By the ti Jiang Yi had finished his killing spree and returned to the Gao Clan Ancestral Hall, True Master Xuanmiao had already gathered a ssy pile of "spoils."
"Ancient Demon Cultivators really are all poor bastards with nothing to their nas. If you ask , it’s Immortal Cultivators who are all rolling in it—perfect for robbing!"
It had only been a mont, but the Cat Master’s belly was already round and bulging. He had likely devoured the few Fierce Fiends the Blood Robe Daoist had been nurturing inside his body.
Jiang Yi glanced over the items. They really weren’t anything valuable. Aside from the badly damaged Nine Nether Mother-Child Blood Banner and a Cyan Gourd used to store the Seven Fiend Smoke, which might fetch a few talisman coins, there was little else.
The rest—a Skull Wine Vase, a Human Skin Erotic Painting, and a few dried aphrodisiac beast whips—weren’t worth as much as the Black Slaughter Lock, even bundled together.
’Immortal Cultivators are fat sheep, and Demon Cultivators are paupers. I wonder what the other Demon Cultivators and the Buddhist Cultivators are made of.’
With a sweep of his large sleeve, Jiang Yi gathered everything into his Five Yin Pouch.
When he no longer had use for them, he would crush them to bits and feed them to his Dao Embryo to strengthen its form.
His body was a bottomless pit right now. Not only did it urgently need Spiritual Objects to transform its very nature, but it also required all kinds of Spiritual Qi to nourish its flesh and blood.
Just a mont ago, he had taken a direct hit from the Impermanence Hand Seal, which scared Senior Brother Fang of the Youquan Sect out of his wits and made him lose all will to fight.
It was a testant to the power of "Nurturing the Dao Embryo."
If he could truly form the "Innate Fire Virtue Body" and then refine one hundred and eight thousand drops of Primordial Essence Treasure Blood...
...then it was possible that even a Flying Sword of the First and Second Grades of Qi Cultivation would struggle to pierce his skin.
"URP!"
True Master Xuanmiao patted his potbelly and licked his lips, seeming not yet fully satisfied.
"In my opinion, the Youquan Sect’s Dharma Lineage has its rits. That fellow was nurturing a ’Nine Nether Fierce Terror Qi’ within his Primordial Gate. With that as the mother, he restrained eight ’Yin Demon Children’ in his Inner Mansion. Together, they form a mother-child fiend.
Once he reached the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer, the mother-child fiend would have tempered his body as a crucible, transforming his flesh and blood, and he himself would have beco a walking ’Nine Nether Prison’.
He would be able to capture myriad ghosts and fiends, and later on, could even condense the Second Grade ’Profound Yin True Qi’.
In the ancient era, a Dharma Gate like this would have been enough to make people bash their heads in fighting over it.
Nowadays, though, even a Loose Cultivator with no other options would treat it like a priceless treasure."
Listening to True Master Xuanmiao’s long lecture, Jiang Yi found himself in deep agreent.
In the Yanfu Vast Land, the choice of one’s Dao path had always been a matter of utmost importance.
One wrong step, one detour taken, ant a lifeti of regret that could never be undone.
"Cat Master, I have a few more Fierce Fiends here."
Jiang Yi took out several balls of hazy gray Essence Qi from his Five Yin Pouch. Compared to the "Purifying Qi" that allowed beings like Land Gods and City Gods to assu a physical form...
...this "Dense Qi," which allowed fierce ghosts and yin beings to anchor their spirits, was obviously much denser.
"How thoughtful of you, Xiao Jiang."
Even though True Master Xuanmiao was stuffed, he couldn’t resist his greed. With a few noisy gulps, he swallowed the balls of Dense Qi into his belly.
Before the Cat Master stuffed them into his mouth, the sounds of hissing serpents and bellowing beasts could be heard coming from within the balls of Qi.
"Ghosts, gods, and their ilk are all manifestations of the Dao, ford from Essence Qi. No matter how powerful they beco, they will always lack a shred of ’true nature’.
