The last time Jiang Yao had felt this wonderful was... well, the time before that—when he opened the Xu Yuan Space and was reborn as its master. Back then, he'd cultivated the Seven Turns of Heaven's End with unstoppable momentum, reaching the fifth turn in just two and a half days.
That time, his soul and comprehension had improved.
This time, though, it felt as if his entire life level had risen. It was as if he'd become a Special Lifeform with an extraordinary affinity for the Law of Fire and the Law of Light.
Usually, in the Primal Universe, laws weren't exposed. The most common way to sense the fluctuations of an Origin Law was to cultivate a domain. Once a domain reached the eighth or ninth level, it might be possible to sense the fluctuations of an Origin Law through it.
He didn't even have a domain yet!
And this was only the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God's initial stage?
"I didn't expect the Supreme Rule to be so generous. It actually granted you the authority over two laws. Seems I was being a little too cautious."
The Taihuan Token Envoy had relaxed as well. He muttered, "That makes sense. Bizhang is the Sun Essence and belongs to the Flame Sect. It's only natural for him to possess the Law of Light and the Law of Fire. It's just that the Tianhuang Ancient Continent has never divided things so finely. How does it feel?"
Jiang Yao replied, both startled and delighted, "The fluctuations of the Origin Law of Fire are the clearest. Those of the Origin Law of Light are a little fainter, while the fluctuations of the Origin Laws of Space and Time are extremely indistinct."
The Law of Fire was a lower-level law under the Law of Space, while light was a lower-level law under time.
What's more, Bizhang's descent seemed to have been altered by the Supreme Rule, turning him into a Beast God. Beast Gods represented the path of merging lower-level and higher-level laws, so it wasn't strange that Jiang Yao could sense the fluctuations of both space and time.
"But... just now..." Thinking back on it, Jiang Yao still felt a lingering chill. "What happened?"
The Taihuan Token Envoy looked completely innocent. "I told you before that cultivating the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God was dangerous."
Jiang Yao wanted to argue, but after thinking it over, he gave up.
From the Xu Yuan Opening, he knew that the secret techniques this pig gave him were all outrageously powerful—and extremely dangerous.
Jiang Yao had been prepared for that. He'd even braced himself for the worst: death.
People said that the greatest terror lay between life and death, but Jiang Yao had experienced dying of an incurable disease in his previous life. He'd also experienced the destruction of his soul when he opened the Xu Yuan Space, only to be reborn afterward.
Death itself wasn't all that terrifying to him. After all, getting to live another life was already a bargain.
But the terror of having his consciousness, will, emotions, and sense of self swallowed up, devoured, and replaced bit by bit had far surpassed the fear of death!
Even the slightest recollection of it made his blood run cold.
The Messenger seemed to sense Jiang Yao's relief at having survived. A sly grin crept across the pig's face. "You didn't think sealing Bizhang's will meant the problem was solved for good, did you?"
Jiang Yao's expression changed. He sank his awareness into his sea of consciousness and clearly sensed the will suppressed inside the Xu Yuan Space still battering the seal without pause.
The Messenger continued, "The Nine Transformations of the Desolate God is a technique available to the outer disciples of my Taihuan Sect. Inner disciples and even true disciples don't cultivate it. Do you know why?
"Few techniques can match the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God when it comes to rapid cultivation. As for combat strength, even though it no longer guarantees invincibility among those of the same level, it's still an exceptional technique. Among disciples below True God Level, its practitioners are still among the best!
"So why has such a powerful early-stage technique become something even outer disciples avoid like the plague?
"Because it has a major flaw!
"That flaw is the 'Tribulation of Losing Self'!"
"Tribulation of Losing Self?" Jiang Yao repeated the three words. He'd more or less understood what they meant.
The Messenger's expression turned solemn. "The Tribulation of Losing Self has two stages. The first is transforming into a desolate beast and being unable to change back, becoming a desolate beast for good!
"That's what happened the first time you transformed into Bizhang. Your will couldn't reverse the technique. I had to force a little power through the Taihuan Token to turn you back from a desolate beast into your original form. But I can't leave the Taihuan Token, and there's no way for me to send out much power. When your cultivation grows and your transformations into desolate beasts become stronger, I won't be able to save you a second time.
