Amidst the flickering of thunderlight, the three Holy Spirit Pills in Liu Bai's hand all turned into fine powder.
"However, I cannot let that master and disciple notice that I didn't actually take the pills…"
Liu Bai pondered for a moment, and then a clever idea came to mind.
Although he did not know whether they could sense if he had truly consumed the pills, the external effect of the Holy Spirit Pill was a direct increase in cultivation. With his current Early-phase Heaven Transformation Realm strength, three pills would be enough to push him to the peak of the mid-phase Heaven Transformation Realm. For Liu Bai, that level of improvement was not difficult to achieve.
Considering that he was now deep in enemy territory, surrounded not only by the people of the Emerald Serenity Palace and Ling Yun, but also by numerous powerful rogue cultivators, it was indeed safer to raise his strength as much as possible in preparation for the worst.
"In that case, I will advance directly to the Late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm."
A faint smile appeared on Liu Bai's face. Being able to raise his power at will was an incredibly satisfying feeling.
To reach the Late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm from the Early-phase required one hundred and eighty-two thousand experience points. However, in order not to draw suspicion, Liu Bai did not use them all at once. Instead, he distributed the usage across three days, increasing his cultivation gradually.
The first time Liu Bai's aura suddenly surged, Liu Si, who had been secretly observing outside the chamber, showed a knowing grin. When he looked toward the closed-door room, greed filled his expression.
In his eyes, Liu Bai had become a walking treasure—a living human-shaped pill that he could not wait to devour immediately.
But he was also well aware that something this precious was not his to consume. The more valuable the treasure, the more careful the refinement needed to be. Now was not yet the time.
"Even if I cannot enjoy the main dish, I can still have a little snack first…"
With that thought, Liu Si turned and left quietly.
Meanwhile, in another remote and secret cultivation chamber, a middle-aged man whose real age was barely over forty slowly opened his bloodshot eyes.
Those eyes were filled with endless madness and hatred.
"Ha ha ha! Late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm! I, Xu Liang, have finally reached the Late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm!"
"Yin Zixuan, you vile woman! You once looked down on me. Not only did you personally annul our engagement despite the friendship between our families, disgracing my Xu Clan, but you even colluded with outsiders to destroy my entire family. I swear I will make you pay for this blood debt!"
His furious roars echoed violently within the sealed chamber.
But just as Xu Liang was venting his rage, a calm voice suddenly sounded near his ear.
"Hmm, quite the spirited man. Unfortunately, you may not live long enough to take your revenge."
"Who's there? Get out here!"
Xu Liang, brimming with killing intent, shouted furiously. A violent surge of murderous aura burst forth like a storm.
However, the figure that had silently appeared behind him remained utterly calm, as though unaffected by the oppressive killing intent.
"Xu Liang, you are indeed a pitiful man, but in this vast Great Thousand World, how many pitiful souls like you exist? And how many have ever truly avenged themselves?"
Recognizing the newcomer, Xu Liang narrowed his eyes and spoke coldly, "Liu Si? Why are you here? And what do you mean by that?"
"Don't think that just because you're Master Ling Yun's disciple I won't kill you. Get out of here right now. If you dare reveal a single word about today, I'll take your life!"
Liu Si simply sneered at his threats. To him, there was no need to waste words on someone blinded by hatred.
Although Xu Liang's cultivation had just broken through and slightly surpassed Liu Si's, the latter did not seem the least bit afraid. He quickly formed a hand seal, and a dark green, eerie flame rose from his body.
"Haha, you dare to attack me? You're courting death!" Xu Liang's expression twisted in madness as spiritual power erupted from him, blasting against the chamber walls. A defensive formation quickly absorbed the impact.
The violent surge of energy forced Liu Si to steady himself, realizing he could no longer afford to underestimate his opponent. He immediately manipulated the eerie green flame, sending it sweeping toward Xu Liang.
Xu Liang snorted coldly, not taking the thin layer of flame seriously. In his eyes, the fire couldn't even reach him before being extinguished.
Yet the moment the dark green flame touched his spiritual power barrier, it ignited violently. The dim glow turned scorching bright, and Xu Liang's spiritual energy began to dissolve rapidly.
