Midnight.
The scorching sun transformed into a chilling, pale moon. All things in the freezing desert fell silent, and no sound could be heard.
Outside Tamu Town, the men of the City Guard Army huddled near bonfires, using the burning flames to keep warm.
Some drank to remember fallen comrades, some sank into fear that they would not survive the great calamity of the Demon Spirit Tide, and others held certain objects to contemplate something.
"Brother Qin, we revealed all the news about Zhao Changfeng to the Primal Demon Temple. Won't that be a bit bad?"
Shen Yanrong's beautiful face flickered between light and shadow in the firelight, and she appeared somewhat restless and uneasy.
Zhao Changfeng had killed Xiang Lin of the Primal Demon Temple, and was set on forcibly occupying that Earth Yin Cold Spring. She always felt that Tong Yi's conversation with the two of them meant he would not let the matter rest.
Yet, the Primal Demon Temple was the very foundation of the nation and also the sacred land of cultivation she had yearned for over many years.
"Don't blame yourself. The Primal Demon Temple is the true backing of our Beichen Demon Kingdom," Qin Hui sighed softly, offering comfort. "The heavy responsibility of resisting the demon spirits will ultimately be borne by the Primal Demon Temple."
There were still hundreds of thousands of mortals living in Heavenly Shield City. Once Tamu Town fell, it would be Heavenly Shield City's turn next.
Although the ancestral lands of his and Shen Yanrong's families were not in Heavenly Shield City, because the two of them served in Heavenly Shield City, some of their relatives had followed them there.
Only by holding Tamu Town could Heavenly Shield City escape being contaminated by demon spirits and avoid being plunged into misery.
Teng Kun had been missing without a trace ever since, and no one knew whether he was dead or alive. Reinforcements from the Primal Demon Temple like Tong Yi were their only reliance.
Both publicly and privately, they had to firmly stand on the side of the Primal Demon Temple.
The two of them understood this, and their other colleagues in the City Guard Army knew it just as well.
Therefore, when Zhao Changfeng engaged in a fierce battle with Xiang Lin, those colleagues in the City Guard Army had spoken up to warn Zhao Changfeng that the Blood Shadow Art was extraordinary.
Shen Yanrong frowned slightly and sighed, "That Earth Yin Cold Spring is only useful to those who practice cold-toxin cultivation techniques like the Profound Yin Scripture. Zhao Changfeng should just give it to them."
Qin Hui shook his head, indicating he did not know what Zhao Changfeng was thinking.
The underground cavern.
A black-and-red blood shadow materialized before Zhao Changfeng. As willpower was continuously injected into it, the shadow gradually generated a tearing sensation, as if it would shatter at any moment.
Still no good.
Zhao Changfeng frowned and sighed inwardly.
Xiang Lin was much stronger than Chen Haoming. The Profound Yin Scripture he practiced already possessed extraordinary might, and he was bolstered by a high-rank spirit artifact, plus his cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Yuanqi Stage. This made the kill far from as effortless as it appeared on the surface.
The five blood shadows had nearly exhausted his willpower. If Xiang Lin still hadn't died, he wouldn't have been confident of slaying him smoothly.
Having filled his Sea of Spiritual Qi with spirit jade, suppressed the riot in his Qi-Blood Sea, and recovered his injuries with the aid of a second-rank spirit beast, he now began to ponder how to enhance the power of the Blood Shadow Art.
After all, he would be responsible for slaughtering everyone below the Primordial Spirit Realm next, and his current willpower reserves fell far short.
Two battles had given him inspiration. He wondered if gathering the willpower that should have been split into three blood shadows and injecting it all into a single blood shadow could drastically surge the power of the Blood Shadow Art once more.
Killing Chen Haoming had actually only taken three blood shadows, while the last two merely blew Chen Haoming into mangled limbs and flesh.
After advancing his realm to the middle Yuanqi Stage and taking the risk of tempering his viscera, tendons, and bones with the qi and blood of spirit beasts, he had also used five blood shadows to slay Xiang Lin.
Those five blood shadows were the real deal, and he had even followed up with a final slash to cleave Xiang Lin in half to thoroughly extinguish his life force.
