CHAPTER 50: CHAPTER 50 THE BEGINNING OF GRASPING GOD! THE BODY OF DEMIGOD!

A moment ago, on the island where Jingwei was.

After Wu Wang consumed the Spirit Fruit, he felt the surging medicinal power within his body and was somewhat puzzled.

What did Jingwei give me?

At the time, he hadn’t paid much attention. Knowing that the Spirit Fruit was beneficial, he felt a ripple of emotion and consumed it directly.

Once the skin of the fruit was broken, it melted in his mouth, turning into streams of clear fluid that nourished his internal organs. In the blink of an eye, pure Spiritual Energy began to proliferate within him.

But this Spiritual Energy grew increasingly abundant and hotter.

Wu Wang, seated in meditation for just a short while, felt as if magma was flowing within him, and the pain in his meridians was unbearable.

Spiritual Energy liquefaction!

Could this fruit be some sort of ten-thousand-year Spirit Fruit? How could it contain so much Spiritual Energy?

Wu Wang’s eyes suddenly snapped open. Several Crystal Balls floated out beside him, immediately erecting layers of starlight that trapped him within.

He clenched his fists, blue veins bulging on his forehead. Sudden gusts of wind surged from his body, tearing his upper garments to shreds, while the necklace on his chest swung wildly.

Wu Wang desperately absorbed this Spiritual Energy, his cultivation level visibly growing at an astonishing rate, but...

Too slow.

The rate at which he was absorbing Spiritual Energy now, compared to the speed of its generation within his body, was like a snail’s mother opening the door for a snail—excruciatingly slow!

Is this fruit really that potent?

Wu Wang immediately deduced the consequences of letting the Spiritual Energy rampage unchecked: at best, he would sustain internal injuries; at worst, his Foundation of Immortality would be destroyed, severing his path of cultivation, though it wouldn’t kill him.

That’s reassuring, then.

Yan Emperor Command.

Enduring the intense pain throughout his body, Wu Wang’s spiritual mind sank into the Spirit Platform. His Divine Thought directly enveloped the Yan Emperor Command, and a flicker of enlightenment emerged from the depths of his mind.

He had broken through only recently and had just consolidated his realm. At this moment, he hadn’t stored much insight, so he could only grit his teeth to deduce and think quickly, sensing the Dao of Fire.

The Spirit Platform gradually became dotted with several clusters of flickering flames.

But the Spiritual Energy inside him was like a tumultuous sea, swelling as if to burst everywhere.

Wu Wang’s hands moved swiftly, forming seals, trying to release some high-powered spells to expend the overflowing mana within. But as soon as he formed the hand seals, the surging Spiritual Energy within him seemed to find an outlet, erupting from his palms.

BOOM!

On the starlit sandy beach, a mushroom cloud slowly rose, but the shockwave did not pass beyond the boundaries Wu Wang had set.

Jingwei, flapping her wings and passing by in the distance, was completely unaware. Her wing-beats conveyed an air of lightness and ease. Apparently, Jingwei, nearly asleep, was in a pretty good mood at the moment.

But Wu Wang’s condition was worsening.

He lay there, charred, as if several balls of yarn were tumbling inside him. The skin that had rapidly turned black cracked open to reveal new skin underneath, which turned fiery red in an instant.

He looked like a red-hot iron, like a cooked crab.

His Foundation of Immortality, his very foundation for becoming an Immortal, was being continuously destroyed. He could clearly feel his potential dissipating.

The basis for a longer life, the hope of extending my parents’ lifespans, the slim chance of ridding myself of this strange illness!

The insight from the Yan Emperor Command was too little; at this moment, he couldn’t even begin to condense a Golden Core.

His understanding of the Dao of Fire was far too shallow. He possessed Divine Thought comparable to a cultivator of the Jumping God Realm, yet he was unable to do anything.

Heaven never seals all exits! I’ve even crawled through a wormhole, what’s there to fear?

Cultivation is all about being bold, meticulous, and thick-skinned.

Wu Wang sat up straight once again, resuming his meditative posture. He waved his hands, forming seals. Around him, clusters of flames appeared, and his body looked as if it was covered in cracks...

Actual cracks, about to split open.

Praying Star Technique!

