The old man have the strength of peak Nascent Soul-Stage. Here in the Azure Territory, this kind of strength is the same with Grand Elder of sects and organizations, very strong and impressive. However, to think that he was reduce to robbing others.

If Cole was just a normal cultivator, he'll be robbed if he don't have any kind of protection.

Of course, Cole was not any means normal since he could bid for many items in a big auction.

Death really brought out the very bad characteristics of any creature due to desperation. No matter how hard it is to lived, creatures still struggle to live a long life.

The eldery walk to him quite slowly but Cole could see that it was very stable, it seems that the elder was very powerful in his stage.

"Are you sure that you want to rob us?" Cole ask, not directed only to the elder man but towards to the others that was hiding in the dark too.

The elder stop on his track, raise his head and answered to Cole with serious tone, "Treasures shouldn't be at the hand of the weak."

The implication was that treasures are only rightfully for the strong and not for the weak who don't have the ability to protect them.

This was a very example of honest man, guilty jade.

Cole shakes his head in pity which greatly offended the elderly.

It's true that robbing is a crime, and an elder robbing an junior at that, but it was still very shameful when pointed out!

In his anger, he released a great momentum, killing intent rose from his old body which is directed to Cole.

"Die!" He exclaimed and appear at front of Cole and Celia in a second, his palm contain a great amount of energy and use it to attack them!

Cole raise his head but didn't made any action. It was Celia who appear in front of the old man and intercept the older man's attack with a punch of her.

The old man eyes looks very ruthless in that moment, not even hesitating on killing juniors. When he saw her casual punch, his ruthlessness deepen even more as he could see that she's underestimating him.

Bam!

However, fear immediately appear in his wrinkled face when their attacks meet. That casual punch, who don't even have a ounce of energy in it, actually contain a force more powerful than him!

Crack~!

"Ahh!!" He screamed. He wanted to retreat and withdraw his arm but it was all to late as his bone have been ground to dust. His arms was full of wounds and great amount of blood was flowing out from it.

The elder an greeted his teeth as he retreat, using all of his own to avoid screaming again. When he created some distance between her, he raise his head and look at her with great hatred but the fear in his eyes can't be hidden.

The outcome of that fast quick exchange of move can be clearly seen. Even those who's hiding in the dark felt fear after they saw the elders' hand that was just hanging limply. In fact, that arm just remain attached becuase of the skin.

What more, they could also tell that the elder man use all of his strength in that attack, a great example of lion utilizing all of its ability on hunting rabbit, but the little girl just use her own flesh and casual punch to intercept that attack, perhaps utilizing just 50%, or might be more lower, of her power.

All of the spectators felt chill in their back. What more if she use her full strength and energy? They might just explode to blood mist then!

Without wasting another second, all of them decided to drop their plan and escape while they still have the chance.

The elder man also thought of these. With that single exchange, he knew that he don't have the chance to win even if go all out. He might as well escape to keep his life. Although it was a great lose, receiving a grave injury but not even acquiring a little harvest, it was still better than being dead.

It's not needed to say that every cultivators are very powerful in escaping. It was a common tactics to escape when don't have the ability to win which was honed by many life and death situation.

Celia snort seeing this. At the same time, he fully used her soul strength and use [Divine Sense] to scan the surrounding, finding all the location of the people hiding at the dark.

In the instant that the cultivators felt the soul force scanning them, they immediately felt grave and started to use everything in their arsenal to escape. It was because they felt a great pressure from that soul strength! And since most of them are people at Peak-Stage of Nascent Soul, only needing a chance to made a breakthrough, there's only one explanation why they felt pressured from the simple [Divine Sense] scanning, it was a soul strength comparable or at the level of Void Sensing!

Why they have to be blinded by their greed? Now, although they didn't do any attack, the other party will also attack them as their intention to them while watching in the dark are very clear! They were trying to fish in troubled water!

With a disdain in her voice, she said, "Don't dream of escaping," and summon [Parasitic Worm Mist] with the same amount of people in the surrounding, ten parasites. Then those ten worm parasites flew towards different direction with a speed comparable to bullets.

"Ah! What technique is this?!"

"Demonic technique?! Demonic cultivator?!"

"Release me at once or you'll face my family's wrath!"

"The worm enter my body!"

"No, it enter into my Sea of Consciousness!"

Different exclaim of surprise, threats and shock rang out in different part of the forest. However, just seconds after and cry of despair, pain and pleeding replaced it.

"Ahh!! Help me!!"

"Please stop! I can give you all my treasure! I can be your slave!"

"Ahh! Why is the [Teleportation Talisman] not working?!"

"Demonic cultivator! The buddhist will exterminate you in the future!! Just you wait! Ahh!"

Cole, who can't hold his curiosity, use his [Divine Sense] too to see what is happening to those people. But what he saw makes his hair raise...

Since the elder man who attack them are the nearest to him, the moment he release his [Divine Sense], he clearly see the process of its body getting dry to visible rate and not before long he died like a mummy.

The others whose more younger have their hair turn white and their body turn wrinkly, they visibly turn old in a second before dying like a mummy, devoid of any moisture.

It only need a few matter of second before the people all died like that. Beside having a similar outcome of death, all of the people that died also have the same expression of being in pain, as though they died while experiencing a soul wrenching one.