To say it was dissolving wasn't entirely accurate—it was being devoured and refined by the fire, condensing into pure spiritual crystals.
"What… what is this!?" Xu Liang's terrified scream came from within the sea of green fire as he felt his spiritual power vanish beyond his control.
Before he could finish his words, his voice abruptly ceased.
A quarter of an hour later, the man who had once stood there was gone completely, leaving behind only faint gray ashes.
The dark green flame returned to Liu Si's body, and he exhaled in satisfaction. His aura visibly grew stronger.
"Almost there. Just a few more, and I'll be able to break through to the Heaven Completion Realm. When that happens…" He sneered coldly, his eyes flashing with ambition.
He carefully collected the refined spiritual crystals formed from Xu Liang's remains and quietly left the chamber.
All of this had taken place silently. Those still refining their Holy Spirit Pills were completely unaware.
Though Master Ling Yun used the Holy Spirit Pills to plot against these rogue cultivators, he understood the importance of patience. Each time, he would only act against one or two individuals. The death rate among rogue cultivators was always high, so when a few disappeared, no one would question it.
Carrying the items respectfully, Liu Si returned to his teacher's side and presented them.
The crystals contained various forms of refined energy—spiritual essence, blood essence, and even fragments of divine soul power—encapsulating the entirety of a human being within them.
"Not bad. You may go. Continue watching that boy Liu Bai. If he emerges from seclusion, bring him to me immediately."
Ling Yun took the items without a second glance and made his way toward his personal cultivation chamber.
As the old man's figure vanished, Liu Si's once flattering smile faded instantly. His face stiffened as he turned and walked out of the hall.
Five days later, Liu Bai emerged from seclusion.
By then, his strength had already advanced to the Late-phase Heaven Transformation Realm.
Liu Si, who had been waiting eagerly, greeted him with a cheerful smile and clasped his hands. "Brother Liu, you're finally out. It seems your retreat has yielded great success!"
Liu Bai also put on an excited expression. "It's all thanks to Brother Liu. Without your recommendation to Master Ling Yun, I would never have obtained such miraculous pills, nor would I have been able to break through two realms in succession!"
Hearing this, Liu Si was secretly startled. He thought to himself, "As expected of a genius. Those three pills could at most help an ordinary cultivator advance by one realm, but he managed to leap two!"
"Haha, you flatter me, Brother Liu. It's all due to your own extraordinary talent. I truly envy you."
"Brother Liu, the Master has already instructed me—he wishes to meet with you now that you've emerged from seclusion. Please, come with me."
Liu Bai's eyes flickered slightly. He knew very well that this was the moment they had chosen to make their move.
"Oh? I wonder what Master Ling Yun wishes to discuss?" Liu Bai asked casually, feigning ignorance.
"Hehe, it's a good thing, a good thing. You'll understand when we arrive…" Liu Si's tone was perfunctory, lacking the slightest sincerity.
Liu Bai sneered inwardly. It seemed they could not even be bothered to pretend anymore. From this attitude, it was clear that Ling Yun did not intend to deal with him in the same way he had handled the others.
Following Liu Si, the two made their way to the deepest part of the Emerald Serenity Palace, arriving before a grand hall.
Liu Bai examined the structure carefully. The hall was built into the side of a mountain, with nearly half of it carved directly into the rock. It was clear that the entire mountain had been hollowed out.
As soon as Liu Bai entered, his gaze fell upon Ling Yun, seated at the uppermost position. However, the man before him no longer possessed the elegant and ethereal demeanor he had once displayed. The calmness and grace from before were gone, replaced entirely by an expression of unrestrained greed.
"What a youthful body… what astonishing talent…"
The voice that escaped Ling Yun's lips sounded like the whisper of the most depraved demon in existence, sending chills down the spine of anyone who heard it.
Seeing this, Liu Bai instantly put on a look of panic and fear. "M… Master Ling Yun, what… what's wrong with you?"
"Jiejiejie, I'm fine. In fact, I've never felt better…" Ling Yun let out a chilling laugh and waved his hand. The massive doors of the hall slammed shut, and the light within the chamber dimmed until only a dark, eerie glow remained.
