Refining, King of Hell Finger! Mysterious Blood Ghost Token

The sky was covered in dark clouds.

Gu Cheng flew through the air at an astonishing speed, like a streak of crimson light tearing across the heavens.

Although the Willow God's strength was a bit lacking, it was still a Great Demon of the Innate Realm High Stage. Its remains contained a vast amount of life force.

Gu Cheng had completely devoured it with the Blood Melting Furnace, and was now suffering from a bit of indigestion.

He needed to find a secluded place as soon as possible to completely refine this power.

Lost in thought, Gu Cheng landed on a deserted mountaintop.

He swept the surroundings with his divine sense, confirmed it was safe, and then sat cross-legged on a blue stone, slowly opening his system panel.

"Let's begin..."

Gu Cheng took a deep breath, and a lifespan as vast as the sea surged into his body, driving the refining process of the Blood Melting Furnace.

A terrifying aura that made one's heart palpitate began to emanate from him...

[Year 1: You attempt to convert the life force from the Willow God's remains into the blood fiend energy required to cultivate the Blood Blade Scripture.

Because your "Blood Melting Furnace" and this innate evil cultivation technique share the same origin, the conversion is seamless and can perfectly replace the evil cultivator's blood required for cultivation, even with better results.

However, the origin of demons is vastly different from that of humans, and the energy consumed is impure. To refine it completely will inevitably consume a large amount of lifespan.]

"It really works!"

A glint flashed in Gu Cheng's eyes; his previous guess was correct.

As for the vast lifespan required for refinement... was that even a problem?

The Thousand-Year Tree Demon and the Blood Blade Sect leader he had just killed had contributed over 1,800 years of lifespan combined, equivalent to thirty-six Tang Yuans!

To purify all that impure energy, turning it back into its original form, would be a piece of cake.

[Year 683: You completely refined the consumed energy, converting it into incredibly pure blood fiend energy. Driven by this power, your Blood Blade Scripture advanced at lightning speed.]

[Year 708: After years of arduous cultivation, you absorbed all the refined blood fiend energy, integrating it completely into your body. The Blood Blade Scripture broke through the "Proficient" realm!]

[Body Refinement Cultivation: Innate Fifth Level]

[Remaining Lifespan: 3,259 years]

"..."

Gu Cheng slowly opened his eyes, a fleeting glint flashing deep within them.

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt the surging, boundless power within him. A satisfied smile curved his lips.

In the Innate Realm, each step was a leap forward.

Breaking through each minor realm was like rowing against the current, fraught with difficulties, but the resulting increase in strength was earth-shattering.

When he fought Duan Feng previously, the opponent had resorted to pills and a massive transformation, which had indeed given him quite a bit of trouble.

It took him over thirty punches to break through that old geezer's Blood Demon transformation.

But with Gu Cheng's current strength, even without activating the "Indestructible Demon Physique" profound technique, the Blood Blade Sect leader wouldn't have lasted ten rounds against him!

"With this, I just need to hunt a few more Innate Realm demons, and I can push the third volume of the Blood Blade Scripture all the way to Grand Perfection!"

Gu Cheng mused to himself, deciding to strike while the iron was hot and his condition was optimal.

He took out the Willow God's demon core from his storage pouch and swallowed it whole, simultaneously sacrificing his lifespan to refine it.

The Thousand-Year Tree Demon's demon core was the culmination of the Willow God's thousand years of cultivation.

Its refining difficulty was far beyond that of ordinary Great Demons of the Innate Realm.

But under the relentless pressure of Gu Cheng's immense lifespan, this demon core could only surrender obediently, transforming into incredibly pure energy and merging into his body.

[Year 563: You finally completely refined and analyzed the demon core obtained from the Willow God.

The vast life force contained within it nourished your body like spring rain, and your lifespan increased by a hundred years as a result.

Not only that, but the healing profundity hidden within the Willow God's demon core gave you a transformative understanding of related incantations and martial arts.

After years of contemplation, you had a sudden epiphany and learned a new divine ability from this demon core.]

[You have comprehended the divine ability - Innate: Spring Revival]

[Innate: Spring Revival: Like grass and trees in spring, dead wood blooming flowers, your physical body contains the powerful vitality of plant spirits, with a recovery ability far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Even if you suffer a fatal injury, you can burn your own lifespan to instantly return to your peak state!]

