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墨書 Inktalez
The severed arm of Chang Iron Tower was actually consumed by this kind of toad.
This toad is called the Red-Line Toad, which is entirely dark greenish-black except for a thin red line running from its head to its tail along its back. It thrives in the low-lying marshes of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, often preying on poisonous insects and snakes, making it extremely toxic. A first-level Red-Line Toad has a barely visible red line on its back. Once it reaches the fifth level and forms a demon core, it is known as Poison Dan, which is the best material for concocting poisons and malevolent artifacts.
The Red-Line Toad that injured Chang Iron Tower had a faintly visible red line on its back and was only a second-level monster. Its poison had completely destroyed Chang Iron Tower's vitality. The Red-Line Toad that in front of encountered had a clearly visible red line on its back, subtly radiating a crimson glow, indicating that it had reached the peak of the third level. If its poison entered one's body, one would likely turn to blood in an instant, dying cleanly and swiftly.
Although Xunuo was unaware of the potency of this poison, seeing Chang Iron Tower's terrified expression made him extremely cautious. He silently recited his incantation, preparing to summon a protective shield at any moment.
As the toad drew closer, it suddenly let out a warning croak and slowed down. Qi Guoren understood the creature's danger and did not dare wait for it to strike first. Seeing that the Red-Line Toad had entered attack range, he whistled and summoned his artifact, slashing towards the Red-Line Toad. The other cultivators followed suit, unleashing their spells and talismans in rapid succession.
The Red-Line Toad, startled, did not evade; instead, it opened its mouth wide and spewed forth a wave of venom. Instantly, all the spells and talismans that approached were either extinguished or detonated upon contact with the poison, unable to come within half a step. Only Qi Guoren's hook-shaped artifact managed to rise in a cloud of white smoke under the onslaught of venom. In an instant, it flashed and struck the Red-Line Toad on the head, sending the massive creature tumbling over with a large gash opened on its head.
Liu Qishan shouted, "If we don't kill this beast now, when will we?"
He raised his hand and sent out two talismans that transformed into two fiery swords in an instant. The swords blazed red and emitted waves of flames as they slashed toward the Red-Line Toad like two enormous Fire Swords. The other cultivators also spared no effort in their attacks against the Red-Line Toad. This time, the creature could no longer resist and was cut into several pieces under their relentless assault.
Just as everyone sighed in relief, they suddenly heard Changsun Wujie scream and collapse to the ground. Alarmed, they rushed over to see what had happened. It turned out that Changsun Wujie had not activated his protective shield earlier and had been splashed by a drop of venom from the Red-Line Toad. Now poisoned, half of his body was already blackened and rotting away. Seeing this, Chang Iron Tower's face twitched several times as he realized he would meet a similar fate.
Qi Guoren glanced at him and said, "There's no saving him."
With a wave of his hand, he cast a Wind Blade Spell that killed Changsun Wujie instantly before setting his remains ablaze to ensure nothing remained.
Xunuo felt a chill in his heart upon witnessing this. Although he understood that this spared Changsun Wujie from further suffering, he couldn't help but feel a sense of sorrow for the fate shared by all creatures.
Qi Guoren instructed everyone to clean up the battlefield and collected Changsun Wujie's storage bag before tossing it to Xunuo without another word as he turned to leave.
The group followed behind with somber expressions as they continued their escape.
Xunuo noticed that Qi Guoren didn't even glance at him as he handed over Changsun Wujie's storage bag. Confusion filled his mind, but he also sensed an ominous feeling as he observed the others acting as if nothing had happened.
Days passed in this manner. They encountered several demon beasts along the way, all swiftly eliminated with thunderous strikes before they moved on. Although there were some injuries, no one lost their life. Having witnessed Changsun Wujie's fate, Xunuo was extra cautious and managed to avoid death.
One day, Qi Guoren, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. He gathered everyone together and said gravely, "Not far ahead is a passage. We have no choice but to make our stand here; it's a fight for our lives."
Liu Qishan remained silent for a moment before suggesting, "Should we use the lure tactic?"
Qi Guoren replied, "If Liu Daoist has a better plan, that would be great. But now is not the time to hide our strengths."
Liu Qishan shook his head. "I don't have a better plan either. However, if we lure one demon beast away, another will surely remain behind to guard. If we take too long, we won't be able to break through their defenses."
