Seeing Minghe reveal his true form and show sufficient sincerity, Di Jiang stopped putting on airs. The vast, surging aura around him subsided, leaving him somewhat more approachable. He cupped his hands toward Minghe, formally returning the greeting.
"I am Di Jiang! Indeed, I am the master of Mount Buzhou, formed from Pangu's vital essence."
Di Jiang openly acknowledged his identity and gave his true name. This was basic courtesy among the great powers of the Primordial World, and a response to Minghe's decisive gesture.
Hearing the name Di Jiang, a flicker of understanding passed through Minghe's crimson eyes.
"So you are Fellow Daoist Di Jiang. My apologies for not recognizing you."
Minghe cupped his hands again, curiosity just right on his youthful face.
"May I ask why you have come to this filthy place of mine to collect this fiendish qi? If you need anything, Minghe may be able to offer what little help he can."
Di Jiang glanced at him. Naturally, he wasn't about to reveal a core secret like the Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens. He simply replied, "Nothing in particular. It's for cultivation."
Seeing that Di Jiang didn't wish to say more, Minghe tactfully stopped asking. Watching Di Jiang manipulate the fiendish qi with effortless ease, as though he had become one with space, Minghe couldn't help wanting to observe and learn.
Even if a powerhouse of this level was merely gathering fiendish qi, the way he wielded the laws contained within was more than enough to benefit Minghe greatly.
Minghe hesitated, then made his request. His tone held the straightforwardness peculiar to the young, along with a hint of barely concealed anticipation. "Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, your method of manipulating fiendish qi is quite profound. Minghe admires it. Would you allow me to watch from here? I absolutely won't disturb your cultivation!"
Di Jiang paused to consider this. His next experiment would involve drawing upon the Pangu bloodline, and it might cause quite a stir. But the core secret lay in the resonance between the bloodline and the fiendish qi; the outward method wasn't something he couldn't show. Since the boy seemed sensible enough, and they shared the same origin, there was no harm in letting him watch.
"Very well," Di Jiang replied concisely.
Minghe's face immediately brightened. He quietly stepped aside, like a well-behaved student, and watched Di Jiang's every move without blinking.
Di Jiang paid him no further attention and focused his mind completely. Feeling that he had gathered enough fiendish qi for a preliminary attempt, he began circulating the Pangu bloodline within him, which had fused the traits of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
Humm—!
A vast, ancient, terrifying pressure, as though it had come from the dawn of creation, slowly spread from within Di Jiang! Though it was only a trace, the entire Netherworld Blood Sea trembled. Countless vengeful souls and fierce ghosts fled in terror to the bottom of the sea, and even the churning blood-red waves seemed to freeze for an instant!
Minghe, standing nearby, turned pale. He felt an immense pressure bearing down on him at the level of his very life essence—the majesty of "Father God Pangu"! The reverence in his gaze as he looked at Di Jiang deepened.
"It worked! I really can draw upon it!"
Di Jiang was overjoyed. This proved his idea was right. Even though his bloodline had been unified, it could still serve as a catalyst!
Next came the crucial step—drawing the fiendish qi into his body, resonating with his bloodline, and attempting to condense an illusory Pangu True Body!
With a thought from Di Jiang, the dense, dark-red fiendish qi gathered around him, thick as a tangible substance, began pouring into his Ancestral Witch body like countless rivers flowing into the sea!
The instant the fiendish qi entered his body, an icy, violent energy brimming with destructive intent rampaged through his meridians! An ordinary cultivator—even a Golden Immortal—would likely have their bloodline corrupted and their body destroyed in an instant.
But for Di Jiang's formidable body, tempered through countless trials and fused with the origins of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, this pain was no more than a mosquito bite. It was entirely within what he could endure; not even his skin was damaged.
"My body is unharmed! It looks like this can work!"
Di Jiang's confidence grew. He guided the fiendish qi toward the trace of Pangu bloodline he had awakened, trying to form the core of the legendary formation.
However, just as the fiendish qi touched the Pangu bloodline and, following the power of the bloodline, inevitably affected the Primordial Spirit perfectly attuned to his body—
"Gah—!"
Di Jiang let out a muffled groan, his face turning deathly pale! A tearing sensation utterly unlike physical pain erupted, as if it came from the depths of his soul!
The countless negative emotions, murderous impulses, and venomous curses contained in the fiendish qi were like billions of red-hot poisoned needles, stabbing into his Primordial Spirit! Its clear radiance shuddered violently, as though it were about to be corrupted, torn apart, and assimilated!
Pain! Unimaginable pain! It was millions of times worse than what his body had endured!
Di Jiang immediately cut off the flow of fiendish qi and circulated his cultivation art with all his might. Using the power of the Space-Time Law, he forcibly soothed and dispersed the lingering fiendish qi that had invaded his Primordial Spirit. Only after a long while did the soul-tearing agony gradually subside, but he was still shaken.
He stood where he was, his expression dark and uncertain.
"I failed. The problem was with my Primordial Spirit!" Di Jiang instantly understood the crux of the matter.
The original Twelve Ancestral Witches had no Primordial Spirits at all! When they drew fiendish qi into their bodies, they simply endured it with their incomparably powerful physical forms, using their bloodlines as the core to drive it. The corruption of their bodies by the fiendish qi was an acceptable price for them. But without Primordial Spirits, they naturally had no problem with the fiendish qi corrupting or assailing one.
But Di Jiang was different! He possessed a Primordial Spirit granted by the system, perfectly attuned to his body! That had originally been an enormous advantage, allowing him to use Magic Treasures, deduce the secrets of heaven, and comprehend the Great Dao. But when using the Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens, this Primordial Spirit had instead become his greatest weakness and obstacle!
