Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World

Golden Core Cultivators chasing Foundation Establishment Cultivators—isn't that an easy catch?

With full confidence, the female cultivator surnamed He used a tracking secret technique and pursued Jia Ren's location.

"Eh, not bad at concealing one's breath!"

"Hmph, this won't stump me!"

He might hide his own breath, but he couldn't conceal the Parasitic Trickster Blossom.

The female cultivator surnamed He hadn't chased for long before she froze in place.

Her tracking secret technique failed again; all traces were wiped clean by an invisible hand, leaving no residue.

Can't find the person?

The Golden Core female cultivator surnamed He switched to other tracking secret techniques, to no avail.

The other party had vanished into thin air, as though they had never appeared.

Only at this moment did she regret accepting this task.

With the clues cut off, the cultivator who stole the Parasitic Trickster Blossom couldn't possibly be found in a short time.

"First, I'll go to the Qunxing Archipelago and capture the cultivator who purchased the Bizarre Demons."

If that person is a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator, perhaps I can follow the vine to find the cultivator who stole the Bizarre Object.

Jia Ren, unaware that he was being watched, rode his sword. Employing Sword Transforms into Thunderous Sound, he flew far away.

Not sure if this would invite trouble, he thought it wise to leave early.

Traveling at astonishing speeds, it took him less than five days to return to the Qunxing Archipelago.

"To perform Talisman Crafting, Alchemy, or Artifact Refining with an unfamiliar material, one must first understand its properties."

The most important thing was to understand the nature of the Parasitic Trickster Blossom; both Talismans and Elixirs mainly rely on triggering the material's inherent properties.

"Let's find another place to experiment!"

There were important possessions on Qingzhu Island, and as the abilities of the Parasitic Trickster Blossom were still unclear, he did not dare to experiment on Qingzhu Island.

He located the small island where he previously experimented with the Enigmatic Bizarre and skillfully arranged the Demon-Sealing Great Array.

He took out the black Phlegm Basin Artifact. Not in a hurry to open it, he checked the status of the Parasitic Trickster Blossom inside.

The Suppressing Ghoul Talisman was still effective; the blossom did not move an inch, showing no reaction.

Out of caution, Jia Ren threw another Suppressing Ghoul Talisman at the corpse of the Parasitic Trickster Blossom before he took it out.

The bizarre white flower drooped, devoid of Essence, Energy, and Spirit.

Jia Ren carefully examined the corpse; countless roots had taken hold, and thick vines replaced veins and bones, supporting the shell.

The cultivator's body had become an empty shell, overtaken by the Bizarre Object.

It was known that the Parasitic Trickster Blossom had parasitic capabilities and could release bizarre sonic waves to attack.

To craft Bizarre Talismans, there were two research directions; one was the Parasitic Talisman.

After consuming a large number of these, masses of Parasitic Trickster Blossoms would infest the target.

This method was too sinister, easily spreading copious Parasitic Trickster Blossoms, causing an overflow of Bizarre Objects, and quite a hassle to clean up afterward.

The Parasitic Trickster Blossom couldn't distinguish friend from foe, and there was a considerable chance it would affect oneself too.

Such a Talisman could easily cause one to be mistaken for a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator, bringing unnecessary trouble.

The parasitic ability is better suited for making... a Mysterious Instrument, which could ignore the Spirit Shield and Defense Artifact to strike and infest the enemy.

The second research direction for the Talisman was the Bizarre Sound Talisman.

Jia Ren was very interested in the bizarre sonic attacks released by the Parasitic Trickster Blossom; sonic wave attacks were difficult to defend against.

The Insect External Incarnation had once used Soul-Stealing Devil Sound to defeat strong enemies and display great might.

The bizarre sound released by the Parasitic Trickster Blossom was far superior to the Insect External Incarnation's Soul-Stealing Devil Sound; if many could be crafted into Talismans and Fu Wan, their power would be astonishing.

Such Talismans were difficult to guard against, and anyone struck would think it was a special sonic attack, hard to associate with Bizarre Demons.

Jia Ren decided that his subsequent research direction would be the Bizarre Sound Talisman and the Parasitic Mysterious Instrument.

Talisman Crafting was a bit easier to start with, so he focused on the Bizarre Sound Talisman first, aiming to craft Talismans as a priority.

