Chapter 317: Golden Toad Ancestor

After several breaths, the dark valley returned to stillness.

This bizarre scene made Qin Ming's skin crawl.

Was Xiao Zhongren really gone?

Even a Jin Dan elder-level cultivator couldn't even struggle.

Yet Qin Ming could sense that the terrifying presence within the cave was trapped by the black iron pillar—unable to escape—and the blood-red tongue's reach was limited, no more than a dozen zhang.

Xiao Zhongren was just unlucky—he happened to be standing near the black iron pillar.

At that moment.

The green spirit, previously bound by the red net-like magic treasure, lost Xiao Zhongren's control and instantly broke free, fleeing deep into the abyss.

"Trying to run?!"

Qin Ming's gaze sharpened—he had gone to great lengths, risking his life to enter this place, all for it.

How could he let it escape?

He vanished from his spot, activated the Blood Dash technique, and appeared instantly above the green spirit.

The spirit, seeing this, opened its mouth and spat out a wave of green mystic light.

In an instant.

Qin Ming's surroundings shifted abruptly—three ghostly shadows emerged from the void, blocking his path.

The three ghostly beings had pallid, icy faces, radiating chilling yin energy, their power reaching the False Core level.

They were none other than Xu Yang and the other two, whose souls had been devoured by the green spirit earlier.

He couldn't fathom how the spirit had done it—yet it had instantly boosted the three souls' power by one full tier.

Seeing this, Qin Ming didn't hesitate—he released the Xuan Shui Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bees.

Ziraa!

Boom! The moment the Xuan Shui Crocodile appeared, it opened its massive jaws and unleashed a thick silver lightning bolt, striking one of the ghostly figures.

The Silver-Winged Frost Bees flared their six wings and charged forward.

Qin Ming remained calm, spat out a third-grade Soul-Devouring Poison Flame, which transformed into a blue-green firebird and dove toward the strongest ghost—the one formed from Xu Yang.

Instantly.

Spells exploded, lightning cracked—KRAK! The Xuan Shui Crocodile's lightning instantly shattered one of the ghosts, dissolving it into nothing.

Its lightning technique far surpassed ordinary spells and was lethally effective against yin-based ghosts.

Qin Ming's third-grade Soul-Devouring Poison Flame was even more ferocious—its flames swept over, reducing Xu Yang's ghostly form to ash.

He eliminated all three ghosts in the blink of an eye, before the cunning spirit could react.

The spiky spirit was thrown into panic—its form rippled, instantly splitting into hundreds of indistinguishable green orbs scattering in all directions.

"Another illusion?"

To an ordinary cultivator, this sight would have been utterly helpless.

But trying illusions on him? That was like teaching an old man to fish! Qin Ming's eyes snapped open—two crimson mystic beams shot out, striking the green orbs.

The fleeing green orbs froze instantly!

Then crimson light flared violently—countless green lights were obliterated by Qin Ming's Breaking Spell Reincarnated Eyes, leaving only one spiky green orb trapped in the corner, immobile.

Qin Ming was about to seize it.

But another sudden change occurred—the spirit suddenly erupted with golden divine light, shattering Qin Ming's Breaking Spell light.

The golden divine light then transformed into three fire crows, radiating terrifying heat as they lunged at Qin Ming.

It seemed Qin Ming's relentless actions had pushed the spirit to its limit—it was now going all out.

The golden fire crows radiated an aura of utter annihilation—any contact meant instant obliteration.

Even Qin Ming dared not meet them head-on—he dodged with his body technique.

"Is this really just the power of a spirit?"

"Could even a Jin Dan elder's abilities surpass this?"

The spirit of the Jade Moon Golden Mirror retracted the golden fire crows, then its green spines blazed violently, unleashing countless green rays that rained down upon Qin Ming like a storm.

And they moved with impossible speed—arriving in an instant.

Wum~ A faint vibration echoed in Qin Ming's mind—he swept his spiritual sense, and every green spike was halted outside his defenses.

"Soul attack!"

He hadn't expected the spirit to have so many tricks—now it even wielded soul-based assaults.

Fortunately, his soul had been strengthened by the Lexicon, far exceeding that of his peers—otherwise, he'd have been finished.

The spirit, seeing its green spikes have no effect on this plain-looking cultivator, froze in stunned silence.

Qin Ming narrowed his eyes, seized the moment of its distraction, and formed a sealing hand seal, locking the spirit in place.

To avoid any further delays, he immediately pulled out a jade vial, reached out, captured the spirit, and sealed it inside.

Violent struggles echoed from within the vial—but it was already settled.

Thus, after great effort, Qin Ming finally subdued the spirit of the Jade Moon Golden Mirror.

With the aid of the Xuan Shui Crocodile and the Silver-Winged Frost Bees, the Sky-Devouring Rat also broke free from the Demon-Imprisoning Ring and arrived beside Qin Ming.

