Be the Hardest Working Demon Cultivator!

Such fishing behavior, if not utterly deceitful, would be unimaginable. Afterward, the tiger and snake, having knelt and kowtowed several times, indicated their desire to return for revenge. They were not seeking revenge on the monks of Jinjin Wansheng Temple, but on their original foes. After all, the monks of Jinjin Wansheng Temple possessed formidable power, beyond what they could contend with. To go there would not even be considered smashing an egg against a rock but more like throwing meat buns to a dog. It was purely an act of delivering oneself to one's doom. Tan Shuchang naturally did not stop them, as he had always respected the fate of others and never interfered uninvited. At the same time, he was somewhat surprised by that particular wolf. "Will you not return for revenge?" Tan Shuchang asked calmly. "Exalted Sir, this old wolf finds himself desiring to act but alas, lacks the strength," the wolf sighed, "Moreover, when I existed in utter chaos as a demon, I followed the lead of others and devoured several humans, and now karmic obstacles bind me." Liojin, that is the name of the monk from Jinjin Wansheng Temple who had schemed against this wolf. And the karmic obstacles are unique to this place. If a cultivator falls into the demonic path and commits acts like cannibalism, then karmic obstacles will bind them. Tan Shuchang heard this and said nothing, simply nodding slightly. After all, he had revived these few not out of his own desires but, perhaps, because the being that brought him to this world wanted to witness this scene. Otherwise, how could this be such a coincidence? That the victims of Jinjin Wansheng Temple should all emerge in this place? Once such coincidences accumulate, in Tan Shuchang's view, these were not coincidences but inevitabilities! "Bound by karmic obstacles, one will descend to the Five Layers World," the wolf continued somewhat frantically. Tan Shuchang was already aware of the concept of the Five Layers World, and his current location was the fourth layer, source of all bizarre and evil spirits stemming from the third layer. Hearing this, he asked, puzzled, "Then after you die, what will happen?" "I will fall into the Fifth Layer World!" The wolf said this excitedly, and upon uttering these words, he suddenly froze. "Thank you, Exalted Sir, for the guidance!" The wolf kowtowed to express his gratitude, then, with a long howl, ran towards the forest's edge. Watching this scene, Tan Shuchang was left thoughtful. "This fellow cultivator hesitates and considers, so much like myself when I'm cautious... Could it be, by arranging for so many victims of Jinjin Wansheng Temple to be here, they intend to tell me—sometimes there's no need to be overly cautious, no need to overthink?" Upon this thought, Tan Shuchang felt more and more that it made sense. After all, he sought to achieve the Banhu Realm here and needed various resources from another party. Thus, remaining inactive was unrealistic. With a wave of his hand, several figures then strode out from within him. And as soon as they appeared, these figures flashed and vanished instantly. These were precisely the Blood Shadow Clones. With the unique reinforcement that "only change remains unchanged", these Blood Shadow Clones now inherited not the power held back under the Heavenly Gang Righteous Law Fruits of a True Immortal, but rather sixty percent of the power Tan Shuchang gained post-ascension. Though still discounted, this power was sufficient for Tan Shuchang's current activities. This forest was extensive, and beyond it lay rivers, swamps, and other terrains inhabited by some "special" creatures. These creatures, like the previously mentioned pig, tiger, snake, and wolf, were originally humans who transformed due to a mishap in their cultivation. But these creatures were not all victims of Jinjin Wansheng Temple. After all, forces similar to Jinjin Wansheng Temple were numerous in this fourth layer. Although these forces belonged to different factions, their methods of nurturing demon and monster servants and mounts were quite similar. They would select suitable candidates, then through various methods, allow them to obtain powerful cultivation techniques. And after achieving success in their cultivation, they would break the proscribed taboos of cultivation, thus directly falling into the demonic path. After falling into demonhood, these demons and monsters had their powers greatly increased. Such potent strength was precisely what those powers sought. Tan Shuchang