Third Tier Spirit Slave

---- Little Ring Mountain, Chongming Sect

When Kang Dabao heard the news of Yang Xun's visit while he was in the palace, he was not in a hurry. He simply asked the disciple serving him to inform Ye Zhengwen, and then left it to the latter to handle.

Having already reached the Golden Core stage, how could he possibly do everything personally as before?

It wasn't until late afternoon that Ye Zhengwen came to report. He briefly explained the situation to Sect Leader Kang Da while presenting the Storage Bag he had just acquired, "Yang Xun said that besides a few Foundation Establishment Pill, he only sold a low-grade Law Treasure to repair the mountain-protecting array; the rest remained untouched."

The Storage Bag was lifted up by a wisp of fresh air. Kang Dabao glanced at it briefly before hearing Ye Zhengwen add, "There are some sensible people in his family, and they're quite obedient."

Zhou Yixiu, who had come to the hall with him, shook his head and sighed softly, "This news is probably known to all the cultivators in both the Mountain South and Mountain North regions. How can the Yang Household possibly protect themselves? If Yang Xun can't even understand this, he shouldn't be the head of the Yang Household anymore, otherwise he'll implicate the entire clan sooner or later."

The Storage Bag a considerable amount of rare and precious items, exceeding even what Sect Leader Kang Da had previously anticipated. However, he quickly suppressed the joy in his eyes and instead asked, "Are you just going to give them to me like this?"

Ye Zhengwen replied with a mocking expression, "It's not that easy. If I don't cooperate with the Yang Household's lead actor in making that play of declining three times, how can Yang Xun be at ease?"

Zhou Yixiu nodded repeatedly. "This fellow is still quite clear-headed, but I don't know if outsiders will believe him or not. It's alright, we'll help him if we can. If his family really suffers a massacre, then my Chongming Sect will do its best to avenge them."

Kang Dabao smiled faintly for a moment, but quickly calmed down and then spoke:

"Old Ye, go and register everything. If you take a fancy to any of the items here, you must use your Merit Points to offset the cost. If you really can't afford it, and you can't even raise the money through crowdfunding, then you must report to the head of the Merit Points Hall and arrange a loan from the public treasury. Don't break the rules."

After saying this, a flash of spiritual light appeared in the hand of Sect Leader Kang Da, and a piece of black spiritual silk appeared.

With a mere sweep of his divine sense, several useful items he had taken from his Storage Bag transformed into seal characters that landed on the bag and then floated into Ye Zhengwen's hand.

"If that's the case, I'm afraid we'll still need to reorganize the treasury's grand array, otherwise I won't be able to sleep soundly from now on." A hint of amusement appeared in Ye Zhengwen's single eye, and he was about to make a joke when, as if he had thought of something, he spoke solemnly again:

"That Yang Xun might not be honest. Who knows if he's hidden some rare treasures or tried to fool us with ordinary things? In that case, should we..."

Could this question possibly be made any clearer?

Ye Zhengwen, having also come from a life of danger, would never harbor a shred of compassion for outsiders. Kang Dabao naturally understood the purpose of the former's question, but without hesitation, he immediately rejected it:

"If he really wants to hide it, even if we capture him now, skin him alive, and torture the entire Yang Household, they still have a way of hiding that vital treasure. In another three or four hundred years, my family might even suffer some trouble because of it."

It would be good enough if we could gain some benefits and get off to a good start. Which cultivator in this world hasn't had some fortuitous encounters? If everyone wanted to fight and kill, and compete for everything, what would become of us?

"That's enough. Let's leave the matter of the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household here. I think this matter can also make the heads of other families see clearly how my Chongming Sect operates."

Ye and Zhou Sect Leader Kang Da's words for a while and found them to make some sense. Sect Leader Kang Da's actions this time had indeed improved his reputation considerably in the surrounding states.

Even when idle people in the neighborhood say that he is "good at bullying women," they know to add a line like "he also has the spirit of righteousness and integrity" to protect him.

It is likely that after this incident, if any family under the Chongming Sect obtains a valuable treasure that they are unable to control, they will consider "presenting it to the emperor for appraisal and exchanging it for some real benefits" as an alternative.

For the Chongming Sect at present, this is enough.

After all, before this incident, it was the Feiyue Jade Moon Shan Household that had just reported the Rainbow Mountain Yang Household for secretly hoarding valuable treasures. If the situation were reversed, they might not have been more obedient than the former.

The Sect Leader Kang Da never imagined that all the families under his jurisdiction would be happy to offer up their treasures. However, compared to before, he would definitely gain nothing. Even if he occasionally gained something later, it would still be considered a profit.

After all, human desires are endless, and the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance are the most harmful. Kang Dabao believes that his abilities are no less than those of his peers, but he still needs to constantly reflect on himself and be vigilant to avoid going astray.

Having said that, the three of them, each with their own important matters to attend to, went their separate ways.

Unlike Ye and Zhou, who were overworked and often rested on the altar in the Merit Points Hall, and who, nearing their death, still stood in the fields all day with a hoe, this was different.

