Chapter 554: Conclusion and Raising the Young Demonic Creatures

The entire world seemed engulfed in rich moonlight. Everywhere was a milky white glow. His spiritual perception was blocked by the moonlight, forcing him to rely solely on his physical eyes. However, his ordinary vision was insufficient, as he hadn't cultivated any spirit-eye secret arts.

He could only react like a startled cat, vigilant for any unusual movement around him. Numerous magic artifacts hovered close by, ready to be unleashed with his spiritual power at any moment.

However, in the blink of an eye, an arrow, like a reversed river of stars, descended as if from the heavens, surging forth. The terrifying power it wielded even froze the spatial storm. A void rift, deeper than darkness itself, replaced the spatial environment. Wherever the arrow passed, everything shattered, everything was destroyed, and nothing could stand in its way!

His accumulated wealth of many years proved as brittle as fine porcelain. The Spirit Turtle Shield, the Twelve Spirit Ruin Swords, the Northern Nether Control Sea Banner, the Dark Whale Blood Sea Gourd, and other spiritual treasures and magic artifacts that Lingxuzi had used for years were all pierced through like paper.

Wang Yu, with his late-stage Soul Transformation cultivation, could unleash the full power of the Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow. This was augmented by his innate divine abilities, various secret arts, and the unparalleled divine strength of a body refiner. Not only Lingxuzi, a sixth-level Soul Transformation cultivator, but even the peak powerhouse, the Sky-Refining Demonic Venerable, Wang Yu was confident he could contend with. It could be said that this arrow was the most powerful divine ability he had ever unleashed in his life. It was invincible!

The next instant, the moonlight receded, and all phenomena vanished. Tianmu Su arrived belatedly, her gaze fixed suspiciously on the motionless Lingxuzi. Just as she was about to speak, she saw his body tremble. He stiffly turned his head, his eyes wide with horror, and his voice was incredibly hoarse.

“This youth... is unconquerable!”

As his words faded, black, solid ice rapidly enveloped his body, and an unprecedentedly massive ice lotus bloomed. Lingxuzi had followed in the footsteps of the Five-Colored Holy Lord. His primordial spirit was annihilated, but thanks to the power of extreme cold and Wang Yu's deliberate control, his physical body was left behind as an empty shell.

Forcibly capturing a Soul Transformation cultivator's primordial spirit for use in alchemy is virtually impossible, unless they willingly allow it. After all, Soul Transformation cultivators possess powerful vitality; their primordial spirits are immortal and can reconstruct their physical bodies at any time. Even if there's no body to seize, they can reshape one using spiritual items. Without annihilating the primordial spirit, one hasn't truly killed the opponent. Therefore, it's very difficult to capture them alive; few willingly surrender.

The process of eliminating Five-Colored and annihilating Lingxuzi was considerably simpler than Wang Yu had imagined. Now, while the Ephemeral Dharma Pill was still active, he had to seize the opportunity to deal with Tianmu Su. He reached out, using demonic power to retrieve Lingxuzi's Qiankun Ring and numerous spiritual treasure fragments, before diving towards Tianmu Su.

The opponent had just recovered from the shock of Lingxuzi's demise. She had truly not expected to suffer a double loss.

“A mere second-level Soul Transformation cultivator, to be able to slay Lingxuzi is already unbelievable. Does fellow Daoist intend to kill this old woman as well?”

Tianmu Su swung the dragon-headed staff in her hand. A golden dragon tail sprang from the base of the staff, fiercely swatting away the diving Wang Yu. However, the flash of light he embodied dissipated like a mere phantom. Spatial fluctuations emanated from behind her.

“He can still teleport?”

“Naturally.”

Wang Yu reappeared. The ice crystal blade attached to his bow arm clashed repeatedly with Tianmu Su's dragon-headed staff spiritual treasure. After multiple exchanges, they were locked in a struggle, allowing him to speak.

“You have pursued me relentlessly; do you not permit me to retaliate? Have you considered how you will explain yourselves to that villain?”

“You! Insolent!!!”

