Chapter 538: Dragon Zen Master, Demon Heart Venerable's Creation Achievements

A total of four itinerant cultivators immediately showed wary expressions. They scrutinized Wang Yu, who had suddenly appeared, feeling extremely surprised because their spiritual senses had detected nothing before he spoke. This implied two possibilities: either the opponent's strength far surpassed theirs, or they possessed an extremely advanced stealth technique. Thoughts raced through their minds.

The strongest among the four itinerant cultivators, a Nascent Soul-stage cultivator at the first level, cautiously took the initiative to speak. "Senior, may I ask your name? I am Qiu Mi, and these three are my junior brothers: Qiu Jue, Qiu Kong, and Qiu Jing."

"Oh?" Wang Yu had no intention of concealing his identity and directly stated, "I am Wang Yu, a cultivator from Crimson Kite. Are you young friends from the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea?"

"That is correct." Upon hearing that Wang Yu was from Crimson Kite, their vigilance immediately heightened severalfold. In their Chaotic Ancient Sea cultivation world, there was a common understanding regarding demonic cultivators originating from Crimson Kite: they were a rather insane bunch who would readily risk their lives for profit, even if the chance of success was only one in ten.

As soon as Qiu Mi thought of the task assigned by Grandmaster Long Chan, he became even more hesitant to reveal his true purpose. However, his forward-leaning posture and the way he tried to block the entrance to a certain ruin behind him with his body appeared quite comical. In the eyes of an experienced powerful figure like Wang Yu, this subconscious reaction completely exposed their true intentions.

While pondering, Wang Yu smiled. "The Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea is an Eden-like power. I have often heard of it in Crimson Kite. Coincidentally, I have recently been planning to pay a visit and discuss the Dao with your sect leader. Before that, could I ask you to step aside? There are items left by my sect here, and I ask that you not prevent me from recovering my ancestral artifacts."

The sect leader of the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea, whose Dharma name was Venerable Dragon Disc, was a very elderly senior. His strength was approximately at the third level of the Soul Transformation stage, and he was publicly known as the strongest individual in the sect. However, after Wang Yu left the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, he obtained top-tier intelligence from the Blood Demon Hall Master, which recorded all the Soul Transformation stage powerhouses in the Ice Prison Realm. Having entered the circle of top powerhouses, his understanding in this area naturally had to keep pace. The Soul Transformation stage powerhouses across the entire Ice Prison Realm were largely concentrated within the Sword Sect and the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect. The number of Soul Transformation stage cultivators elsewhere did not exceed ten, and this was even with the recent emergence of three Soul Transformation stage cultivators: Huang Quan, Blood Demon, and Wang Yu. Otherwise, the number would likely be only five. They were incredibly rare, truly beings at the pinnacle of the food chain.

Therefore, Wang Yu clearly knew that the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea also had a Venerable called Grandmaster Long Chan, whose strength was approximately at the fifth level of the Soul Transformation stage. He had previously clashed with Crimson Kite due to his philosophy of slaying demons. Later, after suffering a significant loss at the hands of the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect, he never actively ventured into the Crimson Kite Demonic Domain again. Such a being, inherently at odds with demonic cultivators, naturally made Wang Yu want to engage him in combat.

He himself was unsure of his combat power limits, especially after transforming into an Ice Phoenix, which allowed him to reach new heights. The blessing of a true spirit bloodline specializing in the path of frost was like an amplifier. It could cause his base stats to surge, and the various divine abilities and secret arts he employed would also become more powerful. He did not reject combat; as long as his objective could be achieved, fighting for years was not an issue. This confidence did not make Wang Yu's personality more arrogant. The situation overseas differed from Crimson Kite; too many unknowns and dangers lurked here. Even he was not invincible. Furthermore, considering the commonality of Buddhist traditions, even if the other party was hostile towards demonic cultivators, there was a possibility of turning enemies into friends. After reaching a certain cultivation realm, the path one cultivated no longer mattered. Everyone sought benefits; who still played the game of factional discrimination?

Thus, Wang Yu's words were already quite polite. Had this happened in Crimson Kite, those who were slow to retreat would have already become fertilizer in the soil, nourishing the earth to grow more tenacious weeds.

After hearing Wang Yu's words, Qiu Mi's expression was clearly displeased, but he deeply understood that the opponent's strength was unfathomable and dared not offend him at all. He could only try to leverage the power behind him to make Wang Yu give up. Organizing his thoughts, Qiu Mi spoke. "Senior, to be frank, we junior brothers are also here on a sect mission. If we fail to achieve our objective, it will be difficult to account for it to the sect. Moreover, this place is the Ruined Wasteland of Returning Nether. Even the Nether Mountain Sect abandoned the development of this mystic realm. How... how can you be sure this is something left by your sect?"