This is why it’s said ’a yin spirit of myriad tribulations can hardly attain sainthood,’ and why ghosts and gods can never ascend to the rank of True Monarch. At most, they can only wield profound power by relying on external forces."
True Master Xuanmiao rubbed his completely full belly. Once he had fully digested his al, his own Primordial Inner Mansion would loosen by a fraction.
"By the way, Xiao Jiang, did you run all the way to Goose Mountain just to slay demons and practice your Refining Technique?"
Jiang Yi shook his head. According to the Celestial Book, the reason the Wang and Huang Families had colluded with the Youquan Sect and offered them live sacrifices for so many years was very simple.
Goose Mountain was the entrance to [Fengdu].
The Youquan Sect had repeatedly organized sacrificial rites for the purpose of prying open that hidden portal.
Once the Wang Family held their longevity banquet, Fierce Fiends would be born and Evil Spirits would manifest. They would then be drawn to Goose Mountain and enter [Fengdu].
Of course, he couldn’t explain these inner workings to the Cat Master, so Jiang Yi simply replied:
"I can’t stand seeing this bunch of down-and-out Ancient Demon Cultivators hanging around in front of ."
True Master Xuanmiao’s round eyes widened. ’Xiao Jiang hasn’t even officially entered that Dharma Lineage, yet he already has the aura of a Daoist!’
"It’s true! Xiao Jiang was born to be a ’Daoist’!"
Jiang Yi stepped into the Gao Clan Ancestral Hall, drew over a large ball of Purifying Qi, and used it to completely dispel the gloomy, ghostly atmosphere inside.
He then sat down cross-legged and began to digest the night’s "cultivation nourishnt."
Previously, his Cultivation of "Ding Fire" had been stronger than that of "Bing Fire," resulting in a state of "Ding Strong and Bing Weak."
Now, however, by using Bing Fire to burn away massive amounts of Dense Qi, baleful qi, blood qi, and ghostly qi, his fist-sized, brilliantly bright Bing Fire Primordial Essence had grown significantly. It was now nearly on par with his Ding Fire Essence.
’Whenever a Qi Cultivation Technique reaches Great Perfection, one can comprehend a related Spell.’
Jiang Yi’s eyelids drooped slightly as he mused to himself. From the infinite profundities of his Ding Fire Cultivation, he had extracted the *Embrace Thought Nourishing Spirit Seven Emotions Curse*.
Now, using the Disciples of the Youquan Sect as a whetstone, he was gradually reaching a new understanding, a new epiphany.
’Blazing glory, eternally bright, might becos reality, lting the very spirit... So this Spell is called *Red Sky Void True Qi*.’
An unknown amount of ti passed before Jiang Yi slowly opened his eyes. He raised his hand and stared at his fingertip, where a wisp of fla now coiled.
This fire was not a blazing light, but tangible streams of Qi that twisted like coiling dragons and snakes. Its brilliance was contained within, making it exceptionally beautiful.
Once activated, this "Red Sky Void True Qi" was like the blazing sun illuminating all, a great furnace slting everything in its path—magnificent, righteous, and overwhelming.
In the future, if he used this to form his Innate True Qi, any of the thousands of Daoist Skills or tens of thousands of techniques that were inferior in quality would be instantly dissolved and swept away.
’Facing Ancient Demon Cultivators again will be even easier now,’ he thought.
Jiang Yi was deeply satisfied. He had long felt that his thods for Magical Combat were lacking.
The *Embrace Thought Nourishing Spirit Seven Emotions Curse* focused on evoking hidden thoughts and illuminating the seven emotions; it wasn’t a technique for direct confrontation.
Although his Dao Embryo physique was incredibly powerful, it wasn’t suitable as his primary offensive thod. He couldn’t just rely on his physical body to tank powerful enemies every ti.
Now, by completing his Bing Fire, perfecting his rit, and comprehending the *Red Sky Void True Qi*, he had perfectly addressed this weakness.
Jiang Yi knew full well that the powerful enemies and obstacles he would face in the future wouldn’t all be Ancient Demon Cultivators.