Because his existing willpower was too scarce, Zhao Changfeng thought of economizing as much as possible, attempting to concentrate all his willpower into a single blood shadow in the hope of solving all trouble with one strike.
Yet, try as he might, he finally recognized a stark fact.
A single blood shadow simply could not bear a sufficient amount of willpower. Otherwise, long before he could use it to blast a target to death, the willpower would first tear apart and detonate the blood shadow he created.
Qi and blood! The problem lies in the qi and blood!
Because my qi and blood are insufficient and insufficiently pure, they cannot bear the excessive injection of willpower!
Once my qi and blood become more surging and refined, the life force of the blood shadow will grow increasingly vigorous and vibrant, allowing it to withstand the influx of even more willpower!
I still need to temper and refine my qi and blood, preferably breaking through another minor realm to reach the late Yuanqi Stage.
When my entire body's blood has been cleansed and every single drop harbors abundant qi and blood, a blood shadow condensed with a brand-new physique will definitely be able to bear more willpower!
Zhao Changfeng quickly sorted out his thoughts.
Next, he once more repeated his dry and repetitive cultivation, continuing to extract the power within the frozen spirit beasts, using a vast number of spirit beasts to bolster his cultivation.
Even knowing that hidden perils remained and that he might suffer backlash once more, he had no choice but to do so.
The demon spirit army would reappear at an unknown time, and he had to race against the clock to acquire stronger power at the fastest possible speed.
There were no sun and moon to be seen underground, and he knew not what day it was today.
"Zhao Changfeng."
Ruan Meizhen, who had been tempering her realm with toxic spirit beasts, called out softly from a corner, her voice lingering and melancholic. "I have returned to the Great Perfection of the Yuanqi Stage, and now I can attempt to break through to the realm once more."
During this period, the two had conversed from time to time. She no longer addressed Zhao Changfeng as "Junior Brother Zhao," but called him directly by name.
At this moment, she was clearly somewhat nervous and hesitant.
She had always been at the Great Perfection of the Yuanqi Stage; as long as her accumulation was sufficient, she could attempt to break through to the realm again at any time.
Taking back her hidden stashes from Chen Haoming, plus the venom of the second-rank toxic spirit beasts in the cavern, gave her the confidence to make another attempt.
Yet failure after failure had destroyed her confidence, and last time she had prepared so thoroughly, only to almost die in the wilderness.
"A good thing."
Zhao Changfeng smiled slightly and said, "If you successfully advance to the Primordial Spirit Realm, you will be able to provide me with immense help. Rest assured, this time I will willingly become your shield against disaster."
Shi Yue's death had dealt him a heavy blow. At that time, Shi Yue's Heart-Demon Obsession no longer existed within the second cauldron, while Ruan Meizhen's Heart-Demon Obsession still remained in the first cauldron.
If anything happened to Ruan Meizhen, the backlash of might would be unpredictable, and Zhao Changfeng did not dare to gamble.
Right now, he hoped more than anyone that Ruan Meizhen would live well and continuously generate the willpower he lacked the most.
"I... am a little scared."
Ruan Meizhen spoke the truth, a bitter expression showing on her heart-stirring face.
"I won't let you die."
Zhao Changfeng grinned, glanced at the pieces of spirit stone laid out beside her, and said, "Wait a moment. I'll go borrow some spirit jade for you."
Ruan Meizhen's spirit jade had been exhausted by him. When breaking through realms, spirit jade was far easier to use than spirit stones, eliminating the need to swap out spirit stones piece by piece midway.
On the watchtower.
Cui Pinyuan and Chen Jian sat in dull silence, quietly awaiting the arrival of the demon spirits, occasionally exchanging details about when the chaotic battle had broken out.
"Senior Cui, my Senior Sister is preparing to break through to the Primordial Spirit Realm. Could you spare some spirit jade for me?"
Zhao Changfeng sought him out and got straight to the point.
"Five pieces are more than enough."
Everyone was now a grasshopper tied to the same rope, so Cui Pinyuan naturally offered no refusal. He immediately fished out five translucent stones that looked like soft jade and signaled for Zhao Changfeng to come and take them.
"Many thanks, Senior Cui."
Zhao Changfeng smiled and stepped closer. Just as he was about to pick up those spirit jade pieces, his mind suddenly stirred.