The part of the Parasitic Trickster Blossom that emitted the bizarre sound was the white flower. Jia Ren took out a Supreme Grade Golden Sword Magic Artifact and cut off a bizarre white flower without much effort.

He ground the flower into a fine powder bit by bit, experimented with the material's properties, and noted them in the records.

He then added several auxiliary materials to mix the Talisman Ink.

Within the range of Talismans, there was a somewhat obscure one called the Bundle Sound Talisman, which could serve as a starting point to formulate the framework of the Bizarre Sound Talisman.

As long as the crafted Talismans could be stimulated, he could continuously increase the Proficiency Level using the Proficiency Panel, naturally turning them into the desired Bizarre Sound Talisman.

With a starting point, the finish line wasn't far off.

"Failure!"

The crafted Talisman Ink failed to stimulate the drawn Talismans.

Upon close inspection, the issue was with the Talisman Ink, not the Talisman pattern structure.

Jia Ren took out a few more materials and attempted to mix Spirit Ink.

Failure!

Failure!

Still a failure!

For seven consecutive days, all the Talisman Ink he made ended in failure, and the crafted Bizarre Sound Talismans could not be stimulated.

The Bizarre Talisman was stuck at the entry stage, unable to succeed.

Bizarre Objects fundamentally differed from normal materials, and common methods were ineffective.

Jia Ren seemed to think of something and took out a Mysterious Pill that had been sealed away.

This was something he obtained from the Red Cloud Market when forcibly conscripted to deal with the Bizarre Alliance, after killing a cultivator with a red mark on his face while fleeing and plundering his belongings.

Having witnessed a cultivator consume the Mysterious Pill and become a half-human, half-Bizarre monster, he always viewed the Mysterious Pill with caution and stored it away.

Having possessed this item for some time, he had not brought it out for study.

Stuck at an impasse in his crafting approach, Jia Ren thought of the Mysterious Pill.

Bizarre Alliance Cultivators were the earliest organization to study Bizarre Demons, and their Mysterious Pills, Mysterious Instruments, and Bizarre Formations had left a deep impression on him.

Observing the works of the Bizarre Alliance Cultivators might yield alternative insights.

Creating a work from nothing is the most difficult.

Jia Ren took out special Formation patterns that recorded Bizarre Formations, special Mysterious Instruments made of dark black finger bones, and finally the Mysterious Pill.

He carefully studied the patterns, trying to comprehend the creator's thought process and achieve resonance.

"No, I have fallen into a misconception."

"Since the Bizarre Sound Talisman primarily uses bizarre sounds, it should focus on using Bizarre Objects to produce such sounds, imitating them, rather than activating it like a voice-based Talisman."

Ordinary sound waves are fundamentally different from bizarre sounds.

He needed to change his way of thinking and method of Talisman Crafting; he could not be limited by his previous mindset.

The failure of the Bizarre Sound Talisman was not only a problem with the Talisman Ink, but the structure of the runes posed an even greater issue.

With this thought, Jia Ren set out to rebuild the rune structure, eager to craft the Bizarre Sound Talisman as soon as possible.

"People from Black Cloud Island have arrived!"

The Insect External Incarnation responsible for security sent a message that two uninvited guests from Black Cloud Island had arrived. One was a Golden Core female cultivator he had encountered in the land of Dream Bizarre.

Officially, Zhang Peng Peng was the sole inhabitant of Qingzhu Island, while Shi Bai resided on Black Cloud Island, an island specifically designed for deceit.

Shi Bai's visits to a certain small shop were few, and no one knew the relationship between the two.

Unexpectedly, this tactic proved useful.

Trouble had found its way to Black Cloud Island, not Qingzhu Island.

Did the Golden Core Cultivator come for the Parasitic Trickster Blossom?

After all, he had erased all traces and auras; he should be untraceable.

Moreover, it was just a few trickster blossoms.

Trickster blossoms were common in the land of Dream Bizarre; what he took was just the tip of the iceberg.

"You go and take a look yourself, be careful in your approach."

The Insect External Incarnation left to investigate, while the original form retracted all Formation Bizarre Objects on the island, prepared to deal with the situation cautiously.

"Daoist Shi, this person is a Bizarre-Suppressing Guard, with important business to discuss with you."

