Chapter 523: Tianyao Alchemy Manual, Ice Clan Trap

Dragon Lord Azure Dragon seemed disbelieving. Wang Yu didn't say much, for the Heaven-Refining Demonic Flame was a peak fifth-grade flame, the supreme demonic flame passed down through generations by the leaders of the Demonic Dao. Not only was its power astonishing, but it also perfectly matched their cultivation techniques, with the ambition of someday reaching its peak to truly… refine the heavens!

Of course, this was currently just an ethereal concept for the cultivation method, and there was still a significant distance to achieve this ultimate goal.

After reading the pill formula recorded on the scroll, Wang Yu scratched his head. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but the refining difficulty of this item was truly considerable. To alleviate Dragon Lord Azure Dragon's injuries, at least a mid-grade fifth-tier treasure pill would be required as a starting point. Therefore, he spoke bluntly:

"Senior, this pill is not impossible to refine, but with my current skill level, I can at best produce a low-grade one. I would need sufficient time to fully comprehend this pill formula."

Hearing this, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon frowned repeatedly. He subtly glanced at Fire Crow King and Thunder Kylin King, as if to say, "How useless are you? Even the person you found to help is incompetent." It was utterly disappointing. Although this small gesture was subtle, everyone present had at least a Nascent Soul cultivation, so how could they not notice such an unconcealed movement?

Before Wang Yu could say anything, Yan Ling was the first to express her displeasure. "Hmph! What 'Senior,' what 'Demon Lord'... If it weren't for the sake of the Northern Demon Tribe, why would Senior Brother Wang take such risks? That Five-Colored Sacred Master's target was originally you. We shouldn't stand here and endure such disdain."

Yu Tangtang nodded vigorously, acting shrewdly. "Exactly! Wang Yu, let's go. This old demon seems to look down on us."

Being suddenly called out by two young girls made Dragon Lord Azure Dragon even more embarrassed than if Wang Yu had spoken himself. He quickly said, "It's all a misunderstanding. I didn't mean that."

"Then what did you mean?" Yu Tangtang asked, hands on her hips, her innocent face full of dissatisfaction. Possessing such courage showed how much Wang Yu was trusted in her heart, not even fearing a Peak Soul Transformation cultivator.

Dragon Lord Azure Dragon felt a pang of bitterness but quickly said, "It truly is a misunderstanding. As for your mention of comprehending the pill formula... how much time would that specifically take?"

Wang Yu replied, "It would take a few years at the shortest, or over a decade at the longest, to essentially master this pill formula."

Azure Dragon then asked, "May I know what kind of alchemy techniques you have mastered?"

"Human Pills, Blood Pills, and a Cold Flame Alchemy method, all reaching the fourth-tier perfected level."

Upon hearing this, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon's cloudy old eyes brightened considerably. It seemed the other party only lacked a suitable inheritance; their innate talent in alchemy was already exceptionally outstanding. At the very least, they ranked among the top alchemists he had ever encountered.

"In that case," he continued, "I possess an alchemy inheritance from the demon race called the 'Heavenly Demon Pill Transformation Art.' It not only contains a fifth-tier alchemy legacy but also methods for using spirit pills in combat. It requires an exceptionally robust physique to wield, which suits your situation perfectly. With the aid of this inheritance, do you have confidence in advancing your alchemy cultivation further within a short period?"

Wang Yu's eyes lit up; he hadn't expected to gain such a valuable item. "Senior, please let me examine it. After I've reviewed it, I'll be able to estimate the precise time needed."

Taking the divine sense jade slip containing the inheritance, Wang Yu quickly scanned its contents.

Slot Eight: Heavenly Demon Pill Transformation Art (Fifth Tier)"Heavenly Demon Pill Transformation Art (0/100): One furnace every ten days, perfected in a hundred years."

This was the time required by the slot. In reality, he only needed to master it to an introductory level. Combined with his several fourth-tier alchemy methods that had reached perfection, he could then attempt to refine mid-grade treasure pills. Furthermore, if he placed additional pill formulas, the speed would be even faster, and the success rate higher. Based on his past experience, he made an internal estimate.

Wang Yu continued, "I should be able to gain a preliminary grasp within three to five years. I wonder if Senior Dragon Lord is willing to wait a bit longer."

He had waited so many years; there was no reason he wouldn't be willing to wait a little longer now. The problem was the severe external environment; he simply didn't have that much time.

After a moment of contemplation, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon sighed regretfully, offering no explanation, merely saying, "Given how much you've helped the Northern Demon Tribe, I bestow this inheritance upon you. I hope I can still find you to refine pills in the future... Also, you should leave the secret realm as soon as possible if you can. As for you two, follow me."

He actually refused. This was truly unexpected. The Twin Kings of the Northern Demon Tribe were also bewildered, and Fire Crow King even wanted to intervene.

"Lord Demon Lord..."

