Three days after Xiao Jian had an Enlightennt, Wu Wang slumped in a wooden chair, radiating intense weariness from the inside out.
He really had not a single shred of 'insight' left in him.
These Human Domain experts were just too much!
Isn't Cultivation a personal matter? Why place the hope of one's breakthrough on others? What 'profound insights' can I, a common Cultivator who just reached the Ascending Immortal Realm, have? What do I know about 'transcendence towards unity'?
"Sigh..."
Wu Wang let out a long sigh. Lin Suqing, with a smile, floated over to his side, holding a small wooden hamr and gently tapping on Wu Wang's shoulder, making him comfortable enough to hum contentedly twice.
Of course, she took great care not to let her fingers touch Wu Wang's shoulder.
The necklace on his chest continued to emit Divine Power.
Even after three days of contact with dozens of experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, this anomaly still had not been detected.
He had roughly estimated that at the current rate of absorbing Divine Power, disregarding any 'periodic saturation' of his body, it would only take a year to completely internalize the refined Divine Power in the necklace.
—In the refining process, the original Evil God's Divine Power had diminished by two-thirds.
To Wu Wang, this was actually all to his benefit and not at all harmful.
As his mother said, the Evil God's Divine Power was mixed with the 'resentnt of all beings.'
Previously, when he absorbed the diluted Evil God bloodline through the Divine Child's Essence Blood, the Divine Power contained within was not very substantial.
The Divine Power he was absorbing now, however, ca from an entire Evil God, and it was easy to suffer 'adverse effects.'
His mother must have noticed this in ti and thus caused the Stars in that small world to shine, to warn him through a voice transmission, and to activate the function of the necklace.
As for this, Wu Wang was no longer surprised.
It was just a normal performance from Lady Cang Xue.
Instead, he was sowhat amazed by the Divine Skills of Elder Shen Nong, who had locked up the Evil God's Divine Power and condensed it into that little white flower. The more he contemplated it, the more extraordinary it seed.
His mother, clad in white and standing above the Stars, had once said, The Great Wilderness is, after all, the deities' Great Wilderness.
The Elder, sitting tranquilly on the earth and gazing at the cloud-enshrouded Heaven Palace, had once said, Divine Spirits co forth with the Dao, coexisting with it. They are born in command of their respective Daos, thereby overlooking all beings and driving the Hundred Races, yet that is all.
"Sigh, when can I actually have my shoulders massaged?" Wu Wang, full of such thoughts, slumped in the wooden chair and muttered.
Lin Suqing pursed her lips and laughed softly, trying her best not to laugh out loud. "Young Master, when you're asleep, you can relax too, right?"
"What's the use of that? Are my feelings and experiences not important?"
Wu Wang turned his head to look inside the room. Upon seeing Immortal Mu chasing the ear mouse back and forth, showing no sign of Enlightennt, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Though the Grand Elder had already hurried off to seal himself away for Cultivation; and out of the more than forty experts that had dragged him into discussing the Dao, seven or eight had also rushed off for seclusion; most of the experts were acting normal, showing no signs of breakthrough.
Wu Wang understood very well that, in reality, each of them had their own insights and realms. The ease with which they gained Enlightennt during their conversations with him was really just him providing them, intentionally or unintentionally, with an alternate perspective to perceive the world.
Essentially, it was still the result of their own cumulative efforts blossoming.
"Young Master, do you want to sleep for a while?"
"I can't sleep, I still need to cultivate," Wu Wang yawned.
Due to absorbing Divine Power, he could temporarily set aside his Body Cultivation Duel techniques. However, every night he still needed to draw upon the power of the Stars to temper his body and solidify the 'dominant' position of the Star God's bloodline.
Over these three-plus years of preaching and fooling around, Wu Wang had gained a deeper understanding of the Star Dao, and he would continue to ditate and seek Enlightennt.
I must never forget that the Dao Realm is fundantal! My path of dual Cultivation in both magic and martial arts was chosen to enhance my essence, energy, and spirit. I aspired to a lengthy Lifespan and formidable combat strength... I want it all!
Several figures riding on white clouds approached from a distance and landed ten zhang away in front of the building, offering Wu Wang a Daoist salute.
Among them was a Vice Pavilion Master, accompanied by several high-ranking deacons.
