Chapter 708: Building the Blood Pool, Breaking the Ninth Layer, the Convergence of Ten Thousand Path

Chapter 708: Building the Blood Pool, Breaking the Ninth Layer, the Convergence of Ten Thousand Paths, and the Hidden Dao Body



What is Black King's current situation?

After Luo Chen's meticulous examination over several months, he has gained some understanding.

The physical body is severely damaged, almost beyond the point of reshaping.

The demonic core is shattered, and the hundreds of years of cultivated demon power has either scattered or merged into the broken bones.

The soul is extinguished, like a flickering flame about to go out.

Such injuries would appear as near-death to anyone.

In reality, having such injuries is quite normal.

The explosion of that towering spiritual treasure was powerful enough to affect even the Dan Hall's grand formation, and its mere aftermath was not something Black King could withstand head-on.

If not for his solid foundation and his immersion in the Spirit Nourishing Holy Spring, and Luo Chen's protection after his physical Nirvana ended, Black King would have perished on the spot within the Dan Hall.

After the severe injury, Black King instinctively used the Cliff Snake Technique and fell into a hibernation state.

His flickering soul was thus preserved.

But that was all he could do.

To recover, he would need more than just his own abilities.

In this situation, even with Luo Chen's various medical techniques, he could only restore a tiny bit of Black King's physical injuries.

Even Tianxuan, observing from the side, felt that even if Luo Chen saved Black King, he would be no better than a cripple.

There was no other way!

With the demonic core shattered, there was no chance of continuing on the Great Dao.

But to not save him, Tianxuan's heart couldn't bear it. The two demons, one after the other, had bowed to Luo Chen, and despite their disharmony, they were still friends.

Luo Chen had many considerations.

Black King was a good helper to him, and he had invested a lot of resources in Black King's cultivation.

To abandon him now would be a real pity.

Especially given Black King's loyalty in that final moment...

"Let's build a blood pool first!"

Luo Chen muttered, having made his decision.

To save Black King, he had no means in the past, as the overall injuries were too severe.

But after inheriting the Dan Hall's legacy, he spent three months searching through various texts and found a solution.

The Dan Hall's legacy included not only the Refining Heaven Cauldron but also 72 volumes of pill scriptures and 36 pill formulas, along with three great sealed divine pill formulas: the Spirit-Calming, Emptiness-Fusing, and Dao-Uniting pills.

Among these, the 72 volumes of pill scriptures and formulas had no restrictions.

After a cursory glance, Luo Chen had a vague understanding.

These pill scriptures and formulas covered the human, demon, and magic races!

While there were some specific divisions, most were differentiated by rank.

For example, the 12 pill formulas related to the human race were divided into three types for each cultivation stage from Essence Energy Cultivation to Nascent Soul, including the Spirit Root pill formula for the Dan Realm assessment, which was also included but required further refinement.

Each cultivation stage's three pill formulas served different purposes.

There were boundary-breaking pills, cultivation pills, and another type with different effects, covering supporting, healing, life-saving, obstacle-breaking, mind-clearing, concentration, and even poison pills.

This was true for both the human and demon races' 12 pill formulas.

Among them, there was a fourth-rank blood pill method that could reshape the body and heal by replacing blood.

However, to refine this pill, the first step was to build a blood pool, and Luo Chen already had a rough idea of how to do it.

...

Three days later.

Sang Jinghe looked at the huge pit, ten zhang long and wide, with a pained expression.

This was one of the few fourth-rank spirit soil regions on Dragon Abyss Island!

He had planned to cut it up and turn it into spirit fields, specifically for growing rare medicinal herbs.

But now, Qingyang Demon Lord had used true fire to refine it, along with other mineral materials, to create a pool that resembled translucent glass.

What was this pool for?

Luo Chen stood quietly, gazing at the pool beneath his feet, and suddenly spoke, "Jinghe, aren't you troubled by those ubiquitous dragon worms, affecting your transplantation of dragon snot grass?"

Sang Jinghe was taken aback and subconsciously nodded.

Luo Chen smiled slightly, "Then today, I'll solve this problem for you!"

Sang Jinghe was surprised. Had Senior Luo already thought of a shielding formation?

However, the next moment, Luo Chen's actions made his heart turn cold.

Luo Chen no longer suppressed his aura, allowing it to surge forth.

An aura like a primordial beast flooded out, instantly enveloping the area in all directions.

In the blink of an eye, it seemed to cover the entire Dragon Abyss Island.

Not only that, but Luo Chen stomped his foot!

Tremendous forces rippled through the earth's veins, layer upon layer.

Like an earthquake, Dragon Abyss Island began to tremble.

