Of course, despite his confusion, Chen Sheng was crystal clear on what his top priority was.

The moment he returned to the Jingwu Bureau, he announced he was entering seclusion and would be seeing no visitors.

He was preparing to condense the Nine Nether Yin Fiend.

...

To refine the Nine Nether Yin Fiend—ranked twenty-sixth on the Earth Fiend list—was no simple task.

In addition to the core components—the Red Lotus Evil Qi, the Profound Yin Blood Fiend, and the Blood Spirit Jade Marrow serving as a fusion medium—the process required over a dozen precious, attribute-compatible supplementary materials to balance the fusion.

But Chen Sheng was already prepared.

When he had ambushed and killed the Demon Monk Shan Xin and raided his hidden sanctuary, he had gleefully taken all the supplementary materials the monk had gathered for this very purpose. He had kept them on his person ever since, just in case.

The secret chamber was brightly lit.

After calming his mind and steadying his breath, Chen Sheng brought his condition to its absolute peak.

He cautiously guided the dark red, churning mass of Profound Yin Blood Fiend, which reeked of bone-chilling cold and blood, slowly into the jade box holding the Blood Spirit Jade Marrow.

Then, following a specific sequence, he added the remaining supplementary materials one by one.

As the materials were added, a violent reaction began within the Blood Spirit Jade Marrow. The two disparate types of Evil Qi were fully unleashed. Like a pair of ferocious flood dragons, they crashed and tore at each other within the unique vessel formed by the Jade Marrow, each attempting to devour the other.

The temperature in the chamber plummeted, a thin layer of frost crystallizing on the walls. A thick, nauseating stench of blood and chilling Evil Qi filled the air. Had the chamber not been sealed, it would have surely alerted the outside world.

Chen Sheng held his breath, his concentration absolute. He watched every minute change inside the jade box, not daring to let his guard down for even an instant.

Several hours passed before the violent fluctuations of Evil Qi began to subside. The conflict between the two energies weakened, and they started showing signs of a slow fusion.

Another hour went by.

The unsettling chill and the stench of blood within the chamber slowly faded.

The original Profound Yin Blood Fiend and Red Lotus Evil Qi were gone. The Blood Spirit Jade Marrow, which had served as the medium, had also transformed, becoming a peculiar, palm-sized jade stone as translucent as amber.

Suspended within the jade was a thumb-sized object. It was a dark, crimson red, resembling both a solidified flame and a drop of turbid yin energy condensed to its very limit. As it slowly swirled, it exuded a profound and powerful aura.

Chen Sheng picked up a nearby sheet of foil paper describing the form of the Nine Nether Yin Fiend and carefully made a comparison.

A moment later, a smile finally broke across his face.

’The Nine Nether Yin Fiend—it’s done!!!’

He had finally succeeded in refining a top-tier Evil Qi, one ranked twenty-sixth on the Earth Fiend list!

As far as Chen Sheng knew, no one in the entire Ning’an Prefecture had ever possessed an Evil Qi ranked in the top thirty-six.

This meant that as long as he could successfully fuse the Nine Nether Yin Fiend into his body and establish his Earth Fiend foundation, he would hold an overwhelming advantage in Evil Qi quality over any Martial Artist at the same level.

He could even overcome slight gaps in Cultivation.

Just then, the Celestial Book of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil materialized once more, lines of text rapidly appearing upon it.

My name is Chen Sheng. By the time you read this, I will be filled with endless regret. I was ecstatic after creating the Nine Nether Yin Fiend. After trading for a few treasures to aid in Condensing Evil, I immediately went into seclusion to begin the process.

However, I never anticipated just how terrifying the Nine Nether Yin Fiend truly was—far beyond my imagination. The treasures I used during the Condensing Evil process were nowhere near enough to tame it. If I hadn’t come to my senses and stopped immediately, I would have not only destroyed the Nine Nether Yin Fiend but also landed myself in extreme danger. Even though I reacted in time, the Evil Qi still injured me, damaging my foundation and severely depleting my Primordial Qi.

Only now do I understand: to refine a top-tier Evil Qi like this, one needs the aid of a top-tier Spiritual Object. As it happens, Vice Governor Sun Yuzhi possesses an exceedingly precious Profound Spirit Treasure Pearl, which she always keeps on her person. If I could borrow it, I would surely succeed in a single attempt.

She keeps it on her person to nourish her own body, making it nearly impossible to borrow. But there is always a way. The key to this impasse is the Jade Puppet she discarded in the pond by the attic.

If I wear it and go ask to borrow her Profound Spirit Treasure Pearl, that—combined with her admiration for me and her subtle affections—might be enough to change her mind...

As he read the latest message on the Celestial Book, the joy on Chen Sheng’s face slowly faded, and his brow furrowed deeply.

’Creating the Evil Qi is only the first step. To think there’s still such an immense danger involved in safely fusing it into my body...’

At this thought, Chen Sheng’s gaze instinctively turned toward the back of the Government Office, in the direction of that inconspicuous pond.

——————