Chapter 291: Devouring the Infant
Chapter 291: Devouring the Infant
Several days later, in an underground cave...
Fang Xing opened a jade box, revealing a fist-sized pale green Essence Core within. A faint smile appeared on his face.
Previously, he and Chu Kuangtu had worked together to slay a Cold Water Serpent, and all he took was this Essence Core and a 'Greenwater Frost Flame'.
The Greenwater Frost Flame was a Fourth Rank treasure, which Fang Xing directly infused into the Azure Yang Devil Lamp, slowly absorbing its origin and enhancing the power of the Soul Devouring Demon Flame.
The Azure Yang Devil Lamp was a unique treasure capable of absorbing various spiritual fires and amplifying the power of the original fire seed.
After Fang Xing placed the Greenwater Frost Flame into the lamp, he didn't pay much attention to it.
At this moment, his focus was entirely on the Essence Core.
Within the semi-transparent Dragon Orb, a miniature dragon lay coiled up, appearing extremely listless.
"Perfect, I'll use this Essence Core to experiment with the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect's 'Soul Devouring Technique'..."
Fang Xing sat cross-legged, tapping his head.
Above his Heavenly Spirit, a black light flashed, and the figure of the Ten Thousand Spells Ghost Infant appeared with a mischievous smile.
It extended its hands, continuously forming intricate hand seals that transformed into thin black threads, which then entered the Essence Core of the Cold Water Serpent.
The miniature dragon seemed to sense impending doom and frantically thrashed about, but to no avail.
The black threads wrapped around the dragon's body, resembling black shackles, eventually immobilizing the small green dragon.
The Ghost Infant, pleased with the result, changed its hand seals.
A surge of powerful magical energy enveloped the Essence Core.
As ancient talismans flashed one after another, the Fourth Rank Essence Core gradually shrank and eventually disappeared into the mouth of the Ghost Infant.
After devouring the Essence Core, the Ghost Infant immediately sat cross-legged, its magical energy fluctuating and its aura becoming unstable.
A flash of light! Fang Xing's Sword Infant emerged from his body, and streams of magical energy struck the Ghost Infant, assisting it in breaking through.
Time passed slowly.
After several hours, the fluctuations of magical energy around the Ghost Infant gradually stabilized.
Its body seemed to have grown more robust, slowly advancing from the False Primordial Soul stage towards the initial stage of the Primordial Spirit.
However, it was evident that it still had a long way to go before reaching the Primordial Spirit stage.
"As expected... it still needs another Primordial Spirit."
The Sword Infant returned to its place, and Fang Xing opened his eyes, carefully examining the Ghost Infant, "This demonic method of creating a second Primordial Spirit is indeed sinister and extremely challenging. No wonder no one in the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect has succeeded..."
Although there were only a few cultivators in the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect who had achieved the False Primordial Soul stage, they were still recorded in history.
However, there had never been any records of a powerful cultivator who had cultivated a second Primordial Spirit.
It was clear that the requirements of the technique, which included killing two Primordial Spirit True Monarchs or even capturing a Primordial Spirit for the Ghost Infant to devour, were extremely harsh.
If the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect's Incarnation Elder Demon had such strength, they could have easily unified the Great Wilderness Cultivation World!
"However, this Soul Devouring Technique is indeed feasible, but the side effects are a bit severe..."
Fang Xing noticed that the Ghost Infant had opened its eyes, and within its crimson gaze, there was a hint of madness and malice, indicating that the side effects of devouring the Essence Core had taken effect.
The Ghost Infant had been incited to violence and might turn on its master at any moment!
Fang Xing, fearless, grabbed the Ghost Infant and activated the 'Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra'!
After refining the Ghost Infant once more, it opened its eyes again, its gaze clear but confused, and the previous violence was gone.
"As expected, even the most demonic Primordial Spirit can be subdued by my Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra."
Fang Xing breathed a sigh of relief.
Since he had decided to use the Soul Devouring Technique to enhance the Ghost Infant's cultivation, he was prepared to deal with the consequences: the Ghost Infant's rapid advancement, the resurgence of its inner demons, and even the possibility of it turning against him.
The solution was already in place: to suppress it with the Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra.
Compared to the madness caused by devouring a Primordial Spirit's essence, how could it compare to the demonic energy of a Beyondworld Demon God?
As it turned out, Fang Xing's guess was correct.
Not only had the Ghost Infant's magical energy greatly increased, but the Great Sun pattern on its forehead had become even more radiant, showing no signs of rebellion.
"Excellent, I can continue feeding it Primordial Spirits... and even advance it ahead of me to the middle or late stage of the Primordial Spirit!"
