59: bone replacement

Fang Huai pondered to himself.

Why did Feng Wuwang find him at this critical juncture, and how did he know he was about to break through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer?

Could it be that among the Ascension Society members lurking in the upper echelons of the Corpse Fiend Sect, someone could access his Life-Soul?

He asked in confusion, "There are many Qi Refining Late Stage Cultivators in Gengzi Hall; why choose me?"

Feng Wuwang explained, "Among those people, only you can suppress the Blood Jade Worm, thereby avoiding detection by high-level Cultivators."

Fang Huai was shocked; he had always thought that Feng Wuwang and the others were unaware of the Blood Jade Worm's existence.

It seemed now that the high-level members of the Ascension Society knew full well that blood jade leaves were composed of these worms, yet they still risked cultivation.

"I'm telling you this because I treat you as one of our own."

Feng Wuwang patted his shoulder. "The reason blood jade leaves can assist in cultivation is all thanks to the Blood Jade Worm."

"This worm is peculiar; the better the parasitic Cultivator's Spiritual Root, the less help it provides, and the more likely it is to cause a backlash."

"This is why the Ascension Society favors Cultivators without Spiritual Roots the most."

Fang Huai said, "Then what did you mean by saying only I can suppress it?"

Feng Wuwang said, "When you first consumed the Immortal Delicacy, I sensed that the Blood Jade Worm was being suppressed by you. Your Physique is a one-in-a-hundred Saint Physique."

Fang Huai was startled. He thought his disguise was flawless, yet he had been seen through during their very first encounter.

Composing himself, he asked in a low voice, "Saint Physique?"

"Yes, a Saint Physique that only enjoys the benefits of the Blood Jade Worm without any worry of backlash!"

Fang Huai frowned. He wasn't some Saint Physique; he just relied on the Small Corpse Meteor Worm. He asked, "Senior Brother Feng, how many Saint Physiques are there in the Ascension Society?"

"I can't say for sure; that's a core secret of the Ascension Society. I only know that in Gengzi Hall, only you and Jin Xiaoxiao possess such a Saint Physique."

Feng Wuwang's gaze was piercing. "That is also the reason I insisted on placing you both in the same residence."

"I wonder, what is Senior Brother's purpose in having me participate in this Secret Realm?"

"I need you to win back the strange fiend."

"This Fang also wishes to serve the Ascension Society, but I'm troubled by the qualification for participation."

"Junior Brother Fang, speak your mind."

"Participating in the Secret Realm requires a Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation, but I haven't even reached Qi Refining Sixth Layer Perfection. Even if I force a Breakthrough, without a high-grade demon bone to replace my own, I would only be cutting off my path to immortality."

"Furthermore, even if I reach the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, I would only be at the bottom tier in the Secret Realm. It would be lucky enough just to survive."

The second threshold for practicing the Hundred Fiends Art is the bottleneck between the Qi Refining Middle Stage and Late Stage—Bone Replacement.

Gouging out one's own mortal bones and replacing them with the demon bones of high-rank Yao Beasts can temper the body and cause combat power to skyrocket, taking one's strength to the next level.

"For this Secret Realm, the Ascension Society has arranged for death soldiers to assist you. You only need to trust them completely."

Feng Wuwang's eyes burned. "As for the matter of cultivation, how could that be difficult!"

Having said that, he produced a spirit talisman and chanted an obscure incantation.

The spirit talisman burned, and a small teleportation formation suddenly appeared.

After a bout of dizziness, the two arrived in an open area.

Amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood stood a towering blood jade tree.

This blood jade tree was surrounded by a thick Blood Jade Evil Qi, many times more majestic than the one from the Zheng Family of Nanze.

[Soul-Locking Fiend-Condensing Array]

Fang Huai looked up; above him was actually that formation from beneath Gengzi Hall—

This forbidden land where the blood jade tree was hidden lay concealed directly beneath Gengzi Hall.

"Junior Brother Fang, follow me."

Feng Wuwang led Fang Huai beneath the blood jade tree, grabbed a section of the root, and placed it against Fang Huai's chest.

The root seemed to come alive, piercing into Fang Huai's chest and injecting a dense swarm of Blood Jade Worms with the [Worm-Leaf Body] trait into him.

"Senior Brother Feng, what are you doing?" Fang Huai subconsciously circulated his spiritual power to resist.

"Do not resist."

