I, a Demonic Nascent Soul Patriarch, Begin by Snatching a Cheat

Five years later.

North Star Island, tens of thousands of nautical miles from Soul Wraith Island, was an affiliated island under Soul Wraith Island’s jurisdiction. The island was permanently guarded by three Golden Core cultivators, the strongest of whom was only at Mid-Golden Core.

This was also a frequent destination for Canfeng, who often collaborated with the island’s Golden Core cultivators to conduct shady, off-the-books dealings.

At that moment, deep within a hidden chamber on North Star Island, two figures were deep in conversation.

Canfeng lounged lazily on the main stone seat, legs crossed. He wore a black martial arts outfit, a skull embroidered on his left shoulder, and several scars crisscrossed his face—marks left from years of relentless combat.

At his side, a man clad in purple animal hide stood with his hands at his sides, daring not to show the slightest displeasure, respectfully pouring tea like a servile dog. This man was none other than the Island Lord of North Star Island, whose cultivation was also at Mid-Golden Core.

At that moment, the Island Lord wore a flattering expression as he looked at Canfeng, taking out a wooden box and slowly opening it.

Inside lay a bloody, severed head.

Canfeng took the box, weighed it in his hands a couple of times, his eyes flickering with spiritual light as he carefully probed it with his divine sense.

Then he nodded. With a wave of his hand, a mass of Cyan Flames roared to life, instantly incinerating both the box and the head to ashes.

“Not bad. You work fast. That traitor was dealt with cleanly.”

His voice was slightly sharp and hoarse.

The North Star Island Lord quickly waved his hand, his tone dripping with exaggerated respect.

“Brother Canfeng jests. I merely killed an ant at the False Core stage, not even one-tenth as impressive as your exploits. I chased this man for an entire day and night before finally succeeding. I cut off his head and brought it back, haha.”

As he spoke, he retrieved a storage pouch from his waist and swiftly handed it over.

“Ah, right. This storage pouch holds sixty thousand spirit stones, all dirty goods from that brat’s pouch. I took the liberty of disposing of them on your behalf, so they wouldn’t offend your eyes. Business is business, Brother Canfeng, please take it.”

Canfeng didn’t stand on ceremony. With a wave, he snatched the pouch, weighed it, and fastened it to his waist. He had no doubt that a False Core cultivator could possess sixty thousand spirit stones, and he spoke with satisfaction.

“Haha, good. You really know how to handle things. When the Grand Ancestor returns to the island, I’ll put in a good word for you before the old ancestor.”

The North Star Island Lord’s smile was impossible to suppress upon hearing this, his eyes narrowing into slits.

“Ah, I was only doing my duty. I always look up to the prestige of Brother Canfeng and the Soul Wraith Grand Ancestor!”

Just as the two were enjoying their conversation, the sounds of battle suddenly erupted from beyond the island—screams rising and falling, accompanied by faint ripples of magical power, as if two groups were locked in fierce combat.

Canfeng impatiently picked at his ear, rising from the stone seat.

“What’s going on? Brother North Star, are you holding combat drills on your island?”

The North Star Island Lord frowned, confusion written all over his face as he straightened up slightly, attempting to extend his divine sense outward.

At that moment, a Foundation Establishment guard from the island stumbled in, his body bearing wounds—clearly having sustained serious injury just moments ago.

“Island Lord, it’s bad! A group of people suddenly attacked out of nowhere! They have several Golden Core cultivators too! Elder Wan and Elder Gao can’t hold out much longer!”

“What?”

The North Star Island Lord cried out in alarm, his eyes darting rapidly as he desperately tried to recall who he might have offended recently.

Canfeng, however, looked thoroughly annoyed. With a wave of his hand, his natal magical artifact—a massive gray-white skull hammer—appeared in his grip, magical power swirling around it. He slammed it into the ground, smashing a large crater in the chamber, and let out a cold snort.

“Who is so audacious? Don’t they know this is Soul Wraith Island’s territory? Utterly reckless!”

The two exchanged a glance, then transformed into streaks of cyan and gold light, shooting straight out of the chamber and soaring toward the island’s skies.

