Wild Dogs

Yang Fan was startled. Zhou Peng was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if his physical body was gone, his divine consciousness would still remain.

Even he was almost fooled by the illusion, which shows how powerful this mirage pearl is.

To be honest, if it had been a person with cultivation who had stepped into the trap instead of this ordinary blood servant, they would all probably be dead here.

Yang Fan became increasingly frightened as he thought about it, shook his head, and put the talisman away.

The blood servant had been crushed into a pulp, with only the storage bag at his waist still faintly glowing.

Yang Fan became interested and carefully reached out to take the storage bag in his hand, just about to open it.

Zhou Peng, who was standing nearby, immediately stopped him.

"Don't open it, sir."

"This place is full of Gu worms. It would be dangerous to open it. Let's wait until it's safe before we look at it. Let's check the contents of the coffin first."

Zhou Peng said anxiously, as he had long wanted to see what was hidden in the coffin.

Yang Fan nodded after hearing this and walked towards the small mountain of bones in front of him.

The bones were already rotten and decayed. As soon as Yang Fan stepped on them, they turned into powder, and grayish-white bone dust filled the surrounding area.

Yang Fan held his breath, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

After a while, he walked to the coffin and checked it several times to make sure there was no danger.

Yang Fan placed his hand on the coffin, preparing to push it away.

But then he suddenly turned around and glanced at Zhou Peng, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"I've thought about it, and just to be on the safe side, you should probably hide for a while."

He put away the King's Banner before carefully pushing open the coffin in front of him.

As soon as the coffin was opened, a beam of golden light shot out from inside.

Yang Fan immediately took a few steps back, worried that something inside might suddenly attack.

Fortunately, he was overthinking it; nothing strange jumped out of the coffin, so he slowly approached.

When the golden light faded, Yang Fan could see what was inside.

Inside the coffin lay a suit of golden armor.

Yang Fan reached out and tapped it gently, but did not notice anything unusual.

However, this armor was much sturdier than he had imagined.

Beside the armor lay a pitch-black talisman.

He carefully picked up the talisman and tried to activate it with his spiritual energy, but after several attempts, the talisman did not react at all.

"Strange, if it can be placed in a coffin like this, this talisman must be extraordinary. How come it hasn't made a single sound?"

Yang Fan shook his head in confusion and put the black talisman away.

Finally, he looked at the innermost part of the coffin, where a jade slip was placed.

Yang Fan picked up the jade slip, placed it on his forehead, and began to examine its contents.

A moment later, Yang Fan felt excited.

The jade slip contains a complete set of cultivation techniques, including not only the Foundation Establishment stage but also the Core Formation stage.

Besides the cultivation method, the jade slip also contained the methods for refining Gu worms and corpse puppets.

"This is really good stuff."

Yang Fan immediately gripped the jade slip tightly in his hand.

Clearly, this is a cultivation method left behind by the Blood Spirit Sect, which is far superior to the ordinary cultivation methods of the Six Blood Sects.

More importantly, it also contains methods for refining Gu poison and creating corpse puppets.

"We made a fortune this time."

Yang Fan was extremely excited.

Unfortunately, this wasn't the Blood Spirit Technique, so it couldn't remove the blood mark on his chest, which was the only regret.

However, with this set of cultivation methods, he will no longer have to worry about not having any cultivation techniques to use for Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.

Yang Fan thought for a moment, then carefully put the jade slip into his small cauldron.

After carefully putting away the cultivation manual, he took out the Human King Banner and pointed to the golden armor and black talisman.

"Come on, tell me, what are all these?"

"magic weapon!"

Upon seeing the golden armor, Zhou Peng immediately shouted excitedly.

Yang Fan was overjoyed to see that he knew him and quickly looked at Zhou Peng.

"Oh? You recognize this?"

"I recognize it. This is a magic treasure that the Blood Spirit Sect lost back then. I never expected it to be hidden in this coffin."

"No wonder so many people are desperately trying to break in and search."

Zhou Peng rubbed his hands excitedly, and Yang Fan nodded in satisfaction.

But Zhou Peng then looked at Yang Fan.

"But Master, you cannot activate this magical artifact yet."

Yang Fan paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Of course I know that. I'm only at the Qi Refining stage, how could I possibly use a magic weapon?"

"Only Core Formation cultivators can activate it."

Yang Fan looked around, weighed the golden armor in his hand, and carefully held it in his hand.

"Besides this golden armor, what's the deal with that talisman?"

"I just tried using spiritual energy, but there was absolutely no reaction."

Yang Fan asked Zhou Peng with a puzzled look.

Zhou Peng's gaze fell on the talisman, and his expression changed slightly after just one glance.

"This is a talisman."

"A talisman? What's that?"

Yang Fan immediately became interested.

Zhou Peng immediately began to explain.

"A talisman is a charm made using a portion of the power of a spiritual treasure."

