Chapter 201: "Master Strategist, Enter the Fray!"

Chapter 201: "Master Strategist, Enter the Fray!"

The Master of the Cause Sect, Zimei, remained unmoved, gazing at her kneeling disciple without a hint of emotion. After a long silence, she spoke in a soft yet chilling tone.

"Didn't some of the Cause Sect disciples go to the Netherworld? Aren't you also there? Even if you can't achieve immortality, you're still alive, aren't you?"

"Is it the same?" Zimei's eyes reddened as she spoke with a raised voice, "After becoming a Ghost Cultivator, I can never return to the mortal world. I don't even feel like a person anymore."

"But you weren't even human to begin with."

"I don't care, Master. If Chen Qiu hadn't come to the Netherworld, I wouldn't have cared. But now that he's here, and this grudge remains unavenged, I can't rest in peace!"

"Do you think I can beat him?"

"We can scheme in secret. The Demon Race loves to devour Ghost Cultivators with virtuous bodies, and Chen Qiu's Virtuous Corpse Body is the best in the Netherworld. If we reveal his location to the Demon Race, they'll surely send a massive army."

"Can he be stronger than the entire Demon Race?"

"Hmm?"

The Master of the Cause Sect, who was about to argue instinctively, suddenly paused, resting her chin in her hand as if deep in thought. "Hey, you know, you're not entirely wrong."

"That's the truth."

Chen Qiu had destroyed their sect's legacy and caused her to fall into this neither-human-nor-ghost state. She thought she'd never have a chance for revenge and could only hide in the shadows, hoping Chen Qiu wouldn't find her.

But now it seemed like there was a chance after all.

Her disciple's words made sense; while they couldn't beat Chen Qiu, could he be stronger than the entire Demon Race? If there was an opportunity, she also wanted to avenge this grudge.

"Then we'll do it your way, but how can we find Chen Qiu?"

Zimei, who had been kneeling, suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with determination. "A master strategist must enter the fray!"

"We just need to revive the Cause Sect and boast about Chen Qiu. I'm sure that within thirty days, Chen Qiu will receive the news and come to hunt us down."

"We only need to contact the Demon Race beforehand and let them set up an encirclement!"

"What do you think of this plan, Master?"

"Good!"

The Master of the Cause Sect, who had been hesitant, was now filled with enthusiasm as Zimei's words stirred her emotions. She slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair and spoke with a deep voice.

"This plan is risky, but it gives us a chance to survive. We might even receive a substantial reward from the Demon Race!"

"After all, we'll be delivering a Virtuous Corpse Body worth a hundred billion Virtue Points to them. Once they devour it, their cultivation will skyrocket."

"Like this—"

"Your plan is good, but it lacks one crucial element. The Netherworld is vast, and we need to spread the news across half, if not all of it, so that Chen Qiu knows we're here."

"We need a large number of Infernal Stones. Luckily, the Demon Race army outside the city is already on its way. Let's go find them; they won't miss this opportunity."

"The Master is indeed brilliant." Zimei imagined Chen Qiu begging for mercy when the plan succeeded. Her eyes gleamed with bloodlust as she spoke, "At that time, I want to see Chen Qiu's pathetic state before he dies!"

"Excellent! I'll enjoy the show too."

The three exchanged glances, wasting no time. They transformed into streaks of light and left the city to negotiate with the Demon Race army.

Meanwhile, in a small alley within Raven Ghost City, Chen Qiu stood silently, his expressionless gaze fixed on the shattered fragments of a jade slip in his hand. He listened to the whispered plotting coming from the nearby courtyard and the excited cheers, as if they were already celebrating their success.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Coincidences like this did happen in the world. He had almost forgotten about the Cause Sect, but despite the time that had passed, they had met again in the Netherworld.

Perhaps it was fate, indicating that their karmic ties were not yet severed.

"It's good."

He looked down at his fist, forged by a Virtuous Corpse Body worth a hundred billion Virtue Points, making his physical strength terrifying.

Even a Peak Divine Transformation expert would be easily crushed by a single punch.

He even felt that a Demon Race Ghost Cultivator in the Soul Refinement Stage wouldn't stand a chance against him. The gap in cultivation levels was bridged by this Virtuous Corpse Body, and there was even some power to spare.

Perfectly, he only had three days.

After three days, this opportunity in the chaotic world would be gone, and there would be no point in staying in the Netherworld. He had been worried about searching for a foreign Divine Transformation expert in such a vast Netherworld, wondering if he'd have to search every city individually. But now, it seemed like the plan was secure.

