Black King did possess genuine natural talent.
Back in the earliest days, under Luo Chen’s nurturing with vast amounts of premium Emperor Flowing Liquid, the beast had developed a devouring demonic art. It allowed him to swallow all manner of flesh and bone, extracting nourishing energy beneficial to his own growth.
Later, after ascending to become a desolate beast, he successively gained two desolate beast talents: Indestructible Body and Spirit Grounding.
The former manifested in battle. Even if his limbs were mangled or parts of his physical body were destroyed, as long as he was not wiped out in an instant, he could slowly regenerate. During his previous battle against Qingshuang, Black King had once been battered into a truly miserable state, yet now he was leaping about as lively as ever.
As for the latter, Luo Chen had always assumed it could only be used to cultivate spiritual land and raise the grade of spirit veins.
Yet now it seemed he had somewhat overlooked this Spirit Grounding talent.
Whether it was ferreting out spiritual wine in the Dieyun Sect or unearthing a vast hoard of cultivation manuals and classical texts within the Five Elements Divine Sect, Black King had consistently displayed an acute sensitivity toward places rich in spiritual qi.
And now, he had brought back yet another fine prize!
*Perhaps I should keep an eye out for relevant resources in the future and tap deeper into Black King’s talent in this regard.*
As the saying went, one could never master too many skills!
The same applied to Black King. It wasn’t as though he had to fight every single day; he couldn't just eat and sleep, sleep and eat. Having another practical craft would ensure he lived up to his standing as Luo Chen’s foremost spiritual pet.
After musing to himself for a moment, Luo Chen turned his attention to examining this “fine prize.”
The Spirit-Illuminating Gu!
A secret closely guarded by the Shadow Reflection Sect.
Moreover, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu that Black King had scavenged was evidently of no low grade.
Looking at the slumbering, caterpillar-like Gu insect, Luo Chen relied on his limited knowledge of Gu Dao to inspect it meticulously.
Those black concentric rings along its body were not mere patterns, but wrinkles of age. The more rings it possessed, the greater its years.
“Even if it isn't a mother Gu, it has at least reached adulthood. It is more than sufficient for a Nascent Soul expert’s use.”
“However, as for how specifically to utilize it, I will have to do some research.”
Luo Chen pursed his lips and flipped through the other ancient tomes retrieved from the storage bag.
Faced with the densely packed texts, Luo Chen could not help but cast Black King another appreciative glance.
The fellow knew full well that his master loved reading widely, so whenever he plundered resources, he would deliberately sweep up any books he could find.
He was truly sharp and considerate!
Smiling faintly, Luo Chen submerged his mind into the volumes.
***
A flying boat sailed southward from the east.
Cave Master Minglei stood at the bow deck, facing the headwind with a complex expression.
At this moment, it was his own magic power and spiritual sense controlling the flying boat.
For a dignified Nascent Soul expert of his generation to be reduced to steering a vessel for someone else—how could his heart not be full of mixed feelings?
Yet the man inside was the Overbearing Cultivator Qi Tian!
Setting aside the tremendous might the man had displayed, simply by virtue of having saved Minglei’s life earlier, Minglei had to show his appreciation. A few casual words of gratitude could hardly convey his sincerity, and as for various cultivation resources, the man simply did not care for them. Showing his goodwill through actions was all that remained.
Yet whenever Minglei recalled the terrifying strength Qi Tian had exhibited across those two battles, a lingering question stirred in his mind.
*Can body refinement truly be that formidable?*
In the cultivation world, body cultivators—or body refinement practitioners—belonged to a lineage that had long fallen into decline.
Even though the Southern Border preserved the path of body refinement in a relatively more intact state compared to the other four continents, few took it seriously. At most, cultivators treated it as a supplementary technique before the Nascent Soul realm to strengthen their physical bodies. After all, breaking through to form a Nascent Soul required harmony among the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit; if one's physical body was too frail, it could never withstand the ordeal of shattering the core to forge the soul.
