Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Li Ji'an nodded silently, acknowledging Yan Qingwan's experience honed in the chaos of decades in the desert.

She handles such sudden life-and-death magical combat better than someone from a sheltered family like Qin Chuan.

Moreover, the three of them against Xue Ling'Er alone meant they had the advantage in numbers, but their cultivation was inferior. In such circumstances, only by working together, attacking to defend, could they gain the upper hand.

If they focused solely on defense, eventually they would be defeated one by one and exterminated.

"Zheng!" Yan Qingwan unsheathed her Cyan Jade Sword, and a sword light swept towards the right side of Xue Yun.

Li Ji'an sent a cloud of fire towards the left side of Xue Yun.

After recovering from his surprise, Qin Chuan also produced a Treasure Basin filled with potent Earth Spiritual Qi. As he activated it, a gale of yellow sand shot towards Xue Yun.

"Hehe~" A light laugh emanated from Xue Yun, which instantly expanded several times.

Then, countless Blood Bats flew out from Xue Yun, simultaneously attacking the three.

"I've always heard that Demon Cultivators focus heavily on attack techniques, but I never knew they could be this powerful!" Yan Qingwan was horrified.

This was Li Ji'an's first real encounter with a Demon Cultivator, and he was similarly shaken.

Compared to the so-called righteous cultivators, Demon Cultivators were similar in cultivation realm, but they focused more on attack techniques, often employing extremely radical methods.

Normally, with a Foundation Establishment Late-Period cultivation, Xue Ling'Er could handle three Cultivators in the Middle Stage without losing, but against the likes of Li Ji'an and his group, which included two in the Early Period, a decisive victory was possible, but not such easy suppression.

But now, the moment they made their move, they were nearly overwhelmed.

The endless Blood Bats surrounded and divided them. Though their attack power wasn't as strong as a Foundation Establishment Late-Period Cultivator, it was only a matter of time before they broke through their Body-Protecting Dharma Shields.

Even Li Ji'an, the most advanced of the three, couldn't swiftly kill the Blood Bats using attack magic learned from the Yan Family.

What's more disheartening for the three was that whenever they slew a Blood Bat, it would transform into a cloud of blood mist, return to the Xue Yun, from which Xue Ling'Er was formed, and soon re-emerge as Blood Bats.

It was virtually endless.

Qin Chuan was even more rattled facing the incessant Blood Bats. Raised with a single-minded focus on cultivation realm, he had never experienced life-and-death combat. Previously, in the Celestial River Immortal City, he even anticipated such events, but now he grasped the meaning of Qin Henian's warning.

It's best never to encounter life-and-death combat in one's lifetime.

"Qin Henian! How did you deceive everyone and kill the Liu Family Ancestor?" Meanwhile, Du Haizang wielded an ink-colored spear with increasing courage, even having time to question Qin Henian.

Qin Henian had lost his prior confidence; the Corpse Puppets were emotionless, fearless, unafraid of death, making all his efforts futile.

Furthermore, Du Haizang and the Silver Corpse coordinated seamlessly, their joint attack technique skillful, thwarting Qin Henian's attempts to defeat the leader first. Now, he was stuck on the defensive.

A Fake Pill True Man being forced into defense by a Foundation Establishment Late-Period Cultivator was a humiliation.

The crux was that he had noticed Qin Chuan's predicament.

"Wait, young friend, perhaps there is a misunderstanding between us." Qin Henian wasn't afraid for himself, but he couldn't disregard Qin Chuan, the clan's promising heir.

"Ha~ Righteous Cultivators truly change faces quickly." The switch from calling him Demon Child to young friend made Du Haizang scoff.

Qin Henian remained composed, "You wouldn't happen to be seeking the rumored Core Formation Pill Formula? I can swear a Great Heart Demon Oath that I absolutely don't have it!"

"Hmph! You might deceive the Ten Thousand Laws Palace, but you cannot fool this Saint Child!" Du Haizang was convinced due to the Sacred Bone's sensing of the mark left by his master.

By now, Qin Henian understood that today's events had reached the point of life-and-death crisis!

He hesitated no longer, unleashing the strongest Sandstorm Technique to envelop Du Haizang and the Silver Corpse.

Yet Du Haizang, as if predicting it, swiftly dodged away from the storm's center.

The Silver Corpse showed no fear amidst the flying sand; even as its flesh was shredded and marred, it continued advancing toward the center where Qin Henian was.

The Silver Corpse was formidable, its attack rivaling a Fake Pill's power. If Qin Henian's Body-Protecting Dharma Shield was breached in close quarters, he might fall then and there.

Thus, Qin Henian raised his hand to summon an Earth Shield, attempting to stop the Silver Corpse.

Bang.

The Silver Corpse smashed through it with brute force.

The shattered wall exploded, transforming Qin Henian's surroundings into a swirl of dusty earth.

