Chapter 404: The Secrets of the Nanyang Sect

Chapter 404: The Secrets of the Nanyang Sect



Shen Yi sat cross-legged in the grand hall.

With the vast amount of demonic lifespans supplementing it, the Dao Palace expanded to five hundred and thirty-two zhang, reaching its ultimate state.

He continued to deduce and simulate for a thousand more years.

The second method of the Boundless Dao Imperial Palace was recorded, but it couldn't be transformed into a usable technique for the Demonic Imperial Palace.

Shen Yi opened his eyes, temporarily halting the infusion of lifespans.

This was the first time he had to complete a perfect cultivation technique, as all previous attempts involved filling in missing parts.

On the panel, Qinghua had already taken more than forty lives.

The demon kings who had previously obeyed Bai Hong's command were almost all killed by the Golden Body Dharmic Form in such a short time.

[Remaining Demonic Lifespans: 123,000 years. Can be condensed.]



[Demonic Sealing Stone: Consumes the vitality of ten thousand years, creates a statue to absorb demonic souls and remnants, and uses the heavenly demonic bloodline to prove the master's divine abilities.]



"Sealing Stone?"

Shen Yi paused for a moment, suddenly remembering something.

Could this be the Palace Sealing Artifact that Ling Xi mentioned? It was just in time, as the Dao Palace had already taken shape.

Moreover, this Sealing Stone was much cheaper than Shen Yi had imagined; he had thought it would require a hundred thousand years.

He decided to give it a try.

Ten thousand years of demonic lifespans quickly dissipated.

The next moment, Shen Yi's vision suddenly darkened, as if he had entered an endless night sky.

Within this infinite darkness, a square stone tablet stood, its entire body a grayish-white color.

"Is that all?"

After patiently waiting for a while, Shen Yi realized that it was just an ordinary stone.

Oh yes, it needed to absorb demon souls.

He casually grabbed the Golden-Eyed Lion Empress, who was nearby, shaking her head and carrying a pill furnace, and pulled her towards the stone tablet.

"..."

The Golden-Eyed Lion Empress looked like a small cat being choked, helplessly flailing its limbs as it stared at Shen Yi.

It stuck closely to the stone tablet but couldn't merge into it no matter what.

"This won't work either."

Shen Yi frowned slightly, then glanced at the restrictions he had set up at the entrance.

He then brought out the corpse of the White Horse.

In an instant, Shen Yi felt the stone tablet tremble, as if waiting for his command.

"Eat."

As his divine sense stirred, the hideous corpse suddenly turned into a river of blood and flowed into Shen Yi's body, merging with the night sky and seeping into the stone tablet.

In that instant, a rustling sound of peeling stone skin echoed in his ears.

It was as if a skilled craftsman was using an invisible chisel to quickly carve it into a magnificent galloping horse. Beneath the stone skin, one could see the veins of blood, making it seem lifelike and indistinguishable from a living creature, except for the overall grayish-white color.

[Baihong Sealing Stone: Unensouled]



Shen Yi took a deep breath, suddenly feeling trapped.

So, those ten thousand lifespans were just the threshold for the Dao Palace?

Until now, he didn't even know what this Sealing Stone was for.

"Hmm."

Shen Yi exchanged it for the demonic origin.

This was his first time reshaping the soul of a great demon emperor.

It took five consecutive pills.

Bai Hong's demon soul was barely complete.

Shen Yi finally understood why the Sealing Stone required ten thousand years of remaining demonic lifespans to unlock. It was indeed a well-calculated requirement.

He sent the newly condensed Bai Hong towards the Sealing Stone.

Holding his breath, he quietly observed the changes.

In the blink of an eye, a strand of color spread from the top of the Sealing Stone, covering its entire snow-white body. Suddenly, a divine light flashed in the black upright pupils of the White Horse.

The stone statue seemed to come to life in a bizarre manner.

Shen Yi remained silent for a moment, then reopened his eyes and withdrew from the night sky.

Immediately, a strand of divine light emerged from between his eyebrows.

It transformed into a tall and robust White Horse, which gently trod the ground with its hooves and then respectfully knelt before Shen Yi.

"Is that it?"

Shen Yi looked at the White Horse; although its colors were vivid, upon closer inspection, one could still see that its body was made of stone.

It would be impossible to use it to deceive other demons.

As for using it to help in battles, was it worth spending the lifespans of six thousand years of demons, just for a demon comparable to a complete Body Transformation?

"Wait, since it's called a Sealing Stone, it should still have something to do with the Dao Palace."

Shen Yi looked at the remaining lifespans of over sixty thousand years of demons.

He once again infused them into the Boundless Demon Soul Palace.

[First year: You place the Baihong Sealing Stone within the Dao Palace, using its bloodline to achieve the Dao Art's divine abilities.]



[Ten Thousand Demons Worship. Shatter Illusion.]



[With the support of the Sealing Stone, your Dao Palace becomes more stable.]



