Chapter 36: Waiting

Hongyun thought to himself, then chose a direction and continued on his way, carrying out the plan he had already devised. If Moonlight Manor truly intended to use these demon cultivators at the Treasure Body realm to spur the blooming and fruition of the Longevity Fiend Herb, he had no objections to such a scheme. If others perished while he survived, that was all that mattered. As long as he could emerge unscathed in the end, nothing else concerned him.

He proceeded according to his own calculations; counting the one just now, he had already lured nine demon cultivators of the Treasure Body realm over the past seven days. He was puzzled why these demon cultivators believed him so easily—three words were enough to sway them, as if they didn’t think at all. If one were to analyze it, they were simply blinded by the allure of the opportunity.

Watching the figure disappear from his sight, Hongyun stopped paying attention and raised his hand to examine the fiend material he held, pondering what sort of pattern to engrave upon it. This was something he was preparing for his own child of destiny, so he had to craft it carefully. If he wasn’t satisfied with it, it would be a real pity.

He thought for a while but found little inspiration, so he put it aside and noted the connection with the remnant spirit of the calamity object remained undiminished, which settled his heart. He continued searching through this demon trove.

These places left behind by predecessors were rather rich; combined with the mutations caused by various corpses and fragments of fiend treasures, simply wandering about with his intuition brought him abundant gains. Moreover, spiritual plants grew everywhere. Though they were harvested repeatedly like wheat, and their medicinal potency had diminished, when quantity could compensate for quality, these concerns paled.

If not for his desire to investigate, he would never have accepted such a task. He sensed the remnant spirit had grown noticeably stronger, bringing him a touch of joy. If this trend persisted, the remnant spirit would be further enhanced, and that would be his greatest reward.

Moreover, with the help of the armored man, he had to exert himself far less, losing only a bit of fiend material—a trade he was quite content with.

Now he could sense it: when the number of demon cultivators dwindled to just a few, that would be the moment for him to intervene. For now, his priority was to increase his own strength, reaching the peak of the late Treasure Body realm before his cultivation began, and to seize everything he could from this trove.

…

Hongyun found a cave residence and spent seven days there.

When he emerged from his cultivation, his strength had reached the peak of the late Treasure Body realm. Feeling the power coursing through his body, he tightened his grip on his iron staff: now, he was truly among the elite of the Treasure Body realm. At this point, only the armored man could contend with him as an equal.

He spent another three days consolidating his cultivation. Once his strength was firmly established at the peak, Hongyun found himself with little else to do and began preparing a gift for his little Yue.

His time spent with her had been rather pleasant. Though he had two disciples back in the Primeval World, this little girl was nothing like those dull acolytes. The two disciples, due to their temperament, had become lazy under his tutelage. Though their strength rivaled that of Golden Immortals, they lacked the corresponding combat power.

Moreover, those two little acolytes only ate and slept, remaining a karmic bond he had yet to resolve—a potential source of trouble. When he returned to the Primeval World, he intended to raise some exotic beasts and rare creatures, nurture their intelligence, and keep them—an amusing prospect.

But for now, he remained in the Treasure Plain Realm, and his most important task was to help Chai Xiaoyue prepare a fiend treasure: one that could attack and defend, advance and retreat, carry a demonic melody, and form its own protective spirit. It was a challenge even for himself.

He wasted no time. After a brief mental outline, he took out the fiend material and began refining it.

This fiend material… its properties differed somewhat from what he had envisioned.

Hongyun examined the crude flute now formed in his hand, stroked his chin thoughtfully, and engraved more than ten runes onto it. Its appearance faded beneath a shimmer of light, prompting a moment of contemplation.

But this would suffice!

He mused inwardly, suddenly sensing something and feeling a surge of anticipation.

If he was not mistaken, the Longevity Fiend Herb he first discovered was about to mature.

…

With this in mind, he hesitated no longer, swept up all his belongings with a flourish of his sleeve, and sped toward the direction from which he had first entered.

He had cast a wide net over these many days, and today was the time for results—how could he not be excited?

…

Beside the Longevity Fiend Herb, the armored man leaned upon his great sword, idly playing with his weapon. In front of him lay a dense layer of flesh and blood, and a fading presence not yet fully devoured.

Was it about to begin…?

Hongyun raced along his path, swift as the wind, heading toward the area where strange phenomena frequently appeared. When he arrived, some people’s emotions could not be calmed.

He had hurried back so urgently because he was uncertain: the remnant spirit of the calamity object within this demon trove had grown exceedingly powerful, and he couldn’t tell whether the Longevity Fiend Herb’s emergence was part of the remnant spirit or simply the tree itself.

If it was the former, he would have to snatch it forcefully.

If it was the latter, things would be even trickier.

Logically, calamity objects were formless and intangible; without the consent of their will, one could never hope to see them.

But the tree itself was not a true calamity object—merely a remnant spirit. Lacking many unique features, it brought all manner of unnecessary trouble.

For now, he had not yet figured out: if he truly seized the remnant spirit, how would he store it?

He did not believe its state was illusory.