Chapter 451: Fivefold Divine Power Ice Prison Devil Seal

A beam of white spiritual light descended from the sky, directly entering Wang Yu's glabella, successfully transmitting a large stream of information it contained.

"Fifth-tier Divine Ability: Ice Prison Demonic Seal..."

Wang Yu took a deep breath.

This ice-based divine ability was truly suited for him, and he could certainly maximize its power. With the effect of his "placement slots," he could easily free up a space for it. After placing it for over a decade to gain initial mastery, it could replace his innate divine ability and become his most powerful trump card. However, this was precisely the issue.

Achieving perfection with a fifth-tier divine ability was extremely difficult, making its cultivation less cost-effective right now. Its true value lay in its potential, through the "placement slots," to break the limits of the Ice Prison Realm.

From a long-term perspective, it was still quite suitable.

The only drawback was that the period required to unleash its full power was a bit protracted.

He had initially expected a physical divine ability that would leverage his physique, especially since his Demonic Dragon Fist was gradually becoming less effective, and the Ten Directions Freezing Demonic Fist was, at its core, a spiritual energy ability.

Its emphasis was on control rather than raw physical strength.

After reviewing all the information about the Ice Prison Demonic Seal, his expression brightened considerably; it hadn't been a wasted effort after all.

This divine ability harnesses extreme cold to condense an ice prison, further compressing it into a small seal. The power, confined to a small area, then explodes, capable of freezing space itself.

It combined three effects: control, lethality, and suppression.

The first stage, "Ice Prison Suppresses All," the second stage, "Extreme Cold Freezes the Boundless," and the third stage, "Divine Might Like Prison Seal," each corresponded to a different effect.

The fourth stage was the ultimate form, imbued with the pinnacle of demon-suppressing Dharma intent, possessing unimaginable power against demons. Although its name was "Demonic Seal,"

it was actually named for its demon-suppressing intent, and it ought to have miraculous effects against ancient demons or beings corrupted by their power.

Upon reflection, it was no surprise to find this type of divine ability, given that the Ancient Immortal Dynasty was the period when the celestials from the upper realms exerted their greatest influence.

Of his seven placement slots, three were permanently occupied by fundamental cultivation techniques.

The remaining four were currently occupied by the Twelve Aspects of Guanghan, Aurora Escape Art, and Nether Demonic Dragon Art. Wang Yu then swapped the last available slot for the Ice Prison Demonic Seal.

After sorting everything out, Wang Yu once again took out the Rainbow Feather Wondrous Stone.

The Aurora Escape Art was in his placement slots because Wang Yu was attempting to comprehend the Aurora Dharma Intent. By combining the two, he would gain a perfected fifth-tier escape art.

His speed would then rank among the top few in the Ice Prison Realm, provided he could sustain the consumption.

He could travel anywhere in the vast world.

Great speed granted him unparalleled freedom. However, since he had already comprehended the Asura Dharma Intent, comprehending the Aurora Dharma Intent would be significantly more challenging. He planned to let his placement slots manage this process entirely.

Waiting for a century or so would be sufficient.

At the very least, he would certainly master the fifth-tier Aurora Escape Art before his journey to the Holy Lord's Heavenly Palace, which would give him a greater advantage when competing with the demon kings.

The Rainbow Feather Wondrous Stone, shaped like a seven-colored feather, perfectly complemented the Aurora Escape Art. Refining it was as simple as eating and drinking.

After refining it briefly with the Ice Dragon Pill Flame, it liquefied and integrated into Wang Yu's body. Brilliant, multicolored spiritual light then permeated the core of the escape art's runes.

Its form immediately became more profound and intricate.

Visible multicolored light emanated from Wang Yu's body, making him appear like a glazed statue. Several hours later, the refining process concluded.

The Aurora Escape Art successfully advanced to the peak of the fourth tier.

Wang Yu's escape speed surged, compensating for the biggest weakness of his Nascent Soul stage. The changes were substantial; if he were to face the Heaven-Rending Eagle again, he could secure an easier victory.

He wouldn't suffer such severe injuries.