"Silence! I will let you speak when it's appropriate. Can't you see I am speaking with a fellow Daoist?" His underlying meaning and mindset were still the same as a thousand years ago: when Soul Transformation cultivators communicated, there was no place for a junior with lower cultivation to interrupt.

Wang Yu's mouth twitched slightly, and he let them carry on.

Soon after, the three demons eventually left, neither continuing forward nor leaving further instructions. What was more interesting was that Dragon Lord Azure Dragon never mentioned how the Five-Colored Sacred Master found him, nor the reason for his sudden departure from the healing ground. He was clearly unwilling to share relevant information with Wang Yu. Such pettiness showed that Wang Yu's earlier judgment was correct; this individual would indeed be one of his biggest competitors within the secret realm.

After putting the scroll into his Sea Heart Ring, Wang Yu's eyes suddenly glowed with a three-foot faint light. Since ending his long period of secluded cultivation with the Northern Demon Tribe, almost all of his divine abilities and secret arts had been perfected. Now, out of the eight storage slots, aside from the three fixed cultivation method slots, the other five were primarily used for deep study of Law Intent and Dharma Aspect Divine Arts, paving the way for his future cultivation. However, the Grand Yin Nether Eyes divine ability had only begun to be deduced after his long seclusion ended. It had been some years, and its advancement was not far off.

When he unleashed it now, its power clearly surpassed that of a perfected fourth-tier pupil technique. The cold pool seemed like a thin veil in his eyes. Endless chilly energy surged within it. Until he "saw" a sinister soul fire, separated by an infinite expanse of water. In his Moonlight Gaze state, his lips curved upward. "It is indeed here."

Yan Ling, observing from the side, was puzzled. Seeing that Wang Yu didn't seem inclined to heed Dragon Lord Azure Dragon's advice and give up, she spoke up to remind him. "Senior Brother Wang, that old demon gave up; there must be a situation he couldn't resolve. We might not be able to handle it any better if we go."

"I know," Wang Yu replied. Although he never claimed to be exceptionally clever, he didn't consider himself foolish. He had understood such simple reasoning long ago. A logical deduction could reveal some of the reasons.

Consider this: Even severely wounded, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon was still among the strongest cultivators in the Ice Hell Realm. No matter how cunning or powerful the Five-Colored Sacred Master was, one only needed to observe Huang Quan's battle with Chi Tian to realize the truth: the Five-Colored Sacred Master couldn't withstand even a single move against Dragon Lord Azure Dragon. So, what else could make him fear it like a tiger, yet be unwilling to speak of it?

—External realm power! This was the only answer, for if the Heaven-Refining Demonic Venerable had personally arrived, the situation within the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm would not have deteriorated to this extent.

Furthermore, while the top factions knew about the Heavenly Palace Secret Realm, they implicitly accepted that it was the ancestral property of the demon race, left behind by their first Sacred Master. Although Human Venerables could force the demon race, using the pretext of interest distribution to gain a few entry slots, it would be meaningless. This was their ancestral property; any casual scheme or trick would lead to dire consequences. Whether geniuses or renowned experts were sent in, the chances of survival were simply too low. Therefore, despite knowing this was the largest known secret realm and opportunity in the Ice Hell Realm, other factions had no intention of intervening. They merely sent people to secretly collect the demon race's lost Sacred Orders, waiting for the day they could turn the tables and act.

Returning to the main topic: Wang Yu did not fear the external realm power that Azure Dragon dreaded, and there was a reason for this. Azure Dragon was not in his peak condition and had personally felt the oppressive might of a Void Refinement peak expert. Moreover, with his advanced age, choosing to retreat was perfectly normal. Even if he guessed that the other party wouldn't act without consequence, and would certainly pay a price for violating the rules, he was still unwilling to take the risk.

Wang Yu, however, was different. First, he trusted the records of the black stele and, drawing lessons from history, could also infer that if the external realm observers wished to act, there must be specific requirements. Second, the Heaven-Human Spirit Connecting Vine was right there in the cold pool. His long-sought opportunity for Soul Transformation was within reach; there was no reason not to seize it. Missing this chance would mean having to travel through the four Ancient Capitals to seek the elusive four Extreme Yin Dragon Pearls, which would consume a vast amount of his time. Of the four Ancient Capitals, only the Eastern and Western Capitals had been unearthed so far. The other two had never been discovered, and who knew where they were. Furthermore, there were other opportunities within the cold pool itself. He absolutely could not give up. As for the risks... every endeavor had its risks, and it wasn't his first "forced entry."

Therefore, realizing she couldn't persuade Wang Yu, Yan Ling stopped trying. Instead, she decided to stick with him, ready to accompany him to the very end. This time, Wang Yu did not send them away. The reason was simple: the risk was controllable!