He only needed to wait patiently in Raven Ghost City for a Demon Race Divine Transformation expert to come to him. From the plotting in the nearby courtyard, he deduced that the Demon Race was eager for his Virtuous Corpse Body.

That was excellent.

He had been concerned that his value wasn't enough to attract many Demon Race Divine Transformation experts, but now it seemed like everything was under control.

"This is great."

As Chen Qiu thought about it, a smile spread across his face. He had just arrived in Xuantian Continent from the Great Xia Kingdom, and when he was alone and unfamiliar with Quzhou, the Cause Sect had provided him with a strong and reliable support.

They had given him an opportunity, helping him soar to new heights.

Days later, when they met again in the Netherworld, the Cause Sect was offering him another significant opportunity.

They were truly kind people, with boundless virtue.

Throughout his journey, there had always been kind-hearted individuals willing to risk their lives and fortunes to help him.

He had planned to leave the city and crush those three Demon Race Divine Transformation experts outside, advancing to the Divine Transformation stage himself. But now, it seemed unnecessary.

It wasn't worth missing out on the grand feast later for a mere trifle.

Patience for one day.

Raven Ghost City.

At this moment, the city walls were already crowded with Ghost Cultivators, and the city lord's expression was grim as he gazed towards the distant Demon Race army.

Although the Demon Race had launched attacks from time to time before, they had never launched such a large-scale assault. This time, it seemed they were determined to capture Raven Ghost City.

There were three Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivators on the opposing side.

But in Raven Ghost City, there was only one Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivator, the city lord himself. He had no chance of winning, so he could only rely on the city defense array to see if it could hold off the enemy for a while. He had already sought help from his old friend, but it was unclear if Raven Ghost City could hold out until then.

"Huff!"

The city lord's expression was grim, but he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and roared, "Hold the line!"

"Activate the array!"

Not far from Raven Ghost City, hundreds of thousands of Demon Race Ghost Cultivators were resting, and a Demon Race Divine Transformation Cultivator looked towards the distant Raven Ghost City with a complex expression. After a long silence, he turned to look at a Human Race Ghost Cultivator beside him, and with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, he said, "The Demon Race has been preparing for a long time to swallow Raven Ghost City. Do you really think that with your silver tongue, you can convince them to give up the attack? What if you're lying?"

"If we wait for Raven Ghost City's reinforcements to arrive, we'll have come all this way for nothing."

Just as he was about to launch the attack, three Human Race Ghost Cultivators braved death and charged into the enemy camp, shouting that they could attract the attention of the Human Race Ghost Cultivator Chen Qiu. The surrounding Demon Race Ghost Cultivators didn't dare to make a move, and they allowed the three to reach Chen Qiu's side.

Human Race Ghost Cultivator Chen Qiu

With a body forged from a thousand billion virtue points, if he were to consume it alone, his cultivation might surge directly to the Soul Refinement Stage. How could he not be tempted! In all these years in the Netherworld, there had never been a body forged from a thousand billion virtue points.

The most anyone had ever heard of was a hundred million virtue points, and that person was at the initial stage of the Nascent Soul, yet he could rival a First Rank Divine Transformation. When a First Rank Divine Transformation Cultivator devoured that body, his cultivation skyrocketed directly to the late stage of Divine Transformation!

Moreover, his physical strength increased significantly.

And this time, it was a thousand billion virtue points. Forget about a cultivation surge to the Soul Refinement Stage; even a direct breakthrough to the peak of Soul Refinement was not out of the question.

"I'm certain!"

Zimei's eyes were filled with determination as she looked at the Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivator before her and said firmly, "The Yuanzong Sect and Chen Qiu have a deep grudge. The entire Yuanzong Sect was slaughtered by Chen Qiu. As long as we spread rumors about Chen Qiu in Raven Ghost City, he will definitely lose control and rush over to silence us!"

"At that time, the Demon Race only needs to set up a Heaven-Roof Earth-Net around Raven Ghost City and wait for Chen Qiu to take the bait!"

"Good."

The Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivator didn't hesitate. After barely a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "You go back to Raven Ghost City and spread the news. Leave the other two here with me. If you have any tricks up your sleeve, their lives will end here."

After seeing Zimei leave, the Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivator turned to the two other Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivators beside him and asked hesitantly, "What do you two think?"

"We can't swallow it." One of the Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivators shook his head and sighed, "Even if the plan succeeds, we can't handle it."

"Although a body forged from a thousand billion virtue points is indeed tempting..."

"But Chen Qiu was already a Supreme Celestial Fortune in the Mortal World, and with a thousand billion virtue points, his body is even more formidable. That body forged from a hundred million virtue points could directly allow a Nascent Soul Cultivator to rival a First Rank Divine Transformation. This thousand billion virtue points is likely even more terrifying."

