The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World
Chapter 400: Cultivation Is Never Smooth Sailing

However, before Pei Yuankui could take out his communication jade, another series of deafening rumblings echoed from not far away. It was clear that yet another area had fallen victim to the Netherfire King's attack.

Pei Yuankui's face shifted slightly. "Old Eight, take two Golden Core cultivators and hold the line here. Don't slack off. I'll go investigate elsewhere."

"Big Brother, go ahead! You can leave this to me!" Chu Xuan patted his chest, wearing a confident expression, fully assured of his plan.

Without suspecting anything, Pei Yuankui nodded and swiftly departed.

"The Netherfire King really has a temper, doesn't it? But its reckless assault is actually working in my favor."

Chu Xuan listened to the booming sounds from the distance, a smirk creeping onto his face as he felt increasingly at ease.

...

True Master Yin's expression grew stormy as he listened to Pei Yuankui's report. The Netherfire King had always been dormant—why had it suddenly gone berserk? And why hadn't Chu Xuan come out after five days in the Netherfire Valley?

Pei Yuankui spoke in a low voice. "True Master, do you think Chu Xuan might have already died in the valley?"

True Master Yin's face darkened further. If Chu Xuan were dead, how would he complete Jin Yao Zu's task?

Jin Yao Zu had promised him additional treasures—if he succeeded, his Innate Spirit Weapon would rise to a new level. He absolutely couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. He certainly didn't want to bring the Nine Yin Island bandit cultivators all this way for nothing. Not only would it be a wasted trip, but they'd also lose a significant amount of spirit stones in the process.

True Master Yin's voice turned cold. "I'll go in personally and investigate. If Chu Xuan is really dead... isn't the Heavenly Infinite Sect supposed to have two Nascent Soul mid-stage cultivators? The cultivators from the Starshatter Sea would surely offer a good price to acquire them. And then there's Yun Lan and the others. If we didn't catch Chu Xuan, they have their own responsibility. Let them cough up something to make up for it and avoid trouble!"

Pei Yuankui immediately understood True Master Yin's meaning, nodding vigorously. "Understood, Master. I'll take care of it immediately."

With that, True Master Yin soared into the air and stepped into the Netherfire Valley.

"Roar!"

The moment the aura of a Deity Transformation cultivator entered the valley, an angry roar echoed throughout the area. It was as if the beast within was trying to issue a warning.

True Master Yin sneered coldly. "Just a beast that dominates its domain. How dare it threaten me? I'm only here to search for Chu Xuan. If you persist in this foolishness, I'll destroy you as well!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, there was a series of crashing sounds as rocks in the deep valley shattered. And then, a terrifying, towering beast—over ten zhang tall—came into True Master Yin's view.

Netherfire spewed from its body, giving it the appearance of a hellfire god. True Master Yin's brow twitched uncontrollably. From the Netherfire King, he felt an incredibly fierce and enraged aura.

Clearly, this beast was still seething with anger and wanted to vent its wrath on him.

"I'm only here to find the whereabouts of a Nascent Soul cultivator. You don't need to—"

Before True Master Yin could finish his words, the Netherfire King raised its massive claw and swung it down fiercely.

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Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flames erupted, forcing True Master Yin to defend himself.

"Damned beast, can't you understand human speech?!" True Master Yin roared.

The Netherfire King, upon hearing these words, grew even angrier. It immediately unleashed its most potent flame, honed over years of cultivation. The flames blazed red and black, as though capable of reducing the world to ashes.

True Master Yin was momentarily stunned, his soul nearly leaving his body from the shock. He hastily retreated. But a swarm of Netherfire Souls, summoned by the king, surged from every direction, overwhelming him.

"Damned! This is bad!"

True Master Yin, unable to retreat any further, was left with no choice but to use his trump card to stand toe-to-toe with the Netherfire King.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The valley shook as continuous earth-shattering roars resounded throughout.