Suddenly, a purple light burst forth from Wu Wang’s forehead. His hands raised high, palms facing the sky. From the rings on his fingers, the bracelets on his wrists, the Treasure Sack tied to his shoulder, and the Storage magic treasures hidden in the side pocket of his underwear, Crystal Balls flew out one after another.

His Divine Thought pulsed, and the twelve Crystal Balls formed the constellations of North Heaven in midair.

"Praise the Star God! Seal!"

Wu Wang truly experienced what it meant for words to burn one’s mouth. He simultaneously detonated the twelve Crystal Balls, all sealed with the same Praying Star Technique. Twelve beams of light struck his body, instantly calming the restless fire attribute Spiritual Energy within him.

At this moment, Wu Wang was like a petrified statue, sitting motionless.

At the Spirit Platform, the ethereal figure formed by Wu Wang’s soul sat cross-legged, pondering a solution to the excess Spiritual Energy in his body.

Sealing himself with the Praying Star Technique was merely to buy some time.

Wu Wang would never abandon the opportunity for cultivation, an opportunity his mother had fought so hard to secure for him.

What can I do now?

Don’t panic. I still have a moment to think of a strategy.

What can I rely on at this time?

Around Wu Wang’s divine soul, mists seemed to form, within which various concrete images emerged:

The elixirs given by the Shennong Family, including top-grade healing pills for recovery after severe injuries.

The understanding of the Star Dao, induced by the Praying Star Technique.

His barely adequate Divine Thought.

His average Moon Ritual strength, and various Praying Star Techniques learned from his mother and grandmother, which were mostly at an illumination level.

Behind his divine soul, a tree seemed to appear, with several branches growing on it. The branches kept extending, sprouting leaves, and continuing to grow...

Suddenly, a spirit light flickered.

Memories surfaced before Wu Wang’s eyes: his aunt had just started tutoring him, and together they pondered why the Praying Star Technique couldn’t be cultivated alongside the Human Domain’s cultivation methods, both of them vomiting blood for half a day in the process.

Back then, what I tried, what I attempted...

Yes, tempering the body with the power of stars!

The crown of the dimly lit Great Tree behind his divine soul mostly vanished, but the few remaining branches blazed with light, illuminating the Spirit Platform with incredible brightness.

What Dao was Wu Wang most familiar with?

It was not the Yan Emperor Command, nor the Dao of Fire, but the Star Dao.

The Dao of Fire is one of the five elements, inherently one of the more formidable Dao rules in heaven and earth. The Yan Emperor Command exists to assist its holder in cultivating and ultimately mastering the Dao of Fire.

Other cultivation techniques in the Human Domain also build upon this foundation, allowing practitioners to extend their personal Dao, their self-Dao, weaving their unique path into the fabric of the universe.

But all these cultivated Daos eventually merge into the existing myriad Great Daos.

The Star Dao is the same.

Are there cultivation techniques in the Human Domain for comprehending the Star Dao?

Wu Wang had no time for further musings. Such techniques could be acquired later. Right now, the most important thing was to assimilate the rampaging Spiritual Energy within his body.

What the Yan Emperor Command couldn’t solve, the Star Dao might be able to.

His understanding of the Star Dao, his contemplation of the Praying Star Technique, had accumulated for over a decade...

What I need to do now is not to praise the Star God, but to...

Feel the stars.

Wu Wang opened his eyes, his pupils filled with purple light. He looked up at the starry sky beyond the array wall.

’Grandma, is the Praying Star Technique the power bestowed by the Star God?’

’The power of the stars is actually omnipresent. This is the Star God’s gift.’

In his mind’s eye, the little old lady in the starry sky, holding a wooden staff, seemed to be smiling, revealing nearly toothless gums.

Wu Wang closed his eyes. The flickering purple crescent on his forehead suddenly vanished. Starting from his shoulders, faint blue light spots slowly emerged on his back, growing more numerous, spreading across his back, chest, and abdomen, to all parts of his body.

If someone could observe closely, they would find exactly one hundred and eight of these light spots.

’The path I must walk is not to praise the Star God and borrow Her power.’

’The path I must walk is not to inherit the Dao of Fire and pick up the embers of predecessors.’

’How did Emperor Suiren possess the strength to defeat the Ancient Fire God?’

