The Beauty Trap

There were now twenty-one Black-Bellied Beetle Gu. The first five he had raised were already close to the strength of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer.

Actually, if Song Wen devoted all his efforts to raising them, he could have bred even more Black-Bellied Beetle Gu. But they consumed too many resources, forcing him to keep their numbers under control.

These twenty-one Black-Bellied Beetle Gu alone consumed roughly twenty Spirit Stones every day. That came to six hundred Spirit Stones a month, an expenditure Song Wen could truly no longer bear.

As for ordinary Beetle Gu, they were no longer of any use to Song Wen, and he had already disposed of them all.

Song Wen had also discovered that controlling multiple Beetle Gu at once consumed his mental strength.

Thanks to his cultivation of the Soul-Banishing Technique, Song Wen's mental strength was now roughly on par with that of a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator. Otherwise, he would not have been able to control so many Black-Bellied Beetle Gu at once.

The benefits of powerful mental strength did not stop there. After it grew stronger, Song Wen gained a deeper understanding of cultivation arts, and his cultivation became much smoother.

With no one to guide him, he had relied entirely on his own exploration to cultivate the Corpse King Blood Refinement Art. There had once been many things he did not understand, so he could only follow the gourd to draw the dipper and force himself through the cultivation. Now that he understood the art a step further, cultivating it had become much easier.

Greater mental strength was also of immense help to Song Wen's cultivation of spells and talisman drawing.

An ordinary Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator needed roughly one breath to cast Fireball Technique, while Song Wen needed only half a breath. The same was true for Shield Technique. Ordinary cultivators needed two breaths, while Song Wen needed only one.

Song Wen considered where he still needed improvement.

First, his close-combat ability was decent. The Corpse King Blood Refinement Art had forged him a powerful body, and with a low-grade magical artifact Bone-Slicing Knife that he used daily to dissect corpses, his knife work was fairly practiced.

His only weakness was that he lacked any true blade technique for fighting enemies. But blade techniques could not be mastered overnight, so he could only set that aside for the time being.

Second, he had talismans and Black-Bellied Beetle Gu for long-range combat.

Third, he had Flight Technique and Blood Escape Technique for fleeing, and Blood Sacrifice Technique for desperate battles.

Blood Escape Technique and Blood Sacrifice Technique were spells that could be cultivated during the Early Qi Refinement Stage. Song Wen had mastered them long ago.

As for Flight Technique, which could only be cultivated during the Qi Refining Middle Stage, Song Wen once again displayed extraordinary talent for spells and grasped its rudiments in merely two days. However, he still could not wield Flight Technique with perfect ease, and needed some time to cast it. In a true fight for his life, that would be fatal.

He still lacked a defensive magical artifact. Shield Technique and Shield Talismans were still somewhat too weak in a life-and-death struggle.

Song Wen entered his cave dwelling, and the first thing he saw was a bright red coffin.

Inside the coffin lay a Corpse Puppet that had yet to be fully refined.

Two months earlier, Song Wen had spent a great sum to purchase the intact corpse of a Late Qi Refinement body cultivator.

When he had first bought the corpse, Song Wen had only been at the Qi Refining Third Layer. His cultivation was still too weak to support the successful refinement of a Corpse Puppet. If he had forced it, he would most likely have refined nothing more than an ordinary walking corpse with little combat power.

Only after breaking through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer did Song Wen begin refining the Corpse Puppet.

The talismans and formation markings on the Corpse Puppet had long since been inscribed. What it now lacked was nourishment from Yin-Baleful Qi and Corpse-Baleful Qi.

This bright red coffin was no ordinary coffin either. Several yin-attributed spirit materials had been mixed with human blood to draw corpse-nourishing runes upon it.

Song Wen estimated that in another two or three days, the corpse would be successfully refined and break out of the coffin.

By then, the Corpse Puppet would possess at least the strength of the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Moreover, as it continuously refined yin-attributed treasures in the future, its power could increase even further.

For this trip outside to carry out a sect mission, Song Wen planned to put the Corpse Puppet in the open. After all, the Qi Refining Third Layer strength he displayed was somewhat too weak and made it easy for others to look down on him.

