Deep within the jungle.

High above a settlement of Wild Demons, two figures swept in, leaving brilliant streaks of light in their wake. The members of the Demon Race below grew tense. They knew that a large number of Human Cultivators had recently arrived in the mountains.

Some demons scrambled into their homes as fast as they could. Others, who were holding weapons, hesitated, unsure whether to advance or retreat, and simply stared at the sky in confusion. When they saw Hu Qianqian, however, they seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

This outpost was only seventy or eighty li from the previous battlefield. Wang Ping subconsciously glanced back toward the battlefield before focusing his spiritual sense to scan the area. It wasn’t long before he located the place from Young Master Ming’s memories, about ten li south of the settlement.

He then took out his Copper Coins to perform a divination. Only after being reassured by the result did he lead Yu Lian down toward the target. Hu Qianqian twitched her ears, cast one more glance at the settlement below, and then followed Wang Ping.

"The Earth Vein Power is very distinct here, but it’s been sabotaged. And not long ago," Yu Lian said. Her body grew to over twenty feet long, her Scale Armor flaring as she released a dense Water Spirit Qi that swirled above a neat clearing.

In the clearing was an intricate Array pattern, but a third of it had been destroyed, and its Array Core was missing.

"At the speed Young Master Ming and his group were traveling, they would have reached here within the hour. They were so close to getting away," Hu Qianqian remarked quietly.

"Who do you think destroyed this?" Wang Ping asked as he stepped forward. With a gentle wave of his right hand, a wisp of Wood Spirit Qi materialized. It slowly drifted over the damaged sections of the Array, gathering traces of a lingering gray energy.

"A Taiyin Cultivator..." Hu Qianqian replied, her expression turning serious.

"Go ask around at the nearby Demon Race settlement," Wang Ping instructed.

"Yes!"

After Hu Qianqian left, Wang Ping walked to the other side of the Array to examine it. ’What a shame,’ he thought. ’Such an excellent escape route. I thought I’d be able to get a free Array out of this, but someone had to go and destroy it.’

"Trying to get another flash of insight?" Yu Lian asked, studying Wang Ping curiously.

"The underlying principles are broken, so there’s nothing to study. The person who destroyed it was likely the one who created it," Wang Ping said with a sigh. With a wave of his hand, he concealed the remaining Array Runes.

RUSTLE...

A Fox Demon in tattered clothes emerged from the nearby jungle. Seeing Wang Ping and Yu Lian, she immediately fell to her knees. "Upper Immortal, please take me as your disciple! I’ll do anything, even be your slave!"

The voice was that of a young girl, clear and bright.

Neither Wang Ping nor Yu Lian looked surprised. They had already sensed the Fox Demon’s presence, though they hadn’t expected her to appear for this reason. They both instinctively sized her up. Much of her fur was frayed and brittle, and there were several wounds on the tail tucked by her feet. Her clothes looked as if they’d been scavenged from someone else’s scraps.

Just then, Hu Qianqian descended from the sky. She was about to make her report when she noticed the pitiful-looking Fox Demon and paused. "What’s her story?" she asked.

Yu Lian explained with great interest, her voice filled with curiosity. Then, speaking right in front of the Little Fox Demon, she said, "Her emotions are leaning toward extremism and hatred, but she’s also a pitiful Little Demon. Her spiritual aptitude is quite high, though."

Hu Qianqian’s ears twitched. She formed a hand seal, and a wave of demonic energy washed over the Little Fox Demon. The young demon seemed to be in great pain, but she remained kneeling, her voice pleading, "Please, Upper Immortal, show mercy."

"Excellent raw talent..."

A complicated expression flickered in Hu Qianqian’s eyes as she turned to look at Wang Ping.

There was no way Wang Ping was going to take in a Fox Demon with such an unknown background himself. He could only say, "I’ll leave it to you. If you want to take her in, you must guide her properly. Her hatred is too palpable. If she continues down this path, she could become a huge problem."

"Yes!"

