Zhou Yuan had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining twenty years ago. He once introduced himself, claiming to have practiced various techniques from different schools within the sect.

Not only that, he had spent years undertaking missions outside, engaging in numerous life-and-death battles, accumulating rich combat experience.

In contrast, Alaric Ye was only at the third level of Qi Refining. At this moment, he was also severely poisoned, unable to mobilize his mana, and trapped within the Mist Array, unable to discern directions.

From any perspective, dealing with Alaric Ye would be as easy for Zhou Yuan as crushing an ant.

Because of this, the demonic person from the Abstruse Dark Sect never took the conscious Alaric Ye seriously. He merely instructed Zhou Yuan to deal with Alaric, while he began collecting the unconscious disciples of the Top Xuan Sect within the mist.

Inside the Mist Array, Zhou Yuan held a formation flag, which allowed him to see clearly through the mist.

Seeing that Alaric Ye hadn't fainted, he suddenly realized, "This kid seems to have practiced body cultivation, so it's natural that he has a good resistance to poison. And he seems to have a... smelly fart worm?"

Alaric had previously shown his smelly fart worm, which only exhibited the cultivation level of the third level of Qi Refining.

Currently, Little Blue had already mastered the Hidden Dragon Technique, allowing it to easily control its aura, adjusting its strength at will.

An old hand like Zhou Yuan naturally knew about the smelly fart worm, a type of spirit insect.

The smelly fart worm was adept at fart attacks, with its pungent odor capable of making people nauseous and affecting their combat abilities. However, if one could endure it or hold their breath after the worm farted, there would be no danger.

It wasn't a spirit insect meant for direct combat.

He guessed that Alaric Ye raised the smelly fart worm to sell its farts for a living.

"Junior Brother Ye, did you hear everything just now?"

He heard Alaric Ye's response, "If I say I didn't hear anything, will you spare my life?"

Zhou Yuan replied, "Sorry, I can't. Moreover, you know that with your good looks, you are a top-quality furnace cauldron for harvesting. I won't kill you; you'll still be alive, but how long you live will depend on the demonic cultivator who buys you."

Alaric Ye sneered, "That would be worse than death, wouldn't it?"

Zhou Yuan said, "Perhaps. Before I knock you out, I want to hear you curse me with the most insulting words. Maybe it will make me feel a bit better."

"I know I'm doing something unforgivable. I also know the consequences of falling into the Demonic Path... But I seek eternal life and immortality. I don't want to turn into a pile of dirt!"

"I know it's selfish to sacrifice you all as a token of loyalty. I thought about it for a long time before acting. But I realized that the path to immortality is like a single-log bridge crowded with thousands of troops. It's either you die, or I perish!"

"Let me replace you all in seeking immortality. I will remember each of your names. When I gain supreme power, I will resurrect you all and grant you eternity!"

As he spoke, Zhou Yuan's expression became twisted and manic.

Black demonic energy seeped from his body, enveloping him completely, exuding an extremely evil and violent aura that engulfed Alaric Ye.

At that moment, his body trembled, and a surge of immense mana radiated from him.

He laughed maniacally.

"Over twenty years without a breakthrough, and today, upon falling into the Demonic Sect, the bottleneck shattered on its own... Hahaha, my choice was indeed correct!"

"So, I was born to cultivate in the Demonic Path. To hell with the righteous path, to hell with morality and ethics, to hell with sect rules and principles!"

"All of you, get lost! What I seek is immortality!"

In the distance, the demonic cultivator from the Abstruse Dark Sect, who was collecting the bodies of the Top Xuan Sect disciples, glanced at Zhou Yuan in surprise and murmured, "Finally fallen completely into the Demonic Path? Decades of suppressed desires have erupted, and the demonic energy is so intense. Interesting, he might have a place among the Chosen of the Abstruse Dark Sect's Inner Sect in the future!"

As the nearly deranged Zhou Yuan approached Alaric Ye, a small blue smelly fart worm, the size of a fingernail, buzzed its wings and flew towards Zhou Yuan.

At the same time, an inconspicuous black cockroach crawled to Alaric Ye's feet and then disappeared in a flash, moving so fast that it was impossible to see where it went.

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In the Mist Array, although visibility was severely limited, sensory abilities still existed.

With Zhou Yuan so close to Alaric Ye, Little Blue could clearly sense his position. With a reference point, visibility became less important.

