Chapter 246 – Su Xing’s Four Trump Cards, Bullying the Weak Really Is Comfortable! (10,000 Words, Vote Monthly Tickets)

In the real world, Su Xing saw this and gave a slight nod.

“Protective Sword Aura… merging sword aura and primordial energy into one, forming a new supernatural art!”

Su Xing’s eyes lit up. This seemed like quite a promising direction—offense and defense integrated, with greatly enhanced defensive capabilities.

“And then there’s the advancement in Qi Refinement cultivation. This simulation should have no problem advancing to the peak of the fourth layer of Body Integration stage…”

According to Su Xing’s plan, advancing to the peak of the fourth layer of Body Integration stage was the most suitable goal for this simulation.

Because the peak of the fourth layer was only three layers away from the first layer of Body Integration stage, Su Xing would only need to pay 1.5 billion energy to extract the cultivation gains.

Adding in the comprehension of the new supernatural art Protective Sword Aura, it would come to just over two billion simulation energy.

But if it were any more than that, Su Xing would have to make trade-offs and couldn’t bring out both rewards.

“What a headache! Once Qi Refinement cultivation goes up… the simulation energy becomes somewhat insufficient.”

Su Xing let out a sigh.

After cooperating with Lu Yuanwu, the energy Su Xing acquired had skyrocketed.

But the problem was, as Su Xing’s strength grew, the energy required became increasingly outrageous.

This was merely the Body Integration stage. Once he reached the Mahayana stage or even the Immortal realm, the energy Su Xing would need would be a truly terrifying number.

“What worries me most is… once my strength reaches a realm above Immortal… can all of Earth even supply enough energy for me to advance my cultivation?”

Su Xing furrowed his brow slightly, finding this quite the headache.

Generally speaking, a minor thousand world contained a finite total of resources and energy.

Even though Earth was a special minor thousand world, its upper limit was only somewhat higher.

This was also why the most supreme powerhouses mostly came from the Greater World—because the upper limit there was higher.

Perhaps once Su Xing reached some extremely high realm, he would have to leave Earth and obtain energy and resources from the Three Thousand Worlds in order to break through further.

“But for now, continuing to advance my cultivation is what matters most!”

Su Xing’s gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【Year Twelve: After the Spirit Vein Dragon was brought into the spirit field grotto-heaven, the speed of resource production within the spirit field increased significantly, and the resources needed for your cultivation were steadily replenished.】

【That same year, you consumed several million drops of low-grade spirit liquid, and your cultivation advanced to the mid-period of the third layer of Body Integration stage.】

【Year Fourteen: You continued comprehending the Protective Hardened Qi.】

【Through your tireless efforts, you were now able to summon eighteen sword auras at once, integrating offense and defense, protecting your entire body.】

【As you continued to explore, the new supernatural art known as Protective Sword Aura began to take initial shape. Based on your judgment, this might become a powerful supernatural art surpassing Five Elements Spirit Burst, even touching the threshold of a greater divine art!】

【According to your calculations, when you could summon thirty-six sword auras at once, it would barely count as entry-level mastery. At that point, each of the thirty-six sword auras would contain True Sword Intent, with killing power approaching a single strike from a Mahayana stage cultivator!】

【And so, another two years passed.】

【Year Sixteen: Over these two years, you exhausted all your spirit stones while consuming several million more drops of spirit liquid, pushing your cultivation to the verge of the peak of the third layer of Body Integration stage!】

【At this point, you had only one million drops of spirit liquid remaining. But you were not worried, because with the spirit vein dragon’s existence, you could obtain several hundred thousand drops of low-grade spirit liquid and tens of thousands of drops of mid-grade spirit liquid in supplementary resources each year.】

【Year Seventeen: You traveled to the Slaughter Battlefield in the Beast Taming World. After disguising your appearance and concealing your aura, you posed as a Beast Taming World powerhouse and slaughtered several hundred Legendary-stage demon beasts on the battlefield, along with three Demon Emperors.】

【That year, the number of Protective Sword Auras you could summon reached thirty-six, and you fully achieved entry-level mastery of the Protective Sword Aura supernatural art!】

【Year Eighteen: You received an inquiry from Blood Three. He had learned of the upheaval in the Beast Taming World and asked whether you knew the reason.】

【You stated that you did not know, but would investigate diligently.】

【Upon learning this, Blood Three was somewhat displeased but said nothing more.】

【And so, another two years passed.】

【Year Twenty: This year, you had accumulated three hundred thousand drops of mid-grade spirit liquid, preparing to break through to the fourth layer of Body Integration stage in one go!】

【With ample spirit liquid reserves, you entered seclusion for half a year, and your cultivation successfully broke through to the fourth layer of Body Integration stage!】

【After stepping into the fourth layer of Body Integration stage, your magical power was more than double what it had been at the early stage of Body Integration.】

