Sha Condensation Ground

The Blood Jade Tree was entirely crimson, with thick liquid flowing within its branches and trunk.

The scarlet leaves were densely covered with labels reading [Insect-Leaf Body].

Fang Huai took one look and immediately felt a sense of spiritual contamination.

Based on the number of labels on each leaf, every single one had gathered at least a thousand Blood Jade Insects.

Taking a deep breath, a few wisps of Sha Qi entered his body, and Fang Huai was immediately surprised—the Sha Qi here was completely different from that in Poison Miasma Valley.

Normally, the Death Sha condensed from corpses appeared gray-white, with impure quality mixed with resentment and poisonous curses.

But the Sha Qi here was a light red in color and extremely pure in quality.

Observing closely, Fang Huai understood the reason.

The gray-white Death Sha generated by the corpses was drawn and encircled by the Blood Jade Tree, while the Blood Jade Insects that made up the tree absorbed and refined these impure Death Sha, then expelled a purified light red Living Sha.

He tried circulating the Hundred Sha Technique and found it was twice as effective with half the effort.

No wonder the Zheng Family could still provide Qi Refining disciples every year under such exploitation by the Corpse Sha Sect—it was all thanks to this Blood Jade Tree.

Fang Huai looked at Zheng Fengzu, who was staring at the Blood Jade Tree with undisguised pain in his eyes:

"In the end, we've been forced to this point. I can only destroy you. One last time, let you have a full meal."

He said in a deep voice: "Feed the three of them to the Divine Tree!"

The Zheng Family clansmen immediately stepped forward and dragged the three over to the Blood Jade Tree.

They raised the blood-red roots and stabbed them into the three bodies.

Fortunately, the blood-red roots were also composed of Blood Jade Insects, and soon after entering Fang Huai's body, they were suppressed by the Little Corpse Meteor Insect.

"Zheng Xianguang, Zheng Xianrui!"

"Here!"

"You two have already reached the peak of Qi Refining Layer 3. Shed your Mortal Skin here and break through to Qi Refining Layer 4.

I'll give you three days. If you succeed, you'll be promoted to family guardians. If you fail, blame your own thin luck."

Based on past patterns, Zheng Fengzu calculated that at most five more days would pass before the sect forcibly recalled these Corpse Sha Sect disciples.

If the disciples didn't respond, the sect would know they were in danger and send high-level cultivators to investigate.

"Three days?" The two Zheng clansmen were shocked.

If they had excellent talent and could invite a Skinning Peak expert from the Corpse Sha Sect to help with the skinning, they might complete the entire process within three days.

But their talent was mediocre, and the Zheng Family's skinning techniques were crude. If the Mortal Skin wasn't fully stripped, the new skin would grow extremely slowly.

Forget three days—even if given a week, it would be absolutely impossible to complete the three steps of shedding skin, breaking through, and generating a spiritual root.

If forcibly terminated midway, they would inevitably suffer Qi Deviation and die on the spot.

Zheng Xianguang and Zheng Xianrui exchanged glances and said: "Patriarch, we can't even pass the skinning stage. We know we can't break through in three days. Let's wait until we reach the New Sect."

Zheng Fengzu shook his head: "No. The journey to the New Sect is long. With only me, a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator, it's hard to ensure the family's safe arrival. That's why I need you to break through and help.

Go ahead and break through. I'll protect you during this time.

If you're really worried, there are three Blood Bottles here with decent cultivation."

Zheng Fengzu had his own calculations.

The reason these two clansmen hadn't been forcibly conscripted into the sect was their poor talent—they weren't worth the sect's notice.

Now, if they broke through to Qi Refining Layer 4, the family would gain two capable hands, which was naturally good.

If they failed, they could be fed to the Blood Jade Tree, letting the Divine Tree grow more leaves to take to the New Sect—that too would be a merit.

Fang Huai's heart tightened under Zheng Fengzu's gaze, and he spoke: "Patriarch Zheng, I'm a Skinning Peak disciple. Perhaps I can offer some help."

"A Skinning Peak disciple?"

Zheng Fengzu hesitated. Skinning Peak disciples were skilled at handling demon beast hides, so naturally they could handle human skin as well.

If they could help the two clansmen shed their skin and nourish them with the special Sha Qi here, they might actually break through within three days.

