Chapter 102

The medicinal pill entered his stomach.

A massive surge of medicinal power rapidly spread through his limbs and bones.

If it were the past, such a powerful qi and blood force, Qin Shuo could quickly refine and transform it into dantian true qi using the Meta-Magnetic Earth Pearl.

But now, these medicinal powers seemed to be dissolved by something, vanishing like a mud cow entering the sea, leaving no trace.

"What a domineering poison!"

Qin Shuo's face turned grim.

Xue Chengkong truly deserves his reputation as the Holy Hand of a Hundred Poisons; the poison he administered is bizarre and tenacious, actually capable of dissolving a martial artist's qi and blood—truly astonishing.

Most importantly, even now, he still hasn't figured out how the opponent administered the poison.

This means that if the opponent poisons him a second time, he still cannot defend against it and will still fall victim.

Moreover, the pill he just took was the Blood Boosting Pill from the Sky Wolf Gang.

This means that a remnant soul of the Xiaoyue Yaowang's spirit has lain dormant within his body.

Once the Xiaoyue Yaowang awakens all the spirits, he too will likely share the same fate as others, facing the risk of demonic transformation into a wolf.

However, he has the Taotie Cauldron; if the Xiaoyue Yaowang attempts to invade his sea of consciousness, it would be courting death.

What he fears is that this creature lies dormant within him, and he cannot sense or target it, making it quite unpleasant.

After taking the Blood Boosting Pill, He Mingjing's gaze became even more desperate and helpless.

Xue Chengkong gave a glance to the soldiers behind the two; they immediately understood and separately locked Qin Shuo and He Mingjing into two cages forged from black metal.

"These cages are forged from the essence of profound iron; even if the Awakened Master possessed Diamond Force, he could not break them. You shall remain here in silent waiting for the Ten Thousand Spirit Array to open, becoming nourishment for me to reforge the Heavenly Meridian and the return of the king."

At this moment, Xue Chengkong finally revealed his ferocious fangs, his eyes flickering with mad flames, his ambition burning fiercely.

"City Lord Xue, I have one matter I do not understand; I wonder if you could clarify?"

Although imprisoned in the profound iron cage, Qin Shuo at this moment felt no panic at all.

Because just now, he discovered that, like him, the Awakened Master was also imprisoned in the adjacent iron cage.

He is an old monk with white hair and beard, wearing a red kasaya.

At this moment, he sits cross-legged on the cold profound iron, eyes tightly closed, turning prayer beads, silently reciting scriptures.

Most importantly, on the Awakened Master's body, he saw what he had long sought.

Indeed, it is the string of faded prayer beads in the other's hand.

【Discovered Ingredient: Diamond Bodhi Prayer Beads】

【Refining Condition: Recite the Diamond Sutra thirty thousand times】

【Refining Effect: Great Success of Diamond Buddha Nature!】

【Diamond Buddha Nature, like the sun wheel, body clear and complete, capable of burning all evils!】

Seeing the prompt on the panel before him, if Qin Shuo did not possess an extraordinary ability to suppress laughter, he would have nearly laughed out loud.

After searching high and low with no success, this time...

Damn it, it was hiding deep in the dungeon!

The Diamond Buddha Nature he had long yearned for has finally been found by him.

And it is not the Small Success of Diamond Buddha Nature, but the Great Success.

This means that in the future, if he can obtain the Dragon Elephant Relic containing the Great Success Martial Saint Divine Ability, he can directly refine it without needing to seek a new vessel for Diamond Buddha Nature.

The only regret is that the refining condition is not the recitation of the Diamond Sutra ten thousand times as he guessed, but thirty thousand times.

Fortunately, earlier, to be prepared, and having nothing to do while riding back to Black Water City, he has been silently reciting the Diamond Sutra.

He has already recited it twenty-nine thousand plus times; reaching thirty thousand is not far off, and he can quickly fulfill it.

Therefore, at present, he is not anxious at all; instead, he wishes to take advantage of Xue Chengkong's elation to gather some useful information.

"Speak."

Perhaps a wish cherished for over a decade will finally be fulfilled today; Xue Chengkong, rarely patient, assumes a posture of "ask whatever you like."

Qin Shuo is not polite either, directly asking: "City Lord Xue, I have one matter I do not understand.

According to you, the Xiaoyue Yaowang possesses the strength of the peak of the Condensing Truth Realm.

Even if he opens the Ten Thousand Spirit Array, refining the lives of the hundred thousand citizens of Black Water City into Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pills, how do you ensure you can seize it from his hands?

Or perhaps, City Lord Xue still has a trump card?

Or perhaps, City Lord Xue has already surrendered to the Xiaoyue Yaowang, willing to be his lackey, in exchange for reforging the Heavenly Meridian?"

Qin Shuo emphasized the two words "lackey" heavily, hoping to provoke the opponent into revealing more truth.

But unexpectedly, Xue Chengkong saw through his thought at a glance, calmly saying: "Xue has subdued countless demons in his life; the demons who died beneath my Wind Thunder Arrows number not less than eight hundred, even if not a thousand.

A mere demon king is not yet worthy of making me bow and call myself minister.

As for the trump card..."

Xue Chengkong curled the corner of his mouth into a self-satisfied smile, continuing:

"You think, a beast that drinks blood and eats hair, how could it master such a precise and complex method of alchemy?