Feng Wuwang took out a Medicinal Pill and stuffed it into Fang Huai's mouth. "This Spirit-Pulling Pill is enough to let your cultivation reach Qi Refining Sixth Layer Perfection."

Fang Huai only felt the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flooding into his body like a mad demon.

His cultivation progress skyrocketed from 77, reaching 80 within a few breaths, and the effect showed no signs of waning.

Fang Huai was shocked; how could this pill have such an overbearing effect?

Looking at himself, he saw a new label: [Spirit-Pulling Growth (White)].

[Spirit-Pulling Growth: Consumes a large amount of one's own potential to increase cultivation progress.]

You bastard, Feng Wuwang, you really had no good intentions.

The cultivation indeed increased, but with his potential exhausted, his future would be ruined.

So, he immediately transferred [Spirit-Pulling Growth] to Feng Wuwang.

While Fang Huai's cultivation grew wildly, Feng Wuwang had a strange illusion.

It was as if he were the one who had taken the Spirit-Pulling Pill, but he only received the negative effects without any of the positive ones.

Sensing that Fang Huai's cultivation was indeed increasing, he wondered if he was having hallucinations from harming others.

Half an hour later, Fang Huai exhaled a mouthful of turbid Qi. Looking at the [Potential Greatly Reduced] label on Feng Wuwang, he snorted inwardly.

Feng Wuwang took out a finger bone from a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Peak Yao Beast with the [Internal Gu Parasite] trait and said:

"I obtained this finger bone by chance and have been reluctant to use it. Today, I shall gift it to you, Junior Brother."

He wants to turn me into his Puppet completely.

Fang Huai thought resentfully, but at this moment, he only had thirty-some points and no hope of defeating Feng Wuwang, so he could only play along:

"Thank you, Senior Brother. I will definitely use it before entering the Secret Realm."

Feng Wuwang gave a cold laugh. "What, don't you trust me? Are you wary of me? If you don't want to use it, give it back to me."

Fang Huai sensed killing intent. Thinking that he had the Small Corpse Meteor Worm anyway, he decided to beat him at his own game and see what he was up to.

Taking out his skinning knife, he replaced his own bone with the Yao Beast finger bone.

The moment the demon bone was implanted, he felt as if he were being bitten by ten thousand poisonous insects, the pain seeping into his Soul.

Fang Huai gritted his teeth and circulated his spiritual power to cover the demon bone, only to find that the residual Yao Beast's will within the bone was gradually awakening.

"I'll help you!"

Feng Wuwang's fingertips moved, and violent spiritual power was poured into Fang Huai's body.

With the help of Feng Wuwang's spiritual power, Fang Huai finally suppressed the Yao Beast's will.

Finally, the demon bone gradually merged with his own flesh and blood.

Once the transformation was complete, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flooded into his Meridians like crazy.

This Breakthrough was actually uncontrollable!

He immediately sat cross-legged and guided the violent Spiritual Qi to circulate through his body; however, his Meridians were actually blocked because they were too narrow.

With a thought, he drove the Small Corpse Meteor Worm to chase the Blood Jade Worms to widen his Meridians, preventing them from bursting.

Gradually, Fang Huai fell into an ethereal state.

Feng Wuwang looked delighted; he hadn't expected Fang Huai to actually withstand the Yao Beast finger bone.

"Alas, those without Spiritual Roots truly are the best hosts for the Blood Jade Worm!"

He had a Quad-Spiritual Root, and with the help of the Blood Jade Worm, he could only replace his bones with those of an Early Stage Foundation Establishment Yao Beast. He couldn't help but feel envious of Fang Huai.

But Feng Wuwang's envy was soon replaced by coldness.

So what if Fang Huai was a Saint Physique? So what if he had no Spiritual Root? With the Yao Beast finger bone replaced, he had already become his Puppet.

Seeing Fang Huai slowly wake up, he said, "Congratulations, Junior Brother Fang, on breaking through to the Qi Refining Seventh Layer."

"Bone Replacement isn't accomplished in a single day. In the future, if there are other good Yao Beast bones, they can also be replaced in other parts of your body."

[Qi Refining Seventh Layer]

[Hundred Fiends Art (Incomplete Manual) Seventh Layer: 1/100]

Qi Refining Seventh Layer, achieved.

The corners of Fang Huai's mouth curled up, and he smiled. "Thank you, Senior Brother Feng. I will definitely repay your great kindness tenfold!"