Chapter 440: Confirmation and Overall Strength Enhancement
"Unfortunately, after millions of years, the Xie Ling Clan has completely vanished from the Great Thousand World."
In the underground chamber beneath Zhu Xian City on the Northern Nether Continent, Xiao Tiance's expression turned contemplative after hearing Pangwa's sigh.
He was certain of his heritage as a member of the Xiao Clan both his parents and his grandparents were pure blooded members. Yet, everything Pangwa described about the Xie Ling Clan's bloodline matched his own situation perfectly.
His divine grade bloodline had been entirely consumed during his breakthrough, only to regenerate stronger than before. He could even feel that the newly revitalized bloodline power was more potent than the previous iteration.
"Pangwa, can you retrieve that record you mentioned?" Xiao Tiance asked. He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Pangwa shook his head, smiling wryly.
**"Young Master, that document was personally archived by the Sect Master during the early days of the Heavenly Dao Sect's establishment. However, it was damaged over time.
According to our sect's rules, damaged texts must be rewritten, but since the Xie Ling Clan hadn't been seen for millions of years, no one prioritized its preservation.
However, if everything you've described is true, I'm almost certain that the so called divine grade bloodline power within you is the Xie Ling Clan's bloodline ability known as the 'Nine Divine Veins.'"**
Xiao Tiance nodded but remained skeptical. He wasn't ready to definitively accept that his bloodline stemmed from the Xie Ling Clan.
"Is there a way to confirm it?" he asked.
Pangwa thought for a moment before nodding hesitantly.
"It's simple. If you completely exhaust the bloodline power in your body again, and it regenerates stronger than before, then you'll have proof that you are indeed a descendant of the Xie Ling Clan."
He grinned and added, "Young Master, I'm fairly certain your bloodline is related to the Xie Ling Clan. Throughout the entire history of the Great Thousand World, I've never heard of any other race whose bloodline power could regenerate stronger after depletion."
Xiao Tiance considered the suggestion and nodded. At the moment, there was no better way to verify the nature of his bloodline. Eventually, he would deplete it again, and if it truly regenerated stronger, it would confirm Pangwa's theory.
Either way, it wouldn't be a loss if it turned out to be a one time phenomenon, he would still benefit from the current strength of his bloodline.
**"Alright, we'll leave it at that for now. You both should focus on crafting spirit array medallions and studying Saint tier grandmaster level formations.
As for me, I just broke through to the late stage Heaven Sovereign realm. The next time I leave this underground chamber, a heavenly tribulation will descend. Given my current strength, I need time to adjust and prepare."**
"Understood, Young Master. Leave it to us!" Ling'er and Pangwa responded in unison.
With their assurances, Xiao Tiance withdrew the Heavenly Dao Glazed Bottle and allowed Pangwa to take control of it. Soon after, he activated the bottle's powers and entered its internal space.
Inside the Heavenly Dao Glazed Bottle, the air was saturated with pure spiritual energy that had crystallized into solid forms. The Sacred Spirit Pool at the peak of the Sacred Spirit Mountain shimmered, surrounded by dense clusters of spiritual crystals some of the purest forms of spiritual energy in existence.
Even ordinary individuals could use these crystals to cultivate rapidly if they possessed basic techniques.
However, Xiao Tiance ignored the abundant resources. He wasn't focused on absorbing more energy to ascend further in cultivation. Instead, he needed to compress the energy within his body to solidify his foundation.
Rapid breakthroughs over the past few days had left his cultivation base unstable. It would take time and effort to regain his peak combat effectiveness, let alone surpass it.
Seated cross legged atop a mountain plateau, Xiao Tiance began circulating his energy.
One day. Two days.
Time passed.
In the late afternoon of the third day, just as Xiao Tiance finished compressing his energy to its peak, Ling'er's voice echoed in his mind.
"Young Master, the materials you requested from the Grand Thousand Palace have arrived."
Ling'er's voice could reach him regardless of location due to their soul contract.
"Got it. Ask Pangwa to bring them in," Xiao Tiance replied.
Moments later, Pangwa delivered a storage pouch. Upon examining its contents, Xiao Tiance was pleasantly surprised.
"Heh, Elder Qin Tian and Lord Lu Tong truly went above and beyond."
Not only had the storage pouch contained all the requested materials, but it also included numerous additional treasures.
After appreciating the gesture, Xiao Tiance stood and stretched, his joints crackling audibly. Feeling the newfound strength surging through his body, he muttered to himself:
**"With my current power, I can now hold my own against a Saint tier Sovereign without relying on arrays, pills, or war formations.
If I activate my divine grade bloodline or use the Three Transformations of Heavenly Flame, even a mid stage Saint tier Sovereign might not be my match.
As for late stage Saint tier Sovereigns... that's a different story.
While the difference between mid and late stages seems minor, it's akin to the gap between heaven and earth.
Still, with all my means combined, I might be able to hold my ground against one, even if I can't defeat them outright."**
A new thought occurred to him, lighting up his expression.
**"Right! The Heavenly Dao Myriad Tribulations Physique could elevate my battle power significantly.
According to the jade slip, mastering the seventh layer of this technique would allow me to challenge late stage Saint tier Sovereigns head on..."**
"If I can cultivate to an even higher level, I might even be able to take on a Half Step Sovereign Lord."
