Chapter 260: "You're quite picky, huh? You don't eat others' food, only mine."

Chapter 260: "You're quite picky, huh? You don't eat others' food, only mine."

"Forget it."

Before Liu Zide and the others could respond, Chen Qiu shook his head, knowing that this kill move would directly collapse the Lower Continent, a sin too heavy to bear.

Back in the Profound Heaven Continent, the strike using the Virtue Token had left an indelible mark in the sky above Evil Province that remained unrepairable to this day.

And now...

The power of his Body Integration kill move was several times stronger than that day. If all went as expected, this strike would significantly hasten the destruction of the Vast Continent.

Without further delay, Chen Qiu brought Liu Zide and the others back to the Profound Heaven State, gave them some instructions, and collected the Spirit Stones. He then sent his 'traveling frog' to another Lower Continent, thinking it was time to find a fully automated solution for this group, as it was too troublesome to bother him each time.

For now, the Vast Continent had only twelve Lower Continents, but after going to the Third Rank Continent, there would be many more. He couldn't possibly visit each one, as it would be too troublesome. He needed to find a way to automate Liu Zide's group.

Inside the Celestial Palace.

Chen Qiu handed over 1.5 million Spirit Stones to the nearby Bear Gao, preparing to resume his cultivation. With the State Continent Constraint still in place, there was nothing else to do but cultivate.

These 1.5 million Spirit Stones included some brought back by Liu Zide, but most were sent by the Sky Axe Sect Leader, the profits from the Qiu Clan Array Disk during this period. However, the profits had been decreasing.

This thing, after all, had little practical use; it was more of a psychological effect, and buying the array disk made one feel more deeply involved in Chen Qiu's story. Most people would buy just one.

Although Liu Zide had left behind a jade slip with various Qiu Clan array disks, hoping to stimulate people's collecting desires, the effect wasn't very good.

But it didn't matter.

After the State Continent Constraint was lifted, Chen Qiu planned to go to the Third Rank Continent. Then he could collect Spirit Stones from the Third Rank Continent. For now, having over a million was enough for his cultivation.

He'd use them for now and worry about it later.

After finishing all this, Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on the Heaven Sovereign Throne, took a deep breath, and began cultivating by circulating his cultivation method.

He needed to find a better cultivation method, but there were no Body Integration cultivation opportunities in the Profound Heaven State. He'd have to find one in the Third Rank Continent. As for the other states in the Vast Continent, they might have Body Integration-level cultivation methods, but they would likely be lower-grade, not very good. He'd have to wait until he reached the Third Rank Continent.

He also needed to find a way to get more Virtue Points.

He currently had nearly 400 billion Virtue Points, an impressive number, but his Heavenly Tribulation was even more impressive. While crossing the First Rank Heaven Tribulation, he had already felt he was reaching the limit of Virtue Points.

If he didn't get more, he feared it would be difficult to pass the Great Enlightenment Stage's Heavenly Tribulation.

He'd have to approach it through the merit of mending the sky. He didn't know that the Pingxi Continent had collapsed, nor if he could use his Malevolent Wood to mend the sky across continents.

Forget it.

Even if it worked, it would be useless. The Malevolent Wood he brought from the Great Xia Kingdom was almost depleted, and he had only exchanged for a batch in the Virtue Points Store, enough for one sky mending.

There was no other way. This was worth trying, even if it meant he could only mend the sky once. A thousand billion Virtue Points was no small amount, and he was very satisfied.

But just then—

His lips twitched slightly, and this was the first time he cultivated after entering the Body Integration Stage. As soon as he circulated his cultivation method, he found the Spirit Stones disappearing like flowing water.

Calculating, he realized that cultivating for a day would cost at least 50,000 Spirit Stones.

And this was with the cultivators in the Demon-Subduing Tower dead, slowing down his cultivation speed. Otherwise, it would have been faster.

His 1.5 million Spirit Stones would only last him a month.

Damn it!

Was cultivation so difficult these days?

Third Rank Continent, Heaven-reaching Continent.

In a cave by a mountain stream, a middle-aged man in a Daoist robe knelt devoutly before a Deceptive Buddha, his eyes filled with fervor and madness. "Amitabha, Amitabha."

The cave was surprisingly clean, not a speck of dust in sight.

