The group of four concealed their breaths and hurried towards the area where the Black Desert Marketplace was located.

Upon using the Grandmaster-level Monster-seeking Talisman, multiple auras appeared in different colors within his sight, spreading across fifty miles.

The vast majority were white, indicating their strength was below the Qi Refinement Seventh Level.

A few white auras were relatively strong, tinged with hints of orange, signifying that the Magical Beasts were in the Late Stage Qi-Refining, with strength close to his own.

The strength of those with orange auras was not much different from his own, likely around the Ninth Level of Qi Refinement.

There was no shortage of red auras, representing Second-Order Monsters with strength comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

He paid particular attention to the orange and red auras.

The former, with strength close to his own, would be relatively troublesome to deal with.

The latter was something he dared not provoke.

The orange and red auras were the main targets to be wary of, to be avoided carefully in advance.

They journeyed for several tens of miles. Using the Demon-Spotting Talisman in combination with the Converging Breath Technique, and with Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes serving as defensive sentinels, they expertly avoided multiple Magical Beasts.

So far, they had not encountered any Magical Beasts.

The use of the Demon-Spotting Talisman reduced the danger of Magical Beasts to a minimum.

The three companions were amazed and grateful to be following Jia Ren.

His strength, having been proven while flying across the Great Wilderness, made them believe they could definitely leave the Black Soul Forest with him.

When the power of one Demon-Spotting Talisman was exhausted, he activated a second one.

"Why have the number of Magical Beasts suddenly decreased so much?"

During a brief pause as Jia Ren activated the second Demon-Spotting Talisman, he realized the orange aura they were about to bypass had vanished.

Moreover, several nearby Magical Beast auras also dimmed and gradually weakened.

What was going on? Did Magical Beasts possess the means to conceal their breath? Or had they already... died? If the Demon-Spotting Talisman couldn't sense the presence of powerful Magical Beast auras, who could have killed them so silently? Cultivators? Or Bizarre Demons?

The Black Soul Forest was located in a remote area, more than three hundred miles from the nearest Great Wilderness Market, and rarely visited by people.

Cultivators were nearly extinct here.

Instead, Bizarre Demons were not uncommon in the Black Soul Forest.

Whether it was a human or a Bizarre Demon that had killed the Magical Beasts, the answer was obvious.

"Let's leave this place immediately!"

It was better to err on the side of caution; there was no need to take risks.

The four changed direction and moved away, trying their best to avoid the danger behind them.

"Jia Ren."

Just then, a call from Talisman Master Zhang came from behind. Just as he was about to instinctively turn around, he froze.

Something wasn't right! None of the three knew his real name was Jia Ren; the identity he had revealed was Shi Bai. Talisman Master Zhang couldn't possibly know he was Jia Ren! Who was calling him?

Using Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes to investigate, Jia Ren found nothing behind him.

A Bizarre Demon?!

In his mind, he recalled the Qingxi Notes he had read, which documented many special Bizarre Demons.

Bizarre Demons possessed a wide range of strange abilities, and there was a particular type known as the Echo Bizarre.

This type of demon didn't attack indiscriminately but only when certain conditions were met.

Calling out from behind, they use various means to elicit a response; as long as you respond, you will suffer an attack from the Echo Bizarre.

"Don't respond!"

Jia Ren urgently warned his companions, but he was too late.

A cold aura assaulted them from behind, and a purple halo lit up, forming a protective glow.

BOOM!

The purple light generated by the Evil Warding Talisman flickered and then dimmed.

The Echo Bizarre's strength wasn't too great...

AAH!

An extremely sharp cry rang out, then receded into the distance.

From the corner of his eye, he could see a transparent figure ablaze with purple fire, quickly disappearing into the dark forest.

Talisman Master Zhang, Zhang Peng Peng, and Wang Mingyan looked shaken, still surrounded by the lingering purple halo.

The Bizarre Demon had received a backlash from three Extraordinary Saint Level Evil Warding Talismans and had suffered a significant loss, fleeing far away.

"The power of the Evil Warding Talisman is too strong, it couldn't be just at Grandmaster Level, right?"

