Free Web NovelChapter 281: Chapter 268: Refining the Corpse
"That was a success, but it was far too close for comfort!"
Looking at the motionless ancient corpse before him, Nie Yun was both thrilled and relieved.
’If I didn’t have the Nameless Technique that lets me change my Dantian’s attribute at will, allowing me to form a temporary Blood Pupil Elixir Field... If I hadn’t managed to intimidate him just then, I would have been the one to die for sure!’
Others might not know about the Blood Pupil Elixir Field, but now that Nie Yun was a Blood Pupil Master himself, he understood just how terrifying this talent was. It was a special Dantian focused on puppetry. Once unleashed, it could plunge its victim into an endless Blood Sea, throwing their mind into chaos. Even if someone were far stronger than his current self, with a powerful soul, they would still be controlled, unable to break free until death finally claimed them and their body became a Puppet.
The Seventh Prince’s Soul-Catching Seven-Life Bridge was powerful, but it paled in comparison to this. They weren’t even in the same league.
’This Demon intentionally left his corpse behind before he died, luring someone into refining it. He relied on his Blood Pupil talent to seal his soul within, planning to possess whoever came along and achieve rebirth. What a cunning scheme!’
But no matter how cunning his scheme was, he never could have expected to encounter a freak like Nie Yun—someone who could change his Dantian Attribute at will and instantly become a Blood Pupil Master just like him.
A Blood Pupil Master versus a Blood Pupil Master—it caused the Demon to lose the initiative right from the start. Then, when Nie Yun used the Nameless Technique to simulate an aura that surpassed even an Ultimate Venerable, the Demon’s mind was thrown into utter chaos.
No matter how strong this Demon had been, he was now just a remnant soul sealed away for countless years. He was no match for a vigorous young man like Nie Yun.
’First, I’ll take out the Demon Core!’
Steadying his breathing, Nie Yun suppressed the waves of dizziness brought on by the Nameless Technique. He looked at the Ancient Corpse, now his Puppet, and reached out. With a swift grab, a pure white, walnut-sized Crystal Core was in his palm.
A Demon’s most important possession is its Demon Core, the condensed essence of its entire life’s effort. The Demon Core of a Secret Realm Powerhouse could help someone break through to the Secret Realm. However, once the core was removed, the Demon’s corpse would lose its origin of power and become useless.
This would have been a difficult problem for anyone else, but for Nie Yun, it wasn’t very complicated.
’I’ll just replace it with a Spirit Gathering Array!’
After placing the Demon Core into his Storage Dantian, Nie Yun casually set up a Spirit Gathering Array composed entirely of Spirit Stones within the Demon corpse’s Dantian.
This Spirit Gathering Array could release a tremendous amount of power in a short period, making it the perfect replacement for the Demon Core.
’The problem is, the grade of my Spirit Stones is too low. This Grand Array, formed with one hundred of them, can only unleash one percent of the corpse’s original strength! If I had Top-Grade Spirit Stones to build the Array, just ten would be enough to bring out its full power!’
Spirit Stones were divided into several grades based on quality. Although he had many Spirit Stones, they were all of the lowest level: Low-Grade Spirit Stones. Above them were Mid-Grade, Top-Grade, and even Absolute-Grade Spirit Stones.
The low-grade Spirit Stones provided less Spiritual Power, so they couldn’t unleash the Ancient Corpse’s full strength. The Grand Array built from one hundred of them could only bring out one percent of its power in life.
However, even at one percent, it was still at the level of a Heaven-Seizing Creation Secret Realm Powerhouse—far stronger than an Ultimate Venerable Peak like him!
Some might think that since the Spirit Stones only provided one percent of its power, it would be better to just use the Demon Core. But using the Demon Core for energy had its own drawbacks. A Demon Core removed from its original body signified the owner’s death, meaning it could no longer absorb energy. Even if placed back inside the Ancient Corpse, it would be a one-time consumable. Once its energy was depleted, it would become useless.
It was better to take the core out and use it to create a new Secret Realm Powerhouse, bolstering one’s own forces.
Spirit Stones, on the other hand, were replaceable. When the Spirit Gathering Array ran out of energy, he could simply swap in new ones. As long as he had a sufficient supply of Spirit Stones, the power would be limitless.
A powerful, single-use Ancient Corpse that wasted a Demon Core was far less valuable than a reusable Puppet with diminished combat strength.
Besides, its combat strength was only diminished for now. Once he had enough Top-Grade or Absolute-Grade Spirit Stones, the Puppet could unleash its full power, just as it would with the Demon Core.
Of course, this method of setting up a Spirit Gathering Array inside a corpse was extremely difficult. Nie Yun had learned it in his past life, from a Demon’s Ancient Tomb. The process was tedious and complex; the slightest misstep would mean all his previous efforts would be for naught. Fortunately, Nie Yun had memorized the procedure so perfectly it was as if it were carved into his mind. Even though his current strength was a far cry from his past life, setting up the array wasn’t particularly difficult for him.
Soon, the Spirit Gathering Array was complete. Under the control of Nie Yun’s will, the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse stood up, radiating the unique aura of a Secret Realm Powerhouse.
’Excellent! Excellent! This Ancient Corpse is just like me, a fellow Blood Pupil Master. My soul is perfectly compatible with it. It’s not just a Puppet—I can use it as a Clone!’
After studying it in the cavern for a long while, he discovered that his soul could control the Ancient Corpse at will, essentially using it as a Clone. Nie Yun was so excited he almost jumped for joy.
