The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 245: Dark Wood

"Clang!" The tung bird landed on her shoulder, nuzzled her temple affectionately, and let out a clear chirp.

Chen Jinshu turned around and picked up the warm bronze key on the stone table.

He then whispered something to the shady mountain sparrow on his shoulder and walked outside.

"Let's go, this place is no longer peaceful."

The little titmouse nuzzled her temple, as if urging her on, and she couldn't help but grin.

……

A moment later, at Meiyun Residence in the inner courtyard.

As soon as she opened the door to her residence with the bronze key, a pure and gentle aura of wood spirit, like a warm mountain spring, silently permeated her entire body.

She subconsciously took a deep breath; the cool, refreshing air went straight to her lungs through her nasal cavity, instantly easing the tension that had been building up over the past few days.

"This pure spiritual energy from plants and trees is truly rare. No wonder the rental prices for cave dwellings in the inner workshop are so high. The high prices are certainly justified."

Chen Jinshu exclaimed in surprise.

The Yinshan Sparrow let out a joyful cry, its blue and red tail feathers shimmering with light, transforming into a leaping rainbow shadow as it eagerly rushed into the courtyard.

This place is worlds apart from Pan Shi Ju.

The courtyard is small, with blue tiles and white walls, simple and elegant.

In the corner of the courtyard stands an old plum tree with gnarled branches. Although it is not yet in bloom, its strong branches and the subtle flow of spiritual light clearly indicate that it is no ordinary tree.

The stone table and benches under the tree are polished to a warm, smooth finish.

A wisp of spiritual spring seeps out from the cracks in the artificial rockery, flowing into a clear pool about a foot square below. The bottom of the pool is covered with lustrous white jade, and the misty water nourishes the spiritual energy of the entire courtyard, making it even more vibrant and pure.

The cave dwelling was spotless. It had a meditation room, an alchemy room, and a cultivation room, with stable lighting arrays embedded in the walls, casting a soft glow.

What pleased Chen Jinshu the most was the high-quality Earth Fire Spirit-Attracting Array in the alchemy room. The array patterns were intricate yet clear, and the fire was stable, far superior to the makeshift stove in the Rock Residence.

The traces of the previous owner, Elder Zhou, have been almost completely erased, leaving only a few pieces of standard furniture.

It seems Elder Liu must have given instructions before he left; we truly owe him a favor.

After she tidies up a bit, it will be an excellent place to stay.

A few days later, Chen Jinshu had become completely familiar with his new residence and had also stabilized his cultivation by taking advantage of the pure spiritual energy of Meiyun Residence.

Thinking of the previously sinister and arrogant Lin Xiao, she couldn't help but recall her neighbor Zhou Wanning, who had given her the dew from the cold pool.

If she hadn't repeatedly reminded him, perhaps she wouldn't have been able to see through Lin Xiao's sophisticated disguise so easily.

She took out a small jade box containing two plump, round, and pure life-giving Grade 3 "Life-Creating Pills".

This elixir has remarkable effects in healing injuries and strengthening the body's foundation, and may offer some slight help to Zhou Wanning, whose Dao foundation has been damaged.

This is a token of my gratitude in return.

Afterwards, she led the Yinshan Sparrow out of Meiyun Residence and headed west along the familiar stone path leading to the edge of the waste dump.

However, before she even reached Zhou Wanning's residence, she passed by that scoundrel Lin Xiao's humble abode.

A feeling of disgust immediately rose in Chen Jinshu's heart.

If Liu Qingchen hadn't arrived in time, given Zhou Zhen's incompetence and Lin Xiao's malice, even if he had managed to escape, he would have been in deep trouble, and the matter of the Hundred Herbs Token would likely have encountered setbacks.

"Interest should be collected eventually." Chen Jinshu's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile.

She disdained to touch the so-called "green cicadas" he offered her, but she didn't mind taking a cut from the thieves' den.

With her mind made up, she moved swiftly and arrived at the door of the cold room.

