Asura Deification and the Evil Guest in the Cave

These four words sent raging waves crashing through Chen Chen's heart.

Judging by the texture of the beast hide and the antiquity of its script, the Asura God Transformation Art in his hand was definitely an artifact from a distant age.

Cultivation arts like this would more or less have flaws, or aspects unsuitable for modern practitioners.

Yet the system could actually restore it and even... optimize it?

What did that mean?

It meant he would obtain a flawless, top-tier cultivation art that might even surpass its original rank!

"Fifty Cultivation Points required..."

Chen Chen glanced at his system panel.

[Name: Chen Chen]

[Realm: Fifth Level of Body Tempering]

[Cultivation Art: None]

[Martial Skill: Seven Shadows Step (Minor Mastery)]

[Cultivation Points: 0]

That glaring "0" was like a basin of cold water, instantly dousing the hope that had just flared within him.

He was penniless right now. Where was he supposed to get fifty Cultivation Points?

Did he have to hunt the creatures in this underground karst cave?

But he was seriously injured. Even protecting himself was a problem.

Chen Chen's brows knitted tightly together.

Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, he shifted his gaze from the cultivation art to the other two items before the skeleton.

One was a dust-covered Storage Bag.

His heart stirred, and he reached out to pick it up.

The Storage Bag was light in his hand, seemingly weightless.

He tried channeling a thread of his blood and vitality into it.

Buzz.

A faint spiritual glow flickered across the bag's opening, and a storage space roughly one cubic meter in size appeared in his perception.

There were not many things inside.

Several dozen stones glimmered with a faint halo. There was also a pile of bottles and jars that had already turned into scrap iron, along with several equally decayed miscellaneous objects.

"These are... Low-grade Spirit Stones?"

Chen Chen's gaze was instantly drawn to that pile of stones.

Spirit Stones were the hard currency of the cultivation world. They contained pure Spiritual Energy and could be used for cultivation, setting up formations, or powering magical artifacts.

If these several dozen Low-grade Spirit Stones were brought to Qingyang City, they would be enough to make those minor clans fight until their heads bled.

But these things offered him no direct help at the moment.

Given his current physical condition, he simply could not directly absorb the pure yet violent energy within the Spirit Stones.

He sighed and put away the Storage Bag, unable to hide his disappointment.

Did he truly have to give up on this top-tier cultivation art that was practically within reach?

He refused!

His gaze swept back and forth across the stone chamber, overlooking not a single corner.

Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a scattered pile of beast bones in the corner of the chamber.

That heap of bones was far larger than the ones he had seen in the passage before. One intact skeleton was over five meters long, with a single horn growing from its head and a savage appearance. It was clearly a demonic beast of no low rank.

And beneath that pile of bones, something seemed to be glinting.

Chen Chen's heart stirred, and he immediately walked over.

Enduring the searing pain throughout his body, he moved the heavy beast bones aside one by one.

Very soon, a half-meter-wide pit hidden beneath the bones appeared before him.

The pit was carpeted with densely packed Low-grade Spirit Stones—several hundred of them at least!

At the center of those Spirit Stones floated a fist-sized bead, jet-black throughout, with what looked like black arcs of lightning dancing over its surface. It quietly gave off a terrifying aura that made one's heart tremble!

"This is..."

Chen Chen's pupils abruptly constricted.

From that black bead, he sensed an energy utterly different from the Snow Jade Snake's Demonic Core, yet vastly more immense and purer!

And within that energy was mixed a... supremely dense resentment and deathly aura!

It was as though countless wronged souls had been imprisoned within the bead!

What was this thing?

Chen Chen instinctively thought of the Asura God Transformation Art.

Asura was itself synonymous with slaughter and cruelty.

Could this bead be related to that cultivation art?

He cautiously extended his hand, wanting to touch the bead.

However, just as his fingertips were about to make contact with it—

[Ding! High-concentration energy aggregate detected (Grudge Soul Pearl)!]
[Energy contained: 200 Cultivation Points!]
[Warning: This item contains a massive amount of negative energy. Direct absorption will cause mental disorder, with a 99% chance of falling into the demonic path. Host, please handle with caution!]

Two hundred Cultivation Points!

Chen Chen's breathing stopped at once!

He stared fixedly at the black Grudge Soul Pearl, unprecedented brilliance bursting from his eyes!

Fortune was sought amid peril!

So what if he fell into the demonic path?

As long as he could take revenge, as long as he could make the Wang Family repay their blood debt with blood, he did not care whether he became a god or a demon!

What was more, he had the system!

Since the system could guide and transform the violent energy of a Demonic Core, surely this Grudge Soul Pearl would be no problem either!

He no longer hesitated in the slightest.

"System! Absorb it!"

He grabbed that icy, sinister Grudge Soul Pearl in one swift motion.

Buzz—!

The Grudge Soul Pearl shook violently. Streams of black air, like maggots clinging to bone, surged madly into his body along his arm!

Countless shrill howls and venomous curses erupted wildly in his mind like demonic voices pouring into his ears, battering his consciousness!

"Get lost!"

Chen Chen bit through his tongue and let out a roar that came from the depths of his soul!

His will, tempered by a blood sea of deep vengeance, was as solid as a boulder!

[Ding! High-concentration energy detected. Beginning conversion...]
[Converting... 1%... 10%... 50%...]

The system's voice was like a divine needle that calmed the sea, instantly giving his chaotic consciousness something to anchor itself to.

The negative energy assaulting his mind melted away like ice and snow under the system's conversion, leaving only the purest, most immense cultivation energy to flood into every limb and bone of his body!

[Cultivation Points +200!]

Watching the number on his system panel soar in an instant, Chen Chen felt an unprecedented rush of exhilaration!

"System! Restore and optimize the Asura God Transformation Art!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he issued the command in his mind.

[Command received! Consuming 50 Cultivation Points. Beginning restoration and optimization of the Asura God Transformation Art...]

[Restoration and optimization in progress... Please wait...]

The beast-hide ancient text in his hand began turning its pages without wind, rustling loudly as a faint golden halo surfaced across its cover.

Countless profound runes drifted out from the book, circled Chen Chen's body, then transformed into a streak of light that entered his brow.

Boom!

A flawless, incomparably domineering top-tier cultivation art was branded deep into his soul!

Asura God Transformation Art, low-grade Heaven rank!

Prove the Dao through slaughter, and forge the Asura Battle Body!

The cultivation art was divided into nine levels, with every level awakening a powerful divine ability!

First level, Eye of Asura! It could see through falsehood and discern weaknesses!

A horrifying gleam burst from Chen Chen's eyes!

A Heaven-grade Cultivation Art!

Throughout all of Qingyang City, even within a thousand miles, such a thing was legend!

Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, he looked once more at the system panel.

One hundred and fifty Cultivation Points remained!

"System! Break through! Sixth Level of Body Tempering!"

[Consuming 130 Cultivation Points. Beginning breakthrough to the Sixth Level of Body Tempering...]

With the guidance of a top-tier cultivation art, this breakthrough came as naturally as water flowing into a channel!

Immense energy circulated through his body, following the pathways of the Asura God Transformation Art as it washed through his meridians and bones.

His body was undergoing a fundamental transformation toward the "Asura Battle Body"!

However, just as he immersed himself in the thrill of his strength soaring at breakneck speed—

From the dark passage outside the stone chamber came a sudden rustling sound.

It seemed that something had been drawn over by the energy fluctuations from his breakthrough.

The sound drew closer and closer, becoming denser and denser.

It was as though an army was advancing step by step from the depths of hell toward the stone chamber where he stood!