Moreover, to refine a forbidden pill that even the Wind Thunder Valley of Yunzhou's First Alchemy Sect could not produce—the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill?"

Upon hearing this, He Mingjing, whose Dao heart was already shattered, had his worldview collapse once again.

"You mean, the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill was taught by you to the Xiaoyue Yaowang?"

He Mingjing widened his eyes.

That expression, just like those idol fans in a past life who suddenly learned that the idol they had followed for years was actually a pedophile, making people collapse and unable to accept.

"That statement is not accurate."

He Mingjing shook his head somewhat proudly.

"To be precise, I secretly saved the life of the Xiaoyue Yaowang, then gave him the formula and method for refining the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill."

Then, this foolish old demon, followed my plan step by step, and arrived at the present.

That is, from beginning to end, the Xiaoyue Yaowang was merely a pawn in my scheme to refine the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill.

Once the pill is completed, not only will the hundred thousand citizens of Black Water City die, but the Xiaoyue Yaowang will also die likewise.

How could the spiritual power of a hundred thousand beings possibly be withstood by a mere demon king?

After that foolish old wolf consumes the Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill, it will find that its demon spirit will not be repaired, but instead will be eroded by the vengeful spirits of the hundred thousand citizens of Black Water City.

In the end, the Xiaoyue Yaowang and the hundred thousand souls will both suffer mutual destruction.

And I will obtain the true Ten Thousand Spirit Blood Pill.

That will be a pill containing the pure power of the demon king's spirit and a hundred thousand souls, which will not only help me reforge the Heavenly Meridian, but also allow me to ascend in a single step, using the demon king's flesh to directly reach the Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm.

As he spoke these words, Xue Chengkong's eyes flashed with fervor and madness.

Martial Arts Grandmaster Realm!

That is the lifelong dream of countless martial cultivators.

And he, Xue Chengkong, will step into this awe-inspiring realm after tonight, to be pursued and worshipped by countless people.

Those who once kicked him when he was down after his Heavenly Meridian was shattered, who repaid kindness with enmity,

will tremble violently beneath his feet, crawling and begging for his forgiveness under the overwhelming strength of his Martial Arts Grandmaster power.

All of this awaits only the Xiaoyue Yaowang to activate the Ten Thousand Spirit Array and fulfill its final mission.

"How is your conduct any different from that of demons? Are you not afraid of pursuit by Wind Thunder Valley and the Demon Suppression Division?"

He Mingjing has completely collapsed.

He could never have imagined that the mastermind behind the destruction of Black Water City was none other than the once-famous figure of Yunzhou, renowned as the demon race's bane—the dual prodigy of pills and arrows!

This has utterly overturned his understanding!

Even Qin Shuo was shaken by Xue Chengkong's madness.

This old bastard has ambitions too great!

He not only wants to reforge the Heavenly Meridian, but also to ascend in a single step, using the demon king's body to directly reach Martial Arts Grandmaster.

What is more terrifying is that, to achieve this goal, he revived the dying Xiaoyue Yaowang and then, without the other's knowledge, perfectly executed his own plan.

Such ambition, such methods—who would not give a thumbs up and say, "Holy shit!"?

Such a hero!

Truly, to continue the Martial Path, he has left no stone unturned!

"Pursue me? Why would you pursue me?"

Xue Chengkong clasped his hands behind his back and said proudly:

"To restore his strength, the Xiaoyue Yaowang devoured the blood of a hundred thousand residents of Black Water City in one night.

And I, a discarded disciple of Wind Thunder Valley and the lord of Black Water City, took advantage of his weakness and slew him.

This is a great deed to save the masses and prevent the demon king from continuing to plague Yunzhou.

Who could kill me?

Who dares to kill me?

Even the Son of Heaven on the Nine-Five Throne, the ruler of humanity, would have to crown me and grant me fief and title!"

Xue Chengkong spoke with increasing fervor, and by the end, he was nearly shouting, unable to contain his emotions.

Over a decade of suppressed emotion has turned this former pride of Yunzhou into a twisted figure.

Now, as he vents, it inevitably moves people and chills their courage.

To say the least, this old bastard truly planned everything, keeping everything under his control.

No wonder he remained calm from beginning to end, exuding the aura of a master who holds the pearl of wisdom in his palm.

It seems he truly calculated everything in advance, waiting only for the final harvest.

Alas, he calculated a thousand times, ten thousand times, but ultimately failed to account for Qin Shuo as a variable.

Even now, he still thinks of making full use of things, wanting to turn Qin Shuo into nourishment for his future ascent to heaven.

Little does he know that, the moment Qin Shuo saw Master Jueming,

the fate of this hero was already sealed.

"City Lord Xue, I still have one doubt. I hope you can let me die with clarity." Qin Shuo continued speaking.

Xue Chengkong said nothing, but his gaze already indicated that he could continue asking.

Having held back his emotions for over a decade alone, he now finally can pour out his true feelings to a few dying people, and Xue Chengkong feels an unprecedented sense of relief.

Walking in brocade at night is ultimately not as good as returning home in brocade.

Old man, I'm this awesome—of course I need to be known and admired!

And these two dying people before me are the perfect targets for showing off.

"I want to know why you just said Master Jueming can kill the Xiaoyue Yaowang? He is clearly only at Minor Success in the Tongmai Realm..."

Although Qin Shuo had already guessed something in his heart, he still wanted to confirm it with Xue Chengkong.