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.
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.
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.
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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.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. Thanks to the generous and unwitting contribution of the surrounding zombies, Chu Xuan's cultivation had smoothly advanced to the sixth level of Qi Refining. Hu, too, had progressed admirably, reaching the fifth level of corpse soldier.
"Finally matured," Chu Xuan remarked with a smile as he approached the two zombies, now barely more than husks. The branches of the Bloodfiend Fangs bore heavy fruit. Over the month, Chu Xuan had fed the zombies chunks of zombie meat every other day to keep them alive, ensuring a continuous supply of nutrients for the Bloodfiend Fangs. Still, the zombies were now withered and emaciated, their flesh thoroughly drained by the plants.
Chu Xuan quickly harvested the Blood Fang Fruit, leaving the desiccated corpse puppets for Hu to utilize as a scrappy lunch. Hu munched happily on the side.
Chu Xuan examined the ten thumb-sized Blood Fang Fruits in his palm with amazement. Back when the Infinite Sect was still in existence, there had been specialists within the sect who cultivated these fruits.
However, they were exorbitantly priced, costing twenty sect contribution points each, equivalent to at least eighty small spiritual stones. He hadn't had many spiritual stones back then and certainly couldn't afford to buy Blood Fang Fruits.
But now, these fruits, worth a total of eight hundred small spiritual stones, lay quietly in his palm—a fortune far exceeding anything he had owned in the past.
"A never-ending supply of resources, indeed a splendid place," Chu Xuan mused, feeling sentimental as he brought the Blood Fang Fruits to Blood Steel Wire's mouth.
With a few eager swallows, Blood Steel Wire consumed all ten fruits and then settled into a deep slumber. No matter how Chu Xuan prodded, it remained motionless, its surface soon enveloped by a reddish-brown blood cocoon. Clearly, it had begun its true transformation.
"In no more than ten days, Blood Steel Wire will emerge from its cocoon, transformed into a once-reborn gu with its own innate spells!" Chu Xuan pondered the future. "By then, I should also consider returning to see about replenishing spiritual plant seeds and exchanging some spiritual stones for setting up formations."
"Looks like it's time to see if I can glean some resources from my senior brothers," Chu Xuan thought, eyeing the hundreds of blood pearls in his storage bag. These were the results of his daily practice of the Blood Refinement Technique on zombie blood. Blood pearls were a significant tonic for cultivation, an irresistible temptation for any demonic cultivator.