Chapter 517: Ice Phoenix's Fierceness, The Longevity Fruit

Besides this combat technique, there was another one that greatly interested Wang Yu. It was called 'Tai Chi Hunyuan Hand,' a purely skill-based fighting method that used spiritual power to redirect force, embodying the essence of using a small force to move a great weight. When mastered to a high level, it could even use spiritual power alone to reflect all divine abilities unleashed by an enemy. If combined with the Empty Aperture Combat Technique, the resulting power would be unimaginable. Moreover, this technique was highly suitable for physical combat. When facing a stronger opponent, it could even allow the weaker party to prevail, making it an unparalleled method for defeating enemies of a higher cultivation level!

Such techniques that applied spiritual power had no specific grade or rank. Naturally, the stronger the cultivator, the more potent the effect, but there was also an upper limit. Wang Yu, excited, stopped at the Ancient Secret Tower and began to arrange for intensive study of its high-level combat techniques using the designated learning slots.

Meanwhile, outside the Phoenix Palace, the situation could only be described as dire. The terrifying and dominant power displayed by the Level 5 mid-stage Ice Phoenix demonic corpse was overwhelming. In less than half an hour, the Northern Demon Tribe's destructive forces were once again dealt a devastating blow.

“—Hissing screech!”

A ferocious, grating, and eerie shriek seemed to erupt right beside them, making their hair stand on end. A pale blue phantom suddenly flashed past King Sky Roc and the other demons. Its extreme speed meant they couldn't even save their kin standing right in front of them. Wang Yu’s old acquaintance, Peng Qing, had virtually no power to resist. He was instantly pecked into a shower of minced flesh by the Ice Phoenix demonic corpse. The blow, imbued with eerie power, left no trace of his body, not even his demonic infant hidden within his Sea of Qi.

“—Peng Qing!”

King Sky Roc’s eyes were bloodshot, his fury instantly overwhelming him. He transformed into his true Sky Roc form, over a thousand meters in diameter, which, purely in terms of size, was far more imposing than the Ice Phoenix demonic corpse. However, the disparity in cultivation realm could not be compensated for by physical size. King Sky Roc powerfully flapped his colossal golden wings. A storm of golden blades instantly swept across the world. His innate magic weapon, the Sky Roc Slaughtering Spear, held in his mouth, shot out violently as a hidden trump card within the storm, aiming directly for the Ice Phoenix’s head.

To devise such a combat strategy while in a furious state, his methods were certainly not lacking. However, the power gap was simply too vast. The Ice Phoenix's true spirit bloodline made its strength far exceed the typical standard for a mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivator. The terrifying blue shadow surged forward with renewed speed. The Ice Phoenix's True Flame instantly spread, crushing the golden blade storm with overwhelming force. With another sweep of its wing, it swatted the Sky Roc Slaughtering Spear away, relying solely on its innate True Flame and physical might. The rapidly moving phoenix shadow traced lines of blue. King Sky Roc’s colossal true form exploded into countless pieces of flesh and blood, as if he had been hacked into a thousand pieces. His left wing was severed completely at the root. He plummeted from high in the sky, his fate unknown.

King Sky Roc was a perfected Nascent Soul cultivator renowned for his exceptional combat prowess. If even he was defeated so easily, King Thunder Qilin and King Fiery Crow stood no chance.

“Run!”

Two of the three kings immediately abandoned King Sky Roc and fled towards the Phoenix Palace. Peng Zhan, enraged to the point of dizziness and with blood rushing to his head, stubbornly ran towards the spot where King Sky Roc had fallen. He could not abandon the king of his tribe; this was his honor and conviction as the Sky Roc Tribe's foremost warrior, even if it meant facing death…

Unexpectedly, the Ice Phoenix seemed to possess a slight degree of sentience, capable of making its own judgments. Unwilling to let the others escape, it surprisingly pursued King Fiery Crow and the others in their desperate flight, inadvertently allowing Peng Zhan to find a path to safety.

The Ice Phoenix demonic corpse was unaffected by the anti-flight restrictions. Moreover, its speed was extraordinarily rapid. In just two breaths, it had already caught up with the three fleeing demons. King Thunder Qilin, seeing this, surged with lightning, gaining a significant lead over his two companions, and vanished around the corner ahead in the blink of an eye. As the saying goes, when a large group encounters a tiger, you don't need to outrun the tiger; you just need to outrun your companions to survive. This perfectly illustrated the principle of 'better a dead comrade than a dead me.' While the relationships among these demon cultivators might not typically be so extreme, the current desperate situation brought about precisely such a scenario.

King Fiery Crow also gritted his teeth. Several crucial acupoints across his body suddenly burst open, gushing with crimson true flames, and he darted away second. Only the last Fiery Crow tribe Nascent Soul cultivator was left, on the verge of tears.

“...My King, save me!”

