Chapter 575: Breaking Through to the Fourth Layer of Divine Transformation, Physical Cultivation Leaps

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Ten days ago.

Outside Longevity City, with the formal retreat of the Three Corpse Daoist, the city was preserved. True Monarch Longevity felt both fortunate and perplexed. Upon returning to the city with his people, he finally discovered something amiss.

The secret realm that his family had guarded for countless years... had collapsed.

Although the spatial storm occurred on the other side of the overlapping space, a Nascent Soul cultivator's keen perception could still detect anomalies.

The eerie ghost realm that should have existed had vanished!

Connecting this to the decisive withdrawal of the Heavenly Tribulation Alliance Leader (the Three Corpse Daoist), it was clear that the other party was responsible.

The aging True Monarch Longevity had no choice but to personally investigate by burrowing underground. Although the ghost realm contained valuable treasures, its fierce spirits were powerful. He was only confident in sending Foundation Establishment cultivators to search for treasure safely by using spells to conceal their presence from the ghosts. This was not because his magical abilities were strong enough, but because the targets he was concealing were weak enough. As long as no major disturbance was caused, there would be no trouble. Since learning of this secret, he had never personally ventured down.

After several days of preparation, he also recalled his impetuous direct descendant.

After arranging everything properly, Ancestor Longevity finally burrowed underground to investigate the source of the changes. Without the concealment of the overlapping space, the true space was fully exposed.

Before long, he entered a tomb chamber. Some recent traces were easily identifiable, and there were even lingering spiritual auras.

"Has a treasure been taken by that scoundrel? No... he was clearly confronting me. Could it be a doppelganger ability?" Ancestor Longevity pondered to himself.

Soon after, he discovered another anomaly: an unusually clean tomb chamber. Wall lamps around it burned with blue flames, appearing bright but actually casting an eerie, cold blue light throughout the room. The chilling air made him shiver involuntarily.

He continued forward. Several formation flags created a unique array. Within its core, cold flames burned fiercely, possessing two distinct qualities, truly a wondrous flame of heaven and earth, perfectly embodying the principle of Yin and Yang generating each other. Amidst the flames, a cauldron emanated a rich medicinal fragrance, as if permeating one's bones. It was soaring and spinning within the flames, continuously extending more intricate blood-colored alchemical patterns. The aura it emitted had reached peak Tier 4, and was still slowly but steadily rising... This made Ancestor Longevity's eyes gleam. This was far more powerful than his own life-bound magic treasure, confirming a significant opportunity lay underground.

"This treasure seems to still have room for improvement; it's best not to disturb it lightly." This thought crossed his mind. Immediately, doubts arose: if the Heavenly Tribulation Alliance Leader had indeed been here, why didn't he take these treasures? Could it be a trap?

He proceeded for dozens more steps. Completely different black formation flags were intertwined, forming an eerie black lightning orb. Although its thunderous power wasn't high, it contained a heavy infusion of Yin energy. It was not suitable for an old man like him, whose lifespan was nearing its end, to touch. At the very center of the lightning orb, a dignified and sinister sword rotated continuously. The terrifying aura it emitted made him feel suffocated. This was definitely a Tier 5 spirit treasure. He became even more delighted.

"Treasures are alluring, but since it's here, I'll find a way to take it eventually. As the situation is still unclear, it's best not to touch it carelessly." He made another judgment, and just as he was about to leave, he heard the sound of waves crashing against a shore, as if he were by the sea. Ancestor Longevity's heart tightened, and he quickly burrowed towards the source of the sound.

In an instant, the main tomb chamber appeared in his view. The central coffin had completely burst open, and a shriveled skeleton was embedded in the stone slab floor. The spot where the corpse had originally lain was now occupied by a person seated cross-legged. Dense water vapor permeated the tomb chamber, vaguely forming the illusion of a vast ocean. A cerulean blue pearl glowed brightly above the unknown cultivator's head. Ancestor Longevity froze, staring wide-eyed at the figure. Although his divine sense perceived nothing there, he could clearly see it with his naked eyes.

From the moment he "accidentally" stepped into the tomb chamber, his physical body was subjected to immense pressure. Within a few breaths of entering, his bones began to creak audibly, as if he could explode at any moment from the external pressure! Just as despair filled his heart, the mysterious figure suddenly rose, passing through the thick mist to appear before him. What a young and handsome face it was, were it not for the cold oppressive aura between his brows. He would surely have bowed in reverence. This person was Wang Yu, who had just recently come out of seclusion. He had anticipated this person's arrival and intentionally not set up any concealment arrays.

"You've arrived."

"Se... Senior... please show mercy and spare this old man's life."

Wang Yu waved his hand, and the divine might of the Sea Suppressing Pearl swiftly receded. Ancestor Longevity was able to gasp for air, relieved from the palpitations and terror he had just felt.

