"After all these years, my left arm has finally returned."
Though restored, Wang Yu's new arm was still fragile. He had to continuously channel true essence and blood vitality to temper it—gradually bringing it up to par with the rest of his body.
This process would take a year or two of subtle refinement before it matched his current physical level.
The [Corpse Demon Secret Art] originated from the crippled elder Tian Can, who was born without limbs. Fortunately, he possessed a yin-aligned heavenly spiritual root and, after years of bitter cultivation, created this technique in the Nascent Soul stage.
Once perfected, the practitioner's blood would be saturated with [Yin Blood Pills]—condensed from secret power. With a single thought, limbs could regenerate. Even fatal injuries could be reversed.
Such regenerative power and vitality were rare even among Nascent Soul cultivators—almost an immortal body.
Wang Yu could only glimpse that possibility for now.
After restoring his arm—
By dusk, he hosted Zhuo Shouqing for another evening of food and drink, then prepared to enter seclusion for a breakthrough.
Both his body-tempering and Foundation Establishment cultivation were ready to advance.
And according to past patterns, his sixth placement slot was due to appear.
A major milestone—he'd been anticipating it for a long time.
"Let's test the [Dark Serpent Technique]. My tier-two early-stage physique is already refined to perfection—far beyond others at the same level."
As the technique activated—
Dense blood energy surged from his bones and muscles, but instead of blazing heat, it exuded a sinister mist—more like corpse qi than vitality.
No trace of yang or fire. The fully formed Dragon Spine twisted along mysterious paths, stretching and loosening his entire body.
The blood-formed [Dark Serpent Phantom] emerged, coiling around him.
His essence blood began to condense.
The overflowing power retracted, forming 99 drops of blue-black blood.
This was the limit of tier-two early-stage body tempering.
The "99 returns to 1" principle marked the breakthrough. After three rounds of condensation and dispersion, one drop of fused true blood would form. Once it spread through his limbs and bones, his body would undergo a minor transformation.
Mid-stage required 999 drops. Late-stage required 9,999. Each stage demanded three rounds of refinement before the final drop could be integrated.
Only then could one break through to tier-three—equivalent to Core Formation.
The body-tempering path had long been abandoned by mainstream cultivators. Those who practiced it often combined it with spiritual techniques—like the Blood Reversal Sect's Barbarian Ghost Peak.
Pure body cultivators like Wang Yu were rare.
Which path was stronger was hard to say. The mainstream had its reasons for abandoning pure body cultivation. Standard Qi Refining already produced strong bodies.
But not as monstrous as dedicated body-tempering. Their vitality was slightly lower, but they could wield powerful true essence and magical artifacts.
Pure body cultivators absorbed spiritual energy but didn't form true essence. They couldn't control magical weapons. Instead, they wielded [Bloodline True Weapons].
These were nearly extinct—even in ancient times, pure body cultivators were rare.
Wang Yu's goal was simply to strengthen his vitality—to avoid failure during Foundation Establishment breakthroughs. That's why he also cultivated spiritual sense, aiming for versatility.
Ultimately, it was all in service of advancing his realm.
Foundation Establishment had three bottlenecks. Core Formation had three as well—each more demanding.
Refining essence, energy, and spirit was notoriously difficult. But Wang Yu had the opportunity, and he would persist until he could act freely.
"Condense!"
With firm resolve, his body rippled.
Already refined essence blood fused again. Three days passed.
In the sealed chamber—
The golden-tinged blue-black essence blood finally transformed into true blood. As his hand seals shifted, a dragon's roar echoed through the chamber.
Bones cracked. His body density surged.
"Disperse!"
The final round of refinement completed. The true blood merged into his body.
Boom—
A silent explosion. The [Dark Serpent Phantom] grew again—surpassing ten meters, now reaching twelve or thirteen.
Mid-tier Body Tempering, Tier Two—achieved!
Now, whenever Wang Yu summoned his blood energy, the phantom serpent would follow his fists and kicks. He could shatter stone and split mountains.
Even sturdy tier-one shield-type magical weapons could be torn apart barehanded—ground into powder. His raw power had leapt a tier, though his finesse lagged slightly.
After a long session, he ended the technique.
As he familiarized himself with the new strength, Wang Yu opened his placement panel—and his pupils shrank.
"Where's my sixth slot???"
Unexpectedly, no new slot appeared. According to past patterns, every breakthrough had unlocked a new placement slot.
But now—nothing.
Could it be that body-tempering breakthroughs didn't count? Impossible. He'd gained his fifth slot after a body-tempering breakthrough in the Black Mountain demon lands.
His thoughts returned to the beginning.
He'd had one slot as a mortal.
After reaching Qi Refining first layer—slot two. Mid-stage—slot three. Late-stage—slot four. Foundation Establishment—slot five.
