Song Wen's actions naturally drew the attention of both major factions, who turned to observe him. When they saw that a Gu insect was about to advance to the Fourth-Tier, low-ranking cultivators showed envy, while Nascent Soul experts like Xuan Chengzi remained unimpressed. In their eyes, even if the Gu successfully advanced, the enhancement to a top-tier cultivator like Song Wen would be minimal. However, when Song Wen produced the corpse of a Mystic Flood Dragon to feed the Gu, everyone, including Xuan Chengzi, was stunned. The Mystic Flood Dragon's carcass contained an immense amount of Qi and Blood, a rare treasure for body-tempering cultivators. Using it to feed a mere Gu insect seemed like a shocking waste of resources. "Demon Lord Ji Yin, this is truly a grand gesture," Xuan Chengzi remarked. "This Gu has been with me for many years," Song Wen replied. "It has helped me escape danger countless times. The corpse of a mere Fourth-Tier Demonic Beast is a trivial price to pay." "Oh?" Xuan Chengzi's face showed curiosity. "Does this Gu of yours possess some unique qualities?" Song Wen had no intention of revealing the truth. He shook his head and replied, "Apart from its brute strength and tough carapace, it has no special attributes." Xuan Chengzi didn't recognize the Gu insect, but Cui Kun did. She had seen it more than once, and each encounter had left an indelible mark on her soul, a nightmare that haunted her midnight dreams. Now, the figure of Demon Lord Ji Yin began to merge with the Robber Cultivator who had abducted her from the seabed years ago, and with "Wei Ding," the man who had once stolen her heart. Cui Kun finally understood why she had felt such inexplicable unease when she first met "Gou Jun" in Yaotai City. Every encounter with this man seemed to bring disaster. The first time, she was kidnapped. The second time, he deceived her feelings. The third time, her grandfather, Cui Gu, died under mysterious circumstances. This was their fourth meeting, and fortunately, nothing terrible had happened—yet. "Demon Lord Ji Yin, you've hidden yourself too deeply. It seems my grandfather's death must be connected to you. For now, neither I nor the entire Cui Clan are a match for you. But one day, I will avenge my grandfather's death," Cui Kun silently vowed, concealing her hatred completely. Song Wen remained oblivious to Cui Kun's inner turmoil, barely noticing her presence. His entire focus was fixed on the Shadow Gu. Perhaps because the energy required for its advancement was so immense, the Shadow Gu devoured the Mystic Flood Dragon's corpse ravenously. In moments, most of the body had vanished, leaving only a thick layer of dragon scales scattered across the deck. "May I ask, Demon Lord Ji Yin," Daoist Yun Xu suddenly inquired, "would you be willing to trade the Mystic Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale?" Song Wen raised a hand toward the dragon's remains. A scale the size of a millstone flew into his palm. The Reverse Scale, located beneath the dragon's throat, was the single hardest and most resilient scale on its body. "Fellow Daoist Yun Xu, what treasure are you willing to offer in exchange?" Song Wen asked. "Two hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones," Yun Xu replied. "Would that price satisfy the Demon Lord?" Song Wen shook his head. While Spirit Stones were useful, a top-tier cultivator like himself only needed enough for practical purposes. Rare and precious resources were far more valuable. Yun Xu hadn't truly expected to acquire the Reverse Scale with Spirit Stones alone. Undeterred, he pressed further. "What kind of treasure would the Demon Lord deem worthy of such an exchange?" "The Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique!" Song Wen declared. The Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique, which Yun Xu wielded, allowed him to create independent incarnations capable of autonomous action and possessing significant combat prowess. Song Wen had long coveted this ability. Yun Xu frowned slightly, a troubled expression crossing his face. "The Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique is a closely guarded secret of our sect, one we are reluctant to share with outsiders. Demon Lord, would you consider another condition?" Song Wen smiled faintly. "For now, I have no other pressing needs." There's no such thing as an unshareable secret in this world—only prices too low to pay! Yun Xu couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment. Just then, Xuan Chengzi interjected, "It's not impossible for the Demon Lord to obtain the Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique. However, a single Mystic Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale won't suffice. You'll also need to add both talons of the Feng Ying." Now it was Song Wen's turn to look troubled. He had other plans for the Feng Ying's talons. Accustomed to using short blades, he found his current pair—the Void Breaking Blade and the Soul Cleaving Blade—inadequate. The rıghtful source is novel•fire.net The Void Breaking Blade, only a Mid-Grade Mystic Treasure, lacked sufficient power for his current cultivation level and was becoming obsolete. The Soul Cleaving Blade, on the other hand, was of too high a grade for him to refine, limiting him to close-quarters combat. Song Wen had hoped to forge a new short blade from one of the Feng Ying's talons, aiming for at least a High-Grade Mystic Treasure. If he could acquire a wealth of rare materials, there was even a slim chance of crafting a Supreme-Grade Mystic Treasure, though the difficulty was daunting, and Song Wen didn't harbor excessive optimism. After a moment of contemplation, Song Wen spoke. "Trading just the Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique for the Mystic Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale and the Feng Ying's talons seems a bit insufficient. If your sect could add a High-Grade Magic Treasure-level short blade, I might reconsider." Xuan Chengzi flipped his palm, and a curved blade about thirteen inches long materialized in his hand. He tossed it directly at Song Wen. "Demon Lord Ji Yin, does this blade meet your expectations?" Song Wen caught the blade with his spiritual power, suspending it outside the Giant Flying Ship. He then scrutinized it carefully with his Spirit Sense. The hiltless blade was jet-black, its arc gleaming with a chilling light, its edge shaped like a crescent moon. Xuan Chengzi's lips twitched imperceptibly. Ji Yin is being far too cautious, refusing to let the blade even approach! As a Peak Nascent Soul cultivator and the most powerful in the Chaotic Sea, would I stoop to ambushing him in plain sight? Even if I were to scheme, I'd at least do it discreetly, not under the gaze of the masses! "This blade is called the Dao Canon Blade," Xuan Chengzi said with a cordial smile. "Forged with Nine Frost Profound Iron, it can partially shield against Spirit Sense detection, allowing one to kill invisibly. Demon Lord, are you satisfied with it?" Song Wen tested the Dao Canon Blade, channeling his Spiritual Power to carve several faint, ghostly arcs in the air before slowly replying, "This blade is quite satisfactory. I accept the deal." With that, Song Wen retrieved the Feng Ying's corpse, severed its sharp talons, and tossed them to Xuan Chengzi along with the Mystic Flood Dragon's Reverse Scale. He then casually stored the Dao Canon Blade in his Storage Ring. "The Demon Lord is a man of his word," Xuan Chengzi said, catching the talons and Reverse Scale before throwing a jade slip in return. After confirming the jade slip was safe, Song Wen stored it and began examining its contents. The Heaven and Earth Incarnation Technique itself was flawless, but mastering it would be exceedingly difficult, requiring a rare Spirit Herb called the Golden Spirit Seed. The so-called Incarnation was actually a puppet capable of perfect imitation—indistinguishable from the cultivator's true form in appearance and aura, and possessing forty percent of the original body's strength. A cultivator could only control one such Incarnation at a time, and the distance between the Incarnation and the cultivator's true body could not exceed the range of their Spirit Sense. Otherwise, control would be lost, and the Incarnation would revert to its original puppet form. Crafting the Puppet Incarnation required Dark Orchid Wood as its core frame—an extremely rare Spirit Wood. Both the Golden Spirit Seed and Dark Orchid Wood were exceedingly scarce spiritual objects, which likely explained why only Daoist Yun Xu of the entire Liangyi Sect had mastered this technique. 📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1114. [+2] 🔑Early Access at $5. 💥Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.