Without her informing him, Cole knew that this move is Celia's new comprehended ability, [Essence Extract]. Just like what its name said, this ability will extract the essence of the target, which is blood, flesh and bones. And since the essence was extracted by the body of those people, it explain why all of them died with mummified corpse.

Cole was about to retract his [Divine Sense] when he saw the mummified corpse become dust and got blowed by the wind... With that, all of the evidence have vanished. If he didn't saw it with his own [Divine Sense], he won't believe that there's something scary happen here.

It's no wonder cultivators resented demonic cultivators, just the visual it gave are already unacceptable...

Moments later, the ten worm parasites returns, however, instead of being the usual purple color, the worms become crimson red as though it was made of blood. Even its size have double.

He don't know why but the moment he saw those blood red worms, he didn't like it at first glance. As though it was full of resentment. Although he could feel that is was very beneficial to consume, he could tell that it will also corrupt him.

Suddenly, Grand Elder Caira reveal herself and look at Celia with sharp gaze.

It was only then Cole remember her. Instantly, he felt worried. Demonic path cultivators are the number enemy of righteous path cultivators. If sighted, they will immediately get killed. And knowing the Grand Elder, in addition to the way she look at them strangely, he could tell that she's ready to attack and kill.

Eventhough he don't know what her real strength, but since she's the protector of Five Element Sect's seedling, he knew that she's powerful. Not someone he could, they could, contend at the meantime. If she really wanted to eliminate, he don't know if he could save Celia.

Suddenly, there's a calm voice talk in his head, "Junior, relax. I could clearly tell that she's(Grand Elder) waiting for her(Celia) next move. If Lady Celia are really a demonic path cultivator, or beast, she'll really eliminate him."

It was Baldy, the Artifact Spirit of Purifying Evil Radiance Orb, who speak inside his Sea of Consciousness.

Cole's body visibly relax. However, he remain alert and watch Grand Elder Caira with all of his focus.

At the same time, he ask Baldy, "Why do you say so?"

"In fact, your thoughts are correct. Essences are very beneficial as the cultivation of the target are on that essence worms. It contains a good amount of energy, no different from what pills have, which could accelerate and even increase cultivation. But, just as you thought, it have a detrimental effect. Those essences also contains the remnant emotion of the victim, the injustice and resentment they felt after they die, are also in their. If consumed, it will corrupt the cultivators mind, making them crazy and attack whoever they saw, family or not, killing many people. This was the main reason why they were call demonic cultivators, they have lose their sense and kill anyone just to increase their own power." He pause, "The main indicator becoming cultivator is having their eyes red and their perverted expression. If she consume it and her eyes turn red, it was the sign that she got corrupted by resentment and become demonic cultivator. If that happens, Grand Elder Caira will really dispose her."

After Baldy longly explains, Cole remain silent as he digested the new information.

If that was really like how Baldy said, then he could clearly relate why demonic cultivators are hated by the masses as it was almost the same with drug addicts back at Earth.

For cultivators, there's nothing more addicting than having your own strength increase. If they tasted the first effect of demonic cultivation and its very beneficial effect, they'll get addicted and will repeat it again and again. And since demonic cultivator consume many resentment of his target, he'll gradually loss his reason until he fall into deeply and even goes to the extreme, killing massively.

It was really no different from drug addiction.

While they were currently in stalemate and waiting for Celia's next move, the red worms have gathered themselves and made a big orb of blood then floated on top of Celia's hand. Then, a purple flame rose from her hands and burn the red ball of blood entirely.

Instantly, black smoke rise and released back into Heaven and Earth. But that smoke was not a simple smoke that result from fire, it was actually the resentment those essences contains. The phenomenon was the resentment being refined out by that blood worm essences. This means that the essences are currently being refined by Celia, removing the detrimental effect.

Moments later, there's no more smoke wafting out. Celia then withdraw her [Soul Fire].

After that, the essences was revealed again. But this time, Cole could only feel benefits and no detrimental effect. She succeed on refining the resentment energy out of the blood essence! The blood essence have turn into pure elixir!

Instantly, Grand Elder Caira's killing intent vanish and she go back to being amiable elder. But what they didn't know was Grand Elder felt very conflicted in that moment.

Yes, going crazy and corrupted are the most scariest part of being demonic path cultivator but the second scary fact about them was they were undoubtedly have a very fast progress in their cultivation. It was like having a shortcut. But what if they removed that detrimental effect? Then that cultivator will become something scary in the near future!

She just hope that she'll not resort on killing innocent people to raise her level. Fortunately, with Cole around as her master, she's confident that it won't happen.

Since the problem was now gone, Celia finally absorb the essence from ten Peak Nascent Soul-Stage cultivator. And since she's also at the Peak of Tier-4, a great pressure descended on them which is very familiar to Grand Elder Caira.

It was the pressure brought by coming [Heaven Tribulation]! Grand Elder Caira look at Celia with hotted and greedy gaze...

It was only after suppressing with great effort did the pressure vanish and Celia finally absorb the essence without having a breakthrough. But without a doubt, her strength increase once again!

"Congratulations." Cole praise her and ruffle her head.

Meanwhile, Baldy grumble inside Cole's Sea of Consciousness, "I thought it's my time to shine!" And his bald head release a blinding light.