Just as Chen Changsheng had predicted, the walking corpse carrying the Blood Bead broke away from the larger group of corpses deep within a dense forest.

You had to admit, this Demonic Cultivator was quite cautious.

Chen Changsheng activated his Dharma Eye and followed its trail. But the further he went, the fewer signs of human life he saw, until gradually, thick mountain woods surrounded him.

Not just that—Chen Changsheng also noticed several other walking corpses moving toward this same spot.

Every single one had a Blood Bead on its forehead.

It seemed there were quite a few of these specially crafted walking corpses.

Chen Changsheng didn’t dare relax. He hadn’t encountered Blood Cultivation before, and if he were honest, he wasn’t entirely confident about it.

Bringing the Old Dragon King along would’ve been best, but Chen Changsheng feared the Demonic Cultivator might suddenly double back. Yingyuan and Ying En alone probably couldn’t handle him.

After a moment of thought, Chen Changsheng raised his hand. A black pagoda emerged from his sleeve.

“CHEN CHANG SHENG!!!!”

The Black Pagoda’s voice dripped with Resentment Energy the moment it appeared.

It had been imprisoned for too long!

For over ten years, it saw no daylight and heard not a single sound.

Chen Changsheng stretched out his hand and slapped the Black Pagoda.

The Black Pagoda spoke, “You summon me only when you need me, then seal me away again once you’re done! Chen! You really know how to make everything work to your advantage! This time, even if I die, I won’t lift a finger for you!”

“You are very resentful,” Chen Changsheng remarked.

The Black Pagoda didn’t reply, but its immense hatred was palpable.

Chen Changsheng said, “If you help me resolve this matter, I will not seal you afterwards.”

The previously furious Black Pagoda instantly calmed down.

“Truly?”

“Naturally.”

The Black Pagoda pondered briefly, then said, “Guarantee me half the day free!”

“If you refuse, forget it.”

“…”

The Black Pagoda sighed inwardly. It seemed bargaining was impossible.

“Speak. What is it? I am truly frightened of you.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “Do you know much about Blood Cultivators?”

“Of course!”

The Black Pagoda replied, “My Cultivation is built upon Evil Qi of all kinds—how could I not know Blood Cultivators?”

“Perfect.”

Chen Changsheng said, “I’m about to hunt down a somewhat powerful Blood Cultivator. Is there a way to ensure he has no escape when I turn him into blood?”

“Back in the day, there was a special Formation Array called ‘Seal Heaven and Earth’ used against Blood Cultivators. Combined with True Flame, it could eliminate them. But even then, some Blood Cultivators might hide drops of True Blood elsewhere. The best method is still to crush their Soul Spirit directly!”

Chen Changsheng frowned slightly. “Simply crush their Soul Spirit?”

“Not exactly. Blood Cultivators always prepare for retreat. They split their Soul Spirit and hide part of it inside a single drop of blood. That’s the most troublesome part—why Blood Cultivators are said to be undying. But splitting their Soul Spirit means abandoning their Cultivation base and Blood Sea. Even if they regenerate, they’d revert to a Mortal in a short time, forced to start over from scratch.”

“Go ahead, look at those walking corpses in the forest.”

The Black Pagoda glanced down and seemed startled.

“What are these things?” 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Chen Changsheng frowned. “You don’t know? These walking corpses are enslaved by that Blood Cultivator through his own blood.”

The Black Pagoda considered for a moment, then said, “From what I understand, Blood Cultivators don’t typically use such methods. This seems more like puppet arts. Yes, these are definitely puppet techniques. The Blood Cultivator you are hunting must be not only advanced in Blood Arts but also highly skilled in controlling puppets.”

“And how many puppets like these are there?”

“Over ten thousand.”

“…”

The Black Pagoda fell silent. “Then you’ll likely have to search one by one. But I can offer a path of thought: Blood Cultivators do not seek new Mortal Bodies from walking corpses lacking Souls and with rotting flesh. He’d probably choose a puppet that still contained a Soul Spirit.”

“Find him first, and see if he has such a backup plan.”

The Black Pagoda sounded confused, “I thought Blood Cultivators were all wiped out? How is one emerging now?”

“The Great Wall has fallen,” Chen Changsheng said casually.

“Huh?”

“What Great Wall?”

“The Great Wall behind the Southern Garden.”

“Oh…”

The Black Pagoda jolted in shock. “It fell?!”

Chen Changsheng remained calm and nodded. “This Blood Cultivator escaped from beyond that Great Wall.”

“…Ah, I see.”

The Black Pagoda’s reply sounded a little dazed.

Chen Changsheng said, “You now have a chance to explain what connection you have with those Evil Spirits. Otherwise, only sealing awaits you.”

“What?!”

The Black Pagoda was indignant, “Chen! Are you even human? What is there to explain?! If you want to back out of our deal, just say so—no need for such dirty tricks!”

Chen Changsheng snorted lightly. “And you dare claim you have nothing to do with the Great Wall?”

“What connection could I possibly have? Zero!”

“We’ll talk about this once the current task is done.”

The Black Pagoda cursed Chen Changsheng twice before falling silent again.

It couldn’t help but be amazed at how sharp Chen Changsheng’s intuition was.

He’d actually guessed this.

But it would never, ever admit it—it was about its very future.

Chen Changsheng traced the walking corpse deep into the mountains.

After concealing his aura and form, he quietly advanced step by step as the corpse led the way.

Walking corpses gradually gathered toward the spot, assembling on a small clearing one by one.

Chen Changsheng counted: Twelve possessed Blood Beads on their foreheads.

As he watched, a wisp of black mist suddenly drifted down, settling before the dozen corpses.

The mist transformed into an unnaturally pale man with snow-white hair. Just looking at him sent shivers down your spine.

“Hmph.”

The man snorted softly and raised his hand with a summoning gesture.

The Blood Beads left the foreheads of the twelve corpses and floated out.

In the blink of an eye, flame consumed the twelve corpses, reducing them to piles of ash.

The Blood Cultivator toyed casually with the Blood Beads, then suddenly looked directly in a certain direction.

“Seen enough, Daoist Friend?”

Chen Changsheng was startled but then revealed himself. He stepped forward.

“You possess remarkable skill indeed, Venerated One. To exterminate three cities in mere days.”

The White-Haired Blood Immortal grinned, but his smile was deeply unsettling. “A small trick.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “May I know your respected name?”

“Blood Sea. The White-Haired Blood Immortal.”

“You belong to an age long past, Venerated One. Heaven and Earth today hold no place for Blood Cultivators.”

“Oh?”

The White-Haired Blood Immortal smirked mockingly. “What an amusing Cultivator. Though you fail to interest me.”

Chen Changsheng asked, “What does interest you, Venerated One?”

The White-Haired Blood Immortal said, “On you… there is a trace of a familiar presence.”

Hiding inside Chen Changsheng’s sleeve, the Black Pagoda’s metaphorical heart skipped a beat. Bad news.

Chen Changsheng flicked his sleeve. A black pagoda appeared in his palm.

“Are you referring to this, Venerated One?” Chen Changsheng held up the pagoda.

The White-Haired Blood Immortal’s eyes flashed.

He attacked violently in an instant!

Blood-red threads shot forth like lightning spears, aimed straight at the Black Pagoda in Chen Changsheng’s hand!

“STOP!”