For the rest of his downtime, Wang Yu continued to meditate and circulate his energy to recover. Any physical damage he sustained was quickly healed by his life force, unless his body was utterly destroyed.

Otherwise, typical injuries were meaningless to Wang Yu.

His recovery ability was also a significant advantage; the Corpse Demon Secret Art combined with the robust life force of a body cultivator made him truly exceptional.

Twelve hours later.

The tower spirit's voice resounded once more.

"Do you wish to enter the 151st floor?"

"No, send me out of the tower."

If he insisted, he could still ascend another ten or twenty floors, but reaching the summit was impossible. He decided it was better to give up early and ambush the "rich guy" from Yellow Springs Temple outside the tower.

As Wang Yu made his choice, a white beam of light suddenly descended from the sky. His vision went dark, then bright, and in the blink of an eye, he found himself at the entrance of the Sky Star Tower.

Along with him came a token.

It was inscribed with "Sky Star Ranking, 299th place," and on the back was a brief evaluation and recommendation.

It read: "A person of unparalleled combat power and extraordinary talent, recommended for recruitment and training in the Imperial Guard, starting as a General of the Twelve Valiant Cavalry Divisions."

The evaluation was very high, but there were no other references to gauge it against.

It was difficult to determine his exact level from this.

"Sky Star Ranking... two hundred ninety-nine."

He muttered to himself.

Barely making it into the top 300 meant this token could grant him access to the Imperial Palace. No one had ever explored its interior, and the sheer number of hidden opportunities there was enough to make his heart race.

He paused for a moment, calming his scattered thoughts.

Wang Yu raised his guard, even drawing his Flesh and Blood Demonic Sword.

The moment he stepped out of the tower entrance, a strange power enveloped him, instantly teleporting him away to appear beside Old Demon Scorching Sun.

He was slightly surprised but sheathed the sword he had drawn.

"Greetings, Ancestor Liezu."

"Alas, if only you had cleared a few more floors..." Old Demon Scorching Sun lamented.

Old Demon Scorching Sun lamented, regretting that Wang Yu hadn't considered his own gain more. Since he himself had chosen to forgo the opportunities within the Sky Star Tower, he naturally hoped the younger generation would persevere.

The more floors climbed, the better. Currently, Wang Yu's ranking was the best. Among Core Formation cultivators, Tong Du from Five Yin Peak had the highest rank.

He was 880th, having reached the 109th floor.

Despite Tong Du reaching a higher floor than Wang Yu, the difficulty he faced was significantly lower. Based on the pattern, Tong Du would at most encounter late Core Formation opponents, so it was no surprise he could climb higher.

His main advantage was simply being a century older than Wang Yu.

Among Nascent Soul cultivators, few made the list. Only those nearing the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, such as Di Mingzi, You Mingzi, and Ice Soul Fairy, managed to get onto the Sky Star Ranking.

However, they were all clinging to the very end of the list.

After looking through the ranks, it turned out Wang Yu had climbed the highest, which explained Old Demon Scorching Sun's sigh.

Wang Yu withdrew his gaze from the Sky Star Stele.

Wang Yu, recalling his earlier deductions, generally understood Old Demon Scorching Sun's reasoning.

He spoke.

"Would You Mingzi have anticipated this?" he asked. "And if he obtains a precious pill that aids in breakthroughs, he would definitely choose to refine it inside the tower, as the environment there is very safe."

Old Demon Scorching Sun frowned.

"Do you think the Sky Star Tower can offer opportunities for a breakthrough to the God Transformation stage?"

"This junior dares not assert it," Wang Yu replied, "but the possibility is high."

Wang Yu sighed inwardly.

It was simply due to his insufficient strength; otherwise, he would dare to monopolize the entire Eastern Capital. Considering the effects of the Heavenly Yin Dragon Pearl, there were not only spiritual items for breaking through to the God Transformation stage but even treasures that could help God Transformation cultivators overcome their bottlenecks.

These seniors still underestimated the value of the Ancient Immortal Dynasty ruins.

