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Chapter 63 - The Dao Foundation of the Nether King

 

Translator: CinderTL

 

Xu Sanyan mobilized the Mystic Power throughout his body, kneading the Crimson Mist above his dantian's Qi Sea, gradually reshaping it.

First, he molded the body, then the arms, legs, and head, carefully carving out the facial features—eyes, mouth, nose...

Time passed unnoticed as Xu Sanyan sat in stillness, oblivious to the passage of days and nights.

The sun dipped below the western mountains and rose again, the cool morning dew condensing on his body, soaking his clothes.

After several cycles of day and night, the Crimson Mist within him began to take shape. A blood-red figure sat cross-legged, slowly rotating within the Qi Sea.

Four arms extended from its sides, one holding an orchid, another forming a Daoist seal, while the remaining two raised high as if ready to strike.

The crimson figure gazed forward, but a third eye on its forehead remained tightly shut.

Xu Sanyan didn't know why, but as he shaped it, it ended up like this. Fortunately, its face closely resembled his own, save for the extra arms and eye—nothing too out of place.

"Phew..."

Xu Sanyan opened his eyes. The sky was bright; it was already morning.

"Is it this late already?" He patted the dust off his body, quietly sensing the changes within him.

First, the Inner Qi flowing through his meridians had transformed into Mystic Power. With a wave of his hand, a surge of vibrant spiritual energy erupted, snapping a withered tree in the distance and sending it flying.

"Hahaha..." Xu Sanyan laughed maniacally at the sight.

The transformation of Inner Qi into Mystic Power had exponentially increased its potency. Moreover, his physical body had undergone a dramatic change. His robust frame now contained boundless strength; he had shed his mortal shell and achieved the foundation of an immortal body.

With a thought, a cloud of Crimson Mist enveloped him, and from within the mist emerged a crimson figure draped in tattered cloth, its clothes torn to shreds.

Standing over two meters tall, it had four arms, three eyes, and a muscular, blood-red body with sharp fangs and claw-like fingers, resembling a demonic devourer.

Its appearance was identical to the Dao Foundation residing within his Qi Sea.

"What kind of Dao Foundation is this?"

Xu Sanyan himself wasn't sure what he had formed. The cultivation methods he followed didn't mention anything like this.

"Let's call it... the Dao Foundation of the Nether King."

Having achieved the Dao Foundation of the Nether King, he had also forged the body of the Nether King.

After a long while, fully mastering his transformation, Xu Sanyan reverted to his original form. He casually picked up a piece of cloth to wrap around his waist and headed back toward the city.

He wondered how things were in Xiang City now. Who had emerged victorious between The Eldest Son and that cultivator?

As for his own lack of integrity, Xu Sanyan felt no remorse—it wasn't the first time, after all.

...

As soon as he stepped through the city gates, Xu Sanyan sensed something was off. The number of guards at the gate had dwindled, leaving only a small squad standing watch.

Walking down the main street, passersby occasionally stole glances at him. Xu Sanyan's attire was, after all, rather avant-garde.

His muscular body was mostly exposed, save for a piece of cloth covering his vital areas. The scars from his earlier years had healed, leaving his skin smooth and unblemished.

Bolder women openly ogled him, their eyes occasionally drifting toward his covered parts, but Xu Sanyan paid no mind.

He hurried back home, just in time to encounter Uncle Zhao, the steward, who was about to head out.

Uncle Zhao approached him with visible excitement. "Master, you've finally returned."

Xu Sanyan looked puzzled, "What do you mean by 'finally back'? I was only gone for one night. What happened in the city?"

Uncle Zhao looked bewildered and whispered, "Master, you've been gone for almost ten days..."

"Ten days?"

Xu Sanyan was shocked. Had it really been that long?

Did it take him a full ten days to break through to Foundation Establishment?

Xu Sanyan asked, "What happened in the city these past few days?"

Uncle Zhao hesitated, "On the night you left, the Eldest Son led troops to surround the Prince's residence, claiming that the Immortal Maiden had bewitched the Prince, abducted the Princess, and was planning to raise an army to overthrow them..."

"And then?"

"It failed. The three thousand soldiers were scattered by the Immortal Maiden alone, and the Eldest Son's whereabouts are unknown."

Xu Sanyan nodded. It was normal for three thousand soldiers to be no match for a cultivator. With his current strength, annihilating them all might be difficult, but scattering them wouldn't be hard.

"What about Madam?" Xu Sanyan asked.

"She... was taken by the Immortal Maiden."

"Taken away?"

Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow, a suspicion forming in his mind. It was likely that Prince Rui had sent word.

"Where was she taken?"

Uncle Zhao shook his head, "I don't know. She hasn't been seen since."

Xu Sanyan stroked his chin, "How's the situation on the front lines?"

"Uh..." Uncle Zhao looked troubled. How would a mere steward like him know such things?

Xu Sanyan nodded in understanding and turned to head back to the Prince's residence.

Uncle Zhao reached out, wanting to advise Xu Sanyan to change his clothes, but before he could speak, Xu Sanyan had already vanished from sight.

Inside the inner courtyard of the Prince's residence.

The Princess sat at a stone table, her face filled with worry. She absentmindedly swirled her teacup, one hand propping up her chin, her ample bosom heaving noticeably.

Her daughter had been taken away, her whereabouts unknown, and she herself was trapped within the Prince's residence, unable to leave. She felt like a caged bird, confined within these walls.

Just then, a voice reached her ears, "Princess, is Immortal Maiden Lan Yue here?"

The Princess stood up abruptly, her luxurious robes swaying with the motion. Xu Sanyan couldn't help but glance twice.

"You... you're back?" the Princess exclaimed in delight.

"Yes, I heard Qiyuan was taken away, so I came to ask what happened," Xu Sanyan said casually, sitting down at the stone table and downing the tea in one gulp.

The Princess's eyes flickered as she noticed the teacup in Xu Sanyan's hand—the same one she had just been drinking from. But she didn't mind and quickly said, "Immortal Maiden Lan Yue took Qiyuan out of the city, along with the Eldest Son and a few other young masters. Oh, and Qi Zhu too."

"Where were they taken?"

Xu Sanyan asked urgently. Yang Qizhu still had that entry token, which was quite useful to him.

The Princess shook her head, "I don't know. But I have a bad feeling about it..."

Xu Sanyan's heart stirred, "Do you know how the front lines are faring?"

The Princess replied, "I'm trapped here in the Prince's residence. I haven't received any news."

Xu Sanyan didn't know what to say. This Princess seemed to have grown only in one area.

He then asked, "How long ago did they leave?"

"They left on the third day after the Eldest Son surrounded the residence."

Xu Sanyan sighed. It had already been six or seven days. Even if he tried to chase after them now, it would probably be too late.

He hadn't expected his breakthrough to take so much time.

Since things had come to this, there was no point dwelling on it. With Lan Yue gone, the Royal Treasury likely still held many precious medicines, which he could now take for himself.

In the residence of The Eldest Son and the Cui Family, as well as other major families in the city, there are undoubtedly resources that, if consolidated, might allow for a breakthrough in Mystical Arts.

Back when Ma Tianqing summoned the Blood Demon, that move had left him envious for a long time.

(End of the Chapter)

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