With this thought, Xiao Tiance's spirits lifted. He decided to prioritize upgrading Qing Hou and the eleven other Heavenly Demon Puppets. If successful, he might create an invincible puppet capable of battling even Saint tier Heavenly Sovereigns.
"Let's get started."
With a mere thought, twelve radiant golden puppets appeared around him. Although they couldn't speak, they served as perfect bodyguards. Unlike traditional puppets that require energy or resources to operate, the Heavenly Demon Puppets were unique once refined and enhanced with superior materials, they could continue operating indefinitely unless destroyed.
These puppets were impervious to the effects of time and could still function even after millions of years. If someone inherited control over them, they could serve as eternal weapons of war.
"Those otherworldly demons may be troublesome, but these puppets seem tailored to suppress them."
Xiao Tiance's encounter with the terrifying Holy Heaven Demon Emperor the strongest under the Evil God had left him shaken. But it also sparked his determination to find ways to counter the otherworldly demons.
"If there's a threat, then I'll eliminate it." His resolve solidified.
Xiao Tiance pulled high grade metals from his storage pouch. Under the guidance of his soul force, the materials floated around him. With a wave of his hand, the Flame Emperor Cauldron landed firmly before him.
The cauldron was ready. The high grade metals were ready. Now, all he needed was fire.
The fire? Naturally, it would be the Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heavens.
With another gesture, the golden flames ignited within the cauldron. Under the control of his soul force, the high grade metals flew into the cauldron, engulfed by the blazing flames.
Days passed, and the metals remained unaffected by the flames. Xiao Tiance wasn't discouraged if these metals were so easily melted, they wouldn't be suitable for upgrading the Heavenly Demon Puppets.
Eventually, faint signs of melting appeared. Xiao Tiance increased the intensity of the flames, infusing more soul force into his control.
After several days, the metals finally liquefied. Without hesitation, Xiao Tiance placed one of the Heavenly Demon Puppets into the Flame Emperor Cauldron.
As the molten metal came into contact with the puppet, Xiao Tiance used his powerful soul force to guide the liquid into every part of the puppet's structure its limbs, core, and internal mechanisms.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
The sound of integration echoed as the molten metal fused deeply into the puppet. Simple surface enhancements wouldn't suffice. Only by allowing the metal to permeate and merge with the entire structure could the puppet achieve its maximum potential
After three hours, the first puppet was fully upgraded.
Xiao Tiance sighed, a hint of regret in his tone: "Such a pity. Puppets made from Earth Sovereign corpses are inherently limited. If I could acquire the body of a Saint tier Heavenly Sovereign, the resulting puppet would likely be impervious to any attack even from a Saint tier expert."
With a wave of his hand, the newly upgraded puppet emerged from the cauldron, standing firmly before him.
"Not bad, not bad. While it doesn't quite reach Qing Hou's level, with sufficient energy, it should easily achieve the power of a Heaven tier Heavenly Sovereign." Xiao Tiance evaluated the puppet. Though not perfect, it was still a significant improvement.
The process repeated. One by one, the remaining puppets underwent similar upgrades. Among them, one puppet crafted from the corpse of an Earth Sovereign at the peak of their power came close to rivaling Qing Hou in strength.
When Qing Hou was finally upgraded, its sheer presence exuded a pressure so overwhelming that even Xiao Tiance was pleasantly surprised.
**"Hahaha! All twelve puppets are fully upgraded. With the remaining molten metals, I'll forge weapons for them.
With their reinforced bodies serving as shields and sharp weapons enhancing their offensive capabilities, these puppets will achieve true offense defense synergy. They'll be perfect for slaughtering otherworldly demons."**
With another infusion of soul force, Xiao Tiance shaped the molten metal into twelve long blades. After just one hour, the weapons were complete, each tailored for the upgraded puppets. The combined presence of the twelve armed puppets was so imposing that even a Saint tier Heavenly Sovereign would think twice before engaging.
With the puppets upgraded, Xiao Tiance wasn't ready to leave just yet. He turned his attention to the high grade medicinal herbs and treasures stored in his spatial ring. However, he didn't immediately begin refining them into pills. High grade alchemy required peak physical and soul conditions, so he spent three days adjusting his state.
On the fourth day, Xiao Tiance opened his eyes and began.
Under his control, herbs flew into the Flame Emperor Cauldron. The Golden Emperor Flame of Burning Heavens roared to life, extracting the essence of the herbs. As the essences fused, tribulation lightning appeared a natural trial for high grade pills.
A golden puppet entered the lightning storm, absorbing the energy to enhance itself.
The cycle repeated multiple times.
When all the herbs were finally exhausted, the puppets (except Qing Hou) had reached the mid stage of the Spirit tier Heavenly Sovereign realm. Xiao Tiance sealed the cauldron and surveyed his work.
Dozens of white jade bottles filled with high grade pills floated around him, while the twelve formidable puppets stood in a neat line.
"With these, it's time to make the otherworldly demons pay. If they dare to invade the Northern Nether Continent, then I'll bring the fight to their territory and cause havoc."
Storing the pills and puppets, Xiao Tiance contacted Ling'er and instructed Pangwa to release him.
As he emerged, Pangwa greeted him cheerfully: "Congratulations, Young Master, on completing your retreat!"
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