Chapter 365: Innate Demon Fetus (Part 1)

But since he didn't say it explicitly, did that mean it couldn't be said? While pondering, Wang Yu had already left the cave dwelling and descended from the Blood Demon Hall. He took one last look at the hall, thinking of the Sect Master cultivating in the secret realm within. His steps quickened considerably, unsure of what might happen next.

As he reached the end of the Ten Reversal Blood Sects area, he used his magical power to write a letter and entrusted someone to deliver it to Tantai Chan's residence. After doing so, he then transformed into a streak of aurora, swiftly escaping through the nine twisted mountain peaks. His demeanor suggested he was being pursued.

And indeed, he was. As this streak of aurora streaked across the sky, an emerald green light suddenly shot out from a spiritual mountain near the sect's entrance, pursuing him at a speed no less than Wang Yu's. It clung to him relentlessly.

Upon noticing this, Wang Yu abruptly changed direction towards Tianbao City, thousands of miles away. He still had a sum of spirit stones that Situ Hong was supposed to transfer for him. By his estimation, it should have arrived by now. He certainly wouldn't forget about it.

If Fu Xiao didn't have Zhuo Shouyun's backing, he would be nothing more than a minor nuisance in Wang Yu's eyes. With thorough preparation, failure would be impossible. However, Uncle Yu had given him the Great Teleportation Talisman. There might be unforeseen variables in this matter. If he could get close to Tianbao City, he could hide there for safety at a crucial moment. If he went north, he would be completely defenseless. So, this was him keeping a glimmer of possibility alive. Better safe than sorry.

Both escape lights belonged to cultivators at the peak of the Core Formation stage, moving at incredibly high speeds with a gap of no more than five li between them. After such a chase, they had completely left the Sacred Sect's vicinity in less than half a day. They were about to reach a barren plain on the border of Blood Abyss Province. Wang Yu suddenly stopped. A yellow escape light shot out from his sleeve, burrowing deep into the ground and disappearing instantly. Three breaths later, Fu Xiao arrived!

The man wore a gold-threaded brocade-sleeved robe, his hair disheveled. A vertical saber scar ran across his ordinary face, from his forehead down to his jaw, passing through his right eye. His eyes were filled with a fierce and menacing aura. He hovered a hundred paces away, also observing Wang Yu.

Wang Yu's Three-Foot Snow Robe exuded nobility and splendor, with its ethereal, snow-flurry-like ribbons and ancient silver-inlaid phoenix carvings, all complemented by his silver-threaded tall crown. This attire completely concealed the bloody murderous intent emanating from him. Instead, he looked like an exiled immortal from a prosperous celestial palace. His handsome appearance, tall and straight figure, and gentle smile made him seem perfectly at home as a righteous master from Taihu.

"We finally meet, Wang Yu."

"It's been a long wait."

The two had never met before, and this was their first conversation. But... that was all!

In the blink of an eye, an exaggerated staff-saber, ten feet long, appeared in Fu Xiao's hand. He dragged it forward, as if carrying immense force, pulling white ripples through the air. And suddenly, he unleashed a strike. A hundreds-meter-long azure dragon, accompanied by the saber's aura, coiled and flew, its roar shaking the heavens!

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, keenly sensing that Fu Xiao also cultivated a body-refining technique, and a pure one at that. His cultivation level was not low, having already condensed divine marrow.

"However... I am stronger!"

—Demonic Dragon Fist!

His vital energy materialized, and a Nether Demonic Dragon surged forth, with an even more exaggerated physique and a thin layer of pale white flames covering its body—the Ice Chi Pill Flames. In such a situation, it instantly shattered the azure dragon, formed by Fu Xiao's natal magical artifact combined with his divine ability and saber art, into a sky full of spiritual light. From the booming surge of air, the Nether Demonic Dragon charged out.

Just as it was about to strike Fu Xiao, he conjured a colossal green wood cauldron, which forcefully blocked the Nether Demonic Dragon. However, he couldn't help but spit out a large mouthful of blood. His complexion immediately turned grim.

"A Tier 4 spiritual flame? No wonder you've made such a name for yourself in alchemy."

