Spirit-Shaping Holy Spring, Five Spirits Dao Body

Within the Alchemy Realm, the fragrance of flowers drifted through the air, yet no birds chirped; all was utterly silent. Suddenly, a burst of hearty laughter rang out, echoing for several breaths. As the laughter subsided, a silver-haired old woman stepped out of the pill room, feeling completely refreshed in body and mind. In her hand, several gleaming pills were held loosely. Most were defective, but one was brimming with abundant spiritual energy. Gazing at the pill in her grasp, Haijiao Tianmu could not help but curl her lips into a grin. "Five years. Following the Demon Transformation Pill that I am relatively adept at, I have finally concocted the Human Transformation Pill." "Tsk, tsk, this Human Transformation Pill is truly magnificent. Once I leave the Land of the Fallen Demon, I shall refine a few more and give them to the Tier 3 juniors in the clan, allowing them to take human form ahead of time." "When the time comes, they can either learn my alchemy ahead of time or cultivate combat arts. From then on, the feeble Haijiao clan will rise completely by my hand!" Clutching the Human Transformation Pill, Haijiao Tianmu was filled with joy. Yet after a brief moment of delight, the matters she had avoided thinking about while immersed in alchemy ultimately had to be faced. Five years! That human brat had long advanced to the next trial. Who knew what his progress was like now? If he had already cleared the trials and accepted the inheritance, what use would all the effort she was putting in right now be? At this thought, a trace of bitterness inevitably surfaced on Haijiao Tianmu's face. Truth be told, her alchemical arts and comprehension of the Dao of Alchemy were already top-tier! For Tier 4 pills that ordinary alchemists could hardly comprehend, it had taken her only five years to concoct two distinct types from scratch. Such ability certainly did not disgrace the reputation of a grandmaster. Yet compared to that Demonic Lord Qingyang... "He is an outright monster!" For a Demon Emperor to call someone else a monster showed just how much awe and trepidation Haijiao Tianmu felt toward Luo Chen. Such an attitude was actually quite normal. Luo Chen had come from behind—from lagging two trials behind her initially, to running neck and neck, then overtaking her, and finally clearing the fourth trial at an undeniable pace. Such speed completely surpassed Haijiao Tianmu's comprehension. In her heart, she had unconsciously assigned Luo Chen numerous grand titles—the patriarch of some alchemical sect, an elite direct disciple from a Soul Formation holy land, and the like—all to console herself. It was not that she was incompetent, but that her opponent was simply too formidable! "Sigh..." With a sigh, the old woman carefully stowed away the Human Transformation Pill, intending to rest properly for two or three days. Next, as long as she concocted the most difficult and unfamiliar Fiend Transformation Pill, this fourth trial would be cleared. By then, she might still catch a glimpse of Demonic Lord Qingyang's tail feathers... Just as this thought arose in her mind, her body suddenly staggered. "Huh? Am I too tired?" The old woman instinctively wondered. But immediately, she realized something was amiss. No matter what, she was a dignified Nascent Soul demon cultivator! How could she possibly lose her footing? What had caused her to stumble was this entire world! Before her eyes, the distant green mountains were vanishing into thin air! The earth trembled, and dark clouds bore down heavily. Boundless darkness swept in from afar, frantically devouring all light within the Alchemy Realm. When the darkness enveloped the stone cottage and its courtyard, the glow of a teleportation array flared to life. Seeing this, Haijiao Tianmu fell into deep thought. The Alchemy Realm was shutting down. Just like the Array Realm back then—after Li Canghai cleared it and obtained the inheritance, the Array Realm closed down completely, preventing latecomers from entering to claim it. By extension, there was only one reason the Alchemy Realm would close down. Someone had cleared all the trials. "In the end, was I still a step behind him?" "Demonic Lord Qingyang..." Murmuring to herself with reluctance yet a touch of relief and resignation, Haijiao Tianmu vanished into the warping space. *** An unknown amount of time passed. Haijiao Tianmu slowly opened her eyes. Before she could observe her surroundings, a sudden sense of profound loss welled up in her heart. She clutched her head, shaking it vigorously several times. Then, an expression of disbelief appeared on her face. "Where are those pill recipes?" "Where did my recipes go?!" "How can I not remember any of them clearly? Even the memories of the corresponding materials have been completely erased!" Right now, she only remembered that she had concocted many pills in the Alchemy Realm, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not recall those recipes at all. The Spirit Root Pill, the Demon Soul Pill, the Demon Tempering Pill... especially the treasure she viewed as the key to the rise of the Haijiao clan—the Transformation Pill recipes! Everything seemed to have been wiped clean by a giant hand. Frantically trying to recall them in her unwillingness, she ultimately had no choice but to accept reality begrudgingly. Haijiao Tianmu realized this method had likely been set up by the master of this realm to prevent those precious pill recipes from leaking out. In fact, not just the core pill recipes in the Alchemy Realm, but the other dozen-plus worlds likely had similar measures in place as well. After all, such knowledge might not seem extraordinary at first glance, but scrutinized carefully, every single piece was priceless. Especially things like the Spirit Root Pill, Demon Soul Pill, and even Transformation Pills—they were keys capable of allowing a major force, or even an entire race, to rise. Before one became the true heir to the Demonic Lord, how could such valuable things be allowed to be taken away so easily? At this thought, Haijiao Tianmu's lost expression turned somber. She had not only lost the most important inheritance, but also the recipes she once possessed! The only silver lining was that the master of the Land of the Fallen Demon was not overly murderous; even though she had failed the inheritance trials, her life was still spared. She raised her head, casting her somber gaze around. This was a vast, boundless square where ethereal clouds drifted, as if in an immortal realm. Suspended in the void above the empty square were fourteen palaces, shining down upon the sea of clouds like fourteen giant stars. Looking at those fourteen starry palaces, Haijiao Tianmu pondered. "This is the true Mingzhao Heaven!" And among those fourteen palaces, only two were currently radiating light. Through the plaques suspended above, Haijiao Tianmu could vaguely make out the names. [Alchemy Hall] [Slave Hall] From her own experience, Haijiao Tianmu understood. The lighting up of a palace meant that someone had entered it and was in the process of receiving the true inheritance. In the Alchemy Hall, it should be the person calling himself Demonic Lord Qingyang. Then who could be inside the Slave Hall? While she was musing, a pillar of light descended not far beside her. Shortly after, the light dissipated, revealing a black-robed figure. The figure was full of melancholy, uttering words of regret. "What a pity. In the end, I fell short by a single move and failed to refine a Soul Formation puppet." Murmuring, he noticed the other person present. As their eyes met, an odd atmosphere spread between them. *** Mingzhao Heaven—deep within the Alchemy Hall. A pool of milky-white spiritual spring water bubbled gently. A figure was soaking within it, bobbing up and down, seemingly unconscious. Vast amounts of milky-white spring water converged continuously toward him as the center. It moistened his dry eye sockets, replenished his depleted qi sea, and revitalized his weakened physique, steadily restoring his vigor under the spring water's nourishment. Not only that! Under the scouring of the abundant milky-white spring water, mysterious impurities were continually expelled from the Daoist's body. As those impurities were purged, his entire being grew increasingly clear and ethereal, his resonance with heaven and earth growing stronger. Several days later. The white-robed Daoist slowly awoke from his deep slumber. He blinked his eyes, feeling somewhat bewildered. "Where am I..." Before the thought had fully formed, Luo Chen instantly turned alert to his external surroundings. There was no one else! All that existed was this warm bath that made his entire body feel delightfully warm. "What kind of spiritual liquid is this?" Luo Chen was both surprised and overjoyed! He could sense a peculiar energy contained within the spring water being continuously absorbed by his body. As that energy was assimilated, his body was undergoing a gradual transformation. The primary areas undergoing transformation were astonishingly three places: the root of the tongue, the qi sea, and the essence chamber. And these three locations were where the true spirit roots resided! It was as though that energy were reshaping and reforming his spirit roots, evolving them toward their utmost limits! In his pleasant surprise, Luo Chen relinquished all resistance and began fully absorbing the power within the milky-white spring water. "Though I don't know what this spring water is, it must possess the wonder of heaven's creation. I should soak in it as much as I can." Luo Chen settled down to soak peacefully in the spring water. Meanwhile, he diverted a portion of his mind to examine himself. Before falling unconscious, his Hunyuan Cauldron had been left outside. Sensing it now, the Hunyuan Cauldron was safely back inside his qi sea. Not only that, inside the Hunyuan Cauldron rested a golden pill tinged with red! That was not his natal Golden Core—both his Golden Core and primal core were hovering above his qi sea, ravenously devouring pure spiritual qi from outside. As for this pill... "It's the Law Derivation Divine Pill!" Gulp! He swallowed hard, wild ecstasy surging through his chest. Luo Chen recalled the situation before he lost consciousness. After expending all his source power and magic power without hesitation, and even consuming a tenth of Taisui's true body, he had ultimately endured through that final stage. He had successfully concocted the Tier 5 divine pill, the Law Derivation Pill! Thereby earning the recognition of that faint, ethereal voice, which allowed him to pass the fifth trial. Reflecting on it now, Luo Chen felt a wave of relief. A Tier 5 divine pill was indeed not something his current cultivation realm should have been able to touch. Perhaps his alchemy attainment was sufficient for the attempt, but his cultivation realm had still been far too inadequate. Relying on his Tier 4 physique and the system's aid... no, there was also the assistance of the entire Alchemy Realm! With Luo Chen's knowledge of formations, when he fully refined the Law Derivation Pill, he had vaguely understood the essence of that illusory world. It was clearly an alchemical grand array of heaven-shaking scale! Specifically designed to assist in concocting pills. It had merely been artificially refashioned into an inheritance ground. Yet fundamentally, it remained an auxiliary alchemical grand array. That was why there had been all those heaven-and-earth phenomena during the concoction process. "If I were to attempt it again in the outside world, even with a complete recipe and ingredients, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to replicate that feat," Luo Chen murmured to himself. It was both a self-consolation and an expression of relief. He had never imagined alchemy could drive someone into such a state. It felt as if everything he had was drained completely dry. He had nearly lost his pair of eyes as well. Splash! Luo Chen touched his moistened eyes, feeling his vision clear and bright once more. Five years of uninterrupted alchemy—especially the last three years, during which the Spirit Eye Art was kept active non-stop—had taken an immense toll on his eyes. Fortunately, he had weathered it all. Relieved, a heavy wave of drowsiness washed over his mind, and Luo Chen slowly drifted back to sleep. Only this time, he willingly chose to slumber, actively absorbing that unique energy within the spiritual spring. *** One year later. Within Mingzhao Heaven, the number of figures began to grow. On the Sea of Clouds Square, those who had fortunately survived the inheritance grounds were, in truth, all failures. Four people in total. Namely, the silver-haired Haijiao Tianmu; the pitch-black middle-aged man; the cold, stunning beauty; and the otherworldly old Daoist. And... Another pillar of light descended. Two figures fell onto the ground. A middle-aged scholar and an elderly man of ripe old age. Yet age and appearance were never the basis for judging an immortal cultivator's realm and prowess. In an instant, the four Nascent Soul True Persons already standing there turned their gazes toward the middle-aged scholar. "Feiyunzi!" "True Person Feiyun!" Several voices rang out simultaneously. Feiyunzi looked at the four and called out their names one by one. "Fellow Daoist Jiyuan, Fellow Daoist Feileng, Haijiao Tianmu... and who might this one be?" The man draped in a black robe chuckled softly. "An unnamed loose cultivator, not worth mentioning." An unnamed loose cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage? Feiyunzi frowned, finding that this person spoke with a stiff inflection, as if the sound had not originated from a normal throat. Then, paying no heed to whatever they might want to ask, he struck immediately, grabbing toward the old man who had appeared alongside him. Seeing this, Cave Master Moyun's expression turned utterly terrified. "Senior, spare my life!" "How could I spare you? You ruined my grand undertaking when climbing the Weapon Mountain! Slaying you is the only way to vent my wrath!" Boom! Two streams of magic power clashed. Feiyunzi frowned and looked at the black-robed cultivator. "Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?" The black-robed cultivator beckoned with his hand, and the bewildered Cave Master Moyun instinctively moved toward him; after all, this person had just saved his life. Then, the black-robed cultivator said with a chuckle, "We are all Nascent Soul True Persons, why stoop to quibbling with a Golden Core junior?" Feiyunzi snorted coldly, a faint look of wariness in his eyes. From that brief clash alone, he realized this person was not inferior to him in the slightest. If a fight truly broke out, others were present here—especially Old Daoist Jiyuan, who belonged to the Penglai Immortal Sect, a hostile force to his Canghai Alliance. What if someone else reaped the fisherman's benefit? "Cowardly rat hiding your head and tail!" With a cold snort, he stayed his hand. For a time, the Sea of Clouds Square fell into a quiet hush. Everyone's attention turned to the palaces above. Still, only the Alchemy Hall and Slave Hall radiated light. Privately. Old Daoist Jiyuan was communicating via voice transmission with Fairy Feileng. "Junior Sister, that painting you wanted—did you obtain it?" "Yes." "I wonder what sort of treasure it is that you held it in such regard, even willing to make another journey to the Land of the Fallen Demon?" "My business is none of your concern." Snubbed, Old Daoist Jiyuan did not take offense. These people had long stopped taking the sect seriously. He switched topics. "I wonder how things are on Blood Nightmare Moluo's side?" Fairy Feileng replied crisply, "He came on this journey specifically for the site where Ancestor Blood Sea passed into meditation. No one is competing with him, and he doesn't care about the inheritance trials, so it should be well in hand." When she said this, Old Daoist Jiyuan shook his head. If Blood Nightmare Moluo truly obtained the legacy of the Yuan Demon Sect ancestor, the Northern Sea would likely see another terrifying blood path powerhouse. If he fortuitously advanced to Soul Formation, the Yuan Demon Sect might even see the light of day once more. That was hardly good news. Pity he hadn't passed the Talisman Realm inheritance... Suddenly, as if remembering something, he said with a dark expression, "Your elder sister—she entered as well." Her elder sister? In an instant, True Person Feileng's face went deathly pale. She looked around, her gaze ultimately fixing upon the Slave Hall above. If her guess was right, that woman was probably inside! Old Daoist Jiyuan said with lingering dread, "She still harbors deep resentment toward the Penglai Immortal Sect and toward me. When we meet again, she might clamor to kill me. I hope Junior Sister can speak on my behalf when the time comes..." "I can't control her. She's a madwoman." True Person Feileng pressed her lips together, fear flashing across her eyes. Old Daoist Jiyuan's heart leaped into his throat. That woman was known as one of the Three Great Loose Cultivators of the Northern Sea, her prowess rivaling even the Sect Master of the Penglai Immortal Sect. If she truly set her sights on him, he would have ten deaths and no chance of life. He shouldn't have made this trip! Now, the only way was to find Blood Nightmare Moluo and gather the strength of three people; only then might they contend with her. No! Actually, there was another way. He just had to leave Mingzhao Heaven early and escape the Land of the Fallen Demon. And this Sea of Clouds Square beneath their feet was evidently the teleportation array to exit the Land of the Fallen Demon. Thinking this, Old Daoist Jiyuan began pacing around the area. Seeing his agitated demeanor, the others were somewhat puzzled. After watching him for a short while, they stopped paying attention, turning their focus back to the starry palaces in the sky. Those were all places concealing inheritances! Even if one didn't pass the inheritance trials, could they perhaps try prying them open from the outside? Everyone harbored such thoughts, occasionally displaying techniques in attempts to open the palaces. Yet with their prowess, striking against the palace doors was like ants trying to shake a tree—it failed to stir the slightest reaction. Several days later. Yet another palace lit up. This meant someone else had passed their inheritance trial. In an instant, everyone's gaze snapped toward it. [Light Hall] *** Leaving aside the turbulent developments outside and the scheming thoughts of the various powerhouses. Inside the Alchemy Hall, someone had fully awakened. As milky-white spring water slipped down his skin, Luo Chen slowly sat upright. Looking at the now much thinner and clearer spring water, Luo Chen felt a pang of regret. Even with his formidable physique, he had been unable to fully absorb the energy of this spiritual spring, leaving ten to twenty percent behind. Yet even so, he had benefited immensely! Looking inward, he found his entire body completely at ease and his magic power surging. Without him realizing, his realm had skyrocketed by two whole minor sub-stages! [Eighth Layer Golden Core: 51/100] Such a harvest was enough to save decades of arduous cultivation. Yet evidently, this was merely one of the most insignificant gains. The most vital harvest was that subtle feeling of resonance with heaven and earth. From head to toe, every single pore felt completely unblocked; with just a single thought, he could draw the ambient worldly spiritual qi into his body. This feeling was just like... "A Heavenly Spirit Root!" "A genuine Heavenly Spirit Root—and not just of a single element, but of all five!" "A Heavenly Spirit Root possessing all five elements!" Luo Chen swallowed hard, feeling somewhat awestruck and terrified. He could sense that his spirit root aptitude, along with his entire physique, had undergone a profound metamorphosis over the past year. A Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Root? No! The changes within him were remarkably identical to a certain physique recorded in ancient texts. It was a special physique known as the "Five Spirits Dao Body." Originating from five spirit roots, yet surpassing five spirit roots! The specific changes were not yet fully apparent, but by Luo Chen's estimate, he had perhaps obtained the single greatest fortuitous encounter of his life! He could not help scooping up a handful of spring water and examining it closely. "Just what kind of spiritual spring is this?"