Chapter 402: Yuan Ying Second Layer, Signs of Magical Intentions

As I read, I began cultivating demonic practices from a disabled spiritual root!

Twenty years of secluded cultivation abruptly came to an end.

The goals he had set were largely accomplished to his estimated extent. Within his Dantian Qi Sea, a blue-black watery ring now seemed to encircle his demonic Nascent Soul. It flowed in and out continuously, forming an intricate and mysterious pattern that exuded endless coldness—a clear sign of his successful demonic essence cultivation.

After eight years in seclusion, his cultivation technique had successfully advanced. Over the subsequent twelve years, his energy was partly dispersed, but he still managed to raise his demonic essence limit to over two thousand drops. He had successfully broken through to the second layer of the Nascent Soul stage. The cultivation goal for this stage was between 2,000 and 6,000 drops, a nearly doubled difficulty. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about strengthening his Nascent Soul for now. Otherwise, even if his demonic essence met the requirements, his Nascent Soul would still need time to mature.

On another note, the moment the fourth-tier Corpse Demon Secret Art was perfected, he instantly achieved complete mastery. After ten years of accumulation, Wang Yu gained zombie characteristics comparable to an "Undecomposable Bone." This secret art merged with the *Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Technique*, and with the aid of the Heavenly Enlightenment Platform, he successfully created a new body-refining cultivation technique—a fourth-tier body-refining technique. He hadn't yet decided if he should change its name.

However, after the two merged, the Yin Blood Pill Secret Art also reverted to its complete form. This art, combined with the Heavenly Yin Blood characteristic, was hidden within countless blood and flesh particles. While "regeneration from a single drop of blood" might be an exaggeration, injuries like limb regrowth, heart removal, or decapitation were no longer fatal threats to him. The traits bestowed by the "Heavenly Yin Blood" and "Corpse Demon Bone" secret arts were quite similar to innate cultivation abilities, but they also had the effect of improving one's innate aptitude. After being integrated into the *Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Technique*, though the technique was complete, it still required time and a substantial supply of Yin and Corpse Qi to perfect the incomplete rune particles within his body.

He waved his hand, conjuring an ice mirror. The person in the mirror had reverted to the appearance of a handsome young man in his twenties. His pure white Dharma robe was both lavish and ethereal, making him seem otherworldly. His body, reshaped by the innate demonic embryo, had initially regained its raven-black hair, but under the effect of the new *Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Technique*, it once again transformed into silver strands. It was exactly as he had appeared in the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect, completely unchanged. Perhaps this was a side effect of absorbing Yin and Corpse Qi: his body resembled ice, his heart beat very slowly, and his skin was as pale as snow. One might even believe he was a living corpse.

After a moment's observation, Wang Yu dispelled the ice mirror, put on his black robe, and donned the Earth Net Ghost Mask. This magic treasure was gradually becoming less effective, but it could still be used within the Demon Cat Clan territory.

Regarding the placement slots, his cultivation techniques continuously occupied the first three. The fourth slot was recently assigned to the Monster Refining Art. This ancient art had four sections, but he had only completed the third-tier Alchemy section. He clearly felt unfulfilled. Only a single, peripheral sentence remained of the Formation Array section, completely unrelated to its core. Even with the formidable effects of the placement slots, there was absolutely nothing he could do about this situation. What he had actually placed was the Artifact Refining section of the Monster Refining Art! He had a feeling this would be immensely useful, just as the Alchemy section had helped him refine the Sky Demon. He also had Frozen Demonic Spirit Stones, converted from vacant supreme-grade spirit stones. Perhaps they could serve as core materials for a breakthrough pill recipe, allowing him to attempt developing new types of spiritual elixirs, especially with his complete fourth-tier Cold螭 Alchemy skill as a foundation. As it was also an alchemical method, the placement speed would be relatively fast. Learning by analogy? A high-level perspective? Both apply! Mastering an artifact refining method was also intended to transform the large quantity of fourth-tier rare spiritual materials he had acquired from the Northern Demon Race over the past two decades into useful magic treasures for himself. Otherwise, they could only be put into the Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda.

