48: Tear the lion's roar and extract the five elements of evil spirit

“Bound hand and foot, relying solely on his mouth?

This Shi Daoren is too arrogant, not putting my Heart Fire lineage in his eyes at all!”

“Hmph, the monstrous beast Lion Roar has unparalleled strength, but without using hands and feet, its combat power would be reduced by at least 50%.

If I were to go on stage, I’d have at least a 70% chance of winning.”

“If I win, that greater five viscera pill will change hands… This is an Opportunity to achieve Dao.”

The Cultivators of the Five Viscera Temple looked indignant, but their gazes towards Gu Changsheng were filled with envy, wishing they could take his place and challenge Shi Daoren.

Gu Changsheng’s expression subtly changed, and he sneered inwardly.

‘This fellow seems reckless, but he’s actually cunning, deliberately using ‘bound hand and foot’ to lure me into making a move… Is he after my wealth?’

The rules of the Pill Appreciation Assembly stated that life or death was irrelevant.

If the victor killed the loser, everything belonging to the loser became the victor’s spoils of war.

Gu Changsheng lightly tapped the red jujube wood table with his finger.

On the table was a still-wet water stain, vaguely revealing Shi Daoren’s appearance.

Just now, he had already dipped his finger in wine and drawn a portrait of Shi Daoren, thereby obtaining his Animal Husbandry Method: Lion Roar chapter.

It recorded that by cultivating this method to a profound Realm, one could transform into the monstrous beast Lion Roar and expend vital essence to activate the ‘Lion Roar’ Divine Ability.

Normally, Divine Ability could only be cast by True Dan Cultivators.

Only Spirit Building Stage cultivators with extraordinary talent, by expending vast resources, had a certain chance of mastering it in the Foundation Building Realm.

Such Cultivators were referred to as ‘False Core’ Cultivators.

Once a Divine Ability was unleashed, their combat power far surpassed the Foundation Building Realm, but was still inferior to a True Dan Cultivator.

Hence the name.

‘Unfortunately, it’s not yet my time to act…’

Gu Changsheng gave a dry laugh, cupped his hands, and said, “Fellow Daoist Shi’s magical power is immense; I, this old Daoist, am ashamed of my inferiority… As for the challenge, consider me, this old Daoist, to concede.”

As soon as these words were spoken, it immediately caused dissatisfaction among many Five Viscera Temple Cultivators.

In their eyes, Gu Changsheng’s action was undoubtedly an embarrassment to them.

“Hmph, Dan Chenzi, at his age, has truly lived his life in vain.

With Opportunity right before him, he dares not contend. How can he speak of True Core?”

“He truly gets more timid with age.

Dan Chenzi’s retreat makes us all lose face.”

“He’s truly disgraced the Sect…”

Yu Ziren looked anxious and quietly leaned into Gu Changsheng’s ear.

“Senior Brother, are you really not going to give it a try?

Such an Opportunity is rare, hard to find in a hundred years.

If it weren’t for that fellow specifically naming you, if it were me, I would definitely fight to the death.”

Yu Ziren’s face flushed red as he urged.

“Junior Brother Yu Zhen, you know my physical condition, this old Daoist…”

As he spoke, Gu Changsheng coughed twice in conjunction.

Regardless of others’ sarcasm or kind persuasion, Gu Changsheng remained as steady as a mountain, unmoving.

Shi Daoren hadn’t expected Gu Changsheng to be so cowardly. He had originally planned to play a trick, but now his scheme could only fall through.

An hour later, the Pill Appreciation Assembly was drawing to a close.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash came from afar.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and immediately discovered that the five qi gathering tree, which had originally pierced the clouds, had fallen, causing the earth to shake. Countless black tree roots writhed like demons, and Five Elements Qi poured out frantically.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

“This… How is this possible?”

“Grand Elder Lu is stationed at the five qi gathering tree, who could possibly destroy this tree?”

“Oh no, a huge change must have occurred over at Grand Elder Lu’s place…”

Suddenly, a grey-robed, white-boned Cultivator’s gaze sharpened, and he transformed into a streak of light, darting onto Lake Heart Island.

Everyone immediately understood.

With the five qi gathering tree fallen, the Pill Appreciation Assembly would naturally no longer be held. It was better to quickly head to Lake Heart Island to plunder.

Many spiritual materials grew there.

At worst, they could also hunt down Dao children and refine them into great flesh and blood pills.

These Dao children cultivated the Five Viscera Method, and their bodies were rich in Five Elements Qi, making them the most common medicinal ingredients.

Learning from each other.

Soon, streaks of light soared into the air, sweeping into the depths of Lake Heart Island.