"This is talent, not merely the flame's doing," Wang Yu calmly replied. At the same time, the surrounding air vibrated as black ice chains extended from the void—the minor accomplishment realm of the Ice Chain Binding Spirit spell. With the Ice Chi Pill Flames attached, its power was something ordinary Core Formation cultivators could not possibly withstand.

Fu Xiao was seen swinging his staff-saber, while the massive green wood cauldron shrunk to half his height, circling around him. He used his saber to hack at the ice chains, and if any slipped through, he would use the green wood cauldron to block them. Both were top-grade Tier 3 magical artifacts. However, the spell Wang Yu used was merely a minor one, yet amplified by the Three-Foot Snow Robe and Ice Chi Pill Flames, it became a desperate move that Fu Xiao struggled to resist.

"If this is all you've got, then it ends here."

The Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda flew out from Wang Yu's Qi Sea. With a turn of its spire, the Ice Soul Divine Light shot forth. Fu Xiao's expression darkened; he had underestimated Wang Yu's methods and strength. But he also had a trump card. When Zhuo Shouyun left, appreciating Fu Xiao's outstanding merits, he didn't leave him any subordinates but instead gave him an ultimate trump card: a Tier 4 Talisman Treasure: Momentary Blood God Sword! Normally, in a clash between two Core Formation cultivators, if one possessed Nascent Soul-level means, the outcome would already be decided, let alone this talisman treasure bestowed by Zhuo Shouyun. It was considered a premium among talisman treasures.

Once activated, a blood-red sword streaked out like lightning, tearing through the Ice Soul Divine Light, deflecting it far from its original trajectory as if light refracted by a mirror. Wang Yu, who had been on guard all along, found this trump card very familiar. Wasn't this the move Su Yulong used just before his death? However, at this moment, the power of this move far surpassed its previous iterations.

In a flash, Wang Yu wielded the Yellow Springs Demonic Sword in an inverted grip, striking out with a sword-fiend aura to counter-attack. The Malevolent Dragon Armor was worn over the Three-Foot Snow Robe, forming a double layer of protection. At the same time, he activated his Aurora Escape technique, trying his best to evade the power of the talisman treasure.

The blood sword advanced irresistibly. It directly severed the Yellow Springs Sword Aura, veering away from his heart and piercing towards Wang Yu's shoulder. His magical power barrier was penetrated first, followed by the Malevolent Dragon Armor. This true bloodline artifact, which Wang Yu originally intended for defense, seemed destined to be broken, consistently underperforming every time. This made him wonder where the dragon vein treasure had actually merged, as it showed no signs of its presence.

Fortunately, the Three-Foot Snow Robe was strong enough. Although his shoulder was stained with blood, it was only a minor injury, and the most troublesome heterogeneous power of the attack did not penetrate his body. This situation made Fu Xiao's eyes widen in disbelief. He couldn't believe this was the outcome.

"Boom—"

The air roared. While the Aurora Escape technique was not suitable for light transformation during combat, the speed it granted was still incredibly fast. Wang Yu seemed to be treading on air, forcefully accelerating with sheer brute strength. His murderous intent materialized into a sea of blood, instantly dyeing half the sky crimson. An Asura raised its fist, its arm drawn back like a taut bowstring, then powerfully launched forward, like a cannonball.

Fu Xiao's face turned pale, and the Green Wood Cauldron rapidly grew to an enormous size.

"Clang—"

A violent clang, followed by a momentary delay. The top-grade magical artifact developed countless cracks and then exploded with a deafening roar, surprisingly shattered by Wang Yu's divine power and spiritual ability.

From the explosion's dust, gray death-light pierced through everything, sweeping towards him. Fu Xiao, who had been spitting blood repeatedly, immediately froze as sealing runes crawled across his body. A fierce cold wind swept across the sky, dispersing all the dust.

At this point, Wang Yu drifted down to land. "I overestimated you."

He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the ground below. The Yellow Springs Earth Resentment Puppet hadn't been used, and no other unexpected events occurred. Had he emerged too suddenly for it to keep up? Or was there another reason, perhaps the danger wasn't with Fu Xiao? There could be many possibilities.

