Condensing Vital Essence Body, Consuming Unwavering Golden Nature

Wang Yue sat cross-legged in the Vital Essence chamber, forming hand seals to guide the pure vital essence around him into his body. Ever since he learned about the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body divine ability, Wang Yue had wanted to try condensing a Vital Essence Body.

Initially, the vital essence in the chamber was as thick as a light mist, easily absorbed into his body. However, as time passed, the surrounding vital essence grew thinner, changing from "tangible" to "barely perceptible," until only wisps of smoke remained, coiling around him. It became difficult even to maintain the absorption rate.

What frustrated him further was that the residual vital essence was mixed with impurities. These impurities didn't come from the outside but were the dregs of long-settled vital essence. After being absorbed into his body, they felt like fine sand grinding against his meridians, unsettling his mind.

"Just a little longer..." Wang Yue's eyes were bloodshot, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his teeth were clenched so tightly they creaked. The twelve streams of Qi and Blood within him circulated frantically, forcibly drawing the last trace of vital essence into his Dantian.

He could clearly feel that the vital essence in his Dantian had already condensed into a golden mist, just one step away from taking shape. If he gave up now, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

Another quarter of an hour passed. Wang Yue's vision began to darken, and the Qi and Blood in his body became slightly agitated due to excessive consumption. He couldn't help but curse, "What the hell, why isn't it done yet!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the golden mist in his Dantian suddenly trembled violently. Strands of golden light erupted from his pores, converging in front of him like flowing water.

With a soft "buzz," a figure identical to him surged out of the golden light. It landed with a gentle breeze, still carrying a faint aura of vital essence.

Wang Yue raised his hand in shock, staring intently at his double. The figure was exactly like him—the same face, build, and even the sharpness in its eyes. The only difference was a faint golden aura surrounding it, clearly formed from vital essence.

What shocked him even more was that his Qi and Blood had been halved. The empty meridians made him panic; it would take time to recover without vital essence!

"Is this the Vital Essence Body?" Wang Yue tried to control it with his consciousness. A wondrous sensation instantly transmitted, and he found he could control both his main body and the Vital Essence Body simultaneously. Their senses were completely shared, even the touch of their fingertips felt identical, with no lag.

However, upon closer inspection, he could detect extremely subtle differences; the Vital Essence Body had a more sensitive perception of vital essence.

Wang Yue's main body and the Vital Essence Body simultaneously circulated their Qi and Blood, unleashing a punch towards the other.

With a "bang!" their fists collided. The two forces transmitted into his consciousness simultaneously, identical in size, feel, and power, without the slightest deviation.

Wang Yue coughed lightly, retracted his fist, and turned to look around the chamber. The once dense vital essence had become so thin it was almost invisible, with only a few wisps of smoke drifting in the air. The entire chamber felt empty and desolate.

His expression instantly darkened. He had used up all the vital essence. How would he explain it when Wang Hezheng arrived?

He walked forward and pinched the arm of the Vital Essence Body. It felt exactly the same as his own, warm to the touch, not at all like something illusory formed from vital essence.

"What's so good about touching it? Am I any different from you?" The Vital Essence Body suddenly spoke, its voice identical to his but with a tone of disdain, startling Wang Yue's main body.

He quickly calmed down, took a spare set of gray martial arts clothes from the side, and handed them to the Vital Essence Body. "Put these on quickly. You leave the Wang Clan first and stay in the county town."

"You don't need to say it; I can think of anything you can."

The Vital Essence Body took the clothes, muttering as he put them on. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he raised his hand, drawing a familiar panel in the air. It displayed the introduction to the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body divine ability.

"Wow, I can open the panel too!" The Vital Essence Body excitedly poked the panel, his voice filled with surprise.

Wang Yue's expression twitched. Looking at the Vital Essence Body's "never seen the world" demeanor, he couldn't help but think, Am I usually this unintelligent? Why is my clone acting like a child?

"By the way, how do I use that strand of Unwavering Golden Nature?" The Vital Essence Body suddenly put away the panel and asked seriously, "Should I use it on the Blood Dragon Secret Method to strengthen the technique, or on the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body to enhance the divine ability? I think it's better to use it directly on myself to strengthen my talent; that's more practical!"