used his Blood Shadow Clone to summon these special beasts, retreading old ground in perfecting their Cultivation Techniques, thereby restoring these special beasts to conscious awareness. Suddenly, hundreds of newly human-like demons and monsters stormed out of the mountain forests and marshes of the region. The intentions of these demons and monsters were clear: to seek revenge where there was resentment, to harbor grievances where there was hatred, but never to harm the innocent! Yet Tan Shuchang's Blood Shadow Clone did not stop. Since these Blood Shadow Clones possessed the strength of the Righteous True Immortal of Earthly Slaughter, traveling thousands, even tens of thousands, of miles in a single day was nothing out of the ordinary. Thus, just after a few days, the demonic beings of the Fourth Layer World underwent a transformative change in style. To be precise, a clear stream had emerged among these demonic beings. With the bodies of beasts and the appearance of demons, yet not only devoid of the usual demonic murkiness, they now resembled humans, and could even speak human languages and communicate with humans. Among them, there were even some demons proficient in composing and reciting poetry. The appearance of these demons undoubtedly shocked all the forces within the Fourth Layer World. From the mouths of these demons, the name of a "Venerable Lord" was mentioned. Even though the forces of the Fourth Layer World did not know the true nature of this "Venerable Lord," it was clear to them that these demons spoke of this "Venerable Lord" with utmost reverence. "The disappearance of the Blood Immortal was already troubling enough, and now a mysterious Venerable Lord has appeared?" The various forces of the Fourth Layer World were all distressed by this. They all believed there was some conspiracy involved! However, the resurgence of these human-like demons was actually just Tan Shuchang's way of signaling his arrival to the world. As for other implications, he truly had none. Yet the transformations in the Fourth Layer World did not disturb the Heavenly Layers' Green Flood Dragon. For in the eyes of Heaven's Authority's Extreme, it was not yet time to intervene and awaken Tan Shuchang. It intended to wait for this "Rebel Demon" to suffer enough in the Fourth Layer World, before manifesting to guide him. Otherwise, this demon might not obediently ascend to heaven. After all, all demonic leaders are inherently suspicious and rebellious, so in the eyes of the Green Flood Dragon, this "invited" "Rebel Demon" should be one of the top amongst them! Thus, to be cautious, this Green Flood Dragon even took away the strong from the Fourth Layer World, sealing them within a secret realm. This was to prevent someone from accidentally killing this "Rebel Demon." This "Rebel Demon" was too special after all, and chances were that someone in the Fourth Layer World might realize something and thus be tempted to take action. Mind you, at the moment, this "Rebel Demon"'s powers were being suppressed, making him completely fall to the level of a mortal. It can only be said that the singular "Immortal Technique" was truly extraordinary. Once this technique appeared, it made Tan Shuchang's cultivation boundless, a feat only those who had cultivated to the late stages of Heaven's Authority's Realm as Heaven's Authority's True Immortals could achieve. Even now, even the existence of Heaven's Authority's Extreme, like the Green Flood Dragon without directly feeling the might of the Immortal Technique, could not discern anything. And related sensations, even less so. However, with the Green Flood Dragon's foresight, the now leaderless and lacking any True Immortal strength Fourth Layer World, had completely become Tan Shuchang's personal backyard. Originally, his sensory abilities were suppressed, and he couldn't detect much, but as these Blood Shadow Clones ventured out, they brought back all manner of useful news for Tan Shuchang. "There are no ascended immortals among the cultivators of this region..." "The Cultivation System here, though peculiar and wholly inclined towards eccentricity, is not entirely devoid of top-tier powerhouses." "This is the Five Layers World... So, the powerhouses of this Fourth Layer World, have they all ascended to the Third Layer World? Then what is the purpose of leaving me in this Fourth Layer World?" Pondering this, Tan Shuchang decided to pay a visit. He planned to seek out the top local forces to borrow something. And to avoid disturbing the hosts, Tan Shuchang chose to visit quietly.