Xu Ping used the Primordial Sword Skill to engage in battle with the Rat Demon.

He found that although this Rat Demon could use Earth Escape and conceal Divine Sense, its combat strength was rather mediocre.

Before long, Xu Ping had it cut and bruised all over.

Buzz!

Seeing defeat imminent, the brown-yellow rat-shaped demon beast unleashed a flash of spirit light from its fur, attempting to escape via Earth Escape.

But Xu Ping obviously wouldn't give it this chance, and with a few sword strikes, he shattered the surrounding soil, forcing the Rat Demon out.

"Rest assured, I won't kill you just yet."

Xu Ping struck again, severely wounding the Rat Demon into unconsciousness, and then walked over with interest.

Though the Rat Demon's combat ability was mediocre, its ability to use Earth Escape and hide Divine Sense clearly made it an excellent ambusher.

At this moment, an idea sprang up in his mind to make the best use of this Rat Demon to enhance his own strength.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, are you planning to take this demon beast as a Spirit Pet?"

After dealing with another Rat Demon, Chen Li walked over, "Although this type of Rat Demon has strong talent, it's ultimately a second-stage demon beast, tough to tame. Without a second-stage beast control scroll, it could be hard to subdue."

There's a consensus in the Cultivation Realm that only demon beasts tamed from a young age and matured to second-stage can be controlled by cultivators, but trying to suppress a second-stage demon beast into submission with absolute force is nearly impossible.

The only method is to use a second-stage beast control scroll to control its mind.

However, second-stage beast control scrolls are extraordinarily precious, more expensive than top-grade Magical Artifacts, and aren't available on the market.

"No, I spared its life for another purpose." Xu Ping smiled and shook his head.

Naturally, he didn't have a second-stage beast control scroll, so he's not planning to tame the Rat Demon.

He spared this second-stage Rat Demon's life to refine it into a puppet.

In the loot taken from the scattered male cultivator, the ancient book "Corpse Refining" contained methods for puppet creation.

It requires using living creatures for refining to fully preserve their talent and strength completely.

Though he could not bring himself to refine with living humans, using living demon beasts posed no psychological obstacle.

Now, this gifted Rat Demon is just perfect.

If he can refine it into a puppet, utilizing its ability to conceal Divine Sense, paired well, with his outward strength, it's not impossible for him to kill mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This would definitely be a strong support.

Thinking of this, a trace of joy flashed through Xu Ping's eyes.

Although he also has a bronze corpse puppet, since it was refined using a living human, it's not suitable to reveal publicly, and in terms of practicality, this bronze corpse certainly couldn't match the talented Rat Demon.

"Would Fellow Daoist Chen happen to have a Spirit Beast Bag? Could you sell me one?" he inquired.

"I do," Chen Li nodded, and took out a first-rank Spirit Beast Bag from his Storage Ring to hand to Xu Ping.

A first-rank Spirit Beast Bag definitely can't hold an energetic second-stage demon beast, but it can store a half-dead one.

"Thank you. I'll make more Pills for you later." Xu Ping expressed his gratitude.

"No big deal, it's just a first-rank Spirit Beast Bag, not worth much." Chen Li waved his hand.

"Since I've taken this second-stage demon beast, the other one will be yours."

"Alright."

Chen Li nodded. Naturally, he didn't have any objections; truth be told, killing the two second-stage demon beasts mostly relied on Xu Ping.

He indeed benefited.

After each collected the second-stage demon beasts, they began to slaughter the remaining first-rank demon beasts.

With other Qi Cultivation disciples of the Chen Family surrounding and intercepting them, the remaining first-rank demon beasts were quickly slaughtered cleanly.

After declining Chen Li's dinner invitation, Xu Ping returned alone to his residence.

...

Bedroom.

Xu Ping took out the ancient book "Corpse Refining" for careful study.

"With the power of Earth Fire supplemented, blue crystal ore... Water Spirit Flower... Ten Thousand Iron Rock... Earth Dragon Grass... refine for a month to succeed."

"During the process, it needs Spiritual Liquid to maintain vitality, otherwise, all efforts will be wasted!"

After reading it several times, Xu Ping understood the process of corpse refining.

The other auxiliary materials are manageable; although precious, they can be collected. The challenging part is maintaining the demon beast's vitality throughout.

If it fails, all resources would be wasted.

"I still need to practice with some first-rank demon beasts first," Xu Ping thought in his heart.

Starting by refining second-stage demon beasts is too difficult; better to hone skills with first-rank demon beasts first.

A second-stage demon beast with such outstanding talent is hard to come by.

...

On the second day.

Xu Ping sought out Chen Li to ask him to help gather various materials needed for corpse refining.

Chen Li immediately agreed.

Although his heart suspected it had to do with Xu Ping capturing the second-stage demon beast alive, he wisely didn't ask more.

As for Earth Fire, there's no need to search for it.

The Chen Clan territory already has it.

Ten days later.

Chen Li handed over various filled storage bags to Xu Ping, and during these days he had also captured several First Rank demon beasts.

