Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Grand Yin Corpse Liberation and Form Shedding True Art
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"This 'Grand Yin Corpse Liberation and Form Shedding True Art' is a bit difficult."
After a night of seclusion, Lu Yang frowned at the divine ability manual before him. "A Grand Divine Ability cannot be performed without great magical power; it is the pinnacle of divine abilities."
The so-called Grand Divine Ability was not, in fact, a rank of divine ability, but a method of application.
To put it simply, by combining several compatible high-level divine abilities, one could unleash dozens of times their power. This was called a Grand Divine Ability.
The 'Grand Yin Corpse Liberation and Form Shedding True Art' was one such case. To master this Grand Divine Ability, one had to first learn three high-level divine abilities: the Heavenly Demon's Blood-Transforming Divine Light, the Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art, and the Supreme Tenuosity Imperial Edict Treasure Register. Each of these three was extremely difficult to cultivate, and one could not succeed without a great stroke of fortune.
This was a common trait of all Grand Divine Abilities.
It wasn't something you could master just because you wanted to. It depended on one's comprehension, one's fortune, and one's merit. Lacking any of these would only lead to failure.
Take the first divine ability, the Heavenly Demon's Blood-Transforming Divine Light.
This ability alone had stumped countless cultivators. After all, cultivating by flaying one's own skin was equivalent to severing one's path to immortality. Even if one succeeded, it would be meaningless.
As for the second divine ability, the Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art, it didn't have such severe side effects. The difficulty lay mainly in external materials. To master this ability, one needed a 'Profound Feminine Grand Yin Treasure Jade' as a medium. Without this rare treasure, no matter how high your cultivation or how good your comprehension, you could not succeed.
And the 'Profound Feminine Grand Yin Treasure Jade' was exceptionally rare.
How rare? A single sentence could describe it: it wasn't on the Primal Saint Sect's exchange list. You couldn't buy it even with contribution points.
Even with the vast resources of the Primal Saint Sect, they did not possess such a rare item.
This showed that mastering this divine ability depended entirely on a cultivator's fortune and luck. Without that luck, you could search the entire world and it would still be in vain.
Therefore, Lu Yang only gave it a glance before decisively giving up and turning his attention to the third divine ability, the Supreme Tenuosity Imperial Edict Treasure Register.
To his frustration, however, although this divine ability required no precious materials and had no major side effects, it was simply too difficult.
Lu Yang studied it for a whole night with little to show for it.
"It's a bit like a formation, and a bit like a talisman, yet it's classified as a divine ability. Whether you can learn it depends entirely on comprehension. If you can't, you just can't..."
Thinking of this, Lu Yang scratched his head again, feeling unconvinced.
"I managed to grind my way through formations, which were so difficult. How long can a mere divine ability hold me back? If I have to, I'll spend another twenty years on it. I'll master you sooner or later!"
The reason Lu Yang was so determined to master the 'Grand Yin Corpse Liberation and Form Shedding True Art' was that the benefits of this Grand Divine Ability were simply too tempting for him to give up.
Needless to say how powerful the Heavenly Demon's Blood-Transforming Divine Light was, the Profound Yin Form-Seizing Grand Art was equally tyrannical. By capturing a person's aura and using it to form a 'soul shadow', one could kill them out of thin air simply by slaying the 'soul shadow'. Even if they were a thousand miles apart, death was certain.
The Supreme Tenuosity Imperial Edict Treasure Register was even more outrageous.
Once the register was formed, it didn't harm the body or kill the soul; it specifically destroyed merit and luck. Even a Son of Heaven's Mandate, if struck by this divine ability, would become an unlucky wretch.
Of course, the most powerful aspect was the combination of the three divine abilities.
This was also the effect of the 'Grand Yin Corpse Liberation and Form Shedding True Art' that most tempted Lu Yang: it increased a cultivator's chances of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!
For this point alone, Lu Yang was determined to obtain this Grand Divine Ability!
The years passed, and time flew like a shuttle.
In the blink of an eye, five years had gone by.
Inside the Blood-clothed Tower, Lu Yang leaned against a railing, gazing at the sky, silently circulating the 'Nine Transformations of the Dragon Art'. With each breath, he inhaled and exhaled clouds and mist, transforming and creating numerous strange and wonderful phenomena.
The eighth transformation, the Illusory Sea-Monster Transformation!
Although the spiritual veins of Skull Mountain were poor, Lu Yang was wealthy and had stockpiled a large number of spirit stones beforehand, so his cultivation did not stagnate.
And after five years of hard cultivation, although he had made no progress with the Supreme Tenuosity Imperial Edict Treasure Register, he had a sudden moment of inspiration while studying the divine ability. His true qi spontaneously broke through its bottleneck. By the time he came to his senses, the qi seed in his dantian had transformed once again, faintly revealing a dragon's form.
Eighth level of Qi Refining!
"Although the improvement from the seventh to the eighth level of Qi Refining isn't as dramatic as from the sixth to the seventh, my true qi and magical power have still increased severalfold."
