chapter 34 Swallowing things and turning them into spirits ===

In a world-shaking strike, the Ture Qi condensed by the God Swallow formula of Tai Huang had an intensity several dozen times greater than ordinary Ture Qi. Enhanced by the mysterious liquid, complemented by the soul of an Immortal Emperor, and aided by the Ghost pupil, this strike targeted three deadly acupoints on Silvianus Xu's body. The sharp blade aura cleaved through the air, reaching Silvianus Xu directly. His complexion changed abruptly, and the Soul-washing energy enveloped his body, avoiding the blade aura. There was no flaw in this strike—how did he manage such precision? It would be unbelievable to claim that an acupoint weakness in a technique from the Soul washing Realm could be found. Silvianus Xu, at the second level of the Innate Realm, was both surprised and horrified. Stepping on the Seven Stars, he transformed into a fleeting shadow, vanishing from his original spot without any warning, only to reappear within five meters of Silvianus Xu. In such proximity, evading was no longer an option. "Sun Palms!" Forced into a corner, Silvianus Xu unleashed his mastered technique, resembling a rising sun. The entire hall emitted a strong radiance, generating scorching waves of heat. The blade aura from Verdantius Liu was blocked by the intense sunlight. "Father-in-law, be careful!" A subtle smile appeared on Verdantius Liu's lips. Suddenly, the Ghost pupil was activated, slowing down the surroundings. Every movement of his father-in-law was observed meticulously. The blade technique changed abruptly, creating an inexplicable angle, slashing towards the right armpit of Silvianus Xu—his vulnerable acupoint. Every martial artist has acupoints that, when struck, are fatal. Verdantius Liu easily identified it. "You..." Silvianus Xu transitioned from shock to fear. Although it seemed like just one strike, it contained countless variations. The Blood siphon method's seven forms had already merged into one. Every move could be executed effortlessly. No time for words, his other hand moved. Another round of scorching sunlight rose, pressing against Verdantius Liu. No longer on the defensive, Verdantius Liu had locked Silvianus Xu's acupoints securely. Continuing to defend would be passive, so he switched to an offensive strategy to create an opportunity. Despite being suppressed to the Soul washing Realm, it forced Silvianus Xu into such a predicament. The shock and disbelief in Silvianus Xu's eyes were beyond Verdantius Liu's comprehension. Silvianus Xu's right palm swept towards Verdantius Liu's left shoulder. With rich combat experience, the gap between them was too significant. A hint of amusement appeared in the corner of his eyes, and his body suddenly disappeared from the original spot. His father-in-law's right palm struck nothing but air. "Oh no!" In the first instance, Silvianus Xu sensed danger. His body rapidly retreated, but he was a step too late. A trace of coldness swept beneath his armpit. He touched it with his hand, feeling dampness—a small wound. The clothes tore open, revealing a trace of blood. Just a small cut, yet it made him break into a cold sweat. If it were a life-or-death struggle, he would be a corpse by now. "Father-in-law, you've lost!" Sheathing his blade, Verdantius Liu stood still. He didn't continue the assault. A subtle smile curled on his lips. He hadn't fully unleashed the Ghost pupil just now. When fully activated, it could instantly pierce through the opponent's spiritual sea, too lethal to be used casually. Unless facing a mortal enemy, he wouldn't employ it. "Unbelievable... When did you become so powerful, Verdantius?" Silvianus Xu's words were somewhat incoherent, expressing a mix of excitement and shock. It seemed like he suspected that Verdantius Liu had been possessed by an ancient demon. "Father-in-law, rest assured. I'm still the same me, just encountered some fortuitous events that I can't disclose. Time is of the essence; I'm heading to the Purple Gold Mine now. Even in the Soul washing Realm, I have the ability to protect myself. The Pill Treasure cockloft will send someone to collect these pills in a couple of days. Tell them that I'll be back in a few days." With the eight-day deadline approaching, resolving the issue with the mine takes precedence. The matter with the Pill Treasure