Chapter 493: Great Master, Meeting an Old Friend Again

Wang Yu's sixty-year seclusion yielded significant gains. He had used up almost all the treasures that could temporarily enhance his comprehension. Even the Dao charm of the Heavenly Enlightenment Platform was completely exhausted, leaving it as nothing more than an ordinary stone seat.

First, in terms of magic artifacts, both the Grand Harmony Blood Cauldron and the Thunder Fiend Coffin advanced to mid-grade Fourth-Tier magic artifacts. The Thunder Corpse, benefiting from the unique geomantic array he arranged, underwent a sixty-year transformation and successfully broke through to the mid-Fourth Tier as well. While these items were still barely usable, these external methods were increasingly unable to keep pace with his cultivation speed. Their effectiveness grew progressively weaker, and despite any remaining potential, the value of investing further in them significantly diminished. They would only be useful if given to others or traded at high-level treasure exchanges. He had not yet decided what to do with them and would keep them for the time being.

In terms of Dharma Intent, his Asura Dharma Intent reached complete perfection with no further room for advancement, while his Aurora Dharma Intent reached the Minor Accomplishment stage. The latter would allow him to escape at a speed that utterly surpassed even early Divine Transformation cultivators. At this speed, he could certainly escape from Chitian. To some extent, as long as he didn't walk straight into a trap, even if he wasn't a match for Chitian, he no longer feared him as he once did.

Simultaneously, Wang Yu comprehended the rudimentary form of a third Dharma Intent. This was the Yellow Springs Dharma Intent! This surge in his Nascent Soul's strength, combined with the nourishment from three Dharma Intents, resulted in a growth rate far beyond what anyone could imagine. This remarkable progress was due to the "placement slots."

Regarding divine abilities and secret arts, the Corpse Demon Secret Art officially advanced to the Fifth Tier. Building on his body cultivator's physique, it could now superimpose the strength of a Fifth-Tier zombie constitution. Concurrently, the Yin Blood Pill recovery secret art also advanced. This was sufficient to rapidly restore the spiritual essence of his immortal spiritual bones. Its strategic value increased significantly.

The Fifth-Tier divine ability, Ice Prison Demonic Seal, reached Minor Accomplishment, effectively hitting his current limit. Further mastery would require Divine Transformation cultivation, as he would otherwise be unable to unleash its power. Similarly, the Fifth-Tier physical divine ability, Immortal Spirit Body, reached Minor Accomplishment. This ability primarily serves defensive purposes and also assists in enhancing body cultivation. The advancements in his divine abilities spurred the further evolution of his physical body. Judging by its strength, his physical body had reached at least the ninth layer of the Nascent Soul realm. Half of the silver blood marrow in his dragon spine had transformed into gold, providing his body with a ceaseless supply of unparalleled divine power. In close combat, Wang Yu could be considered virtually invincible in the Ice Prison Realm.

All other divine abilities and secret arts had essentially been cultivated to perfection. Notably, regarding the Yellow Springs divine abilities, ever since the Master of Yellow Springs Monastery provided him with the cultivation methods for their advancement, he leveraged his commission to refine pills for the Northern Demonic Race. Through this, he progressively advanced all his Yellow Springs divine abilities to the Fourth Tier. Unless there was still value in further improvement, his "placement slots" were mostly occupied by cultivation techniques.

The advancements in his cultivation techniques were also considerable. The "Ice Soul Demonic Scripture" was deduced and elevated to the Fifth Tier, becoming a true Divine Transformation legacy. The associated effect was a massive surge in his demonic essence cultivation speed. His Natal Divine Ability, the Twelve Aspects of Guanghan, reached the Fifth Tier prematurely. However, lacking a Divine Transformation cultivation as a foundation, he was unable to unleash its full power, even with perfect mastery. He could only utilize it to its maximum potential within his current capabilities.

Furthermore, he comprehended and mastered the Dragon Emperor's Fist, a physical divine ability obtained from the ancient Human Emperor's secret vault. It replaced the Ten Directions Frozen Demonic Fist, becoming Wang Yu's strongest trump card for physical combat, without exception. His cultivation in the Nascent Soul realm was almost perfectly optimized. Even if he were to immediately advance to the Divine Transformation realm, his divine abilities and secret arts would still grant him considerable strength, ensuring he wouldn't be at the bottom among cultivators of the same realm. Only his magic artifacts were somewhat lacking. While flesh and blood demonic artifacts offered temporary utility, traditional magic artifacts were necessary to truly provide significant enhancements.