In that shadowed space, pitch-black flames began to rise from Ling Yun's body. Behind him, the fire twisted and condensed into a dark figure, resembling an evil spirit from the abyss.
Liu Bai secretly frowned. The moment those black flames appeared, the entire hall seemed to fill with a horrifying aura of malice, as though the purest form of evil from the world itself had descended. Every living being that beheld it would instinctively feel fear.
"Could this be an evil spirit from beyond the realms…"
Having read the original work of this world, Liu Bai's first thought was of demonic energy. However, he quickly dismissed the idea.
Although the aura of the black flame was indeed sinister, it was still within the realm of spiritual energy. If Ling Yun had truly been tainted by demonic energy, even a trace of it would have been enough to corrupt Liu Bai instantly. There was no way he could have survived to this point.
"What… what is that?" Liu Bai shouted with feigned terror, his voice hoarse and trembling like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Jiejiejie, how do you like this old man's Devouring Flame? Be good now and become nourishment for my flame."
Liu Bai had never heard of such a fire before, but that did not prevent him from recognizing its terrifying power. What he did not know, however, was that the sinister nature of this Devouring Flame far surpassed his imagination.
According to legend, this type of flame could only be born in the most evil and desolate of places. It could consume living beings to grow stronger. But that was only the simplest of its abilities. Once mastered by a cultivator, the Devouring Flame could plunder everything from its victims—life force, soul, spiritual power, and even their innate talent and spiritual roots—all for the benefit of its master.
That was truly terrifying.
Ling Yun had obtained the Devouring Flame many years ago. At first, he could only use it to absorb spiritual power. However, as a Spiritual Pill Master, he later used its properties as inspiration to create the Holy Spirit Pill—a vicious pill refined using living humans.
It was not an especially difficult process. After all, in the Great Thousand World, there already existed the Beast Spirit Pill, a medicine refined from the essence of powerful beasts. Liu Bai himself possessed several such pills. Drawing inspiration from that, it was not hard to imagine how one could develop a method to refine humans instead.
What Liu Bai did not know was that this method of refining human cultivators into pills was not rare in the Great Thousand World. Such practices had once caused massive chaos across the land, until top experts from the supreme forces took action and exterminated every heretic who engaged in this evil craft. Only then was order restored.
However, in the shadows, such atrocities never truly disappeared.
Ling Yun, for example, specifically targeted rogue cultivators—those with no background or backing, whose deaths would draw little attention. As long as he remained cautious, few would ever discover his crimes.
Yet possessing the Devouring Flame had fueled his ambition further. It granted him greater strength and a broader path toward his twisted desires.
He had turned these rogue cultivators into his personal stock of living ingredients, nurturing them until the time was right to harvest them. It was cultivation of human beings, as though they were medicinal herbs.
Judging by how impatient Ling Yun now seemed to make his move, it was clear that he had already gained an extraordinary level of control over the Devouring Flame. He intended to devour every aspect of Liu Bai—to seize all his power and defy fate itself.
Having understood this, Liu Bai no longer felt the need to continue the act. His expression calmed completely.
"Oh? Judging from your demeanor, could it be that you've already realized something? Or are you simply ready to give up?"
Seeing Liu Bai suddenly become so calm, the demon-like Ling Yun grew cautious. It was an instinct born of his long-cultivated wariness.
"It's your poor acting that gave it away. As for giving up? Heh, do you really think you're worthy of that?" Liu Bai's tone turned cold, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Jiejiejie, even if you've realized it, what can you do? You've already consumed my pill. Did you really think you were the only clever one in this world?" Ling Yun mocked in return, his laughter filled with malice.
"No matter how gifted you are, once you've taken my pill, you are mine to control. For me to devour you is your greatest honor. Your only destiny is to become nourishment on my path to power!"
As his voice fell, the pitch-black Devouring Flame erupted violently. Countless shadowy phantoms surged forth like vengeful spirits, lunging toward Liu Bai.
Yet as those demonic flames charged at him, Liu Bai's face revealed a faint smile that made Ling Yun's heart tighten. The next moment, a burst of radiant, multicolored light surged from Liu Bai's body, illuminating the entire hall.
...
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