He had already been in the Corpse Demon Sect for a year. Having a Qi Refining Fourth Layer Corpse Puppet was not too hard to explain—after all, who did not have a bit of fortuitous opportunity?

After giving himself a simple disguise and altering his aura, Song Wen donned a cloak and left his cave dwelling.

His cave dwelling was located in a remote area, with few people visiting it normally, so he did not need to worry about encountering acquaintances the moment he stepped outside.

Upon reaching the market district, Song Wen headed directly toward a particularly large magical artifact shop.

"Senior, what would you like to purchase?"

The moment Song Wen entered, he saw a beautiful, tall woman dressed in revealing clothes approach him with a seductive smile.

The woman's cultivation was very weak, only at the level of Qi Refinement Initiation, yet an unusual allure radiated from her whole body.

There was still a trace of youthful innocence in her features, but every gesture she made brimmed with the coquettish charm of a mature woman. This contrast did not feel abrupt; instead, it added to her allure.

Her clothing was very thin, exposing a large expanse of snowy white flesh across her chest. The slit in her silk skirt rose extremely high, nearly reaching the roots of her thighs.

As she walked, the hem of her skirt swayed in the breeze, revealing and concealing her long, fair legs. Even her thin undergarments were occasionally exposed to the air.

When the woman came within a meter of Song Wen, she slightly bent at the waist.

At once, the two snowy white rabbits gave a little bounce.

Song Wen pulled back his gaze before it could be swallowed by that ravine, unable to stop himself from sighing inwardly. He had not expected the Cultivation World to still have tricks like the beauty trap.

But he was only here to buy magical artifacts. Was there really any need to use a beauty trap on him?

Song Wen steadied his mind and said calmly, "Do you have defensive magical artifacts?"

"Of course. Please follow me, Senior."

The woman twisted her water-snake waist as she led the way.

Song Wen followed close behind. A faint fragrance from the woman drifted toward him, carrying a strange magic that made one's mind involuntarily sink into intoxication, unwilling to awaken.

The woman led Song Wen to a display case and pointed at it.

"Please look, Senior. This small shield is one of the finest low-grade magical artifacts. Though it is only palm-sized, once you infuse it with spiritual power, it can expand to the size of a person and withstand attacks from a Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivator."

"Then there is this low-grade magical robe. It can automatically adjust to its owner's figure and change in size."

"And this low-grade magical artifact ghost banner, it can..."

The woman's voice was like a succubus's moan, yet also like sweet nothings whispered between lovers, making one unable to resist sinking into it.

Thanks to his powerful mental strength, Song Wen was not bewitched by the woman. However, he noticed the flaw in her words.

The cultivation he displayed was at the Qi Refining Third Layer, while hers had barely entered Qi Refinement Initiation. How had she seen through the cultivation he had revealed?

Otherwise, without even asking, she would not have recommended nothing but low-grade magical artifacts to him.

Ever since entering the shop, he had only said that he wanted defensive magical artifacts. He had never said he wanted low-grade magical artifacts.

The woman before him had clearly seen that he was at the Qi Refining Third Layer. That was why she had recommended what she considered the most suitable items for him: low-grade magical artifacts.

This woman had concealed her own cultivation!

Song Wen's vigilance surged.

Song Wen was certain that he had never met this woman before, and there should be no entanglement between them. He should not have any enemies in the Cultivation World either.

Therefore, this woman's concealed cultivation and presence here should have nothing to do with him.

He had merely arrived at the right time and happened to run into her.

Song Wen relaxed somewhat and decided to leave this shop as quickly as possible.

"Do you have any mid-grade defensive magical artifacts?" Song Wen stared straight ahead at the display case as he spoke.

By now, he was basically certain that the woman's cultivation was very high, at least in the Late Qi Refinement stage. Otherwise, with his mental strength, he should have been able to see through her true cultivation.

At the same time, he completely withdrew his mental strength, lest the woman notice that he had been probing her and bring unnecessary trouble upon himself.