Chapter 367: Innate Demon Embryo (Conclusion)

Three years flew by in an instant.

It was early February in Elder Wang Yu's 54th year of cultivation. In a desolate, uninhabited ancient city, a transformation quietly concluded.

Inside a temporary underground cave dwelling, the human-sized black demonic cocoon turned dull grayish-white, as if all its vitality had been drained. Then, in a flash, a jade-white arm covered in black incantations burst forth. It forcefully pierced the cocoon, tearing open the wall with both hands, and a boy who appeared to be only three or four years old emerged, his face full of surprise.

This young boy was none other than Wang Yu. He examined his body with considerable disbelief. "How did I truly become an embryo? Three years of transformation, growing a body from scratch?"

This transformation was a return to innate form from an acquired state. It turned out that after forming the cocoon, his physical body melted, becoming a vessel and nourishment for a new body, truly developing anew from an embryonic stage. It had become quite realistic.

His Golden Core of spiritual power remained, as did his body refinement cultivation. In fact, it had become considerably more condensed, and the upper limit of his peak Third-Stage body refinement increased by another eighty percent, leaving ample room for further advancement. This meant he could continue to strengthen his physical body, breaking through limits repeatedly, already far surpassing its original potential.

With a thought, the Three-Foot Snow saber and the Netherworld Demon Mask, which had fallen off due to being too large, proportionately shrank to fit his new body, and he put them back on. An ice mirror appeared before Wang Yu. The small figure reflected was indeed him. His cultivation had also subtly increased, with his spiritual power reaching a maximum of five thousand strands. He was very close to the peak of the eighth layer of Core Formation.

After a careful observation, Wang Yu discovered that his lifeless white hair had returned to a dark black color, and the strange incantations covering his body could greatly enhance the power of demonic cultivation techniques, secret arts, and divine abilities. Upon examining himself internally, his original Profound Origin Demonic Embryo had vanished. Along with his Five-Element Heavenly Spiritual Root, everything had merged into the dark blue Golden Core enshrined in the center of his Qi Sea, causing the Golden Core to display five-colored patterns.

"What kind of situation was this?" He strongly suspected that when he reached the Nascent Soul stage, a demonic embryo might pop out... Though calling a demonic Nascent Soul a "demonic embryo" didn't seem entirely out of place. His thoughts were jumbled. Wang Yu had never imagined he would suddenly transform into a three-year-old's body, and he found it difficult to adapt.

However, on the other hand, wouldn't this mean no one could recognize him? While contemplating, Wang Yu put away the Three-Foot Snow and the Netherworld Demon Mask, changing into a common cultivation robe that automatically adjusted to his size. Only then did he begin to perceive the deeper changes within himself.

Firstly, his cultivation speed. Ever since the Ice Soul Demonic Scripture cultivation method reached perfection, the cultivation efficiency of his dual cultivation slots had been "15 wisps/day." Now that the Innate Demonic Embryo had successfully condensed, the efficiency had made a huge leap, increasing to "100 wisps/day," and his main body's cultivation speed, which was "4 wisps/day," also rose to "20 wisps/day." This was still with his time not fully dedicated to spiritual power accumulation.

At this efficiency, it would only take 833 days, or just over two years, to break through to the ninth layer of Core Formation, significantly faster than the decades it used to take. Even cultivating to the peak of the ninth layer of Core Formation would take less than ten years. Combined, in twelve years, he could reach the peak of Core Formation. One could only say that this was indeed the aptitude of a spiritual body. He had suddenly entered the fast lane. Compared to the eight-hundred-year lifespan of a Core Formation cultivator, this cultivation speed could only be described as terrifying. If coupled with matching cultivation spiritual pills, it would only be faster.

