Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 609 - 604: Advancing to the Body Integration Realm, Demon Lord of the Skies_1
Before his ascension to the Body Integration Realm, Jia Ren first made a trip to the treasure repository of the Second Lingbao Sect, taking out the only set of Eighth-Order Formation Plates they had.
Advancing to the Body Integration Realm had no inherent chance of failure. The greatest concern was external interference. There were no issues within the Second Lingbao Sect, but one couldn’t be too careful to ensure absolute safety. It was always better to have extra preparations than to risk external factors disrupting one’s seclusion and breakthrough. Such disruptions could lead to a failed ascension to the Body Integration Realm and, ultimately, death and the dissolution of one’s Dao. By then, there would be no medicine for regret.
After setting up the Formation, Jia Ren hung a "Do Not Disturb" Wooden Plaque at his Cave entrance. He took out the Yuanhe Spirit Pill and the Source Treasure Celestial Bloom. These were treasures that assisted ascension to the Body Integration Realm. The Soul-Shaking Bell was placed to his left. The Second Nascent Soul and the Insect External Incarnation stood guard to one side, holding the God-binding Chain and the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl respectively. In addition, there were life-saving elixirs like the Nine Revolutions Life Creation Pill and the Soul Source Resurrection Pill. Lastly, there were bottles of Soul-Cleansing Water.
The Soul-Cleansing Water continuously purified his Divine Soul. Impurities, remnants from when he consumed Qingjin God Shrimp to strengthen his Virtual God in the past, flowed out with the water. Besides purification, the water also strengthened the Divine Soul and fortified it against external demons and Heart Demons, significantly reducing the potential impact of the Heavenly Demon Tribulation. In an instant, Jia Ren’s mind became exceptionally clear and tranquil.
"Begin the breakthrough!"
With all preparations complete, Jia Ren first swallowed the Yuanhe Spirit Pill. He felt its power dissolve within his body before absorbing the Source Treasure Celestial Bloom. As the two ascension treasures entered his body, his consciousness descended into his Dantian. He began to draw upon the power of the Five Elements, which lay dormant within his five vital organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. The heart corresponded to Fire, the liver to Wood, the spleen to Earth, the lungs to Metal, and the kidneys to Water. These five organs, mirroring the Five Elements, formed a complete cycle within his body.
The Five Elements circulation was divided into two layers: an outer layer corresponding to Yang, the Yang Five Elements, and an inner layer transforming into Yin, the Yin Five Elements. This circulation of Yin Yang and Five Elements coalesced to form the foundation of the Five Elements, the very cornerstone of the Great Dao.
Once the Five Elements foundation was established, the Virtual God at the center of his Divine Sea opened its eyes. It departed from the divine sanctum where it had long resided and flew towards his Dantian. The Virtual God entered the heart of the Five Elements, merging into them until it disappeared from view. A lengthy fusion process commenced as the Virtual God and the Five Elements merged into a single entity. The Yin Yang and Five Elements, forming a cycle, achieved an initial integration with the Virtual God. The power of this Five Elements-infused Virtual God spread outward from within, suffusing every part of his body and imbuing it with the colors of Yin Yang and Five Elements. The lesser Five Elements cycle transformed into a greater Five Elements cycle, marking the first true fusion between the Virtual God and his physical body.
This was just the beginning; what followed was a test of life and death.
Throughout a thirty thousand li radius, the ambient nature’s spiritual energy suddenly surged, rushing like a colossal tide towards Jia Ren’s location. The fusion required for the Body Integration Realm involved more than just one’s own spiritual energy and Divine Soul. The spiritual energy accumulated at Vacuum Refining Perfection was insufficient for this ascension; one also needed to absorb a vast amount of nature’s spiritual energy to empower oneself. The body, Divine Soul, and spiritual power served as the embryonic vessel; the heavens and earth acted as the furnace, and spiritual energy as the fuel, all to forge a formidable physique. Many cultivators who ascend to the Body Integration Realm owe their formidable physiques to this refinement by the heavens and earth.
This massive influx of nature’s spiritual energy was both a process of transformation and metamorphosis for the body, and potentially one of destruction and annihilation. If a cultivator could not control and withstand this transformation driven by the immense influx of nature’s spiritual energy, their only fate was obliteration. Many cultivators would re-learn Body Refining Techniques from scratch before ascending to the Body Integration Realm, ensuring that their body vessel was sturdy enough not to explode and perish.
Jia Ren’s physique was comparable to a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, unmatched even by other Body Integration Realm cultivators. The influx of massive nature’s spiritual energy into his body could not possibly cause it to burst. Even if there was a problem, his incarnation could control the Dusk Treasured Light to save the situation.
