It had only been a few days since he last saw Mu Canglong and Liu Xiao, yet they seemed entirely different from their usual selves within the sect. Not only were they dressed in simple cloth garments, but they had also concealed their auras so well that one could only sense their presence when standing directly in front of them.

Such a level of concealment could be achieved with mid-grade first-tier talismans or possibly some kind of mid-grade pill. However, this detail wasn't worth delving into.

What truly mattered was that he needed to be more cautious in the future. If the heretical cultivators also possessed similar talismans or pills, they could launch a surprise attack at any moment. While he wouldn't end up like that scar-faced old cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement, there was still a chance he might get injured. And with how heretical cultivators frequently used poisons, there was no telling what kind of strange toxins he might get exposed to.

Liu Xiao removed the hood covering his face and asked, "What are you doing here, kid?"

"Buying some corpse-nurturing materials."

Wen Jiu didn't hide his intentions.

Both Mu Canglong and Liu Xiao had treated him well, so there was no need to lie over such a trivial matter and create unnecessary misunderstandings.

Mu Canglong immediately understood because he had studied the Yin Province Corpse Nurturing Method and was even more familiar with the Three Fiends Corpse Nurturing Technique.

If he remembered correctly, cultivating a Three Fiends Corpse could only begin once a Black Ghoul reached the upper realm.

Since Wen Jiu had come to this secret black market of heretical cultivators, he was undoubtedly searching for Three Fiends materials or resources to craft a Corpse Nurturing Coffin.

After all, such heretical items were extremely scarce at Feixian Peak. While it was possible to find lower-grade resources with some luck, materials for crafting a Corpse Nurturing Coffin and Three Fiends components were nearly impossible to obtain there, regardless of price.

"You're preparing to craft a Corpse Nurturing Coffin?" Mu Canglong didn't press further but speculated that Wen Jiu's Black Ghoul must be close to reaching the upper realm; otherwise, he wouldn't be preparing for this so soon.

Wen Jiu nodded. "I made some spirit stones at the Chen Family's ancestral grounds, and my Black Ghoul is on the verge of breaking through, so I figured I'd get started on the coffin early."

"Seems like you made quite a profit, kid." Mu Canglong teased. He had heard someone mention Wen Jiu's battle at the Chen Family grounds, saying he had been timid and hesitant to fight. But now, it seemed there might have been other reasons.

As for what those reasons were, Mu Canglong wasn't interested in digging deeper. After all, everyone had their own secrets. He was no exception.

With that, Mu Canglong casually raised his hand and shattered the heart of the unconscious heretical cultivator before searching through the man's storage pouch. Finding nothing of particular value, he simply tossed the pouch to Wen Jiu.

"You lured this heretical cultivator out, so the storage pouch is yours."

Wen Jiu caught it joyfully. "Many thanks, Steward Mu!"

This was one of the advantages of cultivating within a sect—finding a strong backer.

He hadn't even needed to lift a finger yet still reaped the rewards.

Of course, this was also due to his own efforts. Only by demonstrating sufficient value could he earn the favor and support of others.

These things were always mutual.

Mu Canglong spoke again, handing over a token. "Take this and head to the Artifact Refining Tower. You can find a refiner there to craft your Corpse Nurturing Coffin… What grade are you aiming for?"

"Mid-grade," Wen Jiu answered honestly.

Mu Canglong was stunned.

Liu Xiao was also taken aback.

Damn.

This kid must have made a fortune at the Chen Family grounds.

After a brief moment of thought, Mu Canglong withdrew the token and instead took out an ordinary-looking piece of green jade, clearly a personal belonging. "There aren't many mid-grade refiners at Feixian Peak, but the most skilled one is Steward Lu Shi. Take this to him—he owes me a favor, so he'll help you no matter what."

"This…"

Wen Jiu hadn't expected that merely revealing a glimpse of his true situation would earn him such generous assistance from Mu Canglong.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

However, he wasn't the type to be overly polite. The higher the quality of the Corpse Nurturing Coffin, the better. He could always repay the favor later.

With that thought, Wen Jiu changed the way he addressed him.

"Many thanks, Brother Mu!"

Mu Canglong smiled approvingly and waved him off. "Hurry back. It's getting late."

Wen Jiu nodded, but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something the scar-faced old cultivator had mentioned earlier.

"Oh, right—Brother Mu, that scar-faced old man mentioned something. He said people from Bloodrobe Tower have been spotted in the Blood Fiend Abyss recently. No one knows what they're up to, but whatever it is, it's making the demons and fiends in the abyss extremely restless."

"For real?"

Mu Canglong's expression hardened, but rather than concern, a look of excitement flashed across his face.

Then, he patted Wen Jiu on the shoulder. "Good job, kid—I'll count this as a merit to your name!"

"Then I wish you and Brother Liu the best of luck."

With that, Wen Jiu activated a Swift Talisman and disappeared into the night.

As soon as he left, Liu Xiao couldn't help but remark, "Wen Jiu's talent in heretical cultivation is truly terrifying. He's calm, steady, never reckless, and completely ignores others' criticisms… With such a temperament and talent in the heretical path, his future achievements will be immense. He might even carve out a place for himself on the main peak."

