Chapter 3524: Ye Family's Great Change

Aperture-Opening Secret Arts, much like treasures, are categorized by rank. The techniques held or known by the Ye family can only open nine apertures. In contrast, the more advanced Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art allows for the opening of ten.

While nine signifies the extreme, ten symbolizes perfection.

The inscriptions on the walls of the Azure Lotus Creation Cauldron detail the cultivation methods for its first three layers, requiring rare auxiliary materials to successfully open the apertures.

"River of Stars Divine Sand, Pure Yang Jade Marrow, Yin-Yang Agate Stone... and Sky Moon Flowing Light Stone."

Wang Changsheng frowned deeply. These materials were all exceedingly rare; he had only heard their names and was unsure of their appearance.

The Fiery Spirit Tribe possesses a page from the Celestial Void Jade Scroll, which lists numerous immortal realm crafting materials. The third layer of the Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art requires several such materials as aids, and he was unsure if they could be acquired.

According to the Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art, successfully cultivating the first layer and opening one aperture doubles one's magic power. The second layer triples it, the third quadruples it, and so on.

Typically, a cultivator's magic power grows with their cultivation level. Among cultivators at the early Mahayana stage, those who advanced earlier undoubtedly possess deeper reserves, though the overall difference in magic power between peers isn't substantial.

Doubling one's magic power by opening a single aperture was an astonishing feat. When Wang Changsheng was in the early Mahayana stage, wielding a remnant Profound Heaven Treasure quickly depleted his magic power, preventing prolonged use. He estimated that a full Profound Heaven Treasure would exhaust his reserves in mere strikes. However, with an awakened Nascent Soul, he could unleash a Profound Heaven Treasure's full might for extended periods.

Upon reaching the mid-Mahayana stage, Wang Changsheng's magic power grew significantly, yet it wasn't double what it was in the early Mahayana stage. He estimated that a cultivator's magic power would only double from the early Mahayana stage upon reaching the late Mahayana stage.

This implied that even an early Mahayana cultivator, by opening a single aperture in their Nascent Soul, could possess magic power comparable to a late Mahayana cultivator. This was astonishingly potent, though thankfully, it didn't amplify divine sense.

Opening one aperture in the Nascent Soul allowed a cultivator to condense a natal divine ability, thereby significantly enhancing its power.

If cultivated to the late Mahayana stage with three apertures opened in the Nascent Soul, one's magic power would be four times that of an ordinary late Mahayana cultivator. Even in a direct clash of magic power, they could simply outlast and exhaust their opponent.

Wang Changsheng's gaze grew fervent. It was rumored that Heavenly Venerable Xuanling and Immortal Liu Yun possessed such immense power precisely because they had acquired Aperture-Opening Secret Arts.

He finally understood why Heavenly Venerable Xuanling and Immortal Liu Yun were so formidable: with their Nascent Souls opened, their strength had not merely increased marginally, but by severalfold.

The Blood Essence Grand Art boosts cultivation, or more accurately, magic power, by burning vital blood. However, its severe side effects made it impractical, and for Mahayana cultivators, the amplification it provided was negligible.

Compared to the Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art, the Blood Essence Grand Art was utterly inferior.

"This is an absolute family secret and must not be divulged," he instructed. "It's a Mahayana-level secret technique; no cultivator below the Mahayana stage is permitted to review it."

Wang Chuanlin acknowledged his instruction and withdrew.

Wang Changsheng's expression grew solemn. Who had inscribed the Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art onto the Azure Lotus Creation Cauldron? Or did the cauldron need to absorb even more potent lightning energy for the subsequent cultivation methods to appear? Perhaps the rest of the technique was recorded on another treasure entirely?

Unable to comprehend it, Wang Changsheng decided to set the thought aside. His immediate priority was to dispatch people to locate the auxiliary materials necessary for opening the apertures.

Even with a single opened aperture, his magic power would surpass that of a late Mahayana cultivator. Combined with the Grand Void Forging Spirit Art, both his magic power and divine sense would far exceed those of cultivators at his current level, resulting in an enormous boost to his overall strength.

Wang Changsheng retrieved his communication disk and contacted Wang Yongqian, instructing her to dispatch personnel to collect the auxiliary materials needed for opening the apertures. Naturally, he told her these materials were for artifact crafting.

It wasn't a lack of trust in Wang Yongqian, but the implications of this matter were immense. If word got out that the Wang family possessed an Aperture-Opening Secret Art, even the great clans would be deeply interested.

While great clans might possess their own Aperture-Opening Secret Arts, Wang Changsheng was unaware of their exact nature.