Yet the sheer might Luo Chen had demonstrated time and again completely exceeded Cave Master Minglei’s imagination.
In truth, Minglei was merely missing the forest for the trees.
Luo Chen’s power did not stem solely from his stage in body refinement.
His Scarlet Eyes and Golden Pupils allowed him to see straight through illusory concealment arts and discern flaws during a duel. His Zhenyu soul art granted him formidable soul defense, making him wholly impervious to the soul-targeting attacks that body refinement practitioners feared most. With these two advantages atop a terrifyingly robust physique, Luo Chen was an indestructible instrument of conquest. Furthermore, when it came to depth of combat experience, how many Nascent Soul True Persons in this era could rival him?
Setting aside the lively ideas regarding body refinement burgeoning in Cave Master Minglei’s mind, Luo Chen had gradually begun to make headway in studying the Spirit-Illuminating Gu.
Inside the cabin, Luo Chen held a volume, perusing it attentively.
After a long while, he thoughtfully set down the book titled *One Hundred Explanations of Gu Insects*.
“To put it in common parlance, the function of this Spirit-Illuminating Gu is nothing more than a monitoring instrument!”
According to the introduction in *One Hundred Explanations of Gu Insects*, a compilation from the Shadow Reflection Sect, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu differed from ordinary Gu insects that aided cultivation by directly boosting magic power or spiritual soul. It did not directly elevate a cultivator's realm.
However, it was indeed remarkably useful for inspecting deficiencies and filling in gaps during cultivation.
Once refined into the body, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu could perceive physical alterations with exquisite clarity. Furthermore, refining it was unlike refining ordinary dharma treasures or medicinal pills with magic power; it was accomplished purely through the soul.
Consequently, through their soul connection, the Gu’s sensory memories could subsequently be perceived by the host.
Cultivation was a slow, grinding process, but it was also a delicate craft.
Most people walked through it in a daze. As long as their realm advanced, their cultivation remained merely rough and serviceable. Yet if one wished to walk every stage with firm, unshakable footing and lay an immaculate foundation, one had to pursue the finest details to their absolute limit.
The Spirit-Illuminating Gu was tailored precisely for refining those details.
After every cultivation session, the host could observe the subtle shifts throughout their body via the Spirit-Illuminating Gu, grasping not only what had changed but why, rather than muddling through by swallowing whole what they did not understand.
“Quite intriguing…” Luo Chen murmured to himself.
Soon, his mind was made up.
He would refine this Spirit-Illuminating Gu!
All along, Luo Chen’s foundations across every cultivation realm had been exceptionally solid. Yet in truth, there were many times when he did not fully understand certain peculiar shifts during cultivation, merely following the pathways paved by predecessors without probing deeper. If he had this Gu insect to assist him, he could comprehend the intrinsic nature of cultivation. From then on, he could constantly fine-tune the minutiae of his practice and clearly perceive his future path.
The only remaining concern was how to refine it.
After all, he did not possess the specific refinement incantations used by the Shadow Reflection Sect.
Even so, Luo Chen had his own way of resolving the matter!
He glanced outside, estimating the time in his mind.
The journey to Mount Mijie was long.
Originally, he and Cave Master Minglei had planned to fly at full speed to arrive quickly. But because he needed to study the Gu insect, they had switched to traveling by flying boat instead. Their pace was naturally slower, yet it afforded far more leisure.
*Before reaching Mount Mijie, there should be plenty of time for me to refine this Spirit-Illuminating Gu.*
Having run the calculations, Luo Chen steadied his mind. He squeezed a drop of blood essence from his fingertip and let it fall onto the caterpillar-like fleshy bug.
As the blood entered its body, the dormant Spirit-Illuminating Gu awoke at once.
Ring after ring of black wrinkles began to wriggle, and its multifaceted, insectoid eyes blinked open in confusion, looking first upon Luo Chen.
