*Swish, swish, swish—*
Deep within the dense forest, five rapidly spinning ice wheels shot through the air, slicing a centipede over twenty meters long into six segments in an instant.
Green blood spilled across the ground. Where it flowed, dead branches and leaves rapidly decayed, and the soil darkened considerably.
Wang Yu swiftly flew from behind a tree. With a pulse of spiritual sense, he extracted a green poison core from the centipede's remains.
The core was green tinged with gray, somewhat transparent, with slight horny protrusions. Inside, a faint insect silhouette was visible.
This was a mid-second-grade poison beast. Before reaching the third grade, a demon beast's core retained physical characteristics, like this one.
Immediately after, he tossed out the Immaculate Jade Toad to swallow the centipede's toxins, then retrieved the Ghost Wail Flute to capture and enslave the lingering demon soul.
This sequence had become extremely practiced, almost Wang Yu's standard post-battle cleanup procedure, utilizing every part of the enemy without waste.
It was now the twentieth day since he had entered the **Sky Demon Bone Forest**. He hadn't encountered the Earth Formation Master the Ruan elder mentioned, but he had seen plenty of disgusting poison beasts.
Aside from some unrecognizable poisonous plants, what he found most worrisome was a type of 'spiritual sense poison,' often blended into the poisonous miasma, drifting with the natural wind currents.
He only discovered it because, after perfecting the Ancient Soul Art, he had gained the **Ancient Soul** divine peculiarity, which could resist most abnormalities targeting the soul.
In this regard.
Even the Immaculate Jade Toad only realized it had been invaded after the fact. Its resistance to poison was based on its ability to consume toxins for growth without affecting itself.
Its perception of toxins... could only be described as average.
This peculiar 'spiritual sense poison,' and the fact that only the Ancient Soul peculiarity could resist it, actually convinced Wang Yu he was on the right track.
Perhaps the ancient Heavenly Soul Sect had used this natural barrier as the outermost layer of their sect's defense. It might even be a spiritual sense poison they themselves introduced.
Since Wang Yu lacked overly specific clues, upon detecting this anomaly, he followed the wind's direction, tracing the air currents, and circled an area on his map.
Currently, he was heading towards the center of that circled area.
According to Ten Thousand Poison Town's intelligence, the direction he was heading was supposed to be a depression, explored by countless people.
Aside from some poisonous spirit plants, the area was home to a type of white venomous snake demon, extremely fast with potent venom, but usually capable of only a single strike. Their strength hovered around the first grade.
But this was already the inner region of the Sky Demon Bone Forest. Encounters with third-grade poison beasts possessing intelligence were possible at any moment, making it highly dangerous. Wang Yu moved with even greater caution.
He almost constantly maintained the Breathless Curse, masking his own aura and scent.
"I recall many poisonous substances within the Sky Demon Bone Forest have miraculous effects for body tempering. There's also a poisonous plant that increases true essence—the **Black Cloud Insect Grass**!"
He murmured to himself internally, pausing frequently to use the Mountain-Searching Demon-Seeking secret art.
"This is—"
Mid-procedure, Wang Yu pushed aside obstructing grass with his true essence, his eyes gleaming as he stared ahead.
A large toad with a black base and fiery spots sat perched on a rock resembling molten lava. If he wasn't mistaken, that was a rare third-grade material—**Crimson Flame Red Stone**.
Typically used as an inlay material on other magical treasures, it could enhance fire power while adding a bone-corroding fire poison effect.
A piece this size could be divided into over a dozen portions.
Worth over a million spirit stones!
The toad was called a **Poison Fire Toad**. Its strength had clearly reached the early third grade, and it wasn't newly entered into this realm; it was likely at the peak of this stage.
Demon beasts below the third grade were weak and had low intelligence.
Upon reaching the third grade, they became completely different. Not only did they awaken bloodline divine abilities, some also possessed life-bound demon treasures, usually remnants of their old bodies struck by heavenly tribulation.
Or certain organs left behind after physical metamorphosis.
For example, horns, scales, severed tails, and the like. If Three-Tailed Snow Fox were fortunate enough to advance, it would likely shed its tails to obtain a treasure, varying by species.
Demon beasts' demon treasures were extremely primitive and were considered top-grade materials for cultivators.
Precisely because they were primitive, refined by demon beasts solely through instinct, when a human acquired one and imprinted their own techniques upon it, it became exceptionally powerful.
The moment Wang Yu saw the Poison Fire Toad, he layered on an invisibility technique, his figure vanishing among the trees.
At that moment, the Poison Fire Toad seemed to sense something and looked over.
Its horizontal, bright yellow eyes blinked once, finding nothing.
Wang Yu, who had swiftly relocated, was strategizing in his mind. Back in the Black Mountain Demon Territory, he had acted without restraint and had rich experience battling demon beasts.
He could even trade blows with second-grade beasts. But facing the Poison Fire Toad required more than brute force. After some thought, he quickly retreated a kilometer and released Xue Yu.
The Three-Tailed Snow Fox, with a shoulder height of over two and a half meters, a body length of five meters, and a total length exceeding twelve meters including its tail, emerged from the spirit beast pouch. Compared to when it first broke through to Foundation Establishment, its size had increased significantly.
It was now a true giant fox, its cultivation at the fourth layer of Foundation Establishment. It looked at Wang Yu questioningly.
"Xue Yu, later, blow a blizzard from this direction towards that area. Keep your main body farther back."
