Chapter 445: The Heaven Phoenix's Great Accomplishment, Purple Qi Comes from the East

Chapter 445: The Heaven Phoenix's Great Accomplishment, Purple Qi Comes from the East

The purple-gold pill furnace slowly rotated in the air.

An alchemist who was completely ignorant of pharmacology now exuded a master's aura as he refined the Heaven Phoenix Pill.

Shen Yi skillfully refined the medicinal powers and then added the essence blood of the Golden Fire Sparrow demon.

He sensed the changes within the pill furnace.

Apparently, the quality of the Golden Fire Sparrow's essence blood was far inferior to that of the previous red-eyed mysterious phoenix, but relying on his profound cultivation, the effect was even better.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Shen Yi steadily controlled the spiritual flames, completely fusing the essence blood of the four sparrows with the medicinal powers.

In an instant, a familiar glow emanated from the purple-gold pill furnace.

Numerous illusory phoenix shadows circled the pill furnace.

As the pill furnace opened, beams of golden light burst forth and fell into Shen Yi's palm.

Seventeen pills were formed!

This time, Shen Yi had completely exhausted the Heaven Phoenix Pill ingredients he obtained from the Fourth Cave.

He closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrant pill aroma.

It should be enough.

Shen Yi placed a Heaven Phoenix Pill into his mouth and opened the panel, infusing it with demon longevity.

[Return to Void . Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body: Minor Accomplishment]



[Year One, you swallow the Heaven Phoenix Pill, digest its medicinal powers, and guide them into your body's phoenix egg, mending the cracks on it...]



The last time Shen Yi clashed with the old dog and the Emerald Sea Toad, he had suffered severe injuries.

However, these injuries were not reflected on his body but on the phoenix egg. This object was similar to a second life, worthy of the title "Heaven Phoenix Undying."

Digesting the medicinal powers was easy and would not take much time.

Most of the demon longevity was spent on that golden phoenix egg, which needed a long time to mature.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged, swallowing one Heaven Phoenix Pill after another.

For this type of Spirit Physique Art, in order to achieve better results, the demonic nature and fierce energy in the essence blood were deliberately preserved.

If not for Shen Yi's familiarity with demonic energy, consuming such a large amount might have affected his sanity.

His face turned an unusual shade of red, and the luster on it seemed alive as it converged toward the golden flame emblem between his eyebrows, even giving the illusion that the golden flame was dancing.

"Huo."

[38,000 years later, you have digested fifteen Heaven Phoenix Pills. The long-gestating phoenix egg finally undergoes a transformation.]



[Return to Void . Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body: Great Accomplishment]



The moment the panel prompt appeared, Shen Yi suddenly felt a vast life force empowering his body.

A continuous crackling sound reached his ears.

Above the Five Viscera of the Dao Infant, the golden phoenix egg began to shatter, but this time it was not forcibly shattered by someone else.

Dazzling golden flames burst forth from within!

"Roar!"

The creature undergoing nirvana from the flames of desire let out a sharp howl, swirling within Shen Yi's body. The eggshell transformed into flowing light and poured into its body, making it even stronger.

Finally, this golden phoenix spread its wings, its body covered in flowing golden flames, transforming into a Chinese parasol tree connected to the Five Viscera.

It perched on the tree, becoming Shen Yi's second heart.

"Heh..."

Shen Yi exhaled a hot breath, and his face finally regained its pale complexion.

Only the golden flame, like the eye of the golden phoenix, stood erect between his eyebrows, shining brilliantly.

His ink-colored robe fluttered without any wind, and his handsome face now had flickering golden lights in his pupils, giving him an otherworldly aura even with his hands stained with blood.

"What a terrifying improvement."

Shen Yi tried clenching his palm and stretched his eyebrows.

The aura on his body was no weaker than that of the old sparrow demon from before, who had achieved the fourth layer of Return to Void. From a minor to a great accomplishment, he had directly crossed the watershed of the early Return to Void stage.

With just this Spirit Physique Art, he would be more than qualified to be an executor in any of the seven sects of Nanhong.

In an immortal sect, this cultivation level was not considered high.

However, it gave Shen Yi more room to maneuver. At least now, he had the qualifications to leave the immortal sect on his own and walk in the mortal world.

After slightly experiencing the changes in the Spirit Physique Art, Shen Yi looked at the remaining longevity on the panel and raised his eyebrows, feeling a bit odd.

Whether it was the Tempering Body Art or the Spirit Physique Art, neither required much brainpower and should have been the most time-consuming cultivation methods.

For example, an ordinary Return to Void cultivator.

If they focused on the Heaven Phoenix Undying True Body, their longevity would be almost exhausted after three to five million years, with an upper limit of only the fourth layer of Return to Void. It could only be a helpless choice for cultivators with mediocre talent and no hope of breaking through.