【Year Twenty-One: You made a minor breakthrough in comprehending the Protective Hardened Qi. This year, you could simultaneously summon forty-nine sword auras to protect your body. With the sword auras integrating offense and defense, ordinary Mahayana stage cultivators could not get close to you.】

【And so, another four years passed.】

【Year Twenty-Five: Your cultivation reached the mid-period of the fourth layer of Body Integration.】

【Because you had cleared out the demon beasts of the Beast Taming World in advance, Demon-Sealing Pass enjoyed a year of calm and peace.】

【That same year, you had cultivated your Protective Hardened Qi to sixty-four sword auras!】

【Using the sword auras for defense, sixty-four Protective Sword Auras could even withstand a single strike from a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator!】

【And if all sixty-four sword auras were unleashed simultaneously, even a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator would have to avoid the edge!】

【With this, the shortcoming of your insufficient defense was finally eliminated. In addition to possessing another offensive trump card comparable to a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator, your defensive capability had finally caught up to the mid-stage Mahayana level!】

In the real world, Su Xing saw this and nodded with satisfaction.

“Not bad. I’ve gained yet another trump card comparable to mid-stage Mahayana—which is mid-stage Demon Saint. The next time I face that Demon Saint, I shouldn’t be in such a sorry state…”

Strictly speaking, Su Xing’s current cultivation realm still belonged to the peak Demon Emperor level.

The reason he could defeat a Demon Saint was thanks to the several trump cards in his hand.

The first trump card: peak Primordial Unity realm, the strength of ten mountains! Combined with primordial energy and his comprehension of the Essence of Strength, Su Xing’s power approached that of a mid-stage Demon Saint!

The second trump card: mid-stage Body Integration cultivation combined with the Lifespan-Burning Art. If he burned a thousand years of lifespan at once, he could possess magical power comparable to early-stage Mahayana.

The third trump card: Major Mastery-level Heaven Sword Art, the most powerful offensive technique in Su Xing’s arsenal. Using sword qi as a medium and the origin of the sword as the core, he could unleash a ten-thousand-zhang sword qi comparable to a mid-stage Demon Saint’s full-power strike.

However, this technique consumed enormous energy, and Su Xing could currently only unleash a few such sword qi blasts.

The fourth trump card was naturally the newly comprehended Protective Sword Aura, which gave Su Xing defense comparable to a Mahayana stage cultivator while further enhancing his offensive capabilities.

“Sixty-four Protective Sword Auras, yet it’s still only at the entry level of this supernatural art. The upper limit of this technique might be even higher than I imagined!”

Su Xing’s eyes held a hint of pleasant surprise.

According to intelligence obtained from the Luotian Sect, the defensive level of this Protective Sword Aura should be more than sufficient.

If Su Xing cultivated it to the Major Mastery level and combined it with late-stage Major Mastery Body Tempering cultivation, he might be able to physically traverse the chaotic void currents with his body alone!

“Excellent. Steady progress, building a solid foundation… then breaking through to Major Mastery in Body Tempering in one burst!”

Su Xing’s eyes held a smile as his gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【Year Twenty-Six: You gained three more sword auras, bringing the total you could summon to sixty-seven Protective Sword Auras, with even greater power.】

【Based on your estimation, to reach Minor Mastery in Protective Sword Aura, you would need to simultaneously summon one hundred and eight sword auras.】

【At this point, there were still two years before the Demon Saint’s arrival. You prepared to further enhance the power of Protective Sword Aura before this battle.】

【And so, you accumulated a month’s worth of Great Wisdom state enhancement and consumed a Supreme Spirit Awakening Pill…】

【Afterward, you formally entered seclusion and devoted yourself entirely to comprehending Protective Sword Aura!】

【During your comprehension, dense sword intent swirled around your body, and the Protective Sword Auras flickered in and out of visibility, surging with vigor.】

【In the blink of an eye, one month passed…】

【In merely one month, you gained eighteen additional Protective Sword Auras.】

【At this point, the total number of Protective Sword Auras you could summon reached eighty-five!】

【Even a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator would not find it easy to break through this Protective Sword Aura…】

【And so, two years passed…】

【Year Twenty-Eight: Your cultivation reached the late period of the fourth layer of Body Integration stage, only one step away from the peak.】

【At the same time, the number of Protective Sword Auras you had comprehended reached ninety-one. You were brimming with confidence for the upcoming battle against the Demon Saint!】

【One day, you cast divination hexagrams and calculated that within seven days, Demon-Sealing Pass would face a minor tribulation. If the tribulation was weathered, Demon-Sealing Pass would be safe for the next ten years.】

【You understood in your heart—this was the hexagram sign of the Demon Saint’s imminent arrival.】

