Chapter 627: Kunlun Gift, Thankless Gratitude (Part 2)

After returning to the Five Elements Corpse Workshop, Wang Yu summoned Qingqing and engaged in an intense dual cultivation session that left her unconscious. Only then did he circulate his energy to digest the pure power he had gained.

Such a session, occurring every ten days to half a month, could match the efficiency of four automation slots for an entire year. This demonstrated that pure, arduous cultivation wasn't the sole path. The Heaven Demon Art of Extreme Desire proved to be a remarkable technique, and he was gaining a progressively deeper understanding of the Yin-Yang complementary principles it embodied.

He decided to integrate these profound mysteries into his future main cultivation technique. He also began refining and streamlining many techniques that he had already perfected or even pushed beyond their limits.

His accumulation on the Ice Dao was already sufficient. He needed some fire-attribute demonic cultivation techniques to comprehend. Considering the versatile nature of his Innate True Demon Physique, he aimed to collect at least one sixth-tier demonic technique for each common attribute, such as Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Wind, Thunder, and Ice. He needed to fill his personal "database" to then begin the next stage of deduction.

After his cultivation relationship with Li Chunyi deepened, the Five Elements Corpse Workshop began its second round of expansion, which greatly accelerated the evolution of the corpse-raising ground's layout. The progress towards completing its nurturing had increased significantly.

On a daily basis, he would take Blood God Pills, refine his demonic essence, and receive high-quality demon corpses. Using the Demon Refining Art, he would extract one or two essential materials from them as foundational reserves for his next artifact refinement. All the rest were poured into his nascent spirit treasure, the Blood Lotus Brazier.

Over time, his nascent spirit treasure truly transformed into a blood-red lotus-shaped brazier. The fire seeds within each lotus petal's space were completely digested. In terms of its foundation, the Blood Lotus Brazier had perfectly laid the groundwork for its advancement to a sixth-tier spirit treasure. He could begin its promotion as soon as his cultivation reached the required level.

The repair of the Five Elements Celestial Escape Saint Armor was also underway. Although the artifact spirit of this treasure was weak, it had a rare acceptance of Wang Yu's presence. Once repaired, it would provide him considerable help, mainly by utilizing the Divine Transformation realm cultivators' Dharma Domain ability to condense Five Elements Essence from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. He would then use it to nourish the Saint Armor itself. Since he didn't possess sixth-tier materials, he could only repair it slowly using this method. Five Elements Essence was a universal equivalent in the upper realms, with an extremely wide range of applications. Only cultivators who reached the Divine Transformation realm could condense it. This situation gave him the illusion that even more powerful cultivators were "mining." In essence, it was similar to how spirit slaves would damage their own cultivation to condense spirit stones, except Divine Transformation cultivators didn't need to harm their own cultivation.

As for the ruined Void Banner, the nascent artifact of the Hell King Spirit Official, Wang Yu also planned to find time to refine it into a Void Divine Seal using a secret technique from the Myriad Techniques of the Void Heaven. The Myriad Dao Secret Techniques left by the Nine Tribulations Rogue Cultivator were very practical. Many of them could be used in combat even after breaking through to the Mahayana stage, demonstrating their extraordinary profoundness.

Artifact refining, combat, escape techniques, and support — all-encompassing, these were tasks Wang Yu needed to continuously comprehend. He assigned them all to his automation slots, sometimes cycling through one slot, sometimes two. Progress was slow but steady.

Since freeing up several slots needed for cultivation techniques, the lagging Illusory Light Concept received Wang Yu's attention. It typically occupied two to four slots and hadn't been removed since. The corresponding conceptual weapon for this Illusory Light Concept had not yet materialized. Now, with increased investment, initial results were appearing, and Wang Yu could vaguely sense it. It was a dreamlike, ethereal aurora ribbon, like a shimmering, iridescent celestial sash.

As time passed, Wang Yu's cultivation progressed at an astonishing rate. Without any major incidents, he was getting closer and closer to his self-imposed ascension standard.

