I was affected by the Misleading Bizarre?!

Jia Ren immediately checked the Evil Warding Talisman he carried; it was intact and had not burned. The Evil Warding Talisman only activates its protective effect when a Bizarre Demon launches an attack. The ability of the Misleading Bizarre is extremely strange. Its misdirection effect itself is non-lethal, so the talisman did not trigger...

How do I get back home?

Jia Ren looked around, but the small island he had left not long ago was nowhere to be seen.

What kind of place is this?

I must find a way to get back to the Cave!

He quickly thought of a solution.

"Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts!"

Jia Ren had formed contracts with the Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts in the Cave. He could sense their general vicinity and, relying on this, finding the way home should not be difficult.

Sensing the distance of the Spirit Insects, he flew on his sword. The distance from the Cave did not seem to decrease, and the connection with the Spirit Insects started to blur.

Is there a problem with the direction?

Jia Ren decisively changed direction, heading for the Cave. The result was no different than before. The sense of the Spirit Insects grew weaker.

I had a feeling that things were going against my wishes and that I was getting further away from the Qunxing Archipelago.

Not a big problem!

I still have the Spirit Beast!

Jia Ren took out the Mountain and River Pearl and summoned the slumbering Fathead Fish Demon.

Being under the influence of the Misleading Bizarre, I can't return to the Cave myself. If I let the Spirit Beast lead me back to the Cave, wouldn't that solve the problem?

"Take me home!"

After being fed an Ancestral Fish Sage Pill, the Fathead Fish Demon cheerfully shook its head and swam towards the direction of the island. Jia Ren stood on the fish's back, staring at the island that was gradually drawing nearer.

Where is Qingzhu Island?

A fair amount of time had passed while the Fathead Fish Demon swam, yet the silhouette of Qingzhu Island remained elusive. The number of islands was diminishing; the Qunxing Archipelago was getting farther away until it vanished from sight.

Something was not right!

The Fathead Fish had been staying inside the Mountain and River Pearl and should not have lost its way.

Could it be that being under the influence of the Misleading Bizarre had caused my vision to become abnormal? The scenery I am seeing might be different from that perceived by a normal person. I should still rely on the Fathead Fish Demon...

After an indeterminable amount of travel, he could see nothing but the boundless sea. The Qunxing Archipelago had long disappeared.

"WHIMPER! WHIMPER! WHIMPER!"

The Fathead Fish seemed confused. It realized it had... lost its way.

'Master, where is home?'

The Fathead Fish Demon was also affected by the Misleading Bizarre and got lost with him.

A Spirit Beast staying inside the Mountain and River Pearl can still be influenced? Or... can being lost be contagious?! We can't keep going like this!

The Western Extreme Sea is vast. Once lost within it and unable to distinguish directions, the consequences would be unimaginable. Not to mention the possibility of accidentally entering the territory of High-Rank Demon Beasts and being chased by them. If one were to be trapped deep at sea without landmarks as coordinates, the trouble would only get worse...

I don't want to drift at sea for years on end.

Jia Ren became unsettled and ordered the Fathead Fish to stop moving, to prevent getting even farther from home. He activated the Demon-Spotting Talisman and felt relieved only when he sensed no powerful demonic presences nearby.

I had not taken the Misleading Bizarre seriously, thinking this kind of Bizarre Demon lowered the standard. Amongst the demons as fearsome as Primordial Fierce Beasts, there were many imposters... Now I've realized that even the nearly harmless Misleading Bizarre should not be underestimated. It possesses an inconceivable ability.

"The influence of the Misleading Bizarre can't possibly continue indefinitely, especially when it's sealed," Jia Ren muttered to himself. "Without the Misleading Bizarre's constant interference, the strange power is like water without a source; it can't last long. It won't be too late to return home once the bizarre power disappears."

There were no islands nearby, so Jia Ren used the Demon-Spotting Talisman to find a sea beast's lair, drove the beast out, and took its place. He set up a simple Formation and got to work creating Spirit Absorbing Talismans, while the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command continuously produced Banishing Evil Talismans.