A Puppet and a Clone were two entirely different things. A Puppet could only follow its master’s orders and had no will of its own. A Clone, however, was another version of oneself. Nie Yun never expected that after becoming a Blood Pupil Master, the Ancient Corpse would be just like his own Clone, controllable in any way he wished. It was a wonderful, unexpected surprise.
Having a Secret Realm Powerhouse as a Clone was, in every respect, far more powerful than having one as a Puppet!
’I have no idea how deep this Ancient Corpse’s Cultivation was when it was alive. Even though it can only exert one percent of its strength now, it’s already on par with an ordinary Secret Realm Powerhouse! That’s terrifying!’
Just like Ultimate Venerables, Secret Realm Powerhouses varied in strength. A newly promoted one could not possibly compare to an old monster who had been at that level for hundreds of years.
Who knows how strong this Demon Saint Ancient Corpse was in life, but at just one percent of its power, it seemed to be no weaker than an ordinary Secret Realm Powerhouse.
This level of combat power... even if it couldn’t match that expert from the Divine Holy Empire’s Royal Family, it probably wasn’t far off!
’Of course, I’m not entirely sure how strong that person from the Divine Holy Empire’s Royal Family really is. I was focused on escaping at the time and didn’t get a good look. After all, if I had stayed any longer, even a Soaring Water Master might not have been able to escape from those two.’
A Soaring Water Master’s so-called invincibility at escaping through water only applied against opponents of the same level. The talent was useless if the gap in realms was too vast. It was just like Nie Yun in his past life. At his absolute peak, the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm, he was considered one of the ultimate powerhouses within the Secret Realms. With a single grasp of his hand, he could instantly evaporate a hundred million kilometers of seawater. Even if he gave a Soaring Water Master a year’s head start, he could still catch them in the blink of an eye.
Of course, if that Soaring Water Master had also been at the Peak of the Dantian Acupoint Realm, it would have been nearly impossible for someone of equal strength to catch them.
The saying that a special talent made one invincible among their peers was no empty boast.
’Now that I’ve successfully refined the Ancient Corpse, let’s take a look at this shell from the Demon Wing Cloud Armor Beast King. I wonder if I can comprehend anything from it.’
After studying it for a while longer, Nie Yun felt he could control the Ancient Corpse as easily as one of his own limbs. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. With a wave of his hand, he stored the corpse in his Storage Dantian and took out the shell he had obtained from killing the Beast King. fгeewebnovёl.com
The intricate patterns on the shell’s surface seemed to align with the fundamental principles of heaven and earth, and they were very similar to the Dark Force he had comprehended. If he could fully grasp their meaning, his strength would surely take another huge leap forward.
***
In the undersea cavern, the young man sat cross-legged. A massive tortoiseshell hung on the wall before him. The intricate patterns on its surface radiated a profound and mysterious aura, looking as if they might peel away from the shell and take flight at any moment.
’That’s not right. Dark Force should borrow from the rules of heaven and earth, so that every movement becomes a part of the Celestial Dao...’
The young man’s eyes were fixed on the intricate patterns. Within his dark pupils, similar wave-like patterns swirled slowly, like a galaxy in reverse, imbued with a vast and ancient will.
Dark Force was not Nie Yun’s invention; it was a special kind of Power that had existed since ancient times. Mastering even one or two layers of this Power was considered an incredible feat. He had already cultivated it to the twelfth layer, and now he wanted to break through yet again. The difficulty was immense.
’Hm? When hardness reaches its extreme, it becomes soft. Dark Force is actually a type of hard force pushed to its absolute limit. Its power becomes yielding, able to penetrate the body and strike the internal organs...’ freewebnøvel.coɱ
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. A glow bloomed around his head as inspiration hit.
After studying for an unknown length of time, Nie Yun had completely grasped the profound mystery emanating from the tortoiseshell. Without realizing it, he had entered a state of epiphany.
An epiphany was an opportunity that could not be sought, only encountered—something every Cultivator dreamed of. Nie Yun felt the chaotic thoughts in his mind suddenly fall into place. A unique power swirled through his consciousness, and in an instant, he broke through his previous chains.
’So this is what Dark Force truly is. Twelve layers... that’s far too few...’
He wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Suddenly, Nie Yun let out a long shout and rose to his feet. With a shake of his hands, he threw a punch!
HUMMM!
A muffled boom echoed off the cavern wall, and a massive crater appeared before his eyes, blasted open by the force of his punch.
This time, he had used not only Dark Force but also Clear Force. The combined destructive power was staggering.
’Excellent! Excellent! This is truly terrifying!’
Sensing that the power in his fists had reached a new level, Nie Yun’s eyes lit up.
Refining the Ancient Corpse had been exciting, but that power was ultimately not his own. No matter the circumstances, one’s personal strength was paramount. Everything else was merely an aid, like a boat used to cross a river—once you reach the other side, it must be left behind.
One’s own strength, however, was like knowing how to swim. Once you learned, you would no longer fear even the deepest water.
’Clear Force and Dark Force have merged... My understanding of Dark Force is much deeper now. If I attack with the Profound Jade Sword, I should be able to unleash thirty-two layers!’
Nie Yun let out a triumphant roar.
His time spent observing the intricate patterns on the shell had deepened his understanding of Dark Force, allowing his power to reach thirty-two layers!
With thirty-two layers of Dark Force, combined with his 7,000 Elephant Giant Power, Nie Yun was confident that if he encountered those two experts again, he could at least put up a fight, even if he couldn’t win.
’All right, it’s time to get out of here!’
Feeling the power coursing through his body, his aura as vibrant as a rainbow, Nie Yun realized another seven or eight days had passed. He stood up and, with a single leap, shot out of the cavern.
