Chapter 353: Roaring Demon, Fourth-Stage Ice-Blood Flood Dragon Core, Eighth Layer of Nascent Soul Formation

After this incident, Wang Yu’s surroundings became utterly desolate, with only six years left until the Blood Abyss trial concluded.

The further it progressed, the faster time seemed to pass.

Gradually, the previous routine resumed. It was back to seclusion, hunting, seclusion, and so on. Yan Ling hadn't visited for discussions in a while. Though she still came over occasionally, those familiar expressions were never seen again.

Wang Yu guessed that his impression of her had been negatively affected. This was understandable, considering he had personally killed such a charming person. Yan Ling naturally empathized to some extent, and considering the impending cooperation to replace Jiang Mingxin, it was normal for her to worry about him double-crossing her. He himself didn't care, as he considered himself to be of a cold and aloof nature, with few flaws other than his trustworthiness.

On Crimson Snow Mountain, the number of people gradually decreased. Song Yun eventually led a group to the Blood Devil Sea. This venture was truly unpredictable, so Crimson Snow Mountain was almost empty, except for a few of Yan Ling's subordinates.

In a blink, several more months passed.

That day, news arrived from the Blood Devil Sea, delivered to Yan Ling. Out of courtesy, a copy was also sent to Wang Yu.

At first glance, it was simply shocking.

Currently, Wang Yu was no longer the most infamous butcher in the Blood Abyss. Xie Xiean had taken over his notoriety, becoming known as—the Rakshasa Great Demon!

The story began with the final battle for the Blood Infant Fruit, about half a year ago.

Someone had traced the Blood Infant Fruit to Xie Xiean. After all, the Blood Infant Fruit was a rare opportunity for Nascent Soul formation, seldom seen in the world. The cultivators wandering the Blood Abyss rushed towards it eagerly, like starving predators finding prey. It was hard to say that the source of this news was not questionable. But whether it was those old monsters deliberately orchestrating it, or Xie Xiean himself wanting to release the news, Wang Yu was too far away to see clearly.

However, after the initial battle, Xie Xiean revealed his Core Formation Stage 6 cultivation. In one battle, he annihilated over a dozen mid-stage Core Formation cultivators, and his reputation skyrocketed. He eventually escaped, protected by a mysterious demonic bell.

For several months afterward, he repeatedly fought and retreated. He seemed to be retreating steadily, but he never truly suffered a defeat. Instead, he gained vast resources from the cultivators pursuing him, collecting so many storage rings that his hands grew sore. The most bizarre thing was that his whereabouts were found every time. After "reluctantly" killing some of his pursuers, he continued to escape using the power of the demonic bell. Over half a year, he had killed hundreds of Core Formation cultivators. His cultivation, under such intense combat, had its potential greatly stimulated, and he even broke through to the late Core Formation Stage.

If one also counted those killed by Wang Yu, and other cultivators who died due to the Blood Abyss environment or from mutual slaughter, out of the thousand people who entered this Blood Abyss trial, probably less than five hundred remained. And cultivating a Core Formation genius takes at least two hundred years. Such an extraordinarily high death rate far exceeded previous Blood Abyss trials. There were simply too many ruthless individuals, and the common cultivators had been completely decimated. But just as true gold is tempered by fire, the number of cultivators who could form Nascent Souls in this session would definitely be more than in previous ones.

News that the Blood Infant Fruit was in Xie Xiean's possession had already spread. The Blood Abyss would continue to be a place of slaughter.

Wang Yu was somewhat tempted. After more than twenty years in the Blood Abyss, his prepared cultivation resources were almost depleted. It wouldn't be bad if he could acquire some from other cultivators.

However, as soon as this thought emerged, Wang Yu dismissed it. More killing would be difficult to manage. It was better to let Xie Xiean bear the brunt. He estimated that another hundred or so people would have to die before this matter concluded. There were also those fishing in troubled waters, and the casualties would only become more severe. It was better not to get involved.