Wu Wang stood up to greet them, exchanging pleasantries. After a mont of contemplation, the Vice Pavilion Master tactfully voiced his suggestion.
"Wuwang Palace Lord, do you think it necessary for us to hold a grand Enlightennt event?"
"What do you an by that?"
"We won't discuss your Cultivation level for now, Palace Lord Wuwang, but your insights are incredibly sharp for those in the Transcendent Realm... Several of my martial uncles and martial elders have spoken highly of you..."
"Vice Pavilion Master, there's no need for that."
Wu Wang responded with firm decisiveness, his smile graceful but with a hint of distance.
He said, "I no longer have any insights, nor will I have dreams anyti soon. Before I beco an Immortal, I definitely won't chat with any of the esteed seniors."
"Palace Lord Wuwang, this is a splendid opportunity to make your na known throughout the Four Seas and resonate across the Human Domain!"
CLANG!
The wooden door of the loft was forcefully shut, leaving the Vice Pavilion Master and the other deacons standing outside.
The Vice Pavilion Master's face was filled with conflict, but he could only sigh quietly and lead his people away.
Inside the house, Wu Wang truly heaved a sigh of relief.
"Suqing, reject all visitors! Just say I'm in seclusion after a sudden Enlightennt! Accept any gifts, but don't agree to any of their requests!"
Lin Suqing bowed slightly, softly acknowledging, "Yes, Young Master."
She was about to ask—if Fairy Ling were to co, would she be received or not—
But Wu Wang was already leaping towards the staircase, moving swiftly up to the second floor, disappearing like a wisp of smoke.
Lin Suqing gently stroked her chin and pondered. She should be an exception, right? Can Fairy Ling even be considered a guest? The Young Master calls her a good friend, and others see her as his likely Dao companion. But if I explicitly ntion Fairy Ling by na, it might lead to misunderstandings about their relationship. Hmph, they don't have any real relationship anyway!
She took out a wooden board and wrote several lines on it.
The gist was: Wuwang Palace Lord is in seclusion and will not be receiving visitors. However!
Except for young female Immortals.
「...」
Sigh.
In a dark and damp underground cave, a sturdy man in brocade robes, his bald head gleaming, sighed inwardly, though his expression remained as solemn as ever.
His na was Yang Wudi, the personal male protector of the Annihilation Sect Master and the main provider of Spirit Stones for the Annihilation Sect's non-sect businesses.
Now, he had assud two additional identities: a high-ranking officer of the Ten Evils Hall's Fourth Main Hall, a candidate for a lesser Elder position, and the sole mole the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion had planted within the Ten Evils Hall.
Truth be told, his years in the Ten Evils Hall had been quite successful.
After initially helping Zhang Moshan escape, Yang Wudi was captured and severely beaten. Fortunately, he was clever, and those two Heavenly Immortals seed to have their minds clouded by the Blood Pool, their wits dulled, allowing him to luckily survive.
The price, however, was bobbing in the Blood Pool for two months.
Other Demonic Cultivators from the Yuanxian Realm or the early stages of True Immortal Realm who were captured and thrown into the Ten Evils Hall's Blood Pool would typically have their Primordial Spirits tainted after ten days to half a month, leading to their fall.
And Yang Wudi? After two months in the Blood Pool, the 'Mana' in the Blood Pool that could induce a Cultivator's spiritual mind to fall into depravity not only didn't decrease, but its concentration had even forcibly increased by thirty to forty percent!
As long as my heart is black enough, the Evil Gods will have no chance to slip through the cracks!
Comparing before and after two months, Yang Wudi didn't feel any change in the thoughts within his heart.
The Annihilation Sect is my ho; its maintenance depends on everyone. The Sect Master isn't a decent person, and the Elders just laugh heartily.
Enduring two months in the Blood Pool was a huge challenge for him. Illusions continuously arose from the bottom of his heart, and every mont, desire was eating away at his Daoist heart.
But a few words casually spoken by the Sect Master had beco Yang Wudi's 'antidote'.
Demonic Cultivation hones sincerity and authenticity. The true essence pursued in Demonic Cultivation cannot be directly depicted, but one can describe its antithesis—hypocrisy, weakness, greed, and indulgence. The true demon does not abide by the norms and constraints set by the world, laughing proudly and walking alone, unconcerned with anyone's understanding, gratitude, or hatred. He, Yang Wudi, had long resolved to beco a demon lord like the Sect Master! How could he fall into this filthy Blood Pool and beco a slave to desire, a henchman for the Evil God!