Hu Qianqian nodded but didn’t address the Little Fox Demon. Instead, she began her report. "I learned that the Elder from that small Demon Race tribe was here sometime in the last few days. But now, his whereabouts are unknown."

"A member of the Demon Race? He’s that knowledgeable? First the Earth Vein Technique, now a Taiyin Technique..." Wang Ping was stunned.

"The Elder often goes to the market in the center of the jungle, and he spends most of his time living in his house there. He suddenly came back ten days ago and only left this morning." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

It was the Little Fox Demon who answered, clearing up Wang Ping’s confusion.

Wang Ping’s gaze fell upon the Little Fox Demon. Then, he placed an Armor Talisman on Hu Qianqian and gave his instructions. "Take her to the central market for a look. We might find out who’s pulling the strings this time. Remember, don’t disturb him. I just want to see."

After giving his orders, he paused for a beat before adding, "And it would be best if you didn’t reveal yourself, either. Just observe from the shadows."

"Yes!"

Having given these instructions, Wang Ping left two Puppet Birds with Hu Qianqian and then flew off toward Crescent Mountain.

’I didn’t manage to score anything good from this place,’ he thought, ’but there’s another place where I can get something for free.’

He was thinking of the place beneath Crescent Mountain where the Blood Pills were refined. There was a complete Array Map there. This particular Alchemy method wasn’t just for refining Blood Pills; that was only one of its uses. Its most practical application was for crafting True Essence Pills—the best Elixir for an Entering Cultivator to replenish their Qi Sea.

However, refining True Essence Pills required an Alchemist who had ignited the furnace fire in their Qi Sea. Wang Ping was confident that if he could reproduce this Array, it would be more than enough to attract an Alchemist at the Entering Realm.

The thought of an Alchemist made Wang Ping, who had been speeding along with his Wood Spirit Qi, come to a sudden halt, hovering in mid-air.

"What’s wrong?" Yu Lian asked.

"Who was the Alchemist in Young Master Ming’s group?" Wang Ping asked.

"An Alchemist?"

"Those Blood Pills didn’t just create themselves."

"Huh, that’s a good point. How did you not think of something so simple before?"

"..."

Wang Ping frowned. The strangest part was that there was no Alchemist in Young Master Ming’s memories at all. It was as if the Blood Pills had truly appeared out of thin air.

And yet, the underground room held the distinct traces of a furnace fire—specifically, an Alchemist’s furnace fire.

"It’s definitely an Alchemist’s furnace fire!"

Standing before the altar in the underground Alchemy Room, Wang Ping used his Wood Spirit Qi to sense the residue left upon it. The dregs clearly carried the lingering energy of an Alchemist’s furnace fire.

’The most likely possibility is that the Alchemist is hiding among the Demon Race. An Alchemist from the Demon Race... that’s a rarity. I’d only have to do a quick search to find out who it is.’

Wang Ping muttered to himself as he stood before the altar. Yu Lian was coiled around his arm, her head darting about curiously. Hearing his words, she communicated with him through their Spirit Sea connection: "So, are you going to investigate?"

"No. Let’s leave it for now."

As he spoke, he took a step back to get a better view of the alchemy altar. It was perfectly square, and each of its four corners was inlaid with a Taiyin Spiritual Object, obviously used for the Gathering Spirit process.

Steps made of jade led up all four sides, though the stone had been stained a deep blood-red. The surface was covered in a dense network of connecting runes that led to the top of the altar. In the very center was an empty space, the spot where the Pill Furnace would be placed.

The connecting runes on the steps extended out in eight directions, each leading to a different Gathering Spirit Array. From these, the network of runes spread to the surrounding walls and disappeared into them. They connected to the adjacent dungeon where the Corpse Soldiers were held, constantly siphoning their energy. This energy was then used, along with specific Spirit Medicines, for the refinement process.

After his initial observation, Wang Ping focused his spiritual sense, performing a quick and meticulous scan of the Array Runes and the precise placement of each critical component.

A moment later, a glowing panel appeared before him...