Mu Canglong glanced at Liu Xiao and said in a low voice, "I recall you used to think the heretical path was beneath you. Didn't you always say it lacked refinement?"

Then, his tone turned serious.

"Besides, is now really the time for this? Hurry up and find a place to Soul Search this guy. If we can confirm his words are true, that kid has just done us a huge favor."

These past few days, he had captured several rogue cultivators and searched their souls, but he still hadn't found any clues. Who would've thought that as soon as this kid arrived, he'd bring good luck?

"Among these left-hand path cultivators, this kid is the only one worth anything. And the more I look at him, the more I like him!" Liu Xiao chuckled, then swiftly hoisted the corpse of the scar-faced old cultivator onto his shoulder.

...

After leaving, Wen Jiu first used his Blood Corpse Escape technique to travel five miles away, then activated a Swift Talisman to head toward Fei Xian Peak.

On his way home, Wen Jiu inspected the storage pouch of the scar-faced old cultivator.

There were plenty of spirit stones inside. In addition to the 250 or so that were his earnings, he had over 100 more low-grade spirit stones.

Besides that, there was a first-grade low-tier magical weapon, several yin-based techniques, and even some ghost cultivation manuals.

All of it was quite valuable.

Yet Mu Canglong had simply handed it over to him without a second thought.

Wen Jiu made a mental note of this generosity and debt of gratitude—one that he would surely repay in the future!

But what delighted him the most was that the storage pouch contained a complete formula for refining Heavenly Fiend Water, along with a journal of insights on the process.

As for whether he could successfully refine it—he wasn't worried in the slightest. With his daily progress summary panel, all he needed was enough experience, and it would happen naturally.

If it was difficult? At most, it would just take more time.

Now that he could handle both Earth Fiend Yin Energy and Heavenly Fiend Water on his own, he could save himself a lot of trouble—no more running around searching for resources.

Before long, Wen Jiu arrived back at Fei Xian Peak.

The journey was smooth and uneventful.

After returning, the first thing he did was bury the black ghoul in the corpse-rearing grounds. Then, without delay, he headed for the Artifact Refining Tower on the northern side of Fei Xian Peak.

The Artifact Refining Tower was home to the peak's artifact refiners. It was worth noting that the status of artifact refiners was on par with alchemists—perhaps even slightly higher. The reason lay in the fundamental difference between their crafts.

That difference was time.

An alchemist could refine a batch of pills in just two or three days at most, and a single batch would typically yield ten or more pills. Only the rarest of pills would come out in single quantities.

But artifact refinement was different. Creating a single magical weapon took at least ten days to half a month. Some took months, even years.

Thus, cultivating an artifact refiner was significantly harder than an alchemist. This made mass production of magical weapons impossible, ensuring that the status of artifact refiners remained high.

Before long, Wen Jiu arrived at the Artifact Refining Tower.

After speaking with the guards at the entrance, he gained an even deeper understanding of Lu Shi's formidable status within the tower.

The strongest beneath the elders.

A top-tier first-grade mid-tier artifact refiner.

However, three years ago, he had stopped refining weapons for sect disciples, focusing entirely on advancing to first-grade high-tier. No amount of spirit stones could change his mind.

So, Wen Jiu took out the jade token Mu Canglong had given him. He trusted that Mu Canglong had given it to him for a reason.

Sure enough, after presenting the jade token, one of Lu Shi's disciples quickly escorted him up to the sixth floor of the tower.

As he ascended, he felt the intense heat of the furnaces and heard the rhythmic clang of metal being forged.

Upon reaching the sixth floor, he saw Lu Shi—a man with a broad, muscular frame, his burly physique strangely at odds with the stark white hair on his head.

"So, Mu actually gave you this jade token… It seems your relationship with him is rather special." Lu Shi didn't elaborate on the token's origin; he simply took it and stored it in his pouch.

Wen Jiu respectfully bowed before retrieving a set of blueprints and materials, handing them over to one of Lu Shi's disciples. In front of others, he referred to Mu Canglong as "Brother Mu."

"I am a probationary disciple under Brother Mu... I'll be troubling you, Steward Lu."

Lu Shi nodded. Upon hearing Wen Jiu call Mu Canglong "Brother Mu," his gaze became more serious. He took the blueprints and studied them carefully. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"No wonder he sent you to me. Back in the day, his father's corpse-rearing coffin was crafted by my master. I assisted with the process. Right now, throughout Fei Xian Peak—and even Dead Man Peak—I'm the only one most familiar with corpse-rearing coffins."

Hearing this, Wen Jiu was overjoyed.

Lu Shi continued, "But let me make one thing clear—I can't guarantee top-tier quality. At best, I can ensure it's a standard first-grade mid-tier item. When my master made the original, I was only an assistant."

"I'll be counting on you, Steward Lu."

Wen Jiu never expected top-tier quality in the first place.

If he got it, great.

If not, a first-grade mid-tier coffin was already enough.

Even an average first-grade mid-tier one would last him a long time—at least until his corpse puppet reached a higher stage.