Chapter 570: Exterminating Ten Thousand Ghosts to Manifest Demonic Power (Part 1)

Dealing with demonic cultivators was straightforward. They deeply understood the principle that one who knows the times is a wise person. When outmatched, they would often retreat decisively, saving Wang Yu the trouble of having to come up with elaborate responses.

However, given how cooperative they were, and out of consideration for their past camaraderie as fellow disciples, Wang Yu felt he couldn't do nothing. As he pondered, he condensed a black ice token from demonic energy, inscribing the words "Supreme Law" onto it.

He said: "The future of the Ice Prison Realm is uncertain; there might be a great calamity. If you truly find no way out, you can use this token to go to Golden Toad City. This Venerable One might be able to secure a path to survival for you."

The disaster from beyond the heavens was causing widespread commotion. Wang Yu naturally intended to resist. While he might have previously entertained the idea of saving only himself and abandoning the world, after witnessing the Jail King Spirit Official's power during the Sword Sect battle, he thought, "My sword is certainly sharp enough!"

As long as Refinement Void cultivators don't involve themselves with ancient demon unsealing, they can only obediently submit to the rules of Immortals. But once his cultivation grows and reaches its peak, he might well be able to face the Jail King Spirit Official head-on.

This way, he could naturally and honorably break through the realm and leave.

Currently, he had only a rough idea: what talented Nascent Soul Grand Perfection cultivators like Daoist Three Corpses lacked was simply a Spirit Transformation inheritance that aligned with their own path. After all, even ancient demons have their own Great Dao. There's no mention of Corpse Ancient Demons in the Ice Prison Realm; cultivating the Path of Yin Corpses inherently puts one at a disadvantage. Otherwise, he wouldn't mind teaching the "Demonic Transcendence Heart Incantation" to resolve the affliction of demonic corruption.

After a year and a half of cultivation, he had largely discerned the effects of this secret art: the nature of demonic corruption was rooted within the Heart Lake space, lying hidden in the deepest recesses of the mind. The "Demonic Transcendence Heart Incantation" truly lived up to its name as a Buddhist Heart Power secret art. It could refine demonic corruption into pure Heart Power, nourishing the cultivator's own Heart Lake space. Combined with the Seven-Heart Treasure Wheel Sacred Tree planted within Wang Yu's Heart Lake, which was also a unique spiritual root improved by Buddhist dharma, the combined effect against demonic corruption reached a terrifying level, akin to "turning back to shore" (finding salvation).

In a short time, this significantly advanced his Glazed Heart state. Consequently, the effects of his "Heaven-Blessed Fortune" and "Boundless Mortal Dust" Heart Power secret arts also rose considerably. Wang Yu had analyzed the unique nature of Heart Power more than once. It was an idealistic power, and its corresponding effects could be described as omnipotent, like a wish-granting machine; each Heart Power secret art was a wish. The drawback was that its cultivation was difficult and its growth slow. If one encountered a calamity that assaulted their Dao Heart, they could very likely lose all their Heart Power cultivation overnight, almost like walking a tightrope. However, the benefits reaped upon success were boundless.

The "Demonic Transcendence Heart Incantation," which the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable said would only show effects after a hundred years, showed extraordinary effects in just one or two years for him. This was because his Heart Power cultivation had reached the Fourth Stage. Could this incantation possibly be the same in his hands as it was for other cultivators who didn't cultivate Heart Power? This was the difference between the grand orthodox path and the heterodox side paths. What ordinary cultivators referred to as the Dao Heart was more about strength of will and resilience of mind, rather than them having also cultivated the Path of Heart Refinement. Hence, Wang Yu was fundamentally different from them. Everyone knew he cultivated both law and body, but they didn't know he also cultivated a Path of Mind, where his attainments were equally profound. To speak without modesty, throughout the entire Ice Prison Realm, there was no one who could surpass him in this regard. He was the best in the world!

Of course, this was only in terms of his Path of Mind cultivation. However, making this power manifest was quite difficult. The lineage of Heart Power secret arts was broken, and any methods found usually originated from ancient ruins. Even creating new methods lacked the support of "big data"; without a foundation for establishing laws, it was extremely difficult!