Wang Yue frowned and said, "There's no rush. Let me figure out the characteristics of the Unwavering Golden Nature first. It would be a shame to waste it if I use it incorrectly."

"I can sense everything you're thinking. Aren't you just afraid of 'using it incorrectly'? You actually think 'strengthening myself' is the safest option, but you're just afraid to take the risk!" The Vital Essence Body pouted, his tone somewhat undermining.

Wang Yue's expression darkened as he stared at the Vital Essence Body. "Are you a reincarnated contrarian? Did you come specifically to stir up trouble?" He hadn't expected his clone to be so argumentative.

The Vital Essence Body chuckled sheepishly, rubbing his nose. "I'm just telling you the truth... Alright, alright, I'm leaving. Don't miss me. I'll cultivate well in the county town."

As he finished, the Vital Essence Body's expression suddenly turned solemn, and his tone became serious. "There's one more thing I need to remind you: don't casually cancel the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body divine ability. I can feel that if I'm too far away from you, and you forcibly remove the divine ability, causing me to dissipate, something on your body will permanently disappear. I can't say exactly what it is, but it's definitely not a good thing."

Wang Yue's heart sank, and he nodded. "I understand. I won't try anything rash. Be careful outside, and contact me through consciousness if anything happens."

The Vital Essence Body responded, his figure flickered, and he drifted to the chamber door like a wisp of smoke. After confirming no one was outside, he quickly flashed out and soon disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard.

Wang Yue looked at the empty chamber, momentarily dazed. He could still see the Vital Essence Body's perspective with a mere thought, then he dismissed it.

The warmth from his contact with the Vital Essence Body still lingered on his fingertips, and the Vital Essence Body's words echoed in his mind.

"Unwavering Golden Nature... what the Vital Essence Body said is actually correct."

He murmured softly, his gaze gradually becoming firm. "There might be better martial arts techniques to obtain in the future. I haven't fully grasped the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body divine ability yet, so strengthening it rashly would be a waste. Only by strengthening myself is the most secure and timeless choice."

His previous hesitation was just caution against making a mistake. But upon careful consideration, compared to strengthening techniques and divine abilities, improving his own foundation was fundamental. After all, whether in cultivation or combat, what ultimately mattered was one's own body and soul.

Having made up his mind, Wang Yue no longer hesitated. He sat back down on the futon, closed his eyes, and sank his entire consciousness into his Dantian.

Deep within his Dantian, a faint yet exceptionally condensed stream of golden Qi floated quietly. This was the Unwavering Golden Nature obtained from the Three-Headed Buddha's soul. Unlike the crimson of Qi and Blood or the pure white of Vital Essence, it was a golden color of extreme purity, as if containing immortal qualities. Even just perceiving it brought a sense of peace to Wang Yue's soul.

"Go!"

Wang Yue let out a low shout in his mind. His consciousness acted like invisible threads, guiding the strand of golden nature upward, circulating through his meridians, and finally converging into the Sea of Consciousness within his brow. This was the core of his soul and the most fundamental place for self-enhancement.

As soon as the golden nature touched the Sea of Consciousness, it melted like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun, transforming into a warm golden light. It flowed along the patterns of his soul, like spring rain nourishing the earth, seeping into every inch of his soul.

"Buzz."

A soft hum suddenly sounded in the Sea of Consciousness, and Wang Yue's panel instantly popped out, a line of golden text appearing in his consciousness:

[Fusion of Unwavering Golden Nature, Essence Depleted, gained Trait: Indestructible]

Before he could examine the attributes of Indestructible, a vast and ancient voice suddenly echoed from within his body, as if originating from the dawn of creation, carrying an undeniable authority:

"The Unwavering, forever azure."

The voice boomed like thunder through his meridians. Wang Yue's vision went black, his soul suddenly detached from his body and plunged into an boundless slumber.

Within his chaotic senses, he couldn't tell if he was ascending to heaven or descending to earth. He only felt his consciousness being pulled by an invisible force, rapidly traversing a space of pure gold.

After an unknown duration, the chaos before him suddenly dispersed. Wang Yue's consciousness landed abruptly. He found himself in a boundless golden world. The sky and ground were covered in dense golden light. Countless strands of golden light, varying in size, floated in the air like stars, emitting an aura that shared the same origin as the Unwavering Golden Nature.

