Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

And at this very moment...

The blue-scaled lizard demon's scales stood on end, and the shadow of death had never been so clear.

It had no doubt that if it dared to say "no," it would be annihilated in the next instant!
That's enough!
Better to die than live!

I promise, at least I won't die now.

Perhaps becoming a sparring partner offers a glimmer of hope, like... deliberately losing in a more aesthetically pleasing way?

Or should we seize the opportunity to escape?

It's better than dying here right now!

In a flash, the blue-scaled lizard demon made a decision.

It lowered its head again, almost burying it in the sand and gravel, its voice filled with a resigned reverence and trembling:
"Senior...you've misunderstood!"

It is a great blessing for a junior to be able to serve his seniors!

How could a junior like me refuse?

I was just... I was so excited when I heard the good news that I lost my composure for a moment!
If you, senior, have any request, I will gladly die for you!
"Regarding this sparring, I will certainly do my utmost to ensure that the seniors' juniors... uh, have a good time!"

It almost said "had a great time," but quickly changed its words, feeling a bitter taste in its mouth.

Seeing this, Cheng Buzheng smiled with satisfaction and nodded.
“So very good.

My young friend demonstrates great understanding and righteousness; I am very pleased.

Before he finished speaking, he casually flicked his sleeve.

A gentle yet overwhelming wave of silver light silently swept out, instantly enveloping the massive blue-scaled lizard demon.

This silver light was incredibly mysterious; the dark seawater and hard reefs seemed to become mere illusions, unable to pose any obstacle to it.

It didn't even stir up a single additional undercurrent or breeze.

The blue-scaled lizard demon only saw a flash of silver light before its eyes, and then an irresistible suction force came from the space around it. Before it could even cry out in alarm, it felt dizzy and its consciousness blurred.

next moment.

The silver light waves rolled back.

The reef was now empty, with only the traces left by the lizard demon when it lay prone, and a few small blue scales shimmering in the sunlight.

Cheng Buzheng used his divine sense to introspect...

Seeing that the mid-stage third-tier blue-scaled lizard demon had been safely absorbed into his inner space, he slightly raised the corners of his mouth and muttered to himself:

"Now we have a safe target for testing the law."

Not bad, his demonic power foundation is decent, so his resilience should be pretty good.

"Find some more first- or second-tier demonic beasts for the other kids to practice on, and then the purpose of this trip will be achieved."

With a slight thought, the spatial ripples surrounding him reappeared, and his figure slowly faded away, disappearing into the desolate sea area.

……

The rest of the trip went much more smoothly.

Cheng Buzheng spread his divine sense, specifically searching for first and second-tier demonic beasts with mixed auras, obvious violence, or actively attacking other living beings.

These lower-level demonic beasts are less intelligent and more savage.
Serving as a trial subject for lower-level cultivators can increase their practical experience without placing too much psychological burden on them.

Not long!
A small, deserted island came into Cheng Buzheng's view.

The island was sparsely wooded, with jagged rocks, and dozens of first and second-tier demonic beasts of various shapes were scattered throughout.

Some were munching on wild fruit, some were fighting for territory, and some were lazily dozing.

These monsters mostly migrated here from other areas of the True Dragon Sea or the Inner Sea, and occupied a small territory by virtue of their strength.

"The quantity is just right."

Cheng Buzheng nodded slightly.

He needs different kinds of monsters with different characteristics to fully test the younger generation's ability to deal with various situations.

There are no fewer than ten kinds of monsters on this island, and their ranks range from mid-first rank to peak second rank, which is quite suitable.

He stood suspended in mid-air directly above the deserted island, his gaze calmly sweeping across the entire island, noting the location and condition of every demonic beast.

Even the trajectory of the demonic power flowing within the body was clearly reflected in his mind.

Immediately!

Cheng Buzheng raised his right hand, palm down, and pressed it lightly against the deserted island below.

There is no earth-shaking momentum and no dazzling brilliance.

Only a vast, hazy, mirage-like phantom silently spread from his palm, instantly enveloping the entire deserted island.

This phantom seemed to exist independently of the real world, yet it perfectly overlapped with the deserted island.

Within the illusory image, the silver light rippled gently like waves on water.

The next moment, a miracle happened.

On the island...
Is it the steel-bristled boar demon that's munching on wild fruit?
Or is it the ghost-faced spider demon cautiously peering out from the cracks in the rocks?
Or perhaps it's two wind wolf demons fighting each other over a low-level spiritual herb...

All the dozens of locked-on monsters vanished into thin air without warning at the same time!

