Chapter 474: Tangyang Demon Lord Delivers Goods to the Door

A phantom image of a snow fox stretched itself in mid-air. Its seven tails looked real, exuding a faint fragrance that seemed capable of stirring the deepest desires within people, even though Xue Yu belonged to the snow fox clan. However, the innate charm of the fox clan's demonic blood was still a powerful force that was difficult to conceal. Its mirror-shaped natal demon treasure, the Celestial Fox Robe, was a spiritual treasure called the "Beauty-Reflecting Mirror." This demon treasure could reflect the deepest desires of a person's heart, showing their most coveted companion. It was a highly specialized item that could have miraculous effects if used correctly.

At this moment, thunder clouds gathered in the sky. Wang Yu and Dou Zhao stood in the distant heavens, watching Xue Yu's tribulation from afar, a hint of envy in their eyes.

"Master, how long will it take me to cultivate to Sister Xue Yu's level?"

Wang Yu carefully calculated and estimated. "At least five hundred years. With your Heavenly Spirit Root aptitude, you can form your Core around a hundred years old, reach the peak of Core Formation around two hundred years old, and then spend another three hundred years solidifying your foundation and gathering resources before you have a chance to break through to the Nascent Soul stage."

Hearing this, Dou Zhao felt a bit disheartened. After all, asking a girl under fifty to consider five hundred years naturally felt too long; even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn't live that long.

Seeing her silence, Wang Yu smiled. "This speed is already quite fast. If you can master the Demonic Embryo Secret Art, I can gather some human-beasts with Heavenly Spirit Roots for you to complete the Five-Element Heavenly Spirit Roots and forge a Post-natal Demonic Embryo Body. Then perhaps you can break through to Nascent Soul in just over three hundred years. In the future, it will be a simple matter for me to refine a Nascent Transformation Pill for you."

This was a path Wang Yu had walked himself. It was just that without another Post-natal Demonic Embryo Body, it would be difficult for Dou Zhao to revert to her innate state. However, it wasn't impossible to achieve by sheer force. The only issue was the significant number of "consumable geniuses" required. It would be troublesome, but if he hunted around Taihu, he might accomplish it casually. Treating human lives as cultivation resources, Wang Yu's true nature as a devil was undeniably revealed.

Although Dou Zhao already knew this, when it came to truly using others' lives to achieve her own success, she still felt a certain barrier and slight discomfort in her heart, especially the term "human-beasts," which was the most favored insult used by demon races.

Wang Yu was not displeased by this kindness. Once upon a time, he was the same; as long as she faced enough hardships and difficulties, she would eventually transform.

Wang Yu's training plan for Dou Zhao differed from that for a "domesticated" Xue Yu. He would provide her with the best cultivation methods, divine abilities, secret arts, and some cultivation resources. However, he wouldn't give her everything. After guiding Dou Zhao for a period, she would need to strive for resources herself, just as he once did. Where in the world had he not traveled? Xuangou Mountain, Spider Mountain, Shihud City, Heishan Demonic Lands, Dry Leaf Marsh, Guiling City, Dongji Jing... too many to count.

Xue Yu, having been by his side for years, had gained enough knowledge from him to enlighten her. But Dou Zhao, as an independent person, could not exist as a dependent.

During their master-disciple conversation, Xue Yu had already passed the first six stages of the lightning tribulation. The aura of a transformed Great Demon became increasingly distinct, and the anomalies caused by the heavenly tribulation finally attracted cultivators from both the righteous and demonic factions of Kuangmei Mountain.

Wang Yu's expression shifted. "Fellow Daoists are arriving, Zhao'er. Go into the Human Seed Pouch for now and hide."

"Okay." Dou Zhao felt regret that she couldn't watch the entire tribulation process, but she quickly hid herself in the magic treasure.

A short while later, several streaks of light arrived, divided into two camps. One side was dressed in a primitive style, adorned with totems, shattered bones, feathers, and tusks. These were three Nascent Soul priests from the Ming Mountain Sect, all at the initial stage. They had come together because of their proximity. The other side consisted of Nascent Soul cultivators from the Azure Cloud Sect and the Blazing Sun Sect. The Azure Cloud Sect's early Nascent Soul cultivator wore a yellow cloud-patterned daoist robe, looking utterly aged and close to his lifespan's end. The Blazing Sun Sect's cultivator was at the middle Nascent Soul stage, clad in a fiery magic robe embroidered with the Fusang divine tree. His fiery red hair shot upwards as if defying gravity, continuously fluttering and emitting waves of heat. This uniquely styled cultivator was quite famous; he was Demon Lord Tang Yang of the Blazing Sun Sect.

Even Wang Yu recognized him, as this person's bizarre origin story had spread widely throughout the Ice Prison Realm. He was a hybrid creature born from a human-demon union: the Foundation Establishment cultivator who bred fire crows for the Blazing Sun Sect and a first-tier fire crow that had not yet transformed. He was born with a pair of raven-feathered wings and could innately cultivate a mixed demon-spirit energy, enabling him to wield both demon treasures and magic treasures. His nature was inherently brutal and bloodthirsty. Initially, his bloodline was not tolerated by the Blazing Sun Sect, but later, due to his astonishing potential, he was taken as a nominal disciple by Dao Lord Lieyang. After being "transcended" by an ancient Buddhist secret art, he remained in the Blazing Sun Sect to this day.