’Cultivation is about cultivating the self. My Dao shall be determined by me.’

Wu Wang spread his hands, raising his left hand and pressing his right hand down. He drew a circle in front of him, then placed both palms parallel before him.

All stars of the cosmos, converge within me.

The hundreds of light spots around Wu Wang flashed in unison. In the starry sky, hundreds of stars simultaneously shone with brilliant light. Strands of starlight appeared around Wu Wang, merging into his body.

Enlightenment of his Dao came naturally; the celestial cycle reached perfection.

Before long, a faint smile touched Wu Wang’s lips. The magma-like, searing Spiritual Energy within him became coated with a layer of starlight and gradually resumed normal circulation.

He was completely unaware that when he drew that circle, the stars of the Northern Wilderness had blazed with unparalleled brilliance.

「...」

Inside the Star God Temple, Cang Xue opened her eyes, her expression ineffably solemn.

She pondered silently for a moment, felt the trembling of the staff in her hand, and her expression softened into gentleness.

After all, this was her child.

「...」

"Ba’er? Ba’er?"

"Mother?"

Wu Wang, who had been contemplating the Star Dao, was startled awake by these calls. He pushed his recent enlightenment to the back of his mind as the necklace on his chest emitted a faint warmth.

His mother’s voice was very gentle as she spoke softly, "Why are you so restless? You haven’t even reached the Human Domain, yet you’ve already begun to comprehend the Star Dao using Human Domain methods."

Wu Wang was taken aback and hurriedly replied, "I ran into a little trouble earlier and thought it would be a waste not to use the Spiritual Energy, so..."

He carefully avoided mentioning how his Foundation of Immortality had nearly been destroyed by that violent Spiritual Energy.

Cang Xue said softly, "You can’t be blamed for this. It was I who was soft-hearted and allowed you to pursue dual cultivation. However, I forgot to remind you that you absolutely must not cultivate the Star Dao."

As she spoke, a realization dawned in Wu Wang’s heart. It was more direct and swift than a transmitted message, making him understand what had transpired.

This is big trouble.

Simply put, the Star God governs the Star Dao. Under the current cosmic rules, she is responsible for managing the celestial stars and is also recognized by the Heavenly Emperor as the rightful owner of the Northern Wilderness.

Wu Wang, being from the Northern Wilderness and a practitioner of the Praying Star Technique, was essentially branded as a subject of the Star God.

When Wu Wang analyzed the Star Dao in the manner of the Human Domain, achieving enlightenment and retracing the path of the Star Dao, he perfectly triggered the Star God’s second constraint:

[Should any life born in the Northern Wilderness show the potential to threaten the Star God, the disc will unleash calamity to eliminate it prematurely.]

Wu Wang was speechless.

Just like that, so sudden.

"Mother, can I threaten the Star God now? How is that possible?"

"The Star God is gravely injured and in slumber, but her control over the Star Dao remains. She is still the sole sovereign of the starry sky; no one can bypass this rule."

Cang Xue said, "Ba’er, I am suppressing the Star God’s disc, but I can’t hold it off for too long."

"Will a fierce beast fall on my head? I can’t leave this small area right now."

Wu Wang’s expression was one of utter bitterness.

Cang Xue, however, chuckled softly. "It’s not a fierce beast, but a bolt of lightning with thirty percent of the Star God’s strength that will strike your divine soul."

Wu Wang’s mouth twitched. "Mother, are you pregnant? How can you laugh at a time like this?"

"That’s because Mother has a way to protect you."

In the Star God Temple, Cang Xue gripped her staff tightly. Her form flew out of the temple, heading towards the indescribably colossal body of the Star God.

She whispered quietly, her voice traveling through the starry sky, piercing the clouds, traversing a vast and distant expanse to echo deep within Wu Wang’s heart:

"This is Mother’s secret. You must guard it well for me. Don’t tell anyone, not even your father."

"Mother?"

Wu Wang was utterly bewildered. He called out several times but received no reply.

In the depths of the Northern Wilderness’s starry sky, before the statue of the Star God.

A faint silver-white glow enveloped Cang Xue. She hovered before the Star God’s brow, her pure white robe fluttering in the dead silence of the cosmos.