In the Land of Three Ridges and Four Waters, Branch Sect Dharma Lineages were scattered about like stars, and True Disciples who cultivated [Five Elents] techniques were a di a dozen.
Only by having a complete arsenal of techniques could he hope to face all the challenges to co.
’But this barrier to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer... I’m afraid I can’t suppress it for much longer.’
Jiang Yi sighed softly. Without needing to beg the Celestial Book, he could clearly sense his own state.
His Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer had already reached its absolute peak, nearly to the point of overflowing.
If he circulated his True Qi even slightly, his Primordial Gate and Inner Mansion would resonate in unison. His entire body felt as if it were breaking free from the bonds of the earth, slowly and lightly ascending.
It produced a transcendent sensation of floating, a feeling of being "Feathered."
With every breath he took, a thumb-thick stream of milky-white Qi pulsed in and out. Following the rhythm of his breathing, it transford into a thousand coiling serpents, faintly carrying the sound of wind and thunder.
The entire ancestral hall shook and trembled, as if it would be blown to pieces by this imnse aura at any second.
Jiang Yi turned his gaze inward. Within his Inner Mansion, incredibly dense clumps of Spiritual Liquid gushed forth, continuously emitting a warmth that filled his limbs and bones.
If not for his Dao Embryo, which could consu his accumulated reserves to refine Primordial Essence Treasure Blood...
...he would have long been forcibly pushed into the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer and made to face the tribulation of the Divine Barrier.
’The Celestial Book has already shown that an Opportunity to form the ’Fire Virtue’ lies within [Fengdu].’
He silently cald his stray thoughts, suppressing the restless impulse to break through.
If he could achieve the "Fire Virtue Body," not only would his Bing and Ding Fire advance by leaps and bounds, but he could also pass through the Divine Barrier smoothly, fearing no tribulation.
More importantly, when his cultivation later reached the Qi Cultivation Tenth Layer, he would have a chance of attaining First Grade True Qi.
True Master Xuanmiao had once said that one must walk steadily through all twelve layers of Qi Cultivation. Only then would one’s chances be greater when attempting to enter the Flying Foundation Establishnt Realm and beco a True Master.
’[Fengdu] is said to be a cornerstone of the [Ghost Dao], yet it’s actually related to ’Fire Virtue.’ How peculiar.
If the Celestial Book hadn’t told this, I wouldn’t be so eager to throw myself into this situation.’
A flicker of fla flashed in Jiang Yi’s eyes and vanished. Now, all he had to do was wait for the Myriad Lives Longevity Banquet in Hanyang Prefecture.
...
...
"Elder Huang, the Qi chanism at Goose Mountain seed... disturbed last night."
Song Chou narrowed his eyes, his tone probing.
"Pay it no mind."
Huang Zishang didn’t even raise his head, his gaze remaining fixed on Hanyang Prefecture.
Above the manors of the Wang and Huang Families, dense currents of fate churned like furious waves, on the verge of erupting.
As if to keep the conversation from stalling, the Zhao You Sect Elder, who was seeking his own Opportunity for Foundation Establishnt, explained softly:
"True Master Kang intentionally lured the Youquan Sect to Goose Mountain to pave the way for opening [Fengdu].
The whole point of keeping these ancient Dharma Lineages around is so they can handle the dirty work we can’t be seen doing ourselves.
If word of shady business like live sacrifices, blood offerings, and sacrificial rites were to get out, and the Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage were to hold us accountable, we wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.
With the Ancient Demon Cultivators as a cover, everything is much more convenient."
Song Chou cupped his hands again, marveling at the subli thods a Foundation Establishnt True Master used to manipulate cause and effect. ’He’s truly accounted for everything.’
"So today is the Myriad Live Sacrifices Grand Ceremony that you’ve been planning for so long, Elder Huang? Hanyang Prefecture is about to face a great catastrophe."
BOOM!
The mont the words left his mouth, a thunderbolt tore across the sky.
Thunder roared, heralding a coming storm!
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