But King Fiery Crow could barely save himself, so how could he save him? The phoenix's beak precisely pierced the Fiery Crow's head, directly sucking out its brain matter. Like a predatory instinct, it tossed the body into the sky, then swallowed it whole. The entire sequence of actions was fluid and seamless, but it still cost it a fair amount of time. By the time it looked around again, not only had the figures of the two kings vanished without a trace, but Peng Zhan, dragging King Sky Roc's unconscious body, had also disappeared to an unknown location.

The Ice Phoenix demonic corpse let out an irritable shriek. It continued flying towards the Phoenix Palace, reaching the core building of the palace complex in mere moments, almost immediately after them. It then saw a bolt of lightning and a flash of fire successively rush into the Phoenix Palace. This time, it was truly enraged. For some reason, it seemed unable to enter this particular palace. Its Level 5 innate phoenix flames instantly formed a prison, with the surging Ice Phoenix True Flame enveloping the entire Phoenix Palace. The blazing inferno burned ceaselessly, as if it would never end.

Inside the Phoenix Palace.

“Hoo… hoo…”

King Fiery Crow, covered in blood and very weak, leaned against the palace wall, his face filled with bitterness. He murmured, “Over forty demonic Nascent Soul cultivators forcefully entered the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm with overwhelming power, but now only you and I remain. Even King Sky Roc has fallen… What are we to do?”

King Thunder Qilin's face was grim. This secret realm expedition had made the demon race the biggest loser, with over half of their top-tier forces lost within it. The situation had undeniably reached its worst point.

“Thinking about this now is useless. The real problem is how to leave this secret realm. With just you and me… we'd likely be killed by that demonic corpse the moment we step out of this palace. Our only course of action now is to seek life in the face of death: find Wang Yu, refine the precious pill, and restore the Azure Dragon Demonic Venerable to his peak state. Only then will we have a chance to survive.”

While the logic was sound, whether they could achieve it remained unknown.

“This palace has some peculiarities; that beast seems unable to enter. Let's explore deeper inside.” Forcing themselves to rally, the two rested briefly before continuing deeper.

Meanwhile, Wang, who had cultivated the Glazed Heart state, experienced a comprehension boost far exceeding his expectations. Since the combat techniques were purely skill-based, the learning slots allowed for very rapid understanding. In less than half an hour, he had learned everything he wanted to. In terms of divine ability cultivation levels, he directly bypassed the introductory stage and reached minor accomplishment. He could already use them in combat to some extent, though mastering the timing required extreme precision. Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to immense self-harm for little gain, a case of 'harming the enemy by a hundred, harming oneself by a thousand.'

After Wang Yu left the Ancient Secret Tower, he narrowly missed the two demon kings. Immediately after he departed, the two demons also found their way to the location. They were equally curious about the ancient tower's peculiar pre-configured jade tablets, so they entered to explore.

Strangely, Yan Ling and her companion, who should have encountered Wang Yu again, vanished somewhere on the path between him and the two demons. Wang Yu resummoned Xue Yu and continued to track the Tracing Joy Duo's whereabouts using the Fox Tail Lantern. Along the way, the lantern's light revealed numerous traces of battle. However, what was strange was that the surrounding buildings remained perfectly intact, showing no signs of having been in a battle, which was baffling. Furthermore, as they ventured deeper, the terrain within the palace continuously descended.

An hour later, Wang Yu entered a square, suspended building, resembling a colossal wooden box. It was adorned with numerous intricate and magnificent phoenix totems, making it appear mysterious and noble. The entrance was blocked by a large amount of earth and stone formed from demonic energy, likely remnants of a divine ability.

Xue Yu sniffed curiously and exclaimed in surprise, “This is also a demonic technique, and the bloodline is very noble. It should belong to a lower-tier fierce beast.”

“Fierce beast??”

Wang Yu immediately understood. It was very likely the innate spirit beast of True Monarch Ancient Beast. The path of a beast tamer was closely linked to their spirit beasts, a symbiotic relationship that also entailed mutual restriction. This fierce beast was highly valuable, likely possessing the potential to reach the Soul Transformation realm. Most likely, it was hindered by True Monarch Ancient Beast, making it difficult for it to advance to Level 5.

While the master and servant were still pondering, Xue Yu suddenly looked up, her pink eyes brightening considerably. “What a rich scent of vital energy! This is a great tonic, Master. It seems to be right inside this wooden box.”

“Then let’s go in!”

Since they had already come this far, and Wang Yu had sensed the changes outside upon entering the Phoenix Palace, knowing the external situation was likely dire, he had no intention of returning the way he came. Pressing deeper was imperative.

The moment the master and servant stepped into the wooden box-like structure, the world instantly transformed. Bright sunlight shone on their faces, bringing a sense of immense comfort. Around them was a spring landscape filled with birdsong, fragrant flowers, and lush forests. It was a scene that instantly relaxed both body and mind. However, due to his Glazed Heart state, Wang Yu almost immediately snapped out of it, smacking Xue Yu on the head. This left the dazed Xue Yu utterly confused.

“Huh, where are we?”