"I don't care what you did before. From now on, you will send down ten heinous cultivators daily, one hundred people on the fifteenth of each month, and one Demonic Cultivator Nascent Soul in the seventh month of each year. Do this... and I will spare your life. This place will return to your hands after ten years." These demands were, of course, made by Wang Yu, for the purpose of feeding the nascent demon in the demonic skull. He had captured it some time ago, and its recent growth had been accelerating. Feeding it solely with evil thoughts was no longer sufficient; only blood sacrifices could accelerate its development, allowing it to reach maturity quickly so Wang Yu could devour it and evolve his physique. The pressure from the Dao Integration Grand Expert was immense, and his time was running out. Even resorting to some bloody methods was a last resort. In the chaotic era outside, countless scoundrels had emerged, who, by serving him, could be considered to have fulfilled their life's purpose.

However... upon hearing Wang Yu's demands, Ancestor Longevity's heart was filled with bitterness, unable to articulate his distress. The other demands were manageable; nowadays, the Red Kite continent was swarming with deranged heterodox demonic cultivators. Capturing and killing a hundred of them meant no innocent deaths. How tragic. But the requirement of one Nascent Soul Demonic Cultivator per year far exceeded his capabilities. He immediately forced a smile and lowered his head, saying, "Senior, although this old man is at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, I am old and infirm, my combat power is worrisome, and I cannot bear the heavy responsibility you have entrusted to me!"

"No matter. Take this token and negotiate with the Heavenly Tribulation Alliance. They will be responsible for providing the people, and you will trade these Blood Pills with them."

"This..." Ancestor Longevity was greatly troubled. Bargaining with a tiger would surely lead to a backlash, but if he didn't agree, he could go and meet the past city lords of Longevity City right then. After a long deliberation, he finally sighed. "This old man understands."

Only then did Wang Yu smile, gently patting Ancestor Longevity, leaving behind a demonic thought seed that allowed him to control the man's location at any time, ensuring he would not escape his control.

"Very good. You can begin preparations now. Start sending people down tomorrow."

"Yes!"

After Ancestor Longevity departed, Wang Yu resumed his cross-legged position on the coffin platform. Regarding the use of the Sea Suppressing Pearl, he had discovered a new effect. As the saying goes, water is the softest, yet it can penetrate everywhere. He had previously thought this item could only be used as a dumbbell to train arm strength. However, after truly experimenting, he discovered that the treasure's suppressive power actually derived from the boundless might of the ocean, forcefully crushing its target. To some extent, it relied on brute force! This powerful compression was perfectly suited for tempering his physical body. Moreover, it had a miraculous effect on compressing demonic essence, transforming the Sea Suppressing Pearl's water power into hundreds of streams. These streams simultaneously burrowed into his body, intensely pressing on his meridians, acupoints, and bones, distributing the pressure evenly to every cell. It was simply a perfect cultivation aid. The method for refining this treasure was simple. In the future, he could try to replicate more of them to carry on his person for constant self-tempering, which he believed would yield excellent results.

Since cultivating with the Sea Suppressing Pearl, the compression of his demonic essence, from many to one, had accelerated, and the strength of his physique had steadily improved. During his last seclusion, Wang Yu had repeatedly consumed small amounts of the medicinal deer, the true body of the Five-Colored Holy Lord, which greatly supplemented qi and blood, and had already felt good effects. This time, he took out more nourishing parts like the deer heart and antlers. After thawing, he roasted three thousand catties daily, naturally increasing his Golden Blood Divine Marrow day by day. Although he lacked a formal Tier 5 body tempering method, simply cultivating the Buddhist 'Indestructible Vajra Divine Art' still allowed him to increase his physical strength, continuously reinforcing the immortal power contained within his bones and spreading it towards his flesh and meridians. Though this improvement couldn't elevate his body tempering realm, the increase in his strength was tangible. His divine power had never stopped growing, and once a proper cultivation method was in place, breakthroughs would naturally follow. His current cultivation was more like a process of accumulation, waiting for the day when accumulation would lead to an explosion of power, or rather, when he would transform from a chrysalis into a butterfly.

"Buddhist inheritances... are truly useful." The corpse of the Five-Colored Holy Lord was as vast as a mountain, and it took Wang Yu almost two years to consume it completely. By then, his physique had improved by more than thirty percent compared to when he first entered seclusion. Given the foundation of Tier 5 body tempering, a thirty percent increase... could already be considered a significant transformation. And his realm hadn't even advanced yet; after future breakthroughs, he would gain further boosts from his cultivation realm. It was as if he was exploiting a bug, forcibly expanding his already incredibly profound foundation, making him far stronger than a normal Tier 5 body refiner.

"Not having a cultivation method inheritance doesn't seem to be entirely a bad thing." Thinking this, another three years passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the spiritual light of the Sea Suppressing Pearl suddenly vanished, and the sound of surging waves gradually died down. A terrifying spiritual pressure enveloped Wang Yu, flowing around him like water. His previously wispy Soul Transformation magic power became deeper, its blue-black color seemingly transforming into a thick liquid. From threads to streams, starting today, his original hundred wisps of magic power condensed into one stream, making its might greater than before. Wang Yu could barely remember how many times he had performed such magic power compression. The moment the last wisp of magic power fully solidified, Wang Yu's golden Nascent Soul suddenly escaped from his physical body, spreading its arms as if embracing heaven and earth. Spiritual energy from hundreds of miles around surged towards him, forming a funnel-shaped vortex. The effects of the Heavenly Star Fates Nourishing Primordial Essence wondrous method came into play. Although the number of times he could cultivate annually was limited, this powerful secret cultivation method, combined with Wang Yu's already incredibly strong Nascent Soul, had long met the standards for breaking through to the mid-Soul Transformation stage.

