In just a few breaths, Ying Xiao's aura plummeted from the early fifth-grade all the way down to the fourth-grade, then third-grade, second-grade, and finally stopped at the early first-grade.
Its massive body, originally several zhang in size, shrunk to just over a foot long.
At this moment, the mysterious purple wood above its head slowly dissipated, and the Thunder Rune chains binding it also vanished.
On the other side, Ning Fa was enveloped in a dense blood mist, exuding a powerful Bloodline Power like a volcanic eruption.
On the Divine Wood Totem behind him, a purple fruit the size of a baby's fist slowly grew from a thick branch, its surface flashing with runes, appearing quite mysterious.
A moment later, the blood light around Ning Fa dissipated. When he reappeared, blood qi was uncontrollably escaping from his seven orifices, but his face held a hint of surprise and joy.
His body was now filled with an unimaginably potent Bloodline Power, a feeling akin to absorbing and refining a fifth-grade Body Refining divine artifact.
Although this Bloodline Power couldn't be directly converted into his Body Cultivator realm, it would greatly accelerate his Body Refining and Divine Firmament Manifestation cultivation for a considerable period.
Ning Fa conservatively estimated that this would shorten his arduous cultivation time by at least fifty to a hundred years.
Even though this only applied to his Body Refining aspect, with the enhancement of his Five Elements Thunder Body, his Mana cultivation had always progressed rapidly. His Body Refining was the part that had always lagged behind.
Receiving this unexpected windfall would undoubtedly significantly shorten the time it took for him to cultivate to the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, which was crucial given the current difficult situation.
Ning Fa calmed the turmoil in his heart. He first looked at Ying Xiao, who was unconscious and whose fate was unknown, then turned to look at the Thunderwood behind him, his face filled with surprise and strangeness.
Before he advanced to the late Nascent Soul realm, he had visited the Zi Yin Clan Land and seen the Divine Wood worshipped by the Zi Yin clan.
At that time, the Zi Yin clan had prepared precious sacrificial items. Besides wanting Huangfu Jin to attempt Spirit Transformation again, they also aimed to convert him into a Zi Yin clan member.
As a result, that Divine Wood had given him an extraordinary fruit.
Because of this, the Thunderwood in his Innate Supreme Wood Divine Thunder divine treasure had not only directly advanced to the peak of the fourth-grade but also developed those mysterious purple-gold runes on its surface.
Ning Fa had never understood the function of these purple-gold runes and had temporarily set it aside.
He hadn't expected that in today's battle, the chains formed by these purple-gold runes would display such terrifying power.
A Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator was suppressed by the chains formed by the purple-gold runes without any ability to resist, and even his vital essence was devoured. It was incredibly domineering and hard to believe.
If this ability could be used continuously, wouldn't he be invincible?
But Ning Fa knew that things couldn't be that simple.
For instance, the purple-gold runes on the surface of this Thunderwood had now disappeared, which likely meant that the powerful devouring ability could no longer be used.
Or perhaps there were other limitations or trigger conditions; otherwise, why would these purple-gold runes suddenly unleash their power after he had been fighting this demon for so long?
Ning Fa's gaze shifted upwards to the mysterious purple fruit, a hint of solemnity appearing in his eyes.
The Thunder Rune chains had devoured Ying Xiao's vast vital essence, with a portion going to himself and another portion seemingly used to nurture this mysterious fruit.
Ning Fa probed with his Spiritual Sense but couldn't penetrate the fruit's interior. However, it appeared that the fruit was not yet ripe.
Ning Fa immediately thought of the Zi Yin clan members' Divine Wood, which was also covered in various fruits, containing all sorts of unbelievable treasures.
Now, it seemed his own Thunderwood bore some resemblance to that Divine Wood.
Recalling the abnormal actions of that Divine Wood back then, Ning Fa felt a sense of foreboding.
Despite the immense benefits he had gained, such events beyond his control made him feel vaguely uneasy.
Ning Fa decided that he must find Huangfu Jin and the others later to get a clear explanation of this matter.