Returning to the main topic. Although cultivators like Daoist Three Corpses could hardly pose a threat to the Jail King Spirit Official, if they cultivated Dharmic Aspect Divine Abilities, they could possess the immense power of a half-step Spirit Transformation realm. If there were many of them, linked by formations, they would also be a great help. Currently, Wang Yu fought alone, so recruiting some subordinates would be beneficial, much like the decisive battle of the Heaven Refining Demonic Venerable. Before the arrival of enemies from beyond the heavens, he could also use this method to unite the strength of cultivators throughout the world.

Upon hearing Wang Yu's words, the trace of resentment in Daoist Three Corpses' heart quickly vanished. In his eyes, after all the Spirit Transformation Venerables had fled for their lives, it was already remarkable that Wang Yu had stayed behind. He was even a beacon of hope in this desperate situation. To gain such a fallback plan, giving up this important Yin Corpse land was well worth it. Besides, he had never intended to contend with Spirit Transformation cultivators in the first place. He had gained an advantage for free, turning potential enmity into gratitude. Moreover, it would spread his renown. What Wang Yu gave was merely a symbol and a promise, with no substantial loss on his part. Even if these old members of the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect were to disband, in Wang Yu's eyes, they were still useful tools, at least more trustworthy and valuable than those from the Joyful Demonic Sect or the Nether Mountain Cult.

After Daoist Three Corpses excitedly departed, Wang Yu delved deeper, and before long, he arrived at a gloomy, ghostly realm. This "Yin Dynasty" formation, created through feng shui arrangements, was also subject to the limitations of mystic feng shui arts. From the day it was formed, it allowed entry but not exit. It became a self-contained minor world. Once a ghostly entity left, it would break free from the influence of the mystic feng shui formation, be driven by its inherent instincts, lose its spiritual sentience, and become merely a killing thought, like countless other malevolent spirits. It could be said that this formation was both its making and its undoing. Such a high-level mystic formation could certainly not have been laid out by an ordinary feng shui master. However, when the Crown Prince fell, the Ancestor of Geomancy had already gone missing. Besides him, only his disciples would possess such capability. The Yin Dynasty mystic formation was specifically designed for the souls of the deceased and had no significant restrictions on the living. Therefore, Wang Yu directly stepped across the boundary into the netherworld.

In an instant, the world transformed. Wang Yu, who should have been deep underground, surprisingly found himself in a vast, desolate wilderness. The soil here was grayish-black, as if composed of countless streams of Yin spiritual energy. The sky was dim and gray, and a purple moon emitted a faint glow above. The moonlight cast by this Grand Yin was extremely Yin in nature, and could even be called Grand Yin Ghost Qi. It was similar in nature to normal Grand Yin moonlight but fundamentally different.

Wang Yu sighed in admiration: "It actually formed a minor Qiankun realm, not much different from the Black Sea Qiankun realm nurtured within the World-Suppressing Turtle's body."

While mystic feng shui formations were indeed extraordinary and more durable than arrays, their principle was to conform to nature while making minor adjustments. Therefore, they could be sustained without massive energy support. They were inherently part of the world's operation, naturally requiring no maintenance from the formation caster. While the path of arrays also involved comprehending the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, its core was about modification and utilization. The power it could unleash in a short time vastly surpassed mystic feng shui formations, but it was also constrained by energy and often difficult to sustain. Those long-standing sect-protecting arrays were almost all connected to spiritual veins, thus requiring only daily maintenance to last indefinitely.

Arrays and mystic formations each had their strengths, making it difficult to determine which was superior. However, people still preferred fierce and powerful array masters. Among them, Heavenly Array Masters were an anomaly; they had integrated the power of mystic formations and learned to set up arrays by adapting to celestial trends. This greatly increased the upper limit of arrays. That's why Heavenly Array Masters were considered the strongest lineage of array masters.

