Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2117 A Shocking Treasure
Cao Feiyu pressed her advantage relentlessly, unleashing a barrage of sword strikes like a sudden storm, each strike precisely hitting the weak points created by the demon's rampaging power.

The vengeful demon roared repeatedly, attempting to retaliate, but its attacks appeared clumsy and futile against Cao Feiyu's exquisite swordsmanship. It tried to escape, but was firmly locked in place by Cao Feiyu's sword light.

Heaven descends to vanquish evil!

With a shout from Cao Feiyu, she merged with her sword, transforming into an extremely dazzling silver lightning bolt that instantly pierced through the vengeful demon's body, which was riddled with holes due to the backlash of its power.

"what!"

A short, shrill scream rang out, and the demon's body trembled violently. Then, under the impact of the sword energy, it quickly dissolved and disintegrated, turning into a dense mass of gray-black resentment.

Cao Feiyu stood holding her sword, her sword aura slowly receding. Her beautiful face appeared even more aloof and ethereal in the afterglow of the sword light.

With a flick of her wrist, the longsword returned to its sheath with a clear ring. Turning to look at Chen Fei, who was slowly emerging from behind the broken wall, a relaxed smile appeared on her face, tinged with a hint of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection):
"That vengeful demon was truly skilled in illusion magic. He was able to simulate a fierce battle with two demonic cultivators, and even his aura was perfectly disguised. However, wouldn't it have been better if he had directly used the illusion to simulate the cultivation fluctuations of a late-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivator?"

Chen Fei stepped forward, took the essence of the vengeful demon into his palm, and sensed the fragment of his personality containing it, which leaned towards mental illusion. Hearing this, he smiled slightly and said:
"Given his level of power and mastery of illusion techniques, simulating a battle at the mid-stage of the Tai Cang Realm is already his limit. Illusion techniques are not omnipotent; the more an illusion is simulated that exceeds one's own understanding, the more flaws it reveals, and the greater the consumption of energy."

If he were to forcibly conjure up the aura and power of a late-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivator, it would appear false and hollow, making it easier for those with keen senses to detect.

As Chen Fei explained, he habitually used the spiritual sense of the Undying True Light Mirror to scan the place where the vengeful demons had disappeared, checking for any omissions or abnormalities.

This was a routine post-battle inspection; however, as Chen Fei's gaze swept over the somewhat chaotic area caused by the battle, his expression shifted slightly.

"Huh?" Chen Fei let out a soft exclamation, his brows furrowing slightly as he focused his gaze intently on the small patch of ground where the vengeful demon had finally vanished.

In his spiritual vision, besides the residual energy fluctuations, there seemed to be an extremely faint fold, as if space itself had been cleverly folded into a small piece by some force.

"Senior sister, please wait a moment."

Chen Fei signaled Cao Feiyu to be on guard, while he himself activated the Undying True Light Mirror with all his might. His eyes shone brightly, as if they could see through illusions and see the essence of things.

He walked cautiously towards that area, step by step.

Upon approaching, Chen Fei stopped and pondered for a moment. Instead of using weapons or spells, he slowly raised his right arm, his five fingers together, and a faint yet incredibly refined spiritual light emanated from the edge of his palm.

Chen Fei held his breath and focused his mind, raising his spiritual sense to the extreme. He locked onto the most subtle fluctuation node of that spatial fold, and then, using his hand as a knife, he gently slashed at the seemingly empty void in front of him.

As Chen Fei's hand swept across, there was no earth-shattering sound.

The space touched by the edge of his palm rippled like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating imperceptible ripples.

The ripples spread rapidly, and wherever they passed, the scenery began to change strangely.

The empty space, which was originally devoid of anything, was as if a semi-transparent curtain had been gently lifted, perfectly blending with the surrounding environment.

This curtain is not a physical object, but a disguise formed by a combination of sophisticated spatial illusion and restriction. If Chen Fei had not had a special spiritual sense and happened to be in a situation where the vengeful demon dissipated and the core power maintaining the disguise fluctuated, Chen Fei would have had no chance of discovering it.

After the curtain was lifted, the hidden scene behind it was revealed.

