Breaking Through the Spirit Consolidation Stage and Refining the Puppet
Yang Fan's expression fluctuated between ecstatic joy and deep concern. Suddenly, he fell silent, meticulously recalling every detail surrounding the awakening of the headless demonic corpse and the ensuing eruption of the vast demonic energy.
At that time, the Nine Nether Demonic Qi within him had been unusually agitated, as if it had sensed something extraordinary. In truth, this peculiar phenomenon had first occurred when he entered the "Ghost Corpse Mountain." As he ventured deeper into the ancient tomb and reached the inner sanctum, the agitation of the Nine Nether Demonic Qi intensified alarmingly.
The moment he entered the tomb, the headless demonic corpse began to awaken. Upon his arrival in the inner sanctum, it suddenly erupted, unleashing an intangible pressure and overwhelming demonic energy that flooded his being, subjecting Yang Fan to a harrowing experience of "demonic energy flooding the body."
Fortunately, with the aid of the "Immortal Hong Space," Yang Fan managed to survive, but his demonic techniques underwent a disturbing mutation—a development he had not had time to scrutinize.
The last upheaval was the most terrifying; the millennium-old headless demonic corpse released a torrent of violent demonic energy that surged for miles around, sending shockwaves that reverberated through the Ghost Corpse Mountain, frightening countless restless spirits and entities.
During this cataclysmic assault, Yang Fan, along with several others in the hall, including the plump ghostly Daoist and Hu Fei, suffered severe injuries. In the chaos, Yang Fan teetered on the brink of death, his consciousness slipping into a hazy oblivion.
In that dim state, he recalled that the Nine Nether Demonic Qi within him had assimilated a fragment of the powerful demonic energy that had invaded his body. Subsequently, with the aid of his unique physique and the "Immortal Hong Space," he began a slow recovery, managing to suppress the Nine Nether Demonic Qi deep within his dantian.
"So it was…"
A look of horror flickered across Yang Fan's face as he felt the formidable Nine Nether Demonic Qi coursing within him, overwhelming him with a sense of having narrowly escaped death.
Once again, he had experienced the flooding of demonic energy, a mutation in his techniques, and a process of assimilation. This cascade of transformations resulted in a staggering outcome—the Nine Nether Demonic Qi had broken through the Qi Refinement Stage, ascending to the Spirit Consolidation Stage!
The Spirit Consolidation Stage!
As Yang Fan came to this realization, his heart swelled with uncontainable joy and excitement. Yet, a weighty anxiety soon settled over him—the swift and sudden advancement in his demonic skills gave rise to a sense of uncontrollable turmoil.
Previously, his cultivation of the "Nine Nether Demonic Technique" had always been contingent upon the "Immortal Hong Sutra." As long as the Sutra remained at a certain level, the Nine Nether Demonic Technique could quickly reach the same tier; however, transcending the Sutra was as impossible as scaling the heavens.
Now, under these extraordinary circumstances, the Nine Nether Demonic Technique had shattered this unyielding limitation, surpassing the realms established by the Immortal Hong Sutra! This revelation left Yang Fan engulfed in a profound unease.
"The Nine Nether Demonic Technique is excessively tyrannical and difficult to control. I must find a way to elevate the realm of the Immortal Hong Sutra…"
Yang Fan murmured softly to himself, silently making a resolution.
Soon after, he closed his eyes and began to cultivate, slowly channeling the power of the Immortal Hong Sutra. Due to Hu Fei's presence, he dared not delve too deeply into his training; instead, he utilized the "Withered Wood Technique" to suppress his aura to its utmost limit.
Among the many techniques of the Immortal Hong Sutra, Yang Fan had achieved a remarkable mastery of the "Withered Wood Technique," allowing him to conceal his presence from Spirit Consolidation cultivators. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle to detect him without thorough inspection.