【Sure enough, seven days later, a dark mass of demon beast armies pressed against the walls, their numbers beyond counting.】

【A hundred Legendary-stage demon beasts, two Demon Emperors, and one Demon Saint arrived at Demon-Sealing Pass!】

【In an instant, panic gripped Demon-Sealing Pass. Everyone from the human Emperor to the multitude of Legendary-stage powerhouses wore expressions of despair.】

【At the critical moment, you made your move!】

【A ten-thousand-zhang sword qi swept out, slaying hundreds of thousands of demon beasts in the blink of an eye.】

【Then, with a single strike, you killed one Demon Emperor and issued a challenge to the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint.】

【Upon witnessing your terrifying power, the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint’s pupils contracted slightly, but he still accepted the challenge.】

【A great battle was imminent.】

【This time, because you had comprehended Protective Sword Aura, your strength had advanced further. Most of the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint’s attacks against you were blocked by the Protective Sword Aura.】

【At the start of the battle, you dominated the Demon Saint almost entirely. By your estimation, two days at most and you could slay him.】

【But you had no intention of doing so. You knew the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint possessed life-saving trump cards and could leave the battlefield at any time.】

【And once he escaped, ten years later, Demon-Sealing Pass would be destroyed.】

【So you decided to change your strategy, using only eighty percent of your strength to make it appear as though you and the Demon Saint were evenly matched.】

【Sure enough, the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint fell for it!】

【You and the Demon Saint battled for seven days and seven nights. In the end, you severed one of the Demon Saint’s arms, while you also suffered “severe injuries.”】

【Under these circumstances, you and the Demon Saint each chose to back down, agreeing to fight again in one year.】

【You accepted, returning to Demon-Sealing Pass, while the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint also withdrew his army three thousand li, preparing to regroup and launch another attack.】

【Year Twenty-Nine: You comprehended three more sword auras, bringing the total number of Protective Sword Auras to ninety-four.】

【That same year, you battled the Demon Saint again, and the final result once more ended with both sides “severely injured”…】

【You and the Demon Saint were “evenly matched,” agreeing to recover from your injuries and fight again in one year.】

【And so, another three years passed in the blink of an eye…】

【Year Thirty-Two: Over these three years, the Demon Saint had fought you every year. Through combat, your comprehension of sword intent deepened further.】

【And the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint had been baited by you year after year, always falling just short—you had practically reeled him in like a hooked fish.】

【Until this year, the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint finally sensed that something was off.】

【Because every year he fought you, and every time both sides ended up severely injured, yet a victor was never determined. This seemed far too coincidental.】

【Moreover, before the Double-Pupiled Demon Saint had attacked Demon-Sealing Pass, he had made a military pledge, declaring he would capture it within three years.】

【Yet five years had already passed, and Demon-Sealing Pass remained as solid as ever.】

【In fact, these five years could be called the most peaceful five years in Demon-Sealing Pass’s history.】

【And so, the Demon Saint finally decided to abandon his duels with you. Instead, he left Earth and returned to the foreign tribes, hoping to seek outside reinforcements.】

【This year, the total number of Protective Sword Auras you had comprehended reached one hundred and three, drawing ever closer to Minor Mastery in Protective Sword Aura.】

In the real world, Su Xing let out a sigh upon seeing this.

“What a shame. I only managed to string that Demon Saint along for five years… If I could have baited him a bit longer, I might have been able to extend the simulation time further…”

“I just don’t know how long it will take for the Demon Saint to bring back reinforcements. I’m afraid next time will be the moment Demon-Sealing Pass falls.”

Su Xing shook his head slightly. But for him, being able to extend the simulation time as much as possible and enhance his own strength was already enough.

Now was not yet the time to completely overturn the table against the foreign tribes and the Advent Cult…

Before possessing absolute strength, Su Xing pursued only steady development.

His gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【Year Thirty-Five: Three full years had passed since the Demon Saint’s departure.】

【Over these three years, Demon-Sealing Pass gained several more Legendary powerhouses, bringing the total number of Legendary powerhouses to nearly thirty.】

【But aside from you and that elderly Emperor, no new Emperor-level powerhouses had emerged.】

【What surprised you somewhat was that your good brother Yu Yan, as well as Jin Congxue, both possessed strength approaching that of Legendary powerhouses.】

【And Luo Shuying had already reached Peak Legendary ten years ago, and was currently searching for an opportunity to break through to the Emperor level.】

【In the thirty-sixth year, you once again mastered a new sword aura.】

【This year, you finally fully mastered one hundred and eight Protective Sword Auras, and your mastery of Protective Sword Aura advanced to the Minor Mastery level!】

【According to your experiments, with all one hundred and eight Protective Sword Auras fully activated, the offensive power was comparable to a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator’s full-strength strike!】

【And even more impressive was the Protective Sword Aura’s defensive capability—with sword auras shielding your entire body, you could even withstand attacks from late-stage Mahayana cultivators!】

Su Xing’s eyes brightened slightly at this.