Although the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect's secret technique mentioned that the second Primordial Spirit created through this devouring method would have a higher chance of rebellion during the middle stage and would definitely rebel during the late stage... Fang Xing, with his mastery of the Great Sun Bodhimanda Mantra, wasn't overly concerned.
More importantly, this method was the fastest way to enhance his cultivation!
After advancing to the Primordial Spirit stage, Fang Xing had attempted to cultivate but reached a somewhat despairing conclusion.
Even with a Fourth Rank Spirit Vein and his exceptional spiritual root talent, it would take him centuries to reach the peak of magical energy at the initial stage of the Primordial Spirit.
If he encountered bottlenecks, advancing to the middle stage might take thousands of years!
This was the norm for Primordial Spirit True Monarchs in the Great Wilderness Cultivation World, as most of them were only at the initial stage.
As for learning from previous experiences and consuming large quantities of pills for cultivation?
The value of Fourth Rank pills was already immeasurable in spirit stones, and even defective pills were enough to attract swarms of Core Formation cultivators.
Obtaining them in large quantities was nearly impossible.
As for refining them himself?
After a thorough search of the Ten Thousand Phenomena Demon Sect's treasury and some calculations, Fang Xing concluded that it was insufficient for his needs.
Even if he were to destroy four or five more Primordial Spirit sects, it might be barely enough.
With these resources, he could refine enough Fourth Rank pills to cultivate himself to the peak of the initial stage within ten years.
But if he had the strength to do so, why not unify the Great Wilderness Cultivation World directly?
"In summary... after reaching the Primordial Spirit stage, the speed of magical energy cultivation slows down even more, often taking centuries... But the initial stage might not be enough to thrive in the Vast Sea Realm, so I need to enhance my strength quickly!"
"Cultivating the Ghost Infant is a good plan... Even if it can't break through to the Spirit Transformation stage, reaching the late stage of the Primordial Spirit will be enough to dominate the Vast Sea Cultivation World..."
A late-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator is known as a 'Great True Monarch', and without reaching Spirit Transformation, they are already at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.
Fang Xing felt that advancing on the demonic path might be faster than his own righteous Sword Infant's progression.
"A rough estimate shows that with one more Primordial Spirit, the False Primordial Soul can truly become the second Primordial Spirit, and my cultivation will reach the initial stage..."
"Then, by refining four to eight more Primordial Spirits, I should be able to break through to the middle stage of the Primordial Spirit."
"After reaching the middle stage, refining ten to twenty more Primordial Spirits should allow me to attempt a breakthrough to the late stage of the Primordial Spirit. However, the second Primordial Spirit created through this demonic technique will have a chaotic foundation and will inevitably go mad... It will never be able to reach Spirit Transformation, and it will definitely turn on its master!"
"Fortunately, none of this is a problem for me."
"After all, the second Primordial Spirit is just a transition, and it's enough to temporarily possess the combat strength of a Great True Monarch."
"For the Spirit Transformation, of course, I need a genuine Sword Infant!"
"I've only managed to eliminate a few dozen Primordial Spirit True Monarchs... It seems rather difficult... Perhaps I should first elevate the Ten Thousand Spells Ghost Infant to the Mid-stage Primordial Spirit, which is more in line with reality..."
"Furthermore, these calculations are based on the early-stage Primordial Spirit and a Fourth-Rank Essence Core..."
"If I had the Primordial Spirit of a Mid-stage True Monarch, or even the Primordial Spirit of a Late-stage Great True Monarch, one would be enough to rival four or five, or even ten or eight..."
"The crucial point is... the Ten Thousand Spells Primordial Spirit grows fast enough, and there are almost no bottlenecks. As long as it devours enough Primordial Spirits, it will always be able to advance to the Late-stage Primordial Spirit..."
Fang Xing didn't encounter any bottlenecks during the Core Formation stage, but he felt that things became more challenging after reaching the Primordial Spirit stage.
Those who could advance to the Primordial Spirit stage were all extraordinarily talented, and they also had constant opportunities and fortuitous encounters. The number of Heaven-Grade Spirit Roots could account for about half of them.
His own talent, which was only slightly better than the Heavenly Spirit Root, might not be enough.
"Whether it's the inheritance of high-level cultivation techniques, Fourth-Rank pills, or even the Primordial Spirits and Essence Core of cultivators... The Vast Sea Cultivation World is more suitable for cultivation, and it's time to leave."
Fang Xing stood up, retrieved the Ten Thousand Spells Ghost Infant, and his expression carried a hint of wistfulness. "In the past, I crossed over and arrived in the Wild Lands, then went to the Cultivated Wild Lands... Now, I'm finally taking a step towards a higher-level cultivation world?"
A jade slip appeared in his hand, displaying a rough map.
