Three months later.

Inside the Shura Palace, Yuan Ming sat cross-legged, his fingers flying as he quickly formed spells, shooting them one after another at the Shura Blood Devouring Map that hovered in midair.

The surface of the Shura Blood Devouring Map radiated with blood light, slowly consuming the corpse of the Shura Master bit by bit.

"To absorb Demonic Qi into the body, one must use the Demon Refining Array, which is a shortcut created by our Demon Clan to better guide the Demonic Qi into the body's acupoints," Qi Ye's voice rang out in Yuan Ming's Sea of Consciousness.

"How is the Demon Refining Array set up, and does it require any special spiritual materials?" Yuan Ming asked.

"A complete Demon Refining Array naturally lacks some spiritual materials, but with some modifications I've made, it can be used for now. Before that, there are some things I need to inform you of in advance," Qi Ye said.

"Please enlighten me," Yuan Ming said.

"Although Fellow Daoist Yuan is already well-versed in the path of Body Cultivation, having reached the Tongqiao Body, the physique of the Human Clan is unlike that of the Demon Clan; therefore, leading Demonic Qi into the body is akin to feeding a fierce medicine to the flesh. If you can successfully endure it, the Demonic Qi will merge with your flesh and greatly enhance the strength of your Physical Body. Then, using the Demon Image Prison Suppression Skill to refine Essence Blood and enhance your cultivation will be smooth and unobstructed. But if you cannot withstand it, the outcome will be the destruction of your Physical Body and the transformation of your Divine Soul into a demon," Qi Ye's tone was grave.

"You've mentioned this to me before, and I am well aware of it," Yuan Ming nodded.

"Very well, since you have made up your mind, I will say no more. Remember, once the Demon Refining Array is activated, it cannot be stopped until it is completely finished. Furthermore, when the Demonic Qi invades, it is not only the body that will suffer. Your Divine Soul will also be harassed by the Demonic Qi. If you fail to defend against either of these two challenges, your fate will be dire," Qi Ye continued.

Yuan Ming listened quietly without saying anything more.

He had already set up a protective Array outside, and Vajra and Hua Zhi were outside helping him protect the law. Unless a cultivator at the Returning to Void Stage came along, his Cultivation would certainly not be interrupted.

The biggest risk this time was whether he could withstand it himself.

"After entering the Array, you must stand on the ground and maintain a posture that reaches for the sky and stands upon the earth; move as little as possible to avoid disturbing the path of the Demonic Qi entering your body, lest you suffer even more," Qi Ye cautioned.

"Don't worry, I've noted everything," Yuan Ming nodded and responded, then began to set up the Array following Qi Ye's guidance.

Before long, an Array about thirty to forty feet in diameter, resembling a hexagram, appeared on the empty ground in front of Yuan Ming, shimmering with black light that flickered on and off.

"If you are ready, then enter the Array. After that, you will have to rely on your own luck," Qi Ye said after checking the Array that Yuan Ming had set up and seeing no issues.

Without any hesitation, Yuan Ming stepped into the center of the Array.

In accordance with Qi Ye's instructions, he did not sit cross-legged as usual but instead stood with his hands clasped in front of him at his chest, standing straight at the center.

"Once you release the Demonic Qi from the Map of Ten Thousand Realms, the Great Array will operate on its own," Qi Ye's voice sounded again. Find this chapter's source on *.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming raised one hand.

The Red Ancient Scroll immediately flew out from his robe and slowly unfurled a section in front of him.

"Open."

As Yuan Ming softly commanded, a light sparked at the center of the scroll, and a reversing vortex emerged from it.

At the same time, tumultuous winds and clouds surged within the scroll and all the dark clouds were whipped into motion, violently spewing out from the vortex.

Whisps of cloud-like Demonic Qi scattered in all directions but were blocked by the rune Arrays that had been previously inscribed on the surrounding walls, ensuring not even a shred leaked out.

As the Demonic Qi gradually filled the entire chamber, the Demon Refining Array on the ground started to operate.

The light on the ground suddenly brightened, and strands of dark purple runes intertwined and connected in midair, enveloping Yuan Ming's figure below. The Demonic Qi floating in the chamber was instantly drawn down, settling towards the ground and into the Array.

A black light shot towards the sky, and from all around the Great Array, black chains materialized out of thin air.

The black chains were as thick as a child's arm, each with a sharp pyramidal tip. They gleamed with the luster of Black Crystal and were adorned with a layer of mysterious purple patterns.

Before Yuan Ming could react, a "clang" sound rang out as the chains shot straight towards his body from every direction.

Yuan Ming instinctively wanted to dodge, but remembering Qi Ye's warning, he stood firm as if impaled on the spot, motionless.

The next moment, the pyramidal tips of the chains pierced through his hands and feet.

An acute pain accompanied by a burning sensation caused Yuan Ming's brain to tighten sharply, his body trembling slightly.

Then, a pulling force came from his arms, and the chains that had pierced through his palms began to tighten, pulling his arms up from his sides irresistibly.

Yuan Ming clenched his teeth hard, just getting used to the pain coursing through his limbs when seven chains consecutively shot towards his back, piercing through his Yangguan, Life Gate, Spirit Platform, Shendao, and other such seven major acupoints along his spine.

