Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 604 - 599: Immortal Physique, Second Test_1
The water in the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool receded, gathering slowly into a thick Thunder Dragon. It was covered in scale armor, vividly lifelike, as if a Thunder Dragon had descended to the world. This Thunder Dragon, consuming seventy percent of the pool’s Spiritual Liquid, exuded an aura approaching that of a Body Integration Realm cultivator. Without sufficient strength, facing such a terrifying Thunder Spirit would surely result in a gruesome death. The formation of the Thunder Dragon signified the final stage of soaking in the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool.
"A mere fake dragon!"
An illusory Deceiving the Heavens Pearl disguised his aura, hiding Jia Ren’s true form. His body was covered in golden-black scales, with wings of different colors on his back. The left wing displayed five colors, akin to the Five Elements and the Five Constants. The right wing was crimson, burning with pure white flames. The power of the four Divine Beasts—the Golden Dragon, Water Kylin, Phoenix, and Vermilion Bird—converged within him, manifesting the mightiest bloodline power of the Myriad Transformation Beast King. The Four Spirits rule over scale armor and beasts; with differently colored wings flapping on his back, he flew above the Thunder Dragon.
The Thunder Dragon faintly sensed an aura that even it dreaded. As it opened its mouth, Thunder Paste condensed into a flawless purple dragon pearl.
"Four Spirits Unite!"
He swung his fist. The might of the four Divine Beasts served as a commanding principle, his fist gathering a four-colored precious light. The four-colored beam of light shattered the Thunder Dragon Pearl, piercing through the body of the Thunder Dragon.
With a BOOM, the Thunder Dragon exploded, and a massive amount of Thunder Spiritual Power dissipated, forming a storm of thunder. Jia Ren stood alone at the center of the storm, allowing the surging Thunder Spiritual Power to flood into his body and fortify his physique. Countless electrical currents penetrated deep into his skin, bones, and blood, leaving no part untouched. His whole body underwent the baptism of thunder, using lightning for Body Refinement, strengthening his physique.
The Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool was meant to simulate the heavenly ordeal; by transcending the Thunder Tribulation, one welcomed rebirth. His body felt as if parched land had met sweet rain, eagerly absorbing the power of the Heavenly Tribulation to grow stronger.
He consumed the Spiritual Medicines for both the Yin Five Elements Spirit Body and the Yang Five Elements Spirit Body one after another. Consequently, the Yin-Yang Five Elements Spiritual Body merely gained stronger control over the Five Element Spiritual Energy, while the remaining Five Elements power sank into his heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. This power was supposed to show its true effect only when advancing to the Body Integration Realm.
The thunder power surging into his body grew more and more, progressing from transforming flesh, blood vessels, and bones to enhancing his physique. After an extensive baptism by thunder, a portion of the thunder power seeped into his five organs, finally awakening the dormant Five Elements power. When the Five Elements encountered lightning, they differentiated into Yin and Yang, manifesting an endlessly rotating Yin-Yang diagram. As the Yin-Yang diagram spun ceaselessly, the five organs seemed to unlock some hidden secret, with the Yin-Yang Five Elements power stopping at the position representing the liver.
A surge of intense vitality blossomed, starting from the five organs and circulating throughout his body, enshrouding his entire being in a faint cyan light. These energies formed a whole, cycling endlessly. Jia Ren felt a strong vitality and restorative power within his body and wanted to test how much his recovery abilities had improved.
A sword light grazed his body, leaving only a white mark, failing to breach his defense. After the Heavenly Tribulation Body Refinement, his physical strength had increased greatly, now comparable to a low-quality Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure; ordinary treasures could hardly injure him. The sword qi of the Birthless Killing Sword sliced across his arm, breaking the skin and leaving a bloody gash. The injured flesh recovered at an astonishing speed; the wound vanished in the blink of an eye.
Jia Ren thought of the Immortal Physique and then remembered the legend of regenerating from a drop of blood. There were tales of ancient cultivators who, upon ascending to the Body Integration Realm, possessed an Immortal Physique capable of regenerating from a single drop of blood.
Having undergone the baptism of the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, has the awakening of my body’s hidden potential through the Yin-Yang Five Elements Spiritual Body granted me an Immortal Physique?