The person who laid out this Yin Dynasty formation had some shortcomings, but their mastery in geomantic vein management was quite high. Wang Yu, perceiving it with his Golden Gaze, quickly came to a conclusion. The Yin Dynasty minor realm had been able to exist for so many years due to the protection of a supreme earth treasure, which used earth energy to resist the natural contraction of space and maintain the integrity of the mystic formation. And as far as he knew, among the lineage of feng shui geomancers, only the Ancestral Earth Medallion could achieve this. Back then, after he obtained the Ancestral Water Medallion, he had no further news of the other three Ancestral Feng Shui Medallions. He had thought his fortunate encounters would end there. Unexpectedly, upon entering this Crown Prince's tomb, he immediately sensed such a supreme treasure that was highly compatible with him. This was destiny!

Meanwhile, deep within the Yin Dynasty minor realm, the former Crown Prince of the Immortal Dynasty, now the Yin Son of Heaven, stood on the Homesick Terrace, gazing at the spatial ripples rippling across the distant sky, his face grim. The person was gone; memories from his life before rebirth as a ghost no longer had any bearing on him. A few fragmented memories could hardly influence the Yin Son of Heaven's personality, which had reformed over the years.

"Where is Ghost Dragon General?!" he roared suddenly. The Yin Tiger Talisman in his hand glowed faintly, and a stream of Yin energy arrived from afar, transforming into the figure of a nether general with a dragon's head and human body. His aura had impressively reached the Grand Perfection of Nascent Soul realm.

"This humble general is here!"

"Deliver my command: another prodigy from the Tomb Guardian clan has entered the tomb. Any ghost of the Heavenly Dynasty who slays this child will be rewarded with a hundred Yin materials. Whoever captures this child alive will be granted the title of Life-Chasing Nether General. Whoever invades the living realm will be enfeoffed as a Dread King and rewarded with a thousand ghost concubines!"

"This humble general obeys your command." Ghost Dragon General's heart clenched, and he quickly withdrew to make arrangements.

The so-called Tomb Guardian clan was the descendant of a minister who once served the Crown Prince. Currently, it was the lineage of the Longevity City Lord, with the ancestral secret tomb-guarding medallion passed down through generations. It had never been known to outsiders, but people are diverse, and even within a single family, traitors can emerge. Once human greed arises, changes are bound to occur. Three thousand years ago, the main lineage of Longevity was eradicated. The Tomb Guardian clan began to exploit their position, dispatching their disciples into the tomb realm to seek treasures. How could the Yin Son of Heaven stand by and do nothing? He regarded this act as a betrayal. He killed as many as came. Over time, too many strong cultivators had been sent, and the main Longevity lineage staged a miraculous comeback. However, the ancestral medallion had also changed, now only revealing that there was a great opportunity beneath Longevity City. Every sixty years, cultivators bearing secret concealing treasures would be sent into this realm to seek opportunities. This generation's Longevity City Lord was relatively fortunate. He successfully plundered many opportunities from this realm and also learned many secrets. From then on, he stopped this practice, forbidding his clan members from entering the tomb again. His conflict with his son also originated from this. However, what the Yin Son of Heaven didn't know was that the one who entered this time wasn't some Foundation Establishment or Core Formation prodigy, but a true Spirit Transformation Venerable! Having Ghost Dragon General handle this matter was truly a bit careless.

At the same time, Wang Yu leisurely walked across the desolate land. He had come on this trip to seek treasure, and while the Yin Dynasty's power had nothing to do with him, he could guess upon reflection that since this place had formed a Yin Dynasty, all the burial objects must be in the hands of these ghostly entities, making a confrontation unavoidable. He wasn't in a hurry to fight. Instead, he used the self-attracting properties between the Ancestral Feng Shui Medallions to first pinpoint the location of the Ancestral Earth Medallion, avoiding any wasted effort.

On another note, he had a prior agreement with the Crown Princess. As the renowned honest and reliable young master of Red Kite, there were specific considerations for how to deal with the Immortal Dynasty's Crown Prince, who had transformed into a ghostly entity. At the very least, he couldn't let his soul scatter entirely; he had to leave a chance for reincarnation.