She closed her eyes, her right hand resting over her heart, her left hand extended, palm up, as if cradling something unseen.

In that instant, Cang Xue’s posture perfectly mirrored the Star God’s. Her features, too, bore a strangely striking resemblance to the Star God’s.

The next moment, Cang Xue slowly opened her eyes.

As she did, two rivers of stars seemed to appear in the void behind her. The Star God slowly opened Her eyes, and the boundless starry sky blazed with incandescent splendor.

A drop of blood flew from Cang Xue’s brow. Simultaneously, radiant light burst forth from the Star God’s brow, merging into this drop of blood.

With a gentle push of her left hand, the iridescent drop of essence blood flew into the disc held in the Star God’s left palm. The disc emitted a seven-colored light and vanished into the depths of the starry sky.

At the same time!

Before Wu Wang’s divine soul, a drop of blood appeared—a drop enveloped in silver-white light, surrounded by a seven-colored aura.

Cang Xue said softly,

"The process might be a bit painful, but I believe Ba’er can endure it.

This is the Star God’s origin essence blood. It will allow the Star God’s disc to recognize you as Her direct bloodline, permitting you to rewalk the Star Dao."

Wu Wang’s thoughts raced as the drop of essence blood shot towards him.

"Mother, you..."

"Ask no more. This matter is highly complex. I am also of the Northern Wilderness Human race; do not overthink it."

Cang Xue continued gently,

"You are a piece of my own flesh. I truly cannot bear to see you suffer even the slightest. As for the Star God, this body has no hope of recovery, so losing one more drop of essence blood is nothing to Her."

Wu Wang was about to speak when his vision suddenly blurred, and his six senses plummeted into an ocean of starlight.

Countless Star Dao powers streamed from his divine soul in all directions. The magma-like liquefied Spiritual Energy was almost instantly overwhelmed. Waves of intense pain wracked his limbs and bones.

This pain, compared to the previous state where he was about to split open, was amplified more than a hundredfold!

Even with the strength of Wu Wang’s Divine Thought, he only managed to endure for a moment before letting out a bloodcurdling scream, throwing his head back, and collapsing.

In the depths of the starry sky, Cang Xue turned to face the Star God. The Star God’s eyes, still vacant, slowly closed.

On one side of the disc, a shadowy figure slowly condensed, forming an old crone. She watched Cang Xue warily, her voice, tinged with indignation, reaching Cang Xue’s ears:

"Cang Xue, don’t go too far! To think I failed to see through your identity back then, allowing you to become a Seven-Day Sun Ritual!"

"Quiet."

"Hmph!" The crone huffed angrily but said no more.

Cang Xue’s eyes crinkled into a smile, her expression indescribably calm and amiable, perfectly reflecting the bond she shared with Wu Wang. She summoned her staff and descended to the Star God Temple below.

Merely the spirit of a divine artifact, nothing more.

「...」

Three days later, early in the morning.

Wu Wang sat up on the sand, holding his head. He suddenly felt a prickling pain on his forehead and scalp and subconsciously scratched it.

HISSS—

Jets of blood spurted out. Wu Wang’s still-numb body immediately registered the pain.

What’s this?

He brought his left hand, which had been on his forehead, before his eyes. His pupils suddenly trembled. He almost leaped up, mouth agape, eyes wide.

His arm was covered in densely packed golden scales. His five fingers had transformed into sharply jointed claws, their talons gleaming with a dark luster.

Damn! Have I been single for so long that I’m hallucinating my own hand has turned into a Qilin’s arm?

But blood continued to spurt from his head with a hissing sound, and his left hand, moving according to his will, made a ’smooth sailing’ gesture.

Star God’s essence blood... direct bloodline.

Can I retract it?

At Wu Wang’s thought, the scales on his left arm rapidly vanished, revealing his fair, unblemished skin once more.

A slight itching sensation came from his legs, and the golden scales around the back of his knees quickly receded.

This...?

Wait, I’m feeling a bit dizzy. It’s like I’ve lost too much blood... some...

Wu Wang swayed unsteadily, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed once more.

This time, a bird flying past in the distance sensed something. Its avian eyes turned to stare at Wu Wang lying in a pool of blood. Crying "Jin Wei! Jin Wei!" urgently, it flapped its wings and rushed towards him.