Chapter 189 The Old Demon
Half an hour later, the figure of the old demon appeared at the door of the reception room.
His appearance was like a giant mountain slowly approaching, his imposing aura making people breathless. "All of you stay outside. Do not act without my order."
When the guards heard that it was the order from the old demon, they quickly retreated to the sides and made way for a path.
These years, in order to concentrate on cultivation and strive to break through to the Dou Zun level before his life span is up, the old demon has rarely come forward to deal with matters in the valley. Most of the affairs are left to the three elders to handle.
But as the founder of the Demon Flame Valley and the only Dou Zong expert in the valley, even though he rarely shows up, he still has absolute prestige in the valley.
After a while, Xiao Ling met the old demon who was famous in the Black Horn Region.
The old demon was wearing a yellow skull robe, with a thin face, almost skin and bones, like a skull. His deep-set eyes were shining with a faint light, like a ghost fire, revealing a bit of weirdness and gloom.
Although Xiao Ling had anticipated the image of the old demon, he still felt a little surprised when he actually saw him.
He knew that this old man's strength was unfathomable and his methods were ruthless. Although he had many cards up his sleeve, he still had to deal with them with caution.
The old demon's gaze swept over Xiao Ling. Those eyes, which seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, made Xiao Ling feel a little uncomfortable.
But Xiao Ling did not retreat. He met the gaze of the old demon. Their eyes collided in the air. Although there was no substantial confrontation, the tense atmosphere in the air suddenly increased.
"Are you the Tang San mentioned in the dialect? From the so-called Bashu Tang Sect?" The old demon's voice was hoarse and low, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat, carrying a chilling power.
Xiao Ling nodded slightly and responded in a deep voice: "It is me. I know that the Valley Master is very busy. I am here to visit you today because I want to discuss a deal that will benefit both parties."
The old demon's mouth curled up with a hint of playful smile. He looked at Xiao Ling, as if evaluating the true intentions of this young Dou Zong: "Trade? My Demon Flame Valley is rich in resources and rarely needs things from the outside world. What bargaining chips do you have that can impress my Demon Flame Valley?"
Xiao Ling smiled slightly, knowing that at the critical moment, whether he could arouse the interest of the old demon depended on whether his chips were attractive enough.
A white light flashed in his hand, and a pill floated in Xiao Ling's palm.
"This is a Sect Breaking Pill. For any strong man at the peak of the Douhuang level, its value is self-evident. I am willing to exchange this pill for Guigu's method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet." Xiao Ling's voice echoed in the reception room with a hint of unquestionable firmness.
When Fang Yan, who was standing aside, saw the Po Zong Dan that Xiao Ling took out, a golden light flashed in his eyes. He knew that this pill meant a lot to him. If he could get it, perhaps he could realize his wish of many years.
However, there was not much emotion in the eyes of the old demon. Regarding the information about "Heavenly Demon Puppet", only a few senior people in the entire Demon Flame Valley knew about it. Now, people outside the Demon Flame Valley had got the news. This made the old demon wonder whether there was a traitor in the Demon Flame Valley.
His voice suddenly became cold, and the aura around him gradually became icy, and the temperature in the reception hall suddenly dropped by dozens of degrees in an instant.
"Tang San, how did you know that my Demon Flame Valley has a Heavenly Demon Puppet? This is a secret of my Demon Flame Valley."
As soon as the old demon finished speaking, the atmosphere became more tense in an instant, as if even the air had frozen.
“Haha, this is naturally the news that my Tang Sect got from outside. As for whether there was a traitor in the Devil Flame Valley who leaked the news, I don’t know.”
Xiao Ling answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, while secretly accumulating strength to prepare for any conflict that might occur.
If this old demon really wanted to attack him, Xiao Ling would have no choice but to accept the body of this Dou Zong Seven-Star.
A hint of doubt flashed across the eyes of the old demon, and then it was replaced by gloom. He was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing something, and finally, an inexplicable smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Haha, I remember now. A few years ago, there was indeed a traitor in my Demon Flame Valley who escaped from the Valley secretly. However, not long after, I killed him personally. I guess the news about the Heavenly Demon Puppet was spread by him when he escaped."
