[Ding! Fusion initiated!]
Deep within the Ruined Temple, the system panel before Gu Changqing suddenly lit up.
Two ancient sets of Dao laws surfaced simultaneously within his Divine Soul.
["Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force": originating from the myriad worlds, it opens particles and suppresses hell through strength. At its pinnacle, it can suppress gods and demons.] ["Eight-Nine Arcane Art": originating from the Orthodox Xuanmen, it transforms the physical body, averts tribulations, preserves life, and grants an indestructible golden body. At profound levels, even myriad arts struggle to inflict harm.] [The system is performing deductions...] [1%...] [10%...] [50%...]
Gu Changqing's consciousness was instantly drawn into a vast space of deduction.
There, he saw two great Daos.
One was weighty and domineering.
The other was profound and perfectly harmonious.
The former concerned itself with only one word.
Strength.
Strength to shatter myriad arts, strength to crush all heavens.
The latter emphasized transformation.
Undying beneath myriad tribulations, evading all arts that assailed the body.
These two great Daos, originally belonging to different systems, were dismantled inch by inch by the system, reassembled, and unified.
Every collision burst into countless Dao patterns.
Every reconstruction gave birth to new mysteries of body refinement.
Gu Changqing watched in silence.
Within his Divine Soul, a divine elephant phantom trampled the netherworld to pieces, while a golden body of the Mystic Gate sat cross-legged in the void.
The next instant.
Both disintegrated at once.
Countless Dao patterns gathered into a mass of Primordial Violet Light, hovering before Gu Changqing.
[Ding! Fusion successful!] [Congratulations, host! You have deduced a supreme art capable of surpassing the Primordial World's body-refinement system!] [Please name the new cultivation art!]
Gu Changqing stared at that mass of violet light.
Divine Elephant Suppression of Hell was about suppression.
Eight-Nine Arcane Art was about transformation.
Now that the two arts had become one, it possessed both the strength to suppress the ages and the profundity to evolve all heavens.
At the deepest level of its foundation, it had already touched upon the essence of chaos god-demons.
Gu Changqing spoke slowly.
"Let it be called..."
"'Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body.'"
[Ding! Naming successful!] ["Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body": taking the body as a universe, it absorbs the Dao resonance of primordial chaos and opens three thousand god-demon acupoints within the body. Each acupoint can bear a strand of a chaos god-demon's power.] [First layer: awaken ten Godfiend Acupores, granting the physical body an initial measure of innate immortality. Upon perfection, it can withstand a Great Luo's strike head-on.] [Second layer: awaken one hundred Godfiend Acupores, making the physical body comparable to a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure. A Great Luo will struggle to harm it, and it can reach the threshold of a quasi-saint.] [Ninth layer: awaken all three thousand god-demon acupoints, establishing the foundation of a primordial chaos god-demon. The physical body bears the Great Dao, with the potential to escape the Heavenly Dao's restraints and remain unscathed through myriad tribulations.]
Gu Changqing's gaze sharpened.
This cultivation art was even more terrifying than he had anticipated.
[Detected that the host has acquired "Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force: Law Domain" and "Eight-Nine Arcane Art · Origin Dao Principles."] [The system will automatically convert them into the foundation of the first layer of "Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body" for the host.]
Boom!
Within the Ruined Temple, the dark-gold divine statue shuddered violently.
It was as though a slumbering universe of chaos within Gu Changqing had been forcibly awakened.
Three thousand faint points of light appeared deep within his Divine Embryo.
Those were the three thousand god-demon acupoints.
At that moment, ten of those lights trembled simultaneously.
The first-the seed of the strength god-demon acupoint!
Power of the utmost purity instantly flooded his Divine Embryo.
The second-the seed of the space god-demon acupoint!
Gu Changqing's perception of the surrounding void abruptly heightened.
The third-the seed of the time god-demon acupoint!
A strand of obscure temporal Dao traces sank into the depths of his Divine Soul.
The fourth-the seed of the transformation god-demon acupoint!
The fifth-the seed of the devouring god-demon acupoint!
