Chapter 10, The Mantis Stalks the Cicada

"If it weren't for your Blood Slaughter Sect relying on the scattered souls of your disciples, how could five of you possibly survive? Being so cruel to your own people, truly shameless!" The mockery echoed once more

Having avoided the sensitive areas close to several other sects, Ding Hao has spent several months gathering most of the basic materials he needs. The earth rhinoceros horn is currently one of the most essential materials; however, the earth rhinoceros only appears near the Huo Tong cave. This location is at the boundary between the Blood Slaughter Sect and the Soul Devouring Sect. Although the earth rhinoceros is not a particularly rare item, the disciples of these two sects frequently frequent this area

At that moment, a sudden argument reached his ears, startling Ding Hao. He initially intended to escape immediately using his sword, but the content of the conversation between the two had already entered his ears

Hao Chengzhong, your cultivation is merely half a step higher than mine, so I do not believe you can do anything to me! Strike first to gain the advantage; those who act later will suffer. This person clearly understands this principle, yet he shows no signs of action. A pair of claw-like weapons, imbued with a blood-red mist, swiftly reaches out towards Hao Chengzhong.

At this moment, Ding Hao believed that if he were to engage in a contest with Zhang Li again, relying on these few advantages, while he could not confidently claim a decisive victory over Zhang Li, he would certainly not be at a disadvantage. Of course, this is predicated on the assumption that Chen Li has made no progress over the past few years; otherwise, if the gap in their realms were to widen too much, his chances of winning would still be extremely low

The Cold Soul Technique inflicts cold damage when attacking enemies. Unfortunately, this technique is incomplete, and Ding Hao cannot fully unleash its power. However, when used in conjunction with the Heavenly Reversal Demon Sword, it compensates for this shortcoming, and its power still leaves Ding Hao feeling satisfied. The other techniques are also incomplete, and Ding Hao sees no necessity for further cultivation.

Although the techniques in the jade slip are not unparalleled demonic arts, they are precisely what Ding Hao currently needs and what the library requires. The secret methods of the Infinite Demonic Arts, while extraordinary, all require the support of powerful true essence to be utilized, which is something Ding Hao, at the mid-stage of his fasting cultivation, cannot possibly cultivate.

After organizing the items on his person, Ding Hao left the secret cave

The cultivation method left by Chen Ling, suitable for his own practice, has also been completed.

Some of the martial arts left by Chen Ling are currently cultivable by Ding Hao. Just now, Ding Hao fought with Zhang Li and the others purely relying on his physical strength. Although he did not suffer against Dai Zhenjun and Wang Yunfei, Zhang Li rendered him completely defenseless. On one hand, the disparity in their realms is too great; on the other hand, he had no opportunity to approach Zhang Li for close combat. However, with these martial arts from Chen Ling, although he still poses no threat to Zhang Li, he is not entirely at the mercy of others.

In the Chen Ling jade slips, there are some notes on basic materials, indicating their origins in the Broken Soul Mountain. This made Ding Hao even more delighted, as he would not have to take unnecessary detours while searching for them. This also gave Ding Hao a slight fondness for Chen Ling.

Hao Chengzhong, how dare you treat me this way! The Blood Fiend Sect will never let you go!" Du Mingwei screamed sharply. The ghostly faces on the Soul Devouring Banner were sucking at Du Mingwei's body like blood leeches, causing his tall figure to gradually wither away.

After the explosion, Du Mingwei was left with not even a single bone, while Hao Chengzhong was also affected by the blast, collapsing to the ground, blood oozing from his mouth, gasping for breath! He cursed, "Damn it, the Blood Fiend Sect members are all lunatics. Who on earth created this technique? Even at the point of death, they want to drag others down with them. Fortunately, I was quick to see the situation and ran away; otherwise, I would have truly fallen into your trap!"

Although Chen Ling has always harbored ill intentions towards himself, it was with the help of the books that he brought himself into such a mysterious and unpredictable world of cultivation. From this perspective, Chen Ling has indeed been somewhat benevolent to himself; otherwise, he would likely have remained forever trapped in the repetitive steps of his predecessors, leading a life of mediocrity.

