64: Instant Technique and Demonic Body

For the next three days, the Yuyang Sect was draped in white, with plain silk like snow covering its various Peaks.

The Zhenyang Hall was destroyed, and Immortal Master Xuan Qing's funeral was moved to Wuzhen Peak to be handled. Sandalwood incense mixed with paper ash drifted faintly through the corridors.

After paying his respects to Xuan Qing, Xiao Zhuo spent three consecutive days activating the True Explanation of Soul Refining to repair his Divine Soul.

Occasionally, he would also go to speak with Xuan Lun.

Since Xuan Qing's demise, Xuan Lun had been extremely despondent, and several Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were very worried, visiting him frequently.

Xiao Changkong and the other five had rushed back to Jizhou City immediately after the battle ended.

Now, the demons in the Northern Territory were constantly stirring, and the beacon fires on the city walls burned day and night, leaving Human Race powerhouses with hardly a moment's rest.

During these three days, Xuan Lun also personally guided Xiao Zhuo in Cultivating the Heavenly Heart Art.

Unfortunately, Xiao Zhuo was still unable to get started.

It was as if a layer of mist always blocked his path, hindering his opportunity to comprehend the Dao.

On the other hand, both the Void Instantaneous Art and the Purgatory Demonic Body successfully reached the introductory stage.

This battle severely wounded the Yuyang Sect: the Sect Master fell, two Divine Sea Realm Inner Sect Elders died in battle, and more than half of its True Disciples, Inner Sect Disciples, and even Outer Sect Disciples were lost. It was truly a crippling blow.

Only one True Disciple from Wuzhen Peak had an Epiphany between life and death, and after the battle, he broke through his shackles, achieving an eight-hundred-li Sea of Consciousness.

Even so, this grand thousand-year-old sect now had only twelve Divine Sea powerhouses remaining.

This number even included Xiao Zhuo.

The Myriad Manifestations Realm had been extinct in the Yuyang Sect for three hundred years.

After the battle, Xiao Zhuo found Xuan Qing's chisel and took out a small scroll of sheepskin filled with tiny script.

He studied it carefully but could only helplessly admit that he completely couldn't understand it.

Both Xuan Qing and Xuan Lun believed he had Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability and a unique Physique.

But he knew his own situation; everything was merely thanks to the panel.

In terms of innate Aptitude, he was probably inferior even to the Outer Sect sweeping Disciples.

Even with his current Realm advancement and increased Comprehension Ability, he dared not show the slightest arrogance when faced with a secret scroll that even a Divine Sea Peak powerhouse like Xuan Qing had studied for a hundred years without deciphering.

Bamboo shadows swayed in the small courtyard.

Xiao Zhuo put the sheepskin scroll into his storage ring and focused his consciousness on the Purgatory Demonic Body and Void Instantaneous Art on his panel.

Breaking through the Nine Revolutions Profound Essence Art to the Myriad Manifestations Realm in a short time was quite difficult, but comprehending these Cultivation Techniques was not a problem.

He swallowed three seventh-grade qi and blood pellets and focused his thoughts on the Void Instantaneous Art.

The Void Instantaneous Art was similar to Azure Light Evasion, both pursuing extreme speed, but its runes were more complex and profound.

However, in the White Mist Space, no matter how profound the runes were, they could be successfully condensed under the guidance of that profound power.

Xiao Zhuo spent one thousand Attribute Points to comprehend the Void Instantaneous Art to the stage of subtle mastery, comprehending the unique skill [Instant Flash].

"Instant Flash: Can ignore spatial obstruction and teleport within a thousand-meter radius. Cooldown 3 seconds. Cannot be used in environments with spatial fluctuations."

"Detected advanced Cultivation Technique at subtle mastery, can fuse lower-grade Cultivation Techniques Azure Light Evasion and Wind and Thunder Fleeting Shadow Steps. Fuse? (Note: Fusion can absorb some advantages of lower-grade Cultivation Techniques)"

Just as the Void Instantaneous Art reached subtle mastery, the panel prompt appeared.

"Fuse?" Xiao Zhuo looked at the prompt, a hint of joy in his heart.

The Void Instantaneous Art was a Cultivation Technique that combined movement and evasion, only cultivable by those in the Divine Sea Realm, yet it could trigger a new ability of the panel. He decisively chose to fuse.

On the panel, the names of the six Cultivation Techniques and unique skills began to flash.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the six names turned into two.

In the Cultivation Technique column, Azure Light Evasion, Wind and Thunder Fleeting Shadow Steps, and Void Instantaneous Art disappeared, replaced by a "Unnamed" Cultivation Technique.

In the unique skill column, the name [Instant Flash] remained unchanged, but its description had been updated:

"Instant Flash: Can be activated three times consecutively for instantaneous movement that ignores spatial obstruction, with a single range of one thousand meters; or can be charged for 3 seconds to perform a long-distance instantaneous movement, with a range of fifty li. Cooldown 3 seconds."

"Unnamed (Speed-type Cultivation Technique): Movement speed increased tenfold, evasion speed increased tenfold, dodge speed increased tenfold."

Although unnamed, the method of using the Cultivation Technique had been synchronously transmitted into Xiao Zhuo's mind, and the corresponding muscle memory was also imprinted on his body.

