In but a moment, the girl had fully recovered, her eyes glimmering with intelligence.
"I once obtained a Kunpeng Bone. From it, I gleaned fragments of the Kunpeng's techniques. Combined with the Dao of Devouring I comprehended from that ancient well in the Divine Source Cave, the cultivation methods I've gathered over time, the ancient scripture left to me by my brother, and the enlightenment gained from drinking Dao-Comprehension Tea… I've finally managed to merge the essence of them all into a new technique—Northern Sea Devours the Heavens Art (北冥吞天功)."
Northern Sea Devours the Heavens Art – A self-created cultivation art born from the fusion of multiple high-tier techniques, based on devouring and refining the physiques of others to elevate a mortal body to a divine one.
She spoke calmly, but within her voice lay fierce determination.
"My physique, as my brother once said, is not suited for cultivation—perhaps even worse than the average mortal. But he also told me that with perseverance and fortune, even the dullest stone can be transformed into flawless jade. With this art, I can devour special physiques, refine my body, and step by step evolve from a mortal shell into a divine or even sacred body."
This had always been her greatest hope.
Mortal bodies progressed too slowly on the path of cultivation. But her comprehension was nothing short of extraordinary. Through enlightenment in the Divine Source Cave, she awakened a divine spring imbued with devouring properties. Then came her fortune in obtaining the Kunpeng Bone, the Dao-Comprehension Tea… Opportunities layered upon opportunities.
From this arose her inspiration—to use the devouring Dao to absorb and integrate the strengths of countless physiques, refine them, and then use them to reshape her own.
But currently, her technique was still in its early stages. She could absorb the traits of different physiques, but couldn't yet perfectly fuse them. More tempering and refinement were required. And using such a devouring method was not without peril. Should she fail to refine the absorbed energies, her own body could implode—utterly annihilated.
"I will survive. I must live on until I find my brother. He once told me, if I ever wanted to find him, I would need to seek the Great Yi Dynasty—the fate dynasty he established."
She knew of the Great Yi. During her second life, she had even received a sliver of a message from Yi Tianxing, revealing his identity and location. However, without coordinates for Great Yi, she had no direction. The Eternal World was vast beyond comprehension—searching blindly was like looking for a needle in the void.
All she had were legends. The Great Yi Dynasty was known by all, the first fate dynasty to be acknowledged by heaven and earth—but it remained a tale. None had seen it.
During her quest, she had run into a Yin Soldier Crossing, where her soul was taken by the Crimson-Robed Ghost King and dragged into the underworld.
And yet… even in death, she refused to give up.
Meanwhile, events in Crimson Flame City passed unnoticed by the world.
Though many knew the Crimson-Robed Ghost King was devouring souls to cultivate, no one dared intervene. The city was fortified, the underworldly guards strict. All who entered were at the mercy of fate.
Back at the Yellow Springs Inn, after meeting Zhao Li, Yi Tianxing had settled down instead of leaving. After the feast Zhao hosted, he returned to his room and brought out the greenish Meng Po Soup.
"Meng Po Soup—Seven Emotions Water. Let's see what makes this soup so miraculous."
According to Zhao Li, the soup should be consumed in seclusion. It could affect cultivators of any realm. Even if one disregarded its effects, it was still a peerless delicacy—worth savoring.
Without hesitation, he drank it.
At first, it tasted like ordinary water—plain and bland. Yet strangely addictive. Unconsciously, he downed the entire bowl.
And then it began.
A mysterious surge of emotion erupted inside him like fire flowing through his blood and flesh. Even his gourmet cells began to rejoice, wildly absorbing surrounding energies—Yin Qi and the essence of the heavens—feeding his body. His Heavenly Gang Immortal Physique (天罡仙体), represented by the golden cauldron in his body, began to resonate with rune chains that fused into his very bones and flesh.
Seven Emotions Water (七情水) – A magical brew that ignites the "Seven Emotions Fire," refining both body and soul, removing impurities, and enhancing divine comprehension. A true delicacy even recognized by gourmet cells.
"Incredible… It actually ignites the Seven Emotions Fire, cleansing both the physical and spiritual form. It even gained the approval of my gourmet cells! No wonder Zhao Li praised it so highly—it's worthy of a divine chef!"
Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire—these were the seven emotions. All living beings were subject to them. Now, these emotions became fuel—a fire that tempered his very soul.
In his divine sea, his nascent soul (元神) was bathed in Seven Emotions Fire. Impurities were burned away. Though it shrank, it also grew purer, shimmering like translucent jade, laced with divine runes.
Above it, two blooming lotus flowers floated, each inscribed with mysterious divine patterns. Each flower symbolized a calamity overcome—wind and thunder. Only the third remained.
From each lotus emerged a divine power:
– First Lotus: Imperial Dao Divine Power – Golden Tongue of Truth (金口玉言)
– Second Lotus: Another Imperial Dao Divine Power, equally mighty.
Golden Tongue of Truth (金口玉言) – A powerful Imperial Dao Divine Ability that turns spoken words into immutable reality.
Under the influence of the Seven Emotions Fire, even these divine techniques grew more refined, more potent.
With a more purified soul, Yi Tianxing's comprehension of the laws of heaven accelerated. His physical cultivation also surged.
His blood essence flooded the inner cauldron, his strength rising meteorically—
16.8 million jin
17.3 million jin
…
20 million jin!
Body Refinement – Fourth Turn – Yellow Cauldron Two Chimes (黄鼎二鸣)
His cauldron emitted two clear, resonating tones—runes surged forth, embedding into every inch of bone and flesh.
Even after this, his strength didn't stop climbing—up to 23 million jin.
"What a bowl of soup! It actually pushed my physical refinement forward by leaps and bounds. Truly a divine gift."
He was impressed. While Zhao Li couldn't possibly benefit to the same degree, even just refining the spirit and body a bit was immensely valuable.
By the time he awoke, a full day had passed.
The next morning, Yi Tianxing rejoined the paper-crafting master and dissector for breakfast. They each ordered a bowl of Yellow Springs Blood Porridge, made from Yellow Springs Rice—a specialty of the inn.
Outside, many underworld cultivators were already preparing to set out:
"We're heading to Bone Mountain. Might find some top-grade Yin Bones there—perfect for crafting Nether Treasures."
"We're trying our luck in Windy Cavern. Maybe we'll score some Nether Crystals—best currency around here."
"Who wants to go hunt Nether Beasts on Dark Ghost Mountain? Their meat sells well to the inn, and you get paid in crystals. Great profit."
These locations—Bone Mountain, Windy Cavern, and Dark Ghost Mountain—were well-known training and treasure-hunting spots in the region.
Most couldn't afford to simply laze around the inn. Only those with a craft could stay idle; the rest had to risk their lives gathering resources, or be evicted.
"Fellow Daoist Yi," said the Decomposer after finishing his porridge, "we plan to head to Bone Mountain—see if we can't find some valuables. Even if not, it'll be a good trial. Since we're in the underworld, might as well take a look around."