But for himself, this cultivation method had become the most time-saving and optimal choice.

"Never mind, it should be about time."

Now that he had the protection of the Spirit Physique Art, Shen Yi was finally willing to place the Golden Sparrow Suppressing Stone into his Dao Palace.

He sacrificed the nearly 500-zhang-tall scarlet Demon Emperor's Palace from between his eyebrows, occupying the entire sky.

Then he began to choose the Suppressing Stones.

Golden Sparrow, Emerald Sea Toad, Spirit Cloud Elk Demon, Red-eyed Mysterious Phoenix—these were all third-grade Suppressing Stones, with the Golden Sparrow approaching second-grade.

Finally, he added the Godly Wind and White Swan, which were fourth-grade Suppressing Stones of the Transformation God realm.

Regardless of whether it could match Li Xuanqing, it was definitely not something an ordinary cultivator could gather.

Combined with the highest-grade Six Pillars Ascending Palace Method of the Nanyang Sect, Shen Yi's expression gradually turned solemn.

Then he opened the panel.

[Year One, you perform the Six Pillars of Nanyang Ascending Palace Method and begin to condense the second layer of the Dao Palace.]



As the prompt appeared, the Dao Palace in the sky gradually began to change.

Below the cushion surrounded by nine demons, the hideous and terrifying Suppressing Stones began to tremble slightly.

At the same time, all the cultivators within the inner sect range of the Nanyang Sect sensed the fluctuations in the aura.

Compared to the confused majority.

Nie Jun, who had been deep in thought, suddenly raised his head and stared blankly at the empty sky.

After sensing that faint demonic aura.

A complex expression appeared on his face.

Why can... it be so fast? Nie Jun had been in seclusion during this period, flipping through the books in the Law Collection Pavilion to learn about the Dao Pillars.

He wanted to contribute whatever he could to help Shen Yi, who was isolated and facing the seven sects of Nanhong alone. Thus, he gritted his teeth and decided to visualize a third-grade Dao Pillar.

With this in mind, he got up and walked out, heading towards the direction where he sensed fluctuations in spiritual energy.

At this moment, in the Inner Sect's Ancestral Hall...

The wooden statue, which had sincerely admitted its mistake, finally gave in to curiosity and opened its eyes, lifting its head to gaze beyond the roof of the grand hall.

"The Six Pillars Ascending Palace Method, huh?"

A faint smile appeared on Li Xuanqing's face. It seemed that the young Little Sect Master had quite the ambition, daring to choose such a cultivation method that aimed for the Immortal Palace and beyond.

He aspired to become one of those who ascended to the White Jade Capital.

Alas, his eagerness might be his downfall.

Li Xuanqing retracted his gaze, a hint of lament in his eyes. He wasn't exactly in a position to judge others, considering he was the biggest scourge of the Nanyang Sect.

In his youth, if faced with such immense pressure and the responsibility of the lives of all sentient beings in the Union Treasure Land, he probably would have broken down in tears and sought solace from his master.

No wonder he was a dragon-faced cultivator.

He only felt a twinge of regret because he was unable to help ease the young man's burdens.

Sensing the consecutive formations of the Dao Pillars, Li Xuanqing slowly closed his eyes... But only for a moment, as he abruptly opened them again, confusion clouding his eyes as he looked upwards.

Ka-ka-ka...

Within the boundless scarlet palace of the Infinite Demon Emperor, the stone skins of the White Swan and Godly Wind statues peeled away, revealing the crimson light that soared towards the heavens like two towering pillars. And when the light faded...

Ordinary pillars stood in their place.

If one had to point out a distinct feature, it would be the carvings of a white horse and an eyeless beast.

While the Dao Pillars were called "pillars," it would take an extremely rigid cultivator to truly visualize them as mere columns.

However, what caught Xuanqing's attention was the Suppressing Stone of the third pillar.

The Red-eyed Mysterious Phoenix Suppressing Stone trembled violently, exuding an aura far surpassing that of the previous two pillars!

The sound of phoenix cries filled the air.

"..."

Li Xuanqing fell silent for a moment.

With only the ancient texts left by the Nanyang Sect and no guidance, for someone so young to be able to visualize a third-grade Dao Pillar was impressive. If given more time, they might even progress further.

A hint of regret crept into his heart.

Even though he lacked the strength to do much, if he could have offered some encouragement, perhaps the young sect master wouldn't have been so hasty.

This train of thought didn't last long.

The fluctuations in spiritual energy outside continued to change and grow stronger, instead of weakening.

Step by step, the cultivator ascended!

The Phoenix Pillar, the Emerald Sea Pillar, and the Spirit Cloud Pillar appeared one after the other.