The Grand Void Forging Spirit Art, the Profound Infant Aperture-Opening Grand Art, and the Spirit Domain Cultivation Method were the three secret arts that formed the cornerstone of the Wang family's power. With six Mahayana cultivators and the potential addition of a Profound Heaven Treasure, the Wang family would genuinely become a great clan.

"Ancestor," Wang Yongqian reported, "Yu Shuang and her team went to the Myriad Spirit Abyss to eliminate ghost creatures and encountered an eighth-tier demonic beast undergoing a Grand Heavenly Tribulation. It might even be a Mahayana-stage ghost creature. What are your thoughts?"

"Understood," Wang Changsheng said. "I will go personally."

Wang Changsheng stated in a deep voice that whether it was an eighth-tier demonic beast or a Mahayana-stage ghost creature, it made no difference to him. It would be a perfect opportunity to test the power of his Spirit Domain.

Wang Chan and Wang Chan entered, providing a brief account of the incident.

"Come with me," Wang Changsheng said. "It will be a good opportunity to test its power and gauge my Spirit Domain."

Wang Changsheng led them away from Azure Lotus Island, making haste for the Myriad Spirit Abyss.

Meanwhile, at the Ye family stronghold in the Ice Soul Mountain Range of the Northern Icy Plains.

Ye Xuanfeng and Ye Yuxuan were seated in a white stone pavilion, engaged in conversation.

Ye Yuxuan, a newly advanced Mahayana cultivator of the Ye family, was highly skilled in divination.

"I performed divinations for Deacon Sun and Deacon Li," Ye Yuxuan stated. "Their journey to the Azure Origin Realm shows no ill omens. Ancestor Yunfei and the others should proceed smoothly."

As diviners cannot perform divinations for themselves or their close relatives, Ye Yuxuan had divined for two Body Integration stage guest elders before Ye Yunfei departed for the Azure Origin Realm with many cultivators. With neither showing ill omens, Ye Yunfei had felt reassured enough to lead the expedition.

Ye Xuanfeng nodded with satisfaction. Despite the positive divination, an inexplicable unease lingered within him, which was why he had summoned Ye Yuxuan for a discussion.

He pulled out a white, shimmering magic disk and cast an incantation into it. A panicked female voice immediately rang out: "This is terrible, Ancestor Xuanfeng! The natal soul lamps of three Mahayana cultivators have extinguished! More than half of the accompanying high-level cultivators' lamps have also gone out!"

Upon hearing this, both Ye Xuanfeng and Ye Yuxuan's expressions turned grim.

Losing three Mahayana cultivators at once was an immense blow.

"Whose Mahayana soul lamps are still lit?" Ye Xuanfeng pressed. "What about Sun Yang's and Li Hai's?"

"Ancestor Yunfei's and Ancestor Yuhuan's natal soul lamps are still lit," the woman reported truthfully. "There's nothing abnormal with Sun Yang's and Li Hai's."

"Activate the inter-realm communication array," Ye Xuanfeng commanded, his gaze somber. "Contact our clansmen in the Kunlun Realm and instruct them to watch for any news of Yuhuan and Yunfei. Report immediately upon receiving any information."

"Yes, Ancestor Xuanfeng," the woman replied.

Putting away the communication disk, Ye Xuanfeng's expression remained grim. The sudden loss of three Mahayana cultivators, particularly experienced ones, all at once, was a devastating blow.

Ye Yunfei had brought the Profound Heaven Treasure, the Golden Flood Dragon Wheel. Had they engaged a Mahayana cultivator from a great clan? Did the opponent also possess a Profound Heaven Treasure? Or perhaps their Spirit Domain had reached Grand Completion?

Several realms separated the Profound Sun Realm from the Azure Origin Realm. The Ye family had not established an inter-realm communication array in the Azure Origin Realm, not for lack of desire, but due to insufficient Void-Mithril Divine Crystals. While they had set up arrays in a few adjacent realms, more distant ones remained unconnected.

"Issue orders," Ye Xuanfeng commanded, "to select several promising talents from within the clan. Assist them in their breakthrough to the Mahayana stage. Hopefully, we can cultivate a few more Mahayana cultivators to fill this void."

Ye Xuanfeng issued his orders, knowing the Ye family possessed robust reserves and deep foundations. Despite the loss of three Mahayana cultivators, the family could, given time, cultivate several more, showcasing the true resilience of a major power.

In contrast, a smaller force or minor race would find it extremely difficult to recover from the loss of three Mahayana cultivators.

Ye Yuxuan acknowledged the command and departed.