Wang Yu paused, and his expression immediately turned cold. He hadn't expected the people from the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea to be so unyielding. Was it because there were no opposing forces overseas, leading their disciples to develop such a character and habit? The pressure belonging to a Soul Transformation stage cultivator began to spread. He said, "Junior, I explained myself to you not for you to retort. Leave this place... and you can keep living."

His demonic nature was unmistakably revealed. Qiu Mi and the others immediately felt as if facing a formidable enemy, especially when they sensed the terrifying pressure, identical to that of Grandmaster Long Chan. He instantly realized that the person before them was a being of the same realm as Grandmaster Long Chan. Upon realizing the mistake he had made, Qiu Mi quickly lowered his head. "Qiu Mi's words were mistaken, Senior. Please proceed as you wish; we will depart immediately."

Narrowing his eyes, Wang Yu watched the four itinerant cultivators leave. The hand Wang Yu had raised behind his back quietly relaxed. Considering that he needed the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea's heritage to refine his own path, it was better not to increase their hostility. Of course, if he found that amicable means couldn't achieve his goal, Wang Yu would let these overseas cultivators witness just how formidable the 'Bloody-Handed Butcher,' renowned across both realms, truly was.

With a flick of his sleeve, surging Frozen Demonic Essence gushed forth. It instantly cleared a space within the ruins. After successfully entering this final suspected target area, Wang Yu's divine sense quickly detected an issue. This appeared to be a hidden cultivation chamber. Many cultivators had this habit to ensure no one could disturb their practice. As the formations and restrictions were all damaged, the entire chamber was fully exposed. There were many residual cultivation traces on the surrounding walls, also present were remnants of insights and deductions from a past seclusion, much like the Killing Intent Stone Slab he had discovered years ago. Such cultivation sites, retaining traces of power, were highly valuable. When he gleaned content regarding the Profound Origin Demonic Embryo Secret Art from it, his heart grew increasingly joyful.

"So, this was Venerable Demon Heart's former cultivation chamber..."

An incense stick's time later, when he returned from his perusal, he had a more detailed roadmap and plan for the advancement of the Innate Demonic Embryo Physique, just as he had anticipated. Venerable Demon Heart, after achieving the Soul Transformation stage, had also perceived the limitations of the Innate Demonic Embryo Physique. The Myriad Transformations of Heavenly Demons seemed boundless, capable of pilfering the bloodline of any living being. Disguise and mimicry were merely its simplest applications. Its true power lay in its ability to learn the bloodline talents of other races, and even extend the derivative applications of one's own abilities, leading to qualitative improvements in both combat and auxiliary growth. However, the upper limit of the Innate Demonic Embryo Physique restricted the practical application of the Myriad Transformations of Heavenly Demons. Venerable Demon Heart, naturally unwilling to accept this, began to further research this secret art, attempting to find a path to advancement.

This secret art was originally created to imitate extraterrestrial beings like Heavenly Demons. The key, naturally, lay with these Heavenly Demons. Venerable Demon Heart's idea was similar to Wang Yu's: both wanted to capture a live Heavenly Demon for study. The Demonic Embryo Secret Art's absorption ability centered on Heavenly Demon Malevolence. This ability was ineffective against Heavenly Demons because they themselves were the greatest beings of malevolence. Therefore, the method of absorption was deemed unfeasible. After this direction was verified by Venerable Demon Heart, it was quickly abandoned. Thus, he chose a second method: the nurturing method! He used his own malevolence as nourishment to cultivate a Heavenly Demon infant, and utilized an improved version of the Second Nascent Soul Secret Art to fundamentally alter the nature of the Heavenly Demon infant. Mimicking the process of refining a Second Nascent Soul, he attempted to refine for himself a Heavenly Demon Nascent Soul absorption body that was 100% compatible, with the ultimate goal of absorbing it to complete the advancement of his physique. Just like developing from an infant to an adult, the growth of a Heavenly Demon infant and the process of a Nascent Soul transforming into a Soul Transformation stage cultivator were remarkably similar, both involving instantaneous growth. The goal of the nurturing method was to raise it to maturity.

As for why he didn't directly capture an adult Heavenly Demon: aside from Venerable Demon Heart's inability to do so with his strength, merely capturing a Heavenly Demon infant already cost him immense effort and time. Another aspect involved the issue of compatibility. Don't forget, the Profound Origin Demonic Embryo Secret Art initially required a bloodline connection for the absorbed individual. The closer the connection to one's own bloodline, the better the effect. For some unknown reason, possibly due to cultivating with the 'placement slot' system, Wang Yu had perfected it, so that after absorbing the first target, subsequent absorbed entities no longer required a bloodline connection, as if he truly possessed the physique of a Heavenly Demon infant, like a humanoid Heavenly Demon. In fact, Wang Yu suspected that this was not only related to the perfect cultivation results from the placement slot but also to his soul, which fundamentally did not belong to this world.

