True Lord's Jade Body

Raphael suddenly thought of a problem: Chen Qingzhi's world was unlikely to have the supplementary ingredients found on the Northern and Southern Continents.

But that problem was soon resolved. The white jade orb flashed through Raphael's mind, and new knowledge immediately appeared in his head.

After briefly digesting this new knowledge, Raphael smiled and said, "I'll first tell you a safe way to cultivate at the early stage of the mortal realm. You can go back and try it, and then we can continue our trade."

Chen Qingzhi was delighted. "Please tell me, Demon Lord."

"Listen carefully," Raphael said. "Before taking an Inner Core of the early mortal realm, first prepare a concoction.

"The recipe is five qian and six wen of angelica dahurica, four qian and three wen of gentian, two hundred-pace fruits, and one Black-Headed Centipede."

The new knowledge the white jade orb had just supplied Raphael with was a "translation" of the potion formula.

Raphael was not surprised by this. After all, the white jade orb had summoned him into this world. Although he did not know what the orb was or what its purpose might be, it clearly knew this world very well.

That meant substitutes for the supplementary ingredients required by the potion formula should all be available in this world.

After giving the recipe, Raphael continued, "You must have noticed that the Blood Sect has Inner Cores belonging to different systems. The concoction I mentioned only works with early mortal realm Inner Cores from the system specializing in curses and possession.

"Prepare the concoction as I described, then add the Inner Core last. The concoction will react with the Inner Core, turning it into liquid.

"If you take the Inner Core this way and combine it with my cultivation method, I can't promise that everything will go as smoothly as it does for Qi Sect disciples, but at least in the mortal realm, you won't suffer problems such as drastic changes in temperament."

Chen Qingzhi paused, then asked, "And what is the special cultivation method that goes with the mortal realm?"

Raphael merely smiled without answering.

Chen Qingzhi understood at once. "What would you like to ask, Demon Lord?"

Raphael said, "I'd like to see the True Lord's Jade Body, read the first three levels of the Demon Source Scripture, and examine the Wolf Fang Art and the Chaos Art."

"Well..." Chen Qingzhi hesitated before saying, "Demon Lord, the Ji Province branch only has a mortal realm True Lord's Jade Body. I can recite the Demon Source Scripture and the Chaos Art I once cultivated for you, but I don't have the Wolf Fang Art.

"Only after the True Lord's Jade Body has infused someone with the corresponding magical power will headquarters sense it and use the True Lord's Jade Body to impart the Wolf Fang Art directly into the cultivator's mind."

Raphael nodded slowly. This world's cultivation system relied primarily on the True Lord's Jade Body and supernatural abilities. Each sect would naturally keep both firmly under its control.

"Then let me first see this so-called True Lord's Jade Body," he said.

Chen Qingzhi nodded in agreement and immediately went to instruct his subordinates outside to bring in the True Lord's Jade Body.

At that moment, another question occurred to Raphael. Half stating a conclusion and half guessing, he said, "There should be three types of True Lord's Jade Body, corresponding to the mortal realm, the deification realm, and the void refinement realm, right?"

Chen Qingzhi immediately nodded. "Yes."

Raphael voiced his question. "Since all the major powers keep the True Lord's Jade Bodies under their control, where did the small and medium-sized powers with their own inheritances come from?"

When Chen Qingzhi had described the major powers earlier, he had mentioned that besides the Eight Great Powers, there were many medium-sized sects and countless small ones. Many had their own inheritances and were not subordinate to other sects.

"That involves a great secret of the True Lord's Jade Body." Chen Qingzhi left it at that and said no more.

Raphael chuckled and did not press him.

Soon, Chen Qingzhi's subordinates carried in the True Lord's Jade Body. It was a piece of blood-colored jade as tall as a forearm, resting on a rosewood tray.

Upon seeing the jade, Raphael seemed to hear a faint, indistinct murmur beside his ear, as though something were calling to him.

Chen Qingzhi did not notice anything unusual about Raphael and began explaining, "The True Lord's Jade Body is equivalent to the Dark Hut's hidden realm being here in person. As you gaze at the Jade Body, it gazes at you.

"There are generally two ways to undergo the True Lord's Jade Body's trial. The most common is to drip your own blood onto it. The other is to place your hand on the True Lord's Jade Body and channel magical power into it. If you receive..."

Before he could finish, the True Lord's Jade Body suddenly began to glow faintly. That was precisely the sign that it had granted its approval. Next, it would infuse magical power!

Utterly astonished, Chen Qingzhi immediately transformed into a mass of shadow, ready to flee at any moment.

Years ago, he had already tried dripping blood onto the True Lord's Jade Body, but he had failed to gain its approval. Only then had Chen Qingzhi taken the Blood Sect's assessment.

There was no one else here, so the otherworldly Demon Lord in the cage must have used some method to awaken the True Lord's Jade Body!

Whatever that method was, it lay beyond Chen Qingzhi's understanding, so he remained ready to leave at any moment.

Raphael was staring at the True Lord's Jade Body. He seemed to see a secluded paradise within a dark setting. In a valley, exotic flowers and plants grew on one side, while churning magma wreathed in blue flames filled the other.

Between the two stood a thatched hut that seemed to be formed from vines. Inside it was a dark mass that drew Raphael irresistibly.

In an instant, the True Lord's Jade Body released a mass of dusky light that sank into Raphael's body.

Raphael closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He realized that he had actually gained the abilities of a Werewolf and a Criminal. When he opened his eyes again, he wore an uncanny smile as he addressed the shadow that was Chen Qingzhi. "You needn't worry about the Wolf Fang Art anymore. It's already appeared in my mind."

The light on the True Lord's Jade Body then vanished, and it became an ordinary piece of blood-colored jade once more.

Chen Qingzhi relaxed slightly, thinking, Fortunately, the branch only has a mortal realm True Lord's Jade Body. If we had a deification realm Jade Body, this otherworldly Demon Lord could instantly gain the cultivation of the late deification realm!

He was mistaken on that point, however, because this otherworldly Demon Lord only had Sequence 7 cultivation.

The Werewolf's powerful self-healing ability began mending the wounds on Raphael's body, while his physical weakness rapidly faded.

He grabbed the iron chains and gave them a casual tug, stretching them out, then rose from the chair to which he had been bound.

Seeing that the otherworldly Demon Lord only had early mortal realm cultivation, Chen Qingzhi summoned the courage to hide behind the True Lord's Jade Body and re-form his body. Then he said obediently, "I'll recite the first three levels of the Demon Source Scripture and the Chaos Art for you now, Demon Lord."

Raphael nodded and began committing them carefully to memory.

They then made another trade. In exchange for the name of the Prisoner potion and the rules he had devised for acting as a Prisoner, Raphael obtained the True Demon Art that Chen Qingzhi had cultivated at the early stage of the deification realm, equivalent to Sequence 6, along with detailed information about the True Lord's Jade Body.