Translator: Cinder Translations
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Song Wen already had twenty-one Black Abdomen Beetle Gu. Among them, the initial five that were cultivated earlier had already reached close to the strength of the fifth layer of Qi Refining.
In fact, if Song Wen were to devote all his efforts, he could breed even more Black Abdomen Beetle Gu. However, due to the heavy resource consumption involved, Song Wen had to limit their numbers.
Just these twenty-one Black Abdomen Beetle Gu alone consumed nearly twenty spirit stones from Song Wen daily, totaling six hundred spirit stones per month. The amount of spirit stones consumed was quite a burden for Song Wen.
As for ordinary beetle Gu, they no longer held any meaning for Song Wen and had already been dealt with.
Song Wen also found that controlling multiple beetle Gu simultaneously would drain his mental power.
Thanks to his cultivation of the "Forbidden Art," Song Wen's current mental strength was roughly on par with that of a seventh layer Qi Refining cultivator. Otherwise, Song Wen would not be able to control so many Black-Bellied Beetle Gu simultaneously.
The advantage of strong mental power did not stop there. With increased mental strength, Song Wen gained a deeper understanding of techniques, making his cultivation smoother.
Without anyone to teach him, he cultivated the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique" through trial and error. Previously, many aspects had been unclear, and he could only clumsily imitate others' methods. Now, he had a much better understanding of the technique, making cultivation much easier.
With stronger mental power, both his spell cultivation and talisman drawing had greatly benefited.
A normal fourth layer Qi Refining cultivator would take about one breath to cast a Fireball Spell, while Song Wen only needed half a breath. The same applied to Shield Spells, where normal cultivators needed two breaths, but Song Wen only needed one.
Song Wen contemplated areas where he needed to strengthen himself.
Firstly, his close combat ability was lacking. Relying on the "Corpse King Blood Refining Technique," he had forged a strong physical body and wielded a lower-grade artifact level Bone-Cleansing Knife adeptly by dissecting corpses every day.
The only drawback was that he lacked real swordsmanship against enemies. However, mastering swordsmanship was not something that could be achieved overnight and could only be temporarily put on hold.
Secondly, he relied on talismans and Black-Bellied Beetle Gu for long-range combat.
Thirdly, he had "Flying Escape Art" and "Blood Escape Art" for fleeing, and "Blood Sacrifice Art" for desperate situations.
"Blood Escape Art" and "Blood Sacrifice Art" were techniques he had mastered early in the Qi Refining stage. As for "Flying Escape Art," which could only be cultivated in the mid Qi Refining stage, Song Wen once again demonstrated his high talent in techniques, grasping the basics in just two days. However, he still needed some time to be able to use "Flying Escape Art" freely, which could be fatal in desperate situations.
He also lacked defensive artifacts. Both Shield Spells and shield talismans were somewhat weak when faced with a life-or-death struggle.
Upon entering his cave mansion, Song Wen's eyes fell on a large red coffin.
Inside the coffin lay a refined corpse puppet that had just been completed.
Two months ago, Song Wen had paid a hefty price to purchase this complete body of a late Qi Refining stage corpse.
When he first bought the corpse, Song Wen was only at the third layer of Qi Refining, too weak to support the smooth refinement of a corpse puppet. If he had forcefully refined it, he would likely have created an ordinary puppet with little combat ability.
Only after breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Refining did Song Wen begin refining the corpse puppet.
The runes and formations on the corpse puppet had already been inscribed, and all that remained was the nurturing with Yin and Corpse Qi.
This large red coffin was no ordinary coffin; it contained several Yin-attributed spiritual materials mixed with human blood, used to draw nourishing runes for the puppet.
Song Wen estimated that in another two or three days, this puppet would be successfully refined and ready to emerge from the coffin.
By then, the puppet would possess at least the strength of the fourth layer of Qi Refining and could further enhance its strength with the later-stage refinement of Yin-attributed treasures.
For this upcoming mission outside the sect, Song Wen planned to openly display the corpse puppet. After all, demonstrating his third layer Qi Refining strength might cause others to underestimate him.
Having been in the Corpse Demon Sect for a year, having a fourth layer Qi Refining puppet could be considered commendable, as everyone had their chances.
After making a simple disguise for himself and changing his aura, Song Wen left his cave mansion in a cloak.
His cave mansion was remote, seldom visited by others, so he didn't worry about encountering acquaintances when he went out.
Arriving at the market, Song Wen headed directly toward a large-scale artifact shop.
"Senior, what would you like to buy?"
As soon as Song Wen entered, he saw a charming woman with a tall figure and revealing attire approaching him with a coquettish smile on her face.
The woman's cultivation was very weak, just at the entry level of Qi Refining, but she exuded a strange allure all over her body.
Her face carried a hint of youthfulness, yet her demeanor was full of mature charm, creating a sensory contrast that was not abrupt but rather added to her allure.
Her clothing was scanty, with a large area of snowy white exposed at the chest and a silk skirt split high enough to almost reveal the roots of her thighs.
As she walked, the skirt swayed with the wind, occasionally revealing her long and fair thighs, even the thin undergarment exposed to the air from time to time.
When the woman approached within a meter of Song Wen, she slightly bent forward in a bow.
Instantly, two large white rabbits twitched slightly.
Song Wen withdrew his gaze, which had nearly been swallowed by the ravine, feeling somewhat amazed. He hadn't expected that even in the cultivation world, the tactic of using a beautiful woman was still in use.
But he was only here to buy artifacts; was it necessary to fall for such a ploy?
Song Wen steadied his mind and calmly asked, "Do you have any defensive artifacts?"
"Yes, we do. Senior, please follow me," the woman replied with a sway of her waist, leading the way.
Song Wen followed closely behind, greeted by a fragrant aroma emanating from the woman. This fragrance seemed to possess a kind of enchanting magic that made it difficult to remain clear-headed.
The woman led Song Wen to a showcase. Pointing at it, she said, "Senior, please have a look. This small shield is a fine product among lower-grade artifacts. Despite its palm-sized appearance, it can expand to the size of a person once infused with spiritual power, capable of withstanding attacks from a fourth layer Qi Refining cultivator."
"Also, take a look at this lower-grade robe. It can automatically adjust to fit the wearer's size."
"And this ghost flag, classified as a lower-grade artifact, can..."
The woman's voice was like a succubus's murmur, yet also like sweet nothings exchanged between lovers, irresistibly drawing one into a state of indulgence.
Thanks to his strong mental power, Song Wen was not swayed by the woman's charm. However, he did discern some flaws in her words.
He had displayed the cultivation of a third layer Qi Refining, while she had just reached the entry level. How did she discern his displayed cultivation?
Did she recommend lower-grade artifacts without even asking because she believed his displayed cultivation was only suitable for such items?
This woman was concealing her cultivation!
Song Wen's wariness grew.
He was certain he had never seen this woman before, and there should be no connection between them in the cultivation world. He also had no enemies here.
Therefore, her concealment of cultivation had nothing to do with him.
Feeling somewhat reassured, Song Wen decided to leave the shop as soon as possible.
"Do you have any middle-grade defensive artifacts?" Song Wen stared straight ahead at the counter, speaking.
Now, he was reasonably sure the woman's cultivation was quite high, at least in the late stage of Qi Refining. With his mental power, he should be able to discern her true cultivation.
At the same time, he completely withdrew his mental power to avoid the woman noticing his scrutiny, which could lead to unnecessary trouble.
(End of the Chapter)