cockloft can be temporarily set aside. These pills can last a few days. Bowing respectfully, Verdantius Liu was ready to set out immediately to avoid the convoy of goods being ambushed. "Very well, very well. If only Big Brother Verdantius knew, he would be ecstatic. Be cautious on your journey." With Soul washing Realm opponents unable to match him, Silvianus Xu had no reason to refuse. With Verdantius Liu handling it, he could stay in Canglan City and guard the Xu family. "Yes!" The grand door slowly opened. Deacon Lan was still outside, unaware of what transpired in the hall. Watching Verdantius Liu leave, he returned to the hall. "Master, what happened? Why are all the tables and chairs broken?" Deacon Lan inquired. It had only been the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, yet the hall had become a mess. "It's nothing, nothing. Let's continue discussing the matters of the weapon forge. Inform those clients that our weapons will be completed as scheduled. If delayed by a day, we'll compensate them with a thirty percent breach of contract fee." Silvianus Xu laughed heartily, dispelling all the gloom. Exiting Canglan City, Verdantius Liu headed straight for the Sunset Mountain Range, where, according to his memories, it stretched for a hundred thousand miles. Deep within the mountains lurked many formidable demonic beasts. Many warriors from Canglan City liked to come here for training, hunting, and killing demonic beasts to obtain demonic cores for sale to certain shops. Demonic cores could be used to refine pills, and the majority of them flowed into the Pill Treasure cockloft. The fur, bones, and tendons of demonic beasts were all valuable materials. They could be used not only as medicinal ingredients but also to forge demonic armors, which were priceless. Most importantly, the Sunset Mountains were abundant with spirit herbs, growing in dangerous and treacherous terrains. A century-old spirit herb could be worth a hundred thousand gold coins. Entering the continuous mountain range, three figures suddenly appeared on a distant mountain road. "Hurry back and report to the patriarch. This waste has entered the Sunset Mountains. It's the perfect opportunity to kill him. As long as we do it discreetly, Master Huo won't be able to do anything to us. Besides, for a dead man, the Tian family wouldn't dare to oppose us." These past few days, the Tian family had dispatched many scouts to guard around the Xu family. They were vigilant about any movements. Verdantius Liu stood on a large tree, eyes glinting with a cold light. "Do they really think I don't know they are tracking me? I'd like to see who they can send to kill me." When he left the Xu family, Verdantius Liu knew someone was tailing him. He pretended not to notice, allowing them to follow him. Not in a rush to travel, the convoy wouldn't arrive at the canyon until tomorrow. Going early wouldn't make a difference, so he found a secluded place to quietly cultivate. The God Swallow formula of Tai Huang was in operation, and the spiritual energy from the Sunset Mountains rushed in frantically, more than twice as concentrated as in Canglan City. His dantian was like a Tai Huang world, absorbing spiritual energy at a terrifying speed. Most of the spiritual energy entered the God Swallow tripod, forming more liquid. Accumulating a sufficient amount could assist in breaking through realms. As his realm continued to rise, the need for liquid also increased dramatically. Moon Bright, Stars Sparse! A bright moon rose in the sky, rendering the entire Sunset Mountains quiet. Many nocturnal demonic beasts would come out to hunt. Opening his eyes, he looked deep into the distance. Practicing within a set formation was predetermined, with significant limitations compared to real battles against demonic beasts. There were too many variables. Leaping forward, his body disappeared, continuing to advance into the mountains. Taking advantage of the night, he hunted demonic beasts to hone his blade technique. There was still ample room for improvement. The Blood siphon method was well integrated, but what it lacked was practical combat to make the technique more perfect. Stepping on dry twigs, making a creaking sound, it startled a Jue Evil Beast searching for food in the distance. It had a massive body, about two meters tall and over four