Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

His movements were light and swift, almost without making a sound, and he even compressed his true energy fluctuations to a minimum. He activated the "Discerning Technique" at full power, avoiding areas that might cause energy disturbances and the Sand Shadow Scorpion's perception range in advance.

In a few leaps, he had quietly slipped into the circle of stone pillars, hiding behind a huge stone beam half-buried in the sand, about thirty feet away from the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect, and less than ten feet away from the half-collapsed black altar.

The altar was constructed of a black material that was neither gold nor stone, its surface covered with dense, dizzying, twisted contract runes, most of which were worn or broken. At the center of the altar was a sunken pool, its bottom dried up, leaving behind dark red stains that exuded a strong stench of blood and resentment. Scattered around the pool were fragments of broken black jade slips and the remains of earthenware bowls, matching the scene recorded in the gray jade slip within his sea of ​​consciousness.

But what is most striking is that behind the altar, right next to the rock wall, there is a tightly closed bronze door covered in rust! From the cracks in the door, an increasingly refined and dangerous aura of the Netherworld Contract and the power of curses seeped out!
Is the true core behind that door? Is the ancient cultivator's corpse, pierced by black chains, seen in the gray jade slip, behind that door?

Fu Shaoping's heart skipped a beat. He noticed that the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were also staring intently at the bronze gate, their eyes filled with greed and fear.

"Senior brother, is the real treasure trove of Youmingzi behind the door?" a Qi Refining level nine disciple asked, panting.

“It should be right!” The disciple at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining had burning eyes. “According to the scattered records found in the sect and the guidance of that ‘Contract-Guiding Plate,’ after Youmingzi betrayed the Xuanqi Sect, he established a secret cave here to study forbidden contracts. The core inheritance of the ‘Netherworld Contract Book’ is very likely behind the door! However… the power of this curse is too strong, and there are also these monsters derived from the contract of protection. They are not easy to deal with.”

"If we join forces, along with the 'Evil-Breaking Nail' bestowed by our master, can we forcibly break through the restrictions on the door?" another disciple asked.

"Give it a try! We need to be quick. We're not in good shape, and we can't stay here any longer. The black storm might come at any time!" The Qi Refining Grand Perfection disciple gritted his teeth and took out a three-inch-long, jet-black bone nail with its head engraved with evil-repelling runes from his bosom. It was a second-tier magic weapon specifically designed to break through evil curses and restrictions!

Just as the three were about to make their move, from the shadows behind the stone beam where Fu Shaoping was hiding, the black iron plate in his sea of ​​consciousness suddenly emitted an unprecedented burning sensation! At the same time, the broken contract runes on the altar seemed to be stimulated by something, and they all flickered! The ghostly aura seeping from the cracks in the bronze gate suddenly intensified!

"Not good! Something's about to come out!" The expression of the Qi Refining Grand Perfection disciple of the Crimson Flame Sect changed drastically.

Boom!

The bronze gate did not open, but the sand in front of it suddenly exploded! A giant python, as thick as a bucket and entirely formed from black sand and cursed runes, charged out, its scarlet vertical pupils locking onto the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect. Its aura had clearly reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment!
This is not a real demonic beast, but a "contract evil spirit" that has been nurtured over many years by the combination of the dense curse contract power and the aura of the underworld here! As soon as it appeared, the sand shadow scorpions on the periphery immediately lowered their bodies and let out awe-inspiring hisses.

"A Foundation Establishment stage evil spirit!" The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect turned ashen-faced.

The contracted evil spirit python opened its mouth wide, and a jet-black breath, filled with a dense aura of death and curse, sprayed towards the three of them like a waterfall!
The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect were terrified and desperately activated all their defensive measures, causing the battle formation to shine at its brightest. The Qi Refining Grand Perfection disciple even hurled the "Evil-Breaking Nail" with all his might, aiming it straight for the head of the evil spirit python!

The Demon-Slaying Nail collided with the black breath, unleashing a piercing hissing sound as the dark light and black energy clashed and eroded each other. The Demon-Slaying Nail, as expected of an object specifically designed to subdue evil spirits, actually pierced through part of the breath and embedded itself in the giant python's forehead!
The giant python let out a painful roar, black energy surging on its forehead, the curse runes flickering erratically, and its aura momentarily halted. The Demon-Slaying Nail also dimmed, its light shattered by the python's head-flicking motion.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the three members of the Crimson Flame Sect withstood the weakened aftershocks of the breath attack, but they were still shaken so badly that their blood and qi surged and their protective spiritual light shattered.

"Run!" The Qi Refining Perfection disciple made a decisive decision, no longer caring about the treasure, and turned to rush out of the stone pillar circle! The other two hurriedly followed.