Qi Guoren chuckled. "I've thought of that too. This time, we need two people to draw out a demon beast. I'll send one from my side, and you must send one from yours to make it fair."
Liu Qishan's expression darkened as he glanced around at the others.
Xunuo felt his face pale at this point. He recalled how Qi Guoren had taken care of him throughout their journey and even handed over Changsun Wujie's storage bag without reason. It seemed he had long planned to use Xunuo as a pawn. A feeling of indescribable frustration surged within him as he silently cursed Qi Guoren and the others while plotting his next move.
Now Xunuo was like meat on the chopping block; any sign of resistance could lead to immediate execution. These people would not view Xunuo as a valuable asset against the Fourth-Level Beast. If he couldn't even serve as bait, they would have no qualms about disposing of him to avoid trouble.
Even at this moment, Xunuo wouldn't reveal the Heavenly Shadow Spike. He knew that even if he produced it, it would only end up in the hands of those with greater power. Xunuo was still destined to be bait and wouldn't gain his freedom through such an act.
What Xunuo needed to think about now was how to seize an opportunity to obtain some means or items for escape—such as talismans or spirit stones for replenishing mana. With this in mind, Xunuo reached out with his Divine Sense into Changsun Wujie's storage bag.
Although the storage bag had been with him all along, Xunuo hadn't figured out why Qi Guoren had given it to him until now. Understanding that he was on the brink of life and death made him disregard any other concerns; he needed to clarify his own resources first.
Upon probing inside, Xunuo discovered over ten spirit stones, four talismans, several jade slips, and some materials from demon beasts among other items. He set aside anything that wasn't immediately useful and placed the spirit stones and talismans within easy reach while categorizing the talismans.
Among them was only one Flying Talisman; however, it was an Intermediate Talisman—a valuable item that could save his life in a critical moment.
Two Earth Attribute Defense Talismans and one Attack Talisman, all of them are basic Talismans. These are not very effective against Fourth-Level Beasts. Xunuo here sorted through the family assets, calculating how to earn a sliver of Vitality.
On the other side, Liu Qishan found himself in a dilemma. There were five people on his side. Two were experts at the Basic Skill Method with Eleven Layers, and two had reached the tenth layer of the Basic Skill Method. They were all fighting for survival, the strongest force against the Fourth-Level Beast. Only Liu Kaishan had the weakest magical power, having cultivated to the eighth layer of the Basic Skill Method.
However, Liu Kaishan was Liu Qishan's younger cousin, and they had always been close. Now, this made it difficult for Liu Qishan to make a choice. Moreover, even if he asked someone to act as bait, these individuals were all capable cultivators; no one would listen to him.
Liu Kaishan also sensed the situation and looked at Liu Qishan with growing despair. He understood that these people had come together for a purpose and were not trustworthy. They would never put their lives in someone else's hands.
Just as they were at a stalemate, Chang Iron Tower suddenly spoke up: "I can act as bait for you, but there is one condition."
Liu Qishan was overjoyed upon hearing this: "No problem, just say the word."
Zi'e, who was nearby, changed her expression upon hearing her companion's unexpected statement and pulled Chang Iron Tower aside to speak. Chang Iron Tower waved his hand and used a secret method to convey a few words to Zi'e. She immediately burst into tears, choked with emotion.
Chang Iron Tower said: "I do not seek anything for myself; I only ask that you swear a Demonic Oath to ensure my companion's safe exit from this place."
This kind of Demonic Oath does not hold much taboo for ordinary Cultivators. Most Cultivators remain in the Qi Refinement Stage until old age, with few advancing to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Only those like Liu Qishan, who were still in their prime and nearing perfection in the Basic Skill Method, had a significant chance of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage and thus held deep reservations about the Demonic Oath. When Cultivators attempt to break through their bottleneck in establishing their foundation, they often face mental demons. If they violate their Demonic Oath at that moment, it could lead to an invasion by these demons, resulting in complete destruction of their soul without any chance of reincarnation. Even if one could withstand the invasion of mental demons, the difficulty of advancing would be ten times greater than that faced by other Cultivators. Generally speaking, violating a Demonic Oath is akin to cutting off one's future.
However, if one does not violate the Demonic Oath and fulfills their sworn promise, they would find it easier to overcome mental demons when breaking through their bottleneck compared to others.
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