The second cauldron was currently vacant, with no Heart-Demon Obsession residing within it, and what he lacked most right now was willpower.
He had tried with Chen Jian and could not project his Heart-Demon Obsession using the Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding Great Art, but would Cui Pinyuan work?
Just like Shi Yue, Cui Pinyuan was merely a rogue cultivator, and the probability of death was far too high.
Once the Heart-Demon Obsession was stationed inside, the two would henceforth be bound by a tether. He would repeatedly endure Cui Pinyuan's Heart-Demon Obsession, and if Cui Pinyuan died midway, he would likewise suffer backlash.
Yet right now, he truly lacked willpower...
Chen Jian was extremely cautious and careful, but when crisis struck, his actions were decisive and ruthless. Moreover, he was a formal disciple of the Ghost-Controlling Sect, making him naturally the best choice.
Unfortunately, he was unable to incorporate Chen Jian's Heart-Demon Obsession.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. Zhao Changfeng gritted his teeth in secret, silently executed the Heavenly Heart Demon-Seeding Great Art, and seized the chance while picking up the five pieces of spirit jade to touch Cui Pinyuan's hand.
A strange light flashed through his eyes and vanished.
"These pieces of spirit jade, I won't be returning them, you know."
Zhao Changfeng chuckled and departed with a carefree air.
The moment he left, Cui Pinyuan glared at the expressionless Chen Jian and could not help voicing the question that had been pent up in his chest for a long time: "Chen Jian, will you kill me to silence me after this is over?"
Pondering it for a spell, the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. He always felt Chen Jian was treating him like a spear to wield.
Chen Jian said indifferently, "Senior Cui, why say such things?"
Cui Pinyuan straightened his back and said in a deep voice, "If we are lucky enough to survive and the Demon Spirit Tide fades, you and Zhao Changfeng and the others will naturally leave."
"What about me? I can't leave that Earth Yin Cold Spring behind!"
"When the people of the Primal Demon Temple search around, they will naturally find me. I will be the one who has to face the interrogation of the Primal Demon Temple."
"You're afraid I'll spill things to the Primal Demon Temple and expose what we've done, so naturally you'll have to dispose of me along the way!"
"You only promised Zhao Changfeng you wouldn't kill him within half a year, but you didn't promise me!"
Cui Pinyuan said.
Chen Jian was taken aback, then retorted, "You and I are both in the Primordial Spirit Realm. Why does Senior think I have the ability to kill you?"
Cui Pinyuan went on, "I just have this feeling, and I know you should possess the strength to kill me!"
Chen Jian was silent for a moment, then replied with some annoyance, "If the two of us truly manage to survive, come with me to the Ghost-Controlling Sect afterward. I have a way to resolve the trouble on you so you won't have to rely on that Earth Yin Cold Spring anymore!"
Cui Pinyuan was both pleasantly surprised and thrilled. "Really?"
Chen Jian let out a cold snort. "When you kill Tong Yi, put some real effort into it. Stop hiding things out of fear that your identity will be exposed."
An unknown wilderness.
A wooden gravestone stood erected, bearing the inscription: "Tomb of my benevolent master, Cao Ming."
The youth knelt before the gravestone and kowtowed heavily, blood flowing from his forehead as a struggling, frantic expression filled his face.
"Master, I had no choice! I just wanted to live!"
"In this day and age, the Demonic Path prospers greatly and is dead set on hunting us down to the last. I've hidden and skulked for so many years, and how many times have I nearly died?"
"I'm sorry, Master. It is I who broke my oath, but I really can't hold on anymore!"
The youth wept until his voice was hoarse and exhausted, yet he resolutely and decisively switched to cultivating the Demonic Cultivation Art, from then on concealing his identity as a disciple of the Righteous Sun Sect.
He merely wished to survive.
So, just like Song Zejun and his wife, he also originated from so-called Righteous Dao practitioners.
Zhao Changfeng perused the imagery within the second cauldron, watching more scenes surface one by one, taking the opportunity to investigate the tragic circumstances of Cui Pinyuan's life.
Author's Note: Surprisingly, surprisingly there is still a Guild Leader who deigns to bestow favor on an outdated veteran author like Lao Ni. Thank you, thank you haha~~