Chapter 431: Taiyin Ghost Eye Perfected, Nascent Soul at Third Layer

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Human Pill techniques are renowned in Chiyao. This is due to both the easily accessible ingredients and the outstanding efficacy of the pills. Masters of Human Pill techniques below the Fourth Rank account for nearly sixty percent of demonic alchemists. Above the Fourth Rank, however, a hundred schools of thought flourish.

In fact, if Wang Yu could settle down and use his alchemy to build connections, he would inevitably become another prominent figure within the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect over time. The problem was the existence of the Alchemy Hall, which led to him being ostracized by other alchemists. If he were to yield, he would have to adhere to their rules for pill refinement. Moreover, payment would have to be handled by the Alchemy Hall first. Could he tolerate such treatment? That would negate all his cultivation efforts. Therefore, he mostly saw alchemy as a means to assist his own cultivation, and he was genuinely unwilling to devote significant time to meticulously studying pill formulas.

The Longevity Blood Infant Pill uses a cultivator's Nascent Soul as its primary ingredient. It is incinerated by alchemical flames to temper its consciousness, gradually expelling "impurities" to purify the Nascent Soul. This is then supplemented with Longevity Essence Blood, which is the vital essence of a cultivator. Extracting the essence of life and slowly refining it into a pill using alchemical formulas takes a long time, as a complete Nascent Soul is intrinsically one of the purest spiritual entities in the world. Condensing it perfectly into a pill of a specific size, then refining it with other ingredients, is incredibly difficult. The demonic star power contained within the Star Demon Stone is another critical primary ingredient, and extracting it is not simple. Thus, he suspended the sect's alchemy requests.

Wang Yu summoned the Grand Harmony Blood Cauldron, leveraging the artifact's power to assist in alchemy. The fiercely burning Ice Dragon Alchemic Flame also lent him a hand, showcasing his comprehensive proficiency in the Way of Pills. As long as the pill formula was correct and he didn't lose his composure, the probability of alchemical failure was virtually zero. The immense value of his perfected Fourth Rank alchemy technique was self-evident to anyone knowledgeable. Once all steps were completed in sequence, he set it aside, requiring only a portion of his spiritual sense to oversee it.

All seven placement slots were dedicated to the Grand Yin Nether Eyes. He then enveloped the Extreme Law Dojo with the Six Senses Concealment secret art, preventing any chance for the Six-Eared Thief to spy. He had long since unlocked the complete inheritance of this special pupil technique: Moon Gaze, Illusion Moon, Falling Moon, Empty Moon! These four stages correspond to the four cultivation realms, from Qi Condensation to Nascent Soul, with no gaps. They are effective for both support and offensive applications. Falling Moon and Empty Moon, in particular, further deepen the utilization of spatial power. This was good news for Wang Yu.

Ever since cultivating the Void Secret Art: Chains of Heaven, as he absorbed more spatial power, his spatial silver chains grew longer, granting him a unique ability. For example, he could gradually sense the presence of space, perceiving the power that drifted in the void. Don't underestimate this ability. If he had possessed this talent earlier, he could have cultivated the Chains of Heaven even without a placement slot. To some extent, his sensitivity to spatial perception had significantly improved. Consequently, cultivating the Empty Moon pupil technique came naturally to him. Progress would not be slow, especially with the sevenfold acceleration from the placement slots and the power absorbed from the Moon Core Fragments, which satisfied the pupil technique's requirements and sped up the eye modification process. Efficiency completely soared.

Worried about being discovered by the Six-Eared Thief peeking from beyond the realm, he hadn't used the Grand Yin Nether Eyes for some time. This was, in fact, a bit of an overreaction. An overreaction. After all, he had used it many times previously without being detected, which indicated he hadn't yet made it onto the Six-Eared Thief's primary surveillance list and wasn't being constantly observed. While that logic held true, it was still better to be cautious. Better safe than sorry; hence, reducing its usage frequency, or even refraining from using it altogether, was the safest course.