The most important task for Sect Leader Kang Da now is to cultivate diligently. However, since returning to the Jade Toad cave abode, he has not picked up any Daoist scriptures to read.

He took off his sect leader's robes, changed into ordinary clothes, and slowly stepped into a newly carved-out quiet room.

The newly Xie Yi Jieyi Shangxiu was covered in fresh talismans and was alone inside the Third Tier trapping array plate that Kang Dabao had purchased at a high price from Myriad Treasures Trading Company. He was almost lifeless and showed no trace of his Golden Core form.

As the instigator, Sect Leader Kang Da was naturally moved by this scene. A hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly dispelled by a surge of hope.

Even though the six senses were blocked while Xiu Ming was trapped in the Xie Yi, he still knew that outsiders had entered, and immediately started shouting again:

"Is it Kang Dabao?! You don't know my relationship with the Two Instruments Sect. Why do you think all my peers are either dead or gone, while I alone am living a carefree life in Ding Prefecture?"

But Kang Dabao had already lost patience with what he was saying before he finished. He saw the latter raise a finger, and Xie Yi Shangxiu's voice faltered again.

It turned out that Sect Leader Kang Da flicked out a gust of wind from his fingertip, which swirled into the shape of a giant hand in mid-air and clenched tightly. Jie Yi Shangxiu Xie Yi felt his throat become extremely hot, as if a stream of molten iron was sliding through it.

Once the noise subsided, the lingering hesitation in Kang Dabao's eyes completely vanished, replaced by a resolute expression on his face.

He then let out a long breath, reached out and touched the Storage Bag at his waist, finally pulling out a purple talisman.

"I wonder when I'll be able to get a second Third Tier Enlisted Army Talisman."

Now, thanks to his trip to Ying Prefecture, Sect Leader Kang Da is no longer a frog in a well, confined to the remote borderlands for his entire life. Yet, upon seeing the talisman in his hand again, Kang Dabao still felt a touch of fascination because of the runes on it.

The vermilion patterns on the surface shimmered and shrank with the light in the cave, with half-inch shadows appearing at the ends of the red lines. The winding lines of the dragons and snakes seemed to be slowly folding, and fine golden threads, as fine as baby hair, grew from the scales and claws. Anyone who saw it would have to sigh at how perfectly natural it was.

Because of Sect Leader He's identity as a talisman master, even though Sect Leader Kang Da had no talent in this field, he had still developed some basic skills and could naturally discern how exquisite the runes on them were.

"If even Third Tier Enlisted Army Talisman is this profound, I wonder what kind of sight the Fifth Tier mother token enshrined in Great Abyss Capital will be?!"

Fortunately, Kang Dabao knew his own limitations, and after a moment of contemplation, he came back to his senses.

He examined the Xie Yi of the text carefully for a while, then closed his eyes and pondered the steps to refine the cultivators into soldiers.

Currently, Sect Leader Kang Da only has one Third Tier Enlisted Army Talisman, which is extremely important and cannot be taken lightly. It is true that this token has the ability to turn cultivators into blood slaves, but the chances of doing so are extremely slim.

According to Kang Dabao's consultation with several elders of the Fei Household, even though this Third Tier Enlisted Army Talisman is priceless, the success rate is only less than eleven percent.

The exact amount may vary depending on the cultivator's skill level and the extent of their cultivation, but the general pattern will remain largely the same.

This is understandable given the circumstances. To be honest, the effectiveness of the military command was quite remarkable. If it had been any more effective, the Kuang Household clan, having lost their ancestor, would not have been able to sit still and would have been attacked by all the families in the world long ago.

As Sect Xie Yi Sect Leader Kang Da strode over, Jie Yi Shangxiu seemed to sense something as well. He somehow managed to swell his neck to the thickness of a tree trunk, shattering the force of the chokehold, and roared:

"Kang Dabao, don't make a mistake! The consequences that the Kuang Household can bear are beyond the capacity of a lowly lackey like you! If you incur the wrath of the masses, the entire Chongming Sect Clan will be in grave danger! Your Chongming Sect's lineage will also face destruction!"

Upon hearing this, the Sect Leader Kang Da remained indifferent, showing no Xie Yi of elaborating on the matter with Xie Yi Shangxiu. He merely sighed inwardly, "You old man, do you really think I can shake off this reputation as a lackey?"

With a flick of his finger, the talisman in his hand burst into purple flames, and he Xie Yi pounced towards Jieyi.

The instant the Enlisted Army Talisman was affixed to the top of his head, Jieyi's spine cracked Xie Yi a popping sound like popping beans. Then, blood-red runes, emitting the fresh scent of cinnabar, slowly spread from the top of his head to his chin.

To onlookers, the fine cinnabar lines looked like living snakes, burrowing into his skin from the talisman and writhing and turning in his pale flesh.

At the same time, the sect Sect Leader Kang Da formed the Dragon-Tiger Mystic Seal and chanted the Three Paths Hidden Incantation in a low voice. Under the blessing of the seal, the chanting, which was originally as soft as a mosquito's buzz, suddenly became as loud as gongs and drums.

