CHAPTER 254: CHAPTER 249 NOT ALLOWED ENTRY! CORPSE DEMON SECT!_1

The experiments with the Insect External Incarnation continued, but the original body paid no attention, content to cultivate steadily on Qingzhu Island. Before him lay a Jade Slip of the Star God Art.

The long-desired Divine Soul secret art was finally in his possession, and the contents of the Stardust Chapter of the Star God Art flowed slowly through his mind. The Star God Art recorded that this secret art was exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Among tens of thousands, perhaps only one person possessed the ability. Without special talent, one could not even gain entry into it in their lifetime.

Let’s give it a try, he murmured.

His soul force stirred, and his spiderweb-like soul began to slowly transform toward a Stardust state.

Three months later, Jia Ren opened his eyes, his expression grim.

He had failed to gain entry! For a month, he hadn’t felt the slightest sensation; his soul force could not be transformed into the Stardust Soul state. He did not possess the natural talent for cultivating the Star God Art... Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for him to successfully cultivate the Star God Art in his lifetime.

Ordinary cultivators would give up on cultivating the Star God Art and refrain from wasting more time. Entry was difficult, and subsequent cultivation would only become harder. Those who entered by chance could not break through the levels of the Stardust Chapter in their lifetime, let alone the Chapters that followed.

For Jia Ren, later cultivation difficulties did not matter; the hardest part was gaining entry. As long as he could gain entry, achieving the ultimate cultivation of the Star God Art, surpassing the master, would not be a problem.

How should I gain entry? he wondered aloud.

After a month of persistent effort, being stopped at the threshold was truly vexing, with no solution in sight. Normal cultivation methods had failed, and the only option left was to seek external assistance.

To gain entry into cultivation, he had thought of many methods. He had waited for nightfall when the stars emerged, hoping to borrow Star Force to gain entry. Setting up star-aspected formations, consuming star-aspected elixirs and soul force elixirs—all attempts had ended in failure.

Is there a secret technique or treasure that can help one gain entry? he pondered.

Jia Ren’s requirements were not high; he just wanted to gain entry into the Star God Art. He visited Wanling Island multiple times in search of such a secret technique. Even if it meant paying a certain price, once the Star God Art was recorded onto the Proficiency Panel, the path of future cultivation would be smooth.

"I’m afraid we must disappoint you, Daoist Friend Xu... Hai Zhen Tower has no such elixirs or treasures," the Hai Zhen Tower shopkeeper informed him. "Perhaps the Demonic Sect might have such means."

"Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper."

Demon Cultivators... The Qunxing Archipelago was too secluded, mostly home to Loose Cultivators; Demon Cultivators were rare.

The Qunxing Archipelago doesn’t lack Magical Beast resources, but it is deficient in other aspects, he noted.

The resources of the Western Wasteland Domain were much superior to those of the Qunxing Archipelago, but unfortunately, the range of the Insect External Incarnation was limited, and he did not wish to venture out and take risks. Besides, heading to the Western Wasteland Domain would also mean groping in the dark, not knowing where to start the search.

Take it slow, there’s no rush, he consoled himself. There is plenty of time in the future; a solution will eventually be found.

Unable to find what he was seeking, Jia Ren left Hai Zhen Tower.

Three beams of silver light shot towards the Qunxing Archipelago from a distance. The newcomers were three Golden Core Cultivators: two at the Late Golden Core Stage and one at the Early Golden Core Stage. The Early Golden Core Stage cultivator was a familiar face—indeed, the one who had accompanied the Golden Core Cultivator he killed and had narrowly escaped death from the Golden-eyed Sea Lion Demon.

Are they all cultivators from the Seven Stars Palace? Had they come because of the Golden Core Cultivator who had died?

The death of a Golden Core Cultivator was a serious matter in any Sect. The Seven Stars Palace would surely dispatch people to gather information and find the murderer.

Realizing the situation was dire, the Insect External Incarnation decisively distanced itself.

The silver light hovered briefly over the Qunxing Archipelago without landing.

"Qi Yuankang is already dead. The one who violated Sect rules cannot be brought back..." one of them said.

Murdering fellow Sect disciples is a grave crime in any Sect. Once the crime of murdering a fellow Sect member was confirmed, the severe punishment would be the abolishment of one’s Cultivation Level; the lightest would be dispatch to deal with Bizarre Demons to atone for one’s crimes.

