Demon Seeding Scripture

Song Rong made no sound. Instead, he mouthed "Corpse Scripture" several times, his eyes burning with an intense yearning.

Once he saw that Ren Qing had memorized it, he threw back his head in laughter and closed his eyes.

Song Rong showed not the slightest unwillingness. Though he had pursued immortality, he faced death with a composure far beyond ordinary men, as if dying here had fulfilled his every wish.

Just as Ren Qing was about to ask about the Corpse Scripture, he noticed footsteps drawing nearer.

He instinctively turned around and saw countless black beetles swarming toward them, their buzzing deafening.

The beetles surged together and formed a human shape, from which Li Yaoyang slowly emerged.

"Don't be in such a hurry to take lives, or a new Forbidden Zone will form."

Mu Yi also drifted over through the thickets.

The two ignored Ren Qing and headed straight for Song Rong, intending to restrain him first so that he would not affect the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone.

But Song Rong had long harbored the will to die. The moment the Forbidden Guards appeared, the life force in him visibly drained away.

Before dying, he looked teasingly at the arriving Forbidden Guards, as though silently mocking them.

"Not good!!"

Right afterward, Song Rong's skin actually began to boil, transforming into twisted Human Faces that rapidly withered the surrounding grass and trees.

Thump, thump, thump.

The sound of a heartbeat rang out. Song Rong's heart also showed signs of coming back to life; this should have been the aberration of another one of his Arts.

Ren Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. Could this Art, like the Five Viscera God, act upon the internal organs?

Li Yaoyang approached Song Rong's corpse with a grim expression and bent down to inspect it.

"Did he die too cleanly?"

"If this place turns into a Forbidden Zone, and the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone swallows these two Eerie Objects, its area will become utterly enormous."

Mu Yi nodded. "This man's lifespan was exhausted. He had long resolved to die."

At that moment, the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone seemed to sense the Eerie Objects. The entire Camel Peak Mountain shook with growing violence, cracks spreading alongside the tremors.

"What a waste."

Li Yaoyang took out a miniature jade vial and poured a maggot the size of a fingernail into his palm.

The maggot was grayish white and gave off the smell of quicklime. As it crawled, it left behind powder-like slime.

Li Yaoyang stuffed the maggot into Song Rong's mouth, and the corpse immediately began twitching for no apparent reason.

The corpse's flesh and blood gradually petrified. Moments later, it became a stone statue and ceased moving.

The two Eerie Objects that had been on the verge of forming seemed to have had their pause buttons pressed, and Camel Peak Mountain's tremors came to an abrupt stop.

Ren Qing felt lingering fear. Fortunately, Camel Peak Mountain was guarded by Forbidden Guards. Otherwise, even if Song Rong had failed, he would still have caused no small amount of trouble.

Li Yaoyang gave Ren Qing a slight nod.

However, he had clearly forgotten having met him before. With a puzzled look, he asked, "A Fire Worker? Why aren't you a Forbidden Guard?"

Mu Yi said blandly, "Ren Qing possesses exceptional talent. Old Song will naturally serve as his guide."

"Heh heh heh..."

Li Yaoyang chuckled and said nothing more. Mu Yi's words carried a strong warning; she was clearly afraid that he would take an interest in Ren Qing.

Ren Qing kept studying Song Rong's stone-statue corpse, pondering the Art called the Corpse Scripture that Song Rong had mentioned before his death.

"Since the Disaster Aversion Forbidden Zone has stirred, I'll go check the situation. Miss Mu, stay here and wait for Old Song."

"I already informed them with the Thousand Sound Technique. They're still dealing with the Eerie Objects at the camp."

Li Yaoyang turned and left. Staying any longer would only waste time.

After Li Yaoyang had gone far away, Ren Qing asked curiously, "Is this corpse considered alive or dead now?"

"Dead. Li Yaoyang's Ash Worm can temporarily seal Eerie Objects, but it will need to be dealt with again after we return to the Yamen."