He suspected that Old Demon Scorching Sun had reached this conclusion

partly because the God Transformation venerables had not yet appeared. Since they seemingly didn't value it, the probability of finding a God Transformation opportunity would naturally decrease in his eyes.

After all, Eastern Capital had been explorable before, though one couldn't observe the full picture, and no one had ever delved this deep.

Old Demon Scorching Sun said:

"It's too late for regrets now. As long as we can eliminate this group of Nascent Soul cultivators from Yellow Springs Temple, their strength will drastically decline. The war in Yunling Province can also conclude earlier, allowing us to fully focus on the Taihu Lake cultivators."

Having gained considerable intelligence from Wang Yu, Old Demon Scorching Sun was now filled with intense regret. However, since a decision had been made, he had to see it through to the end.

Otherwise, wouldn't it be a pointless sacrifice?

"I wonder what arrangements You Mingzi has made..."

Just a few days later,

the first unlucky cultivator to step into the trap emerged.

It was — Cold Bone!

Upon exiting, he immediately checked the Sky Star Stele. Finding his name absent, he was understandably disappointed. He then spotted several Core Formation elders from Yellow Springs Temple and intended to approach them.

The moment he moved, he detected something amiss.

The surroundings seemed to recede, the world abruptly inverted, and countless towering, verdant green bamboos suddenly shot upwards.

"A formation?"

This was the Pure World Green Bamboo Illusion Formation, a typical entrapment formation that incorporated spatial array techniques, secretly laid out by Old Demon Scorching Sun.

Its grade was peak fourth-tier; even if You Mingzi himself were to arrive, he wouldn't be able to break through it immediately.

Cold Bone's heart sank; he knew something was terribly wrong.

Following You Mingzi's instructions, he quickly retrieved a jade token from his storage ring and crushed it. Simultaneously, jade tokens belonging to all Yellow Springs Temple cultivators inside the Sky Star Tower shattered.

This was a signal that something unexpected had occurred.

This meant all cultivators should immediately cease their ascent and exit the tower to provide aid, allowing everyone to gather quickly. However, people are inherently selfish.

Take You Mingzi, for example; while he still had reserves of strength,

the rewards for higher floors were still accumulating. His eyes gleamed with greed, and he completely ignored the shattered jade token, seemingly casting everything else aside.

Regardless of the outcome, as long as he could break through to the God Transformation stage,

the entire Yellow Springs Temple would be under his command, and he naturally wouldn't fear the loss of a few Nascent Soul cultivators.

The other Yellow Springs cultivators also harbored their own ulterior motives.

They feared going out too early while their companions delayed, leading to unnecessary losses. It seemed better to clear a few more floors of the Sky Star Tower and secure the benefits they had already gained.

Di Mingzi held this very mindset: "May my fellow cultivators perish, but not I."

He only cared about his own gains, offering merely superficial concern for the lives of others.

This situation was partly due to coincidental factors,

but also influenced by the general environment of the Scarlet Kite region. When everyone behaved this way, it ceased to be surprising.

And so, a peculiar situation unfolded.

Cold Bone exited the tower unnoticed. He was secretly transferred by the activated formation to stand before Old Demon Scorching Sun, his face etched with despair.

But he still braced himself and spoke.

"Senior You Ming will arrive soon," he blurted out. "You cannot kill me. If demonic overlords engage in battle in Eastern Capital, we definitely won't be the ones laughing last... Don't forget, the Mingshan Sect is also present."

The implication was clear:

two tigers fighting would only lead to mutual destruction. It was better not to fight at all, a silent agreement they had always maintained.

He still found it difficult to understand why they had suddenly initiated hostilities.

Old Demon Scorching Sun clearly had no intention of explaining.

He clenched his right hand towards the sky, and a blood-red sun abruptly materialized above the Green Bamboo Formation. The crimson setting sun, like the old demon's age, was at its twilight.

Yet the power it unleashed was utterly terrifying.

If not for the formation's seal, once this blood-red sun descended, the entire Eastern Capital would be affected, its destructive range even surpassing Wang Yu's Falling Moon Eye Art.