The deduction process went smoothly, with only three prompts popping up.

"It has a sealing effect but isn't a true Palace Sealing Artifact."

Shen Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

Whether the cost of sixty thousand years was worth it or not would depend on the specific effects of this new Dao Art.

Unfortunately, there is no opportunity now.

However, there is a good explanation for the stability of this Dao Palace.

Once I reach the Returning Void Realm, it's highly likely that it will be a battle between Dao Palaces. If I can infinitely enhance the stability of the Dao Palace, as long as there's sufficient demonic lifespan, no one will be my match.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi patted Bai Ma's head, watching as the latter rubbed against his palm with obedience, not daring to show any abnormality due to their past grudges.

"Master, you must leave as soon as possible."

As Shen Yi removed his hand, the White Hawk Demon Sovereign spoke softly, "White Hawk has been away from the cave for ten days without returning. That old dog will definitely make a move. With its nature of rather killing innocents than letting the guilty escape, your recent anomalies will surely make you the first target of its investigation."

"It's not a demon, and your Transformation Art is useless against it."

"It's not a demon?" This was the first time Shen Yi had heard such news about the Cave Lord.

"To be precise, that old dog is the guardian beast of the Nanyang Sect, officially registered. Its familiarity with the Nanyang Sect's cultivation techniques is beyond your imagination."

The White Hawk Demon Sovereign sighed, "It even mastered several techniques and claimed to be a cultivator, disdaining to associate with us demons."

"Then why did it allow you to occupy the Thousand Demons Cave?"

Shen Yi, while activating the Dragon Leap Heavenly Virgin with his demonic lifespan, looked over with curiosity.

"Because it's afraid," Bai Hong seemed to know something about those ancient matters, and explained, "When the sect encountered disaster, the old dog survived. According to the original rules, it should have used the Dao Token to open the Nanyang Sect and seek allies to take over this place. At most, after a few hundred years of cultivation, this place would have flourished as a vibrant immortal sect."

"But its first choice was to steal and consume the celestial treasures left by the sect."

"After it had its fill..."

Bai Hong's dark eyes blinked, and he whispered, "Its life should have ended then."

The sect encountered disaster, and the guardian beast stole from it.

If it were a cultivator, it would be forgivable, but it's just a watchdog.

"It slaughtered the mortal descendants of the Nanyang Sect's cultivators, fed demons with spiritual medicines, occupied the inner sect, cut off the lineage, and the Sect Master and elders left behind ten Dao Tokens. The old dog destroyed nine of them, and the last one was lost outside because that elder happened to be choosing disciples from his clan..."

"What is a Dao Token?"

Shen Yi's mind went slightly blank.

He had finally touched upon the deepest secret of the Nanyang Sect.

"You can think of it as an elder's order or sect master's command. With this, you can activate the entire Nanyang Sect's formation."

"That item is now in Wutong Mountain's possession."

"But to do that, you need to place the Dao Token in the Nanyang Sect's main hall... The old dog hasn't left that place for tens of thousands of years."

"After consuming so many celestial treasures, it merely changed from guarding the kitchen to guarding the main hall. It's still that watchdog, even unwilling to remove the iron chain around its neck."

The iron chain was proof of its status as the Nanyang Sect's guardian beast.

But ever since it started slaughtering the descendants of the Nanyang Sect's cultivators.

It could never turn back.

"That's why it regards the Nanyang Sect as its private property," Bai Hong looked at the surrounding alchemy workshops, "It's willing to nurture us to guard this place rather than destroy these useless things."

"..."

Shen Yi fell silent for a moment, never having considered this.

This so-called demon chaos was merely due to a dog's momentary greed.

"You might find it hard to imagine, but even an ordinary spiritual dog, after consuming most of the Nanyang Sect's precious legacies, can reach a terrifying level."

At this moment, Bai Hong realized what his master had been doing within the Thousand Demons Cave.

But even so, he didn't believe anyone could truly fight the old dog.

"Master, don't expose yourself. Otherwise, if the old dog finds out that the alchemy techniques have leaked, it won't hesitate to repeat its slaughter."

"Understood."

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze.

Seeing that the Dragon Leap Heavenly Virgin was stuck at the Grand Accomplishment Realm again, he took out the pills he had gathered earlier and summoned the Dark Nether Spider Sovereign.

"Help me look, is there any treasure pill for cultivating the Spirit Body Technique among these?"

Perhaps it was good luck, or perhaps these pills prepared for the cultivation technique were not favored by many demons.

The Dark Nether Spider Sovereign actually picked out a bottle of Crimson Sun Spirit Bath Pill.

The Spirit Body Technique and the Body Tempering Art have commonalities.

They both torment the body, but the methods differ.

Bai Hong glanced at the bottle of pills with apprehension, obviously having suffered from them before.

At this time, Shen Yi's diverse spirit roots came in handy. Up until now, he seemed to have never encountered a cultivation technique incompatible with him.

