https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-437-The-Finger-that-Annihilates-the-Celestial-Beast/13027801/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-439-The-Backlash-of-Heavenly-Providence/13027803/
Chapter 438: Soul Condensation
Chapter 438: Soul Condensation
In a vast underground stone cave, a crimson dragon corpse lay sprawled in mid-air. A deep gash across its neck oozed fresh blood, which fell in a steady stream, its heat rising like boiling water, perhaps even hotter. The blood dripped into a large pool below, gradually filling the enormous blood pool.
Chen Mu stood tall above the blood pool, one hand gripping the dragon corpse, causing its celestial demon blood to flow incessantly. He squeezed until the last few strands were wrung dry, and the entire dragon corpse visibly shriveled.
Swish! Chen Mu casually tossed the dragon corpse into a corner.
He slowly descended from the air, landing beside the dragon blood pool. He gazed at the boiling dragon blood, its crimson glow shimmering on the surface, and nodded slightly.
"The blood of the crimson dragon is indeed extraordinary. It might be of some benefit to me in tempering my martial body and refining blood into sanctity."
Chen Mu had read numerous ancient historical records about demonic creatures, which provided comprehensive information about ninth-stage and above celestial demons, often referred to as 'demon saints'. These records included detailed descriptions of the crimson dragon, a celestial demon.
The blood of the crimson dragon differed from that of the black tortoise. The black tortoise, associated with water and stillness, produced blood that, when tempered and combined with spiritual herbs, possessed nurturing properties, becoming gentler in nature, even suitable for internal organ regulation.
In contrast, the crimson dragon, associated with fire and possessing the most intense nature, had blood best suited for tempering the body. Only martial artists at the Five Viscera Realm and above could use its blood for body tempering, and a sufficient quantity could not only save years of arduous cultivation but also grant them a trace of the crimson dragon's characteristics, enhancing their resistance to the Fire Separation lineage.
Of course, Chen Mu's martial body, perfected through the Heavenly Earth Dao Entry, was flawless, encompassing all elements—wind, thunder, water, and fire. He didn't need the crimson dragon's blood to enhance his resistance to the Fire Separation lineage; he was already perfect and extreme in every aspect.
However, the crimson dragon was, after all, a celestial demon. Its blood could still be beneficial to even Blood Replacement Realm experts. Chen Mu wasn't sure if he could use the crimson dragon's blood during his blood replacement process, but after initiating the replacement, he might be able to absorb the dragon's blood and the vast amount of Seekwood Spirit Liquid stored in his Heavenly Earth Bottle, potentially expediting the blood replacement process.
"Hmm..."
Chen Mu exhaled lightly, having prepared everything. He slowly walked to the side of the dragon blood pool and sat cross-legged.
Although everything was ready, he didn't immediately attempt the blood replacement. Before that, he had one more task to complete—the fully mature 'Crimson Life Fruit' given to him by Seek Wood as a condition for their exchange.
According to Seek Wood, an unripe fruit had been plucked by someone, likely the Lingren Clan's ancestor. With this fruit, the ancestor had not only achieved the transformation to the Blood Replacement Realm in the Seekwood Heavenly Realm but had also entered the Heaven and Earth Realm! Although the ancestor's blood replacement wasn't perfect and his Heaven and Earth Realm was limited, the effectiveness of the 'Crimson Life Fruit' was evident.
This fruit grew on Seek Wood's companion ancient vine, and its quality was beyond estimation. Seek Wood's level far surpassed the tenth stage, reaching the Divine Realm or higher. The essence of this fruit was likely the highest-grade celestial fruit ever obtained in the history of the Great Xuan World.
Seek Wood had mentioned that this fruit could temper the body and condense the soul. While body tempering held little benefit for him, as he had already reached the limits of marrow washing, soul condensation would be highly advantageous.
"In Seek Wood's eyes, is my soul somewhat small?" Chen Mu murmured to himself, recalling Seek Wood's words.
In fact, in the Great Xuan World, Chen Mu's soul power was undeniably strong. Among his peers at the Marrow Washing Realm, few could rival his soul power!