Wherever it was, only half-eaten wild fruit, deep animal claw marks, and trampled grass remained.
And some bloodstains and hair left over from the battle between the monsters.

Everything happened silently, as if these monsters had never existed.

It was as if it had been wiped away in an instant by an invisible giant hand.

The deserted island remains, the sea breeze remains, but the presence of many living beings is gone.

Cheng Buzheng withdrew his hand, and the enormous phantom that had enveloped the deserted island receded like the tide, disappearing into his body.

He scanned the dozens of bewildered and terrified low-level demonic beasts that had been newly added to his body and were now imprisoned in separate spaces, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Done."

Without lingering, he transformed into a streak of light, piercing the sky, and flew towards the outer sea.

The further out to sea we fly...
The atmosphere of intertwined and wary human and demon forces in the inland sea region gradually faded away.

On the sea, the frequency of human cultivators appearing in various colored escape lights, flying boats, and multi-story ships has increased significantly.

Beneath the sea, the human race's strongholds, cave dwellings, and array formations and restrictions became increasingly dense.

Although monsters still roam the open sea.
There are even high-level demon cultivators lurking in the shadows.

However, the overall atmosphere has been dominated by the aura of human civilization.

Cheng Buzheng concealed most of his aura and made his escape light even more inconspicuous, flying unhurriedly towards the Baoyang Sea Area of ​​the Zhenhai Alliance, just like an ordinary Golden Core cultivator on his way.

The journey was uneventful.

Occasionally, one can sense magical fluctuations emanating from afar.

Or perhaps there are cultivators hunting demonic beasts!

Or perhaps there is a fight between cultivators!

Cheng Buzheng simply glanced at them and showed no interest in paying them any attention.

That's how it is in the cultivation world; conflict is everywhere. As long as you don't provoke him, he's too lazy to get involved.

however!
Just as he was passing through what appeared to be a calm sea...

A slightly unusual fluctuation of magical power came from afar, which caught his attention.

This fluctuation wasn't too strong, roughly at the mid-to-late stage of Foundation Establishment.

"Murder and robbery?"
Is it still settling old scores?

The two most common possibilities flashed through Cheng Buzheng's mind instantly.

He didn't intend to pay any attention to it, but casually glanced in the direction from which the fluctuations came.

On the sea dozens of miles away, several black streaks of light were relentlessly attacking a light blue streak of light.

The black light emanating from them exuded a murderous aura, clearly indicating that they were cultivators practicing evil arts. There were five of them, three of whom were in the late Foundation Establishment stage and two in the middle Foundation Establishment stage.

The azure light that was being attacked was a female cultivator in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Judging from her clothes and appearance, she seemed to be a disciple of a small sect or family.

At this moment, she was in grave danger. The protective magic artifact was dimming, and blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. Clearly, she wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

The black-robed evil cultivators attacked ruthlessly, each move deadly, and they subtly formed an encirclement, sealing off all of the female cultivator's escape routes.
It was clearly an attempt to wipe them out completely.

Despair was evident in the female cultivator's eyes, but she gritted her teeth and struggled on, fighting like a trapped beast.

Similar scenarios are not uncommon in the open seas where resource competition is fierce and order is relatively loose.

Cheng Buzheng had seen too much and had long since become indifferent.

He looked away and prepared to continue on his way.

But just as he was about to activate his escape light, his movements paused slightly.

"Hmm?" Cheng Buzheng raised an eyebrow, as if he had thought of something interesting.

He looked back at the battlefield, or more precisely, at the black-robed evil cultivators, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

"The cultivation technique... the Yin energy is so pure, and it also carries a bit of blood resentment power. This is... a branch of the 'Mysterious Yin White Bone Path'?"

Or is it a variant of the 'Blood River True Method'?

This kind of evil technique has a solid foundation, and its magical power is quite mixed and violent...

The key point is that these kinds of evil cultivators are mostly ruthless, have rich practical experience, and are decisive in their actions.
This is perfect for teaching those sheltered youngsters in the clan a lesson in the treacherous nature of the cultivation world.

"Rather than letting them suffer losses or even lose their lives in the future, it's better to let them see the methods of truly vicious criminals now."

Experiencing life-or-death battles within a controlled environment is far more effective than sparring with fellow members of one's own kind or hunting demonic beasts.

"As for these few heretical cultivators..."

Hmph, to commit such a robbery and murder right under my nose, you are simply unlucky and deserve this calamity.

It's a good opportunity to make use of waste; we can catch them and use them as whetstones for the boys.