Talisman Master Zhang realized the extraordinary power of the Evil Warding Talisman; a Grandmaster-level talisman wouldn't possess such formidable strength.

Nor would it have the ability to injure a Bizarre Demon.

"Yes, we should hurry and leave," Jia Ren responded without explaining, eager to leave the Black Soul Forest.

After the attack from the Echo Bizarre, everyone became much quieter.

They ran for a hundred miles, evading numerous Magical Beasts.

"There's something wrong with your shadow!"

Using Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes, Jia Ren immediately noticed a change in everyone's shadows, as if death itself had come calling.

The Evil Warding Talisman was activated, transforming into a protective purple halo, incinerating the encroaching shadows with purple flames.

After taking a big hit, the Shadow Bizarre changed its tactics.

In the distance, the reflections of the trees turned into shadow blades or transformed into ferocious demons with bared fangs and claws, lunging at them.

The protective purple glow of the Evil Warding Talisman gradually dimmed with the constant attacks.

A second Evil Warding Talisman was activated.

A battle of attrition ensued, lasting for more than two hours. The Shadow Bizarre launched attacks in various ways multiple times, but finding it could not overcome the four, it eventually chose to leave.

The four wore grim expressions; if not for Jia Ren's assistance with Evil Warding Talismans, they would not have lasted until then.

As the sky grew dark, the frequency of Bizarre Demons' appearances would also increase, making it unfavorable to travel.

They found a hollow in a tree to rest in.

The three took turns keeping watch while Jia Ren closed his eyes to recover his energy.

As the pathfinder, he bore the most pressure, his nerves constantly taut.

They had covered one-sixth of the distance; if they persevered for five more days, they could leave safely.

Wang Mingyan had complex thoughts as she watched Jia Ren give a few more Evil Warding Talismans to Zhang Peng Peng and Talisman Master Zhang, but not to her.

She previously owed several Evil Warding Talismans and had no means to repay them.

Exchange them for Pure Spirit Jade Milk?

She had only obtained six drops of Pure Spirit Jade Milk, used one herself, and given five to Jia Ren.

She couldn't produce any treasures enticing enough for an exchange.

Shi Bai would never give away precious Evil Warding Talismans to others, not knowing how many Bizarre Demons she might encounter passing through the Black Soul Forest.

Such life-saving objects, no one would regard as excessive.

She did consider offering herself to him, seeking his protection in return.

Facing the wary gazes of the Zhang father and daughter, as if guarding against a thief, she had to abandon the thought.

"Peng Peng, Father's time is not long; I don't have many years left to live."

"What do you think of Shi Bai... Is he worthy of entrusting your future to?"

"He is my... junior martial brother."

Zhang Peng Peng's cheeks turned pink, showing no resistance.

Knowing his daughter best, Talisman Master Zhang joked, "If you don't make a move, someone else might snatch him away."

His glance at Wang Mingyan in the distance was loaded with meaning.

"Don't worry," Zhang Peng Peng said, "at worst, I can just expel him from our master's tutelage."

"I'll leave it all up to Father..."

Zhang Peng Peng's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum as she lowered her head to examine the Golden Phoenix Hairpin in her hand, her expression growing increasingly tender.

「The next day, the group set out again, venturing deeper into the Black Soul Forest.」

The Black Soul Forest was seldom visited, long devoid of people, and its resources were many, surpassing the Great Wilderness to a degree.

Along the way, they encountered several ancient spiritual medicines. Jia Ren, relying on his knowledge of herbs, reaped a plentiful harvest.

A hundred-year-old ginseng fruit?

A particularly eye-catching plant was a hundred-year-old white ginseng bearing fruit. Adding this ginseng fruit to certain elixirs could enhance their efficacy by ten to twenty percent.

Confirming there were no Magical Beasts guarding it, he decisively harvested it.

The deeper they went, the richer the Spiritual Energy became; this area was most suitable for the growth of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

With the assistance of Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes for scouting, Jia Ren was able to locate spiritual medicines more easily.

A three-hundred-year-old Purple Spirit Flower?

Jia Ren, through the Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes, spotted a spiritually radiant Purple Spirit Flower growing by a pool, particularly eye-catching from afar.