Xiao Zhuo walked out of the courtyard and performed the new movement technique.

His figure instantly broke the sound barrier!

"Bang!" The air exploded, a phantom flashed, and in an instant, he had crossed a hundred zhang.

This was his first time breaking the sound barrier with his Physical Body.

Fortunately, he had already advanced to the Divine Sea Realm, and his Divine Sense was powerful, allowing him to control such terrifying speed.

Otherwise, performing it below the Divine Sea Realm would be akin to seeking death.

He then tried the evasion technique.

As soon as he activated it, Xuanyuan Peak erupted with a loud noise, air ripples burst open, and a golden stream of light, accompanied by wind and thunder, shot straight into the sky. Its speed was at least twice as fast as when he fully unleashed Azure Light Evasion!

"Let's call it the Void Instant Art!" Xiao Zhuo was extremely satisfied with this speed, and as soon as he landed, he decided on the name. The Cultivation Technique column on the panel updated instantly.

Returning to his room, Xiao Zhuo began to add points to the Purgatory Demonic Body.

The Purgatory Demonic Body was a wondrous Cultivation Technique that fused the profound mysteries of a demon's Physical Body with the Human Race's Body Refining methods.

Upon successful Cultivation, one could possess both the terrifying vitality of a demon and the indestructible golden body of a Body Tempering Martial Artist.

However, Cultivation required drawing demonic Qi into the body and constantly fighting against the demonic nature with one's will to avoid demonization—this was the greatest drawback of the Cultivation Technique.

Fortunately, the basic part was still normal Physical Body Tempering.

With the Heavenly Thunder Quenching Gold Art as the foundation, Xiao Zhuo got started extremely quickly.

Unlike Xiao Zhuo, this "cheater," the founder of the Cultivation Technique, Purgatory Venerable, had once captured nine King-rank Demons alive to Cultivate this technique, suppressing them in his mansion's underground palace and extracting their demonic Qi daily for his Cultivation.

Xiao Zhuo didn't need such trouble; he could just consume Attribute Points.

According to the Purgatory Demonic Body Jade Slip, Purgatory Venerable never managed to Cultivate it to the ninth layer, which was envisioned to rival a demon ancestor's Physical Body, stopping at the eighth layer, which was comparable to a Dominator's Physical Body.

However, this Cultivation Technique was indeed powerful. This Senior from the Demon Suppression Division had studied the demon Physical Body with profound thoroughness, truly displaying astonishing talent.

Cultivating the Purgatory Demonic Body to Calamity-Grade allowed for limb regeneration; reaching King-rank meant surviving even with nearly half of the Physical Body destroyed; becoming a Myriad Manifestations Realm expert meant being able to reshape the torso as long as the head remained intact.

Its envisioned ninth layer was the legendary Realm of regeneration from a drop of blood.

If he could truly master it, the Human Race might gain another existence capable of contending with a demon ancestor, and their situation would not be so difficult. This Cultivation Technique would also undoubtedly rank as Heaven-Grade.

As Xiao Zhuo added points, demonic Qi surged out from the White Mist Space, frantically pouring into his Physical Body.

Streaks of dark demonic patterns spread across his body.

From the basic Body Tempering stage, the Purgatory Demonic Body required condensing demonic patterns with demonic Qi to slowly transform the Physical Body.

This process was more than a hundred times faster in the White Mist Space.

With just one point addition, Xiao Zhuo successfully Cultivated the first layer, and all the demonic patterns on his body were condensed.

Each time he comprehended the Purgatory Demonic Body, it consumed one hundred Attribute Points, twice as much as ordinary Earth-Grade Cultivation Techniques.

Xiao Zhuo already had a guess: it should be due to the panel simulating the consumption of demonic Qi in the White Mist Space, just like when it simulated lightning to Cultivate the Heavenly Thunder Quenching Gold Art.

Now, one hundred points were negligible to him; even comprehending it six hundred times was not difficult, only the Medicinal Pill consumption was slightly higher.

Fortunately, the consumption for low-level comprehension was still bearable.

Xiao Zhuo comprehended it thirty times in one go, pushing the Purgatory Demonic Body directly to Calamity-Grade, only consuming six seventh-grade qi and blood pellets.

It was clear that Body Refining methods progressed much faster than Human Race Divine Sea Cultivation—or rather, the path of Body Refining was more suitable for Xiao Zhuo.

Although Body Refining powerhouses were resilient and possessed formidable strength, in terms of pure offensive power, they were still inferior to Qi Cultivation powerhouses.

However, Xiao Zhuo now planned to Dual Cultivate both Qi and Body.

Upon reaching the sixth layer, Xiao Zhuo's Physical Body had undergone initial demonization. Demonic patterns not only covered his body's surface but also penetrated deep into his Sea of Consciousness.

To break through to the seventh layer, the demonic patterns needed to be integrated into the primordial elixir to transform it, only then could he gain the terrifying recovery ability of a King-rank Demon.

Xiao Zhuo continued to add points.

The demonic patterns spread throughout his Meridians squirmed like living things, beginning to converge deep within his Sea of Consciousness...