Heavenly Demonic Cultivation

Chapter 4

Chu Xuan retrieved a large barrel from his storage bag and poured various concoctions into it. He then tossed Tang Hu, who was tightly bound, into the barrel, submerging him completely, including his head.

Tang Hu's voice gradually quieted. Following this, Chu Xuan solemnly slit his palm, squeezing out two drops of his essence blood, and let them fall into the barrel.

His complexion was noticeably paler. Essence blood was not like ordinary blood. Even though his cultivation of the Blood Spirit Technique accelerated the condensation of essence blood, it was not something that could be replenished overnight.

"Now, we just need to wait," Chu Xuan murmured. "According to the 'Vajra Corpse Refining Method,' results should be visible within three days at most."

Chu Xuan reclined on a nearby lounge chair, voraciously devouring cans of tuna he had found while hunting zombies. The cans were still within their expiration date.

"Damn, modern industrial food is delicious," he exclaimed. "What have I been eating at the Infinite Sect? It was so bland I could cry." He sighed deeply, grateful to finally taste something befitting a human after so many years.

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Three Days Later

Chu Xuan stood before the large barrel with a look of anticipation. He observed the figure inside—now pitch black and rigid all over, its physique noticeably bulkier than before. Bone armor had sprouted densely at the chest, joints, and back, providing formidable defense.

Chu Xuan tested it with a thrown dagger, which left only a superficial mark. Joy surged in his heart, knowing he had succeeded. The corpse puppet before him had attained the rank of corpse soldier, equivalent to a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

"I wonder about the quality of this corpse puppet," Chu Xuan pondered. The quality of corpse puppets was classified into four grades: superior, high, middle, and low. The better the concoction used in the refining process, the higher the quality of the resulting corpse puppet. A superior quality corpse puppet could master four spells upon creation, a high quality three, a middle quality two, and a low quality only one.

Back when Chu Xuan was still with the Infinite Sect, he had heard of a Golden Core elder who, during his Qi Refining stage, had fortuitously refined a superior quality corpse puppet that knew four spells from birth. It was with this corpse puppet's aid that the elder gradually ascended the path of cultivation and eventually reached the Golden Core stage.

Chu Xuan retrieved a small, dark tower known as the Corpse Nurturing Tower. This magic tool was specifically designed for capturing and cultivating corpses. Each Corpse Nurturing Tower came equipped with a spell to assess the quality and level of a corpse.

Chu Xuan's tower, acquired at a low price from a disheartened middle-aged disciple, was merely a low-grade magic tool. It possessed no offensive or defensive capabilities, serving solely to nurture corpses. He had always carried it with him, prepared for any eventuality. Now was the time to use it.

At the thought, Chu Xuan absorbed the newly formed corpse soldier into the Corpse Nurturing Tower. Inside, the abundant Yin Qi invigorated the corpse, which eagerly absorbed it in deep gulps.

Chu Xuan infused a thread of Spiritual Qi to activate the appraisal technique. A beam of black light illuminated the corpse, and a flicker of golden light emerged from its crown.

Chu Xuan was surprised, "A middle-grade second-level corpse soldier? Not bad at all!"

For his first attempt at corpse refining, using rather ordinary concoctions, he had managed to create a middle-grade corpse—a stroke of luck indeed.

He continued using the appraisal technique and quickly learned the two spells the corpse puppet possessed: Bloodthirst Technique and Golden Light Spell.

The Bloodthirst Technique allowed it to enter a berserk state, significantly boosting its combat capabilities but only for a quarter of an hour. Afterward, it would fall into a state of weakness for ten hours. The Golden Light Spell, as its name suggested, coated the user in a protective golden light, enhancing its defenses.

Together, these spells made the zombie a perfect tank. Though it was only a second-level corpse soldier, equivalent to a Qi Refining second stage cultivator, the combined effects of its spells could likely allow it to contend with a fourth-stage Qi Refining cultivator for a short time. Whether used as a decoy to attract enemy fire or as a protective measure in dangerous situations, it was exceedingly useful.

Chu Xuan felt a rush of satisfaction. This apocalyptic planet truly was a splendid place. In just three days, he had already acquired a corpse soldier as his trump card, effectively doubling his strength compared to three days ago.

"Pity the materials for refining corpse puppets are rare, otherwise I would definitely refine another one," Chu Xuan mused, smacking his lips. With a casual wave of his hand, the obedient corpse soldier approached and awaited his commands.

This was the benefit of the two drops of essence blood he had added to the concoction. As long as the corpse puppet was well-fed, it would faithfully follow his commands without turning against him.

"A second-level corpse soldier should have no trouble sweeping through this mall," Chu Xuan declared. "It's all yours."

With a dismissive wave, he reclined comfortably back on the lounge chair. The corpse soldier growled and dashed out. Almost immediately, the mall echoed with terrifying roars and the sound of flesh being torn apart, followed by the clanging of objects being smashed.

