Chapter 260: Noble Lady's Assistance, Past of the Demon Luo

With both parties less than five paces apart, the sheer power unleashed by a pure body refiner, amplified by secret burst techniques, was enough to strike fear into any cultivator.

What's more, Wang Yu's other arrangements also took effect.

A thousand meters away, within the concealed formation, the Grand Yin Corpse Cultivation Coffin rapidly expanded, and the Yin Corpse leaped out, bowing decisively towards Old Demon Five Venoms from afar.

"Yin Corpse Malignity Curse!"

It was a top-tier corpse-path curse that significantly weakened its target! A 50% reduction would be unbearable even for a Nascent Soul cultivator. Naturally, for the curse to be effective, the disparity in cultivation realms between the two could not be too vast. Fortunately, Old Demon Five Venoms was unable to resist it.

After the Yin Corpse bowed, its task was complete, and it leaped back into the coffin. Next, the Lightning Corpse emerged.

The shadowy demonic dragon, formed from vital energy and blood, burst forth, carrying a torrent of murderous aura, as Wang Yu's Demonic Dragon Fist, infused with the Asura's killing intent, simultaneously attacked both body and mind! It launched Old Demon Five Venoms into the air, where it violently exploded.

At this moment, the Lightning Corpse leaped a thousand meters, gathering endless lightning on its body. With a deafening boom, a mushroom cloud rose from the ground. Old Demon Five Venoms was slammed back down. Simultaneously, Wang Yu activated the Heavenly Thunder Talisman Treasure for its final use, and a pillar of heavenly thunder, almost instantaneous, descended once more, blasting Old Demon Five Venoms even deeper into the ground.

This combo attack gave him no time to react. This time, Wang Yu felt there was an 80% chance of success. He refused to believe a rogue cultivator at the seventh stage of Core Formation could be that formidable.

Amidst his vigilance, the dust and smoke gradually dispersed.

In the dozens of meters deep circular pit, different types of sounds suddenly echoed: croaking frogs, buzzing insects, and the hiss of snakes. Toads, centipedes, scorpions, lizards, snakes. These were the "Five Venoms" as commonly understood, and also the natal venomous beasts of Old Demon Five Venoms, cultivated through a special method called the "Five Venoms Scripture." He could simultaneously refine five types of natal objects. This was also the source of his power. By using his natal Five Venoms to cast clone techniques, he was invincible in battles and explorations. While venomous beasts and Gu insects might look similar, they were, in fact, two entirely different entities.

"Five Venoms Samsara Art!"

A vast cloud of five-colored poisonous smoke suddenly surged from the deep pit, transforming into the illusory forms of five venomous beasts. Old Demon Five Venoms was at its center, gasping for breath. His condition was dire. His previously emaciated appearance had turned skeletal, looking like a skeleton draped in human skin, with numerous insects crawling and burrowing beneath his flesh. They devoured flesh and blood while simultaneously healing his injuries. The scorch marks from the lightning and the injuries inflicted by the Lightning Corpse's claw were rapidly healing.

Wang Yu's expression grew increasingly solemn. The Five Venoms Samsara Art appeared to be a versatile divine ability, not only possessing impressive offensive power but also aiding him in healing injuries and defending against enemy attacks. Such a legacy was not something a rogue cultivator would typically have access to. He recalled the intelligence from the Wind Listener Pavilion: Old Demon Five Venoms had been active in the Celestial Demon Bone Forest for over three hundred years. It made sense that he would have acquired some fortuitous encounter in such a mysterious place. No wonder he looked down on Wang Yu's Nascent Soul legacy; he likely possessed one himself.

"—Boy."

Caught in the double trap, Old Demon Five Venoms was indeed severely injured, but not fatally. He now manipulated the five-colored poisonous smoke. Staring intently at Wang Yu, he spoke, "Your trump cards are impressive, and your schemes are profound. But your cultivation is ultimately too weak. If that talisman treasure had been at the peak of the third tier, I might truly have fallen for it. Now—die!!!"

Jingle, jingle~

The snake staff, which Wang Yu had been wary of, was not the old demon's natal magic treasure. Instead, it was the silver bell ring he held in his hand. While appearing to be a child's toy, it actually complemented his natal Five Venoms beasts. The moment the bells chimed, the five-colored poisonous smoke transformed into rings of venom, attacking Wang Yu.

The lightning-patterned state on his body had not yet ended. His speed was incomparable to before. With just one kick, the earth instantly cracked open, and giant rocks rose vertically like a seesaw, resembling small mountains. The moment the Five Venoms rings collided with them, dense dust scattered, and amidst the thunder and lightning, Wang Yu and the Lightning Corpse, one on the left and one on the right, bypassed the five-colored venom rings and continued their fierce assault on the old demon's main body.

—Thunderbird Chorus!

The shadowy demonic dragon, wreathed in lightning and blood mist, attacked again, and the Lightning Corpse let out a roar. The Lightning Corpse had a balanced offense and defense, excelling at both long and close range. Since advancing to the third tier, its natal divine ability was called "Summon Thunder and Lightning!" It also possessed a "Thunderous Corpse Armor" no less formidable than that of an Armored Corpse of the same tier, as well as "Ultimate Yang Lightning Malignity," which was no less potent than that of a Yin Corpse. Jiangshi (corpses) possessed unique abilities, and in the Lightning Corpse's hands, these had undergone certain mutations, leaving it with no conventional weaknesses. Its mastery of lightning manipulation was superb, and these lightning chains were formed from its lightning manipulation art.