As Ning Fa's thoughts were racing, a rumbling sound came from the other side, and the massive tornado that had trapped Hermit Wuxin and the other three completely dissipated.
Hermit Wuxin and the other three, looking disheveled, emerged. They were all staring at Ning Fa's side with wide, stunned eyes.
Even with their status and experience, their mouths hung open as if they had witnessed something incredible.
"Ying Xiao, was killed by Daoist Ning...?" Venerable Kong Qing stammered, his eyes a little unfocused.
"It seems... so."
Madam Min's throat felt dry, and she looked at Ning Fa with reverence.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, it would have been hard to imagine that a Nascent Soul cultivator could kill a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
Moreover, it was a powerful Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator, one of the top three most formidable figures among all Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivators in the entire Demon Court.
Just moments ago, this demon had easily suppressed them with a slight exertion of power.
And now, this demon had been killed by Ning Fa. Such a stark contrast left them utterly shaken.
After his shock subsided, Hermit Wuxin's gaze fell upon the Thunderwood behind Ning Fa. He frowned deeply and whispered in disbelief, "This is... a Divine Wood Totem? Daoist Ning is actually a Zi Yin clan member! This is truly unexpected..."
Madam Min and Venerable Kong Qing also reacted and immediately looked at the Thunderwood behind Ning Fa, their shock renewed.
Given their status, they were naturally aware of some of the secrets of the Zi Yin clan, such as the Divine Wood Totem unique to high-ranking Zi Yin clan members.
Even within the Zi Yin clan, very few could possess a Divine Wood Totem; they were all important figures within the clan.
Now that Ning Fa had revealed this Divine Wood Totem, in the eyes of Hermit Wuxin and the others, his identity as a Zi Yin clan member was confirmed beyond doubt.
"So this genius is a hidden member of the Zi Yin clan. No wonder he could rise so quickly..."
The three exchanged glances, seeing a hint of worry in each other's eyes.
In their opinion, with a powerful figure like Ning Fa in the Zi Yin clan, the Nine Dragons Sea would likely not be peaceful in the future.
At this moment, Hermit Wuxin's expression turned serious, and he said in a low voice, "Regardless, the Zi Yin clan is our ally now. Daoist Ning possessing such a powerful divine ability is a good thing for us."
Hearing this, Madam Min and Venerable Kong Qing also relaxed their expressions and nodded.
On the other side, Su Wanwan had already taken out several pills that emitted a rich medicinal fragrance and consumed them.
When Madam Min saw this, the skin on her face couldn't help but twitch.
Those were fourth-grade mid-tier recovery elixirs—Wonderful Flower Pills, and fourth-grade low-tier recovery elixirs with one Dao mark—Spring Overgrowth Pills.
These precious elixirs, capable of saving the lives of Nascent Soul cultivators, were now being used by Su Wanwan merely to recover her state, consumed casually. Madam Min couldn't help but feel it was a waste of precious resources.
Su Wanwan's complexion quickly became much more rosy. First, she showed a look of lingering fear, then she looked at Ning Fa with a jubilant expression, muttering softly, "Ning Fa, oh Ning Fa, your big sister has finally found you."
As she spoke, she transformed into a crimson stream of light and flew towards Ning Fa.
"Let's go over too."
Hermit Wuxin looked at the other two and said in a deep voice.
"If it weren't for Daoist Ning today, I fear we would have met a grim fate. This life-saving grace cannot be forgotten."
Then, the three of them also flew towards Ning Fa together.
At this moment, Ning Fa looked at the Sky-Splitting Thunder Owl in front of him, which was now only about a foot long, a strange look flashing in his eyes.
Ying Xiao was still alive, but it was likely better off dead. His realm had already dropped to the early stage of the first grade.
However, Ning Fa's thoughts began to stir.
When he advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, he had gained an additional new innate divine ability called Lightning Control.
This innate divine ability could permanently control one lightning-attribute creature.
This control was even more reliable than a spiritual pet, and he could also share the Divine Soul, Mana, Bloodline Power, and even life force of the controlled creature.