Actually, succumbing to evil, falling into depravity, losing oneself... none of it is a big deal. The main concern was that if I truly lost myself, it would an having to oppose the Sect Master in the future. What kind of thods does the Sect Master possess? What caliber of Demon Path overlord is the Sect Master? Wouldn't that be tantamount to seeking my own death, perhaps a fate even worse than death?
Every ti Yang Wudi thought of betraying the Annihilation Sect, betraying the Sect Master, and getting caught by the Sect Master... The Sect Master taking out all my Spirit Stones and Magic Treasures, shattering them piece by piece before my eyes, then drilling a hole in my big head and pouring the powder in bit by bit... Compared to that, the Ten Evils Hall's Blood Pool is nothing but a fart!
Having struggled through two months, when Yang Wudi was pulled out of the Blood Pool, his thoughts whirred rapidly. He grinned at the few people there, full of naive charm.
He's gone stupid, can be used. one of his captors thought.
This True Immortal Realm pinnacle physical body is really quite good; the great ones should like it, another mused.
Not reassured, still need to verify a bit more...
After leaving the Blood Pool and enduring a few more days of trials, Yang Wudi was finally accepted by the Ten Evils Hall. His six senses covered, he was taken to the main hall for the 'eting Father' ceremony.
Yang Wudi saw the figures kneeling in the hall and couldn't help muttering to himself: These fiends from the Ten Evils Hall kowtowing to the statues of the Ten Evil Gods is one thing, but they even call them 'Father.' It's simply laughable, utterly ridiculous! Have they no backbone left as Cultivators of the Human Domain? They've completely lost all sense of sha!
As he was muttering fervently, an authoritative voice ca from beside him, "It's your turn. Choose one Father to be your principal Father whom you must offer incense to daily. The other Fathers are to be worshipped three tis a month."
Yang Wudi's expression turned solemn. He quickly stepped forward, his legs buckled, and he knelt, then prostrated himself completely, hands held high—a full kowtow!
He bellowed in a deep baritone, "Father! As your newly adopted son, how can I ever adequately express my reverence for you? May this humble servant be permitted to kiss the very earth your feet have graced, that I might inhale the intoxicating fragrance of that sacred soil! Ah, Father! I yearn to be the dust at your side, the very air you breathe! I aspire to be your most devoted slave!"
At that mont, the entire hall fell silent. All eyes were transfixed on the nine-foot-tall, bald, strapping man who, with fervent cries, perford a kowtow every three steps, uttering phrases of praise they had never even conceived.
...Those lines of flattery I secretly copied from miscellaneous books, originally intended for when the Sect Master punished by confiscating Spirit Stones, have finally found their use, Yang Wudi thought.
As a result, he stood out.
Yang Wudi instantly stood out among the many new recruits, earning impressed looks from several veteran fiend Elders.
From then on, Yang Wudi had smooth sailing, as if he had found the perfect stage to flex his muscles, and quickly secured his footing in the Ten Evils Hall.
At every gathering of fiends, he could be seen fervently praising the Fathers. Whenever there was an external operation, his na gradually began to appear on the roster. Yang Wudi seized these opportunities to contact the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.
At that ti, Yang Wudi really breathed a sigh of relief. This way, I'm once again on the sa side as the Sect Master and can actually do sothing for him.
Nothing is ever perfect, especially being an infiltrator. To gather intelligence without arousing suspicion, Yang Wudi racked his brains, even going so far as to use his own powerful physique to curry favor with those young female fiends who held positions of power in the Ten Evils Hall.
That was truly perilous.
But the reward was trendous; he was not only swiftly promoted, his rank skyrocketing, but he also uncovered an extrely important ssage. The ssage was: "The reason the Fourth Main Hall of the Ten Evils Hall is so eager to increase its numbers of fiends is that the Chief Elder in charge of the Fourth Main Hall received an order from an Evil God. The order was relayed by a woman wearing a conical bamboo hat."
Yang Wudi passed this ssage on to the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. To maintain his cover and fearing the ssage stone might be intercepted, he made his drawing sowhat cryptic. He deliberately sketched a woman who appeared to be wearing a red bridal veil, and beside it, he wrote the character 'Jun' (aning monarch or lord).