Wang Yu wouldn't linger here for too long to avoid complications, so he quickly approached. The Demonic Thought Seed in his hand had already flown out, burrowing into Fu Xiao's body. He immediately sensed the Xuanyuan Demonic Embryo, which shared the same origin.

Fu Xiao also had a "waste spiritual root" aptitude, which, according to this world's classification, meant he possessed all five elements. However, despite four or five centuries of effort, only his earth, wood, and fire attributes reached the Heavenly Spiritual Root level. His water and metal attributes remained at the three-spiritual root level, showing little improvement. This was clearly due to the limitations of the Demonic Embryo secret art; without a blood relative from the same lineage, even if a demonic embryo was used for consumption, it would only result in a minimal increase in aptitude. Fu Xiao's outcome was the result of a normal person's cultivation.

Wang Yu was different. Only after consuming the Bai family's Grand Elder's spiritual root did he realize his own uniqueness. A chosen cultivator of the Demonic Embryo! This secret art was destined for him! No matter how one described it, it made sense.

The moment Wang Yu touched Fu Xiao's shoulder, his pupils constricted. A familiar black talisman appeared there, instantly forming a pitch-black orb of light. The terrifying orb of annihilation abruptly expanded. The Great Dark Heaven Talisman!

The famed ultimate technique of the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord. Wang Yu had wondered if the hidden mastermind behind the scenes might be him, but an entity so powerful that even the Blood-Eyed Demonic Dragon couldn't speak of it clearly wouldn't be a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. He had witnessed how powerful this talisman was on Luo Chen before. Absolutely not to be touched!

At this critical moment, the Yellow Springs Earth Resentment Puppet, which had been buried as a contingency, finally played its part, bursting from underground and throwing both Wang Yu and Fu Xiao backward. It, however, was swallowed by the black sphere of annihilation formed by the Great Dark Heaven Talisman. The power that annihilated all things severely damaged the puppet. Fortunately, only the outer and middle layers were severely damaged; the puppet's core, the "Yellow Springs Demonic Bone," suffered no significant harm. It was still usable, just with a rather large energy consumption.

Wang Yu touched his waist. The low-grade magical artifact, the Human Seed Bag, which he had prepared beforehand, worked its magic, taking in the unconscious Fu Xiao. This was his opportunity, and he absolutely couldn't let it be ruined by villains.

After this series of changes, the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord then appeared, holding a black banner, deliberately standing at a high vantage point, looking down at Wang Yu's somewhat disheveled figure. He brazenly declared, "Wang Yu, you killed my disciple and disrespected me. Do you think you can live?"

Wang Yu frowned deeply and looked up, saying, "I thought this matter was over. From now on, you would go your way, and I would go mine. If you won't let me go, aren't you afraid... that in the future, I won't let *you* go?!"

"—Nonsense!"

The Dark Heaven Talisman Lord's natal spiritual banner in his hand suddenly pulsed. Talismans with blood-red characters on a black background rapidly poured out, forming rings that made the surrounding hundred-li area almost completely dark. A pair of blood-red ghostly eyes materialized high in the sky.

At this moment, a crescent moon mark also lit up in Wang Yu's eyes, and magical power surged into his pupils as if it were limitless. With the quality of his current magical power, the Moonfall Pupils technique he unleashed would be even more exaggerated than during his time in the Blood Abyss, but it required a bit of time to charge up. Fortunately, the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord seemed quite talkative. He seemed to want Wang Yu to die with full understanding.

"Zhuo Shouqing is dying. Even if he survives, he won't be able to compare to Yun'er anymore. Without that protective talisman, you are nothing."

"I am the Blood-Eyed Demonic Dragon's exclusive alchemist. Are you not afraid of Senior Demonic Dragon?"

Wang Yu didn't believe the other party was unaware of this news. If he harbored resentment over his disciple's death, he would definitely have investigated Wang Yu's backing thoroughly. His current words seemed like an attempt to boast, yet he was deliberately avoiding the crucial points. Someone like the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord, who couldn't even boast properly, angrily retorted, "What do you know? You're just a brash young brat with a treasure that attracts trouble, yet you dare to yap wildly at me here?!"

