Spiritual Energy Modification, Sunflower Needle Ruyi Rod

Swish, swish, swish...

The tide slapped against both sides of the hull, the rhythmic sound of the waves rising and falling with a lingering, melodic cadence. The ship rocked and swayed as it cut through the water. Azure skies, mingled with the shimmering light reflected from the deep blue sea, shone through the circular porthole, casting a shifting, rhythmic glow into the spartan, monotonous sailor's cabin.

Chu Yun sat cross-legged on the sailor's bunk, which was covered in white sheets.

He sat with his eyes closed in meditation, the Drunken Snow Blade resting across his knees. The light of the blade rippled like water, spreading outward.

Hoo... hah...

Every breath was deep and long. Wisps of spiritual energy fed back from the Drunken Snow Blade, dispersing into Chu Yun's limbs and bones, quietly reshaping his body and temperament.

This world was filled with abundant and complex primordial energy, giving rise to a prosperous and flourishing world of demon spirits. Beasts, artifacts, plants—it mattered not what they were; as long as they nurtured a certain degree of spiritual light, they could transcend their essence and ascend to become Demon Beasts, Demon Weapons, or Demon Plants.

Demons knew how to absorb primordial energy; their bodies were strong and possessed spirituality, yet they lacked wisdom.

Human bodies were fragile but possessed superior intellect. They could not absorb primordial energy directly like Demon Beasts, Demon Weapons, or Demon Plants. However, through mutual cooperation, they could borrow the feedback from demons to absorb the most refined, gentle, and harmless spiritual energy.

This spiritual energy dispersed into the Spirit Beast Master's body, silently remodeling and subtly changing it. It allowed these Spirit Beast Masters to continuously strengthen their physical constitution and prolong their lives. If the demon was of supreme grade, the spiritual energy it fed back could even grant the Spirit Beast Master special abilities.

For instance, the Fire Eye that Chu Yun currently possessed. By focusing his gaze, he could see fire-attribute primordial energy. It was an enhancement of his vision.

Right now, the spiritual energy flowing from the Drunken Snow Blade was remodeling Chu Yun's body.

After a long while, Chu Yun slowly opened his eyes, exhaled a breath of stale air, and stepped off the bed.

He walked over to the mirror and looked at himself. Although he was only thirteen years old, after these days of remodeling by the Drunken Snow Blade's spiritual energy, his frame had grown taller and his muscles had become robust. A sharp, electric glint flashed in his eyes, and his entire being radiated a keen edge—he looked almost like an eighteen-year-old youth!

This was the physical remodeling of the Drunken Snow Blade—it could turn its user into a sturdy, tall man with bulging muscles!

The spiritual energy of the Heavenly Fox, however, was capable of changing a person differently. It made the skin as crystalline as snow, delicate enough to break at a touch. It refined one's features into exquisite beauty, turning one into a "pretty boy."

"The Heavenly Fox is still a Lesser Demon, so the spiritual energy it feeds back is filled with a warm, fiery quality, but the quantity is small. It is far inferior to the Drunken Snow Blade, which is at the Great Demon level. The spiritual energy of the Drunken Snow Blade is vast; it starts with a cool sensation and ends as scorching as fire. It is much like drinking fine wine—it has a unique flavor all its own."

Standing by the mirror, Chu Yun rubbed his nose, his mind pondering the Demon Beast and Demon Weapon in his possession.

"These two streams of spiritual energy are remodeling my aptitude and physical constitution together. Because the cultivation of the Drunken Snow Blade is stronger than that of the Heavenly Fox, the shift toward the image of a sturdy man is quite obvious. However, as my cultivation continues to rise, the trend toward becoming a 'pretty boy' will eventually become more pronounced."

There was no other reason for this.

It was a matter of aptitude.

Every demon in this world, whether it be a Demon Beast, Demon Weapon, or Demon Plant, was judged by its aptitude.

The quality of one's aptitude would influence one's future achievements.