He also took some time to study the branch of the Jianmu Tree. This treasure was absolutely a supreme artifact for creating a universe. The main body of the Jianmu Tree was a celestial wood-level existence, no less inferior to the Phoenix clan's Parasol Tree. The branch was much weaker, yet it was still a treasure of extreme rarity. With it, the creation of a Void Refinement Blessed Land would become much simpler. This was equivalent to completing some Void Refinement stage cultivation goals in advance, which was a good thing.

Furthermore, regarding the second round of "smuggling" people across realms, as the matter of Mo Lian spread, the entire Mountain and Sea Realm learned that his previous actions were for capturing demon spies. His communication jade slip was completely overwhelmed. Countless Divine Transformation cultivators daily came with treasure offers, hoping to exchange them for a "ticket."

Wang Yu spent some time selecting thirty passengers. Unlike the first batch, this second group had significantly less prominent backgrounds. Thus, fitting them in wasn't a problem; most had average or unremarkable backgrounds. One Dao Integration ancestor could speak a few words but couldn't influence the arrangement of the Emotion Severing Dao Lineage regarding the ascension passage. These people, upon arriving in the True Spirit Realm, would likely start in minor management roles, similar to clerks. Wang Yu thought they might also be useful. Therefore, when selecting, he considered not only their treasures but also their backgrounds. Given his decision to go to the demonic cultivation world, he also got acquainted with a group of demonic cultivators whose backgrounds weren't particularly strong. Whether they would be useful remained to be seen in the future.

All thirty treasures were top-tier. Currently, many were special resources primarily used to accelerate the growth of the Yin Five Elements cycle. The rest he stored away for future use.

Thus, five years later, came the Little Extreme Palace gathering.

"Is this the reward from the Emotion Severing Dao Lineage?" Inside the Ice and Snow Palace, Wang Yu tossed the spherical object in his hand, his expression curious.

Li Chunyi, however, said with a solemn expression, "Brother Wei, this is a top-tier resource of the human race. Only with the personal approval of the Grandmaster of the Grand Profound Heaven can it be withdrawn from the Immortal Palace's treasury."

Wang Yu's mouth twitched, feeling a little helpless.

Li Chunyi then continued to explain, "In five years, the Soul Demon Tribe's spies embedded in the True Spirit Realm were almost completely eradicated. The demon race's intelligence system suffered a devastating blow. Our combined merits only exchanged for this one seed; its value is even greater than that of the Jianmu branch." As he spoke, his gaze at the spherical object revealed extreme reluctance, but he forcibly turned his head away, believing that not looking would prevent greed from arising. "Many within the sect actually wanted this item, but... no one dares to question a reward issued by the Grand Profound Heaven. Brother Wei, you should refine it as soon as possible, lest you be targeted and needlessly invite trouble."

Wang Yu showed a thoughtful expression. Void Refinement cultivators primarily cultivate the blessed land space within their bodies, integrating their Dao concepts into it to form the most suitable environment. Enhancing this blessed land is a method of cultivation. This is also why cultivators with multiple Dao concepts need to fuse them. There is only one blessed land; you cannot have your cake and eat it too. The fusion of the two involves the comprehension of laws and is the grand path towards the Dao Integration stage!

Of course, historically, there have also been individuals of extraordinary talent who integrated vast amounts of Dao concepts to create a Qiankun Blessed Land that was almost a real world. The result was that they never grasped the perfect entry to these Dao laws before they died. Among the Three Thousand Great Daos, grasping even one allows one to pursue the Immortal Realm. If you want them all, you are cultivating the path of omniscience and omnipotence. Such unprecedented miracles have never occurred throughout history, so this prodigy remained forever stuck at the peak of Void Refinement, ending his journey with regret.

Getting back to the main topic. It should be noted that a Divine Transformation cultivator's magic power is almost the limit a cultivator can reach. Starting from Qi Condensation, it undergoes five qualitative transformations. After breaking through to Void Refinement and completing the sixth qualitative transformation, it becomes difficult to progress further. At this point, the blessed land needs to play its role. Magic power is sublimated by drawing upon the blessed land's origin. This process is like a cultivator merging with the origin of a world, achieving the most fundamental sublimation.