Even many Cultivators from the Five Viscera Temple joined them.

‘I was just thinking of a way to get close to the five qi gathering tree, and now the Opportunity has arrived…’

Gu Changsheng transformed into a bloody rainbow and swept towards the distance.

A moment later, a figure appeared a hundred li away from the main trunk of the five qi gathering tree.

“This should be about right… Any closer, and it would be too easy to attract the attention of True Dan Cultivators, which would be more trouble than it’s worth.”

Gu Changsheng looked towards the core area in the distance.

It was filled with sword light, white bones, Holy Light… Many unknown Dao spells collided, shaking the Void Realm and emitting ripples that destroyed trees and rocks along the way.

Even a single residual wave of Dao spell was enough to severely injure a Spirit Building Stage cultivator.

“Hmm? It seems to be various factions besieging the Five Viscera Temple Grand Elder, and also… the Great Shang’s offerings…”

Under the Spirit Eye Technique, Gu Changsheng’s eyes pierced through layers of light and shadow, and a blurry scene appeared in his vision.

“It doesn’t matter, no matter how fierce the battle, it has nothing to do with me.”

Gu Changsheng landed on the ground, forming hand seals. Five mysterious Qi emanated from his five internal organs, and five swirling vortexes of different colors appeared on his body surface.

Visibly, strands of Five Elements Qi, scattered in the Void Realm, continuously poured into his body, refining into Five Elements Evil Qi.

If the Five Viscera Temple Cultivators saw this, they would surely be dumbfounded.

The Dao children and Cultivators of the Five Viscera Temple usually only cultivated one type of Five Viscera Method.

In the vast Five Viscera Temple, only Grand Elder Lu Shengping cultivated all three chapters: Heart Fire, Kidney Water, and Lung Metal.

And this secret art of condensing Five Elements Evil Qi could only be performed by simultaneously cultivating all five types of Five Viscera Method and achieving Perfection.

Such an existence, apart from the founding Ancestral Master Li Huowang, was nonexistent.

After a cup of tea, a drop of five-colored Five Elements Evil Qi gathered in his palm.

“Not bad, the refining speed is even a bit faster than I estimated.

In at most an hour, I will be able to refine the amount of Evil Qi needed for cultivating the Five Elements Heaven Evasion Divine Light.

I can even refine more to prepare for cleansing my True Core and improving its grade in the future…”

Gu Changsheng flipped his palm, placing the Evil Qi into a white porcelain bottle.

Suddenly, he frowned and turned to look at the horizon, only to see a figure sweeping over, gradually enlarging from an initial black dot until his form was revealed before his eyes.

It was Shi Daoren.

Upon seeing him, Shi Daoren’s face showed a look of surprise, then he grinned ferociously, “Haha, so you old geezer are here… I had a good search for you.

Die!”

Back then, he had been particularly covetous of the jiaolong evil qi in Gu Changsheng’s hands.

He didn’t believe that Gu Changsheng had no more in stock.

Shi Daoren extended his bent arm, and his body suddenly swelled. Dense golden lion fur grew on his body surface, forming thick lion armor.

His entire upper body mutated into the form of the monstrous beast Lion Roar, and a pair of lion claws, like palm-leaf fans, swatted towards Gu Changsheng’s head.

However, the next moment, Shi Daoren’s smile froze on his face.

He discovered with horror that his lion claws, which had crushed countless skulls, were now firmly gripped by Gu Changsheng’s two arms, as if clamped by iron tongs. No matter how much force he exerted, they remained utterly unmoving.

‘The old Daoist… hid his strength… Divine Ability…’

Shi Daoren’s throat made a strange sound, and a thick sound wave gathered in his throat.

It was the ‘Lion Roar’ Divine Ability.

At such close range, even a True Dan Cultivator would spit blood if hit by it.

“You, aren’t being honest, are you…”

Gu Changsheng smiled, exerted force with both arms, and suddenly pulled them apart.

Rip—

Shi Daoren’s body was torn in two, his internal organs mixed with blood falling to the ground.

Gu Changsheng’s gaze shifted slightly. He casually threw away the remaining corpse. With a suction from his palm, a blood-colored flesh sac the size of a fist, from the fallen internal organs, landed in his palm.

It was the second stomach of the monstrous beast Lion Roar.

This item had a similar function to the yin toad pouch, serving as a storage item.

Gu Changsheng casually weighed it a few times; it wasn’t light.

“Interesting, that greater five viscera pill, after all the twists and turns, has fallen back into my hands…”

Putting away the stomach, Gu Changsheng sat cross-legged and once again began refining the Five Elements Evil Qi.