“Finally, the Protective Sword Aura has successfully reached Minor Mastery…”

“After this simulation, my offensive techniques should rival a mid-stage Mahayana cultivator’s, and my defensive power is even comparable to late-stage Mahayana!”

“But if… I cultivate the Protective Sword Aura to Perfection, would I be able to withstand attacks from Tribulation Transcendence or even Immortal-level beings!?”

At this thought, Su Xing’s heartbeat quickened slightly, filled with anticipation.

This Protective Sword Aura was absolutely the most powerful defensive supernatural art he had ever comprehended!

His gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【Over the next four years, Demon-Sealing Pass remained peaceful.】

【In the fortieth year, one day you felt a premonition. You cast divination hexagrams and learned that within the next month, Demon-Sealing Pass would face a great calamity. Under this calamity, Demon-Sealing Pass would fall, and the human race would face annihilation…】

【In that moment, you understood that one month from now was likely the time of Demon-Sealing Pass’s destruction.】

【That Double-Pupiled Demon Saint would ultimately return, bringing with it Immortal-level beings from the foreign races!】

【So you hesitated no longer, summoning all your close friends and loved ones—including Jin Congxue, Luo Shuying, Yu Yan, Wang Qingxuan, and others—to Earth.】

【At the same time, you informed the human race’s peak Emperor that in one month, Demon-Sealing Pass would be destroyed.】

【The human Emperor showed neither joy nor sorrow upon hearing this. He hoped you could bring a portion of the Legendary powerhouses back to Earth, while he would make his last stand here.】

【After hearing this, you nodded silently. In this simulation, you still had one final thing to do, so you agreed.】

【You brought a portion of the human race and fled back to Earth, awaiting the final descent of the Amalgamated Beast.】

【One month later, you received intelligence that Demon-Sealing Pass had fallen.】

【Several more months passed, and the Amalgamated Beast descended, swallowing the entirety of Earth in a single gulp.】

【As the Amalgamated Beast descended, you attempted to unleash a ten-thousand-zhang sword qi in resistance, but the sword qi was simply swallowed into the beast’s belly, then faded into nothingness.】

【Left with no choice, you could only activate your Protective Sword Aura as you were swallowed into the Amalgamated Beast’s belly.】

【By this year, the number of your Protective Sword Auras had reached one hundred and twenty-eight!】

【After being swallowed into the Amalgamated Beast’s belly, you began searching for the location of a large-scale lightning region.】

【Because you knew that your opportunity to break through your limits and achieve Major Mastery of Body Tempering lay within!】

【After an unknown amount of time, you found a large-scale lightning region.】

【Above this lightning region, terrifying lightning storms erupted like twisting dragons, and the power of each bolt of lightning nearly reached the level of the weakest Thunder Tribulation.】

【Beneath this lightning, you sensed a faint, elusive energy surging within, resonating subtly with your body.】

【You knew this was your Heavenly Thunder Physique sensing the Essence of Lightning!】

【The lightning here could likely not only help you break through your limits, but also allow you to further comprehend the Essence of Lightning and successfully advance your Heavenly Thunder Physique!】

【You stepped into the region, activated your Protective Hardened Qi, and prepared to endure the bombardment of lightning!】

【However, the lightning here was far too terrifying. Each bolt of lightning carried offensive power comparable to peak Mahayana stage!】

【In the previous simulation, you had been gravely wounded by a single bolt, and two bolts had destroyed both your body and soul…】

【Even with your Protective Sword Aura at Minor Mastery, you had no absolute confidence that you could withstand the lightning here.】

【But the arrow was already on the string—there was no turning back!】

【Lightning comparable to a peak Mahayana cultivator’s full-strength strike, infused with the Essence of Lightning, came crashing toward you!】

【With just a single strike, your Protective Sword Auras shattered layer by layer, on the verge of complete collapse.】

【You sighed inwardly—it seemed that one hundred and twenty-eight Protective Sword Auras were still insufficient to withstand this terrifying lightning.】

【But fortunately, you possessed the Heavenly Thunder Physique, which granted a degree of immunity against lightning attacks. Combined with your Unkillable Cockroach talent, you were barely able to hold on against the injuries…】

【However, you felt no joy whatsoever, because the second bolt of lightning was already on its way…】

【After the second bolt of lightning, you barely managed to survive, but your Protective Sword Aura had completely shattered.】

【At the same time, you felt that your Heavenly Thunder Physique seemed to be undergoing some subtle transformation—it was gradually growing stronger…】

【With the aid of these successive bolts of lightning, your comprehension of the Essence of Lightning was also rapidly improving…】

【In the blink of an eye, the third bolt of lightning struck down. You endured it, but were left gravely wounded and on the brink of death…】

【The fourth bolt of lightning struck down…】

【You died!】

【This simulation has ended!】

After the simulation ended, Su Xing let out a sigh.