Wang Yu suddenly felt a sense of urgency. Aside from the Frost Demon Qi, a necessary element for forming a Nascent Soul, he felt he needed to investigate the body refinement opportunity mentioned by the Blood Axe Demon Lord, despite his doubts. Next was the mysterious underground palace in Mount Xuanwu of Feng Province. After that, there was the issue of cultivation methods. The methods he possessed were all top-tier Third-Stage inheritances, only capable of supporting his cultivation up to the early Nascent Soul stage.

The Ice Soul Demonic Scripture was fine; after its completion, it had already entered the self-deduction process, which would take eighty years to advance, but his dual cultivation slots could reduce that by about one-third. The Innate Demonic Embryo not only granted Wang Yu spiritual body aptitude but also greatly enhanced his comprehension of demonic cultivation methods. His cultivation slots needed to be re-planned. He also had to consider the "Demonic Embryo Profound Origin Secret Incantation" after its deduction and advancement: could his aptitude continue to improve further? Based on experience, to continue improving, he would need to absorb other spiritual body entities. Considering "spiritual bodies" like the Blood Demon Body, which are artificially created, he felt it necessary to continue cultivating it. The progress bar was already four-fifths complete; with a single cultivation slot, another seven or eight years would be enough. There was no need to put it aside.

Therefore, after some consideration, the first two cultivation slots would remain fixed for cultivation methods, unchanged. The third would be the Demonic Embryo Secret Incantation.Cultivation Slot 4: Blood Slaughter Mind Sword (Fourth-Stage/Divine Ability/Mental)This was the inheritance he gained from the Blood Slaughter Stele, and it was the perfect time to cultivate it.Cultivation Slot 5: Twelve Aspects of Guanghan (Natal Divine Ability/Minor Accomplishment/Third-Stage)This divine ability had been in cultivation for some years. It was not far from grand accomplishment, and even close to advancing to a higher stage. He had invested quite a few ice-attribute heavenly materials and earthly treasures into it.Cultivation Slot 6: Aurora Escape Technique (Divine Ability/Minor Accomplishment/Third-Stage)Cultivation Slot 7: Lunar Meteor Pupil Art (Pupil Divine Ability/Minor Accomplishment/Third-Stage)Of these two, the former would surely reach grand accomplishment within ten years, while the latter would take a bit longer but could also be perfected within thirty years.

Aside from Ice Soul Divine Light and Ten Directions Frozen Demonic Fist, these were basically all Wang Yu needed to cultivate for now. The Corpse Demon Secret Method was not urgent; he planned to cultivate it after reaching Nascent Soul, as the speed would be much faster then. The same applied to Cold Dragon Alchemy. It was only one-third of the way from advancing to Fourth-Stage, but his current alchemy skills were sufficient, so he was in no hurry to improve it.

After organizing his thoughts, the cultivation slot issues were temporarily settled. The next course of action was clear: Wang Yu decided to first explore the underground palace in Mount Xuanwu. Then, he would head to Feng Province's capital city. He needed maps of the Endless Ice Plains and Feng Province, which only the capital could provide. At the same time, he would inquire about the opportunity location given by Blood Axe to understand its situation, and see if the locals had any relevant information. Finally, he would venture deep into the Endless Ice Plains, near the sealing grounds of the Ancient Demonic Ice, a journey to find places of extreme cold for cultivation, and also his path to forming a Nascent Soul.

Patting his cheek, Wang Yu collected all his formation flags. He then cleaned up the discarded demonic cocoon before emerging from underground, seeing the light of day once more! His divine sense scanned the surroundings as usual. Seeing that everything in the desolate city was as it should be, Wang Yu felt relieved. It seemed that no one had noticed anything unusual during his seclusion and transformation. Three years had passed without any change, proving that Sword Lord Nine Evils had also failed to find his whereabouts. However, cultivators from Cold Blood Peak who were confident in forming a Nascent Soul would generally visit the ancient demon sealing grounds within the Endless Ice Plains. He wondered if his adversary would wait there to ambush him. He couldn't be sure about that. He needed to be especially vigilant in this regard.