Putting down the intelligence jade slip, Wang Yu left and headed west to the Blood Prison Ice Plains. According to the detailed map, there should be a solitary draconic blood beast there.

That day, below a tall mountain in the western ice plains, Wang Yu extended his spiritual sense and could see the enormous draconic blood beast coiled on the mountain peak. Blood beasts were not demonic beasts; they did not have demon cores within them. But there were some similarities, such as—the blood beast crystal core!

Wang Yu had already made plans to prepare for his Nascent Soul formation. Placing the Nascent Soul Pill formula and the subsequent alchemy techniques were at the top of his agenda. But to prepare to the utmost, the Ice Chi Elixir Flame also had to advance. This elixir flame was cultivated using pills, nourished by years of magical power and various ice-element natural treasures. Its power was no weaker than that of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Flames used in combat. It had long been nurtured to the peak of the third tier. According to past experience, an ice-attributed demon core with dragon blood was most suitable as the primary material for the Ice Chi Elixir Flame's advancement. And the blood beasts of this Blood Prison Ice Plains coincidentally possessed ice attributes and were draconic in form. It was quite possible that this was a blood-path monster born from dragon blood mutated by the power of the Blood Demon. Upon seeing it, Wang Yu, sensing the faint draconic might of this Ice-Blood Flood Dragon, immediately confirmed his suspicion. It was worth deploying the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet for a battle.

Thinking about gains before a battle was truly not a good habit. But since he was initiating the fight, there was no need for reservations. If he couldn't win, he could simply escape. There was no need for the same level of calculation when dealing with mindless blood beast monsters as when dealing with demonic beasts or human cultivators.

"—Go!"

With a thought, the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet was dispatched, while Wang Yu's true body actively concealed itself in the shadows.

In moments, battle erupted. Two Yellow Springs great hands slapped down from the sky. A resounding dragon roar erupted, blood-colored snow showered down, and crimson light and cold radiance flickered. The power unleashed by the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon was surprisingly stronger than that of the Blood Scorpion King. It seemed there were also differences in strength among blood beasts. No matter where, draconic beings were always synonymous with power!

Its monstrous dragon tail swept horizontally downwards, leaving itself covered in blood, but also scattering all the Yellow Springs hands. Then, a Yellow Springs bone spear thrust out. A dragon claw wrapped around the cloud, swiftly rising, and forcefully twisted and broke the Yellow Springs bone spear. Seeing this, Wang Yu knew he couldn't let it continue, and immediately seized the opportunity to attack. The Soul-Destroying Death Ray came from beyond the sky, slamming fiercely into the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon. It roared and plummeted towards the ice mountain, carving out large cracks. There was a sign of the mountain collapsing.

The Immobilization Mirror simultaneously cast its light, a flash of white light restraining the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon for a breath. The Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet also clasped its hands together, and Yellow Springs ghostly mist surged forth. A gigantic bone evil-sword, as large as a mountain, plunged straight down. The tall mountain was sliced open from the middle like a gourd, toppling to both sides. A dragon wailed in agony, and icy cold blood stained the surroundings red.

Waving his hand to disperse the dust, Wang Yu's pupils contracted. The Ice-Blood Flood Dragon, almost severed in the middle, surged into the sky again, shattering the gigantic bone sword. A dragon claw grabbed hold of the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet, squeezing it until it creaked. Even using its ultimate move, the puppet was no match. This made Wang Yu quickly realize the puppet's true strength. Despite what was said, the Earth Grievance Puppet's power among early Tier 4 beings was truly ordinary. It was likely that even an early Nascent Soul cultivator could easily subdue it. It could only bully these mindless creatures; against truly powerful foes, it wouldn't fare well.