Generally speaking, low-grade aptitude could only reach the Lesser Demon level. Mid-grade aptitude could reach the Great Demon level. High-grade aptitude could reach the Spirit Demon level. Only supreme-grade aptitude could aspire to the highest achievement for a demon—the realm of the Tribulation Demon.

Of course, there was never anything absolute in this world. Aptitude could be improved, but that required extremely rare heavenly treasures or fortuitous encounters.

The Heavenly Fox's aptitude was supreme-grade, while the Demon Weapon Drunken Snow Blade's aptitude was only mid-grade, capable of reaching only the Great Demon level. Once at the Great Demon level, one would encounter a bottleneck. No matter how many Demon Crystals were absorbed, one's cultivation could not increase. Furthermore, if one were lucky enough to force a breakthrough and challenge the Spirit Demon realm, the blade itself could hardly withstand the resulting lightning tribulation. The chances of successfully passing the tribulation were pitifully small—it was almost impossible.

Currently, the Drunken Snow Blade's cultivation was stronger than the Heavenly Fox's, so its influence on Chu Yun's body was more pronounced. But when the Heavenly Fox reached the Great Demon, Spirit Demon, or Tribulation Demon levels, its influence on Chu Yun would overshadow that of the Drunken Snow Blade.

"It seems that as long as the Heavenly Fox doesn't die, I am destined to be a 'pretty boy'... But appearance is something that doesn't really matter. What this world truly values is strength, not looks!"

Chu Yun sighed with emotion, noting the changes in his appearance but not truly taking them to heart.

It was indeed true; strength was far more important than appearance.

Spirit Beast Masters usually underwent changes that set them apart from ordinary people due to the spiritual energy fed back by the demons they wielded.

For example, some might have hair as red as fire, or bodies as thin as firewood.

There were even more extreme cases, such as the Sunflower Needle. This was a famous Demon Weapon with immense power. If the Spirit Beast Master who wielded it was a woman, it was fine, but if it were a man, he would become neither man nor woman, his voice would become shrill and strange, and even his manhood would shrink to the size of a needle, causing him to lose his ability in the bedroom.

Then there was the famous Demon Weapon, the Ruyi Staff. Its power was on par with the Sunflower Needle and was known far and wide. If the Spirit Beast Master wielding it was a man, his manhood would fluctuate in size and length, changing every day, which was quite frustrating.

Both of these Demon Weapons were supreme-grade! Once they were ownerless, countless people would fight until their families were ruined and they were bloodied to claim them.

They represented strength!

With enough strength, one could have whatever one desired. As for the changes caused by spiritual energy, no matter what they were, they were trivial compared to the increase in strength.

"The Drunken Snow Blade currently has 450 years of cultivation. However, it has already hit a bottleneck and requires a massive accumulation of Demon Crystals to break through. There is another method, which is to re-forge it by adding countless rare materials and treasures to increase its aptitude. But those are still too far off for me. My current priority for cultivation remains the Heavenly Fox."

The Drunken Snow Blade had been passed down through generations of Shu Family Island masters, boasting a glorious record of slaying countless Demon Beasts. If not for the limitations of its aptitude, it would have long since reached the level of a Spirit Demon or Tribulation Demon.

On one hand, there was the Drunken Snow Blade, which required investment without knowing when the return would come. On the other hand, there was the supreme-grade aptitude of the Heavenly Fox. Naturally, the latter was more worthy of cultivation.

Chu Yun's mind was clear, and his goals were defined. He did not let his early mastery of the Drunken Snow Blade disrupt his plans.

He sheathed the Drunken Snow Blade and slung it across his back. Chu Yun opened the door and stepped out of the cabin.

The corridor was not narrow, and it was well-lit. Climbing the ladder, Chu Yun headed toward the deck. Along the way, he saw many youths, all thirteen years old like himself. They were the outstanding youths brought over from various islands for this trip by the White-Browed Alchemist.

That was correct; the ship he was on was a treasure ship bound for Green Mountain Island, the location of the Heavenly Song Academy.