Chapter 258: Old Ancestor Jin Chan

After several breaths, the dark valley floor returned to calm.

Such a bizarre scene made Qin Ming's hair stand on end.

Was Xiao Zhongren really gone just like that?

A cultivator as powerful as a Jin Dan old ancestor could not even struggle.

However, Qin Ming could sense that the terrifying existence inside the cave seemed trapped by that black iron pillar, unable to get out at all, and the reach of that blood-red tongue was limited to merely ten-odd zhang.

Xiao Zhongren was truly unlucky to have been standing right near that black iron pillar.

Just then.

The green artifact spirit, previously enveloped by the red net-like magical treasure, freed itself from the treasure now that Xiao Zhongren was no longer controlling it, and immediately tried to flee deep into the abyss.

"Want to run?!"

Qin Ming's gaze was sharp; he had gone to such great lengths and risked entering this place precisely for it, hadn't he?

How could he let it escape?

He vanished from his spot on the instant, employing the Blood Escape Technique, and appeared above the green artifact spirit in a flash.

Seeing this, the artifact spirit opened its mouth and spat a cloud of green mysterious light at Qin Ming.

In an instant.

The scenery before Qin Ming's eyes changed abruptly; three ghostly shadows emerged from the void, blocking his path.

The three ghosts had faces as pale as ice, radiating dense yin energy, and their strength had actually reached the False Dan level.

They were unmistakably Xu Yang and the other two, whose souls had just been devoured by the green artifact spirit.

No one knew how the artifact spirit managed it, but it had actually boosted the soul-body strength of the three to a higher tier in an instant.

Seeing this, Qin Ming did not overthink it and immediately released his Profound Water Crocodile and Silver-Winged Frost Bees.

Zzzzt!

Boom! The moment the Profound Water Crocodile appeared, it opened its massive jaws and unleashed a thick bolt of silver lightning, blasting toward one of the ghosts opposite.

The Silver-Winged Frost Bees also shook their six wings and charged at the enemy.

Unhurried, Qin Ming exhaled, sending out his third-tier Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame, which transformed into a cyan-blue firebird and swooped toward the strongest of the ghosts, the one formed from Xu Yang.

In the blink of an eye.

Spells exploded, lightning flashed and thunder roared! Boom-crack! The lightning unleashed by the Profound Water Crocodile instantly shattered one of the ghosts, causing it to melt away like ice.

Its lightning divine ability far surpassed ordinary spells and possessed lethal power against yin-attributed ghosts.

Qin Ming's third-tier Spirit-Devouring Poison Flame was even more ferocious; a sweep of its fiery light burned the ghost formed from Xu Yang to nothingness.

He eliminated these three ghosts in merely an instant, so quickly that even that cunning artifact spirit had no time to react.

The hedgehog-shaped artifact spirit was instantly terrified; its light rippled, and it transformed into over a hundred green orbs, indistinguishable as real or fake, scattering in all directions.

"Illusions again?"

In such a situation, an ordinary cultivator would certainly be at a loss.

However, using illusions against him was like showing off one's axe skills before Lu Ban! Qin Ming's eyes suddenly snapped open, shooting out two beams of crimson mysterious light that struck the green orbs.

Those green orbs fleeing in all directions were instantly frozen in place!

Then the crimson light flared brilliantly, and countless green glimmers were swept away and extinguished by Qin Ming's Law-Breaking Double Pupils! Only one hedgehog-shaped orb of light remained, its form locked, unable to move in the corner.

Just as Qin Ming was about to capture it.

Another sudden change occurred! That artifact spirit suddenly erupted with a beam of golden divine light, which actually broke through Qin Ming's Law-Breaking mysterious light.

Following that, the golden divine light transformed into three fire crows, radiating astonishing heat as they dove straight at Qin Ming.

It seemed his series of actions had pushed the artifact spirit to desperation, forcing it to play for keeps.

Those golden divine crows gave off a terrifying sensation that even the slightest contact would reduce one to ashes.

Even Qin Ming dared not clash with them head-on and could only employ his movement technique to dodge the fire crows' attack.

"Is this still just the ability of an artifact spirit?"

"Perhaps even the methods of a Jin Dan old ancestor would not exceed this?"

The artifact spirit of the Hooked Jade Jin Guang Mirror withdrew those golden fire crows, then the green thorns covering its body flashed explosively, transforming into countless green beams that rained down upon Qin Ming like an overwhelming tide.

Moreover, their speed was incredibly fast, arriving in an instant.

Hum~ A slight vibration resonated within Qin Ming's mind; immediately, he swept out his divine sense, blocking all the green thorns before him.

"A soul attack!"

He had not expected the artifact spirit to have so many tricks up its sleeve, actually mastering soul-path attacks as well.

Fortunately, his own soul, strengthened by his traits, far surpassed that of cultivators at the same realm; otherwise, he would have truly overturned his cart.

The artifact spirit opposite, seeing that the green light it had unleashed was ineffective against this ordinary-looking cultivator, was also stunned motionless on the spot.

Qin Ming narrowed his eyes, and taking advantage of its momentary distraction, formed a hand seal to bind it.

To avoid complications arising from delay, he immediately took out a jade bottle, reached out to grab the artifact spirit, captured it, and sealed it inside.

Intense struggling came from within the bottle, but the outcome was already decided.

Thus, after great effort and elaborate schemes, Qin Ming finally subdued the artifact spirit of the Profound Jade Jin Guang Mirror.

With the assistance of the Profound Water Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bees, the Sky-Devouring Rat also broke free from the constraints of the Demon-Trapping Ring and came to Qin Ming's side.

"Eh~ This is truly strange."

"This broken thing can actually seal demonic power, leaving me unable to exert any strength."