Wang Yu couldn't stand by and watch his hard-crafted trump card be destroyed. With a wave of his right hand, the Yellow Springs Demonic Sword, following the Yellow Springs hand, unleashed monstrous sword qi. He focused his attacks fiercely on the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon's wounds! Normally, such an attack wouldn't fundamentally harm the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon. After all, it was a Tier 4 creature. Wang Yu's methods weren't a mere tickle, but they were only to the extent of "light tapping." However, this area was severely wounded. Light tapping on the wound was no different from sprinkling salt on it.

The Ice-Blood Flood Dragon twitched in pain. Wang Yu's eyes shone brightly, and he seized the opportunity to form a hand seal, causing the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet to instantly erupt with a denser ghostly mist. This mist transformed into strands of black silk that seeped out from the puppet's claw gaps. The puppet's head was the first to regenerate, and the Yellow Springs runes inscribed on it shone brightly. Combined with the surging ghostly mist, thousands of Yellow Springs ghost skulls instantly emerged, howling as they rushed towards the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon, like a surging tide. This was—the Yellow Springs Malevolent Ghost Curse! It was one of the innate divine abilities of the demonic bone body, likely a perfected divine ability that its former master had refined to the core. Its power was astonishing.

As they swarmed forward, the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon opened its mouth wide and spat out a red-and-blue light beam, freezing and obliterating the first wave of Yellow Springs ghost skulls it encountered. But their numbers were simply too great. It couldn't cope with the constant harassment. These ghost heads didn't deal high damage, but each carried the Yellow Springs attribute. The Ice-Blood Flood Dragon was tormented by the corrosive power, suffering immensely. It was like a thin-skinned college student being thrown into a mosquito nest. Each bite wasn't fatal, but their accumulation was enough to make one pass out.

Seizing this excellent opportunity, Wang Yu attacked again. He released the Grand Yin Fiend Corpse to cast a malevolent curse from afar. Though its effect was small, it could still weaken the foe slightly. At such a moment, every ounce of power had to be utilized. Releasing and retracting it took hardly any time. His figure, however, transformed into an aurora, suddenly soaring high into the sky. The Dark Nether Demonic Dragon Technique was operating at its peak, completely fusing with the Demonic Dragon Fist.

At this moment, as qi and blood continuously surged from his body, Wang Yu truly seemed to transform into a Dark Nether Demonic Dragon, fiercely plummeting from high above. Irresistibly, he stomped on the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon's head, kicking it until its bones cracked and its horns broke. It crashed headfirst into the left side of the mountain, utterly destroying it. Exploding rocks kicked up thick dust, which was then scattered by a furious cold wind. Countless dust particles condensed into ice crystals and fell, creating a moment of stunning scenery.

The Ice-Blood Flood Dragon struggled to get up. Its powerful life force wouldn't let it die easily. Its blood-red dragon eyes stared fixedly at Wang Yu as it charged forward again. However, the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet supported it with a single palm, bracing the long, narrow dragon body. It stood like an indestructible high wall, firmly blocking the space between Wang Yu and the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon. Hundred-meter-long gigantic bone spears continuously emerged from the surrounding void. Blessed by the Yellow Springs Dao, each was adept at breaking spells and shattering artifacts. They launched instantly, piercing the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon horizontally. It took more than ten spears to finally bring it to a halt. With each spear, its wails would weaken a little, until they were barely audible. The continuously surging Yellow Springs magical power swiftly extinguished the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon's life force. Although this battle was somewhat difficult, he ultimately won!

The Ice-Blood Flood Dragon's blood beast crystal core was also his for the taking. After Wang Yu extracted it, the corpse dissolved into a puddle of black blood, completely devoid of any further use. This was the difference between blood beasts and demonic beasts. Aside from their crystal cores, they were basically useless. They were originally just servants created by the Blood Demon's power, possessing no great treasures. This crystal core would still need purification before it could be used, and he had no intention of handing it over to the sect.