Nature’s spiritual energy gradually merged into his body. A portion was absorbed into the Five Elements foundation, which continuously drew in and transformed the massive, chaotic, and volatile ambient spiritual energy, thereby strengthening itself. If the newly solidified Five Elements foundation proved unstable, it would instantly be shattered by the overwhelming influx of nature’s spiritual energy. That moment would signify the cultivator’s death and the dissolution of their Dao. The Yin Yang and Five Elements formed an internal and external double cycle—left internal, right external—creating a vast Yin-Yang Great Grinding Disc. This disc continuously ground down the volatile nature’s spiritual energy, integrating it into the cultivator. The Source Treasure Celestial Bloom manifested, along with a stream of pure ambient spiritual energy. These were swiftly absorbed, facilitating the fusion of nature’s spiritual energy with his body.
His physique progressively grew stronger, and the Virtual God underwent an even deeper fusion with his body until they were completely united. Upon reaching the Body Integration Realm, the body itself became like the Divine Soul—capable of traversing the Void and performing Instantaneous Movement across thousands of li, just like the Virtual God.
The commotion caused by this ascension to the Body Integration Realm was substantial. The resulting phenomena, extending across a thirty thousand li radius, alerted numerous Magical Beasts and cultivators, who involuntarily turned their gaze towards the source of the converging spiritual energy.
"Someone from the Lingbao Sect is ascending to the Body Integration Realm?!"
The Magical Beasts were one thing. However, when Seventh-order Demon Beasts sensed the phenomenon originated from the Lingbao Sect, they lost interest, certainly not intending to interfere with someone’s ascension to the Body Integration Realm.
"Who could it be? The sect’s Void Refining Stage Cultivators are still far from ascension. Ordinary cultivators typically only draw nature’s spiritual energy from a ten thousand li radius when ascending to the Body Integration Realm. Yet, this phenomenon covers thirty thousand li!"
"The source is Jia Ren’s Cave?!"
Cultivators of the Lingbao Sect emerged from their seclusion one after another. They stared in astonishment at the enormous funnel of spiritual energy descending from the sky, converging directly above Jia Ren’s Cave. They scrutinized the scene in disbelief, and the truth was staggering.
The one breaking through was... Jia Ren. Wasn’t Jia Ren at the Early-stage of Void Refinement? In the blink of an eye, how did he ascend to the Body Integration Realm?! Could someone be impersonating him? Substitute One Thing for Another? There must be a problem!!!
However, the Formation around his Cave blocked all their attempts to investigate, leaving their myriad suspicions unanswered.
"Do not disturb Jia Ren’s breakthrough; anyone daring to cause trouble will be dealt with as a traitor to the sect!"
Sect Master Cloud Tiger appeared out of thin air, a powerful shockwave of his aura sending the cultivators who had ventured too close to Jia Ren’s Cave flying. With the Deputy Sect Master personally intervening, nobody doubted the legitimacy of the individual undergoing the breakthrough inside. It was the very same Jia Ren who had become one of the Lingbao Sect’s Fire Seeds.
Fellow Lingbao Sect Cultivators, yet why is the disparity between us so vast? Many, recalling they were still at the Divinity Transformation Stage, simply turned and left. People truly cannot be compared. If they lingered, they feared their Dao hearts would shatter...
Ji Ning recalled how Jia Ren had claimed to have no time to refine a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure for him. Upon reflection, there was a deeper meaning to his words all along, he thought. His trip to the Source Treasure Cave Heaven was precisely for this—to ascend to the Body Integration Realm!
"I will wait for you to ascend to the Body Integration Realm!" Ji Ning declared. "After all this time, there’s finally a peer worthy of my pursuit! Life isn’t so dull after all!" He laughed heartily and departed. Having been unrivaled for too long, Jia Ren, this unexpected ’dragon,’ brought him immense joy. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Jue Wushuang’s expression flickered indeterminately as he stared at Jia Ren’s Cave for a long, silent moment. He glanced at Sect Master Cloud Tiger, who stood guard nearby, then swiftly departed.
"I haven’t witnessed such a dramatic ascension to the Body Integration Realm in a long time. I am truly put to shame!" Sect Master Cloud Tiger mused aloud, then exclaimed with conviction, "The Lingbao Sect is destined to prosper!" Looking at the disturbance in nature’s spiritual energy within the thirty thousand li radius, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. When he himself had ascended to the Body Integration Realm, he had drawn nature’s spiritual energy from a fifteen thousand li radius, a feat considered a mark of exceptional talent and a profound foundation. Compared to Jia Ren, however, it seemed insignificant. As long as Jia Ren successfully ascended, his strength would far surpass others at the same realm. A Heaven-reaching Refiner, an elixir genius, possessing exceptional magical techniques, and cultivating at an astonishing speed... Such dazzling, multifaceted talent was comparable only to the founding ancestor in the entire history of the Lingbao Sect. However, Sect Master Cloud Tiger was unaware of the matter concerning the Heavenly Earth Treasure; otherwise, who knew how he might have reacted.