After completing this, Yang Fan ceased his cultivation, awaiting the gradual recovery of his injuries. With his exceptional physique, ordinary wounds healed swiftly. The remaining injuries—inflicted by the onslaught of the overwhelming demonic energy—were substantial, nearing the destructive capacity of high-tier cultivators. They would require time and nurturing for recovery.
Yang Fan attempted to use his cultivation techniques for healing but found little effect, for his natural recovery speed exceeded that of any magical treatment.
Thus, he found himself with nothing to do and decided to rise and explore the hall. However, he resolutely kept his distance from the headless demonic corpse.
After a lengthy search, Yang Fan found nothing out of the ordinary, yet from the spot where the headless demonic corpse lay, he sensed a faint, seeping demonic energy. However, it seemed that all the leaking energy had been absorbed by the corpse.
Suddenly enlightened, he realized that the headless demonic corpse lingered here for a reason; it was drawing in the very essence of that demonic energy.
Moreover, Yang Fan began to speculate: under ordinary circumstances, the headless demonic corpse would not awaken. Its prior revival may have been linked to the Nine Nether Demonic Qi within him. "Could it truly be that my Nine Nether Demonic Qi triggered this awakening…"
A contemplative look crossed Yang Fan's face.
As this thought took root, the Nine Nether Demonic Qi within his dantian surged restlessly.
Suddenly, a deep, suppressed voice echoed from the depths of the hall, unleashing an aura of impending awakening that weighed heavily upon them.
Yang Fan and Hu Fei both felt an unimaginable pressure bear down upon them.
The shadow of death loomed once more…
Yang Fan's complexion paled dramatically, and he immediately entered the "Immortal Hong Space," utilizing its verdant energies to continually subdue the restless Nine Nether Demonic Qi within him. He then activated the Withered Wood Technique to further mask the aura of the Nine Nether Demonic Qi.
In his perception, the headless demonic corpse, which lay still, shifted slightly before returning to its slumber.
With the terrifying aura and pressure lifted, Yang Fan and Hu Fei simultaneously exhaled in relief.
"I… we should just… retreat to the outer area…"
Hu Fei shuddered, fear etched upon his face. Despite his usual fearlessness, the presence of such overwhelming power caused even him to hesitate.
Yang Fan remained calm, settling back down on the ground. "We are both gravely injured; the outer tomb holds many vengeful spirits and corpses. Staying here is actually safer; at least those ghostly beings won't dare to enter."
"What are you afraid of? Your strength is not… much less than mine," Hu Fei replied, bewildered.
Comparing the headless demonic corpse in the hall to the vengeful spirits and entities outside, he found them far less daunting.
Yang Fan's heart skipped a beat as he asked, "You've discerned my cultivation level?"
"Of course! When you arrived at Yuwu Mountain Villa, I noticed it then," Hu Fei stammered.
Yang Fan's heart sank, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. This boy was indeed an anomaly among anomalies.
"However, now I… I find it hard to see through you," Hu Fei continued, scrutinizing Yang Fan with perplexity. "Why didn't you expose me earlier?"
Yang Fan asked casually, "Why would I need to reveal you?"
"I… why would I care about such things…" Hu Fei muttered, looking genuinely perplexed.
Yang Fan felt exasperated; this boy's way of thinking was indeed unorthodox.
"Rest assured, I won't speak of it. Besides, you saved my life…" Hu Fei vowed earnestly.
Yang Fan nodded heavily, feeling slightly numb from the exchange.
"By the way, can you show me the jade slips from the plump Daoist's storage bag?"
Suddenly, Yang Fan remembered something and spoke up.
"Sure," Hu Fei said, unconcerned, retrieving the jade slips from his storage bag and tossing them to Yang Fan. "If you want them, take them."
Yang Fan was taken aback; this boy truly intended to claim these items for himself?
Taking the jade slips, Yang Fan perused them for a while and soon discovered a set of techniques titled "Profound Yin Demonic Seed Technique."
After a brief contemplation, he extracted a blank jade slip and copied the contents of the technique into it.
