Chapter 544: Destiny Bestowed, Northern Sea Silkworm Obtained

When it comes to matters involving luck, it's difficult to get immediate feedback because such things are highly random and often hard to verify, which is normal.

“Now, it depends on whether Old Devil Hongchen will devise a counter-strategy.”

He deliberately exposed himself in a disheveled state to the spies of the Joyful Demon Sect to intentionally guide the development of events. Without the aid of the Fortune Fruit, relying solely on guidance, things might not have proceeded smoothly. After all, many of the intervening steps were beyond his control; for instance, Old Devil Hongchen using voice transmission instead of the old-fashioned method of written messages. Another example is when the boy faced Chitian, he didn't directly mention his true name; otherwise, Chitian’s attitude would have been different. Various factors like these created a perfect coincidence. Ultimately, Wang Yu was met by Chitian in a careless state. This was the most ideal application of the Fortune Fruit.

Of course, currently, as he was on his way to the Joyful Demon Sect, he wasn't yet clear about the specific way the Fortune Fruit took effect. Once this validation was complete, a more appropriate plan for utilizing its effects would naturally emerge.

And so, several days passed in a flash.

Before the familiar mountain gate, Wang Yu's gaze was sharp as lightning. He quickly confirmed that the Joyful Demon Sect's array was poised for action, and behind the void, a powerful aura lay dormant. It was indeed the aura of his old adversary, Chitian.

A smirk curved on Wang Yu's lips. He reached up and swept his hand across his face, and a strange countenance replaced his own features. His aura also shifted accordingly.

The next moment, he flickered directly above the Hall of Worldly Dust, his voice, like thunder, reverberating throughout the entire sect.

“Old Devil Hongchen, your grandpa is back!”

Both Tianyuzi and Old Devil Hongchen stared at him with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. His face and aura were completely different from before. Was this truly the same person?

“Extreme Law…”

However, just as the words began, a figure impatiently pounced forward. Who else could it be but Chitian? He had long been unable to restrain his restless demonic energy, eagerly wanting to give a good beating to this fellow cultivator who had just broken through to the Soul Transformation realm. Only then could he vent the frustration he had endured from the Sect Master.

If I can't defeat the peak expert, I can at least defeat you! Did they really think Chitian's years of cultivation were for nothing? Clearly, in his eyes, this was a crushing victory waiting to happen. Against someone who had just entered the Soul Transformation realm, his confidence remained strong.

Moreover, for some reason, he felt his emotions were unusually active today. The power of his 'Wrathful Blood' Dharma Intent seemed to have somewhat increased, like the feeling he had when he first encountered this Dharma Intent years ago. Young, powerful, and full of vitality!

Turbid waves surged. The blood-red escape light, like a demonic star descending, carrying an unparalleled powerful aura, swooped down towards Wang Yu.

“Hee hee hee! Fellow cultivator, taste my Great Chitian Demonic Light!”

Compared to their first encounter years ago, this divine ability had undergone further evolution. The crimson light, which should have spread in all directions, was now condensed into a fan-shaped wave. Ostensibly, the attack range had significantly decreased, but in reality, the power became more concentrated. This was the simplest theory of energy superposition for enhanced power.

The Great Chitian Demonic Light was inherently designed to target flesh and blood. Upon contact, that sinister power, corrosive to flesh and blood, frantically invaded Wang Yu's body. His body trembled slightly, and the golden radiance of his Indestructible Body emanated from within, instantly blocking the invading crimson light. Turning a Body Cultivator's foundational divine power into mere blood was not so easy. Unless his defenses were breached, foreign energies couldn't even dream of entering his body.

Of course, this move of Demonic Lord Chitian would have been very effective against an ordinary Soul Transformation cultivator, but unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong target.

As the distance between them rapidly closed, Wang Yu's objective was achieved. He immediately stopped concealing his true appearance. Upon seeing his face, Chitian's first reaction was furious rage, but this was instantly followed by the Sect Master's reminders and warnings. Ever since Demonic Lord Liantian returned from the Endless Ice Plains, not only Wang Yu's intelligence, but also information on the changes among the demon race and the return of the Demon Venerable had naturally been exchanged. Having been able to defeat the Demonic Flame clone with sheer power, in Demonic Lord Liantian's eyes, Chitian was absolutely no match for Wang Yu. Hence, he had given early warnings.

Therefore, after his initial burst of rage, he trembled all over. Cold sweat broke out on his back. Chitian forced a strained smile, but before he could speak, a fist as large as a sandbag suddenly struck. The absolute power brought by his mastery of strength almost compressed the air into a solid. Without time for further reaction, the Great Chitian Demonic Light extended into an elliptical shield. As Wang Yu's fist descended, it rapidly caved inward to its extreme limit. With a crisp crack, the defensive demonic light was directly shattered by brute force.