"Huh? That's strange."

"This damn thing can seal spiritual energy—I can't move a muscle."

Then it handed Qin Ming the third-grade mid-tier talisman treasure—the Demon-Imprisoning Ring.

Qin Ming examined the talisman and found it had already been used twice—only one use remained.

Yet judging from Yan Lao's False Core-level cultivation, who burned his blood and exhausted his magic power just to fully activate this treasure's power…

The cost of using this high-grade talisman was immense—anyone below Jin Dan level forcing it would die—or lose half their life.

"I haven't tasted the flesh of a Jin Dan cultivator in thousands of years—truly delicious."

"Hehehe, interesting little fellow."

"Actually managed to subdue the spirit—and even possesses a third-grade celestial fire with considerable potential."

From the darkness, a voice like a cracked gong rang out.

Qin Ming's nerves tightened—he turned toward the sound and saw, within the black hole, a pair of massive crimson eyes reappear.

This time, the entity in the darkness fully revealed its true form.

It was a colossal golden toad demon king, radiating a terrifying aura Qin Ming had never sensed from any Jin Dan elder.

Though it appeared to be only third-grade early stage, it had effortlessly devoured Xiao Zhongren—a Jin Dan cultivator—suggesting hidden depths.

And it possessed high intelligence, capable of speech like the Sky-Devouring Rat.

Qin Ming, with his three spirit beasts, said nothing—he immediately flew toward the exit.

But at that moment.

An invisible force descended within the valley, forming an unseen barrier that completely sealed off Qin Ming's path back.

Qin Ming frowned, his expression darkening.

"Hehehe."

"Don't bother looking—you can't leave with the spirit on you."

The voice from the black hole spoke again.

"Come over and chat?"

In Qin Ming's gaze, the golden toad demon king's figure shrank, gradually transforming into an elderly man with wrinkled skin.

His skin was shriveled, covered in bumpy spots like those on a toad.

Seeing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but be internally startled—the enemy could shift into human form at will.

And he retained only a few beast-like features.

This proved the golden toad demon king's original power must have been nearing the level of a fully transformed great demon.

The Sky-Devouring Rat watched warily—it sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from the golden toad.

"Let me introduce myself—I am the Golden Toad Ancestor, imprisoned here for thousands of years."

The elderly form of the golden toad demon king studied Qin Ming intently, as if trying to see through him completely.

"Only Foundation Establishment?"

"Looks like you've had quite the fortune, little fellow."

Qin Ming remained expressionless. "Was it you who released that copper mirror fragment?"

"Hehe, yes!"

"I scattered it myself, hoping to lure a large group of cultivators here."

"That way, I could feast and restore my power—but I never expected both fragments ended up in your hands."

"Fate truly smiles upon me!"

"But don't doubt me—the fragment is indeed from the Jade Moon Golden Mirror."

"The alchemy technique inside is real—otherwise, you wouldn't have come here."

"Hehehe!"

Qin Ming frowned. "So the Jade Moon Golden Mirror itself is real too?"

"Correct. Without real artifacts, how could you human cultivators be so easily fooled?" the Golden Toad Ancestor grinned slyly.

Qin Ming's eyes flickered—he weighed the truth behind the words.

He would never fully believe the golden toad ancestor.

After all, this creature had lived for thousands of years—an ancient demon, its schemes as deep as the abyss—he could be crushed in an instant by its machinations.

Someone capable of trapping the Golden Toad Ancestor, a being of such stature, here for thousands of years must possess even more terrifying power.

"Little one, why not make a deal?"

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

"Help me break free from this confinement, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming fell into deep thought.

Seeing Qin Ming hesitate, the Golden Toad Ancestor's gaze flickered, raising the stakes: "I can give you the subsequent cultivation method of the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement Strategy!"

"Just now, I saw your breaking-eye technique—it must be a demonic clan ability, correct?"

The Golden Toad Ancestor seemed well-versed in this, his voice coaxing and persuasive.

Qin Ming remained unmoved by his earlier promises, but when the Golden Toad Ancestor mentioned the Heavenly Demon Body Refinement Strategy—

His heart leapt! "Well? Little one."

"Our meeting is fate; we each gain what we need. After we leave, the road stretches wide—we go our separate ways."

Seeing Qin Ming's rare change of expression, the Golden Toad Ancestor knew he was nearly hooked.

A faint smile curled his lips.

"Don't accept its offer."

"Otherwise, you will die!"

At that moment!

A sudden voice echoed in Qin Ming's mind.

Qin Ming froze—he had never heard this voice before, and it was not from the Devouring Rat.

It was a stranger's voice, cold and mechanical in tone.

Qin Ming immediately searched for the source—and was stunned to discover it came from the hedgehog-shaped spirit he had just subdued!

……

(End of Chapter)