Heavenly Demons are beings of emotion. They are aggregates formed from souls, the seven emotions and six desires, and the malevolence of all living beings. Hence, they harbor immense malice towards living creatures, and their very existence is meant to bring calamity upon all beings. The existence of the Heavenly Demon Realm is also mysterious and unfathomable. To this day, no one has ever discovered a way to enter the Heavenly Demon Realm. This fundamental difference might also be the reason for his anomalous performance.

Returning to the main topic: Venerable Demon Heart believed the key lay in helping the Heavenly Demon infant perfectly transform into its mature form. However, the improved version of the Second Nascent Soul Secret Art alone was insufficient to fully control it. Consequently, he spent a hefty sum to acquire a top-tier external avatar technique called the Blood Bone Avatar from another Soul Transformation stage cultivator. He used half of his own bones and blood to cultivate the Heavenly Demon infant into a physical entity. He also switched to cultivating a combined attack technique, allowing his demonic essence to adapt to this new body in advance. The research then ceased at this point. Based on the information Wang Yu possessed, he judged that Venerable Demon Heart's attempt most likely failed. Later records stated that he completely vanished from the world, leaving no trace of his existence, indicating that something clearly went wrong during the advancement of his physique. And this hidden cultivation chamber was the primary site.

"He was most likely devoured in reverse by the Heavenly Demon..." Wang Yu muttered to himself. He felt that Venerable Demon Heart's deduction path wasn't necessarily wrong. The key issue was that he had provided a physical body to an intangible being like a Heavenly Demon. One must remember that a Heavenly Demon's instinct is to seize the bodies of living beings. To give such a being a physical body... he couldn't imagine what Venerable Demon Heart was thinking. It was like lighting a lamp in a latrine – an utterly self-defeating act. However, if this step were to be modified, Wang Yu had no immediate ideas on how to make the Heavenly Demon infant complete its most crucial transformation. He could only suppress the impatience in his heart. He would ponder it slowly in the future; perhaps inspiration would naturally come when he encountered some interesting secret art. Physique enhancement was not an overnight endeavor; his approach was one of patient waiting.

The trip to the Ruined Wasteland of Returning Nether was rather fruitful. At the very least, what Venerable Demon Heart had left behind satisfied Wang Yu's needs. Just as he was about to leave, his steps suddenly halted. He recalled the itinerant cultivators. Their objective could not have been the same as his; therefore, they were likely after some tangible item, rather than the 'research notes' he sought. It was just a coincidence that their paths converged at the same location.

With this thought, Wang Yu spread his divine sense in a ripple-like state, incorporating some Heavenly Demon Malevolence into it. Soon, an unexpected discovery made him raise an eyebrow. He swiftly walked to the stone meditation cushion. An invisible force field spread out, causing all the stone slabs, including the floor, to disintegrate into dust. The hidden object beneath was then revealed. It was a strange, black, crystal-clear skull with a very elongated back of the head. Its facial bone structure resembled that of a human, but its retractable fangs filling its mouth and its much narrower eye sockets all indicated that this was not a human skull. Its overall shape was somewhat similar to the alien Xenomorphs Wang Yu had seen in movies in his previous life.

"Strange." This skull was extremely hard; even with Wang Yu's divine power, it remained unchanged, indicating that its structural stability alone had reached the fifth tier. Strangely, the Heavenly Demon Malevolence Wang Yu had just emitted was completely absorbed by it. Even though the absorbed amount was small, a layer resembling a matte metallic film appeared on the skull's surface. It felt somewhat warm to the touch. This was perhaps the most mysterious item Wang Yu had encountered in the Ice Prison Realm. Even ancient demons had records, yet creatures with such skulls were bizarre products of which Wang Yu had never seen any related descriptions. This object showed no reaction to magical power. However, it showed a clear tendency to absorb spiritual energy and Heavenly Demon Malevolence. Upon realizing this, Wang Yu sealed it with a secret sealing art and placed it into his Sea Heart Ring, intending to study it when he had time. The itinerant cultivators from the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea were clearly here for it.

After a thorough inspection revealed no other valuable items, Wang Yu soared into the sky and, with a casual wave, launched an Ice Blast Spear that completely destroyed the chamber. Just as he was about to depart, an extremely distinct spatial fluctuation emanated from the surroundings. Wang Yu frowned. The Chains of Heaven began to spread, instantly sealing off the surrounding space. The fluctuation was clearly suppressed. After a moment of stalemate, a somewhat embarrassed voice emerged from the void.

"Fellow Daoist, I bear no ill will... The item you took from the ruins is of considerable value to my sect. I ask that you allow this humble monk to discuss it with you personally."

Wang Yu's lips curled into a smile. Of all the cultivators he had met, this was the first person to refer to himself as 'this humble monk.' It seemed to be a Soul Transformation stage Venerable from the Ancient Sect of Heavenly Sea. He hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. This indicated that the origin of the strange skull was more important than he had imagined.

"What is your name, Master?"