With the combined effect of the aura and vibrations, countless hidden dragon worms on the island felt the end was near. They could no longer remain concealed in the soil and rocks, and they scrambled out of the ground.

Rustle...

Rustle...

As far as the eye could see, grayish-colored long worms scurried about on the ground in panic.

The sight made people feel nauseous.

Yet, Luo Chen remained calm.

He raised his hands, and a greenish-gold light point emerged from his back, flames flickering as branches stretched out.

In an instant, a green fire tree appeared, floating in the air.

Dreamlike and surreal, it glowed with brilliance.

This green fire tree's power was restrained, showing no signs of high temperature or raging heat.

However, when it appeared, countless dragon worms became agitated and tried to escape from Dragon Abyss Island.

It was an instinctual fear from their souls!

But it was too late.

With a thought from Luo Chen, the fire tree, as if sentient, flew high into the sky, its branches extending. Sparks like willow catkins floated and scattered.

Countless Dragon Worms, upon contact, stood frozen in place.

Upon witnessing this scene, Luo Chen revealed a satisfied smile.

Unbeknownst to him, the Prosperity and Withering True Fire had already grown so powerful.

The Mystic Fire Incarnation had given birth to a True Spirit! If not for Luo Chen's intentional suppression, the spirit of this fire would have quickly developed its own autonomous will, much like the Sourceless Flame spirits in the Fiery Inferno.

However, Luo Chen didn't have that intention yet.

He hadn't advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage, and if his True Fire gained free will, it might become a case of the servant overpowering the master.

He could only wait!

Wait until he breaks through to the Nascent Soul Realm!

At that time, once he achieves the Nascent Soul Stage, he can loosen some of the restrictions on this ball of True Fire, and with its terrifying foundation, it will undoubtedly become a powerful weapon in Luo Chen's hands!

For now, the power of the Prosperity and Withering True Fire was already enough to threaten Nascent Soul cultivators. In an instant, hundreds of thousands of low-rank Dragon Worms were suppressed.

"Tianxuan, Jing He, you two go and bring back all the Dragon Worms that were suppressed by my True Fire."

"Understood!"

"Yes!"

Without hesitation, the two flew out, roaming Dragon Abyss Island, and returned with each of the still-living Dragon Worms.

They were only suppressed by the sparks of the True Fire and hadn't died.

This demonstrated Luo Chen's exceptional fire control skills, reaching a level of precision and subtlety where he could manipulate the fire at will. Initially, they didn't understand Luo Chen's intentions.

But when they saw Luo Chen killing the Dragon Worms one by one and pouring their turbid blood into the glass pool, they vaguely understood.

Hundreds of thousands of Dragon Worms, even if left for others to kill, would still be exhausting.

However, with the three of them working together, it only took a few days to exterminate them all.

A pool of blood with an unbearable stench appeared before the three of them.

"What a waste," Sang Jinghe lamented. "If these Dragon Worms were used well, they could have been enough to flourish an entire sect." He hadn't expected Luo Chen's solution to the Dragon Worm problem to be so direct, addressing the root cause.

Tianxuan, on the other hand, wasn't concerned. "Dragon Abyss Island is vast, and there are tens of millions of hidden low-rank Dragon Worms. These are just a few hundred thousand."

Luo Chen said nothing and continued throwing various medicinal materials into the pool.

Then, in front of the other two, he also tossed in the slumbering Black King's body.

The turbid blood bubbled and frothed, completely submerging the Black King.

Tianxuan couldn't help but ask, "Master, will the Black King be okay just soaking like this?"

"Not enough!" Luo Chen shook his head.

"The Black King's injuries are too severe. This is still not enough to heal him. From now on, in your free time, go and capture second-rank Dragon Worms, draw their blood, and put it into the blood pool. Also, after your injuries heal, sweep the surrounding areas, and if you encounter third-rank Demon Kings, kill them and bring them back."

Tianxuan didn't argue.

"Take this fire with you!" Luo Chen pointed his finger, and three green fire seeds fell from the fire tree, slowly sinking into Tianxuan's eyebrows.

"When you encounter opponents you can't defeat with brute force, activate this fire."

"Alright, you two can go now!"

After saying this, Luo Chen dismissed his companions.

Once the two left, Luo Chen sat cross-legged in front of the glass blood pool, his face resolute.

He gently bit his tongue.

A drop of blood from the tip of his tongue slowly flew out.

Drip! The deep red drop of blood fell into the blood pool.

In an instant, like hot oil in water, the quiet blood pool emitted a crackling sound.

The Black King's body faintly appeared amidst the crackling.