Conversely, he could also use his own Five Elements Divine Thunder to nourish the other party, allowing it to grow rapidly.
Ning Fa had never used this divine ability before, because once this permanent control divine ability was used, it could not be changed unless the controlled lightning-attribute creature died.
Furthermore, within a major realm, he could only use this divine ability a maximum of twice. Once the limit was exceeded, even if the controlled creatures died one after another, this divine ability could no longer be used unless he advanced to the next major realm.
Therefore, unless he encountered a lightning-attribute creature with extremely high potential, Ning Fa would not easily use this divine ability.
Now, this Sky-Splitting Thunder Owl in front of him seemed to be an ideal candidate.
This was a rare top-tier Demonic Beast with both Wind and Thunder attributes, possessing extraordinary potential.
The reason Ying Xiao was in such a sorry state in this battle was largely due to being suppressed by his Five Elements Thunder Body, unable to use lightning-attribute divine abilities, with more than half of his strength sealed.
If he had faced other human cultivators, even a Human Race Spirit Transformation cultivator, Ying Xiao would likely have held the upper hand.
Under normal circumstances, with Ying Xiao's Spirit Transformation realm, Ning Fa would have had no chance to control him. But now that his realm had plummeted, the Lightning Control divine ability would surely succeed.
However, the problem was, after being devoured of so much essence, was there still a possibility for Ying Xiao to recover and advance to Spirit Transformation again?
If not, it would be too much of a waste to use this control slot.
Ning Fa thought for a moment, then raised his hand. Several arcs of electricity shot out, entering Ying Xiao's body, planting a barrier, and then he collected it.
Now was not the time to study it; it would be fine to examine it carefully when he had free time.
At the same time, a spiritual light flew into his palm, which was Ying Xiao's Storage Ring.
Ning Fa easily broke the barrier on it and swept his spiritual sense across it, his face showing joy.
The wealth of a Spirit Transformation cultivator was indeed terrifying. There were over two hundred High-grade Spirit Stones alone, with a considerable portion of them being extremely rare Wind-attribute and Thunder-attribute High-grade Spirit Stones, and even one Top-grade Spirit Stone.
Mid-grade Spirit Stones were piled up like mountains, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. On the other hand, there were no Low-grade Spirit Stones, which was understandable as such low-tier spirit stones were no longer in Ying Xiao's sight.
In addition to this, there was a large pile of shining precious materials, all of at least fourth-grade, with several pieces being fifth-grade Spiritual Material.
There were also some Magic Treasures, Pills, Cultivation Methods, and other human cultivation items, all of very high grade. It seemed they were obtained by Ying Xiao after killing other human cultivators.
Ning Fa roughly estimated that the value of the items in this Storage Ring was at least over fifty million Spirit Stones, truly befitting a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
Of course, he had also paid a considerable price. Because he had consumed the Five Elements Divine Thunder Origin without regard for the cost, using the True Form Imprint to trace its origin this time consumed a full four hundred and fifty Third-Tier Origin Points, which was half more than what he consumed in Yong'an City before.
However, compared to the gains, it was not much. After all, he had gained nearly two thousand Third-Tier Origin Points from killing the high-level cultivators of the Sea Monster and other races in Yong'an City before.
"Brother Ning, little sister has finally found you!"
At this moment, Su Wanwan had already flown to Ning Fa's side. She looked Ning Fa up and down, her pretty face filled with uncontrollable joy, then she pretended to be on the verge of tears.
"Daoist Su, why are you here?"
Ning Fa couldn't help but ask in surprise. Noticing Su Wanwan's joyful expression upon seeing him, his heart stirred.
Su Wanwan's eagerness to find him suggested that her Nascent Soul body might be having problems again, and she wanted him to help.
"It's not like I haven't seen Brother Ning for decades, and I've missed you dearly, so I thought of coming back to find you. Moreover, little sister has brought you some good news this time." Su Wanwan smiled mysteriously.