Creating a blessed land is akin to creating a world. Although it cannot compare to even the most basic Minor Thousand Worlds, the principles are interconnected. This theory has been verified by countless ancient sages. Sublimating magic power and further enhancing the essence of life is one of the purposes of establishing a Void Refinement Blessed Land. The blessed land will be the manifestation of the cultivator's own Dao. Therefore, integrating Dao concepts and utilizing the power of the blessed land can provide indispensable assistance when preparing to break through to the Dao Integration stage in the future. One link connects to the next. Further progression sees the blessed land ascending to a Grotto Heaven, with the final stage being the current Nine Immortal Dao Sanctuaries of the human race—the Nine Heavens! Grand Profound Heaven, Great Demonic Heaven, East Sovereign Heaven, Bodhi Heaven... all are manifestations of this system. To replace the Heavenly Dao with one's own self, if one does not wish to integrate into the Heavenly Dao of the vast cosmos, one can only forge one's own heaven and earth.

After understanding the essence of cultivation, let's return to the spherical object in Wang Yu's hand. Its name is the Myriad Objects Seed. It is the essence obtained when one of the Nine Immortals personally took action to refine a Grand Thousand World. This was not a world under the dominion of the Vast Immortal Domain but a realm governed by other races, which they conquered after a battle. Because the distance was too great, it could not be brought back to the Vast Immortal Domain. Thus, they resorted to draining the pond to catch the fish, refining it on the spot into various treasures. The Myriad Objects Seed was one such treasure, rare, precious, and rarely obtained. It could help cultivators of any great Dao strengthen the origin of their blessed land, enabling their Qiankun Blessed Land to ascend to a Grotto-Heaven World upon breaking through the Void Refinement stage. Once their Dao concept reached perfection, they could use this seed to comprehend Dao laws, achieve instantaneous comprehension, and forge an unparalleled foundation. It could save prodigy cultivators countless years of arduous cultivation. Moreover, it perfectly suited ambitious individuals like Wang Yu, who cultivated multiple Daos simultaneously.

Li Chunyi urged him to refine it. This involved integrating it into his body, choosing a certain point within himself as a node to open the initial prototype of a Qiankun Blessed Land. When he later broke through, it would instantly complete its sublimation. At Void Refinement Layer One, he would gain a Grotto-Heaven World normally only obtainable at the peak of Void Refinement. At that time, his control over spatial power would significantly increase, and he would even grasp more Dao laws. Becoming a strong practitioner immediately upon breaking through, this was extremely suitable for Wang Yu to venture into the demonic cultivation world, which adhered to the law of the jungle.

"Blessed Land, Grotto Heaven... Dao Laws!" Wang Yu had never imagined that one day he would receive such preferential treatment. Perhaps this matter was even tacitly approved by True Immortal Xuande. He used to think his treatment was far inferior to that of the First Human Emperor. Now, on second thought, perhaps True Immortal Xuande had seen through his character, knowing that he wouldn't follow the path of the Battle Immortal Department like the First Human Emperor, and was more suited to... being given free rein? If so, his journey to the demonic cultivation world would no longer pose any problems.

After his thoughts concluded, Wang Yu immediately swallowed the Myriad Objects Seed, planting it at the ninth segment of his spine. There was a reason for choosing this location: he also cultivated the path of body refinement. In the later stages of this path, it emphasized inscribing the comprehension of Dao laws onto the physical body, transforming fists into Dao, making the physical body like a sky-supporting pillar, invincible across all lands. The ninth segment of the spine was the starting point for condensing the dragon bones of the Undying Underworld Dragon Art. In the near future, when refining the Yin Five Elements into his body, the Myriad Objects Seed could also exert its effect to temper this power of rules for him. Considering the longer term, this connecting point could also serve as a starting point when the two Daos merged in the future. The location for bearing the Blessed Land and Grotto Heaven varied considerably depending on the cultivator's cultivation technique. The most suitable location for him was here.

