This is no joke. He had come with a longing for Demonic Qi, and as for whether there is any difference between the Demonic Qi among different people, he couldn't be absolutely sure. After all, he had only tried the Demonic Qi from Feng Chi and his understanding of Demonic Qi was quite superficial. However, based on normal reasoning, there shouldn't be any problem.

To be certain, one still had to try it out for oneself.

Sun Shigang, however, thought of another issue, "On what basis do you claim that I am a person of the Demon Path?"

Shi Chun, "Alright, you are not a person of the Demon Path. I misunderstood. Hurry up, let out some Demonic Qi for a try."

Wu Jinliang split his mouth into a wide grin, liking how the Master sometimes seemed very reasonable and understanding.

Sun Shigang was speechless and could only stubbornly say, "I am not a person of the Demon Path, where would I get Demonic Qi for you?"

Shi Chun pointed at him and said, "I'll say this one last time, either you give me Demonic Qi now or I'll go ask Xiang Laner for it. Choose one, and choose now."

How was he to choose? Sun Shigang felt quite helpless, having never encountered such a situation before. He had heard of robbing for money or beauty but never for Demonic Qi. He wanted to be defiant, but since the other party didn't even ask sensitive questions, was there any need for defiance? The context is key, and after all, giving some Demonic Qi wouldn't cause him any loss.

It was completely unnecessary to be tortured and possibly killed over something so trivial.

But giving up Demonic Qi to observe the situation counts as testing the other party's bottom line.

All he could do was take a step back, "How do I know you won't go back on your word after?"

Shi Chun, "If you don't trust me, even if I promise you, you still wouldn't believe me. Basically, if you are willing to help me, I will abide by the Three Veins Alliance. If you do not wish for mutual aid, then we are not fellows on the same path. It's that simple. Choose now, to give or not to give?"

"Ah," Sun Shigang sighed and then angrily said, "You broke my limbs and bones the moment you took action."

Shi Chun, "This isn't a big deal in the Cultivation World, as long as the person is still alive, they will recover. By the looks of it, you don't want to give, right?" While speaking, he flipped his hand and took out a third-grade immobilization charm, ready to immobilize and act against the other party.

He didn't dare to get close and touch the iron chains directly, since with the other's cultivation, using the iron chain as a medium could shock him to death or severely injure him even if it didn't kill him.

Why did he purposely hang the person midair, you ask? It was because he had seen the scene where Feng Chi injured Cen Futong. Using the ground to exert force could injure someone. Hanging a person up and having iron chains, stone beams, and cave walls made it much more difficult to be hurt indirectly.

Seeing the other party produce another immobilization charm, Sun Shigang cursed inwardly, but in fact, he was the fish on the chopping block, forced to face reality.

Aside from the fact that the other party hadn't done anything to cross his bottom line, he had no choice but to quietly start his cultivation and perform his techniques.

Soon enough, a faint black mist began to emanate from the iron chains resembling a tower, gradually becoming thicker.

Watching the black mist envelop him, the moment it touched his skin, Shi Chun felt a sensation of joy and cheer inside his body as his own cultivation technique spontaneously began to absorb it. He closed his eyes, inhaled a deep breath of Demonic Qi, and revealed an utterly enraptured expression.

Sun Shigang glanced through the mist and cursed inwardly, certain that he was indeed a practitioner of the Demon Path.

Seeing Shi Chun enjoying himself, Wu Jinliang became curious. He too, flared his nostrils and tried to inhale a tiny bit of it.

But that tiny bit nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets. He opened his mouth and kept clicking, like a fish bone stuck in his throat. From trachea to lung, it felt as if scalding lava had been poured in, burning him breathless, he immediately choked.

Tears and snot spilled out, his eyes bloodshot with intense irritation.

Not daring to remain in the mist any longer, he grabbed his own neck and stumbled away. Just as he leaned against the wall to exit the inner room, his legs gave out, and he kneeled on the ground, quickly casting a spell to drive out the painful sensation inside him.

Others, upon seeing Demonic Qi, would cast spells to hold their breath and avoid letting the Demonic Qi invade their bodies, yet he, contrarily, actively drew it into his own lungs – wasn't this seeking trouble?

Looking back and seeing the mist surging out, he struggled towards the cave entrance. He then felt his body lighten as someone lifted him up, no need to guess who it was.

It was already broad daylight outside, and he was thrown to the ground, next to him his great saber landed, followed by a palm pressing against his chest. A warm energy penetrated his lungs, directly absorbing the tormenting Demonic Qi.

Immediately relieved, Wu Jinliang lay there, gasping for air.

Shi Chun, squatting beside him, also looked at his own palm, an idea forming in his mind – if he could extract the Demonic Qi from Wu Jinliang's body, could he do the same with Sun Shigang's?

As Wu Jinliang got his breath back, he groaned like a dying dog, "I say, Chun Tian, how can you stand to absorb such an agonizing substance into your body? And enjoy it like damned heaven, you've screwed me over."

Shi Chun gave a wry smile, from Wu Jinliang's reaction, he understood why Feng Chi had immediately identified him as a person of the Demon Path.

This didn't need an explanation. He instructed, "Once I've gone in, you bury the entrance a bit, just leave some air holes. Don't let the Demonic Qi leak out and be detected by anyone. Keep those four people alive for now, don't kill them yet. You'd better dig yourself a hole to stay in as well."

Wu Jinliang tugged at his sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Are you really poisoned?"

