On Demonic Sword Peak, inside an antique pavilion.
“Dad, is supreme-grade Foundation Establishment really that extraordinary?”
A beautiful woman in a purple dress frowned slightly.
Because of this matter, she had been forced to come out of seclusion.
And standing before her was an imposing middle-aged man with a head full of white hair.
This middle-aged man was Master Demonic Sword, the peak master of Demonic Sword Peak, and also Chu Zixue’s father.
“Supreme-grade Foundation Establishment means that one’s spiritual root is certainly extraordinary, and there is hope of forming a Nascent Soul in the future. If you can become his dao companion, the benefits will be limitless.”
“And with the help of a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator, you will be more likely than the others to become saintess.”
Master Demonic Sword said lovingly, as if he were recalling old times, and he fell silent for a long while.
There were many Core Formation cultivators in the entire Zhao Kingdom, but Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely few, and the difficulty of advancing was like climbing to the heavens. Countless prodigies had died at that hurdle.
He had stayed at Core Formation perfection for hundreds of years!
A supreme-grade dao foundation could increase the chance of reaching Nascent Soul by 30 percent. That did not sound like much, but it was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Chu Zixue had astonishing talent and was already famous in the righteous and demonic paths, but she was still just a hair short of supreme-grade Foundation Establishment.
“I believe I won’t be any worse than that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment.”
“Besides, I have that low-grade yang spiritual root cultivation cauldron. With dual cultivation, I’ll definitely break through Core Formation and become saintess.”
Chu Zixue said coquettishly. Once a dao companion was formed, there were many benefits, but there were also restraints everywhere. How could someone as proud as her possibly accept that?
“That low-grade yang spiritual root? He’s just an old trash who is about to die of old age. Even if he cultivates Blood Spirit Art, he still won’t reach Foundation Establishment, let alone help you break through Core Formation.”
Master Demonic Sword frowned and rebuked her.
If he had obtained that low-grade yang spiritual root decades earlier and raised it to Foundation Establishment, it might really have been useful.
Now, it was too late.
Even using him as a cultivation cauldron was the worst possible choice.
Perhaps sensing that his tone was too harsh, he sighed and said gently:
“The Nascent Soul great path is unimaginably difficult. With a supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator to help you, plus the savings your father has accumulated over the years, your chances of reaching Nascent Soul are very high.”
“Your father doesn’t have much lifespan left, and I won’t be able to protect you for much longer.”
Master Demonic Sword’s eyes were even more loving.
He was notorious in Zhao Kingdom as a big demon who killed without mercy, but before his daughter he was nothing more than an ordinary father, and he had always protected her growth carefully.
If he sat in seclusion to await death, those enemies of his would surely come looking for trouble with his daughter.
“Fine, then I’ll first see what kind of three-headed, six-armed figure that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment really is, to make Dad praise him so highly.”
Chu Zixue looked at her father’s white hair and relented.
“When I have time, I’ll kill that cultivation cauldron too, so he doesn’t affect your impression in front of that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment.”
……
『Beast-Transformation Art: By using demonic beast skin or human skin, one can create a disguise skin that perfectly imitates another person’s or a demonic beast’s body shape, appearance, aura, magic power fluctuations, and supernatural abilities. Even someone one realm higher cannot see through it.』
『Side effect: It offends heaven and earth and easily brings bad luck.』
『Negative Reversal: It easily improves one’s own luck.』
Ye Bufan looked at this secret art and thought of some legends.
In ancient times, a commoner wanted to make money and started a cattle-trading business. Back then, cattle and sheep were scarce, so the prices were very high.
Yet that commoner’s cattle never stopped appearing, which was highly suspicious.
Later, the authorities investigated and learned that the cattle being sold were not real cattle at all.
Instead, the commoner had drugged passing merchants and turned them into cattle, which he then sold and slaughtered to make a huge fortune.
That method was Beast-Transformation Art!
In ancient times, it was also famous as one of the most powerful disguise techniques.
“The human skin on the Copper Armored Corpse’s face was probably refined with Beast-Transformation Art. That’s why it could hide from my spiritual sense.”
Ye Bufan smiled with delight. With this secret art, his safety would be greatly improved in the future.
And it also had the effect of improving luck.
“This guy really is my lucky star.”
Ye Bufan looked at the unconscious Zhou Wangchen, and a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
This harvest was truly immense!
At the same time, he had also formed a preliminary escape plan in his mind.
That same day, Ye Bufan handed Lu Luo three hundred spirit stones and asked her to go to the Heavenly Demon Sect market to buy materials.
He then began cultivating Spirit Tempering Art.
Completely unlike the described situation of cultivation progressing incredibly slowly and spiritual sense being damaged, Ye Bufan directly reversed it.
