Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside a quiet room in the outer courtyard of the temple, Wang Ping sat cross-legged. His hands formed seals. The Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon sat upright behind him, its breathing echoing endlessly like mingling wind and thunder.
As the product of the six desire beasts merging into one, the Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon also possessed six innate ability.
The first was called 【Breathing】, derived from one of the six desire beasts, the Swallowing Whale. True to its name, it absorbed spiritual qi and fed it back to him, its master.
The Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon could simulate the effects of a 【Flawed Spirit Root】 entirely because of this innate ability. Unfortunately, its efficiency was limited, falling far short of a 【True Spirit Root】.
As it breathed in spiritual qi, the anomalies on Wang Ping’s body grew increasingly apparent. His skin gradually transformed from a pale yellow to a jade-like sprout green. Under the sunlight, it even gave the illusion of being forged from gold. Beneath this golden skin, his meridians became distinctly visible.
This anomaly lasted for about an hour.
Only when Wang Ping ceased absorbing spiritual qi did the strange manifestation gradually fade. He stretched his limbs slightly, and his entire body let out a series of crackling pops.
Ring, ring!
The silver summoning bell chimed again. Wang Ping didn’t dare delay; he immediately stood up and walked briskly toward the inner temple, anticipation flashing across his face.
The immortal sects…
Until now, his understanding of immortal sects was limited to the single Daoist temple where Nun You resided. He had never seen what a true immortal sect looked like.
And the power of cultivators.
He had always harbored a small sliver of doubt as to whether the immortal sect lineages truly surpassed the martial arts of Great Shun. This was the perfect opportunity to verify it.
Aside from that, there was the 【Five Thieves’ Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformation Divine Talisman】 Nun You had mentioned.
An immortal sect cultivation method… Since it can be widely disseminated, its grade shouldn’t be low. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be targeted by those so-called rogue cultivators. It sounds like I have quite an affinity with it!
Entering the painted inner temple, Wang Ping quickly spotted Nun You standing beneath the tree. She looked up at him, her gaze incredibly amiable.
“You’re here?”
“Greetings, Milady,” Wang Ping bowed in greeting, though he silently raised his guard. After all, Nun You had previously promised him a surprise.
Tell me, what the hell is a ‘surprise’?
The next second, Nun You reached into her sleeve and pulled out a long staff. Dark and golden lights coiled around it, swirling and blending together.
“For you.”
She casually tossed the long staff into Wang Ping’s arms. The lights immediately flared and separated into dark and golden hues, like clear and murky energies rising and sinking.
The brilliant golden light floated upward like clear qi, fluttering in the wind to form a banner. Countless talismanic scripts that Wang Ping couldn’t understand were engraved on its surface. Meanwhile, the dark light sank like murky qi, merging into the long staff in his hands. Amidst the shifting light, the faint wails of ghosts and wolves could be heard.
“This is the 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】.”
Nun You smiled. “The banner contains six hundred and sixty-six demons. It perfectly complements your cultivation method. It’s a protective spiritual artifact I specially refined for you these past few days.”
This is the damn surprise?
Looking at the dark-gold treasure banner in his hands, Wang Ping’s heart pounded. Did I misunderstand these immortal sect disciples? Is Nun You actually a good person?
Though his intuition told him something was still off.
But… what if?
Anyway, the 【Otherworldly Heavenly Demon】 cooldown has already finished. This trip to the immortal sect is practically guaranteed to yield a return; any further gains are pure profit.
With that in mind, Wang Ping relaxed.
“Let’s go. To my room.”
Nun You’s alluring voice rang out again. Even though they stood a distance apart, it sounded as if she were whispering right in his ear, causing Wang Ping to violently shudder.
“You haven’t seen a spiritual artifact yet, have you?”
“I will teach you how to refine it.”
Wang Ping stayed silent for a moment before smoothly going with the flow, “Thank you for your favor, Milady.”
Following Nun You, Wang Ping soon arrived at a quiet room within the inner temple. Pushing the door open, his eyes were immediately met with dense, talismanic scripts covering the entire room.
However, his gaze didn’t land on those scripts. Instead, he stared fixedly at a jade slip placed right in the center of the room. At first glance, the jade slip didn’t look special, yet it drew his vision like a black hole, making his mind unconsciously plunge toward it…
“Wake up!”
Like a clap of thunder, Wang Ping instantly jolted awake. He only then realized that, at some point, he had taken three steps toward the jade slip. Cold sweat immediately poured down his back.
“This is…”
“This is the 【Five Thieves’ Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformation Divine Talisman】,” Nun You frowned slightly, her voice low. “Your cultivation is too low to resist its temptation.”
Wang Ping obediently took a step back.