"Oh? Isn't this the Willow God's innate divine ability?"

Gu Cheng's eyes lit up. He had personally experienced the Willow God's formidable self-healing ability during their previous battle.

If he hadn't possessed the "Destructive Wound" divine ability, even if he could have won that fight, he certainly wouldn't have won so easily.

Now that he had the "Spring Revival" innate divine ability, coupled with his lifespan of several thousand years, it was like an unstoppable force with infinite ultimate moves.

Unless he could be instantly killed, or possess a healing-prohibiting ability similar to the 'Destructive Wound' innate divine ability.

Otherwise, even if he stood still and let others attack him, it would be difficult for him to die!

With this thought, Gu Cheng's heart settled slightly. He then continued to burn his lifespan, investing all his remaining lifespan into the deduction of the "Yin Yang Absolute Immortal Hand."

With the help of the Willow God's Demon Core, this deduction process went relatively smoothly.

In just over four hundred years, this innate martial art, which had reached Grand Perfection, broke through to a higher realm once again!

[Year 441: Yin and Yang energies circulate, the power of life and death intertwines, your "Yin Yang Absolute Immortal Hand" breaks through its limits and comprehends the martial dao's Ultimate Intent.

Based on the characteristics of this profound meaning, you have named it: King of Hell Finger!]

[King of Hell Finger: Burns lifespan, instant life and death. By burning one's own life, it greatly enhances the power of the 'Yin Hand' and 'Yang Hand,' converging into a single finger.

Like the King of Hell and judges of the underworld, one finger saves a life, another severs it!]

[Remaining Lifespan: Two thousand three hundred and fifty-five years]

"Why is this another life-burning technique...

No wonder absorbing the Tree Demon's Demon Core could extend my lifespan by a hundred years; it was waiting for this."

Gu Cheng chuckled and shook his head.

Lifespan, to him, was an inexhaustible resource. Martial arts that risked life and limb like this seemed tailor-made for him.

After breaking through the "Yin Yang Absolute Immortal Hand" to the Extreme Intent Realm.

Gu Cheng contentedly closed the system panel, took out Duan Feng's storage pouch, and began to inventory the spoils of war.

As the new sect master of the Blood Blade Sect.

Duan Feng's possessions were surprisingly meager, incomparable to the collection of that gluttonous elder.

Gu Cheng rummaged through the storage pouch for a long time, finding only two valuable treasures.

One was a blood-colored bead the size of a fist. The moment he held it, a chilling aura assaulted him, making his heart tremble.

As expected, this should be the treasure of the Blood Blade Sect, the goal of his trip – the Blood Soul Bead!

Gu Cheng held the Blood Soul Bead in his palm but found it covered in fine cracks. Its spiritual energy had also been completely depleted, clearly indicating it was close to being scrap.

"This magical artifact is actually broken?"

"What a shame. I didn't get its Soul Remnant after killing the Willow God, otherwise, I might have found a way to repair this Blood Soul Bead."

Gu Cheng frowned, feeling a sense of disappointment.

After all, without the Blood Soul Bead's assistance, he couldn't cultivate the "Heavenly Demon Blood Transformation Great Law" he obtained from the gluttonous elder!

However, on second thought, the two Blood Soul Beads of the Blood Blade Sect were obtained by Lin Xueyi two hundred years ago from a Rebirth Sect stronghold.

Now that the Rebirth Sect had resurfaced, and he happened to know the location of a Rebirth Sect Inheritance Secret Realm.

It shouldn't be difficult to obtain another Blood Soul Bead.

"Besides, my Body Refinement cultivation has only just reached the fifth level of the Innate Realm, and that evil technique for the Spirit Sea Realm is only a fragment. There's no need to rush..."

With this thought, Gu Cheng sighed.

He put the damaged Blood Soul Bead into his storage pouch and then examined the second treasure.

It was a blood-colored token, about the size of his palm. It felt cold to the touch, and he didn't know what material it was made from.

On the front of the token, a ferocious and terrifying three-headed, six-armed demon was carved. Its features were lifelike, as if it were about to devour someone.

On the back were several characters he didn't recognize at all. The brushstrokes were sharp and piercing, exuding a chilling killing intent.

"What is this thing?"

Gu Cheng's face showed confusion, and he tentatively probed it with his divine sense.

The next moment, a strange image appeared in his mind... this mysterious blood-colored token was actually a map!