Chapter 1059: The Encounter of Zhuge Gui

A few uninvited guests entered the Formation; Xinran Zhanglao naturally knew, but ignored them, calling them a few small trash, not worth their attention; dead is dead, they didn't want to meddle in their affairs, letting them fend for themselves.

Anyway these people cannot escape the Formation; sooner or later they'll become part of it, serving as fertilizer for the plants and trees; as for Xinran Zhanglao, they calmly continue cultivation.

If any of them happen to survive, they'll be handed over to Qinglong Daoren to deal with; as for Xinran Zhanglao, they won't be the type to overflow with misplaced compassion.

"That kid was indeed pitiful, yet clever, quickly discovered some aspects of the Formation and used it to shield himself."

"Not sure if he'll survive; the others are unlikely to make it."

"We'll see the outcome in a few days."

Xinran Zhanglao lowered their gaze and resumed sword practice; their Sword Path was not yet fully realized, needing further improvement to strive for an early Advancement to the True Destiny Realm. As Qinglong Daoren said, their strength was still weak, so they had to advance quickly.

Improving the Sword Path isn't that easy; unlike other cultivators, it can't just be stacked with pills and resources.

In fact, advancing the Sword Path requires day‑by‑day accumulation and deep comprehension; either one soars skyward, or remains stuck in a single realm, unable to break through.

Inside the room, Qinglong Daoren glanced at the Formation; he was the first to sense those who entered it, but he chose not to pay attention, deeming them mere ants unworthy of his notice.

Dead is dead, causing no impact, let alone any effect on him.

"Lately many guests have arrived; it seems this place will be discovered sooner or later."

"After a few human incursions, the beasts will soon detect clues about this place. Until then, I must keep strengthening myself; without sufficient power I cannot protect myself, nor guard Longshe Shan."

Qinglong Daoren was eager to raise his cultivation and strength; however, his power was already rising quickly and needed further stabilization before the next breakthrough.

Mu Long Hua and Mu Long Chen supplied him with many fine items; among them, a few of Elder Mu Long Chen's domesticated beasts were slain before they could be presented, dying in a most humiliating way.

He has two domesticated beasts, not weak at all, both in the True Destiny Realm, with respectable bloodlines, having received focused training from Mu Long Chen; it's obvious at a glance that these two demonic beasts are well‑treated, dripping with bloodlust, and have devoured many people.

They are respectively a Three‑Eyed Black Dragon and a Nine‑Clawed Poison Dragon, both bearing Azure Dragon Bloodline, though not true dragons—just a name. Their dragon blood is thick, and the moment they saw Qinglong Daoren they sensed the dragon‑blood pressure from him, and the two beasts were instantly suppressed.

Like lizard‑like dragons that have not fully metamorphosed, Mu Long Chen has invested considerable effort in them; given time, perhaps these two beasts could advance to become true True Dragons, rather than their current mismatched forms.

However, they turned out to be a convenient bargain for Qinglong Daoren, who directly employed Chen Chuyang's Demon‑Refining‑into‑Pill technique to forcibly forge the two beasts; they tried to resist, but alas, they could not.

Qinglong Daoren's bloodline rank is high, and his suppression of their bloodlines prevented any resistance.

In the end, their massive bodies became two pills.

The pills, rich with pill fragrance, emitted a faint beastly musk, which was inevitable.

Beasts differ from ghosts in scent; ghosts are colder, appear gray, and carry that malicious ghost odor—though faint, anyone with a keen nose would dare not eat them.

They don't match genuine pills; the refined pills possess the fragrance of a spiritual medicine.

Among them, human‑refining‑into‑pill is different; this pill lacks any gamey or foul odor, only a light fragrance.

Qinglong Daoren rarely does this; most of the time the pills are given to Heishanyang. This time, however, Heishanyang didn't come along—originally intended to accompany him to Tianwai, but it backed out and stayed by Chen Chuyang's side.

"The two pills aren't ineffective; for me they are quite beneficial. After ingesting them, my cultivation should advance further."

"Regarding bloodline, I could also advance, but I must purify theirs first; otherwise their blood would mix with my Azure Dragon Bloodline, which would be counterproductive."

Qinglong Daoren would not simply merge, purify, and then devour.

The Azure Dragon Bloodline isn't strong enough; it requires continual merging, enhancement, and stimulation.

Qinglong Daoren knows this well; his bloodline is decent, though still a bit lacking compared to a true True Dragon.

The Azure Dragon Clan's bloodline is nowhere near what it once was; after many years of decline the lineage is far weaker than in its heyday.

Having swallowed the two pills outright, Qinglong Daoren had no time to attend to the other treasures on Mu Long Chen and Mu Long Hua, nor the many techniques and divine abilities; he would sort them out later.

The immediate priority is to breakthrough his cultivation.

He closed his eyes and began absorbing the pills' energy.

The bloodline pressure spread outward, but was intercepted by the Formation in the room, failing to reach the outside.

The tale diverges into two threads.

On the other side, Zhuge Gui was far less fortunate; he landed in a perilous spot near a human town, was discovered and pursued for a long time. Relying on his unique nature, he slew many humans, devouring their souls, which granted him considerable benefits.

All the way, it was either slaughter or escape; when encountering a strong one, he fled outright, and getting wounded was entirely normal.

Zhuge Gui grew accustomed; throughout this journey his strength increased enormously.

He surged straight to the first tier of the True Destiny Realm, his cultivation solid, his power surpassing his current realm.

One can imagine what he encountered.

Zhuge Gui found a dark cave to rest; the Yin energy he ingested was massive, as was the soul, requiring digestion, lest his body burst.

After prolonged cultivation, Zhuge Gui finally finished digesting and exhaled.

"Hoo hoo… truly deadly, this journey has been hard, but I have found the realm of the Sky Ghosts, the Far‑East, the place where Yin is most dense, the most suitable for my cultivation."

"Reaching the Far‑East is no easy feat; along the way, who knows how many foes I will face."

"The Far‑East is chaotic; the closer one gets, the more chaotic it becomes."

"With my current strength I cannot confront the Sky Ghosts directly; approaching the Far‑East would likely draw its detection."

"Cough cough cough."

Zhuge Gui coughed once; he knew his condition well—this body had reached its limit, and the road ahead would not be easy; he must keep moving forward.

"Step by step, first head toward the Far‑East; along the way I will devise ways to raise my cultivation."