Time flew by quickly, and Jia Ren’s ascension to the Body Integration Realm gradually entered its final stages. The time required for a cultivator to ascend to the Body Integration Realm varied, depending on how long it took for the Virtual God to fully integrate with the body. Some took several years or even decades; others might need a hundred years. Most of this time was spent strengthening the physique and on the integration process itself. Jia Ren’s body was comparable to a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure. Many Body Integration Realm cultivators were far inferior to him, so the time he spent ascending to the Body Integration Realm was far less than that of ninety-nine percent of cultivators. The effects of the Yuanhe Spirit Pill, The Ancient Thunder Spirit Pool, the Yin Yang and Five Elements foundation, and the Source Treasure Celestial Bloom all manifested, greatly reducing the time needed for the Virtual God and body to fuse.
After an unknown period, Jia Ren slowly opened his eyes. The Virtual God and his body had merged into one, in perfect, harmonious accord. Only the final trial of the Body Integration Realm remained!
It’s a pity I couldn’t experience the legendary Blood Rebirth! I can only rely on the Heavenly Tribulation to refine my body now... Jia Ren sensed something and looked up at the sky.
The sky had, at some unknown point, turned completely black. All light had vanished, as if heaven and earth themselves had been remade, the sun and moon overturned. An overpowering, suffocating pressure descended. The Heavenly Demon Tribulation had arrived!
"This is bad! Is this a Demon Lord of the Skies?" exclaimed Sect Master Cloud Tiger, who was silently guarding Jia Ren’s breakthrough, preventing any interference that might jeopardize the emergence of the Lingbao Sect’s prodigy. "How could Jia Ren’s ascension to the Body Integration Realm attract such an entity?!"
Jia Ren had taken only five years to reach this stage, already fusing his Virtual God with nature’s spiritual energy. As long as he passed this final Heavenly Demon Tribulation, the Lingbao Sect would gain another Body Integration Realm cultivator. The Lingbao Sect was severely weakened, lacking not only Mahayana Realm cultivators but also possessing few at the Body Integration Realm. A newly ascended Body Integration Realm cultivator was indeed exhilarating news for the sect. Unfortunately, heaven rarely grants one’s wishes. The Heavenly Demon Tribulation had actually summoned a Demon Lord of the Skies—an entity usually encountered only during ascension to the Mahayana Realm! Is this to prevent the Lingbao Sect from gaining a new Body Integration Realm cultivator?!
"External demon, be gone!" The Sect Protection Array activated, and a God-binding Chain shot upwards, attempting to bind the Demon Lord of the Skies. The Heavenly Demon Tribulation differed from the Heart Demon Tribulation. While one had to resist the Heart Demon Tribulation alone, external help could be sought for the Heavenly Demon Tribulation. The Sect Protection Array and the God-binding Chain of the Second Lingbao Sect combined their power to suppress the Demon Lord of the Skies.
"If this were the Main Lingbao Sect, guarded by the Xuantian Treasure Pagoda, I might have shown some restraint!" the Demon Lord of the Skies boomed. "Begone!"
The sound wave was like a tide, its power like arrows. The Seventh-Order Sect Protection Array and the God-binding Chain were blasted away, unable to offer any resistance.
The Demon Lord of the Skies ignored Cloud Tiger. A tide of black smoke surged, pouring into the Cave where Jia Ren was in seclusion. The Seventh-Order Formations arranged around the perimeter offered no resistance whatsoever, as if they didn’t even exist. The black smoke rushed into Jia Ren’s Sea of Consciousness, charging straight in.
"When you destroyed my incarnation, did you ever imagine this day would come?" In Jia Ren’s Sea of Consciousness, the black energy coalesced into the image of a three-headed, six-armed demon. Its aura was terrifying, no less than that of a Mahayana Stage Cultivator.
"How could a mere minor Heavenly Demon be your incarnation?" Jia Ren had initially expected to face a Great Heavenly Demon and had made thorough preparations. But... to encounter a Demon Lord of the Skies during his ascension to the Body Integration Realm meant almost certain death.
"Heh heh, the Mysterious Realm is my hunting ground," the Demon Lord sneered. "All Great Heavenly Demons within this world are my incarnations. You destroyed a potential seed I had just discovered... However, your talent is exceptional, and I do appreciate talent. I’ll give you one chance: become one of my Heavenly Demon incarnations. This is your only way to survive."