A pain that shot straight into his brain marrow nearly made Yuan Ming lose control. His lips trembled, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily oozed fresh blood.

This time, before he could even adapt, a chain had already penetrated the back of his head.

However, he didn't feel the slightest pain from the back of his head. Instead, a chaotic storm erupted in his Sea of Consciousness, an indescribable force directly stabbing into it.

Yuan Ming felt as if he had been hammered; his vision suddenly blacked out, and a wave of overwhelming dizziness hit him, almost causing him to collapse.

But fortunately, his Divine Soul was resilient enough, and soon the power of his Divine Soul began to circulate, smoothing over that chaotic sensation.

In just an instant, Yuan Ming's mind became clear again, but his awareness of the intense pain in his body also became even sharper.

Without hesitation, he moved his thoughts and, following Qi Ye's taught method, urged the Demon Refining Array to life.

With a soft "huff" noise,

The Demonic Qi deposited on the ground was pulled, immediately transforming into tiny streams, winding around the chains as they climbed up towards Yuan Ming and drilled into his body.

Before long, Yuan Ming could feel the Demonic Qi entering some of his acupoints, and an indescribable sensation of distention spread from those acupoints.

The Mana stored within the acupoints clashed with the invading Demonic Qi, the two forces immediately coming to blows.

In an instant, dozens of Yuan Ming's acupoints became dozens of hidden battlefields, the violent collision of the two forces acting on the acupoints, bringing an unprecedented intense stimulation.

Yuan Ming felt as if hundreds of ants were biting him, his body aching, tingling, swelling, and throbbing with pain, an ordeal worse than being flayed alive.

As the Demonic Qi continuously infused, more and more acupoints became battlefields.

A look of agony appeared on Yuan Ming's face, yet Demonic Qi continued to flow in and out of his body incessantly, interweaving with the surrounding Mana. His stature, however, remained perfectly upright and motionless.

Before long, his mouth was full of fresh blood, veins on his forehead bulged, and cold sweat flowed down like rain, yet he persisted with immense willpower, without waver.

This process was just the beginning of the fusion between his physical body and the Demonic Qi; the pain Yuan Ming had to endure had just begun.

...

In Da Jin, Yuhua City.

In the vast expanses of the Central Plains, countless Cultivation Markets are hidden amongst famous mountains and rivers. Yet, regardless of the market, all were inhabited by mortals doing servant tasks.

Only Yuhua City, as the only city under Chang Chun Temple where outsiders are allowed, is inhabited by people of all ages with Cultivation, making it a true Immortal city, untainted by the mortal world.

Naturally, Yuhua City has also become Chang Chun Temple's appointed site for the grand meeting. This city, already teeming with cultivators, is now witnessing an even grander confluence of emissaries from all directions.

Despite the Wu Yue Sect's invasion casting a heavy shadow over this grand meeting, the Central Plains cultivators walking along the streets didn't show much concern.

The years of peace in the Central Plains have been long. The tragedies once wreaked by the Wu Yue Sect had become but emotionless records in books. Moreover, in the eyes of these Central Plains cultivators, the so-called Wu Yue Sect was nothing but an underling defeated by Chang Chun Temple; even if it resurged, it was still a mere jumping clown, destined to be defeated by Chang Chun Temple eventually.

Even if some cultivators from the East Sea described the horror and ferocity of the Wu Yue Sect, it was still not as impactful as facing the flames of war head-on.

Driven by such attitudes, the entire atmosphere in Yuhua City was buoyant and fervent; everyone was preparing for the upcoming grand meeting.

In a large hall in the southern part of Yuhua City, dozens of Chang Chun Temple disciples were bustling about, ceaselessly dealing with documents related to the grand meeting.

"Aunt Master Lou, the welcoming disciple has reported that guests from Southern Border Silk Island have passed the checkpoint, they will reach Yuhua City within two hours," reported a Qi Refining Disciple handling communications, handing a Jade Scroll to Lou Lan.

Lou Lan, once the daughter of the Grand Jin Prime Minister, hadn't changed much in appearance, but her Cultivation had reached the Late Foundation Establishment.

After Liu Tianming abdicated the throne and entered Chang Chun Temple, he soon became her Daoist companion. Unfortunately, Yuan Ming, under pressure from Chang Chun Temple, was in hiding and couldn't attend the ceremony, only sending a piece of correspondence from Little Lake City as congratulations.

While regrettable, Lou Lan was understanding of Yuan Ming's situation, harboring no grudges in her heart.

Years later, when Yuan Ming returned to Qu Jiang and reunited with Liu Tianming, Lou Lan learned of the circumstances through his accounts and was pleasantly surprised at Yuan Ming's Core Formation advancement, concerned about his plight but helpless on her own.

Later, perhaps spurred by Yuan Ming, Liu Tianming left the Sect in search of an opportunity for Core Formation, only contacting the Sect after successfully forming his core to say he had found a secret realm suitable for secluded Cultivation, and then went silent.

However, before leaving, Lou Lan made a pair of Concubine Jade for Liu Tianming to carry with him, allowing them to know if the other was safe. Since the Concubine Jade remains intact, Liu Tianming was naturally of no concern.