"We're all at the First Rank Divine Transformation stage, and we definitely can't handle Chen Qiu."

"We must call for reinforcements."

"We need at least five Peak Divine Transformation Cultivators to feel a bit safer."

"Even though this means that the divided Virtuous Corpse Body will be much less after killing Chen Qiu, it's unavoidable."

"Of course, even if more people share the fruit, it's still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, given that it's a thousand billion virtue points."

The other two Demon Race Divine Transformation Ghost Cultivators also nodded in agreement, clearly accepting this idea.

Soon, they made a decision. The main force would slowly retreat, while the three of them would go to seek reinforcements. This was a major opportunity, and they didn't want to let it slip away to outsiders. They would find Peak Divine Transformation Cultivators they were familiar with.

With five Peak Divine Transformation Cultivators and the three of them setting up the array, they should be able to handle Chen Qiu.

The city lord of Raven Ghost City, who had been preparing to hold the line on the city walls, was also puzzled as he watched the Demon Race army suddenly retreat. He was completely lost.

What's going on?

Why are you suddenly retreating?

One day later.

Having exited the Dwarf Race state and returned to his original form, Chen Qiu was now sitting in a teahouse, wearing a bamboo hat and listening intently to the storyteller on the upper floor.

From time to time, he took a bite of the apple in his hand, its juice sweet and plentiful, enjoying the leisurely moment.

At that moment—

The storyteller, who had been passionately praising Chen Qiu the day before, suddenly changed his tune. With a loud bang of his wooden block, he said, "Let me tell you about the time when Chen Qiu had just risen to prominence in Quzhou and had no reputation. The Yuanzong Sect's true disciple, Zimei, had the foresight to recognize his potential and wanted to recruit him into the sect."

"It was just a friendly invitation, and even if he refused, they could have parted ways amicably. But who would have thought that Chen Qiu was so ruthless and heartless, considering the recruitment as an insult. He immediately killed the true disciple who had come to recruit him on the spot!"

"And then he slaughtered the entire Yuanzong Sect!"

"Today, we have the honor of inviting the person involved in that incident, the Yuanzong Sect's true disciple, Zimei, to come and tell us the details of that day!"

Soon, under the storyteller's guidance, Zimei, dressed in mourning clothes and with her head wrapped in white cloth, stepped onto the high platform with red eyes. She looked down at the audience with a sorrowful expression, her eyes filled with tears, and roared with a broken voice.

"I, Zimei from the Cause Sect, can testify to what happened that day."

Below the stage, Chen Qiu, wearing a conical hat, glanced at Zimei who was passionately giving a speech on stage. He couldn't help but chuckle, as Zimei indeed had a bit of the strategist's charm.

But he had only learned the superficial aspects, without grasping the essence.

The sudden change in the storyteller's narrative was, of course, due to the infernal stones Zimei had thrown out the night before. By dawn, all the storytellers in Raven Ghost City had coordinated their stories, and they began to vividly describe the past events of Chen Qiu's massacre of the Cause Sect.

Zimei, as a direct disciple of the Cause Sect, also made appearances at various teahouses to testify to these events.

"Hey, brother."

Perhaps hearing Chen Qiu's laughter, a young man sitting next to him leaned in and whispered, "That storyteller must have been bribed. Others might not know, but I do. It's not like that at all."

"And it's hard to say whether Chen Qiu is really dead or not."

"Most likely, he's not dead at all."

"Oh?"

Chen Qiu glanced at the talkative young man beside him, lowered the brim of his hat a little, and smiled lightly, "The Heavenly Path Edict stated that Chen Qiu had already formed a virtuous body. Why do you say he's not dead at all?"

"The logic is flawed," the young man shook his head.

"Tell me where the logic is flawed," Chen Qiu asked curiously, his eyes filled with laughter.

"It's simple," the young man said, holding up his fingers and speaking earnestly. "I just died and arrived in the Netherworld today. I should have the latest news about Chen Qiu, regardless of whether what the storyteller said is true or not."

"After dying in the Mortal World, if one doesn't become a vengeful spirit, they should only be pulled into the Netherworld in their Yin Soul state after seven days."

"The Heavenly Path Edict stated that Chen Qiu formed a virtuous body yesterday, which means he should have died eight days ago. This way, after exactly seven days, he would have arrived in the Netherworld yesterday."

"But the problem arises here—"

"Chen Qiu arrived in the Netherworld earlier than me, so he must have died before me."

"But before I died, I never heard any news of Chen Qiu's death. A Celestial Talent like him couldn't have died without any commotion."

