If Raphael had been an ordinary Werewolf, the mental attack he had suffered during Spirit Channeling would have been enough to leave him teetering on the brink of losing control.
But Raphael was anything but ordinary. Besides being a Werewolf, he was also a Criminal, with considerable mental resilience.
The Demon Source Scripture he practiced had also helped. His mind and spirit were already stronger than those of a normal Sequence 7 Beyonder, allowing him to recover quickly. Otherwise, that Devil or Desire Apostle would surely have cornered him.
As long as he did not encounter his opponent directly, Raphael had nothing to worry about. After all, his anti-divination ability operated at a very high level. Beyonders below the demigod level, at least, could forget about finding him.
In a secluded alley, Raphael ended his transformation, took the clothes he had prepared from his backpack, and changed into them.
Then he returned to the street, hailed a cab in the drizzle, and rode back to his lodgings.
Raphael sat down on the sofa and propped his feet on the coffee table. Massaging his still-aching head, he lit a cigarette and took a drag before saying with a smile, "What a thrill!"
After recovering a little, Raphael still felt somewhat unwell, but he did not intend to wait any longer. He opened the drawer in his wardrobe and took out the supplementary ingredients he had bought over the past few days.
Next, Raphael carefully weighed them out. He put the four supplementary ingredients into a beaker first, then added the Beyonder characteristic, which resembled a chunk of solid black ice.
The characteristic immediately reacted with the supplementary ingredients, forming a mass of black liquid.
Holding the beaker, Raphael sighed helplessly. Potions of the Prisoner pathway looked disgusting and tasted disgusting too.
But the Criminal potion looked like a cup of poison no matter how he viewed it.
Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, Raphael looked at his reflection in a nearby mirror. He raised the beaker and smiled. "To the future."
Then he chuckled and changed his tone. "To us!"
Raphael tipped his head back and drank the Unwinged Angel potion.
He immediately felt something icy enter his stomach. Then the slight look of pain on his face vanished, replaced by cold indifference.
It was not just his expression that changed. Raphael felt as though all his emotions were leaving him. Happiness, sadness, joy, and pain seemed increasingly unfamiliar.
Just then, the left side of Raphael's face remained indifferent, while the right suddenly broke into a somewhat deranged smile. "No wonder this sequence's potion was called Coldblooded in ancient times. All feelings and emotions fade.
"But emotions like malice and bloodlust grow stronger instead. Heh heh, conscience is all bullshit!"
Then the indifferent side of Raphael's face spoke. "The description in the Demon Source Scripture was right. Werewolf and Coldblooded actually complement each other too. Werewolves become frenzied and lose their reason, while the Coldblooded can remain calm at all times!
"The Coldblooded are normally far too indifferent and inhuman, but a Werewolf's desires and a Lunatic's madness can counterbalance that indifference. I've actually lost very little of my capacity to feel."
Then his entire face became deranged again. "Looks like I'll have to go mad from time to time."
Finally, Raphael gave an indifferent grunt, then realized that he had successfully advanced.
At that moment, the White Jade Orb appeared in Raphael's mind again. "It seems you've discovered the secret of these two adjacent pathways. In fact, it isn't just these two. Other adjacent pathways complement each other as well."
"Unfortunately, the minds of all living creatures are too frail. Even if their bodies can barely accommodate the characteristics of two pathways, their minds struggle to remain normal."
Raphael asked curiously, "Then why can I take potions from two pathways without losing control?"
The White Jade Orb replied, "You have my help. Of course you're the exception."
He paused, then added, "Just like last time, I'll give you the potion formula for the next sequence."
Raphael immediately said, "Why not give me the Beyonder characteristic too?"
"Heh, in your dreams!"
Raphael imitated his tone. "Heh, you just can't do it, can you?"
The White Jade Orb sneered and fell silent for a moment.
Just then, Raphael's expression changed, and he said with a grin, "All right, all right. Both of you, give it a rest."
"Oh?" The White Jade Orb sounded curious. "I personally split your spirit body in two, and you still enjoy talking to yourself?"
"Wasn't splitting my spirit body in two supposed to make it easier for us to chat?" Raphael asked with a smile. "What's wrong with that?"
The White Jade Orb chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. You seem to be just the right amount of mad."
Raphael continued, "All right, let's not waste time. I have two questions for you. First, how does the True Lord's Jade Body work? Why can it give other people Beyonder abilities?"
"Your level is too low for me to explain it in much detail," the White Jade Orb said. "It's not that I'm afraid you won't understand. Knowing certain things too early would subject you to severe corruption."
He paused briefly before continuing, "I can only give you a simple explanation. High-level Beyonders of certain pathways can temporarily grant other Beyonders abilities, or allow Beyonders of the same sequence to master certain abilities ahead of time.
"For example, a Sequence 6 Wind-blessed of the Tyrant pathway who receives the Lord of Storms' favor can use certain higher-level abilities ahead of time, making that Wind-blessed roughly as powerful as a Sequence 5.
"The cultivators on that continent are in much the same situation. What cultivators actually receive is Grace.
"I must say, they're clever. They found a way to bring their spirit forms and spirit bodies closer to... well, closer to the secret realms.
"For instance, the Demon Source Scripture you obtained will make it easier for you to draw close to the Dark Hut's secret realm in the future. Not just you, either. Other cultivators can also receive Grace from the secret realms more easily.
"You can't feel it yet, but once you advance to Sequence 4, you'll be able to perceive the advantages the Demon Source Scripture gives you."
Finally, the White Jade Orb offered exceptionally high praise. "I've encountered many intelligent beings. Even among all of them, these cultivation methods are a remarkable innovation."
Raphael nodded gently in thought, then asked, "Is there some secret hidden within the True Lord's Jade Body?"
The White Jade Orb laughed. "You're certainly perceptive."
Then he said, "As I mentioned before, once a corresponding Dao Integrator of sufficient strength emerges, a so-called secret realm can directly bestow Grace on others.
"But someone exploited certain 'loopholes' in that process to create the True Lord's Jade Body. Heh heh... if you had enough knowledge of mysticism, you would probably understand roughly what happened.
"But I can't explain it too clearly right now. Some half-dead fellows would notice, and then there would be a tiny chance of attracting that prank-loving brat. Believe me, that would give you quite a headache."
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