The cave's owner clearly cherished this small world. Unbeknownst to others, several powerful and hidden large arrays were set up around this unassuming cave, ready to strike any intruder.

The Deceptive Buddha had a round face and a big belly. Its lifelike eyes seemed to flow with blood, and its slightly upturned lips formed a smile that was outwardly gentle but chilling upon closer inspection.

Its left palm was flat, and its right hand held a string of Buddhist beads—31 in total, no more, no less.

The middle-aged man on the ground mumbled in a daze, then suddenly shouted, dispelling the Illusion Stone and revealing his true appearance.

What a sight it was!

The man was over twenty feet tall, his head almost touching the cave's ceiling. His upper body resembled fertile land, covered with all sorts of strange things—heads, arms, legs, cows, eyes, and teeth.

Viscous liquid dripped from his body, and he emitted a strong, foul odor.

Numerous voices echoed in the cave, each mouth speaking different words, sounding like seductive music that struck the heart.

This man's cultivation had reached the Body Fusion Stage, making him a formidable figure in both the Lower and Third Rank Continents. In the eyes of many Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, such an existence was akin to an immortal! But the middle-aged man in the cave looked nothing like an immortal; he was more like a demon.

However, it wasn't over yet.

The man took out a blood-red pill from his bosom and swallowed it, his face contorting in agony. After chewing for dozens of breaths, he let out a painful roar and collapsed to the ground, writhing in excruciating pain.

His stomach began to swell.

The next moment, hundreds of blood-soaked flesh balls, each the size of a human head, were rapidly expelled from the man's body. They silently rolled to a corner of the cave, emitting a nauseating stench and the pungent smell of blood.

The man, lying on the ground, waited for several breaths to recover a bit of strength before taking out a long knife from his bosom. Like pruning a tree, he began to sever the extra organs on his body one by one.

"Ahh!"

With each cut, the man let out a painful cry. He was at the Body Fusion Stage, and ordinary pain wouldn't cause him to lose control like this. However, he had an Attribute that amplified his pain tenfold.

Under this tenfold pain, it was almost unbearable.

Despite the agony, the man continued to trim his body bit by bit. After an hour, the cave floor was covered with various organs, creating a gruesome sight, all from his own body.

"Huff..."

The middle-aged man, unsteady on his feet, looked at his reflection in the corner mirror and suddenly burst into laughter. The man in the mirror... was so beautiful.

Not just his face, but his entire being.

It was the beauty of having no extra organs, the beauty of a normal human body.

But he didn't linger for long. Instead, he collected all the flesh balls and organs, placing them on a tray, and with unsteady steps, he offered the tray to the Deceptive Buddha, whose left hand was laid flat.

The next moment—

As the blood and flesh on the Deceptive Buddha's left palm were gradually absorbed, the string of Buddhist beads on its right hand lit up another bead.

Soon, a panel enveloped in clouds appeared in the air above the cave, visible only to him.

"The seventeenth wish."

"With his blood and flesh, fulfilling his heart's desire, grant him a strand of Celestial Pride Destiny!"

The middle-aged man silently took the jade slip that appeared on the Deceptive Buddha's left palm and put it away. Spiritual energy surged, cleaning the cave of all bloodstains, before he left the cave, exhausted and unsteady. He carefully checked the formation and, only after confirming it was secure, did he depart from the place.

The Heaven-reaching Continent was a polluted world.

Most of the Attributes produced on this continent were related to mutated body organs. This Deceptive Buddha was something he had discovered by chance, and by offering sacrifices of his own blood and flesh, he could receive various rewards.

The higher the grade and the greater the amount of blood and flesh offered, the better the rewards.

If this Deceptive Buddha were on another continent, its effects might not be as powerful, as it could only accept sacrifices of one's own blood and flesh, and a normal person had limited amounts to offer.

But on the Heaven-reaching Continent, it was different. This continent had an abundance of blood and flesh.

Blood and flesh were in ample supply.

It was through this Deceptive Buddha that he, an unknown solitary cultivator, had become a Body Fusion Stage giant after thousands of years of cultivation.

To be honest, no Body Fusion cultivator could achieve their realm without any opportunities. Even with extended lifespans of up to 100,000 years and pure effort, there might be a chance, but each cultivator's opportunities were unique. This Deceptive Buddha was his opportunity.