Beyond the portal lay a deep space completely filled with thick, viscous demonic energy.

This demonic energy was as black as ink, churning endlessly, and was more than ten times purer and more concentrated than the thin resentment energy permeating the air of the outer ruins.

What's even more chilling is that within this surging demonic energy, there are also wisps of eerie energy that wriggle and move like living things—the very same chaotic erosion power that appeared earlier.

However, the corrosive power here seems to be more condensed and more active.

Behind this demonic energy, the outline of a grand hall could be vaguely seen.

"This is……"

Cao Feiyu had been wary and approached Chen Fei as soon as he made his move. Now, seeing the suddenly appearing hidden entrance and the scene inside, she couldn't help but frown and show a solemn expression on her face.

Her slender hand unconsciously pressed against the hilt of the sword again. This place felt far more dangerous and ominous to her than the wandering vengeful demons outside.

Chen Fei's gaze was deep as he surveyed the hidden entrance and the churning demonic energy within.

"It seems we were all wrong. When we saw the ruins of this ancient celestial court, with its collapsed pavilions and broken walls everywhere, we thought that even if there were any treasures or resources inside, they would have long since turned to dust in the passage of time and battles. It turns out that the truly valuable things may be here."

These vengeful demons, though their minds are confused and they are dominated by resentment and corrosive power, still retain some of their obsessions from their previous lives.

They cleverly hid some well-preserved palaces and secret chambers by combining their own power with illusions or the remaining restrictions of the ruins, so that later intruders would not find them.

Even though these hidden resources are no longer of any use to these vengeful demons, and strictly speaking, they are no longer the celestial gods who once guarded this place, this protection is like a brand, deeply rooted in the depths of their chaotic consciousness.

Looking at the entrance filled with demonic energy and corrosive power, and feeling the chilling aura of decay and madness emanating from it, Cao Feiyu showed no fear.

Instead of acting rashly, she naturally turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on Chen Fei beside her. Her clear eyes held a clear questioning intent as she softly said, "This place is strange, and the situation inside is unknown. Directly entering might be dangerous. Perhaps I should first use my true essence to condense an avatar and go in to investigate the truth?"

She asked the question very naturally, in a calm tone, without any sense that it would be strange for someone in the mid-stage of the Tai Cang Realm to ask someone in the early stage of the Tai Cang Realm a question.

From Chen Fei's ability to see through illusions to his ability to see through the flaws of a vengeful demon with the power of the late-stage Tai Cang Realm, Cao Feiyu knew that she had to listen to Chen Fei when acting within the ruins.

Moreover, the palace behind that barrier was right next to them, yet Cao Feiyu couldn't sense it. On the contrary, Chen Fei noticed something was wrong. Their perception within this ruin was on completely different levels.

Under these circumstances, Cao Feiyu would be even less likely to act on her own initiative.

Faced with Cao Feiyu's suggestion, Chen Fei did not answer immediately. Instead, he stared intently at the surging demonic energy and the dark red corrosive power, his eyes gleaming.

After a couple of breaths, Chen Fei slowly shook his head and said, "Senior Sister, although the method of transformation is wonderful, it is ultimately connected to the original body's soul. The demonic energy inside is sinister, and the corrosive power is strange. No one knows whether it contains direct pollution or even methods to trace the soul."

Chen Fei paused slightly, then continued, "In my opinion, it would be better to use puppets instead. Puppets have no soul or spirit, so they are not afraid of being eroded by the divine soul. Even if they are damaged, at most we will lose some materials and the mental energy we had when they were made."

After saying that, Chen Fei casually waved his hand, and a faint spiritual light flashed, and a piece of ore with a metallic luster and faint spiritual fluctuations appeared in his palm.

This is a piece of fifteenth-grade gilded spirit iron, which is hard and is one of the commonly used spiritual materials for crafting puppets.

Chen Fei raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together, a soft, pale silver light emanating from the tips. He gently pointed at the piece of gilded spirit-infused iron.

"Om..."

The spiritual material trembled slightly and emitted a barely audible chirp.