However, while not for immediate use, it still needed to be practiced. Cultivating it to perfection during his seclusion, then slowly deducing it to a Fifth Rank pupil technique, was also a viable approach. This involved a path to breaking through the "cage," making any amount of time spent worthwhile.

And so, alchemy occupied a small portion of Wang Yu's spiritual sense, while his remaining energy was fully dedicated to cultivating the Grand Yin Nether Eyes. The process was much simpler than he had anticipated. In addition to the inherent multiple enhancements, external aids such as the Heavenly Enlightenment Dao Platform also provided invaluable assistance. In just two short years, Wang Yu surpassed the Falling Moon realm and directly entered the Empty Moon realm. He even quickly brought it to perfection. Just as Human Pill techniques had become his fastest-improving skill, they were dramatically supplanted by the Grand Yin Nether Eyes shortly thereafter.

The Empty Moon Eye possesses the ability to distort space. With a mere glare, he could forcibly root opponents to the spot. Combined with the Blood-Flesh Demonic Sword and the Blood Slaughter Heart Sword technique, ordinary cultivators were no match for a single strike from him. However, the energy consumption was somewhat high.

After five years in seclusion, his cultivation had progressed minimally. When Wang Yu emerged, the placement slots had returned to their usual arrangement. Slots 1, 2, and 3 were all dedicated to Fourth Rank primary cultivation methods. These were the original Fourth Rank of the *Ice Soul Saint Demonic Art*, which still held the potential to be deduced to the Fifth Rank. However, given the relatively short cultivation period, there was a much longer path to perfection. Conservatively, even sixty years wouldn't suffice. Slot 4 continued with the Grand Yin Nether Eyes. Even after achieving perfection, it could still be deduced towards the Fifth Rank, but this process would be even slower, requiring at least a century to see any hope of advancement. Slots 5, 6, and 7 continued to be occupied by the Grand Han Twelve Phases divine ability, which was on the verge of perfection and expected to achieve significant progress within ten years. At that point, he would then assign the Yin Nether Demonic Dragon Art and the Ancient Soul Art. He would reserve one slot for a divine ability related to Law Intent. After this comprehensive calculation, it was clear he still lacked placement slots, a problem he couldn't resolve quickly and would have to address gradually. By living long enough, his current predicament would eventually be resolved. There was no need to rush at all.

After making the arrangements, Wang Yu tested the Empty Moon Eye. When he activated this pupil technique, the crescent moon imprints in his eyes were covered by a hazy mist. Like a mirrored moon on water, it seemed both distant and intimately close. Space, in his eyes, acquired boundaries and nodes. He could twist it at will, significantly increasing its spatial density, much like an insect trapped in amber. Not even a single strand of hair could move. Its binding effect was more than tenfold stronger than spells like the Ice Chain Binding Divine Curse. For ambushing opponents, it was an unparalleled secret art.

"Excellent." Nodding in satisfaction, he then shifted his attention to the Grand Harmony Blood Cauldron. After two years of nurturing the pills, this batch of Longevity Blood Infant Pills was nearly complete.

—Open the furnace!

As the pill cauldron opened, three spiritual pills emerged, glowing with blood-red light, about the size of pigeon eggs, and transparent like crystal balls. Inside each pill was a blood infant sitting cross-legged. A hint of pleasant surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Fourth Rank, peak-grade spiritual pills!" Peak-grade spiritual pills are limited by material constraints; a single batch can produce a maximum of three, unless three sets of ingredients are used simultaneously. For his initial attempt, even with absolute certainty, he wouldn't risk all the Nascent Souls he had on hand. Three pills were sufficient for him for a considerable period. Furthermore, this was Wang Yu's first time refining Fourth Rank peak-grade spiritual pills.