Through this Deceptive Buddha, he even obtained a Heavenly Dao Attribute Set, "Great One Nine."

However, when he first used this Deceptive Buddha, he was just a Nascent Soul solitary cultivator, unknown in the entire cultivation world. No one cared about his life or death, but when he discovered this Deceptive Buddha, he sensed something unusual about it.

He had a feeling that if he used it too many times, it might release some terrifying monster.

Or perhaps, this Deceptive Buddha was consuming his blood and flesh to restore its power.

This made sense, but in such a situation, he couldn't refuse. He could only minimize his usage, and over thousands of years, he had used it just seventeen times. The Deceptive Buddha was incredibly heavy, and he couldn't move it at all.

It had been immovable from the moment he found it in that cave.

That was why he had set up such grand formations.

On one hand, it was to prevent outsiders from entering, and on the other, it was out of fear that the Deceptive Buddha might suddenly escape one day. When dealing with this Deceptive Buddha, he always felt like he was staring into an abyss. He knew the abyss would grant him rewards, but he was unsure when it would strike him with a devastating blow.

"Huff," the middle-aged man breathed as he returned to his secluded cultivation site. He carefully held the "Strand of Celestial Pride Destiny" jade slip in his palm. With this, he could pass through that Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm and elevate his Eleventh Stage Body Fusion Kill Technique to the Twelfth Stage.

The Twelfth Stage was the Heavenly Dao Peak Entry, and his combat power would increase significantly.

Of course, he couldn't compare to those monsters with Fourteenth and Fifteenth Stage Body Fusion Kill Techniques, but he was already satisfied. He wondered what methods those monsters used to elevate their Kill Techniques to such high stages.

Especially the Young Master of the Heaven Flower Pavilion, whose Body Fusion Kill Technique had reached the terrifying Fifteenth Stage. This person was a Supreme Heavenly Prodigy with a young bone age, but his reputation wasn't good due to his preference for eating normal humans of the Human Race, especially those with high cultivation. He didn't eat low-level mortals, deeming them too dirty.

I don't know if it's my mind playing tricks on me, but today, when he was alone with that deceptive Buddha, he felt a sense of unease in his heart. Although he had felt uneasy before, today was especially unsettling, especially when he was kneeling on the ground. He had a strong sense of being watched.

That feeling was very piercing.

"Amitabha."

The middle-aged man took a deep breath and suppressed the emotions in his heart. He sat cross-legged on the spot, within the Spirit Gathering Array, and began to slowly cultivate his Heart Method. In the quiet secret room, there was a rhythmic "Thump, thump, thump" sound coming from the corner.

In the corner, there was a demonic beast with Golden Core cultivation, bound and restrained. On its head was a wooden fish, and a tiny ant was holding a hammer, constantly striking the wooden fish.

During the last Heavenly Dao change, he had seen a valuable comment in the comment section of the 'Hammer-Wielding Ant' Attribute.

"Yes, come and take refuge in the Buddhist path. I had a wooden fish attached to the back of my head, and I let my ant chase and kill me. Now, my ant provides me with a significant amount of Cultivation Progress and Virtue Points every day. I don't have to do anything, and my Cultivation and Virtue Points are increasing rapidly."

He found this comment very useful. Although most of the Attributes in this world were related to physical mutations, there were still some, like this one, that were not.

So, he went to find the deceptive Buddha and obtained a wooden fish that would increase his Virtue Points with each strike. Perhaps because of its low grade, this wooden fish could only increase his Virtue Points and not his Cultivation Progress.

However, he had a clever idea. Instead of attaching the wooden fish to his own head, he bound it to the back of a demonic beast with Golden Core cultivation. He then commanded his ant to attack the beast.

This wooden fish required him to strike it personally for the Virtue Points to increase. Since the ant was his summoned creature, when the ant struck the fish, it was as if he was doing it himself.

And the ant never stopped.

In essence, as long as the wooden fish wasn't broken, he would have a constant stream of Virtue Points coming in. Every day, he could earn nearly ninety thousand Virtue Points, which was not a small amount.

Unfortunately, he had obtained this method too late. If he had acquired it earlier, he could have saved up a lot more Virtue Points.

Ninety thousand Virtue Points was a significant amount. Without any special opportunities, one could only imagine how much time it would take to reach this number. The benefits of Virtue Points were well-known, and one could use them in the Virtue Points Store to obtain various opportunities.

