44: Promotion to the later stage, invitation from Master Talisman!

Strands of pure white, jade-like Divine Soul threads, seemingly endowed with sentience, coiled around Shi Chuan's right palm.

There were eleven strands in total, forming a ball, like a white jade silkworm cocoon, shimmering with a soft, jade-like luster.

From within Shi Chuan's flesh, a black tentacle grown by the Demonic Fiend Vine wrapped around the Divine Soul cocoon, stripping away all the Evil Qi from other Cultivators contained within the Divine Soul threads.

The Evil Qi contained the seven emotions and six desires of many other Cultivators.

Although these Divine Soul threads were beneficial for Cultivation, their side effects were not minor.

However, with the Demonic Fiend Vine filtering them once, there were no longer any worries for Shi Chuan.

A moment later.

All the white jade Divine Soul threads seamlessly integrated into Shi Chuan's Sea of Consciousness.

Buzz!

Shi Chuan could clearly perceive his Divine Soul power increasing, breaking through the Qi Refining Late Stage barrier in an instant.

At the same time, the first cycle of the Crimson God Art successfully advanced to Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and the Crimson God Magic Power within his body surged, increasing several times over compared to before.

With his current Magic Power, coupled with some secret techniques, Shi Chuan could even attempt to activate a second-Rank Magical Artifact.

However, a single casual strike from a second-Rank Magical Artifact could potentially deplete all the Spiritual Qi in his body, easily damaging his Origin.

Qi Refining Seventh Layer!

Less than a year had passed since then.

This time, it was all thanks to the Red Scale Puppet in Yu Jiao's corpse raising bag, that wisp of Foundation Establishment Demonic Qi, and the Eel Demon's blood Evil Qi, all amplified by the Demonic Fiend Vine's boost.

Under various Opportunities, he was able to achieve his current accomplishments.

If the miscellaneous laborers and Outer Sect Disciples within the Yellow Springs Demon Sect did not encounter any Opportunities, they would likely be stuck at Qi Refining Sixth Layer for their entire lives.

Anyone under sixty years old who advanced to Qi Refining Seventh Layer, after verifying their true age, could become an Inner Sect Disciple on various peaks.

Of course, Inner Sect Disciples over sixty years old would automatically be stripped of their Inner Sect Disciple status, or become Sect deacons, or even be demoted to Outer Sect Disciple.

Sixty years old was a critical juncture for advancing to Foundation Establishment.

It was the time with the highest chance of passing the first hurdle of Foundation Establishment, the Qi and Blood hurdle; once over sixty, a Qi Refining Cultivator's Qi and blood would begin to decline.

Especially for Demon Sect Disciples, the signs of this Qi and blood decline were even more pronounced.

For Righteous Path Sect Disciples like those of the Purple Cloud Sect, this age could be pushed back to seventy or eighty!

Inside the Cultivation chamber.

Shi Chuan felt the surging Magic Power within his body, circulated the Crimson God Art, and with a raise of his hand, a basketball-sized ball of Crimson God Fire burned fiercely in his palm.

The reflected red light made the walls of the Cultivation chamber appear as if they had been brushed with a layer of red powder.

At the same time, Shi Chuan took out the Eel Demon's collection from his Storage Pouch, a High Grade first-Rank triangular copper bell Magical Artifact.

Now that Shi Chuan had advanced to Qi Refining Late Stage, the power of the Crimson God Fire he unleashed could increase by another level compared to when he was in the Middle Stage.

Originally, he would have needed to use a subterranean fire chamber to refine the Artifact Refining Materials for the triangular copper bell.

Now, only the Crimson God Fire was needed!

Shi Chuan had the Artifact Refining experience of the Golden Core old demon Eternal Vine, so the Material refining process went smoothly; after all, Eternal Vine's specialty was Artifact Refining.

He even succeeded in refining a half-Rank Magic Treasure in the end, so the extraction and Fusion of Materials for this first-Rank Qi Refining Magical Artifact were merely appetizers.

In a flash, half a day had passed.