“What a shame, just barely short!”

“It seems one hundred and twenty-eight Protective Sword Auras still aren’t enough to withstand the lightning’s assault…”

“If my Protective Sword Aura advances further, I might be able to endure the lightning, which would in turn deepen my comprehension of the Essence of Lightning and allow the Heavenly Thunder Physique to advance further!”

All in all, Su Xing’s direction was correct.

Within the terrifying large-scale lightning region, Su Xing could successfully endure it through the Protective Sword Aura.

One hundred and twenty-eight Protective Sword Auras had increased the number of lightning bolts Su Xing could withstand from one to three!

If the Protective Sword Aura advanced even further, Su Xing would be able to evolve his Heavenly Thunder Physique, comprehend the Essence of Lightning, and break through his limits once more!

“Forty years of simulation time, and I’ve further explored the prerequisites for achieving Major Mastery of Body Tempering…”

Su Xing nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the simulation rewards.

【Culinary Master】: Purple talent. Price: 1,000,000 energy.

【Twenty Years of Alchemy Experience】: After redemption, existing alchemy insights will increase by a small margin. Price: 10,000,000 energy.

【Integration Stage, Fourth Layer】: A mid-stage Body Integration cultivator who has sensed the embryonic form of the Great Dao and comprehended Origin Force. Has cultivated to the peak of the fourth layer of Body Integration, only a single step away from the fifth layer, and can break through at any time… Price: 1,500,000,000 energy.

【Heavenly Thunder Physique Stage 2 (Incomplete)】: The second stage of the Heavenly Thunder Physique. Through heavenly thunder body tempering, absorbing the Essence of Lightning to strengthen the physique, comprehension of the Essence of Lightning greatly improved, lightning spirit root purity enhanced, and affinity for lightning spiritual energy increased. Price: 300,000,000 energy.

【Essence of Thunder Comprehension (Introductory)】: Possesses a degree of comprehension regarding the Essence of Lightning. The Essence of Lightning is the foundational building block of the Great Dao of Thunder, possessing extremely powerful destructive force and significant suppressive effects against demons and ghosts. Price: 200,000,000 energy.

【Protective Sword Aura (Minor Accomplishment)】: Comprehended by the cultivator Su Xing, modeled after Protective Hardened Qi, with primordial energy and sword intent as the core. Summons sword auras to shield the body, with power comparable to greater divine arts. Combines offense and defense. Mastering it enables combat above one’s cultivation level. Currently possesses 128 Protective Sword Auras. Price: 700,000,000 energy.

“Heavenly Thunder Physique Stage 2… Introductory comprehension of the Essence of Lightning?”

Su Xing’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected that the brief lightning tempering he experienced would give him two additional reward options.

“Unfortunately, both are in an incomplete state… If my strength were greater and my comprehension of the Protective Sword Aura deeper, I might have been able to successfully advance the Heavenly Thunder Physique and comprehend even more of the Essence of Lightning…”

Su Xing let out a light sigh. The rewards he had his eye on this time were still the Body Integration cultivation and the one hundred and twenty-eight Protective Sword Auras.

“These two rewards together will require close to 2.2 billion simulation energy… Counting this week’s traded goods, it should just barely be enough…”

“Thankfully I didn’t break through to the fifth layer of Body Integration, otherwise the energy might not have been enough to bring out both rewards…”

Su Xing felt somewhat helpless. He had been going into debt to exchange for rewards lately.

Perhaps only after Lu Yuanwu finished trading those ten thousand tons of Third Rank exotic metal would Su Xing have some breathing room.

Su Xing glanced at the time. Lu Yuanwu should already be waiting at the agreed-upon location.

So Su Xing disguised his appearance and concealed his aura, then went to meet Lu Yuanwu.

The transaction concluded quickly. With two billion simulation energy in hand, Su Xing cautiously returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven without any incidents.

“I’ll hold off on refining puppets this week… Right now, there’s one important matter waiting for me!”

“With my current mastery of the Dao of Puppetry, perhaps I can make an initial attempt at refining Perfected One Myriad Wood…”

Perfected One Myriad Wood—a half-step Body Integration cultivator, and a prodigy on top of that, nearly rivaling an Emperor-level powerhouse!

If Su Xing could subdue him and refine him into a puppet, it would not only add a formidable combat asset, but also provide him with a high-level alchemy puppet!

After all, Perfected One Myriad Wood hailed from the Myriad Wood Sect—a legitimate, bona fide alchemy sect!

With this thought, anticipation welled up in Su Xing’s heart. He then began disguising his appearance and concealing his aura.