As the repulsion reaction gradually subsided, the turbid color of the mixed blood from the countless Dragon Worms turned into a vibrant red.

"You're willing to expend your energy for a mere spirit pet."

Unbeknownst to Luo Chen, someone had silently appeared beside him.

This person's face was pale, looking both dead and alive, resembling Han Zhan's original appearance.

"How did you get here?"

Han Zhan smiled lightly, "With all the commotion you caused, how could I not come?"

Luo Chen slowly stood up and looked at 'Han Zhan'.

"How well have you adapted to this body?"

Han Zhan stretched his muscles and rubbed his mouth.

"It's still too early. Flying Cloud and I are at different cultivation levels, and our spirit root attributes are also different. Especially after years of cultivation, the paths of our meridians and the number of developed acupoints are vastly different. Right now, I've only temporarily seized the Purple Mansion, and it's far from a perfect soul possession. I estimate that it will take at least a decade to perfectly adapt to this body and restore my peak strength."

As he spoke, he waved his hand.

"Forget about me for now. With such a grand setup and this Four Spirit Blood Pool, do you really think you can save the Black King?"

Luo Chen breathed, "One step at a time. First, we'll heal his physical injuries, then address the other issues. As for the divine soul, I might need your help later."

"I don't mind." Han Zhan tried to stroke his non-existent beard, his hand froze, and he lowered his arm behind his back, "But you, you should be preparing to break through to the ninth level of the Golden Core and then challenge the Nascent Soul Stage!"

"Exactly."

"Since that's the case, you first used heart blood, and now you're using up your energy, squeezing out a drop of blood from your tongue. Aren't you afraid of shaking your foundation?"

Luo Chen smiled slightly.

"Then you don't have to worry, Luo Chen is confident in doing this without hindering my cultivation."

Luo Chen indeed had this confidence! Human essence blood originates from the combination of essence energy and physical blood, infused with rich vitality.

Ordinary people wouldn't dare to waste their essence blood recklessly.

But Luo Chen didn't have this worry.

After consuming the Grand Age's body, its vitality was so terrifying that even after Luo Chen's physical Nirvana, he still hadn't completely digested it.

Now, wasting a few drops of essence blood only slightly depleted his Essence Energy, barely affecting him.

Moreover, the Four Spirit Blood Pool genuinely required powerful blood as its primary ingredient.

Among the resources at his disposal, only Luo Chen's body, comparable to a Wilderness Beast, could produce such potent essence blood.

"Alright, as long as you understand the situation." Han Zhan awkwardly shrugged and headed downhill.

Watching his back, Luo Chen frowned.

The other party first stroked his beard, then shrugged uncomfortably, indicating that he wasn't fully in control of his body. But was Soul Possession of a physical body this difficult? It's worth noting that Luo Chen had already crushed Flying Cloud's Nascent Soul.

It was just an empty body, and with Han Zhan's abilities, he couldn't control it naturally even after several months?

Luo Chen thought for a while, then activated the formation to conceal the Blood Pool and returned alone to the deep abyss cottage.

Feeling the pure aura purified by the formation, Luo Chen revealed a satisfied smile.

This place was the main vein of a Fourth Stage Spirit Vein! The aura here was incredibly abundant.

At least, with Luo Chen's knowledge, it was the most standard Fourth Stage Low-Grade Spirit Vein.

Logically, a Golden Core Cultivator wouldn't dare to cultivate in such a dense environment.

Just as people need water, a moderate amount of water quenches thirst, and abundant water resources can allow one to swim freely. But under the immense pressure of the deep sea, one can't even open their mouth, let alone swim.

However, Luo Chen broke all these rules.

With a body comparable to a Wilderness Beast, and after reshaping it, he could accommodate a vast amount of Fire-attributed aura with his Fire Spirit Body!

Additionally, he possessed the master-level Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra!

With these three foundations, Luo Chen dared to cultivate in the Fourth Stage Spirit Vein at the Golden Core Realm.

Furthermore, due to these conditions, Luo Chen's cultivation speed reached its historical peak! According to his estimation, it was more than three times faster than before he left Penghu!

Such a drastic change was beyond the imagination of outsiders.

But when compared to everything Luo Chen had sacrificed to achieve this cultivation speed, it seemed reasonable.

Whether it was the Wilderness Beast's body, the Fire Spirit Body, or the master-level Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra, who else in this world could achieve even one or two of these?

Not to mention the Fourth Stage Spirit Vein, which was never meant for the exclusive enjoyment of a Golden Core Cultivator.

In Han Zhan's eyes, Luo Chen now had both internal and external advantages, so he should bravely and diligently focus on cultivation, attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

But Luo Chen didn't think so!