And finally, with a chirp that echoed through the heavens, it was as if the birth of a new existence was being proclaimed to the world!

Li Xuanqing, as if sensing something, rose from his meditation cushion and slowly walked out of the hall.

His wooden face was incapable of expressing emotion, and his crude eyes lacked luster.

Yet, in his quiet gaze towards the sky, there was an air of complex anticipation, as if he were awaiting the return of an old friend.

In the direction of Li Xuanqing's gaze, a hint of purple appeared amidst the billowing clouds. Just a tiny wisp, but it pierced through the Nanyang Sect's formation and entered the Union Treasure Land.

It was like a small auspicious cloud, heading towards a certain direction to celebrate someone's achievement.

The purple qi came from the east.

The Immortal Palace had been formed.

In the past ten thousand years, Li Xuanqing had witnessed similar purple qi a few times, but this was the first time it belonged to the Nanyang Sect.

After a long silence, he slowly exhaled and sighed, "Ancestral Master, please look upon our sect's pride. At the very least, it is a good start."

He smiled at the ancestral statue behind him.

The next moment, Li Xuanqing cupped his hands towards the sky, his voice resonating like a bell, "Former personal disciple Xuanqing, congratulates the Nanyang Sect Master on achieving the Immortal Palace!"

As his voice rang out, a wisp of purple qi separated from his withered wooden body and merged with the other wisp, causing it to double in size.

The two wisps intertwined and descended into the nearly two-story-tall Infinite Demon Emperor's Palace, permeating the body of the Demon Emperor sitting cross-legged with a dusting brush in hand. A wisp of purple light added a touch of tranquility to the flowing scarlet of his body.

As Li Xuanqing's voice reverberated throughout the inner sect of the Nanyang Sect, everyone was left bewildered.

Only Elder Yang, who was teaching in the lecture hall with Yan Wencheng by his side, froze with stunned expressions.

They quickly abandoned the array plate and rushed out of the dilapidated hall, their eyes fixed on the lingering purple qi in the sky. They stood there, motionless, appearing even more wooden than Li Xuanqing.

Before the Return to Void's fourth layer, the third layer was the Spirit Palace, and the first layer was the Immortal Palace.

As for the purple qi that heralded the arrival of the Immortal Palace...

If this trend continued and the cultivator broke through the fourth layer of Return to Void...

Then they would be the future sect master, with no room for error. They would enjoy the treatment of being the sect master's personal disciple, and the only variable would be the order in which the other disciples would be acknowledged.

"Congratulations..."

Elder Yang started to cup his hands but paused awkwardly.

It wasn't that he couldn't bring himself to address Shen Zongzhu as the sect master.

Under the backdrop of the purple qi, Shen Zongzhu had earned his title.

The real reason for Elder Yang's hesitation was that Elder Xuanqing had already offered his congratulations in the form of a wisp of purple qi.

Among the Seven Sons of Nanhong, only Elder Xuanqing could produce such a thing. Other personal disciples might achieve the Immortal Palace, but they wouldn't be able to produce such a gift, let alone be willing to part with it.

Elder Yang was just an outer sect elder. In the face of this purple qi, even if he gave everything he had, he couldn't offer a comparable gift.

"Don't make a sound, let's go back."

"This is a matter of life and death."

Elder Yang dragged Yan Wencheng back into the hall, feeling embarrassed.

Was the Nanyang Sect destined to produce only monstrous talents?

Elder Xuanqing had suppressed his peers for tens of thousands of years, causing countless cultivators of the White Jade Capital to hang their heads in shame.

And now, after a decline of a hundred thousand years, the Nanyang Treasure Land had produced another "Xuanqing."

"Hu."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shen Yi finally opened his eyes.

He first cupped his hands towards the direction of the hall, then quietly fixed his gaze on his Infinite Demon Emperor's Palace in the sky.

Of course, the congratulatory gift from that wooden elder was no less than what this canopy had bestowed.

In fact, it was even more generous.

Shen Yi suddenly felt a twinge of heartache for his Golden Sparrow Suppressing Stone... Of course, if it weren't for the proof of his Heavenly Palace, how could he have received such lavish and jaw-dropping congratulatory gifts?

Regardless, it was a near-perfect first step.

Shen Yi was very satisfied.

He tried to pinch the Ten Thousand Demon Homage Daoist Technique, and with a slight stir of his mental power, the purple light within the meditation cushion flowed into his sea of blood.

In an instant, the aura of this Daoist technique surged tenfold! Shen Yi waved his hand to dismiss the technique.

He headed towards the grand hall.

Previously, Li Xuanqing had said that he was unable to help because the gap between their levels was too vast, and for a genius cultivator like him, much of his experience might not be suitable for ordinary cultivators.

But now that Shen Yi had barely stepped onto the same path, even though it was just the beginning, Li Xuanqing's experience would become an extremely valuable asset.