Shi Chun replied quietly, "I need to cultivate Demon Skill, Demonic Qi is beneficial for my cultivation."

Wu Jinliang stared, agape and said, "No wonder you insisted on finding excuses to capture Sun Shigang, was it necessary to beat around the bush, couldn't you just say it directly?"

Shi Chun apologized, "What can I say? The Demon Skill taught by Uncle Ba, is that not enough?"

Wu Jinliang's mouth twitched in pain, "No wonder none of us could learn it, turns out we're too inherently pure. Naturally born with a demon's material, it seems. By the way, how long do you plan to stay here?"

Shi Chun, "I don't know, but it's always good to sharpen the blade, I'll leave the outside to you as my protector."

Wu Jinliang, "Alright, you concentrate on your business, I will alert you immediately if I notice anything unusual."

Shi Chun didn't say much else, checked his pills for cultivation, and after fixing up the entrance, squeezed through the small dog-sized hole.

After taking the pill, he had Sun Shigang continue to release Demonic Qi for his healing while he himself sat outside to cultivate, separated from Sun Shigang by a thick stone wall, an extra precaution just in case.

As the Demonic Qi enveloped him, Shi Chun opened up his Cultivation Technique to absorb it, the feeling of relief and pleasure was exquisite, like a fish that had been long drought-stricken returning to water.

Outside, Wu Jinliang quickly noticed Demonic Qi leaking out from the dog hole, became scared, and hurriedly rose to narrow it even further, only resting after remaking it so that no Qi could be seen.

After checking on the four individuals, he then took out a pill to meditate and recover himself first...

The day had dawned at the West Pole's meeting place, but it was evening at the royal capital of Shengshen Continent, hence the lively night at the training field once more.

After the banquet, Miao Dingyi and his family of three who were passing by decided to stop by again, at the suggestion of his wife and daughter.

Even though they knew there wasn't much to see at the beginning, Lan Qiaoyan and Miao Yilan still wanted to catch a glimpse. It was the first time they had seen Shi Chun in such a sickly state and were slightly worried.

Miao Dingyi, rarely able to be with his wife and daughter, did not go against their wishes, taking the opportunity to spend as much time with them and to be compliant during their holiday.

They wouldn't go to the crowded field, but instead headed towards the hilltop reserved by Young Master Nan.

The pavilions and towers were almost deserted in the evening, the nobles were not there, leaving only a solitary figure standing by the railing drinking wine, none other than Young Master Nan himself.

The family of three looked at each other, somewhat surprised. This young master was someone who always enjoyed life freely; since when had he acquired the taste for such lonely pastimes? They approached to greet him.

Young Master Nan, hearing the footsteps, turned with a strained smile, "Brother Miao, sister-in-law, you've arrived." He nodded slightly in greeting to Miao Yilan.

"What's the matter, something on your mind?" asked Miao Dingyi as he came beside him.

Young Master Nan casually said, "Nothing."

He claimed there was nothing, so Miao Dingyi didn't press any further, turning his attention to the scenes within the light screen, which mainly showed the handsome young men and beautiful women of the Su Yuan Sect, with occasional glimpses of others.

After watching for a while, a smile gradually appeared on Miao Dingyi's lips. He probably understood why the normally carefree Young Master Nan was feeling troubled here, and turned to ask, "Did you bet a lot on the Su Yuan Sect?"

Hitting the nail on the head, Young Master Nan sighed, "The rich are more rational, ten to one odds, ah. There's not much to say about those who bet big; it's the countless small-time bettors that are frightening. To be frank, Brother Miao, nearly a hundred billion from just those small bettors has been staked, and I'm afraid this time I'm going to lose so much I'll have to pawn my underwear."

Miao Dingyi hadn't expected such an enormous betting frenzy, his mouth twitched with amusement, "It won't come to that; you, Young Master Nan, are wealthy and mighty, you can handle this amount of money."

Young Master Nan scoffed, "You, Brother Miao, run the Bowan Building, you know the score. The benefits of managing this affair aren't just for me alone. The problem is, there are those who can only profit and are not supposed to take losses."

Lan Qiaoyan, looking puzzled, interjected, "Didn't Young Master Nan say earlier that for the task of finding the 'item,' martial strength alone is useless? It's only just begun, why does it feel as though you're already resigned to taking a loss?"

Miao Dingyi laughed again, nodding towards the light screen, "Plans of men oft go astray, and it's not unusual for things to turn out unexpectedly. Compared to the scenes of the Su Yuan Sect and other sects, haven't you noticed? It seems the Su Yuan Sect has gathered a lot of people, and appears to be in a commanding position. If all goes as expected, all the sects of the Xuan State are likely looking up to the Su Yuan Sect for leadership.

On the other hand, the states of other sects are different; at most, they can only muster up a small number of followers. The problem lies in the fact that few sects have the overwhelming power to dominate others, with the somewhat powerful ones unwilling to bow down, each vying to be the foremost in their state. Su Yuan Sect already has the capability to stand out on its own, and with the united effort of the Xuan State, the eventual outcome should not bear any major surprises. Even if the bet is ten to one, Brother Nan, I'm afraid you're still going to lose quite a bit, hence your melancholy here."

Young Master Nan's wry smile was sadder than tears; he gave Miao Dingyi a bow, pleading to stop talking in that manner.

So that was it, Lan Qiaoyan suddenly understood, looking at Young Master Nan with sympathy. Miao Yilan quickly estimated the amount he would lose, and she too, quietly stuck out her tongue.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.