The Bizarre Demons were weak, so the Wicked Flame generated was minor. Consequently, the transformation and storage efficiency of the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command was not high. The daily output of Wicked Flame was limited, generating slightly over three hundred Banishing Evil Talismans. The quantity was somewhat decent, with the advantage of a continuous daily supply. The stronger the Bizarre Demon, the more Wicked Flame it produces. If the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command could seal a powerful Bizarre Demon, the daily output of Banishing Evil Talismans would increase even more.

It's a pity the Inscriptions for transformation and storage are slightly lacking! If the transformation Inscriptions were fully developed, the amount of Wicked Flame produced by Bizarre Demons could increase at least severalfold.

Magic Artifacts have their limits, and Jia Ren had reached the maximum potential for inscribing them.

To go further and fulfill my wishes, only Magical Treasures are the option...

Magical Treasures are exclusive to Golden Core Cultivators. Without reaching the Golden Core Stage, there's no possibility of creating them. The Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command is enough for a Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage and can be considered the strongest Artifact for Quelling Trickery just below Magical Treasures.

I will plan on refining a Magical Treasure for Quelling Trickery after breaking through to the Golden Core Stage. Let's make several more Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands.

Jia Ren still had plenty of Xuan Ming Stone materials in reserve. If one Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command was not enough, then he would create ten.

Wouldn't the daily production of Banishing Evil Talismans increase tenfold?

「A month later.」

Jia Ren held a freshly refined Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command in his hands, a smile on his face. The newly acquired Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands numbered a total of five.

I wanted to refine more, but unfortunately, the Xuan Yang Gems were all used up and needed replenishing.

"Am I finally not affected by the Misleading Bizarre's influence?" he wondered aloud. "I can leave now!"

Jia Ren soared into the sky, using the Spirit Eye Technique to look out, but it was still a vast sea everywhere. He determined his direction roughly based on the vague sensations of the Spirit Insect in the Cave.

「After traveling for half a day.」

He finally saw the Qunxing Archipelago.

"I am finally back..."

The Misleading Bizarre had no killing power, but its sensory misguidance was extremely terrifying. For the first time, Jia Ren truly understood how terrifying it was to be lost; at sea, the consequences were unimaginable. Fortunately, he hadn't let the Fathead Fish Demon wander blindly. If they had ventured beyond the sensory range of the Spirit Insects and Spirit Beasts, he feared it would have been difficult to find the way back home...

He wasn't in a hurry to return to his Cave but headed for the Tianxing Trade Association instead. To refine Evil Warding Artifacts, the consumption rate of Xuan Yang Gems was extremely fast. The Tianxing Sect had channels to procure Warding Off Evil Spirit Jade and delivered a batch every year. Jia Ren had always got his stock from the Tianxing Trade Association, accumulating quite a few Xuan Yang Gems.

After spending tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, he cleared out the Xuan Yang Gems at the Tianxing Trade Association and also bought a large number of materials for making First-Order Talisman Pills to produce Banishing Evil Talisman Pills. The activation requirements for the Banishing Evil Talisman were not high; First-Order Talisman Pills met the conditions. The two major expenses shrunk. The price of Fu Wan was only one-fiftieth of what it was at its peak, plummeting production costs. Henceforth, the Banishing Evil Talisman Pill would become the most cost-effective Fu Wan, used in large quantities.

"Does the Tianxing Trade Association still have any Bizarre Demons for sale?"

"Buying more?" The Commerce Guild Steward looked at Jia Ren strangely. Wasn't one Misleading Bizarre enough? Was this a special hobby of collecting Bizarre Demons? Spending a fortune in Spirit Stones on Bizarre Demons was distressing!

"I still need to consult with the higher-ups of the Sect; I will provide an answer shortly," the Steward said.

The Tianxing Trade Association had long-distance communication artifacts. The Steward contacted the Tianxing Sect and received a response after a short while.

"I am afraid I will disappoint Daoist Shi. The vast majority of Bizarre Demons of the Tianxing Sect are recorded with the Town Demon Alliance and not suitable for sale. There aren't any suitable Bizarre Demons for the time being. We will contact our familiar Bizarre-Suppressing Guards. Perhaps we can purchase some Bizarre Demons from them. As soon as there is news, we will contact Daoist Shi at the first opportunity."