Tianmu Su narrowed her eyes. With a flick of her hand, the gourd bracelet on her wrist shot out, instantly expanding at a visible rate.

“Mountain-Suppressing Gourd, go!”

A yellowish-brown gourd flew from the bracelet, instantly transforming into the size of a mountain. It slammed down fiercely towards Wang Yu, the dense runes on its surface imbuing it with unimaginable weight. Wang Yu's shoulders went numb, and his legs sank into the ground.

Tianmu Su seized the opportunity to break free from their struggle. A blood-red gourd flew out from her body and merged into the Mountain-Suppressing Gourd.

“Divine Power Gourd, empower!”

Boom!

Instantly, Wang Yu felt the mountain pressing on his back suddenly grow dozens of times heavier. He could only hang his bow behind his waist and raise his hands in a supporting gesture. A field of power control spread out. His Golden Blood Divine Marrow exerted its power, and the entire Mountain-Suppressing Gourd slowly but steadily began to rise. Seeing signs of Wang Yu breaking free, Tianmu Su quickly activated a third gourd.

“Dragon-Imprisoning Gourd—Lock Spirit, Suppress Primordial Essence, Disable Divine Power!”

This was a top-grade Fifth-Tier spiritual treasure, one of Tianmu Su's top three trump cards among her many treasured gourds. It was used in conjunction with the Mountain-Suppressing and Divine Power Gourds. With a mere flick of her hand, it could destroy beings with mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivation and below. Half a year ago, Tianmu Su had displayed some of her Heavenly Array Master abilities, but now these were her normal combat methods as a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator. The multi-functional and strange treasured gourds were indeed difficult to counter.

The crescent moon mark in Wang Yu's eyes flickered. The chaotic spatial environment, instead of hindering him, became his aid. Ripples continuously spread through the darkness, and mountain-sized meteorites were drawn forth from it. It was precisely the Falling Moon Eye Technique! After advancing to the Fifth Tier, this was his first time using this large-scale offensive eye technique. Meteorites rained down from the sky, pulled by the eye technique, falling with boundless speed.

Upon seeing this, Tianmu Su quickly activated a fourth gourd.

“Vajra Gourd, Indestructible Vajra!”

Golden qi flames soared, threatening to pierce the heavens. They transformed into a massive Vajra Dharma Idol that protected Tianmu Su, allowing the meteorites to crash down without her dodging or evading. After the collision, only shattered stones were seen, but no cracks appeared on the Vajra Dharma Idol. This showed the latter's formidable defensive power, which was clearly not something such a wide-area divine ability could contend with.

Wang Yu's brows subtly furrowed. His gaze subtly fixed on the gourd bracelet. Four gourds had been used, leaving eight. This was not the same as the set of seven treasured gourds that formed an array treasure.

Sensing that the Ephemeral Dharma Pill's effects were about to wear off soon, Wang Yu couldn't help but entertain thoughts of retreat. Even though he had anticipated that killing Tianmu Su would be difficult, he hadn't expected her to be so troublesome. The power of a late-stage Soul Transformation cultivator was somewhat overwhelmingly formidable. And this was without even seeing her true trump card—her Intent Realm!

Knowing when to retreat in the face of difficulty was always a virtue of the wise. He inwardly calculated the remaining time. Wang Yu mentally controlled the meteorites, directing them towards the gourd-mountain above his head. Since he couldn't break Tianmu Su's defense, he decided to target her spiritual treasures first.

As expected, seeing this, Tianmu Su grew restless. Under the command of her divine sense, seven more treasured gourds, each emitting different colored light, flew out from within her. This was the array treasure that had previously trapped Wang Yu.

“Still want to lock me down? Dream on!”

With a fierce roar, the Fiend Dragon Armor covered his body, unleashing its miraculous body-enhancing effects. Wang Yu's suddenly surging strength flung the entire Mountain-Suppressing Gourd into the air. It narrowly brushed past the array treasure gourds that were striking horizontally. His Bloodline True Artifact had initially been taken by Xueyu, but once its purpose as a decoy was fulfilled, it swiftly returned, as he needed its power. Once within a certain range, it could be directly summoned and attached to him via bloodline resonance. Such was the convenience of a natal object.