"The second stage of the Tribulation of Losing Self is also the most dangerous. The whole point of the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God is to transform into desolate beasts. You are the desolate beast, and the desolate beast is you. Naturally, its will becomes your will as well.
"To put it in terms your world understands, the first time you transform into a desolate beast, its will becomes part of your consciousness. You could call it a second personality!
"So even when they aren't cultivating, those who practice the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God are unknowingly affected by the dormant will of the desolate beast. Their personalities, emotions, and sense of self gradually change.
"They might become increasingly irritable, for instance, or more and more sinister.
"And the deeper you cultivate this technique, the more desolate beasts you'll be able to transform into. That means more and more of their wills will lie dormant in your consciousness, affecting you every moment."
Just imagining the wills of nine desolate beasts lurking in his soul after he mastered the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God made Jiang Yao shudder.
The Messenger snorted. "Bizhang was naturally a fool. That's why I chose him as the first desolate beast for you to transform into.
"If it had been a craftier desolate beast, it wouldn't have fought you head-on. It would've influenced and devoured you little by little, until your primary consciousness was gradually transformed without your knowledge. Then, one day, it would completely replace your personality.
"You could say that nearly everyone who cultivates the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God eventually suffers the Tribulation of Losing Self. It's only a matter of sooner or later. That's why quite a few sects on the Tianhuang Ancient Continent mock my Taihuan Sect, saying that the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God has only one purpose: to provide offspring and increase the population of wild desolate beasts, which are nearly extinct."
"However—" The Messenger changed tack. "Fortunately, you have me. You cultivated the Xu Yuan Opening early, so you can seal the desolate beast's will inside the Xu Yuan Space. As long as you don't transform into a desolate beast at will, the danger is greatly reduced.
"But—"
The pig's dramatic pauses and twists were making Jiang Yao itch to smack him.
"Heh heh. This doesn't solve the problem for good. How lofty is a desolate beast's nature? It reaches at least True God Level upon adulthood. Even if you seal its will in the Xu Yuan Space so it can't hunt or absorb energy from the outside world as it pleases, its power will keep growing over time, until your Xu Yuan Space can no longer hold it!"
The Messenger watched Jiang Yao's expression shift through the Taihuan Token, then said seriously, "Of course, such a danger comes with a reward. You just sensed the fluctuations of several Origin Laws. Why not take a closer look at your body?"
At the Messenger's words, Jiang Yao scanned his whole body with his mental power. To his surprise, it had undergone an unimaginable transformation without his noticing. Everything from his cells to his bones seemed to have been strengthened and elevated.
Even the essence of his life had improved significantly!
"If we use the Gene Level of your Lingtong Race as the baseline, then your Gene Level is now twice that."
Jiang Yao was utterly stunned. Good grief—one transformation into a desolate beast had doubled his Life Gene Level?
The Messenger shook his head. "Transforming into a desolate beast brings you the greatest improvement. Every time you transform into one and reverse the process to return to your original form, your body undergoes a small leap forward. It's almost a comprehensive improvement, from your will to your soul to your Gene Level. That's why the Nine Transformations of the Desolate God allows such rapid cultivation. One transformation into a desolate beast is equivalent to hundreds or even thousands of years of cultivation for someone else.
"But with your current cultivation, you'd better not transform into a desolate beast. There's a high chance you won't be able to change back.
"Still, there's another way to make use of a desolate beast: release its will from the seal in the Xu Yuan Space and pit your will against it again.
"During that process, the desolate beast's will will subtly improve your affinity for comprehending laws, strengthen your body, and raise your Gene Level. The struggle can even temper your will.
"It's just not as effective as transforming into a desolate beast."
Jiang Yao's expression darkened. The mere thought of being devoured by the desolate beast's will still terrified him. And now he might have to go through that countless more times in the future.
The Messenger smiled. "But you have no way back now. This is a path to the heavens, but also one fraught with danger. The desolate beast's will will continue growing stronger over time, so you have to keep getting stronger—and grow faster than it does—to keep suppressing it!
"If you don't get stronger, you'll die."
Before you continue