Now everything is ready for puppet crafting.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chen, may I borrow your clan's Earth Fire room?" Xu Ping asked with a bow.

"That shouldn't be a problem, I'll take you there." Chen Li nodded in agreement.

But inwardly he couldn't help but speculate, gathering so many materials and borrowing the Earth Fire room, what is he planning to craft with that Second-stage demon beast?

...

The Earth Fire room of the Chen Clan is not on the heart of the lake island, but on a small active volcano beside Spirit Lake.

The so-called Earth Fire is essentially magma flame, purified by absorbing arrays, its temperature higher and more stable.

"Clan Leader, Elder Xu." Before a giant stone door, a late-stage Qi Cultivation practitioner respectfully greeted both.

"Open the door, Fellow Daoist Xu wants to use the Earth Fire room." Chen Li nodded and instructed.

"Yes."

The late-stage Qi Cultivation practitioner took out a purple arrow-shaped item from his chest, and with a flick towards the stone door.

The purple arrow flashed red, emitting a streak of light that accurately hit the door, causing a rapid rotation of multicolored lights.

Eventually, after several loud cracking sounds, the stone door slowly rose, revealing a black passageway behind it.

This passageway is about a yard tall, rectangular in shape.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, beyond this stone path is the room with Earth Fire."

Led by Chen Li, they traversed the stone path and arrived in a vast circular hall.

The hall was constructed from black stone, over ten yards in diameter and three or four yards high. Around the hall, white stone doors of equal size were evenly distributed, totaling twelve.

At this moment, the hall was deserted except for the newly arrived Xu Ping and Chen Li.

As Xu Ping curiously surveyed the surroundings, he heard Chen Li remark, "There are twelve Earth Fire rooms here, number six has the most intense fire."

Then Chen Li led Xu Ping into room number six.

This room is a square structure, average in size, just five or six yards across, with eight miniature dragon heads embedded along its walls, lifelike in appearance.

Moreover, the mouths of the dragon heads are slightly raised, pointed towards the center of the room, ready to spit, realistic in detail.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, this is the Earth Fire outlet of the room, used for alchemy and artifact refining, the Earth Fire here spouts from these eight dragon heads."

"According to needs, one can also adjust the size and height of the flames. The specific technique for control is engraved on the outer wall of the stone pedestal." Chen Li pointed at the dragon heads and explained.

"I see." Xu Ping nodded, this Earth Fire is quite intelligent, no wonder alchemists and Qi cultivators favor its use.

"Feel free to use it, Fellow Daoist Xu. If any problems arise, consult the gatekeeping disciples." With that, Chen Li exited the room.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Chen." Xu Ping watched Chen Li leave, then shut the stone door.

He approached the dragon heads, carefully studying the details of the eight spouting dragon heads, and memorized the manipulation methods.

He then conjured a spell, consecutively releasing eight streaks of red light onto the dragon heads, which absorbed the light, and then each dragon mouth opened slightly, spewing wrist-thick purple flames.

Instantly, the room's air filled with burning heat, even Xu Ping felt a bit of the scorching sensation.

This left him secretly astonished.

Shortly thereafter, Xu Ping experimented with altering the thickness of the flames, as well as the height of the dragon head jets, until he could manipulate them with ease. Then he nodded:

"Now fully adept, I can attempt crafting with the First Rank demon beast."

Xu Ping retrieved a palm-sized silver cauldron from his storage ring, then performed a spell, causing the silver cauldron to expand to two yards, hovering in mid-air.

Since no materials had yet been added to the cauldron, Xu Ping controlled the Earth Fire, making it extremely fine, only as thick as a thread. Afterward, he let the silver cauldron slowly rotate in mid-air under the warming of eight fire lines.

After a quarter of an hour, the silver cauldron grew scorching hot, emitting an astonishing heat.

Seeing this, Xu Ping pointed at the cauldron, resulting in the lid flying up, revealing the mouth of the cauldron.

With a flip of his right hand, various materials were thrown into the silver cauldron in sequence.

Under Xu Ping's control, the purple flames from the dragon heads gradually thickened, becoming finger-thick, while the silver cauldron's rotation slowly decreased, starting to tremble slightly in the flames.

As time passed bit by bit, under the scorching heat, these materials slowly dissolved.

This step posed little challenge for Xu Ping, as he had alchemized far more difficult concoctions.

Seeing all materials liquefied, Xu Ping retrieved a wolf demon over a yard tall from the spirit beast bag, which was unconscious.

He then tossed the unconscious wolf demon directly into the silver cauldron.

"Sizzle!"

"Roar!"

The scorching hot liquid continually burned the demon beast's body, emitting sizzling sounds. Intense pain awakened the wolf demon from unconsciousness, causing it to howl in anguish.

It tried to escape, but the burning liquid enveloping it and the intense pain had long drained away all its strength.

At this stage, refining success was yet distant, needing even fiercer Earth Fire to integrate these materials gradually into the wolf demon's physique.

With this realization, the purple flames under Xu Ping's control grew even more dazzling, reaching bowl-like thickness, enveloping the entire silver cauldron within them.

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