Immediately afterward, under Cao Feiyu's slightly astonished gaze, the originally irregularly shaped metal ore seemed to suddenly come to life, and began to deform and reshape at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The overall shape of the ore rapidly elongates and differentiates; the outlines of the head, torso, and limbs take shape in the blink of an eye, followed by more detailed joint structures and even the blurred outline of the face...

The whole process was so smooth and fast that it was dazzling. In less than a breath, a metal puppet about five feet tall stood lifelike in front of Chen Fei.

The puppet's eyes gleamed faintly as it silently awaited Chen Fei's instructions.

For Chen Fei, who had cultivated the "Creation Chapter of the Heavenly Craftsmanship" to the Great Perfection, forging such a simple fifteenth-order puppet was as easy as eating and drinking, something he could do effortlessly.

No special forging table, furnace, or other tools are needed. With just a thought and using one's own true essence as a guide, one can instantly shape the image in one's mind.

If it weren't for the corrosive demonic energy inside, which required the puppet to have sufficient sturdiness and resistance, Chen Fei could even skip this fifteenth-grade spiritual material and directly mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, combining it with his own true essence and divine sense, to conjure up a similar spiritual energy puppet out of thin air.

Although she had anticipated Chen Fei's various unorthodox methods, seeing him effortlessly conjure a complete fifteenth-order puppet from thin air still made Cao Feiyu take a deep breath. Her beautiful eyes shone with undisguised amazement and admiration.

"Junior Brother Chen's puppet-forging skills... are truly astonishing!" Cao Feiyu exclaimed sincerely, her voice filled with undisguised surprise.

"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Senior Sister. It was just some clever little trick, nothing to mention." Faced with Cao Feiyu's amazement, Chen Fei simply smiled and shook his head modestly.

As Chen Fei thought this, the dark gold puppet's eyes lit up slightly, and it began to stride forward, walking step by step into the entrance where demonic energy surged.

Just as the puppet's metal body crossed the entrance boundary, the thick, inky demonic energy that had been slowly surging instantly became extremely frenzied, rushing madly towards the puppet and enveloping it completely.

At the same time, the distorted and corrosive forces within the demonic energy seemed to be stimulated, clinging to the puppet like maggots, and began to frantically corrode and penetrate its metal body.

The pale golden aura that originally flowed across the puppet's body began to dim and flicker rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, the puppet's movements instantly became sluggish and slow, as if it were stuck in an invisible quagmire, making each step extremely difficult.

Judging from the dimming of its spiritual light, it would probably be only a few breaths before this newly crafted fifteenth-tier puppet was completely corroded and disintegrated by the terrifying demonic energy and corrosive power, turning into a pile of lifeless metal slag.

However, Chen Fei seemed to have anticipated this. With another thought, he activated a control hub that had been pre-positioned inside the puppet through a wisp of divine imprint left at the core of the puppet.

"Buzz!"

Just as the aura on the puppet's surface was about to completely extinguish, a semi-circular light shield, swirling with strange spatial ripples, suddenly appeared in the void around the puppet, enveloping it entirely.

The moment the light shield appeared, the surging demonic energy and corrosive power collided with it. However, unlike before, it did not penetrate and corrode directly. Instead, it seemed to hit a spatial barrier. Most of the power was guided and deflected, and only a small portion of the residual corrosive effect acted on the light shield itself, causing it to ripple slightly.

Protected by this strange light shield, the puppet's previously sluggish movements instantly returned to normal, and it began to cautiously walk deeper into the area.

"This is... the Void Sub-Array?" Cao Feiyu's eyes flashed with surprise again.

“Not bad.” Chen Fei nodded.

This is a Void Deflection Protective Array temporarily set up in the void nodes around the puppet using a technique from the Eternal Void Time Array Classic.

Control of the formation remained within the core runes inside the puppet, allowing it to fine-tune the formation's output based on the pressure it received.

In this way, even if there are indeed strange methods within this palace that can trace attacks through divine sense, the first thing to attack is this sub-array that exists in the void.

"I also had the puppet set up several additional barrier sub-arrays with different functions in the void node between it and me during its journey."

