True Method of Yin-Transformation Corpse-Dissolution

"This True Method of Yin-Transformation Corpse-Dissolution is a bit difficult."

After a night of secluded cultivation, Lu Yang stared at the secret manual of divine abilities before him, his brow tightly furrowed. "Great divine abilities cannot be wielded without great dharma power. They are the pinnacle of divine abilities."

So-called great divine abilities were not actually a rank of divine ability, but rather a method of application.

Simply put, combining several compatible superior divine abilities and making them erupt with dozens of times their usual power was called a great divine ability.

The True Method of Yin-Transformation Corpse-Dissolution was precisely such a thing. To master this great divine ability, one first had to learn three superior divine abilities: Heavenly Demon Blood-Dissolving Divine Light, Mysterious Yin Form-Capturing Great Art, and Taiwei Imperial Pardon Treasure Repository. Every one of these three divine abilities was extraordinarily difficult to cultivate, and none could be mastered without immense fortune.

This was also common to all great divine abilities.

It was not something one could cultivate simply because one wanted to. First came comprehension, second came Fortune, and third came Merit. Missing any one of them would only lead to failure when success was within reach.

Take the first divine ability, Heavenly Demon Blood-Dissolving Divine Light.

This divine ability alone had stymied who knew how many cultivators. After all, peeling one's own skin to cultivate was equivalent to severing one's own immortal path. Even if one succeeded, it would be meaningless.

As for the second divine ability, Mysterious Yin Form-Capturing Great Art, its side effects were not so severe. Its difficulty lay chiefly in an external item. To cultivate this divine ability, one had to use a piece of Mysterious Female Yin Jade as a medium. Without this rare treasure, no amount of cultivation or comprehension would suffice.

Yet Mysterious Female Yin Jade was exceedingly rare.

How rare? One sentence was enough to describe it: it was not even listed in the Sacred Sect's exchange catalog. Not even Contribution Points could buy it.

Even with the Sacred Sect's vast resources, it possessed no such wondrous item.

It was clear that mastering this divine ability depended entirely on a cultivator's opportunity and Fortune. Without that Fortune, one could search the entire world and accomplish nothing.

Thus, Lu Yang took only one look before decisively abandoning it and turning his attention to the third divine ability, Taiwei Imperial Pardon Treasure Repository.

Yet what left him helpless was that although this divine ability required neither precious external items nor carried immense side effects, it was truly far too difficult.

Lu Yang studied it for an entire night and gained very little.

"It's somewhat like an array formation, and somewhat like a talisman, yet it has been classified as a divine ability. Whether one can learn it depends entirely on comprehension. If you can't learn it, then you just can't learn it."

Thinking of this, Lu Yang scratched his head again, unwilling to accept it.

"I've already gritted my teeth and fought through array formations when they were that difficult. How long can a mere divine ability stop me? At worst, I'll spend another twenty years. Sooner or later, I'll master you!"

The reason the True Method of Yin-Transformation Corpse-Dissolution made Lu Yang cling to it so stubbornly was mainly because this great divine ability was simply too tempting. He could not bear to part with it.

There was no need to mention how formidable Heavenly Demon Blood-Dissolving Divine Light was. Mysterious Yin Form-Capturing Great Art was equally tyrannical. So long as one captured a person's aura and used it to condense a Soul Shadow, one could kill that person from thin air by slaying the Soul Shadow. Even if the two were separated by a thousand miles, death would still be their only road.

Taiwei Imperial Pardon Treasure Repository was even more outrageous.

Once the Treasure Repository was formed, it neither severed the flesh nor killed the soul. It specialized in destroying Merit and Fortune. Even a Son of Destiny struck by this divine ability would become an unlucky wretch.

Of course, the most formidable part was the union of all three divine abilities.

It was also the effect of the True Method of Yin-Transformation Corpse-Dissolution that moved Lu Yang the most: it could increase a cultivator's chances of breaking through to Foundation Establishment!

For this point alone, Lu Yang was determined to obtain this great divine ability!

Years flowed on, swift as a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, five springs and autumns had passed.

Within Blood Garment Pavilion, Lu Yang leaned against the railing and gazed at the sky, silently circulating the Nine Transformations Dragon Art. With every breath, he swallowed clouds and exhaled mist, transforming them into countless strange and marvelous phenomena.

The eighth transformation, Phantom Mirage Transformation!

Although Skull Mountain's spirit vein was poor, Lu Yang had plenty of money. He had stockpiled a great quantity of spirit stones beforehand, so his cultivation had not slowed because of it.

And after five years of bitter cultivation, although he had still made no progress in Taiwei Imperial Pardon Treasure Repository, he had suddenly received divine inspiration while studying divine abilities. His true qi spontaneously broke through its bottleneck. By the time he came back to his senses, the Qi Seed within his dantian had transformed once more, faintly taking on the shape of a dragon.

Qi Refining Eighth Layer!

"Although the improvement from Qi Refining Seventh Layer to Qi Refining Eighth Layer isn't as exaggerated as the leap from the sixth layer to the seventh, my true qi and dharma power have still nearly increased severalfold."

