Bao rolled on the ground, its movements resembling those of a wriggling pupa.
"It's coming out... it's coming out!"
It shouted loudly. Golden sword qi surged up and down within its body.
The next moment, two streaks of Yang Metal Sword Qi shot out simultaneously! After expelling these two sword qii, Bao gradually calmed down.
Chu Xuan was stunned. It took him a long while before he murmured, "Seems like it's truly up and down..."
"Master! So delicious, I want more!"
Bao darted over to Chu Xuan, its eyes gleaming with greed.
Chu Xuan tossed a handful of refined iron from his storage bag.
Bao swiftly devoured it with a single gulp.
The hard refined iron seemed to transform into the crisp texture of an apple in its mouth.
One bite, and it was a satisfying crunch!
"Fight each other. Let me see just how strong Bao has become."
Chu Xuan waved his hand. Hu, who had been watching from the side, immediately rushed forward upon receiving the order.
Hu cracked its knuckles, then charged with a single powerful stride. Its massive fist was ruthlessly aimed at Bao's skull.
Bao finished swallowing the last of the refined iron, and then immediately turned around to retaliate.
The two corpse kings clashed, and the sound of metal striking metal rang out continuously. Dust flew everywhere. The ground creaked under the tremendous pressure.
In the heat of the battle, Bao instinctively opened its mouth and expelled a streak of Yang Metal Sword Qi.
The Yang Metal Sword Qi moved at lightning speed.
Hu couldn't dodge in time. Its shoulder was instantly pierced by the sword qi.
The entire left arm was severed in a single strike!
Chu Xuan's expression changed slightly, and he was about to step forward to check on Hu. But Hu, with an unflinching expression, seized the moment when Bao released its sword qi, and swung its right hand like a blade, aiming for Bao's neck!
The strike landed, and Bao immediately collapsed, falling into a deep, infant-like sleep.
Hu stepped forward, picked up its severed left arm from the ground, and reattached it. From the wound, thin strands of blood began to emerge, resembling ropes, stitching the severed parts back together.
In the blink of an eye, the injury was nearly gone, leaving behind no trace.
Chu Xuan was both surprised and intrigued.
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"Hu, what method is this?"
Hu knelt on one knee respectfully.
"Master, this is the Blood Fury True Art's Blood-Refining Thread technique."
Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow in astonishment. When he took Duan Feipeng's supreme Thunder Spirit Root, he had casually stuffed his own medium-grade Wood Spirit Root into Hu's body.
Since then, Hu's intelligence had grown by leaps and bounds, to the point where it was indistinguishable from a human being.
Moreover, Hu possessed the ability to learn acquired techniques. A long time ago, Chu Xuan had casually tossed a few cultivation methods for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment at Hu, letting it study them. Over time, he had forgotten all about it.
To his surprise, Hu had indeed mastered them. The Blood Fury True Art was a Foundation Establishment stage cultivation method.
It used blood as a medium, and all the spells cast through it were related to blood. The Blood-Refining Thread was the perfect technique for reattaching severed limbs.
"Are there any other spells?" Chu Xuan asked.
Hu shook its head in an innocent manner.
"Master has given many techniques, and Hu has gone through them all. I felt that the Blood Fury True Art resonated the most with me, so I focused on it. However, Hu's aptitude is average, and I've only managed to reach the third layer of the Blood Fury True Art, learning just the Blood-Refining Thread technique."
Chu Xuan nodded slightly. It was just a medium-grade Wood Spirit Root. The compatibility between the root and the technique wasn't very high. The fact that Hu had managed to reach the third layer of the Blood Fury True Art showed it had been working hard.
Chu Xuan didn't intend to criticize it for that.
"Keep up the good work. I believe in you." He encouraged.
"Thank you, Master!" Hu said, deeply moved.
A month later, on the Heavenly Metal Battlefield, in Heaven-Six City.
As usual, Chu Xuan returned with enough blood crystals. Since Han Yirensheng was stationed at the large spirit stone mine near Heaven-Three City, it was not her who would inspect the blood crystals this time, but another Nascent Soul cultivator from the Majestic Sword Sect, Yang Feixiong.
Chu Xuan had initially expected Yang Feixiong to make things difficult for him, but to his surprise, after a quick glance, Yang Feixiong simply waved his hand, indicating the blood crystals were completely acceptable.
Chu Xuan was somewhat astonished.
"Senior Brother Yang, aren't you going to inspect them more carefully?"
Yang Feixiong shook his head, "Oh, we're all from the same sect, why would I make things difficult for you?"
Afterward, he added, "Don't blame me, Junior Brother Gao. Before, I had no choice but to stand by and do nothing. Han Yiren's background was too terrifying. That Deity Transformation elder from her sect? We really couldn't afford to offend him. Now, though, Han Yiren is dead. Why should I still worry about her?"
As he said this, Yang Feixiong's tone actually seemed somewhat relieved.
Chu Xuan was taken aback.
I hadn't even gotten a chance to bring her into the Heavenly Corpse Tower or under the Sky-Shielding Umbrella yet. How could she have died so suddenly?
"Yang Senior Brother, do you know how she died?" Chu Xuan asked curiously. Who had taken her head?
Yang Feixiong lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the large spirit stone mine she and Yang Yuze were guarding was attacked by demon cultivators. I don't know how many they sent, but when Senior Brother Ximen led a rescue, the mine had already been taken over by the demon cultivators, and we had to retreat."
Yang Feixiong muttered, "That mine clearly had a Nascent Soul-level formation. Even if the demon cultivators outnumbered us, we should've been able to hold out for two or three days. How did they manage to take it so quickly?"
Chu Xuan thought for a moment and nodded. These mines and herb gardens were treasures, and it wasn't uncommon for them to change hands between the two sects. The formation being quickly breached wasn't surprising either.
As long as the other side had breaking talismans, any formation could be pierced. It was just a pity that he couldn't send Han Yiren away himself. That would have been much more satisfying.
"Senior Brother Ximen has issued new tasks, follow me inside." Yang Feixiong waved, signaling him to follow.
A moment later, in Ximen Changqing's house.
Chu Xuan, Luo Yan, and Yang Feixiong sat across from each other.
There was another unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator present. With his gleaming bald head and muscular frame, it was clear that he was a Nascent Soul martial monk from the Celestial Sound Zen Temple.
Ximen Changqing smiled, "Let me introduce this fellow daoist. This is Master Miaoyong from the Celestial Sound Zen Temple. Currently, the Celestial Sound Zen Temple and the Majestic Sword Sect are in similar situations, so we must work together."
Luo Yan and Yang Feixiong nodded in agreement. Chu Xuan also nodded along.
Master Miaoyong clasped his hands together and recited a Buddhist chant, "Greetings, the three donors. We will work together from now on. Miaoyong is just a Nascent Soul Fourth Layer monk, so please, the three donors, take care of me."
Ximen Changqing smiled, "We are all working for the upper sect, and rank doesn't matter. Here are the tasks assigned to me by the upper sect. You four can choose for yourselves."
As before, Chu Xuan picked the task of slaying ancient beasts.
Miaoyong, Luo Yan, and Yang Feixiong chose tasks that were more difficult and offered better rewards.
Chu Xuan noticed that while Ximen Changqing's smile appeared warm and friendly, there was something hidden behind it.