After collecting the spoils of war, Wang Yu looked with a headache at the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet. It was covered in injuries from this engagement, and repairing it would cost a significant amount of spirit stones. To fully replenish it, it would likely take over a million spirit stones. If he let it absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to recover on its own, the efficiency would be too slow. In the Blood Abyss, he still needed it for safety, and after leaving, the Yellow Springs Earth Grievance Puppet would be even more vital. There was no time to let it recover slowly, so this sum of spirit stones had to be spent. The expenses during this period had caused Wang Yu's net worth to plummet rapidly. However, if he properly dealt with the collected storage rings, he should be able to fully recover his losses, and even have a good surplus.

"For now... I'll have to carefully sort through what can be sold, what can't, and what to keep for myself."

Leaving the Ice-Blood Flood Dragon's fallen corpse, Wang Yu refilled the Blood Fiend One-Yuan Gourd with Myriad Spirit Blood Essence before returning to Crimson Snow Mountain for quiet cultivation. This time, he was close to breaking through to Core Formation Stage 8. He had to hurry; there wasn't much time left to stay in the Blood Abyss.

Several months later, in August of the 34th year of Elder Wang Yu's career, after digesting a gourdful of Myriad Spirit Blood Essence, Wang Yu's magical power smoothly increased to over three thousand strands. He officially broke through to Core Formation Stage 8!

At the peak of Crimson Snow Mountain, the figure sitting cross-legged suddenly saw a significant increase in his aura, dispersing the surrounding wind and snow. The stronger a cultivator's magical power, the greater the benefits to their essence, qi, and spirit. Wang Yu felt that once he successfully formed his Nascent Soul in the future, his spiritual sense realm would likely advance directly to mid-Tier 4.

The speed of his breakthrough to Core Formation Stage 8 was slightly slower than he had anticipated, likely due to his distraction with hunting numerous powerful blood beasts. Now, only four years remained until the end of the Blood Abyss trial. There wasn't enough time to do much else, so continuing his cultivation was a good idea. Counting the names on his "enemies list," almost all had been cleared. Only Talisman Owl remained, barely, still coveting his demonic embryo.

"Next, I need to go into seclusion at the edge of the Blood Devil Sea."

His decision was twofold: Firstly, the effect of the Freezing Soul Wind on him had reached its limit. No matter how much more freezing soul cold qi his Cold Absorption Art and Heavenly Frost Secret Art absorbed, it could no longer improve the quality of his magical power. It had increased to a coefficient of 1.2, yielding significant gains. Even the Twelve Forms of Guanghan, Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda, and other techniques had become unresponsive to the power of the Freezing Soul Wind, having absorbed it to their respective limits.

The second reason was his desire to absorb the Blood Fiend Crystals from the Blood Devil Sea. Cultivating his own killing intent was one thing, but it could also be used to nourish his two abnormal corpses. Their strength had been increasing somewhat slowly. Utilizing the remaining four years, it shouldn't be difficult to raise their strength to late Tier 3 with the effects of the Blood Fiend Crystals. After all, in the previous decade, besides using Blood Fiend for body tempering, he had also shared a portion with the twin corpses. With more nourishment, their strength would certainly increase.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and daily accumulation is also very important. For example, after breaking through to Core Formation Stage 8, cultivating to its peak would require a full six thousand strands of magical power. Normal cultivation would take over 64 years to break through to Core Formation Stage 9, and he wouldn't be able to form a Nascent Soul anytime soon. However, the Blood Pond Baptism should help him shorten this time. Additionally, refining peak Tier 3 cultivation spirit pills could also assist him, preventing him from having to slowly grind it out.

When he left Crimson Snow Mountain this time, the mountain was deserted. He didn't encounter anyone else, and Wang Yu couldn't help but think of Song Yun, wondering how he was doing.

Less than half a month later, Wang Yu returned to the Blood Devil Sea, plunging straight into its depths. He released the twin corpses, which began to frantically absorb the blood fiend qi. The Yin Fiend Corpse Refinement Art he had mastered had also intermittently reached the perfected realm. Now, its application was exceptionally smooth.