Beauty Scheme

He now had twenty-one Black-bellied Beetle Gu. The five he had nurtured early on already possessed strength approaching the fifth layer of Qi Condensation.

In truth, if Song Wen dedicated all his efforts, he could nurture even more Black-bellied Beetle Gu. However, their immense drain on resources forced him to control their numbers.

Just these twenty-one Black-bellied Beetle Gu alone consumed roughly twenty Spirit Stones every single day. Over a month, that amounted to six hundred Spirit Stones. Such an expenditure was becoming too much for him to bear.

As for the ordinary Beetle Gu, they were no longer of any use and had all been disposed of.

Song Wen also discovered that simultaneously controlling multiple Beetle Gu drained his mental energy.

Thanks to his cultivation of the Divine Restriction Technique, Song Wen's current mental strength was roughly on par with a seventh-layer Qi Condensation cultivator. Otherwise, he never would have been able to control so many Black-bellied Beetle Gu at once.

The benefits of a formidable mental strength did not end there. With a stronger mind, his comprehension of cultivation methods deepened, making his progress significantly smoother.

Lacking a master's guidance, he relied entirely on his own exploration to cultivate the Corpse King Blood Refining Art. Previously, there were many aspects he simply did not understand and could only stubbornly copy. Now, with a firmer grasp of the technique, his cultivation had become far easier.

His enhanced mental strength was also a massive boon for practicing techniques and drawing talismans.

An ordinary fourth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator required about one breath of time to cast the Fireball Spell, whereas Song Wen only needed half a breath. The same applied to the Shield Spell; ordinary cultivators needed two breaths, while Song Wen only needed one.

Song Wen pondered the areas where he needed to improve his strength.

First, his close-quarters combat ability was decent. Relying on the Corpse King Blood Refining Art, he had forged a powerful physical body. Furthermore, wielding a Low Grade Magical Artifact bone-cleaver to dissect corpses every day had left him reasonably Proficient with the blade.

His only flaw was the lack of a genuine combat saber technique. However, mastering a martial technique was not something achieved overnight, so he could only set this issue aside for now.

Second, for long-range combat, he had talismans and the Black-bellied Beetle Gu.

Third, for escaping, he had the Flight Spell and the Blood Escape Technique. For desperate struggles, he had the Blood Sacrifice Technique.

The Blood Escape Technique and the Blood Sacrifice Technique could be practiced during the early stages of Qi Condensation, and Song Wen had mastered them long ago.

As for the Flight Spell, which required a mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivation base, Song Wen once again displayed an extremely high aptitude for techniques, grasping the basics in just two days. Nevertheless, he could not cast it freely yet. It still required a certain amount of preparation time, which would prove fatal in a true fight to the death.

He also lacked a protective Magical Artifact. The Shield Spell and defensive talismans still seemed a bit too weak for a life-and-death struggle.

Song Wen walked deeper into his cave dwelling. The first thing that caught his eye was a large, blood-red coffin.

Inside this coffin lay a corpse puppet that had not yet been fully refined.

Two months ago, Song Wen had spent a hefty price to purchase this intact corpse of a late-stage Qi Condensation body cultivator.

When he first bought the corpse, Song Wen was only at the third layer of Qi Condensation. His cultivation base had been too weak to successfully refine a true corpse puppet. Forcing the refinement would likely have resulted in an ordinary Walking Corpse with barely any combat strength.

Only after breaking through to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation did Song Wen begin refining the corpse puppet.

The incantations and formation patterns on its body were already fully carved. All it lacked was the continuous nourishment of Yin evil energy and corpse miasma.

This large red coffin was no ordinary coffin. It was inscribed with corpse-nourishing runes drawn from several types of Yin-attribute spiritual materials mixed with human blood.

Song Wen estimated that in two or three more days, this corpse would be successfully refined and break out of its coffin.

By then, the corpse puppet would possess at least the strength of a fourth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator. Moreover, as he continuously refined it with Yin-attribute treasures, its strength could rise even further.

For this upcoming Sect assignment, Song Wen planned to keep the corpse puppet out in the open. After all, the third-layer Qi Condensation aura he projected was a bit too weak, making it easy for others to look down on him.

He had been in the Corpse Demon Sect for a year now. Possessing a fourth-layer Qi Condensation corpse puppet was reasonably justifiable. After all, who didn't stumble across a Fated Chance now and then?

