Longevity, starting from being a chicken raising servant Chapter 2244 - 149: Nurturing the Corpse (Part 3)

Nevertheless, the importance of the Divine Corpse Six Fingers had diminished significantly for him now that he had successfully advanced into the Tribulation-Transcending Realm.

Yet, discarding it would be a waste.

The potential of the Divine Corpse Six Fingers was far from being fully realized.

With this in mind, he turned his gaze toward Jiu Futu, scanning him from head to toe with a contemplative look. It was the kind of stare one reserved for evaluating materials for artifact refining, causing Jiu Futu to tremble violently at once.

Jiu Futu clamped his mouth shut immediately before tentatively whispering:

“Senior, have you run into some sort of trouble?”

Wang Ba, never one for deception, gave a nod and replied:

“It is a bit difficult. I find the Death Qi in this place to be insufficient. However, I have no desire to start a massacre. It seems my only option is to refine your physical body; it ought to yield a substantial amount of Death Qi.”

Jiu Futu’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in sheer terror.

Was this the true reason the senior had brought him along?

The moment the supply of Death Qi ran low, would he be tossed into the furnace?!

How treacherous!

Did his life mean nothing at all?!

In his state of trembling fear, a spark of inspiration suddenly struck him. He racked his brain at lightning speed for a way out.

A solution actually presented itself, and his eyes brightened as he shouted:

“I have a plan!”

“Senior, I’ve thought of a way!”

“Oh?”

Wang Ba looked at Jiu Futu with curiosity. Although he had only been teasing, he hadn't expected the man to actually come up with a strategy.

Jiu Futu then explained:

“The Five Element Spiritual Energy and other variants of Spiritual Energy are merely the essence of Chaos merging with specific rules to manifest as matter. Death Qi, Blood Qi, Resentment Qi, and Plague Qi follow the exact same principle. The combination of Chaos essence and rules birthed the Domain. Within that Domain, based on those rules, life was created. Life experiences birth, aging, illness, and death—all governed by rules. This is what generates Death Qi and Resentment Qi...”

“Therefore, if you wish to gather these Cultivation resources without slaughtering living souls, there is indeed a method...”

Terrified of keeping his captor waiting, he didn't wait for Wang Ba to interrupt and immediately blurted out the answer:

“We must locate a nest of World Eaters! Find those creatures and execute them where they stand! By using specialized purification techniques, a massive volume of Death Qi can be harvested.”

Wang Ba tilted his head slightly:

“Is that not still committing murder?”

This time, Jiu Futu spoke with absolute conviction:

“World Eaters do not count as people!”

“However, World Eater lairs have become quite rare. If we intend to track them down, it will likely take some time.”

A World Eater was itself a physical manifestation of rules and Chaos essence. For those in the Tribulation-Transcending Realm, these creatures could be harvested for Chaos essence to strengthen a Domain or for refining rules to aid comprehension. Because they were so valuable, many powerful cultivators hunted them relentlessly, causing their numbers to plummet.

Nevertheless, the Realm Sea was vast beyond measure. One could still find these World Eaters hiding in its most remote corners.

“That sounds somewhat tedious,” Wang Ba remarked, his brow furrowing slightly.

“It’s no trouble at all, Senior! Please, just rest here. I will handle the searching myself!” Jiu Futu offered hastily.

While running errands was a chore, it was a stroke of luck compared to being refined into Death Qi.

Hearing this, Wang Ba appeared to nod with some reluctance:

“Fine, since that is the case, we shall proceed with this plan for the time being.”

Jiu Futu felt an immediate wave of relief wash over him. Without wasting a second, he vanished to begin his search.

“I knew he would be useful for something,” Wang Ba noted with satisfaction as he watched the man scramble away.

He then settled into a cross-legged position within the desolate domain, quietly stabilizing the cultivation level he had just attained. Inside his Primordial Spirit, the half-processed Black Immortal Pill continued its slow, steady rotation.

Though the situation in the Cloud Sky Realm weighed on his mind, he understood the necessity of getting his priorities straight.

External help was just an accessory; he himself was the core.

As long as he remained standing, there was always a path forward...

...Outside the Yin Ruins Dao Domain.

The cliffside that once stood there had been hollowed out by the previous conflict, leaving behind nothing but a massive, jagged crater.

The masters of the Bai Canal Yin Family, the Spirit Origin Prefecture, the Illusion Sky Realm, and the Golden Water Pond of Longcong Prefecture were all gathered at the edge of this ruined cavern.

Sensing the suffocating demonic aura radiating from within, every cultivator wore a grim expression.

“This energy definitely reeks of those Evil Monks. Some of them hide behind a Buddhist facade while being demons at heart... now they’ve stopped pretending entirely. Who knows how they managed to replace Tian Guiye and spark this chaos among the ruins' factions.”

A middle-aged cultivator struck the stone wall in a fit of rage.

A companion nearby quickly tried to soothe him:

“At least it was brought to light early. Aside from the casualties at the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, the damage isn't catastrophic. However, it appears the Supreme True Buddha has truly targeted us. From this point on, our sects must put aside petty squabbles, or we will only be making things easier for our enemies.”

This sentiment was met with immediate nods of approval from those gathered.

Yet, another voice piped up with a concern:

“But if the Supreme True Buddha actually arrives with his endless army of Bodhisattvas and Arhats, along with those Four Directions Great Bodhisattvas, we won't be able to stand against them... What is our plan?”

“With so many different sects involved, who is going to take command?”

“This...”

The leaders looked at one another, falling into a tense silence.

The Zhang’s Ruins were home to countless rogue cultivators, and the various factions were even more numerous.

When so many different groups were thrown together, nobody wanted to take orders from anyone else. A force that cannot unite is nothing more than a heap of loose sand. Even if the Supreme True Buddha’s forces were technically weaker, the fractured groups of Zhang’s Ruins wouldn't be able to stop them without coordination.

Everyone understood this truth, even if they didn't want to admit it aloud.

Knowing the problem was one thing; finding someone everyone trusted enough to lead was another matter entirely.

Just as the silence became unbearable, a clear, resonant voice echoed from the opening above:

“Zhang Bokai of the Cloud Sky Sect, Cloud Sky Realm, requests an audience with my fellow Daoists.”

Upon hearing those words, the cultivators froze for a second before their eyes lit up with hope...