At the bottom of the Phoenix Abyss Cold Pool, before an unknown fissure, the Five-Colored Sacred Master stood at the edge, gazing into its dark, lightless environment. Even though there was no glow of treasure within, he never doubted that the Prison King Spirit Official had pointed to the wrong location for the Heaven-Human Spirit Connecting Vine. The Phoenix Abyss Cold Pool's spatial restriction was far less absolute than that of the Palace Zone, but its suppression of divine sense was extreme. Even a Nascent Soul's divine sense could only extend three feet around them. This rendered exploration entirely useless, turning cultivators into virtual half-blind individuals who could only rely on their physical sight to perceive and discover.

Whenever he thought that the Soul Transformation realm might be within reach, the Five-Colored Sacred Master's fervor intensified. He then plunged into the fissure without hesitation, swimming toward the dark depths.

Meanwhile, Yan Ling was acting as a human treasure detector, occasionally directing Wang Yu here and there, and they found a large quantity of Sorrowful Phoenix Ice-Blood Stones! This item almost directly dictated the speed at which Wang Yu could cultivate to the Nascent Soul Grand Perfection. Like the Spirit Connecting Vine, it was extremely important. The two complemented each other; neither could be absent.

He wasn't sure of the exact location of the Spirit Connecting Vine, but that didn't stop him from knowing that the Five-Colored Sacred Master had gone to retrieve it. Just as the Sacred Master had tricked him with the Seven-Heart Treasure Wheel Holy Tree back then, he could now return the favor. Having mastered the power of a fifth-tier Body Refinement cultivator, he was absolutely confident in manipulating his opponent. This was completely different from his situation when he first entered the Palace Zone. Furthermore, the opponent's purpose in acquiring the vine was likely to break through to the Soul Transformation realm. Such a short distance meant Wang Yu could easily arrive before the vine was refined. Therefore, he was not in a hurry at all. Coupled with Dragon Lord Azure Dragon's decisive departure, his only competitor was the Five-Colored Sacred Master, who was merely at Nascent Soul Grand Perfection. One could say that such a favorable situation had never occurred before.

"There's another one here," Yan Ling said, the soul-spirit imprint in her palm glowing. She seemed to sense the lament within these Phoenix Blood Stones, remnants from true Ice Phoenixes enduring suffering. Without realizing it, two lines of clear tears had already streamed down her face. This karmic relationship of reincarnation was far more complex than Wang Yu had imagined; sometimes, racial distinctions weren't so absolute.

Just then, as Wang Yu was about to say something, he felt a strong tremor sweep through the entire cold pool area. Countless cracks spread across the ice-crystal-laden pool bottom. Then... it collapsed with a roar! The water was forced to rush downwards, creating several powerful, intensely cold whirlpools. Simultaneously, a radiant light shot skyward, and the aura of the Heaven-Human Spirit Connecting Vine reached its peak.

"—It's here!" Wang Yu's heart stirred. With skillful force, he propelled the two girls away from the area that was about to become a battlefield, and the secret art 'Chains of Heaven' silently activated. He had long understood the profound mysteries of the Void Dao Repository. He could only use this secret art to counter the Five-Colored Sacred Master's Great Void Escape Technique. Under years of cultivation and the effect of the storage slots, the Chains of Heaven had long reached a scale of twenty thousand meters, capable of sealing the space within a twenty-kilometer radius.

Wang Yu stood quietly at the center of the whirlpool. The force of the water could not move him an inch. It wasn't long before he saw a spirited figure ascending from the collapsed bottom. A malicious smile instantly formed on his lips. His fists were tightly clenched. A battle for treasure was about to begin!

At the same time, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon completely ignored Sky Roc King. He led Fire Crow King and Thunder Kylin King through the Palace Zone and the Extreme Cold Hell Path, directly arriving at the secret realm's entrance. His trajectory clearly indicated he had no intention of lingering further.

At that moment, Fire Crow King suddenly realized the restriction on his mouth had vanished. He then spoke somewhat anxiously, "Lord Demon Lord, our connection with Daoist Wang was not easily forged. How can we give up so easily? This..."

Before he finished speaking, Dragon Lord Azure Dragon's old eyes widened, and he immediately fell silent.

He sighed, "You simply do not understand the burden I carry. The chosen Sacred Master is actually a spy cultivated by an external realm power."

"What???"

"What!!!"

Even the usually taciturn Thunder Kylin King appeared extraordinarily shocked this time, truly not expecting the truth to be such. As he thought about it, his eyes widened further. "If that's the case, wouldn't Wang Yu directly confront this individual if he continues exploring?"

"That depends on whether he has the necessary vigilance and composure. I have already warned him."

The Twin Kings were instantly speechless, yet they appeared to have more to say. They were clearly conveying that something was inappropriate.

"Hmph," Dragon Lord Azure Dragon scoffed. "If it weren't for the Northern Demon Tribe, I would certainly stay and fight. But now, our external clans need us. Let's return as soon as possible."

"Yes..."

After a long silence, the Twin Kings did not press the matter further. It wasn't until they left the secret realm and arrived on the endless ice plain that they saw two ice sculptures, formed from Sky Rocs, standing in place. Ice creatures covered the landscape as far as the eye could see...