He did not entertain the idea of testing it by lopping off his own limbs. Jia Ren had a premonition, guessing that it was most likely true.
The Immortal Physique is achieved, but can I also achieve immortal blood?
As countless thoughts filled his mind, the power of the Heavenly Tribulation entering his body gradually decreased until it disappeared. He opened his eyes and glanced around. Only a thin layer remained in the Thunder Spirit Pool; the emerging electric snakes were weak and devoid of strength.
Is it almost over?
I’m not ready to leave yet!
Jia Ren saw no new influx of Thunder Spirit Liquid, and disappointment filled his eyes. For the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool to accumulate a full pool of Thunder Spirit Liquid and manifest a Thunder Dragon barely inferior to a Body Integration Realm cultivator must have taken a substantial amount of time and treasures. The result was already good; the gains had far exceeded his expectations.
After experiencing the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, an idea began to form in his mind. The Great Divine Power of regenerating from a drop of blood had been lost for too long, with no one able to replicate it. The Yin-Yang Five Elements Spiritual Body combined with Heavenly Tribulation Body Refinement might be the Great Dao leading to the path of regenerating from a drop of blood. Whether it would succeed or not, he would have to try to find out. At the very least, the effect of Body Refinement was confirmed to be absolutely excellent.
Enduring Body Refinement through Heavenly Tribulation was not easy. When ascending from the Body Integration Realm to the Mahayana Realm, one would encounter the Mahayana Thunder Tribulation. That ordeal was known to be terrifying, with few who survived it; many exceptionally talented cultivators had died during the Mahayana Thunder Tribulation. Cultivators from all walks of life sought ways to avoid the natural Heavenly Tribulations, unwilling to court death.
Besides that, there was another way: to interfere with the Heavenly Tribulation of a Spiritual Treasure, thereby inviting divine punishment upon oneself. As long as one forged a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, its corresponding Heavenly Tribulation would appear; by personally intervening in this Tribulation, one could experience its power. The downside was the inability to transcend such a Tribulation; one would be doomed to fall along with the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure under the might of the Heavenly Tribulation. Jia Ren took note of this method, planning to test it when an opportunity arose.
He cast a few spells and waited quietly. The guardians activated the protective formation sealing the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, revealing an exit before him.
"Senior, has the cleansing ended?" one of the guardians asked, his face etched with astonishment, realizing it hadn’t even been seven days. Even a cultivator at the peak of the Lianxu Stage wouldn’t consume the waters of the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool so quickly.
He must have insufficient cultivation, unable to cope with the Thunder Dragon, and thus left the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool prematurely, the guardian thought. The Thunder Dragon that condenses in the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool doesn’t leave the pool; if one encounters danger, escaping poses no great trouble. A cultivator at the early stage of Void Refinement cannot handle the Thunder Dragon. Continuing to stay would risk one’s life, so leaving was the wise choice.
This was good news for the Shenxiao Sect. The Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, normally usable only once every three hundred years, had consumed so little Spiritual Liquid that the time until its next opening would be significantly shortened.
After Jia Ren left, the guardian entered the Thunder Spirit Pool. Upon seeing the completely depleted waters, he was stunned.
All the Spiritual Liquid consumed?! What kind of freak is this?!
Having left the Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, Jia Ren had no desire to linger in the Shenxiao Sect and quickly departed. After all, it wasn’t his own sect. Having experienced Qi Chuanan’s farce, he felt uneasy and thought it better to leave sooner rather than later.
"Daoist Jia, please wait!"
Jia Ren couldn’t help but frown, speeding up his Escape Light to fly away from the Shenxiao Sect.
"Fellow Daoist, do not misunderstand; I harbor no ill intentions," the voice called out again. "I believe that the person who colluded with the Sinful Denizens is certainly not you, Daoist; you must have been slandered. You helped the Shenxiao Sect eliminate a hidden danger, doing us a great favor. These two pieces of Heavenly Spirit Material are the sect’s compensation to you, Daoist, a modest gesture of our appreciation."