Regarding his divine sense, the "Ancient Soul Art" simultaneously advanced to the Fifth Tier, triggering a surge in Wang Yu's divine sense. It had essentially reached the peak of the Nascent Soul realm; the next stage would be Divine Transformation divine sense. This stage could not be reached prematurely. When a Nascent Soul transforms into a Primordial Spirit, it must fully integrate with the power of divine sense, unifying the three treasures: essence, qi, and spirit. Only then can the Nascent Soul undergo its complete transformation.

Currently, of his seven "placement slots," three are dedicated to foundational cultivation techniques, one to the Ancient Soul Art, one to the Nether Demonic Dragon Art, and the remaining two are temporarily used for comprehending the Yellow Springs Dharma Intent. Such intangible, non-physical concepts are perfectly suited for the "placement slots"; however, their deduction and advancement effects are currently stalled. When he placed the perfected Asura Dharma Intent into a slot, there was no reaction, and no progress bar appeared. Wang Yu suspected this was due to a realm limitation. Further advancement of Dharma Intent leads to the power of artistic conception. Only Divine Transformation cultivators can wield it, and a cultivator can comprehend only one artistic conception in their lifetime. He had not yet considered how his own would specifically develop.

There is also the unique phenomenon exclusive to Divine Transformation cultivators: Law Manifestation! Wang Yu currently had only three options. These options included the Undying Blood Demon Law Manifestation from the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, and the White Bone Demonic God Law Manifestation and Yellow Springs Netherworld Law Manifestation from the Yellow Springs Monastery. None of these were a good fit for him. The advanced "Ice Soul Demonic Scripture" itself contained no knowledge of Law Manifestations, leaving him at a loss. Ideally, he should cultivate a half-body Law Manifestation before breaking through to the Divine Transformation realm. This would allow him to directly utilize it upon breakthrough. The Master of Yellow Springs Monastery and the Blood Demon Palace Master were both in a similar situation. For Wang Yu, the issue stemmed from lacking suitable options, his youth, and simultaneously cultivating three Dharma Intents, which was indeed a bit overwhelming.

In summary, his sixty-year seclusion yielded an immense amount of gains. The most crucial gain was the enhancement of his fundamental cultivation. When a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator breaks through to the late-stage, the demonic essence within their body condenses from liquid back into solid form, creating a celestial star-like landscape within their Qi Sea. Ten thousand drops of demonic essence are required to condense a single demonic essence crystal. Condensing ten such crystals allows one to break through to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm. He had already achieved this while digesting the Blood Infant Pill, and the subsequent years of seclusion were spent accumulating further on this foundation. Breaking through to the eighth layer of the Nascent Soul realm required only twenty demonic essence crystals. Breaking through to the ninth layer of the Nascent Soul realm required fifty demonic essence crystals. Grand Perfection of the Nascent Soul realm required ninety-nine crystals. Upon breaking through to Divine Transformation, essence, qi, and spirit would unify, and the demonic essence crystals would revert to a gaseous state, forming a qualitatively superior magic power.

Currently, Wang Yu had accumulated approximately seventeen demonic essence crystals, needing only three more for a breakthrough—equivalent to thirty thousand drops of demonic essence. At his current cultivation speed, he could achieve another breakthrough in ten years at most. He estimated that by the time the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm opened, he would just about reach the ninth layer of the Nascent Soul realm. This astonishing breakthrough speed was 60% attributable to the Blood Infant Pill. The pill's effects were truly extraordinary, and it didn't even cause any pill impediments. The cultivation method of the "cannibalistic" school was indeed swift. The only drawback was the sheer number of Nascent Souls required for consumption. At least a third of all Nascent Souls from the Azure Cloud Sect, along with scattered ones from the Demonic Dao and some from the Blazing Sun Sect, had fallen into his hands. He had forcefully accumulated these resources. The remaining 40% of the credit went to the "placement slots," which facilitated gradual and steady progress, making each step feel as if Wang Yu had diligently cultivated it himself. His age would have to at least triple to attain his current level of strength through conventional means. It was now May of the 111th year of his journey as an "Old Ancestor." His full age was only 298, still two years short of three hundred. At this age, he had only just exhausted the lifespan he gained upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm. Compared to the 1,600-year lifespan of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he was still very young.