After reviewing the situation and tidying up everything in his cave dwelling, several white rhinos with lightning horns on their heads cast expectant glances from the rugged palace at the foot of the mountain. Seeing this, Wang Yu waved his hand, flicking out a pill bottle. "Fortunately, I did not fail in my task." The Thunder-Horned White Rhino, a staunch supporter of the Thunder Kirin King, immediately revealed a satisfied smile after inspecting the spiritual elixir and presented a fourth-tier thunder horn in return. This was the good thing about the demon race: they could produce fourth-tier spiritual materials themselves. Wang Yu had once considered doing something strange with his own flesh and blood, but later decided against it. He wasn't masochistic, and the shed parts of these demon beasts were different.

"Master Wang, we'll go notify the next demon beast in line.""No need."To their surprise, Wang Yu refused."Go notify the Sky Roc Clan. Tell them I have something to discuss.""This... Very well." The Thunder-Horned White Rhinos dared not delay and immediately went to carry out the task.

Having finished using this Heavenly Enlightenment Platform, it was too difficult for him to break through the divine ability bottleneck on his own. Therefore, slots five to seven were currently occupied by the Minor Asura Killing Fist! The advancement of this divine ability required killing and refining the purest killing intent. Fundamentally, it was also about nurturing his own killing intent until it reached a certain level. It would naturally advance, but Wang Yu's goal was on comprehending the divine ability's Law Intent—specifically, how to grasp the Asura Battle Intent within it and thus enter the path of slaughter. His success would depend on his fortune. In this regard, the placement slots would be more reliable. Furthermore, since the Minor Asura Killing Fist was the first divine ability he had fully mastered, he might be able to use it to touch upon the nascent form of Law Intent. He would consider his innate Ice Dao after achieving some results. One step at a time; he was still young. He was barely 180 years old in his cultivation so far. Given the longevity of Nascent Soul cultivators, he didn't believe he couldn't reach the Soul Transformation stage.

Ever since communicating with the Beast God's remnant consciousness and gaining many secrets, Wang Yu had been planning his next objectives. The simplest was undoubtedly to enhance his strength. Currently, the best method was to refine fourth-tier cultivation spiritual elixirs. Given his current standing, the Northern Demon Race would be quite willing to help him achieve this.

Additionally, his Grand Yin Nether Pupils also needed continued cultivation. Ever since acquiring the fragment of the Grand Yin Star Core, the primordial Grand Yin power contained within it was faster at transforming his eyes than using the placement slots. After absorbing this fragment, cultivating this ocular technique to fourth-tier perfection would not be an issue. Thus, there was no need to waste a placement slot; he could let nature take its course. The secret art, "Blinding Six Senses," was purely a divine sense secret art. It wasn't difficult to cultivate; occasional contemplation was enough to get started. This secret art primarily served to block the prying of the Six Ears Beyond the Heavens. It only needed to be functional, not cultivated to a profound level.

Considering all this, he intended to consider leaving the Northern Demon Race after his Thunder Corpse advanced. This time wouldn't be far off, and if things went smoothly, he might even be able to 'abduct' one or two helpers. If not, then he'd pretend he never said anything. There were also matters like the Ice Flame Butterfly and refining Nascent Soul magic treasures.

After outlining his future plans, Wang Yu proceeded to the Demon Cat Clan's council hall, taking the opportunity to learn about the outside world's situation. The war between Taihu and Chiyuan remained much as it was twenty years ago, with the only difference being shifts in the battlefront. Yunling Prefecture was mostly lost, the Yellow Springs Temple and Nether Mountain Sect had allied, and Fengzhou had many areas sunken and reshaped, now presided over by Lord Thunder Roar, a late-Nascent Soul stage cultivator. The Joyful Union Demonic Sect had completely withdrawn its troops, moving to the Southern Broken Boundary Mountain Range and initiating an attack on the Thunderfire Temple's territory. Countless cultivators shed their blood in the mountains, and the fighting was equally fierce.

