Yang Yuze glanced at Han Yiren and smiled faintly.
"Why should Junior Sister Han be bothered by someone like him? He still needs to go through your inspection to complete the task of clearing the Nether Crocodiles, doesn't he? At that time, a bit of subtle difficulty will make him suffer for days."
A smile finally appeared on Han Yiren's enchanting face. He was right. She did enjoy looking down from her high position, especially when weaklings were forced to endure, their pain and struggle bringing her an inexplicable pleasure.
Outside of Heaven-Six City,
Chu Xuan entered a cave. Without much effort, he quickly located several Nether Crocodiles. His task was to eliminate one thousand of these beasts within a month. Upon completion, he would be rewarded with various special treasures from the Heavenly Metal Battlefield.
Gao Xuan, at only Nascent Soul first layer, while Nascent Soul cultivators had little trouble dealing with Nether Crocodiles, killing a thousand of them without injury would take a great deal of time.
Gao Xuan had only completed two-thirds of the task, and there were just two days left. However, with Chu Xuan's strength, completing the task was effortless. But in order to properly play the role of Gao Xuan, he did not rush to leave after finishing the task.
Instead, he found a safe spot in the dark cave and sat down, contemplating his next steps. The first thing he needed to figure out was the current battle situation between the Reincarnation Sect and the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect—who was gaining the upper hand, and who was falling behind.
Chu Xuan naturally hoped that the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect would win. But if the Heaven Shaking Divine Sect was destined to lose, he certainly wouldn't tie himself to a doomed wagon. Everything he did next would depend on the state of the war.
"Interesting, this Ximen Senior Brother, it's actually Ximen Changqing."
A smile appeared on Chu Xuan's face. It was only after hearing Han Yiren's words that he had gone back to review Gao Xuan's memories. That was when he discovered who this so-called Ximen Senior Brother was. He hadn't expected to run into an old acquaintance here in Heaven-Six City on the Heavenly Metal Battlefield.
Two days later, in the night, Chu Xuan returned to the Heaven-Six City. According to custom, he brought his harvest before Han Yiren for inspection.
The tiny Nether Crocodiles might possess blood crystals within their bodies. Blood crystals contained a dense, potent blood essence, a treasure most favored by body refiners. They could also be used in the crafting of elixirs.
However, not every Nether Crocodile possessed a blood crystal. It was said that only after slaying fifty would one appear. Thus, Chu Xuan had brought back two hundred blood crystals, completing the task of slaying a thousand Nether Crocodiles.
Han Yiren, with feigned seriousness, picked up the blood crystals to examine them.
"These are too small, they're unqualified. This one's full of impurities, also not acceptable. This one's cracked, completely unqualified!"
Han Yiren nitpicked, managing to discard over twenty blood crystals, claiming them all unfit. To an outside observer, the flaws in those blood crystals were trivial, nothing to the extent of disqualifying them.
With a smile, she said, "Gao Xuan, your task has not been completed."
She looked down from her lofty position, eager to see the frail cultivator clench his fists, gnash his teeth, and wear a furious expression. Every time Chu Xuan displayed such a look, it stirred a strange thrill deep within her.
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Chu Xuan let out a silly laugh.
"Senior Sister Han, I was fortunate this time. I happened upon several Nether Crocodiles fighting amongst themselves, and collected a few blood crystals."
Saying this, he took out another storage bag and poured out more than thirty blood crystals. "How about now, is this enough?"
Han Yiren's smile immediately froze. She had planned to continue scrutinizing. However, she found that these blood crystals were unusually smooth and flawless. Even with the harshest scrutiny, she couldn't find a single defect.
"Fine... you're qualified."
Han Yiren frowned, her mood souring. She watched Chu Xuan's retreating figure, her expression darkening.
"Encountering Nether Crocodiles fighting each other and collecting so many blood crystals... Kid, I'll give it to you, you're lucky."
With a cold hum, Han Yiren turned and left.