“Such layers of defense, mutually supporting each other. If there really is some kind of attack hidden inside that can ignore the barrier of the void, and I don’t even have time to react and disconnect from the sub-array, then it’s enough to prove that the danger here is far beyond our imagination. In that case, we’d better leave,” Chen Fei said with a smile.

As Cao Feiyu listened to Chen Fei's explanation and watched him skillfully set up one void barrier after another, a smile also appeared on her face.

She said no more, but remained alert and vigilant.

As the puppet ventured deeper into the darkness, its form was completely swallowed up by the all-consuming darkness, disappearing from Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu's sight.

Chen Fei formed a hand seal, and instantly, specks of spiritual light gathered in the void before them, rapidly condensing into an oval-shaped water mirror. What was reflected in the water mirror was exactly what the puppet had seen.

At this moment, the dark gold golem was standing in front of a metal door covered with mottled rust and eerie dark red moss-like erosion marks.

The gate was tightly closed, and the celestial palaces, auspicious clouds, and mythical birds and beasts that were originally carved on it were now blurred and indistinct.

Upon receiving Chen Fei's instructions, the puppet did not directly use its metal arm to push open the door.

It paused briefly, raised its arms, palms facing each other, and a surge of pure Yuan energy flowed from its core, quickly condensing into Yuan energy arms in front of it.

Two Yuan Power arms were firmly pressed against the cold, heavy palace door, and the core array of the puppet was operating at full speed, striking the palace door with a loud bang.

"crunch..."

A heavy, grating sound, as if a door hinge had been rusted for millions of years, came through the water mirror, sounding particularly jarring in the silent ruins.

The palace gates were not sealed or locked, but they were too heavy and rusted by the passage of time and the power of erosion.

With the puppet pushing with all its might, the two massive metal doors slowly opened a crack inwards, and the crack continued to widen as the puppet exerted its force...

When the gap was large enough for the puppet to see inside, it raised its head and gazed into the palace. At the same time, the scene inside the palace was clearly presented to Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu.

The sight that came into view surprised Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu, who were already mentally prepared.

The Dao Crystals scattered all over the ground were not just a few pieces or dozens of pieces, but covered most of the palace floor, densely packed and layered. At a rough glance, there were probably millions of them.

Most of them were covered by thick dust, but it still could not conceal the pure primordial energy and Daoist radiance within them. In the dim environment outside the palace, where demonic energy permeated, they shone like a galaxy, dazzling and radiant.

Scattered among these mountains of Dao crystals were dozens of spiritual materials radiating a precious glow. Moreover, judging from the energy fluctuations and Dao aura they emitted, they were all of the sixteenth rank.

Although most of the inspirations have dimmed somewhat, the essence remains, and the value is still enormous.

Further away, beneath the walls surrounding the palace, where many spirit wood frames should have stood, most of them have now collapsed and rotted, turning into piles of broken stones and rotten wood.

Beside these collapsed scaffold ruins, you can still see some inheritance stones of various colors, some intact and some cracked, also carelessly discarded on the ground, mixed with dust, wood chips, Dao crystals and spiritual materials.

"This……"

Looking at the shimmering, mountain-like Dao Crystals scattered throughout the water mirror, along with dozens of spiritual materials faintly glowing with precious light, even with her knowledge and composure, Cao Feiyu couldn't help but show a look of shock.

She subconsciously leaned forward slightly, her cherry lips parted slightly, and she whispered with deep doubt and uncertainty, "Is this an illusion?"

Although it was impossible to count those Dao Crystals precisely through the water mirror, a rough estimate suggests that their number definitely reached two to three million!

There were also those spiritual materials, most of which were low-grade sixteenth-rank materials. A rough count revealed that there were as many as thirty or forty pieces!

Sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual materials are already precious main materials for refining natal treasures and cultivating supernatural abilities for early-stage Tai Cang Realm cultivators. Any one of them would be of considerable value.

In several relatively conspicuous locations, Cao Feiyu also saw seven spiritual materials with significantly richer spiritual light and more complete Daoist charm. Judging from their fluctuations, they were clearly mid-grade sixteenth-rank materials!