"That's the biggest issue."

"Moreover, I'm from Quzhou, and I know what happened that day. It was clearly the direct disciple of the Cause Sect who initiated the attack after failing to recruit Chen Qiu. Chen Qiu counterattacked and killed him, and then slaughtered the entire sect."

"And the Cause Sect is not a good sect at all. Although it's not an evil sect, everything they do is in the style of demons."

"I privately gave Chen Qiu a nickname, 'Pest Eradicator'."

"It means that although Chen Qiu has killed many people, he has never killed a good person. He only kills bad people."

The young man continued to explain his reasoning without pause.

Chen Qiu merely smiled lightly and listened patiently without interrupting. Suddenly, he realized a problem: there was a seven-day information gap between the Mortal World and the Netherworld.

All the information the Netherworld had about him was from seven days ago.

Seven days ago, he hadn't even reached the Divine Transformation Realm.

In other words, no one in the Netherworld knew that he had already achieved Divine Transformation.

Of course, none of this mattered. Chen Qiu tossed the fruit pit in his hand aside, patted the young man's shoulder next to him, and said casually, "Next time, don't give people random nicknames. Even if you do, choose a nicer one."

"Pest Eradicator sounds terrible."

"Your aesthetic sense is lacking."

After saying this, he removed his hat, stood up, and walked to the stage.

On the stage, Zimei, who had been speaking passionately, turned pale in an instant upon seeing Chen Qiu. His legs trembled uncontrollably, and although he wanted to flee, his body went soft, and he collapsed to the ground. His lips quivered as he tried to say something, but no words came out.

"Long time no see," Chen Qiu said with a smile as he squatted down and gently caressed Zimei's head, which had gone limp on the ground.

Then, with a slight exertion of force, Zimei's head exploded like a watermelon, turning into blood mist that splattered onto the surrounding guests.

After doing all this, Chen Qiu stood up, casually wiped his blood-stained hands on the storyteller standing next to him, who was already petrified with fear, and said, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Chen Qiu. I didn't scare you, did I?"

"N-no, not at all," the storyteller stammered, his face ashen and his body trembling. He didn't want to disparage Chen Qiu, but Zimei had threatened his family, leaving him no choice but to comply. He never imagined that Chen Qiu had been listening to him all along.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of," Chen Qiu said, patting the storyteller's shoulder before walking down the stage and heading out of the city. He had already sensed several Divine Transformation Demon Race Ghost Cultivators waiting for him outside the city, and it was time to reap the rewards.

Killing and fighting were prohibited within the city.

But no one stepped forward to stop him.

"Chen Qiu... right next to me?"

The young man sitting below the stage was now staring at Chen Qiu's back on the cobblestone street, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't believe he had chatted with Chen Qiu for so long and even revealed the nickname he had given Chen Qiu in private.

And Chen Qiu didn't kill him? Had he just escaped death?

The surrounding guests exchanged glances and then, almost as if they had read each other's minds, stood up and followed Chen Qiu from a distance, curious to see where he was going. They had only heard about Chen Qiu from the storyteller's mouth, and this was their first time seeing him in person.

When the other people in the city heard the commotion and inquired about it, they were shocked to learn that Chen Qiu had come to Raven Ghost City. They, too, joined the crowd, following from a distance to catch a glimpse of this Celestial Talent.

Outside Raven Ghost City.

As Chen Qiu walked out of the city gates, he wanted to take out the Heavenly Clue Umbrella and hold it in his hand, but he couldn't establish a connection with the Heavenly Path Ring, so he couldn't retrieve the spiritual treasure. Instead, he clicked his tongue and took the long spear from the city guard standing nearby.

Breaking off a short rod at random, he examined it.

Not quite satisfied, he tossed the broken rod aside and walked away from Raven Ghost City, looking into the distance where several Divine Transformation Demon Race ghost cultivators had not appeared immediately. With a smile, he shouted, "There are four great joys in life!"

"A drought-ending rain, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, the wedding night, and the moment your name is inscribed on the golden list."

"Today, I, Chen Qiu, have one of these joys. Master of the Yuanzong Sect, you've been looking for me, why haven't you shown yourself?"

His current cultivation progress was at 70%.

Although he had killed Zimei, his cultivation progress had not dropped. Only killing those with lower cultivation levels than oneself would result in a drop, and Zimei was a Human Race cultivator, of the same race as him, so there would be no drop.

As soon as he finished speaking—

Several Divine Transformation Demon Race ghost cultivators did not hide, and they instantly shot over from a distance, suspending themselves in the air and surrounding Chen Qiu. There were five Peak Divine Transformation and three First Rank Divine Transformation ghost cultivators!