It then handed the third-tier mid-grade talisman treasure, the Demon-Trapping Ring, to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming took the talisman treasure and examined it, discovering that it had already been used twice and could only be used one last time.

However, considering that Elder Yan, with his False Dan realm cultivation, had to burn his vital blood and exhaust his magic power to fully unleash this treasure's might.

The cost of using this high-grade talisman treasure was not small; if someone with cultivation below the Jin Dan stage forcibly activated it, they would either die or lose half their life.

"I haven't tasted the flesh and blood of a Jin Dan cultivator in several thousand years; it is truly incomparably delicious."

"Hehehe, an interesting little fellow."

"To actually have subdued the artifact spirit." "And to also possess a third-grade Heaven and Earth Spirit Fire with considerable potential."

In the darkness, a voice rose up, sounding like a broken gong.

Qin Ming immediately tensed his nerves, looking toward the sound, only to see within that black hole a pair of huge scarlet eyes appear once more.

And this time, the existence in the darkness also fully revealed its true form.

It was a massive golden toad demon king, emitting a terrifying aura, an aura that Qin Ming had never sensed on any Jin Dan Yunxi Laozu.

Although it superficially possessed only early third-stage cultivation, being able to effortlessly and ruthlessly devour Xiao Zhongren, a Jin Dan cultivator, suggested there must be some hidden mechanism at play.

Furthermore, its spiritual wisdom was greatly opened; like the Shi Tian Shu, it could speak human language.

Qin Ming, bringing his three spirit pets, without another word, immediately prepared to fly away and escape.

But just at this moment.

Within the canyon, it seemed as if an invisible power descended, forming an unseen barrier that completely sealed off the path Qin Ming had come by.

Qin Ming's brows furrowed, and an ugly expression appeared on his face.

"Hehehe,"

"Stop looking; with the artifact spirit on your person, you cannot get out."

The voice from the black hole sounded once again.

"Come over and chat?!"

Subsequently, before Qin Ming's gaze, the figure of the golden toad demon king trapped behind the iron pillar shrank, gradually transforming into an elderly man of advanced age.

The skin on his body was shriveled and bore convex spots just like those on a toad's body.

Seeing this scene, Qin Ming could not help but be secretly astonished; the other party could actually transform into human form at will.

And had retained only a small portion of beastly features.

This was sufficient to indicate that the original strength of this golden toad demon king should be approaching the level of a shape-shifting great demon.

The Shi Tian Shu watching from the side also displayed an extremely vigilant expression; it had smelled an extremely dangerous aura emanating from the golden toad.

"Let me introduce myself; I am the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu, trapped here for several thousand years already."

The elderly man transformed from the golden toad demon king looked Qin Ming up and down with great interest, as if wanting to see right through him.

"Surprisingly, he is only at the Foundation Establishment stage."

"It seems this little fellow has considerable fortune!"

Hearing this, Qin Ming did not panic, asking expressionlessly, "Was that bronze mirror fragment sent out by you?"

"Hehe, that's right!"

"It was indeed scattered by this king, originally intending to lure a large batch of cultivators to this place."

"That way, I could have a hearty meal to restore my strength, yet I never expected that both fragments of the magical treasure would fall into your hands."

"Truly the will of heaven!"

"However, little fellow, you need not doubt; that fragment is indeed undoubtedly the Gouyu Jin Guang Mirror."

"The Treasure Refining Art inside is also real; otherwise, you would not have come here."

"Hehehe!"

Hearing this, Qin Ming furrowed his brows, "So, the Gouyu Jin Guang Mirror magical treasure is also real?"

"Correct; without putting out genuine goods, how could you human cultivators be so easily hooked?" the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu said with an eerie smile.

Qin Ming's eyes flickered, his thoughts racing as he pondered the truth and falsehood in the other party's words.

As for the words spoken by the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu, he naturally would not believe them all.

After all, the other party was an old monster who had lived for several thousand years, almost belonging to the rank of ancient existences, with unfathomable depth in scheming and calculation; if he were slightly careless, he could be plotted against and killed in an instant.

Thinking about it, the person capable of trapping an existence like the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu here for several thousand years must possess even more terrifying strength.

"Little fellow, why don't we make a deal?"

"I can tell you the method to repair the precious mirror, and I have a way to get out of this place."

"How about you help this king escape from confinement?"

Hearing this, Qin Ming immediately fell into deep thought.

Seeing Qin Ming hesitating, the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu's eyes flashed, increasing the stakes: "This king can give you the subsequent cultivation method of the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy'!"

"That Law-Breaking Eye of yours just now should be a divine ability of the demon race, yes?"

The Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu seemed very knowledgeable about this, his voice coaxing and tempting.

Qin Ming felt almost no ripple from its earlier promises, but when the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu mentioned the 'Heavenly Demon Body Refining Strategy'.

His heart suddenly stirred! "How about it? Little fellow."

"Our meeting is a matter of fate; each takes what they needs, and after we get out, the broad road lies ahead, and we each go our separate ways."

Seeing a rare change of expression appear on Qin Ming, the Golden Toad Yunxi Laozu knew he was about to take the bait.

The corner of his mouth couldn't help but curve upward.

"Do not agree to it."

"Otherwise, you will die!"

Just at this moment!

An abrupt voice sounded in Qin Ming's mind.

Qin Ming was also stunned, because he had never heard this voice before, and it did not come from the Shi Tian Shu.

It was an unfamiliar voice, its tone appearing somewhat cold and mechanical.

Qin Ming immediately searched for the source of the voice, only to discover with shock that it was actually emanating from the hedgehog-shaped artifact spirit he had just subdued!

……

(End of Chapter)