Upon hearing that the cultivation levels of the two individuals were not much higher than his own, he realized that although victory would be difficult, he was more than capable of protecting himself. Consequently, he was no longer in a hurry to leave. Moreover, he was quite curious about the Soul Refining Sect they mentioned. He approached a little closer and, once he was certain they could not detect his presence, began to listen attentively.

After the eight-winged purple python completely devoured its mother python's flesh and absorbed a top-grade spirit stone from Ding Hao, it has also awakened and grown to about three zhang in length. Due to Ding Hao consuming its mother's inner core, the python has regarded Ding Hao as its only family member. Ding Hao is now able to communicate with it, making it a significant ally.

"A grain of rice dares to compete for brilliance with the bright moon. Although your Chicken Claw Yin-Yang Halberd can be considered a treasure, with your cultivation not even reaching the third layer of the Blood Evil True Scripture, how can you unleash its power? You still wish to contend with me; you truly seek death!" As the words were spoken, a black banner, completely entwined with ghostly faces and malevolent spirits, struck towards the Chicken Claw Yin-Yang Halberd. Upon contact, the ghostly faces and spirits erupted violently, completely enveloping the Chicken Claw Yin-Yang Halberd like an octopus.

Hao Chengzhong's triumphant expression suddenly turned to shock, and he fled in panic. After just a few steps, he heard Du Mingwei's howl, "Blood Fiend Explosion Technique." His entire body exploded in the air like gunpowder, and the ghostly face of the Soul-Devouring Banner seemed to sense the danger, vanishing in an instant within the banner.

I never expected that you would cultivate the Soul-Devouring Banner to the point where a hundred ghosts roam freely. Today, I consider myself unfortunate. Return the Chicken Claw Yin-Yang Blade to me, and let us part ways here!" Seeing the power of the Soul-Devouring Banner, Du Mingwei began to feel uneasy.

Oh, you have also come here at the invitation of Jiang Ruyun, how unfortunate that I am in the same situation. Although Jiang Ruyun is a third-generation disciple of the Yin-Yang Harmonization Sect, she has also made some progress in the Yin-Yang Demonic Arts. If one were to engage with her, the experience would surely be one of desire and ecstasy. Hehe, we both know the style of the disciples of the Yin-Yang Harmonization Sect. It seems that today only one of us will have the honor of such enjoyment. Du Mingwei, you are not my match, so it would be wise for you to retreat early to avoid embarrassment.

Both factions are quite powerful. In the event of a confrontation, relying solely on my own cultivation, even with the speed granted by the Heavenly Reversal Demon Sword, I would likely be unable to escape if I were to encounter a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage or above.

It seems that merely focusing on cultivation will not yield significant progress; cultivation also involves refining the mind. If one lacks sufficient experience, it is difficult to achieve greater breakthroughs. Moreover, there has been no progress in the foundational materials for the spells and formations I have been cultivating. Last time, I intended to collect some, but my plans were disrupted by the unexpected appearance of Zhang Li

The Soul Refining Sect Conference, held once every fifty years, is about to commence. Du Mingwei, why are you not secluding yourself to cultivate properly? I see you have only reached the mid-stage of the Enlightenment Realm; you probably haven't even completed the third layer of the Blood Fiend True Scripture. If this continues, you might not even qualify to enter!

After careful consideration, I am still willing to take this risk. Being overly cautious is not Ding Hao's character. Ding Hao focused his mind and carefully searched for the traces of the earth rhinoceros. After an hour of effort, his diligence was finally rewarded as he successfully found two earth rhinoceroses. With a single strike, the horns of both beasts were severed from their bodies. Summoning the Eight-Winged Purple Python, he had the bodies of the two beasts completely devoured. Upon examining the earth rhinoceros horns, he was pleasantly surprised to find their quality exceptionally good, and he couldn't help but marvel at his good fortune.