"Like a talisman, it can be used ten times. Each use consumes one unit of power, and it will become ineffective after ten uses."

"Judging from your photo, it looks brand new, never been used even once."

"Congratulations, Master. With this talisman, you can severely injure even a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single sneak attack."

"What? It's that powerful?"

Yang Fan excitedly gripped the talisman.

"That's natural."

"A cultivator's weapons are divided into five categories: mortal weapons, magical weapons, spiritual weapons, magical treasures, and spiritual treasures."

"Talisman treasures are made using the power of magic weapons, while spirit talismans are made using the power of spirit weapons, and their power is stronger than that of talisman treasures."

"With your current cultivation level of seven or eight Qi Refining, even a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator would be severely injured by a sneak attack."

"However, the requirements for activating the talisman are very high, and you can't use it at your current level."

Zhou Peng said cautiously.

Hearing this, Yang Fan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.

He glanced at Zhou Peng sideways and sneered.

"In other words, I can't use this thing at all right now."

Zhou Peng quickly shook his head.

"Master, don't be discouraged."

"Once you break through to the tenth level of Qi Refining, you should be able to activate it by giving it your all."

"Even if you reach the tenth level of Qi Refining, you can only unleash one attack. Once you miss, your spiritual energy will be exhausted, and you will be at the mercy of others."

Yang Fan sighed helplessly. He was still too weak; he had a treasure but couldn't use it.

But he quickly came to a realization.

"If this talisman is so powerful, and any Qi Refining disciple can use it, wouldn't all Foundation Establishment cultivators be living in fear?"

"If I use it after I've reached the Foundation Establishment stage, will it still harm a Core Formation cultivator?"

Zhou Peng nodded.

"Of course you can. Core Formation cultivators also have physical bodies. If you attack quickly enough, you can still injure them. But you must be careful."

"This thing cannot be used casually. Firstly, it consumes too much spiritual energy. If you miss your target, you will run out of spiritual energy and become a prisoner."

Yang Fan nodded emphatically.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"These kinds of trump cards are only used when it's a matter of life and death. Nobody will let go of an extra chance to survive."

Yang Fan silently regarded the talisman as his last trump card.

He first put away the King's Banner, then put away the golden armor and talismans. After looking at the corpses on the ground, he shook his head after a moment's thought.

"Forget it, let's just leave these bodies here. If someone tampers with them, taking them out would only cause trouble."

He had initially considered taking the corpse with him after seeing the method for creating corpse puppets in the jade slip, but after careful consideration, he gave up the idea.

The origins of these bodies are unknown, and they may have been marked by someone. Taking them away rashly would be a loss.

Yang Fan looked around and took out the Human King Banner again.

"Let's see if there's anything else nearby besides this coffin."

He was filled with anticipation, but looking at the mountain of white bones in front of him, he was still a little nervous.

Zhou Peng glanced around and shook his head slightly.

"That's it. There's nothing good in this coffin. Even if there were, it would have been looted long ago."

"By the way, Master, you must keep that mirage bead safe. It's the inner core of a mirage beast, and it can create illusions."

"The so-called mirage is created by the mirage beast using the power of the mirage pearl. Once your cultivation level is high enough, you can activate it to create a large-scale illusion, which is especially useful against enemies."

Yang Fan nodded.

"The illusions created by the mirage pearl are far more powerful than ordinary illusions; this thing is truly a treasure."

He carefully put the mirage pearl into the small cauldron before slowly walking away.

Returning to the edge of the snow lake through the passage, Yang Fan looked around.

"Judging by the time, I'll be leaving in just a few hours, so I need to hurry and gather some medicinal herbs."

After saying that, he summoned two corpse puppets and ordered them to immediately go and gather herbs.

"Master, should we take these two corpse puppets with us? With their help, things will be much easier for you outside."

These words stirred something within Yang Fan.

"These two corpse puppets are indeed useful; taking them out will be of great help to me."

But then he thought about it again and shook his head.

"They were brought in by people from the Corpse Puppet Sect. I don't know if they've been tampered with. If they're taken out and they get targeted, we're finished."

"I won't bring it. I can just refine it myself when I get back."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to the King's Banner in his hand.

"I've already refined you. Tell me, what should I do with you?"

Yang Fan smiled faintly, but Zhou Peng instantly tensed up.

"Master, I really can help you!"

He quickly looked at Yang Fan and said urgently.

"Master will soon break through to the tenth level of Qi Refining, and then he will need to establish his foundation. But with your current status, obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill is harder than climbing to heaven."

"In this situation, the best solution is to refine the pills yourself. I happen to know how to refine pills, so I can teach you."

"Refining more Foundation Establishment Pills will only benefit you."

Zhou Peng stared at Yang Fan expectantly, feeling extremely uneasy.

Yang Fan pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"You're right. With my current status, obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill is indeed extremely difficult."