If they survive, they're lucky; just cripple their cultivation and throw them out to fend for themselves.

If he dies... then it's his own fault.

Think about this.

There was no longer the slightest ripple in Cheng Buzheng's eyes, only indifference.

next moment.

On the sea, the battle is nearing its end.

The female cultivator's protective magic artifact finally let out a mournful cry, and its spiritual light completely dissipated.

The black-robed evil cultivator at the head grinned and summoned a bone blade wreathed in black energy. With a mournful howl, he aimed straight for the female cultivator's neck, and she was about to perish.

The female cultivator's face turned pale, and a resolute look flashed in her eyes, as if she was about to unleash some kind of secret technique that would lead to mutual destruction.

However, at this critical moment——

An indescribable, vast, and heavy pressure descended from nowhere without warning!
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

The jet-black bone blade that shot out was abruptly halted in mid-air, just three inches from the female cultivator's neck, unable to advance an inch further.

The sinister smiles on the faces of the five black-robed evil cultivators froze instantly. They found that they couldn't even move a finger, and the surging magical power within their bodies was completely frozen, like a river frozen in ice.

Boundless fear overwhelmed their minds like a tidal wave; it was the instinctive fear of ants facing the heavens and an incomprehensible existence!
The female cultivator who intended to self-destruct was also bound by this gentle yet absolutely irresistible force, unable to even initiate the self-destruction.
She could only stare wide-eyed in horror at the bizarre and inexplicable scene before her.

Immediately afterwards, a flash of silver light appeared.

Not one, but five thin, hair-like silver rays of light appeared out of thin air in front of the five black-robed evil cultivators' brows and gently touched them.

There were no earth-shattering sounds, no scenes of blood and gore.

The five black-robed evil cultivators, along with their magical artifacts and storage bags, vanished into thin air.

It was as if an invisible eraser had gently wiped this world away.

The sea breeze still blows gently, and the waves still surge.

If it weren't for the lingering aftershocks and malevolent energy of the battle in the air, and the female cultivator standing there, unharmed yet utterly bewildered...
The life-or-death chase just now was just an illusion.

High in the sky!
Above the clouds, Cheng Buzheng calmly withdrew his finger, as if he had merely flicked away non-existent dust from the corner of his clothes.

"The evil cultivators from the outer seas dare to be so rampant, committing crimes in broad daylight."

Now that I have seen you, consider your doom has come.

He scanned the space within his body with his divine sense and found that the five Foundation Establishment evil cultivators, who had been imprisoned and stood like statues, had been properly "placed".

Looking down at the sea again, the female cultivator who had been rescued, after her initial stunned silence, seemed to finally come to her senses.

His face showed a mixture of elation at surviving a disaster and disbelief.
She looked around warily and blankly, then bowed deeply in a certain direction towards the sky. In a hurry, she summoned a flying artifact and, without looking back, transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the distance.

Cheng Buzheng shook his head slightly, no longer paying attention.

For him, it was just something he did on a whim.

With a burst of light beneath his feet, he continued flying towards the Baoyang Sea.

For the rest of the journey, Cheng Buzheng seemed to do things "on the spur of the moment" more often.

Perhaps it's due to my state of mind?
Perhaps they think that the more "practical training" the better?
As long as a scene clearly depicting evil cultivators committing crimes, bullying the weak, or killing and robbing occurs within the range of one's divine sense...
He would then quietly take action and absorb those evil cultivators and tribulation cultivators into his inner space.

of course!

He only takes what he deems "appropriate"—

Those whose cultivation level is between the late stage of Qi Refining and the peak of Foundation Establishment, who use vicious techniques, employ cruel methods, and are burdened with karmic debts.

Thus, on Cheng Buzheng's journey back to the Baoyang sea area...
In certain areas from the edge of the inland sea to the open sea, several rather "strange" events occurred in succession:

A group of black-clad robbers who were looting a small merchant ship vanished without warning, leaving the passengers in awe.

Two heretical practitioners, who were fighting amongst themselves over dividing the spoils, suddenly froze, then vanished like bubbles.

A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, who had just brutally murdered a low-level rogue cultivator and was basking in his triumph, suddenly stopped laughing and vanished without a trace...

These events...
In a short period of time, in different places, happening to different people, the only thing in common is—

The victims (evil cultivators and those who robbed cultivators) have all completely disappeared!

No one can be seen in life, no corpse in death.

Those cultivators who were fortunate enough to be rescued often only remembered a fleeting, barely perceptible, terrifying, and obscure aura that vanished in an instant...

Then the enemy disappeared.

...(End of this chapter)