'Jun' implies a ruler or sovereign. The idea is that a woman is now in charge of the Ten Evils Hall, and this is roughly what she looks like. They couldn't possibly misunderstand and think I'm looking for a Dao companion, could they? Actually, it doesn't matter how they interpret it. A simple explanation from later will suffice. The key is that the 'ssage transmission' becos an established fact, thereby corroborating my status as their inside agent.
The life of an undercover agent always felt sowhat drawn out. Almost four years had passed, and Yang Wudi was on the verge of a breakthrough. However, he was desperately suppressing his realm to avoid advancing to the Heavenly Immortal Realm and being promoted within the Ten Evils Hall or assigned to so dangerous task.
Yang Wudi was crystal clear about this. Right now, I need to keep a low profile, straddle the line between the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion and the Ten Evils Hall, and always rember that I am a mber of the Annihilation Sect, the Sect Master's protector. This way, I can secure an invincible position. Sticking my neck out could lead to danger; being too high-profile could make collateral damage. Breaking through to the Heavenly Immortal Realm while in the Ten Evils Hall offers a hundred harms and not a single benefit. Conversely, if I can break through after the Ten Evils Hall is destroyed, I'll have the rit of being an inside agent and the strength of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Then I can cling to the Sect Master's coattails and bring him glory... Apart from these wolfish, tiger-like female fiends in the Ten Evils Hall, what else would I lack?
According to the intelligence I currently possess, the Ten Evils Hall has a total of four Main Halls, and the Second Main Hall has already been wiped out by the Sect Master. Once the Fourth Main Hall is taken down, I'll transform into 'The Man Who Knows the Ten Evils Hall Best'! Just a little longer! What awaits is a bright and open road ahead!
As Yang Wudi ditated in the dark, damp cave, a halo of light suddenly materialized behind his head.
He then heard a voice transmission, "Officer Yang, the targets will soon be transported into the great array here. Please be prepared."
Yang Wudi opened his eyes expressionlessly, nodded slightly, and along with dozens of silhouettes behind him, took out a pitch-black mask and put it on.
He was currently on an external mission, his sixth in four years. The content of each mission primarily involved fighting and killing.
Regrettably, Yang Wudi could never pinpoint the exact location of the Fourth Main Hall. Every ti he entered and exited, his six senses were sealed. Once he recovered his external perceptions, he was already inside the Main Hall.
My rank is still not high enough. I must reach an even higher position. And that requires more rit.
Behind the pitch-black mask, a glint of cold light flashed in Yang Wudi's eyes. From this mont on, he was... devoid of emotion.
He then took out a headgear and covered his signature bald head.
「In the desolate mountains and wilderness spanning dozens of li, the Spiritual Energy was nearly stagnant.」
Whistles echoed sporadically from the ambush points. Over a dozen teams of fiends, hundreds of Yuanxian Cultivators and low-rank True Immortals, had their nerves stretched taut.
SUDDENLY!
Thunderous sounds echoed between heaven and earth, and a large ship eerily intruded into this domain from the previously empty sky, with layers of Heaven and Earth ripples around it.
Clearly, this sky-sailing ship had blundered into a teleportation formation and was instantly transported to the sky above this area!
Aboard the great ship, over a hundred Immortal Soldiers imdiately deployed to engage, the oppressive might of a dozen Heavenly Immortal Realm experts bearing down from all directions!
A command rang out, "Leave no one alive!"
Yang Wudi shot to his feet, leading dozens of figures out of the earthen cave. They joined hundreds of others erging from all directions, transforming into streaks of light and charging straight for the large vessel!
Furthermore, dozens of auras belonging to late-stage True Immortal Realm and Heavenly Immortal Realm experts converged from all directions. They unleashed boundless Mana and threw various Magic Treasures, bombarding the great ship with all their might!
The Ten Evils Hall is making a huge move this ti! Who are they targeting? Yang Wudi secretly wondered, deliberately slowing down his forward flight a bit, his gaze searching back and forth on the ship.
Suddenly, the muscular bald man's fists trembled slightly, and his eyes widened like copper bells.
At the rear of the great ship, protected by more than a dozen Demonic Cultivators, was a young man in blue robes. Wasn't that... the Sect Master's brother, their Annihilation Sect's Little Protector, the sole heir of the Ji Family...
Ji Mo!
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