Chapter 521 - 259: Strange Artifact Embryo: Thunderstruck Horn (2)

Within the Nightmare Demon Palace, each Foundation Establishment cultivator secretly competes with one another. Not to mention the three largest forces: Blood Prison Department, Slaughter Blade Camp, and Yama Army, where the three Great Commanders refuse to accept each other’s leadership.

Anyway, they have the connection with Mao Shengjie, making it easier to enter the Slaughter Blade Camp.

"That’s a last resort. Unless it’s the final moment, I have no desire to enter that place," Wei Miaomeng expressed her rejection toward the Slaughter Blade Camp.

Of the three major forces in the Nightmare Demon Palace, Blood Prison Department focuses inward, Slaughter Blade Camp outward, while Yama Army is directly dispatched by the Sect Leader.

Among them, the Slaughter Blade Camp is the most perilous.

The three Foundation Establishment cultivators who died in Youhuang State were from the Slaughter Blade Camp, demonstrating the high risk involved.

"Isn’t this the final retreat?" Liou Yuan replied briefly, and then they both fell silent.

According to the intelligence description, they arrived at the area below the main peak, a region shrouded in thick black mist.

Dou Qianyu and Fu Lin’s cave abodes were located on the tops of one of these mountains.

Their cave abodes were close to each other, which was the reason they ended up intertwined.

Before parting, Liou Yuan transmitted a message to Wei Miaomeng, "Inside Dou Qianyu and Fu Lin’s cave abodes, there are surely cultivation resources they left behind."

"Miss Wei can take some first, and then we’ll gather the rest and send them to Mao Shengjie in a while."

"He has connections in the Blood Prison Department, but still needs to be placated."

In Five Extremes Mountain, asking for a favor requires giving perks, and in the Nightmare Demon Palace, this is even more crucial.

Mao Shengjie has a good relationship with Dou Qianyu, but if money’s involved, that fat man would likely be disgruntled.

"Okay!" Wei Miaomeng agreed happily upon hearing about the benefits.

All were Fu Lin’s belongings, and she wouldn’t feel heartache giving them away.

After they parted, Liou Yuan went directly to the mountainside area covered in thick black mist.

Between two massive rocks, he found the entrance to Dou Qianyu’s cave abode.

A Foundation Establishment level array was laid in front of the door, which Dou Qianyu had spent heavily to have a Nightmare Demon Palace Array Master set up.

Liou Yuan, holding Dou Qianyu’s cave abode jade scroll, naturally didn’t need to exert effort to break the array. When the jade scroll was infused with spiritual power, the array automatically opened, revealing a passage to the cave abode.

Liou Yuan strode inside.

Upon entering the cave abode, a strong scent of blood assaulted his senses.

From the ceiling hung hundreds of black stalactites, each condensing dark red droplets of blood, slowly dripping with a breathing rhythm, forming winding blood-colored channels on the ground.

At the end of the channels was a blood pool, continuously bubbling.

This was the blood pool Dou Qianyu used to cultivate the "Yin Floating Court" technique; his Body Refining cultivation technique required nourishing with blood.

Liou Yuan naturally had no use for it but couldn’t destroy it; otherwise, it would arouse suspicion.

"Soon, I’ll set up an array to mask the scent, so I won’t have to endure this odor daily," Liou Yuan planned a preliminary renovation of the cave abode after glancing at the blood pool while pinching his nose.

Then his gaze shifted elsewhere.

Since he reminded Wei Miaomeng not to forget to collect the resources Fu Lin left in the cave abode, he obviously wouldn’t miss the chance to acquire Dou Qianyu’s ’assets’.

Under his Evil Eyes that examined every detail, he found three Foundation Establishment level spiritual objects in the cave abode.

A spirit medicine growing between the stalactites, about three feet tall, with all black leaves, and blood flowing through the leaf veins.

A head bone from an unknown fierce beast, soaking in the blood pool.

And a vial of Foundation Establishment level elixir.

However, the elixirs used by demon cultivators differ from those from Five Extremes Mountain, as releasing the vial cap only revealed a pungent scent, which Liou Yuan wasn’t going to consume.

After acquiring the three treasures, Liou Yuan used the Fixed Star Compass to scan them. The quality and efficacy of the three Foundation Establishment spiritual objects were then revealed to him.

The spirit medicine was a Blood Moon Flower, significantly effective in enhancing the blood energy of Body Cultivators, particularly more potent when refined into a Qi Transformation Elixir.

However, since it had not bloomed yet, the medicinal effect would halve when used.

The fierce beast’s head bone comes from a Thunder Roar Python, a Foundation Establishment level demon beast.

This demon beast had Mid-stage Foundation Establishment power, excelling at thunder-based demon arts, and its head bone retained remnants of its thunder-based demonic power, enduring its tempering for years, beneficial to Body Cultivators.

Yet, it was effective only for Early-stage Foundation Establishment Body Cultivators.

The elixir was a blood refining elixir meant for Early-stage Foundation Establishment, with its source self-evident; it’s refined from harvested life essence, effective in boosting cultivation.

However, it carried heavy elixir toxin, which would greatly impact future cultivation if consumed.

So this vial was the first to be eliminated by Liou Yuan in his plan, intending to use it to grease the wheels with Mao Shengjie.

"As for the remaining two items, the Thunder Roar Python’s head bone can also be sold; I’m at Early-stage Bone Casting, and its tempering effect is useless to me."

"The Blood Moon Flower, on the other hand, can be kept for alchemy, Qi Transformation Elixirs are still beneficial in boosting my blood energy."

Liou Yuan silently calculated, and already decided the fate of the three spiritual objects. He stored the Thunder Roar Python’s head bone and blood refining elixir, leaving only the Blood Moon Flower.

The Blood Moon Flower still needed time to grow, and nurturing it during growth with the blood pool could accelerate maturity.

Liou Yuan had no use for the blood pool, so he transferred the Blood Moon Flower into it.

Having done all that, Liou Yuan paced toward the jade bed deep within the cave abode.

Though Dou Qianyu’s cave abode was simple, the bed was exceptional, with an effect akin to a Spirit Gathering Array; upon lying on it, the cave abode’s spiritual qi immediately gathered around.

"It’s just that the spiritual qi in this cave abode is not on par with my Five Extremes Mountain Violet Curtain Cave abode, not even close."