Zhou Yuan also saw the smelly fart worm, Little Blue, flying towards him, and he showed a disdainful and cruel expression. A flash of light appeared in his hand, revealing a flying sword.

"A smelly fart worm at the third level of Qi Refining used for combat? It seems you really have no means of resistance left. Fine, I'll kill your spirit insect first, to crush your hopes of escape!"

"Be obedient and follow Senior Brother back to the Abstruse Dark Sect to work as a furnace cauldron. It's a promising job!"

He formed a sword seal with his hand, channeling mana into the flying sword. With a "whoosh," the sword pierced through the air, aiming at the smelly fart worm.

Unexpectedly, the smelly fart worm didn't dodge. Instead, it turned its body, showing its rear to Zhou Yuan.

"Is it preparing to fart?"

"Ridiculous, I've never seen a smelly fart worm's stink block a flying sword!"

Next, he saw a ghostly blue flame emerge from the worm's rear, rapidly expanding. Before he could react, he and his flying sword were completely engulfed.

Then, there was a loud "boom."

In an instant, the earth shook, buildings collapsed, and shockwaves rolled out!

The ghostly blue flames flashed and disappeared, but they illuminated the entire Paoma Town!

The surrounding mist was swept away by the powerful explosion, along with the formation flag stuck in the ground!

Alaric Ye said calmly, "Sorry, Junior Brother's smelly fart worm can indeed block a flying sword. Not only that, but it can also send you, this demonic fiend, to the afterlife!"

"I'll return your words to you."

"I will remember every person I've killed on the path of cultivation, but when I have the power, I won't resurrect them!"

"Because they all deserve to die!"

In the last moment, Alaric Ye saw Zhou Yuan's incredulous expression, filled with fear and panic!

He sensed the terrifying power contained in Little Blue's fart!

But Little Blue's fart was quick and precise!

At such close range, it gave Zhou Yuan no chance to escape.

Having just broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining and not yet stabilized his realm, Zhou Yuan was torn into countless pieces by the high-temperature flames and explosive shockwaves!

He was blown to bits by Little Blue's fiery fart!

After Little Blue destroyed the Mist Array, visibility became clear.

However, the triumphant Little Blue weakly flew into Alaric Ye's hand and then collapsed.

Little Blue's explosive farts were unparalleled in power, but because of this, each fart required it to gather all its mana and spirit, leaving it extremely weak afterward. It could even kill enemies across realms with a single fart.

Little Blue's farts were the epitome of explosions, draining its body with each one.

Alaric Ye gently stroked Little Blue's head, placing it into a pocket in his sleeve to rest.

In fact, the Ancient Ring of the Insect Emperor was the best place for recovery, but with people around, the always cautious Alaric Ye would never use the ring's abilities!

The more he cultivated and understood the cultivation world, the more Alaric Ye realized the value of the Ancient Ring of the Insect Emperor.

This ring could drive any cultivator on this continent, or even in this world, mad. Once exposed, he would be doomed.

The demonic cultivator from the Abstruse Dark Sect, who had been collecting the unconscious disciples of the Top Xuan Sect, now had a drastically changed expression. He stopped his actions, his eyes locked onto Alaric Ye.

This cultivator, only at the third level of Qi Refining and seemingly ordinary except for his good looks, had a spirit insect capable of killing Zhou Yuan, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining!

Although Zhou Yuan had just broken through to the seventh level, making him much stronger than a sixth-level cultivator, he was still killed by that unassuming blue smelly fart worm!

The demonic cultivator from the Abstruse Dark Sect sneered, "Interesting, a mutated spirit insect, and it hid its cultivation, at least at the sixth level of Qi Refining. But it seems your spirit insect can only fart explosively once. So, what other tricks do you have to deal with me?"

Alaric Ye ignored the demonic cultivator's words, calmly finding the bloodstained Universe Bag.

All of Zhou Yuan's treasures, including the Top Xuan Sect's flying boat and its control token, were in this Universe Bag. Fortunately, the bag was sturdy enough. Little Blue's fart had blown Zhou Yuan to pieces, but it hadn't torn the Universe Bag.

The items in the Universe Bag couldn't be taken out for now. Inside were the evidence of Zhou Yuan's collusion with the Abstruse Dark Sect, including a Semicentury Pill.

These had to be handed over to the Top Xuan Sect.

Alaric Ye estimated that once the Top Xuan Sect investigated, they would return all the treasures except the flying boat to him, as they were his spoils of war.