“Come in!”
Luo Chen inhaled sharply, drawing the Gu into his mouth in a single breath.
Once inside, the Gu darted straight toward his Purple Mansion.
During this process, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu grew lively, repeatedly broadcasting wisps of awareness to scan Luo Chen's body. Yet the moment it entered the Purple Mansion, it froze completely.
A slender, pale-cyan tree stretched its branches there, exuding a slow, steady blaze. Not only that, but a bird resembling a phoenix fluttered over inquisitively, appearing as though it might devour the insect whole.
Terrified, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu scurried desperately inward.
Suddenly, it caught sight of a small gray cauldron standing motionless, projecting an aura that seemed capable of suppressing everything under heaven. *That should make a fine shelter.*
Instinctively, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu crawled toward the gray cauldron. Yet before it could even scramble onto one of the cauldron's feet, it felt as though struck by lightning and retreated in sheer panic.
Within that cauldron lurked something even more terrifying! In fact, the natural hierarchy suppression from one of its own kind instilled far greater dread than the flaming tree and firebird ever could.
For a moment, bewildered terror seized the Spirit-Illuminating Gu.
Could it be that in this vast Purple Mansion, there was not a single inch of ground for it to stand?
Right at that instant, a plump, translucent hand descended from above, snatching it in an unyielding grasp and drawing it into its form to refine it.
The Nascent Soul—a fusion of the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit—was the secondary dwelling of the soul outside the physical body. Luo Chen’s primary soul currently resided within it. Grasping the cowering, trembling Spirit-Illuminating Gu, he employed the most fundamental method, using his soul to dissolve and refine the Gu’s innate consciousness bit by bit.
This process could not be too slow. If it were too slow, the Spirit-Illuminating Gu would recover its senses and resist.
Yet neither could it be too swift. If it were too swift, Luo Chen’s formidable soul would obliterate the fragile creature in an instant, rendering all his efforts wasted.
Time quietly slipped away amid the refinement of the Gu.
***
Half a year later.
Outside the boat, the wind howled.
Inside, utter quiet reigned.
*Gulp.*
A mouthful of wine went down, and the two men inside opened up their chatter.
“Strictly speaking, the disaster of the Demonic Heart Gu broke out five hundred years ago.
“Yet the moment it truly emerged was earlier still. Rumor has it that a formidable Gu refiner developed it from ancient texts while researching the rank-five divine Gu, the Life-and-Death Gu.
“At the time, people found this Gu utterly miraculous. Once refined, it could drastically enhance the efficiency of refining essence into qi.
“Brother Qi, you must understand that our cultivation essentially follows two paths: drawing in ambient spiritual qi from the outside world, or transmuting magic power from the physical body’s vitality and blood.
“The former is quite tedious. It requires a spirit land of corresponding grade, a robust soul, and an excellent cultivation manual—far too many restrictive conditions.
“Refining essence into qi, however, is comparatively simple. Whether through physical conditioning, dietary nourishment, or medicinal supplements, the results are immediate.
“On top of that, the path of body refinement has always circulated throughout the Southern Border. Therefore, once the Demonic Heart Gu appeared, it instantly became the swiftest method to elevate one's cultivation realm!”
After more than half a year spent refining the Gu insect, Luo Chen was finally free to attend to other matters. He had resumed the conversation that had been interrupted earlier.
Cave Master Minglei had prepared for this discussion long ago, so he recounted the tale fluidly without pause.
Only through his telling did Luo Chen learn just how much of a frenzy the Demonic Heart Gu had stirred across the Southern Border back then. Much like the debut of a supreme grade pill, its appearance had triggered tremendous shockwaves. Because it bore virtually no prerequisites, its ripple effect had been far more manic than any grade-restricted elixir! Perhaps the sole barrier preventing every cultivator from acquiring one had been its exorbitant price.
