Mutated Millennium Vermilion Fruit

Realm increased to the thirtieth level?

Hearing the system notification in his mind, Lu Li's eyes lit up.

The Blood-Devouring Heaven-Swallowing Art originally only had twenty levels, capable of cultivating only up to Foundation Establishment Perfection. Now at thirty levels, it could reach Golden Core Perfection.

Moreover, the progress increased by a direct 80%!

This was truly an unexpected joy!

If he went back and cultivated with all his might for a day or two, he estimated he could break through to the fifth level immediately.

His own realm would subsequently break through to the fifth level of Qi Refining!

The Indestructible Vajra Divine Art he had been longing for could also be upgraded!

Lu Li felt eager to try, wishing he could return to his Star Gazing Tower to cultivate right away.

However, he could not yet.

High in the sky, that thunderous bird that had devoured the heavenly lightning soared through the air, suddenly diving down with a whoosh, rapidly shrinking until it transformed into a chubby, white, fist-sized little person.

The facial features were unmistakably those of Ghost Demon True Person.

It was a Nascent Soul!

Immediately, the Nascent Soul flashed, darted into the cave abode, and vanished.

"Hahahaha, Master has successfully passed the tribulation and ascended to Nascent Soul! Quick! Senior Sister, take us back to congratulate Master!"

Beside him, Bai Jinfei was overjoyed and let out a loud laugh.

The Second Senior Sister remained cold and aloof, flicking her white sleeve to whip up a demonic wind.

Whoosh.

The demonic wind whistled past.

The three of them appeared before the entrance of the damaged Black Stone Cave Abode.

Without hesitation, the three stepped inside and immediately saw Ghost Demon True Person sitting in a commanding posture on the bone throne, his eyes tightly shut.

At this moment, Ghost Demon True Person's aura was surging and turbulent, his divine might like a mountain.

He felt like an immeasurable ocean, deep and unfathomable.

Behind his head, a black halo shimmered, and a small, blood-red fish swam leisurely within it, moving with great agility.

"Congratulations to Master for passing the lightning tribulation and achieving the status of Nascent Soul True Lord! May your lifespan be equal to the heavens!"

Lu Li and the other two bowed in unison, raising their hands high.

A Nascent Soul, having broken through the eight-hundred-year limit of Peng Zu to live for a millennium, could be called a dragon transformed from a flood dragon, a master of the mortal world.

"Hmm~"

Hearing their voices, Ghost Demon True Person slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, electric light flashed in his pupils, and powerful currents swept in all directions.

As the gaze swept over Lu Li and the others, they felt a stinging pain throughout their bodies, as if struck by lightning, leaving them numb and weak.

"Do not fear. I have just devoured the heavenly lightning and have yet to fully refine it, so some lightning power is leaking out."

At this, Ghost Demon True Person spoke.

With a wave of his hand, he wiped away the lightning power permeating the cave abode.

The physical discomfort of Lu Li and the others vanished instantly.

However, Lu Li's expression remained somewhat strange.

This Ghost Demon True Person spoke with a built-in electric distortion; it sounded bizarre, and he was having trouble getting used to it.

Just then, the cold and aloof Second Senior Sister stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Disciple offers a three-thousand-year spirit herb, wishing Master an everlasting demonic path and an early breakthrough to Spirit Transformation."

As she spoke, she flipped her hands, and a jade box covered in golden talisman seals appeared on her snow-white palm.

"Oh?"

Ghost Demon True Person reached out and grabbed the jade box, flicked it open with a finger, took a glance, and nodded in praise: "Not bad! It is a three-thousand-year Myriad Spirit Flower, quite rare. It is perfect for refining the Spirit-Warding Pill for the Nascent Soul. Meimei, you have a heart."

After speaking, the blood-red fish in the black halo behind his head darted out, lunged toward the white-clad woman, and spat something out.

A golden, round bead landed in her palm.

"Meimei, I bestow this Dragon Pearl upon you. Cultivate it well and strive to awaken your bloodline soon to transform into a demonic dragon."

Ghost Demon True Person said.

"Thank you, Master!"

A look of gratitude flashed in the white-clad woman's eyes as she held the golden bead and bowed deeply.

This Second Senior Sister is called "Meimei"?

Is she really a monster?

Lu Li, standing to the side, felt a stir in his heart.

At the same time, he understood why Bai Jinfei was so keen on finding a congratulatory gift.

This was a rare opportunity to trade small for big!

As he was thinking, Bai Jinfei stepped forward, pulled a wooden box from his sleeve, and loudly congratulated him: "Disciple offers this hairpin, wishing Master a lifespan equal to the heavens and invincibility across the world!"

"Hmm... this box?"

Ghost Demon True Person's expression tightened as he saw the delicate patterns carved into the wooden box.

The next moment, he raised a hand, drew the box toward him, and opened it. A look of nostalgia immediately surfaced on his face.

"An item from an old friend. Jinfei, you have a heart."