A quarter of an hour later, Su Xing had disguised himself as a middle-aged man who had never appeared before—adding yet another identity to his collection.

“To enter the Myriad Wood Sect ruins, I first need to collect three jade fragments… I probably won’t have time for pill refining this week…”

Su Xing sighed, then set off, departing from Capital City.

After half a shichen of sword flight, Su Xing arrived at the entrance to the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts.

Su Xing cast a minor spell, then entered the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts instance.

“Alright, based on distance, this location is closest to the Eternal Spring Gate… I’ll go there first to retrieve the jade fragment.”

Su Xing murmured to himself, then took to sword flight and began searching for the three major sects.

Obtaining the jade fragments couldn’t have been simpler. Su Xing only needed to cast a soul-bewildering technique—a shallow spell—to take the jade fragments from the three sects’ hands.

The only somewhat troublesome part was that the three major sects were extremely far apart from one another.

It took Su Xing an entire day to collect all three jade fragments.

After collecting the jade fragments, Su Xing began searching for the Myriad Wood Sect ruins.

Another day later, Su Xing successfully found the massive boulder that served as the formation entrance.

“Breaking this formation will grant entry to the Myriad Wood Sect ruins…”

Su Xing didn’t choose to break through by brute force. Instead, using his Formation Dao knowledge, he put in some effort and temporarily opened a passage.

Then, with a thought, Su Xing entered the Myriad Wood Sect ruins.

Passing through the formation, Su Xing clearly felt that he had entered a space that existed somewhere other than his previous location.

“Hiss… It seems that the Myriad Wood Sect once had senior cultivators who understood spatial Dao… This space seems to still be within the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts instance, but it’s definitely not inside that mountain from before…”

A flash of surprise crossed Su Xing’s eyes. Even integrating spatial Dao into Formation Dao was an extraordinarily difficult feat.

Su Xing estimated that these ruins had likely existed for a very long time, probably created tens of thousands of years ago by a senior cultivator at the Thunder Tribulation, or perhaps even Loose Immortal level.

Upon entering the ruins, Su Xing found himself in the familiar burial passage. He then spread his divine sense outward like a tide…

“If I remember correctly, there should be a mid-stage Void Shattering realm living-dead puppet here…”

Su Xing’s eyes brightened. He decided to capture this puppet first—after all, it was a combat asset comparable to a Mid-stage Legendary powerhouse!

Before long, Su Xing spotted the mid-stage Void Shattering realm puppet.

The living-dead puppet had deathly pale skin, its entire body devoid of any sign of life, and it lunged straight at Su Xing.

Su Xing made only the slightest move and captured the living-dead puppet alive.

“Tsk tsk, quite fierce… Too bad I’m no longer that little Spirit Transformation cultivator from back then…”

Although in reality this was Su Xing’s first time entering these ruins, he still very much felt as though he were revisiting a place from the past.

The living-dead puppet that had once required every ounce of Su Xing’s effort and ingenuity to barely defeat…

Was now nothing more than an ant in Su Xing’s hands…

“Let me destroy this puppet’s core first. That way it won’t be able to move…”

With effortless ease, Su Xing plunged one hand into the living-dead puppet’s chest cavity and extracted an angular, black, spherical object.

“Hm? A single combat-type puppet… capable of autonomous combat, and can also be controlled to fight via divine sense?”

Su Xing hadn’t expended much effort before he’d thoroughly figured out the secrets of this living-dead puppet. He then stored it inside the spirit field grotto-heaven.

“Now then, next up… it’s your turn! Perfected One Myriad Wood!”

Anticipation gleamed in Su Xing’s eyes as he sprinted toward the tomb passage ahead.

Several minutes later, Su Xing arrived at the ruins’ core, where a formation barrier blocked his path.

“Tsk tsk, this barrier is actually of decent quality. It’ll take some time to break through…”

Su Xing took out several materials and began working on dismantling the barrier before him.

Several hours later, Su Xing successfully opened a temporary passage through the formation barrier.

Seizing the moment, Su Xing immediately slipped inside.

What greeted him was a dense concentration of spiritual energy that made his entire body shiver with comfort.

“The spiritual energy density here, while not as rich as the spirit field grotto-heaven, is comparable to an ordinary blessed land…”

Su Xing nodded with satisfaction. Even in the Lesser Azure Cloud Realm, such blessed lands were exceedingly rare.

“ROAR~”

From several hundred meters ahead of Su Xing came a dragon’s cry.

Su Xing focused his gaze and saw that beneath a stone platform, a dragon-shaped creature roughly a zhang in length was being suppressed. Its body was crystalline and pure white, yet wisps of dark energy coiled around it.

“A spirit vein dragon!”

Su Xing’s breathing grew heavy, and a flash of longing appeared in his eyes.