“Back then, I was still young. As a rogue cultivator with scant wealth, I naturally could not afford the spirit stones to purchase a Demonic Heart Gu.
“Yet as fortune would have it, that very poverty spared me from a great catastrophe!”
Speaking to this point, Cave Master Minglei’s face filled with lingering dread and wistful emotion.
Curious, Luo Chen asked, “What catastrophe?”
Cave Master Minglei countered, “Brother Qi, you are familiar with hierarchical suppression, yes?”
Luo Chen nodded. “Naturally, that is common knowledge. Higher-order demon beasts suppress lower-order ones, and a powerful cultivator will instill instinctive dread in the weak without even lifting a finger. Is it the same for Gu insects?”
“Naturally it is so for Gu insects, but the suppression of the Demonic Heart Gu was far more terrifying!” Cave Master Minglei said, shifting the topic. “Setting hierarchical suppression aside for a moment, let us first speak of the attributes of magic power! Magic power refined through the Demonic Heart Gu naturally varies in element according to a cultivator’s spiritual roots and physique. Yet later, people discovered that beneath these differences, there remained a shared commonality!”
“A commonality?” Luo Chen seemed to catch on to something.
Cave Master Minglei nodded. “Indeed. Someone discovered that between two different cultivators who had both refined the Demonic Heart Gu, their magic power could actually be absorbed and transmuted through their respective Gu! If their realms were comparable, the absorption could even be achieved almost entirely without loss! That was where the catastrophe began!”
Luo Chen thought back to his own experience.
Although he had never refined a Demonic Heart Gu, he had relied on his immense bodily vitality and blood to force a low-grade Consonance Gu to evolve into a rank-three Demonic Heart Gu. Later, during his physical nirvana, that Demonic Heart Gu had perished alongside his old body, yet half of its magic power had bizarrely transferred across hundreds of millions of li to Huiniang.
Luo Chen did not know the profound mechanics behind that transmission, chalking it up to the overarching principles of heaven and earth. Still, the very fact that Sima Huiniang could receive his magic power revealed the underlying truth.
The only defect was that Huiniang’s physique had lacked sufficient strength at the time, so she had not yet nurtured her own Consonance Gu to the rank-three Demonic Heart Gu stage. As a result, she had been unable to fully assimilate the domineering fire-attribute magic power he had sent over. Only through slow, subsequent evolution had that Consonance Gu advanced to rank three and bound itself deeply to her.
Beside him, Cave Master Minglei’s voice continued at an unhurried pace.
“Once this was discovered, the cultivation world of the Southern Border descended into endless bloodshed.
“To hasten their cultivation, many chose a perilous path that surpassed even regular shortcuts. They hunted down other cultivators who had refined the Demonic Heart Gu, harvesting their magic power to convert into their own. Toward the end, they didn't even bother to verify—they would simply kill on sight.
“Back then, I was only at the Qi Refinement stage. I lived every day in terror, wishing I could carve the words ‘I have not refined a Demonic Heart Gu’ directly onto my forehead, fearing someone would strike me down.”
Luo Chen could not help but ask, “With such chaos running rampant, did the sacred grounds do nothing?”
Cave Master Minglei nodded, then quickly shook his head.
“They intervened, but only nominally. After purging the demonic heart cultivators within their own ranks, they merely issued a directive to the outside world forbidding the circulation of the Demonic Heart Gu in the Southern Border.
“What truly quelled that catastrophe was the emergence of an old Nascent Soul monster.
“Wherever he went, any cultivator who had refined a Demonic Heart Gu—regardless of their realm—was utterly powerless to resist him, their magic power harvested down to the last drop.
“Only then did people realize that beyond converting magic power of differing attributes, the Demonic Heart Gu carried an innate hierarchical suppression among its own kind. Before a rank-four Demonic Heart Gu, no matter what realm you had attained—even if you were also at the Nascent Soul stage—if your own Gu lacked sufficient rank, you were reduced to fish on a chopping block, left to the mercy of another.
