Translator: CinderTL
Time passed slowly in cultivation.
Fifteen years later, with a constant supply of resources, Zhou Siyi's cultivation broke through to the Peak Golden Core realm.
Song Wen handed three medicinal pills to Zhou Siyi: the Infant Spirit Pill, the Primordial Nascent Soul Pill, and the Nascent Spirit Pill.
Then, Song Wen entered closed-door cultivation again.
As for Zhou Siyi's Core Formation, she would naturally make her own decisions.
The three pills Song Wen provided would increase her chances of success by a full forty percent. If she still couldn't form a core with such assistance, it could only mean she was destined never to achieve Core Formation in this lifetime.
Zhou Siyi didn't rush to form her core. Instead, she entered closed-door cultivation to refine her cultivation base.
Thirteen years later, news arrived that stunned Song Wen: Mo Yexue had ascended!
Mo Yexue's Ascension was sudden, even unexpected by her own standards.
After absorbing the Mystic Qi from the remains of Blood Sui, Mo Yexue finally broke through, successfully entering the Divine Transformation Realm.
Overwhelmed with joy, she momentarily lost herself and failed to restrain her aura in time. The Heaven and Earth Laws deemed her actions unacceptable and forcibly sent her to the Upper Realm.
She didn't even have a chance to stabilize her cultivation or bid farewell to Yan Yuyan and the disciples of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. Instead, an irresistible, invisible force swept her into a deep, dark Black Hole in the sky.
When Song Wen heard the news from a disciple of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect who had come specifically to deliver the message, he felt a surge of joy.
Mo Yexue's Ascension proved the truth of Xu Geng's words: Blood Sui could indeed help one advance to the Divine Transformation Realm.
It must be noted that Mo Yexue had not completely consumed the remains of the Blood Sui. She had left a tiny portion for the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.
Eight years later.
Lan Chen came to visit.
By this time, she too had reached the Divine Transformation Realm.
Having learned from Mo Yexue's experience, Lan Chen kept her aura tightly concealed.
Though now a Divine Transformation cultivator, Lan Chen dared not engage in combat. Even a slight leakage of her aura could trigger 'forced Ascension'.
Lan Chen stayed at Corpse Demon Peak for three months.
When they parted, her eyes held a mixture of reluctance and uncertainty about the path ahead.
"Ji Yin, the Upper Realm is unknown and vast. This parting may be our last. Meeting you has been the greatest opportunity and blessing of my life."
With those words, Lan Chen turned gracefully and drifted away.
A month later, news arrived from the He Huan Sect: Lan Chen had ascended to the Upper Realm fifteen days earlier.
Eleven years later.
Zhou Siyi successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage.
Song Wen passed on the method and insights for drawing the Minor Teleportation Talisman to Zhou Siyi. He hoped that, with her talent in talisman arts, she would succeed in creating it.
That year, Song Wen, who had been taking Blood Demon Pills for years, finally reached the bottleneck of Late-Stage Nascent Soul.
He didn't rush to take the Soul Destroying Demon Pill. Instead, he set off for the Chaotic Sea.
Over the past few decades, he had visited the Wu Ji Sect every few years, staying for several months each time.
His reasons were twofold: to obtain cultivation resources and to demonstrate to the world that the Wu Ji Sect's Demon Lord was still alive, thus deterring those with ulterior motives.
The Wu Ji Sect now had more than one Nascent Soul cultivator. Fang Xian had successfully formed his Core forty years prior.
This was beneficial for Song Wen.
In the past, Song Wen had to personally make decisions on important matters for the Wu Ji Sect. After Fang Xian formed his Core, these responsibilities fell to Fang Xian, and Song Wen became a behind-the-scenes Ancestor. Aside from intimidating other forces, he rarely interfered in the sect's day-to-day affairs.
However, most of the Wu Ji Sect's annual surplus and various rare spiritual objects ended up in Song Wen's pockets.
As soon as Song Wen appeared in the sect's Corpse King Valley, Fang Xian flew over, his expression urgent.