His martial will had reached the highest level, and since embarking on the martial path, he had never tasted defeat. This invincible mindset had forged an unshakeable will. Additionally, he had obtained the Soul Lotus, a celestial object, which further enhanced his soul power. As a result, his Heavenly Earth Domain was not only superior in quality but also in quantity, covering a much larger area than typical domains, though not as vast as Qin Meng Jun's, which spanned a hundred zhang. With full control, Chen Mu's domain could reach nearly sixty zhang, while most Marrow Washing Realm experts struggled to maintain a domain of thirty to forty zhang.
Even so, his soul strength was still considered weak in Xun Mu's eyes.
Upon careful consideration, it didn't seem unreasonable.
After all, his martial body was incredibly powerful, even capable of shaking the heavens and earth, but his soul strength was only slightly stronger than that of a Marrow Washing Grandmaster of the same realm. It was still inferior to Qin Meng Jun, who had just stepped into the Blood Replacement Realm, thus it was indeed somewhat weak.
"The Blood Replacement Realm is the stage where one completely breaks free from the shackles of the physical body, and all the acupoints and orifices undergo a transformation beyond life and death. This allows one to draw the power of heaven and earth into their body, gradually refining and transforming their martial blood. Some call this process 'Blood Transformation to Sainthood.'"
Chen Mu's mind flashed with thoughts of the Blood Replacement process.
In reality, during the process of tempering the martial body, it's not just the physical body that undergoes the refinement of heaven and earth, but the soul also separates from the body, enduring the tempering of heaven and earth. This results in a breakthrough to a new realm, which is why Qin Meng Jun's Heaven's Sky Domain expanded to a full hundred zhang after completing the Blood Transformation, far surpassing the size during the Marrow Washing Realm.
This is actually a crucial life-and-death stage. If one's martial will is not firm enough, and their soul is not strong enough, then during the cosmic blood infusion, even if the body can withstand the surge, the soul may still scatter and dissolve into heaven and earth, leading to death. Countless Grandmasters have perished at this step in history, hence it is called the life-and-death stage!
Often, one would only attempt this breakthrough with absolute certainty of success.
Chen Mu knew that his soul strength and physique were sufficient to withstand the tempering of heaven and earth, and crossing the life-and-death stage would be effortless. However, according to Xun Mu, before attempting this, it would be best to use the Crimson Birth Fruit to further enhance his soul strength, elevating it to a higher level, and then breaking through the Blood Replacement Realm, thereby gaining greater benefits!
Whoosh.
Chen Mu flipped his right hand, and the spirit fruit, with its crimson hue and glistening surface, quietly appeared in his palm.
He carefully examined the fruit for a while, and then opened his mouth to swallow it whole.
Gulp!
The fruit, about the size of an infant's fist, was swallowed by Chen Mu in one go. Before it had fully reached his stomach, it rapidly dissolved, and by the time it entered his stomach, it had completely melted, transforming into a crimson mist.
This mist paused briefly within Chen Mu's body before suddenly expanding. In a short moment, it surged into Chen Mu's limbs and bones, reaching the depths of his physical shell, and finally, his soul.
"Umm..."
Chen Mu felt an unprecedented warmth enveloping his entire body. This warmth penetrated his soul, giving him an indescribable sense of lightness, as if he were riding the void, limitless, or returning to the beginning of heaven and earth, to the source that nurtured all life.
He had prepared himself for pain, but never expected that the fruit would bring no discomfort at all. Instead, it conveyed an endless sense of comfort, relaxing every part of his body to the extreme.
Chen Mu could feel his soul slowly and steadily growing stronger in this nurturing environment.
At the same time, he could also sense his body immersed in this warm sensation. However, neither his external muscles, bones, nor his internal organs, down to the deepest marrow, could absorb any nourishment from this warmth.
The level of this spirit fruit was beyond anything Chen Mu had ever seen, but even a fruit of this caliber could not further refine his Heaven-Earth Body. This indicated that his Heaven-Earth Body, which he had diligently trained for years, had indeed reached its limit, and there was no further progress to be made.
Chen Mu was not surprised by this.
After all, not only had Xun Mu mentioned that this fruit would not help refine his body, but his martial body had also been clearly verified by the system panel as having reached the limit of the Marrow Washing Realm, with no room for further improvement.
The warmth that enveloped his body, unable to refine his physique, did not disappear into thin air. Instead, it gradually flowed into the depths of Chen Mu's body, reaching his soul.
---
The Crimson Birth Fruit's effects were not meant for Chen Mu's physical refinement.