But thinking of the allure of an immortal sect cultivation method, he couldn’t help but ask curiously, “This technique is so formidable. Judging by the name, is it related to stealing?”
“Do not ask too much.”
Nun You’s tone was calm. “Do not be curious, and definitely do not investigate. Because knowledge related to it is, in itself, a terrifyingly lethal poison.”
“The more you understand, the easier it is to be influenced by it.”
“Otherwise, why do you think that outcast called himself the 【Heaven-Stealing Thief】 and openly displayed his methods and divine abilities? It was all to secretly scheme against those who knew the truth.”
After finishing, Nun You waved her hand somewhat impatiently.
“Enough. Walk over there.”
Following the direction she pointed, Wang Ping took a glance and saw a frighteningly dense cluster of secret talismanic scripts in that spot. Anyone with a working pair of eyes could tell something was wrong.
“Sigh…“
Wang Ping let out a sigh, tossing away the last shred of fantasy in his heart. He no longer bowed. Straightening his back, he turned around and looked calmly at Nun You.
The stunningly beautiful Daoist nun now appeared incomparably cold, her gorgeous face covered in frost. Seeing Wang Ping unmoving and even daring to look her straight in the eye, her originally alluring voice turned imposing. She enunciated each word, rolling like thunder through the air, “What? Do you no longer want this rare opportunity?”
The normally tender and charming nun, now donning an unfeeling and icy demeanor, paradoxically looked even more enticing.
Unfortunately, the more beautiful the woman, the better she was at lying.
“It’s not that I don’t want it; I simply don’t dare.”
Before his voice even faded, Wang Ping moved—his true body stayed still, but the shadow beneath his feet abruptly stretched toward the 【Five Thieves’ Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformation Divine Talisman】.
“…Insolent!”
The moment she spoke, heaven and earth shook, and all phenomena disintegrated. In Wang Ping’s vision, the quiet room suddenly tore open like a ripped canvas, crashing apart!
The originally seamless room shattered into countless fragments, pulling away from each other. The distance between objects expanded from mere inches to vast horizons. The space of a mere ten paces instantly transformed into a boundless world. Standing within it, Wang Ping felt as insignificant as an ant.
Wang Ping was completely stunned.
The shadow beneath his feet, the Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon, could stretch up to ten meters away. If he utilized its innate ability, he could maneuver freely within a hundred-meter radius.
But what was going on right now?
Just a moment ago, the 【Five Thieves’ Heaven-Stealing Myriad Transformation Divine Talisman】 was less than ten paces away. Now, it was reduced to a pitch-black speck in his vision.
At a glance, it was at least ten kilometers away!
As time passed, this distance continued to stretch, until it finally broke entirely out of his spiritual sense’s range, disappearing without a trace.
“A frog in a well, ignorant of the vastness of heaven and earth.”
The icy voice drifted over faintly. Wang Ping abruptly turned his head, only to find Nun You standing behind him out of nowhere, slowly pointing a finger at him.
He tried to dodge, but even though he was clearly leaping backward, the distance between him and Nun You didn’t increase in the slightest. Instead, they grew closer. Rather than saying Nun You was pointing a finger at him, it felt more like he was actively throwing himself onto her finger. It was inconceivable!
What kind of spiritual art is this?
Before Wang Ping could react, Nun You’s finger had already landed on his glabella. A wave of dizziness immediately followed as myriad lights and shadows shifted around him.
By the time he regained his senses.
As if everything just now was an illusion, he was back in that ten-pace quiet room, standing squarely in the center of the countless talismanic scripts.
“Stand still and behave.”
Wang Ping subconsciously tried to move, only to feel as though his entire body was locked in heavy shackles. Even his strength, which was capable of splitting monuments and shattering boulders, couldn’t break free in the slightest.
“This is 【Immobilize】.”
Standing before him, Nun You chuckled softly. “The one just now was called 【Scene Shift】. Both are spiritual arts I’ve mastered. Don’t waste your breath trying to break free.”
Saying that, Nun You waved her hand.
In the next second, over a dozen jade boxes suddenly appeared in the previously empty quiet room. Each box rippled with a magnificent, radiant treasure light.
“Look, I prepared all of these for you.” Nun You hummed a little tune, her tone relaxed. “Originally, I thought it would take a few years to reap the harvest. I never expected your comprehension to be so high—cultivating the Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon in just three months. You forced me to adjust my plans.”
“If I still had a few years, I could have slowly accumulated the incense money. Alas, time waits for no one, so I had to take out a loan from the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.”
“To afford these precious materials, I almost had to sign an indenture contract.”
With every sentence she spoke, Nun You opened a jade box. The quiet room was filled with colorful, brilliant light, illuminating Wang Ping’s face.
So many immortal dao materials!
