Chapter 632: Soothing the Spirit, Ascending to the Demon Cultivation Realm

After absorbing a fragmented Quintessential Five Elements origin, Wang Yu's five internal organs were nourished, the Devouring Heaven formation formally took shape within his body, and the Five Qi began accumulating in his chest.

Although Body Cultivation Stage Six and the Void Refinement Stage are at the same realm, a breakthrough in the latter naturally grants the profound ability to grasp the fundamentals of spatial laws. Body cultivation is difficult, and one cannot master the power of laws in advance, but it is about commanding laws through sheer brute force!

I directly devour the heavens, forcibly refining the laws into my body.

The Quintessential Five Elements laws are the primary goal chosen by body cultivation predecessors. The Five Qi returning to the origin is a prerequisite for the fusion of spirit and flesh, and also one of the cultivation goals for Body Cultivation Stage Six!

After the five organs are initially transformed into the "Five Qi," body cultivators will possess extremely powerful refining abilities. Spiritual energy, demonic energy, vital energy, and anomalous energies can all be forcibly refined, as long as it doesn't exceed their physical limits.

They can be forcibly refined to become nourishment for increasing their own Primordial Marrow. The later the stage, the more body cultivation resources are needed, which also leads to an extreme increase in body cultivators' "digestive capacity."

They can eat anything!

This step of devouring the heavens and breaking through to Stage Six aims to condense the seeds of the Five Qi within the five organs and then find ways to nurture them. This continuously increases physical strength, thereby granting the power to break through realms.

Eat anything — nourish the Five Qi — the Five Qi cultivate Marrow — Marrow strengthens the body — and then eat even more.

It's roughly this cycle.

Physical tempering at this stage merely serves as a bonus. Body cultivators at Stage Six need to accumulate very abundant foundations for their next transformation, to truly control the laws.

Otherwise, it will be difficult to support the next stage of transformation.

They can be called human Taotie.

Wang Yu forcibly refined the Saint Armor's origin, making the breakthrough process smoother. However, due to the limitations of the small-thousand world, he couldn't truly cross this threshold.

This required the Immortal Lock Tower.

However, previously, the act of pouring the artifact spirit into the Immortal Lock Tower and draining its original body, as expected, caused the artifact spirit to go berserk!

Wang Yu forcibly suppressed his body's instinct to advance.

He took out the World-Splitting Divine Ark. Without a moment to explain anything to the Wei clan, he hurried to the neighboring Thousand-Mile Barren Land to pick up Qing Qing, all under the watchful eyes of many Mountain and Sea Spirit Transformation Venerables.

The World-Splitting Divine Ark activated, directly carrying the two through the void, crossing the world barrier, and instantly arriving in the Cosmic Sea.

"Did he just leave so gracefully...?" Someone voiced their confusion.

Someone else sighed with deep emotion.

"Since Wei Wuxian returned, only thirty years have passed, yet he has turned the entire Mountain and Sea Realm upside down. He is surely destined to become a pillar of our human race!"

These words made some people unhappy, but they couldn't refute them. After all, every quality he displayed was of an excellence that ordinary people could hardly match. Besides sighs and astonishment, it seemed they could only watch.

The Vast Immortal Domain, Cosmic Sea.

Wang Yu, having set the first half of the star map route, without time to say a single word to Qing Qing, sat cross-legged, pale-faced, in the two-story cabin, with all defensive restrictions automatically unfolding.

Wang Yu took a deep breath, and his divine sense transformed into a thought body. He entered the Immortal Lock Tower.

As expected, a chubby little boy, with a five-colored divine disk swirling behind him, was looking on furiously. His delicate appearance was like that of a human infant, but his jade-like skin was covered in dense cracks. He looked like exquisite porcelain that would shatter at a touch.

'This poor child...'

As an artifact spirit born from the Quintessential Five Elements Heavenly Escape Saint Armor, its relationship with the Saint Armor was akin to that of a natal spirit treasure to Wang Yu. For the artifact to break and the spirit to perish was the norm.

Tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago, to suppress the ancient demons, the Five Elements artifact spirit descended to the lower realm with its master to fulfill the duties of the Prison King Spirit Official. The result was a successful sealing of the demons, but it perished due to a backlash from the Heavenly Dao.

Its first severe injury was due to this incident. The Spirit Official Seal should have allowed its master to unleash their full power and circumvent the immortal rules of the Ice Prison Realm, but there must have been some trickery involved. Or it involved other conspiracies.

In short, since the Void Law Lineage took charge of the Prison King Spirit Official position, no fewer than five Dao Integration grand experts have sacrificed themselves. Only the most recent time, when Wang Yu witnessed the ancient demon breaking its seal, due to the participation of the Son of the Nine Nether King, there were no casualties, and the sealing was completed very smoothly instead. This was completely different from what was recorded in ancient texts. Wang Yu didn't want to delve too deeply into the secrets here. Knowing too many secrets without the corresponding strength was not a good thing, nor was he qualified to investigate. Therefore, this question could only be buried in his heart.