This Void Refining Stage cultivator stopped Jia Ren at the exit of the Shenxiao Sect, smiling as he handed over two pieces of Thunder Attribute Heavenly Spirit Material. Heavenly Spirit Material was rare, almost extinct within the Mysterious Realm. Only a few territories and Secret Realms produced it, and these sources had long been divided among the top sects. Jia Ren carefully confirmed there were no issues with the two pieces of Heavenly Spirit Material before accepting them. As a Heaven-reaching Refiner, he had also planned to use the Heavenly Tribulation of Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures for Body Refinement. There was no reason to refuse such fortuitous gains that came without asking.
"No need to see me off, fellow Daoist!"
Jia Ren left the Shenxiao Sect without any delay, using the Five Metals Divine Escape to distance himself rapidly.
Now that the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre knows of my presence in the Shenxiao Sect, both the Sinful Denizens and the Hidden Cultivation Sect will likely learn of it, he mused. I can’t be sure if they’ll try to ambush me along the way, so it’s better to be cautious. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
The illusory Deceiving the Heavens Pearl spun continuously, achieving the effect of deceiving heaven and crossing the sea. It was unclear whether the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl was extremely effective, thus eliminating potential risks, or if the Hidden Cultivation Sect and other powers of the Sinful Denizens were too preoccupied to pay him any attention. He encountered no danger along the way and successfully rushed back to the Lingbao Sect.
Home is truly where the heart feels safest!
Returning to the Lingbao Sect, Jia Ren felt an intense sense of security wash over him. Tian Lingzi appeared instantaneously before Jia Ren, beaming.
"You’ve caused quite a stir in the Shenxiao Sect. If you hadn’t returned soon, a few of us old folks were ready to make a trip there."
This was a reminder that he was not alone; a formidable sect stood behind him.
Didn’t find the Heart Demon seeds? Jia Ren thought. If the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre planted contingencies in the Shenxiao Sect, it certainly wouldn’t overlook the Lingbao Sect!
The Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre possessed considerable intelligence. After entering the Mysterious Realm and possibly merging with other Bizarre Demons, its power had surged. It knew the Lingbao Sect was Jia Ren’s sect, the most threatening force against Bizarre Demons, and would not ignore the Lingbao Sect or fail to take measures against it. If the Shenxiao Sect harbored Heart Demon seeds, the Lingbao Sect would likely have even more contingencies, not fewer.
One cannot rest at ease with a demon snoring beside the couch.
Without personally investigating the Lingbao Sect, I can never be at peace.
"The sect is starting a second round of testing," Jia Ren stated. "I will confirm if any Bizarre Demons are present."
As an elder of the Lingbao Sect, Jia Ren had no problem mobilizing disciples from the Suppressing Evil Peak for a second test. The illusory Deceiving the Heavens Pearl concealed his aura, identity, and movements, preventing him from startling the snake in the grass. He secretly followed the disciples of the Suppressing Evil Peak as they began the second round of tests.
"Is this not over yet? Haven’t we been tested once already?" a few cultivators, still in seclusion in their caves, grumbled with impatience as the light of the Inquisitive Spirit Mirror fell upon them.
After the testing concluded for each, an invisible golden net was cast down to confirm there was no interference before the findings were documented.
Within Jia Ren’s former cave dwelling, Yao Chaoyuan seemed to sense something and opened his eyes.
Here we go again! a voice inside him thought. Recalling all the Heart Demon seeds now would only scare the snake by beating the grass.
The voice was not Yao Chaoyuan’s, but that of something hidden within him. Root-like tendrils probing deep into the earth began to retract, slowly disappearing from sight. If one’s divine consciousness were to probe the earth, it would detect that these root-like patterns, which had appeared on the Formation Base and Spirit Patterns of the Lingbao Sect’s Sect Protection Array, were swiftly vanishing. Everything appeared as it had before, with no sign of abnormality. If Yao Chaoyuan desired, the Lingbao Sect’s Sect Protection Array could be momentarily disabled.
The Lingbao Sect had no Mahayana Stage Cultivator in residence. Its existence until now had depended significantly on the Sect Protection Array, with the Xuantian Exquisite Pagoda at its core.
One by one, the cultivators were screened. Finally, the disciples arrived at Jia Ren’s former residence.
"Junior Brother, please step outside the cave for the test," one of the Suppressing Evil Peak disciples said.
Yao Chaoyuan exited the cave, smiling as he cupped his hands in greeting to the nine disciples of Suppressing Evil Peak. He allowed the light of the Inquisitive Spirit Mirror to shine upon him.