At the very top of this golden world, a beam of golden light, far surpassing the others, hung serenely. Its radiance was intense yet not blinding, as if it were the core of this world, containing a power that made his heart palpitate.

"What is this place?" Wang Yue was completely stunned. He had never encountered such a sight in any text. Could this be the space within the Unwavering Golden Nature? Or had he somehow entered another realm?

Just as he pondered this, a "crack" sound suddenly echoed from the sky. A strand of golden light, not the smallest but exceptionally bright, began to sway precariously. Cracks appeared all over its surface, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.

The next second, that strand of golden light abruptly detached from the sky and plummeted towards Wang Yue like a golden meteor, its speed too fast for him to react.

"Bang!"

The golden light struck Wang Yue's consciousness precisely. Instead of the expected impact, it flowed into his soul like water. An even more potent golden power instantly surged through his entire being, causing his soul to tremble violently.

"Ah..."

Wang Yue couldn't help but let out a low groan. His consciousness felt like it was being thrown into a furnace, burning hot. Yet, strangely, this heat brought no pain, only a comfortable sense of transformation.

At that moment, his consciousness was suddenly pulled by a force. The golden world before him receded like a tide. The next second, he abruptly opened his eyes, gasping for air. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his chest heaved violently. He had somehow returned to the Essence Cultivation Chamber, as if his journey through the golden world had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.

However, the text that suddenly popped up on his status panel confirmed the reality of his experience:

[Soul nourished by the origin of the Unwavering Golden Nature, triggering a physique transformation, gaining a new physique: Devouring Body]

[Physique: Devouring Body. A small amount of pure flesh and blood and some pure soul power from any living being you personally kill will be automatically devoured by you, converted into your own Qi and Blood and soul power, feeding back into your growth.]

Note: This is one of the innate talents of the Devouring Nine-Eyed Phoenix.

Wang Yue's gaze suddenly sharpened, and a tempest raged in his heart: "What do you mean 'all those I kill are devoured'?"

He instinctively clenched his fist, the image of him killing Li Fang flashing through his mind. If he had possessed this physique then, wouldn't he have gained additional strength from Li Fang?

But then he considered it again. This devouring ability was too overbearing. If it were to get out, he would likely be treated as a demonic cultivator.

While he wasn't exactly a good person, he would never kill the innocent indiscriminately!

Forcing down the shock in his heart, Wang Yue then looked at the detailed description of the Indestructible trait:

[Trait: Indestructible. Qi and Blood, and Essence possess immortal characteristics. Injuries sustained in combat can be rapidly recovered, with the recovery speed increasing as your physique strengthens.

Non-fatal injuries to the soul are non-existent for you. As long as your soul remains intact, your body can be repaired anew through Qi and Blood and Essence.]

"Hiss..."

Wang Yue gasped, his eyes filled with astonishment.

The Indestructible trait essentially gave him the confidence of immortality. Even if he suffered severe injuries, he could recover quickly.

The Devouring Body physique, on the other hand, provided him with another path for growth. The more battles he fought and the stronger the opponents he defeated, the faster he would grow.

He looked down at his hands, then recalled the divine ability of the Unworldly Buddha Three Lives Body. For a moment, he couldn't tell.

Was the divine ability that could condense three bodies more precious, or was the Unwavering Golden Nature obtained from the soul of the Three-Headed Buddha more rare?

"Regardless, this time it was a blessing in disguise."

Wang Yue slowly stood up, stretching his limbs. Although his internal Qi and Blood had only recovered by half, they carried an unprecedented vitality, as if they could erupt with even greater power at any moment.

He looked up at the door of the cultivation chamber, a sharp glint in his eyes.

However, how was he supposed to explain the depleted Essence in the chamber... Wang Yue's expression fell again. He scratched his head, only able to pray inwardly that Wang Hezheng was too busy dealing with the Spirit Seeking Prefecture to check the Essence reserves in the chamber anytime soon.

He gathered his clothes from the floor and quickly walked towards the chamber door. Since the Essence Body had already gone to the county town, he should also stay in the Wang Clan to observe the progress of the Spirit Seeking Prefecture's investigation and, at the same time, figure out how to explain the disappearance of the Essence.