As the fiendish qi resonated with the Pangu bloodline, it was bound to affect the Primordial Spirit closely connected to that bloodline. His "pure" Primordial Spirit simply couldn't withstand a direct assault from such an intensely baleful, murderous force!
"Damn it! Does having a Primordial Spirit mean I can't use the Witch Clan's ultimate trump card?"
Di Jiang furrowed his brow, a powerful sense of frustration welling up inside him. It was as if someone had given him a sweet date, only to turn around and slap him!
Di Jiang forcibly suppressed the lingering sting in his Primordial Spirit. His expression darkened as he rapidly considered his options. There was no doubt about the power of the Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens, but the conflict between his Primordial Spirit and the fiendish qi seemed like an unsolvable problem. The only alternative was to sever his own Primordial Spirit, but that would be no different from ruining his future. It was out of the question.
Just as his thoughts grew troubled, a glint flashed in Minghe's crimson eyes as he quietly observed from the side. He didn't know what divine ability Di Jiang was cultivating, but he had clearly noticed the brief disturbance in Di Jiang's aura and the pain that had crossed his face.
A powerhouse at the Primordial Origin Golden Immortal level had actually been hurt while drawing fiendish qi into his body? Minghe was greatly surprised.
"Fiendish qi may be fierce, but to me, the master of the Blood Sea, it's an everyday thing. My Primordial Spirit has been immersed in it ever since I came into being. I've long since adapted to it. My inheritance even contains methods for tempering the Primordial Spirit with it and turning fiendish qi into spiritual power..."
Minghe's thoughts raced. From what he had just seen, Di Jiang had clearly been unable to withstand the fiendish qi's assault on his Primordial Spirit. The great lengths he had gone to in collecting the qi meant that what he sought must be extremely important. The conflict between his Primordial Spirit and the fiendish qi had likely become his greatest obstacle.
A bold idea took shape in Minghe's mind. If he told Di Jiang about the part of the Sea of Blood God Refining Art that tempered the soul with fiendish qi, it might solve his urgent problem—and perhaps earn Minghe some unexpected benefits in return.
Helping someone in their hour of need was far better than adding flowers to brocade. Di Jiang was facing a difficult problem, and Minghe happened to possess something he desperately needed. It was a heaven-sent opportunity for a deal!
Though he had been born in the Blood Sea and was cunning by nature, Minghe also understood that a deal with a powerhouse like Di Jiang required tact. He needed to demonstrate his value without being too greedy and provoking resentment.
With that in mind, Minghe's handsome, youthful face took on a suitable expression of concern and uncertainty. He stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist Di Jiang, I noticed your aura seemed to seize up just now. Are you encountering some difficulty with your method of circulating the fiendish qi?"
Di Jiang looked sharply at Minghe. Seeing no sign of feigned sincerity in his expression, he replied indifferently, "Just a minor problem. It's nothing."
Naturally, he wasn't going to reveal his core predicament to an outsider.
Minghe seemed not to notice Di Jiang's reserve. He continued, speaking with the inquisitiveness of a young man:
"Forgive my bluntness, Fellow Daoist. Your method of drawing in fiendish qi is extraordinarily profound, and its power must be earth-shattering. But it seems you aren't accustomed to dealing with fiendish qi, especially when it comes to protecting and adapting your Primordial Spirit!"
Minghe's words stopped there, but they had landed precisely on Di Jiang's sore spot.
Di Jiang's gaze shifted slightly as he reassessed the young man from the Blood Sea. It seemed the boy hadn't merely been watching; he had actually picked up on something. So Di Jiang asked without showing his thoughts, "Oh? Fellow Daoist Minghe has lived in the Blood Sea for a long time. You seem to know quite a bit about this."
Seeing that Di Jiang hadn't denied it and had instead asked him a question, Minghe felt reassured. He wore an apparently guileless smile and said:
"I wouldn't claim to be an expert. I was born here and grew up here, and my Primordial Spirit has long coexisted with the fiendish qi of the Blood Sea. To be honest, my inheritance does contain a method for using fiendish qi to temper the Primordial Spirit. It not only makes one immune to its corruption, but allows one to absorb its fierce, murderous intent to strengthen the soul and temper the will. It's a secret art passed down only within the Blood Sea, but..."
Minghe deliberately paused to study Di Jiang's reaction, then slowly continued:
"But you and I share Pangu's lineage, and meeting today must be fate. If what you need is indeed related to this, I'm willing to teach you the method in its entirety. I only hope to form a good relationship with you."
Minghe had put it beautifully. He spoke only of "forming a good relationship," making no specific demands and leaving the initiative to Di Jiang. He appeared completely sincere while keeping plenty of room to maneuver.
Di Jiang was no fool. He instantly understood Minghe's intent. The boy wanted to trade this soul-refining method for benefits from him!
Di Jiang gave Minghe a long look. He wasn't particularly displeased at being sized up. To seize an opportunity in such a short time and propose a deal he would find hard to refuse—such insight and boldness were worthy of a congenital demon god's Origin.
"A method for tempering the Primordial Spirit with fiendish qi!" Di Jiang pondered. This was exactly what he needed most at the moment! If it could resolve the conflict between his Primordial Spirit and the fiendish qi, the chances of successfully forming the Great Formation of the Myriad Heavens would rise dramatically. In comparison, paying some price was entirely worthwhile.
"What do you want?" Di Jiang asked bluntly, getting straight to the point.
Before you continue