Ren Qing said with interest, "Then there's no danger now?"

After receiving Mu Yi's confirmation, Ren Qing approached the stone statue and lightly touched its skin with his palm.

He only felt a chill seeping out from the stone statue, only for it to be dispelled by the heat produced by Pig Eyes.

Wary of Mu Yi standing nearby, Ren Qing withdrew his hand. While waiting for Song Zongwu to arrive, he digested the information on the Eerie Objects in his mind.

Human Skin Book

Created by Eunuch Huang Ling. To cultivate this Art, one had to completely peel off one's skin, consume a specific medicinal catalyst to regrow it, and repeat the process seven times to succeed.

Mastered. Lifespan could not be consumed to master it.

Ren Qing felt somewhat regretful. It seemed an Art could only choose a single aberration path.

But the Arts of this world were as strange and varied as the stars in the sky. Even a lifetime spent to its utmost would never be enough to master them all, so why cling stubbornly to the Human Skin Book?

The other was the Art Song Rong had used to control the beast horde.

Demon Seeding Scripture

Inscribed upon the Heavenly Demon Stele. To cultivate this Art, one had to turn one's blood into demonic seeds, consuming ten times the blood of an ordinary person within twenty days to succeed.

Ren Qing clicked his tongue. In other words, he would have to lose half his blood every day.

Even if his blood-producing abilities could keep up, relentless blood loss would lead to organ failure, even death.

And that was without even mentioning whether the demonic seeds had side effects.

Ren Qing did not rush to consume lifespan.

First, mastering the Eerie Object of the Half-Corpse Realm required a full year of lifespan.

At the very least, he needed to indirectly probe the Forbidden Guards for the aberration path of the Demon Seeding Scripture. If the loss outweighed the gain, he might as well give it up.

Moreover, through chatting with Mu Yi, Ren Qing learned that the Eerie Objects would not be brought back to Sanxiang City anytime soon.

After all, if something happened along the way, it would surely affect thousands upon thousands of people.

Ren Qing had more than enough time to make plans concerning the Demon Seeding Scripture.

Nor did he need to risk being discovered by the Forbidden Guards.

He could still use accidentally consuming an Eerie Object as an excuse during the prison incident. But now, the Eerie Object had not even fully formed. If Ren Qing mastered the Demon Seeding Scripture out of nowhere, he would have a hundred mouths and still be unable to explain himself.

Ren Qing asked about news from the north. Mu Yi said that numerous Forbidden Zones existed north of Sanxiang City, but she knew little of the specifics.

More than half an hour later, Song Zongwu finally appeared on Camel Peak Mountain.

Seeing this, Mu Yi tactfully departed.

Song Zongwu's expression was somewhat complicated. He gazed at Song Rong's corpse for a long time before beginning to chant the Rebirth Mantra.

Ren Qing could tell that while it carried the intent of delivering Song Rong from suffering, it was more for the hundreds of people who had died because of Song Rong.

Ren Qing felt that Song Rong had given up his life so decisively partly because he did not want to meet Song Zongwu.

The two did not share deep feelings, but they were still father and son, blood thicker than water. The karmic bond between them, hidden in the unseen, could not be escaped.

Once Song Zongwu finished the rites, the moment he opened his eyes, he seemed to have washed away all worldly dust, gaining an ineffable and profound air.

Ren Qing understood that Song Zongwu's state of mind had broken through.

And the Asura Method was inherently tied to Buddhism, so one's state of mind should be closely connected to cultivation.

Song Zongwu wrapped the stone statue in cloth, then said, "Let's leave first. The mess at the camp is waiting for you to clean up."

"Huh?"

Ren Qing thought of how he would still need to rely on him and could only agree.

The two hurried toward the camp.

The road was littered with beast corpses. If they were made into cured meat, they would not have to worry about food for at least half a month.