Chapter 35: Spreading

“It’s actually the Elixir of Prolonged Life!”

With a cry of astonishment, the clash of battle erupted, followed by the sudden manifestation of dazzling lights in the sky and, shortly after, the anguished screams of the fallen.

Red Cloud watched coldly as the vision of the treasure body gradually faded, the curve of a smile playing at his lips.

In just the span of a single night, five cultivators of the Treasure Body realm had already perished at the hands of the man in silver armor.

It was not that these demon cultivators were weak; rather, the silver-armored figure was simply too strong.

Clearly, this was not an opponent that early-stage Treasure Body cultivators could afford to provoke. To withstand even ten exchanges with him, one would need at least mid- or even late-stage mastery.

Such strength was already beyond what any of the demon cultivators who entered this place could possibly contend with.

The arrival of this man was both strange and sinister. When Red Cloud left, the man did not pursue—almost as though he were the very guardian spirit of the elixir itself…

But Red Cloud, sharp-eyed as he was, immediately discerned something amiss.

Relying only on the man’s demonic aura and sheer power, Red Cloud could tell there was a deeper mystery here.

If the silver-armored man were truly the elixir’s guardian, then with such formidable strength, none of the Treasure Body demon cultivators who had come would stand a chance.

If that were the case, wasn’t the Lord of Moonlight Palace simply sending these cultivators to their deaths?

As this thought took root, Red Cloud’s gaze grew heavy with disbelief. Could it be that they really intended to have these Treasure Body cultivators serve as sacrificial lambs?

Once the idea was planted, it grew rapidly, almost impossible to suppress. Reflecting on all that had transpired, Red Cloud became increasingly certain: if things truly were as he suspected, then everything made perfect sense.

As for the remnant spirit of the calamity object...

Red Cloud lifted his eyes in that direction, a glint of calculation flashing within them. There was no need to rush—he had plenty of time to wait.

For he could keenly sense that, after this night, the remnant spirit had grown significantly stronger than before.

A night of meditation had already left his aura smooth and harmonious. Turning his thoughts over, he memorized this place well and began searching the demon hoard for materials he could use.

Though the black iron staff in his hand was a decent weapon for someone at his level, just one strike from the silver-armored man had left a fine scratch. Clearly, this weapon could barely withstand his full power.

His crescent moon scimitar, however, could indeed withstand powerful blows; its material was excellent.

But the scimitar was designed to harmonize with the techniques of his Luna Tide Sect. Only through such synergy could it achieve true efficiency.

If he had to conceal his sect’s aura, using the fiendish treasure he had nurtured since childhood would be less than ideal—it would not be wholly ineffective, but it would be far from optimal.

…

Red Cloud wandered through the demon hoard, searching everywhere. Most of the elixirs he found he swallowed whole, and as for the fiendish materials, he swept them away like a plague of locusts, leaving nothing behind.

Seven days passed in this fashion, until finally, within his senses, he discovered a superb piece of fiendish material that immediately piqued his interest.

He could not linger long in this world; the only thing weighing on his mind was the young Chai Xiaoyue.

Having promised to protect her well, he could not go back on his word. The flute she now carried was only a practice piece he’d found as raw material, never truly first-rate.

But the spiritual material he had just discovered was the perfect choice for crafting a new flute.

With that decision made, he flicked three stones forward with a casual gesture. The stones whistled through the air, forcing a figure ahead to halt and dodge aside.

“It’s you!”

The one just attacked by Red Cloud stopped, turned, and looked back at him with a wary expression.

He remembered Red Cloud’s defiant manner in the Moonlight Palace Hall and could not gauge his cultivation; clearly, this was someone he could not afford to provoke.

“What do you mean by this?”

He took a deep breath, his claws extending, ready to strike at any moment.

“It’s nothing. I simply wish to borrow something from you.”

Red Cloud still appeared as a blind old man, tapping the ground with his black iron staff to draw the other’s attention.

“As long as you hand over that piece of fiendish material you just obtained, I’ll leave at once—and I’ll tell you something you’re sure to want to know.”

Something he was sure to want to know?

The demon cultivator had braced himself for death, ears pricked, prepared to die. But hearing Red Cloud’s latter words, he relaxed visibly, rubbed his stomach, and, still wary, produced several pieces of fiendish material.

“This is all I’ve gathered today—if there were any less, I’m sure you’d not be interested. I’ve done as you asked; now, what is it you wanted to tell me?”

Red Cloud watched as the other placed the materials before him, then retreated a good distance, still on guard. Amused, Red Cloud did not press the point, but his expression grew solemn.

“Since you’re so sincere, I’ll be frank. Head due south for three hundred miles from where I just came—you’ll find there a place in this hoard where the Elixir of Prolonged Life is hidden. But be warned: there’s a powerful guardian spirit there. Ordinary Treasure Body cultivators are no match.”

At these words, the demon cultivator’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Really?”

He rubbed his hands eagerly, about to take a step forward, then hesitated, turning a suspicious gaze on Red Cloud.

“You’re not trying to trick me out of this opportunity, are you?”

“Don’t joke! How could a blind old man like me lie with eyes wide open?”

Seeing the other’s doubts, Red Cloud raised two fingers, pointing skyward as he swore an oath.

“If there’s a single false word in what I’ve just said, may I never enter the ancestral shrine of the demon race in life, nor see my forebears in death!”

“So I was too cautious after all. In that case, I believe you!”

The demon cultivator’s eyes brightened, and with a hurried farewell, he vanished from sight.

Red Cloud watched his departing figure, the corners of his lips curving upward as he gathered all the fiendish material the other had left.

He, after all, was of the human race—there was little point in seeing the demon ancestral shrine.

And if he ever did, the first thing he’d want to do would be to set it ablaze.