Shi Chuan successfully fused the Materials extracted from the triangular copper bell into the Profound Yin Banner!

This restored the Profound Yin Banner's Rank to High Grade first-Rank!

The soul-capturing ability of the High Grade first-Rank Profound Yin Banner would undoubtedly also rise to a new level.

Jiang Yuheng, a Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator, being resurrected from the Mystic Wood Spirit Embryo, would inevitably leave behind some trump cards for the second life within this Spirit Embryo.

The Profound Yin Banner was a Magical Artifact specialized in Divine Soul-type attacks, making it very handy in combat.

Restoring the Profound Yin Banner's Rank to High Grade first-Rank would give him more confidence when facing Qu Linglu, who was transformed by Jiang Yuheng.

“Unfortunately, time was still too short. With hurried repairs, it only barely recovered to High Grade first-Rank. This Profound Yin Banner still needs more Materials to fill it in order to stabilize its High Grade first-Rank Rank.”

Shi Chuan carefully sensed the Profound Yin Banner in front of him and came to a conclusion.

There were still many places on the restored Dao patterns of the banner that were not smoothly connected.

“Fortunately, Yu Jiao can keep Jiang Yuheng in check.”

Shi Chuan took the communication jade slip into his hand and sensed the message from Yu Jiao; Qu Linglu was still in her room.

“Cast the net, catch the fish!”

Shi Chuan rose, feeling completely refreshed.

After advancing to Qi Refining Seventh Layer, the Spiritual Veins within his body could be fully connected, circulating endlessly.

Shi Chuan now had considerable confidence in repairing the Red Scale Puppet.

In the eyes of ordinary Puppet Refiners, even if the Red Scale Puppet were repaired, its combat power would drop to around Qi Refining Seventh Layer.

After all, the core of the Red Scale Puppet was its heart.

With its heart torn and pierced, the injuries on its upper body were shocking, and only by finding another corpse puppet's heart core could it be replaced.

However, Shi Chuan was confident that he could make the Red Scale Puppet's combat power only drop by a small Rank, maintaining it at Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

The corpse mound token he had obtained before had never been used.

Now, everyone within the Yellow Springs Demon Sect was in danger, with news of the deaths of Sect Disciples outside constantly arriving daily, creating an atmosphere of extreme fear.

The Yellow Springs Demon Sect's restrictions on Disciples also began to become stretched thin.

Many of the higher-ranking Disciples also began to use their own methods to prepare some trump cards to deal with the impending great battle.

It was precisely because of this that the Dream Creation Pill, introduced at this time, was so highly regarded by so many Disciples of Corpse Refining Peak.

The goal was to increase their strength as much as possible when the great battle was about to arrive.

Shi Chuan suppressed the urge to repair the Red Scale Puppet, put away the surrounding barrier talismans, and walked out of the door.

He immediately saw a chubby Daoist boy who looked only eight or nine years old. The Daoist boy wore a gray robe and had a Cultivation of only Qi Refining First Layer.

On his chubby little face, a striking blush was applied, and he had a topknot on his head. He had no idea how long he had been waiting outside Shi Chuan's door.

“Greetings... greetings, Senior Brother!”

“My father, Master Talisman Yang Yan, personally instructed me to deliver this invitation to Senior Brother, inviting Senior Brother to our home for a banquet when he is free. My father greatly admires Senior's Puppet Refining techniques!”

After respectfully bowing, the chubby Daoist boy respectfully handed an invitation to Shi Chuan, then quickly walked towards a small courtyard a dozen steps away.

“It's that Master Talisman's invitation.”

Shi Chuan took the invitation and glanced at it. The invitation also contained a Low Grade first-Rank Dust-Free Talisman.

The invitation stated that Master Talisman Yang Yan would be celebrating his hundredth birthday in three days and would be holding a small gathering in the courtyard, where he planned to bring out some treasured items for appraisal.

Guests who came could also bring treasures, and those who liked them could trade with each other.

After reading it, Shi Chuan put away the invitation.

If there was a gathering for treasure appraisal, it might be worth attending; perhaps he could even pick up a bargain.