Seeing Zheng Fengzu's hesitation, Fang Huai knew there was hope and continued: "I'll do this only if the Patriarch spares my life and lets me serve the Zheng Family like an ox or a horse!"

Hearing Fang Huai's words, the two clansmen also saw a lifeline and begged Zheng Fengzu to agree.

Seeing the other clansmen pleading as well, Zheng Fengzu finally said coldly: "Your meridians are crippled. How can you help?"

"Skinning isn't difficult. With a teacher's guidance, progress can be made rapidly. The Patriarch can wield the knife himself while I direct from the side."

Fang Huai looked Zheng Fengzu straight in the eyes, his expression full of sincerity.

In the end, Zheng Fengzu nodded.

He cut off the Blood Jade roots binding Fang Huai and ordered someone to hold him steady. Gathering his focus, Zheng Fengzu followed Fang Huai's instructions and sliced open Zheng Xianguang's skin.

In the past, clan members shedding their Mortal Skin were always handled by Corpse Sha Sect disciples. Now doing it himself, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

But under Fang Huai's guidance, his movements grew smoother, and he even felt a flash of insight.

Half an hour later, Zheng Xianguang's skin was perfectly stripped. He sat cross-legged and entered a breakthrough state.

"As expected of a descendant of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Patriarch Zheng—with just a little guidance, you handle it like a fish in water," Fang Huai said.

Zheng Fengzu laughed. "You do have a way with words. Taking you in as a household slave wouldn't be out of the question."

He had found the Essentials of Skinning in Fang Huai's Storage Bag. From now on, as long as he trained his clansmen according to the manual, he could completely replace Fang Huai's role.

Saying these things was merely to steady Fang Huai, luring him into continuing the skinning work.

Once the skinning was successful, he would kill him on the spot, eliminating the threat forever.

The Zheng family was in good spirits, after all, they could preserve two quasi-Qi Refining fourth-layer cultivators.

Fang Huai was also in good spirits, after all, his plan was proceeding smoothly.

As time passed, the Zheng family's attention was fixed on the patriarch and Zheng Xianrui. Fang Huai seized the opportunity and shot a glance at Liu Xiange not far away.

Liu Xiange was sharp-witted; she understood instantly and quietly mobilized the spiritual energy within her body.

"Skinning Knife, cut forward three inches fast!"

Deep in an epiphany, wholly focused on skinning, Zheng Fengzu subconsciously executed Fang Huai's command.

"Patriarch!"

Hearing his clansmen's cries, Zheng Fengzu looked closely and saw that he had actually severed Zheng Xianrui's neck.

At this moment, Zheng Xianrui's head and torso were connected only by a thin layer of skin and a few strands of flesh.

His face full of disbelief, he held his head with both hands, desperately circulating his spiritual energy to keep his head and body joined.

"You!" Zheng Fengzu couldn't understand why Fang Huai would sabotage him at this moment. Just as he was about to demand an answer, he felt a stabbing pain in the sole of his foot.

Lifting his foot to look, there was a hole in his shoe. A black beetle wriggled its rear and burrowed into his foot.

"Patriarch Zheng, now you can taste what it's like to have insects gnaw at your body."

"Yin Underworld Claw!"

As Fang Huai finished speaking, two ghastly white demonic hands suddenly appeared beside the Zheng clansmen who were restraining him, piercing through both their bodies.

"Mystic Ice Slash!"

Zheng Fengzu roared, and an ice blade slashed toward Fang Huai.

But Fang Huai nimbly dodged, circling around to the Blood Jade Tree, and chopped off the roots that had pierced into Liu Xiange's body with a hand blade.

"Corruption Curse!" Liu Xiange immediately cast the spell, and foul, rotting patches appeared on the bodies of the Zheng disciples.

"Why can none of you be affected by the Blood Jade Insects?" Zheng Fengzu roared in fury.

"I'll tell you once you're in your coffin."

Seeing Zheng Shuzu conjure a spiritual energy barrier to stop the Little Corpse Meteor Insect inside his body from advancing, Fang Huai and Liu Xiange cast spells to harass him relentlessly.

On the Zheng family's side, aside from Zheng Fengzu, the two most capable fighters—one was in a breakthrough state and unable to act, the other had his neck severed—were both useless.

As for the remaining rabble, under the assault of Liu Xiange's curse, they had nearly lost all ability to fight.