"At the end of the day, cultivation level is the foundation!"

"So what if I don't have a great divine ability? With my current strength, even a True Disciple in the Middle Qi Refining Stage can be slain across realms!"

"Not to mention the ninth transformation."

Lu Yang's heart burned with excitement. The ninth transformation, Flying Fish Transformation, could break through bottlenecks. In other words, once he broke through to Qi Refining Ninth Layer, he could immediately charge toward perfection!

The immortal path is in sight. This calls for celebration!

With that thought, Lu Yang's mood instantly improved. The gloom of failing to master Taiwei Imperial Pardon Treasure Repository was swept away, and he cheerfully walked out of his quiet chamber.

Before that, however, Lu Yang first used the Breath Concealment Art.

The next instant, the vast aura from his recent breakthrough was completely restrained, returning him to the level of Qi Refining Seventh Layer—only a little stronger than he had been five years ago.

"When attacking an enemy, reveal three parts and keep seven parts hidden. You can never have too many trump cards."

Not long afterward, the Sacred Sect Disciples under Blood Garment Pavilion's jurisdiction came swarming over. Upon seeing Lu Yang, every one of them immediately performed a deep bow in worship.

"Congratulations on leaving seclusion, Pavilion Master!"

"Rise." Lu Yang casually waved a hand, then asked, "During the five years I was in seclusion, did anything happen near Skull Mountain?"

"Reporting to Pavilion Master, nothing did."

An elderly Sacred Sect Disciple stepped forward on his own initiative. "There was only one incident. Disciples from the Divine Martial Sect of the Northern Border came to provoke us, but Fairy Feixia sent them away."

"What about Mysterious Female Yin Jade? Any news?"

"None so far."

After learning about the changes of the past five years, Lu Yang dismissed everyone and intended to enter seclusion once more, remaining there until the Foundation Establishment opportunity in the Righteous-Demonic War appeared.

However, at that moment, a rainbow-like streak of light suddenly descended beside Blood Garment Pavilion.

"Junior Brother Lu, please see me."

Lu Yang swept out with his Spiritual Sense upon hearing this, then hurriedly rose to greet her with a smile. "For Senior Sister to come personally, I should have been the one to visit you."

"Junior Brother, something has happened."

Fairy Feixia wore a grave expression as she solemnly said, "Recently, the Earth Observation Instrument discovered that the Corpse Tide, which should not have erupted for another fifteen years, has arrived early."

"At this moment, over ten thousand zombies are heading toward the Marketplace!"

"Such an abnormal change came without any warning. There must be someone pulling strings behind the scenes. I suspect it may very well be those barbarians from the Divine Martial Sect in the Northern Border."

"What?"

Lu Yang frowned at this. When he noticed Fairy Feixia staring directly at him, his frown deepened. "Senior Sister needs my assistance?"

"That's right. Junior Brother, are you willing to venture into the Corpse Tide with me?"

Fairy Feixia smiled. "The Corpse Tide is a crisis, but it is also an opportunity. No matter who the mastermind is, they must be relying on some rare treasure to trigger the Corpse Tide in advance."

"If you and I join hands, perhaps we can seize it and obtain a great opportunity."

"Even if an accident occurs and we become trapped in the Corpse Tide, with your and my cultivation, the danger will not be great!"

At this point, Fairy Feixia's brows flew upward, and she shone brilliantly with high spirits.

Yet Lu Yang shook his head.

"My apologies, Senior Sister. I am not like you. My strength is modest, and I have not learned any divine abilities. I only understand a little about array formations, so I am better suited to remain behind and hold the fort."

No matter how small the risk was, it was still a risk.

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall. As long as he cultivated step by step, he would certainly break through to Qi Refining Great Perfection. Why risk his life?

It was not worth it!

The foremost goal of this life was to break through to Qi Refining Great Perfection. If he wanted to take risks, he could do so after breaking through. Before then, it was better to proceed steadily.

"You don't intend to go, Junior Brother?" Seeing Lu Yang refuse, Fairy Feixia's beautiful brows knit together. The normally aloof woman revealed such a troubled expression that she looked pitiably delicate. "The immortal path is bitterly short. If one wishes to achieve something, one can only smash the cauldrons and sink the boats. I thought you understood this."

Lu Yang's Dao Heart was like iron, utterly unmoved. "Times are different now. I hope Senior Sister can understand."

"Junior Brother, you have changed."

Fairy Feixia shook her head in disappointment. "Since that is the case, stay behind in the Marketplace and hold the fort. But when the time comes, the opportunity will have no share for you."

"..."

Lu Yang merely smiled and did not answer.

To be honest, he felt that Fairy Feixia was not much like a Sacred Sect Disciple. How should he put it? She possessed a kind of innocence that had never been battered by the Sacred Sect.

With a Corpse Tide out there, even if you obtain some tremendous opportunity, won't you still have to flee back to the Marketplace under my protection? When that time comes, you say the opportunity will have no share for me? Then don't blame me for saying that you fought bravely and ultimately perished on the front lines resisting the Corpse Tide.