The Longevity Blood Infant Pill is a typical Human Pill used to augment demonic essence. Over the past five years, with the placement slots not dedicated to cultivation, his main body, while focused on alchemy and pupil techniques, had only refined one top-grade Grand Yin Demonic Essence Pill. It increased his demonic essence by 300 drops, a result that included the 50% enhancement effect on ice-attributed spiritual pills from the Frost Dragon Alchemy technique. The efficacy of the Longevity Blood Infant Pill, however, varied depending on the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul used for refinement. Zi Dian was a newly formed Nascent Soul, merely at the early Nascent Soul stage, and indeed, only at the first layer, making him quite weak. Using such a Nascent Soul as an example, one pill could increase demonic essence by approximately 500 drops. However, if refined from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, it would be normal for a single pill to boost demonic essence by 2,000 drops.

"Zi Dian's Nascent Soul was rather average, but three peak-grade Blood Infant Pills are sufficient for me to break through to the third layer of Nascent Soul. The Nascent Souls of those two old geezers from Yougu should yield Blood Infant Pills with an effect of 800 to 1,000 drops." Wang Yu stroked his chin, muttering to himself.

It had been over a decade since his last breakthrough. In fact, the cultivation speed with three placement slots operating in tandem wasn't slow; consuming pills merely made the process more enjoyable. The peak of the second layer of Nascent Soul cultivation is 6,000 drops of demonic essence. He currently had approximately 4,700 drops accumulated within him. Three Longevity Blood Infant Pills would certainly be sufficient. The third layer of Nascent Soul cultivation ranges from 6,000 to 12,000 drops. To break through to the middle stage of Nascent Soul, one needs methods to strengthen the Nascent Soul. The best way is, naturally, to comprehend Law Intent and use it to bolster the Nascent Soul. When Wang Yu achieved his breakthrough back then, he condensed a nine-inch Heavenly Infant. For him, the middle-stage bottleneck was virtually non-existent. Furthermore, he had already comprehended Asura Law Intent, and by the time he truly faced the late-stage bottleneck, he might have even more Law Intents at his disposal. In Nascent Soul stage cultivation, strengthening the Nascent Soul was never the issue. The accumulation of demonic essence remained the primary time-consuming factor.

"No significant problem. The focus now will be on increasing my cultivation." Breaking through realms would bring enhancements to all aspects: essence, qi, and spirit. It was considered the quickest path to improving strength.

After consuming the first Blood Infant Pill, Wang Yu entered a state of refinement. The advantage of Human Pills became evident: they were much easier to refine than ordinary spiritual pills! The time required was significantly shorter than for the Grand Yin Demonic Essence Pill. The breakthrough wouldn't actually take long.

Cold Blood Peak, Mountain Lord's Dao Field.

The Mountain Lord stood by the cliff edge, gazing down at the Reverse Blood Ten Workshops, whose population had significantly dwindled. His expression was unreadable, lost in thought.

A moment later, frost and snow gathered, forming a human-sized tornado. The Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch emerged from it and looked at the Cold Blood Mountain Lord.

"Why do you seek me?"

"After the great victory at Black Mountain Pass, Wang Yu returned to the mountain for secluded cultivation, and it has been eight years since. What are your thoughts on this?"

The Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch narrowed his eyes. He pondered the Cold Blood Mountain Lord's intentions. He hailed from a clan lineage and had always been at odds with the Cold Blood Mountain Lord, who belonged to the master-disciple faction. Furthermore, the incomplete ancient spiritual treasure held by the latter originally stemmed from his own clan faction. After being forcibly seized by the master-disciple faction, the Mountain Lord's succession became void for the clan faction, falling into the hands of the master-disciple faction, thus granting them their prominent position. This was tacitly agreed upon by the three clans, a clever balancing act. Consequently, all nine peak lords, except for Blood Nether Peak, were powerful figures from the master-disciple faction.

Wang Yu was a grassroots rogue cultivator, a typical first-generation cultivator. Theoretically, he was naturally aligned with the master-disciple faction. However, he had never formally acknowledged a master and had an alliance with the three clans, making him naturally close to them. He was a very rare neutral party, and after breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, he solidified this position. Even the Alchemy Hall rarely targeted him. Bringing him up now, it felt as though there was a conspiracy.

After a moment of silence, the Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch suddenly said, "Are you planning to mess with him?"