“And that old monster was known as the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor!”
Luo Chen’s expression shifted slightly.
The Demonic Heart Gu Emperor—the name had finally surfaced!
Yet he did not grow impatient, knowing there was a strong chance this was not the person he was searching for.
Sure enough, as Cave Master Minglei continued his tale, Luo Chen finally encountered the information he sought.
“Such a terrifying existence naturally provoked the many Nascent Soul experts of the Southern Border. After all, anyone capable of achieving the Nascent Soul realm back then was rarely a solitary recluse.
“They had disciples, grand-disciples, and bloodline descendants. Among those juniors, there were always some who, seeking speed and convenience, had refined the Demonic Heart Gu to accelerate their cultivation.
“The mutual slaughter among ordinary cultivators had still belonged to the realm of resource contention. But the appearance of the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor was an outright harvest, and no one could sit by and watch their own descendants become fodder for someone else’s ascent.
“Thus, a campaign to hunt down and slaughter the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor erupted!”
Speaking to this point, Cave Master Minglei visibly sighed in relief.
He smiled faintly. “Hounded by a pursuit of that scale, the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor no longer dared to act brazenly and could only skulk in secret. Then, one day, news spread from an unknown quarter: the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor was dead.”
“Dead?” Luo Chen raised an eyebrow.
Cave Master Minglei nodded slightly. “Indeed, dead. And he died in the most unexpected way imaginable—he suffered a backlash. A low-tier cultivator who had likewise refined a Demonic Heart Gu managed to strike upward from below, turning the tables and devouring him through a backlash.”
“Who was that person, and where are they now?”
Cave Master Minglei spread his hands. “Nobody knows. Not a soul. That person was exceedingly mysterious and behaved entirely differently from the old Gu Emperor. They never initiated any harvest against others, vanishing silently into the cultivation world of the Southern Border.”
Luo Chen opened his mouth, then slowly remarked, “Quite a prudent individual.”
Cave Master Minglei chuckled. “Perhaps not out of prudence, but out of sheer fright. After all, the momentum behind the pursuit of the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor had been staggering—dozens of top factions had mobilized their experts together. Even a sacred ground might have found such wrath difficult to weather.”
Luo Chen chuckled as well, though he was smiling at Cave Master Minglei’s naivety. A sacred ground’s heritage was vast enough to suppress an entire continent; without external interference, even if all the experts of the Southern Border gathered together, they likely would not have been enough to match the sole ancestor of the sacred ground Gate of Life and Death.
He was merely curious: where had that new Demonic Heart Gu Emperor gone?
“Afterward, with the disappearance of the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor, the various Southern Border factions turned their blades upon the remaining demonic heart cultivators. Some were hunted down, some were imprisoned, and others used various secret arts to try and purge or suppress the Gu.
“In any case, under the summons and decrees of the major powers, the Demonic Heart Gu—a cultivation cheat of unprecedented proportions—gradually faded into the annals of Southern Border history.”
A catastrophe, an epoch of history, recounted from a bystander’s perspective.
This was also the first time Luo Chen had obtained a comprehensive understanding of that past.
While there was not an abundance of information directly useful to him, he had nonetheless pieced together several crucial details.
Such as the Demonic Heart Gu’s habits, its functions, and… the temperament of that new Gu Emperor!
*Where could he have hidden?*
*He couldn't have died of old age, could he?*
Amid these speculations, Luo Chen’s heart suddenly stirred.
“Brother Minglei, pardon me for a moment. I have a minor matter regarding my cultivation to attend to.”
“Go right ahead!”
Cave Master Minglei replied, watching Luo Chen re-enter the cabin.
A look of envy surfaced in his eyes. The man was already so extraordinarily powerful, yet he still ceaselessly pushed himself, never slacking off even while traveling.
By comparison, after achieving the Nascent Soul realm, Minglei felt he had grown somewhat lax.
Chapter 943