Standing at the entrance of his seclusion chamber, Wang Yu quickly reviewed his gains from these past years, calculating that the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm would open in approximately thirty years. He still had time during this period to continue enhancing his strength. His magic artifacts could be reinforced, the advancement of the Ice Dragon Pill Flame and Black Demonic Thunder could be considered, and his body cultivation strength still had room for further refinement. And so on. He was far from being able to rest easy.

Moreover, he was now gradually taking the external "Observer" into account. The Ice Prison Realm was growing increasingly chaotic, and the Observer would likely make a preemptive move to prevent ancient devils from breaking seals. For the Observer, dereliction of duty would likely have severe consequences, which presented an opportunity for manipulation. The Observer possessed the ability to eavesdrop on all sounds within a realm. The Observer was called the "Six-Eared Thief" by ancient ancestors, indicating they had personally intervened in the past, or they would never have been discovered. This factor also needed to be considered. Furthermore, the Observer possessed a terrifying intelligence advantage. Logically, the Sword Sect would be the ideal place for them to make a move, and there might even be multiple such locations. The Ice Race and the Demonic Dao were also strong possibilities. He would need to be especially wary in the future. The "Six Senses Obscured" secret art, obtained from the Ancient Beast Ancestral God Mountain, was one of the best methods to counteract this.

As Wang Yu stood at the edge, gazing at the scenery, Qingpeng of the Heavenly Peng race landed beside Wang Yu and said respectfully, "Congratulations on emerging from seclusion, Grandmaster Xuandan. The Holy Lord requests your presence!" This demon also possessed a sixth-layer Nascent Soul cultivation. The progression from "Fellow Daoist Wang" to "Alchemist Wang" and now "Grandmaster Xuandan" clearly indicated the sheer number of spirit pills Wang Yu had refined for the Northern Demonic Race over the past sixty years. A total of sixty batches, with three top-grade Fourth-Tier spirit pills per batch, amounted to 180 pills. This quantity was more than sufficient even if every Nascent Soul cultivator received one. If distributed properly, this quantity was enough to elevate the Northern Demonic Race's overall strength by a tier; it would not be an exaggeration for them to revere Wang Yu. However, the Northern Demonic Race's Fourth-Tier spiritual materials were not inexhaustible. After refining these sixty batches and receiving sixty types of top-grade Fourth-Tier spiritual materials in return, they had essentially depleted all their accumulated resources from previous years. The frequency of pill refining commissions was decreasing, so it was time for Wang Yu to go out and explore, and to acquire some spiritual items to enhance his own strength.

"Lead the way," Wang Yu said.

Following Peng Qing through numerous demonic palaces, Wang Yu noticed that every Great Demon they encountered respectfully addressed him as "Grandmaster." It was clear they knew who the Northern Demonic Race's current benefactor was. This mutually beneficial cooperation had further elevated Wang Yu's relationship with the Northern Demonic Race, ensuring that most of them would show him deference.

About fifteen minutes later, inside the Five-Colored Holy Palace, the Northern Demonic Holy Lord's office.

"Brother Xuandan, you've finally emerged from seclusion!" exclaimed the Northern Demonic Holy Lord. "Once King Tianpeng and the others arrive, we shall hold a three-day and three-night banquet to celebrate your return."

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, finding the address of "Brother" overly intimate. "There's no need for such extravagance," Wang Yu replied. "Holy Lord, do you have something you wish to entrust to me?"

"It's good news," the Holy Lord replied. The Five-Colored Holy Lord descended the steps and approached Wang Yu. "Brother," he began, "have you heard of the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm?"

"Oh?" Wang Yu responded. Wang Yu hadn't expected the Five-Colored Holy Lord to directly bring it up, so he feigned ignorance and responded with a curious question. "Holy Lord, please elaborate."