Achieving the Golden Core Stage was not easy. As long as the person wasn’t dead, there was still room for maneuver. The two Law Enforcement Elders had come to apprehend Qi Yuankang, bring him back to the Sect, and then send him to the Town Demon Alliance to deal with the Split Bizarre to atone for his actions.

Before they even reached the Qunxing Archipelago, they received the news of Qi Yuankang’s death. How could a Golden Core Cultivator die so suddenly?

Despite Qi Yuankang’s deep sins, he was still a cultivator of the Seven Stars Palace, which could not ignore his death. If he had died at the claws of a Magical Beast, so be it. But if he died at the hands of another cultivator, the Seven Stars Palace would undoubtedly apprehend the murderer.

The three Golden Core Cultivators used a secret technique to scan the skies above the Qunxing Archipelago but found nothing. They continued their search towards the distant sea area.

There were no Golden Core Cultivators on the Qunxing Archipelago; how could an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator possibly kill a Golden Core? Unwilling to waste time, they left the Qunxing Archipelago, heading to the sea in search.

It was a false alarm.

Jia Ren’s life returned to stability. He spent most of his time consuming Elixirs to cultivate. Increasing his Cultivation Level was his primary priority, followed by improving the Proficiency Level of his Spells, Alchemy, and Talisman Crafting.

A year flew by quickly.

Jia Ren stood on the surface of the sea, gathering the seawater to form drop after drop of crystal-clear water droplets.

"The third drop of Seven Xuan Yuan Heavy Water!" he exclaimed.

After many years, the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water Technique had been enhanced to the point of Seven Xuan Yuan Heavy Water, reaching an unprecedented level. The Seven Xuan Yuan Heavy Water could be considered a Golden Core Level secret technique; when a drop of it fully erupted, its power was no less formidable than that of a Golden Core Cultivator.

However, the Seven Xuan Yuan Heavy Water wasn’t threatening enough for Golden Core Cultivators, and the best method was still to mix poison into the water. Jia Ren once used Six Xuan Yuan Heavy Water combined with Yellow Spring Poison to eliminate a Third-Rank Shrimp Demon in one fell swoop. Poisoning the Seven Xuan Yuan Heavy Water would only make it much stronger.

Hiding the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water within his robes, he made straight for Kongming Island.

Kongming Island had become an experimental field for Bizarre Objects, where numerous Parasitic Trickster Blossoms and Mislead Trickster Grass were being cultivated. Under the influence of the Bizarre Qi collected by the Gathering of Tricks Array, both were growing at a decent pace.

Jia Ren glanced at the central area, where the Parasitic Ghost Whip, a long whip that constantly branched and spread, moved slowly as if stretching its limbs. Not only did Bizarre Qi affect Bizarre Objects, but the Parasitic Ghost Whip, crafted from Parasitic Trickster Blossoms, also favored staying within the Gathering of Tricks Array. It could absorb Bizarre Qi and slowly become stronger. The pace might not be fast, but it was stable.

This is considered finding a second growth path for Mysterious Instruments.

Jia Ren didn’t meddle too much and was content to treat this place as a nurturing ground for Mysterious Instruments and Bizarre Objects.

After confirming nothing was amiss in the Bizarre Object Medicinal Garden, he returned to the island and began his daily practice of the Star God Art.

"Gathering Stars Sand!"

Jia Ren took out the Gathering Stars Sand scattered on the ground. It was a type of Magic Artifact material imbued with Star Force, capable of forming a Seven Stars Array to gather starlight.

After one year, he still hadn’t gained entry into the Star God Art. While others would have long given up, he had not, dedicating an hour each day to practicing the Star God Art.

His requirements were modest, to say the least; he would be content just to achieve entry-level. As a secret technique with a naturally high threshold, effort doesn’t play a significant role...

An hour passed, and there was still not the slightest change.

Jia Ren didn’t waste any time and decisively stopped practicing the Star God Art, heading to the Alchemy Room.

"Rise!"

A large quantity of Spiritual Medicine was thrown into the Alchemy Furnace. Eight hours later, Spirit Origin Pills bearing thirteen Elixir Patterns emerged, instantly filling the room with fragrance.

Extraordinary Saint Level Spirit Origin Pills!

Grandmaster Level Spirit Origin Pills aren’t bad; they can take one to Foundation Establishment Completion in just over seven years. But Jia Ren considered this too slow and wished to reach Foundation Establishment Completion as soon as possible.

