Ye Bufan possessed a shoddy flying dagger artifact—so inferior it couldn't even qualify as a low-grade item.
Yet, even this pitiful weapon had once aroused envy a decade ago, nearly costing him his life in a robbery attempt.
Generally, even a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage would consider themselves lucky to own a mid-grade artifact. High-grade artifacts were reserved for elite disciples of major sects at the same stage.
As for top-tier artifacts?
Only the obscenely wealthy or prodigies like Chu Zixue, with their profound cultivation, could afford such luxuries.
"You—you're that cultivator who achieved the Perfect Foundation Establishment?!"
Lü Luo's face paled, her voice trembling with disbelief.
After searching high and low, the person she had been seeking was right under her nose all along.
The absurdity of it all struck her—an old man who cultivated the Blood Spirit Art, a technique notorious for hastening death, had not only survived but secretly achieved a Perfect Foundation Establishment!
If this news spread, it would send shockwaves through the Heavenly Demon Sect.
After all, the Blood Spirit Art was fundamentally incompatible with achieving a Perfect Foundation.
"I'll give you two choices: die or submit to me as your master."
Ye Bufan's tone was icy, a stark contrast to his usual cautious demeanor.
Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to kill her on the spot.
But most demonic cultivators carried soul tokens—talismans that would alert their superiors the moment they died.
Given that he was currently trapped in a den of wolves, murder was far too risky.
"Submit to you? So what if you have a Perfect Foundation? You've only just broken through! No matter how strong you are, you can't possibly surpass me!"
Lü Luo's face flushed with rage as she slapped her storage pouch, summoning a gleaming emerald shortsword—another high-grade artifact!
A chilling aura radiated from the blade, instantly dropping the temperature in the courtyard.
"A frost-attribute flying sword?"
Ye Bufan's eyes lit up with interest.
"Go!"
With a sharp cry, Lü Luo sent the sword streaking toward him like a green dragon.
Simultaneously, she formed a hand seal, conjuring a serpentine head wreathed in demonic energy—a spell.
The strain of the technique was evident; her already pale face grew even paler.
In mere moments, the serpent's head swelled to monstrous proportions, its gaping maw lunging at Ye Bufan with terrifying force.
"Demonic cultivators—always pushing themselves to the brink just to cast a single spell."
Ye Bufan shook his head in disdain. If he were the one casting it, the process would feel as effortless as drinking a tonic.
With a casual wave, he unleashed over a dozen fireballs—each the size of a water vat—engulfing both the serpent and the flying sword in a blazing inferno.
Within moments, the sword was forced into retreat, while the demonic serpent writhed and dissipated with a final, agonized shriek.
"Impossible!"
Lü Luo's eyes widened in shock. Her sword and spell had been effortlessly neutralized by mere fireballs!
Ye Bufan's spiritual power was far more formidable than she had imagined—not only vast in quantity but superior in quality.
"Is this the power of a Perfect Foundation?"
Envy and resentment twisted her heart. Even at the same stage, a Perfect Foundation cultivator naturally eclipsed their peers.
Even without artifacts, their sheer spiritual power could overwhelm opponents.
Of course, she had no idea that Ye Bufan's foundation wasn't merely "Perfect"—it was the legendary Heavenly Foundation.
The former could never achieve such absurd feats.
"Swish!"
Ye Bufan flicked a finger, sending a razor-sharp wind blade slicing toward Lü Luo's limbs.
If he couldn't kill her, crippling her would have to suffice.
"I—I submit! I'll acknowledge you as my master!"
Panic flashed across Lü Luo's face. Between controlling her sword and casting the spell, she had no energy left to defend with the Mist Shield.
Yet, the wind blade showed no sign of stopping.
"I have countless techniques, spells, and pills—I'll give you everything!"
Ye Bufan remained unmoved, his expression cold.
"You need me to help you escape! The Demon Sword Peak is locked down—the higher-ups are already searching for the Perfect Foundation cultivator!"
Desperation laced Lü Luo's voice.
At last, Ye Bufan's expression shifted. He dispersed the wind blade with a wave, his gaze piercing.