Several pieces of news caught Wang Yu's attention the most:First, the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect had intervened, seizing control of Black Mountain Pass, with the Moon-Gazing Palace, one of the Seven Orthodox Sects, bearing the brunt.Second, Taihu's Sword Sect dispatched two teams: one heading north to stabilize the situation at Ice River Pass, carrying a large number of war magic treasures, appearing ready for a prolonged battle.Third, the Young Sect Master of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect was deceived by the Yellow Springs Temple and appeared on the border of Youzhou and Fengzhou. The Blood God Guards, directly under the Blood Demon Palace, engaged in a battle with many experts from the Yellow Springs Temple. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and the Young Sect Master of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, swearing to slay the Sect Master of the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect, who was his master. Master-disciple betrayals were not uncommon in Chiyuan. The resulting repercussions were not significant, but the Young Sect Master had been confirmed as a traitor, and all disciples of the Sacred Sect were permitted to kill him.

Over the twenty years of Wang Yu's secluded cultivation, only these three pieces of news were considered significant, bringing with them immensely far-reaching consequences. The leaders of both the righteous and demonic factions had made their moves. This meant that a full-scale war was not far off. If he wanted to partake in the war's benefits, the correct path would be to find a way to deal with Sword Lord Nine Evils and join the main forces' offensive. If he couldn't resolve it, submitting to Lei Yao was also an option. His stance was a matter of personal conviction; he cared not whether Chiyuan won or lost. In any case, under the changing circumstances, the Inverse Spirit Blood Sect's situation had somewhat eased. After all, their 'ally,' the Joyful Union Demonic Sect, had taken on much of the pressure.

While waiting in the council hall, the Two-Tailed Shadow Cat, who had reaped considerable benefits in recent years, strode in from outside and burst into laughter upon seeing Wang Yu. "My virtuous brother, has your recent alchemy gone smoothly? Shall I find some entertainment for you?"

"No need, Brother Hei." Wang Yu, wearing the ghost mask, spoke with a slightly distant tone. "I was in seclusion refining pills for too long, so I came out to get some air. There are also some matters I wished to inform you about in advance."

The Shadow Cat's expression sharpened, thinking of a certain possibility. "Indeed, let's put an end to the alchemy for now. Cultivators should prioritize their cultivation. For the foreseeable future, I will not be accepting any more alchemy commissions."

Upon hearing this, the Shadow Cat felt a sense of relief. "It is time for some rest. How about I send you a few raccoon slaves? I heard the Human Desire Art, which has been widely discussed in recent years, was obtained by you from the Divine Mountain."

Wang Yu replied, "...No need." He genuinely had no interest in human-beast relations. While it was true that the Human Desire Art was highly effective at purifying bloodlines, the problem was that among the demon beasts needing bloodline enhancement, very few had transformed into human form. They were precisely stuck at the peak of the third-tier, needing bloodline purification to raise their potential and thus trigger their breakthroughs. In other words, most demon beasts eager to cultivate the Human Desire Art hadn't yet transformed into human form… The mere thought sent shivers down his spine: snakes, wolves, dogs, birds, monkeys, apes… A grotesque 'Heaven-Defying Animal Park' spin wheel. As the instigator of this bizarre trend, Wang Yu respectfully declined and wished to be absolutely unassociated with it. He hadn't even passed the Human Desire Art to Xue Yu, fearing the fellow might be consumed by lust and do something against moral principles when he wasn't looking. After all, one should not underestimate a demon beast's obsession with its bloodline.

Hearing this, the Shadow Cat couldn't help but feel a little regretful. "My daughter will be returning soon, and I had hoped to introduce her to you, my virtuous brother."

"Brother Hei, you're too kind. I might be leaving the Northern Broken Boundary Mountain Range in a while, and I truly have no intention of cultivating this art. Brother Hei, please feel free to find someone else to try it; don't consider me."