*Ao~*
It understood—it was being used as bait again. This wasn't the first time. Its bright, ice-pink fox eyes showed a trace of resentment.
Seeing this, Wang Yu rubbed Xue Yu's smooth fur, revealing a genuine smile.
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
*Ao—*
Seeing it agree, Wang Yu quickly returned to where the Poison Fire Toad was cultivating. He released the Moon Yin Corpse Fiend, placing his right hand on its back.
Extending the effects of the invisibility technique and Breathless Curse over it was only possible because he had perfected the corresponding techniques.
Soon after.
A blizzard blew in from the north. The Poison Fire Toad, absorbing heaven and earth's fire element spiritual energy, shivered violently. The ferocious aura of a demon beast erupted.
It almost instantly locked onto Xue Yu's position. The **[Crimson Flame Red Stone]** beneath its rear, polished to a shine from constant use, was... swallowed whole in a fit of rage! The Poison Fire Toad then began hopping towards Xue Yu's location, covering a kilometer per leap.
Wang Yu was dumbfounded.
Its intelligence indeed far surpassed second-grade beasts. Fortunately, while planning, he had considered this scenario. Releasing the Moon Yin Corpse Fiend early was for this exact moment.
If stealing wasn't possible, he'd take it by force.
Heavenly materials and earthly treasures belonged to those fated to obtain them. The Poison Fire Toad... was unworthy.
"—Corpse's Descent of Yin Essence Evil Curse!"
The Poison Fire Toad, mid-leap, suddenly saw darkness. Dense lunar Yin essence descended from the void, reducing all its physical attributes by nearly fifty percent.
This terrifying curse art was unheard of in its intelligent life. It panicked immediately.
The poison sacs on its back, like miniature volcanoes, erupted with large amounts of magma-like bodily fluid, accompanied by billowing black smoke, igniting the surrounding damp trees.
*Ao wuuuu~~~*
Xue Yu's cry came from further away. The sky darkened, clouds blotted out the sun, and freezing rain and snow fell simultaneously, reaching maximum intensity almost instantly.
Seeing this, Wang Yu controlled the Moon Yin Corpse Fiend to pounce.
He stomped the ground and followed close behind. Mid-air, he condensed a spiral-shaped sword aura of ice, making it rotate violently like a drill bit, aiming to stab the Poison Fire Toad's rear.
It was a massive ice sword over a hundred meters long.
Under the extreme cold and the amplification of the weather technique, the Poison Fire Toad's instinct to channel fire power was suppressed.
*Gwa!*
The toad wouldn't just wait for death. It expelled a thick pillar of black, smoke-wreathed flame, crushing Wang Yu's spiral ice sword aura with overwhelming force.
The poison sacs on its back sprayed even more fluid into the sky, not only dispersing the dark clouds but also transforming into a meteor shower of fire, blanketing the nearby several thousand meters.
"Disintegrating the attack while neutralizing the unfavorable environmental suppression, even forming a counterattack... Indeed, third-grade demon beasts and those below are almost two different creatures."
Having gleaned the desired intelligence, with the Frostmoon Wings movement technique, evading the falling molten fire rain was easy for Wang Yu.
Meanwhile, the Moon Yin Corpse Fiend reached the Poison Fire Toad's back.
Claws boiling with lunar Yin essence slashed out. Its instinct to absorb blood from a distance activated. The Poison Fire Toad immediately felt its body being pulled again.
The movement of its rear, slowed by just a fraction...
Was struck by the corpse claws.
It let out a wretched cry.
*Gwa!!!*
Simultaneously, five ice wheels flew in, striking its pale belly. The high-speed rotating wheels cut numerous wounds. Extreme cold true essence invaded its body.
Wang Yu swiftly flew over, delivering an axe-kick that smashed the Poison Fire Toad into the earth. Dust and fragments of bones flew.
Struck from front and back, it retched.
It vomited the **[Crimson Flame Red Stone]**. In that instant, the Poison Fire Toad completely grasped this malicious human's intention. As its webbed hand reached for the stone...
It was slapped away by the Moon Yin Corpse Fiend, which showed no fear of its fire poison. Grabbing its leg, the fiend hurled it into the distance.
Seizing the moment it was airborne and vulnerable to counterattack, Wang Yu made a grasping motion from afar.
Lunar Yin essence erupted again, dimming even the poisonous fluid spurting from the toad's back, as if frozen, making it difficult for flames to ignite.
Wang Yu skimmed low, recalling the Corpse Fiend while scooping up the Crimson Flame Red Stone, storing it in his Sea Heart Ring. Breathless Curse + Invisibility Technique—he vanished.
The enraged Poison Fire Toad hopped over, unleashing its poisonous flames at full power.
A black-and-red ring of fire expanded from its center, reducing everything in its path to ashes. It sought to force Wang Yu out with area attacks.
This move affected nearly ten *li* in all directions.
—*Found you!*
Concealment techniques weren't invincible. Wang Yu was confident in evading the toad's perception, but area attacks forced him to defend. The leakage of ice-cold aura naturally revealed his position.
A pink, poison-smoke-wreathed tongue shot towards him in the blink of an eye. Wang Yu swung his right hand, the inferior-grade magical treasure Ghost Wail Flute appearing in his grasp.
Spinning once mid-flight, five or six Wailing Heart-Severing Blades shot forth.
The Poison Fire Toad's tongue, a feeding instinct, was not only incredibly fast but also possessed astonishing toughness. The Wailing Heart-Severing Blades couldn't sever it.
**(End of Chapter)**