"What do you mean? The Heavenly Demon Sect knows about me?"
"A trace of your breakthrough's heavenly phenomenon leaked out. The elders sensed it and narrowed down the location—though they don't know who it is yet."
Lü Luo trembled, her voice unsteady.
"..."
Ye Bufan fell silent.
This was an unforeseen complication, throwing his escape plans into disarray.
"A Perfect Foundation cultivator would be highly valued anywhere—if discovered, I'd likely be taken in as a personal disciple by some old monster."
"On the surface, that sounds like a good thing... but..."
While the Heavenly Demon Sect was a treasure trove for him, Ye Bufan had no desire to stay. Surrounded by demons, how could he ever feel safe?
"Becoming a disciple here would only be a last resort. For now, escaping is still the priority."
He turned to Lü Luo, his voice icy.
"Hand over your soul blood."
Gritting her teeth, Lü Luo summoned a drop of violet blood from her brow.
Ye Bufan snatched it midair, securing it within his grasp.
From this moment on, Lü Luo's life and death rested entirely in his hands.
Without hesitation, he began looting her belongings in plain sight.
Two high-grade artifacts—the emerald flying sword and the Mist Shield.
These two items alone would significantly boost his combat prowess.
Her storage pouch also contained dozens of mid-grade talismans, over three hundred low-grade spirit stones, several Foundation Establishment pills, a Compendium of Demonic Spells, and two Foundation Establishment cultivation manuals.
As Ye Bufan pocketed her hard-earned treasures, Lü Luo's heart bled.
In the span of a single night, the prisoner had become the master, and she—the captor—had been reduced to a slave.
The reversal of fortunes was almost too cruel to bear.
Ye Bufan erased Lü Luo's spiritual imprints from the sword and shield, refining them until they responded to his will as effortlessly as his own limbs.
The emerald sword was named Frost Abyss, capable of freezing, paralyzing, and poisoning its targets.
The Mist Shield, purely defensive, had the rare ability to morph into various forms, providing full-body protection—a rarity among artifacts.
Had Lü Luo's spiritual power not been too weak to control both artifacts simultaneously, breaking through her defenses would have taken considerable effort.
"Demonic Origin Art—a mid-grade Foundation Establishment technique that refines essence blood from others..."
"Moonlight Scripture—another mid-grade method, drawing power from the sun and moon..."
Ye Bufan frowned, ultimately dismissing both.
It wasn't their quality that disappointed him, but their negligible side effects. Cultivating them would take an eternity to reach the Golden Core stage.
What truly delighted him was the Compendium of Demonic Spells.
It contained dozens of low-grade spells, six mid-grade, and two high-grade techniques.
1. Demon Dragon Art (High-Grade Spell)
Summons a demonic dragon phantom. At full mastery, it can injure a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.Requirement: Capture the soul of a flood dragon (or serpent) as the spell's core.Side Effect: Must feed the dragon phantom daily with the caster's essence blood to strengthen it. Risks severe depletion of cultivation.
2. Blood Escape Technique (High-Grade Spell)
Temporarily multiplies the user's speed.Side Effect: Burns essence blood and spiritual power. Leaves the user severely weakened afterward.
A smile tugged at Ye Bufan's lips.
Yes.
This was exactly what he wanted.
A day without side effects was a day wasted—he couldn't stand it!
After reversing the spells' drawbacks with his system, their properties defied all logic:
Demon Dragon Art (Reversed):
The more essence blood the user donates, the stronger the spell becomes—while the user's cultivation advances rapidly!
Blood Escape Technique (Reversed):
Burning essence blood and spiritual power now enhances the user's vitality, leaving them stronger than before!
"With these, my combat power has skyrocketed. Even against a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, I can put up a fight."
"And with the Blood Escape Technique... my escape capabilities just reached a whole new level!"
Ye Bufan had always adhered to a simple philosophy: if he could win, he'd crush his enemy utterly and erase all traces. If he couldn't, he'd flee without hesitation.
As long as he ran fast enough, even a Golden Core elder would be left choking on his dust.