[Divine Transformation - Divine Phoenix Rebirth: Uninitiated]

Shen Yi took out a pill and held it in his palm, feeling the faint warmth emanating from it. He then placed it in his mouth.

Immediately, he felt the warmth burning inside his body.

It wasn't just a sensation; the warmth was literally igniting within him!

Boom—

Golden flames erupted from within, instantly enveloping Shen Yi's body. His Dao Infant's flesh and bones, transformed into a divine body, were almost instantly scorched to ashes, revealing his jade-like bones and Spirit Root Organs.

[First year: You used the Crimson Sun Spirit Bath Pill to try and completely infuse your body with its potent medicinal power.]



"..."

Shen Yi glanced at the surrounding demons who were anxiously watching him, pursed his lips, and calmly suppressed the cry of pain.

Other cultivators would probably never experience such a sensation in their entire lives.

But Shen Yi was actually doing fine. After all, the pain he had endured while cultivating the Immortal Demon Nine Transformations earlier wasn't much better than what he was experiencing now.

Since it was a systematic cultivation technique, it meant that others had tried it before, and there shouldn't be any problems... Ouch.

"My lord's endurance is truly beyond compare."

Bai Hong watched as Shen Yi swallowed the second pill, and despite having a less flattering personality than Xuan Ming, it couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

"Get lost."

Xuan Ming glared at it, then hurriedly floated over, pointing at the other pills on the ground. "My lord, don't force yourself. This one is for stabilizing your mind and reducing pain, and this one is for replenishing spiritual energy..."

Shen Yi slowly clenched his fist.

He took a deep breath.

Quickly opening the bottles of pills, he stuffed them into his mouth.

The next moment, the scorching pain instantly reduced by ninety-five percent.

"Oh no."

Xuan Ming, the Spider Sovereign, felt a chill down his spine as he sensed his master's cold glance.

He couldn't understand why a normal cultivator wouldn't have noticed something was wrong and continued to take the second pill.

Could it be that his master had cultivated like this before?

"Phew."

Without the torment of intense pain, Shen Yi finally had the peace of mind to experience the changes in his body.

Fire tempers true gold.

Of course, if it were an ordinary mortal body, it would undoubtedly be completely incinerated.

But the body after Soul Transformation was different.

With the help of the True Yang Qilin Stone, this body, formed from the essence of heaven and earth, was being tempered by the pill's fire, becoming increasingly refined.

Shen Yi's physical strength, which had long been stagnant, was now gradually showing signs of improvement.

"..."

In the entire hall, only the blinding flames remained, crackling softly.

On his body, which was gradually re-forming, a layer of golden light slowly emerged.

[37,000 years later: Like a phoenix, you used the True Yang as an egg, reborn from the flames, transforming into a divine phoenix, and perching on the Wutong tree.]



[Divine Phoenix Rebirth: Complete]



[Remaining Demonic Lifespan: 26,000 years]



Shen Yi sat cross-legged, his black robe billowing without wind, and on his pale, jade-like skin, thin rays of light condensed into golden patterns.

A strand of golden flame appeared between his eyebrows, resembling a vertical pupil.

When he opened his eyes, a pure and intense golden light shot straight up to the dome, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day.

As Shen Yi's breathing calmed down.

The light faded, and the golden flame disappeared.

Only in the pitch-black eyes did a hint of lingering heat remain.

"Finished memorizing?"

Shen Yi looked to the side, and several demon souls subconsciously averted their gazes, unable to withstand the golden light's scrutiny with their weak souls.

Bai Hong, the White Hawk Demon King, quietly prostrated himself on the ground. Even with his powerful spirit body, if his master wanted to kill him again, he might not need to summon the Dao Palace.

"Reporting to my lord, I've memorized it all."

Xuan Ming, the Spider Sovereign, replied softly.

Shen Yi, sensing the dramatic changes in his body, became increasingly excited about the upcoming Heavenly Phoenix Indestructible True Body.

Bai Hong's reminder was indeed crucial.

He couldn't continue to be greedy.

He needed to make another trip to the fourth cave, get the medicinal ingredients, and then find a way to abandon this identity without arousing suspicion.

With this in mind, Shen Yi once again used the NanYang Transformation Art, transforming back into an eight-zhang-tall lion. He then retrieved the White Hawk Demon King from his forehead and transformed it into a Running Horse Guardian Stone.

After that, he removed the restrictions he had set up at the entrance.

Just then, a communication jade slip was sent in.

"Hmm?"

Shen Yi reached out and caught the radiant light.

The voice contained within was somewhat familiar, and it spoke only one sentence, gentle yet slightly weary.

"Come out once you've recovered from your injuries. I'm waiting for you."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yi's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he had a strange premonition.

He hesitated for a moment, and the Shadowtail Spear transformed into a radiant light and fell into his palm. He took a step and headed out of the Alchemy Workshop.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end