And the Silver Corpse charged into the murky haze in the next instant.

"Hmph! Righteous Fake Pill, just so-so." Du Haizang hovered at the edge of the sandstorm, sneering.

"Whizz!" But in the next moment, Du Haizang felt a pang of unease—his instincts honed from a lifetime of deadly combat sensed extreme danger.

"Boom!" Before Du Haizang could react, a force stronger than Qin Henian's previous full effort touched his Body-Protecting Dharma Shield.

A true killing intent!

"Crack!"

The next moment, his Foundation Establishment Late Period Body-Protecting Dharma Shield shattered on cue.

And Qin Henian's figure finally materialized from illusion.

"You little Demon Child, you're still lacking some heat!" A vicious look flashed across Qin Henian's face.

The earthen wall just now was merely a cover for the Sand Escape; taking advantage of the instant the wall exploded, he executed the Sand Escape Secret Technique to appear behind Du Haizang.

And to ensure a fatal blow, he took out the Celestial Spirit Cauldron, the Clan's Treasure.

Although the centuries-long nurturing of the Celestial Spirit Cauldron had been wasted, it would take almost another thousand years of nurturing to return it to the level of a Magical Treasure.

However, at this moment, a full-force strike still bore the might of a Magical Treasure's prototype.

Such a surprising attack left the opponent with no chance to dodge; the Fake Pill True Man would either die or be severely injured.

And this little Demon Child before him was doomed to die.

Once he perished, the Silver Corpse would no longer possess consciousness.

"Die!" Qin Henian showed no mercy.

Bang~

As expected, the opponent did not dodge.

"How is this possible?"

However, the moment that loud bang echoed, Qin Henian was suddenly stunned.

For if it were the physique of a cultivator like Du Haizang, this strike would surely result in a bloody mess.

But the sound that emerged was dull and solid.

Focusing his eyes, Qin Henian's face changed dramatically, and he flew back.

Because in front of him, there was no longer Du Haizang's figure; the person he had struck with full force had turned into the Silver Corpse.

After being hit, the Silver Corpse's back collapsed, but it immediately launched an attack on him.

"Puff~" From the center of the sandstorm came a muffled grunt, and simultaneously a mist of blood sprayed across the long sky.

"Treacherous old rogue!" As the sandstorm dissipated, Du Haizang revealed himself, a hint of crimson at the corner of his mouth, making his cheeks appear even more sickly.

"Boom!" Qin Henian was the first to retreat, yet he was still a step too slow. The Silver Corpse tore his shield apart with a claw, leaving four deep, bone-exposing scratches on Qin Henian's lower ribs.

"Corpse Puppet Shift and Replace!" After retreating several yards, Qin Henian steadied himself, looking in shock at the man and puppet.

The situation just now had transpired in an instant.

Even if he had used the Great Shifting Talisman then, he wouldn't have made it in time.

Yet, the opponent managed to evade a life-or-death blow.

Fortunately, even if his Corpse Puppet took the hit for him, he still suffered backlash and seemed heavily injured.

However, that Silver Corpse, even with half its shoulder collapsed, remained formidable.

"Puff~" More despairing for Qin Henian was that he now felt his Magical Power stagnating, his blood and energy surging chaotically.

Taking another look at the blackened wounds from the Corpse Puppet's claw, they smelled of decay.

"Corpse Poison!" Despair welled up in Qin Henian's heart.

The corpse poison from a Quasi-Tier Three Silver Corpse was equivalent to a Tier Three poison, one that even a True Pill True Man couldn't dispel with Magical Power.

"Hahaha, old rogue, aren't you going to surrender yet?" Du Haizang followed behind the Silver Corpse, slowly approaching Qin Henian once more.

Qin Henian watched the approaching Du Haizang, let out a long breath, and glanced at the three trapped by Xue Yun, especially Qin Chuan.

Then he shook his head slightly: "I never thought I'd be forced into such a desperate situation by two little Demon Children!"

With that, he decisively tapped his Storage Pouch, and a scarlet stream of light transformed into a fiery red talisman in his hand.

This was the Qin Family's last card, an ancient Tier Three Heavenly Fire Talisman Treasure obtained by an ancestral elder by chance.

The so-called Talisman Treasure is a special treasure crafted by a Core Formation Late Period or above Quasi-True Monarch, sacrificing some of a Magical Treasure's power to infuse it into a talisman, granting it a portion of the Magical Treasure's might, which can serve as a unique Spirit Talisman or special Magical Treasure.

The downside is limited uses, usually only three times.

Yet its power is about thirty percent of that Magical Treasure's might.

According to Qin Family's ancestor's analysis, this Talisman Treasure should have been crafted from a First Grade Magical Treasure, with power possibly threatening a Core Formation Late Period True Man, a genuine trump card.

Unfortunately, when Qin Family's ancestor obtained this Talisman Treasure, it was already left with only one use.