Seeing that Alaric Ye completely ignored him, not even glancing at him, the demonic cultivator's eyes flashed with cold light. He patted the Universe Bag at his waist, taking out a large banner painted with a blood-red skull.

As soon as the banner appeared, gusts of eerie wind howled. The demonic cultivator channeled mana into the banner, and twisted, translucent vengeful spirits and fierce ghosts emerged from it.

This was the Hundred Ghost Banner!

One of the signature artifacts of the Abstruse Dark Sect.

To forge the Hundred Ghost Banner, one needed to collect the blood and souls of a hundred living people, throwing them into an artifact refining furnace while they were conscious to endure the high-temperature roasting, ultimately melting their bodies.

Throughout the process, even as their bodies melted, the victims remained conscious, experiencing extreme pain and torment, causing their hatred and resentment to explode, turning them into powerful fierce ghosts under the demonic cultivator's control.

"I'm in so much pain... Boohoo!"

"I'm so hungry..."

"I want to go home, hahaha!"

"Mother, my mother, I miss you, I miss you..."

The fierce ghosts and vengeful spirits circled around the demonic cultivator.

With a sinister grin, the demonic cultivator pointed at Alaric Ye, "He is your enemy, the one who killed your families. Go devour his flesh and blood, and don't spare his soul!"

"Each of these fierce ghosts has the cultivation of the third level of Qi Refining. Let's see what tricks you have, boy!"

Upon hearing this, the dozen fierce ghosts turned into masses of evil energy, rushing towards Alaric Ye.

At the same time, the sound of bells rang out.

The demonic cultivator took out two palm-sized coffins from his Universe Bag, each stained completely red with blood.

Boom!

As the coffins hit the ground, they instantly enlarged. Amid the urgent ringing of bells, the coffin lids burst open, and two men wearing the robes of the Top Xuan Sect, with hair and nails grown long and eerie, stood up straight from the coffins.

On their foreheads were yellow talismans drawn with cinnabar.

"These are the Top Xuan Sect disciples who came to investigate a few days ago, your fellow senior brothers. Now, they have been refined into Copper Armored Corpses, impervious to blades and fire!"

"Zombies, obey my command!"

Roar!

The two Copper Armored Corpses, refined from Top Xuan Sect disciples, roared like beasts, their eyes suddenly opening, blood-red.

"Kill him!"

The two zombies leaped up, turning into black shadows as they charged at Alaric Ye.

Clearly, the demonic cultivator had become extremely cautious after witnessing Alaric Ye's smelly fart worm instantly kill the unprepared Zhou Yuan.

He didn't want to end up like Zhou Yuan, falling at the hands of an unknown cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.

Normally, the fierce ghosts summoned by the Hundred Ghost Banner would be enough to tear Alaric Ye apart, but the demonic cultivator wasn't reassured. Fearing a trick, he also summoned two Copper Armored Corpses at the fourth level of Qi Refining to join the attack.

With this, Alaric Ye wouldn't survive even with nine lives.

Moreover, the demonic cultivator was certain that Alaric Ye's smelly fart worm was already asleep, and Alaric Ye was poisoned, unable to mobilize his mana.

At this moment, Alaric Ye suddenly flashed a cold smile at him.

It was the first time Alaric Ye looked directly at him.

In that instant, the demonic cultivator felt his whole body tense, his hair standing on end, as if locked onto by something terrifying. The next moment, he saw Alaric Ye snap his fingers.

"Steal it!"

A black shadow flashed, and the demonic cultivator felt the spirit pill he had been tightly holding, which controlled the fierce ghosts and zombies, being yanked away by a tremendous force...

Then, the shadow flashed again.

The two treasures appeared in Alaric Ye's hands.

Without the master's command, the zombies and fierce ghosts became bewildered, stopping their attack on Alaric Ye.

Alaric Ye calmly cut his finger with a flying sword.

"Your artifacts are not bad. Now, they're mine."

Blood dripped onto the bell and the Hundred Ghost Banner, and a flash of light indicated that they had established a spiritual connection with Alaric Ye.

The sect rules of the Top Xuan Sect never prohibited disciples from seizing and using demonic artifacts in battle.

Whether an artifact was crafted by the Immortal Sect or the Demonic Sect, it was just a weapon.

Good or evil depended on the user.

If demonic cultivators used them for evil, they were wicked artifacts. If righteous cultivators used them for good, slaying demons, they were immortal treasures!