Returning to the scene, the Moonfall descended. Their collision created a spectacular cloud of spiritual light, as shattered stones and dust formed a ring of murky mist that spread explosively. The ensuing aftermath was so intense that it was almost impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Tianmu Su vigilantly stared at the other side of the dust cloud. She was prepared for a potential killing arrow from Wang Yu, ready to deploy her natal magic artifact, imbued with the power of her Intent Realm, against him at any moment.

The outcome was both unexpected and yet, in hindsight, entirely reasonable: as the aftershocks subsided, she was astonished to find Wang Yu's figure had vanished.

“He... escaped?!”

When a situation was unwinnable, retreat was not shameful. She had, in any case, already recouped some 'interest' from the pursuit. With only herself remaining, Tianmu Su could not possibly continue the chase. She had to guard against Wang Yu setting up another trap. Just as she had schemed and ambushed Wang Yu, he too could call upon allies to ambush her. Considering the strength he had displayed today, the chances of her falling victim were too high. She could no longer pursue him.

Although this was forced by circumstance, she already knew what situation awaited her upon her return. She could only let out a helpless sigh and quietly withdraw.

After successfully escaping, Wang Yu did not choose to return to the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. The side effects of the Ephemeral Dharma Pill would last for three years, leaving him in a weakened state. With his strength greatly diminished, only an extremely cold environment could provide him with a sense of security. At the same time, he also wanted to enter the Frozen Demon Seal Land once more to see if he could trick an ancient demonic inheritance of the Soul Transformation level. This matter was not urgent in his plans. Therefore, he chose to go into seclusion first.

At this time, deep within the boundless ice plains, in an unnamed ice cave, Wang Yu was leaning against Xueyu's soft fur, reminiscing about the battle at Qiuniu Mountain.

“This time, I've crippled an arm of the Hell King Spiritual Official, making him lose more than he gained from his attempt to profit. If I'm ambushed again, I fear there will be no chance of survival.”

Thinking of this, Wang Yu couldn't help but look at the Coiled Dragon Ring on his right hand. His escape this time was entirely due to the authority granted by this ring, a stroke of luck.

“The plan to search for the Crown Prince's Tomb must be put on the agenda. Once I endure this seclusion period and overcome my weakness, I will investigate the Frozen Demon Seal Land, and then it will be time for the tomb.”

After some deliberation, Wang Yu cleared his mind and rested for half a day. Although this seclusion was primarily for healing, it wouldn't be the only thing he did.

“Oh, right, first let's check the spoils of war.” Wang Yu slapped his head; he had almost forgotten about this.

First and foremost was Lingxuzi's Qiankun Ring. With its owner dead, it was easy to erase the spiritual imprint on the ring. It required no effort.

“Hoh, over ten thousand high-grade spirit stones.” As the Qiankun space opened, the treasures within immediately greeted him with a pleasant surprise. These were likely Lingxuzi's accumulated resources from repeatedly slaying powerhouses in the Ice Prison Realm over time. Now, they all belonged to him!

Beyond this, there were no gains in terms of magic artifacts, as Lingxuzi had used all usable ones to defend against the Twelve Lunar Phases. It was unlikely any valuable treasures would be left for Wang Yu.

Regarding spiritual items, one item caught Wang Yu's eye.

“Water-Fire Primordial Crystal?” This item was precisely the Fifth-Tier spiritual ore that Lingxuzi was responsible for mining. It held appeal even for cultivators from the Upper Realm, and Wang Yu had only one use for it.

“If it could be inlaid into the Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow, allowing the two to combine perfectly, perhaps this treasure could become an outstanding example among top-grade Fifth-Tier spiritual treasures. Excellent, excellent!” The Sun-Piercing Demonic Bow was originally a bow that could convert opposing attributes: the more violent and powerful its inherent flame energy, the more terrifying the extreme cold it could transform into. This characteristic perfectly matched the Water-Fire Primordial Crystal; their compatibility was quite high. Moreover, the quality of this material was exceptionally high. It made one suspect that Lingxuzi had secretly kept it, a top-tier treasure he hadn't turned over. There were also quite a few other Fifth-Tier spiritual items, all of which Wang Yu stored in his Sea Heart Ring. This Qiankun Ring, he simply stored away.