"In the end, one's realm is the foundation!"
"So what if I don't have a Grand Divine Ability? With my current strength, I can even cross realms and kill a true disciple at the middle stage of Qi Refining!"
"Besides, there's still the ninth transformation..."
Lu Yang's heart burned with excitement. The ninth transformation, the 'Flying Fish Transformation', could break through bottlenecks. In other words, after breaking through to the ninth level of Qi Refining, he could immediately push for the Perfected Realm!
"The path to immortality is in sight! This is truly cause for celebration!"
At this thought, Lu Yang's mood brightened immensely. The gloom from failing to master the Supreme Tenuosity Imperial Edict Treasure Register was swept away, and he walked out of his meditation chamber with a cheerful grin.
Before that, however, Lu Yang first cast the Qi Concealment Art. In the next second, the vast aura of his recent breakthrough was completely restrained, returning to the seventh level of Qi Refining, just a tiny bit stronger than he was five years ago.
"Attack with three parts, keep seven for yourself. One can never have too many hidden cards."
Before long, the Primal Saint Sect disciples under the jurisdiction of the Blood-clothed Tower swarmed over. Upon seeing Lu Yang, they all bowed deeply without a word.
"Congratulations on emerging from seclusion, Tower Master!"
"Rise." Lu Yang waved his hand casually, then asked, "In the five years I've been in seclusion, has there been any trouble around Skull Mountain?"
"To answer the Tower Master, there has been none."
An elderly Primal Saint Sect disciple stepped forward. "Only once, a disciple from the Divine Might Sect of the Northern Frontier came to provoke us, but Fairy Feixia sent him away."
"What about the Profound Feminine Grand Yin Treasure Jade? Any news?"
"None for now."
After getting an update on the changes over the past five years, Lu Yang dismissed the crowd, planning to enter seclusion again until the great war between the righteous and demonic paths and the opportunity for Foundation Establishment appeared.
Just then, however, a streak of rainbow-colored light suddenly landed beside the Blood-clothed Tower.
"Junior Brother Lu, may I have a word?"
Lu Yang's spiritual sense swept over at the voice. He quickly rose to greet her with a smile. "To trouble Senior Sister to come in person, I should have been the one to visit you."
"Junior Brother, something has happened."
Fairy Feixia's expression was grave as she spoke seriously, "Recently, the Earth-Observing Instrument detected that the corpse tide, which was supposed to erupt in fifteen years, has started ahead of schedule."
"Right now, tens of thousands of zombies are heading towards the marketplace!"
"Such a strange development, with no prior warning, must have a mastermind behind it. I suspect it's very likely those barbarians from the Divine Might Sect of the Northern Frontier."
"What?"
Lu Yang frowned at her words, and his frown deepened when he noticed Fairy Feixia staring intently at him. "Senior Sister needs my help?"
"That's right. Are you willing to brave the corpse tide with me, Junior Brother?"
Fairy Feixia smiled. "The corpse tide is a crisis, but it is also an opportunity. No matter who the mastermind is, to be able to trigger the corpse tide early, they must be relying on a rare treasure."
"If we join forces, we might be able to seize it and claim a great opportunity for ourselves."
"Even if something unexpected happens and we get trapped in the corpse tide, with our cultivation, the risk is not great!"
As she spoke, Fairy Feixia's spirits soared, her face radiant and full of verve.
However, Lu Yang shook his head.
"My apologies, Senior Sister. I am not like you. My strength is low, and I haven't learned any powerful divine abilities. I only know a little about formations. It's better for me to stay behind and guard this place."
No matter how small the risk, it was still a risk.
A wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. All he had to do now was cultivate step-by-step, and he would certainly be able to reach the Perfected Qi Refining Realm. Why did he need to take risks and fight desperately?
It wasn't worth it!
His primary goal in this life was to break through to the Perfected Qi Refining Realm. He could be reckless after that breakthrough. Before then, it was better to act with caution.
"Junior Brother, you aren't going?" Seeing Lu Yang's refusal, Fairy Feixia's fine brows furrowed slightly. For someone usually so aloof to show such a troubled expression was truly pitiable. "The path of immortality is short. To achieve anything, one must burn one's bridges. I thought you understood this principle."
Lu Yang's Dao heart was like iron, completely unmoved. "Times are different now. I hope Senior Sister understands."
"Junior Brother, you've changed."
Fairy Feixia shook her head in disappointment. "In that case, you can stay and guard the marketplace. But when the time comes, you won't get a share of the opportunity."
"..."
Lu Yang just smiled at her words, not answering.
To be honest, he felt that Fairy Feixia didn't really seem like a Primal Saint Sect disciple. How should he put it... she had a naivety that suggested she had never been truly beaten down by the sect.
With a corpse tide raging, even if you obtain a heaven-sent opportunity, won't you still have to flee back to the marketplace I'm guarding?
At that point, you say the opportunity isn't mine to share? Then don't blame me for reporting that you all fought bravely and sacrificed yourselves on the front lines against the corpse tide...