NOVPUB"Could it be... because of that Demon Nest? Dao Wufeng chopped down the Demon Nest, and when it counterattacked before dying, Dao Wufeng was also hit by its killing move?" The Heavenly Corpse Old Man was no fool; he immediately thought of the incident six months ago when Su Changkong chopped down the Demon Nest. At that time, Su Changkong didn’t show any signs of distress, but in fact, he had already been severely injured!
Su Changkong countered, "Old zombie, is there something you need from me?"
Regaining his composure, the Heavenly Corpse Old Man knew Su Changkong didn’t want to dwell on the matter, and he forced a smile, "This old one has come to bid you farewell. I am preparing to head to the Ancient Holy Country. Originally, I wanted to ask Brother Blade if you were going too... but it seems you are not in the best of conditions."
"To the Ancient Holy Country?"
Su Changkong was slightly surprised, but not astonished.
After Entering Saint, the resources of the nine kingdoms were barely sufficient to support significant improvements for those who had reached this level; the fact that not a single Martial Artist of the three-layer Heaven or above could be found among the human nine kingdoms was telling.
Most Saint Warriors from the nine kingdoms, upon reaching the point where they could progress no further in their training, would choose to head to the Ancient Holy Country in search of improvement, as one cannot nurture a true dragon in shallow waters.
After reaching the Level of Entering Saint, the Heavenly Corpse Old Man also wanted to advance further; hence, he planned to go to the Ancient Holy Country and took the opportunity to bid Su Changkong farewell.
"You go ahead, I wish you good luck."
Su Changkong nodded and wished the Heavenly Corpse Old Man luck; he had some acquaintance with the Old Man. 𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙥𝒖𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝒎
"Hm, I believe we will meet again."
The Heavenly Corpse Old Man laughed heartily, understanding that with Su Changkong’s talent and potential, going to the Ancient Holy Country would likely make quite a name for himself.
The Heavenly Corpse Old Man said goodbye to Su Changkong and set off for the Ancient Holy Country.
Watching the retreating figure of the Heavenly Corpse Old Man, Su Changkong sighed, "They’re all heading to the Ancient Holy Country. I must also hasten!"
Su Changkong naturally wanted to go to the Ancient Holy Country as well.
He had this idea after Entering Saint; going to the Ancient Holy Country to acquire more cultivation resources and seeking a breakthrough for his Five Animal Frolics that required the projection of five True Beasts.
After chopping down the Demon Nest and also being branded with the Monster Soul mark, Su Changkong now had to fight for more time before he could head to the Ancient Holy Country.
Collecting his emotions, Su Changkong returned to the Heaven Silkworm Cave and continued his secluded cultivation; his Heaven Silkworm Technique was not far from a breakthrough.
Another month passed, and the Monster Soul mark in Su Changkong’s Sea of Consciousness, after growing for over half a year, greedily devoured Su Changkong’s Life Force, causing him to grow increasingly older and weaker.
And on this morning, under the pressure of life and death, racing against death itself, Su Changkong’s Heaven Silkworm Technique showed rapid progress and finally succeeded in overcoming that bottleneck!
"Crack crack crack!"
The huge white cocoon writhed, and it seemed as if countless cocoons were transforming into butterflies, fluttering about, and large cracks appeared on the surface of the cocoon, revealing Su Changkong sitting cross-legged inside.
At this moment, Su Changkong had shed his previously aged appearance, with white hair turning black, fallen teeth regrowing, and his skin becoming firm again, exuding a sense of rejuvenation!
Heaven Silkworm Technique (Level 10 Shaking Ancestral Brilliance 1%)
"Finally, it’s a breakthrough!"
Su Changkong breathed a sigh of relief; his Heaven Silkworm Technique had progressed faster than the advancement of the Monster Soul mark. Over half a year, he had successfully stepped into Level 10!
Having reached Level 10 in the Heaven Silkworm Technique, Su Changkong’s Heaven Silkworm True Qi had grown several times stronger than before, each strand of pale white Heaven Silkworm True Qi gleaming with a lustrous sheen, brimming with vigorous Life Force, restoring the damaged Life Force of Su Changkong!
Life Force, like blood, is vital to life; losing too much can endanger one’s existence, and the Level 10 Heaven Silkworm Technique provided Su Changkong with an even mightier Life Force and outstanding recovery abilities. Even if his Life Force was damaged, he could quickly recover.
"Now... I can hold out against the erosion of the Monster Soul mark for three years!"
Su Changkong estimated, gaining a little more time.
"However, it’s still not enough. If I elevate the Heaven Silkworm Technique to the 11th realm, I will have more time to go to the Ancient Holy Country and find a solution!"