Ghost Demon True Person nodded and tucked the box away.

Then, that blood-red little fish swam before Bai Jinfei, opened its mouth, and spat out a yellowed, ancient book.

"This is the Ghost Controlling Sword Transformation Art you wanted. Once you cultivate it to the third level, you can break through to the Golden Core stage," Ghost Demon True Person said.

"This disciple thanks Master!"

Bai Jinfei was immediately filled with excitement and gratitude, bowing deeply to express his thanks.

It was Lu Li's turn.

Lu Li took a deep breath, stepped forward, and said loudly: "This disciple offers a low-grade Spirit Ghost and an ancient magical artifact, wishing Master boundless magic power, cultivation that reaches the heavens, to punch the Central Plains Dao Alliance, kick the Western Buddhist Sect, dominate the overseas islands, unify the ten great demonic sects, and stand supreme as the only one!"

As he spoke, he brought out the low-grade Spirit Ghost and the Ten Thousand Ghost Banner.

The moment his voice fell, Meimei and Bai Jinfei both cast strange looks his way.

He could actually spout such drivel?

This Junior Brother Lu really had a thick skin!

"Haha, not bad, not bad!"

However, Ghost Demon True Person seemed to quite enjoy this, laughing heartily. His gaze shifted to Lu Li's hands, and he asked in surprise: "Eh, a low-grade Spirit Ghost? Where did you get it?"

"It was this disciple's good luck to find it," Lu Li replied respectfully.

"Master, Junior Brother Lu has excellent luck. Within a month, he has found two low-grade Spirit Ghosts in succession," Bai Jinfei interjected from the side.

"Oh? Really?"

Ghost Demon True Person's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, his sharp gaze sweeping over Lu Li.

It was as if he wanted to see through his very heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.

Lu Li replied with a perfectly serious face: "Yes. Perhaps it is because this disciple is overly handsome, and the heavens favor me greatly, which is why I was lucky enough to find two Spirit Ghosts."

As soon as these words were spoken, Bai Jinfei's eyes widened, staring at Lu Li in disbelief.

Meimei, standing to the side, also widened her cold eyes slightly.

"..."

Ghost Demon True Person was also momentarily speechless, only saying after a long while: "Damn it, this is the first time This Seat has seen someone as thick-skinned and shameless as you."

"Thank you for the compliment, Master."

Lu Li said calmly.

Ghost Demon True Person: "..."

Suddenly, he seemed to sense something, his gaze turning cold: "Hmm? Where is the Ghost Raising Tower I bestowed upon you? Why is it gone? And this banner of yours, why does it look like that fellow Yellow Spring's Ten Thousand Ghost Banner?"

"Reporting to Master, it is indeed the Ten Thousand Ghost Banner," Lu Li said, his expression solemn as he cupped his hands. "Not long ago, while I was searching for a Spirit Ghost for you in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave, someone launched a sneak attack to steal it. That person was the younger brother of Li Jing, the closed-door disciple of True Lord Yellow Spring. After a dispute, I was forced into a life-and-death duel with him. With no other choice, I had to self-destruct the Ghost Raising Tower to narrowly secure victory."

"Is that so?"

Ghost Demon True Person's face turned grim, his gaze shifting toward Bai Jinfei.

"Master, that is indeed what happened. Furthermore, Li Jing's brother seemed to speak disrespectfully of you. Junior Brother only accepted the challenge to uphold your dignity," Bai Jinfei replied, bowing.

This statement was clearly biased in favor of Lu Li.

Sure enough!

Ghost Demon True Person snorted coldly: "That old fellow Yellow Spring has always had his eyes on the top of his head, looking down on everyone! It's good that his disciple and grand-disciple are dead! Lu Li, you did well this time! Ruthless enough! You have guts! And, one could say you have filial piety!"

As he spoke, the little red fish swam before Lu Li, opened its mouth, and spat out a vermilion fruit that landed in Lu Li's hand.

The fruit looked like a lychee, its surface covered in pitted skin.

It radiated waves of heat and was quite scalding to the touch.

"This is a mutated Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit," Ghost Demon True Person said coldly. "Demonic cultivation techniques advance rapidly and fiercely by taking shortcuts, which makes one's foundation unstable. Therefore, it is not advisable to consume spirit fruits or pills to boost cultivation, lest you advance too quickly and suffer a cultivation deviation. However, this is a Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit from a mutated plant in a secret realm. Consuming and refining it will allow one to raise their cultivation level while also stabilizing their foundation. This Seat bestows it upon you!"

"This disciple thanks Master!"

Lu Li's expression brightened. Without a word, he opened his mouth and swallowed the Mutated Vermilion Fruit.

He didn't even get to taste it.

However, the effect was immediate!

Ding.

A crisp chime rang out in his mind:

"You have consumed the Mutated Millennium Vermilion Fruit."

"Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art is refining... refining expected to conclude in half a cup of tea."

"Kunpeng Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art progress +1%."