Chapter 117: The Supreme Precious Register

The five individuals surrounding the scene observed their opponent studying the *Supreme Precious Record*. One of them suddenly shouted, "This is bad! He is taking this opportunity to master the techniques within the *Supreme Precious Record*. Each of those talismanic arts possesses the power of formidable immortal spells! Do not hold back anymore!"

In an instant, the remaining four realized that if the opponent successfully mastered the talismanic arts from the record, even their "Five Ghosts Purgatory Formation" might not be enough to contain him. They each spat a plume of black flame into the formation. The five streams of fire merged into a swirling vortex, aiming to shatter their opponent’s "Copper Wall and Iron Bastion" defense.

Within moments, cracks began to appear on the barrier constructed by the Maoshan Dao practitioner. It seemed that one final push would suffice to shatter it completely. The practitioner inside was drenched in sweat, his brows furrowed. He was not only struggling to maintain the barrier but also attempting to comprehend the *Supreme Precious Record*. Yet, this was the *Supreme Precious Record*—it contained various powerful dharma seals; how could one grasp them in such a fleeting moment?

The situation grew increasingly dire.

"Quickly break through that brat’s talismanic arts!" one of them roared. His body, previously resembling that of a normal human, underwent a grotesque transformation. Two sharp deer antlers sprouted from his head, and one side of his body turned a vivid crimson. He was clearly a demon, exuding an aura of the "Object-Moving" spirit realm.

Another individual’s entire body turned green; he had a blue face, a wide mouth, and protruding fangs. A third had a gaping mouth on his abdomen, drooling incessantly; where the saliva hit the ground, it corroded a deep pit. The remaining two showed no such unique traits, yet their physiques had become immensely burly, their skin dark as iron, resembling towering, sturdy giants.

These five were actually demons. Xu Cheng had initially assumed they were merely cultivators practicing dark, malevolent arts, but he had not expected...

However, since they were demons, things became much simpler.

Emerging from the trunk of the tree where he had been hiding, a black droplet appeared at the tip of Xu Cheng’s finger. With a flick, the droplet manifested without attracting the attention of the five, who were entirely focused on refining the barrier set by the Maoshan practitioner.

Yet, once this tiny black droplet drew near them, it suddenly transformed into a colossal black dragon.

As Xu Cheng unleashed this technique, the black dragon seemed to possess an aura of life, moving like a living creature. Under its impact, the five-man formation shattered instantly. The dragon then opened its maw and inhaled, swallowing the remaining black flames into its belly. Finally, it charged at the five demons, devouring them one by one.

This "Black Dragon Seal" carried the power of reincarnation, sending all five demons into the cycle. Without missing a beat, Xu Cheng gained seven thousand merits of golden light.

With the crisis averted, the Maoshan practitioner’s expression did not soften. The aura of death, coldness, and terror inherent in Xu Cheng’s spell led him to believe that he had merely escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger’s mouth. Moreover, having managed to glance at the *Supreme Precious Record* for a while was already a stroke of luck; he was now at his wit's end, and even if he fully comprehended the record, he might not be able to defeat this newcomer.

Resigned, he tossed the *Supreme Precious Record* aside, looking as though he were ready to accept his fate.

Seeing this, Xu Cheng felt amused. He walked over slowly, each step seemingly landing on the practitioner’s heart, placing immense pressure upon him. Upon reaching him, Xu Cheng asked, "Is this your way of preparing for reincarnation?"

The Maoshan practitioner offered a bitter smile, remaining silent.

"I saved you. Do you not have anything to say for yourself?" Xu Cheng asked, finding the situation humorous.

The practitioner was slightly taken aback. He looked Xu Cheng up and down, finding no malice or hostility—only a calm gaze. Only then did he realize that this person likely did not value his *Supreme Precious Record* nor his life.

"Many thanks, Senior! Zhenbei is eternally grateful!" He hurriedly stood up and bowed. It seemed "Zhenbei" was the practitioner’s Daoist name.

"Is there really nothing else?" Xu Cheng feigned anger.

Thinking Xu Cheng was genuinely offended, Zhenbei picked up the *Supreme Precious Record* from the ground, intending to hand it over.

This fellow was truly honest to a fault. While Xu Cheng was curious about the *Supreme Precious Record*, he had no intention of taking the lost secret techniques of the Maoshan Dao. He immediately said, "I do not want this record. Do you have any rare heavenly treasures to offer? If not, then forget it."

With that, Xu Cheng turned to leave.

Zhenbei, stunned once more, secretly thought that this person was truly temperamental. However, since the man had saved his life, it would be improper to offer nothing. He reached into his robes, pulled out an object, and shouted, "Wait, Senior! Although I exhausted my resources to recover this *Supreme Precious Record*, I wonder if this item counts as a heavenly treasure!"

Xu Cheng turned back to see Zhenbei holding a set of teeth—four sharp, inch-long fangs for the upper and lower jaws, glinting with a cold light. It looked decent enough, but why would a normal cultivator keep teeth?

"Senior, although these are merely teeth, they belonged to the first Tiger Demon I killed after achieving success in my cultivation. That demon could swallow thousands of ordinary people in a single gulp, creating endless sins. After slaying it, I have kept these fangs with me, nourishing them with my dharma power. Even if they don't compare to common heavenly treasures, they are not far off!" Zhenbei said with utmost sincerity.

Looking at the fangs, an idea struck Xu Cheng: if he refined them into a magical treasure, he could gain a formidable set of "teeth" for himself.

"Since you offer them with such sincerity, I shall accept them with mercy!"

He stepped forward to take the tiger fangs, noting that they already possessed the air of a treasure. Upon closer inspection, the inner radiance was restrained, crystalline and translucent like white jade—quite beautiful. Zhenbei was truly generous, though Xu Cheng mused that for most cultivators, this item seemed to have little practical use. Even if refined into a magical treasure, would one just let it loose to bite people?

"Are you satisfied, Senior?" Zhenbei asked nervously.

"Satisfied, very satisfied!"

As he spoke, Xu Cheng’s black dharma power seeped into the fangs, carving lines of dharma patterns into them. While carving, influenced by the Maoshan talismans, Xu Cheng pondered: what if he combined the structure of those talismans with these dharma patterns to form a seal?

"Lend me your *Supreme Precious Record* for a look!"

Xu Cheng stirred up a black wind, wrapping Zhenbei and his record within it, and sought out a secluded spot. Ignoring Zhenbei’s muttering about how fickle he was, Xu Cheng focused entirely on studying the *Supreme Precious Record*.

However, the record was truly profound; after a long while, he had only managed to understand half a talisman. At this rate, he had no idea how long it would take to finish.