The fist's momentum remained unchecked, violently piercing through Demonic Lord Chitian's lower abdomen. Wang Yu's large hand then grasped his spine, and with a forceful tug, instantly, blood rained down. Chitian's screams were incessant, but the robust life force of a Soul Transformation cultivator did not allow him to die instantly. Instead, he gathered his essence, qi, and spirit, and unleashed the divine ability 'Heaven and Earth Manifestation'. A magnificent blood-red giant swiftly rose. Its form was more towering than mountains, its eyes brighter than the sun and moon. It was as if an ancient colossal god had descended upon the world; the mere emanation of its aura caused the entire Joyful Demon Sect to tremble incessantly.

Protected by the Dharma Idol True Body, his condition quickly stabilized. Chitian, who had never considered himself inferior to anyone in his life, would certainly not be content to repeatedly stumble against Wang Yu. Wouldn't this make him seem like a useless wretch? The most useless Soul Transformation cultivator currently? He certainly didn't want such an insulting title. As the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from hundreds of miles around surged back, the Wrathful Blood Dharma Idol devoured and refined it like a whale, rapidly restoring Chitian's injuries. He was proficient in blood-related divine abilities and had also researched recovery techniques. Thus, his incomplete physical body recovered at an astonishing speed.

Wang Yu's eyes narrowed. He didn't want to miss the opportunity to strike while his opponent was down. However, Tianyuzi was not idle either. Seeing his powerful reinforcement fall into a disadvantage in just one exchange, even with his stubbornness, he wouldn't engage Wang Yu in close combat. The already prepared fifth-grade sect-guarding grand array instantly activated. Tens of thousands of skull-like entities, formed from the seven emotions and six desires, collectively formed a sky-obscuring, colorful mist.

This 'River of Seven Emotions and Undying' array was ranked among the mid-fifth grade. It had numerous effects, the most crucial of which was 'substitute death', allowing one to avoid damage by consuming one 'Skull of Emotion and Desire' to substitute for impending physical injury. It also incorporated some spatial techniques, making it elusive, unpredictable, and virtually impossible to guard against! If wielded by a cultivator practicing the 'Six Desires Heavenly Demonic Art', it could also stir the power of emotions, making all of the cultivator's emotions extremely sensitive. Being affected by emotions during battle could have fatal consequences. Therefore, this array was primarily controlled by Old Devil Hongchen, while Tianyuzi merely stood at a secondary position to fill in gaps and assist.

Against such a prepared array trap, no one should be able to escape. However, Wang Yu had long studied the Joyful Demon Sect's sect-guarding array. Previously, he might have been helpless. But now, it was different.

“Worldly Dust Boat—Refine!”

The surging sea of emotions, like cotton candy dissolving in water, shrank at an absurdly fast pace. Wang Yu's ability to restrain the sect-guarding grand array was absolutely beyond everyone's expectation. But when this unexpected situation occurred, Tianyuzi still had a backup plan. He loudly shouted, “Core Formation cultivators of the Joyful Sect, heed my command! Form the Worldly Dust Immortal Severing Array!”

This was another trump card of the Joyful Sect specifically for Soul Transformation cultivators. Meanwhile, Chitian was also rapidly recovering during the delay. His Wrathful Blood Dharma Intent transformed into a thousand-zhang blood blade, which chopped down towards Wang Yu's head.

Beset on all sides.

Wang Yu calmly looked at Old Devil Hongchen. The previous array had been broken, and Old Devil Hongchen was suffering from the backlash of the array's destruction, without time to regulate his own energy. He then felt a crescent moon mark flash before his eyes. His spiritual sense provided an almost explosive warning, making his hair stand on end. The crisis of impending doom had arrived!

Meanwhile, Wang Yu, utilizing the spatial shifting effect of his Void Moon Pupils, had already appeared behind him. With a forceful thrust of his right hand, under the disparity of absolute power, Old Devil Hongchen had virtually no room to resist, and instantly exploded into a shower of flesh. Only a pink Nascent Soul remained, captured by Wang Yu.

The gap between Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation stages was like that between an ant and a tree. Only peak experts who had already condensed a Dharma Idol, and could be called half-step Soul Transformation cultivators, could barely exchange a few moves with a Soul Transformation cultivator. However, against an overwhelming existence like Wang Yu, it could be said that no Nascent Soul cultivator in the Ice Prison Realm could force him to use a second move!

Just as his consciousness was about to sink into slumber, Old Devil Hongchen wasn't thinking about his own cultivation path or life, but rather whether, without him, his son could still recover from the injuries to his physical origin.

“There's no future left…”

His consciousness plunged into darkness and oblivion. His Nascent Soul was then thrown by Wang Yu into the Glazed Pagoda. This life-bound magical treasure had been undergoing transformation for a long time, and had successfully advanced two years ago. With the aid of a spiritual treasure linked to his life, it meant that Wang Yu's potential for explosive power had significantly increased. A life-bound item was the other half of a cultivator's strength manifestation; this assertion was never unfounded. Instead, it was based on concrete evidence. It was just that Wang Yu had not yet encountered an entity that required him to unleash his life-bound treasure to stack and amplify the power of his divine abilities. If he could handle them, he didn't need it; if he couldn't, using it would be futile anyway, and he might even suffer foundational injuries. Therefore, the Glazed Pagoda's presence had always been low. But when he used it, it was undeniably Wang Yu's strongest state!