Wang Yu had no time to humor her. First, the crescent moon imprint lit up in his eyes, followed by the golden glow of his Qi-Gazing Golden Eyes, which extended three feet long. Yet, neither his Qi-gazing nor his illusion-breaking abilities revealed any flaws in the illusion. Wang Yu's expression grew increasingly solemn as he asked, “Xue Yu, can you still smell the vital energy?”

“Yes, it seems to be right ahead.”

“Close your eyes, activate the Fox Tail Lantern’s effects to their maximum, and lead the way.”

“Alright.”

Even though Wang Yu's senses were already keen, the demon race still had an advantage in this regard; Xue Yu's sense of smell was considerably more acute than his.

And so, for the next fifteen minutes, Wang Yu followed Xue Yu, continuing forward until they reached a colossal, unique tree whose crown was as vast as a thundercloud. Yu Hongchen, Ji Changqing, True Monarch Ancient Beast, Bì’àn, Yan Ling, and Yu Tangtang were all neatly gathered beneath the giant tree. Their expressions were calm, yet their eyes burned with intense desire. They were all staring intently at a vibrant red fruit on the giant tree.

“—Longevity Fruit!”

Xue Yu’s voice became shrill as she excitedly shook Wang Yu’s arm. “Master, that’s the legendary Longevity Fruit! Not only can it extend the lifespan of Soul Transformation cultivators by five hundred years, but it can also completely transform one's body and rebuild their physical form. Even if only a Nascent Soul remains, it can bring them back!”

Upon hearing this, Wang Yu's heart remained unperturbed. Extending lifespan by five hundred years was nothing; the Level 5 top-grade precious pill he obtained from the Human Emperor's Secret Vault in Dongji Capital possessed the supreme divine effect of extending life by a thousand years. Before he broke through to the Soul Transformation realm, he simply couldn't perfectly refine it. While the Longevity Fruit was valuable, in his eyes, it was merely of some worth. It was nowhere near comparable to the opportunity of breaking through to the Soul Transformation realm. This item held a fatal attraction only for Soul Transformation cultivators whose lifespans were nearing their end, such as those from the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect.

Xue Yu’s startled cry drew everyone under the giant tree to turn their heads simultaneously, their gazes filled with hostility and rejection. Even Yan Ling and Yu Tangtang reacted the same way.

“What’s going on…”

Xue Yu's small body recoiled, hiding behind Wang Yu's neck, peeking out timidly. She shivered and whispered, “They seem to be controlled. There’s definitely something wrong here.”

“I can see that.”

Wang Yu was speechless. With a wave of his hand, his innate magic weapon, the Glazed Ice Heart Pagoda, appeared above his head. A pale blue curtain of spiritual power descended from its base, enveloping him in protection. The Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow simultaneously appeared in his hand. A Lunar Star Arrow instantly condensed, aimed at True Monarch Ancient Beast, the weakest target, and was immediately shot forth. The opponent also drew a long whip, which was his innate magic weapon, the Ancient Beast Whip! The whip cracked loudly, striking empty air, but his innate beast, Bì’àn, instantly reacted. It stomped its front paw heavily on the ground, and a brown-yellow, golden-tinged earthen rock wall suddenly rose up. It displayed an incredibly powerful defensive capability.

But… it was useless! The Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow, as a Level 5 high-grade magic weapon and a killing artifact specialized in lethality, was something even Bì’àn’s divine ability—though renowned as the 'Earth Sovereign' with near-invincible defenses at its level—could not withstand. This was the divine effect brought by grade suppression. The rock wall's defense shattered with a boom. After successively breaking through several spiritual lights, the residual power was no longer sufficient to threaten True Monarch Ancient Beast.

At the same time, Yu Hongchen and Ji Changqing, the pair of dual cultivation partners, simultaneously summoned their innate magic weapons, which resembled pink skulls, and unleashed a thick pink smoke that surged towards him. With a flick of his wrist, Wang Yu’s abundant Frozen Demonic Essence condensed into a thick black frost mist, like rolling dark clouds. Secretly, he formed nine Empty Apertures and propelled the mist forward using the techniques of Tai Chi Hunyuan Hand.

The moment they clashed, Yan Ling and Yu Tangtang also charged forward. However, Wang Yu was relatively familiar with their methods, so he simply flicked his sleeve, sending out a divine light of Ice Soul. In an instant, the Ice Prison Demonic Seal descended from the sky. Its power to suppress the heavens and earth immediately restrained the two women. Wang Yu then ignored them, as the black frost mist he had sent out simultaneously erupted into nine vortices. The Tracing Joy Demonic Sect’s combined attack technique was sent back the exact way it came. Yu Hongchen and Ji Changqing, with their impaired consciousness, reacted significantly slower. As if they hadn't expected Wang Yu to nullify their combined divine ability with merely a small amount of demonic energy, they shrieked and were instantly frozen into two ice sculptures. Wang Yu transformed into a streak of aurora and instantly shot out, his palms carrying the spiritual light seals of the Ice Sealing Spell. He immediately seized their two round heads, placing them into a deep seal. The Glazed Pagoda above his head spun, instantly drawing them into the tower for further suppression!