This cultivation world was incredibly vast; even the Great Wilderness and the Vast Sea were just insignificant parts of it, and most of it was shrouded in mist.
"From the Great Wilderness Cultivation World to the Vast Sea Cultivation World... Even if a Primordial Spirit cultivator flies at full speed, it would take several years... Not to mention the many dangerous forbidden lands along the way."
Fang Xing pondered, "I can get a spaceship from the Main Universe to serve as a temporary cave mansion and a means of transportation..."
As long as he didn't bring the spaceship back to the Main Universe, he wouldn't have to worry about any leaks.
"Even if the spaceship travels at the speed of light, it would still take a long time to reach the Vast Sea Cultivation World... Is the length and width of this cultivation world measured in 'light-years'?"
"Indeed, this side and the Main Universe are completely different worlds!"
After understanding this, Fang Xing felt relieved.
In the Main Universe, there was the threat of the Creator awakening and settling scores.
Now, he finally confirmed that this cultivation world, or rather, this cultivation universe, could be developed as a backup plan.
...
Main Universe.
White Bird Star.
Star River Island.
Fang Xing lay on a beach chair, watching the waves bring in seashells.
A hermit crab crawled and dug holes on the golden beach...
"Stealing a half-day's leisure..."
He stretched lazily, took a sip of juice, and opened the virtual network to directly browse the spaceship store.
His private spaceship was very handy, and he planned to buy another one to send to the cultivation world.
Furthermore, he could purchase one with a large biochemical laboratory, making it convenient for research in the cultivation world.
"Besides, we also need to solve the issue of mechas..."
"Biomechs, or Demon God Mechs... The primary raw material is the blood and flesh of Demon God Offspring, or even the flesh and bones of Beyondworld Demon Gods..."
After several days of hurriedly studying Han Chunfeng's introductory guide, Fang Xing finally managed to grasp the basics.
He fell into deep thought at this moment:
"The best target, of course, is that Demon God World..."
"A Beyondworld Demon God's death forms a Whale Fall, creating an interesting ecological cycle model."
"It's just a pity... That Demon God Offspring has already been born. If I go there again, it will undoubtedly target me..."
If it was the weakest type of Demon God Offspring with only Eighth-Realm combat strength, Fang Xing wouldn't be too afraid.
However, if it was a Ninth-Realm offspring like the Chaos Offspring from the previous rescue mission, it would be a significant problem.
After placing the order on the virtual network, Fang Xing stood up and headed to the laboratory.
"Boss!"
A woman with wine-red hair, a curvaceous figure, and wearing a secretary outfit immediately came out to greet him.
"Victoria, is there something going on recently?"
Fang Xing casually took the file handed to him by his female secretary and glanced at it: "Hmm... The blood and flesh of the Chaos Offspring have been delivered? That's great..."
"The main business is with StarSea Corporation. Our new suppressant is a flagship product, and we don't have to worry about sales. The primary production is supplied to the Nine Swords Academy, and many companies have sent invitations for cooperation... Among them, there are a few that require special attention, and even if we refuse, it's best for the boss to communicate personally..."
As a high-level professional, Victoria's thinking was swift, and she was an excellent secretary.
"I understand..."
Fang Xing's expression changed as he read: "This Davis... wants to be a spokesperson as well?"
Among the clients Victoria highlighted, there was a large company under the Xu family and a university-run enterprise of Blue Star University.
Indeed, these couldn't be directly refused, and even if they were, it was best for him to personally communicate the rejection.
This wasn't out of fear but because that's how social interactions worked.
Fang Xing thought for a moment before dialing Davis's communication.
"Haha... Fang, I didn't know that besides being an excellent martial artist, you are also a brilliant scientist and an outstanding scholar."
Davis's projection appeared, walking alongside Fang Xing like a real person, his gestures and expressions exaggerated: "The StarSea Corporation's tax payments alone are comparable to the top hundred enterprises on White Bird Star. I believe that becoming the planet's number one is just a matter of time."
"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Davis..."
Fang Xing smiled slightly: "You also want to reserve a portion of the suppressant? I'm sorry... Our company's production is limited."
"No, no, no, it's not me, but a friend of mine... He's a true tycoon with over a hundred outstanding offspring. One of his mech pilots is considering the bio-mech route and needs a small amount of suppressant for research. Trust me, Fang, he hasn't reached the stage of building his own mech yet, so he needs a very small amount."
Davis mentioned a number, and after hearing it, Fang Xing's eyes flickered, feeling that it could be satisfied.
After all, he controlled the raw material supply, so he also decided the production volume.
However, after walking a few steps, Fang Xing brought up another issue: "Davis, we're good friends... I'll definitely help where I can, but I want to ask about the retirement and disposal of the Federation's aging mechas..."
(End of Chapter)
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