"In the Devil Slaying Land, I soaked in the Spirit Nourishing Holy Spring, and my realm skyrocketed from the Sixth Level Golden Core to the Eighth Level Golden Core. At first glance, my foundation seemed solid, without any sense of hollowness. But in my heart, I felt like I was sitting in a floating tower, anxious and uneasy."

Luo Chen already knew the name of that wondrous spring water from the alchemy book left by Heaven Forging Demon Lord.

He was amazed by its various miraculous effects.

If Heaven Forging Demon Lord hadn't left the formula for refining this spirit spring, Luo Chen would have even wanted to recreate this spring water in the future.

He digressed.

Back to the topic.

The sudden realm increase made Luo Chen feel uneasy.

This had nothing to do with the realm itself but was a sense of disparity in his mental state.

Therefore, even with such an advantageous cultivation environment, Luo Chen still suppressed his urge to cultivate vigorously.

"Let's refine it further!"

Luo Chen muttered, activating his innate cultivation technique and entering a deeper level of cultivation.

...

His refinement wasn't as simple as mere seated meditation.

One aspect of it was the purification of his Essence Energy! The second Golden Core shattered.

But Luo Chen was already accustomed to having double the Essence Energy.

Due to his Five Spirit Root Constitution, his Essence Energy was several times that of his peers, and with the support of two Golden Cores, the gap was more than tenfold!

This was also one of the reasons Luo Chen dared to freely release large-scale destructive spells, fight opponents beyond his realm, and even challenge Nascent Soul True Immortals.

But now, without the second Golden Core, Luo Chen felt at a loss.

However, people must eventually get used to loss.

Since he couldn't increase the quantity, he decided to focus on quality! In the past, to cultivate both cores simultaneously, his Essence Energy appeared purer than that of ordinary Golden Core Cultivators, but it hadn't reached his personal peak.

Now, he would refine and purify it bit by bit until it reached an unparalleled state!

A red Golden Core hovered in the Qi Sea.

Below, the Prosperous Decay True Flame Tree vigorously stretched its branches, slowly scorching the Golden Core.

Occasionally, some "impurities" were expelled, which were the remnants of other attributes.

Under this scorching, the Golden Core turned even redder, resembling a vermilion fruit! It seemed that even the essence of the Five-Colored Golden Core was gradually fading.

...

Half a year later.

In the deep abyss, a powerful aura flashed and vanished.

Luo Chen slowly opened his eyes.

In his eyes, there was both joy and helplessness.

"I've reached the Ninth Level Golden Core..."

He had wanted to thoroughly refine his foundation, but the superior cultivation environment, both internal and external, unknowingly promoted him to the Ninth Level Golden Core.

This wasn't what he desired, but when faced with the reality, he could only accept it.

After all, it would be absurd to have a gloomy expression after advancing in realm. Luo Chen sighed and summoned the Attribute Panel.

【Lifespan: 186/900】

【Spirit Root: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth】

【Constitution: Fire Spirit Body (Fifth Spirit Dao Body Hidden)】

【Realm: Ninth Level Golden Core 1/100, Primordial Fourth Stage 35/100】

【Cultivation Techniques: Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Sutra Master 650/1000, Ten Thousand Paths Converge Grand Accomplishment, Ten Thousand Beasts Scripture Master 510/1000】

The rippling Attribute Panel displayed a series of terms, some visible and others hidden.

Luo Chen paid no heed to the other attributes, focusing solely on the first five major terms.

The surge in Lifespan was within his expectations.

Breaking through three realms and undergoing Nirvana, his physical body had even reached the mid-stage of Primordial Fourth Stage.

An additional hundred years of lifespan was indeed normal.

Luo Chen even felt that if he completely absorbed the Grand Age power within his body, his lifespan limit would skyrocket!

After a glance, Luo Chen didn't pay further attention.

For now, he no longer felt the pressure of limited lifespan. At over nine hundred years, he was already considered long-lived. Some severely injured Nascent Soul Immortals had a similar lifespan, and he, Luo Chen, had only reached the Golden Core Stage. There was no need to rush.

Luo Chen's attention shifted to the newly added term.

【Constitution: Fire Spirit Body (Fifth Spirit Dao Body Hidden)】

He could understand the Fire Spirit Body, a transformation after Nirvana to adapt to the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.

But what about the (Fifth Spirit Dao Body Hidden)?

"Could it be that my Fifth Spirit Dao Body hasn't disappeared? It's just been concealed by the Fire Spirit Body, making it unmanifested?"

Luo Chen was perplexed.