The Five Elements artifact spirit suffered severe damage that time; its former master saved it. Later, the Crown Prince of the Immortal Dynasty regarded it as a "celestial treasure" and tried every means to repair it, ultimately burying it with him in a Yin Ghost secret realm, deep beneath Longevity City.

After Wang Yu obtained it, he used his own talent as bait. He indirectly proved that he possessed the ability to ascend, making the Five Elements artifact spirit recognize him as its new master. After all, the resources in the Ice Prison Realm couldn't repair the Heavenly Escape Saint Armor; only by ascending to the upper realm would there be resources to help it return to its peak.

This "aged artifact spirit" had lived long enough. Even though it spent most of its time in slumber, it had been largely nurtured by its former master. Under the consensus that "a wise person submits to circumstances," the Five Elements artifact spirit chose to submit. Its first significant contribution was leading Wang Yu to escape the pursuit of Dao Integration cultivator Empty Void. To have narrowly escaped death, the Five Elements artifact spirit was primarily credited.

And then... this time, it became nourishment for his breakthrough. No wonder the other party was exceptionally furious. Wang Yu didn't consider himself a good person, but keeping his promises was his only principle, much like a human anchor point. Furthermore, the Five Elements artifact spirit was his property. To severely injure it like this a second time, and then inject it into the Immortal Lock Tower, forcibly making it the spirit of a secret treasure, was indeed inhumane.

He had always been extremely kind to those he trusted. Even for parasites like Xueyu, he spared no resources in nurturing them. Naturally, he wouldn't do something like harm the Five Elements artifact spirit. A backup plan should always remain a backup plan to meet his expectations.

However, since the matter had already occurred, Wang Yu saw the other party about to charge at him. He quickly said, "Don't be impulsive, let's talk this through properly."

The Five Elements artifact spirit looked utterly unconvinced.

"Wang Yu, what more is there to say between us? You backstabbing villain! I shouldn't have saved you then! And you dare call yourself an honest and reliable young master, bah! You even deceive artifact spirits! You're simply not human... No, you're a demonic cultivator! Demonic cultivators aren't considered human anyway! I'm going to get my revenge on you!!!"

In any case, since the Five Elements artifact spirit chose to transform into an infant's appearance, it proved that it possessed the innocent nature of a child. Otherwise, a more reliable elder's image would actually suit it better. Just like long-lived cultivators, some remain young at heart and naturally expend effort to maintain their appearance, advancing bravely, displaying youthful vigor even when their lifespan is nearing its end. While other cultivators grow old in spirit, their personalities become free and uninhibited, caring little about their appearance aging with the passage of time, and thus will not expend spiritual power to maintain their looks. Therefore, one will find that in the cultivation world, there are exceptionally many elders and youths. Middle-aged male cultivators are rare, and old women are even rarer. Female cultivators often present themselves with the appearance of fairies, maintaining a "beautiful" appearance even when facing death. This is what is meant by "spirit."

Bearing this in mind, Wang Yu did not continue to make promises. Instead, he spoke.

"—No! Think carefully. If I truly broke my promise and betrayed you, why would I send you into the Immortal Lock Tower? You might say I want you to be the Immortal Lock Tower's artifact spirit to better use this secret treasure. But at such a critical moment, is it really appropriate to let an artifact spirit holding resentment take charge of a secret treasure crucial to my life and death?!"

The Five Elements artifact spirit was worth Wang Yu's attention. After all, it was a veteran from the True Spirit Realm. It had grown with its former master all the way to Dao Integration, possessing vast experience and knowledge. Even in the Demonic Cultivation Realm, it would be of great use. This was something that the True Spirit's inherited memories couldn't compensate for. Its second value was controlling the Immortal Lock Tower for Wang Yu. On the journey to the Demonic Cultivation Realm, the latter half of the journey, after turning near the True Spirit Realm, was the most perilous. Wang Yu could not allow himself to be unable to fight. At this time, he would need the artifact spirit to control the Immortal Lock Tower to suppress his physique, while he used his Peak Spirit Transformation cultivation to deal with any potential troubles. These two points alone meant he could only use a conciliatory approach to appease the artifact spirit, and even make it acknowledge him again. A rhetorical question was meant to guide the artifact spirit to rethink and come up with the answer "itself," thus believing it firmly. This was easier than trying to convince it with reasons.

Indeed. As Wang Yu's words fell, the Five Elements artifact spirit fell into thought. According to what it had seen and heard while following Wang Yu over the years, the other party couldn't possibly entrust such a crucial lifeline to it. If he truly wanted to break his promise and betray it, he could simply ignore it. At that time, with the collapse of the Quintessential Five Elements Heavenly Escape Saint Armor, its artifact spirit would naturally vanish. Sending it into the Immortal Lock Tower and using this secret treasure to keep it alive was actually an act of saving it, and entrusting it with a crucial lifeline at this stage with immense trust! Could this still be considered a betrayal?

The Five Elements artifact spirit fell silent. The more it thought, the more doubts it perceived.