“No… now isn’t the time to release the spirit vein dragon!”

Su Xing suppressed the desire in his heart, knowing that releasing the spirit vein dragon would attract Blood Three, which would spell catastrophic disaster for him.

“Sigh, I’m afraid you’ll have to endure staying here a while longer…”

Su Xing circled around the spirit vein dragon and swept his gaze across the ruins’ core area.

Looking out before him, within a hundred meters stood vast tracts of spirit fields, with several puppets tending to spiritual plants.

“Tsk tsk, just this one stretch of spirit field alone contains several thousand stalks of spiritual medicines, and every single one is over three thousand years old!”

“Medicines of this caliber are sufficient to refine eighth-rank or even ninth-rank spirit pills!”

Su Xing didn’t hold back in the slightest. Like a storm sweeping through, he transplanted every last spiritual medicine into the spirit field grotto-heaven, not even sparing the spirit-rich soil beneath his feet.

Before long, the spiritual energy-saturated core area had been stripped completely bare by Su Xing, nearly down to the bedrock.

He didn’t spare the five puppets specifically tasked with tending the spirit fields either.

An hour later, Su Xing had essentially emptied the entire ruins core.

“Now then, next up… all that’s left is Perfected One Myriad Wood!”

Su Xing leaped upward, landing atop the bronze stone coffin, then pushed open Perfected One Myriad Wood’s coffin lid.

“Who… dares disturb this True Master’s slumber…”

Perfected One Myriad Wood awoke from his sleep, and a weathered voice filled Su Xing’s ears.

Looking at the green-robed, fair-skinned, handsome Perfected One Myriad Wood before him, Su Xing felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.

“The hell! Who are you trying to impress with that act?”

Su Xing raised his hand and slapped Perfected One Myriad Wood right across the face.

The freshly revived Perfected One Myriad Wood was instantly dumbfounded.

“Who art thou?”

“Your daddy!”

Su Xing raised his hand and delivered another slap.

After several consecutive slaps, Perfected One Myriad Wood’s face swelled up. In Su Xing’s hands, he had absolutely no ability to resist.

And the previously arrogant, overbearing Perfected One Myriad Wood’s words kept changing…

“Insolence! How dare you strike this True Master!”

“Stop… I bear no grudge against you…”

“Please stop…”

“Mercy, great immortal!”

Su Xing’s Primordial Unity realm Perfection strength, a full force of ten mountains, was absolutely not something the Perfected One Myriad Wood before him could withstand.

Even using only a tenth of his power, Perfected One Myriad Wood was like a baby chick being toyed with at will in Su Xing’s hands.

“Heh heh, weren’t you pretty arrogant before? Why are you cowering now?”

It was a rare occasion for Su Xing to vent the frustration pent up in his heart.

After thoroughly beating Perfected One Myriad Wood, Su Xing let out a long breath of relief.

“Ahh, refreshing! Enemies you once couldn’t defeat… as long as I hunker down and keep growing, they’ll eventually be crushed beneath my feet!”

“So you see, evenly matched battles are the worst… nothing beats stomping weaklings for comfort!”

Su Xing sighed with emotion, then channeled his spiritual energy and drove a surge of qi into Perfected One Myriad Wood’s dantian.

Successfully sealing Perfected One Myriad Wood’s cultivation, his power plummeted from half-step Body Integration all the way down to Nascent Soul stage.

Su Xing then dislocated all of Perfected One Myriad Wood’s arms and legs, sealing his Body Tempering cultivation as well.

With all of that done, under Perfected One Myriad Wood’s terrified gaze, Su Xing activated the Soul Search Art and performed a soul search on him.

One hour later…

Su Xing stuffed the now-reduced-to-a-puddle-of-mud Perfected One Myriad Wood into the spirit field grotto-heaven, and casually extinguished his divine soul.

Thus, Perfected One Myriad Wood was left with nothing but an empty husk, transformed into a true living-dead puppet.

After dealing with Perfected One Myriad Wood, Su Xing also stored the bronze stone coffin into the spirit field grotto-heaven.

Before leaving, he didn’t forget to take one last look at that pitiful spirit vein dragon.

After reinforcing the Breath-Concealing Formation and the barriers, Su Xing departed from the Myriad Wood Sect ruins.

Several hours later, Su Xing returned to his dormitory at Capital Academy and entered the spirit field grotto-heaven.

He then began sorting through the memories obtained from the soul search of Perfected One Myriad Wood.

After a long while, Su Xing rubbed the space between his brows.

“Perfected One Myriad Wood’s life… he really was a hypocrite through and through!”

Su Xing sighed. After becoming a living-dead puppet, Perfected One Myriad Wood had lost many memories, but Su Xing still managed to piece together quite a lot.