He attempted to circulate the Yin Wood Medicine King Scripture he had cultivated in his early years, but after completing a small cycle, he felt his Essence Energy sluggish and his meridians slightly painful.

Clearly, this wasn't the performance of a Fifth Spirit Dao Body.

According to ancient records, the Fifth Spirit Dao Body could cultivate various techniques simultaneously, and it shouldn't feel so sluggish.

However, the Attribute Panel indeed displayed it this way.

After pondering for a while and experimenting for half a day, he still couldn't find an answer.

Unwilling to give up, Luo Chen eventually abandoned his efforts.

His gaze moved downward, quickly scanning through the changes in his cultivation realm, and he focused on the alterations in his cultivation methods.

First was the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture!

From the initial entry into the Mastery level of Fiery Inferno, the progress bar had soared by 150, reaching 650!

The changes in between...

"This must be due to that physical Nirvana!"

The transformation brought not only changes to his body but also a metamorphosis in his cultivation method.

Luo Chen could sense that his efficiency in absorbing heavenly energy when cultivating his primary technique had greatly surpassed that of the past.

Moreover, when releasing Essence Energy and casting spells, he was a fraction faster than before.

Don't underestimate this slight improvement.

Luo Chen's spells were mostly cultivated to Great Perfection.

Furthermore, based on Great Perfection, Luo Chen had optimized and researched them to the point of perfection.

To still achieve progress at this level was indeed astonishing.

"It seems that this Fire Spirit Body is even more suitable for cultivating the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, and the subsequent increase in proficiency should also be significantly faster."

"Perhaps, I have a chance to cultivate it to Great Perfection before the Nascent Soul Stage!"

Evidently, this was yet another piece of good news after the lifespan surge, realm advancement, and the persistence of the Fifth Spirit Dao Body.

Luo Chen smiled and then sighed inexplicably.

"Sigh..."

His gaze rested on the Ten Thousand Dao Convergence.

This self-created cultivation method, which had once integrated various schools of thought, had reached its limit.

Luo Chen had felt this way for a long time.

His body cultivation progress had gradually slowed, leading him to seek External Techniques and even exchange countless Ancient Body Transformation Techniques from the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon Hunting Department.

With these patchwork methods, he managed to cultivate to the Primordial Fourth Stage.

But that was as far as he could go.

After Peng Hu's advancement to the Primordial Fourth Stage, Luo Chen clearly sensed that his body cultivation had reached its limit!

This limit stemmed from the Ten Thousand Dao Convergence and himself!

If one were to trace it further, it originated from the Heavenly Peng Transformation cultivation method!

In the past, Luo Chen and Wang Yuan had acquired the Heavenly Peng Transformation from the Black Market of Dahefang.

It was a Beast Skin, along with the unexpected Imperial Flowing Liquid Pill formula.

However, the Heavenly Peng Transformation itself was an incomplete Third Stage cultivation method, requiring the absorption of the essence blood of Peng-type demon beasts.

Wang Yuan didn't take it but only absorbed some of its advantages to supplement himself.

Using this as a foundation, Luo Chen, within the cave mansion of the Divine Transformation Great Ability, White Night, and with the System's assistance, created the Ten Thousand Dao Convergence in a moment of crisis.

Over the years, the well-read Luo Chen gradually elevated this body cultivation method to the Fourth Stage.

And then, it reached its limit.

The Heavenly Peng Transformation had a weak foundation and was incomplete.

The essence blood of the Peng bird that Luo Chen had absorbed initially came from a mere second-stage Fiery Cloud Peng.

The combination of these two factors allowed him to cultivate to the Primordial Fourth Stage, which was already incredibly fortunate.

Without the Grand Age body and the strand of Nirvana Sacred Flame, Luo Chen would never have achieved the mid-stage Primordial Fourth Stage cultivation.

Amidst his sighs, Luo Chen gradually calmed himself.

"For now, this will have to do!"

"The path of body cultivation is unclear, with numerous branches. It can serve as a Martial Power Assurance but is unlikely to lead to Immortality."

"Giving up is out of the question, but I'll have to seek higher-level cultivation methods in the future, either by cultivating them directly or using them as a reference to create another one."

"But for now, the immediate priority is to focus on Essence Energy cultivation."

Having reached the Ninth Level of the Golden Core, he couldn't avoid considering Soul Formation.

However, before that, Luo Chen had a minor task to complete.

It was to take stock of the gains and losses from the Devil Slaying Land journey.

After all, one couldn't embark on a life-and-death journey without keeping track of what was gained and lost.

With a thought, he raised his hand.

Streams of ethereal light floated in the air of the wooden house.

Gazing at those treasures, Luo Chen couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

"This trip wasn't in vain."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end