It was quite incredible.

"Is this the power of Grand Perfection?" he thought. "It seems I still have a very, very long way to go."

After this sobering thought, Wang Yu silently watched Cold Bone's helpless struggle. This peak early Nascent Soul cultivator, whose strength was inferior to Wang Yu's,

was crushed by Old Demon Scorching Sun as easily as an ant.

He was effortlessly killed.

Whatever power his bone-path divine ability possessed, it was all crushed to dust by the descending blood-red sun. The remaining essence of his flesh and blood was then thrown to Wang Yu.

"I heard you raise corpses," Old Demon Scorching Sun said. "This substance is highly nourishing, so I'll give it to you."

"Thank you, Ancestor Liezu."

"Hahaha, this is just the first," he chuckled. "There will be many more."

His mood, which had been unsettled by Wang Yu, finally improved somewhat in the face of this gain. He shared the remaining essence with Wang Yu, which wasn't overly generous but certainly not stingy.

As for Cold Bone's Nascent Soul and storage ring, they were naturally claimed by Old Demon Scorching Sun.

A moment later,

seeing Wang Yu still seemingly lost in thought about the divine ability just displayed,

Old Demon Scorching Sun chuckled:

"This is the Blood Sun World Extinguishing Art," Old Demon Scorching Sun explained. "Only cultivators with pure Yang spiritual roots can cultivate it. I obtained it from the ruins of the Blood Sun Sect, from the late ancient era. It's also my signature divine ability. What do you think?"

Excellent, truly excellent!

If he wasn't mistaken, that blood-red sun had also possessed a space-locking effect. With such a vast range, unless he utilized the extreme speed of his Aurora Escape Art, even Wang Yu wouldn't be confident in escaping.

The importance of escape speed was once again evident.

"Ancestor Liezu, you jest too much," Wang Yu replied. "If this divine ability isn't formidable, then no truly powerful divine art exists in this world."

With a bit of flattery, Old Demon Scorching Sun's mood improved even further.

He continued to stake out the Yellow Springs cultivators' exit.

Unfortunately, although You Mingzi's arrangements didn't allow for a counter-attack, they did mitigate the current crisis.

As long as the cultivators didn't exit, or if they failed a challenge and remained on the first floor without leaving, they could wait until enough people gathered. At that point, even a formation trap would be torn to shreds by their combined power.

If the formation failed, the ambush would become meaningless.

It would be no different from a direct confrontation. This caused Old Demon Scorching Sun's recently cheerful face to cloud over within moments.

Wang Yu, standing by, found himself completely unable to help.

Stroking his chin, an idea suddenly sparked. He discreetly activated his invisibility art, which he hadn't used in a long time, and stealthily approached the Sky Star Stele.

He held his token in one hand and touched the stele with the other.

He secretly attempted to communicate with the tower spirit. His request was simple: directly eject cultivators who failed a challenge from the Sky Star Tower, provided their teleportation point wasn't on the first floor.

This way, the hidden Green Bamboo Grand Formation could play its intended role.

This request was both reasonable and unreasonable.

It all depended on the tower spirit's discretion. Then, a scene that greatly surprised Wang Yu unfolded.

"Candidate Valiant Cavalry General requests to reduce the complete experience of tower-challenging cultivators. This violates immortal dynasty etiquette. Therefore, benefits should be reduced, and the individual should be confined to the Hall of Contemplation for thirty years..."

"Please, Sky Star Venerable, render a judgment—"

"Please, Tower-Bearing Emissary, render a judgment—"

"Please, Void Spirit King, render a judgment—"

"No response to judgment. Candidate Valiant Cavalry General's reasonable application approved."

Wang Yu: "..."

Reasonable. Far too reasonable.

The Sky Star Tower Spirit functioned like a mechanical mind, devoid of true emotions or personality, which was one reason it had endured for countless years.

The token's authority was actually not extensive; it merely granted him access to stroll around the Imperial Palace. He couldn't use it to open just any palace or enter freely.

Yet, with the immortal dynasty having vanished countless years ago,

its benefits still manifested.