These various factors led him to decide to proceed slowly. Additionally, there was the Dao-Harmonizing Spirit Treasure, a seventh-tier supreme treasure whose artifact spirit was already indistinguishable from an ordinary person. To obtain this treasure, he would need to gain the artifact spirit's recognition. However, since this item was left behind by a great power from the Immortal Palace, it likely wouldn't be friendly to a native like him. Furthermore, after enduring a fierce battle with an ancient demon, whether it was still perfectly preserved was also a question. There were many concerns, but the benefits of obtaining it were even greater. Simply using it against the Jail King Spirit Official would be an excellent trump card, one he absolutely wouldn't miss.

As the feng shui compass's positioning became increasingly accurate, Wang Yu gradually approached the center of this realm. As a netherworld formed from a tomb, its scale was destined not to be too large. Thus, although it appeared to be a considerable minor Qiankun realm in area, in reality, its 'ghost population' was only equivalent to that of a single city. All the ghosts combined numbered no more than a few hundred thousand. This place was suitable for Yin ghosts to cultivate, naturally producing large quantities of Yin-attributed spiritual herbs and treasures. It was, in essence, a cultivation-type Qiankun secret realm. This ensured that the ghostly entities were not weak; the weakest possessed late Foundation Establishment strength, most had Core Formation cultivation, and generals started at the Nascent Soul realm. If a cultivator specializing in the Path of Yin Ghosts were to come here, they would probably be grinning from ear to ear. Such abundant military resources would be enough for that cultivator to dominate an area and possess combat power far exceeding others of the same rank. They could even use secret Gu-raising methods to forcefully cultivate a Heavenly Ghost Venerable comparable to a Spirit Transformation cultivator.

As Wang Yu advanced, it was inevitable that he would encounter the Yin ghosts head-on.

Three days later, a group of malevolent spirits transformed into a Yin wind, stirring up a mournful howl in the low skies of this realm. Wang Yu frowned upon hearing it, wondering what these evil spirits were screeching about. But the abundant vital essence emanating from him was like a bright lamp in the darkness. It immediately attracted the attention of this spectral troop.

"Croak! The Great King has commanded: there's a great reward for slaying the living being who entered the realm!"

"Look over there, is that the living being the Great King spoke of?"

"What strong vital essence, it smells so good!"

"General, may I have a taste of this unparalleled delicacy?!"

Ghostly entities were naturally lacking in spiritual intelligence. Although the mystic formation was ingenious, human-made arrangements still struggled to compensate for inherent deficiencies, which made the remarks of these malevolent spirits somewhat amusing. With malice directed at him, Wang Yu was no longer the inexperienced youth he once was. The might of a Venerable must not be offended!

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, the might of his Primordial Spirit rapidly spread as spiritual sense ripples. The group of third-tier malevolent spirits instantly prostrated themselves, as if seeing their own names shining brightly on the Wheel of Reincarnation Stele. The Nascent Soul initial stage Ghost Lynx General barely managed to retain his self-awareness. He struggled to lift his head, only to see Wang Yu's figure appear suddenly before him.

"A living being... How audacious!"

"Ignorant insects." Wang Yu's cold gaze swept over them, a faint gray soul light flickering. His "Soul-Annihilating Death Ray," which had long since reached perfection and undergone one advancement, was the natural enemy of these malevolent spirits. The divine ability emanated as a gaze, and hundreds of malevolent spirits instantly disintegrated into dust, leaving behind only Yin Cores that fell from their soul bodies. These were similar in nature to Golden Cores, but lacked the immortal golden essence, making them unable to extend lifespan. They had decent uses for the Primordial Spirit, but Wang Yu didn't care for such low-grade Yin Cores. The soul within the Ghost General was more suitable for him to refine into a Soul Pill that could enhance the essence of his Primordial Spirit. However, the effect was still a bit weak. If there were a fifth-tier Yin Spirit, it would be more suitable for him to refine into a Great Pill for consumption. It was likely that throughout this world, only the Crown Prince's soul body could meet his requirements.