The website www.hetushu.com is no longer available. Without the assistance of the Eight-Winged Purple Python's inner elixir, the progress of cultivation has been somewhat slow. However, Ding Hao has still relied on his diligence and resilience to advance from the mid-stage of fasting to the initial stage of enlightenment, a process that took him nearly three years.

The Binding Spirit Technique can bind those with a cultivation level close to one's own for approximately three seconds. Although it is only three seconds, it can play a decisive role in combat. However, this technique must be used at close range, and it emits a white chain-like glow when activated. If others are cautious, they can easily guard against it. Nevertheless, for Ding Hao, it is already a rare and valuable asset.

Once again, Ding Hao arrived at the secret cave of the deep pool for seclusion, believing that this place might be the most hidden and tranquil location within the Wuji Demon Sect

"You are about to die yet still stubbornly resist. Under my Soul Devouring Banner, you will lose even your soul. Who knows about today's events? Even if your Blood Fiend Sect discovers it, what of it? Our Soul Devouring Sect is not afraid of your Blood Fiend Sect!" Seeing Du Mingwei in this state, Hao Chengzhong couldn't help but laugh triumphantly.

Hehe, I have just reached the mid-stage of enlightenment, and you are merely in the late stage of enlightenment, just like me, lacking the qualification to enter. Last time, it seems that only three of your Soul Devouring Sect made it out alive, while our Blood Fiend Sect, though not doing well, had five people come out, which is two more than you! I really don't know what qualifications you have to mock me! Another cold laugh echoed, but it was much hoarser than the previous voice! I really don't know what qualifications you have to mock me! Another cold laugh echoed, but it was much hoarser than the previous voice!

The Soul-Devouring Mountain stretches for tens of thousands of miles. It is precisely because of the abundant spiritual energy of this mountain that there are countless rare flowers, exotic herbs, strange rocks, and fierce beasts. Various secret caves and deep pools are as numerous as the hairs on a cow, providing ample materials for cultivators. However, if one does not know where to find the required items, the search can be quite troublesome. Fortunately, the Chen Ling jade tablet contains introductions to some basic materials, saving Ding Hao a great deal of effort

The Eight-Winged Purple Python has played a significant role in Ding Hao's search over the past few months. Ordinary magical beasts have no ability to resist the Eight-Winged Purple Python, which has saved Ding Hao considerable effort. Over the years, the Eight-Winged Purple Python has also reaped many benefits from being by Ding Hao's side. Although Ding Hao is aware of the preciousness of the spiritual herbs and jade stones in his jade slip, he currently has no use for them. Moreover, no matter how valuable the items are, if his strength is sufficient, he can obtain them again. Ding Hao has not considered searching for them in famous mountains and rivers; rather, he thinks of forcibly taking them. Additionally, the Eight-Winged Purple Python does not consume much of those items, so essentially, whatever the Eight-Winged Purple Python wants to eat, he provides. Under the continuous nourishment of the spiritual herbs and jade stones, there are even faint signs of a breakthrough evolution.

"Damn it, I will never let you go!" Du Mingwei screamed sharply, his body suddenly emitting a blood-red glow as he charged towards Hao Chengzhong. The initial red light was faint, but as he approached Hao Chengzhong, it surged with overwhelming vitality.

Having suffered a loss, one wishes to flee; such things do not come easily! Hehe! Another banner flew towards Du Mingwei, and the ghostly faces on the banner seemed eager to escape it. Before Du Mingwei had the chance to run away, he was completely enveloped by it

Survival of the fittest! As practitioners of magic, we should adhere to this principle, seeking only results and disregarding the process! Setting that aside, what brings you here? I, Jiang Ruyun of the Yin-Yang Harmony Sect, have come here by appointment. Surely, you are not here merely to enjoy the scenery and admire the flowers, are you? Hehe, Brother Hao, it would be best for you to step aside and not disturb my delightful affairs!" said Du Mingwei, with a sense of self-satisfaction.

"Hehe, you should save your strength for me when you run. You can run fast, but you mustn't let it out too quickly; otherwise, how can you live up to our agreement?" A soft, sultry female voice echoed in Ding Hao's ear