As for the desolate city, Elder Yu's trading hub, Wang Yu would act as if he had never been there. The ancient teleportation array there was one-way and held no further value. Thus, he silently flew into the clouds high above and soared towards Mount Xuanwu. The Aurora Escape Technique was not only incredibly fast but also possessed illusionary properties. This time, it shifted to a purple aurora, completely different from the dazzling colors he usually employed. Except for his soul aura, which remained unchanged, after forming the Innate Demonic Embryo, Wang Yu was practically reborn. Few in his sect would recognize him, let alone those in the sparsely populated Feng Province.

Several days later, Wang Yu flew directly into Feng Province from the western border of Yueqiong Province. By calculation, he was now 148 years old. His last visit to Mount Xuanwu had been nearly a hundred years ago, yet looking back, it felt as if only two months had passed. Time flew by so quickly that he couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion.

Feng Province was considered a cultivation wasteland within the Scarlet Kite Demonic Domain. Due to its innate scarcity of spiritual veins, and no grand cultivators willing to relocate spiritual veins here for development, even the capital city of Feng Province, established by the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, was governed by a council composed of several peak Core Formation cultivators. Compared to rich lands like Cloud Ridge Province, it was significantly inferior. Cloud Ridge Province's capital had many Nascent Soul cultivators stationed there, and Yueqiong Province, bordering the North Severed Mountain Range to the west and the Chaotic Ancient Sea to the east, was rich in resources, with numerous Nascent Soul cultivators permanently residing in its capital. Feng Province was like a forgotten land. Among the active cultivators, those at the Core Formation stage were considered the top, with more being Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators. Nascent Soul cultivators were extremely rare, almost never seen.

Among the named resource locations, Mount Xuanwu was one, along with places like the North Wind Spirit Pearl Field, the Profound Heaven Secret Realm, and the Red Maple Mountains. The most valuable was undoubtedly the Profound Heaven Secret Realm, which produced Core Formation spiritual materials, attracting Foundation Establishment cultivators the most. Feng Province's capital city was built nearby. Mount Xuanwu, however, was a remote and desolate area, where it was no exaggeration to say there were thousands of miles without a single soul. Wang Yu had personally experienced this.

Besides these, Feng Province was also notorious for rogue cultivators and bandits. Its vast and sparsely populated nature made it ideal for these rogue cultivators to hide. If they found a mountain den and erased their tracks well, they were truly difficult to find. Over time, it wasn't just the four provinces under the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect's jurisdiction; even those from the Yellow Springs Temple, Sky Refining Demonic Sect, Joyful Union Sect, and Underworld Mountain Cult who had committed taboos or offended important figures would hide in Feng Province. They valued the fact that there were few Nascent Soul cultivators here. As time passed, Feng Province had coincidentally become a region that preserved the most thriving traditional culture of the Scarlet Kite from a thousand years ago, with every inch of its land having been soaked in blood.

When he came a century ago, he had moved swiftly, high above the ground—cultivating, sleeping, and then arriving at his destination. This time, flying physically and personally treading upon the earth, Wang Yu truly experienced the "baptism of traditional culture."

On this day, while traveling towards Mount Xuanwu, he encountered a mountain peak shrouded in spiritual light. Intrigued, Wang Yu descended and found a spiritual spring near the summit, with three spiritual plants bearing red fruits growing beside it. He recognized them at a glance. "Marrow Cleansing Fruits?" These were very rare Second-Stage spiritual fruits, particularly suitable for young children of prominent clans to lay foundational strength, gently strengthening their bodies and meridians. They could allow children to formally begin spirit refinement cultivation around the age of eight.

"Little one, you have good judgment. Where are your elders?"