Now he was mid-stage… where was slot six?
He'd long suspected the slots weren't infinite. But now that the moment had come, disappointment was inevitable.
If it didn't appear now, it likely wouldn't appear at late Foundation Establishment either. He'd have to wait until Core Formation.
His instincts told him—
The placement panel had a limit. But five couldn't be the end.
He spent half a day adjusting his mindset. Eventually, his heart settled. What's meant to come will come.
Now it was time to break through to Foundation Establishment fourth layer.
Both paths had aligned at this moment. The tier-three treasure [Blood Dragon Essence] had clearly worked wonders for his body-tempering.
He retrieved the [One-Stripe Essence Condensation Pill] from his storage pouch and swallowed it without hesitation. No time to waste.
As a renowned breakthrough pill—
Its effects were immediate. His dantian surged with true essence, forming three streams that spiraled toward the center.
They spun faster and faster—forming a funnel-shaped vortex.
The medicinal power took root.
Even the Demonic Embryo glowed faintly, as if brushed by spiritual root powder. Perhaps it was. Either way, the barrier was weak—and the pill shattered it easily.
In less than half a day, a [True Essence Spring] formed in his dantian. His body could now absorb spiritual energy automatically.
Foundation Establishment Fourth Layer—achieved!
Wang Yu checked the placement panel again—still no sixth slot.
It seemed he'd have to wait until Core Formation.
He never doubted he'd reach it. It was only a matter of time.
From here, it was all about accumulation. From 500 drops to 800 for fifth layer. Then 1,200 for sixth.
At 2,000, he could attempt another breakthrough.
That would be the second condensation—evolving the [True Essence Spring] into a [True Essence Lake]. This phase would be faster.
With supreme Ice Spirit Pills—
Two pills over four years would get him to fifth layer. Two and a half more for sixth. It seemed Foundation Establishment was getting easier.
But that was deceptive.
The real challenge was the late stages. Accumulating an ocean of true essence took time—only pills and rare treasures could help.
Even then, reaching the end wasn't guaranteed.
Seventh layer peak: 4,000 drops. Eighth: 6,000. Ninth: 9,999 drops for the final condensation.
The leap was staggering.
That's why, when Wang Yu infiltrated the Bai Clan, he knew he couldn't defeat their elder head-on. He had to rely on advanced techniques and spiritual sense.
Even then, he only delayed him for a single incense stick's time.
Still—
As cultivators condense springs and lakes, their cultivation speed accelerates. Except for heavenly spiritual roots, no one reaches peak Foundation Establishment through pure effort.
Hence the saying: heavenly roots are guaranteed Core Formation.
Give Wang Yu ten years—he was confident he'd reach seventh layer. Beyond that… it would be a slow grind.
The further one goes, the greater the disparity. Especially after forming a golden core. Accumulation still matters—but technique becomes crucial.
In Qi Refining, cross-tier combat is common.
In Foundation Establishment, it's rare but possible.
In Core Formation, it's dazzling genius.
In Nascent Soul… forget it. Even fighting down a tier is rare. Only true prodigies can do it. Even same-tier battles rarely end in death.
At most, the body is destroyed. The Nascent Soul survives.
Of course, that's just in this realm. Other places may differ.
After stabilizing his breakthrough, Wang Yu meditated for three more days. Then he fed another dose of moonfiend to the developing zombie before leaving seclusion.
This creature—he'd nurture it as long as possible.
He could feel it: the more moonfiend it absorbed, the stronger it would be upon awakening. With such fortune, settling for early tier-three was nonsense.
The [Yinfiend Corpse Refinement Art] had to be perfected. Otherwise, control would be risky. He'd wait until the corpse could absorb no more moonfiend before activating it.
After leaving seclusion—
Wang Yu first sent someone to inquire about Zhuo Shouqing's whereabouts and to gather the latest intelligence on Eastern Polaris. Eventually, he found Zhuo standing outside the prison cell where the Guan Clan's patriarch was being held.
Seeing Wang Yu reappear, Zhuo Shouqing scowled. "I was wondering where you'd gone. Turns out you were breaking through. I almost misunderstood you."
"Oh? Misunderstood me how?" Wang Yu replied with a smile. His cultivation had been well-concealed, but it was clear Zhuo had seen through it.
Zhuo's eyes flickered with a shadow of emotion—clearly recalling something from his past.
"Forget it. You wouldn't understand. That shackle on this guy—did it come from Eastern Polaris?"
"Yes. You've seen it before?"
"That's where things get interesting. A true disciple from Evil God Pavilion is here—for that very item."
Wang Yu's eyes lit up.
"Tell me everything—don't leave out a word."
(End of Chapter)