Wiping away the bloodstains, he carefully stitched the scattered flesh back together.
He removed the tattered clothes and replaced them with a brand new burial robe.
Chen Changsheng meticulously arranged the appearance of the corpse before him, executing each step with utmost precision and seriousness.
***
Half an hour later, the deceased's appearance was largely restored, even the teeth scattered around were gathered by Chen Changsheng.
After completing everything, Chen Changsheng patted the beast skin pouch at his waist with his right hand.
A fine coffin appeared before his eyes.
Placing the body into the coffin, Chen Changsheng began using a compass to find a feng shui treasure land nearby.
Digging the soil, carving the pit, and lowering the coffin for burial, even with the assistance of the Little Monk, it took Chen Changsheng a full two hours.
However, when it came to erecting the tombstone, Chen Changsheng paused his actions.
"Little Monk, to erect a tombstone, we need to know the deceased's name, and also write the name of the one erecting the stone.
What was his name?"
Upon hearing this, the Little Monk clasped his hands together and said, "This benefactor was the Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, nicknamed the Blood Demon Ancestor, but his exact name is unknown.
As for the one erecting the stone, the benefactor can handle it himself.
Due to the restrictions of my sect's rules, I cannot erect a stone for him."
Faced with this answer, Chen Changsheng clicked his tongue, then wrote on the tombstone.
"The Blood Demon Ancestor of the Heavenly Demon Sect is buried here—Funeral Escort."
A quick look at tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w will leave you more fulfilled.
Looking at the words on the tombstone, the Little Monk asked curiously, "Benefactor, is your nickname 'Funeral Escort'?"
"Sure! I sell coffins, specifically for collecting bodies and burying them. What else would I be if not a Funeral Escort?"
After speaking, Chen Changsheng turned to leave, waving his hand as he said.
"My work here is done, I'll be off now. If there's anything like this in the future, remember to find me."
Watching Chen Changsheng's departing figure, the Little Monk tilted his head in thought for a long time.
Because it was the first time he had encountered such a peculiar person.
There was an indescribable feeling about this person.
***
Linglong Town.
After returning to his Coffin Shop, Chen Changsheng immediately closed the door, then curiously looked at the tooth in his hand.
This tooth was discovered on the Blood Demon Ancestor.
At first glance, it seemed no different from an ordinary tooth, but upon closer inspection, one could see tiny formation patterns etched on it.
If it weren't for Chen Changsheng arranging the Blood Demon Ancestor's appearance, he would never have thought that even a tooth could be tampered with.
After carefully examining it, Chen Changsheng stroked his chin and murmured.
"It seems to be a storage-type formation. The Blood Demon Ancestor went to great lengths, so the contents inside must be extraordinary."
Saying this, Chen Changsheng waved his right hand, and over a dozen thick books appeared before him.
These books were all related to formations.
Chen Changsheng's talent for cultivation was abysmal; in fifty years, he had barely reached the third level of Qi Refining.
For those geniuses, this realm could be achieved in the time it takes to eat a meal.
After confirming his lack of cultivation talent, Chen Changsheng shifted his focus to formations and alchemy.
After all, these are things that can be accumulated, and Chen Changsheng loved tasks that required time and accumulation.
Lighting an oil lamp, Chen Changsheng began his research on the formation on the tooth.
Although Chen Changsheng had only learned some basic formation knowledge, and the formation laid by the Blood Demon Ancestor was quite advanced.
But none of this was a problem for Chen Changsheng, because he had a long lifespan.
If a day wasn't enough, then a month; if a month wasn't enough, then a year.
As long as Chen Changsheng didn't give up, the formation on the tooth would eventually be deciphered by him.
......
Three months quickly passed, and during these three months, Chen Changsheng barely left his house.
Fortunately, his Coffin Shop was usually deserted, otherwise, it would have attracted attention.
"Ah~"
Chen Changsheng let out a long breath, then stretched his somewhat stiff body.
After spending three months, Chen Changsheng finally broke the formation left by the Blood Demon Ancestor.
"Artificial Spiritual Root?"
Looking at the name of the book in his hand, Chen Changsheng's face was full of confusion.
A spiritual root is the foundation of a cultivator, and also the standard for measuring a cultivator's talent.
The most common ones are the Five Elemental Spiritual Roots, which are further divided into lower, middle, upper, and supreme grades.
Supreme Spiritual Roots are the pinnacle of cultivation talent, and there are also some variant spiritual roots.
These variant spiritual roots are also powerful, but it depends on the situation.
But among the various names for spiritual roots, he had never heard of the term "Artificial Spiritual Root"!
Thinking of this, Chen Changsheng became interested, as he loved learning about things he didn't know.
"Interesting, I must see what this Artificial Spiritual Root is all about."
Muttering to himself, Chen Changsheng opened the first page of the book.
As the words on the book came into view, Chen Changsheng realized this book was not a cultivation technique or secret art.
***
To be precise, it was a personal autobiography, recording the cultivation journey of the Blood Demon Ancestor.
The Blood Demon Ancestor's talent was not good; it could be considered the lowest in the cultivation world.
His spiritual root was a Five Elemental Mixed Spiritual Root, and the quality was extremely poor.
After struggling in the Qi Refining stage for many years, the Blood Demon Ancestor had a thought.
Since spiritual roots exist, is it possible to enhance their quality through postnatal cultivation?
With this thought in mind, the Blood Demon Ancestor immediately began experimenting.
However, this was almost a fantastical idea, and the Blood Demon Ancestor didn't dare to explore it on himself.
So, he began experimenting on living people.
As more and more people died at his hands, he actually discovered some clues about spiritual roots.
Spiritual roots cannot be enhanced in quality through pills, cultivation techniques, formations...
Or any means currently known to cultivators, but spiritual roots can enhance their quality by devouring other spiritual roots.
Upon discovering this secret, the Blood Demon Ancestor truly began his path of counterattack.
By devouring many weaker cultivators, the quality of the Blood Demon Ancestor's spiritual root improved.
In this virtuous cycle, the Blood Demon Ancestor's strength grew, eventually becoming a powerful figure.
But later on, the Blood Demon Ancestor's method seemed to encounter problems, and his frenzied slaughter attracted the siege of other sects.
At this point, the Blood Demon Ancestor's autobiography abruptly ended.
***
"This Blood Demon Ancestor was truly a genius! He could even figure out such bizarre methods."
Saying this, Chen Changsheng returned the book to the System Space.
"System, do you think the Artificial Spiritual Root mentioned by the Blood Demon Ancestor in the book is achievable?
The latter half of the autobiography frequently mentions the concept of an Artificial Spiritual Root, along with many hypotheses by the Blood Demon Ancestor. I think it makes a lot of sense."
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan