To mortals, possessing a spirit root was practically equivalent to having a spirit body.
Even without cultivating immortal arts, merely practicing martial arts and exercising daily—barring severe illness or injury—their lifespan often surpassed ordinary people. Reaching eighty, ninety, or even crossing a hundred was entirely normal.
Yet within the cultivation world, a spirit root was merely the most basic requirement for cultivation.
It could not be considered a spirit body at all.
Years ago, Luo Chen had categorized cultivator aptitudes into three main types.
They were spirit roots, divine souls, and physical constitutions.
The spirit root category needed little explanation. The number of roots determined cultivation speed, further distinguished at most by heavenly spirit roots, mutated spirit roots, and the like.
The divine soul category referred to comprehension, temperament, innate spiritual foundation, and even the awakening of innate wisdom from past reincarnations.
The constitution category manifested in bodily functions: meridians, apertures, physical divine strength, peculiar bloodlines, and so forth. For instance, Li Yingzhang's Nine Curves Winding Constitution was an innate divergence in meridians compared to ordinary people. Similarly, those born with immense divine strength had muscle structures that differed from the norm.
Strictly speaking, however, these three categories were never so clearly segregated.
In embryonic development, infancy, and youth, they often influenced and reshaped one another.
The interaction between spirit roots and physique was especially common.
The so-called Innate Gengjin Sword Body occurred when a gold spirit root possessed excessive affinity with heaven and earth. Through interacting with heaven and earth, it indirectly affected the person's physique. Concretely, it showed as supreme affinity and control over gold-attribute objects. Such individuals possessed extraordinary talent whether wielding sabers or practicing swordsmanship. It was solely because the "Innate Gengjin Saber Body" sounded less elegant than "Sword Body" that it was named as such.
Other examples included the Nine Yang Divine Body and the Ginseng Wood Spirit Body. These could all be viewed as a particular spirit root being overly prominent within a cultivator, altering the body and gradually extending its influence to external matter.
Among these myriad spirit bodies, the Five Spirits Dao Body was undoubtedly renowned.
Whoever possessed this physique could cultivate any art of the five elements with speed comparable to a heavenly spirit root cultivator of a single attribute.
This alone meant the Five Spirits Dao Body was unrestricted by cultivation methods.
Moreover, after advancing in realm, switching to any primary art would remain unaffected—a convenience of the highest order.
In fact, even cultivating all five elements simultaneously, one's progress would far outstrip ordinary five-element root bearers.
Luo Chen had read of this physique in an ancient text from the Myriad Immortals Association.
It not only detailed the various traits of this physique, but also documented how predecessors had utilized and developed it.
One point remained especially vivid in Luo Chen's memory:
"Simultaneous Cultivation of All Arts"!
The Five Spirits Dao Body could disregard the clashes among five-element spiritual qi, enabling one to cultivate multiple methods at the same time.
As long as one was unbothered by the slower cultivation pace, one's magic power could multiply manifold.
Furthermore, when facing enemies in combat, one did not need to worry about the mutual suppression of the five elements. Instead, one could adapt freely and counter the foe using elemental counters.
Generally, those possessing the Five Spirits Dao Body were cherished prodigies nurtured by major sects, which spared no expense or resources to foster them.
Under an avalanche of resources, the supposed drag on cultivation speed became a moot point.
Such individuals advanced rapidly, and their combat prowess consistently surpassed peers of the same realm.
Sitting quietly in the spiritual spring, Luo Chen shifted his intent. The conversion of magic power within him became far smoother than before.
There was barely any conflict even between fire and water.
Evidently, this was one of the wonders of the Five Spirits Dao Body.
When meditating and cultivating, his speed even surpassed the pseudo-heavenly spirit root converted by the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture.
This alone stirred a surge of excitement in Luo Chen's heart.
*The emergence of my Five Spirits Dao Body must have resulted from the mutual interaction between my five-element spirit roots and my Desolate Ancient Tier 4 physique, synthesized through the peculiar energy within this spiritual spring.*
*The five-element roots and the desolate beast physique were the prerequisites, but the crucial catalyst was that energy!*
Gazing at the thin, pale-white spring water cupped in his hands, Luo Chen grew pensive.
However, now was neither the time to study his constitution nor to scrutinize this spring water.
*Splash...*
Luo Chen rose to his full height, stepping out of the small pool that measured merely two zhang across.
Reaching the edge, he paused.
He glanced back at the pale-white water, lost in thought.
*If I were at the Nascent Soul realm, I could probably absorb it entirely.*
*What a pity...*
*Still, letting it go to waste would be even more regrettable.*
Tapping his waist with magic power, two spirit beast pouches glowed.
Moments later, Black King and Tianxuan emerged before him.
Their colossal forms appeared rather cramped inside the dim chamber.
"Shrink down!"
Black King shrank obediently yet dazedly, but Luo Chen still found it insufficient and ordered him to shrink further.
When he reached roughly one zhang in size, Black King grumbled bitterly, "Master, isn't this enough? Xiao Hei feels truly stifled."
Luo Chen grunted in assent, then looked at Tianxuan, who had already assumed human form. "You two, go soak inside!"
Black King instinctively glanced at the steaming pool and asked, "In there?"
Tianxuan frowned. "Together with him?"
To think they would hesitate when an enormous blessing lay right before them.
With a flick of his wide sleeve, Luo Chen swept both unprepared demons directly into the pool.
"How much you absorb depends on your own capability. Be quick—do not hold up my affairs."
With that, he strode out of the dim side hall.
Left behind in the spring water, the two demons stared at each other in utter bewilderment.
Soon, however, they noticed something unusual.
A powerful surge of energy flooded into their bodies. That force seemed infused with immense fortune, actively reshaping their demonic forms.
Excruciating pain radiated from both of them.
Black King fared slightly better, while Tianxuan found it almost unbearable.
Even so, they gritted their teeth and endured.
They could perceive that this energy brought them only benefit without harm. It might well be the greatest opportunity of their lives.
And this opportunity was a gift bestowed by their master!
***
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
Crisp footsteps echoed across the palace's white jade floor.
Clad in white, Luo Chen moved neither quickly nor slowly, dividing his awareness between his qi sea and the surrounding architecture.
Within his qi sea, Luo Chen maneuvered his natal golden core, placing it back into the Hunyuan Cauldron.
This was done so that, should an enemy appear, he could unleash the Senluo Fire Prison at a moment's notice.
His movements were cautious, because the Tier 5 Law Derivation Pill he had personally refined was still lingering inside the Hunyuan Cauldron.
It was best not to let the two collide.
Once everything was adjusted, Luo Chen turned his gaze to the structures around him.
The overall style shared the same lineage as the stone houses outside.
Yet in specific details, the difference was night and day.
Even with Luo Chen's breadth of knowledge, he could not fully identify the materials used to construct the palace.
He only knew they were exquisite, astronomical in value, and extraordinarily rare!
All these materials were fused together seamlessly, as if naturally formed.
Suddenly, three passages appeared before Luo Chen.
"Three paths again?"
Luo Chen murmured, following his instincts toward the rightmost path.
After a few breaths, he reached the end.
A faint herbal fragrance drifted out from within.
"Oh?"
Catching the complex pill scent, Luo Chen pushed open the doors to the side hall.
As far as the eye could see, empty wooden shelves stood tall, arranged row upon row like a dense forest.
Moving swiftly, Luo Chen reached a shelf and took down a jade bottle.
He pulled the stopper!
There was nothing inside!
Empty. Every single one was empty.
The immense anticipation in his heart instantly turned into profound disappointment.
This side hall was clearly a storehouse for finished pills.
Yet for some unknown reason, it lay completely barren, as if every pill had already been removed. Even the corresponding defensive arrays for preserving the pills had run out of energy and ceased to function.
"Was it the cultivators of the Yuan Demon Sect?"
With a face full of regret, Luo Chen picked up a superior-grade spirit stone and lightly squeezed it.
Powder drifted down, indicating that the spiritual energy within had long been drained away, leaving only an empty husk.
He could imagine that in its prime, this place could hold tens of thousands, perhaps even millions of pills!
It was fully capable of supplying a pinnacle faction.
Had he inherited such a hoard, he would never have had to toil for the rest of his days.
He could have lived off it indefinitely!
Especially if it contained high-tier pills akin to the Law Derivation Pill, then...
"Perhaps it went even beyond the Law Derivation Pill!"
"The talent of Heaven Refining Demon Lord—even the mere tip of the iceberg was dazzling. A Tier 5 divine pill might not have been his limit. Tier 6, Tier 7..."
His murmurs could not conceal his lingering dismay.
Luo Chen stepped out of the side hall and pulled the doors shut.
Returning to the intersection, he hesitated a moment before choosing the leftmost path this time.
By his reasoning, the middle path ought to lead to the main hall, or perhaps toward the exit.
Before departing, he could still explore a little further.
Advancing step by step, a side hall adorned with carved beams, painted rafters, and reliefs of strange beasts appeared before him.
Luo Chen took a deep breath and pushed open the ancient doors.
Just like the previous chamber, wooden shelves filled the room.
Unlike before, however, these shelves were clearly meant for storing books.
And this time, Luo Chen was not disappointed.
Though most shelves were empty, over a hundred shimmering protective light barriers were reflected in his eyes.
Over a hundred of them!
He approached the protective barriers, feeling a flicker of hesitation.
He could sense a terrifying might contained within the barriers. With his current cultivation, he likely could not force them open.
Most notably, on the highest shelf at the very back, a hazy black page floated quietly.
That was the most dangerous presence of all!
Just as Luo Chen hesitated, the hall seemed to register something. All the light barriers steadily retracted.
"Did it sense that I passed the inheritance trial?"
The aura of the spiritual spring on Luo Chen had not yet faded.
Deep in thought, he walked up to the nearest silver beast-hide scroll.
As he lifted it, a gleam of light flashed and vanished.
Luo Chen gently unfurled the silver hide.
What greeted his eyes was an alchemical method he had never seen before.
Its name was the Withered Bone Pill Method!
Using beast bones as a primer, fusing the alchemist's essence blood, and taking the lives of living beings as kindling, fresh resentment being the ideal catalyst...
"This feels a bit sinister, doesn't it?"
Luo Chen muttered, stowing the volume into his storage ring.
He then looked toward the next item: a manual carved upon a malevolent ghost statue.
*Golden Polar Yaksha Seventh Pill Scroll.*
"I know of yakshas—ghostly entities of the yin soul sort, dwelling in the yellow springs of the netherworld. But what is a Golden Polar Yaksha? A variety of the demon race?"
Luo Chen recalled the ancient records from the third trial. It seemed there had indeed been a brief mention of a certain demonic branch.
They shared ties with ghost yakshas and were designated as Golden Polar Yakshas.
It seemed the contents carved upon this statue were the unique alchemical knowledge of that race.
Collected!
Lacking time for careful study, Luo Chen took them all.
By the end, he was sweeping through the hall like a whirlwind, packing everything away.
He paused only once, before a thick, black-leather classic.
Its title read: *Heaven Refining Alchemy Classic*.
Unless he was mistaken, this substantial tome was penned by Heaven Refining Demon Lord himself.
In silence, Luo Chen looked up at the bookshelves filling the hall.
*Perhaps this is the true essence of the inheritance!*
*Seventy-two volumes of alchemy manuals spanning humans, demons, and fiends, with lesser races of every bizarre description. Mastering them all would easily make one an alchemy grandmaster, let alone an alchemy master. One might even take it a step further and comprehend the laws of alchemy...*
He resumed his stride, hands moving with practiced haste. Though the remaining texts were equally peculiar, their contents were sparser.
They recorded individual pill recipes, some intact and others fragmented.
All told, there were thirty-six recipes.
Most could be viewed directly, ranging from Tier 1 through Tier 5.
The recipe for the Law Derivation Pill was prominently among them!
However, while he could inspect the Law Derivation Pill recipe, the other Tier 5 recipes were still blocked; the retracted protective barriers continued to operate, shutting out his divine sense.
What excited Luo Chen the most were the final three recipes, which he also could not open to view in full.
One was titled Spirit Stabilization, and another Void Mastery; both were described as Tier 6!
In other words, these were pills that only Void Refinement True Lords could consume.
As for the very last recipe, Luo Chen's hands trembled as he held it.
It was a page enveloped in black mist, shielding itself from Luo Chen's divine sense, magic power, and even his physical sight.
Only a single snippet of information abruptly surfaced in his mind:
[Tier 8—Dao Harmonization]
At this moment, no words could capture Luo Chen's state of mind.
He carefully placed the recipe into his Ink Ring, burying it in the deepest recess among a mountain of ordinary collected books.
With that, Luo Chen quietly retreated from the side hall.
Before leaving, he paused in thought, then turned and bowed deeply.
Having received the inheritance, he owed the rites of a disciple.
It was a pity the Perfected Lord was not present; otherwise, Luo Chen would have gladly performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows!
*If only I knew the Perfected Lord's true name. 'Heaven Refining Demon Lord' is merely a Daoist title. Had I known it, I would have erected a tablet in his honor and offered incense to comfort his spirit in heaven.*
Suppressing his surging emotions, Luo Chen slowly retraced his steps.
At last, he stood once more before the three-way fork.
By now, he had forcibly steadied his feelings.
It was time to see what lay ahead.
Striding forward, he went further and further... until his footsteps halted at the entrance of a grand main hall.
With a single glance, the excitement he had worked so hard to calm surged once more.
A massive black cauldron stood quietly in the very center of the grand hall.
With Luo Chen's expertise in artifact crafting, he was entirely unable to discern the cauldron's tier.
He only knew that the formless pressure emanating from it far exceeded that of anyone he had ever encountered!
Whether it was Han Zhan, Ao Xiao, or the two rogue cultivators of Blood Moon—even Youquan and Qingshuang would be like ants before this pressure.
Possessing such majesty, it was definitely no ordinary magic treasure.
It had likely surpassed the level of a true artifact, comparable only to the legendary spirit treasures.
*Could this be the true legacy left behind by Heaven Refining Demon Lord in the lineage of alchemy?*
Wild joy surfaced on his face.
His body moved instinctively.
Luo Chen stepped forward, drawn toward the black cauldron as if spellbound.
His right hand reached out involuntarily, about to touch the massive vessel.
Right at that instant, a frail voice drifted faintly from within the cauldron:
"You have come."
Chapter 693