The contracted evil spirit python, wounded by the Demon-Slaying Nail, became extremely ferocious. With a twist of its massive body, it gave chase, moving at lightning speed!

The three members of the Crimson Flame Sect fled for their lives, rushing out of the stone pillar circle one after the other with the giant python, disappearing into the stone forest not far away, leaving only the violent energy collisions and roars gradually fading into the distance.

Silence returned to the area around the altar for the time being. Only the Sand Shadow Scorpions remained, lingering outside the circle of stone pillars, warily watching the direction of the altar, but daring not to enter.

Fu Shaoping slowly emerged from behind the stone beam, his heart still pounding. The scene just now was too dangerous; a Foundation Establishment stage contracted evil spirit was far beyond his current ability to contend with.

He looked at the tightly closed bronze door, then at the broken jade slips and pottery bowls scattered on the altar, and the remaining contract runes around them.

The Crimson Flame Sect has been lured away by the evil spirit and should not return anytime soon; their fate is likely grim. The Sand Shadow Scorpions on the outer perimeter are wary of the altar area. This seems to be… a brief window of opportunity?
Beyond the bronze gate lie unknown dangers, perhaps even greater horrors. But do these remnants on the altar, and those contract runes that haven't completely vanished, contain fragments of a legacy he can absorb and comprehend?
Fu Shaoping took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes. He carefully avoided the blood pool in the center of the altar and approached the scattered fragments of black jade slips and the remains of pottery bowls.

Activating the "Contract Identification Technique" and the inheritance of the "Netherworld Contract Book," he carefully sensed these fragments. Most of their spirituality had been lost, leaving only some chaotic contractual intent and curse aura, of little value. However, on a few slightly larger jade slip fragments, he sensed relatively complete pieces of knowledge about "the grafting and transfer of cursed contracts" and "the leverage principle of contracts involving soul power sacrifice." Although incomplete, these fragments further supplemented his understanding of the malevolent contracts in the "Netherworld Contract Book."

More importantly, as he approached the stone pillars at the edge of the altar, which were engraved with relatively complete runes, the black iron plate in his sea of ​​consciousness became scorching hot again. The runes on those stone pillars actually echoed the "military oath" on the iron plate in some way!

He placed his hand on the stone pillar, slowly channeling his soul power into it. One by one, the dim runes on the pillar lit up, and fragments of an ancient battlefield—solemn, tragic, and filled with iron-blooded oaths—rushed into his mind! This time, he saw more details: the Xuanqi Sect's warriors, using their own essence and soul power as a guide, forged "Life and Death Pacts" and "Battle Power Resonance Pacts" before battle. During combat, their auras were linked, their offense and defense unified, multiplying their power! But he also saw those who broke their oaths, suffering the backlash of the contracts, their souls and spirits annihilated… The methods of using these "military oaths" were far more expansive and systematic than the personal contracts in the *Netherworld Contract Book*, involving the unification of collective will and the transmission of power!

"Is this the true foundation of the Xuanqi Sect's warfare capabilities?" Fu Shaoping was shocked, greedily memorizing and analyzing these precious rune structures and fragments of intent. This knowledge might not directly improve his cultivation, but it greatly broadened his understanding of the Great Dao of Contracts. In the future, if he had the opportunity to establish a power or fight alongside others, it would have endless uses.

Just as he was immersed in his enlightenment, another unexpected event occurred!
Suddenly, the bronze door began to vibrate with a "humming" sound! The ghostly energy seeping from the cracks in the door suddenly became violent, and a will that was deeper and more ancient than the contracted evil spirit serpent, filled with endless resentment and unwillingness, surged out from behind the door like a tide!
The contract runes throughout the entire altar area flickered wildly, their light fading unpredictably! The sand shadow scorpions that had been lingering outside, as if encountering their natural enemy, let out terrified screams and instantly burrowed into the sand, disappearing without a trace!
Fu Shaoping looked up in horror and saw that the rust on the bronze door had peeled away, revealing a blurry, distorted human face. The face seemed to be "looking" at him through the door, its eyes filled with madness, greed, and... a strange desire.

"Blood...Soul...Pact...Successor...Enter...Complete...the ritual..."

The intermittent, hoarse whispers, seemingly echoing directly in the depths of the soul, were filled with both allure and unease!

Is it the remnant will of Youmingzi? Or something far more terrifying sealed behind the door?

Fu Shaoping was horrified and retreated without hesitation! At the same time, he added the protective intent of the part of the "Military Oath" he had just comprehended to his body, mixed with his own soul power, to form a thin but tough mental barrier to resist the erosion of that invisible will.

Without looking back, he rushed out of the stone pillar circle, accelerating to the maximum speed, and sped back the way he came! Behind him, the tremors of the bronze gate and the terrifying whispers gradually weakened and eventually disappeared, as if they had never existed. Only the dense aura of the underworld still lingered in the altar area.