The sixth-the seed of the suppression god-demon acupoint!
The seventh-the seed of the slaughter god-demon acupoint!
The eighth-the seed of the immortal god-demon acupoint!
The ninth-the seed of the karma god-demon acupoint!
The tenth-the seed of the furnace god-demon acupoint!
All ten acupoints lit up together.
Crack!
A hairline fracture opened across the dark-gold divine statue's surface.
But what cracked was no longer a fragile clay shell.
The old Divine Embryo's shell fell away, revealing an innate divine body entwined with Primordial Purple Patterns.
A low-grade innate spiritual treasure body!
At that same moment, Gu Changqing's cultivation began to soar wildly.
Late-stage primordial unity golden immortal!
Perfected Grand Unity Golden Immortal!
Only when he stood a hair's breadth from becoming a daluo golden immortal did that power of creation slowly subside.
Outside the Ruined Temple, the wind sounded as before.
Inside the Ruined Temple, heaven and earth had changed.
Gu Changqing slowly raised his hand.
A strand of primordial violet qi flowed through his palm, leaving tiny wrinkles in the void wherever it passed.
He was still a Perfected Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
But with this body of an Innate Spiritual Treasure, coupled with the Divine Realm's concealment, he could now preserve his life and maneuver even before a Great Luo.
As for Daoist Randeng.
If he truly stepped into the game, perhaps Gu Changqing could scheme against him as well.
"At last, I have the confidence to truly place my pieces."
Gu Changqing exhaled, his gaze as calm as ever.
The Primordial World ran too deep.
The Saints stood above all.
Hongjun had merged with the Dao.
It was not yet time for him to overturn the board himself.
Yang Jian and Nezha were the finest blades.
With a thought, Gu Changqing acted.
"System."
"Transmit the first layer of 'Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body' to Yang Jian."
[Ding! Command sent!]
Above Peach Mountain.
Holding the Mystic Slip of "Eight-Nine Arcane Art" that Yu Ding Zhenren had given him, Yang Jian was about to study it.
Suddenly.
A familiar, boundless voice descended into the depths of his mind.
"Eight-Nine Arcane Art has its merits, but it is still insufficient."
"I have fused it with the 'Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force' you cultivate and deduced a new art."
"This art is called 'Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body.'"
"Today, I shall impart its first layer to you."
Yang Jian's pupils abruptly contracted.
The next instant.
A ray of primordial chaos divine light descended from nothingness
and plunged directly between his brows.
Boom!
Yang Jian's consciousness was drawn into a space where primordial chaos had yet to separate.
An ancient scripture branded itself into the deepest recesses of his Divine Soul.
"Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body"!
Open Godfiend Acupores.
Bear the power of chaos god-demons.
Take the body as a universe, and flesh and blood as the Dao Foundation.
Every line of the scripture struck Yang Jian's heart like a heavy hammer.
The sixty divine elephant particles already awakened within him trembled together.
These particles did not dissipate.
Guided by the new art, they became the foundation for opening Godfiend Acupores, merging into Yang Jian's flesh, bones, meridians, and Divine Soul.
Boom!
Yang Jian's blood and qi surged once more.
The power that had belonged to the divine elephant particles began transforming into something deeper.
Within his physical body, the embryonic form of his first Godfiend Acupore slowly emerged.
The strength god-demon acupoint!
Peach Mountain shook.
The fractured mountain seemed unable to bear the aura Yang Jian now radiated, and loose rocks tumbled down without cease.
Yang Jian's eyes snapped open.
Dark-gold blood and qi interlaced with Primordial Purple Patterns flashed through his eyes.
"So everything Master bestowed upon me before was the foundation for ascending to a higher level today!"
Yang Jian's heart trembled.
He did not hesitate.
Immediately, he knelt facing Guanjiangkou and kowtowed heavily.
"I, your disciple Yang Jian, thank Master for bestowing this art!"
He kowtowed nine times with resounding thuds.
Each one shook the void.
Yao Ji stood nearby, her eyes filled with shock.
She could feel her son transforming.
This was no longer merely an increase in strength.
