Chapter 181
Chen Huai'an furrowed his brow, not because the jade ring might be worthless, but because there was a string of indistinct numbers inscribed on it—137.
“Isn’t that the same number found on the Soul-Settling Nail of the Corpse King, Emperor Jiang?”
To confirm his memory, Chen Huai'an took out Emperor Jiang's Soul-Settling Nail and compared it with the jade ring. The numbers 137 on both items were nearly identical. If they were inscribed by hand, it had to be the work of the same person.
“Interesting.”
He ran his fingers over the jade ring, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Initially, he thought the number on Emperor Jiang's nail represented the 137th Soul-Settling Nail, but now he could almost dismiss that theory. The jade ring of the Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva didn’t need to be mass-produced like the Soul-Settling Nails; it was merely an ornament—so this string of numbers must represent some kind of serial number.
He leaned towards the idea that 137 referred to the 137th Corpse King, Emperor Jiang, and the 137th Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva.
But that raised another question.
If the Corpse King, Emperor Jiang, and the Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva he had killed were both 137, what about the others?
How many more Emperor Jiangs and Bone Porcelain Bodhisattvas were there in this world?
Would they appear again?
And… who was the one assigning these numbers to Emperor Jiang and the Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva?
What purpose did he or she have in numbering these malevolent beings?
Regardless, anyone capable of this was undoubtedly a formidable force.
At this point, killing the 137th Emperor Jiang and Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva might very well attract their attention.
That didn’t seem like a good thing…
“I’d better not hope that the person behind this has any good intentions. Judging by their release of Emperor Jiang and the Bone Porcelain Bodhisattva, there’s a 99% chance they’re an enemy, and my current strength is definitely no match for them… If I want to avoid living in fear, I need to work hard to improve my abilities!”
Currently, cultivating spiritual energy would only exacerbate the revival of the cancerous dragon, so he was torn every day about whether to practice.
Now that he had the Tianmo Gong (Heavenly Demon Technique), he could temporarily focus on body refinement.
Body refinement required a lot of resources, especially in the early stages, where a large number of pills were needed to enhance one’s physique.
This was originally a difficult problem to solve, but with the backing of the Sword Pavilion and the ability to trade with the Pill Sect and Lingxi Valley, he could quickly acquire all the resources he needed for body cultivation. For instance, many of the pills refined by the Sword Pavilion disciples were suitable for body refinement.
In addition, he had another idea.
Since the Tianmo Gong could refine malevolent beings, could it also have an effect on the cancerous dragon?
He pressed the bell beside his hospital bed, and a nurse quickly walked in.
“Governor Chen, do you need to use the restroom? I-I can help you… If it’s inconvenient, I can assist you…”
Chen Huai'an: “…”
He silently gazed at the nurse, whose cheeks were flushed.
To be honest, sometimes being too handsome wasn’t a good thing, especially for someone like him, a righteous figure.
“I need to go to the training room. Arrange it for me!” He swiftly snatched the shoes from the nurse’s hands, putting them on and standing up.
The nurse tucked a stray hair behind her ear, pouting slightly. “Then, please follow me… You’re the patient; next time, just let me help you put on your shoes…”
“I have epilepsy; I’m afraid I might kick you to death.”
Chen Huai'an kept his gaze forward, his expression darkening.
This was a medical facility affiliated with the Demon-Slaying Division in J Province, specifically serving demon slayers, and it had several training rooms for rehabilitation.
As soon as Chen Huai'an closed the frosted glass door of the training room and settled onto the mat, a cacophony of voices erupted outside. He looked up and was momentarily blinded—nurses had crowded around, nearly surrounding the entire training room.
“Demoness, damn it, they’re all demonesses!”
Chen Huai'an shut his eyes, took out a cleansing pill, and swallowed it while simultaneously channeling the Tianmo Gong.
His mind gradually calmed as he sought out the hiding place of the cancerous cells.
He didn’t know how many cleansing pills an ordinary cultivator would consume in one go; he just assumed that the more one took, the stronger the enhancement.
A powerful force began to surge through his limbs, perfectly aligning with the principles of the Tianmo Gong, accelerating its operation.
This intense pain was not something an ordinary person could endure.