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes, observing this peculiar being. His divine sense had already seen through the rather common breath-concealing secret art, discerning Demon Lord Tang Yang's true cultivation level. "Nascent Soul sixth layer, huh..."

The number of such half-human, half-demon beings was not large in the cultivation world. Only when both humans and demons reached the Nascent Soul stage (equivalent to a demon's fourth-tier transformation) was there an extremely low probability of producing offspring. However, they often had severe defects and very short lifespans, making it difficult for them to survive. Only a very few individuals, like Demon Lord Tang Yang, possessed exceptionally powerful aptitudes that surpassed Heavenly Spirit Roots yet were slightly inferior to Spirit Bodies. Human-beast combinations violated human ethics and were not tolerated in Taihu, but they were common in Chiyuan.

This Demon Lord Tang Yang was actually a seed of a demonic cultivator. Wang Yu was quite curious about the Buddhist secret art used to "transcend" him. He had some research into Buddhist arts, so as soon as the other party appeared, his gaze was firmly fixed on him.

This made Demon Lord Tang Yang very uncomfortable. He glared back fiercely and said coldly, "Who is this demon cultivator undergoing tribulation here? Why are they breaking through at Kuangmei Mountain? And who are you?"

Hearing this, Wang Yu turned to look at the three priests from the Ming Mountain Sect. These three had just arrived and already had a bad feeling, but because Wang Yu's breath-concealing secret art was so advanced and they were far away, they hadn't dared to confirm it immediately. Now, seeing him turn around, his face instantly startled them. Since the battle in Dongji Jing, the story of Wang Yu cooperating with the Yellow Springs Abbey Master to trick the Akataran Devil Lord had long spread, freeing him from the constraints of the "younger generation" title. Who wouldn't fear him? Who would dare not to? This was truly a brazen individual, a pure demonic cultivator who acted as he pleased.

The silence of the Ming Mountain Sect priests immediately drew the curiosity of Demon Lord Tang Yang and the old cultivator. The look of "terror" they displayed couldn't be faked.

"So, you are a demonic cultivator, and quite famous in Chiyuan... Have you done something beyond others' reach?" Tang Yang quickly made his inference based on the trio's reaction.

Upon hearing this, the old cultivator's already wrinkled face crumpled further. Unlike Tang Yang, who was oblivious to outside affairs, based on the inference and recent events, and well-known demonic cultivators in the vicinity, a name suddenly sprang to his mind. But before he could utter it, he heard Demon Lord Tang Yang say, "No matter who you are, as long as it's something a demonic cultivator wants to do, I will stop it. The more you want to do something, the more I will break it and destroy it! Fire Raven Flame Feather Sword Wings — Heaven-Burning Style!"

Relying on his outstanding cultivation and combat power, which far surpassed others at his stage, Demon Lord Tang Yang completely disregarded the three early Nascent Soul priests from the Ming Mountain Sect. As soon as his natal magic treasure appeared, he immediately engaged. His natal magic treasure was quite unique: it was a part of his own body. It was a common practice and tradition among demon races to refine shed body materials into natal demon treasures. This allowed them to refine demon treasures that were perfectly suited for their own use. When Demon Lord Tang Yang formed his Core, he directly severed his natural raven wings and refined them into a special sword-wing magic treasure using the Blazing Sun Sect's cultivation methods. This treasure resonated with his bloodline and possessed immense power, coupled with the Blazing Sun Sect's fourth-tier inherited cultivation method — the Heaven-Burning Sword Canon!

With this move, fiery feathered swords immediately swept across the sky, like a grand storm, rushing rapidly and densely towards Wang Yu. Though Wang Yu was only at the fifth layer of Nascent Soul, he had fought more than a handful of late Nascent Soul grand cultivators. Demon Lord Tang Yang's sword technique, while strong, had numerous flaws in his eyes.

"Flashy but impractical." He made his assessment, then extended his hand, clenching it in the air. This was his first time displaying the surged power of his Silver Blood Divine Marrow since reaching the late fourth stage of Body Refinement. A terrifying field of power materialized into a gigantic hand. It was as if space itself was being squeezed within his palm. As the field of power rapidly contracted, the countless fiery feathered swords in the sky resembled a singularity collapsing inward. They twisted and converged at a visible rate. Space itself trembled continuously because of this. In the blink of an eye, the grand offensive that swept the heavens was condensed into a golden sphere in Wang Yu's palm. He then pushed it back with an understated gesture.

"—BOOM!!!"

An image resembling a nuclear explosion suddenly occurred, with a massive mushroom cloud rising into the sky, and countless shattered rocks flying apart and disintegrating. Given the size of Kuangmei Mountain, a noticeable crater appeared in the mountain itself, showing just how exaggerated the power of this move was. To be frank, if such an extremely concentrated product were to explode in Shuiyun Immortal Capital, every person in the city would undoubtedly perish without exception. This was the formidable power of a pure Body Refiner. His divine strength, combined with his unique ability to manipulate the field of power, could unleash destructive force that surpassed the average level of a late Nascent Soul cultivator.