Meanwhile, Chu Xuan, sitting with one leg crossed over the other under a tree, listened to the booming sounds with a sense of satisfaction. He could easily guess what had happened—the Deity Transformation cultivator, True Master Yin, must have entered the valley, searching for his whereabouts, only to clash with the Netherfire King.

Although Chu Xuan didn't know True Master Yin's true cultivation level, he could surmise that he was likely only at the first or second stage of Deity Transformation. At such a level, it was impossible to confront the Netherfire King head-on and emerge victorious. If his luck was worse, he might even perish in this valley.

"You'd better not die. How could I take my revenge if you die?"

A cold smile played across Chu Xuan's lips as he began plotting how to kill off these bandit cultivators one by one. Not long after, he saw a figure flying out of the valley. The person appeared somewhat disheveled.

A moment later, the sound of Pei Yuankui's voice echoed through his communication jade.

"Everyone, return to the rendezvous point. We'll prepare to head back to the Starshatter Sea."

After a moment, Chu Xuan boarded the bandit cultivators' floating ship.

As the Eight Leader of Nine Yin Island, he naturally possessed his own ship. His ship was named Flowing Wind. This ship had passed through several hands in Starshatter Sea, from various markets and wandering cultivators, until it eventually ended up with Chen Jin.

Liufeng Hao's offense and defense were unremarkable, but its speed was unparalleled, capable of traveling 36 million miles per day.

Chen Jin's subordinates numbered around ten, with cultivators at both Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages. Once aboard, Chu Xuan immediately shouted, "Bring me the wine!"

Chen Jin loved fine wine above all else, never satisfied without it. There was a special chamber on the ship dedicated to storing the wines they had plundered from various places. The storage bags also held many prized brews. After every major battle, drinking was a ritual.

Although Chu Xuan had no intention of maintaining this identity for long, since he had now assumed Chen Jin's persona, he would inherit all his habits, and drinking wine was certainly a part of that.

No sooner had he spoken than two Foundation Establishment bandit cultivators struggled to bring in a large jar of wine. This particular wine, called Sunken Water Brew, was exceptionally heavy and potent, having been brewed through a unique method. It was Chen Jin's favorite drink.

As Chu Xuan drank deeply from the jar, his gaze remained constantly vigilant, scanning the ground. Yun Lan and the other Heaven Shaking Divine Sect cultivators watched from the side, doing nothing to stop the Nine Yin Island cultivators from leaving.

Regardless of whether they had an agreement with the bandit cultivators, they had no intention of blocking them. After all, Nine Yin Island had a Deity Transformation cultivator like True Master Yin standing guard.

Meanwhile, the Blood Wine True Master from Heaven Shaking Divine Sect had been embroiled in a fight with the Blazing Fire True Master from Red Flame Pavilion, and it seemed neither of them had any intention of returning. The Golden Core cultivators of the Heavenly Infinite Sect were all under Shi Juntian's command.

Chu Xuan scanned the area but could not spot Shang Xingchen or Wei Ji.

"Looks like Shi Juntian has joined forces with Yun Lan and the others. Where are Shang Xingchen and Wei Ji? Have they been silenced?"

Chu Xuan pondered thoughtfully. Wei Ji, being weaker and not particularly bright, it was believable that he had been silenced. But Shang Xingchen? There was no way he'd be taken out so easily. That guy probably already realized something was off with Yun Lan and the others. The question was, where was he now?

But Chu Xuan didn't truly care. He and Shang Xingchen had always been in a mutually exploitative relationship. If Chu Xuan showed any signs of weakness, Shang Xingchen would not hesitate to kill him and take the spoils. The reverse was also true.

"Such a pity. Once we leave for Starshatter Sea, all the contributions made to Heaven Shaking Divine Sect will no longer count. Everything will have to start from scratch. However, Starshatter Sea is home to countless demon cultivators and traitorous sect members. Its unique environment also yields many treasures. It may well be the perfect place for me."

Chu Xuan smiled faintly, not showing any signs of self-pity or despair over his situation. Instead, he was filled with eager anticipation. After all, wasn't cultivation filled with ups and downs? The occasional storm and turbulent waves were only to be expected.