Chu Xuan, unfazed, continued enjoying his canned food while leisurely flipping through ancient texts. After all, isn't the essence of being a demonic cultivator to live freely and at ease?

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Five Days Later

In the blink of an eye, five days had passed, and Chu Xuan was heartily devouring a steaming bowl of shrimp and fish cake noodles, thoroughly enjoying the indulgence.

Instant noodles could grow tiresome if eaten daily, yet their unique flavor was missed when not partaken of for a while. For Chu Xuan, who had spent decades in a world of cultivation, these flavors were sorely nostalgic.

At that moment, a fire burned vigorously in front of him. After quickly finishing his noodles, Chu Xuan used two sticks to retrieve an object from the dying embers—the blood mirror, which showed no signs of damage from the flames and seemed even brighter than before.

Chu Xuan glanced at the scene within the mirror—clear skies and beautiful landscapes, exactly where he had first crossed over. Now, the image was a fifth brighter. Once fully illuminated, he should be able to cross back.

He had discovered that the blood mirror could automatically absorb various forms of energy from its surroundings—Spiritual Qi, Evil Qi, Yin Qi, and even mundane energy like biological, thermal, light, and electrical energies. Throwing the mirror into the fire had been a way to harness thermal energy. At this rate, another month should suffice to fully charge it.

Meanwhile, an excited growl sounded nearby—it was the corpse soldier, now named Hu, returning with two gasoline cans. He had been out hunting zombies and had also been tasked with finding fuel. Initially struggling with the task, Hu had gradually come to understand and execute his instructions effectively.

Chu Xuan looked at Hu, now even more formidable and robust than before, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hu, well done."

At his praise, the corpse puppet humbly lowered its head, allowing Chu Xuan to pat it. The name Hu was the result of deep contemplation by Chu Xuan, certainly not a hasty choice derived from any original name. Absolutely not.

In just two days, Hu had cleared all the zombies from the Walmart Mall. Those that looked healthy and spirited were captured and bled dry. The ones with good meat quality were used as feed for the Blood Steel Wire. The listless, less lively ones became nourishment for Hu himself. From the third day, Hu started clearing the zombies from the surrounding shops and residences, using the mall as his base. Over five days, he had progressed from a second-level to a third-level corpse soldier.

Although still only comparable to a third-stage Qi Refining cultivator in rank, Hu's sheer physical strength and overwhelming resentment meant that any low-level cultivator without many spells who got too close would likely end up dead or severely injured.

"What should I do with you? A bit early for you to be forming cocoons."

Chu Xuan smiled helplessly as he observed the Blood Steel Wire appearing lethargic, perhaps due to consuming too much zombie blood. Just this morning, he had awakened to find it showing signs of cocooning—a process indicating that the Blood Steel Wire was about to learn a natural spell and significantly increase in strength. This was excellent news for him.

The Blood Steel Wire was a type of gu insect relatively easy to obtain, which meant its potential was somewhat limited—it could cocoon only twice. Each cocooning was akin to rebirth, earning it the nickname "Twice-Reborn Gu," capable of learning two inherent spells.

Naturally, the potential of a gu insect wasn't fixed; given fortuitous encounters with certain rare natural treasures and consuming them could prompt further transformations.

Chu Xuan's frustration stemmed from not yet having started cultivating such rare natural treasures. "Go capture a couple of lively zombies," he commanded with a wave of his hand.

The corpse soldier roared enthusiastically and leapt away, vanishing from sight. In less than ten minutes, it reappeared, each of its robust arms clutching a fiercely struggling, spirited zombie.

Chu Xuan nodded approvingly. "Gag them, tie them up, and throw them in the corner." The corpse soldier clumsily followed the orders but soon had the zombies secured.

Striding over, Chu Xuan pulled out a small knife and began to carve blood holes into the limbs and torsos of the captured zombies. He then retrieved a cultivation pouch from his storage bag and filled it with tiny red seeds, which upon contacting the flesh, quickly took root.

Within the blink of an eye, they sprouted one-centimeter-long tender red shoots with sharp, triangular leaves, a sinister crimson that fluttered in the breeze like the fangs of a demonic beast—a chilling sight.

These mystical plants were known as "Bloodfiend Fangs." They thrived on flesh and blood rather than Spiritual Qi. It would take a month for them to bloom and bear fruit, the "Blood Fang Fruit," which was precisely what the Blood Steel Wire needed for its cocooning.

Consuming these fruits would significantly enhance its speed and strength, and potentially allow it to learn an exceptional natural spell. The more Blood Fang Fruits consumed, the higher the likelihood of acquiring a superior natural spell.

Armed with years of dedicated study of the Gu Scriptures, Chu Xuan was intimately familiar with these details and prepared to leverage this knowledge to its fullest.