Chapter 538 - 178: Gongsun Ziwei, Truly Cunning and Treacherous, Waiting to Reap the Fisherman’s Profit

"Master, I know a big reason you want the Free Ancient Talisman is so you can use it as the core to reconstruct a flawless physical body."

"Right now, you are only a Divine Soul residing in the Book of Mediation and Creation. Given your pride, you would never be willing to just casually possess any random body..."

Jiang Lan led Huangfu Hao, their bodies moving against the current as they dove into the Oceanic Trench. An eggshell-like barrier in front of them emitted a faint glow, holding back the seawater and crushing pressure.

Along the way, he used a Secret Skill to conceal their auras. They still encountered some powerful Demons that cruised past, but fortunately, Huangfu Hao also remained silent and didn’t startle them.

"You know quite a bit."

"However, I’m just a clone. After coming here, it’s no longer up to me to make the decisions," Huangfu Hao responded calmly.

"This clone of yours will have to merge with your main body sooner or later. Otherwise, you won’t be complete, and it will affect your future Harmonious Cultivation."

"So, my talking to you is more or less the same as talking to him," Jiang Lan said with a smile.

Huangfu Hao’s gaze flickered. "What is it you want to say to me?"

"Master Huangfu, help me obtain the Free Ancient Talisman. Once it’s done, I will tell you the location of the remaining Immortal Embryo Creation Dew," Jiang Lan said.

"Immortal Embryo Creation Dew?"

Huangfu Hao’s eyes narrowed. He knew a bit about Jiang Lan, but he wasn’t sure if Jiang Lan had always been hiding his true strength or if he had only started to show his brilliance after obtaining the Immortal Embryo Creation Dew.

But a Heaven and Earth Treasure of this caliber was indeed a great temptation for him.

However... how could he possibly believe Jiang Lan’s words?

"Fine. But even I am not confident I can obtain the Free Ancient Talisman. What makes you think you can?" Huangfu Hao said, his expression unchanging.

Jiang Lan smiled. "Master, you need not ask about my methods. The Wushang Demon God wants to use Helian Wen’s body to return to this world. If I’m not mistaken, Master, you’ve already tampered with Helian Wen’s body."

"After all, if the Wushang Demon God’s full power were to arrive, you would surely be at a disadvantage in a contest against him for the Free Ancient Talisman. With your cunning, you would have certainly anticipated this."

Huangfu Hao’s expression didn’t change, but inwardly he shuddered. ’This guy is truly terrifying. His mind is so meticulous, it’s practically flawless.’

"You’re right. Inside Helian Wen’s body, I’ve placed the Blood and Flesh Sumeru Killing Array. After so many years of fighting and training in the Demon Abyss, every one of his cells has been infused with Demonic Qi. This has made his body a more perfect vessel, and at the same time, a more secure one."

"When the majority of the Wushang Demon God’s will descends to merge with the body, this Array will activate. His own flesh and blood will become his prison, and the Void itself will refine his soul, causing him to be trapped in his own cocoon. However, the Wushang Demon God is still probing and hasn’t sent the vast majority of his will over yet..." Huangfu Hao said faintly.

Jiang Lan wasn’t surprised by this.

Right now, Helian Wen’s will was a chaotic mess. He was under no one’s control, acting only on his instincts of hatred.

’So things must be pretty lively over at the Tantai Family. I did warn Tantai Qing. She’s so cunning and cautious, she’s not likely to die.’

"In the deal the Wushang Demon God made with you, he probably promised to use his Demon God Origin to reconstruct a Demon Body for you. But Demon Gods are so cunning, how could he truly agree to that?"

"Master, you and my father were fellow disciples. When you think about it, I’m the only one who wouldn’t harm you and would make a deal in good faith," Jiang Lan said seriously.

"A Demon God doesn’t have as many schemes as you."

Hearing this, Huangfu Hao could only sneer inwardly. ’If I actually believed Jiang Lan, he’d devour me, bones and all.’

Of course, Jiang Lan didn’t completely believe what Huangfu Hao had just said either.

’I was just probing him. It seems that besides the promise from the Wushang Demon God, Huangfu Hao must have gotten something else. Otherwise, an empty promise would hardly be enough to convince a man as shrewd as him to make a deal. The Demon God’s Fang I’m holding came from the Barbarian Race, but there’s no guarantee Huangfu Hao’s main body doesn’t have something similar. After all, the Free Ancient Talisman was condensed from the very essence of a long-dead Celestial Demon. To activate it, one would surely need something from a similar source. That Wushang Demon God made a deal not only with Barbarian God Wu of the Barbarian Race but also with Huangfu Hao. It just goes to show how determined he is to get the Free Ancient Talisman.’

At this moment, through a thread of Cause and Effect, Jiang Lan sensed the location of Huangfu Hao’s main body. It was in a ruined ancient city not far away on the seafloor, where the Demonic Qi was far less dense than in the depths of the Oceanic Trench beneath their feet.

He pondered for a moment, then produced one of the three Talismans Jiang Lintian had given him before he left the Prime Minister’s Mansion.

As the white Talisman flashed with light, his figure became faint and indistinct, as did the clone of Huangfu Hao beside him.

There were three Talismans in total: one for heaven-deceiving concealment, one for slaughtering attacks, and one for swift escape.

With this Heaven-Deceiving Talisman active, he didn’t have to worry about Huangfu Hao’s main body detecting him for a short while.

’Keeping Uganda’s head was for this very moment.’

Jiang Lan had no intention of letting this clone of Huangfu Hao know his secrets, so he had just clouded its five senses.

He then found a relatively flat area, planted a few flags, and set up a Sealing Array, trapping Huangfu Hao’s clone within it.

"What is the meaning of this?" Huangfu Hao’s clone was bound by the God-Binding Rope, and its five senses were clouded. Now it truly couldn’t see or sense anything, completely and utterly blind.