There were also many Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms that could only be entered with a certain amount of Virtue Points.

Additionally, there were many opportunities in the Heaven and Earth that only favored those with high Virtue Points.

The only regret was that the ant, although tireless, worked day and night without rest. If only the hammer could be swung faster.

Perhaps it was because he had visited the deceptive Buddha twice in a row that his unease was growing stronger.

Great Xia Kingdom, Yun City.

This was a small city not far from Fufeng City.

At this moment, in the Wang Family's residence, the family head was wiping the sweat from his forehead and taking a break. He lay in a rocking chair in the courtyard, feeling satisfied. The Great Xia Kingdom had been undergoing significant changes lately, giving off an unsettling feeling.

In the Endless Ice Plains, no monsters had emerged, only the cold. The temperature continued to drop, and no living creatures could be seen on the ground, which was now covered in a thick layer of frost. It wouldn't be long before the Fat Province, adjacent to the Endless Ice Plains, would merge with it.

Moreover, the number of Malevolent Wood trees growing in the Fat Province was increasing.

Having once served Chen Qiu, he knew that these trees were valuable. He had secretly obtained a large number of them and stored them in his mansion. Even if the northern part of the Great Xia Kingdom cooled down, these trees would provide enough warmth for a long time.

If he ever had the chance to leave the Great Xia Kingdom, this would be a considerable fortune.

Although he came from humble beginnings, he dreamed of one day being able to leave the Great Xia Kingdom, just like Chen Qiu, to see the world, meet all kinds of people, and find himself.

When Chen Qiu left the Great Xia Kingdom, he took with him two hundred thousand Malevolent Wood trees.

As for the Wang Family head, he took a deep breath and looked around the courtyard with satisfaction. The Wang Family was wealthy, and the last time Chen Qiu had rewarded them, they had received a substantial amount of Spirit Stones. Additionally, since this was a small city, the prices were not high.

He had bought all the land around the Wang Family's residence and built high walls, which he then covered with an illusion array.

Normally, even a powerful family would not be able to build such high walls. However, he had once served Chen Qiu, and in the Great Xia Kingdom, he still had some privileges. They would give him some face and not cause him trouble unless it was something extremely unreasonable.

Both above and below the ground within the walls, he had filled the area with Malevolent Wood trees. These trees were now so abundant that they were practically free. There was an endless supply, and the more he gathered, the higher the piles grew. From the initial two feet high, they now stood at five feet tall. If left unchecked, in a hundred years, this place could become a mountain range. Many nearby residents also collected these trees for warmth.

Initially, he had worried that taking too many Malevolent Wood trees might cause an eruption of Malevolent Spirits from underground, like the previous time. However, he soon stopped worrying about this. Given the growth rate of the trees, the amount he had taken was insignificant, not even worth mentioning.

After that, he no longer held back.

He went all out.

What started as small thefts turned into directly renting five flying ships with giant storage spaces, which he used to transport the trees day and night.

As Chen Qiu left the Great Xia Kingdom, he took with him 200,000 pieces of Malevolent Wood, and during this time, he had prepared 5 million pieces for himself. If one day, Chen Qiu could break through the restrictions of the Great Xia Kingdom, he would also have a chance to go to the Profound Heaven Continent, and this was his confidence.

And these 5 million pieces were just the beginning.

If it weren't for the lack of Spirit Stones in the family, he would have prepared another 10 million pieces. Although Malevolent Wood didn't require Spirit Stones to purchase, renting a flying ship consumed a considerable amount of Spirit Stones, which was no small sum.

He had morals and didn't wantonly plunder a piece of the Fat Province, as that would create a weak point. Instead, he evenly gathered Malevolent Wood across the Fat Province, which required more Spirit Stones and time, but the safety was worth it.

He had witnessed the eruption of Malevolent Spirits and knew how terrifying it was. He saved up Spirit Stones for a while and then gathered some Malevolent Wood to make the Wang Family's foundation even more solid.

The reason he didn't store them in the storage bracelet but buried them deep underground was mainly because he had overheard Chen Qiu mentioning that Malevolent Wood needed to be stored on the ground to ensure its best effect.

He didn't know what effect he was referring to, as in everyone's understanding, Malevolent Wood was just firewood. But since Chen Qiu said so, there must be a reason he wasn't aware of.