Such a lineup was already extremely powerful.

If one couldn't condense their essence, who in the world could escape from this encirclement?

"Good, good, good!"

One of the Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators, a Demon Race cultivator, was suspended in the air, looking down at Chen Qiu below. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breath was filled with greed, gradually becoming rapid: "No wonder you have a thousand billion virtue points. I can already sense that rich fragrance. As long as I swallow you, I will definitely break through to the Essence Condensation stage!"

"So, you're Chen Qiu."

"Meeting us today is worth it, even if you die."

". . ."

Chen Qiu just smiled and looked up at the few Demon Race ghost cultivators in the air, his mind already having a plan. These Divine Transformation cultivators were not enough to satisfy him. He had come to the Netherworld with great difficulty, not to eat leftovers.

After becoming a ghost cultivator in the Netherworld, although he couldn't achieve longevity, his lifespan was equivalent to three times that of the Mortal World.

This meant that the number of Divine Transformation cultivators accumulated in the Netherworld would surpass that of the Mortal World.

These

were all his targets!

Since ancient times, fishing required bait to attract bigger fish, maintaining a state of being just out of reach. And he, Chen Qiu, was that bait.

After that, he was too lazy to listen to the nonsense of the Demon Race ghost cultivators. His eyes were filled with fervor, and with a slight force from his feet, his entire body shot towards the sky, and with a casual punch, he blasted a Demon Race ghost cultivator into blood mist.

The blood mist exploded in the air, like a rising firework.

Not even a piece of flesh could be seen, not even the size of a fingernail, as the extremely violent and overpowered physical strength had even annihilated the bones into dust.

Who in the Netherworld could stop a Virtuous Corpse Body forged from a thousand billion virtue points?!

"Boom!!!"

This punch caused the surrounding Demon Race ghost cultivators, who seemed to be casually provoking but were actually tense, to rush towards Chen Qiu in an instant!

In a flash!

Various weapons like great knives, long swords, and hammers struck Chen Qiu almost simultaneously.

Chen Qiu was immediately blasted to the ground by these attacks, creating a trench several dozen zhang long. He covered his chest, looking to be in great pain, and staggered to his feet, appearing to be seriously injured.

The few Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators, who had been shocked by Chen Qiu's punch, saw Chen Qiu's miserable state, and their unease instantly dissipated. Their eyes filled with intense greed as they rushed towards Chen Qiu.

"Boom!!!"

The five Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators struck Chen Qiu with all their might, swinging their weapons to strike him. Dust exploded, and after this attack, the five Peak Divine Transformation ghosts backed off, their faces grim as they looked at the blood mist that had exploded in the air again."

Chen Qiu had just withstood their attacks and punched another First Rank Divine Transformation ghost to death!

After all, it was a Virtuous Corpse Body forged from a thousand billion virtue points. Just as unease rose in their hearts, they saw Chen Qiu being blasted away again, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood on the ground. At that moment, they couldn't help but rush over, their eyes filled with greed and bloodshot.

"Boom!"

Chen Qiu was blasted away again, dozens of zhang away.

But

beside them, another blood mist exploded, and the last First Rank Divine Transformation ghost was blasted to death by Chen Qiu during the previous collision. Now, there were only five Peak Divine Transformation ghosts left.

Of course—

The result was still impressive. Chen Qiu looked even more severely injured, spitting out another mouthful of blood.

The five Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators looked at each other, took a deep breath, and charged forward with ferocious expressions!

"Boom!"

". . ."

Chen Qiu was blasted away again, and the remaining four Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators stood expressionlessly in their original spots, looking at a Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivator being held by Chen Qiu and taking a beating.

After more than ten punches—

The Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivator in Chen Qiu's embrace also turned into blood mist.

Originally, there were eight people.

Now, only four remained.

Even a fool would notice that something was amiss. Why did they lose one person every time they clashed?

"No!"

One of the Peak Divine Transformation ghost cultivators, his face darkening, looked at Chen Qiu, who was staggering and seemed on the verge of collapse, and said hoarsely, "We need to call for reinforcements. We can't handle this alone. The Virtuous Corpse Body forged from a thousand billion virtue points is even more powerful than we imagined!"

"Good."

In an instant, the few ghost cultivators crushed the sound transmission talismans in their embrace, not rushing forward immediately. They suspended themselves in the air, surrounding Chen Qiu.

They didn't plan to continue attacking.

But they wouldn't let Chen Qiu escape either. It was clear that Chen Qiu was seriously injured, and the outcome would be decided by the arrival of reinforcements. Once they came, they could completely devour Chen Qiu.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end