Lake.

A single piece was worth ten years of hard cultivation for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

“This... how is this possible...”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan spoke incoherently, the anger in his eyes long since vanished, replaced by a near-frenzied ecstasy.

“This is indeed the sewage outlet.”

Gu Changsheng casually tossed the priceless crystal to Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan, as if throwing an ordinary stone.

“But precisely because it is the sewage outlet, the heavy Evil Qi that has settled throughout the Blood Lake for thousands of years has also gathered here.”

“The water on top is dirty.”

“But the mud below...”

Gu Changsheng stood up and stomped on the beach beneath his feet.

“Is all gold.”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan held the Blood Fiend Crystal, his old face flushed red.

He extended his Divine Sense underground and sure enough, he discovered that beneath this thick layer of sludge, there was actually a Fiend Crystal Ore Vein stretching for dozens of miles!

Rich!

The Corpse Yin Sect was truly rich this time!

“Fellow Daoist Protracting Purity! You are truly a Divine Being!”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan trembled with excitement and bowed deeply to Gu Changsheng, his attitude as respectful as if he were bowing to an Ancestral Master.

“This old Daoist was blind and nearly ruined a great matter! I am ashamed! Truly ashamed!”

How could he find this mudflat disgusting now?

This was clearly a piece of fat meat dripping with oil!

And the best part was that in the eyes of the Wan Sha Hall and other Sects, this place was just a junkyard.

This meant that the Corpse Yin Sect could make a fortune in silence, without worrying about being targeted!

“The Sect Leader overstates it.”

Gu Changsheng accepted the bow, his expression remaining calm.

“Now that its identity has been verified, this one has a small request.”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan quickly straightened up and patted his chest, saying, “Please speak, Fellow Daoist! As long as this old Daoist can do it, there will be no hesitation!”

“The Evil Qi in this Western Desolate Marsh is mixed and difficult to refine, but it perfectly suits the path of my Dao of Wither and Flourish.”

Gu Changsheng pointed to the area beneath his feet.

“This one intends to enter secluded cultivation here for a few days, using this Death Qi accumulated over ten thousand years to temper my Dao.”

“As for the mining...”

“The Sect Leader should personally arrange for trusted aides to carry it out in secret; remember not to let any word leak out.”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan was even more overjoyed upon hearing this.

He had originally worried that Gu Changsheng would take the opportunity to demand a larger share, but he hadn't expected the other party to proactively suggest secluded cultivation and hand over all mining rights to him.

What noble character was this?

What kind of disregard for worldly wealth was this?

“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist!”

Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan made a solemn promise, “This old Daoist will immediately dispatch trusted Elders to guard this place and will not let a single fly disturb your peaceful cultivation!”

“Then I shall trouble you.”

Gu Changsheng nodded slightly.

He flicked his sleeve and led Chen Mu toward the depths of the beach, to the most concentrated and hidden corner of Evil Qi.

That was where the System had marked the “array eye.”

It was also the burial place of that Golden Core Ancient Demon's remains.

Watching Gu Changsheng's departing back, Immortal Master Sect Master Youquan tightly gripped the Blood Fiend Crystal in his hand, his eyes full of emotion.

“With such an Enshrined, the heavens are truly blessing my Corpse Yin Sect!”

...Hundreds of miles away.

In the core area of the Blood Lake, Myriad Soul Island.

Blood Fiend Master sat high upon an altar built of white bones, his gaze piercing through layers of blood mist to look toward the Western Desolate Marsh from afar.

Beside him, Ling Yunzhi stood with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed.

“Over there... there's movement.”

Ling Yunzhi spoke in a deep voice.

Although separated by dozens of miles, his beast-like intuition still made him feel a trace of unease.

It was as if a prey that originally belonged to him was being quietly consumed by some invisible existence.

“Shielded, Wither and Flourish circulation.”

Blood Fiend Master's ghost-fire-like eyes flickered, and he let out a cold laugh of unknown meaning.

“That old thing is guarding against us.”

“Revered Master, could there really be something strange about the Western Desolate Marsh?”

Ling Yunzhi couldn't help but ask, “I've always felt that Protracting Purity doesn't seem like the type to do a losing trade.”

Blood Fiend Master shook his head, his withered fingers lightly tapping on the armrest.

“I explored that place a hundred years ago; besides sludge and toxic barriers, even the Evil Qi isn't pure. What could be strange about it?”

“Perhaps...”

Blood Fiend Master paused, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes.

“He knows his strength is inferior and wants to find a remote corner to hide and stay quiet, to avoid being drawn into the struggle between our families.”

“After all, the Dao of Wither and Flourish yi wood is best at survival.”

Ling Yunzhi's brow relaxed slightly upon hearing this, but the doubt in the depths of his eyes did not completely dissipate.

“Keep an eye on him.”

Blood Fiend Master suddenly spoke, his tone icy.

“Whether he's truly foolish or just pretending.”

“In this Blood Lake territory, it's fine if he stays in his place.”

“But if he dares to make any inappropriate little moves...”

Blood Fiend Master reached out and made a crushing motion toward the Void Realm.

Boom!

The blood waves below suddenly exploded, and a Second-tier Demon Crocodile that was lurking was directly crushed into a mist of blood.

“The vengeful souls in this Blood Lake wouldn't mind having one more Purple Mansion for company.”

Ling Yunzhi watched the mist of blood, a cruel arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

“This Disciple understands.”