meters long, a medium to large demonic beast with tremendous strength. Most people wouldn't want to provoke it. Jue Evil Beasts had tough hides, and weapons couldn't harm them. Its defense was impenetrable. The Jue Evil Beast had a huge mouth that occupied almost half of its head. Suddenly opening, it reached over a meter in height, capable of swallowing three adults simultaneously. Man and beast locked eyes. "Roar!" The Jue Evil Beast let out an angry roar, tearing open its four hooves and charging towards Verdantius Liu. The ground trembled, and the surrounding trees shook, breaking into pieces as the massive body charged through. Verdantius Liu's body remained still, his legs slightly bent, right hand pressing on the hilt. His eyes became indifferent. This was a First Order Ninth Stage Jue Evil Beast, equivalent to the peak of human-acquired realm strength. Demonic beasts had tough hides and overwhelming strength. Under similar circumstances, humans were no match. Verdantius Liu suppressed his realm to the Acquired realm and didn't release his Innate Spirit. If he released his Innate spirit, the Jue Evil Beast might turn and run. As the distance rapidly closed, the Jue Evil Beast appeared within three meters of Verdantius Liu. The huge mouth sprayed a foul-smelling breath, nauseating. At this moment! Verdantius Liu's right hand suddenly pressed down, and the short blade sprang out, turning into a cold light like a celestial being descending from the heavens. The blade flashed and disappeared into the Jue Evil Beast's head. "Chirp!" Blood splattered, and the Jue Evil Beast's body froze in place, unable to move. After waiting for about a minute, its body slowly fell to the ground. A foot-long gash oozed a large amount of blood, staining the ground red. A fatal strike! "Boring!" Verdantius Liu sneered. The long blade swung, splitting the Jue Evil Beast's body open. A demonic core the size of an egg appeared in his palm—a First Order Peak demonic core, worth a thousand gold coins, better than nothing. Suddenly! The God Swallow tripod trembled. The demonic core in his hand continuously shrank. In the blink of an eye, it turned into powder. A gust of wind blew, and the powder in his palm disappeared without a trace. "What's going on? Where did the demonic core go?" Verdantius Liu was puzzled, his consciousness delving into the dantian to investigate. Strangely, no issues seemed to have occurred. "What is this?" Above the God Swallow tripod, a strange liquid floated, emitting a strong demonic aura. "Is this the essence of the demonic core?" Not entirely certain. The strange liquid merged into the dantian, generating a violent impact. His Ture Qi surged significantly, not breaking through the realm but improving a lot. "Devouring and Transforming, can it do this too?" Verdantius Liu was stunned. Devouring a demonic core could enhance his Ture Qi. The God Swallow tripod went beyond his imagination. Initially, he had no strong desire to hunt demonic beasts, as he didn't need to sharpen his martial skills. Now things were different. By hunting numerous demonic beasts and refining their demonic cores, he could strengthen his Ture Qi and quickly break through the Third Stage of the Innate Realm. The God Swallow tripod had ten times the capacity of an ordinary dantian. Each breakthrough required ten times the spiritual energy and resources of an ordinary person and cultivating slowly for a year or more might not break through the Third Stage of the Innate Realm. Excited, he flew deeper into the mountains, continuing to search for demonic beasts to test whether he could devour all types. ... At the entrance of the Sunset Mountains, a group of mysterious individuals appeared. Several auras of Innate Realm were among them, highly abnormal. "Are you sure this waste has entered the Sunset Mountains?" The leader was an elderly man in his fifties, with a stern face, asking in a low voice. "Return, Elder. We are absolutely sure. We've been guarding here all afternoon, and he hasn't come out. He's still in the Sunset Mountains." The Tian family disciples guarding here honestly answered. They didn't dare to leave. "Good. This kid is seeking death, running into the Sunset Mountains. Let's go in." The elder from the Tian family waved his hand, leading the group as they plunged into the mountains, pursuing Verdantius Liu.