"That word 'mess with,' how crude." The Cold Blood Mountain Lord retorted, then continued, "It's not this Mountain Lord, but those few from the Alchemy Hall. It's well known that Wang Yu has two powerful backers: the old Jiao who protects the mountain and Lord Lei Hou. Lord Lei Hou is far away in Feng Province and has little interaction with Wang Yu; even if he wished to help, he's too far. As for the old Jiao... he's older than both of us, and has guarded the mountain for thirteen hundred years."

The Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch's pupils contracted. "You mean..."

"Exactly. He's nearing the end of his lifespan. Earth-grade bloodline demon beasts, after all, are not Heaven-grade. Though they possess unique abilities, their lifespans are equivalent to human cultivators, not naturally long-lived exotic species." Once his patron falls, those monopolizers from the Alchemy Hall will certainly not tolerate Wang Yu's unrestrained alchemy, which disrupts the high-end market. How else would they profit from spiritual resources?

"But Wang Yu has recently gained the Sect Master's favor. Many of the spiritual pills in the war treasury were refined by him. So what if the old Jiao falls? Moreover, he has refined pills for me, and the finished products are more effective than those from the fools in the Alchemy Hall. In the future, we will certainly need to rely on him." Although he and the Cold Blood Mountain Lord were rivals, when considering the entirety of Cold Blood Peak, they were partners; neither could do without the other. Wang Yu's presence was beneficial to Cold Blood Peak. Therefore, he shouldn't be touched.

The Heavenly Frost Demon Monarch's thoughts were straightforward and not entirely incorrect. Unfortunately, the Cold Blood Mountain Lord did not seem to share them. "As a single alchemist, his output is limited. The Alchemy Hall has promised to prioritize Cold Blood Peak's pill needs for the next two hundred years, and that's no small amount."

Hearing this, Tian Shuang couldn't help but scoff. "The skill of those incompetent good-for-nothings is less than half of Wang Yu's. To put it mildly, this small benefit means nothing to me. To put it bluntly, if you offend the Sect Master, your days as Mountain Lord are numbered." He spoke up for Wang Yu because the ice-attributed spiritual pills Wang Yu refined were fifty percent more effective than standard ones, making them far more appealing than what other alchemists offered. Tian Shuang also cultivated the Way of Ice and clearly understood the effectiveness of this ability. He knew that given the same amount of time, his progress would be significantly greater, and over time, he would naturally distinguish himself. He wasn't so short-sighted. Besides, the four clans of Cold Blood Peak also had good relations with Wang Yu, so there was genuinely no need to proceed with this.

"You've truly consulted the wrong person for advice. I'm going to inform Wang Yu immediately."

—"You!" The Cold Blood Mountain Lord seemed taken aback by Tian Shuang's bluntness, his face cycling between green and pale as he said angrily, "You imbecile! Unfit to scheme with!" With that, his figure vanished into the wind and snow.

Tian Shuang stood there pondering for a good while, then casually tossed a spiritual sense jade slip into Wang Yu's Extreme Law Dojo before heading towards the Blood Demon Hall. From his demeanor, he not only intended to warn Wang Yu but also to inform the Sect Master, truly understanding how to curry favor. It was important to remember that with Wang Yu's support in spiritual pills, the Sect Master's prestige had recently surged, mitigating some of the negative effects from the previous loss of control, which implied he highly valued Wang Yu.

Meanwhile, within the Extreme Law Dojo, after the Grand Yin Nether Eyes were perfected and the Blood Infant Pills refined, he spent three more years in secluded meditation. All three peak-grade spiritual pills had been completely refined by him, and the vast, surging demonic essence within his body flowed like a mighty river. The Grand Circulation of his physical body's meridians and the Small Circulation of his Nascent Soul formed a perfect cultivation route, with demonic essence continuously flowing along these paths. Eventually, a certain boundary was broken.

Wang Yu's aura surged briefly before quickly calming down. His eyes, which had opened at some point, radiated a deep, inner brilliance.

"Third layer of Nascent Soul, 6,320 drops of demonic essence!" After calming the excitement in his chest, he then noticed the spiritual sense jade slip.