Zhang Yan, though he had killed Lu Ge, was always cautious and meticulous, unwilling to leave even a trace of negligence. Not only did he personally search Lu Ge’s corpse thoroughly, but he also carefully inspected the Magic Artifacts that Lu Ge had discarded. Relying on his memory, he methodically retrieved these items one by one, ensuring that nothing was left behind before he finally stopped.
However, after returning to the Demon Storage, a lingering doubt still remained in his mind. He paced around the first level of the Demon Storage for a while before suddenly lifting his head to look upward.
There, at the center of the ceiling, he saw a palm-sized Jade Bi etched with dense text, all written in Erosion Text. After focusing his gaze for a few moments, he discerned that the content engraved on this Jade Bi was identical to the descriptions on the Jade Scroll.
With a thought, a streak of sword light flew upwards and struck it. With the sound of "clang," the Jade Bi remained smooth and undamaged, without even the faintest scratch.
A knowing expression appeared on his face, and he nodded, saying, "So that’s how it is."
He had previously wondered why someone like Lu Ge, after obtaining the secret spell, wouldn’t destroy it once it had been committed to memory. "Leaving it here defies logic," he had thought.
Now it was apparent that the foundational teachings of this Dharma technique were engraved here and were indestructible, rendering any additional attempts futile.
Such arrangements were only reasonable, considering the Demon Storage itself was meant to serve as an object of inheritance.
Zhang Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and relaxed his thoughts. It seemed this secret spell could indeed be cultivated without worry.
The origins of this cultivation technique were hazy; both the original teachings and the Jade Scroll recorded it sparingly, mentioning it only as "Ming Dao Can Shen Qi." It was described as a Power Dao achievement method that, once mastered, made the cultivator’s body as tough as refined iron, impervious even to Divine Weapons.
Yet, the records he had seen only covered the first three techniques of the cultivation method, corresponding respectively to the realms of Ming Qi, Xuan Guang, and Hua Dan Third Realm.
To practice this technique, one must first refine the "Nine Capturing Demon Scroll" hidden here.
Once this Dharma Treasure was claimed, during encounters with enemies, if the opponent lost their ability to resist, the scroll could absorb their Essence Qi and Divine Soul entirely with just a single draw.
Afterward, every slain enemy would cause the scroll to release a trace of pure Essence Qi to nourish the cultivator, and only through circulating this trace within one’s body could the practice of this secret spell be sustained.
The more cultivators killed, the stronger the scroll’s power grew, and the amount of Essence Qi it emitted would gradually increase.
Zhang Yan felt a pang of reflection—the murderous aura surrounding this cultivation method was exceedingly heavy, befitting its origins in the secret teachings of the Demon Sect. The warnings of divine retribution engraved on the stele above were not without cause.
Still, despite the technique’s ominous nature, he had compelling reasons that left him with no choice but to cultivate it.
When Qi Dao practitioners refine pills, one of the Upper Three Elixirs involved is named "No-leak Wind."
This wind is invisible when it comes and goes, spontaneously arising from the pill during the pill refinement process. If the practitioner fails to retain it, the rank of the refined pill will inevitably drop by one level.
However, Qi Dao practitioners often lack strong, solid bodies and cannot seal their acupoints. Once this wind emerges, it will almost certainly escape through the pores and acupoints. No matter how advanced one’s Mysterious Skills may be or how favorable one’s innate talents are, there are no feasible means to prevent it—only those who encounter rare and extraordinary opportunities might succeed in retaining it.
Zhang Yan refused to place his hope in such unattainable and elusive chances. Thus, he secretly concluded that as long as he mastered the "Ming Dao Supreme Divine Contract" and reached the Second Realm, his body would become as resilient as hardened metal, greatly increasing the likelihood of retaining the No-leak Wind.
This single advantage made it impossible for him to abandon this secret spell.
After some thought, Zhang Yan realized that while searching Lu Ge’s belongings earlier, he hadn’t found the "Nine Capturing Demon Scroll." Clearly, it must still be somewhere within the Demon Storage. If it wasn’t on this first level, then he could only ascend to look for it.
Underfoot, a wisp of mist lifted him, gently carrying him up through the staircase opening to the second level.
Here, flags hung from all sides, Bright Pearls were embedded in the walls, and the floor was paved with glazed tiles. The room shimmered with light, reflecting like a mirror.
At the center stood a person-sized Three Beasts Pill Furnace, its lid abandoned to the side. Wisps of Netherworld Qi floated upward from the furnace, faintly supporting a Demon Scroll swirling with black malevolent energy.
Zhang Yan thought to himself, "This must be the Nine Capturing Demon Scroll."
He lifted a finger and infused a strand of Spiritual Energy into the scroll. It trembled, and a wave of intent surged forth.
After a brief pause to differentiate it, Zhang Yan identified it as the residual will and essence left by Lu Ge. Upon contact, he saw fragments of Lu Ge’s thoughts and experiences during the refining process.
The Demon Scroll originally contained thirty-three layers of prohibitions. Lu Ge had spent fourteen years, constantly nurturing it with Netherworld Qi from the lower three levels of the Nether River, yet the final layer remained unresolved.