Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"The Demon Lord's messenger, is he trying to trick me?" Upon hearing this, Ning Che immediately became more vigilant, two sword energies poised to strike. He only regretted that there was no moonlight here, otherwise he wouldn't have listened to this demon's nonsense and would have certainly pulverized it to pieces.

The monster seemed to see through his inner turmoil, standing motionless and continuing, "Emissary of the Demon Lord, do you wish to kill me? Why not join our great cause? When we succeed, you too can ascend to the heavens!"

Ning Che remained outwardly calm, but his mind was racing. On one hand, he wasn't confident he could kill the demon with a single blow; it wouldn't be too late to act when the demon showed a weakness. On the other hand, he was very interested in that jade.

The most likely place to find treasure hidden in a cave is undoubtedly this.

"What grand undertaking? Do you think I'd believe your empty words and join you, a monster, in harming living beings? Why don't you tell me where you've hidden all those monsters?" Ning Che finally spoke, his voice calm and emotionless, but he subtly took a half-step to the side, blocking the entrance to the cave.

"Should I hide it? The messenger might as well wait until he gets back and ask how much the dried meat costs in the next village."

Ning Che's brows furrowed instantly. He was about to ask further questions when the monster spoke first, still wearing that eerie, half-smiling expression: "As for the grand undertaking, the envoy will understand eventually. After I finish speaking, I will prove everything to you."

This laugh made Ning Che quite uncomfortable. He became more vigilant again, his knuckles secretly tightening on the hilt of his sword, deciding that if he noticed any signs that the other party was stalling for time to prepare something, he would strike immediately.

It seemed oblivious to Ning Che's taut muscles and the hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Standing there, it uttered words that seemed unrelated to the grand undertaking: "My name is Yue Can. Eight years ago, deep within this Black Pine Forest, I unexpectedly obtained this inheritance jade tablet. Relying on the cultivation techniques on this jade tablet, I only took three years to transform from an unknown demon into a regional overlord of this hundred-mile wasteland, touching upon the level of a demon king. In your human terms, that's nearly a sixth-rank cultivation."

"But as my cultivation deepened, a calamity descended. My body began to wither and decay, and my magical power declined accordingly. Only by borrowing the Yin-Yang method of the Black Pine Forest could I barely sustain my life. But because of this, I am completely trapped here. Both my physical body and my cultivation level are firmly pinned to the spot, with no further progress. Do you know where this calamity comes from?"

Ning Che remained vigilant, replying calmly, "I don't know."

Its smile remained unchanged as it continued, "From the tenth day, from the sun. This path has been cut off, messenger, do you know? All those who cultivate the Yin method can no longer reach profound realms; endless tribulations will descend upon them on the way, with no chance of survival."

I only found out about this recently.

At the moment I sensed the impending calamity, I also felt the guidance of the Demon Lord. I must await the arrival of the Demon Lord's messenger to assist him in completing his great undertaking, continuing my path, in order to reach a higher realm.

"I don't even know who the Demon Lord's messenger is, or how he can accomplish your so-called grand plan. The more crucial question is, why should I believe you?" Ning Che remained wary, his tone cold.

"You are the Demon Lord's messenger, there's no mistake." It still wore that eerie smile. "You must have been to a special place related to the Demon Lord. There is a way out for us, and also for you. You are determined to accomplish your great task, just as I am determined to help you."

These words truly surprised Ning Che. He had to believe that this demon at least knew something. Otherwise, it would be impossible to guess that he had been to the Moon Palace out of thin air.

Seeing that Ning Che's expression finally wavered, it smiled even more broadly: "You may think I'm bluffing you, or you may think I just guessed it by chance, but that's all I know."

The fact that you even came here has already won me over, proving to me that you are someone I can trust. Although I don't even know how difficult this will be, and winning against me may not be enough, it doesn't matter. I have no other choice but to trust you.

As it spoke, its smile suddenly vanished: "You'll understand this feeling when you reach a dead end. Now, let me prove my sincerity to you. Take this knife; it will become a true magical weapon!"

It moved.

It leaped backward, its neck slamming heavily into the rusty machete embedded in the tree root. Bright red demon blood gushed out, carrying a strong Yin energy, splashing onto the blade and the white jade tablet beside it.

Ning Che returned the sword energy that was about to burst forth to its original position and remained silent for a long time.

The moment the demon blood touched the blade, it seeped in as if it were alive. The rust that had accumulated on the blade for decades peeled away layer by layer at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing the blade underneath, which was as white as moonlight.

He could sense the shifting aura and power belonging to Taiyin. The knife was radiating a clear light, reflecting the Taiyin talisman in his sea of ​​consciousness from afar, creating a perfect harmony.

The Moon's Grimace's eyes were fierce, as if glaring at the sky and the earth, ready to take a bite at any moment. Until the blade emitted a clear, resonant hum, it finally fell to the ground, its eyes losing all their ferocity, becoming dull and lifeless.

The cave fell silent instantly, with only the faint sound of the fire tinder burning.

Ning Che actually wanted to ask where all the demon beasts had gone, and what the dried meat from the neighboring village meant, but Yue Can could no longer answer. He looked at the demon on the ground, its path cut off, and a complex feeling suddenly welled up in his heart—it had been trapped in this black pine forest for eight years, with no way forward and no way back, much like himself, trapped in this desolate wasteland, struggling even to protect a village.

He silently stepped forward, reached out and closed Yuecan's wide-open eyelids, then gripped the hilt of the knife.

The wooden hilt underwent a mysterious transformation; when held in his hand, he felt a cool sensation seep into his fingertips, subtly connecting with his meridians. He clearly sensed that this knife possessed a perfect harmony with him, and that by infusing it with his magic power, it could unleash astonishing strength.

But this wasn't the place for the experiment; Fugui was still waiting outside. He suppressed the urge to test the knife immediately, tucked it into his waistband, picked up the jade piece engraved with the moon rabbit, dragged Yue Can's corpse with one hand, and turned to walk out.

The spiritual artifact forged by a powerful demon approaching the sixth rank, using his life's cultivation and the sacrifice of his remnant soul, must be far superior to ordinary magical artifacts and can accompany him for a long time.

"A waning moon... then let's call it the Crescent Moon." Ning Che thought to himself as his fingertips traced the gleaming white blade.

But the question Yue Can left behind before his death still lingered in his heart.

He originally thought that by eliminating the mastermind behind the Black Pine Forest, he could solve the immediate crisis of Stone Pillar Village. But now he realized that the monster attack on the village was just a minor problem. The real question was, where did all the living creatures in the entire Black Pine Forest go?

And that inexplicable "How much is the jerky?" question—did Blackrock Village wipe out all the monsters? Even if they could, did they also dig up all the insects?

The original owner also knew about the situation in the neighboring village. Black Rock Village had four cultivators. They had always been overshadowed by Stone Pillar Village, but since Shi Meng disappeared, they had gradually surpassed him and their strength was now even stronger than that of Stone Pillar Village.

Even so, Ning Che couldn't figure out how they did it.

While he was pondering, he had already climbed out of the cave.

Perhaps because Yuecan had died, the illusionary mist outside the cave had completely dissipated. Fugui remained leaning against the black pine, his arrow still nocked. Seeing Ning Che emerge safely, he instantly released the bowstring and exclaimed joyfully, "Xing! I knew you could do it! The mist has dissipated, we won!"