Wang Ping had no doubt that any single material Nun You brought out right now, if tossed into 【The Taiping Classic】, would be enough to grant him a blank scripture scroll!
At the same time, he realized exactly what Nun You intended to do.
“You want to use me to forge an artifact?”
Nun You smiled and nodded. “I have no choice. High-grade Lishi are simply too expensive. After thinking it over, I figured it would be better to buy the raw materials and refine one myself.”
“Normally, buying a human suited for a high-grade Lishi would be best. Unfortunately, the Dharma Protector Institute strictly controls human materials of that caliber. My connections aren’t strong enough, so I had to settle for a more ordinary one… However, you have given me quite a big surprise.”
At this point, Nun You licked her full red lips.
“A natural Desire Realm Deva physique, plus high comprehension, yet completely hopeless on the Great Dao, and now dying a violent death right here. The resentment you harbor at the very end will surely be immense.”
“Paired with the precious materials I’ve prepared.”
“The chance of you becoming a 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon King】 is around sixty percent. You can even master a spiritual art, ultimately forging a high-grade spiritual artifact!”
“Excellent, truly excellent!”
Hearing Nun You’s words, Wang Ping suddenly felt his entire body heating up. His vision gradually took on a dim hue, and an intense wave of dizziness set in.
This bastard! She already made her move while talking!
“Don’t be afraid. The dizziness is normal,” Nun You chuckled softly.
Wang Ping exhaled a long breath. “What immortal sect? This is clearly the demonic path.”
Nun You didn’t mind at all. “Only mediocre mortals would call this practice a demonic path. In the immortal sects, we generally call it ‘efficiency.'”
“Besides, mortals are inherently tools for us immortal sects. You are merely transitioning from one type of tool into a superior one. Why complain?”
“At the very least, I didn’t treat you as a disposable consumable. You should be thanking me.”
“Moreover, I’m allowing you to multiply your value as a human sacrifice a hundredfold. Without me, you would have just lived out your life in mediocrity, merely well-fed and warmly clothed.”
“If you really must blame someone, blame yourself.”
“After all, it wasn’t me who forced you to cultivate.”
“…”
For a moment, Wang Ping was so infuriated he actually laughed.
Rumble!
Right at that moment, the secret talismanic scripts surrounding Wang Ping abruptly lit up. The lights intertwined and morphed into roaring flames.
Immediately after, the dark-gold treasure banner that Wang Ping had tossed aside flew up into the air on its own. Shining radiantly, it landed firmly in the center of the talismanic array.
It then enveloped Wang Ping, making his body feel as though it were melting. Amidst the searing pain, he could feel his life force continuously draining away.
“Ugh…”
Wang Ping gritted his teeth and formed hand seals. The Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon immediately stepped out from the shadow beneath his feet, transferring all the injuries inflicted upon him onto itself.
Seeing this, Nun You nodded slightly:
“Very good. The quality is indeed exceptional.”
With that, she scattered a whole peck of the Gold-Veined Shattered Star Sand she had just mentioned into the formation. Like pouring boiling oil on a roaring fire, it instantly intensified Wang Ping’s agony.
The Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon also let out a wail.
Yet in the next second, its body gave a sudden shudder. Its skin cracked open, and like a snake shedding its skin, it sloughed off its outer layer.
With this molting, all the injuries it had absorbed from Wang Ping were shed as well. Beneath the cracked husk was perfectly intact skin!
Seeing this, Nun You looked even more satisfied. “That’s the innate ability taken from the Rock Snake, 【Armor Shedding】. Using molting to mitigate damage and recover condition. Very good.”
Soon after, Wang Ping began to struggle once more.
Under his control, the Six Desires Primal Heaven Demon leaped into the air, attempting to fly out of the quiet room. Upon realizing it couldn’t escape, it swung its fists, trying to smash the confinement.
Then, its figure began to flicker and teleport.
In the end, it even coalesced an incredibly sharp battle-ax in its hands. Gleaming with cold light, it continuously hacked at the confinement, yet still failed to achieve any results.
“The Sky Eagle’s 【Flight】, the Deep Ape’s 【Myriad Weight】.”
“The Rock Snake’s 【Armor Shedding】, the Swallowing Whale’s 【Breathing】.”
“The Marauder Leopard’s 【Divine Footwork】, the Steel Wyrm’s 【Wyrm Ax】.”
Nun You rubbed her hands together, visibly excited. “Innate abilities covering flight, strength, recovery, spiritual qi, speed, and weaponry. Its quality is practically perfect.”
“Could it be that this time, I’ll be able to forge a high-grade spiritual artifact?”
“If so, relying on a high-grade 【Six Desires Heavenly Demon Banner】, I will definitely master 【Soul Chasing】 and 【Spirit Snatching】. That great divine ability will be just around the corner…”