After applying a simple disguise and altering his aura, Song Wen threw on a cloak and left his cave dwelling.

His cave dwelling was situated in a remote area with few visitors, so he didn't need to worry about bumping into acquaintances right as he stepped outside.

Upon arriving at the marketplace, Song Wen headed straight for an exceptionally large Magical Artifact shop.

"Senior, what would you like to purchase?"

The moment Song Wen walked through the doors, a tall, beautiful woman dressed in extremely revealing clothing approached him with a seductive smile.

The woman's cultivation base was incredibly weak, resting barely at the Novice stage of Qi Condensation. Yet, her entire body exuded a bizarre, captivating allure.

There was a trace of youthful innocence in her features, but her every movement brimmed with the sensuality of a mature woman. This sensory contrast did not feel jarring; rather, it amplified her bewitching charm.

The woman's clothing was exceedingly sheer. Large swathes of snowy-white skin were exposed at her chest, while the slits on her silk skirt rode incredibly high, nearly reaching the root of her thighs.

As she walked, her skirt fluttered, allowing her long, fair thighs to slip in and out of view. Even her thin undergarments were occasionally exposed to the air.

Stopping roughly a meter in front of Song Wen, the woman dipped into a slight bow.

Instantly, two snowy-white peaks gave a subtle bounce.

Song Wen retracted his gaze, which had nearly been swallowed by her deep cleavage. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly. To think that even in the Cultivation world, people still resorted to beauty schemes.

But he was only here to buy a Magical Artifact. Was there really a need to employ a beauty scheme on him?

Song Wen steadied his mind and asked coolly, "Do you have any defensive Magical Artifacts?"

"Naturally, we do. Senior, please follow me."

The woman swayed her slender, snake-like waist as she led the way.

Song Wen followed closely behind. A delicate fragrance wafted from the woman's body. This scent seemed to harbor some kind of spiritual arts; just a single whiff made one's mind involuntarily sink into a state of deep intoxication, stripping away any desire to sober up.

The woman led Song Wen to a display cabinet and gestured toward it.

"Please look here, Senior. This small shield is a premium item among Low Grade Magical Artifacts. Do not be fooled by its palm-sized appearance. The moment you channel Magic Power into it, it expands to the size of a person. It can easily withstand the attacks of a fourth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator."

"Next, look at this Low Grade Magical Artifact Dharma robe. It automatically adapts to its master's physique, expanding or shrinking to fit."

"And there is this Low Grade Magical Artifact level ghost banner. It can..."

The woman's voice sounded like the soft moans of a succubus, yet also akin to the sweet whispers of lovers, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to resist sinking into her allure.

Benefiting from his formidable mental strength, Song Wen was not seduced in the slightest. However, he quickly caught a glaring flaw in her words.

The cultivation base he was outwardly displaying was at the third layer of Qi Condensation, while the other party was barely at the Novice stage. How exactly did she see through his displayed cultivation?

Otherwise, why would she skip asking about his budget and exclusively recommend Low Grade Magical Artifacts?

From the moment he walked through the door, he had only stated his intent to buy a defensive Magical Artifact. He had never once mentioned wanting a Low Grade Magical Artifact.

The woman standing before him had clearly discerned his third-layer Qi Condensation aura. Because of that, she pushed the items she believed were most suitable for him-Low Grade Magical Artifacts.

This woman was hiding her true cultivation!

A strong sense of vigilance surged in Song Wen's heart.

Song Wen was absolutely certain he had never met this woman before. There should be no past grievances or connections between them. In fact, he shouldn't have any real enemies in the Cultivation world at all yet.

Therefore, her decision to hide her cultivation while working here likely had absolutely nothing to do with him.

He had merely walked in at the wrong time and coincidentally stumbled across her act.

Feeling slightly relieved by this conclusion, Song Wen decided he needed to leave this shop as quickly as possible.

"Do you have any Middle Grade defensive Magical Artifacts?" Song Wen asked, keeping his gaze locked perfectly straight onto the display cabinet.

By now, he was fundamentally certain that the woman's cultivation base was extraordinarily high-at least in the late stages of Qi Condensation. Otherwise, relying on his powerful mental strength, he should have been able to discern her true cultivation.

At the same time, he completely withdrew his mental energy, preventing the woman from detecting his probing and drawing unnecessary trouble onto himself.

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