But Chen Huai'an had long suffered from cancer; he had endured all kinds of pain, so this was nothing to him.
A scorching mist of blood began to rise around him, and soon the nurses outside could see nothing.
“Who is this handsome guy? The training is making such a ruckus?”
“It’s Governor Chen Huai'an from C Province~ This is the kind of demonic aura I love; he’s so cool~”
“Huh? Isn’t C Province still without a new governor?”
“So what? They only recognize our baby Chen Huai'an~”
…
Chen Huai'an was unaware that he had already gained a horde of admirers.
At this moment, he was using his blood and bones as a chessboard, with his meridians and acupoints as the lines, playing a game against the cancerous dragon that lurked beneath the Thunder Spirit Root.
The chessboard suppressed the weakened dragon energy, while the cancerous cells greedily clung to it, feasting on the dragon energy.
“Little one, why must you go against me?
I’m also a part of your body; strengthening me is strengthening you~”
The phantom of the dragon floated before Chen Huai'an, twisting its body and letting out a sinister laugh.
It spoke sweetly, but its eyes were filled with malice and resentment.
Ever since a batch of cancer cells under Chen Huai'an's control appeared in his body, coupled with his near cessation of spiritual cultivation, the dragon had been suffering terribly, suppressed in a corner of the Thunder Spirit Root by those active cancer cells singing “Sweet, Sweet.”
“I am the true master of this body, while you are merely a wild dog that seeks to usurp its master. Sooner or later, I will stew you into dog meat.” Chen Huai'an raised his hand to make a move.
Smack—!
The active cancer cells infused with demonic energy transformed into a blood wolf, charging across the chessboard.
The active cancer cells provided by the bearded man were no match for the demonized cancer cells, which could only be piled up in numbers.
Now, with Chen Huai'an's intervention, the situation began to change.
The blood wolf not only devoured the demonized cancer cells but also the active cancer cells, gradually growing into a massive creature.
The dragon, unwilling to back down, frequently made moves on the chessboard, its black pieces coalescing into a dragon of demonic energy, battling fiercely with the blood wolf, neither side willing to yield.
“It’s useless; this kind of struggle will only lead to mutual destruction.
Your spiritual energy will be completely consumed by both sides of the cancer cells, and your meridians will be damaged, your foundation weakened!”
As the spiritual energy dwindled, the dragon's black pieces became fewer and fewer.
It looked up at Chen Huai'an.
Initially thinking that Chen Huai'an was also at the end of his rope, it was shocked to see Chen Huai'an wave his hand.
With a flurry of blood-red pieces falling onto the chessboard, the blood wolf grew even larger, spewing flames, sprouting wings, and two tumors bulging from its neck, which quickly transformed into two new heads, exuding an overwhelming presence. The demonic energy filled the entire chessboard, creating a hellish atmosphere.
“How come you don’t need spiritual energy?”
The dragon stared at Chen Huai'an, whose body was covered in demonic patterns, astonished.
“Wild dog! Hehehe…”
Chen Huai'an sat cross-legged before the chessboard, one hand propping up his chin and the other pressing down on the board, grinning with a mouthful of sharp teeth.
“I am a demon; who needs spiritual energy!”
…
…
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Chapter 196: A Strong Hand (Quietly Reading Machine +1)
The game between Chen Huai'an and the dragon continued for three days.
He remained in the training room without food or drink for three days.
During this time, his spiritual energy was depleted, and the demonic energy surged, reducing the dragon’s massive form to just its head.
It wasn’t that Chen Huai'an was being merciful; the dragon had been preparing to self-destruct with the dragon energy it controlled.
“Kid, don’t push me too hard! Right now, the dragon energy is under my control. If I detonate it, your body will be torn to shreds!”
“Are you threatening me?”
Chen Huai'an stepped on the dragon’s head, leaning down to lightly pat its face with his demonic claws.
“Thanks to your demonized cancer cells, I’ve advanced to the third level of the first volume of the Tianmo Gong. My physical body has already become demonic; even if your dragon energy explodes, it won’t harm me. From today on, for every demonized cancer cell you split, I’ll devour one. If you don’t split, you’ll get beaten! I will ensure you never attain rebirth! Hehehe!”
He gazed into Chen Huai'an's eyes, filled with ferocity.
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