As Old Devil Hongchen's Nascent Soul was captured, Tianyuzi was the one with the greatest emotional fluctuations in the field. After the Blood Demon Disaster, the Joyful Demon Sect had still faced a devastating defeat, and it had taken thousands of years for them to rise again. Their trump cards, powerful cultivators, and even their heritage were half a step behind the other four sects. This was evident from their lack of any half-step Soul Transformation cultivators. With Old Devil Hongchen's death, it was equivalent to losing half of the Joyful Demon Sect's foundation. The current sect had prospered under his master's leadership. How could he be willing to let it decline under his watch?

A clear struggle appeared on Tianyuzi's face. Should he continue to resist... or simply concede defeat? At this critical moment, he couldn't help but turn to look at the Nascent Soul elders of the Joyful Demon Sect. Most of them had looks of terror, feeling no security even within the core of the array. There was no need to ask what their choice would be.

“Alas…”

Sighing deeply in his heart, Tianyuzi, who was about to speak, suddenly realized that he had brazenly attacked without even asking Wang Yu's purpose. This was completely uncharacteristic of his usual thought process. What exactly had influenced him?!!!

As he stood there in a daze, chains with intense spatial fluctuations suddenly erupted from behind Wang Yu. It was precisely the 'Void Dao Repository - Chains of Heaven'! Perhaps no one had ever cultivated this secret art to such a degree. Wang Yu's Chains of Heaven, through stable daily improvements from the placement slot, had reached a maximum extension of a hundred miles. This secret art, originally for sealing space, was wielded by him as if it were a spiritual treasure. The wedge at the tip of the silver chain was like a pen tearing through a canvas. It forcefully ripped apart the Worldly Dust Immortal Severing Array!

His figure paused for an instant, then vanished directly from the array. This sudden development caused the Joyful Demon cultivators to instantly erupt into chaos. Even when trapped within the array, they couldn't do anything to him. What more when he had completely escaped? The demonic cultivators, led by Demonic Monarch Yin-Yang, turned and fled without a word, terrified of being targeted by Wang Yu, fearing they would be the next to die. Describing this disorganized rabble as scattering like birds and beasts was perfectly apt. Tianyuzi lacked the prestige and authority befitting a Demonic Sect Master. If his subordinates didn't want to die, what could he do? The desire for survival is an instinct for all living beings.

At that moment, after escaping again with the Void Moon Pupils, the Glazed Pagoda spun rapidly, its size quickly expanding, like a world-stabilizing divine needle suddenly growing. It directly clashed with the thousand-zhang blood blade chopped down by Demonic Lord Chitian. A heaven-shattering explosion destroyed several Nascent Soul cultivation grounds, including Mount Hongchen. The aftershocks spread for hundreds of miles, causing the earth to sink dozens of feet, leaving behind a colossal crater.

As the blood-red giant prepared for a second strike, a frosty moon rose from the top of the Glazed Pagoda. From within its radiant canopy, hundreds of ice spirit divine lights shot out simultaneously. They precisely struck various joints of Chitian's Dharma Idol. In a blink of an eye, the giant turned into solid ice. The moisture in the air was completely frozen, and even the spiritual energy became stiff and unmoving, as if frozen. Even the Soul Transformation domain couldn't affect it. This move could be said to have severed the Dharma Idol's immortal and indestructible ability.

The frosty moon condensed into an arrow, then underwent nine transformations within the pagoda. The arrow, which completely tore through the void to generate a miniature spatial storm, directly pierced and exploded the Wrathful Blood Dharma Idol. Demonic Lord Chitian, locked by Wang Yu's divine sense, had just regenerated his missing lower body when he was struck by an even more terrifying extreme cold.

“Wait… Liant…”

Before his words finished, the power of the 'Vast Cold Arrow' fully activated. A blooming ice lotus replaced Chitian's position, and his life force quickly dissipated.

Wang Yu reached out and forcefully seized Chitian's Qiankun Ring. Doubt arose in his heart. Demonic Lord Chitian, who had given him endless pressure, had just died like this? It was truly a bit hard to believe.

“This guy has absolutely no ability worthy of a demonic overlord; he's useless except for his realm.” He wasn't sure if this was the effect of 'Heaven-Blessed Fortune', or if Chitian was genuinely the designated entertainer, like someone who had been pulled up by sprouts to grow, with overall quality inferior even to a Demonic Golden Core cultivator. He made this assessment in his mind. But when Wang Yu tried to capture the opponent's primordial spirit, he found that there was none in the ice lotus at all. Only then did he snap back to reality, admonishing himself to curb his arrogance and impatience. The lingering traces of his aura pointed to a secret art.

“—Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell!”

“So that's it,” he mused, “choosing to abandon the physical body and escape at death's door. That's a wise move.”

After his divine sense erased the ring's imprint, and he quickly searched it, finding the Northern Underworld Silkworm silk he wanted, Wang Yu's understanding of 'Pure Heart' and 'Heaven-Blessed Fortune' became more comprehensive. This state, akin to a Son of Destiny, made him almost unable to stop.

Having no intention of pursuing, his gaze turned to Tianyuzi in the corner…