He still had many Skill Breaking Points in reserve and decisively applied them to the Spirit Origin Pills.

The Extraordinary Saint Level Spirit Origin Pills were more potent, allowing him to shorten the time needed to reach Foundation Establishment Completion to within five years. This rate of progress was astonishing. For Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Great Sects to advance to Foundation Establishment Completion, even with a constant supply of ordinary Spirit Origin Pills, it would take at least forty years. The disparity was terrifying!

First, I’ll set a small goal for myself: raise my Cultivation Level to Foundation Establishment Completion, find a Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, and concoct Golden Core Formation Pills.

Cultivators should prioritize cultivation. Bizarre Talismans and Mysterious Instruments were sufficient, and there were eleven slots left in the Suppressing Fiend Holy Fire Command that couldn’t be used effectively. It was too dangerous to deal with Bizarre Demons; with no Bizarre Demons nearby, he wouldn’t deliberately seek out danger.

Jia Ren had remained in seclusion on the Qunxing Archipelago, so the Banishing Evil Talismans he had were unused and saved up.

Finding the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus was even more critical, as it was related to concocting the Golden Core Formation Pill and advancing to the Golden Core Stage. Unfortunately, this item was already scarce in the Western Wasteland Domain.

Even after spending Spirit Stones, he still managed to gather quite a bit of information. Every ten years, Sects from the Western Wasteland Domain would travel tens of thousands of miles to the Northern Desolation Region to trade resources, including the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus. How could the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus obtained by the Sects, used to concoct Golden Core Formation Pills, possibly flow out into the open market?

The Northern Desolation Region is too far away! The journey to the Northern Desolation Region was incredibly long and fraught with unknown dangers. Thousand-Year Snow Lotus couldn’t possibly be as common as weeds in the Northern Desolation Region; they were held by the most powerful Sects and forces. Without the backing of a powerful entity, Sects from other regions would have already devoured all the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, preventing them from surviving until now. Heading to the Northern Desolation Region to obtain Thousand-Year Snow Lotus meant snatching food from the mouths of powerful Sects, and the difficulty was no less than in the Western Wasteland Domain.

Better search in the Western Wasteland Domain then! To obtain the Thousand-Year Snow Lotus in the Western Wasteland Domain, neither treasure hunting nor purchasing from shops would work. The only breakthrough would be through Sects with Golden Core or Nascent Soul Cultivators; powerful Sects would surely have some in stock. This kind of treasure would mostly exist within their treasuries, and defeating Golden Core Cultivators wouldn’t garner it. Forceful taking was out of the question; the only option was an exchange.

Can I perhaps negotiate with the Town Demon Alliance for a Thousand-Year Snow Lotus? The Town Demon Alliance couldn’t exactly be called a Sect; it was more accurately a coalition of various Sects and forces, with its own Bizarre-Suppressing Guard and intermingled interests. If Jia Ren offered other Thousand-Year Spiritual Medicines, Banishing Evil Talismans, and Fu Wan, exchanging them for a Thousand-Year Snow Lotus wouldn’t be difficult. There would be no shortage of interested Sects and forces willing to make the exchange.

However, although exchanging was easy, taking it away smoothly was difficult. Fair trade was built on the foundation of equivalent strength between two parties; as a Loose Cultivator, who would trade fairly with him? Why expend resources on an exchange for coveted treasures? It would be more economical to simply seize them.

After some consideration, Jia Ren decided to put this thought aside. I will seek a solution after my Cultivation Level reaches Foundation Establishment Completion.

Time silently slipped away, and another three years had passed.

Thanks to the boost from the Extraordinary Saint Level Spirit Origin Pills, his progress during the Late Foundation Establishment Stage exceeded two-thirds. In just over a year, he would reach Foundation Establishment Completion.

Just when he thought he could cultivate peacefully until Foundation Establishment Completion, his Insect External Incarnation sent an urgent warning, forcibly rousing the original body from cultivation. Without needing the Insect External Incarnation to explain, Jia Ren instantly understood its message.

The warning conveyed: "A large number of Demon Cultivators have migrated to the Qunxing Archipelago and are seizing islands everywhere. They are cultivators from the Corpse Demon Sect in the Western Wasteland Domain. Their Sect was destroyed by Bizarre Demons in their region, and they fled to the sea to seek refuge."