But he wasn't sure if it was just a psychological illusion.

With 5 million pieces of Malevolent Wood buried deep underground, he felt a sense of security in his heart. However, the Wang Family Patriarch's eyes flashed with worry, and he immediately got up from the recliner and strode towards the ancestral hall. He pushed open the hall's doors, and as spiritual energy surged out, the oil lamps inside the dark hall lit up, illuminating it with a dim light.

Inside the ancestral hall, there was only an altar, and on it stood a Deceptive Buddha.

As usual, its belly was round and full, and its eyes shed tears of blood. This was his treasure and his greatest opportunity. He hoped that once all the beads on the Deceptive Buddha's hands were lit, something would happen.

In the past, it exuded a formidable aura, its eyes filled with resentment like an otherworldly demon.

But during these days, something seemed to have happened. Although its facial expression hadn't changed, it no longer felt resentful. He could vaguely sense a feeling of sickness and impending death from this Deceptive Buddha.

Although this Deceptive Buddha was just a statue.

It was clearly not an ordinary object, and he had never treated it as a mere statue. It had helped him a lot along the way.

"What should I do now?"

The Wang Family Patriarch caressed the Deceptive Buddha's exposed belly with a tinge of heartache and muttered, "It was fine before, but recently, it suddenly looks like it's dying. I haven't even lit all the beads yet. You're just a statue, and I can't even give you medicine."

"Could it be that it's been a long time since it ate, and it's hungry?"

"It seems so, but I've given it all my previous stock. Recently, I haven't had any flesh or blood to feed it. Or would it eat something like foreskin?"

"The problem is that these small pieces of flesh can't be exchanged for anything good, and it's a waste of an opportunity. I was hoping to encounter something significant and feed it something big, like cutting off my arm for it."

"Maybe it should endure a little longer. It's not good for a statue to keep complaining about hunger. I'll light three incense sticks for you, and you can eat the incense. Isn't that what the Buddha does?"

"Could it be..."

The Wang Family Patriarch seemed deep in thought, stroking his chin with one hand. The ancestral hall had no heating, no windows, and the temperature was indeed a bit lower than outside. Could it be that the Deceptive Buddha was feeling cold?

Without hesitation, after lighting the three incense sticks, he immediately took out a pile of Malevolent Wood from his embrace and built a bonfire inside the ancestral hall. Only after lighting it did he stand up and heave a sigh of relief, "Now there shouldn't be any problems. So, old man, take care of yourself, and I'll be on my way."

"If you're really starving, try to send me a dream, and I'll see if I can cut something off for you to eat."

"You're quite picky. You don't eat others, only me."

"If it's unbearable, I'll cut off a hemorrhoid for you to eat."

As the ancestral hall doors closed tightly, the room plunged into darkness again, leaving only the bonfire in the center emitting a flame. But this flame didn't give off any warmth.

After the Wang Family Patriarch left, the Deceptive Buddha sitting on the altar had eyes filled with a sense of powerlessness, nearing death, and intense anger and murderous resentment!

Soon—

A month passed, and by this time, there was only one or two months left until Chen Qiu fully secured the Heaven Sovereign Throne. Sitting cross-legged on the throne, Chen Qiu took a deep breath, his eyes filled with complexity.

He looked at the cultivation panel floating above his dantian.

- Cultivation: Body Fusion First Level (49.6%).

Under the timed Multicolored Entry, his progress for each small realm was 50%, meaning he was only 0.4% away from reaching the maximum cultivation progress. A hint of helplessness filled his eyes, not knowing what to say.

He had spent all 1.5 million Spirit Stones and a whole month's effort.

Yet he hadn't even advanced a single minor realm.

This breakthrough was too difficult.

Now, this 0.4% progress seemed like an insurmountable gap. Without Spirit Stones to replenish his spiritual energy, he couldn't keep up with his cultivation speed.

Oh well.

Chen Qiu took out his backup Spirit Stones from the small world and threw them into the Spirit Gathering Array. He couldn't afford to come out of seclusion now. It would be like getting up halfway through, just as he was about to emerge, only to suddenly stand up and go to the bathroom.

But he had cultivated himself to the point where he had no Spirit Stones left on his body, leaving him empty-handed.

Unbearable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end