"Hahahaha. You're already trying to kill me, what is there to be afraid of?!"

While Wang Yu spoke, his mind was racing. The Dark Heaven Talisman Lord seemed... not to genuinely want to kill him, and his words contained loopholes and clues. This was a mistake an old Nascent Soul cultivator, who had lived for many years, shouldn't make.

"Possessing a treasure invites trouble?"

What treasure did he possess? His inventory was unknown to anyone and unstealable. The most widely known fact was that he had successfully cultivated the Demonic Embryo Xuanyuan Secret Spell. This spell had been passed down for quite some time since the Nine Evil Sword Lord. Fu Xiao was considered one of those who had achieved success in cultivation early on. Thinking carefully, considering his starting point of a waste spiritual root, how could he have come into contact with such a high-level secret art without a patron's appreciation? Moreover, four or five hundred years ago, this secret art had probably just been unearthed from ruins not long before. His allegiance to Zhuo Shouyun also came about when he gained prominence.

If Fu Xiao was the Nine Evil Sword Lord's person, and the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord and he were both Nascent Soul cultivators from Evil Sword Peak—one a mid-stage Nascent Soul, the other an early-stage Nascent Soul—then if Wang Yu encountered them, he would surely face certain death. Uncle Yu giving him the Great Teleportation Talisman was likely for this very reason, but Wang Yu didn't know why he hadn't explained it clearly.

Pondering in this direction, Fu Xiao's methods became reasonable, and the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord's unwillingness to offend the Demonic Dragon explained his almost "intellect-reducing" performance. It all made perfect sense!

All of this happened in just a few breaths. After connecting the dots of the cause and effect, only the Nine Evil Sword Lord remained to appear. His purpose was unclear, but one could guess with common sense that it was related to the Demonic Embryo physique.

Wang Yu's heart stirred, and he directly activated the Great Teleportation Talisman in his possession. He had no intention of clashing head-on with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Even though he seemed so imposing in front of Fu Xiao, and was willing to engage in verbal sparring with the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord, if it were the Nine Evil Sword Lord launching a sneak attack from the start, he'd be crazy not to run!

There was a huge gap between each sub-stage of Nascent Soul cultivators. The strength of their Demonic Essence dictated a vast difference in the power of their divine abilities; one simply couldn't contend with it!

The Moonfall Pupils technique, charged to its maximum, arrived as expected. Wang Yu's magical power was almost depleted, but this was hard to detect due to the talisman array obscuring vision.

In the Dark Heaven Talisman Lord's eyes, shadow descended...

In his heart, he had been urging Wang Yu to use his trump card quickly, preferably an escape-type one, even going so far as to give hints in his words. He didn't want to be targeted by a grand cultivator like the Demonic Dragon over a trivial matter. In his opinion, Wang Yu's life wasn't worth even one of his fingers. There was truly no need to offend anyone. He was simply caught between the two, unable to voice his grievances, and forced to use his dead disciple as an excuse, feeling extremely displeased.

At this moment, the meteorite, transported by the mighty power of the Lunar Star, had a diameter exceeding a hundred li, even more exaggerated than the Great Dark Heaven Curtain Talisman Array he deployed. Although its power was somewhat dispersed, it was absolutely a top-tier divine ability that required full effort to resist. Especially the gravity and suction force the meteor exerted, making it almost impossible to evade without spatial escape techniques.

"I can bluff my way through this!" He thought to himself.

But then, a cold snort echoed from the void. A sword arrived from the west, and in an instant, the meteor shattered into a sky full of dust. Not even a palm-sized rock remained, as if the entire sky was filled with sand and then completely swept clean by a storm.

It was just like: "A meteor's white plume, light bursts from its scabbard; one sword, traceless, blankets the mountains with snow!"

Only this "snow" was yellow-black dust. A handsome cultivator, bearing a sword on his back, stood in the void, instantly becoming the most striking focus in the scene. The Dark Heaven Talisman Lord was also utterly astonished. Then his eyes narrowed, and he almost blurted out, "You... you've broken through to the seventh layer of the Nascent Soul stage?"

This was the real reason for his late arrival.