Spirit Tempering Art progressed at a shocking pace and soon reached beginner level.
His spiritual sense was warm at all times and received tremendous nourishment.
In addition, Ye Bufan clearly felt that his spiritual sense had grown somewhat stronger, and his understanding of techniques, spells, and even cultivation had become much clearer.
It was as if he had become smarter.
“Comprehension is improving!”
Ye Bufan was stirred with excitement. Given enough time, he would definitely raise his comprehension to the very top.
When Lu Luo returned, Ye Bufan used the demonic beast skin he had bought to begin cultivating Beast-Transformation Art.
Perhaps due to the dual boost of comprehension and luck, this secret art also quickly reached beginner level.
By evening.
Ye Bufan looked at the little white rabbit crouching on the ground and revealed a satisfied smile.
Its rabbit ears were white and long, its fur was like silk, and its body was only a little bigger than a palm. It was adorable beyond measure.
“Master, this secret art is too eerie. Hurry up and release me.”
The little white rabbit spoke in human words, and it was Lu Luo’s voice. Her big eyes showed fear.
This secret art was far more terrifying in Ye Bufan’s hands than in Zhou Wangchen’s.
The latter could not even reach beginner level and could at most stick a layer of human skin on his face to change his aura.
She, however, had been transformed from head to toe!
“No problem. We’ve only just reached beginner level, so it can only last about one incense stick’s worth of time. Afterward it will undo itself and won’t harm you.”
Ye Bufan picked up the little white rabbit and stroked its rabbit ears.
That made the little rabbit’s cheeks flush bright red.
Once everything was ready.
Ye Bufan took advantage of the night and quietly went down the mountain with Lu Luo and Zhou Wangchen.
Not long after they left.
Chu Zixue, dressed in a purple gauze dress and looking alluring, arrived before the courtyard.
In her hand was an ancient jade pendant that shone with light.
This jade pendant had been obtained by Master Demonic Sword from an ancient ruin. At close range, it could sense an enemy’s cultivation fluctuations; the stronger the cultivation, the brighter the red light.
It could also sense aptitude and the quality of one’s dao platform and Core Formation.
It would emit green light.
If this item had not been able to determine the location of the supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator, Master Demonic Sword would not have let his daughter come out of seclusion so early.
“Lu Luo!”
Chu Zixue stared at the courtyard gate, and her pretty face changed slightly.
She did not sense Lu Luo’s aura, and even the cultivation cauldron’s aura was gone.
She strode quickly inside.
Not long after, Chu Zixue came back out with a gloomy pretty face.
“During the more than half month I spent in seclusion, what exactly happened? Could it be that those bitches got the news and snatched away the cultivation cauldron?”
Chu Zixue’s stunning face had lost all its coquettishness and was covered with frost.
She suddenly spread out her spiritual sense and searched across Demonic Sword Peak inch by inch without restraint, trying to catch the aura of the cultivation cauldron and Lu Luo.
The matter of the cultivation cauldron was highly private. If it were exposed and learned by that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator, then the matter of becoming dao companions would be hard to say.
It also could not fall into the hands of rivals.
At this time.
Ye Bufan had already reached the foot of the mountain.
“Senior Brother Zhou, are you going out?”
Several guarding Foundation Establishment disciples looked at the “Zhou Wangchen” and Lu Luo before them, then at the unfamiliar black dog beneath his feet, and were very surprised.
“Yes, the Demonic Sword Peak inspection has gone on for many days, and we still haven’t found that supreme-grade Foundation Establishment cultivator, so the upper ranks ordered me to widen the search area.”
Ye Bufan, disguised as Zhou Wangchen, said calmly.
Now that Demonic Sword Peak was sealed off, neither Foundation Establishment nor Qi Refining cultivators could get out.
However, Zhou Wangchen was an inspection disciple, so he could openly and in broad daylight leave Demonic Sword Peak, and with Beast-Transformation Art covering him, he was not afraid of anyone probing him with spiritual sense.
It could be said that Zhou Wangchen’s appearance was Ye Bufan’s greatest surprise these past few days.
“Woof, woof, woof!!”
Suddenly, the black dog beneath Ye Bufan’s feet barked madly at the guarding disciples, its eyes full of fear and urgency.
“Heh, this is a dog demon I caught for refining into a puppet.”
Ye Bufan kicked the black dog and said casually.
“Haha! I thought Senior Brother had missed the delicacies of the mortal world and brought it to eat dog meat.”
The guarding disciples laughed loudly, their voices carrying a trace of respect.
Although Zhou Wangchen was at the same level as them, he was far stronger than they were because of his puppets, so they did not dare show the slightest disrespect.
They did not know.
This dog was the real Zhou Wangchen!