The Purple Spirit Flower was a rare spiritual medicine, one of the main ingredients sought by Great Sects for their Foundation Establishment Pills.

Although its value could not compare to a complete Foundation Establishment Pill, exchanging it for half a pill would suffice.

It was worth at least five thousand Spirit Stones.

What a pity...

Relying on the Demon-Spotting Talisman, Jia Ren saw a faint, hidden, and weak orange-red aura at the bottom of the pool where the Purple Spirit Flower grew.

A First-Order Superior Grade Magical Beast with strength close to Foundation Establishment?

Jia Ren silently noted the location, marking it on his map.

He would strike once his strength broke through to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

If he succeeded in Foundation Establishment, this item wouldn't be very valuable, at most convertible into Spirit Stones. If he failed, he'd indeed need to find a way to acquire this item and refine a Foundation Establishment Pill himself.

Maybe it's worth a try.

Jia Ren thought of the several types of poison powders prepared from the Hundred Poisons Scripture; there was still a chance for a daring snatch.

"Please wait here for a moment."

He took out a large amount of Soul-Sealing Powder and, controlling the Sound Seizing Demon Mosquito and the Golden Armor King Worm, quietly spread it into the pool.

His Proficiency Level in making Soul-Sealing Powder had risen to the Grandmaster Level. However, the poison powder he had produced had yet to be put to use.

He had accumulated quite a large quantity.

Using it to 'exchange' for a two-hundred-year-old Purple Spirit Flower was definitely a guaranteed profit.

A large amount of Soul-Sealing Powder was poured into the pool, its sheer volume causing the water to emit a white glow.

The Soul-Sealing Powder mingled continuously with the pool water, eventually becoming colorless.

With the Spirit Eye Technique activated, he looked towards the pool, witnessing the concentration of Spiritual Power rapidly decline at an alarming rate.

Moreover, the Magical Beast living in the pool's depths was also affected by the Soul-Sealing Powder. Its aura shifted from orange-red to orange, and finally turned white.

The Magical Beast had been rendered harmless.

Jia Ren sent a Black Wind Mantis to stand guard by his side, ready to protect him at any moment.

Using the Wind Control Skill, he quickly harvested the Purple Spirit Flower.

There wasn't the slightest stir from the bottom of the pool. The Magical Beast was paralyzed by the poison, allowing Jia Ren to take the Purple Spirit Flower, daring to be angry but not to speak...

Smart choice.

Since the Magical Beast made no move, Jia Ren didn't pursue further into the pool to slay it, to avoid complications.

What luck!

Carefully placing the Purple Spirit Flower in a jade box, Jia Ren concealed his presence, satisfied as he departed.

The group continued their journey, even luckier than the day before, without encountering a single Bizarre Demon.

Their spirits lifted, and they found a tree hollow to take shelter in.

"Shi Bai, have you ever thought about when you'll take a wife?"

???

Jia Ren glanced at Talisman Master Zhang and then at Zhang Peng Peng, who followed behind modestly, understanding the intent behind Talisman Master Zhang's words.

Could he be trying to set me up with his daughter?

Jia Ren had always treated Zhang Peng Peng as a senior martial sister and had not developed any romantic feelings for her.

His pursuit was the Great Dao and immortality; too many secrets weighed upon him, making it unsuitable to reveal them.

Jia Ren's mouth opened, but in the end, he could not utter words of rejection.

"What do you think of Peng Peng?"

Zhang Peng Peng's face grew even redder, her head lowered, unable to meet Jia Ren's gaze.

"I don't have many years left to live; Peng Peng is my only concern."

"You..."

Talisman Master Zhang, seizing the opportunity, was about to continue speaking when his body stiffened, his expression turned blank.

Ten body-close Evil Warding Talismans were activated, creating a thick purple halo.

A Bizarre Demon!

BOOM!

The purple halo, fragile as paper, shattered in an instant.

Talisman Master Zhang fell face first to the ground, devoid of life.

A powerful Bizarre Demon that even ten Extraordinary Saint Level Evil Warding Talismans could not withstand!

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