Chapter Eighty: Yulan's Vital Information (Second Update)

A thread of golden light representing merit spiraled between Xu Cheng’s fingers. To think that the Yellow Springs Six Paths Immortal Art, painstakingly cultivated in a short span at the cost of three thousand merits, had not been put to use. Following the method of merging dharma forms acquired after awakening supreme wisdom that day, he fused the dharma forms of the Yellow Springs Forget River Immortal Art, Yellow Springs Six Paths Immortal Art, and Yellow Springs Reincarnation Immortal Art.

In the end, his dharma form transformed into a figure with long, disheveled hair clad in black, whose features were indistinct—bearing a vague resemblance to Xu Cheng, yet not entirely. Upon the chest of this dharma form’s robe was embroidered a black wheel, along with symbols representing the Heavenly Path, Asura Path, Human Path, Beast Path, Hungry Ghost Path, and Hell Path. Behind it flowed a long river, signifying the Forget River.

Let it be called, for now, the Reincarnation Dharma Form of the Forget River Six Paths.

Xu Cheng, having finished organizing his cultivation, did not know when the zombie of drought demon level would come seeking him, though the benefits promised by the other party were likely considerable.

Yan Mengdie, too, was adjusting after her cultivation. Xu Cheng was startled to find her plump body had sprouted numerous black keratinous protrusions, giving her a rather unsettling appearance.

Especially on her head—two new horns seemed to have appeared at her temples.

"Mengdie, your transformation is quite remarkable!" Xu Cheng said awkwardly.

"Do you find it pleasing?" She asked, her large form spinning lightly like a butterfly.

"Yes… yes, it looks good!" Nodding blankly, Xu Cheng hoped she would soon succeed in her metamorphosis, yet part of him was uncertain—his heart twisting with conflicting feelings.

"You’re saying one thing, but thinking another!" Yan Mengdie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms before her chest.

Truly, the heart of a woman is fathomless. Xu Cheng was momentarily at a loss for words, but decided not to dwell on it, leading them onward toward the next small town.

Any delay would be dangerous, for there were eight Primordial Spirit cultivators in the town, and he feared he would be the one to suffer.

The three sped along with Light Stream Escape Technique straight to the town, named Lianping.

But only a horde of walking corpses remained—much like the situation in Fuchang City.

What, then, was the Great Xia Dynasty’s true intention? Layer upon layer of fog gathered in Xu Cheng’s mind, obscuring his vision and confounding his thoughts.

"Open the Gate of Yellow Springs!" Xu Cheng shouted, intending to send the monsters here collectively to the underworld.

A massive gate, dozens of yards high, appeared out of thin air and swung open. A tremendous suction surged forth, and within the time it takes for incense to burn, the mutated residents of Lianping Town were all drawn back into Yellow Springs.

Page (1/3)

Lianping Town had neither Great Xia cultivators nor Primordial Spirit cultivators.

As he brooded in silence, the jade toad he kept in his bosom began to glow.

"Yellow Springs Envoy, come quickly to Jade Toad Palace to discuss urgent matters!" The voice of Jade Mist Immortal issued urgently from the open mouth of the jade toad, evidently something serious had occurred.

Exchanging glances with Yan Mengdie and Chrysanthemum, Xu Cheng instantly decided to depart for Jade Toad Palace at once.

The matter was pressing and brooked no delay. The three pushed their speed to the limit.

Truly, they traversed a hundred miles in a single flash.

The Jade Toad Palace was just as familiar as ever, though now, instead of laughter and merriment, all its cultivators were absorbed in arduous cultivation.

Led by two young attendants, the trio arrived at Jade Mist Immortal’s residence.

"Jade Mist Immortal!" Xu Cheng bowed respectfully.

"You made good time, but the situation is indeed urgent," Jade Mist Immortal's brows were deeply furrowed, her current form unmanifested, the wrinkles between her brows making her appear like an elderly woman of eighty or ninety.

"What is the matter, if I may ask?" Xu Cheng hurriedly inquired.

"Martial Emperor Xia Hao has gathered so many Primordial Spirit cultivators to deal with neutral sects like ours! Now, there are thirty-six Primordial Spirit experts in Luzhou City, plus those recalled from various towns. There should be seventy-two in total. However..." Jade Mist Immortal explained slowly, but stopped short.

"However what?" Xu Cheng pressed anxiously.

"Now their numbers have suddenly dropped—currently, there are only just over fifty Primordial Spirit cultivators. It seems that is your doing! But if you keep acting alone, you will not encounter only four or five; you may have to face dozens at once, perhaps even all fifty acting in concert!" Jade Mist Immortal finished, and Xu Cheng immediately understood.

His consecutive slayings of Primordial Spirit experts in nearby towns must have alarmed the Great Xia cultivators in Luzhou City. Those originally intending to deal with Jade Toad Palace might turn their attention to him, seeking to eliminate this threat first.

In that case, even if he could merge dharma forms with Yan Mengdie and Chrysanthemum, more likely than not, their side would be utterly crushed.

"Fortunately, Jade Mist Immortal warned us in time, or else we would have fallen into an inescapable disaster!"

Page (2/3)

Xu Cheng saluted respectfully.

"Not only to warn you, but I hope you will stand with Jade Toad Palace through this great tribulation," Jade Mist Immortal sighed softly.

"Should Jade Mist Immortal require my aid, I will do my utmost," Xu Cheng replied hurriedly. Her warning was a great favor, though he wondered if he could really face over fifty Primordial Spirit cultivators.

If they were to fuse their bodies, their cultivation might surpass even the flight-ready Tian Gui Immortal.

"You need not worry too much, I have my own means. Even if all fifty Primordial Spirit experts come together, none will leave alive!" Jade Mist Immortal spoke with murderous intent—clearly, Jade Toad Palace possessed formidable hidden techniques.

"By the way, do you know what method the Great Xia Dynasty uses to mass-produce so many Primordial Spirit experts?" Xu Cheng was puzzled by their sudden emergence. Even with abundant pills, it should not be possible to create so many at once.

"I only know part of it. You are familiar with the incident in Fuchang City—the souls of countless residents were extracted by Blackwater Sect’s sinister arts, leaving behind bodies akin to demons. The souls that were taken were refined into a kind of pill, used to rapidly boost cultivation," Jade Mist Immortal said bitterly.

"If Xia Hao truly broke through fate with his own martial prowess and became immortal, I would respect him. Instead, he resorts to demonic acts! The so-called greatest emperor of Great Xia Dynasty—bah!"

Such deeds surpass even the demonic path, utterly despised by Jade Mist Immortal.

Xu Cheng had never imagined such soul-extracting methods would be used to refine pills; he had simply assumed they came from the reserves of Great Zen Temple or were accumulated over centuries by the dynasty.

"This method is truly cruel, and in the end, it’s the common people who suffer," he sighed.

"Not only that. Now, of the one hundred and eight provinces in the world, the populations of thirty-six have been entirely turned into demonic bodies without souls—otherwise, where would so many pills come from to raise so many Primordial Spirit cultivators?" Jade Mist Immortal’s lips curled in a cold smile, her aura gathering.

"The populations of thirty-six provinces all transformed into demonic bodies?" Xu Cheng was stunned into silence, mumbling to himself, unable to believe Xia Hao’s cruelty.

Page (3/3)