Wang Yu's strategy of striking directly at the heart was simple and direct, but Old Demon Five Venoms' combat experience was incredibly profound, so how could he not be on guard? The flanking assault successfully tore Old Demon Five Venoms in half. As foul blood rain scattered, it transformed into droplets of five-colored venomous blood. As Wang Yu dodged backward, the five-colored venom rings struck him fiercely from behind. The burning sensation and the pain of the poison invading his body instantly made it difficult for him to stand upright. He suddenly turned his head to look at the deep pit created by the earlier bombardment.

Indeed. The old demon, proficient in the art of venomous clones, flew out from it once more. Wang Yu's spiritual sense repeatedly confirmed that this was the main body.

Taking a deep breath. "Calm down," he admonished himself mentally. Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, contemplating a countermeasure. He had considered the possibility of the ambush failing and how to respond afterward. However, the opponent's tenacity despite falling into the trap was truly beyond his expectations.

"Boy, do your internal organs feel itchy? My Five Venoms Samsara Art combines five potent poisons into one, almost impossible for anyone to dispel. Just wait to melt into a puddle of pus~ Hehehe!"

Wait! If the opponent wasn't severely injured, he would surely have crushed Wang Yu with overwhelming force, instead of resorting to this tactic of slowly wearing him down with poison. Was he worried Wang Yu had more trump cards? No! It must be that his main body was gravely wounded, so much so that he even entrusted his natal magic treasure, the Five Venoms Silver Bells, to this clone. He's afraid of death, after all. Realizing this, the pressure in Wang Yu's heart significantly decreased.

His initial goal was to heavily wound Old Demon Five Venoms, rendering him incapable of further pursuit for a short period, until the Immaculate Jade Toad's transformation was complete. Once it truly reached its complete form, the poisonous skull tracking mark implanted on him could be easily removed. With the Immaculate Jade Toad's natural resistance to poison, Wang Yu could even turn the tables and hunt down Old Demon Five Venoms. The old demon had simply encountered him at an opportune moment.

"Hahaha—You ugly old man, you're scared! I'm not afraid to tell you, the Ksitigarbha Demonic Lord has given me many more trump cards. If you don't want a mutual destruction, then scram."

With a thunderous roar, Wang Yu launched another attack. Two streaks of lightning whistled towards him. Just as Old Demon Five Venoms was about to retreat, his heart clenched, and a pair of eyes filled with murderous intent suddenly appeared before him. The mental assault of the Minor Asura Killing Fist completely detonated. The moment his body stiffened, the lightning phantoms, one on his left and one on his right, tore him in half once more.

With consecutive deaths of his clones and his main body still severely wounded, he was under immense pressure. The Five Venoms clones were not limitless; each use required him to expend a portion of his power. However, his main body now needed that power even more to suppress its injuries: the raging extreme yang and rigid lightning within him, and the lunar malignity that clung to him like maggots to bone. Both were greatly affecting him.

"Damn it."

Knowing he could only temporarily cease, the old demon no longer sent out clones to entangle Wang Yu. Instead, he broadcast his voice, continuing his tactic of using eerie laughter to create pressure. "I will find your corpse. Poisoned by the five-colored venom, you won't live much longer."

Wang Yu offered no response. Confirming that the opponent was not preparing for another fight, he stepped onto the Lightning Corpse's back and performed the Corpse-Riding Flight technique, fleeing towards Youzhou. As for the five-colored potent poison inside him, he didn't care at all. A body refiner's physique at the third tier could not be killed by a poison below the fourth tier. However, it would be difficult to expel. He could only endure the discomfort and resist it until the Immaculate Jade Toad awakened, when it could be dispelled. Perhaps, he might even benefit from the misfortune, making his physique even stronger.

Once the path of body refining reached the third tier, cultivation would need to revolve around divine marrow. When his dragon spine was filled with divine marrow, it would signify his attainment of the peak of the third tier. Currently, it was only a thumb-sized lump, still far from completion. He would still need various natural treasures and spiritual artifacts to nurture it, and seek suitable environments for tempering. Fighting with his body was also a form of tempering.

Half an hour later, the lightning pattern burst state completely ended. The tattoo-like lightning runes on Wang Yu's body gradually faded, requiring him to absorb sufficient lightning energy before they could be used again. Progress on the wind patterns was minimal, making them difficult to use for the time being.

However, just as he stopped to recover his True Essence, a familiar figure approached him, carrying a familiar corpse. It was precisely Old Demon Five Venoms' main body! Wang Yu had met the newcomer once before: a direct female disciple of the Thunderfire Temple, whom he playfully called the "Lady of Taihu Lake," whose "Shrink Ground into Inch" technique was perfected.

Currently, she was emanating the aura of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet she was carrying the corpse of a seventh-stage Core Formation cultivator... Wang Yu's eyelid couldn't help but twitch.

"Madam, halt. What is the meaning of this?"

The Lady of Taihu Lake stopped, dropped the corpse between them, and explained, "I was just nearby, drawn by the lightning aura from your fight. I recognized you…" After a moment of silence, she continued, "This demon has committed countless evil deeds and deserves to die. I was hoping to ask you for more information about the Asura Clan, and this corpse is my gift."

Wang Yu immediately grew tense. Although Old Demon Five Venoms was severely wounded, for a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator like her to not only accurately apprehend him but also kill him without any damage… just to ask about the Asura Clan, wasn't that a bit too casual? Perhaps, the talisman treasures in the hands of this Lady of Taihu Lake were merely among her most basic trump cards…

Wang Yu said helplessly, "Everything I know, I've already told you. Haven't you gone to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to buy information?"

"I did, but you possess the Earth Luo Ghost Mask, so you must know more information. I want to know everything about the Yin-Yang Demonic Lord and the Asura Clan."