"The Heavenly Palace Secret Realm was established by the Ice Phoenix Venerable, the first Holy Lord of the Demonic Race in ancient times. It houses a vast collection of rare spiritual treasures from that era, many of which are now extinct. Only a Sacred Token can open it; it's a legacy left by the Ice Phoenix Holy Lord for the Demonic Race. There were originally 108 Sacred Tokens, but many have been lost over time. The Northern Demonic Race now possesses only forty. Brother, would you be interested in joining us to retrieve the treasures?"

Wang Yu's heart stirred; he sensed a hidden issue. The Five-Colored Holy Lord's expression was sincere, not suggesting deceit. Such a substantial offer of benefits wasn't solely due to Wang Yu's pill refining talent; his own cultivation potential was also exceptional. This was an attempt to completely bind him to the Northern Demonic Race's cause.

However, the Ice Phoenix Holy Lord was actually the Ice Race's first Venerable. Her resemblance to an ice phoenix led to her being mistaken as such, causing the ancient Demonic Race to unknowingly serve the Ice Race all along. This secret, while seemingly flawless, actually had many weaknesses. Wang Yu didn't believe the Five-Colored Holy Lord was entirely ignorant of this. But what his specific intentions were was genuinely difficult to guess. His thoughts raced. Wang Yu actually had no reason to refuse.

"Holy Lord, to offer me such an opportunity, it would be too impolite not to accept," Wang Yu said. "What is the exact opening time of the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm?"

"According to our clan elders' calculations," the Holy Lord replied, "it's about thirty-four years from now."

"How is it opened?"

"Naturally, with the blood of the Ice Phoenix," the Holy Lord explained. "Our clan still possesses some, so you needn't worry, Brother. Just enjoy the upcoming banquet."

With that, he clapped his hands. Several stunningly beautiful demon attendants approached, offering shoulder massages and playing flutes. Their synchronized movements and music commenced a grand banquet. Wang Yu's sixty-year seclusion had been exceedingly monotonous. He naturally didn't mind relaxing for a few days.

A month later, Wang Yu, full of vigor and with a glowing complexion, leisurely departed from the Northern Demonic Race territory. He had browsed through the Northern Demonic Race's archives, noting down many hidden secrets. He noted down the locations of several high-level secret realms in the Taihu and Chiyuan regions that could meet his needs. For the next thirty-plus years, he planned to visit various places of interest. His primary goal was to update some of his magic artifacts.

The further one progressed in cultivation, the less sensitive one became to the passage of time. He calculated that he had agreed to meet Yan Ling beforehand when they parted ways. The purpose of that meeting was to discuss strategies for the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm and to prepare in advance. After all, when they made the agreement, he was only at the Core Formation stage, and at that time, it was considered good if he could break through to the Nascent Soul realm. He had anticipated needing to prepare many trump cards in advance. However, the later his cultivation progressed, the faster Wang Yu cultivated. After fully developing the wonders of the Human Pill Art, his progress soared. He could now compete head-on, eliminating the need for any meaningless petty schemes.

Additionally, since the Five-Colored Holy Lord had personally invited him, he would surely prepare a Sacred Token for Wang Yu. With this, bringing his true self and Xueyu would be sufficient. The Sacred Token he currently possessed could then be entrusted to Yan Ling to pass on to Yu Tangtang. By now, Yu Tangtang should also have broken through to the Nascent Soul realm. They could conveniently form a team for an exploration. Therefore, he decided to meet Yan Ling in advance to arrange these matters, and they could then rendezvous in the Endless Ice Plains.

In recent years, Xueyu had been immersed in the cultivation of the Human Desire Art. After this secret art was deduced and upgraded by the "placement slots," the overly frequent dual cultivation with Wang Yu—three times a day for sixty years—was what ultimately made Wang Yu feel monotonous. Otherwise, he didn't have much interest in demon attendants; it was merely a change of pace. Xueyu was currently in a deep slumber. Upon awakening, she would advance to a mid-grade Heavenly Bloodline, and her cultivation would surge even faster than flight.

With these arrangements made, Wang Yu traveled south from what was originally Feng Province of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, now the border of Feng Province under the Northern Demonic Race, to the location where he first met Yan Ling.

Night Qiongzhou — Spider Mountain!