Chapter 80: "If I could kill another Golden Core Cultivator, that would be ideal."
Chapter 80: "If I could kill another Golden Core Cultivator, that would be ideal."
A full three incense sticks' worth of time had passed.
Chen Qiu's condition had barely improved. They hadn't planned to stop in Fufeng City, but they had no choice but to halt when Chen Qiu's condition suddenly deteriorated on the way.
When Chen Qiu opened his eyes, Fat Dragon anxiously approached him, "How are you doing, Qiyou? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Chen Qiu replied, his body covered in a layer of sticky cold sweat as he sat cross-legged on the bed. He was wrapped in a fur blanket, and his condition had slightly improved, although he hadn't fully recovered yet.
Back on the road, the intense vengeful Qi had almost penetrated his body. Fortunately, his abundant Spirit Energy was just enough to barely withstand it.
The Golden Core he had consumed not only significantly enhanced his cultivation but also replenished his depleted Dao Foundation.
"If I could kill another Golden Core Cultivator, that would be ideal."
Chen Qiu, sitting cross-legged on the bed, licked his lips greedily, his eyes flashing with a gambling spirit. In fact, there were many ways to solve his current dilemma.
Whether it was releasing the Malevolent Spirit and letting it run as far away as possible, disappearing from the Universe after one hour, or self-destructing the Malevolent Spirit Entry, all these methods could perfectly resolve the issue.
But...
This was a Fourth-Stage Golden Core Malevolent Spirit!
It was one of his most powerful tools, and if he used this Malevolent Spirit to kill another Golden Core Cultivator, he would not only obtain a new Golden Core to significantly advance his cultivation but also gain another new Malevolent Spirit from a Golden Core.
However, unfortunately, his body couldn't hold on much longer.
The backlash from this Fourth-Stage Golden Core Malevolent Spirit was even more severe than the backlash from the Malevolent Spirits of hundreds of thousands of Demons he had previously absorbed. This was a qualitative change that could not be achieved through quantitative accumulation.
The difference between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was like heaven and earth.
If not for his expanded Heavenly Mandate Foundation and the vast Spirit Energy it could contain, a mere First Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him would have already collapsed and lost consciousness.
Once the vengeful Qi entered the body and eroded the Dantian, it was extremely difficult to resolve. Essentially, there was no solution other than waiting for death, unless a top-tier Alchemy Cultivator happened to pass by and was willing to lend a hand, and also had the corresponding heavenly treasures in their storage ring.
"I can hold on for another hour!"
Chen Qiu estimated his physical condition and then looked up at the Scholar, whose face had turned pale. He spoke in a weak voice, "Do you have any weak early-stage Golden Core enemies with no backing from any sect?"
"Someone whom I can guarantee this Fourth-Stage Golden Core Malevolent Spirit can defeat?"
"Hmm..."
The Scholar's mind raced, and he subconsciously muttered, "The kind of person you're talking about, Qiyou, wouldn't even be qualified to be my enemy. I would have slain them with a single sword stroke long ago. How could they have survived until now?"
"Moreover, apart from those with stubborn personalities, Golden Core Cultivators rarely remain as solitary cultivators. Even if they cultivate various techniques along the way, they can still join a sect and become an Offering Priest without issue."
"Wait a moment—"
"I've thought of someone!"
"About a thousand Li from here, there's a forbidden area called the Poison Thunder Swamp. The swamp covers an area of over forty Li in diameter, and it's shrouded in poisonous clouds year-round, blocking both vision and Divine Sense."
"Within the poisonous clouds, thunders occasionally flash. It's rumored that during ancient times, a Poison Cultivator and a Spellcaster had a fierce battle here, and both perished. The traces of their battle from tens of thousands of years ago still remain, and ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators who enter will hardly escape with their lives."
"Even Golden Core Cultivators, if they aren't prepared with top-grade detoxification pills, will suffer significant injuries if they recklessly enter it."
"There's a powerful Dual Cultivation Demon and Poison Cultivator named 'Poison Thunder Old Ghost' who has been in seclusion there for a long time."
"I had a bit of a grudge with him back then. Every time he emerged from seclusion, he would abduct a group of mortal women and bring them back to the Poison Thunder Swamp for his pleasure. The women he abducted were always those without any influential background, and he did so within the rules. The local City Lord's Mansion would turn a blind eye to his actions."
"After all, no one reported it to the authorities, so there was no need for the government to forcefully pursue the matter."
"But just as I was about to catch up to him and take him down, someone from the Zhang family caught up to me, so I had no time to deal with him."
"What do you mean by 'within the rules'?" Fat Dragon furrowed his brows in confusion.
"It means not taking action on the Imperial Road and not openly abducting people within the city."
"Is that considered within the rules?"
"Yes."
"Then didn't any of the women's families dare to report it to the authorities?"
"That's not the case. This person is ruthless by nature, and he always ensures his actions are clean. He never causes trouble for the nearby officials, and all the families of the abducted women were killed, so naturally, no one reported it. Although he's not a Demon Cultivator, his actions are no different from theirs."
"Let's go."
Chen Qiu's teeth chattered from the cold, and he weakly said, "Let's see him."
In just a few dozen breaths, Chen Qiu and his group had already traveled several hundred li away from Fufeng City.
The scholar also stopped and quickly took out a bottle of Qi Supplement Pills from his pocket, pouring them into his mouth, "Qiu-ge, wait a moment. It's a bit far, and my spirit energy is running low. I need to take some pills."
". . ."
In this manner, they walked and rested along the way, and if it weren't for the fact that the Demon Clan cultivators' storage bags were filled with Qi Supplement Pills, they might have run out.
It's worth mentioning that—
The most common item in the Demon Clan cultivators' storage bags was Qi Supplement Pills. It made sense; in the Heavenly Dao Prison, they lacked everything except spirit energy, so they had no use for Qi Supplement Pills.
When it comes to quickly replenishing spirit energy, taking Qi Supplement Pills is far more effective than absorbing spirit stones.
The difference is that the spirit energy obtained through absorption is absolutely pure, while Qi Supplement Pills, although faster, may contain some impurities. These impurities will continuously cover the Dao Foundation, causing its rotation to slow down, and the absorption of external spirit energy will also be affected.
It's not a significant issue, though.
As long as one cultivates their Heart Technique and spends some time, they can easily expel these impurities from their body. However, it does take time, which means that if one consumes too many Qi Supplement Pills at once, their effectiveness will gradually weaken.
Once the impurities are completely removed, the effects will return to normal.
Supreme Qi Supplement Pills contain very few impurities, and one would need to consume more pills to feel the weakening effects. Therefore, for Spell Cultivators, Supreme Qi Supplement Pills are also invaluable treasures.
After walking and resting for several hundred breaths, Chen Qiu and his group finally arrived at the "Poison Thunder Swamp" that the scholar had mentioned.
Just as the scholar had described, it was a swamp covering an area of several dozen li. The thick swamp constantly churned, emitting a foul odor, and large amounts of black smoke enveloped the swamp, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Just a whiff from a distance was enough to sense the strong stench and feel a slight dizziness.
Clearly, the toxicity within the swamp was overwhelming.
(End of Chapter)
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