When an ethereal premonition arrived, Wang Yu quickly took out the Six Desires Heavenly Demon Diagram, a demonic treasure. The Divine Transformation Tribulation... had arrived! The Heavenly Demon Heart Bewitchment: successfully passing it would allow one to refine the Heavenly Demon's origin, significantly enhancing the strength of one's Nascent Soul and granting innate resistance against illusions, bewitchment, and other strange arts. Wang Yu wasn't worried about this at all; he was more focused on using the Divine Transformation Tribulation to gain a great opportunity to significantly enhance his Nascent Soul. For example, he would use the six emotional Heavenly Demons imprisoned within the Heavenly Demon Diagram, controlling them via the diagram to serve as his Divine Transformation Tribulation. Thanks to the diagram's control, the Heavenly Demon Heart Bewitchment was barely more challenging than a child's game. Easily counteracting it and refining one would mean success. As for any lost Heavenly Demons, he could simply activate the diagram's effect again to 'fish' one out as a replacement, since the number of Heavenly Demons was practically infinite. The small amount he consumed was not enough to attract the Heavenly Demons' attention.

The Divine Transformation Tribulation was easily overcome. Once the magic power was in place, the breakthrough began naturally. A million wisps of frozen demonic essence transformed into ten thousand streams of magic power. Demonic essence and Nascent Soul intertwined, then deeply permeated his physical body. After the three treasures—essence, qi, and spirit—completed a fusion, they slowly separated, returning to their original states. But Wang Yu's sensations were completely different. His strength had surged, and his physique had greatly increased!

Five years of seclusion allowed him to break through to the fourth layer of Soul Transformation, reaching the mid-Soul Transformation stage. His next step in cultivation, besides continuing to accumulate demonic essence, had only one goal: comprehending 'Intent'! Soul Transformation 'Intent' was a crucial factor for breaking through to the late stage, usually ascending from 'Law Intent'. Wang Yu had once speculated that the 'Placement Slot' might also help him cultivate diligently, thereby reducing the burden on his main body. That is, by using the Placement Slot's effect to place 'Law Intent,' just like with magical abilities and secret arts, continuing to place it after it reached completion would have the effect of deriving and upgrading it. If 'Law Intent' could break its limits, he would very likely obtain the corresponding 'Intent' power! Based on his past experience with it, the Placement Slot's effect would not have any hidden dangers, or rather, it was essentially what his main body would gain from cultivating day after day. The Placement Slot could provide the most perfect cultivation environment, and by default, it would make cultivation methods accessible, including many difficult and intricate magical abilities and secret arts that were hard to master. He could master them first through this method of 'reversing cause and effect,' and then receive continuous experience and insights from the Placement Slot, thereby truly entering the path. This was a rather perfect cultivation system that allowed his main body in the real world to master them.

However, breaking the limits of 'Law Intent,' even with his current realm and comprehension, and after multiple baptisms by the 'Boundless Mortal World Secret Art,' would still require a century of sleepless meditation to achieve. This would be quite worthwhile for other Soul Transformation cultivators. But for Wang Yu... it wasn't enough! He glanced at the time displayed in the Placement Slot: the Asura, Yellow Springs, and Aurora Law Intents would still require eighty years, while the Guanghan Law Intent would need another one hundred and thirty years. That long, and the Dao Integration Grand Expert would have already descended. He had to find a way to speed up. Based on his understanding of the Placement Slot, the only requirement was to enhance his comprehension. This aspect, apart from some extremely rare treasures, was difficult to maintain year-round. Even the Heavenly Comprehension Dao Platform was somewhat insufficient for him now.

However, even a seemingly difficult path still had shortcuts. That was the True Spirit Bloodline! The effects of the Ice Phoenix bloodline were difficult for the Innate Demonic Embryo to perfectly simulate. Therefore, he would first evolve his physique, and then, once he could perfectly acquire the True Spirit's innate talent, putting aside other things, advancing the Guanghan Law Intent should become relatively simpler. Breaking through to the late Soul Transformation stage only required mastering one type of Intent, and there would still be opportunities to perfect it during subsequent cultivation.

While pondering, Wang Yu rose from his cross-legged position. His cultivation breakthrough caused his strength to surge. For his next stage of cultivation, he needed to increase his Soul Transformation demonic essence from ten thousand streams to one hundred thousand streams to attempt breaking through to the fifth layer of Soul Transformation. Then, increasing it from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand streams would allow him to attempt breaking through to the sixth layer of Soul Transformation. Finally, increasing his demonic essence from five hundred thousand streams to a million streams, then comprehending Soul Transformation 'Intent,' and using the miraculous effects of the Intent to completely compress his demonic essence into a liquid state, he could then officially break through to the late Soul Transformation stage after passing the Divine Transformation Tribulation.