The two conversed for a long time until the envoy from the Sky Roc Clan arrived. This demon, named Peng Qing, had been the contact for all his alchemy commissions during this period, so he was quite familiar with Wang Yu. Peng Qing was at the early fourth-tier of cultivation, and his son had benefited from the Human Desire Art. He was very enthusiastic towards Wang Yu.

"Master Wang, the White Rhinos said you wished to see me.""That's right." Wang Yu reiterated what he had told Brother Hei, and as expected, Peng Qing initially felt annoyed but didn't casually lose his temper or start an argument. Instead, he said with slight confusion, "Master Wang, the Northern Demon Race has not treated you harshly; in fact, all your requests have been met. Why would you want to…"

"On the path of cultivation, one either advances or retreats. Alchemy consumes too much time, and my own cultivation has been delayed considerably. I cannot continue to indulge in it like this."

"Indulge…" Peng Qing's mouth twitched. If he possessed such a level of alchemy, he would probably be refining pills day and night, never stopping until he had earned a fortune. In other words, had he earned enough? Peng Qing pondered, then said, "The Dragon Python Clan's Heavenly Enlightenment Platform is too damaged. My Sky Roc Clan recently acquired several more complete ones, and one of them can still be used for seventy years."

As soon as he spoke, Wang Yu's eyes lit up. His need for treasures that enhance enlightenment would never diminish. Whether he could use them now or not, they would always be useful in the future. According to the Beast God, the ancient demons were actually in a state of body and soul separation, which was why they lacked intelligence. The Soul Transformation inheritances they instinctively passed down were not problematic in themselves. It was just that due to the characteristics of the demonic path, there was a tiny requirement. If one's mental cultivation wasn't sufficient, they would fall and become a slave to the ancient demons. Wang Yu had reason to suspect that these immortal and undying ancient demons were likely Immortal-level beings, or at the very least possessed Mahayana stage abilities; otherwise, they wouldn't be so difficult to deal with. The relationship between demons, demonic qi… was not yet clear. But since there were demonic immortals who had successfully walked this path, he too could pursue it!

The bait Peng Qing threw out landed perfectly on his heart, and after a moment of hesitation, he said, "I will remain with the Demon Cat Clan for quite some time. If the Sky Roc Clan has any spiritual elixirs they wish to refine, they can come to me, but the quantity must not be too great."

"—Understood!" Peng Qing burst into laughter, feeling this was an opportunity to monopolize Wang Yu. If he could become the Sky Roc Clan's exclusive alchemist… The mere thought filled him with delight. The spiritual elixirs produced by Wang Yu were all masterpieces, and his masterful proficiency surpassed their previous sources. He had tasted them himself; Alchemist Wang's value was enough to make even late-stage Demon Kings personally contend for his services.

Seeing the other party leave satisfied, Wang Yu also had his own calculations in mind: to break free from complicated alchemy commissions and exclusively serve the nine Great Demon King clans of the Northern Demon Race. This way, it would be more likely for him to later request two helpers to eliminate Sword Lord Nine Evils. Cooperation, mutual benefit, and creating a win-win situation were the correct path. Of course, his greed was also one of the reasons that facilitated this.

After settling this matter, a new Heavenly Enlightenment Platform was delivered within half a month. Wang Yu continued his secluded cultivation, focusing on comprehending the Law Intent of his divine ability. Meanwhile, the aura of the Thunder Corpse, placed within the geomantic array, grew increasingly profound. Its advancement was drawing nearer. Corpse refining, Gu worm nurturing, cultivation, and enlightenment—his new round of seclusion was still fully packed. This time, after just three years, a bloody sea phenomenon manifested outside Wang Yu's secluded cave dwelling.

"This is… a nascent form of Law Intent?!" The Shadow Cat was utterly shocked, even ignoring the voice of his beloved daughter from the communication jade slip in his hand.