Wang Yu turned his head to look. He saw a barefoot old Daoist priest lying on a rock, gnawing on a sizzling, oily roasted demonic beast thigh, his face glistening with grease. His cultivation was around the sixth layer of Core Formation.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu chuckled first. His childish voice formed a stark contrast with the words he spoke. "'Little one?' Get down here. This lord doesn't like talking to people while looking up." He had been "playing the grandson" enough in the sect. Coming to Feng Province only to do it again? That would be a wasted trip.

The old man was stunned. His figure flickered, instantly appearing before Wang Yu, his greasy hand imbued with sinister spiritual power, reaching towards Wang Yu's head, his eyes full of malice. "'An ill-mannered little brat. This old man happens to need someone to warm his feet...'"

*Slish!*

Mid-reach, a pale white flame rapier abruptly appeared, slashing upwards, while two swords of killing intent shot from Wang Yu's eyes. The hand, severed at the elbow, fell to the ground. The old man also fell to his knees with a thud. Under the mental attack of the swords of killing intent, his consciousness blurred.

It is said: When traveling, the most dangerous people to encounter alone are old people, children, and women. This old man deliberately used the Marrow Cleansing Fruits to bait a trap here, but he never expected to reel in a monster like Wang Yu. Not to mention a sixth-layer Core Formation cultivator, even a peak Core Formation cultivator, would be an ant before his Ice Dragon Core Flame. And as everyone knows, there are only three great realms in cultivation: seniors, fellow Daoists, and ants! In Feng Province, Wang Yu was a "senior"-level figure; no one could contend with him.

The old man's consciousness cleared slightly, and he immediately kowtowed, begging for mercy: "Senior, this humble old man was blind! This is everything I own; I offer it to you, just spare my life!" He had to admit, the old man's reaction was quick.

"Foolish, take my..." Just as Wang Yu was about to utter a classic line and revel in the moment, uninvited guests arrived in the mountains.

"Oh, Marrow Cleansing Fruits? These are good treasures!" Three figures descended from the sky, pointing and gesturing at the Marrow Cleansing Fruit tree as if no one else were present.

"You... are you the Xuanwu Bandits?"

"Oh, I didn't realize we were so famous already."

The conversation took place between the old man and the three newcomers. Wang Yu's brows furrowed just hearing the name. He raised a hand to silence the old man and asked the three: "Have you occupied Mount Xuanwu?"

"What, are you little brat trying to say... that's the territory of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect?" The three exchanged glances and burst into laughter. "Where did this young master come from? He doesn't even know what happened to the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect three years ago."

"With such a big upheaval, let alone Mount Xuanwu, it's likely all four provinces are in chaos."

"Boss, stop talking nonsense with them. Just kill them all."

Wang Yu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt that the people of Feng Province seemed to have a different way of thinking than normal people. These were just three Foundation Establishment cultivators, yet anyone who didn't know better would think they were invincible. The old man also snickered, finding amusement in his own misfortune. Encountering others even unluckier than himself naturally brought him some joy. Who knew Wang Yu would suddenly turn to look at him? The old man immediately understood, and even while kneeling, he swung his sleeve, releasing a tiger-shaped demonic soul. The surging yin wind and ghostly mist stiffened the three of them with fright. Feeling the terrifying pressure of the Third-Stage tiger ghost, they all immediately dropped to their knees. Their faces were whiter than death, trembling uncontrollably.

"Th-th-that... Senior..." Before he finished speaking, Wang Yu's patience ran out. He unleashed the Soul-Piercing Evil Boat Incantation, which he had occasionally cultivated over the years and had now reached the perfected realm. Countless black paper boats poured out from the black hole behind him.

—Soul Search!

When used again, with the immense disparity in divine sense, the three individuals' life memories were completely open to Wang Yu, an unobstructed view. The kneeling old man lowered his head even further, as he felt the immense oppressive force of a Nascent Soul divine sense, inwardly crying out that he had gravely offended someone.

A moment later, Wang Yu fully comprehended the drastic changes within the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect.

"So that's how it is!"