All the fruit's effects were gradually taking effect on Chen Mu's soul, and this process was longer than he had anticipated. Perhaps his soul couldn't digest the fruit's effects in such a short time; it required continuous absorption and slow nurturing.
Days passed, and Li Chen remained unaware of the rapidly flowing time.
As Li Chen secluded himself to refine the Crimson Birth Fruit and temper his soul, a dark tide stirred throughout Daxuan.
In the distant Outer Sea, on a small island spanning only a few dozen li, several figures stood atop a central reef rock wall. Among them were the Mystic Pavilion Master, the Ghostly Dark Sect Lord, and others who had previously failed to assassinate Li Chen.
The Mystic Pavilion Master, the Bloodshadow Tower Lord, the Ghostly Dark Sect Lord, and the others all exuded deep and profound auras, without a hint of impatience, clearly having spent nearly ten days recovering from their injuries.
Over ten days had been enough for them to heal.
At this moment, besides the survivors of the battle against Li Chen, there were other unfamiliar figures. They were all Blood Replacement Realm experts from Daxuan, some with cold and determined expressions, others with an innate air of authority, and some cloaked in black robes, concealing their faces from view.
On the right side of the group, another figure stood tall, perched atop a reef. Although physically among the group, they seemed to exist in a separate realm, their body blending seamlessly with the surroundings, their breathing and movements as natural and mysterious as the flow of heaven and earth.
Heaven-Human Unity!
Anyone who saw this figure would involuntarily think of such a notion.
This was a Heaven and Earth Master! Unlike the Lingren Old Ancestor, who was limited by his pseudo-Heaven-Earth Realm, this individual could unleash the full might of the Heaven-Earth Realm through their formidable skills. Born in the Daxuan world, they were one of the pinnacle figures in the martial world!
Whether in Daxuan or the Outer Sea, any Blood Replacement Realm expert would recognize this person's identity at first sight, even sensing the profound aura emanating from them.
Yang Qingshan of the Nan Zhao Witch God Sect!
Daxuan's Ninety-Nine Provinces were divided into nine regions. The northernmost eleven provinces were known as Hanbei, while the southernmost eleven were called Nan Zhao, named so due to the abundance of vast lakes and marshes, many of which were toxic and treacherous, making them remote and rarely visited.
The Witch God Sect was one of the most powerful sects in Nan Zhao, boasting three Blood Replacement Realm experts among its disciples. One of them had even reached the Heaven and Man Realm, standing at the pinnacle of martial arts—none other than Yang Qingshan, who stood before them.
He was the Heaven-Earth Master who had been stopped by Cang Ming, the Eight Princes' Elder from the Listening Cliff, when the Mystic Pavilion Master and others attempted to assassinate Li Chen over ten days ago.
At this moment, with over ten Blood Replacement Realm experts surrounding them, and with Yang Qingshan, a Heaven and Man Realm expert, present, everyone's attention was not on Yang Qingshan but focused on the Mystic Pavilion Master in the center, clad in a mystic robe.
"It's all up to you now, Brother Cheng."
Xiang Yuan stood to the side, his arms crossed, gazing intently at the Mystic Pavilion Master.
Li Chen's astonishing abilities, rivaling the Heaven-Earth Realm with his Bone Marrow Purification, needed no further explanation. Once Li Chen reached the Blood Replacement Realm, those who had once opposed him would undoubtedly face dire consequences.
The best outcome for them would be to hide their identities and live in seclusion, barely surviving. However, the forces, sects, and families they commanded would not be able to escape unscathed.
The worst-case scenario would be for Li Chen to find and eliminate them one by one, leading to their demise!
Currently, although Li Chen's rise seemed unstoppable, they still had one last chance. Li Chen had not yet crossed the threshold of the Blood Replacement Realm, and this step carried risks. If they could locate Li Chen's hiding place and strike when he was at his most vulnerable during the breakthrough, they might still have a chance to stop him before he reached the Blood Replacement Realm!
However, since Li Chen had quietly left after returning from the Seekwood Heavenly Realm, he had not left any traces behind. Even the spies of the Mystic Pavilion and the Bloodshadow Tower had failed to find any clues about Li Chen's whereabouts. Their last resort was to rely on Cheng Zu, the Mystic Pavilion Master, and his sect's secret techniques to deduce Li Chen's location by deciphering the elusive heavenly providence.
(End of Chapter)
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