Copying jade slips required a consciousness realm above the Spirit Consolidation Stage; it was an exceedingly taxing task for one's mental state. Fortunately, Yang Fan's realm was adequate, and his recovery abilities were formidable.
After a cursory examination, Yang Fan recognized this was a technique for the ghostly and demonic arts. Cultivating it would allow one to draw upon the extreme yin energy of the heavens and earth, as well as absorb and refine the power of spirits, even enabling the manipulation of ghostly corpses.
Its might was unparalleled, and it had low requirements for spiritual roots and talent, making the cultivation speed particularly strange. However, with great benefit came great risk. At a certain stage, one would need to expend considerable energy to seal and suppress the negative spiritual influences of the ghosts. Only after completely annihilating these influences could one return to normal. A moment's inattention could lead to mental demons, resulting in a terrible fate.
With a heavy sigh, Yang Fan abandoned the thought of cultivating this technique and began examining the contents of
another jade slip.
After careful review, he discovered some astonishing techniques, such as the "Demonic Corpse Transformation Art," "Spirit Absorption Technique," and "Profound Yin Swordplay."
All these techniques had one trait in common—they thrived on capturing and transforming spiritual energies, acting as the most suitable demonic techniques for him.
Yang Fan's eyes gleamed with excitement. This was truly a hidden treasure!
"From this perspective, the plump Daoist was no mere character; his capabilities were extraordinary. He must have some form of heritage," Yang Fan concluded in admiration.
After rifling through the slips for a while longer, Yang Fan eventually retrieved a few more techniques he deemed useful, carefully adding them to his storage bag.
With the headless demonic corpse awake, Yang Fan's feelings had transitioned from tense vigilance to a deep sense of anticipation.
After gathering enough knowledge, he now focused on the matter of refining the puppet.
### Refined
Yang Fan was well aware of the fact that his demonic techniques had entered a peculiar realm and that he must prepare for the necessary adjustments.
By utilizing the formidable Nine Nether Demonic Qi within him, he would commence a fresh wave of refinement on the puppet.
Within the hall, Yang Fan decided to select the headless demonic corpse as the primary material for the puppet.
This demonic entity, capable of withstanding the power of high-tier cultivators, represented the pinnacle of demonic puppetry.
Yang Fan recalled the characteristics of the headless demonic corpse and began his meticulous planning.
As he drew closer, the headless demonic corpse lay unceremoniously on the stone platform, exuding a faint, cold aura that signaled its formidable nature.
Yang Fan's heart raced; he knew this puppet would be an extraordinary one, unlike any he had encountered before.
His determination grew stronger as he activated the unique techniques of the Nine Nether Demonic Technique, channeling the Nine Nether Demonic Qi to instill within the headless demonic corpse a semblance of spirit.
With a thought, Yang Fan began the refinement process, imbuing the corpse with his will and sending a wave of demonic energy into it.
The headless demonic corpse shuddered ever so slightly, as if responding to the energy surge.
The refining technique began to operate automatically, channeling the Nine Nether Demonic Qi into the corpse's empty husk, fostering a spark of life within its depths.
Yang Fan sensed that this time the refining was progressing exceptionally well; the demonic energy around him stirred, coalescing into swirling eddies that nourished the corpse.
As the ritual unfolded, an unforeseen surge of energy burst forth from within the headless demonic corpse, elevating Yang Fan's confidence.
In this moment of creation, he fully grasped the gravity of the power he was unleashing, the potential this puppet held.
With the successful refinement, a formidable force awakened in the headless demonic corpse, a surge of energy rippling through its form.
Yang Fan drew a deep breath, concentrating fiercely.
He felt the essence of the headless demonic corpse merge with his own aura, allowing him to navigate the intricate processes of the puppet's awakening.
As the final essence fused, Yang Fan uttered a command, "Awake!"
In a blink, the headless demonic corpse stood upright, its form a daunting silhouette against the flickering light in the hall.
This was the moment of triumph, a testament to Yang Fan's relentless pursuit of power and mastery over the puppetry arts.