Without the slightest hesitation or politeness, he raised his foot and kicked the seemingly unstable stone door hard.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the stone door shattered inward. Years of accumulated dust were whipped up by the strong wind, swirling wildly in the beam of light outside the door, revealing a dim and filthy interior.

An indescribable stench of cheap cosmetics, stale sweat, and blood assaulted the senses, emitting an extremely unpleasant odor.

Even though Chen Jinshu was mentally prepared, the strong, suffocating stench made him frown and his stomach churn.

The tigress on its shoulder bristled.

The light was dim, with only a few low-quality fluorite stones on the roof providing a meager illumination.

Directly opposite the entrance was a large stone couch covered with variegated animal hides, which were already filthy, and scattered with a few gaudy but tattered women's robes.

A light red strapless top hung on the rough bedpost.

A pale yellow tulle dress was torn with a long slit.

Several pairs of embroidered shoes were scattered in the corner...

Chen Jinshu's gaze swept over the women's clothes that still carried the scents of various cosmetics, and his heart grew even colder.

These clothes in front of us are proof of Lin Xiao's numerous crimes.

Countless women have suffered humiliation here, ultimately perishing without a trace.

She suppressed the urge to destroy this filthy place immediately, and her divine sense instantly covered every corner of the cold room.

She wasn't just looking for valuables; she wanted to plunder everything. Anything of value was a debt Lin Xiao owed her.

However, the cave dwelling was so simple that it was almost completely bare.

That filthy stone bed and dilapidated dressing table were now empty.

Lin Xiao was clearly a cunning man with multiple escape routes; he had probably already moved his valuables.

However, her sharp eyes noticed something in the gap where the stone wall met the back of the dressing table.

There was a raised area that felt different to the touch.

She channeled a wisp of spiritual energy and pressed down gently.

"Click."

Inside the back panel of the dressing table, a square stone slab about a foot in size slid inward, revealing a hidden compartment.

The hidden compartment was small, and only two things lay inside, all alone.

A scroll made of some kind of animal hide, with tattered edges.

Beside it were several pieces of wood, about the size of a fist, exuding a gloomy and cold aura. They were dark purple to almost black in color, with fine wood texture, and felt heavy and cold to the touch.

"Could this be the dark wood used to refine Yin-attribute magical artifacts?"

Chen Jinshu first picked up the animal skin scroll and slowly unrolled it.

"The Yin Sha Corpse Puppet Technique. So that guy learned the method of controlling the body from it, the Corpse-Dispelling Technique!" Chen Jinshu understood, his brows furrowing slightly.

Of course, the main content of the whole book is about how to use secret methods to draw in the Yin energy from the ground to temper the corpse of a cultivator who has just died, erase the remnant soul, keep the tendons from decaying, and then use one's own essence, blood and soul imprint to refine it, and finally refine it into a Yin Sha corpse puppet that is invulnerable to swords and spears and obeys orders.

"Evil forces!" Chen Jinshu sneered inwardly.

This technique is insidious and vicious, and it goes against the natural order. It is far less upright and honorable than the "Puppet Refinement Technique" that she obtained in the Xuanming Sect's secret realm in her early years.

The "Puppet Refinement Technique" uses rare and precious materials, combined with ingenious mechanisms and secret rune methods, to forge combat puppets that can grow and possess sentience, with limitless potential.

The "Yin Sha Corpse Puppet Technique" before us is nothing more than a low-level evil method that imitates others and manipulates corpses. It has only the form and has little real power, and it is extremely easy to suffer backlash.

However, these pieces of dark wood are old enough and have pure yin energy, making them an excellent choice for crafting the main frame of a substitute puppet.

Its quality is far inferior to the "Soul Nourishing Wood," the best material described in "The Art of Puppet Refining," but it is barely usable as the core of a basic substitute puppet.

"It's a pleasant surprise..." Chen Jinshu's brows and eyes finally relaxed a bit, and she looked more like a young girl.