The He-surnamed female Golden Core cultivator did not come alone; she was accompanied by the Steward of Tianxing Trade Association, who carefully waited by her side.

What's the situation?

How could the issue with the Parasitic Trickster Blossom be related to the Steward of Tianxing Trade Association?

Could it be that they are not here for the blossom?

But for... Bizarre Demons?

"Apologies for not greeting you sooner, esteemed senior."

The Insect External Incarnation, hiding his aura, entered through the back door of Black Cloud Island, surveying the visitors with a radiant smile.

"Daoist Shi, you've finally come out."

The He-surnamed female cultivator stared at the Insect External Incarnation, not recognizing him as the cultivator who had picked the trickster blossoms.

In fact, this was part of Jia Ren's safety precautions.

Everywhere he went or whatever he did, he liked to alter his appearance and pseudonym.

He used a new pseudonym, Jia Yi, for picking the blossoms, not Shi Bai.

"Is the Misleading Bizarre still there? This senior from the Town Demon Alliance specifically came to retrieve Misleading Bizarre."

Retrieve Misleading Bizarre?

The situation was indeed unexpected. He hadn't thought that buying a Bizarre Demon would lead to it being reclaimed...

Jia Ren's face grew dark as he stared at the Tianxing Trade Association Steward, his demeanor turning cold, "I have settled my debts with the Tianxing Trade Association. The Misleading Bizarre is my property; what talk is there of returning it?"

The Tianxing Trade Association Steward refused to mention compensating for the Spirit Stones spent on buying the Bizarre Demon; did he really think I was an easy target?

"Tianxing Trade Association has informed the senior who made the purchase. The remainder of this matter should not involve the Tianxing Trade Association; I shall take my leave now."

This man, cunning and wily, turned to leave.

Refunding the Spirit Stones was out of the question!

Tianxing Trade Association did not wish to bear this loss.

What followed would be between the Town Demon Alliance and Shi Bai, and it had nothing to do with Tianxing Trade Association.

One was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and the other a Golden Core Cultivator—the outcome went without saying.

As for... Shi Bai's retaliation?

The ones who took the Bizarre Demon were the Bizarre Alliance, not Tianxing Trade Association; they would not provide compensation.

Create a problem out of nothing?

The Tianxing Sect would not mind sending a Golden Core Cultivator to teach you a lesson.

The He-surnamed female cultivator scrutinized Jia Ren with an icy tone, "Open your residence's Formations, hand over the Misleading Bizarre and your Storage Bag. I need to inspect whether you are a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator."

"I give you no time to waste; otherwise, I won't hesitate to treat you as a Bizarre Alliance Cultivator."

This arrogant attitude was infuriating.

Hand over the Misleading Bizarre and the Storage Bag?

Not to mention that he bought this Bizarre Demon with Spirit Stones; if he let them find out about the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command and the Banishing Evil Talisman, it would be impossible to keep his possessions safe.

The Ancestor Fish Pill and other valuable items would also be pocketed.

To keep the secret, Jia Ren would either be silenced or detained, just so he could produce the Banishing Evil Talisman and Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command...

The Cultivation World was a place where the strong preyed upon the weak; if you're in possession of valuable treasures, don't hold too great an expectation for human nature.

Why had Jia Ren never sold the Banishing Evil Talisman?

The risks involved in selling it were simply too great!

What to do?

Fight? Or escape?!

Jia Ren, relying on the Thousand-Year-Old Black Turtle and the Fathead Fish Demon, had a seventy percent confidence in killing an Early Golden Core Stage cultivator.

After killing the Golden Core Cultivator, he too would have to flee his home.

Was there another way out?

Divert the trouble elsewhere?

Turn the gaze of the Town Demon Alliance to the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre in the Barren Extreme Land and cause it some problems in passing?

He couldn't let the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre grow unhindered!

Jia Ren quickly made up his mind.

"In your dreams!"

"The Bizarre Alliance and the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre won't let you off!"

The Insect External Incarnation lifted a hand, and a streak of dark black light shot towards the Golden Core cultivator, accompanied by wisps of bizarre energy.

Without waiting for the outcome, Ancient Talisman Wings flapped at his back, transforming him into a streak of light that disappeared into the horizon.