Chu Xuan's expression remained calm. He had not taken Han Yiren to heart. She was clearly a selfless, benevolent person. For someone like her, who delivered such opportunities right to his doorstep, Chu Xuan was always generous. Let her hop around for a few more days. He would find a chance to invite her into the Heavenly Corpse Tower and the Sky-Shielding Umbrella.
After returning to Gao Xuan's house, Chu Xuan immediately came here. He had already begun to form some ideas about the Yang Metal Sword Corpse. Although he had failed to successfully refine the Yang Metal Sword Corpse, the Yang Metal Sword Qi still lingered. If he could channel it into the corpse puppets under his command, he might just be able to create a new Yang Metal Sword Corpse!
However, to be cautious, Chu Xuan did not attempt it with Hu but instead called for Bao. Bao's appearance was quite different from Hu's. If Hu was a mighty, forceful broadsword, immense in strength and power, then Bao was a sinister, venomous dagger, adept at stealth and assassination. And it was one coated in poison.
Thus, Bao was smaller than Hu, with a sleek, streamlined body. Faster, and more suited for silent strikes in the darkness.
"Ahem... Bao, I called you here because I have something tasty for you. This thing is a bit spicy, not something anyone can handle, but would you like to try it?"
Chu Xuan smiled faintly.
Upon hearing this, Bao's eyes immediately lit up.
"Tasty? Tasty? What's tasty?!"
Having followed Hu for some time now, Bao had already learned how to speak.
Chu Xuan took out a flying sword. It was the very flying sword Gao Xuan had used in his previous life. Though Chu Xuan had never practiced swordsmanship, after infusing it with Spiritual Qi, he was still able to produce a semblance of sword Qi.
It was barely more than a shadow of sword Qi. As for its power, it was nonexistent. At best, it could only pose a minor threat to a Nascent Soul cultivator at the first stage.
With a sweeping motion of his hand, he unleashed a streak of sword Qi. "Look! This is it!"
Bao's eyes gleamed. With a quick dash, it lunged forward, opened its mouth wide, and swallowed the sword Qi whole.
The white sword Qi rampaged within Bao's body, darting left and right. Yet Bao tamed it, absorbing it into its form.
Chu Xuan's spirits lifted.
Indeed! Bao's ability to consume anything had proven invaluable! Its stomach, it seemed, was unlike any other corpse puppet's.
"More! More!" Bao cried excitedly.
Chu Xuan nodded with a smile. "I'll give you more."
He continued to unleash streaks of white sword qi.
Among the dozen or so white sword qi, one was infused with Yang Metal Sword Qi. Unaware of the difference, Bao devoured each sword qi one after another. It wasn't until the Yang Metal Sword Qi shot into its throat that Bao's eyes went wide, and it let out a loud cry.
"Spicy! Really spicy! Master wasn't lying to me!"
Chu Xuan clicked his tongue. "Of course not. Why would I lie to you?"
This Yang Metal Sword Qi was far more lethal and terrifying than the previous sword Qi. It nearly pierced through Bao's body before shooting out.
But in the end, it was tamed by Bao's powerful stomach and completely absorbed into its body. Chu Xuan observed Bao carefully. He immediately sensed a subtle yet unmistakable change in Bao's aura. It had grown sharper, more unstoppable. It was as if it had become a blade, drawn from its scabbard, poised to strike!
Chu Xuan slapped the incomplete Yang Metal Sword Corpse, and the second streak of Yang Metal Sword Qi immediately shot out.
Bao lunged forward and swallowed it whole with a single gulp. It continued to devour ten more Yang Metal Sword Qii in succession before patting its stomach and saying, "Full, full... Master, Bao wants to sleep."
Chu Xuan nodded and stored it in the Heavenly Corpse Tower. Wanting to sleep was a good sign. It meant Bao's strength was increasing. Once Bao had fully adapted to the Yang Metal Sword Qi, he would channel the remaining sword Qii into its body. Eventually, all ninety-nine Yang Metal Sword Qii would be absorbed, completing Bao's transformation into a Yang Metal Sword Corpse!