Perfected One Myriad Wood was born during the middle period of the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts, within the Myriad Wood Sect itself. His father was the Myriad Wood Sect Master!

Born with a Heavenly Spirit Root and extraordinary looks, with every cultivation resource imaginable at his disposal — the textbook life of a villain.

He formally embarked on the path of cultivation at age eight, successfully achieving Foundation Establishment in just half a year.

He entered the Golden Core stage at ten… the Nascent Soul stage at twenty…

Spirit Transformation at forty… and became a Void Return stage cultivator at one hundred and fifty!

But by the time he reached a thousand years old, Perfected One Myriad Wood was still stuck at peak Void Return stage, unable to break through to Body Integration!

Unwilling to accept this fate, Perfected One Myriad Wood scoured the various ruins and secret realms throughout the Age of Immortals and Martial Arts world.

Ultimately, he obtained a pill formula for something called the Yellow Springs Pill… as well as a technique called the Spirit Vein Dragon Transformation Art!

And so, Perfected One Myriad Wood set his plan into motion…

Plunging an era already depleted of spiritual energy into a complete Age of Dharma Decline!

But unexpectedly, he actually hatched a real spirit vein dragon in the process…

“Tsk tsk, the fact that Perfected One Myriad Wood obtained the Yellow Springs Pill… feels a bit too coincidental, like someone was manipulating him?”

Su Xing was lost in thought, but couldn’t reach a definitive conclusion.

“Still… an eighth-rank alchemy puppet. With some proper modifications, it’ll serve me well from now on!”

Su Xing nodded with satisfaction, looking at Perfected One Myriad Wood, who had completely lost consciousness and become a living-dead puppet.

“From now on, I’ll just call you Myriad Wood!”

Su Xing then set about attempting to modify this Perfected One Myriad Wood puppet.

But after some experimentation, he found it wasn’t easy at all.

Perfected One Myriad Wood’s power was formidable, and with Su Xing’s current understanding of the Dao of Puppetry, he couldn’t preserve its full potential.

So Su Xing settled for the next best thing and began modifying the mid-stage Void Shattering realm living-dead puppet instead…

A week passed in the blink of an eye…

On March 3rd, Su Xing yawned and looked at the living-dead puppet before him, nodding with satisfaction.

“Phew… finally done with the modifications. Although it can’t unleash its full power, it’s still equivalent to early-stage Void Shattering realm…”

Su Xing took out several high-grade spirit stones and placed them into the living-dead puppet’s core as its power source.

“Come, hit me with a punch. Don’t hold back!”

Su Xing issued his first command.

Immediately, an enormous fist hurtled toward Su Xing’s face.

Su Xing blocked it effortlessly, then began inspecting the puppet’s performance.

“Hiss~ Just a single strike from a Void Shattering realm cultivator consumed half a high-grade spirit stone!”

Su Xing’s heart ached at the cost.

Although he had obtained several hundred thousand spirit stones from the Myriad Wood ruins, spirit stones remained a precious resource for Su Xing.

Su Xing then tried controlling the living-dead puppet.

After a moment, Su Xing nodded slightly and said:

“If it goes on the offensive, maintaining Void Shattering realm attacks… the spirit stone consumption is just too much!”

“But for ordinary activities, it only needs one high-grade spirit stone per year. That’s acceptable…”

Su Xing nodded with satisfaction. When he had previously extracted this living-dead puppet’s core, he had discovered over a dozen supreme-grade spirit stones inside. Those supreme-grade spirit stones were presumably the puppet’s former power source.

“In the future, when there are situations where it’s inconvenient for me to act personally, I can have this living-dead puppet handle it… Seeing how pale your face is, I’ll call you Little White!”

Su Xing murmured to himself.

By now it was nearly noon. Su Xing applied his disguise and concealed his aura, then prepared to go find Jin Congxue for their trade.

Two hours later, Su Xing returned to the spirit field grotto-heaven.

Converting the new week’s goods into simulation energy brought his total energy to over 2.3 billion.

“I choose to bring out fourth layer of Body Integration stage cultivation… and Minor Mastery-level Protective Sword Aura.”

【You have successfully brought out fourth layer of Body Integration stage cultivation. Energy cost: 1.5 billion points. Remaining energy: 850,330,000 points.】

【You have successfully brought out Protective Sword Aura (Minor Mastery-level). Energy cost: 700 million points. Remaining energy: 150,330,000 points.】

As the simulator’s notifications faded, Su Xing’s aura began surging violently…

Body Integration stage first layer… Body Integration stage second layer… Body Integration stage third layer!

Finally — peak of Body Integration stage fourth layer!

After a long while, Su Xing adapted to his skyrocketing cultivation and said with satisfaction:

“Excellent. Peak of Body Integration stage fourth layer… just one step away from reaching the fifth layer of Body Integration stage!”