The Tianxing Sect found it inappropriate to sell Bizarre Demons already recorded by the Town Demon Alliance. They had already benefited from the Town Demon Alliance regarding these sealed Bizarres and dared not try to profit twice. The Town Demon Alliance was no small force. It wielded widespread influence in various regions, and many powerful Cultivators had joined it. The Tianxing Sect could not afford to provoke such a power. The Tianxing Sect wouldn't be shortsighted for the sake of a few Bizarre Demons and invoke the wrath of such a colossal entity. The only maneuverable space lay in the Bizarre Demons that were freshly captured and not yet registered.

"I'll wait for your good news," Jia Ren replied.

The supply from the Tianxing Sect was unstable. Who knew how long it would take to gather the required number.

Jia Ren returned to his Cave on Qingzhu Island and became busy. In the blink of an eye, half a year passed. He slowly walked out of the Cave, his face revealing irrepressible excitement. By now, all the raw Xuan Ming Stone had been used up, and a total of twelve Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands had been refined.

Xuan Yang Gem and Xuan Ming Stone were both materials for Warding Off Evil, yet valued differently. The former could only be used to create Evil Warding Artifacts and was slightly less valuable. Xuan Ming Stone was different: Artifacts for Quelling Trickery, formations for Sealing Strange Beasts, and Suppressing Ghoul Talismans all utilized Xuan Ming Stone. Warding Off Evil wasn't the same concept as sealing bizarres. The price was worlds apart, with Xuan Ming Stone being considered a strategic resource by sects. They always sought to purchase in large quantities but would never distribute it outward. With Xuan Ming Stone in short supply, the production of Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands was limited by the material and couldn't continue.

Twelve Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands ought to be enough. If all twelve Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Commands were used to seal Bizarre Demons, even the lowest level ones, the daily production cap of Banishing Evil Talismans could increase to three thousand six hundred. With stronger Bizarre Demons, the number of Banishing Evil Talismans produced would continue to rise. This pace was akin to a production line for Banishing Evil Talismans in the Cultivation World...

Still no news about Bizarre Demons from the Tianxing Sect?

Since purchasing the Misleading Bizarre, half a year had passed, yet no second Bizarre Demon had been delivered.

The price to purchase the remaining eleven Bizarre Demons wouldn't be a small sum. Putting aside whether I could afford it... Even if I could, revealing such extravagant wealth at my Foundation Establishment cultivation level would bring significant trouble. I can only rely on myself. To obtain more Bizarre Demons, a positive cycle for Banishing Evil Talismans must be formed. And then use the Banishing Evil Talismans to seal even more Bizarre Demons.

The more Banishing Evil Talismans Jia Ren had, the less pressure he faced when confronting Bizarre Demons. As long as he did not encounter a truly formidable Bizarre Demon, the Banishing Evil Talisman Pill's swarm tactic could sweep through them. How could weaker Bizarre Demons withstand such devastation?

Jia Ren left Wanling Island. Without returning to his Cave, he flew towards the area where, according to his memory, the Dream Bizarre resided, along with the twin Bizarre Demon—a flower that grew from flesh and blood. It was an extremely rare Bizarre Object.

Bizarre Demons were numerous and varied. There were Anomalies that altered rules, powerful and unfathomable Bizarre Demons, Yao-type parasitic Bizarre Demons, and in addition to these, Bizarre Objects. The most common were Bizarre Demons; Anomalies, Yao-type Bizarre Demons, and Bizarre Objects were all rare.

Having killed an emissary of the Bizarre Alliance, Jia Ren had observed the Flesh Fiend Pill and the special Mysterious Instrument, so his ability to accept new concepts was strong. Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures could be used to refine Magic Artifacts and Elixirs.

If Bizarre Objects were regarded as mutated Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, then it stands to reason they could be used to refine Bizarre Talismans or Mysterious Pills. Forget Mysterious Pills. Even if I did manage to refine such a thing, I wouldn't dare consume it.

What Jia Ren wanted to refine the most was a Bizarre Talisman.

If it had been before, I definitely wouldn't have had such courage. Now, with the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command and after more than half a year of refining countless Banishing Evil Talisman Pills, snatching food from the tiger's mouth—seizing the Bizarre Object—should not be an issue.

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