Ning Fa's heart stirred. When he had helped this woman break her Dual Water-Fire Golden Cores and form her Nascent Soul with Five Elements Divine Thunder, the price was for her to help him find some urgently needed Spiritual Materials, the most important of which were the necessities for his several Divine Thunders to break through to Innate Divine Thunder.
Could it be that this woman had news regarding this?
Thinking of this, Ning Fa couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
At this moment, the sound of wind breaking through the air rang out, and the three of them, Hermit Wuxin, also flew over. They cupped their fists in unison and said, "Daoist Ning, thank you for saving our lives!" Their tone was filled with sincerity.
Ning Fa suppressed the turmoil in his heart, shook his head, and chuckled, "We are all old acquaintances, the three of you don't need to be so polite."
As he spoke, he noticed the three of them cautiously looking at the Thunderwood behind him.
Ning Fa couldn't help but frown. He had almost forgotten that the high-ranking Zi Yin clan members also had similar Divine Wood Totems. Judging from the expressions of the three, Hermit Wuxin, they might have misunderstood.
Ning Fa immediately put away the Thunderwood behind him and calmly explained, "What you saw just now was an anomaly that appeared when I was cultivating a special technique. Please forgive my display, fellow Daoists."
The three, Hermit Wuxin, exchanged glances, and Venerable Kong Qing gave a dry laugh:
"Daoist Ning's divine abilities are vast and profound. It's truly hard to imagine that you could directly kill such a renowned Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator as Ying Xiao.
With this battle concluded, not only will Daoist Ning's reputation shock the entire Human Realm, but it will also be remembered for generations to come."
Even now, the three of them still couldn't believe that a dignified Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator had been personally killed by a Nascent Soul cultivator. This was truly a feat that was almost unprecedented and would likely never be matched.
Ning Fa could tell that the others didn't quite believe his explanation, so he didn't elaborate further. Instead, he shifted his gaze to another direction.
Several miles away in the air, the figure of Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant suddenly appeared. With a few strides, he had already arrived in front of Ning Fa.
Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant, who had always been calm and composed, now had a strange expression on his face. He scrutinized Ning Fa closely, as if he had discovered something rare and unusual.
It was clear that he had also noticed the bizarre scene of Ning Fa's Thunderwood devouring Ying Xiao's essence earlier, and he was also very surprised.
Then, Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant flicked his right hand, and a ball of light flew in front of Ning Fa. Within it was a pure white snake tail, over three feet long. It was crystal clear like jade, with some mysterious patterns that seemed to be naturally formed.
Even though it was just a severed tail, it exuded an astonishing demonic aura.
"That Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator escaped after being heavily injured. For this battle, you will owe me an additional Top-grade Water Spirit Stone," Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant transmitted his voice faintly, and then he returned to his usual composed demeanor.
The three, Hermit Wuxin, looked at Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant with awe, as if he were a celestial being.
It was evident that the other Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator, Bai Ning, had been severely wounded by Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant, even losing a portion of her snake tail.
The Demon Court of the Nine Dragons Sea had paid a heavy price in this battle.
Ying Xiao, who had advanced to Spirit Transformation most recently and had a boundless future, had fallen into Ning Fa's hands. Two Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivators had either been defeated or heavily injured.
Ning Fa looked at the snake tail before him, his eyes lighting up.
This was a severed limb from a Spirit Transformation Demon Cultivator's true form, worth an immense fortune. Whether it was used to forge a Magic Treasure or directly consumed to refine and enhance Bloodline Power, it held extraordinary value.
Ning Fa accepted it without hesitation.
As for the price of a Top-grade Water Spirit Stone, he naturally didn't mind.
After all, he now possessed hundreds of Fourth-Tier Origin Points, and tracing back a Top-grade Water Spirit Stone would only cost two points.
He said to Hermit Wuxin and the others, "Fellow Daoists, we will discuss further later. Let's first thoroughly drive away these pursuers."
With that, he sent a sound transmission to Su Wanwan, and then, along with Heavenly Treasure Immortal Merchant, transformed into streaks of light and shot away.