Su Changkong let out a sigh of relief, three years should be enough for him to break through to the 11th realm of the Heaven Silkworm Technique.
It’s estimated that no matter what, the Demon Nest would never expect that Su Changkong would use its Monster Soul imprint as the driving force to refine his own Heaven Silkworm Technique, and make such rapid progress!
Su Changkong did not stop, he continued to cultivate the Heaven Silkworm Technique, intending to push it to the 11th realm.
Meanwhile, as Su Changkong sequestered himself for cultivation, someone in the nine human kingdoms broke this rare tranquility.
Yellow Sand Sea, this place is the entrance to Mirror Heaven and Earth, and at this moment within the Yellow Sand Sea, there are two more people who have arrived, their arrival catching the attention of several Martial Saints that lurk within the Yellow Sand Sea.
For these two were different from the rest, a man and a woman.
The woman, with a head of red hair, was extremely beautiful yet gave off a violent and dangerous aura, resembling a red chain snake.
"That woman… is she Hong Mantian, the Martial Saint from the Ancient Demon Sect?"
The Martial Saints guarding the Yellow Sand Sea were taken aback, for the red-haired woman was none other than the renowned Hong Mantian from the Ancient Demon Sect.
Hong Mantian had previously appeared in the Yellow Sand Sea, sending the Blood Divine Child she had nurtured into Mirror Heaven and Earth, but ultimately failed!
This failure left Hong Mantian with anger that had nowhere to vent, and so she decided to take on Su Changkong and Xia Yanlong in a grand battle, who had killed her Martial Artist subordinates.
In the end, the Blood Divine Child was promptly slain by Su Changkong, and a Hong Mantian, who for a long time struggled to gain victory, realized that dragging the battle out was disadvantageous to her, and had no choice but to leave.
The Martial Saints guarding the Yellow Sand Sea had an indelible impression of Hong Mantian from the top-tier Ancient Demon Sect of the Ancient Holy Country.
Now, three to four years later, Hong Mantian had returned?
"That... that young man in the blood armor, who is he?"
But what attracted the most attention wasn’t Hong Mantian, but rather the person who came with her, a young man who looked to be in his twenties at most.
This young man was clad in blood-colored armor, his black hair casually draped, he may not have been handsome, but there was a divine light enveloping him, so intense that it was intimidating to look directly at him. Around him, nature’s spiritual energy seemed to dissipate into nothingness, suppressed by his presence.
"What a... what a terrifying person! It feels as though just looking at him any longer could cause an explosion!"
A Saint Warrior recoiled his gaze, his heart shockingly appalled by this young man in blood armor—he was too horrible to behold!
Although they were both Saint Warriors, the observing Saint Warriors couldn’t help but feel inherently inferior in the presence of this young man clad in blood armor. Their hearts were uneasy, avoiding direct eye contact as if offending him would allow him to decide their life and death at his whim.
"Brother Wang, this place is the Mirror Heaven and Earth left behind by the Mirror Master. It seems we are not too late, as the natives here haven’t been able to take away the Great Divine Seed within."
In front of the young man in blood armor, Hong Mantian behaved very humbly, as though his status was far above hers.
A light flickered in the young man’s eyes as he stared intently at the entrance to Mirror Heaven and Earth, "The Great Divine Seed, it has been waiting for me! If I can take this Great Divine Seed into my possession, I will surely gain massive resources, quickly forge a Divine Body, and even have the chance to enter the Ancient Demon Pool…"
The young man’s origins were extraordinary, after Hong Mantian’s previous failure, she returned to the Ancient Demon Sect and informed him about it.
This young man, named Wang Zhongqiu, was among the Saint Warriors of the Ancient Demon Sect with immense potential. He had not yet assimilated a Divine Seed; through his own cultivation, he had mastered the three Unsurpassed Cultivation techniques from the Ancient Demon Sect to perfection, achieving the Third Layer Heaven in the Saint realm!
Even before he entered the Saint realm, he was personally taken under the tutelage of a powerful Ancient Demon Sect member who had forged a Divine Body.
Just like Hong Mantian, he was in the Third Layer Heaven of the Saint realm, but compared to Hong Mantian, who had only reached the Third Layer Heaven by assimilating a Divine Seed, Wang Zhongqiu was worlds apart in both potential and combat power!
Wang Zhongqiu was nurtured with the resources of his Sect, each Divine Seed within him had grown to possess numerous Divine Patterns, and both the number and quality of his Divine Skills were exceptional!
Even when placed in the entire Ancient Holy Country, among all Divine Seed Martial Saints, he stood out, far from comparable to any Saint Warriors in these remote lands!