'No!' The chubby little boy shook his head violently, shaking off all confused thoughts. Ultimately, wasn't it Wang Yu who caused it to end up like this? If he hadn't absorbed and refined the Saint Armor's origin, would it have fallen into such a state? First draining its blood and then healing its wounds — wasn't this just toying with it?

"—Wang Yu!"

"I don't trust you."

Wang Yu raised his hands to show he meant no harm, and said at the same time, "I understand, I understand... but will you let me finish? Don't resist for now, let me use the Immortal Lock Tower to suppress my physical body's breakthrough."

The Five Elements artifact spirit didn't speak, but tacitly agreed. As the Immortal Lock Tower radiated suppressing immortal light above Wang Yu's head, the boiling power within him was forcibly restrained by a shackle and fixed in that state. As long as the suppression was relaxed, the Body Cultivation Lightning Tribulation would instantly be drawn.

Thus, Wang Yu temporarily breathed a sigh of relief. His confidence in persuading the other party rose from 70% to 100%. He paused for a moment to organize his thoughts, before speaking carefully.

"What happened today was an accident, but it was also within my plans. However, the original plan would have been much gentler."

The artifact spirit frowned. "What do you mean?"

Wang Yu spread his hands. "I have a life-and-death feud with the Void Law Lineage. The Quintessential Five Elements Heavenly Escape Saint Armor is the natal spirit treasure of a predecessor from that lineage. Even if repaired, I cannot extensively use it. This doesn't align with the benefits your repair would bring, and would place you very low on my priority list."

Simply put, according to the original plan, hundreds or thousands of years from now, until Wang Yu no longer needed it, would he consider expending resources to repair it. But this was a plan only for ascending to the True Spirit Realm.

The artifact spirit naturally understood Wang Yu's meaning. Since the ascended upper realm was changed, the original plan also needed to be adjusted. Considering the fierce competition in the Demonic Cultivation Realm, Wang Yu's plan also became more radical.

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Wang Yu continued.

"I have the Myriad Transformation True Artifact and the Dragon-Patterned Black Gold Crown; I don't lack defensive spirit treasures. Your advantage is the Great Five Elements Escape, allowing escape from any confinement within the five elements' attributes. Even the fusion of the five elements can evade spatial confinement. However, I possess the Myriad Void Heavens Law, and this function is not what I urgently need. It would be better for you to become the Immortal Lock Tower's artifact spirit. All enemies Wang will slay in the Demonic Cultivation Realm will have their primordial spirits sent into the Immortal Lock Tower. You can freely devour and refine them to heal the wounds on your artifact spirit body. If you integrate the Five Elements laws you comprehend into the Immortal Lock Tower, it can transform completely, becoming another significant artifact in my hands."

After hearing this explanation, the artifact spirit actually found it very reasonable.

After a moment of silence, it said, "Why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand?"

Wang Yu sighed helplessly. "Circumstances demanded expediency. I also didn't anticipate problems with the breakthrough. I originally planned to tell you once we reached the Demonic Cultivation Realm."

The artifact spirit believed this. After all, the Immortal Lock Tower was currently under its control. Without its cooperation, Wang Yu could at most activate a thousandth of its effect, which would be completely insufficient to suppress the breakthrough. Based on its understanding of Wang Yu, the other party wouldn't tolerate such a thing happening.

Thus, after successfully persuading the artifact spirit, Wang Yu's consciousness returned to his physical body. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Qing Qing's curious gaze. He smacked his lips and said, "The matter is resolved."

"That artifact spirit, is it..."

"An important partner."

It was a living encyclopedia of the Nine Realms, rich in experience. Having it was like having a Dao Integration elder guiding him personally. Although the path of artifact spirits differed from that of cultivators, their need for comprehending laws was the same. It was worth Wang Yu expending more effort to gain its trust. After transferring it to the Immortal Lock Tower, not only could the secret treasure's effects be transformed, but it could also gain growth potential, improving towards the path of Five Elements Sealing laws. It could be considered an auxiliary treasure quite suitable for Wang Yu. It could also be used for breaking seals and assisting cultivation, with many benefits.

After completely resolving this matter, Wang Yu then began paying attention to the star map route. The first half of the journey was very smooth, still taking nearly three months to reach the vicinity of the True Spirit Realm. Then came the latter half of the journey, where the situation was unknown.

Qing Qing also raised her vigilance, constantly alert to her surroundings. Directly gazing into the boundless darkness of the Cosmic Sea was very draining on the spirit; it felt like being constantly in solitude, yet having no choice but to do so.

Fortunately, because it was originally an internal navigation route of the Vast Immortal Domain and very close to the Nine Great Upper Realms, even abandoned star map routes were relatively safe. Except for encountering some minor void beasts, they did not encounter any major threats. Wang Yu didn't even need to act; they easily passed through relying on Qing Qing's Flame Calamity divine ability. The latter half of the journey only took one month, and they arrived near their destination.

On this day, a world, entirely black and covered in blood-red patterns, came into view. Such a world barrier, severely tainted by demonic energy, was clearly the Demonic Cultivation Realm.

As the two exchanged glances, they simultaneously said, "—Enter!"