As to whether this was true or not, Xiao Ling had no way of knowing.
“But Tang San, although the Sect Breaking Pill is precious, it is still not enough if you want to exchange it for the method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet.” The old Earth Demon said slowly.
Xiao Ling frowned slightly when he heard this. He knew that the old demon was just deliberately raising the price. However, he also clearly realized that if he wanted to complete the transaction smoothly, he had to show more sincerity.
In his opinion, the resources currently invested in obtaining the secret method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet are simply insignificant compared to the benefits that can be brought by refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet in the future.
Taking a deep breath, he calmly took out an exquisite jade box from the ring and gently opened the lid. A touch of lush green light came into his eyes. It was the Qingming Shoudan.
"In addition to the Pozong Pill, I am willing to add this Qingming Shoudan as a condition for exchange." Xiao Ling's tone was calm, although he felt a little reluctant about this sudden extra effort. "Such a generous condition should be enough to exchange for the method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet."
In a moment, he remembered the origin of the Qingming Shoudan.
At that time, in order to improve his alchemy skills, Xiao Yan exchanged the pill he got from Yun Yun with Xiao Ling in exchange for many rare medicinal materials. Now, this pill has become an important bargaining chip for his transaction with the Demon Flame Valley.
The old demon looked at the Qingming Shoudan and a gleam of light flashed in his eyes.
He was very clear about the value of this pill. A pill that could prolong life was a priceless treasure for any cultivator, even a Dou Zong powerhouse like him was no exception.
What's more, my life span is running out now, so I am naturally more eager for such elixir.
The atmosphere in the reception room became more tense. Xiao Ling and the old demon ghost met each other's eyes again, and both sides were trying to find out the other's bottom line.
The old demon was silent for a long time, as if he was weighing the value of the two pills and the method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet in his mind.
Finally, a satisfied smile appeared on his lips, and his voice was filled with a hint of pride: "Tang San, I feel your sincerity. I can give you the method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet, but you must remember that if this method is spread out, my Demon Flame Valley will definitely pursue it to the end."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old demon raised his hand lightly, and an invisible suction force gently sucked up the two pills in front of Xiao Ling, and then steadily put them into the storage ring between his fingers.
Then, the old demon took out an old bamboo slip from his sleeve, which was engraved with dense patterns.
Although the bamboo slips are old, they exude an indescribable luster and appear quite extraordinary.
He casually threw the jade slip to Xiao Ling, who swiftly grabbed it in his palm. The heavy weight in his heart finally fell to the ground. The goal of coming to the Demon Flame Valley this time was finally achieved.
After Xiao Ling took the bamboo slips, he glanced at the three large blood-red characters "Heavenly Demon Puppet" on it, and slowly spread out the bamboo slips in his hand. Those fine blood-red characters that exuded a bloodthirsty taste suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
"The Heavenly Demon Puppet, this method is neither a Kung Fu method nor an ordinary fighting skill, but a puppet technique passed down from ancient times.
To refine the Heavenly Demon Puppet, three things must be gathered together: the body, the soul, and the magic core.
Using the body as a tool, the soul as a guide, the magic core as the heart, and many other materials, it will eventually become a demon puppet. The demon puppets are divided into three categories: heaven, earth, and man. The difference in levels depends on the refining materials and the refining fire.
The demon puppet is extremely powerful and has no joy or sadness, no pain or injury. It is actually a killing weapon...
Xiao Ling took a rough look at the method of refining "Heavenly Demon Puppet" and confirmed that the old demon had not tampered with it. Then he nodded with satisfaction and put away the bamboo slips in his hand.
A faint smile appeared on his face, and he nodded slightly. Xiao Ling said confidently: "Don't worry, I, Tang San, have always been an upright person, and I will naturally not spread the content of this transaction."
As for Tang San's guarantee, whether it has anything to do with Xiao Ling, that's hard to say.
After getting what he wanted, Xiao Ling did not waste too much time and left the Demon Flame Valley directly.
The old demon stood at the door of the reception room, watching Xiao Ling leave. His eyes were deep, as if he was thinking about something.
His intuition over the years told him that it was definitely not a wise move to attack Xiao Ling. This young man had an indescribable temperament that made him feel deeply fearful.
(End of this chapter)