Fu Shaoping ran for dozens of miles in one breath, until he could no longer feel that heart-pounding will, before he dared to stop and catch his breath. His back was soaked with cold sweat.

"What's behind that door is definitely beyond my current reach," he said, still shaken. This exploration had yielded far more than expected: it completed a portion of the Netherworld Treatise's legacy, provided valuable fragments of "Military Oath Treatise" knowledge, and gave him a preliminary understanding of the ancient Xuanqi Sect's war system.

As for the secrets behind the bronze door, perhaps he will only be qualified to explore them after he has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, or even a higher realm.

He checked his bearings and decided to leave the Black Wind Desert immediately. The Crimson Flame Sect members might not all be dead; it was not safe to stay here any longer.

He had come cautiously, but his heart was set on returning home. Fu Shaoping traveled swiftly, avoiding dangerous areas, and after several days, he finally left the outer perimeter of the Black Wind Gobi Desert.

Looking back, that dim, yellowish world remained mysterious and dangerous. But Fu Shaoping knew he would return. When his strength was sufficient, he would come back to uncover the secrets behind that bronze gate, to explore the truth behind the destruction of the ancient Xuanqi Sect, and to discover the true pinnacle of the Great Dao of Contracts.

Right now, he needs to find a safe place to process what he has gained, break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, and continue to accumulate strength for the Foundation Establishment realm, which is both unattainable and necessary to strive for.

His steps will not falter. The journey is long, but guided by the contract, it will eventually lead to the other shore deep within the mist.

On the seventh day after leaving the Black Wind Gobi Desert, Fu Shaoping saw human habitation again—a small border town nestled in a small oasis. Weary from his journey, he paid a few spirit stones and checked into a simple but fairly clean inn.

After setting up the warning barrier, Fu Shaoping's first action was to check his own condition. The continuous stealth and combat in the Gobi Desert, and the final impact of that terrifying will, had left him physically and mentally exhausted. His true energy consumption was manageable, as he could replenish it with pills, but the depletion of his soul power and the shock to his mind required time to recuperate.

He swallowed a calming pill, sat cross-legged, and circulated the "Azure Profound Breathing Technique" to nourish his meridians and calm his mind. In his sea of ​​consciousness, the fragments of the "Military Oath" from the Black Wind Gobi altar, the newly completed knowledge of the "Netherworld Oath," and the terrifying will glimpsed from the bronze gate were like pebbles thrown into a lake, creating ripples that he needed to slowly sort through, absorb, and settle.

Three days later, Fu Shaoping had recovered most of his strength. He didn't rush to leave the town, but instead stayed a few more days. On the one hand, he wanted to completely eliminate any potential problems left over from his trip to the Gobi Desert; on the other hand, he also needed to replan his itinerary.

Returning to Tianque City is out of the question for now. While his victory in the Ascension Tournament brought him some attention, it also attracted scrutiny, especially from the young master of Bibo Pavilion and Jin Buhuan of Wanbaolou. More troublesome is the fact that the Crimson Flame Sect suffered losses in the Black Wind Gobi Desert. If any survivors return to report, it's hard to guarantee that people won't connect the mysterious rogue cultivator "Mo Chen" with the events in the Gobi. Returning now would greatly increase the risk.

“I need to change my identity and move to a different place,” Fu Shaoping pondered. The Zhao Kingdom has a vast territory, including not only Tianque City, but also several large cities and cultivation markets, as well as the spheres of influence of many small and medium-sized sects and families.

His gaze fell upon the jade map, specifically on a region in the southeastern part of the Zhao Kingdom called the "Qingyue Mountains." There, spiritual energy was abundant, and various spiritual herbs and ores were plentiful. Scattered throughout the mountains were numerous cultivation families and small sects, as well as several markets established by alliances of independent cultivators or merchant guilds. The area was a melting pot of diverse individuals, relatively loosely managed—ideal for concealing one's identity and seeking opportunities. Moreover, it was said that some ancient cultivation ruins lay deep within the Qingyue Mountains, where clues related to the contract might be found.

More importantly, a medium-sized auction seems to be about to be held in Liuyunjian Market, not far from Qingyue Mountain Range. At the auction, Foundation Establishment Pills or their substitutes sometimes appear, as well as rare items that aid in Foundation Establishment. This is an opportunity he cannot afford to miss.

Having set his goal, Fu Shaoping no longer hesitated. He bought some dry food and water in the town, and disguised himself to resemble an ordinary, down-on-his-luck rogue cultivator who had been away from home for many years. He deliberately left some traces of hardship on his face, suppressing his originally overly calm demeanor and adding a touch of the slickness and caution of a street-smart rogue cultivator. (End of Chapter)