As of today, his 'Qiankun belt' was almost full. Having collected so many space-attribute materials, Wang Yu's intuition told him they would surely be of great use in the future.

After cataloging the spoils of war, it was time for cultivation. The Five-Colored Holy Lord's primordial spirit was waiting to be used in alchemy, while the deer demon's true form was a powerful tonic that should significantly boost his physical body cultivation.

While waiting for his body to recover, Wang Yu took out the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Map, already prepared to cultivate a heavenly demon infant. Using blank array flags, he set up an array to isolate the inside from the outside, and then used a secret art to conceal his presence. Wang Yu then chanted hand seals, laying the demonic map flat on the ground. He then manifested a spiritual avatar, which sat cross-legged behind the demonic map.

As the array's spiritual light flickered, an invisible, black, smoky substance formed a twisting column of qi, extending straight into the sky. This was a special method for summoning heavenly demons. It is worth mentioning that not all heavenly demons are born from the aggregation of the seven emotions and six desires. This particular branch of heavenly demons originated from the Six Desires Demonic Lord, whose formidable reputation spread throughout myriad worlds. There was also another type of heavenly demon, extraordinary from birth, possessing innate special abilities often related to conceptual rules, and not easily dealt with. Wang Yu, however, was not greedy; any heavenly demon infant would suffice.

A reaction soon came from the other end of the malevolent thought channel. Wang Yu took out an Upper Realm demonic skull with an elongated cranium, to serve as a container for imprisoning the heavenly demons, ready to act at any moment. However, the first to respond was a Lustful Heavenly Demon, and a mature one at that. After a moment of thought, Wang Yu directly sealed it into the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Map, granting the treasure a second wondrous effect.

“Mystic Light of Transformation?” Wang Yu's expression was peculiar. This effect allowed for the mutual transformation of male and female characteristics, facilitating the cultivation and replenishment methods of those who practiced the Heavenly Demon Sutra. It truly was a demonic art, utterly perverse! However, this particular ability was of little use to him. Though... perhaps not necessarily.

“Cough, cough~” As he pondered, Wang Yu consumed the newly developed health-preserving spiritual liquid and continued to entice heavenly demons to descend with his carefully crafted malevolent thoughts.

The third one: an Enraged Heavenly Demon. Its demonic map divine ability: Blazing Wrath! It could ignite the fury within living beings, causing them to lose their reason. Its method of activation was extremely covert, making it difficult to guard against in advance, truly a treacherous weapon. He was inclined to call it a 'mind-dulling aura'.

The fourth one: a Sorrowful Heavenly Demon. Its demonic map divine ability: Bewildering Sorrow! It could evoke sorrowful memories, causing people to sink into them, unable to extricate themselves. Furthermore, although it was called a demonic sound divine ability, the demonic sound was actually a low-frequency sound wave indiscernible to the human ear. Humans couldn't hear it at all, making it impossible to guard against in advance. When activated, it was even more concise and effective than Blazing Wrath. This divine ability had little direct use in head-on combat, but for inciting discord, it was absolutely a first-rate divine ability. Throughout the world's various powers, feuds had been formed, yet cooperation had also occurred due to shared interests. For causing chaos, it was unfailingly effective.

If he continued fishing this way, he feared that even filling all six slots on the demonic map wouldn't yield the heavenly demon infant he desired. Therefore, Wang Yu paused for several days, expending effort to combine heavenly demon malevolence with demonic spiritual materials to refine several Heavenly Demon Pills. He then casually captured a few demonic cultivators exploring the ice plains. He imprisoned their physical bodies within the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Map and forcibly fed them the Heavenly Demon Pills. This way, he could control the 'size' of the bait. Combined with the precise guiding effect of the Heavenly Demon Map, he finally attracted his first heavenly demon infant!