"...?"

Watching Shen Yi walk away, the group of fellow disciples from Wutong Mountain stood rooted to the spot.

"Senior Brother, what's wrong?" Yu Chao'an looked at Nie Jun and asked, "Is that Heavenly Palace really amazing?"

Although Shen Yi's breakthrough was indeed shocking, it wasn't as if they were meeting Shen Zongzhu for the first time. They knew that he had never slowed down.

"It's nothing."

Nie Jun shook his head, his eyes filled with emotion, "It's amazing... incredibly amazing, one of the best in the world."

Only those who had tried to visualize the Dao Pillars would understand how terrifying this scene was.

For Nie Jun at the moment,

he didn't feel like he lacked anything. After all, he had access to all the techniques, and Shen Yi had never restricted him from using the items within the cave abode. Moreover, the heavenly qi was even more abundant than before.

In such circumstances, if he were in any other sect, he would have at least been treated as a semi-personal disciple.

Nie Jun was confident that he needed nothing else but time to make up for the gap that others had pulled ahead of him over the years.

However, when facing Shen Yi, he didn't even have the heart to feel envious.

The gap was too vast, and there was no need to make comparisons.

Being able to witness the formation of a first-layer Heavenly Palace in person had even inspired some insights in Nie Jun.

He nodded, "I'm going back first."

...

Inside the Ancestral Hall.

As if anticipating something, Li Xuanqing didn't return to his meditation cushion but stood at the door, waiting.

Until a purple and white rainbow streaked across the sky, and Shen Yi appeared.

Before Shen Yi could say anything, Li Xuanqing shook his head, "I have some things that I can no longer use. There's no need for formalities, Zongzhu Shen, just ask what you need."

"Thank you."

Shen Yi nodded slightly. He wasn't the type to beat around the bush, and when it came to this kind of favor, he preferred to show his gratitude through actions.

"I just wanted to ask..."

At this moment, Li Xuanqing suddenly placed his palm on Shen Yi's shoulder, interrupting him, "What did you eat? Your body is filled with dan toxicity?"

Upon hearing this,

Shen Yi paused for a moment, "Hua Shen Dan, Po Wang Dan, and Tian Huang Dan."

"...?"

Li Xuanqing fell into deep thought. Although he didn't know what the Po Wang Dan was, he had seen the other two.

It didn't make sense.

If these dan had such severe side effects, why would the Nanyang Sect include them in their collection?

"Wait, how many did you eat?"

"Over a hundred, I guess. I can't remember exactly." Shen Yi glanced at him.

"Cough, cough."

Li Xuanqing felt that in this land of Hongze, nothing should be able to move him anymore.

But when he heard this terrifying number, he was still shocked beyond words.

Could the Hua Shen Dan be eaten like this?

He asked with confusion, "Then what about the chaotic qi within the dan toxicity?"

"Probably a side effect of the Tian Huang Dan."

Shen Yi didn't think it was a big deal. He could still suppress it for now. However, since Elder Xuanqing was willing to help, he took the opportunity to explain in detail the essence blood he had used to refine the Tian Huang Dan.

Li Xuanqing froze completely.

He re-evaluated the young man before him.

So... did this young sect master think that as long as he called those random things "Tian Huang Dan," they would have the same effect?

"Huo."

Li Xuanqing exhaled, "I know you want to ask about the Heavenly Palace, but I think this matter can wait. You should deal with the dan toxicity in your body first."

"Otherwise, your Tian Huang Undying True Body might fail soon."

He spoke euphemistically, but Shen Yi understood him loud and clear.

The Tian Huang Undying True Body was like a second life, and failure meant death from dan toxicity.

"Oh?"

Li Xuanqing saw that Shen Yi had understood him but still maintained his calm demeanor, and for a moment, he couldn't tell who had truly seen through life and death between them.

He fell into deep thought again, then slightly raised his hand and imprinted a map in Shen Yi's mind.

"Go to the Baohua Sect. They can help you. When you get there, you can tell them my name, and there might be some connections there. Hurry, you have at most a decade left."

Li Xuanqing tried to instill a sense of urgency in his tone.

Unexpectedly, when Shen Yi heard "a decade," he subconsciously relaxed.

Even Li Xuanqing, who had witnessed the Heavenly Palace and barely reacted, was now stunned, "...?"

"Thank you, Elder Xuanqing, for your reminder."

Shen Yi cupped his hands and turned to leave the hall.

However, he felt a bit odd.

The last time he was in Yu's residence, he had heard of Elder Xuanqing's reputation and how he had saved that cultivator who was defiled by the water tribe. Now, just a few days later, there was also the Baohua Sect.

This elder wasn't as simple as he seemed on the surface.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end