While still shouting, Jieyi Shangxiu could no longer speak Xie Yi. He only made a few gurgling sounds before thick, black blood suddenly overflowed from his seven orifices, mixing with the saliva dripping from his mouth and turning into thin, long red threads.

Gradually, the Xie Yi sound in Jieyi Shangxiu's throat grew louder and louder. Before long, the veins all over his body bulged out like earthworms in the moonlight.

Upon seeing this, Kang Dabao raised his eyelids, changed the hand seals several times, and the incantation he uttered became even more convoluted and difficult to understand.

With this change, the surface of the Enlisted Army Talisman paper, which had become clean due to the Xie Yi of vermilion incantations into Jieyi Shangxiu's flesh and blood, was suddenly covered with dense dark gold ancient seal script. After a few breaths, it rushed Xie Yi Jieyi Shangxiu again.

Xie Yi Shangxiu had not expected that this dark gold ancient script would be even more domineering than the vermilion runes. He felt as if these characters, as soon as they touched his already festering flesh, were like red-hot iron skewering straight into his soul.

Even someone with his years of Golden Core would find this pain unbearable, and a horrific scream suddenly escaped his lips.

Immediately afterward, Kang Dabao Xie Yi Jie Yishang's spine bend with a loud creak, and at the same time, his knees suddenly lost their strength and slammed heavily to the ground.

Xie Yi Jieyi Shangxiu knelt down, a large amount of stone chips flew up around him. However, before he could get much further, they were crushed into dust by the obscure incantations that enveloped the formation.

Clearly, Sect Leader Kang Da showed no sympathy for the tragic scene before him. His already loud chanting suddenly rose even higher, Xie Yi Jieyi Shangxiu to throw his head back and roar, digging at the ground with his outstretched claws, scraping out five wisps of green smoke.

This scene was truly terrifying. No one could have imagined that a dignified and noble person would completely lose his former dignity and prestige in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!

The Hardness earth and stone immediately began to hiss and bubble upon touching the corroded fingertips. Despite the immense pain, Jieyi Shangxiu managed to suppress his pain and use the last shred of his Xie Yi to focus his inner energy on his Dantian.

He could only see that the Golden Core had been shaken and left afterimages, and the dazzling Golden Light was tightly bound by the vermilion talisman into a fine spider web, making it impossible to reveal any of its divine properties.

"Sitting idly by and waiting to die is unacceptable!"

Xie Yi Shangxiu was suddenly roused by this intense will to live, ignoring the large amount of black blood still gushing out of his seven orifices.

With a single thought, he swiftly formed a hand seal with his ten fingers, which were so thin they were almost entirely devoid of healthy flesh. The pill, now wrapped in dark gold, immediately sprang up and broke free!

The Sect Leader Kang Da, who was chanting incantations, naturally had countermeasures. He simply added a bit more Divine Sense to Xie Yi the purple talisman. Just as the Golden Core that Jieyi was about to leave his body was forcibly suppressed by the chain runes formed by golden seal characters.

Xie Yi Shangxiu was still unconvinced, but the Sect Leader Kang Da had already activated his Bright Moon Visualization Method. The Enlisted Army Talisman became more and more radiant. After burning the midnight oil several times, he finally grasped the basics of the "Sharpened Spirit Thorn" and used it again.

The Divine Sense Xie Yi Jieyi Shangxiu possessed was incomparably powerful, instantly transforming into a sharp blade that pierced into his sea of consciousness.

The pain was so intense that he lost his composure, and the hand seals he had formed in his desperate attempt to fight to the death suddenly shattered. The violent Spiritual Qi struck his ten bones, causing them to be covered with fine lines until not a trace of flesh was visible.

The conversion of the Enlisted Army Talisman was a difficult process. Even someone with the profound foundation of Sect Leader Kang Da felt that it was quite costly. Fortunately, just as he took out a pill and Xie Yi it in his mouth, the cultivator on the other end was completely unable to resist.

The cinnabar runes deeply imprinted into its flesh and blood suddenly flowed like lava, and the blank talisman paper, emitting purple flames, began to devour its flesh and blood again.

The relentless, agonizing pain completely extinguished the last vestige of hope in Jieyi Shangxiu's Xie Yi. Only after the eyes of this seasoned Golden Core cultivator had lost all their luster did the runes that echoed throughout the trap finally begin to subside.

The vermilion runes and golden seal characters that had been wantonly Xie Yi the flesh and blood of the cultivator suddenly changed their behavior. They began to Xie Yi wriggle onto every inch of the cultivator's damaged flesh and blood, transforming themselves into filling treasures, and gradually repairing the mostly damaged Golden Core body.

However, even though his robes were already soaked with sweat, Sect Leader Kang Da showed no sign of pride when he saw the newly minted Third Tier Spirit Slave.

Recalling the horrific scene of Jieyi Shangxiu's previous Xie Yi, Kang Dabao didn't miss a single detail, and a strange sense of lingering fear arose in his heart:

"I never imagined the Kuang Household could be so cruel!!"