The very foundation of his life was being rewritten.
Nezha, too, stopped devouring and refining.
With the Fire-Tipped Spear resting on his shoulder, he watched Yang Jian enveloped in primordial chaos divine light and grinned.
"Senior Brother's gotten something good again."
As he finished speaking, a flicker of envy crossed his eyes.
But soon, his fighting spirit drove that envy down.
The stronger Senior Brother was, the better.
The more miserable the Heavenly Court was, the better.
Then storming the Lingxiao Treasure Hall would truly be satisfying.
Just then.
In the western sky, a beam of Jade Purity Immortal Light suddenly tore through the clouds.
The moment the immortal light appeared, both the lingering demonic qi above Peach Mountain and the Heavenly River Water Aura were suppressed by a third.
The smile on Nezha's face slowly faded.
Yang Jian also raised his head.
In the distance, a gaunt-faced Daoist approached through the air.
He wore a Daoist robe, his expression sorrowful.
An ancient ruler rested in his palm, Qiankun Dao Patterns swirling across it.
Behind his head, a Nether Lamp burned slowly. Its flame was faint, yet it made the surrounding void grow heavy.
The aura of Jade Purity.
The Dao resonance of the Chan Sect.
There was no longer any need to ask who had come.
The deputy sect leader of the Chan Sect.
Daoist Randeng.
Randeng stood among the clouds. His gaze first swept over the split-open Peach Mountain, then turned to the routed Heavenly River Navy, before finally settling on Nezha.
When he saw the Demonic Mark between Nezha's brows, a flicker of something unusual passed deep within his eyes.
"Nezha."
Randeng spoke slowly.
"You were born as the reincarnation of a spirit pearl. You should follow the righteous path of the Mystic Gate."
"Now resentment coils around your soul, and demonic thoughts have seeped into your bones. If you are allowed to continue unchecked, you will surely become a scourge upon the Three Realms."
Nezha gave a low chuckle.
The Fire-Tipped Spear spun once in his palm.
"Old Daoist Randeng, do all you people like to condemn someone before you say anything else?"
Randeng's expression remained unchanged.
"I have come to stop this calamity of slaughter."
"If you are willing to return to the Jade Void Palace with me, there is still a sliver of hope for reconciliation."
Nezha's smile grew colder.
"Return to the Jade Void Palace?"
"So you can strip away my Demon Body, wash away my resentment, and turn me back into that Lingzhuzi you could push around however you pleased?"
Randeng's brows furrowed slightly.
The Qiankun Ruler in his palm trembled gently.
In an instant, shadows of the ruler locked down the void in every direction.
The Heavenly River Navy soldiers who were still struggling instantly dared not move.
Randeng's gaze fell upon Yang Jian.
At that moment, Yang Jian was still absorbing the legacy of the Primordial Chaos God-Demon Prison-Suppressing Body.
The primordial chaos divine light around him had yet to disperse.
His aura grew stronger with every breath.
At last, a trace of gravity entered Randeng's eyes.
This Yang Jian was even more dangerous than the karmic fluctuations Yu Ding had reported.
And there was Nezha, too.
These two pawns, who should have entered the Chan Sect's game, had now both strayed from their ordained fates.
The hand behind them had already reached into the karma of the Jade Void Palace.
Randeng slowly raised the Qiankun Ruler.
"Since you refuse to turn back, I shall first suppress your Demon Body, then question you about the person behind you."
The demonic fire in Nezha's eyes surged instantly.
He stepped forward, black-and-crimson demonic qi shooting into the heavens.
A Self-Transforming Demonic Shadow, ten thousand zhang tall, slowly rose behind him.
"The person behind me?"
"You think you're worthy of asking about my master?"
Randeng's gaze darkened.
"Your master?"
Nezha grinned, baring his stark white teeth.
"My master said that Qiankun Ruler in your hand looked decent enough."
"Today, I'll test your mettle for him first."
He raised the Fire-Tipped Spear, pointing its tip straight at Randeng.
"Once my senior brother wakes up..."
"We'll take your ruler!"