"Demon Lord, you've finally returned," Fang Xian said.
"Fang Xian, what's wrong? Has something major happened in the sect?" Song Wen asked.
"Nothing's happened in the sect," Fang Xian replied. "It's the Liangyi Sect. Xuan Chengzi has ascended to the Upper Realm!"
Song Wen's pupils contracted sharply, and a look of disbelief flashed across his face.
About fifty years ago, Xuan Chengzi had still been desperately trying to extend his lifespan. How could he suddenly have ascended?
"When did he ascend?" Song Wen asked.
"Two years ago," Fang Xian replied.
"Do you know how he broke through to the Divine Transformation Realm?" Song Wen asked.
Fang Xian shook his head. "The Liangyi Sect has been extremely secretive about Xuan Chengzi's Ascension, unwilling to share details with outsiders. I personally visited the sect and spoke with Daoist Yun Xu, Daoist Nun Lan Yin, and Zi Yun. But they all remained tight-lipped, claiming Xuan Chengzi's Ascension was due to his personal fortune, and that they knew little about it themselves."
After Fang Xian finished speaking, he looked at Song Wen with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
"Demon Lord, you have some connection with Yun Xu and the other two. If you were to ask them, they might reveal some inside information."
Song Wen shifted his gaze and glanced at Fang Xian.
The reason Fang Xian was so eager to know the truth was simple: as a Nascent Soul cultivator himself, he might one day face the same predicament of Divine Transformation. Learning some inside information could potentially be helpful.
"Very well. When I have time, I'll visit the Liangyi Sect," Song Wen said.
He was also curious about how Xuan Chengzi had achieved Ascension.
Ten days later.
In a pavilion outside Four Symbols City, Song Wen met with Lan Yin.
Originally, Song Wen had also invited Zi Yun, but she was in closed-door cultivation and couldn't attend.
"For the past few years, I've been in closed-door cultivation. I just emerged to hear from my disciples that Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi ascended two years ago. It's been thousands of years since anyone in the Chaotic Sea has achieved Ascension. Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi truly was a peerless genius. I deeply regret not witnessing his Ascension myself." After brief pleasantries, Song Wen steered the conversation toward Xuan Chengzi.
Lan Yin replied, "It was indeed somewhat unexpected that Xuan Chengzi managed to break through to Divine Transformation and successfully ascend to the Upper Realm."
"How did Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi break through to Divine Transformation?" Song Wen asked, revealing his true purpose.
Lan Yin hesitated, as if reluctant to speak.
Song Wen said, "Daoist Nun, we cultivators dedicate our lives to diligent cultivation, all in pursuit of eternal life. I, too, am about to face the Divine Transformation bottleneck. I hope that, considering our past friendship, you might share a few insights."
Lan Yin pondered for a moment before finally relenting.
"Ji Yin, you'll likely find it difficult to replicate Xuan Chengzi's path to Divine Transformation. He obtained a Formation called the Devouring Soul Array from an unknown source. Originally designed as a longevity-extending Formation, he used it to forcibly integrate Yin-Yang Dual Qi into his body, aiding him in completing the fusion of his Three Souls and successfully advancing to Divine Transformation."
"Yin-Yang Dual Qi?" Song Wen asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
Lan Yin explained, "Yin-Yang Dual Qi is our Daoist term. While your Corpse Dao is a branch of Daoism, it's ultimately a heterodox path, so it's natural you wouldn't be familiar with it."
"Daoists believe that all things in the world—humans, demons, spirit roots, and spirit grasses—contain Yin-Yang Dual Qi. Some Daoist cultivators believe that by constantly refining and strengthening the Yin-Yang Dual Qi within their bodies, they can achieve eternal life. This belief has led to the creation of various cultivation methods. The Liangyi Sect's secret, the Yin-Yang Creation Art, is one such method."
"Many inner disciples and direct disciples of the Liangyi Sect cultivate the Yin-Yang Creation Art, including Xuan Chengzi himself."
(End of the Chapter)
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