Upon reaching the skies above North Star Island, Canfeng looked out and saw flashes of spiritual light erupting across the island, the sounds of magical collisions unending, figures occasionally flying overhead as they clashed. The invaders numbered at least a hundred, all at Foundation Establishment stage or above.

Just as the two were about to strike, a figure came flying backward in their direction.

“Elder Gao!”

The North Star Island Lord instantly recognized the figure. Raising his hand, he channeled magical power to catch the man, his divine sense sweeping over Elder Gao’s entire body in an instant.

Elder Gao was drenched in blood, his clothes tattered, his meridians shattered, his Golden Core nearly fractured—his life hung by a thread.

Canfeng frowned. From the first sounds of battle to now, only a few breaths had passed. In such a short time, someone had brought a Golden Core cultivator to the brink of death—who had such power?

Just as he looked up, a gruff, cold snort rang out from afar.

“Canfeng? No! I should call you the Young Island Lord of Soul Wraith Island now. I didn’t expect to run into you here. I thought you’d already been refined by that old fiend Jiuyou.”

Canfeng looked up to see a middle-aged man with a goatee hovering several hundred zhang away, staring at him with unwavering intensity. The aura emanating from this man was unmistakably that of Late Golden Core.

“Canhuo? You’re still alive, and you’ve broken through to Late Golden Core!”

A flicker of surprise passed through Canfeng’s eyes. But recalling the trump card the Grand Ancestor had left him before departing, his heart steadied. He gently patted his storage pouch, his gaze full of scrutiny as he sized up the opponent.

“What, the Grand Ancestor couldn’t refine you back then, and now you’re so eager to come back and court death?”

“Courting death? Haha, I’d like to see who’s really courting death!” Canhuo laughed coldly, then abruptly raised his hand. Five more streaks of light flew in from all directions, their oppressive auras dense—five more Golden Core cultivators.

Among them, one Mid-Golden Core cultivator was clutching a corpse. Flying closer, he threw the corpse directly out—it was the other Golden Core elder, Wan, from North Star Island.

Seeing this, the North Star Island Lord broke out in cold sweat. The enemy had a full six Golden Core cultivators—one Late, two Mid, and three Early—far beyond what the two Mid-Golden Cores could handle.

His gaze darted frantically between Canfeng and the six opponents, his heart pounding wildly.

At that moment, Canfeng suddenly let out a sinister, chilling laugh that echoed across the entire island. The laughter sent shivers down the spine. His face showed no fear, only eyes full of contempt.

Canhuo couldn’t help but frown. Taking a step forward in midair, he pointed at Canfeng, his voice tinged with anger.

“On the brink of death, and you’re laughing? Have you lost your mind?”

“Haha…”

Canfeng’s laughter showed no sign of stopping. In his hand, a jade pendant had somehow appeared, and he was silently activating it, pouring magical power into it without pause.

“Of course, I’m laughing at certain clueless fools who don’t know when they’re already dead.”

Before the words faded, a sudden change erupted!

Countless wisps of dense fog surged out from Canfeng’s body, spreading outward in all directions. Within the fog, cyan-blue flames ignited from nowhere, the temperature plummeting, a bone-chilling cold setting in. The surrounding space began to warp, and spiritual energy erupted in chaos without warning.

And Canfeng’s aura began to climb at a terrifying speed—Late Golden Core, Golden Core Peak, Half-Step Nascent Soul… and it was still rising!

It was as if something terrifying was about to burst out from within him.

Beside him, the North Star Island Lord’s eyes bulged as he felt the soul-shaking aura emanating from Canfeng. His legs went weak, nearly causing him to fall from the sky.

Only one thought filled his mind: Thank goodness… thank goodness I’m on his side.

Across from them, Canhuo’s pupils contracted sharply. A fear that came from the depths of his soul seized his heart in an instant. He roared desperately.

“No! Kill him now!”

The other five Golden Core cultivators reacted with lightning speed. The moment they sensed something wrong, they struck, unleashing spells, divine abilities, and magical treasures all at once. A barrage of multicolored spiritual light surged toward Canfeng from all directions.

Just at this critical, hair-trigger moment.

Canfeng suddenly looked up. His eyes had turned a dark cyan. From his mouth came a hoarse, piercing voice that was utterly unlike his own.

“Invoking the Grand Ancestor’s Possession!”