Since the Myriad Objects Seed had already undergone multiple temperings, Wang Yu's ingestion of it was virtually instantaneous. It was digested the moment it touched his throat, incredibly smooth. It didn't waste any time at all.

Li Chunyi waited for him to adapt before turning and saying with an envious tone, "Congratulations, Brother Wei, on refining the Myriad Objects Seed. With this foundation, you will be a first-rate powerhouse when you break through to Void Refinement in the future. Its benefits are endless; take your time to experience them fully."

Wang Yu gave a slight smile. "I must also thank Daoist Li for your humility this time."

"This isn't a matter of humility; it was specifically designated for you by the higher-ups. For me, gaining more attention from the Emotion Severing Dao Lineage is an excellent reward in itself," Li Chunyi shook his head. "By the way, after this Little Extreme Palace gathering concludes, I will ascend to the True Spirit Realm via a different passage. I hope we will meet again someday. Brother Wei, please don't be too greedy for treasures and spend too much time on that 'ticket' business. A few treasures aren't worth wasting time and delaying your cultivation for. You must know that the Divine Transformation stage only grants about 3200 years of life, and every year..."

Listening to the other's ceaseless chatter, Wang Yu let it go in one ear and out the other. He was still very young, only a little over five hundred years old. According to the standards of the Nine Realms, cultivating to the peak of Divine Transformation within 1500 years was considered an ordinary genius. As long as one met this standard, breaking through to Void Refinement was generally not an issue. While cultivation speed was a standard for judging talent, it wasn't the sole one. Combat prowess, willpower, luck, comprehension, disposition, and so on, were also criteria for judgment, and the Nine Realms had ways to test all of them. Zhao Mo, who was considered a True Immortal Seed by the demon race, could only be said to barely touch the edge of top-tier prodigies among humans, ranking at the very bottom. The truly highly anticipated seeds primarily cultivated in the Nine Heavens. After this gathering, Wang Yu also had to consider which Dao lineage in the demonic cultivation world he should join.

An hour later, the treasure exchange commenced as usual. Wang Yu, currently not lacking resources, did not participate. He merely informed the thirty 'passengers' to find him at the Ice Palace behind the Little Extreme Palace after the event concluded, seamlessly connecting to their second crossing of the cosmic sea.

Thus, time flew by. Qingqing did not accompany him. After this round of 'smuggling' people, the World-Opening Divine Vessel only had enough energy reserves for one more round trip. He saved it for his own journey to the demonic cultivation world. This time, entering the cosmic sea, Wang Yu decided to search for a cosmic wonder near the established route on their return journey: a perilous place called the "Aurora Firmament." As the name suggested, this was to further his comprehension of the Illusory Light Concept. Furthermore, he had set his sights on the Void Giant Kun. The last time, the timing wasn't right. This time, he could try to hunt one, taking its stomach sac to continue accumulating foundations for establishing his blessed land. The more such top-tier spatial attribute treasures, the better.

To forge an unparalleled foundational essence! To break through at the fastest possible speed! To comprehend the Dao laws corresponding to his concepts! These were Wang Yu's short-term goals. After this, he would focus on cultivation, awaiting the complete accumulation of his demonic essence while utilizing more Feng Shui secret techniques to accelerate the cultivation of the Yin Five Elements cycle. He aimed to ascend within twenty years.

Near the Little Extreme Palace's ascension passage, Wang Yu smiled and waved, saying, "Fellow Daoists, it's a pleasure to meet you." The Sword Demon Dao Lineage, Bone Aspect Dao Lineage, Green Flame Dao Lineage, Profound Yin Dao Lineage, Corpse Transformation Dao Lineage... these were all mid-to-lower tier Dao lineages, with Dao Integration ancestors being the highest cultivators within them. They were also vassals subordinate to the various top-tier demonic Dao lineages. He intended to obtain information about the demonic cultivation world from them and then choose the Dao lineage most suitable for himself. As for the Demon Star Dao Lineage that Qingqing joined, that could be decided later.