Even if Yang Fan performs well this time and really becomes a disciple of the Blood Fiend Sect, he is only a Blood Servant, so it is impossible for him to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Under normal circumstances, he would have to endure it for a long time.

But Yang Fan had already realized that the Blood Fiend Sect was not a place to stay for long. If he stayed any longer, he might die there for no reason.

Therefore, he must find the Blood Spirit Technique as soon as possible and then leave this place.

Now that Zhou Peng says he can help him and is even willing to teach him alchemy, it's naturally the best outcome.

"You really know how to refine pills?"

Yang Fan looked at Zhou Peng hesitantly.

Zhou Peng nodded repeatedly.

"Of course I will. Don't worry, I will definitely help you and help you achieve Foundation Establishment as soon as possible."

Zhou Peng spoke with great sincerity.

Yang Fan thought for a moment and nodded.

"Alright, since you put it that way, I'll believe you this once and for all."

Yang Fan touched his chin.

"But do you know how to refine Foundation Establishment Pills?"

Zhou Peng immediately nodded frantically.

"I know. I used to be a disciple in the alchemy room of the Blood Spirit Sect, and I have the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill."

"The medicinal herbs are hard to find, but there are quite a few in this secret realm. However, most of the herbs here are contaminated by blood and qi, so their medicinal effects are much weaker."

"But once the pills are refined, eating several will have roughly the same effect."

"Okay, then tell me what medicinal herbs you need, and I'll have the corpse puppet go find them right now."

With little time left, Yang Fan needed to gather as many medicinal herbs as possible.

Soon, Zhou Peng told him what medicinal herbs were needed, and Yang Fan immediately controlled the corpse puppet to search the surrounding area.

Both of these were Qi Refining stage corpse puppets, and the other blood servants couldn't compete with them at all. In addition, they were obviously from the Corpse Puppet Sect, so Yang Fan simply let them pick them at will.

In other people's eyes, this was all done by the Corpse Puppet Sect, and no one would suspect Yang Fan.

Several hours passed quickly, and Yang Fan had gathered almost all the medicinal herbs needed to refine the Foundation Establishment Pill.

He carefully stored the medicinal herbs in the small cauldron without Zhou Peng noticing.

"It's time to go."

Yang Fan glanced at Zhou Peng, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Please tell me what you need, Master."

Yang Fan frowned.

"I really want to take you out, but the King's Banner is a treasure. Once we're out there, the people outside definitely won't let me keep you here easily."

"What does Master mean?"

Zhou Peng quickly asked.

"I'll most likely be searched after I go out."

A cold smile appeared on Yang Fan's lips.

"These people say nice things, that Blood Servants will be richly rewarded when they leave, but a body search is definitely inevitable."

Zhou Peng thought for a moment.

"Master can hide this Thousand Soul Banner inside his body."

"Oh? Weapons can be hidden inside the body?"

Yang Fan immediately became interested.

It's important to understand that ordinary weapons cannot be stored inside the body.

Zhou Peng smiled.

"Master, don't worry. You call it the King of Men Banner, but it is still the Thousand Souls Banner."

"I roughly know the method for making the Thousand Soul Banner. It requires using human skin to make the banner body and then absorbing souls into it to complete the process."

"This banner is made of human skin and can be affected by your blood. Since you have already refined it, as long as you drip your essence blood into it, let the banner stick to your body, and then wrap it with spiritual energy, it can become one with your body."

"It has this kind of use?"

Yang Fan immediately became interested and, as Zhou Peng had instructed, hid the Human King Banner inside his body.

After confirming that there were no flaws, Yang Fan smiled slightly.

"Yes, having a reliable person by your side definitely makes me feel much more at ease."

He looked around, stroked his chin, and immediately rushed out of the blood cave.

When Yang Fan entered the Blood Cave, he still had no idea what to expect.

Now, after three days of travel, he has gained more confidence.

Although this confidence was insignificant in front of a Core Formation cultivator, it gave him much more assurance that he could survive in the Blood Fiend Sect.

He took a deep breath and quickened his pace toward the cave entrance.

Meanwhile, the people outside the cave were getting impatient.

For the past three days, Core Formation cultivators from various sects have been anxiously awaiting news from inside.

Because this time, all the sects secretly pulled some strings.

Therefore, each sect felt confident that they were in a sure thing and would definitely get the treasure inside. As a result, they all looked at each other with smug expressions.

"Judging from your expressions, you seem quite confident."

The Core Formation cultivator from the Blood Witch Sect coldly swept his gaze across the crowd.

Seeing this, the old man with the disability beside him smiled slightly.

"Our Poison Gu Sect is naturally not very confident. Perhaps the first place this time will still go to someone from the Blood Fiend Sect."

As the old man with the disability spoke, he specifically looked at Xue Ming.

Xue Ming's face immediately darkened.

Just as he was about to retort, a look of joy suddenly appeared on his face.

"Okay, we're out."