In the heat waves and dust, the three Ming Mountain Sect members, only affected by the aftermath, were the first to escape. Though each was disheveled, they were not the primary targets and thus not severely injured. As for the main targets, Demon Lord Tang Yang and the unnamed old cultivator... The former's natal magic treasure was severely damaged, causing a backlash to his true body and inflicting considerable injuries. If not for his inherent strong resistance to fire spells, he might have died from that single blow. The unnamed old cultivator was less fortunate. He was from the Yellow Cloud lineage of the Azure Cloud Sect. His potential had been exhausted, and he was old and frail, so he was not within the core circle. Affected by Tang Yang, his physical body was scorched into charcoal, leaving only his Nascent Soul gasping for breath as it frantically tried to flee back the way it came. At the same time, he shrieked, "He is the Extreme Dharma Profound Core Devil Lord, the one who tricked Venerable Akataran and remained unharmed! Tang Yang..." Before he could finish the word "go," a spinning glazed ice tower suddenly descended from the sky. Under its extreme freezing power, his Nascent Soul was instantly captured. The gap between them was too vast; a Nascent Soul without a physical body had severely compromised combat power and no chance of resistance whatsoever.

Wang Yu strolled through the dust cloud, his eyes gleaming with moonlight as he precisely locked onto Demon Lord Tang Yang's location. "Stop struggling. You're worth at least six thousand drops of Demonic Origin. For high-value packages like you, I always ensure full care."

In Wang Yu's eyes, Tang Yang was already a walking Blood Infant Pill. The two mid-grade Blood Infant Pills he had consumed earlier were refined using middle-stage Nascent Soul "gatekeepers" as material, and the demonic origin they provided only reached the lower limit of six thousand drops. However, Tang Yang was at the sixth layer of Nascent Soul, so he could provide at least 7,000 to 8,000 drops. This was the difference brought by varying materials. If a grand cultivator's Nascent Soul were the main ingredient, refining a high-grade Blood Infant Pill could yield as much as ten thousand drops per pill. The only drawback was the longer time needed to stabilize and solidify one's foundation after refining it. With Tang Yang delivering himself to his doorstep, Wang Yu had no reason not to accept. Moreover, he was already very close to the sixth layer of Nascent Soul, needing only another eight thousand drops of Demonic Origin. Once he digested these two Blood Infant Pills, breaking through to the sixth layer of Nascent Soul would be effortless. After that, he would accumulate enough to reach the peak of the sixth layer, then he could consume the last Heavenly Yin Divine Pearl to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage. Don't forget, this item wasn't a traditional spiritual object for Nascent Soul breakthroughs. It also had miraculous effects for breaking through late-stage bottlenecks. Otherwise, Yin Gui wouldn't have specifically sought it in a place like Dongji Jing. Wang Yu's own cultivation path was even more clearly planned out than Xue Yu's, ensuring no mistakes would occur.

In the field, Demon Lord Tang Yang secretly activated a spell, but found that his Nascent Soul teleportation technique was ineffective. The space felt as hard as steel, completely impenetrable. Under the pressure of life and death, his inherent ferocity completely erupted. He suddenly let out a long howl heavenward, and several fourth-tier magic treasures flew out from his body. These included a bird-beak-shaped demon treasure, two wheels accompanied by wind and fire, and a flame-wreathed long spear – all the strongest and most skillfully used items in his possession. After being manipulated by a secret art, dense cracks appeared on these magic treasures. Wang Yu instantly transformed into a streak of aurora and fled upwards. He had witnessed such a scene before, back when he was at the Foundation Establishment stage. Some cultivators practiced secret arts for mutual destruction, choosing to self-destruct upon death to drag their opponents to oblivion with them. The secret art of self-detonating magic treasures was considered a relatively mild form. Wang Yu had suffered from it once, and although he hadn't encountered such an opponent for a long time afterward, he still guarded against this move. Experience teaches wisdom, and this wisdom, after all, had grown.

Self-detonation secret arts were not easy to cultivate. Unlike Wang Yu, others didn't have the "placement bar" that directly provided successful feedback. What if something went wrong during cultivation? If a magic treasure disintegrated, it could be re-refined, but if the physical body disintegrated, it would be a hopeless situation, making it very difficult to recover and continue one's path in this life. Therefore, even among demonic cultivators, very few lunatics practiced self-detonation secret arts. Demonic cultivators had plenty of other strange survival techniques, so there was no need for this one.

After successfully evading the self-detonation of the three magic treasures, Wang Yu suddenly accelerated, taking a step into the air as if a gigantic, pale foot formed from condensed air stomped down. Demon Lord Tang Yang instantly showed a look of despair. His life force extinguished, his Nascent Soul was taken away by the glazed tower.

The battle ended quickly. The gap between late-stage and middle-stage Nascent Soul was like a chasm; without special environmental assistance, even a prodigy couldn't achieve a cross-realm kill.

Just then, the lightning tribulation ended, and a seductive, delicate voice sounded in Wang Yu's ear. "Master~"